26th May 2017 - Issue 5
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction At Roedean, as we reach half term, we are keen to recognise all the wonderful things the girls have done, and how important it is to grab every opportunity we have with both hands. The Dance Showcase last Friday was an outstanding demonstration of the girls’ talents and skills. The girls performed dances in different styles beautifully, and everyone agreed that the showcase was spectacular. Well done to all the girls involved and all their teachers who helped and supported them.
breakfast with their tutors and teachers, and this was followed by some photos for posterity in the Quad. Before lunch we had Leavers’ Chapel, with a chance for them to reminisce and share some memories with the other girls, and then their last Handshaking. I am looking forward to sharing their Leavers’ Ball in The
Grand Hotel this evening, and I wish them good luck for the coming weeks, and farewell. Finally, well done to Years 7, 8, and 9 for completing their End of Year Exams this week, and I hope you all have a wonderful half-term holiday next week.
I am delighted to hear of Roedean’s successes in sport, particularly in Athletics. Our Juniors have won the Sussex Track and Field Cup, and special congratulations to Amber in Year 11, who has been selected to represent England - what an honour for her, and we wish her good luck next month. Today is the last official day for the girls in Year 13. They started the day with a lovely
Farewell and Good Luck to our Year 13 Leavers!
Outgoing Head Girl team
Come and join us for the Roedean Race for Life Tuesday 27th June in the afternoon!
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.
26th May 2017 - Issue 5
Manchester We stood in silence at eleven o’clock yesterday, along with the nation, to mark the tragic events in Manchester earlier this week and remember the 22 innocent people killed in the attack, all those injured, and the families who have suffered devastating loss. Our prayers and our words as a community can offer our sympathy, compassion and solidarity, but I know that they can sometimes feel inadequate in the face of such profound grief. Just as our attempt to understand feels limited in the face of such an incomprehensible attack on families and children. My message to the girls is that these realisations should not diminish the importance of what we say or how we feel. We can only offer that most human part of ourselves that cares and give it voice. It is that part of ourselves that wants to nurture, to love, and to hold and cherish all that we care for that also feels most vulnerable at these difficult times.
Gina D and Tilly L (Yr7) for both handing in a quiz I gave them to do in their last lesson before the Easter break (over 6 weeks ago) – unbeknown to me, they have continued to work on it ever since and completed accurately the whole set of questions! That’s perseverance for you! [CCM]
It is important to acknowledge that it is okay to feel uncertain, shocked, sad and scared. It is okay. It is human to feel those things, and more. Being human, we are vulnerable. And in that is our capacity for being hurt, but also our capacity for the greatest achievements of mankind. And for each of us as a person. I know that the girls have found some solace in seeing all the ways in which people have helped, supported and stood together in response to this attack. And it is important to remind ourselves that acts of generosity, support and love far outnumber these destructive acts which are still rare. We must also allow our feelings, whatever they are, and speak about them and share them. We like to solve problems or hide problems as human beings, but we shouldn’t try to solve or hide our thoughts. We should allow ourselves to feel and voice them. We should share our feelings and let all our passionate empathy run right through us, because it is our capacity to connect, empathise and to feel, that matters most of all. In the face of inhuman actions, we should try to be as human as possible. OB
A young writer at Roedean Lola C (Yr7) had an unusual homework task in French this academic year. She has been writing her very own adventure story, entitled ‘En s’échappant de Londres’, literally ‘Escaping London’. The book is entirely written in French, and it describes the adventures of Thomas, a young and poor Londoner, whose life is about to change dramatically… With mysterious organisations, chases, plot-twists, revelations, and fights, Lola has prepared a number of surprises for the reader, always with humour and imagination. Bravo, Lola!
Eden W-N, Katarina H, Charlene Z (Yr9) and Natasha Y (Yr11) for completing their AS German exams this week, in addition to the numerous other end of year exams they have had [LSC]
NEWSFLASH: Saoirse’s got Gold Last year’s Head Girl, Saoirse McG, has just completed her Gold DofE – congratulations!
AGN
Au Revoir to Monsieur Germain Mr Germain has been working in the French department this academic year, helping students from Year 10 upwards, but also some of our gifted younger linguists. His sense of humour, and his willingness to give his students some cultural and political awareness has been much appreciated. Mr Germain is going back home to complete his Masters degree in English and we wish him the very best for his future career. Au revoir, Monsieur! CCM & LAN Page 2
Year 13 decorate the Language Department office
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Year 13 Tutor Groups
13S
13A
13R
26th May 2017 - Issue 5
13D
13P
13M
Year 13 Leavers’ Breakfast
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Dolls to relieve stress
Cricket
We had a fun evening on Saturday evening making stress dolls:
U14A victory vs Brighton College On a beautiful sunny morning, the U14A team took on Brighton College and won 20-12. After the first innings, it was a nail biting 8-8, but Roedean really stepped up in the second half and got all of Brighton College out in only 5 of the 15 minutes of their innings. Truly outstanding fielding and team work was on display from the start, and Roedean also took several excellent catches from Brighton batters. Our tactics when both fielding and batting were outstanding, and Roedean really timed their runs well to maximise the score. Well done to all involved – it was a really competitive first half and a great win.
