8th December 2017 1 A NATIVITY TO REMEMBER · 11:00 - 12:00 - Years 6-8 Senior Carol Service*,...

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www.tauntonschool.co.uk

CHALLENGE NURTURE INSPIRE

On Thursday and Friday this week children in the Pre-Prep performed two special shows of their nativity, "Away in a Manger".

The children did so well in front of a packed audience on both days.

Read all about it on page 2 and take a look at more pictures on page 19 and 20.

8th December 2017

MORE INSIDE

More pics on P19 & 20

'Hallelujah'The National Children's Choir of Great Britain welcome more of

our pupils.

A NATIVITY TO REMEMBER

"The best ever Christmas competition"

Pupils get creative making decorations with pine cones.

Darcey who?Prep School ballet dancers set

sights on rivaling Strictly's Darcey Bussell.

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The Pre-Prep and Prep Courier

THE HEAD HAS HIS SAY... by Andrew Edwards

As we get ever nearer to Christmas, it has been lovely to see decorations and pockets of festive

fun popping up all over the place. Even the Headmaster’s House has joined in with its covering of dangling lights! The Christmas trees in Thone, Centenary Hall and Weirfield have been beautifully decorated by the boys and girls as a result of Miss Roper’s Christmas Art competition. The children came up with the most amazingly creative ideas for how to decorate their pine cones. Very well done to everyone who entered!

The boxes in the TPS Office which contain the presents for the Sparkle Appeal are full to overflowing, with wonderful gifts which will end up in the hands of local children, who would not otherwise have had much of a Christmas. It is so important for our children to remember that in the midst of all the Christmas excitement it is a time to be thinking of others. Many thanks to all who have contributed so generously.

I have witnessed many fantastic performances by the pupils since last week’s Courier. On the sports field and in the swimming pool, TPS teams have been competing extremely well and it is such a pleasure to see how far the pupils have progressed since September, both with their individual skills and in their teamwork.

Seeing the choir sing on the grand staircase of Dunster Castle last Friday was a real joy. I was so impressed, not only by the quality of their singing, but by their camaraderie and by how much they enjoy just being together as a group of friends. I'm sure they felt that the hot chocolate and giant cookie were just rewards for all their efforts!

On Tuesday, it was a great pleasure to see our boys and girls in the Dance Cafe. The wonderful precision, concentration and beauty of the ballet performances were matched by the creativity and confidence of the contemporary sets. It is excellent to see the pupils enjoying their dance so much and being so well taught by their teachers. Many congratulations to all of our dancers for a terrific show!

Finally, a special mention to the members of the Year 5 and 6 Drama Club who, under the expert guidance of Miss Day, put on a sparkling performance of ‘Matilda’ yesterday during their after school slot.

I wish you all a very enjoyable final week of school. It promises to be a fun-packed rewarding finish to what has been an excellent Autumn term.

Mr Edwards Prep School Headmaster

Away in a Manger is a delightful children’s nativity play about two proud Mules called

Maurice and Maud who have become rather attached to their manger. What a commotion it causes when they have to share it with a stream of visitors! Goats, Chickens, Cockerels, Mice and Donkeys – a spectacular array of noisy farmyard animals and only just enough room for a special baby, Mary and Joseph and the Donkey.

A spectacular performance delivered by the Pre-Prep children who narrated and sang with passion, energy

and enthusiasm. The children joyfully presented this witty version of the traditional nativity and they all certainly evidenced that we have much talent that will sparkle and shine in the future.

Thank you parents and friends for the support you always provide and for your positive and glowing comments about our performance. We have a very dedicated and strong team of many talents who nurture and guide, bringing out all the children’s unique talent. A special thanks must go to Mrs Cooper (Year 2 teacher), Mr Riggs (lighting, sound and special effects! Snow!!! That caused another commotion!) Thank you to our Reception Teaching assistants for making the manger and of course our

very own Director of Music, Mrs Hornsby and pianist Mr Baker.

Mr Cousins has filmed the performances and when we have filmed 'Whoops a Daisy Angel' the Nursery production (Monday 11th December) – we will be inviting you to purchase a copy if you wish.

The children have been excited today about the Christmas Fair and there has been lots of Christmas Jumper sparkle! What a fun and very special time of year for our youngest children.

