HEADlines
by Justin Chippendale
Pomp and Circumstance meets Funday Friday. We have had a duly respectful sharing and understanding of the significance surrounding the Coronation of King Charles III, as well as celebrating this hugely important national event – that also has implications and great relevance to many countries around the world.
As well as various touchpoints about the Coronation in different subjects, sessions and tutor time, in yesterday’s Chapel Father Mark talked about the ceremonial, symbolic and religious aspects of tomorrow’s service whilst today Mr Watson has given some more insight to the history of the Crown and the life of the King. We also marked the occasion by planting an oak tree – see this and plenty more in the Newsletter. Alongside all that, we have enjoyed focused competitions, playtimes, regal activities, themed food and embraced the warmth that comes from a shared experience.
I hope you all find time to share yet more happy times together over this very special Coronation Long Weekend.
This Week in Pre-Prep...
by Claire LuckhurstIt has been lovely to celebrate the coronation with the children today ahead of the historic proceedings tomorrow. It is incredible to realise they are living through a period in history whereby during their lifetime, they will have witnessed the passing of the longest reigning monarch and will almost certainly live under the reign of another two monarchs after King Charles III. We were impressed with the wonderful array of Royal Crowns on show and the catering team were equally impressed with the standard of royal cupcake decorating. I am sure you will all enjoy many more celebrations over the weekend with your families which will provide more treasured memories for the children to recall in years to come.
Pelican News
School Calendar
Don't forget to check the Portal and SOCs for details and timings of what is happening this term - it's a busy one!
Next week ...
Long Weekend/Bank Holiday
School re-opens for boarders from 7pm on Monday 8th and for day pupils at 8.30am on Tuesday 9th.
We are only a few days away and the excitement is building!!
The games are planned, the gazebos at the ready, food, alcohol, soft drinks - and fantastic prizes. All baking at all standards and all ages hugely welcome! Please dress for the weather and bring cash on the day.
Abbey Mill House TA23 0PS
Tuesday 9th
Year 7
History trip to Montacute House
Tuesday 9th - Thursday 11th
Year 8 CE French Speaking & Listening exams
Good luck to all those involved
We marked and celebrated King Charles’ Coronation with the planting of an Oak sapling on the top field.
It was very special to have Dr Roger Mott with us to plant the tree. Roger is a very similar age to the King, he was a boy at the Prep here when the King’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, he went all the way through King’s and after qualifying as a teacher returned to teach at King’s for over 30 years. He has been on the Governing body until recently and has also only just stepped down as President of the OA Club (former pupils) and has grandchildren in the school. A remarkable servant to King’s all in the same time frame as the life of His Majesty King Charles. Father Mark conducted the blessing as the whole school bore witness.
Coronation Cupcake Competition
... and the Prep department winners are
A Roast fit for a King ...
Roast Topside of Beef
Yorkshire Pudding
Roast Potatoes
Vegetables
* * * * * * * * * *
Coronation Cupcake
King Charles III Art Competition
We have received some super, colourful and really original entries which are now hanging as bunting around the school.
The deadline has been extended to Tuesday and we will be judging the entries on Wednesday next week ... so there is still time to enter!
Boarding Blog
This week has been a fabulous week in the boarding house! The sun finally showing its face, albeit briefly, meant we were able to use the school’s beautiful grounds to our heart's content.
Last weekend the children got stuck into their Saturday activities and cricket was in full swing.
Sunday was spent mostly using the bikes and skateboards with races down the drive becoming highly competitive, and some super skills were on show as the skateboard ramps started to appear!
A highlight of the day was walking to the local farm shop to get milkshakes after lunch, there were so many flavours to choose from and they were so delicious.
Monday was an extra day of fun spent baking cakes, going on national trust walks, watching a movie on the big screen in the Arts Centre and pizza for supper to top it all off!
The evenings have been action-packed and spent out on the fields, in the Sports Hall and on the Adventure playground. The boarders are always so good at creating new games to play and there is never a dull moment!
We are looking forward to all the exciting Coronation activities planned for today, the children left breakfast dressed in their red, white and blue, and were all smiles after Mrs Hardy did an amazing job face painting Union Jacks!
What a brilliant week! I hope you all have a well-deserved Long Weekend.
Eliza
If anyone would like to join the fun at anytime, please do contact bookboarding@kingshalltaunton.co.uk
A few words from this term's Deputy Head Girl ...
Hello, my name is Sienna and I am Deputy Head Girl this term.
