Heads Weekly Review - Spring Issue 9

WEEKLY REVIEW

Head’s Introduction

The School’s International Women’s Day festival this week was an inspiration. There was a broad and  impressive array of speakers, covering topics ranging from Queen Victoria to robot swarms, from fashion photography to a career in Medicine, and from classical sculpture to skiing across Antarctica. The majority spoke in person, but there were also virtual speakers who addressed the festival from Ukraine, South Africa, and America. Our speakers embodied the statement that anything is possible, whoever you are. As the students moved from one talk to another, there was a real buzz in the corridors, and many commented on feeling inspired by what they had heard. I am also pleased that our student body was joined by students from our Roedean Academy partners, and that students from Roedean South Africa were also able to join the virtual talks. Thank you to Dr Barrand who masterminded the day and spent many an hour sourcing and engaging with our speakers. Thank you also to the Theatre and IT teams – this type of event is a huge undertaking, and they were troubleshooting and setting up presentations all day.

At the end of last week, we welcomed prospective families to our Open Day. The theme was ‘Sparking Curiosity’, and I am sure that the day did just that, thanks to the engaging subject activities, and, more importantly, to the students who acted as guides and hosts, as they were so confident in their manner and so proud of their School. It was also good for new parents to hear the new Head share her own experiences of girls’ education. Niamh Green will be introducing herself to the School in Chapel next week. I am very grateful to everyone who made Open Day run so smoothly, and particularly to the Admissions’ Department who have supported so many and forged such important connections with all our prospective families.

Students in Years 11 and 13 have completed their assessments at the start of this week, and I hope that they went well. Our aspiring Prefects also presented their manifestos to their peers this week, and the decisions about the new team will be made before the end of term. Our performers are preparing hard for next week’s Performing Arts Gala, and for the exciting Mystery and Music promenade concert on the last night of term – if you haven’t already booked tickets for this ‘who dunnit?’-themed spectacle, don’t miss it because tickets are limited!

I wish you all a lovely weekend, and good luck for next week!

International Women's Day at Roedean

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.

Life Drawing at Roedean

Over the last week, the Art department has hosted five Life Drawing classes, allowing over 100 students to engage with and extend their drawing practice. These have included our biweekly, regular elective classes, an A Level taster session for Year 10, and an exceptional session as part of the Roedean Academy. Open Day also saw us open up our life drawing classes to visitors to the School, and it was an opportunity to show how visual curiosity and drawing from life is at the crux of all our work in Art.

For me, the most remarkable drawing experience was a special reunion of the highly-regarded Drawing Circus. 3 models in theatrical costumes took to the stage in the Roedean theatre, creating dramatic tableaux with lighting and props. Also on stage were the students with their own easels ready to record the unfolding drama. This was a valuable experience for the Year 13 students who have chosen the theme ‘theatre’ for their A Level exam. We are grateful to our wonderful models and the respect the students have for this most traditional practice.

Well done to everyone involved!

The Seaside Standard Spring Issue 2

Congratulations to Matilda and Alma, who have produced the second Spring Issue of The Seaside Standard, despite having assessments for their A Levels!

Ms Strachan

Mr Barber – for a fantastic Academic Lecture and Seminar on 'Myths of Transformation: Conceptualising Change in Ovid’s Epic Poem, the Metamorphoses' – thank you so much! [Ms Ibanez]

Charlie (Yr9) – for her commitment to Roedean and, in particular, for stepping up to swim at the Bath Cup 2023, despite a number of other commitments. [Ms Marek]

Staff

Miss Orrells – Brighton Marathon

'I will be running the Brighton Marathon on 2 April to raise money for Amnesty International, a charity that is so important right now in the current world climate.  I have always wanted to run a marathon and thought that if not now, when? So I went for it. I started training in October, and have been running three or four times a week. I have one more long training run this weekend before I start to taper, so the nerves are really starting to kick in!

It would be fantastic if you would like to support me –you can donate using the following link: www.justgiving.com/KOR

Whatever you donate will make a huge difference!

The Amnesty Club and I will be arranging a fundraiser together in School soon... watch this space!'

Photographic Alphabet Challenge

Last week, twenty-two Year 10 students came to experience A Level Photography as part of their Sixth Form taster days. In just 50 minutes, they acheived three outcomes: a whistle stop tour of the darkroom to make a photogram; experiments with the process of cyanotype; and a collaborative piece to make a photographic alphabet. The girls looked for one letter and edited their photographs to create a cohesive and very striking outcome. Well done!

