Issue o 17 Weekly ewsletter from the Headmaster www ... · Under 11 Cricket vs St. Petroc’s A...

Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster www.shebbearcollege.co.uk

26th May 2017Issue No 137

Dear Parents,

I managed to jinx Sports Day by announcing on Monday that the weather forecast looked really promising. How silly! It was Sports Day so of course it rained. However, this did not defeat our indefatigable organiser Mr Steel who stared down the drizzle and was eventually rewarded by brightening weather and some excellent athletic performances. The whole event was a triumph for our school community with good-natured competition and wholehearted support from parents and relatives.

There was a similar warm feeling of support at our Chamber Concert on Wednesday evening when a number of our most accomplished musicians performed their current performance pieces. The evening was held in conjunction with the Torrington Rotary Club and as an event will grow from strength to strength as the local community learn of the musical excellence they are able to witness at Shebbear.

Today marks the end of the formal teaching of the class of 2017. These poor young 18 year olds have been subjected to endless changes to the education system throughout their school career and are the guinea-pigs in the new type of A level that now assesses students after two years (rather than half the course in the first year and half the course in the second year). As such there was a restrained studiousness at school today focused on final revision rather than the ‘rites of passage’ joy there has been in the past. Good luck to them all in the weeks ahead and I am sure there will be time for them to let their hair down in the summer.

Everyone has been taking exams of some sort this week and this combined with such a harrowing week for our nation makes next week’s break even more appealing. I wish you all a peaceful and relaxing holiday.

Simon Weale

Some excellent athletic performances during Sports Day this week



Among the children’s achievements outside of school, Harry and Cameron played their final cricket league game for North Devon recently and although the match ended in a draw, the result meant that their team won the Devon District League. We also heard in assembly about Harry’s recent horse riding successes and he will shortly be involved in further Horse of the Year qualifying shows after half-term. The very best of luck to him.

A special mention this week must go to Rosie, as she took take part in the prestigious Senior School Rotary Club charity concert. Rosie performed superbly on her cello, as a member of the Senior String Ensemble and was a terrific ambassador for the Prep School, holding her own magnificently in her solo line. This is even more impressive when you consider that Rosie only started learning to play the cello in September.

The second half of term is an extremely busy time, with plenty to look forward to. In the meantime, I hope you have a very good half-term and our Pre-School children are certainly looking forward to their Ugly Bug Ball party and picnic this afternoon, just before they head off on their break.

Matthew Foale

Year 5 NewsYear 5 seem to do nothing but eat and drink in class, but they certainly make the most of their Cookery lesson when it comes around! This week they learnt how to make homemade lemonade and four different flavours of popcorn; some sweet and some savoury.

They have also been researching the history of Lydford in preparation for their visit to the village as part of their Anglo-Saxon topic. They all have high hopes of finding an Anglo-Saxon silver Lydford penny on their travels and making their fortunes.

Shebbear Under 10 Football TournamentShebbear’s annual 7-a-side football tournament took place on Friday 12th May, with nine under 10 teams taking part. In the group matches, the Shebbear team played extremely well, winning three games and drawing one. A 2-0 win against St. Joseph’s, saw goals from William Pomroy and Billy Finch (a spectacular overhead bicycle kick). A narrow 3-2 win against Appledore followed, with two goals from Alfie Sealey and another from Billy. The third match was a

News from the Prep SchoolDear Parents,

We have certainly been blessed with some glorious weather this week our trips and sports fixtures, as well as normal playtimes, lessons and activities for the children. Our children in Years 3 and 4 spent Wednesday at Rosemoor Gardens and yesterday, our Year 5 children visited Lydford as part of their Anglo-Saxon topic. There has also been a full set of cricket and rounders fixtures for our under 9s and under 11s.

One of our assemblies this week focused on helping others and what we can do on a daily basis to support those around us. The children heard about examples of events where people have stopped what they are doing to go above and beyond and help individuals in a variety of different ways. With the tragic events in Manchester on Monday evening uppermost in our minds, our thoughts and prayers have gone out to all of those children and their families affected.

Congratulations to Freddie, Axel, Jethro, Jack, Maddie and Max for winning last week’s Golden Stickers and to Tom, Jonathon-Michael, James, Bethan, Seb and Toby for winning this week’s. The latest BAFTAs (Behaviour Award For Thoughtful Actions) have been awarded to Alfie and James, with the Manners Medals going to Rory and Freddie. Well done to all of these children.



competitive 0-0 draw against Bradworthy and then a 4-1 win against Monkleigh (two goals each from Alfie and Billy) saw the team qualify for the semi-finals.

