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21 May 2021 – Issue 5
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HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
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Race Around the World – we’ve reached the Middle East!
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Head’s Introduction
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I am delighted that the girls have continued to engage so well with a range of activities beyond their academic programme this term. At a time when there have been so many restrictions, this has been very important for their well-being. We are all looking forward to when these activities can include a mixture of girls in different age-groups, helping to build strong relationships and shared experiences across the School. A few examples of some of the current activities, in bubbled groups, such as Creative Writing and Debating, are included in this review.
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For some time, we have all been trying to greet each other through the barrier of face masks, so it has been wonderful this week to be able to see the girls’ smiling faces again. Since the requirement for students in schools nationally to wear masks has been removed, many girls are enjoying this small freedom, and I have enjoyed seeing their expressions which have been behind their masks for so long.
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Sheep-Shearing
Malika (Yr12) performing The Girl with the Flaxen Hair by Debussy
Eliza (Yr13)
It has been wonderful to see so many girls playing Cricket and Tennis down on the fields and courts, despite the slightly strange May weather this week. I am also very pleased that our return to fixtures has meant that many are really enjoying playing in matches against other schools. Well done to them, and to the Sports Department for organising many opportunities for the girls to be able to represent the School again. Drama groups in each of the years in Key Stage 3 have been preparing for performances this term, and the first of these will be the Year 7 play. The girls will perform in front of their peers next week, and it will be exciting to be on stage in the Theatre again! The performance will also be live-streamed to parents. I am also looking forward to watching the virtual Dance Showcase at the end of the week, and being able to see examples of some of the excellent work which has been going on in the Dance Department. I would like to wish nearly 50 girls in Year 10 good luck for their Duke of Edinburgh Silver practice expedition this weekend. The number of students getting involved with DofE has increased steadily in recent years – along with the 69 who recently completed their Bronze expedition, it is impressive that so many are taking Silver. I hope the practice this weekend goes well, ahead of the assessed expedition after their assessments in early June. I wish you all a lovely weekend, and good luck for next week and the half-term holiday beyond.
Emma and Natalie (Yr11)
Lisha (Yr13)
Azzurra (Yr11)
Emma (Yr11)
Amelia in the U19 Sussex Netball Club Team
21 May 2021 – Issue 5
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. Grace (Yr8) for volunteering to pass up handfuls of tennis balls from the athletics pitch onto the tennis courts without asking [KWA]
Holly (Yr12) for being so welcoming and wonderful as a ‘Big Sister’ for younger girls [BRI]
Creative Writing
Isabella and Solari (Yr9), Heidi (Yr10) and Ananya, (Yr11) for their contributions to this week’s Chapel [CLE]
Sarah (Yr8) for sharing her tennis knowledge with others [KWA]
This week, Ms Boobis gave the Year 8 Creative Writing group the writing prompt ‘Another Fine Mess’. Alongside some exploration of visual presentations of characters, and what happens to our perception when we die, Galya and Martha collaborated on this lovely piece, in which a mother discovers her toddler’s handiwork after having been left alone for ten minutes:
‘Miranda! Those were mummy’s best acrylics!’
Cobalt on the sofa. Magenta on the rug.Alizarin on the maple coffee table. Viridian on the arm chair. Crimson on the now not-so-white walls. Coral on my best shoes. It was like I was trapped inside a Jackson Pollock artwork, like the ones displayed in my father’s lounge.
‘I know’.
And sitting amongst all the pandemonium, caked in my most expensive acrylics, giving me a butter wouldn’t melt in the mouth look, was my daughter.
What a lovely response!
Staff heroes in the spotlight 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. Mr Ian Veness for volunteering to coach our cricketers – the girls benefit a great deal from his support [KWA] Mrs Woodbridge for supporting the cricket team this week [KWA]
Year 8 Breakfast Social The girls in Year 8 had a hugely successful breakfast social on Thursday morning! Thank you to the Senior Team and tutors for coming along, and also to the Catering Department for providing a lovely breakfast for the girls. It was a tiny bit chilly and blustery, but that didn’t dampen the spirits! KOR Page 2
Miranda looked up serenely, ‘acwywics.’ ‘I only left you alone for 10 minutes! ROBERTO, COME LOOK AT THIS.’ ‘OH my golly gosh!’
