Boarders' Bulletin September / October 2024

As always, the first half term back after the summer seems endless. There are lots of tired faces as we quickly approach the well-deserved half term break. September saw the arrival of a number of new Scott girls to the Scott family. The welcome BBQ stayed dry and it was lovely to meet old and new parents in a relaxed environment.

The first Sunday saw the house venture out to Lydd aqua park followed by a walk around Rye. Fortunately, the weather was amazing and the aqua park brought with it some hilarious moments, worthy of you’ve been framed!! The second weekend was tamer with arrow tag and pottery painting for years 10-13 and crazy golf for all year 9s. Sadly, the weather for crazy golf was not on our side and you would have been slightly crazy to want to play golf in those conditions!!

The girls have all been kept busy at the weekend and Mrs Fairweather has spent many hours in the kitchen baking with those Scott girls in the for the weekend.

The last night of term saw year 10s spending the evening at Gravity with Ms Lavigne. Year 11 and 13 are busily preparing for their mocks after half term and are looking forward to celebrating with their tutor trips once this have concluded.

The annual Nigerian Independence Day celebrations did not dissappoint and it was great to see the girls rallying the boarding community together for musical chairs and dancing.

The Halloween celebrations happened early and the pumpkin carving competition between year groups was interesting, being asked for super glue to fix an error is a first!! The winner from Scott then went on to represent the house in the inter house competition. Well done to year 9 who won the junior competition and Kate for the seniors. Year 9 achieved a commendable second place in the inter house competition. Mr and Mrs Carney, with the help of the year 13s have transformed School Lodge into a scare house this week, to keep all the boarders on their toes. The final night of term saw Scott visit Rammell for Halloween themed games.

What a whirlwind start to the term it's been here at Rammell! We dove straight into the action (quite literally) with an adventurous trip to the Aqua Park on the first weekend. The boys wasted no time in testing their strength and balance on the inflatables, playfully dunking each other (and staff) and navigating the obstacles like pros. The following weekend was a bit more relaxed, with, some ice cream, and a highly competitive round of crazy golf in Hastings. I’m pleased to report no golf clubs were harmed in the making of these memories, though there were a few questionable swings!

The house has been buzzing with activity ever since, as is the Rammell way. It’s been wonderful to see the boys proudly showing off their home to friends from other houses, who, naturally, have also been drawn to the fun (and the ever-present scent of freshly baked treats wafting from the kitchen!). The Year 13s deserve a big shout-out for their stellar organisational efforts – they've managed to pull together activities that have not only brought everyone closer but also filled our house gallery with some pretty epic photos. The energy is so contagious that even Mr. Crews was overheard saying, “It’s been the best start to Rammell in many years!” There's a real sense of camaraderie and excitement in the air.

And if that wasn’t enough, we’ve already bagged the first house competition of the year, winning the prestigious Pumpkin Contest. I assure you; our pumpkins were a sight to behold (and it only cost George one of his fingers!).

Of course, it hasn’t just been about fun (well, mostly it has). The boys have also shown remarkable dedication to their studies and exemplary behaviour as they gear up for the challenges ahead. With the Year 11 and 13 mock exams looming just after half-term, it's clear that the same energy they bring to the Aqua Park is also being channelled into their academic work.

Having been on maternity leave last year I had forgotten how wonderful the buzz of the start of a new year is at Blubery! We kicked off the year with our traditional welcome BBQ on the first weekend, which was a great success. It was wonderful to see everyone back together, enjoying tasty food and great company.

Our first house visit took us to Lydd Aqua Park, and it was certainly a day full of laughter and fun! Mrs. Flinn and Mrs. Pack, in particular, were brave targets for the girls, receiving a rather few splashes as they got dunked...repeatedly – it was all in good spirits though! Sara and Onnie also carried on Eve's tradition of making crepes, they were absolutely delectable and a tradition we should definitely strive to keep!