Throughout these matches, Ben Clewley was very strong in goal, pulling off some brave saves. William Pomroy and Jack Saltmarsh worked well together in defence and the midfield trio of Finlay Stanton, Alfie Sealey and James Horrocks covered a lot of ground in attack and defence. Billy Finch, as striker, made life difficult for the opposition defenders, scoring some excellent goals during the afternoon.

A 3-0 defeat in the semi-finals against the eventual winners Langtree showed much determination from the boys, but the opposition was too strong. Many congratulations to Langtree on their tournament victory and our thanks to Mrs Goode for all of the organisation, as well as to Mr Bryan and Mr Barnes for their help refereeing many of the games.

Football Successfor HenryMany congratulations to Henry, who has recently been awarded the Player of the Season for the under 11/12 at the Exeter City Performance Centre. Following trials last week, he has now also achieved a further trial for the Academy at the Chivenor Performance Centre. We wish Henry every success.

Under 11 Cricket vs St. Petroc’sA visit to St. Petroc’s last week, saw a competitive game of paired cricket for our under 11 boys. Batting first, we put a total of 337 runs for the opposition to chase. All of the boys contributed with some fine shots, with plenty of boundaries being scored. Jack, Will, Ferdie, George, Henry and Hunter were all particularly effective, scoring boundaries and running superbly between the wickets.

Our bowling and fielding ensured that the St. Petroc’s found it difficult to score their runs quickly enough and their final total was 254. Seb, Finlay, Toby, Rory, Max and Richard all bowled well and put the batsmen under pressure to score their runs.

A special mention must go to Harry and Cameron, who both played for the St. Petroc’s team and put in some strong performances.

Under 11 Cricket vs St. Joseph’sThe first hard ball match of the term took place in glorious sunshine on Wednesday afternoon. Both teams appeared to be evenly matched and Shebbear batted first, setting a target of 274. All of the boys batted well and there were some impressive boundaries scored by several, not least Rory and Richard. Toby captained the side impressively and the bowlers set about their task of restricting the St. Joseph’s side. The final score for our visitors was 258. This was a very encouraging result for the boys and hopefully it sets them up well for the challenges ahead in the second half of term.

Under 11 Rounders vs St. Joseph’sOn Wednesday the 24th of May, Shebbear College played a rounders fixture against St. Joseph’s Under 11 team. Thanks to wonderfully tight fielding from the whole team, but especially Ruby Evans, and Thalia Saltmarsh, an amazing catch by Jessica Pritchard and excellent communication between Demelza Short as backstop and Millie Wivell on first post, the home team won by 21 and a half rounders to eleven. A really impressive performance from the squad and the continuation of an unbeaten season so far from this dedicated group of girls.

Year 4 ArtistsWell done to our Year 4 children, who have been working hard on one of their latest Art projects, using chalk pastels to recreate masks inspired by the work of Lois Mailou Jones.



Dartmoor Shield Under 11 Mixed Cricket TournamentOur under 11 mixed cricket team took part in the Dartmoor Shield for the first time this week. Two wins out of two in the group matches against South Tawton and St. Andrew’s secured a place in the semi-finals against Hatherleigh. A win in this game meant that we faced Chagford in the final. This was a strong opposition and the result in the final was a very narrow win by one run.

This was a superb achievement from the children. Harry, Henry, Toby, Hunter, Isobel, Cameron, Sara and Jack all contributed throughout the day with both bat and ball and they should feel very proud of the way they conducted themselves throughout. Many congratulations to them all.

High 5 Netball PresentationsOn Monday the 15th of May, this year’s High Five squad attended the presentation which marked the end of the season. After taking part in a shooting competition involving all the competing schools, the final league table results were announced and Shebbear College came joint first at the top of the table with Black Torrington - both teams having played 9 games and winning 8 of them. However, the league was actually won by Black Torrington due to goal difference. Every member of the squad played outstandingly well and coped brilliantly with the changes of positioning on court and the wide variety of opponents. A tremendous end to a really hard-fought season.

Under 9 Rounders vs Mount KellyShebbear College Under 9’s rounders team faced stiff opposition when the Mount Kelly team arrived to play a match on Thursday. Luckily the weather was absolutely glorious and we all enjoyed playing in the warm sunny conditions. Shebbear won the toss and chose to bat first, managing to score four rounders in the first innings. Mount Kelly amassed six and a half rounders in response, and at half time the team were feeling positive and confident. During the second innings our batting improved and we scored six rounders, thanks to some big hitting from Isobel Gee and Ellexia Carey. Mount Kelly however, managed to add another six to their total in the final innings, but they were prevented from scoring more by tight fielding from the whole team and excellent bowling and catching from Bethan Molnar. Shebbear lost by two and a half rounders but the team must be congratulated on a really spirited and enthusiastic performance.

