December 2023 Issue 80
www.royallatin.org
T H E L A T I N wwwwww
From the Headteacher - David Hudson
Leadership: - we have over 150 student leaders in a wide range of roles: e.g the Student Leadership Team, House/Subject/Year Captains, School Council, Cultural & Diversity Captains, Green Touch, Student Mental Health Ambassadors and Peer Listeners Aspiration: - our students continue to have “High expectations” for themselves and the world around them. This was nowhere more obvious than in our recent participation in mock COP28 (see the article in this edition) Teamwork: - our production of The Little Mermaid was an absolute triumph and our recent Carol Concert a delight. It is so wonderful to see students from Year 7-13 working together with such mutual respect Innovation: - we continue to see our students using IT in new and innovative ways. Just look at the students’ video for a great example! Nurturing: - supporting our students’ and staff’s mental health and wellbeing has been a priority this year. Our pastoral team (Key Stage Support, Heads of Year, Tutors, Counsellors, Health Advisor, Learning Mentors) have gone to huge lengths to try to look after our more vulnerable students Wishing you all a very happy Christmas.
Dear Parents/Guardians In amongst all of the activities and events to celebrate our 600th anniversary (see page 2 for lots more details!), there has still been time for lots of other moments to enjoy during the course of this year. Here are just a few of the positive elements of school life over the last 12 months:
Our 600th Christmas…a message from Headteacher David Hudson As we approach the end of our 600th anniversary, we have a chance to pause and reflect on a truly momentous year. I am delighted to share this brief video message with you, in which author and historian Dan Jones (Old Latin) pays tribute to the school in its 600th year. Dan does a wonderful job of encapsulating what makes the Royal Latin special to so many people, and I warmly encourage you to take two minutes to watch it. The year has been filled with many poignant moments, and lots of initiatives which will form a meaningful legacy from the anniversary. We have created an interactive historical timeline, (and a mural in the main school foyer), and published Latin Lives, a fascinating book about the history of the school. We’ve also been working hard on our Charter , to deliver pledges to our community including more than 5,000 volunteering hours and the Extraordinary People Awards - an important opportunity to give recognition and also to highlight the Royal Latin values and virtues to the wider community. And of course, we have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming several thousand Old Latins, parents, former staff and visitors into the school for lots of events, and onto our online platforms. There are so many more things I could mention - this 2023 infographic attempts to summarise our year in numbers! I want to thank you all for your support and enthusiasm in 2023. It has been an honour and a pleasure to lead the school through its 600th year, and I am left in no doubt about the depth of regard and strength of affection felt for the Royal Latin. The school is entering an exciting new chapter, with a wonderfully bright future ahead. With my warmest wishes to you all for a peaceful, healthy and restful Christmas, and I look forward to seeing you in 2024. David Hudson Headteacher
2023 Event Gallery
Extraordinary People wards
Interactive Timeline
Our Anniversary in Numbers
Quick Links:
2023 Charter
On Monday 4th December, the annual Christmas fayre took place, and money was raised for the charity ‘Dogs for Autism’ and the year 8 quad. For 2 hours, year 8 students sold various items like artisan soaps, candyfloss and cultural food. Parents and students from all years attended and played classic games like guess the sweets in the jar, while other students played music at the entrance of the main hall and sang songs from popular artists like Nirvana. A highlight of the fayre was when a student (Matylda) dressed up in a Christmas tree outfit and advertised their stall. Many fun memories were made and the diversity of our school (and the students in it) was showcased front and centre. One student said ‘I enjoyed the fayre because it was fun meeting new people and having lots of fun as a year.’ Another student said that they enjoyed the sense of community that was created at this event. The tombola had items ranging from sweet treats to candles. Although the Christmas Fayre was a fun opportunity to fundraise, it also symbolises the Latin value of teamwork. Students of all forms came together and put immense effort into their stall planning and sacrificed a few hours of their day to take part in this event. Overall, a lot of money was raised for a good cause and a lot of festive fun was had. From Isla Missah 8B
Y e a r 8 C h r i s t m a s F a y r e
Senior Maths Challenge From Mrs Tucker, Teacher of Maths
Back in October, 60 of our A-level Maths students did the Senior Maths Challenge. This is a 90-minute exam with 25 multiple-choice questions designed to make the students think, not guess, putting into practice the Latin virtue of Resilience! We were delighted when the results came through that the students had achieved three Participation Certificates, 14 Bronze Certificates, 25 Silver Certificates and 18 Gold certificates between them. James was Best in School with a score of 120 (out of a maximum 125). Those who were awarded Gold Certificates were also given the opportunity to do the Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo, another test, this time one hour with 20 questions, each having a three digit answer between 000 and 999. Congratulations to Jason, Oscar, Benjamin, Gaurika, Hyder, Rachel, Mohnish, Joseph, Aditya and Dylan for achieving Qualification Certificates, and to Aryan, John, Finn and Dmytro for achieving Merit Certificates for scoring 50 or more. James qualified for Round 1 of the British Mathematical Olympiad which was a three and a half hour written paper; we are still awaiting the results. Well done to everyone who participated!
