10th June 2016 - Issue 8
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction As more and more exams are completed, I would like to say a big well done to Years 7-9 who are getting their results back now, wish good luck to Year 10 who are halfway through their internal exams, and congratulate all those girls in public exam years who are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. At the other end of the spectrum, it was fantastic to see the awe and wonder on the faces of the 171 pupils from local state primaries as they watched and took part in science experiments at Roedean yesterday. The Primary Science Day is designed to give children access to science labs which they do not normally have, and they loved the experience, especially the demonstration at the end of the day by a professor from Brighton University.
52 weeks this year. The article in this review will reveal more details of how far he has run over the last year, but it is inspiring to have people in our midst who have done such amazing things – congratulations!
I am delighted that Roedean’s new website has been launched, and on it you can see some of the new photography which has been taken recently, as well as videos and audio recordings of recent events. I am sure you will agree that it is very engaging and dynamic, and a wonderful reflection of the school. Thank you to Dr Barrand and Mr Parker for their dedication to this project.
We have only a few weeks left of this academic year and there is so much to fit in and enjoy. I encouraged the girls this morning to make the most of all the community activities and events coming up in the next three weeks, and I hope that parents will also be able to enjoy the sport, drama, and community events wherever possible. I wish you all a wonderful week.
One event which is coming up at the end of next week is the Race for Life and Family Rounders Day on Saturday 18th June, in which I hope you will enjoy taking part. Mrs Chandler has set us a target of £5000 through the various fund-raising activities this week, including selling Race for Life T-shirts and holding a coffee morning, as well as running on Saturday, but I hope that we can all work together to exceed that and raise a huge figure for this worthwhile cause.
In Chapel this morning, we heard from Mrs Bakhtiari, Mrs Robins, and the girls celebrating the life of the sporting legend, Muhammad Ali. It was incredibly motivating to hear what this man, named Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC, achieved in his career, but perhaps more importantly how he used his fame to bring about so much good, particularly focusing on civil rights in USA, but also working with the United Nations; he is an inspiration to us all.
Race for Life and Family Rounders
One member of staff who is unlikely to be running is Mr Brett, our Finance Bursar, who has achieved the incredible feat of running 52 marathons in
Race for Life and Family Rounders – Saturday 18th You are all very welcome to come to take part in the 5K Race for Life at Roedean which begins at 10:00 on Saturday 18th June, which will be followed by Family Rounders in the afternoon, which is always a lovely event, bringing girls, their families, and staff together for an afternoon of fun. ■■
Please bring a picnic with you to enjoy on the field
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Horizons will be open for refreshments
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The Parents’ Guild will be selling cold drinks, and cake! – if you would to donate a cake for them to sell, please bring it with you or leave it in any House 2 on Friday afternoon.
All the money raised on the day will go to the Cancer Research UK.
Saturday 18th ThisJune - 9.30 - 3.30 Saturday 18th June year, Roedean is combining its Race for Life event with Time:
Cost:
10:00—14:30
Free
Where:
Website:
Family Rounders.
Come and join us for a 5K run to raise money for Cancer Research before indulging in a relaxing picnic lunch and some friendly family competition between ORs, Roedean girls, teachers and parents.
Roedean has launched its new website – take a look at roedean.co.uk Roedean School raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org
10th June 2016 - Issue 8
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.
52 Marathons in 52 weeks! Scarlet P and Anna L (U4) for their excellent results in the end of year History exams [RCH]
Sasha M (L4) – for an excellent performance in her English exam [HBO]
Sheila W (6.1) for her continued dedication to Chapel and Bell-ringing [DWY/CC]
We are both delighted and amazed by the fact that out Finance Bursar, Mr David Brett, has just completed 52 Marathons in 52 weeks, from 6th June 2015 to 5th June 2016. As a result, he has reached a total in excess of 100 Marathons and been welcomed into the ‘100 Marathon Club’, which currently has about 550 members. It is to provide a focal point for runners in the UK who have completed over 100 races of Marathon distance or longer. The gentleman presenting Mr Brett with the shirt is Mr Traviss Willcox, the current Chairman of the Club and a veteran of 400 Marathons in his own right. I asked Mr Brett what would make you think up a plan of running a Marathon every week for a year, and this was his reply: “On June 6th last year, I won the Marathon I ran again last Sunday. That was the start of it. Because I had to reach the total of 52 and I had had to
take some time off earlier in the year, Sunday was the last of 4 Marathons in one week, and I came last! I think I need to rest for a bit now!” What is even more amazing is that Mr Brett didn’t just run 52 Marathons in the last year… he has done all of this too: four Half Marathons, three 10-mile races, one over a distance of 15K, one 7-mile race, nine 10K races, 1 over 5K, and a staggering 1020 miles of training! The races included local events in Brighton, such as the Roedean Race for Life 5K, to an international marathon in Marrakech. The longest event was a 50-Mile UltraMarathon in Kent. His best result was a win at the Viking Coastal Marathon, and his worst was last place at the Reculver Marathon. The future might include moving up to a 100-Mile UltraUltrathon but, in the interim, he is trying to take it easy so that he can recover! Congratulations from the entire Roedean community! RB
Budding Philosophers at Roedean
Serena C (U3) for her constant helpfulness to her fellow tutees [SDA]
Maddie D (L4) for always being wellmannered and showing strong etiquette
On Wednesday, five budding philosophers made their way to the New College of Humanities, London, to hear Peter Singer lecture on “’Famine, affluence and morality’ revisited”. Singer, Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University, rose to international prominence with the publication of Animal
The summer production is almost upon us, and the girls have been working very hard in rehearsals – if you would like tickets, please follow the link on the poster. Page 2
Liberation in 1975. Since then he has written many other books, including Practical Ethics, The Expanding Circle, How Are We to Live?, and, most recently, The Life You Can Save. In his lecture, Singer pressed us to consider where the limits of our moral obligations to those living in poverty lie. The girls found his lecture challenging and inspiring.
