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This term we have said goodbye formally to the Class of 2016. The Leavers Assembly is always one of the most emotional times of the school year and this year was no exception. One of the ways the school marks this significant occasion is with the last whole school assembly. All the rest of the year groups sat and listened as the outgoing School Captains, Sam Hazeldine and Cleopatra Darwish, delivered their valedictory speeches. You can read their speeches by clicking on their names and I urge you to do so as their heartfelt and carefully chosen words were appreciated by all of us, with the sentiments echoed by many of the leavers.
This part of the ceremony was followed by two choral pieces: the first by all those that started at Adams' in Year 7 and then joined by their peers, forming a choir of the entire Upper Sixth form. The rest of the school watched as our Upper Sixth gathered in the middle of the hall, most in their maroon blazers from their lower school years, singing arm in arm. Following the emotional conclusion (and a few tears from many) the school applauded until each and every member of the year group had left the hall.
As ever with Adams’, as one thing ends another immediately starts. This year we had our first ever junior school production 'Smike', for which pupils had been rehearsing for months in parallel with the senior summer production of 'Cabaret' (more of that later). This new venture featured our Year 7-10 pupils with many of them appearing on stage for the first time. The sense of camaraderie and teamwork was evident right from the beginning. The sheer joy on the faces of those that took part was clear to see and all concerned (and there were many) should be congratulated on the high level of performance – surely a shape of things to come!
This new direction for the Music Department also gives us a taste for the main summer show this year – Kander and Ebbs’ 'Cabaret'. Based on the famous film, this is already proving to be a popular choice. With its’ mature themes and controversial content this show is really giving the seniors something to get their teeth into. Tickets will be on sale after half term and I recommend you buy early as they are sure to sell fast.
Gary Hickey
Headmaster
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Smike
Photos from our school production 'Smike' are now available for viewing on our website. |
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Charities Committee raise the bar!
Our pupils, parents and staff have always been generous when it comes to charity fundraising but this year has been exceptional. The resurrected 'Charities Week' raised over £5500 and when combined with our normal events such as mufti days, cake sales and the Readathon, over £12600 has now been raised in just 12 months. The money has been donated to a number of charities both here and abroad, who have been very grateful for the support we have been able to give them. Many thanks to all involved and good luck to the new committee members taking up the reins for 2016/17.
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Wenlock Poetry Festival
Congratulations to Scott Lilley and Hamish Inglis who were invited to perform their poetry at this year's Wenlock Poetry Festival. In the words of our Poet-in- Residence, Liz Lefroy, they were both "absolutely fantastic".
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Passing Out Parade
One of our largest cohorts of CCF recruits recently marked their progression to full cadets in a passing out parade in front of their family and friends. This is a significant step for the cadets as it allows them to progress to the next level of training within their sections. The 70 recruits received their coveted new berets from Contingent Commander Sqn Ldr Harris with the marching band providing an accompaniment to the final march, under the watchful eyes of the Guard of Honour. Congratulations to all.
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Music Awards
It has been an extremely busy half term in the Music department with Smike and Cabaret being the main focus for many pupils. Music Colours were awarded in early May and 40 pupils also passed external music exams from Grade 1 through to Grade 8 on a wide variety of instruments. Details of all pupils who have received music colours and exam passes can be found on the Music page of the website. Read More
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Young Enterprise
Congratulations to the team members of Young Enterprise team UpMarket for winning a number of awards for their start-up business. Their trade fair presentation won the Best Creative Marketing Award at the Young Enterprise Awards ceremony, where they were also awarded the Best Online Presence Award and named the most profitable Young Enterprise team in Shropshire.
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House Rounders
Earlier this term the Sixth Form girls took part in a fiercely competitive House Rounders tournament. After a close battle Darwin were crowned House champions, demonstrating outstanding batting and fielding skills in every match leaving them undefeated.Congratulations Darwin. Special mentions to Holly Jefferson (Webb),Emily Cordeux (Talbot), Katharine Eatough (Clive) and Lara Ogundipe (Clive) who excelled in all their matches. Pictures can be found on our Facebook page. |
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First Midlands Taiko Day
Last month our music department organised and hosted the first Midlands Taiko Day for all to enjoy! Workshops during the day were followed by an evening performance by guest drummers and our very own junior and senior Taiko drummers.
Read More
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Class of '79 Re-union
On a gloriously sunny day in early May the school was delighted to welcome back Old Novaportans who left the school in 1979.
Read More |
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The Summer Ball
Don't forget this year's Summer Ball will be held on Saturday 25th June 2016 in the beautiful setting of Longford Hall. Tickets are available to buy on-line but are selling fast so make sure you don't miss out. There are still opportunities to sponsor parts of the evening; if you would like to help please email: summeball@agssociety.org.uk |
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Summer School
If you are looking to entertain younger siblings or have friends with young children, please do let them know about our new Summer School - 22nd to 26th August. It promises to be a great week at Longford with lots of exciting activities planned for boys and girls aged 7-11.