U13A vs Gildredge House
‘It was really good fun making the stress dolls with our house staff. Good luck in your up-coming exams!’ – Ziyi (Yr9) ‘Making stress stones was really fun, and they really feel smooth! They can help students who are under stress! Good luck in your summer exams!’ – Pearl Y (Yr12)
On Monday, the U13A cricket team played against Gildredge House. From experience, the team knew that this would be a tough fixture, as Gildredge is a very good cricketing team, having gone very far in the cricket league last year. Nonetheless, the girls showed a lot of resilience in the field and bowled good lines, particularly Poppy T (Yr8) who had a very good spell, restricting Gildredge House to 98 runs. Roedean went into bat and played some excellent shots, with Olivia T (Yr8) leading by example and letting the speed of the ball from the fast bowling do the work. Unfortunately, Gildredge’s score was too high to chase,
26th May 2017 - Issue 5
which led to Roedean losing the game by 32 runs. However, I was very proud of the team’s performance, where they showed a lot of character against a strong side. Well done girls! ACA
U13 victory by 33 runs! On Wednesday, the Roedean U13 girls played cricket against Ratton School. Once again, Roedean set very high standards in the field, followed up by excellent bowling figures by Poppy T who took 4 wickets for 8 runs off 3 overs. A special mention must be made to the wicket keeper, Scarlett R, who took two excellent catches off Poppy’s bowling. Roedean’s batting has been a bit of a problem recently, but, after lots of conversations and with a change of batting partnerships, there was a lot more positivity which was evident after Roedean scored 118 for 4 wickets off 12 overs. Roedean won by 33 runs. Finally, I would like to thank all the girls for their commitment and the parents’ support this week, particularly because they have also been taking their end of year exams. ACA
Exercise your right to vote! Following Theresa May’s decision to call an early General Election, Year 12 Government & Politics students have been organising Roedean’s very own mock election, to run in parallel with the real one. The girls have become ‘Campaign Managers’ for four national political parties, and they are busy canvassing for support amongst the Roedean electorate. Campaign posters now adorn the fireplace and mini-manifestos are currently being produced, ready for a hustings after half-term. Knowing the way to Roedeanians’ hearts, the Green campaign have been dutifully supplying biscuits to would-be voters! We expect a high turnout as the campaigns step up a gear after half-term, in the few days before June 8th.
Emily in Costa Rica Emily L (Yr13) was one of last year’s recipients of the Roedean Air, Land, and Sea Travel Awards, and she travelled to Costa Rica to work in an Animal Rescue Centre, deep in the rainforest. She spent 2 weeks over Christmas there, and there is a real need for volunteers because there is little or no support from the government. The centre initially provided support for turtles, but it was moved because the government wanted to build a port where it was. Instead, the centre was given a small area of land in the rainforest, with no vet and just 10 volunteers. ‘Travelling to Costa Rica was by far the best experience I’ve had in my life so far. Volunteering in an animal sanctuary gave me an insight into how human activity can
have such a vast impact on wildlife, both positively and negatively. Not only was working with the wildlife so enriching, I also got the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and it was humbling to see people dedicate so much time into protecting Costa Rica’s biodiversity. Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing Costa Rican culture and it was amazing to be in the heart of a community that was so close and happy, despite the fact they don’t have all the luxuries we experience on a daily basis.’ Emily worked with all of the 67 animals, but her main interest was the sloths – her primary aim was to support these wonderfully unusual and interesting animals, and to prepare them for release. The experience Page 4
was most definitely a challenge, but Emily found it so rewarding, and she is very grateful to the Roedean Travel Award scheme for giving her this wonderful opportunity.
