West Hill Park School

Jazz Night

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:34:02 PST

Headlining at our Jazz Night on Friday night was the internationally renowned violinist Ralph Allin. For those who have not witnessed one of his performances, Ralph is a revelation, an artist with the rare ability to combine jaw dropping virtuosity with universal musical appeal. His programme was entertaining, well crafted, and uniquely diverse in content. Fiery gypsy music, infectious Latin rhythm, 'classical' and Swing were all beautifully presented to us with energetic and innovative arrangements of the great jazz standards and original compositions. What is more important is that the children and our adult guests loved him. Ralph appeared alongside Steve Street at the drums and our own Nick Blunn at the piano.

The programme was supported by our own Fiddlesticks Ensemble, Rufus Briggs’ violin solo and Kit and Christopher Hurren on Clarinet. The school’s award winning Festival Choir, the Jazz Band and our assistant cook Viv Pratt also performed to rapturous applause.

...and whilst having fun we also made a wonderful £500 towards our Grand Piano Appeal.

Lancing College Science Competition

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:13:34 PST

The Science Department took a group of 12 pupils to Lancing College to participate in their Science Competition on Thursday 10th May.

Congratulations to Clara Fourciangue and Georgia Harding who were part of the team that won the Biology section of the competition.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:20:05 PST

We are delighted to be involved in the Titchfield Community Diamond Jubilee Celebrations during half term.

Service of Celebration at St Peter’s Church – Sunday 3rd June
We have all been invited to join the Congregation of St Peter’s Church in their Service of Celebration at 11am on Sunday 3rd June. Our Festival Choir and the Community Choir will be singing during the Service. If you would like to attend please contact the Church Office at St Peter’s directly so that they can provide enough seating. Tel 01329 847003 Email: office@stptitchfield.plus.com

If you are a member of the Community Choir or have children singing in the Festival Choir on this occasion please book seats for any guests. Members of the choirs will have allocated places.

The lighting of Titchfield’s Jubilee Beacon at West Hill Park School – Monday 4th June
We have opened the grounds of the school to the Titchfield community to allow the beacon to be positioned at the highest point in the village.

You are all invited to join us with a picnic in the grounds listening to live music from Local Gosport band Small Town and Bob James. Gates open at 6.30pm, music begins at 7pm and the lighting of the beacon will take place at our allocated time of 10.26pm.

Some parking will be available accessed from the Common Lane entrance but space will be at a premium. Locals are encouraged to walk. If you would like to attend but need permissions to park please see me for a permit. PLEASE NOTE: There will be pedestrian access only through the front gate accept for disabled badge holders who have to book space in advance. There will be no access to school buildings for the whole event.

ICT

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:56:57 PST

Useful Educational Apps for the iPhone and Ipad for help with CE Revision

http://www.educationapps.co.uk/apps/ipad

UK Safer Internet Centre

Here you can find out the latest advice on how to use the internet and new technologies safely and responsibly. Also find a range of practical resources, news and events focussing on the safe and responsible use of the internet and new technologies.

Fareham Festival Individual Success

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:45:52 PST

Many West Hill Park pupils entered Fareham Festival individual events with great success. In the woodwind section Christopher and Kit Hurren were cup winners in the woodwind duet class, Christopher also won the Ferneham Cup for best in the grade 5-6 woodwind class and Kit was joint cup winner with Emma Simpson in the grade 3-4 woodwind class. Eesa Sadiq was a cup winner in the under 10 singing and Charlotte Blunn in the junior folk song. Oliver Wright was class winner for grade 2 strings and Liam Saw gained 4 distinctions and was class winner in both the grade 4 piano and the junior piano swing and jazz classes.

	Kit Hurren & Emma Simpson
Eesa Sadiq		Christopher Hurren
	Kit & Christopher Hurren
Oliver Wright		Charlotte Blunn

	Liam Saw

Musical Successes!

