Alton Convent School Newsletter
Issue 5 Dec 14th 2012
Chedworth Roman Villa
This visit proved a great hit
with Year 11 pupils and those
in Year 13 who are studying
Classics.
Pupils were able to see the
layout of the villa and the
natural spring which had
provided the all-important
water.
The bath-house and toilets
caused some comments and
pupils were certainly
appreciative of modern
conveniences.
Alton Yuletide Festival
Children, six-formers, staff and
parents joined together on
Sunday to sing a traditional
selection of carols at Alton’s
Yuletide Festival. The children
looked extremely smart in
their school uniforms and their
festive hats and scarves added
Dates for the Diary
Sat 5th Jan 9.00am
Tues 7th Jan
Wed 9th Jan
Sat 19th Jan 9.00am
Fri 18th Jan 9.15am
Mon 21st Jan
Mon 21st Jan 6.00pm
Fri 25th Jan
Fri 25th Jan
a dash of colour to the
occasion.
wine and hot chestnuts! They
We were thanked by Alton
Town Council for our
‘continued support for what is
one of our most prestigious
events of the year’.
Card Success
Alton Convent Prep School
Children excelled when taking
part in a local art competition
to draw their own home.
Estate Agents Warren PowellRichards of Alton set the
challenge, and six of our pupils
were selected as winners!
Competition was rife and
entries came from all over the
local area. The winning artists
were awarded prizes for their
work with their pictures
published in the Herald Homes
part of the Alton Herald
newspaper.
Upper Prep Nativity
A bustling Victorian Christmas
market was the setting for this
year’s Upper Prep School
Christmas Production. Led by
Isabel as the Mayor, Maddie
as the Town Crier and Honor
as Mrs Jones, both the rich
and poor children enjoyed
looking around the vibrant
stalls and sampling mulled
Entrance Exam for Year 7 2013
Term begins
External Exams commence
Academic Scholarship Exam for Year 7 2013
Year 4 Parents’ Assembly
IV Form Retreat
IV Form Parents’ Evening
Scholarship Auditions and Assessments Year 7
2013
Academic Scholarship Interviews Year 7 2013
then settled down to hear the
sad tale of the Little Match Girl
interweaved with the Nativity
story.
Christmas Bazaar
There was a buzz in the
Welsford Hall on Saturday,
which had nothing to do with
bees.
Stalls were laid out with an
amazing array of goods and
decorated so that the whole
hall looked like Santa’s Grotto.
Staff, pupils and PTFA
members had worked
extremely hard and their
efforts were rewarded by the
parents who came and
enjoyed the event with them.
Baa-Baa Bethlehem
On Wednesday 5th December
the Chapel at Alton Convent
School was filled with
beautiful singing as the Lower
Prep children presented Baabaa-Bethlehem, The stage was
set as a series of shepherds
jumped and jigged through a
stick dance and the stunning
stars shimmered
their way in a star dance. The
sheep wriggling their little
sheepy tails caused much
merriment in the sheep dance.
Family and friends ‘oohed and
aahed’ as the children told this
traditional story in the way
that only 5 and 6 year olds
can. Many Parents were heard
to comment, “A delightful way
to start the Christmas
season!”
Lower Prep Christmas
Craft Afternoon
On a crisp, cold and white
December afternoon Lower
Prep children excitedly went
Volunteering for HomeStart
Home-Start WeyWater is a
local charity that offers
informal, friendly support for
parents with at least one
child under five. It is
completely independent and
confidential, and offers free
support, friendship and
practical help to parents who
are going through difficult
times including: loneliness
and isolation; relationship
difficulties; ill health,
disability or special needs;
first time parents; post-natal
illness; any other
circumstances that may
cause stress.
Home-Start WeyWater
covers the areas of Liphook,
Bordon, Alton and the
surrounding villages.
YOU can make a real
difference to a family in your
community. Your experience
as a parent can help others.
So if you feel you have some
time to give and would like to
start the New Year as a
Home-Start volunteer, please
contact us for more
information. Our next course
of preparation for new
volunteers starts on Thursday
24th January 2013.
Contact details:
[email protected] ; 01420
473555; Home-Start
WeyWater, C/o Chase
Children’s Centre, Budds
Lane, Bordon, GU35 0JB. We
look forward to hearing from
you.
out to collect sticks, leaves
and berries for their Christmas
Craft afternoon. Under the
guidance of Mrs Davis the
children chose to make an
angel, a reindeer, a snowman,
or a table decoration. Each
one using natural materials
with cotton wool, tinsel, and
glitter added for a touch of
Christmas magic!
Back in school, with Christmas
music playing, the parents,
and some Year 8, 6 and 5 girls
soon became very busy, and
the children were fully
engaged. The different
decorations soon took shape;
fir cones disappeared inside
snowmen, and the reindeer
got red noses, twigs for their
antlers, and bells. The table
decorations looked very
professional with Holly and
tartan bows, and the angels
sparkled with their pretty
wings. The children are very
proud of their Christmas
creations and will enjoy
sharing them with their
families.
Away in a Manger
The large cast of the Nursery
Nativity enchanted parents
and visitors with their retelling
of the Nativity story.
Showing his talent for comedy,
and a big hit with the
audience, was Fred Hughes as
Maurice. But the whole cast
Year 7 Pizza Evening
As advertised in the calendar,
Year 7 pupils were bussed
down to Pizza Express to
spend a very enjoyable and
sociable evening.
were delightful and brought a
tear to many an eye with their
singing and dancing.
Christmas Lunches
Christmas Lunches in both
Prep and Senior School proved
to be an exciting time, proving
once again what a happy
community the school is.
Held in our new refectory for
the first time, the room was
decorated with balloons and
gingerbread and had a lovely
festive feel.
Carol Services
Perhaps the highlight to this
term, as in every previous
year, has been the carol
services. And this year was no
exception. After all the hard
work, practices and logistics
for these evenings, the
services were peaceful,
reflective and above all,
musical.
Both Prep and Senior Choirs,
as well as Ensembles and
Chamber Choirs entranced the
congregation with their
singing, while the readers
were confident and wellspoken; a real credit to the
school.
After a busy first term, in our
school, it was good to be able
to take time to eat together
and have the opportunity to
chat to friends outside of the
school.
Staff Pantomime
Written and directed with his
usual aplomb, Mr Hoyes and
his dedicated cast performed
Snow White and the Seven to
an appreciative audience
composed of Senior pupils and
staff.
The collections, during the
singing of See amid the
Winter’s Snow, are to be
divided between the Charity
‘Homeless at Christmas’ and
HCPT.
Mrs Cowle reprised her
starring role of Snow White,
while Mr Spooner from the
General Office, was a hit as
the wicked stepmother.
Prep Pantomime
Loud, colourful, magical and
fun are just some of the words
used to describe the trip to
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in
Guildford.
Past Pupils’ Reunion
A number of Senior Staff
travelled up to Henry’s Bar in
London to meet up with past
pupils and catch up on all the
latest news.
The whole of the Prep School
went to see Aladdin, the wellknown Pantomime story. It
was a riot of colours and
glitters and many of the songs
were familiar. The whole
audience raised the roof to
Look on the Bright Side, while
many of the girls knew the
words to One Direction’s song,
Live while we’re young.
A highlight was the parody of
Alton Gangnam Style, called
Guildford Style!