Lent Term 2010

Week 6

Matron's Boarder of the Week:

House Parents' Star of the Week:

Firstly, many apologies for the delay in updates to the blog. Due to a couple of computer glitches I was without the necessary software for a while, but we are now back up and running!

Sunday night saw many of our boarders returning to school after various exciting trips around the globe, or precious time spent with family and friends.  Most of the Year 8s didn't have the most lively of half terms due to preparing for their CE trials this week, but hopefully their extra preparation paid off.  With the Year 8s in 8EW sitting important exams this week, the whole House needed to be on their best behaviour.  The Year 8 boarders were encouraged to participate in some of the activity session each evening, but return to the House at the earlier time of 7.30pm to get in some extra study before getting a good night's sleep.

For a change, Mr Edwards was in charge on Monday, but Manhunt fans were not disappointed and soon they were running around the building and hiding in bushes - just like a normal Thursday!  Mrs Stevens had a small group in the Old Library making pompoms and Imogen seemed to have great fun in pulling as much wool from the basket as she could!  Pleasingly the Year 8s started the week well, and were soon all at their desks and completed 1 hour of solid study in preparation for Tuesday's exams.

On Tuesday there was wide range of activities for the children.  Mr Ross organised a handball game in the Sports Hall (with slightly amended rules to not hit all the staging constructed for 13 rehearsals!), Mr Gillam opened up the art room and Miss Fergusson was in the ICT room.  On nights like this, there is always something for everyone and it also gives the boarders an opportunity to catch up with any extra work requiring the computers or to send e-mails to friends and family.

On Wednesday, it was Year 5 parents' evening so we had quite a full house for film night.  In Search of the Castaways was being shown upstairs for the juniors and She's All That was shown in the Old Library for the seniors.  A few children missed out on tuck tonight due to losing a few too many pluses for talking after lights out (remember - stopping other people from getting to sleep is always taken seriously) but it was still pleasing to see that well over 90% of the House were tucking into their sweets or crisps.

On Thursday, the boarders were required to work together as a team as Miss Palmer put together a treasure hunt/quiz.  This required the boarders to work as a team and visit various places on the school site to find the answers to the questions.  The 6th formers from Wellington were also here to help and read stories to our youngest boarders before heading back to their Houses to complete their own prep!

Friday was a busy evening with 13 boarders at the IAPS swimming gala and the Greenish competition in the Arts Hall. Several boarders wanted to support their friends who were performing in the Greenish competition and Mr Barron took them to watch.  Mr Guest and Mrs Brice took the remaining boarders to the pool for a free swim and a game of water polo.  A very relaxing and refreshing way to end a tough week of school.

Once Saturday school had ended and everyone had left after senior section netball and rugby 7s we were left with just 2!  With only Sasha and Isabelle boarding this weekend we decided to make it a family affair... After supper, the girls gave Imogen her bath and chose her pyjamas. Mr Brice took the girls to the shops to hire a DVD (not sure he was too impressed by their choice!) and then we made popcorn before settling down to be entertained by Lindsay Lohan and friends.

On Sunday, Mrs Phillips enjoyed a lovely 'Girls Day Out' with a great mixture of shopping, cinema and pizza...  More details to follow....

Week 5

No awards this week due to half term trip to Coral Reef

Week 4

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Mika

House Parents' Star of the Week: Frank

This week is 'Make-a-Difference' Week in school with the theme 'It's News to Me'.  Throughout the week, the children will be given opportunities to improve their knowledge of and discuss current affairs.  We will be participating in this event in the Boarding House by postponing supper by 15mins to enable all the boarders to watch the 6 o'clock news every night.  There will also be a range of newspaper articles displayed around the House and a news quiz for the children to enter.  I hope that by the end of the week the children all have a greater understanding of the world in which they live and the events that are happening locally and worldwide.

Sunday saw us all venturing out to Regent's Park and London Zoo.  Now, one must realise that many of the animals in the zoo are used to warm and tropical climates.  A grey February day was not perhaps going to be the best day to visit but we had a great time and saw a huge variety of creatures, great and small.  London Zoo is taking its role as conservationist seriously and there are many breeding programmes to help endangered species.  We had fun watching the penguins get fed, watching the lamas spitting, searching for the reluctant (and probably very cold!) monkeys, admiring the giraffes, wondering at the marvels of the tropical fish, glad that the snakes were behind the glass, laughing at the very human-like gorillas, getting steamed up in the butterfly house, standing as the tropical birds flew free amongst us, oinking with the New Zealand pigs and trying to guess what a komodo dragon bite was like!

Here are some pictures

Week 3

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Hamid

House Parents' Star of the Week: Ben C

This week we welcome more staff into the House to enable us to offer even more activity choices on some evenings.  Mr Ross will be joining us for the activity session on a Tuesday and Mr Barron will be running an additional activity session on a Friday.  With over 50 boarders on some evenings, this will hopefully not only add to the range of activities that we can offer, but also ensure that any one activity isn't too crowded.

On Monday Mrs Palmer decided to open up the Wotten building to provide the children with a different range of activities.  The ICT room was open for those who wanted to work on their newspaper articles for make a difference week (have a look in the Old Library for the children's fantastic work) and then she ran a dance session in the Arts Hall for those feeling more energetic.  I heard at House Meeting that Netra has some fantastic moves so I'm hoping to see those on the dancefloor at our next boarders' disco! Mrs Brice stayed in the House with sewing and Hama beads, and with the TV on in the Common Room there was a place to relax and chill out for those feeling either creative or in need of some quieter time and a chat.

