17 February 2017

The Infants at Beech House had lots of fun in the run-up to half term with their Arts Week! Pupils celebrated their achievements in music, art and dance and were able to try lots of new things, from African drumming to Inuit clay sculptures to Gum Boot dancing.

The Junior Girls collected a rainbow of coins for charity! The girls showed their support for Ethiopia-based charity Rainbows4Children by coming into school wearing rainbow colours and giving a £1 donation. The money was then laid out into a spectacular 'rainbow' on the playground, with an estimated £800 raised in total!

Boys' Division pupils in Year 11 learned more about the National Citizen Service (NCS) scheme and how they could get involved at Bolton Lads and Girls Club. During their visit they got to try a host of fun activities while also finding out how NCS could help them to assist their local community, make new friends and build on existing skills and develop new ones.

Thirteen Girls' Division pupils have been selected for the U13 Lancashire Lacrosse squad, including one Junior Girls' School pupil! The girls made it onto the A and B squads and will go on to play at the Northern Counties tournament.

Children at the Nursery celebrated Valentine's Day with baking and crafts, and by dressing in their best red and pink outfits for the day!

Girls' Division pupils Elly and Lucy won eight gold and silver medals between them at the Lancashire County Swimming Championships! Year 7 pupil Lucy came away with three gold and two silver medals, while Year 8 pupil Elly won two gold medals and one silver.

Year 8 pupils learned more about the vital work that guide dogs perform for Toni Forrest and her labrador retriever guide dog. Toni explained about the difference a guide dog makes for someone who is blind and how a person is matched up with their dog.

The Junior Girls enjoyed a day filled with Russian fun on the annual Modern Foreign Languages Day, which this year was themed around Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird. Pupils and staff from the Boys' Division helped out with the activities and the girls were able to find out more about the Russian language and culture.

Girls' Division pupils represented Bolton Town at the recent Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships. The four pupils were selected for the Bolton Town team after competing well in the Bolton Schools' Championships in October.

At the end of the half term, Mrs Kathryn Critchley and Mrs Maureen Drinkwater retired after having spent almost sixty years at Bolton School between them! Mrs Critchley, who joined the School in 1974, was able to recall teaching some of the current pupils' mothers and aunts. Both were showered with gifts, including Hesketh House bears and Port Sunlight roses and other personal gifts.

This week's Inspiring Mind is Old Girls Laura Moss, who attended the Girls' Division from 1994 to 2001. After leaving School she became a lawyer for a few years, but then quit her job and spent sixteen months cycling around the world! On her 13,000 mile trip, she visited twenty-seven countries and journeyed across Europe, the Middle East and Asia to Australia, before returning home across the USA. Following her life-changing experience, she founded and still directs the Cycle Touring Festival, encouraging others to make journeys by bicycle.