November 23, 2018 | Issue no. 114
Head Master's Notices
With December rapidly approaching, Our House rehearsals are reaching a critical stage and I thank the staff, cast and crew for working so hard over the course of the term. I wish them the best of luck, as I do to our musicians taking their ABRSM/Trinity music examinations in the next few days.
The festive period is also on the horizon and so the Lower School are off to Bath to shop at the Christmas Market. Details of the arrangements for the Upper School and Lower School Carol Services, at the end of term, will follow after the Exeat weekend.
I hope that everyone has a very relaxing weekend.
Whole School Notices and Reminders
Mercers' Lectures - Spring Term 2019
Frank Gardner OBE – BBC Security Correspondent
Tuesday 5 February 2019 at 19: 30 in the Memorial Hall
Frank Gardner is the BBC’s security correspondent reporting for TV and radio on issues of both domestic and international importance. A fluent Arabist with a degree in Arabic and Islamic studies from Exeter University, Frank spent nine years as an investment banker before switching to journalism and becoming the BBC’s Middle East correspondent based in Cairo.
In 2004, while reporting in Saudi Arabia, he was shot and left partly paralysed in an attack by al-Qaeda terrorists. Now dependent on a wheelchair, he has relearned to ski using a bob ski and is currently President of the Ski Club of Great Britain.
Due to very popular demand, we have had to close all bookings to this lecture. Many thanks for your support, and if you have any enquiries please contact Amanda Gaylard on a.gaylard@dauntseys.org
Alison Mitchell – Award-winning sports broadcaster
Thursday 7 March 2019
Alison Mitchell is a leading sports commentator and the first woman to commentate regularly on the BBC’s Test Match Special. She has now toured to every Test playing nation in order to cover the England team. She has a breadth of sports broadcasting experience having covered cricket World Cups, the Ashes, Wimbledon, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, the World Snooker Championships, the Open golf, international hockey and artistic gymnastics.
As well as cricket, Alison has commentated on and presented live from Wimbledon and the Australian Open tennis, the Open golf, international hockey and artistic gymnastics.
Please make sure that you have reserved your seats online here.
Summer Term 2019
Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards
Thursday 25 April 2019
We will be opening the bookings for this lecture in January 2019. We expect it to be very popular so please ensure you book early to avoid disappointment.
Many thanks, Jo Sagers, Registrar
Drama Programme - Autumn 2018
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Our House: 4 – 8 December in the Memorial Hall
The December musical is always a much-anticipated highlight and we hope the energetic choreography and colourful staging of ‘Our House’ will be a popular and feel good choice – for pupils and audience alike.
Seat numbers for Our House have all been emailed now, if you have not heard from us please contact Rikki Jackson directly.
Attached is a copy of our Drama Programme for the full year which includes more detail on each production.
Tickets for all productions can be booked here
History of Art Lecture
Stella Lyons - Painting Winter: Snow Scenes in Art
Monday 26 November at 19:30 in the William Dauntsey Room
'I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show’ – Andrew Wyeth. Magical, festive, beautiful, harsh, cruel and bleak; this talk will explore the variety of interpretations of this season through the works of Bruegel, Caspar David Friedrich, Monet, and Andrew Wyeth.
All are welcome!
Careers
Visit by Royal Navy / Royal Marines School Liaison Officer
Wednesday 12 December from 12.30 in the Careers Room (in the Library)
Please let us know if you would like to meet the Royal Navy/Royal Marines Liaison Officer when he visits. He can meet pupils individually or in small groups.
They have 5 services that you can join: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/whats-right-for-me/services-an-introduction
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/roles-and-specialisations/branches. Branches include warfare, medical, engineering, logistics, aviation, chaplaincy, Royal Marine Band, catering, and Royal Marines and Navy Reserves, thus a huge range of possibilities.
The Royal Navy is made up of five arms: the might of ships in the Surface Fleet, the aerial strength that is the Fleet Air Arm, the covert Submarine Service, the elite and amphibious Royal Marines, and the civilian fleet central to their effectiveness, and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Royal Marines
The Royal Marines are the amphibious troops of the Royal Navy, acknowledged as one of the world's elite commando forces. Held at a very high readiness they can respond quickly to events anywhere around the globe.
