The Chronicle

Dear Parents

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Yichen Pan and Dari Kotlarsky playing their individual pieces at this morning’s celebration assembly.  We are blessed with many talented pupils at Crackley Hall and it is always a privilege seeing them perform, hearing how well they have fared on the sports field or looking through a piece of their English writing.  Well done to both girls who work so hard to enhance their outstanding talents.  Congratulations to all of our award recipients this morning, from those starting out in the swimming pool through to those mentioned as ‘players of the match’.

Young Voices last Friday was certainly a most spectacular occasion.  It really is amazing to see and hear one conductor bring together over 6000 children’s voices into a massive and magical choir.  The only down side to everything is that the poor staff members have to learn new dance moves in the space of a few hours before the live show!  Thank you very much to Mrs Olden for arranging everything from our school’s perspective, to the office staff for trawling through all the paperwork and to the teaching staff for accompanying the children last Friday night.  Our mums and dads also deserve a very big ‘thank you’ for their support on the night.

Our sportsmen and sportswomen acquitted themselves very well this past week.  I am delighted that all of our Junior 3 pupils (and many of the Junior 4 girls) could participate in an inter-school fixture.  The A teams were very competitive, the netball team drawing 1-1 with Bilton Grange A (who equalised just before the final whistle) and the footballers drew 4-4 with Bablake A.  The B and C teams gave of their best and enjoyed their matches, coming away with varying results.

Special mention must be made of our fantastic athletes on their collective performance in the Independent Schools’ Association regional cross-country championships this week.  Congratulations especially to Oliver Farquharson, Oliver Camargo-Jones and Iman Khan on securing entry to the national finals where they will be representing the Midlands.  Thank you to Mrs Vaughan, Miss Jones and the fantastic band of parent helpers and supporters who made the journey up to Bedstone.  I believe that the specially branded Crackley Hall gazebo, donated by our PTA, was put to good use and looked especially smart on the day.

We are still in the throes of a really bad sickness bug and I urge all families to take extra care at this time; please ensure that your child is fully recovered before sending them back into school.  We have had so many pupils and members of staff off ill over the past two weeks.

I was pleased to learn that the pupils preparing for their First Holy Communion were presented to local parishioners at Mass in St Francis on Sunday.  My thanks are extended to Mrs Jackson-Mayne and Fr Kevin for all the work that they are doing with our pupils and their families.  This is such an important part of the children’s journey.

The 2018 Six Nations Championship kicks off tomorrow with England seeming to be the favourites.  We can hopefully look forward to a couple of months of good rugby viewing.  The South African cricketers did well to beat India in the recent test series but, I think, they will come second in the one-day series, with India already 1-0 up.

I end off with a genuine and heartfelt plea to all parents to please park considerately in the neighbouring roads.  I know that almost all of you do.  We have received a number of complaints from residents in Moss Grove and Fennyland this week who have had had cars parked across driveways or seen cars parked half on the pavement. Additionally, one Fennyland resident has taken it upon himself to collect litter each afternoon – litter that allegedly is dropped by our pupils as they walk to their cars.  I am not able to verify this so, instead, I ask everyone to mindful of this.  Thank you very much for your understanding and co-operation.  It makes our job so much easier if we enjoy good relationships with our neighbours – we don’t want to be taking up too much time each week dealing with complaints.  Most of the neighbours understand the situation of living near a school and really do want to work with us; any who don’t are very much in the minority.

I hope that you are able to enjoy a happy and restful weekend.

God Bless

Robert Duigan

click here to watch the video

If your child is ill, please ensure that you either call the School Office on 01926 514444 or email receptionist@crackleyhall.co.uk before 9.00am.  Please make sure you inform us every day that your child is absent.

Crackley Hall School Office 

Paperwork items for the office can be handed in to the green 'Office in Tray' in the reception area foyer.  However, please can you ensure the following are not left in the tray and are handed directly to a member of staff in the office:

• Money (this should also be in a named, sealed envelope)
• Medication
• Important Documents (ie Passport / Birth Certificate)

Crackley Hall School Office

We have a number of trips coming up over the next few weeks. Please see the relevant letters below. 

