Issue No 60 23rd January Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster

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1 Dear Parents, At the Youth Speaks event organised last night by the Torrington Rotary Club, the question was put to the audience; Is dilution the solution to pollution? I am not sure of the answer, but it was a clever piece of word play by Jabez Kent as he tried to hold it together in what must have been a very challenging event for all of our participating pupils. Public speaking is a real skill (and ordeal?) and I was very impressed by the quality of the speakers. Several chose to speak without notes - not something I dare to do - and the evening was a real treat for those watching. their future aspirations and what they thought Senior School might be like - definitely a cutting for the family scrapbook. They will all be sitting the entrance exam next week so we wish them a very enjoyable and successful day. The hard frosts of the last week can only mean one thing - the cross country season is in full swing and the magnificent Banbury sisters continue to dominate the North Devon racing scene. I am not sure if the conditions at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 will be similar, but it would be great to see them there - let s hope so. The cold weather has also coincided with the stepping up of preparations for this year s Ten Tors Challenge. We are hoping to enter both a 35 mile team and a 55 mile team - they need some tough times on the moor so that they are ready for the main event. Simon Weale I also had the opportunity to speak to a slightly more boisterous audience at the Old Shebbearian Dinner held in London last Saturday. Although several of the attendees traveled up from the South West, there are many former pupils who live in London and it was a delight to catch up with them. The RAF Club in Piccadilly once again provided a suitably grand venue for such an auspicious group, and the conversations lasted very late into the evening. It was really pleasing to see our Junior Six (pictured above) class starring in this week s North Devon Journal as they talked about

2 News from the Junior School Dear Parents, For me the highlight of what has been a relatively calm and quiet week in the Junior School has been the hard work and positive attitude I have observed from so many of our pupils as I have popped into various classes. Mrs Brock described the Year 3s as being on fire with their maths work this week, and in the Years 1 and 2 Class it is very hard to escape without an enthusiastic crowd gathering around to share the wonderful facts they have been learning, all about the continents of the world. It was also great to eavesdrop on the lively debate in Mrs Burnett s Science lesson with the Year 6 pupils on Tuesday as they discussed and investigated some of the many healthy and unhealthy things people subject their bodies to. I have also been equally impressed with the work that the Year 4s have produced for me in their English lessons this week. Taking their inspiration from Roald Dahl s classic tale James and the Giant Peach, the children have been writing their own versions of the story, written from the viewpoint of James himself. I think you will agree from the extracts below that we may have some potential bestselling authors of our own. Then, after lunch (which I didn t have) I was sent out to the garden to fetch some wood. Suddenly, from behind a pile of leaves appeared a little gnome, only up to my knee. He was very old and had a long white beard down to his waist, which he tucked into his belt. Oh, hello he said in a cheerful voice. U-u hello, I replied in a hurry. (Isobel Watt - Year 4) I heard a rustle in the bushes. I felt scared for a second, but was also determined to find out who was there. Pssst... over here an unfamiliar voice whispered. I crept over and saw an old man with a beard that touched his toes. Aaaarrrggghhh! I thought, but he spoke to me again and he seemed friendly enough for me to trust him. (Ferdie Frisby Williams Year 4) I walked slowly and reluctantly into the garden and started to chop some wood. I thought about the terrible day I had ahead of me. Chop faster, you little brat, shouted Aunt Spiker. I started to chop faster and faster. Then Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker started to have an argument about who was the prettiest. Oh Spiker, can t you see I am the prettiest there has ever been. No Sponge you are wrong. You are in fact the one that always pongs! While they argued I decided to make a run for it. I ran into the bushes and began to cry. (William Bird - Year 4) If you want to read more from these fabulous storytellers then the finished pieces will be on display in the Junior School in the near future. Because we have so many wonderful, creative writers throughout the Junior School, you might wish to take a look at the following website and see if your child/children might want to get involved with What the Dickens? This is a competition for young writers which gives them the opportunity to write a story of their own, and possibly win prizes for themselves and their school, for doing so. Also, as mentioned by Mr Weale, look out for this week s copy of the North Devon Journal as it contains an article all about our Year 6 pupils. On Monday morning, Nicole Travers-Wakeford, a reporter for the newspaper, came to the College to interview our Year 6 as part of an ongoing feature about the transition from Primary to Secondary education. Nicole was very complimentary about the children, impressed with how polite and well-spoken they all were, and how confidently and enthusiastically they answered all her questions. Finally, we wish all our Year 6 pupils the best of luck with their entrance and scholarship examinations next week. Mike Furber Ten Tors Training A fantastic start to the training for the 2015 Ten Tors Challenge, and what a stunning day it was. An early start and a drop off by Mitch Kingsland (thank you) meant that the team were able to do a fab linear walk from Chagford Common back to Okehampton Camp (16.2km). Blue skies and crispy crunchy ground covered in fresh snow made this walk extra special and even though the pace wasn t fast, I think I can safely say everyone enjoyed day 3 of the training. We even made a snowman! Training continues on the 8th February - a long distance time trail awaits on the North Devon coastal path! A big thank you to all that attended today for continuing to show such enthusiasm and determination. Lucy Body Off I ran as fast as the wind to the house. I jumped over the fence and ran down the hill, across the green and up to the front door, trying not to be seen. But as I reached the door, I tripped over Aunt Sponge s foot. Get back to work!, she shouted. She took the beans and threw them on the ground. Poor me, my life was truly miserable now. Everyday was the same and will be. I lay down in the grass for a few minutes and cried. (Holly Neave - Year 3)