Kathy McLauchlan Head of Nursery and Pre-Prep

by Kathy McLauchlanNEWS FROM NURSERY AND PRE-PREP

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Saturday 9th December

Thone House Boarders: Bauble Bonanza

08:30 - 09:15 - Parents' Informal Breakfast*, Chaplain's House

10:00 - 13:00 - Hockey Festival @ Hazlegrove U8*

11:00 - 11:30 - Performing Arts Enrichment Programme 'Hairspray'*, Arts Centre

Sunday 10th December

Thone House Boarders: Christmas Shopping

Monday 11th December

Boys' and Girls' games change to Hockey/Netball

09:30 - 10:15 - Nursery Festive Celebration Concert*, Pre-Prep Hall

11:45 - 12:30 - Pre-Prep Christmas Lunch, Upper Dining Room

09:00 - 16:00 - ABRSM Music Exams, Gwyn Williams Room

12:35 - 14:05 - TPS Christmas Lunches, Upper Dining Room

Tuesday 12th December

09:00 - 16:00 - Trinity Music Exams, Gwyn Williams Room

16:15 - 20:00 - Year 3 & 4 Parent Consultation Evening*, Centenary Hall

Wednesday 13th December

09:00 - 13:00 - Year 7 English/Drama Trip - A Christmas Carol, Brewhouse Theatre

Thursday 14th December

08:30 - 09:00 - Christingle Service N4 to Year 2*, Chapel

09:00 - 09:30 - Mince Pies & Coffee*, Old Library

12:00 - Nursery Christmas Lunch, Lower Dining Room

14:00 - 15:30 - Pre-Prep Christmas Parties, Classrooms

14:05 - 15:50 - TPS House Parties

Friday 15th December

09:30 - 10:30 - Years 3-5 Junior Carol Service*, Chapel

10:30 - 11:00 - Mince Pies & Coffee*, Old Library

11:00 - 12:00 - Years 6-8 Senior Carol Service*, Chapel

12:00 - Pre-Prep Term Ends

SCHOOL CALENDARHOUSE POINTS

Allyssa Vitug – 6WBrogan Flitton – 6WDarcie Coleman – 8THenry Collins – 8TJosh Green – 8TAshie Quartly – 8TMax Hole – 8TCharlotte Hatcher – 8TCharlie Carruthers – 7MEthan Salvador – 7MAlisha Joseph – 6HBrook Kirtland – 5SHarper Oliver Whittaker – 4P

Wills Leach – 6WMadison Willetts – 6HMartha Bruford – 6RCharlotte Nelson – 7AWill Hall – 7CPoppy Charles – 7MEthan Salvador – 7MMina Li – 8HJoshua Sibanda-Jenkins – 8HJack Brimm – 8HMillie Trescothick – 5HArchie Bollom – 5H

At TPS we award House Points for all sorts of different things. It maybe that a child has worked really hard on a piece of work, assisted another child who may be feeling a bit down, helped a teacher out, stepped outside the comfort zone on the stage, played really well in a sports fixture or achieved an extra length in the swimming pool. The list is endless and it’s all about recognising when children do something a little special or reinforcing a good effort.

Silver Awards

Bronze Awards

Frey Lant – 6RHarry Ellison – 5SCicely Henry – 5SCharlie Taylor – 5SAmalie Thomas – 7BEvie Linden – 4L

A polite reminder for parents in Nursery Three and any new parents in Nursery Four! You must apply before Christmas if you wish to claim your extended entitlement hours in January 2018.

• The deadline is 31 December but HMRC is recommending that parents apply well before this to ensure that they have time to receive their codes and present them to childcare provider. Information on their eligibility and how to apply is available at www.somerset.gov.uk/eye30

• If you are using the extended entitlement you must reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months from the date you applied to receive the extra hours.

30 HOURS EXTENDED ENTITLEMENT FOR WORKING

PARENTS OF 3 AND 4 YEAR OLDS

http://www.somerset.gov.uk/eye30

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Thank you to everyone who entered “The Best Ever Christmas Competition” in which all pupils were given a pine cone to make in to a Christmas tree decoration. There were an amazing 70 entries and we had a lot of fun choosing the winners.

The victorious House was Roberts, followed by Dowell, Loveday and then Cooper but only 8 points separated the first and last House.

We selected one winner for each class:

3F – Florence Legg

3H – Katie Sercombe

4L – Max Kaye

4P – Martha Fineberg

5H – Ethan Li

5M – Sully Cooling

5S – Harry Ellison

6H – Sam Davies

6R – Harrison Ingham-Cooke

6W – Holly Cleverly

7A – Orlando Cairns

7B – Erin Lisowski

7C – Rosie Imm

7M – Freya Bartels

8H – Isabel Hogevold

8M – Helen Hounslow

8R – Henry Hudson

8T – Charlotte Hatcher

All entries will be put on the school Christmas trees: Year 3+4 – Parents’ waiting area, Year 5+6 – Thone, Year 7+8 - Centenary Hall. Please collect your decorations at the end of term and take them home.

