On Thursday 9th December, Quantum Theatre Company returned to the Sandpit to perform A Christmas Carol this time for Year 7 who have been studying this festive classic by Charles Dickens in English this term. The students sat engrossed as Victorian London was skilfully brought to life before their eyes and Dickens’ messages about humanity, kindness and Christmas were delivered by the talented cast.

Here is what some of the students had to say

“My favourite part was the visit from the ghost of Jacob Marley as it was very menacing.” Alex

“The acting and especially the singing was amazing. My jaw hurts because I was smiling the whole time.” Daisy

“I liked how they could change the set slightly but make it look like a whole new place” Harrison

“It was very funny in places and magical” Max

“Good props, good acting. My favourite part was the scene with the Cratchit family” Kacper

“The performance was very good and I liked how there were only 3 actors who kept switching parts. The lights and props were really effective” James

“The way the music was incorporated was very good and helped with the vision of the play” Laila

“I loved the way the actors changed their voices to match their characters” Kaitlyn

“I loved the singing- it made the ending very merry” Erin

“I really enjoyed the performance. My favourite part was the Cratchit family dinner. An amazing production.” Jasmine

"It was just like the story with added humour- clever and  festive. My favourite character was  Martha ​​​​​​" Cleo

The school is equipped with radio transmission and receiving equipment and for a long time has been able to prepare students for amateur radio qualifications. On Monday this week, Mr Gray invited student members of the radio club to participate in the annual ‘Youngsters on the Air’ Amateur Radio month, by operating the special callsign GB21YOTA for the day. We have done this for the past 5 years, and it is an exciting STEM enrichment activity.

Sam P in Year 12 explained the event as follows, ‘a number of students were able to set up an Amateur Radio station. We were able to work using multiple modes – both data and voice – and were able to contact people from all over the world. As well as this, we were able to run some activities using morse code and Raspberry Pis to send and receive short messages.

The data mode works by sending and receiving in 15 second intervals. We were able to transmit our callsign – GB21YOTA – and then wait for others to reply to us. We exchanged callsigns and a report as to our signal strength, and then automatically said goodbye. We were then able to pick to talk to others who have called us, or again call to wait for anyone to respond, and then initiate a conversation.’ Thanks to Sam (pictured) for this. Other students sent signals across the classroom and gained some practice at using Morse code!

A huge well done to the following students who attended the World Class Schools Awards ceremony in Oxford on Monday. They were nominated based on their academic, community and extra curricular efforts and it is an incredible achievement to even be nominated, so we are incredibly proud of all of them, especially Logan and Sara who were announced as winners in their respective categories of exceptional leader and organiser and commitment to achievement respectively. A huge thank you to Mrs Finlay as well who helped to co ordinate the event and present the awards. 

Winners– Logan H and Sara M

Nominees – Logan H, Sara M, Lauren P and Henry T

Assessors – Nabrissa B, Jess McE and Logan H

Alumni - Sophie A

The LRC has collaborated with our fantastic SEND teaching assistants to ensure we have an excellent range of books either about or featuring characters who are on the autistic spectrum. For older students looking to learn more about autism and its history Neurotribes by Steve Silberman is a fascinating and informative read in which Silberman encourages us to think differently about people who think differently.     

For younger readers (or readers of any age!) A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe tells the story of a girl growing up on the spectrum. A fun, empathetic and uplifting book, Abigail’s escapades will keep you smiling.  In fiction, A Kind of Spark – winner of the Waterstones Best Book for Younger Readers award – 11-year-old Addie challenges the people of her town and finally finds her voice.  

Do come and speak to us if you would like any further recommendations. In addition, if any students would be interested in reviewing the books or would like to make further reading recommendations, please let us know. Thank you! Learning Support and Learning Resource Centre.

Our Dance students enjoyed a wonderful night out at Sadler's Wells to see Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker on Wednesday evening. It is so lovely to be able to do these trips again.

