Dear Parents and Friends,

At Assembly this afternoon I was pleased to thank all of the pupils, staff and parents involved in our hugely

successful Open Day last Saturday. On a day of activity and sunshine, we welcomed over 400 families to the

school and gave our guests a great Royal Russell experience.

One of the families who visited wrote back to us and said, “The range of facilities and opportunities for

students exceeded our expectations. Beautiful grounds, polite engaged students a real sense of pride and

community.” I could not think of a better summary of the day.

On the back of this success we are running our Sixth Form Open Evening for our current and prospective

Year 11 students on Tuesday 11th October.

On Monday evening the CCF parade was strengthened by over 50 new Year 9 recruits who have joined the

contingent both from Royal Russell and from our partner school, Coloma. I look forward to seeing these

cadets grow in skills and confidence as the training continues through the term.

The Library was packed on Tuesday with a celebration of European Languages Day, where Sixth Form

students gave presentations on a wide range of topics before the audience were able to sample some

continental delicacies. On Wednesday the Sixth Form Assembly focused on awareness of illegal drugs and

the devastating impact that these can have on young lives.

We were very pleased to see many of our new parents at our event on Wednesday evening where they had a

chance to meet with their House tutor and team and to discuss the first few weeks of the term. There is a

tangible sense that the new pupils have arrived with real purpose and engagement. It has been very

reassuring to see how quickly they have settled into their new Royal Russell routines.

At lunchtime today there was an enthusiastic buzz at the Reade House Coffee ‘morning’. The combined

baking skills of the girls, staff and parents raised £535 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

During our Assembly this afternoon, I awarded Sport Colours to Elizabeth Davies for netball and to Rhys

Norrington Davies, Ryan Docherty, Danny O’Rourke, Matt Weller, Sam Johnson and Matt O’Donahue for

football. Congratulations to all of these players and to all those who have represented the school so strongly

in fixtures and training this week.

Verity Burcombe concluded our reflection on the week with a brilliant piano rendition of ‘Andante’ by Faure.

I look forward to seeing the Netball Teams off to their fixtures at Caterham and the Royal Russell runners off

to the Park Run in Lloyd Park tomorrow morning.

Our Chapel service on Sunday is a Choral Evensong which begins at 5.45pm and will bring together the combined choirs for their first service of the year. You are very welcome to join us.

With best wishes,

Headmaster’s Weekly Newsletter

30 September 2016

Chris Hutchinson Headmaster

From the Chapel

School Services

Years 9 to 13 heard how a School group worked in a Ugandan primary school last summer.

By their words and slides, Messrs Rocca and Endersby, Bogdan, Ben, Alex, Luc, Skyla, Alex, Alannah and Lucy demonstrated the benefits for all involved of showing an active concern for children in need – inspiring!

St Michael and All Angels (September 29th

)

In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, the defeat by Michael and his angels of a dragon/serpent, who is the Devil, and his angels, is regarded as representing Christ’s Easter victory over evil. The Collect for that day is:

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted ministries of angels and mortals in a wonderful order: grant that as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so, at your command, they may help and defend us on earth.

Michelangelo (1475 –1564) was one of the greatest artists of all

time. In the Royal Academy, London, you can see his Taddei Tondo, a circular, marble relief which shows the Christ Child, sprawling across the Virgin Mary’s lap and being frightened by a goldfinch held by the infant John the Baptist.

Compositionally, the eye of the viewer is drawn diagonally along Christ's body, back up that of his mother, with her gaze across to John, and from his face back to Christ. John crosses his arms, perhaps in allusion to the cross.

Chapel Quiz 84

In Christianity, at what does a goldfinch symbolize? Prizes for pupils.

Answer to Chapel Quiz 83

A Confessor is a priest who hears confessions and gives absolution and spiritual counsel. Alternatively, as in the case of St Edward the Confessor, it is a person who avows religious faith in the face of opposition, but does not suffer martyrdom.

This Sunday 5.45 p.m. Choral Evensong. All welcome.

Father dreams of son becoming a rugby player as he 'hands off' the vicar at his christening.

Reade House Charity cake Sale

On a rainy Friday, Reade common room was descended upon by a hoard of hungry pupils and parents.

Parents, students and Mr Kipling have all been busy creating, baking and icing for this annual event. With the support of the Catering Department, Reade House pupils and Sixth Formers, the room became a cake fest.

A wonderful, happy occasion with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support as part of the world's biggest coffee morning.

£535 was raised in just half an hour! Thank you to one and all!

