Click here to read the Winter Newsletter
Ice Cream Sundaes
The ice cream proved so popular last weekend that the students enjoyed another round this weekend. Bananas, chocolate, blueberries, sauce and whipped cream were just some of the toppings added to the ice cream and everyone enjoyed the sweet treat on a nice Sunday afternoon.
Sushi Sushi
The world kitchen moved to Japan this weekend as the boarders and Ms Simmonds got together to make some fantastic sushi. It took hours to make and the careful rolling required a great deal of concentration but I think you will agree it looks amazing.
Sixth Form Summer Ball
All the Sixth Form boarders got dressed up for the summer ball and strutted their stuff on the dance floor. Those not too camera shy posed for the camera before departing for the ball on the bus arranged by the house. Everyone returned safely and had a wonderful time.
EAL Bowling Trip
Ms Meadowcroft, Ms Samways and all the boarders in the EAL program had a break from the discussion groups and reading sessions to enjoy a night out at the bowling alley in Yeovil. As a treat for all their hard work, the students enjoyed a couple of games and got to enjoy a really fun night out. Well done to Kelvin who had the highest score over the two games.
Weekend Fun
Boarders enjoyed a relaxed weekend and bank holiday at the house despite the rain. There was pizza night and ice cream sundaes and lots of students enjoyed a shopping trip day out to Poole and Bournemouth. There was a great atmosphere in the house to watch the FA Cup Final on the big screen with students supporting both teams.
Spring Variety Show
The boarders from the house were again in fine form, this time at the school Spring Variety Show. Lots of boarders assisted with handing out programs and serving refreshments and Mr Crossley helped out back-stage. Yahorina did a fantastic job with stage management and Emily, Constance, Ollie, Wincy, Odilla, Ursula and Collette were all amazing with their performances on stage.
Boarders' trip to Thorpe Park
The boarders at Barton Hill House enjoyed the trip to Thorpe Park so much back in September that they all went again last weekend. The weather did not stop everyone from having a great time and the staff also really enjoyed the rides and the fun.
'Hunger Games' Cinema Trip
Students on the weekly cinema trip with Mr Williams enjoyed the massive smash hit 'Hunger Games' on Tuesday. It seems that everyone really enjoyed the film and it rounded off a great series of films that the students have seen so far this year.
Weekend Fun in the Sun
A stunning weather weekend was enjoyed by all at the house with everyone outside playing volleyball and basketball, or lounging, reading and relaxing. There was even time for an ice lolly treat.
Ollie at Open Mic Night
Boarder Ollie Walker wowed the local crowed with his musical talent at the family Open Mic Night in Sturminster Newton. Ollie sang three songs during his acoustic set and will be looking forward to more events in the near future.
Boarders Star for Rockies
Boarders Kazi, Jorge and Demi continue to enjoy a great season playing for the local football team, Shaftesbury Rockies. The students play for both the reserve team and the Under 18 Team in the local Dorset League. Mr Crossley accompanied some of the boarders down to the pitch on Sunday to see them in action and Kazi scored during a comprehensive win.
World Kitchen
A group of students got together on Sunday to make an African-style meal, using the student kitchen. Chicken in tomato sauce and rice was accompanied by fried plantain with some salt added for extra flavour. Delicious.
Take-Away Night
As a thank you to all the students for their support and patience during the kitchen refurbishment, we enjoyed a chinese feast from a local restaurant.
Musical Boarders
Boarders took part this weekend in a community concert in Gillingham, hosted by the local Methodist Church. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in local music events and lessons at school. All you have to do is speak with Mr McMullan at school if you are interested in music.
Hong Kong World Kitchen
Ms Simmonds' World Kitchen stopped by Victoria Harbour on Saturday as a group of students cooked some of their favourite foods from home. You can see from the pictures below that they really worked hard to produce some fabulous food. Ms Simmonds said that the teamwork and effort was wonderful to see. The next stop on the tour is Japan, and sushi!
