On Tuesday, we were fortunate enough to have the acclaimed theatre company, Complicité, in our Drama studios for a practical workshop. All of our Year 10 Drama students had a fantastic day and learnt many new skills which will be useful for their GCSE course. Thank you to Ms Meadows and the Drama team for organising.

As mentioned in the Newsletter last week, we were delighted to have been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag for our work as a whole school in 2021-22. In particular, the award is focused on student activities and the work of our Eco-committee which was the Student Leadership Team for Ecology and Sustainability. We thought you would like to hear more about the feedback from our application, which was really positive and detailed. It included:

• It's wonderful that you have appointed such a representative Eco-Committee, this shows your school’s excellent commitment to both the programme and the eco-cause. 

•  We love the range of activities that you and your Eco-Committee planned for delivery. The fact that they cover both indoor (a ‘Switch-off’ campaign, a WWF fundraiser and British Science Week with Zero Carbon Day) and outdoor (regular litter picks, no-mow areas, tree maintenance and refurbishing your wildlife area) activities is excellent. You’ve clearly embedded the ethos of the Eco-Schools programme far and wide in your school! 

• We’re really impressed at how you’ve linked environmental issues to a variety of curriculum areas. We loved seeing the excellent examples of your Schemes of Work and curriculum links. This is a great example of layering in sustainability and climate change into your studies. 

• We loved reading about how you had incorporated learning about global issues not only into the Geography and Science Curriculum (most common ones) in your school, but also into other areas such as Personal Development. 

• We love that your pupils have taken their great work beyond the school gates and into their local community by planting a tree for the Queen’s Green Canopy Jubilee Appeal.

• We were delighted to learn that your school sustainable travel plan earned you the Bronze Award from Modeshift Stars. We are certain that your pupils will have greatly benefitted from your involvement with such outside organisations as Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Herts for Learning and the St Albans Sustainability Schools Group. 

• Congratulations to everyone for the great work you have managed to do, earning your Green Flag with style. You should all be very proud of your work and the application you have submitted!

There were a lot of staff and students involved in our work last year, thank you to all who participated. We are currently making plans for this year’s priorities and the new SLT committee is about to be appointed. We look forward to working with them to move things forward again!

The individual photographs for Years 8-11 will take place on Monday 31st October. There will also be form photographs for Year 11 and Year 9 (as they did not have Year 7 form photos taken due to Covid.)  Students in 9A, 9H, 9J and 9N should not get changed for PE session 1, but go straight to the Main Hall at 8.30am on Monday 31st October in school uniform. Students in Years 8-11 will be taken to the Main Hall during sessions 1-4 by their teachers for the rest of the photographs. Please note Year 11 should also not get changed for PE Session 4 as this will be when their form photos will be taken. We apologise for the disruption to lessons on this day.

This week we feature Samih H in Year 10 who has gone above and beyond in completing an Engineering Development Trust Experience to receive a Bronze Award. The three day experience is for students who are interested in activities and careers in STEM. It involved a day at Oaklands College learning about soldering and making 3D prints, a day at the University of Hertfordshire and a day at Mitsubishi taking part in work experience. Samih said that he would recommend the course for learning about how different industries work, for improving team-working skills, and for learning new practical and professional skills. You can find out more about the experiences here. Well done Samih for spending your own time exploring something that you enjoy and that we are sure will look good on your CV. 

If you would like to recommend someone to feature in the Sandprint, please contact Melissa.holian@sandringham.herts.sch.uk with a few details and/or photographs. 

Wheatfields Junior School has some fantastic term time roles available for people looking to join one of their excellent teams and genuinely make a difference everyday.

• 1:1 SEN Teaching Assistant - supporting students on a 1:1 basis
• Midday Supervisory Assistant – supervising and interacting with children during lunchtime play and in the dining room
• Teaching Assistant – no experience necessary, full training and support provided
• Part time Class Teacher Key Stage 2

Please visit here to learn more or share with anyone you think may make a great addition to the team.

What Career Live? & What University Live? are holding a fantastic free event on the 11th and 12th November to enable students in Years 10-13 to learn more about post-school options. Students can explore opportunities with top employers and leading universities, find out about the apprenticeship and degree options, hear talks in dedicated advice theatres, get one-to-one advice in the Careers Advice Lounge and take part in workshops and activities including Future Skills Workshops. If this sounds something of interest, you can register here

We are delighted to say that our one of students, Penny K, who was in Year 13 last year, has recently been announced as one of the winners of the 2022 Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition. Eight finalists battled it out in three pitches full of creativity, inspiration, laughter and emotion and Penny was the eventual winner of the Product Design category for her unique ‘Invent-A-Cards’, a card game inspired by Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit that encourages STEM skills among players. The winners were introduced by Mojo Nation’s Billy Langsworthy who commended students on their presentations, efforts and dedication. You can read the full article here. A huge well done to Penny and we wish her all the best at Central St Martins where she is now studying. 

