2nd February 2018 - Issue 5
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Aerial View of the pitches taken by JWS during a flying lesson
Strings Masterclass
Head’s Introduction
On Monday, the Roedean String players took part in a fantastic Masterclass with BBC Violinist, Mr Matthew Elston. He had the pleasure of listening to our students performing on the cello, violin, and harp. Mr Elston’s extensive knowledge helped develop various techniques, and the focus was very much on how to communicate their sound and phrasing to an audience. He put everyone at ease and the girls found the classes extremely enjoyable.
With only one week to go before half-term, the first 5 weeks of term have passed quickly, but together we have achieved a great deal – congratulations!
The students performed in a teatime recital at the end of the day, and they are to be congratulated on playing to such a remarkably high standard. The concert concluded with a superb rendition of Bach’s Gigue for solo violin by Mr Elston. A special thank you must be given to the accompanist for the day, Mr Maulkin, who did a sterling job throughout. SOB
The Chinese New Year celebrations begin during half-term on 16 February, so we intend to start the festivities early at Roedean, so that we can all share in them together. On Wednesday evening at 5:30, weather permitting, we will have a firework display at School to kick things off. If last year’s was anything to go by, it will be brilliant! The Catering Department will prepare traditional food for us all on that day, and parts of the School will be decorated with Chinese lanterns. There will also be a calligraphy club on that evening, as well as a number of activities in the first week back after half-term. Thank you in advance to Mrs Wu, Dr Gong, and Melanie (Yr13) for their help with these preparations. In the third week back after half-term, in the middle of Academic Week, we will be marking International Women’s Day with our own Festival Celebrating Women. We will be joined by a range of excellent female speakers, and I am sure that you will all find something to suit your interests. It will be a great day! I hope that the Parents’ Evening for Year 9 goes well this evening, and that you are able to find out all the information you need to make your GCSE option choices with confidence. I say ‘break a leg’ to Sorcha and her fellow actors for their play performance next Wednesday, and I hope that you enjoy our Chinese New Year festivities! Good luck to you all for next week!
Name the Roedean Bear – 61 entries so far! Following on from the Christmas Fair, we are holding a competition to name the Roedean Bear. Poor Roedean Bear has gone far too long without a name, so, for 50p, we are asking you to suggest a name for him. We will then ask Mr Blond and Miss Keller to choose their favourite from the suggestions – whichever name is chosen will become his official name and the winner will receive their own giant version of Roedean Bear. All of the money collected will go to the Lumos charity.
2nd February 2018 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Unsung heroes in the spotlight
Roedean Festival Celebrating Women – 8 March
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.
On 8 March, to mark International Women’s Day, we are holding a Festival Celebrating Women. We will also be joined by a number of students from some other schools in the area. I am delighted that we will be welcoming fourteen external speakers to Roedean, four of whom are ORs, to share their experiences with our students. Click on the names below for some links: Dame Mary Archer – Chemist who is the Chair of Trustees for the National Science Museum Holly Bourne – Children’s Writer, with an interest in feminism Katy Bourne OR – Police Commissioner for Sussex and Conservative politician Rose Hudson-Wilkin – Chaplain to the Queen and to the Speaker of the House of Commons, and one of the first cohort of women to become bishops in the Church of England Jasleen Kandhari OR – art historian, specialising in Indian textiles and Sikh art
Sorcha H, Martha W, Freya S, Lucy B (Yr12) for playing at the Burns Night Supper [MTA]
Rebecca Long OR – the founder of Boudica Films, a female-centric film company Professor Mary Lovegrove OBE – a diagnostic radiographer, who is Emeritus Professor of Education and Development for Allied Health Professionals Virginia McKenna OBE – actress and wildlife campaigner, who founded the Born Free Foundation Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu – lawyer and women’s rights’ activist, who is also the cofounder of the Women’s March London
Maggie EB, Loretta S, Zarbanu M, Emily T (Yrs12/13) for waitressing at the Burns Night Supper [MTA]
