in the
Ringwood News
All the latest news from Ringwood School ~A National Teaching Academy~
Autumn Half Term 2014
In this edition...
Summer Concert Extravaganza, Recycling, Lions International, CHAOS science, Sports Results, Pedal Car racing & much more!
Congratulations to Students on Outstanding Results!
I
am delighted to report that our students achieved a really outstanding set of A-Level and GCSE results in the summer of 2014. Provisional results indicate that the year group achieved a 100% pass rate A*- E grades overall across over 30 different subject areas well above the national average of 98%. 9.1% of grades were gained an A* this year above the national benchmark of 8.3%.The elite A* grade was introduced by government in 2010 to mark out exceptional performers. 25% of grades awarded were A* – A, with 52% of all grades awarded at A*- B and over 83% of grades in the A* – C range, the top four grades nationally – well above the national average of 76.5% this year. 53 students gained 3 or 4 A*- B grades at A2 and BTEC equivalent. 17 students achieved 3 or more grades at A*- A, the highest individual results being awarded to Chon Hei Vong, Nicholas Malky, Robert Shaw, George Whittingham, Leah Gayer, Jordan Whalen, James Shelton, Shona Graham and Poppy Jenkinson. A 100% pass rate was achieved by students following BTEC courses. 23 distinction* / distinction results were awarded, accounting for 89% of all BTEC results in Sport, Production, IT and Dance. Not surprisingly, the majority of our university applicants secured places at their first choice institutions.What makes these results even more impressive is that nearly all of the students who began a two year A Level programme in 2012 completed their studies in 2014, demonstrating outstanding retention and success. Year 11 students at Ringwood School have bucked the national trend by securing the best ever results for the school following on from the excellent A Level results. Students matched and in many cases exceeded our expectations.We take great pride in being a true comprehensive school and I am delighted with the success of every single student. 70% of students secured 5 A*- C grades including English and Maths. In core subjects, Maths posted an 84% A*- C pass rate (National Average 63%) and English Language secured 79% (National Average 61.4%) meaning both the core subjects clearly performed significantly above national averages. Students studying vocational subjects achieved a 100% success rate. 56 students achieved 5 or more A*- A grades. The top 11 students achieved 10 or more A*- A grades: Samuel Whittingham, Lucy Waterman, Callum Salisbury, Bryher Rose, Maxwell Grant-Walker, Robert Fisher, Matthew Fenwick, Matthew Davies, Rebecca Darcy, Olivia Cornwell and Rebecca Andrews. My congratulations go to all the students who have worked so hard over the past two years to achieve these excellent results. My thanks also go to the staff for their dedication and commitment in helping every student to achieve success and to our parents for their continuing support. Chris Edwards, Head Teacher
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
Headteacher’s News
2
Welcome to our latest edition of Ringwood in the News
The term has started really well with everyone in good spirts following an excellent set of examination results in the summer. I have always believed that “success breeds success” – when you celebrate success within a culture of high aspiration and support it enables everyone to see and experience what is possible and achievement rises year on year. The special culture we have at Ringwood is empowering people to ‘go beyond’ and build the future they would want for themselves and their families. I am really pleased that in this edition of RITN we are able to celebrate the success of past and present students in addition to recognising the achievements of our staff. I would like to say a special thank you to parents for sending in messages and emails letting us know about achievements out of school. It is fantastic to see so many of our students actively involved in activities in the community with some competing at local, regional and national level. Well done to everyone featured in the newsletter this time. If you have any stories you would like to share with us to feature in future editions of the newsletter please get in touch, we would love to hear from you. Our reward system, Vivo Miles is now well established. Vivo is a web based award-winning rewards platform that enables us to instantly reward students for the work they do both in and out of school. We recognise the power of rewards in helping to create a culture where achievement is celebrated and students want
to do well. We have a number of categories that we use to reward students so please let us know how they are getting on out of school as well. Teachers log onto Vivo to give reward points in recognition of the contribution that is being made in different aspects of school life. These rewards are motivating and do have an impact on attitude and performance. Each student has a personal Vivo rewards account, allowing them to check their points balance online or on their phone. They can spend their hard earned points in the Vivo shop or donate their points to charity. Settling in Students have settled back into school life very quickly this year. There is a wonderful atmosphere around the school with students focused on their learning and making the most of every opportunity available to them. I would like to say a special welcome to our new Year 7. I have been particularly pleased with the excellent start they have made. They have certainly “hit the ground running” and have responded very well to the challenges they have been set. Tour Programme This half term we have been running our annual school tour programme for prospective parents and students. The programme has been as popular as ever with dates fully booked. The tours involve a morning or afternoon visit for approximately two hours enabling our visitors to find out more about the school through a presentation and tour around the site with staff, principal students and student voice representatives. Our guests are given the opportunity to visit lessons and to talk to students about their learning. The tour
