Newsletter Friday 15th March 2024 by Ditcham Park School

Ditcham Newsletter - Friday 15th March 2024

Dear Parents

As we approach the end of Spring Term, the school has been a hive of activity from music and LAMDA exams to concerts, art displays, preparations for Charity week next week and the Junior Talent Show, to name a few. Its been wonderful to see so many of our talented pupils given an opportunity to shine. Our sports teams have had a busy week with plenty of matches and tournaments - you can read the reports in the Sports section.

Just as a reminder, next week is our big House Charities Week so there is a non-uniform day on Thursday for the whole school along with a variety of different fundraising activities lined up. You can find more information on this in the Notices section.

Best wishes

Graham Spawforth Headmaster

Headmaster Awards

Congratulations to the Seniors who have been given a Headmaster Award!

Junior Merit Awards

Congratulations to all the Juniors who have been awarded a merit this week - some excellent work to be seen!

Juniors

Uppers trip to The National Portrait Gallery

We had an amazing day at the National Gallery on Thursday 14th March. A massive thank you to the parent helpers – Lindy, Trudi, Sonia, Prema and Sally. Please enjoy Hattie’s report below, along with a few photos.

On Thursday the 14 March, Upper Juniors journeyed to London to visit the amazing National Gallery, which was perfect for me because I enjoy art very much. Inside the Gallery, we saw many famous paintings and portraits but my favourites were ‘Sunflowers’ by Vincent Van Gogh and ‘Fruit Dish, Bottle and Violin’ by Picasso (One of my favourite artists) It was made even more fun with Mrs Mothersele’s quizzes around the gallery. Before heading home, we had a quick tour of the London sights including: Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament and a close encounter with a Royal Horse guard. What an amazing day we had!

By Hattie Docherty

Prep Journey Back in Time at Milestones Museum!

Prep enjoyed a fantastic day out at Milestones Museum on Thursday 14th March. When we arrived, we first explored the Victorian streets, enjoying looking in the different shop windows and discussing the different vehicles we spotted. Another highlight was dressing up in traditional clothes from over one hundred years ago. After lunch, we met our Victorian workshop leader. She told us all about transport in the 1800’s and we were given a treasure hunt to complete in groups. It was really interesting investigating the different ways that people and goods were transported long ago. We spotted steam trains, safety bicycles, trams, open top omnibuses and horse drawn milk floats and learned interesting facts about them all. Then we were transported forward in time to 1940 and we met a new tour guide who helped us explore streets set up to show life at this time. We found out about car and vehicle manufacture and enjoyed looking at the features of the streets and vehicles. A particular highlight was when our tour guide showed us how people at that time often had an outside toilet – we may have spotted someone making use of one too! We returned to school rather exhausted but happy after an excellent day out. Huge thanks to Mrs Husdan and Annalisa for accompanying us on this trip.

Mrs Witte and Tracey

Transition Design Challenge

Over the past couple of weeks we have been working on persuasive writing and learning about strong, positive vocabulary, using the 5 senses and sometimes a bit of over-exaggeration! We had great fun last week using our new learning to write excellent, persuasive descriptions for a slice of chocolate cake (heavenly!) but this week we wanted the children to design and create something themselves and write about it with true enthusiasm. Transition researched and designed an exciting and healthy fruit-based snack at the start of the week, thinking carefully about how they could present it in an interesting way in order to entice younger children to give it a go. We had some astonishing ideas! Some children planned to make watermelon koalas with others going for fruit snakes! On Tuesday it was time to put these ideas into action and get creative with the fruit. Some children found it difficult to make their original designs and had to effectively adapt their ideas as they went along but Mrs Hamilton and I were blown away by the creativity and effort that went into their fruit creations. Everyone worked really well together to produce outstanding snacks that were

beautifully presented. I was certainly very hungry by the end of the lesson! We can’t wait to read some of their persuasive writing now that we have seen the finished products – well done everyone!