Well done also to our Year 11 Dance students for completing their GCSE set phrase performance exam and our A Level students. You have all done brilliantly and the team are really proud of you! 

On Monday, we had a wonderful Carol Service at St Saviour's Church. It was lovely to hear the music from the string orchestra, readings from students and staff and of course some  rousing carols.The students represented the school wonderfully and despite the rather chilly conditions, it was a great chance for everyone to get into the Christmas Spirit. A big thank you to Mrs Beaton and Mrs White for organising the event and to Ms Anker, Mr Downs, Mrs Holian, Mrs Laycock, Mr Peck,  Mr Turton, Mrs Walker for all their help as well.

At 3pm on Sunday 12th December, St Albans Cathedral will be holding their annual Christingle service. This joyful celebration brings people together to enjoy creative fun in the beautiful setting of our Cathedral. If you would like to find out more you can do so here. 

Thank you to everyone who supported Fo$S at the Christmas Fair last Saturday. We were very pleased with how many people came along to enjoy the stalls, food and entertainment. We would especially like to thank all those that volunteered their time to help set up and run the Fair - we couldn't have done it without that support. We are delighted to announce that the fair raised close to £4,000, of which an amazing £600 was raised by the Year 7 & 8 stalls.

If you didn’t have the chance to buy a Raffle Ticket and be entered into the Grand Draw, then there is still time. Tickets can now be bought on ParentPay for £1 each. The link to the login is here. Each ticket bought online with be allocated a paper ticket and added to all those bought at the fair. The draw will be made on 20th December at school and all winners will be notified by email.

Prizes include: FIRST PRIZE: Verdi’s vouchers, meal and pizza party, signed copies of The Starfolk Arcana and Starfolk Falling by Martha Dunlop,SECOND PRIZE: Voucher for a weekend at Birch, Signed copy of Wild Shadow by Martha Dunlop. THIRD PRIZE: Hamper of wine and other goodies from Cellar Door. FOURTH PRIZE: Voucher for a workshop making natural skin care products worth £95. Plus, many more amazing prizes, including a wine tasting voucher from Hertfordshire Wine School, a “Mann my dog’s dirty” voucher and gift basket, Dance 2gether voucher, vouchers for two personal training sessions from Seed PT, a Kidslingo voucher, a mini facial voucher from Bliss Beauty Rooms, a Visage Dental Spa voucher worth £95, a voucher for a free week at Barracudas and a Christmas hamper.

Every penny we raised  from the Christmas Fair (and other FO$S events) goes towards supporting the school and its students. If you would like to get involved and join the Fo$S team please do get in touch at friendsofsandringhamschool@gmail.com.

The House Ethics Competition run by Mr Lacey results are as follows:

1st: Newton 80 points, 2nd Austen 70, 3rd Fawcett 60, 4th Elgar 50, 5th Johnson 40, 6th Hepworth 30, 8th Turing and Shakespeare (No entries so 0 points)

A big congratulations to Hepworth for their lead this week. The competition continues to be very close with all 8 houses being separated by almost a day’s worth of House Points based on recent averages so keep up the good work everyone. Charity Day is fast approaching and House Points will be up for grabs in a number of events, plus attendance points and Extra Curricular participation points will be added so watch this space!

A huge well done to Year 11 who have worked so hard over the past few weeks completing their mock exams. We know that you have put in a lot of effort into revision and look forward to sharing the results with you on the 10th January. Thank you to all of the staff and cover supervisors involved in arranging these exams and to Ms Headland for co-ordinating them. With the Year 13 exams also taking place as well during this time, it has been a very busy two weeks. So well done to them as well and everyone's efforts are appreciated. 

A reminder for Year 11 that the Year 11 into 12 Evening will be held on Tuesday 11th January from 18:30 - 21:30 and the Year 11 PTC will be on Monday 17th January. At the moment these are both planned to be held in person, but we will update you at the start of next term if there are any changes following guidance.