Pre-Prep Visit Quince Honey FarmPre-Prep were very busy last week when they visited Quince Honey Farm. They made candles form the bees’ wax, extracted their honey and made bug hotels for all of the bugs in their gardens. We saw lots of bee hives in interesting placing including an old post box and we even spotted the queen bee bossing all of her workers around. The children commented that it was “the best trip ever!”

Pre-School NewsThe children in Pre-School have had a great week preparing for our Bug Party today; writing invitations, making decorations, cooking and rehearsing for a very “wiggly performance”.

It has been good to see the growth in confidence of all the children over the past few terms and each of them are now very happy to perform in front of an audience. Thank you to those of you who came, it is always lovely to share some of your children’s fantastic learning with you. It is also a lovely chance, I think, for you to meet each other for longer than a quick hello and goodbye at pick up and drop off. Pictures to follow on our blog www.shebbearpreschool.wordpress.com



Events in the Prep School the week after half-term:Monday 5th JuneU.8 Mixed cricket vs Kingsley (H)

Tuesday 6th JuneYears 3 and 4 at Roadford LakeU.9/U.11 evening 6-a-side football at Halwill Playing Fields

Wednesday 7th JuneSwimming for Years 1 and 2 (afternoon)U.11 cricket and rounders vs Mount Kelly (A)

Thursday 8th JuneYears 1 and 2 to Okehampton CastleYears 3 and 4 to Rosemoor

Friday 9th JuneAssembly: Mr. R. Barnes

Please note the following additions and amendments to the Prep calendar for later this term:

Monday 26th JuneCircus Day for Years 3-6 (moved from Tuesday 27th June)

Thursday 29th and Friday 30th JuneBikeability for Year 5 (moved from Monday 26th June)

There are also some additional U.9 and U.11 7-a-side Football tournaments at Halwill Playing Fields (6.00-7.30pm) on four Tuesdays in June – the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. Further details will follow.

Sports Day 2017As I woke on the long awaited morning of Sports Day 2017 to see unpredicted cloud and rain, I was reminded of the following quote: “We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds” - Aristotle Onassis, Shipping Magnate. Indeed that is what our resilient College did, combatting the early inclement weather with typical Shebbearian aplomb. The refusal to cancel proceedings certainly paid off for our athletes, as cooler running conditions and a drier afternoon formed a recipe for breaking numerous school records. These included:

Junior girls800m Emily Forwood 2.56min1500m Emily Forwood 6.01min4 x 100m Way House 1.02min

Intermediate girlsShot Put Maddie Traxton 8.35mHigh Jump Jessica Biggs 1.42m300m Amy Taylor 51.50s800m Cara Phillips 2.58min1500m Eliza Banbury 6.32min

Senior Girls300m Emily Sheperd 49.50s800m Eevee Banbury 2.42min1500m Eevee Banbury 5.19min

A very impressive turnout throughout the day also made for some close competition in the pursuit of the Victor Ludorum and Victrix Ludorum trophies. Indeed, two of the boys’ awards were shared as athletes were inseparable:

Boys Victor Ludorum Winners 2017Juniors Jacob LuxtonIntermediate Timon Chapman and Nathan CoatesSeniors Robert Temple and Zoltan Wagner Girls Victrix Ludorum Winners 2017Juniors Emily ForwoodIntermediate Cara PhillipsSeniors Eevee Banbury

The house cup, however, was a different story as Way House romped to victory with a comprehensive win of more than 89 points. This leaves the other houses with plenty to do if they are to prevent Way from lifting to John Colpus Cup once again.

WAY 570 pointsTHORNE 481 pointsRUDDLE 433 points

Once again I would like to thank staff, parents and athletes for their efforts throughout the day. Particular thanks go to the Friends of Shebbear College who helped raise vital funds towards the provision of sports equipment for our pupils.

Arron Steel



Charity Chamber Concertin aid of The Rotary ClubAfter our successes in the Torrington Rotary Club’s Young Musician Competition, we were delighted to present a greater selection of our young musicians to our invited Rotarians. The concert opened with a lively performance of Boogie Man Blues, performed by the Lower School String Ensemble with Rosie Forwood (Prep 5, cello) and Bella Richards (F2, Double Bass) maintaining a solid, secure bass line with solo moments confidently performed by Lola Frisby Williams (F1, Violin), Sophie Temple (F2, Violin) and Timothy Parker (F2, Viola).

