HEADMASTER’S LETTER DECEMBER 2017
T0 PARENTS
Dear Parents I realise that this has been another amazingly busy half term with a whole host of activities involving pupils right across the fourteen year groups of the School. Added to this the vast majority of pupils have been working very hard to achieve the very best they can in each of their subjects. What follows are just a few of the highlights of the last few weeks.
Contents Page 1
Girls’ Sport
Page 2
Girls’ Sport Boys’ Sport
Page 3
Boys’ Sport Mock Medical Interviews
Page 4
Cricket Firework Display
Page 5
Remembrance Howard and Mitchell Essay Competitions
Page 6
Music
Page 7
Tech Control Duke of Edinburgh
Page 8
Art Exhibition
Page 9
School Shop Royal Parks Half Marathon for Cancer Research UK
Page 10
Drama
Page 11
Epping Forest Debating Admissions Events Twitter O.C. Mitre Careers
Page 12
University Offers Contact Numbers Bad Weather
Page 13
Staff News And Finally
Page 14
Message from the Chaplain
Page 15
Message from Mrs Beverly Frankle
Girls’ Sport
Girls’ hockey in the Senior School
The U15s have taken big strides in their
This term, however, has been one to
that if you work together as a team,
performances this season, demonstrating
experienced its best ever season last year.
then you can achieve so much more
rebuild, with the hope of preparing the
than results. Next year will see many of
next crop of talented players for future
these players push for 2nd, and potentially
success. The 1st XI have really developed
1st, XI spots.
as a group, becoming fitter through their
Junior School hockey has continued to
grow. This has been excellent to witness and there are some future hockey stars in
the making. The U11 girls have enjoyed a
good season and have established themselves as a top local team. Our new
intake has strengthened the current strong crop of U12s. Players such as
strength and conditioning training and
Alice Rowlands and Danielle Metcalf
working hard on key principles. They
have made great contributions. They
have experienced mixed results, missing
went to the U12 IAPS Finals in Ipswich
out on qualification for the regionals in outdoor
and
indoor
hockey
and competed well in all their pool but
but
narrowly
performing well in fixtures against local
rivals. Their attitude and desire to improve has been excellent, exemplified by the captain Penohole Iiyambo. She has led from the front, being a diligent
performer but also an approachable leader. We will miss her bubbly, upbeat
personality and sense of humour but wish her all the best and every success for the future.
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missed
out
on
further
Girls’ Sport qualification. The U13s are a stoic bunch
and, despite not enjoying the success they would like, have always worked hard.
To all those staff and pupils that have been a part of it, thank you very much
and we hope you enjoy a restful Christmas break.
Boys’ Sport
Chigwell School hosted the annual U11
AD St Pascual de Montpellier and
from local primary schools taking part.
games were the impressive 13-0 win by
Sporting Hortaleza. Highlights from the
football festival with twenty-four teams
the U13s and a hat-trick from U12 George
The event was a festival of football in
Stride against Sporting Hortaleza. Oliver
which all played the same number of
Irow finished top scorer on tour with nine
matches. There was an excellent relaxed
goals, U13 Jordan Erratt with four goals
atmosphere which allowed the boys and
and George Stride with three. The squad
girls to play in a suitable environment for
also visited the main tourist attractions in
their development. Needless to say, there
the city as well as Santiago Bernabeu,
was plenty of good football on show and
Real Madrid’s stadium. The group were
some very happy players.
the first English school to visit the Wanda
We took fifty pupils on this year’s football
Metropolitano Stadium, Athletico Madrid’s
development tour to Madrid. U13 and
new state-of-the-art home. The group
U12 boys took part in two training
were complimented on their behaviour on
sessions at the Real Madrid academy as
many occasions during the tour and were
well as a training session with La Liga side,
great ambassadors for their school. Finally
Athletico Madrid. The four squads played
a huge thank you to all staff that gave up
two matches each against local club sides,
their time to support this amazing tour.
