On Thursday 10th November, Dr Rebecca Lowe, a former Sandringham School student visited our Sixth Form Healthcare Society. As junior doctor who went to Nottingham University and works in Derby now, she gave a talk and answered questions from prospective medical students in Years 12 and 13.The discussion covered various topics, ranging from motivation to do medicine to her A levels. She also provided her perspective on interview hot topics as well as the importance of different skills for a doctor. It provided an amazing insight into the realities of being a doctor in the NHS and inspired Sandringham’s next generation of doctors!

There will be a cake sale to raise money for students at Farafenni Senior Secondary High School under the Canopy outside C/B Block on Monday lunchtime (and Tuesday if there are leftovers!) This is CASH ONLY. Please come along to support this really worthy cause. Thank you!

VELOCITY 2023 IS BACK!! It is great to see so many students involved in the dance show this year, clubs are thriving! Tickets go on sale on Monday 21st November on the Sandpit website (or from the box office). It’s our biggest show yet and is always a fantastic night so buy tickets early to avoid disappointment.

As mentioned in the Headlines, it is our annual Chirstmas Fair on Saturday 3rd December from 11am - 3pm. It is always a great event with lots of stalls, tasty food and a bucking reindeer! Fo$S are still looking for donations and helpers so please see below for more details of how you can support. It will be great to see as many people as possible on the day!

Tombola donations of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), sweets and gifts.

This is always one of our most popular stalls, so all donations would be very gratefully received. You can either drop off your donations to Main Reception between 8.15am and 5pm during the week or ask your child to do this (please note students cannot bring alcoholic drinks in so this would have to be done by an adult.) Or, alternatively, instead of a bottle or sweets you can donate to our tombola money pool and FO$S will purchase items to go on the tombola. Link here

Volunteers Needed

We need on the day volunteers to help cook, serve food and drinks, plus help clear up afterwards. If you can spare an hour or more of your time the FO$S team would really appreciate it. You can sign up through the link below, which splits the jobs by time slots here

Fawcett are just about hanging on to their lead this week with Newton and Shakespeare hot on their tails. Special mention goes to Ana M in 7T who gained an impressive 10 points this week and to the top 3 forms with the highest average points (7S with 55.4, 9F with 51.5 & 7F with 49.3.) 

In other House News- there was a fantastic turnout for the Year 7 and Year 8 House Rugby on Monday. Results were as follows: Year 7: 1st - Austen 2nd - Newton 3rd - Elgar Year 8: 1st - Shakespeare 2nd - Johnson 3rd - Newton. We look forward to more House events in the coming weeks! 

UPCOMING EVENTS

• House Rugby (Year 9 & 10 – 28th November)
• Girls house football – (Year 7 & 8 30th November), (Years 9 & 10 – 14th December)
• House Choreography ALL YEARS – launch date (Tuesday 22nd November) See more under DANCE NEWS
• MFL House Competition – TBC
• Photography Competition – TBC

The ‘CanSat’ team are well under way with their competition entry, to design and build a can-sized container of sensors. So far the sixth formers have acquired altitude, temperature and pressure sensors, a tiny radio transmitter and a ground-based receiver. They have already done a lot of the coding and are designing the container to be 3D-printed.

On the day of the competition the can will be sent 1km up into the air and a parachute will open, hopefully transmitting data. Mr Neville and Mr Tattersall look forward to the testing stage!

Since September, Year 7 have been reading Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic: A Christmas Carol. Dickens’ timeless message of helping those in need has inspired Year 7 to take part in the Christmas Box Appeal. English classes all worked together to get boxes ready to help to spread Christmas cheer to vulnerable children across Europe. Our original aim was to donate two boxes from each English class, but the students exceeded all expectations and we donated over 90 boxes!  A big thank you to all the students, parents and staff in their generosity and enthusiasm towards this project.

