Boarding Autumn Term 2022 Newsletter

LEWESTON BOARDING

Autumn Term Newsletter

In this newsletter....

WELCOME NEW BOARDERS!

Every autumn term we are delighted to welcome new boarders from far and wide to our leweston community. From flexi boarders to new international students, we cherish every new face, and of course all the familiar ones we see after a long summer break

This term we have been delighted to partake in many exciting activities both on and offsite We also have some new and exclusive activities in the weekday evenings for our boarders!

From card making, to decorations, Christmas markets and carol services, we are in full swing to celebrate a very festive christmas!

ELEANOR HOUSE FROM MRS SIMKINS-SMITH

The Autumn term has been an incredibly busy time in boarding and not even the endless rain could dampen the boarder’s spirit. They have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into boarding life, making the most of the various activities on offer and the extra academic and pastoral support from House Staff and Florins.

Our new boarders who joined us at the start of the term have settled in well and it is great to see them making the most of all the opportunities that boarding at Leweston offers The warm and friendly atmosphere in the boarding houses means that it doesn’t take long for new boarders to feel relaxed and at home

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A successful addition to the weekly boarding house meetings has been the introduction of cultural presentations from boarders on their home countries. In Eleanor House Florence and Liv kicked off by talking to boarders about a couple of interesting traditions in the UK, the Dorset Knob throwing competition and the Cheese rolling competition Eleanor House were surprised to hear how strict the rules are for the Dorset Knob throwing competition and how dangerous the cheese rolling competition can be with competitors often breaking bones whilst competing! It has been lovely to see so many of the girls volunteer to present on their home country and we have all enjoyed learning interesting facts and unusual folkelore from around the world.

At the end of this term we bid farewell to our short stay student from Australia, Sophie. It has been so lovely to welcome Sophie to Eleanor House and the Leweston boarding community. Mrs Simkins-Smith took Sophie and some friends out for supper at Tamborinos to say goodbye.

ANTONY HOUSE REPORT FROM MR CANNON

This Autumn Term the boys have been inundated with opportunities within our Boarding Community. They have enjoyed our regular weekly activities on offer such as Swimming, sports Hall Games, Family games night and Noodle Nights. If that wasn’t enough, they have experienced some weekend activities including Thorpe Park, Fireworks, Murder Mystery, Laser Tag, Bowling, Kasper’s and a once in a lifetime visit to the Historic ‘Globe Theatre’.

We began the Year with our Leweston Live festival where some of our boarders attended to informally meet our boarding community. Some of our international boys and parents loved meeting Kelly Leigh.

Antony House have looked outward this term with our community in mind. We have been raising awareness of the Movember Charity (The Mo-vement), created Christmas Cards for the Elderly Care home, offered a Year 11 taster, participated in the talent show and represented the school in their rugby teams Within our Antony House community, we have our traditional role of Noodle Master. Congratulations to Tom and Gonzalo on winning the ‘Noodle-Off’ and winning the Noodle Master Role for the year. The boys take pride in making top notch noodles for the boys on Friday / Sunday nights for us to enjoy whilst watching some sport.

Antony House have some very talented young men. We are very pleased to highlight that Tom, Year 12 has achieved all of the following titles; World and European Laser Run – Gold; World and European Triathle – Silver; European Mixed Relay TriathleGold; World Mixed Relay Triathle – Bronze; European mixed Laser Run – Gold. Most of our boys represent the school in team or individual sports. Some examples are: Matthew represented GB in the World and European Biathle in Madiera and Athens. Archie, Henry, Matthew and Tom represented Leweston in the North Dorset Schools Swimming and Won. Further, almost every boy has been a part of our Rugby journey and represented the school. Overall, Antony House Boys have truly demonstrated our values Honesty, Family, Faithfulness, Loyalty and Respect, and through this have made us very proud.

MARTHA AND CECILIA REPORTS FROM MISS ROPBINSON

After enjoying a gloriously sunny summer holiday we returned to school feeling refreshed and were delighted to welcome back our returning boarders, as well as meeting our newest boarders and helping them settle in; getting everyone prepared for the term ahead

Our weekday activities have been going strong, with a great turn out. The sports hall games have been popular as ever, and so too have the letter writing club and our newly introduced weekly swimming sessions. The Hot Chocolate bars also went down a treat, bringing buzzing conversation to the Houses and filling the air with the indulgent scent of sweet treats.

