Head's Weekly Review - Summer Issue 3

WEEKLY REVIEW

Head’s Introduction

As a community, we are collectively saying ‘good luck’ to Year 11 as they begin their study leave today. Their last Assembly as a year-group yesterday afternoon was the perfect combination of happy memories, alongside sincere and deeply-felt reflections on their shared experiences, particularly of the last two years – it was lovely to see. Today has been more light-hearted, with paint-balling and rounders ahead of the main examination season. Good luck!

It was such a pleasure to see Roedean at the heart of the community on Tuesday evening, watching 30 students and staff bravely drop from the i360 in the centre of Brighton to raise vital funds for the local animal charity, Raystede. Some were utterly fearless, but most had to dig deep to conquer that fear, cheered on by supportive friends and family. What an achievement, and what a great total they have raised for the charity – congratulations.

In this week’s Chapel services, we have all enjoyed some sneak musical previews of tonight’s Brighton Festival Fringe concert. I know that our musicians have been working incredibly hard, and I am now very much looking forward to hearing what we think is the first opera at Roedean, coupled with solo performances from some of the best musicians in the School. I wish all of our performers and the Music Department well for this evening.

This week has had a running theme of ‘community’, wishing our Year 11s good luck, supporting a local charity, our musicians performing to members of the Brighton community alongside Roedean parents, and everyone coming together to be photographed from the sky in the shape of 125 for our anniversary. And today, to mark the King’s Coronation, we had our own community ‘picnic tea-party’ – as ever, our incredible Catering Department went to town with delicious treats for us all to enjoy. I wish you all a lovely Bank Holiday weekend!

125 Drone Photo

Roedean marks King Charles III Coronation Raystede

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.

125 Drone Photo

The School community will be celebrating our 125th anniversary of Roedean on its current site in lots of different ways over the course of this year – this week, 650 students and staff stood in the shape of the numbers 1, 2, and 5, and this photo is a fantastic snapshot of this year!

Mr Marchant – for a fascinating and very topical Academic Lecture on 'The UK Political Landscape in 2023’, delivered with such passion – thank you so much for your contributions to Academic Lectures, which the students have loved! [Ms

Red, Pink, and Burgundy

Non-Uniform Day for HART

Thank you to everyone who supported our non-uniform day this week – as a result, we have raised a total of £414 for the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, which will help make a difference to sustainable development around the world.

Edrea, and Zoe

Page 2

Alex (Yr7), Gabriella and Coco (Yr8), Charlie (Yr9), Rida (Yr10), Mbali (Yr11), Amelia and Maria (Yr12), and Jemima (Yr13) – for being filmed this week as part of our 125 celebratory video [Dr Barrand]

Mrs Alexander – for producing the giant donation 'cheque' to present to Raystede at the abseil on Tuesday evening [Dr Barrand]

Ibanez]

Staff

Janice,

Chapel – the Coronation

This week’s Chapel services were led by Miss Hart:

Saturday 6 May 2023 – what does it mean to you?  Some of you might be thinking ahead to yet another 3-day weekend, and another Monday off School. Others in Year 11 and 13 may be thinking ‘6 May – that’s getting awfully close to my exams…’

As important as all those things are, it is also the Coronation of King Charles III. King Charles is set to be crowned, alongside the Queen Consort, at a lavish ceremony in Westminster Abbey this Saturday.

A Coronation is defined, simply, as ‘the act or occasion of crowning’. It’s a symbolic religious ceremony when the crown is physically placed on the Monarch’s head. In the United Kingdom, the Coronation formalises the Monarch’s role as the Head of the Church of England and marks the transfer of their title and powers. So even though King Charles acceded to the throne immediately upon the passing of his Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, this will be the official moment he is crowned King. The investiture will form part of a long weekend filled with celebrations for the new Monarch, ranging from street parties to concerts, including our own picnic lunch at School.

Buckingham Palace have said the ceremony will reflect the Monarch’s role today, and look

towards the future, while remaining rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.

So I thought I’d highlight three parts (official and unofficial) of the ceremony, that you can look out for if you’re choosing to tune in and watch:

Firstly, you may recognise a key member of the Coronation procession. Baroness Floella Benjamin, who visited Roedean and spoke to you all in October, has been selected to carry King Charles’ sceptre and dove. When speaking about her selection, she said: ‘To be selected to carry the sovereign’s sceptre and dove, which represents spirituality, equity, and mercy, is for me very symbolic as it’s everything I stand for, and sends out a clear message that diversity and inclusion is being embraced’. Just like when she visited Roedean, I am sure her smile will also entrance the Abbey on Saturday. Having individuals such as Floella included marks a huge difference to Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953, which saw only men  performing these roles, with most of them being aristocrats who had inherited their titles.