Shopping Trip to Salisbury
Boarders were off to shop on Saturday as a minibus full of students had a great day out in Salisbury. Shopping trips are very popular at Barton Hill but it is also a nice way of seeing one of the great towns of England with the magnificent Cathedral. Thanks to Ms Richards for driving.
Basketball at Barton Hill House
Students from Barton Hill must definitely claim basketball as their favourite sport. Every Tuesday many of the students go down to the school with Ms Samways to have a game in the school gym. The students can often be seen outside on the court at the house shooting hoops and many of the students here play for the local club, The South Coast Tigers, a private club that uses the school's facilities each week.
Boarders At Work
It is so important that the students get lots of experience in the 'real world' away from the classroom. That is why it is so great to see one of our students signing up to work at the local Cancer Research charity shop and also the hospitality and catering students off for their annual work experience.
Leaver's Ball 2012
Plans are already underway for the summer leaver's meal. Mr Crossley has reserved the 16th June and booked the marquee and the DJ. There will also be a fantastic chocolate fountain for the students to enjoy following the awards ceremony. Be sure to check back in the summer for the photos.
Acoustic Night
A big well done and congratulations to boarder Ollie Walker who was very influential in organising the first annual acoustic night in the Sixth Form Cafe at school. It was nice to see the boarders buy tickets to support the event and we all look forward to the event next year.
Boarders Modeling at the Fashion Show
Students from Barton Hill House were strutting their stuff on the cat walk at the recent fashion show. Some certainly had plenty of swagger and it was all for a good cause as the money raised all went to charity.
Boarders and Mr Crossley Go Skiing
Three boarding students from the house, along with Mr Crossley, took part in the recent school ski trip to the Zillertal Valley in Austria. Check out the photo of the four of them looking rather cold.
Ice Skating part 2
The trip to Basingstoke Ice Arena before Christmas was so successful and so popular that a number of boarders headed over there again this weekend to enjoy an afternoon of fun on the ice. Thanks to Ms Samways who drove the students out there and we look forward to another trip soon.
Fun in the Snow
Our boarders never need any excuse to get outside but when the snow comes there is an added incentive. All the students were hoping that the snow would mean a day off school but thankfully school was open as normal following the weekend snow. All those brave enough did get outside for a snowball fight. Get ready to duck!!!
Barton Hill's New Pianos
All those boarders with music in their hearts were very excited this week as we took delivery of two new electric pianos. Thank you to the Foundation Governors for providing the money to be able to update the musical instruments at the house and to Mr McMullan for doing all the ordering and organising delivery.
Valentine's Dance
A little earlier than usual because of half-term all the boarders got together as we danced the night away at the Valentine's Dance. The boarders were again allowed to invite a guest from school and they also really enjoyed the music and the fun. Barton Hill House certainly loves to dance and a few select photos can be seen in the photo gallery on the website.
Boarders join Army Cadets
Boarders are taking the opportunity to get involved in some outdoor adventure by joining the local Army Cadet group. The students are able to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Award and have fun with all other kinds of activities. Information about the Army Cadets and other groups, clubs and activities is available on the 'activities' section of this website.
Boarders at the Holocaust Memorial Service
Boarders from the house were present at the Holocaust Memorial evening last week and played a huge part in such a successful evening. Vincy Chu played the flute in the band, alongside Yaho Tench on the piano. Alistair Robertson and Carmen Fernandez took part in the candle lighting and Ollie Walker sang a song that he had written entitled 'Lest We Forget'. Well done and thanks to all involved.
Paintballing
Students of all ages, boys and girls, attended Skirmish Paintball on Saturday in what turned out to be a fantastic day. The boarders were split up in to teams and completed a full day of action in the Dorset woods. Well done to all the students involved and I know they all cannot wait to go again soon.
