- September 6, 2010 13:26 to November 11, 2010 18:30

February 22, 2010

Tutankhamun

Tomb diggers

For those of us lucky to have seen the treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb, the lasting memory is of artefacts made of shining gold and objects made of precious metals and jewels of the most intense and beautiful colours. Year 3’s musical ‘The Boy King’ written by Anthony James and with a musical score by Tim Spencer lived up to that visual feast of colour. The iconic death mask of the young pharaoh, shimmering with gold and blue collaged foil paper, provided a back drop for the play against which the magnificent headdresses of the ancient Egyptian gods seemed to glow. The costumes too seemed to shimmer with colour and decoration- the young Tutankhamun resplendent in gold and black – every inch the god on Earth, though as he told his future wife Princess Ankhesen, he didn’t feel like it!

In contrast to this the diggers and slaves were dressed in whites, greys and neutral colours with simple cloths tied around their heads, evoking the feeling of heat and the dry, dusty conditions in which they toiled. The effect was stunning and for half an hour the audience was transported from the rather uninspiring Upper School Hall to the hot, dry wastes of the Valley of the Kings where Howard Carter had finally excavated the lost tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.

We travelled back in time 3,330 years to meet the nine year old boy who for ten years is Pharaoh of all Egypt and who, with his wife, tries to re-establish the ways of the old gods banished by his stepmother Nefertiti. He fails and is murdered at the age of nineteen and in the Afterlife he meets the old gods who promise him that his name will live on in the future.

It’s a story that has all the right ingredients to guarantee its survival – glamour, murder, curses, secrets, treasure, intrigue and youth and beauty and the children of Year 3, their teachers and helpers are to be congratulated on their interpretation of this classic story.

February 22, 2010

Years 3, 4 and 5 are invited to enter the ‘Grand Polyhedron Competition’

Year 6 are producing these as part of their Maths course and an entry is expected from every Year 6 pupil.

The challenge is to produce the best and most inventive shape that you can.

There is no cost to enter and the deadline for entries is the Monday after the Half Term  holiday  (Monday February 22^nd.

You could look at the website http://www.korthalsaltes.com/ for some ideas

Pupils may get help from family members but the pupils should do most of the work.

There will be a competition for each Year 3 – 6 and the winners will be announced by the end of the week  (February 26^th).

GOOD LUCK     Please hand final creations to Mr Goldman or your Maths teacher.