Ms Staples has been working with several Year 10 students on writing articles about subjects that interest them and may be of interest to other students. The task is to the write articles within a word limit and make sure that they fit the purpose and suit the readership for which they are intended. The students have been working really hard on their journalist efforts, so we thought we would share a few of these over the coming weeks to showcase their work and perhaps inspire others. Below is by Freddie S, 10H

"CrossFit is a lifestyle that promotes safe and effective exercise and good nutrition so that fitness goals can be achieved. The method was developed by Greg Glassman who ran his own gym. I train to look my best and to get my body into shape, to achieve my full potential. The training runs on Friday at 4.30 for thirty minutes at my local gym. My trainer is called Sharon. In a typical training session I might do pull ups, ring rows and climb a rope. I do working exercises, which tone the upper body and the arms. I also do circuit training.

This type of training requires self discipline and mental stamina. I recommend this form of training to anyone who prefers personal workouts to participating in team sports. It has made my PE lessons easier because I am much more fit and I have more understanding of nutrients and how my body works."

This week’s whole school theme is Christmas! An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25th as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. The students were asked to reflect on whether the Christmas celebration has become too materialistic and if we should do more to prioritize time with family opposed to the giving and receiving of gifts. The whole school assembly was led by Deputy Headteacher, Mark Nichols, where students were encouraged to think about how they could give to others over the festive period. We would like everyone in the school community to create a new Christmas tradition that either involves giving to others or spending time with loved ones - Merry Christmas! 

Barracudas are now taking bookings for their Easter and Summer Holiday camps. The company run amazing days of fun for children aged 4-14 and are always very popular. Book now and use the code HSCH22 to get an Early Bird discount on your booking. 

Sandringham Young Carers went Bowling last Thursday to Garston Hollywood Bowl. All the students said they had a great time, had a lovely lunch and enjoyed the outing. Fantastic to see them enjoying some downtime with all of the hours they put in looking after others. Thanks to the team for organising the trip.

Free School Meal Digital Supermarket Voucher – Christmas Holidays 2021

Hertfordshire County Council will be providing a one-off digital supermarket voucher to each child entitled to benefit related free school meals.  This is a contribution to support families with the cost of food during the Christmas school holidays and not a replacement for free school meals. Families with children in receipt of free school meals will receive a digital supermarket voucher to the value of £50 before the end of term. If you have any questions, please email admin@sandringham.herts.sch.uk

In the run up to Christmas- there a few easy ways to support the school whilst still enjoying festive shopping!

EASYFUNDRAISING: Once you’ve signed up to support Sandringham School on the easyfundraising  site (which takes 30 seconds) you can raise free donations for us every time you shop online with over 6,000 retailers including  ebay, Asos, Just Eat, Groupon and Apple store.  Simply search for the retailer by visiting the easyfundraising website; https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk or by using the easyfundraising app. The retailer will then pay a donation to Sandringham School on your behalf when you checkout - your shop will cost exactly the same! This is a great way of raising money for our school and couldn’t be easier. We currently only have 86 supporters – with a school population of over 1500 we have the opportunity have so many more supporters who in turn will raise more money for Sandringham.

AMAZON SMILE is another way to raise money for our school. Simply search for amazon.smile.co.uk within your amazon account and choose your charity; Sandringham Parent Teacher Association St Albans.  (Choose carefully as there are several Sandringham School charities) Start your shopping at smile.amazon.co.uk, or with AmazonSmile activated in the app, and they will donate 0.5% of the eligible purchase amount — at no extra cost. Thank you very much for your support.

Wheatfields Infants’ and Nursery School is looking for volunteers to join its Governing Board as community governors. A governing board has three key tasks:

1. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
2. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
3. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

You would work with the other governors, the headteacher and the senior leadership team involved in video meetings (or in person meetings) each term, as well as regular visits to the school.  The school welcomes applications from everyone and from all sections of the community. There are no fixed requirements but you need enthusiasm and some time to devote to the role.  It is an opportunity to use your existing skills to make a real difference, as well as develop new ones.  

