26 January 2024 – Issue 3
HEAD’S REVIEW Head’s Introduction
RecordBreaking Oxbridge Offers!
It has been another action-packed week at Roedean, and I am incredibly impressed by the breadth of experience our students enjoy every week at Roedean. This has been highlighted to me this week, because I have been away at an HMC conference for two days, and so much happened while I was away! I am delighted to hear that our Year 13s are receiving generous and achievable offers from universities, for range of excellent courses at a broad spread of institutions. This week, I would like to congratulate Amelia, Euran, Rose, and Tina, who have received offers to study at the University of Cambridge. Along with Ella and Otti, who have offers from Oxford, this constitutes the highest number of Oxbridge offers in at least a decade. Well done! Hot on the heels of the hugely creative House bin bag fashion challenge, I enjoyed last Friday’s House Eco Challenge – it was brilliant to see what the students could achieve in such a short space of time. Well done to the cast of Legally Blonde, who, along with all the staff and crew involved, are rehearsing very hard ahead of the performances next week – I can hardly wait for the shows! As well as all the great fixtures and activities this week, there have also been some individual successes: I am delighted to read about Lucy’s ice-skating successes; well done to Kary, who has received an offer to study Photography at her first-choice university; and Kelly’s medical poster and informational leaflet has been chosen for publication by UCL. Congratulations! Thank you to Mrs Newman and everyone involved in this week’s poignant and informative Chapel services ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day tomorrow. Well done to you all on a successful week, and I hope you have a restful weekend.
U13A Sussex Cup win over Ark Alexandra
Silver for Lucy at the British Ice Skating Championships
Kelly's Poster in a UCL Metaverse
HEAD’S REVIEW
Unsung heroes in the spotlight Each week, many wonderful things happen at Roedean, about which many in the school are perhaps unaware; this section of the weekly review is dedicated to ‘unsung heroes’, in order to draw our attention to these people and remind us that our community is special.
Fen (Yr11), Mabel (Yr7), and Ingrid (Yr12) – for their part in our Chapels this week [Mr Wriglesworth] Candis (Yr11) – for playing Bach's challenging unaccompanied Suite No2 so beautifully on Viola in Chapel [Dr Barrand]
Unsung Staff hero in the spotlight Dr Barrand – for a fascinating workshop on 'Language CodeBreaking' in Academic Lectures this week. Thank you! [Ms Ibanez-Barcelo]
Higher Ed and Universities Update
Kelly's Poster in a UCL Metaverse Congratulations to Kelly (Yr11), who has independently entered a competition in the medical field. She had to undertake research into the genetypes and treatments for non-small cell lung cancer, and then produce an academic poster. She then transformed the poster content into a patient leaflet highlighting the importance of genetic testing, deliberately using simple day-to-day life analogies and language, allowing patients of any age to read and understand it. Kelly's poster will be displayed in a metaverse as a part of a virtual exhibition at UCL for patients and visitors, and the best posters or leaflets will be chosen to display in either the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child health, or for the Oxford Cancer charity. What a brilliant achievement! Mr Halsey
The HE and Futures Team have had an exciting week, with decisions from a host of excellent universities coming through. Cambridge University offered 4 Roedean students places to study this year, including an incredible 3 places to study Mathematics, and 1 to study Land Economy for one of our Newnham Scholars. In addition, students received offers to study Psychology and Applied Medical Sciences, both at UCL, Photography at Kingston, History at Exeter, and Business and Management at Durham, to name but a few. Roedean students have, so far, accumulated an incredible 163 offers between them, including 6 for Oxbridge – our best ever! With the UCAS deadline on Wednesday, we cannot wait to see the choices available to our Sixth Form as they prepare to leave us at the end of this journey, and take their first steps on their next. Ms Boobis Page 2
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
HEAD’S REVIEW
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
Record-Breaking Oxbridge Offers! Congratulations to six Roedeanians who have been made offers for highlycontested places at Oxford and Cambridge Universities this year!
■ ■
Amelia – Land Economy at Queens' College, Cambridge Ella – Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford ■ Euran – Mathematics at Girton College, Cambridge ■ Ottavia (OR) – Philosophy and Theology at Trinity College, Oxford ■ Rose – Mathematics at St John's College, Cambridge ■ Tina (OR) – Mathematics at Newnham College, Cambridge
The application process begins in September (and the preparation many months before that!), so it is wonderful that they now have the universities' decisions. Some Year 13s who were waiting for news will, no doubt, be disappointed, after working so hard, but this will stand them in excellent stead for for their chosen universities in due course, and they will, of course, be delighted and proud of their peers' success – well done to the following:
Congratulations, and well done!
