Christmas Newsletter 2019
Message from the Principal Anticipation and excitement prevail at St Joseph’s as we prepare to re-open our Chapel and to host once again our beautiful, traditional candle-lit Carol Service. After the Christmas break, we are also looking forward to weekly House, Senior School and Prep assemblies and to hymn practices and concerts all being held again in our wonderful Chapel. I would very much like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and to thank all parents, staff, governors and friends of the College who have donated towards and supported our fundraising campaign ‘Raising the Roof’ to enable the heart of the St Jo’s community to be reinstated. The College wishes Mr Walkinshaw, Head of Mathematics, well as he takes on the role of International Principal at Sanya Foreign Language School in Hainan, China. His many contributions to his Faculty and the wider community over the past 18 years have been greatly appreciated. Mr Greenaway, an experienced leader of Mathematics at GCSE and A-level and of Further Mathematics takes up the helm after Christmas and brings with him much experience and knowledge from the world of Mathematics teaching. (Read more about him on Page 3.)
I hope you enjoy the highlights of this academic term shared with you in this Newsletter - please ensure that you take time to read our Safeguarding and Wellbeing feature on the back page - this term’s focus is on TikTok. We very much look forward to seeing all students back at College on Tuesday 7 January 2020. Wishing you a happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
Mrs Danielle Clarke Principal
Focus on a Teacher Mr Mark Greenway Head of Mathematics
Although I was born in London, my formative years were based in Colchester, where I attended the Royal Grammar School before taking my Mathematics degree at Leicester University. I then chose to study to become a teacher, which was a little surprising at the time as I wasn’t always the most dedicated student. It is, however, a career path that I have never regretted pursuing, as I love the fresh challenges that present themselves every single day. I have been married for nearly 20 years and have one daughter. Outside of work my interests lie in 20th century history and the two World Wars in particular. I enjoy reading, most types of sport, mathematics and getting outside and going for long walks. I have taught in a number of local high schools and also benefitted greatly when I was able to work in schools as part of the Suffolk Advisory Team, supporting and advising colleagues across the county. During this time, I gained considerable expertise whilst taking on a variety of roles: Secondary Mathematics Consultant; Advanced Skills Teacher; successful Head of Mathematics for nine years; mentoring co-ordinator, in charge of trainee teachers; and the Assessment and Data lead, to name a few.
I am an extremely positive person, with a good sense of humour. I am approachable and enjoy working with people, combining a willingness to listen and assimilate the ideas of others with my own vision, drive and determination. I have been so impressed with the determination I have seen at St Jo’s to meet each student’s needs, whether academic, pastoral or social and I am, in turn, determined to play my part in ensuring that their experience of Mathematics is a positive one. Mathematics is a beautiful subject and my aim is to convey that enthusiasm to all students both personally and through their class teachers and to do all I can with the support of the Mathematics team and parents to make each child as successful as they can be. I am excited to be given this opportunity and I am really looking forward to the new challenge that begins in January 2020.
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Waterloo for the Rest of the Field as Wellington Storms to Victory We hope you enjoyed the 33rd annual St Joseph’s College National Schools Rugby Festival as much as we did. Not only does the event continue to grow in regards to logistics and coverage, but it has also been suggested by many that this was one of the best festivals in recent years with regards to the level of competition. We offer our congratulations to tournament winners Wellington College, new to the event but masterly in action, and to Millfield, who took home the Plate. But we would also underline how proud we were of our own Festival squad and the months of hard work and dedication they poured into the event – a crowning moment of their rugby careers to date. Well done in particular to Ben Norval, who was named Player of the Tournament, and to Finley McCartney and Louis Martin, who were recognised as Forward and Back of the Tournament respectively. 4
As ever, the weekend was a draw not only for the country’s top rugby schools but as a rallying point for Old Birkfeldians and current and past families. Among the most prominent was Lewis Ludlam OB, who could not attend in person as he was in Japan, playing for England in the Rugby World Cup. Over the weekend our matches were viewed worldwide via livestream. There have been over 50,000 views to date. If you missed the footage it can be viewed on the Festival website – www.festival.stjos.co.uk. Nome of this could happen without the enthusiasm and generosity of our staff, supporters and sponsors. Here’s to #sjcfestival2020.
