BUZZ By the pupils. For the Community.

LENT TERM 2014

CRANLEIGH PREPARATORY SCHOOL

THE

MUSICIANS EXCEL IN HOUSE COMPETITION By Sophie D

First production for the Form 4

Drama club

By Katya N and Hermione H, 4J

What includes tall red hats, an enormous screwdriver and talking cats? The Ideal Gnome Expedition does!

On Tuesday 18th March, this production was performed by the Form Four Drama Club. This is the first year that pupils in Form Four have had the opportunity to join the Drama Club if they wanted to be in a performance rather than each class having to perform a play.

As the curtains swung open and the lights shone so blindingly bright, the actors took their positions. The cast entertained two audiences; the school and the parents who came for the evening performance. Both audiences enjoyed the humour and reacted well to prompts for participation which gave the actors a boost of confidence.

The story took place in an ordinary back yard where two families of gnomes lived. Their lives took an unexpected twist when the ‘big ones’ (the humans) threw some broken toys into the dustbin.

They set off on a holiday expedition to an island and along the way they helped a family of stray cats, met some chained

dogs and encountered other enemies such as ‘whackers.’ They stuck to the ‘Code of the Gnomes’ during their many adventures. Eventually their weekend holiday ended and they returned home to their own backyard.

At the end of the show the actors and audience gave three cheers to the team who helped to prepare this show; Mr Hitchen and Mrs Everett. We hope you enjoyed the show as much as we enjoyed performing for you.

This term, all pupils have been participating in the House Music Competition heats. In their class music lessons, the pupils were given the chance to perform a piece of music, or sing to a music teacher and their friends. Mrs. Beddison, then selected those whom she would ‘take through’ to the Finals in Week Five.

The Finalists had their eyes on three sought-after prizes: the Junior winner, Senior winner and Highly Commended - a new prize to be awarded to any performer who shows a lot of promise.

In the Strings and Guitar section the winners were Evelyn M and Sophie Twith Henry R gaining the Highly Commended award. In the vocal section our worthy winners were Francesca D, Max D and Kate W.

Later in the week, the competition was fierce in both the Wind, Brass and Percussion, and the Piano finals. Awards were made to Bella F and James T-W; Jasmine D gained a well-deserved commended placing. Interestingly the results of the Piano Final mir-rored those of the Strings and Guitar Final except Kate W was highly commended. The von Spreckelsen award to a performer of promise was awarded in Chapel to Jemima P for her percussion performance.Well done to everyone for participating in this com-petition. The standard just gets better and better each year!

PAGE 2 THE BUZZ

AN INTERVIEW WITH… MRS FENTON

Out of all the books in the library, which is your favourite?

I had a feeling you would ask that! There were dif-ferent books for different times in my life. As a child, Ballet Shoes was my favourite.

Who is your favourite author?

That’s really difficult… Michael Morpurgo and Malorie Blackman are my favourite children’s au-thors, and Thomas Hardy, Mary Webb and Jodie Picoult are my favourite adult’s authors.

Have you ever met any of them?

I have met Malorie Blackman who was delightful. I have also met Michael Morpurgo.

Which celebrity has written the best

autobiography?

I don’t really read them… Miranda Hart’s and Clare Balding’s are said to be very good.

What is the best thing about being a librari-an at this school?

It is probably having someone say that they loved a book that I recommended.

What is the most surprising thing that has ever happened at the library?

It is definitely Lily M’s contraption she made for finding the lost puffin, and she got a free book as a reward!

How long does it take to organise Book Day?

It usually takes from the start of the Michaelmas term (because we need to book an author) to the end of the Lent Term.

How do you see the library in the future? Will it have changed?

Yes, I think there will be fewer physical books, and that more pu-pils will be using e-readers.

Do you think you could write a novel, and what would it be about?

I don’t think I could, it is very difficult. If I did, it would be a school story.

By Sophie D, 6Ho

Form 4 raise money for

By Isabella de V and Evelyn M, 4J

On the 24th January, Form 4 sold cakes that we baked for the pupils and parents and we raised over £400 in aid of the Star-light Foundation. The whole school was invited and it was a great success.

