Headlines

Welcome back and I hope you all enjoyed the half-term holiday.

We are busy putting the final preparations together for E-week – which is next week. I will be in France with half of Year 8 (those studying French) whilst other staff will be with the rest of Year 8 in Germany (those who study German). All of Year 10 will be out on their work experience placements, whilst Years 7 and 9 have a variety of activities across the week. Year 12 start their threshold examinations, joining Year 11 and 13 who are half-way through their GCSEs and A-levels. I would like to thank all of the staff who have been organising the various activities, and Mr Nicholls, Deputy Headteacher, who is in charge of overall co-ordination of the week. We hope to post plenty of tweets from the activities so you can follow things that way. Have fun, everyone.

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of meeting 15 of our lovely Year 12 students who had participated in a Sixth Formers into Teaching programme. This was the brainchild of Ms Unsain, in the Language Faculty, and provided a real-life experience of teaching over the course of a term. The students gained experience teaching both primary and secondary students and received their graduation certificates at the ceremony. They were incredible participants, and no doubt will make outstanding teachers in the future. Well done to everyone involved and a very big thank you to Ms Unsain for this wonderful project.

Finally, the week commencing 27th June, we move into Arts Week which is being coordinated by Mrs Kelly, Head of Art. This is a long tradition at Sandringham and involves students having opportunities to be creative throughout the week. We greatly cherish creativity in our curriculum, and this is a key feature of the calendar. Watch out for more news of this after E-week.

Mr A Gray
Headteacher

Upcoming Dates

13th Jun - Year 10 Work Experience Week
13th Jun - E-Week
13th Jun - Year 12 Threshold Exams: 13th-24th June
20th Jun - 3:30 PM Year 8 into 9 Module Fayre
23rd Jun - 6:30 PM Year 8 into 9 Module Curriculum Parents Information Evening
27th Jun - 7:00 PM Summer Dance Show
28th Jun - 7:00 PM Summer Music Concert
30th Jun - Year 13 Prom
01st Jul - Year 11 Prom

Absence Line

Phone: 01727 799564

Absence Email: (Available 24 hours) absence@sandringham.aat.school

Please report ALL absences before 9:15am on the first day of absence and every morning thereafter.

Mr S Kemp
Assistant Headteacher

Headteacher Commendations

Aspiration

Alex C8NEnglish
Calum W8NEnglish
Emily N8HEnglish
George S7JFrench
Hattie J7EFrench
Hina B7SArt
Joni S7HFrench
Kaydee B8APhilosophy & Ethics
Oliver L7HFrench
Olivia C7JFrench
Olivia S7JFrench
Olly S7NFrench
Ridhi R8EPhilosophy & Ethics
Rose O7JFrench

Confidence

Hazel B7S Art

Initiative

Integrity

School News

DANCE NEWS

Don't forget you can still buy tickets here for what is set to be an amazing Dance show, IMMERSE, on Monday 27th June @7pm in the Sandpit Theatre. There is also still time to join Dance clubs and be in the show so speak to your Dance teachers for more details. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

Lauren P in Year 10 works closely with a dog charity called Just Whippets Rescue. This dog charity is asking for any used stamps to be collected for them as they can get money in return. If you have any used stamps that you are no longer collecting, please could you bring them in to place in the box in Main Reception so that Lauren can then send them to the charity. If you would like to read more about the charity, you can do so here. Thank you for your support.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

This week we feature Harry W in 8F, who travelled to Belgium during half term with his football team (Pro Sports Academy) to take part in the Hageland Cup. Teams travel from all over Europe to take part in this two-day tournament and Harry's team fought hard to become the U13 winners!  They ended up winning all of their matches and didn't concede a single goal.  A huge achievement for Harry and his team, working hard together and making lasting memories of a fantastic trip. 

Well done Harry! Fantastic to hear. 

If you would like your child featured in the Student Spotlight please email the admin address with the details and any photographs that you would like included.

VISUAL ARTS NEWS

We’re delighted to be selected as a Trinity Champion Centre for 2022-2023!.

What are Trinity Champion Centres?

