Category: Woodbridge News
On Friday 18 January, Year 10 pupils had the opportunity to visit Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge for a Year 10 Open Day. The day included a talk about the Cambridge admissions process, a tour of the college, lunch in Hall, and sample lectures and activities. These included a discussion about plague and the opportunity to do a scientific experiment. There was also time to explore Cambridge itself, including the Backs, where the colleges slope down onto the river.
The next FitzGerald event will be a moot (mock law trial), which will be held in the presence of a retired Appeal Court Judge, the ex-Recorder of London and an Old Bailey judge. This will be on Friday 1 March, in the Science Lecture Theatre, from 2.15 to 4.00pm. Parents are most welcome to attend – please email Miss Wright (awright@woodbridgeschool.org.uk) if you are hoping to come.
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
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.
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.
What a wonderful, feel good afternoon and a genuine showcase of what makes Woodbridge so special – its incredible warm community: a community which enthusiastically came together in the Dome on Saturday for its biggest ever whole school Christmas Fair. It was a fabulous family event with a true feel-good factor: children of all ages enjoyed everything from traditional games such as pin the nose on the reindeer and candy cane fishing, through to a bouncy obstacle course and snowball throwing, whilst many more had the excitement of meeting Santa in the winter wonderland grotto.
The Fair encapsulated everything that is Christmas, from the two brilliant carol singing choirs, Mr Streat and his merry band of pupils and staff, and Mrs Peel’s wonderful Woodbridge ladies choir, to the Christmas Market stalls selling Christmas presents of wonderful quality (including D.O.G., otherwise known as our very own Young Enterprise Team’s dog lead business!), and the fabulous Woodbridge Editions selling stunning prints at Christmas sale prices. Mention must also be made of the catering team’s rich hot chocolate and Bavarian hot dogs to keep happy fair goers sustained after all that bouncing and shopping. There was even a secret present wrapping area manned admirably by Mrs Robson and Mrs Latham, and their two daughters. I suspect all will be looking to others in their households to do their own present wrapping this year! Our Sixth Form pupils were also there in force (so who was in the pantomime Rudolph being so ably led by Lily?), handing out programmes and selling tickets with Mrs Brown; and our parents running the fun and games stalls delighted visitors with their warm, friendly smiles – in fact everyone seemed to be smiling.
Our thanks to all involved in the organisation the event – Mrs Latham, Mrs Field, Mrs Robson and our greatest thanks to Mrs Ihenacho who managed to pull such a remarkable event together in record time. Our thanks also to the parents who ran the stalls and to all the pupils who came in with bottles, chocolates, jam jars and presents.
What an event! The school community: celebrating Christmas and supporting Home Start to wonderful effect in truly spectacular Woodbridge fashion!
Good heavens above. What a stunning concert at St Mary’s – and how nice to see it so full – barely a seat to be had. Hundreds of happy Woodbridge friends and family were given an Advent treat to savour.
Seckford Sinfonia set the bar high from the start, with extraordinary poise for performers so relatively young and inexperienced. But they are of course the next generation and aspire to standards that were to unfold in front of them from then on. They are right to aspire, I should add, as their renderings of Susato, Ling and Williams were joyous and skilful.
The guitar ensemble, led by Mr Plackett and his excellent joke, were a delight. The soft sonority of classical guitar music is immensely beguiling, and our ensemble did Bach and Power proud with their beautiful mix of unison and harmony.
Jazz next, with a jaunty Let it Snow from the saxophone ensemble – we were properly in the mood now, one reinforced magnificently in the second half by the brass ensemble in their own jazz take on Go, tell it on the Mountain. Christmas is on the way and these two groups left us in no doubt! Sublime.
And sublime is the perfect word for the Chamber Orchestra’s astonishing English idyll. Elgar and Vaughan Williams – lyrical, magical, almost mystical in their embrace of our heritage. And the performances matched the music, with stunning precision in their floating melodies.
All change for the Concert Band – vitality, exuberance, panache and energy in wonderfully familiar Coates, and breathtakingly sophisticated Shostakovich. We all deserved our refreshments after that! Though not too many refreshments… the Swing Band swung us back into our seats with some blistering Bernstein before completing with Stolen Moments and Walk the dinosaur (Boom chakka…). Utterly brilliant with a series of solos earning well deserved applause. The Percussion ensemble kept us enthralled with a hypnotic take on Carl Orff; the Chamber Choir delighted with two gorgeous favourites – The long and winding road Flying us to the Moon and back… (do join us at one of our Carol Services to enjoy more of their repertoire, also being recorded next week!).
Cellisti calmed us all down again – beautiful, poised and poetic. And then the Symphony Orchestra to close with two fabulous overtures: Ruddigore and Nabucco. Great tunes, so Mr Milton assured us – and he was right. Magnificent, triumphant, Regal in their scope. What a finish. What a night!
Thanks so much to all of you who shared such an exceptional evening of music making; but most of all thank you to our young performers and to the host of music staff who have helped you achieve so wonderfully well.
School pupils have been inspired into science with an exciting, interactive Kitchen Chemistry show presented by Dr Stephen Ashworth from the University of East Anglia (UEA). Over 240 pupils from St Mary’s Primary School in Woodbridge, Woodbridge Primary School, Waldringfield Primary School, South Lee School and Kyson Primary School enjoyed the show, held at the Seckford Theatre in Woodbridge on Friday 30 November.
Dr Ashworth’s Kitchen Chemistry involved a number of dramatic and energetic experiments with everyday household items, such as using a toaster to make a hot air balloon, demonstrating the flammability of custard powder, and looking at how indigestion tablets work. Dr Ashworth obtained his DPhil in Chemistry from Oxford University and has lectured in science around the world, most recently taking his Kitchen Chemistry show on tour to schools around South Africa.
Ambra Calver, Chemistry Teacher and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Coordinator here at Woodbridge School, said: “A huge thank you to Dr Ashworth for his fantastic Kitchen Chemistry show. The explosive experiments and interesting demonstrations on household objects left pupils with a real excitement for science”
Following the success of the STEM programme launched last year, take up this year of the exciting range of science-based activities on offer has been even stronger from Suffolk primary schools. The programme aims to encourage more young people into STEM subjects, with activities including robotics, coding and electronics, as well as earthquake challenges using K’Nex. Woodbridge School are collaborating with Sizewell B and BT Labs@Adastral Park on the enrichment programme, with workshops that explore all facets of STEM subjects and enable pupils to practice exciting experiments. New this year are sessions with the Brickologists, Suffolk Recycling Centres and Energy from Waste.
Ambra Calver continued: “It’s incredibly important to boost young people’s interest and enthusiasm for STEM subjects. Science is very strong at Woodbridge School so we feel we can really help local primary schools with exciting opportunities like Kitchen Chemistry and our enrichment programme.”