30 April 2021 – Issue 2
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Chicks Hatching on the Farm
Head’s Introduction
Congratulations to those in Year 9 who are doing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award. Two thirds of the year-group took part in their practice expedition last weekend – this is an impressive number, and I am pleased that so many have chosen to take part. The current situation means that the expedition was adapted, but I know that the girls really enjoyed the experience, and that they learnt a great deal, not least about teamwork, over the weekend. Thank you to our staff leaders. We wish them all the very best for their assessed expedition in two weeks. On 8 May, we will be hosting our virtual Open Day, and I would like to thank my colleagues and
the girls involved in this important event. The Admissions Department has done an excellent job in preparing for it, and we already have well over 100 families attending. I would like to thank those in Years 7 and 9, who have been preparing performance pieces, and also the girls and members of staff who will be part of the live Q&A sessions which worked so well at the last Open Day. Good luck to all those in Year 11 and 13, who have assessments starting next week. This is another opportunity for them to demonstrate what they have learnt and the skills they have developed over the last two years. The results
DofE Bronze Expedition Well done to the 70 students in Year 9, who took part in the practice expedition for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme last weekend. Ahead of their assessed expedition in a few weeks, the girls spent two days walking in the South Downs, learning essential navigation and emergency procedures, cookery, and camp craft. They did really well, and this will give them great confidence ahead of the assessed expedition in two weeks’ time – well done to everyone involved, and thank you to Mr Fieldsend, Mr Halsey, Mrs Finn, and Mrs Chamberlain, for supporting the girls over the weekend.
of these assessments will be added to the body of evidence we have already to support their grading. I wish all the girls the very best of luck. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues for the huge amount of work involved in setting and marking these assessments, and collating and assessing the data – I am very grateful to them. I hope that you all have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.
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. Grace (Yr10) for demonstrating excellence and resilience, and upholding our school values through her academic, social and co-curricular endeavours [NBE]
Merla and the NYMT! Congratulations to Merla (Yr9), who has successfully auditioned for a place in the prestigious National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) this summer. She has been working really hard with Miss Markey to prepare for her audition, alongside her LAMDA Musical Theatre examination, and had to go through 2 rounds before winning a place, along with just 29 other people from all over the country. Merla will be appearing in NYMT’s summer project – a brand new musical version of Billy the Kid. This is an outstanding achievement!
Saskia and Lareina (Yr11) and Gladys (Yr12) for their contributions this week’s Chapel [JSH]
Isabelle (Yr7) for consistently showing a caring attitude towards her peers [JC]
Ms Shevah’s Published Another Book Issue 4 of The Seaside Standard – the Student Magazine The Seaside Standard ISSUE 4 EASTER 2021
The magazine of the students
TALES OF A LEARNER DRIVER
3 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE LEARNING TO DRIVE LIFESTYLE
By Marina (Yr12)
Since late October last year, I have been so grateful to be able to start learning to drive, and with the relatively quiet roads during lockdown my mum to has been brave enough endure the task of teaching me. I have learnt a lot in the process, and that’s why I am here to share with you, 3 things I wish I knew to before I started learning drive.
Bacteria: our BFFs SCIENCE
By Lucy (Yr12)
ES OF BACTERIA AND MICROB YOU PROBABLY ALL THINK THEY ARE NOT ALL BAD! THERE AS ‘BAD’, WELL SURPRISE OUT OF THOUSANDS AND ARE ONLY ABOUT 100 SPECIES ENIC. IN FACT, THEY ARE THOUSANDS THAT ARE PATHOG MOST HOME, WE ARE THEIR OUR BEST FRIENDS, AND IMPORTANTLY IN OUR GUT. the The greatest influence on e is framework of our gut microbiom n of our diet our diet. The compositio growth of will inevitably affect the of the end our gut bacteria. At the gut The eat. you what are day, you tely microbiota consists of approxima species. 1,000 different microbial
In order to maintain a healthy it is ratio of microbes in the gut foods. A important to eat the right in fat Western diet which is high leads to and sugar but low in fibre e and a less diverse gut microbiom related an increase in organisms to cell inflammation. CONTINUED »
How to Save the World with a Chicken and an Egg is the story of Ivy Pink Floyd, an 11-year-old animal lover who empathises with them so much, she feels she can communicate with them, and 12-year-old boarding school boy, Nathaniel Breakwell, who is on the autism spectrum, and finds social situations and making friends difficult. Brought together by a momentous event in Southwold, Suffolk, the two who are very different realised they can only make a difference if they work together. Full of eco-facts and fun.
