The Chronicle

Dear Parents

My message to you this week maybe a little shorter than usual due to our Prize Giving ceremony which is happening today.  I hope that I will see quite a few of you throughout the afternoon and evening and that you enjoy our hospitality and sharing the achievements of all the children.  Even if they are not receiving a prize today, each and every child should be congratulated and celebrated on their efforts whether it be artistic, sporting, academic or simply being a good friend. 

In addition to our Prize Giving, we have enjoyed several other events this week including the Key Stage 2 Sports Day on Tuesday.  The weather was fine all day and it was wonderful to see so many parents supporting their children during this rather warm but hugely enjoyable event.   My thanks to Mrs Vaughan for co-ordinating the day; the organisation is almost a sporting event in itself!  Well done to Jupiter House for winning sports day.

The School was humming with activity on Wednesday with our move up day and induction morning.  We welcomed many new faces to school and children were able to spend time in their new classes and make some new friendships too.  I hope that all the children will look forward to joining their new classmates and teachers in September.  I understand that our Junior 6 children also enjoyed their day at Princethorpe.  Thank you to Mrs Jenny Vaughan for helping organise this event.

Further to this, our form tutors in the main school for next year are:

Junior 6H: Mrs Horan

Junior 6L: Mr Lamprecht

Junior 6V: Mrs Vaughan

Mrs Geran will teach English and Mathematics in Junior 6.

Junior 5L: Mrs Lammas

Junior 5R: Mrs Roberts

Mr Cottrill will teach Mathematics and Ms Ellis will teach English in Junior 5 (three-way split).

Junior 4J: Mrs Jackson-Mayne

Junior 4W: Mrs Wildey

Junior 3H: Ms Holmes

Junior 3V: Mrs Van Zyl

Junior 2H: Mrs Hardwick

Junior 2M: Mrs Malcolm

Junior 1G: Mrs George

Junior 1R: Mrs Glen-Roots

Reception: Mrs Whitehurst

We had our Vigil Mass for Saints Peter and Paul yesterday and we welcomed Father Kevin, who celebrated the Mass, and for Blessing of the Stones, where children were invited to decorate a stone which was then blessed by Father Kevin and placed in our Prayer Garden.  This is such a lovely service and I am grateful to Mrs Jackson-Mayne and Mrs Simmonds for their assistance with the co-ordination.  I for one will look forward to spending some quiet moments from time to time in the Prayer Garden, admiring the colourful stones that have been collected over the years; they will be a lasting memento of each child who has taken a part in the service.

Congratulations to all our children who received an award at this morning’s shorter celebration assembly.  Well done and thank you to the super brass group and p-buzz ensemble; you were brilliant this morning. 

I was delighted to welcome a new member of staff to School this week; Mrs Karen Wright has joined the Office Team and will be replacing Mrs Rochford from September.  I am sure you will all have the opportunity to speak or meet her very soon.  We will also be saying a temporary goodbye to Mrs Helen Haung, our Teacher of Mandarin, at the end of this term as she embarks on a year’s sabbatical.  Mrs Huang will be missed but she has handed over the role to Dr Ling Wu who has taught at schools in Warwick and Rugby.

Next week will be a tiring one for the students (and staff) as we count down to the end of term and the School production.  As you all will know, there will be a rehearsal on Tuesday at the Spa Centre and, due to the later than usual finish time, I have agreed for a delayed registration should you wish on Wednesday morning and Friday morning.  I would ask that all children however are registered by 9.30 am on these days and our Celebration Assembly will take place at the usual time of 8.40 am on Friday.

I hope you and your families are able to enjoy the good weather this weekend.  There will also be a lot of super sport on this weekend and I hope you get to watch it and England progress in the world cup.

God bless,

Robert Duigan

Our summer holiday is very nearly here, which is reason enough to get excited. Even so, those in the know will be eagerly anticipating the arrival of the forthcoming Crackley Hall Summer holiday club which runs during the first two weeks of our break (Monday 9 July - Friday 20 July). Holiday club proves to be increasingly popular year on year, as the activities are many and varied. They range from arts, crafts, den building, sport and computing. We do have a limited number of spaces, so booking will close on Friday 6th July, if you would still like a place please call the school and we will be able to confirm if any places are still available.