'Many children and adults go through Christmas without receiving any presents. With the help of Sandringham, we have been able to gift those unfortunate people with many special gifts. This year, year sevens got to take part in this.’ Lily H 7A

‘I enjoyed really making a Christmas Box (for a 11-15 girl). I found it fun to look for presents for someone my age. I decorated my box in shiny Santa paper and on the inside, wrote 'Merry Christmas!' in 10 languages. It's important to help those who are less fortunate than us, especially at Christmas time.’ Isabella P 7H

‘Year 7 recently completed the Christmas Box appeal. This event included creating a shoe box filled with lovely gifts for those who have less than us. We worked in groups or alone to create these boxes and decided on different categories and types of people we would like to give our boxes to. We wrapped are boxed in festive paper and thought carefully about what we would put in them. This was a very nice thing to do, and we love to think about those people opening our Christmas boxes and how happy this must make them.’ Hannah E 7A

‘When making a Christmas Box, I had to think carefully about what a boy (aged 7-10) would like to receive. I put a skipping rope, a bag of sweets, some fidget toys, and a cup for drinks. That is what I believe someone that age would enjoy. It is nice to be able to give to people less fortunate then us.’Toby G 7H

This year, we will be holding our Christmas lunch over three days from 12.40pm as follows:  Years 7 & 9 on Tuesday December 13th, Years 8 & 10 on Wednesday December 14th and Years 11, 12 & 13 on Thursday December 15th. The price of the lunch will be £3.75. This year there will be food available from the new canteen at lunchtime on these days if students would like to purchase an alternative lunch. There will be the usual break service on these days and space will also be available for dining for those having packed lunches on that day.

All payments need to be made via ParentPay before the 1st December so that we have an accurate idea of numbers. Please note that payments or requests cannot be accepted after this date as the final catering order has to be placed the following day. If payment is not received by Thursday 1st December, your child will need to make alternative arrangements for their lunch on these days – we will not be operating a waiting list. There are two options (meat, vegetarian/vegan) so please ensure that you select the correct option for your child. If your child has any special dietary requirements (e.g. gluten free) please add these to the notes page when selecting the relevant payment item in ParentPay. For the first time this year we will also be offering a Halal option (Chicken).

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they will automatically be allocated a meal unless you inform us otherwise. No payment is required. However, you will need to inform us in writing by Thursday 1st December if your child requires a vegetarian/vegan/halal option.

It was fantastic to see so many students in their spotty outfits today for Children in Need. If you have not already donated and wish to do so, you can pay here (please note this is not through your normal parentpay account.) If you would like to support the cause further, Jamieson L 10S and Liffey L 7A will be helping at a annual charity event at Marshalswick Baptist Free Church, Sherwood Avenue, tomorrow Saturday 19th Nov 10-2pm. They will be washing cars and helping with the sale of coffee, homemade cakes, jams and preserves, Christmas cards, gifts and stocking filler ideas for sale. All proceeds go towards Children In Need. If anyone would like to come and support them, either  would be very grateful.

This week’s whole school theme is Politics Week. Political awareness is often defined as: ''the extent to which an individual pays attention to politics and understands what he or she has encountered '' (Zaller 1992, 21). The students received an excellent assembly from History teacher, Miss Edwards, who got students to reflect on the importance of political awareness to be an effective UK citizen. The Year 13 politics class ran a school referendum, where they campaigned for the voting age to be lowered to 16. This included a fantastic debate between students on Thursday lunchtime where numerous students demonstrated their outstanding political knowledge and persuasive skills. More on this under Politics News. We hope this experience has encouraged our students to be more engaged in politics in the future. 

On 19th January 2023, as part of our Extended Learning Day, we will be holding a ‘You’re Hired’ event for all year 11 students.

For this event, we ask for some parent help.  If you are able to assist as a mock interviewer of students (one student at a time), we’d very much appreciate your help.  We will have a lively learning environment set up, with lots of interviews going on in the hall.  Please contact carly.eady@sandringham.herts.sch.uk

Finally returning after a two-year break due to COVID, Sandringham were once again able to enter The Rotary Club’s annual Youth Speaks competition. This competition requires the students to prepare and present a debate on a topic of their choice. They are judged on their ability to speak publicly and engage an audience, as well as their ability to work well as a team.

On Wednesday 9th November, we sent two teams to compete within the intermediate category. The teams were up against many other local schools, all of which showed exceptional public speaking abilities. Our teams took on the challenging task of exploring two interesting areas. Our first team, Reuben M-K, Sami E and Beatriz S prepared a debate on the proposition: ‘It has never been harder to be a child than it has today’. They drew upon their own experiences of growing up in a competitive world and the negative impact that technology could have upon their lives. This was countered by exploring events in history such as the World Wars and living through the Black Plague. Beatriz, Reuben and Sami were extremely impressive, it was clear to see their enthusiasm and confidence. Something that really made this group stand out was their ability to use humour to engage the audience.

