Inside this Edition The MIKADO Oxford Maths Green Notes Seismograph News D of E Bronze Practice Randonnée for Awutu Skills Festival for Y10 Boys’ Football Y8 House Rounders Waverley Para Games Sport at Charterhouse Sports Leaders Y9 Rounders
Dates for your Diary
1 & 2 June INSET GCSE exam students ONLY in school. Morning (but not afternoon) buses will run for these students. 4 June First two Transition Evening sessions for Y6 and parents 4pm & 5pm 5 June Art trip to Tate Modern (Y10) 9 June Second two Transition Evening sessions for Y6 and parents 4pm & 5pm 12-19 June German Exchange students away 16 June Sustainable Schools Meeting 18 June Reports home for Years 9 & 10 Weekend 20/21 June Mikado Rehearsals 22-26 June ECO Week 22 June MasterChef Federation Final 24 June Y8 Bushcraft Meeting 6pm Dining Hall 27/28 June Y10 Bronze D of E Expedition 29 June INTAKE evening for Y6 & parents 7pm 1 July INTAKE Day for Y6 students 2 July District Sports Day
2 3 4 5 6-8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12
3 July Mikado Technical Rehearsal 3 July Carnegie Quiz 3 July School Council Meeting 4/5 July Mikado Rehearsal weekend 4/5 July Y11 Silver D of E Expedition 9 July Reports home for Years 7 & 8 9 July Reserve Sports Day 9-11 July Summer Production The Mikado 10 July SPORTS DAY 13-17 July Y10 Montpellier Language Trip 13-17 July Activities Week (Y7-9) 13-17 July Work Experience Week (Y10) 20 July Y10 SATRO Business Day (office attire) 21 July Last day of Term 1pm finish 20 August GCSE Results Day 2 September INSET day 3 September ALL students in school 4 September Photographs for Years 7, 9 & 11
Please also refer to our website calendar, which displays our most up-to-date information. www.rodborough.surrey.sch.uk/School-Calendar
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The Mikado – an appetiser for our Summer Production! Our ‘object all sublime’ is to delight you with Savoy musical comedy at its maddest and merriest as we sing and dance the topsy turvy carryings-on of a wandering minstrel, a Lord High Executioner, a Lord High Everything Else, three little maids from school, a yumyummish heroine, a timidly bloodthirsty tyrant, a dragon lady whose bark is worse than her bite, and some of the wackiest and most athletic gentlemen of Japan the stage has ever seen - all a source of innocent merriment thanks to Gilbert and Sullivan. There was much excitement when the props began to arrive!
The story of The Mikado revolves around a young fellow named Nanki-Poo who has banished himself from the little town of Titipu. NankiPoo, it seems, has fallen in love with a beautiful young lady called Yum-Yum. Unfortunately, Yum-Yum is engaged to be married to her guardian, the tailor Ko-Ko. However, when Nanki-Poo hears that Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for the capital crime of flirting, he hastily returns to Titipu, only to learn that Ko-Ko has not only been granted a reprieve, but has been promoted to the post of Lord High Executioner. Apparently, those in power, wishing to slow down the rash of executions, reason that since KoKo was next in line for execution, he can't cut off anyone else's head until he cuts off his own! The Mikado, however, soon takes notice of the lack of executions in Titipu and decrees that if no executions take place within the time of one month, the city shall be reduced to the status of a village. Ko-Ko, desperate to avoid cutting off his own head, vows to find a substitute, and as luck would have it, just at that moment, Nanki-Poo wanders onto the stage with a rope determined to take his own life rather than live life without his beloved Yum-Yum. Ko-Ko immediately seizes on this opportunity and offers the young lad one month of luxurious living at the end of which he would be relatively painlessly decapitated. Nanki-Poo agrees on the condition that he be married to Yum-Yum right away so that he can spend his last month in wedded bliss. But just as the wedding celebration begins, a law is discovered, much to YumYum's distress, which decrees that a condemned man's wife must be buried alive with his Synopsis from imagi-nation.com corpse! Auditions have taken place, the show is cast and, in all, over 50 students will be involved both on stage and behind the scenes. This promises to be a “fantastic” show, and rehearsals and planning are well under way. Performances will be on Thursday 9th, Friday 10th, and Saturday 11th July at 7.30 p.m. in the Main Hall. Please reserve the dates in your diary. Details of ticket sales will follow soon.