Starlight is our charity this year and it helps grant wishes to very sick children. It was worth making all the cakes and watching them vanish, especially now that we know the mon-ey is going to such a good cause. We also raised nearly £400 at our Chapel service and this has also been sent to the charity.

Starlight Foundation also helped Finlay Marriott by decorating his bedroom. He too set up a charity page for The Royal Marsden Hospital and it has so far raised over £31,000. There will be a Charity Quiz Night for parents to be held on Satur-day,14th June in the Wyatt Hall in aid of this charity. Add this date to your diary! Plenty of hungry customers arrived at break time!

PAGE 3 LENT 2014

This House is Haunted by John Boyne. Reviewed by Katya N, 4J

This book grasped me the second I picked it up and I couldn’t put it down until I had read it from cov-er to cover because I was so enthused by this Victorian horror story.

The book is set in dusty cottage in the Victorian era. The main character Eliza Caine was living with her ill father, who was trying to keep her spirits up. Sadly he dies, when they visited Charles Dickens, their idol! Eliza eventually sells the cottage as she takes up a new job as a governess at Gaudlin Hall. She gets the impression that the house is empty except for two children. But she is wrong!!

As the story unravels, mysterious people arrive at the house. Eliza tries to unlock the history behind the walls. She discovers the deaths of the past five governess and tries to move the children away from Gaudlin Hall... but someone disagrees. Will she die too? That’s for you to find out!...

DO you want some suggestions of books to read this Easter?

Form Four have been reviewing their favourite books...

The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann Reviewed by Evelyn M, 4J

This title was originally written as two books, but was published as one book in two parts. My review is of the first part, Escape from Danger.

The book is written from the animal’s point of view and starts with a drought caused by humans filling in the animals’ only water source, a large pond. Toad then tells the story of how he escaped from the humans that captured him and they also find out that there is a nature reserve that they can all travel to . They start to prepare for this journey and travel so far that they only settle in one place for a maximum of four days!

My favourite character is Adder. He is a sly, sneaky snake. He knows what people are think-ing and he always sticks his nose in where it shouldn’t be.

I love this book so much because it makes me feel like I am in the story. It really comes to life and I feel like I am watching a film of it, not just reading it.

Colin Dann has also written a prequel and five sequels to this tale. I have not read them yet but am looking forward to reading them.

Writing a Speech...A speech about making a good speech ! By Jacopo B, 4J

I am going to talk to you about how to make a great speech. A speech is about communicating ideas and it needs to be interesting, engaging and definitely not boring and too long.

Did you know that making a speech is most people’s number one fear? I found over one hundred websites on how to make a great speech. Some of the ideas they suggested were: make sure that you know who your audience is; do your research and know your subject; be passionate; use human stories; grasp attention; make your audience laugh, cry or think and try to end your speech on a high point.

So, what about how to present your speech? Advice suggests you have to be confident, pace up and down and make eye contact with your audience. Start with something attention-grabbing as your audience will decide in the first ten seconds whether they will listen to you, or not.

Words delivered with confidence and passion have changed the course of history. Winston Churchill encouraged the Brit-ish people during World War II with his famous speech that concluded, ‘We shall never surrender.’ Many people believe that his speeches were vital in helping us to win the War.

John F. Kennedy had a gift for public speaking . He once stat-ed, ‘Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.’ These, and other leaders guided their countries to victory through words.

Great speeches have also helped to shape our world. Perhaps the most famous speech ever was Martin Luther King’s, ‘I have a Dream’ speech. Ghandi also encouraged us to, ’Be the change that you want to see in the world’. These are great examples of speeches that helped to change our world.

South Africa adventure tour

PAGE 4 THE BUZZ

By Henry M, 6W

While most of us were at home in the dark and damp in the run up to Christmas, 16 sixth formers were in South Africa. After changing planes in Johannesburg, we flew to Cape Town where we stayed at Seaside Bungalows. The bungalows held between four to six people and also had a kitchen, leisure area and bathroom. It gave us all a sense of responsibility and inde-pendence staying there. We ate at a nearby beachside restaurant called The Bistro-it was a very popular choice with every-one!

