18 May 2018 - Issue 5
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
The Perfect Pitch!
Head’s Introduction
Pitch Perfect Pupil Fundraising
Well done to those who have had A Level and GCSE examinations this week, and to Years 10 and 12 who have completed most of their end of year exams.
9P had a very successful day at the Brighton & Hove Book Fayre in All Saints’ Hall last Saturday. With support from ORs of various generations, the girls managed to raise £106 for Pitch Perfect by selling books from their stall. Books are still being sold, so the total is set to grow. A number of children’s books have also been donated to St Mark’s Primary.
diplomat. Delia has penned a fascinating, warm, and very funny memoir, which includes several chapters on her time at Roedean with encounters with the great and good (and some not so good), from Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, and John Gielgud, to Fanny Cradock. Raffle tickets are available on Reception or by contacting Miss Roden on er@roedean.co.uk
9P would now like to offer the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for signed copies of Delia Despair’s The Grown Ups Wouldn’t Like It in aid of the Pitch Perfect Appeal. Delia Despair (aka Diana Kay, Old Roedeanian), survived a turbulent, if privileged, childhood as the daughter of a globe-trotting
It is wonderful that the girls are getting so involved with the appeal. Form groups are raising money in lots of fun and innovative ways. If you would like more information on how you can support the appeal, please contact Mark Taylor on mta@roedean.co.uk or 01273 667588.
Three generations of Roedean girls, helping to promote the book written by Old Girl Delia Despair.
Pan Pan and Camille talking to Holocaust Survivor Dorit Oliver Wolff, who will be visiting Roedean again on 28 June, so that the Year 10s can interview her for Community Day.
Thank you to Miss Andrew and Hafsah in Year 13 who led this morning’s Chapel, speaking about one of the key festivals in the Muslim calendar. ‘Ramadan mubarak!’ A number of students at school are currently observing Ramadan, and Hafsah explained from a personal perspective what this means for her. I know that this was very enlightening for many listening. Thank you to Mrs Robins and Mrs Muggeridge for organising two events at the end of last week. The Year 11 Final Assembly was a brilliant informal event which marked the start of their study leave. It included lots of heart-felt thanks from the girls for support they have received, as well as lots of laughter at photos and memories over the years. Last Friday evening, House 3 hosted a lovely event in the Drawing Room for parents to meet each other and staff - the relaxed atmosphere was also complemented by some House 3 musicians who played. Well done to all those who have played and competed in Athletics, Tennis, and Cricket fixtures this week, and it is fantastic to see so many girls playing Hockey on the all-weather pitch, obviously enjoying this new facility. I also thoroughly enjoyed this week’s Year 7 Tea-time Recital, in which all the Year 7 girls had a chance to demonstrate what they have learnt as part of their music project. We also had the opportunity to listen to a range of more solo and group performances which were fantastic, and there were lots of proud parents in the audience. Good luck next week for your exams to Years 7 to 9, and to those doing Art exam in Years 10 and 12. I wish you all a great final week before half-term.
Brighton Festival Fringe Not only was the Brighton Festival Fringe concert excellent, but the retiring collection also raised £568.75 for one of the School’s charities, the Roedean Mission.
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. Shirley Z (Yr11) for being a kind, supportive friend recently when she had to carry on with her Pre-A Dragon’s Den Business Plan presentation alone because her team-mate was not able to take part. She showed great resilience, compassion, and the ability to problem-solve in a difficult situation! [SMO]
Saturday night fun in House 1, ODR The girls thoroughly enjoyed watching the Eurovision Song Contest on TV, all cheering their own countries on. There were home-made mocktails, complete with straws, sugar around the glass, and an umbrella – it was a really lovely evening. JWL
Smoothies in House 3 To help with the exam season, House 3 girls enjoyed taste testing a variety of homemade fruit smoothies and ice pops, both with exotic flavours! MMU
Charlotte B (Yr13) for her beautiful Bach Chorale which was played by Mr Maulkin in Chapel this morning [AWH]
Niamh A (Yr7) for always being so supportive to her peers [SSN]
Miss Andrew (Staff) and Hafsah B (Yr13) for their amazingly enlightening Chapel about Ramadan [ALU]
18 May 2018 - Issue 5
Senior Boarding trip to the Pier Miss Truman and Mrs Blackburn took some senior boarding students from across the Houses to the pier on Thursday evening. It was a beautiful sunny evening and the girls managed to catch the last of the day’s sun. They had a thoroughly nice time and at the end of the trip treated themselves to some classic pier doughnuts and chips. CHK
House 4 GCSE Brunch Break GCSE exams mean that the Year 11 House 4 girls have been studying hard! To reward their efforts, we had a special brunch! We had homemade vegan pancakes, poached eggs with avocado on toast, omelettes, bacon, eggs, and lots of fresh fruit! After a tough first week the girls loved the treat! SEW
Lois A and Iris M (Yr10) for their unfailing politeness [JC]
Lenny in House 4 The lucky House 4 girls look forward to their weekly morning walk with Lenny (our PAT dog). They love spending time with him and this week they are looking forward to teaching him tricks and giving him treats! Page 2
18 May 2018 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Year 7 Music Recital On Tuesday this week, the Year 7s had the chance to showcase what they have learnt this year as part of the Roedean instrumental project. Lots of parents came to join staff for an enjoyable teatime recital. Mrs Chandler, the Head of Year 7, was very proud of the girls, and she said: ‘What a brilliant year-group musical experience! The hour felt special listening to girls play in an ensemble on either the trumpet or violin, and many also shared individual musical talents in song and on a range of instruments. Well done to everyone who took part!’ The Music Department were very pleased with the girls’ achievements, and the band was great! Well done to everyone involved.
