Summer End of Term Newsletter 2015
2014 –2017
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AWARD
Message from the Principal With public examinations completed, our students now look forward to an extended break as they await those crucial GCSE, AS and A2 results in August. A team of staff will be in school on both results’ days (Thursday 13 August for A Level and Thursday 20 August for GCSE) to provide each young person with the required guidance and support regarding their choices of A Level and university destinations.
Staffing The College says goodbye to and wishes the following staff well: Mr Crisp – Teacher of Art, retiring after 27 years Mrs Sharp – Prep School Junior Co-ordinator, retiring after 11 years Miss Spearpoint – Teacher of Girls’ PE
This half-term has been jam-packed with a huge number of events showcasing students’ talents and achievements. Nursery, Prep and Senior School Sports Days were enjoyable for all involved, with glorious weather only adding to the wonderful atmosphere. Prep School Speech Day and Senior School Prize Giving rounded off the academic year, providing an opportunity to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate students’ effort and achievement across a wide range of areas, confirming the all-round education provided at St Joseph’s.
Mrs Barnes – Teacher of Mathematics
The 20th anniversary of the College’s annual Arts Festival was bigger and busier than ever with a number of alumni including presenter and director Richard Ayoade, milliner Jessica Few, photographer Nick Ilott and musician Marcel Pusey all returning to work and share their own passion for the Arts with our students. The theme of “Disturbing the Universe” was a play on a line “Do I dare disturb the universe?” from a T. S. Eliot poem (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock - 1915). The theme was intricately woven throughout the week and taken on by students and staff, providing a real link across the many events organised as part of the Festival. The range of events from the creation of a meadow of children’s flowers, to dance and a millinery workshop, with an impromptu performance of Beatles songs from a balcony, concerts, debating, Alice in Wonderland and The Jungle Book was incredible. On behalf of the College, I thank Miss Davey who took on the mantle of Arts Festival co-ordinator and who created many opportunities for children to shine and many proud moments and happy memories for parents. The 20th Arts Festival was a splendid tribute to the memory of Mr Davey who passionately believed in and promoted the Arts across many generations of St Joseph’s students through his teaching, interactions with children, and ultimately through his conception and creation of the College’s annual Festival of the Arts.
We welcome the following staff in September:
Mrs Krisson – Prep School Teacher of French Miss Rich – Principal’s PA Miss Harrison – Prep School TA Mr Grigg – PE and Boarding Gap Tutor Mr Ballisat – PE and Boarding Gap Tutor
Mr Fletcher
Teacher of Science
Mr Polkinhorn
Teacher of EAL
Mrs Steed
Teacher of Art
Mr Clements
Teacher of Boys’ Sport
Mrs Logan
Teacher of Girls’ Sport
Mr Ball
Head of MFL/EAL
Mr Davies
Teacher of Mathematics
Mr O’Halloran
Teacher of Mathematics
Miss Wright
Head of Infants and EYFS
Mr George Woodley PE and Boarding Gap Tutor Miss Georgina Lilburn
I hope you share in our excitement about plans for the future of the College as set out in our “Building for the Future” document. The first phase commenced on Saturday 4 July with the start of the creation of a new Technology area ready for September. Further to approval from the Board of Governors in September, we hope to create and open a new Sixth Form Centre this academic year, with students able to have input into what their building will look like and also contain. We look forward to a new academic year which will start with overseas students arriving on Saturday 5 September, Year 7 and Lower Sixth students only in College on Monday 7 September and the start of term for all students on Tuesday 8 September. There are members of the Senior Leadership Team in school throughout the summer if you need to make contact or have a particular query. I wish you and your family a fabulous summer break.
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Mrs D Clarke Principal
PE and Boarding GAP Tutor
Message from the Vice Principal and Head of Prep School Thank you very much for all your donations to the Osiligi Obaya School. The “school shoe amnesty” in the Prep School on the final day of term was extremely successful - we had many children leaving for their summer holiday in their socks after generously donating their shoes! The funds raised from the Head West Concert and the Aerobathon have been used to purchase 12 Google Chrome books that have all been personalised for the school. We are looking forward to delivering these in person in late July. We have also purchased a great variety of play equipment for the summer camp that we will also be taking. In addition, we recently increased the solar capacity within the school by fifty percent. A cook has been recruited and we have arranged for her to make a midday meal for each child, perhaps maize and beans. The children’s typical staple is a maize meal cake called Ugali - maize flower mixed with water and cooked in a pan over a fire until it forms a dry cake. Often little fluid is drunk, although Chai is another staple – a very milky tea, often two-thirds milk with three or four spoonsful of sugar. I have spoken with Richard Minisa – he donated five acres of his land to build the school. He thanks you all for your generosity, and, like me, he wishes you all a very relaxing family holiday.
Dr M Hine Vice Principal and Head of the Prep School
An Overview from the Director of Studies The summer break gives everyone a chance to relax and reflect on a busy year. Our public examinations have now finished and I have been very pleased with the way that the students have approached their studies. We now face a long wait to see the fruits of their labour. Our Year 13 students have a fine set of university offers and a good number of our Year 11 are returning next year to build on their achievements at GCSE. As I reflect on this year, I am again struck by how hard everyone works here at St Joseph’s College and I would like to extend my thanks to all my Colleagues for helping and guiding our young people this year. The unveiling of the new buildings masterplan gives a clear direction to the College for the foreseeable future. In particular the new Sixth Form Centre promises to be a space that allows St Joseph’s Sixth Formers to bridge the gap between School and Higher Education and I look forward to working with the new Sixth Form team and students in designing the final look. The recent Arts Festival Week demonstrated that learning is not something that is confined to the classroom. I was privileged enough to watch a range of performances that demonstrated that St Joseph’s students are truly versed across the full curriculum. It is important for us all to encourage young people to immerse themselves fully in all aspects of College life so that they can gain a variety of experiences.
Mr S Phaup Director of Studies
Enjoy the summer break and I look forward to working with you all again next year.
Dr Martin Hine Vice Principal and Head of the Prep School
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Message from the Chair of Governors The Governing Body has now released a masterplan for development of the College’s land and buildings. “Building for the Future” demonstrates our long-term ambitions and sits alongside the College Development Plan that was published last year. As the school year was drawing to a close, our eyes were really focussed on the next year and beyond. St Joseph’s now has ambitious proposals for its future and the foundations are in place upon which we can all now build with confidence. Across all areas of the Development Plan, progress has been evident. This summer we will start work on preparing buildings for future development and we will also carry out the long-awaited remedial work to the roof of the Chapel as it remains at the very heart of our future plans.
My end of year message is that we have started to write the next chapter of the St Joseph’s College story and we intend it to be the most exciting and ambitious yet. Finally, at the conclusion of my first year as Chair of Governors, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few, much deserved, “thank-yous”. Firstly, to the school’s incredible staff team who have, once again, worked so hard; secondly, to the Board of Governors who have voluntarily contributed so much; and, finally, to you for your tremendous continued support. Have a wonderful summer.
There is so much that we now want to do and the speed at which we can do it will greatly depend upon your continuing commitment to our school and upon all of us helping to spread the word about how wonderful it really is.
Mr Paul Clement Chair of Governors
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Focus on a Teacher On 13 October 1981, Vice President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt was elected as President, the late Margaret Thatcher was celebrating her 56th birthday, and in a maternity hospital in Colchester, I was entering the world! My early years were spent at my family home in Brightlingsea, which I shared with my parents and a Standard Poodle called Tito. I also spent much time at Colchester General Hospital. Undergoing two hernia operations, adenoids removal and fracturing my skull before the age of five whilst also being a chronic asthmatic meant that I was a familiar face on the children’s ward.
At secondary school I joined the public speaking society. My team were national runners-up and invited to an international competition. My love of performing arts also allowed me to take part in many other international projects where I made some life-long friends around the world.
After finishing my degree and enjoying a summer in Australia, I did a brief spell of supply cover at St Joseph’s College and applied for a post in the Infant department. To my surprise I was offered the job despite being a newly qualified teacher and considered a “risky” option.
