Newsletter, Monday 24th April 2023

Kindness, Trust, Respect, Honesty, Tolerance

Diary Dates

The Week Ahead

Year 11 English Revision

9:00am-12:30pm, Monday 3rd April

Looking Further Forward

Boarders’ Return

2:00pm-6:00pm Sunday 23rd April

Start of Term

8:30am, Monday 24th April

Year 12 Exams

Monday 24th – Saturday 29th April

(See final page for timetable)

Bronze Practice DofE Expedition

8:30am Saturday 13th May – 4:00pm

Sunday 14th May

Silver Practice DofE Expedition

8:30am Saturday 13th May – 4:30pm

Monday 15th May

Silver Assessed DofE Expedition

8:30am Saturday 10th June – 4:30pm

Monday 12th June, Ashdown Forest

Bronze Assessed DofE Expedition

8:30am Monday 26th June – 4:30pm

Tuesday 27th June, Sittingbourne

Cobham Hall News

Monday, 24th April |Week A

Round Square European Conference

Last Thursday saw dozens of students, from eight schools worldwide, travel to Cobham Hall to take part in our Round Square European Conference. Entitled “Let’s Talk Rubbish”, the conference focused on the Round Square IDEAL of Environmentalism.

Over a busy three days, students engaged in various talks, activities and workshops, including a beach clean in Whitstable on Saturday, where they learnt new ways to be more environmentally conscious

We had the pleasure of welcoming author and co-founder of MacRebu, The Plastic Road Company, Toby McCartney, who discussed the inspiration behind his idea for a company that uses products made from non-recyclable plastics to help solve the waste plastic epidemic, and to enhance the asphalt used to make road surfaces around the world.

We hope you have a lovely Easter break.

During the weekend, we also welcomed Ben Heason, professional climber, adventurer and coach, and artist Greg Stobbs, who conducted an exciting illustration workshop.

The conference was a huge success, and we would like to thank everyone who took part and helped to organise the event.

EPQ Celebration

On Monday, to celebrate the completion of their Extended Project Qualification, our Year 13 students had an opportunity to share their project findings with their peers. This was followed by tea and cakes in the Vestibule, where they had a chance to answer questions from other students while celebrating their achievements.

Rhiannon and Tyler both presented their findings: Tyler explained that she had researched “What are the Comparative Effects of Anorexia and Obesity on Cardiac Health?”. She collected data and spoke to various health professionals to assist with her study. Tyler outlined some of the key skills she developed, including “researching”, “time-management”, “report structuring” and “medical terminology”.

Rhiannon’s project was titled “How can a Transition Day Benefit Students’ Transition from Year 6 to Year 7?”. She used surveys to understand what children in this age range would find most beneficial and researched further into ways this could be achieved. Rhiannon described how this experience helped her to develop skills in “communication”, “organisation” and “writing”, which will assist her university application and enhance both her academic and practical skills.

The remainder of the class then took turns detailing what they had learnt while conducting their projects. It was fantastic to hear how beneficial the experience has been for our students in the skills they have developed, and how it will aid with their future endeavours. Congratulations to all for all the hard work in completing your projects.

Easter Egg Hunt

On Tuesday lunchtime, the Vestibule buzzed with excitement as the Student Leadership Team hosted their first event: an Easter egg hunt.

Undeterred by the rain, students had a wonderful time searching for hidden clues to exchange for chocolate eggs.

The activity was in such high demand, the SLT repeated it again the following day. Well done, SLT, we look forward to seeing what you organise next.

Long Service Awards

On Thursday, we hosted our Long Service Awards ceremony, celebrating the contribution of staff members who have provided 10 years or more of service at Cobham Hall.

Pictured with Mrs Barrett are: Mrs Carney, who has been with us for 14 Years; Mr Lane, who has worked at Cobham Hall for 17 years; Ms Hickmott, who has been here for 12 years; Mr Waters, who has been with us for an impressive 47 years; Mrs Gutiérrez, who celebrated her 10th year; Mr Killaly with 15 years ; Mrs Shaw, 25 years; Miss Williams, 12 years; Mrs Pinder, 20 years; and Mrs Wilkinson, 15 years.

Those who also received an award but were unable to attend the ceremony were Mrs West, 13 years; Mr Hosford, 13 years; Mr Hearn, 15 years; Mr Hunt, 10 years; Miss Broad, 12 years; Mrs Morrison, 13 years; Mrs Kandola, 15 years; Ms Styles, 16 years; Mr Best, 16 years; Ms Butler, 17 years; Mr Kearney, 22 years; and Mrs Flynn, 23 years.