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Maths Trip: ‘It all adds up’
Reporter Holly Giles
Six girls from Years 9, 10 and 11 visited the Oxford Mathematical Institution at Oxford University on 14th April. The day highlighted careers in Maths for women, as Maths is currently a predominately male environment; Oxbridge are on a mission to change this. We went to several lectures delivered by women with brilliant careers in Maths to learn about the amazing things they do every day. Our first lecturer was Vicky Neale who spoke about Prime Numbers. We learned not only what is known about primes but also about the questions that no one has yet been able to answer. It was great to learn the reasons behind the rules that we take for granted that form the basic principles of Maths. Throughout the day we received lectures from Mareli Augustyn on ‘Statistics for the Millions’ and from Paul Taylor on ‘The Maths behind winning’. These were both very interesting as they showed us how different areas of Maths connect to our daily lives. My favourite was the last lecture of the day, which was taken by Hannah Fry. Hannah works closely with the police to assist in identifying terrorists and serial killers. This was so exciting as it was great to see what exciting careers Maths can lead to! She talked to us about the hidden connections that exist between us all that affect many of the choices we make; the way we walk in large groups, the feelings we have towards each other and the way we spread gossip. She explained how our analysis of these hidden connections can be used to solve crimes. Hannah’s team has helped to solve crimes including the murders committed by Dr Harold Shipman. It was fascinating to see all the ways Maths is involved in our lives and also how the things we learn in class can be used in real life. It was fascinating to see how the moves of serial killers are linked to mathematic equations. The day showed us how important Maths is and also showed us how many exciting and different career options Maths can lead us into – for females as well as males. It was a brilliant day and was great to look around the Oxford collages where a few of us would love to study in the future!
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Out with the Old and in with the New Green Notes
Reporter Mr Ewing
No, it’s not New Year’s Eve again … I am talking of course about EcoPrefects! This month sees last year’s EcoPrefects move off to focus on their GCSEs allowing a new bunch to step up to take their place. I would just like to thank our outgoing Year 11 Eco-Prefects for their unstinting enthusiasm and hard work.
The 75 kilos of daffodils we planted last autumn made for a great display along the rugby field side of the drainage ditch. They not only planted each bulb but gave them names. Now that is dedication! Our swimming pool heating project has moved on and the Year 11s are completing the super prototype heater whilst Year 10s, with assistance from Mr Toombs, are busy programming raspberry pis [Sic] to log how efficient the heaters are. The pool will be in use during the Summer Raspberry pi Term – let’s hope for a hot sunny summer! The biggest project in school at the moment is the building of the Callum centre on the old Year 7 area. A large crane arrived at the beginning of May to unload and assemble the structure of the centre. We are working alongside Callum Centre architects, a group of community partners, and Waverley Council Grow officers to create a community garden next to the centre once it is completed. Work is already underway preparing and designing elements for this garden and Year 7s are involved every Tuesday evening this term, with Ruth Wheeler and Anita Smith, creating artwork for the garden and preparing planting for the area. They are still hoping that you are able to pass on old welly boots to use as planters. If anyone in Year 7 would like to get involved please feel free to pop along to the Sculpt-It shed at 3:30 any Tuesday night! Our next big event is Eco-Week in June when Year 7 will concentrate on sustainable travel and undertake cycle training, Phil Williams will speak to Year 8 about our sustainable planet, Year 9s will look at human impact on our local commons and Year 10s will examine ethical purchasing. Once again thanks to a great team of Eco-Prefects – and Elizabeth Knatt (who became an honorary EcoPrefect). You have left a positive mark on the school and every spring I will look at your daffodils and remember the number of really silly names those bulbs were given! RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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Rodborough Seismograph
