Summer Term Newsletter 2018
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AWARD
Message from the Principal I do hope you enjoy reading through our Summer Term Newsletter, which provides highlights of our wonderful students’ achievements and just a small sample of the many College events since Easter.
Over the summer, refurbishment work will commence on both boarding houses. We are also delighted with the continued progress that Mrs Simpson-Jacobs and her students are making in creating a Serenity Garden in the Sixth Form quad area.
The Summer Term is naturally focused on public examinations and we look forward to August and our Year 11 and Year 13 students receiving their GCSE, BTEC and A-level results. The term has also been filled with a host of opportunities to enhance our children and young people’s achievement and personal development. This has included sports fixtures, concerts, trips and visits, discos, balls, proms, tours and festivals – the list is endless and has been thoroughly enjoyable.
A reminder that A-level results day is Thursday 16 August and GCSE results are issued on Thursday 23 August. Pre-season training dates for boys and girls in the Senior School have been shared with parents through the weekly email and are on the College’s calendar in the Parent Portal. We look forward to seeing Year 7 and Year 12 students on Wednesday 5 September and all other year groups on Thursday 6 September as we commence a new academic year at St Joseph’s. I wish you and your family a wonderful summer holiday.
Mrs Danielle Clarke Principal 2
Focus on a Teacher Mr Richard Kerridge Teacher of History I think I am very lucky. I have a family I enjoy being with and am very proud of and a job that brings new challenges every day and I thoroughly relish that. If I have a philosophy it is that you only get out of life what you are willing to put in. To that end I am constantly thinking of new ideas on how to teach a certain subject or make a topic more accessible for students; I am always looking to improve my subject knowledge and you will often find me reading in my spare time. I came to teaching late. I had worked in sports centres for about a decade, coaching, managing staff but with a child on the way needed a proper job and tried to sell insurance. I wasn’t very good at that and began to think about a career change. Teaching beckoned and after five years of training (Access Course and a History Degree) and two more children I graduated from the Cambridge University PGCE course and went to teach at Mildenhall Upper School (now Mildenhall College Academy). I knew I would enjoy teaching straight away. The intellectual challenge of passing on knowledge and skills successfully is rewarding when done well and frustrating when not but it’s what I think about whilst walking my dogs or eating breakfast. Being in a classroom with young people is always unpredictable, never dull and often great fun. I have enjoyed my first term at St Jo’s, the students have been friendly, curious and willing to learn. In lessons so far we have formed the Saxon Heptarchy, investigated the injuries to Richard III’s skeleton, learnt how to firea musket and become a nineteenth century cartoon. I want the
students at St Joseph’s to feel History not just learn about it and I will endeavour to bring it to life in and outside of the classroom. I had a wonderful day with 5JAP at Sutton Hoo where we were able to retell the story of Beowulf as well as investigate the mounds and finds. I have been lucky enough to have been involved with some amazing teachers in my career. With Mr Cinnamond, I helped create and build a monument to the Christmas Truce of WW1. This monument is now resting in Messines and can be seen at the Peace Village there. I have written resources for examining boards and presented to teachers and students across the country but my proudest moment has to be the publication of my text book on a subject I find endlessly fascinating: the Crusades. Every home should have a copy of ‘The Age of the Crusades’ published by Cambridge University Press – go out and get your copy now and leave a five star review on Amazon! My family has to put up with constant trips to castles and stately homes at weekends and in the holidays. They have become used to it and actually quite enjoy it. My middle child, Oliver, is studying for a History degree in Liverpool and my youngest, my daughter Sophie, is beginning to investigate university courses and History is a possibility for her. My eldest is currently working his way from America to Colombia before settling down in Bristol in the autumn. My wife, whom I first met in 1987 and married in 1996, is definitely the sun we all rotate around. Her good nature, endless capacity to love and ability to see the good in everything is what holds this family together and allows us to be happy. As I said at the beginning, I think I am very lucky.
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Carpe Diem – Arts Festival 2018 Seizing the day was the theme of this year’s Arts Festival and students from across the school took the opportunity to sing, dance, play, draw, paint, photograph and create. They found inspiration from the beautifully decorated campus, the professional-grade outdoor stage, workshops, special assembles, visiting artists and from one another. The Festival saw both individual leaps of creative faith and joyful group activities. Audiences were treated to delightful productions and laid back concerts. Students were inspired by visiting young adults’ author William Hussey and legend of the musical theatre, Ruthie Henshall. The College has resounded to classical music, original poetry, an Oasis tribute band and a Disney Disco. No foot has gone untapped. With glorious June sunshine beaming over every outdoor gathering, this was truly a Festival to remember.
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Prizegiving – Senior School Our guest of honour at this year’s Prize Giving was Mr Scott Russell, founder and CEO of Suffolk-based Paddy & Scott’s Coffee. Mr Russell grew up in Essex. Having left school with no formal qualifications, he became an apprentice goldsmith in Hatton Garden, London, at 16. He founded his first company at 21, selling the business four years later to GE Capital. He has gone on to create, build and sell three further businesses totalling over £45m.
