Thank you to our amazing MFL team who have had a busy few weeks. The Year 10 mock exams are now complete and the Year 11 GCSE exams are almost finished. More on the exact numbers of exams next week but thank you to all of our wonderful students for their hard work and to our MFL team for their continued support and hard work. 

This week we feature several Year 10 students, Max H, Niko M, Luca P & Oliver R, who were part of the victorious U15 Verulamians RFC team and became Herts County Plate Champions on Sunday 23rd April beating Chess Valley 24-19 in a back and forth rugby match. The whole team have showed grit & determination all season, training in all weathers, to thoroughly deserve the win. The team heads to Camber Sands this long weekend for the annual mini & junior tour where they (& younger Vees teams) will play teams from all over the country at Rye RFC in a fun, end of season rugby festival. Congratulations to all the boys and their coaches on such an impressive result.

Services for Young People have contacted us regarding a support group for boys ages 13-17. They meet every Wednesday (during term time) 18:00 until 20:00 at the Pioneer Young People’s Centre, Heathlands Drive, St Albans, AL3 5AY.  Boys can come, be themselves, ask questions and get support from a qualified member of staff. There are lots of fun activities on offer and with it coming into the warmer months plenty of opportunity to go outside and make use of the green spaces near the centre. If you have any other questions about Services for Young People or the project then please contact Philip.Munn@hertfordshire.gov.uk for more details. 

In line with the whole School assembly theme of International Earth Day for last week, the LRC’s new display features a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books on the topic of Sustainability available to borrow.  Alongside David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg’s new books, are fiction titles by some of The Climate Fiction Writers League, including Lauren James, Piers Torday, Sarah Crossan, and Marcus Sedgwick.

DSPL7 supports parents and carers, staff in early years settings, schools, and further education colleges by ensuring there is a range of provision and support services within the St Albans and Harpenden area for children and young people with additional needs. Each term DLSP7 produces a booklet that outlines the courses that are being run by external providers to support parents and families who have a child or children with additional needs.

Please use the link here to access DPSL7’s parenting support booklet for Summer 2023:  

Gaming is a hugely popular activity for the young people who attend our school, regardless of their age. Students tell us that they enjoy gaming for number of reasons, e.g., socialisation, coping mechanism, skill building and much more. Many games are not appropriate for all age groups, and we understand that for parents/carers it can be hard to understand what is and isn’t age appropriate. Internet Matters have put a guide together a guide on this matter which details some alternative games beyond the most popular ones and promoting health discussion about gaming as a family affair. This guide covers games across all PEGI age ranges. You can download the guide via think link here.

Congratulations to Oscar S, Liberty T, Sophie K, Sophie V, Trinity V and Hollie W who have their art work on show in The Collective Gallery along with local artists. The exhibition aims to raise money for the Herts Young Homeless Charity through the sale of artwork. There is an online Gallery which you can view here.

Please do visit the exhibition if you can as well. It closes on Sunday 30th April and is a fantastic showcase of work.

The whole school theme for this week recognises the Armed Forces. Armed Forces Day is a chance to show your support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets. There are many ways for people, communities and organisations across the country to show their support and get involved. The students received an excellent assembly that got them to reflect on the sacrifices that those in the armed forces make to support those in need in our country and around the world. We hope that all of our students are able to empathise with people living in countries that are currently being affected by conflict. 

Hemel Hempstead's Young People's Centre is offering free sessions designed to help students feel more confident about the practical elements of starting a new course at College or Sixth Form. Their advisers will help prepare students and think about what will happen on the first days and weeks of the new term. They will be answering frequently asked questions and covering subjects such as travel, how to get support on a range of queries once at college or sixth form and study skills

These are informal small group sessions held across two days.  Anyone with a College or Sixth Form place for September who lives in the Dacorum or St Albans area is welcome, particularly those who have been out of education or are anxious or concerned about the transition. 

• Date: 11am-1pm on 5th and 19th July 2023
• Contact details: www.servicesforyoungpeople.org
• Tel: 01442 454060 Text: 07860 065195 
• Email: SfYP.Dacorum@hertfordshire.gov.uk
• Follow us on Twitter @DacorumTeam

Fo$S are planning to hold a second hand uniform sale this term. If anyone has any good quality uniform or study guides/text books, then please can they leave in the bike shed at 15 Skyswood Road. All proceeds from these sales go to Fo$S, supporting Sandringham School and its students. Thank you for your support.

Congratulations to Andre L in Year 8 who has just passed his Grade 5 piano examination!

On Monday, Sandringham entered two teams of four students from Year 8 into Heat 1 of the Year 8 Mathematics Challenge. The Year 8 Maths Challenges are designed as informal, friendly inter-school competitions, designed to challenge young mathematicians.  They require excellent communication, problem-solving and team-working skills, as well as mathematical skill and insight.

Each challenge is divided into four equally-weighted rounds:

• Round 1: General Maths questions
• Round 2: Memory round
• Round 3: Estimation round
• Round 4: More general Maths questions

As these titles will suggest, success in the challenges relies on much more than mere mathematical calculation.  Many of the problems and activities are accessible to most year 8 students, not just higher attainers. The students faced opposition from 30 other teams from schools around Hertfordshire and I am delighted to report that the students performed very well finishing15th t and 5th in their heat.

