school notes lent 2013

7/30/2019 School Notes Lent 2013

1/8

COMMENT

Have no fear of moving into the unknown.

Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am

with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all

is very, very well.Do this in complete faith and

confidence.

Pope John Paul II

How well these words of a former Pope

encapsulate the approach that we would all like

our children to have.We need to encourage

children to attempt things, without fearing

failure. It is that fear of failure that so often

prevents people from achieving their goals.

Boys at school so often do not want to be seen

to try and subsequently fail. Many of them

would rather put down any failure to the fact

that they did not really try. If this is the

approach they are allowed to continue withthey will never realise their full potential.

One morning in chapel this term we heard the

story of Louis Bleriot who crashed ten

aeroplanes before he managed his successful

flight across the channel. His perseverance is a

lesson to us all.We need to teach the boys to

cope with disappointment and use it to their

advantage rather than being defeated by it.

We need to be there to celebrate the successes

of the boys, of which you will read many in

these pages, and we need to be there to pickthem up when they fall and encourage them to

try again.That is the job of a prep school.

SCHOOL NOTES Lent 2013

SUNNINGDALE

RUGBY 1ST XV

The gods of rugby were not smiling on this years 1st XV, at times our season closely resembled a

Greek tragedy with injuries, enforced absences and plain old bad luck. It would be fair to say that thiswas not as strong a side as we have been blessed with in previous years and we struggled because of

our size or lack thereof. However, our biggest failing was a lack of a killer instinct or bite .Too often we

were bullied by oppositions and made to look a poor outfit even when infuriatingly we were better

than the side we were playing against. Rugby is a strange old game and it takes a measure of belligerence

and a refusal to kowtow or be bested by ones opposite man to have success.Too often we as a side

rolled over and died rather than taking the fight to our opponents.

Things started brightly as we easily dispatched a rusty looking Twickenham Prep side with Gaba looking

in inspired form, running the show like a little general from fly-half. Following this we took to the field

against a much vaunted Woodcote side and were half asleep for most of the match only to realise that

actually this was an eminently winnable game and although we lost, it did say much that Woodcote

declined to reschedule the abandoned return fixture later on in the season and thus maintain their

unbeaten record. Due to the appalling weather we then took on Cothill at Chart ers and proceeded to

put in an emphatic performance of back play, winning by more than 40 points with Gaba performing

sublimely again.It was then the bitterest of body blows that the following day he was to be injured and

effectively ruled out for the season before we really had got going properly. To add to our disappointments

Dorset House strangely cancelled the next fixture for the third year in a row and we were therefore

deprived of a hoped for win.Against Horris Hill, probably the nadir of the season, a patched up and

makeshift backline failed to fire and we were bullied in the forwards. It was a disappointing loss mostly

because it was entirely avoidable and came down to a lack of fight. However, we dusted ourselves

down and with a little innovative thought in the makeup of the backs took on Ashdown House and

trounced them convincingly. It seemed that things were on the up only for us to have to take on a

strong Wellesley House team missing our hooker, scrum-half, fly-half and full back. Unsurprisingly, we

lost with only our captain able to bring some semblance of pride with his solo barnstorming performance.

It was therefore with some trepidation that we travelled to Ludgrove to take on an unbeaten and

exceptional team.The auld enemy were a monstrous team of giants and it looked like we would be

lucky to escape with a 50 point hiding. However, in a show of sheer guts and determination we heldour own and were within two points of winning up until the final five minutes. It was a terrific display

from every member of the team with ferocious tackling and thundering running from both the skipper

and Bonham-Lloyd.

Continued on page four


2/8

SCHOOL NOTESFORM PRIZES

VI Soloviev,Ampofo ma & Miles

VIa Silva ma & Gaba

V Lea, S viridov & Cao

Va Hopton,Kim & Si lva mi

IV Neckel, Pangin &Thomas

IVa Delikatnyi, Malhame & M.Russell

III Buxton

II Gourlay,Wilson & Hinchliffe

I Kuanyshev &Van Heusden

The SHOW-UP prize was won by SILVAALVEAR MA

The GENERAL KNOWLEDGE was won

by SILVA ALVEAR MA (Senior) & BUXTON

(Junior).

The CARRELET BELL was won by HART

The SENIOR FIVES CUP was won by

SILVAALVEAR MA

The JUNIOR FIVES CUP was won by

M. RUSSELL

The MOST IMPROVED RUGBYPLAYER was BONHAM - LLOYD

The RUGBY 7S CUP was won by

SPERLING

The RUGBY CUP was won byAMPOFO MA

The FATHERS AND SONS CLAY

PIGEON SHOOT was won by MR

CLEGG & LUKE.