Form
Achievement
Effort
7GWO
Zoe Tanner
Thomas Ho
7LSU
Elizabeth Grylls
Alexander Allen
7SZI
Erika Lempek
Katie Roberts
Mr Russell was East Anglian Business Person of the Year 2011. He has helped steer Paddy & Scott's to become part of Accelerate 250, a community of the UK's top companies geared for growth, proudly accepting the invitation from the Prime Minister’s Enterprise Advisor Lord Young and former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy.
8ACA
Ethan Willetts
Xavier Baker-Woods
8MDS
Jessica Logan
Oludara Davies
8ACL
Memocan Topal
Caitlin McNicholas
9EHO
Alice Han
Joshua LeRoux
In 2016, Mr Russell founded the Meru Farm and Ruiga School project in Kenya, a world first direct collaboration between consumer and coffee grower, championing sustainability and education whilst breaking down trade barriers to enable consumers to buy direct from the farm through a membership program.
9GLI
Jemima Bestley
Tony Mi
9DWH
Eloise Ward
Oliver Townsend
10SJO
Euan Tickner
Lucy Ablett
10KBR
Jessica Bryce
Richard Marsh
10MST
Patrick Rawlins
Isabelle Atkinson
10NCH
Olivia Morley
Sydney Taber
11LSM
Isaac Codjoe
Lucy Woodley
11ABL
Matthew Kent
Grace Ho
11MOH
Katie Warne
Patrick MacDonnell-Hannah
In recognition of his contribution to commerce in the county, Mr Russell has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Suffolk.
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Form Prizes
Special Awards Downing Cup for Special Effort (Girls, Year 7 to 11)
Beatrice Quantrill
Alexander Cup for Special Effort (Boys, Year 7 to 11)
Alexander Clack
The Hudson Cup for Science (Girls, Year 7-11)
Jessica Norman
The Jubilee Cup for Science (Boys, Year 7 to 11)
Matthew Kent
The Mike Kearney Memorial Chemistry Prize
Ella Snowdon
The Lawrence Treanor Prize for Physics
Reagan Hao
The James Hehir Science Price for Biology
Ella Snowdon
The Wyllie Prize for Engineering
Toby Twinn
The Bonnar Cup for Mathematics
Reagan Hao & Jade Liu
Goldrood Cup for Outstanding Contribution to Maths
Jessica Wang
The Mike Caseley Prize for Business Enterprise
Hayden Rolph
The Benet Technology Prize
Henry Bullock
The Newman Cup for Humanities
Zoe Asbury
The Owen Cup for Religious Education
Oliver Fraser
The Anne Dunford Cup for Creative Writing
Jemima Bestley
The Excellence in Drama, Senior Award
Sophie Tudor
The Outstanding Contribution to Drama
Noah Wood
The Excellence in Drama, Junior Award
Mariam Pope
The Dance Award
Isabelle Cerely & Phoebe Hutley
The Crabbe Cup for Debating
Matt Shan
The Tom Symes Prize for Public Speaking
Stacey Huang
The Young Artist of the Year (Year 7 to 11)
Xavier Baker-Woods
The Sketchbook Designer of the Year
Patrick Rawlins
The Conall Shanks Memorial Award
Lily Henshall Howar
The Boarding Cup
Joel Fernandes Sou
The Birkfield Society Prize
Zoe Asbury
The Charity Cup
Alexander Clack
The Shaw Cup for Contribution to Music
Ella Hartley Mackenzie
The Helen Watson Memorial Prize for Music
Aimee Butcher
The Bales Cup for Most Improved Musician
William Scoones
The Sixth Form Prize for English
Aimee Butcher
The Josephine Lea Cup for Citizenship
Luke Barrett
Achievement in Sport The Downing Cup for Rugby
Samson Ma’asi
The Clements Cup for Hockey
India Goodman
The Hobbs Cup for Netball
Maddison Ludlam
The Gentry Rugby Cup (Team Achievement)
Under 15s
The Michael Davey Cricket Cup
Daniel Shanks
Achievement in Sport—Junior Girls (Year 7 to 9)
Eloise Ward
Achievement in Sport—Junior Boys (Year 7 to 9)
Samuel Slatter
Achievement in Sport—Senior Girls (Year 10 to Upper Sixth)
Olivia Locke
Achievement in Sport—Senior Boys (Year 10 to Upper Sixth)
Marshall Sykes
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Focus on a Teacher Mrs Emma Crowhurst Teacher of Food Technology Mrs Crowhurst has enjoyed a varied career, which has encompassed many years as a chef working at some of London’s most prestigious restaurants. She was Head Teacher at the famous Leith’s School of Food and Wine in Kensington before co-presenting BBC2’s Food and Drink Programme and appearing on Ready Steady Cook, Celebrity Chef, Weakest Link and The Generation Game. Since moving from London to Suffolk over 16 years ago, Mrs Crowhurst has continued to enjoy teaching cookery workshops, private lessons and corporate and leisure cooking days. Her cookery workshops are among Suffolk's most popular. Author of cookbook ‘Men in the Kitchen’, she also writes for the East Anglian Daily Times and regularly features on BBC Radio Suffolk, sharing her favourite recipes using seasonal and local ingredients. A regular on the judging panel for the Suffolk Food & Drink Awards and East of England Co-op’s Producer of the year Awards, Mrs Crowhurst also regularly hosts the chefs’ stage and gives demonstrations of her own at both the highly regarded Aldeburgh Food Festival at Snape and the Suffolk Show. She has taught at several schools in Suffolk and says her favourite amongst them is St Joseph’s College – ‘It is wonderful to teach at a school that values Food Technology and supports staff to give their best for our wonderful pupils. Teaching from Year 3 upwards throughout the school is a delight.’ 8
