a PDF file of Rough Notes HERE

notes
November 2013
NEWS FROM WOODROFFE
O
Susan Dart
Died 2nd November 2013
Sue worked at The Woodroffe School for over 30 years. After retiring
from her post as Head of Art she worked for many years as a supply
teacher and over the years she was creative director in many school and
community productions,
During her school career she was acknowlegded by OFSTED as an
outstanding teacher which was appropriate recognition of her passion for
her job, the way she inspired her students and her love and skill in her
subject.
There are many wonderful school memories but Sue’s creativity was
never more on show than when she and her students produced 12’ paper
sculptures that adorned the school hall at Christmas time, always worth
the 11 month wait.
ne of the hidden
advantages of being
a National Teaching
School was revealed to
us recently when we were
informed we were about to receive an
additional visit by one of Her Majesty’s
Inspectors. His plan was to combine
the usual mid-cycle subject inspection
(secondary schools generally get a
subject inspection between the longer
full inspections) with a look at how
successfully we are engaging other
schools in our work. The subject to be
scrutinised was Mathematics and, to be
honest, a better subject could not have
been chosen since this year’s Math’s
results were the best in Dorset (by some
distance) and the best the school has
ever achieved. With a GCSE A*-C
score of 88%, positive ‘Value Added’
at KS4 and excellent A-Levels, both
in Maths and Further Maths, we were
feeling confident.
We were right to be so. The report,
which will be issued in the form of
a letter, concluded that the Maths
department was outstanding overall
and outstanding in all four categories
inspected. Neil Vincent, our Head of
Maths, did a great job of guiding his
excellent team through the two-day
inspection and impressed the inspector
so much that he plans to return to do a
‘good practice’ visit, which will be written
up and published. So, in the same way
that bright students who do well and
finish their work early often get given
extra work as a reward, we are to be
rewarded by another HMI visit!
The work of the Jurassic Coast
Teaching Schools Alliance was also
under the spotlight and we were able
to show the inspector a huge amount
of work that has been done to share
good practice across our Alliance, as
well as work in support of other schools.
He was particularly interested in the
classroom research work we do, which
has become such a significant feature
of the way we work now. Again, another
good practice visit is on the cards.
Moreover, such has been the impact
of the work done by all the schools in
the Jurassic Coast Teaching Schools
Alliance, we have a number of other
schools eager to join in and work with
us.
outstanding theatre, and lots of other
outstanding activities, many of which are
featured in this newsletter. And A Taste
of Christmas still to come!
Dr Steward, Headteacher
The impact of the Teaching School
designation in school is most obvious
in terms of teacher training. We are
working closely with The University
of Exeter to develop our own teacher
training scheme (School Direct) and
we already have trainee teachers
working in a number of our Alliance
schools. In addition, we continue to
support the Exeter PGCE course and
are able to help train some high calibre
students and thus prepare them to
join the profession with a good set of
experiences behind them.
The other great success of the past
few weeks was undoubtedly the
Shakespeare in Schools production of A
Midsummer Night’s Dream. Woodroffe
shared the Marine Theatre with two
other schools to present a stunning
thirty-minute version of the play, which
was directed by our Head of Drama,
Anne Cruwys-Finnigan. Such was the
quality of the work that a re-run was
demanded and the performance was
repeated in the theatre the following
week. It was also professionally filmed
and we hope to make it available on our
website soon.
So Woodroffe continues to go from
strength to strength: outstanding Maths,
F O L L O W
U S
O N
@woodroffeschool
6TH FORM
For my Extended Project Qualification
I was always determined to base it
around a historic event of the Second
World War, one of which was the Great
Escape. I finalised my decision to write
about the Great Escape due to the
effect that meeting and interviewing
Alan Bryett had on me. Mr Bryett is one
of only a handful of survivors left from
the Escape in March, 1944. Alan’s story
inspired me and has had an incredible
influence on myself and my report. I can
honestly say I feel extremely fortunate
to have had the chance to do my project
on such an incredible man.
Survival Cooking
Miss Kabia continues with this excellent
course for the Upper Sixth Form
students, teaching them a variety of
techniques and how to cook and eat
nutritionally on a budget – excellent
preparation for life after leaving home.
Recently they have cooked pizzas and
a range of tasty soups. Six different
soups (leek & potato, curried parsnip,
pea, golden vegetable, mushroom and
carrot) prepared from scratch, tasted
and all cleared up within the hour –
fast healthy food with real taste – very
impressive!
Tom Stephens-Fouracre, Year 12
Dying to Drive
On Wednesday 20 November
Woodroffe Sixth Form students
welcomed members of the Dorset Police
Force Safe Driving Team to their Core
sessions. In a powerful presentation
police driving instructor, Nicola Butcher,
explained the responsibilities of
pedestrians, passengers and drivers in
making our roads safer. Using accident
statistics, short film clips and questioning
she really made them think about how
important it is to fully concentrate when
using the roads. Students were asked
to focus on four very important factors
– speed, seat belts, distractions and
drink/drugs/tiredness. Following the
presentation students were encouraged
to visit the 50-50 car which was parked
outside the school hall and talk to the
trading standards officers and local
police officers about safe driving and
particularly about what to look for when
purchasing a second hand car. It was
an excellent, thought provoking and
powerful presentation and I really hope
the messages conveyed will stay with
them whenever they use the roads.
Click above to see a part of Tom’s film
you find information for your essays and research; but it is also here to increase your knowledge and to help you extend your
reading and viewing habits. For example, why not try reading something fiction/non-fiction relevant to the subjects you wish to
study, something which is out of your comfort zone or view a foreign language DVD. All will give you extra conversation and
show you have a greater knowledge of the subject you wish to study at university or a wider general knowledge for that all
important job .
The Sixth Form Library is a great place to find information, widen your interests and work!
The Sixth Form Library encourages:
Top Study Tips This Month:
Questioning, Thinking, Learning….
Find a good place to work e.g. the Sixth Form Library.
1.
2.
Planning = thinking ahead
Ask yourself:
a.
How can I make the best of the time available to me to complete this assignment/research?
b.
Where and who can help me?
c.
Look at the assignment/research question in detail and analyse the question/s. What am I actually being asked?
d.
What are realistic goals for me in the time allowed?
e.
What is the best way for me to achieve those goals?
f.
What information do I need to complete the assignment/research?
We have over 150 new resources that
have arrived in the Sixth Form Library
this half term ranging from French
DVD’s; such as La Vie en Rose,
La Haine and Petit Nicolas to great
scientific books, like the ever popular
Simon Singh’s Big Bang and The Code
Book. Come and see for yourselves
the books on the origins of the English
Language, including Txtng: the gr8
db8 by David Crystal, and many novels
by recent authors like Hilary Mantel,
Robert Harris, Sophie Mackenzie and
the ‘slightly older’, but very insightful
Siegfried Sassoon, who can be very
useful to those of you taking English or
History.
