11 October 2019 - Issue 6
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Head’s Introduction Half-term is nearly here, and I want to congratulate the students and staff on everything they have achieved in the first half of term – well done! Open Day last weekend was an excellent event, and it was the girls who had a large part to play in its success – they were charming, confident, and completely natural, and quite simply exemplified what our visitors are hoping for their daughters. The comments included in this Review are just some of those we have received, but they give a strong sense of what our visitors felt. I am very grateful to all the girls and my colleagues whose combined efforts produce an event which is so impressive – thank you! I am currently in Hong Kong, visiting ORs, as well as meeting the parents of both current and prospective students, along with Mrs Banham. I am delighted to report that the profile of Roedean internationally is impressive, and, over the next month or so, a number of colleagues will be travelling to countries where our School has established links, including Ghana, China, Mexico, and Thailand. I enjoyed House Drama this week, and I was impressed with the girls’ hard work in producing pieces which told the story of influential women’s lives. All the Houses did well, but House 4’s combination of story-telling with music won over the judges – well done to them, but also to everyone involved.
Open Day and the Sixth Form Information Evening Following last Thursday’s Sixth Form Information Evening, which was for the current Year 11 and those considering joining the Roedean Sixth Form, Open Day on Saturday was the biggest we have hosted, and it was incredibly successful. We welcomed many families to Roedean, the majority with prospective students for Year 7 entry, but there were also a good number considering entry into Years 9 and 12. The School looked wonderful, the weather was kind, and the performances as part of the presentations were outstanding, particularly the iconic song from Les Misérables, 'One Day More', which, due to preparations for House Drama, was produced with about 4 hours’ rehearsal! Thank you to everyone who was involved in making these events such a success – the students always make such an impression on our visitors, and they really do sell the School. We have had wonderful feedback from the families who came, and here are a couple to give you a flavour:
wled ‘Mabel and I were bo gy er over by the en , t aspiration, and spiri ol. shown at the scho e The highlight was th Theatre presentation in the , at the end of the tour an ite qu e which mad ’ impression on Mabel!
‘What a day indeed! The girls were undoubtedly the stars of the show. Every pupil I spoke to seemed so well-rounded, confident, and welcoming. They really were the embodiment of ‘the spirit of Roedean.’
Soon after we return from half-term, we have Speech Day for all those in Years 10-13 – I am looking forward to seeing our leavers back, with stories of university and life after Roedean, as well as welcoming our Guest Speaker, Rachel Parris – I am sure that she will be incredibly engaging. Good luck for the residential trips over the coming days – it is amazing that six year-groups will be out at the same time, and Year 11 will be doing activities on site to prepare them for this busy year. I look forward to hearing all about what you get up to! I wish you all a wonderful break when half-term arrives!
International Day – 22 November After half term, on Friday 22 November, Roedean will be hosting our first ‘International Day’. It is a celebration of our diversity as a school, and it is important for the whole community to come together and wear clothing that represents all the different nations represented at Roedean. Over the half term, please prepare clothes that are representative of your cultural backgrounds – this includes national costumes, flag colours, face paints, sports jerseys and such. We are excited to see all the nationalities represented on the day!