Heads Review - 2024 Issue 8

HEAD’S REVIEW

Head’s Introduction

What a great privilege it has been today for our students and staff to hear from twenty-two remarkable and inspirational women, to mark International Women’s Day. If each were to inspire just one student, that would be outstanding, but I have no doubt that so many will have been fired up by what they have heard. The sheer range of impressive female speakers at our event, including virtual speakers from other continents, means that it suits this year’s theme #InspireInclusion perfectly.

World Book Day yesterday was great fun, and thank you to everyone who dressed up as a character from a book – I spent the whole day spotting different outfits, which was brilliant. The pop-up bookshop, run by Mrs Bailey and Ms Shillito, was a huge success, and the costume catwalk at lunch was great fun. Thank you to everyone who dressed up, and I am pleased that the day will also have raised valuable funds for our Project 125 Moldova charity.

The Careers’ Fair on Tuesday brought representatives of 50 professions to Roedean, and there was a real buzz in Centenary Hall as the students visited the stands, asking questions and finding out more about what is involved and required in different jobs. Thank you to Ms Boobis and Mrs Chaston for organising the event, and for drawing on ORs and current parents to make it even more tangible for the girls.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and I am looking forward to next Friday’s 24-hour challenge, when Year 8 will take on the School to be the first to cover 777 kilometres to raise funds for their year-group charity, MNDA!

World Book Day at Roedean

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.

Maria, Nicole, and Queena (Yr13) – for performing Earth Song so beautifully in Chapel [Dr Barrand]

Gabi and Liv (Yr12), and Charlie (Yr10) – for speaking with such confidence in Mrs Walker's Chapel about the importance of Easter [Mr Wriglesworth]

Unsung Staff hero in the spotlight

Miss Badalova – for going above and beyond in a cover lesson for Year 9 History – thank you! [Miss Orrells]

Tilly at UCLA

Well done to Tilly (Yr11), who has been accepted by UCLA on their highly competitive pre-college Summer Art Institute course in Fine Art Painting, which is held at UCLA in Los Angeles.

The application process was quite involved, and the decisions usually take three weeks – how wonderful that Tilly won a place within 24 hours of submitting her application! She had to upload images of 4 pieces of recent art work, along with a supporting statement about why she would be a worthy recipient.

What a brilliant achievement, and how exciting to spend some time in California over the summer – well done!

Academic Lectures –International Women's Day

This week, students from various year groups took the stage in our Academic Lectures to commemorate International Women's Day with a series of insightful presentations.

From Year 7 to Year 13, these students showcased their admiration for influential women who have left an indelible mark on history. From literary icon, Sylvia Plath, to scientist, Rosalind Franklin, and artists, like Vanessa Bell, to modern-day trailblazers, like engineer, Tiera Guinn Fletcher and cricketer Heather Knight, these presentations were a testament to the diverse contributions of women across various fields.

Thank you so much to Isabelle (Yr7), Violet (Yr7), Lili (Yr8), Bella (Yr8), Alma (Yr8), Lucy (Yr9), Sofia (Yr9), Anya (Yr9), Gabriella (Yr9), Molly (Yr9), and Sigrid and Phoebe (Yr13), for their thought-provoking presentations, which served as a reminder of the invaluable impact of women throughout the ages!

Well done!

Ms Ibanez Barcelo

Percy – Finalist in the British Education Awards

Congratulations to Percy, who was a Finalist in the British Education Awards, as a result of her exceptional GCSE results – she achieved a remarkable unbroken strong of twelve Grade 9s. This accolade won her a place as a national finalist in a glamorous awards' ceremony in Manchester. Well done, Percy!

Year 12 and 13 UCAS Breakfast

Year 12 enjoyed chatting to Year 13 about their University and Higher education journey on Wednesday morning at our ‘UCAS & HE Breakfast’, whilst tucking into delicious pastries and fruit.

Year 12 really valued the thoughtful and personal advice from the Year 13s, who answered questions such as how to make a strong application, how they made their choices about courses and destinations, and recommended reading. A big thank you to the Year 13 for taking the time to help with this, and it was lovely to hear such positive feedback form the Year 12s, who are now feeling more confident about their own Higher Education journey.