The Sixth Form Library is not only a
quiet place to work, but will also help
you to extend your reading around your
subject. This will ultimately enhance
your interview skills by providing
you with talking points; remember
an interview is not just when you sit
in front of a formal interview panel.
Reading books beyond those required
by a syllabus will give you material and
insight into your subject; which can
help you when writing your personal
statement, or supply you with that little
piece of extra information, which will
give you the edge in an interview.
The Sixth Form Library is here to help
The Sixth Form Library can help get you started with these goals!
The Bridport Prize
‘Someone who doesn’t progress
every day, goes backwards.’
Confucius (Chinese teacher and philosopher 551 BC - 479 BC)
Poems/Short Stories/Flash Fiction
The Prize is open to writers of any nationality writing in English, 16 years old and over at the time of the closing date, Saturday
31May 2014.
The Bridport Prize will award the following prizes:
Poem: 1st prize £5,000, 2nd prize £1,000, 3rd prize £500, Highly Commended 10 x £50
Short story: 1st prize £5,000, 2nd prize £1,000, 3rd prize £500, Highly Commended 10 x £50
Flash fiction: 1st prize £1,000, 2nd prize £500, 3rd prize £250, Highly Commended 3 x £25
Please ensure you read the rules carefully before entering the competition
http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/content/competition-rules
MATHS
Earlier this month four Sixth Form
Maths students took part in the UK
Mathematics Olympiad for Girls.
MOG is aimed at girls in Years 11,
12 and 13 to introduce them to Maths
Olympiad style problems and problem
solving techniques.
Mr Vincent, Head of Mathematics, said
“Well done to all four girls that took
part. This was a tough year. But well
done especially to Christina Hilder
and Frances Penrose who were both
awarded Distinctions.”
Christina Hilder, Year 13, said “the
Mathematics Olympiad for Girls consists
of five questions to be answered in two
and a half hours, which seems like a lot
of time for very few questions. Having
said that, the questions were very
challenging and they have taught me
how to think creatively.”
On Wednesday 13 November, four
weary Sixth form mathematicians were
dragged out of bed and driven to Poole
for the 2013 Year 12 Puzzle Solving
Day. Yes that’s right, Fran Penrose,
Sam Farrow, James Clarke and myself
(Ele Saltmarsh) were all up at the crack
of dawn travel to Poole Grammar School
to attend a series of maths enrichment
workshops.
Next, myself and Fran went to a
workshop being run by Ben Sparks, the
renowned almost-genius and suspected
time traveller. I guess anyone attending
inter-school maths events will feel
intimidated by the presence of other
maths minded folk, but we actually
enjoyed it and learnt a lot about the
STEP/AEA exams. Then it was a quick
friendly (not) competition before we
broke for lunch.
To end the day we attended a lecture
by Ben Sparks. He managed to blow
the minds of everyone in the room with
extensive dimensional theories. He went
on to show us some fairly astounding
infinity pictures.
The Maths Department was recently
visited by Her Majesty’s Inspector for
Schools, Stephen Abbott. He spent
November 11-12 doing a subject survey
inspection programme and he judged it
to be outstanding in all areas.
My words to anyone considering similar
events, be warned and attempt at your
own risk. No seriously, it was brilliant.
“The overall finding of the Inspection that the Maths Department is Outstanding
is a reflection of the highly committed team that strives to enable all students to
achieve as well as possible. It is particularly pleasing that the Inspector noted that
the team is unusual in the amount of discussion between staff about mathematical
thinking and effective teaching, and that students feel positive about maths and well
supported by their teacher. I would like to say thank you to all the members of
the Maths Department, and also to the rest of the School staff for the support they
give the department. Finally thank you to those students who were involved in the
Inspection as it can be quite daunting for them also.” Neil Vincent (Head of Maths)
We would like to say a huge thank you
to Mr Vincent and the Maths team for
organising this event.
Ele Saltmarsh, Year 12
Earlier this year, 18 students from across Years 11, 12 and
13 took part in the 2013 UK Senior Maths Challenge. The
Senior Maths Challenge is aimed at all 16-19 year olds
studying mathematics and involves answering 25 multiple
choice questions in 90 minutes. The top 60% of students
nationally will receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze certificate
depending on their final score and top performing students
will be invited to take part in follow on rounds and even
represent their country in the International Mathematical
Olympiad.
Mr Mould, Teacher of Mathematics, said “All of the eighteen
students that took part in this year’s Maths Challenge did
exceptionally well but I must congratulate Tom Gater for
achieving Gold and Ele Saltmarsh who just missed out on
Gold by one point to take Silver. Tom will now be invited to
take part in the British Mathematical Olympiad Round.”
“The overall effectiveness
of mathematics is
outstanding.”
“Achievement in
mathematics is
outstanding.”
“Teaching in mathematics
is outstanding.”
“The curriculum
in mathematics is
outstanding.”
“Leadership and
management of
mathematics are
outstanding.”
“The maths department really care about their students, and they always try to
challenge me with new work and problems to solve. They are always open to my
ideas and different techniques that I used in Romania. I felt so welcome when
I started at Woodroffe in Year 12 and the maths department were a big part of
helping me to settle here in England.”
Cristina Hilder (Year 13)
“It’s such a welcoming department where help is available whenever you need it
and those who wish to strive beyond the curriculum are strongly encouraged to do
so.” Alex McStea (Year 13)
CCF - Remembrance
This year Remembrance Day was
commemorated on Sunday 10
November. The parade and service took
place in the morning for the first time
since the Second World War. The CCF
and the Head Boy and Girl, Tom Gaiter
and Ellie Pring, took part in the Parade
and Service of Remembrance at St.
Michael’s Church and laid a wreath on
behalf of the staff and students from the
school. Almost all of the cadets in the
CCF were involved this year. The Mayor
of Lyme Regis and Mr David Manners,
a former Woodroffe languages teacher
and now a senior figure in the local
Royal British Legion branch, inspected
the parade. It was very pleasing to see
the commitment of our young people
who had given their time to take part
in the town’s collective expression of
gratitude to those who paid the ultimate
price to defend their country, families
and our future.
The autumn term is as busy as usual
for the CCF with the Year 8 taster
sessions beginning for approximately
100 students who have expressed
an interest, a Royal Navy trip to HMS
Raleigh to go power boating and the
RAF cadets competing in a ground
training competition in December.
We look forward to reporting on these in
later editions.
Major Ruffle, CCF
A cold but clear day with just the hint of a north westerly breeze greeted 20 Year12
students when they met at 8.30am on a Saturday morning to start their Ten Tors
Challenge training. Their task was to walk as a team from Charmouth Beach
to Eype’s Mouth and back again. Although not the longest walk, there was still
This year the Woodroffe School have
900m of climbing involved. As always the students rose to the challenge and
successfully launched the Duke of
overcame stiles, mud, streams, cows and the occasional navigational error to
Edinbugh’s Award Scheme (DofE) and
ensure they were back before darkness. The Ten Tors Challenge is the largest
have 50 students signed up although it
looks like the final total will be nearer 80. outdoor challenge event for young people in the country and is run by the army.