We had a fascinating talk from Olly Hicks who in

2005 completed a lifelong ambition to row across

the Atlantic, becoming not only the first personto do so from the USA to the UK, but also the

youngest to row any ocean solo. During this

voyage Olly decided that the ultimate challenge

lay in rowing around the world, unsupported.

In January 2009 Olly departed Tasmania on the

Virgin Global Row.After 96 days he landed in

New Zealand, writing history again to become

the first to row the Tasman Sea, but due to a

fundamental boat design flaw the voyage had to

be suspended.

We were incredibly lucky to haveAndy Kirkpatrick

as a guest speaker at Sunningdale.The US magazine

Climbing once described Andy as a climber with a

strange penchant for the long, the cold and the

difficult, with a reputationfor seeking out

routes where the danger is real, and the return is

questionable,pushing himself on some of the

hardest walls and faces in the Alps and beyond,

sometimes with partners and sometimes alone.

One of these ascents was a 12 day solo of theReticent Wall, viewed at the time as perhaps the

hardest climb of its type in the world, and the

subject of his award winning book Psychovertical.

In 2002 he undertook one of the hardest climbs

in Europe: a 15 day winter ascent of the West

face of the Dru.This 1000 metre pillar pushed

him and his partner to their limits and was

featured in the award winning film 'Cold Haul'.

Andy has also taken part in many expeditions,

including four winter expeditions to Patagonia, a

crossing of Greenland. It was the trip across

Greenland that his talk focused on, and it was

one of the funniest and most informative talks I

can remember.Andy was quite simply inspirational,

the boys thoroughly enjoyed the talk and we very

much hope to have him back next year.

Art

Two boys took art scholarships this term. Pernebayev to Tonbridge and Fry to Harrow. Both boys put

together excellent portfolios that included printing, sculpture, painting and drawing and both should be

congratulated on the huge amount of extra time and work they put into these. Both were up against a

very competitive field and we were thrilled that Fry was awarded the Harrow Art Scholarship. ACD

Spaceman by Pernebayev Serenity by Fry

Warhammer Club

With boltguns chattering and paint brushes whur-

ring the Warhammer club goes from strength to

strength.As the Emperors armies spread acrossthe galaxy the boys have been busy building,

painting and battling for the title of best army

which so far has resulted in several stalemates.

Next term we will be holding a painting competi-

tion to showcase the boys models and encourage

them to learn new painting technique.This term

they have learnt the value of washes and are

touching upon highlights. D.W.

Go Karting

Braving the near arctic conditions a group of

boys enjoyed a fun afternoon of karting. Some

spectacular moves and impressive cornering

made for some very impressive racing.

Reddyhough ma. was on fine form and ended

up winning the day even outpacing the staff who

tried to in vain to keep up.

ACTIVITIES


3/8

The Concert

THE ADVENTURES OF MRTOAD

A parent writes.......

As usual with a Sunningdale performance

anticipation mounted as the date drew nearer

for the Adventures of MisterToad. I could not

help but wonder whether the Sunningdale

players and crew could better the very high

standards of past performances?

The title role of Mr Toad was skilfully por-

trayed by the energetic Miles who certainly

brought the character to life and to the audience.

Following some rather erratic driving,Toad found

himself in the dock at the Magistrates Court. The

Lady Magistrate (Sviridov), complete with outsize

knitting needles, presided over her court with an

iron hand. She listened to the evidence of the

prosecutors,Assistant Weasels (Cartwright Mi

and Tear).Toad stood no chance; he was given a

20-year prison sentence for his minor traffic

offence and with no wife to pass on the sentence

to, was duly incarcerated. As heprotested his innocence he struggled with the

Policeman, admirably played by Soloviev who with

his height and authority made a perfect strong

Arm-of -the- Law.

The excellent Mole (Hart) and Rat did what they

reasonably could to dampen Toad's driving frolics

but his personality was not to be changed.At one

stage,Mole achieved the impossible; to sing in

wonderful harmony, eat and quietly belch at the

same time and without even so much as a frog in

his throat.The scurrying Rat, extremely well

played by Lea suffered an immediate attack of the

giggles but made a professional recovery and the

play rolled on. Cartwright Ma (Badger) managed

to turn a rather black and white role into a very

colourful one.Toad could not have wished for

better friends than Mole, Rat and Badger who

each gave vibrant and well polished performances.