‘Being organised makes practical lessons fun and interesting. There is an amazing amount we can do in our lesson times; I want the children to understand ingredients and enjoy all aspects of homecooked food. Nutrition and healthy eating are vital for our growing young people. Knowledge is power and being able to cook will last them a lifetime!’ she added. When she is not working, Mrs Crowhurst tries to get in three 10km runs per week. She also has a passion for wildlife, however, and has been known to stop to listen to a nightingale or cuckoo, to watch a woodpecker fledging… or to pick wild strawberries! Sometimes an hour’s run turns into a walk in the countryside. She also loves playing guitar and singing. ‘Cooking is more than a job and I love to create recipes using as much local or foraged ingredients as I can. I’m picking elderflowers and making cordial at the moment, enough to last the whole year long,’ she said. Mrs Crowhurst and her husband, a science teacher, have two wonderful teenage girls who are doing GCSEs and A-levels this term. ‘We are all hoping for a relaxing summer and I am looking forward to the challenges of the new school year!’ Mrs Crowhurst added. You can visit her web site to find out about private catering, workshops or corporate cooking days. http://www.emmacrowhurst.co.uk/
News from the Prep School Clogs, Windmills and Edam Cheese – Any Guesses Where We Are? An early start from St Joseph’s College saw Year 6 pupils set off to Holland, our first Prep School international trip for three years. With the aims of enhancing links with Europe and allowing our pupils to learn about geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography, the visit also developed the children’s global awareness and appreciation of cultural and language differences. Arriving in Noordwijk, the pupils enjoyed some time on the gorgeous sandy beach and especially enjoyed a visit to the seafront ice cream parlour. A visit to Clara Maria Cheese Farm and Clog Factory was a highlight. Many small pairs of clogs were purchased and engraved with the pupils names. Amsterdam’s NEMO science museum kept everyone engaged for a number hours as they visited the many floors of interactive science experiments and displays. The rooftop terrace was an ideal spot for eating packed lunches whilst being entertained by dancing water fountains. The 20 working windmills of Zaanse Schans allowed the children to understand the history of industrial windmills and how they were used in the community during the 18th and 19th centuries. This was a fascinating trip and the boys and girls thanked the staff for their care and organisation.
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Out and About Discovering the World When you are very small you needn’t travel far to make wonderful discoveries. The children of the Early Years Foundation Stage grabbed their goats and hats for a visit to Jimmy’s Farm. Our Nursery children ventured to Needham Lake, where they enjoyed a nature walk and spotted dragonflies and cygnets. They were particularly interested in the ducks, having recently watched half a dozen ducklings hatch and develop back at the school. There was plenty of opportunity to play, too. The children in Reception have loved playing in the Mud Kitchen. They consolidated their knowledge and understanding of capacity – full, empty and half full – whilst filling and emptying containers. They conjured up some very creative concoctions, too, such as celery chocolate and vanilla strawberry chocolate blueberry cake! Meanwhile, Year 2 pupils were engrossed by woodland closer to home – our own grounds. They carried out a bug hunt, recording, documenting and identifying insects. Back in the classroom they organised the data they had recorded using graphing software to save and share their own results.
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Putting the Zip into Outdoor Adventure Our Year 5 girls and boys had a wonderful time in Norfolk on their residential trip to Hilltop Outdoor Centre, set in 26 acres of woodland. The threeday adventure saw the children taking part in an assault course team building exercise, a coastal walk, zip lining and archery. There was also time to enjoy some fine Sheringham ice-cream. The girls and boys of Year 4 experienced their first residential trip aboard the Thames barge Reminder. Each crew worked within two teams, Port and Starboard, alongside teachers Mrs Bestley, Mrs Hughes and Dr Hine, the Skipper and his Barge Mate. Tasks included pulling up the anchor, opening the sails, climbing the rigging, rowing the tender, scrubbing the decks, cleaning the brass and steering the 30 foot barge. Meals were made and served by the children, too. These were no pressed men, however – everyone loved it!