Ms Sturgeon (Head of Year 12) and Mrs Newman (Head of Year 13)

Roedean Academy Monoprinting

The Roedean Academy students enjoyed their monoprinting session with Mrs Alexander this week, and the work they produced in a short space of time was excellent!

World Book Day at Roedean

Yesterday was a charity non-uniform day, raising funds for the orphanage in Moldova, which Roedean has pledged to support for the next decade.

As this coincided with World Book Day, everyone was given the opportunity to dress up as a character from a book. The result was amazing, with many students and members of staff choosing to embody their favourite characters from a wide variety of books.

The costume showcase took the shape of a mini-cat walk, overseen by Ms Shillito, along with a pop-up book shop run by Mrs Bailey. Well done to everyone who took part, and particularly to the winners of each category. The overall winner was Dixie (Yr7).

Well done to everyone involved. Thank you, as ever, to the remarkable Catering Team, who produce delicious themed treats, whatever the occasion!

Well done!

Roedean Community Groups Entertain the Somerset Centre in Horizons

This event was a collaboration between 3 CAP groups, Community Cooking, Community Music, and the Somerset Centre group. It was attended by 18 elderly members of the Somerset Centre, most of whom were visiting Roedean for the first time, and many of whom remarked on the wonderful seaside views!

There was a great atmosphere throughout the afternoon, with the Somerset Centre joining in with the singing and dancing – there was rapturous applause at the end of each song or piece of music, and a real sense of fun and entertainment.

Musical entertainment included songs from The Greatest Showman, The Jackson Five, and Abba, and, by the end of the afternoon, there was a real party atmosphere.

The event was a great success and an opportunity for Roedean girls to show hospitality, teamwork, collaboration and leadership. The Somerset Centre members had a great time and it was a wonderful experience for them to interact with the younger generation and to visit Roedean on a nice sunny Spring day. They also got to enjoy the best homemade sausage rolls ever!

Everyone left with smiles on their faces, and the Roedean students enjoyed it just as much the elderly members of the Somerset Centre. Thank you to all the students involved for their hard work, and for Ms Kelsey for putting it all together.

Ms Bartlette

Careers Fair

C Hall was buzzing on Tuesday afternoon as we hosted our annual Careers Fair. This year we were joined by 46 contributors, including ORs, current and former parents, and external companies representing a fantastic range of careers from different aspects of Medicine and Engineering, to Fundraising, Creative and Performing Arts, and Law, amongst many others.

It was particularly exciting to welcome back two relatively recent leavers Millicent Davies (201719) and former Head Girl, Maggie El Beleidi (2011-18), who have now embarked on careers in Logistics and Politics respectively.

Throughout the afternoon all of our own students, and the students from local state schools attending the Roedean Academy, had the chance to visit the fair to learn more about areas of interest to them. The feedback we have had from the contributors has been fantastic:

Julie Searle, BIH Ltd: "Thank you for having us yesterday at the careers fair. It was great to talk with so many students from Roedean and Brighton schools – they asked very intelligent questions and I am sure they will be keen engineers of the future. This made me and my colleague happy for the future of women in STEM, and young people of their calibre will help us confront the challenges facing our society in the future."

Kerry Harding, Rise: "The questions the girls were asking were really thoughtful and interesting. Lots of girls asked a lot of questions about fundraising activities. They were looking for ideas to help them raise funds for the charities that each year-group supports. They liked ideas like quiz nights, bake sales, and fun challenges. It was very evident that Roedean instils a strong sense of social responsibility in the girls, and they are learning that charity work is part of community life. This is a huge credit to Roedean School; you should all be very proud."

National Careers' Week at Roedean

As National Careers' Week draws to a close for another year, what a fantastic week Roedean have had celebrating. On Monday, Year 12 focused on narrowing their choices for university admissions in Life Skills. On Tuesday, our annual Careers' Fair took place, with students in every year group in the School exploring almost 50 stands representing Landscape Architecture, Medicine, Acting, Graphic Design, Systems Engineering, Political Strategy, Law, and loads more besides. Students from Roedean Academy were also able to attend.

Feedback from attendees and presenters alike was incredibly positive, with one presenter

saying of the students, "They were charming, engaging, polite, and bright" and "The girls inspire hope for all our futures."

