26 November 2021 – Issue 10
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction
Holly's Going to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea
Although it has turned a little colder very recently, we have enjoyed wonderful weather in November, with stunning sunsets and clear blue skies – I am reminded how lucky we are to have our school in such a fantastic location. Good luck to everyone involved in this evening’s Heroes and Villains Concert! It will be wonderful to see so many musicians performing in the Chapel, and the diverse repertoire is fantastic. Well done to everyone involved, and I am grateful to Mr Rous, Ms Bartlette, and Mr Wilson for all of the work which has gone into preparing for this concert. Congratulations to the five students who achieved Golds in the national Senior Maths Challenge competition, and also to those who won Silver and Bronze. Our mathematicians also performed well at the Intermediate Team Challenge event this week, and they are through to the next round. Well done! Congratulations also to Holly (Yr9), who has been selected to take part in the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea in 2023 – what an exciting adventure that will be!
House 4 made Pudsey cookies for Children in Need
Our sports teams are enjoying great successes at the moment, particularly the U14B Hockey team, which has remained undefeated this season, our U13A footballers, and the U12A and U15A Netball teams, who have made it through to Round 3 of the National Cup and Plate – well done!
Christmas Fair 2021
Good luck to all those in Year 13 who are preparing for Oxbridge interviews over the next few weeks. I am grateful to my colleagues who have been conducting mock interviews, and to those who interviewed as part of the Roedean Lancing Oxbridge Forum. I hope that many of you will join us next week at the Print Exhibition on Monday, and the Dance Showcase on Thursday – these will both be lovely occasions to celebrate the girls’ hard work and their successes. Everyone is also looking forward to the Christmas Fair next weekend, and I know that the girls will have come up with some wonderful ideas to help raise funds for our school charities.
4 December 10:30-1:00 A wonderful festive event and a perfect opportunity to get some stocking fillers!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and good luck for next week!
What's Coming Up NOVEMBER Mon 29
Print Exhibition – 4:30 in the Old Ref Annie Leibovitz lecture livestreamed form the Barbican – 7pm in Keswick
DECEMBER Thur 2
Dance Showcase – 7pm
Fri 3
Sixth Form Snow Ball – 7pm in Keswick
Sat 4
Christmas Fair – 10:30am-1pm iDrop abseil – 6pm at the i360
Fri 10
End of Term – 12pm
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
26 November 2021 – Issue 10
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.
Lila & Georgina (Yr11) – for being amazingly helpful on Discovery Day and a huge support to the Boarding House – you are absolute stars! (AHO/PBL)
5 Golds in the Senior Maths Challenge! Year 12 and 13 mathematicians recently participated in the UKMT Senior Mathematical Challenge, which requires students to use logic, mathematical strategies, and skills, to solve a variety of problems. The results are now in, and our students have done us incredibly proud. Five students achieved Gold certificates, fifteen more achieved Silver, and thirteen achieved Bronze.
Victory at Invicta This Tuesday, 2 girls from both Year 10 and 11 travelled to Invicta Grammar School to take part in the Invicta Secondary Maths Challenge. The girls took part in 4 mathematical rounds, testing teamwork, problem-solving, and speed, competing against several grammar schools. Huge congratulations go to Rose and Hebe (Yr11), and Cheryl and Abisha (Yr10), who finished second, only dropping marks on the
The top scorer was Kristina from Year 13, with a near-perfect performance – congratulations! All our Gold certificate winners – Kristina, Alyssa, Gulang, Grace, and Betty – have earned places in follow-on rounds, to take place in the first week of December. Silver certificates: Celina, Tuhina, Eileen, Rita, Grace, Anabel, Janice, Mandy, Olivia, Ashley, Molly, Nicole, Sophia, Savina, and Gianna. Bronze certificates: Ruth, Victoria, Sophia, Sylva, Cherry, Alyssa, Megan, Lily, Sabina, Balas, Carly, and Lucy. Congratulations to everyone who took part, and good luck to those competing again next week. JLH
Congratulations to the Year 11 Spanish students Well done for completing your mock Spanish GCSE speaking assessment earlier this week – you approached the exam with maturity and positivity. iBien trabajo! AIB
CAP Music performs at the Blind Veterans This Wednesday, the Year 12 CAP Music Project visited the Blind Veterans to perform a music concert for the residents. The students organised the whole event, from planning and production to the performing. Well done to Chloe, Gulang, Harmony, Carly, Nicole, Iras, and Nathalie for a fabulous event. The Blind Veterans enjoyed a brilliant afternoon of music. SOB Page 2
final round. They did incredibly well throughout the challenge, and their excellent teamwork was commented on by another teacher during the event. As a result of their success, the team has qualified for the next round, and the girls are looking forward to returning in the New Year with their eyes on first prize! PHA
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Life Drawing with Jake Spicer Last Saturday, fifteen Year 11, 12, and 13 Art Students attended a wonderful one-day drawing workshop with life-drawing expert Jake Spicer – he runs the well-established Draw Atelier in Brighton and is the author of 10 books on the subject. The students were guided through a sequence of short poses, and, working directly from the model, they learnt a range of drawing techniques and ways of seeing. In the afternoon, work focused on longer more sustained poses. The quality of the work produced at the end of the day was exceptional and will support our students with their GCSE and A Level coursework.
