A special mention to the grade 2 boys: Chae, Albert, Banjo and Henry who all competed for spots in Bendigo, against kids who were 2 and 3 years older than them, and they nearly made it. The Cobaw district does not send a 9 year old team to Bendigo, even though there seems to be both a 9 year old and an 8 year old event run there. That doesn't suit the Candlebark young guns, and we will make further enquiries.

Team spirit was very strong, and encouragement was enthusiastic... The future looks bright!!

The qualifying runners are going onto Bendigo this Friday 11th May - wish them luck!

Yours in running, Ian, Cam, and all at Candlebark.

Winter Soiree

One of the musical highlights of the Candlebark year is the term two Winter Soirée. This year our soirée will be held at the Kyneton Town Hall on Thursday the 21st of June.

Every student in the school will be performing a musical item with their class, as well as performances by the Ska Band, Soul Band, Chamber Ensemble & the Choir (plus a few other surprise items).

We will have a dress-rehearsal during the day of the 21st so, if it is relevant to you, please send your daughter/son along with their instrument and sheet music.

I will confirm the exact starting time in a later email but it will be around 7pm.

Feel free to send any questions to me directly at: taran.carter@gmail.com (and please let me know now if your child is unavailable on this night so we can rehearse accordingly).

See you at the soirée.

Taran

Chess Report @ Bacchus Marsh

CHESS TOURNAMENT AT BACCHUS MARSH

One of the schools has dropped out, so this is actually quite a small tournament; therefore I’ve split our school into two separate teams. I love this because there should be a replay of the 2018 first term final between Draco and Cosi, and lots of mini-rivalries between us can develop and be brought back to boards at the school.

Round One:

Walter loses a queen but goes on to get a win. Aidan loses to Henry A, but that’s part of a greater plan, as he lost the first game here last year, and went on to come second. Regardless, it’s a great result for Henry. Tristan uses the clock well for the first game of the day, and gets a good checkmate with his queen and knight covering. Banjo loses to Phoenix in a pretty good game.

Dane fights hard for a win, Oscar wins a little after him. There are four middle year players, and for a team victory, they will all have to be switched on. Lugh wins with five seconds on the clock. My heart is pounding from it. There’s been a change in timing rules: it’s twelve minutes on the clock, with three seconds added per move. Basically he was skirting around ten seconds for the last minute or so. The emphasis is now on the player to plan while his opponent is making his move, to gain time.

Walter and Elliot, relatively new to the chess scene, are playing really well against aforementioned finalists. BUT they have to slow down, and some hasty decisions come back to bite them.

Lucas beats Chae, who needs to slow and scan a little more, but overall he played well. Lugh falls to the Bacchus Marsh top seed. Ewan and Tristan fight out a draw. Battle of the eds is going on: Ned and Red last to finish the round. Ned manages to get a draw from a losing position, getting his king into the corner, forcing the stalemate.

Round Two:

Walter succumbs to the Henry A. Draco and Cosi relive the final, and Ned and Henry meet as foes this round!! What a cracker! Cosi wins on time, Draco isn’t happy. Lucas pips Ewan on table two. Ned and Henry draw….suspicious! Red wins a draw this time, from being a queen down, lucky! Ziggy is unlucky not to win, but he’s fighting on and showing tremendous spirit! Banjo gets his first of the day, and the smile appears.

It’s sometimes easy to forget how much it means personally, these days. It’s a very small tournament, as mentioned, but there’s quite a nice cosy feeling to it. The school is MASSIVE: two and a half thousand students!!! And we’re upstairs in block X!!! The first aid room has 41 epipens hanging from the wall.

Red draws with Aidan. AGAIN!!! Lucas is fighting with Cosi on the top table. Walter asks Tristan to go easy on him, then almost beats him. But then loses by NOT SCANNING, NOT SLOWING DOWN, NOT LISTENING TO ME!!

Lucas loses to Cosi on the top table…..on time.

Lugh plays a cracking endgame to get a win.

Round Three:

Ziggy playing really well against quite a nervous, twitchy, slightly getting it wrong, but in his favour, player. He’s unlucky to eventually lose. I show him a simple thing to hopefully help. A KEY PLAY IN THE MIDDLE GAME IS TO THREATEN THE OPPOSITION, AS IT LIMITS THEIR OPTIONS.

Tristan unlucky to fight back, but then blunders his queen….and rook. But he’s pretty philosophical about it! Banjo is getting sick of being chased around the board, and kept in check. I explain there’s nothing I can do! Draco and Ned in a cracking match, while Aidan and Lucas are stuck right into it. Just to repeat, I love the kids playing against each other in tournament conditions.

Lucas and Aidan, both kings and six pawns. EXCITING!! Lucas has connected pawns, and Aidan has a double pawn position. Plus, for once, Lucas is UP on time! Incredible. Finishes in a draw.

More of us beating/losing to others of us!

Silas with his first ever tournament win at the tender age of six, and fittingly, six rounds into a long day of chess. Never surrender, never give in! Brilliant!

And Lugh, super Lugh, where have you been Lugh, has saved his best till now, dismantling the only person to be on five out of five!! Exciting times!

Cosi, remains unbeaten on the top table. He’s played all his games against some of our best players, and not only is it testimony to his ability but, to an extent, his reputation. He’s often won before he begins.

last round:

Last round now. Lots of positives today. Oscar is doing very well, but playing at 100mph. Admittedly, when he is in the flow, he is very good, but if he makes one blunder at this level, then he’ll slow down and really be kicking himself.

Henry A loses superquick against Ned, basically not seeing the imminent checkmate as he doesn’t always give his opponent’s move much time (or respect!)

Red loses his first of the day, to Cosi. Great day Red! He was going very well, up to the endgame, which is Cosi’s forte.

Oscar wins!

Henry gets a win. Phoenix gets a victory. Elliot reports losing to every Candlebark player, but by beating everyone else he finishes on four.

It’s been a very enjoyable day. We’re going to stay for the trophies, not just for the glory, but because the drive is less than an hour! Hurrah! This must be how other schools feel in Melbourne.

Brilliant results:

One of our teams pips the other by barely a point, and we come first and second. Basically if Cosi had lost a single game, the shoe may have been on the other foot. And our glorious Middle Years players win the other tournament by half a point!! Every game counted!!

So we get three more State places for primary, and five Middle Years places!! Great results, and wonderful team spirit too.

Kitchen Garden News

The Year 7s have been creating some culinary delights in the Kitchen Garden over the last few weeks. We have had a Japanese feast and a Middle Eastern feast and we have experienced a truffle recipe using only three ingredients: potatoes, from our garden, chocolate and cocoa.

It was a success indeed.

-- Steve Pollet

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