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United in Honouring the Fallen – British and German Musicians Work in Concert Following a trip to the excavation of Hill 80 near Ypres during a battlefield visit in 2018, St Joseph’s College was invited with German partner school Gymnasium Theodorianum, Paderborn, to perform the music for the re-burial of the British and German soldiers discovered there. This was a truly memorable experience for the students taking part - the German orchestra of over 30 musicians and the St Joseph’s choir - with such invitations rarely granted by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The remains of 13 Commonwealth servicemen were buried with full military honours at Wytschaete Military Cemetery and those of 125 German soldiers were laid to rest at Langemark the following day. These were to be the last burials at Langemark Cemetery, which is now full - the resting place for 26,000 dead. 6
The students, whose number also included youngsters from Mildenhall College Academy, performed again at the Hill 80 Memorial Concert at Wytschaete Church. This was a huge success, with the packed congregation enjoying music of an incredibly high standard. In attendance were the Hill 80 archaeological team, the German Ambassador, the Volksbund President and his staff, CWGC staff, the head of CWGC Belgium, the British Embassy team and lots of local people. Taking place just over a century since First World War hostilities ceased, the event was beautifully symbolic, with young people from Britain and Germany coming together to help give the fallen a dignified burial. Next year, the History Department is hoping to putting on its own rendition of a WW1 Concert Party in Talbot House, Poperinge, Belgium, making use of the room where many concerts took place through the war.
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Staff in the Spotlight Mr Mark Harris Head Caretaker
Growing up in the sleepy village of Hollesley, I yearned to travel and seek adventure! Enlisting into the Army at 18, I subsequently spent 22 years experiencing the thrills and spills being a member of the Armed Forces entailed. Extensive travels during my tenure saw active service in Iraq, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. Always searching for more adventure, I completed training and became both an Army Commando and a parachutist, serving alongside Royal Marines Commandos and the Parachute Regiment. Leaving the Armed Forces was a difficult period, but having gained the rank of WO2 (Squadron Sergeant Major) and accumulated considerable experience of logistics, the transition back to civilian life was accomplished. After an initial spell in a logistics company in Felixstowe, I tried a number of other posts, but I didn’t find the challenge I wanted.
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June 2011 saw my arrival at St Joseph’s College. As well as supporting the day-to-day running of the campus, managing a team and overseeing the work of contractors, I have enjoyed contributing to the wider life at the College, too. This has included passing on military knowledge to Combined Cadet Force students, strutting the catwalk at the Fashion Show and competing as a member of the St Joseph’s College Dragon Boat team. In my free time I indulge my passion for kayaking and exploring the varied coastline Suffolk has to offer. Services provided at the College via the caretaker’s role are often unseen, but I find it rewarding being part of a committed organisation that sees so many young people engaging in education and developing into fine, well rounded young men and women.
News from the Prep School
Conkering Heroes of Christchurch Park Nursery and Reception had a lovely time at Christchurch Park hunting for signs of autumn. The children duly found lots of conkers and coloured leaves. They then joined in with the ever-popular 'Bear Hunt' story, before enjoying a game of hide and seek featuring pandas, polar bears and grizzlies. Closer to home, Abbey Owl was taken on a scavenger hunt for items inspiring ‘Awe and Wonder’ within our grounds. The investigation was carried out by Year 1 as part of their Religious Education studies.
Salvaging Our Seas Inspired by the Prep School Eco-Committee’s work raising awareness of threats to the marine environment, the children were challenged to create a piece of artwork using recycled materials. The response was magnificent and the haul included sea birds and turtles made of bottle tops and egg cartons, a number of transparent plastic bag jellyfish, starfish, octopuses and clownfish fashioned from empty bottles. Netting, driftwood and assorted flotsam and jetsam also featured. The work was carried out over the summer holidays and clearly this is an issue that resonates with children across Prep.
Trip Went Like Clockwork Mrs Hughes and Mrs Taylor accompanied Year 6 and some students from Year 7 to the Ipswich Museum and Art Gallery to attend the Marvellous Machines exhibition. Everyone had a fantastic day exploring the history of machines, then designing and creating automata. The students worked together in teams - collaborating, inventing, communicating and being their best!
