Boarders

In Skipwith House we are fortunate that we still retain boarders in year 12. Whilst for the day boys the school day ends at 6pm, the boarders continue to work in to the evenings during a supervised prep session from 7pm to 8:45pm. Thereafter, the boarders are free to relax, play some pool, watch TV and see their friends.

Joe to play for Oxfordshire

Congratulations to Joe Carey (year 12) for being selected to play Rugby for Oxfordshire U17s. Excellent news and we keenly await results of future performances!

Skipwith Video

Yesterday I spoke to a group of keen year 9 and 10 boys who are interested in producing a video of the various activities that Skipwith boys get up to. I am very excited about this project and hopefully the end result will be up on this blog before the end of term as well being displayed on our television. The boys already have some good ideas, although some may have to be reviewed unless we can find someone with a helicopter going spare...

Dress Code

As the warmer weather is due to return over the weekend the dress code for Monday is normal school uniform although a rain coat may be advisable. Please check this blog or the school website for any changes to this should the weather forecast change over the weekend.

Wildlife

Many thanks to our grounds keeper Mr Evans, for managing to capture these pictures of the local wildlife around Skipwith House.

Warm Clothing

The dress code for the next 2 days is warm sensible clothing for the cold conditions.

CCF Promotions

Many congratulations to Harry Berkley and Markland Tidswell who have been promoted tot he rank of Lance Corporal in the Army section of the CCF.

Poppy Appeal

Thanks to everyone in the house who donated to last terms Poppy Appeal. Skipwith generously donated £84.01 to the appeal which was more than any other house.

Thank you!

House Council

The house council met today and the minutes can be seen here.

Snow Arrangements

Dear Parents


School will be open as usual on Monday. It is likely that we will allow day pupils to leave from 3.30pm and send buses early again tomorrow but we will confirm this in the morning. If this causes any difficulties for you, please contact the College. We will be happy to organise any overnight accommodation should it be required. Normal routine will continue for those in College in the evening. Pupils may wear warm casual clothing (including a coat.)

Kindest regards

Rob Jones
Deputy Headmaster

Schooled in Murder

A sneak preview of the Midsomer Murders filmed at Shiplake - now being broadcast on 30th January. (Some mobile devices will not open this link for some reason - a simple Google search will reveal the clip).

Team Work

Everett, Welsh and Skipwith joined forces this afternoon to produce this work of art...

 

Snow!

Snow has well and truly arrived and hopefully everybody made it home safely and in good time. The grounds are totally covered in fresh snow which is currently untouched and perfect for snowballs...alas no Skipwith boys to throw them :-(

I'm sure the staff will find something to do with it...

Exam Timetable 2013

The Summer 2013 exam timetable for GCSE, AS and A2 has been published and can be seen here. There is also a permanent link in the 'Useful Links' on the right hand side of this page. This may be subject to changes but I will try and keep the document updated as and when these may occur. Please check individual statements of entry when these are produced later in the year.

Inspiring

Many will remember a former Shiplake boy called JB Brown. He arrived in 2009 as part of the World Class Start rowing programme as he was identified as having the potential to be a world class athlete. JB's determination to make the most of his time at Shiplake was apparent from day one and he rapidly became a very popular figure in Burr house not just for his sense of humour and thick Geordie accent, but mainly for his approachable and kind nature. JB new how to opt in and as well as making the most of the rowing facilities, he was involved in CCF, Duke of Edinburgh Award and was a reliable mentor to many young boys in Burr. JB's dream was to follow in his fathers footsteps and eventually join the Paratroop regiment and he knew that the experiences he gained at Shiplake would make him an excellent candidate for this elite and professional section of the British Army. As a school prefect JB led by example and would never shy from doing his duty and working in the interests of others. JB left Shiplake in 2011 and suffered a number of setbacks that prevented him from joining the paratroop regiment which continued to be his dream. Despite a number of operations for various ailments he held his target firmly in his head and with the support of friends and family made a full recovery and achieved incredible levels of fitness. Last month he took a giant leap towards his goal by beginning his training for the regiment. As his tutor, I was bursting with pride when I saw this photo and I believe JB continues to set a positive example to Shiplake boys and offers proof that if you want to achieve something badly enough and are prepared to work through good times and bad, then you can do it!

Fed up with the cold?

As we prepare to batten down the hatches for the impending blizzard I thought I would share something that keeps out the cold and can be made in minutes. Inspired by holidays in Italy here is a simple recipe for hot chocolate so thick you can stand a spoon up in it.