Just before beginning my GCSEs, I was featured in a magazine article comparing real pets to the newly-invented cyber variety. Local media got wind of my animal collection, now nearly 100, and I appeared in several national newspapers and on news programmes.
Eleven years later I hope I have proved the risk was worth taking! I have very much enjoyed my time here and look forward to many more years. I have continued to pursue my other interests and to date, have performed in nearly 40 plays, pantomimes and musicals. My current pet count exceeds 200 (from micro squirrels to a 9’ Burmese python) and includes many rescues.
From a very young age, I showed an interest in animals and my parents encouraged this. On a visit to Clacton Zoo one day, the owner was impressed with my patience and connection with the animals and insisted that I did not leave without taking two ducks and rabbit!
Having volunteered at the local infant school where my mother worked as a teaching assistant, I realised that teaching may well be a potential career option. Studying French at A Level gave me the opportunity to work in a French primary school and studying Performing Arts required me to lead workshops for younger children.
When I was five there was a new addition to our family in the form of my baby sister, who at the age of two almost came to a sticky end after I fed her eucalyptus oil nothing that four days in hospital wasn’t able to sort out! Whilst at Primary school, I joined the drama club and the choir. At my Dad’s suggestion, I also started karate lessons.
After taking a year out to work as a learning support assistant at my secondary school, I began a three-year course in Primary Education at what was then Anglia Polytechnic University, to which I commuted daily. (I was unable to find a university who would welcome my increasing collection of feathered and furry friends.)
Much to my Dad’s delight, I was awarded my black belt in karate and now instruct. I am also a member of my local Rotary club. I married my very understanding wife nearly three years ago and of course had an animal-themed wedding followed by a honeymoon on safari in Kenya. Towards the end of this year, the number of mouths to feed will again increase but this time, it will be of the human variety - let’s hope he/ she fits in with the rest of the menagerie! Mr Gregg Weaver Year 5 Teacher
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Prize Giving Both the Senior Prize Giving and Prep School Speech Day gave the St Joseph’s community opportunities to gather, reflect on the year that was and in the words of the Principal, Mrs Clarke, “to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate our wonderful students’ achievements”. She said, “If I was to choose one word that I would associate most when reflecting on the academic year 14-15 that word would be PRIDE. “We know that pride can sometimes have negative connotations - it is after all supposedly one of the seven deadly sins, however, pride can also be a virtue and therefore seen as a positive particularly when defined as ‘a love and sense of one’s own excellence’.” Mrs Clarke listed some of the reasons for feeling great PRIDE: • Record-breaking GCSE results and outstanding A Level results across a number of subjects traditionally viewed as perhaps the most challenging of A Level subjects. • OB Engineering student Francis Yates’ award-winning technology project to save the honey bee. • Excellence in acting, reciting, debating, public speaking, singing, dancing, painting, photography, and writing. • Sporting prowess – award of professional rugby contracts; Lewis Ludlam OB voted England player of the U20 World Cup tournament; 1st XV reaching the final of this year’s National School Boys’ Rugby Festival; Ethan Waddleton signing for England 7s; the spectacular flourishing of girls’ sport.
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• Our students’ compassion beyond the College – for Osiligi in Kenya, packing hampers for local people at Christmas, for Save the Children, among other causes. • Caring for one another, as shown in the way the community came together when faced with the loss of Mr Davey. An inspiring speech was delivered by guest speaker Sally Kettle, adventurer, marathon runner, author and the first woman to row the Atlantic Ocean twice from east to west. In a funny and forthright speech she urged the students to seize the day. In his address, Dr Hine told the Prep’s Speech Day audience, “As parents and teachers it is vital that we work together to help each child to construct increasingly complex learning maps as well as to develop a strong sense of personal direction – a moral compass underpinned by strong values.” He said children needed courage to face life’s challenges: “The development of confidence and resilience can be stymied if we are overbearing at home or at school. This may happen in three ways: Hand–holding – becoming children’s Personal Assistants - we must let them dream as well as to experience failure and to learn and adapt from this Over-directing – specifying a pre-defined and narrow version of success - we must give them time and space to think for themselves and develop their talents and interests Over-protecting – providing a sanitised and rose-tinted view of the world - we must provide challenging activities and broad experiences and share honest feedback and correction.”
Form Prizes
Achievement in Sport
Form
Achievement
Effort
Downing Cup for Rugby
Ethan Waddleton
7AWI
Mary Nwenyi
Dominic Godfrey
Clements Cup for Hockey
Olivia Locke
7PBA
Jessica Bryce
Hayden Rolph
Hobbs Cup for Netball
Esther Babatunde
7SDA
Leo Bignell
Jessica Oakes
The Gentry Rugby Cup (Team Achievement)
1st XV – Cameron Ives to collect
8ASP
Matthew Kent
Louis Martin
De La Salle Cricket Cup
Dominic Manthorpe
8BCR
Erin Morgan
Elinor Otaki
Achievement in Sport – Junior Girls (Lower School, Year 7 to 9) Ellie Cook
9JSO
Ellie Cook Elana Fraser
Achievement in Sport – Junior Boys (Lower School, Year 7 to 9) Harvey Skinner
9KDR
Jacob Wright
Charlie Hubert
Achievement in Sport – Senior Girls (Year 10 to Upper Sixth)
Olivia Hine
9SME
Alexander Rolph
Charles Wareham
Achievement in Sport – Senior Boys (Year 10 to Upper Sixth)
Alexander Sayer
10ABL Luke Le Roux
Joel Fernandes Sou
10JUN Callum Pennington Elin Davies 10LHS Alexander Iveson
Zoe Asbury
Special Awards
11DED Oskar Fossberg
Alexander Wykes
Downing Cup for Special Effort (Girls, Year 7 to 11)
Poppy Brady
11NCH Daisy Hubert
David Codjoe
Alexander Cup for Special Effort (Boys, Year 7 to 11)
Codie Simpson
11PDU William Tillett
Ellenor Gaston
Hudson Cup for Science (Girls, Year 7 to 11)
Daisy Hubert
Jubilee Cup for Science (Boys, Year 7 to 11)
Alexander Wykes
Mike Kearney Memorial Chemistry Prize
Danny Li
Brother Lawrence Treanor Prize for Physics
Alexander Sayer
James Hehir Science Prize for Biology
Francesca Combes
Wyllie Prize for Engineering
Chad Griffiths
Bonnar Cup for Mathematics
Jude Wang & Tiffan Guan
Mike Caseley Prize for Business Enterprise
Matthew Clements
Brother Benet Technology Prize
Philip Yeung
Newman Cup for Humanities
Francesca Combes
Brother Owen Cup for Religious Education
Alexander Wykes
Anne Dunford Cup for Creative Writing
Oliver Brookes
Best Actor
Thomas Newbigging
Drama Shield
Holly Bennett
Junior Drama
Joshua Lamb
Dance Award
Charley Hewitt
Crabbe Cup for Debating
James Battye
Tom Symes Prize for Public Speaking
Thomas Newbigging
Young Artist of the Year (Year 7 to 11)
Lily Henshall Howar
Sketchbook Designer of the Year
Hannah Stokes
Conall Shanks Memorial Prize
Dora Li
Boarding Cup
Basil Lam
Birkfield Society Prize
Archie Wilkinson & Luc Jeannot
Charity Cup
Francesca Combes
Shaw Cup for Contribution to Music
Harry Taylor
Helen Watson Memorial Prize for Music
Benjamin Hetherington
Bales Cup for Most Improved Musician
Crystal Wang
Sixth Form Prize for English
Solomon Atkinson-Padmore
Josephine Lea Cup for Citizenship
Tobias Oxley
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20th Arts Festival Delivers Universal Appeal The theme for this year’s Arts Festival was “Disturbing the Universe”. The intention of the theme was to encourage children to take a leap of faith by pushing themselves out of their comfort zones to disturb their own universes and to take a chance on something new. The week was full of new and exciting ways to explore their imaginations and it was very moving to see the work they developed.