J2 Trip to Kenilworth Castle 24.05.18

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

Well done to all!

Picture the scene... It is 1666 and London is a thriving capital city. Narrow streets of closely built timber frame buildings tower over you as you walk within the city's walls. Surely, life after a recent bubonic plague outbreak can only get better? Then, the faint whiff of burning that filled your nose quickly transforms in to a raging fireball of thick acrid smoke and red hot sparks. For London is alight! A fire that respects no boundaries has left its darkened birth at a bakery on Pudding Lane and is on the march, consuming everything in its path.

Thanks to History Off the Page, this was the scene that the J2H and J2M apprentices discovered on Tuesday 30 January. Fresh from learning skills common for workers of the era, our keen firefighters had to try and stop the devastation. Pupils turned rat catchers, leather workers, chandlers, metal workers and seamstresses formed fire lines to move buckets of water to the raging inferno... and all before lunch!

In the afternoon, our children faced their next challenge and set about excavating what was left of the charred city. They became central to the process of rebuilding, piecing together singed legal documents and returning personal belongings.

A beaming Mrs Hardwick summed up the day, "This was a most excellent and informative day, where the past was brought to life through a living history. Well done, one and all." 

Wednesday 30 January saw our Girls’ and Boys’ Under 10 and Under 12 Cross Country teams travel to Bedstone College, Shropshire to compete in the ISA Midlands Cross Country Championships.  Crackley Hall has a tradition of success at this event and took 40 children all keen to make their mark.

The course was tricky with challenging steep hills and freezing streams to contend with and recent rain and snow made for muddy cold conditions for all.

PE Teacher, Kat Vaughan commented, “I have been taking children to Bedstone for the last seven years and this was the muddiest I have ever seen it!  The children couldn’t place a foot without sliding and then it started snowing while we were there so the children were running with snow in their faces!  Conditions were very cold and tiring.”

Inspite of the harsh conditions, three children qualified for the National Championships and one was just pipped at the post into 11th place.  Oliver Camargo-Jones (finished in 6th place) and Iman Khan (9th) so both boys qualify for the U10 Nationals and Oliver Farquharson (finished in 5th place) and qualifies for the U12 Nationals.  Hannah Wildey (finished 11th) ran well and just missed qualification.

Mrs Vaughan, continued, “The children ran well with many finishing near the front of the pack across both age categories.  Great results and the children all had a fantastic day out.”

U10 Girls: Louisa Cooper, Emily Hutton, Kiran Dhillon, Constanza Alvarez Lujan, Isabel Reddish, Rosie Moreton, Nancy Volpe, Francesca Voisey, Emily Currie and Scarlett Hammond

U10 Boys: Oliver Camargo-Jones, Iman Khan, Soren Wasley, Conor Horan, Fintan McGrory, Aaron Cooper, Alfie Blenkinsop, Henry Fox, Thomas Zanyi and Sebastian Lloyd-Evans

U12 Girls: Hannah Wildey, Kaena Wasley, Amisha Modi, Eva Plevin, Alice Minshull, Isabella Osborne, Sofia Mehta, Abigail Gillard, Maddie Lambeth and Francesca Kelly

U12 Boys: Oliver Farquharson, Jamie Phillips, Seamus Meakins-Owens, Benedek Kordas, Toby Lucas, Sam James, Oscar Glover, Freddie Knott, Charlie Wilcox and Giorgio Kleinmann

On Friday 26 January pupils from Junior 4 and Junior 5 joined 6,700 other children to sing their hearts out at Young Voices, one of the largest children’s choir concerts in the world.  For everyone it was an unforgettable afternoon and evening, a fabulous spectacle, a celebration of all sorts of music, an experience that will stay with them for a lifetime.

