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Gildredge House Bulletin Issue 27, 22nd April 2016<br />
<strong>From</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Head</strong> <strong>Teacher</strong><br />
This week was always going to<br />
be a busy one, particularly in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Performing Arts Department,<br />
who were about to put on <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
major production of <strong>the</strong> year<br />
(more of this later) but <strong>the</strong>re has<br />
been plenty going on in o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
areas too.<br />
We had ano<strong>the</strong>r successful Big<br />
Dig event last Saturday.<br />
Incredible effort was much in<br />
evidence as we moved earth in<br />
barrows from <strong>the</strong> car park below<br />
up onto <strong>the</strong> outdoor learning<br />
environment and once again<br />
huge progress was made (see<br />
photographs later in <strong>the</strong><br />
Bulletin).<br />
On Monday <strong>the</strong> Lower School—<br />
this time Year 1—had ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
exciting and inspiring visit from<br />
Jaws ‘n’ Claws (see report<br />
below).<br />
Also on Monday four of our<br />
talented Ma<strong>the</strong>matics students<br />
participated in <strong>the</strong> UKMT Team<br />
Challenge. Two Year 9’s – Elsie<br />
Brown and Anastasija<br />
Timofejeva and two Year 8’s –<br />
Ellie Molloson and Billy Thomas –<br />
participated and were an<br />
absolute credit to <strong>the</strong> school.<br />
The prestigious competition, run<br />
by <strong>the</strong> UK Ma<strong>the</strong>matics Trust,<br />
held at Tonbridge Grammar<br />
School in Kent, attracted a<br />
number of selective schools,<br />
including grammar and<br />
independents, as well as <strong>nonselective</strong><br />
schools such as<br />
ourselves. In such company, our<br />
Gildredge House team did<br />
extremely well to place 14th out<br />
of 33 schools. Our thanks go to<br />
parent / Vice-Chair of<br />
Governors, Mr Mace, who<br />
accompanied <strong>the</strong> team and to<br />
<strong>the</strong> Ma<strong>the</strong>matics Department for<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir ongoing inspiration and<br />
support of <strong>the</strong>se talented<br />
students.<br />
In this week’s issue<br />
Message from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Head</strong><br />
<strong>Teacher</strong><br />
Lower School News<br />
Foreign Language Spelling<br />
Bee<br />
Big Futures Careers Show<br />
Meet our New Staff<br />
Students of <strong>the</strong> Week &<br />
Happy Notes
Gildredge House Bulletin Issue 27, 22nd April 2016<br />
On Wednesday our Year 9 students attended <strong>the</strong><br />
Big Futures Show, a careers event organised by<br />
<strong>the</strong> Eastbourne Business Partnership at <strong>the</strong> Winter<br />
Gardens. The event was targeted at Year 10<br />
students in <strong>the</strong> area, but we felt that our own<br />
Year 9 students could gain much from <strong>the</strong><br />
experience. Our students rose to <strong>the</strong> occasion and<br />
I was delighted to receive feedback from local<br />
business providers:<br />
“You should be incredibly proud of <strong>the</strong> pupils that<br />
attended <strong>the</strong> Big Futures career fair today. They<br />
were incredibly well-behaved and engaged with<br />
<strong>the</strong> exhibitors beautifully.”<br />
“Almost immediately <strong>the</strong> show opened its doors,<br />
we were bombarded with a continual stream of<br />
enthusiastic pupils from Gildredge House… Firstly I<br />
wanted to say how delightful <strong>the</strong>y all were to talk<br />
to. They were bubbly and confident and politely<br />
asked many interesting questions, a real credit to<br />
<strong>the</strong> school.”<br />
The students came away hugely inspired by <strong>the</strong><br />
event, with lots of ideas about how <strong>the</strong>y would<br />
like to take <strong>the</strong>ir careers ideas fur<strong>the</strong>r. What a<br />
great event for Eastbourne! I hope that this<br />
continues to be something offered year on year to<br />
<strong>the</strong> young people of our town. You can read Mr<br />
Myall’s report later in <strong>the</strong> Bulletin.<br />
Also on Wednesday were <strong>the</strong> regional heats of <strong>the</strong><br />
Routes into Languages French Spelling Bee and<br />
Gildredge House was represented very strongly by<br />
<strong>the</strong> Year 7 team of Kane Benton, Freya Armstrong<br />
and Benedict Noon. Mr Gardner’s report appears<br />
later in <strong>the</strong> Bulletin.<br />
Last, but certainly not least, it’s been a ‘massive’<br />
week for <strong>the</strong> Performing Arts, with our<br />
performances of ‘Bugsy Malone’. No doubt <strong>the</strong>re<br />
will be a longer report next week as, at <strong>the</strong> time<br />
of writing, only one of <strong>the</strong> four performances has<br />
taken place. I am immensely looking forward to<br />
seeing <strong>the</strong> show on Saturday night, after hearing<br />
glowing reports of <strong>the</strong> opening night from various<br />
sources. I am also looking forward to seeing our<br />
outstanding production of ‘What Are They Like?’<br />
at <strong>the</strong> Brighton Dome on Sunday night. I know that<br />
this particular cast, which has some overlap with<br />
<strong>the</strong> ‘Bugsy’ crew, has also been working hard to<br />
put on a production of <strong>the</strong> highest standard. A real<br />
testament to our students’ achievements in so<br />
many fields. I am proud of <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong>y engage<br />
with whatever is expected of <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Mrs Lea Gilbert<br />
<strong>Head</strong> <strong>Teacher</strong><br />
It was ano<strong>the</strong>r busy work day in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Outdoor Learning<br />
Environment last Saturday, with<br />
staff, parent and children<br />
helpers all getting stuck in!