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Sutton Hoo Proves a Winning Destination Year 5 girls and boys found the Anglo-Saxon royal burial site of Sutton Hoo a fascinating destination and were delighted to be accompanied by History specialist, Mr Kerridge, who told them the story of Beowulf. Sutton Hoo is the name of an area spread along the bank of the River Deben opposite the harbour of Woodbridge and the trip fed into the children’s work studying the River Deben.
Meeting the Maths Challenge Four students travelled to Littlegarth School for a Year 6 Maths Challenge competition. The children were marked on mathematical ability, accuracy, communication and collaboration skills, perseverance and stamina. We came a very credible third, ahead of seven schools in the area. Well done team (l-r): Benedict Rosher, James Bowden-Smith, Lewis Hall and Benjamin Charpentier. Bronze medals all round!
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Salad Days and Strawberries Visitors have been admiring the abundant crops growing in our allotment. Children of the Prep School Gardening Club put in the spadework this season and as the summer progressed they have been keeping a fond eye on their fruit and vegetables. The girls and boys relished the chance to try their home-grown lettuce, rocket, Italian leaves and of course‌strawberries! Delicious! The rest of the school also had an opportunity to enjoy the produce as some was delivered to Refs to be used on the salad bar.
Prep School Sport The Summer Term marked a change in the way the College delivers games to children in Years 3-6. With the amazing growth of cricket for girls and boys all children were taught and played in mixed teams for the first time. This led to a huge increase in the volume of fixtures available with over 60 being played. All Year 3-6 children competed in regular inter-school fixtures. This included a brilliant final fixture v Ipswich School involving four formats and three venues. The U11 boys completed their excellent sporting year by qualifying for the County Cup finals day. They performed admirably, with Tom Pratt and Isaac Bolton-Smith drawing attention from the County coaches. Frank Hughes batted and bowled with power and determination and Oliver Connelly built experience as an Under 10 playing up. The U11 girls enjoyed their mixed fixtures and came together as girls for the IAPS competition, the Suffolk Cup and Orwell Park tournament. They worked hard to establish good batting relationships with each other and to use tactics and strategies to win matches. Emma Logan and Xanthe Baker-Woods started to play hardball matches during the season. Grace Bestley and Jenny Gilmour found that their speed enabled them to get plenty of runs, and Georgia French and Freya Ollason played well as wicket keepers. Hannah McNicholas has a good eye for the ball and racked up several fours for the team. Sophie Schwer and Grace showed
great accuracy taking wickets from their opponents. Tilly Jones and Bonnie Bolton were great all-rounders; batting consistently and fielding really well - staying alert and moving for every ball. Alongside the cricket and athletics, children were able to play tennis at lunch times, have lessons with Mr Cowley and play in U8-11 County Cup competitions. For many this was a first taste of competitive tennis. Henry Porter (U10), Frank Hughes (U11) Catie Lloyd (U9) and Evie Wicks (U10) were outstanding. The College hosted the Girls’ U11 tournament, playing Nayland and South Lee schools in the first round of the Suffolk Cup and coming second. Evie Wicks served accurately and won many of her service games as a result. Xanthe Baker-Woods and Emma Logan made a determined doubles partnership, with some strong returns of service helping to break the South Lee patterns of play. Well done girls.
U11, U9 Swim team We took a strong team of swimmers to Ipswich High School for galas, where many first and second places were achieved by our experienced swimmers and determined efforts put in by all. We finished second overall in the series. Fergus and Finlay Cherrington, Xanthe BakerWoods, Emilia Nicholson and Benedict Rosher swam particularly well.
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U11 and U9 Athletics All the athletes made good use of their coaching from the athletics club sessions and there were some amazing efforts from all children on this wonderful afternoon. A highlight of the U9s was Margot Richards sprinting her way to 2nd place in the 50m. Marcus Hall ran an impressive and tactically perfect 400m achieving a win and Joe Bolton (Y3) who stepped in on the day due to illness, won a super-fast 150m beating Year 4 boys! On the field, we had placings from Cerys Rowlands, Lara Schwer, Reuben Will and Finlay Cherrington. In the U11s the children’s resilience, determination and talent shone through. The girls ran magnificently, with Freya Milner-Moore winning the 75m sprint, followed by Grace Bestley storming the 200m sprint and Jenny Gilmour pacing herself to victory in the 600m. Hannah McNicholas and Bonnie Bolton achieved credible 2nd places. Isaac Smith won the boys 200m by a clear margin. Frank Hughes showed real determination as he sprinted home 2nd in the 600m. Lewis Hall demonstrated true St Joseph’s team spirit with a fantastic distant race. On the field, there were also some super wins from Isaac Smith in the standing long jump and Fergus Cherrington in the high jump. The standing long jump Prep record previously held by Archie Will was broken by Grace Bestley with a leap of 2.08m. The children really responded to this competitive environment, producing amazing overall team results. Well done to all the competitors. Our U11 Girls won their category with all our other teams achieving 2nd place. Overall St Joseph’s was the winning school.
