Trinity 2021 No 5

Dear Parents,

With the end of term drawing ever closer I would like to try to help and give you as much information as possible so that you can plan your diaries and get everything straight and ready for the events and activities that lie ahead.

Scholarships
However, first on my list is an apology for overlooking one of our scholarships in my last letter. Larissa Jones was awarded an Academic Scholarship to Christ College in Brecon and we all feel very proud of her. Well done, Larissa! So the final list reads as follows:

Scholarship List 2021
Miles Tomblin - Sir Michael Palin All Rounder Scholarship to Shrewsbury
Isobel Foxton - Sport Scholarship Sedbergh School
Mark Namisano - Sport Scholarship to Peponi
Yzeera Sebunya - Drama Scholarship to Peponi
Sasha Camm - All Rounder Scholarship to Millfield
Siena Barclay - Academic Scholarship to Sherborne Girls
Ayira Browne - All Rounder Scholarship to Sedbergh School
Chilli Winter - Sport Scholarship to Glenalmond
Lochy Murray - Sport Scholarship to Glenalmond
Malachi Rune - Sport Scholarship to Kingswood College SA
Alice Trent - Thring Scholarship to Uppingham School
Larissa Jones - Academic Scholarship to Christ College, Brecon

School Exams
School exams are now over and during this week teachers will go over the papers to try to help all the pupils understand why some of their answers are right and others are wrong.

Rapid Lateral Flow Testing
Your support and understanding over our testing protocol is much appreciated and we feel it has really helped to promote good health and the safety of everyone at school.

We tested all pupils in Years 6-8 after half term and someone from each family for those children in Years 1 -5. So far we have carried out 421 tests this term and they have all been negative. We feel we should continue with this protocol after exeat and we hope that this will also ensure all is well for the events and activities in the last week of term. We will also test all our guests prior to the upcoming events at school in order to have the best possible health check. If you have been vaccinated or have had Covid then we feel you can join us without the necessity for a RLFT.

Exeat
Children may be collected after lessons this Thursday 24th June or first thing on Friday 25th June. Should you be unable to come and collect your child until later we will of course take care of them. As always, Miss D is taking a trip for those children who cannot get home and this weekend she is off to one of our favourite destinations, Lake Baringo. Please do get in touch with Miss D if you need to sign up your child for the exeat trip. Please also reach out to Terry for any support you might need to arrange transport to get your child home for the break. I have added the telephone numbers for Miss D and Terry below.

Miss D +254 715 396515
Terry +254 727 267642

Back to School
Children are expected back at school on Monday 28th June. Break is at 9.30 am and lessons begin at 10am.

Testing
Prior to returning to school all children in Years 6-8 and one person per family in Years 1-5 will need to have a RLF Covid test. These can be carried out with test kits at home or Purity and her team will be available on the fields to help as you arrive at school.

Coming Up
Year 8s
Common Entrance Exams
These exams have started and I know you will join me in wishing all our Year 8s the very best of luck. This revision weekend went well with academic slots intermingled with downtime and early nights. The aim was to help each pupil arrive in the exam room on Monday morning feeling refreshed, confident, alert, and keen to produce their very best work and show off just what they can do.

Marking
The papers will be marked here at school and the percentages sent on to each pupil’s next school.

Results
After exeat the Year 8s will head off for their penultimate trip which is a camel safari. I look forward to telling each Year 8 their set of results prior to their departure. I will arrange Zoom calls on Monday morning for those Year 8s who live up-country and are joining the camel safari straight from home. Once I have told the children their results they will head straight for their phones to let you, their parents, know how they have fared in the exams. This time of our children’s lives is such a poignant and memorable one and Common Entrance is truly a rite of passage. The preparation for these exams sets the children up in the best way possible for so many of the demands of GCSEs and the experience, carefully managed by our teachers at school, prepares them for so much of life that lies ahead.

Year 8 Trips
Zip Lining
The Year 8s will leave for a day’s zip lining and paint balling on Thursday 24th June.

Camel Safari
The Camel Safari trip in Laikipia begins on Monday 28th June and the children return on Friday 2nd July.

Sagana White Water Rafting
This trip departs on Sunday 4th July and the Year 8s will return on Tuesday 6th July.

Closed Weekend 3rd & 4th July
Widgery Cup & Car Boot Sale
Saturday 3rd July 2021
On the final weekend of this term we have the Widgery Cup and we are planning a car boot sale and some cricket in the afternoon with our 1st XI v fathers. Rachel Robley has also very kindly added in some riding for Saturday afternoon and Sunday. We also have a Jazz Band to lift our spirits and make sure that this is a wonderful day at school. With everything planned for outside and Purity and her team on hand to administer any RLF tests that are needed we feel there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Please do not forget to partner up with your son or daughter if they play tennis to ensure that this annual competition is hard fought. The Widgery Cup is great fun and the final will be played around lunch time.

