The start of this academic year, has seen some of the pre-Covid practices return to the canteens. We are really happy to see the salad bar back, and the return to physically serving the hot meals to students.

Starting from Monday, there will also be a change to the main Kiosk in school. The Main Kiosk will be serving paninis and subs (these will no longer be available in the canteens).

The Sixth form offer has also been expanded to include some new elements including a street food menu for the Sixth Form Kiosk, and new grab and go options such as Sushi.

The new Autumn/Winter menus are now available to view here: https://sandringham.herts.sch.uk/catering/

Miss Davies and Miss Wilson were blown away by the talent in all the dance company auditions this week. You should all be so proud of what you achieved (especially on a very hot day!) Dance clubs are in full swing with new ones added for next week – please see new timetable and sign up on SOCS and bring all your friends along too.

Dance uniform order form will be posted next week. We do have some uniform from last year so if you do require it urgently, please come and speak to the Dance faculty.

This week's Student Spotlight features the amazing Zac P, who was the winner of the BBC Young Composer’s Competition in 2020. Over the summer he had the pleasure of watching his completed composition being recorded by the BBC concert orchestra with Gavin Giggins (BBC Wales composer) who mentored Zac through this process which resulted in a superb composition inspired by film music. There was a great deal of discussion between Zac, Gavin, and Hugh (the conductor) during the recording session. He got great feedback from many of the musicians in the orchestra too! Zac learnt so much from the whole experience, particularly around composing for orchestral instruments and pushing himself musically. Zac’s composition was premiered on Radio 3 as part of the BBC Proms series in August. (Photos by Mark Allen)

If you would like your son/daughter to be featured in the Student Spotlight, please contact Melissa.holian@sandringham.herts.sch.uk with any details and/or pictures.

It is only the first week back, but rehearsals have already started for our next Whole School Show in November. This is always a fantastic school event and we are so happy to be performing it in our beautiful Sandpit Theatre again. Watch this space for details of the show and announcements about how to buy tickets.

If you speak another language (other than English) at home or you know how to introduce yourself in a foreign language please submit a short video for our European Day of Languages celebration. Please record yourself, or get someone to record you saying the following phrase in your other language: “Hello! My name is … and I speak …,…,….” For example I would say "Bonjour! Je m’appelle Mademoiselle Baikie et je parle français, anglais, allemand et espagnol."

Take your time when speaking and make sure you speak really clearly. Please submit all videos to baikief@mysandstorm.org by Wednesday 22nd September. Thank you! 

As Sandringham participates in the Sports England Programme, staff, students and family members (of Secondary school age) have the opportunity to attend lectures held in the Sandpit Theatre on the dates below.  Presented by leading sports personalities these offer an insight into competing at the highest level and what it takes to make that journey. This programme is fully funded and therefore attendance will be free of charge. 

Monday, 20th September 2021, 5-6pm: Eddie “The Eagle,” Edwards

Monday, 11th October 2021, 5-6pm Derek Redmond

Monday, 18th October 2021, 5-6pm Gail Emms

You will need to register on the link provided under Sandringham School to secure a place. We hope you enjoy this fantastic opportunity

This week’s whole school theme welcomed students back to school. The students received an excellent whole school assembly from Mr Gray that celebrated the fantastic results students received over the summer and asked students to reflect on how they will tackle this academic year. It is amazing that the majority of COVID restrictions have been lifted and students can enjoy a large number of school events that were cancelled last year. Sandringham is an exceptional school to be a part of and we hope that all students make the most of the fantastic opportunities on offer and enjoy the 2021-2022. As Mr Gray would say, there are no limits! 

Music News

It has been wonderful to see so many new students in our extra-curricular music activities this week. It’s not too late to get involved – please look at our timetable attached and sign up on SOCS!

Instrumental and Vocal Lessons

Some instrumental lessons started back this week and the rest will be resuming next week. Please remind your son/daughter to come and check the noticeboard for the date and time of their first lesson. If you would like your son/daughter to start learning a new instrument or take vocal lessons, please click here for a link to a letter which explains how to sign up.

E-Scooters

Although there are some trials around the country, families are reminded that it is against the law to use a privately owned E-scooter and students must not use one to travel to and from school. Thank you.

COVID testing

Families are reminded that students should be completing LFT home tests on a Wednesday and Sunday as part of the return to school safety measures. The government will update schools in the next week or so as to whether this expectation will continue beyond the end of September.