Sport Stars of the Week

Well done to these week's Sport Stars!

[Miss Kirby-Jones]

Book now for an evening of Music, Mystery and Intrigue!

Be transported back to the 1920s with a cocktail reception, top class musicians, world-renowned artists, and just a little bit of Drama!

There are limited tickets for this event so Book Now! This promenade concert will take part in a variety of locations in School.

There is an optional dress code –1920s Evening Glamour roedean.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows

Given the nature of this event, this production is not suitable for people with restricted mobility)

Year 7

Astrid, for all round brilliance in PE and Games this term

Year 8 YanYan, for her outstanding commitment to Netball

Year 9 Sophie, for great engagement in Netball

Year 10 Holly, for continual enthusiasm in Games

Year 11 Gaby, for her commitment to Netball

Year 12

Daniella, for her excellent and attitude in games

Mrs Alexander

The feedback from the day has been incredibly positive –there was so much, and here is some to give a flavour of the response to the day!

International Women's Day at Roedean

'Dr James, who spoke on the Middle East, was great. Even though I already had a solid base of knowledge on the region, I learnt something new about every single state she talked about.'

Lea (Yr13)

'I enjoyed the A&E doctor's session – it reasured me that the career of a doctor can be flexible.'

Athena (Yr9)

'I enjoyed the Adventures in Space talk the most because hearing about climbing undiscovered mountains was very inspiring!'

Lizzy (Blatchington Mill)

'I enjoyed Lesley Fitton's talk because I had always thought that Classical Greek sculptures were always white and plain, but I would have never guessed they would have been filled with colour!'

Juliette (Yr8)

'Prof Pamela Silver, because her own personal research sounded unthinkable.'

Mary (Yr9)

'I enjoyed the most the race car speaker, because the way she spoke about her life and the challenges of being a women in race car driving was great, and also how you keep persevering even if things are hard.'

Charlotte (Yr9)

'My favourite lecture was Dr Merihan Alhafnawi's talk on robot swarms as it gave me great insight into robotics – I admired her enthusiasm in explaining the functions and practical uses of her clever little robots and their potential applications in the future.'

Lila (Yr12)

'Kelly Chan – I haven't seen so many students ask so many questions before. She made time for every single student.'

Ms Bartlette (Staff)

'I really enjoyed Charlie Martin's talk – she was so incredibly inspiring and empowering. As well as her amazing achievements in racing, she also spoke about her struggles being a trans woman, which really highlighted just how many obstacles she has overcome.'

Maria (Yr12)

'I enjoyed the classical art and sculpture talk the most, because I got down lot of notes and got to learn about history and how they recovered the colours of the marble statues.'

Flo (Yr7)

'I enjoyed Kelly's talk the most because I always find it inspiring when Old Rodeanians discuss their path after they leave School, because it excites me for all the possibilities ahead.'

Sarah (Yr13)

'I enjoyed Kelly's talk the most because I always find it inspiring when Old Rodeanians discuss their path after they leave School, because it excites me for all the possibilities ahead.'

Sarah (Yr13)

International Women's Day at Roedean

'I liked Dr Naomi's talk because, although I will most likely never choose a career to do with medicine, she was very entertaining and made her speech very enjoyable and interactive.'

Dayspring (Yr7)

'I enjoyed the talk about self esteem and mental wellbeing, because I felt like it really made me connect with my mind and think more deeply about things.'

Poppy (PCS)

'I enjoyed Dr. Suzie Imber's talk, because I have a particular interest in Physics, and she inspired me to try to commit to the opportunities I have in front of me, whether or not my fear is holding me back. Her joyful personality, and her courage and confidence are truly phenomenal.'

Zyta (Yr9)

'Victoria Usher – she taught me a lot of new things about confidence and just the business industry in general.'

Nisreen (Yr9)

'Prof Monica Lakhanpaul combined all the subjects I’m interested in (Biology, Psychology, and Music) into 1 talk, and showed me the possibilities for future careers!'

Abi (Yr12)

'Shermara's talk about religion in society, as it was interactive and interesting.'

Yujin (Yr10)

'I enjoyed Lesley Fitton's talk the most as it revealed mind-blowing knowledge on the typical white marble Greek sculptures.'

