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Page Mitre April 2020
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MitreApril 2020
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Table of Contents
Head Teacher’s Foreword Page 2
Deba�ng Page 3
Business and Economics trip to New York Pages 4/5
Year 8 ski trip to Wagrain, Austria Page 6
Year 9 ski trip to Gastein, Austria Pages 7/8
Interact, Spring Term Page 9
Finale Concert Pages 10/11/12
Black and Gold Quiz Page 13
Mrs Helen Fletcher
Our school librarian, Helen Fletcher, diedsuddenly on March 3rd. Mr Reeve, HeadTeacher said; "We have, today, lost a dearmember of our school community. Mrs HelenFletcher, who had been our school librarian for31 years, suffered a sudden heart a�ack andpassed away this morning.
Mrs Fletcher made a very significant contribu�onover such a long period of �me. She hasimpacted the lives of so many members of ourschool community, supported thousands ofstudents and worked with hundreds of staff,volunteers and library helpers down the years.She was incredibly proud to be our schoollibrarian and we are very grateful for thecommitment she gave."
Many students and parents have wri�en theirtributes to Helen on the school web-site; and it isabundantly clear that she was both deeplyloved and respected, by all, in equal measure.She will be dearly missed, by everybody.
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Head Teacher’s ForewordAlthough it feels that the events referenced inthis edi�on of the Mitre took place in a differentera, we s�ll wanted to provide the opportunityto reflect on some of the great studentexperiences from the earlier part of the springterm. The challenge and uncertainty faced bythe whole country, and beyond, hasunderstandably occupied our thoughts for thelast few months, but the fantas�c interna�onaltrips over February half-term and the migh�lyimpressive Music Fes�val Finalé in early Marchwere each a credit to the staff and studentsinvolved.
As you can see from the ar�cle above, wemourned the sad loss of our longstandinglibrarian, Mrs Helen Fletcher. The currentrestric�ons meant we were unable to a�end herfuneral to pay our respects and reflect publiclyon all she had done for our school over the last31 years, though the many warm messages offondness and apprecia�on we have receivedhave helped to underline just how much she willbe missed by all at TBSHS.
As I wrote in my email to all students at thescheduled end of last term, it was great to hearfrom teachers and tutors that so many studentshad really worked hard at home to keep on topof the work they had been set in the last twoweeks of term. We appreciate there are manypressures that students have to cope with at this�me, including not all having constant access toIT facili�es at home, so where they are able tos�ck to their regular �metable of lessons andcomplete the set tasks, they are doing well.
With the announcement that the UK ‘lockdown’has been extended for at least the next threeweeks, I would ask all parents/carers con�nue toensure that their children adhere to theexpecta�ons set out by the government and
remain at home at all �mes, except for theirdaily period of exercise.
There con�nues to be great uncertainty aroundwhen things will get back to normal andstudents will be able to return to school. We donow know a li�le about how Ofqual plan to dealwith the alloca�on of GCSE and A-Level gradesand would ask for your forbearance on thisma�er, as teachers and departments collate allof the informa�on they need.
In the mean�me, teachers will recommence these�ng of work for all students fromMonday 20th
April and students will need to quickly get backinto the habit of checking ShowMyHomeworkregularly and working their way through the settasks. Parents are asked to discuss the work withtheir child at the end of each day, to supportthem and help us to monitor their progress.
I know that many in our school community willhave faced their own personal challenges overthe last month, whether that be the loss of lovedones, increasing financial hardship or thosestruggling to cope with the isola�on andloneliness. In these circumstances, it is essen�althat we all do our best to support each otherand take a moment to show kindness and offersympathy to those we know to be suffering; andnot do or say anything that may make their liveseven more difficult.
It is my great hope that our staff, students andtheir families remain healthy and strong, and Ilook forward to seeing you all before too long.
Warmest regards,
Mr Reeve.Headteacher.
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Oxford Schools’ Deba�ngWe took four teams to Bedford School for theregional round of the Oxford Schools' Deba�ngon February 12th.
Pride of place must go to Nabil Shah & WillWorthy (Year 11), who qualified for Finals Day atthe Oxford Union, along with a team each fromthe Perse, Oundle, Bedford & CATS(interna�onal school in Cambridge). MrPa�erson can only remember one other TBSHSteam reaching this stage of the Oxfordcompe��on in all his �me at the school (34years) and that was Charles Lockie & TieganMeadows when they were in Year 12.
James Gor & Xander West (Year 13) could nothave been far off qualifica�on either - likewiseYear 11’s Elliot Wood & Ben Hepworth; the la�ermaking his inter-school debut. Also appearing intheir first compe��on were Alex Banhidai &
Henry Davis (Year 9) who both grew inconfidence as the event went on and, by theend, were giving other schools' Sixth Formerssomething to think about.
