4D ROOM
Croydon Highlights
need to take photos of this room in action and write some ‘blurb’ CROYDON HIGH SCHOOL Old Farleigh Road, Selsdon, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 8YB Tel: 020 8260 7500 Fax: 020 8260 7461 E-mail: info2@cry.gdst.net
Vol. 1, Iss. 2
Fashion Show raises over £16,000! 4D ROOM
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he Discovery Zone, incorporating the library, ICT and 4D Room opened for business just a few weeks ago. All the children in the Junior School are lessons in the 4D room. One computer, three projectors, a 3D wall, mirrors and lights have indeed added a whole new dimension to learning. It is amazing and you really have to experience it to know why over two hundred children and staff have been so excited by this space. Imagine being read the story of The Bear Hunt while seated in a forest round the interactive floor where a bear growls at you from his cave beneath your feet. Or flying over London on the magic carpet, or falling asleep in front of a roaring fire to dream strange
stories. With the range of lighting effects that are possible the whole room can be transformed even without the moving images; many girls were convinced we had climate control as the cold lights and icy scene convinced them that it was below freezing. These activities have provoked some excellent story-telling and creative writing with wonderful descriptions of the atmosphere. Year 5 also used the interactive floor to investigate the water cycle, and in their History lesson Year 2 found themselves in the Great Fire of London and wrote newspaper articles from their ‘first hand’ experience of the fire.
We are looking forward to sharing the 4D Room with senior girls and Little Ivys too.
GIRLS WHO ARE GOING PLACES GO TO CROYDON HIGH SCHOOL
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elcome to Croydon Highlights ‌ our regular update on all the exciting happenings at Croydon High School.
Croydon High is an exceptional independent day school for girls aged 3 to 18 with an impressive reputation for consistently outstanding academic results. We are also committed to enabling our girls to discover their passions in life. We pride ourselves on how well we know them individually and how we consistently bring out the best in each and every one of them. Croydon High aims to develop young women who are high achievers in every aspect of their lives. We know they will need far more than just excellent results to meet the challenges of the modern world. Why not come and discover all the possibilities on offer at Croydon High School? Our impressive facilities are within a leafy 14 acre site in Selsdon and we hold regular taster days with personal tours on request. For more information please see our brand new website www.croydonhigh.gdst.net (we are very proud of it!) or call our Admissions Registrar Wendy Hewitt on 020 8260 7543. We look forward to meeting you.
4D ROOM
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he Discovery Zone, incorporating the library, ICT and 4D Room opened for business just a few weeks ago. All the children in the Junior School are lessons in the 4D room. One computer, three projectors, a 3D wall, mirrors and lights have indeed added a whole new dimension to learning. It is amazing and you really have to experience it to know why over two hundred children and staff have been so excited by this space. Imagine being read the story of The Bear Hunt while seated in a forest round the interactive floor where a bear growls at you from his cave beneath your feet. Or flying over London on the magic carpet, or falling asleep in front of a roaring fire to dream strange
stories. With the range of lighting effects that are possible the whole room can be transformed even without the moving images; many girls were convinced we had climate control as the cold lights and icy scene convinced them that it was below freezing. These activities have provoked some excellent story-telling and creative writing with wonderful descriptions of the atmosphere. Year 5 also used the interactive floor to investigate the water cycle, and in their History lesson Year 2 found themselves in the Great Fire of London and wrote newspaper articles from their ‘first hand’ experience of the fire.
We are looking forward to sharing the 4D Room with senior girls and Little Ivys too.
CROYDON HIGH RECORD BREAKERS - WE DID IT!
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n Tuesday 13th November, Croydon High School attempted to enter the world record books. A science experiment involving over 2,300 girls at 26 schools and academies across the country – 77 of the girls from CHS - in a bid to set the record for the world’s biggest practical science lesson in multiple venues.
and the involvement of independent witnesses to count the girls and ensure they were participating fully.
