As part of our ongoing efforts to raise funds for our school charities, we are excited to announce our upcoming school raffle. This will take place from the 3rd – 7th February 2025. Throughout the year we raise money for Unicef, Youth talk, and Herts for Refugees, and we are proud of our continued support of these amazing charities. We are reaching out to families for support, and would greatly appreciate any donations of raffle prizes or contributions such as: gift vouchers, discount codes for local businesses, hampers or non-perishable food items, gadgets, signed memorabilia, and any other unused items you think would make great prizes. If you would like to make a contribution, please email David Keenleyside by Friday 24th January 2025.

Last Friday GCSE Photography students were very lucky to have a visit from the award winning professional photographer Gary Davis, who showed us his amazing photography collection and explained the stories behind each of them. Being a professional photographer he has travelled the world, including Africa and Antarctica, to capture special moments in very different environments. Safe to say the GCSE students were very inspired and hope to capture some wildlife snap shots closer to home. You can see more of Gary’s incredible work on his website here.

All year 10 families have been sent information about this year’s Work Experience Week, which will take place from 16th – 20th June. Please take a look at the email for the information needed. We look forward to hearing about the placements students have planned. There will be additional support for any student struggling to find somewhere to go - please do not hesitate to ask Mrs Eady any questions at eadyc@mysandstorm.org

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2025 is taking place from 10th February and is the UK’s biggest event in the Department of Education apprenticeships and skills calendar. The theme this year is ‘Skills for Life’.

We are celebrating the value, benefit and opportunity that apprenticeships bring and have picked out a few virtual events you can access each day, which will be updated in the careers section of the school website. Aimed at Years 10, 11 & 12, the week sees a mix of talks, events, and advice from key figures and a range of employers to help you see how apprenticeships can help develop skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career. You can keep up to date by following Apprenticeships on X and Apprenticeships on LinkedIn, and for more information click here.

After another successful Open Morning Tour for Sixth Form this week, It's nearly time to make your decision on if you would like to join us here at Sandringham. Deadlines for applications is next Friday, so you have one week to look through any information you might have missed or wanted to double check - you can do so here. Important dates to note are as follows:

7th February 2025:  Deadline for Sixth Form applications.

25th & 26th June 2025: Compulsory Sixth Form Induction.

The Puzzle of the Week is a Mathematics challenge run weekly. This week's puzzle is shown above. For every entry you will receive 1 house point, if you answer correctly you will win 2 house points 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?

Year 7-9 Bingo: Charity Week Fun

Next Friday after school, we’re excited to host a Year 7-9 Bingo event in support of Charity Week. Tickets are only £5 each, and there are some fantastic prizes up for grabs. This is a great opportunity to have some fun while supporting the schools efforts to raise money for some amazing causes.

Don’t miss out, make sure to grab your ticket and join us there!

We Need Your Unused LEGO!

Exciting plans are underway for this year’s Teacher Conference on 13/14th February, and we need your help to make it extra special! We're collecting old or unwanted LEGO to create a fun and engaging experience for all our teachers.

If you have any LEGO that you no longer need and are happy to donate, please drop it off at Student Services or the Admin Office by Reception by Monday, 10th February. Your contributions will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for helping us make this event memorable for our teachers!

This week’s whole school theme recognises Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). HMD is the international day on 27 January to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. This year will be a particularly significant year as we mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and 30 years since the genocide in Bosnia. The students received an excellent assembly from a history teacher, Ms Davies, where students heard about the Danish response to the Holocaust. We hope all of the students appreciate the importance of recognising this day to remember the people affected and ensure that we prevent a genocide like the holocaust ever occurring again. 

Students have been extra busy borrowing, reserving and returning books this week as the weather took a turn for the worse.  Here’s a list of  Sandringham LRC’s Top 10 most borrowed books in case anyone is in need of inspiration as the weekend approaches. 