Rodney Stock (former Chair of Governors) cameand supported our students and he was veryimpressed with the standard of deba�ng, less sowith the quality of the singing in the minibus!I will be pu�ng together a press release for localpapers as soon as I can - the next compe��on isthe Eastern Region Final of the ESU Mace, areally pres�gious compe��on that has beengoing for over 60 years, for which we arepreparing thoroughly.
Watch this space!
Mr A D Fraser.
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Business and Economics trip - New YorkNew York Trip 14th – 19th Feb 2020
33 A level Business, Economics and Poli�csstudents departed school for the longan�cipated trip to New York. Our flight wasdelayed but we finally arrived at our home forthe next four nights. We were all up, bright andearly, to sample the delights of breakfast at thehotel; fresh waffles were extremely popular!
The first real introduc�on to New York wasnaviga�ng the subway system to get to theFinancial District for a walking tour on a verycold Saturday. With our guides, we covered TheWall Street Bull and The New York StockExchange, where The Fearless Girl Statue islocated.
This statue was commissioned in 2017 to drawawareness of Interna�onal Women’s Day. Wethen proceeded to Trinity Church, though notthe original building, but it is the oldest church inNew York, originally built in the 17th Century.
Much to Mrs Parr’s and Mr Emery’s excitement,and for anyone who likes the Hamilton musical,in the grounds are buried both AlexanderHamilton and Hercules Mulligan. We were alsotaken through the Wes�ield Trade Centre Mall,which was designed to look like a bird. A�er ashort rest and some sustenance, we had a trip tothe Top of the Rock, where we enjoyed amazingviews across Manha�an from Central Park to theStatue of Liberty.
Sunday started in sombre mood at the 9/11Museum and Memorial. The 9/11Museumservesas the USA’s principal institution for examining theevents of September 11, 2001, documenting thecontinuing significance of these attacks. A definitetime for reflection and gratitude. We spent theafternoon and early evening watching the New YorkRangers take on the Boston Bruins at MadisonSquareGardens.
Mondaywasanotherearly startaswewereoff to theLiberty and Ellis Islands. The view as we leftManhattan was of the Statue of Liberty loomingahead on the horizon. After disembarking, we hadtime for a photo opportunity in front of MadamLiberty and take in the view back towards theManhattan skyline, and then we went on to EllisIsland. The museum tells the moving tales of the12 million immigrants who entered Americathrough the golden door of Ellis Island.
Tuesday was our last day in the city. We checkedout of the hotel before visi�ng the New YorkSupreme Court. On arrival, imagine the surpriseto see there were many photographers andreporters about; they were awai�ng the jury’sdecision on the Harvey Weinstein trial. Soon wewere whisked up to the 13th floor to find out howthe US criminal system works. This was a greatinterac�ve part where Judge Richardsonpresided over the court.
We had just enough �me before our final visit tothe UN to marvel at the magnificent GrandCentral Sta�on. Having previously visited, Iintroduced the students to the whispering
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arches. By standing in one corner facing thewall, you can speak to and hear from someonein the diagonal arch. A�er lunch, we made ourway to the UN and enjoyed informa�ve toursabout the history and current role of the UnitedNa�ons. Inside the building, we saw artefactsincluding a statue from Nagasaki of St. Agnes,found in the ruins of the Roman CatholicCathedral. We were also lucky to visit theGeneral Assembly.
Finally, it was �me to say goodbye to New York.Unfortunately, one of the students had becomeill so Mr Hood stayed behind with them whilstthe rest of us made our way to JFK. A�er ge�ngthrough security and boarding the plane, wediscovered that the ovens were not working, sothere was only chilled food during the return.
I would like to thankMiss Dewald andMr Emeryfor giving up their �me to accompany thestudents. I would like to thank especially MrHood for his unexpected prolonged stay to looka�er the ill student.
Mrs Parr.
Business and Economics trip - New York
Year 8 ski trip - Wagrain, Austria
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Year 8 ski trip to Wagrain, Austria53 students and 7 staff arrived in the resort ofWagrain, in the Austrian Alps, on Saturday 15th
February. The first and most important job wasto try on our skis, boots and helmets so wewould be ready for the first of six days of skiingon Sunday. A�er that, we explored the excellentfacili�es at Jugendhotel Oberwimm.
The first day of skiing is always a challenge as thecomplete beginners have to get used to thesnowplough posi�on and those who have skiedbefore line up nervously for the ski ability test.This year, we were able to have three beginnergroups, two intermediate groups and one moreadvanced group. Our hotel was very close toWagrain’s Flying Mozart li�, which enabled us toenjoy doorstep skiing on some days. On otherdays, we were able to use the very handy ski busto take us to the slopes on the other side of theWagrain valley.