Photography at University for Kary Congratulations to Kary, who has received an excellent offer to study for a degree in Photography at her first choice university, Middlesex. She is one of the first group of students taking Photography A Level at Roedean, and she studies this alongside Business and Mathematics. She has chosen to pursue this subject at university because it is her life's passion. She received this offer earlier this week, and she is delighted: 'This is the reply
I have been waiting for, so I was just "wow!".' The Middlesex course is her first choice because of the range of professional level equipment the students have access to, as well as the fact that they also have old-style cameras which they can use to learn different techniques. Congratulations, Kary!
Mrs Alexander
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Dr Barrand
HEAD’S REVIEW
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
Holocaust Memorial Chapel To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, Mrs Newman led our Chapel services this week, along with Fen, Mabel, and Ingrid. Fen: 'January 27 is Holocaust Memorial Day, the day each year when we remember the six million Jewish people who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust. We mark this on January 27, as this is the day Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, was liberated. We remember other groups of people who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis. These include Roma and Sinti people (sometimes referred to as ‘gypsies’), disabled people, gay people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, political opponents, and many others. Holocaust Memorial Day also commemorates other genocides around the world, 30 years ago, the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, 49 years ago, the genocide in Cambodia, 29 years ago, the genocide in Bosnia. It is important to remember these events so that we are all mindful of protecting humanity's freedoms for the future. The term genocide was coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944, in the Second World War and during the Nuremberg trials, he was able to get the word included in the indictment against the Nazi Leadership. Throughout the Holocaust, 67% of European Jewry were eradicated and murdered through enacting Hitler’s ‘Final Solution’. Today, we must refocus on the Holocaust and the importance of never allowing something on that scale, with such malicious intention, to happen again.'
Ingrid: 'The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is the fragility of freedom. During the Holocaust, freedom was what gave people their hope. The hope that they might regain the freedom taken away from them at the end of the Nazis' regime. After the arrival of the Germans in the Netherlands, Anne Frank wrote in her diary: “That is when the trouble started for the Jews. Our freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Jewish decrees.” In 1933, the Nazis came to power in Germany, and life became increasingly difficult for German Jews. Anti-Jewish legislation was passed, which denied Jews many freedoms and restricted their rights, starting with removing them from certain professions and schools and universities. The Nuremberg Laws in 1935 restricted who Jews could marry and went further than that: they defined anyone who had three or four Jewish grandparents as a Jew, regardless of whether that person saw themselves as Jewish. There was also a loss of freedom of movement, which stopped the persecuted peoples from being able to move away and flee the Nazi rule, forcing them to live in ghettos. Jewish people trying to leave Germany in the 1930s had to pay an increasingly heavy emigration tax, and securing a visa became progressively difficult. Some children were able to leave Nazi controlled states on the Kindertransport, but they faced the huge sacrifice of leaving their families and belongings behind. The loss of freedom of religion, which prevented Jews from practising their faith, and showing their belief and devotion to God. There was also a loss of freedom of speech, which forbade people
Teatime Recital On Tuesday, we were treated to some wonderful music from our students, whilst eating some delicious cake provided by Roedean catering team. We had a Flute quartet, a Clarinet duo, and some beautiful solos. I particularly enjoyed hearing Tilly (Yr8) on the lever harp, a passionate rendition of Bizet's Carmen by Amyra (Yr8), and a really beautiful Brahms Clarinet sonata performed with real musicality by Carmen (Yr13). Well done to all the performers for a wonderful variety of music. If you would like to listen to some exerpts from the concert, please follow this link: https://vimeo.com/905915993/ b3350d8094
Ms Bartlette Page 4
from speaking out against their oppressors. Those living under oppressive regimes have no freedom of expression. People’s freedom of expression can be limited and restricted, with state-controlled media ensuring propaganda is fed to the general population. Those who speak out are often imprisoned or murdered. After societies are rebuilt, survivors making new lives in different countries may not be allowed to express themselves in case relatives in the home still face danger. Finally, there was loss of freedom of life, which resulted in 6 million Jews being killed in ghettos and concentration camps. Genocide is the ultimate act of violence, ending freedom to live. Mabel: The reading is adapted from a poem which translates as ‘I Believe’ by Shaul Tchernicovsky, who was born in Odessa in 1892 and died in 1943, during World War 2. His poetry provided hope for Jewish communities during the Holocaust. You may laugh at me Mock my dreams too But I believe in humanity, And I still believe in you. You may laugh that I believe in friendship, That I’ll find a heart again Whose hopes are also my hopes, that feels joy and also pain. I believe, still, in the future, Though it’s far off, nonetheless It will come and then each nation every nation with peace will bless. You may laugh at me Mock my dreams too But I believe in humanity, And I still believe in you.
