Category: Woodbridge News
Everyone’s a winner! Records set! Marvellous new categories (gender neutral, though bear-centric on occasion)… and no speeches of thanks – or nearly none!
What a great evening it was – our thanks to the fab hosts, the sparkling performers – the happy, the sad, the confused, the angry, the musical, the tragic, the thoughtful, the modest, and the opposites of all the above. For that is the beauty of LAMDA – variety in a nutshell: a nutshell containing a cornucopia of delicious theatrical treats in miniature.
Congratulations one and all to the ‘junior’ showcasers – you have set the bar splendidly high for yourselves and your futures; and congratulations to Mrs Lockwood and Mrs Franklin on all that you help our budding Oscarators achieve.
…And the search for enlightenment, or for knowledge of the unknowable. Or just for a happy ending? With charming and beguiling grace our five players set the scene: a family full of love and hope but few prospects seeking solace in each other and in storytelling. And what a story… the separated talents left searching fruitlessly without ‘sight’; the sightless searcher succeeding through unshakeable belief. One may fail, one may be thwarted; but with belief comes the courage to continue, to be resilient, and ultimately to find. The story’s end saw its family reunited and the philosopher’s stone secured; the story’s message saw the storytellers’ hopes renewed, and a feeling that their prospects are on the turn. Here’s to their success, to their prosperity, and, ultimately, to their love for each other! Hurrah!
Many congratulations to our Sixth Form quintet on their beautifully wrought rendering of this uplifting folk tale – they brought wit and warmth, and a glorious burst of springtime to a chilly March evening!
Sophie reports:
On the sunny morning of Wednesday 13 March, the Year 8s went on an amazing trip to BT Adastral Park in Martlesham as part of British Science Week.
After introductions and a brief safety talk we were straight off to the Innovation Centre, where companies owned by BT had setup a small mock shop to demonstrate futuristic technology and examples of electronics and wiring in everyday life. We visited a bank with a hologram for a worker; we went to BT Pulse where we met Double, a mobile iPad on wheels which allows workers across the world to be in the same room and work together; and we learnt how drones are currently being used and what businesses are having to consider in terms of security and flight space. It was fascinating to find out about the products and systems that already make jobs easier, as well as those we can expect to see soon in stores, hospitals and more!
After the tour we headed back to the main hall to explore a huge variety of exhibits. Opportunities abounded, from Space Race challenges, to the Adastral Park’s Ambulance Team’s heart rate machine! I had a go on quite a few of the wonderful exhibits, but my favourites were the Explorer Robots, where you had the chance to program the Bee Bots to complete a challenging course. I also loved the Learning in 360 Degrees exhibit, and wearing the Virtual Reality headsets to see around a virtual workplace – it was a lot of fun, even if I did come out feeling a little dizzy! There was something for everyone.
Then it was back to the main hall for the presentations. Loads of people from Woodbridge School won prizes for taking part in the various activities, including a first place for ‘The Lears’ team who managed to reach the Sun in the Space Race. Sadly, and all too soon, it was time to say goodbye and head back to the buses after a lovely, inspiring morning at Adastral Park. The staff were helpful and kind and were always suggesting great activities for us to take part in. It was a great trip and a fantastic way to celebrate British Science Week! Thank you to Mrs Calver and the teachers who took us on this trip! I really enjoyed it!
For the first time in 30 years, Woodbridge CCF has reached the CCF National Competition, and for the first time ever the school team has become the top CCF RAF drill team in the country out of 220 schools. 15 Schools took part in the the National Competition.
The School will now represent the RAF Air Cadets as the only CCF team in the Air Cadets National drill competition at RAF Honington in November. This competition is formed out of the 900 ATC units in the country reduced down to 6, meaning that out of 40,000 cadets across the country, Woodbridge CCF is not only the best CCF RAF drill team, but in the top 7 out of over 1000 cadet units as a whole.
The children’s World Book Day costumes have turned The Abbey into a wonderfully vibrant celebration of their favourite reading books. The day started with a fun filled assembly in which the winning costumes were announced and prizes awarded. The children watched the staff share their favourite stores and a scene from George’s Marvellous Medicine was acted out on stage. Mr Fernley was very convincing in his role as Grandma! Many exciting reading themed events took place during the day and at break and lunchtime the children took part in a reading treasure hunt within the school grounds. Happy World Book Day everyone!
We travelled to Ipswich High on a glorious afternoon and knew we had to be on our game to win this tournament but also knew that we had it in ourselves to do so. We started off playing St Joseph’s and from the very beginning played well and dominated them. This was a comfortable victory with all of the girls playing their part.
