Daneshill Diary 11/11/16
Headmaster’s Notes
What a fantastic evening we all had on Friday 4th November. It really was a special evening indeed. All the children had a wonderful time and the firework display was spectacular. Thank you so much to all the staff for helping on the night in so many ways, and a huge ‘thank you’ to the Friends of Daneshill for organising all the terrific refreshments and other stalls for parents and children.
On Tuesday we were visited by a Science Dome which was set up in the Drama Studio. The children, in their year groups, visited the dome and it certainly brought Science to life. It was a sensational experience and I know the children loved it.
On Friday at 11:00am, the School assembled on the hard play area outside the Sports Hall and we collectively remembered all those service men and women who have given their lives for us. Our Head Boy and Head Girl, George Munn and Flick Young, recited the well-known poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ by First World War poet John McCrae. We all observed a period of silence preceded by a rendition of ‘The Last Post’. Thank you to all the children for making their own Poppy and to Mrs Caratelli for making a wonderful display in the front hall.
On Friday afternoon we hosted an U.8 Football Tournament for the boys with six Prep Schools participating. It was a great sporting event and the Daneshill ‘A’ team were awarded bronze medals.
Finally, may I please ask that all children arrive in the mornings in good time for registration at 8:30am. It is really important that we get off to a prompt start each day.
I wish you all a very happy weekend.
Mr Wansey
Pre-Prep News
What a memorable way to end the week and commemorate the lives of our brave soldiers past and present. The whole school gathered in silent reflection for a minute’s silence. The Pre-Prep were lucky enough to share this experience with Corporal Glenister who spent the morning with us discussing his real life experiences. The ‘life of a soldier’ was made more tangible for the children as they got a chance to try on uniform, hold medals and look at some of the ammunition used in tanks. The children were all presented with their own medal which they held with pride.
Year 2 have been transported this week with a trip into our solar system! The children were very lucky to step inside a planetarium and travel around space; visiting planets, our local stars and to learn about different constellations. It was a fantastic and eye-opening experience, getting the children excited about our Science topic next term. We have also been looking a little closer to home and discussing ‘Our Local Area’ and it’s geography. The children were excited to discuss where they live and what their countryside has to offer.
The Pre-Prep Teachers
Sports
Wednesday 9th November
FOOTBALL
U.13 A vs. St. Neot’s L 1 – 4
Colts C vs. St. Neot’s L 1 – 3
HOCKEY
U.13 A vs. Edgeborough L 1 – 10
U.13 B vs. Edgeborough L 1 – 9
U.13 C vs. Edgeborough L 3 – 5
U.11 A vs. Edgeborough W 4 – 0
U.10 A vs. Edgeborough W 5 – 1
U.10 B vs. Edgeborough W 8 – 0
U.10 C vs. Edgeborough W 7 – 1
Thursday 10th November
HOCKEY
U.9 A vs. Edgeborough W 7 – 0
U.9 B vs. Edgeborough W 6 – 1
U.8 A vs. Edgeborough W 5 – 2
U.8 B vs. Edgeborough W 5 – 1
Friday 11th November
FOOTBALL
U.8 A vs. Daneshill T’ment 3rd
Reports
On Wednesday 9th November the U.13 C played Edgeborough. The girls showed a lot of strength with the ball and created a lot of chances in the first half. However, when Edgeborough hit long balls toward our D we kept getting caught out at the back with three on two. Honor Mcdonald had a fantastic game in defence and Poppy Harris in goal but Edgeborough took their chances and we finish the half 3-0 down. In the second half the girls had the bit between their teeth as they knew they could play better hockey. Lili Bryant, the girl of the game, started making some probing runs down the right wing and her crosses were tucked away by Phoebe Esdaile (1) and Eleanor Davies (2) to keep us in the game. Unfortunately Edgeborough tucked away two more goals though resulting in a 3 – 5 score line. The girls can be very proud of their second half performance though but they need to be aware of players around them when the opposition have especially the goal hangers!
The U.8 teams had a very successful week, finishing with two victories away at Edgeborough. In rain showers and bright sunshine, conditions were tricky, but all the girls were determined, dominant in defence and full of energy. Eve Blomfield and Hanna Butcher were aggressive in attack, scoring with speed and accuracy. Olivia Arnold and Hannah Bettesworth were solid in defence, only letting a couple of shots go past them all afternoon. Midfield included Rose Miles and Antonia Froom, who both brought the ball down the pitch, linking the players together. The A team won 5-2 and the B team 5-1. An afternoon the girls should be really proud of.
Colts C
The mid-season travails sadly continued for the Colts C. In spite of some very promising patches of play, the boys struggled to find the end product. Measured, structured and accurate build-ups were too often cut short by a misplaced pass or a loose touch when approaching the opposition’s penalty area. While Jude Ferretti had an outstanding game in the midfield, combining combativeness and creativity to great effect, gilt-edged chances for Daneshill were few and far between.
In attempting to convert our superior possession into clear opportunities on goal, we occasionally lost track of our defensive duties, and St Neot’s took full advantage. By the boys’ own admission, these were ‘soft’ goals to concede that perhaps could and should have been avoided. This only serves to reiterate our own need for more direct, clinical and precise attacking play.
The Daneshill boys certainly deserved more for their endeavours against a decent St Neot’s side. Such effort in future weeks will result in more favourable final scorelines, I’m sure.
Mr Kinsey