Bake Sale for Rwanda
Zerlina Tench has enlisted the help of all the boarders and staff in order to help her raise money for the school trip to Rwanda. Zerlina plans to have a bake sale at school each week and is using the Barton Hill student kitchen to make her cakes. I think because they are so good she might need a bigger kitchen.
Cinema Night News
Mr Williams' trips to the cinema have been very special so far this half term. Films have included Mission Impossible, W.E., and War Horse. All the students that attended the War Horse film said it was very special and all came back with nothing but good things to say about a very special film. I think they all cried, too.
Boarders off to the Football
Whilst the majority of the students were shopping Ms Crocker took around 6 of our boarders off to St Mary's Stadium to see Southampton versus Blackpool in the Npower Championship. Despite the cold, everyone had a great time and really enjoyed the atmosphere with the other 20,000 fans, especially when Southampton scored in the last minute to make the score 2-2.
Shop 'Til You Drop
Shopping is very important at this time of year and there is no difference at Barton Hill. Everyone enjoyed a fantastic day out at Southampton's West Quay Shopping Centre and had fun getting all their presents.
Christmas Meal
Barton Hill House rolled back the years at the weekend and turned the main day area in to the dining room for our Christmas celebration meal.
Students had ordered their food beforehand and I think more wished they had opted for the chocolate torte which was absolutely wonderful. Many thanks to all those that helped with the decorations and as you can see from the photos it was a truly special occasion.
The party then moved in to the Sixth Form common room and our very own Sam Okwara showed us all how it should be done by setting up his DJ equipment and blasted out the tunes. Well done, DJ Sam.
Boarders get set for Rag Day
Rag Day was a huge success and the boarders got right in to the swing of things with some fantastic costumes.
From Rock and Roll to Superheroes the costumes were all fantastic. Mr Crossley even got in on the action and put on his Austrian lederhosen.
I think Mr. Crossley is hoping that Rag Day is in July next year when it's warmer.
Boarders Fantastic at the Carol Service
Congratulations to around 15 boarders who contributed to the superb Carol Service organised by Mr McMullen that took place in the town. Well done to Zerlina, Paul, Alistair, Dorothy, Carmen, Carlota, Constance, Odi, Collette, Wincy, Niklas, Ursula, Latoya and Zainab. A special mention to our very own Ollie Walker who performed a song that he had written himself. Well done everyone!
Ice Skating Trip to Basingstoke Ice Rink
Around 30 or so students headed off to Planet Ice at Basingstoke on Sunday for an afternoon of ice skating. Mr Crossley even got on the ice at one stage but was shown up by all the students who were all fantastic. We look forward to going again in the New Year.
Bath Christmas Market
Unfortunately our trip to the Bath Christmas Market had to be changed at the last minute because the traffic in to Bath was so busy. Ms Richards instead took everyone down to Yeovil and everyone still managed to do lots of shopping.
Ms Simmonds' World Kitchen goes to Nigeria
Fried plantain and chicken and rice was on the menu at the weekend as the cooking and baking activity had a Nigerian theme. All the students who participated really enjoyed showing off their culinary skills and we look forward to the next one after Christmas. I think we are going to China next.
Boarders off to the Ball
A number of our Sxith Form boarders got all dressed up for the Sxith Form Ball on Thursday and had a wonderful time.
Keeping Safe and Secure
PC Steve Ellis from Shaftesbury Police Station visited us recently for our Monday house meeting to remind all students about how to keep all their belongings safe and secure, both in the house and in general. The students were also reminded and encouraged to always take care when out and about both here in Shaftesbury and when back home. We are always keen to make sure that students take care of themselves and having the police send this message always helps.