‘It’s fabulous’. ‘I know! She’s going to be an artiste. Just like me!’
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
21 May 2021 – Issue 5
Should Zoos Be Banned? In Debating Club on Wednesday, Year 7 discussed whether Zoos should be banned. Rhea, Rosie, Victoria, Lennie, Millie, Bobby, Ishbel, Poppy, Caroline, Kyra, Sophie, Eden, and Sunday have spent the last few weeks planning their arguments, researching their evidence, and perfecting their public speaking skills. They were really respectful during the debate and I was definitely impressed. KOR
SheepShearing Holly, a local shepherd and commercial shearer, came to Roedean this week to give the Farm Club students a demonstration of shearing and sheep handling. All of our 11 sheep were shorn, and they now look splendid in their summer attire! The fleeces will be sorted and passed on to Textiles, to be spun and used in class. LFI
News of Friends Congratulations to OR Katy Bourne OBE (Waller, No. 3, 1975-81) on being re-elected for a third term as Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner in the election last week. Katy has served as Police and Crime Commissioner since the post was created in 2012, and she was awarded an OBE in 2019 in recognition of her service in the role.
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21 May 2021 – Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Literary supplement
Roedean Reads…
New Fiction Books in the Library Otherland – by Louise Stowell Otherland is a dangerous magical underworld – a place where appearances can be deceiving, and anything can happen. A world of demi-gods, vampires, and fairies. It's also... horrible. A darkly funny, actionpacked fantasy adventure, perfect for fans of Malamander, Stranger Things, Coraline, and Pan's Labyrinth, from the author of the highly-acclaimed Dragon in the Library series.
How to Make the World Add Up – by Tim Harford In How to Make the World Add Up, Tim Harford draws on his experience, as both an economist and presenter of the BBC's radio show 'More or Less', to take us deep into the world of disinformation and obfuscation, bad research, and misplaced motivation, to find those priceless jewels of data and analysis that make communicating with numbers so rewarding.
Year Book – by Holly Bourne Paige is used to staying quiet in the face of lies. Like how popular girl Grace is such an amazing person (lie). Like how Laura steals people's boyfriends (lie). Like how her own family is so perfect (lie). Now Grace and her friends have picked their "best" high-school moments for Paige to put in the all-important Yearbook. And they're not just lies. They're poison.
Harklights – by Tim Tilley Wick has always lived in the dark and dreadful Harklights Match Factory and Orphanage, working tirelessly for greedy Old Ma Bogey. He only dreams of escaping, until one day a bird drops something impossible and magical at his feet – a tiny baby in an acorn cradle...
The Dinner Guest – by B.P. Walter Four people walked into the dining room that night. One would never leave. Classic crime meets Donna Tartt in this nerve-shredding domestic noir thriller, that weaves a sprawling web of secrets around an opulent West London world and the dinner that ends in death.
Our Reading Club have been out and about interviewing Roedean staff and students, to find out what books they have really enjoyed reading.
Mrs Chamberlain
Book: A Handmaid's Tale Author: Margaret Atwood Why I enjoyed it: I like that the events in this book could potentially happen in real life, and this is something that is worrying and scary, but also something that we must be cautious about. I found the characters well-developed. One thing that I didn't like is that, at first, the concept was hard to understand, but, as the book went on, I understood the story better. My favourite character was June, because she is strong, resourceful, and resilient.
Niamh (Yr10)
Book: Divergent, by Veronica Roth Why I enjoyed it: The characters are fascinating and engaging. You instantly build a connection with them and follow their path until the end. There is great feminism in the idea of being so strong and brave to risk everything for the people you love, and it really shows the depth in the characters. I really like the fact that the main character, Tris, has the conviction to be herself.
Hebe (Yr10)
Book: How to Teach Quantum Physics to a Dog, by Chad Orzel Why I enjoyed it: I personally love Physics and think it is incredibly interesting to learn how the world came to be today. I think it is really important we learn how the world works, so we can use it without damaging it, and give the world the respect it deserves. Reading books about quantum physics has greatly aided my understanding of physics and has really helped me get ahead in my Physics lessons.