Mrs Newton and Mrs Hamilton

Prep Food Chains

In Prep this week, we have been learning about food chains and how they work. To help us to understand the order in which the food chain works, we made paper chains showing the energy source, the producer, the primary consumer and the secondary consumer. We were all able to explain in detail each stage of the food chain and loved giving our own examples using the scientific terms.

Mrs Witte and Tracey

Stretch and Challenge Success!

Huge congratulations to

• Ollie H

• Etta M

• Etta H

• Heath H

• Juliet N

• Emmy B

for completing their Spring Term Stretch and Challenge activities. They were awarded their certificates in today's Celebration Assembly.

Seniors

Year 9 art Exhibition of inspirational people.

Year 9 have produced outstanding large-scale portraits of people that inspire them. David Attenborough, Mary Earps and Einstein are some of the chosen people. They have gained inspiration from the work of Barbara Walker nominated for the Turner Prize in 2023 and Guy Denning. Both artist look at contemporary issues through the use of large scale portraits. Working on this scale is a huge challenge and the year 9s have taken it in their stride producing high level of work using chalk and charcoal. It is great to see them all up together and with the backdrop of the small hall really give it a professional feel. This exhibition is well worth a visit. It can be found in the small hall until the 26th April please come and visit during drop off of pick up.

Helen Drake Head of Art

Year 8 are writing lighthearted open letters, imagining that their favourite product has been discontinued. All are brilliant, funny and creative. I have decided to share Molly Burke’s as I feel that most of our female readers will understand and appreciate the value of a perfect lip balm!

Dear Vaseline,

I hope you’re well and enjoying the first sights of spring sunshine and beautiful flowers.

If I may be so bold, I’d like to share the best aspects of this colourful time of year: the golden yellow sunshine, the scrumdiliumptious fruit and the countdown to summer.

Sadly all this comes with a price: dehydration.

However, no need to fear, lip-balm is here!

Finding the bang-on, back-of-the-net, yes-this-is-the-one lip balm is harder than taking a selfie with the Lockness Monster. When it happens it’s like a dream come true, a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s like punching the sky; akin to you and your crush playing a couple in the school play or similar to that extraordinary glass of water first thing in the morning (it must be from a mug, not a glass you maniac).

But it just so happens that you – yes, you – have created the perfect lip-balm: Vaseline Cocoa Butter. Fabulous job! It is not tinted (I am not Kylie Jenner) it isn’t an impossible lid to open and, thank heavens, it doesn’t smell like strawberries. It is a classic, clear, hydrating lip balm with a slight hint of cocoa. It is just chef's kiss!

Now, lots of lip gloss lovers won’t have noticed this small detail. I, on the other hand, hate lip gloss. I am basically lip gloss’ arch-enemy.

So you can imagine my delight at finding this smooth, NOT sticky, glamorous specimen. You get the gist. This lip balm is not just an OK lip-balm, not a “this’ll do” lip balm, but The One. THE lip balm of the 21st century.

And now we reach the crux of the matter: the problem, the issue, the drama. You have decided to discontinue this lip-balm.

I don’t want to come across all dramatic but this is, quite frankly, insanity. It's like Lorelai Gilmore giving up on Coffee. It’s like Italy ditching Pizza. It’s like Walkers giving up on potatoes and it’s the same as the UK banning tea. It's not right.

So think of this as your warning shot. After this I’m happy to start a petition, even plan a protest. There are certain things I can’t live without: salted hula-hoops, my dogs, tea and biscuits. And now your Cocoa Butter Vaseline is on the list. So please reply with some urgency.

My advice to everyone else? (Actually, this is an instruction.) If you can still find Cocoa Butter Vaseline buy a pack of 10, and appreciate the best lip-balm of all time - which will hopefully, nevermind, definitely go back into production immediately.

Thank you and yours faithfully,

Molly.

Guest Speaker for Buriton House

On Thursday this week, members of Buriton House from both the junior and senior school hosted guest speakers Doug Jones and Mary Saunders from our house charity, ‘Village to Village’

Doug and Mary shared insights into the transformative work of the charity, which bridges our local village, Buriton with Dominase Village in Ghana. The students listened to an inspiring presentation on the challenges faced in Dominase and the initiatives undertaken to address them. ‘Village to Village’ is an impressive charity which has supported the education, infrastructure and healthcare facilities in Dominase.

