24th June 2016 - Issue 10
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Roedean’s Race for Life
Roedean’s Race for Life this year was a quieter occasion that in previous years – the thunder and lightening of the previous day must have scared some people off, but the bottom field was still a beacon of pink and blue, highlighting that the event raises money for Cancer Research UK. Over 50 runners set off from the start line, after the entertaining Zumba warm-up with Miss Andrew. As ever, the race was run in great spirit, and thank you to the Parents’ Guild for selling refreshments, the proceeds of which all went to charity.
The winner was Patrick C, brother of Phoebe in 6.2, followed by Mr Woodhouse, our Faculty Lead for English, and third was the Headmaster’s son, Freddie, who kicked a football around the entire course, just to make it a little more of a challenge for himself!
Despite the cooler weather, it was a really great day!
Well done to all involved, and particularly to Mrs Chandler for overseeing the event. The total raised so far is over £1300, which is wonderful, but more donations are still coming in! It was fantastic that some families stayed after the race to have a picnic on the field, after which the family rounders tournament kicked off.
Head’s Introduction On the day when the results of the EU referendum have come out, and the people of the UK have voted to leave the EU, it strikes me that being part of a community is ever more important at Roedean. The girls at school enjoy being part of a diverse community whose make-up enriches their education, and this has been reflected in the mock referendum we held yesterday, in which 83% voted to remain as part of the EU. The penultimate week of term has been as busy as ever, with a variety of events showing the girls working together, including the wonderful Race for Life last weekend, with Sophia C (U3) the first Roedean girl across the finishing line, and the first performance of the summer production last night, which was a great success – well done to all involved.
This week, we have also welcomed into our community many of those girls who are joining Roedean in September: girls coming into Years 7-10 came on Wednesday to familiarise themselves further with the school, and those joining the Sixth Form had a very good day here yesterday. There have also been two trips to Europe in the last week, with L4 and U4 History students going to the Battlefields and U3 going to Normandy for the day. These trips were both very successful and the girls found them very rewarding; I am grateful to my colleagues who took these trips, because I am aware of the great deal of planning and organisation involved. Wednesday saw a very successful UCAS Day, with 138 students from Roedean and Ringmer
involved, and our L5 girls joined 6.1 to begin thinking about their university plans. They heard from 21 external speakers, with specialist advice about choosing universities, both in the UK and abroad, GAP years, and Personal Statements. We were lucky enough that one of the speakers was OR Dr Eugenia Cheng, who also gave a brilliant talk about the mathematics of baking as part of the Roedean Academic Lectures programme. I am sure that everyone will have gained a great deal from the UCAS Day, particularly the girls in 6.1 who will be working hard on their university applications over the Summer break. I am looking forward to Roedean Day tomorrow, with Key Stage 3 Prize Giving and Sports Day, and to the Roedean Festival next week – I wish you all well for a wonderful final week of term.
24th June 2016 - Issue 10
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.
Roedean on the WWI Battlefields Our Year 9 and 10 History students braved two days of appalling weather to visit the First World War battlefields in France and Belgium. The first day concentrated on the area around the strategically important city of Ypres, where the girls explored themes such as how the dead and missing on both sides are
Amalia F and Soha E (L4) for outstanding tidying up in the Music classroom [VF]
Grace R (U4) for her excellent engagement and questions on the First World War Battlefields Trip to France and Belgium [RCH]
Maia H (L4) for tidying up after the Year 8 surprise party [LJ]
commemorated, the nature of trench warfare, and the first use of gas. After a comfortable overnight stay at the Peace Village in Messines, the tour moved south to battlefields of the Somme. A highlight of the day was our visit to the beautiful Newfoundland Park, where it is possible to see a battlefield frozen in time and preserved as a memorial to the colossal numbers of men who died from the Newfoundland Regiment. The Somme tour took on even greater poignancy for our girls after Atlanta and Annabel were able to locate relatives in two small battlefield cemeteries and pay their respects. After a visit to the spectacular Lochnagar crater, we concluded our tour at Pozières where Yiti, Tatiana and Grace laid a wreath on behalf of our school. As we paused for a moment of reflection at the memorial to the Sussex Regiment, the sun finally emerged! Thank you to Miss Triddon, Miss Harknett, Andy Wallace from Anglia Tours, and all the girls who took part for making it such an enjoyable and moving experience. RCH
Li Sha SH (L4) for an excellent independently-made gothic video [HBO]
“On va en France!”
Kate L (6.1) for wonderful generosity of spirit [DWY]
Alex T (6.1) for running with EU referendum in school [KT]
The U3s set off for France at dawn on Wednesday 22nd, excited and eager to discover the Boulogne area for the day. We arrived mid-morning and started exploring round the market of Wissant in the sunshine. The smells and the variety of stalls were too irresistible and the U3s started practising their French on the locals straight away. Next, a short coach trip led us to Mr Berquier’s bakery where we learnt about traditional bread-making and we made croissants, and ate them, bien sûr! This was another opportunity to widen everyone’s French food vocabulary and learn about such an important aspect of French culture. We then set off to the famous Nausicaá Sea Life Centre to watch the sea lions’ tricks, marvel at the sharks’ teeth, but coo at cute penguins. The gorgeous weather allowed us to admire the lush countryside, peppered with flowering poppies, and we can confirm that the sea the other side of the Channel is as pretty as in Brighton! The trip would not have been complete without hitting the sales at the Cité de l’Europe shopping centre at the end of the day, and having an opportunity to stock up on unusual sweets Page 2
and icy treats to find relief from the sun and the heat. Our very friendly coach drivers, Martin and Barry, safely brought us back to Roedean tired, but satisfied after a busy day.