The event took place at the Birmingham Genting Arena and, following a full afternoon’s rehearsal under the inspirational conductorship of David Lawrence, thousands of school children from across the Midlands were ready to perform, to amaze the audience and to have the time of their lives.

Crackley Hall has been attending Young Voices for many of its 20 years; a testament in itself to the quality of the event.  

Director of Music, Mrs Susan Olden, described the occasion, “There is nothing like hearing and watching so many young people singing together. The atmosphere is extraordinary. This event provides incredible inspiration for every child no matter what their musical background is.  It gives them memories that will stay with them forever.  The repertoire ranged from classical pieces, through catchy television themes and on to modern day pop medleys. Songs such as ‘Why we sing’ say it all.  It is an awe-inspiring experience for everyone.”

Performing this year were jazz artist, Natalie Williams, a cappella talent, The M4GNETS and an incredible 16-year-old acoustic guitarist, Alfie Sheard.

For the pupils one of the standout moments was the nineties dance medley.  The dance troupe Urban Strides got the whole arena on their feet and participating in the routines – parents and pupils alike.

The event was an amazing experience that more than fulfilled all our expectations. We can’t wait till next year!

Crackley Hall School is the proud owner of a brand new gazebo thanks to the generosity of parents and local businesses. 

Donated by parents Matthew Perkins and Lisa Oakes and MODUS Advanced Dental Clinic, the gazebo will be a valuable resource for the school.  It will regularly be used at sporting events to provide shelter and shade for the children, similarly it will support outdoor learning especially in the summer and the PTA will be able to use the gazebo at their fund-raising events.

The gazebo has the school’s name smartly emblazoned on it which was kindly paid for by the parents of Penny and Rory Thomas.  

Deputy Head, Duncan Cottrill said, “We are delighted with the donation of a new gazebo for our school. It is a fantastic practical resource and the children are already excited about using it.”

The second season of Lego Masters is currently recruiting for new teams of Lego modelling enthusiasts to compete in challenges such as building a full roast dinner with all the trimmings, or a whole model funfair from Lego bricks. 

Mrs. Hill, in charge of Crackley Hall's own lunchtime Lego Club, heard about the auditions process and suggested it to our own Lego Masters. Toby Lucas (J5) and William Spashett (J5), veteran Lego builders, seized the opportunity and decided to enter. While the application required nothing more than an email to the right person, Toby and William took it upon themselves to weight the odds in their favour. They devised a plan to build a model showcasing their Lego building ability which could be sent along with the application. Much discussion followed to determine the model which best displayed their talents and they settled upon a Mobile Police Command Centre tractor and trailer unit which would include a dedicated holding cell, roller shutter door, computer terminal, and of course a coffee machine. 

The model was duly built, and with the assistance of William's family, a detailed email was written expressing the boys' love of Lego and the particulars of the Mobile Police Command Centre, and the application was sent. Toby and William are now waiting with bated breath to find out what the next stage of the process will be. 

William's Father added, "I am proud to see Toby and William taking the initiative to compete in this national competition and pleased that Mrs. Hill and Crackley Hall have been able to introduce the idea to them. I wish them the very best of luck!" We wish the boys all the best with their mission and look forward to seeing the fruits of their future labours!

This morning in Celebration Assembly pupils Eva Plevin and Dari Kotlarsky of J6L previewed the launch of a new pupil newsletter entitled 'The Crackley Classic'.

The newsletter is to be produced by J6 pupils, Hattie Underhill, Abi Gillard, Jethro Wilkinson and Ben Rose under the skilful guidance of Miss Rod. Aimed at both Key Stage 1 and 2, the newsletter will be the 'go to' place for news, information and insight as to what's going on in school and around the world. There will be many exciting activities, including word searches, crosswords and much more. The newsletter will also have an advice column (which will be monitored by Miss Rod), so do look out for the advice box located in school as our budding reporters will endeavour to answer questions in the first issue.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks, as you'll probably spot The Classic's eager reporters with notebook and pencil in hand. The first issue will be released free of charge on Tuesday 13 February and can be obtained from the newsletter stand from underneath The Gables canopy. The subsequent fortnightly issues of The Crackley Classic will be paid for and cost just 50p - £1 (depending on page numbers), with the money raised split between two different charities. 