The challenge is for a team of six to complete a 35 or 45m route across Dartmoor in
the allotted timeframe. The Woodroffe School has been entering teams for almost
The students this year will be working
towards their Bronze Award. The Bronze 30 years now, and the training remains, as always, a key part of the challenge. A
Award has four sections – Volunteering, big thank you to the students for their enthusiasm throughout the day; to Mr Mould
Physical, Skills and Expeditions, usually and Mrs Lake for their support and navigational expertise and to Dr Ruffle for the
doughnuts! This walk was just the start but there is no doubt that more challenges
takes at least six months to complete.
await the students between now and 12 May 2014. Watch this space!
We look forward to reporting on each of
Mr Loveland, Head of Geography
these stages over the coming months.
If you are over 14 years of age and
have missed the 15 November deadline
but would like to know more about the
programme for next year, please contact
Mrs Vincent, Duke of Edinburgh Award
Coordinator, via svincent@woodroffe.
dorset.sch.uk
Mrs Vincent
Earlier this month Annabel Davies,
Year 8, accompanied by a coach load
of supporters from the area, travelled
to the NEC in Birmingham to take part
in the Area Finals of the 2013 UK Open
Mic Competition.
Annabel, who has been singing since
she was eight years old, sang in front
of four industry judges and over 200
people. A large number of Annabel’s
friends and family made the 300 mile
round trip to cheer on the plucky
songstress and were delighted when
she successfully made it through to the
Finals which will take place in London’s
O2 Arena on Saturday 18 January 2014.
Annabel has already received great
coverage from former Woodroffe
student, John Govier, on his BBC Radio
Devon show and as a result of this
airplay was offered the opportunity to
record a number of tracks at the Music
Mill Recording Studio in Newton Abbot.
We look forward to reporting on how
Annabel got on in the January edition of
Rough Notes.
AS Art students had a very productive
visit to Roche Court Sculpture Park
and Salisbury Cathedral in November.
The trip provided a great opportunity
for the students to draw from primary
source material. They were given
an insightful guided tour from a very
engaging and enthusiastic curator. She
spoke in depth to the students about
the work in the gardens as well as
the interior viewing spaces. Students
broadened their contextual awareness
and subject knowledge as well as
practising their drawing skills. Later
on we visited Salisbury Cathedral,
the eclectic range of decorative
preferences stretching over hundreds
of years was very interesting to witness,
in particular the contemporary font
designed by William Pye has caused
much contention and certainly gave
these creative minds something to think
about. The trip was educational and
very enjoyable thanks to the superb
behaviour and enthusiasm shown by the
students.
Miss Harahan, Art
Tommy Brown, Year 7, said “When my English teacher, Mr Sloan, asked me if I
would like to attend the Creative Writing Course for Beginners at Kilve Court in
Somerset, I wasn’t really sure what it involved.
Last term all Year 8 students designed
and made fabric book covers for their
DT classbooks. The DT staff ran a
competition to find the best designs
and Mr Brown, Head of Year 8, was the
deciding judge. The winning designs can
be seen below:
I went home and looked on the internet with my family and found out that this would
be a great opportunity to spend a weekend learning about creative writing including
how to create characters that are as real as human beings, with quirky personalities
and features that will light up in a person’s mind throughout the story.
The brief was to use an exploded letter
as part of the design and to include both
hand and machine stitching. As you can
see some have really explored the brief!
Having decided I really wanted to go and take part, my family took me a Georgian
Manor House near Bridgwater called Kilve Court.
Over the weekend we talked about the many different ways we could write stories
and the techniques to bring them to life.
Many students took advantage of the
Textiles club which runs daily in C12.
The Year group will now move on to
study structures and laminates.
The course was very good; I really enjoyed it and would like to say thank you to Mr
Sloan.
Click above to see Tommy read one of his stories on video
All Year 8 students are welcome
to attend the workshop on Monday
lunchtimes.
Miss Barns, Head of Design Technology
Peter Dawson has played an enormous part in the life of the school for over
20 years and he will be sorely missed. He was an excellent Head of Modern
Languages, a member of the Senior Leadership Team, and for the past few years,
our data manager and timetabler. Creating a timetable is perhaps one of the most
demanding tasks in the school as it involves not only phenomenal attention to detail
but the necessity of dealing with even the most awkward staff members (not that
we really have any of those!). Peter has a fantastic eye for detail and is always top
of the list when anything needs checking, or when anything particularly complicated
needs working out.
As well as being a superb linguist, he is also a fantastic musician, and his
contribution to music at Woodroffe cannot be underestimated. Above all, Peter is
a gentleman, completely unflappable, with never a bad word to say about anyone.
I have enjoyed working with him tremendously and he really will be missed. I
hope he enjoys his retirement, which promises to be very active, and I am sure his
musical career will now begin to allow him to demonstrate his superb musicianship
much more often and to a wider audience.
Dr Steward, Headteacher
Walking, walking, walking, I felt my
soul morph into a distressed demon
from hell. As I strolled along the road,
I saw multiple avenues full of moonlit,
silhouetted trees looking down on me.
My heart was heavy and thumping, but
my brain couldn’t understand why I was
here!
I knew I had to reclaim my soul from the
angels of despair, but how? I don’t know
why but I kept on walking until I saw
them; small emerald coloured dragons
swooping aimlessly throughout the coldhearted sky; weakly spitting typhoons of
scarlet fire. Their small slits nostrils were
more impressive than anything; mounted
at the end of each were two death white
barbed teeth, ready for attack.
I ran for cover.
Their small but powerful bodies hurtled
towards me. I saw the hatred in their
dark misty minds penetrating my past,
my future and my present. However,
there was something funny about
their death white teeth. They were
pointing forward, almost like bullets in a
chamber. Pop! Ping! Pop! One by one
those lethal weapons flew through the
air straight past me. Fearing that one
would hit me soon, I ran for the house.
The house was situated not long from
here, however it was dangerous! As the
dragons flew over the moonlit hills, my
eyes turned to contagious fire; making
everything red and sinister. There it
was, just in front of me, the house of
darkness.
****************************
It had all come back to me, the reason
why I was here, the reason why my life
had been changed forever. It was the
devil.
When I had only been six years old I sat
by the hospital bed tasting the bleached
air. I was petrified and trembling as
I held the hand of my dying sister. I
remember it as if it was yesterday. The
light. I had to. I had no choice but to sell
my soul to the demons of Trensolore
and their leader Hades, the God of the
underworld!
****************************
Storming into the house I could
immediately sense the damp, the
dark and the potential danger. I felt
something, a presence in the room.
On the door was a set of freshly oiled
black lead keys. Someone was here.
Something, something black, with a pair
of glowing red eyes, scuttled along the
floor. Clunk! The old infested wooden
door slammed closed, creating a swirling
spiral of grey mist.
