The Puzzle of the Week is a Mathematics challenge run weekly. This week's puzzle is shown above. For every entry you will receive 1 house point, if you answer correctly you will win 2 house points and if you are the fastest person to answer the puzzle correctly then you will win 5 house points!  To enter, simply scan the QR code and fill out the google form.  Good luck! Why not play at home and see who is the quickest to get the answer?

Ms. Baikie Takes on the Swimathon Challenge Tomorrow!

She’ll be swimming 2.5km (that’s 100 lengths!) as part of the Swimathon, raising funds for Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie, and the Swimathon Foundation. There is still time to show your support and donate to this worth cause - you can visit her fundraising page here: Fundraising Page.

Good luck and we look forward to hearing all about it next week!

Sandringham School Computing Hub

Sandringham School has proudly held Computing Hub status since 2019 in recognition of excellence in this subject and the outstanding delivery of professional development as a Teaching School Hub. This project concludes nationally on March 31st and we would like to thank the team for their nationally acclaimed contributions to the leadership and delivering of computing support for schools across the region. Some of the statistics shared in the attached poster to demonstrate the impact the team has made across the sector. 

IET Faraday Challenge 

After a busy Science Week, the opportunities for our students continued with a trip to Beaumont School to take part in the annual IET Faraday Challenge Day. Six year 8 students were given an engineering brief and 2 hours to design, build and improve a prototype device. Sadly, our team were not crowned winners this year, but the students gained valuable skills and insight into the work of an engineer! Read on to see what they thought of the day. Congratulations to the winning team from STAGS and thank you to the team at Beaumont for hosting and organising the day!

"On Monday, we went to Beaumont to compete in the Faraday Engineering Challenge. When all the schools arrived, we were introduced to the people running the competition and had to complete a small, team-work-based starter task of making a circuit, including an LDR and a buzzer. 

Soon we were shown our design brief and given three options for what our product could be. Our team chose the option of designing a product to help people with physical disabilities. Eventually, we started brainstorming and sharing our thoughts, voting for which idea we thought was best. One of our team members proposed the idea of a pressure pad that once stepped on, would open a door. We all agreed on it and started working. 

After a lunch break, we went back to work, adding the final details to our prototype along with planning and writing a short five minute presentation to display our product whilst also explaining our making process. Unfortunately, we did not win the competition, with the trophy going to St Albans Girls School and their incredibly designed walking stick for visually impaired people. 

Overall, even though we did not come back with a trophy, the experience was extremely enjoyable, and we learnt a lot!"

K Joshi & J Psak

The winner of this years GIANT Easter Egg Raffle was R Spokes in Yr 10. Thank you to all those who brought tickets for the raffle, and who supported all house events last week. Johnson and Newton house raised over £1900 for some very important local charities last week. We hope she and her family enjoy the delicious chocolate... it should keep them going until Easter!

In case you missed it last week - our primary platform for school updates going forward will now be Instagram, where we will continue to share news, announcements, and important information. We will also continue to use Facebook for updates related to the main Sandringham School account.

Please make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates. The main social media accounts we will be using going forward are:

• @sandringhamsch1 – Main School Account (Instagram)
• @sand_pe – All Sports/PE Updates (Instagram)
• @sand_artsteam – All School Arts Updates (Instagram)
• @sand.trips – All School Trips (Instagram)

We look forward to staying connected with you there.

Last Chance to Join the "Talking Teens" Course!

The final session will take place on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at the Gade Community Room, Oakleaf Primary School, Hemel Hempstead for the free in-person "Talking Teens" course, offered by Supporting Links, designed to help parents and carers navigate the challenges of raising 12-19 yr olds.

This course has already covered a lot, including:

• Understanding the teenage brain and its impact on behaviour
• Exploring the connection between behaviour and difficult emotions
• Strategies for maintaining strong communication
• Navigating risk-taking behaviours
• Techniques for effective conflict resolution

It’s not too late to join and benefit from these practical insights and strategies, plus connect with other parents and carers!

Click here to secure your space or for more information.

HOUSE POINTS

After being pushed out of the top 3 last week, Newton has made a strong comeback, reclaiming 3rd place as we near the end of term. Can they hold on until the Easter break?

1. Hepworth 20,128
2. Austen 18,980
3. Newton 17,481

Special mentions this week:  

• K Wroblewski (7J) (14) – Most points this week
• Hepworth for winning this weeks house points – 407
• Hepworth for leading this months house points – 2,586
• 7A for the highest average points in their tutor group (149.9)
• 9E the highest quiz score total – 135/180

Well done everyone, great week.

Support for Families and Students Facing School Attendance Challenges

DSPL7 and Services for Young People, in collaboration with The Pioneer Club, continue to offer free drop-in support sessions for parents, carers, and young people in Years 7-11 who are dealing with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). These sessions provide valuable assistance for overcoming challenges related to school attendance.

We invite you to join us at The Community Café, Suets Yard, The Pioneer Club, Heathlands Drive, St Albans, AL3 5AY, on the following dates: 14th May and 19th June, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Booking is required to attend.

For more details and to book a session, please refer to the flyer for contact information.

New Easter Holiday Opportunity for Year 11-13 Students

We are excited to offer Yr 11-13 students a fantastic opportunity to participate in the KPMG Virtual Work Experience Day on 14th April, from 10am to 3pm. This is a great chance to explore career opportunities in business, finance, accounting, and professional services.

