Issued 20th March for Summer Term 2012

Dear Parents,

13th Arts Festival Competition
Saturday 24th March 9.00am - 12.30 approx.
Our thirteenth Arts Festival Competition has a record entry with over a hundred gymnasts performing eighty routines. Parents & friends are welcome to watch the competition in the Village Centre. Entry for parents and friends is free. Refreshments & Programmes are now on sale. Please remember that photography and videos are not permitted until the presentations.
Estimated Timetable -
Times are approximate - please be ready early and prepared to wait.
9.00 am Beam Pairs & Hoop Pairs
9.40 am Ribbon Solos
10.50 am Acrobatic Sixes (Juniors then Seniors)
11.50 pm Results & Presentations

St. Lawrence Fair
In this Olympic year, we have accepted an invitation to perform at St. Lawrence Village Fair. We will be preparing the display next term, but would like to have all those who parents feel they can take part - all the way from Pre-school and Infants to Juniors and Seniors. Please book the afternoon of Saturday 30th June. We will need all participants to be in club kit and hope to make a display for both adults and gymnasts to enjoy.

Award Presentations
The 27th, 28th & 29th March will be the British Gymnastics awards sessions when we invite parents in for the last ten minutes to see the gymnasts gaining their awards. Not everyone receives an award every term, but on average every gymnast receives one every year.
As there are no Pre-school children going up this term and parents can view all sessions through the window, we will not be having a Pre-school parents open session on the 30th March.

Displays
The Junior & Senior Acrobatic Sixes winners and runners-up will be invited to perform at the South of England Show on Saturday 9th June. More details will be given when arrangements have been finalised.

Bowling Winners
Our gymnasts entered the Neighbourhood Bowling Competition in February - congratulations to the team on winning for the fifth year running and to Lucy Adlam on being the Highest Scoring Individual.

Olympic Competition & Training
In January we were very fortunate to take nearly a hundred of our gymnasts to the O2 Arena to see the Olympic qualifying Rhythmic gymnastics, where we had front row seats.
This was followed up in February with the visit of a national rhythmic coach to the Club to give the gymnasts top-rate coaching help. We believe this experience has enthused the girls to enter the Arts competition in record numbers.

Joining / Leaving
Please let us know of any children wishing to join as early as possible. Please tell us straight away of any children either leaving or needing a day change. Places are automatically reserved in main club for all those in Pre-school attaining school age. We now have waiting lists for most groups.

Boys Sports Acrobatic Sixes
On Tuesday 1st May at 6.10pm, two teams will be competing for the trophy first awarded last year. This event has been held over from this term due to known absences. Parents and friends are welcomed to come and watch.

Club Championships
Our 29th Annual Championships take place at the end of the Summer Term.
The Boys competitions will be at 6pm on Tuesday 3rd July.
The Girls competitions will take place on the morning of Saturday 7th July, 9am - 12.30 p.m. approx.
We encourage all juniors and above age children to take part if they wish. Entry into the competition is free, as is spectating, which is welcomed. Entries will be arranged by 31st May.
Both Boys and Girls may chose to enter Floor and / or Vault sections; the girls may also enter pairs. Girls from either evening, who have their music ready will have the option of additional routine practices on Wednesdays on 13th, 20th, 27th June & 4th July from 7 - 8pm.

Competition rules are fairly simple: -
Vault: - two attempts, best score to count.
Floor: - at least ten moves from a supplied list, in a sequence.
Girls to perform to music, Boys do not use music.
Pairs: - a routine to include five moves and at least three pair-linked balances each held for three seconds. It should include dance and use instrumental music of 70-90 seconds either from our Club CDs or recorded to the correct time as Track One of their own CD.
We now have two CDs of music suitable for routines, available at £5 each.

Group Photos
Photos of every group will be taken in the Summer term, and made available at £1 each.

Tescos & Sainsburys Vouchers
We are currently collecting both Tesco's and Sainsbury's vouchers. They enable us to order more equipment. Please spare all you can.

Dates
Saturday 24th March Arts Festival Competition 9.00am - 12.30pm
27th, 28th & 29th March Award Presentations
Tuesday 17th April Term starts
Tuesday 5th - 8th June Half Term (closed)
Saturday 9th June South of England Show display
Saturday 30th June St. Lawrence Fair display (details later)
Tuesday 3rd July Boys Championships (6pm)
3rd, 4th & 5th July Award Presentations
Friday 6th July Term ends
Saturday 7th July Girls 29th Championships 9am -12.30pm

Fees
Fees still remain unchanged at £ 35 for Main Club and £30 for Pre-school. Please help us save time and send these to the first session, ensuring cash is in a named envelope.

'One Club rule'
Please remember our 'one-club' rule - we do not accept children who attend another gym club at the same time as us (apart from school clubs) - though children may join and leave us as they wish.

All the coaches and helpers at Hurstpierpoint Gymnastics Club wish you a happy Easter holiday

From all the coaches and helpers at
Hurstpierpoint Gymnastics Club.