4 October 2019 - Issue 5
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction October is here, and the first month of the year seems to have flown by, yet so much has happened since the start of term. There have been a number of large-scale events this week, as well as Open Day tomorrow – I would like to thank my colleagues and the girls for their hard work and commitment to these events. On Tuesday, Roedean welcomed 150 Prep School girls to our STEM Festival, and they had a brilliant time on the carousel of activities covering the four areas. They were also lucky enough, along with our Year 7s, to listen a talk by our exceptional STEM Ambassador, Suzie Imber, who was great fun and an inspiration, while still being completely down to earth.
A superb drawing by House 1 student, Ashle
yL
MacMillan Coffee Morning in House 1 House 1 held their annual Macmillan Coffee Morning last Friday. The ODR was jam-packed full of cakes, balloons, bunting, and, of course, girls and parents. The atmosphere was amazing. A huge thank you to everyone, the bakers, the buyers, the tasters, and the boarding houses – everyone worked so hard on their contributions, and all for a wonderful cause. The total amount raised was £435.30 – outstanding!
Sixth Form choices can be tricky, but I hope that the Sixth Form Information Evening yesterday, both for prospective students and the current Year 11s, provided them the information they need to help with the decisionmaking process. The girls heard about the impressive offer in the Sixth Form at Roedean, the wide-ranging opportunities, and about the pathways they would follow to complement their chosen A Level subjects. Each department was also represented at the subject fair, where they could find out about Sixth Form study from members of staff and current Sixth Formers. In the Performing Arts, hot on the heels of the excellent Music Scholars’ recital, the Drama Scholars from across the School presented a lovely series of monologues about the suffragette movement this week. They have worked intensively over the last few weeks to showcase their performance skills and stagecraft. Furthermore, the Year 9 workshops with a West End musical theatre performer were very successful, and many of the girls are also rehearsing in their Houses for the House Drama competition next week - well done, and break a leg! It is brilliant to hear about some of the girls’ outstanding individual successes in sport – you can read about some in this Review, and I am incredibly impressed by these girls’ dedication and commitment to their sport. I am also very pleased to read that this week’s fixtures have gone very well, with great performances from Roedean teams. From the match reports, it seems that the teams are gradually improving their play, and that they really are demonstrating in matches what they have been working on in training, which is great. Well done for this week, and I would like to thank you all in advance for your part in tomorrow’s Open Day enjoy the weekend, and best wishes for next week.
Please see pa
ge 2
STEM Day at Roedean
Please see page
3
Les Mis star at Roedean
U12 Hockey
Nigerian Inde pendence Evening in La wrence Please see pa
ge 5
Please see page 7
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
4 October 2019 - Issue 5
Les Mis star at Roedean It was a pleasure to welcome Charlotte Kennedy to Roedean on Monday to work with girls in Year 9 throughout the day in Dance and Drama workshops. Charlotte made her professional West End debut in Les Misérables as Cosette, and has been in the show for 5 years. It was a wonderful opportunity for the girls, who worked with her in groups for 50 minutes, and she also gave a masterclass at lunchtime to some Year 10 girls. The workshops culminated in a short performance at the end of the day with
each group presenting the scene they had worked on to show what they had learnt. In addition, Bo, Charlie, Dorothea, and Jemima (Yr10) sang the show’s iconic song ‘I dreamed a dream’, which was lovely. At the end of the performance, Charlotte did a Q&A with the girls, and she fielded some interesting questions about the industry she’s in, her favourite shows, auditions, and how difficult it can be to get a part. Well done to everyone involved, and thank you to Miss Markey and the Theatre team.
Kisu B-A (Yr7) for being so kind and caring towards some of the girls who were a bit scared at the London Dungeon last Sunday – she really was very thoughtful [JCH]
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.
Curators' visit from Fishbourne Roman Palace Last Monday, the whole of Year 8 were treated to an afternoon of learning about Roman food and clothing from two curators of Fishbourne Roman Palace near Chichester. The girls tried on replica clothing, learned about the manufacture of clothes, helped make some Roman recipes, and tasted different types of food, made according to the Roman recipes that have survived. Here are some views of the afternoon from the girls:
‘ They were fun and interactive.'
‘The food tasted really good.'
they ‘ I liked it when ce en di au e ‘ I'm thinking of got th .' in in jo a job in the fashion to world and it was nice to know what the style was like in Ancient Rome.' g ‘We learnt interestin es things about their liv e, at , ed liv ey th and how and what they wore.'
‘Trying the wine.' (– this was grape juice obviously!!)