Students were given the chance to ask questions and then worked in groups to come up with fundraising ideas to support our house charity.

We would like to thank Doug and Mary for coming into the school and hope that we are able to raise money to support their work during next week’s School Charity Week!

More information about our house charity can be found by following this link: https://www.buriton.info/buritons-village-village-link-dominase

Katy Snow and Kate Newton

Heads of Buriton House

ESU Performing Shakespeare Competition Success

On Monday evening two of our pupils took part in the third round of the ESU Performing Shakespeare competition at St Catherine's School in Guildford.

The pupils had to perform either a Shakespeare duologue or monologue. There were six entrants in total performing a range of speeches from a variety of Shakespeare plays.

We are delighted to report that both Stephen P and Elsa R were successful and have progressed through to the next round of the competition. Stephen won best overall performance for his performance of the famous soliloquy 'The Seven Ages of Man' from 'As you like it'.

Huge congratulations to both Stephen and Elsa -the judges praised their energy and command of the stage.

We can't wait to see what you'll do next.

Ms Snow and Ms Roberts'

Lunchtime Recital, St Peter’s Church, Petersfield

On Tuesday 5th March, 11 of our senior pupils performed a recital at St Peter’s Church in Petersfield. A varied programme was heard, with solos from pupils in year 7 through to year 10.

All pupils performed with confidence and ease and all eleven items were well received by a small yet enthusiastic audience. My thanks to all pupils who participated so well in this concert, especially after the previous hectic week of ‘Grease’ performances – Eloise S, Cody D, Christopher M, Holly W, Katie B, Stephen P, Neve M, Sacha R, Henry M, Katie M and Bethan. Thank you also to our visiting accompanist, Mr Nick Gleed and to Mrs Leighton for attending and taking photos. My sincere thanks to any parents who gave up their time to attend as well. It was lovely also to see Bridget Holton, who until last summer for many years taught our brass pupils and participated with them at this event.

Mr Williamson

Senior Concert – Thursday 7th March 2024

Who would have thought after a whole week of performances of ‘Grease’, we would still be able to put on a concert of 2 and half hours’ of music? Well, we managed! About 40-50 senior pupils took part in this year’s senior concert – and as always, we were in for a treat! We heard a wide range of styles from all our pupils which included solo performances on the violin, trombone, classical guitar, clarinet, xylophone and by our very many vocalists. We also had a selection of ensemble performances by our Jazz Group, String Group, Concert Band and Senior Chamber Choir. Also, in the programme were two bands performances.

After such an amazing evening it is a shame to miss anyone by pinpointing individuals when so many took part. I shall be recognising a large number of the pupils in the coming days. I am sure, those of us who attended, will have our favourites from the evening and once again we are very lucky that we have had the concert recorded so we will be able to hear it all again, thanks to Kevin Hodgson.

I would like to thank all the peripatetic staff for their hard work and dedication in preparing the pupils for this concert, with particular mention to Michele Scopes (Violin teacher) Mrs Leighton (jazz group and concert Band) and William Waine who played a big part in the evening’s entertainment. What a send-off Mr Waine received!! My thanks also go to Mr Gleed for accompanying some of the pupils, and to Luke Megeney, who took control of all the sound as usual. We couldn’t do it without him.

I would also like to take this opportunity of thanking the Year 11 pupils, whose last senior concert this was – Toby B, Archie D, Finlay B, Lottie D, Millie B and our Music Captain, George L. Thank you to all of them for their contribution to music during their time here at Ditcham Park. You are always welcome back to future concerts.

Finally, thank you to the parents and staff who attended this concert – your support is hugely appreciated, especially during a busy time for everyone. And to the rest of the pupils for a wonderful evening and to all who helped on the day set up and pack away - thank you.

