rodborough chronicles february 2015

RODBOROUGH CHRONICLES VOLUME 11 ISSUE 3 PAGE 1 OF 16

This Summer’s Production will be . . . Inside this edition

Performances will be:

Thursday 9 July 7:30 Friday 10 July 7:30

Saturday 11 July 7:30

IMPORTANT REHEARSAL WEEKENDS will be:

Sat/Sun 20/21 June 2015 EVERYONE Sat/Sun 4/5 July 2015 EVERYONE

Friday 3 July Technical Crew only until 9pm

German Exchange 3 Green Notes 4 Eco-Prefect News 5 Future Flyers 6 Skills Fair 7 LRC Update 8-9 Hour of Code 10 Senior Six Update 10 RS Factor 2015 11-12 Mural for University 12 Chess Competition 13 Horse-Riding Lessons 14 Year 7 Rugby 15 Gymnastics 15 Sports Hall Athletics 16

Dates for your Diary 14-22 Feb Ski Trip 16-20 Feb HALF TERM 24 Feb Cats Theatre Trip 24 Feb Woman in Black Trip 25 Feb Mikado Theatre Trip 26 Feb Y9 Options Evening 3 Mar Maths Team Challenge

5 Mar World Book Day 5 Mar Swimming Gala KS3

6/13/20 Mar Y9 D of E Walks 12 Mar Y9 Interim Reports Home 12 Mar Y10 Consultation Even 13-16 Mar Y10 Geog Field Trip 19 Mar Sports Hall Athletics 19 Mar Y9 Consultation Even 23 Mar Vocal Group Concert 25 Mar Waverley D of E Awards 25 Mar Easter Concert

26 Mar Reports Home for Y7, Y8, Y10 & Y11

26 Mar Options Deadline Y9 26 Mar Y9 Sports Leaders at

Waverley Para Games 27 Mar Prefect Appl. Deadline 27 Mar Early Finish 1pm 30 Mar - 10 Apr Easter Holiday 30 Mar – 1 Apr Berlin Trip 13 Apr 1st Day Summer Term


HELPLINE

NOTE NEW NUMBER 07871 570160 [email protected]

WHO ARE WE? CAN WE HELP YOU? We were established in the mid 90’s

through local churches and community nurses to provide help in the community.

Our volunteers are able to offer: Transport to surgeries, clinics, dentists

Local errands such as prescription

collection

We recommend Hospital Hoppa 01428 681701 for hospital transport.

Our volunteers give their time freely but clients are asked to make a donation to

cover petrol and administration costs. Donations £3.00 for local journeys.

Could you help with transport?

Just an hour or two a month could make all the difference, so why not offer to be a

volunteer in your local community. WE NEED YOU!

Please volunteer today by leaving a message on our helpline number.

Jumble Sale in aid of

St John’s Church 10am February 21st

in Milford Village Hall

Please phone 01483 414710 if you have items of Jumble to donate!

Thank You

We need your TRAINERS! We are collecting unwanted trainers in good condition to send to students at our partner

school Awutu-Winton in Ghana. Trainers should be suitable for secondary students/ adults and should be brought to

Reception. Thank you!

Crackers

Godalming

Food Bank

Thank you for the magnificent response

to our plea for Christmas food

parcels. We currently need donations of non-perishable foods – especially: Cracker biscuits

Squash

Pot Noodles

Long-life milk Donations can be brought into school or to the Food Bank at St Marks (please phone Karen Milton on 01483 418741). Thank you.

mailto:[email protected]


German Exchange – Milford leg Reporters Will Cooper &

Oliver Sleap

It was with some nervousness that we greeted our exchange partners at 6 pm Friday 16 January after their long journey from Mayen. We were soon paired up and taking them to our homes to prepare them for their busy week here in Surrey. The weekend was spent getting to know each other and introducing our partners to a bit of English culture.

On Monday, whilst we were in school, our new friends had a visit to London where they enjoyed at ride on the London Eye and the opportunity to ‘meet’ British and world celebrities at Madame Tussauds. If the wax celebrities weren’t enough they also caught a glimpse of Johnny Depp, who was in London promoting his latest film, Mortdecai.