If you would like to book your child(ren) for any full or part day, please use this link or type the following into your web browser:

https://princethorpecollege.parentseveningsystem.co.uk/

This will take you to the PES system, then scroll down to the Summer Holiday Club event. There will be options to book half days and lunch bookings are to be made separately.  If you require a full day, please ensure you select both options. Further details are available by reading the attached information letter.

Parents and guardians are advised that children will not need to wear their hats/caps, ties or blazers on the School production rehearsal day next Tuesday. All children will however be required to wear the appropriate, dress, shirt, trousers, shorts, shoes and socks from their uniform.

Importantly, school bags can be left at home that day, but we kindly ask that children bring a book and water bottle please. Thank you for your assistance.

Mr James has advised that there are numerous chess club fees outstanding for this term.   

Please can parents of pupils who have not paid already, complete the attached form with payment or payment advice and return the form to the school office as soon as possible.  Thank you for your help in this matter.

For those in the know, Nessy is a most wonderful spelling and reading programme used by our learning support team in the 'Rabbit Hole'.  Mrs Ellis who heads up the team is able to pass on a three month subscription package to parents for the above programme. We are reliably informed that the scheme is a fun way to revise and practise spelling, reading and maths skills through on-line games and activities. The cost is just £30 for a three month subscription. Further details can be found by clicking on this link.

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

J6 Costume letter for Production

R - J5 Costume letter for Production

Production tickets letter

Production and Rehearsal Arrangements

Michaelmas Term 2018 - Lunches letter

Michaelmas Term 2018 Week 1 Menu

Michaelmas Term 2018 Week 2 Menu

Michaelmas Term 2018 Week 3 Menu

J6 Victorian History Day

Junior 4 (current J3) Visit to Kingswood Activity Centre 08.10.18

Kenilworth Tennis & Squash Club are holding Summer Tennis Camps.  They are aimed at all abilities and children aged between four and sixteen years.  Further details can be found through the attached flyer.

Your child is invited to several sports camps which will take place at Princethorpe College this summer. These camps are run independently of the Foundation, although you will most likely recognise a familiar face leading some or all of the activities.

The details of the various camps are as follows:

The Football Camp will take place over two days on Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 July from 9:30am until 3:00pm. Boys and girls are welcome between the ages of 10-13 years. Further details are available through this attached flyer.

The Netball Camp will take place over the same two days on Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 July from 9:30am until 3:00pm.  Children betwen the ages of 8 -13 years are most welcome. Further details are available through this attached flyer.

The Hockey Camp will again take place over the same two days on July 30 and 31 for ages between 8 and 16 years. Further details are available through this attached flyer.

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

Wednesday saw our corridors and classrooms welcome their new class cohorts for next year. All year groups from Reception through to Junior 5 sampled pastures new, with many teachers transferring their talents too!

We at the Chronicle wish everyone but especially our current Junior 6, who are leaving us this term, all the very best. We know that all of you have incredible talents, just listen to your teachers, try your hardest and you will be rewarded with great things.

Sports Day was blisteringly hot, but Crackley Hall’s pupils are made of strong stuff so race after race, event after event our outstanding young athletes leapt, threw and dashed, and tried their very best to make this year’s Sports Day another super, smashing success.

Sports Day took place on Tuesday 26 June out on the school’s playing fields.  For the second time Crackley made a full day of it and the children took part in 80m and 150m sprints, a middle distance 600m race, the Long Jump and High Jump, a Throwing Challenge and a Relay Race.  All of the events were hotly contested and the final individual results, including all the new records are available for all to see on Crackley's Sports Noticeboard just outside the Science Lab.

At Crackley Hall Sports Day isn’t just about the competition, it is also about participation. Every child ran in a sprint and every child took part in an individual event and, most importantly, every child had fun.  As is always the case the children’s behaviour was impeccable, they offered support and encouragement to each other and congratulated and commiserated with good heart.

House results were as follows:

1st Jupiter

2nd Saturn

3rd  Mars

4th  Venus

Finally, a very special thanks to Mrs Vaughan and all the staff, the grounds team, the caretakers and caterers for making such a great event so special.

It was a fabulous fun-filled day enjoyed by all! 

Following on from a successful event last year, children from J1-6 got together as 'fundraising friends' to dream up their ideas for stalls, to get the resources (thanks to their parents) and to proceed to raise the kind of cash that would satisfy a national campaign.  