With our new improved line-up for Tuesday night,  Mr Ross organised a handball competition in the Sports Hall and Mr Gillam opened the art room in the Malan building.  Miss Bailey took some board games to the Old Library so once again there was hopefully something for everyone.  The evenings really are organised for the children's benefit and new activity suggestions and ideas are gratefully received!

On Wednesday night there were a few weary faces and with exeat on the horizon, everyone is in need of a break and a full weekend at home.  With the Chipmunk's film and the Spiderwick Cronicles on offer, everyone was free to choose from either film.  It was pretty much a 50-50 split and everyone was quick to bed and all lights were out by 9pm and the House quiet.

We welcomed our helpers from Wellington on Thursday and they continued with the Hama bead and sewing creations that were started on Monday.  Mr Edwards and Mr Udy ran around in the dark with the remainder of the boarders having their usual fun as they hide in bushes and chase each other around the grounds, all in the name of 'Manhunt'!

Have a wonderful exeat and we look forward to seeing you rested and back in the House on Sunday from 7pm

Week 2

With the snow melting fast it was great to get 'back to normal' both at school and in the Boarding House.  With the children back out on the games' fields in the afternoon, we could go back to our normal activity/prep/bedtime routines in the evenings.  On Monday night, Miss Palmer and Mr Udy took the boarders to the pool for a free swim for everyone.  The majority took up this activity, although Mrs Stevens offered a card making activity for those who prefered to stay dry!

As usual on Tuesday, Mr Gillam took the boarders to the Sports Hall for rather exciting games of dodgeball and by the looks on the sweaty faces at House Meeting, they had great fun and burned off a lot of energy, ready for good night's sleep.

Before Wednesday's films, the House got together for an opportunity to discuss ideas in preparation for next Monday's school council meeting.  Our reps, Anna and Liam, listened to a range of ideas (ice cream machines to formal dinners!) and then choose the 4 most popular suggestions to take to the meeting.  The minutes of the meeting will be displayed in the House as well as children's form rooms for them to know what is happening.

This weekend, Mr Barron and Miss Whalley were in charge and thanks to Alex's birthday part on Saturday night, they had the great challenge of 3 boarders to look after in the evening!  I think they had a lovely time, making popcorn and watching TV and DVDs and it was certainly a very relaxed evening.  During the day, Mr Taylor looked after the boarders and they helped to feed all the creatures in the science lab.  I think Isabelle has made a friend for life in George the dragon - not a replacement for her snakes at home, but someone she certainly enjoys looking after. Mr Taylor then set up the archery targets and they all had the chance to develop their skills for the remainder of the afternoon.

On Sunday, Mr Whalley took the boarders to Blackbush in the morning and then to the cinema in the afternoon.  They watched the 2nd Chipmunks film and had a great time - thank you Mr Whalley.

Week 1

Happy New Year!

This term we welcome Miss Tilda Ferguson and Mr Chris Udy into the Boarding House.  They are will us for a full calendar year whilst they are on a GAP year from Australia.  We also welcome Isabelle and Lucky into Coraline dorm and Ben into Larklight - we all hope you have a fantastic time here!

After the Christmas holidays, many of us were looking forward to the new term and getting back into the normal day to day routine - well that was until the snow arrived!  The vast majority of the House managed to return on Sunday evening, complete with snow suits and walking boots to ensure they were prepared for whatever was in store for us during the week ahead!  Snow certainly was a major feature for the first half of this week, but the novelty did wear off and many of us were glad to see the green grass again and hopefully an opportunity to get out on the games' fields.

With extended prep sessions for all pupils at the end of the day this week, our normal routine in the evenings was slightly altered.  This meant that there were a few longer activity sessions and hopefully something for everyone to enjoy.  This week the children had the following activities available to them: dodgeball, origami, music quiz, board games, DVDs, ICT, swimming and water polo. 

This weekend, with only 6 children in school, it was certainly going to be a fairly relaxed affair.  On Saturday night we went to the cinema to watch 'Did you hear about the Morgans?' and had a great time.  Mr Gillam was in charge on Sunday and took everyone to London to Madame Tussauds.  With it being Miss Ferguson's first visit to the Big City, I'm pretty sure that she was even more excited about the trip than they were!! Here are some photographs showing their encounters with the celebs:

Michaelmas Term 2009

Congratulations!

Top 10 Boarding plus earners:

1. Harry Waters

2. Anna Morgan

3. Amaya Enriquez

4. Richard Morgan

5. Jennifer Edwards

6. Alex O'Donnell

7. Kai O'Callaghan

8. Callum McCarthy

9. Charlie Nason

10. Alex Wilkinson

House Prefects:

1. Richard Morgan

2. Alex O'Donnell

3. Eliza Hamilton Fairley

4. Alex Wilkinson

Week 13

Our final week of the term is finally here and what a week!  On Monday with our costumes virtually packed we suddenly realised that Coral Reef is in fact severely lacking water and closed for a month for a refurb - oops!  Our trip last half term was so successful that this was certainly a huge disappointment.  Despite searching for alternatives, ice rinks, swimming pools, lazer quest, bowling alleys - no one could take over 50 people.  Nevertheless, nothing can keep our boarders down and a huge game of Hide and Seek in the House was organised. This proved to be great fun for all and there were some weird and wonderful hiding places found by many.  Despite their obvious disappointment, not a single boarder complained or moaned and everyone entered into the spirit of our evening in.  This in itself shows the calibre of the children we have in the House and how well they have bonded as a community over the past term.

