Welcome to the latest edition of Rough Notes. Thank you for taking the time to read our monthly publication.
After the balmy weather of October, we have certainly had our fair share of November Rain (a sneaky reference to a classic rock act there). Unfortunately, our new shelter was not complete in time to protect us from the storms, however, it is a great new facility for our students, and it will work brilliantly alongside the new café once open.
Our year 10 and 11 students studying Mandarin finally got the chance to go to London, following rail disruption due to flooding and bendy tracks in the summer heat, we have seen it all. My thanks to Ms Choy for her organisation and amazing perseverance in seeing this great opportunity through, the students had an amazing time, especially the visit to China Town.
On Tuesday the 22nd of November, students had the chance to perform on the Woodroffe stage in the return of the Autumn Concert, this year entitled ‘Stage & Screen’. What a fabulous night it was with musical pieces from brilliant stage productions and classic movies. Congratulations to the Music department and all the performers, you were amazing.
Our wonderfully supportive PTFA provided the refreshments which were a welcome addition. There are still lots of opportunities to help raise funds for the school via the PTFA as a volunteer. If you are interested in supporting, please visit: The Woodroffe School PTFA
The training for this year’s Ten Tors event began in earnest this month. Fortunately, they picked a great weekend for it as they set off across the cliffs of the Jurassic coast. We look forward to watching their progress and supporting them across the finish line in April 2023.
Each November we take time to remember those affected by conflicts past and present. We joined the nation in remembering the sacrifices individuals made in the defence of freedom and democracy. During the week leading up to Remembrance Day, students engaged in assemblies focusing this year on the role of children in conflict. Throughout our time of reflection, we thought about those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine, especially the families of the students who joined our community recently.
Кожного листопада ми приділяємо час, щоб згадати тих, хто постраждав від конфліктів минулого і сьогодення. Було важливо, щоб ми приєдналися до нації у пам’яті про жертви, які люди принесли на захист свободи та демократії. Тиждень, що передує Дню пам’яті, учні цього року взяли участь у зборах, присвячених ролі дітей у конфлікті. Під час роздумів ми думали про тих, хто постраждав від триваючої війни в Україні, особливо про сім’ї студентів, які нещодавно приєдналися до нашої громади.
Year 11 students had the opportunity to watch a high-quality performance of the J B Priestley three-act play, An Inspector Calls, at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. This visit was a great opportunity for students to test their memory of the key lines and deepen their understanding of the play, in advance of their GCSE exams in the summer. Thank you to the English department for running an enjoyable visit.
We are very grateful to Axminster Tools for their continued support of our school and in particular, the Design Technology department. Starting in early November, staff members have attended school to provide hands-on learning experiences for year 8 students at lunchtime.
If you are able and willing to offer students similar opportunities in the future, please contact us at: office@woodroffe.dorset.sch.uk.
Students have been enjoying the huge number of sporting activities on offer this month. Our teams have been successful in several sports including netball and rugby with strong performances. Most recently, the year 7 and 8 rugby teams retained the trophies won last year after both teams completed their respective competitions without losing a single game.
As a school, through the charity work undertaken, we have supported the Toilet Twinning organisation which is working worldwide to improve sanitation and the availability of clean water to communities severely affected by a lack of these basic facilities. In total, we have twinned four sets of toilets covering Honduras, Afghanistan, DRC, and Malawi. A link to the organisation is provided below:
Toilet Twinning - Flushing away poverty, one toilet at a time
Finally, our 6th Form team did a great job supporting Children in Need through the planning and running of several events in support of the charity. As a school, we raised a fantastic £1011 having lots of fun along the way.
I hope you enjoy our latest edition of Rough Notes. Should you wish to find out more about our school, news, or events, please visit the school website which I am sure you will find useful. In addition, for regular updates, why not look at our social media outlets: Woodroffe can be found on Twitter and Instagram.
Best wishes,
Dan Watts
Headteacher