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To be a Pilgrim is to care, Edition 8
As Dean Catherine said yesterday, there has been a national outpouring of grief and concern for the people of Ukraine following the invasion 16 days ago. It is the same at The Pilgrims’ School. We pray for peace. We pray for a ceasefire and talks. We want to help. This is a humanitarian crisis and the boys’ thoughts are with the people of Ukraine suffering attacks and military bombardment in their cities and homes, hospitals, nurseries, schools and squares; those more than 2.5 million people who have left the country and are now refugees in another land, whether Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia or another country, as well as the 13,000 people who have been detained in Russia in anti-war protests over the last two weeks and the ordinary people in Russia who will be increasingly impacted by sanctions. Today the UK government has asked people in the UK to open up their homes to those who have fled the Ukraine as part of a new government led scheme.
Pilgrims are learning about the conflict, caring about the humanitarian impact and wanting to make a difference. The PPA ran a Breakfast in the Yard morning raising money for Ukraine, and we have other things in the pipeline. Tomorrow morning, all the boys and adults in school will stand together for a few minutes to pray, to pause and reflect. This will take place just before the Cathedral’s Vigil, Standing for Ukraine, at 1100 which I will attend with a few Year 8 boys to represent the whole school in this community act.
On other news, I have many congratulations to share. The focus this week is on the visual and creative arts.
- Many congratulations to the 22 Pilgrims from Year 3 to Year 8 who passed LAMDA exams in drama earlier this week, all at distinction. With a huge thank you to Mrs Walker and Miss Leavins.
- Many congratulations to the seven boys whose work was chosen to be exhibited in the Peter Folkes Prep School Art Exhibition at King Edward VI School on Tuesday. With a huge thank you to Mr Walters.
- Many congratulations to the Qs and Cs for their instrumental concerts this week. The boys have worked so hard and as a result their progress since the concert last term was evident for all to see – wonderful performances. With a huge thank you to Mr Du Plessis, Mr Burton, Mr Ionascu and Mr Cunningham, Mr Lumsden and Mr Comerford, our wonderful Visiting Music Teachers, and our C and Q parents for their support day in and day out.
- And finally, many congratulations to the combined Qs and Cs for the wonderful joint evensong last night, where they sang the Rheinberger Unison Mass and the Motet, Ex Ore Inoccentium, by John Ireland in Winchester College Chapel. With a huge thank you to the Choirmasters, Howard Ionescu and Andy Lumsden, and Dr Hands and all at the College.
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Dates ahead
Please also refer to the calendar on My School Portal.
Please click SOCS for access to the match team sheets, or go via the button on the My School Portal home page. A password is no longer required.
Saturday 12 March
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0915
1100
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Pilgrims' Singers, Pilgrims' Hall - first rehearsal
Stand for Ukraine, Vigil, Winchester Cathedral (public event)
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Sunday 13 March
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1900
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Glee Club Concert, New Hall Win Coll
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Friday 18 March
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All day
All day
1700
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Comic Relief Day, non-school uniform day - wear something red
Year 7 D&T trip to V&A, London
Pilgrims' Got Talent final
Exeat weekend
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Anna Kennedy, Chair, writes:
Thank you to everybody who came to the PPA’s Breakfast in the Yard last Saturday. Fresh pastries from the kitchen and bacon sandwiches prepared by George were a great way to start the weekend. All proceeds went to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of the Disasters Emergency Committee and we raised over £400.
We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the PPA Quiz Night this evening where all proceeds from the raffle will also go to the DEC's Ukraine fund.
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11 Mar 2022
This week's news from the Pre-Prep ...
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LAMDA success
At the beginning of February, 22 boys from as young as Year 2 up to Year 8 took their LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) exam in one of the following disciplines – Speaking Verse and Prose, Mime or Acting. Mrs Walker and Miss Leavins are thrilled to announce that all the boys did exceptionally well and everyone passed with DISTINCTION, which is very impressive.
Their success was due to the hard work they put in to preparing for their exam and we are very proud of all the boys. Many of them are continuing with the LAMDA lessons and are now working on the next grade or on a different discipline.
Mrs Walker
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Junior and Senior school news
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06 Mar 2022
Last weekend, boarders in school went on a trip to Southampton's Ninja Warrior Centre....
