CAISTOR FOCUS

New Horizons

M rs Nugent demon-strates tireless com-mitment to the de-velopment of stu-

dent awareness of issues in and beyond the school, such as World Issues Day, raising money for LEPRA (a charity committed to helping those with leprosy) and organising the Sixth Form Ball. She has provided an im-mense contribution to the life of the sixth form” - Mr McTernan

Mrs Wendy Nugent, best known for her tremendous commitment to the school and her endless supply of tweed jackets, has decided to retire

after 12 years of hard work and dedi-cation. The much loved RE teacher and Deputy Head of Sixth Form claims that she has had a “superb” time teaching at Caistor Grammar School, also stating that “all moments have been memorable, particularly results days, the annual school balls and the trips to Auschwitz.” When asked what she would be doing with her spare time in the future, she promptly replied with “nothing”. Laughing, she added, “Well, I’m mov-ing house, going on holiday to Sar-dinia and India and looking after my grandchildren.” Despite Mr Hale call-ing her “Mrs Games” instead of “Mrs Nugent” on her first day, she has fond memories of her first days at Caistor Grammar School. She claims the stu-

dents were, and remain to be “polite, well behaved and bright”. “However”, she continued ominously, “the worst thing about the students is that they are VERY talkative”. I have to agree with her there. All of those who have had the pleasure of being taught by Mrs Nugent, will be aware that she is prone to tripping over chairs, con-stantly forgetting where she left her book and feeling the need to go to the paper copier every 5 minutes. How-ever, one embarrassing moment that is prominent to Mrs Nugent in par-

ticular, took place at this year’s Sixth Form Ball, where she sang and pa-raded around in a pink feather boa. “It was very embarrassing” she says, laughing at the memory. When asked if she had any parting words, she sim-ply said “thank you, thank you for a wonderful 12 years.” I would like to take this opportunity to also say thank you, for your continuous contribution to the school and the students. So, 12 years of Mrs Nugent’s glorious Welsh accent echoing around the halls of Caistor Grammar School have come to an end, and as a woman who encom-passes and exceeds all the qualities necessary to being a great teacher and memorable member of the school, she will be sorely missed by all. LEAVERS CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Four departures from Caistor this summer, from left to right; Norman Palmer, Wendy Nugent, John Etty and Matthew Bean.

EVER TO EXCEL | THE NEWSPAPER OF CAISTOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL SUMMER EDITION 2011 | WWW.CGS.LINCS.SCH.UK

It is with great sadness that the staff & pupils of CGS bid a fond farewell to four valued, much loved members of staff this year. We managed to track them down to discover their plans for the future & what they’d remember most about CGS

with smiles all round

Auction of Promises

Comic Relief auction provides plenty of laughs

PAGE 4

Sixth-Form Farewells

This year’s ball was a celebration of sixth-form life

PAGE 4

Moroccan Delights

Geography trip to Morocco becomes

a huge success

PAGE 5

A Tribute to Ken Oxspring

We look back on the life of a true

‘school hero’

BACK PAGE

OBITUARY

by EMILY BELL and INGRID WALKER Y12

Thank you, thank you for a wonderful 12 years “

2 CAISTOR FOCUS Summer Edition

News

A Gleeful Occasion

by BETH LAVERICK 9Z

TUESDAY 8th OF March saw a group of

colourfully dressed CGS students skip-

ping GLEEfully down to the town hall,

to watch the ENCHANTING house

plays.

Ayscough were first up with a fantastic

rendition of the popular television show

‘Glee’. This was a controversial choice

because, just like Marmite, you either

love it or hate it. The piece was exe-

cuted to a high standard and gave the

whole of the lower school a lot of good

laughs, with fun dances, well-timed

miming and impeccable acting;

Asycough’s representation of Glee was a

difficult one to follow...

But Hansard had the task and proved

that they’re not just good at sports!

Hansard stepped up and presented

their version of Disney’s ‘Enchanted’,

with Grace Kendrew as leading lady,

perfecting the over the top character of

Giselle. By no means, however, were

the rest of the cast far from fantastic, in

fabulous costumes, with well choreo-

graphed dances and good acting; the

performance was incredibly profes-

sional and well directed.

Just when we all thought it couldn’t get

any better, Rawlinson popped up on the

stage, giving the best production Junior

House Drama has seen in a long time;

with comedy elements, dancing, reck-

lessness and pure brilliance the inter-

pretation of ‘St. Trinians’ was all that

was expected and more. The cast gave a

fantastic performance and left every-

body thinking: who’s going to win,

Hansard or Rawlinson?

The question echoed around the town

hall until the results were finally re-

vealed in the dramatic X-Factor style...

In third place, Ayscough. In second

place, Hansard. In first place,

Rawlinson. Cheers erupted from de-

lighted students, sixth formers and Mrs

Wolseley and disappointed groans from

those who did not triumph.

All participants would like to say a big

thank you to the sixth form performing

arts leaders, Mrs Gurnham, Mr Hale

and most importantly the audience for

giving the respect that was wished for.

Willkommen

Wilton!

by MICHAEL TRUEMAN 7Z

DURING A RECENT interview with Dr

Wilton, members of 7Z questioned him

about his first half year at Caistor

Grammar school. Overall, his presence

has been a success.

He said he was enjoying it, with lots to

do and that he was always busy. All the

pupils are polite and the staff are

friendly, which made it easy for him to

settle in. Furthermore, his personal set

ideas on the school were varied; he did

not expect anything apart from a

‘normal school’, though, he was

shocked by the welcome arms embrac-

ing him and the difference in size from

his other school.

He stated that his previous workplace

in Leeds had over 2500 pupils, a dra-

matic contrast of environment. He did

not take this as a bad thing though,

being clearly impressed with the level of

control amongst the closer community

within the school. Dr Wilton also com-

pliments the area around the school, a

calmer place to live, away from a bus-

tling city like Leeds.

He was questioned on what he has

taught in the past. It turns out he has

always taught French and German,

once history and a bit of Dutch. He says

he specialises in German as he lived

there for three years before teaching in

Leeds.

For all those people who wish to learn

Dutch, he recommends being good at

both German and English to make it

easy. Dr Wilton has also lectured in

university about German history. He is

looking forward to next year, as it will

be his first full year, watching what he

calls a cohort (a group of pupils) move

all of the way through the school, so he

plans to stay for at least seven years

more, at least... (see page 6)

Dr Wilton would like to complain, how-

ever, about the rubbish music that the

year elevens play in their common

room: too much of a constant heavy

beat and bass for his liking! On the

other hand he enjoys the way the school

is run and urges it to keep on develop-

ing.

When shall we three meet again?

by SARAH LYONS and GEMMA JACKSON Y12 COLOURFUL COSTUMES, a buzzing

atmosphere and plenty of panic back-

stage; it must be that time of year again.

The Senior House Plays always manage

to entertain the masses be it deliberate

or unintentional and are a chance for

the sixth formers to emerge from the

side lines and show their true leadership

potential.

While Ayscough and Hansard took a

more traditional approach with their

takes on the old classics, ‘MacBeth’ and

‘Sherlock Holmes’, Rawlinson wowed

the crowd with their brave rendition of

‘Grease’. Alistair Lusby took the reins as

the lead role of Danny Zuko with Sophie

Manson singing beautifully by his side

as Sandy. The leather jackets and polka-

dot skirts combined with original songs

created a believable Sixties vibe, and

when technical difficulties arose, the

cast dealt with them professionally,

keeping their cool and still delivering a

highly entertaining show.

Meanwhile, Ayscough’s budding actors

were backstage brushing up on their

lines.

