Dropping Off and Picking Up Day Children (Late Collection)
We would like to remind parents that Registration at Bardwell Road is at 8.15 in the morning and children should be dropped off before this time. It is important that children have the chance to get organised before their day starts and this includes being given any notices and messages by their Formtaker or Tutor. Children who arrive late miss this opportunity and inevitably are less prepared for the day. If they are late and miss Registration they should go to The Lodge and sign in.
We would also like to remind parents that day children should go to the Library after school if they are waiting to be picked up and are not in an After School Club. If they need to call home they are allowed to use the phone there and you are also able to get messages to them on the Library number 01865 315465. Please tell your children that this is what they should be doing and encourage them to use the time effectively to read or get on with their Prep.
Dragon Declamations
On Friday 18 November, we welcomed Christopher Ellott, Head of English at Radley, to judge our annual Poetry Declamations contest. This was the culmination of several weeks of children practising and reciting poetry in their English lessons. Three finalists from each of A to D Blocks read their selected poems with impressive clarity and poise to an appreciative audience.
Play in a Week
In January there will be an opportunity for any keen actors in D Block. Working from a basic script, the aim is to cast, devise and rehearse ‘The Three Musketeers’ for a performance at Spectrum on Friday 20 January. All children in D Block are welcome to take part in this intensive but rewarding week, there will be a full cast rehearsal on Saturday 14 January from 1.00 to 3.30 p.m. Please can parents of those children who would like to take part, contact
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for further details by Friday 9 December. Thank you.
LAMDA lessons
LAMDA (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) lessons help to prepare children for Speech and Drama exams which are graded similarly to music (Grades 1-8, with a distinction, merit or pass). For further information please consult their website.
Next term, C Block will have priority (as A and B Block have this term and D and E Block will in the Summer Term) Parents should note that this is a big commitment as most lessons take place in free time, and all children will all sit a public exam at the end of term.
Children will be taught in pairs by an experienced external LAMDA teacher and each pair will have a thirty minute lesson at the same time each week on either a Monday or Tuesday. (Please specify if you have a preference when applying). There is a charge of £100 a term, excluding examination fees, approximately £25-30 per exam. Those who received confirmation from me last July need not re-apply. Places are limited so please email
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by Monday 5 December.
Dragon Actor
Congratulations to Robert Youngs do Patricinio (7AT) who has won a role in South Pacific being performed from the 6 – 31 December at the New Theatre in Oxford. He will play Jerome, the son of the lead character, in all performances next month.
BOARDING HOUSE NEWS
House Snail
The Wilsons introduce a new addition to their house…Milo’s Giant African Land Snail called Gasy (see main picture). Milo acquired Gasy for 2 years ago when a snail belonging to a teacher from his last school gave birth. Milo feeds him cucumber and takes him out to play every day. All the Wilson boys are very much enjoying having Gasy in the house.
Prize Steaks
Four Gunga boys are pictured on Tuesday evening enjoying Senior Matron Ma Tina's 'prize supper night'. Tina cooked them a personally chosen supper up in her flat in Gunga. The boys were chosen as a reward for showing repeated kindness, consideration, generosity of spirit and helpfulness to both boys and staff in Gunga.
The menu was steak and chips, or chicken curry and sweet berry compote for pudding. It’s berry juice in the wine glasses!
Dam Buster
Breakfast Last Saturday 19 November, Nicholson's House celebrated a Dam Busters Breakfast. In the tradition of these historic events a breakfast feast was eaten in house before a ‘bombing raid’ took place (using a model aeroplane that Mr Nicholson had made hung above a children's paddling pool.) The boys enjoyed playing with the model mounted on a zip wire, if not the early start!
International Experience
On Sunday, Nicholson's Boys enjoyed a very interesting talk from international boarder Christian Hockey, D Block. He talked to the house about his life and home in Geneva. He introduced a famous Genevan tradition celebrated on December 11, where the oldest and youngest children smash chocolate cauldrons and eat the chocolate. This represents the fact that’ according to Genervois legend, a mother of 14 children once seized a large cauldron of hot soup and poured it on attackers of the city. Basil Barter and Alexander Pearson (oldest and youngest boarders in Nicholson’s) were chosen to do the honours but the whole house were able to eat the chocolate.
Junior to Senior
The boys of Stuart-Clarks (a junior boys’ house) enjoyed an evening looking round School House, experiencing life in a Senior House; the Lego was loved by all.
MasterChef Watch Out!
Cooking in School House goes from strength to strength.