Well done all - what a lovely idea!  

Wednesday 7 February 2018

On Wednesday 7 February all children at Crackley Hall School will have the chance to take part in a sponsored Skipathon for Mary's Meals. Each child will be hopping, skipping or jumping for 1 minute during lunchtime. 

Organised by Minnie Vinnies, the children will be sent home with a sponsorship form for you to help them raise funds for this worthy charity.

To find out more about Mary's Meals and the work that they do, please visit: www.marysmeals.org.uk

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

Merryn has been nominated for her wonderful work on Talents.

J2M are learning about how Jesus taught his disciples through parables and explored the Parable of the Talents.

Not only did Merryn consider the talents she has but she also wrote down all of the talents of her classmates, without missing anyone out, and read out all of their talents, some of which pupils didn’t even realise they had!

It was lovely to see the pupils continue their spiritual journey by enroling for Mass at St Francis on Sunday. Certificates will be presented at our next school Mass which will be the Ash Wednesday Mass held on Wednesday 14 February in the Gables.

This Mass will be led by Junior 5G. All are welcome.

Monday 12 to Friday 16 February

As we head into February, our One World Week celebration is now fast approaching.  

The week has been organised to help our children appreciate other religions and cultures. Pupils from each year group will have the opportunity to learn more about a faith, to help further their understanding of how people worship, why people may dress in a certain way or eat particular foods.

Please contact Mrs Jackson-Mayne by email sjacksonmayne@crackleyhall.co.uk if you would like to come and help during the week and talk to the children about the religion that you follow.

On Friday 16 February, all parents are invited to an extended assembly so that pupils can present highlights of their learning during the week.

One World Poetry and Poster competition.

Pupils are asked to write a poem on the theme of ‘One World’. It can be any length and any style.

In addition there is a poster competition. The poster has to symbolise ‘One World linking together harmoniously, sharing and respecting faiths and cultures’.

Closing date for each competition is Wednesday 14 February. There are prizes for three different age categories for both competitions, so creative caps on!

U9 'A' Netball vs Bilton Grange 1 - 1 (loss)

Player of the Match - Constanza Alvarez-Lujan

U9 'B' Netball vs Bilton Grange 0 - 8 (loss)

Player of the Match - Lily Carroll

U8 'A' Netball Coaching Game v Bilton Grange 0 - 9 (loss)

Player of the Match - Emily Currie

U9 'A' Football vs Bablake 4 - 4 (draw)

Player of the Match - Piet Hannig

U9 'B' Football vs Bablake 0 - 11 (loss)

Player of the Match - Oliver Ferguson

U9 'C' Football vs Bablake 0 - 11 (loss)

Player of the Match - Noah Cowlishaw

U11 'A' Hockey vs Arnold Lodge 2- 0 (win)

Player of the Match - Oliver Farquharson

Match Report by Oliver Farquharson: In the first half Crackley played okay, but did not show our full potential. We woke up in the second half and scored twice to win the game.

U11 'B' Hockey vs Arnold Lodge 3 - 1 (win)

Player of the Match - Harriet Boyd

Match Report by Ashton Jones: In the first half we played well, with lots of people putting lots of effort in. In the second half we played even better. This resulted in us working as a team and running out winners, three goals to one.  

J5/J6 Girls' Rugby is cancelled on Thursday evening as staff will be attending fixtures. 

J3/J4 Girls' Netball is cancelled on Thursday evening as staff will be attending fixtures.

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. You can access SOCS here: www.crackleyhallsport.co.uk

Irish Dancing

Rugby Tots Registration

ATMA Karate

Chess

Ballet

Rock Band

Fans of all sports should head to Kat and Lottie's Multi-Sports Camp this half term.

The camp is being organised independently of school by Mrs Vaughan and Miss Jones.

