Category: Senior School News
The Classical Association is a national body which represents Classicists from universities and schools. They recently held a competition, in which pupils had to write a poem or create a piece of visual art inspired by an original artefact from the Greek or Roman world. With considerably over two hundred entries from schools across the country, Woodbridge has done very well indeed.
In the poetry category, Felix Vogel (Yr 13) and Caitlyn Maggs (7D) both received a special commendation. (See below for their poems.)
In the Art category, Arthur Green (7D) was awarded third prize, and will receive £50 in book tokens.
Felix, Caitlyn and Arthur’s work will be on display at the Classical Association Annual Conference in April and will also be published in the book which will accompany the exhibition. Five other pupils have also been selected to have their work published and put on display. They are:
Isobel Goudy (8Y), Sophie Fry (7A), James Williams, George Na Nakhorn and Abhiram Durbakula (all 7D).
The judges said that the quality of the entries was “terrifyingly high”, but they were really impressed by the Woodbridge entries. They specifically stated: “Congratulations to everyone for their stellar efforts”.
This is a most impressive achievement on the part of our pupils and we are very proud of the fact that so many top academics will see their work on display at the April Conference.
ESAA National Cup Champion – Ruby Vinton!
On Saturday 25 November, Amy Goddard, Anna Jackson, Willa Cole, Iris Morton, Ella Pitt and Ruby Vinton travelled down excitedly in the school minibus to Sevenoaks to compete in the ESAA National Cross Country Championships. This was the 2nd year in a row for Amy and Anna to compete at the Nationals (as last year we were in Formby, Liverpool), so they knew what to expect. This team of Junior Girls had worked hard in the previous rounds both at the County and Regional competitions, so to make it through to Nationals was a superb achievement. 27 schools throughout the UK made it through to the finals, out of 580 school entries.
After a gentle walk around the course, the girls were ready for the challenge. With the teams all lined up in their pens waiting patiently for the starting gun, shivering due to the frosty and cold conditions, the girls knew they had to have a good start – especially as 100metres into the course, there was a slight incline which narrowed so needed to ensure they were in a good position. The girls tried to fight their way through but found it tough, however, they continued to battle and fight as hard as they could. Throughout the race, the girls were each picking off other competitors, to try and ensure we had four good scores (as four out of the six runners placing counted towards the final position). In the last 400metres, what happened next was short of a miracle. Ruby Vinton (who was competing a year young – as well as being one of the smallest runners!) was in 7th place. The determination on her face and pure grit was phenomenal. In the last 200 metres, Ruby was on fire, overtaking 6th place, 5th place, 4th place, 3rd place and then 2nd place to ensure she was in a medal winning position. Millfield’s runner was approaching the finish line in 1st place, although had slowed down, thinking she had won…all of a sudden, Ruby sprinted straight past her to take 1st place…what an achievement! Not even out of breath! Tears were flowing as what had just happened was barely believable. Definitely one of the best finishes of the competition. This spurred the other team members to push hard for the last 400 metres and so they did. Amy finished in 67th position, Anna in 115th, Willa 146th, Ella 150 and Iris 152. An excellent team effort, girls, well done! The team finished 23rd overall out of 27. We look forward to next year as the National Finals will be at Woodbridge when we play host.
Thank you to all the parents who travelled down to Sevenoaks to support the team, and to Mark Goddard for geeing the girls up and preparing them so perfectly for the race.
Mary Godfrey and Chris Long report: The twelve Woodbridge School pupils with Mrs Shanahan and Dr Ruggiero, had a highly successful trip to the Paris International Model United Nations Conference. Whether it was Abi Crane in the Security council trying to solve the complex issue of achieving stability on the Korean peninsula, or Sam Kill and Callum Sycamore working together to pass clauses to solve the problem of rising rates of automation. The energy at this conference was truly unique with delegates from 23 different countries. It was so exciting to have the opportunity to meet and debate with like-minded individuals from such a diverse set of backgrounds, it was truly mind broadening meeting with people from Saudi Arabia and America and hearing their very different opinions on different global issues. In a world filled with nations intent on pursing further isolationism, it is truly inspiring that there were 600 pupils and numerous teachers from all over the world willing to give their time to ‘work toward the new world order’(which was the conferences aim).