On Wednesday, our staff CPD was focused on career development and what it means to be a leader within a school context. On Thursday, World Book Day focused the school community on the magic of the arts and the important role that writers have in creating imaginative worlds for us all to play in from time to time.

And on Friday, International Women's Day introduced the students to a diverse range of inspiring speakers who shared their words of

wisdom and their journey to where they are today with our community.

Throughout the week, Year 13 have continued to receive exciting offers from universities to help them on their next steps towards careers in Visual Arts, Engineering, Law, Psychology, Theoretical Physics, and more! What a week! And, as if that wasn't enough, next week's Future's Bulletin will have a bumper range of resources for students who've been bitten by the careers bug and want to do more!

Ms Boobis

This Week in Boarding...

House 1 tried their hand at making homemade chips this week, with a classic tomato dip! Girls also celebrated National Toast Day, what a yummy snack.

House 2 successfully attempted a homemade pavlova, complete with blackberries and their very own lemon curd! A flavoured tea sampling also occurred over the weekend. Girls are getting to grips with the new Nintendo Switch, and very quickly becoming experts! Fuelled by cheesy nachos, they created Mothers' Day cards, ready to send to mums all over the world!

House 3 celebrated National Floral Design Day by creating unique flower crowns – they all look so beautiful! Skills were shared in the kitchen, as Jolie cooked up some fried eggs, for everyone to enjoy on some lovely warm toast! A wholesome Sunday meant fresh tomato soup, with homemade cheesy bread – how yummy! They also turned the idea of a traditional pizza on its head and created a cookie pizza, with a chocolate base and lots of sweetie toppings. Bingo night arrived, and the usual competitive spirit was evident, with everyone trying to win first line and full house!

House 4 celebrated the leap year with a adrenaline-fuelled hunt around the House for tiny hidden frogs. These could be exchanged for chocolate Freddos! Girls also dressed in pink for National Pink Day, and enjoyed some pink treats, and a good dance! A few cold, windy, wet days meant that boarders were delighted when they were greeted with a hot chocolate, with all the trimmings, of course!

Sixth Formers became incredible pizza chefs, with every topping you could think of! They even managed to make a racoon's face, see if you can spot it!

Miss Barnett

Roedean Masterclass with Pamela Cookey

This week, our Admissions Department hosted an England Netball Experience Day on our wonderful courts, run by the even more wonderful, Pamela Cookey, She was selected to represent England for the Commonwealth Games in 2002, and won Bronze medals in 2006 and 2010. Our prospective students threw themselves into the experience, and they loved working with Pamela, who was so positive and supportive. They learnt so much in a short time, and I am sure that they will have taken away a set of improved skills, as well as the memory of working with a brilliant England netballer. Congratulations to everyone who took part!

Mrs Wienekus

Music Events

Come and join us at our Open Mic Night on Thursday 14 March, and at our Chamber Music Evening on Tuesday 19 March –get your tickets here: https://roedean. ticketsolve.com

Netball vs Brighton College

U13C

This was a tough day at the office for the U13Cs. We stepped onto court raring for a good game versus Brighton College, and the sun was shining! With Bella squared and Florence rotating the mid court positions, they were quick to transition the ball through court. Rosa and Zaina had their work cut out for them in the shooting circle, and it was Bea, Ying, and Aya holding down the fort at the back.

The first half was tough, with the team struggling to find their fire and fight for the ball. We regrouped and gathered, but, with BC having a player taller than me, this was a tough ask to break down. Unfortunately the final whistle went at 31-4 to BC, but the girls were in good spirits.

Well done to Bella and Aya for being named Players of the Match this week. Great work this season, team, and I can't wait to hear how you get on at U14!

Miss Bamford

U12A

Having played Brighton College in November where we lost 20-26, we had a big point to prove at home. All season we have been working hard on taking the ball through the court, tight marking, and being in a good position to shoot.

The first quarter was very up and down. We maintained possession of the ball for around 80% of the time, but the score did not reflect this. Brighton managed to score off some of their centre passes and just did this quicker than we did. In the second quarter. we made some changes to the positions. Dixie came on as GK, and Sparks moved to WD. This allowed some height in the D to help Betsy turn the ball over. We did struggle a little to move the ball from Brighton’s goal third to ours, but, after a few minutes of play, we settled in nicely to the new changes and trusted in our attacking work.