It involved all pupils in Years 6 and 7, who conducted fun experiments to calculate a value for the earth’s gravity. Bean-bags and yo-yos were at the ready and a good time (and great learning experience) was had by all. The experiments measured the value of acceleration due to gravity. One measured the time taken for an object to drop a set distance, and the other timed a swinging pendulum.
Congratulations to all the girls and the staff – it involved some rigorous evidence collection and a lot of organisation – but we all agreed that the event itself was well worth the effort – and the record is the icing on the cake!
As always, our girls threw themselves wholeheartedly in to the activity.. “It is really exciting,” said Zara Uddin in Year 6 “to think we have taken part in what might be a world record breaking event!” We followed strict guidelines set by Guinness World Records (GWR), including video filming of the whole event
We heard in January that we were successful in our bid and that, along with all the other GDST schools across the country, we are now World Record Holders!
Mrs Leonard said, “In the girls-only environment of the GDST, science subjects in general and Physics in particular, are hugely popular. At Croydon High, all our girls take triple science at GCSE and study the more exacting IGCSE Physics curriculum. The enthusiasm for this subject – and science in general - shows the degree to which we’re bucking some of the less encouraging educational trends nationally.”
We look forward to receiving our certificate, which will be displayed with pride.
NIGHTS TO REMEMBER…
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Croydon High School honour former student and dear friend with magnificent fundraiser
n two consecutive nights last November, Croydon High’s Sixth Form produced their annual Fashion Show which this year raised money for the Forget Me Not fund. This Leukaemia and Lymphoma research charity is particularly close to the girls’ hearts, as it was founded in memory of their good friend Nicole Favre. In 2004, this much loved Croydon High student lost her battle to acute myeloid leukaemia. She was eight years old. Her classmates, now in the Sixth Form, wanted to remember her which they did in quite spectacular fashion The boys
girls, joined by from Whitgift
School, delivered two memorable shows, with catwalk themes ranging from London 2012 to Sweets, musical items ranging from a Spanish solo to the school’s own Gospel Choir and various dance items including a wonderful Bollywood routine; the talent really shone through! Nicole’s favourite colour pink was much in evidence and the night ended with a bang with an explosion of pink and purple confetti. The target for the fundraising was set at £4,000 and the school is very proud to announce that after donations came flooding in, they have raised a staggering £16,388.55 for Nicole’s charity.
On February 4th, the Sixth Form girls presented a cheque for this amount to Sophie Loveday, Regional Fundraising Assistant (London & South East) for the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research charity. The presentation took place in a special assembly in front of the whole school. This is not a one-off fundraising effort by the school, as each year since Nicole’s death, they have competed in the Purley Swimathon to raise money for her charity. Nicole’s younger sister, Jennifer, who attends Croydon High, was one of the team swimming at the event on Thursday 7th February, as she does every year.
To find out more about the charity’s work or to make a donation, please visit their web site at http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk
LITTLE IVY’S FIRST BIRTHDAY
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n 26th January 2012, in the spacious environment of Ivy Club some local mums, dads, carers, nannies, grannies, grandpas and children from 0-4yrs enjoyed Little Ivy’s Stay and Play for the first time. This small beginning has blossomed into a thriving session with 50 parents on our contact list!
On Little Ivy’s first birthday children made place mats saying ‘Happy 1st Birthday’, decorated with sparkles, sequins and feathers; enjoyed snacks, drinks, fruit and a 1st Birthday victoria sponge cake. The children were quieter than we have ever heard them. Later they danced, played with the parachute, finishing with the hokeycokey. They grow SO fast! One little girl, shy at first, has blossomed - joining in today dressed in a pink chiffon party dress. One Mum was expecting in 2012. Now her son (who was not bothered with toys at all but wanted to spend the entire time facing a black screen pretending to type on the keyboard….!) and his younger sister, now nearly one herself, are regulars. Thanks a million to Jackie Sanders who runs Stay and Play, providing inventive activities and good quality play things - and remains calm! Thanks to Mrs Lovering for music, the gappies who serve refreshments and wash-up, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Male for starting Little Ivy’s and Harrison’s Catering who provide the best refreshments!