See you next year…

Mr Williamson

BASED ON A REAL-LIFE MURDER INVESTIGATION

Crime Scene to Court Room

RE/Philosophy in the YEAR 2023!

On Wednesday 13th of March 2023 Year 10 pupils were treated to a fantastic criminology day as part of the core AQA RE/Philosophy curriculum. We saw students take a 999 call, examine a crime scene, investigate a murder, prepare their case and end up presenting the evidence in a mock courtroom trial, all from within the comfort of Ditcham Park School

This highly unique and interactive day brought fun, challenge and excitement into our post mock week and was attended by Mrs Browning’s RE/ Philosophy GCSE class.

Indeed, as part of the AQA Examination Board the RE curriculum covers law, science, and crime across the world and how religions would deal with morality.

During the day, students were introduced to a whole host of potential careers within police, investigation agencies, forensic science and finger printing law and the wider criminal justice system. All culminating in Crown Court Trial with the Prosecution, Defence, Barristers, Judge, Witnesses, the accused, a Detective Sergeant and Crime Scene Investigator. There were some excellent court room moments when the defence cross examined the witness’s girlfriend (Izzy C), the CSI ( Alex P) and the DS (Ed Tr). Amelia G B and Edi H (such wonderful case notes and cold hard questioning) as prosecution lawyers-pulling apart the forensic examinations. Lauren A joined forces as barrister for the defence with Fionn G pulling apart the girl friend of the accused – Rachel, adeptly and convincingly played by Izzy C. The defendant Dale (Melissa A), who was a complex defendant

with attitude and pizazz in the witness box and finally the Judge, a very serious(!) and dignified Charlie Wood and Head Jurywoman Eloise S. Everyone else was placed in the Jury box to find the defendant guilty or not guilty. After some deliberation and time to cogitate. The case was concluded, and a potential murderer was sentenced by the Senior Judge Charlie W with an 18-year sentence. Really superb work and wonderful behaviour from Year 10 who came up trumps.

I do hope that the day has inspired students and given them focus to puzzle out various situations –as well as confidence in presenting difficult issues alongside the real-life experienced detective: Simon Smith who provided inspiration from the world experience of criminal investigations. Thanks to all the Year 10 classes for making this a fascinating day. Thanks also to Simon for coming down from Lincolnshire! Here’s to another day next year with a new set of students!

Mrs Browning

Head of RE/Philosophy and PSHE.

National Pi Day!

Pi Day 2024 at our school was a blast! With their themed t-shirts the maths department showed how ins-pi-rational they are. Kicking off the celebration, Mrs. Morris led a lively Form 1 assembly filled with her trademark humour. With a dash of 'Worst Joke Wednesday' flair, she sprinkled pi puns throughout and had the whole room rocking out to a pi song. Meanwhile, Mrs. Nellist's Form 3 class showcased their baking skills with Pi-inspired pies and cakes, enjoying a tasty treat while they learned pi facts. Mrs. Whittle's Form 2 class got creative with maths, using a cake to understand the formula for the area of a circle. Pupils created a Pi dingbat challenge - can you solve them all? Answers coming next week!

Sports News

13/03/24 Rugby V Sherfield

Both schools brought four teams, U11 A&B and U10 A&B. This consisted of 3 contact games and one tag game.

The U10 As played a contact game, this was a good game with tries from both teams. Sherfield and Ditcham both played their hearts out and enjoyed their time playing a close competitive game of rugby. At the full-time whistle Ditcham came out on top with a well-earned victory. The U10 Bs played in a contact game and even though some players were apprehensive, the boys pulled together and supported each other through a tough game. Sherfield players were excellent and played some good rugby. When the full-time whistle went Sherfield came away with a well-deserved victory.

The U11 As played a contact game, which was again a close encounter. After some back and forth play and tries scored by both teams. Sherfield came out victorious with a 9 tries to 8 win (45-40). The boys worked hard and came away having enjoyed their afternoon of competitive rugby. The U11 Bs played tag, which was a back and forth, close game. Ditcham took the lead early on and were 2 tries clear. However, in the second half Sherfield fought back, to make it 8 tries all (40-40) with 30 seconds on the clock. With ten seconds to go the Sherfield’s captain made a darting run through the Ditcham players and down the left wing. As he approached the try line, some last-ditch diving attempts to get his tag forced him to dodge the tackler but step in to touch. Time was called and the game finished as a draw.

