Canoe Star...

One Orchard boy who is making a splash outside school, is Year 9's Ollie Walker. Not only did he canoe the 20 mile route of the charity walk, he has also been busy competing in the Hasler National Canoe Finals on the Thames.

He had qualified for Division 8 K2 and pairing his usual Reading Canoe Club partner finished a credible 6th place. This is a great result, particularly as they were probably the youngest crew in their division. Well done Ollie.

A message from the Parents Association... 

Headmaster’s

Olympic Quiz Night

Saturday 6^th October 2012, 7.30p.m.

Enjoy fish and chips or basil infused ratatouille served in a filo basket topped with goats cheese

Make up a table with friends or join in with others - 15.00pp

Please contact Sue Bond - sbond@shiplake.org.uk

Another rugby star...

Well done to Orchard's Rob Waldron who has been selected for the U16 Oxfordshire rugby squad. We look forward to hearing about the forthcoming games!

The Charity Walk...

With weather warnings blaring over the media tannoys, the Shiplake College Charity Walk could not have picked a better day to happen. Undeterred, all staff and pupils braved the elements and set off on the 20-mile hike from Moulsford to home.

We're glad to say that everyone made it back, but perhaps not in one piece; Orchard boys have reported blisters, the size of which have never been seen before and talk of having aches in muscles that they cannot name. But, hey, it's all for charity and we're hoping that Orchard wil have raised a lot of money by the end of this week.

So did we pick up any gossip during the walk? Of course we did, that's what makes us bloggers:

1. One group of unnamed Year 12/13's turned the wrong way at the very first checkpoint and had to be rescued by a support vehicle 4 miles off course!

2. One group of matrons was left stranded in the rain without shelter. Their response? They headed for the nearest pub and were picked up 2 hours later. We hope they were only ordering hot chocolates!

3. We all know that Orchard is full of gentleman, but one Year 12 boy took this one step further by carrying one of our Shiplake girls on his back!

Well done to everyone involved - we look forward to the next one in 2 years time!

One week countdown...

It's just 7 days to go until our charity, 20 mile walk along the Thames Path. But not everyone will be walking; a little bird has told us that some of the teachers, including at least one of Orchard's tutors, are considering running the course! Orchard boy, Oliver Walker (Year 9) is also said to be ditching the walking boots and jumping in a canoe. We're all looking forward to it and hopefully we'll raise lots of cash for our chosen charities.

Horsing around...

Many congratulations to Jack Leigh (Year 9), an accomplished horse rider, who passed both the ridden and stable management elements of his C+ test and he is now able to start training for his B test which he will be able to take after his fifteenth birthday!

Orchard’s rugby stars…

One young man with more on his plate than most this year, is Tom Howe. In addition to studying for a high set of grades in his A-levels, Tom has been training hard with the England U18 Rugby Squad and made his debut for Wasps A (Senior 2^nd XV) last Monday; coming off the bench to play the last fifteen minutes and scoring in the process.

Many congratulations also go to James Sloman and Toby Howe, who despite being U16's, were called up to play for the 1^st XV against Bluecoat at the weekend. They both put in fantastic performances to help Shiplake win 28-19. We suspect they might be selected on a more regular basis!