Gildredge House Bulletin Issue 27, 22nd April 2016<br />
Year 1 News<br />
On Monday we had an exciting visitor to Year 1.<br />
Phil from Jaws ’n’ Claws came to see us and<br />
brought along his pets! We got to learn all about<br />
where creatures like scorpions, frogs, lizards,<br />
tortoises and snakes like to live. Phil went on to<br />
tell us about how <strong>the</strong>se animals have adapted to<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir environments and why you don’t get a polar<br />
bear in <strong>the</strong> desert or a snake in <strong>the</strong> Arctic! Phil<br />
told us a rhyme to help us identify venomous<br />
snakes, if we ever visit North America and want to<br />
stay safe. “Red Touch Yellow - Kills a Fellow, Red<br />
Touch Black - Venom Lack”<br />
The best bit was when we got to hold <strong>the</strong> animals<br />
(except <strong>the</strong> scorpion!) The tree frog climbed all<br />
<strong>the</strong> way up <strong>the</strong> wall and was <strong>the</strong>n put on Miss<br />
Newlands’ head! We were so lucky because we<br />
got to meet a tiny six week old lizard on his very<br />
first outing into a school. Phil said his skin felt<br />
like a pineapple and asked us to think of a name<br />
for him. We are excited to hear if he chooses one<br />
of our names for his pet lizard!<br />
Mrs C Geldard<br />
Director of Lower School
Gildredge House Bulletin Issue 27, 22nd April 2016<br />
Foreign Language Spelling Bee<br />
Three Year 7 students attended <strong>the</strong> Regional Finals<br />
of <strong>the</strong> Foreign Language Spelling Bee at Brighton<br />
University on Wednesday. Freya Armstrong,<br />
Benedict Noon and Kane Benton beat 117 o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
students in <strong>the</strong> school heats in December and<br />
February to get through to this key part in this<br />
national competition, organised by Routes Into<br />
Languages. Students have to translate and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
spell, using <strong>the</strong> French alphabet, as many words as<br />
<strong>the</strong>y can in 60 seconds. With <strong>the</strong> addition of a<br />
lecture <strong>the</strong>atre full of o<strong>the</strong>r competitors and<br />
teachers, <strong>the</strong> heat was definitely on for our heroic<br />
trio. The competition was fierce, with many<br />
students clearing 14 or 15 words in a minute.<br />
Benedict was up first but didn’t let his nerves get<br />
<strong>the</strong> better of him, managing 14 words himself.<br />
Then it was Freya’s turn with an excellent 11.<br />
Kane was <strong>the</strong> last Gildredge House student to go<br />
and he did us proud with a fantastic one word<br />
Big Futures Careers Show 2016<br />
On Wednesday 20th April, 120 Year 9 Gildredge<br />
House students visited <strong>the</strong> Eastbourne Winter<br />
Gardens to experience <strong>the</strong> wonders of <strong>the</strong> Big<br />
Futures Show, 2016. The Big Futures Show offered<br />
a unique opportunity for our students to meet with<br />
a wide variety of fur<strong>the</strong>r education and training<br />
providers and prospective employers. It was an<br />
opportunity for numerous exhibitors to promote,<br />
provide inspiration, give advice and guide students<br />
about options available to <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> near future.<br />
Potential employers offered interactive exhibits<br />
and guidance in <strong>the</strong> hope that <strong>the</strong>y could inspire<br />
our future workforce. They were looking for <strong>the</strong><br />