Reporter Mr Ewing Two years ago the Benson family asked the school if we would like a seismometer. The answer was an unequivocal, “YES”. However a seismometer is rather like taking on an elephant as a domestic pet – you need to make some arrangements for its being there. First we wanted the seismometer to be seen by students but not tampered with. This entailed building a Perspex housing for the seismometer under the stairs in the Humanity block. Then we wanted a screen so we could see what was happening on the seismometer. This required a bit of wiring that was done as part of the building refurbishment. All this took some time, of course, but the last hurdle was almost the most difficult. Installing a seismometer is no easy task. It has to be balanced just so, the wave frequencies have to be dampened so that only the correct frequencies come through and it needs to be linked into a network of other seismometer sites across the country. A seismometer is a technical piece of kit and we mere mortals in the Geography department were struggling to understand the intricacies of this potentially fantastic asset. A chance conversation Rutland with Mr Hunter, after he joined us as Lab Technician, revealed his Earthquake expertise in this area and the equipment was successfully installed Jan 2015 under the stairs in the Humanities block last summer. Thanks too to Mr Heryet for sorting out the software gremlins. The seismograph quickly proved invaluable in promoting understanding of movements within the earth. The footfall of students making their way up and down the stairway in the Humanities block shows visibly on the adjacent screen and students can watch the effects of their light and heavy passage! We were excited when the equipment picked up the 3.8 Rutland earthquake on 28 January. At 22:25 in the evening there were no students in the building to mask the P waves. We had little expectation, however, of picking up traces from further afield. The devastating 7.8 and 7.3 earthquakes This trace is from the 7.3 magnitude quake on May 12, in Nepal, some 7,370 whose epicentre was Kodari, Nepal. Km from Rodborough also occurred during a ‘quiet time’ for our seismometer and we were amazed at the clarity of the data collected by our equipment. The fast-travelling P waves reached Milford in around 10 minutes, whilst the slower S waves, which travel deep within the earth, arrived a little later. The S waves lasted for much longer than the actual earthquake because of the changes experienced by the S waves on their long journey through the different layers and states of rocks deep with the earth.Whilst marvelling at the Geography (and Science) behind these traces, we are mindful of the terrible human cost of these earthquakes to the people of Nepal and surrounding areas. The Disasters Emergency Committee website www.dec.org.uk has an area dedicated to raising funds to help those in need. RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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Unforgettable Weekend Adventure For some, the 2015 Bronze practice expedition was effortless; for others it was painful. But for most of us it was an unforgettable weekend adventure.
Reporter Maddie Baker
I never thought that I could be capable of trekking across Surrey for two days carrying a heavy pack and spending a night under canvas at Bentley Copse Campsite. I’m not usually associated with ANY form of exercise, however, after the last couple of days my attitude towards long walks has definitely changed (but you’ll have to wait ‘till the end of this article to find out how)! Our weekend began bright and early on Saturday morning at Shalford Scout Hut. 113 Year 10s were geared up and ready for the weekend ahead. Our group of 8 girls took it in turns to navigate using maps, a compass and the route plan that we had prepared during our training sessions. We did occasionally get a little bit lost but, thankfully, the practice expedition requires a teacher to supervise us (thanks Mrs Howick) and we reached camp well before any sign of darkness set in (and ahead of some of the groups that started before us). I think it was mostly excitement and adrenalin that got us there in the end. Walking into the campsite instantly gave us a homely welcoming feeling as we were greeted with smiles from Miss Mackay, Miss Morgan, Mrs Doyle, Mrs Bullen, Mr Drew and our old friend Mr Walker. After a quick tour of our area of the campsite we chose a place to set up our tents. The ‘comforting bed of fir cones’ turned out not to be so comfortable so it wasn’t