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One for the Trophy Cabinet Year 7 Design Technology students have carried out a project on trophies. They researched the subject before designing and constructing small steel figures shaped into dynamic poses to represent their chosen sport or hobby. They then finished their trophies with additional materials to give them added symbolism. There were many outstanding creations but five students won particular praise (left to right): Rozario Lewis, Helena Ringwood, Hettie Wilbraham, Kirsten Horton and Jimmy Holdcroft.
News from the Senior School French and Spanish Actors Supercharge Language Lessons Professional theatre company Onatti Productions brought two plays to the College to engage and inspire our students of Modern Foreign Languages: 'Mes Chers Voisins', a fast-paced series of sketches in French, and ‘La Casa Encantada’ in Spanish, about a pair of teenagers forced to take refuge from a storm in a derelict house. Both plays were cleverly constructed to help language learners follow the often natural dialogue. There were further adventures in Hispanic culture for Year 10 and 12 students, who visited Tate Modern to see Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame and Tragedy, an exhibition focusing on an intensely creative period in the life of the artist. The party then lunched at Paladar, a restaurant celebrating the flavours and cooking styles of Latin America.
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Instant Rapport…and That’s a Wrap
Sixth Formers Throw Down the Gauntlet
Year 6 pupils Jack Hussey and Harry Willetts proved to be television journalists in the making when they interviewed Australian exchange students, Charlie Kellaway and Nick Shannon (both Y9). They touched on a few cultural references before checking out the differences between St Joseph's and Knox Grammar School, New South Wales. Charlie and Nick, meanwhile, proved the perfect interviewees. It was great to have them here and we wish them all the best.
Our boarders proved more than a match for the staff when they challenged them to a basketball match. The Sixth Formers’ wellrehearsed skills and young knees proved unstoppable. But the boot was on the other foot when the Sixth Form girls challenged staff to a lunchtime netball match. There was skill and pace on both sides but the staff carried the day. Both games were played with great good spirits and some nostalgia for students about to move on to the next phase in their lives. The netball game also saw some family competition.
Days to Remember – Friends to Cherish The Upper Sixth students enjoyed a moving, emotional last day, celebrating friendships and the great St Joseph’s College sense of community. They began the day with a student-led assembly in the Sixth Form Atrium and the day closed with a beautiful, formal service for students, parents, wider family and staff in the ARC, followed by afternoon tea. There was also plenty of time to let their hair down and also to plant a tree – as a living reminder of their time at St Joseph’s. We wish them all every success and happiness for the bright futures ahead of them. A wonderful Final Year 11 Assembly took place as well, filled with laughter and nostalgia. There was also a surprise visitor - Mr O'Halloran – whose former tutor group snapped up the chance for a photograph for old time’s sake. In traditional fashion, the tutors shook hands with each of their students and presented them with mementoes and their year group hoodies. Assuring them that the College’s love and best wishes would stay with them, Head of Upper School, Mrs Hall, told the students at this milestone in their life’s journey, 'You are all glorious!' Meanwhile, the Lower School Ball was also a very elegant affair, with boys and girls dressed to the nines and ready to party. Elegance went out the window, however, when it came to the highly competitive and always inflatable bungee run when some true St Joseph’s tenacity was put to the test over the unfamiliar course.
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Prestigious Research Studentship Awarded Wilfred Yates (U6) has been awarded a Nuffield Research Studentship through the Nuffield Foundation, which helps talented students develop their science and engineering skills. He secured the only placement available in Suffolk to a sixth-former from an independent school. Wilfred applied for a place on the Nuffield scheme having already developed some knowledge of engineering applications in the food industry and having lined up for himself an industrial research opportunity with Ipswich firm, Christy Turner Ltd.
French Without Tears Year 7 had a brilliant day in St Omer, where they had the opportunity to speak French, learn about French history and sample French gastronomy. The students enthusiastically took in their surroundings and wrote about what they saw in their workbooks. The party arrived back happy and full of delicious food, if un peu fatigué.
He will now be supported by the Nuffield Foundation to turn his industrial research at Christy Turner into a top-quality scientific project that will be eligible for entry into the UK Student Science and Engineering Festival. Wilfred is the third student from St Joseph’s to secure a place on the scheme in recent years – the others being his two brothers! He has a tough act to follow: Francis was nominated for a Royal Society of Engineering prize at the National Science and Engineering Festival and is now in Dublin on a Masters in engineering. Aidan will qualify as a dentist next year.
