|
|
|
|
Weather
A wet and windy week in the main; but luckily it was sunny and dry on Wednesday morning.
I say dry…
Dry for some…
For others it was about as wet as wet can be. Thank you to my Magnificent Seven who joined me for our deep clean under the Woodbridge Waterfalls.
And thank you everyone in the audience for being so keen to part with your pennies (I can’t think why). We have raised a magnificent £200 and counting for the Bridge School (not a bad return on a dozen sponges and the odd cubic metre of water). I say ‘counting’ because I suspect there are many amongst you who offered payment in arrears… we on the chairs were just shivering too loudly to hear you say it.
So examine your conscience and your pockets and seek me out – I’ll accept both coins and notes!
Anyway – it was truly lovely to do something ‘we used to do’. Precisely what I was thinking as the first gallon landed.
And I have heard tell that the Year 13s have managed to resurrect a couple of their richly, and ritually, entertaining leavers’ sports fixtures, too. The buds of recovery. Wonderful; and more and more every day.
Speaking of the Year 13s – and having set the scene a little last week – Hail and Farewell! (The ‘hail’ in this context being meteorological). You have come to the end of your final week of lessons – what a thought. We salute you, and thank you for all that you have brought to Woodbridge. We hope that the next three weeks are not too vexing (good luck!), and that as June arrives you will find enjoyment and success in a life no longer ruled by bells. We will of course see you a great deal over the next few months, so it’s not really farewell just yet…
And while I am thinking about transition, good luck also to our Year 11s who embark for their own tremendous landmark. For you, as for the Year 13s, some weeks of endeavour and then a change of pace. Here’s to it all being as good as it can be.
|
|
|
Suffolk Saunter - on your bike!
Last call if you would like to join me on 26 June.
We have a few places to fill - but not many, so please email me without delay if you are interested and I will send you all the details: mstreat@woodbridgschool.org.uk
|
|
Young Enterprise Winners 2021
Mrs Wright takes up the story:
A key objective of our ever-successful Young Enterprise teams over the years has been to experience just what running a real business involves. Our students learn about leadership, problem solving and creativity first-hand. They achieve this by setting up a business from scratch, raising the necessary capital for investment in equipment, purchasing raw materials and operating a profitable business. This opportunity usually gives those involved a reasonably tough, eye-opening, experience. Since I started helping our students some 14 years ago, there have been many boardroom battles and at times, some “blood on the carpet.” Our teams generally start with a lot of enthusiasm and little by way of skills. They finish the year well-rounded individuals who are thoroughly employable or able to start their own business. They become skilled and reliable, mature and resilient: in short, a shining example to their peers.
Then, along came the pandemic. Our 2020/21 team, Suffolk Schooners, decided to batten down the hatches, and set sail. They did this in spite of knowing that the challenge of setting up and running a business this year of all years was going to provide even more challenges. George (MD) and Sophie (Deputy MD) took charge. What a great team they made: serious decision makers but always willing to laugh when things became difficult or went a bit wrong. The team had a few fall by the wayside, but all credit to Kit, Jade, Elsa, George, Ashleigh, Tom, Ruby who stayed fully committed.
This week our intrepid entrepreneurs competed in the semi-finals for the East of England. This required a virtual approach to competing. All the usual components were involved, providing a written company report, being interviewed and providing a presentation of their highs and lows of the year. I’m delighted to report that they are one of two teams that won and will take part in the regional final on the 20 May: an exceptional achievement in such difficult circumstances. Now it’s all fingers crossed for a fortnight’s time.
|
|
Biology Olympiad
The lower and upper sixth biology students recently took part in the British Biology Olympiad. It’s an immensely challenging, but stimulating, competition, and our boys and girls rose magnificently to the occasion.