Deepdene Print-Making Workshop Years 4-6 from Deepdene enjoyed their print-making workshop in the Art Department this week. They quickly picked up the skills required to make their collographs, and produced scenes based on Bruegel's famous painting, Hunters in the Snow. Well done! SSN
AttRAct Betty and Kiera have been preparing for the next round of interviews for the prestigious Royal Academy AttRAct programme, which includes online specialist practical workshops, group tutorials, and career and portfolio advice sessions for aspiring young creatives. Both Keira and Betty are currently studying A Level Art in one
year, as part of our Fast Track programme, which will lead to the BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art and Design in Year 13. With such busy schedules, it is impressive that both students have completed the AttRAct Challenge, which asked the students to create a self portrait that depicted them making art, 'the thought processes behind your work, or a piece that shows you sleeping and dreaming.' I am amazed by the quality of the work produced in such a short space of time. We wish both girls every success as they continue with the application process. SSN
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26 November 2021 – Issue 10
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
26 November 2021 – Issue 10
Holly's Going to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea Congratulations to Holly (Yr9), who, in the Summer of 2023, will be one of more than 40,000 Scouts from 150 different countries, gathering in South Korea for the 25th World Scout Jamboree. How wonderful that Holly has been selected to be part of the UK contingent. As part of her selection process, Holly was nominated by her scout group, she then completed a written application, and participated in a weekend selection camp: 'They had us doing all sorts of crazy team building activities and tested our scouting skills.' And finally, she was interviewed too. To say Holly’s excited is an understatement! 'The best part of Scouting is meeting new friends, learning new skills, and having shared experiences outside of the norm. Being at Roedean feels a little like this. And I already belong to our international community at school.
I simply cannot wait to be immersed in a larger global community of over 40,000 scouts. It blows my mind! I feel incredibly lucky.' Between now and the Summer of 2023, Holly will be very busy. She must attend 12 preparation camps to build a cohesive unit of 40 Scouts from all over West Sussex, and to develop the skills needed for this Jamboree – washing her clothes by hand, food shopping on a budget, cooking for 40 people, navigation, kit management, first aid, cultural preparation, and problem solving / leadership. She will also be busy using much of her free time fundraising, swapping her time and efforts, to raise money for the cost of her Jamboree, and to subsidise the cost of Jamborettes from poorer nations too. 'Look out for and please support my cake sale and other events in the new year!'
Year 8 delve into Space at the South Downs Planetarium Last Thursday, Year 8 had their first trip of the year, to South Downs Planetarium in Chichester. The morning saw students settle into comfy seats in the main dome, to see an impressive display of the night sky, based around what we would see from Brighton. They learnt about the solar system, our universe, the Moon, the international space station, and much more! The volunteers were very impressed with the questions asked by Roedean girls – from space junk to microbial life, our students showed their inquisitive nature.
boxes with a small amount of the Moon and Mars – carried to Earth by meteorites. Year 8 can now say they have been closer to the Moon and Mars than most people on the planet! The girls represented the School really well, and a good day was had by all. LBY
Megan: 'Chances like this are hard to come by. The experience in the South Downs Planetarium was quite unforgettable. I developed a passion for physics since watching the film, "Interstellar" – if you also appreciate that movie, you could always chat to me about it! The volunteers at the Planetarium explained about exploring parts of our Galaxy and stargazing, while we enjoyed the theatre. It was exciting for me, since I haven't been to a museum for ages due to the ongoing pandemic. Did you know that the universe is slowly expanding, but from where? Do Gods control it from utopia? Heaven only knows!'