Sitting in jail,Toad contemplated his long sentence

with uncharacteristic gloom. His exuberance

quickly returned when the delectable prison

laundry maids,Rosy and Posy (Reddyhough and

Hopton) contrived and executed a daring escape,

assisted by the rotund Laundry Lady herself

whose portrayal byWade-Norbury brought the

house down.

The Chief Weasel ( Silva Alvear Ma) proved to be

a suitably threatening character. His assistant

weasels (Forms IVa, III, II & I), were all played with

great menace by the boys. Stoat (Senior Ma),Vole(Ker), Otter (Buxton) and Field mouse (Tonkins)

all added further colour and a good degree of

humour to the Woodlands.

The singing throughout was a credit to the entire

cast and reflected the obvious hard work by all

and what an achievement in such a short time!

The chorus line of Riverside, PuntingAnimals and

Duck sang and danced with huge gusto and

enthusiasm.They did not quite emulate the

standards of the Crazy Horse, but the odd leg or

arm going in a contrary direction to the main

flow added a unique charm.

Following a lavish party at Toad Hall,Toad was

back to his usual dashing, carefree form. He

bravely announced that his motor car had

become insufficiently challenging and he was now

about to enjoy the freedom of the skies by buying

his own aeroplane!

In any play there is always a vast crew behind the

scenes and what also made this performance of

Mister Toad so enjoyable and polished was the

dazzling set, makeup, costumes, direction and

music. (Amy, Miss Guppy and the talented Mr Leaon the piano).All of which went into making a

very slick and thoroughly enjoyable performance.

Did the Sunningdale players and crew excel

themselves? Most Definitely.... Poop! Poop!


4/8

Continued from front cover

The final score of 32-24 did not do justice to just how much of a nail biting and bone crunching encounter it was. Bloodied but unbowed we returned deter-

mined that now we had found our mettle as a side and the next fixture against Lockers Park seemed very winnable. Sadly, the weather decided otherwise

and another fixture was lost.This left only two matches; the first against another unbeaten and huge outfit from Brockhurst, again we were missing players

and had to make do and mend. It was a gritty encounter against a superior side but we acquitted ourselves well and were dogged in defeat, never giving an

inch.The last match of the season was an altogether more one sided encounter where a large Bishopsgate team were simply blown off the park and Ampofo

had to be taken off the pitch at half time such was our ascendency. the scoreline of 48-5 would have been doubled had it not been for his early withdrawal. It

was a fittingly bombastic end to a dramatic season.

The team was led by Ampofo ma, who not only a magnificent player in every respect was a wonderful and charismatic leader of the side. He has all the abil-

ity to go a long way in the game and we have the highest of hopes for his future.The skipper was ably assisted by Sperling whose bone crunching tackles led

him to earn the sobriquet of team chiropractor. Notable mention must also go to Lane and Miles,both of whom are redoubtable and doughty figures, who

gave of their all week in, week out with Lane running wonderful lines and Miles scoring arguably the try of the season against Bishopsgate. It must also be

said that this was a young side with many exciting prospects for next season in the guise of Sikorski,Thomas and Silva minor to mention but a few.

It is then with mixed emotions we must look back at what might have been had injury, weather and timing not so effected our season, but the future is

bright and at the end of the day all you can ask is for a team to give of their best and this redoubtable set of players certainly did that.

Played 9 Won 4 Lost 5

WB & BWRH

Colours were awarded to Ampofo ma, Sperling, Miles,Lane

2XV

In a term disrupted by poor weather the boys have produced some good rugby.At the 2nd team level the boys were always more confident with ball in hand

than defending which resulted in some high scoring games and against Woodcote a missed opportunity to take the local bragging rights for a year.All the

boys who have played this term should be commended and be rightfully proud of their performances however particular mentions must go to Titov andHart our captains; Neckel and Merrill for providing the grunt in the scrums; Markous for his thumping tackles and finally Lachlan Collins for his haul of 7 tries.

Played: 7 Won: 3 Lost: 4

D.W.


5/8

U11A

The second half of the season has seen a mixed bag of results for the U11A.

We were unlucky to end up on the losing side against Ludgrove as the boys

played some of their best rugby.The team has worked well and the forwards

on more than one occasion got complimented for being such a strong

scrummaging unit. It was a shame the season had to end when it did as the

team had really come a long way and were looking sharp.They did manage

to get a win against Brockhurst and again played some fine rugby.

Played 10 won 1 lost 9 H.E.