Tuesday night was feast night and boy what an evening.  72 children and 17 staff attended for this mighty fine evening of fun and laughter. Many children really went to town and took the time to bring in special outfits for the evening and everyone looked amazing.  We started the evening with drinks and nibbles in the Old Library, followed by a wonderful sit down meal in the dining hall.  Several of the Year 8 children performed speeches of thanks to staff before we returned to the Old Library to dance the night away for the rest of the evening.  The flexi boarders left at 9pm, leaving the full and weekly boarders to a few more songs before bed.  There were 46 very happy, although sweaty and tired faces as we turned out the lights.  A wonderful evening - thank you to all!

On Wednesday night we began the challenge of packing.  Well they say it has to get worse before it gets better and that was certainly true for the 46 children in the House.  With clothes, kit and paperchains strewn everywhere, it was a wonder that anything was going to fit in the seemingly tiny cases that lined the corridor.  Well progress was made and some got to watch at least part of the Royal Variety Show, although due to partying hard last night, it was bedtime before we got to see Diversity.  Were they good?

Our last night of the term was a festive treat.  With all belongings packed and every downstairs corridor lined with cases, trunks and bags, new uniform laid out ready for chapel in the morning; the children snuggled into their PJs for a few Christmas movie treats.  The Shrek and Madagascar Christmas specials seemed a perfect way to start the evening and get us all in the mood.  Once they were over, we had hot chocolate and marshmallows with doughnuts (for that extra sugar kick) before a good sing song around the tree.  Many thanks to Mr and Mrs Barnard, Miss Palmer, Mr Edwards, Mr Skepper, Mrs Simmons and Mrs Perry who all joined us for the evening.   Everyone was in fine voice and we sang for almost an hour - including both traditional carols as well as Christmas songs. Also a huge thank you to Mr Cadden for playing the piano.

After the carols, the children each opened an array of pressies for the House for the coming term. Wii controllers, Wii games, board games, fairy lights, face packs, nail files, quiz games, table football, cards... 46 different activities and toys so hopefully there is something for everyone to look forward to playing with on their return to the House in the New Year.

Well what a term it has been.  14 weeks is a long time, yet the children have all achieved so much.  As the Boarding House is such a dynamic, and at times chaotic, place to be, it is very hard to pick a single event as a highlight of the term.  Our whole House trip to Coral Reef with 50 children and 9 staff is definitely up there.   Also our Haloween Party in the Tudor House was spooky but great fun and it was a very fitting way to welcome 5 girls from Wellington College who now visit on a weekly basis to run activities and read bedtime stories to our youngest boarders.

Despite all the organised activities and our fabulous Boarding Team, it is the children themselves that make the House the place that it is.  They really are a tight-knit community and learning to be so independent and self-sufficient at such a young age is never to be underestimated.  We are lucky to live with 46 tremendous individuals who at times make us laugh, occasionally make us cross, but most importantly they ensure that there is never a dull moment!

I wish you all a restful holiday and a happy Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all back in the House on Sunday 10th January 7pm - 8pm.

Week 12

Christmas is officially here so the week started with our annual dorm decorating competition.  The children were given a variety of pieces of coloured paper, stars, glitter, glue and scissors and it was up to them to get creative, work as a team and impress us!  And that they certainly did.  Hoot were the undisputed winners with an amazing array of both homemade decorations and additional ones brought in from home.

On Tuesday, with many of the staff rehearsing for the staff panto, Mrs Berryman and Mrs Phillips very kindly stepped in to help in the Boarding House.  We had our film night a night early and the children watched either Transformers 2 or Peter Pan and certainly enjoyed them both.  Mrs Phillips and Mrs Berryman both commented on how well behaved and how well mannered the children were, which just proves what a fantastic group of individuals we have in the House.  Thank you!

Wednesday was a 'normal' boarding night, something which is often rare in the lead up to the end of term!  Mr Barron and Mr O'Connor organised a game of Manhunt outside for half the evening before the children returned to finish the film from Tuesday. It proved to be an excellent combination of activities which were very much appreciated by all.

On Thursday, all the boarding staff were busy in the Sports Hall for the dress rehearsal of the staff panto and this time Mr Boyle and Mrs Nolan kindly stepped forward to run activities for the boarders.  A huge thank you must go to these staff as we couldn't have run the boarding house without them. 

All the boarders in on Friday were taken to see the staff panto - no option there!  Well I certainly hope that they enjoyed it, from the shrieks in the audience, it certainly sounded as though they did.  With their boarding staff dressed in all manner of costumes, from a panto horse, to rather feminine cowboys it is a wonder any of us are sane!

Well its the end of another manic week and what a better way to end it, than the X-factor final.  20 of us were glued to the screen in the Old Library.  Approximately 50% of us wanting Joe to win and the other half rooting for Ollie.  Well at least some of us were pleased!  Roll on the last week of term....