E-Safety Talk
Ken Corish from the Safer Internet Center in partnership with South West Grid for Learning gave a fantastic and informative presentation recently to all boarders in how to stay safe on-line. Everything from facebook to youtube and mobile devices was covered and all our boarders were again encouraged to use social media and the internet responsibly. If you would like more information you can visit the South West Grid for Learning website.
http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe
Boarder selected for trip to Rwanda
Congratulations to Zerlina Tench who has been chosen as one of 8 students to represent the school on the annual education trip to our partner school in Rwanda. We at Barton Hill House will do all we can to support Zerlina in raising the money she needs and look forward to coming up with some interesting ideas.
Exeat and Christmas Holiday
Don't forget that travel plans are due to Ms Nuttall as soon as possible for the Exeat and Christmas holiday. Please see Term Dates for a complete list of all the exeat and holiday dates.
Bonfire and Fireworks
Ms Richards accompanied a number of students on Saturday down to Gillingham Rugby club for the annual bonfire and fireworks display. Thankfully the rain stayed away and everyone was able to watch without getting soaked.
Paella Paella Paella
The cooking and baking activity at the weekend had a very Spanish feel to it as Ms Simmonds and a number of our Spanish students showed everyone how to make paella.
Thanks to Jorge, Tomas and Ursula for leading the activity and to all those who helped. I am sure it tasted great!
Halloween Party
On Friday we held the first annual Halloween fancy dress party at Barton Hill House. We turned the dining room in to a nightclub and danced the night away to all the latest tunes. Some of the costumes and make-up was truly spectacular and we look forward to the next one, which will be held around Valentine's Day. Thank you to all those that helped decorate the dining room and I hope all our guests from school had a great time. Please see the photo gallery for the photos.
Christmas Shopping Trip
With Christmas fast approaching the boarders at Barton Hill House will be heading down to West Quay in Southampton for the day to spend spend spend. Buses will depart at 8.45 on Saturday 10th December.
House News
Barton Hill would like to say a big thank you to the foundation governors who have helped with buying a new camera and projector screen for the house. All students will be able to use the camera and some have already started taking photos of themselves relaxing and having fun at Barton Hill. The new projection screen will go up in the main day area to replace the old one and be ready for the next movie night.
Congratulations to Reece de Carteret who has been selected to attend a trial for the Dorset Schools Under 14s football team. Good luck, Reece.
Thorpe Park
Boarders were up and out early on Saturday as Barton Hill House enjoyed a fantastic day out at Thorpe Park. Mr Crossley was too scared to go on the rides but everybody had a wonderful time and were, as always, wonderful representatives of the school and the house.
Weekend News
Boarders enjoyed a trip to Poole on both Saturday and Sunday to hit the shops and the waterslides - retail therapy and adrenaline were required after a hard first couple of weeks at school. Boarders of all ages spent Saturday afternoon shopping and had a great time at Splashdown the following day. Thanks to Ms Richards and Ms Samways for driving and making sure everyone returned safely.
Boarders Dominant at Evening of Achievement
Barton Hill House was well represented at the school's annual Evening of Achievement which acknowledges some of the fantastic work produced by all students right throughout the school. A total of 24 subject-based awards were handed out to boarders including Law, Economics, French, Maths and English. Boarders also scooped a number of special awards with Catherine Lam taking home the I'm a Scientist, Get Me Out Of Here! Award. The Foundation Governors' Award for success at AS Level was award to Emily Chan and the Award for success at A2 Level went to Eric Bradford who has joined Imperial College London where he will read Chemical Engineering. Congratulations!!
Congratulations to Year 13 Boarders
All the hard work has paid off for our year 13s who departed in the summer, joining a variety of universities up and down the country. Barton Hill boarders were again in receipt of some of the top marks in the school and I would like to say congratulations and all the best to all our year 13s.
Leavers' Dinner 2011
The last big event of the year saw us host the annual summer dinner and dance for the 2011 leavers. The kitchen staff did a wonderful job to prepare a fantastic meal which the staff served to the students before they danced the night away under a fabulous white marquee. There was also the celebration of a wonderful year with some fun and serious Barton Hill House awards. Best of luck to all those leaving us this summer.