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Dance Showcase Last Friday, Roedean students, staff, and parents were treated to an evening of Dance that brought colour, energy, and artistry to the stage, with styles ranging from Ballet to Contemporary and Hip Hop. GCSE dance students demonstrated their choreographic skills and also performed their own creative work. All the girls involved worked very hard throughout rehearsals to ensure that the two performances for the school and invited guests were wonderful – well done! SA
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26th May 2017 - Issue 5
26th May 2017 - Issue 5
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW SPORTS REPORT
Athletics Roedean wins the Sussex Junior Track and Field Cup! We took two teams to the Track and Field Cup Competition at K2 in Crawley on Thursday 18th May. This is an exciting team event and, after placing 2nd last year in the junior competition, we were determined to go one better. There are two competitions running throughout the day, and schools from East Sussex were competing alongside schools from West Sussex. Each girl of a team of 12 has to perform 1 event on the track and 1 in the field, gaining points for the overall score. Placings do not matter as much as times and distances, which ensure a certain number of points for the overall score. It was an exciting day all round, and the Roedean girls did us proud with several outstanding performances. Gracie B stormed home in the 800m to score 21 points for the Roedean Inters, Pippa W gained 25 points in the shot, and Jemima G put in a sterling effort on the 300m to gain 15 points. Jess McN also gained 15 points in the Long jump, and Milly J and Jess K gained 18 and 15 points respectively. The intermediate team were 2nd at lunchtime, but ended up 4th overall, with only 8 points between 2nd and 4th. They were great role models and so supportive to the younger athletes. Well done, and thank you for your enthusiasm and dedication.
Intermediate competition Results 4th with 271pts 100m
14.5s 15.9s
11pts 4pts
Demi A Jess K
200m
29.8s 31.2s
14pts 10pts
Bea W Eloise G
300m
49.3s
15pts
Jemima G
800m
2m33.0s 3m23.0s
21pts 2pts
1500m
5m30.0s 5m56.0s
Hurdles
The Juniors were placed 1st at lunch which fuelled them to compete hard in the afternoon to maintain this lead. Again, we recorded several outstanding performances from the team, including Ada gaining a whopping 27 points on the 100m, Ruby 26 points on the 200m, and Tatum 25 points on the 1500m. In the field, Sophia C achieved 23 points in the Long Jump and Tatum W gained 22 points on the Javelin. The final event, the relay, caused much controversy as we were disqualified due to a poor baton change, but much to the amazement of the crowd it looked technically brilliant. I do not think that I have seen a runner lob the baton to the next runner, who caught it and continued with the race. We came home 1st in the relay, but the red flag was flown to disqualify us. It was a nail-biting 20 minutes, because we had not gained any points from this race which could place us in 2nd. Finally, the results were read out and Roedean had still won (by 10 points) – brilliant stuff! We now look forward to the South East regional final in Kent on Thursday 15th June!
Junior Competition Results 1st with 331pts 100m
13.2s 14.7s
27pts 13pts
Ada O Onate OD
Gracie B Milly J
200m
27.5s 28.7s
26pts 22pts
Ruby A Sophia C
17pts 12pts
Josefine F Liv H
800m
2m47.0s 2m43.0s
19pts 20pts
Sophie N Serena C
14.1s
18pts
Jessica McN
1500m
Relay
60.7s
13pts
5m05.0s 6m38.0s
25pts 9pts
Tatum W Poppy S
High Jump
1.23m 1.17m
12pts 10pts
Gracie B Liv H
Hurdles
15.8s 14.4s
11pts 17pts
Phoebe H Isabel De J
Long Jump
4.19m 3.39m
15pts 7pts
Jessica McN Eloise G
High Jump
1.20m 1.11m
14pts 11pts
Serena C Sophie N
4.48m 3.60m
23pts 11pts
Sophia C Phoebe H
Shot
9.41m 7.10m
25pts 14pts
Pippa W Bea W
Long Jump
Discus
17.53m 12.63m
12pts 6pts
Rachel E Demi A
Shot
5.75m 5.95m
11pts 11pts
Ada O Poppy S
Javelin
21.10m 19.33m
18pts 15pts
Milly J Jess K
Discus
17.32m 10.32m
16pts 7pts
Ruby A Sylva C
Javelin
21.95m 17.73m
22pts 16pts
Tatum W India H
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Amber to represent England! We are delighted that Amber A (Yr11) has been selected to compete for England at the International Schools’ Federation World Schools’ Athletics Championship, to be held in Nancy in France from 24th to 30th June. England is sending a team of six girls and six boys to the competition; they have been chosen based on their performance in 2016/2017 and many are English Schools’ Champions and SIAB medallists. The athletes are predominantly multi-eventers, and Amber will be taking part in the 400m, the Triple Jump, and the Relay. Good luck, Amber, and we look forwards to hearing how she performs!
Rounders U15A v Brighton College Last Saturday, the U15A Rounders team played against Brighton College. After the first innings, both teams played very well, with Brighton scoring 8 rounders compared to our 7½. Unfortunately Roedean couldn’t capitalise on the chances we had in the second innings, and this was followed by some excellent fielding by Brighton College, who won by 18 rounders to 10. Follow us @RoedeanSchool