I looked around and saw in front of me
what must have been a fortunes worth
of dated, distasteful furniture. As I ran
frantically around the building I noticed
the corrugated ceiling. None of that
mattered, I had to get out.
My hand curled in to bright red fist! I
couldn’t believe it, it was in me, the
blood of a demon was running through
my veins. I couldn’t stop it. I fell!
Squirming, my legs felt cold against the
solid marble floor. I felt a penetrating
blast in my legs as if my nerves had
been cut in two. I tried to breath, but
that only made it worse. The last stand
of life left me as I transformed into the
unimaginable.
Thursday 14 November saw 13 Music
and Music and Technology students
successfully navigate the infamous
London transport system to spend the
day at the O2 arena and the British
Music Experience. The Experience
allowed students to explore how pop
music in Britain developed from 1940
to the present day, have a go on a
variety of different instruments, sing
in the vocal booth and of course get a
once-in-a-lifetime video of themselves
learning dance moves from the ages
(led by Toby Willis, naturally...!). The
opportunity to see the artifacts and
instruments used by the bands studied
on both courses was great and the
competitive workshop really highlighted
the importance of social context on
the development of different musical
styles. Thank you to the BME staff
and Mr Harrison for letting us travel
with the Year 9’s. I’m sure he and they
appreciated the singing too! Helen
Webb, Music Teacher
Every year the students at Woodroffe
look forward to the annual Children in
Need Day activities and this year was
no exception. With a whole host of fun
fundraising events planned, the students
arrived in school with great enthusiasm.
The atmosphere around the school
was electric and the students couldn’t
contain their excitement at Break and
Lunchtime when the majority of the
events took place.
At Break a group of students from Year
11 sold cakes and pastries that they had
lovingly made during lessons; Pudsey
wrist bands were sold in Reception
during the whole of the week leading up
to the official day; all staff and students
took the opportunity to dress down
and paid a £1 for the privilege; some
students paid sponsorship for their
peers to undergo leg waxing during their
lunch break; Years 7 and 8 paid 50p a
go to race Nitro RC Cars around the Top
Pitch also during lunch and of course
the annual staff versus students Football
and Netball Matches. Unfortunately for
the male staff, Mr Holding, Mr Brown
(young), Mr Snowling, Mr Vine, Mr
Greenhough, Mr Goodrick, Mr Jones, Mr
Kirby, Mr Larcombe and Mr Ainsworth,
they lost the football 16 – 8, but the
ladies, Mrs Fitzgerald-Zimmer, Miss
Hutchings, Mrs Tweddle, Miss GwynnJones, Miss Edmunds, Megan Bailey,
Rosa Sawer and stand in at the last
minute Mr Snowling, fared much better
winning the Netball 6 – 3.
Over £1,000 has been raised to-date
with some sponsorship still to be
received. Well done to everyone for
helping to raise this wonderful amount
and for remembering that the day,
despite being a non uniform day, was
still a normal school day and for acting
accordingly.
As part of the A2 English Language
group, I had the privilege of spending
an hour in the classroom with young
Mr Brown’s wife, Lesley, and their two
little girls, Evie (3) and Megan (1). We
are currently studying how children
acquire language, and as none of us
have younger siblings, it was a great
opportunity to interact with and observe
Evie and Megan’s language use, and
experience what we have been learning
in the textbooks first hand.
We had several of their toys at the
ready, including books, cards, a
jigsaw puzzle and building blocks, to
help our interaction with the children.
Although shy at first, they soon began
to overcome their concerns about being
in a classroom with eight intimidating
17 and 18 year olds! By the end of the
hour, Evie had shown us how she could
name and imitate the sounds of a range
of animals whilst Megan showed off
her cheeky personality with dance-like
moves and a demonstration of ‘carpet
swimming’.
Mrs Lake, Head of English, used an
iPad to record the children talking;
first-hand data which we can analyse,
helping us to prepare for our coursework
and also next summer’s exams. We
would like to say a big thank you to
Lesley, Evie and Megan for giving up
their time to visit us.
Hannah Pullinger, Year 13 A2 English
Language Student
This riotous performance of “Twelfth
Night” saw Shakespearean comedy
unshackled, vibrantly brought to life and
was feverishly entertaining for a 21st
century audience.
And what a gig …
There was only one character – that of
Sir Toby Belch – who wore Elizabethan
costume; everyone else wore normal
clothes. What we saw was partially
The set was appropriate, perhaps, for
dependant on audience participation
this play in which normal behaviour
to create the unruly atmosphere;
is subverted, but we were confused
games of Butthead and free pizza
on entering the theatre to find an
caused mayhem and younger audience
array of instruments and microphones
members found joining in great fun.
apparently left carelessly positioned on
It was orderly chaos though, which
the stage. There was nothing in the way Puritanical Malvolio stops in his selfof scenery; it looked more like a gig.
righteous speech generating the trick
later played on him. The fourth wall
was broken down, but as breaking
boundaries is typically Shakespearean,
the dramatic values of the comedy were
upheld.
Malvolio in yellow hot pants, live music,
and versatile actors all made the 400
year-old play totally entertaining for the
ninety minutes of the production.
Harry Robson, Year 12 English
Literature student
Since the opening of the new Six Form
Library earlier in the year, the existing
school Library has been closed for
redecoration and refurbishment. Since
my arrival at the beginning of November,
I have been working on a new layout for
it, and restocking the shelves.
There is a new look and feel to
the Library which includes a new
comfortable seating area with a range
of comfy seats and sofas, some nice
new “Waterstones”-style bookcases
and a small computing area, with six
computers. The idea is that the Library
will be used primarily for reading and
study, so the computer provision is
minimal, as there are computers that
can be used in other parts of the
School. There is a study area with
tables, a colourful range of new chairs
and to finish the new look new signs
will be going up soon to indicate where
subjects/titles are located.
I am also busy ordering new stock, so
that new titles are available once the
Library is open.
The Library will officially open in
January, with the space being made
available for class sessions, and for
individual reading and study at break
and lunchtime. It can also be used for
events.
Between now and Christmas, I will be
talking with the teaching staff about
what stock might be required, ways in
which the Library can be used, and what
services will be available to support
study.
We are also working to bring every Year
7 and 8 tutor group into the Library for
an Induction before Christmas. The
sessions that have happened so far
have been great – with a lot of positive
feedback from the students. They seem
to like the look and feel of the place,
and seem excited about using it, once
it is officially open. They have also
been making good recommendations
for things to order, which is very
encouraging!
My hope is that the Library will be a
popular place for the students to come
and engage with reading and learning
and I look forward to reporting on its
progress through Rough Notes in the
coming months.
Mr Walters, Librarian.
After working on the Shakespeare
School Festival since August, on
Wednesday 06 November the cast of ‘A
Midsummer Night’s Dream’ finally got to
perform in the Marine Theatre, alongside
two other schools. They delivered a
fantastic performance which made
everyone including parents, friends
and teachers very proud. It has been a
wonderful experience working with such
a talented, fun and just really nice group
of students. I have learnt a lot from the
experience as did they. Below are a few
comments from some of the cast. Mrs
Cruwys-Finnigan, Head of Drama
From the moment I walked into the
summer school I felt completely
comfortable with everyone in the cast.
