3rd November 2017 - Issue 7
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction Welcome back after the half term break. I hope that you all enjoyed the chance to spend time with family and friends and perhaps do something different. Over the half term, we were very excited to follow the girls on their first Hockey Tour to Holland. They gave regular updates on their trip via the Roedean Sport twitter account and I am delighted to hear and see that the tour went so well. The girls really enjoyed engaging with their counterparts in matches and training, which were both of a very high standard. They received instruction from many international players and I am sure that the girls will have made great improvements very quickly. I am grateful to Mr Carter, Miss Andrew, and Mrs Robins for leading this tour. Work on the all-weather pitch is coming on very well indeed and the contractors are making good progress. The pitch really is becoming a reality right before our eyes, and it is wonderful for everyone at Roedean to watch it taking shape. The Pitch Perfect appeal is also going well. An enormous thank you to all those who have been in touch about gifts. Your contributions will make
Incredible progress being made on the new pitches
a great difference to the girls’ experience of sport. If you haven’t yet been in contact with the Development Office, I would encourage you to have a conversation as help at every level is greatly appreciated and we do want everyone to be a part of the this exciting new project. There are a number of key events at Roedean between half term and Christmas. The first is Speech Day tomorrow, when we welcome Clemency Burton-Hill to Roedean as our Guest Speaker. I am looking forward to celebrating last year’s successes and welcoming back those who left in the summer. It will be wonderful to see them back at Roedean and find out how they are getting on. Next week, we will mark Remembrance Day with two services on Friday, and, looking further forward, there will be the Gala Concert in Chapel, the Christmas Fair along with the Parents’ Guild, and the House Panto competition! Well done in advance for all of your hard work preparing for these events. There are so many different and wonderful events at Roedean each year that we must take time to look back on them and remember how
brilliant they were. I hope that you enjoyed reading the Roedean Review, our annual magazine, which was sent out over half term. If you would like a printed copy for posterity, please do complete the form which accompanied it. Congratulations to those girls in Year 13 who have already submitted their UCAS forms, and well done in particular to those who sat admissions tests for the very top universities in the country yesterday. I wish you all a great week to come, and I hope that you enjoyed the events organised for Positive Mental Health Awareness Week. The staff and some of our prefects had a presentation this week on the dangers of the overuse of screen time in young people. One of the observations was about the way social media can target advertising to user anxieties which, in turn and sadly, only increases user anxiety. For this reason, I shared a poster that I saw which I thought summed up an important message. It said: ‘In a society that profits from your self-doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act.’ While I don’t usually promote rebellion, in these terms it seems essential. Have a good week.
GCSE Art & DT visit to the V&A
Pitch Perfect’s had a great start!
On the Friday before half term, the GCSE Art and DT students went to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London to look at the Plywood exhibition and the Balenciaga exhibition. We were also able to look around at some of the metal work, jewellery, and glass collections which were showcased in the numerous galleries in the museum. It was a wonderful experience to explore the beautiful building and make notes and sketches to support our studies. I was even able to try on one of Balenciaga’s design ideas – a ‘two in one’ piece which could transition from a skirt to a cape. Thank you to everyone in the Art and DT department who organised the trip, as visiting the gallery has served to provide lots of inspiration. Coming up to my mock exams, it has definitely given me many ideas for my exam piece. Martha S (Yr11)
Thank you so much to all parents who have already supported the Pitch Perfect appeal, which has had an encouraging start. Every penny of support is going to be needed to achieve our target of £500,000. Please join us at the ‘Appeal Breakfast’ event in the Sixth Form Centre at Keswick House on Thursday 16th November between 8:00 and 9:30 am. This is an opportunity to see, first-hand, how the project is progressing and to learn, from the staff and the girls, how Pitch Perfect will transform our facilities for sport. If you want to attend this event or have any questions about how you can help the appeal, please contact Mark Taylor on 01273 667588 or via mta@roedean.co.uk. MTA
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Unsung heroes in the spotlight
Michael Grant
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.
