Sacred Heart School – Summer Term 2015

We have received a letter from the Co-founder of ‘Poetry by Heart,’ Sir Andrew Motion. He writes: ‘Your

student, Niamh Hodges, achieved her own outstanding success by winning the Norfolk County Contest and

competing in an extremely strong field in the East regional semi-final at Homerton College in Cambridge.

She qualified among the last 8 students for the Grand Final which was an amazing achievement.

We have received letters of thanks from British Heart Foundation for the £110 and Swaffham & District

Mental Health Association Ltd for the £200 donated by the collection in school. The ‘Easter Egg Hunt’ raised

£300 for ‘The Freya Barlow Trust. £500 was presented to Nigel Chambers of Swaffham Rotary and this will

be passed on to Mark Little who works directly with ‘Rotarians Against Child Slavery.’ Non Uniform Day

collected £85.10 for ‘Aid for the Church in Need.’

Thank you for your generosity.

The tennis club at the Sacred Heart on a Monday evening is really thriving with over 24

children taking

part across two

sessions. The first

session is for the

Lower School

children followed

by another

coaching

programme for the

Senior School.

These sessions are

run by LTA

coaches Ashley

Swift and Jeremy

Hodges, who have

been very

impressed with the

progress made by

everyone. After a

winter indoors, it

is great to get

outside in the

sunshine and play across all 3 courts. The picture shows the lower school participants on their first day back.

The facilities at the school mean that we can coach all year round, no matter what the weather, and the

children can really develop their skills.

Madeleine McPartlin with her photo entry at the East

Anglia Game and Country Fair.

The Latin American Dance Competition - Mrs McDermott, and more than 20 pupils and

many parents gathered at the Assembly Rooms in Norwich to be part of a prestigious Dance Competition.

Easter Egg Fun

Sincere thanks to everyone for their support of the slightly belated

Easter egg hunt. The pupils seemed to enjoy receiving their eggs and

the school and Our Lady of Pity Church congregation together

collected a fabulous £300 for the Freya Barlow Trust. The money

donated is for young people suffering from terminal cancer and given

to them so that their last wishes may be fulfilled. Thank you to

everyone for supporting this event and Waitrose and Tesco the

chocolate treats.

Year 4 Learning Angles

Year 10 at Holt Hall

Latest election news - Pupils go to the polls!

The polls opened for staff and pupils to cast their votes. Before the vote we discussed the importance of

voting and we heard from Mrs Laban about the Australian voting system, which interestingly fines people

who do not vote. There was a very high turn-out and a queue at one point in the polling station. Ballot papers

have now been counted and the results will be announced in Monday's assembly.

Thank you to all the voters for their enthusiasm, the polling officers;

Samantha Brain, Anna Bryder, Alice Christian, Ayesha Cundy, Cayman Evans, Mermaid Sandelson, Kitty

Yazdian-Tehrani and to Mrs Leader for her knowledge of the law and making the polling station look very

professional. Mrs Wilson

Year 8 Dandelion Root Coffee Project

First, we washed the dandelion roots and then we cut

them up into small pieces so they could be roasted. We

spread them out evenly on a baking tray and roasted

them under the grill. Once they were roasted we took a

pestle and mortar and grinded them down to a fine

powder. After we used the pestle and mortar we boiled

a kettle and poured the boiled water over the fine

powder and left it to brew. Then we drank and enjoyed

the coffee!!!!

We are delighted that Imogen Leeder had a wonderful and successful day at the Norfolk Ladies’ Golf

Championships. She was one of the top 38 players in the county and she was runner up in the competition,

winning £25 of John Lewis vouchers! Congratulations Imogen

Greetings from Mrs Vanessa Burton in Ngorongoro!

I've been meaning to get this bag photographed in

cool places. I do hope all is well with you guys.

We miss you all - SHS is very unique! (But you

knew that anyway.) Lots of love from Mrs

Burton

Mrs Cundy delivered an assembly about Nepal During their PSHE lessons Years 3/4 often discuss current affairs and the disaster in Nepal has become a major topic.

Elanda’s mother has lived in Nepal and offered to speak to the pupils about the country and the people’s way of life.