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Come into My Parlour… Representatives of the Prep School Council were invited to meet the Mayor at Ipswich Town Hall. They were served afternoon tea by the Town Sergeant and had the opportunity to look at numerous fascinating artefacts. The children asked the Mayor, Cllr Jan Parry, lots of interesting and insightful questions. They were curious to find out more about her role, if she was involved in Brexit and whether she had any pets! The highlight was undoubtedly trying on the Mayor’s ceremonial clothing and having the opportunity to hold the sword and mace.
Year 1 & 2 DT Building Challenge The children undertook the mammoth task of building a model of a bridge to help storybook character Katie Morag’s Granny reach the Isle of Struay more easily. They learnt about different bridges, planned their designs, discussed and debated their structures. The next day building commenced, using restricted resources of newspaper and tape. Employing their understanding of supports and strength, all the teams succeeded in creating a bridge stable enough to hold some toy vehicles. Well done Year 1&2. Can we build it? YES, WE CAN!
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Plant a Tree to Save the World Our tiny conservationists are working hard to improve our environment. Muddy boots and big smiles… the children in Reception and the Eco-Committee representatives from Years 1 and 2 enjoyed planting trees supplied through the Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools programme. The project aims to create more homes for wildlife and to help fight climate change. With the help of Mr Nunn from the Grounds team, the children planted, staked and protected a variety of native species, including silver birch, wild cherry and hawthorn, on the grassed area beyond the Prep School playground. It is hoped eventually to underplant the little copse with bulbs.
Reduced Loss and Lower Costs – Eco-Committee Appreciates Recycling Gains at Medequip The Junior Representatives from the Prep School Eco-Committee were invited to visit Medequip to become ‘Medequip Explorers’ for the morning. Medequip specialises in the area of community health care equipment. This includes the procurement, storage, delivery, installation, technical demonstration, repair and maintenance, collection, cleaning and recycling of homecare medical equipment. The children found out how the company reduces waste, reuses and recycles medical equipment, such as crutches, wheelchairs, walking frames, and sensory loss and falls prevention equipment. Operating out of 19 specially adapted depots across the country, including Ipswich, its services support a population of more than 14.5m people. St Joseph’s Prep would like to thank Medequip for such a fun and informative experience.
Happiness is a Warm Puppy Concise Coding Applauded
There’s nothing quite so soothing as the tender attentions of a warm puppy! Don’t worry, Chloe was actually enjoying this meet and greet with Toffee, one of the adorable litter of cocker spaniel puppies brought into school by Mr Bolton.
At the BT Crumble Day event, Joe Bolton, Guy Peters and Dominic Chester (Year 5) rose to the challenge of programming a robot to travel around a race track. Their robot completed the course fastest and the boys' concise coding earned them the praise of BT engineers and a small but perfectly formed trophy!
Everyone who saw the puppies and had a chance to cuddle them would like to thank Mr Bolton and the pups’ proud mother, Chilli, who was there as a spectator. The visit took place on World Mental Health Day when our staff and students said #HelloYellow to support children and young people’s mental health. Various activities marked the event, including selfies with friends, yoga sessions and music at break and lunchtime.
From Eastern Russia with Love Aspirational speakers are being invited into the Prep School to fire up the children’s dreams, introduce them to jobs they may never have heard of and reassure them the career road ahead need not be one straight line. Parent Mr Philip Swart, an Evacuation Specialist working for International SOS, spoke about his work, currently based in Eastern Russia. Mr Swart explained he was constantly upgrading his skills, which have taken him around the globe, up rivers and mountains, down freshly hewn paths through brush and scrub, to clinics in the midst of deserts and to evacuation sites deep in snow. With a working pattern of five weeks on/five weeks off, Mr Swart also takes the opportunity to volunteer for charities SULSAR (Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue), Comic Relief and Charity Challenge. He told the children of Key Stage 2: ‘There’re so many different jobs you can do and so many different places you can experience. You are very lucky to be growing up now – every day new jobs are coming about.’
Going that Extra Mile for Osiligi Obaya A huge thank you to all our participants and supporters for the Sponsored Walk in aid of the Osiligi Obaya primary school in the Maasai area of Kenya. In the past, with the help of St Joseph’s College, the school has been able to fund the building of classrooms, a dormitory, a summer school – including much-needed holiday meals – and educational resources, including Chromebooks. Students of all ages and staff enthusiastically walked the course to earn sponsorship money. A special mention to Miss Jesenaiova’s tutor group for its magnificent response. In all, over £5,000 was raised.
