The Chronicle

Dear Parents

Welcome to the last issue of the Chronicle for this academic year. It has been such an honour and privilege to serve the community as Headmaster of Crackley Hall this year. Sharing in the growth and progress of your children and collaborating with an outstanding team of teachers and support staff has been an incredibly fulfilling journey. I would like to convey my sincerest gratitude to all those who have steadfastly supported Crackley Hall throughout the year. I extend my thanks to our dedicated parents, the PTA, and most importantly, the pupils. Your contributions are highly valued. 
 
Last night, I had a heartwarming experience listening to the Junior 6 pupils reminisce about their time at Crackley Hall (in some cases, reading what they said). It was truly inspiring to hear or read their words of encouragement and support for the future Junior 6 pupils who will be mentors for our younger years. Talking with all of you reminded me of how nurturing and strong in preparing our pupils for the future Crackley Hall is. The exceptional performances and well-deserved prize winners showcased our pupils' hard work and dedication. Every child should feel proud of their accomplishments this year, whether in academics, sports, performing arts, or personal growth. 
 
We are pleased to inform you that Blythe Camilleri-Willis has been selected as the new Head Boy and Evie Kettle as the new Head Girl of our school. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to them and wish them all the best in their new roles. We also congratulate the newly appointed Deputy Head Girl, Beatrice Parizzi, and Deputy Head Boy, Arthur Cowell, on their well-deserved appointments. The entire school community is very proud of them. 
 
We have received an overwhelming response for this year's Summer Holiday Club. Ms. Osborn has informed me that several days are already fully booked, and only a few spaces are available. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to us via email at holidayclub@crackleyhall.co.uk. 
 
Yesterday, I had a wonderful experience that made me contemplate the significance of life experiences. That was just before I had to rush off for an emergency appointment before being able to return for the prize giving! Three Sisters of Mercies visited me, unannounced, who had previously been teachers at St. Joseph's before it merged with Princethorpe College in 2001, resulting in the formation of the Warwickshire Catholic Independent Schools Foundation. During our conversation, one of them mentioned that they knew my father through her work as a missionary nun in South Africa and another said that she had recently met my mother at a school who was visiting the sisters at the school where I was previously the Principal. As some of you may know, I was born in South Africa, and after many years, my wife and I decided to take a risk and relocate to the UK to advance our careers and raise our family. This coincidental encounter with people who knew my parents from a distance was most surreal and very heartwarming and reaffirming, especially as they were able to relay stories and anecdotes about my parents. 
 
As the term comes to a close, I want to express my deep appreciation for my colleagues. Their dedication and hard work to serve our pupils and strengthen our communities are truly commendable. With International Mandela Day approaching on July 18th, I am reminded of his favourite poem, 'Invictus,' by William Ernest Henley. One line from the poem that particularly resonates with me is "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." This, of course, should be approached in line with God’s will. The line represents the remarkable strength and resilience of the human spirit, which you all have demonstrated by supporting each other, our pupils, and our communities through your tireless commitment and effort. Henley's poem celebrates the unique quality of humanity, showcasing that individuals have the power to persevere even when faced with challenges. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to you all for your contributions to Crackley and for being a constant support for our pupils and each other. 
 
It's heartwarming to witness how you our school community all come together to share experiences, rely on each other, and promote a culture of respect and care. For the role you've played in supporting our children, for the way you've tackled numerous challenges, for your selflessness towards others, for going above and beyond your duties, for your unwavering support and care towards each other, for embracing change and turning it into a positive, and for delivering exceptional results consistently – I thank you sincerely. As you take a well-deserved break, I hope you have a relaxing time, regardless of how you choose to spend it. 
 
A highlight of the year was the fathers’ inaugural charity football match against Crescent School fathers. The dads have currently raised over £2000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Please see further details about this wonderful achievement in this edition.

God Bless,

Rob Duigan 

Please be advised that the children's school medication should have been collected from the school office by Wednesday 5 July. If you have not done so, please collect it as soon as possible. The school office is open from 7.45 am - 5.30 pm.