On 5th December, 14 of our Year 12 students participated in a Mock Cop 28 with students from the three Aylesbury Grammar Schools. Over 60 students took part in this exciting and important event, with students in groups of about four representing 16 different countries. The countries were linked by areas - forest and food, cities, rivers and oceans and energy - and the students had to do detailed research in order to know their countries intricately, as well as knowing about the other countries in their linked area . Each group prepared a one-minute presentation, giving an overview of their country; their country’s environmental impact and efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change so far. Our students spoke with pride and enthusiasm and were praised hugely by the teachers from the different schools. The next stage was that of debates in their respective groups about how to confront climate change, bearing in mind the geo-and sociopolitical challenges and geographical and economic limitations of each country. It was wonderful to watch our students offering potential solutions in return for pledges from other countries; thinking on the spot and having to work collaboratively. The final part of the event was to brain-storm actions that could be taken in their own schools to promote sustainability and confront the climate catastrophe. The Royal Latin is already doing many of the actions suggested. I was so proud of our students, with their dignity, eloquence, confidence and readiness to throw themselves fully into addressing the most important issue endangering their futures. The event ticked all the Latin values and virtues boxes! I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr Taylor for helping us on the trip, and particular thanks to our extraordinary students - Faith, Freyja, Bertie, Aaron, Jasmine, Emme, Ayush, Ashni, Jaskiran, Annie, Nicole, Tanya, Freya and Harry. Mrs P Mason, Head of KS5 English From Jasmine - I really enjoyed participating in the mock COP 28, as it was a new experience for me. During the preparation process, I had the chance to work in a team where we equally delegated tasks to each other. Those tasks included researching the environmental state of the UK, which helped me to gain awareness of the issues we are currently facing. My group and I would also make sure to meet up once a week to discuss our progress and help each other out. Additionally, on the mock COP 28 trip I had the chance to debate for the first time, and that too with people from other schools whom I hadn't met before. Overall I think this was a really great experience where I learnt new skills and I would definitely recommend doing it. Mock Cop 28 was a wonderful opportunity to experience first hand the challenges of negotiation but also the positive impact it can make. From Bertie - I thoroughly enjoyed the event as it gave me a valuable insight into the world of politics and hope for our future.
Mock COP28
HOCKEY
Congratulations to Jess from 8B who has completed a rigorous selection process to be part of the Buckinghamshire County Hockey Team for the U14s. We are delighted to have her report on the process:
“To go to country trials I had to be selected by my club coach. I had also been selected the year before, but sadly I was unable to make it so I knew I had to try out this year. This year, my coach selected four players from my club and sadly I was the only one who made it through the final round. To get into county hockey I had to complete six trial sessions during the summer, with most being around a week apart. They were an hour and a half long in which we did skills and matches with the coaches watching and scoring us at all times. After the six sessions, it was about a two week wait before I found out that I had been selected for the second round, with around fourty out of 120 girls being selected. During my first six sessions, North Bucks and South Bucks had been divided with different training sessions in different parts of Bucks. My sessions were in Aylesbury. There were then two sessions in the second round. The first session took place at the Bisham Abbey Elite Sports Centre which is one of the training grounds of the England hockey team. The Bisham Abbey hockey pitch is a replica of the playing surface used for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This pitch was completely new to me as I had never been there before and I had never met the couches before. My final session took place in Aylesbury where we played continuous matches for an hour, whilst being judged by the coaches. We were then split off into two groups where we played 9 vs 9 games for the final half an hour. The coaches then told us that they had been scoring us based on different attributes of our gameplay and that they would be combining their scores with the coaches at Bisham Abbey. Just a week and a half later, I found out the results by email. I was so happy when I found out that I had been selected for county Hockey! It was great to know that the coaches had recognised my skills and thought I was a good player. My first training session is on 19th January and I am looking forward to playing for my new county team."
