Category: Senior School News
What a fantastic event for our fifty keen, enthusiastic and confident boys and girls! For many this was their first experience of such huge numbers of runners in each race – over 250 from around 30 schools each time – and they did brilliantly, to help build our reputation as a growing and improving cross country school.
The Year 8 girls started brightly with Ruby continuing her recent run of victories with a confident performance to win by some 500m, smashing the race record by some 40 seconds. But it’s a team event with six to count: Isobel (5), Ada (24), Libbie (34) and Esme (41) all came in strongly having fought their way through the pack and the cold, and Mae (55), Kitty (66) and Lala (73) came in close behind having run together and pushed each other along well during the race.
The Year 8 boys’ team suffered a slightly disrupted race due to Hockey preparations, but Jonny and Moses represented the team and performed remarkably well in the hail, sleet and cold to produce finishes of 4th and 16th respectively.
The Year 7 girls were well represented and had seven runners participating as a team. Eloise (5) charged through the field after a cautious start and she was ably followed by Rose (14) Sophia (17) and Millie (28). Next came three runners who worked exceptionally hard as a mini team and eventually overtook a number of pupils in the later stages of the race, Violet (36), Rosie (39) and Phoebe (40) ensured that the team finished very strongly.
The Year 7 boys, after watching the girls, were inspired to perform to a high standard even though they could not be considered for the team prize, being only five runners. In the worst of the weather (which was horrendous) Ethan continued his impressive season finishing 3rd, with Jonjo (5) close behind. Jack (30) and Oliver (34) worked well together to battle through the elements and huge numbers of runners, and Oscar (50) continued to show great improvement this year with another excellent run.
Results
Year 5/6 Girls – 3rd Place
Year 5/6 Boys – 2nd Place
Year 7 Girls – 2nd Place
Year 7 Boys – No Place
Year 8 Girls – 5th Place
Year 8 Boys – No Place
Overall Results
Girls – 2nd Place
Boys – not placed
Congratulations to Honor who having put in an incredibly strong performance at the selection races in January, and winning the U14 ladies races at the Ambition Races and the Evolution Speed Races, has again been selected to represent Great Britain at Alpe Cimbra in March. This is a huge achievement as this is the competition in which the very best skiiers from the 45 key ski countries take part.
Photo Attribution: Jaco Duvekot
Following on from last year’s successes in the University of Leicester’s Artefact to Art competition, pupils in Year 7-9 Latin have been busy creating their own artistic re-interpretations of artefacts from Roman Britain. The competition allows pupils to submit poetry, short stories or art. As well as some very fine creative writing, some exceptional pieces of art have been created. These include shields, mosaics, statues, jewellery, a dress, a bronze mirror, pottery, a model farm and house, and a working Roman watermill. Little wonder that the response of the organiser of the competition was “WOW!”.
Congratulations to the following Y13 students who have achieved their level 3 qualification in sports leadership: Eleanor, Ellie, Mollie, Matty, James, Jess, Dom, Thea, Ben, Ella, Flora, Sam, Georgia and Lily.
In addition, Eleanor, James and Sam have been recognised for their volunteering hours and awarded a Spirit of Leadership Award.
On Thursday 10 January Woodbridge School played host to the third and final Suffolk Schools Cross Country trial.
Trials commenced in October, with almost 1800 athletes from 62 schools competing for a position in the team to represent Suffolk at the Anglian Schools in February and perhaps even England Schools in March. No fewer than 34 Woodbridge School athletes were amongst the 320 qualifying for this, the final trial, in our own grounds.
The exciting day comprised eight races across the age groups, with our own athletes winning six of the 24 individual medals awarded to top three finishers.
Based on finishing positions across the series we are hopeful that as many as 16 Woodbridge School athletes will represent Suffolk at the Anglian Schools in Northampton in February, and hopefully as many as 10 could make the final 48 to represent the County at England Schools in Leeds in March. For Woodbridge School to provide over 20% of the team would be a new milestone.
Congratulations to every athlete who competed through each trial; and a huge thank you to all parents, staff and athletes who helped deliver such a successful home event.
Our medal winners:
Gold – Ruby – Junior Girls
Gold – April – Inter Girls
Gold – Nathan – Senior Boys
Silver – Amy – Junior Girls
Silver – Alex – Senior Boys
Bronze – Kit – Inter Boys
Full results across the age groups:
Minor Girls:
7- Eloise
18 – Rose
21 – Lara
33- Millie
Minor Boys:
14 – Ethan
15 – James
19 – Jonjo
40 – Jack
45 – Arthur
48 – Oscar
Junior Girls :
Two medals above and
22 – Isobel
25 – Anna
Junior Boys:
7 – Henry
22- Edward
24 – Jonny
32 – Edward
41 – Fazil
Inter Girls:
Gold medal above and
5 – Jess
10 – Bea
20 – Ella
23 – Ashleigh
Inter Boys:
Bronze medal above and
4 Charlie
27 Tom
Senior Girls:
5 Sarah
Senior Boys:
Two medals above
Evelyn’s Father reports:
By way of quick update, Evelyn raised several hundred pounds for the Salvation Army this year, thanks in part to some very kind donations from the Woodbridge School community. In all, Evelyn was able to buy presents for 40 people who were homeless and/or lonely this Christmas and who celebrated Christmas Day with the Salvation Army in New Street, Woodbridge. Please could you extend our great thanks to the Woodbridge School community.