Trinity Champion Centres inspire existing and potential centres by sharing their practice and advocating for Arts Award in their communities and more widely. Champion Centres are recognised by Trinity for their successful delivery of Trinity Awards. Ways in which this success could be demonstrated include: unique delivery, successful moderations, positively impacting learners, or innovation in the arts. We are really looking forward to working with Trinity over this coming year to celebrate our best practice and collaborate across the community of Trinity Champion Centres. Please do get in touch if you would like to learn more about our Arts Award offer which now extends across all levels of the Arts Award: Arts Award Discover, Arts Award Explore, Arts Award Bronze, Arts Award Silver and Arts Award Gold. Arts Award inspires young people to grow their arts and leadership talents: it's creative, valuable and accessible. Further information can also be found https://www.artsaward.org.uk/site/?id=64

Ms L Kelly

FREE ACTIVITIES

The Great Exhibition Road Festival takes place next weekend (18-19th June) and features free educational activities for children and adults. Based in South Kensington, the weekend celebrates trailblazing ideas in Science and the Arts. There are fascinating talks with gaming and AR experts discussing technology's potential to bring gaming experience to new sectors like sport, a Medical Marvels interactive show, music, food and much more. You can find out more about this free event here 

Ms H Spiewak

STEM NEWS

A few weeks ago, we brought you news about the group of Year 12 students setting up a weather monitoring system. Devayan P, George A, Henry O and Sam P continue to work on converting the signals from sensors into meaningful information on a website they have created.The website isn’t live yet but a draft version is pictured below. Another contributor is talented photographer Isabella B who has produced a range of images for the background. The students have even coded the software to automatically display an image relevant to the current weather!

The group will take a break from the project while they focus on their Threshold exams, and later in the term they will be up on the roof installing the weather sensors! Fantastic work team.

Mr D Tattersall

LRC NEWS

This week in the LRC we celebrated Empathy Day in conjunction with Empathy Lab and their movement to help young people understand and experience the transformational power of empathy through stories. Research shows reading offers an effective way to help children understand and relate to others, and that children’s emotional responses to books builds cognitive empathy. The empathy felt for book characters wires our brains to have the same sensitivity for real people. The LRC stocks many of the books recommended by Empathy Lab pictured above. Another great reason to visit us and browse our exciting and diverse range of books!   

 

Miss E Critchley

SEND NEWS

SPACE are holding a free online session next Friday, 17th June, aimed at parents/carers of children with specific Maths difficulties including discalculia. This is a free event from 10am-1130am to give strategies to help support children. Limited places are available so please sign up here  to register. 

Mr C Bloomfield

DANCE NEWS 2

The Dance Faculty have been busy planning lots of exciting and varied dance workshops throughout Arts Week w/c 27th June. Below is a summary of all the workshops on offer. If you would like to take part in a workshop, please complete this google form by Thursday 23rd June.

Monday 27th = Dance show tech all day

Tuesday 28th = Courtney Creative workshop- session 2 for KS4 and KS5 students*, session 4 for KS3 students*

Tuesday 28th lunchtime = Commercial and street dance for Y9-13 students only*

Wednesday 29th = Male and Non-binary workshop with Boss Coxall 1.30-3pm, all ages*

Thursday 30th = Y9 into 10 workshop 3-4pm

Friday 1st = CAT Connect by Hot House/The Place 8.45am-10.45am, all ages*

Friday 1st = Within Her Eyes by James Cousins Company for Y10 dance students, 12-3pm

If you are interested in leading a workshop during Artsweek, please email Miss Davies.

Miss A Davies

STUDENT VOICE

This week we feature an article written by Azima M in Year 9, hoping to inspire students with motivation to do the best they can in their ongoing A Levels and GCSEs.

"Stephen Hawking was born to a medical research secretary mother and a research biologist father. Growing up, he was drawn to Physics and Maths, believing that they offered the most fundamental insights into the world. After graduating from Oxford and starting a PhD in Cambridge, he was always on the lookout for a single theory that described the universe and wanted to change the world for a better place. Whilst his own private universe expanded as he proposed to the girl he loved...suddenly all the light faded out and darkness was all he could see…Motor neuron disease struck. A disorder that paralyses people who lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow and eventually breathe. Slowly, despair, loneliness and helplessness drowned the midst of his youth and all of his dreams and goals after years of hard work and dedication seemed so far out of reach.

Stephen realised he may not be able to live long enough to earn his PhD and began to look at the universe in a unique perspective. Every new day became a bonus and he began to appreciate everything he had. Despite his health deteriorating rapidly. Despite starting to lose the control of his limbs. Despite starting to lose the ability to move or speak. His mind ,nevertheless, was expanding and creating one of sciences’ most bizarre ideas leading to the world’s greatest discoveries such as the origin of the universe and black hole theories. It’s truly miraculous how a man who couldn’t move, who couldn’t talk, who couldn’t speak.... somehow,  still found a way to make wonderful and ever lasting contributions to the world we live in today. His determination and unwillingness to give up proved the initial two-year diagnosis to be wrong as he lived over 55 years with his condition. 

I think we will all vastly benefit from taking an example from Stephen Hawking, to not give up and instead aim high towards our goals in the midst of struggles we may face today. 

