The Chronicle

Dear Parents

Welcome back and happy New Year to you all.  We especially welcome our four new pupils and trust that they will enjoy their time at Crackley Hall whilst making excellent progress along the way.  I hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with your families and were able to spend some much deserved time relaxing at home or on holiday.   The children have settled into their first week back to school and seem very happy to be reunited with their friends and back into school routine.  It’s always lovely to see the smiling faces and hear their stories.

On Wednesday this week, J5 and J6 enjoyed an exciting visit to London to watch the Lion King.  Unfortunately, I was unable to accompany them on this occasion but I have seen photographs and heard wonderful stories of the children having a marvellous time in Planet Hollywood and at the theatre.  Although it was a long day for all involved, I think all would agree that it was a memorable experience and my thanks go to those who helped with the trip, especially Mrs Olden for co-ordinating the visit.

I am sure some of you will have already met our newest member of staff, Mr Charles Lamprecht.   Mr Lamprecht has begun to immerse himself in to school life here at Crackley Hall and is keen to make sure he meets as many of you as possible. I’ve heard that he has a good memory for names and faces so if you see him around school, please feel free to introduce yourself as I am sure he will appreciate it.  You might even want to test his memory!

I enjoyed our first celebration assembly of this term and was delighted to see so many Irish Dancing certificates awarded - congratulations to all, particularly Oliver Moore for his enthusiasm in the lessons.    Although the children have not been taking part for very long, I have been told by Ms Roisin that the standards achieved were exceptionally good –keep up the good work everyone.

My congratulations to Alistair Darnell who earned enough merits in mathematics to become the first Crackley Hall student to earn a Junior da Vinci certificate.   This is an incredible achievement and I am sure it will not be too long before someone else is awarded a certificate for their enthusiasm and achievement.  Well done to all pupils who received awards at the assembly.

Please note the few extra dates that have been included in this week’s Chronicle.  These may be helpful when planning your family’s activities and do not appear on the Lent term calendar card but will show on the school website calendar.

I hope you all have an enjoyable and restful weekend.

God Bless

Robert Duigan

Tuesday 16 January - 10.00am to 3.00pm

Please do spread the word that Crackley Hall and Little Crackers Nursery are opening their doors for an Open Day on Tuesday 16 January from 10.00am to 3.00pm.

This is an opportunity to look around the school and to meet staff and pupils on a normal working day. All are welcome, no need to book.

We currently have a small number of places available from Reception to Year 5 and are accepting registrations for admission to Reception and Year 3 in September 2018. Interest in our Reception Class for September 2018 entry is high and the deadline for registrations is Monday 5 February.

Those that can't make the Open Day but would like to look around the school, should call our Admissions and Marketing Secretary, Mrs Jenny Vaughan on 01926 514444, we welcome visitors on most days.

For more information visit www.crackleyhall.co.uk

We have a number of trips coming up over the next few weeks. Please see the relevant letters below. This information is also available in the Trips and Important Dates section. 

J2 Great Fire of London Costume letter

One World Week: J4 trip to Buddhist Peace Pagoda 13.02.18

One World Week: J5 trip to Birmingham Mosque 13.02.18

One World Week: J6 trip to Gurdwara Sahib 12.02.18

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

Alistair Darnell was awarded a certificate in assembly to celebrate his achievement of becoming one of our first Junior da Vinci pupils - well done Alistair!

Pupils can earn merits for demonstrating the traits of Creativity, Practice and Mastery in their school work as well as for extra-curricular activities such as sport and music. Alistair is a talented mathematician and has already earned all three merits in this one subject area, leading to the award of becoming a full Junior da Vinci pupil.

We are hoping that this will be the first of more Junior da Vinci merits for him and many other pupils at Crackley Hall School. The programme is named after Leonardo da Vinci because of his iconic status as a Renaissance man. The Renaissance Ideal considers man to be boundless in his capacities for development. It champions the notion that people should try to embrace all knowledge and develop wide ranging capabilities as fully as possible.

In this way, we can encourage the children to extend their potential beyond a ‘notional’ limit and help them to see that knowledge and learning is not just something that happens to them but is actually an activity in which they can and should take an active part. With this ‘growth mindset’, they can remove any limits on their learning and see where a thirst for knowledge, a creative mind and dedication to pursue new learning can take them!