On the first day we had an uplifting morning meeting Richard Ayoade, a director, writer and Old Birkfeldian. Richard analysed the film “The Graduate” and also conducted a very personal and honest question and answer session. We then had a Millinery workshop hosted by Jessica Few, another proud Old Birkfeldian, who delivered a skilled and engaging session allowing all students to create their own head wear. There was also an exciting dance workshop from Bam Bam Boogies, which was based on street dance and involved over 60 students. In the evening our “Celebration of Language” event looked at how language can disturb our universe. Students produced their own work, read poetry, performed monologues, delivered speeches, and debated one another.
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Tuesday’s form period was disturbed by the witty second instalment of the SJC Radio Show, following on from last year’s Arts Festival, which was written by James Battye (L6). Later that day the final stage of our Spotlight process was concluded where we watched local primary schools perform their final dramatic responses. A group of Year 7 students confidently performed “The Canterbury Tales” for a large audience in the auditorium. The boys demonstrated a strong understanding of the text and also captured the light and shade within the story, as well as making us all laugh a lot. This led onto an afternoon of diverse speeches in a Public Speaking Competition involving Years 7
to 10 and then finished with the wonderful performance of “Alice and Wonderland” by the Prep School. We had Pavement Art going on throughout the day on Wednesday and this included the whole school decorating the grounds with artistic imagery linked to this year’s theme. During Wednesday lunchtime, a small section of “Look Back in Anger” was performed by Nathaniel Abery, Tom Emery, Clarice de Silva and Holly Bennett of the Lower Sixth. They put forward the idea themselves and brought the auditorium to life with their electric acting skills. This was followed by “Reaching for the Stars”, an evening that brought us an eclectic mix of music in the relaxed setting of the refectories.
In the spirit of Arts Festival Week, Mrs K. Barker, a member of the College’s Catering Staff, wrote the following poem in tribute to Festival founder, Mr Michael Davey.
On Thursday we had a day full of new additions to the Arts Festival. Firstly, an “Afternoon Tea” event was held, complete with delicious homemade cakes and poetry presentations. Participants created a group poem together. This then led into an unexpected concert, “Sound in the Grounds”, with the band on the balcony of Main House, which saw the whole school gather to disturb the universe with a playlist of Beatles’ songs. It was very exciting to see all ages dancing on the school lawn together celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Festival. All day there was also a workshop based on “Live World Music” in the Prep School that was led by Marcel Pusey. Alongside this we had a meadow of flowers made by the children which demonstrated the long-term creativity that had gone into the week. This was all accompanied by a wonderful Art Exhibition in the Prep School and also the exhibition of the SNAP Photography competition. We then had three performances of “The Jungle Book”, over two days. The production was colourful and lively, full of incredible character work and detailed dance and movement. We had an insightful photography workshop led by Old Birkfeldian Nick Ilott and a creative and inspiring music workshop led by Alex Stockley. “Rock in the Quad” on Friday lunchtime was an unplugged event, at which the whole College came together, ate ice cream and enjoyed the variety of talents we have to offer as a school. This was a fantastic warm up for the finale on Sunday evening. The 20th Anniversary Unplugged event was in fact electric! The students epitomised what the ethos of our College is all about. They disturbed the universe with talents and acts of total bravery, whist pushing themselves to their total limits. The week was a very successful celebration of a very special time in the school calendar. Students embraced the theme ‘Disturbing the Universe’ and together as a school community we expressed ourselves and took a giant leap of faith together. Miss J. Davey
Mike Davey was a gentleman A friend to one and all, A man of good character Who could proudly walk tall. His strong faith and integrity Helped him through each day, Being the best that he could be In every possible way. He always took the time To stop and say hello, Ask you how you were The care that he would show. An inspiration to his students Always there to help them out, An ally within a teacher That’s what he was all about. He worked to gain their respect And strived to earn their trust, Never giving up on one Perseverance was a must. He touched so many lives So many hearts and minds, And they will all remember him With memories of good times. God chose to take him from us And time will ease that pain, We take comfort in the knowledge That our loss is heaven’s gain.
The Prep School production of “Alice in Wonderland”, marking the 150th Anniversary of the children’s classic, took place in the Chapel during Arts Week. We were taken into a musical wonderland as Alice met some curious creatures including a White Rabbit in a rush with a penchant for her pocket watch, a snooty caterpillar who advised Alice that in life it is vital to “Keep Your Temper!”, an impossible tea party hosted by the Mad Hatter, March Hare and Dormouse, a cheeky Cheshire Cat and imperious King and Queen of Hearts. The main characters were supported ably by a colourful chorus wearing bright costumes who sang and danced with incredible energy as Playing Cards, Cats, Rock N Roll Dancers and Heart Courtiers. There were some excellent solo and group performances both vocal and instrumental and even a gymnastic solo during Everybody Wants to be a Cat. Over 100 children took part in the show and there was no doubt that the chapel was transformed into a Wonderland just for a while.
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News from the Prep School
Barge trip The Year 4 pupils enjoyed a wonderful residential stay – of one, two or three nights - aboard the magnificent Thames barge Reminder, accompanied by Mrs Hughes, Dr Hine and Mrs Ireland. This was such an amazing experience for everyone to work as a team with Richard the Skipper, Judy and Dan, learning how to sail this wonderful vessel. Everybody had the opportunity to play a part in preparing the barge to sail, raising the sails, scrubbing the deck, tacking and handling the winches and ropes of the enormous sails. Challenges continued throughout all weathers – gale force winds, thunder and lightning, hail, squally downpours … and bright sunshine. We even caught sight of a rainbow and enjoyed the most glorious evening sunsets on the water, which we will hope to capture in our paintings.
Moving Across Disco On the penultimate Friday of term our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a “Moving Across Disco” to celebrate the end of their time in the Prep School. New pupils joining the year group in September and friends were invited to the event to enjoy the dancing and games. On a lovely summer’s evening, the children were treated to some fun disco challenges, including boys versus girls dancing competitions; the teachers particularly enjoyed the conga. The highlight of the evening for many was the photo booth where the children had group photos with their friends to create memory moments.
Teams shared the preparation, cooking and washing up from some delicious meals, including spaghetti bolognese, sausages and pizzas with individually created toppings. How wonderful it was, to sit around the table with Richard, Judy and Dan, enjoying our meals and discussing the highlights of the day. Evenings offered brilliant opportunities for using crabbing lines over the side of the barge – with great success – and the subsequent races were really exciting as the crabs scampered along the deck to get back into the water. Everyone loved hunting for shells along the shore at Mersea and many beautiful treasures were brought back as happy memories of our wonderful experience. We all found out so much about ourselves and each other as we learned new skills, including helming the barge, tying ropes and climbing the rigging. (Even Mrs Ireland managed it!) Mrs Ireland
Year 6 Keeps Calm and Carries On Personal safety and reacting to danger were on the agenda for Year 6 with a life skills workshop run by the Crucial Crew organisation. Scenarios were mocked up by representatives of UK Power Networks, Fire and Police Services, Ipswich Life Saving Club and Suffolk County Council Road Safety Team, with the support of volunteers, to highlight: • Waterside, road, electrical, railway and fire safety • First Aid • Alcohol awareness • Personal safety • Internet safety
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Role play was used to bring the messages to life, with the Fire Safety scenario voted the children’s favourite. Responding to a mocked up bedroom fire, they blocked smoke from entering the room, and shouted and banged for help until the fire rescue team assisted their evacuation.
Food, Glorious Food – from Source to Plate Food technology has covered so much this term, from the Aztecs to sausage making! Year 3 and 4 have been studying our wonderful local food here in Suffolk past and present. We have looked at where the various products come from and what we specialise in. Cooking has seen us making ice cream, sausages, fabulous healthy sandwiches and amazing tortillas, featuring local eggs and potatoes. Year 5 have found much to admire in the cuisine of the Aztecs. The ancient civilization’s love of chocolate has been synthesised into chocolate fudge cake, and their maize crop into corn fritters and homemade corn chips, served with mouth-wateringly good guacamole. The students have worked really hard this term and we are all looking forward to next year, with exciting projects planned.
