1 Issue No 34/2015-2016

Thetford Grammar School

The small, friendly school that gets results for individuals.

1st July 2016

Dear Pupils and Parents,

Colonel Braden, Mathematics Teacher here at Thetford Grammar School, led this morning’s

very moving commemoration, 100 years to the day, to those who fought and laid down their

lives in the Battle of the Somme. It was made poignantly clear that some very young boys,

equivalent to many of our current Year 8s, sacrificed their lives in defence of their country.

Let us sincerely hope that we might learn the lessons from past conflicts. A special mention

to Miss Emma Bailey, Head of History, Wing Cdr Phil McGahan, School Bursar, and to

Megan Curley, Head Girl and William Honeywood, Head Boy for assisting with the

organisation of this school event.

On Monday and Tuesday this week, all pupils had the opportunity to participate in our

Sports Days. Well done to all the competitors for some fantastic achievements in both

individual and team events. I was particularly impressed and pleased at how well all

children were cheered and supported by other pupils. Thank you to the many parents who

came along to support the school. My appreciation to Mr Stuart Simpson, Head of PE, Mrs

Alison Alecock, Head of Girls’ PE, Mr Michael Hill, PE Teacher, Mrs Sue Collins, PE Teacher

and Theo Bailey and the Facilities team for organising such a fun competitive and enjoyable

two-day event.

TGS Summer Fete 2016…

Do please come along tomorrow, Saturday 2nd July, to our Summer Fete. This starts at

10.30am with cricket – TGS v OTA, on our top playing fields. The Drama department will be

putting on plays in Fulmerston Hall from 12.00pm for you to enjoy. From 12.30pm onwards

there will be fun for all ages, competitions, games, food and refreshments. Our planned

assault course, as advertised, will not be available as we have not been provided with

correct documentation in advance of the event. Instead we shall have a bouncy castle for our

youngest visitors!

Many, many members of the PSA have been instrumental in organising this final, whole-

school event for this academic year and thank you to Theo Bailey and the Facilities team

who helped with the setting up of the event. Do come along with friends and families to

support your school.

Mr Mark S. Bedford

Headmaster

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OVERVIEW

PSA Summer Fete 2nd July Creative Media Camp

Remembrance – The Somme Request for Biscuit Tins/Jam Jars

Y11 Prom Stamps & Foreign Coins

Sports Days 2016 Flu Vaccinations

Norfolk Show Nearly New Uniform Shop Opening Times

Sand in Science Congratulations

Year 2 DT Match Results

Eco Council Tree Planting Next Week’s Fixtures

Prep School Assembly with Mr Clarke Lost Property

Y6 Moving On Gift Attachments

Whitenoise 16 Forthcoming letters/Letters sent home

Adult Choir

PSA SUMMER FETE 2ND JULY

We are holding our Summer Fete on Saturday 2nd July. The day will

begin with the annual OTA v TGS Cricket match over on the main sports

field. The Drama department will be putting on plays in Fulmerston Hall

from 12.00pm for you to enjoy.

We will then move across to the back field behind Cloisters where there

will be a selection of stalls and refreshments available for you to browse and a Bouncy Castle

for those who are feeling energetic!

Pupils are encouraged to bake cupcakes in their House Colours; Red - Reeds, Blue - Coles,

Green - Millingtons and Yellow – Cronsheys, and these will be entered into the ‘Decorate a

Cupcake’ competition. Entries should be submitted no later than 1.00pm on the day of the

Summer Fete. There will be a table on the field for the cupcakes. There will be a prize for the

house with the most entries and a prize for the winning cupcake in each House.

If you bake extra cupcakes that you would like to donate to the bake sale, they can also be

brought in on the day and can be sold with the teas and coffees.

Donations of bottles for the Bottle Tombola, good condition unwanted toys and cuddly

teddies and of course cakes which are always popular would be appreciated.

As always we will need plenty of help on the day so if you are able to come in and help set

up or man a stall we would be very grateful.

Thank you as always for your continued support.

Mrs Cathie Reynolds

School Secretary

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REMEMBRANCE – THE SOMME

Thousands of soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme

were remembered today as the school paid tribute to those

killed in the historic battle which started 100 years ago on 1st

July 1916. Colonel Steve Braden, who is also our Mathematics

teacher, led the morning assembly. A moving service was held

later that morning and a wreath was placed in Old School to remember those who lost their

lives in World War I including 36 Old Boys and 2 members of staff.