Week 11

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Anna

House Parents' Star of the Week: Oscar

It was certainly a welcome relief to get back to 'normal' this week.  With assessments over and 2 weeks until the Christmas festivities begin it was business as usual in the Boarding House.  On Monday, with Miss Palmer busy at Wellington, Miss Bailey took charge for a relaxing evening in the House.  Several took the opportunity to get their dorm ship-shape for our visitors whilst others chilled out in front of the 'Simpsons' in the Old Library.  On Tuesday, Mr Gilliam ran a very exciting session of 'Pirates'.  With the Sports Hall and Assembly Halls soon to be out of action due to Pantos and Nativities, it was great to use the space whilst we still could.  Wednesday's film night was rather diverse with the choice of 'The Boy in Striped Pyjamas' or 'Finding Nemo' on offer.  The former was on a request from one of the boarders and it is always great to have their suggestions and ideas - we'd like them even more often please!  Whilst turning out lights on Wednesday night, several quite 'deep' and interesting conversations were had about the content of the film - one of the very rewarding aspects of the job!

On Thursday Mr Edwards led an exciting game of DK (!) around the school grounds.  Wet, muddy, but seemingly great fun at the same time! On Friday, with the Sports Hall being used for the Christmas Fayre and the Nativitiy set up in the Arts Hall, the boarders headed for the pool.  Water polo, diving competitions and what can best be described as 'synchronised dancing' on the side was going on!   Apparently a full play, consisting of 4 scenes, was put on by the Year 8s after the rest had left - I was very disappointed that I missed it!

Mr Barron and Miss Whalley were in charge for the weekend and had 7 companions on Saturday night - and what a time they had.  Lazer Quest AND Bowling.  They had a great time in Wokingham and Mr O'Connor can't stop talking about how he beat Mr Barron, and to think they only went out for the children's benefit....

On Sunday Mr Buchanan planned a lovely day for the 6 children still in school.  A walk around Dorney Lake in Eton before a trip to the cinema to see the fantastic 'Up!'.  The children had a lovely time, thank you!

Week 10

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Kai

House Parents' Star of the Week: Alex W

Assessment week is never going to be hugely wonderful for anyone, however the boarders did knuckle down and really accept the routines. Early nights and extra prep were the order of the day again this week, but with the end in sigh,t as well as an exeat, most were happy enough.

Despite a couple of exams left for Year 6, most boarders were finished by Thursday evening so bedtimes were relaxed and Mr Edwards was able to run an extra-long game of man-hunt, much to the delight of many! In order that those who prefer a more sedate evening didn't feel left out, Mrs Brice popped to the shops to by an array of pamper products for some post exam de-stressing.  With the help of the 3 Wellington girls who join us on a Thursday evening, there were facepacks being put on, nails being filed and buffed, hair straightened - you name it!  The whole House did also smell rather nice by the time they'd finished due to a rather strong 'Berry' Body cream!

Assessments over and an exeat with family and friends is just what everyone needed.  3 weeks until the Christmas Holidays and hopefully some fun times ahead.  See you all on Sunday between 7pm and 8pm or Monday morning.  Have a great weekend!

Week 9

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Amaya

House Parents' Star of the Week: Harry W

The boarders have really excelled themselves this week.  The lead up to exams and assessments is never going to be the most exciting time to be a boarder, however the children have settled into the temporary new routines well and hopefully feel very prepared for the coming week. 

All the children were encouraged to attend the activity sessions each evening as after a 9 and a half hour school day, everyone needs some down time! Swimming, Painting, Hama Beads, Dodgeball, Pirates and an outside Wide Game in the dark were all on offer at some point during the week to enable the children to burn off some energy and feel revitalised after a hard day at school.

To help prepare for assessments, the activity sessions finished for everyone at 7.30pm, which is the time when usually only the juniors return to the House.  After a short House Meeting, the boarders all had a snack of fruit and biscuits and a drink of milk before either heading off for some study or to have showers and get into bed.  In addition to their formal prep, every evening the senior boarders completed at least 45 mins of independent study and the middle boarders 20-30 mins.  All lights were turned out 15 minutes early all week and despite the initial protests at the start of the week, the children soon realised that it was all for their benefit and understood that the changes were only temporary!

Mr Barron and Miss Whalley were in charge for the weekend and had 9 children in school to keep them company.  After a very soggy section rubgy and hockey competition, they were all very happy to stay in on Saturday night with a film in the early evening and then good old X-Factor before bed.  The exertions outside in the fresh air in the afternoon meant that they were all very tired and there were no complaints when they headed to bed half and hour earlier than what is usual for a Saturday night.

On Sunday the Barnards took charge and all the boarders and the Barnard family jumped on the bus and headed to London for some great ice skating on one of the new winter outdoor ice rinks.  More photos and details to be added soon.

Week 8

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Arabella

House Parents' Star of the Week: Mika

This weekend Mr and Mrs Brice were in charge and when given the option of a trip out or the X-Factor on Satuday night, the X-Factor won hands down!  Mrs Phillips took Jennifer, Amaya and Sasha into Camberley on Saturday afternoon whilst the rest of the 'weekenders' were playing in matches and I think all the girls thoroughly enjoyed their retail therapy!

On Sunday we'd lost a few of our full boarders who went out to birthday parties or to visit family, so Mr Boyle had a select group of 5 to take to London for a brilliant, action packed day out - a perfect Sunday boarders' outing.