Elanda devised an interesting power point presentation and after visiting the Senior Assembly, Elanda, dressed in

Nepalese costume and Mrs Cundy, spoke to the Lower School pupils and answered their questions. Years 3 / 4 have

decided that they would like to do something to help kick-start this fund raising. Elanda has devised a quiz

based on Nepalese food. They have many more fundraising ideas. Mrs Laban has contributed tomato plants

and asparagus which are on sale in the cloisters.

LEPRA Assembly Every 2 years someone visits us from the LEPRA Charity to raise money to provide medication to cure

Leprosy at a cost of £25 per child. It has been difficult this year to collect for this really worthwhile charity as

pupils are also collecting for the Nepal victims. Nevertheless several children chose to put their savings

towards LEPRA and £260 was raised. Anton, Y6 undertook a walk around a lake and earned £120 in

sponsorship money. Congratulations that was a great effort.

Race for Life.

Many thanks to everyone who sponsored us for Cancer Research

UK's Race for Life 10 km event at the Norfolk Showground last

Saturday!

Mrs Ahrenfelt & Mrs Pickard

Years 5 and 6 trip to Oxburgh Hall - We are studying The Tudors in History and visited

Oxburgh Hall to take part in three workshops. I have to commend the pupils for their exceptional behaviour

under difficult circumstances. They were a credit to the school and the staff were proud to be with them!

There was no moaning and groaning in spite of torrential rain, a biting wind and an afternoon spent in an

open-sided tent! Well done Years 5 and 6! Miss Gooderson

Oxburgh hall is a Tudor house and it has a moat so looks

like a castle. Year 6 were all excited to see where George’s

Grandma, Lady Bedingfeld, lives. The grounds of the house

were massive and they even had their own symbol (a

falcon) on the grass, made out of flowers and gravel.

After lunch we made letter and document seals that were

made out of clay. We had to roll out the clay (“Not that

thin!”) and stamp a picture in it before cutting it out. Did

you know that most of the Tudor paper was made out of

stretched animal skin?

Miya Cundy

Francais dans les bois (French in the Woods)

Preparation for the French trip is well under way. Year 5 & 6 made educational videos for their upcoming

visit to French penpals.

Year 6 Learning the French Alphabet

L'Alphabet français! - Song and rhythm can be invaluable

tools in language learning. Familiar tunes and rhythms can

be re-purposed to aid the memorisation of key structures

and vocabulary, embed grammatical knowledge and

improve pronunciation and speed of spoken language

production. This week, Year 6 have been learning the

French alphabet and practised pronunciation by marching

around school, reciting the alphabet to an army-style chant.

By the end of the session, every student's pronunciation for

each letter was perfect! Bravo! Mrs Ahrenfelt

The UEA Cross made for the Sacred Heart School in our Pottery Room.

Through Deacon Andrew and Anna the Sisters have an active

association with the Catholic Chaplaincy at UEA. Many of the students

are from overseas and just like to be in a family environment at the

weekends. Sr Linda and Anna arrange sleepovers from time to time and

we lay on activities for them. On one occasion Mrs Heale prepared clay

for them and they spent an afternoon creating tiles with religious

symbols on them for the crosses, besides making lots of other things

for themselves out of their slab of clay. It was a carefree but productive

session. Mick made an excellent job of finishing the crosses.

Child Slavery Assembly

As a follow- up from our fund raising for Nepal, on Wednesday Years 3 - 11 were present at a talk given by

Mr Mark Little, a Rotarian who has done a great deal of work to fight against child slavery. He has spent

time in Nepal and talked of the two houses there which are used to support traumatised children. They have

both suffered damage in the quake. He gave moving accounts of some of the children he has come across.