‘I loved showing what I have learned on the trumpet in just two and a half terms.’
ghly ‘I found it thoroug to in n te inspiring lis girls all the talented .’ 7 ar in Ye
‘So much surprising and amazing talent was uncovered.’
Amelia K
Alissandra H
Mimi D
‘It was fantastic to t experience such talen on al cit re 7 at the Year g was Tuesday! The best thin and definitely the support gave ls encouragement the gir r.’ he ot each
‘Having an opportunity to perform in front of an audience really helped to boost my confidence.’
‘I loved the recital as it was a brilliant time to appreciate other people’s talents and to be as a year group!’ Isabella B
Amelia M
Maria V
Amelie’s a champion again! Congratulations to Amelie H (Yr9) who is the U16 European Street Dance battle champion. But her success does not stop there – she also made the finals and won trophies for U16 advanced duos and solos, and she has another year in this category. The competition was very tough because competitors have to come in the top 3 at a regional competitions just to qualify. Well done, Amelie!
great ecital was a was a r e im t ea t e it ‘The r me becaus experience fo form what I have been er chance to p his year and also to see t n o g workin talents.’ my friends’
‘It was great seeing some of our classmates showing their incredible talents, some I didn’t even know they had! It felt good to play our instruments in front of a crowd.’ Olivia P
‘I really enjoyed performing with my friends and showing others what I had learnt in my lessons.’ Amalie SJ
Ellena J
House 3 and 4 afternoon at the seaside Summer has arrived and the Year 7 and 8 boarders celebrated in style! The girls enjoyed a walk to the beach through our secret tunnel then relaxed by the seaside with some ice-cream to cool down! Thank you to Mrs Leckie and Mrs Hawkins for a lovely afternoon!
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‘‘It was very enjo ya and gave everyone ble a chance to shine. ’ Rose O
‘I did not know ou r group had such go year od musicians! I espe ci al ly liked the ‘Roedean’s Ye ar 7 band’.’ Izzy B
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
18 May 2018 - Issue 5
House Photos At the beginning of the Summer Term, Bentley Photographic took photographs of our House groups. Photographs will be available in a variety of sizes and prices; a link will be sent out to parents shortly.
House 1
House 2
House 3
House 4
Keswick
Roedean girls enjoyed taking part in Brighton colour
Lawrence Page 4
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
18 May 2018 - Issue 5
Whitehawk Scientists at Roedean City Academy Whitehawk brought 12 of their budding scientists to Roedean for a masterclass in Biology last Friday. Arriving after lunch, the students were inquisitive and excited to visit the classroom, which for some was the first time they had stepped into a laboratory. After an introduction and short safety briefing, the students were suited up (goggles and lab coats!) and set to work. The students extracted their own cheek cells and prepared them on a glass slide. Then they viewed their own cells using a powerful microscope and recorded their data. The students were awe-inspired by the amount of cells they were able to collect from just one sample. This exciting initiative will happen every fortnight until the end of the academic year. The
Whitehawk students are from Y5 and Y6 and have been chosen to participate due to their love of science. The experience at Roedean aims to increase their skills and knowledge, and to prepare them for life at secondary school. This week the students will be using Bunsen burners for the first time. How exciting! Thank you to the Science Department and Miss Best for giving the Whitehawk students this wonderful opportunity. GWI
Cricket Great play at the Sussex Prep School Tournament
Last Friday, the U13 cricket team represented the school in the U13 Sussex Prep School tournament. Roedean played a very good Cumnor House side first. Both teams showed a great level of cricket with the ball and bat, however Cumnor House put in a good batting total which was too hard to chase down. The result was Cumnor House 257-4, Roedean 224-3, so Cumnor won by 33 runs. After a tough first game, Roedean went in to bat against Lancing College Prep. The girls learnt from the first game and recognised the importance of scoring quickly, setting up a good total of 247, thanks to a very good batting partnership between Erin S and Phoebe H. This was then backed up with some excellent fielding and bowling to restrict Lancing College Prep to 220 runs. The final score was Roedean 247-0, and Lancing College Prep 220-4, so Roedean won by 27 runs. Our final game in the group was against Burgess Hill. This became a very close game, with Roedean scoring 234. Burgess Hill then batted exceptionally well, with 4 runs required in the final over. However Maria V applied the pressure, getting a wicket and winning the game, which meant Roedean went through to the Runnersup Final against Cumnor House 2s. The score was Roedean 234-2, Burgess Hill for Girls 229-4, so Roedean won by 5 runs. The final game was our best in terms of fielding and bowling, restricting Cumnor House to 218 runs. However after a very successful day of batting, the girls had a moment of madness, giving our final pair a lot of work to do in the final over. Nonetheless, Marianna L and Ella KM showed nerves of steel and made the total, finishing on 222. The score was Roedean 222-5, Cumnor House 218-5, meaning that Roedean won by 4 runs. Congratulations to our cricketers!