3 Boarders Entertained On Friday 16th January twelve boarders went with Mr Steel and Mr Burnett to see Fiddler on the Roof at Bideford College. The Musical Director, Becky Betambeau, was a former Shebbear pupil. The ten boys and two girls enjoyed this lively and exciting performance by young students. A Word from the Library Reading for pleasure at the age of 15 is a strong factor in determining future social mobility (and) the most important indicator of future success. The Telegraph, May 2013 Headmaster s Cross Country House Event The First and Second Year plus Third Year girls took part in the Headmaster s Cross Country House Competition this week. A slightly cleaner course compared to last year saw pupils push themselves to the limit (well done Annie Westlake who wanted to complete the course even after a bloody, scratched knee) in order to gain points for their respective houses. First runner in for the Juniors was Eliza Banbury followed by Patrick Faulkner, and for the intermediate girls, Eevee Banbury. Well done to all who completed the course and ran the whole way! Serena Ham with coloured ice cubes and oil proved great fun, if a little messy, as did the writing using shaving foam, but not as messy as making polar animals and snowmen using soap flakes! They have been learning about polar animals whilst playing with the small world and building igloos for them to hide in. Making vegetable soup to take home for tea provided them with something to keep them warm, just in case the snowy weather should appear at Shebbear. Jacqueline Biddlecombe More Cross Country Success for the Banburys Well done to all our pupils who took part in North Devon Cross Country events last weekend. Notably Eliza Banbury (1st) and Eevee Banbury (3rd) in the Devon Schools Cross Country Championships at Stover. Eevee also came 1st in the North Devon Cross Country League (under 15) while Eliza came 1st in the North Devon Cross Country League (under 13). Wintry Wonder The children in the Kindergarten have been very busy investigating and experimenting as part of their Winter topic. Due to the lack of snow they made their own snowflakes, not only by cutting out paper for displays, but by adding water to special crystals which really did make enough snow for them to play with. They painted pictures using cold colours and also made a frozen tree using a variety of beads and different objects. Experimenting LAMDA Opportunities Would your son, or daughter, like to develop their performance skills? If so, they may enjoy working towards the Lamda Examinations. There are a variety of exams to work towards, including Acting, Mime and Speaking in Public. Working towards such exams, the students are able to develop their confidence, alongside a range of performance skills. If you would like further information please contact me: susybilleter@hotmail.com Safer Internet Day Safer Internet Day will be held on 10th February and there is a quiz on the library website - Safer Internet Day produce numerous resources including a very useful Parents Guide to Instagram. You can access this valuable information at Jane Welby

