Boarders' Bulletin June / July 2024

What a half term it has been!! With sport being very much on the horizon, Scott were all set for the usual house spirit recognition award… boy was this not the case!! The girls have been outstanding, not only in their cohesion as a house but also shown in their grit and determination. Having come runners up in house football, only losing in the final due to a “golden goal”, the house was in a jubilant mood as we approached sports day. This saw Scott triumph not only in the tug of war competition but to also become the overall winner of Sports Day… to say I was excited was an understatement!!

The year 9s really have brought a fresh exuberance to the house and their triumph in the year 9 swimming sports competition meant the buzz around the house remained. Swimming sports in year 10 and year 12 is always a challenge and I'm extremely proud of Jaycee, Adachi and Teni who formed our year 10 team, but special mention must go to Tiggy, our one and only year 12 swimmer, who really showed an immense house spirit, we await our fate regarding are overall standings for this year!!

Aside from sport we have seen the work of Ellie and Gabby displayed in the school art exhibition, some very talented individuals. There has been numerous s’mores evenings in the quad, tutor trips and effective use of the new picnic tables (when the sun has shone!).

As we approach the end of term, we also say farewell to Mr Parr who is making his move to become a pro golfer as of September. I’m not sure who will take over his established role of “kitchen police”. He will be sadly missed and wish him every success.

As we approach the end of the Summer term, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on what a fantastic and truly amazing year it has been in Rammell.

The Rammell boys enjoyed a diverse array of activities from playing football in the garden, to games in the house, making pizza or enjoying numerous BBQs. There has also been some enthusiastic participation in park runs (with the Year 9s specifically leading the charge), and some memorable trips to the seaside. The boys have even been treated to a few masterclasses in tournament football from the England team in the Euros. Our house football team itself celebrated an excellent victory in the house sports competition, and we proudly dominated the tug of war as well as secured 2nd place in both the house tennis and junior swimming gala. Rammell also saw great results on sports day and the Year 9s and 10s thoroughly enjoyed the annual paddle boarding team bonding trips with Mr. Crews and Miss Williams.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Year 9s, the newest additions to our close-knit Rammell family from School Lodge. We're thrilled to have you join us and look forward to seeing you fully embrace the Rammell house spirit. Your adventures have just begun, and we are excited for the next four years with you in the house.

Conversely, it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our wonderful Year 11s and Year 13s. You will be deeply missed, and it has been an absolute pleasure having you as part of Rammell House. For those embarking on new journeys, we wish you all the best in your future endeavours. To those returning in September, I can't wait to hear about the great fun you got up to over the summer holidays.

It has been so quiet in house and it is certainly a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’ as the peace and quiet does not suit Blubery!

The girls have been filling the gaps left by Year 11 & 13 leaving for the summer and have been making the most of any rare glimpses of sunshine as they appear – before they very soon disappear again. They have been enjoying early morning swimming and making the most of the pool on the warmer evenings. The Year 9 swimming appears to have paid off as they came second in their swimming gala! Sports Day did not see us fare quite as well as our numbers were very low by then but it was nice to see our fellow girls boarding house (Scott) win the girls’ Sports Day title.

The Year 12 have been busy keeping the house occupied and we have enjoyed beauty sessions, karaoke, movie nights and very indulgent home made waffles! There have been trips to Canterbury and the coast and a number of tutor trips have been squeezed into the final few weeks. Mr Ansette, Year 9 and I headed to Bedgebury for Go Ape and I would almost certainly still be on the cargo net now if it were not for the help of Freya and Sophia in Year 10! Miss Flinn and I took the Year 12 to Gravity in Bluewater and then ate enough chicken wings to have fuelled a boarders’ BBQ!

Crowden has been in a state of flux this term, with old faces leaving, new faces arriving and a plethora of trips to keep the boys happy! Whilst the summer weather hasn’t always played ball, the Crowden lads have always stepped up to events and activities and done themselves proud. Whether in the recent swimming galas, outstanding Sports Day performances, renditions on Speech Day, hardworking attitudes, or their camaraderie in and around the house, this band of brothers continues to thrive at Cranbrook School.

What a term! In a landscape of change, children will always surprise us. Even when adults are finding it difficult to keep up, young people have an unwavering ability to show resilience and sure mindedness. It has been an absolute pleasure running School Lodge this term. The boys showed me each and every day how and why they deserve to call themselves Cranbrook Students.

We started the term with back to back DofE weekends with a good number successfully passing with Bronze award. A worth achievement following six months of hard work. Especially for the group who passed through the rains that came during the night. We then had the House dinner. And Oh my did the boys smarten themselves up. Even though most of them struggle to have their shirts tucked in during the school day, in their tuxes and dinner jackets they did you all proud. They, with their dates on their arms, looked absolutely marvellous and it was a fitting 'last supper' for my husband and I to say goodbye to the House.

What a term it's been. Emotional from the start, there's been a huge number of things going on since Easter break. First we had the House dinner. And what an end it was for the 13's who smartened themselves up in fine style. Anita and the team did an absolutely wonderful job organising it at Dale Hill golf club and the evening went off with much celebration. We came back and within days the public exams started. 13's and 11's found themselves working dusk till dawn, putting everything in to maximise their exam results. I've been impressed right from the start with the boys determination and work ethic, pushing themselves as much as possible.

Almost weekly BBQs served to 'feed the engine' and keep the boys motivated, much of which was organised through House Captain Hamish, and his successor Julian. On a personal note, the senior boys deserve much thanks for helping keep the ship sailing during this period. Their support and understanding has meant a lot to me and has served the House wonderfully. Following the Senior House allocation, we were then joined by the School Lodge boys, who 'moved up' at the start of July. With their presence we ran a number of things including interhouse football, Coach House evenings, even more BBQ food and a couple of House trips to help induct the new crop. I'm sure that September will usure in a period of positivity for the House with the start of the new year.