The clever adaptation of the original

script of ‘MacBeth’, by Becky Suddaby,

led to a comical performance of

‘MacGrammar’ featuring carica-

tures of many members of CGS

staff. The play captured the lan-

guage of the 17th century, but the

use of humour and familiar charac-

ters, including the English depart-

ment as the three witches, pro-

vided the audience with a play that

they could relate to. Oliver Steels

played the lead role of MacMark-

ham (MacBeth) and gave a confi-

dent and strong performance, cop-

ing well with minor mishaps dur-

ing the performance. Perhaps a few

more rehearsals would have led to

a smoother performance; however,

the cast certainly gave it their all.

Hansard delivered a polished,

word-perfect interpretation of

‘Sherlock Holmes’ with James

Colley both directing and playing the

protagonist Holmes himself. Kwesi

Agyeman’s eloquent and intelligent

manner of speaking provided the play

with a sense of Victorian authenticity.

This contrasted well with the humour

provided by the dim-witted detective

inspector, played by James Kennedy

teamed with Matthew Colley, creating a

well-rounded and sophisticated per-

formance that led to their success in the

competition.

The final result of the day saw Hansard

in first place, closely followed by

Rawlinson with Ayscough trailing be-

hind, though their team spirit never

faded (and it’s the taking part that

counts anyway!). The day was an all

round success providing plenty of enter-

tainment and excitement for everyone

with one student saying ‘the perform-

ances were as fantastic as ever!’

Many thanks are due to Jack O’Toole,

James Colley and Harley Riley for put-

ting in so much time and effort and

making the performances such a suc-

cess. Bring on next year!

And not forgetting a big farewell... by MEGAN COOK 10z

TRACKING DOWN the technicians at

CGS isn’t as easy as you think- they’re

always busy! After hunting high and

low for Miss Dale, Miss Snell and Miss

Grey- we managed to take a minute or

two out of their busy day to find out

the highlights and lowlights of their

year here.

Catching up with Miss Andria Dale

outside the staff room, while she’s busy

photocopying sheets for various de-

partments, she tells me that the best

moment here for her would have to be

‘the 6th form ball speeches’ made by Mr

Hale, Mr McTernan and Mrs Nugent.

An unknown fact about her is that she

‘ripped her trousers while she was on

trampolines in the gym with Miss Snell

and Miss Grey.’ She says this was her

most embarrassing moment of the

entire year! Miss Dale says she will

miss ‘seeing everyone and all the

teachers here.’ She describes the at-

mosphere as ‘fantastic.’ I learnt that

she will be going to university, when

she leaves us. Thank you for all your

help this year, Miss Dale!

Getting interviews out of Miss Snell

and Miss Grey isn’t as easy as it might

seem! Naturally, wanting to give the

best answers it took the best part of 3

hours for them to think of the crème

de la crème of comebacks to each

other’s answers- give or take a bit of

time for lunch.

Miss Snell tells me her best moment

was ‘when Mr Shepherd wiped her out

with a crash mat’ but she enjoyed

meeting Miss Dale and Miss Grey, as

well. She adds: ‘For the first time in 7

years- I enjoyed running cross coun-

try!’ Her worst moment, she recalls as

being ‘setting up the cross

country course- for it to be

cancelled!’ When asked

what she will miss the

most when she leaves she

blurts out ‘MRS BUCK!’

Who, of course, wasn’t

sitting in the room at the

time. When she leaves

here she is going to begin a

career in accountancy.

Thank you for your help in

our PE lessons this year!

“Miss Grey had

a smashing first

week”

Miss Grey’s best moments

of this year were ‘meeting

Miss Snell and Miss Dale

and going paintballing and

bowling.’ She proudly

adds, ‘I learnt how to do a

somersault too..and taught

the High School Musical

dances!’ On the other

hand, her worst moment-

possibly the best of the

article- was ‘crashing her

car into the school bench

in the first week..not a

good start.’ She notes that

she will miss ‘Mrs Gould’s amazing

cooking and going to fixtures with

pupils.’ But without leaving the non-

sporty of us out..she’ll miss the whole

school too! When Miss Grey leaves us,

she is going to Cumbria University to

study PE and Sport. Thank you for

your advice this year in sport, Miss

Grey!

Famous words... “A good friend helps you get up when you fall... A best friend bursts out laughing, trips you again and continues to laugh”

Famous words... “Never go to bed angry...stay awake and plot your revenge”

Miss Grey, Miss Dale and Miss Snell at the 6th

Form Ball

Dr Wilton: Co-ordinator of Internationalism

The English Dept at CGS

I t was over two cold days in February that the year 12 Physics students made the journey to Keadby Power

Station, situated on the banks of the River Trent. With half the students making the visit on the first day, half on the second, it was in the name of AS course-work that the intrepid physicists braved the brisk, sub-5°C tem-peratures. Led by the ever-enthusiastic Mr Palmer, and accompanied by science technician Mr Moffat, the trips were days of gas-fired discovery at the

Keadby Site, where the overall aim was to discover, by way of not uncom-plicated calculations and equations, the efficiency of the whole power sta-tion, for later use in coursework. Those under any illusion that the trips were merely jolly days out for a gander round the plant were sadly mistaken! Data collection was the name of the game, and following a briefing by the plant staff, the students were led in groups around the plant’s various and complex buildings and machinery areas, all the while collecting data for their later mathematical ponderings.

The plant was certainly something to behold, with its four golden chimneys towering high above the ground, its exterior a behemoth of gleaming metal. One happy visitor was Emily Bell, who commented “The buildings were really shiny! I loved it!” Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the tour was the turbine room, where the roar was so deafening that, even with ear-plugs firmly in place, it was difficult to concentrate on what was going on. The vast chasm of the building, with its enormous network of intricate in-terwoven pipe work, seemed to swal-low up the students as soon as they walked in, and gasps of awe were visi-ble, although indiscernible due to the noise.

Following the tour and a generous lunch (about which Ingrid Walker commented “Delicious! I couldn’t get enough of the sandwiches!”), the CGS visitors got their heads down and be-gan powering through the reams of data and equations. Eventually, with enough steam coming out of their ears to power the station for a week, the arduous calculations were completed and the results collated and presented. Despite the challenging physics they had to process, the students rose to the task, and afterwards the Power Station staff commented on the high calibre of those who visited over the two days. A big thanks to the Physics department for organising this trip.

CAISTOR FOCUS Summer Edition 2011 3

News

SATURDAY 22ND OCTOBER will be a proud day for students in Lincoln-shire: it is the day that talented indi-viduals across the county will show-case live on television for an audience to watch and appreciate. “Lyric Lounge” is a group of drama and per-formance poetry workshops held by the top performing poets Grace Nich-ols, John Agard and ‘Binta’ Breeze. The scheme, which is supported by the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, has been organised by Nightingale Gifted and Talented magazine which is edited by Harley Ryley (13HG). The poets will work together to give workshops to young people around Lincolnshire about drama and poetry, combining the two to create performance art which is becoming more and more popular across the nation. The poems which will be performed will focus on achieving goals, over-coming hurdles and most importantly, celebrating who we are and what we’ve done. The project is not a com-petition, but a celebration and every-body is welcome to take part whether they are experienced in writing and performing or not. Working with three such amazing poets is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Mrs McNeilly is urging people to take part, to learn about yourself in a different style of English lesson. The process is to build writing and performing ability, eliminate self-doubt, boost self-esteem and generally have an amazing time! If anybody is interested please see Mrs McNeilly or contact Harley Ryley for more details.