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Boys’ Sport
The annual Eren Pars football match was
term. Notable results were the draw
2012, was a keen footballer and the match
against both Hampton and Kimbolton. The
against Brentwood and significant wins
played recently. Eren, who died in May
squad has included a large number of
is played in his memory each year
Upper Fifth boys which bodes well for the
between two Chigwell sixth form teams.
future. The U16s are now in the ISFA Small
This year, the excited crowd of pupils,
Schools Cup semi-final, having beaten
staff, parents and friends of Eren saw a
King Edward’s Witley 3-0 and The Hall,
closely fought game which the Lower
Wimbledon 7-0. The U13s qualified for the
Sixth, for the first time in the history of
IAPS finals at King’s College, Taunton.
the match, beat the Middle Sixth. The Eren Pars trophy was presented by Eren’s
There have been a large number of
mother and father to the Lower Sixth
nominations for ISFA, Herts and Essex
captain, Alex Barnes. In addition, they
teams, and we would like to congratulate
kindly made a generous donation to
them and wish them all good luck.
Smiles with Grace which was the chosen
We would like to thank all the staff,
charity of the victorious side.
parents and students for supporting what
It has been a successful season for the 1st
has been another successful football
XI. They have only lost one game this half
season at Chigwell school.
Mock Medical Interviews
Middle Sixth candidates for medicine,
dentistry and pharmacology took part in mock
interviews
with
working
professionals in these fields. Thank you to
all the parents who offered their time to provide this valuable preparation for the students in advance of their university entrance interviews.
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Cricket
Firework Display
and Hilary Howson (U11) who have been
friends gathered on Top Field for the
Congratulations to Sally Chapman (U13)
Over twelve hundred parents, pupils and
awarded Essex County Cricket Club Player
annual Friends of Chigwell (FOC) firework
of the Season. In addition, Haaris Usman
display.
has been awarded a place in the Essex County
Cricket
Emerging
The weather was kind, the
fireworks were stunning and the food and
Player
stalls provided an excellent evening of
Programme, as have Sally and Hilary.
entertainment. The whole event was
During last season, Haaris hit two brilliant
organised by the volunteers on the FOC
centuries with 150 not out against
and we are very fortunate indeed to have
Highgate School. Oliver Irow took a hat-
such a committed team of parents who
trick against Loyola. Well done to all
are prepared to support us in this way and
concerned.
give of their time so generously.
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Remembrance
Once again, the School community came together for the annual act of remembrance. At 11 o’clock pupils and staff gathered for two minutes’ silence with the Last Post
played by Sixth Form trumpeter Christopher Antoniou. Separately, Junior School and
Senior School remembrance services were held in St Mary’s Church, supported by the excellent Chapel Choir, and during these the names of all the Old Chigwellians who fell
in the two World Wars were read out. Pre Prep pupils had an assembly about the reasons behind remembrance and the significance of the poppy.
Howard and Mitchell Essay Competitions Congratulations to winners Yasmin
medical student Stuart Innes O.C.
gave presentations on their essays in
influenced his studies.
spoke about how his essay had
Antoniou and Tomasz Cienkowski who
front some eighty pupils and parents. Yasmin described the placebo effect in medicine, and Tomasz outlined how Jeff Koons' sculpture ‘Metallic Venus'
responds to some classical sculptures.
Both Yasmin and Tomasz answered a
series of thoughtful questions from the
audience. There was then a dinner after
which 2012 Mitchell winner and current
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Music It has been a highly frenetic, busy and
The Lower One and Upper One
opportunity to connect with music
participation, provided a fitting showcase
productive half term giving pupils the
Christmas Concert, along with audience
through live performance in school and
to parents with some imaginative singing
in the wider community.
and direction from two of our vocal
coaches, Mr Matthew Duncan and Mr
There have been notable successes in the
Alex Garziglia.
candidates sitting for external music
players in the School performed in their
exams with Trinity Board and the
own ensemble as the Stringlets, with Mrs
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of
Sue Spicer-Winand as their coach,
Music and we praise pupils’ efforts in their attitude
and
perseverance
in
playing Silent Night and Frostie the
the
Snowman. Our young soloists, Suryan
preparation for their exams. As always, a
Tank, Mily La and Grace Copsey
huge thank you to our twenty-five vibrant
displayed a variety of musical talent.
and committed visiting music staff.
The choristers in the School are in the
midst of a busy season with the School’s
We have had two wonderful Prom
Advent
Concerts provided by the Fourth Form
participated
in
a
School. full
school
the 5th December and at St Margaret’s,
Pupils
variety
three
work; singing at the ICAP Charity Day on
the breadth and fervour of the musicthe
the
as well as their continuation of charity
Junior School Concert which exhibited in
Service,
Christmas services on the last day of term,
and Removes and a highly flourishing
making
Our youngest string
Westminster, on the 20th December.
of
ensembles including the Musical Theatre Group, Junior Jazz Band, Rock Band,
Ukulele Group, Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs as well as classical works played by the
Flute Group, two String Quartets, Stringles, Cello Group and Junior Orchestra, and a variety of soloists.
