A polite reminder to please settle any outstanding ParentPay before the Easter holiday. Thank you. 

As a new feature in the Sandprint, each week we will introduce one of our school clubs to let parents and other students know a little bit more about all of the fantastic extra curricular activities on offer at Sandringham. We hope that it encourages students to perhaps pop along and try something new!

This week, it is the turn of History Club, run by Mr Foy on a Monday lunchtime in A3, and a write up from Chelsea L.

"History Club is a fun and sociable place to be in. It's a great opportunity to make new friends that have the same interests as you while learning something new. For example, we have friendly competitions with prizes such as Headteacher's commendations and postcards home. We also watch movies that include historical information like 'The Imitation Game' and 'Dunkirk' with popcorn (which Mr. Foy kindly provided us with). Overall, it's a great way to connect with other people with an educational aspect to it as well." 

The whole school theme for this week is Neurodiversity celebration. This week allows us to celebrate the fact that in our society we have a range of people and different ways of thinking. Furthermore, more than one in 100 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. During the week students received an excellent assembly from Senior Learning Assistant, Ms Staples, celebrating Neurodiversity in society. Alongside this students read an article documenting the success of Academic prodigy Jason Arday, who struggled as a child, only learning to read and write in his late teenage years but who found incredible success eventually achieving a PHD and becoming Cambridge’s youngest ever black professor. More on this under SEND News but we hope that it gave students a chance to think about how we can make Sandringham School a welcoming environment for all.

This week we feature some of our lovely Sixth Formers who are helping the younger students in their pre season training. You are a huge inspiration to our younger students and we appreciate your time!

We are still collecting any coins and notes you no longer use - From foreign currency to anything that is no longer in circulation, old £1 coins for example. Your notes and coins will be converted into £££’s and will be sent to our chosen charities. Thank you so much for helping to support them.

Well done to Jude W in Year 7, who came 2nd place in a singing competition at the Milton Keynes Festival last week. This was in the age 11-13 category, so it is impressive to do so well against so many people, and those older than him as well. Congratulations Jude! 

Results of our recent House Events below- well done to everyone who took part! 

• House Badminton: 1st - Johnson, Austen & Fawcett 4th - Hepworth
• STEM House Quiz: KS3 & KS4 combined. 1st - Hepworth 2nd - Austen & Fawcett 4th - Turing 5th - Elgar 6th - Johnson
• Year 10 ELD ‘Alternative sports day’ ( table tennis, badminton, netball & a swimming) 1st - Elgar 2nd - Newton 3rd - Hepworth 4th - Fawcett 5th - Shakespeare 6th - Turing 7th - Johnson 8th - Austen
• Maths Puzzle: Half term 3 results 1st - Hepworth 2nd - Austen 3rd - Johnson 4th - Newton 5th - Elgar 6th - Turing & Fawcett 8th - Shakespeare

It is only 1 week to go until our lovely and talented Year 11’s do their final practical dance exam. We wish them all the luck in the world. As you can see from their photos- they have been working so hard work in their choreographies and we know the hard work will pay off. 

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the donations for Red Nose Day last week. We have raised an impressive £3244 so far which will go towards supporting incredible projects and organisations that are making a difference for people across the UK and around the world. Your donations help us fill the shelves of baby banks, community food centres, fund vital community-led services like health workers, local youth safe-spaces, and ensure safe passage for people escaping danger. You can read more about what the charity does here and if you havent yet made the payment and would like to do so, you can donate via ParentPay here.

As mentioned elsewhere in the Sandprint, the theme of this week’s whole school assembly was the importance of recognising and celebrating neurodiversity, not just in society, but in our own school community. Neurodiversity Celebration Week serves as a reminder that no matter what our differences and challenges, everyone has their own strengths and talents. Neurodivergent ways of perceiving the world can include dyslexia, ADHD, Tourette’s, dyspraxia, autism and more.

It is thought that up to 1 in 7 people are likely to be neurodivergent, and accommodating this difference in our school community can go a long way to enable neurodivergent students to thrive.