HEAD’S REVIEW
House Eco Challenge It was inspiring to be part of last week's House competition. The students and staff in each House had collected materials that were destined to become waste, and instead re-used them to create art. Each piece had an accompanying explanation of why it had been created. House 1 created a turtle out of plastics, to highlight how non-biodegradable materials impact particular species. House 2 also created a turtle, encased in plastic, as they are one of the most impacted species by ocean pollution, and are also hunted and eaten in some countries. House 3 showed how pollution affects sharks by creating a piece where we stared into a shark mouth full of plastic. Finally, House 4 made an ocean scene collage, which included a plastic jellyfish causing problems for turtles, a fishing boat dumping broken nets, and a seagull (complete with feathers). Congratulations to our winners, House 4, for creatively showing such a breadth of environmental issues and various species in their piece. Thank you to everyone who took part, and to Ms Strachan for judging the art. Roedean is committed to reducing waste, so all opportunities for reuse of materials must be explored, and this activity was a brilliant example of this – well done!
Year 7 HHH Textiles The Year 7 students have been developing their sewing skills, as well as leaning how to use the sewing machines in their HHH Textiles lessons this term. They have made incredible progress, creating bears from a template of recycled fabric and using Roedean wool from the School Farm as the filling. Well done to the Year 7 students and to Mrs Petit!
Miss Kelsey
Mrs Borsberry Page 5
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
HEAD’S REVIEW
Netball vs Mayfield U12A On Wednesday afternoon, the mighty As played Mayfield. After our main focus of the week being defence, we took this opportunity to put it to the test. After the first quarter, the team left the court with a very confident lead of 11-1. After this, the team were given conditions. They had to play the ball back to the defensive third once they turned the ball over before attacking through court. We have all been in that situation (on the netball court) when your team win the ball, but then throw it away due to panic/no options. The team then had to react, move into their correct zone and then help get the ball up and down the court. This involved a lot of running and with only 7 players, they worked incredibly well. The next focus was feeding the ball into the D.
U13C
U13C Create Mayhem The U13C team took on Mayfield in their first home fixture of the term. The focus was on starting the game right, and we did just that, going 4-1 up after 7 minutes. We were pegged back slightly towards the end of the quarter, to be 4-3 up at the end.
The circle edge players were waiting for the shooters to work together in order to create space under the post. Both shooters worked well together, moving to create space for one another. The team then had half a game out of position but still playing by our principles and conditions. Miss Sparks was awarded Player of the match by Mayfield and my player would be Miss Ladd. She turned the ball over as a WD so many times which was so brilliant. She is also a very calm player on court which helps in turn over situations. Tune in in two weeks when they face a school in Winchester for the Semi- Finals of the SNS! C’mon Roedean!!!!!
The next quarter focused on widening the gap, and we managed to get 2 goals clear through successful shots by Rosa and Chloe. Chloe unfortunately took a tumble and couldn't play the rest of the match, meaning the rest had to step it up. We kept a 2 cushion gap and never let Mayfield draw level with us. A good attitude, and consistent shots going in, meant we never let go and pushed on to win 12-10.
U12A
Miss Walsh Page 6
Mr Campleman
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
HEAD’S REVIEW
U16A Netball vs Hurst
Netball vs Mayfield U13B
U12C
The U13B netball team, back to full strength after being affected by several injuries and illnesses, played Mayfield’s U13A team on Wednesday.
The U12Cs are really starting to gel together as a team, and they played some lovely Netball against Mayfield.
We started on the front foot, catching the opposition unawares, delivering the ball well into the D, and making lots of strong turnovers in defence. There was some good partner work in the first half, with Matilda and Alex working well in the shooting D, and Georgie and Katherine doing likewise at the other end. At half time, we had managed to create a good buffer, with the score at 7-3. At this point, the opposition started to switch on, and put us under a lot more pressure. Ezzie came in at both the shooting end and defensive end, and Paloma, Florence, and Martha all worked hard to control the centre court. As the opposition strengthened, we started to flap and, even though we made lots of turnovers, we were unable to keep our heads and get the ball safely to the shooters. By the end, Mayfield managed to outplay us in the final two quarters, and won 12-8. Well done to Matilda and Katherine who won MVP. Miss Kirby-Jones
We dominated from the start, so decided to mix up the positions for the rest of the match, to make it a fairer match against Mayfield. Cora and Gracie’s shooting is really coming along, and their accuracy has been excellent the past two matches. They are also getting better at shooting from further out. Jess is a steady centre, who drives forward for the ball well and is always trying to lose her opponent before the pass. Mabel (WA) helped connect centre and the shooters, and was moving into space well. She was great at receiving the ball on the circle edge, then feeding the shooters. In defence, Amara, Lily, Anna, and Perla had a lot of chances to tip/intercept the ball, but it was also great to see how well they were marking their players (stage 1 and stage 2). This made it really difficult for their opponent to throw an accurate pass. The best thing about this match was how kind and understanding the girls were with the Mayfield team, who didn’t have much experience of playing netball. It also gave our girls the chance to play in different positions that they may like to try out in the future. Player of the Match – Mabel Coach’s Player – Gracie – your shooting has improved so much and your footwork too! Highlight of the Match – how well everyone was defending as a whole team; there were so many interceptions and turnovers!