Poetry Olympics BETH LAVERICK 9Z

by MATTHEW COLLEY 10Z

Power to the People by CHRIS ROWLANDS 12NP

...continued from page 1 Mr Palmer “A lovely man and an utter profes-sional” – Mrs Clark Although not teaching at CGS for as long as some of the other teachers we’re saying goodbye to, those who were privileged enough to have been taught by Mr Palmer over the past three years will undoubtedly agree that his enthusi-asm and sheer passion for his subject is not something which can be easily matched. However, it is not only students who Mr Palmer has had a profound impact upon: I have been sincerely assured that the staff room will be feeling Mr Palmer’s absence deeply. Mrs Clark is only one of the many teachers who have expressed a particular desire to voice her sadness upon having to ‘say good-bye to Mr Palmer, yet again’. Having worked with Mr Palmer at her previous school Mrs Clark went on to say that she ‘will miss his support and kindness, particularly’. When interviewed, Mr Palmer clearly expressed reciprocal feelings – stating that it was both the ‘pleasure of actively teaching young students’ and working

with such wonderful colleagues that made each day at Caistor Grammar School truly memorable. He went on to express his admiration for his current tutor set, citing 12NP as a reason why he has enjoyed his time at CGS so much. “My immediate impression of the school was that of a strong family atmosphere, which was certainly borne out in reality”– Mr Palmer Yet Mr Palmer says that he ‘has reached retirement age, is now creaking and needs to take life at a slower pace’. When asked, however, what he intends to do with his new found free time it became immediately clear that Mr Palmer will go on to enjoy a very active retirement. Amongst the ‘1001 things’ Mr Palmer intends to do he confessed: ‘growing old disgracefully, climbing hills and doing what his wife tells him to do’. All of the teachers interviewed were asked if they had any parting words, to which Mr Palmer replied ‘ Yes, Indeed! I want to wish everybody well - you all have huge potential and I look forward to following everybody’s progress as they bloom into adulthood’.

Mr Etty “What I will miss most of all about Mr Etty is watching him slipping on the ice surrounding the statue of Lenin in St Petersburg every two years - like an ungainly social-ist flounder” – Mr Croft What can be said about Mr Etty? Mr Etty: Russian history enthusiast, owner of wooden sword and astounding teacher. But it’s time to give him one last salute as he goose steps off into the New Zealand sunset. Known for his sense of humour and his unique teach-ing style, Mr Etty’s history and politics lessons have quickly become the favour-ites of many students. When interviewed Mr Etty assured me that although he thoroughly enjoyed every day of his time at CGS and he will wholeheartedly miss: all the ‘wonderful people he’s worked with (especially TMT, Mr Croft, Mrs Jacques and Mr Cook); the wonderful people he’s taught; his form groups over the years and most of all his sanctuary of P2’ however, there is a list of things he will not miss so much: 1) Being forced to teach about Lady Jane Grey every year – even though no-one cares 2) Being the 24 hour technology con-sultant for the history department 3) Having his cleverly crafted history posters torn from the wall when he’s at lunch 4) Having to traverse the climb to the top of Conisbrough Castle whilst Mr McTernan and Mr Croft enjoy a leisurely stroll (and he suspects a coffee and cake).

5) The cold and damp of P2 in winter 6) Being accused of sarcasm when he’s actually of a naturally ‘sunny disposi-tion’ 7) Still being harassed by members of my first form group (8X) five years later – including both Ingrid Walker and Emily Bell. Despite all of this, Mr Etty states that his first impressions of the school as a ‘lively and enthusiastic’ place were completely accurate, and that he will miss this a great deal. Having been taught RE, His-tory and General Studies by Mr Etty, as well as having him as a form tutor, de-bating mentor and leader of a trip to Russia I can unequivocally express my admiration for Mr Etty as a teacher who has given a huge deal to the school life. I’m sure I speak on the behalf of a great number of students who have passed through the school when I say it has been a pleasure and a privilege to have known and been taught by him. Al-though he will be sorely missed we would like to wish Mr Etty all the luck in his new life in New Zealand – this is his October 1917, his time to seize the op-portunity. And then the nostalgic interview con-cluded with the same question posed to each teacher: ‘any parting words?’. To which Mr Etty replied ‘Always carry a wooden sword, you never know when you may have to fend off a wooden dragon. But seriously, I’ve enjoyed working with the best history depart-ment in the world, despite their inability to master even basic classroom technol-ogy’.

I’m sure I speak on behalf of every stu-dent and member of staff, when I say that I will miss him and his irreplaceable

£5000 for Mencap

THIS YEAR, the year 10 literacy lead-ers have once again been striving to raise as much money as possible for the charity Mencap which assists chil-dren in the UK who have learning difficulties, such as autism. Earlier this year, 180 year 7 and 8 students took part in the Mencap ‘Spellathon’ in which around £1400 was raised. This is the third time that Caistor Grammar school has taken part in the ‘Spellathon’, and all in all we have raised around £5000, which is an extremely impressive amount. Mat-thew Walker, a year 10 literacy leader said, “It is so good to see people im-proving their spelling, as well as help-ing those in need. It’s incredible!” The Literacy leaders also presented an informative and thought provoking assembly to the year 7 and 8s. This explained all about what Mencap, Britain’s largest learning disability charity do, why they do it and how you can help them. This highlighted the problems that people with learning difficulties face, and we hope that it made the year 7 and 8s realise just how lucky they are. For this a big thank you goes to everyone who was involved, and to everyone who lis-tened so well.

Dr Bean For 11 years, Dr. Matthew Bean, who probably only attained a PhD in order to avoid being called “Mr Bean” ever again, has graced the halls of Caistor Grammar School with his distinctively loud voice and bellowing laugh. But now it is time for him to depart, and his presence will be undoubtedly missed. When asked if he had enjoyed his time at the school, he replied without hesitation “I loved it”. If it wasn’t for the impracticality of travel-ling to and from the school every day, Dr Bean claims that he would definitely be staying. “You have something really precious here,” he tearfully announced, “and you need to take care of it”. Dr Bean laughed heartily when asked of his most memorable moments; “I re-member a girl in my first year 7 class managed to get herself tangled up in 20 metres of Tippex mouse tape”. However despite some of his students making catastrophic mistakes in the laboratory, for example leaving boiling hydrochloric acid unattended on a roaring blue flame, he smiled when asked about his opinion

on the students- “You are such a nice group of people”. “We will sorely miss his entertain-ing anecdotes and eloquent speech. We wish him all the best and hope to keep in touch” - Mrs Cooke and Mrs Clark

Clearly remembering his first day at the school, he states that he instantly “felt at home”, but after spending 11 enjoyable years here, Dr Bean says there is a “rumour” that an education officer is needed at RSPB, a charity which works to secure a safe environment for birds and all wildlife, where he has volun-teered at since he was a teenager. He claims this is his “big goal”. “Once, Mr Hale walked in when I was announcing to the class that I had my tie caught in my intestines. Yes, I embarrass myself a lot - on a daily basis.” We will miss you, Dr Bean!

Keadby Power Station

4 CAISTOR FOCUS Summer Edition 2011

Having a Ball!

..And dressing down for Comic Relief!

by CHRISTIAN ROWLANDS Y12

CROSS-DRESSING, blue men, mini-

skirts, the undead, leopard-print one-

sies and potatoes: all average occur-

rences on CGS‟s biennial Promises

Auction, a day of revelry, extravagance

and general merrymaking.

Despite depleted numbers, due in part

to the Year 12 Battlefields trip falling

on the same date, the remaining Sixth

Formers rose to the occasion to deliver

a fantastic, humorous and, in some

cases, mentally challenging blitzkrieg

of a performance, with dancing, sing-

ing, sweet (and potato) throwing and

liberal, if questionable, use of body

lotion.

Acts included interpretations of

Baywatch, Fame, Thriller, Smurfs and

California Girls, as well as a medley of

pop songs and associated dances, and

numerous other intriguing and

compelling displays, all of which

earned donations from the purses of

students from younger years, through

an auction directed by the enthusiastic

and forceful hammer of Mr Hale.

One of the most noticeable aspects of

this year‟s auction was the abundance

of cross-dressing, featuring in many a

performance, from the gyrating dance

troop thrusting to Call On Me, to the

orange mini-skirts and fake tans of the

Upper Sixth boys.