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Olympiad Success
In recent weeks a number of our Sixth Form students have enjoyed success across a variety of different Olympiad competitions from Physics to Linguistics. These competitions are designed to find the very best of the best in each subject area so to gain an award is a real achievement for our pupils.
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Survival Weekend
Our junior boarders have just enjoyed a survival weekend in our woods at Longford with our very own version of Bear Grylls! From collecting and chopping wood to camp fire and shelter building, the boys enjoyed a night under the stars while tucking in to their very own homemade rabbit and pigeon stew, all under the careful supervision of Mr Skeate.
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Spelling Bee
Congratulations to Oliver Maloney, Billy Hudson and Charan Kandepalli who represented the school at the regional finals of the Foreign Language Spelling Bee at Aston University. They competed in the French and German categories against the best spellers from across the Midlands. All three boys performed well and Charan even made it through to the final eight.
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Referendum Lesson
Year 7 pupils have been studying the different use of language this term which, at the suggestion of one of the pupils, also involved looking at leaflets about the EU referendum. After analysing the different ways the campaigns used language to communicate their message 7W took a vote with an almost unanimous choice to stay in the EU.
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Sports Colours
During an enjoyable evening at Longford Hall, large numbers of pupils were recognised for the contribution they have made to school sport this year. Over 400 sports colours were awarded for cross-country, rugby and hockey to pupils from across the school. Parents enjoyed a BBQ supper and watched their sons receive their awards from the PE staff. Well done to everyone involved.
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Cricket Reports
Our Adams' cricket teams have made an excellent start to the season with wins against Ellesmere, Birchfield, Wrekin and Thomas Telford.
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Longford Relays
The Inter-House Relay competition at Longford was a fiercely fought event with some great performances. Each House fielded 14 runners and competed for the quickest time. Clive A team took the early lead with Connor Bentley finishing several seconds in front of Darwin’s James Davies. However, after the second leg Darwin had pulled clear. Webb showed that they had depth to their team, taking the overall lead after half-way stage, and went on to dominate the race with a combined finishing time four minutes quicker than second placed Clive. Well done to all those who took part.
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Sir John Thompson Memorial Sword Award
Identified as one of the best cadets nationally, CWO Frederick Hamlyn has recently received a certificate for outstanding service as part of the Sir John Thompson Memorial Sword Award. Frederick was presented with the certificate by Air Commodore McCafferty RAFR for his integrity, leadership and dedication to the Adams' Grammar School CCF (RAF Section) and is pictured here being congratulated by Headmaster Mr Hickey. Frederick is planning to study aeronautical engineering at Loughborough University to support his aspiration of a commission within the Royal Air Force.
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Boarding BBQ
Our boarders have enjoyed another brilliantly themed tea by Catering Academy with a Superheroes and Villains barbeque at Longford. Tasty food was enjoyed by Batman, Superwoman, Captain America, The Joker and many more, all tucking in to the delights of Spiderman Fries, Superman Skewers, Marvel Salads, Human Torch Spiced Chicken and Nightcrawler Slow Cooked Brisket. Thank you Catering Academy.
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Sixth Form Athletics
At the start of the month Adams’ took a team of senior athletes to Oakengates to compete in the second annual Sixth Form athletics meet. It was a great event and the boys and girls all competed superbly well with the majority of competitors from the Lower Sixth, which bodes very well for next year too!
Read More
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Commendations
The latest Headmaster and Taylor Commendations are now available on the website. Many congratulations to all those pupils who have been awarded commendations this term. |
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Cabaret
Tickets for our senior production of the musical 'Cabaret' go on sale on Monday 6th June. The show takes place in the Hamilton Hall on Wednesday 13th, Thursday 14th, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th July 2016 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10.00 and are available from the School Office.
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Taiko Workshop - 18th June
The music department will be hosting a Taiko Drumming Workshop with James Barrow of Taiko West on Saturday 18th June 2016 for adult beginners and improvers aged 16 and above. The workshop willl run from 10.30am to 1pm in the Hamilton Hall at a cost of £20 per person, payable on the day. Places are limited so please email malcolm.brown@adamsgs.org.uk to book. |
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Dates for your diary
Monday 6th June - PD day
Tuesday 7th June - School begins
Saturday 18th June - Taiko Drumming Workshop
25/26th June - Boarders' Exeat Weekend
Saturday 25th June - Summer Ball
Tuesday 5th July - MUFTI day
13th-16th July - CABARET
Wednesday 20th July - House Swimming
Thursday 21st July - House Athletics
Friday 22nd July - Prize-giving TERM ENDS
22nd to 26th August - Summer School
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