Thoughts for Autumn - Greetings from the Head Boy and Head Girl A very warm welcome back after the holidays, we hope they were full of fun! An even warmer welcome to our new students in years 7 and 12, we hope you are settling in well. We would like to congratulate all the students who achieved highly in this year's exams, we've had some of the best results ever. As the summer draws to a close we would like to encourage you to throw yourself into school life and get involved in as much as you can. As the year has started, there are loads of opportunities across the school to get involved, including student voice. If you want to get involved in any way, email one of us. We would also like to congratulate students on the success of the freshers fair, the languages corridor was buzzing with excitement and many students managed to find an extra-curricular activity to suit them! Keep up the good work! Matt Higham and Suzanne Cox
programme provides a special opportunity to experience what it is like to be a learner in a high quality, innovative and hi tech learning environment. Parents and students who would like to visit the school are welcome to call to arrange a tour. Governance Straight after half term on Monday 3rd November we will be holding an open day for anyone who is considering becoming a governor. School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education. Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. The role of the governing body is absolutely key to the effectiveness of a school. We will be hosting two sessions 1.45pm- 2.45pm and 6.00pm- 7.00pm. We are particularly interested to hear from people who have experience and skills in secondary education, the academy programme, finance and risk management and legal services.Why no come along and find out more about the role and what is involved. We look forward to meeting you. Site Development As a National Teaching Academy we are continuing to find ways to improve the learning environment. This term we are building a new classroom block having secured a substantial grant from the DfE. The new building will replace the mobile accommodation on the school site and is due to be opened in March 2015. Chris Edwards
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
3
Working with the Land - Environmental and Land Based Science at Ringwood
Written by Mrs Kinnison t Ringwood School students are very fortunate to have the option of studying a course that involves learning about the environment, animal care, agriculture and horticulture.
A
The course is designed to prepare students to follow routes into the Land Based Industries, such as farming, equine studies, veterinary medicine, and land management to name a few. Environmental Land Based Science provides students with a GCSE qualification, and is largely practically based. In the animal care section of the course, students have enjoyed learning how to handle, care and monitor the health of our collection of school “pets”. Within this, students learn about the wider implications of animal welfare and life processes. Last term, we were delighted to adopt Norman, an African Pygmy Hedgehog (pictured below) into the ELBS menagerie. After a shy start Norman is starting to show us his adorable character, and is proving to be a very popular addition. A surprise delivery … June brought with it the eagerly awaited arrival of our “Hatching Experience”. Students learned how to monitor fertile eggs for development and infection. A process called Candling. However, we didn’t have to wait long to meet our first chick! Billie (as in “no mates”) made a very premature arrival seven days before her hatch date to the surprise of all! After borrowing some foster siblings to keep Billie company she was no longer friendless. The ELBS department also became very popular with human visitors too as staff and students alike helped us get the chicks used to being handled. A week later the remainder of our chicks arrived and after raising them for a few weeks, many of them have gone on to their new home with our Senior Technician Mrs Black. The few that did not returned to Tinkers Cross Farm. Over the summer break our ELBS students independently visited local Environmental and Land Based businesses such as veterinary practices, garden centres, farms and stable yards. Now in year 11, these ELBS students are busy working on the first part of their coursework portfolio. This is the work related report in which they will detail the scientific skills and technologies utilised within their chosen workplace. We would also like to welcome the new year 10 ELBS students to the course. They have made a fantastic start and are enjoying learning about our ancient woodlands and the characteristic features within them, not to mention getting their sleeves rolled up, and learning how to clean and care for our many school pets! As our ELBS students move into year 11 they prepare to begin the coursework elements of their course, demonstrating their practical skills and embarking on their work based report and practical investigation. If you are interested in being part of this amazing course and want to know more please speak with Mrs Kinnison.
