Summer term: Week 1 News 26th April 2019

A note from the Deputy Head of School

After a restful and productive break, it is good to see everyone back and launching themselves into this final busy term of the year. With exams approaching fast, I hope everyone is feeling relaxed and prepared. International representation in both hockey and rowing has been the order of the day and my congratulations go to all involved. It is fitting for such prestige to come to the rowing club in its 150th year of existence. Con- gratulations also must go to the quiz team and it seems the Young Enterprise scheme promises another suc- cessful year! I wish you all the best for the upcoming term! Written by Deputy Head of School, Adam

Top stories

MAGICAL DAY CELEBRATES MONMOUTH’S PROUD ROWING HISTORY

The rich history of rowing at was celebrated with two special events at the beginning of April. A wonderful gala dinner for almost 200 guests marked the club’s 150th anniversary year and a boat named after John Hartland, a legendary rowing coach at the school and for , had been christened on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouth earlier that afternoon.

Mr John Griffiths, Master in Charge of Rowing, described the events as ‘sensational’ and said it had been a ‘very special day’ in the history of the club.

The day began with the naming of the new John W Hartland boat to honour Monmouth sporting legend John Hartland who inspired hundreds of rowers over 50 years on the River Wye and across . Mr Hartland was unable to attend the event due to illness, but his wife, Ann, christened the boat and was supported by their son, Nick, daughter Kate, and grandsons William and Benjamin.

The Sesquicentenary Dinner took place at the Chase Hotel in Ross-on-Wye and was an overwhelming success.

Former captains, coaches and boatmen enjoyed meeting up with old friends and recounted many tales and rowing sto- ries long into the night. Mr Griffiths said: “We could not have wished for a better day to thank a coach who has been so instrumental in putting Monmouth on the rowing map, before celebrating 150 years of rowing excellence at Monmouth with 192 guests.' QUIZZERS TRIUMPH IN TIGHT CONTESTS Before the easter break the local round of the Junior Schools’ Challenge, a keenly contested inter-school general knowledge quiz, was hosted by Monmouth School for Girls on Weds March 13th.

Two teams of Year 7&8 pupils were fielded by Monmouth School for Girls and one by Monmouth School for Boys; there was also a mixed Haberdashers Monmouth Schools team.

The boys’ team (William, Alfie, Charlie and Gwyndaf) and the mixed team, which included Sam and Osian, both made it through the heats to the semi-finals.

The boys’ team went on to meet Hereford Cathedral School in the final. In a closely fought contest the two sides were still only a few points apart after twenty minutes but in the last ten minutes, helped by their lightning speed on the buzz- ers, the Monmouth boys took the lead and went on to win comfortably, by 440 points to 320. Monmouth School for Boys therefore retain the Eric Cunnell Cup for another year and can look forward to the regional round of the Junior Schools’ Challenge later this term.

FRENCH STUDENTS PASS ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE Year 9 and 10 boys from Monmouth School for Boys met up with some Year 6 students from Monmouth School Boys' Prep at the end of last term and took part in some fun French activities.

They started the festivities with a treasure hunt outside and finished with a quiz on the ipads and a great time was had by all. Magnifique!

STUDENTS PAINT SCHOOL RED FOR TWO VITAL CHARITIES Students and staff painted Monmouth School for Boys red, at the end of last term, for two important charities.

The Wear Red Day was inspired by 16-year-old pupil, Joshua, and has raised around £1,000, mostly for Welsh Hearts with a small donation to Velindre. Pupils donated £2 to wear their own clothes to school and had an opportuni- ty to throw wet sponges at kind-spirited members of staff, including Headteacher, Dr Andrew Daniel, and Head of Art and Design, Mr Matt Peake. With support from his friends, Joshua sold t-shirts, wristbands, pin badges and organised cake sales and a rugby ball-throwing game to raise funds for Welsh Hearts. Joshua, an ambassador for Welsh Hearts, said: “I believe that we should support Welsh Hearts and raise the profile of the fantastic work which the charity does, particularly in schools. We need more defibrillators in Wales.” Welsh Hearts is a heart charity for placing defibrillators in commu- nities and delivering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillator training in Wales.

Joshua thanked everyone who took part in the fund-raiser and supported the successful day in Monmouth. OARSMAN IWAN PICKED FOR GREAT BRITAIN Talented rower, Iwan, has been picked to represent Great Britain in Germany next month.

The Monmouth School for Boys’ oarsman is among 33 athletes from 20 clubs across the country selected to row for GB at the Munich Junior Regatta on 4th to 5th May.

It is a fantastic achievement by 17-year-old Iwan, who will be competing for the junior men for the first time, and a lovely fillip for Monmouth School for Boys’ Row- ing Club in its 150th year. “We are delighted for Iwan, who has been rewarded for his hard work, dedication and commitment,” said Mr John Griffiths, Master in Charge of Rowing at Monmouth School for Boys. “Iwan has made the step up from representing Wales at the Home International Regatta in 2018 to race for GB.”

Peter Sheppard, GB Chief Coach U23s & Juniors, said: “It’s pleasing to see athletes from a range of clubs and schools from across the country selected to represent Great Britain at the Munich Junior Regatta. It demonstrates the strength of ju- nior rowing and the positive impact coaches are having on the development of young people in the sport.' HOCKEY DUO PICKED FOR WALES’ TESTS AGAINST SCOTLAND Two sporty Monmouth students will be playing international hockey in this weekend.

Dan, 17, and Mari, 16, have been picked to represent Wales in a three- match Test series against Scotland.

