School News - Summer Term 2010
Pre-Prep Picnic
Under a blazing sun, the Pre-Prep boys tucked into a marvellous spread organised by the Form Mums. Lashings of ‘pop’ keep spirits high before the all important Year 2 Rounders match. As people drifted away, the main topic of conversation was ‘that hit’ by Mrs Gannan…
The Dracula Rock Show
Parents and boys in the audience were witness to a Rocky-Horroresque performance on Tuesday night, and the Year 8 took to the stage in high heels, fangs and make-up in The Dracula Rock Show. Despite sweltering conditions, the cast and chorus remained in character, and raised the roof with their musical horror show. Well done Mr Affleck, a suitably dark directorial finale!
Induction Day
As 16 Year 6s joined their new classmates at Grammar School on Tuesday, so 40 new Reception boys entered Davenies for the first real time as part of ‘Induction Day’. Whilst the boy had fun in their new classrooms, parents listened to a all consuming talk by Jenny Rush, the Head of Pre-Prep.
At the same time, the new Year 7 classes began a whole day of activities, culminating in a South-African drumming performance to their parents before tea and cakes on the Headmaster’s Lawn.
IAPS Finalist
Cameron ‘Colonel’ Chritchley qualified for the IAPS National Athletics Finals earlier in the term. A journey to Birmingham saw the Colonel compete in the triple jump, and finish in joint first place. Despite after count back being placed second, the Colonel was mightily pleased with this extra-ordinary achievement – well done fella.
Senior & Middle School Sports
A scorched running track, beating sun, and a breathless day could not quell the shouts of support, anguish and excitement from parents and boys alike. A full track and field programme saw boys from Years 5 – 8 do battle for the Senior House Athletics Trophy. Drake emerged victors on the day, with Scott and Shackleton tied for second.
Year 2 & 3 share a croissant
As part of the transition from the Pre-Prep to the Junior School, boys in Year 2 met their Year 3 ‘buddy’ for breakfast on Monday. Over hot chocolate and fresh croissants, the boys talked of the highlights of Year 3 and the exciting things that the Year 2 boys can expect from September.
Year 3 @ the Ashmolean
A year’s History lessons were encapsulated in one day as Year 3 journeyed through the ages, although more appropriately up the M40 to Oxford and the wonders of the new refitted Ashmolean Museum. Here the boys viewed all the exciting things they had learned about under the tutelage of Mrs Boylan and Miss Young – what a wonderful day.
Year 4 Tree-Jump
Year 4 boys had a wonderful 3-day residential trip at Treejumpers in Kent. They rose to the challenges of abseiling, high ropes and the ‘Leap of Faith’, and thoroughly enjoyed Quad-Biking and archery. Although not enough sleep or showering featured on the menu, the boys loved every minute.
Junior School Sports
The Junior School Sports Day was staged on a scorching Tuesday afternoon. Involving all boys from Years 3 & 4, the battle zones were not just the more traditional athletics events, but also over the obstacle course, in a game of running hangman and as water carriers! With Drake House taking the spoils, by 1 point, the day was crowned by both Ben Fallowfield and Conor Hickman smashing the school records in the 75m and 100m respectively. The 100m record had stood since 1975…
Pre-Prep play on words
Tuesday morning saw our first Pre-Prep ‘English Adventure’ where, in mixed age teams, boys worked with others from their House to complete eight Literacy-based activities. Amongst other things, they puzzled over compound words, drew the scene after listening to Edward Lear’s famous poem ‘The Owl and The Pussycat’, used the interactive whiteboards to drag letters to create rhyming words, raced to put words into alphabetical order on a large alphabet and worked out some jolly tricky animal anagrams! Well done to all the boys that took part, and many thanks to all the parents that gave up their morning to help us!
Teddy Bear's Picnic
On Friday 25th June, the Pre-Prep enjoyed a wonderful picnic with their Teddy Bears to celebrate Paddington Bear’s birthday. In addition to the teddies, the boys brought in £1 for Action Medical Research, a charity that researches pregnancy complications, premature birth and care for sick and vulnerable babies. The boys ate their fish and chips, and ice cream, with enthusiasm and the picnic finished with everyone singing happy birthday to Paddington.
Year 4 return to the 1940s
After bidding their parents a fond farewell at the gate, the Year 4 evacuees were marched back to 1940s Britain. The boys were lucky enough to have access to a vintage Reilly and an authentic American Jeep – these beautifully restored vehicles added a real sense of occasion to the day. Our evacuees took part in many activities, including a 1940s drill, and code breaking. The highlight of the day was spending time with our special visitors who could recall the War. The boys listened to accounts on war experiences and were shown memorabilia.