I loved the rehearsal process and
seeing the show evolve into the great
performance that we had in the end.
The performance that we gave was
great and it felt like we couldn’t have
done anything else to make it better. I’m
happy that we made you proud! Jess
Jeffery
I enjoyed every second of this project
and there was nothing I would change.
I learnt a lot through this, including
performing Shakespeare is actually very
fun. I also learnt that I can work with
many different people, which will be
helpful in the future. I enjoyed every part
of it, although I loved the stage fighting
and the final performance was amazing.
This experience has broadened my
understanding of Shakespeare and it
will be a useful skill for me in the future.
I think one major surprise was that I
actually enjoyed the performance. At
first I didn’t really feel too keen but now
I’m glad I did it because it was really fun.
I feel proud of myself and the whole cast
as I think we performed it the best we
could. Mr Shakespeare would be very
pleased. Harvey Causley
I have learnt that it is actually very easy
to understand and speak Shakespeare
if you put the effort in. I have also
learnt more about characterisation as
my character, Titania was very strong
and I had to portray that through body
language as well as speech. I enjoyed
From this exciting experience I learned
being queen of the fairies and getting a
a range of new things to improve myself very cool costume, as well as watching
for the years ahead. The things I learned everyone else having fun with their
include working with tech rehearsals,
parts too. I am proud of being part of the
gathering costume parts and learning
whole experience and will be very sad
about tension states. During this
when it is over. Emily Jones
experience I enjoyed for the first time
performing at the Marine Theatre and
I have learnt lots of group skills and a
practicing more drama. This experience greater understanding of the play and
will help me in the future due to learning how to read the language. I particularly
new techniques and more thinking about enjoyed getting to know people from
how I move around the stage in a variety other years and incorporate music
of different ways. I was surprised at how into performances. I feel proud that I
much good feedback we got as a group, took part in the Shakespeare Schools
this meant that I was very proud of our
Festival and that I was able to play my
final performance. Also working with
violin in the play. I learnt more about the
great friends and great teachers made
physicality of playing a man and hope I
this a great Shakespeare festival. Jagen will be able to put this into my drama in
Burke
the future. Although I really enjoyed the
experience, I did feel that the amount
of time we had with the people from the
festival in the workshop could have been
longer. But I loved giving feedback to
the primary school and seeing the final
product when they performed, it was
lovely to know that we had helped them.
Roisin Linnett
What a mightily impressive evening of
performances with the final production a
real credit to Woodroffe drama teaching.
The younger actors in the Tempest
had such sensitivity to the meaning
and rhythm of their lines that it was
breathtaking to hear them. I struggle to
get my actors in the Lyme Mummers
Plays to inhabit the meaning of the lines
as consummately as that and they are
all adults. I also enjoyed the hard-hitting
nature of the Macbeth play which was
carefully choreographed and included
some slick sword-fighting. The young
actors had strong physical presences on
the stage and were held back a bit by
the script insisting on including so many
lines.
But I was truly wowed by ‘A Midsummer
Night’s Dream’. It is done so very
often that it was terrific to see such
a refreshing interpretation. I liked all
the levels in it as Oberon and his fairy
friends were never pinned down to the
stage, and the suggestion that the wood
could one moment be a place of circus
mischief and the next a place of ritual
humiliation like a Facebook page gone
wrong. I thought the lullaby was brilliant
and the sound effects really made sense
of the action. Theseus and Hippolyta
were very well acted, really classy when
confronted with the mechanicals. Well
done to everyone who was involved.
Harry Ford
Back in October 2012 the school was
approached by Debra Hearne from
Windrose Rural Media Trust to ask if
we would like to take part in a Heritage
lottery funded project recording the
memories of our senior citizens of
how Lyme Regis used to be. We asked
our History staff to recommend to us
those students who had demonstrated
a real interest in local history and they
were invited to take part in the project.
One of the conditions was they had to
be prepared to give up a whole day of
their February half term holiday, another
was they had to be interested in talking
to and learning how to interview our
older residents.
From an initial group 30 interested
students the group whittled itself
down to 15 - Henry Cornish, Maisie
Dascombe, Ellie Gillan, Basher Merrett,
Eleanor Ohlsen, Harry Robson, Polly
Rodin, Rory Townsend, Holly Weare,
Christopher Lancashire, Brianna Curry,
Kieran Allen, Eddie Beardwood, Daisy
Parsons and Reuben Heeler Frood.
In four groups the students interviewed
Ken Gollop, David Cozens, Celia
Rattenbury and Les Loveridge.
Celia came to Lyme Regis in the
1930’s and told about her memories
of growing up in Lyme, of going to
school and the Olympic torch relay of
1948. She showed the students her old
photographs which gave them a real
insight in her life back in the 30’s and
40’s.
David was keen to talk about his
memories of Lyme Regis Boys Club, the
landslip that happened in the 1960’s,
his love of the town’s cinema, and his
thoughts and feelings about our very
own Woodroffe School.
One of the great things we found out
about interviewing Ken Gollop was how
proud he is of his fishing heritage and
what his family history means to him.
The war had a huge impact on Lyme
Regis and especially for Ken’s family;
and in the interview he related his
memories of the change in Lyme at that
time.
Les was born in Lyme Regis and shared
his memories about growing up on the
Colway Mead estate, American GI’s and
P.O.W’s, and what it was like growing
up in Lyme Regis.
As part of the project the students were
also taken on a tour round the BBC in
Bristol where Debra used to work before
she went free-lance. This was a fantastic
experience for the students particularly
as they were given the opportunity to
produce their own edition of the local
news and weather, and also to read
through a gripping radio play complete
with all the sound effects. The students
all participated in this activity and it was
interesting to see how they selected
different roles they were comfortable
with. This was another eye opener of
the visit showing how many different
aspects of radio and TV production there
are and the variety of job opportunities
within the industry.
The project concluded with an evening
where the students invited their parents
and interviewees together to listen to
extracts of the recorded interviews. The
students introduced each interview and
related to the audience what they had
achieved and had learnt from the project
and also invited the interviewee to
comment on what the project had meant
to them.
The evening concluded with Debra
thanking everyone involved and hoped
that this project will create a lasting
legacy of radio production within the
school.
Mrs Wood, Mr Neesam and Henry
Cornish are all very keen to see a
radio magazine produced monthly
with students interviewed about their
recent accomplishments. Henry is very
enthusiastic about coordinating the
event and we hope that after Christmas
we will be able to embark on our own
exciting new project.
