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