To register, simply click here: KPMG Virtual Work Experience Registration

Sandringham Ranked Amongst the Top 200 Sports Schools in the Country!

We are excited to announce that Sandringham has once again been recognised as one of the top 200 sports schools in the country! This prestigious achievement has been featured in the latest edition of School Sport Magazine.

A huge thank you to all our students and parents for embracing the opportunities available, and to our outstanding PE staff for their dedication in creating such fantastic programs. Together, we continue to raise the bar in school sports!

This week’s whole school theme is SMSC - Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Education. Students received an excellent assembly from SMSC coordinator, Mrs Coy, where she revealed the results from a trial she has been conducting at school where she found that in almost all cases students were happier, more resilient, and made more progress when they were together.

SMSC development is the overarching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum. The spiritual development of pupils is shown by their ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life. The moral development of pupils is shown by their ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to apply this understanding in their own lives. The social development of pupils is shown by their use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils. The cultural development of pupils is shown by their understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others.

We are delighted to share the outstanding achievements of J Wong, who has recently excelled in both his music exams and competition performances. He has earned his Grade 5 in Singing, a fantastic accomplishment that highlights his dedication and vocal talent.

Additionally, he has placed 2nd in the Milton Keynes Music Competition for two consecutive years, showcasing his consistent excellence and passion for music. His hard work and perseverance are truly inspiring, and we congratulate him on these well-deserved successes.

We are thrilled to share an exciting musical achievement from one of our talented students, H Macintosh from 9F who has recently demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in his musical pursuits, earning well-deserved Merits in both his Grade 6 Cello and Grade 7 Piano exams. His musical journey is a great example of the rewards that come from dedication and focus, and we look forward to hearing even more from him in the future. Congratulation on your brilliant achievement.

Yesterday, we had the privilege of hosting the very first AET Pupils Conference, welcoming 150 students from the 10 schools within the Trust. The day was entirely designed and organised by the students themselves, showcasing their creativity and leadership.

The conference featured a variety of engaging activities and games, each centred around core values. These included:

• Respect – Anti-bullying
• Community – Environment and sustainability
• Honesty – Creativity
• Equity – Sport
• Aspiration – Quizzes

The atmosphere was buzzing with energy, and it was clear from the excitement that everyone had a fantastic day. A big congratulations to all the students involved in making this event such a success! 

French: avoir très envie de faire

German: auf [etw] Lust haben

Spanish: ansiar

Thinking Question: This week there is not a single word translation in French and German. In many languages across the world there are words that don’t have an exact other word in other languages - what does this tell us about how culture and language intertwine?

Can You See Me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott.

In line with World Autism Awareness Day on the 2nd April, this week’s book of the week is Can You See Me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott. Tally is eleven years old and she's just like her friends. Well, sometimes she is. If she tries really hard to be. Because there's something that makes Tally not the same as her friends. Something she can't cover up, no matter how hard she tries. Tally's autism means there are things that bother her even though she wishes they didn't. It means that some people misunderstand, her and feel frustrated by her. People think that because Tally's autistic, she doesn't realise what they're thinking, but Tally sees and hears - and notices - all of it. And, honestly? That's not the easiest thing to live with.

Imogen M, Yr 10, says "This is a really good, informative book with lots of excellent facts. I would recommend it."

Y is for… yearn [verb]

Definition: Have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from.

Example: She yearned for a glimpse of him.

Synonyms: Covet, Crave, Desire

Antonyms: Abjure, Dislike

Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English yernen, yern (“to express or feel desire; to desire, long or wish for; to lust after; to ask or demand for”)

Yr 7: The Y7 football team book their place in next Tuesday’s District Cup final with a 2-0 win in away to Verulam this afternoon. Great effort boys, and we look forward to hearing how you get on next week. Good Luck!

1st Team: A 4-1 win at home over Beaumont last weekend sees the 1st XI into the District Cup Semi-final. A Man Of The Match performance from L Dracos, including a great individual goal, topped off a great weekend.

Our season kicked off with the Herts indoor competition at Lee Valley. Some impressive performances individually and a chance to see some new students in action. Well done to all for being so competitive against the best in the county. Looking forward to seeing what the season ahead holds.

A relatively quiet week for sports leading up to the Easter break. Good luck to all teams - nearly time to rest and recoup ready for the Summer Term to begin. 

Two of our Yr 7 students represented Hertfordshire Schools this weekend in the National Schools Cross Country Championships in Coventry.  Eleanor W and Dan K raced against the best Yr 7 runners in the country and both achieved podium team finishes.  Eleanor placed 64th, with her Herts Girls team bringing home Silver. Dan finished in 24th in his race, seeing off stiff competition from Cumbria to clinch team Gold. 

Outstanding running from both of these Sandringham athletes and a fabulous end to their Cross Country season.

Yr 8: Well done to the U13 A Team in the St Albans and Harpenden Schools netball tournament last night achieving 2nd place overall. The team showed dedication, initiative and determination throughout all the game, and they are a true example to show how hard work pays off. A big well done also to the U13 B team who made it through to the semi finals in their tournament yesterday too.  A lovely end of the season for Year 8 Netball!

Yr 11: A win for the U16 Performance Squad in their last game of the season and last game in the County League, with a win vs Habs. MVP Mia O'H.

Yr 12: A win for the U17 Netball Team vs St Columba's in the District League. MVP Mimi G.