Following the assembly Mr Bedford, Wing Cdr McGahan,

Colonel Braden, Head Boy and Head Girl for September 2016

Will Honeywood and Megan Curley laid a wreath in Old School

by the Book of Remembrance.

Mrs Sue Roochove

Marketing Officer

Y11 PROM

On the evening of Thursday 23rd June our Y11 pupils

brought the curtain down on 5 years of success as they

held their prom night in the beautiful surrounds of

Ravenwood Hall near Bury St Edmunds. During the

previous months Miss Sherring and her prom

committee had been working tirelessly to organise

flowers, lighting, food and all the other glamorous

paraphernalia that such an event demands.

As is customary at such an event the couples arrived in

a bewildering variety of cars; all of which added to the

spectacle. The most dramatic entry came from Kendell

Norris who braved the elements to arrive by horse. This

entrance was closely followed by Sophie Rose-Land in a

Jaguar as well as at

least two vintage

cars from the

Thirties. To

complete the

bewildering range of vehicles Charlotte Long arrived

escorted by her dad in a Simon Long Removal van.

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On the night of the event the weather was as dramatic

as the entrances and ball gowns; especially as the

heavens opened and the dark moody skies provided a

gothic contrast to the Hollywood-style event below.

However nothing could dampen the enthusiasm or the

glamour of the night and TGS can be proud of another

excellent prom.

I would like to thank all the prom committee as well as Miss Bailey, Mrs Pringle, Mrs

Alecock, Mr Bedford and Mr Young (the car park attendant) for coming along to celebrate

the event.

Leavers’ Day also went very smoothly and we wish all of the 2016 Leavers’ Good Luck for

the future whether it be in the 6th Form at TGS or in pastures new. The last five years have

certainly been memorable……

Miss Amanda Sherring

Head of KS4

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SPORTS DAYS 2016

Pre-Prep/Prep

A huge well done to all of the Prep School children for taking

part in this year’s Sports Day. Everyone showed excellent

team spirit and did their very best for their Houses. The

children took part in a variety of races including Sprint,

Obstacle and Relay races as

well as the old favourites Egg

& Spoon, Beanbag and

Balancing the Quoit on the Head races. A very big well done

to the parents who took up the challenge of the Parents’ Race

which was won by Millingtons with Reeds in close second.

Coles were third and Cronsheys came fourth.

Harry Lyes KS1 Victor Ludorum Ryan Bourne KS2 Victor Ludorum

Annabella Ellis

Connie Foreman

KS1 Victrix Ludorum

KS1 Victrix Ludorum

Fearn Bourne KS2 Victrix Ludorum

Coles House Cup

In the team competition Cronsheys were in 4th place with 112

points, Reeds 3rd with 139, Millingtons 2nd with 145 and the

winners by just a single

point were Coles with 146

points.

Thank you to all of the staff

who helped ensure the day ran smoothly and to all of

the parents for your continued

support of the children.

Mr Michael Hill

PE Teacher

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Senior School

Senior School Sports Day was held on Tuesday 28th June and amazingly it stayed dry for all

events. As usual the pupils were eager to perform well for their

respective Houses and those who were not taking part were enthusiastic

in their support. It was good to parents and grandparents supporting

their children. We had two long standing records broken this year:

George Nicklin in the Junior 200m Boys

took 0.45 seconds off the previous time of

27.45 held in 2000 and Ben Hayden

increased the Javelin record by 1.49m by

throwing 35.51m breaking the previous

record from 2007.

Millingtons House were victorious on the day with 419 points

and won the House Cup and also went on to win the Tug of

War. Reeds came 2nd, Coles were 3rd, and Cronsheys were 4th.

Winners of the Victor Ludorum and Victrix Ludorum trophies

were:

Sophie Jacklin Junior Victrix Ludorum

Eleanor Pringle Intermediate Victrix Ludorum

Ellie Vinton Senior Victrix Ludorum

George Nicklin Junior Victor Ludorum

Louis Dunn Intermediate Victor Ludorum

Liam Vinton Senior Victor Ludorum

Mr Stuart Simpson

Head of PE

NORFOLK SHOW

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We had a very successful time at the Royal Norfolk Show this year. The weather mainly was

on our side and our stand was at times frequently crowded with current and past pupils as

well as prospective parents interested in finding out more about our school.

