Author: India Gammon
Fintonia Christmas Fair
5th December 17
What a success! Finton House was once again transformed into a magical winter wonderland inspired by the all-time favourite tales of Harry Potter.
Fintonia featured festive Christmas shopping, wizardly games and of course a magically beautiful Santa’s grotto for the little ones. Indeed it seemed hard not to get into the Christmas spirit when you saw the stunning Christmas trees and lights, smelled the aroma of the mulled wine and heard children singing festive carols. The children particularly enjoyed the event and parents found it hard to convince them to go home after an afternoon of laughter and sugary treats. The children seemed to be in an all-time high state of happiness as if they were under a magical spell. They surely must have had a good night sleep!
And of course it would not have been a true Christmas Fair if we had not had Father Christmas visiting our children with some lovely presents and festive cheer. The excitement in the Grotto was evident as the children enthusiastically jumped up and down impatiently waiting to meet Father Christmas in real life! It was also a great opportunity for the whole school community to get together celebrating the end of a very successful term here at Finton.
We were delighted that so many Old Fintonians and pupils soon to join the school were able to come to our Fair, with many staying until the very end! It was a wonderful event and we would like to thank all mummies, daddies, Year 6 elves and staff members who helped to make this event such a roaring success. Of course special thanks must go to Miss Lucy and the parents in the Christmas Committee for a very well organised event and some of the most beautiful decorations we have seen at Finton!
Harvest Festival
26th September 17
A celebration of the crops, fruit and vegetables grown on our land
This year the harvest festival assemblies for the Upper and Lower School were held by Pastor Stuart from Trinity Chapel. The celebration commenced with a harvest song, followed by Pastor Stuart’s engaging stories about Jesus and the importance of appreciating the quality of our food, and thanking all those who provide it and bring it to us.
He referred to a passage from the Bible where Jesus said: “I am the bread of life – Those who come to me will never be hungry.” Pastor Stuart went on to tell the children that Jesus only had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to feed thousands of people, but he thanked God for the food and made a lot out of a little and was able to feed everyone. The moral of the story is that at harvest time, when we have an array of food, we should share with our community to give to the less fortunate.
And that’s exactly what we did at Finton House!
Thank you to all the families who brought in produce. This will be delivered to the Wandsworth Food Bank on Thursday.
At the end of the Upper School Assembly, Emilia S. shared her family’s story and explained why the Harvest Festival is so important to her family and other farmers:
“Harvest is important to farmers because it is when their crop becomes ripe. This means it is ready to eat.Harvest is important to my parents and grandparents because together they own a farm in Hampshire and all year work hard to plan what to grow, when to plant it and hope that the weather is good.Harvest is important to everyone in the world as it can mean the difference between people having food on the table and going hungry.”
What a beautiful speech by such a young girl who truly understood the value of celebrating the Harvest Festival.
Cranleigh Prep Football Festival
25th September 17
Last Friday the Year 4 ‘A’ Football team spent the day at Cranleigh Prep School. The sun was shining and Chelsea Football Club were organising matches and training for the 16 schools in attendance. Graeme Le Seaux gave all of the children an inspiring talk before the game with some interesting Q&A. It was then into lunch for all of the teams.
After a hearty lunch, the boys were ready for action. The format was four groups of four teams. Only the winning team from each group would go through to the finals where they would play another round robin. Each match would only last six minutes so it was so important not to concede an early goal. With seven players on a small pitch scoring was going to be difficult. In our first game we smashed in six goals in six minutes against Wonersh & Shamley. In our second game we drew with The Roche School 1 – 1. We dominated the game only to concede from a kick on. The Roche also drew against Holy Trinity Guilford and it was now up to us in the last game to win the group against Holy Trinity and progress to the finals. We played some wonderful football with Hector turning on a magic five minutes. He was everywhere. He was ably supported by Basil and Dom with his outstanding finishing. We won 2 – 0 and progressed to the finals.
Waiting for us in the finals was our old nemesis Eaton House The Manor, The hosts Cranleigh Prep and last year’s winners Cranleigh Primary School. We drew 0 – 0 against Eaton House in our first game. We also drew 0 – 0 against Cranleigh Primary. Unbelievably, all of the teams in the group were drawing their games. The last two games of the day would determine the result of the tournament. An unfortunate deflection saw us concede a goal to Cranleigh Prep and we lost the game 1 – 0. Eaton House had to beat Cranleigh Primary by 2 goals or more to be crowned champions as they hadn’t scored a goal yet in the final stages. They could only manage a 1 – 0 victory over Cranleigh Primary, which gave the hosts victory by a goal difference of one.
