Peter Jones, of Dragon’s Den fame, runs an annual enterprise competition called Tycoon in Schools. This year, a group of year 8s are working on a Wednesday afternoon to become successful entrepreneurs. They are currently producing their business plans which they will then submit to the Peter Jones academy. The students are developing team-working, leadership and communication skills as well as developing their understanding of business. If they are successful, they will be given a business loan to get their ideas up and running – so watch this space maybe we have the business tycoons of the future in our midst!

Year 7 singers are enjoying our lunchtime rehearsals and have been starting to learn some new songs. Check out a snippet from our rehearsal here. You can still join us by signing up on SOCS!

A message from St Albans Foodbank:

As winter approaches, there may be families worried about their financial situation and looking for some assistance but not sure where to turn.

If you are struggling to afford food and other basic essentials, you can contact 0808 2082138 for free (open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) to talk confidentially with a trained Citizens Advice adviser. They can help address your crises and provide support to maximise your income, help you navigate the benefits system, and identify any additional grants you could be entitled to. If needed, they will issue you with a voucher so you can get an emergency food parcel from your local food bank. 

https://stalbansdistrict.foodbank.org.uk/

We are aware that several of our students in Year 9 and 10 are studying additional languages out of school as native speakers and may be interested in sitting a GCSE later in this academic year. Although the exact timeline and nature of next summer’s exams have yet to be confirmed, we would be grateful if initial expressions of interest could be emailed to mark.nicholls@sandringham.herts.sch.uk stating the student name, tutor group and the language they are studying out of school. A return by Wednesday 14th October would be appreciated. Once we have all the requests, we will work with families to see if we can accommodate the requests. Thank you.

Here are our excellent Head Girl, Boy and deputies this year; Jessica, Simi, Sophie, Nimi, Amalie, Kieren, Jacob and Ruben.

They have already been working very hard since being appointed in June and have several projects underway, with a large number of students beyond this core group working alongside them on the committee. Some of the plans underway include a remote buddy system between Year 13 and 7 and a whole school assembly for Black History Month next week. We will also have news about the next edition of the student newsletter ‘The Sandpost’ next week.

We are also recruiting for leadership positions in Year 12, 61 students have applied for the position of Senior Prefect and we look forward to interviewing them in the next couple of weeks. We are already really impressed with the positive attitude and enthusiasm of all of our new Year 12 students.

STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - is celebrated, encouraged and explored at Sandringham with a range of opportunities. This year’s theme is biodiversity and the catastrophic decline in species in recent years. The picture below is of one of the world’s two surviving northern white rhinos.

Some of the reasons for the loss of plant and animal species are climate change, habitat loss, deforestation and pollution. This is a local and global issue, and one we hope to engage Sandringham students in during the year. If you have any contacts in science, industry or government whose work is related to biodiversity or STEM, and who might be willing to give a talk to students, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Mr D. Tattersall, STEM coordinator, on tattersalld@mysandstorm.org

Meanwhile, Year 7 Science Club is up and running. The students’ first session was about waves and sounds, and last week they carried out a dissection. They looked at joints, tendons, muscles and blood vessels in a chicken wing! Year 7 students or their parents can usually sign up for Science Club on the school’s ‘SOCS’ system. The club is currently full but watch this space for any updates.

In future editions of The Sandprint we will bring you news from the Design Technology, Mathematics and Science departments. 

The Award is still running at school although we are having to do things a little differently in the current climate. Here is an update on our current activities.

Bronze enrolment (Year 10)

The presentation from Wednesday 16th September is available on the school website in the Virtual Presentation evening section. The deadline for payment of the enrolment fee is Monday 5th October after which the option to pay on ParentPay will be removed. Those who have already paid should have received an enrolment form which needs to be completed and returned to cuneena@mysandstorm.org by Friday 9th October.  Students will then be enrolled onto the eDofE database and will receive their log in details via email.

Bronze expeditions and completions (Year 11)

We are busy preparing an alternative expedition experience for year 11 Bronze participants which will allow them to complete their expedition section. I am using the DofE Google classroom to communicate details to students so it is essential that they regularly check for updates. Letters to parents/carers with final details will be sent out at the beginning of next week. The students should still be working towards their other sections and should contact me if they are having difficulty completing their activities.

There is lots of help and guidance on the DofE website- www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference so please check there for ideas on how to work towards your Award in the current climate or email me on cuneena@mysandstorm.org.

If you have any second hand uniform to donate, please drop it round to Amanda Lavallin, 15 Skyswood Road, or leave it in the bike shed on her drive.  

Please note they do not need anymore shirts, skirts or trousers.  