Life Through a Lens - Photography Competition at Ringwood
I
f you fancy yourself as a photographer, now is the time to hone your skills with our photography competition, Life Through a Lens. The competition is open to students, parents and staff at Ringwood School, Ringwood Junior School, Poulner Junior School and Moyles Court School. Age categories are as follows:
the winners and other selected entries. The trophy winner and two runners up will be announced at the exhibition.
• 12 - 16 • 17 - 18 • Parents and Teachers!
Cleaning Vacancy at Ringwood School
Photographs can be submitted in two categories; portraiture and open - plenty of scope for creativity, and you can submit as many images as you like, so get those cameras out! Winning entries wil receive prizes of vouchers and photographic books. There will also be a wonderful exhibition of images from
Entries should be submitted as JPEG files by email, titled with your name, the title of your photograph(s), school, category and the age group you are entering. Please send your emails to stuart. fielder@ringwood.hants.sch.uk. The deadline for all entries is Friday 12th December 2014.
Morning and evening cleaners are required for an immediate start. 10 hours per week, either 6.00am - 8.00am or 4.00pm 6.00pm. Monday to Friday, term time plus four weeks. £7.01 per hour - £3,437.64 p.a. Only applications submitted on the school application form will be considered. For further details on this vacancy, please visit the school website or telephone 01425 481285.
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
4
Creating Chemistry CHAOS - Cambridge University Students Visit Ringwood School Chaos Science Roadshow by Cambridge University Written by Craig Merritt, 9I
T
he Cambridge ‘Chaos’ science roadshow was run by the university’s undergraduates and post-graduates, who set up an array of exciting science demonstrations, from the physics behind rockets to biology and anthropology (study of evolution) explaining several
Chemistry Chaos! Written by Sarah Poore, 9!
I
really enjoyed the science roadshow. I learned so much about momentum, where if you throw something one way it goes the opposite way. He showed us this by firing a rocket up high in the sky just with momentum. All of the Cambridge students were really friendly and easy to understand. All of the experiments were incredible. Because of that I am now a science genius! It was a really good idea to have it in our school, I have learnt so much about various diseases, conservation, hot air and momentum. Jack Brown said, “It was really fun and I would do it again.” He also said he was afraid of the big bang.
types of skull, and the evolution of ape to human. The event was run for all the science classes in year 8, from period 3 to period 6. The roadshow was extremely educational, whilst at the same time being fun and entertaining. Students learnt about the conservation of angular momentum, along with things like extracting DNA genes from a kiwi. The process of separating Hydrogen and Oxygen from water with electricity – electrolysis was also explained. I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to press the button which would reunite the Oxygen and Hydrogen in a very fast chemical reaction – it made a rather loud ‘BANG’ and gave a fright to a few people around the room!
My personal favourite demonstration was the one explaining the law of conservation of angular momentum. This was where someone from the small group sat on a revolving stool, holding two weights – one in each hand – and was spun on the stool. The volunteer was then instructed to bring the weights close into their chest. They would then start spinning faster! The second part of that demonstration was where I sat on the stool and was given a spinning bike wheel with an axle through the middle so I could hold the wheel and let it spin freely. When I held the wheel vertically, nothing happened but when I held the wheel horizontally, I started spinning on the stool in the opposite direction to the direction in which the bike wheel was spinning! It was very exciting! If I kept flipping the bike wheel, then I would suddenly change the direction in which I was spinning.