Thank you.

Please find links to some summer holiday homework suggestions to help ease the transition into the next academic year from September 2023. 

Junior 1

Junior 2

Junior 3

Junior 4

Junior 5

Junior 6 received their packs during their 'Moving Up Session'. 

Suggestions for Junior 5 and Junior 6 Reading

List of Statutory Spellings for Years 3 and 4

Common Exception Words for Year 3 and 4

Summer Of Love Please complete this and return it to Mrs Burley in September.

Happy Holidays! We look forward to seeing you all in September, no doubt looking taller and more grown up! 

If you wish to order a copy of the School Production, please use this form and hand it in to the school office at your convenience.

Please ensure all snack pots and drinks bottle are fully labelled up with your child`s name on, in the case of these items getting mislaid we can return them back to children promptly. 

• From the PTA Summer Fair we have had a women's blue Superdry hoody (left in the hall on the summer fair)
• Left behind from KS2 Sports Day, we had a grey striped picnic blanket.
• Next Hoody - teal 
• 2 x pairs of glasses - 1 x blue and 1 x black 

Anything unclaimed will be donated to either the PTA or to a charity. 

Holiday Club will run throughout the summer holidays, from Thursday 6 July - Friday 1 September. 

The programme is attached here.

The club is booking up fast so if you would like your child to attend please email holidayclub@crackleyhall.co.uk 

Looking ahead to the new Michelmas Term, all previous bookings for Aftercare will drop off, so parents who require either permanent or occassional Aftercare for the new term will need to book in their intentions by emailing aftercare@crackleyhall.co.uk or receptionist@crackleyhall.co.uk with as much notice as possible to ensure the children attending, receive a snack.

If you have booked an Aftercare session, it would also be helpful to let your child know.

Please also note that permanent bookings are only valid for the term, due to club and activity changes.

Any children who are not collected from Carline, for example if parents are stuck in traffic, will be taken to Aftercare at 4.15pm, when Carline finishes and charged accordingly.

Aftercare runs from 3.45 pm until 6:00pm, with charges being £4.75 per hour or part thereof.

Childcare vouchers can be used as payment or part payment for Aftercare.

As the office now closes at 5.30pm, please call Aftercare directly on 07732 036625 if you need the staff after this time.

Prize Giving at Crackley Hall is the culmination of the academic year, it is a chance to reflect, a chance to celebrate and a chance to give thanks. This year’s Prize Giving took place on Tuesday 4 July with the Lower School receiving their awards in the afternoon and Junior 5 and 6 in the evening.

Crackley was delighted to welcome a number of special guests to the celebrations including Trustee, Cdre. Bernard Warner and Foundation Principal, Ed Hester.

Headmaster, Mr Duigan gave a thought-provoking speech, he gave thanks to the many who give so much to the school in so many ways. He challenged every boy and every girl to remain positive and resilient and reminded that those who succeed have to be brave enough to fail. He encouraged all the children to strive to do their best, to never limit themselves and to smile because it is free.

Crackley Hall’s pupil leaders gave their reports speaking movingly about their time in office and their Crackley journeys, and the memories and friends they will take with them as they move on to secondary school.

And then there were the awards, book awards for progress, effort and diligence, school spirit and kindness, contribution to school life and achievement. Followed by cups and shields and trophies galore, all recognising the diligence, effort and excellence that abounds at Crackley Hall.

It was difficult to pick winners for this year’s Special Awards as there were many worthy potential recipients, so it was with great pride that Mr Duigan awarded the following:

St Joseph’s School Spirit Award – Esme Card

Zanyi Chalmers Award – Julia Kozhan

Scholarship Award – Theo Cowlishaw

Sister Mary Patrick Trophy for Caring – Chloe Tomkinson and Olivia Lamb

PTA Crackley Hall Shield –Georgie Skrypchuk

As the ceremonies concluded, all Crackley pupils were encouraged to reflect on their achievements this year, as prize winner or not, all should be rightfully proud.