European Day of Languages

Tuesday lunchtime saw pupils flock to the library to hear sixth form pupil presentations on interesting aspects of culture and customs in Germany, France and Spain. Arn-Fabian gave us a rundown of the top five sports in Germany: football being the most popular sport (no surprises there perhaps!) but did you know that although German golfer, Martin Kaymer was No.1 in the world rankings in 2011, no golf is shown on German free TV? If you like ice hockey though, there is a team in most major cities and the fans make more noise than at any other sporting venue.

Josefine from Berlin, was able to tell us about some of the varied customs and traditions of Germany including how on the night of the 5th December, children leave their shoes outside their doors in the hope that ‘der Nikolaus’ will leave sweets and other presents for them. Josefine also showed us some pictures of traditional German dress including lederhosen and spoke about her home city of Berlin and the Festival of Lights.

A toe-tapping short film of spirited flamenco dancers was included in Consuelo’s presentation on Spain and the Andalusian region in particular. As well as informing us that native Spanish speakers account for the second largest group in the world, she also added the intriguing fact that there are more flamenco academies in Japan than there are in Spain. One for the quiz master!

Liz, who is studying French A level, spoke to us about a favourite book, ‘Un Sac de Billes’ by Joseph Joffo. Highly recommended for those wanting to read about France during the time of occupation in the Second World War.

Our final presentation was by Michelle, who gave great reasons as to why we should want to study French. With over 220 million people speaking French all over the world, being able to communicate in French as well as English is a notable asset for business and cultural reasons. For our pupils who attended, being able to sample some traditional biscuits and sweet treats was a fitting end to a very enjoyable lunchtime event. For those unable to come, all the presentations are available on Firefly. Gracias/ Merci/ Danke Schoen to all our guest speakers!

Sixth Form Assembly

Darren Gold – Drugs Alert On 28th September Darren Gold, a drugs counsellor, visited the Sixth Form to talk about the risks of taking any and all illicit drugs. The talk ranged from factual information on intoxicating substances, to his personal experiences, which ultimately led to his rehabilitation. The talk commenced with Darren informing us on the most used drugs in the U.K., their slang terms, and what side effects they could have on our mental and physical capability. There was a heavy emphasis on the use of cannabis because it is the most likely drug that we have and/or will encounter in the future. He went on to tells us about various overdose incidents, which have led to the unfortunate death of young people. In reality the drugs one can purchase on the side streets of England are cut with multiple dangerous substances, and so are not safe for consumption. Darren helpfully told us about www.talktofrank.com, a website which has a catalogue of hundreds of drugs, as well as the personal accounts of site members who have used them. This gives an amazing insight into how these drugs actually affect people. The site also has confidential online chat and helplines so anyone struggling with drugs can find advice. Later, Darren went on to talking about his personal experience whilst under the influence. He began experimenting with drugs at the age of 15, which led to police cautions and his eventual arrest. For a heart wrenching moment, Darren told us about the lowest point in his life: after nine months doing crack-cocaine he found himself in hospital for weeks on end; undergoing three surgeries. Darren told us that his mother said he would be in a better place if he passed away. From that moment onwards Darren said he strived to live a better life, and so started working at various charities - giving talks – much like the one we had today. This assembly had a slightly different tone to the previous ones, but its message was arguably more important. The stories we were told and the information we learned is invaluable. Max Shirley

Reigate Grammar MUN Whilst Royal Russell was a hive of activity for Open Morning, nine of our pupils snuck away and attended Reigate Grammar’s 20th Model United Nations Conference. The team was a mixture of old hands and new delegates but everyone rose to the challenge and debated diplomatically and constructively. Among the debate topics were the treatment of prisoners, the security risks caused by immigration and realising the rights of gender equality. A special mention must go to Pippa and Aisha who chaired committees confidently and thoughtfully - great preparation for our own conference. Josh also had a successful conference and presented the crisis resolution at the beginning of General Assembly which was a huge achievement. Overall an excellent conference.

Parents Cycle through Sri Lanka to raise funds for Teens Unite

My husband and I are amongst a group of 12 other keen cyclists who are all raising money for Teens Unite Fighting Cancer.

This follows on from all the support Royal Russell did for Sadie Rance last year before she sadly lost her fight to cancer. I never met her but she stuck in my mind as such a strong, positive and caring person.

So this Saturday 1st October, for nine days Tom and I will be cycling through a land of misty highlands and tea plantations, dense jungles and national parks - namely Sri Lanka.

