What's New?
"What's New?" is published fortnightly. The latest version can be read below - archive copies can be dowloaded by clicking on the links.
Archive:
[Issue 100 - 14 September 2007] [.doc download]
[Issue 101 - 28 September 2007] [.doc download]
[Issue 102 - 12 October 2007] [.doc download]
[Issue - 103 - 19 October 2007] [.doc download]
[Issue - 104 - 16 November 2007] [.doc download]
[Issue - 105 - 30 November 2007] [.doc download]
[Issue - 106 - 14 December 2007] [.doc download]
Current Issue - 107 - 11 January 2008
Dear Parents
Welcome to the first Spring Term 2008 edition of What’s New?. I hope that you all had a joyful Christmas and a happy New Year.
This term we welcome a number of new members of staff: Miss Kerri Fox, Housemistress of More House; Mrs Gill O’Riley, Assistant Registrar; and Mrs Angelique Steadman, Receptionist. We also welcome our four new GAP Assistants from Australia: Miss Anna Prell, Miss Laura East, Miss Sophia Kent and Miss Sophie Dixon.
Oxbridge Successes
Congratulations to Donald Lee, Year 13, who has been offered a place at Churchill College, Cambridge, to read Natural Sciences, from September 2008. We were also delighted to hear that Imogen Lowe, who set New Hall’s record with 12A*s at GCSE, has secured a place at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, to read English. Samantha Jones, who was in Imogen’s Year Group, has now started at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, were she is reading Medieval and Modern Languages. There is of course intense competition for places at Oxford and Cambridge and we are proud of the success of these New Hall students.
Parents’ Forum: Supervised Study
The next Parents’ Forum meeting will take place on Tuesday, 15 January 2008 at 4.15pm in the North Room. The item for discussion on this occasion will be supervised study. The meeting is open to all parents of students in the Senior School and parents of Year 6 pupils in the Preparatory School. We look forward to seeing you on this occasion.
English Department News
The Interpretation of Text Competition
For the first time there will be two finals for the Interpretation of Text Competition. Years 10 and 11 are invited to read a poem from the AQA Anthology as part of their GCSE assessment, with a final to take place on Tuesday evening, 6 February. The Year 7 and 8 final will be held in March. All competitors will read a poem of their own choice.
Public Speaking
The New Year will also see the launch of a round of inter-House public speaking events for Years 7, 8 and 9. The finals of these events will take place in the Summer Term.
Sport
Horse Riding
We would like to review our horse riding provision for students in both the Senior and Preparatory Schools and we would welcome hearing from any parents who feel they have a particular interest or suggestions to contribute. Please would you contact Mrs Linda Moule, Vice Principal, on L.Moule@newhallschool.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.
Vaccinations
The consent forms for Diptheria, Tetanus and Polio booster vaccinations that were sent out at the end of last term should only have been sent to students in Year 10. Please accept our apologies for any confusion.
The vaccinations for Year 10 will take place on Wednesday, 6 February 2008. Please return the consent form to the Health Centre as soon as possible.
Dance Show - Poppins ’08
What are you going to do for shopping after Christmas? Problem solved: join the Poppins ’08 costume committee! We need buyers, sewers, prop makers and general helpers so if you are interested please contact Mrs Maamri at Dance@newhallschool.co.uk or 01245 467 588 (ext 302), Tina O’Hare on 07887 592 449 or Lucy Brignell on 07754 735 249.
Literary Dinner
Advance warning of a date for your diary! The Literary Dinner in 2008 will be held on Saturday, 4 October 2008. Our guest speaker will be the popular historian and writer, Alison Weir. Booking forms and details will be available later this term.
Travel
Mrs Schwier (Annabel, Year 10) is seeking a lift-share from Colchester for Mondays and Fridays. If you are able to help please contact the Travel Secretary, Mrs Ginette Phillips, on 01245 467 588.
Funeral Service
We were sad to hear the news of the death of Thos Parsons, aged 95, in the New Year. Thos was well known to many at New Hall, having worked closely with the Community and the school through his work at FJ French, the building firm which was used by New Hall for many years. Most notably, FJ French rebuilt the main building after it was bombed in World War II and, over subsequent decades, they went on to build the Preparatory School, Campion House, More House New Wing, Walkfares and the Swimming Pool.
Thos was a good friend and benefactor of New Hall. He generously gave personal donations for many Scholarships and Bursaries for the benefit of our students, including the FJ French Drama Award and the Parsons’ Award for Mathematics and Science. Most recently he kindly donated £1,000 for the New Hall Organ Appeal, just weeks before his death.
Long before the era of major recycling schemes, Thos physically arranged a weekly mass collection of old newspapers for charity, donating the proceeds to help fund the annual Lourdes pilgrimage.
Fr Michael Butler, New Hall Governor and former Chaplain to the Religious Community, will be conducting the funeral service in New Hall Chapel at noon on Thursday, 17 January. All are welcome to join the family, friends, school and Community for the funeral. Some of his ashes will go to the cemetery at New Hall and the family will have a bench made for Thos there, in his memory.
Yours sincerely
Katherine Jeffrey
PRINCIPAL
The next edition of What’s New? will be issued in two weeks’ time. If you have any news which you would like published in an edition of What’s New?, please email a.brown@newhallschool.co.uk.
Forthcoming Events:
Tue, 15 Jan 1.15pm North Room Recital
Tue, 15 Jan 4.15pm Parents’ Forum Meeting, North Room
Wed, 16 Jan All Day Year 9 Away Day
Thu, 17 Jan 7.00pm Ski Trip Parents’ Meeting
Fri, 18 Jan 6.30pm Year 9 Options Evening, North Room
Thu, 24 Jan 7.00pm Confirmation, School Chapel
Chess
This week it is White to move and deliver a forced checkmate. Don’t forget the British Land UK Chess Challenge in the Spring Term, sign up with Mr Peck as soon as possible.