The Olympiad consists of two, 45-minute multiple choice papers. Students are presented with unfamiliar topics and ideas to test their problem solving skills and understanding of core principals. Congratulations must go to Nathaniel, Saif and George who achieved gold, and Aryan and Amy who were awarded silver. Close behind were Lara, Hugo, Nathan, Flora, Aimen and Vicky who were highly commended, and Simon, Thaïs, Issie, Oli, Joshua, Jenny and Tom who were commended. Well done all!
|
|
|
Science Club does CREST Awards
In a bid to help Stella the Storyteller with her writer's block, the club was tasked to come up with a storyboard of two special children who woke up one morning and found themselves the size of ants. The young scientists explored the school grounds to get ideas of what challenges small organisms might face, such as sunlight, rain, wind and predators. They used magnifying glasses to zoom into the small environments and gather inspirations for their storyboards.
Did you know? The ant is one of the world's strongest creatures in relation to its size. A single ant can carry 50 times its own bodyweight.
|
|
|
Click on the link above to listen live from 4:30pm today!
|
|
|
Miss Sanders takes up the story:
What a lovely end to the Year 13s' last games afternoon, and school sport. On Tuesday afternoon, over thirty Year 13s played in the annual girls v boys netball match. As ever, the swapping of clothes didn't fail to amuse, enhanced as it was by the addition of some very distinguished beards and moustaches! The first match included a number of the 1st netballers and 1st rugby players and was a well-fought and very fast-paced affair, with netballs flying everywhere and players hurling themselves to try and receive or intercept passes! The second match... was a lot calmer(!), although still just as feisty and tenacious as the first; it even featured plenty of great netball!
The competitiveness of all players really shone through: winning clearly mattered after all this time without fixtures. As the boys would agree, it is not so easy shooting into a netball ring without a backboard! (results are below)
It was such an enjoyable afternoon of competitive netball, played with wonderful determination and high spirits: it was really enjoyable to watch and a pleasure for Mrs P (thank you!) and me to umpire.
Well done all. I hope netball features somewhere along your next path – even if only social or mixed... you’ve all got the skills!
|
|
|
|
1st Match: Girls won 18 - 4
|
|
|
|
2nd Match: Drew 3 – 3
|
|
|
Congratulations to Clara S on being selected for England Hockey East Performance Centre, after recent successful trials. This is great news, and just reward for continued hard work, despite the disrupted season. Well done, Clara.
|
|
Lighting the Torch!
With the final week’s endeavours mounting up as I write, I can give you the update from the penultimate week.
Seckford, of course, are well over the horizon having already amassed over twelve and a half thousand kilometres. Amazing. They may even be almost half way back before the end of this week….
Annott, bless us, came within a whisker of completing the course by bank holiday Monday – missing
out by less than the distance from here to Braintree.
Burwell retain a perilous lead over Willard – and between them they have nearly made it as far as Seckford!
All in all, then, the School has covered a magnificent 34,500km so far… another 10% would see us there and back not once but twice to Tokyo.
Will we have managed that by the time of the final reckoning?
Will Annott make it to Tokyo on their own?
Which of Burwell and Willard will have to carry the wooden spoon all the way home?
And how much further can Seckford go?
|
|
Equestrian team news
The Winter Dressage Pop Up league has now finished. Many congratulations to Sophia (top pic) for coming 3rd overall in Class 1 and Ada on coming 7th and 8th= in Class 4. Both riders are now off to the National Schools Pop Up Dressage Championship Finals at Hickstead in August along with Jazzie from the Prep school who finished 3rd in class 1 – (10 years & under). Good luck.
It was nice for the Woodbridge school riding team to be back in a physical competition last weekend and they didn’t disappoint. The team travelled to Lime Kiln in Norfolk to take part in an Eventers Challenge. Each rider rode a fantastic round. In the 80-85 the team of Katie, Oscar, Lois and Eve came 2nd with Katie 4th, Lois 5th and Oscar 6th in the individual placings. In the 90-95 the team of Lucy, Oscar, Eve and Issy took 1st place with the team of Katie, Oscar, Lois and Eve coming 3rd. Individual placings saw Katie at 3rd with Eve 6th. Lucy, Oscar, Eve and Issy finished the day with 1st place in the 1m with Eve coming 2nd as an individual. All the teams qualified for the Championships at the end of May in Hickstead. A very good day for Woodbridge School.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
