HALLAM S SURPRISE RETURN TO HAND OUT RUGBY AWARDS

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1 News Lent term: Week 5 2nd February 2018 A note from the Headmaster Our school has a phenomenal sports programme, and this has been a great week for sport. A number of excellent sporting achievements are featured in this newsletter. Hallam Amos s superb assembly on Monday was a proud moment for us all, and his speech was inspirational. Although Hallam s visit was a surprise for the boys in school, Hallam, our Head Boy, Nyasha, our Captain of Rugby, Alexi, and I had been planning the event since the Christmas holidays, so we are all delighted that it was such a success. We were grateful also that Mr Bevan joined us for the assembly, and it was excellent to see Mr Bevan and Hallam together on the stage. Also in this newsletter you will see reports to celebrate climbing, kayaking and cricket. I d like to congratulate our climbing team. They have, yet again, been crowned champions of Wales, after some outstanding climbing performances in the national competition. Our footballers also delivered a superb set of results last weekend, with a number of comprehensive victories in our block fixture against Marlborough. Top stories HALLAM S SURPRISE RETURN TO HAND OUT RUGBY AWARDS Wales rugby star Hallam Amos made a surprise visit to Monmouth School for Boys this week on the eve of the Six Nations championship. The former Head Boy wowed the school s pupils when he dropped in to assembly at The Blake Theatre on Monday morning. Hallam s flying visit to his old school was kept secret from the boys, who were delighted to see the livewire wing return to his roots. The 23-year-old handed out the school s end-of-season rugby awards, and presented a Welsh jersey to the Captain of Rugby, Alexi. Alexi said: When you meet a former pupil like Hallam it gives you confidence that you can go all the way and follow in his footsteps. The boys loved his visit and you could see that as soon as he walked into The Blake Theatre. Hallam told the boys: Rugby was always my main sport, although I did play a bit of tennis, football and cricket at school. Whether it s sport, music or drama, enjoy your time at Monmouth playing and practising with your mates. Regardless of where you end up and, I have been lucky enough to play in front of 75,000 people in Cardiff against the All Blacks and against England when we beat them at the last World Cup, my favourite period of playing rugby will always be at Monmouth playing with mates. Hallam, who enjoyed seven years at Monmouth, had an impressive autumn series for Wales, notching tries against Australia and Georgia and setting up scores against New Zealand and South Africa. Hallam has 15 caps to his name and played a total of 256 minutes more than any other Wales player in the squad in the autumn internationals and he plays his club rugby for Dragons in Newport as well as being in his fifth year of studying medicine at Cardiff University. Headmaster at Monmouth School for Boys, Dr Andrew Daniel, said: It was a great honour to welcome Hallam back to school and a privilege for the boys to collect their rugby awards from him. It was wonderful to receive Hallam s international jersey which we will frame and put on display in the pavilion. We are very proud of Hallam s achievements and we wish him and his Wales team-mates the very best of luck in the Six Nations championship.

2 NATIONAL VICTORY FOR CLIMBERS - 3RD YEAR IN A ROW! On Saturday the Wales Cadet Indoor Climbing Championships took place at Boulders Climbing Centre, Cardiff. Monmouth CCF entered a junior team comprising of William, Charlie, Findlay and Edward. The senior team was made up of Bob, Harry, Yaroslav, and Georgina. The pressure was certainly on, with Monmouth cadets being crowned National CCF Climbing Champions for the last 2 years! With consistent and determined performances by all team members, Monmouth School CCF had their most successful year ever by winning the competition outright. They also became CCF team champions; speed climbing team champions (Edward s technique making him the speediest competitor). Charlie showed good technique to secure a place in the junior finals. He showed focus, determination and a wee bit of brute strength to scale an overhanging and technically challenging wall and clinch the junior title that he narrowly missed out on last year. Harry, with less of a climber s physique than previous years, gave a gritty performance to become runner up in the senior competition and Georgina, took a very creditable third place in the girl s competition. An amazing haul of trophies and medals, made more remarkable by the fact that some of the team members had only had two previous sessions on a climbing wall. KAYAKERS REVEL IN THE HIGH WATERS OF THE TYWI GORGE After their prayers to the rain and river gods had been answered with fantastic high water conditions and relative warmth (for January), five older students from the canoe club enjoyed the challenge of paddling the Tywi Gorge on Sunday. It was a useful practice of their risk management skills with decisions for the boys to make about when to negotiate the obstacles of fallen trees and class three rapids and when to pick up their boats and portage around. Given the steep sides of this gorge and the remoteness of the location above Llandovery the boys had to communicate effectively to overcome these challenges safely. Play-waves and re-circulating holes formed by the fast water also provided fun for this, by now, experienced team of kayakers. It was a tired, tested but enthused group who returned after a day of enjoying the beauties of the wild Welsh countryside.