Another fascinating display came from

the Smurfs‟ performance, particularly

Phil Hollow‟s quasi-contortionist

extraction from a cricket bag, which

was both unexpected and slightly

disturbing..

Despite the dubious content of some of

the acts, the day was undoubtedly a

success, raising a total of £2146.13 for

Comic Relief, thanks to the confidence

and lack of self-consciousness of the

sixth form students.

ON FRIDAY, 27th May, the annual Sixth Form Ball was held

at The White Heather at Caenby Corner. Despite many dress

related panics (mostly mine), each dress was beautiful and

perfectly reflected the personality of she who wore it. Suzi

Cushnie particularly looked beautiful in her home made

dress – made more efficiently and to a higher quality than

most retailers. Every young man looked dashing in their

tuxedos but Henry Phipps particularly stood out, true to

form, in his tails.

After a Bucks Fizz reception and a half hour of socialising,

the party was called through to dine. Here, the food was

lovely and the atmosphere was electric - with perhaps a cou-

ple of students taking too much of a liking to the wine offered

on the table.

Afterwards, students and teachers alike were treated to the

sound of Cameron Richardson-Eames singing to Mrs Nugent

in Welsh. An initially confusing but hilarious speech from Mr

McTernan, Mrs Nugent and Mr Hale then took place to a

backdrop of potentially embarrassing photos of the Year 13s

– the speeches featuring ABBA, hats and rather obscure ac-

cents. Mrs Nugent, with her feather boa made a dazzling exit

to her last Sixth Form Ball as the Deputy Head of Sixth Form.

Eventually, the food and speeches gave way to lots of ener-

getic (and potentially dress ruining) dancing that people

seemed to become a part of intentionally or otherwise. The

night didn‟t so much wind down as come to an abrupt stop as

we were told it was time to leave – I think it‟s safe to presume

that most of those attending could have stayed for at least a

few hours longer.

However, entry to the buses was not granted lightly – with

one student in particular being refused admittance to his bus

of choice for reasons that one could probably imagine. This

led to Mrs Nugent having to gently persuade one reluctant

bus driver to drop him off at a location which was, for him, a

fair drive from home.

The Sixth Form Ball, as it always appears to have been, was a

very enjoyable event, providing a fitting goodbye to the Year

13s – who I imagine will be greatly missed. With Mrs Nu-

gent‟s imminent departure, could the ball ever be the same

again?

Dressing up at the ball..!

by SOPHIE COLE Y12

Marriage Mayhem with a Touch of Magic by ALEX OXFORD 7Z ON MONDAY 14th March, the Young Shakespeare Company paid a visit to the year 7s of CGS, giving a spectacular perform-

ance, of a Midsummer Night‟s Dream. It was a modern version, truly explaining the meaning of 2011 comedy. The perform-

ance explained the story very well, and managed to get the year 7s involved, acting with the cast, and getting to be part of

the story. They even incorporated some of Shakespeare into the play, and got one of the male actors dressing up as a girl! No

doubt everyone was talking about it for the rest of the day. In the interval everyone was wondering what would happen to

our four main characters, but the wait was worth it. With a spectacularly funny ending, everyone was clapping for more.

Michael Trueman, one member of the audience, said, “I was upset that I didn‟t get a part, however I don‟t really mind be-

cause it was funny to watch and it was a dull story made fun.”It is true, not everyone likes Shakespeare, however there was

definitely magic in the air that day. Thank you to the Shakespeare Company!!!

Just Keep Working.... by DANIEL JACKLIN 10Z

FROM THE 11th to the 22nd, the more observant student at CGS may notice the

absence of Y10. The reason? Work experience. Work experience allows students

to become adults for two weeks, working in a job as they would if they were em-

ployed. We caught up with Matthew Colley from 10z, who said that he „is really

looking forward to working at Uncle Henry‟s Farm shop, and can‟t wait to get an

insight into the adult world.‟

A Bevy of Beautiful Belles

CAISTOR FOCUS Summer Edition 2011 5

International Visits

Bonjour from

Paris!

by MEGAN COOK 10Z and

JONATHON COOLLEDGE 10Y

LAST MINUTE practice of frantic French

conversation was all that could be heard

on the coach, when arriving in Eaubonne

near Paris for the French Homestay.

The scene aboard the coach saw a mix of

excitement and nervousness, as students

from years 10 and 11 prepared to meet

their hosts for the five night visit to Paris.

One by one, each pair stepped off the

coach to meet their families, and were

taken to their temporary homes for the

night. The last ones to leave were Caistor

Focus‟ very own Megan Cook and her

partner Eilish Brown. Megan described

her first night: “We arrived at their apart-

ment, very anxious, but by the time an

hour had passed we felt right at home -

eating a very continental meal of burger

and chips.” That night, no one knew how

friends were getting on; but the next

morning there was no doubt that Caistor

Grammar School‟s opinion of the French

was very high! „Mine are lovely!..Their

house is HUGE!..The children are ador-

able!‟ Praise was been sung from every

corner of the bus all the way to our first

trip destination – the Sacré-Cœur.

Throughout the stay in Paris, the group of

students and teachers visited the most

famous and beautiful places in the world.

After just one day, the group had visited

the Sacré-Cœur, a Roman Catholic

Church dedicated to the sacred heart of

Jesus, taken a tour on the Seine on the

Bateaux Mouche, browsed the shops and

cafés of the Champs-Élysées, and wan-

dered underneath the Arc de Triomphe.

Other visits included a trip to the Louvre,

a gallery of famous sculptures, statues

and paintings, including the world-

famous Mona Lisa. On Saturday after-

noon, the group visited Paris‟ flagship

landmark, the Eiffel Tower, a 324m

(1,063ft) observation tower, where they

took in the break-taking view of Paris.

But the trip wouldn‟t be complete without

Disneyland, where students enjoyed rides

such as Space Mountain, Indiana Jones

and Big Thunder Mountain.

On Sunday we experienced a day of relax-

ing and witnessing French family life first

hand. Everyone did different things on

the Sunday we had with our families, but

a lot of the people knew each other so

some swimming and bowling trips were

arranged; a great way to spend a day with

your friends! Megan and Eilish even saw

Paris at night, which was described as

„Paris at its best‟. We would like to thank

Mrs. Osborne for organising the trip, Mr.

Sunter, Mr. Pearson, Mrs. Cripsey and

Mrs. Sharp for helping out, our driver

Steve, and our French families.

The Two Sides of Morocco by HARRY HOLLAND 10X, DANIEL JACKLIN 10Z, MATTHEW WALKER 10Z and ADAM ROBINSON 10X

Magical Morocco... MANY EXPECTED a unique, diverse trip to a land which offered opportunities never seen elsewhere; some expected a bustling, atmospheric rollercoaster of the busy working life in Morocco. What we re-ceived was a mixture of the two, creating an experi-ence which can never be forgotten for all those in-volved as students of years 10, 12 and 13 received a first-hand look at the magic of Morocco. Having landed at Marrakech Airport, we were im-mediately struck by the vibrancy which the Moroc-can landscape had to offer, and after a night in the welcoming and friendly Hotel Akabar, we set to work on taking the adventure of Morocco, with the help of tour guides Ian and Larbi, who were most helpful throughout our trip. One thing which be-came most apparent throughout our visit was the friendliness and warmth of the Moroccan people, who for the most part seemed to welcome the oppor-tunity to give an insight into their fascinating lives. After trekking across the Moroccan countryside on the first day, we returned to Marrakech via the mar-kets, and we were fortunate enough to be able to try our hand at bartering in the amazing souks of Mar-rakech. ‘Here, stall holders call out to the Western tourists and the buzz of car horns ring out through the narrow streets. Nowhere on Earth is that alive’. This was part of a memoir of Matt Walker, describ-ing his view of the markets, which to everyone on the trip opened up a new culture and captured the

vivid Moroccan adventure in one fantastic experi-ence. The bartering was often tough, but undoubt-edly rewarding, and was usually done in a friendly exchange between ourselves and a seller who always had a smile on his face. But Morocco didn‟t just offer this crescendo of may-hem through its many business areas; it also offered a landscape unseen anywhere else in the world. We experienced the views from the High Atlas Moun-tains which simply took our breath away, and in comparison to the busy markets, ‘the hustle of Mar-rakech starkly contrasts the peace and stillness of the countryside’. Aside from our views of the land-scape and the city, we experienced a day in a Berber village, which offered a first-hand look at the daily lives of traditional Moroccan villagers, where we tried our hand at helping with the routines that these people had carried out for all of their lives. Morocco was many things, ‘an exceptionally ex-traordinary place’, an eye-opener to another cul-ture, the adventure of a life-time, and despite it be-ing just a Geography trip at the end of the day, for all of those involved, it was certainly much more. Thanks to Mr Cook, Mr Robinson, Miss Sheppard and Mrs Hoare for their organisation of the trip and contributions to it.