Yang-May Ooi OR – a creative ‘actionista’ who runs the online studio Tiger Spirit, exploring stories which fire up your creativity Professor Kate O’Riordan – Professor of Digital Culture at the University of Sussex, with a focus on how gender and sexuality are presented in digital media Gabrielle Rowles – proponent of the BoingBoing Theory which focuses on resilience and a positive mind-set Anna Sandell – commercial airline pilot from Sweden Maggie Alphonsi (tbc) – ex-England rugby player, who was the Sunday times Sportswoman of the Year in 2010 The girls will be able to choose most of the sessions they attend, allowing them to hear speakers whose specialisms suit their interests most. Next week, they will all be required to complete a wufoo form to indicate their preferences – I hope that some of the information and links included here will help them to decide. It will be a wonderful day, with an outstanding range of speakers, and full of slogans like #BeBold and #PressforProgress. RB
Excellent university offers for Year 13
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Jade has won a highly sought after place at NYU
Here are some headlines:
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Fran has won a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
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Martha has already been offered highlycontested places to study Medicine at both King’s College London and St George’s – this is very early in the cycle for Medicine offers
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28% of those who have applied through UCAS have already received offers from all their chosen universities
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Marlene (Staff) for really looking after Chapel each week, and making sure that it’s ready for the services each week [RB]
#PressforProgress
5 Oxbridge offers – Melanie, Georgina, Sharon, Emily, Yian
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Ohi has won a Dean’s Scholarship at 2 US universities – at the University of Denver Colorado, her scholarship is worth $88,000!
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Annie is one of a small number of students who have unconditional places at UK universities, should they make the relevant university their first choice
There will be more updates in due course.
Winter Photo Competition – The City Are you a budding photographer? The termly Roedean photo competition theme for the Christmas holiday was ‘The City’. The entries for the summer holiday competition were excellent and are now up along
main corridor. The deadline for your submissions for this round is Monday 5 February. Please email them to Miss Boles on jbo@roedean.co.uk – the best entries will be displayed for all to see along the Main Corridor.
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
2nd February 2018 - Issue 5
Year 9 Volunteers at Downs View Last week, four Year 9 students began a new and exciting initiative, supporting students with learning difficulties at a local primary school in Brighton. The girls take the short taxi ride to Downs View School every Monday lunchtime. Gowri, Niah, Chloe, and Darcey were chosen after applying for the role, they demonstrated a level of maturity, empathy, and resilience that will ensure they represent Roedean with the highest distinction going forward. The girls will spend time socialising with the students both in the playground and classroom. They have been allocated to class groups ‘Hedgehogs’ and ‘Squirrels’! The girls are all looking forward to supporting the local community and learning life skills that will be important both at Roedean and beyond. The Deputy Head of Downs View School, Rachel McDonald-Taylor, commented, ‘I am very excited by this initiative and the link with Roedean in general’. Well done to Gowri, Niah, Chloe, and Darcey – there will be further updates in due course. GWI
Roedean at the Palace of Westminster Twenty-three students of Government and Politics went to the Palace of Westminster this week. Our tour guide, Frank, expertly steered us through the building, revealing along the way its great history and idiosyncrasies. We were lucky enough to visit both Chambers, which were, according to many of the girls, ‘much smaller than on TV!’ Sincere thanks to Miss Hindle and Miss Earl for accompanying us throughout the day. JHM
Burns Night The School hosted a fantastic Burns Supper last Friday 26 January. The evening was a traditional celebration of the life and works of Robert Burns, as well as raising money for the School’s Pitch Perfect Appeal.
The evening ended with beautiful Scottish music performed by some of the School’s finest musicians. Everyone enjoyed the evening immensely and we hope this will become an annual event at the School.
Guests donned their finest tartan and were welcomed to the event in the Old Ref by traditional piping. After drinks and a lively game of Heads and Tails, everyone enjoyed a traditional Burns Supper of Scotch Broth, Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, and Cranachan. The piper led the procession carrying the haggis into the room, and speeches, toasts and poems throughout the evening included the Selkirk Grace, the Address to the Haggis, a Toast to the Lassies, and a Reply on Behalf of the Lassies.