I love the summer term, and am very excited the cricket season has started. I, as many of you know, was in hospital for a month in September and this will be my first full term of sport. When I was off sport it was very hard, and I discovered that I needed to be more resilient. Many people who love sport will or have been injured, and everything carries on without you, so you have to work really hard and have determination to return, both physically and mentally, now back playing cricket, I am having so much fun.
I have been at King’s Hall for 9 years I started in Nursery I have loved it for as long as I can remember. Even though I have been at King’s Hall for 9/13 of my life, it has flown by so fast it seems like just yesterday that I was leaving Pre-Prep and going into Year 3. I am very sad that my journey is coming to an end and I’m leaving King’s Hall, but am very excited for our time ahead at King’s College.
In 2008, from 20,000 applicants, 32 athletes were selected for the toughest challenge on TV then – Gladiators!
One of these athletes was a local young Geography and PE teacher … that local young teacher is our very own Anna Hardy (then known as Anna Miller) and Anna went on to be crowned the 2008 Series 1 Female Champion, becoming a bit of a local celebrity.
Now you may wonder why we are writing about this … following the announcement of the relaunch of Gladiators, Anna was contacted by Somerset Sound for an interview about her memories from the show (which was aired live yesterday morning) so we thought we would share a few photographic memories with you.
A View from the Rose Garden
Mrs Willmott's class
The children in 3W have been looking at old newspapers, loaned by a retired King's Hall teacher. They are originals from the Coronation days of King George Vl and Elizabeth ll.
This is what the children think King Charles will be like as the reigning monarch of our country:
After a great afternoon of celebrations at school, the class are looking forward to more of the same this weekend.
Outdoor Learning remains as popular as ever with Year 3 and we have been complementing our History lessons by finding out how the Celts made their clothes.
We have carded fleece in preparation for spinning it into yarn.
Spinning with a drop spindle is not as easy as it seemed on the YouTube video!
The children also practised the technique of weaving using a frame and straws.
All of these stages proved pretty tricky and it is good job the weather is picking up and we haven’t been relying on our production of cloth to keep us warm!!
Snoops' Diary
by Snoops the Dog
Dear Friends,
What else could I talk about other than the Coronation? The build up to the spectacular event is here. I wonder if anyone reading this diary entry has ever witnessed the coronation of a King or Queen, in our country, in their lifetime? It is 70 years since Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and King George Vl was crowned 86 years ago!
Do you know that in the 950 years since the first recorded coronation, there have only been three monarchs who have not had a coronation. The first, Edward V, was locked in the Tower of London with his younger brother and was presumed to have been murdered by his uncle, Richard III. The young princes disappeared before the ceremony.
The next monarch not to receive a coronation was Lady Jane Grey who inherited the throne from her cousin Edward VI. Lady Jane Grey arrived at the Tower of London to prepare for her coronation only to find herself a prisoner of Edward's older sister, Mary. Ruling for just nine days, poor Lady Jane Grey was executed for treason.
The final monarch without a coronation was Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne following a scandalous affair with Wallis Simpson. His brother, George Vl ascended to the throne in his place and was coronated on the same day that had been planned for Edward’s crowning.
What a colourful history we have, and that’s without even mentioning the shenanigans of Henry Vlll and the torrent of rolling heads during the reign of Bloody Mary!
On a completely different note, I was thinking about Queen Elizabeth ll and her association with Corgis, whilst eating my breakfast this morning. It made me wonder if King Charles owns any dogs.
After a little research, I discovered that Prince Charles is a longtime owner of Jack Russell terriers. As well as having them when he was growing up, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have two adorable rescue Jack Russell Terriers named Bluebell and Beth.
Well, there you go, I just had a feeling that he would have a place in his heart, and space in his palace, for a couple of four legged friends.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the Coronation. (I’m hoping to be served a portion of Coronation Chicken to aid the celebrations!)
Have a good one.
Your Friend
Snoops X
Mr Sprague's Year 6 tutor group
‘Twas the time before exams, when all through the school
Not a feature was stirring, not even the pool;
Heads were bent low over revision with care,
In hopes that answers might reveal themselves there;
The children wrote fractions and words of all kinds,
While visions of better days danced in their minds;
Not too soon will their work be done,
And away like a flash, for Half Term in the sun.
With acknowledgement and apologies to Clement Clarke Moore.
Sport
@iapsuksport
Well done to Theo and Humphrey for their amazing achievements at the recent @iapsuksport National Squash championships. They both played brilliantly over the two days and finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
Please click here to see the rest of this week's sporting updatesKing's Hall School Shop
Our school shop is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2.30pm - 5pm.
The shop stocks all the uniform items your child needs and includes some second-hand clothing.
For a list of uniform items, shop opening times and payment details, please click the links below:
Nursery and Pre-prep
Prep
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