Over the next few days we went surfing, wakeboarding and swimming with penguins. We also had the pleasure of climbing Table Mountain. When we reached the top, we were told we were the fastest group that had been to South Africa by half an

hour. It was when we were queuing for the cable car that we watched Nelson Mandela being lowered into his grave. Unfortu-nately, it was impossible to see anything from the top as it was so cloudy.

Sadly, the time came when we had to say goodbye to Cape Town and endure the seven hour journey to Namibia. When we finally arrived (after spending 45 minutes at border patrol) we were hit by the heat of Namibia.

We spent the evening meeting our guides and preparing for our three and a half day trip down the Orange River. We were given a plate, bowl, cup and cutlery and if we lost them, we had noth-ing to eat from. We were also given two buckets—one for our clothes and another to hold sleeping bags, pillows and mats for

two people. We also had a cooler which was filled with a supply of drinks that had to last each pair for the week.

The following morning we set off in the heat of a clear day. After only a few hours, we got the opportunity to do rock jumping; we all managed to do the highest jump. Over the next few days we encountered countless rapids (in which only three people managed to capsize), crystal clear nights and countless fun activities. When we reached the end, we were all rather amazed at how far we had gone, until they said it only took 30 minutes to get back to the start. We felt sad to say goodbye to the long stretch of water which had been in our sight permanently for the past three and a half days. Our time in Namibia was spent in minimalist style-no showers, basic food and equipment rations and sleeping out under the astonishingly clear sky. That night was the last night with our guides and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The following morning we set off back to Cape Town bracing ourselves for cold, dreary England.

This adventure would not have been possible without Mr. Storey and all the careful planning he had put into this trip, which we will remember for the rest of our lives.

What is involved in Taking a scholarship? By Phoebe W and Alice R, 6Ho

Many people believe that taking a schol-arship is a fast and relaxing process. However, a huge amount of commit-ment and strenuous work is required!

If you are thinking of doing an Art schol-arship, you must be absolutely sure that you will be able to perform in a commit-ted and hard-working fashion. It is also vital that you have a true passion for Art. You have to work from September to March. During this time, you will have to put in a huge amount of effort in and

out of school, giving up a lot of your free time. However, it is all worth it in the end and taking an Art Scholar-ship improves your ability hugely, whatever the end result is.

An Academic Scholarship however, is a long process which requires dedica-tion to your studies and many hours of revision. Scholars must be prepared to handle the challenging work expected of them. But, with both of us now finished, we can tell you that it is defi-nitely worth it! You then have almost

the whole Summer Term with no exams and Amsterdam and Cornwall to look forward to!

For sport, you need a passion for playing games and to be able to accept mistakes, whilst enjoying the process. Music Schol-arships require a lot of time; after all, practice makes perfect!

Scholarships require a lot of dedication, hard work and time. They require you to explore and pursue your education inde-pendently and it is extremely rewarding.

PAGE 5 LENT 2014

NEW GAP STUDENTS ARRIVE IN JANUARY

By Millie C, 6 Ha and Ella B, 6Ho

The four gap students that joined us this year are Keenan O, Matthew S, Elizabeth M and Sophia S. They arrived in Janu-ary this year from Australia and South Africa and quickly settled into life at Cranleigh Prep. We found out a little more about each of our new ‘gaps’:

Keenan comes from Capetown, South Africa and after Cranleigh he wants to go to UCT to study Medicine. Keenan’s fa-vourite thing about Cranleigh is ‘the people’ and his favourite celebrity is Olivia Wilde. His birthday is 21st January 1995.

Matthew would like to attend university after his time at Cranleigh. His favourite thing about Cranleigh is ‘the sport’ and he loves the boarding house. Matthew’s favourite celebrity is Ryan Gosling.