Just before half-term, a group of Year 8 and 9 girls travelled to Worthing High School to hear a talk by the Californian-based author, Michael Grant. Michael is currently touring UK schools to promote his new book, Monster, a follow-up to his popular Gone series, which has been described as a modern-day Lord of the Flies. He has been referred to as the evil genius of YA fiction! Talking about his early life, Michael explained that he had decided to become an author at the suggestion of his wife, Katherine Applegate, when they were running a cleaning business. Together they wrote the best-selling Animorph and Everworld book series. As a young boy, Michael was a huge fan of Batman and Robin and Ironman, and always wanted to create his own superhero universe. However, he wanted his heroes to be different, avoiding the stereotypical ‘giant muscle syndrome’. He advised the audience to write realistically as possible, even in a fantasy world, and, if they had a good idea for a story, to be able to explain it succinctly in a sentence just in case they happened to bump into Steven Spielberg!
Maggie EB (Yr13), Albee Q (Yr13), Katrina W (Yr11), Adila MH (Yr12), and Sophie H (Yr12) for all of their work on the Halloween Horror Maze [Esmee E and Maria P]
Jojo L (Yr10) for stopping to help me without a moment’s hesitation when I was struggling to back a board in the corridor [JBO]
3rd November 2017 - Issue 7
When asked if Monster was going to be a series, he said there will be sequels; Villain and Hero. Alma (Year 8) asked what he thought of classical writers like Dickens and Shakespeare – he admired them, but acknowledged that they were much better writers than he was. He most enjoyed writing Hunger, the second book in the Gone series, as he had had to do extensive research to get all the facts correct. The girls really enjoyed their visit, saying that it was amazing to meet Michael and chat to him during the book-signing. SBL
In creating Monster, the first book of his latest series, Michael wanted to produce something new and different to the established Gone series. He carried over characters from Gone, Shade and Dekka, and put them in a different situation where they regained superpowers and became supermonsters.
Michelle D (Yr12) for stepping in on her own initiative to issue and return books for students while I was busy with the Sixth Form Library induction [SBL]
Smoothies for Positive Mental Health A cheerful, positive, successful PSHE lesson with Year 10 girls on Wednesday saw the girls enjoying the experience of making smoothies and having the time to share conversations while sipping a ‘healthy’ drink. There was a great feast of fruit and veg on show – apples, pears, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, spinach, kale, celery, grapes and a variety of milks too! It was a worthwhile activity, and definitely one to repeat during the next Positive Mental Health Awareness Week.
Sunrise and sunset at Roedean
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
3rd November 2017 - Issue 7
Half-term Hockey in Rotterdam
During the half term break, Roedean travelled to Rotterdam on what was their first ever hockey tour. The girls experienced training at Rotterdam Hockey club, which is also the National team’s main hockey performance centre. It is also one of the largest hockey clubs in the Netherlands, and it has over 2,000 members, as well as 7 full-sized hockey astro pitches. All the squads had a number of training sessions, which were led by very established international hockey players (GB medallist Susie Gilbert, GB Simon Egerton, ESP Albert Beltran, and NZL Blair Tarrant). During the tour, all of the squads received and learnt lots of new skills which have been evident since their return to Roedean. The girls also had the opportunity to play several matches against junior Rotterdam hockey teams. It was great for them to play against very well drilled and technical players as well as thoroughly enjoying a chat afterwards and learning about each other’s lives.
As well as playing hockey, we had a cultural day in Amsterdam exploring the streets, canals, and shops. The girls were also fortunate enough to experience a pancake cruise, which involved a boat cruise around Amsterdam whilst eating unlimited pancakes! This tour was hugely successful and the girls were fantastic ambassadors for the school. With this tour being a triumph, we will be looking to set up another hockey tour to Holland in 2019.
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Sisters conquered Snowdon Congratulations to Ella (Yr10) and Ava L (Yr7) who climbed Mount Snowdon with their family over half term. It took them around 6 hours, and they absolutely loved the breath-taking views on their hike up.