Workshop Illustrates Produce from Crop to Shop Year 3 and Year 4 pupils enjoyed a wonderful workshop session with Mr and Mrs Rolph, who came to tell them about the crops grown on their farm at Ufford – and what they are used for. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on challenge of identifying samples of plants currently being grown in the Rolph’s fields: wheat and barley, oil-seed rape, field beans and sugar beet. The children worked collaboratively to match up seeds and plants and then considered the end products, including bread, granulated sugar, rape seed oil, beer and milk (from cows fed on field beans). The children asked purposeful questions about various aspects of the farming cycle and growing year. Mr and Mrs Rolph gave wonderfully clear visual examples of the number of seeds being planted within a wooden square metre frame, the equivalent crops being yielded and the corresponding quantities of the final products. We will all remember that the wheat from each square metre would yield enough grain to be ground into enough flour to produce one large loaf! The children stuck samples of the seeds and images of the final produce onto a sheet to consolidate their learning; such great first-hand experience.
Pets Bask in Warm Sunshine and Attention The annual Prep School Pets Assembly took place in glorious sunshine and seemed to be enjoyed equally by children, parents, staff and assorted animals. There were dogs of many breeds – from a tiny spaniel to a Doberman – and all were showered with attention by the children. Among the canines was Red Setter Rosie, a veteran of all seven Pet Assemblies to date. A beautiful patchwork pony drew a crowd of admirers, as did a very well behaved cockatoo. Guinea pigs, rabbits, corn snakes, chicks, parrots and geckos also came along. Mr Weaver brought some of the strangest visitors –“Skinny Pigs”, an almost hairless breed of Guinea pig – which intrigued many and repulsed some! Staff delivered a retelling of the story of Noah’s Ark before some of the children read out their own poems and prayers about their pets and other animals.
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Down on Jollity Farm Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 enjoyed a visit to Hollow Trees farm. The children were able to learn about the variety of food produced on the farm. The sun shone, and we took a ride on the tractor’s trailer to explore the fields and identify and recognise the crops. We picked some wheat, barley and oats and we were able to have a go at grinding the wheat to make some flour. We looked at the delicious and large range of foodstuffs in the shop and examined a basket of shopping to understand where the familiar items came from. We also learned about the importance of bees and butterflies and got to become farmers for the day, planting our own wild flowers that should grow to attract bees and butterflies to our gardens. Bees and butterflies are less evident in the British countryside and habitats than they were and need to be protected. Much fun was had on the farm trail, where we got to feed and touch some of the animals. After a picnic lunch we played in the trees, made some dens and enjoyed the slides and log swings. What a fabulous farm to visit. A memorable and educational day!
Busy Itinerary for Trip across the Channel This year’s Year 5 French trip – Mrs Sharp’s tenth! – was a huge success and enjoyed by all those taking part. We were welcomed by a not so sunny France and were glad to take shelter in the World War 2 museum. The following day the weather decided to be kinder and gave us just enough wind to be able to fly the kites we had made in the morning. All this hard work was rewarded by some yummy crepes before heading off to the bee museum and snail farm. Thursday began with a visit to a market and then on to the local school to put our linguistic skills into practice and make some new friends. We also stopped off at a military cemetery to see if we could find any graves belonging to our ancestors. We celebrated out last full day in France with a trip to the fishing museum, where getting up close and personal with some rays was a real highlight of the week. They were certainly shier than the creatures we encountered on our next stop, a goat farm. We even had the opportunity to try milking. After packing for home on Saturday, we all enjoyed a visit to the chocolate factory and finally to the supermarket to spend our remaining euros. Mr Weaver
The French Trip was the best experience of France I have ever had in my life. My favourite part of the trip was the goat farm because one nearly butted me. Joshua Connelly 5JAP The French Trip was really amazing! Mr favourite part was at the school as it was fun meeting and working with French children. Ted Newbourn 5JAP The French trip was amazing. It is my favourite trip ever. My favourite part was trying the snails at the snail farm. Ethan Willetts 5DSE It was fantastic. I loved the goat farm. The food was lovely too. I wish I could do it all again. Toby Hewitt 5JAP
Bonjour tout le monde! An exciting and cultural French Day took place in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, when the children built their own Eiffel Towers, Notre Dames and other iconic French buildings with the help of Mrs Gardiner. They learnt words for food items in French with Mrs Mayne, and Mrs Bennett and Mr Davies organised pétanque. In the afternoon Nursery children joined in too and we all sang a variety of French songs including “Le Gouzi-Gouzi” (The Hokey Cokey), “Monsieur Pouce” and “La Tête, Les Bras, Les Mains, Les Pieds”. After this everyone came together in the hall for a French café, sampling delights such as croissants, brioche, pain au chocolat, camembert and brie. Mrs Mayne
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Prep School Sport New Heights for Jack Wilkinson To have one outstanding athlete in the family is great; to have two is amazing. But like his sister Emma (Year 4), part of the East of England’s gold medal winning squad, Jack Wilkinson (Year 6) is a gymnast of note. At the Trampolining Regional Finals at Peterborough, Jack represented the East region and performed extremely well. He took fifth place in the National Development Programme 4 trampolining grade for his age group and – by finishing in the top eight – earned himself a place at the National competition in Telford later in the summer. A member of the Ipswich Four Trampolining Club, Jack is currently training three or four times a week for this next competition.
Faster, Higher, Stronger – Prep School Athletes Complete Quadrathlon For a third year, the UK Athletics club run for boys and girls in the Prep School has been hugely successful; with 50 children from Years 3 to 6 registered for the club and 46 completing the quadrathlon event. Each child was measured or timed in a sprint event, distance run, a jump and a throw. The scores were then entered into the UK Athletics grading system and children were given a level that is recognised nationally for each age group. Children scoring above Step 5 are deemed above average and children reaching Bronze, Silver and Gold levels are recommended to consider specialist athletics coaching. We were delighted with the range of levels achieved: none below Level 2, while ten children achieved Level 10, the top standard award. Three were awarded Silver: Luke Hughes, Hanna Koepf and Isaac Daniels. We are extra proud of Jemima Bestley, Joel Sheldon and Amelie Goulborn who gained the Gold award. Mrs Hughes Mrs Bestley
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Sports Afternoon Characterised by Effort and Enthusiasm In warm sunshine, the Prep School enjoyed their Sports Afternoon with plenty of family members cheering from the side-lines. On the track each child had the opportunity to run in a sprint and longer distance race. From infants to Year Six it was evident that each child gave their absolute all trying to gain points for their school houses, receive winning stickers and ultimately a winner’s medal. There were numerous highlights on the track: photo finishes in the sprints and stamina battles in the home stretch of the distance races. It was an afternoon of celebrations on all levels where, quite rightly, some of the heroes were children spotted competing for 12th or 13th place, who, responding to cheers from the crowd, found extra energy to cross the line. It was also an occasion for our athletes to shine. Spectators at this vibrant event saw children progress their athletic skills at all levels. Elsewhere on the site battles royal – in terrific sporting spirit – were taking place in the football, cricket, netball, handball, tennis and foam hockey competitions; truly an event for everyone. Mrs Hughes Mrs Bestley
Junior Sport Summer Term PE in the Prep School is taught in class groups for most activities. In games the boys and girls are separated to focus on their main sports for that term. In Games lessons Year 5 and 6 girls have been working on their rounders whilst the Year 5 and 6 boys have focussed on their cricket with matches on Wednesday afternoons. In PE Years 5 and 6 have been introduced to girls’ and boys’ cricket, mixed athletics and tennis. In Games for Years 3 and 4 the focus has remained on cricket for boys and rounders for girls, with most matches taking place on Monday afternoons. In PE the groups are mixed within their year bracket. The pupils have been learning about Mini Tennis Orange, cricket and athletics. All Prep pupils have enjoyed taking part in school fixtures throughout the term.
