Head's Weekly Review - 19 November 21 - Issue 9

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

HEAD’S

WEEKLY REVIEW

Mr Weir’s Sleep-Out for Off the Fence

Head’s Introduction

We have had a great week at Roedean, with a Performing Arts spectacular, lots of sports fixtures, a variety of charity events, and 115 girls coming to Discovery Day.

Gala Concert

Last weekend’s All Together Now! extravaganza was fantastic, with so many remarkable performances and so many students taking part. It was wonderful to see live performances again in our Theatre, and the girls were delighted to be on stage again. Well done to all the performers, players and back stage crew, and thank you to Mrs Woodbridge, Mr Rous, Miss Abaza, and Mr Wailes, and all their departments.

Book you tickets now roedeantheatre.co.uk

We were very lucky indeed to have Tanya Streeter OR, as our guest speaker at our third Headmaster’s Lecture this week. She spoke from America about her record-breaking free-diving career, and her subsequent environmental work. Tanya was very engaging, and she was delighted with the questions which came in from the audience. It was an inspiring lecture, and Tuhina, Molly, and Jemma were excellent hosts on the interview panel.

There have been a number of charitable activities at Roedean this week – thank you to Molly and Lara for organising these. On Monday, the girls wore odd socks to support the Anti-Bullying Alliance, and today they are wearing spots for Children in Need.

The Roedean Bake-Off went really well, and judging the winning cakes was a tricky challenge! House 4’s showstopper was the overall winner, but there were lots of strong entries, and I am pleased that the cakes sold out, raising vital money for our school charities. Mr Weir also slept out last weekend, in support of Off the Fence, and you can read his reflections on the experience in this Review.

Well done to the Admissions Department for organising a brilliant Discovery Day for 115 prospective students. The weather was amazing, and they enjoyed lessons in Classics, History, and Mathematics, as well as exploring the grounds and the Farm. I am grateful to my colleagues for their contributions to this fantastic day, to the Year 9 helpers who did such a great job of looking after our visitors, and to House 1 and 2 for hosting the 21 girls doing the boarding taster. The whole day was a great success!

Well done for a great week, and good luck for next week and the Heroes and Villains Gala Concert on Friday!

Christmas Fair 2021 4 December 10:30-1:00

A wonderful festive event and a perfect opportunity to get some stocking fillers!

£2740 Raised for Charity Already!

Thank you to everyone who has donated to our charities already – if you would like to do so, we would be very grateful https://roedean.wufoo.com/forms/autumn-2021-charity-donations/

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

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.

Tiffany (Yr11) – for playing the organ so beautifully as the School entered Chapel on Thursday and Friday [RB]

HEADMASTER'S LECTURE

In conversation with Tanya Streeter OR On Tuesday this week, it was Roedean's great pleasure to welcome Tanya Streeter OR, albeit virtually from Texas, to Roedean, as the speaker in the third of our Headmaster's Lecture series.

Wearing her badge-festooned school blazer and House 3 tie, she spoke brilliantly about being the reigning world record-holding freediver, and also about her passion for reducing plastics in the world's oceans. She spoke in a most engaging way, completely off the cuff, and her talk was interspersed with reminiscences about her time at Roedean, which clearly had a strong impact on her.

The Q&A session included some very insightful questions for Tanya, concerning her experiences of diving, as well as her environmental work. In everything that she said, there were two things in particular which resonated with many of those listening: the first was Tanya's encouragement for everyone to 'redefine their limits', by which she meant that we should all try to push beyond what we think our limits are in order to discover where they really are; secondly, she referred a number of times to having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, self-belief and self-doubt, and how we should allow ourselves to listen more often to the angel, rather than being pulled down by the devil.

It was an excellent lecture, and we are very lucky to have heard from Tanya – thank you!

Molly, Lara, Lucy, Olivia, Megan, Jemima, Marina (Yr13) – for manning the cake stall for the Roedean Bake-Off [RB]

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.