long before we were moving the RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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tent somewhere more suitable! With homes organised for the night there was time to mingle with other groups and the atmosphere was fantastic. By 6pm the trangias were lit and meal preparation began, filling the campsite with delightful aromas that attracted both insects and teachers too! It was soon evident that almost every group was cooking that teenage staple – pasta. By 9 pm most groups were beginning to feel the effects of their arduous day and, as the skies darkened, the campsite grew quieter as we dropped off to our wellearned sleep. We woke to the tantalising smell of the teachers’ bacon sizzling in their pan and it was time for us to prepare our own breakfasts (mostly cereals and leftover pasta), pack away our tents and load up our rucksacks for the long walk home. A minibus full of fresh teachers arrived and our pitches were soon passed as clean and litterfree allowing us to link up with Mrs Smith for our final day’s walking. Somehow, day 2 seemed much longer and more difficult than day 1, not least because our bodies were aching with weariness and our shoulders and hips sore from the weight of our packs (in some cases the equivalent of another human with our overprovisioned packs)! It is probably best that I don’t It was all worth it though when we reached the top of St Martha’s even mention the state of hill – even though the trek had been painful the view was mindblowing! our feet! RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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Looking back on the weekend after a couple of days of reflection, I would say that as a non-outdoors type, this Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition encompassed everything I previously strove to avoid in life but the pain was short-lived and I have some wonderful memories to look back on when I am older. There is a very real sense of achievement and I am amazed to report that I am really genuinely looking forward to the real expedition at the end of June! Thank you to ALL the D of E leaders, Gold helpers, parents and 28 teachers who gave up their weekend to make it all possible.
Randonnée for Awutu
Report by Mrs Westlake On Sunday 3rd May a mad woman cyclist caught the 7am ferry to Fishbourne I.O.W. to take part in a personal challenge, "the Randonnée"; a very hilly 100k/64 miles cycle around the perimeter of the island together with 2,000 other mad cyclists. The weather was a typical British spring day: raining, misty and not terribly warm. Coffee and a cake at 8.30 at Bembridge gave me a welcome energy boost before tackling what seemed like a million climbs along the south of the island towards Yarmouth. I arrived in Yarmouth with zero energy but safe in the knowledge that three quarters of my journey had been accomplished. Food, plus the arrival of sunshine boosted my enjoyment levels and moral, and soon Fishbourne and the 5.30 ferry were in my sights. The ride was harder than I had anticipated, as it had to be completed before 6 pm, which made it a race. I had attended some spinning classes in preparation but, as so often the way with exams and revision, it was ‘too little too late’ but I was determined not to let down my sponsors, who had pledged over £1,780 for the pupils of the Awutu Winton school in Ghana. Their desperate need for a good education to help them out of the poverty trap kept me going to the ferry, home and a hot bath. My fundraising page is still open, should you wish to sponsor my ride retrospectively, at www.virginmoneygiving.com/JacciWestlake Awutu have let me know that the money will be spent on a variety of items including vital Science Lab equipment needed for their students to be able to enter WAEC (West African Examinations Council) exams for the first time, opening up a wealth of new future employment opportunities. RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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Year 10 Skills Fair at Merrist Wood
Year 10 visited Merrist Wood to look at a huge variety of stalls showcasing different careers and courses. Here is a flavour of their day:
“I learned that police dogs can sniff out bombs from miles away.”
“I learned how to perform a medical injection.”
“I learned what makes a car unsafe.”
“I sang with the ACM.”
“I learned how to make a floral corsage.”
“I learned about courses in tourism.”
“I found out about university options for medical careers.” “I learned about jobs in engineering.”
“I learned how tree surgeons climb trees.”