We will be travelling inland through a multitude of Buddist and Hindu monuments and colonial heritage that characterises the country's rich cultural history. We will be going deep into the rain forest before continuing to the hill town of Kandy, with its splendid botanical gardens and tea plantations. Then we will continue south to climb Adam's Peak to catch the early sunrise as well, as visiting an elephant orphanage before finally reaching our final destination and probably collapsing on a beach with a glass of something suitable! If you would like to sponsor us please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AlexandTomsbigcyclechallenge

Mrs Alex Martell Mum of Year 8 Pupil

Parkrun Update Pupils and staff from Royal Russell School braved the threat of storms to run in lovely conditions in the Parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday 17th September. With Open Morning last Saturday there was no Royal Russell representation down at the park. Vlad Letchev was again the first RR student to finish, with a sprint to the line, smashing his personal best with a time of 23:32 on his 8th run. Maddy Burt was the first girls back from RRS finishing in a time of 32:14 on her 11th run. This means she is still chasing her personal best time set last term. Annabelle Greenaway finished her 6th Parkrun with a time of 41:38 not far away from her best time. Andrew Lister of Cambridge house is showing his commitment by completing his 18th race. Still a bit of work to do to get under 40 minutes again. The staff were led in by Mrs Davenport (30:41) gaining a new personal best followed by Mr Leggatt (33:20) and by Mr Rocca (33:45) who has stated he will break his personal best in the coming weeks. If you would like to participate in Parkrun speak to Mr McKenna or Mr Parham and we will see you at Lloyd Park for a 9am race start.

Foodland News

From the Sport Department

FOOTBALL

Our U13A enjoyed an incredibly successful week by winning their ESFA and ISFA National Cup matches before taking on Premier League academy opponents on Saturday in the form of Crystal Palace. Unfortunately we narrowly lost 3-2 but the boys were exceptional with their tactical discipline and understanding. The next round of the ESFA cup is Monday 3rd October when we welcome Warden Park School. Our U13B, C and D team played three excellent fixtures against Alleyns School resulting in one win and two losses.

Our U15A lost their ESFA National Cup fixture 3-2 against Erith School. However the U15B, C and D teams enjoyed a fantastic fixture against City of London school – we received some excellent comments from staff and parents about our style of play.

Our U18s won their ‘friendly’ match with Kinetic Academy on Saturday 2-1 and are looking forward to the draw for the Boodles Cup tomorrow afternoon – fingers crossed for a home draw!

HOCKEY

This week has been a long training week for the Hockey teams. A late cancellation on Tuesday meant our U14s had an extra training session ahead of the U14s Cup fixture after half term, they are becoming a force to be reckoned with!

The U13A girls have their first national cup fixture coming up in the next week, and have shown a great attitude towards their development. It looks to be an exciting game vs Burgess Hill.

In Games, well done to Rachel Walker, Cameron MacKay and Cameron Divers for being players of the week this week. All demonstrated a huge amount of effort whilst playing and have shown a progression in their skills and game play since the start of term!

NETBALL

Open Day on Saturday was a great start to the week for the U16As who took on St Cecilia’s and Coloma in a mini round robin tournament. The girls started slow against Coloma but had strong middle quarters in the game. It was a great opportunity for the whole squad to get some good match play and to try out some different combinations. We beat St Cecilia’s 34-4 to finish 2nd in the tournament overall. Our focus going forward will be to get this continuity of play for the whole match. Player of the Tournament was Maya Linter who continues to motivate throughout.

The U15As played Hayes on Tuesday, although they narrowly lost out on the match the girls have come a long way from the game against Reigate last week. They were able to retain the ball throughout the court much better and passing accuracy was much improved. Player of the Match was Grace Jennings.

Royal Russell U18s A and B played Caterham School at home on Wednesday. The U18A started slow but challenged and almost levelled Caterham in the 3rd quarter, this is without doubt the most encouraging game we have played so far, elements of training have really came to life in the match and ball retention was the best it has been this season. Considering we played a combination of U16 and senior players, the overall result of 19-28 was a great effort. The U18B hadn’t played together before but as a first performance came together well.

The Player of the Match for the U18A was Francesca Pringle who played out of position the whole game but took the role on and was a dominant player for us in attack. The Player of the Match for the U18B was Marina Marinova for her attitude and motivation towards others.

SCHOOL SPORT

In games on Monday Years 7 and 8 had some good fixtures against Alleyn’s. The pick being the C team’s 4-3 last minute victory with Zack and Louis very prominent.

