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Lord Adonis House
September – October 2014
It is hard to believe that we have already completed seven full weeks.
At the start of September we welcomed eighteen new members to our
family and it was wonderful to see how quickly new and returning
boarders became one. It is this openness and kindness that makes Lord
Adonis House a truly happy place to live.
We started the year full of pride for the students who were so successful
in their GCSE and Post-16 exams. This pride, however, brought about
heightened expectation and it has been incredible to see our current
exam groups flourish, in the early stages of their crucial year.
We have not lost sight of our holistic approach to education, however,
and I hope you appreciate reading about all of the extra activities and
trips that we are providing. Remember also that you can follow our
every move on Twitter: @LordAdonisHouse
I hope you enjoy our first newsletter.
After a summer of record results, LAH resumes with new initiatives and a bigger drive for success.
Total positive behaviour
points awarded to boarders
in Lord Adonis House:
988
Achievement Points:
Top seven achievers:
1) Darin – 68
2) Pablo – 55
3) Haile – 51
4) Calvin – 51
5) Travis – 51
6) Olivia – 36
7) Barbara - 31
Follow us on Twitter @LordAdonisHouse 2
Boarding in three words:
“Fun, Family, Home.”
Natacha, Year 7
Induction Weekend
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The start of the academic year
brought eighteen new
boarders to Lord Adonis House.
After spending a lovely
afternoon with parents, we
quickly embarked on settling
everybody in to their new
home.
First up was a wet and wild day
at our local outdoor activities
centre. The focus of this day
was to catalyse new
friendships. Throughout the day,
boarders undertook three main
activities – SUP (Stand Up
Paddleboarding), Wobble
Boarding and Team Raft
Building. Suffice to say,
everybody got extremely wet
and cold but it was clear to see
that already new friendships
were being formed.
The day concluded with a
house meeting that covered
key procedures.
After a restful night sleep we
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moved into the penultimate
day before school. All boarders
were taken for a walking tour of
the local surroundings and
were introduced to key places.
Students were then taken to
Uxbridge and were set tasks
that assessed their time
keeping and navigation skills.
Most passed these simple (but
crucial) tests and were
subsequently deemed reliable
enough to sign in and out of
Lord Adonis House in their spare
time.
Follow us on Twitter @LordAdonisHouse 3
“It was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Darin, Year 10
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We continue to reward good behaviour in the boarding house by
offering extra treats for our boarders. So far this term, we have
taken three trips to Vicarage Road to watch Watford FC. We
have also visited Wembley to cheer on The Three Lions in their bid
for qualification for the European Championships.
Some say that football is a universal language and this could not
be truer than in Lord Adonis House. With a total of thirteen
nationalities residing here and, at our last count, twenty one
different football teams supported, we are never far away from
cheering on a friend’s team. Watford FC, however, is rapidly
growing to be everyone’s ‘second team’ and we have been
treated to some excellent and exciting football.
Next term brings yet more fixtures and we may also delve down
into the depths of League Two to witness Steve’s beloved
Portsmouth showcase life as a professional footballer in the lower
leagues.
Tickets are offered to boarders who excel in their effort and/or
attainment in The Academy and for their citizenship in Lord Adonis
House – Work Hard, Play Hard.
The beautiful game.
From Vicarage Road to Wembley.
Follow us on Twitter @LordAdonisHouse 4
Windsor, Guildford Spectrum, Longleat Safari Park, Natural
History Museum, Science Museum, Westminster, Oxford
Street, Vicarage Road, Wembley.
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Windsor
The first trip of the term was to
historical and regal Windsor.
Matt, their guide for the day,
challenged boarders to an
orienteering exercise, testing
their navigation and teamwork
skills. Covering the main
attractions, students were given
a map and, in groups, raced to
complete the course. Groups
had to take ‘selfies’ at each
location, to prove their
completion. The first boarders
back were Nic, Pablo, Jaime,
Santiago, Calvin and Conor.
They were rewarded with a
Dominos pizza for their victory.
The group was also praised for
their creative photography.
Longleat
Next on the list was a visit to
one of England’s greatest safari
parks. Boarders particularly
enjoyed the safari aspect of
the day – especially the
monkeys who seemed intent on
wrecking our mini-bus. Inside
the park, boarders lost
themselves in the impressive
maze, marveled at the stately
home and, of course, filled their
bellies with an array of
purchases from the centre’s
abundance of fast food
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restaurants.
