29th June 2007
Dear Friends of Crescent,
The annual FoC summer barbeque has been cancelled due to the poor weather and subsequent lack of interest. Further details to follow.
I have recently seen an advertisement in the local media about 11+ preparation that angered me considerably. I regard it as nothing short of scare mongering. Where this person gets her information from I can’t imagine – how can she possibly know that the questions asked in the 11+ tests will be harder than those available in practice papers? It certainly hasn’t been the case in the past. Mrs. Ovens has been preparing children from other schools for these tests for many years and she offers her thoughts later in this letter.
I hope to see many of you at school events over the next two weeks. All of them are open to anyone who wishes to attend but we have only limited room for those wishing to see the musical production of Alice in Wonderland. We therefore have to make entry to the performances by ticket only. The box office will be open in the library for 15 minutes both before and after school with tickets costing a nominal £1 – but as children will be selling the tickets I would ask that the exact money is tendered, please. Performances are arranged for Wednesday, 11th July at 7.00 p.m. and Thursday, 12th at 2.30 p.m. The dress rehearsal is scheduled for 2.15 p.m. on Monday, 9th in front of the school; there will be room at this for parents who are unable to attend either of the performances but, again, we ask you to purchase a ticket in advance.
With best wishes
R H Marshall
Thoughts on the 11+
As some of you may know I am a fully qualified teacher of mathematics and have taught maths, statistics and computer studies to G.C.S.E and ‘A’ level in state secondary schools in Leicestershire prior to concentrating mainly on Speech & Drama teaching in Rugby. I have also been a ‘Consultant Statistician’ to an examination board for the last 13 years.
I am still involved in preparation for the 11+ and was dismayed to read an advertising article in a local free newspaper about coaching for the 11+ due to the ‘recent changes’ in structure and syllabus. If any Crescent parents have read it please, please do not be concerned. The changes made to the actual examination are negligible and in fact The Crescent School has used N.F.E.R. tests throughout the school for many years so their style is not new to our students. Some of the facts detailing types of questions in the article are misleading if not inaccurate. The only really new approach to the examination this year is that all children will be taking the examination at centres other than their own schools. This will ensure total fairness of implementation of monitoring procedures: as a private school, The Crescent has always had an external monitor present during the examinations.
Within our normal curriculum at The Crescent children are given sufficient preparation to achieve their potential. Excessive preparation for examinations at any age leads to stress in students and is counter productive. At the end of the day all most parents want is for their children (and I have three!) to be happy.
P. Ovens
Weekly Times
Monday, 2nd July
12.20 - 12.50 No Recorders—Class IV
13.05 - 13.45 Ballet - Reception
13.05 - 13.45 No Senior Games – Classes V & VI
14.00 - 15.45 Senior Sports Day – Classes III – VI at Ken Marriot Athletics Track ref. Mrs Gove & Mr Long
15.45 - 16.30 No Choir
15.45 - 16.30 Pre-Prep Games – Classes I & II
Tuesday, 3rd
12.50 - 13.20 Times-Tables Challenge
13.05 - 13.45 School Council – alternate weeks
13.15 - 13.45 Brass Group
14.00 Princethorpe College Induction Afternoon
15.45 - 16.45 No Girls’ Games – Classes V & VI
15.45 - 16.45 Writers’ Guild
Wednesday, 4th
Rehearsal in school for “Alice” ref. Mrs Ovens
12.20 - 13.00 Ballet – Class V
13.05 - 13.45 Reception Art Club
13.05 - 13.45 Ballet – Classes V & VI
15.45 - 16.45 No Junior Girls’ Games—Classes III & IV
15.45 - 16.30 Senior Boys’ Games—Classes V & VI
15.45 - 16.45 Camera Club
Thursday, 5th
Rehearsal in school for “Alice” ref. Mrs Ovens
11.00 Reception Class Swimming Taster Day
12.20 - 13.00 Ballet—Classes III & IV
12.20 - 13.00 Library
13.05 - 13.45 Ballet—Classes II & III
14.30 Classes III & IV host “World War II” sing-a-long – all welcome
15.45 - 17.00 Art Club
15.50 - 16.50 Tap & Modern Dance
16.00 Staff Meeting
Friday, 6th
Rehearsal in school for “Alice” ref. Mrs Ovens
09.00 depart Nursery, Reception, I & II
15.30 return to Ash End House Farm ref Mr Webb
12.20 - 13.00 No Ballet—Class II
12.20 - 13.00 Junior Boys’ Games – Classes III & IV
12.20 - 12.50 String Group
13.05 - 13.45 No Ballet– Class I
13.15 - 13.45 Wind Group
15.45 - 16.45 Orchestra
15.45 “FOC” Market Day hosted by Classes V & VI
Sunday, 8th
14.30 - 16.30 Rehearsals for “Alice” ref. Mrs Ovens
World War II Sing-a-long
Classes III and IV have spent a term learning about World War II in Music and History. On Thursday, 5th July we are inviting anybody of any age to join us for a sing-a-long. It starts at 2.30 pm in the Barrett Hall – the more the merrier!
S. Lowe, B. Forth and J. Burt
Athletics News
Rugby Middle Schools Athletics Town Championships
Saturday, 7th July
This event has now been CANCELLED because of a variety of difficulties including staff illness and the weather.
Sports Day
Monday, 2nd July at Ken Marriot Track
from 2 pm to 3.45 pm.
All parents of Classes III to VI are warmly invited to Sports Day.
Could I bring two points to your attention:
Firstly, if it rains on the day the decision to cancel will not be made before 12.30, so please do not telephone the school before this time. If we do have to cancel then we will not be re-booking the buses and track again so a smaller in-house competition will be held.
Secondly, for those parents with children in the Pre-prep Dept., please collect your older children from the track before collecting younger children from school. Mr Webb and all the teachers will look after them until you can get back to school.
Let’s hope for a change in the weather and another enjoyable occasion.
Results of the Bromsgrove Athletics Meeting
We were very lucky and completed the whole programme of events without getting wet!
We had an afternoon of good, friendly competition and it was great to see many of the green Crescent vests doing so well in both track and field events.
Although not all the results have reached us yet, we do know that Class IV, Florence Chapman and Laura Smith all won their events. There were many more successes too.
Laura Smith now has the opportunity to compete at a Nationals Competition at the Alexandra Stadium.
Well done everyone who competed, thanks to parents for their support, Mrs Lowe who helped at the long jump pit with me and Mr Long who sat in our deck chair managing the “team”!
C. Gove
Hannah Allroggen in Class III is doing the Coventry Fun Run on Sunday (rain or shine) in aid of Diabetes UK.
If anyone would like to sponsor her please contact Karen on 01788 811809 (or catch her at school)
Nursery News
This week we have been talking about “farm vehicles, machines and tools”. We were very lucky to have a visit from Mr Gray and his tractor. The children enjoyed sitting in the driver’s seat and talking to Mr Gray about his job.
We talked about crops and sowing seeds and which machines the farmer needs to carry out his jobs. We had some real wheat and oats for the children to smell and we talked about different breakfast cereals and the journey from crops to the supermarket.
Thank you, Mr Gray, for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit us. The children were very excited to see a real tractor on the playground!!
Just a reminder:
Could you please return the permission sheet for the Ash End Farm visit on Friday, 6th July, if you have not yet done so.
Thank you.
Next week: On the Farm
C. McGrellis
FOC News
It is with much regret that we took the decision to cancel the barbecue. More on that later.
Final date for your diary – Market Day Year 5 & 6 on Friday 6th July, any donations of cakes, toys and books that the children have out grown would be gratefully appreciated.
Jackie Daniel