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:13:38 PST

Pupils, parents, staff and friends of West Hill Park Prep School in Titchfield have enjoyed a wonderfully successful weekend at the Fareham Music Festival.

The weekend started with the Choir competitions on Friday evening where the school’s Festival Choir performed three songs under the direction of Mrs Wendy Blunn. In this class West Hill Park competed with three other strong choirs from the area. In winning the cup, the choir were awarded 91 marks and an honours grading with the adjudicator commenting, “This was an excellent, convincing and well chosen performance from one of the best choirs in this age group that I have come across.”

This achievement was quickly followed by a performance from the West Hill Park Community Choir who made their debut public performance having been formed in January. This choir also sang three pieces and were judged to have sung “spine tingling crescendos and tender diminuendos” in winning against two other fine choirs. The adjudicator also made note of the excellent accompaniment given by Mr Nick Blunn. The Community Choir is an open choir and would welcome new members (especially men!) on a Thursday evening at 7.30pm at West Hill Park School.

The Fareham Festival continued over the weekend and many West Hill Park pupils entered the individual events with great success. In the woodwind section Christopher and Kit Hurren were cup winners in the woodwind duet class, Christopher also won the Ferneham Cup for best in the grade 5-6 woodwind class and Kit was joint cup winner with Emma Simpson in the grade 3-4 woodwind class. Eesa Sadiq was a cup winner in the under 10 singing and Charlotte Blunn in the junior folk song. Oliver Wright was class winner for grade 2 strings and Liam Saw gained 4 distinctions and was class winner in both the grade 4 piano and the junior piano swing and jazz classes. Art teacher, Richard Heathcote also gained honours as winner in the Romantic Piano class.

Headmaster, Alastair Ramsay, commented: “this has been a wonderful weekend for the musicians at the school. Mr and Mrs Blunn (appointed as Director of Music in September 2011) and the pupils have dedicated a huge amount of their own time in the preparation for this festival and it good to see the rewards coming to them. Music at the school and in the Titchfield community is certainly in good heart.

Treasure Island

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:05:49 PST

The words of W.C. Fields were starting to haunt me: ‘ Never work with children or animals.’ I was beginning to think he had a point as our technical rehearsal limped into the fifth hour and my dulcet tones echoed through the Jubilee Hall ... ‘Let’s try that one more time, shall we?’ I had clearly mistaken my calmness throughout the term for blind ignorance; in the words of Billy Bones – I felt we were ALL doomed!

‘Oh ye, of little faith’ Miss Carmody! To constant nagging, add the magic of a costume and the sparkle of make-up; with a surge of adrenalin and a cutlass or two ... it’s amazing what children are able to achieve! The Shells and Lowers Team are extremely proud of the way the children pulled the show together; they were so convincing in their roles, I think Robert Louis Stevenson would have approved! Superb acting, singing and dancing conspired to keep us on the edge of our seats and before we knew it another Shells and Lowers Production joined the annals of West Hill Park History.

We are extremely indebted to all the parents who helped to add the necessary ‘West End’ glamour to the West Hill stage – as always we salute your artistry and creativity ... ‘Thank You’ so very much!

All that’s left to consider is what shall we do next? Perhaps a production that requires an excellent ‘Burping’ sound effect and a very beautifully crafted Telescope!

Events

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:13:09 PST

Our next event is the annual SUMMER FETE – a firm favourite with kids and parents alike!

SATURDAY JUNE 30TH.......Tombola, raffle, bouncy castle, teas, cakes, Pimms, books, bottles, hair spraying and face-painting, pet rescue and many, many more stalls and activities, as well as musical and dance performances by the children.

COME AND HELP OUT OR SIMPLY COME ALONG AND JOIN IN THE FUN!!!!

FAMILY FUN NIGHT – Oct/Nov 2012 – exact date TBD

Come along and enjoy yourself with the kids....