The Alternative View... OUR FORAY into North Africa did not come without its hardships. We tackled beggars, the Henna hag, and other interesting species. Aggressively friendly Arabs have force fed us delicious food. But we over-came these perils with our hardy British pessimism, suffering minimal loss of life and limbs. We have triumphed in the harsh wastelands of Maroc. The Souks, between the large minaret and the Jew-ish Quarter, is a city in itself, inhabited by traders. They scuttle from every crevice to fleece the naive tourist and sell their shoddy goods for ridiculous prices. One companion of mine, who would rather go unnamed, for instance, bought low quality spices for seventeen times their actual value. Indeed, the whole event deeply traumatized Matthew Walker, and he refused to admit such an incident occurred. On the very first day we entered the fray, dodging donkeys, motorcycles and Americans, to purchase wonders of Africa and Arabia. I, for instance, hag-gled down the price of a flapjack that had seen better days, and an ornate wooden chess set. It was on our first Souk expedition when the deranged Henna lady struck. A frail and birdlike creature, with skin stained by the passing years and a face ravaged by time, she pedalled the trade of cheap, chemical henna. In one fell swoop the hag descended upon a member of our entourage, seizing them by the wrist in her taloned grip. And, alas, her reedy cry of "look, it‟s Henna!" was so haunting that a nearby French

man crumbled to dust. For fear that Henna Hags may strike in packs, I fled, leaving my compatriot to her fate. She was never seen again. So shaken was I by this experience, that I crossed the road the following day to purchase a protective amulet and some Arab coinage from an elderly Ber-ber tribesman. For the sultry sum of 150DM , I ac-quired a selection of foreign coins. Admittedly, most were Euros and extinct European denominations, but the rest were quite satisfactory. We then trav-elled to Ourzazatte. Despite the road being French built, the journey passed with no real incident, and we were able to appreciate nature‟s raw beauty. Our residence in Ourzazatte, the Hotel Ibis, had a pool, haunted by the soul of a SMEG fridge. This was quite apparent; when I jumped into its waters I went into shock from the intense cold. Its icy depths were perhaps a few degrees above freezing point, and made the Arctic Ocean seem like a Tepidarium. After five minutes submerged my skin was blue; ten min-utes and I couldn‟t feel my toes. Quarter of an hour and my legs had been paralyzed. I began shaking uncontrollably. One by one, my internal organs shut down. Vision grew blurred and narrowed, thinking became difficult. The last vestiges left my besieged limbs as I succumbed to hypothermia. At last, as I gazed into Matthew‟s eyes, I slipped below the waves, never to breathe again.

Vive le Paris! Cartoon by MATTHEW COLLEY and MEGAN COOK

“THE OLD Lie: Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori.” The last line of Wilfred Owen‟s most celebrated poem “Dulce et Decorm est” was at the forefront of the AS English groups‟ mind as they stared in awe at the final resting place of the literary hero in a tiny corner of a field at Ors, Northern France. World War One was fought on the Western Front, a long line of ap-proximately 450 miles from the Belgian coast, through southern Belgium and regions of northern and eastern France. Throughout the areas where the major battles were fought there are numerous 1914-1918 battle memorials, mu-seums, military cemeteries and battlefield re-mains. The trip to the battlefields of World War One was not a typical school „reccie‟, it was a sombre and emotional trip for all. Langemark, a mass German grave in Belgium, was their first stop after arriving in Calais on a cold March morn-ing. Over 44,000 men are buried there: an im-plausible number of men in such a small area of rural Belgium. A student who was on the trip stated “It was a harrowing yet helpful experi-ence; I was able to put the poems I‟d learned at AS into context.” Their trip was guided by Barry, from Galina

Tours, a noted World War One expert. By in-forming and explaining the historical context of the War he made the trip much more beneficial to all. However the designated „hero‟ of the trip was the bus driver Stan, whose jolly personality kept the students in great humour. On a cold, drizzly Wednesday afternoon, the AS group visited one of the biggest memorials in France, The Thiepval Memorial to the Miss-ing of the Somme. This huge structure com-memorates those who died in the battle of the Somme in 1916, whose bodies had no grave. The structure itself was astonishing, however the names on it were more fascinating. I found two relations carved into the stone, as did many other students. It was thought provoking to think that I have links to the great war. However, the veterans of the Great War have

passed away one by one, and our last living link

with the war is now gone. But the memory of

what they did will not fade. In the words spo-

ken every night at the Menin Gate in Ypres “We

will remember them".

Thanks to all the teachers involved.

...a time for Reflection and Remembrance By GRACE HERRING yr12

Above: CGS Students at the Somme Memorial

Did you know... the cigarette lighter was invented before the match?

Embracing Morocco: students and teachers alike...

6 CAISTOR FOCUS Summer Edition 2011

Happy Occasions

T he year is 2050. Britain is still under the rule of George Os-

borne, Chancellor of the Exchequer and self proclaimed Empress of India. Four decades on from the infamous 'slashing of pensions', our teachers reflect and reminisce on the 'good old days' of be-ing able to retire. These days, the staff room is a dismal place, smelling of cabbage and medi-cine. Gone are the chairs replaced with a variety of wheelchairs and Zimmer frames, in which the teachers rest their arthritic and decrepit forms. Not one teacher is under 60, as austerity meas-ures still prevent retirement, or the hiring of new staff. The room has been decorated accordingly, with uncomfort-able floral wallpaper, and lacy curtains, moth eaten and stained. Many years ago, tea was the staple drink in these parts. Now the teachers survive on a concoction of Lemsip, sherry, and pills. In the corner, the English department sits and plot murky deeds to do with apostrophes and other witchcraft. Mr. Croft, once beacon of CGS History and now the sole surviving department member, still wears his once hip shirts, the bright yellow now faded to sad beige. He often sits by the window of the staff room, opening letters from Mr. Etty that are sprayed with perfume. Of the maths department, little is heard. Mrs. Norris was last seen several years ago, having constructed herself a new body after the unfortunate incident of double chemistry several years ago, involving large quantities of nylon, and Dr Bean. The other maths teachers are presumed dead or missing, possibly the victims of a syntax error, or an unsolv-able Rubik’s cube somewhere in the depths of Lindsey building. Who knows? Outside the staff room stands a plaster cast of Mrs. Wolseley in the Pompeii style, as her dying wish dictated. Mrs. Osborne, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday (with candles!), regu-larly talks to the statue, mocking it on how Latin is a dead language, and French is the language to be taught. Nobody has yet had the heart to tell her that France ceased to exist in 2017, and the only languages spoken there now are English and Old Gaelic. It is Goody Turner, a mere 65 years of age, who is now truly in charge of the languages department. Between her and Dr Wilton is an ancient and terrible rivalry, for he also wants to be (head of languages / defence against the dark arts) teacher, but he was unable to take up the position due to the size and com-plexity of his facial hair, which he has