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you just don’t give up. “-Stephen Hawking "

CAREERS NEWS

In May, many students across years 10-12 took part in a Morrisby Assessment.  This involves an online testing session, followed by a careers interview with a Morrisby Advisor. The Advisor reported that all of the students were stars and she very much enjoyed meeting them.  We hope they found the sessions useful.

Work experience takes place next week for year 10 students and we wish them well as they visit a variety of work places.  Huge thanks to Nuffield Health, Barhale Ltd and Runners World, local businesses which have gone out of their way to offer more placements than usual! We are grateful to all of the organisations offering placements and time to our students.  They will be heading to gyms, schools, banks, law firms, van hire services, supermarkets and many more to learn directly in the world of employment.

Springpod have been in touch with information about opportunities for students aged 13+ in a wide range of careers.  Take a look here for more information here

Please do follow us on twitter for more information on interesting events, online sessions and general goings on:- @SandCareers

 

Mrs C Eady

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

In our Student Spotlight this week, we also feature Noah in Year 8 who, on Thursday 2nd June, completed his first flying lesson at IWM Duxford. Noah has always wanted to become a pilot and learn to fly and over the past couple of years, he has been saving hard towards a trial flying lesson.

Noah said “I flew for one hour in a Cessna 172 over Cambridge and the surrounding area, taking the controls throughout (apart from take-off and landing). We practised short, long and 360 turns, VFR flying rules and general navigational flying including the final approach. Once I reach 14 years of age, any logged hours count towards my license. The instructor was really complimentary; so much so that he even allowed me to undertake some lesson 3 flying material! Although the turbulence took some getting used too, I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to do it again.”

Amazing work Noah, showing many of our Sandringham Character traits! 

Fo$S NEWS

The Science Faculty have been busy making good use of the new equipment funded with money raised by Fo$S including electrical components, heaters, counters and wave generator. All of the events organised by Fo$S (such as the Quiz Night, Sausage Sizzle, and the various fayres) raise money which faculties can bid for in order to improve the experience for students. A huge thank you to Fo$S for all their hard work and it's great to see students enjoying the benefits. If you would like to help with Fo$S events, do get in touch at the admin email address. They are always looking for more support. 

Mrs V Lynn

CHARITY NEWS

June 27th marks the second year anniversary of when Ayaan, a much-loved student of Sandringham School, sadly passed away. In his memory, his family are completing a physically challenging walk of 15.6km to the top of Ben Nevis (1345km) for the Ayaan JM Trust project. Everything raised will go towards building a Community masjid in a rural area in Bangladesh. A Masjid is known to be at the heart of every Muslim community, a place where it provides a safe place and environment for the worshipers to pray and contemplate.  It will also act as a community hub for local residence, provide clean water pump to local residents and travellers and help the local community in various way such as education, charity and family support. 

If you would like to support this very worthy cause, and Ms Hussain and her family, you can go to the GoFund me page here and read more about the Ayaan foundation here.

We wish the family lots of luck in their climb and think the masjid is a fitting tribute to a wonderful and very missed young man.

 

 

STAFF NEWS

We are delighted to mention that two of our very talented Art techers are featuring in an Art Exhibition next week. The 47th Ayot St Lawrence Art Show will be taking place between Saturday 18th and Monday 20th June at the Palladian Church in the village with over 100 artists are exhibiting including Mrs Gidden and Mrs Button. Please do come along to the show and say hello if you do – they will be there on Saturday from 1.30 onwards

THEME WEEK: PRIDE MONTH

This week’s whole school theme celebrates Pride Month. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. The students received an excellent assembly about the importance of speaking about LGBTQ+ history and celebrating diversity in the school community. We hope you get an opportunity to celebrate Pride at some point this month!

Miss K Wills

Literacy News

WORD OF THE WEEK TRANSLATED

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine- grandiose

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche- grandios

SPANISH- La palabra de la semana- grandioso

Thinking Questions

  •  Sometimes words are made up of other words. How can this help us when reading in a foreign language?
  • Sometimes we don’t understand every single word in a foreign text – what can we do in this situation?
Miss F Baikie

SANDRINGHAM READS: WUTHERING HEIGHTS

‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte was first published in 1847, and is one of my favourites from the ‘Sandringham Reads’ list! An intense love story set on the Yorkshire Moors, the novel follows two wealthy families, the Lintons and the Earnshaws, and their turbulent relationships with Heathcliff, a man of mystery, who has been adopted by the Earnshaws. As well as being a love story, ‘Wuthering Heights’ could also be said to be a story of revenge, as it follows the life of Heathcliff, from childhood to his death in his late thirties. Heathcliff rises in his adopted family and then is reduced to the status of a servant, running away when the young woman he loves decides to marry another. He returns later, rich and educated, and sets about gaining his revenge on the two families that he believed ruined his life. Learn more here: https://wuthering-heights.co.uk/index

Ms K Bulbeck

Word of the Week

G is for… grandiose  [adjective]

Definition: Impressive and imposing in appearance or style, especially pretentiously so.  Conceived on a very grand or ambitious scale.

