5 October 2018 - Issue 6
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction
‘Murder by the Sea’ – a Roedean Literary Festival
There can’t be many schools that would respond to the challenge of creating an event to inspire pupils from Roedean and across the local area, by setting up a mini literary festival and harnessing all the power of mystery novels, genetics, treasure hunts, and our amazing and enigmatic location. That’s exactly what happened this week with our first ‘Murder by the Sea’ literary festival, masterminded by Dr Barrand. It was wonderfully inspiring to have 120 visitors from Years 5-6 in the School alongside our own Year 7. They were full of excitement as they listened to authors, ran around hunting treasure, took their fingerprints, and went down the tunnel. I am delighted that all the girls really enjoyed the day. Thank you to everyone for masses of work behind the scenes, to Admissions, and to Biology in particular, who undertook an A Level practical with 200 girls!
120 girls aged 9-11 from London and the South-East joined Roedean’s Year 7 to enjoy a wonderful literary festival, entitled ‘Murder by the Sea’ this week.
On Thursday, we held a very successful Sixth Form Open Evening, and there was a real buzz of excitement and anticipation at the subject fair. The current Year 11 were joined by a good number of external girls who are keen to join the Sixth Form at Roedean. It was great to hear the animated conversations between girls and A Level teachers, discussing the content of the courses and how Sixth Form study is different from that at GCSE. Our aim in continuing to develop our Sixth Form, is to create as much choice, opportunity and independence for the girls as possible, so that the Sixth Form is not only a time for developing a passion for their subjects and their leadership skills, but is a genuine bridge to university, and preparing them for life and careers beyond school. I was also pleased to hear about our sporting fixtures with lots of successes this week and that a number of the strands of our partnership with St Mark’s are fully underway, as is Year 12 Community Action Programme. Congratulations to our wind and brass players who enjoyed the masterclass on Monday and played for the School in their teatime recital. Thank you to everyone for their support for the Macmillan Coffee Morning. Collectively, we raised lots of money for this vital charity. We have packed a lot into the first five weeks of term, and I would like to thank you all for your involvement in our mystery-themed Open Day on Saturday. I wish you all a restful weekend.
The festival included four female authors whose young adult literature features a girl detective. All the girls heard Lauren St John speak at the end of the day, and they also had the opportunity to listen to talks by Imogen White, Julia Lee, and Sarah Rubin. It was wonderful that, in each of the talks, there were questions galore from the floor, which could probably have added 20 minutes to each session. We were also very lucky to have Graham Bartlett as a speaker, since he advises Peter James, among others, to ensure that his writing is accurate from a Police perspective. One of the highlights of the day were the amazing sessions led by the Biology Department, in which the girls took their fingerprints and also did ‘DNA testing’ with inks. The girls enjoyed rushing around the school on treasure hunts, going down the School’s ‘secret’ tunnel to the sea, and buying books from the well-known local bookshop, the Book Nook, which were then signed by the authors. Overall, it was a wonderful day, full of fun and intrigue. Thank you to everyone who was involved.
Murder at
by the Sea
Roedean School
HEAD’S WEEKLY 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.
5 October 2018 - Issue 6
MacMillan Coffee Morning raised £483! What a fabulous morning we had on Friday 28 September, raising money for Macmillan. House 1 held their annual coffee morning in their ODR during morning break. A massive thank you to the helpers, bakers, donators, and, of course, the eaters! It was Roedean’s 10th Macmillan Coffee Morning, and this year we raised a total of over £483. Well done! All containers from contributed cakes are in House 1, ODR ready to be collected.
Dorothea B and Liv B (Yr9) for brightening up a Monday morning with a birthday card and cake with a Maths joke in the icing [ALU]
Ellen S, Janki P and Rosie J (Yr12) for speaking at the 6th Form Open Afternoon.
Each week, a member of staff who has gone above and beyond the call of duty can be nominated by their colleagues or the girls.
Ms Boobis for providing outstanding support to the medical centre this week!