Harry McKnight summed it up by saying "Miss Gooderson, perhaps it's wrong, I know the earthquake was

bad but I think that child slavery is worse. The earthquake was a natural disaster but child slavery is

committed by wicked people. I think that child slavery should be banned in all countries. I also think that

India and Nepal should have more policemen to catch wicked people." Miss Gooderson

Speech & Drama Evening

Everyone did really well with their poems, songs and acting pieces which the audience really enjoyed. At the

end we collected some money for Nepal and we raised £111.30 bringing our total to £231.30. Thank you for

donations and thank you Miss & Mrs Pickering for an enjoyable evening. Lucy Brain & Jessica Gott Year 4

Independent Schools Association Athletics

A big well done to all the competitors that competed in the ISA

Athletics meets last week. Both the Senior and Junior teams had

a fantastic day competing against lots of other schools.

Everyone competed to a very high standard and we even had

several medal winners:

Sophia Free achieved a Gold in high jump, Ellie Hodgson

achieved a silver in long jump, Aeyesha Cundy achieved a

bronze in shot put, Madie Hitchcock received a bronze in

hurdles, Harriet Horton received a Gold in high jump and a

bronze in hurdles and in the junior category Freya Cushing

achieved a Bronze in shot put.

Thanks go to all the members of staff who used their own time

to attend the events and support our pupils. Miss Wilson

The Naming and Blessing of the Train

Seven C’s Community Project forms part of the Matthew Project Charity based in Norwich. They work with

those who are in drug and alcohol recovery as well as the long term unemployed, helping to rebuild

confidence, integrate back into society, learn new skills and become more work ready. They have various

workshops and Lorie-Lain Rogers, designed and built the train for Sacred Heart School’s playground. “We

all enjoyed building the train and it’s great to think it will provide loads of fun and enjoyment for many

children over the years to come.’

Sister Francis, asked the Lower School Council to decide a name for the train. The children held an election

and “Paddington” was the clear winner. Victoria Richardson Year 2 school council representative announced

the winner of the election. Father Gordon blessed the train; he confessed he had never had to bless a train

before! Much to the delight of the Lower School children, Paddington was blessed with holy water and

prayers were said.

The feast of the Sacred Heart was celebrated in great style

Mass was held with 4 priests, the whole school and many visitors present. It was a very special day for our

school and for Sr Linda who celebrated 25 years as a religious Sister. We congratulate her and the children

thanked her for their ice-creams and crisps.

Years 3 & 4 visit West Stow

On 15th June we went to West Stow. First we went to see the museum. We all got a mystery card. We had to

find what was on our mystery card whilst we were looking round. My mystery card was a lyre. A lyre is a

musical instrument from the Anglo-Saxon times. It is a bit like a guitar. You place it like a cello. It sounds

like a guitar. There were riddles on the glass cabinets that held artefacts. You had to guess which artefact the

riddle was describing. There was a spear and a shield with a very sharp boss. There were garden utensils

including a rake and a shovel. My favourite section in the museum was the clothes section. There was a box

with clothes in. We were allowed to dress up in them. My favourite was a yellow dress. There were woollen

socks and a woollen hat. After that we all gathered round a man called Joe. He said that I could hold the lyre.

Grace Cushing Year 4.

On the 15th June we went to a place called West Stow where the Anglo Saxons lived. They lived over 1500

years ago! Our guide called Joe, helped us to learn about the Anglo Saxons. Joe said that the Anglo Saxons

liked playing music. They had an instrument called a lyre. Grace got to hold the lyre. It looked like a guitar.

There were two ways of playing it; picking the strings or strumming it. We looked at the Anglo Saxon

village. They had a sunken house, farmer’s house, blacksmith, weavers hut and the hall. At the hall people

played games, did storytelling and dancing. They would do puppet shows and have big feasts too. Tara

Nathan Year 3

To light a fire they did not use fire-lighters and matches like we use nowadays. They used iron made into the

shape of a snake and a piece of steel and rubbed it together and it made sparks, but a spark could not do

anything so they got a piece of cloth and held the cloth close to the spark hoping it would ignite it. Then

throw it onto the fire pit to make fire. Harry McKnight Year 4

Charlie Spurling gained a kickboxing blue

belt

The Garden Fete was a wonderful day with many people supporting our stalls and having

fun. The PTA staff and pupils worked hard to make this a successful event complete with a variety of

attractions including a Sabre Reconnaissance Light Tank, a travelling organ from Thursford and chickens.