‘It was interesting to see what they ate, because it didn't look very nice!' Page 2
Rosie J and Shan L (Yr13) for maintaining such composure when lighting the 31 candles in our Founders’ Service last Friday – it is important to get everything right at such a poignant occasion, and they did brilliantly [RB]
4 October 2019 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
STEM Day at Roedean 150 girls in Years 5 and 6 from London and the South East came to Roedean this week to take part in a challenging and really enjoyable STEM Day. The number included groups from Prep Schools, as well as individuals with a particular interest in STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are areas of strength at Roedean, and have consistently been so for many years. This is particularly impressive since it bucks both national trends and common stereotypes about girls and subjects in this field. Our visitors undertook a carousel of hands-on group activities during the day, and the grand finale was a lecture with our remarkable STEM Ambassador, Dr Suzie Imber, who is Professor of Space Physics at Leicester University. For Science, the girls, dressed in lab coats and goggles, did experiments with Bunsen burners to find out about the chemical processes used to make rocket fuel. This built up to a final experiment which fired a plastic bottle across the room, to excited screams and cheers from the girls. In Technology, they designed a balloon-powered car, taking into consideration both materials and its look. They tested their prototypes during the session, in order to make changes and improve their designs. For Engineering, the girls talked about what it is that makes buildings both tall and stable, and then put their findings into practice in groups by creating structures out of spaghetti and marshmallows. In Mathematics, they learnt about binary code, and then, in groups with each girl holding a card with either 1 or 0 on it, they had to work out numbers in binary – for example, to express 42 in binary, six girls lined up with their cards showing 101010. At the end of the day, our visitors and all of Year 7 were treated to an inspirational talk by Dr Suzie Imber. Not only is she Professor Space Physics, a mountaineer who has discovered ‘new’ mountains in South America, and the winner of BBC2’s Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes? programme, but she is also part of the team which has designed and built one of 11 instruments on the European Space agency’s current Bepicolumbo mission to Mercury. But you have to be patient, because the mission left in 2018, and it will not arrive on Mercury until December 2025! The talk was outstanding, and Suzie fielded well over 30 brilliant and insightful questions at the end. The STEM Day was a great – and who knows, perhaps someone sitting in the audience will be a future astronaut!
ROEDEAN’S
Roedean School FESTIVAL at
Page 3
1
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
4 October 2019 - Issue 5
Drama Scholars’ Performance On Wednesday, Roedean Drama Scholars breathed new life into four short Suffrage Plays that were written over a hundred years ago. Although women were given the vote in 1918, it was not until December 1919 that the female voice of Nancy Astor was finally heard in the House of Commons, as she became the first woman MP to take her seat. The girls created a diverse range of characters that ranged from the impoverished factory girl, to the stage-struck starlet, Maudie Sparks. Some gave emotional accounts of how a women’s voice should be heard in order to be more sensitive to the plight of children and women, while others gave a comical rendition of chauvinistic attitudes. All the girls gave a committed performance from Year 7 to Year 13 and they spoke the language with energy and ownership which showed a great understanding of the issues raised.
Life Drawing Last weekend, a group of Year 12 & 13 artists took part in an all-day life-drawing class. Tutored by the fantastic Jake Spicer, we learnt many different techniques and exercises to make our drawings more dynamic. Everyone really enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with their drawings and we all learnt something that will help us with our art in the future.
Opening of the Clubhouse After the Founders’ Service last Friday, it was wonderful to be able to open the newly refurbished Clubhouse. OR Teresa Outhwaite, whose donation helped to complete the work, in memory of her late aunt, cut the ribbon to open this space. The Clubhouse will be used in a variety of ways, including being used by the Sports Department to host visitors and by the boarding houses for socials and activities in the evenings and at the weekends. It really is a wonderful space overlooking the pitches and the sea, and for a number of years, it has just been used for storage, so it is great to breathe some new life into it – well done to everyone involved in the refurbishment, especially Mr Hawkes! Page 4
Rosie J (Yr13)
4 October 2019 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Nigerian Independence Evening in Lawrence It was wonderful to celebrate Nigerian Independence this week with the girls – they were a delight, creating a fantastic atmosphere
in minutes. A huge thanks must go to Demi from House 3 for organising the event, and especially to her Mum, who cooked all day to provide the girls with amazing food, as well as bringing all the drinks. It was a lovely evening!
Jamie and Jemma are Young Drivers Jamie and Jemma N-GS (Yrs7&11) had a brilliant time at their Young Drivers lesson last weekend. They each had an hour of full tuition with a qualified driving instructor, in a manual car, driving around a road layout, including reversing, and parallel parking. What a great opportunity!