The second part to look out for is the anointing in the ceremony. This is where the Archbishop of Canterbury places holy oil on the King’s forehead, symbolising the King’s dedication as Monarch by God. The anointing is traditionally considered too sacred to be shown to the public, so Charles will be veiled from the cameras with

Roedean marks King Charles III Coronation

a canopy of gold cloth during this portion of the proceedings. The service has been planned to be representative of different faiths, in line with the King’s wish to reflect the ethnic diversity of the modern world. He will still pledge to be ‘Defender of the Faith’ in the Coronation oath, however further words have been added to allow the King to recognise he serves all religions.

And finally, it’s worth checking out the fashion and traditional dress on show by the Royal Family and those in attendance from around the world. Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, is one of my personal style icons, and I am looking forward to seeing if she will wear a tiara or a rumoured flower crown as a nod to the King’s longstanding interest in sustainability and environmental issues.  Something that is always wonderful to see is members of the Commonwealth and countries around the world wearing traditional dress – whether it be the bright colours and patterns from South Africa or the tassled skirts from Tonga, this sense of dressing for the occasion and sense of celebration always strikes me as something to behold, with all nations sitting peacefully alongside one another.

So, if you were just planning a relaxing day off school, or thinking about examinations, I hope the three things I have highlighted will encourage you to tune in and witness this momentous occasion.

Roedean marks King Charles III Coronation

In March, 29 of our Year 12 Biologists took part in this year's British Biology Olympiad. The Olympiad is a prestigious and challenging problem-solving competition that tests students’ wider knowledge of challenging Biology topics. Our students achieved fantastic results and we are delighted that so many of them took part.

Congratulations go to our Silver medal winners, Nettie and Jasmine, and to our Bronze medal winners, Tiffany, Erin, Abi, and Belle. The Silver medal is awarded to the top 10% of entrants in the country, and the Bronze medal to the top 15%, so our students really did do brilliantly!

Congratulations!

Good Luck, Year 11!

After their final Assembly yesterday afternoon, Year 11 are celebrating their last day before study leave, with a paint-balling extravaganza!

Good luck for your examinations over the coming weeks!

Dr Turner

Success in the British Biology Olympiad Mr Halsey – ‘To The Max’ Ride

In July, four old school friends and I are doing a sponsored bike ride from Watford to Nottingham, in memory of our friend, Max, who passed away in 2021. The ride will be at least 150 miles, but likely more, depending on the route we decide to take.

We have set a target of £10,000, and all donations will go to Samaritans. This is an amazing charity, which was a great support to Max throughout his life.

I will also be running some competitions in School for you to get involved in. The first is 'Can you beat Mr Halsey in a 1km bike sprint?'. Look out for more information in the student bulletin soon!

If you would like to donate, then please click the link below:

https://tinyurl.com/yc5y8wsu

Thank you!

Mr Halsey

Miss Orrells

Raystede – 30 Drop 165 Metres form the i360

They screamed, they laughed, and they cheered. They were scared, they were brave, and they stepped out into thin air. And they all did it! 25 Year 9s, and one of the Charity Prefects, Helen, along with Mrs Shrubsole, Mr Lutwyche, Miss de Jesus, and Dr Hobbs, dropped 165 metres from Brighton's iconic i360 on Tuesday.

The evening was lovely, and, depending on when they dropped, they had unparalleled views of the sun setting, the streetlights coming on on King's Road, and the moon over the sea. When they arrived back on terra firma, they were welcomed by family, friends, and staff, who whooped and cheered to celebrate their achievement.

This endeavour was part of a fund-raising drive for the Year 9 dedicated charity for the year, Raystede. The group have so far raised £8956, which is simply amazing.

The Raystede representatives told us that it costs £6000 to keep the sanctuary open every day – they were delighted that our school community has raised so much!

Congratulations to everyone who took part, thank you to all the supporters, and well done to Mr Wilson, who masterminded the whole thing!

‘It was just incredible, and it was amazing looking out over the sea with the moon reflecting on the water and the lights from the windfarm!’

‘I made the mistake of looking down just before I stepped off and I thought I was going to faint. Once it started, looking out over the city as the sun was setting was really pretty.’

‘It was absolutely exhilarating – I was really lucky because all the lights on the prom came on as I was going down.’

Farwa

Romey

Megs

‘It was really cool, but I am not doing it again.’

Bea

‘It was so good dropping down, and hearing all of my family shouting and cheering for me – I wasn’t nervous about the first bit at all -I just jumped off!’

Alice

‘I was terrified, and I really had to make myself do it, and I’m so proud that I did –it was brilliant to do it with Ruby.’

Peony

‘The anticipation was far worse than the real thing – the vista was amazing!’really

Mr Lutwyche

‘Going down in a tandem was really fun, and the sunset was amazing – I just wish Harriet hadn’t squished me for the whole 3 minutes!’

Romey

‘I kept my family waiting, and I think my Mum videoed every single person thinking it was me, but it was worth it.’

Charlie

Two Weeks in Boarding...

Wow! We have had a couple of amazing weeks!

