Category: Woodbridge News
The run in to the finish for the league is proving exciting for the U13A team!
Against Ipswich High things could hardly have been closer: it was always going to go to the wire and we knew we had to win to give ourselves a chance in winning the league. We were down at quarter time 4-7 with the High gaining the early advantage but with some great attacking play and determination from Maddie, Steph and Esme we pulled our way back to draw level at half time. Libbie gained the measure of her GA and Ada was brilliant as GK. Ruby was, as ever, active around the whole court and did a fantastic job feeding the circle along with Izzy, Maggie and Chloe, helping them get the ball up the court. We went into the last quarter four goals up… could we hold our nerve? Yes, thank goodness and victory was secured by 22-20! It was a close run thing with only two goals in it but there were huge sighs of relief on the sidelines.
Next was Ipswich School… and another thriller…. full of pressure… and nerves. Although we were always chasing the game we had some fantastic periods of play and the girls did themselves and the school, (and Mrs Johnson!), (and all the parents on the sidelines!) really proud. Maddie showed her utter determination and worked well in the attack with Ruby, Esme, Steph and Izzy. The defence of Maggie, Chloe, Ada and Libbie showed that they work indomitably well together too – indeed no one’s effort ever flagged. In the end, though, Ipswich squeezed out the win by 15-14, so our A team now have to play our B team and score lots of goals to win the league. Now there’s a prospect!
The annual Staff vs Leavers football match is always an eagerly awaited contest and the large crowd on Tollers were treated to a gladiatorial epic. The Leavers took an early lead when Chisom outjumped everyone at a well delivered corner to powerfully head home from close range; was a thrashing on the cards? The Staff showed great resolve to thwart the early running of their much younger counterparts; Messrs Denvir, Capjon and Patten were strong at the back while Messrs Wright, Simpson and Walsh provided the steel in midfield. With half-time approaching a terrible mix-up in the Leavers defence led to a catastrophic own-goal and the sides went in at the break all-square. The second half saw a number of good chances at both ends but it took a very good goal to break the deadlock: Joe turned neatly on to his favoured right peg and unleashed an unsaveable shot into the far corner. Once again the staff came back as Mr Walsh fired one in-off the post to bring the score back to 2 – 2. The Staff were then awarded a penalty kick with some sections of the crowd accusing Mr Smith of simulation. Up stepped the “Inbetweener” – Mr Cotton – who saw his penalty well-saved by the excellent Ali. It wasn’t long before the Leavers found themselves in front again when the unlikely footballer Oliver W pounced upon a defensive error. But once again the Leavers were pegged back as Mr Denvir forced home a scrappy third after a goalmouth scramble. More chances came thick and fast at both ends with fatigued bodies (mainly Staff) being pushed to their limit. With time seemingly up, a Leavers’ long throw was not dealt with and Seb slammed home from close range with what turned out to be the last kick of the game. This was a game fought in excellent spirit and was superbly refereed by James; the final result 4 – 3, well played the Leavers!
The 1st XI hockey boys finished their season with a clinical performance against Langley. The match was played at a somewhat sedentary pace in the first half, allowing Woodbridge to put together a good passing game and score four textbook goals. The combination of excellent build up play in midfield to get the ball up the pitch, good forward leading and positioning and careful final passes did the trick. Woodbridge’s conversion rate was excellent and they made full use this time round of their chances. Oli B, Charlie M (2) and captain, Toby were the goal scorers in the first half, with Langley managing one in response rather against the run of play. The second half was quieter by contrast, but Joshua and Saxon (2) were on target to round off some fine team moves and rubber stamp a convincing victory.
Well done and thanks to each player for their commitment and effort in the season. So much progress was made and a true team was the result. Passion! Power! Persistence!
Congratulations to our four Year 13s who finished their Woodbridge School hockey career on a very positive note. Toby, Ollie, Dom and Saxon… you will be missed.
Won 41-25
We were delighted to come out on top in this high-scoring game: but it was a close run thing at first! Annie and Victoria fed some fantastic balls into the circle, and Saffron and Flora defended our defensive third brilliantly. Nell and Libby worked well in their usual partnership to score a goal after goal – so important for the league position – and Sophie H, and Amber held their nerve in the defensive circle. Well done, on a great afternoon… one more game to go!
This was semi-finals week… my goodness Mr Ben Parry, our adjudicator for the forthcoming final, has a tough job!
Many,
many congratulations to all those who have competed in this term’s
competition. Our juniors have set the standard with exuberant and
talented performances which hint of things to come; our intermediates have
shown the flowering of genius in all its variety; our seniors have simply
astonished us with their virtuosity, musicianship and courage.
Three stellar afternoons.
And now for the super-nova evening to come (I hope that’s an appropriate astronomical analogy… it’s a good thing, be sure!)
So, welcome all:
Thursday 28 March
School Hall
6pm for Junior and Intermediate classes, and their adjudication; an interval to draw breath, and then
8pm for the Senior class and a final adjudication
Be there and be bowled over!
We are delighted to welcome Mr Parry to make all the difficult decisions: he is supremely well qualified – artistic director of the National Youth Choir, erstwhile director of music at St Paul’s Girls’ School London, and now assistant director of music at King’s College Cambridge – and his wisdom will, I am sure, add enormously to what augurs to be a marvellous celebration of the many and varied talents of our wonderful musicians.
On 18th March 2019 we attended the preliminary round of the 2019 ‘Have Your Say’ competition at Copleston High School, Ipswich. The competition is organised by the Essex and East Anglian Branch of the Association for Language Learning. It gives linguists across East Anglia an opportunity to speak and read in a language that they are learning. With over 120 participants from eight different schools, competition at the regional preliminary round was fierce. Congratulations to the following pupils who represented the School: Isla and Sophie (Year 8 French) and Amy and Evelyn (Year 8 Spanish). Amy and Evelyn did very well and gained a place in the final in May. Special thanks to Mr Morton for accompanying the group.
Lily reports: Despite extremely windy conditions at UEA, the Seconds netball team had tremendous success against both Norwich and Framlingham at the tournament on Saturday 9th March; winning both matches. Tension brewed as the goal difference was consistently small during the Norwich match, yet thanks to Izzy and Ella’s shooting prowess, we prevailed with a final score of 17-15. Although we were missing numerous team members, Hannah and Evelyn valiantly stepped up, and became invaluable players who alternated on the wing and kept their opposition under pressure. The disruption caused by the wind was immense, yet with Mrs Scahill’s encouragement, we persevered.
Issy and Lucy’s defence against the Framlingham team was robust, and consequently they found it increasingly difficult to score, whereas we scored in any few seconds we had under their net. Against some strong opposition, Sarah’s impressive stamina maintained a steady pace as the Framlingham players began to flag, and the final score was 14-10.
Overall an enormously encouraging success. Congratulations to all players.
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!