Any queries, please come and see Mr O’Hanlon or Mrs Watson in Careers.
DSPA
DSPA Helpers List.
We need your help to continue providing drinks and snacks at the various functions. Please sign up if you are able to help at the occasional function.Please sign up here.
DSPA Digital Noticeboard
Sharing opportunities from within the Dauntsey’s family. Have a look at what is on offer here.
The Filling Station
Thank you to everyone who has given so generously to support the work of The Filling Station charity that feeds homeless people on the streets of Swindon each week. Most of the tins and supplies have been brought over to the Chapel and I estimate there must be between 8000 and 10000 items. Some of the houses collected money and made deals with supermarkets to buy items in bulk - in this way Mercers House – just as one example - bought around 1300 tins!
Every single item will be given out just by this one charity during the year. Thank you to everyone for your practical help and for every other way in which you can act or speak out in support of those who are suffering in poverty in this country at the moment.
I have spoken in Chapel services this week about a report published by a Professor Philip Alston at the end of last week on behalf of the United Nations Human Rights Office who spent two weeks looking into levels of poverty in the UK. If you would like to read his report for yourself (even just the introduction or conclusion) please follow this link or search for the report and articles about it on the internet.
With my thanks and good wishes and looking forward to seeing many of you at the Carol Services at the end of term.
Rev. David Johnson
Summer 2019 GCE & GCSE Timetable & Fifth Form Mocks
The draft timetable for next summer is now available and can be found here. Please note it does not include the foreign language oral exam details as these are still to be agreed with the visiting examiners. The exams included are all now definite dates. Please also note, when planning holidays or family events, that Weds 26 June is a compulsory contingency date set by the examination boards. All pupils must be available on that day in case an earlier exam is unable to go ahead due to unforeseen events.
Please also note that the timetable for the Fifth Form Mocks, will be available in early December and sent to all Fifth Form pupils as well as available on the Firefly exams site (link below). The Fifth Form Mocks start on Wednesday 9 January and finish on Thursday 17 January. All pupils who wish to type any or all of their exams, must return the Request to Type Form they were sent, to the Exams Office by the 30 November please.
If you have any queries about school exams, whether external or internal mock exams, in general, please visit the examinations area of the intranet by following this link, or feel free to contact Mr Blumsom on 01380 814677 or at examsmanager@dauntseys.wilts.sch.uk
Equestrian News
Thanks to all parents and pupils that helped with the running of the annual Dauntsey’s Showjumping competition. We had a very successful day with placings in all classes and team and individual qualifiers for both Windsor and Hickstead.
Lower School Notices and Reminders
Manor Matters
The colder weather this week has meant that many of our Lower School Boarders have taken advantage of the indoor activities that we organised this week after Prep. Competition remains fierce at the table tennis table and the Head Master even popped in for a quick game one evening! On Tuesday, many of the Manorites had fun playing ‘Mafia’ with our Upper Sixth Prefects and on Wednesday night the House was filled with the delicious smell of chocolate-chip cookies that the children enjoyed baking…I’m not entirely certain that all of the chocolate chips made it into the cookies, but the end results were very tasty.
Christmas is in the air at The Manor and selections for ‘Secret Santa’ took place this week – the children will buy and wrap a gift (spending up to £5) for their chosen friend and these will be delivered at our House Christmas Meal. Our Christmas Cakes are also progressing well, and next week we move onto the artistic element of decorating – some of the plans look very ambitious and I am certain that judging the winning cake is going to be tough.
Our pizza making last weekend was hugely popular with the Manorites and there have already been many requests for a repeat of the weekend next term; the pizzas looked delicious and some of our more advanced pizza makers even managed to make ‘stuffed crust’ pizzas!
I hope that you all enjoy a relaxing exeat weekend and look forward to seeing many of you this afternoon – the Manorites will return to House by 1.30pm.
Anne Sampson, House Mistress.
Please do follow us on Twitter @ManorDauntseys to keep up to date.
Auditions for Lower School Carol Service Solo
Traditionally the school carol services begin with the 1st verse of Once in Royal David’s City performed as a solo by someone from the Lower School.
If you are interested, please sign up for an audition in the music corridor. Auditions will take place on Tuesday 26 November and Thursday 28 November at Short Break in the Old Hall
All Lower School pupils (girls and boys) may audition.