31st March 2017 - Issue 12
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Prefect Team 2017/2018
Prefects Head Girl Team
Head’s Introduction It’s the Easter holidays! This term has seen a wonderful mix of events and activities, and some of the highlights have been the amazing Vox Gala concert in the Theatre, our 1st VII Netball victories in the BMW league, Academic Week, the 1920s Gatsby Party hosted by the Sixth Form in Keswick Hall, the half-term trips to Andorra and Iceland, and Roedean’s Got Talent, to name just a few. Just this week, the Year 10s enjoyed a great neon-themed social, and lots of girls, staff, and parents put their general knowledge to the test at the Quiz hosted brilliantly by the Parents’ Guild last night. Well done to you all for throwing yourselves into all the different activities you do! Earlier this week, we held a Tribute Celebration for Mr Ken Thomson, which was attended by his wife, Mrs Angela Fafalios, along with many ORs, former staff, and others currently in the Roedean community. The staff band played a variety of songs, and beautiful tributes were
read about the impact he had on so many of his students during his time at Roedean. It is with great sadness that I have to share the news that our former Maths teacher, Mrs Jenni Sambrook died earlier this week. Having retired a few years ago, Jenni returned to Roedean last year to cover Alan Smith’s classes when he became ill and she taught girls in three year groups. Her passing was sudden and unexpected, making it all the more devastating for her family. We remembered both Ken and Jenni in our prayers in Chapel this morning. I am delighted to let you know that Nikki Dobbs gave birth to Sienna and Jacob earlier this week, and they are all doing well. We bid a fond farewell today to John Bennett, our Exams Officer and History teacher, and wish him the best for his retirement. Finally, good luck to all those revising for public exams next term, good luck and safe journey to those going to Nice and Seville, and I wish you all a happy and restful Easter holiday.
Vicky leads again in a dozen Chemistry Olympiad successes Twelve Roedean Sixth Form chemists achieved fantastic success in the 49th Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad. Vicky Z was awarded another Gold to go with her Cambridge Challenge result from last year. Mavis Z, Selen S, Iman SA gained Silver awards, and Georgina K, Tiffany L, Natalie T, Catherine C, Poppy Y, Yian Z, Jasmine H, and Grace R achieved Bronze awards. It is encouraging to see that four of these girls are only in Year 12 and will have another opportunity to compete next year, by which time they should be in a position to do even better.
ASE
Head of School
Maggie El Beleidi
Deputy Head of School
Loretta Sargeant
Deputy Head of School
Ohi Imevbore
Senior Academic
Martha Nicholas
Senior Academic
Jodie Hallett
Senior Pastoral
Nahida Usha
Senior Pastoral
Louisa Aspeling
Events and Cocurricular
Esmee Ellis
Events and Cocurricular
Jade Ma
Charity
Maria Paduroiu
Games Captain
Gabby Riley
Prefects KS5 Pastoral Prefect
Yian Zeng
KS5 Academic Prefect and English
Victoria NathanMaister
KS4 Pastoral Prefect and Maths
Emily Townsend
KS4 Pastoral Prefect
Hermione Cossey-Hine
KS3 Pastoral Prefect
Hafsah Butt
KS3 Pastoral Prefect
Charlotte Smith
Science Academic Prefect
May Tia Loo
Humanities Academic Prefect
Francesca Guldemond
The Arts Academic Prefect
Zoe Thompson
Languages Academic Prefect
Annabelle Kane
Sport
Natasha Rustemeyer
Library Prefect
Tina Ho
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
31st March 2017 - Issue 12
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. Melanie C (Yr12) for offering to provide ongoing weekly Physics support to a Yr8 student [JHI]
House 4’s Easter Egg hunt There is no better way to spend the last weekend before the Easter Holidays than a campus-wide Easter Egg hunt in the spring sunshine! The Junior Boarders were treated to a treasure chest of delicious chocolate at the end of an enjoyable puzzle that involved stretching their legs and testing their brains. Beginning in House 4 with the first clue, the girls were then instructed to provide a group selfie at every clue station.