Well done all.

Sue Roper, Head of Art TPS

THE RESULTS OF MISS ROPER’S BEST EVER

CHRISTMAS COMPETITION!

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SINGING FOR GREAT BRITAIN SUPERSTAR ZACHARYWe are thrilled that four TPS pupils are now members of the National

Children’s Choir of Great Britain. Felicity Hallsworth and Kate Blackmore Greasley auditioned successfully in November whilst Ailani Braine Clarke and Annabelle Mellenchip are existing members. A fantastic achievement. Well done.

Jayne Hornsby

I go to the Tacchi Morris Arts Centre every Saturday morning. This term we worked on a Nativity play and I played the part of Joseph. I really enjoyed it and sang a solo.

Zachary Roberts 4P

On Sunday 3rd December, members of Taunton School International Middle School joined the congregation of St Mary’s Church in Kingston St Mary for the monthly family service. Students of nine different nationalities led the congregation in prayers and readings. The highlight of the morning was sharing the light with their neighbours and watching the growing flickering candles as they added atmosphere, warmth and a deeper spiritual understanding of Advent. The students were all fascinated to learn about the meaning of the Christingle orange, the ribbon, the four cocktail sticks with their respective sweets, the red ribbon and the candle. During the time of reflection the members of the congregation were treated to ‘Winter’ by 'Vivaldi' which was played brilliantly by Steven Yao, on his violin. A huge thank

you to Sam Baker who accompanied us on the organ.

Samuel Morris, TSIMS GRA

LIGHT AND CHRISTINGLES

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Friday 1st December witnessed our second trip with some of the members of Kingston St Mary Youth Club. Following a quick journey along the motorway, in the Taunton School coach with Keith, we turned off for Weston Super Mare. This resort is mostly well-known for its pier , donkeys and the seaside. We were here for a very different experience. As we travelled along the seafront we could see the sparkling Christmas lights guiding us to England’s largest winter covered real ice rink. We quickly swapped our shoes for the smart blue ice skating boots and we had plenty of space to skate with our friends and teachers. Many of us come from colder climates where it is normal to skate on the lakes and rivers. However for Joe and Hideki, from Bangkok and Tokyo respectively, skating on ice was a totally new experience. Yakub fell down so many times, he spent more time horizontally on the ice than upright. However his friends, Jason (from China) and Yanis ( from France) were always immediately by his side scooping him up and pulling him along. Mr Ngo was certainly the star of the show as he a glided gracefully between the wobbly students and staff.

After the skating, the students enjoyed some warming

hot chocolate, covered in cream and sprinkles. Later the students gathered together, in a homemade igloo and then enjoyed having their photographs taken inside a gigantic Christmas bauble. Some of the students were lucky enough to visit the Igloo Bar with its ice tables and enormous Christmas decorations.

We did not have time to visit the magical Santa’s Grotto or the festive carousel… maybe next time.


GET YOUR SKATES ON!

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YEAR 8 CUT THEIR TREES JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!Seasons greetings from Year 8 who received their laser-cut Christmas trees from Mr Bough, the Head of DT from the

Senior School, just in time for the big day. They would like to thank him and his staff for this taste of things to come next year! What a great little cross-over project!

Simon Ashmore

Merry Xmas from our Saturday DT enrichment students who have created these lovely computer aided designed Christmas cards, then cut them out piece by piece on the vinyl cutter!

Simon Ashmore

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CHRISTMAS IS COMING IN SCIENCE...

Science Leaders Emily and Macey have decorated a Periodic Christmas Tree of Elements for the festive season using element cubes made by our Year 8 pupils.

Simon Williams

A MAGICAL CHOIR PERFORMANCE AT DUNSTER BY CANDLELIGHT

Singing at Dunster Castle during the candlelight festivities is always a very special occasion. The choir sang on the great stairwell in the Main Hall which is a memorable experience in itself. The venue epitomizes Christmas with its beautifully decorated Christmas tree, the large open fire and the hot chocolate and homemade brownie which the children get at the end of the performance.

This year was as special as ever and the choir ended the evening joyfully singing ‘We wish you a merry Christmas’. The children sang with energy and enthusiasm and the audience enjoyed every minute of it.

