Message from the Headmaster
As we move towards the final few weeks of term, the school has been busy in the classrooms, music rooms and on the pitches. The wet and challenging weather certainly did not dampen the spirit of the pupils in sport this week with the U15 football team progressing through to the quarter-final of the National Cup and impressive performances in rugby against Ewell Castle, City of London Freemen’s and St Paul's.
This afternoon, Year 10 pupils were joined by pupils from Manor House to watch a visiting theatre company perform A Christmas Carol to enhance their GCSE study of the Dickens classic.
A brief reminder to parents in Year 9 that on Wednesday of next week we will be hosting you and your son for the GCSE Options Evening. It will be a valuable opportunity to hear about the process of selecting subjects for the next two academic years and speaking with the teachers about the content of their subjects.
The auditorium has been reverberating with the sounds of Christmas carols as the pupils prepare for the end of term Carol Service on Thursday 12th December. The orchestra, choirs and readers are diligently rehearsing for what always promises to be an exceptional event in the Cranmore calendar.
Staff ‘Movember’ Initiative
Several of our members of staff took part in ‘Movember’, growing a moustache for the month of November to raise awareness and make a difference in mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
Music News
Congratulations to Michael B in Year 11 who has passed his Grade 8 piano with Merit, a magnificent achievement!
Quarter-Final of the National Cup
Congratulations to our U15 football team who have progressed through to the quarter-final of the National Cup. Playing some superb football against worthy opponents Bishop Challoner Bromley, Cranmore were 3-2 up with 10 minutes to go. However, a strong finish saw the team win 6-2. Well done and best of luck for the next round.
This week, Cranmore senior rugby teams had some impressive performances in matches against Ewell Castle, City of London Freemans, and St Paul's.
Water Safety and Personal Safety
In swimming lessons this week for Years 7 and 8, pupils have focussed on water and personal safety to build confidence and awareness in different environments. They learned about water hazards, like strong currents, waves, and slippery pool areas, and how to avoid them. Understanding personal limits was emphasised, ensuring that pupils never swim alone and always recognise when they are too tired or facing dangerous conditions. Pupils practised key safety skills, such as floating, treading water, and using flotation devices, to stay safe in emergencies.
Cricket Recognition
Cranmore was honoured to be chosen as one of the top 50 schools in the country for cricket by the Cricketer Magazine’s Good Schools Guide. The selection was based upon our provision of the sport, opportunities to represent the school in fixtures and our outstanding facilities. This is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work and commitment from staff, pupils and parents. Well done, everyone!
This Week
This week we saw the celebration of Thanksgiving, an annual secular feast, ostensibly celebrated in America, but with increasing resonances across the globe. Most of us will be familiar with the traditional account of how a group of persecuted individuals, known as the Pilgrim Fathers, left England on the Mayflower and other ships, and travelled to the New World - what we now know as the USA - in search of religious freedom and new, unknown opportunities. Following their arrival in 1620, and after a perilous journey on which many died, they then faced challenges of weather, famine, disease and strained relationships with the indigenous population. However, after the hardest of winters, where the new colony continued to mourn the loss of many members, the group, supported now by compassionate original inhabitants, gather to give thanks, with a meal of local fare. And so the tradition of Thanksgiving arose.
We have a local link to this foundation story with one of the original travellers on the Mayflower being William Mullins, who lived in Dorking and whose house, on West Street, now a delightful café, stands to this day.
It is clear that the origins of Thanksgiving are contested; however, what is not contested is that those earlier settlers’ immediate response upon their arrival was to stop and give thanks to God. This, more than any other, is surely the point of this feast. It serves as a timely reminder that we all too often take God’s free gifts for granted. Perhaps this week we can take time to give thanks for what we have received and join in with the spirit of the original Thanksgiving, wherever that may have been.
Soup
Main
Monday
Soup of the day – Tomato & basil
Soup of the day – Carrot & coriander
Chicken & vegetable tikka masala with rice & naan bread
Meatballs in a fresh tomato & herb sauce with rice
Soup of the day – Roasted butternut squash & sweet potato
Roasted chicken breast with Yorkshire pudding
Soup of the day – Leek & potato
Traditional beef lasagne with Italian style salad / Chicken wraps
Soup of the day – Roasted red pepper & tomato
Traditional battered fish fillet or jumbo fish fingers
Vegetarian
Jacket potato & beans Plain pasta & tomato sauce
Jacket potato & beans
Jacket potato & beans
Jacket potato & beans
Fresh vegetable & chick pea curry with rice & poppadums
Sides Rice/ carrots
Additional
Roasted butternut squash & red pepper risotto
Layered roasted vegetables & mozzarella bake
School council requestMacaroni cheese
Sweetcorn/ courgettes
Roast potatoes/ broccoli
Dessert
Steamed syrup sponge & custard
Fruit & summer berry pie with crème fraiche
Millionaire shortbread
Items in Italic - Sourced from F Conisbee’s, our local butcher
Roasted Mediterranean vegetables/baton carrots
Stuffed peppers filled with wholemeal rice topped with tomato sauce
Chips/peas/ baked beans
Apple crumble & custard
Strawberry smoothie