At the evening ceremony Mr Cottrill announced the new Head Boy, Blythe Camilleri-Willis, and Head Girl, Evie Kettle, and Deputy Head Boy Arthur Cowell and Deputy Head Girl Beatrice Parizzi, who proudly took to the stage to receive their badges of office from Mr Duigan.

The ceremony closed with a stirring rendition of the Foundation Hymn Here I Am Lord.

Photos from both Prize Givings will be shared with parents in the next few days.

Junior 6 celebrated their Crackley years during a lively Leavers' Assembly. Against the theme song to Harry Potter pupils talked about their treasured memories of Crackley Hall. Then followed a super performance of a song from the Peter Pan Summer Show Tick Tock.  They also performed their Coronation song of I Just Can't Wait to be King with gusto and treated us all to a rendition of their antics and adventures on their school trip to Scotland. The Baby Shark Song followed, which reminded the pupils about their return journeys from many a sports fixture and the celebration concluded with the famous Sweet Caroline and It's a Good Life, before a parade of Junior 6 pupils left the hall to mingle outside on the lawn with their parents and friends.

The very best of luck to Junior 6!

There was much excitment today when the winner of the House trophy was revealed. Mars were delighted to take the trophy as the overall winners of the House Competition - the first time in at least eight years!

Congratulations to Mars and a huge well done to all our pupils who work so hard to earn points for their House.

The totals rest and all the fun starts again in September!

It was full STEAM ahead for Crackley Hall on the final Friday of the Trinity Term, with classes across the school focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths topics.

Both Reception classes enjoyed a carousel of activities that included problem solving, teamwork, exploration, observation, questioning and adaptation. Whether building marble runs as a team, making bubbles, constructing bridges on the adventure trail or building towers with just masking tape, cups and sticks, the children had a very successful day learning lots of skills.

Junior 1 had lots of fun completing two challenges. They constructed a sun catcher in the shape of a butterfly, building on work they had done earlier in the term. Everyone was excited to see the sun shine through the wings and create colourful shadows on the ground. Their second task linked with their Geography topic of ‘Extreme Weather’, as they made a ‘Weather Watcher’! It had a peep hole at the top to view the weather and weather symbols below to match with how the day’s weather is.  

Junior 2 had a tasty STEAM day, making, baking and eating pizza! They had to ensure that they had the correct ingredients, measure each one out accurately and add just the right number of toppings so that it would cook through and be delicious to eat. We had some happy and full Junior 2 pupils. The class were also challenged to create a paper rocket that would fly by just using a puff of air! After making a small rocket from paper it was attached to a straw and everyone had to blow to make their rocket shoot up into the sky.

Junior 3H thoroughly enjoyed making a kaleidoscope as their STEAM day activity. It had a mirrored triangular prism on the inside of a tube, that was brightly decorated, and a card disc attached using a piece of straw which had bright patterns on and could turn to create more patterns inside the kaleidoscope. They were thrilled with the results and some pupils have already thought of creating alternative discs that can be swapped in and out for more fun!

Junior 3V worked collaboratively to design and create a Monstrance. Used to ‘demonstrate’, hold and show the host at the service of Benediction. The children worked brilliantly together to first, choose their materials and make a design, and then create and refine their idea. It was fantastic to see the pupils, change and improve their models when they didn’t quite work.

Junior 4 learnt all about aerodynamics, the way objects move through air. Anything that moves through air is affected by aerodynamics, from a rocket blasting off, to a kite flying. Since they are surrounded by air, even cars are affected by aerodynamics.  We watched three clips on the different ways to make a paper aeroplane.  We all tried to make each of them and then went outside to test which could fly the furthest.

Junior 5 explored creating a variety of 2D geometric shapes with just a ruler as a tool and discovered the infinite variety of shapes that can be produced from straight lines. They added colour and patterns to create depth to their work, turning them into a work of art. Pupils also enjoyed the challenge of making a circle out of Pringles, exploring engineering along with maths. Apparently, it is possible, but only if you don’t try eating them all first!