Sophie N and Isabel H (Yr7) for showing great resilience on a tough Cross Country course [KAN]
Would you know where to go? Hop, Skip, Jump, and land…. Find me in the sand… A hole in one. What an amazing feat! Here you will find a delicious treat! Wands… Cloaks… Owls and Quidditch! You are a _________ Harry!
Zainah M (Yr7) for her great attitude in PE lessons [HHY]
Briana K (Yr11) for performing exceptionally in her out-of-school dance contest [DWO]
Jean D, Luzie H, Jade A, and Tishe O (Yr10) for helping Anna-Sophie back from paintballing after she had twisted her ankle [LSK]
Katarina H, Dione W, Serene S-R, and Cherry T (Yr9) for weaving the chicken shelter that the chickens are already enjoying [KRH]
Friday morning, the day is dawning… Ding, Dong, Ding – Are you ready to sing?
Paper Aeroplane Competition Takes Off in the Library Last Friday, the first ever paper aeroplane competition at Roedean was held in the main library. Paper planes of every size, design and colour were put through their paces by students and staff. Harriet C-S’ (Yr13) ‘H dog’ traversed the length of the Library at great speed, ending up under the back door. Other planes which won prizes for distance were ones submitted by Tatiana C (Yr8), Mr Camburn, and Mr Orys. A special mention goes to Tasha S’ (Yr13) plane which performed an elegant arc over the Library, hit the back wall, and disappeared down a gap behind the library shelves. In the accuracy competition, Tatiana C, Scarlett R (Yr8) and Lara S (Yr8) scored highly with their planes, making them glide through the centre of a suspended hula hoop many times. Pilot expertise was also a factor, as proved by Mr Blond when flying ‘The Orys’, skilfully piloting the plane to rest on the Maths books in the library bookshelves. Many thanks to Sharon Q (Yr12) and her team for organising this highly entertaining aerodynamic event! SBL Page 2
Stand by the clock and face the sea. That is where you will find me…. Too many insects, too much damp… Just remember to take a lamp! Wanting more? Why don’t you check the front door! After half an hour, the girls were back at House 4 where it all began, eager to collect their treasure. They then enjoyed their well-deserved chocolate goodies to celebrate Easter and another fantastic term. Well done and Happy Easter!
31st March 2017 - Issue 12
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
DofE Silver Practice Expedition The great news is that everyone came back in one piece, even if very stiff and tired! Although the nights were bitingly cold, we were blessed with sunshine and friendly ponies throughout the three days in the New Forest. The three groups did very well, despite the usual falling into bogs and getting a little lost at times! Overall, our students impressed the Outspark instructors and Roedean staff alike. Next up is the Bronze Practice Expedition in the South Downs on the first weekend back after the Easter Holidays – bring on some more ‘Type 2 Fun’!
HHH hosts St Mark’s Primary School at Roedean Last week, one of the Year 9 HHH groups hosted 20 pupils and staff from St Mark’s Primary School in Brighton. The girls spent a lot of time preparing for this event, which involved a treasure hunt around the school. Puzzle pieces were placed around the school, everywhere from the Farm to the Chapel. The pupils then had to find the pieces and complete a puzzle to win a prize at the end. The Roedean girls found it a really rewarding experience, and learnt a great deal about planning an event, and then watching it unfold. Well done to everyone involved. SA
Evening recital at St Laurence’s Church Falmer The idyllic setting of St Laurence’s church, nestling on the edge of the South Downs at Falmer, was the perfect venue for the evening recital given by some of our musicians on Saturday 25 March. The warm sunshine beamed through the church windows as a good sized audience enjoyed a very varied programme of musical delights. The standard of musicianship was high and the musical performances accomplished. This was all the more pleasing given that the majority of the musicians were girls in KS3. The programme opened with a movement of a Corelli concerto grosso, from a chamber group of Year 8 girls (Eva F, Joyce W, and Esme B) and concluded with another chamber group of Year 9 players (Katarina H, Kamali M, and Coco A), performing three of the delightful Miniatures by Frank Bridge. Representing the more senior end of the school, Gabriella K (Yr10) gave an elegant rendition on the clarinet of three movements of a Mozart Divertimento, and Olivia T (Yr12) performed a
very haunting vocal solo, Song to the Seals by Granville Bantock. The accompanying photo is of all the performers in the church at the end of the concert – Eva F, Joyce W, Esme B, Scarlett B, Kamali M, Olivia T, Scarlett J, Katarina H, Frieda J, Gabriella K, and Coco A.