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Prep School Sport
It has been a fantastic and diverse sporting term in the Prep School. We have played over 100 fixtures and have experienced the full range of emotions in thrilling performances on the netball, rugby, football and hockey fields. Alongside this, we have sent children to represent the College in indoor athletics, crosscountry and swimming. The Under 11 girls played their hearts out at the county hockey finals and it was fantastic to see boys and girls competing in the school games football tournaments. Special mention must go to Finlay Cherrington for his awesome run in the cross country; his area placing earned him an invitation to the county finals. We welcomed Northbridge House for football and netball masterclasses and some superb fixtures and hope to be able to return the favour by visiting them in the summer term.
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Mrs Logan and Mr Branch continue to be amazed by the energy and commitment of the children in the Prep School to sport. The playground is flooded with netballs, crazy catchers, hoops, rugby balls and footballs each break and lunch time and the children have delivered some stunning performances this term. Participation has been at an all-time high, with every child representing the College at sport regularly during the term. The small-sided games, encouraged by national governing bodies, have ensured children have meaningful experiences and develop their skills and self-confidence in safe secure environments. We would like to thank all of the teachers, parents and friends who have supported Prep Sport this term. The nurturing atmosphere and support at each event has created positive learning experiences for all of our children. It has allowed them to take risks and experiment. This in turn encourages decision-making, creativity and leadership. In December, all of Years 3 to 6 visited Ipswich Gymnastics at the phenomenal Pipers Vale centre. The children were handed over to elite coaches in the centre, which was used by the Brazilian Gymnastics squad as their base for the 2012 Olympic Games. It was a fantastic afternoon and several children were able to showcase their skills. The talent in our ranks is truly awe inspiring. Miss Hanby showed us all how it was done with an impromptu display. The children had something to aspire to after seeing their teacher perform.
Our sports clubs have again been fantastically well attended. Children have been able to be active and healthy before school, at lunch and each evening. The breadth on offer has grown again to include KS1 multiskills, table tennis, ballet, dance, netball, yoga, rugby, trampoline, cross-country, tennis, squash, football and karate. There really is something for everybody. Next term we look forward to the Under 8 and 9 boys playing rugby, both tag and contact, while the Under 9 girls will play hockey. The Under 11 girls are looking forward to their netball term and the boys have a busy spring planned for their football season. The School Council requested Dodgeball Club and we were happy to oblige. The cricketers will also be carrying on their excellent preseason preparation.
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News from the Senior School Valuable Insights into Spanish Language and Culture A party of 14 GCSE Spanish students travelled to Salamanca for our second annual trip. The students brushed up their Spanish Language during classes at the Mester School in the morning and spent the afternoons getting to know the stunning region of Castilla y Leon. Salamanca is a beautiful and historic university town, best seen on foot with an experienced guide. Typical Spanish food was a big hit, from fresh churros con chocolate and a cooking class on how to make the perfect tortilla, to an evening tapas tour in local bars. There was even time to catch a film. The sun came out as we toured Avila, a walled city high in the Castillan hills, where we also learned about Santa Teresa, one of the most important figures in the church in Spain. On our final morning, we visited the Reina Sofia in Madrid, getting the opportunity to see Guernica, Picasso's masterpiece, before catching the plane home.
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‘People of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment’
Remarkable Results for an Outstanding Pianist
A diverse group of 18 St Joseph’s College students joined 20 German students from our partner school in Paderborn to visit Berlin on the 30th anniversary weekend of the Berlin Wall coming down. It was an enriching experience, learning about this amazing city and its huge historic significance. Highlights included visiting the Holocaust Museum, which was incredibly moving, Check Point Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. The party also toured the East Side Gallery, with its stunning artwork. In all, an amazing experience made even more perfect by the exemplary behaviour of our students and their happy interaction with our German friends.
