Friday 5 February 2016

5 February 2016

Sisters Zoe and Isabella Grainger are both reaching new heights at an indoor Winter Bouldering League competition held at The Hangar. Year 9 pupil Zoe is in pole position in the U16 competition, while Year 6 pupil Isabella sits just outside the top three - an amazing achievement given her young age! There are just two rounds now remaining in the competition.

On Saturday, gifted and talented Year 11 pupils from the local area came to Bolton School for an Application of Mathematics Event with the Juggling and Rock Doctors, otherwise known as Dr Colin Wright and Dr Mark Lewney. Dr Wright described his juggling performance in terms of mathematical patterns, while Dr Lewney used his electric guitar and audience participation to present complex ideas in a fun and accessible way.


On Monday, Councillor Linda Thomas visited the Boys' Division to talk to pupils about her work in politics. She gave a thought-provoking talk about her job and some of the projects she has been involved with, and was also able to address the boys' interested and wide-ranging questions at the end of the session. Her visit gave the boys a valuable insight into the world of local politics.


Girls' Division pupils in Year 8 were pleased to be able to meet Toni and her guide dog Quilla this week. Toni gave a really interesting talk that gave the girls a greater insight into life as a blind person, and also gave them more information about the training of guide dogs and the difference these working animals make to the people they assist every day.


The Year 8 boys experienced a directing workshops with the Octagon Theatre's Creative Learning Director, Christina Lydon, as part of their Arts Award work. They worked with Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, looking specifically at the character of Shylock: how they might want the audience to react to him, and how they could influence that by getting the actors to move or speak in a certain way. This was a really valuable session for the boys to feed into their work on the Award.


There has been lots of sporting news from the Girls' Division this week. Three pupils in the Sixth Form have received call-ups from the North of England Lacrosse Squad. Louisa Brophy, Molly Dick and Georgina Owen, who are all in Year 12, will join the North of England Squad for training before competing in a tournament in March.

Pupils in Year 8 have had reason to celebrate as well, with a group of four girls joining the Lancashire Lacrosse U13 Squad. Arabella Barker-Smith, Ellie Bridge, Abigail Duckworth and Mia Monsen all attended two trial days before finding out that they had been selected. They will now have the opportunity to compete in the upcoming Northern Counties tournament this weekend.

The Year 7 and 8 Swimming Team recently won the Bolton Town Swimming Championships! Competing against eight local schools, the girls worked hard in both the individual races and relays and managed to win the trophy.


Elly Fraser in Year 7 has won the Salford 100s Lifesaving Competition. She competed alongside the other Year 7 girls in this competition, which also involved pupils from other schools. Her speedy swimming and knowledge of lifesaving techniques helped her to come in first place overall: a wonderful achievement.

A number of Boys' Division musicians from Years 9 and 10 performed at Bolton’s St Andrew and St George United Reformed Church’s lunchtime concert series this week. The repertoire was varied, with boys playing piano, violin, trumpet, saxophone, flute and guitar, and one boy singing. They also performed many different styles of music, ensuring that there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Girls' Division pupils in Year 10 learned more about the Great War from 'Private Tommy Atkins', a one-man play about the First World War which is based on real events and anecdotes from soldiers who lived through the conflict. Peter Gill's solo performance captivated the girls and also gave them lots to think about as they continue their History studies.


Old Boy Roger Dobson returned to School on Wednesday to talk to pupils in the Sixth Form about the Clifford H Ingham Bursary Fund. This fund was set up in memory of a Boys' Division Latin teacher who died in the 1980s, and who used to take boys on 'Trek Camps' in the UK and Europe. The fund is now open to applications from Boys' and Girls' Division students, and offers financial assistance to those who wish to take part in an outdoors experience of some kind.

This week, boys in Year 11 found out more about NCS or National Citizen Service at Bolton Lads and Girls Club (BLGC). This national scheme was set up to help young people to develop themselves and their citizenship skills during the school holidays, and the trip to BLGC was designed to get the boys enthused about the idea of joining in and getting involved. The NCS experience involves working with a diverse range of people and includes a trip to an outdoor pursuits centre and two weeks planning and delivering a community project.

Children at Beech House this week enjoyed a visit from the Happy Puzzle Company! All of the children from Reception to Year 2 enjoyed taking part in the challenges they were set, and while they got a great sense of achievement from completing the puzzles, the day was also very focused on teamwork and perseverance.


This week, Bolton School hosted an English Speaking Board (ESB) Teacher Training Event. The event was a great success, and a good opportunity for local teachers to share best practices and receive resources and more information.

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