Issue No.52 February 1998
Issue No.52 February 1998
| FROM THE HEADTEACHER
I am very sorry to have to inform you that Mrs J Baker, Head of Biology, died on Monday, 23rd February following a long illness. Mrs Baker has taught at Therfield for 22½ years and there are literally thousands of students who will have been taught and influenced by her. Many owe their university places and careers to her guidance. We shall miss her very much. She leaves a husband and four children. In due course we shall want to organise a more lasting memorial at the school. Mrs Baker's funeral service will be held on I Wednesday 4th March at 1.30 pm in Reigate. Many staff and a number of pupils wish to pay their respects and school will close on Wednesday at 12.30. Pupils who cannot get home may stay and work in the Resource Centre. The Year 9 Parents' Evening will take place as planned. Food will be served at break in the Dining Hall. Revision Skills - 76 Year 11 students chose to spend a day of their half term break at a Study Skills Seminar at Therfield. The overwhelming view was that it would make a difference when GCSEs came round in May. One satisfied customer said, "I'm glad I came. The day has taught me a lot. I feel I will use what I have learnt today when I revise". Over 30 parents came to a separate session in the evening to learn how they could support and encourage their 'revising sons and daughters'. Both parents and students were impressed by the lively manner of the presentation. Typical comments - "the seminar was fun as well as being informative" and "it will be helpful to me and my parents - they won't have to tell me off all the time" - praise indeed! Astro-Turf - we are now using the new Astro-Turf facility for hockey, football and general games training. The floodlights have yet to be installed and work on enlarging and improving the changing rooms has just started. A formal opening ceremony will be held when the final handover takes place, in the meantime pupils seem to delight in the new surface although one or two bumps and grazes remind them that grass is best if you are going to fall over! Grateful thanks - a generous gift of 180 computers from our new neighbours Halliburton, Brown and Root means that we have been able to update our computer provision in the Sixth Form, Resource Centre, English Department and around the school generally. The firm were upgrading their present computers and we were delighted to accept what, for us, was a very useful and much-needed resource. Although the Governors have made provision for the updating of our Information Technology resources, no school of Therfield's size can have too many computers, particularly when everything can so quickly go out of date. To this end, we are again collecting Tesco computer vouchers and Mr Hill looks to you to register your support with the scheme being run by Sainsbury's stores so he can obtain extra sports equipment. French Exchange for Year 9 - A letter went out on Friday before half term inviting parents of all those going on the Exchange to an Information Evening on Tuesday, 3rd March at 7 pm. Mr Boucry, asks everyone to make sure that all necessary forms have been returned, including photos and cheques. Pupils have also been given details of their French partners and should have written a short letter in French or English to welcome them to Therfield - again please check that this has been done. Our Sixth Formers returned from Riom on Wednesday where they had met up again very quickly with their French partners who had an enjoyable stay here earlier in the month. The French students spent some time in school taking part in joint lessons and were impressed by the amount of French literature included in the A Level syllabus. They visited London on a number of occasions and, together with Therfield staff and students, spent a day in Cambridge. Therfield on Skis - The half term holiday saw over 100 of our pupils enjoying a skiing holiday. Forty students from the Sixth Form and Year 11 went to Serre Chevalier in France led by Mr Hill and had a wonderful time. The skiing was excellent, the weather fantastic and the après ski, including visits to an ice hockey match, ten pin bowling and a disco, much enjoyed. Mrs Wingrove organised Ski Austria '98 for 62 pupils from Years 8, 9 and 10 - a visit that was described as being "hugely successful". All the pupils made excellent progress on skis and enjoyed five days of wonderful sunshine. An intriguing local custom was introduced into the disco entertainment - this was a competition for hammering nails into a log. Looking ahead - letters will be going out shortly giving information about Ski Austria `99 for younger pupils and Mr Hill will doubtless