As well as being named the ‘Most Promising Piano Player’ of 2019 at the Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts, William Scoones (U6) also achieved: • Class PN30 (Chopin) – 1st place (mark 89 – Distinction) • Class PN23 (Grade 8+) – 1st place (mark 87- Distinction) • Class PN32 (Sonata) – 1st place (mark 86 – Commended) • Class PN33 (Solo Recital) – 2= place (mark 88 – Distinction) • Class PN29 (Bach) – 2= place (mark 86 – Commended) • Class PN36 (20th & 21st Century) – 3= place (mark 86 – Commended) Bravo, Will, bravo! Encore!
Brave New World Comes to St Joseph’s
BT Business Enterprise Day
Electrocomponents plc, a global multi-channel provider of industrial and electronic products and solutions, runs an impressive STEM education programme in Northern and Southern Europe using mobile innovation trucks, Titan II and MAX. Titan II, packed with technology for students (and staff!) to view and interact with, came to St Joseph’s College and provided wonderful inspiration and a glimpse into the future for our students – and for those of visiting schools, Soaring High Montessori, Coggeshall, and The Willows, Ipswich. The chance to sample virtual reality proved exceptionally popular. Are the students trying to tell us something? Titan II will return later in the year.
Ten Year 9 students and two from the Upper Sixth represented the College at the BT Business Enterprise Day held at Adastral Park. Teams were put into a controlled commercial business environment where they took on the role of company representatives. Twenty-one teams from 10 local schools competed to make the most virtual money on the day. To achieve this, they had to work effectively with teammates to complete milestone tasks. • Building and selling virtual cars. • Maintaining their electronic company bank account using online banking software written especially for this event. • Raising initial capital (for the car parts) with a startup loan, requiring them to understand what a loan is and that it needs to be repaid • Raising additional capital by trading in shares, using the online share-trading software written especially for this event. • Raising additional capital by paying for and then completing physical team activities and a variety of quizzes and questionnaires, to provide a ‘return on investment’ that could be sunk into car-parts.
Thinking of Others This Christmas Taking its inspiration from the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan’s Purse charity is an international relief and development organisation best known for its Christmas shoebox appeal, Operation Christmas Child. Donors are asked to pack a shoebox with toys, school supplies, personal hygiene items and useful extras such as a hat, scarf, sunglasses or wind-up torch. Younger students in the Senior School and their families rose to the occasion and 37 disadvantaged children will have more reason to smile this Christmas when the boxes are distributed. Sebastian, Lily and Evie are pictured carrying a representative sample. This year Prep families contributed to a different seasonal appeal – FIND (Families in Need), a Suffolk charity which supports all those in need, regardless of faith or circumstance. Toys were donated for distribution to children whose families are going through hard times.
• Completing mock-government paperwork – digesting complex application forms. • Delivering a short presentation (Dragon’s Den style); two team members pitched briefly to a panel on why their company was investable. • Negotiating with the Union when their car factory workers went on strike; the better the negotiation the lower the cost. • Self-management of their company, led by their Chief Executive Officer and a Chief Financial Officer. Negotiating with the competition. Our students ended the day with over £5,000 in the bank, smiles on their faces and an understanding of how businesses are run.
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Arts Trip to London Year 7 enjoyed an immersive day of culture on a trip to London that took in the British Museum and Lion King, the musical. At the museum they whizzed around the Egyptian and Roman galleries and enjoyed seeing the original Sutton Hoo artefacts. Lion King was a roaring success – say no more!
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Ringing in the Festive Season
Mass Celebration for Year 8 Arts Award Winners
Wreathed in smiles, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas wreath-making workshop and families must have been thrilled with the results, now gracing front doors around the area. A special thank you to Xavier Baker-Woods (Y10), who produced the stunning creation chosen as the official wreath for the Chapel this year.
Forty-nine students successfully completed the Year 8 Arts Award. The award took in all branches of the Arts and was based around the musical ‘School of Rock’ – a St Joseph’s College favourite. Tasks undertaken varied from composing music to designing trainers, proving that The Arts really do offer something for everyone.
