RVHS Exposed - Summer 2025 Edition by Roding Valley High School

RVHS RVHS EXPOSED EXPOSED

Summer Recipies

IN THIS ISSUE... IN THIS ISSUE...

Changing Seasons Poem

Five Things to do In London and Essex

Summer Mocktail Recipies

Event Opportunities Event Opportunities

Not-So-Popular Holiday Destination

SSuggestions uggestions

Embracing Differences- A Short Embracing Differences- A Short

SStory tory

Calm in the Chaos- Exam Stress

Have a Walk Down Walthamstow Market

Walthamstow Market started in 1885 and is now Europe’s longest outdoor market spanning a kilometre of the high street As well as stalls selling food, clothes and household goods, you'll find cafes offering tasty treats from around the world Other markets to go to include: The Brick Lane Vintage Market in Brick Lane, London and Spitalfields Market near Liverpool Street

Go Sightseeing on an Uber Boat

An Uber boat is a high-speed catamaran that operates on the River Thames in London It is a fast and convenient way to travel around to different parts of London. It stops at 24 different piers and has great views of landmarks like Tower Bridge, The Houses of Parliament, Docklands, Cutty Sark, The Millennium Bridge, HMS Belfast, Shakespeare’s Globe and Bankside It also stops near the Tate Modern, the Tate Britain, Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf. You can also ride on one of the many open top buses as a way of enjoying the beauty of London

Try Bouldering at Fairlop Waters Country Park

The boulder park is the UK’s largest boulder park and is based in Redbridge, a stone’s throw away from Fairlop tube station on the central line The park consists of nine individual boulders which are made from concrete. The boulders vary in heights and shapes to cater for all standards from novice to expert They are designed for solo climbing and are a great place to practice bouldering and traversing skills If you enjoy bouldering/climbing you could go to Yonder in Blackhorse Road, Walthamstow or The Lock Climbing Wall in Burnt Mill, Harlow as well

Get a Glimpse Into The Past at Copped Hall

Copped hall is a Georgian mansion in Epping that is currently under restoration. It is sited on a ridge overlooking its landscaped parkland. Many important buildings from the Medieval, Tudor and Elizabethan eras were demolished prior to the present mansion being built and enlarged by the Victorians They run a series of events over the summer including open days and plays. Copped Hall also runs an archaeological dig every year

Some similar places to go are: Forty Hall in Enfield, Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge in Chingford and Loughton Camp in Epping Forest

Visit the V & A East Storehouse at the

Olympic Park

The V&A East Storehouse is a new museum that has recently opened in the Olympic Park You can book private viewings of your favourite artworks or you can walk around and see some small exhibitions. The rest of the museum is opening next spring so is one to keep your eye on

Other things to do in the Olympic Park:

Book tickets for Sadler’s Wells

Book a cycling class in the velodrome

Go for a swim in the Olympic Pool

Go on the ArcelorMittal Orbit slide

Summer mocktails to cool you down! Summer mocktails to cool you down!

Watermelon Lemonade:

1 large or 2 small watermelons

250ml lemon juice

100g golden caster sugar

1l bottle soda water

1 lime (sliced

A small handful of mint

Crushed ice

Cut the top off the watermelon and hollow it out using a large spoon, fishing out any seeds along the way Mash the watermelon through a sieve into a bowl.

Put the watermelon in a blender (or use a tall jug and hand blender) with the lemon juice and sugar, whizz to a purée, then stir in the soda

Heap some ice into the hollowed-out watermelon, and fill it with the lemonade mixture Serve the rest in a jug with the lime slices and mint

Ginger Lemon Fizz

Have a bowl of extra crushed ice on the side so people can help themselves : Ingredients:

50g fresh root ginger (roughly chopped)

300g caster sugar

2 lemons (sliced, plus extra to serve) sparkling water

Place the ginger, sugar and lemon slices in a pan with 150200ml water Bring to the boil, then cook until the sugar dissolves

Take off the heat, leave to cool, then press through a sieve

To serve, pour into a pitcher and top up with sparkling water and extra lemon slices