The Senior Society rally across Mongolia
The Senior Society has their second meeting of term as Simon Garnham, and his eldest son, Matt, told of their adventures in the Trans-Siberian Rally in 2007. The boys were spellbound as they watched footage of the toughest off-road challenge in the world. Budding amateurs, Simon and Matt, took on the might of the Porsche factory teams, and very nearly won. Afterwards, the boys asked questions from the floor, again, and could have continued all night. We are very grateful to Mr Garnham for giving of his time so generously.
Year 2 discover Native Americans in Bath
Year 2 embarked on the long journey to Bath earlier this month in order to learn more about the Native Americans. The American Museum provided a fantastic opportunity for the boys to look at a range of interesting, if not ingenious artefacts, dress up in some traditional Native American costumes and to have a look inside a tepee. A fantastic day was had by all.
Year 5 on the river
Year 5 spent 3 glorious sun and fun-filled days on the River Thames at Longridge, Marlow. Sleeping in tents was just part of the fun as the boys participated in fun, team-building activities both on the water and on land. After 3 days of non-stop action, parents arrived to collect grubby-faced, but smiling boys in need of a wash and some sleep!
Penn Fun Run, 2010
67 past and present Davenies boys and their families and friends represented Davenies at this year’s 5 km Penn Super Fun Run – this number broke all previous records for the largest team entry. Jeremiah Janse Van Vuuren was the first across the finish line for the team (finishing 7th), while the highest placed father and son team to finish were Jonathan and Mr Davies. Well done to all runners, it was a truly fantastic effort.
Pre-Prep Sports Day
As the temperature soared, the competition was fierce as the annual Pre-Prep Sports Day took place on Friday 18th June. Flat, obstacle, egg and spoon, and sack races were the order of the day as boys from Swallows, Penguins, Kingfishers and Robins did battle. Davenies’ fresh intake for September was also involved as the toddlers race was one of the highlights of proceedings. Medals were given, handshakes exchanged and many smiles were seen at the end of a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
Year 3 meet the Queen
Akela's annual Year 3 trip to see the Queen at Ascot was a wonderful day for all concerned. The boy’s enthusiasm was boundless as Her Majesty drove past – she gave the Davenies boys a special smile and wave as their cheers reached her. What a day to treasure!
Year 8 out and about in Thorpeness
The annual Leavers’ Camp took Year to Thorpeness in Suffolk this year. Under the sunburnt, but watchful eye of Mr Scriven, aided and abetted by Mr Borns, Madame Condy and Mr Nickless, the y Year 8 boys were transported back to the 1950s for a summer seaside holiday. The undoubted highlight was catching sea bream to eat on the BBQ that evening. All returned to 21st Century Beaconsfield tanned but extremely tired.
Attorney General addresses Years 7 & 8
The Senior Society was fortunate enough to have Dominic Grieve, QC, MP for Beaconsfield, and Attorney General, address on Friday 11th June. He spoke of his early legal career, his entry into politics, his day-to-day job as AG, what it is like to be an MP, and then answered a barrage of questions from the floor. He was impressed not only with the breadth and standard of the questioning, but also the articulacy used to ask them.
Indians!
This morning the boys in Year 2 were enthralled by our visiting Apache Indian. He brought with him clothes, headdresses, moccasins and other pieces for the boys to try on as well as a range of weapons and artefacts for them to handle. He told us some traditional Native American stories and helped the boys to make their very own good luck charms filled with herbs. A fantastic time was had by all; particularly the staff who were also all dressed up for the occasion!
E-writing
Budding author, Max Woodward in Year 3, has just had his first book published online! All proceeds from his e-book will be donated to Diabetes UK. His magnum opus can be found at:
http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=38682
All Aboard!
Year 1 enjoyed a fantastic day out at the London Transport Museum climbing aboard one of the first Underground trains in the world, the West Ham electric trolleybus and a Horse drawn Omnibus from the 1800s. The boys were treated to a Platform Promenade by a silver-cloaked time traveller who gave them a ticket to the past, as well as practising driving tube trains, buses and black cabs.
Year 4 Spend the day in the river
On Wednesday 26th May Year 4 visited Amersham Field Studies Centre. The aim of the day was to explore how the River Chess changes in width, depth and velocity from source to confluence. The boys actually got in the river at two points to do measurements with many of them ending with soggy socks – all-in-all, a good day’s Geography!
Year 6 Concert with High March
The first combined concert between Davenies and High March took place on Tuesday. Inevitably the boys showed considerable interest in the girls who joined us, however the resulting concert was a huge success. The Year 6 girls and staff (Mrs Clifford – Head Teacher, and Mr Elliott – Director of Music) worked extremely hard all day and we are grateful for that. The soloists performed to a particularly high standard.
The History Man
Monday saw the return of The History Man. Year 5 had the chance to use a saxon spear and sword to attack a melon! Year 7 leaped several centuries in order to learn how to dance in full Tudor costume. Both groups had a great time and, yet again, the History Department proved how diverse its syllabus really can be.