been growing and tending in the man-ner of a Victorian garden. It has now invaded much of the Manning complex, soon to be his shrine to Karl Marx. The Lord Chief Justice, founder of Ap-ple and former Headmaster, Mr. Hale himself, has now been consigned to a wheelchair which previously belonged to Steven Hawking. Mr. Hale, despite his immense age and dangerously re-ceding hairline, uses this chair to con-nect to Twitter, where his posts, most notably "good morning", regularly fea-ture. He spends the rest of his time rolling down the corridors, watching out for who ever doesn’t tuck in their shirts. Yes. That means you. He's com-ing for you. But still, one department embraces the modern culture we live in. Mr. Smith, teacher and now intrepid car spotter from his window has been housed in the ICT department for the past 40 years, as the school refuses to fund a stair lift to move his wheelchair in these tough times of cuts. He sits, entangled in wires in the corner, moving only to use the conveniently placed disabled toilet at the top of the stairs. Sometimes he is visited; the sound of the Croft Zimmer clanging up the stairs often encourages Mr. Smith to pretend to be dead, and so no one bothers to come again.

Then there’s Mr. Cook (Deputy Ed), who in his old age, continues to hobble along marathons and make his way each morning to the staffroom. His managing style is unique, ordering the building of a new Geography depart-ment next to his office, to avoid the laborious climb up the stairs. With his meek arm, he supports a staff of an-cient hawthorn wood, which contains the spirits of all geographers gone be-fore him. For the students of the new school leav-ing age at 25, life goes on as normal, save for a few small changes around the school: the wheelchair access ramps, for instance, and the stair lift that was fitted on the terraces. Lessons now generally consist of lectures of 'the good old days', and when 'it was all green fields around here', as well as compre-hensive courses on 'respecting your elders' and 'why technology is evil'. Such is the philosophy of Caistor Gram-mar School, where we stand on the shoulders of giants. Wrinkly, smelly giants...

IN APRIL, students from 8Z were challenged to design a leaflet or a calendar for a charity of their choice. These ranged from charities such as Mencap and the RSPCA to charities which were completely made up by the imagina-tion of the students. After these were finished to the high-est standard Mrs McNeilly, who organised the entire activ-ity, sent them off to a top advertising agency called J2*. The goal of this was to show the students how English is used in the workplace, and to create something suitable for publishing. J2* then read them over and picked the very best ones to be given special awards; but they said that all of the leaflets were of an incredibly high standard and were very well written. The awards consisted of a Bronze, Silver and Gold, as well as a ‘Best Creative Design’. Bronze was awarded to Na-tassja Ohonowskyj, who wrote about a charity for animals. Silver was awarded to Dilasha Gurung, whose leaflet on the miraculous ‘Life-Straw’ Charity deserved second place. Gold was awarded to Joanna Hood, who did a wonderful leaflet for the worthy cause of Help for Heroes. Her leaflet had amazed the publishers, and even had to be checked to make sure it wasn’t an actual product! Finally, the award for Best Creative Design went to George Dray, whose ca-nine versions of famous musical artists were something to behold.

All of the leaflets were praised, and overall everyone was very pleased with their work. 8Z would like to give special thanks to J2* and Mrs McNeilly for making this activity possible, and to allow our skills of writing in the workplace to excel.

Walsingham: Silence is Golden, but Impossible for Year 7s? by ALEX OXFORD 7z ON FRIDAY 20th May, it was the time of the Year 7 annual pilgrimage to Walsingham. However the journey had to begin with groans of sleepy pupils at 7am in Caistor Market place, and teachers shouting who was on which bus. And then, once on the bus, the party bus trip began. There was shouting, singing, listening to music, playing on a Nin-tendo DS. For the teachers, no doubt it was mayhem. But the Y7s loved it! When the buses arrived at Walsingham, there was shuffling, putting away iPods, getting out money etc... The Y7s’ forms were split up and the tours began in the first of the two shrines: the Anglican shrine. The tour guide showed the pupils around , showing them the stories of Jesus’ crucifixion on wooden Stations of the Cross. There was also a replica of Jesus’ tomb. The pupils were taught all about Our Lady of Walsingham, The Mother Mary, and all the religious beliefs of the shrine. Afterwards, a very important event drew near: LUNCH! This took place on the lawn at the shrine. When the lunch boxes were empty, they were given a sprinkling session. This is when you are allowed to drink the Holy water, out of a well at the shrine, the well that was discovered by the Lady of Walsingham. The final moments here were spent at the shops of Walsingham. That was the departing event before another journey, this time on foot, for 1 mile, to the next shrine: the Roman Catholic shrine, with a slipper chapel that was dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The Y7s were first given an introductory talk, before the essential retail therapy! Many were astounded by Walsingham’s beauty. Matthew O’Nions said, “It was amazing and exciting, I found the shrines extremely pretty. I’ve no other words”. But the trip did come back to the beginning, and once again, there were hours of partying on the bus, until 7:45pm.

Caistor Grammar School: A Selective Academy and Retirement Home by MATTHEW WALKER 10Z and HARRISON HOLLAND 10X

ON THURSDAY 31st of March, students in Year 8 were invited down to the New Hall to take part in Enterprise Day. The day was organised to show how money comes into building structures, and how it is very easy to go over budget. All of Year 8 were split into different groups, and were given a quick briefing before they were sent away to work. There was a limit on the amount of materials they could use, so they had to be careful and use each compo-nent wisely, because if there was a tie the group who had spent the least amount of money would win overall. The task was to construct a bridge that would hold the weight of a small, toy trailer which would be weighted down as it was dragged across; this meant that the bridge had to be sturdy and strong. The materials that were up for grabs were art straws, A4 pieces of paper and

paper fasteners; no glue was allowed. The students were tested on a range of subjects, from Maths, which helped them to calcu-late the money used, to Tech-nology, which helped them use the right structural fea-tures to make their bridge stronger. As the day came to a close, the final products were brought to the front to be tested with the trailer. Surprisingly, most of them passed, although some of them collapsed instantly. Two groups got up to seven weights into the trailer with-out the bridge touching the floor; and so it came down to the total cost of both their creations. The right group won in the end, and overall it was a very exciting and inter-esting day for all. Year 8 would like to thank Mr Clamp and all the staff who helped to make Enterprise Day so enjoyable for everyone who attended.

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Triggs on the birth of their daugh-ter Aeronwen born in February. A

sister for Harry.

Building Bridges to Success by HAYLEY POTTERTON and DILASHA GURUNG 8Z

J2* Awards- It’s the Business. by HAYLEY POTTERTON and DILASHA GURUNG 8Z

Teachers are issued with Zimmer frames instead of laptops.

Famous Words... “ To be old and wise, you must first have to be young and stupid.”

The Winning Entries

CAISTOR FOCUS Summer Edition 2011 7

Trips

A rriving at East Midlands Air-

port at 5am on 31st March,

two blurry eyed Caistor

Grammar School students

embarked upon a journey that they will

remember forever. This was far from a

normal day. We were visiting Ausch-

witz, by far the largest and most notori-

ous of Nazi war camps. Several doses of

caffeine later and we found ourselves

seated on-board our flight to Krakow,

still unsure of what we would discover

there.

After hurrying through Polish security,

we boarded a coach for the sixty minute

journey to Oświęcim, where we visited

the Auschwitz Jewish Centre, an inter-

active visitor centre providing a vast

array of information and facts about the

atrocities carried out by Nazi war crimi-

nals during the Holocaust. Our next

port of call was the Great Synagogue,

where Rabbi Barry Marcus conducted

an informative lecture on the subjects of

Judaism in and around the Second

World War, as well as how prejudice

and lapses of judgement can escalate to

something much greater if not picked

up on.