Agatha’s Guinness World Record!
Royal Opera House Trip
Following the ballet (which she said was fabulous), Agatha AE (Yr7) walked passed a Guinness World Record attempt involving Rubik’s cubes. Basically the Rubik’s Cube company was trying to beat the record for the number of people completing a Rubik’s Cube to form a large mosaic picture. As luck would have it, she happened to be passing at the precise moment they needed two more cubes to actually break the record – so Agatha was given a lesson in how to do a Rubik’s Cube, and she completed the last cube to beat the record!
Giselle from House 2 celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China
On Wednesday, 22 girls g ‘This is somethin k travelled to the Royal Opera in th ’t n that I do House to see the Royal I will forget.’ Ballet perform Manon. ) The performance was Olivia P (Yr9 moving, exciting and ‘I loved the way the dramatic and was choreographer Kenneth thoroughly enjoyed by all. The dancers’ Macmillan combined performance was traditional classical ballet with outstanding and some contemporary and lyrical mesmerising, styles. The lifts performed showcasing by the dancers were uniquely detailed costumes, beautiful and mesmerising . extravagant sets and It was an amazing experience!’ wonderful music. Galina B (Yr8)
Book Club Every week in book club, we do a simple book craft while discussing anything book-related – this week we were learning Harry Potter spells by making Cutie Catchers. While waiting for the SSBA shortlist books to arrive, we also looked through the School Librarian magazine and discussed which new releases to buy in for the library! JNI Page 5
4 October 2019 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Living History On Tuesday, Year 9 were fortunate to have a day of Living History. The day was led by Corporal Knight and Lieutenant Edward who introduced the girls to life as a World War One soldier. The girls learnt about recruitment and drill, what it was like in a trench, the uniform, equipment and weapons used. Girls had the opportunity to handle artefacts and even try on some uniforms. In the second sessions, girls learnt about medical treatment during the war, including typical illnesses, treatments and surgery. Again the girls had an opportunity to look at artefacts, handle gas masks and a few girls even tried being stretcher bearers. It was a fascinating day and complemented the girls' History studies, where they are currently learning about the First World War. Corporal Knight commended the girls for their thoughtful questions and engagement in the day. The day has also given the girls a thorough knowledge and preparation for their residential visit to the battlefields in France and Belgium later this month, which will be another thought provoking experience.
Art trip to the V&A The year 10 art trip to the V&A gallery was an incredible experience and eventful to say the least. The ceramics room inspired all of us in its intricate and unique pottery and the fashion gallery opened our eyes to the amazing possibilities and potential of art. But the outfits weren’t the only artwork there, as the Strachan Squad blinded everyone with their breathtaking personalised hi vis outfits! Thank you so much to the Art department for organising this trip and making it such an amazing day for everyone; we look forward to seeing everyone’s sketchbooks filled with memories from the day. Page 6
Isla and Sylva (Yr10)
4 October 2019 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Hockey
U12B secure solid win vs Brighton College U12B got off to a fantastic start, having a shot on goal within the first 2 minutes of the match. Roedean continued to put pressure on the Brighton defence and soon were 1-0 up at half time. In the second half, there was some great linking play from Chloe and Alya and solid defence from Constance. The final score was 3-0 to Roedean, with Alya scoring all 3 goals. A massive well done to all the U12Bs for a great performance.
U14A Hockey Sussex Cup
Congratulations to the U14A Hockey team, who got to the final in the Sussex Cup – the girls had some brilliant matches. Here are their results: Group matches ■■
Draw vs Bedes 1-1
■■
Win vs Christ’s Hospital 3-0
Semi Final ■■
Win vs Eastbourne College 2-0
U12A
Final ■■
Draw vs Brighton College 0-0, but we lost on flicks
U13C victory vs Brighton College
The U13C had a great game against Brighton College. The girls were solid in defence and cleared the ball out very well. They got more confident in attack as the game went on, displaying some fantastic skills. It was a very close game, with Roedean taking the win 2-1 in the last 5 minutes. Congratulations to Katie L for receiving opposition’s player – it was well-deserved!
U12A win 7-1 vs Brighton College
U14A
The U12As took on Brighton College for their first home game of the season. It was a fantastic game for Roedean and the girls showed off all their skills. Our defence was driving the ball up the pitch, linking with the attack very effectively. At half time, Roedean was up 4-0. They went back on to score 3 more amazing goals, with the final score 7-1. Well done to Polly for scoring 4 goals – excellent work! Congratulations to Evie for receiving opposition’s player.