Car Boot Sale
Saturday 3rd July 2021
After 18 months involving a certain amount of lockdown we feel there may be many things that might need rehoming! We thought that a car boot sale might add a spot of extra interest to the day and at the same time will raise some money both for charity and for the Pembroke House Foundation. Entrance will be 1500 Ksh and we will arrange the cars in the shade of the trees in the forestry area. Please could you let Katrina or MJ know if you would like to bring your car. Late entries will of course be allowed but it will help us to organise things if we know who might be coming and the sort of space we need to arrange.

Katrina +254 708143600
MJ +254 722 526374

Gilgil Club Summer Fete
Sunday 4th July
On the Sunday following the Widgery Cup and Car Boot Sale, Gilgil Club is holding a fete. This is very exciting and we are all looking forward to crossing the road and enjoying everything that has been arranged. Please do plan to join us all so we can make the most of this exciting new ‘happening’ right on our doorstep.

Final Week of Term

Packing
Packing will take place in the last week of term and we would be most grateful if you would make arrangements to take your child’s trunk home. Due to our unprecedented times many trunks and their contents will not have been home for two years! Please do check all the contents and check that the uniform fits and is not full of holes! Should it be impossible to collect your child’s trunk we can arrange for them to be sent via Wells Fargo or G4S.

Mid Summer Games
The children have requested their traditional Christmas games. These are usually before we break up in the Michaelmas Term. This year we postponed them until Easter and then as we wound down earlier than expected in March we missed this slot as well. Third time lucky, so Mid Summer games will be on Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm.

Dinky Safari Rally
The Dinky Safari Rally will be in the last week of term with the night stage on Tuesday 6th July and the main rally on Wednesday 7th July. The children will make up teams and of course they will need a vehicle. Your support in helping to equip your child with a suitable car, resistant to tipples and within the ‘specs’, would be wonderful. Please do join us if you can for this traditional and very exciting event and I know there will be more details sent out later so we all know what is going on. All parents are most welcome to join us for the Dinky Safari Rally. Again this event is very much outdoors and so this should help to keep us all as safe as possible.

Final Boats & House Matches
These will be held at some stage during the final week of term. We will confirm the dates a little nearer the time. All parents are most welcome to come and watch.

Year 8 Dinner
The Year 8 Black Tie Dinner will be on Wednesday 7th July and all Year 8s and their parents are invited to join us.

Speech Day
This year we have arranged Speech Day for Thursday 8th July. We would like you to begin to gather for refreshments at 5.30 in the evening down on the fields near the Old Pavilion. Speech Day will begin as darkness falls. To follow safety guidelines we will be outside so please do come dressed to keep warm. We will have a light supper after Speech Day to allow families to stay on a little and catch up and for the Year 8s to relax and enjoy the last night of their time at Pembroke House surrounded by their friends. Please may I remind everyone that curfew must be observed and we expect all our guests to have made their way home in time for 10 pm.

For those parents who cannot join us there will be buses to take the children home and they will leave at 6.30 am on Friday morning with a packed breakfast.

The List!

Monday 21st June CE Exams begin
Thursday 24th June Children may be collected after lessons
Friday 25th June Exeat begins, early pick ups allowed.
School Trip for children who would like to stay at school
Monday 28th June Back to school for break @ 9.30am; lessons @ 10am
DBM to give CE results to Yr 8s
Yr 8 Camel Safari Laikipia
Friday 2nd July Yr 8s return
Saturday 3rd July Closed Weekend
Widgery Cup
PHF Car Boot Sale, Jazz Band & Cricket
Sunday 4th July Gilgil Summer Fete
Year 8 Trip Sagana White Water Rafting
Tuesday 6th July Year 8s return
10 am Midsummer Games
Dinky Safari Rally Night Stage
Wednesday 7th July Dinky Safari Rally
Year 8 Black Tie Dinner
Thursday 8th July Parent v children matches
Trunks to be collected
5.30 pm Evening Speech Day
Children to go home with their parents
after Speech Day
Friday 9th July End of Term
Shuttle buses to depart at 6.30 am

We have a very busy time ahead of us with so much to be savoured and enjoyed. Please get in touch and let us help you with any aspect of our end of term arrangements and as always please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any concerns or queries.

With very best wishes,

Debs