We can all:

• Move around the campus in a calm manner so that no one is overwhelmed by noise and bustle at movement time
• Be open to coming out of our comfort zones – neurodivergent thinking has always contributed towards innovation and problem solving
• Be prepared to ask for help and support from trusted adults if friendships or groupwork are challenging
• Be aware that being identified as having a neurodivergent way of thinking is not a label, but a signpost to sources of support

These are just some of the ways our diverse student body can contribute to a collaborative, inclusive school ethos.

Our students had a fantastic time on their Spanish Exchange in Seville. More to follow on this next week but thank you to all of those involved for organising such an enjoyable and beneficial week for our students. 

A huge well done to Madison W in Year 8 who has been participating in a series of a pre-season indoor track and field competitions. This culminated in her winning bronze last Saturday in the Hertfordshire County indoor championships- whilst competing against girls a year older than her! What a fantastic acheivement Madison and we look forward to hearing about more of your Athletics successes as the season progresses.

If you would like to nominate someone for the student spotlight, please contact holianm@sandringham.aat.school with some brief details and/or any photographs. We would love to hear from you!

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Year 9 students studying horticulture are still busy planting bulbs across the site. They were delighted this term to see the daffodils planted in November have now flowered. As you can see from the picture above, the certainly brighten up the campus! 

As the Easter Holidays approach, we are aware that some students may need additional support for their mental wellbeing. The picture above and the PDF attached include a useful list of services students can access, should they be feeling overwhelmed. 

We would also like to highlight again two excellent services which parents and students can access for support with their mental health and well-being.

First Steps (who work closely with CAMHS, ED and NHS links to support young people who are struggling with eating difficulties, disorders, low self-esteem and poor body image) provide an excellent variety of resources. They have recently received funding for the Hertfordshire area and can offer free support to any students who may have struggles around their eating or low self-esteem. Young people can either self-refer or can be referred by someone else through their website www.firststepsed.co.uk. This is an excellent service for those experiencing difficulties, so if you would like to find out more, please visit the website or speak to Mrs Coyne in the SLA.

The Sandbox by Mindler is also an excellent free, NHS funded service to support children and young people in Herts with their mental health and well being. It offers access to internet enabled Cognitive Behavioural therapy, one to one support from professional therapist by texts, phone, online chat or video calls. Signing up is easy and doesn’t require a referral from a professional. You can visit The Sandbox website or click here to find out more details.

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?

Last week's STEM week at our school was a remarkable and inspiring experience for all participants. Students had the unique opportunity to engage directly with CERN scientists, gaining valuable insights into the impact of technology developed in CERN across various fields such as computing, healthcare innovation, environmental protection, and addressing global challenges. This interaction provided a in depth look at cutting-edge advancements and the real-world applications of science and technology.

The highlight of the week was the house STEM competitions where teams were tasked with challenges that required them to apply the engineering design process. From identifying problems, to brainstorming solutions, designing, building, testing, evaluating, and iterating on their designs, students were able to showcase their creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork skills.

Additionally, Dr. Cordelia Mattuvarkuzhali Ezhilarasu, a distinguished AI researcher from Cranfield University, shared her expertise on the application of AI in aerospace engineering. She shared her work about developing intelligent systems for aircraft health management through proactive fault detection and system-level reasoning. Dr. Ezhilarasu's insights into the potential of AI and its role in advancing human-AI collaboration left a lasting impression on all attendees.

Overall, the activities during STEM week not only offered a platform for hands-on learning and problem-solving but also served as a wellspring of inspiration for students to delve into the thrilling possibilities that arise from integrating diverse disciplines, knowledge, and skills.

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine: là-bas

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche: da drüben

SPANISH: La palabra de la semana: allá

Thinking Question:

• Sometimes there is not a direct translation for a word in another language - why might some languages have words for things or concepts we don’t have words for in English?

Amihan lives on Culion Island, where some of the inhabitants - including her mother - have leprosy. Ami loves her home - with its blue seas and lush forests, Culion is all she has ever known. But the arrival of malicious government official Mr Zamora changes her world forever: islanders untouched by sickness are forced to leave. Banished across the sea, she's desperate to return, and finds a strange and fragile hope in a colony of butterflies. Can they lead her home before it's too late?