The blog is here The resources are here
My mum has been very kind to sacrifice her time to teach me, and with the experience she has gained over her years of driving, she really is the ideal teacher. That is until her road rage kicks in. A perfect example of this was during a drive a few days ago when it was getting quite dark. Suddenly a car drove up close behind and proceeded to blind me with their lights
The book received a very positive review in the Financial Times
on full beam reflecting in my mirrors. My mum cleverly advised me to pull so over and let them go past by I would not be distracted for their dazzling lights, and a that I agree that this was good idea. Where I disagree however, was when she out quickly urged me to pull behind them after they had on passed, put my full beam and blind them just as they had
Congratulations to Ms Shevah (Head of Year 13), whose book, her fifth, came out on 1 April. The screen recording and teacher resources went live last week on the Chicken House website, along with a blog post and buzz on social media. The Earth Day website, which features the book, is amazing: we should definitely do something next year.
This link mentions Roedean
The first thing; Mother does NOT always know best.
30 April 2021 – Issue 2
Well done, Ms Shevah – a remarkable achievement!
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 »
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30 April 2021 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Chicks Hatching on the Farm Visitors to the Roedean Farm this week have witnessed the hatching of new additions! We have already had a number of successful hatchings from the incubator, but we decided it was time to try it the natural way! The help of a broody hen was enlisted – following her natural instincts, she dutifully sat on a clutch, two of which have hatched this week – if you would like to suggest any names for the new additions, please email lfi@roedean.co.uk LFI
The saxophone is mostly made of brass but is classified as a woodwind instruments for reasons stated later on in the PowerPoint.
Saxophone
Year 8 Instrument Projects
‘A big thank you to the girls, I do realise how much time and thought they have spent on them, they are so enjoyable and the music they have chosen is perfect, l really enjoyed them. Have shared presentations with class teachers and am waiting to hear the children's response and hopefully which instrument they would like to play.’ Mrs Livingstone, the Music teacher at
St Mark’s
The Year 8s have been working on a project in their music lessons, to create informative and fun videos about musical instruments to send to the pupils at St Mark’s. If you are interested in learning an instrument, and can’t decide which one, click on the links to find out a bit more! If you would like a trial lesson, you are very welcome to pop along to the Music Department for a chat. Look out for next week’s instruments!
Volcanoes!
Roedean’s Visiting Lay Chaplain
If Mrs Sharp’s Chapel this week has whetted your appetite to find out more about volcanic eruptions, have a look at this amazing link!
Mandy Marshall-Taylor, our new Visiting Lay Chaplain, really enjoyed meeting girls in the Sixth Form last week – she said, ‘I loved my first session at Roedean, meeting a handful of engaging and thoughtful Sixth Form pupils as well a number of wonderfully dedicated teaching and non-teaching staff members. We talked about offering a further pastoral space, another ‘listening ear’ open to everyone, as well as about how the spiritual life of the school might be further enhanced, helping to make faith accessible to all.’ Following her first visit to Roedean, she returned to School this week, and she met with a range of girls in Year 11 and other members of staff. Mandy is keen to find out from the school community what they want concerning the spiritual life of Roedean – to help her with please, she would be very grateful if as many students as possible could complete this quick online survey. There will be opportunities for students in all yeargroups to meet with her over the coming weeks.
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30 April 2021 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Literary supplement
New Manga Books in the Library Manga are Japanese comic books or graphic novels with a twist. Serialised in newspapers and magazines, and originating in Japan, Manga now has fans across the globe. They offer a visually immersive experience and, as such, there is less emphasis on text, with the narrative being driven through the expressive drawing of the action and characters.