The Finton boys were great ambassadors for our school and played some fantastic football. Equal 3rd place out of 16 schools was a pleasing result.
Year 3 Football Tournament at Ashdown House
21st September 17
Although the boys were very excited about the tournament, they knew it would be a challenging day with a number of schools taking part.
Unbelievably, both teams managed to win their groups with only one goal conceded and a large number of goals being scored. At lunch confidence among the squad was very high, but the boys were told that this was the knockout stage of the competition and concentration was vital.
Both teams managed to navigate through the quarter finals successfully. It was in the semi-finals that the B team were drawn against Eaton House, a team we knew were going to be difficult from the outset. It was in this match that we played our best football to date, overcoming them 2-0. The A team put up an equally impressive performance against Westminster, with the match ending in a victory for Finton House. Unbelievably both teams had made it to the finals, which is an achievement in itself!
The B team were winning 1-0 until the very last minute of the match, when we unfortunately conceded a goal, meaning the match went to penalties. However the boys kept their confidence throughout and took home the first of the two Finton House medals.
The A team then went into their final, wanting to replicate the success of the B team. Unfortunately, we were defeated 1-0 in the final, but the boys gave everything and on another day the result could have been the other way around.
Overall it was a fantastic day!
Memories of Finton House School
18th July 17
Looking back on their seven years at Finton House School, Year 6 prepared their final speeches for Prize Day 2017. What was for many pupils a nerve-wracking but very memorable experience, gave great pleasure to parents and staff who proudly watched their youngsters present on stage. It was a great opportunity for Year 6 pupils to reflect on their time at Finton and leave their final message, before embarking on the exciting journey to senior school. They presented beautifully in front of the large audience at Wandsworth Civic Suite and all of them have made us very proud. Below are some of the speeches:
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Thomas: All the staff at Finton have given me masses of valuable advice. They have taught me how to be more resilient when needed. All the staff work tremendously hard and support us, which we all appreciate. |
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Madeleine: I still remember the very first moment I walked into Finton House and feeling the warmth and friendliness all around me. The teachers were there to support me then and have continued to do so whenever I have needed it. |
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Dylan: As a member of the Pupil Council, I have learned that it is always a good idea to be open to other people’s opinions. You should respect what they say and do even if you don’t always agree with them. |
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Ella: I will never forget how Finton has helped me learn the importance of helping other people, not just thinking about myself. I have treasured every moment of the last seven years and I hope that my new friendships will be as strong as those I have made here. |
Prize Day
18th July 17
Prize Day 2017 took place in the Wandsworth Civic Suite on Wednesday 12th July, giving the school community the chance to celebrate the exceptional progress and achievements of the past school year. Exquisite performances and singing by the Finton House Wind Band and House Choir created a beautiful celebratory atmosphere in the hall as parents and pupils arrived dressed for the special occasion.
The ceremony started with an address from the Chairman of the Governors, Mark Chilton, followed by the Headmaster, Ben Freeman’s review of the year.
The students were then called up to receive their prizes, in recognition of their efforts and achievements. Prizes were awarded for academic, sporting, creative and artistic success as well as for exceptional progress and for notable attitude and service to others.Staff joined in with parents to clap and cheer for the prize winners. It was most striking to note the way in which the pupils proudly held their trophies and glanced at their parents in the audience for recognition of their great achievements. Fintonians know that they can achieve anything if they strive hard enough and Prize Day is a great testimony to their achievements.
The Upper School song ‘Everybody Sing’ reminded the audience of the superb musical talent of the pupils within the school. Also our budding musicians from the Lower School performed really well, singing ‘Power In Me’ with great enthusiasm. The audience truly loved both performances which was reflected in the loud applause at the end.
The final act was the presentation of the prestigious Headmaster’s and Governors’ Awards. The winner of the Headmaster’s Prize this year was Sally B. Sally has exceptional musical ability, and her love of the subject has sustained her through what have been some very difficult personal circumstances. She has continued to blossom and develop a gorgeous character and personality that will take her far.