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Alumnae and Development Office
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
2nd February 2018 - Issue 5
Activities in the Houses A fun Sunday afternoon was had in House 1, making homemade pizzas ready for the House Meeting. The girls made the whole pizzas from scratch, and then added their favourite toppings. The girls are now looking forward to their weekly House Meeting to sample these delights!
Great excitement was had on Saturday evening when Miss Ford-Senior and Miss Truman organised a ‘Pamper Evening’ in House 2 ODR. The facepacks were all made from fresh ingredients, and the girls and staff all took part in trying them on. The evening was topped off with chocolate fruit kebabs and herbal teas. A huge thank you to staff for putting on this fun evening. Let’s hope you all recognise us this week as we all feel 10 years younger! Next Saturday we are having a Pancake Evening, with every topping possible – please do pop along and sample one in House 1 ODR from 7:30pm. Many House 4 girls have shown outstanding kindness to the homeless community in Brighton this week by participating in the shoe-box appeal. They wrote letters from the bottom of their hearts to people less fortunate, and collected items to donate, some essential and some to enjoy. Many shoe-boxes and large bags of donated clothing were presented to our Charity Prefect, Maria, to be distributed. The House 4 girls’ kindness will make a genuine difference to peoples’ lives – we are extremely proud of you! The House 4 girls celebrated Australia Day 2018 with ANZAC biscuits and build-your-own Aussie pavlovas!
Gracie at the South of England Champs Gracie B (Yr10) ran at the South of England Cross Country Championships. She came 83rd out of a field of over 300. She placed for the Brighton and Hove A team, which was the 7th team in the south of England, and the top Sussex team. Congratulations, Gracie! Page 4
2nd February 2018 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Netball Headlines JJ 80%
OF YEAR 7 TOOK PART IN A COMPETITIVE NETBALL FIXTURE THIS WEEK!
JJ ROEDEAN
FIELDED FIVE NETBALL TEAMS ON WEDNESDAY! AN AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT!
U12B - heroic victory against Brighton College!
On Wednesday, the U13B had an exciting victory against our local rivals. Roedean played brilliantly to dominate the shooting circle. Our defenders made loads of turn-overs, and we went in to win by 15 - 4! The Player of the Match was Issy B. HHY
U12D & U12E
U12A at Westbourne House (Tournament)
Our U12A squad had a really positive visit to Westbourne House where they took part in a mini tournament. We got off to a fantastic start in our first match, beating Sion 6 - 2. Next up, was Brighton College. A really exciting match saw Brighton go 5 - 1 up..., but Roedean came back in the 2nd half to pull their opponents back to 5 - 5. It was really tense and both teams had excellent moments of play. However, we were just pipped to the post by our local rivals, and lost 6 - 7 – so close! We completed our group stage with a close game against Westbourne House. It was goal for goal throughout and there were some wonderful interceptions from Erin S. Ava L also put away some great mid-range shots. It was another tough loss for our girls, who sadly trailed 6 goals to 8. In our placing match, our opponents took an early lead to go 1 - 0 up. Roedean battled on, and took countless interceptions and tips. Some beautiful feeds into our shooters saw us get more chances on goal and eventually we took the lead and the match 3 - 1. We achieved a very pleasing 5th place overall, and we are slowly but surely getting closer to our local rivals. Well done!
U12D & U12E vs Christ’s Hospital
The U12D and U12E team travelled to Christ’s Hospital to play netball. It was a tough fixture for both teams – the girls kept their focus and showed improvement throughout, but both teams lost. The Players of the Match were Amalie and Tinaye. U12B
U12C won 10 - 3 vs Brighton College
The U12C had a great game against Brighton College. Throughout the game, the girls performed brilliantly and used the space effectively. There were numerous interceptions made and this showed that the girls were working really hard. Brighton College tried hard to keep possession in the second half of the game, but our girls were strong and showed great determination! The final score was 10 - 3 to Roedean, and the Player of the Match was Tilly C.
