There was an air of eager anticipation as the Year 9 football set off in torrential rain on Tuesday. Mr. Field reports, ’The Yr9 boys continued their ESFA Small Schools Cup journey this week with a quarter final clash against The Priory Belvoir Academy from Nottinghamshire.  The weather posed challenges for the hosting of the fixture with the decision made to relocate the game from Boroughbridge to York St. John University Sports Fields complex.  A special mention to the help and support from staff at Boroughbridge and York St John University for making this possible for the boys.  The facility was a fitting venue for the quarter final and the boys rose to the challenge of this important fixture.  The focus of the team was evident from the kick off, a driven, resilient mindset was shared by the Boroughbridge boys and the team started to control the game in the early exchanges.  As both teams weighed each other up, confidence grew in the Boroughbridge ranks as they peppered the Priory Belvoir goal.  ‘Hatrick Patrick’ opened the Boroughbridge account with a fine poacher’s goal, prodding in from close range after the goalkeeper spilled another shot on his goal.  Shortly after Priory Belvior equalised through a quick break catching out the Boroughbridge defence.  At half time, refuelling on Mrs Godsell-Wright’s Jelly Babies, the team talked through the game plan to secure the tie.  The plan was executed expertly and soon into the second half Farnworth added a smartly dispatched goal to the tally.  Boroughbridge continued to dominate possession and the wave of attacks continued to ask questions of the opposition defence.  The added pressure paid dividends as the game was drawing towards its conclusion, ‘Hatrick Patrick’ evaded the opposition defenders and calmly slotted home past an advancing goalkeeper. The Boroughbridge team saw out the remaining minutes still pushing forwards to further extend their lead, not allowing even a hint of complacency to set in.  At the final whistle both teams congratulated each other on a fittingly competitive quarter final, staff from Priory Belvoir were very complimentary about both the performance and conduct of the boys who fully deserved the accolades.  Boroughbridge now progress to the semi-final stage of this national competition, we await the draw to find out our next challenge.’ We are all very proud of both the team’s achievement and their approach. We’ll be wishing them well for the next round.

In Forest School this week, Mr. Woodward reports, ‘It’s January, it’s cold and you have hours ahead of you outside with a biting wind chilling you to the bone. What is your priority? Shelter. 

Students excelled today, quickly crafting notched tent pegs from branches using a combination of knife techniques, including baton, forehand and thumb-push grips. These were then used to construct an effective waterproof and windproof single-pole tipi-tent from a tarpaulin sheet. Once inside, the students quickly warmed through as their body heat was trapped and the wind blocked out.’ 

In assemblies this week, Mrs. Godsell-Wright started with the theme of waste and talked with students about what they do when they throw away their rubbish and the care that they can take to be sustainable. Students were invited to share their opinions with many of them doing so. Mrs. Godsell-Wright then related this approach to relationships and friendships and the characteristics needed for successful ones. Students had the opportunity to reflect on their own actions.

We were delighted to welcome back Dishforth Church of England Primary School on Wednesday, this time to carry out exciting Science experiments separating mixtures with Dr. Lefley. The experiments went well with many skills being developed and accurate conclusions drawn.

Next Wednesday is Year 8 Parent/Carer evening. We’ll look forward to seeing you then.

Have a lovely weekend!