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
5
Sixth Form Student Experiences Beautiful Finland with Lions International Youth Camp
S
hona Graham, aged 18 from Ringwood, secured her place on the Lions International Youth Camp & Exchange Program this summer and spent nearly three weeks in Finland learning about the life and culture of that remarkable country. Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club sponsored Shona’s application and arranged for her to stay with a host family in Southern Finland for 9 days, before traveling on to the International Youth Camp in Finland. As the only representative from England, Shona mixed and made friends with others her own age from 17 different countries around the world. Pictured to the right is Shona sharing a moment with her new friends at the International Youth Camp in Finland. Above is Shona being congratulated by Geoff Kay, the President of Ringwood & Fordingbridge Lions Club at their recent club meeting.
'One of the most noteworthy parts of my trip was the friendships formed in both weeks.' I cried hard when I said goodbye to my host family and am hopefully visiting them again in December. Everyone at the camp
Lions Clubs International is one of the largest non profit service organisations in the world with approximately 1.35 million members worldwide operating in 207 different countries. Exchange visits can last anywhere between 3-6 weeks depending on the country or camp chosen. All accommodation, food, scheduled internal travel and visits in the host country will be met by The Lions Organisation. Applicants will be expected to fund their own international travel, travel insurance, visas, camp fees (not all camps charge a fee) and spending money. One of the principal aims of Lions Clubs International is to create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world. This is in part achieved through supporting local applications for their Youth Camp & Exchange Program which has been in operation since 1961.
Shona enjoyed the experience of a lifetime and explained more about her trip: “During my first week in which I stayed with Maarit, Juha and their dog, Herta, we visited loads of different places to give me a sense of Finnish culture, in particular the Finnish summer. As I am interested in museums, we visited Sibelius’ house and a museum concerning Finnish women in WW2. We also went to Helsinki for a day, as well as Porvoo and Mikkeli to get a sense of the difference between cities in Finland. A highlight of that week was visiting Juha’s sister on Lake Saimaa and going out on the boat.
Mumford-Jobaire, and Elizabeth Treble were also sponsored by Ringwood & Fordingbridge Lions Club to travel as part of the same scheme this summer to Colorado in the United States and Mumbai in India.
Shona saw this modest objective being met first hand in Finland where she remarked how powerful it was to see a young representative from Donetsk in Ukraine making friends with a young representative from Russia despite the politics of what was happening in those countries at the moment. was wonderful, but certain friends I am sure I will see again in the next few years, in particular Mie, my roommate from Denmark and Tuva from Norway. I’d just like to finish by saying thank you for the wonderful opportunity to have so many incredible experiences. It’s hard to describe how wonderful it was to really connect with people just like me from all over the globe and also to experience a culture I knew little about." Two other Ringwood Students, Nicole
Anyone interested in this program or any other of the many service projects being undertaken by Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club should call R & F Lions on 0845 8335819 or contact them via the website (www.randflions.org.uk) for further information.
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
6
French Penpals for Year 8 Students Written by Hettie White, 8N
A
t the start of the academic year, our teacher, Mrs Altinkalp gave us the wonderful opportunity to have a pen pal in France. Our pen pals go to school in Collège St Exupéry, which is based in Belleville Sur Vie. Our first experience of writing to the French students was quite scary, as they are fluent in French, therefore it put a lot of pressure to get everything grammatically correct. However scary it was, the French pen pals aren't fluent in English which is a big help. During class we wrote a short letter about what we watch on the television. We had to include all of the things we had learnt from the beginning of the year with the help of our books and a dictionary which was quite a lot of information to include. We are now looking forward to receiving the French students’ letters written in English!