3rd November 2017 - Issue 7
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
The Roedean Samba Beat Goes On! Ollie Tunmer, the director of BEAT GOES ON, along with Adrian Wiggins, led all our Year 7 students in a vibrant day of rhythmic, music and movement, stomp-style workshops. This year, we also welcomed a group of 10 Year 6 girls from other schools to join in the rhythmic fun. All the girls really entered into the spirit of this very active rhythmic team work with great energy and enthusiasm. The day concluded with a very enjoyable performance from each of the four tutor groups and our visitors, playing different devised pieces in samba style. The whole year group began the performance with a very well-coordinated piece involving just body percussion sounds. Our very appreciative audience also had the chance to join in with some call and response exchanges with Ollie himself. It was an excellent day, enjoyed by all!
‘I enjoyed the Beat Goes On workshop because I tried something new and performed in front of a lot of people.’
‘The sound of everyone playing together was amazing.’
‘I’d never done samba before, and it was such fun and an amazing experience.’
e ‘I enjoyed how th up ilt bu leaders t the sound and go.’ ed lv vo in everyone
‘I really enjoyed th workshop – it was e samba re to learn new thin ally fun gs being surrounded while by all my friends.’
Art
Classics at Ardingly
A Level Art & Design students in Year 12 have been drawing our Chapel and learning about the complexities of perspective as part of their ‘Structures’ project. These ink and wash sketchbook drawings are by Mary M, Zoe W, and Cherry S.
The Classics department rounded off the first half of term with an inspiring lecture on ‘Heroes’ by the renowned Professor Goldhill from Cambridge University. The senior Classicists travelled to Ardingly College after school ended and were treated to a lively, entertaining, and thought-provoking talk on what the concept of ‘hero’ was for the Ancient World, and how the heroes of Epic might be seen as extremely ‘difficult’ people and ‘outliers’ of society, despite their extraordinary prowess. Our Sixth Formers were challenged to think more deeply about the heroes of Epic and Tragedy, and they really enjoyed the opportunity to ask Professor Goldhill questions afterwards. We are very grateful to Ardingly for hosting us!
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Halloween in the Houses
House 4 Fright Night Spaghetti eyeball bolognese, hot dog fingers, macaroni slime, bloodied meringue bones and, to finish, tombstone chocolate cake – not your traditional evening meal, but nonetheless a perfect Halloween treat for the House 4 girls! Following the ghoulish meal, the girls celebrated into the evening with wicked songs, puzzling games and a spooky themed movie. A massive thank you to the excellent catering team, Mrs Wilson, and the H4 staff team. GWI
Roedean Horror! The annual Halloween Horror Maze was held this year in the spooky and haunted bunny runs between Houses 3 and 4. The Sixth Form worked together to prepare the most frightening horror maze the school has seen so far. The girls who came and the Halloween spirit made the long hours of finding the perfect makeup and costumes, and the two days in the cold to construct the maze, all worth it. We hope everybody escaped safely and aren’t too traumatised. Don’t forget the Sixth Formers aren’t that scary! We would also like to thank everyone for the donations towards the LUMOS charity, and we are proud to say that we raised over £50. Thank you to Jade M and Esmee E for their efforts in organising this year’s maze, and for all the help of the Sixth Formers too. Maria P (Yr13)
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Zoolab Roedean had some very interesting visitors this week! These included Alan the giant African snail, Saturn the corn snake, Henry the tortoise, and Cuthbert the hissing (female!) cockroach. All of our Year 8 students enjoyed this fantastic opportunity to meet and handle these animals. They learnt how they are each adapted in unique ways to live in their natural habitats. For example, we discovered that Alan has ten thousand teeth on his tongue so that he can grind up leaves, has two noses to sense his surroundings, and he secretes slime out of his foot to stop it getting cut and damaged as he crawls on the rainforest floor. This experience will really help the students with their learning of ecosystems and adaptations. Mrs Herridge and Miss Harrison were very impressed with the huge number of questions that the students asked – well done!
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3rd November 2017 - Issue 7
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Megan R and Laila E (Yr7) On 15 October, Megan R (Yr7) competed in the UDO South Coast Street Dance Championships in Portsmouth, her first competition this year. Her new crew, Prestige, won the U14 beginner category, and then she and Laila E (Yr7) came 4th in the finals of the Duos, out of 40 other duo pairings. Well done, and we look forward to their future successes.