Next it was Ipswich High and they gave us a run for our money to start with, but we stayed calm! Maddie and Steph put in some great shots and Ruby distributed the ball well in the centre. Lily and Ada played well in defence, passing the ball securely up to Maggie and Chloe. Sure enough, we came out on top, knowing our next game would be our toughest.
Ipswich School have some strong players but Libbie, Esme, Izzy all played really well and kept possession of the ball vitally when we were ahead. But Ipswich then pulled it back to one score behind… we were counting down the seconds (well the Dads on the side-line were!) … and the hooter went at last! Phew.
Our last game was against our B team and the girls played really well and it was so good to see them all on a court together.
Well done, girls, a great display of netball, team work, belief and determination. You are a pleasure to coach and here’s to the next fixture!
The FitzGerald Society is Woodbridge School’s Junior Oxbridge programme for academic highfliers who seek intellectual challenges beyond the curriculum. Events so far have included an afternoon discussing arsenic poisoning, as well as trips to the British Museum, the Wellcome Collection and a University of Cambridge Year 10 Open Day. On Friday 1st March, the Science Lecture Theatre was transformed into the Royal Courts of Justice for the main Lent Term event – a Moot (or mock law trial). We were particularly fortunate in having three extremely eminent legal guests present: the Rt Hon Sir John Waite (formerly of the Court of Appeal), Mr Justice Beaumont (ex-Recorder of London) and Mr Justice Bevan (formerly of the Old Bailey). They were joined by Mr Finbow, Chairman of the Seckford Foundation and George Vestey, the High Sheriff of Suffolk.
The audience (from Years 7, 8, 9 and 11, plus parents and friends) made up the jury and were treated to a display of impassioned debate and close interrogation from the two legal teams (who were in wigs and gowns, thanks to the generosity of various parents). However, unlike in normal courtroom dramas, the cast had not learned lines from a script. The barristers had been presented with a series of witness statements, police documents, and summaries of various laws. From that, they had to decide who was to be called to give evidence, to formulate what questions to ask the witnesses, and to anticipate what the other side might ask on cross-examination. Moreover, the prosecution had to consider the difference between Murder, Unlawful Act Manslaughter, and Child Destruction, as well as which would be the most appropriate charge against the defendant. (The defendant, Michael Attleborough, had stabbed his pregnant girlfriend in the abdomen. The baby was born prematurely, and the defendant was accused of causing its death.)
Similarly, the witnesses had to work out what their responses would be to likely questions, and there were some superb character studies of 999 operatives and police officers, medical experts, an uncertain shopkeeper, a loyal – but hilariously nasty – sister, and the aggrieved (or aggravating?) girlfriend. The judge gave a studied and fair summing-up, and then it was over to the jury. Was Attleborough (currently serving four years’ imprisonment in Ipswich jail for GBH) guilty of Manslaughter? The jury’s excitement was palpable as they argued with each other. Guilty – he’s a wrong ’un. Not Guilty – the medical evidence isn’t strong enough. Guilty – he stabbed her in the abdomen. Not Guilty – the baby was born two weeks after the attack and he didn’t intend to harm it. So the arguments flowed this way and that, all showing how much evidence the jurors had absorbed. Finally, the vote was called and the verdict was announced. Not Guilty: 44; Guilty: 25. So the defendant was free – to return to jail.
With the verdict delivered, it was the turn of our learned guests to speak about the Moot. All agreed that it had been of a very high standard. Mr Justice Beaumont made some valuable remarks about procedure. Mr Justice Bevan commented on how very convincing barristers, judge and witnesses had been. The Rt Hon Sir John Waite echoed these statements, asking how many schools would take time out of a busy curriculum to undertake such a worthwhile endeavour. He ended with a clarion call for us all to consider the value of the Rule of Law: This is the administration of Justice; this is an embodiment of the British tradition of fair play; this is the Rule of Law on which all our liberties are founded. And how hard and terrible a life it would be for us all if the Rule of Law did not prevail as it does in this country.
Quite. And to judge from the enthusiasm of the participants and audience alike, Moots – and all the benefits which they bring – are here to stay at Woodbridge.
Many, many congratulations to Asmee who did exceptionally well in this year’s national Intermediate Maths Challenge for pupils in Years 9 to 11. She was best in school, even though still only in Year 9, with a magnificent score of 93 which earned her a gold award and a place in the follow-on Cayley round for the best Year 9s in the nation.
Also earning gold awards and our congratulations were Saif (91 and best in Year 11), Nathaniel and Billy in Year 11, and Rachel (91 and best in Year 10), Molly, Katie and Nina in Year 10 all of whom qualify to sit the international Pink Kangaroo paper.