Pete the bus driver – for helping me get home after I missed my bus due to late running of a meeting, even though it meant going 30 minutes out of your way – Amelia (Yr10)

House 3 boarders watching the lecture

Discovery Day On Discovery Day, over 100 prospective students came to Roedean. They had lessons in Classics, History, and Maths, as well as having an interview and a short test. The aim of the day is to give the girls more of a feel for what Roedean is like, and to get to know the School better before they join. They also went up to the Farm and met the sheep, and enjoyed a lovely walk around the grounds in the sunshine!

Mr Lutwyche, Mr Halsey, Miss Hindle, Miss Vasquez, Mrs Black, Miss Orrells, Dr Hannan, Miss Beadle, Mr Morris – for providing such exciting and engaging lessons on Discovery Day [JCO]

We have had lots of positive feedback, and here is some to give you a bit of a flavour! Thank you to everyone who supported the success of the day.

JCO Page 2

“I just wanted to tell you that Maddie came back from her day at Roedean yesterday absolutely bouncing with joy!”

y " Everyt hing wa s re all nt to exciting and no w I wa re!!" mo en ev go to Roedea n st “Roedean jelly is the be my in ed st ta jelly I’ve ever life! It was incredible!”

“I look at the fun I’ve had today and I think ‘imagine havi ng that ever y day’!"

“I can’t remem ber the last time she cam e back from school lookin g that happy! “

“Maths wa s the best fun ever, and I und erstood it, w hich I do not usually do at my school”

"Classics - As we ll as having a lot of fun with the puzzle, it was great hearing a lo t of interesting facts."

“It soun de d g absolute ly am azin e ad m s an d she wa so we lc om e.’

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

Chapel – Climate Change This week's Chapel services have been led by Mrs Sharp, along with Tuhina and Jemma, our Sustainability Prefects: JSH: We have known for more than 30 years that there is a climate emergency, so, for almost three decades, world governments have met nearly every year to forge a global response. Under the 1992 United Nations Framework, every country on Earth is treaty-bound to “avoid dangerous climate change” and find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally in an equitable way.

Many of you are aware that this year’s conference took place in Glasgow.

COP stands for conference of the parties under the United Nations Framework, and this is the 26th COP. But why is there a meeting every year, and why is it difficult for countries to agree how to help stop global warming?

Getting 196 nations to agree on something so complex has not been easy. Developed countries have been unwilling to take on the costs, while developing countries have demanded the right to continue to use fossil fuels to achieve economic growth.

There has been some positive progress, though. The cost of renewable energy and other green technology has plunged in recent years, so that it is now as cheap as fossil fuels in most parts of the world. Electric vehicle technology also progressed rapidly, and new fuels such as hydrogen are being developed.

The COP26 conference closed last weekend, and many positive agreements were made. Leaders from more than 100 countries around the world, representing about 85% of the world's forests, promised to stop deforestation by 2030. More than 40 countries agreed to shift away from coal. Some 450 financial organisations, who between them control $130tn, agreed to back “clean” technology, such as renewable energy, and to direct finance away from fossil fuel-burning industries.

By reflecting on the discussions and outcomes of the COP26 conference, and knowing that young people are at the forefront of addressing this issue, I am hopeful that world leaders and nations can work together to effect change. I am sure, in years to come, we will all be driving electric cars and that our energy will solely come from renewable sources. But we are not there yet – there is more to be done by collaborating, investing, and sharing innovation to address the issue of our warming climate.

Young people, such as you, are valuable contributors to climate action.

You can be the agents of change, the entrepreneurs, and the innovators.

Through your education, in science and the humanities, you have the capability to accelerate climate action.

Tuhina: COP26 was neither fully a success nor a failure. It was the best attempt of humanity trying to come to a collective solution and the world has taken a step forward in the right direction. However, the government is not putting enough pressure on organisations and businesses to contribute, which is why we all need to do our part.

roedeantheatre.co.uk Children in Need Today at Roedean, we celebrated Children in Need by accessorising our uniforms with something spotty! What a worthy cause!