By half-time, we were up by a few more goals which relaxed everyone, as we knew this was going to be a big game. In the last quarter, one of their players went down. A big shout out goes to Sparks, who stepped in and played WA for them. The last quarter was our best – we looked confident in the D and made good decisions when turning over the ball.

This was a big win for the U12A team, who deserved it after all their hard work this season. One very happy Miss Walsh here – c’mon Roedean!

Miss Walsh

U13A Netballers 2nd Place at SISNA!

Each year, we host the Under 12 & Under 13 Sussex Independent Schools' Netball Association Tournament at Roedean. It is always a fantastic display of top-quality netball, and our U13As did not disappoint.

They started off with the toughest game of their pool, and secured a 5-5 draw versus Brighton Girls. We then stormed through the next three fixtures, winning 10-1 versus Burgess Hill, 15-1 versus Mayfield, and 11-1 versus Ardingly. For our last game of the group, we faced a strong Great Walstead side. It took us a while to settle into the game, which allowed Great Walstead to be leading 3-1 at half-time. However, Roedean went out determined in the second half, with multiple turnovers in defence and smooth efficient transitions through court. Fortunately, we took the win 4-3, so the group positionings then went down to goal difference with us coming second. This meant we then faced Brighton College in the semifinal. In this match, we played some of our best netball of the season. We kept extremely tight to our players and executed our centre pass attacks with pace and excellent timing. The score was a draw at half-time, so it was all to play for in the final 7 minutes. Our squad adapted well to the weather and worked short passes through court, building from turnovers. We managed to gain a 2-goal lead and maintain it for the final minutes. This outstanding performance secured us a spot in the final against Brighton Girls, with whom we had drawn earlier in the day.

We got countless turnovers in the first half, but struggled to transition through court. Brighton Girls were leading 3-1 at half-time, and we went out fighting in the second half. We scored straight away, narrowing their lead to 3-2. The ball was going end to end, but, in the weather, both teams were struggling to score. With 2 minutes to go, it was still 3-2, so it was a very tightly-contested game! Brighton girls had a breakthrough, and secured the win 5-2.

We are so proud of this squad and the progress they have made this season, particularly in the last 6 weeks. They played some outstanding netball, and adapted well in the conditions. It was a well-deserved 2nd place in Sussex! Huge well done to all in the squad.

Miss Hammond

U15 SISNA –

Third Place

On Thursday 29 February, the U15A Netball team took part in the annual SISNA competition held at Hurst. The weather was awful! We went to the tournament with positive thoughts and vibes ready to smash it.  In our pool, we played 4 schools where we won convincingly. This gave us great confidence when going into the qualifying rounds to play Ardingly.

After a long break and relentless rain, we took to the court. Each of the games were 7 minutes each way, with a 1-minute half time to make changes. Towards the beginning of the game, we were matching Ardingly’s score. Our attacking work was smooth, getting the ball to the D and then playing it in safely. The defence were also working very hard to turn the ball over, pass it to the attackers, and level up with the opposing school. Unfortunately, we made some errors which costed us a couple of goals. Every few centre passes, we managed to make the gap slightly shorter, but, with the time running out, we were not able to close the gap enough. Ardingly won by two goals which allowed them to face Hurst in the final.

To finish, we played Brighton College in the 3rd and 4th playoffs, and beat them. Even thought it was not 1st or 2nd place, the girls played incredibly well and should be pleased with their efforts. Spirits were still high, and, due to the amount of rain we had all day, the girls returned to being young children and splashing around in the puddles!

Well done everyone – what a great result for Roedean.

Miss Walsh

U13A

Netball in the Sussex Cup U12 SISNA – Runners Up

On Wednesday last week, the U12s played in the SISNA tournament which was hosted by Roedean. We invited many schools to come and take part. The U12s were split into two pools and faced some very strong teams. The girls played managed to win all their matches in their pool which meant we were through to the semi-final.

This game was played against Brighton College, which was a tough lone. With a draw on the final whistle, we had to play an extra two minutes each way. There was a moment in the match where we were down by a goal and suddenly, the team dug deep, brought everything to the match, and managed to finish with a win. This was so exciting, but it did mean facing Hurst in the final. We only recently played the Hurst U12 team in a block fixture, which was hard and physical. We knew what we needed to do in order to win, and with the wind against us we played a short ball every time.