Jayne Hornsby, Head of Music and Performing Arts

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Over 50 dancers performed in the dance Performing Arts Café on Tuesday, displaying an array of dance styles including ballet, contemporary, tap and jazz. The dancers have worked very hard all term and their

commitment to rehearse, team work and confidence shone through; they were fantastic and really showed off all their talents! Many of the groups give up their lunch and break times to attend the dance classes which really

is a testament to their dedication and passion, they never cease to amaze me with all they can achieve! Congratulation dancers on a fantastic performance.

Emma Dawson

SPOTLIGHT ON DANCERS AT PERFORMING ARTS CAFÉ

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It has been a busy week for the dancers in the Prep School. On Saturday the ballet students took their Royal Academy of Dance exams, with the examiner Mrs Webley, travelling over from Spain to see them. All the girls have worked very hard and a big thank you to Mrs Turner for preparing them so thoroughly.

Jayne Hornsby

BALLET EXAMS

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CHIEFS TRIP

On Saturday 2nd December, a group of 20 students from TSIMS, TPS and TS went to watch the local derby of Exeter Chiefs against Bath Rugby. It was a sell-out crowd of 12,800 and it promised to be an exhilarating encounter – we were not disappointed! Most of the play in the first half was in front of us and we saw some spectacular tries giving us some tips for the upcoming House Rugby Competition! By half time, the excitement had caused a great hunger in everyone so enormous pasties, portions of chips and hot dogs were enjoyed by all. The second half saw an attempted come-back by Bath Rugby, but the deficit was too great and we celebrated the Chiefs’ win by 42-29 at the final whistle. A fantastic afternoon was had by all, especially those for whom it was the first experience of a live rugby match.


In Nursery 4's French lesson we made some fabulous snowmen. We practised how to say parts of the body in French and had a lovely time making our decorations.

Mrs Ashmore, MFL Teacher

BONHOMME DE NEIGE

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Performing Arts Programme

In Performing Arts we have worked really hard since September and have had tremendous fun putting on a production with lively dancing, singing, and acting. Every Saturday morning, we have had three hours of intense training in each of these three dramatic disciplines, culminating in a performance of the musical, “Hairspray” taking place tomorrow. The children have not only developed their confidence and stage presence, but have had immense fun along the way, whilst making new friends. What we offer every week is expert training in dance, singing, and drama from

a team of specialists. The next project we are working towards is a variety show, “Variety is the Spice of Life”, which will be a cabaret-style

selection of music, dance, and drama performances at the Tacchi Morris Centre on Sunday 18th March. We look forward to seeing you there!

Jayne Hornsby (Head of Expressive Arts)

SATURDAY ENRICHMENT AT TPS

Art Programme

This Autumn term, it has been a real joy to spend Saturday mornings with my band of merry artists. We started the term by meeting and doing observational drawings of Hilda the tortoise.

The children then made collagraph printing blocks, which they printed from by making rubbings and then with ink using our lovely printing press. We also

enjoyed making tortoise soap dishes and coil pot tortoise bowls, these have been glazed and are very effective. The children also enjoyed experimenting with lino printing and printed spooky Halloween pictures. Our end of term, “Autumn Leaves” project included watercolour painting, silk painting and some work casting plaster.

Sue Roper (Head of Art)

Over the last term, over 85 children have participated in our Saturday morning Enrichment Programme, delighting in the spectacular array of activities on offer. High class opportunities in a range of

specific areas have seen the children develop their skills through fun and inspiring activities, distinct from the regular school curriculum. The children have brought energy, passion and enthusiasm each week, engaging in Art,

Drama, Design and Sport taught by our expert staff, in excellent facilities. Have a look and see what they have been up to within each specialism throughout the Autumn term!

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Design and Technology Programme

In our DT enrichment sessions this term we have had fun with graphics, wood, plastics, and food. The students have made a springy alien clock using the jigsaw, drill, strip heater. An acrylic laminate block; using the sanding disc, blocks and the polishing

machine. Into the kitchen to make a large burger and bun, here the students learnt to make and bake bread buns and create a tasty burger using their own ingredients. A dragon mobile was then made from wood. As we approached Christmas, snowman cards were created using Computer Aided Design program and

made on the vinyl cutting machine.