We were all back together again on Tuesday when we spent the day in Portsmouth, visiting HMS Victory, enjoying ‘Action Stations’ and relaxing at Gunwharf Keys.

Rodborough students were back in school again on Wednesday whilst the Mayen students visited Hampton Court, built by Henry VIII, to experience a ‘day in the life of a Tudor’ and to enjoy getting lost in the famous maze.

On Thursday our partners came into lessons with us to experience the difference in our education systems. We found out that they start school much earlier in the day than we do and felt that they were getting a lie-in! After a few lessons with us they departed for some last-minute shopping in Guildford.

The week had simply flown by! Friday’s schedule had been slightly changed so we bade them farewell (tearfully, for many of the girls) at the beginning of the school day before the start of their long journey home.

We thoroughly enjoyed the exchange and are looking forward to the Mayen leg in June.

Our group enjoy the January sunshine


Green Notes Reporter Mr Ewing

As I write this in late January we can already see the signs of our autumn daffodil planting. There are bulbs

shooting up all around the school – in fact the bulbs around the library look ready to flower! New bulbs planted along the ditch by the Rugby field are all doing well too. Let’s hope for a great display this spring.

The Eco Prefects have ordered the materials required to make the final version of their solar swimming pool heater and we now, thanks to Chris Jordan of Allotmore, have the technology to monitor their efficiency.

This has been an enjoyable and educational project for all involved and we hope to be able to supplement the heat in the pool next summer, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

The Arts and Craft garden has received welcome attention, thanks to Mrs Canton and her helpers who have tidied and pruned the garden, and planted some winter colour to cheer that corner up. The garden now looks great and it feels now like it has always been there!

The biggest current job ongoing in school is the creation of our community garden in front of the ‘old’ building. Months of preparation, involving local community groups including the Harbour and our very own on-site Tulips nursery, have formed a solid base for the project, which is co-ordinated and partly funded by Vitamin G – a Surrey Arts Partnership group – who are leading the way with eight community gardens across Surrey. Work is now underway on the garden and, every Tuesday evening, resident artist Ruth Wheeler and garden designer Anita Smith run after-school club for interested students. The outline of some of the garden has been worked and large tyres to make a series of raised planters for growing beans and other vegetables have been installed. Bug hotels have been designed and made and there is quite a buzz around the project.

This is an ambitious project which will completely transform the old front lawn into a garden with a variety of growing areas, wild areas and sensory areas. It is a great project for students with different skills and interests to become involved in. You might be interested in Art or Design or Gardening or Allotments. You might like making things or working outside. Do speak to Mr Ewing or drop in on a Tuesday after school at the Scuplt-It shed to find out more. We would like to thank the many parents who have donated, or offered to donate, roof tiles, bamboo canes, seeds and wellington boots to the project. We do appreciate all of

your help! Watch this space (and our Thursday letters from the Headteacher) for news of weekend work-parties to help shape the beds and start the planting of the project. It won’t be too long before we are enjoying some early spring sunshine and admiring all those daffodils planted by our Eco Prefects. Before you know it, next year’s Eco Prefects will be out there planting some more!


Eco Prefect News Reported by the Eco-Team

The start of a new academic year has been anything but relaxing for the Eco-Team at Rodborough.

First task has been trying to get on top of the weeds that grew on the Canadian garden last summer. In particular, the nettles! A couple of lunchtime work parties and a few stings have seen the back of them… for the time being at least! This is an area of the school that needs constant attention and thanks must go to Mrs Bullen, who has identified this garden as a great project for D of E volunteers! We would also like to thank Mrs Canton, who has kindly volunteered to help keep the Arts and Crafts garden tidy.

Our next job was to plant 75kg of daffodil bulbs. Each new Eco Team adds to the daffodil planting round the school. School looked great last spring, with good clumps growing along the Rake Lane driveway, in front of the Library and around the outside dining area. This year we have focused on the edge of the rugby field with a dense planting of bulbs to make a striking early spring show. We have spent quite a few lunchtimes hard at work on this project and even attempted to name every bulb as it was planted! We also decided to plant a few crocuses on the roundabout for some late winter colour.