Streetdance success for Amelie Amelie H (Yr9) has been working hard recently on her dance and filming work. She filmed a ‘sizzle’ for Carl Prechezer’s new series called ‘Dead Good’, following the Grim Reaper, who loves to dance, and Hip Hop is his passion. Amelie plays the Grim Reaper’s assistant and communicates with him via sign language, a new skill which she Amelie learnt for the part. The ‘sizzle’ launched on Halloween. It is hoped that the 13-part series will be commissioned by the BBC. Amelie has also filmed a series of two adverts for Tesco mobile and online advertising for Hive Heating. She has also had some rather exciting news on the dance front. Amelie auditioned in September for Kate Prince’s ZooNation dance company, which aims to bring hip-hop culture to a wider
Hockey U12 versus Brighton Prep and College
Swimming success for Rania Congratulations to Rania K (Yr7) who competed at the recent Sussex County Swimming Championships, and she achieved 7 silver medals (and some regional times) – this means that she is currently ranked second in the county for her age group. Well done!
Saskia sails into the National Squad!
The U12As played in two difficult games this week against Brighton Prep and Brighton College. We played the Prep first, and both teams fought hard in the middle of the game to offer chances up front. We scored first with a well taken goal by Amy N. Brighton Prep came back strong and soon scored two in a row. This only pushed us on further, and the girls really upped their game in the second half. Isabelle B nearly equalized, but unfortunately hit the post. The game ended 2 – 4, which was a fair result. The Player of the Match was Ava L. The girls were determined to put things right against Brighton College, and they started strongly, scoring 3 goals in the first half. Amelia K, Isabelle B, and Amy N all scored. Unfortunately, we were too complacent in the second half, and Brighton equalised, scoring 3 good goals. Right on the final whistle, Isabelle B scored to give us the 4 – 3 win. The Player of the Match was Amy N.
U12B victorious!
The U12B team put on a lovely display of hockey skills against Brighton College lower school and Prep. They worked tirelessly in attack and midfield to take the ball into the attacking D, on a number of occasions going one on one with the goal keeper. The defence hassled throughout the game to put the opposition under pressure, and the girls were able to convert this into goals. Everyone who played gave 100%, and they should be really proud of the hard work they put in. The final score against Brighton Prep was 2 – 0, and 8 – 0 against Brighton College lower school.
U13A
After a successful hockey tour, the U13A played in a triangular against Brighton College Prep and their lower school. Both games were fantastic to watch, with the girls moving the ball around 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 6
audience and provide a new career path for hip-hop dancers. After completing her trial, she was offered a place as a member of the company at the beginning of half term. She has several exciting projects coming up, including a performance at The Place, London, in December. Amelie also competed at the South Coast Street Dance Championships earlier this month and came second in the U16 Advanced solo category, qualifying to represent England at the European Street Dance Championships in Germany in 2018. Congratulations! quickly and effectively. With some excellent ball carrying from the back by Marianna L and Alice B, the rest of the team could play with flair when attacking. Unfortunately, Roedean couldn’t capitalise on their chances in the first game against Brighton College Prep, but they showed a lot more composure in front of goal against Brighton College and won 7 – 1. Well done!
U13Bs won 8 – 0!
The U13Bs played in two well-fought matches against Brighton College Prep and Brighton Collage lower school today. They played both games consecutively, so it was evident that their fitness was strong and that they had been working on it. The first game against the Prep was very close, with the score 0 – 0 at half time. The girls maintained their shape into the second half, however we were unlucky several times in the D. Unfortunately, BC Prep scored moments from the end, resulting in a 0 – 1 loss. The second game started very energetically, with Roedean going 2-0 up within the first 5 minutes. This form continued, and Roedean triumphed with an 8 – 0 win. It was a great afternoon’s hockey – well done! JJ WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE
WEEK AHEAD?
Sat 4 Nov
SPEECH DAY
Tue 7 Nov
Senior Maths Challenge
Wed 8 Nov
U12A&B Hockey vs Brighton College (H)
Thur 9 Nov
East Grinstead U14 Hockey Tournament (A)
Fri 10 Nov
Years 10-13 GCSE and A Level trip to the GYO
Sat 11 Nov
1st and U15A Hockey vs Kent College, Pembury (A)
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