ACA
U14 and U15 vs Mayfield
Last Saturday, the Roedean U14 and U15 cricket teams played Mayfield in very wet conditions. Despite the weather, both teams played well and showed lots of promise for future matches against Sutton Valence next Saturday. Both teams lost, but the games were close, with only 18 runs in it for the U15s. Both teams have areas to work on before their game – good luck! ACA Page 5
Prep School Athletics at Hurst The girls had a fantastic meet at Hurst on Wednesday, competing against 12 Prep schools. This was a fantastic athletics occasion for the girls, as they were able to take part in several events and gain some valuable experience. A good number achieved Personal Bests, and they got lots of 1sts and 2nds! Suri G won the discus, Phoebe H won the hurdles, and Sophie N won the 1500m! KAN
18 May 2018 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Tennis Mayfield Tournament
On Saturday 12 May, our U13 and U14 tennis teams had a tournament at Mayfield School. The format of the competition was to play 5 games against a number of schools, including King’s Canterbury, Dulwich Prep, and Mayfield School. For the U14s, both Ines and Sophia had some fantastic games which they won confidently by 5-0. This enabled them to reach the semi-final versus Mayfield A team – it was a close game with some brilliant rallies, but Mayfield just pipped them at the post. As a result, Roedean came 3rd. Ines performed some super serves, making it hard for her opponents. Scarlett and Lucy also played some fantastic shots and worked brilliantly together. They demonstrated a positive attitude and had some close games throughout.
In the U13 draw later in the day, our girls had some tough matches. Phoebe and Sylva showed fantastic teamwork and this was the first time that they had played doubles together. They performed some great forehands and always had a smile on their face, and they confidently won a number of games. India and Ella worked well together and managed to reach the semi-final versus Mayfield A. They had a very close game and it was all to play for on serve. Ella demonstrated some brilliant serves and India performed some lovely volleys and groundstrokes. Roedean just lost 3-2, but we managed 3rd place overall, which was a fantastic achievement. Well done to all the girls involved, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable day with some brilliant tennis!! SCH
U13 AEGON vs Bede’s
Our U13 AEGON team had a tense game versus Bede’s Prep. India performed brilliantly in her singles, executing shots into space. We won 6-3. Ella had a tough match against the 2nd seed, with ground strokes which were consistent and to the back of the court. Harriet’s match was close, 3-3, but her opponent played some successful attacking shots. Phoebe had a brilliant match, putting Bede’s under pressure, enabling her to win 6-3. In the doubles, both matches were close and our first pair won 6-0 and our 2nd pair
lost 1-6. Therefore, due to the rubber results this meant it was 3-3, and a tie-break shootout to 10 had to be played. Roedean had some fantastic shots, but Bede’s were strong and managed to take the win 10-3. A special mention goes to Phoebe, Darcey, Issy, and Sylva who played some brilliant tennis matches, both in singles and doubles. The girls managed to secure their first wins and showed true determination, and all with a smile! Well done to all! SCH
Athletics On Thursday 17 May, Roedean headed to the K2 stadium in Crawley to defend their Junior Sussex Track and Field Cup title at the annual competition which involves over 24 schools. It was an incredible day with a new mix of Year 7s and 8s making up the Juniors as the Year 9s moved on to the Inter competition. The girls in both Inters and Juniors performed incredibly well, demonstrating great skill in their disciplines and team work throughout. We won the relays by at least 20 metres in each age group and the girls supported, coached and encouraged each other in true Roedean spirit. JJ WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE WEEK AHEAD? It was lovely to see so many girls perform so well and for several to get new PBs in their events. Mon 21 Year 8 Geography field trip to We are very proud of taking 3rd place and look May Marina forward to next year already. Well done to all Wed 23 U12 & U13 Cricket vs Brighton year groups! May College (H) U13 Aegon Tennis vs Mayfield (A) Thurs 24 May
Year 10 Business trip to Thorpe Park Year 13 Leavers’ Chapel
Fri 25 May
Year 7 Geography field trip to Brighton Beach Year 13 Celebration breakfast Year 13 Leavers’ Ball at Grand Hotel HALF TERM STARTS
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