Jemma: Battling climate change is something that requires a collective effort from everyone to achieve. That means that everyone in this room should be striving to live their lives more sustainably. Pick the vegetarian lunch option every few days, avoid buying anything that is a single-use plastic when you can, and try not to shop from websites like Shein and Amazon (I know it’s tricky!). Let’s all work together to be positive changemakers and help look after our planet.

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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

Mr Weir’s Sleep-Out for Off the Fence Roedean has supported Off The Fence, a local homeless charity, for a number of years. In normal times, before Covid, the School provided 100 hot meals each week for those sleeping on the streets of Brighton and Hove. It is certainly not the case that we were handing out leftovers – the Catering department prepared 100 additional portions of whatever the Roedean students were eating that day, and these were transported to Off The Fence to be distributed.

In Covid times, it was not safe to do this, so we have been providing sandwiches and fruits instead, but the school community is looking forward to the time when we can share a warming meal with those who do not have a roof over their head. Mr Weir, a Mathematics teacher at Roedean, is also a Trustee of Off The Fence, and he chose to sleep out at the weekend, to understand better what it is like to sleep on the streets – these are his reflections on the experience:

housing. When I had helped him before he was permanently high, but always remained friendly.

I was, however, sad to see he had now lost all his teeth and had other physical ailments, as well as severe mental health issues. For me, this was hard to understand and see in my city, right under my own nose. He did say that Off The Fence had literally saved his life, but unfortunately many are not so fortunate. Paul Young, the CEO and founder of Off The Fence, told me that last week the Council finally stopped the free accommodation given to the rough sleepers during the pandemic, and many more were back on the streets coming into winter. I can only wonder how many might die as a result of this decision in the coming months.

which makes it virtually impossible to get off the street. Without an address and as an addict, you can’t get a job. Without money, you can’t get accommodation. Without accommodation, you don’t have an address… It is a downward spiral.

‘When travelling on the bus, and walking down to the Level, to start my sleep-out adventure, I got some odd looks. I realised that some people thought I was a rough sleeper with my backpack and sleeping bag in tow. I felt a bit defensive, almost as if I needed to explain that I wasn’t.

But why should I have been ashamed, and why should they have been so dismissive? This was the start of a long night!

No rain was forecast, but in typical English fashion it started to rain, proving yet again that my weather app was useless. I was, however, well prepared, with the help of Mr Fieldsend, at least in terms of equipment. During the evening, we were provided with food by an agency who hand it out regularly to the homeless. This was a blessing without which I might not have been able to eat if I didn’t have money. I caught up with a client (one of the rough sleepers) I had known from when I volunteered before joining Roedean. Chris had been on the streets for 28 years, and 2 years ago had finally broken his heroin and alcohol addiction and was now in

Over 90 people had taken the decision to experience what it was like to sleep out under the stars along with me, in the centre of town, without a tent. We were lucky that the temperature was unseasonably warm, but the inconvenience of the rain was now a bit more real as we approached 10pm. My sleeping bag was now damp, and I tried to cover it with a plastic sheet, but stood in a puddle in my socks while trying to get in. My beautiful sleeping den made of a cardboard box was now bowing in the middle, and I feared it might end up collapsing in the night. Eventually, I settled into my sleeping bag and it was then that the stark reality hit. There were loud noises all around, buses, emergency service vehicles, and the odd drunk trying to poke their head into the camp to see what was going on. Thankfully we had security guards, but I couldn’t help but think that, without them, the experience would have been scary, and the limited chance of sleeping virtually impossible. Most of the deaths on the street are caused by the rough sleepers getting wet, and I now had a damp sleeping bag and socks. Wet and cold would have been a real problem.

I didn’t get much sleep, and I guess that is the reality. Day after day trying to exist in a tired fog, relying on others for handouts and dry clothes.

Rough sleepers confront these dilemmas daily and it is no wonder that many drift quickly into drinking and taking drugs. But this is a cycle Page 4

This is why Off The Fence works hard to get rough sleepers off the street within 2-3 weeks, to prevent this cycle of addiction which is so hard to break. They provide signposting to key services such as healthcare, foodbanks, job agencies, and mental health counsellors, as well as providing, among other things, showers, clothes washing, and some food. Roedean has been consistently amazing in helping to provide food. Some have said it is the best food they have ever eaten. They are honestly amazingly grateful and it helps them with one of their key needs.