This morning long event, has been some time in the making. It began with our ever dedicated School Council presenting their nominated charities for this year to the whole school for voting... and it was the Guide Dogs for the Blind who came out on top.  

Last Friday's the proper fundraising fun began with the children arriving in their own clothes in exchange for £1 ... and the charity coffers begin to fill. Then all the chidren mustered for a trip around the various stalls crammed with baked goods, bric-a-brac, games, art, crafts, jewellery and slime. With such super effort and goodwill on show it was no surprise that this single event raised in excess of...drum roll please...£1,300!

Congratulations to Mrs Malcolm, the Student Council and to all the children and parents who had a hand in its success. We at the Chronicle salute you.

It's not zài jiàn, or good bye, to Mrs Huang, even though our inspirational Mandarin teacher is taking time out from Crackley next year to further her teaching career.

At school Mrs Huang's infectious enthusiasm for her native tongue has swept even the most reluctant of students into engaging with Mandarin; even Crackley's youngest impress, given they too can converse in this Chinese dialect with aplomb.

Happily, we will be fortunate enough to welcome Mrs Huang back to the Foundation's fold once her studies are complete.

Mrs Huang, we wish you every success with your studies next year and are already counting down the days until you return.

After a second place finish at The Croft School the week before, an optimistic Crackley Hall’s U9s Rounders team travelled to Stafford Grammar School on Thursday 21 June to take part in the Independent Schools Association (ISA) Midlands Rounders Championship.

The Rounders Tournament was to be played in pools, with the winners of each pool then playing off for the final positions.  So the pressure was on from the start.

Crackley started nervously, they played Malvern St James first and lost the toss so the girls were put in to bat. It took time for them to settle but they managed to score 8 Rounders. Their fielding was much better than their batting and they narrowly lost the game, 9.5 v 8.  Although they were very disappointed they regrouped and their playing improved and they went on to win their next three games.  The girls showed skill, determination and great teamwork, Crackley were back and we were proud!

Impressively, they won the second game 16 v 2.5 against Abbots Bromley School. They then beat the Crescent School 3 v 2 and then finally beat St Joseph's School 12 v 3.   The girls had scored an impressive total of 39 rounders in only four games.

Batter of the match was awarded to Isabella Ward and fielder to Kiran Dhillon.  Each and every girl played their very best and represented their school well. A special mention goes to Millie Lammas as she was the only Junior 3 girl selected for the team.  The parent support was fantastic and Crackley Hall finished fourth overall out of 12 teams.  It was a fabulous and memorable day!

Playing in the squad were: Annabel Leigh, Martha Summers, Rosie Moreton, Nancy Volpe, Constanza Alvarez-Lujan, Jorja Parris, Lily Carroll, Amy Farquharson, Kiran Dhillon, Isabella Ward and Millie Lammas.

Thanks to the staff who supported the girls so well - Mrs Roberts, Mrs Malcolm and Miss Fisher.

1st: Jupiter - 110 House Points

Joint 2nd: Mars & Venus -109 House Points  

4th: Saturn - 81 House Points

Please click on View Gallery to scroll through a few photos from this week's events. 

The RE Book of the Week is awarded to Roshan Dougall.

Our extended thanks go to Father Kevin for presiding over the blessing of many more pupils' stones within the St Joseph’s Prayer Garden.  Bobby Kelly, from J6H, had the honour of assisting Father Kevin in the blessing, where each individually painted stone by a pupil was blessed.

Each stone symbolises how a child helps to make the school what it is and that they become the foundation of our ethos – to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and celebrate his message.

Intended as a place for prayer and reflection this special location within Crackley's confines continues to offer a peaceful place for students and staff in what is a very busy time of year.

A lovely Mass to celebrate the inspirational saints Peter and Paul was held in the warm sunshine yesterday afternoon. Rather appropriately, the pupils held up their decorated stones to be blessed by Father Kevin. Peter means ‘rock’ and just as the foundations of the Church were built on the faith of St Peter, the first pope, we celebrated in school that the pupils, staff, parents and trustees are the foundations of Crackley Hall.

The next Mass is next Wednesday 4 July at 11am in the Hall. This is the  Leavers’ Mass and is open to all.  As it is the final Mass of the school year, the pupils in Junior 6 have chosen the hymns and written the prayers.  It would be lovely to see as many parents in Junior 6 as possible.