If you would like to find out more about becoming a school governor, please email rstorkey@wheatfieldsinfants.herts.sch.uk for more information. 

Our Year 10 and 11 GCSE Drama students went see the critically acclaimed 'Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time' this week. Many students studied the play in Drama during Year 9, so it's an excellent opportunity for them to finally see the live show. 

Well done also to our wonderful Year 11 GCSE Drama students taking their final practical exams this week. You've all worked so hard and deserve all the success.

Students at Sandringham School have been working hard on @languagenut and we are now number 48 in the world with 14193400 points! This is fantastic news and testament to the hard work of all of the students and staff in the Faculty. Keep up the great work! 

Instagram have released a brand new guide for parents/carers containing lots of useful information such as:

• Tips for parents
• Tips for talking to teens
• Managing account privacy
• Balancing screen time
• Filtering offensive comments

The guide is aimed at parents/carers of teenage children. We feel this is a really useful tools for parents/carers to be well informed about a social media network which is commonly used by students across the school. The guide can be downloaded (in multiple languages) on the Instagram website - https://about.instagram.com/community/parents.

All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to follow world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture.

If you've ever wondered why Putin is so obsessed with Crimea, why the USA was destined to become a global superpower or why China's power base continues to expand ever outwards, the answers are all here. Using essays and personal experiences of the widely travelled author, ‘Prisoners of Geography’ looks at the past, present and future to offer an essential insight into one of the major factors that determines world history.

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine- virulent

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche- sich entwickeln

SPANISH- La palabra de la semana- Vociferante

Thinking Questions

• All three languages have slightly different variations of other English words that are synonyms for sophisticated. Why might some languages have a greater range of adjectives?

V is for … vociferous  [adjective]

Definition: Expressing or characterized by vehement opinions; loud and forceful.

Example: She was a vociferous opponent of the takeover.

Synonyms: Boisterous, Clamorous, Strident

Antonyms: Low, Quiet, Silent

Etymology: Derives from the word Latin ‘vox’  which means voice

Last Saturday saw the first Cross Country National Final for the school with a long but enjoyable trip down to Newquay in Cornwall for the Junior Boys Y7/8 team of Luke C, Toby P, Max C, Lucas M-K, Will A and Lewis D. The team left on Friday for the long drive down in their new kit prepared for the memorable occasion and arrived in a very wet and windy Newquay around 16:00 on Friday. After a brief walk and evening meal the boys were down for the night in preparation for their first foray into this level of sport. Saturday morning quickly came and the boys were excited, although a little apprehensive about the task that lay ahead. After a breakfast in the hotel we set off for the course. The team spent an hour walking the course to familiarise ourselves with the route and find any direct lines to run on the undulating route. It was a great course for the boys, parents who were spectating and Mr Chopra and Cracknell who were in attendance. As the clock ticked by the boys readied themselves for the race and were proud to represent the school in this momentous occasion. With a large field and warm ups complete the boys stood waiting in pen 27 for the starter to let them loose on the 2.5 lap course. It was fast paced start with our boys settling into their rhythm quickly. The team found themselves caught up in a real battle against the country’s top runners and it was great to watch themselves perform at this level with so little experience in the sport. What soon became evident was that we have a real talent in our midst as Luke C established himself in the 3rd group of runners on the first lap. The other boys were not far behind, however so were many of the others schools. As the race wore on Luke C moved himself up the field and sat with the leader of group 2. He pushed hard to get himself into a share of 3rd place with one other runner and with 250m left surged to make the podium. He quickly established a 10-12m lead but as the home straight came it became a tight sprint for 3rd place. He did it claiming the bronze medal in the National final, with Will A, Lewis D, Max C and Lucas M-K following him home. It was an amazing day for the team and one I hope they always remember. There’s much to build upon and with 3 runners of our original team from October not making the finish line I fully expect the team to have a bright future in the sport against the country’s top performing sporting schools, including a number of top independents. Well done to all of you and thank you to the parents for spectating.