Simon Ashmore (Head of

Design and Technology)

Sport Programme

Wow, what a busy but fun first term within the sports area of the enrichment programme. It has been great seeing so many pupils choosing to be in on the Saturday morning looking so keen and ready to enjoy their sport. With the sessions split into two halves ‘Session One’ has seen SAQ and team games run at the same time. In the SAQ session

pupils worked on improving some of the key fundamental components required in sport. Activities have included

shuttle runs and speed bounce to improve power, skipping to develop coordination and stamina and ball throw to improve hand eye coordination. All of these components are vital in the sports offered at TPS. Within the team game scenarios, pupils worked on their communication, tactical awareness and team work. All important in how successful teams operate. After a quick snack break and refuel, ‘Session Two’ saw the pupils opt for their preferred sport. In biathle, pupils worked on improving their swimming, running and transitions. Tennis and hockey players worked on developing their all round games each week through the various practices with the TPS sports staff. Next term we look forward to the pupils taking part in table tennis, football, biathle, tennis or cricket.

Shaun Winsor (Director of TPS Sport)

Our Spring term programme is nothing short of exciting! We are delighted to be able to invite children in Years 3 to 6 to take part, if they wish, in our new programme of activities on Saturday mornings, from January 2018. Parents should have received an invitation via email this week from the

TPS Office. Please follow the link found in the letter, and make sure that you sign up to avoid missing out! We look forward to January and welcoming your child onto one of our inspiring programmes. And remember, if your child wishes to bring a friend from outside of school, we are welcoming non-TPS children into

the school community, with a charge of £100 per term. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do contact Miss Page on [email protected].

Laura Page, Saturday Enrichment Co-ordinator

mailto:tpssaturdayenrichment%40tauntonschool.co.uk?subject=mailto:tpssaturdayenrichment%40tauntonschool.co.uk?subject=

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TPS AWARDS OF THE WEEKCongratulations to the following pupils who were awarded with certificates

for the following reasons:

Citizen of the Week – Joshua Stevenson for his lovely manners on the boarding trip to the museum.

Learner of the Week – Louis Maloney for an outstanding presentation in Science, Daisy Stout for her fantastic progress in Spanish, Jack Butler for excellent effort and attitude in PRE, Harvey Coleman for super progress in division in Maths, Rueben Thomas for fantastic following of instructions to create his 3D star in Art, Georgia-Bella Kingswell for outstanding progress in algebra and Jonathan Sibanda-Jenkins for fabulous effort across all subjects.

Sportswoman of the Week - Emily Vernon for brilliant progress on the hockey pitch.

Sportsman of the Week - Ashley Chorley for resilience and determination over the whole term.

Musician of the Week – Chloe Henderson for making excellent progress on the piano.

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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY8TH DECEMBER 1941

THE USA DECLARES WAR ON JAPANEach Tuesday the intrepid team of TPS History detectives meet to delve into the past and research famous events to

coincide with the publishing date of The Courier that week. They have only one hour to research, write and illustrate their articles. We hope you enjoy them and discover some fascinating bits of History.

Joanna Hall-Tomkin, Head of History and Pastoral Head Years 5&6

On the 8th December 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt made his famous speech to the people of the United States of America. The speech was over seven minutes long. This is what Roosevelt said:

“Now [war] has come and we must meet it as united Americans. Our country has been attacked by force of arms, and by force of arms we must

retaliate. We must now turn every effort to building the greatest and most efficient Army, Navy and Air Force in the world.”

Why did America declare war on Japan?

In 1941, the Imperial Japanese Empire was looking to take advantage of the war in Europe and expand into South East Asia. In order to do this, it would be necessary to remove the threat of the America Navy’s Pacific Fleet

Pearl Harbour lies on one of the Hawaiian Islands, Oahu. In 1941, it was the main US naval base in the Pacific Ocean. Japan decided to attack it without warning, in order to surprise the Americans and not allow them time to defend themselves. The attack started just before 8am on a Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. It is important to remember that America and Japan were not at war, in fact they were conducting peace talks.

At 7am on Sunday morning December 7, 1941, two US Army radar operators spotted planes flying in formation towards Pearl Harbour. It was assumed that this was just an American exercise, and the operators were told to close down the station and attend the church parade!

The planes were the beginning of a concerted attack, which took place in two stages;

First the three existing airfields were attacked using machine-guns mounted on planes, and the battleships were attacked with torpedoes.

Secondly, heavy bombs were dropped on the area, using both high-level and dive-bombers.

In the first five minutes of the attack, four battleships were hit, including the USS Oklahoma and the USS Arizona. Minutes later, the Arizona exploded after a bomb hit its gunpowder stores, sinking the ship and killing 1,177 of its crew.