James Walton

PE Department

14/03/24 Hockey V Alton

Two Ditcham teams travelled to Alton to play in a U8 and U9 hockey match. On arrival the girls we positive and excited to get playing. All players worked hard and tried their best even as the rain started to pour. After a few quick goals from Alton, it would have been easy for Ditcham to drop in motivation and drive, but they kept going and worked hard in both games. The girls played as a team, switching positions, and encouraging each other all the way through. At the full-time whistle Alton were victorious in both the U8 and U9 game. Ditcham players had great fun and learnt a lot from the game play scenarios and can take this forward in future fixtures.

James Walton

PE Department

Cricket Training is Back!

It has been a long time coming but we finally managed to have the first senior cricket session. It was an amazing turnout and we had nearly 40 students bowling and batting and it bodes well for a big summer of cricket. Well done to all who attended

James Walton

PE Department

U9/U8 Rugby Vs St Hilarys

Yesterday the u9 and u8 rugby teams played St Hilarys at Ditcham. The U9 game was one of the best tag games I have seen, it was end to end and went down to the final play. Ditcham ended up winning 55-50. The boys played some superb attacking rugby but need to work on their passes more to be more effective. They stuck in the game well and even in adverse conditions played some good stuff. The U8 team also won thier match and St Hilarys couldn't cope with the strong running of Kamdi, Tass and William and Ditcham ended up winning 25-5. The boys are improving week to week and it was a great afternoon of rugby even though the heavens opened half way through. Thank you to all the parents who braved the rain to support.

Well done all!

James Walton

PE Department

U10 Girls' Hockey - Dunhurst

On Wednesday the U10 girls hockey team participated in the Dunhurst hockey tournament. The girls played 4 group matches against Alton, Boundary Oak, Dunhurst and Frensham and ended up winning 3 out of 4. The girls played some superb hockey and transferred the ball really effectively which was great to see. Lara LD and Georgina H ran the midfield and teams found it very hard to get through. The girls doing so well mean they played the 3rd place match against Great Ballard. The girls full of confidence outplayed Great Ballard from the start and ended up winning 6-0 to end up as 3rd place in the whole tournament. This was an amazing effort and all the girls should be really proud of there performances. The goals were scored by Georgina H x6, Lucy S x 2, Phoebe W x 2 and Ruby x2

Great effort girls!

James Walton

PE Department

U11 Rugby Tournament at Churchers

Last Wednesday the U11 rugby team participated in the Churchers College rugby tournament.They played 6 matches against some strong rugby playing schools and it was 7s so lots of quick, attacking rugby. The boys made a really strong start with wins over Boundary Oak, Churchers and Oakwood. The big game came against PGS who had also won all of their games, unfortunately the boys made a few silly mistakes that meant PGS snuck the win but the boys didn't give up and ended up hammering Barfield and Oakwood B. The team finished in second place and were very unluck not to win the tournament. It was a great afternoon and the boys improved with each game, the big focus moving forward is decision making when attacking. Well done to everyone involved

James Walton PE Department

13/03/24 Rugby V Sherfield

Both schools brought four teams, U11 A&B and U10 A&B. This consisted of 3 contact games and one tag game.

Lydia Harris

PE Department

14/03/24 Hockey V Alton

Lydia Harris

PE Department

U15 Basketball at St Edmunds

On Tuesday the u15 basketball team played St Edmunds at Ditcham. St Edmunds were an intimidating outfit who had some very big players. The physicality proved too much in the first quarter as the Ditcham boys couldn't stop them in the key meaning they scored a lot of unanswered points. However after the first quarter the boys clicked into gear, Alex S led the charge with some excellent lay ups and Ditcham got the score back to 4. An excellent effort against a strong team. The boys stayed in the contest and ended up losing 49-36The boys showed excellent fight and played some excellent attacking basketball. The standout performers were Alex S, Luke A and Charlie.