CHRISTMAS DISCO – Dec 2012 – exact date TBD

Saturday night fun for Years 3 & 4 and Years 5-8 separately. They love it!

If you’d like to be involved in any way, please contact us at friendsofwhp@westhillpark.com

Music

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:28:58 PST

Click on the links below to listen

Slough Musicians

Everytime I Feel the Spirit - Soprano

Everytime I Feel the Spirit - Alto

Everytime I Feel the Spirit - Men

The Peace of God Which Passeth all Understanding

Soprano - emphasised

Soprano - no emphasis

Alto - emphasised

Alto - no emphasis

Tenor - emphasised

Tenor - no emphasis

Bass - emphasised

Bass - no emphasis

Scholarship Awards 2012

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:52:28 PST

Safer Internet Day 2012

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:11:53 PST

Safer Internet Day is organised by Insafe each year in February to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world.

This year, Safer Internet Day (SID) will take place on Tuesday 7 February 2012 and will be centred around the theme Connecting generations and educating each other, with the slogan: "Discover the digital world together... safely!"

Mr Adam will be taking an Internet Safety Day assembly for pupils on Tuesday 7th February as well as talking about internet safety in his ICT lessons.

There will be a presentation for parents on Thursday 9th February at 7:00pm in the Old Library.

Community Choir

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:23:10 PST

An exciting new venture for adults of all ages

to come and sing together!

Thursday evenings may never be the same again!

Don’t worry if you can’t read music –
it is not necessary!

Enjoy taking part in our lively weekly rehearsals
and some amazing concert opportunities.

Run by our new Director of Music, award-winning choral director
Wendy Blunn alongside her musician husband Nick Blunn,
singers will experience amazing warm-ups, singing a wide selection
of choral music ranging from show tunes, rock, pop and jazz pieces
alongside some sacred and spiritual works.

Come along on
Thursdays at 7.30pm

£35 per term

For further information please contact Wendy Blunn

Pond Design Exhibition

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:49:19 PST

Below are just some of the fantastic designs for the new school pond created by pupils from the Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School.

Singing Teacher

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:32:36 PST

Required Part time singing teacher (currently one full day)

We are looking for a qualified, dynamic teacher to join our thriving music department. We currently run two school choirs and a community choir and singing is encouraged at all levels. The successful candidate will be required to teach a variety of styles to pupils in Pre Prep through to Year 8.

For more information please contact our Director of Music, Wendy Blunn

w.blunn@westhillpark.com 01329 840407

Pupils Designing School Pond

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:43:44 PST

Through the development of a school pond we aim to extend our outdoor facilities, creating a safe and stimulating resource for learning which again will be open to schools and nurseries in the wider community. Funding has been raised by parents at a Pre-Prep Spring Fayre, a donation from the Friends of West Hill Park association and £3,000 from a successful Fareham and Hampshire councils Community Action Team Funding application.
A very important aspect of this project is to fully involve the pupils, incorporating their ideas into the plans. Every child in the school has been working on individual, group or class projects during our recent Pond Design Fortnight and the resulting designs will be on display in school.
Pupils have already made a head start on some of the furniture by building benches out of wood from the woodland area. Grace Rowe, 13, who helped make the benches, said: ‘It’s going to be brilliant area where we can explore wildlife as well as enjoy the outdoors.’
Hamish Cameron-Eveleigh, nine, has designed a model with a rowing boat in the 12m by 9m pond and a shed for people to take shelter. He said: ‘I want the area to be used all year round.’
Eleanor Parry, 10, came up with the idea of a gazebo with decking leading out into the centre of the pond. She said: ‘It would be nice to walk across the pond and explore all the wildlife. ‘I’m so pleased we’ve had an input – I hope other schools like it!’
Emma Simpson, 10, made a computer illustration of the pond with a drawbridge across it and an island in the middle for ducks to sit on. She explained: ‘I wanted to be able to pull up the bridge so foxes wouldn’t get to the ducks at night! ‘This pond means so much to us. It will increase our wildlife and our opportunities to learn from it.’
Alastair Ramsay, headmaster, said: ‘The children will be using the facility so we thought it made sense for them to have a say in what it looks like and give them ownership of it. ‘The ideas I’ve seen so far are fantastic. We’re looking forward to opening it up for the whole community to enjoy.’ Building works are due to start in Easter.