Next came the solar powered swimming pool heater project – the solar snail. We are really pleased to have a complete test model up and running and … it really WORKS! We have been able to heat a 100 litre water tank an extra 10 degrees simply by pumping water through our snail for a day. The total heat gain was 14 degrees but we tested the tank without using the snail and the water got 4 degrees warmer through the day so we can attribute 10 degrees of heating to the snail itself. Plans are afoot for logging more data and some improvements to the design and we hope to have a working heating system running by next Easter.

The Senior Six have been busy too – their first task was to choose, order and install new benches for the bus shelter! These are great and make a difference to the wait for a bus or a lift for many students.

We have also been involved with the expansion of the Year 9 Grow project into a community garden plan for the front lawn. This will be a major project and will provide a real focus for that area of the school. Our pond is now filling with water and needs developing as a proper wildlife habitat and we need to undertake a major school environmental audit as part of our Green Flag programme!

So, any thoughts of the Eco Team hibernating for the next couple of months can be dispelled straight away!


Virgin Future Flyers and Expert Engineers Day Reporter Luca Fornasiero

Luca, Louis and Charlie responded to Virgin’s invitation to attend ‘Future Flyers Day’ at Gatwick in January. Luca takes up the story …

We arrived in the afternoon at a building called ‘The Base’ at Gatwick Airport owned by Virgin Atlantic, signed in and went straight off to a Raft Evacuation exercise, where cabin crew training personnel simulated an

emergency landing to show us what should happen in such a situation. We were then allowed into one of the rafts where we were shown how to raise the canopy and use the equipment supplied for survival on water.

Following the evacuation, we listened to a short talk from an instructor about his journey to become a pilot. Later we talked with a very interesting man from one of the flight schools, who turned out to be a pilot for the new “Dreamliner” 787 aircraft. We were introduced to the man in charge of all Virgin’s pilots and we were able to find out about career choices in the aviation industry and how to accomplish them.

We were waiting in a short queue to speak to one of the careers advisors when the pilot we had met earlier offered us exclusive access to a model cockpit; it is used for cabin crew training for situations where, for example, a pilot who is unable to continue flying needs help to be removed!

We were then led across the hall to see part of a 747 jumbo, used to film a scene from the James Bond movie ‘Casino Royale’. After settling in for a while, enjoying the first class seats and bar service, we thought we should start heading home. On our way out, however, we got talking to some Air Cadets and a Military Pilot doing aptitude tests, who offered to show us what we need to do to become a pilot! Overall, I really enjoyed the afternoon, which has made me even more determined to pursue my career as a pilot. Hopefully one day I could be flying the planes of the future!

February Word Search

Fifteen words from this edition of Chronicles are hidden in this grid. How many can YOU find? Show Mrs Howick (upstairs in Languages block). House Points for the best replies.


Year 9 Skills Fair

Year 9s spent the morning of Friday 6 February browsing the many stalls at the Surrey Skills Fair, an event hosted by Surrey University to showcase a variety of careers and courses to help students make good option choices. . .

“My favourite part was learning about the

engineering at Virgin Media”

“I loved learning new skills and going around and asking questions about different

college courses.”

“I really enjoyed the Drawing Challenge and the Art Stand and taking part in the

Karaoke!”

“My favourite part was the Science Demonstration where they put a flower

into liquid nitrogen making it as brittle as

glass. It was amazing!”

“I loved finding out about careers I’ve never even considered before, for example, the Navy. I also really enjoyed making the

corsage on the Floristry Stall.”

“I loved being able to try so many activities and discover that I have so many different

options for my future.”


LRC News

It has been a very busy half term in the LRC. Renovations are continuing and, following two days of closure to allow for additional new shelving to be installed, all the books are finally out of the boxes.

This means that, at last, students now have the full selection of books to choose from! We are still raising funds towards this important renovation – please do get in touch if you would like to help us and for us to display your name (or company name) on our sponsors’ board.