Château Roedean The 2017 vintage of Château Roedean is almost ready. The Year 13 Chemists have been preparing their Sauvignon Blanc over the last few months and will be bottling it later this week. Three groups have been carrying out the fermentation reaction and the results look promising! At least two former Roedean students are working in the wine industry, Gabby Darbyshire in California and Charmaine Saw in Australia, so perhaps we have some more who will follow their example! ASE Page 3
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
31st March 2017 - Issue 12
Slow worms at Roedean The bits of corrugated iron lying around the Tye may look like rubbish, but they’re actually shelters for slow worms and grass snakes. The iron heats up in the sun, which is just right for cold-blooded reptiles. Here are India B, Phoebe H, and Millie H (overcoming her dislike of reptiles!) with one of our beautiful slow worms.
House 4 win the Easter Bake Off Mr Stearman and Mrs Chandler thoroughly enjoyed visiting Houses 1, 2, 3 and 4 yesterday evening, to judge the Inter-House Easter Bake Off. The girls had made such an effort, and the House spirit and involvement shone through. The Houses were decorated to welcome the judges, there was mini-egg cake on offer, Easter music was playing, and there was even some Easter bunny cake. Each House was marked out of 10 for Presentation, Taste, House Involvement, and
Variety. It was a very close-run thing, with Houses 1 and 3 tied on 33 marks out of 40, just pipped by House 2 on 34, but the winners were House 4 with an amazing 38 out of 40 marks! It was a wonderful evening, and Mr Stearman and Mrs Chandler were both very full by the end of it!! Happy Easter!
Business trip to Thorpe Park The Year 10 Business students went to Thorpe Park on Monday to learn about the amusement park as a business and its marketing. The students also had a chance to go on some the rides. It was a wonderful sunny day and fun was had by all. As it was also science week, the girls were kept occupied in the queues by using the mobile adventures app that allowed some science revision with questions based on the rides. Page 4
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
31st March 2017 - Issue 12
Brighton Marathon Mr Reid, Mrs Robins, and Mr Orys are running the Brighton Marathon next weekend – what a brilliant thing to do, and they are all raising money for charity at the same time. Mr Reid has a JustGiving page so if you would like to sponsor him, please use this link: for Mr Reid, please use this link: https://www.justgiving.com/dgbreid. Good luck to all three!
Roedean Scholars’ Production – ‘Mobile Phone Show’ On Friday, a thirty-strong cast of girls from Years 7-11 delighted a large audience in the Theatre at Roedean, with a highly physical, ensemble performance of Jim Cartwright’s ‘Mobile Phone Show’. The piece explores the phenomenal impact mobile phones have on our everyday lives – a very pertinent issue for us all! The cast skilfully managed to switch moods from the serious to the absurd, so that the performance was both entertaining and poignant. The production was a ‘first’ for Roedean, as the cast consisted not only of Drama Scholars, but also of girls who are Scholars in Sport, Dance, Art, Academic, and Music. The photograph shows Clara H, Lara P, and Ellie F (L5) as ‘The Texters’.
Amelie’s Street Dance Amelie H (Yr8) competed at the XM British Street Dance Championships in Mablethorpe last weekend, and it was a great success – she won U18 British Championships with her crew, BN1. Not only that, but she was also first in the Open Trios and a finalist in Advanced U18 Quads and Over16 Duos. She will be competing in a few more regional competitions to get match fit for the UDO World Championships in August, where she has already qualified to dance in Advanced Teams, Solos, Duos and Quads. Amelie and her crew are performing at the Brighton Dome in the Breaking Convention Tour on 30th-31st May, as part of the annual Brighton Festival, where she will be dancing alongside top international hip hop dance crews including Soweto Skeleton Movers (from South Africa), Just Dance (from Korea), and Tentacle Tribe (from Canada).