Please do spare a thought for the homeless, particularly during the coming months, when you hear the wind and rain lashing on your window as you settle into bed. The rough sleepers have many complex reasons for ending up on the street, but they never wanted to end up there, and many can’t see a way out. I felt guilty, as I walked home, that I had a warm shower, bed, and food to go back to. It has, however, strengthened my resolve to do everything I can to help them in their situation.’

We hope that Roedean's contribution to this charity makes a positive difference to the homeless in Brighton and Hove. And we are proud of Mr Weir, for pushing himself beyond his comfort zone, to experience what a night on the streets is actually like for the homeless.

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

Boarding Event – Clubercise Our termly large-scale boarding event took place this week, and the girls absolutely loved it!

Clubercise – it's a fun, energetic, dance workout to upbeat music, in the dark, with glowsticks and glowpaint, followed by amazing treats!! It was an awesome evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by many of our boarders.

Thank you to everyone who entered cakes and bakes into this week’s Roedean Bake-Off, and to those who bought cake on Wednesday in the Fireplace – we raised nearly £200 for our School charities! Here are the winners of the different categories in the inter-House competition:

■ ■ ■ ■

for the best decoration, and the wowfactor – well done to Lawrence for the best novelty cake – well done to House 1 for the best technical and presentation – well done to House 3 and for the best taste – congratulations to House 4, who are the overall winners!

RB and Molly and Lara (Charity Prefects) Page 5

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

All Together Now! at Roedean – a Global Collaboration All Together Now! is a global collaboration celebrating the return to live performances after Covid, and Roedean was delighted to have been one of 2500 theatres around the world presenting the revue over the weekend.

The rights were free, and the performance featured fifteen songs from the world’s best loved musicals.

A celebration of the return to theatres was particularly pertinent to us at Roedean, as this was the first big show in our 355-seat Theatre since its wonderful refurbishment. Roedean’s actors, singers, dancers, and musicians did the Theatre and themselves proud as they presented a fantastic set of performances. It was a collaborative Performing Arts project, with over 120 students involved.

The audiences on both nights were treated to so many wonderful performances – there were solos from Annie and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, pieces bringing the Senior Singers and the Dance Comany together, and a wonderful solo by Niamh (Yr11) with the Roedean Choir. However, my personal favourite was She Used To Be Mine, sung by Ella (Yr10) – it was an amazing performance!

Congratulations to everyone involved, particularly the Dance, Drama, and Music Departments, and the Theatre team. What a spectacular celebration of live performance!

RB

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19 November 2021 – Issue 9

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

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19 November 2021 – Issue 9

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

House 4 Kindness For World Kindness Day 2021, the House 4 girls wrote a positive or inspiring message on a post-it note and they were then stuck all over the boarding house to brighten our days!

SEW

Visit to National Archives and Syon House Last week, Year 13 historians embarked on a trip to the National Archives and Syon House in London. After a brief overview of the history and purpose of the National Archives, we were asked a few questions, such as what a map dating from 1666 showed, which Jane asserted incorrectly was the Battle of Hastings and then tried again with the Spanish Armada – it was the Great Fire of London! We then examined some Elizabethan documents, and were shocked that they actually let us – as 17-18-year olds – handle 500-year-old texts. We examined Elizabeth’s first address to the Privy Council, her Golden Speech of 1601, and a speech intending to placate the House of Commons on the issue of her marriage. It was then a short trip to Syon House, where we ate lunch, and, whilst carefully studying the information pamphlet Mr Morris generously put together for us, we also researched films and TV series recorded at the house, which include Killing Eve and Bridgerton! We were then given a private tour of the residence by a charming woman called Linda, whom we all agreed really knew her stuff and gave us a very informative and passionate tour, although increasingly to the slight annoyance of Mr Morris who was acutely aware that the tour was overrunning and we were going to be late getting home. Unfortunately, Jemima hadn’t realised this and proceeded to ask a series of well-meaning questions, which we all found amusing. In the end, we managed to run and catch the buses which did unfortunately result in Daisy falling on her face, but, overall, it was a very successful trip.

