THE "FIRST THURSDAY" NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTER SEPT 1995 No. 20

We give a very warm welcome to the 118 boys who have joined our school this term. It is the largest Year 7 intake for several years, and we are delighted that we have been able to make it a four-form, rather than a three-form entry.

And we welcome their parents to the school community, too. We hope you and your son(s) have a long and happy association with our school, and we look forward to seeing you at the various events which are held at our school throughout the year.

If you have any queries or questions about the school, or about your son’s education please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be only too pleased to help.

This newsletter is produced on the first Thursday of every month to help keep you up to date with what is happening at the school. It also includes details of forthcoming events, and news of the achievements of our pupils.

We also welcome some new members of staff to the school this term. Mrs Lynne Watson joins us to teach English, drama and religious education, Mr. David Harding has been appointed to a part-time post to teach music to Years 7 and 8, Mr. Paul Kenny has also joined us part-time to help in the art department, awl we are delighted to welcome back Mr. Ernie Riley who returns part-time to teach modem languages.

We congratulate all those who took their A level and G.C.S.E examinations in the summer, and have now received their results. The G.C.S.E. results were particularly good with 99 per cent of boys achieving five passes at grades A to C, putting us within the top 100 schools in the country in one of those dreaded league tables!

On the subject of G.C.S.E. examinations, this year was the last time that the Engineering Workshop Theory and Practice exam was offered to students.

We had a particular interest in this course as some of the items which had to be made were designed by members of our staff, Clive Fieldwick and Maurice Smith. Their designs were accepted by the examination board and have been used throughout the country. Because of our association with this course, we asked for volunteers from Years 10, 11 and 12 to work on the exam in their own time, and we had 21 candidates out of 200 nationally.

They showed great commitment by working in their lunchtimes and after school, and they produced some very impressive work.

This year’s Grand Ball was very successful, with everyone enjoying the music, meal, bagpipes on the top of the school tower and fireworks. There are still some unclaimed prizes from the raffle, so if the holders of the following tickets would like to contact the school office, they may be pleasantly surprised! White tickets (code AB 51 4P 4D) numbers 425 and 785, Green ticket (AC 7U 6P 4D) number 120 and Yellow ticket (AD 58 FP 4D) number 86.

We congratulate all those who took part in the Music for a
Summer Evening concert in July. They performed to their
usual very high standard, and provided a wide range of
musical items. We also congratulate those who received their
Music Colours. We were pleased to see so many people at this
concert, and we are grateful to the members of the Parents’
and Friends’ Association who provided the refreshments.

Some of our pupils staged a very impressive art exhibition at Crabble Corn Mill gallery in the summer, and the evening preview was a very enjoyable social occasion. We congratulate all those whose work was on display.

During the summer holidays, workmen have been busy making improvements to various parts of the school buildings. These have included adaptations to the art studio, replacement of windows in the hall, repairs to the roof of the gym and the school tower, and the installation of new lighting in the hall. Not all the work has been completed, but it will be very soon.

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

We are grateful for all the support which the P.F.A. gives to the school.

One of the regular fund-raisers is the 200 Club, which offer monthly prizes of £25, £15 and £10, and two special prizes (in December and June) of £100. The monthly subscription is £1, and the draw takes place on the third Thursday of each month. So if you would like to join, please send a cheque for £12 (to cover your subscription for the whole school year) to the 200 Club organiser, Jill Tutthill, c/o the school. The cheque should be made payable to D.G.S.B., P.F.A. 200 Club. Could those who are already members and who pay annually please also note that now is the time to send the £12 cheque for the coming year. Paying promptly means we will not need to send out any reminders.

The names of the winners are published in this newsletter each month. The winners for the past two months were: July: £25 - Mr. and Mrs. A. Rowing; £15 - Mr. R. Meadows; £10. Mrs. E. Seddon, August: £25 - Mr. A. Norman, £15 - Mr. M. Parkins, £10 - Mrs M. Betts. 

Coming events

One of the important functions of this newsletter is to remind you of events taking place during the coming weeks.

The P.F.A. have a number of events planned, including their annual meeting on Wednesday 20 September at 7.30 p.m., to which you are all invited, and a committee meeting on Wednesday 27 September, also at 7.30 p.m.