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Little Shop Reservations
Seats for the ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’ are going fast (do not worry if you have applied for tickets and not received confirmation yet – this information will be sent out very soon) and if you wish to attend one or both of the performances on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 December at 6.45 p.m. in the Lynam Hall, please get in touch. While no tickets are to be issued for the performances, to avoid disappointment, you must reserve a seat via
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. Would parents please note that there is a limit of 5 seats per person each night and that Dragon children in the audience should wear their B Suits.
Please also note that the Friday performance is not part of the Spectrum programme and seats should be reserved for this show. You are also reminded that all performers will of course be given something to eat before the show but you should make your own arrangements for day children in the audience.
ABRSM Music Exams
The music exam timetable for Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd December has now been finalised and parents can find the full list by clicking here.
Form 10s Rugby
The Form 10s Rugby Competitions were omitted from the calendar but will be taking place on Monday 5 December for C and D Blocks and Tuesday 6 December for A and B Blocks, all during normal games time (3.15 - 4.15 p.m.). These are informal events but parents are welcome to watch.
Rugby Change
The U12A fixture against West Hill Park on Wednesday 30 November is now NOT happening.
Channel Swim Challenge Completed!
On Tuesday this week C Block successfully swam the equivalent of the English Channel in an impressive 54mins. This was just outside last year’s record. After the one hour challenge they had swum a massive 1570 lengths or 39.25KM as a year group. The funds raised from sponsorship will be donated to the Isiqalo Foundation which is a project run in South Africa by an OD. All of C Block are asked to give their pledged funds to Mr Gill by the end of next week.
Scottish Visit
Many thanks to those parents and Dragons who hosted the Fettes tourists last week. The boys from Edinburgh had a marvellous trip beating the Dragon 2nd XV in a Calcutta Cup classic 19 – 14 on Thursday and after a morning in town and a tour of Christ Church they beat Christ Church 1st XV on Friday. Friendships were forged and the boys were a credit to their school, as too were the Dragon hosts. One of the most pleasing aspects commented on by their staff was the speed with which all the Dragon boys and girls, not just the hosts, chatted to and welcomed their boys to the school (possibly something to do with their attire!)
Free Cakes for Kids
The school was delighted to welcome Henriette Lundgren and the volunteers from Free Cakes for Kids back to the Cauldron last Friday.
The charity Free Cakes for Kids began baking in our kitchen 3 years ago. Volunteers have baked cakes for hundreds of children in Oxford who may not get such treats for a birthday or other celebration. FC4K have helped to grow the project into 30 different cities, towns and villages all over the country. The charity is looking for volunteers to help in Oxford - if anyone from the Dragon community is interested in helping, please get in touch with Henriette through Free Cakes for Kids.
Green Christmas
The Green Dragons would like to “upcycle” your old Christmas cards into charming tree decorations for the Dragon Sale. They would be very grateful if you could drop any unwanted cards (fronts only) into the box in the Lodge after Exeat.
DRAGON SALE 2011 UPDATE
Everything moves up a notch as our countdown really begins – the donation drop bins are filling up nicely, thank you, but we still have plenty of room for more! Young Dragons are still on the hunt for unopened toiletries, hairspray and gels along with Lego bricks, nearly new toys and dressing up items. Nearly new bikes can be dropped off at the Dragon on Saturday 3 December, so please do take a look in those garden sheds now! You can find out what else we need here.
Please keep sending in those pre-orders for Christmas cards, the Emma Bridgewater mug, Deli, Pottery and China items and Dragon Direct – our Christmas Elves are standing by ready to deliver! Everything can be ordered online along with Balls, Christmas Trees and the Lynams Golden Rules poster (shown above).
Raffle tickets are now on sale and going fast – with an iPad 2, dinner at Heston Blumenthal’s Hind’s Head in Bray and an iPod Touch as the top three prizes that’s not surprising, so make sure you get yours soon!
It’s been pointed out to us by more than one happy buyer that we haven’t been generous enough with our information on this year’s jute bag – it is in fact a whopping shopper size and so perfect for family shopping trips (and for filling up with goodies on the big day!).
There’s still time to sign up for the 12 Days of the Christmas Sale online which opens on 1 December, along with bidding for this year’s Silent Auction.
And finally, to the fantastic team of volunteers who are doing their very best to make sure that this year’s Sale will be another unforgettable event – a great big thank you and keep up the good work! If you would like to be part of the team, you know where to find us on our Dragon Sale website.
From the Dragon Sale Team
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