It is lovely to honour those who have dedicated so much time to Cobham Hall. We cannot thank them enough for their hard work and commitment

Cobham Hall News

Monday, 24th April |Week A

Artist of the Week

The new artist of the week is Grace, Year 10, who is producing some outstanding artwork for her portraits project. Grace works across a range of media and scales and is currently responding to the artist Alex Garant with a double exposure effect painting. This is an ongoing project which will take until the summer term to finish, and we cannot wait to see the direction Grace takes her project. Congratulations, Grace

Cobham Hall News

Monday, 24th April |Week A News

Congratulations Clara

Over the weekend, Clara, Year 10, competed in an Artistic Swimming Competition in Gloucester at the highest level she is eligible for in the UK. There were close to 175 contestants at the competition, completing a total of 67 routines consisting of both duet and team performances.

The competition began at 8:00am on Saturday and finished at 4:00pm on Sunday, during which the contestants competed in different events, such as Qualifiers and Finals. For the Figures competition, Clara ranked 35 overall, which, considering the level of swimming at the competition, was a great result.

This position, combined with her partner ranking, awarded the duet a place in the finals, where they competed amongst the top 12 teams. Given that many of the competitors were part of the GB Team, this was an excellent achievement. Clara and her duet partner finished in 9th, an outstanding result that was a surprise for a lot of the clubs and coaches in the competition. Congratulations on these incredible results, Clara.

New Music Workstations

New music workstations are being installed in the Music department. They are now equipped with industrystandard software Sibelius and Ableton Live, as well as midi keyboards, audio interfaces, trigger pads and dual screens for the authentic music industry layout and practice.

Head of Music, Mr Williams, is excited to be offering opportunities that embrace new music technology.

Volunteering at Leybourne Lakes

This was Year 13's last week volunteering at Leybourne Lakes as part of their Personal Discovery Framework lessons. The students worked together to put bark chippings around the base of a hedgerow that was put in last year next to the Ocean Lake. The bark chippings will help to suppress weeds, retain moisture and add nutrients into the soil. If anyone takes a trip to Leybourne Lakes, they will now be able to see our students’ hard work and can visit the log pile and hedgerows they created.

Cobham

Monday, 24th April |Week A

The group photo to the left is of the students with Hannah, Leybourne Lakes Park Ranger, who set up the various projects the students helped with over the last few months.

DofE Reminder

This is a reminder to all DofE students, from Year 9 to Year 13, who have not yet completed their Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards. You need to complete your Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections and upload an Assessor Report for each section by Monday 5th June to receive your certificate and badge at Festival Day this year. If you need any help, see Mrs Chinn on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday lunchtimes.

Trampolining Success

On Thursday, 12 students represented Cobham Hall at the Kent Schools Trampoline Championships and had great success. Each student competed in two routines, and their hard work in training was evident. Holly E, Year 10, achieved 2nd place in the Year 9/10 Novice category and performed with great strength and control. Holly E, together with Year 9s Millie and Selena, achieved 1st as a team in the Year 9/10 Novice category, and Olivia G, Grace and Anna, all Year 10, achieved 3rd place as a team in the Year 9/10 Intermediate category.

A huge well done to all students who attended. You were a credit to the school and were very supportive of each other. We look forward to seeing you there again next year.

Monday, 24th April |Week A News

Boarding Activities

Easter Egg Hunting

Our Boarding students have had an abundance of exciting activities and events recently, such as Saturday’s thrilling Easter Egg Hunt, which saw all 56 hidden eggs found. Impressively, the winner managed to hunt out eight of the eggs. It is always lovely to see everyone getting involved in the fun and games in the Boarding House.

Karaoke Night

Last week’s Karaoke Night left all the Boarders with sore throats after they had a great time singing along to their favourite songs.

Cobham Hall News

Monday, 24th April |Week A News

Day in Brighton

Last Sunday, our Boarders visited Brighton for the day. They got lucky as the rain held off; they had a fantastic time exploring the beach and enjoyed a delicious seaside meal.

Bake Off

Earlier this month, our Boarders competed against each other in a “Bake Off” event. They created and decorated a selection of beautiful cupcakes

Cobham Hall News

Monday, 24th April |Week A

Coming up

Brenda Hancock Tree Planting

In memory of the founding Headmistress of Cobham Hall, Brenda Hancock, who sadly passed away this year, we would like to invite all Parents, Guardians and students to an event on Saturday 29th April at which we will be celebrating her life by planting a tree and laying a plaque, followed afterwards by a cream tea. Please RSVP to Mrs Odendaal by 24th April if you would like to attend.

Royal Society Lecture

Thursday 20th April 6:30pm-7:30pm

The Royal Society is hosting a free lecture on 20th April. Presented by Professor Richard Morris, the lecture is titled “The Making, Keeping and Losing of Memory”

Professor Morris will be discussing the concept of memory, analysis of human and animal memories, keeping a memory, and memory loss. Click here for more information.

The event will take place from 6:30-7:30pm and can be joined either in person or virtually. Registration is recommended to attend in person and can be completed here. The lecture will also be streamed on the Royal Society YouTube channel.

Monday, 24th April |Week A