Opened by a charming student, the Countess Julia of Lippstadt sporting a magnificent three tier hat.

Thank you for your support and generosity. The grand total raised was £1550.

The face painting stall proved to be very popular as the photograph

of Phoebe Cushing confirms

Careers Day

The school hosted this year’s Careers Fair on 19th June. We were visited by several parents including Mr

Hitchcock, Mr Leader, Mr Lloyd and Hannah and Jeremy Hodges who spoke about engineering, being a

barrister, agricultural work, 6th Form life and sports coaching as well as guests from UEA, College of West

Anglia and the police force. Special thanks to RAF Marham for sending someone at very short notice. We

appreciate the time and enthusiasm of the parents and speakers who attended. We are always grateful to

parents who wish to share their vocation with us or who have a passion for something. Mark Dowsing won a

£10 voucher for answering the most quiz questions from the gentleman from COWA.

Members of Years 7, 8 and 9 made Chemical Gardens. When metal chlorides

react with sodium silicate solution, insoluble metal silicate membranes form which grow to look like

underwater plants. Transition metals have coloured compounds so we used cobalt chloride to make dark blue

‘plants’; copper chloride to form blue-green ones and iron chloride to form brown growths. Calcium is an

alkaline earth metal, not a transition metal and calcium chloride gave us white ‘plants’. We noted the

different appearances of our plants, cobalt silicate gave fine branched structures, the iron silicate a robust

gnarled appearance, whilst the copper silicate produced some floating orbs. A good time was had by all and

we thank Mollie Ogden for working with us.

Mrs Verne

Year 10 Retreat

On Thursday 25th June, Year 10 went on a retreat day to Walsingham and Wells along with our form tutors

and Sister Francis. The day started off with a lovely Mass at a beautiful, environmentally friendly, church

called the Church of the Annunciation, which is built so that it actually gives electricity back to the grid. It

was a perfect Mass for us because it just happened to be about the Sacred Heart. After the Mass, we went to a

little room upstairs to do some activities, to reflect, learn about ourselves and meditate. This was very

relaxing for all of us and it gave us a great chance to get to know ourselves and the other members of our

form better. We had a rather early lunch at 12 in the little garden outside the church. The weather was

beautiful and we all enjoyed the chance to chat.

On the way back to the minibus, we had a look in at the Orthodox Church, we learned a lot about the

similarities and differences in their Mass and the Catholic Mass.

After a short journey in the minibus, we arrived in Wells. We parked up and headed to the beach! The sea

was a welcome relief on such a hot day! After a little paddle, we walked back up the beach to the other side

of the woods.

Sister gave us all a little keepsake for the day. We each received a little green gem, to remind us to look after

the planet, and a small silver bead with either ‘smile’, ‘laugh’ or ‘peace’ written on it!

To top off the day, we walked down to the café and each had an ice cream! They were perfect in the heat! We

also managed to find a carnival cut-out stand, and we took turns in groups of five to have our pictures taken!

It was good fun! I think the staff picture was definitely the best!!

It was a brilliant day and I know it was enjoyed and valued by all and we’ll always remember it! Ellie Nash

Mrs Heale Cooking with Years 3 & 4

French Trip - Reflections from the French Trip. A week on from our return to the UK, pupils have

been reflecting on their experiences and favourite memories of our visit to France. Here are a few

comments- unfortunately we couldn’t include them all!

On the day we arrived, we went to Nausicaà, an impressive aquarium by the coast. We saw a variety of fish

and mammals ranging from menacing sharks, pompous penguins to mesmerizing jellyfish. Tuesday brought

on some nerves as we travelled to the school to meet our pen pals that we had corresponded with before the

trip. It took some time for Anais, my pen pal, to find me due to her lack of knowledge that I now had a fringe

and looked nothing like my photos. I was greeted like a long lost friend and was immediately pulled into a

hug and kisses on the cheek which none of us had expected! The trip brought many new experiences and I

have had many opportunities that will always bring back ‘souvenirs exceptionnels’. Imogen, Year 9