DRAMA QUEENS SPARKLE AT CROYDON HIGH
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n Saturday the 12th January, there was a real sense of drama at Croydon High as 30 budding Drama Queens joined us for our annual Panto Workshop. (Oh yes they did!) The Year 5 girls, some from our own juniors and many from a variety of local schools, spent the day learning about the panto genre and developing their acting techniques and then putting them into practice at the end of the day with a performance of Aladdin, in which every girl had a speaking part. What a wonderful group they were! Full of energy, full of enthusiasm and very, very talented! It was great to see how well they worked together as a group and to watch new friendships being made. They also demolished huge quantities of pizza, pasta and ice cream!
They had a very appreciative audience of parents and friends who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show and the usual panto style humour. (Oh yes they did!) Our thanks to Mrs Webb and Mrs Johnson for putting together such a fantastic day and we are already looking forward to next year!
OXBRIDGE OFFERS
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t the beginning of this term many girls in Year 13 had already received offers of places from a number of first rate universities, reflecting the quality of their applications and their anticipated results. We are now delighted to report that 10% of our Year 13 girls have now received offers from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. We have also just heard that the first offer of a place at Medical School has been received
and others will no doubt follow soon. These successes are richly deserved; all the girls have not only worked very hard on their A Level studies but, having been offered a wide variety of extra opportunities by the school, have sought to widen their experiences and horizons. We are very proud of them and wish them well as they continue to study hard over the next few months in order to secure their exciting futures.
SPORT SUCCESS Congratulations to : 10 of our girls who have been selected to run for the South Croydon Cross Country Team at the Surrey Schools Cross Country Championships. Alex Edwards who competed in the South East Schools Trampolining Championships as she qualified for the zonal finals which take place in Bristol. Natalie Haden-Scott who has been awarded the Surrey County LTA Jean Thirwall Cup for Endeavour plus the LTA Surrey County Colours for hard work and commitment to Tennis. Flora and Freya McEwan (Year 7) have been selected for the Under 13 County Age Group & Development Cricket winter-training squad starting in January. Finty McEwan (Year 4) has been picked for the U11 Cricket County Age Group and Development Squad! Flora has also been asked by the LTA South East Talent Team to attend a Regional Training Camp! Seven girls from Year 7 entered our first ever Sportshall Athletics competition and won the competition beating all other schools in Croydon. The team has now qualified for the first round of the London Youth Games.
MUSIC SUCCESS Congratulations to these three cellists who played so well in the Sutton Music Festival. Katharine Walker and Riana Patel came first and second respectively in the Grades 4 and 5 Cello Solo Class and Georgina Halliday won the gold medal for the Grade 8 Class. Riana also won a Singing Class the previous Saturday.
CHS AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN LAUNCH NEW EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP
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n 13 February Croydon High hosted a seminar on human trafficking for our own Sixth Form students and others from local schools. The event was set up in partnership with the National Council of Women (NCW) and organisations actively involved in promoting awareness of human trafficking. The National Council of Women of Great Britain is an independent, non-party political organisation established in 1895 and the oldest women’s group in the United Kingdom, working nationally and internationally on issues of concern to women. We were delighted to receive a message of support from Monica Tolman from the International Council of Women. Currently in the United States, she will be representing the Council at the UN in New York, next, to try and get agreement on ways countries can work together to end violence against women.
