Pocklington School Newsletter Lent Term 2018 | Page 5

Musical Extravaganza hits top note Charity Week
The Musical Theatre Society’s exuberant
Musical Extravaganza of songs from popular
musicals entertained packed audiences in the
Music School last week.
Directed by Upper Sixth Formers Emma Burke
and Sarah Jackson, Musicals Through the Ages
featured 20 songs from shows staged from the
1940s to the present day, including Legally
Blonde, School of Rock, Hamilton, Lion King
and Kinky Boots.
Director of Music Martin Kettlewell said: “I’m so
proud of what this team has achieved. To see 60
students working collaboratively and achieving
such a wonderful standard of performance, is
inspiring. I hope the three full-houses left the
auditorium feeling uplifted, and still singing!”
Robotic arm brings new
dimension to Design Technology
Charity Week is always filled with lots of fun,
laughter and gunge. This year there were some
great new ideas, from Mr Bond’s car wash to
Name the Hedgehog!
All the money raised this year will be going to
four charities, each nominated by one of our
day houses: Dolman House have chosen St
Leonard’s Hospice, Gruggen House chose
Andrew’s Hedgehog Hospital, Wilberforce
House is supporting international charity Water
Aid and Hutton House has nominated The
Stroke Association to benefit from our
fundraising efforts.
We will be adding up the total amount raised by
Charity Week over the Easter Holidays, but our
fundraising doesn’t stop there. We are all
looking forward to the biennial school walk
which always raises a phenomenal amount that
will also be passed onto all four worthwhile
charities.
Thanks to our amazing Charity Team this year,
led by Grace McNamara, Charlotte Austin and
Lauren Robinson.
Helen Alexander
A whole new world of robotics has opened up
to pupils at Pocklington School with the arrival
of a mechanical arm to its new Art and Design
Technology Centre.
The Arduino Robotic Arm can pick up and move
items, and be programmed to move a camera
or track movements. It is being used to enhance
design technology projects at the school, with
students programming its actions and exploring
its potential range of uses.
Steve Ellis, Pocklington School’s Head of
Design said: “The arm is allowing me to move
from teaching about robotics on video to
actually allowing students to see and interact
with the real thing. The new dimension it brings
to lessons is inspiring fresh enthusiasm from all
our pupils, not just those with a particular
interest
in
engineering
or
computer
programming. The students are really thinking
about robotics and control, and testing out
their theories.”
The robotic arm was donated by Richard
Yeomans, founder and Managing Director of
York-based Tesla Automation, which designs
and manufactures electrical control panels and
systems.
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