Old Birkfeldian Christmas Newsletter 2018

Christmas 2018

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Dear Old Birkfeldians It was fabulous to catch up with so many of you in the Summer Term at the annual Arts Festival, the OB Cricket & Cocktails (thanks to Josh Davey for organising) and the Summer Ball. More recently, Mrs Lee and I have met with many international alumni whilst visiting Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei.

Our annual Rugby Festival continues to grow apace, with our 32nd Festival attracting huge support, especially and as ever from OBs, both on campus and online with over 36,000 views of the live Festival streamed matches and over 43,000 views of the Festival website from 77 countries If you are interested in advertising your company through one of the various sponsorship packages we run throughout our two-term rugby season, check out our website www.festival.stjos.co.uk.

We are grateful to all OBs who took part in the Friday night Rugby and Hockey matches (thanks to Travis Kenny & Sarah Daley for organising) as well as all OB’s who supported the event. Over the same weekend, we were delighted to open our Serenity Garden in the Sixth Form Quad. Thanks go to Mrs Katherine SimpsonJacobs, whose inspiration and drive helped to create this wonderful space. For students and staff to take time to reflect and be still.

The College has published a new Strategic Development Plan (see www.stjos.co.uk/), including exciting proposals for capital projects over the next three years. Amongst them are the opening of a new sport pavilion, a reconfigured sports hall and new boarding accommodation.

Many of you are aware of the ongoing closure of the Chapel for health and safety reasons. I am delighted to say that, further to Historic England rejecting a request to have the Chapel listed, we have now been able to lodge a Certificate of Lawfulness with our local planning authority. Once approved, this will enable us to proceed with the works required to ensure that the heart of our community, the Chapel, is restored and back in use.

Alongside the capital projects outlined in the SDP, the College is able to fund £300k of the £750k required for the Chapel works, which will take place in three phases, with the aim of reopening the building in September 2019. We are very grateful to have received a most generous pledge of £75k to kick-start a fundraising campaign for the remainder of the costs and so we will be looking to our community, both past and present, UK and international, to support with the remaining £375k.

If you wish to discuss donating directly, please make contact with me via my PA at principal@stjos.co.uk.

It is always wonderful to hear how well you are doing in your professional and personal lives – I would encourage you to share with us your various ventures through obs@stjos.co.uk. In addition we are always looking for OBs to deliver motivational talks and/or to support our annual Careers Fair – please contact Mr David Kemsley, the College’s Futures Co-ordinator (d.kemsley@stjos.co.uk) if you think you can help.

I wish you all a happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas wherever you are in the world and look forward to catching up with many more of you in the New Year.

Danielle Clarke (Mrs) Principal

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News from the school German Students Join Our Own to Honour the Fallen Visiting musicians from our partner school in Germany, Gymnasium Theodorianum, Paderborn, added hauntingly beautiful music to our Remembrance Service and an Armistice Concert. The theme of loss on all sides was central as students from both schools performed together. Bilingual prayers were offered. Visitors and hosts later toured Shotley Royal Naval Cemetery to pay their respects and there was a trip to the House of Commons and to Westminster Hall. Early December our students visited Paderborn and once again were reunited with our German exchange friends.

Joint Effort Results in 135 Christmas Shoeboxes An amazing 135 decorated shoeboxes packed with good things were collected for the start of their journey to children who might otherwise receive nothing this Christmas. Thank you to all who contributed to the 75 Prep School and 60 Senior School shoeboxes. They will make a huge impact. Special mention to Thomas Ho (Y8), who donated five shoeboxes, and Gigi Gebhard (Y7), who donated six. La Salle won the house competition.

Saving Young People from Knife Crime Youth Parliament member Isaac Codjoe (Y12) tackled the vexed question of knife crime at a House of Commons debate and called for action to be stepped up. Following a series of stabbings in Ipswich over the summer, including one leading to a death, Isaac said he felt compelled to raise the issue.

He said young people were exposed to knives and gang culture through social media, adding, ‘It’s quite scary, the fact that people my age are out there dying, taking part in this activity when they really should be in some sort of education to boost their life chances rather than gang culture.’ Now, Isaac is organising discussions with councillors, MPs and other civic leaders in Suffolk to discuss the issue - and is planning an event in March to raise awareness of the problem. He also announced plans to create the town’s first youth council, with all schools represented.