Everyday Wonderful It is only on a daytime visit to St Joseph’s College that one appreciates just how the school is buzzing with artistic endeavour. In fine art, this ranges from the colourful painting and collage work in the Prep school to Leo Bignell’s outstanding cardboard sculptures being created in the Sixth Form and attracting national acclaim. Music is practised and played in one-to-one lessons, group sessions and concerts. Trips take students out and about for inspiration and the students themselves travel to competitions, such as Suffolk Festival of Performing Arts, to share their hard work and talent. At this time of the year and for the foreseeable future dances are being rehearsed, lines and lyrics learned, and entrances and exits perfected as our cast prepares for next term’s College musical, ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’. All day to day at St Joseph’s, and rather wonderful.
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Senior School Sport Girls’ Hockey The 1st XI season officially started when we played the County Tournament at Culford. It was a tough day but exceptional work rates were displayed all team members and it set a good standard of play for the rest of the season. Despite a mixed season of results, which were not often reflective of the games played, the team has developed enormously as a unit in their knowledge and in their game play. The U15 girls have worked hard throughout to improve on all areas of their game. Their strongest performance saw a formidable win against Finborough’s U15 team. The U14 hockey team competed in the County tournament, where they were unfortunate not to progress further and finished fifth. They are an exciting team to watch for the future. At U13 and U12 level the girls have really worked hard to apply what they have learnt in training in their matches. Well done to those selected to play for Suffolk: Hannah McNicholas and Gigi Gebhard at Under 13, Natalie Well done to those selected to play for Suffolk: Hannah McNicholas and Gigi Gebhard at Under 13, Natalie Mashonganyika and Zoe Tanner at Under 14, Cailtyn Wright and Aimee Porter at Under 15 (both playing a year up), and Rosie Dane, selected for Performance Centre Trials & U16/U17 Essex.
Netball Our first team won five of their six regional AOC matches and sit second in the table, having scored an impressive 255 goals. In the England Netball tournaments they made it through to the county round. We are fortunate to have some very talented netballers in our first team, including Safia Ludlam, who is currently playing National League netball for Thoroughbreds Netball Club, and Amelia Vincent, who plays in the London Pulse U19 Essex Hub.
Girls’ Football The start to the Girls’ Football Academy has exceeded expectation and has been greeted with huge enthusiasm. In the ESFA, we had two very comfortable wins from two; Sophie Peskett and Maddie Biggs, our leading goal scorers, totalling eight goals between them. Caitlin Padmore and Mae Hughes, who were brought into the College for the Academy, have excelled and settled into the programme very well. We are lucky enough to have the link with the Ipswich Town U21s and have some potential stars of the future playing for us, one person in particular being Blue Wilson, who has recently been on an England camp. Within our younger years, we have Erika Lempek, who has represented the boys’ team in many fixtures this year and we look forward to seeing how she progresses through the Ipswich Academy.
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Lower down the age groups we have also had successes, with our U14s coming fourth in their England Netball tournament. Our newly formed U12A team came second in their first ever tournament representing the school, and our U12B team came fourth in theirs. Lower school netballers Catie Lloyd and Sofie Simpson-Jacobs have joined the Suffolk Netball Development Pathway, Robyn Dix and Phoebe Kerr from Year 7 the Suffolk Netball Satellite, and Lola Crawford, Caitlyn Wright and Olivia James in Year 9 the Suffolk County Futures Pathway.
Gymnastics Nyah Gaskin-Barber achieved a Distinction in National grade 3. For Pipers Vale Pearls 2019 she was placed third overall, with bronze medal on bars, beam and floor and silver medal in vault. Her team also came second in the Theobald Team Competition. However, Nyah missed three other events due to injury.
Cycle Speedway Ipswich Eagles Cycle Speedway presentation evening saw James Porter come away with a collection of trophies: Junior World Cup Championship Trophy and Juniors World Pairs Championship Cup from Poland; SE & E League Division 1 winners and SE & E League Division 2 winners; U18 Club Championship winner; Ipswich Manager’s Senior Rider of the Year; Senior Riders’ - Rider of the Year & Ipswich Eagles Most Improved Senior Rider 2019. James also rode in the Battle of Britain Team for the East of England, which they won. With Ipswich Eagles Senior Team he also helped secure the Club Championship in Manchester. Roll on 2020 and the World Championship in Australia!
Table Tennis Luke Davies-Stokes is the number one player in the Junior British League Division 4. Our Suffolk Schools table tennis players came through two competitions undefeated to finish third in the county finals. Well done Harry Hitchin, Josh Stokes, Luke Davies-Stokes and Liam Kwok, who will be going to Holland to train this winter.