3 SPOTLIGHT ON ENRICHMENT - TAI CHI TUAN Tai Chi Tuan is a Martial Art (one of the soft systems) that mainly involves the student learning the Form, that is low impact and circular which helps develop relaxation, balance and correct body alignment. In tests, Harvard University likened it to meditation in motion and the enrichment group, girls and boys, practise in the Monmouth School for Boys drama studio away from all of the hectic distractions of 6th form life. OLYMPIC ROWER INSPIRES STUDENTS IN CHAPLAIN S ASSEMBLY A former Olympic rower has encouraged Monmouth students to embrace life, exploring their own gifts and abilities. Three-time world champion rower Debbie Flood gave an inspirational talk to pupils during last Thursday s Chaplain s Assembly. Debbie won silver medals for Great Britain at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and now works for Christians in Sport, providing opportunities for athletes to explore their faith and learn more about God. I was not a natural rower but playing sport was a big part of my life at school and I remember watching the Olympics and thinking the athletes were superhuman, recalled Debbie. I was the only person at my school who rowed and I took up the sport by chance when I was 17 years old after having a go on an indoor rowing machine as part of my judo training. Debbie made a slow transition to her new sport, however. I was coming last in my novice races and I often struggled to control the boat. The coach told me I would never be much more than a club rower. Undeterred, Debbie worked hard on her rowing, received important technical coaching and was picked for the GB junior team later that year. Debbie was invited to Monmouth by the Chaplain at Haberdashers Monmouth Schools, Reverend Clifford Swartz, and she enjoyed speaking to children, including the school s rowers. Jesus is such an important person in my life and we have all been blessed with various gifts and abilities, said Debbie. We all have a purpose and value and I would encourage all the children to embrace the life and take on those gifts. She added: My main role with Christians in Sport is to encourage athletes and to help Christian athletes look back to their faith and stability, because that is where their true identity lies. People are not just a set of results or medals, they are much more than that. I encourage athletes to work hard and I provide opportunities for other athletes to explore their Christian faith and learn more about who God is in their eyes. PASS THE ЧАЙНАЯ ЛОЖКА... EAL STUDENTS GET BAKING! Boys in Form III and IV who study English as an Additional Language (EAL) met in Weirhead kitchens on Saturday evening to practise their English skills while making delicious cakes. What s English for чайная ложка (tea spoon) and batidor (whisk) or (weighing scales)? The boys followed the recipes by themselves, including melting chocolate and zesting lemons. And of course, everyone enjoyed tasting the results! Many thanks to Weirhead House for hosting.

4 STUDENT-RUN ART EXHIBITION AT THE BLAKE THEATRE TONIGHT!! Click on the image to read more about this event on our website CRICKETERS SELECTED FOR COUNTY TRAINING PROGRAMMES Congratulations to Hugo & Theo who are both currently in the Wales U.14 cricket squad for having been put forward to work with the Glamorgan county set up. Both boys have impressed so much with their battting and bowling respectively with Hugo being particularly praised for his application and desire in practice. Theo (pictured) has been asked to join the fast bowling group with Steve Watkin (Glamorgan & England) and Hugo has been asked to join the batting group run by the Glamorgan Academy Director Richard Almond. Well done boys, good luck with county training and roll on the cricket season!

5 COMING UP AT THE BLAKE THEATRE: Live in HD on our big screen: February 7th Royal Opera House: Tosca 7.15pm Drama, passion and fabulous music Puccini s operatic thriller is one of the great opera experiences. Dan Ettinger conducts a star cast led by Adrianne Pieczonka, Joseph Calleja and Gerald Finley. February 22nd NT Live: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 7pm BBFC Certificate 15. On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real and which will win out? CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO BUY TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT Tennessee Williams twentieth century masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof played a strictly limited season in London s West End in Following his smash hit production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Benedict Andrews thrilling revival (New York Times) stars Sienna Miller alongside, Jack O Connell and Colm Meaney. Click here to see all of our news stories on the website. Calendar Dates: Fri 2 February Sat 3 February Sun 4 February Mon 5 February Tue 6 February Wed 7 February Thu 8 February The Presentation of Christ Wear Red mufti day for Velindre charity 4.15pm William Jones Society (Drama Studio) No lessons for Forms I & II Canoeing Club: 1pm pm Beginners river trip: Redbrook rush Boarders Activity: 6.30pm Cinema (Newport) Soccer: v. Clifton College: 1st, 2nd, U15A, U14A XIs (H) KO 2.15pm 3rd, U16, U15B/U14B XIs (A) Depart 12.45pm 10am - 6pm Les Misérables Rehearsal (Blake Theatre) 10.15am Chapel, Morning Prayer: Buchanan (MG Augusta House) (Serving: Buchanan House) Boarders Activity: 12.30pm Laser Zone Cross-country: Abberley Hall Relays: U12 & U13 Rugby: U14 VIIs (Dean Close School, Cheltenham) Depart 9am, K.O. 11am 1.50pm Form VI Leadership Committee Meeting (Sixth Form Centre) 4.15pm Agincourt Society: Civil Rights, the Iranian Revolution and Other Stories (Library) 6.30pm Information Presentation for Parents of Form III (Library) 6.45pm Form III Parents Evening (Blake Theatre) 4pm Music Examination accompaniment session (Music School) 8pm Boarders Multi-Activity: Form IV/Year 10 (MG) CCF: RAF Flying (St Athan) Depart 6.30am, return 5.30pm Associated Board Music Examinations 9.05am Tutor Period Form III Choices to Tutors: Form II Rugby: U12 & U13 VIIs (Christ College, Brecon) Lunch 11.50am, Depart 12.15pm, K.O. 2pm A level RS Conference (King s College, Taunton) Depart 8.15am,return 5pm Associated Board Music Examinations