Our second team, Isabella P, Erin A and Annie M instead chose to look into the thought-provoking proposition: ‘The internet has caused more problems than it has solved’. This topic required them to carry out extensive research and really interrogate their own use of technology. They worked extremely well as a team and were a credit to the school. Isabella, Erin and Annie did a great job of overcoming their nerves and put forward a really strong argument. They closed the evening’s discussions and managed to keep everyone engaged right up until the end!

I would also like to thank Thanisk K and Rebecca T for their invaluable help with speech writing over the last few months and their continuous support. Similarly, Arabella R and Bethan P for coming to the club week on week to support and help us discuss ideas. Also, a thank you to all the parents who came along to support on the evening - I know the students really appreciated it. I would also like to thank the students for their hard work and dedication in the lead up to this event and congratulate both teams on such a successful evening. They did the school proud and showed such impressive confidence and courage. Well done!

Thank you to all of those who came to the Ski Trip information evening this week. You can find all of the information here.

We would like to advertise a fantastic new club, Relax and Doodle, which is held every Friday at 1.25pm in B1. Run my Ms Hussain, it is a chance to relax and take part in fun wellbeing activities such as creating mandalas, rock painting, doodling and tentangle. Please sign up on SOCS if you are interested. Everyone is welcome.

Over the last few months we have been working hard on our whole school play 'A Christmas Carol'. The cast and crew are so excited to take you on a journey with old miser Scrooge as he goes on his own transformational journey through life. This classic tale is a one of redemption, Christmas spirit and family life - with a few ghostly encounters too! The rehearsal process has flown by and now in show week we couldn't be more grateful for the efforts of all involved. It really has been a fantastic team effort showcasing all that it means to be a part of our Sandringham community. 

Lots of news from our Dance Faculty this week! House choreography, Velocity News and Dance uniform prices/instructions.

House choreography is launching on Tuesday 22n November in DC1 at 1.30pm. Instructions are to choreograph a short routine based on one of the following themes:
★ A sweet of your choice
★ Golden (golden ticket)
You can enter as many dances from each house as you like in solos or group choreography. House points are on offer for entering the competition with more for the winners.  Please come along to DC1 on Tuesday.

DANCE UNIFORM – you can buy and collect dance uniform from the dance office any time. Bring along cash payment to the dance office and see the stock we have remaining.

Well done to everyone who entered last week and got the answer right!  This week's puzzle is shown above.  For every entry you will receive 1 house point, if you answer correctly you will win 2 housepoints and if you are the fastest person to answer the puzzle correctly then you will win 5 house points!  To enter, simply scan the QR code and fill out the google form.  Good luck! Why not play at home and see who is the quickest to get the answer?

Written by Maddie L in 7H.

"Last week was Remembrance Day and my first time marking the event at Sandringham School. I had a lovely time and would certainly do it again next year. It was great to wear my guides uniform with some of my friends who are in other guides groups and see all of the other cadets, sea cadets, scouts, guides, air cadets and army cadets in their uniforms. I really enjoyed watching and being a part of the service and felt proud to be in my uniform. I enjoyed the silence as a chance to reflect on the image of the poppy fields we have been looking at in Art and thinking about those who sacrificed their lives. I imagine the trumpet player might have been a bit nervous but he did brilliantly. This service was a good practise for the parade I took part in on Sunday in St Albans town centre with about 5000 people.  If you do guides, scouts, cadets or anything else like that then I would recommend being a part of this wodnerful service as I felt really proud to do so."

This week (14th-18th November) we held our annual Politics Week, which coincides with the national Parliament Week. Students participated in a school wide referendum on Monday, voting on the issue 'Should the voting age in the UK be reduced to 16 years old?'. We had 925 votes, with 54% voting to retain the voting age at 18, and 46% voting to reduce it to 16. Students have been participating in various activities in tutor time and hearing different arguments for and against the issue, learning about the workings of Parliament and discussing issues that matter to them. On Thursday, we held a debate with our A Level Politics cohort, which they have been rehearsing for several weeks! Today, we will see all students across the school voting for a second time, to see if they have changed their point of view since Monday in light of our assemblies and activities. We will publish the final results next week. Well done to our Year 13 Politics students for helping to coordinate the week's events!

A mysterious disease has killed most of America's children. Ruby might have survived, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse than a virus: frightening abilities they can't control. Pressured by the government, Ruby's parents send her to Thurmond, a brutal state rehabilitation camp where she is taught to suppress her power, even though mastering it could be her generation's only chance for survival. Ash S 11T who recently read Darkest Minds says: 'This is an entertaining and thrilling read. It kept me busy!'