Hurst and Roedean were like for like in the first half of the match. We did make a few mistakes, which meant we had to work even harder to win the ball back. With the clock running quickly, we were playing catch up and just unable to take the win. The girls left the tournament in second place which was an incredible achievements Well played everyone and I cannot wait for us to face them again next year and hopefully take the gold!

Miss Walsh

U15A

The U15A team played their last match in the Sussex cup before the finals which will take place next Wednesday. This match was against Cardinal Newman. The first quarter of the game was an opportunity for us to take the lead with a score of 9 goals to 1.

In the second half, Cardinal Newman pushed hard through their attack and scored off both teams' centre passes. We were still up at half time, leading 17-6. The team played some lovely netball down court, passing to the shooters, but also being there as a reset option.

In the third and fourth quarters, Roedean attackers managed to make a number of turnovers, which resulted in the shooters scoring. This gave us an even bigger goal difference, and we finished the game 37-18.

Bring on the finals!!

Miss Walsh

U16A

The U16A team had two Sussex Cup matches in quick succession, with two very convincing wins. The first was against Priory School Lewes, where we dominated the first quarter 20-1. This fantastic lead allowed us the opportunity to try out different combinations and positions on court.

The players adapted well in their new roles and maintained their basics well. A fantastic performance from the whole squad secured the win 58-8.

Our second cup match was against Bede’s away. This was a closer match, with us narrowly leading 4-3 after the first quarter. We changed the angles on our movement and were much more patient with the ball in the second quarter, allowing us to extend our lead to 10-5. Bede’s came out stronger in the third quarter, but we kept pushing and stuck with our structure. With some accurate shooting and excellent defensive pressure through court, we took the win 21-14. Huge well done to all, especially Polly who was the Opposition's Player.

Miss Hammond

U15A

U12

On Friday, six of our high-flying swimmers travelled to the London Aquatic Centre in Stratford, to compete in what was the venue for the 2012 Olympic swimming events. It was a very exciting opportunity to compete in such an iconic venue, and the team were racing against schools from across the country in the Freestyle and Medley Relay events.

Maisa (Yr7), Katherine (Yr8), Farah (Yr8), and Alice (Yr10) were up first in the Freestyle Relay, and the team performed brilliantly, with every swimmer recording an exceptional time in the long course (50-metre) pool. Alice took the final leg in an incredible time of 29.88, and the team achieved an amazing 2:07.15 overall. In the Medley Relay, Alice started strongly on Backstroke, with Clara (Yr11) powering through on Breaststroke, Maisa putting up an

13 October 2023 – Issue 6 HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW 8 March HEAD’S REVIEW

unbelievable time of 32.52 on Butterfly, and Evelyn (Yr9) storming home on Front Crawl for an overall time of 2:23.83.

The quality of swimming from our team was excellent across the board, and we finished 6th out of 9 teams in both of our heats. Although we did not qualify for the finals, to be competing against 80 other schools in an Open Age group is incredible. Our young swimmers ranged from the 11 to 16, and they put up some great times against teams made up of majority Sixth Form swimmers.

Ms Marek and I are extremely proud of our swimmers, and every single member of the team gave 110% effort. Huge well done to all!

Miss Donovan

Well done to all of this week's sporting stars, and the Team of the Week goes to the Bath and Otter swimming relay team, for their excellent performance in the Bath Cup. Well done!

Mr Campleman

Year 7

Heidi, for a brilliant attitude and fantastic effort in all PE lessons and co-curricular sessions

Year 8

Dita, for excellent progress and effort in Netball this term

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Year 8

Sophia, for her fantastic effort and a superb attitude in all Netball lessons this term

Year 9

Zlata, for working so hard and having such a positibve approach to Netball this term

Year 9

Faye, for stepping in during a swimming gala and performing brilliantly

Year 10

Megs, for her excellent progress and consistent effort in Netball this term

Year 11

Saffron, for displaying consistent effort and a great attitude this term

Year 12 & 13

Amelia, for consistent effort and exemplary commitment to Netball this term

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