Roedean School presents:
I Could Always Find Tears The play will last an hour and is free, but please reserve a ticket either on the website: http://boxoffice.roedean.co.uk, or by phone: 01273 667655. The performance will be followed by refreshments and the theatre bar will be open before and after the show.
a play with songs
written and composed by Robert Rigby
Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th June @ 7pm Roedean Day @ 10am
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
10th June 2016 - Issue 8
Primary Science Day – they loved it! 171 pupils from five state primaries in the area came to Roedean yesterday to have some fun with science and they thought it was fantastic. This brief corridor conversation sums it really: RB: Are you having a good day? Girl: Yeah, my hand was actually on fire! RB: Didn’t it hurt? Girl: No! RB: Why not? Boy: That’s Science! They made hot-air balloons in Physics, they made fire in Chemistry, they went swimming, they found out about wind turbines, and it ended with an amazing lecture demonstration by Professor Hal Sosabowski, with bangs and
Ava’s Legally Blonde flames and light and dry ice – what’s not to love!
Farewell and good luck to the Leavers! Friday 27th May was a wonderful celebration of the girls in 6.2 and their time at Roedean. Although they have public exams after halfterm, this was the last time when the entire cohort were together in school. We will be very sad to see them leave, but this is such an exciting time for them, as they move on to the next stage of their lives – we are hugely proud of everything they have achieved during their time here, and we are confident that they will go on to do great things in the future. Leavers’ Day began with a delicious Champagne Breakfast, at which the girls were joined by members of staff, and it was not long before the reminiscing began, with everyone sharing fond memories over delicious pastries. This was followed by photographs in the Quad, and the combination of the deep friendships formed at Roedean and the backdrop of the wonderfully blue sea in the sunshine, captured together on film, must surely guarantee that they will be brought out in years to come to be shared with loved ones. Leavers’ Chapel is always a fantastic part of the day. This year, the girls danced down the nave of the Chapel, grouped according to the year they joined the school, accompanied by an iconic song from that year. Their fondness for the school was clear from the stories they told, and they also awarded witty prizes to members of staff, again highlighting the quality of relationships at Roedean.
Ava D (L4), who is a Drama Scholar, is performing this week at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange Theatre. She has a part in Brighton Theatre Group Youth’s production Legally Blonde – The Musical. The seven performances from 8th to 12th June include two matinées on Saturday and Sunday.
more appropriate than this occasion, when every member of the school community wishes each of the Leavers good luck for the future. Girls were laughing and crying, and it took quite a while for everyone to say their goodbyes. More photographs were taken, with more moments captured for posterity and moments of fond nostalgia in the future. The day’s celebrations ended with a very sophisticated Leavers’ Ball in The Grand Hotel in Brighton. The girls looked splendid in their beautiful ball-gowns, and it was great to see parents, guardians, members of staff, and girls all enjoying themselves. The dinner was delicious, ending with a Vote of Thanks by Kelly C and a Toast to the Leavers from Saoirse M. That was the signal for the band to start playing, and the girls flocked to the dance floor to let their hair down. The atmosphere was wonderful throughout the evening, and the Ball was the perfect end to a memorable day. We wish all of the girls in 6.2 the very best of luck for their examinations, and look forward to hearing of their successes in the future.
Ava became the very youngest member of Brighton Theatre Group when she was cast, aged 9, in ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, which was staged coincidentally at the Roedean Theatre. Since then, she has been cast by them in every show she has auditioned for, including Hairspray, West Side Story, Grease, Sound of Music, and Les Misérables, in which she played one of the principle roles, Young Cosette. With a current age range of between 11 and 24, Ava remains one of the youngest cast members and yet one of the few who has performed in so many of their shows. Legally Blonde is the feel good musical for the Summer season where Elle, her Chihuahua Bruiser, and her Sorority Sisters prove that being pink and blonde is no barrier to a successful career in law! Congratulations to Ava from everyone at Roedean, and break a leg!