The last theme for this half term recognises the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - a UN day that is celebrated each year on 17th October. Dignity for all in practice is the umbrella theme of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty for 2022-2023. The dignity of the human being is not only a fundamental right in itself but constitutes the basis of all other fundamental rights. Therefore, “Dignity” is not an abstract concept: it belongs to each and every one. Today, many people living in persistent poverty experience their dignity being denied and disrespected. The students received an excellent assembly from Deputy Headteacher, Dr Caroline Creaby, which asked students to reflect on how the cost of living crisis is causing more people in Britain to fall into poverty. We encourage everyone in the school community to support others in need if they can and ask for help from the school if they need it themselves.

Year 9 students are coming to the end of their first module rotation of the year, having experienced a range of new options from forensic science to Mandarin. Pictured here are some of our lovely Year 9 students enjoying a lively discussion with Ms Staples in the Debating module. Students will have received an email with a pdf copy of the modules available for the next rotation starting on Monday 14th November.  They have until the deadline on October 28th to pick their first and reserve choices.  Students undertaking qualifications or GCSE preparation (i.e. HPQ, Award in Financial Education, Spanish and Dance) within the modules should choose that option again in order to remain in their groups. 

Year 12 and 13 Music and Music Technology students were very lucky on Friday to have a visit from Phil Plested, a successful song writer. He told the students all about his musical journey from leaving school to now being a song writer for many successful, chart- topping artists. The students asked lots of questions and played him some of their own compositions. It was a very inspiring morning.

The Dance Faculty are so proud of our Year 11 GCSE students who completed their first practical exam on Wednesday. 1 down, 2 to go! 

As we head in to half term, it's Fawcett who hold on to the lead with House points. With Austen 2nd, Shakespeare 3rd, Hepworth 4th, Newton 5th, Johnson 6th, Turing 7th and Elgar 8th.

Special mention this week goes to Max C ‎(8H), Selina E ‎(7A) and Charlotte P ‎(8E) who all gained 12 house points this week alone and to Oliver L, Alice W and Mia R in 8H who top the leader board overall with an impressive 74,  67 and 65 house points respectively. 7S still have the highest average points per week (42.6) and 13E have the highest overall house quiz score so far. (43/50) In other house news, Hepworth won this week’s house points (372) and Newton won week 3 of the ‘Maths house puzzle’ with 39 points.

UPCOMING EVENTS AFTER HALF TERM (posters below)

• Boys House Rugby (Year 7-10) - Monday 14th and Monday 28th November
• Sixth Form House Music- Tues 22nd November

A reminder to parents and students that we have now moved away from the Summer uniform. This means that students wearing a black knee length pleated skirt, should no longer be wearing white ankle socks and instead be wearing black opaque tights (no leggings or leg warmers) and that socks should not be worn under or over the tights. Thank you

As mentioned in the Headlines, our brilliant D&T teacher, Ms Barrow, recently won the ‘James Dyson Foundation Excellence Award Recognising an Outstanding D&T Teacher’. This is a thoroughly deserved achievement which recognises what an inspirational teacher she is and how much she gives not only to Sandringham, but to other schools and teachers too. Tony Ryan, CEO of the Design and Technology Association, said of her, “Trudi Barrow is to be congratulated on her well-deserved award and celebrated for going above and beyond what might be expected her contributions to supporting the subject of design and technology.  We know that employers across the advanced manufacturing and creative industries are already concerned about the real shortage of engineers and designers, and we need more people like Trudi to inspire future generations of young people.” Amazing work Ms Barrow! 

Students in Years 10-12 interested in becoming a vet might be interested in attending a conference taking place tomorrow, Saturday 22nd October from 10am - 3pm. Students can register using this link and listen to Chief Vet Mentors Dr James Taylor and Dr May Yean Chua providing insight into what it’s like to work as a Vet. They will also give a full guide to the UCAS application process, including:

Application Timelines, How to Tactically Choose Veterinary Schools, CV Building, Personal Statements, Interview Schools,  Medical Leadership and Awards Programmes, Accessing Work Experience and Accessing Scholarships to study Veterinary Medicine at university

This week we have also posted information on our Twitter page (@SandCareers) on careers in occupational therapy, sports development, marine biology and dietetics. Do follow us for more updates

This week we feature 'The Midnight Club' by Christopher Pike. 