Professional Development - Celebrating Success
W
e would like to congratulate staff member Bea Mitchell on achieving a First Class Honours classification in her degree studies. She was also given a letter of commendation from the Vice-Dean as well as being presented with the Nutritional Prize at the School of Health and Social Care Awards in the summer. Mrs Mitchell is now completing her teacher training at Ringwood, through our School Direct programme while working at the school. We are delighted to be able to offer teacher training to bright stars like Mrs Mitchell in a range of subjects with our partnership schools in West Hampshire, East Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole. If you are interested in getting into teaching, Ringwood will be hosting a School Direct Information Evening on the 5th November at 6.30pm, email schooldirect@ringwood.hants.sch.uk for further details.
S
taff members Claire Doolan, Ali Fanos and Adele Cranmer recently graduated from a three year FdA in Education Administration with the University of Portsmouth. The course enables its students, who work in administration support roles in schools, colleges, higher education and education authorities, to explore in greater depth the wider educational context and prepare for extra responsibility. This is achieved by studying policies, legislation and technological developments in educational admin. There was a lot of hard work and commitment involved in the course and the three ladies graduated with honours; Mrs Fanos and Mrs Cranmer achieved merits and Mrs Doolan a distinction. In addition, Mrs Doolan was awarded the Stacey Oszczyk Memorial Prize 2014 for the most outstanding performance and hard work on the course. Congratulations go to our three graduates and well done for all the hard work you put in, what an achievement! We are very lucky to be able to celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of our staff at Ringwood and are proud of their continued development, success and commitment to the school.
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
7
Zooming Around Ringwood!
W
e are very proud to have recently received a commendation from the organisers of The Fairtrade Ringwood Pedal Car Race regarding Ringwood students Adam Moss, Liam Geary and Muhammad Al-Utayem, who took part in the race. The students formed part of the team and another student, Isaac Skirton came along as a photographer. The boys finished second in the Junior section and had a wonderful time at the races, coming away with a medal each. Watch out Jensen Button, our next generation of Formual 1 drivers are racing their way to you!
'They are a credit to the school, the community and their parents.' - Race Organisers
Join the Maskerade! RMDS Present their autumn Production
University Successes and Congratulations First Class PHD Perhaps his initials were an early indicator of success but Paddy Howell-Day was ‘quite shocked but obviously thrilled’ to gain a First Class Honours degree in Economics from Cambridge this summer. A further ten students have also gained First class degrees from a variety of universities: Zoe Brockman – Kent – (Economics with French) Zhara Hidhou – SOAS – (Geography and African Studies) Abigail Grace – Exeter – (Anthropology and International Relations) Alissa Grant-Walker – Birmingham (Mathematics with Engineering) Oliver Hebden – Bath (Design Engineering) Amelia Jenkinson - Exeter (English Literature and Spanish)
T
ickets are now on sale for Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society’s autumn play Maskerade. Featuring a murder mystery, witches, cats, chorus girls and a Phantom or two, Maskerade is a dramatisation of Terry Pratchett's bestselling Discworld series. The play promises plenty of laughs and fun with twists and turns taking you on a journey of mystery and excitement. Book your tickets now at www.rmds.org.uk Tickets cost from £9 each and performances will be hosted in the Ringwood School Theatre at 7.30pm. Performances will be on: Wednesday 29th October Thursday 30th October Friday 31st October Saturday 1st November
Carys Lowry-Carter - Swansea (English Literature) Sally Paskins-Bath Spa (Performing Arts) Rebecca Shering – Bath (Mechanical Engineering) Harry Wardle – Swansea (French and Economics) Carys is now attending St. Edmunds College, Oxford University continuing an academic career in English with American Studies. We have received information from many of our ex-students who are celebrating degree success. The list is too long to publish here but
we would like to take this opportunity to say congratulations to all this year’s graduates! Good Luck to the Class of 2014 This was an exceptional year for university success. Well over three quarters of applicants made their first choice university including Cambridge and the buzz of joy on the morning of 13th August was amazing. Yet again, economics and engineering are popular as are health related courses with a number of students accepting places for medicine, midwifery and physiotherapy.
We wish all our undergraduates a very successful year.