U12B
Sussex Hockey for Talya Well done to Talya H (Yr8) who has been selected for the Sussex County Hockey U13 Junior Academy Centre again this year.
Sussex Hockey for two U14 Roedean girls Isabella P and Nia S (Yr9) have both been selected for the Sussex Hockey Under 14 Academy – this is a brilliant achievement, and they will learn so much as part of this programme. Congratulations!
Park Run Roedean took part in its first parkrun at the weekend at East Brighton Park. Roedean girls did brilliantly and they should be proud of completing the 5K run. The course was a 3-lap course, with several hills along the route. All the girls showed great grit and determination as they went up the hills and managed to dig deep when it was getting tough. Rida, Maddie, Aarushi, and Alisa (Yrs7-9) all performed fantastically and managed to complete the run in under 35 minutes, which is a fantastic achievement. A huge well done to all! KWA
Deepdene Football Deepdene1 vs Roedean1 2-0 to Roedean1
Deepdene1 vs Roedean2 5-2 to Roedean2
Deepdene2 vs Roedean2 1-0 to Roedean2
Deepdene2 vs Roedean1 1-0 to Roedean1 Page 7
4 October 2019 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
14th in the World for Alex! After school last Friday, Alex S (Yr8) travelled to France to compete in her first international speed-skating competition of the 2019/2020 season, namely the International Open French Trophy. Following two days of racing, including eight 500m and one 1000m individual races, Alex accumulated enough competitive points to be placed in 1st position in the U14 Ladies’ category and, as such, she proudly brought home the Gold medal. Her 500m time was good enough to see her enter this season’s World Rankings at number 14 in the U14 age category – while this is an incredible achievement, Alex’s goal is to get into the World Top 12 this season. October will be a very busy month for her, as it will involve a great deal of training, travelling, and competing in three major international competitions: ■■
18-20 October – at the International Alta Valtellina Trophy in Bormio, Italy
■■
25-27 October – at Star Class, European Challenge Series in Bergamo, Italy
■■
2 November – at the International Frillensee Cup in Inzell, Germany
We look forward to hearing how she performs in the competitions – good luck!
Badminton win vs Roedean Moira House Roedean’s first Badminton match this year saw girls in Years 7-13 compete against Roedean Moira House. The competition was closely contested throughout, and, after 12 games, the score was tied at 6-6. In the last 2 matches, Roedean managed to win some vital points in the games and came away with a 8-6 win. There were some great performances all round, but a special mention must go to the senior A team.
Constance is 5th in GB for the 400M! Constance L (Yr7) has had a very busy start to the swimming season! She has already swum some good personal bests, but two highlights are being ranked 5th in Great Britain for the 400m Individual Medley, and 10th for the 100m individual medley. She heads to Aldershot this weekend, as we enter a key part of the short course season – we wish her all the best!
Maria and Eliza at the Sussex Cricket Awards We are very proud that Eliza S and Maria V (Yr9) were both winners at the Sussex Cricket Awards on Saturday night. Maria won most improved player in Sussex SW team, and Eliza won most improved played in Sussex SE team! Both girls are currently trialling for Sussex U15 team, so we are keeping everything crossed! JJ WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE
BIOLOGY WEEK
Triathlon for Alice!
Mon 7 Oct
Alice F (Yr7) completed her first triathlon last Sunday at the Hever Castle Triathlon 2019 event. Despite the wet conditions and competing against many club athletes, she achieved a respectable time of 43mins precisely. The elements of the course were a 200 metre swim, a 4 kilometre cycle, and a 1,800 metre run. She said, ‘I really enjoyed it, getting muddy was fun, and I definitely want to do another one’!
Tue 8 Oct Wed 9 Oct Thur 10 Oct
Fri 11 Oct
Sat 12 Oct
Sun 13 Oct
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
WEEK AHEAD?
Junior and Senior Swimming Gala (H) U15A Hockey vs Burgess Hill Girls (A) House Drama Performances Junior & U15A National Swimming Championships (A) Year 10 DT Trip to Design Museum London Years 11-13 Art trip to Tate Modern Indoor Rowing Championship House special Supper Year 11 Parent & Tutor Cheese & Wine Evening Junior & Senior Cross Country First Rounds 1st Hockey vs University of Sussex (H) Year 7 History Battle of Hastings event 1st Hockey vs Hurstpierpoint College (A) Year 8 Residential to Isle of Wight Year 9 Residential to Battlefields Year 10 Residential to Blacklands Farm Year 12 Residential to Ilam Hall Peak District Year 13 Residential Hartlington Hall Peak District
Follow us
@RoedeanSchool
@RoedeanSchool