Wind and Brass Masterclass On Monday this week, a large number of Roedean’s woodwind and brass players, ranging from Year 7 to 13, took part in a very stimulating masterclass with renowned clarinettist Katherine Spencer. The players learned about new technical and musical approaches to their pieces and how to communicate with an audience. The day finished with an informal recital in which the majority of the girls took part, doing their very best to display the improvements in their performances from their masterclass sessions. The concert included a lovely moment with Katherine taking to the stage herself, performing Pièce en forme de Habanera by Ravel, which was so full of musical character and an amazing range of tone. Well done to all the girls who performed and to Ms Spencer for a really enriching day of musical challenge. A special thank you must also be given to our piano accompanist for the day, Mr Maulkin, who played so sensitively for the performers.
Katie’s article’s been published Congratulations to Katie J-A (Yr7), who has had an article published in the Mensa Junior and Teen SIG Magazine, ‘Imagining the ancient world’. She thoroughly deserves the success – she said, ‘I worked really hard on it and it took me several days to write!’ The magazine is published all over the country, so loads of people will have the chance to read it.
Keswick Event On 1 October, we celebrated Nigeria’s 58th Independence Day – it is all about celebrating the Nigerian culture, which we did successfully! There was a brilliant atmosphere, filled with laughter and the sound of Nigerian music blasting from the speakers, and let’s not forget the smell of our delicious cuisine. It was a great event as we all came together to celebrate regardless of where we live in Nigeria and the tribal group that we were from. It has to be one of our best Independence Day celebrations we’ve had at Roedean. Jade A (Yr12)
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
5 October 2018 - Issue 6
Eastbourne Shopping Trip
Venus in CATS!
33 girls went on the Eastbourne Shopping trip at the weekend. We could not resist this fabulous photo shoot with a lovely back drop of Eastbourne. The girls had a wonderful time. We will be back to Brighton next Saturday, leaving at the slightly later time of 14:00 due to Open Day. JWL
Just after the holiday started, Venus G (Yr11) did LAMDA Grade 6 Acting and Prose, and she gained a distinction. She then participated in a one-day gospel singing workshop with the London Community Gospel choir, which is led by Mr Basil Meade, who was recently recognised for his work with an MBE. The young group’s performance with the choir was very impressive, and Venus was given a certificate. On 25 and 26 August, Venus played the role of Old Deuteronomy in 3 performances at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre in Woking of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical CATS. She carried off her role with a lot of grace and integrity and made it her own, after only 10 days of rehearsal with the Biz theatre school.
A Walk to Brighton Marina House 1 and House 2 joined together on Friday night for a walk to Brighton Marina – it was a beautiful evening and the sunset was amazing.
STAFF BOOK REVIEW – MS SHILLITO
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi A novel of breathtaking sweep and emotional power that traces three hundred years in Ghana and, along the way, also becomes a truly great American novel. Extraordinary for its exquisite language, its implacable sorrow, its soaring beauty, and for its monumental portrait of the forces that shape families and nations, Homegoing heralds the arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction. Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the
Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonisation. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation. Generation after generation, Yaa Gyasi’s magisterial first novel sets the fate of the individual against the obliterating movements of time, delivering unforgettable characters whose lives were shaped by historical forces beyond their control. Homegoing is a tremendous reading experience, not to be missed, by an astonishingly gifted young writer.
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
5 October 2018 - Issue 6
The Pygmy Goats have arrived! This weekend, three new baby goats arrived. They are being lead trained by the wonderful Sixth Form weekend prefects, and they are honestly the most adorable little creatures. You really should pop up to the farm for a visit! Next week, on Wednesday in the Fireplace, you will have the chance to name all five – the winners will get some chocolates, and the donations for putting forward a name will go to the School’s charities. JRO
Shakespeare Schools’ Festival
On Tuesday, 35 Year 8 girls took part in a performance workshop with two professional actors at the Old Market Theatre in Hove. This was part of their preparation for performing in the Shakespeare Schools’ Festival on 20 November. The girls will be presenting ‘The Comedy of Errors’ and the school will have the chance of a sneak preview, as there will be a public dress rehearsal in the Theatre at Roedean on 19 November.