Football A young and exciting U14 Roedean team took to Bede’s annual U15 tournament with great enthusiasm. As a new squad this year, we were excited to see how our training was paying off. We took to the pitch a little slowly in our first game against Bede’s. By the time we got going, we were by far the more dominant team, but Bede’s had already scored too many and we couldn’t pull it back sadly. Our second game against Peacehaven was excellent, and well done to their goalkeeper who saved several great shots and a well-struck penalty by Roedean. It ended a 0 - 0 draw, but both teams had played some very good football. We continued to perform well throughout, and certainly have the strong foundations of a very promising team. Well done to all girls involved and we look forward to next year already!
GWI & CSI
L5 had a brilliant time at their ‘Neon’ Social
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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
31st March 2017 - Issue 12
U14B
Netball U14B
Last Saturday, the U14B team had their last netball game of the season. With good preparation for this match, the girls started strongly, showing a resilient defence and converting a lot of goal-scoring opportunities. The game was very competitive; however, after the 3rd quarter, Seaford’s goal shooter was very successful in front of goal, which led to Roedean chasing the game in the 4th quarter; unfortunately, we could not make an impact on the damage made in the third quarter. The final score was 20 - 11 to Seaford College. Nonetheless, the U14B team have made huge progress in their last performance. It was by far the best they have played, especially in the first two quarters. Well done girls! ACA
U14A
On Saturday, the U14A squad had their final fixture of what has been an incredible season for the group of Year 9 pupils. Travelling the 75 minutes to Seaford College, set in the beautiful West Sussex countryside, we were hoping for a great finish to this year’s Netball campaign, and the match did not disappoint! In a match where the two teams were never more than 2 goals apart, it was set to be a nail-biter to the very end. Missing a couple of regular faces, Bonnie W was called up to help the squad in the shooting circle and she slotted in well, shooting extremely accurately. At the end of the first quarter, we were down by 1, and by 2 at half time. It was the end of the third quarter that the teams were 22 goals each, and the tension was high. Thanks to some solid defence from Ella L and Jess K, helping to turn the ball over, and with outstanding attacking from Ami F, we dominated the last quarter. There was a very notable performance from Hana A who performed exceptionally, making the best drives on to the circle edge we’ve seen. The match ended 29 goals to 28, and it was a well-deserved win to round off the season. There was so much to be proud of, and so much now to go forward and work on for next year. Well done girls – I am so proud of you all
and the effort you have put in throughout the season, and you have developed into real team players. GCR
U14A
Junior House Netball
On Wednesday, it was a great end to the Netball term with Junior House Netball with every girl in year 7 and 8 getting involved. Each house was separated into 3 ‘super teams’ of both year 7 and 8 girls in the hope of making the competition fair and competitive. The sight of 6 courts of Netball going on, with every girl either playing or supporting while having their turn on the side-line was fantastic. The games were close across the board and the skill on show was exceptional - a real credit to all the hard work the girls have put in at club and during curriculum time. The final was between a team from House 4 and a team from House 3. It was close and well fought, but House 4 ‘Team M’ were the overall winners of the day and involved the following girls: Olivia B, Bo Ana M, Phoebe H, Saskia LD Harriet MH, Ada O and Evie H. Ada captained the side and a special mention to all the other captains who performed the job beautifully, setting a good sporting example to the year 7 girls and playing such a good spirited competition. A very enjoyable afternoon and a great way to end the term.
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
Inter-Counties Cross Country The Year 7 cross country runners had a tough day at the office earlier in the week. They were representing Sussex against Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, and Essex in a 100-strong race. After walking the course, they were worried about the head wind and hills, but they were keen to get going. India H unfortunately had to pull up after the first hill because her knee trouble was causing too much pain. Sophie N and Izzy H dug deep and continued to the end, with Sophie coming in the top 25, and Izzy was not too far behind. The girls performed brilliantly and we are really proud of them. Sophia C, who was due to compete in the U14 race, had to pull out beforehand because she had twisted her ankle in a netball lesson. She was gutted, but will get plenty more opportunities.
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