4 New Builds Progress We have had a busy few months with our building plans and the new Music Department and the new Sixth Form Centre are now well on their way. The Sixth Form Centre, which will also house our cricket pavilion, is located adjacent to the Science Block. All services are in place and the laying of foundations will start next week. The Music Department however, is nearly up to slab level, and thereafter will start to take shape very soon. This build is in the space between the Sports Hall, Pyke Field and Tower Field. Furthermore, our second biomass plant has also been fired up and piece by piece we are connecting the remainder of the campus to that facility. This will be a district heating system, so we will be laying a good deal of underground heating mains during the school breaks until we are fully connected. It is housed in a temporary building until spring when we will construct the long term plant room and fuel store. The real achievement will be that by this summer, other than our kitchen ovens, we will no longer use oil or Calor Gas on the campus. Given that we have previously used around 60,000 worth of these fossil fuels per annum, this is a great step forward. While I m writing about our renewable energy work, I ought to mention that in addition to the 1000 saplings we planted between 2009 and 2012, we have a further 300 to plant this season. Miss Lucy Body has kindly agreed to lead this with our pupils (hence the request for wellies at the end of this newsletter). The photographs below show the location of the Sixth Form build (top) and the foundations being laid for the Music Department (bottom). Shown in the background of the Music Department site is our 120kw of solar panels and our temporary Biomass plant. Bradley Horn - Bursar Football The U15s traveled to play Kingsley on Tuesday and played a reduced numbers version of the game on their all-weather pitch as the pitches were not playable. Each side split into two 8 a-side matches and played across the pitch in 3 short games. The results were mostly in Shebbear s favour, the B team scores being 3-0, 1-0 and 4-0 to Shebbear, and the A team games were much closer at the start, and finished 1-0, 2-2, and 6-0 to Shebbear. For Shebbear, Laurence Reinert and Stuart Williams were exceptional for the A team, and Alessandro Aliberti was busy for the B team. Well done to all. Jamie Sanders The 1st XI looked as though they might reverse last year s result against Exeter School when they turned around at half time with a 1-0 lead, thanks to a headed goal from Ross Bennett, although they could very easily have been behind, with the visitors having twice hit the bar. Despite a much improved second half display which saw striker Patrick Marks hit the post and two more great chances go begging, Exeter equalised midway through the half and then keeper Will Cox s clearance rebounded from an opponent s legs into the goal, to give the visitors a late winner. There were some excellent performances, particularly from Patrick Marks up front, Harry Dymond in the middle and the back four as a unit, and the team can go into Saturday s match with Wellington with some confidence. The U12/13s played an 8 a-side football tournament against St. Joseph s and Kingsley this week and won five of their six matches. Patrick Faulkner scored a hat-trick in the A team s opening 3-0 win against Kingsley and Will Cunningham matched his effort with 3 goals on the adjoining pitch in the B team s 4-0 victory. Matches against St. Joseph s were much closer, but Jack Joslin scored the only goal in the last match to give the boys their 5th win of the day. Well done to all. Andy Bryan Boys Hockey On a cold January afternoon this week and with the hail intermittently lashing down, Shebbear recorded two convincing victories against Kingsley School, in both Junior age groups. The U12s looked beyond their years with their passing and teamwork and made short work of scoring with little resistance. Cameron George Young offered a potent force upfront and he was ably supported by Alex Bird and Freddie Stevenson. Cameron Matthew Young in goal had little to do but marshal a defence in front of him that did well to maintain their concentration for the few attacks Kingsley offered. A man-of-thematch performance was produced by Cameron George Young as he scored his hat-trick and Alex Bird chipped in with a goal of his own. In the U13 fixture we saw a similar story, with Shebbear taking a 4-0 lead within 7 minutes. By half time the score was 5-0, although a more resolute opposition defence of five behind the ball in the second half kept the final score to 6-0. Robin Dalton made his debut appearance in goal and had little to do in the match although his communication with Casper Griffin and Dan Chamberlain in defence