Libby (Elizabeth) wants to study account-ing in Capetown but she would do anoth-er gap year if she could! At Cranleigh, Libby loves the children, people and the school’s ‘vibe.’ Her favourite celebrity is Chris Martin. Libby’s birthday is 9th Sep-tember 1995 and she comes from a little town in South Africa called Graham-stown.

Sophie wants to study Communications at a university in Sydney called UTS. So-phie comes from a farm in New South Wales, Australia. The things she loves about Cranleigh are ‘all the kids, the staff and how sporty the school is.’ We hope they all enjoy their time at Cranleigh”

FORM TWO GO BACK IN TIME AT HORSHAM THEATRE

On Friday 13th January, Form Two went to the Capitol

Theatre in Horsham to see Horrible History: Barmy Britain.

It was great! We learnt about all the important events in

British history and many barmy facts. It was a 3D show so

we had to wear 3D glasses. It was amazing. Our favourite

bit was when Queen Elizabeth I went undercover, in dis-

guise wearing spy glasses, to see what the people of Britain

were doing and what they thought about her. It was a great

trip.

By Jemima B, Bea E and Ella W, 2R

Where does chocolate come from?

By Tommy E, 3F

On Saturday 1st March, Mr Hayley came to talk to Form 3 about where chocolate comes from.

We found out that famers first have to harvest the cocoa pods in countries like Ghana. When the cocoa pods are cut open , the cocoa beans look like marshmallows. When they are out of the cocoa pods they are wrapped in banana leaves to ferment. Then the beans are left in the sun to dry on drying racks. The beans are then put into sacks that weigh 60kg which is the weight

of two Form 3 boys!

The sacks are then shipped to factories in Europe and America and when the beans arrive they are inspected to check on their quality. I really enjoyed the talk and learned a lot as well. I am sure that all Form 3 felt the same way.

From left to right: Sophie, Keenan, Libby and Matt

PAGE 6 THE BUZZ

The Frog

Webbed feet sticking to the branch

Delicate body

Sharp golden eye

Emerald back

Ridged branch swaying in the wind

An emerald diamond on a wrinkly branch

By Harry W

The Gecko

Curious

Spotted body silently moving

Tiny hands

Gentle mouth gaping

Spindly legs

The gecko is a silver statue

By William S

A Bee

Marble eyes

Striped body quivering

Arched back

Soft skin

Pencil legs

Glassy silky wings fluttering

The bee is like a jewel

By Poppy K

The Bee

Glistening eyes

Ridged legs

Shimmering wings hovering

Patterned body

Bridged back

Violet lavender swaying

The bee is a tiny tiger buzzing around the garden

By William B

We are poets !...

Form One have

written poems

inspired by their

study of the

rainforest and

its inhabitants

PAGE 7 LENT 2014

National Birdwatch Posters helped us to identify our feathered visitors

We have interviewed Mr Wilson about the new trees being planted, because sadly some of the old apple trees in our or-chard have died off over the past few decades.

The new trees will still be apple trees but there will be a wider range of specialist trees. We will have; Red Pippin, also known as Fiesta. Raised in 1972 from a cross between Cox’s Orange Pippin and Idared Same Cox flavour, but with a redder skin from Idared. There are many more types that will be planted, but they cannot all be listed.

All of them are on the MM106 rootstock. MM stands for Malling Merton. East Malling being the fruit research station in Kent and Merton was a fruit research station in south Lon-don, now covered in concrete and buildings! As far as we can deduce, MM106, was probably the rootstock used in 1947, so we are following the original planting.

Over the past few weeks the trees have been pruned, thus removing unwanted wood and allowing the trees to breathe. This will help them to bear more fruit.

After we get these new trees Mr Wilson is hoping that we can collect the apples from the trees and send them to be

turned into apple juice. TUSK have given us permission to put their logo on the finished product so we can sell apple juice to parents and pupils in aid of TUSK.

Another project which may occur in the next two years is the arrival of bees. The flower beds which are to be planted will attract bees , so the plan is to have bee hives so that the school can collect honey and sell it in aid of TUSK as well.

