SOLD OUT!

We do hope you will join us for the famous FOP Quiz night at school on Friday 2nd March, 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start, with Mr Bischoff as your friendly quiz master.  It is a relaxed and informal evening (which some choose to take more seriously than others!).

The cost is £15 per head and this includes a lovely three course dinner served during the quiz.  You need to get 8 people together to make a team.

Back by popular demand - Heads & Tails - £5 to take part and you could win a bottle of Champagne.

Please click here to download a booking form - we do suggest that you apply quickly as tables sell fast.  If you have any queries please do give me a call on 07780826011

Lucinda McFarlane - Friends of Pinewood Chairman

There has been a fantastic response to our project to provide Bourton Church with embroidered kneelers - thank you to everyone who has taken up the challenge so far.

Henrietta Hoyland is kindly hosting "Stitch & Sip" sessions in the Drawing Room for all those making kneelers - these are a great opportunity to pick up tips or impart your expert knowledge, as well as sew together over a cup of tea and cake.  The sessions are at 3.30pm on Monday 20th February and Monday 5th March.

Congratulations to Imogen Luddington and Charlie Robinson, who have completed their Bronze Reading Awards.

If you would like more information about the reading awards scheme please speak to either Mrs Matthews in the Library or your child's English teacher.

16 boys travelled to compete in a match v Horris Hill, they ranged from Year 3 to Year 8 and they were all keen on their Judo. George Tregoning captained the team and after the first round Pinewood led 11-6, so the pairings were mixed around and eventually we ran out winners 18-17. Every boy gave one hundred percent and there were some incredibly skilful throws especially Sam Basham’s final effort. For a number of the children it was their first every contest and the Pinewood children certainly did themselves proud. Our thanks go to Martin Small for running such an excellent competition.

The team consisted of: George Tregoning, Lucas Arkwright,  Ned Corfield, Reuben Arkwright, Howard Hawkes, Tommy Birch, William Taylor, Jacob Robinson, Samuel Basham, Max Fraser, Patrick Hannon, Max Tite, Ollie Beckett, Tom May, Harry Piggott and Derry Carter Brennan.

JB

Pinewood is in the process of forming a link with the Shonda Project in Mombasa, Kenya, and it is hoped that this relationship will evolve over time and bring much to both communities.

Initially Pinewood will be fundraising to provide a pump for the existing well and plumbing to provide sanitation. At present there is no running water at the school, and, as the proposed feeding and medical programme develop, this will become even more essential.

Boys at St John's School wearing T-shirts donated by Pinewood families

Thanks to the generous support of pupils, staff and parents at Pinewood over £1700 has already been raised. News and photos will soon be posted on progress at Shonda as this funding becomes apparent in St John’s First  Baptist School. Please click here to view the latest fundraising chart. Mr Hoyland has also announced that all proceeds from ticket sales for the upcoming Year 5-7 production of Beauty & The Beast will go to the Shonda Project.

Year 5-8 pupils and staff were fascinated to learn more about the work of the Shonda Project and life at St John's First Baptist School at the recent Kaleidoscope Lecture. The lecture was given by Simon Mills from the Project, and by Liz Woods, who visited the Project in the Summer with her family, taking donations of clothes, sports equipment and musical instruments (among other things), donated by Pinewood and Pinewood families, to the school. At the end of the lecture, Mr Siebert announced that we are donating more sports equipment to the school (including balls and bibs for matches).

For more information about the project, please click here. 

THANK YOU!

Prepare yourself for the Pinewood Quiz by entering the RSM Tenon Quiz raising money for the NSPCC. This year’s quiz is taking place on Thursday 23rd February (starting at 7.00pm) at the Blunsden House Hotel. Entry is £40 for a team of 4 (this includes a supper of sausages, beans and jacket potato for each competitor)

If you would like further details please email jimbischoff@pinewoodschool.co.uk

Congratulations to Howard Hawkes, who has been offered the part of Kurt in the upcoming production of The Sound of Music at the Swindon Arts Centre.

Howard auditioned alongside over 200 other children for a part in the musical, which will be performed from 23rd - 27th May in aid of those suffering from Alzheimers.

House Competition Results

1st - Melchet

2nd - Motcombe

3rd - Postbridge

4th - Farnborough

Cup awarded for Winning House  - Melchet

Sailing lessons will restart in the Summer Term. This has been a very successful activity in the past, with Pinewood pupils really enjoying the course and learning a lot in the process.