5 was positive. With Shebbear producing wave after wave of attack, due to some accomplished passing in midfield, the beneficiaries were Patrick Faulkner with his hat-trick, Sean Nadin with a brace and Tom Robins. The signs for future performances were positive as the boys have clearly developed in their understanding of passing and movement. On occasion, the ball never seemed to be with one player for more than one touch as they stroked the ball with confidence, backwards, sideways and forward, creating multiple chances. During a match for which Will Cunningham was unavailable, those who performed certainly filled his shoes, as they demonstrated many of the values which encompass Shebbear sport, including determination and team spirit. Well done, two fantastic results. Arron Steel Rugby The U13s travelled to the Blundell s 7s on Wednesday and enjoyed a day of good rugby. Their group was a tough one, including Kingswood from Bath and St. Peter s from Exeter, who went on to the final and semi-final of the main cup competition respectively. However, Shebbear held them both to tight games and beat Blundell s B team comfortably to earn a spot in the plate competition which was the middle tier contest. Throughout the group stages Zinzan Belcher was very strong in the tackle and this was combined with strong running from Will Cunningham and Dan Shaw. In the plate semifinal against Heathfield, the team really stepped up their game, aided by Patrick Faulkner who was everywhere, and showed his class with ball in hand and with support play winning Shebbear s Player of the Tournament. The semi final score was to Shebbear. The final was against Mount Kelly who had just beaten Truro School in their semi. They were a big side and their strong runners proved too much for Shebbear s tired players. Casper Griffin and Freddie Stevenson continued to battle on, but the game went in the opposition s favour. Well done to all players for an excellent day, and an effort they should all be proud of. The Squad: Will Cunningham, Patrick Faulkner, Dan Shaw, Lewis Whitten, Casper Griffin, Cameron Young (Cornish), Cameron Young (Devon), Jack Joslin, Freddie Stevenson, Zinzan Belcher. Jamie Sanders Fairtrade Fashion Show Urgent Request for Second Hand Clothes If you have any used ladies, mens or childrens clothes in good condition that you could donate for use in our Fairtrade Fashion Show we would be very grateful. Any excess clothes will be sent to Uganda to be put to good use. Please bring anything you can spare to Fran Lovett as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your support!

6 More Welly Boots and Beanbags (Please!) If you have any old or spare Wellington Boots (all sizes) that are still waterproof that you no longer need we would be very grateful for these as we are planning a mass tree planting event in the near future and there is likely to be some mud involved. Also, any old beanbags (the type you sit on) would also be greatly appreciated and put to good use in the Learning Support department in order to make this facility more colourful and comfortable. Request for Volunteers Once again we are hosting the music section of the very successful North Devon Performing Arts Festival. In order for this to run smoothly we need volunteers to help steward the Festival over the two days of Tuesday 10th February and Wednesday 11th February. Please contact Lucy Body by at lbody@shebbearcollege.co.uk if you are able to assist. Thank you. If you can help please contact Mrs Goode: fgoode@shebbearcollege.co.uk or tel: We would be very grateful for all offers, even if you can only spare a couple of hours. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered so far (we still need a few more). Fiona Goode Picture this...

7 Picture this... OSA Dinner Shebbear College, Shebbear, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5HJ Telephone:

8 HEADMASTER? Who THE Killed Staff Cast Murder Mystery Saturday 7th February 6th Form & Adults Only 7.00pm for 7.30pm start in the Memorial Hall Supporting Cancer Charities Tickets - reserved or on the door: 7.50 or VIP (VIP includes drink on arrivaland nibbles) Refreshments available Prizes for winning team For tickets or more info contact Claire Cardoo on ccardoo@shebbearcollege.co.uk

9 FREE ENTRY TO A UNIQUE, FUN EVENT 5 o clock, Shrove Tuesday, 17 February Children* are invited to bring tin cans tied to string to celebrate an old Clovelly custom. Help chase evil spirits away and drive the Devil into the sea before Lent! The Rev. Shirley Henderson will give a blessing in the harbour All participating children will receive a free pancake from the Red Lion Hotel to decorate with toppings. *Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times FREE ADMISSION FROM 4:30 PM For details, visit