STUDENT REVIEW

November saw the introduction of a new and well received event in the form of a talent show which gave boarders the opportunity to showcase their myriad of talents. It was great to see the diverse and impressive talents of all who participated, and special mention must go to Lauren of Cecilia House for planning, promoting and running the show.

We have continued to have weekly House meetings, which allow us to provide boarders with important information and updates, get their feedback and present a space for open dialogue. We’ve brought a dynamic flair to these meetings this term with either a Kahoot quiz or a cultural talk from one of our boarders, filled with interesting and entertaining content.

With such a busy term coming to an end, the boarders are certainly due a wellearned rest over the Christmas break. We look forward to having them back in spring for another exciting term.

ACTIVITIES

THORPE PARK

What an amazing way to bond with our new international boarders! Together we ventured to Thorpe Park on the outskirts of London to test our fears and ride the loops, drops and spins of the incredible roller coasters

MUG MAKING

To help our boarders build their home away from home, we love to do mug making at the beginning of the year so they can use their own throughout their time with us, and have it to take home with them!

CINEMA

With the busy first few weeks of term, it is nice to leave site to spend some down time at the local cinema This term we went to view 'See How They Run'

LASER TAG

We love to get the heart-rates high with some friendly competition, and what better way to have fun outdoors than a classic game of laser tag? We commend our boarders on their courageous ploys and cunning tactics.

ACTIVITIES

GLOBE THEATRE

A British classic! We boast our national pride, William Shakespeare, as we treated our boarders to a trip into London to see 'Much Ado about Nothing' in the iconic Globe Theatre.

MURDER MYSTERY EVENING

Who done it? We loved seeing the boarders throw themselves into character as we spent an evening weaving through lies and deceit to find out who killed Mr Mourborne.

BOWLING

It can't get better than a night at the lanes competing against your friends. Our boarders got their first taste of the local Hollywood Bowl, and a special sweet treat at Kaspa's afterwards

MOVEMBER QUIZ

Hosted by our very own Mr Purchase and Mr Cannon, the Boarders had a team take part in the annual Curry and Quiz Night to raise funds for Movember

WEEK ACTIVITIES

HALLOWEEN

As the autumn winds roll in, we take to our common rooms to cosy up On this occasion, the boarders enjoyed a spooky array of treats and a hot chocolate in the Watering Hole

BONFIRE NIGHT

What a show! Leweston Staff put on another amazing display with the Leweston Fireworks night. There was plenty to watch, do and eat as we gazed up at the beautiful display above our own grounds.

YEAR 11 TASTER

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BATH MARKETS

There is no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to attend the famous Bath Christmas Markets. With local sellers and special treats sold at every stall, we were all buzzing with excitement for the upcoming Christmas season.

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ACTIVITIES

SNOWTRAX

Although it's too early in the season for snow, we didn't miss out on the fun on the slopes. Our boarders travelled to Bournemouth to the we enjoyed an bobs!

ST NICHOLAS EVE

We know a sentimental touch can make the biggest difference during the holidays, so we make it a tradition to gift the students a per Christmas at Lewe chocolate coins.

TRINITY CHAPEL SERVICE

Built in the 1600s, our Trinity Chapel lies right outside the boarding house, showcasing an incredible preservation of British and religious history. Our Sacristan, Julia G, held a Christmas service and Christingle making inside the chapel to celebrate the season.

CHRISTMAS GIVING

In alignment with our Catholic Ethos, we take the holidays as yet another opportunity to engage with our local community and donate our time and energy to brightening the lives of others. Below are two of the ways we celebrated Christmas with the community this year.

CHRISTMAS CARD DECORATING

Each hand-decorated by a boarder, including a personal message, our Christmas cards were delivered personally by Miss Robinson to a local care home

CHARITY BAKING

Using our home-economics room, all the boarding houses joined together over two days to bake and decorate cakes to be sold and raise funds for the Air Ambulance Service.