I
n the week before the end of the summer term 2014, the Music Department and Ringwood students presented two nights of music entitled ‘A Night at the Musicals’. The weather was perfect, the music was fabulous and the audience were riveted by the talent and emotion portrayed by students and teachers in their interpretations of music from all the greatest musicals. The evenings began with medleys from the Newsies, the Big Boys and Mamma Mia from Junior Jazz. Many feet were tapping along and there were lots of smiles and laughter at the superb crooning from the boys. The audience were then transported back to childhood with ‘When I Grow Up’ from Matilda beautifully sung by the Year 7 and 8 choir followed by another foot tapper – ‘The Bare Necessities’ from The Jungle Book performed by our wonderful woodwind ensemble Tutti Flutti. Our Brass and String ensembles didn’t miss out, following with rousing favourites from Hairspray and Evita, both performed so well that many of the audience could be seen singing along! One of the greatest highlights of the evening had to be music from The Phantom of the Opera. It is no easy task to do justice to this particular musical, the music is demanding and emotionally charged throughout and is one of the giants of the musical world. Well, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The
orchestra
raised
chills
with their resounding opening of the ‘Overture’ with the iconic organ theme taking us back to the Paris opera house, home of the Phantom. We heard the story progress with ‘Think of Me’ sung by Shona Graham who made a wonderful Christine, followed by the main theme sung by all of the school choirs. What a sound that was! Our next performance gained a standing ovation and he certainly deserved it:
Dan Evans took on the role of the Phantom in the haunting song Music of the Night. Michael Crawford would have been proud to hear Dan’s solo and as he ended the last ringing note, you could have heard a pin drop in the silence – quickly followed by stupendous applause. I think we can all agree, that the
and Elaine Page ‘I Know Him So Well’. A little trip to Manhattan’s Copacabana was now in order, complete with sunglasses and flower garlands with the main theme performed by the Jazz Band. The music was rounded off with wonderful performances from our instrumental ensembles, soloists and vocal groups, followed by the Music Awards Presentations for outstanding students and a Billy Elliot Medley, which saw our departing Year 13 students resume their roles from the production to great acclaim, Billy Elliot was most definitely back in the house!
In the Company of th Musical Extravaganz Summe
whole Phantom section was stunningly portrayed, with the students showing not just musical talent but emotional empathy beyond their years. This created a strong connection with their audience. After the interval, during which parents visited the Art Exhibition and consumed quite a lot of ice cream, we moved on to a selection of music from Chess, including the song made famous by Barbara Dickson
We must remember that none of these fantastic performances would have been possible without our wonderful teachers and the fantastic efforts of our Music Department. The band, a collaboration of teachers and students, played outstandingly throughout the evening I think you will agree. There were other wonderful performances by both instrumental and vocal groups. The Music Awards were given out. The evening concluded with songs from Billy Elliot, during which three of our year13 boys sang the song they had sung as year 7 students, nostalgia all round!
All in all, two fantastic nights to be remembered! Congratulations and thanks to the Music Department and all the students involved – Ringwood brought the West End to Hampshire!
'What a fantastic evening; the students' professionalism, poise and talent is a credit to the school.' - Ringwood School Parent.
he Greats – Two Nights of za at Ringwood School’'s er Concerts
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
10
Reaching for the Stars
Talented Equine Athlete Amelia Swann Shows off her Skills with the England Under 12s Team with thanks to Mrs Swann
A
melia Swann, a Ringwood student in 7U, rides for West Hants Pony Club on her palomino pony Disney. Amelia competes in Mounted Games, which involves vaulting on your pony at speed and racing over agility courses, which require excellent team work. Amelia has been riding since she was four years old and has won many regional championships, as well as the Pony Club Junior National Championship. This year, Amelia went forward to the trials for selection of the England U12 team. After three tough selection competitions, she was long listed and asked to attend a final trial. At this event, Amelia was selected for the England U12 team; travelling to Belgium to ride in the European Championships. The England team of five riders competed over four days, with lots of ups and downs. England competed against twelve other nations and after a very close final, England won and became the 2014 European Champions. Amelia made lots of friends with the athletes from other nations, and at the end of the competition swapped her England top with an Italian friend – an amazing experience. Next year Amelia will be riding a new pony, Whizz, and will be training hard to try once again to be selected for the England team. We hope to be able to support her here in school in all her future sporting endeavours, and wish her the very best of luck!