The sports camp will be held at Crackley Hall from 9.30am to 4.00pm Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 February.

The sports camp will cost £60 for three days or £25 per day.

Further details can be found by clicking this link, please register using this email.

Kenilworth Tennis Club are running a half term holiday club from 19 to 23 February, 10.00am to 3.00pm.

If you would like more information please use this link.

Oh my goodness, as Mrs O'Carroll-Bailey writes this she can feel it getting colder again! She wonders if that super bright super moon had anything to do with it? However, even in the cold Nursery children have been out and about as usual. They played in the sand, explored the mud kitchen, climbed through the trees and even when it was so cold on their fingers they got their pencils and pens out to draw pictures. 

In cooking this week they got really sparkly with the strawberry, glittery jelly and then ate it all up at snack time! Their story this week was all about the lovely Mr. Gumpy who took so many animals out on his boat that eventually it capsized! They had great fun exploring this in the water tray, putting animals in the boats, adding one more each time and counting them until they fell out! Nursery staff do hope you all have a fabulous weekend, and get to see some sunshine.

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

Saturday 3 February 2018

Tickets have sold really well for this event so a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow night for a fun evening of food, drink and entertainment!

The online Auction of Promises is now well underway and ends at 10.00pm on Sunday 4 February. There is always a flurry of bidding activity in the final few days so make sure you don't miss out!

There are over 60 fantastic prizes on offer - from tickets for family days out and sporting events, to beauty/health treatments, home made goodies, cookery and sports lessons, meals in local restaurants, overnight stay with champagne, home accessories and vouchers for local shops.

Go to www.tinyurl.com/crackleyauction (or go to www.auctionofpromises.com and search for Crackley Hall PTA)

Saturday 3 March 2018, 1.00pm - 3.00pm

A firm favourite in the Crackley Hall calendar is the PTA Family Bingo event! Be sure to save the date for now and more details will follow shortly. 

Another exciting week for our pupils and their house point competition! This week's standings are as follows:

1st: Jupiter, 314 House Points

2nd: Venus, 309 House Points

3rd: Mars, 238 House Points

4th: Saturn, 230 House Points

The Foundation is offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced Grounds person to develop their career further in grounds keeping and to build on their existing leadership skills.

As the Assistant Grounds Manager, you will be joining a busy, close-knit Grounds Team where you will play a key role in managing the grounds of the three schools within the Foundation.

The successful candidate will be NVQ Level 3 Sports Turf Maintenance qualified or equivalent and will offer significant grounds maintenance experience. The ability to remain calm in a busy and demanding environment, excellent communication skills, strong leadership skills and a flexible attitude to working hours are all essential. An interest in conservation and wildlife will be advantageous.

This is a varied and ‘hands-on’, predominately outdoors role working 37.5 hours a week, on a 7 days’ contract and requires the post holder to be open to change and adapt to changing priorities.

The initial working pattern will be Monday to Friday 8.00am – 4.30pm plus a Saturday rota for sports and events.  This is a Foundation wide role, based at Princethorpe College with duties at The Crescent and Crackley Hall Schools.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a fast growing Foundation that values its staff and offers a rewarding benefits package including discounted places for staff, a pension scheme, child care vouchers and a cycle to work scheme.

Application: To apply for this vacancy applicants must submit a Princethorpe College application form, together with a CV and covering letter detailing your personal qualities, experience and how you meet the person specification for the role. Applicants must ensure the application form is fully completed, including a detailed career history with specific dates.

Closing date: Monday 5 February 2018, at 9.00am and interviews are likely to be held on Thursday 8 February at Princethorpe.

Further details and an application form are available from the College website www.princethorpe.co.uk/employment-opportunities.

Lost

Martha Harris (J5R) has lost her named school hat.

Saffron Hall (J5V) has lost 3 named jumpers.

Cecilia Holdgate (J5V) has lost her piano practise book - Time 1.

Found

Tracksuit bottoms, size 26.  The name on the label is Con O’Shea.