Every night a group of teenagers living in a hospice come together to tell each other stories about life and death. They call themselves The Midnight Club and the stories they tell are full of intrigue and mystery. Evie C 8N, who recently read the book said: 'I was expecting a supernatural thriller, but this book is far more moving and thought-provoking than a normal thriller. It raises some philosophical questions about death and touches upon subjects that aren't usually spoken about. I thought it was very good.'

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine: faible

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche: schwach

SPANISH: La palabra de la semana: poco convincente

Thinking Questions

• There are roughly 6,500 languages spoken in the world – why do we have so many? How have they developed over time?

T is for tenuous [adjective]

Definition: Very weak or slight.

Example: There is arguably a tenuous link between interest rates and investment.

Synonyms: delicate, nebulous, questionable

Antonyms: certain, definite, firm

Etymology: From the  Latin word ‘tenuis’ meaning thin.

Our u15 girls had an outstanding game of basketball in the County League on Monday. They had to fight hard for a win against a strong Beaumont side. We are very proud of all who played and the grit and determination shown throughout.

Over the weekend, we took three netball teams to a tournament and the results of their hard work over the last 6 weeks was clear to see. Sandringham netball looked impressive against some of the biggest netball schools in the county and the girls all did themselves proud. The results were as follows:

The U19 squad played some fantastic netball and challenged all of the top teams (only losing by 2 to the eventual winners) but narrowly missed out on a place in the next round finishing 4th in the county! POT - Margot K

The U16 team fought off fierce competition and adapted to the challenges they faced finishing 5th in the county! POT - Sophia P

And the U14 grew in confidence throughout the day with all squad members doing Sandringham proud to finish 10th in the county! POT - Mia O

Our U12B team played brilliantly against RWP this week but unfortunately lost 8-4 in the end. They improved throughout the game however and ended up drawing the last quarter POM Beatriz S, CPM Phoebe H

There was a great performance from the U12A team as well on Thursday drawing the first two quarters but just dropping off in the last quarter to unfortunately lose to STAGS, POM Nell M and CPM Phoebe H

Our U15 Basketball team had a good first outing of the season beating Samuel Ryder in the District League. Some great defensive intensity and a great squad performance

Please see above for the fixtures when we come back after half term. 

The Cross Country Teams went to a very wet first round of the English Schools Cross Country Cup, held at Dame Alice Owens School last night, where they faced some tough competition. All runners were fantastic and ran well, but there were some stand out performances from Georgia T - 1st in Junior Girls, Lewis D in the Junior Boys, Zoe H, 2nd in the Inter Girls (closely followed by Annabelle N and Lizzie S, Luke C, 2nd in the Inter Boys, a 1st, 2nd, 3rd finish for Senior Girls (Annabel H, Lily T and Beckie C respectively) and finally, Daniel B, 4th in the Senior Boys. But, a HUGE well done to all involved and thank you to those students who stepped in to help the team at the last minute! 

This round is a qualifier for the Regional Round being held at Verulanium Park on 12th November and I am pleased to announce that all 3 Girls Teams have qualified!

The u15 girls' football team put in a fantastic performance this week to see us progress to round 3 of the ESFA competition, with a 9-0 win over Longsands Academy!

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!

“Absolutely Incredible” – BBC Three Counties Radio

“Hilarious, Modern… an absolute delight” - Bedford Today

Tickets £12.50-£15

Tickets are available now at www.hanselandgretel.co.uk

Little Red Riding Hood’s friend arrives to tell us the story but has a problem, there are no pages in the book! He tries to tell the story and we meet Red Riding Hood’s mum, dad, and grandma but he keeps getting the story wrong. So, Cinderella arrives to help, dancing a conga with her Jack’s Baked Beans Band and suggests auditions to find the Wolf to end the story.

There is lots of participation in this theatre show, with the audience becoming Cinderella’s backing band, auditioning to be wolves, helping Red Riding Hood’s dad cut down trees and dancing a conga.

Tickets £7/£5

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!

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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

THE ADDAMS FAMILY, a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family– a man her parents have never met.  And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother.  Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia.  Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

Tickets £20-£24

Sandringham School's Music Faculty presents their first concert of the year.

The Autumn Concert will be an evening filled with musical delights and will feature highlights from show choir, junior choir, jazz band and their regular instrumental clubs.

Tickets £5/£4

Sandringham School Presents A Christmas Carol

A Ridiculous but surprisingly faithful rendition of the Dickens classic in which Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by the ghosts of his late partner, Jacob Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come.  Faced with his own mortality, and the evil results of his misanthropic, miserly ways, Scrooge is redeemed, reconciled with his nephew and his neighbours, and becomes a second father to his assistant's son, Tiny Tim.  Ludlam finds the humour as well as the pathos in this Victorian melodrama, creating the most Dickensian and stage worthy adaptation yet.

Tickets £12/£10