After lunch, our students learnt about meteorites and got to hold some. The Planetarium also had
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26 November 2021 – Issue 10
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
New Books in the Library Hey Girl poems – by Rachel Rooney
Shades of Scarlet – by Anne Fine
A girl travels the path to her future in this powerful coming-of-age collection. Exploring relationships, deep feelings and the comfort of words, we follow her as she grows up – determined to find the freedom to be herself.
When Mum gives her the notebook, Scarlet should be happy. It's beautiful, with its shiny scarlet cover and its blank pages full of promise. But Scarlet is absolutely not in the mood for a peace offering. Does Mum really think she can tear their family apart and expect Scarlet to be happy about it? And it's Dad's fault too. Why didn't he fight to keep them all together? Now Scarlet has to start a new life, and none of it was her choice. Scarlet decides there's only one thing she can write in the notebook. The truth, about everything...
Have you Seen Luis Velez – by Catherine Ryan Hyde Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn't belong. Not with his mother's new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father's wife. Not at school, where he's an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he's tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who's introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
The Dark Lady – by Akala The first in a magical realist series set in Shakespearean London and written with the kind of lyrical dexterity and power that one would expect from Akala, The Dark Lady references the Bard’s sonnets as well as crafting an uncompromising picture of street life in Renaissance England.
Rat – by Patrice Lawrence When his mum is sent back to prison, Al knows exactly who's to blame. Mr Brayker, who lives downstairs, has been making trouble for Al's mum ever since they moved in, and Al's determined to get his revenge. Ignoring advice from his gran and sister, Plum, Al takes things into his own hands with a plan that involves the only two creatures he can rely on: his pet rats, Venom and Vulture. But things don't turn out exactly as he'd imagined.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art – by James Nestor A revelatory account of how making minor alterations to the way we breathe could have profound benefits for health and wellbeing, Nestor’s clear, accessible volume combines science with ancient custom to develop a unified theory of breathing.
Red Stars – by Davide Morsinotto Twins Viktor and Nadya are twelve years old when Hitler's Germany declares war on the Soviet Union. As the Nazi army crushes the defending forces and enemy planes appear overhead, they are hurriedly evacuated from their home. A thrilling and moving wartime adventure story of courage, bravery and love – packed full of maps, photos, illustrations and other exciting visual elements.
Pop-up Christmas Bookshop After the success of the Roedean Pop-up Bookshop last term we will be holding another one in the week before the Christmas Holidays. This time the Roedean Reading Reps have teamed up with the Feminist Bookshop in Brighton. The reps will once again be selecting stock for the sale, and this time there will be books for all ages – from 0 – 99 – perfect for getting some Christmas gifts!
The deadline for gifting a book is Friday 3 December.
A percentage of the proceeds from the sale will also be going toward the Survivors Network Christmas appeal. The Survivors Network is a Brighton based charity and there aim this Christmas is to provide everyone who is currently being supported by the services a gift. Each child will receive an age appropriate book picked by the Children & Young People’s Team, and every adult and young person will receive a voucher to spend at the Feminist Bookshop.
You can come and choose a gift for yourself during the last week of term. Any leftover books will be donated to charity. GBA
If you want to know more about the Survivors Network you can find out more via their website https:// survivorsnetwork.org.uk/about-us/
Secret Santa Book Swap This year, the Library is holding a Secret Santa Books Swap. We would like you to ‘gift’ a book that you would like to share with others. You will need to choose a book from your shelves, gift wrap it, and write on it the genre and age range (labels are available from the Library if needed). Mrs Bailey will then sort the books according to genre and age range, ready for collection the following week.
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26 November 2021 – Issue 10
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Library Christmas Quiz How well do you know your Christmas reads? Have a go at our Christmas themed literary quiz! Collect a quiz sheet from the library. The first correct three entries drawn on the last day of term will win a prize. Don’t forget to pick up some Christmas chocolate when you return your completed quiz! Good luck!
Chapel: Roedean’s Climate ‘Heroes’ GH
After our Chapel on COP26 last week, this week we are going to hear about 3 Old Roedeanians; former students who, like you, once sat in these Chapel pews, and, since leaving Roedean, have been ‘Climate Heroes’: Nathalie Walker, Natasha Grist and Lady Dido Berkeley. These inspiring women have used their talents and skills to make a positive impact on the world through conservation or raising awareness of climate change.