U13A vs BC
The U13A squad had a rollercoaster game against Brighton College today. Due to a very slow start, Roedean allowed Brighton to take the first quarter 11 - 0, which put us in chase mode for the rest of the game. After some strong focus points at quarter time, the girls made a very good come back and narrowly lost the last 3 quarters by 1 goal! The defence was outstanding throughout! We need to work on our decisionmaking and passing accuracy in attack, however, I was impressed at the girls’ determination to turn their performance around. The Player of the Match was Marianna L.
U13B vs BC
On Wednesday, the U13 Bs played against Brighton college. We played very well and showed improvements throughout the game. In defence, Zainah and Frieda worked well together to stop the other team from getting the ball into the D. Overall, it was a very good match and well done to everyone who played! Although Roedean fought hard, Brighton College proved too strong.
U13C won 6 - 2
By Issy H (Player of the Match).
The U13C team put on an incredible performance today against Brighton College, playing their best Netball to date!! Such impressive play meant that we won our first game of this season 6 - 2. All the girls played extremely well, showcasing some excellent movement. There were some fantastic drives onto the ball which left the BC players stationary. The winds were high, however this did not stop Darcey and Harriet finding the net. It was a great game, with Sophie N being voted Player of the Match!!
U12A
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2nd February 2018 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Mother/Daughter Netball Last Saturday saw the PE Department host a lovely morning of Netball bringing, Roedean girls’ mums, sisters, and other family members together to play the popular sport. It started with a group warm up led by Mrs Pittingale & Miss Hyams, before the entire group split up into 4 mixed teams to play. It was so nice to see the girls and their families playing side by side, and also to see the positive and high-spirited competitiveness amongst the more mature players! Everyone got stuck in and played, with some fellow male relatives on the sidelines cheering them on. Flowers were awarded to 2 selected ‘mums of the day’ who were Georgia & Sasha H’s Mum and Ava & Ella L’s Mum – congratulations! The morning finished with a PE Department vs Students match which saw the first preview of what’s in store for this year’s staff/student Netball Tournament! Bring it on girls!
and we will definitely be running it again next year. Thank you for all your support at this event and for supporting on the sidelines, despite the weather! GCR
To round off the event, we all had a lovely afternoon tea in Horizons; there were some lovely comments from parents about the event,
JJ WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE
WEEK AHEAD?
POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH WEEK
Junior Results
House 3 win House Swimming Well done to all of the girls who swam for their houses on Monday. It was the usual fun and noisy event, which saw both juniors and inters competing against each other in all strokes. The junior competition was very close indeed, with only a point between the top 3 houses. House 3 won overall, but the other houses are catching up. It was great to see so many club swimmers in the pool, and it showed how strong our swimming is at Roedean. House 4 definitely were the loudest supporters, and it was fantastic to see the whole house out supporting their girls.
1st
House 3
2nd
House 1
3rd
House 2
4th
House 4
Inter Results 1st
House 3
2nd
House 4
3rd
House 1
4th
House 2
Mon 5 Feb
Swimming Gala vs Mayfield (H)
Tue 6 Feb
U14A Birley’s Netball Tournament at The King’s School (A)
House Dance Competition
Year 9 Business Enterprise Day Year 13 Psychology ‘Brain Day’ Year 11 GCSE Drama trip to ‘War Horse’ Wed 7 Feb
U12A & U13A Netball vs Mayfield (A) U12B,C&D & U13B,C&D Netball vs Mayfield (H) Sixth Form Play at 16:30 in the Theatre Fireworks at 17:30 (weather permitting)
Overall 1st
House 3
2nd
House 1
3rd
House 4
4th
House 2
We welcome contributions from all parts of the Roedean community. If you have something you would like featured in the Headmaster’s Weekly Review, please email: marketing@roedean.co.uk Page 6
Thur 8 Feb
Volleyball vs Burgess Hill (H)
Fri 9 Feb
END OF HALF TERM
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