Junior 6 took on the challenge of designing their own island. They had to imagine if they were ship-wrecked what would they need to survive. They decided what shape the island would be and what geographical features they wanted to include. Their task was to ensure that the island was totally sustainable. They grid-referenced their geographical features, planned their own habitat, established where their crops and fruits would be grown and worked out how to fish or hunt for food. They then described each feature and explained how it contributes to their sustainable lifestyle. Finally, they drew an ‘artist’s impression’ of their island, including 3-D features where possible.

What a lot of exciting learning we had steaming around school on our STEAM day, so much critical thinking and problem-solving across all the classrooms.

Jupiter celebrated being the overall Sports Day winners in assembly this afternoon. Congratulations to them all.

Junior 4 had fun in the sun with a summer picnic outside on the lawn to celebrate their time in Junior 4 and also to say a fond farewell to Mrs Jackson-Mayne. The pupils brought in their own picnic blankets and baskets full of goodies as they sat and chatted about their memories of Junior 4. This culminated in the Junior 4 team presenting Mrs Jackson-Mayne with a canvas of the words to the Coronation Rap, which was penned and directed by Mrs Jackson-Mayne, together with the pupils' own prayers in a folder for her.  They then all launched into another Rap to end our summer celebrations.

During the Junior 6 Leavers' Assembly, Mr Duigan thanked the PTA members who have served Crackley as Chair (x2) and Treasurer. Thanks and gratitude were extended once more to Jo Wright, Lucy Lamb and Tara Card.

The Crescent Dads went into the game, supremely confident having organised regular training sessions and friendly games in preparation for the game. In contrast Crackley Hall Dad’s had never played together before with only one training session being fitted in before the game. Crackley were in unknown territory, clearly starting the match as under dogs.  
 
The first ten minutes was a cagey affair with Crescent pressing and dominating possession. Against the run of play, Crackley Captain Martin Cranie scored a screamer from a distance and quickly added a second to make it 2-0. Crackley started to play some nice football and Clifford slotted one away to make it 3-0 after a nice through ball. Crescent quickly struck back firing a powerful shot in off the cross bar. Towards the end of the half Fankaty Dabo went on a slalom like run beating 4 Crescent players before being fouled in the area. The ref didn’t hesitate pointing to the spot and Dave Camilleri-Willis slotted the penalty away with aplomb to make it 4-1. At the start of the second half Steve Houston Mullaney got the first of his three goals finishing off a nice cross from the left. Crescent then struck back with a powerful free kick off the cross bar to make it 5-2. Almost immediately Crackley struck back with another Houston-Mullaney goal to make the score 6-2. Steve soon scored again to complete his hat trick with a fine finish. Crescent managed to get one back and there was just enough time for Dabo to curl in a powerful shot from 30 yards to make it 8-3. The Crackley defence stood strong for the remainder of the game marshalled well by Ward and Stedeford, and assisted by Simon Wright in goal.  
 
Crackley Hall Dads 8 Crescent Dads 3 
 
Crackley Hall line up:  
Simon Wright  
Dan Lee 
Adam Ward 
Mark Cleland 
Fankaty Dabo 
Elliot Lenton 
Ryan Dowsing 
Martin Cranie (captain)  
James Clifford 
Dave Camilleri-Willis 
Steve Houston-Mullaney 
Poz Chahall 
Luciano Forino 
Rich Stedeford 
 
Scorers   
Cranie 2 
Clifford 1 
Houston-Mullaney 3 
Camilleri-Willis 1 
Dabo 1 
 
Man of the match - joint Cranie and Dabo. 

Thank you to Adam Ward for the comprehensive match report and for arranging and organising. 

Please see the new electronic uniform ordering system.

This link will be in the weekly Chronicle for your ease and convenience. 

New Uniform Order

We regularly recruit for a variety of roles, please do share news of the vacancies with interested friends and family. Current vacancies include:

Princethorpe College

• Science Technician

Further information and application forms on all roles are available on the Foundation's website - www.princethorpe.co.uk/join-us