Renovations aside, the students have been making the most of their newly decorated facility. Break times and Lunch times are busy with students getting on with

their homework or snuggling up with a good book. The LRC is now the venue for

some Reading Lessons. Participation in the STAR reader scheme for Year 7 & 8 students is actively encouraged and most are making excellent progress. Some of our students have written about their experiences:

TWO Million Words

ONE Million Words

Vicky Sachs 7EVA Josh Jones 7KSA

Jenny O’Mara 8SKH Molly Kenyon 8RPE

Bethany Monday 7NRE Hannah Spicer 7LEV Chiara Bacci 7LEV

Maria Harwood 7SHO Calum Clark 8RPE Alex Turner 8SKH

Molly Kenyon 8RPE Stella Richardson 8SKE

Adam Curry 8SRI Eleanor Robinson 8SKE

Holly Parker 8LSM

Literacy Lessons in the LRC Every Tuesday my literacy group (7M) have our lesson in the LRC. We do reading, learning about grammar and doing Star Reader quizzes. Since having Mrs Armstrong-Harris doing a reading lesson with us every week we have gone from the bottom of the league table to the top and have stayed there ever since! This week I won the competition for Star Reader where everybody in Year 7 who achieves 100% in a book quiz goes into a raffle for a box of chocolates; in assembly somebody is picked out and this week it was me! Anon 7M


Reading Buddies Twice a week Year 10 students meet up with their dedicated Year 8 Reading Buddy. We help by:

picking out suitable books together explaining unusual words

being someone who they can talk to

being a relatable friend of a similar age

being a good listener who will help to improve their confidence reading out loud.

In the first session we got to know each other and discussed similarities we had as students at Rodborough, such as hobbies, favourite books and films. In a typical session we go over what has happened in the book the previous week, then in a quiet environment we will carry on reading the chosen book.

We hope to help build our Year 8 reading buddies’ confidence throughout their Reading Buddy experience.

Annalise Jay and Pippa Schulp

On 27th of January, we both heard our names being called out for reading 1,000,000 words! At lunch that day, we had to go to the library and collect our certificates and our free book. The book that we both got was called “Girl, Missing” by Sophie McKenzie. We haven’t read it before and we are excited to start. Holly Parker and Eleanor Robinson

Book Discussion Group In Book Group we are trying to decide what activities we are going to do. We are trying to encourage young people to read more through fun activities. Reading can improve your vocabulary and English. It can give you better levels in other subjects too. We have already arranged a range of activities which we think will liven up reading. Book Group is held about once a month and advertised on the big screens. You are very welcome to join us. Sophie Stagg


Hour of Code Reporter Mr Toombs

Rodborough students joined tens of millions of students in more than 180 countries by taking part in the ‘Hour of Code’.

This massive event boasts more than 77,500 registered events and is designed to get people of all ages involved in writing Computer Code.

All students spent an ICT lesson involved in the project and ICT rooms were opened at lunch times for those who wanted to spend extra time working through the coding examples.

The online tutorials are very easy to work through as you build your levels of logic and understanding of syntax.

Senior Six Update

Just a quick update from the Senior Six and School Council . . . We are trying to get a digital clock for the sports hall. This is proving difficult, however, due to the fact it must be strong and robust. They are also fairly expensive. There will also be a House Competition to design a clock to go on the chimney by the Design & Technology block. More details will follow next term through the House Captains. At the next School Council Meeting we will discuss the new ATL system so we can get some student feedback for the staff.

Ben Arnold

There was also opportunity for some of our students to take

part in a workshop at Surrey University.

“I found the programming really

addictive and enjoyed getting better

and better!” “I really enjoyed programming

Angry Birds!”


RS Factor 2015 Reporter Ms Moyler

Each year this competition just gets better and better!

Since the very first RS Factor seven years ago, I become quite apprehensive as audition time approaches; will there be enough entrants? Does the school have lots of new brave singers in Year 7?

Thankfully, I have been taken aback each year by the number and quality of applications and by the amazing support provided by parents, friends and pupils!

In the beginning we had had categories for groups and for solo singers but more recently this has been changed to Lower and Upper School categories, with winners for each. The process begins in the late Autumn Term when hopeful contestants complete their entry forms and, just before Christmas, take part in a formal audition to decide the semi-finalists. The successful semi-finalists then have about five weeks to prepare part of a song, accompanied either by a band, a backing track, or even a solo instrument. A few brave souls have chosen to sing unaccompanied in the semi-final to a paying audience and a panel of three judges.