talent of tomorrow and explained to <strong>the</strong> students<br />
exactly which qualifications <strong>the</strong>y were looking for<br />
and what training and apprenticeships <strong>the</strong>y could<br />
offer in <strong>the</strong> workplace.<br />
every three seconds! It looked like it was ‘in <strong>the</strong><br />
bag’ for <strong>the</strong> second round of <strong>the</strong> afternoon.<br />
However, after a series of tie breaks and some<br />
very high scores from Crookhorn College near<br />
Portsmouth, we didn’t find ourselves on <strong>the</strong><br />
shortlist. Regardless, our three did a wonderful<br />
job and, as <strong>the</strong> organisers reminded <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
had still beaten many thousands of schoolchildren<br />
from across <strong>the</strong> South of England region to get this<br />
far. Well done to all of <strong>the</strong>m and we look forward<br />
to <strong>the</strong>m helping to train and judge next year’s<br />
Year 7 participants!<br />
Mr J Gardner<br />
<strong>Head</strong> of Languages
Gildredge House Bulletin Issue 27, 22nd April 2016<br />
The Gildredge House students took full advantage of <strong>the</strong><br />
opportunity that was offered to <strong>the</strong>m; asking important<br />
questions that related to <strong>the</strong>ir desired vocation.<br />
The event was a resounding success and one that we hope<br />
we will use again in <strong>the</strong><br />
future.<br />
Mr S Myall<br />
<strong>Head</strong> of Section: Years 9-11<br />
Meet our New Staff<br />
Tom Addems<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong> of Sport<br />
Tom graduated with 1st class honours from <strong>the</strong> University of<br />
Brighton with a BA in Physical Education (with QTS). During his<br />
time at university, Tom volunteered at Gildredge House as a<br />
member of <strong>the</strong> Sport Department, assisting in <strong>the</strong> delivery of<br />
both curricular and extra-curricular Sport within <strong>the</strong> school.<br />
Since graduating from university, Tom has been working as a<br />
member of <strong>the</strong> PE department at Varndean School in Brighton.<br />
During this two-year period, Tom has been required to organise<br />
major youth sporting events in Brighton, was selected onto <strong>the</strong><br />
Outstanding <strong>Teacher</strong>s Programme and has been made an NQT<br />
mentor.<br />
Tom has a passion for all sports, with particular interests in<br />
football, rugby, basketball, golf and fitness. He previously<br />
played football for Eastbourne Town FC, currently plays in <strong>the</strong> Mid Sussex Premier League with AFC<br />
Willingdon and has won district honours in youth basketball.<br />
He has strong links with sports teams in <strong>the</strong> local area, and feels strongly that competitive and<br />
recreational sport should be offered to pupils of all backgrounds and abilities, with <strong>the</strong> overall aim<br />
being to find young people sports and activities that <strong>the</strong>y will do for life.<br />
“Having volunteered within <strong>the</strong> Sport Department in <strong>the</strong> schools opening year, all I have wanted to do<br />
is become a member of <strong>the</strong> teaching staff here. The supportive climate that has been established by<br />
both staff and students, conducive to enjoyment and progress, is something I cannot wait to be a part<br />
of and I am thoroughly looking forward to becoming a member of <strong>the</strong> Gildredge House family.”