Lara (Yr13)

House 3 Baking House 3 had a great time baking ahead of the Roedean Bake-Off.

Remembrance Sunday at Rottingdean Sophia, Molly, and Amelia (Yr13) represented Roedean in the Remembrance Sunday parade, laying the wreath on the War Memorial. It was a poignant experience, and they were excellent ambassadors.

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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

New Books in the Library

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

Christmas at Roedean Library The Library and the Reading Reps will be hosting some Christmas related events for both staff and students in the last weeks of term – look out for more details next week!

Pumpkinheads –

by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks

Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they've worked together at the pumpkin patch. They say goodbye every Halloween, and they're reunited every September. But this Halloween is different – Josiah and Deja are finally seniors, and this is their last season at the pumpkin patch. Their last shift together. Their last goodbye.

The Supreme Lie –

by Geraldine McCaughrean Fifteen-year-old Gloria is maid to Afalia's tyrannical Head of State, Madame Suprema. When the country is hit by unprecedented flooding, Madame Suprema runs away, fearing she will be blamed for the crisis. To cover up this cowardly act, Gloria is made to step into Madame Suprema's shoes and is thrust into a world of corrupt and desperate politicians.

Tremendous Things –

by Susin Nielsen

From Award-winning author Susin Nielsen comes a funny and heartfelt story about learning how to rise above your most embarrassing moment with humour, best friends, and a killer triangle solo.

Sunday Screenprinting Workshop On Sunday, Year 11 students took part in a fantastic screenprinting workshop for the day. They had the opportunity to learn different printing techniques, working on a design from a range of different themes. The day was really inspirational, and many of the students intend to develop this work as part of their GCSE Art coursework portfolio.

APH

The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke –

by Kirsty Applebaum Lonny is a lifeling. He has the power to heal any living creature and bring it back from the dead. But he pays a price for this gift – by lengthening the creature's life, he shortens his own.

The Passenger –

by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz Written in the wake of the anti-Semitic pogroms of 1938, and re-released in 2021, Boschwitz’s immersive novel recounts the flight of a Jewish businessman across Germany, in unbearably suspenseful and disturbingly prophetic prose.

Gut Feelings –

by CG Moore Gut Feelings is an own voices novel in verse, based on the author’s own experiences of living with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). It is a life-affirming and powerful coming-of-age verse novel, that shines a light on chronic illness, who we are, and how we live.

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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

SPORT

Hockey vs Cumnor House U12A

The mighty Under 12As clashed with Cumnor House 3rd team. Both teams started well, with an end to end duel. Roedean’s Goalkeeper, Lily, was forced into action, making some superb saves. As the game went on, Roedean’s pass and move style of play started to take its toll on Cumnor’s players. Sorrell’s silky skills and ruthless drives down the right opened the game up. Ines and Evelyn played with great maturity, keeping Cumnor attacks at bay. Amalie, Poppy, & Sophie’s endless work-rate and quick switching of play allowed Roedean’s speedy forwards plenty of space in the circle. Congratulations to Natahlia for making her A team debut, and Sorrell for getting Girl of the Game.

CBO

U12B

The U12Bs were confident in their ability following a good run of form in the last few games. They started the match well, with some good passing and speed down the width.

At times, they were caught by some good defending, but they evaluated what was needed close to the attacking D and, with some quick shooting, they managed to score 4 goals before half time. In the second half, Anya was busier in goal, but resolute in defence. She thwarted everything that came at her and was exceptional at clearing the ball far from danger. The girls' style of hockey improved, driving into space and passing through it before being tackled became more and more of a theme, even with stricter umpiring and rapid rotational changes in the team. The team looks forward to their final fixture of the term in two weeks' time!