U11B

This term the Bs had a heavy fixture load, despite some cracking perform-

ances they managed only one good win (v Brockhurst) as well as plenty of

heavy defeats.A mixed bag of ability tried their best, ably led by Crespi and

Ker, to put together some semblance of a rugby team in both shape and

form and I am delighted that by the end of term they were all giving it a go,

tackling with relish and living up to the 'never say die' attitude that is the

trademark of the Sunningdale boy.

A.D.V.

U9s

There are very few times at prep school when one is lucky enough to coach a boy with outstanding talent.When I soon found out that the majority of

the U9A team fell into this category you can imagine my reaction. Not only did many of the boys have outstanding natural talent but they possessed the

commitment, intensity and 'rugby aggression' which is extremely difficult to instill at this level.With all of these elements in place t he boys were able to

practice skills that would usually be too advanced.

After an excellent couple of weeks training the boys were ready for their first match against St Andrew's Pangbourne.They were a very strong team

(unbeaten at this age group for six years) and after a very physical opening battle, Buxton scored a superb try for Sunningdale.The boys then started to pull

away scoring six superb tries.There were more blistering runs from Buxton,Ampofo mi., Senior ma. and Hopkins and some equally ferocious tackling from

Hinchliffe and Senior mi. Getting through this tough opening game was the platform for an remarkable season.The boys then followed up with convincing

wins over Ludgrove,Woodcote, Horris Hill, Dorset House and Brockhurst.With every game, the boys improved on their previous performance, particularly

their rucking and offloading.Astonishingly their average tries per game was 8 and they had only conceded one try before the last game.What was also pleasing

was to see how the younger boys (Brooks, Jackson,T Davies and Lamb) improved throughout the season. Some of their try saving tackles in the final few

games were as good as their senior peers.

The last match of the season was against Bishopsgate and it was set up perfectly,as Bishopsgate were also unbeaten.We knew we were in for a tough match

when they scored in the first minute of the game. It was by far the most physical game of the season and many of boys were feeling the pain. Despite it being

two tries all with five minutes to go our boys just ran out of energy.They conceded two late tries and they lost 4-2. It was such a shame they couldn't quite

pull-off the perfect season but I am sure they will have learnt more from that game than all of the others put together. It has been an absolute honour

coaching them and they should feel extremely proud of their achievements.Their future at Sunningdale looks incredibly bright - very well done boys!

Played 7 Won 6 Lost 1

A.J.L.


6/8

Ski Trip

We had a wonderful week in Val dIsere. The sun did not shine as much of some of us would have liked but the snow was fantastic and the skiing excellent.

All the boys improved thanks to the brilliant ski instructors, the beginners were doing parallel turns after one week. At the end of the week there was a

very competitive slalom race where Sviridov pipped Clegg at the post, the adult race was equally competitive! The chalet was perfect and we were so well

looked after by all the staff, the chef was the best we had ever had on a ski trip. We are hoping to book the same place next year, so if you are hoping to join

us, get in early to secure a place. ACD

Ski Races

This year's IAPS ski races were held in Passo

Tonale, Italy.A group of four boys led by Bonham-

Lloyd spent five days competing against 170

competitors in a slalom final held on Thursday

March 9th.The boys competed well with Hart

achieving the quickest time of 0.59'34 despite abad stomach that had dogged him for two days.

Bonham-Lloyd wiped out in his first run and thus

ran the second too cautiously, unable to break

the one minute barrier. Clegg put in a very

promising performance giving a hint of what he

may achieve next year. Lea put in a gentlemans

performance.

All in all we had a wonderful time as we always

do, it is a great event and a fine opportunity for

budding skiers to test themselves in a solid

competition that makes good allowance for all

abilities and speeds. No medals this year, you

need to break the 50 second mark for that, butHart came 16th (Clegg 34th) and in a field of 174

that's not bad at all.

Squash

We had a close match against Ludgrove this term

which, although we lost 4-2, came down to only a

couple of points before the score could have

been reversed. The boys were playing deter-

mined squash and quickly had to get used to the

warmer courts.

In the match against Woodcote House the boys

were very keen for a win. Having played them

twice the previous term with one win apiece it

was all to play for.The challenge was made even

harder with our number one being ruled out with

an injury.We started off well winning the first

three matches, the boys were in fine form.The

last game we all knew would be a challenge with

Sperling stepping up to try and claim the number

one spot, he unfortunately ended up losing 16-21

but had a great game.Well done to Sperling, Lea

and MacDonald-Buchanan and Silva mi. on a good

team win.

In the school competitions, in the Seniors,Silva

Alvear ma beat Sperling and in the Juniors, Hopton

beat Kim. G.J.S-B

Cross Country

We entered into two big Cross country meets

and were optimistic about our chances.