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Tech Control
Pupils’ use of social media, the addictive nature of smartphones and reports of very
interrupted sleep because they are checking messages through the night, continues to be an issue in many schools. Please separate your sons and daughters from
phones and laptops when they go to bed and agree the amount of screen time that is appropriate each day. Undoubtedly, pupils work better when they are not looking at phones at the same time. HMC produced this short video in the summer which
you may have seen already but which tries to make the point that pupils should control their tech, rather than the other way around.
Duke of Edinburgh
Congratulations to the sixth form students who completed their gold D of E training expedition on Llangorse Lake
and the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal in half term. Their final expeditions will take place in the summer.
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Art Exhibition
The School Gallery has been displaying an exhibition of paintings and drawings
by the artist Steve Dowson. In 2012 he won the East of England prize in the National Open Art Competition and in
2014 he took part in the Sky Arts Portrait
Artist of the Year Award. The exhibition
hosts a total of thirty five pieces, in various scales, styles and media. Collectively the exhibition spans over
almost thirty years of his career, with
one continuous piece being a project that will take him over ten years to complete. Steve
Dowson
commented
that
“Whatever I paint and draw the essential
subject is always the ultimate ground of being, and how this is manifest in the everyday. Drawing and painting are ways
of looking outwards and engaging with the world while also being the observer.�
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School Shop As parents know, the School shop is to close on
13th December following Mrs Beverly Frankle’s retirement. I should like to pay tribute to both Beverly and Mrs Anne Padwick for their
excellent work in the School Shop over many years, in turning the shop into a warm and welcoming hub of the School and in
maintaining and improving the standards of uniform and sportswear for pupils.
collected after 2pm the following day from any
From 1st January, parents will be able to buy all
John Lewis or selected Waitrose store. In
school uniform and kit from the John Lewis
addition, the School will stock certain small
Partnership. This service will be available online
items in limited quantities, such as sports socks,
with a full range of samples and sizes available
trousers and mouth guards that may be sold to
to try at John Lewis, Westfield. John Lewis will
pupils on request.
offer free standard UK delivery on all orders over
More details will follow shortly in a separate
£50 and, with their Click and Collect service, any
Chigwell Post.
online orders placed before 8pm may be
Royal Parks Half Marathon for Cancer Research UK
Congratulations to all the parents, staff, Old Chigwellians and friends who ran in October to raise funds for charity. So far, the group has raised £83k in sponsorship.
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Drama
Since half term, the Lower Fifth GCSE Drama students have been working hard on their showcase. This is a series of
extracts from their set text, “Blue Stockings” by Jessica Swale. The play explores life at Girton College, Cambridge,
in 1896 as women struggled for the right
to graduate. On 6th December at 5.30pm in the Drama Centre, students acted out
the key roles but also offered lighting, set
design, costume and make up. This was an
excellent event that enabled students to fully understand not only the acting but
also the design involved in this text and was of great benefit to the Upper Fifth who watch the showcase and are studying the same set text at GCSE.
The Lower Sixth A Level drama set went
to the Playhouse Theatre in London on 7th December
to
watch
a
matinee
performance of David Mamet’s acclaimed
play, “Glengarry Glen Ross” starring Christian Slater and Robert Glenister. This
was an outstanding performance that gave food for thought to all students.
Don’t forget, next term will be the staff
panto! Get ready to book your tickets for
“Puss in Boots” playing on 11th and 12th January, 2018.
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Epping Forest Debating Congratulations to Ziyad Chaudhary
and Christopher Collins who gave
excellent performances in a closely fought debate at the Epping Forest Schools
Parliamentary
Debating
Competition. Christopher was awarded 'Best Performance' of the evening.
Admissions Events
This term we have had several open
There are now some 1,650 followers of
their children at all entry points. I am
them to see regular news of events from
the School Twitter feed. Please do join
days for families seeking admission for
across the school. @chigwellschool
very grateful for the pupils and staff who have met with families or run displays in classrooms.