Swimming Xanthe Baker- Woods secured Personal Bests (PBs) for the 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly, plus a county time and PB in the 100m freestyle. Xanthe now has 10 county times. Caitlin and Hannah McNicholas have been swimming for Suffolk, and both secured a place at the Welsh Nationals. They have achieved a number of PBs. Gigi Gebhard is training five times a week for Team Ipswich and has achieved three country times and numerous PBs in 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle and breaststroke. Gigi qualified for the British Biathlon Championships in Nottingham, but was unable to compete due to other sporting commitments. Team Ipswich colleague Ben Howlett gained PBs in every race: including four firsts, to increase his county qualification to 17 events out of a possible 18. Ben will be representing the East Region at the National Championships. Fergus Cherrington has accomplished many PBs: in 50 freestyle a time of 28 seconds, 50 butterfly a time of 32 seconds and 50 backstroke a time of 31 seconds. Lily Vinyard has achieved two swimming PBs, in the 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle, along with a county time for Suffolk in the 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle.
Cricket Away from the rugby and football pitches, the addition of the newly developed indoor cricket area is now in full use by students from the age of eight upwards. Mr Tyler and Mr Hunn have begun to implement an all year round one-to-one and small group cricket programme within this facility, using state of the art equipment and video analysis to provide feedback and monitor student development.
Rugby With teams from across the College competing against some of the best teams locally and nationally, we are delighted that 126 boys have represented the College this term. A highlight was the U14A and U15A teams’ winning well contested fixtures against Dulwich College. The U15As are testament to the programme of development here at St Joseph’s.
Boys’ Football Still growing and going from strength to strength is our Football programme. Having had a combination of friendly and cup fixtures at various age groups, we’re now in a position to give access to a high level of fixtures and training to pupils from across the College. The U18, U16 and U15 teams have all shown the ability to score a combination of well worked and individually brilliant goals whilst also conceding very few.
Further highlights Josh Lee has been selected to represent England by the Independent Schools Football Association. He captained St Joseph's to victory (5-4) against Culford School. Whether in one of our team sports or as an individual, over 180 boys have represented the College this term. This is a fantastic achievement. Jarno Longaretti, Finley McCartney, Joshua Cilia, Leroy O’Neil, Louis Martin, Gabe Jones and Kai St-Jean have all been retained as members of the Northampton Saints Academy. Harry Williams (L6), who signed a contract with the Welsh team Scarlets last year, has recently been selected as a member of the U18 Welsh Training Squad.
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Building Updates
How Music Returned to Our Chapel As the Chapel, the heart of St Joseph’s College, approached its reopening as this newsletter went to press, excitement at the school was palpable. Staff needed very little excuse to approach the double doors and peer inside for a sneak preview. Students, too, were most anxious to help with tasks, such as the delivery of a piano stool so the magnificent new Steinway Model D grand piano could be tested by Mr Layton, Director of Music. By the time you read this, the Chapel will have been Blessed by the Bishop of East Anglia and come back into daily use. It will have become again the heart we all look to as the symbolic centre of the school and be resounding to choral and congregational singing. Whilst the Steinway is the latest star of the show, the wonderful College organ more than holds its own. It was brought back from safe hibernation whilst the works were carried out by Mr John Bailey, of Bishop and Son Organ Builders, Ipswich. Not only has Mr Bailey been tuning the organ for many years, he actually built its great sound board in Hammersmith way back in 1966.
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Old Birkfeldians Now That’s Cool! James Dyson is a fan! OB Philip Yeung won a competition during his first week working at leading British engineering firm, Dyson. Philip was a boarder at St Joseph’s from Year 10 to Upper Sixth and went on to study at Loughborough University. Congratulations Philip.
Lewis Carries St Joseph’s Name Across the World St Joseph’s College could have no better flag waver than Lewis Ludlam OB, who has been a staunch supporter of the school since leaving it to join the world of professional rugby. Called up to represent England in the World Cup squad, Lewis continued to thank the school for its part in his development in interviews with local, regional and national print and broadcast media. His efforts on behalf of the England squad across the world in Japan drew television cameras to St Joseph’s, the attention of radio and specialist sports media as well. We are enormously grateful to Lewis and his family for their unstinting support. Although Lewis was for once unable to return to the school for the Rugby Festival, he was certainly here in spirit - sending the squad a message of good wishes and allowing himself to be portrayed Instagram-style so everyone had a chance of a selfie with the man of the moment – including his proud father, Aaron.