Two of our judges have been involved since the start, Miss Spencer and Mrs Lashmar and we are very grateful for their wit, humour and knowledge of popular music. We welcomed this year a new judge, Mr Toombs, who was fantastic and kept those female judges on their toes! After each act has performed, they receive a valuable critique from the judges and a great reaction from the audience. At the end of the evening the judges retreat to make their decision and have the very difficult task of selecting only half the acts to go through to the final.

We always hold the final two weeks after the semis and our finalists each perform a full song. The big difference for the audience at the final is that they vote for their favourite act. Tickets double as voting slips, allowing voting for each category. The votes are collected at the start of the interval and, whilst the audience buy refreshments, the votes are counted. At the end of the interval the results are announced and all the acts are praised for giving us an excellent evening’s entertainment.

By the end of the evening I am rather sad that another competition has passed and I miss my lunchtimes being full of rehearsing pupils and tickets sales. However, Mrs Yeadon and I take great pleasure in ordering all our new equipment which we are able to buy from the proceeds of this competition. Thank you for your support and see you next year!

2015’s talented Finalists were: Lower School Upper School

Maisie Rowan Unbreakable Joe Kleeman Cassie Ebel Zoe Owlett Little Divas Caroline Miller

Andrew Hurley Bass Jumper Georgina Smith Newby Experience Lottie & Immy Kristina Bodman-Smith


RS Factor finals Reporter Mrs Ward

The RS Factor finals took place in front of a packed hall of appreciative pupils, parents and staff, who enjoyed a very entertaining evening. Many congratulations to all our finalists; there was some considerable talent on show.

The winners were: Immy and Lottie in the Upper School section (Imogen Bland, 11CGI and Charlotte White-Smith, 11CGI) performing Ed Sheeran’s “A Team” (piano and vocals) and winning points for Wells House; and Cassie Ebel, 7SHO, in the Lower School section, performing “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz (vocals and guitar) and also winning points for Wells House.

Well done, too, to our amusing comperes Milo Wilson, 10JWI (Webb House) and George Macland, 10MSH (Owen House) and our panel of judges, Mrs Lashmar, Miss Spencer and Mr Toombs. Finally, thanks to Ms Moyler, ably supported by Mrs Yeadon and Mrs Bearman and several other staff, for putting on the show. Thank you to Freddie Horton (10MSH) (Owen House) for acting as official photographer for both evenings.

Veterinary Mural at University of Surrey

Moli, Sophie, Ruth, Patrick and Jacob, from Year 9, have been working in conjunction with BAM Construction on mural panels to protect the construction site for Surrey University’s new veterinary wing.

The murals all feature designs inspired by the animal kingdom and should be completed by half-term.

Grade V Piano

Congratulations to Will Bodman-Smith for passing his Grade 5 Piano exam.


House Chess Competition

As we go to print the House Chess Competition is nearing its final stages. The 10 minute matches have stretched players to their limits, with many a hasty move being regretted! Here’s a little taste of the pressure from three of our players:

Chess is a popular game but we are short of sets! We have quite a few wooden boards but only two sets of men! If you have a set that you would like to donate please contact Mrs Armstrong-Harris.

!!!STOP PRESS!!! Tuesday’s finals were closely fought with time pressure forcing errors! The victors were Jordan Walsh (Upper School) and Vicky Sachs (Lower School). Jordan and Vicky plan to have a play-off for overall champion. Commiserations must go to the worthy semi-finalists Freddie Horton (Upper School) and Nick Brine (Lower School).

I have just played an amazing game which made my brain work so hard! I had to think in the present and in the future. You need to make your opponent think that they will win and

believe he will beat you. Ben

I am very frustrated at how Ben took my Queen in the very last second! I was winning up to that point but luck wasn’t on my side today. I lost by one single point!

William

This Chess Tournament has been great fun and I have really enjoyed playing the different opponents. I played a check-mate in my last game and hope that my luck will

continue! Hugh


Kiln Equestrian Horse-Riding Sessions

For the last few weeks, a small group of eager Rodborough students have been horse-riding at the Kiln Equestrian Centre, Farnham, each Wednesday after school.