Tilly (Yr10)
Book: The Girl of Ink & Stars, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave Why I enjoyed it: It doesn't have a particularly complicated plot, meaning it is easy to follow and very gripping. This book is very easy to get into quickly, and it holds your focus until the very last page. I particularly love this book because of its captivating story line. This is such a brilliant book.
Isabella and Allisandra (Yr10)
Book: Heroes, by Stephen Fry Why we enjoyed it: You may be doubtful that an educational book can be interesting and riveting, but we can tell you this book has a perfect balance of both. This book is told in a humorous tone, which makes it really entertaining and enjoyable to read. It is a really fun way to make Greek Mythology accessible to today’s youth, and it isn’t written in Greek, which is always helpful!
21 May 2021 – Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Sport
Tennis vs Mayfield
Tennis vs Hurst
U13A
U14A Friendly
Our first match for the U13A team was versus Mayfield. The format of the matches was one set, and each player played both singles and doubles. Maya set off to a great start, with some fantastic rallies, resulting in a 6-2 win. Our second seed, Ellen had a close match against her opponent with a 3-6 result. Eloise demonstrated some brilliant groundstrokes throughout her match, and took the win 6-0. Grace had a very close match with some fantastic volleys and groundstrokes, and her result was a close 7-5 win to Roedean. Next up was the doubles, and these were both great matches, with some fantastic teamwork and communication. Maya and Ellen took a win 4-1, and Grace and Eloise worked hard throughout, resulting in a 2-4 loss. Overall, the girls performed fantastically for their first match of the season – well done!
Our first match of the season for our U14A team was versus Hurstpierpoint College. It was a fantastic match in a 3 pair doubles format. Our first seeded pair, Madeline and Beata, played some great attacking groundstrokes throughout all of their matches, and in their final match they took the win 6-3. Cherry and Holly, our second seeded pair, showed great communication throughout their matches – they had a very close match, with their Hurst opponents demonstrating some consistent groundstrokes, but Roedean got a well-deserved 7-5 win. Stella and Cheryl, our third seeds, did brilliantly and won 4-0.
U15A
Our first U15A match against Hurstpierpoint was fantastic. Nia and Julia demonstrated superb ball placement throughout all of their matches, and they won 2 out of their 3. Lila and Gracie, our second seeds, showed great communication in their matches, and Amelia and Eliza, our third seeds, did brilliantly, demonstrating great perseverance throughout with some close matches and a 7-5 win. Overall, Roedean played brilliantly for our first match of the season – well done!
The whole team performed excellently, particularly as it was their first match of the season.
U14A
U15A
Amelia in the U19 Sussex Netball Club Team Congratulations to Amelia (Yr10), who trialled this week for U19 Sussex Netball Club Team to play in the 2021/2022 season. She had a great session and is excited to have made the team, which is an incredible achievement! She deserves huge congratulations for all her hard work, patience, and determination to win a place on the team. Well done!
Year 11 Tennis Group U13A
Miss Edwards’ Year 11 Tennis group has been making great progress this term. They come to every lesson with a positive attitude and get fully involved in whatever challenge is thrown at them, even in high winds! They bring their music and smiles, and have lots of fun every Monday afternoon. What a great way to expel some post assessment energy, and enjoy being outside with friends! Well done all!
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21 May 2021 – Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Year 7 Cricket
U15A Cricket friendly vs Hurstpierpoint
Well done to our Year 7 Cricketers this week – in their games lesson, they practised their hitting by stepping forwards, and leading the shot with their front arm. They are making great progress!
The U15A team began their season with an exciting game at Hurstpierpoint. Roedean batted first and were indebted to a significant partnership between Maria (47 not out) and Eliza, who retired after scoring 51. Hurst began their reply strongly, running particularly well between the wickets. Wickets began to fall, which slowed down the run rate and eventually they ran out of overs. Credit to all the girls who continued to play through some heavy rain in parts!
Roedeanians Racing J80 Keelboats Roedean alumnae sailors are finally back on the water. In spite of sailing being outdoors, and the crew and boats being regularly washed by unexpected waves, like most sports, it has been paused for the last year. This April marked the re-start of racing, and 5 Roedean alumnae competed in the Arrow J80 regatta at Queen Mary's, hosted by Royal Thames Yacht Club. The crew has been prepping all winter with our RYA coach Mason King, so we were well-prepared after such a long break.