Miss Patching-Jones
Miss Patching-Jones
U13B
The U13D team won comfortably against Mayfield, and again showed their potential. Aggressive defending from Joy and Alia laid a strong platform, while Lily was very accurate when shooting. The second half saw lots of positional changes, and the girls adapted well – more movement off the ball will be a real benefit to this team, but overall it has huge potential, and a number of players could easily move up to a higher team. Mr Smethurst
In the second quarter, we capitalised on our turnovers and were patient in attack, resetting when needed. As a result, we finished the half up by 1. We carried on with the same momentum in the third quarter and, with some accurate shooting, we were leading 15-11 going into the final quarter. Hurst came out firing and desperate to snatch the win, and we held them off for the majority of the quarter, but, with 2 minutes to go, they had brought it back to level. It was goal for goal for the final 2 minutes and the score finished 19-19. It was a fantastic game of Netball – congratulations to Georgie, who was named Opposition's Player, and Liepa, who was Coach's Player. Keep up the hard work 16s!
Miss Hammond
Nail-biting Finish for the U15F Netball! The U15F team took on Christ's Hospital in a nail-biting game! Both teams fought hard from start to finish, playing with rigour and high intensity. Roedean put what they’ve practised in games into the match, with good angles on their drives and strong passes, which allowed them to take an early lead. Christ's Hospital put on a dominant performance in the second quarter, which brought them back into the game, with them leading 6-7 at half-time. In the third quarter, we worked hard in defence, sticking tight to our opposition, and made multiple intercepts, as a result, keeping us in the game.
U13D Victory
The U16As took on Hurst B team in a nail-biting thriller! Hurst came out strongly, and it took half a quarter for us to warm-up – fortunately, when we did, we dominated the second half of the quarter, getting ourselves back in it, only trailing by 1 at the end of the quarter.
The team showed excellent team spirit, with positive encouragement and communication throughout. The final score was 14-14. A huge well done to everyone – it was a fantastic game of netball, and you should be very proud of yourselves!
U12C
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Miss Donovan
HEAD’S REVIEW
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
Silver for Lucy at the British Ice Skating Championships Congratulations to Lucy (Yr11), who has competed at the British Ice Skating Championships: 'On Sunday 14 January, I competed with my team at the British Championships of synchronised ice skating in Nottingham. This competition, titled the Britannia Cup, is one of the major competitions of the season, and we had been preparing this since our last competition in November, when we won gold. Every Sunday, I go to training from 9:30 to 12:30 in London, doing a mixture of both on ice training and off ice stretching and warm ups. After travelling down on the Saturday morning, we competed in the Intermediate category on the Sunday. After a long competition day, my team of 16 were all delighted to celebrate our accomplishment in securing second place out of a category with nine other teams. We also were very pleased to have achieved a personal best of 37 points, compared to our PB from the last competition, in which we got 36 points. We have now started training again to prepare for the Steel City Cup in Sheffield in a month's time.' Lucy (Yr11)
Junior & Inter Cross Country at Waterhall On Tuesday, Roedean raced at Waterhall in Brighton for the Sussex Cross Country Championships.
herself a place in the Sussex County Squad. The other point scorers were Lux, Lili, and Georgia.
We took a Junior (Yr8/9) and Inter (Yr10/11) Team, to run over the 3000m and 3500m distance, respectively. As we arrived, the imposing mid-section hill was steep enough to cause a shadow as the sunshine of the day could not quite make its way above these lofty heights.
Having seen the excellent performances by our Junior squad, the Inters then took the stage. The team consisted of Megs, Kitty, Alicia, Bella, and Tiah, with the first four scoring.