Mrs Wood, Director of Art
CELIA GROWING
CELIA PHOTOS
CELIA WW2 AND TORCH
DAVID BOYS CLUB
DAVID CINEMA END
DAVID LANDSLIP
DAVID SCHOOL 1
DAVID SCHOOL 2
KEN FISHING HERITAGE
KEN FISHING MEMORIES
KEN SHOPPING
KEN TEENAGE WORK
KEN WW2
LES COLWAY MEAD 1
LES COLWAY MEAD 2
LES TEENAGER
LES WW2
Click the icons to hear the memories
of our senior citizens.
The London Fashion Trip was a
complete success. Throughout the trip
the students beamed and so did the sun
at times. 15 Sixth Form Textiles students
together with their teachers Miss Barnes
and Mrs Humphreys, caught the train to
London on Thursday 24 October.
Report by Anne Morgan, Year 12
Textiles Student below:
We arrived in London in the afternoon
and found our Hotel which was
conveniently situated near the train
station. Once we had settled in to the
hotel, we caught a train to Charring
Cross where we walked to the Aldwych
Theatre to watch the musical ‘Top Hat’
which was based on a film from the
1930’s starring the actor and tap dancer
Fred Astaire. It was full of atmosphere
and glimmering outfits. After the show
we walked back to the train station
where we saw the City alive and bright
with lights.
On Friday morning we visited London’s
College of Fashion where we saw the
portrait exhibition of Coco Channel.
Seeing some of her tailored outfits
displayed and talking to some course
advisors from the college was helpful
for study purposes. The college buzzed
with working students and the exhibition
inspired us to start choosing our own
fabrics for our A level course. The first
fabric store we visited was the store
McCulloch and Wallis. Some of the
students bought fabrics here for their
coursework. Later that day we walked
to Saville Row which is home to some
of the best bespoke tailors such as
Norton and Sons and the best couture
designers such as Armani, Alexander
McQueen, Burberry and Vivian
Westwood. After exploring Covent
Garden Market Square during lunch, we
arrived at the Royal Opera House. Here
we were able to have a backstage tour
and were shown the best seats in the
theatre and the Royal Box, which had
been used by Queen Victoria. Our guide
led us to the Crush room which once
would’ve been used to serve fruit crush
drinks in the intermission of the operas
being performed. Next we saw the
Dining Hall which is primarily made from
glass. It was once part of the Flower
Market in Covent Garden as seen in
‘My Fair Lady’. We were then led to the
costume department along past the
balcony where we saw the ballerinas
training for the current Ballet ‘Jewels’.
We met the current designers and saw
their designs from previous shows. We
were also able to get up close to the
Tutu’s being used in ‘Jewels’ which
was themed on the groups of colours;
Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds.
We were then taken to the upkeep
and dying departments where they
authenticate or repair a garment for a
ballet or visiting opera. The place was so
inspiring and elegant we didn’t want to
leave. Finishing the day, we walked via
Berwick Street, host to yet more fabric
retailers, and on to Liberties Department
Store in Marlborough Street. The store
is something very similar to that of The
BBC Costume Drama ‘The Paradise’.
Before stopping for dinner we visited
the Museum of London, where we
witnessed many fashion exhibits across
the centuries. The tour ended with three
costume exhibits from the Opening
Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. After
dinner we passed the Royal Court of
Justice on our way back to our hotel.
Our Last day was a packed morning.
After an early breakfast start we went
straight to the Victoria and Albert
Museum which displayed the exhibition
of ‘1980’s Club to Catwalk’ and a
costume exhibition from 1815 to the
1950’s. For those of us designing
costumes, it was important to see the
classic styles from across the centuries.
We finished our visit to London by
visiting the couture department stores
Harvey Nicholls and Harrods where
we were able to get up close to the
products and feel the many textures.
We concluded that high standards were
needed for our own coursework.
Then it was over and we had to catch
the train back home. We arrived back in
Axminster tired but full of new ideas and
aspirations.
All the textiles students owe a big Thank
you to the wonderful Miss Barnes and
Mrs Humphreys for such a successful
and well organised weekend. Everyone
got so much out of the trip including how
to use the London underground.
On Saturday morning after a tiring but
exhilarating day before, we walked
along the Thames, passing the Clink
Port and the Globe Theatre, towards
the Tate Modern Museum. We stayed
Thank you.
briefly in the Tate Modern before walking
to The Fashion Design Museum to
see a Bellville Sassoon 1950’s & 60’s
exhibition of Couture clothing.
The group was constantly inspired by
some of London’s iconic sites such as
Spitalfield Market and Tower Bridge.
LITERACY TARGETS - DECEMBER 2013
Each year, the Woodroffe School aid the
University of Exeter Teacher Training
Programme, by hosting a number of
trainees for ten weeks across a range
of subjects. The trainees must spend
a period of time in two schools as part
of their programme and the first phase
of trainees to arrive at Woodroffe were
in school this month for their two week
induction.
We look forward to welcoming Dominic
Ainsworth – PE; Gary Bradley –
Geography; Alexandra Edmunds
– Maths; Rebecca Gwynne-Jones –
Biology; Laurent Kouassi – French; Dan
Packer – English and Alexander Semple
– History back in January 2014.
This year, to run alongside the Exeter
trainees, the school will also host
an Open University student, Lorien
Krasucki who is studying Chemistry
and a School Direct trainee, Isobel
Alexander, who is studying English.
Isobel has been based in the Woodroffe
English Department since starting her
course in September 2013.
On Thursday 14 November five Year 12 Product
Design 3D students and 94 Year 9s had a day in
London visiting both the Victoria and Albert Design
Museum (V&A) and the Science Museum.
After an early start and a four hour journey into the
centre of London, we finally got our chance to explore
the V&A, the world’s largest decorative arts and design
museum, where the sixth formers found many designs
that they had already studied earlier in the year.
The students found the experience interesting and
useful for development of their project research and
design thanks to the wide variety of the art in the
museum.
After a short walk and a spot of lunch we were back
in our groups and on our feet for the second half of
the day that took place in the magnificent Science
Museum.
Ben Blackmore, a Year 12 Product Design student
said “It was an inspiration and I think it will be very
useful for my AS projects.”
Andrew Ellis, Year 12
Pink Pen
Policy:
Our focus
this month is continuity
in basic literacy for all
students at Woodroffe.
We have devised a new system (PPP).
All subject teachers will be intensifying
their focus on the improved use of
Capital Letters, Full Stops, Spelling and
Drafting (checking). Any ‘pink pen’ found
on work must be corrected and learned
by students.
The new scheme will be introduced in
Year 7 and quickly work its way through
the rest of the school.
And don’t forget: books
are for life and not just for
Christmas! JLW
Woodroffe Association
We announce, with great regret,
that following the recent AGM, it has
been decided to wind up Woodroffe
Association, with all funds held to be
transferred to the school, as dictated by
the constitution. Before this transfer can
take place all members who have paid
in advance will be contacted to check
whether they would like a refund of
their membership
fee. Once this
has been clarified
a meeting will be
sought with the
Headteacher,
Dr Steward, to
determine a
suitable project
for the remaining
funds, as members
present at the
AGM stipulated
that they would
like all students to
benefit from these
monies.