The Governors’ Prize went to Isabel D. Isabel embodies so many of the Finton values and is respected by staff and pupils for her integrity, honesty, resilience and sense of fair play. She is a kind friend, who listens to others, cooperates and shows forgiveness where it is due. She has been an outstanding Prefect this year and sets a great example to our younger pupils.
While the prize giving was accompanied with laughter, smiles and loud applause, a sudden change of atmosphere could be felt in the hall as Year 6 pupils gave their final speeches on stage. One student said, “Even though some things are challenging in life, I have learnt that working hard and not giving up will help me achieve my goals. I will never forget Finton House.” The film premiere of ‘Class of 2017’ saw many pupils and parents in tears which was a very emotional moment for the whole school community. The children hugged each other and held hands as they watched the video about their seven years at Finton House School. Although we are very proud of our Class of 2017, we are also very sad to see them go!
Headmaster Ben Freeman wished them the best of luck and concluded the event with the following message to Year 6:
“The education you leave with and the values you will have absorbed along the way will always stand you in good stead – life skills that will always take you far if you hold on to them. And I know you will because you are now an Old Fintonian.”
Head Girl and Head Boy 16/17
17th July 17
Katy
We have loved every minute of our time at Finton House School from the very beginning. From Friday afternoons with ‘Golden Time’ to celebrating having done our 11 plus exams with a bowling trip, it has been an amazing journey. We have grown from nervous four-year-olds in Reception to proud Year 6 pupils ready for secondary school. I remember walking through the school gates on my first day feeling very proud and happy to be joining my sister at this truly amazing school.
Alexi
My memories of joining the school in Year 3 are of feeling quite nervous, but I soon felt at home in my surroundings thanks to my welcoming class-mates and the encouraging teachers. Finton House School has taught us many important values, including being adaptable and resilient. Every year is a new challenge as the work gets a bit harder and you have to become a bit more independent, so it is important to try your hardest, even when the going gets tough.
Katy
Being Heads of School has helped us develop skills like being organized and trustworthy. We are also more confident and independent than we were at the beginning of the year. We would like to say to all the younger children, make the most of all the opportunities Finton gives you and – when it is your time to stand up here as leavers, you will have so many memories to take with you.
Alexi
Of course, we haven’t made it all the way through the school by ourselves; we have to thank all the staff who have worked hard throughout all our years at Finton to help us make progress, be happy and prepare us for the future. We are very grateful to all at Finton House for making us be the best people we can be.
Katy
As we move on and part ways, although will miss all our friends, we will make sure to keep in touch and come back to visit the school to tell everyone about the next chapter of our lives.
Alexi
We hope you all have a marvellous summer holiday and a well-deserved rest.
Sports Day 2017
10th July 17
The atmosphere on our Sports Day 2017 was fantastic as the whole school community came together to watch the 4 houses Macmillan, Charrington, Thomson and Nunneley, which are named after the founding families, compete on the day for the prestigious annual Sports Day Cup.
The children impressed the audience with some all-time-high school records in the 800m and 1500m runs, sprints and long jumps. Although a competition, Fintonians made us very proud with their attitude towards the event. They showed respect, cooperation, endeavour and resilience on the day.
All teams had a brilliant time and of course everybody hoped for their house to win the cup. The excitement could be felt on the field as the children prepared for the final announcement of the winner by Mr Ben, Headmaster. After some very nerve-wrecking minutes, the results were out…and Macmillan was announced as the winner of the Sports Day 2017!
At this point there was no way to stop the green team; they jumped, screaming and hugged each other, happy about their well-deserved victory! The house captains proudly picked up the trophy and a loud cheer went up from the crowd to congratulate them, as they posed for a victorious photograph.
The other houses congratulated the winning team in true Finton House style. What a fantastic way to finish the academic year for sports at Finton House School!
Buddy Corner
16th June 17
The new Buddy Corner proudly sponsored by Year 6 parents!
We would like to say a massive ‘thank-you’ to Year 6 parents, who kindly sponsored the new Buddy Corner. We are very grateful for this fantastic new addition to our playground.
Our Year 6 students presented the Buddy Corner in the playground this week. This new bench will not only be a quiet and peaceful place of retreat from the busy playground but will also be a great spot to find a playground buddy to play with.
The Buddy Corner already proved to be very popular this week, with both Lower School and Upper School embracing the ‘quiet’ time with friends on the bench.