1 mug of milk
50g of good chocolate
2 tablespoons of corn flour

Heat the milk on a low heat until warm. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Mix the corn flour with a splash of milk to prevent lumps and then add to the warm chocolatey mix. Keep stirring until it all thickens up and coats your spoon with thick smooth chocolate.

You can try drinking it, but it is easier to consume once you have rescued the spoon out of the mug.

Awards

It was apleasure to be in assembly this morning to see 3 Skipwith boys receieve awards.

Jamal Springer-Lynch - 1st Prize for Sculpture in House Art
Billy Sayers - 1st Prize for Painting in House Art
Sam Mummery - 1st Prize year 11 Print
Alice White - 1st Prize year 12 Print
Daisy Gresswell - 1st Prize year1 3 Sculpture
Jo Unsworth - 1st Prize year 13 Painting
[Skipwith came 4th overall]

Charlie Bertram - most excellent effort in year 9 for his History project
Tom McCooke - Grade 5 Piano

Harry Vardigans also read extremely well as he summed up his trip to Nantes over Christmas as part of the GB Junior potential camp for rowing.

Rowing carries on

The snow and cold weather will never stop the rowers.

New Junior Leader

This half term, Jordan Gibson will act as the Junior Leader for years 9 and 10. We wish him all the very best in making this role his own!

Midsomer Murders

Those who were orinially looking forward to watching the Midsomer Murders filmed in Skipwith being shown this Wednesday will be disappointed to hear that this has been postponed. My research suggests that we may have to wait until January 30th.

Snow!

Are school days any better than when it is snowing? This afternoon's blizzard provided an obvious attraction to all the boys who were obliged to get out and start throwing snowballs at lunch time. No injuries but lots of wet boys at the end of lunch time coming in from the slush.

 

New Features

Two new tabs have been added to the blog. For those new to the blog you will find an introduction in the 'Welcome' tab and for those interesetd in how the house is looking these days there is a first attempt at producing a virtual tour in the 'Tour the House' page. Enjoy!

Blog Design

I am very flattered that Burr House have decided to redesign their blog site and have taken inspiration from a very popular blog indeed...burrhouseblog.blogspot.com.

First Week Back

The first week back has certainly been busy and there is a calm atmosphere around the house as many of the boys re-establish their routines, but also many are taking note of the comments they read in their school reports. As the pressure of public exams begins to loom for many there is a definite sense that now is the time to really get working. Rowing and Hockey have begun as the major sports this term and fitness is starting to increase! Boat Club Circuits attracted 50 people to the sports hall this week which just goes to show that a lot of our boys are eager to make a good start this term.

I would like to warmly welcome a new member of our Skipwith flock. We were joined by Seb Allan on Monday who is a year 11 boarder and I hope he will be very happy in Skipwith.

House Art

There was much Skipwith talent on show in the Great Hall this week as the house art competition entries were being displayed. Winners are still to be announced but here is a sample of of the excellent work produced byt he Skipwith boys.

Calendar and Diary Information

This term boys and parents will no longer receive the prep diary/calendar. Consequently, the boys will still receive a homework diary but all calendar information will now be stored in its most up to date form, which is online here.

New Toy

With many thanks to the Vardigans family for donating it, we have now installed a pool table in the day room for use by everyone. Cues will arrive shortly.

The rules are:
1. Play nicely and share!
2. Do not sit or lean on the table.
3. Don't lose the balls.
4. Be mindful of those sitting around the table when playing.

Enjoy!

Midsomer Murders

During the summer holidays Skipwith and Shiplake were busy hosting the cast and crew of Midsomer Murders who filmed around the house and the boathouse for 2 weeks. The results of which are being screened on ITV1 at 8pm on 16th January in an episode called 'Schooled in Murder'. Skipwith was turned in to Midsomer Pastures Prep School, the crest for which was generously donated by the props department and is hanging outside my study.

Maintenance

Our maintenance man, Nav, has been exceptionally busy over the holidays. As I left the house this afternoon he was putting the finishing touches on the house landing having repainted the whole thing - no mean task for one person! Lots of other jobs have been taken care of as well, so don't forget to say thank you when you get back next week as he was keen to get as much done in time for your return.

New Term Coming...

The final days of the holiday are upon us. The blog will start waking up again shortly but in the mean time please see the following notices. We all very much look forward to seeing you next week!

- The house reopens on Monday evening for boarders (senior rowers will be able to gain access during the day)
- Term begins on Tuesday morning as normal. All boys to be in house at the usual time for morning check.
- Please make sure haircuts are appropriate for the new term and that uniform is looking smart...not too late for new trousers/shirts if you have grown over the holiday!! Black belts and lace up shoes should be looking good and up to the job too.