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Focus on a Teacher Richard Battye former St Jo’s - Old Birkfeldian St Joseph’s College is a very special place to me; I was educated here in the 1980s along with my four brothers and twin cousins. The Lasallian traditions are still strong here, in that there is a emphasis on service to our community coupled with so many opportunities for spiritual and personal development through service to others and participation in College events. I have countless fond memories of happy days here growing up; I made some dear and lifelong friends and I consider myself so fortunate to have been taught by some inspiring teachers, particularly David Bates, without whom I would never have been able to unlock many of the mysteries of A-level and Further Mathematics. I left St Jo’s to study Mathematics at the University of East Anglia, where I gained my honours degree.

Having left UEA and attempted a somewhat short-lived career in banking, I soon concluded that teaching would be my route to a happy and fulfilling career. It was the best decision I have ever made because I am passionate about Maths and I really empathise with students who need it to be unlocked for them. There is nothing more satisfying than witnessing those ‘light-bulb’ moments. My teaching philosophy has always centred around my firm belief that children who are happy, feel safe and are able to express themselves as individuals, learn best. I have spent most of my teaching career in Clacton, with the exception of two years spent here from 2012 to 2014. It was a real privilege to work alongside colleagues such as Mike Hockley and Nigel Chandler, who taught me as a boy.

I have been married to Helen for nearly 22 years and have two wonderful children, James and Rose. James was also a student here and is currently in his second year reading English Literature at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. Rose is thoroughly enjoying being a Year 8 student here at the College. We live in Frinton, where I grew up, and this is another place I love. We spend a lot of our spare time walking on the seafront and enjoying the facilities of the many sporting (and non-sporting) clubs in the town.

I love sport but watch it more than I play it and look forward to one day having time to get my golf handicap down to anywhere near respectable!

Jon Atkinson (page 15) pictured here with Richard.

Pictured here on the right is Richard’s son James giving a talk to our current Y13 students.

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News from the community

Thank you to Richard Papworth who submitted this photograph of the class of 1978.

Peter Rylands kindly submitted this picture from 1964 and Dixon Chan emailed his class photo. (bottom left)

Love blossomed for Old Birkfeldians Gigi Ng (2006) and Stephen Yip (2006), who returned to the school as a newly engaged couple. They live and work in Hong Kong.

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News from the community

It was so lovely to welcome Frank Yah back to St Joseph's College in September. Frank left in 1960 to pursue a career in dentistry in San Francisco and, just recently retired at 76, he was back in England for a holiday.

Frank emailed to say, ‘I am so impressed with the advances the College has made! The facilities are astounding and the entire campus so organized. We, the old timers of St Jo’s, were very much in the Middle Ages by comparison. There is an overall positive and very upbeat atmosphere which is so evident.’

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Cricket and Cocktails

Friday 22 June 2018 What a lovely way to finish Cricket Week with our Old Birkfeldians playing our 1st XI. Thank you to everyone who took part, it was fantastic to see so many familiar faces returning to the College.

Well done Old Boys!

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Saturday 30 June Summer Ball

This year’s Summer Ball was held in sight of the Orwell Bridge at The Cookhouse, Suffolk Food Hall.

It was a fun evening during which we raised over ÂŁ1500 for Arabella Scannell, a pupil in Reception who is currently being treated for leukaemia.

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Old Boys/Girls Rugby and Hockey Matches Friday 19 October 2018

While the rugby saw the triumph of experience over youth, the tables were turned in the hockey, were our 1XI beat the Old Girls This year’s Rugby Festival started on Friday 19 October with the Old Boys and Girls rugby and hockey matches. The Over 23s once again beat the Under 23s 26-17 in the rugby game and our current 1st XI narrowly defeated the Old Girls 2-1 in the hockey match. As well as being extremely close both games highlighted some fantastic skills.

The evening finished off with many Old Birkfeldians catching up with old friends over a few beers. Thank you to everyone who helped make this evening run smoothly.