A quick five minutes to grab a bite to eat

and we were once again on the move,

this time to the harrowing sight that

was Auschwitz I - the 'main', yet small-

est, Auschwitz camp used by the Ger-

mans. Originally built as a Polish army

compound, the camp contained bar-

racks, a make shift gassing facility, as

well as many offices which controlled

and gave direction to not only Ausch-

witz I, but also the satellite camps sur-

rounding it. Words cannot be used to

describe the poignancy of standing next

to glass cases which stretch as far as the

eye can see containing the hair and

possessions of the count-

less victims of the lamen-

table happenings of the

Holocaust.

After leaving Auschwitz

I, we travelled the short

distance to Auschwitz-

Birkenau, a purpose built

death camp erected at

the order of Adolf Hitler

and beginning operation

in 1940. Strategically

located to be close to

large Jewish populations

and close to main trans-

port routes, the experi-

ence of visiting Birkenau

was a very different one

from the first of the two

camps - unlike Ausch-

witz I, no attempt has

been made to transform

the site into a visitor

centre; it remains un-

touched from the day

Holocaust operations

ceased, creating a touching atmosphere

for all.

"The only thing we learn

from history is that we

never learn from history"

The day was brought to a close by a

moving service conducted by Rabbi

Marcus at the site of the Birkenau rail

terminal, where Hebrew hymns were

sang, prayers were said and a brief dis-

cussion of Hegel's famous quotation

"The only thing we learn from history is

that we never learn from history" was

held. This was followed by our return to

Krakow airport, where we flew home on

a late night flight to East Midlands. All

in all, the day was an emotionally tax-

ing, yet incredibly informative and edu-

cating one, broadening our horizons

and allowing us to realise the conse-

quences of manifesting intolerance and

prejudice towards others.

We would like to express our thanks to

both The Holocaust Educational Trust

(HET), the Caistor Grammar School

staff, who made the experience possible

and also local media institutions

(namely the Market Rasen Mail and

Grimsby Telegraph), whose coverage of

the event has promoted awareness of its

existence and given food for thought to

the wider community. HET is a national

not for profit organisation that encour-

ages sixth form students to consider

how unchecked prejudice can culminate

and pass this knowledge onto their

school communities through a four-part

course: an orientation seminar held in

Nottingham, a day trip to Poland, a

follow up seminar held in Nottingham

and finally an undergraduate level pres-

entation/reflective summary, which

must be exhibited within school and

then sent off to HET in order to obtain

credits towards any future degree

courses they may take. Once the fourth

step has been completed and our degree

credits obtained, we will both become

lifelong ambassadors of the project,

helping to promote and organise aware-

ness indefinitely.

Poignant Trip to Auschwitz by JOSEPH WOOD and INGRID WALKER yr 12

Beth Shalom

by CHELSEA SKELTON and DAISY RUDD 9Z

ON THE 16th of June 2 buses filed out

of Caistor Grammar with the whole of

year 9 on them. They were heading

towards Beth Shalom, the Holocaust

Memorial Centre. When we first ar-

rived we went into the main hall for the

introduction to the centre and to watch

a short video not only on the Holocaust

but the problems happening in Darfur

today.

After the film had finished we went for

a look around the garden where there

were many garden monuments dedi-

cated to particular families, people,

children, friends or everyone who died.

One such monument was one where

you could add a stone to a pile in mem-

ory of the 1.5 million children that had

died.

No matter where you were in the gar-

den, you could always see hundreds of

white roses, which each represented at

least one person who died. However

the roses were only a tiny proportion of

those who had died, and many were

dedicated to families with young chil-

dren, which was very moving.

We had a brief tour through the mu-

seum, which explained the build up to

the Holocaust and Hitler‟s rise to

power, the „scientific‟ evidence against

the Jews and showed the devastation

and heart ache caused in many unique

and interesting ways.

After a quick lunch break, we all gath-

ered in the main hall again, where we

were introduced to a survivor of the

Holocaust, Steven Frank, who then told

us his emotional story. Some parts

were happy and we laughed as he re-

counted life before the horror; we

learnt new things and were amazed

and shocked by many of the facts; and

we were all greatly moved as he told us

about the last time he saw his father,

and the horrors of the death camps.

It‟s all too easy to let the Holocaust be

forgotten, but the beauty of Beth Sha-

lom keeps the memory alive and offers

a unique insight that we will always

remember.

Thanks to the RE Department for mak-

ing this trip possible.

Year 9 Balloon Debate

by ANNIE MAY 9X

THE ANNUAL balloon debate was here

again in which candidates choose a

historical figure and take on the role of

that character: to give a speech as to

why they should be the last to stay in a

falling hot air balloon (though this has

never been literal!).

After the heats in class for the balloon

debate, 9 finalists gave their argument

for why they should remain in the bal-

loon. The debate was organised by the

history department

and the final took

place in the Old

Hall where Mr

Hale judged the

speeches with both

Mr Ward and Mr

Croft providing

their opinions on

the performances

too.

Nerves were high

as the finalists

waited to give their performances and

hear the results. In third place as Nel-

son Mandela was Annie May (9x), sec-

ond was Sophie Botham (9z) as Em-

meline Pankhurst, and the winner as

Samuel Pepys was Holly Marris (9z). It

was a very factual afternoon and there

was close competition with all the fi-

nalists giving superb and enjoyable

performances. Thanks to the history

department for organising this.

From Classroom to Battlefield

by CHELSEA SKELTON, DAISY RUDD and BETH LAVERICK 9Z

WHEN THE year 9 students

assembled in the New Hall, for their

history day, they were amazed by what

they saw. Rows of tables covered with

lots of old and battered objects, ranging

from weapons to shaving kits and

toothbrushes, all from the First World

War.

These artefacts which would

usually be displayed in a museum were

available to be examined by the whole

of year 9 in turn, picking them up,

touching them and experiencing a com-

pletely new type of History lesson.

From shell cases to helmets designed to

save you from bullets, shells and the

rain, everything possible was there to

try and explore.

The day was organised by Mr

Croft and was led by Andrew Spooner.

It taught all of year nine a lot more

about World War One than could be

learnt in the classroom. There were

many things like machine guns, spikes

and barbed wire but there were also

things that you would need for everyday

life such as toothbrushes, “bully meat”

and cutlery sets.

The mannequin who Mr

Spooner brought in was dressed in an

actual uniform of one of the soldiers

who fought in WW1; it was immacu-

lately kept and all completely original,

no fakes or repairs. There was an inter-

esting talk in the morning with some

demonstrations of how to use guns and

the army‟s training techniques using

volunteers.

In the afternoon we split into

smaller groups to identify the uses of

some of the artefacts. In groups of 15 we

set off to the New Hall to experience a

completely new type of History. That

day we thought only of those who were

lost, those who had used

the items we were touch-

ing and using and what

their story was. Over all

it was an interesting day

which we can safely say

everybody thoroughly

enjoyed. We would like

to thank the History Department for

organising the day.

Annie May, Holly Marris and Sophie Botham

Entrance to Auschwitz I “ARBEIT MACHT FREI”

Auschwitz I

CAISTOR FOCUS Summer Edition 2011 8

And Finally...

“Kenno” BY GRACE HERRING Y12

K en Oxspring loved Caistor Grammar School and Cais-tor Grammar school loved him back.” Mr Hale affec-

tionately declared this at Mr Oxspring‟s funeral on the 27th June 2011. He spoke on behalf of everyone at CGS when he said this: we will all miss him. Ken passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday 15th June 2011. A much loved former deputy headmaster and friend of the school, Ken was 79 and died at Leicester Royal Infirmary. For just under 40 years “Kenno” had been part of CGS. He was deputy head-master for 20 years, but after retiring in 1992 he was still a massive part of school life, be it firing the starting pis-tol at sports day, covering lessons as a supply teacher or his superb involve-ment in school productions Ken put his heart and soul into student support.