Please let Mr Bischoff know as soon as you can if you would like your child to have lessons at the South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre. The lessons will be on six Thursdays (during the normal Thursday afternoon activities session) in the Summer term, leaving Pinewood at 3.05pm and arriving back at 6.00pm.

We need six children to make up a group and then the cost per child will be £92 for the six 2 hour lessons (if we don’t get six children the price will increase pro-rata). Lessons are available at Stage 1, 2 or 3.

Contact: jimbischoff@pinewoodschool.co.uk

The School Shop will be closed from Monday 20th - Monday 27th February and will re-open again on Tuesday 28th February.

In an emergency please contact the School Office.

Pinewood is holding a National Schools Equestrian Association Show Jumping competition on March 31st 2012 at Summerhouse Equestrian Centre in Gloucestershire.  This will be a prestigious affair with qualifying events for the National Championships later in the year. We very much hope that you will either be able to compete at the event or come along and support your friends who are competing.

For full details of the event, please click here.

To download a booking form, please click here.

We already have a number of sponsors, but if any businesses are willing to sponsor another class we still have space.  There will be a great opportunity  to advertise in our programme and we will ensure plenty of announcements on the day. Advertising banners can also be accommodated.  We are hoping to attract many competitors from schools, both locally and from further afield.

We will also be looking for volunteers on the day so please put the date in your diaries.  It should be a fun day out with lots of opportunity to support the Pinewood Equestrian Team!

For further information on sponsorship, volunteering or if you would like to compete at the event, please email Melanie Norris at mellors.norris@btinternet.com

Congratulations to Lyndon Chen (Year 1) who, following his performance with Lang Lang at the Royal Festival Hall in May, has been selected to perform at Piano Takeover: The Next Generation at the South Bank Centre in February.

The event involves a group of young curators leading us through a set of unique journeys undertaken by outstanding young pianists, through talk, film, projection and music. It follows the May 2011 performance by 100 young pianists alongside Lang Lang at the Royal Festival Hall in Lang Lang Inspires. Now, some of those young people take over the Purcell Room, curating and performing in two exciting concerts.  For more information, please click here.

All parents with Children in Years 5-7 should check the rehearsal schedule for Beauty & The Beast as a number of rehearsals take place after normal school hours.

Please click on the links below:

Cast Lists

Rehearsal Schedule

We welcome our new Australian Gap students for 2012, they are Ally Bett, Alice Winter-Cooke and Will Pike.  Please make them feel welcome; they would be very keen to do any babysitting, dog walking or horse riding that may be on offer.  If you would like to get in touch with them they can be contacted via the School Office.

Ally, Alice and Will are joined this term by English gappers Parris Bigley and Lu Barrand.

Congratulations to Kushwin Sood who completed his Bronze Reading Award at the end of last term.

As the Pigeon is no more, please note that the following information will be available on the website:

Notices will go in the School Notices section on the ‘What’s On This Week’ page.  Newsworthy items will continue to appear on the front page of the website.

Match reports will appear on the Sports pages and are password protected as per team lists.

The Director of Sports’ Report - will appear as a news item on the Sports Home page.

Classified ads  - we will trial classified ads to be displayed on the noticeboard above the table in the Hall, for a small fee of £4. Ads will run for a fortnight starting on Fridays.  If you have anything you wish to advertise, please email Alex Preston.

Congratulations to the following on completing their reading awards this week:

Max Owen - Bronze

Lara Capps - Bronze

Frank Meehan - Silver

If you would like more information about the reading awards, please speak to your child's English teacher or Mrs Matthews in the Library.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the collection at the carol service - we raised a total of £1009.59 for the Shonda Project, a fantastic sum for the charity.

Simon from the Shonda Project is coming to talk about their work at the Kaleidoscope lecture on Saturday 21st January, do come along and listen to him. For more details about the Shonda Project, please click here.

The Pinewood Choral Society always welcomes new members, we meet most Thursday evenings at 6.30pm in the Music Block, followed by a drink in the Hall.

We are not performing this term, but will start working towards a concert on 14th June.

Our rehearsal dates for this term are: 

January 19th

January 26th

February 2nd

February 23rd

March 8th

Please do come along and join us.  If you would like more details please contact Niki Bell on nikibell@pinewoodschool.co.uk.

We welcome everyone back to school for the Spring Term and in particular welcome all new pupils and our 4 new Gap students: Will, Alice and Ally from Australia and our new english gapper, Parris (Lu Barrand will continue to be a gapper for this term as well).

Music lessons and paid activities will start next week.