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St Joseph’s College 32nd National Schools Rugby Festival

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‘Top quality rugby played with superb sportsmanship’ St Joseph’s College hosted its 32nd annual Rugby Festival. This event has grown exponentially both in the number of visitors to the school’s beautiful campus and also online with, to date, 46,000 views of its live stream and 44,000 views of the Festival website from 77 different countries.

The competition was won by Royal Grammar School Newcastle, the first time in their history that they have lifted the De La Salle Trophy. They beat the pre-tournament favourite, Millfield, 17-9 in the final, making it back-to-back final defeats for the Somerset side.

St Joseph’s College had a fantastic tournament, reaching the Cup Groups, where they faced the might of Millfield, Brighton College, and Dulwich College. They may not have won through to the final, but they were given reason to cheer when winger Louis Martin was presented with the Try of the Tournament award.

Mr Anthony O’Riordan, Director of Sport at the College said, ‘This was a weekend of top quality rugby played with superb sportsmanship with the elite of schools’ rugby represented on our outstanding sport pitches.’

Mrs Danielle Clarke, Principal of St Joseph’s added, ‘The positive family and community atmosphere, as well as the quality and incredible growth of this event, are a reflection of the College and its journey to date. It was fabulous to welcome so many visitors, including former students, families and staff, as well as local businesses.’

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Mrs Clarke and Mrs Lee visit China!

Mrs Clarke and Mrs Lee, our International Liaison Officer, went to China to meet up with many international alumni whilst visiting Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei, among them Brian Tsung Han Yu from Taiwan, pictured here in his tea factory. Brian left St Joseph’s in 2007. Also pictured here with Mrs Clarke is Martin McDonagh, who left St Jo's in 1992 and has been living in China for 12 years.

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What they did next Jon Atkinson - Old Birkfeldian My family connections with the College go back a quite a few years to the late fifties when my brother Robert attended the school. My sister Mary attended Sixth Form in the late sixties. My turn came in 1966 at Oakhill, and then Birkfield, from 1970 to 1975. In the nineties and the new millennium, it became the turn of my girls, Sarah and Rebecca. Rebecca attended all the way through and was present when Prep moved first to Goldrood then into Birkfield.

We all have our different experiences and memories of the place, some good and some not as good. My memories include the bus and train journeys from Felixstowe, walking up the hill to school and back down again in the evening… walking from Oakhill to the sports pitches at Birkfield for our sports afternoons… wearing a suit in winter, a blazer in summer and of course the ever throw-able and losable school cap… the excitement of looking up fixtures and rugby teams for the term. Then there was weekend training, school matches and getting a roasting for wearing red-soled Georgie Best shoes!

On leaving, I joined the Army and found myself in West Germany on tanks (so much fun). Operational tours of Northern Ireland, being part of NATO and the Cold War, then getting married and starting a family. I moved back to the UK as a military vehicle test driver, at which point I decided it was about time I got a real job. In went an application to fly helicopters for the Army. What followed was even better than before, flying in Germany, Canada, Bosnia, Croatia, Northern Ireland and, of course, the UK. I finally ended up at Wattisham Airfield, living in Ipswich of all places!

In need of a real job once again, I flew helicopters for the Met Police, flying mostly over London and Surrey, before settling into a delightfully convenient position back at Wattisham. This time I was flying for the police in East Anglia; 17 very happy and fulfilling years doing something I am extremely proud to have done.

In part because of St Joseph’s, I am who I am.

I am not so sure I would have had the confidence to go out and get what I wanted, seizing the opportunities and running with them, if I had perhaps attended a different school. Who knows?

A good measure for me is, would I do it all again?

In a heartbeat!

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Up and coming dates 25 January - Launch of So St Jo’s, Coffee morning 8:30am 29 January - 1 February - Hairspray the Musical, DanceEast 1 March - Family Bingo at the College 6:30pm 30 March - Whole School Open Morning 12 April - Fashion Re:Boot at St Joseph's College 6:00 pm If you have a story you would like to share, or would be happy to come and give an inspiration talk to our students then we would love to hear from you, please email OBS@Stjos.co.uk Please follow us on

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Editor Lucy Bolton

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