Congratulations and well done to Oliver S, Erin R, Emma S, Finn N, Salma C, Daniel C, Charlie A, and Gabby R.

Well done to everyone who entered previously 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?

Sandringham Community Choir currently has around 40 singers of all ages and backgrounds. There is no audition, and no need to be able to read music (though many have learnt to read it by singing in the choir!). All you need is an interest in learning to sing and make music with others. Although our aim is simply to enjoy singing together each week, we go carol singing for charity in December and usually put on a short concert in June or July. We sing music from across the centuries: from Bach, Mozart and earlier, via folksongs, spirituals and barbershop, to arrangements of classic jazz, rock and pop numbers.  The choir meets on Wednesday evenings 6.30-7.30pm during term time in the music department at Sandringham School. If you would like to find out more about the choir, just come along on to a Wednesday evening rehearsal and give it a go, or contact sanita.sharma@sandringham.herts.sch.uk. There is a small termly fee to cover the choir’s costs.

Well done to Lily T in Year 13 who completed the London Marathon last weekend in an impressive 3hrs 34 minutes!. Here is what she had to say about the experience:

On Sunday, I ran the London Marathon which has been on my bucket list ever since I ran the mini marathon when I was 12 years old. The atmosphere was fantastic and I really enjoyed the support from the crowds. I am raising money for Cancer Research UK. Here is the link to my sponsorship page if anyone would like to donate to a great charity.

Well done to all of our fantastic Year 11 dancers who have completed all their practical examinations. We are so proud of what they have achieved this year and now preparing for their final written exams. 

Sephy is a Cross: she lives a life of privilege and power. But she's lonely, and burns with injustice at the world she sees around her. Callum is a nought: he's considered to be less than nothing - a blanker, there to serve Crosses - but he dreams of a better life.They've been friends since they were children, and they both know that's as far as it can ever go. Noughts and Crosses are fated to be bitter enemies - love is out of the question. Charlotte B 7 who has recently read the book says: 'This is a very interesting book. It shows the opposite sides of the two groups in society, and has lots of unexpected scenes. I really enjoyed it!'

FRENCH: Le mot de la semaine: Optimiste

GERMAN: Das Wort der Woche: Etwas berichtigen

SPANISH: La palabra de la semana: Optimista

Thinking Question

• 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?

S is for sanguine [adjective]

Definition: Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

Example: The Prime Minister is sanguine about prospects for the global economy.

Synonyms: Buoyant, Cheerful, Enthusiastic

Antonyms: Depressed, Gloomy, Pessimistic

Etymology: From the  Latin ‘sanguineus’ meaning of blood.

Congratulations to Henry, George, Devayan and Samuel in Year 13 who were nominated and commended in the student character award campaign for their fantastic weather station project. You can read all about their success here.

The group have also recorded a Podcast about their adventures which you can listen to on the World Class School’s Website here.

We've had another fantastic week of netball with the final matches of the season.

The U14B Netball team finished their season with a competitive game against NBS. They have made excellent progress this year! POM - Melanie B

We also had the last game of the season for the U15 netball team who managed a good win against SRA makes them district league winners! OPM - Emily W & CPM - Mimi G

Our U12B netball team also had a fantastic last game of the season beating SRA 10-7 OP & CP - Riley K with some great shooting and movement - well done all!

Congratulations to the U16 Rounders team, who are now District Champions after a fantastic performance at the District Tournament!! Well done to all involved.

Well done to our tennis team! We are County U18 doubles champions again- a title we’ve held for 6 years now and this year Ivan and Matt take it. Well done boys. Will and Sam also picked up the U14 County plate title whilst Sam and Aoun unfortunately fell short in the U14 cup semi final. A great afternoon. 

Please see above for upcoming fixtures. You can follow all of our results @SandringhamPE

Congratulations to the Y11 team on going back to back in the @HertsSchoolsFA County Cup to retain their title from last year and add to their District cup already this season. An amazing achievement from a superb group of students in their last game as a team together. Fantastic effort boys.

The critically acclaimed creative team that brought you ‘Hansel & Gretel’ are back with more fun-fueled pantomime madness; a joyful new twist on another old story, it’s not to be missed. Rapunzel saves the day (and herself!) in this action packed, magical musical pantomime adventure. Let down your hair with a cast of kooky characters as they dance and sing through this unusual, tangled tale; where people live in giant old boots and tall towers, where frog boys rap about enchanted ponds and girls with long hair battle more than split ends!

This extraordinary I Spy game is nothing like the one you might remember from long car drives with your dad though.  Instead, it's a magical adventure full of fun, giggles and all your favourite sing along song including Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes, Sing a Rainbow, The Ants Go Marching and BINGO.

I Spy with My Little Eye is based on the popular children's book by author Steven Lee and was created alongside education and child development experts to be great for kids’ minds. So, it's not just wonderful entertainment for your little ones but good for them too!

After sell-out shows from as far afield as Dubai, Dublin and Derby the cast of the wonderful People's Theatre Company are bringing I Spy with My Little Eye to The SandPit Theatre!

An evening of Fleetwood Mac and Cheese performed by Big Love UK!

Featuring a 5-piece tribute to Fleetwood Mac, Plus some familiar cheesy dance floor classics!