This devastating attack was followed an hour and a half later by a second wave of 170 Japanese aircraft. Within two hours, 18 US warships had been sunk or damaged, 188 aircraft destroyed and 2,403 American servicemen and women killed. Many of these ships were repaired and fought in later battles, and, crucially all three of the Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carriers were not at Pearl Harbour during the attack and so escaped damage. They were to prove vital in the coming Pacific Campaign.

Ninety minutes after it began, the attack was over. 2,008 sailors were killed and 710 others wounded; 218 soldiers and airmen (were killed and 364 wounded; 109 marines were killed and 69 wounded; and 68 civilians were killed and 35 wounded.

In total, 2,403 Americans died and 1,178 were wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk or run aground, including five battleships. All of the Americans killed or wounded during the attack were non-combatants,

given the fact there was no state of war when the attack occurred.

After the attack, 15 Medals of Honour, 51 Navy Crosses, 53 Silver Stars, four Navy and Marine Corps Medals, one Distinguished Flying Cross, four Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service Medal, and three Bronze Star Medals were awarded to the American servicemen who distinguished themselves in combat at Pearl Harbour. Additionally, a special military award, the Pearl Harbour Commemorative Medal, was later authorised for all military veterans of the attack.

In 1962 the Arizona was made an official war memorial/grave as almost 1000 sailors bodies remain entombed inside. A memorial was built across the ship's sunken remains, including a shrine room listing the names of the lost crew members on a marble wall. Upon their death, survivors of the attack may have their ashes placed within the ship, among their fallen comrades. Veterans who served aboard the ship at other times may have their ashes scattered in the water above the ship. To date, only 5 survivors are still living, all well over 90 years old.

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SHARING AND GIVING FOR BOARDERS With the Christmas tree

decorated, the listening of Christmas songs each morning whilst we enjoy our breakfast, festive activities and the preparations for this afternoons Christmas Fair, you can imagine that Thone House is buzzing. This time of year is always very special and this year is no exception. With a houseful of excited children, there is a sense of magic throughout Thone which is complemented by gestures from the children, showing the values and ethos of Christmas, such as sharing and giving. Sharing advent calendars, listening to one another read, helping out with the daily routine and welcoming our visitors, of which we have had many this week. Whatever the action, it has been wonderful to see the children at their best at such a bonnie time of year.

We have had a wonderful time making Christmas decorations, baking jam tarts and preparing for our

Christmas stalls, whilst also having great fun swimming, playing dodgeball, badminton and not forgetting a measured amount of time on our electronics.

Such activities followed a visit to Stourhead for a pleasurable walk around the grounds of the House, on a crisp, but sunny Sunday afternoon and the opportunity to make our own Green Screening videos.

As we look ahead to tomorrow and Sunday, it is going to be great to continue with our Christmas preparations, as we have time to shop and prepare for surprises we would like to take home next week.

Michelle Coleman, Head of TPS Boarding

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STEM Fair was organised by Dr Penny and the TS Marketing Department for pupils from local primary schools. The event involved an engaging circus of activities covering

the three Sciences, DT and Maths, and our Year 5 pupils were hosted by a willing team of sixth formers. Bristol Zoo Gardens were also there with a conservation show, including live

animals. Here’s some of the things they got up to...

Simon Williams

YEAR 5 GO TO STEM FAIR

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AWAY IN A MANGER

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YEAR 2 STARS OF THE STAGE

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THIS WEEK'S SPORTU13 RUGBY TOUR TO OXFORD

On Friday 24th 30 pupils and 4 staff set off for Moulsford Prep in Oxford for a mini rugby tour. I am not sure who was more excited, the pupils or Mr Chaffey? With the pupils from Year 6 and 8 split between the two minibuses the tour party set off just before 11.30am. We hadn’t reached the M5 before someone asked “are we were nearly there yet...??”. Soon after Mr Gatford’s bus had the pleasure of hearing all about his time at the Titans as they drove past the shallow turf of his playing days. Some 90 minutes into the journey (with some singing Mrs Hornsby would have been proud of ) it was time to stop and refuel for both staff and pupils. The squads finally arrived at Moulsford Prep School just after 2.30pm. After a quick warm up both teams get under way.

