Month: January 2016

This week the Reception children took The Magic Carpet back in time. The have been learning all about what it was like to live in a castle long ago. They have particularly enjoyed dressing up as knights and princesses!

Tuesday saw the second meeting of the Academic Society in which Mr Cottrell spoke on the subject of ‘Science is the answer?’. In his inimitable way (references to a significant OW, deep fried canary, eel reproduction, Norwich Football Club and lots of ‘jokes’) Mr Cottrell spoke about the advances that science has enabled in terms of medicine, understanding the world around us and advancing the comfort with which humans live their lives. He also spoke about the potential science has to solve current and future problems. He explained how if the history of the universe was seen as the width of the Science Lecture Theatre (about five metres) then human existence would cover the width of a piece of paper. Within that the scientific approach is so recent that one can argue if science has achieved so much in such a short space of time, what can be achieved in the future?

However, Mr Cottrell presented a far more sceptical view of science than many of us had expected. He argued we tend to trust scientists and that there have been frequent examples of scientists falsifying data (for a variety of reasons). Scientific understanding is still exceptionally crude and future generations will look back and laugh at many of our explanations. It would take 13.7 billion light years to travel from one edge of the known universe to the other but so far the one of the greatest achievement of humans is imaging the Earth from five and a half light-hours ‘away’. Equally much of science is controlled by big business. Should it be? If not should it be scientists, governments, the voters, or the big corporations who decide what science should and shouldn’t do? Thought provoking stuff.

In questions Mr Cottrell was asked ‘If he could be a particle, which would he be?’. His answer, ‘a preon’. Of course!

Any of our parents and skiers (not just junior trippers) may like to join the pre-meeting ‘shop opportunity’ at the forthcoming junior ski trip meeting.  Tuckwell Room 6.45 on Tuesday 19 January with Top Gear/Surfanic.  Top Gear is an independent, family run business and has been providing ski wear into schools for over 30 years; Surfanic International design and manufacture leading edge ski/snowboarding clothing and accessories.  The partnership offers excellent school discounts on outstanding ski and snowboarding wear as well as expert advice and a reliable service.

Many congratulations to our Y8 pupil, Hugo Thomas, who has been selected for The Suffolk Hockey Squad at U14.  Next week we hope to congratulate many more of you for making the various Suffolk Hockey squads – the names are coming in thick and fast!

A number of Woodbridge School pupils represented the School against the best Suffolk Clubs at the annual County Cross Country Championships held at Heveningham Hall.

U11s are not able to progress to Nationals but our two athletes deserve special mention:

U11 Girls – Amy Goddard – Suffolk Champion!

U11 Boys – Tommy Burrows – Bronze Medal (Running a year up)

In the U13 and above a top 8 finish guarantees selection to represent Suffolk at the Nationals:

U15 Girls – Sarah Barker – 4th (Running a year up)

U15 Boys – Nathan Goddard – 4th (Running a year up)

U20 Men – Connor Grant – 4th (Running a year up)

U15 Girls – Millie Buckingham -5th (Running a year up)

U13 Boys – Henry Dinwiddy – 5th (Running a year up)

U15 Girls – Amy Graham – 7th (Running a year up)

U13 Boys – Edward Rufford – 8th (Running a year up)

7 County vests with everyone running in the same age group next year!

Equally impressive results from everyone else on the day:

U15 Boys – George Rufford – 11th (Running a year up)

U13 Girls – Sophie Graham – 18th

U13 Girls – Victoria Burrows – 20th

U15 Boys – Daniel Davies – 21st (running a year up)

U15 Boys – Alex Evans Lombe – 23rd (running a year up)

U13 Boys – Thomas Liddy – 30th (Running a year up)

To round off a successful day the Woodbridge School U15 Girls won the County Team Silver Medal defeating a number of the larger County Club teams!

Please join us at what looks set to be a wonderful concert on Saturday April 2, 7.30pm in the School Hall.  Sea Fever features a swashbuckling array of nautically inspired British songs from Vaughan Williams to Benjamin Britten.  Chris Dollins (baritone) and Frances Ringer OW, and graduate of the London School of Music (piano).  Tickets (£8) available on the door or via 01394 387041.

Host families are required for seven French students (all between 13 and 14 years old) for eight days from 4-12 February 2016, as part of the French exchange. A small remuneration package is available. Please contact Mrs Chandler if you are able to accommodate one or more students.

The poet, Jean Sprackland, said, “Learn a poem by heart and it becomes part of you. Speak a poem aloud and you become part of its life in the world”.

Poetry By Heart is a national poetry competition for Years 10 to 13 now in its fourth year. On Tuesday the first round took place in school. Each participant chose two poems from a wide-ranging anthology, and recited them before an audience made up of supportive friends, English teachers and a clutch of Year 9s who clearly have the competition in their sights next year! The five participants recited poems by Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, Robert Burns, William Henley and Jacob Polley, to name a few. Their fantastic efforts can be viewed online. The winner and runner up will be announced in Assembly on Monday, however Mrs Davis would like to thank all five who took part – Sam Bryant, Hazel Brown-Balaam, Daniella Elman, Jamie Saul and Lia Schreiber – and also Rhiannon Humphreys who, although not a competitor herself, joined the five others, contributing some inspired reading of poems of her own choice. She said, “This is a venture that will grow and grow and these students will have certainly inspired more to participate next year. Woodbridge is a school where students are willing to take a risk, knowing that they will be encouraged and recognised for the efforts that they make.” Deputy Head, Miss Norman added, “Listening to poetry for half an hour was a wonderful indulgence.”