nex
t rs ree
ca
you 4 ste ps
Parental Involvement in Careers and Work Experience - Are You Interested? We are always keen to set up contact with parents who may be able to extend their involvement in our careers education programme for the benefit of other students at the school. We are immensely grateful to parents, former students and representatives from the business community who already work with us to enrich our careers education programme in a variety of ways. Contact with employers can be of huge benefit to students, widening their horizons and giving them the tools to prepare for their futures. We would like to establish further links with representatives from businesses and organisations who wish to build up their own involvement with schools and young people in education. If you are interested and would like further details, please email careers@ringwood. hants.sch.uk
Go For It - Academia Wins the Day “So, Rob, you definitely don’t want to do A-Levels in our 6th Form?” “No, I don’t want an academic future.” Two years later, after excellent A-Level (English Literature, History, Theatre Studies) results in our 6th Form: “So, Rob, you definitely don’t want to go to university?” “No, I don’t want an academic future.” Eight years later, after working as a landscape gardener: “So, Rob, you’ve finally decided that you do want to go to university?” “Yes, I think I’d like an academic future.” Three years later (2014), after attaining a First Class Honours Degree in Modern History & Politics from Southampton University: “So, Rob, you’ve decided that you do want to do a higher degree?” “Yes, I’d definitely like an academic career.At the moment I am set on a PhD, so I need to do well enough in my MA and write a good enough/fund-able research proposal. The goal is to, hopefully, do that and spend a few years researching somewhere and work towards even higher academic achievements. Although very broad at the moment, I'm filling gaps in the literature of Southern African states at the dawn of their independence.” Rob Joy (Ringwood School 1995-2002) proves that if you really want something, then go for it!
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
11
News from the P.E. Department Track Cycling
L
ast summer, twelve students from years 7 to 9 went to Slades Farm every Thursday with Mr Vail for five sessions of track cycling with British Cycling qualified instructor, Jason Faulkner. It was great fun. We learnt lots of different techniques like a sprint start and banking around the corners. On the last session we did races like the team pursuit in two teams. By Kitty Creasey (8U)
Recent Results As a result of the fantastic attendance at all our after school sports clubs, the PE teachers have been spoilt for choice when it has come to selecting our school teams this term. Our boys rugby and girls hockey teams have already been in action, playing various home and away fixtures, with mixed results! Congratulations to the Year 9 Boys Rugby Team who have achieved early success, winning their opening New Forest Central Venue League (CVL) game against Priestlands 30-25, with Aaron Moritzen crowned man of the match. The team then followed this up with a white-wash of wins at their second CVL fixture, where they beat all three of the other schools and Sam Harrison was recognised as man of the match. The Year 7,Year 8 and U16 rugby teams have also all been in action.The Year 8s came second in their opening New Forest CVL competition, with Ewan Bratchford identified as man of the match; and the Year 7s managed a very reputable 3rd for their first ever competition as a team, with Sam Small highlighted as man of the match overall. The Girls U14 and U16 Hockey Teams have also been busy training and playing in their New Forest League fixtures over the last few weeks. Both teams unfortunately opened the season with losses to two very strong Burgate School sides, the U14s losing 4-0, with Mary Copplestone recognised as player of the match, and the U16s losing 5-0. However, the U16s have since followed this up with an excellent 3-0 win against New Forest Academy, and the U14s are hoping to do the same later this week. We look forward to tracking the progress of all our school teams throughout the rugby and hockey seasons!
Year 9 Swimming Sensation Morgan Long - One to Watch!