Mrs Sue Roochove

Marketing Officer

SAND IN SCIENCE

Pupils in Pre-Prep have been experimenting with sand in their

Science lessons. Sand play promotes many areas of pupils’

development. It can help strengthen their large muscles as

children use these muscles to dig, pour, scoop and shovel the

sand. As children are pouring the sand into containers this is

also improving their hand-eye coordination.

Pupils tried their very best to make sandcastles

with the dry sand, which didn’t work at all. They

just collapsed. When asked ‘Can you think why

this is?’ Annabella suggested that we add a little

bit of water as it would make the sand stickier. It

took several attempts to get the accurate

combination of sand and water. They mixed

water and sand, filled buckets and patted them

carefully to reveal their beautiful castles.

Miss Julie Blakemore

Pre-Prep Class Teacher

YEAR 2 DT

Year 2/3 have been looking at pneumatic systems over the

course of this term. They have been working towards making

a moving monster by first planning their monsters. The

monsters all came together this week and some very scary

ones were made.

Mrs Renate Dimminger

DT Teacher

ECO COUNCIL TREE PLANTING

8 Issue No 34/2015-2016

Our Eco Council welcomed a gift from the Mayor of Thetford this week - one of several fruit

trees that are being given to schools and community groups.

Mrs Sue Roochove

Marketing Officer

PREP SCHOOL ASSEMBLY WITH MR CLARKE

On Tuesday 28th June, Mr Clarke one of our peripatetic music teachers

joined our assembly. Ably assisted by Emily Bradfield Y6 and Megan

Gallacher, Y13, Mr Clarke explained all

about the saxophone and the clarinet,

how they are put together, and a little of

the history behind each instrument.

The pupils were then treated to

performances by both Emily on the

clarinet and Megan on the saxophone.

Thank you to Mr Clarke for organising

the assembly.

Mrs Nicki Peace

Head of Preparatory School.

Y6 MOVING ON GIFT

Over the past academic year, two of our Y6 pupils have built

incredibly strong bonds with all of our EYFS pupils. Maia and

Cathy have shown sincere dedication to the younger members of

the school and will often ask permission to play with EYFS on

the little playground. The two girls have shown leadership skills

whilst engaging and interacting with the younger ones and their

company on the playground is always welcomed with a sea of

happy little faces. As they move on into Y7, Cathy and Maia have

presented Pre-Prep with a Duplo Farmyard. A wonderful kind

gesture which will give Pre-Prep endless amounts of creative fun

through hands on learning experiences.

Miss Franchesca Atkins

Pre-Prep Teaching Assistant

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WHITENOISE 16

The Whitenoise 2016 Festival is being held at Euston Park Estate on 5th – 7th August. I have

attached a poster with all the information for you with details of how to purchase camping

and day tickets in advance.

Mrs Cathie Reynolds

School Secretary

ADULT CHOIR

Kathryn Rowland, wife of Mr Jason Rowland, our Peripatetic Drum/Jazz Piano teacher

would like to introduce TGS parents to her Adult Choir.

They are part of Sing! Choir! and provide high quality singing opportunities for everyone –

no need to have experience or even need to read music – just an enjoyment for singing. I

have attached a flyer which has more information if you are interested in trying it out.

For more information please visit the websites below:

www.singchoirs.com

www.musictogrowto.co.uk

Mrs Cathie Reynolds

School Secretary

CREATIVE MEDIA CAMP

There is an opportunity for current Y11 and Y12 students to attend a

free summer residential 'Creative Media Camp' from Tuesday 26th

July to Friday 29th July. Numbers are very limited and interested

parties should therefore contact

Mr Spencer by email immediately: sp@thetgram.norfolk.sch.uk

Mr Stephen Spencer

Head of Sixth Form

REQUEST FOR BISCUIT TINS/JAM JARS

Please can you provide the Prep School with any empty/clean biscuit tins

with lids, wooden boxes with lids and empty/clean jam jars with no lids.