An ex- student, David Markham re-members „Kenno‟ and sums up his warm personality, “He was a fantastic teacher who was well- loved and ad-mired by me and my classmates and will be remembered by all... His spirit and enthusiasm was emblematic of everyone at CGS.” After speaking to only a handful of teachers I soon realised that Ken was not simply an ex- teacher, but a con-stant in the life of the school, a man who did not simply work for work‟s sake, but for the students‟ sake. Mrs Gurnham, a close colleague of Ken‟s stated “Ken was always so enthu-siastic about the house plays (school productions and house); always on time and always willing to do what needed doing. His support, ideas and creativity were inexhaustible. I have really missed him for the last couple of years when he was too ill to help. I went to his funeral to say my thanks to him. He was clearly very popular- espe-cially with the boys who saw him as a „granddad figure‟. It was therefore lovely to see ex and present students

who attended his funeral.” With his broad Yorkshire accent and brilliant laugh- he was seen as an actor himself. Similarly Mrs Osborne said, “He was like a ‟second dad‟ to those boarding at CGS when he was „senior master‟ over 30 years ago.” Ken was said to be ex-cited about the upcoming „Mikado‟ production in the Autumn. Ken‟s dedication to the school certainly didn‟t go unnoticed. He received a share of money from the School Achievement Award, he was nominated as a “Local Hero” in the Grimsby Tele-graph and in 2009 Ken received a Life-time achievement award presented to him at Awards Evening. Mr Oxspring will be continually re-membered and honoured at CGS. The school walk in July will be held to raise money for Cancer Research. School Council has decided to spend their budget on a bench in remembrance of him. We loved Ken for who he was, he will

be sorely missed by us all.

List of Contributors 7Z: Alexandra Oxford, Michael True-man, Matthew O‟Nions 8Z: Hayley Potterton, Dilasha Gurung 9Z: Beth Laverick, Daisy Rudd,

Chelsea Skelton 10X: Adam Robinson, Connor Spence, Harrison Holland 10Y: Jonathon Coolledge 10Z: Matthew Walker, Daniel Jacklin,

Matthew Colley, Megan Cook 12NP: Jamie Lee, Ingrid Walker, Emily Bell, Christian Rowlands, Sophie Cole 12DC: Grace Herring, Gemma Jackson, Sarah Lyons,

12Wy: Joseph Wood Cartoonists: Harry Holland, Stanley Seldon, Chad Dawson, Jack Pickerdon, George Dray Photographers: Olivia Sowerby,

Annie May Typesetters: Alexandra McNeil, Dan-ielle McHale, Oriane Lister, Sree Ghosh Staff: Mrs Robson and Mr Smith

The step by step guide to Duke of Edinburgh by DANIEL JACKLIN BAGS PACKED. Boots on. Bag on. Not comfy. Bag off. Repack. Bag back on again. Drive to middle of nowhere. Find bearing. Start walking. Friend falls in ditch. Laugh at friend. Pull friend back

up. Start walking again. Feel hungry. Check time. Hour to lunch. Continue walking. See cow. Cow sees you. Run. Vault gate. Laugh. Continue walking. Keep going. Narrowly avoid cowpat. Friend doesn‟t. Take photo of friend. Laugh at photo. Laugh at friend. Notice

recurring theme. Continue walking. Walk faster to avoid smell of friend. Find grass. Sit down. Ants find you. Stand up quickly. Find new patch of grass. Sit down. Eat sandwiches. Absorb beauty of countryside. Car drives past. Absorb car fumes. Cough. Get up. Check map. Find route. Continue walking. Spot teacher watching you. Wave at teacher. Teacher runs away. Laugh.

Continue walking. Have break. Drink water. Continue walking. Have break. Drink water. Arrive in hamlet. Laugh at silly name. Continue walking. Arrive at campsite. Pitch tent. Sit. Wait. Get out trangia. Cook food. Eat food. Laugh at other group‟s food. Sit, talk, sleep (Though not necessarily in that order). Wake up. Listen to friends moaning

about cold. Moan about moaning. Cook bacon. Eat bacon. All happy. Find bear-ing. Get walking. Walk. Walk. Walk. Arrive at destination. Wait for parents. Have achy feet. Go home. Have nice soothing shower. Upload photos on Facebook. Done. And you know what? It was great.

CGS Ambassador-

ship in Germany by CONNOR SPENCE 10X

As many people know, a German Ex-change programme is happening some time in the next school year. But two lucky students have won a place among a UK-German Connection programme, a two week course in the summer. Only 12 students at GCSE level were awarded a place in the entire country, so it is a fantastic opportunity to in-crease our school‟s profile. James Travis and Connor Spence, along with 10 other students from around the UK, will jet off from London into an action-packed course full of exciting day trips and most importantly, a lot of German! I asked Dr Wilton for a quote (and got an essay): ‘It’s a fantastic achievement for not just one, but two CGS students to be taking part in the Summer School. James and Connor submitted their applications and were competing against schools from across the whole of the UK, so well done!’ –Dr. Wilton Indeed, this is a big thing, especially

when the letter from the organisers ended in „You are ambassadors for the UK at all times.‟ The course is loaded with activities, with a trip nearly every day. These include experiencing the beauty of Berlin, the history of Bergen-Belsen, and the wonder of the famous science centre Phaeno. But this isn‟t all a holiday – these 12 students will be attending lessons each morning and staying separately with German fami-lies in the town of Wolfsburg. I‟ve man-aged to speak with one of these hosts, a girl roughly our age who as I write this, is competing in Sports Day at 36˚C! She had this to say about her town: ‘Wolfsburg ist Volkswagen und manchmal noch ein bisschen mehr.’ – Lena Hülshoff. Yes, she made a slight reference to the Volkswagen industry, as no article about Germany would be complete otherwise, but she also says that Wolfsburg has more to offer. Each and every person is looking forward to the experience, and James simply cannot contain his excitement! ‘I’m really excited about my trip to Wolfsburg, I can’t believe that I have won a place and I’m really looking

forward to experiencing the activities on offer and the German culture.’ – James Travis.

I should mention that James acciden-

tally spelt „culture‟ with a „k‟, which is

what happens after speaking German

constantly the night before!

Caistor Grammar School first learned

of the course when Dr Wilton issued

application forms about it, so many

thanks to him. But now that we have

succeeded in not only one, but two

places, it opens the door for many more

opportunities in the years to come.

There is no doubt that younger pupils

will be encouraged to take part in the

future, and there are similar courses

open for Sixth Formers too! From eve-

ryone I‟ve talked to, including Mrs

Robson whose son did it, it‟s a magnifi-

cent experience and not one to miss.

Auf Wiedersehen, England!

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards Cartoon by HARRISON HOLLAND

KEN OXSPRING: 1932—2011 (Photo courtesy of Linda Oxley)

DT: The Exhibition 2011 by MATTHEW WALKER 10Z

October 2010, and the task of designing and creating the annual Design and Technology exhibition was placed upon six year ten students, me included. The task seemed daunting; by the following March dozens of final projects would fill the Old Hall, and it was our job to make sure they all fitted in, as well as design-ing logos, display cards and display walls. Throughout the weeks, everything came

together, with many lunchtimes spent working with the help of Mr. Dobson and Mrs. Triggs. On the preceding Fri-day, the day was spent making final preparations for the next week. Throughout the week, visitors to the

hall were amazed by the quality of all of

the projects in the hall, and by open

evening, family and friends of the ex-

hibitors crowded the hall, as students

showed off their work. Thanks have to

go to the Design and Technology de-

partment for organising a brilliant show

of their great work.

“Enjoy your summer holiday.”

The new term starts on...

Monday September 5th 2011