Jasmine (Yr12)

'Kelly Chan was fabulous! As an Old Roedeanian, she is an absolute credit to our community. What really struck me was her determination to overcome her natural introverted nature in order to meet and work with some of the biggest names in fashion.'

Ms Shillito (Staff)

'I enjoyed Dr Suzie Imber's talk on Adventure in Space. She covered a lot of science topics that I enjoy and also talked about herself and her adventures.'

Marta (Yr13)

'I enjoyed the lecture by Sophie Montagne. This is because it was interesting to hear about her experiences on the Ice Maidens team, and how they overcame the difficulties they faced.'

Anya (Yr7)

'I enjoyed Naomi Falcone – it was a very interesting session, and it really inspired me to hear the things that you can do once you have left secondary school and the large variety of options there are in the near future.'

Finn (PCS)

Letter from Roedean South Africa

Emily, who was in Year 13 at Roedean last year, is now volunteering at our sister school, Roedean South Africa, for 6 weeks. She has been there a week, and is loving it – here are some of her reflections of her experiences so far:

'My first week at Roedean South Africa has been so surreal! Never having left Europe before, my initial reaction when coming through those airport doors was, 'Wow, it’s hot!' Since then, my experiences have just been teaching me more and more about the beautiful country that is South Africa, but also about the extremely fortunate and privileged position that we, in the United Kingdom, find ourselves in, compared to many other parts of the world.

I began my week here in the Sports Department. It is still technically their Summer term, so their sports include swimming, water polo, diving, squash, netball, and even synchronised swimming. Here, water sports are compulsory for the younger ages, and it has been so rewarding to see children as young as 5 dive off boards and dolphin swim under the water! Staff are even allowed to utilise the sports facilities during the day, so I’ve been eager to jump in the pool in the middle of the day!

Whilst the sports on offer have been eye-opening (especially as we certainly don’t have an outdoor pool at School over in England!), one of the most interesting aspects has been the weather. Despite the stereotypes, Africa has extreme rainfall, and, as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. They also experience very dangerous storms, so they installed a lightening alarm at the school, which, as someone who has never viewed lightening as anything particularly lifethreatening, was a very confusing thing for me.

On the subject of lightening and electricity, power is quite an unstable source around here, something which I found myself taking advantage of back home. ‘Load shedding’ is a term I have heard a lot here, which means that the electricity is shared across the country in sections; each section having a specific time frame of no power. This is necessary in order for the country not to have black outs. Systems like these have made me reflect on our incredibly

fortunate situation in the UK, where turning on a light at any part of the day is a privilege we don’t think twice about.

The most indisputable thing that I have noticed, being here only a week, is the distinct enthusiasm and passion for the community that is shared both here in South Africa and Roedean Brighton. I have been fortunate enough to take part in several community programmes so far, visiting a school on the other side of Johannesburg to pick children up and teach them literacy, numeracy, and grammar. Never have I felt more gratitude towards my own school experiences back home. The classrooms were very bare and the equipment was limited. Although the facilities were scarce and the grounds much more simple, the enthusiasm of the girls was not. As soon as I stepped in the room, I saw them all laughing and smiling, especially when they heard I was from the UK, as most of these children have never, and possibly will never, leave this part of Africa. It was so incredible to see the girl I

was teaching to finally understand an aspect of grammar or a particularly hard word in English.

As well as this, I have been taking part in the Roedean Academy tutoring, where academically gifted girls from a less fortunate background are invited to have lunch with us and then be taught subjects like Maths, English, Science, and Accounting at higher levels. It helps them with upcoming tests and generally to understand topics better. I sat in on a Maths class, where they were learning Co and General Functions, subjects which I haven’t touched on since GCSE, and I was astonished to see the girls excel in this subject.

I’m really looking forward to my upcoming events next week. I’ll be making a toast for Foundation Day, observing more swimming classes, and even contributing with another one of their Outreach Programmes, ‘Flying Children’, where they go out into the suburban areas of the city to teach students and hopefully train people to become teachers.'

Our Tycoon group would like to promote our product ‘Treats for You’, which is a ‘surprise snack box’, containing snacks from different countries around the world.

Queena (Yr12)

Small surprises

Medium surprises

Large surprises

£5

£10

£15

What's included?

