Southern School Book Awards - Report by Maria (Yr 11)

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Southern Schools' Book Awards at Hurst College, along with other reading reps, Megan, Agatha, Nicole, Rida, Martha, and Galya.

I was particularly excited, as my favourite author, Patrice Lawrence, was there as a nominee for Eight Pieces of Silva, which I absolutely loved. All five authors and the one illustrator who were shortlisted for the SSBA book of 2021 were there. Everyone had a chance to make a short speech, and then each represented school was invited to ask one author a question. I asked Patrice Lawrence if she had experienced any negativity, having chosen a black, gay girl as her main character, and what she want the reader to take away from this choice.

The whole evening was ‘animated’ by the famous illustrator and writer, Chris Riddell. He literally drew a live commentary of the evening, which was projected onto the stage… it was very entertaining!

I am sorry to say that my favourite book did not scoop the prize, but I was delighted to meet Patrice Lawrence and have a great conversation with her. The big winner on the night was ‘Lock the Doors’ by Vincent Ralph, which was well-deserved, and is also a brilliant read. The highly commended prize went to Kevin Wignall for ‘When we were lost’.

A great night was had by all and I really hope to get the opportunity to attend this event again next year. 

Classical Reading Competition 2022

This year’s Classical Reading Competition saw girls from across the School try their hand at performing a whole host of excerpts from original Latin texts: from humorous stories on life in Roman Britain, to the story of Scylla and Charybdis from the Odyssey, to an emotional farewell from the ghost of Aeneas’ wife Creusa, from Virgil’s Aeneid. The Classics Department were hugely impressed by the theatricality and creative imagination of many of the entries (some groups had even put careful thought into the choreography of their performances!), and performers ensured that the audience were kept thoroughly entertained throughout the evening. The technical aspect of the readings was of an equally high standard, and it was clear that all entrants had practised their readings rigorously to perfect the fluency and accuracy of their delivery. Everyone who entered made a fantastic contribution to the evening, with several girls receiving prizes or Highly Commended recognition. 

Intermediate Maths Challenge

Congratulations to all those who took part in this year's Intermediate Maths Challenge. Altogether, 160 Roedean students participated, and achieved 22 Gold, 29 Silver and 47 Bronze awards. Well done – these are amazing results!

Romance and Tragedy - a fusion of Art, Music, Drama and Dance

Roedean produced a stunningly innovative concert across a number of different venues in Roedean, combining music, scenes from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and a ballerina dancing to Tchaikovsky.

‘Romance and Tragedy' was a Fusion of Art, Music, Drama and Dance telling the classic tale of Romeo & Juliet and performed in the totally transformed spaces of the Library, the Cloisters and the Chapel at Roedean, with the audience moving interactively amongst the performances.  It was an imaginative and fresh take on the visual and performing arts which took its audience on a literal journey and showcased the incredibly high standards of all four disciplines here at Roedean.

British Science Week at Roedean

Roedean celebrated British Science Week with a range of activities under the theme of 'Growth.' Students gathered in the fireplace for some 'Fireplace Science' each breaktime, where they have been encouraged by either the Chemistry, Biology or Physics departments to complete a mini challenge, ranging from personality tests, to growing a polymer model. Activity slots included the opportunity to grow their skillset in looking at scientific research journals at the Top University Programme, growing crystal gardens in the Chemistry Department, learning how to drive our F24 electric car on the Netball courts, Lego Robotics and observing the sun using a special projector in Astronomy club. It has been great to see so many of our students getting involved in lots of different Science activities, and a special thanks to the Year 12 STEM Ambassadors who have been fantastic!

Art Scholars’ Workshop

We were excited to welcome the well-known local artist, Michelle Dufaur, to the Art Department this month. Working with the Key Stage 3 Art Scholars, Michelle demonstrated construction techniques using withy and paper, and guided the girls to make their own owl sculptures. We are hoping that the pieces will be sited in the Woodland Art Trail, and that the scholars will go on to lead other workshops for their peers. What they produced in such a short space of time was so impressive – well done to everyone involved!

Spring Lambs on Roedean Farm

We are delighted to announce the arrival of five lambs on the Farm this week. Our ewes gave birth to pure South Down lambs – three are white, one is black, and one grey. The Farm Prefects have named them Goose, Stanley, Teddy, Boo, and Tony! All are feeding well, and have been released into the field, where you can see them gambolling without a care in the world. They are healthy, gaining weight fast, and they are excellent examples of their breed. Who knows, they might be having their own lambs in 2 years’ time!

Isabella and Pearl are ENG Netball U16 Southern Finals Champions

Huge congratulations to Isabella (Yr11) and Pearl (Yr10), for their outstanding performances to help their team win the Southern finals, and therefore crowned Southern Champions in the ENG competition. Their hard work, dedication and commitment to Netball has paid off and they are competing with the top clubs in the country. We are so proud of them and cannot wait for them to compete at Nationals in May!

News from the Houses

House 1 support Ukrainian Refugees

The House 1 girls were given very little notice about a mini-bus heading to Ukraine with donations on a Saturday morning in March. There was no hesitation they went straight down to Asda on the Friday evening and filled their trollies with lots of essential items and goodies. We were so very proud of the prompt, quick and generous donations that House 1 managed to send.

House 2 have had a very busy term

The girls of House 2 have been kept busy this term with a wide array of evening activites. Carousel painting and the Easter egg hunt proved very popular. Together Tuesdays - tech free well-being with a focus on spending time together as a House has also taken off this term.

Easter Preparations in House 3

It's not Easter without hot cross buns, and so House 3 have been preparing themselves by gathering lots of different flavours and taste testing them. The Marks and Spencer's Golden Blond Chocolate and Salted Caramel were deemed the winners, and the girls greatly enjoyed the process of testing them all!

World Book Day in House 4

The House 4 girls loved all the World Book Day activities! Homemade cupcakes with their favourite book titles written on top and a world book day quiz, led by our House Captains, have been some of their favourites!

Keswick students prepare for the final months at Roedean

Keswick has been a hubbub of activity as the students have prepared for and taken assessments, created beautiful artwork for the Art Exhibition, boldly put themselves forward for prefect roles, and navigated the many UCAS responses that have trickled in over the course of the term. Despite the busy term, the boarders are always exceptional in creating their own fun and enjoyment in house and each weekend, students have enjoyed trips, baking, film watching, mochi and much much more!

Love is all around us…especially in Lawrence!

In the week before half term, Lawrence House learnt a little more of the true meaning of love by researching and finding out about the original Saint Valentine. It was a surprise to learn that there was more than one Saint Valentine, and also that he is the patron saint of beekeepers too! Lawrence boarders got to write their own Haiku, and think about the things they cherish most, and a display of Victorian Valentine cards, and cards of days gone by also kept the girls entertained.