Buckinghamshire County Hockey Team Selection
Pinewood Studios - Futures Festival November 2023 by Freddie Beckett Year 13
In the early hours of 25th November 2023, a mix of A Level students from Art and Media and assorted others headed off to Pinewood Studios, Britain's version of Hollywood, for the Futures Festival. This is the biggest free careers event for those looking to start a career in the film and TV industry, and for those looking for careers in TV or film production on all levels. It was the perfect opportunity to have a look at what that would entail. We began the trip with some free goodies and a look at the camera aspect of the industry. There was plenty to see and do, allowing us all to operate professional cameras that you won’t ever see but that gives you the picture that you watch on your screens every day. We also got to meet with some friendly Astromech droids that you might know from the Star Wars universe. Next up was a larger room filled with many stalls and stormtroopers. Here we were able to see the more practical side of the industry, such as set design and prop making. We got to see some carbon copies of things you might have seen, such as Han Solo frozen in carbonite and hyper-realistic masks and props custom made for films and productions. Following on from this, we visited another studio with large set design structures, such as a beach as used in the recent live-action Little Mermaid film, as well props straight from the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the likes of Captain America's shield, Thanos’ gauntlet, and Black Panther’s mask on display. We also had the chance to talk to Walt Disney Studios and Industrial Light Magic by LucasFilm about producing and working in a team that creates box-office-topping films as well as crafting their promotional materials like the film posters you see in the cinema. Finally, we had an interesting talk presented by Ali Plumb, the BBC’s film correspondent, on getting started in the business alongside a panel of ‘Student Oscar’-winning, silver screen-staring, and didgeridoo-playing National Film and Television School (NFTS) graduates. It was a very interesting talk that delved into breaking into the industry and the benefits of going to this institution and learning your craft. However, they also emphasised that you can just have much of a career by teaching yourself the essentials in your spare time, as one of the panel members, Lisa Kennedy, an animator, director, and student academy award winner, has done. All in all, it was an exciting trip and one we hope to repeat in the future. Picture captions: R2-D2 Travis on a camera Trolley Oliver with Deadpool Oliver with Stormtroopers
Stocklake Park Visit
Stocklake Park School is part of the Vale Federation of Special Schools who offer educational provision for students with complex learning difficulties, from 11 to 19 years of age.
On Wednesday 13th December three minibuses departed from RLS laden with presents to share with students at Stocklake Park. Our project, which has been in place for over 40 years, focuses on our symbolic partnership with students and staff in the school, demonstrated through the sharing of gifts, purchased by each tutor group in the school. Over 40 students and staff delivered presents, performed songs from the school show 'The Little Mermaid', performed Christmas songs using Makaton sign language and visited classrooms to share learning experiences with the students. We are very grateful to Stocklake Park School for welcoming us and to the students and staff for their warmth and enthusiasm. Our Student Leadership Team delivered presents to every student from Santa's Grotto - the Grotto featured Kyle (Santa), Amelia (Mrs Claus), Frank (Elf) and wonderfully supported by Eloise (Elf) and the most enthusiastic Rudolph in the world (Joseph).
Well done everyone!
Musical Notes from Mr Tucker, Head of Music
Wonderful Ukulele afternoon on 29th November, playing for the residents at Chandos Court. Great community involvement thanks to all the students, Mr & Mrs Snell and Mrs Cole.
As we conclude our 600th Anniversary, the carol concert this year included a peal of bells and a suitably ceremonial fanfare to open the concert. Students marked the occasion brilliantly, as ever, steeped in RLS history. Congratulations to absolutely everyone involved - from the Year 7 BIG chorus through to Year 13; students across all years, and staff, gave a magnificent performance to crown our 600th year. Orchestra, readers, Year 7 songs, chamber choir, and the senior string ensemble, all sounded fantastic - a wonderful team effort from over 200 musicians. Thank you to all students and staff involved, to FRLS for the refreshments, and to Andrew Spencer and his ringing team.
Carol Concert at Buckingham Parish Church - 12th December
This month's recommendation is 'The Light in Everything' by Katya Balen Fiction - Young Adult - Fantasy
<- If you like the book above, try this Martha Blackman: "A truly brilliant book"
From the author of October, October, winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022, comes a life- affirming story about blended families and learning to find room in your heart for new life and new love. Tom is still quiet and timid, even though his dad has been gone for nearly two years now. Zofia has a raging storm that makes her want to fight the whole world until she gets what she wants. And what she wants is for scaredy-cat Tom to get out of her life. Tom hates loud, unpredictable Zofia just as much, but he's moving into Zofia's house. Because his mum and Zofia's dad are in love... and they're having a baby. Tom and Zofia both wish the stupid baby had never happened. But then Tom's mum gets ill, and it begins to look horribly like their wish might come true...
Family - New Relationships - Family
From the English Department
Welcome to our December reading article
On 15th December one of our dinner ladies, Pauline Tibbetts, retired after 30 years of service. Thank you Pauline - we will miss you! All the best for the future from us all at RLS
Farewell Pauline!
Sincere thanks to Evenley Christmas Trees for their generosity in providing us with this fabulous tree for our main reception
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year