We require these for our House Activities morning on Tuesday 5th July. If

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you are able to supply any of the above please pass onto Mrs Peace or Mrs Cracknell. Thank

you.

Mrs Nicki Peace

Head of Preparatory School

STAMPS & FOREIGN COINS

We are now collecting used stamps and surplus foreign coins for the

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity.

Stamps and coins can be brought into the School Office and left with

Mrs Reynolds or Mrs Cracknell. Please trim the stamps from your

letters leaving a 1cm gap around the stamp; it is helpful if the stamps

are separated into British and Overseas but that can be done here

before we send them off.

Most coins are useable but we cannot take old British pennies or Gaming Tokens. There are

special collection boxes for us to fill up with coins and each one of these can be worth up to

£50.

Thank you for your continued support in all of our fundraising efforts over the year.

Mrs Cathie Reynolds

School Secretary

FLU VACCINATIONS Y1-3

In 2015/2016 the influenza vaccination was offered to children in school Y1 and Y2 in

Primary Schools in England. This year the vaccine will be offered to Y1 and Y2 and will be

extended to include children in Y3. Consent forms will be sent out at the beginning of the

Autumn term.

Mrs Cathie Reynolds

School Secretary

NEARLY NEW UNIFORM SHOP OPENING TIMES

We now have a fairly extensive range of uniform in the Nearly New Uniform

shop ranging from Blazers to PE kit being sold for up to half the

recommended selling price. If there is any uniform you need to replace then

come in and have a look.

The shop will be open on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 3.45pm

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– 4.15pm manned by volunteers. If you feel you could spare some time to help in the shop it

would be very much appreciated.

Also if you have any unwanted uniform in good condition that you would like to sell on a

50/50 basis then please hand it in to me in the office and I will put it up for sale in the shop.

You can contact me on 01842 752840 or by email scsec@thetgram.norfolk.sch.uk

Mrs Cathie Reynolds

School Secretary

CONGRATULATIONS

The following pupils were awarded their Functional Skills qualification in ICT in this

morning’s whole school assembly:

Congratulations to the following pupils who received certificates from Mrs Peace in Monday

morning’s Preparatory School assembly.

Sam Sidery Sam Bercovici Max Ladell Maia Foreman Cassidy Goodwin

Ryan Bourne Jack Hendrie Annabella Ellis Tom Lyes Whole of EYFS

MATCH RESULTS

Tuesday 28th June U14 & U15 Rounders v Finborough (H) Won 14 - 8

NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURES

None

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Level 2

Andrew Forbes (absent) Alana Wilson Rory White Daisy Simons

Megan Sidery Elliott Sanders Stefan Richer Liam Dargan

Isabel Curley

Level 1

Sophie Gornall Jamie Robertson Cameron Anderson

Saturday 2nd July OTA v Staff Cricket Match 10.30am main sports field

Summer Fair 12.30pm – outside Cloisters

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LOST PROPERTY

Hamish Russell TGS Hoodie – Hamish written on the back

Aria MacFarlane-Kubota Y8 V neck school jumper - named

ATTACHMENTS

Whitenoise Festival Poster click here

Summer Fete 2nd July Poster click here

FORTHCOMING LETTERS/LETTERS SENT HOME

None

If you would like a printed copy of this newsletter please contact the office

Monday 4th July Y9 Bowling Trip Mr G’s 1.30pm – 4.00pm

There will be no Y4-Y6 Sports Club after school with Mr Hill on Monday 4th July due to a school

trip.

Tuesday 5th July Morocco Expedition depart 10.00am

Summer Concert, Williamson Hall 7.00pm

Prep School House Activities Morning in Prep School Classrooms

Thursday 7th July Y6 Leavers’ Assembly 9.00am Williamson Hall

Friday 8th July House Quiz Competition

Last day of term

There will be no Maths Clinic after school on Friday 8th July as it is the last day of term.

Tuesday 19th July Morocco Expedition return

Sunday 24th July –

Friday 29th July

DofE Silver Qualifying

Thursday 4th August –

Thursday 11th August

DofE Gold Practice/Qualifying

Sunday 7th August Wayland Show, Watton

Thursday 18th August A-Level Results’ Day

Thursday 25th August GCSE Results’ Day

Monday 5th September Autumn Term starts