However, Roedean was prepped, and with sub coats ready in the freezing conditions, the stage was set for spectators and runners. First up were our six junior runners. The team comprised Katherine, Bella, Lili, Georgia, Lux, and Abbie. Katherine led the team, finishing fourth overall, and earning
It was a fantastic atmosphere, and everyone enjoyed themselves very much. Covered in mud, we returned to Roedean with a smile, having had a successful day!
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Ms Marek
HEAD’S REVIEW
26 January 2024 – Issue 3
U13A Sussex Cup win over Ark Alexandra
U13A Triangular vs Brighton Girls and Cumnor House
The U13As were out on the road again on Thursday, making the long journey to Ark Alexander. We stormed the first quarter 9-2, linking up smoothly in attack with sharp decisive movements from our shooters. We continued to push on in the second quarter, with the score 18-2 at half time. We then used the rest of this match to try out different combinations and new positions. The team adapted well and maintained the majority of the possession. We kept pushing to the final whistle, with the score 23-4 to Roedean. This was a great win – well done! Special congratulations go to Matilda and Andrea for being named Opposition’s Players, and Eva who was Coach’s Player.
The U13As played a triangular against Brighton Girls and Cumnor House on Wednesday. We played Brighton Girls first and we knew it would be a very tough match. There were huge improvements from last time we played them, which was really positive despite it being a loss. The team re-grouped and discussed their personal aims for the next match against Cumnor. It was 3-2 at half time with some much stronger passages of play, but unfortunately, we ran out of steam and let them take the win, 7-4. After these matches, we reflected on our personal aims and personal triumphs. Both matches will be crucial to us building for upcoming tournaments and cup games. Well done girls, keep pushing!
Miss Hammond
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Miss Hammond
26 13 January October 2024 2023 – Issue 63
HEAD’S HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW REVIEW
Great Atmosphere at Roedean’s First Development Swimming
Sport Stars of the Week Congratulations to this week's Team of the Week, which is the U18 Badminton, for excellent displays in their recent matches. Well done also to the year-group stars: Mr Campleman Year 7 Isabella, for her excellent effort and dedication to the PE department and her sport this term.
On Thursday 18th January, Roedean held its first ever Development swimming gala, inviting Mayfield School and Brighton Girls to take part in a fun competition across the Junior, Inter, and Senior age groups. Most of the swimmers selected had never done a swimming gala before, so it was a great opportunity for them to get some real race experience. The team took part in events across all four strokes, and Roedean’s swimmers really stepped up to race, some of them in events that they hadn’t raced in before.
Year 8
The effort was excellent across the board, with some stand out swims from Ottie in her 50m breaststroke narrowly missing 1st place by 0.2 of a second, and Athena put up an excellent time for her 50m freestyle. Dixie took second place in her 50m butterfly with a very strong swim, and the relay teams did a great job of cheering each other on in every race. The atmosphere was very lively and positive throughout the competition, and the gala was rounded off with a delicious match tea, enjoyed by the swimmers, staff and parents alike.
Luciana, for her incredibly consistent effort and a superb attitude in Netball lessons this term.
Roedean placed second overall with 25 points, but more importantly some brilliant races were swum by all. Ms Marek and I were extremely impressed by the whole team and felt very proud. Congratulations all!
Year 9 Claudia, for her fantastic effort and attitude in Netball this term.
Miss Donovan
U12Ds Continue their Winning Streak!
Year 10 Charlotte, for her excellent work ethic in Netball lessons this term.
Roedean’s U12D Netball team took on Brighton College on Wednesday this week, and our Captain, Dixie, led the team to an excellent victory.
Year 11 Jolie, for fantastic performances in Badminton fixtures this term.
Roedean started strongly, pulling away in the first quarter with 5 goals to 0, and the goals just kept on coming. Soraya and Ore did a brilliant job at moving around the D and putting up some very accurate shots, whilst Cindy and Dixie were managing to get interceptions and tips to disrupt play and turnover the ball.
Year 12 & 13
Brighton College were a fast-paced team, but Aisha and Ottie did a great job of keeping up in the centre court, and Indira held strong in defence as Goalkeeper. Charlotte, who played excellently in the first quarter, continued to support the team from the sidelines after feeling unwell, and earned top spot as chief cheerleader for the U12Ds.
Mancy, for her excellent performances for the Roedean Badminton team.
As the gap widened between us and Brighton College, we varied our positions to gave everyone the chance to play somewhere different, a challenge the team adapted to excellently and really enjoyed. The game finished at 20-0, and the D team should be very proud of their strong display of skill and teamwork. Well done!
We welcome contributions from all parts of the Roedean community. If you have something you would like featured in the Head’s Weekly Review, please email: aws@roedean.co.uk
Miss Donovan
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