Congratulations to all those who took either Trinity or Associated Board Music Exams at the end of last term. We had a wonderful set of results that reflects the huge levels and breadth of talent within the school. Particular congratulations to the following who achieved with a merit or distinction in their exam:
Khushi (Y9) – grade 2 piano with merit
Sophie (Y8) – grade 3 piano with distinction
Ianthe (Y11) – grade 7 violin with distinction
Ianthe (Y11) – grade 8 Trumpet
Etiane (Y10) – grade 6 cello with distinction
Poppy (Y8) – grade 1 percussion with distinction
Jemima (Y13) – grade 7 singing with distinction
Madelaine (Y13) – grade 8 singing with distinction
Freddie (Y10) – grade 4 singing with merit
Hannah (Y13) – grade 8 singing with distinction
Amy (Y12) – grade 7 viola with distinction
Brendan (Y12) – grade 5 percussion with merit
Abby (Y10) – grade 7 flute with distinction
Charlotte (Y7) – grade 2 flute with merit
Florence (Y7) – grade 2 flute with merit
Abigail (Y7) – grade 3 clarinet with distinction
Henry (Y9) – grade 7 trombone with distinction
Jessica (Y10) – grade 4 singing with merit
Jasmine (Y8) – grade 7 cello with merit
James (Y7) – grade 5 cello with distinction
Julia (Y10) – grade 2 singing with merit
Toby (Y12) – grade 6 alto saxophone with distinction
Asmee (Y9) – grade 7 violin with distinction
Chloe (Y8) – grade 3 alto saxophone with merit
Iris (Y9) – grade 7 violin with merit
Sophie (Y10) – grade 1 piano with distinction
Sophie (Y10) Grade 4 Trumpet
Isla (Y8) – grade 2 singing with merit
Jade (Y10) – grade 3 violin with merit
Luke (Y12) – grade 4 percussion with merit
Thomas (Y10) – Grade 5 Trombone
Lucia (Y7) – Grade 3 violin
Toby (Y11) – Grade 6 Piano
Ianthe (trumpet), Madelaine (singing) and Hannah (singing) all achieved their grade 8 which is amazing.
Triumphant! Majestic!! Glorious!!!
Readers of my reviews will know I am not prone to hyperbole…
But I have to say…
In twenty-one years at Woodbridge School…
Few moments match Friday night.
You had to be there – better still for those of us lucky enough to be part of the performance (I do apologise, Mr Milton, for my personal take on about 20% of the bass line score).
Bitter cold without (even a hint of snow at one point); but a thousand candles within (and under-pew heating), and three hundred host of audience. A wonderful, wonderful setting (and here our sincere thanks to Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh for the splendid hospitality afforded us; and also to The White Hart, Blythburgh, for deliciously restorative warmth, hot chocolate and sweets in the afternoon; and to Henham Barns for the generous offer of parking space for our intrepid audience).
And then the performance itself – led by Mr Milton at an inspirational gallop that accentuated so brilliantly the stunning music, the joyful sense of dance in so many places, and the exalted text. This is the greatest story, and here it was told to breathtaking effect by our orchestra and chorus of staff, friends, OWs and pupils, and of course by our four outstanding soloists: Hilary Cronin, Nathan Mercieca, James Beddoe and Benedict Williams.
So many highlights, so many memories competing for space: the notes still tumble through me – not a moment seems to pass but another theme tricks me into an idle hum; Mejedi’s extraordinary trumpet solos singing out above the maelstrom; orchestral moments of calm; Jonathan’s timpani accentuating the drama; the harpsichord and organ, the strings and woodwind… and the voices. Those voices rising up and up to the rooftop angels – you could almost sense their wings coming to life in joyful response.
So, so many congratulations to so, so many people, but most of all to Mr Milton – for the extraordinary vision triumphantly realised. We are all immensely richer for the moment.
And now it’s a memory.
One to treasure.
It’s Mozart’s Requiem on Friday 29 March… Norwich Cathedral!
Woodbridge School Rifle Club recently returned to the Lord Roberts Shooting Centre at Bisley to compete in the BSSRA Winter Open. Seven pupils represented us there amongst the 228 individuals from 24 other competing schools. Many congratulations to our team of Luke, Henry, Noah, Charlie, Leon, Alfie and Natasha on their fine shooting, and in particular to Luke for gaining one of the coveted BSSRA Top Shot badges.
Over the last two weeks, members of the FitzGerald Society (Woodbridge’s Junior Oxbridge Programme) have been meeting to discuss James Whorton, The Arsenic Century. Pupils considered the mass use of arsenic in wallpaper and fabric colourants, as well as modern analogies. The level of industrial poisoning in Victorian times caused some surprise, as well as the ease with which arsenic was added to beer, sweets and cakes. Fortunately, the cake which graced our proceedings was guaranteed arsenic-free…
The next FitzGerald event will be the Alan Turing Cryptography Competition, run by the University of Manchester. This will be followed by a moot (mock law trial). Logic puzzles and problem-solving books are also available to borrow over Christmas.