Snacks from all around the world- from the UK to America, to Asia!

Give it to your friends/ people you love as a gift to show your love for them!

Tycoon Group Treats Lily plays Lavender in London!

On Sunday, Miss Bamford and I ventured into London to watch Lily in the West End Musical production of Matilda. Inspired by the beloved book by author Roald Dahl, Matilda The Musical is a multi-award-winning spectacular, which tells the tale of an extraordinary young woman!

Lily plays Matilda’s best friend Lavender, and is a main part throughout. Her energy and acting ability were amazing to see. I think we will be seeing Lily a lot more in future productions – she is a star!

A big thank you from both Miss Bamford and me for such an enjoyable afternoon!

Ms Marek

Whole Organism Dissection

A small group of enthusiastic Year 10 students took part in a rat dissection as their elective choice during the Sixth Form experience programme. Initially the group were a little hesitant, but they were soon engrossed in the experience of examining organ systems and building on their understanding of how an organism functions as a whole. Here is some of their feedback:

'What I have gained from the dissection can never be replaced by simply observing or learning from photos or diagrams in textbooks. It was a very fun and unique experience for a Friday afternoon!' – Elsa

'Miss Moore guided us through the whole experience and, although at the beginning we were all nervous, we ended up having a very fun time and got to see the organs we study in lessons in real life.' – Derin

Miss Moore

This Week in Boarding...

The girls have enjoyed celebrating a few special days this week including National Oreo Day, International Women's Day and World Barbie Day! National Oreo Day saw houses making various Oreo creations, such as an Oreo cheesecake and Mrs Allen's famous Oreo cookie brownie. World Barbie Day was celebrated by House 4 with a classic Barbie movie and pink themed snacks. Sixth form boarders had a well deserved break from their studies to bake and decorate cookies – yummy! Last weekend there was an exciting trip for our boarders, as they went to the cinema to watch the new Marvel movie. A few Houses have started to decorate for Easter – keep your eyes peeled for more eggs and bunnies!

Rowing Victory for Nancy

Congratulations to Nancy (Yr10), who recently competed in the Docklands South East regional competition in the U15s Single Skull race and achieved an impressive first place. This win means that she has qualified to represent the South East at the upcoming National competition in Nottingham.

Last week, she also represented her club at the Head of Race competition in Maidstone, which is a time trial event. She placed 1st in the Single Skull 2.5km, with a 50-second lead over the 2nd place finisher. She was also in the stroke seat for the U15 quad, and helped them gain a decisive 1st place.

What a fantastic set of results! We wish Nancy the best of luck for the upcoming Nationals!

Ms Sturgeon

U14A Netball Win 47-13 to Progress to the Finals!

On Friday, the U14A Netball team played their semi-final of the Sussex Cup against St Oscar Romero School.

This was the team’s first game since winning SISNA, and they were ready to prove themselves again; and prove themselves they did! The team hit the court and straight away piled on the pressure, Bella and Gaby barely missed a shot, and Harriet and Ruby were relentless with their pressure on the opposition shooters.

After the first half, Roedean was winning 27-5. So, the team decided to challenge themselves by playing out of position: Minnie came in to shoot for the first time this season, and our two shooters opted to become circle defence. Aimee, Tessa, and Molly continued to control the centre court brilliantly. The final score was 47-13, with Minnie and Ruby as Opposition's Players of the Match, and Bella was Coach's MVP.

Onwards we march to the final!

Miss Kirby-Jones

Netball vs Ashford

U18A vs Ashford 2nd team

Roedean U18As had a wonderful win this week. We've been building to this moment all term!

It was a great match against Ashford 2nd team – we were settling into our positions in the first quarter as we had made a few changes to positions. Erin was playing centre for the first time – I had all faith she would play it well and she did, always driving into the space and offering a forward option. Flo and Gabby were sinking the shots, and their shooting accuracy was brilliant. Millie was doing some lovely feeds into them from the circle edge, and they were all working well as a unit. Maria made many interceptions and tips in the mid-court, doing a great job disrupting play. The team also read the game well, holding and waiting to drive forward at the right time for the pass. Lila and Sylva were sticking to their players and keeping the pressure on them, often making interceptions and turning the ball over.