1. Holly Jackson: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder  A popular read across all age groups and increasingly so following the recent BBC series. Fast paced thriller.
2. Suzanne Collins: Catching Fire The second book in the Hunger Games series – a dystopian page turner.
3. Sue Wallman: Dead Popular  Mystery and suspense abound in this thriller set in a school.
4. Libby Scott: Can You See Me – a story about autism, empathy and kindness. Based on the real life diaries detailing the author’s own experiences of autism.
5. J R R Tolkien: The Fellowship of the Ring The first in the Lord of The Rings trilogy
6. Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games Still very popular with our students as we await the publication of her new Hunger Games novel ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’.
7. Anthony Horowitz: Stormbreaker  Spy thriller. Very popular with year seven at the moment along with Robert Muchamore’s Cherub series and Darren Shan’s Cirque du Freak series.
8. Sue Wallman: Such a Good Liar Anxiety inducing thriller set on a remote island.
9. Rebecca Yarros: Onyx and Storm  Follow-up to  Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and seems to have taken the publishing world by storm!
10. James Dashner: The Maze Runner Dystopian fiction series popular with years 7 and 8.

As part of our You're Hired event for Yr 11 last week, Oaklands College visited to showcase the amazing opportunities they offer. Students had the chance to engage in a variety of hands-on activities and participate in inspiring conversations. The event was a huge success, with students actively engaging and getting involved. A big thank you to the Oaklands team for making the experience both exciting and motivational.

Sandringham historians have signed up to participate in a series of debates with Parallel Histories, an educational charity that explore the history of conflict. Six of our Yr 12 historians, Nia, Elizabeth, Seren, Edith and Abi all participated in a lively debate to investigate if Britain should be blamed or praised for the Balfour Declaration. Our team drew upon their excellent research skills to prepare different strands of argument for each side of the debate; they prepared informative, factually robust speeches that incorporated the use of primary sources into their analysis. All of this was delivered in a clear, engaging and convincing manner. We're looking forward to starting preparations for our next debate in March!

One of our very own Teachers is taking on an exciting challenge this April to raise money for the National Literacy Trust, a charity dedicated to improving literacy skills and supporting literacy development across the UK. To help support this amazing cause, Mr O'Connor will be running a half marathon in early April, and it is a great opportunity to contribute anything you can to a charity that empowers individuals through literacy. If you'd like to support Mr O'Connor and this brilliant cause, a JustGiving page has been set up here.

"I've been a teacher for 7 years now and the importance of literacy cannot be understated. Good literacy impacts all aspects of a child's learning and life, it's not just reading but accessing ideas, opening up opportunities and giving them a voice. Good literacy skills can change the course of a young person's life, so I'm doing a little run to support the National Literacy Trust in their work making a big difference. All and any donations are gratefully received - thank you in advance"

Year 10 BioEngineering Trip.

During last week’s ELD's, 10 students in year 10 attended a BioEngineering Taster Day at Imperial College London. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn about the field of BioEngineering and the work that Imperial do. Huge thanks to Mr Reynolds and Miss O’Neil for attending with the students and making this trip possible! Read on to see what some of the students who attended thought about the trip.

"The Bioengineering Taster Day was a really great experience. While we were there, one of the first things we did was listen to a lecture about "Soil on a Chip" technology, which is used to study the behaviour of fungi. Afterwards, we were taken to a workshop where we learnt about the structure of the spine and we participated in a "spine race" -  which we won! Afterwards, we went downstairs and visited the labs where they keep, create and maintain their technology. We then had a great lunch and finished the day learning about ventilators and 'building' one ourselves with balloons.Everything we saw was so interesting, we learnt a lot about what it’s like to study/have a job in bioengineering and how much it impacts every day things. Before this trip, I had only heard of bioengineering once or twice but I’m really glad I was able to experience it, Imperial college was great and the day was really worthwhile. A big thank you to all the staff who helped make this day possible." Ani K

"I really enjoyed this opportunity to get to know the Imperial College and learn more about Bioengineering. We had a series of talks and workshops in which we learnt a lot about this branch of science, and the amount of different things they work on. It made me think about science as a career path and the multiple opportunities that science can offer." Diego D

Happy New Lunar Year 2025!

This year marks the start of the Year of the Snake. Lunar New Year is celebrated by millions of people around the world, particularly in countries such as China, Vietnam, and Korea. It is a time of joy, reflection, and looking forward to new beginnings. The year of the Snake will bring qualities of wisdom, intuition, and transformation and those born under the Snake are often associated with deep thinking and grace, and many believe this year will offer opportunities for personal growth and positive change. Whether through traditional foods, art, or music, it’s a time to celebrate! Honouring the past and look forward to the future - We wish all those celebrating a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year.

 HOUSE POINTS

Hepworth remains on the top spot, but Austen are hot on their heels and closing the gap.