“I learned how to make a bird box.” RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
“I realised that there are loads of different jobs out there that I’ve never even thought about before.” VOLUME 10 ISSUE 5
“I overcame my fear and touched a snake and a ferret.” PAGE 9 OF 12
Final Score – Boys’ Football Results Year 7 Y7 vs Y7 vs Y7 vs Y7 vs
Woolmer Hill Glebelands Broadwater Guildford County
Won Lost Lost Won
5-2 0-3 1-2 7-1
Year 8 Y8 vs Y8 vs Y8 vs Y8 vs Y8 vs Y8 vs
Year 9 Y9 vs Y9 vs Y9 vs Y9 vs
Woolmer Hill Glebelands Broadwater Guildford County
Won Lost Won Lost
4-3 2-4 7-3 2-8
Year 10 Y10 vs Y10 vs Y10 vs Y10 vs Y10 vs Y10 vs
OVERALL:
PLAYED 20
WON 14
DREW 1
Woolmer Hill Glebelands Broadwater Guildford County George Abbot (SemiFinal) Howard of Effingham (Final)
Won Won Won Won Won
4-1 3-1 4-1 3-2 2-1 (AET)
Lost
0-5
Woolmer Hill Glebelands Broadwater Guildford County George Abbot (SemiFinal) Guildford County (Cup Final)
Won Won Won Drew Won
2-1 4-1 3-0 1-1 2-0
Won
1-1 (4-2 on penalties)
LOST 5
SCORED 57
CONCEDED 41
Congratulations to Year 8 Boys for making it through to the District Cup Final vs Howard of Effingham at Urnfield, Guildford in April. Year 10s played Guildford County in the final. After 90 minutes the score was 1-1. Extra time came and went with the scores still level and so a penalty shootout was the only way to separate the teams. Thankfully, we scored all of ours (Jack Bareau, Walter Verkaik, Jackson Brooks and Joe Dudgeon), while Ryan Pawsey saved two of County's penalties. 4-2 on penalties to Rodborough.
Triumphant Y10 District Champions
This was a great achievement considering they only won one game during the whole of last season! This year they are unbeaten champions! A special mention must also go to Reece Bennett who is football mad and had been looking forward to this game for ages. Unfortunately, the previous Sunday he fell whilst playing and broke his wrist which ruled him out of the game. He still came to watch though, straight from surgery at the Royal Surrey.
Year 8 House Rounders The Year 8 HOUSE Rounders competition was keenly fought with 8RPE snatching victory for Wells. Thank you to everyone who helped to organise the competition and congratulations to all competitors. RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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Waverley Para Games 2015
Reporter Miss Mackay
Rodborough and Broadwater Schools joined forces again this year to help with sports leadership at the Waverley Para Games, an event backed by local MP Jeremy Hunt. Nearly 50 sports Leaders were selected to represent both Rodborough and Broadwater and they all took part in an afternoon of training with Paralympian Steve Brown. All leaders were excited to have the opportunity of helping at the event. With over 100 pupils taking part in Hockey, Cricket, Swimming and Sitting Volleyball, it was a fantastic day! Pupils were delighted to have the opportunity to work with Steve Brown and local Paralympian Rachel Morris. The games were opened by MPs Jeremy Hunt and Helen Grant and it was all stations go! All leaders were a credit to their schools and every participant had a wonderful day! Well done to all involved.
Sports at Charterhouse
Reporter Owen Godsall
th
On Thursday 26 March a group of Year 8 and 9 pupils travelled to Charterhouse Club in Godalming to do some sports including Rowing, Hockey and Swimming. We were really excited to meet Rachel Morris and Steve Brown who are famous Paralympians in Wheelchair Rugby and Rowing. My favourite sport was the Rowing! We all won medals and certificates for taking part. We all had great fun! RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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Sports Leaders
Over the past month 45 of our Sports Leaders have run summer activity sessions, including Athletics, Rounders and Tennis, for Years 3 and 5 at Chandler School. These sessions were a huge success and benefitted 180 children.
Year 9 Rounders
Reporter Lucy Wood
On Thursday 7 May, seven girls from Year 9 took on a challenge to play a Year 10 team from Glebelands in a Rounders match here at Rodborough. The first innings was a close one with the scores level on 4½ each as both teams had strong fielding. By the end of the second innings superb batting performances from each and every one of our Year9s allowed Rodborough to pull away, ending the innings with 14½ rounders to Glebelands’ 10. We were delighted to come away with this win (our first competitive fixture of the year) and hope that this bodes well for a successful summer. We would like to thank Miss Strange for coming to support us and also Miss Mackay for organising and encouraging us! RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES
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