As a result, we were 11-4 up after the first quarter. They continued this form throughout the match and we got a comfortable lead by half time – 23-4. Millie then went in at GA and she carried on the brilliant form with her shooting, I think our shooting this match was the best it has ever been. We mixed it up in the last quarter, switching Sylva to GA and Lila to C. Although very different to their usual positions, you wouldn't have known, as they were great! Sylva got loads of shots in and Lila was all over the court. Flo was also great at GK, I love that she isn't afraid to be physical – just what you want from a GK.

Well done everyone, it was lovely to see your netball really gelling and looking so good. The highlight of the match was Erin as C doing some amazing reverse hand interceptions in the attacking D and turning over the ball. Player of the Match was Lila, the Coach's Player was Flo, for her movement in the D and her accurate shooting.

Miss Patching-Jones

U16A vs Ashford 1st team

The U16As took on Ashford School’s 1st team. After a long journey, Ashford had a slow start, and Roedean managed to take a 7-0 lead in the first 5 minutes. Ashford clawed a couple back and kept Roedean to a 13-8 lead after the first quarter.

Ashford came out firing in the second quarter, and won it by 2 goals to reduce the gap, so it was 20-16 to Roedean at half time. Our girls worked tirelessly in defence, and linked up effectively in attack to extend our lead to 28-20 after the third quarter.

In the final 12 minutes, Roedean pushed on and put on an impressive display to take the win 3422. It was a great competitive game of netball – well done to all.

Congratulations to Pearl for being named Opposition's Player and Phoebe was Coach's Player.

Hammond

Miss

U18A

U18A Netball vs Hurst

The U18As put in a great performance against Hurst Cs today. The weather wasn't kind to us, making it that extra bit harder to catch the ball and dodge.

In the first quarter, possession was fairly equal, but Hurst managed to get the lead. We dropped the ball a few times – it was a bit slippy! – so we lost some potential goals, but the team was playing some lovely netball. Amelia (C), Phoebe (WA), and Erin (GA) were working beautifully as a unit, cutting in front of their players to keep the pass safe, looking after the ball, then seeing the space and feeding it into the D to either Erin or Millie. Millie (GS) and Erin also worked really well together, alternating their movement so as to not get stuck together. Defenders were putting the pressure on: Lila (GK) was marking tight and moving around her player, limiting the space, Sylva (GD) was trying to block off the GA's drive into the D, and Maria (WD) was doing her usual job of getting arms up, pressuring the ball, and forcing the error. I was really pleased with how they were playing.

It was 11-4 to Hurst at the end of the first quarter. We did a great job defensively as a team in the second quarter, Hurst only scored 8 in this quarter and we increased our goals from 4 in the first, to 5 in the second. Well done to Flo, who did well getting close to the post, getting her goals in, and getting rebounds. Izzy at WD in this quarter was sticking close to her player, making it harder for her to get onto the circle edge. It was 17-9 to Hurst by the end of the second. It really started heaving it down in the 3rd quarter and it got a bit sloppy form both teams, understandably! However we still kept the pressure on, we were driving forwards/front cutting for the ball, chasing down loose balls and doing some lovely feeds into the circle. Amelia did some big passes in to Erin in the D, seeing the opportunity and going for it, because, why not?! They worked every time! I loved her confidence to do this, and Erin held her space brilliantly. It was 26 -12 by the end of the third. It was great to see everyone fighting for the ball and not giving anything up. In the last quarter, Hurst took it away from us and their shooters were getting everything in. We still scored 6 goals ourselves though and the final score was 34-17. We aimed for half their score and got it – superstars!

Players of the Match were Maria and Phoebe. Coach's Player was Amelia, for lots of great front cuts and always offering an option when we got stuck. The highlight of the match was Amelia doing 2/3 big passes into Erin (right under the post) in the D, soaring over the defenders.

Miss Patching-Jones

Preparing for the Year 10 Ski Trip!

Guess which Year 10 students are preparing for the Ski Trip...

Ms Marek

Swimming at Ardingly

The Roedean Swim Team travelled to Ardingly College on Monday 6 March for a quick-fire swim meet. We took 2 teams, with 11 swimmers in total, and they all gave it their best against a very strong opposition.

Some stand out performances included a superb win for Rose in the 50m Butterfly, in a time of 33:61, and some brave swims from both Katherine and Athena, who were both feeling unwell but still gave their all.

Fantastic swimming – well done, Team Roedean!

Mr Pocklington

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: abw@roedean.co.uk