STUDENT BOOK REVIEW
The ARC Series by Alexandra Mood The ARC series has a very dystopian theme, which is what I am used to reading; however, unusually for my taste, it incorporates fantasy and magic, but I am very glad I was introduced to it. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic future, when the earth has been deserted by savage storms and everyone has turned to a safe haven located underground, the ARC. The plot centres on a teenager, Elle, who loses her best friend after he is discovered to be tainted. He is taken away, but, after they have made a pledge to protect each other unconditionally, Elle will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. She is a feisty, confident, and true fighter to the end. This story takes place over 4 books, just getting better and better. It is completely gripping – I recommend you keep a box of tissues nearby. Maria (Yr10)
Getting to know the Roedean Reading Reps Our wonderful Reading Reps have been working really hard this year, and they have come up with lots of great ways to encourage and celebrate reading. Here they tell us what they love about reading and why they think it is so important. Asmitha (Yr7): I wanted to become a reading representative because I am very passionate about reading, and I would like to share my joy of reading to other people and encourage others to see the excitement of reading too. My hope is for all pupils to discover a genre or type of reading that they like, so that all pupils can experience the happiness that reading brings. My favourite authors are Philip Pullman and Chris Colfer. I would recommend the Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer for younger students (8+), and I would also recommend the Philip Pullman trilogies, my favourite being The Shadow in the North. I also love A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I think reading is important because it influences your creativity, self-esteem, and academic input. It encourages new ideas and escalates levels of intelligence, in areas such as vocabulary and comprehension.
Maria (Yr10): Over the last few years, I have become an avid reader, and reading is something I was never a huge fan of as a child. However, what I have discovered is that, once you find the right book, it provides you with an escape from the real world. I want ed to become a reading rep, as I hoped I could share my new-found love of reading with others, and help everyone relax and deta ch themselves from their busy school lives. My favourite authors are Patrice Lawrence and Alexandra Moody, as their books have mad e me shed a tear, they have really opened my eyes to many different genres, and have both created incredibly diverse characters . I have many favourite books, but, if I had to recommend one for you, it would have to be the Divergent series. Divergent is a dystopian series, my favourite genre, and grips from the first page. What I feel make s this series so special is that, even after 3 years, I still remember each and every detail and character vividly, as if I read it yesterday. I know school can be very hecti c and stressful, particularly in this last term leading up to exams. This is why I really urge you to try to pick up a book and take some time away from your screens and your revision. This will help to distract you from your worries and ensure that you have an opportunity to unwind after a busy day. I promise you, it really makes a difference.
New arrivals Congratulations to Mr Higginson on the arrival of his son Charlie Albert and Miss Whiteson on the arrival her son, Finn Joshua.
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
30 April 2021 – Issue 2
Literary supplement
New Books in the Library How to Read Numbers: A Guide to Statistics in the News (and knowing when to trust them) – by Tom Chivers
Semicolon – by Cecelia Watson A biography of a much misunderstood punctuation mark, and a call to arms in favour of clear expression and against stifling grammar rules.
Every day, most of us will read or watch something in the news that is based on statistics in some way. Sometimes it'll be obvious – 'X people develop cancer every year' – and sometimes less obvious – 'How smartphones destroyed a generation'. Statistics are an immensely powerful tool for understanding the world, the best tool we have. But in the wrong hands, they can be dangerous.
Cecelia Watson used to be obsessive about grammar rules. But then she began teaching. And that was when she realised that strict rules aren’t always the best way of teaching people how to make words say what they want them to; that they are even, sometimes, best ignored.
This book will help you spot common mistakes, and tricks that can mislead you into thinking that small numbers are big, or unimportant changes are important. It will show you how the numbers you read are made – you'll learn about how surveys with small or biased samples can generate wrong answers, and why ice cream doesn't cause drownings.
Humble Pi – by Matt Parker
How to Argue With a Racist: History, Science, Race and Reality – by Adam Rutherford
What makes a bridge wobble when it's not meant to? Billions of dollars mysteriously vanish into thin air? A building rock, when its resonant frequency matches a gym class leaping to Snap's 1990 hit I've Got The Power? The answer is maths. Or, to be precise, what happens when maths goes wrong in the real world. As Matt Parker shows us, our modern lives are built on maths: computer programmes, finance, engineering. And most of the time, this maths works quietly behind the scenes, until... it doesn't. Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near-misses, and mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman empire, and a hapless Olympic shooting team, Matt Parker shows us the bizarre ways maths trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world.