R
ingwood student Morgan Long, 9L, has been making waves in swimming competitions over the summer. She qualified in June and and competed in 4 events at the South West Championships hosted at Millfield School. The events she took part in were 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 100m Breaststroke and 200m Freestyle. She made the final in the 100m Freestyle placing 6th in the South West and narrowly missed the final in Butterfly. During this competition her club relay team (Swim Bournemouth) qualified for the nationals at Sheffield Ponds Forge. On 31st July 2014 the 4x100m freestyle relay team, of which Morgan swam the third leg, competed at the UK Nationals. They placed 24th in the country out of the top 40 teams
with thanks to Mr and Mrs Long that competed at the Nationals and broke a personal best time. Congratulations to the team! Morgan missed her individual 100m
Freestyle National qualification time by 400th of a second, which has made her even more determined for the new season ahead.
Ringwood in the News
Autumn Half Term 2014
recycling relaunch!
R
12
ingwood is in the process of relaunching a refreshed and revitalised recycling scheme across the site. As an Eco Ambassador School it is very important to us to embrace the recycling ethos of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We will be placing a new recycling list (see below) in classrooms and offices and encourage students, staff and parents to get involved. As before, students will be awarded green points for bringing in items to be recycled, but please do have a close look at the list to check that what you bring is suitable to be recycled through the school. We have a lovely group of students in our recycling club who are making stellar efforts to sort the recycling and raise awareness across the school, well done and keep up the good work! If you would like to be involved in the recycling club, please contact Mrs Fernandez-Lee who can give you further details. Recycling makes a big difference in protecting our environment and helping us strive towards becoming a more sustainable society: putting your used paper in the recycling instead of the waste bins for example, saves our trees - particularly pertinent to Ringwood as a New Forest School!
RECYCLING!
All recycling items accepted on Thursday tutor time in the Recycling Centre. Green points issued every week in relation to amount recycled.
ITEM
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE RECYCLED ITEMS?
Aluminium
Ace Reclamation, Ferndown
Steel bottle tops
We sell our collected aluminium to a local scrap yard. The money raised is either donated to a charity or used to support sustainability projects at school. It is very important that these items are not contaminated since they won’t be accepted if they are. Recycling metals saves a lot of energy and reduced CO2 emissions. Recycling 1 tonne of aluminium saves 9 tonnes of CO2 emission.
Batteries
BatteryBack.org The batteries we collect are sent to a site in Belgium where the company REVATECH S.A. recycles them. This company recovers and disposes of some 155,000 tonnes of dangerous and nondangerous industrial waste annually.
Spectacles
Our spectacles go to Ringwood and Fordingbridge Lions Club who sort and repair them and then donate them to people who need them. They could help a child read, an adult succeed in his job, a senior maintain their independence. They can also provide a community with more opportunities to grow and thrive.
Bras
Bras go to BCR Global Textiles. BCR sell them to traders in third world countries to support and supply their own businesses. This creates employment in poorer environments and allows the residents in these areas to make choices as to what they buy whilst creating a viable economy. BCR donates a portion of its profits to the Breast Cancer Campaign.
Milk Bottle Tops (plastic type ‘2’)
Milk bottle tops go to GHS recycling in Portsmouth. The money that we make for them goes to Naomi House. They pay £30 for every 500 kg, well worth the effort! Tops must be washed clean, free of any paper, rubber or foil inserts or labels. The granulated tops go to make hard plastic toys for children, such as slides and other garden toys. They also go to make more bottle tops!
Plastic bottle tops (all other plastic types)
Lush recycle all plastic bottle tops to make new product bottles. They operate a reward system in return.
Pens
For every pen we collect with Terracycle, 2 pence goes to the charity of our choice. The pens are recycled and used to make new items such as watering cans, new pens etc.
Printer cartridges
The recycled cartridges are reused or recycled by Empty Cartridges to make new printer cartridges.
Foreign coins
Our foreign coins support Flying Start, run by BA for Comic Relief. Comic Relief raises money to tackle a wide variety of problems faced by poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable people.