LAMDA Success 2018 St Joseph’s College hosted the LAMDA examination session for 2018 in March. Students performed in their chosen disciplines including Solo Acting, Duologue Acting, Verse and Prose and Public Speaking. Students from Year 4 up to Year 13 demonstrated their hard work, performing two or three scenes or speeches and answering theory questions set by the examiner. The examiner was very impressed with the standard of the performers and said she hoped to return to examine St Joseph’s students again as she thoroughly enjoyed her two days with us. The examiner was treated to a variety of scenes and speeches from Antigone to Adrian Mole, political speeches to understanding ‘Chinglish’! The results reflected the student’s dedication – all were awarded either Merits or Distinctions. Students who took higher grades gained valuable UCAS points. Special mention to the International students who excelled with Distinctions in Public Speaking Bronze medal – Grade 6 and especially to Jessica Wang who was awarded Distinction in Public Speaking Gold medal – Grade 8, what an achievement! Congratulations to all, the excellent results were well deserved. Mrs Cheryl Pethybridge – LAMDA Tutor
Olivia Snapped Up by MediaCom Pathways to future success after Sixth Form are many and varied. Olivia Griffin (U6) has secured a place on MediaCom’s prestigious degree-level apprenticeship. MediaCom is one of the world’s largest global media companies. It was a fiercely competitive and time consuming process and it is a great credit to Olivia that she managed to navigate it successfully amongst all her many A-level commitments. Huge congratulations, Ola.
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Senior School Sport Senior Boys’ Sport
College – three boys’ fixtures, three girls’ fixtures and 60+ students from the College participating in cricket throughout the day.
This academic year of 2018-19 has proved to be a whirlwind of success. The U18 1st XV qualified through to Day 2 of the Rugby Festival Cup beating finalists Millfield, staking a claim on next season. With a 69% win rate during the 15-a-side season we were very happy with the progress thus far. In Sevens, the U18s once again clashed with some of the most prestigious rugby playing schools in the UK. We achieved a quarter final finish at Surrey 7s, the final at Uppingham School Sevens and reached the last 12 of the two day cup at Rosslyn Park Sevens. The U15s, hot on the tail of the 1st XV, chased every step of the way, reaching the last eight of the National Schools Cup (formerly NatWest) and securing a 76% win rate at the end of the season.
The season has also seen a number of emphatic personal performances. Standing out particularly were Ellie Cook (Y12), Callum Woolston (Y8) and Amelie Clarke (Y8).
We are proud to reflect on the U13 and U15 male teams qualifying for county finals and acknowledge outstanding work by:
Further performances of note:
Samson Ma’asi , England U18 Captain and Northampton Saints; Marshal Sykes: Scotland U20 and Glasgow Warriors - starting 3 out of 4 of Scotland’s U20 world cup games; Anton Limlei: Austria; and Tom Williams, Wales U18 Squad.
Form
Achievement
Josh Stokes (Y9)
51 runs v CRGS
Keelan Waldock (Y12)
54 runs v Framlingham
Cricket
Harvey Skinner (Y12)
58 not out v Langley School
Gabriel Jones (Y10)
68 not out v Finborough
Edward Lucking (Y10)
62 not out v Finborough
Alex Coan (Y12)
4 wickets v Framlingham
Daniel Shanks (Y12)
4 wickets v Greshams
The Summer Term has once again provided an enjoyable cricket season here at St Joseph’s. 2018 has seen the rejuvenation of our annual cricket week, the introduction of mixed gender cricket games lessons, stand-out individual performances and the confirmation of exciting plans for our new cricket pavilion. The College’s cricket week has been a hugely popular and successful, taking place in line with the ECB’s National Cricket Week. A huge number of children participated, with three tournaments, 15 fixtures and three extra-curricular gifted and talented sessions taking place. The annual Old Birkfieldians’ cricket fixture versus the current 1st XI took place for the first time during Cricket Week and was accompanied by a cocktail reception. Further success this season came with the introduction of mixed gender games lessons, which created parity between girls’ and boys’ cricket. This approach brings focus on differentiated development for all students, which enables development at the appropriate level depending on each student’s stage of learning. Furthermore, girls’ cricket has grown ever more popular through the season with an increase in participation at each age group. This was highlighted on two particular Saturdays, when up to six fixtures where hosted at the
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Ellie took 3 wickets for just 21 runs for the senior boys 1st team against Colchester Grammar School during a fantastic win for the College. Callum passed 50 on three separate occasions, with the highlight coming whilst playing for the U14 side, a year above his own age group. Amelie put in two magnificent performances with both bat and ball, taking six wickets, including a hat-trick, versus Norwich School. Amelie then went on to score 94 runs later on in the season in a fixture against Ipswich School.
Looking to the Future The U14 boys now have their prestigious cricket tour, hosted at Stowe School, to look forward to, along with the seniors looking ahead to their T20 East Anglian Schools Cup competition. The senior’s season, however, will not finish until mid-August, when they return from their tour to Ireland. This will be their first overseas tour since 2014. We would like to wish all our teams the best of luck in their up and coming tours and competitions. Finally, we would like to confirm our exciting plans for a new, modern cricket pavilion, which is now approaching the planning phase. The pavilion is set to be in place for the beginning of the 2019 summer term, inevitably adding to our students’ cricketing experience here at St Joseph’s and becoming a central social point for staff, parents, friends and family.
