Year 9 Options afternoon

And year 9 parents will have seen this, from the Director of Studies -

I am writing to invite you to a GCSE Options Presentation on Friday 12th February in the Tithe Barn. The presentation will begin at 3.15pm and last for about 30 minutes. It is essential that all pupils attend and highly desirable that parents are present.
In advance of the main Parents’ Conference on 5th March, I will explain what GCSEs are, how the options process works, and give you some advice on making the right choices. I will also give you a copy of the GCSE Options booklet.
Following on from the presentation the pupils will complete the ‘Streets Ahead’ programme, an interactive computer package designed to identify pupils’ strengths, and introduce them to potential careers areas. I will ask you to discuss possible subjects with your son, with a view to confirming those choices with teachers on Friday 5th March. Please note that there will not be an opportunity to talk to subject teachers on this date as they will be involved in the Year 12 Parents’ Conference, although you can of course contact them after the meeting.

Year 12 Conference

Year 12 parents will have seen this already:

You are warmly invited to the Year 12 Conference on Friday, 12^th February at 4.00 p.m.

Year 12 is a challenging transition for the students with increased workloads in preparation for their public exams in May and June and the forthcoming January module results to consider. The AS results play an important part in teacher predictions for pupils’ university applications, so Year 12 really does have as much of an impact on their future as Year 13. We feel that this conference will give teachers, parents and students the opportunity to review performance to date and look together at work plans and revision for the Easter Holidays.

Year 12 will receive a full written report in March. This will include predicted grades for AS and a ‘mock’ result derived from a cumulative series of practice exams. Because of the impact on teaching time we do not hold a formal mock examination week, but pupils are made fully aware of the significance of these practice exams.

On arrival at 4.00 p.m. please make your way to the Sports Hall to register. The Conference will end at 6.00 p.m.

It is helpful to the teachers if we know in advance who will be coming to the meeting. If we do not hear from you we will assume you cannot make it on this occasion.

Clare Harris

Clare is still in our thoughts, and I was pleased to find this photo of her concealing the urge to do up a few ties on the last day of her last term, surrounded by the leavers from year thirteen.

Paris

And this account of the recent Paris trip is by Matt Smith:

On Friday the 22^nd of January Shiplake’s Chamber Choir and Queen Anne’s Choir departed for Paris. We arrived in Paris around lunchtime, and the first thing we had to do was to rehearse for our concert that afternoon; which was in La Magdalene. After the rehearsal we had an hour to explore Paris for the first time.

Later that afternoon we had our concert where we sang all our pieces with Queen Anne’s, James Gifford and Harry Griffiths both sang solos and the concert went extremely well. After the concert we went to the hotel to check-in. As we were all very tired we had an early night to ‘re-charge’ our batteries for the next day which was to turn out to be an amazing day. Firstly we went on a boat trip on the River Seine, and seeing some of Paris’s famous buildings and construction such as the Eiffel Tower.

After the Boat trip we went to Notre Dam Cathedral to take part in a mass, we sang in front of around 1000 people which was a mind-blowing experience. Also at the end of the mass we processed down the isle which was unexpected. That evening there was a disco at the hotel; there was also a bar at the hotel were the sixth formers and teachers relaxed.

On the Sunday we sang at another mass in St Clotilde which was a stunning church. After the mass we had two hours to shop and walk around in Paris.

Overall the trip was very successful and enjoyable and we are very privileged to have sung in some of Paris’s most prestige’s churches, and all of this wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work from Miss Rapple, Miss Harper, Mrs Bingham and Mr Brown.

Many thanks to all those who went on such a remarkable trip and we look forward to singing with them again in March.

Demonic Day Out

This report on Thursday's A level English trip is by James Gifford:

A Demonic Day out

Though some would imagine a trip to see Christopher Marlowe’s ‘Doctor Faustus’ somewhat like being condemned, the Year 13 English students were spirited away/ by the modern interpretation of this Marlowvian play...Oh look, even the Rhyming verse has got to us.

Leaving at half past eleven, we journeyed through London to Stratford where the play was held at the ‘Stratford Circle’ theatre. After handing in our tickets and presumably selling our souls to get in, we were taken aback by the unusual ‘gangster-style’ performance of the Demons. The sinisterly-slick-haired Demon, Mephistopheles echoed scenes from ‘The Godfather’. The vulnerably geeky yet dangerously power-hungry Faust was again another character who you wouldn’t want to bump into at night, let alone in the theatre. The building Frustration and Torment of Faustus’s damnation was almost palpable, and at moments the cast had us utterly convinced that we were trapped in their inescapable Hell.

However we did escape and on the journey back there was much discussion over such a provoking performance. Arriving back just in time for supper, one person commented: “It was certainly a very different from what we expected.”

By James Gifford

Unhappy Day

I’ve often talked about the Burr House family. Families sometimes have bad days. We have had to say goodbye to two members of the Burr family who left Shiplake yesterday – two others have been suspended for a week.

This follows a detailed investigation which showed that the four boys (from year 11) had, in different degrees, been bullying others in their year. We try to care for everyone, including those who make mistakes – but there sometimes comes a point when I cannot defend those who have been given advice, and found themselves unable to follow it.

I’ve talked to everyone who lives In Burr about this unhappy story, and hope that we can all support each other and get on with the busy weeks ahead. I don’t want to go into any more detail here, but will do my best to answer any questions that come my way.

Proud grandparents

If Lesley and I are unusally dreamy and sentimental this week, you should blame our first grandchild. Our son Wil (also a teacher) and his girlfriend Sal (who advises the south-west of England on composting) had a daughter last night.

Sorry about the self-indulgence, but Burr is a bit of a family, and you just have to put up with the occasional gooey family photo !