U9 'A' Cricket v Warwick 259/6 - 301/6 (loss)

Player of the Match - Aryan Mehta

U9 'B' Cricket v Warwick 97/7 - 119/3 (loss)

Player of the Match - Harry Gallagher

U9 'C' Cricket v Warwick 79/4 - 123/4 (loss)

Player of the Match - Arun Bilkhu

U10 Rounders v Kingsley 13 Rounders to 9.5 (win)

Fielder of the Match - Hannah Wildey

Batter of the Match - Frankie Kelly

U10 'A' Cricket v Bablake

CH win, with one over to spare. Scored 81 runs.

Player of the Match - Reece Jones

U10 'A' Cricket v Crescent 63 runs - 58 runs

CH win, saving the match on the last ball.

Player of the Match - Whole Team

We are pleased to announce that Willow Rochford and Alex Hammond have been awarded Gymnast of the Week.

Parents and guardians are advised that next term’s co-curricular clubs programme is currently being collated. There is a substantial amount of information to gather from Crackley Hall staff as well as external providers. Our aim is to send out a list of the clubs to all parents next week, which will give a very broad overview of the clubs available for the Michaelmas Term (September 2018).

Due to internal logistics and pending information that will only become available during the summer holiday, the final detailed clubs list will be forwarded to parents during the holiday period. The usual sign-up window on SOCS – our online co-curricular management system – will be opened much nearer to the start of the new term. Thank you for your understanding

Mr Lamprecht
Assistant Head Co-Curricular.

All sports clubs are cancelled next week as this will assist in keeping a healthy balance of energy levels given the added hours of rehearsals and production.

Forest School Club is cancelled on Monday lunchtime.

Art Club is cancelled next week.

Story Club is cancelled next week.

There will be no clubs next Tuesday as children and staff will be at the school production rehearsal. Please note this includes externally ran clubs such as the J5/6 Bayleaf Cookery Club.

Can you believe it… the summer is almost here, and the holiday for some of us begins at the end of next week!  If your child is in the pre-school please don’t forget Graduation next Wednesday, details are in the newsletter.  Lots of you have been finding out about your new Reception classes this week, it all sounds very exciting and we love hearing all your ‘new class news!’  As some of us reach the end of the academic year many of you are looking forward to nursery in the summer… I know there are lots of lovely activities planned and lets keep our fingers crossed that the weather stays sunny, it will soon be super scooter time!  Have a lovely weekend, stay cool in the sun and keep your eyes peeled for the Kenilworth Carnival if you are out and about on Saturday!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Please make sure you read this week's Newsletter as it's packed with all the information you'll need.   

The PTA have signed up for a loyalty scheme with Naturally Kids, a new shoe shop in Leamington. It’s a great scheme that benefits both the PTA and parents. Please see the attached leaflet for further details and keep an eye out for loyalty cards appearing in your child’s book bag.

We hope you all have a lovely and relaxing summer but for those of you who like to look ahead here are the dates for some activities we have planned for next school year:

16 September Welcome Back Barn Dance

19 September 7.30pm PTA AGM followed by an Ordinary Meeting

28 September Macmillan Coffee Morning

1 December Christmas Fayre

9 February Winter Ball 

22 March Headmaster's Quiz

11 May Family Fun Day

Firstly, well done to you all!

Once again it's been a busy and fun packed school year for Crackley Hall School. The PTA has organised many events and activities throughout the school year with the aim of bringing the community together and raising extra funds for the children. 

We are very pleased to be able to announce that we have raised over £15,000 this year, which is an amazing amount and we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way. 

Here are some of the things we have been able to buy or fund this year with some of the money:

Microphones

Hockey Nets

Cameras

Walkie Talkies

Mad Science Workshop

Playground Equipment

Bollywood Dance Workshop

Picnic Blankets

Netball Bibs

Winter Sports Coats

Garden trough and planting

£500 assigned for books for the Library 

Easter Eggs

Contribution to the J6 Leavers' party

Pantomime performance for all pupils

Charity contributions

We would also like to say a massive thank you to all the PTA volunteers who have given up their time this year and especially to those who have reached the end of their time at Crackley. We wish them all the very best and thank them for all their help over the years. It does mean that we will be looking for new members next year so if you would like to know anything or wish to get more involved then please get in touch via ptachair@crackleyhall.co.uk - and do come along to our first meeting in September if you can.

Lost

Amelie Read (J5) has lost her PE shirt and school jumper.