A bushcraft hut is going to be built over the Easter holidays so that we have a base for our bushcraft activities. This will be sited near Old House so boarders can also use the hut.

With all these new things going on it will be amazing to see these new projects which will enormously benefit our school envi-ronment.

Eco-Team projects

this term

From 20th January-14th February Cranleigh Prep School took part in a National Birdwatch. Each class had a survey and recorded the most common feathered visitors to our school. They were the Common Crow, Blackbirds and Magpies but Pied Wagtails, Robins and Starlings were also spotted as popular visitors. This information will be forwarded to the national survey by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protec-tion of Birds) to help understand where different breeds of birds prefer to gather.

We also ran a ‘Trainers-4-Trainers’ day where the whole

school wore trainers for the day. We gave a talk in chapel to

tell the school why we were wearing trainers for the day.

We raised a grand total of £290.85. This money will go to

the charity `Fair Trade Foundation’, which helps train farm-

ers to be independent traders, around the world. It also

helps the western world treat them

fairly and encourages Fair Trade in our

shops. Thank you for your support once

again, from the Eco-Team.

By William Kand Jemima P, 5P

Trainers 4 Trainers Day

What’s new for Summer? By Oli J and Henry M, 6W

Model of the new bushcraft hut

PAGE 8 : SPORT SPORT: THE BUZZ

‘The Buzz’ is printed on recycled paper

CRANLEIGH TEAMS TAKE

FIRST and second place

at Hurst Tournament

U13’S VICTORIOUS NETBALL SEASON! By Phoebe W and Alice R, 6Ho

With the amazing coaching of Mrs Mclaughlin, the U13As, with an almost unbeaten season under their belts, travelled to Roedean for the IAPS regionals. They had previously participated in the Surrey qualifier and won their group. However, the Surrey finals were not as successful as they faced some mountainous players from much larger, all-girl London schools.

At the IAPS qualifiers, with the sea glimmering in the background, the girls came second in their pool, moving on to the knockout rounds against Danes Hill, which they won 9-3; then won against Brighton College 16-4. After more victories, they played Ashdown House in order to win the tournament, which they did, with a score of 8-5. This crowned them regional champions! During the tournament Cranleigh scored 120 goals and only conceded 32!

At Nationals, although they were missing Ella B with her broken nose, they fought hard and were eventually placed fourth best in the coun-try! Well done, everybody!

This year was a difficult season for many of the teams. Nonetheless there was some outstanding rugby in all years. Everyone I know en-joyed the rugby season just as much as I did.

This year’s First team won 3 games in total and lost 5. One of the most interesting games for the 1st XV was against Feltonfleet. This was because we lost to them in the previous fixture. So fired up and intent on revenge, the entire squad raised their game and made tackle after tackle; it was an incredible match. The 1st XV won their last game of the season 7-5.

The most successful side of the season was the 2nd XV who played 7 and won 5. Despite an ‘unstable’ squad with players shifting to and from the 1st XV team, they gelled together and enjoyed a fantastic set of results. There are many players in that team who are ready to launch themselves into the 1st XV next year.

Great rugby has been played in the Middle school. The U11 As went to a tournament at Danes Hill and made it all the way to the Plate Final, narrowly losing out. Rugby looks healthy at CPS, with this new talent moving up to the Upper School in September.

Rugby colours were awarded to Louis C and Louis V for there inspi-rational play and leadership in the 1st XV. In the Middle School col-ours and half colours were awarded to Austin N, Jacob H, Jacopo B, Luca L, Max Martin and Sam T.

Cranleigh teams rally in

the rugby season By Louis V, 6G

The beaming smiles from coaches and players say it all as Cranleigh U11A and B Boys Hockey teams were placed first and second in the Hurstpierpoint U11 Hockey Festival held on 5th March. To have two Cranleigh teams playing each other in the final was a rare, but very proud moment for the school. Both teams had the advantage of a full knowledge of their opponent’s strengths and ability!