Senior Girls’ Sport Cricket During the summer term, the girls have had a full schedule of cricket fixtures, where each age group has competed competitively each week. The season started with the U13s competing in the Regional Finals of the Lady Taverners indoor competition. The girls were unbeaten all day, but sadly lost in the final to finish second. A special mention to Amelie Clarke for this achievement, leading the team very well as captain and scoring 45 off 4 overs in one of the games. A massive achievement for all the girls and they should be very proud of themselves. In the outdoor game, all teams had a full set of fixtures. Our U13 Girls' became Suffolk Champions with an unbeaten season. They defeated Orwell Park in the 15th over of the final, when they were chasing a total of 153. Captain Amelie Clarke made an outstanding 82 not out - but this was a fabulous team effort all round. Well done girls! The team recorded impressive performances against Framlingham College, The Perse, Ipswich and Woodbridge Schools. Notable performances included Jessica Logan and Sophie Singer in the Cup game v St Felix, scoring a half century each and Amelie with a four wicket haul against The Perse and 50 against Framlingham. The U15s have had a mixed season. There were Cup victories against Woodbridge School and Framlingham but a loss to Norwich School meant they missed going through to the regional round. They have had some good victories in their Saturday fixtures and Eloise Ward has excelled for the team with the bat and during her bowling spells. The 1st XI girls have had a slightly quieter season due to exams. There were, however, some exciting games against Shenfield High School, Ipswich School and RHS. Olivia Locke and Sophie Tudor were excellent with the bat and Ellie Cook was outstanding during her bowling spells. Overall, an excellent season of cricket for the girls and we look forward to updating you with the Cup final results.
Athletics Well done to all of our athletics teams who competed in the Ipswich Schools competitions. The Year 7 girls provided the highlight, coming fourth and qualifying for the finals. The U13 Super 8s team have also qualified for the County finals in July. Congratulations to Tom Ducker, Jemima Bestley and Kirsten Snook, who have been selected to represent Suffolk in the Schools athletics competition.
Tennis The U15A boys’ team narrowly missed out on the County finals this year, but played some very close matches. The U15B and U13 boys were unbeaten all summer and have qualified for the Regional finals. The U15 and U13 girls’ teams had some mixed results, but played every game with enthusiasm.
Spain Sports Tour At the beginning of April, 35 girls set off for Spain very early one morning. We were all really excited to go and ready for hockey and netball training and matches, and we had the fantastic opportunity of training at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona. We were also lucky enough to go to Port Aventura World, which is one of the biggest water and theme parks in Europe. There was an opportunity to spend a morning on the beach before travelling back to Barcelona to take on a couple of Spanish hockey sides, with the U17s losing 4-1. The U12 and U13 teams played a tournament in which they won one, lost one, and drew one game each. The following day all the girls took part in a netball training session run by masterclass coaches, and then played in tournaments. All the girls were very successful with the U12s coming second, the U13s coming third, the U15s finishing mid table and the U17s taking third. We would like to say thank you to everyone who as supported and sponsored us for the tour. Many happy memories were created by all the girls and staff on the trip.
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Summer Reflections from the PTA While we are working on our plans to revitalise the PTA, we have had a wonderful summer term, with a host of events and activities, enjoyed by students, families and friends. As well as our usual line up of summer term activities, we were delighted to contribute to the creation of the new Serenity Garden, which is a beautiful and peaceful addition to the College grounds. Our Prep School Family Camping Night was a huge success, with record numbers of families attending. Themed to tie in with the Wind in the Willows theatre workshop that the Prep School enjoyed earlier this term, the children followed clues around the grounds in our treasure trail, and Dr Hine led us all on a fantastic twilight bug hunt across the campus. A big thank you to the catering team for breakfast and for the fabulous barbecue food, and to our chefs for the evening, Mr Fox and Mr Llewelyn. Thank you also to the caretakers and grounds staff, as well as to Dr Hine and Mr Weaver, who camp with us every year. Don’t forget to visit the second hand uniform shop to pick up a bargain at just a third of the Coes price. We have a wide selection
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of great quality stock, which is being replenished as the summer term comes to an end. We are in the shop every Monday morning between 8:15am and 9:15am and we will also be opening on Monday 3 September between 9:30am and 10:30am for you to pop in and find any last minute requirements. As always, we couldn’t organise and run our events and activities without your help – a big thank you to families, friends and staff members who have helped us this year! We’ll be in touch toward the end of the summer with our new and exciting plans. We’re aiming to make it even easier for you to be involved – we really do need your help. Finally, a warm welcome to new families joining St Joseph’s College. We very much look forward to meeting you, and to seeing all our friends returning in September. If you would like to be involved – either on an ad hoc basis or as a member of our friendly team, please do drop us a line at PTA@stjos.co.uk. We’d love to hear from you. Mrs Liz Lloyd and Mr Niall Tanner
Changing Times, Changing PTA
Old Birkfeldians
Old Birkfeldians We were delighted with our inaugural ‘Cricket and Cocktails’ event, which proved a fitting showstopper for Cricket Week. Our Old Birkfeldian cricketers were delighted, too, to win the match by a margin of just two runs. It was great to see so many familiar faces on the field, in the deckchairs and with a margarita in hand renewing tales of past schooldays. Two other OBs returned recently, with no need of cocktails to be in party mood. Love blossomed for former boarders Gigi Ng (2006) and Stephen Yip (2006), who returned to the school as a newly engaged couple. Gigi and Stephen live and work in Hong Kong and return with all our very best wishes for their future happiness. The St Joseph’s Summer Ball was a great opportunity for friends, staff, parents and Old Birkfeldians to renew school day friendships and forge new ones. Everyone knows how fast summer speeds past and in no time at all the 2018 St Joseph’s College national Schools Rugby Festival will be with us – preparations for this major feature of the calendar are, of course, already underway. The Festival will be held over the weekend of 20 -21 October, with the traditional OBs v St Joseph’s matches taking place on the Friday (19 October) evening. Any OBs wishing to take part are asked to contact obs@stjos.co.uk or to check out festival.stjos.co.uk.