Adam Pennington (F1, saxophone) delighted the audience with his musical performance of Danse Bohémienne by Debussy; capturing the sophisticated nature of Debussy’s sound world through his mature phrasing and use of dynamics. Equally Lola Frisby Williams (F1, clarinet) demonstrated a mature understanding of Mozart’s style by her subtlety in her use of tempo rubato in the Minuet and Trio from the Clarinet Quintet. Her warm tonal quality was shown to good advantage and Kelly Wong (F3, piano) performed the rhythmically challenging piece Humouresque with gusto and determination.

The first movement from Bach’s Concerto in A minor was a spirited and energetic performance from the young violinist, Timothy Parker (F2) who demonstrated a high level of technical prowess and communicated an intrinsic understanding of the complex musical language.

A shift in mood and style was created by Charlotte Nethacott (F4, piano) whose Nuvole Bianche by Einuadi never fails to delight the audience.

Simon Cornish (F4, violin) gave a spirited and lively rendition of Verbunk and Friss: Invitation to the Dance. This Hungarian dance demands a high level of coordination between the bow and the fingers which Simon ably demonstrated. His warm tone and awareness of the style created a most convincing Magyar atmosphere.

The Solfeggietto by CPE Bach was performed with dexterity and control by Spencer Quance (L6, piano). This was a confident performance of the toccata which took advantage of the Steinway grand piano’s responsive touch.

Utor Wong’s rendition of Bach’s Concerto in E major First Movement was sublime. This tour de force requires huge, protracted concentration and an advanced technique which was clearly in evidence in Utor’s convincing interpretation.

The À la Manière de Alexandre Borodine by Ravel was exquisitely performed by Keith Wong (F5) whose piano playing is spellbinding. The control of dynamics required by this piece was expertly and musically demonstrated.

The Malagueña by Sarasate was performed with sophistication and flair by Rachel Pankhurst (L6) on the violin. Her understanding of the subtle nuances of the Spanish virtuoso style were clearly in evidence with her bravura command of both the technical fireworks and required sensual tonal palette.

A consummate finale with which to end this highly accomplished concert. The audience response was enthusiastic and appreciative. Following the raffle, organised by the Rotarians, generous donations were collected in aid of the Rotary Club’s nominated charity.

Kevin Parker

Charlotte Simpson Remembrance15th June 2017 at Black Rock, Widemouth BayThere will be an informal gathering on Thursday 15th June at 6.00pm to remember and celebrate the life of Charlotte Simpson.

We will meet at ‘Charlotte’s bench’ at the Millook end of Black Rock beach, Widemouth Bay, Bude. This gathering is open to any members of the Shebbear College community who wish to come and remember the happy times we all shared with Charlotte. If you have any queries or need directions, please email:[email protected]

Need a Qualified Babysitter?Abby Selwyn left Shebbear College last year and has been studying BA (Hons) Early Years Development and Learning at Norland College and has just achieved her Level 4 Childcare qualification. She also has a Paediatric First Aid qualification, as well as an enhanced DBS certificate. Abby has previous work experience in nurseries, childrens’ centres, schools, babysitting and part-time nannying.

Abby is available for babysitting throughout June. If you are interested please contact Abby:[email protected] or call 07583325479



DartmoorMr Horn, Mrs Bearpark, Mr Kingsland and a few pupils taking in the fresh air at Oke Tor last Sunday.

Join our LAMDA Lessons!I am a Performing Arts teacher, who works with students in order to develop the performance skills required to sit the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Examinations, (LAMDA.) The Examinations are graded at Introductory Level, Entry Level and then at Grades 1 to 8. The marks achieved at Grades 6, 7 and 8 can count towards the UCAS points, which is an advantage for the individual student.

This term I am offering the following options to the students:Acting, reading for performance, devising drama (improvised drama), mime, solo Introductory for younger students, speaking verse and prose and speaking in public.

The students can work on a solo basis, or as a duo, (for the acting, devising drama and mime exams.) They can also take part in group work, for three students or more. I offer these sessions throughout the school day. Most students have half-hour lessons, although, in Grades 6-8, it is sometimes necessary to have a longer lesson. I try to rotate the lesson times, if needed, so that students do not, consistently, miss certain, important, lessons.

The work that we do together develops confidence, performance skills and empathy. I believe that is important for the students to enjoy the Lamda work, and to take part in the development of the learning process.