Matilda
Nathalie Walker was a Roedean student in House 4 from 1989-1991. Despite only spending 3 years here she says they were amongst the happiest of her life, with wonderful memories of laughter and fun with like-minded women, many of whom are still her friends today. The emphasis in school for her was always, if you put the work in, you can be whoever and whatever you want to be. All she ever wanted to be was a conservationist, protecting rainforests and she also had big dreams of managing a National Park in the Tropics. Today, she has a PhD and is a senior director of International Wildlife Conservation, with over 30 years experience in the field of research and stopping drivers of tropical deforestation. This has involved working with organisations on corporate responsibility, particularly focussing on deforestation, and associated climate and social harm. A lot of her work is based in Brazil where she lived for many years. Her work here has involved promoting nature-based solutions to climate change.
Maria
As well as her work in Wildlife Conservation, Nathalie Walker also works for the Global Canopy Programme and the Department for International Development at Oxford. Her day-to-day work sees her connecting her efforts with research institutions around the world with an aim to conserve forests that are at risk of deforestation. There are many products we use everyday such as palm oil, beef, leather, and cocoa, which come to us as a direct result of deforestation. Nathalie is working with Governments around the world, including the UK, to develop regulations stopping these goods from entering our country. She recently attended COP 26 and shared some very interesting insights on her social media.
When recently questioned by Roedean students about what she is most proud of, she said that she is privileged and proud to be playing a small part in a huge movement and that she was particularly honoured when she was present for the signing of ‘The Paris Agreement’ at COP 21, which was a legally binding treaty on climate change. This was the first time all nations became bound in agreement to undertake actions and efforts to combat climate change. We, as a school could not be more proud of what OR Nathalie Walker is achieving and we hope she continues to be ambitious and successful in everything she does.
Tuhina
Natasha Grist joined Roedean in 1985 and was a member of House 2. Since leaving Roedean in 1992, Natasha has dedicated much of her life to the climate change movement. She has a Masters degree in Agriculture, Environment and Development, as well as a PhD in Rural Development in Amazonia which she completed in 2005, and now specialises in climate change, farming and food systems. Natasha spent 10 years at the Overseas Development Institute and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, where her research centred around agriculture. She has focused on how to improve livelihoods through new technology, and looked into how to reduce the effects that farming has on climate change. She has also spent time on clean development projects, researching how to reduce poverty whilst building in a manner that minimises carbon emissions. Her work has been recognised for positively contributing to 4 different Sustainable Development Goals agreed by UN member states in 2015. These goals include no poverty, zero hunger, affordable and clean energy, as well as climate action. She is currently working as a university lecturer in Climate Change and International Development, along with being a Sustainability Advisor. I hope we can all take something away from her brilliant work and inspiring devotion to the planet.
Athena
Lady Dido Berkeley is an environmental activist receiving media attention for her aristocratic status. She uses her platform and resources to Page 6
raise awareness about climate change, having receptions in the House of Commons as well as a team of lawyers. In 2000, she ran the Thamesbank campaign group and ran for the Green Party candidate for the Greater London Assembly. Last year, Lady Berkeley was arrested for lying down on the road during an Extinction Rebellion protest. She said she took the action as she felt it was the 'only option left for her' after writing to the government about climate change.
Jemma
Inspired by our hero ORs, we know everyone here would like to contribute to making a change but are unsure of how to do so. Which is why the Sustainability prefects would like to work on the Eco-schools Green Flag award with our student EcoCouncil. The award sets out criteria and steps that will see Roedean progress through the Bronze, Silver and green award and ultimately earn an actual flag that we can fly at school. So please do join us next term and get in touch with the Sustainability Prefects for any suggestions and questions.
Ellen
I have written a short poem as a reflection as we end our Chapel this morning: I walk through fields of green, It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Up on the hill the wind is blowing, Flowers are blooming and trees are growing. In a woodland filled with green, So much wildlife to be seen. A little squirrel sitting on a branch, A feathered owl so fast and large. But when I look beyond the trees, Industrial buildings are all I see. Factories producing plastic by the ton, Pollution melting the polar ice until there is none. The sunset sits upon the sea, But beneath the water plastic will be. The stones and sand upon the shore, Are next to waste and plastic galore. The smallest act helps the biggest change, Big and small and any range. We can be heroes, lets save the day, We can be the change and lead the way.
