December 2011
Dear Parents
As I write it is a glorious, bitterly cold, sunny morning – just the weather to be out walking the hills! The weather has been kind to us this term with fixtures going ahead virtually without a hitch. The rugby teams have enjoyed an excellent season – please see the Sports Newsletter for further details. Chess has again been to the fore – please see the Chess Newsletter for further details.
Music is such an important part of school life and it was lovely to hear the orchestra and band playing so beautifully and to see so many of you, at the Lighting of the Grange Christmas Tree. As last year, the youngest boy in the school switched on the lights, to great applause! Many thanks to the FROGs who provided the tree and the refreshments. It was a pleasure to welcome parents and grandparents for a traditional turkey Christmas lunch at the end of term.
Our traditional Grange Service of Lessons and Carols, was again held in the Priory Church of St Mary so that there was plenty of room for all and it was good to see the church full. The retiring collection (which this year included a donation from the staff in lieu of sending each other Christmas cards) raised £722. In line with tradition, this went to the Head Boy’s chosen charity which is Children with Cancer UK. Last year’s Head Boy, Gus, has left a couple of lasting legacies. Thanks to him it is becoming a tradition to sell Santa hats on behalf of Round Table Children’s Wish; this year we raised £150. In addition he has donated two Welsh apple trees which were planted with due ceremony in the Grange grounds, near the Timber Trail. In the same area Mrs Wilderspin has planted a willow “cave” from branches taken from the coppiced willow trees in front of The Grange. The idea is that these will take root and become a living structure.
This term we held our first sponsored Spellathon which to date has raised nearly £3700 for Children with Cancer UK. The boys had to choose which list of words they were going to learn and staff were enormously impressed with their efforts. Many thanks indeed for your generosity with sponsorship.
In the last full week of term the whole school Christmas treat involved a visit to the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford on Avon, which was part of the company’s £112.8 million rebuilding programme. The RSC production of The Heart of Robin Hood was a huge success: characters dropped on ropes from overhead branches, emerged from hidden hatches on high hillsides and disappeared into pools of water. The production was highly innovative, superbly acted and choreographed and just “edgy” enough to be a little dangerous: it held us all enthralled!
Our boys always like a challenge and responded in true form to the Primary Maths Challenge, which takes place in schools across the UK. Very well done to all boys who took part especially those who were awarded a Bronze or Silver certificate and particularly those boys awarded a Gold Certificate. We await information on whether any of our boys have made it through to the finals.
Chapel House boarding is now fully established, of course, and there has been increased demand given that the facilities and arrangements for the boarders are so attractive. Since the announcement that Monmouth School won the title of Archant Best British Boarding School 2011 there has been yet further interest. Andy Jones, Housemaster at Chapel House, has asked me to advise anyone considering boarding for September or prior to that to book it in now, especially if looking for full time boarding, in order to secure the place. Please contact school to arrange to look around the facilities or to arrange a taster session.
We are also very keen to hear from parents who are willing to come in and talk to the boys about their area of work or interest – such as writers, those working with wildlife in some way, those who have interesting tales to tell about travel or an unusual hobby. A local high-profile wildlife TV presenter has agreed to come to talk to the boys in January – by the time the calendar is printed I am hoping the details will have been confirmed! Please do get in touch if you are willing to come to talk to the boys or have any good contacts you could pursue on our behalf.
You will know that Revd. Gavin Knight left us last summer to take up a new appointment and we are extremely grateful to Revd Dr Ali Green for stepping in as Acting School Chaplain for this term. She has delighted us with her assemblies and helped us with her good counsel. Our new school chaplain will take up post in January.
It just remains for me to wish you all a warm, comfortable, happy Christmas.
With best regards