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Cricket
Tennis
U9s had a varied season with some excellent individual performances.
Both the U8 and U10 Boys missed out on qualifying for the county cup finals by the narrowest of margins, losing out on countback. The Year 5 team performed above expectations as they actually had a couple of players on the French trip for their matches.
Lewis Hall and Eddie Lloyd stood out with the bat whilst Eddie Patterson and Tom Pratt performed very well with the ball. All-rounders Jack Hussey and Frank Hughes performed well in the field. U11s produced some fine performances throughout. Joel Sheldon and Oscar Bolton batted well throughout the season whilst Charlie Holloway and George Norval worried most opposing batsmen with their bowling. The Year 5s contributed well to the U11 teams, with William Stace and Callum Wolston both featuring strongly in many of the matches. Our U11 Girls won most of their games this season with great team spirit. Best bowlers were Dolly Henshall Howar and Hanna Koepf, whilst Amelie Clarke scored most runs.
My congratulations go to Callum Wolston, Will Jolly, Luke Hughes and Memocan Topal. Well done to Frank Hughes, Jack Hussey, Tom Pratt and Eddie Lloyd for their efforts in the Year 3 team. Mr Davies
Prep School Creative and Performing Arts
Children Find Their Groove at Music Workshop Year 5 to Dance up a Storm for BBC Prom Pupils from just four primary schools across the country have been invited to take part in two Ten Pieces Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, and St Joseph’s Prep School is one of them. The two concerts, celebrating the first year of the BBC’s classical music project for children, “Ten Pieces”, will take place over the Proms’ opening weekend (Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July) and will showcase the original ten pieces of music performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Thomas Søndergård. A wide range of children’s creative responses - through compositions, dance, digital art or animation - to the music, will be shown on big screens in the Hall - whilst pupils from the four primary schools will showcase their responses live on stage.
During Arts Week, the Prep school was delighted to welcome back Bassistry Music and as always, was not disappointed by the workshops led by Marcel Pusey. Composer and bass player Mr Pusey, a former student of St Joseph’s College, energised Years 1 to 6 with lively, upbeat and above all fun workshops that were packed with activities to inspire and motivate children and allow them to explore the endless possibilities that music can provide.
Leading London choreographer Denni Sayers spent the morning at St Joseph’s working with the boys, helping them add further depth and polish to their arresting routine, a contemporary dance –entitled ‘Storm’ – in response to Benjamin Britten’s Storm Interlude from “Peter Grimes”.
Prep Enjoys a Preview of Theatre in the Forest Production The Red Rose Chain Theatre group spent an hour at St Joseph’s Prep School in the final week of term with Years 4 and 5. They held a dress rehearsal of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – their forthcoming Theatre in the Forest production – which was went down brilliantly!
Roar of Approval for “Sabre-tooth Tiger Trot” The Prep School Lunchtime Concert audience was treated to a variety of promising performances ranging from solos on the drums, clarinet, voice, piano, flute and trombone to an outstanding performance by Year 3 classmates Hannah McNicholas and Jack Hussey playing a cello duet, “The Sabre-tooth Tiger Trot”.
Nursery and Infant Children Inspired by O’Keeffe and Gaudi During Arts Week, Nursery and Infants had their first ever art exhibition. There was art work from Nursery inspired by out of this universe explosions and Reception produced tape resist modern art. Year 1 depicted flowers inspired by the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and Year 2’s work was influenced by Antoni Gaudi. Mrs Harvey attended the exhibition and chose the best in show. The winners were Charlie Wicks, Gabriel Searle, Benji Patterson, Sebastian Fox and Bonnie Bolton. A big well done to all the children who participated for the high standard of beautiful work that brightened up the hub. 15
President’s Award for James Battye (L6)
Glittering Climax to Last Day at St Joseph’s
The Historical Association invited students aged between 16-19 years in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland to take part in its bi-annual Great Debate competition. With 2015 being the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, the subject was readily decided – “What does Magna Carta mean to me?”
The May Ball provided a fantastic climax to the celebrations marking Year 13’s final day.
St Joseph’s own James Battye (L6) spoke splendidly. He reached the final at Royal Holloway, University of London, as winner of the Norwich heat, determined by a judging panel. Each student taking part had five minutes to present on their argument before being required to answer questions from the judges and some from the audience. The finalists were all given the Historical Association’s President’s Award and one year’s membership.
A marquee in the College’s lovely grounds provided the setting. All ladies were presented with a rose on arrival and live music set the mood. There was an outstanding three-course supper and then the dancing was opened by a group of Leavers who had learned a waltz for the occasion. A photo booth provided lots of scope for capturing the moment in amusing and original ways. The tired and happy revellers made their way home at 1.30 a.m. As well as current students and staff, the ball was attended by many former parents and Old Birkfeldians, reinforcing the St Joseph’s community spirit.
News from the Senior School
Students Rise to Royal Society of Biology Challenge 2015 To raise the profile of Biology within the College, our Triple Science students were entered into the Royal Society of Biology Challenge for Year 10 students. This involved two 30 minute papers which extended the knowledge of our students beyond the taught curriculum. Students were asked various questions which required knowledge gained from watching scientific documentaries and having a wider interest of all things Biological. Students sat the two papers online in one session under examination conditions, with their results given immediately. However, as this was a National Challenge the grading depended on how students had responded throughout the UK. Our students performed very well, gaining commended, highly commended and one Bronze award to Harry Williams and a Silver award to Alice Gittins. This is an annual challenge we look forward to entering next year. Mrs Tabberer, Science Teacher
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Ball-goers Welcome Teachers on to the Dance Floor The Year 9s celebrated our last Lower School Ball and I have to say it was one of the best. Like always, we had a three-course meal, as we all sat around the table having lovely conversation and making each other laugh. We then moved on to the disco, which was so much fun as some of the teachers joined in. Everyone was very happy and excited as we also had lots of yummy sweeties to enjoy. We all had a very fun time and thank you very much for letting us have this opportunity. Phoebe Hutley 9SME
Studies into Landscapes – Natural and Manmade Our Year 10 Geographers have recently undertaken three days of local fieldwork. They learned about setting and testing hypotheses, sampling strategies and risk assessment while also gaining experience of a wide range of fieldwork skills. In mid-June they carried out a river investigation, finding out how the Belstead Brook changes with distance downstream. This involved the measurement of channel characteristics such as width, depth, channel shape, velocity, and bedload size and shape. Later the same day they conducted a town centre study in Ipswich. To achieve this they had to categorise buildings by purpose and interview members of the public to find out about their use of the town centre. Also in June, pupils compared coastal landforms and processes at Walberswick and Aldeburgh, recording beach profiles, measuring longshore drift, and considering the relationship between beach material and both distance from the sea and beach gradient. Later we visited Southwold, where students considered the economic and environmental impact of tourism on the town, categorising shops as tourist or local, and carrying out pedestrian counts, environmental quality surveys and questionnaires. I would like to thank all the pupils who came out on fieldwork for approaching the activities with energy and enthusiasm, and making the experience such a pleasure. Mr McNicholas
Love and Laughter As Leavers Continue Their Journey There were a few tears but a great deal of love and laughter during two events to mark the departure of the Sixth Formers on Study Leave. Their penultimate Assembly was marked by a number of heartfelt tributes to St Joseph’s College and what being at the school had meant to them. Comments included: “I truly believe there really is nowhere better to grow up”; “St Joseph’s has given me the best luggage to carry through life”; “I think we can all agree that this school is something special”; “It’s
Taking Time to Reflect “For me this was a really fun day because I didn’t know what to expect, so I went in open-minded and thoroughly enjoyed my day! This was definitely a good way to end a long week at school and I can’t wait to do this trip again next year!” Here in excerpts from her written account, Jessica Bryce 7PBA talks about her trip to Lawford Church, in Essex, for one of the annual Reflection Days St Joseph’s College holds there for Years 7, 8 and 9. Jessica’s year broke up into groups for various activities: “After a tiring game of baseball, we moved on to making friendship bracelets with Mrs Willis… we started by talking about what friendship actually is and what characteristics we admired in our friends.” “Our next activity was meditation. We went into the main part of the church and sat individually in between the pews. We had 40 minutes to meditate, which was really relaxing; in fact it was so relaxing that I fell asleep…” After lunch Mrs Simmonds challenged Jessica’s group to carry puffs of breakfast cereal across a room using only a straw and their breath. This was followed by a bridge-building task – “Ours collapsed…” and one with blindfolds. “Firstly, we had to trust each other by falling back into each other’s arms. Then was the challenging part: We were put into pairs/threes and one person in each group had a blindfold on.” “The people who had a blindfold on had to trust the other people to guide them to the right place. This was quite tricky because we had to trust people that we maybe hadn’t trusted before.”
been a privilege and an honour to be at St Joseph’s”; “the sense of community here is incredible”; “through the good times and bad times I’ve had the support of the pupils and staff alike”.