There were a variety of different skill levels between us – ranging from complete beginners to near experts, seeking to extend their riding skills to the maximum.

The first time we went to the stables, we were greeted by friendly staff and were all surprised at the size of KEC’s new Olympic sized indoor arena, where we would be taught for the next 6 weeks. We were soon introduced to the many horses and ponies; they were all different sizes and colours, ranging from 16 hand horses to tiny Shetland ponies. The smallest were Nicki and Magic and the biggest was Guinness.

By the third lesson some of us cantered, a few of us without stirrups! As well as the riding we are also learning Stable Management. We had a great time and learnt important welfare information including the 10 rules of feeding and watering horses. Everyone managed a trot without being led and we even helped to put the horses in their stables. We all loved every minute of it!

A very big thank you to Miss Strange and Mrs Doyle for giving up their evenings for us!

v

‘I learnt a lot of new interesting facts.’

‘I learnt how to effectively use my seat to help give aids to the horse.’

‘It was great fun; I’ve learned lots and made new friends.’

‘It was AMAZING!’


Year 7 Rugby

Our Year 7 Rugby Team have made an impressive start to the County Cup.

Drawn against St Richard Reynolds Catholic College from Twickenham in their first round, the team fought hard in a very competitive match and eventually ended as winners 15:5. This was a particularly good result against a school that fields three teams in this age group.

The second round saw us playing St John the Baptist School from Woking on a freezing Friday afternoon. Another impressive performance from the whole squad resulted in a comfortable 30 -0 win.

We now wait for the quarter final draw to be played in early February. Good luck Year 7!

European Gymnastics Reporter Mrs Howick Do you aspire to play a sport at top level? Do you know

what is involved? Have you got what it takes?

We have a number of talented sports persons here at Rodborough and have featured articles about their training and successes. This term I have chatted with Issi Cashmore from 7CMI to learn more about her sport, Gymnastics.

Issi is a member of the Rushmore Girls Gymnastics Team, where she trains for six days each week with other gymnasts aged between 9 and 14. Most of Issi’s training sessions are after school or at weekends but she also misses school each Tuesday afternoon for specialist training.

Gymnastics can be a dangerous sport. Issi has suffered a couple of nasty injuries including, last summer, a break to the growth plate in her elbow. Despite the severity of the break, Issi recovered sufficiently to compete with her fellow team members in a European competition in Luxembourg before Christmas.

Issi competes in 4 disciplines: floor, vault, uneven bars and the beam. Different disciplines have been favourites at different times – she was especially pleased with her successful floor routine in Luxembourg that placed her 5th for the individual discipline out of the 100 competitors. A nasty fall from the beam moved her individual beam placing from 4th down to 12th and her very creditable personal end of competition placing of 12th helped Rushmoor Team to their score of 5th out of the 20 International teams.

Congratulations Issi and good luck for a successful and injury free 2015 season, which starts this month!

What are you involved with out of school? Recent articles have updated us on the progress of our judo, hockey and equestrian stars. Are you an avid ice-hockey player or club swimmer? We’d love to hear about your successes, whatever your sport!


Sports Hall Success for Year 7

Our Year 7s Sports Hall Athletics team competed at Broadwater on 23 January. The diverse events included sprint relay races, long distance races, chest push and triple jumping, to name just a few. All our competitors gave their best and we knew that scores would be very close with the winning team qualifying for the County Finals in March. As the final events drew to a close everyone waited with bated breath for the final scores to be announced.

Cheers of joy greeted the news that team Rodborough were through to the finals, having beaten closest rival Broadwater by 20 points!

Team members: Lauren Barnett, Ben Blamey, Tom Blamey, Lily Dalton, Henry Downes, Leon Dyer, Cassie Ebel Reece Ferris, Blake Hammond, Katie Holloway, Poppy Lewis-Brown, Maisie Page,

Rebecca Price, Luca Ross, Olly Sheppard, Grace Sleap.

Well done everyone and good luck in the County Finals.

rodborough chronicles february 2015

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