Senior School Newsletter - February 14 2020

Senior School Newsletter Friday 14 February 2020 UPCOMING EVENTS The official newsletter of

El Dorado High School teachers

DONATIONS COLLECTED FOR HELEN AND DOUGLAS HOUSE

A huge thank you to all the staff, students and parents that donated items to Helen and Douglas House. Banbury store manager, Trudy was delighted with all the donations. Here she is pictured with charity representatives, Maia and Olivia (Year 7) and the many bags of donations.

Our very own Head of Religious Studies, Zoë Simms is now over halfway to her fundraising total of £500 ahead of her skydive in aid of Helen and Douglas House.

EMAIL PSFA@SIBFORDSCHOOL.CO.UK FOR TICKETS

You can read more and sponsor her here: https://www.justgiving.com/zoe-simms.

Senior School Newsletter Friday 14 February 2020

A MESSAGE FROM TOBY SPENCE 13 - 15 February 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of the Allied bombing of Dresden towards the end of World War Two. The resulting firestorms killed over 25,000 people and injured many more. Even at the time, Winston Churchill questioned the value and reasoning for this attack which killed primarily civilians and flattened a beautiful and historic Riviera city. The debate over the military merits of the attack and indeed, whether it should be considered a war crime rumble to this day.

20 years ago, the Dresden Scholars’ Scheme was founded, inspired by the Dresden Trust’s work for Anglo-German reconciliation, a clear statement of the vital need to encourage friendship among a younger generation free of blame for the past and present follies of their elders. Sibford School has been one of the many beneficiaries of this scheme as we have welcomed a steady stream of students from Germany into our community. Anna, in Year 12 today, perhaps exemplifies the spirit of this scheme. Her modest, kind and understated approach to life brings a light and radiance into our Sixth Form, senior boarding house and wider community. Anna is part of a small but important aspect of our DNA – an international community.

We are fortunate to welcome a good number of pupils from across the globe into our community each year and, I hope, that the global element to our school helps to foster a greater sense of mutual understanding, harmony and ultimately peace in our world. There is a lot we can learn from each other.

The school community is ready for a break. It has felt like a typically intense half-term with the usual wealth of extra-curricular activities swelled by the focus for many upon Les Misérables which will come to the stage in just a few weeks’ time. Staff, cast and crew are working tirelessly to make this a remarkable work of art. It is a pleasure just to escape from my office for a snatched 10 minutes of rehearsals – it’s going to be quite a show! From last nights drum showcase to Junior School Eco-projects, sports events and much more beyond – our community know how to ‘pack it in’ to the time we have.

One of our prime areas of focus this term has been with mock examinations and academic tutorials with pupils. As ever there are those pupils who exceed expectation and those who find exams more challenging – our academic and pastoral staff review every child and put in place interventions to celebrate, support and encourage everyone to achieve to the best of their potential.

Of particular note have been the record number of unconditional UCAS offers already received by our Year 13 pupils. Places have been offered to study Physics, Law, Fashion Marketing, Astrophysics, Drama, Marine Biology, Maths, Philosophy and Sport Science. A big thank you to all of the staff involved here and the pupils for their hard work and dedication.

In staff news, we say a temporary farewell to Tamsin Cygal who is departing on maternity leave after half-term. We look forward to exciting news in due course! Deborah Holroyd and Michelle Aylott will be looking after her tutor group with the support of Jill Spence. We have welcomed back Verity Redrup who will continue to teach some Science and Maths alongside Jo Hotchkiss, an experienced Maths teacher who has joined us until May. Jodie Carey is relinquishing her role as a houseparent in Margaret Fell House although she is keen to support the community into the future. We thank her for all that she has brought to the school. Joyce Scannell will remain the principle houseparent in Fell and we are looking forward to welcoming Erin Leatherbarrow to assist with the houseparent duties. Erin will also be a Graduate assistant within school, she has a strong background in the creative arts.

I’m very sad that we are saying farewell to Mark Higgins. Although he is formally part of the Thomas Franks catering team he is very much a big part of the Sibford community. Mark’s warm, engaging and helpful approach to life make him a firm favourite within the community. He has been a wonderful professional and a very good staff-manager for his team. A man with an encyclopedic knowledge of music, the outdoors and general knowledge – we will miss him enormously. Mark does promise to pop back in from time to time. He will remain on the staff of Thomas Franks but he is not going to be doing quite so many hours! We have been pleased to welcome Chris Lee into the catering team this term – he will be taking on the lead role within the catering team. Chris was formerly at Solihull School and he joins us with an impressive CV and a ready smile!

You will have seen that I have written more than once to the community regarding Coronavirus. As a community we remain vigilant and proactive as we endeavour to keep everyone safe. We are taking action which errs on the side of caution in relation to standard health advice and we would ask all members of our community to be vigilant and to self- isolate if they are at all concerned that they might have either been in contact with someone from a more significantly infected area of Asia (see my letter yesterday). If members of the community have flu like symptoms or a dry cough they should contact the NHS and not come into school. If there are any questions, please contact the school.

On Monday I spoke about St. Valentine and I read an ‘old favourite’ from Corinthians which I leave you with: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I wish one and all a happy Valentine’s Day and a peaceful half-term break.