Disney's musical phenomenon The Lion King continues to captivate audiences of all ages, so it was no surprise that Juniors Five and Six enjoyed leaving a cold and damp London for the warmth and majesty of Pride Rock and surrounding grasslands.

Combining dazzling staging and highly imaginative costumes, masks and puppets, this astonishing show at the Lyceum Theatre uses breathtaking theatrical magic to tell the story of Simba - who returns to the pride as an adult lion to take back his homeland from Scar with the help of friends. An enthused Mrs Holden couldn't contain her delight, "The Lion King presents the wide open spaces of Africa, packed with animals, beasts and birds of all description. This show is a feast for the eye and with hits such as 'I Just Can't Wait to be King' and 'Circle of Life' it's a bonafide treat on the ear too." We are reliably informed that the word 'spellbound' might encapsulate the wonderful feeling from such a terrific production.

When the main event delivers such as this it's easy to forget the 'slap-up' meal our students enjoyed within the confines of the legendary Planet Hollywood restaurant earlier in the day. 

Oh what a day, packed full with memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. We at the Chronicle fully expect inspired yet tired children placed their weary head on their pillow's that night.

Pupils and staff at Crackley Hall welcomed a new member to the school’s senior management team at the start of the Lent Term.  Charles Lamprecht, an experienced teacher and senior leader, has taken on the role of Assistant Head of Co-curricular and Cross Phase Liaison for the school.

Mr Lamprecht is from South Africa. He grew up on the picturesque Garden Route and after studying for a BEd degree worked as a teacher in Cape Town in a number of roles. In 2009 he relocated to the UK and for the last eight years has worked for an independent preparatory school near Windsor. He brings a wealth of experience to his new role having previously been a Head of Year, Head of Design Technology and Director of Sport.  

As a member of the senior management team at Crackley Hall, he will work closely with the Headmaster, Rob Duigan, and colleagues to ensure pupils enjoy the very best co-curricular opportunities.

Explaining his approach, Charles Lamprecht comments, “I have a strong pastoral focus and believe that empowering pupils develops stable, confident young people ready to make a positive difference to society.  I look forward to working with the children, their parents and my fellow staff.”

Rob Duigan, Headmaster at Crackley Hall, comments, “We are delighted that Charles has joined us as Assistant Head, Co-curricular and Cross Phase Liaison. When interviewing him for the role I was impressed with his holistic approach to education, an ethos which is echoed here at Crackley. He will be a key figure in the provision of the all-round education we offer the children here at Crackley and I wish him well in his new role.”

Our new Admissions and Marketing Secretary, Jenny Vaughan, is enjoying her new role as the first point of contact for parents interested in Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery.  Her warm, welcoming manner and natural enthusiasm ensures that new pupils have a seamless and smooth start to their school life.

As an Old Princethorpian and having previously worked at the Foundation senior school,  Princethorpe College, she has a wealth of organisational experience and a broad knowledge of the Foundation and its schools so we have no doubt that she will excel in this important role. 

On Tuesday 16 January she will be welcoming prospective parents and children to the school as Crackley Hall hosts its first Open Day of 2018.

Comments Jenny, “I am very much enjoying my new role and I am really looking forward to supporting Crackley Hall parents and pupils through the admissions process.  The Open Day is a good way for parents to get a picture of the school on a normal working day, they will be able to visit lessons and have a tour of the wonderful facilities.  The Open Day is for both Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery and runs from 10.00am to 3.00pm.”

Last year's half term holiday saw the launch of Crackley's very own Christmas Holiday Club and we're pleased to report that it was a resounding success! Daily, from 8am until 6pm, our charges were led in a range of themed activities by a group of Crackley's finest.

Needless to say, we all had a great time and a special thank you to those who attended - you children were awesome! We added some new activities to the programme this time around, who can forget Dodge Ball, crafty animals, mince pie making and park fun - they all, especially the hot mince pies, went down a treat!

The next Holiday Club will take place in the Easter holidays.  Please keep your eyes peeled for the signing up sheet which will be released soon, as places are limited and fill up fast.

The Foundation's senior school Princethorpe College celebrated its 50th Anniversary last academic year 2016-2017.  

To celebrate the year The Foundation has produced a 60-page souvenir review of all the activities and events that took place. An electronic version is available to view on the College website here.

Any Old Princethorpians or Crackley parents who would like to receive a printed hard copy of the review should contact the School Office or email goldenjubilee@princethorpe.co.uk with your name and address.

