THE "FIRST THURSDAY" NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTER MAY 1994 No. 7

We're G.M.!

IT seems like ages ago, but it was only just after we printed the March edition of this news1etter that we heard our application to become a Grant-Maintained school had been approved. So much has happened since then!

We have set up all the necessary financial procedures to run the school - including banking and insurance - alterations have been carried out to the school office to create a more welcoming reception area, the new school mini-bus has arrived, and we have welcomed two new members of staff.

Mrs. Jean Luckhurst and Mrs. Marion Pardoe joined us this week as the school office administrator and financial officer respectively.

We are grateful to all those who worked so hard in the days leading up to the change-over on 1 April, and during the Easter holidays to make sure everything was in place in time.

We were also very grateful to all the parents, boys, governors and staff who turned out during the weekend in March when we invited volunteers to come and help us re-decorate part of the school. We were able to complete the re-painting of the lockers and end doors on the lower corridor, and re-paint (for the first time in many years), the lower half of the wall all the way down the tower, as well as the wall just outside the prefects' room. This has certainly made a difference, particularly to the tower, and we are very grateful to everyone who gave up their time over the weekend to come and join us. We plan to organise another similar weekend sometime in the future. . . so watch out for the date, and come and join the fun!

On Tuesday, the staff development day, members of the Governing Body were also at the school for a training day, learning all about their new responsibilities as governors of a grant-maintained school. It was a very interesting and useful day.

And now we look to the future. The next important date for you all to make a note of is Tuesday 17 May at 7.30 p.m. when the Annual Parents' Meeting takes place.

Your son(s) should have brought the Governors' Annual Report home with them at the end of last week. This is a full report on what has happened at the school, and we hope that you will take the time to read it.

You are invited to come to the meeting to ask any questions you may have about the way the school is being run.

This is your chance to have your say, and to find out about our plans for the future. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this meeting. Refreshments will be served.

We were very pleased with the smart turnout of all the boys for the whole school photograph which was taken in March. The result is a very fine photo which has been on display in the school during the past couple of weeks. Order forms have been sent home with the boys, and we hope you will want to take advantage of buying a copy.

Music

It was good to see so many people at the Spring Concert in the School Hall on Thursday 24 March. The young musicians gave an excellent programme of instrumental and vocal music, and the evening was very enjoyable.

Not so many people attended the organ recital given by our Director of Music, Richard Davies, on Saturday 23 April, but it was an outstanding performance which all those who were there enjoyed very much indeed.

The next musical event is a choral concert at Charlton Church on Thursday 19 May at 8 p.m. We hope to see a good number or parents and friends for this occasion.

Don't forget the concert of Music for a Summer's Evening at the school on 14 July at 7.30 p.m.

Plans are well under way now for the GRAND BALL - Revels for a Summer Night - which is to take place at the school on Saturday 23 July. This is very much a celebration which we hope many of you will want to come and join in, and includes dinner, dancing and fireworks, followed by breakfast in the early hours. Tickets are £18.50, obtainable from the school.

Parents' and Friends' Association

The P.F.A.'s wine and wisdom evening last Friday was another enjoyable occasion, and we congratulate the team from the White Horse public house in Dover who won it. The event raised about £200, and we are grateful to those who organised it, and those who supported it.

The P.F.A. has a boot fair at the school on Saturday 21 May, and pitches are £6 in advance (bookable through the school) or £8 on the day. Refreshments will re on sale, and the Spring draw will also take place.

200 Club

If you want to stand a chance or winning £100 next month you will have to be quick! Twice a year - in June and December the 200 Club has a special draw when the tap prize is £100. If you are not yet a member of the 200 Club then all you have to do is contact the school office far an application form, and return it, together with £4, by 17 May (why not bring it with you to the annual parents' meeting that evening?! The £4 will cover the, £1 monthly subscription for the rest of this academic year. The cash prizes each month are £25, £15, and £10.

Winners of the last two draws were: March - £25 Mr. J, Knight, £15 Mr. R. Wilkie, £10 Mr. and Mrs. A. Rowing:

April - £25 Mr. M. McCann. £15 Mrs. A. Stewart, £10 Mrs. D.
Mannall. The draw takes place on the third Thursday of each month, and the next one is an Thursday 19 May.

Challenge Mark!

Congratulations to Mark Eade, of Year 10, who has just taken part in an International Invitational Maths Challenge. Mark was among the top one per cent nationally in the U.K. Schools Intermediate Maths Challenge. As well as winning the Best in School Award, Mark went on to the international section of the competition which is run jointly with Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

Mare than 100,000 pupils from Years 9, 10 and 11 in schools across the country sat the hour-long U.K. exam which is aimed at the top 30 per cent of the ability range. It is expected that 40 per cent of these will receive certificates, but of the 86 pupils from our school who sat the test 69 of them (80 per cent) won certificates. A total of 21 (24 per cent) won gold, 20 (23 per cent) silver and 28 (33 per cent) bronze.

C.C.F.

Members of the three sections of the Combined Cadet Farce were among those who toured H.M.S. Brave while she was berthed at the Prince of Wales Pier during her visit to the port to mark the affiliation between the ship and the Dover District.

We hope this will be the start of continuing links between the frigate and the C.C.F.

Sports News Soccer

We have reported an the 1st XI's successes in previous editions of this newsletter, but we are also pleased to note that the 2nd XI finished 4th in Division 2 of the East Kent Schools League.

Watch out for a former Dover Grammar School boy an the famous Wembley pitch at this year's F.A. Cup Final. David Ellery, who has been chosen as the referee for the match, is an old boy of this school.

Cross-Country

Park House were the overall winners of the Powell Cup inter-house cross-country competitian. Castle were second and Channel third. Individual winners were: Seniors - Marcus Youden (Year 11), in 30 minutes 20 seconds, Intermediates James Rutterford (Year 10), in 31.40. and Juniors - Michael Roberts (Year 7) in 15.04. Michael beat all of Year 8 as well. Special congratulations to the staff members who completed the course. Some of the boys are pictured starting the race.

Rugby

Since our last newsletter, the Year 7 team beat Brockhill 10-5, Year 8 beat them 55-0 and Year 9 won by 46 points to 12. The Year 11/12 (mainly Under 16 XV) who went to Sheppey beat Minster College 13-0. We have maintained our close links with Dover Rugby Club. Several boys have played for Dover Under 15s, and Jonathan Coates was their Player of the Year.

Cricket

Now we are into the cricket season, and on 11 May at 2 p.m. our 1st XI will be playing Simon Langton Grammar Canterbury, away, starting at 2 p.m. On 11 May, at 3.45 p.m., our Year 7 team will play Sir Roger Manwood's away.

Athletics

Our boys are taking pan in the South East Kent Athletics Championships at the Duke of York's School on 11 May at 4 p.m. Spectators are always very welcome at sports events.

A report by Simon Pellett, aged 12, an the European Rallycross Championship at the Buxtehude de Estering was published in the winter edition of Rallyracing, the magazine of the Rallycrass Trust. He is the trust's youngest reporter.

Don't forget that our school is collecting the Computers for Schools tokens which are currently being issued by Tesco's. We have a target of 5,000 tokens . . . please help us reach it!