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Georgina Goodwin
Starting at Hinchingbrooke was a big worry for me. Such a big school and
lots of new activities, but when I got there it was amazing. There were
so many new opportunities and in the first week I could navigate my way
around! After a while it didn’t seem like such a big school!
There were so many different sporting opportunities, such as
Cross-Country, Sports day and Inter House. Cross-Country is a running
competition. At first you compete against your own sex (e.g. Boys
against boys and girls against girls), of all age groups from
Hinchingbrooke. If you finish in the top 20 you get through to the
district, then to the county and then through to East Anglia. On my
first time competing in the cross country I got through to the county
and the second time I got through to the district. In Sports day there
are so many different activities, such as running, high jump, long jump,
discus etc... I entered the 1,500m run and came 2nd. In Inter
House you compete against other houses in your year and of the same sex,
e.g. Cromwell girls against Montagu girls. You do a different sport
every month. Some of the sports they do are football, dance, netball,
hockey etc...
There are also lots of opportunities that are not to do with sport,
e.g. Maths challenge, Cromwell day and Form business. The Maths
challenge is a test about Maths and if you do well you can achieve
certificates (Bronze, silver and gold). There is more than one
certificate for bronze, silver and gold. You have to be selected to do
it. When I did it in Y7 I got a silver certificate. Cromwell day is, for
half a day in year 8 you do activities and learn about Oliver Cromwell
in Hinchingbrooke House. Some of the activities are drawing Cromwell,
finding out where his head is now etc... Form business is in Y8, where
you form creates its own business, e.g. Selling drinks. The form with
the most money at the end wins a prize!
T here are six lessons a day,
each lesson is fifty minutes long, with break time being fifteen minutes
long and lunchtime forty minutes long. There is a canteen which sells
Pasta, Hot meals and drinks etc... You do a range of lessons and also
learn at least one language. In Y8 you have a chance to take on another
language if you want to. I am learning German and French which are my
favourite subjects.
Don’t worry about not being in the same form as your friends because
that helps you to make new friend. I have made loads of friends and none
of them are from Spaldwick, but I have kept my old friends as well!
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The Shore Family in the Lake
DistrictWe've
settled in pretty well here in Arnside. The village is moderately
sized (probably about the size of Buckden) with it's own 'promenade'
and lovely views across the Kent Estuary, Morecambe Bay and the
southern Lakeland fells. We are beginning to get used to some
significant gradients! Arnside Knott is behind our house so we walk
in the National Trust woodland there frequently and are enjoying the
gradual change in the scenery as the seasons progress (that's when
we can see it through the rain).
Joe and Annie both go to the school in
the village (down hill in the morning - up hill coming home) and
Rachel goes by bus to school in Milnthorpe about 15mins away (Joe
will be doing the same in September). They seem to have slotted into
the school and village very well. They all miss their old friends
but are keeping busy with football, table tennis, riding, youth club
and (independent) shopping trips by train to Lancaster - you'll be
able to guess which activity relates to whom! They have also been
dragged out, with varying degrees of resistance, for long hearty
walks in the Lake district which (despite initial protest) they have
enjoyed. The dog is loving it!
I am working three days/week at the
three hospitals of the Morecambe Bay Trust - I'm enjoying the
variety this gives me and the change from my darkened room at
Papworth. I came back for a visit last weekend to see, and to do my
bit backstage at, the Melodramatics pantomime in Kimbolton. It was
great to catch up with a few Spaldwick school folk in the intervals
and to see so many people there. The children were miffed to be left
behind.
I hope things are going well at
Spaldwick? Just had a browse through the web-site - it looks as
though you are all having a whale of a time. Such a lot going on! I
suppose it'll be the SATs grindstone now though? Joe's homework has
certainly taken a step up.
Being technologically challenged I
haven't been able to send you any pics this time but hope to do so
soon.
Lovely to hear from you - keep in
touch!
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The Tomlins in Australia
We
had a lovely Easter. The Easter egg hunt in the garden is always
good fun but has to be completed with some speed otherwise the eggs
just turn into a melted blob. Weather still amazing with 30 degree
days and still able to go into the pool. Not sure how much longer it
will last. No snow for us….ever!!!
The girls are doing really well with them growing up way too quick.
Georgia is now taller than me and continuing and is just about to
finish her first term of high school. The amount of homework had
doubled and project work but she is really loving it and is amazing
us with all her test results.
Gabrielle has just finished the season for swimming and now gets one
month off. She took part in the State Championships and won the Gold
for 9 year old breaststroke over 50m and last Sunday competed again
at States for the longer distance and got the Silver for
breaststroke over 100m. At one of her competitions recently we met
Eamon Sullivan ,he is from Perth. You will see him at the Olympics.
He is the world champion freestyler for 50m. He had the world
record, then lost it to a team mate and then smashed it again at the
time trials recently for the Olympics. Really nice guy and let us
take pictures with him and got autographs. He asked Gabrielle how
she had done that day, and she said “not as well as you “.