Example: The court had a grandiose façade.  There are grandiose plans to reform the world.

Synonyms: Flamboyant, Pretentious, Magnificent

Antonyms: Common, Humble, Modest

Etymology: From the Italian word ‘grandioso’, which has its root in the word ‘grande’ meaning grand.

PE News

TENNIS NEWS

On the last day of last half term our Senior boys tennis team were playing in the regional final V Monks Walk for a place in the National Finals in July at the Nottingham Tennis Centre. Our boys were excellent. The team of Chris S, Ryan O’S, Ivan R and Matthew McC came out on top with a comfortable victory in straight sets. This is another landmark occasion for the school as it sees us retain our regional title and puts us into the Nationals with the top schools in the country once again. Well done boys and good luck in July.

A good win also for the Y7/8 Boys A Tennis team in Div 1 of the County league this week to remain unbeaten

Mr A Cracknell

ATHLETICS NEWS

This week has been another successful week for our Athletics teams with our Y8 and 10 boys and girls teams having a superb Thursday afternoon in the County league. The teams in their penultimate match came through the match unscathed to take the win in all 4 matches with some excellent scores. The number of first place finishes across the match was impressive and with one match to go we have a chance of winning two of the age groups in the County league and can make the finals in all 4.

Mr A Cracknell

UPCOMING FIXTURES

For more news, fixtures, team sheets and results don’t forget to follow us @SandringhamPE on Twitter and at www.sandringhamsport.co.uk

Mr A Cracknell

Sandpit Theatre

We can’t wait to see you back through our doors and we have some exciting shows and films coming up for you this season!

All the latest performances are on our website, www.sandpittheatre.co.uk, and you can keep up to date with what’s going on by giving us a follow either on Instagram & Twitter or give us a like on Facebook, just search for The SandPit Theatre!

***

The box office is open from 11.30am – 3.30pm Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Alternatively, you can call us on 01727 799565 or visit www.sandpittheatre.co.uk

Miss A Carter-Downing

Immerse – Monday 27th June – 19:00pm

Sandringham Dance present their annual summer dance show. An evening of student choreography, exam work

and pieces from the resident companies; SYCD, Tuxedo HipHop Company and TripleEdge.

Tickets on sale from Monday 23rd May.

Tickets £7/£5

Miss A Carter-Downing

Music and Visual Arts Summer Show! – Tuesday 28th June – From 6pm

From 6pm in the Visual Arts Faculty (Free)

7pm concert start time in the Sandpit Theatre – tickets £5/£4

There will be a slightly extended interval to allow parents to pop into the art exhibition

Miss A Carter-Downing

St Albans Comedy Club – Friday July 15th – 19:30 pm

Chuckl. In association with The Sandpit Theatre bring you the very best in live stand-up comedy.

Enjoy some of the biggest names in comedy along with our favourite handpicked artists.

The line-up includes Jo Caufield (Have I Got News For You, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow) / Sarah Keyworth (Live at the Apollo, Comedy Central's Roast Battles) / Martin Westgate ("...hope he gives up soon before he starts costing me work." - Gary Delaney) / Nelson Gombakomba (Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year Finalist).

Tickets £12.50

Miss A Carter-Downing

Hansel and Gretel - Saturday 17th December – Sunday 1st January: Performances 12pm & 3pm at weekends.

The Sandpit Theatre present their Premiere Professional Pantomime!

A fun-filled, sugar-fuelled, family-friendly pantomime adventure that reminds us ALL not to take candy from strangers (even if they wow you with a fabulous song and dance number!)

Join ‘Hansel and Gretel’ in a new take on an old favourite; with tasty tunes, magical mayhem and colourful characters (including a 7 foot yeti!) it’s simply not to be missed!

Miss A Carter-Downing

The Art of Grieving – Sunday 19th June – 19:30pm

This amazing documentary follows artist Preston Zeller, who feels compelled to take on a year-long creative project after the sudden death of his 35-year-old brother. Preston decides to create an intuitive abstract painting every day for 365 days as a way to process his grief and he shares the ups and downs of this momentous challenge in the film.

Following the screening there will be a Q & A with filmmaker and artist, Preston Zeller and clinical director of the Art Therapy Project, Lindsay Lederman

This film is presented by Zellerhaus Art and The Art of Grieving as part of The Art of Grieving Festival 2022 in St Albans.  All proceeds from the screening will go to Rennie Grove Hospice Care

Tickets £10

Miss A Carter-Downing