A further reminder that the school is continuing to collect details of students who have received a vaccination.

Links to upload the required details can be found via this link:

https://sandringham.herts.sch.uk/covid-response-information/

Thank you for your continued support.

Every week the Mathematics Faculty publish a puzzle for you to try.  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!

Well done to all of our Year 7 students involved in the Mob Race on Tuesday afternoon and in particular to Georgia and Toby who were the Sandringham School girl and boy winners. It was a wonderful afternoon with students involved from Verulam and Beaumont involved as well and it was a pleasure to watch after a year of minimal large sporting events. We were pleased that so many students participated and exceptionally proud of them in their first opportunity to represent the School. 

A group of four Sandringham staff/parents (Sara Button, Sarah Gidden, Heidi Ward and Iza Nez) are excited to be taking part in an upcoming art exhibition as part of Herts Open Studios this year. Their eclectic mix of art will be shown in the Nude Tin Can Gallery on Hatfield Road, Fleetville from 18th Sept- 10th Oct. Please see the website below for more details, including opening times and workshops: www.nudetincan.com. Or if you would like to find out more you can contact wardheidi@icloud.com

Two of the artists (Heidi and Sarah G) also have work currently on show in the St Albans Museum and Gallery and around St Albans City centre as part of a community art project run by St Albans BID and Collective Gallery in St Albans. 

On Tuesday, for the first time in three years, we were able to invite photographers in to take our whole school photograph. A huge thank you to all the staff involved in co-ordinating 1700 students on the field on what was one of the hottest days of the year and well done to the students for their impeccable behaviour waiting for it to be taken. A link to order the photograph will be available in a few weeks but in the meantime, we hope you enjoyed Mr Gray's time lapse video on our Facebook account. 

Creative Writing Club is back this Wednesday lunchtime at 1:25pm in K2. For those of you new to the School, this is suitable for students across all year groups who enjoying writing their own fiction and stretching their imagination. Come along and try a session led my Ms Critchley. It is a great chance to meet new people, gain writing tips, and a chance to enter competitions. 

We have several vacancies available for Customer Services Assistants (Canteen Staff) within Sandringham School.

The roles are between 16-32.5hours a week and include responsibilities such as food production, front of house services and general support with the running of a contract or unit in line with contractual requirements.

You will be working with a team of fantastic people within the School, so please contact louisa.earley@sandringham.herts.sch.uk for more details or if you would like to apply

The Sausage Sizzle arranged by Fo$S (Sandringham School PTA) has been re arranged to Friday 1st October. If you would like to plan and help out at such events, please contact the team on fosspta@email.com . It is a great way to meet fellow parents and help raise money for extras which enhance your child's school experience. 

We've had a lovely week welcoming our new students and many of our new Year 7s have already found their way to the LRC and chosen books to read.

Students can look at our online catalogue: Accessit Learning Resource Centre and view the short video explaining how to search for books, log in as a Sandringham student, reserve books, etc. https://uk.accessit.online/snd02/#!dashboard to help them find items, or they can pop in to see our friendly staff. Keep reading!

Our first ‘Book of the Week’ for this year is a previous winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award. ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’ by Michelle Magorian is one of the best-loved stories set during the Second World War.

This is the unforgettable story of young Willie Beech, evacuated to the country as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War. A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the unlikely care of grumpy old Tom Oakley. But then his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother to come back to London. As the weeks pass by Tom begins to worry when William doesn't answer his letters, so he goes to London to find him, and there makes a terrible discovery. A perfect introduction to Sandringham Reads for Year 7 students, but a great read for anyone. 

FRENCH- Le mot de la semaine: La segregation

GERMAN- Die Wort der Woche: Die Aufteilung/Die Rassentrennung

SPANISH: La palabra de la semana: La segregación

Thinking Questions

• The German translation has a word specific for racial segregation – why might this be?
• Why do some languages have more words than others?

S is for… Segregation [noun]

Definition: The act of setting someone or something apart from others.

Example: There was segregation everywhere.  The churches, buses and schools were all segregated and you couldn’t even go into the same restaurants.

Synonyms: Discrimination, Isolation, Partion

Antonyms: Connection, Association

Etymology: From the Latin word ‘segregatus’ meaning to set apart.