be running his well established Ski Trip again in 1999 for the seniors. Congratulations to Louise Simpkins from Year 8 on gaining a Certificate of Excellence for her entry in the Young Tie Designers competition organised by the Guild of British Tie Makers. Louise produced a 'fun' design tie depicting the British breakfast showing a fried egg, sausage, tomato and bacon on a background of baked beans! The judges commented that she showed considerable creativity and they had been impressed by the quality of entry from Therfield. More than 50 schools took part submitting over 4000 designs. The overall winner came from Guildford with a more conventional peacock theme. Spelling - Mr Puzey's tutor group raised most money in the Year 7 Sponsored Spell and have won the newly donated plaque to hang in their tutor room. This will be competed for each year by Year 7 pupils as they seek to improve their spelling and at the same time raise money for books which will add to their enjoyment of reading. Prayer Group - The next meeting will be held at the school at 8 pm on Monday, 16th March. Creative Writing - The Trinidadian writer and poet Amryl Johnson spent a day at the school taking workshops on creative writing with Sixth Formers and giving a talk on poetry set for GCSE study to Year 11 pupils. They were able to read and comment on her recently published anthology of poems - Tread Carefully in Paradise and enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions of a published writer. Visa Card Scheme - the Friends of the school are asking all parents to consider taking out a Therfield School Visa Card administered by the Co-op Bank. It works exactly the same way as any other credit card with the twin benefits of a competitive interest rate and a donation to the school. The Co-op is offering a bonus for any cards applied for up until the end of March of a £10 donation to the school (instead of the normal £5) and we also receive 25p for each £100 spent using the card. This may not seem much but if 50 people joined and spent £100 per month using the card, Therfield would receive £800! Another plus is that the card carries no annual charge. Contact Ann Jenner on 01372 275172 for more information. News from the Friends - March 6th is the date for a Super Fun Quiz Evening. Tickets at £3 for adults and £2 for students can be obtained from the school. Teams of six are required or take 'pot luck' on the night. There will be a prompt start with the first question asked at 7.35 pm! An evening of dancing to the sounds of Ad-Lib takes place on March 14th 8.00 - 11.30 pm. Tickets £6.50 including supper. Please remember we still need prizes for the Grand Draw to take place at Cabaret Evening in the Summer Term. The Craft Fair will have a Sunday date for the first time - put November 1st in your diaries. The Line Dancing evening proved to be a money spinner as well as fulfilling its primary function of a happy social occasion and £700 was raised. The Jumble Sale was again a success, also raising £700, but it involved a lot of work as so few volunteers could help on the day. Badminton - good luck to our U14 Badminton squad who compete in the national finals at Luton on 8th March. The boys won all their matches, both singles and doubles, in the SE area contest held at Haywards Heath earlier this month. They are still fighting hard to keep their Surrey Schools title and recently beat Hampton School 5 - 4. Basketball - Guildford Pumas will be running coaching clinics for Year 8 pupils at the school on Wednesdays 3.30 - 4.30 pm for £2 a session. The first session was held this week. Cross Country - Sixth Formers Emily Nelson and Sarah McMahon have been selected to run for Surrey at the English Schools Championships. Football - having reached the last 32 of the English Schools Cup and scored 22 goals on the way, our 1st team went down 4 - 1 to the champions from Bucks. Music - some tickets (£4 each and children free) for tonight's concert (7.30 pm start) can be purchased at the door. The Main Choir will give a full scale performance of the famous Requiem by Mozart and the Lower School singers will perform the informal 'world premiere' of a highly enjoyable work called 'Dragons'. A second chance to hear the Requiem takes place in the candle-lit setting of St Barnabas Church, Ranmore on March 6th and Therfield Singers will join with other choirs to perform 'Dragons' on March 11th, accompanied by Guildford Philharmonic. Orchestra. Venue is Dorking Halls. WOULD YOU LIKE TO .... Celebrate a special birthday ? Run a disco? Organise a firm's social? Hold an inter-departmental sports evening? Why not try our facilities at Therfield School? Contact: Tony Cattle (01372 818123) Diary Dates for March: |