1st XI Cricket Team vs Brighton College Roedean’s 1st Cricket Team, made up of Year 12s, played against Brighton College 1st XI in a fantastic game. We won the toss and elected to bat first – we put some solid runs on the board early. Nevertheless, we had a tricky start, losing two wickets early due to some accurate bowling. Lara and Lucy steadied the innings, and soon we were 45 for 4 in 8 overs. The opening bowler came back in the middle of the innings, and took a couple more wickets, with Roedean needing a strong finish to the innings. Molly and Serena hit some beautiful and powerful shots, and the team managed to post a respectable 98 in the allotted 20 overs. Our opening bowlers took 2 early wickets and started well, but Brighton stabilised and their opener worked the ball all over the pitch and kept the scoreboard ticking over. After a few tight overs towards the end and the Roedean bowlers keeping us in the game, Brighton managed to surpass our score and win the game by 7 wickets with 6 balls to go. Overall, it was a really exciting game!
The day was breezy and gusty as we undertook 6 races, each lasting around 30 minutes as a fleet of 8 in small open keelboats. Our crew quickly found its rhythm, and we sailed a clean race, avoiding the entanglements many of our competitors fell into, and we had strong starts throughout. Leo did a heroic job on tactics, and we consistently found good lanes with clear air, whilst juggling 3 sets of controls – main, traveller, and backstay – to ensure we were perfectly powered. Fleur and Jackie worked relentlessly on the jib trim, which was a tough job in the high winds. Our bowgirl, Daisy, sadly didn't have a spinnaker to play with (due to the wind), but she became our human pole and managed to stay on the bow, unlike another boat which tipped two crew members in soon after the first start. Unlike our competitors, we raced with our face masks on (we like to follow the rules), but we all admitted we found them excellent wind protection! As the day progressed, we settled into working well as a team, and
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enjoying the racing, which led to us gaining three third positions. We completed the day in 5th overall, which was a great success. Roedean now has representation on the Arrow committee, so we were pleased we beat the only other committee member who was there. Other crews on the water included Norwich, Shrewsbury, Marlborough, Bryanston, Malvern, and Harrow, with Tonbridge winning the regatta. Needless to say, we were the only women competing in the event! Many thanks to our ORA supporters, who have funded the online training this year – it has helped us maintain momentum and is reflected in the good result. The Roedean J80 crew was: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Caroline Bowen, Helm Leo Bowen, Main and Tactics Fleur Dilton-Hill, Pit Jackie Wilson, Trim Daisy Alden Templeman, Bow
Caroline Bowen
21 May 2021 – Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Race Around the World – 20,391 Kilometres! ly
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Please do follow these links, and log your distances – remember, if you have a smartphone, it has probably logged your distances covered automatically, and you can include everything back to the last time you submitted the form – if this is your first time, you can count it all the way back to 1 January 2021, when this challenge began!
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Wow! We have made it to the Middle East and are halfway to Bahrain! We are still racing around the world, trying to go to every country where a Roedean student is from!
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Race Around the World 2.0 STUDENT Race Around the World 2.0 STAFF Race Around the World 2.0 PARENT Race Around the World 2.0 OR Israel
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Well done, and thank you for getting involved!
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Well done, and thank you for getting involved! RB
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 7
Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award Practice Expedition U18 & U14A Tennis vs Ardingly (A) 1st XI & U14A Cricket vs Seaford KCollege (A) en ya U14B Cricket vs Seaford College (H)
Wed 26 May
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U15A,B&C Cricket vs Lingfield Collage (A) U15B Tennis vs Eastbourne College (H)
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To make it easier to log your distances regularly, you can pin the wufoo link to your browser by clicking on ‘Bookmark this tab’ or similar, depending on your browser.
WEEK AHEAD?
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If the country where you currently live does not appear on the route because you also have a UK address on the school database, please do let us know before we reach that country by emailing Miss Boles on jbo@roedean.co.uk.
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U12B&C & U13A Cricket vs St Christopher’s School (H) U12D & U13D Cricket vs Hurstpierpoint (A) Year 7 Drama Club Showcase
Thur 27 May
2nd XI Cricket vs Hurstpierpoint (A)
Fri 28 May
Dance Showcase Leavers’ Chapel HALF TERM
Sat 29 May
U16A Equestrian at Hickstead
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