Many thanks for your donations.

Please note that Student Services will not be accepting any forgotten items going forward. This is to minimise contact for staff and to ensure that as few people as possible are on site during the school day. Students should be encouraged to check their bags first thing in the morning, and whilst we understand that it can be upsetting for them to receive a consequence, we also appreciate your support in not coming in with forgotten items to ensure that staff and students at the school are kept safe. 

Written by Amalie Newman-Booth in year 13

Abdoulie was the Head Boy at our partnering School in the Gambia when he came to England to visit Sandringham a few years ago. He stayed with the Newman-Booth household and it became evident that he was extremely intelligent, hard working, and had a huge passion for economics.

Taking his exams the day after his sister sadly passed, Abdoulie missed out on a place in the University of Gambia by one mark. Since then he has worked for 2 years in his father’s farm to provide for his family, whilst revising to resit his exams. Abdoulie then passed with flying colours and was given a place at the University of Gambia to study Economics.

We would like to help fund him to complete his degree, as it is an incredible opportunity for him, his family and his local community. If you feel able to support Abdoulie’s education please visit his Gofund me page below and donate.

All donations go straight towards his education. Thank you! https://www.gofundme.com/f/93m7qw-abdoulie

For the whole school theme this week, we have been exploring the theme of A Climate of Change. In 2020 The Big Green Draw Festival #ClimateOfChange focuses on the relationship between people and our living environments and ecosystems; highlighting how we live today and the ways in which we do and do not harmonise with nature. The Big Green Draw is eager to help showcase mindsets and actions that proactively support positive symbiosis between people and the Earth. All of our students have engaged incredibly positively with the week and it has been fantastic to see so many wonderful pieces of artwork created. Students have learnt about creatures that are endangered and have been drawing them which will be exhibited as a virtual exhibition that intends to shine a light on the beauty of the Natural World and the key actions we can take to protect our Natural World.

The SLT are an elected body from each year and form in the school. They are organised into: Teaching and Learning, Ecology and Sustainability, Charity & Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Digital and Communications and Equality and Diversity. 

The groups meet regularly, supported by a member of school staff, and their views are always considered. Last year the Ecology team successfully changed student habits by abolishing the plastic water bottle. And some of the other projects include making the school more sustainable, promoting key events, developing boards for each classroom to reflect the person after whom it is named and working to run events to raise money for this the School's chosen charities.

It is an exciting team to be on and applications are now open!  Please look out for a message from Mr Brown which includes the google form to fill in before the deadline on Monday 5th October.

I10 (in the Maths Block) is named after Archimedes whom we believe showed Aspiration in his quest for finding mathematical solutions.

He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, in 288BC and went on to become one of the world’s most celebrated mathematicians and philosophers.

His discovery of hydrostatics (stating that a body immersed in fluid loses weight equal to the weight of the amount of fluid it displaces) and application of pi in geometry (proving that the area of a circle is πr2) were groundbreaking.

In addition to this, his weapons of war inventions included an elaborate ‘death ray’ designed to concentrate the rays of the Sun onto enemy ships, catapults and a ‘giant claw’ that would latch onto the hull of a ship and cause it to capsize.

Archimedes’ screw was also revolutionary, demonstrating how low-lying water could be transferred upward to canals or artificial streams for irrigating farmland. This invention would later influence Leonardo da Vinci in his attempts to develop a functioning flying machine.

He is generally considered one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.

“Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth.”

A huge congratulations to Hepworth who are currently in the lead for House Points with Newton and Elgar not too far behind. 

Tutor Group of the Week is 11T for the highest score and completion rate for the past two weeks.

Year Group of the Week is Year 12 as they all managed to complete the House Quiz and contributed the most House Points to their House's total.

Next week sees an Inter-House Festival of Sport on Wednesday with both Netball and Football taking place. Tutors have information about this and how students can sign up. Good luck to everyone and may the best House win! 

This Tuesday saw another successful Virtual Tour with Mr Gray showing the school in action. He visited a variety of classes and showed the Dance Halls, Sandpit Theatre, Catering and Sports facilities. Mr Gray also talked about what the school is doing to increase Sustainability and mentioned that the final LIVE tour will be on Thursday 9th October at 1pm.  

All of Sandringham School's virtual presentation evening videos are posted on our YouTube Channel which can be accessed via our website. These include the Live Virtual Open Evening , three Open Morning Tours, specific presentations for different year groups and now a short video for each Faculty.  

https://sandringham.herts.sch.uk/virtual-presentation-evenings/

There is lots of information on our website and if you like our presentations, we would be most grateful if you could ‘subscribe’ to our YouTube channel.  www.youtube.com/SandringhamYouTube 

This will enable us to create and post more live, informative  and exciting content in the future. Many thanks. 