SMC

U16A beat Hurst to progress onto the next round of the National Plate!

U12A

Hockey vs Mayfield U12D

The U12D team put out a strong fight this week against Mayfield after a 5-0 win earlier in the season. The girls played some fantastic hockey, with Tali and Coco securing two goals each, finishing the game 4-2. Huge congratulations go to Rainah, who took home both Girl of the Game and Coaches' Player of the Match for her resilience, fight, and urgency on the pitch. Well done, U12Ds! LBA

U15A

The U15A Team, in good form in terms of their performances, took to the Astro with confidence and determination. In the first half, the backs and defenders connected their passes well, and found it easier to transfer the ball across and up the pitch. Through hard work and patience, the team created some brilliant opportunities and managed to take them in the attacking D. The second half started like the first, but Mayfield stepped it up and managed to claw 2 goals back in quick succession. With the score 3-2 to Roedean, the last 10 minutes could have become interesting. However, the entire team was motivated to work hard for each other and push until the last second – this proved too much for Mayfield and we managed to score two brilliant goals to end the match 5-2. It was an excellent game of hockey for both teams.

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The U16As played some outstanding netball on Friday against a good Hurst side. Roedean came flying out the blocks and came off after the first quarter 4 goals up. The team defended down court extremely well, with every member of the team making a turn over. The girls continued to build on their lead, coming off at half time 5 up.

The intensity the girls played with was amazing, and it enabled them to keep a determined Hurst side to only get back within 4 in the third quarter.

The girls knew the last quarter would be tough, and they were going to have to take more care in possesion of the ball. Hurst fought back to get within 2, but Roedean clung on and made some phenonmenal intercepts in the final few minutes to finish the game up by 5! This means Roedean U16s are through to the second round of the National Plate competition. It was an amazing game to watch – the girls all played extremely well!

ADH

19 November 2021 – Issue 9

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

U16B Hockey vs Lewes Old Grammar U16A Our U16B team had a tough match versus Lewes U16A team. Roedean had a slower start than normal. However, after Lewes scored their first goal, Roedean switched it on and demonstrated some fantastic tackles and tracking. After a team talk, Roedean went towards the ball and in front of the defenders, which worked well and added great pressure to Lewes. They pressed well and attacked the D, allowing them to score another 2 goals.

Phoebe made some brilliant saves throughout, but the last goal scored by Lewes just rolled over the line. Roedean kept their heads up and persevered throughout, carrying the ball up well and showing great determination throughout. A huge well done – despite the score, Roedean showed some brilliant sportsmanship during the match. A special mention goes to Laila, who was named Player of the Match for her constant hard work on the pitch and brilliant tracking skills. Well done!

SCH

U15A Badminton vs Lancing College Our U15A team had a friendly fixture versus Lancing College. The format was best of three and each pair played all the others. Lancnig had a number of U18 players, but Roedean was up for the challenge. We demonstrated some fantastic rallies. Our first pair, Alicia and Mancy, performed brilliantly, securing their 2 wins of the day. Their smashes were executed well, putting pressure on Lancing. Our second pair, Hannah and Maddie, showed great team-work throughout and made sure they communicated well in each point. Our third pair, Ellie and Melanie, did well, with some brilliant low serves played and fabulous drop-shots. Our fourth pair, Mairi and Martha, showed good placement of shots throughout and they moved Lancing around the court well. Lancing applied pressure well throughout the matches, making it harder for Roedean, but there were some close points overall. The final result was Roedean 2: Lancing 14. A huge well done to all that played, and it was a great experience for all!

SCH

What's Coming Up NOVEMBER Friday 26

Gala Concert in Chapel – 7pm

Monday 29

Print Exhibition and Annie Leibovitz live-streamed event in the Old Ref – 5:30pm and 7pm

DECEMBER Thursday 2

Dance Showcase – 7pm

Saturday 4

Christmas Fair – 10:30am-1pm

Friday 10

End of Term – 12pm

To book tickets for these events, please follow this link roedeantheatre.co.uk

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 11

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