Parents are advised to please use the Calendar Card for notice of upcoming dates. There are also some additional dates for the Lent Term Calendar as follows:

KS2 Performing Arts Evening:

Tuesday 13 February          18:00-19:30    

KS1 Performing Arts Afternoon:

Wednesday 28 February      16:00-16:30    

Parent Consultation Evenings:

Tuesday 6 March        16:00–18:30

Thursday 8 March      16:00–18:30

Music Exams:

Wednesday 21 March           Schedule to be confirmed 

Art Exhibition:

Wednesday 16 May          15:30-18:00   Whole School

Please click the image to scroll through a few of the images from this week's events. 

On Monday Mrs Gerrain and pupils in Junior 5 presented a wonderful mission assembly to the children on the theme of the Epiphany. Pupils were reminded that this term the Crackley Virtues we will be focusing on are Curious and Active. Three pupils took on the role of the three wise men and explained to the pupils the part they played in the nativity story and the gifts they brought to the baby Jesus. It was great to see the pupils engaged and answering questions throughout the collective worship, reflecting their knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas and the gift of love.

Andrew Parizzi of J1G is awarded RE Book of the Week for his detailed account of the Christmas story. This piece of mature writing captured the mood of that night through carefully selected wording. He understood that that the birth of Jesus is why we celebrate at Christmas.

Mass next Friday will be celebrated by Father Kevin at 11am to begin the new year. Pupils will be thinking of their new year’s resolutions and how they can use these to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them. All are welcome.

Tuesday 16 January, 7pm in the oratory.

There is a meeting next Tuesday for parents of pupils who will be making the Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion this year. The meeting is for parents only and will be led by Father Kevin.

Please could parents bring a copy of their child’s baptism certificate with them to the meeting or the original and Mrs Jackson-Mayne will copy it on the night. If this is a problem please could you email Mrs Jackson-Mayne beforehand to let her know when you can hand it in to the office.

Please find below the registration forms for the clubs run by outside providers.  You will need to complete these forms and return them with payment to the school office.  You will also need to register for the club on SOCS.

Irish Dancing

Rugby Tots registration

ATMA Karate

Chess

Ballet

J5/6 Netball Club on Wednesday will be held at Crackley Hall this week.  Pick up time will be 4.45pm due to light fading.

J4 Boys Hockey Club is cancelled on Tuesday as staff will be attending fixtures.

Happy New Year to everyone connected with the Nursery! It was lovely to come back and see all the smiling faces this week, excited children, and relieved parents!!! It sounds as though you have all had a lovely Christmas and we have enjoyed hearing about all the fun you had, and the presents you were lucky enough to receive from Father Christmas. With those lovely toys in mind, can the Nursery Staff please bring to your attention their recommendation about bringing toys into Nursery. Please, don’t! This can cause difficulties, from things getting lost or broken, to issues over sharing. It is much easier for everyone concerned if the important home things stay safe at home, and then we all share the toys here in Nursery. Thank you so much for your support with this. 

We got into the swing of things very quickly this week, cooking lemon biscuits with Miss Gail, making bird food feeders with Miss Jane and having a fun French lesson with Mrs Whitehurst. They would also like to let you know that we have new books in our Nursery Library, so don’t forget to bring your books in to change them when you want!  Have a great weekend, see you next week.

For further details of the 'fun and goings-on' with Nursery please click on the attached link.

We will be holding our ever popular and successful Auction of Promises in the run up to the Winter Ball this year. Please consider 'lots' that you, or people you know, may be able to donate - anything from a home baked cake to use of a holiday home or quality unwanted gifts. We are on the look out for raffle prizes for the ball too. If you have any queries, please speak to Julie Hutton or email  - thank you!

Winter Ball - Saturday 3 February at the Woodside, Glasshouse Lane, Kenilworth

Tickets are now on sale for this event at £45 per person - see posters round the school and attached to The Chronicle for details. We have sold over 60 tickets so its proving to be a very popular event but we can accommodate a few more people so please email ptachair@crackleyhall.co.uk if you are interested in coming. 

Please see the poster for further details. 

Isacc Fountaine J6L has lost his black superdry coat.

Sebastian Owen J5G has lost his black rectangular glasses

Harry Gibson J2H has lost his named coat

Ashton Jones J6L has lost his named school coat

Saffron Hall J5V has lost three named school jumpers