HEADMASTER’S ITEMS

House Point Totals: 5 October 2007

Please Help.  A group of Year 8 and 9 pupils from Appleby College, Toronto, Canada are visiting the UK in November on a drama trip.  They will be performing at Taunton School on 14 November and would like to stay with host families for the evenings of 13 and 14 November.  There are 17 pupils in total [6 boys and 11 girls].  The children will be occupied during the day but would go to their hosts at the end of the school day, returning the following morning.  We have been asked to put the children in pairs as far as possible. Further details will be supplied in due course, but if you are able to help, please contact the Prep School Office. This will be a wonderful opportunity for your child to meet a potential friend from afar!

Half-term Arrangements: Half-term begins on Wednesday, 17 October at 12.00 pm for Pre-Prep and First Steps, and children must be collected at this time unless arrangements have been made with Mrs McLauchlan.

Pupils in the Prep Department will finish at 12.30 pm and should be collected as soon as possible after this time.  If for any reason parents in the Prep department are unable to collect their children at      12.30 pm, it is MOST IMPORTANT that Mr Anderson is informed in writing. 

If parents are attending the Yr 9 Parents’ Meeting   at   Taunton   School,   you   are welcome to arrange for   your children to join an older sibling for lunch in the downstairs Dining Room.  Taunton School pupils may collect younger siblings from the foyer of the Centenary Hall on Wednesday.

SPEECH AND DRAMA

Time flies when we’re having fun! Well done to all students who have really worked hard this term. There have been some great improvements and I am very pleased with those who have put in the extra time to learn their festival pieces. As ever, a few have still not learnt their pieces and the festival is only a fortnight after we return to school. Please use your half-term to really learn and polish your performances. I look forward to seeing you all back here after half-term.

[Darren Riggs]

LEARNING SUCCESS PARENTS

Just a reminder about the Support Evening   on Tuesday,   16 October from 7.00-9.00 pm in the Centenary Hall. Could Learning Support parents who have not replied and who intend to be there, please let Mrs Ayers know on 01823 349212, or email pat.ayers@tauntonschool.co.uk. Thank you.

VENICE CHOIR TOUR

We would be delighted to sing the Venice programme in a short Concert in the Chapel [rather than the Arts Centre as published in the calendar] on Monday, 29 October at 7.00 pm.  Please come and bring any friends or family. 

Refreshments will be served in the Arts Centre Foyer immediately after the performance.  The programme will not be an extensive one because the major focus of the choir singing involves services in St Marks Cathedral in Venice and Verona Cathedral rather than a full concert programme – so its quality not quantity!

A big thank you to the parents of the tour party for making often very complicated arrangements to ensure the children have been able to attend rehearsals.  Parents of children who are thinking of coming to Salzburg, Austria next year would be especially welcome to attend to hear about the choir tour.

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Christmas Fair: If anyone would like to take a stall at the Christmas Fair to sell crafts or gifts, please contact Caroline Upton on 01823 451692 or e-mail on uptons@gmail.com. The cost of taking a table will be £15, payable in advance in cash.

Parents please note the day of the Christmas   Fair is a MUFTI day for the pupils in both Pre-Prep and the Prep School. It would be appreciated if all pupils could make a donation to the Fair: Pre-Prep children could bring in a cake for the cake stall [to be delivered to the Pre-Prep Hall on Friday, 30 November – the day of the Christmas Fair] and Prep School pupils an item suitable for a Christmas Hamper. PLEASE MAKE SURE that all perishable items have a long sell-by date. These hampers will be raffled off at the Fair, so please bring along something nice that you would like to win in a hamper. This could also include wine, spirits, and chocolates, gifts for both adults and children.  If anyone is able to come along on the morning of the Fair and help prepare the hampers, then please put the date in your diary now. More hands make less work for everyone involved!!!

Please remember to look out your "as new" books, toys, comics and DVDs for the stalls at the Fair and leave any items in the Centenary Hall entrance area from Monday, 26 until Thursday, 29 November – the last day for items to be left.

Remember, all notices and minutes of meetings are posted on the Parents’ Association Notice Board in the Parents Waiting Area in Weirfield.

GAMES DEPARTMENT

Rugby and Hockey U8 Festivals [Monday, 15 October 2.00 pm]

We are very much looking forward to the Year 3 Festival on Monday and all parents are welcome to come along and cheer on their children.  PLEASE ENSURE ALL PUPILS HAVE THEIR GUM SHIELDS with them as sadly they will not be able to play without them.

Parents are requested to park on Fairwater Green if they are watching the rugby, and when returning from the hockey matches, on the Astro.  Tea will be served in the Centenary Hall for parents.  All Year 3 pupils will have a match tea in the Dining Hall.  It is suggested that parents collect their children from classrooms as normal following the completion of tea.

Rugby v. Sherborne Prep

Rugby v. Wellington

Rugby v. Castle School [Floodlit Cup U13 1^st Round]

Rugby v. Hazlegrove

Hockey v. Millfield

Hockey v. Castle School

Hockey v. Wellington

Hockey: U11 at the Clifton Tournament

1^st Round:     Won their pool

2^nd Round:    Won their pool

Semi Final:  Drew against Millfield losing

                   on penalty flicks

Joint 3^rd overall.  Well done

Football v. Wellington

DATES TO NOTE

14 Oct:    Boarders’ Service: The Revd D Owen [9.15 am]

28 Oct:       Boarders return [6.00-

7.30 pm]

29 Oct:       Day Pupils return.

          Venice Choir: Concert

[7.00 pm]

31 Oct:       Pre-Prep: Parents’ Evening in classrooms [6.00-7.30 pm]

1 Nov:       Headmaster’s Surgery, Library [8.10-8.40 am]

2 Nov:       Roberts Assembly [8.40 am] Parents invited to coffee in the Library [8.20 am]

          Boarders’ Service: Choral Evening for All Souls’ Day [6.30 pm]