Woodroffe
Association
was founded in
2000 by popular
request, following
a highly successful
reunion held at
the school in November 1999. This had
attracted over 1,000 ex-students of both
Lyme Regis Grammar School and The
Woodroffe School and was an amazing
event which lives long in the memory of
those who attended.
The aim of the group was to provide a
link between ex-students, to organize
reunions at the school every four years,
and to keep in touch with members via
the newsletter, Dispatches, which is
circulated twice a year.
Initially the organization thrived with over
paid up 500 members and in addition
to reunions several formal dinners were
held in between reunions, with exstudents as Guest Speakers. Dispatches
proved to be very popular, and remains
so to this day, but unfortunately
membership has dwindled significantly
and now membership has fallen to
below 100.
Times have changed considerably since
Woodroffe Association was formed
with ex-students now able to contact
each other easily via Facebook, Friends
Reunited and other social media.
Attendance at reunions has fallen
and in addition we have had difficulty
attracting committee members to run the
organization.
Ex-students are still keen to meet up
with each other but the approach now is
a lot more informal as demonstrated by
the excellent reunion for students from
1975 to 1982 organised by Adam Austin
(without the aid
of a committee),
that was held
at Lyme Regis
Football Club
last June. This
event was a
huge success,
attended by over
300 people and
Adam is now
planning a similar
event in 2015.
The suggestion
to wind up the
organization was
considered at
last year’s AGM
but was put off
for another year
in the hope that
the situation
might change.
Unfortunately it
didn’t and reluctantly it was unanimously
decided by those present at this year’s
AGM to disband Woodroffe Association
- sometimes its best to bring something
to an end rather than to let it fizzle out of
its own accord.
However, we can look back with
pride at what Woodroffe Association
achieved over the thirteen years it was
in existence. Not only were there the
reunions and the formal dinners, but
the Association underwrote the cost
of publishing “The School on the Hill”
which documented the history of the
school from when it was founded in the
1920s to date. The profit generated
from the sale of this book was donated
to the school and was used to purchase
equipment for the school library, thus
benefiting all students and enhancing
their studies.
During research for the book it was
possible to accumulate a considerable
amount of memorabilia, which enabled
Woodroffe Association to establish an
archive, thus preserving for posterity
old school magazines, speech day
programmes and many, many old
photographs - some of the latter are
available to view on Facebook. The
majority of the archive has now been
passed to the Lyme Regis Museum for
safe keeping.
In addition Woodroffe Association
has sponsored several productions
organized by the school’s Drama
Department. This included a brand
new piece of theatre entitled “Paving
Paradise” written by professional
playwright, Richard Conlon, performed
in 2008 by Year 9 students. Woodroffe
Association also provided financial
support which enable students to take
part in performances of “Little Foot”
written by Craig Higginson, which were
held at the Marine Theatre in Lyme
Regis and at the Drum Theatre in
Plymouth in 2012.
So, although it is sad to witness the
demise of Woodroffe Association it has
been a force for good!
There will be one further addition of
Dispatches, which will be circulated in
the New Year and last but not least,
there is a final reunion to look forward to
for ex-students of Lyme Regis Grammar
School, which is to take place at The
Woodmead Halls in Lyme Regis on
Saturday, 24th May 2014 from 7.30
pm onwards. As many ex-students will
know Woodmead Halls was the original
site of LRGS so it seems fitting to hold
the reunion at this venue. There will be
a licensed bar, run by ex-student Stan
Williams and his team, and we hope to
arrange an exhibition of memorabilia
including slide shows of many of the old
photos held.
The event is completely informal - no
tickets are required, there is no entry
fee and everyone is welcome to attend
including spouses, partners, etc. We
are very much relying on word of mouth
to promote this event with ex-students
contacting their school friends and
encouraging them to come along. The
reunion is being held on a bank holiday
weekend and its hoped that people will
take the opportunity to attend and spend
a relaxing long weekend in the town. We
are aware of one ex-student traveling
over from America for the event and
possibly another coming from Germany,
all being well.
You don’t even need to let us know if
you are planning to attend - just turn up
on the night - we will be very pleased
to see you. It would be great if we
could go out with a bang rather than a
whimper!!!
If you would like further information on
the reunion please email:
gkwarr46@gmail.com.
Click to hear the
School Song
PE
On Friday 08 November, Woodroffe
entered four teams (three Boys teams
and one Girls) into the West Dorset
KS3 Badminton Tournament which
was held at Sir John Colfox School in
Bridport.
The Girls team, Jess Hodge, Millie
Pearce, Jess Jeffries and Lucy
Beksuska, played both Wey Valley’s
A and B teams, Sir John Colfox and
Budmouth College winning all four
games. As a result they have qualified
to represent West Dorset in the County
finals in the New Year.
The three Boys teams, Jack Fitzgerald,
Ben Prosser, Daley Holmes, Sam
Taylor, Oliver Coates, Dominic
Beardswood, Cameron Moss, Josh
Bale, Robbie Fowler, Lewis Pearson,
Henry Davy and Max Bowskill, were
equally successful winning each of their
games. The Boys final was represented
by two teams from Woodroffe which
meant a definite win for the school and
again, representation in the County
finals.
Well done all.
After the successful day at Weymouth
earlier in the year, Woodroffe took a
squad of 50 students to the latest Cross
Country event at Beaminster. The
courses selected were flat and short,
much shorter than our club normally
runs. Perhaps this is why Woodroffe
athletes again excelled.
In the Year 7 girls race Jasmine
Wellman was second just beaten again
in the final run, but pleased to be placed
one position higher than last time. She
was ably supported by a strong year 7
girls team with Similce Jacobsen the
next to finish in sixth place. They may
just miss out on the team prize but we
await the results as I write.
In the Year 7 boys race Henry Rudkin
was our first finisher coming in a
respectable fifth place. His team mates
were not far behind and the prediction is
that they will finish second overall.
Our biggest teams are definitely in the
junior Year 8 and 9 category. In the girls
race Tamsin Edge stormed home in first
place and with other team members
finishing fifth, eighth and ninth ensuring
they won the team prize. There were
another five runners who also performed
brilliantly. For the first time we been
allowed a second team - they finished in
second place.
The junior boys race was also a triumph
with our first four finishers coming in
second, fourth, fifth and twelfth. Here
we took the team prize by some margin
with Oliver Caute finishing second and a
fantastic sprint finish between Cameron
Moss and Ben Stead, who finished
fourth and fifth respectively
The intermediate Girls Year 10 and 11
competition was won impressively by
Thomas Hardye school, although our
girls were convinced that they were a
sixth form team and I am inclined to
believe them. We had a full team but
with one of our strong runners carrying
a neck injury, and only competing so
as not to let the team down we were up
against it. Nevertheless with Annabelle
Arnold leading the way for Woodroffe
in fifth place and our other runners all
in the top 12 we just missed out on the
team prize.
The final race was fiercely contested
but we had our second individual winner
of the day in Kingsley Wellman. Our
top four scorers were all in the top ten
meaning another team victory.
