The Spring Term...

Just a quick update from the Res Grad team about the other events that have been going on in boarding this term...

Lynn Finnegan and I kicked started the term with a boarders trip to the E.I.S in Sheffield to watch a Sheffield Sharks British Basketball League game (see picture). After arriving bang on tip off and finding our seats behind the team bench, the Sharks got off to a hairy start. A few hot dogs and half time free throws later however, the crowd really got behind the team and they came back to beat Leicester Riders 100-81. A thrilling game that was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

Following that, came the Valentines pampering session led by Fran Piddleston and I. There were mud masks galore and the odd marshmallow was sneakily consumed. The girls of Rowntree house felt very relaxed and beautified in preparation for the following nights' DISCO. This will become a regular feature before disco nights due to popular demand!

Suzi Tibbetts has also started a college film night, which will show case the top 10 films that one must see before going to college and judging by the turn out in its first week this will be a great success.

Last night Suzi, Lynn and I took a boarders trip to see the X-factor at Sheffield arena and after enduring many traffic jams, it was a fantastic night... watch this space for a full report and pictures of this event!

In the final 2 weeks of this term the fun just does not stop!!! Lynn and I are taking a trip to the see the Hull Stingrays Elite Men's Ice Hockey team both on and off the rink, Suzi is leading a college and seniors trip to see Alice in Wonderland 3D, the ever popular climbing club run by Robert Sandercock is moving to a new centre in Harrogate and last but by no means least, the whole graduate team will be running an Easter Egg hunt for all boarders the weekend before we break up.

That's all for now...

Sarah Mallinson

Sky Fire Lantern Launch

This is the video of the first sky lantern to be launched at Bootham School in celebration of the Year of the TIGER.

Below is a photo of the chefs relieved that the cooking, serving and evening had gone without a hitch.

The Lantern Festival

some of the excellent food provided by the Bootham kitchen team.

On the 15th day of the new Chinese lunar year (which will be the night of the first full Moon), the two weeks of Chinese New Year come to an end with the lantern festival. There are several competing stories to explain the origins of the festival - the one I like best involves fooling the Jade Emperor, who intended to destroy a village because they ate his favourite goose. A kind fairy gave the villagers advanced warning that the fire-god was going to bring fire down from heaven onto their little settlement, so they lit lanterns, fire-crackers and bonfires to persuade the god that the village was already on fire anyway.

We invited the boarders of the Mount School to join us on our first ever celebration of this event, and had an excellent supper together, followed by a short meeting in the school hall. At the meeting Jacky Lam schooled us in how to wish each other happiness, prosperity and longevity in Cantonese, so that we could all shake hands with a traditional Cantonese wish for each other. After this, we set off a few flying lanterns (eco-friendly, with mostly bamboo hard parts), and watched them float dreamily past a rising full Moon.

photos provided by Kevin Lo

Many thanks to everyone who gave so freely of their time to make this event successful, but particularly Graham Atkin, Suzi, Fran, Lynne, Sarah and Kirit for their unflagging support and creative elan. Watch this blog for video and more photos tomorrow!!

I'm not eating that!!!

Tonight, a small band of boarders braved the winter chill to catch a one-night-only showing of "Food Inc", an American documentary film about the horrible facts behind the food production industry. It was stern stuff, and I for one will never be able to look a hamburger in the face again... Of course, we needed to catch a late supper afterwards, so it was transfat/corn syrup/mechanically reclaimed, but frankly rather yummy pizza for all! Maybe our last - who knows?

Seriously though, the film prompted some really good discussion afterwards, and it really got us all thinking as we enter fair-trade fortnight. There are other events taking place around school to support this initiative, so perhaps other students will get involved too.

E-booking goes live at Bootham.

If you would like to book in a couple of nights boarding for your child, you can now do it on-line at the link on the right-hand side of this page. You can also find the same form on our main website at

http://www.boothamschool.com/boarding_form.html

see you soon!

Alan Ho's mathematics baking

On a Saturday morning James Ratcliffe's A-level Mathematics students bring in baking for their fellow class members. On Saturday 6th February 2010 it was Alan Ho's turn and so Fran, the resgrad and Sandy, Evelyn Memsaab had a baking masterclass to help Alan bake his first ever cakes. Charlie Cheng also joined in as well as Laurance Potter and Edward Gray.

The cakes were enjoyed by the Maths class!

Pizza Night

On a Wednesday evening the boys of Evelyn House have started to make their own Pizzas.


The pictures and video speak for themselves.