Wonderland at West Hill Park

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:38:21 PST

Lewis Carroll’s literary classics Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass unfolded to spellbound audiences on the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th December at West Hill Park School.

Alice (Phoebe Devonshire) deserves the highest praise, not just for her exquisite diction and realistically quaint portrayal of the Victorian Alice, but for the herculean task of memorising ‘such quantities’ of words. Gabriella Heathcote made a convincing and endearing White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts (Rosanna Verdon-Roe) was satisfyingly maniacal.

There were so many beautifully crafted cameo roles that it is impossible to name every single thespian. Suffice it to say that a host of favourite scenes and characters sprang to life as the nonsense alternately bewildered and charmed; we met the elegant Cheshire Cat (Maleah Stewart), the hippyesque Caterpillar (Emily Johnson), the ridiculous Duchess (Ellie Double), the zany Cook (Hilary Vulliamy), the droll Gryphon (Hugo Marshall), the lugubrious Mock Turtle (Isa Surran), the ‘geeky’ King of Hearts (Alec Damley-Jones), the egregious Frog Footman (Joseph Gowers) and the obnoxious son of Father William (Jessica Blunn). Moreover, we laughed at the comedic antics of the Mad Hatter (Christopher Hurren), March Hare (Laurie Gardner) and the Dormouse (Madeline Pendle).

Act Two brought a darker note as the Old Man (Bailey Barnes) exhorted the Son (Liam Saw) to beware the Jabberwock (Owen Pastides). However, the liveliness of Tweedledum (Nick Jonas) and Tweedledee (Jonathan Kyd), the buffoonery of the White Knight (Hugo Wybourne), the eccentricity of the White Queen (Megan Truscott) and the muddle-headedness of the White King (Alex Lower) prevented the darkness from overpowering the action.

Both Acts were further enhanced by the excellent enunciation of Oliver Wright (Lewis Carroll), Charlotte Given (Prima) and Daisy Cameron-Eveleigh (Secunda) and the beautifully melodious ‘Alice’ choir (Years 5 and 6) who encapsulated the play by floating us back to reality at the end of the ‘golden afternoon’.

The entire show was a tour de force. The scenery (ex-pupil Jess Ringelberg) reproduced Tenniel’s illustrations but, at the same time, gave them an inspired twist, and the costumes (created by gifted and incredibly dedicated parents) would have done credit to a West End production.

This was an extremely difficult play to stage and the young actors from Years 7 and 8 should be congratulated for rising so brilliantly to the many challenges and for delivering such an intelligent, entertaining and visually spectacular performance.

Learning Support

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:44:46 PST

Learning Support

We have searched the Internet for famous people with dyslexia. So far we have found the following:

Jamie Oliver, Benjamin Zephaniah,Orlando Bloom, Albert Einstein, Tom Cruise, Duncan Goodhew, Keanu Reeves, Robin Williams, Eddie Izzard, Charles Darwin, Nick Thorp, George W Bush, Henry Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, Zoe Wanamaker, Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Steve Redgrave, Thomas Edison, John Lennon, Alex Thorp, Winston Churchill, Hans Christian Andersen, Walt Disney, Richard Branson and F W Woolworth.

Do you know any more? If so, come and tell us.

How do you learn your spellings or facts for tests?

Some people learn words and listsby making up strange sentences to help them remember the correct order (mnemonics). Please send in some more.