At the close of the assembly the Leavers formed a large circle with staff and released red and gold balloons. A final pink balloon was released for Mr Davey and the applause continued until it floated out of sight.
At lunchtime the Leavers gathered again in Chapel, in very reflective mood. Each lit a candle to mark the occasion and the Principal, Mrs Clarke, lit the final one for former pupils. She repeated Mrs Bloore’s words that each of the students was unique and very special, adding that she was very proud as she stood before them. At both assemblies there were the warmest words of tribute for Mr Davey, whose sudden death earlier in the year was sadly lamented. He was described as “the prime role model anyone could wish for; the most inspirational man I’ve ever met or will meet; he lived life with integrity, humility and faith.”
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Animal Autopsies Prove a Fascinating Subject
Here Be Dragons
After a hard week of exams, all of Year 10, accompanied by the wonderful Science Department, and organised by Mr Bailey, went on a trip to Colchester Zoo as a reward for finishing their GCSEs. After a short bus journey we arrived at Colchester Zoo, for what we knew would be a great day with lovely weather.
The day was delivered by a representative from Young Enterprise, a national organisation aimed at promoting Enterprise to young people. The students were put into equal teams and firstly given a psychometric test to indicate their personality and to show how businesses use this as a selection method. The next activity was a lateral thinking quiz to encourage students to think “outside the box”. The next challenge was to show team skills by building a tower from newspaper sheets.
After being split into smaller groups, and allocated teachers, we were given free time to walk around the zoo as we pleased, visiting the vast range of animals on show, including gorillas, Australian rainbow birds and wallabies. We participated in multiple activities, such as walking round in an open bird enclosure; feeding elephants, giraffes, penguins and goats; and a free flying birds of prey performance. By now we were all starving, so decided to have a bite to eat before going to a fascinating lecture on animal forensics. We learnt about how scientists solve the deaths of hundreds of animals each year; why and how the animals were killed. At the end of the lecture we were allowed to quickly pop round the zoo one more time to see the animals we didn’t see the first time. However, before long we had to return to the bus to get back to school by the end of the school day. Everyone on the trip thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to all the staff who allowed it to take place. Harry Williams 10LHS
Foretaste of University for Psychology Students Students studying A Level Psychology snapped up the opportunity to attend a lecture by Dr Rachael Martin, of University Campus Suffolk. A specialist in neuroscience, Dr Martin is interested in the cognitive mechanisms underlying anxiety and depression.
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It was a case of Dragon’s Den comes to St Joseph’s as the Year 9s were the beneficiaries of an Enterprise and Employability Workshop.
These were all forerunners to the main activity which was to design and build a prototype of a product to be targeted at selected markets. Creative ideas included an automatic feeding bowl for pets, cooling inserts for cricket pads, a pet health tracker, and an imaginative blanket that reacted to body temperature. To support their ideas, the groups then designed an advertisement or promotional page as part of their “Marketing Mix”. They then followed up by making a presentation to the rest of the Year group to practice their presentation skills Mr Edwards, who is in charge of Enterprise within the school, was very impressed by the quality of some of the ideas and particularly the team working and presentation skills of many of the groups. ‘‘It’s an excellent and fun way to introduce students to the idea of enterprise and help develop their future employability skills,’’ he said.
Runners in the Pink for Cancer Charity “A great event and a great cause. Well done all at St Joseph’s who made it happen!” Mrs Simpson-Jacobs, who along with Mrs Daley organised a Race for Life at the school, was delighted with the turn out and very touched to discover that some of the St Joseph’s boys ran with the name of her late best friend on their back – an emotional reminder of why the event matters. Well over 100 runners – joggers and walkers – of all ages took part and upped the party atmosphere by dressing in pink, wearing wigs and having their faces painted. By the following afternoon, the Justgiving site was showing donations of £295, in addition to the £700 collected at the school. “A huge and heartfelt thank you to all of the staff for their support at the Race for Life event yesterday. “Our special thanks go to Mr Johnston and the catering staff, admin, the grounds staff and Mrs Turner for all your magnificent efforts in making the event run smoothly. “It was wonderful to see so many staff, students and parents getting into the spirit and helping to raise money for Cancer Research,” said Mrs Simpson-Jacobs.
Mr Edwards Business Studies Teacher
She gave an extensive overview of the all scientific research methods which can be used to study cognitive processes; covering the strengths and weaknesses of these methods.
The students were fascinated and particularly enjoyed examining equipment for measuring brain activity that Dr Martin had brought along.
Dr Martin shared the outcomes of her PhD research, in which she studied the link between depression and negative thought processes. She measured participants’ reactions to happy or angry faces using EEG and recorded a strong link between depression and thoughts which focus on the negative.
“A great experience, which gave us the chance to get an insight into not only what psychology holds after A level, but also as a taster and understanding about what being in a lecture at university was really like. I look forward to our A2 course.” Nat Abery L6MPA “An interesting lecture that gave us all inspiration and excitement for our A2 course and beyond.” Tom Emery L6ABN
Senior School Sport Cricket Season Finishes on a Real High Cricket at St Joseph’s finished the season with several high points. The fixture card for the second half term provides stiff competition with block fixtures vs Framlingham, Colchester Royal Grammar School, Ipswich School and New Hall School. On top of these there are the cricket festival week and the senior tour to St Alban’s and the Under 14 tour to Stowe School. The first XI built on the strong showing in the first half of the term with excellent performances against Framlingham and Colchester before rain caused a brilliantly poised game v Ipswich School to be abandoned mid-way through an intriguing afternoon. The season finished with a real high, spending the final week of term touring to Hertfordshire via Whitgift School. Three days of hard cricket were finished off with a day at the County Ground Chelmsford to see the touring Australians play Essex.
Sports Day Final Tuesday of term saw the Senior School Sports Day. Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 enjoyed taking part in a mix of Table Tennis, Rounders, Football, Cricket, Tag Rugby and Badminton, reflecting sports played throughout the year. The mixed ability/ mixed gender teams competed in their houses in brilliant sunshine. This event showcased some fantastic performances, but even better was seeing so many students participating and enjoying being active. The Lower 6th supported the PE and other staff to run the events and following the relays on the track at the end of the afternoon, there was even a 6th Form v staff relay. As always, Sports Day was supported by and enjoyed by a number of parents. Well done to all who took part.