U13S V MOULSFORD: The U13’s started well against a very capable opposition. After some good defence Moulsford proved just too strong at moving the ball before contact (something we can learn from) and scored several tries in the corners. After a quick break the visitors made wholesale changes and Taunton started to play far better rugby and we started to run in tries of our own. The final

3rd Moulsford returned to their full starting team. Once again Taunton played well for the opening exchanges but after a few missed tackles and tired legs Moulsford’s dominance started to show. The Taunton team should take several positives from the game; at times they played very well and it was really pleasing that they did not let their heads drop.

After match tea most of the pupils went off with their host families. A few of the Year 6’s and Year 8’s stayed in the boarding house for some lessons on how to play pool from the staff…. With games against Shrewsbury House and Caldicott the following day, and the knowledge that Caldicott had already beaten Moulsford earlier in the season, it was time to relax!

Saturday morning was an early start for everyone with leave time set for 8am. The drive across to Calidicott

Prep (right next to Chessington World of Adventure) was initially very picturesque along the River Thames until we hit the dreaded M25... Fortunately

it was clear and after around 80 minutes we arrived. Caldicott and Shrewsbury House were already warming up and about to play. Although we only watched the last five minutes of the game it was clear that Caldicott were very strong. Not surprising for a team who have won Rosslyn Park on many occasions.

U13S V CALDICOTT: After a vigorous warm up and the excitement of wearing the U14 rugby kit the team lined up on a beautiful autumnal morning. As has been the case in recent matches TPS started off really well. Although constantly defending their try

line the tackling was exemplary. TPS parents were then jumping with joy as Gabriel picked up a loose ball and ran from his own 22 to score a try to take the lead. More joy was soon to follow when Joe scored a well worked try from a scrum. Credit to Joe as he still had to side step the Calidott full back after his initial line break. Finally the TPS team had discovered that moving the ball and hitting space was a good way to play. Caldicott came back at TPS but the team continued to defend with real line speed and first up tackling. Even after Caldicott scored a well worked try

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TAUNTON PREP SCHOOL U11 RUGBY TOURA very excited group of 10 and

11-year-olds came into school on Friday 24th November, eagerly anticipating a mini rugby tour to play some of the top prep schools in the country. We departed school at break in preparation for a fixture against Moulsford at 3pm. A nutritious stop off at Burger King and Costa en route ensured the children were filled with the necessary sugars and fats before their match…

The U11s played two Moulsford sides, the first team was their stronger team and despite a sluggish start where we conceded a couple of tries, Taunton then had the better of the play. Despite a period of domination, we were unable to score resulting in a 10-0 loss.

Next we played a “Barbarians” side which consisted of a couple of Taunton pupils to make up the numbers and recorded a comfortable 10-0 win. Worryingly the Taunton side focused more of their attentions on smashing their friends playing for the other team than the opposition, but fortunately Cole made a speedy recovery, meaning there were no injury concerns after

these two matches.

After a quick match tea, it was time for the boys to meet their host families, or check out the boarding house, all were very excited at the prospect of a night away from home with their friends. The boys in the boarding house had a supper of Moussaka, followed by some much needed down time - pool and table football, highlight undoubtedly being the pool match between Mr Winsor/Mr Chaffey and Kian/Ben, obviously the staff were victorious!

The following morning the children met in Moulsford for a 9am leave to get to Caldicott Prep School. A massive thank you to Moulsford for being such great hosts, we look forward to welcoming them to Taunton Prep in April for Cricket.

The team had a quick warm up before playing Shrewsbury House School. This match was a very competitive game and the score line does not reflect the close nature. The key difference was that the opposition

took their chances, resulting in a 30-10 victory.

Next up, were Caldicott who we knew would be very tough opposition after watching them beat Shrewsbury House. Despite Caldicott dominating possession for the entire first half, great defence kept the score down to 5-0 at half time. The second-half was much more one-sided and the end result was a comfortable victory for Caldicott.

Despite the challenging nature of the fixtures, there were some really good performances. As a team, they will only benefit from playing top quality opposition and hopefully each player has learnt something new from these fixtures.

It was great for the 14 boys to experience a mini-tour, their behaviour was impeccable and they were a real asset to the school. As staff, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to many more opportunities with this year group.

Shaun Winsor

TPS still looked as we would win this close contest. With less than 5 minutes to go Caldicott scored again leaving the scores level. It then came down to the final minute, with the only real missed tackle and some narrow defending, Caldicott scored the decisive try. Despite the result the TPS team should all feel really proud of their play. It was great to see them all perform at the level they can reach and see such commitment.