All our delegates contributed brilliantly: whether it was Sophie Little and Daniella Elman debating the virtues of ecotourism, and sustainable development in developing countries or Mary Godfrey working her way through the complex issues surrounding medical intellectual property rights, and how to limit them and then the question of infrastructure’s effect on education (all three at their first conference) or the seasoned debaters Ben Weston and Josh Cole working toward a peaceful solution to the South China sea crisis. As a NATO country, France’s delegates were vital to the passing of constructive clauses, and delegates often found themselves being influential in their blocs. Venezuela were part of the Arab League and again found ways of using influential comments and working with France to better their clauses. In the general assembly, Josh Cole, as a delegate of France submitted and presented an amendment, to a resolution submitted by USA on climate change, and the entire delegation helped to form an alliance with many European countries. All of us learnt so much about international relations, debating and humanity from this conference and had a lot of fun doing so! As an added bonus Chris Long won Best Delegate of the Human Rights committee, for his work on redrafting the UNHDR. A total of 5 clauses submitted by our delegates were passed, so all in all a fantastic weekend, which has left all of us inspired to continue working toward a more equitable world.
Many congratulations to Eleanore who was recently spotted by one of the Royal Ballet principal dancers, Sander Blommaert, who offered her some personalised training. She has been up to London a couple of times so far and is absolutely loving it!
Emily Barker, Jason Li, Tara Harley and Jonathan Ferguson took on the mathematical might of East Anglia at this year’s Regional senior team maths challenge hosted by Northgate this week. In over two hours of intensive and very draining competition (all ferociously against the clock, and with complex and intricate systems of linked questions to ensure that the teams really did have to work as teams), our quartet placed consistently in the top six of the 19 teams each round and finished a very creditable sixth overall behind winners RGS Colchester (who – to be fair to them – scored a perfect total, an almost unheard of achievement). Our team achieved well over 80% and but for some errors caused by the constant pressure might have even sneaked into the medal positions; and they certainly ate more of the refreshments on offer than most of the opposition. As we drove back, it occurred to me that we came in the top 1/3 in each of three sections – which, probabilistically would only happen 1/27 of the time by chance… and with 18 teams that means we were really first. But we let RGS claim the honours.
I never was very good at maths.
‘It’s the Dome, but not as we know it, Scotty…’
So might Captain Kirk have said on being transported to our Fair on Saturday. It felt like a city centre in microcosm: neat streets back to back with over sixty enterprises advertising their wares to a bustling array of families, teenagers and young adults all bent on defining (or redefining) their futures. The sense of energy and purposefulness was invigorating, and the welcomes given wherever one turned were genuinely warm and full of passion for what was on offer. From start-ups to the very well known, from local to nation to international, from apprenticeships to universities, from hi-tech and digital to care and service.
The flow of visitors was fantastic, right from the start, and there was barely a quiet moment on any of the stands; regular talks on matters such as finance, apprenticeships and interviews fed into the day as well and made sure that everyone left with plenty to think about, contacts to pursue, and ideas to explore.
Many, many thanks to the quite brilliant organising team under the leadership of Mrs Brown and Mrs Woodmansee, to the prefects who kept the day so well on course for visitors unfamiliar to our site, and of course to the exhibitors who gave their time so enthusiastically (and in such style) to make the occasion go with the swing that it did.
And if you were there, our thanks to you too for taking up such a great opportunity: you were one of over five hundred to make the best possible use of the occasion.
Kirton Church Hall was full to bursting on Friday night: the residents clearly remembered the previous visit of our Swing Band, and they were keen to relish an equally wonderful reprise. And the evening proved to be that and more – far more!
With the full band top and tailing the concert, as well as opening the second half, with a heady mix of the familiar, the jaunty, the lyrical and the boisterous, we were treated additionally to a rich and eclectic quartet of smaller groups: the Saxophone Ensemble, the Brass Ensemble, Trombosis (Mr Shepherd particularly proud to have a sextet of trombones to present!) and Lewis Chinn’s brainchild The Second Line Band playing Sweet Dreams.