Friends of Davenies Quiz Victors
Saturday witnessed the annual Friends of Davenies Quiz. In another competitive event organised by Quiz supremo John Borns, the staff did not retain their title, sadly, but congratulations go to ‘The Cumberland Ring’ – well done Mr O’Toole and his team.
Winning Ways @ Wycombe
The Davenies U’8 A team took part in the Wycombe Wanderers football tournament. Without their Captain and defender (who was playing for Wycombe Wanderers), the boys finished 4th out of 20 club teams. This included a 1 – 1 draw with the Wycombe Academy side which was quite an achievement!
Colts Cricket Victory
The annual Colts Cricket 6s saw 6 6-a-side Year 6 teams battle bravely in the heat last Friday. Some superb bowling and fielding saw scores keep relatively low, but high enough to make all the matches keenly fought contests. In an enthralling final, Davenies pipped Northwood Prep by 2 Runs.
Car Boot Sale
In blazing sun, for the first real time this term, the inaugural Scott House Car Boot Sale opened its door. Bargains abound drew willing punters, in addition to Mr Hopkins’ Hot-Dog stand. Davenies parents and children left happy with their purchases, agreeing that it had been a fun event, but more importantly another innovative charity occasion.
IAPS National Swimming Finals @ K2, Crawley
Congratulations to the U’10 Medley Relay Team (Ben Hillier, James Wyatt, Jonathan Davies and Danny Beard) and George Simmons who represented Davenies at the IAPS National Swimming Championships on Saturday. The Medley Relay Team beat their qualifying time by three seconds and climbed a place to finish 10th in the final (out of an original 120 schools). George swam a personal best time of 42.25s in the U’11 50m Breaststroke in the semi-final and hung on to 3rd place overall in the final – a fantastic achievement!
Row, Row, Row the Boat
Congratulations to the Davenies Rowing Crew of Harry and Tom Berkley, Hugo Marsh and Harry Oliver who came 5th out of over 40 schools competing in the Ball Cup Regatta last Sunday at Dorney Lake. This was a superb achievement by the boys, winning over established rowing senior schools such as Claires Court, Berkhamsted, Oratory and Charterhouse, as well as the Dragon and OPS. It is pleasing to note, too, that they firmly beat Cheltenham Ladies College into submission!
A Speeding Bullitt
As the engine roared, excitement reached fever pitch! Year 1 were thrilled to come face-to-face with a 1968 Ford Mustang today as part of their ‘Transport’ topic. The car, almost identical to the one driven by Steve McQueen in the film ‘Bullitt’, was a great example of how cars have changed over time. The boys enjoyed looking at the engine in detail but best of all was the noise it made as it was started up by the Dad who kindly brought it in.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Well done to those boys in Year 5 who performed so magnificently in Friday’s production of The Emperor’s New Clothes. The performance was appreciated by a near full house. The fact that this was an Extra-Curricular Activity really proves that Davenies boys love their Drama and their enjoyment of this particular tale was evident for all to see.
Peri Concert
The entire school was treated to a concert by the Peripatetic Music staff today. Using the event as a chance to parade their expertise on the instruments on offer, the boys were witness to a complete run through the orchestra pit from percussion, to woodwind, to strings, to brass. We even saw a real, live, working Sousaphone!
Fathers & Sons Maths Competition
On Saturday morning, the Davenies Maths Department launched its inaugural Parent & Child Maths Competition. The event started off with Mr Tennant delivering a 20-question Mental Test, followed by an interactive ‘countdown’ round of 20 questions. The teams then moved out into the sun to complete 9 stations, around the Headmaster’s Lawn, requiring differing mathematical skills. Congratulations to Michael and Tom Reyner, eventual Maths Champions!
Nationally Recognised Teacher!
Congratulations to Miss Scott in Year 2 who is a nominee for the 2010 Teaching Awards. What a fantastic achievement, no wonder she is beaming brightly – we are all very proud of her!
St. George's Day
As we walked into the Dining Hall on Friday, displays of national pride were evident everywhere, as the Brookwood catering team celebrated St. George’s Day with their customary gusto. One almost expected the strains of Land of Hope & Glory to be heard…
Buddy Breakfast
What better way to start a beautifully sunny day than discussing the important matters of the day? This morning Year 3 & their Year 5 ‘buddies’ sat down to do just that over croissants and hot chocolate – what lucky boys!
Play-in-a-Day
After five hours of rehearsals, Year 6 produced an extraordinary performance of Romeo & Juliet yesterday evening to kick start term; there was not a dry eye in the house. That the boys were able to put on such a play was owed purely to the talents and enthusiasm of the Creation Theatre Company.
Wasps have a new recruit!
Calum Stewart (Year 6) was lucky enough to run out with Wasps last week. Pictured here with their captain, Rob Webber, he received a full kit, signed by the team, and had the chance to speak to many of the match squad.