Well done all

James Walton

PE Department

U10 Rugby v Sherfield

A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of Rugby against a well drilled Sherfield team. The Ditcham boys played an excellent game with some impressive running on show, but the opposition were just too strong on this occasion. Most importantly, the game was played in great spirit with strong respect between the two teams and great sportsmanship was on show throughout the afternoon. Sherfield winning 11 tries to 4.

Mr Ainsworth

Notices and Events

Easter Tennis Camp

Bookings are now live for our Easter Tennis Camp! Secure your child's place now to avoid disappointment as places are limited.

Book your place here!

News from the Friends of Ditcham Park

The Friends of Ditcham will be holding their AGM on 19th April, 3.30pm in the courtyard. All parents are invited to join us for a chat about what we have achieved over the year, our future plans, and to have a piece of cake!

Tuesday 19th March, FDPS Easter Egg hunt for Juniors, and an Easter Challenge for Seniors.

Friday 22nd March all children will receive an Easter gift from the FDPS.

We look forward to sharing some Easter fun with the children next week!

From Tess Hall and the FDPS Team

Music Music Music!!

We have a lot of events coming up over the next few weeks. Please come along and support our students and enjoy the fruits of their labours.

• Monday 18th March - Petersfield Musical Festival Youth Concert #1 7.00pm (Petersfield Festival Hall) featuring Uppers Junior pupils and senior musicians - book tickets here:

https://petersfieldmusicalfestival.org.uk/event/youth-concert-1-2/

• Wednesday 20th March - Petersfield Musical Festival Youth Concert #2 7.00pm (Petersfield Festival Hall) featuring Uppers Junior pupils and senior musicians - book tickets here:

https://petersfieldmusicalfestival.org.uk/event/youth-concert-2-2/

CM Sports Activity camps for Easter

CM Sports, our After School Care provider will be running some camps and activities throughout the Easter holiday. Camps are available for children aged 5-14 (inclusive) and will have a range of different activities to keep them entertained throughout the day. Places are limited, so please do secure your place or places as soon as possible.

To book a place for your child, use their on-line booking tool

Roll Up! Roll Up! Its Charities week soon!

Get ready for an unforgettable week as we gear up for our annual Seniors Charities Week! From March 18th to 22nd, we're bringing you a line-up of exciting events and activities, all aimed at supporting our house charities and making a positive impact.

Join in the Fun:

Sports Challenges: Kick off the week with high-energy sports challenges during mini-lessons. Hosted by our enthusiastic Heads of Houses, these events offer a chance for every pupil to participate while contributing to a great cause. A small donation is all it takes to get in on the action, and there are House Points and prizes up for grabs for the winners!

Great Ditcham Bake-Off: Show off your baking prowess on Wednesday, March 20th, in our highly anticipated Great Ditcham Bake-Off! Our expert judges, resident chef Chris, and pastry chef Abbey, will taste-test the entries. Remember to label your creations with your name and tutor group before placing them in the large hall in the morning. After judging, we'll serve up the delicious treats in the afternoon for donations to charity. Please note: We are a nut-free school, so be mindful of ingredients. Allergy-friendly alternatives like gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free options are encouraged!

'Sponge the Teacher' Event: Get ready for some hilarious fun on Wednesday afternoon as we host our annual 'sponge the teacher' event! Bring your spare change and don't hold back let's make sure no teacher leaves dry!

Charities Fete: Thursday is your chance to shine with a non-uniform day for a minimum £1 donation. In the afternoon, each tutor group will run a stall at our annual charities fete. From games to prizes, there's something for everyone to enjoy!

Tuck Shop: Don't forget to swing by the tuck shop, manned by our dedicated house captains and student volunteers, during break and lunchtime. Treat yourself while supporting a worthy cause! Your support makes a difference, so let's come together and make Seniors Charities Week '24 a resounding success! Thank you for your generosity and enthusiasm.