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Boarding News Boarders Embrace Life at St Joseph’s Part of being involved in such an amazing school as St Joseph’s is the multitude of opportunities available to grow as a whole person and experience every element of life. Boarders have been encouraged to ‘feed’ their souls, bodies and minds this term through extracurricular activities and we now see young people to be proud of preparing to depart for the summer. They have grown into people who truly represent St Joseph’s ethos and values. Students of all ages have been aspiring to success in their examinations, including internal examinations, SATS, GCSEs and A-levels. The boarders have shown impressive commitment, matched by equally committed staff. The study rooms have been full of group sessions, impromptu revision classes, early morning private study and weekend-long collaborative study. We look forward to sharing in their success when results envelopes and reports are opened in the summer.
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The Boarding Community has also seen some fantastic performances from both UK and overseas boarders throughout Arts Festival Week. Boarders have read poetry in their second language, sung songs in Spanish and French, played instruments, made the most beautiful craft and debated like their lives depended on it! Public speaking is a skill that we carry with us for life and it is one that we grow into through pushing ourselves to stand up and use our voice to share our thoughts and ideas. We are extremely proud of all the young men and women within our community who rose to the occasion. This term we have enjoyed some fabulous weather and have enjoyed using the wonderful grounds at St Joseph’s. We have been engaged in a range of activities from Inter-House Rounders, swimming, enjoying the performances at the Arts Festival to spotting wildlife at Colchester Zoo. However, our most popular activity was our annual trip to Thorpe Park. It was yet another hot, sunny day and after an early start the youngsters headed off for thrills and spills at every turn with Tidal Wave being the most popular attraction, followed by the horror movie themed Saw rollercoaster ride.
Following on from our highly successful inaugural Big Boarding Sleepover last year, we opened our boarding house doors once again and welcomed 91 students from across the Lower School to join us in a day of fun activities to celebrate boarding within our community. We had an afternoon of fun sporting activities, a barbecue and a sleep out in tents. We played a range of sports, a big water ‘challenge’, followed by a midnight volleyball tournament under floodlights and then a feast before bedding down for the night (albeit with little sleep!). It was a fun weekend for all and the students really embraced the community. We wish all students well in their journey back to their home, whether it be here in the UK or further afield and we look forward to welcoming you back, along with a wonderful array of new staff and students, on 4 September, ready for the exciting challenges and adventures of the academic year 2018-19. Mrs Rowlands Assistant Principal – Pastoral and Boarding
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Suffolk’s Children & Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing Hub The Emotional Wellbeing Hub provides information, advice, and guidance if you are concerned about the emotional wellbeing and mental health of a child or young person aged 0-25 years. Or if you are a young person who needs emotional wellbeing support.
What is the Emotional Wellbeing Hub? A multi-agency team offering a central point of contact and information for parents, carers, and professionals who are concerned about the mental health or emotional wellbeing of a child or young person in East or West Suffolk. (If you live in Waveney or Norfolk, please contact the Point 1 Service) Young people can also contact the Emotional Wellbeing Hub to get emotional wellbeing help and support.
What does the Emotional Wellbeing Hub do? The Emotional Wellbeing Hub replaces the NSFT (Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust) Access and Assessment Service for 0-25-year olds, providing a simple process for professionals, families and young people to make a referral or get advice about wellbeing and mental health services.
How to contact the service? Professionals, parents, carers and young people can contact the Emotional Wellbeing Hub on: 0345 600 2090. Its opening times are Monday to Friday 8am – 7.30pm for consultation or advice. Make a referral for mental health support We accept referrals from individuals, professionals, health practitioners, parents and carers, for anyone aged 0-25 years old. Referrals can be made the Emotional Wellbeing Gateway at www.emotionalwellbeinggateway.org.uk If you're unsure about making a referral and wish to discuss the process, or if you have any difficulties submitting your referral, please contact us on 0345 600 2090. Links to this service are found on: infolink.suffolk.gov.uk MyStJos - Safeguarding
The Emotional Wellbeing Hub also offers an open access consultation phone line to discuss concerns about the emotional wellbeing of a child or young person.
www.emotionalwellbeinggateway.org.uk