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06 Mar 2022
Tweet from Mr Armstrong...
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Year 4 studies World War II
This term, Year 4 have been learning about life in Britain during World War II.
Our recent lesson about the Blitz allowed the boys developed their understanding of how civilians responded. This involved learning about air raid sirens and the range of different structures and places that were used to keep people safe.
Following the lesson, Wilfred went home and created this superb replica of an Anderson Shelter. Both Mr Halliday and Dr Essex were delighted to see Wilfred's enthusiasm, engagement and creativity to produce this fantastic model. Well done, Wilfred - a well deserved Head's Show Up!
Mr Halliday
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The Peter Folkes Art Exhibition: 'A Celebration of Prep School Art'
Held at King Edward VI School, Southampton, on Tuesday 8 March 2022
Our boys did us proud on Tuesday evening at the annual Peter Folkes Art Exhibition. Their work was prominently displayed, and they were exemplary ambassadors for our school. The warm show of support from parents and family was also greatly appreciated.
We are very grateful to the King Edward VI School for hosting this exhibition and that it was able to go ahead.
Well done to our young artists on all their hard work and dedication. Now let's get back into the Studio and make some more Art!
Mr Walters
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Laurie meets Gerard McBurney, composer
Laurie S had the privilege of meeting Gerard McBurney, composer, broadcaster (including many programmes on BBC Radio 3) and Old Wykehamist. For many years Gerard has lectured and taught, first at the London College of Music and then at the Royal Academy of Music.
During half-term, Laurie had learnt the first movement of Shostakovich’s 1st Cello Concerto - composed in 1959 for his friend Mstislav Rostropovich, who memorised it in four days. Gerard was impressed by Laurie's knowledge and enthusiasm, and told him vivid stories about the circumstances in which it was composed. Shostakovich and Rostropovich were good friends and musical colleagues, and enjoyed drinking vodka together. The repressive Stalinist regime in Russia did not allow free speech: one way of conveying opinions and messages was through music, and the concerto veers between biting satire and grievous sadness - interspersed with coded jokes. Laurie ably played some extracts in response to Gerard’s anecdotes about each.
Fiona Smith
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10 Mar 2022
The Choristers' Instrumental Concert took place last Thursday after a usual busy day of lessons.
The Quiristers' Instrumental Concert followed their Sunday morning service.
All the boys learn the piano and an orchestral instrument, alongside their singing tuition. Their performances...
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10 Mar 2022
It has been a long time since our Choristers and Quiristers have sung together in the College Chapel, so last night was a special occasion for our professional singers. Friends who spend a lot of time together in school and in boarding could enjoy singing side by side - something they spend a l...
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Starting tomorrow, Friday 11 March until 20 March, Zoroastrians celebrate Fravardigan or Muktad. In this festival, Zoroastrians believe that the immortal souls, together with their fravashis (the guardian spirits of departed ancestors, half man/half bird), come to reside in the place of worship. Many Zoroastrians take time off to pray, recite the five Gathas and cleanse their houses. Daily samples of sacred food are tasted by them during the daily ceremonies.
The five Gathas are songs which are part of a collection of liturgical texts, the Avesta, composed by Iranians living in an area north of modern Afghanistan, probably in the second half of the second millennium bce. They are the core texts of Zoroastrianism, the faith of the Achaemenid (c. 550–330 bce), Parthian (c. 247 bce–224 ce), and Sasanian (224–651 ce) empires, known from Greek, Roman, and Byzantine history.
During Thursday's reflection, pupils discussed the Zoroastrian belief that following the three principles of good thought, good deeds and good actions leads to a happy and comfortable life.
Mr Bryant
School Chaplain & Head of Theology, Philosophy and Religion
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11 Mar 2022
There is a website called 'Board Game Geek'. It currently lists about 60,000 board games and related accessories. Did you know there were that many in existence? There are obvious ones such as Risk and Monopoly, but there are loads of other games too, and more coming out ev...
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For further details on booking tickets, please click here.
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Hot off the press!
Following a great review recently from the Good Schools Guide, we are delighted to be recognised in The Week’s Independent Schools Guide as being:
Great for Pastoral Care.
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The Pilgrims' School, 3 The Close, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9LT
01962 854189
pilgrims@pilgrims-school.co.uk; admissions@pilgrims-school.co.uk
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