The second weekend brought our whole boarders BBQ, providing a perfect opportunity for boarders from different houses to mingle and get to know one another better. It was a great way to foster friendships across the boarding community. Meanwhile, our Year 9s had a whole year group trip to crazy golf, while the rest of the girls got crafty with some pottery painting. Those lovely creations are now nestled in the cupboards, ready to be used for snack time!

We celebrated the mid-autumn festival with tasty treats made by the girls, singing along to karaoke and games in the common room. We also took part in Nigerian Independence Day celebrations in the Coach House, with a particularly ferociously competitive round of musical chairs. The whole community enjoyed traditional Nigerian food and the atmosphere was wonderful.

As Halloween creeps closer, our festivities are well underway! We're thrilled to share that Blubery House won the inter-house pumpkin carving competition – a huge round of applause to everyone involved!

As summer turned to autumn, Crowden have had as busy a half term as I can remember. With all of the boys all up and in school by 0830 and spending the day there, the guys have had a boost to their academic studies. Consequently, more have attended breakfast in the Dining Room and are set up nicely for a whole day of learning.

It’s been brilliant to see all the new lads getting into the swing of things through their induction and lots have added their talents to the diverse range we already have in the house. Our veteran role-models have been able to impart their experience of Crowden culture, mentoring the newbies, helping them settle in well.

There has also been a noticeable uptick in their involvement in clubs, societies and activities with many enjoying Duke of Edinburgh’s, rugby, basketball, badminton, volleyball; and many of their individual talents have been nurtured from their musical endeavours to their other hobbies.

As we wrap up this half term, we are excited to share some of the fun activities and experiences that your sons have enjoyed at Cornwallis House. It's been a busy and engaging term filled with fun, learning, and bonding. Here's a glimpse into what we've been up to....

Induction Weekend: We kicked off the term with a fantastic Induction Weekend, where the boys had the chance to bond, having fun with the challenges they set each other on the inflatables and getting to know each other. One of the highlights was a thrilling trip to Lydd Aquapark, where they participated in various water activities, fostering teamwork and camaraderie.

Culinary Adventures: In our ongoing effort to encourage culinary skills, we hosted a special afternoon with our resident chef, Mr Gleadow. He demonstrated how to cook chicken in five different ways, and the boys had a great time learning new techniques and recipes. This hands-on experience not only enhanced their cooking skills but also sparked their interest in trying new flavours.

Sixth Form Tutor Trip: Our sixth form students enjoyed an outing to a local curry house in Headcorn, where they had the opportunity to explore different dishes from the ones they were used to and enjoy a meal together and strengthen their friendship.

Pumpkin Carving Competition: In celebration of the autumn season, we held a pumpkin carving competition. The boys showcased their creativity, and the results were both impressive and entertaining. It was a great way for everyone to get into the Halloween spirit!

Welcoming New Occasional Boarders: We are thrilled to announce that we have welcomed a number of new boarders this term. The introduction of occasional boarding has been positively received, and it has enriched our house community, providing an even more diverse and inclusive environment for all our boys.

Weekend Activities: To ensure the boys have a balanced mix of fun and relaxation, we organized several weekend activities. Rosie hosted film nights, where everyone gathered to enjoy popular movies together. Additionally, we had an exciting ice cream night featuring a variety of desserts from coke floats and banana splits, which was a hit among the boys! Anita brought in the pizza oven where the boys had the chance to make their version of a pizza and Ethan and Alvin made milkshakes for the house.

Signature Burgers: Culinary delights continued with our resident chef, Will, preparing his signature bacon cheeseburgers. The boys loved this special treat evening even if the smoke alarm almost went off.....

A huge well done and thank you to Lennon with support from Nyama, Ikshula, Ama, Eni, Kate S, Moduro, Freddie P, Bella S, Onnie, Alexi, Julian, Angus and Arthur L for running and organising a truly spectacular Halloween 'scare house'!! The time and effort that went into the event was remarkable - everyone who attended (including staff) said it was fabulous!

The Nigerian Independence Day event was led by Moduro and team from Y13. A wonderful meal of jollof rice & chicken created by external caterers was served in the dining room followed by fun and games in the Coach House.

Well done to all involved in making these two events happen, both were spectacular events!