Year 4 Aztec Day – reports by Lucy Edey and Coco Millar
Year 4 Aztec Day! by Lucy Edey
On Thursday 15th June the Year 4 girls at Stanfield had an Aztec Day at Calmecac Aztec School. We had to wear a sheet tied over our shoulder with a belt and a t-shirt.
When we got into school we had to write our names backwards on a sticky label so Mrs Richardson would call us our Aztec name. Mrs Richardson’s name was Arabrab and mine was Ycul. When we had done that we designed headbands with felt pen. After we finished Arabrab made it fit on our heads and added a feather.
When everybody had finished, Arabrab prepared some tortillas, peppers, avocado and tomato. I only got a tortilla and some pepper. Afterwards, Arabrab poured us a cup of Aztec chocolate milk and we also had Aztec chocolate, I really like it.
Just before break time, Tony the school photographer came in and took some photos. He did a really cool one and he asked us to slowly move forwards. He took a lot of pictures very quickly and I think it’s going to look amazing!
After morning break time we had to make a menu for Montezuma. Montezuma was expecting at least 30 courses but Arabrab said she wanted about 15 courses! I found out that the Aztecs ate doe, rabbit, frogs and even turtle! I DEFINITELY will not eat any of them. We wrote the menu in our GWB. We also learnt the good manners. They sound very strict.
Then we had lunch. After lunch we did some Aztec art. We made Gods Eyes. It was quite hard at first but then I got the hang of it. Arabrab cut us some coloured wool for us to make it with. We got some twigs and put them in a cross. We tied the twigs together with a piece of wool. Different colours of wool mean different things, like blue wool means rain and green wool means the crops growing.
After break time we went straight to the hall to do an Aztec dance. The other year 4 teacher Haras taught us the dance. It was really fun. We had to do a sequence of moves to an Aztec piece of music.
At the end of the day one person from each class got sacrificed. The person from Haras’s class was Enraef. Because the Aztecs weren’t very fait we made it fair. Arabrab cut up some pieces of paper and put a cross on one, whoever got ht epiece of paper with the cross on got sacrificed.
My favourite part of the day was making gods Eyes because it was fun. I really enjoyed that and I will never forget it.
Aztec Day by Coco Millar
On Thursday 15th June year 4 had Aztec day. We came in authentic costumes and attended Calmacac school. To start off we decorated paper and made hats. A little later we tasted Aztec food. We tried avocado, tortillas, peppers, tomato, a chocolate drink and dark chocolate. Then, we wrote the rules of Calmcac school. Eiddam had been naught and was hung over the chilli fire. We learned more about what the Aztecs lived like and ate. Then we prepared a sixteen course meal for a God. After Lunch, we went to do some dancing in the hall it was great fun! We were split up into four different groups and we made different dances. To finish off the day Eiddam and Enraef were sacrificed by me and Alleb. My favourite part of Aztec day was the food tasting because I got to try new things! Everybody said they really enjoyed the experience and thought it was fun to step back I time.
Infants’ Sports Day 2017
A few images from this year’s sports day, a full album and video can be seen on our Merchant Taylors’ Schools Facebook page.
Old Boy awarded OBE
We are proud to announce that Old Boy Richard Greenwood has been awarded the OBE for his services to national and international rugby. Speaking to the School about the award, Richard had this to say:
It is a source of great joy, pride and fulfilment that I have been recognised by this award.
Rugby has been my lifelong passion. It is a great team game, so I am above all a team player, and my debt is to all my team-mates who have supported me through the years. I dedicate this award to all of them, who have made it possible for me.
Merchant Taylors’ School, Crosby; Cambridge University, who helped launch my international career; my England team-mates in the late 1960s; most of all, my Lancashire pals from 1961 to 1971, who gave me such a wonderful platform; my colleagues at the Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby; and now the great team I am working with at Rhyl Rugby.
The best team of all is my family – the Greenwoods, the Maziaks, the Stewarts and the Bradford-Nutters – all of whom have given me wonderful support, encouragement, and occasionally a well-merited kick up the backside.
“Primus inter pares” is my daughter Emma, who took the initiative in putting me forward for this award. I offer a huge thank you to all those who have contributed to Emma’s application – an overwhelming tide of support, indeed.
Then there are the rugby clubs I have played for – Waterloo, Rome, Blackburn and Preston Grasshoppers – great places for a rugby bloke to have plied his trade, and now Rhyl, to put the icing on my rugby cake.
My warmest thanks and appreciation to all concerned.
Richard Greenwood
Merchant Taylors’ 1st XI wins annual fixture against MCC
Merchant Taylors’ 1st XI won its annual fixture against MCC by 7 wickets. The School’s bowlers worked very hard in the morning session to restrict MCC to 110 for 3 at lunch. With the temperature pushing 30 degrees this was a fine effort. After lunch MCC improved their scoring rate but the School bowlers stuck to their task very well. Isaac Lea with 2 for 50 and Jackson Darkes-Sutcliffe with 2 for 53 were the wicket takers. MCC declared on 221 for 4 – a challenging but simultaneously inviting target.
Openers Ehren Agarwal and Kunal Mahambrey put on a splendid partnership of 110 which set up what proved to be a straightforward victory charge. When Ehren (63) and Kunal (41) were out Isaac Lea (33) and Alex Rankin (50 not out) continued to play positively and the game was won by 7 wickets with 8 overs to spare. After the game Chris Bell awarded the Simon Bell Trophy to Merchants’ winning captain Tom Barker in memory of his son Simon.