First Team Sees Off the Old Girls It was wonderful to welcome our Old Birkfeldians back onto the AstroTurf for the hockey match against the first team at the opening of the Festival weekend. It was the current students, however, who won the match 1-0 thanks to a goal from captain Mai Easton (U6). In the rugby, the Under 23s stormed to victory.
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Boarding News
Now Where Did That Weekend Go!? It has been an excellent first term for me in Goldrood House. The boys came back after the summer break refreshed and raring to go. It was lovely to welcome new boys to the House and everyone quickly settled into the routines of boarding. We have enjoyed many activities with Mews House this term and it is great to see both Houses coming together for nights of bingo, karaoke, movies, baking, slime making, STEM tasks and crafts. We encourage all pupils to get involved in the activities as it gives them a chance to interact with people from the other House as well as to break up their weekend with a bit of active fun. We also continue to run the weekend outings which prove popular amongst the pupils. This term we have enjoyed a few trips to the golf driving range, excursions to Bounce and Clip ‘n’ Climb, the Ed Sheeran exhibition, NinjaTag, and the Colchester fireworks. We’ve also got creative at Pennikkity Pots. The highlight was the Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto at The New Wolsey Theatre. We look forward to more exciting trips in the new year.
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As a new member of the St Joseph’s community, I have enjoyed getting to know all the pupils in Boarding. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with them over the weekends, whether it is having a chat in the office over tea and biscuits or trying to beat them at table tennis! We enjoy an ongoing rivalry over the table tennis and I know the boys have fun challenging Mr Fourie too! This term in Goldrood, we have had the pleasure of working with Mr Dixon and Miss Hanby, who are here as Graduate Assistants supporting in the Boarding houses. Both are keen rugby players and all-round sports people and they are a great asset in enabling us to make the most of the sports hall and fitness suite in the evenings.
Next term we look forward to welcoming Miss Caskie over to Goldrood, as she has been working in Mews for this first term. It’s a great opportunity for the boys to get to know all members of staff and benefit from their different working styles and skills. We also welcomed Mrs Burton to the Boarding team this year. She has joined Mrs Pope as one of our Matrons and has been an excellent addition to the team. They ensure all the pupils are happy and healthy and provide another level of pastoral support for all the pupils across both Houses. We are all excited about the term ahead and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Miss Ward Goldrood Housemistress
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TikTok The TikTok mobile app allows users to create 15 second videos of themselves, often featuring music in the background. They can be sped up, slowed down or edited with a filter and be shared on TikTok or other social platforms. Short, lip-sync videos to pop songs are popular.
The app's ‘react’ feature allows users to film their reaction to a specific video, over which it is placed in a small movable window. The ‘duet’ feature allows users to film one video beside another. The app allows users to set their accounts as ‘private’; the content remains visible to TikTok, but is blocked from TikTok users whom the account holder has not authorised to view their content. Users can choose whether any other user, or only their ‘friends’, may interact with them through the app via comments, messages, or react or duet videos. Users also can set specific videos to either public, friends only or private regardless of whether the account is private or not. TikTok employs artificial intelligence to analyse users' interests and preferences through their interactions with the content and display a personalised content feed to each user. The NSPCC NetAware team rates TikTok at medium level for sexual, violence & hatred, bullying, suicide & self-harm risk. It places users at high risk in the areas of drink, drugs and crime. Its advice: Exploring apps, sites and games together is a great way to involve your child in the decision-making process. Be positive about what you see, but also be open about your concerns. Ask them what they think is appropriate and what worries them. If you decide it’s not appropriate, then make sure you explain your reasons why (and be prepared for an unhappy child). You might decide it’s ok for your child to use. If so, follow the tips on the website and work out a time when you’ll next discuss the app. Most importantly: • Talk to your child about what they’re sharing • Let your child know they can talk to you • Show them how to report and block • Read TikTok’s advice for parents
NSPCC Let’s keep kids safe online Net-aware.org.uk
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