The Power of Geography – by Tim Marshall
Racist pseudoscience may be on the rise, but science is no ally to racists. Instead, science and history can be powerful allies against bigotry, granting us the clearest view of how people actually are, rather than how we judge them to be. How to Argue With a Racist dismantles outdated notions of race, by illuminating what modern genetics can and can't tell us about human difference. It is a vital manifesto for a twenty-first century understanding of human evolution and variation, and a timely weapon against the misuse of science to justify racism.
Infinite Powers: The Story of Calculus – The Language of the Universe – by Steven Strogatz
Tim Marshall's global bestseller, Prisoners of Geography, showed how every nation's choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas, and concrete. Since then, the geography hasn't changed, but the world has.
A magisterial history of calculus (and the people behind it) from one of the world's foremost mathematicians.
In this revelatory new book, Marshall takes us into ten regions that are set to shape global politics and power. Find out why the Earth's atmosphere is the world's next battleground, why the fight for the Pacific is just beginning, and why Europe's next refugee crisis is closer than it thinks. In ten chapters covering Australia, The Sahel, Greece, Turkey, the UK, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Space, delivered with Marshall's trademark wit and insight, this is a lucid and gripping exploration of the power of geography to shape humanity's past, present – and future.
One punctuation mark encapsulates this thorny issue more clearly than any other. The semicolon. Hated by Stephen King, Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Orwell, and loved by Herman Melville, Henry James, and Rebecca Solnit, it is the most divisive punctuation mark in the English language, and many are too scared to go near it. But why? When is it effective? Have we been misusing it? Should we even care?
This is the captivating story of mathematics' greatest ever idea: calculus. Without it, there would be no computers, no microwave ovens, no GPS, and no space travel. But, before it gave modern man almost infinite powers, calculus was behind centuries of controversy, competition, and even death. Taking us on a thrilling journey through three millennia, Professor Steven Strogatz charts the development of this seminal achievement from the days of Archimedes to today's breakthroughs in chaos theory and artificial intelligence. Filled with idiosyncratic characters from Pythagoras to Fourier, Infinite Powers is a compelling human drama that reveals the legacy of calculus on nearly every aspect of modern civilisation, including science, politics, medicine, philosophy, and much besides.
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30 April 2021 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Race Around the World – 14,830 Kilometres! Ita
We are still racing around the world, trying to go to every country where a Roedean student is from!
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Israel
Nigeria Ghana
UK
Please do follow this link, and log your distances – remember, if you have a smart phone, it has probably logged your distances covered automatically, and you can include everything back to the last time you submitted the form – if this is your first time, you can count it all the way back to 1 January 2021, when this challenge began!
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Well done, and thank you for getting involved!
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Please follow the relevant link to log your distances:
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Race Around the World 2.0 STUDENT Race Around the World 2.0 STAFF Race Around the World 2.0 PARENT Race Around the World 2.0 OR
Nigeria Ghana
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Tanzania
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To make it easier to log your distances regularly, you can pin the wufoo link to your browser by clicking on ‘Bookmark this tab’ or similar, depending on your browser.
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If the country where you currently live does not appear on the route because you also have a UK address on the school database, please do let us know before we reach that country by emailing Miss Boles on jbo@roedean.co.uk.
Well done, and thank you for getting involved! RB Page 6
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30 April 2021 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Year 10 Athletics The Year 10 athletes have been working really hard across a number of events, including sprints, discus, and high jump. They have shown fantastic resilience, enthusiasm and talent across the board. Well done, girls!
Hollie (Yr13)
Boarding at the Weekend The boarders had a lovely time enjoying the beautiful sunny weather over the first weekend of term. The girls were incredibly excited about their Friday evening trip to the marina, where they could get some much needed supplies for the week ahead, as well as their shopping trip to Brighton on Saturday afternoon. The girls were very careful to make sure that they followed all the relevant guidance while they were out. On their return, the houses were filled with bubble tea, shopping bags, energy, and camaraderie from the day’s events. On Sunday, our boarders enjoyed visiting the Farm and feeding the animals; it was lovely to collect the eggs and spend time with the furry friends they had clearly missed. The afternoon ended with fish and chips outside, enjoying the glorious sea views of Brighton – it is safe to say that we started the term with a bang!
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