Gildredge House Bulletin Issue 27, 22nd April 2016<br />
Laurie Marsden<br />
Information Manager<br />
After obtaining her BA Hons degree in French and English, Laurie<br />
joined <strong>the</strong> Graduate Management Trainee Scheme for American<br />
Express. Laurie worked for American Express for many years, with<br />
her last role <strong>the</strong>re being as Marketing Manager.<br />
Laurie also worked as Product Manager for Lloyds TSB, and <strong>the</strong>n,<br />
after <strong>the</strong> birth of her daughter, has enjoyed working more locally<br />
for a few schools and companies based in this area. Laurie lives in<br />
Eastbourne with her husband and daughter.<br />
“I’m delighted to join <strong>the</strong> team at Gildredge House; I look<br />
forward to seeing <strong>the</strong> school continue to grow from strength to<br />
strength.”<br />
Mr Joe Allsopp<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong> of History<br />
Joe graduated from <strong>the</strong> University of Winchester in 2011 with<br />
an Honours degree in Medieval History. He <strong>the</strong>n spent a<br />
number of years working aboard and in <strong>the</strong> UK as a teaching<br />
assistant, learning mentor and ESOL teacher. It was during this<br />
time that Joe moved to Brighton to complete a Masters in<br />
Cultural History, Memory and Identity. He <strong>the</strong>n went on to<br />
complete his PGCE at Sussex University in June 2016.<br />
Joe is a passionate teacher and wants to bring history to life.<br />
He is also a strong believer that education happens both within<br />
and outside <strong>the</strong> classroom.<br />
“I am hugely excited to be joining Gildredge House as a<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong> of History and to be part of an outstanding<br />
community. I am looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm of<br />
History with my new students and to help <strong>the</strong>m be inquisitive,<br />
active and independent learners.”<br />
Jasmin Eldridge<br />
Primary Class <strong>Teacher</strong><br />
Jasmin’s passion for becoming an inspiring teacher led her to<br />
complete a BA (Hons) in Primary Education at Canterbury<br />
Christ Church University. She has gained teaching experience<br />
across different age groups over <strong>the</strong> last five years, at a<br />
range of schools in Kent and East Sussex. Jasmin has an<br />
enthusiasm for developing a love of learning in children from<br />
a young age through practical and hands on experiences. She<br />
enjoys taking part in and coaching a range of sports and is<br />
excited to continue this as part of <strong>the</strong> Gildredge House team.<br />
She has coached children at national trampoline standard and<br />
looks forward to developing a trampoline club at Gildredge<br />
House.<br />
“I am excited to become part of <strong>the</strong> teaching team at<br />
Gildredge House and I look forward to developing a love of learning in children so <strong>the</strong>y can aspire to<br />
be <strong>the</strong> best <strong>the</strong>y can be. I am looking forward to working with all members of <strong>the</strong> community in<br />
different areas of school life.”
Gildredge House Bulletin Issue 27, 22nd April 2016<br />
Students of <strong>the</strong> Week<br />
Chosen by <strong>the</strong>ir Form Tutors, <strong>the</strong>se students<br />
have done something that has made <strong>the</strong>m stand<br />
out this week.<br />
Year 7<br />
7 Bader: Kane Benton for representing Gildredge<br />
House in <strong>the</strong> French Spelling Bee at Brighton<br />
University and helping Miss Brown work on her<br />
French.<br />
7 Carter: Iycea May - for dealing with a situation<br />
in a very mature way.<br />
7 Hopkins: Emilia Spirou – for her kindness and<br />
generosity.<br />
7 Johnston: Shakeil Siraj - for being very helpful<br />
and polite to a member of staff.<br />
7 Ravilious: Freya Armstrong and Sam Campbell –<br />
for <strong>the</strong>ir dedication to Bugsy Malone.<br />
7 Shackleton: Kate Holman – for following <strong>the</strong><br />
Gildredge House Way when helping to return a<br />
lost item.<br />
Year 8<br />
8 Bader: Ethan Harrington - for being polite and<br />
doing as he’s asked without question.<br />
8 Carter: Alex Brown – for his continuous positive<br />
attitude to school.<br />
8 Hopkins: Iryna Askirka – for her positive attitude<br />
to learning.<br />
8 Johnston: Tilo Schulmeyer – for his contribution<br />
and commitment to Bugsy Malone.<br />
8 Ravilious: Faith Harrington – for excellent work in<br />
English.<br />
8 Shackleton: Maria Konstantinou – for representing<br />
<strong>the</strong> school at Rugby and getting ‘studded’ in <strong>the</strong><br />
process.<br />
Well done, all of you!<br />
Miss C McCollin<br />
<strong>Head</strong> of Section: Years 7 & 8<br />
Happy Notes<br />
The following Lower School children all received Happy Notes for<br />
following <strong>the</strong> Gildredge House Way:<br />
Reception:<br />
Connor Byrne<br />
William Evinson<br />
Freya Sivers<br />
Jacob Morris<br />
Year 1:<br />
Ava-Lily Eldridge<br />
Martha Pulford -<br />
Shoosmith<br />
Beau Allart<br />
Isabella Nagy<br />
Year 2:<br />
Nathy Barber<br />
Eli Green<br />
Alfie Crouch<br />
Clara Murphy<br />
Well done!<br />
Mrs C Geldard<br />
Director of Lower School<br />
REMINDERS:<br />
Year 12 Politics Revision Conference Trip: Wednesday 27th April 2016<br />
Pre-Loved Uniform Shop: Wednesday 27th April 2016 3.00-5.00pm<br />
Years 8 & 9 Support Your Teen Information Evening: Thursday 28th April 2016 7.00-8.30pm<br />
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