The group are now looking forward to
the next event at Colfox and beyond
to the County Championships in
Bournemouth.
Mr “Ooh me knees!” Brown, Getting
younger by the minute with all this
running, Head of Year 9
On Wednesday 25 September a team of
swimmers from Years 7 to 11 travelled
to the new Dorchester Leisure Centre
for the Dorset Secondary Schools Team
Relay Gala. Competition was tough, and
having a shortage of swimmers in the
older age groups meant some swimmers
had to swim with an older age group in
order to make up the Teams.
Undeterred, everyone put in their best
performance and team spirit was high,
with everyone supporting each other
and cheering their team-mates on.
The best results were achieved by the
Intermediate Teams (Years 10 and
11) with the girls coming second in the
freestyle relay and fourth in the Medley.
The boys came forth in both their relays.
An enjoyable time was had by all, and
we would like to thank Ms Moses for
organising the event for us, and giving
us the opportunity to represent the
school in another sporting area.
Hannah Pullinger, Year 13
The swimmers who participated were:
Junior Teams:
Year 7 – Otto Harvey-Tkachuk,
Sebastian Harvey-Tkachuk, Henry Hunt,
Jeremy Linn, Daisy Brett and Georgina
Mackey
Years 8 and 9 – Leo Kindred, Louis
Baker, Maisy Spong, Somer Horsfield
and Tamsin Edge
Intermediate Teams:
Years 9 and 10 -Lewis Pearson, Ben
Greenslade Jamie Pullinger, Iain Ross,
Susan Ross, Daniella Edge, Hope
Horsfield and Florence Swan,
Year 11 - Mollie Simpson
Ms Moses said “Extra special thanks
go to Hannah Pullinger for her support
in managing and supervising the team
prior to the gala and on poolside. She
could be likened to an exceptionally
competent member of staff! I am very
grateful for her help.”
Year 7 Inter-tutor Competition
Year 8 Inter-tutor Competition
Earlier in the year, Sixth Formers
George Baker, ** and ** organised
an inter-tutor group six-a-side football
competition for the girls and boys in
Year 7.
I have seen many sporting events over
the years, but none that prepared me
for the Year 8 inter-tutor dodge ball
tournament.
The newly appointed sports captains for
each of the six tutor groups picked their
teams, which included two subs, and
proceeded up to the top pitch on a very
cold and mucky ** lunchtime.
The competition was held over two
days, as there were over 12 teams in
total (six girls and six boys) and a lot of
matches to get through.
With a strong crowd to help cheer them
on each of the teams played some
fantastic football but there had to be two
winning teams.
Congratulations to George Chapman,
Jake Sweetland, Jesse Adlam, Chet
Gillespie, Max Helston, Sean Harvey,
Fin Davy and Louis King from 7EJP who
won for the boys and *** from *** who
won the girls event.
The biggest turnout the PE department
has ever seen for this competition
descended on the Sports Hall ready to
do battle and claim the coveted award
of dodge ball champions 2013. I have
never seen such an extraordinary blend
of aggression, power, determination and
outright chaos and cowardice in all my
life!
The stage was set and the balls let fly
as early dominance came to those tutor
groups that commanded the space and
attacked from the front. The victims of
this accomplished playing style could
do little but cower under the volley of
missiles; they were like lambs to the
slaughter, looking for shelter that simply
didn’t exist. It was hilarious to watch.
As the big guns pushed on, the tension
rose and the injuries mounted. Team
work became paramount as the key
players were picked off like skittles in
a bowling alley, leaving at times one
person trying to avoid the attack of up to
25 opponents.
The final showdown beckoned and 8JLK
faced 8RSB. Amid cries of ‘cheat’ from
some of team JLK, 8RSB held firm and
dodged bravely, to claim a well fought
victory and the pride of knowing that
they are the champions..for this year at
least! Mr Brown, Head of Year 8
PTA
NOTICES
The Woodroffe School P.T.A invite you to
A
Taste
of
Christmas
Friday 6th December
6pm-8.30pm
The Woodroffe School Sports Hall
Entry £2.00 for Adults, Children & Students Free
A tantalizing array of Christmas gifts - get
your shopping off to a fantastic start!
Relax with the musical entertainment provided by Woodroffe students
Hot and Cold Refreshments available
Free Parking
At the recent AGM Nicky Levan agreed
to remain as Secretary and Sally
Howarth will stay on for her last year
as Treasurer. The vacant position of
Chairman was filled by Melissa Kirkby.
Melissa lives at Raymond’s Hill and
has a daughter, Emily, at the school in
year 10
and her son,
Connor,
has just left
Woodroffe
to attend a
military
technical
college
for A’levels.
Having
worked as
a legal
secretary
and bookkeeper she
now works part time from home and can
use her free time to help continue the
PTA’s work and explore new avenues of
raising funds.
Her first duty as Chairman is to extend a
massive thank you to Chrissie Williams
who has given up a tremendous amount
of her valuable time, energy and
enthusiasm to chairing the PTA and
organising the events over the past few
years. She has very kindly agreed to
continue helping through the transition
period with ‘A Taste of Christmas’.
Thank you Chrissie.
Congratulations to Our 200 Club
Winners
November winners were Jane Hepper
£20, Louise Quincy £15 and Jo Culham
£10.
It’s not too late to renew or subscribe
- so sign up now and the next winner
could be you! The 200 Club is a really
easy way to contribute to the PTA’s
fundraising activities - and it’s also a
great chance for you to win cash prizes!
From November to July three winners
are drawn each month. Subscription is
a one off payment of £12 for the year.
To renew your subscription or to join the
200 Club please contact the PTA. pta@
woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk
Lunchtime Supervisors Required
Taste of Christmas - Friday 06
December 2013
For more information or to apply for
one of the two positions please contact
Tracey Dare, Kitchen Manager, on
01297 444445.
A Taste of Christmas is coming and it is
one of the school’s biggest annual fund
raisers. It’s a great community event
which involves everyone. Please bring
your friends and family along. Support
us by buying the draw tickets or selling
them to others and if you don’t wish to
shop, then your help on the day would
be greatly appreciated. We really need
your help with prizes for the Tombolas.
Any donations would be very welcome.
Please drop them in at Reception. If you
would like to book a stall at this year’s
Taste of Christmas event please email
the PTA with your details or contact
Melissa on 07798 502700 or melissa.
kirkby@btinternet.com
A Little Time to Spare? Join us at The
Next PTA Meeting
For information about where and when
meetings are held please contact our
secretary, nickylevan@aol.com or check
out the school website. Come and say
hello and see how you can get involved
in the PTA. Our next meeting will be on
Wednesday 22 January 2014, 7pm at
the Talbot Arms in Uplyme.
We require two lunchtime supervisors to
start as soon as possible, to work 1.20
- 2.35pm five days a week, term time
only. Lunch will be provided.
£6.47 an hour
notes
November 2013
NEWS FROM WOODROFFE