The U16 rugby team were once again crowned county champions yesterday. After a draw with Wymondham in the first match they required 61 points in the second game to progress. The team miraculously achieved this meeting Norwich in the final. A scrappy game ensued with Gresham’s coming out victors 6-5. The team performed bravely with player of the tournament being awarded to William B and tackle of the day going to Thomas R-C.
Twenty pupils from Year 9-13 got through to the Junior or Senior finals, choosing to either recite their own poem or one by another author. Mr Hazlewood, Mrs O’Brien and Mr Stromberg, who assisted Mrs Sharrock with the judging, were all blown away by the quality of the entrants and the maturity with which they delivered their poem to the audiences in the Auden theatre. Many thanks to the senior school pupils, parents, staff and Year 7 Prep pupils who attended and supported this event. From the finalists shown below, prizes were awarded to:
Alissa M – Junior Champion
Sam H – Highly commended (Junior Competition)
Miriam G – Highly Commended (Junior Competition)
Zinnia-Claire B – Senior Champion
Beowulf O – Highly Commended (Senior Competition)
Heidi W – Highly Commended (Senior Competition)
All six pupils received a signed and personalised copy of Harry Baker’s poetry anthology ‘The Sunshine Kid’ as well as an Amazon voucher. The Champions will also be presented with the Poetry Recital Cup at Final Assembly this term.
Junior Finalists
Adeola A (9) I am Mixed by Adeola A
Miriam G (9) If I Could Tell You by W H Auden
Alex H (9) Vitai Lampada by Sir Henry Newbolt
Johnnie O (9) Inauthentic by Anonymous
Scarlett H (10) The Writer’s World by Rachel Huckel
Sam H (10) The Pheasant at My Window by Sam H
Joey M (9) Dinglebank by Edward Lear
Daniel M (10) Adlestrop by Edward Thomas
Alissa M (10) 21 by Patrick Roche
Alex P (10) The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Pullo W (10) High Flight by John Gillespie Magee Junior
Senior Finalists
Zinnia-Claire B (11) Dear Brain by Zinnia-Claire B
Cerys D (11) My November Guest by Robert Frost
Beowulf O (13) The Ruin by Anonymous
Ruby P (11) In Flanders Field by John McRae
Tomas R (11) The Tyger by William Blake
Harry S (11) A Last Request by Anonymous
Mia W (11) Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost
Heidi W (11) The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
Andre W (11) Half-past Two by U A Fanthorpe
As part of the IB Diploma, pupils have to undertake creative activities. One pupil has been designing and making chess boards, this one having squares made from different fabrics.
Our teams of Year 5 and Year 6 Scientists did very well competing in the National Science Championship online. Congratulations to Santi, Bea, Rex and Jago who have made it through to the semi-finals.
On Saturday 11th November, the Rifle Club travelled to Bisley for the annual English Schools Long Range Championships. Gresham’s took a large squad (16 pupils), of mixed abilities, to the match. For a good number of the team, this was their first small-bore match away from school, so it was a totally new experience for them. It was a massive learning curve for the newer shots in the team and they all performed fantastically well. There were 160 competitors, in total, from 16 different schools. Ilana B just missed out on winning her age group by a single point but Marcella B, George B and Oliver R all won their age groups, with George B being the top shot out of all competitors on the day and scoring 195 / 200. The top shots in the Gresham’s team were outstanding during the match. George B and Georgie B finished 3rd in the Senior Pairs and Marcella B and Grace S finished 3rd in the Junior Pairs. The Gresham’s Team of IV ‘A’ team shot fantastically well and finished in second place, just behind Charterhouse, the eventual winners.
Thank you to all those members of the team, and staff, that took the time to attend the match.
In the school service on Saturday 11th a banner party comprising senior NCOs from all three sections took a prominent role with CSgt Jemima T presenting the banner, CSM George P commanding the banner party and doing the reading, and FSgt Daisy W doing the prayers. They were accompanied by LH Fred B and FSgt Jonny W on the march into chapel at the beginning of the service and the march out at its conclusion. Jemima also carried the banner for the contingent on Sunday morning for the Holt town remembrance service when a tri-service body of over 100 cadets marched through the town and participated in a service at the war memorial. This is always a significant event in the life of the town and was well-attended by a large number of local residents.
We welcomed Stuart McCain, regional representative for The Arkwright Scholarship, to the Dyson Building to talk to current budding engineers from Years 9, 10 and 11.
Stuart gave an insightful and encouraging talk to pupils on the application process, scholarship award and opportunities for links to the engineering industry.
The dialogue with the scholarship will continue, to help and guide the next Gresham’s Arkwright Scholar.
Three of our pupils won awards in a public speaking competition recently. The Prayer Book Society holds its annual Cranmer Awards to help young people to learn the skill of public speaking, and also as a means to keep the beautiful language of the Book of Common Prayer alive and well. The Junior category was won by Pullo W, the Senior category by Cerys D and Aaron S was also highly commended in the Senior category. The judges included Anne Robinson, the journalist and presenter. The two winners now progress to the National Finals at Hampton Court Palace in February next year. They will have to speak (not read) passages from the BCP for between 3 and 5 minutes; these could be a selection from the Psalms or other readings from the annual church calendar. Well done to all 11 pupils who took part; and the best of luck to our two winners for the final.
Over half term the CCF invested in a new DryFire software and laser clay target shooting system. Using a real shotgun mounted with a trigger sensor and laser, the DryFire system is able to simulate life-like clay targets and, unlike many of its competitors, is able to calculate the amount of lead ahead of the clay required to break it. It provides the shooter directly after a shot with an image of their shot and spread, so they can learn from mistakes and make adjustments. Different simulations of all disciplines can be applied. The system can also include varying speed, wind, cartridges and bore of gun to name but a few of its options.
This half of term and into next term, cadets from all three sections will be given the opportunity to use and train on the equipment. It will also be used for supportive training for the clay shooting team. It still requires some tweaking of the projection system to improve image and reduce shadow, but we have already had a very competitive start last week with the Year 12 Army cadets, with Hector L. achieving the high gun and this week with four Navy cadets achieving 10/10 – a big well done to Mia W, Will B, Luca H and Severin G!
This is a fantastic opportunity for the cadets to be able to practise shooting clays throughout the year, come rain or shine.
This will not completely replace live clay shooting, which will continue once the better weather and lighter afternoons commence as we head into Spring and Summer.
For further information about the system, do look up DryFire on https://dryfire.com/ or contact Mr Detnon at [email protected].
During Remembrance Week, all Year 9 pupils spent one History lesson exploring original artefacts from the Gresham’s School Archive related to the experience of Gresham’s School staff and pupils during the First World War.
Year 9 pupils had the opportunity to get hands-on experience handling items such as contemporary newspaper cuttings, school magazines, the 1903 prospectus, the Vellum Roll of Honour for the boys of the junior school who were killed in action, recently donated photo albums and diaries from Dallas Wynne Willson, the housemaster of Old School House between 1905 and 1920, and special items relating to OGs Alec Heron and George Goodall who were both killed in action during the conflict.