I
have recently been to Hamilton Island with work. That is part of the
Whitsunday islands of the East Coast is like a tropical paradise. It
sits on the Great Barrier Reef, very beautiful. We will have to go
back there as a family some time.
In
February it was our 6 year anniversary of moving to Australia. I
can’t believe how the time has flown by. We have family arriving
tomorrow for a 2 week visit and we will be going down South to the
valley of the giant trees so I will try and take some photos for
you.
Best wishes from us all |
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The Kummerfelds visit Spaldwick
Mr & Mrs Kummerfeld joined us for lunch
on the last day of term and Emilie was lucky enough to have her own
visit from the Easter Bunny! |
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The Reynolds Family Visit England!
On our trip home last week Robert made a
guest appearance for Willingham Wolves. They won the match (Rob scored
1) and he was awarded
man of the match. Love the photos of him scoring and as Man of the
Match!!
Back home in the USA
As the spring kicks off the boys have begun to play outdoor
tournaments
with their teams. They both train 3 nights a week for one and a half
hours each night! Then they play the tournaments that take up the whole
weekend, usually involving an over night stay in a hotel...In the last
tournament Rob's team came second beaten only by an older team and
Dougies won.
Homework still has to get done though and they both have at least two
pieces every night to do. Dougie has big projects to complete too...like
the Deep Sea Angler Fish!
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Rachel Bird- ex-pupil
When I left Spaldwick I then started at
Hinchingbrooke. But before long I was told we were moving to Cornwall,
when we moved we chose Bodmin. We lived in a bungalow for a few months.
I didn't enjoy this as it was in an estate full of the elderly. But we
soon found our house which despite the hill that Ii have to walk up it's
not too bad! Anyway it's near the town, well it's practically in the
town. I went through my school which I didn't really enjoy as I would
rather have stayed with Hinchingbrooke! But Year 11 Came And I had the
Prom see the photo.
When I finally left school I had
decided to go to college and that's where I'm at now. I couldn't ask for
a better life right now if I'm honest, its great! I have lots of new
friends and I think I picked the right course for me, although I have
two years left here I'm starting to like it.
Also I have a dog, she is the cutest
one you'll ever see, a little black Staffordshire terrier called
'Beanz', I love her. In my spare time I'm desperately trying to get into
modelling which I'm finding extremely hard as I cant find anyone who
will take me on.
When I leave college I intend on either Plymouth University or
moving back up your way and going to Cambridge University, I haven't
decided yet. Either way I'm going to succeed.
Best wishes to you all
Rachel Bird
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The Berry family - Kolby & Jordan
The Berry family, Kolby & Jordan, are now
living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, this is on the pan-handle and as
you can see they have great fun! More news soon!
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Brent Sheltz & Mum Diane & Dad Scott
We have moved to Bristow Virginia. Scott works in
the Pentagon. Diane stays at home and takes care of Scott, Brent
and the house. Brent is in the second grade at Bristow Run
Elementary School. He has adjusted to a large America School.
There are almost 200 students in the eight second grade classes, a
big change from the small friendly atmosphere at Spaldwick School.
We have done some traveling and site seeing. So far we have been to
Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg
American Civil War Battlefields. Diane and Brent went and visited
her family in Chicago for two weeks. While in Chicago Brent went to
the Shed Aquarium. He had a great time seeing all of the fish, he
especially liked the penguins.
Best e-mails for us is
diane_sheltz@comcast.net
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Brent in his Scout uniform |
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The Feemsters in Stuttgart, Germany
Hello from Germany
again! We had a fab Spring Break in March/April. We took 2 holidays!
A quick 2 day visit back to Spaldwick to meet up with the Reynolds
family and to see a few of our Spaldwick friends....lots of playdates
and sleepovers and pub time. It was so nice to see everyone and it
really made us miss and appreciate our little corner of England even
more....
We spent a warm, sunny week in Fuerteventura as well. Lots of swimming,
exploring tidal pools, building sand castles, riding dune buggies,
rolling down the big dunes and just enjoying the warm weather and
relaxation.
Germany is finally getting warmer and more Spring-like. We have been
playing outside alot more and BBQing with friends. We even planted
some flowers for our window boxes. Kyle and Anna are both playing
Spring Soccer, which will end when school ends on June 12. We have a
nice 2-1/2 month break for summer. Most of our friends are taking off
to the US for visits with family, but since we went home in December we
are staying and will keep busy with playing, daily visits by the
ice cream man, activities on the Base and some day trips around our area
of Germany to various villages. We will have Girl Scout Camp, Cub Scout
Camp, German Immersion Camp and more...lots of things for kids to do in
summer! We will be saying goodbye to many good friends who are getting
stationed elsewhere in the world this summer, but we will also be making
many new friends with families who are moving in to replace the old
ones.
Visit our site (www.feemsters.shutterfly.com) for more
pics and email us when you have time at
alfmsw@aol.com
Love from Angie, Dan, Kyle & Anna
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