The weather was warm at the start of the weekand got colder as it progressed. We enjoyed asignificant amount of overnight snow towardsthe end of the week, which allowed some off-piste skiing on the last two days.
On one evening, we enjoyed the thrills of theLucky Flitzer alpine toboggan. Unfortunately itwas too warm for us to go curling; however, all
students had the opportunity to play a range ofball games in the large sports hall. It con�nues toamaze me how much energy the boys have,even a�er five hours of skiing during the day!
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing 28 students learn anew skill and the rest of the students improvetheir skiing due to good teaching and a posi�vea�tude. Thank you to Mr Hobbs, Mr Kelsall, MrNewsome, Mr Reeve, Mr Reynolds and MrsGriffiths for being great company and helpingthe students to have a really enjoyable week.
In 2021, I will be leading the current Year 7 skitrip to Eben, Austria, whilst Mr Wheatley willlead a group of older students on a trip toSaalbach, Austria. Both trips are full, but if yourson or daughter is keen to come along it isalways worth declaring an interest via MrsKitching, the trips and visits coordinator,[email protected]. Mr Wheatley and Iwill be adver�sing the 2022 trips in September.The trips will be for a) students in Year 7, and b)students in Year 8 - 12, in the academic year of2020-21.
Mr Griffiths.
A�er a long and busy term, everyone wasexcited to go skiing. A�er loading the coach, weheaded for Austria with a day’s journey ahead ofus. On arrival, the daily rou�ne was the same; anearly call from the staff with loud music, kitchecks, collec�on of skis and then onto theslopes. The first day skiing was a real learningcurve, with the beginners ge�ng their first feelof the snow and the more experiencedrefreshing their memories. Some of thebeginners were off the nursery slopes in no �meat all and soon up on the mountains! Everybodywas itching to get back to the slopes the next daybut first we were off curling during the evening.
We were being pushed to improve. A�er ouraprès-ski drinks whilst exchanging stories from
the days skiing, we went off tobogganing.Luckily, Mr Alexander was on hand to translatethe safety briefing which was listened to by all,(well mostly all) as we only lost three sledges onthe way down and all survived. However, MrWheatley remarked; “it was fun, but we are notdoing it again!” The next day was great. By theend of it, everybody was once again thrilled aswe went back to the hotel to share stories andwatch the football. Most of the staff werepuzzled as to why the boys were chan�ng somuch.
We visited Alpendorf for the next two days. Thecondi�ons on the slopes were brilliant. However,the experts along with some keen members ofstaff went across the valley to Wagrain on the G-
link cable car. A�er some great skiing almosteveryone fell asleep on the coach on the wayback to the hotel. Everyone had massivelyimproved with some becoming confidentenough to join the top group for a last ski.Eventually however we dropped our kit off andheaded back to the hotel for a quick turnaroundbefore our dreadful return. All was going wellun�l we got to Calais. Due to a force 10 wind andsevere sea state, we were stuck for roughly 6hours. When we finally got aboard, a tug pulledus out to the rough seas. Consequently, we sat ina lovely smelling bus on our return to TBSHS!
Despite 18 students and 4 staff coming downwith a sickness bug a�er the trip, it was one toremember. A massive thank you to Mr Hale, MrStark, Mr Alexander, Mr Conquest, Mr Fellowes-Prynne and Mr Pike for taking us on the trip. Aspecial thank you to Mr Wheatley for making allof this possible and for organising what was, ineffect, a fantas�c trip.
Will Hale. Year 9.
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Year 9 trip to Gastein, Austria
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Year 9 trip to Gastein, Austria
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On Shrove Tuesday, the school charity group,Interact, raised £362.21 for Saint Michael’sChurch. A commi�ed team, wearing protec�vegloves, made up from students of various years,cooked and served pancakes inside anddistributed toppings outside over two days.Saint Michael’s Church were very grateful forthis dona�on.
Interact also led the school response toInterna�onal Women’s Day as students weregiven an opportunity to wear one piece ofclothing in a different colour on Monday 9th
March, the day a�er Interna�onal Women’s Day.Assemblies, led by students, raised furtherawareness and empowerment.
The Interact Team are now encouraging studentsto send their ideas for Showcase and charityevents next academic year.
Thank you to Dan Palmer, Ollie Jones, ArchieSummerfield, SamWilliams, Kieran Carter, RudyKnight, Patrick Nunn, Chris Goodeve, J.J Sathan,Luke Rosier, Isaac Reeve, Joe Newman, MeganHolland, Sophie Olejnik,
Abbie Hurley, Jen Beale, Evie Gilbey, BlissAshley, Marlee Elven, Amy Raymond, ElliotLavergne, Eric Queeney, Alex Johnston-Smith,Dan Jordan, Brody Knight and Taylor Andersonfor all their wonderful support of Interact thishalf term. It is very much appreciated.