Callum, Jenny, Odise, Hamid and Saha were treated to a 3D underwater spectacular at the IMAX theatre near Waterloo.  They then took the river ferry along the Thames before disembarking at the Tower of London to visit HMS Belfast.  The children thoroughly enjoyed their day out, and such a small group meant that they were also able to stop for a Burger King lunch rather than consume their usual Sunday packed sandwiches!

Week 7

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Aman

House Parents' Star of the Week: Netra

Has it really only been 1 week since half term?!  The Boarding House certainly hit the ground running at the start of the second half of the Michaelmas Term and hopefully fun has been had by all.  Activities have been particularly exciting this week and hopefully enjoyed by all the children.  Winter illnesses have started to hit a few, but fingers crossed a healthy diet and plenty of rest will help us to keep some the nasty germs at bay.

On Monday we saw a revisit of the fantastic 'Robot Wars' with Miss Palmer.  This version, this time named 'Monster Wars', saw some very elaborate creatures being created before they descended into battle, fighting each other with water bombs.  I'm suspicious however that some people could see out of their blindfolds as there were certainly some very well aimed bombs into the crowd.... (mentioning no names!!).  A few opted for the more sedate option of sewing in the Common Room and enjoyed a more relaxed a calm evening.

On Tuesday Mr Gillam played an excellent game of non-stop cricket in the sports hall.  A different activity for this term which was very much appreciated by all the boarders.  Miss Bailey took a whole host of art and craft goodies into the Common Room and several stall holders at the Fireworks Bazaar made eye catching posters to advertise their stall.

Wednesday's film choices were the aptly chosen 'Skellig' and 'Coraline'.  To see why they were so perfect for our Boarding House then I suggest you click on the 'Our House' link button to the left of this page for a big clue.  With a slightly later supper due to a staff meeting, the children were a little later to bed than usual, however they did us proud and caused no fuss and got to sleep quickly.

Thursday night was a special treat for the Boarders as Mr Edwards planned an evening of Halowe'en fun and spookiness.  Mrs Huxtable went to town by theming the whole evening meal to being a Halowe'en feast to really get the boarders into the spirit of the evening.  With fruit punch to drink, monster munch crisps and a whole cauldron of popcorn there were many excited faces in the dining hall.  Add to that, she left goodie boxes in each dorm, containing blow-up eye balls (yuck!) a few sweets, rubber rats and other Halowe'en tricks and treats.  After supper, the boarders began the evening by apple bobbing in the sports hall - and what a competitive event this became.  Children were soon coming back into the house looking for a change of clothes as they'd submerged their whole torso (or so it seemed) to bite that elusive apple!  Nevertheless there were clearly some very skilled apple-bobbers with at least 3 boarders catching one in less than 2 seconds!  After apple bobbing, Mr Edwards led those who were feeling brave down to the Tudor House for a few spooky stories.  The little house in woods, lit only by candle light, is spooky enough in itself and that was before Mr Edwards began his tales!  The whole evening was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by the children.  With the whole House silent by 9.15pm they were certainly warn out by the excitement - early night tomorrow!

Mr Guest organised Pirates for Friday night and again this was very popular.  Miss Tisdall also showed her skills by organising balloon modelling in the Common Room.  Mice, dogs, hats - you name it, were all being produced from a simple balloon - very impressive!

Miss Bailey and Mr Guest were in charge of the boarders this weekend and with the Fireworks on Saturday night it was certainly a fantastic weekend to be in school.  14 boarders remained in school on Saturday night to enjoy the event and then settled down to a night of X-factor once the outside entertainment was over.  On Sunday, Mr Grafton planned an excellent day in Kent visiting a range of historic landmarks.  By listening to their comments at supper on Sunday evening, the children thoroughly enjoyed the day and showed great appreciation for the activities that were planned.

Photos will be added soon

As we move towards assessment week, getting to sleep on time and making the most out of prep sessions will be high on the agenda.  All Boarders will still be encouraged to join in with activity sessions as relaxation is just as important as study, nevertheless work hard and play hard will certainly be the order of the day for the next few weeks.

Week 6

No awards this week due to trip

Half term is in sight and everyone deserves a treat!  Being part of a large Boarding Family means that you always have someone to play with after school, you are never bored, you have plenty of people to talk to, great activities are organised for you every evening etc. etc. but it also means that you have to be a lot more organised, a lot more independent as well as learn a whole new set of rules and routines.  Over the past 6 weeks our Boarders, new and old, have achieved this and as a result certainly deserved a House treat to Coral Reef.

Finishing school at 5.30pm (yes, we did catch up on our prep on Tuesday!) we had an early supper before hopping into the minibuses and we were soon on our way to the pools.  What made this trip particularly special was that is was truely a WHOLE House activity.  There are a lot of people who work in the House, but rarely all at the same time, and I was delighted when all the House Staff agreed to participate and enjoy the evening too.  When we arrived there were approximately 5 people in the pool and I can imagine their 'delight' when they saw 46 children and 9 staff about to get in!!  So all evening, we pretty much had the place to ourselves which meant the children could go on the slides as many times as they liked or relax in the jacuzzi or choose to spray teachers with water cannons!  The slides in the dark were a particular favourite, with many racing straight back to the top of the tower as soon as one run was completed.

It was wonderful to see all the Boarders mixing together from different dorms and different year groups - they certainly proved themselves to be a 'Boarding Family' and a fabulous bunch of young people to spend the evening with.