-CharlotteP -CharlotteP

Borneo: culture and wildlife

I would argue that if you're going to Borneo, you're going for two things: the culture and the wildlife In my experience these two aspects of a holiday are what make them memorable. Borneo is an Asian isle shared between three countries: Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. Despite this the island still feels very cohesive and customs run throughout the island. The landscape allows for exotic wildlife to roam freely. The list includes: orangutans, proboscis monkeys, leopards and sun bears (the smallest of the bear species). In order to take in all this wildlife, I would recommend a boat ride around the island as you are bound to see all kinds of wildlife due to the experienced tour guides who know just where to look in order for you to get the very best experience Personally, I am particularly interested in the extremely rare sighting of pygmy elephants crossing a river, using their trunks as snorkels - this is the kind of special and once in a lifetime experience to be offered in Borneo Lastly, I would like to make a recommendation for where to stay The water villages that are available to stay in enrich the experience as it's like nothing you have ever seen before. The villages are rich in culture and demonstrate it accurately through offering you a chance to taste their food and learn about what their days involve.

Vietnam offers an enriching and unforgettable trip.

This is due to landscapes such as the bustling Ho Chi Minh City and the rice paddy fields of northern Vietnam, essential to Vietnamese life due to rice being a staple in Vietnamese cuisine

Another great attribute of the country is Hoi An, a well preserved ancient town with a unique blend of architectural styles from different periods including Chinese temples, Japanese covered bridges, and French colonial buildings, one of the greatest features of this city is the vibrant lantern lit streets and night market. The delicious food has been perfected over generations and most definitely suits everyone from red meat eaters to vegans, with a wide variety of noodle and rice dishes The rich and devastating history makes it surprising that every one of the people are a delight and hold no resentment toward westerners despite a relatively recent war that left the country in ruins

Laos: beauty and bounty

Laos offers food influenced by Thai and French flavors, a stunning landscape, well-preserved temples and colonial architecture Waterfalls such as Kuang Si have unsurprisingly become tourist attractions as people are drawn to its stunning beauty People often refer to its milky blue-green water that cascades into turquoise pools that are surrounded by lush jungle There is also the expansive Mekong River to enjoy. The city of Luang Prabang offers friendly and welcoming people, natural beauty, cultural relevance and magnificent architecture. Laos is less crowded than its neighbors, offering a more peaceful and authentic travel experience, this is most likely due to Laos only opening to tourism in 1999, so its development is an ongoing project, but this lack of modernisation and infrastructure has a certain charm

Madagascar for a unique experience

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and is located in East Africa, it offers a unique experience involving rare wildlife and landscapes The Island provides a unique cultural experience due to previous colonial rule and continuing bond with said countries, however more than nine-tenths of the population is Malagasy. Nevertheless, the national languages are both Malagasy and French.The hot, wet season extends from November to April and the cooler, drier season from May to October, therefore for a true warm holiday and to take advantage of the white sand beaches I would recommend going between the months of June-September. 40 species of lemurs are indigenous to Madagascar and are found nowhere else on Earth Other wildlife spotting opportunities include several unique hedgehog like insectivores, chameleons of varying size, flamingos, crocodiles, snakes, diverse flora (including baobab trees found in the Morondava region) and unique spiny forests Your visit supports local communities and helps protect the island's natural resources but you may also find yourself engaging in an interesting learning experience as tales of pirates and their hidden tombs are common. It is said that Madagascar served as a haven and base of operations for pirates due to its strategic location along the "Pirate Round" and its relative isolation from strong naval forces. As a result of this, many unfortunate sailors became shipwrecked and stranded on their shores

Embracing Difference

By Macie G

It was down by the river, on that warm spring evening, that I saw him for the first time The boy from down the lane whose family, for reasons I could not understand at the time, were ostracised from our community. In his small hands he so gently cradled the ducklings that were born mere days before, and his whole being seemed to exude an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness that was detectable even from the distance of my back garden. My youthful naivety led me to watch him intently - a person I had never spoken to, but whose compassion made me desperately want to befriend him.