U13S V SHREWSBURY HOUSE: Even a surprise referring appearance by Mr Winsor was not enough to shock

the team into playing the same level of rugby. A combination of tiredness, the close loss of the previous match and a fired up opposition was all too much. The TPS team simply did not tackle and struggled to keep hold of the ball for any sustained period. Shrewsbury House proved simply too strong and ran out 25-0 winners.

The journey home was far quieter than the journey up with boys catching up on the previous two days efforts. All of the boys should feel very proud of their play and their behaviour was impeccable and a credit to themselves and the school. We all look forward to similar and longer tours in the future.

Shaun Winsor

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CHANGE OF GAMES ACTIVITY ALL YEAR GROUPS

FROM MONDAY 11TH

All pupils will move to their new sport in their games lessons for next week.

• Boys Hockey – Games kit as normal with trainers, mouthguards, shinpads and hockey stick (if they have one).

• Girls Netball - Games kit as normal with trainers and white socks.

SPORTS PHOTOSALL YEAR GROUPS

WEDNESDAY 13TH DECEMBER

A reminder to all pupils that sports photos are due to take place on Wednesday during a small part of their Games lessons (they will still continue with their change of activity before/after photo).

In addition to their kit for the change of activity:

• Boys need to bring their match day shirts, blue shorts, games socks and trainers for the photo (no need for boots).

• Girls need their games tops, skorts, games socks and trainers (no need for sticks).

A suggested Christmas present for pupils over the festive period would be a skipping rope and a tennis ball. During PE/Games lessons and the Enrichment programme pupils are spending parts of their lessons working on developing some of their core fundamental abilities. Two areas pupils can easily practice and develop

at home would be their ability to skip (this helps with coordination, balance, timing and endurance) and catching a ball (hand eye coordination). For skipping we are setting pupils a challenge of how many skips they can complete in a minute. Working from 30 as being a base target, the top end pupils in Yr 7/8 are reaching 100. For

the tennis ball throw, the challenge is to stand a metre from a wall and throw the ball from/to the other hand for one minute. A base target of 15 with top end pupils in Yr 7/8 reaching over a 40. Practicing these for five minutes a day will see an improvement and help to underpin a vast range of their sports.

Shaun Winsor

CHRISTMAS PRESENT IDEA...

On Saturday, the U9s went to Hazlegrove for their final fixtures of the term. The U9a team played six matches throughout the morning, recording three wins and three losses. One of the wins was very impressive with a 6-0 score line in just 12 minutes. At the end of the tournament, they were in equal third on overall points but finished in 4th place on a countback of matches.

The U9b team played their tournament indoors due to a frozen pitch. They had a very successful morning, only losing one match, meaning they finished as runners-up and silver medallists (pictured right). Well done!

Nicola Foad

U9 HOCKEY AT HAZLEGROVE – SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER

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Swimming V Hazlegrove – Tuesday 5th DecemberOn Tuesday afternoon, TPS

hosted Hazlegrove for an U8, U9 and U10 swimming gala. It was great to have some of our Year 3 pupils

representing the school for swimming for the first time. Everyone swam very well, resulting in a 139 – 132 win for TPS. We have more galas next term

against King’s Hall as well the IAPS time trails, so lots for our swimmers to look forward to.

Nicola Foad

This term the girls have all worked very hard in their skills and game play. We knew that the final two games of our season were against strong teams who had both had good results all season. Against Clifton, we were able to overcome our biggest weakness all season – defending as a unit when the opposition make a break. Counterattacks have caught us out in some key fixtures this season, but we defended brilliantly against Clifton and never left ourselves exposed at the back. The final score was 2-1 to Clifton,

but the girls put in an excellent team performance.

Our final match was against Queen's, who again we knew would be strong. It was a fast paced match, with regular end to end attacks coming from both teams. Queen's had one very strong player that we marked brilliantly and made sure her influence on the game was not too strong. The final score was 4-4, a fair result for a great match.

This term I have been so impressed with the strength in depth of this squad. The girls have shown such great team spirit in their approach to team selection; four girls have been

playing a mix of U13a and U13b team hockey, giving their all in whichever squad they are in. Eleven a-side hockey looks very exciting for this age group as you step up to the large pitch in Year 9.

Ellie Trescothick and Amber Wilson have been great captains for the season, always being great team players and helping out with anything hockey related whenever they can.

Well done girls and thank you for your hard work... keep it up for the netball season!

Nicola Foad

U13A HOCKEY FINAL MATCHES

PICTURED BELOW: U13A SQUAD 2017 (missing Darcie Coleman)

https://www.thebrewhouse.net/event/a-christmas-carol-the-musical/

25




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