The rest of week followed the usual pattern.  Several Boarders performed in the Autumn Concert on Tuesday and a very quiet evening was had by all as children caught up on work and relaxed after Monday's evening out. 

On Wednesday night it was our first night where EVERYONE had kept all their 6 pluses and earned tuck.  A fitting way to end the half term and proved that it can be done.  Positive thinking was the order of the day, and the film 'Yes Man' hopefully left a few people thinking about taking a positive approach to life.

The last Thursday night before the clocks change and Mr Edwards was determined to fit in one last 'Manhunt' whilst the weather was in our favour.  Again very popular and great fun had by all.

Have a wonderful half term everyone - recharge those batteries and we look forward to seeing you back in the House on Sunday 1st November at 7pm - 8pm.

Week 5

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Richard

House Parents' Star of the Week: Alex O

This week was Make-A-Difference week in school with lots of fantastic reading activities taking place.  In the Boarding House, we felt that with a great deal of reading going on during the day it would be lovely for all the children to be read to at night.  Every night each dorm has had a member of staff reading to them for at least 30 minutes.  It has been lovely to wander around the house and see children tucked up in their beds and lying on the rugs listening to the various tales.  Ghost stories were certainly a popular choice by many of the staff and I do hope that now there aren't too many nightmares!  A huge thank you must go to Mrs Phillips, Mrs Norvill and Mrs Perry along with the usual boarding staff, who offered to come in and read to the children.  We certainly couldn't have done it without you!

Alongside the nightly reading sessions, the children have been swimming, played Pirates and Manhunt and even been treated to an evening of poetry!  Many of our Boarders performed in Friday night's Words In Motion Poetry Spectacular and what a performance they gave!  Congratulations to Richard, Nat, Thor, Alex, Sophie, Jemima, Arabella and Jennifer - you were all fab.  The hours lying in bed trying to learn the words certainly paid off and the boarders who chose to go and watch the show, thoroughly enjoyed it.

With 3 fire alarms in 24 hours (including one at 5am!) there are a few bleary-eyed children wandering the corridors.  However a relaxing weekend with no matches on the calendar, will hopefully allow everyone to recharge their batteries for the final week before the half term break.  Don't forget your swimming costumes and towels on Monday - we're all off to Coral Reef!  Early supper at 5.30pm so a treat for everyone - you deserve it!

The weekend was a fairly quiet affair with many of our full boarders being invited out to stay with friends or parents visiting from overseas.  So with only 9 children we decided to head to the cinema on Saturday evening. With the title of the 2010 Eagle House play having just been announced, we thought we'd get the children into the mood by watching the new remake of the film 'Fame'.

Mrs Parry-Jones was in charge of Sunday's events and a fantastic day was in store watching birds of prey at the Hawk Conservancy in Andover.  This is a wonderful opportunity where the children can not only see these magnificent birds, but also hold and touch them as well as observe their natural behaviours in wonderful shows.  http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/index.shtml

However, in reality, nature was not on our side and it rained - all day!  The boarders still headed over to Andover only to find that very few events would be open and therefore they opted for plan B!  A trip to Baisingstoke.  Nevertheless, they had an enjoyable day and hopefully will be able to visit the Conservancy later in the year.  The X-Factor results show proved itself to be an excellent way to end the weekend as we all prepared for our final week of school before half term.

Week 4

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Megan

House Parents' Star of the Week: Octavia

The return to the Boarding House after exeat is certainly the mark of the end of the settling in period.  The children return to familiar surroundings, friendly faces and personal possessions and photographs making their areas colourful and bright.  Nevertheless, a weekend at home with the family can make starting school again rather daunting for full boarders.  That said, we have had an action-packed week of activities to ensure there has never been a dull moment!

Most boarders headed to the pool with Miss Palmer and Mr O'Connor on Monday whilst the remainder took the more sedate option of sewing in the Common Room.  Mrs Brice organised a bookmark/cross-stitch activity which proved rather popular, although I'm sure in some cases it seemed that more stitches were un-picked than were ever sewn!!

On Tuesday, Gilly decided to eek out the last of the British Summer and refused to give in to the ever darkening evenings.  Manhunt Gilly Style was the order of the day and once again was certainly popular.  Miss Bailey continued Monday's sewing activity in the Common Room and the results are looking good.

Two very contrasting films 'The Curious Curse of Benjamin Button' and 'Bolt' were on offer for Wednesday's privilege night.  Bolt was the most popular and therefore shown in the Common Room.  It was fantastic to see that the vast majority of the boarders had kept all their pluses this week and therefore earned their tuck too.

Thursday's Manhunt in the dusk was great fun and despite quiet activities being offered in the House, the lure was too great and everyone was outside chasing Mr O'Connor!

Mr Guest opened the ICT room for everyone on Friday and set up a superb game of Pirates in the Sports Hall.  The children had a fabulous time leaping, jumping and running to avoid capture and were very warn out by the time bedtime came around.  The Year 8s had been on their Geography fieldtrip all day and were so exhasuted, they certainly weren't arguing when it was time for lights out!

The weekend was run by Mr Barron and Miss Whalley and X-factor was the order of the day for Saturday night.  Following a quick game of Pirates after supper (Mr Guest - look what you've started!) they were soon all snuggled up under their duvets for the Saturday night X-factor marathon! 