The pair are students at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools and will be playing for their respective Wales under-18s boys and girls’ teams.

The matches will take place at the National Hockey Centre in Sophia Gardens on 19th, 20th and 21st April. Well done to both of them... and good luck!

ENVIRONMENT IS TOP PRIORITY FOR BUSINESS-SAVVY STUDENTS Teenage entrepreneurs at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools have put environmentally-friendly products at the heart of their businesses. As part of this year’s Young Enterprise scheme, Sixth Form students have set up two businesses with an extra focus on safeguarding the earth.

Eco Panda (pictured top), led by Managing Director, Tom, is doing its bit to protect the ocean by selling bamboo straws. “Our aim is to replace plastic straws which are damaging our oceans and wildlife,” said Tom. “Bamboo straws are highly reusable. One thing that plastic straws and paper straws have in common is that they are thrown away after just one use.”

And another business, called Qube (pictured left), led by Amelia, is producing sustainable photo frames made out of medium-density fibreboard. “We are developing photo frames from recyclable wood and we are aiming for a more sustainable future in our own homes,” she said. The two businesses will be hoping to impress the judges at the Newport & Monmouthshire regional Young Enter- prise final on 2nd May. For more details about the students’ environmentally-friendly products, please e-mail Eco Panda on ecopandaye@ gmail.com or Qube on [email protected] COMING UP AT THE BLAKE THEATRE: Live on stage: Sat 27th April 2019 Ballet Theatre UK: Swan Lake 3.00pm Swan Lake remains as one of the most enduring, moving and irreplace- able classical ballets due to its fantastical plot filled with romance, sorcery, and betrayal. Join Ballet Theatre UK with their spectacular new production of this timeless classic. This immortal tale tells of a princess held captive as a swan by the spell of an evil magician, a spell that can only be broken if a prince swears true love to her.

Featuring new choreography by Artistic Director Christopher Moore and over 120 new costumes and stunning sets this production promis- es to provide you with a new look at the classic tale and leave you with Click on the image to buy tickets for this event a new love for Swan Lake. 'Glittering costumes, expressive dancers…a pleasure to witness a production of this calibre' - Dance Europe Tickets: Adult £18, Concession £16, Under 16s £10 VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST NEWS STORIES FROM MONMOUTH SCHOOL FOR BOYS

Calendar Dates

1.30pm Chapel Choir departs for Salisbury. Return 8.45pm Friday 26th April Year 12 Classics (MG set) trip: Mary Beard Lecture (Oxford) Depart 2pm, return 9pm 5.30pm Evensong sung by the Chapel Choir (Salisbury Cathedral) Lessons Revert 8.40am - 9am Year 11 Examinations Briefing (Chapel) Boarders' Activity: 6.30pm - 11pm Years 9 - 13 Cinema (Newport) Saturday 27th April Cricket: v Dean Close: 1st XI, U14A & B, U12A & B (A) Depart 12pm 2nd XI, U15A & B, U13A & B (H) 2.15pm Rowing: Junior Inter-Regional Regatta: J15 & J16 (Peterborough) 10.15am – 11am Chapel: Morning Service (Buchanan, Chapel, New, School, Weirhead) Sunday 28th April Boarders' Activity: 12.30pm - 5pm Super Tubing (Ebbw Vale) Cricket: 1st XI National T20 (A) (Dean Close) Depart 9am Joint Year 9 visit to Haberdashers’ Hall (London) Depart 7.30am, return 7.30pm 8.40am - 9am Headmaster's Assembly (last until Thursday 4 July) A level Art Examination (MB set): A level French Oral Examination (MB & MG set) Monday 29th April 4.15pm - 6.30pm Symphonic Winds extended rehearsal 6.30pm - 6.45pm Futurewise presentation prior to Year 10 Parents' Evening (Library) 6.45pm - 8.45pm Year 10 Parents' Evening (Blake Theatre) Cricket: U15A v Hereford Cathedral School (National knock out) (H) 2pm Year 9 Geography trip to Jaguar Land Rover (Castle Bromwich/Solihull) Depart 8.30am, return 4.30pm A level French Oral Examination (MB & MG set) Tuesday 30th April UKMT Junior Maths Challenge: Selected boys in Years 7 and 8 2.30pm - 4pm IGCSE English Revision (English Classrooms) 8pm - 9pm Boarders' Joint Social: Year 10 (MG) A level Art Examination 9am - 11.10am GCSE English Language Examination (Blake Theatre) Wednesday 1st May CCF Army Junior Cadets 2 Section: Skills at Arms - Marksmanship Training (Brecon) Depart 2.15pm, return 6.30pm 7pm – 8pm Senior Play: Not Gonna Lie (Drama Studio) A level Art Examination (MB set) A level Spanish Oral Examination (MB & MG set) Young Enterprise Newport and Monmouthshire Area Final (University of South Wales, Newport City Campus) Depart 11.50am, return 6.45pm 2pm – 3.30pm History IGCSE Revision (History classrooms) Thursday 2nd May 3.30pm - 5.30pm Year 11 GCSE Geography Revision Webinar (Geography Classrooms) Year 12 and 13 Latin students Gloucester Classical Association Lecture (Dean Close School) Depart 6pm, return 10pm 7pm – 8pm Symphonic Serenade (MG Performing Arts Centre) Cricket: U17 v Kings Worcester (National knock out) (A) Depart 3pm 2nd XI v Christ College Brecon 1st XI (H) 4pm