Silvers were awarded to Ka Yeung, Amy, Elise and Archie in Year 9, Samuel, Ho Kan, Ariane, Seb, George, Oliver, Reace, Tilly and Talia in Year 10, and Maddie, Hal, Charlie, Medomfo and Ianthe in Year 11. Congratulations!
And bronzes were awarded to Milo, Henry, Lucy, Tanya, Honor, Khushi and Isabella in Year 9, William, Ramtin, James, Ella, Charlie, Lily, Tom, Thomas, Beatrice and Billy in Year 10, and Sophie H, Sophie G, Saffron, Charlotte, Charles, Georgia, Joshua B and Joshua R in Year 11. And congratulations once again!
All 30 Year 9 Spanish Intensive students visited the Europa Centre on Wednesday 27 February. This is a slightly bizarre building in the Upminster area which contains a replica Spanish town. The pupils were split up into small groups and were taken round the ‘town’ by Spanish natives to ask questions in Spanish and practise role plays, for example at the train station, in the hotel or at the travel agency. The teachers heard some fabulous Spanish being spoken by pupils, and were very impressed by their enthusiasm. Hopefully this experience has whetted their appetite for the Spanish study trip to Salamanca in June where they will also be thrown into lots of Spanish speaking and listening for the week! Special mention to Jacob, Sophia and Milo who won the ‘Missing Person’ competition by asking and understanding various questions and replies in Spanish to identify a missing person. Well done to all pupils on a very successful day and hopefully a boost to their confidence!
What a time we had!
Thursday at the turning circle: five in the morning doesn’t feel so early when the weather is good and the Coach drivers Chris and Martin are so cheery and welcoming. Many roads, one ferry and thirteen hours later we arrived in Cologne to a friendly welcome and fine dinner at our splendid Jugendherberge. The perfect journey preluded a perfect tour!
Friday dawned beautiful – indeed the weather throughout our stay was glorious – unbroken blue skies and crisp summer sun to banish any wintry chill. The walk across the Rhine towards the soaring Gothic masterpiece that is the Cathedral could not have been more inspiring: the breath-taking space once inside quite overwhelming. And to think we were not simply tourists here, but guests, choristers for Midday Prayers (after a quick busk outside!). And the acoustic. Oh my goodness… voices rising higher and higher, further and further. What a privilege to perform there; what a memory. Quickly followed by a dizzying ascent to the top of one of the dreaming spires for views to horizons barely contemplated below. And there was a trip to the famous Chocolate Museum as well. What a day… so far! Because soon after we were off to Heimersheim to perform in the ancient Pfarrkirche St Mauritius. A beautiful setting in which a small but perfectly formed and immensely appreciative audience delighted in the Chamber Orchestra’s brilliant performances and the Choir’s equally mesmerising repertoire. And our reward was a fabulously convivial dinner in the local Hotel zum Stern – no mean feat feeding forty famished folk so (e)fficiently.
Saturday took us to Bonn and a rendezvous with Beethoven (or at least his death mask, his birth house and a host of fascinating memorabilia besides). The Namen-Jesu-Kirche was fabulous: over three hundred years of history, beautiful spaces, glorious decoration, and another splendid acoustic. Lily used her fluent German to brilliant effect while the orchestra rehearsed to encourage passing trade to return for our concert. And another busk in the market square elicited great applause and one besotted baby, transfixed by Miss Weston’s conducting and the choir in full voice. The evening concert was majestic, presented this time to an audience worthy of its quality – the pews were full and the appreciation rapturous. It was a wonderful event and our thanks go once again to our hosts for such kindness and generosity.
Sunday meant Koblenz, an enormous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm, a cable car ride above a misty confluence of the Moselle and Rhine to a castle-topped hill across the waters. And then a quick trip to Andernach for our final concert to be given in the extremely modern Kreuzkirche – unprepossessing from the outside in its concrete carapace, but beguilingly spacious and beautifully wrought on the inside with glorious stained glass and finely panelled woodwork. The welcome was every bit as warm and welcoming, and the audience passionate and plentiful. The concert performances of orchestra and choir were as good as they had ever been, and with an acoustic just a little softer than on previous occasions the musicianship was even more brilliantly presented. Indeed, in response to Millie’s lovely speech in excellent German, the residents were moved to say that they had not hosted such a fine concert in all their long memories, their long and heart-felt applause testimony to the truth of that claim.
Marvellous.. and then it was Monday and a journey equally smooth to bring us and our wonderful memories safely home.
Many, many thanks to Mr Milton, Miss Weston, Mr Turner, Miss Alzapiedi, Mrs Hornsby and Mr Cole for their organisation, conducting (of course!) and care; and many more congratulations to our wonderful orchestra and choir for performing so well, and for being such a pleasure to tour alongside.