Sunday started in the usual way with Eagle House's traditional Pyjama Breakfast - a relaxed atmosphere and a great fry-up!  Mrs Norvill was in charge of Sunday's entertainment and what a treat!  Mrs Norvill always organises wonderful weekends and this was no exception.  Not only did the boarders go bowling, but after lunch they headed to Aldershot to watch the Stock Car racing.  At the bowling alley, Odise won the Year 8 prize, Jennifer won the Year 7 prize and Elisa won the Year 6 prize.  Mr O'Connor however was very clear at supper though that he did win overall - despite not getting any prize!!!  The pictures below show what a great time they had (thanks Mr O'Connor for taking them) and the children were incredibly complementary about the time they had. 'It was amazing!' was one of the quotes I heard at supper.

With 7 boys and 6 girls staying in for the weekend, from Years 6-8, there was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere in the House.  Staff commented on how well the children interacted as a whole group, rather than splitting off to be with certain friends.  We are always striving to create a real family atmosphere in our Boarding House, and this weekend this was certainly very evident.

Thank you Mrs Norvill for a wonderful Sunday and in true style, you already have your summer spectacular planned!

Week 3

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Alejandro

House Parents' Star of the Week: Ollie

I can't belive how quickly the time has flown and we are already approaching our first exeat of the year.  The weary look on several faces shows that the break is needed for everyone, but at the same time no one must underestimate what has been achieved in just 3 weeks.  While our full boarders have the opportunity to catch up with family and friends this weekend, I hope they will look forward to their return to the House on Sunday/Monday for more fun and frolicks as we move towards half term.

Our Boarding Staff are so dedicated, that even whilst watching Saturday night TV they are thinking about our Boarders and great activity ideas!  On Monday, Miss Palmer ran our very own version of the popular gameshow 'THE CUBE' in the Sports Hall for those who were feeling competitive. I'm not sure that anyone won £250,000 but there were lots of happy faces as they took on some of the famous challenges from the show.

On Tuesday evening Mr Gillam opened the ICT room as usual so children were able to send e-mails home (please do nag them if you are not receiving any!) and also organised a fantastic, and highly competitive game of Dodgeball in the Sports Hall.  Several worn out boarders were seen lurking in the Old Library in much need of their M&B at House Meeting.

Wednesday night's film was enjoyed by all, and the vote for one film in the Old Library of 'Bend it Like Beckham' proved to be a popular choice.  A few were a bit quick to jump to conclusions about a 'football film' but all were plesantly surprised in the end.  Still a few people missed out on tuck this week, so keep trying to keep all those pluses by handing in your laundry and phones and getting to bed on time.

On Thursday we were 10 boarders down with the Year 7s in France.  With one year group out, it makes quite a difference to the dynamic in the House and it was certainly much quieter - you can draw your own conclusions as to why!  With Mr Edwards on duty, that meant only one thing - MANHUNT.  I need write no more - the boarders had a brilliant evening with everyone all participating in the activity.  With the whole house eerily quiet by 9.15pm everyone was clearly exhausted and needed their sleep!

Enjoy exeat - have a wonderful break and we look forward to seeing you all back either at 7pm on Sunday or on Monday morning.

Week 2

Matron's Boarder of the Week: Will J

House Parents' Star of the Week: Michael

It is amazing the difference a week makes.  This week the boarders are striding around as if they've lived here for years!  Laundry is being put in the correct baskets, everyone is at breakfast on time, the Common Room is full of chatter and laughter in the evening and generally there is a far more relaxed and homely feel about the place. I knew it wouldn't take long but I am very proud of how well the new (and more experienced) boarders have taken everything in their stride.

The House staff are currently on the look-out for House Prefects from Year 8.  Children who are proving themselves to be fanstastic role-models, thoughtful, helpful and kind to others may be selected to assist the staff in running the House.  House Prefects are a fantastic asset to the House as they provide the younger boarders with yet another option of somewhere to turn if they have a worry or a question.

After a busy Sunday with the boarders, Miss Palmer was back in the House on Monday to take then to the pool.  Swimming is always a popular activity and the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  In the House Mrs Stevens organised a card making activity and with the 'Beach Boys' blaring from her iPod in the Common Room I think there was some dancing going on at the same time!

On Tuesday there was another array of activities available to the boarders.  The ICT room was open for them to send a few e-mails home and Mr Gillam opened his art room to those who were feeling creative.  For those wanting to let of a bit of steam, Miss Tisdall set up a game of basketball in the sports hall and by the sounds of it, it was certainly rather competitive and exciting!

In preparation for Monday's school council meeting, all boarders were invited to put themselves forward to be the House's School Council rep.  Excellent speeches were delivered by several of our boarders and after a democratic vote Anna (yr 3) and Liam (yr 8) were selected to represent the House.  Well done to all of you who put yourselves forward - not many people will stand up and speak in front of 45 of their peers so you should feel proud of yourselves.

Wednesday's privilege night was enjoyed by all (although not everyone managed to earn their tuck as well this week....) and 2 films were on offer.  The juniors (and Mr Barron!) enjoyed the classic 'Short Circuit' in the Common Room whilst the seniors watched the more complex and recent '7 Pounds' in the Old Library.  After a tough afternoon on the Sports Field, there were many bleary eyes so we stopped the films and headed to bed and there really weren't many complaints!  We'll find a slot to finish them soon, I promise!