The Horris Hill meet had a few boys that really

stood out. U9 Hinchcliffe (top 10 finish),Ampofo,

Senior ma and Senior mi. all ran well. In the

U11s Hopton, Mayo and Beckworth-Moore allfinished one after the other and all in the top 20.

For the U13s Campbell-Breeden had a fantastic

run and came in third with Bonham-Lloyd not far

behind, helping the senior team finish third overall.

A mention must be made of Jackson who

unfortunately missed his U9 race but then

decided to run with the u13s for fun and finished

in the top 25, watch this space.

The Oratory run saw us come up against some

much bigger schools and a very long course.

Mayo had a solid run for the U12 team and came

in the top 20. H.E.


7/8

Fives

Some very exciting results this term as Sunningdale were crowned winners of the Prep School Fives Plate (Sunningdale 2 were Silva Alvear mi and James)

and the U12 Fives Championships Plate (Sunningdale 2 were M Russell and Hopton). In the U12 Championships our first pair reached the semi-final

comfortably and then ran Highgate I closer than anyone has for a while and in the Prep Schools tournament our first pair lost by the narrowest of margins

to Summer Fields I.

The quantity has backed up the quality of our boys' performance with some of the largest teams we have fielded. We took 7 pairs to play Highgate at Eton

early on in the term and we took 6 pairs to the U12 Championships where all pairs reached a semi-final or better in their respective competitions. There ismuch to look forward to next year as our U12 pair have beaten everyone except Highgate who they have firmly in their sights. M Russell has also played a

number of senior matches for the school (with a very respectable amount of success) although officially still under 10. The other U10 and U9 players have

been training hard and have already had a taste of what Highgate can do. They will need to put their mind to it seriously next year to turn the tables in

future years.

In the school competitions, in the Seniors, Silva Alvear ma & mi beat Gaba and James, in the Juniors, M. Russell and Hopton beat Senior ma andAmpofo mi.

The Top Step competition in the Seniors, Silva Alvear ma beat Macdonald Buchanan and in the Juniors, M. Russell beat Hopton. G.J.S-B

Activities


8/8

Obituary

Sir John Horsbrugh-Porter

Sir John came to

us from Emanuel

School to teach

History and for

twelve years heenthralled, amused

and intrigued the

boys with his

encyclopaedic

knowledge of the

subject. He entered

into all aspects of

school life, taking

junior games with a t otal disregard for suitable

clothing. He was a large man, remembered

for his stage performances; on one notable

occasion appearing as a fairy. Many boys will

recall his frequent use of the blackboard, not

always finding it easy to decipher his unique

calligraphy.

Music

Musical activity has continued at Sunningdale with many positive achievements throughout the department.We were very pleased with the news that

William Miles has gained a full Music Scholarship to Harrow School starting in September.He has worked tremendously hard and made very significant

progress,and his success is well deserved.

We had two very successful Informal Concert given by pupils. Items ranged from beginner level to the more advanced and the concert at the end of term

included ensemble items from the Guitar group and three pieces from the Choir. I am pleased that a number of small instrumental groups have been formed

recently giving boys the chance to play in chamber groups as well as by themselves.

J. Kim, Hopton, Miles and H. Russell gave a short

concert for parents of new boys who came for the

Assessment Morning, and his was very well re-

ceived, and many in the audience commented on

the maturity of the performers and the confident

way they played and sang.

We were pleased to welcome pianist Peter Hurst

from Sheffield who came to give a concert on two

pianos with Mr Lea on Sunday 3rd March which

was appreciated by the audience of pupils and

parents. It is hoped we can make a regular feature

of these Sunday evening concerts given by visitingprofessionals and look forward to soprano Rachel

Louise Marsh who will be coming to us next term

on April 28th.

This term 14 boys took ABRSM music examinations

and preparatory tests and we are hoping for

successes when the results are published.

Chapel Choir have sung a wide variety of anthems at our Sunday services. In the second half of term these have included Ave Verum by Mozart, the Agnus

Die from the Mass for St Benedict by M. Rizza, and The Prayer which was made famous by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.

Our peripatetic music staff work very hard each week giving lessons to a large number of boys in the school and supporting our concerts and events. If your

son does not have individual lessons and would like to start, we have some vacancies for boys to start or take up a second instrument. Over the years I have

talked to many adults who regretted not having lessons when they were younger, and I am keen that all our boys have the opportunity to try learning aninstrument whilst at the school. If you want more details please email me on [email protected] or telephone me via the school office.

SJL

Harrow Football

school notes lent 2013

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