Toby Spence, Head

Senior School Newsletter Friday 14 February 2020

SFL LEARNER OF THE WEEK Valentina is this week's SfL learner of the week!

She has been working really hard in SfL and we have seen a big improvement in her reading and spelling. The lambs really enjoyed the expression she gave to her reading!

Well done Valentina, we are very proud of you.

ACCESS 'THE DAY' AT HOME Sibford School has recently subscribed to The Day daily online newspaper. The Day provides interesting and rigorous news reporting and this amazing resource can now be accessed by all our students and teachers.

The Day believes that all young people should be engaged with current affairs for their own sake. Reading the news regularly will make them better students, and better citizens. It has already been used across the school in a variety of subject areas. We have been using it in SfL to generate discussions, practice our reading comprehension skills and find links between what is happening in the wider world and our studies in school. The clear, balanced articles encourage our young people to take an interest in, and form their own opinion on, the leading news stories from around the world.

We hope you will access The Day at home and share it with your young people.

On site the students can access the website without the need to login. At home they can access the pages by using the following login details on theday.co.uk: Username: sibford Password: SSTheday20

Senior School Newsletter Friday 14 February 2020

UPCOMING PSFA EVENTS Pie and quiz night. Friday 13 March. 7.30pm. Dining Hall.

Join us for our popular, annual pie and quiz night. Tickets are £10 and include a meal and a soft drink. Tickets available from junior and main school reception.

PSFA meeting. Monday 2 March. 6.30pm. Senior School Library.

Please do join us, refreshments will be available and everyone is welcome.

CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT WEEK 2020 Please be reminded to send your completed CEW 2020 consent forms to Linda Philips (lphillips@sibfordschool.co.uk) as soon as possible.

The 2020 brochure, detailing all trips can be found here.

FEBRUARY'S MOST WANTED FOODS We are collecting donations for the StratfordUpon-Avon foodbank. Please see their list of most needed items. Donations can be placed in the foyer outside the main hall.

UHT juice Small size washing powder/liquid Angel Delight Tinned fruit Custard/Rice pudding Washing up liquid Savoury crackers

Sponge puddings Tin openers Tinned vegetarian meals Condiments Deodorants Shaving foam/Razors Powdered milk

Senior School Newsletter Friday 14 February 2020

LES MISÉRABLES - COSTUME UPDATE One of my favourite parts of putting on a show is definitely the costumes. Last week, Neil Madden and some members of the main cast went to Wacky Wardrobes, a costume hire shop in Banbury to look for outfits that would have been worn during the French Revolution. These include military-style brocade jackets for the revolutionaries, ragged clothes for the street urchins, beautiful silk and lace dresses for Cosette and much more.

As mentioned in a previous update some costumes are being made by students in Year 12, including mine. I haven’t tried on the finished costume yet but I did get to wear some very high-heeled, lace-up boots and managed not to fall over! It was brilliant seeing the cast in costume for the first time and they look stunning.

A huge thank you to Freya and Jess, Wacky Wardrobes and Neil Madden for coming up with such amazing costumes. With only two weeks to go everything is really coming together now. Time to get excited!

Daisy 8RFe

Tickets are now on sale, so don’t forget to book yours here: http://bit.ly/SibfordLesMis.

Senior School Newsletter Friday 14 February 2020

ARE YOU COMING TO THE BALL? The Sibford School PSFA May Ball will take place on Saturday 9 May 2020.

We will be raising money for our nominated charity, Blue Skye Thinking (Children’s brain tumour charity), and PSFA Funds, which enable us to support projects within the school that add to the students experiences, including in recent years the adventure playground and climbing wall, as well as smaller projects across the whole school.

The theme for 2020 is ‘A Night on the Orient Express – 1920’s’ and you are invited to come in Black Tie, or to embrace the theme!

Tickets cost £65 per person and include a sumptuous four course meal plus some extra surprises.

The evening’s entertainment will include a live band and charity auction.

Tickets are selling well so if you would like to attend do get in quick.

Tickets can be reserved with Heidi Fowler by emailing: psfa@sibfordschool.com.

We look forward to seeing you.

PSFA Ball Committee

THE SIBFORD BOARDING BULLETIN! Before the winds of Storm Ciara rattled through campus on Sunday, the boarders enjoyed a day of sunshine in Leamington Spa. The students had the opportunity to use their free time to suit them and whilst for some this meant shopping and eating out, others enjoyed the floral displays in Jephson Gardens and the glasshouse in the centre of the town. Sunday’s storm meant extra consideration given to our lambs and, with the boarders feeding them seven times a week, we have really started to see the changes in them – as they become stronger, friendlier and more familiar.

In terms of activities, the KS3 boarders went out for some evening shopping on Monday night, had a competitive and laughter-inducing dodgeball tournament on Tuesday evening, and had a fun swimming session on Wednesday night. The older boarders relaxed with a gym trip on Tuesday and a bouldering session on our climbing wall on Thursday.

With the holidays approaching, we wish all of our boarding community a wonderful break and look forward to welcoming them back after a refreshing and relaxing week away!

Give boarding a go!

If your child would like to try boarding, email vbaker@sibfordschool.co.uk to book an occasional boarding place or a regular slot.

The first 3 occasional boarding bookings will receive a 50% discount on their first night! If your child is staying for a sports fixture or school trip they receive 50% discount on the occasional boarding fee.