HOP Live Careers Webinar - 8th October

HOP Live Careers Webinars are returning from next week on Thursdays at 3:30 – 4:30. The opening session of the series will focus on careers and opportunities within Public Service and they have panellists representing The Civil Service and Hertfordshire County Council. With many students being unable to access traditional encounters with employers and employees they hope that these sessions will continue to provide some meaningful opportunities to interact with people representing careers and industries of interest to our students.

Places are limited to 8 per school and the registration link with further information can be found here:

HOP Registration Link

By joining a live webinar they will be able to ask questions and interact with the employee/employer thus creating a meaningful encounter. However, if they are unable to attend the live webinar, previous webinars can be found via the HOP page here:

Previous HOP Webinars

Pervious careers covered have included:

A Business Apprenticeship, Physiotherapy, Engineering, Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals, Construction, Film & Media Production, Nursing, Sports Coaching, Careers in IT

This week, David Attenborough joined Instagram for the first time and broke the record for the Guiness World Record for the fastest time to gain one million followers. This comes ahead of the release of his film this Sunday on Netflix ‘A life on our planet’, which will recall the natural wonders Attenborough has documented over his career, the destruction he’s witnessed at the hands of humans, and what can be done to repair the damage. Attenborough seems to have a unique position in our society, with groups of all ages and backgrounds paying attention and respecting his views and opinions. He is using this film to send a clear message about our need to pay urgent attention to climate change, environmental destruction and extinction. We will be looking at these large issues in coming weeks and months to think through how we can act as a community, and individually, to try and reduce our impact on the planet and play our part in making things better. Please watch out for more news and suggestions for action in forthcoming editions of the Sandprint.

A polite reminder again to please be considerate to local residents when dropping off and collecting your children. Please adhere to the parking restrictions along The Ridgeway and be careful not to block the entrance to Parkside View. This is in order to ensure the safety of everyone. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter. 

Silver (year 12)

We are hoping to organise a qualifying expedition for our existing Silver participants once the DfE guidance on overnight trips changes. In the meantime, participants should be working towards completing their other sections and uploading evidence to the eDofE database.

Gold (year 13)

Miss Borman is in regular contact with the existing Gold participants , offering support and guidance on completing their activities.

Silver and Gold enrolment (years 11 & 12)

We will be launching enrolment for Silver in year 11 and Gold in year 12 after half term. If you wish to progress to the next level of the Award it is essential that you complete as much of your previous Award as possible. Watch out for further details in November.

A new weekly feature in the Sandprint will be The Word of the Week in our three taught languages. We hope you enjoy trying to pronounce them and discussing the "Thinking Questions." It is not "obligatoire," but it may be a fun activity around the dinner table. 

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine – obligatoire

SPANISH: La palabra de la semana – obligatorio/a

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche – obligatorisch

Thinking questions:

• The words this week are all very similar. What might the reason for this be?
• Why does the Spanish have two options for the ending?
• Why are ‘Wort’ and ‘Woche’ in German capitalised?

We are delighted to be a creative hub for The University of Arts London. We host their Future Creatives St Albans sessions for children and young people who love art and would like more opportunity to take part in additional enrichment opportunities in school.

All levels of skill and experience are welcome – from absolute beginners who want to explore their creativity and learn the basics, to seasoned creatives who want to take their work to the next level.

There are free taster sessions and full courses which take place on a mixture of after school weekdays and Saturdays. No two courses are the same, with expert teachers delivering new content and fresh new concepts for every single class. Previous classes have covered everything from punk-inspired weaving and sketching to portrait painting and performance, and there’s plenty more unique sessions in the pipeline. 

Please visit https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/fine-art/short-courses/teenagers/future-creatives-st-albans-7-to-11-year-olds for more details

Free Trial Woodwind Lesson!

We are incredibly lucky to have a fantastic team of instrumental and vocal teachers that come in weekly to teach our students. This week, I would like to introduce you to Laura Bookbinder who is our woodwind expert. If your son or daughter is interested in beginning lessons on the flute, clarinet or saxophone, please click here to register your interest in a free trial lesson. They would be able to meet Laura, see the instruments and try them out to get an idea of whether this is something they would like to pursue. We are very keen to build up our numbers of students learning these instruments. Look out for information about brass instruments soon!

LAURA BOOKBINDER - WOODWIND TEACHER (FLUTE, SAXOPHONE, CLARINET)

I have over 25 years of teaching experience including conducting and coaching various windbands and ensembles.  I teach a wide range of musical styles, from classical to jazz and use some very enjoyable teaching repertoire.