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5 October 2018 - Issue 6
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Sport 1st XI Hockey victory vs Ibstock Place School
Having listened to Helen Richardson RichardsonWalsh at the end of last week, the 1st team girls produced a brilliant positive performance against Ibstock Place. The girls were coming off a tough match against Eastbourne College last week, and they reacted well with a very good team performance. In the first half, the girls showed a lot of attacking intent, with Lucy P linking the midfield and forward play well, with direct through-passing between the defenders. However Roedean didn’t take their chances and were refused by a resilient goalkeeper. In the second half, Roedean stepped up its performance and started to show more positive linking play, which created a lot more chances in front of goal. The final score was 5-0.
U13A Worth Hockey Tournament
The U13A team competed in the annual Worth hockey tournament. The girls were up against some strong opposition, and it was important for them to perform well to progress to the final stages. After playing the first few games, Roedean was tentative when in front of goal – you could argue though that we were unfortunate, with Issy B having a few chances saved by the goalkeeper. However, as the tournament progressed, Roedean’s confidence grew, and they demonstrated excellent passing around the pitch starting from the back. Considering the U13s are learning new positions and tactical play, the girls demonstrated once again an excellent performance which is great experience for future tournaments. The team finished 3rd in the group out of 7 schools,
meaning that they unfortunately missed out on the finals.
was some great counter attacking from us, the game finished 1-1. Well done girls!
Results: ■■ 0-0 draw vs Copthorne Prep ■■ 2-0 loss vs Great Walstead ■■ 1-0 loss vs Brambletye ■■ 3-0 win vs Brighton College ■■ 2-1 win vs Worth ■■ 0-0 draw vs Windlesham House
U12B vs Brighton College
U13B vs Brighton College – a fantastic win! The U13B hockey team pulled out a cracking performance against Brighton College this week. The girls listened to the instructions given and tried to apply them in the game. As a result, they were successful at using the width of the pitch when bringing it out of defence, and were starting to work effectively together in the circle to create numerous opportunities to score. Maria V came out of defence into the mid as she was effective at passing the ball through the gaps, and Tia L played in centre mid due to her quick transition from defence to attack. It was an excellent game for all players, however, Girl of the Game was awarded to Tia L, who thoroughly deserved it, mainly for her excellent crosses into the D. The final score was Roedean 2, Brighton College 0.
U13C vs Brighton College
The U13C girls adapted well to the changes in their team and worked really well together. The first half of the game was a slow start for Roedean, but they picked it up and started off the second half with a fantastic goal! Brighton then came back to equalise and, although there
The U12B hockey team had an impressive match against Brighton College this week. The girls have been focusing and working hard on using the width of the pitch, and they did this extremely well today. Our defence were strong and, in particular, Madeline E made some excellent passes from a 16-yard hit out. We were quicker at setting up our defence when Brighton gained possession, however, looking ahead, this is something that we can continue to work on. Girl of the Game was awarded to Pearl P for her excellent control on the ball and speed going from defence to attack. The final score: Brighton College 1, Roedean 0.
U12C vs Brighton College
The U12C team played Brighton College U13C and it was a thoroughly enjoyable game. Roedean started off keeping possession of the ball and we had several shots at goal. However, Brighton College showed some strong tracking and were able to put pressure on Roedean. During the 2nd half, Roedean went out strong and showed some brilliant determination to try and score. It was a close game with some strong skills being shown, and the girls worked extremely hard and they are starting to demonstrate some fantastic teamwork! A special mention goes to Ellie L who was awarded Player of the Match.
JJ WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE
WEEK AHEAD?
Mon 8 Oct
U13A Netball Regional Cup vs Copthorne Prep (A)
Tue 9 Oct
U12A Netball vs Warden Pack Academy (H)
Wed 10 Oct
U12A-B Hockey vs Great Walstead (A) U15A Netball vs Prior’s Field School (A) U13A-B and U13C-D Hockey vs Christ’s Hospital (H)
Thur 11 Oct
Indoor Rowing Championship (H) Music Recital at St Wulfran’s Church, Ovingdean
A Silver Medal for Tatum Congratulations to Tatum W (Yr10) who came in 2nd place and won a Silver Medal at the Ealing U17 Half Marathon mini mile. 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 5
Fri 12 Oct
Parents’ Guild Quiz Night
Sat 13 Oct
U14, U16 & U19 Netball National Schools (A)
Drama Performances
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