Special congratulations must go to first XI captain Dominic Manthorpe who was invited to bowl at the Australians as part of their preparations. I’m sure he’ll follow fellow Old Birkfeldians Matt Henry and Matt Hunn’s leads by letting them have a few short sharp deliveries. The 2nd XI were competitive throughout and our thanks are extended to Mr Bloore and Mr Clarke for the energy and commitment they and Captain, Corey Bugg, put into the season. The Under 14 team progressed through the second half term unbeaten on a Saturday. Harvey Skinner and Jacob Marston amassed three 110+ run partnerships with Harvey Skinner passing 50 in each of his last four innings. The Cricket Week provided and opportunity for hundreds of pupils to play competitively throughout the festival. Every year group had the chance to play interschool or inter-house matches. One of the high points was the hotly-contested St Joseph’s College Super Sixes tournament. The Under 13 squad was delighted to welcome Woodbridge School, Norwich School, Langley School, Brentwood School and Ipswich School. Each team played all the other teams in a round robin format. The competition was played to an extremely high standard with Ipswich School narrowly beating the hosts in the penultimate game to end up as deserved winners, with St Joseph’s finishing in second place. Well done to all the boys and girls who have represented the College this year. Enjoy a well-earned break and we look forward to the pre-season masterclasses in January. Mr Branch Assistant Head of Lower School/PE
Ethan Waddleton Rugby Success Having represented Saracens at the World Club 7s in August last year, Ethan Waddleton (U6) has gone a step further by signing a one year contract with England 7s this summer. Ethan is already training with the England squad at the RFU’s headquarters, Twickenham, and living with other team mates in a house nearby. Training begins in earnest in August as they gear up for the ten leg Sevens World Series that starts with the Dubai event at the beginning of December – good luck Ethan!
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Busy Schedule for the Girls in Both Team Events and Individual Sports The girls have been kept busy this term taking part in many activities. They have learnt new skills in football sessions, in tennis coaching with Jez Cowley, on a netball tour, at swimming galas, in cricket matches, at rounders tournaments, during athletics events and with the Netball Leadership course.
Tennis Summary This season St Joseph’s U13 Boys’ tennis team won three out of their four fixtures and qualified for the finals in Framlingham. They were unfortunate to lose the semi-final on a tie breaker, followed by another tie break defeat in the third-fourth place play off. Despite the bad luck it was a huge achievement to be among three other schools out of 28 to reach the finals. A special mention to Alex Mann, Sam Philpot, Carlos Cortes and Taylor Locke.
Netball Safia Ludlam, Millie Hope, Dena Glading, Erin Morgan and Louella Daniels have been selected as top netball umpires and have been chosen to umpire in the School Games festival finals.
Cricket The Girls’ U15 Cricket team were knocked out in the third round of the National Cup against Shenfield Academy. We ended the game scoring 74 with all batters out. The game was played in great spirit and the girls have made a big improvement this year.
The U15 Boys experienced mixed success, with the Year 9 team playing above their age group to win one of four fixtures. The U13 Girls experienced a similar season, also winning one of four, but again with the majority of the team playing up an age group.
Rounders In Rounders tournaments our teams have had very close matches. The U12 team unfortunately had not scored enough rounders to go through to the semi-finals. The U13 team played in the Suffolk schools tournament and came third in their group. The U14 and U15 Rounders teams played a triangular tournament with Ipswich School and Ipswich High School. The U15s won and the U14s came sixth. In the Suffolk Schools U14 rounders tournament the girls came third in our group.
Individual Successes Ellie Cook has been selected to play cricket for Essex U15 team. Mai Easton has been selected as the Suffolk U13 Cricket Captain and for the U13 Suffolk Netball Satellite Academy. Olivia Locke and India Goodman have been selected for the East U17 JRPC (Junior Regional Performance Centre) in Hockey. India Goodman came tenth in the regional trampolining competition, and therefore narrowly missed out in a place for the nationals. However, she came sixth in the DMT competition, and so has made the national finals in July. Swimmer Lauren Roberts (Year 7) competed in the Suffolk County Development Championships over the weekend of 27 and 28 June held in Newmarket. She competed in four events and clocked personal bests and gold medals in each race: 50m breaststroke in 43:71, 100 breaststroke in 1:36:72, 200m breaststroke in 3:28:20 and 200m Individual Medley in 3:02:77.
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Finally, the U15 Girls had a fantastic season, playing 6 and winning 4 to reach the Suffolk finals. Olivia Locke, India Goodman, Lucy Merrit and Charlie Hewitt stepped up, with team captain Hannah Stokes winning the only match on the day, to finish fourth. It was a huge achievement by the team to make the finals ahead of 25 other schools. A deserving mention to Ellie Cook, AJ Crossley, Bella Cerely, Louella Daniels, Amy Whurr, Hannah Stokes for taking the team that far.
Athletics The U12 Boys’ Athletics team came seventh overall, with notable performances from Jack James and John Reed in the 300m, Aiden Cambell-Dunne in the 75m sprint and Leo Bignell in the high jump. The Girls’ team came a very creditable fourth, qualifying for a place in the Suffolk schools finals. The girls managed to win several races on the track. Gabby Stokes won the 100m, Lily Fielden and Beatrice Quantrill both won their heats in the 200m, and Jemima Bestley won the 300m. We were also very successful in field events, in particular Gabby Stokes and Poppy Vata in the shot put and Beatrice Quantrill won the high jump with a personal best. The U12 Girls’ Athletics team qualified for the Suffolk Schools finals. We excelled in the track events, with Jemima Bestley winning the hurdles and the 300m. In the 200m, Beatrice Quantrill came first and Lily Fielden second. Overall the girls came sixth. In the Year 8 Athletics competition the Boys’ team came third and the Girls’ eighth. All students performed to the best of their ability and were a credit to the school. Special mention goes to: Lucy Griffin 300m winner, Sophie Wykes second in the 200m and third in high jump, Jess Norman second in both the 100m and Javelin, Louis Martin long jump winner, and Noah Wood 800m winner. Mrs Daley Head of Girls’ PE
Senior School Creative and Performing Arts Creativity, Performance and Engagement for Every Child As we draw to a close for this academic year, it is hard not to reflect upon all the incredible Arts opportunities that have taken place and every child’s amazing Arts achievement. Each pupil throughout the College has created, performed and engaged with the Arts, all of which culminated in the 20th anniversary of the Arts Festival (see pages 8 & 9). Our annual SNAP photographic competition saw more schools participating and the standard of work exhibited even higher than in previous years.
The Jungle Book – Feel the Joy
The Spotlight initiative which began in January has enabled local primary schools to participate in practical workshops lead by Mrs Bloore and Miss Fitzsimons. The finale took place at the Avenue Theatre kindly hosted by our Educational Arts Partner, Red Rose Chain.
Forty-six excitable Lower School students took to the stage and performed an energetic and colourful version of “The Jungle Book”. The audience commented on how much the cast clearly enjoyed the opportunity to convey the well-known tale of the man cub raised by wolves.
Fine Art and Photography GCSE and A level students showcased their talents at the end of year shows, demonstrating an incredible array of talent. Our Drama students under the direction of Mr Duckett also performed their examination pieces, stunning audiences with their acting skills.
Nerves were conquered and characters were mastered, as the students collaborated brilliantly with their high-energy dance routines and punchy renditions of “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You”, among others.