Well done to the U15 team hockey team who played against Dame Alice Owens on Monday. The Year 10 team were depleted through injury and illness but a number of the Year 9 squad stepped up to the challenge and played superbly, narrowly losing to a strong Dame Alice team. Sophie made her debut in goal, making a number of fantastic saves while the passing from defence and teamwork going forward was excellent. Very well done to all of the students who played.

Last Saturday saw our Y9 boys play Sir John Lawes in a friendly Rugby fixture. It was another superb performance form the boys who have played lots of rugby this year and developed vastly. With a couple of key absences the team adapted quickly to SJL’s aggressive style. A strong 1st half performance saw us score twice, however SJL ultimately were too strong taking victory as the game was stopped early for a head injury. A great game though and well played boys.

The U15 Rugby team also played a friendly against St. Clement Danes away in Chorleywood this week. With a number of key players missing the team enjoyed their experience and played well in a game they eventually lost.

On Tuesday the Y10 boys football team played their last 16 County Cup game V Chancellors at home in some very tough conditions. The team started well and controlled the game going 1-0 up early on. The team then dominated possession and forged on to go 3-0 up and look comfortable. A couple of late mistakes gave 2 goals back to Chancellors and an uncomfortable last few minutes were survived to take the win 3-2 and seal a place in the quarter final after Christmas.

A lot of fantastic netball matches this week!

The U12A team vs RPS had a tight match, however, some outstanding defence meant that we won the game 13-11. OPM - Bea and CPM - Aoife

The U15A Netball team had a scrappy and hard fought game and drew 12-12 against SJL OPM - Liv and CPM - Bella

The Y7 girls netball team played Roundwood in a District fixture and took the win 13-11. Well done to all who played.

The Y7 girls Netball team had a second game of the week against Beaumont on Thursday and after being down in the first, second and third quarter it looked to be going our rivals way, before a change in positions by Mrs C gave us a renewed sense of energy to take the win 11-10 with Ella C-L impressing.

Another County and District League basketball fixture against Beaumont saw a close game. Both teams are at the forefront of County basketball at the moment and we knew it would be tight. The first half saw Beaumont edge it and take an early lead. The second half however changed the game Otis L-J was exceptional for the Y8s scoring 36 points to give the boys a well earned 50-30 victory to remain unbeaten.

For many years no-one was interested in the art of the Impressionists. Artists like Monet, Degas and Renoir were vilified, attacked, and left penniless as a result.

Some collectors we may recognize and some we may not, but Hansen amassed a remarkable collection housed at his summer home, Ordrupgaard, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Exhibition on Screen tells his fascinating story and, with exclusive access to a sellout exhibition at London’s Royal Academy, brings the extraordinary collection to the big-screen in glorious high-definition.

Tickets £8/£6

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 we 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 give us a like on Facebook, just search for The SandPit Theatre!

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. 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

Chuckle. In association with The Sandpit Theatre bring you the very best in live standup comedy.

Enjoy some of the biggest names in comedy along with our favorite handpicked artists.

Tonight’s lineup includes Sandringham School alumni Nick Helm (Live at the Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats) / Esther Manito (Live at the Apollo) / Ben Norris (Mock the Week, “. unbelievably brilliant” - Jason Manford) / Mark Row (A1: The Long Road to Edinburgh on Amazon Prime)

Please note the lineup maybe subject to change.

Tickets are on sale now for just £16.50 each

It’s back!  Sandringham Dance Faculty bring you the ever-growing Velocity Dance Show.  Sure to be an absolute showstopper of a show it is not one you want to miss.

Tickets (VIP) £10/£7

Other seating - £8/£6

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 or 7:30pm - £16 / £14