With the Year 8s out at the theatre in London, Thursday night was a a little quieter than normal.  With Mr Edwards leading the trip, there was no 'Manhunt' :-( however all the remaining boarders heading to the pool with our House Assistants and had great fun.  With the New Parents' drinks evening the Old Library we had our House Meeting upstairs and finished watching the junior film from Wednesday (which I think was secretly enjoyed by quite a few of the older members of the house too!)  By the time the end of the film had finished, the drinks evening was over and quiet and calm reigned over the house for another night.

Friday night outside games were led by Mr Guest, who once again was very impressed by the boarders' ability to organise themselves.  Everyone enjoyed the last remaining hours of daylight which is fantastic as soon we'll be restricted to many indoor activities as the nights start to draw in.

Miss Bailey and Mr Guest were on duty for the weekend and had 13 children to keep them company!  On Saturday night (after a quick game of football with Mr Barnard!) and good old Saturday night TV in the Old Library they all jumped into the minibus and headed to Camberley for a game of Bowling.  Tristan won the 'trophy' but by the sounds of things at breakfast on Sunday, everyone thorougly enjoyed themselves.

The Weekend Crew

TRIP TO MARWELL - Sunday

Following the wet activities of last weekend, a gentle walk in the park seemed to be sensible, and off the boarders headed down the M3 to Marwell Zoological park. A pleasant day was had strolling around the park, saying hello to old friends, seeing strange and weird creatures and that was just the boarders. Here are a few photographs of our group at play -which one is your offspring?

A big thank you to Mr Wright for organising such a fun day out for all our full boarders.  I particularly like the photo of the zebraffe (see above)!

Week 1

Once again the House is full with the sound of 45 boarders' chatter and laughter.  With 19 new faces there is lots to learn, but after only 24 hours I have definitely seen a great smile on the face of every boarder at some point!

Where to go for lessons, where to put laundry, what's for supper... all the day to day things that seem so strange a the moment will become second nature in a week or so and make so much more sense.  But for now the Boarders are getting to know one another and getting to know the House.

For our first Monday evening Miss Palmer ran a fantastic activity 'Robot Wars'.  The House was divided into 6 groups and they were given 10 minutes, and a selection of equipment to 'build' a robot.  The robots were then blindfold before having to launch water bombs at each other - clearly getting the crowd (and staff) more soaked than their opponent!

On Tuesday night, Mr Gillam and Miss Tisdall organised games of football and rounders and the ICT room was open for children to send e-mails home or chat with friends.  Our new boarders were starting to get used to the routine and at lights out, many were reading books and making the most of their lovely new night-lights!

Mr Barron runs Wednesday's privilege night and this week all the Boarders were able to relax and enjoy the evening as no one had lost their valuable 6 pluses!  Two films were on offer this week; 'Marley and Me' was showing in the Old Library and Disney's 'Race to Witch Mountain' was showing in the Boarders' Common Room.  With the children showered and clean from their activities on the Games field, they changed into their pyjamas and snuggled under their duvets to watch their film of choice with some lovely tuck to enjoy too!  Marley and Me proved the most popular and despite the sad ending, happy, smiling boarders headed to bed.

On Thursday Man Hunt was the order of the day.  With several of our new boarders a little bemused at the start of the evening, they soon realised why this fun and exciting game is so popular with our more experienced Housemates!  Mr Edwards knows how to run a fantastic evening and Thursdays are certainly going to remain popular whilst the light evenings enable plenty of time to run outside.  Having said that, Man Hunt in the dark has also been known to have taken place in the past!

Mr Guest joined the boarding team to run Friday evening and the boarders organised their own activities on the field, enjoying the early evening sunshine.  Mr Guest was incredibly impressed with how well the boarders set up and organised their own games, highlighting how well they have bonded as a unit already.

After Saturday school, matches and netball trials were over, many of our boarders headed home to see their family, althought 13 remained to enjoy a quieter and more relaxed boarding life-style.  A swim before supper and then a trip to see the latest Harry Potter film at the cinema ensured that the boarders were kept busy on Saturday.  Ollie, Tristan, Richard, Pablo, Callum, Hamid, Alejandro, Sasha, Maria, Elisa, Amaya and Jennifer were excellent company and all enjoyed the evening, despite some of them having seen the film before.

TRIP TO PORTSMOUTH

On Sunday, after a hearty full English breakfast, Miss Palmer organised an awesome day of activities in Portsmouth.  The children had an amazing powerboat ride around the Solent and went to the top of the Spinnaker Tower before hitting the shops for some retail therapy.  Some were brave to cross the glass floor at the top of the Spinnaker Tower, whereas others were content with taking in the fantastic views.  It was a diverse selection of activities and certainly provided something for everyone.  The children were certainly all eager to tell us about it over supper on their return.

Sunday night is a relaxed evening of good old-fashioned family games in the Old Library.  With the Wii on the big screen (maybe not so old fashioned!) and children playing a variety of board games, it was lovely to welcome back the weekly boarders and their parents in preparation for a new week in school.  The senior boys who had been in school all weekend, took the opportunity to decorate their dorm with posters bought on this Sunday's trip and fantastic it looks too - well done guys!

Well the first week is over and my what a week!  I'm shattered, but more importantly I hope the new boarders now feel that this can be their home whilst they are here.  They have made new friends and are starting to understand all the routines and really feel they are part of our Eagle House boarding family.