Flo R in 7E has recently enjoyed the book and shared her thoughts with us: “This was a beautiful book with a heartwarming and also quite a sad story. I really enjoyed it and did not want to put it down!”

Y is for… yonder [adverb]

Definition: In the place or direction shown; over there.

Example: Romeo: ‘What Light through yonder window breaks?’ (from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)

Synonyms: Ahead, Further

Antonyms: Closer, Nearer

Etymology: The word comes from the Old English 'yon’ meaning ‘over there’.

Well done to the U15 netball team for coming 2nd in the County Cup. We were the only state school to reach the final in any age group! Looking forward to a great season next year as the U16 PS!! OP - Katie J, PP - Ella CL, CP - Aoife C

It was also the penultimate game of the season for the U15 netball team. The final format was a fun 5 a side game due to some missing players from the opposition but a well contested match! OP - Cerys M, CP - Holly W. Looking forward to the district plate final with this team next Monday!

The Year 7A Netball team ended their season on a high on Monday with a fantastic winning score of 17-0 against SRA. What a way to complete their year 7 netball journey! Well done to Grace B for receiving player of the match and Amelie A for receiving Coach’s player of the match. The team has improved so much since the beginning and the girls should be so proud of all they have achieved this year. We look forward to seeing their netball journey continue into Year 8 and beyond!

And finally our amazing u14 PS who came 3rd in the National Cup on Thursday. A fantastic effort from the whole team and well done to Ella C-L for receiving player of the day

A huge well done to our U14 Futsal team who came 2nd place at the County tournament this week. Well done to top goal scorer Sacha D!

Well done to our amazing U13 Indoor cricket team who are now COUNTY CHAMPIONS!! The girls won 3 out of 3 matches and will now represent Hertfordshire schools at the regional finals! Well done everyone!

A busy week for football! With some exciting progressions to the District Cup Finals on Tuesday for Years 7, 8 AND 9- well done all! 

Last Saturday saw our Year 7s, 8s and 9s play KWS in an early start. The Year 7s ended their season with a superb 1-0 win. The Year 8s suffered a slight loss with a 2-1 defeat. And our Year 9s managed a 2-1 win. Great attitude from all of our boys!

Congratulations to the U13G Football team on their 6-2 Win Over Sir John Lawes. Now on to the Semi-Finals. Goals Scored by: Nell M x4, Evie O and Emma D OPM: Emma D

Congratulations to the U13 boys who have had a busy week. On Monday, they battled hard for 90 minutes and came out victorious after a close penalty shoot out vs Verulam which took them through to the Semi Final on Wednesday vs Marlborough. This resulted in a 4-1 victory and they now go on to play in the District Finals next Tuesday. Good luck!

And to our Year 9s as well who had a superb win in the district cup semi final v SJL. A Will A hat trick and a clean sheet sees the boys through to Tuesdays final!

Our senior girls had an unfortunate loss however this week against a strong STAGS side. Goals from Lillie C & Mimi G! POM goes to Becca Smith for her superb defensive effort!

The Y11 basketball team retain the County Cup to complete a three-peat. Well done on a superb performance in the final beating SCC to finish another outstanding season. County champions and top 8 in the country, a truly impressive team.

Well done to the U18 Girls Tennis team who beat Bedford Modern to move into the next round of the Aberdare National Cup

Please see above for upcoming fixtures. 

Well done to Beckie and Toby whoboth represented Herts at the School Athletics XC championships at Pontefract race course over the weekend. It’s some achievement to even qualify as one of the top 8 in your county to run at this extremely prestigious race so well done to both of you and great to Toby with a podium finish- coming 2nd as part of the Herts team overall.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly.  I don't know why she swallowed a fly...

But the People's Theatre Company do!

And now you can too as they bring the world's best loved nursery rhyme to life just in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pam Adams' best-selling book!

With a captivating combination of live action, animation and puppetry, this magical re-telling of There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly is sure to surprise and delight children and nostalgic adults in equal measure.

Tickets can be purchased here and cost £12.50

An evening of Fleetwood Mac and Cheese performed by Big Love UK!  Featuring a 5-piece tribute to Fleetwood Mac, plus some familiar cheesy dance floor classics!

Tickets are on sale here and cost £20