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
24th June 2016 - Issue 10
Summer Reading Challenge During the last two weeks of term, the Library has launched a Summer Reading Challenge for students and possibly parents! The aim of the challenge is to persuade all to read as widely as possible over summer, and to try books which they may not have considered reading before. To do this, participants should complete as many of these reading goals below as possible. There will be prizes for students who read a substantial number of books.
Roedean Art students exhibiting in Brighton
The Reading Goals are to read the following types of book: 1. based on a fairy tale 2. that has been made into a film 3. translated to English 4. at least 100 years older than you 5. a graphic novel 6. that is set during summer 7. with a blue cover 8. about a culture that you may be unfamiliar with
The week began with a Private View of Roedean Art students’ work in the ONCA Gallery in St George’s Place in Brighton. It was wonderful for Art students from the 3 exam years to see their work displayed in a professional gallery, and for their parents and guests to wander around the exhibition. The gallery has been open all week, and there has been lots of interest from people wanting to find out about Art at Roedean; if you would like to visit the gallery, it will also be open this weekend from 11 to 6. Congratulations to the Art Department, led by Mr Earl, for a wonderful exhibition. Earlier in June, Mr Blond and Miss Stanway went to visit the house and gallery of George Watts in Guildford. There are quite a few connections between Roedean and Watts, who is referred to as England’s Michelangelo: he was a founder member of Roedean School (with his name inscribed in gold lettering in Reception), and his adopted daughter, Lilian, was educated here. The gallery in Guildford
is full of memorabilia from his life, including photographs of Lilian at Roedean, and the school’s archive also contains a drawing by Watts of Agatha Lawrence. It was very interesting to make such strong connections between Watts and the school. In addition to the one in Brighton, there are two exhibitions of Roedean Art students’ work in school, one in the Old Ref, and A2 work in Keswick Hall – please do try to take a moment to have a look at the wonderful work on display.
9. about disability 10. that takes place on an island 11. with more than 500 pages 12. that has been banned in the past 13. about science 14. that is set in the ancient past 15. with a number in the title 16. with a colour in the title 17. set in war time
Pre-A pizza party
Race for Life cake sale
18. with a one-word title
The pre-A level girls celebrated the end of their exams in style on Friday with a ‘pizza party’ at Keswick. Their teachers are in agreement that they have been a wonderful group and a pleasant time was had by all.
We had a fabulous hour selling cakes for Race for Life in House 1 ODR last week, and it was attended well by the girls and staff, and the cakes that everyone made were superb. Thank you so much to everyone who donated, baked, and ate! The next one is the Macmillian Coffee Morning on 30th September 2016.
19. with non-human characters 20. with antonyms in the title 21. that is set in Victorian times Happy reading!
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24th June 2016 - Issue 10
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Roedean’s first football tournament Last Thursday, the U12 and U14 football teams played in Roedean’s first football tournament. The girls played against tough footballing schools, but they played fantastic football in both games. The U12 team lost their first match to Sackville 4-0, and drew 1-1 to Warden Park. A special mention must go to
Sophia C (U3) who was terrific in both games, showing great skill and athleticism. The U14 team also played solid football against tough competition. Their results included a 1-1 draw with Ardingly and a narrow 0-1 loss against a very strong Sackville team. Players of the day included Alys D (L4) and Janki Pillai (U4) who
displayed an outstanding level of skill on the field. It was a really great event that Roedean will look forward to hosting again next year.
Cricketing victory against Millais The U13 Roedean cricket team ended their season on a high by winning their final match against Millais by 12 runs. Roedean batted like they were playing a 20/20 match, scoring frequently, including some big hits from the Ami F and Yelena F (L4), finishing the batting innings on 95 runs. Rachel E (L4) and Tabitha M (L4) then bowled very well, restricting Millais to 83 runs. It was a fantastic end to a very successful season! JJ WHAT’S
COMING UP IN THE WEEK AHEAD?
Sat 25 Jun
Roedean Day
Mon 27 Jun
U3 Hever Castle L4 & L5 Rockclimbing U4 Sailing 6.1 Musikcool
Tues 28 Jun
U3-L5 Festival on-site 6.1/Pre-A Go Ape L5 Celebration Evening
Wed 29 Jun
On site activities Evening Festival for all
Thur 30 Jun
Thorpe Park
Fri 1 Jul
Final Chapel and Handshaking
World Champions’ Hockey Last Sunday, the 1st Hockey team travelled to The Lee Valley Hockey Centre to watch the World Champions’ Hockey Trophy. The girls were fortunate enough to watch 3 matches (USA vs Argentina, GB vs Netherlands, and Australia vs New Zealand). Although GB lost 2-0 to the Netherlands, the girls got to see an excellent standard of hockey being played, and really enjoyed themselves.
Tennis vs Millais On a foggy Wednesday, Year 7 and 8 girls took part in a tennis match against Millais School. Congratulations to all the players for demonstrating some great tennis, but we were unfortunate to lose 2 matches to 4. Well done particularly to Sophia C (U3) for some brilliant forehands. 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: news@roedean.co.uk Page 4
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