One of the delights of the Swing Band concerts, above and beyond the supreme musicianship on offer, is the opportunity they offer our young players to take little solos within the pieces, some pre-written, some more improvised – but all adding a touch of personality to the renditions. The ripples of applause which greet them are part of the style of swing and jazz, and in this case presaged far more prolonged applause at the end. Encore, encore! And they did! Many congratulations one and all – players and conductor – for a quite fantastic evening, one which left the Master of Ceremonies almost lost for words. Almost, but not quite – enough certainly to deliver abundant gratitude and huge admiration in equal measure.
…And virtually no idea about what was going on, and why, or between whom. But it hardly mattered, because the beauty of farce is that a tightly wrought plot, though essential, is also, counterintuitively, almost irrelevant. I think it all made sense; I even think I worked out how the miraculously beguiling Francis (Henshall – can’t be dealing with first names) came to have two such eminently captivating guvnors in Rachel and Stanley and why it mattered they each in their own turn didn’t know; I know that I sat there laughing and sniggering, and occasionally worrying for Alfie’s wellbeing. Brighton in 1963 was clearly quite a complicated place, and gangsters and their molls, being often more interested in brawn than a brainier alternative struggled with … higher order skills. Unless they’d been to boarding school. Or were budding ACTORS.
Our cast captured their confusions, pretensions and delusions with a wonderful lightness of touch, and delivery so slick it was truly professional. It’s a fantastic script, laced with running gags that get funnier through repetition, and visual gags that take the breath away – and to deliver them so well, while maintaining a ferocious pace, and yet give the plot the space to breath at least some semblance of a reality over its audience was masterful. The players gave their all, having earned every second of the rapturous response as the curtain fell.
So what actually happened? Well, in a nutshell… um… Charlie and Harry wanted Pauline to marry Alan, despite Stanley killing Rachel’s brother meaning that Rachel had to dress as the man Pauline had to marry, despite Lloyd spotting the deception from the start. This in turn meant there was money owed, and Dolly needed to make sure it got paid, but not before she and Francis (the ham in the sandwich, as served by Gareth, obviously) had their holiday thanks to Alfie’s trip to Thomas Cook’s. Not forgetting the Mashed Potatoes. Got it?
Our thanks, admiration, and lengthy applause go to the extremely fine cast, crew and directors on a wonderful, wonderful tour de ‘farce’.
Many congratulations to our certificate winners in this year’s UK Senior Mathematics Challenge. Five gained gold: Jason Li (best in school with 103), Emily Barker (just behind with 102), John Xu of Year 12 (best in year), William Emery, and Brendan Bennett of Year 11 (best in year). They all earn qualification for the Senior international Kangaroo competition later in the academic year.
Silvers were awarded to Year 13s: Samuel Newman, Suki Chen, Alp Arioglu, Michael Dixon, Matthew Gerry, Cathy Dong, Christy Lee and Abigail Crane; and Year 12s Tara Harley, Sophie Little, Phoebe Ye, Daniel Hempstead and Mary Godfrey.
Bronzes were awarded to Year 13s: William Clarke, Alex Dye, Fynn Kiley and Thomas Emmerson; Year 12s Chisom Oguamanam, Callum Sycamore, William Smith, Jonathan Ferguson, Danny Cai, Cindy Lu, Ruslan Fokichev, Harry Hobday, Jessica Bowers, Jude Asken, Pamika Jianpinitnan, Andy Xiao and Daniella Elman; and Year 11s Amy Knight and Oliver Phelan.
This week in Science Club, we tried an amazing experiment called ‘FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!’ We were given some measuring tubes, a tray, three powders, and three liquids. All we had to do was record on paper which reactions of the powders and liquids created the most foam in the shortest time. This was very exciting as not all of the combinations created foam, but when they did, it spilled out of the measuring tubes (that was what the tray was for)! Some of the powders and liquids were quite safe to use, while others you needed to be more careful with. To find out how to do it yourself, or to find out which reactions work, come to Science Club in C3 from 1:15-45 on a Thursday.
I’ll see you there!
Oliver Laxton