The trip to France was an amazing experience. It was very interesting to learn about France’s culture. My

favourite memory of the trip was going to the First World War English Cemetery. I found it overwhelming

how many graves were there and each of those soldiers would have had families and they would have been

affected by war. Madison, Year 9

The World War Cemetery was very interesting because we found out about the soldiers who could have been

related to us. We prayed for them and it made me think about how lucky we are. I have had the most

amazing experiences on this trip that I will never forget. Tara, Year 6

The best memory of the French trip was the awards evening. I had so much fun collecting my award and then

having a party afterwards. The French trip was great. I have got to know every person better and it is one of

the best trips I have been on.Elizabeth, Year 8

The chocolaterie was amazing. It made everybody very hungry when we were watching the melted

chocolate spin round. The man giving us a talk showed us a chocolate bunny and at the end, he dropped it

back into the melted chocolate! It was a fabulous trip and I would definitely like to go next time.

Olivia, Year 5

We are so pleased that the pupils have come away from the trip with so many memories, a newly-discovered

interest in another culture and a taster of ‘real life’ France! Miss Wilson has kindly put together a DVD of

videos and photos from the trip, which will be previewed with pupils next week. Everyone involved in the

trip will also be given a copy to take home.

Many thanks to parents for their kind emails and cards and a big thank you to Mrs Henden, Mr Howarth, Mrs

Laban and Miss Wilson for giving up their time and for helping to make the trip such a success. I’m looking

forward to our next visit to France in 2017! Mrs Ahrenfelt

Report from pupils not attending the French trip. We had of fun back at school when everyone else was in France! In Science lessons we experimented with

indicators but our favourite part was creating an underwater garden using different coloured metal

compounds. Mermaid

In Maths we learned about the ‘Fibonacci numbers’ and how they occur in nature and shapes. Shauna

In English we made leaflets about having a healthy lifestyle. Alice

In P.E. Miss Wookey helped us prepare for the swimming gala which was fun because the weather was good.

Shauna

In H.E. we were making afternoon tea things like: scones, cakes, brownies and cookies. Mermaid

Finally Pottery. In Pottery we made a ‘journey’ pot, inspired by Grayson Perry Alice

Overall we enjoyed spending time with Years 7 & 8 and exploring other subjects that we wouldn’t cover in

normal school life. Shauna.

We would like to thank all the teachers who made last week so enjoyable. Alice.

Years 7 & 8 were the guests of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-

Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Vice-President of the United Arab

Emirates. On Monday the 29th of June, Years 7 and 8

went on a school trip to visit the Darley Stud

in Newmarket. Darley Stud is owned by Sheik

Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum and is

where they breed racehorses with mares to

produce an excellent racehorse. The stud in

Newmarket stands 24 horses, who are retired

or used for breeding. Some of the retired

racehorses at Darley have won many races,

some in the Derby and some at Ascot! Two of

the studs standing at Darley are father and son

‘super sires,’ ‘Dawn Approach’ and ‘New

Approach.’ Darley also stands Dubawi,

already sire of an impressive number of

winners. Bethany Yousef Year 8

On Monday Year 7 & 8 visited a horse stud and it was so exciting to learn about the owners of the stud and

that they owned many more for retired horses. We met many stallions (male horses) e.g. ‘Dubawi’ who was

beautiful. I loved the mares too. We saw the foster mothers as well and I think it was very brave for the mares

to look after orphaned foals. We stroked the mares and foals too! I am not the ‘horsey-type’ or lover of big

animals but it was an amazing experience and privilege that I will never forget! Kitty Yazdian-Tehrani Year 8

Yoga Sessions with Years 7 – 10

Niamh Hodges, Head girl, organised a relaxing PSHEE session

with Mrs Means and read the following prayer:

Almighty God, We thank you for our lives, we give you praise for

your abundant mercy and grace we receive. We thank you for your

faithfulness even though we are not always so faithful to you. Lord

Jesus, we ask you to give us all around peace in our mind, body,

soul and spirit. We ask you to heal and remove everything that is

causing stress, grief and sorrow in our lives. Please guide our path

through life and make our enemies be at peace with us. Let your

peace reign in our family, in our school, at our place of work and

in everything we lay our hands on. Let your angels of peace go

ahead of us when we go out and stay by our side when we return. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Royal Norfolk Show

Tortoises, turkey chicks, corn snakes, and ferrets. Harvest mice, ducks and dogs, horses, cows and pigs. Oh,

and sheep!