Around 100 Sixth Formers came together to hear Sophie Hayes, a trafficking survivor; tell the devastating story of how she was forced into prostitution in Italy in her early twenties. Contrary to all stereotypical expectations, Sophie is (and was) a bright, well-educated, articulate and impressive young woman who was, nonetheless vulnerable. In 2012, she founded the Sophie Hayes Foundation which aims to raise awareness and to support survivors of human trafficking and modern day slavery. She spoke honestly and directly and the girls were obviously moved and inspired by her story. The girls also heard from representatives of CCAT (Croydon Community against Trafficking) about the scale of trafficking in the local area and how they can get involved with raising awareness of the issue themselves. CCAT Volunteer Pauline Miller told the girls, “Croydon is one of the biggest ‘ports’ for human trafficking in the UK. It also has one of the largest indoor sex industries in London, with over 80% of women in these brothels being foreign nationals and likely to have been trafficked.” The central message of the day was how important it for girls to educate themselves and to be aware that there is a great deal they can do to protect themselves and to make a difference for others. www.sophiehayesfoundation.org
“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”
William Wilberforce
Head of Sixth Form, Heidi Mester, said: “We are committed to encouraging awareness amongst the girls of the complex and difficult issues faced by so many people, both in this country and internationally. We think it is vital they have an opportunity to develop informed understanding of subjects not covered by their curricular studies. We were delighted to host this event with the NCW, whose aims in relation to the empowerment of young women are so similar to our own.” The topic of the seminar was suggested by the Sixth Form prefect team. Jessica Payn in Year 13, explained: “We learned a little about the human trafficking
problem when Croydon Community against Trafficking gave a talk at the school. We all felt that there was even more we could learn and discuss about the issue, and we were keen to be equipped to pass the message on.” This was the first in what the school hopes will be a series of events it will host on behalf of the NCYW – the National Council of Young Women. The aim is for Croydon High to become a ‘hub’ for the organisation in London and the SouthEast, giving young women a chance to learn more about how they can have a real voice debating issues of the day. We are already looking forward to next year’s event.
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CLASS OF 2012 - CHRISTMAS REUNION
e were delighted to welcome back girls from our ‘Class of 2012’ to enjoy mulled wine, mince pies and a good catch up following their first term out in the world! All the girls seem happy and settled, although a couple mentioned how much they miss Croydon High, which was touching. Several of the staff commented on how much older the girls look in just a few short months – they all seem to have adapted to their new lives and feel confident that they are more than coping. It was lovely to see them and we feel sure they will keep in touch and continue to let us know how they are getting on. Once a Croydon High girl…always a Croydon High girl!
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CLASS OF 1935 - A SPECIAL IVY LINK VISIT
n a Monday morning in February, most unexpectedly, we received a visit from one of our most senior alumnae, Mrs Joyce Winbolt-Lewis. Joyce left Croydon High in 1937 and now lives in Tooting, close to some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was accompanied by her son, Martin who explained that he was visiting his mother from York. When he had asked her what she would like to do for the day, she had surprised him by saying she would like to visit her old school. They were unsure of the reception they would receive, but we were of course, delighted to see them and to hear some tales of life under Miss Ransford’s Headship. Joyce has lived a full and fascinating life and is a true Croydon High ‘girl’…charming, interesting and full of enthusiasm. It was a pleasure to meet her.
Croydon High School Key Dates for Entry to Year 7 in 2014 Open Days
15th May 2013 - 6-8.30pm 5th October 2013 - 9.30am-12.30pm
Closing date for Applications Applications to be received by 1st November 2013
Taster Day
9th November 2013 9.00am-12.45pm. All applicants are invited automatically, but this event must be pre-booked. Please contact the school to make a reservation.
Scholarship Applications
All applicants are automatically considered for academic scholarship. Applications for Art & Design, Drama, Sport and Music scholarships must be received by 4th November 2013
Entrance Examination
Saturday 23rd November 2013 9.00am-3.00pm
Croydon High School, Old Farleigh Road, Selsdon, CR2 8YB  020 8260 7500 email: admissions@cry.gdst.net
For two days Croydon High School will be host to The Twelve Dancing Princesses, a shoemaker and his wife, lots of elves plus many more bright and dazzling characters. You will have two days of acting, dancing and singing ending with a special performance for family and friends. Places are limited and are available on a first come first served basis – so book early!
WHO? ? WHERE
WHEN? COST?
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at s e o h s g n nci a d r u o y Put on ol! o h c S h g Hi Croydon
Contact Clare MacMillan at Croydon High Junior School for details on how to book - 020 8260 7508