Tuesday 14th Sept

Y9/11 Netball V Berkhamsted (A)

Wednesday 15th Sept  

1st XI V STABS (A)

2nd XI V STABS (A)

1st XV Natwest Vase V Roundwood Park (H)

Thursday 16th Sept

Senior Netball V Samuel Ryder (A)

District XC @ Townsend

Y11 Football V Chesham Grammar (H)

Wednesday saw a return to competitive rugby for the first time in a long time. We had 3 fixtures V Roundwood Park, with our Y8A and B teams playing at home and our Y9A Team away. In what was a very warm afternoon we took the victories in all 3 matches. With the Y8s winning 11-5 with Harry Walker scoring 5 tries whilst the B team won 8-6. At Roundwood the Y9s went up early on before going in to the half 2 tries down before rallying. As the clock ran down we had got ourselves on level terms before we won a penalty in their 22. After some clever play from Noah Z, Matis managed to run the ball wide to score in the final play and seal the win. Well done to all 60 students involved on Wednesday.

Welcome back to another year of sport. It has been an amazing start to the year with so much taking place in just a few days of school and lots of clubs restarting with the addition of new times and schedules all to be found on SOCS.

On Tuesday we held our annual Mob Race with Y7 students from across the district coming to take part in what was their first representation of their respective schools. It is always such a superb way to start the sporting year and great to see over 400 students racing around our school field. We had extra reason to celebrate this year with both the Boys and Girls race being won by a Sandringham student in Toby P and Georgia T. We also finished 3 rd overall in the Girls team competition and we took the honours in the Boys. Well done to every student who participated and congratulations on receiving your first digital achievement on EPraise.

Some of the students from Tuesday’s race were also involved alongside our older students in Thursday’s District XC race at Townsend. Again performance from us here was excellent with some impressive individual results - in the Junior Girls: 1st Georgia T and 2nd Annabelle N. In the Junior Boys: 1st Luke C and 2nd Toby P, in the Inter Boys: 2nd Sam M, in the Senior Girls: 2nd Lily T and the Senior Boys: 2nd Daniel B.

The V&A presents Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, an exclusive private view of the ‘hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking exhibition’ (★★★★★The Guardian) at the V&A in London, filmed especially for the big screen.

Take a guided tour ‘down the rabbit hole’ with the V&A Curator Kate Bailey and presenter Andi Oliver as the documentary explores how Alice has become an enduring icon, influencing successive generations and inspiring creativity in fashion, film, photography and on the stage.

Tickets: £16 / £13

We now sell and accept Theatre Tokens. You can use these tokens to purchase tickets for any of our shows or buy them as gifts to be used at over 260 venues nationwide and in the West End all while supporting theatres including us.

Following Government guidelines, you must wear a face covering while attending The SandPit Theatre and must present a valid NHS COVID Pass or proof of a Negative Lateral Flow Test if aged over 18, unless you are exempt as stated in these guidelines. If you do not wear a mask or do not have a valid NHS Covid Pass/Lateral Flow Test result, you will be refused entry and your ticket will be forfeited. Our Bar will be open during these performances for drinks and snacks but please note we will only be accepting card payments. Alcohol is available for sale 30 minutes before the shows begin.

Grab your wands, don your house robes, and apparate yourselves to the box office! A very magical improv show awaits...

The smash hit Spontaneous Potter is an entirely improvised Harry Potter comedy play, based on an audience suggestion of a fanfiction title. Hilarity ensues as an entirely new Potter adventure is magically improvised on the spot - with live musical accompaniment!

Running Time: 60 minutes

Tickets: 2:30pm -  £12 / £10

7:30pm -  £16 / £14

Marking the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death, the greatest exhibition ever held of his works took place in Rome. Exhibition on Screen was granted exclusive access to this once-in-a-lifetime show. With over two hundred masterpieces, including paintings and drawings – over a hundred of which have been brought together for the first time – this major exhibition celebrates the life and work of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino.

More than just a painter, Raphael was one of the most extraordinary artists of the Renaissance but is often misunderstood or mythologised. On the basis of this extraordinary exhibition in Rome, this film allows Raphael, for the first time, to be truly revealed.

Tickets £7/5

Welcome to our 20th anniversary year as we celebrate The SandPit Theatre turning 20 years old this December. We can’t wait to see you back through our doors and have some exciting shows and films coming up for you this season. 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 giving us a like on Facebook, just search for The SandPit Theatre.

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