Guildford Spectrum
A fun and social day was had
by all in Guildford. Bowling, ice-
skating and swimming were the
activities on offer and it was
clear that this active
combination had an
exhausting effect on everyone
– Matt had a very peaceful
drive back to Lord Adonis
House…
London
Living in Lord Adonis House
gives the boarders quick and
easy access to our capital city.
On a wet and murky Saturday
morning, Rhys and his crew of
sightseers made their way to
Northwood tube station. Twenty
minutes later and they were in
the heart of London. Their
agenda consisted of visiting the
Houses of Parliament, an
information filled walk down the
River Thames and a visit to the
fringes of the West End -
Covent Garden, where
boarders were able to do a
spot of shopping and catch
one of the impressive street
theatre performances.
Saturday Trips
Follow us on Twitter @LordAdonisHouse 5
1
Master Class.
Food is always a hot topic of
debate in boarding houses and it
has been brilliant to see so much
cooking from our boarders.
Late in September, junior boarders
undertook a Master Class with
Kurtt, our Head Chef. Working in a
professional kitchen, with
professional tools and expert
guidance, boarders created, from
scratch, an array of omelets.
Congratulations to Barbara (Yr10)
who tantalised Chef’s taste buds
and was awarded ‘Champion
Chef’ status.
Thank you Kitchen Kurtt!
Tasty Thursday is a relatively new
addition to Lord Adonis House and
continues to thrive. Every Thursday,
two self-confessed ‘hopeless
cooks’ (sorry Emma & Gaynor…)
retire to our kitchen and embark
on a journey of discovery with our
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young chefs. So far we have
been treated to a diverse
range of delights that include
sausage rolls, jam tarts and
chocolate profiteroles.
Our thanks to Emma and
Gaynor for their continued
support in Lord Adonis House –
the opportunities they create
for our boarders (and the
care and attention they
show), is greatly appreciated.
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep
well, if one has not dined well.”
Virginia Woolf.
Culinary delights.
Student Voice
1
Student Voice has made a
really positive start to the school
year in Lord Adonis House. With
a smaller and more dedicated
team, the committee members
are all driven to making a real
impact.
With a new year comes a
range of new ideas. The team
have decided to focus on the
following areas:
• Rewards and sanctions
system in the house.
• Weekend trip locations.
• New activity equipment for
the house.
• Improvements to the food
menu.
2
Student Voice continues to
evolve and is taking strides
towards being run by the
students themselves.
After half-term, we will
democratically appoint a
student Head of Council and all
members will begin to learn key
skills and systems that are
required in such a committee.
Under the guidance of Rhys,
members will be drawing up
agendas, chairing their own
discussions, writing the minutes
for each meeting and
presenting the outcomes to the
rest of the house at our weekly
house meetings.
Follow us on Twitter @LordAdonisHouse 7
Fiona’s blog
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Life on the Girls’ floor…
Life on the Girls’ floor is fun but at times very noisy! They like Friday and Saturday best because they have a later bedtime. Unfortunately they sometimes forget that they need to go to bed earlier Monday to Thursday! Some also forget that I can see the light under my door when they leave their rooms at night…
The girls are all very close to each other. Lola said they feel like they are sisters. They all stick up for each other and everyone looks after Natacha because she is our baby girl.
If I can’t find one of the girls I
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know where to look... Becky’s room… I don’t know how she gets so many girls in such a small space.
All the girls have settled down so well. Cally, Libby, Vivian and Becky have been here the longest and they are certainly the ones that all the younger ones look up to.
When the girls return after the holiday they will feel as if they are coming home to their “other family”. I know they will be excited to be back together again!
I wish everyone a safe and relaxing half-term break.
Coming up
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Trips planned for Module 2:
Thames River Cruise Shopping at Bicester Village Watford FC v Derby County Paintballing Winter Wonderland
Next newsletter:
- An update from the ‘Design & Renovation’ group.
- Matt’s first blog and an update on his ‘Fitness & Nutrition’ course.
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- The outcomes for
‘Student Voice’.
- A note from our new Head of Council.
- Outreach – a diary entry from a member of our ‘Work in the Community’ team.!!
- Vanda’s craft activities!
The aims of Lord Adonis House:
To promote independence; To offer an abundance of social, cultural and sporting opportunities; To prepare students for life after school; To raise academic aspirations; To create an environment for all boarders to become active citizens.