The thoughts and prayers of all in Interact arewith all those suffering and caring in the verychallenging current situa�on. We are reflec�ngon ways we can all safely and “virtually” help. Ifany parent has any sugges�ons for this, please e-mail [email protected]
Interact is thinking about, and wishing everygood wish for, everyone in our schoolcommunity, and beyond, this Easter and in themonths to come. We con�nue to remember thelife and legacy ofMrs. Fletcher. The tributes pageon the school webpage represents everythingwe all aspire to be.
Mr Etheridge.
Interact
The 41st Finalé Concert proved to be assuccessful as TBSHS always expects it to be; withfantas�c performances from all involved using awide range of instruments. In addi�on, theschool hall was packed with enthusias�cstudents and parents: all prepared for what wasindeed a treat for the ears. This year, theadjudicator for the Finale Concert wasLieutenant Colonel David Barringer, MBE, thePrincipal Director of Music for the Bri�sh Army;and it transpires he very much enjoyed theevening. He could not a�end the beginner andintermediate finals however and in his place hesent one of his colleagues, Captain Laura Steadand she was hugely impressed with what shesaw.
He started by congratula�ng Luis Obeng forplaying his own composi�on. He then applaudedhis technical proficiency and remarked on howimportant it was to ensure that all ‘technicalsound issues are treble checked beforehand,’
because these issues did hinder the overallperformance.
He then focused on Freya Demmon’s singing,saying she started in a slightly ‘nervy manner,’but once she se�led; ‘wow, a great effort, full ofemo�on and a real performance.’
He told the audience that he was ‘about to giveOwen Lee a job’ as he listened to hisperformance, un�l Owen ‘put his hand in hispocket.’ The audience responded warmly to this;the point being, as we were reminded, that‘stage presence’ is something all performersneed to consider, and that ‘audiences listen withtheir eyes!’ He con�nued to congratulate Owenon his great technical playing.
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Finalé Concert
‘You have fantas�c hair’ is what he said to JackA�wool as he talked about his performance onclassical guitar.
He applauded his ability to rise to the occasionfrom what was a shaky start and congratulatedJack, telling him to ‘strut his stuff’ when on stagein future.
He then commented on Joe Lee’s performanceon the cello. He reminded him to spend �me atthe beginning to fully prepare for theperformance. He applauded his ‘great sense ofstyle;’ Joe ‘grew in confidence’ with ‘greattechnique’ and ‘a stylish finish’ at the end.
The next finalist we heard about was JonnyBrewer. He applauded his start, ‘you drew me infrom the beginning’ and ‘you were all over thepiece.’ He suggested that Jonny blend in ‘somelight and shade’ into future performances. Hisfinal comment alluded to Jonny’s ’absolutelyfantas�c technique.’
The Colonel then assessed Owen’s piano piece,remarking on how similar he looked to thecornet player from earlier! He applauded theperformance from start to finish; it was hugelyenjoyable ‘from the off.’
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Finalé Concert
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Finalé Concert
Finally, the audience were reminded thatFinn Lihoreau’s performance on thesaxophone was ‘a great sound.’ He then saidhe’d wri�en; ‘amazing technique’ and wenton to advise Finn to maintain the ‘airsupport’ throughout.
At this point the prizes were awarded, withJonny in 3rd, Finn in 2nd and Owen namedMusician of the Year. The Colonel made apoint that indeed the winner could havebeen ‘any of these three, such is theirmusicianship.’ All three boys stood on thestage for what was a fantas�c recep�onfrom a packed hall. It is at this point we mustremember the scores of students involvedthroughout the weeks leading up to thisconcert, and of course acknowledge themassive amount of work put in by MrNewsome and Mr Emery, with technicalsupport on the evening from Mr Turone.
The Music Fes�val is a TBSHS highlight everyyear, and the performances from all involvedin 2020 once again flagged up the excellencewe see on a daily basis in school: so welldone to all.
Mr Pearson-Phillips.
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On Friday the 13th March, the school hall waspacked to the brim with compe��ve quizzers.This year we were delighted to welcome 24teams to the seventh annual Black and Gold Quiznight hosted by the PTFA. Everyone was in goodspirits, and unbeknownst to all at the �me, thiswas probably one of the last group socialgatherings for a while, which made it all themore special. A�er a �ghtly fought contest,'TheUndecided' won for the second year running,just one point ahead of the English teacherteam.
The profit from the night has not been verifiedyet, but it will be in the region of £2,500! Amassive contribu�on to PTFA funds, which willbe used to help benefit the students at theschool.
I am truly grateful to all who a�ended the eventand made the evening such fun, and to all thePTFA members for their help and hard work.See you next year!
Debbie Landers,Quiz master.
Black and Gold Quiz