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine: charmant

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche: charmant

SPANISH: La palabra de la semana: encantador/a

Thinking Questions

• An interlanguage is when people speak a mixture of two languages – how do these come about? How do these affect the development of the two original languages that have become mixed? 

W is for … winsome [adjective]

Definition: Attractive or appealing in a fresh, innocent way.

Example: He had a winsome smile.

Synonyms: appealing, captivating, cute

Etymology: From the Old English ‘wynsum’ from ‘wyn’ meaning joy.

Please see attached for the list of fixtures for next week. You can follow @SandringhamPE for updates.

The U12 boys had a great game against a strong SJL team on Tuesday night. After several chances scuppered by their amazing goalkeeper, we went up 1-0 just before half time with a cross from Ali P in to Toby R. SJL managed to equalise shortly afterwards, and it was looking like another round of penalties could be on the cards until we secured the win with a goal from Fin D in the final 10 minutes . Final result 2-1. We now go into the next round of the County Cup on Tuesday.

And in other news outside of school, it was great to see Eda P & Olivia C representing Hertfordshire schools this week.

Our Year 8s had their first fixture of basketball in the 2022-23 season. SCC played some very good basketball, winning convincingly but our boys fought until the last minute and the boys should be proud of the courage and determination they displayed.

Our U15 Netball team had a good win over Habs in the County Cup over Habs to see us through to round 3!

The U14 performance squad also put in a fantastic performance on Monday winning the first round of the SnS Plate competition 29-23 against Wycombe High School POM - Lauren W and Cerys M, CPM - Sophie B

The U16 Netball Performance also beat RMS 41-23 in the county league last night. Great performances from OPM - Charlotte H & CPM - Liv C

And finally, there was also a good win for the U19 Netball Performance Squad today 46-15 in the County Cup! Thanks to St Edmunds College for hosting and the amazing muffins! OPM - Sib M & CPM - Molly C

Our Year 7 boys enjoyed a muddy tournament on Saturday at Nicholas Breakspear. A squad of 21 boys represented Sandringham and came out with a win, 3 losses and a draw. The boys gained valuable experience and showed great progress. Archie S, Lucas H, and Toby R not pictured. 

Our Year 9s boys also had a very good game against Verulam on Saturday which unfortunately ended in a 14-7 loss. This was the first defeat for this group of boys, who will need to pick themselves up for Roundwood next week.

Our Year 10 and 11 girls played brilliantly in a friendly against Roundwood Park this week. Having not played together before, they showed some great potential. Tries from Martha D (2), Bea B (2) & and Lexi S were impressive but not quite enough to secure a win and the final result was an 8-5 loss.

We had a great morning of Cross Country at the @SchoolAthletics National XC Cup Regional finals. A number of our teams were in action and ran very well. Well done to our Senior Girls who were outstanding this morning and are now off to Leeds for the National final. Thanks for the support of parents and well done to all of our students who ran. 

Sandringham School Presents A Christmas Carol

A Ridiculous but surprisingly faithful rendition of the Dickens classic in which Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by the ghosts of his late partner, Jacob Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come.  Faced with his own mortality, and the evil results of his misanthropic, miserly ways, Scrooge is redeemed, reconciled with his nephew and his neighbours, and becomes a second father to his assistant's son, Tiny Tim.  Ludlam finds the humour as well as the pathos in this Victorian melodrama, creating the most Dickensian and stage worthy adaptation yet.

Tickets £12/£10

All the latest performances are on our website, www.sandpittheatre.co.uk, and you can keep up to date with what’s going on by giving us a follow either on Instagram & Twitter or give us a like on Facebook, just search for The SandPit Theatre!

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The box office is open from 11.30am – 3.30pm Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Alternatively, you can call us on 01727 799565 or visit www.sandpittheatre.co.uk

A fun-filled, sugar-fuelled, family-friendly pantomime adventure that reminds us ALL not to take candy from strangers (even if they wow you with a fabulous song and dance number!)

Join ‘Hansel and Gretel’ in a new take on an old favourite; with tasty tunes, magical mayhem, and colourful characters (including a 7-foot yeti!) it’s simply not to be missed!

“Absolutely Incredible” – BBC Three Counties Radio

“Hilarious, Modern… an absolute delight” - Bedford Today

Tickets £12.50-£15

Tickets are available now at www.hanselandgretel.co.uk