If your child would like to work towards a Lamda exam, please contact me for more information and details of fees, either by email, or by telephone:[email protected] 01884 821286

Susannah BilleterCert.Ed/B.Ed (Hons) Education & Drama, Caps (Literacy)

More from Will in South AfricaLast week’s match against Paarl School - apparently the best rugby school in South Africa, if not the world - according to the father in Will’s host family. All Rondebosch teams got well beaten!

Will is pictured in action above against Paarl School and below in front of Table Mountain and with one of his new friends. One final game on Saturday, then home just in time for half term!

Launceston CC JuniorsIf you have a son or daughter who is between the ages of 5 - 8 years old, and who would like to join Launceston CC Juniors, please have a look at:https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars Similarly, if you know of anyone, in your family or not, who is interested in joining the AllStars Cricket programme for 5-8 year olds, would you please ask them to search All Stars Cricket, or visit the same website.

RoundersU14 v St. Joseph’sThis match was a very interesting one because we felt very confident that we could beat this team, however it took a different turn. We started off losing the first innings but then we got lots of rounder’s mainly from Bess Scambler, Poppy Daniel and Eliza Banbury in the second half. If we had played like the second half all the way through we would have won the match but they beat us 14.5 - 16.5.

Billie Powell - Captain



U12 v BudehavenOn Wednesday the 24th May the U12 rounders team went to Budehaven for a rounders match. We were running late due to exams so we had to do 10 minute timed innings. We won the toss and were fielding first and we started off quite slow and it took a while to settle in but we still managed to win the first innings with some great batting and fielding.

In the second innings we started to get into the swing of things. We won the second innings too, because of some great accurate throws and catches. Final score 13.5 - 7.5.

Player of the match: Jemima Vereker for some great hits.Emily Forwood - Captain

Netball Satellite SuccessLast week a group of budding young netballers from Forms 1 and 2 attended the North Devon Netball Satellite trials at Park school.

Huge congratulations go to Lillie Sealey (F1 GA/GS) and Poppy Blee (F2 GS/GA) for being selected for the academy squad. They will receive specialist training next year and take part in fixtures against the other Devon academies.

Lillie Sealey returns having been selected last year and Poppy Blee is new to the satellite academy, having been unsuccessful at the previous trial. Her immediate selection this year shows just how much Poppy has improved on court. Playing at a netball club last season and for the school team has all been part of her improvement, as well as building on her experience from the Barbados sports tour 2017.

Well done to Eliza Stenning who also impressed at the trials, and was firmly selected for the reserves, ready to step in if required.Well done girls!

Kate Burges

Cricket1st XI CricketDespite missing several key players, the 1st XI recovered from a dismal batting display to take their match with Mount Kelly right to the wire last weekend.

Put in to bat on a damp wicket, some indiscriminate shots and a needless run out saw the 1st XI slump to 33-6 in the 14th over. Then it was thanks to two boys making their first team debut to give the scoreline something of a boost.

U14,Todd Miller (10) and U15 Jack Joslin (18 not out) helped the final total to 75 - probably 20 or 30 runs short of a reasonable total.

However, showing tremendous spirit in the field and bowling with great discipline, the boys took the match into the 26th over before the visitors scored the winning run with just two wickets in hand.

Ethan Solomon and Thembani took two wickets each, skipper Jabez Weale and under 14 Freddie Stevenson kept things tight and two excellent run outs by Mitch Proffit and Jack Joslin, ensured the match had a nail-biting finale.

Greater application in their batting, combined with their excellent team spirit, will surely bring more success as the season unfolds.

Andy BryanU14 v Plymouth CollegeTravelling to Plymouth College with just nine players, the U14s had a convincing win to reach the semi final of the Devon Cup.

Batting first, the team was given a good start by skipper Freddie Stevenson (24) and Todd Miller (15) before Cameron Young (32*) and Luke Maxa (24*) took the total to 122-3 In 20 overs.

Then it was the turn of the bowlers - Sophie Gillies and Luke Maxa keeping things tight early on before man of the match Cameron Young ripped through Plymouth’s batting, finishing with figures of 7-10 as the home side was dismissed for 83 runs, giving Shebbear a comfortable 39-run victory.

Shebbear will meet either West Buckland or Devonport High School in the semi final after half term.

Andy Bryan



Devon County ShowThank you to everyone who visited us at Devon County Show last week. It was wonderful to meet so many Old Shebbearians as well as current pupils and their parents and maybe some future Shebbearians. Visit us at the Royal Cornwall Show (Stand 33) on 8th, 9th and 10th June.

Mark Charman

Form 1 Induction Fun Sports Morning



Picture this ... Sports Day 2017 see more photos on our Facebook page



Picture this ... see more photos on our Facebook page

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