Simon was a student at Merchant Taylors’ from 1982 to 1987. He had two passions in life – Liverpool Football Club, and the game of cricket. He represented Merchant Taylors, the Northern Club and Lancashire in his age group. He was a more than useful batsman and an extremely accurate and skilful medium paced bowler, who honed his skills with hours of dedicated practice, often spending summer evenings bowling at one stump in the nets at Northern until it got dark. Simon very sadly lost his life in the tragedy at Hillsborough in 1989. As a mark of respect and in his memory the Northern Club and the Camels Club (former MT cricketers ) started playing an annual match for the Simon Bell Trophy. In recent years this fixture has happened only intermittently, so Mark Edwards, who was a friend of Simon’s at school suggested switching the focus of the trophy to the School’s annual match against MCC. From now on the winner of the game will be awarded the trophy at the end of the game. In the event of a draw it will stay, like the Ryder Cup, with the team which holds it. It is an appropriate way to remember and honour Simon Bell.
French Day
French Day at the Boys’ Junior School was a lively affair and brought back memories from a recent trip to Normandy for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The boys and staff dressed for the occasion in french inspired outfits or in red, white and blue. Lunch had a french theme too. It was a memorable day and we were able to experience France without ever leaving Crosby!
(More photos have been posted onto our Facebook page)
Carnegie Lunch 2017
The Carnegie Lunch 2017 – Library MTBS
Over 50 pupils from Holy Family Catholic High School, St Mary’s College, Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School, and Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School, gathered in the library for the annual Carnegie lunch, to hear the announcement of the winner of the Carnegie Medal. 2017 is a special year for this award, named after the famous American philanthropist, whose wealth founded many libraries on both sides of the Atlantic. It is 80 years since the first winner, Arthur Ransome was awarded the medal for Pigeon Post. The parents, grandparents and even great grandparents of today’s readers, could have read the winners from earlier years.
Today, modern technology makes possible the Carnegie shadowing scheme, enabling pupils to post reviews of the shortlisted books on a dedicated website, for other children, and even the authors to read. We were able to watch the announcement, live from London, that Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, was the latest winner. In her acceptance speech the author said that history always records the names of the villains, but never the names of the victims. She wanted to redress this in her moving and vivid novel based on the 1945 sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, the largest maritime disaster in history, with the loss of over 9,000 lives. It is a disaster that was kept secret at the time and for many years after the war, in spite of the huge loss of life. The winner here in the library was voted Railhead by Philip Reeve, a work of science fiction set in a parallel universe. However the second favourite was Salt to the Sea.
The winner of the raffle was Caleb Pleavin, from Holy Family, and the winner of the best review was Oliver Bigley, from MTBS.
ER
AJIS Athletics Success
Congratulations to the Year 5 and 6 Girls’ who competed in the AJIS Athletics last week. 11 girls took part in what is always a very tough competition. Many of the girls made the finals in their events meaning they were the quickest 8 in the North West. As well as this, we came away with silverware in an AJIS event, silver in the long jump, bronze in the high jump and gold in the Year 6 relay.
The girls involved were S. Holt, O. Davidson, A. Kahramaner, F. Kelly, I. Kirby, A. Gregson, R. Curzon, E. Wake, H. Neave, E. Clark.
Well done girls!
Junior Boys’ Sports Day
Congratulations to all boys on their efforts and good behaviour on Sports’ Day. We were all impressed with the commitment and determination shown by our young athletes. It was also very pleasing to see the way the boys encouraged and supported each other and the sportsmanship shown throughout the afternoon. Thanks to all the many parents who came along to support this event.
Special congratulations should go to Monty Barr in Y5 who broke one of our oldest records in the 400m, which was previously recorded in 1984 by Max Munro.
Reminder to parents: Trophies won at Sports’ Day can be engraved and kept for a year. Please return these next June. Medals can be kept by pupils.
Service of Thanksgiving for Louis Simpson
The whole school, alongside his family, joined together on Friday 16th June for a Service of Thanksgiving to remember and give thanks for the life of Louis Simpson, a pupil at the school from 2013 to 2017.
The service was held in St Faith’s Church, Crosby and was planned and prepared with great love by Louis’s friends in Year 9 – they had reflected on their friend who had such an impact on them and with whom they shared laughter, joy, fun and also difficult times. Through it all, and through facing the death of so lovely a friend, they honoured Louis in their prayers, readings, music and thanksgiving. The service was very beautiful and all of us who were privileged to be there, while very sad, were also uplifted by the actions of Year 9 pupils and deeply proud of them. The Middle Girls’ School Chamber Choir’s rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, one of Louis’s favourite Liverpool anthems, was particularly poignant.
After the service, a tree was planted in Louis’s memory on the Boys’ School site in the presence of his family and friends.
This service will undoubtedly remind the pupils of the friend they have lost and their personal sadness so the following advice from bereavement experts may be helpful as you talk with your son or daughter:
- Tell the truth. Talk about death vs. “going to sleep.”
- Allow for your son to talk about feelings. If this is the first loss your son has experienced, he may not know how to respond and will be looking for your guidance.
- Affirm all expressions. It is okay to express feelings honestly. Tolerate the expressions rather than dismissing them or discouraging the expression of feelings.
- Encourage for written expressions such notes, letters
- Reaffirm that your child is safe and that your child is loved.
- Affirm that your son’s reaction is normal and you understand the way he feels.
- Help your son to return to as normal routine as possible.