Here are some favourites:

beautiful - bad eggs are ugly

does - do ostriches eat snails or do ostriches eat salads

goes - good ostriches eat salads

should, would, could - o u little devil or o u lucky duck

because - big elephants can always understand small elephants

said - silly ants in dresses/discos

Links

BBC dyslexic Colour patterns Frogs and ladders Power lines Number bonds Months of the year

Spacey Maths fairground spelling Equivalent Fractions Name the fraction Blocks & rods ict games

Woodlands MathsIsFun.com Fraction Flags Equivalent fraction harder Learn to read

Practice Maths Fraction Monkeys Show the fraction Balloons Base block addition Primary Maths

Base block subtraction Base block add Math X 10 Frosty fractions Bite size maths Add fractions

Useful maths games Fun with spot

Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you're going to get...... but for you, life is like a box of active HAND GRENADES!!!

Silent Auction

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:42:27 PST

This year Shop 'til You Drop will be holding a Silent Auction.
To see the wonderful range of treats available to bid on please click here.

Pre-Prep

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:38:13 PST

Search for Numbers	Numbers 1 to 10	Basic Maths
Subtract to 20	Subtraction	Learning to Count
Simple Addition	Subtract Year 1	Count On
Addition Game	Subtraction Game 1	Maths Popper (Year 2)
Maths is fun- Place It!	Sum to 10	Kent Maths & English
Maths is Fun - Addition	Add to 12	Dositey Times Table
Phonic Endings	Humpty Dumpty	Jigsaws
Little Animals	Smurf's Car	Body Parts
Simple CVC	Paulys	Simple Body Parts
Missing Letters	Minus	Map Symbols
Colour Factory BBC	Digger Stories	Knight in Armour
Hangman	Poisson-Rouge	Fishing
Phonics Year 2	Interactive Stories	Creepy Colouring
Look Cover Write Check	Easter Jigsaws	Woodland
Dragon Clip Art	Super Bugs	Butterflies
Animation	Mini Beasts	Talking Books
Reception Clock	Cbeebies	Shooting Ducks
Cuisinare Rods	Muffy's Wardrobe	Pod's Home Page
Thomas the Tank	Subtraction Game	Walk the Dog
Number Bonds to 10	Darts	Barnaby Bear
Gopher	Count Up & Down	Farm Addition
Funbrain	Dynamo	Colour Book Fun
Punctuation	Basketball	Fun with Letters
Innovations Learning	Map of Titchfield	Sesame Street
Micky Talking Books	Postman Pat	Mr Bean
Time & Measure	Times Tables	Elmo Colour
Simple Measure	Science	Crickweb
Simple Map	1 to 10 Speed Test	Storybook
All About Me	Connect the Dots	The Body - Year 1
Fishing	Letter Recognition	Dance Mat Typing
Hidden Craft	Join the Dots	Famous People
Logic Games	Paint a Picture
Dottie Double	Learn to Read
Crazy Pieces	Fun School Colour
Languages	Katie Morag Seaside

Year 2 In Alfie's Den

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:47:52 PST

Year 2 had great fun in Alfie’s Den. First they learnt how to walk the stealthy fox walk. Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Hall, blindfolded and armed with water pistols, laid in wait trying to hear the children stalking up on them. Afterwards the children put their tree knowledge to use collecting wood that is safe to burn. Under Mrs.Rosling and Mrs. Beardsall guidance they used the wood to lay and set alight the campfire. After a delicious lunch of sausages cooked over our open fire there was the fun of washing up outdoors. Our energy restored we were ready to set about our group activities. Led by Mr. Ramsay and his daughter some of the children learnt how to tie a range of knots. Their concentration was palpable! Mrs. Harris and Mrs Beardsall helped another group to create a natural object map which was used to locate where useful woodland items are. Finally Mrs. Raymond’s and Mrs. Wilson’s group created bowls made from natural leaves. To end with we sat around the dying embers of the fire sharing our most treasured memories of the day. It is wonderful to see how over time the children’s outdoor skills are developing and above all what tremendous pleasure they get from being in Alfie’s Den.