1. Hepworth 15,876
2. Austen 15,442
3. Newton 14,278

Special mentions this week:  

• Darren C (7A) (14) – Most points this week.
• Austen for winning this weeks house points – 1450.
• Austen for leading this months house points - 3516.
• 7A for the highest average points in their tutor group (110.8).
• 9E the highest quiz score total – 97/130.
• Alexa H (10N) 1st in House Photography, Summer T 2nd place & Xavi C 3rd place.
• Austen for winning House Maths.
• Marcus L (12F) – Fastest answer in POTW.

This year we are going to be running parent information sessions delivered by professionals from outside agencies that are centred around various pastoral related issues.

We are delighted to bring you Sandringham Seminars 3 next week on Monday 3rd February at 5.30pm, with a delivery from Rhodes Wood Hospital and Elysium Healthcare. Rhodes Wood is an expert in the field of supporting young people with extreme mental ill health, and we are very fortunate that they have agreed to deliver this seminar. Rhodes Wood Hospital is a specialist Inpatient Eating Disorder service for children and young people aged 8 up to 18 years based in Hatfield. They aim to identify and understand the symptoms, patterns and origins of psychological distress and help patients manage their condition. The services emphasise not only the mental wellbeing of young people but also their educational, emotional and physical needs. 

This 1 hour session will be held at The SandPit Theatre, Sandringham School. If you would like to book tickets to hear from Rhodes Wood, please book them here. This event is on Monday so please do sign up to get any last minute spaces that are available.

Last week some of our students were lucky enough to go and see Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake at Sadler's Wells. Bournes reimagined version of the classic ballet, first performed in 1995 is famously known for casting male dancers as the swans, breaking traditional gender roles in the story. The story still focusses on a young prince who is torn between his duties and his desire for freedom, which he finds in the form of a mysterious, dark swan. The choreography is renowned for its power and expressiveness, and the production has received widespread acclaim for its boldness and innovation. 

Gabby R in Yr 10 had nothing but great things to say about the performance; "It's a different style of dance from classical ballet. Matthew Bourne likes to take the classical style and turn it into his own unique style. The costumes were incredible! My favourite part was when the main male character is dancing with a small ensemble of swans and there are a few funny bits of dancing which made the whole audience laugh, which is not what you'd expect from a modern ballet piece."

Tickets Now On Sale!

The annual Sandringham Chemistry Show is back with a bang! Tickets are now on sale on the SandPit website to join us for an evening of fantastic demonstrations and experiments, led by our Head of Chemistry, Mr Reynolds. We look forward to seeing you there.

Please note: Wheatfields students in years 5 and 6 will be seeing the show in the afternoon. 

Emotionally Based School Anxiety Drop-In Sessions.

DSPL7 and Services for Young People, in partnership with The Pioneer Club, are offering free drop-in support sessions (booking required) designed for parents/carers and young people in Years 7-11 facing challenges with school attendance related to Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). Please do come along to The Community Café, Suets Yard at The Pioneer Club, Heathlands Drive, St Alban, AL3 5AY, between 9:30-11:30am. Sessions are taking place on the following dates: 11th March, 14th May, and 19th June. Further information, including contact details can be found in the flyer.

Supporting Links is offering a FREE in-person six-week "Talking Teens" course designed to help parents and carers navigate the challenges of parenting 12-19 year olds. It's open to all parents, carers, grandparents, and guardians in Hertfordshire,and will be held on Wednesdays, 7.00 - 9.00pm, from 26th February to 2nd April 2025 at the Gade Community Room, Oakleaf Primary School, Hemel Hempstead. The course will explore the teenage brain, explaining the physical and emotional changes that influence behaviour. It delves deeper into the connection between behaviour and difficult feelings, offer practical strategies for maintaining strong communication, discuss understanding and navigating risk-taking behaviours along with providing effective techniques and tools for conflict resolution. Don't miss this valuable opportunity to gain insights and connect with other parents and carers. For more information and to secure your space please click the links provided.

This week’s BOTW is The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han.

One girl. Two boys. And the summer that changed everything . . . Every year Isabel spends a perfect summer at her favourite place in the world - the Fisher family's beach house.

It has everything a girl could want: a swimming pool, a private stretch of sandy beach... and two (very cute) brothers, aloof Conrad - who she's been in love with forever Friendly, relaxed Jeremiah- the only one who's ever really paid her any attention. But this year something is different. This year, the boys seem to really notice Isabel for the first time.