Hand-shaking is a wonderful Roedean tradition, and it is never
For tickets, contact the Dome Box Office http:// brightondome.org/event/9524/legally_blonde Page 3
10th June 2016 - Issue 8
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Ali and Tiggs Our Head of Grounds, Ali Polawski, completed a 33km endurance ride on her horse Tiggs over half-term, in a time of 3 hours and 16 minutes. She only bought him last June, when he was just turning 4 years old. At that stage, he was only at the very beginning of his education, and had just accepted having a saddle on, and having someone sitting on him and walking up and down. She has loved teaching him from scratch, and is very proud of what they have achieved together so far. Ali is really proud that in a year Tiggs has gone from zero to superstar, clearly loved every minute of his long distance ride, including negotiating 29 gates on the route, which he did like a pro, as well as loading and travelling in her horsebox! What a great story about team-work and dedication.
U13 Cricket vs Gildredge House On Tuesday 7th June, Roedean played their final U13 Sussex cricket league match against Gildredge House. Roedean fielded a young side against an experienced Gildredge House team who had a number of club and county cricketers. The match was played to a high level, with Gildredge House bowling extremely well. Although Roedean showed a courageous effort with the bat, Gildredge House were to strong and won the game. A special mention must go to Alice E, who batted very well in her final game for Roedean. Alice has been a very talented cricketer this year and it is a shame that she will be leaving Roedean this term – she will certainly be a cricketer to look out for in the future and on behalf of the team, we wish her the best of luck. ACA
Amber’s been made a UK Sportshall Ambassador Congratulations to Amber A (L5), who has been asked to take on an ambassador role for the Sportshall organisation, following her wonderful successes all season in Athletics, and in particular becoming the Sportshall Champion this year. She and her male counterpart will be the two ambassadors for the forthcoming season. She was honoured to be offered this opportunity, and will be a wonderful role-model, presenting awards at UK Championship events, and inspiring budding athletes to take up the sport and work hard to hone their talents. We have no doubt that she will perform these duties excellently, and their organisation’s decision to choose Amber to be their ambassador is a testament to her commitment and dedication to the sport – well done!
Athletics Multi-Skills Festival at Roedean On Wednesday 9th June, Roedean welcomed Millais to take part in an athletics and multi-skills festival. The afternoon was a brilliant sporting competition and celebration for all girls in Years 7 and 8. It allowed them all to represent the school in a variety of athletics disciplines including shot-put, javelin, discus, hurdles, long jump, and relay. In addition, they competed in a multi-skills festival that allows them to demonstrate good team work, co-ordination, accuracy, fitness, and endurance. The girls were supported by several Year 9 students who began studying Sports Leaders Level 1 earlier this year. The Sports Leaders were excellent and the event would not have been possible without them. They worked so well with all students from both schools and ensured that a positive, friendly and competitive attitude was maintained throughout.
Well done to all girls who took part and worked tirelessly and to the highest standard on a very hot afternoon. The athletic skill on display was impressive with some of the top individual performances of the day being shown by Roedean girls. Overall results were: ■■ Multi-skills Winners were Team Atlanta ■■
Multi-skills Runners up were Team Tatum
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Athletics Winners were Millais 1
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Athletics Runners up were Team Venetia
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Overall Winners were Team Tatum
Well done and thank you to all for your hard work. CS
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: news@roedean.co.uk Page 4
Roedean Art Exhibition in Brighton There will be an exhibition of A2 and GCSE Art work by Roedean girls at the ONCA Gallery in St George’s Place from Tuesday 21st until Sunday 26th June – the gallery will be open from 12:00 till 7:00 from Tuesday to Friday and 11:00 till 6:00 at the weekend. Please do drop in to see some of the wonderful and diverse work the girls have produced over the year.
U12B victory against Hurst The U12Bs had a great win against Hurst on Wednesday. It was definitely a game of two halves, with Roedean scoring a magnificent 5½ to their 2. Our fielding skills were exemplary, with super catching on 1st post by Isabel de J. The second innings was extremely close and Hurst upped their game to contain the Roedean batters. We panicked a bit when fielding, but managed to hold it together to ensure the 8-7 win! It was an amazing performance from all, and the Players of the Match were Isabel and Ruby A.
U13A Rounders vs Hurst On Wednesday, the U13A team took on Hurst in a Rounders match. The girls fielded first and did extremely well, getting their whole team out in 10 minutes and 46 seconds. It was then Roedean’s turn to bat, but the girls were unfortunate that Hurst’s fielding was very strong and they too got our girls out. During the girls’ second innings, some great fielding was demonstrated, especially by Tabitha M. Hana A is to be commended for her great rounder as the last batsman in, and a special mention goes to Jess K for her fabulous overarm throws which stopped Hurst scoring whole rounders. The final score was 17 – 5½ to Hurst, but Roedean fought with great determination and displayed some excellent skills.
JJ WHAT’S
COMING UP IN THE WEEK AHEAD?
Wed 15 Jun
Rockpools’ Day
Thur 16 Jun
U12 and U13 Football Tournament
Fri 17 Jun
Home Clothes Day IRO BBQ
Sat 18 Jun
Race for Life and Family Rounders DofE Silver/Gold Assessed Expedition, Brecon Beacons
Sun 19 Jun
U13 Rounders vs Bishops Stortford College (H)
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