Our LAMDA students have once again achieved outstanding results with 100% of them gaining distinctions within each category they entered. Under the careful direction and tuition of Mrs Pethybridge, our LAMDA students have achieved the highest collective recognition on record since the College became a LAMDA examining centre in 2012. The Arts Award Discover group achieved notable success and passed their award with flying colours. The Faculty and students would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Crisp and wish him every success for the future as he embarks on his own new and exciting journey, after 27 years at the College. He has nurtured the talents and creativity of so many children, enabling them to fulfil their ambitions to become artists themselves. We also would like to wish Mrs Sharp who is the Arts award Discover & Explore Advisor, proactive member of the Arts Focus group and dear friend to the faculty, every success as she too embarks on a new chapter. Finally, I would like to thank on behalf of the students all the staff within the Faculty for their continued drive and passion and all the amazing peripatetic teachers for their commitment and tuition guiding our students through the LAMDA and ABRSM Music examinations. Mrs Harvey Head of Creative & Performing Arts
Wilf Kemsley and Louise Humphries as King Louie were hilarious and compelling in their roles, as were the indecisive vultures - Jamie Flynn, Joshua Lamb, Jack Tillett and Harvey Skinner. There were some hair-raising moments as technical glitches and missed cues caused momentary horror on stage. However, the cast responded with maturity and coolness to triumph over adversity. Special mention to Ellie Cook and her accompanying jungle friends, who overcame an audio failure by performing her song a capella. Phoebe Hutley and Bella Cerely should also be congratulated for the way they battled stage fright and performed faultlessly. Mowgli was played with perfect naivety by Oliver Whelan-Hall, Sam Deasy and Oliver Fraser, who remarkably picked up additional lines and songs the day before the show opened due to the unfortunate illness of Vibhash Gunasene. This was an excellent example of team effort, indicative of what happens on a daily basis at St Joseph’s. We are very grateful for the relaxed and ever helpful approach offered by our Arts Partner, Red Rose Chain as they gave over their home to us and we look forward to returning soon! Thank you to the parents and friends who attended and contributed generously to the memory of Nelle Francis in the retiring collection. Mr P Duckett Drama Teacher
Miss G Fitzsimons Dance Teacher
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Springing into Summer with the PTA PTA Round-up – Finishing a Great Year with All the Fun of the Fayre This academic year has been both fun and fruitful for the PTA. We’ve run a series of successful events and funded some amazing activities and equipment for the St Joseph’s College students. We finished the summer term with our annual summer fayre, this year taking you for a “Rumble in the Jungle”, and while the weather wasn’t playing the game while we were setting up, the sun came out in time for our 3pm start and shone down throughout the afternoon and into the evening’s Unplugged entertainment. It was a pleasure to see so many students, family and friends enjoying all the activities we had prepared, and fantastic to work with so many parents and staff setting up and running the event. Thank you for all your help and the kind donations that made the event possible and so successful. We also enjoyed tremendous support at our fundraising hockey match, in support of a second dugout for the Sports Department, to keep our players warm and dry by the astro turf. The first was funded by the PTA. Four teams, made up of 36 players – from Year 1 pupils through to adults – took part in the event, which turned into a mini tournament. We all had great fun despite the rain and we raised over £180! Another match is planned for October – watch this space! We wish you a wonderful summer holiday and look forward to seeing you at our events coming up in the autumn term.
Old Birkfeldians in the News Francis Yates Francis Yates OB, together with a fellow Engineering student and one reading Business, has earned a top award for a novel approach to protecting the honey bee from the devastating effects of the Varroa mite. The mite is not only threatening honey production, but could potentially be catastrophic for crop pollination. The team from Trinity College Dublin have won the Intel ITC Award for an exceptional ITC idea. As well as a 5,000 Euro prize, the “Blazer” team will be mentored by Enterprise Ireland, advised on intellectual property issues by a leading firm of attorneys and will participate in the European “Challenge Up” programme. A second year student at Trinity, Francis was also a runner-up in the 2015 Engineers Ireland Innovative Student Engineer of the Year Awards, sponsored by Siemens, for Blazer.
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He said, ‘’ I’m overwhelmed to have been so successful in the Student Entrepreneur and the Innovative Student Engineer competitions and looking forward to having Intel’s support to develop my idea. St Jo’s has prepared me well for all the challenges that lie ahead and I look forward to returning to the College soon to show my product to the Science Department.’’
Matt Hunn and Matt Henry Old Birkfeldian cricketer Matt Hunn has been making his presence felt in the Kent side when it took on the Australians. He nabbed the captain’s wicket along the way. Matt left St Joseph’s in 2012. After playing for Suffolk youth teams and Essex XI, he joined Kent in 2013. He made his first class debut against Lancashire in September 2013, when he took two wickets for 51 runs, with his second wicket dismissing South African batsman Ashwell Prince. Matt’s success echoes that of fellow OB New Zealander Matt Henry who recently claimed the wickets of England captain Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Joe Root (finishing with figures of 3 for 93) in a Test match at Lords.
Dates for Your Diaries Fri 18 Sep RESCHEDULED PREP SCHOOL CAMPING NIGHT Limited pitches still available – contact Mrs Vata on first week of term
Fri 25 Sep PTA QUIZ NIGHT Join us for a sociable evening with friends, curry and questions
Sat 17 & Sun 18 Oct SUPPORTING THE RUGBY FESTIVAL Let your little ones let off steam with action packed fun in our kids’ zone
Wed 25 Nov CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE (Please note change from originally advertised date). An evening of seasonal shopping and demos from external stallholders
Mon 14 Dec PREP SCHOOL CHRISTMAS FETE Including an exciting visit from Father Christmas, tombolas, toys and more
Lewis Ludlum In his article for the Daily Telegraph, Daniel Schofield gave due praise to OB Lewis Ludlum’s performance for England U20s and forecast future stardom for him in the senior World Cup squad: “Lewis Ludlam was at the heart of England’s best moves and could be one to star in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan… “An early turnover led to the centre Max Clark’s try and so nearly led to another had Piers O’Conor not been a fraction in front of Howard Packman in the second half. At the heart of this effort was Lewis Ludlam. “There is an idea that English rugby does not breed traditional opensides like the southern hemisphere does. Ludlam’s performance is proof to the contrary. Even though he started at blindside, the 18-yearold gave a clinic in scavenging play and he was later voted England’s player of the tournament by his peers. “‘He has been exceptional on and off the field,’ Jon Callard, the coach, said. ‘For a six to pinch as much ball as he did is phenomenal.’”
Boarding News Boarding: From Ball Gowns to Fish and Chips The Boarding Summer term has been jam packed with exciting events and activities. Two main highlights were the Leavers’ May Ball and the Lower School Ball. For the May Ball the girls were treated to a trip out to get their nails done at beauty salon, Flawless Image. Both boys and girls were taken to get their dresses and tuxedos and then in preparation for the night the girls had beauticians come in to get them ready for the occasion. It was a wonderful celebration for the current Upper Sixth leavers; and it was so exciting to see all the students dressed up and having so much fun altogether as a community. For the Lower School Ball, staff assisted with the students’ preparations in Boarding and it was tremendous fun helping them. Some lovely photographs were taken outside the Mews gateway as mementos and everyone said it was a fantastic evening altogether. One Sunday the boarders spent a fun-filled afternoon at the coast, enjoying a game of mini golf followed by traditional fish and chips. They were delighted with the good weather and for some of the students it was their first time enjoying Britain’s favourite seaside meal sitting on a sea wall. Our community welcomed Baytree Pizza into the boarding grounds. Everyone was delighted to watch the experts rolling dough and making their made-to-order pizzas, and also crêpes being flipped and then smothered with the filling of choice. Then the best part – tasting the wares!
This year has seen the relaunch of the St Joseph’s College Riding Club. It is a mainly young and new-to-jumping group but they have been busy entering National Schools Equestrian Association events and have brought back a number of rosettes. New competitors are invited to join but must have the means of transporting their own mounts to shows. Supporters are most welcome too. At the end of the summer term it comes as a welcome relief to be able to enjoy the sunshine without the pressures of examinations. However, it is also somewhat a sad time as we say farewell to those people with whom we have shared many memorable moments. We all wish the Upper Sixth students well with their results and their future journeys in life. We also say farewell to Mr Grigg and Mr Ballisat, our GAP tutors, who are moving on to pastures new, and I would like to say thank you on behalf of all the students and staff for the many football tournaments, table tennis games and badminton matches they have joined in with. We also say farewell to Mrs Simmonds as she moves out from Boarding, but we will continue to enjoy her life-enhancing comments around the College site as she continues in her role as Head of Lower School and French teacher. With the College Development Plan being released along with the 10-year Building for the Future document, Boarding is set to be an exciting environment over the coming years and I look forward to welcoming back all our current students and those who are joining us on Saturday 5th September for the next stage of our educational journey. Mrs G Rowlands Head of Boarding
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Prep & Senior School Open Day Saturday 26 September, tours at 9.30am & 11.30am Register today with our Admissions Team on 01473 694575 or admissions@stjos.co.uk
National Schoolboys’ Rugby Festival Saturday and Sunday 17-18 October
www.stjos.co.uk The independent day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 3 to 18. Scholarships and Bursaries available up to 100%.
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