Fire engine, the Nissan Leaf, BBC Radio Norfolk. Change for life, Lifeboats and Police horses.

Electricity, Howdens (thank you for the water!) Easton College, RSPB, Woodland Trust and RAF.

Tractors, racing cars, and Leicester Tigers. Oh, and Norwich Football Club.

Ice cream, unforgettable, OK, hot! Brilliant, best of Norfolk. We really love our County show! Year 5

Little Pedlars and Years 1 & 2 thoroughly enjoyed our trip to

Sheringham Park

On Wednesday July 1st Little Pedlars and Year 1 and

2 visited Sheringham Park. All the children enjoyed a

day of nature inspired activities which included

looking for “Spineless Wonders” (minibeasts), pond

dipping and wild art. The weather was perfect and all

the pupils should be congratulated on their excellent

behaviour! Mrs Riedlinger

I liked doing the pond dipping. Why I liked it was

because we all got to fish out pond animals.

Phoebe Cushing Year 1

I liked the minibeasts and we found a toad. We found

the toad under a log. Victoria Richardson Year 1

There we did three activities in one day. The first

activity was minibeast hunting. The second activity

was pond dipping and the last activity was wild art and we almost saw an adder! Harry Spurling Year 2

I went to Sheringham Park and did some wild art. I used lots of rocks and made three trees, a house and a

minion. Rebecca Whelan Year 2

Year 7 & 8’s Day to the Archaeological Dig at Sedgeford

On the 6th July, Years 7 & 8 went to an archaeological site in Sedgeford where we learnt how to find

fragments of bone and pottery. We also dissected some homemade human waste and looked to see what a

daily meal was for three eras of history and they were: Vikings, Tudors and Romans. We helped to clean the

fragments that the archaeologists had found the day before and in there were some teeth. When we went

excavating in the trench some of us found lots of interesting things like shells, pieces of pottery and even a

few bones, but some were not as lucky because Bethany and I found nothing at all. The retreat was very

enjoyable and the class thoroughly enjoyed being archaeologists for the time we were there.

Hannah Turner Year 7

The Jack and the Beanstalk

performance by the whole of the Lower School

was incredible. The pupils all sang sweetly and with

gusto, enthusiasm and total focus. Year 6 took the

leading roles and they did it with confidence. Freya

took the main part as the Mother with very little

notice. She was supported by Thomas as son Jack. He

could win an Oscar for his showmanship. All pupils

were well cast from the giant to the human growing

bean stalk. Mrs Pickard had worked mainly during

lesson time to produce one of the best performances

of the school’s life. Her imaginative flair and musical

creativity made the show like a Broadway production.

A thank you to all involved in a wonderful afternoon’s

entertainment.

Senior Sports Day

Sports Report - The last few weeks have been jam

packed with house sporting events. Well done to the

newly appointed house captains; Julian (Balmoral),

Kirstie (Buckingham), Sophia (Sandringham) and

Imogen (Windsor), who all stepped up to the challenge

and rallied their troops.

House Rounders:

4th Place- Sandringham (6 points and 16 rounder’s)

3rd Place- Windsor (6 points and 19 1/2 rounder’s)

2nd Place- Balmoral (11 points and 23 rounder’s)

1st Place- Buckingham (11 points and 24

rounder’s)

House Swimming Gala:

4th Place- Balmoral (55 points)

3rd Place- Sandringham (62 points)

2nd Place- Buckingham (63 points)

1st Place- Windsor (70 points)

House Sports Day:

4th Place- Windsor (69 points)

3rd Place- Sandringham (71 points)

2nd Place- Balmoral (74 points)

1st Place- Buckingham (76 points)

A big thank you goes to Ellie Hodgson our new School Games Captain for all her help towards the events

and introducing a staff relay and sack race! Miss Wilson