17 September 2021 – Issue 2
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Year 13 Biology Visit to the Millennium Seed Bank
Head’s Introduction
A great school experience is about so much more than what goes on in the classroom. It is about the relationships and connections with people, the community and House spirit, and, it is about a holistic vision that values all of those enrichment activities. I am, therefore, delighted this week to see so many of the girls already fully engaged with our brilliant Co-Curricular programme. This week we have seen baking, debating, farming, sport of all kinds, academic clubs, music, drama, origami, photography, and so much more. After school and at lunch, the corridors are surprisingly quiet as the girls are busy following their passions and interests in venues across the site. Thank you to all our staff and Dr Barrand for all your work in setting up this programme. During the course of this week, we have also been introducing the student body to our newly refurbished Theatre. The girls have been hugely impressed with the new vision and what it means for the Arts at Roedean. I am looking forward to our Take Your Seat event in October, when many parents and supporters of the Performing Arts at Roedean will be able to see the amazing work which has taken place over the Summer. There will be a series of performances encompassing Dance, Drama, and Music, including presentations from those leading each of these areas.
Wild Fridays – Year 7 Engaging with our Surroundings
Many of the students have been enjoying sports this week, both inside and out, and many have also represented Roedean in competitive fixtures against other schools for the first time – well done to everyone involved! I am glad to hear that the Year 7s enjoyed their first session in our new Wild Fridays initiative – this really is a brilliant opportunity for them to learn about the natural world and take full advantage of the School’s location and outstanding site and grounds.
Hockey, Netball, Aquathlon and more…
Kindness to each other and inclusiveness are also fundamental elements of life at Roedean, but they are not passive qualities that just happen. Every one of us must consider others and how our actions and behaviour impact on them. I encourage all parents to spend time talking to their daughters about this theme during the weeks ahead. It is the simple and small acts of kindness and consideration that can make a fundamental difference to how each individual in our school community feels. In our recent Chapel services, Dr Barrand has led us to reflect on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and the plight of many people, particularly women, in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. He encouraged us to think about how we can help to support the refugee families in our local area. Or Charity Prefects, Molly and Lara, will next week be asking the school body to choose which charities we would like to support through our fundraising activities this year – these charities will be in addition to our on-going support for ten girls around the world through PlanUK, providing food for the homeless through Off the Fence, and supporting St Mark’s Primary. Our first charity event is our highly successful annual Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday 24 September. Tomorrow it will be wonderful to see some of our Year 13 Leavers and their parents from the last two years. We will celebrate their successes in Chapel, before enjoying the chance to catch up with them at a Garden Party in the Cloisters – some will already be at university or college, and others just about to start new courses, so it will be great to hear about their experiences after Roedean.
Music Scholars’ Teatime Recital –
I wish you all the best for the weekend and the week to come.
21 September