The first in the new series of Wine and Wisdom evenings takes place on Friday 29 September, at 7.30 p.m. These are extremely popular fund-raising events, and we hope that some of the new parents will want to come along and join in the fun. Letters giving details of how to book places are being sent home via your sons this week.

The Amenity Fund collection takes place on Tuesday 26 September, when P.F.A. representatives will be in school to collect the £7. Please make sure you send this amount with your son that day. Details of this collection were included in the booklet given to all new parents.

And an advance notice: A barn dance is being held on Saturday 14 October at 7.30 p.m.

As we are Grant Maintained, our Governing Body has full responsibility for the school. The governors are, of course, answerable to the Department for Education, and to you, the parents. Each year, the governors produce a report which is circulated to all parents, and discussed at the Annual Parents’ Meeting. This is to be held on Wednesday 18 October at 7.30 p.m. A copy of the report will be sent to you all in advance, and we hope that you will then come along to the meeting, which is your opportunity to ask any questions about the way the school is being run. Refreshments will be served.

The Old Pharosians - the school’s old boys’ association - holds its annual meeting on Saturday 16 September, followed by the football match against the school’s 1st XI in the afternoon, and the annual dinner in the evening. Our former pupils provide very welcome support for the school in a variety of ways. If any fathers are former pupils of this school, but do not belong to the Old Pharosians’ Association, the annual subscription is only £5, and membership forms are available from the school.

Sports news

We have a very busy sports department within the school, and details of all fixtures are in the school calendar. These include our Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 teams taking part in a seven-a-side tournament at Archers Court on Saturday 16 September, and home matches for either the school’s 1st or 2nd XIs on Wednesday 13th (Simon Langton), Wednesday 20th (Chaucer), Thursday 21st (Manwoods), Wednesday 27th (Oakwood Park), Saturday 30th (Harvey). and Friday 6 October (Astor), all at 2.15 p.m. Our 3rd XI play Tunbridge Wells at home on Wednesday 27 September at 2.30 p.m., and Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 XIs play Norton Knatchbull at home on Saturday 30 September at 10 a.m. Spectators are always welcome at our sporting fixtures, and the boys appreciate support from parents and friends.

We have three teams in the Dover Table Tennis League. The format for the league has been changed this year, and our teams are all in the Second Division. Some of last year’s key players have now left, and others have not felt able to continue due to work commitments, so three new teams have been formed from existing and new players. Practice sessions took place throughout most of the summer holidays, and they will continue after school on Wednesdays for the registered team players and, hopefully, on Tuesdays for any new intake or unregistered players.

Team coach Paul Skelton realises he may be asking too much of the teams to gain promotion to the first division, but he feels they should do well in the second division, and certainly improve to a very high standard of play during the year. Our teams have fixtures most weeks, starting next week, and we wish them well.

Turning to golf, our school team members, Daniel Oliver, Alex Ridings and Mark Eade, finished third in the South East England competition (regional final) at the British Heart Foundation Schools Golf Championship held at Moatlands Golf Club, Tonbridge, in July. The national final takes place at The Belfry, home of the Ryder Cup, at Sutton Coldfield on Tuesday, 24 October.

Combined Cadet Force

We are sorry to have to report that the Navy section of our C.C.F. has had to close because of lack of numbers. However, the R.A.F. and Army sections continue to flourish.

During the summer, David Hughes was awarded a place on a two-week air navigation course, the R.A.F. section held their camp at R.A.F. Leeming with the Tornado Squadron and the Army section held their camp at Leek. The cadets were also involved in the Shepway air show.

There are two shooting sessions at the Hythe ranges on 10 and 17 September, and a Cadet Skill at Arms meeting at the Ash ranges on 23 and 24 September. The R.A.F. section will be gliding at R.A.F. Manston on 24 September.

Subject to safety checks, some of the cadets hope to abseil down the school lower early in October.

The C.C.F. Charter states that the broad function of the C.C.F. is to provide a disciplined organisation within a school so that boys and girls may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance and perseverance, and a sense of service to the community. It is firmly believed that the self-confidence and self-discipline required in Service life are equally important in the civil life of the nation today.

The specific function of the Service training in the C.C.F. is to provide the opportunity for young people to exercise responsibility and leadership and to learn from the Service how they can be best developed; show them why the Defence Forces are needed and how they function; and encourage those who have an interest in the Services to become officers of the Regular or Reserve Forces.