Lawrence House celebrating Eid al-Fitr in style, feasting on the most delicious spread of food to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Lawrence and Keswick also attended their Masquerade Ball. The girls looked beautiful and had a ball of a time! Speaking of dressing in style... one of the Lawrence boarders continues to impress with her impeccable uniform and Trinity Knot tie!

In House 1, girls have enjoyed beginning preparations for the upcoming coronation weekend, by planting watercress seeds and decorating the house with handmade paperchains and flags (as well as our weekly bingo of course!)

House 2 started last week off by heading down to Yellowave on Monday evening for their House outing. Despite the downpour of rain, the girls got stuck in playing Volleyball and then returning to House for a Domino's pizza party. They had the best time!

House 3 had a feast of their own when celebrating National Picnic Day. What a spread of delicious food!

House 4 had lots of laughter this week, with girls teaching staff some ballet moves, and mid-week hot chocolates (with all the toppings) and double choc muffins.

As the days are growing longer and the weather is getting warmer, the girls are all enjoying their time in the sunshine and the fresh sea air!

Over the course of this week, we enjoyed our usual visits to our resident goats, and a shopping trip in sunny Eastbourne. House 3 celebrated National Pet Month with a competition to match the pets to their boarder owners. And Sixth Formers have enjoyed some puppy love ahead of their busy exam season – we wish them all the best of luck!

Miss Roe and Miss Barnett

It was a clean sweep for Roedean's U15 tennis team against Brighton College. The girls won all their matches, both singles and doubles.

The girls' consistency in their shots was brilliant. They were hitting with power and accuracy and moving their players round the court. It was good to see them mixing it up with baseline hitting and net shots. Serves mirrored this also, with the girls often getting their first serves in, again with power and accuracy. Results were:

■ Singles: Mia won 6-1, Saffron won 6-0, Maya won 6-2, Eloise won 6-0.

■ Doubles: Mia and Saffron won 6-0, Maya and Eloise won 6-0. Well done to the girls, it really was great tennis.

U12A Cricketers Challenged at Cumnor

The U12A team had their first fixture against Cumnor House in a softball paired cricket match. Bella won the toss and chose to bat first, and, after a team talk on what to focus on, we took to the crease. The pitch was wet and slow, and the batters struggled to get the ball off the square.

After watching the ball close and working hard on their running between the wickets, we posted a score of 223 in our 18 overs. Our bowlers started well and limited the runs, with the first 8 overs only going for 17. Toward the back of the innings, their batters got used to the pitch and hit some excellent shots past the despairing fielders.

Cumnor managed to reach 253 in their allotted 18 overs. There is lots to work on and we have a good idea of what needs to be done moving forwards.

U15A Cricket vs Seaford

The U15A played their second Sussex Cup match of the competition on Tuesday, and they fared better than the last game.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the players were ready to prove themselves. Orla and Chole made a good start, getting solid runs on the board. After 4 overs, Roedean had scored 31 runs, but we also lost 3 wickets.

The wickets continued to tumble, until Evie and Dot stuck around at the crease and saw our final score to 86 all out. With the ball in hand, our openers of Grace, Tilly, Orla, and Maya, bowled well and took 5 wickets for just 44 runs. Nevertheless, the opposition’s middle order dug deep and were able to get over the line with 6 overs to spare.

Mr Campleman

U15 Tennis Victory vs Brighton College Roedean Athletics Squad

Congratulations to a number of Roedean's athletes, who performed brilliantly at Hurst to achieve PBs so early in the athletics season.

Miss Wakeling

Miss Patching-Jones

Miss Kirby-Jones

Tuesday Night Swim Meet at Brighton College

Six members of the Roedean Swim Team did a marvellous job on Tuesday night at a Swim Meet hosted by Brighton College.

Bede's, Hurst, and Cranleigh joined us for a quick-fire meet. The girls did themselves proud and finished in 3rd place overall, despite us taking a depleted team due to a clash with other fixtures.

Several new PBs were set by the girls (including a fabulous 50m freestyle by Athena!), who swam 4 or 5 events within 1 hour 15 minutes. A big shout out goes to Abigail, who demonstrated excellent sportsmanship by taking part in an opposing team's relay, so that they could take part.

Well done Team Roedean!

Netball Pizza Party

This week, Roedean netball players enjoyed a pizza party to celebrate their amazing achievements this season.

■ U16s for winning the Sussex Cup

Sport Stars of the Week

Congratulations to this week's Sports Stars!

Miss Kirby-Jones

Year 7

Lili, for consistent effort in all sports

Year 8

Mr Pocklington

■ U14s for winning SISNA and the Sussex Cup

■ U13s for winning the Sussex Cup

Well done!

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

Matilda, for brilliant engagement in all sports so far this term

Year 9 Riley, for making an excellent start to sport at Roedean

Year 9

Abigail, for great sportsmanship in swimming and progress in Cricket

Year 10 Sarah, for excellent effort and engagement in Cricket

@RoedeanSchool

@RoedeanSchool

Ms Marek