SENIOR SCHOOL
 NEWSLETTER Friday 22nd March 2019 Dear Jacinda Ardern, I am writing to express our deepest sympathies to the families of those affected by the terrible actions which befell members of the Al Noor and Linwood Masjid communities of Christchurch last week. Our thoughts and condolences extend to the wider New Zealand community who have suffered such an abhorrent act of violence. As a Quaker school we are holding you and your community in the light and wish to thank you for your calm and steadfast leadership at this time of such distress. Although we see you through the prism of media coverage we recognise your commitment to peace, tolerance and unity at a time when others would seek to sow the seeds of hatred and discord. We support your firm stand upon gun control and commend your swift and unequivocal actions which will bring into law considered and firm controls on some of the most deadly weapons. Furthermore, we support your stand against racism and hate crime. We have written to members of our own government, urging them to do all that they can to support your campaign – not least upon social media platforms. Although your actions will not bring back those who have passed away nor will they quicken the healing process of many physical and emotional wounds, what they do achieve is an uncompromising and powerful message of love and hope. Thank you. If I may end with your own words: We are one. With our love and Friendship, Toby Spence On behalf of Sibford School, Oxfordshire, UK
Year 11 student, Charlotte, entered the 2019 National Engineering Competition for Girls with a brief to solve key challenges of the 21st Century: Supporting the Educational Needs of Children and Young People with Long-Term Health Problems Through the Use of Robotics. Charlotte came a magnificent second, winning £300. Charlotte presented her design at the Big Bang Fair at the National Exhibition Centre on 18th March, where she received her certificate and prize from BBC science reporter, Marty Jopson. The sponsors, Rolls Royce Aero Engines and Pepsico, have invited Charlotte and the other winners to attend exclusive behind-the-scenes tours later this year. Charlotte’s solution uses robotically controlled vehicles and tablet computers to provide access to teachers and teaching materials for children and young people while they undergo hospital treatment. Charlotte developed several prototypes and wrote extensive computer code in order to produce a demonstrator robot. Competition judge Dr Donka Novovic, of Rolls Royce, commented that the competition had “very strong entries [with] high quality research and innovative solutions.” Charlotte was also delighted to be approached at the fair by the head of paediatric medicine at a major UK hospital, who would like to explore taking her proof-of-concept into design development.
Save the date: Year 11 prom, Thursday 20th June. Details to follow by Clarion shortly.
Year 9 visit Bletchley Park
Year 9 visited Bletchley Park on a joint Mathematics and History trip. During their lessons they have been exploring ciphers and codes, and the events of World War Two and how important communications were in fighting the war. On the coach they watched ‘The Imitation Game’ the 2014 film to give them added insight into Alan Turing and how the British decoding operations were run from Bletchley Park during World War Two. On the day pupils took part in code-breaking lesson, in which they were able to use an actual Enigma Machine, one of only around 50 that remain in the world. The newest (and interactive) exhibition includes a working model of the Bombe machine, which was in essence the forerunner to the first ever computer. In addition, they were given a guided tour by one of Bletchley’s extremely knowledgeable historians and allowed to explore the huts and buildings where the codebreakers actually worked. We have been running this trip for a number of years and it continues to be a hugely informative and enjoyable experience. (Harriet Meddows, Head of Maths)
Our Comic Relief cake sale raised £134, thank you to the Resident Graduate Assistants and Staff for their baking efforts and everyone for spending!
Sound of Sibford
The ‘Sound of Sibford’ rocked the Mill Arts Centre, Banbury. Outstanding performances from our Senior musicians, once again showing the inspiring musical talent of these up and coming young people. Pictures and audio of some of the highlights will be available soon.
Support for Learning - parent conversation afternoons. Parent conversation afternoons take place on Friday afternoons and are an opportunity for parents/carers to make an appointment to see thier child’s SFL teacher(s) for a 15minute discussion about your child’s progress and any concerns you may have. Forthcoming dates: 29th March; 3rd May; 17th May; 7th June Please contact Frances Claydon on 01295 781200 or francesclaydon@sibfordschool.co.uk to book an appointment. We look forward to seeing you!
Harry Potter Museum – ESOL Trip Last week we went to the “Harry Potter Museum” in London. We went by bus at 10 o’clock in the morning and it was quite a long journey. However, we had the opportunity to watch a movie while we were driving to London. The tour began with the big door to the main hall of Hogwarts; we literally stood in the great hall. It was amazing because it looked almost the same as it does in the films. They also had the original costumes from the actors, which had been used in the film. Next, we went into another big hall but this time there were a lot of attractions there. For example, there was a part of the stairs in Hogwarts. We were also able to make videos riding the brooms. After that we went through the forest which is also in a few Harry Potter scenes and the next step was the train station from the first part of Harry Potter. I really liked it because it all looked really realistic. We also had the chance to go inside the train but it was very busy so we decided to skip that part. Then we came to one of the shops and after that we had the possibility to have a rest and to eat lunch. There were two serveries where we could get some food or drinks. So we had a break there for a few minutes before we continued our tour. I liked that we could decide for ourselves when we wanted to have a break and how much time we spent at an attraction. After we finished our lunch we went outside and saw the “knight bus” which is a bus with 3 floors. There was also the house of Harry Potter, where he had lived before he came to Hogwarts and we were allowed to go inside. Next we saw some masks and costumes of the actors and extras. There were also some constructions with mechanisms which were quite impressive. The next highlight was the model of Hogwarts , it was incredible how realistic it was and it was quite big too. It was one of the things that I liked the most. Then we had a small break before our lesson which was about the costumes and the material which the actors had worn in the film. I think this part was quite interesting because I never really thought about that in that way. After we finished that lesson it was time to go back to school . So we went to our bus and to be honest I was really tired after that long day but I definitely enjoyed it. Emily, Year 10
A date for your diary Year 13 Leavers’ Ceremony Tuesday 25th June 2019 – 6pm to 7.30pm An evening of awards, speeches and fond farewells (More details will be sent after the Easter break)
On Friday 5th April (last day of term) we will be raising money for our Friends in Malawi. Sibford School have had a connection in Malawi for several years and our thoughts are with them at this time. We are yet to find out the extent of the devastation on our sister school, but by April 5th we hope to know exactly what will be needed with the funds that we raise. Please encourage your child/ren to earn extra money at the weekend to raise funds for Malawi. More information to follow. Thank you Zoë Simms (Charities Coordinator) http://nchimatrust.org