The Flagpole

Friday 22 November - Butterworth Hall, University Of Warwick
Doors Open 7.00pm

We're looking forward to another fantastic evening of celebration tonight at our annual Prize Giving Ceremony. We will be welcoming back the Class of 2019 and their parents, along with last year's GCSE candidates and other prize winners.

The event is invitation only and ticketed. It promises to be a full house, so please arrive in good time to take your seats, doors will open at 7.00pm, in time for everyone to be seated by 7.30pm.

Free parking is available and clearly signposted.

Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 November 2019 - 7.00pm

The Drama Department wish to inform you of our upcoming production of The House of Bernada Alba/La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Spanish dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca. The play was Lorca's last, completed on 19 June 1936, two months before Lorca's death during the Spanish civil war.

Lorca’s rural tragedy centres on the events of a house in Andalusia. Upon her second husband's death, domineering matriarch Bernarda Alba imposes an eight-year mourning period on her household in accordance with her family tradition. Bernarda has five daughters, aged between 20 and 39, whom she has controlled inexorably and prohibited from any form of relationship. The mourning period further isolates them and tension mounts within the household.  Frustrated and angry, the women respond in their individual ways to their mother’s cruelty, and the play ends in violence.

The play will of course be of interest to students of Spanish A-level as it is a set text as well as Drama and Theatre Studies pupils. All pupils studying Drama in Year 9 and above will have a complimentary ticket.

Performances will take place on Thursday 28 November, Friday 29 November and Saturday 30 November at 7.00pm in our Clarkson theatre here at Princethorpe College.  Please click on the day you require in order to book tickets on My School Portal.  Tickets are priced at £4 each.

We do hope you can join us for this event.

Sunday 1 December at 2.00pm - 4.30pm

With only one week to go before the PTA Christmas Fair, activity is ramping up.  We would welcome any bottle and chocolate donations for our tombola – please drop off at the Student Hub.  Hopefully you should have received two books of raffle tickets for the Christmas Draw.  The prizes are fantastic - £250.00 for 1st prize, a Fortnam & Mason Hamper for 2nd Prize, £100.00 cash for 3rd price plus many more!  Please return your completed tickets (and any unsold tickets) with payment to the Student Hub, for the attention of Anne O’Rourke, PTA Treasurer.

We have over 50 venders signed up for the Christmas Fair with stalls selling a wide range of goods including; jewellery, Christmas gifts, flowers and Christmas wreaths, candles, bird houses, cushions, hand knits, vintage products, crafts, fabric gifts, Neals Yard, home décor, Parisian Chic, original paintings, skincare plus many more.  Santa and his helpers are making an appearance so get there early.  Entry is £2 per car, refreshments are available including mulled wine and mince pies or beer and bratwurst!

And finally, we are still looking for volunteers to help make the day a success!!! If you can help at this event or any future events; Please sign up here. This is our PTA social where you can register your name and interest. Once you have joined the PTA social you will be able to view all of our events and see where you can help! Also if you are on Social Media please follow us on: 

Twitter - @PincethorpePta

Instagram - @princethorpepta

Facebook - Princethorpe PTA

The Princethorpe PTA

Wednesday 4 December 2019 at 7.00pm in the College Chapel

The Music Department extends a warm invitation to all parents and friends to join us in a Christmas celebration of music and poetry.

This will be an informal evening offering pupils the opportunity to perform a range of out of the ordinary Christmas pieces.  Pupils from the various music ensembles, LAMDA lessons, as well as individual music recitals will be taking part in the evening.  Please feel free to enter into the spirit of the occasion by wearing a Christmas jumper or similarly festive outfit.  There will be an award for the finest example of Christmas knitwear!

This promises to be an enjoyable and memorable introduction to the festive period. If you would like to join us then please note that due to our restrictions on numbers this will be a ticket only event. To apply for and print tickets please click here and complete your details.  Please note that due to the number of seats available in the Chapel there is a limit of 4 seats per family.  If you think you may need any more, please contact me directly.

We hope that you will partake in a little festive mulled wine and mince pies following the performance in the Sixth Form Centre. Please note that tickets are free of charge, but there will be a retiring collection in aid of our House Charity, which this year is MIND.

With thanks for your continuing support.

Gil Cowlishaw
Director of Music

Friday 6 December 2019

College Feast Day is fast approaching and will take place on Friday 6 December. This is a celebration involving the whole of the College community, marking the day back in 1854 that the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart were founded and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. To celebrate, the whole school will come together in the afternoon to take part in the hotly contested House Singing Competition, as well as to hand out awards to those pupils receiving House Progress and Achievement Prizes from the last academic year.

Pupils will be asked to wear their house shirts on the day, along with their normal school trousers or skirts.  

Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Lunch will both take place on the last day of term, Wednesday 18 December 2019.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Wednesday 11 December 2019 - 7.30pm

As ever, there was some lively discussion at our last meeting about both books.  Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes is a quick and entertaining read – a little strident at times – but it offers a very engaging insight into the inner angst of someone which seems on the surface to have had a superbly successful life.  The Binding by Bridget Collins divided opinion somewhat.  The concept of binding away past memories and having a clean slate in life seemed engaging and original, but some felt that the book degenerated into a rather spurious romance which failed to really convince on a number of levels. 

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 11 December in the library at 7.30.  We’ll be discussing Circe by Madeline Miller which comes warmly recommended by those who have read it.  Please do join us we are a welcoming group of book enthusiasts who are always ready to try anything new.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Monday 16 December at 7.00pm

Parents and friends of the College are invited to a special Carol Service in the College Chapel on Monday 16 December at 7.00pm.

The service will follow the traditional form, with the College Choir leading our singing.

There will be seasonal refreshments after the service in the Sixth Form Centre.

Due to the popularity of this event, seats need to be reserved in advance. You will understand that the Chapel can only hold a finite number of people and for health and safety reasons we need to limit numbers and seats are available on a first come first served basis.  Please click here to reserve places and reply by Friday 13 December 2019. 

Mary Benham
Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

Old Princethorpians, parents, pupils and staff would be made very welcome at the Christmas and New Year Masses in the College Chapel and at St Anne’s Catholic Church, Wappenbury, CV33 9DW.

Details are as follows:

Sunday 22 December 2019

• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 8.30am Mass
• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 10.15am Mass
• Please note there will be no Mass at Our Lady of the Angels' Chapel, Princethorpe College

Tuesday 24 December 2019:

• Our Lady of the Angels' Chapel, Princethorpe College 5.00pm Family Mass for Christmas
• Our Lady of the Angels' Chapel, Princethorpe College 10.00pm First Mass of Christmas. 
• Please note there will be no Midnight Mass.

Wednesday 25 December 2019:

• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 9.00am Mass - Christmas Morning
• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 10.30am Mass - Christmas Morning
• Please note there will be no Mass at Our Lady of the Angels' Chapel, Princethorpe College

Sunday 29 December 2019:

• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 8.30am Mass
• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 10.15am Mass
• Please note there will be no Mass at Our Lady of the Angels' Chapel, Princethorpe College

Sunday 5 January 2020:

• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 8.30am Mass
• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 10.15am Mass
  Please note there will be no Mass at Our Lady of the Angels' Chapel, Princethorpe College

Sunday 12 January 2020:
Both Masses resume as normal:

• St Anne’s, Wappenbury 8.30am Mass
• Our Lady of the Angels' Chapel, Princethorpe College 10.15am Mass

Further information about St Anne's, Wappenbury please use the link

The parishioners of St Anne's, Wappenbury look forward to celebrating this very special season with you - all are welcome.

Fr Teddy O'Brien MSC