26 November 2021 – Issue 10
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
SPORT
Football vs Lewes Old Grammar U13A
The first football game of the year for Roedean was against Lewes Old Grammar. A mixture of Year 7 & 8s played for both the A & B teams. The As kicked off the games against Lewes, Roedean started strong and controlled much of the possession. The midfield partnership of Tessa, Gabriella, Molly, Maud, and Isobel all combined well to keep the ball moving, There were several chances during the first half that could have put Roedean in front, however, the pupils struggled to be clinical and on target. There was only two close calls for the defensive team of Alicia, Anya, and Bella, but the pupils were able to withstand the counterattacks and Kelsie staying strong in goal. However the fortunes changed for the pupils in the second half, The pupils regrouped and identified both the tactical areas that could improve their performance and how they would execute in front of goal more effectively. This discussion and regrouping rewarded the pupils very quickly after the restart. They continued to pressure the Lewes box which rewarded them further and they were able to extend there lead. Both Ruby and Harriet worked extremely well in the striker position and were able to assist and score goals between them resulting in Roedean winning 6-0. A special mention to Tessa who was able to score a great goal where she chipped the keeper from 15 metres out, however, we are unsure whether she meant it. Well done to all pupils involved you worked your socks off in a very cold and bitter afternoon. BAB
U13B
What a game! The girls absolutely loved their first opportunity at a football match this year. Roedean started off on the front foot, with chance after chance, but the goal keeper was sharp off her line and the final through balls were slightly too heavy. The intensity soared when Roedean scored to go 1-0 up, but it was short lived as Lewes Old Grammar came back to equalise. After half time, the game was tensely fought, with both sides attacking with pace and determination. Lewes Old Grammar kept their passes short and with some fine finishing went 3-1 up in quick succession. The final few moments were all Roedean, but we couldn't get the ball in the net. The highly enjoyable game ended 3-1 to Lewes Old Grammar.
Undefeated U14B Hockey Team Another win from Roedean against Mayfield with Lydia scoring the 1-0 goal. Oyinda found space brilliantly, always making sure grab the cleared balls. Becca defended really well against the Mayfield attackers, while Maya and Daisy made sure to cover the defending half nicely. As Captain, Dot fought for the ball on many occasions, barely pausing to sweep it up, towards the goal. Well done Clara and Ellen, who made sure to keep the ball in the attacking half. Tildy and Freya kept their determination throughout the game, and were both in and around the goal at the right time. Jasmine, in goal, barely touched the ball, but still managed to save two attempts by the Mayfield attackers. Mayfield’s player of the match was Tildy, with her excellent attacking, and Ms Wakeling’s star players were Megan and Becca. Well done to the whole team, who played amazingly!
U15A Netball into Round 3 of the National Plate The U15As travelled to Guildford on Monday to play against Priors Field in Round 2 of the National Plate. The girls were mentally prepared for a good game and kept a positive mind set from the beginning. They ended the first quarter 19-2 up, allowing the girls to play different combinations through the court. They kept their spirits high, and pushed through, taking the score to 55-28 at the final whistle.
2nd XI Hockey at Lancing Our team showed incredible grit. Our communication was consistent, and we had some skilful assists on the wings and rapid movement up the pitch. After a brilliant first half, with many close goals and fantastic displays of team spirit, we returned to the pitch for the second half and finished the match with a great attitude and many goals saved, thanks to Nicole. Special well done to Molly and Phoebe, who led us confidently and with great insight, and Mia, our Girl of the Game! Jemima (Yr13)
U12A Netball National Cup Round 3 vs St Swithun's The U12A team had a long journey on Friday, heading to St Swithun's in Winchester for round 3 of the National Cup. The girls had a tough start, and our opposition's well-drilled and rehearsed team took the first two quarters, with Roedean not far behind them. It was quarter 3 where St Swithun's ran away with the score, and the Year 7s had a big chase on their hands. St Swithun's took the win, but the U12 team played with grace, poise, and control throughout. Huge congratulations are extended to captain, Amelie, for taking Girl of the Game, making turnover after turnover throughout the match right to the final whistle. Coaches' Player was a tough one this week, with Liv making her A team debut, playing a phenomenal game in 3 different positions, and Lula for winning the ball countless times as GK, putting pressure on the talented shooters. That's the U12 National Cup journey over for this year, but they've got their sights set on the Sussex Cup... plenty more to come! LBA
Team of the Week & Stars of the Week Team of the week: U12A Hockey team
Stars of the week: ■ ■
Congratulations to Ruby for taking home Girl of the Game, making her WA debut, and a special mention to Elsie for taking Coaches' Player of the Match, for her calm composure in the shooting circle. LBA
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
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Yr7 – Amelie for performing absolutely brilliantly in the U12A match vs St Swithuns Yr8 – Polly & Izzy for showing great effort and team-work Yr9 – Clara for outstanding defence in the National Plate match – she also assisted with coaching the U12A team which was absolutely brilliant
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