In PE we have finished our fitness testing. Pupils should now be filling out their results on their fitness profile downloaded from firefly and making conclusions about what and how to improve. These will form the basis of initial discussions at parents evenings.

HOUSE SPORT

In House sport this week we played both the junior and senior boys football semi-final matches.

On Wednesday the juniors from Oxford played a strong Keable side who ran out winners 5-1. While St Andrew’s played a full bodied encounter with Madden, eventually winning 4-3. So Keable play St Andrew’s on Thursday 20th October.

In the senior matches on Thursday, Oxford played St Andrew’s and after opening the scoring after less than a minute, went on to win 4-0. While in the other match, a robust Cambridge played a skilful Madden side. After an enthralling contest, Cambridge will go on to play Oxford on Thursday 6th October, after winning 2-0.

STOP PRESS……

The U16 basketball team opened their season this afternoon with a terrific 54-52 away victory over Whitgift. Terrific all round performance at home to Whitgift. Maxwell James provided the highlight in the last minute with an amazing flying block to guarantee the win. The team was well led by Zehao and there were great athletic displays from David and Amanfi.

Please support Graham’s ‘Pie Slap’

Challenge to raise funds for MNDA This week we were sad to learn that our dear friend, Graham Clark has been diagnosed with motor

neuron disease.

Graham is a former Royal Russell parent, and active member of our Parents’ Association and a regular

cast member of the Royal Russell Players.

Graham is raising awareness and much needed

research funds to find a cure for this horrible disease

that has now affected another member of the Royal

Russell family.

Graham has launched the ‘pie slap’ challenge,

similar to the ice bucket challenge from a couple of

years ago, to raise funds and has set up a Just

Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/

Clarkie2016

The launch was overseen and supported by the

legend that is Julian Speroni (Crystal Palace

goalkeeper) and the Study Centre at Crystal Palace

Football Club. It's a lot of fun, so please give it a go

to raise money at the same time for a good cause.

From The 1853 Society

Annual General Meeting of The 1853 Society

The Committee herby gives notice of the Annual General Meeting of The 1853 Society (Royal Russell Parents’ Association) to be held on Thursday 6th October at 7pm. The Agenda includes: Chairman’s and Treasurer’s Report on the year 2015/2016

Election of Committee Members

Election of Officers

Each year the Committee and Officers are re-elected, and this year there are a number of vacancies on the Committee (Trustees of the Charity), due to individuals who have not sought re-election. Parents and guardians of children at Royal Russell are automatically members of the 1853 Society and any member of The 1853 Society is entitled to stand for the Committee. If you are interested in supporting The 1853 Society, however not sure about becoming a full Committee member or are not a member, you may be Co-opted to the Committee. In either case we would be delighted to hear from you, please either contact Nigel Haigh, Chair, 1853society@royalrussell.co.uk or Valika Eden, Secretary, valede2009@hotmail.co.uk Following the election of Members, The Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary are appointed for the following year. Officers may seek re-election and this year we will be seeking a new Chair, however nominations for all roles are welcome. In the event there is more than one nomination for any specific role a vote will take place at the meeting. If anyone is interested in finding out any more please contact Nigel Haigh, Chair by email at 1853socie-ty@royalrussell.co.uk or Valika Eden, Secretary valede2009@hotmail.co.uk The Nomination Forms are on our website and can be found here. More information on what we do and how we go about things is on our website: www.royallrussell.co.uk/Parents-Association

Main Events for the Diary: AGM: Thursday 6th October 2016

Christmas Fair; Saturday 26th November 2016

Quiz Night: Saturday 4Th February 2017

Comedy Night: Saturday 18th March 2017

Nigel Haigh, Chair

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Coombe Lane : Croydon : Surrey : CR0 5RF

www.royalrussell.co.uk Patron: Her Majesty The Queen

Diary Dates

Friday 30 September DofE Silver Expedition New Forest

Sunday 2 October Boarders Activity - Trip to V&A

Sunday 2 October Choral Evensong 5.45pm Chapel All Welcome

Tuesday 4 October Year 13 Economics Trip - London Business School

Wednesday 5 October Year 9 History Battlefields Trip

Thursday 6 October 1853 Society Parents’ Association AGM 7.00pm Pavilion All Welcome

Saturday 8 October Year 10 Geography Field Trip

If you have any uniform or sports kit that no longer fits your child, please consider donating this to the uniform

shop . We are also delighted to accept sports equipment

such as hockey sticks and shin pads.

Donations can be left in the storage box outside the

Coach House Shop, adjacent to the car park.

Uniform Shop

Car Park