It's going to be an amazing summer - and one she'll never forget . . . '

Evie R has recently read the book and comments; “I loved this book, it was outstanding. My favourite character was Susan. I loved all the flash backs, especially the ones with Taylor in them. She was such a bold iconic character.”

·  French: superflu

·  German: überflüssig

·  Spanish: superfluo/a

THINKING QUESTION:

The French and Spanish translations are very similar to the English this week. This is because superfluous has Latin roots, and French and Spanish are Latin languages. What other words can  you think of that are similar in French/Spanish/English?

S is for… superfluous [adjective]

Definition: Unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.

Example: The purchaser should avoid asking for superfluous information. 

Synonyms: Excessive, Unnecessary, Unneeded.

Antonyms: Reasonable, Important, Useful.

Etymology: From the Latin superfluus, from super- ‘over’ + fluere ‘to flow’.

This afternoon, our senior tennis team played a crucial match against St. Columba’s to determine who would top the group in the National LTA competition. It was a closely contested, and despite a strong performance, our boys narrowly missed out on the top spot.

Although they didn’t secure first place, the team will now await confirmation of their qualification for the next round, thanks to their second-place finish. A special mention goes to Harrison H who fought hard in his singles match and showed excellent determination throughout.

It's a great effort from the team and look forward to their next challenge in the competition.

This Saturday, February 1st, promises to be an exciting day for Sandringham School, with several key events taking place.

Our boys’ football team will face off against Verulam in a crucial block fixture.

Our U16 girls’ netball team will be competing in the Regional Netball Finals, showcasing their hard work and skill.  

The Hertfordshire County Cross Country event will see our athletes representing the school at a high level.

All relevant details for these events have been sent directly to student emails. We wish all our teams and students the best of luck and look forward getting those results in next week.

Olivia D competed at the County Championships recently and took home an incredible 15 Golds from 15 events, breaking a county record in 50m breaststroke on the way. A massive well done from everyone at Sandringham on this amazing achievement Olivia, truly an outstanding effort.

The Y7 Team have progressed into the County Cup semi final after a hard fought win on Tuesday afternoon away v's John Warner. The boys showed lots of resilience to come from behind twice, with a 6-3 win at the final whistle. Goals from Seb x2 Danny, Max, Nico & Sam. Man of the match went to Danny. Congratulations Team, a tough game with a great end result.

The Y7 teams also played at home to Simon Balle earlier in the week, resulted in a win and a draw. Great to see so many boys representing the school and some for the first time. Matthew D and Oli R were voted players of the matches.

Busy week for the Yr 7 boys!

Last weekend the Sandringham Football Teams faced Simon Balle which proved to be a very successful Saturday morning indeed:

Yr 8: Great win for the Yr 8's winning 3-1 against in what was an excellent game from both teams.

Yr 9: Both teams battled well throughout the game, with Sandringham holding on to a half time lead, and eventually winning the game 2-1. Again, more debutants for the reds, further strengthening the year group. 

Yr 10: Another great game of football finishes 4-1 to Sandringham. Lots of new faces to the team which shows the depth this year group have. Extra thanks goes out to the boys that came to support and run the line. Taylor T(2), Thomas R & Oliver C made up the goals. Man of the Match was given to Charlie D.

Award winning production company, Limitless Productions, are back in St Albans and this time they've got backup!

Welcome to the wild streets of 1920s New York, where gangsters run the show in Bugsy Malone! Join the charming Bugsy as he dives head-first into a thrilling turf war between rival gangs - Dandy Dan’s slick crew and Fat Sam’s lovable misfits. With whipped cream pies flying and laughter echoing, Bugsy navigates chaos while trying to win the heart of the dazzling showgirl Blousey Brown.

As the stakes rise and friendships are tested, Bugsy must step up to save his pals and outsmart the competition. Bursting with catchy tunes and high-energy dance numbers. From the team behind 'Little Shop of Horrors', 'Grease' and 'The Addams Family', this musical is a rollicking adventure not to be missed!

Tickets are on sale here and cost from £17.00

Sandringham School Dance Department formally invites you to attend ‘Velocity 2025: The Oscars’. As you walk down the red carpet, you will be taken on a journey through time to the beginning of Hollywood film industry and the first Academy Awards to end with our version of Oscars 2025. Book your tickets here, but hurry as there are only a few left for the Saturday 13:30 performance.