O.C. Mitre
Time and again, I have
Each year we publish the O.C. Mitre
received comments about how helpful,
which is sent to Old Chigwellians. This
polite, confident and welcoming our
magazine is available online here and you
pupils have been.
might be interested to read news and achievements of former Chigwell pupils.
Careers
We are very grateful to the parents who help with mock interviews, by providing
advice at the annual careers convention,
and who offer work experience to older students. If any other parents would be willing to help in this way, please contact me.
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University Offers
Chigwell students have been receiving some really good offers of university places and I hope these will continue to come through. Please encourage your sons and daughters to keep tutors and Mr Simon Coppell informed of offers, even if the news comes during the Christmas period.
Contact Numbers
Please could parents check that we have an up to date contact number for their son or daughter. It is important that we are able to make contact in the case of an emergency. If you think your contact numbers may be out of date, please let us have your revised details.
Bad Weather
In the event of heavy snow or ice, please consult the school website (www.chigwellschool.org) for confirmation of arrangements for the school day. We would be very reluctant to close the School but we are mindful of the safety of pupils and staff.
I am very grateful to the Grounds and Maintenance teams who got in so early this week to enable us to open as normal.
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Staff News
Following the departure of Miss Sarahjane Grimshaw, Learning Support Co-ordinator, after half term, we are delighted to welcome Mrs Elana Peebles as Deputy Learning Support Coordinator. Mrs Lucy Standen will be joining us in January as Learning Support Co-0rdinator.
And Finally
I sense that the School is ready for a rest and I hope that the holidays provide a
really well-deserved break for all Chigwell
families. Have a very happy Christmas and may you have a prosperous and peaceful
New Year. I look forward to seeing you
again in 2018. We begin the Lent Term on
Thursday 4th January which will be a Week A.
With best wishes Yours sincerely
Michael Punt
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Message from the Chaplain It’s remarkable just how much can be crammed into a very short period of time. The second half of this term has been only a few weeks long but as always school life fills every minute.
of students’ work which will stand behind the altar. This is being designed to allow images and artwork which will change through the school year.
Christmas is now frighteningly close and I have been talking to classes about the Christmas story and the origins of the season’s traditions. The original St Nickolas was a 4th century Bishop from Turkey (there must be a joke in there somewhere). We don’t know much about him other than he was a good man who cared for his people and had a reputation for being concerned about what happened to children. Its worth remembering over the next few weeks that the fat man with a red costume at the garden centre isn’t just there to get us to spend money. He represents a man who lived in the spirit of the child, born in a manger, who came to care for this world and to love everyone in it.
Chapel has had a busy programme of student led talks during our services. Alex Gurtovoi introduced an inspiring UTube clip of a military commander’s thoughts on ‘how to change the world’ and Tamazeir Chowdhury spoke movingly about living with terminal illness. Abi Whelan gave some thoughtful insights into issues of mental illness and Max Humphries spoke to the whole upper school in St Mary’s Church about The OLLIE Foundation. Bravest of all our speakers perhaps was Oliver Smyth who sang ‘I need a dollar’ as a chapel solo during Charities Week.
The Chapel Praefects are essential to the smooth running of all chapel activities and spent several hours one afternoon clearing out the vestry. Among the bags and boxes they discovered some long-forgotten school altar silver which has now been refurbished and looks splendid back in its rightful place. It is important that the chapel reflects the life of our community and over the past term it has been home to exhibitions of students’ work focusing on Harvest and Divali. The Art Club is currently working on a Triptych
I hope you have a happy and blessed Christmas. Enjoy the madness, celebrate the people and have a great time. And in the spirit of St Nickolas see if you can also make it great for someone else. With all blessings The Chaplain
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Message from Mrs Beverly Frankle
The School Shop will be closing its door for the very last time on the 15 December 2017. Both Anne and I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy new year and we would like to thank all our marvellous volunteer ladies for all their help.
Wishing you all continued success. With our very best wishes Beverly & Anne
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TERM DATES 2018 Lent Term Staff meetings and INSET on Wednesday 3rd January First day: Thursday 4th January Half term: Saturday 10th February to Sunday 18th February
2018 Trinity Term (Easter Day is 1st April) First day: Wednesday 18th April Half term: Saturday 26th May to Sunday 3rd June INSET Day Monday June 4th
Term ends:
Term ends:
Wednesday 28th March
Wednesday 11th July