I tailor every students learning experience individually. So, whether you want to work for exams or just learn at your own pace, every lesson will be a rewarding and productive experience. Although flute is my main instrument, I also play saxophone and clarinet.

I play for many musical theatre productions, have recorded albums at Air Studios and performed in many well known venues including The Royal Albert Hall and Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club.

A huge congratulations to Emily R (10N) and Lara Rafot (10H) who have both been awarded a pass with distinction for their LAMDA Level 1 Award in Performance (Grade 3) solo. These exams took place via Zoom on the 12th September and as this was the first exam of this kind for both girls- a distinction is very impressive. Well done Emily and Lara, what a fantastic achievement!

If you would like your son/daughter to feature in the Sandprint, please email a short notice including any photographs to admin@sandringham.herts.sch.uk.

Every week the Mathemtaics Faculty publish a puzzle for you to try. You can find the puzzle in the Sandprint or on the screens around school. For every entry you will receive 1 housepoint, 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 housepoints! To enter, simply scan the QR code and fill out the google form.  Good luck

WOW! We have been absolutely blown away by your amazing theatre designs! There is some fantastic talent out there and we are so pleased that so many students got involved with the House Drama Competition! After much deliberation and lots of cups of tea, we are thrilled to announce the winners...

1st - Rhys H - 7A - 100 points

2nd - Franky D - 7S - 75 points

3rd - Lulu H - 7J - 50 points

Thank you all for taking part and supporting your house in this competition. We could see just how much effort each of you put into your overall creation. We're only gutted that we didn't get a chance to try all of your spectacular designs! Each student who entered on behalf of their house will receive 5 house points. Well done to all!

Now that we have settled into the new routines at school we have decided that it is time to collect in all your lovely contributions to the Quilt project so that we can put everything together. We hope you’ve kept them secure over the summer!

To do this safely, we have decided that your squares should be handed into your Visual Arts teachers during your Art lessons ONLY during the week commencing Monday, 5th October. Parents, carers and other members of the community who have made a square, please give your contributions to students to bring in to us, and students who have made a square but no longer study Art, please pass your piece to a friend or sibling to hand in for you.

We are so excited to see all your beautiful squares together and will share news of the quilt construction soon!

C is for… compulsory [adjective]

Definition: Required by a law or rule.

Example: Should decolonising the curriculum be compulsory?

Synonyms: Forced, Mandatory, Required

Antonyms: Optional, Unnecessary, Voluntary

Etymology: From the Latin word ‘compulsorius’ meaning driven or forced.

Matthew Bourne’s gorgeous take on the film classic comes to cinemas for the first time. Winner of two Olivier Awards, The Red Shoes is utterly an enthralling tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion. Tickets £13.50/£10

Following its critically acclaimed opening in London earlier this year, Uncle Vanya was abruptly halted as the world went into lock-down. Uncle Vanya’s exquisite ensemble overcome the considerable challenges of working in a global pandemic, returning to the Harold Pinter Theatre to film the ‘perfect’ production, which is currently nominated for four Oliver Awards. Full of tumultuous frustration and hidden passions, but brimming with hope and optimism for the future, Uncle Vanya is a must-see event for our times. Tickets £16/£13

This highly engaging film takes us on a journey through the life of one of the most prevalent female icons: Frida Kahlo. She was a prolific self-portraitist, using the canvas as a mirror through all stages of her turbulent and, at times, tragic life. Guided with interview, commentary, and Frida’s own words, EXHIBITION ON SCREEN uncovers that this, however, was not a life defined by tragedy. Tickets £7/£5

This multi-award winning and critically acclaimed Lincoln Centre Theatre’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King & I recorded live at London’s iconic Palladium, returns to the big screen. Set in 1860’s Bangkok, the musical tells a story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a British schoolteacher whom to the modest King, in an imperialistic world, brings Anna to Siam to teach his many wives and children. The King & I is a testament to the lavish heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre – it is the greatest musical from the golden age of musicals. Tickets £13.50/£10

We hope everyone is keeping well. Through October and November, we have lots of exiting screenings coming to The SandPit. Including, Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes, The King & I, Frida Kahlo, and Uncle Vanya. We look forward to opening our doors again safely and to see you all again.                                    

Following Government guidelines, you must wear a face covering while attending The SandPit Theatre unless you are exempt as stated in these guidelines. If you do not wear mask you will be refused entry and your ticket will be forfeited. Our café will be during these screenings for drinks and snacks but please note we will only be accepting card payments.

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