Hearing my name being called - breaking through my trance of curiosity - I ran into the house to tell my mother about the boy by the river with the gentle hands. But instead of the loving smile that I expected to see on her face, I was met with a stern glare that was followed by even sterner words; condemning my admiration and forbidding my future observation Yet (against my nature) I refused to blindly obey my mother and believe her views as gospel - asking a plethora of questions which were all left unanswered Her silence both confused and angered me. How could someone so kind and gentle be met with such hostility? So the next day I decided to disobey my mother for the first time and go back down to the river in hopes of seeing the boy again

At first I watched him from afar as I had done the previous day, but after a while (filled with a sudden burst of courage) I jumped up from my garden swing and ran down the hill towards him. For a few seconds I lingered timidly behind him, before he unexpectedly whipped his head around to look at me, flashing a mischievous grin - his kind eyes instantly dulling the knot of anxiety that my mother’s warnings had created in my stomach We simply looked at each other for a moment, then his eyes dropped to his hands and I followed his gaze. He was holding a tiny, fluffy duckling - its feathers branching out in all directions Without uttering a word, he asked with his eyes if I would like to hold the duckling and I replied with a simple nod of the head This unspoken interaction marked the beginning of our friendship - a friendship so natural and true that it surmounted the need for verbal communication. Simply spending time with one another was enough for us to form a deep bond

Together we spent many evenings down at the river, watching the ducklings slowly grow and the blossom fall off the trees to be replaced by emerald green leaves It was during these blissful, tranquil moments that I felt most at peacein the company of a young man which I had previously regarded as a stranger. Somewhere along the line, the topic of his family’s isolation was brought up, and I learned about the cruelty that comes with ignorance I finally understood why my mother had reacted so harshly when I first told her about this boy, but I could never agree with her opinions on this matter She and many of the other families in the village wished to not associate with my friend and his family simply because their views and beliefs did not mirror ours - a notion which, even at such a young age - I found absolutely absurd

For many years, even continuing until today, we remained friends Our friendship proved that any differences that we had could not drive a wedge between us, but instead provided us with an opportunity to learn from each other and grow together. In time, many people in the community began to accept my friend and his family, inspired by the close connection that we shared, and the air of ignorance and animosity that previously existed began to lift to pave the way towards a more accepting and progressive future for all of us

Remember - never judge a book by its cover or let preconceived notions cloud your judgement of others Be bold, be brave and be open to new people, new views and new experiences.

Calm in the Chaos: Exam Season

Every year pressure from home and school is applied to over a million students to succeed in GCSEs, AS and A Levels, yet the weight of expectation never falters. In many cases, you may find yourself in a similar position as Titan Atlas - “carrying the world on one ' s shoulders”. There is a legacy to live up to - a point of comparison for many of the students before us and how they fared. We have all heard about the importance of taking a few moments to breathe and let your mind wander, allowing yourself to reset, drain the whirlpool of concerns and anxiety, and the “what if” mentality Personally, it is easier said than defusing the ticking time bomb in your head - a reality for those of us catastrophizing before exams. Many of us are currently sitting in the PE hall lined with hundreds of grey chairs and small tables whether it be PPEs or the real thing, it is exam season.

Reflecting upon the class of 2024 who sat their GCSEs last summer, a shining moment stood out to me. A short story the night before results day “Remember: today is not just another day It is a culmination of every hour that you have spent in the shadow of this moment…” This excerpt itself is a source that conveys the looming idea that this is the end, that sense of finality in the reality that “the ink is dry, and the verdict is sealed.” I remember the feeling where myself and many of my peers “thought it was Judgementday” by the sheer authority of a piece of paper ranking how well we scribbled on even more pieces of paper with the rest of the country It was as simple as that. And yet it will get the heart going like no other. “Your future, once a distant, nebulous dream, solidifies today into cold, hard, reality” as you approach judgement day

But here's the truth: exams do not define you. They are a chapter, not the whole book. There is life beyond the blue chairs in the sports hall. There is relief in the summer after exams. It's ok to feel overwhelmed; it means you care. But just as I need reminding, you need to care for yourself too. Success is brought to us in many forms through different aspirations and growth often happens in the quiet invisible moments that mean nothing at the time. In the resilience you've built over this past year and the discipline you've practiced in the classroom, whether it be in E3 or RB8 or H2… You showed up for yourself in those late nights and early mornings. Now when you walk out of that exam hall in triumph or doubt, know that one result on ink-stained paper will never have the capacity to encapsulate your worth and potential. Take a breath. Speak to someone; anyone. Hold onto perspective…