11 November 2011

Pupils and teachers at Bolton School have been officially welcomed in to London 2012's Get Set network, in recognition of their commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic Values. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) awarded the School a plaque and certificate to acknowledge their involvement in the London 2012 education programme, through the emphasis on sport within the school and the work the school does to encourage sport in the local community.
Year 5 girls and boys from seven local primary schools are benefitting from the resources and experience of teaching staff at Bolton School by taking part in the SHINE Project, which kicked off on Saturday. The aim is for children to be challenged and inspired whilst having fun and learning. They study a mix of traditional subjects such as English, Maths and the Sciences but are also introduced to more unusual offerings such as Japanese, Psychology, Ceramics and Drama. This year will also see them enjoying new sessions in Business Studies and Food Technology.
Also this week, the Girls' Division handed over a cheque for £2500 to the Guide Dog for the Blind Association, enabling them to sponsor and name their second guide dog puppy! Girls and staff took part in many fundraising activities to raise the money, and having reached the target to sponsor a second dog, girls will now put forward suggested names for the puppy.
The Girls' Division's Autumn Concert provided a wonderful celebration of music this week, and showcased the depth and breadth of talent within the school. Hundreds of girls took part in the evening and they were ably assisted by Bolton School boys who performed with them in a variety of joint bands and choirs. The evening offered a wide spectrum of styles and genres of music and Headmistress Miss Hincks commended the music staff in bowing to the tastes of the girls by allowing them to perform covers and tributes to the likes of Lady Gaga, Coldplay and Westlife.
And on Friday, special assemblies were held in all our schools to commemorate the Armistice - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 ending the First World War. At Hesketh House Year 6 pupils led a special Remembrance Day assembly, based on work they have covered this term in English, learning challenges, music and ICT and was based primarily around the study of the novel, War Game by Michael Foreman. The special assembly used video footage of Paul McCartney's famous song, Pipes of Peace, and John McCrae's evocative poem, In Flanders' Fields, along with pupils' research and music making about the Great War and how Remembrance Day first came into existence.