Beachborough Newsletter: Friday 14th February 2025
Head’s Blog
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children – Native American Proverb
This powerful proverb emphasises our duty to equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills to protect our planet. Teaching our children about sustainability is not just an option; it is a necessity. In a world where climate change and environmental challenges are becoming ever more pressing, at Beachborough, we take seriously our responsibility to instil eco-conscious values in the children. To this end, this year we are participating in the Eco Schools – Green Flag Programme, which will promote a sense of responsibility within the children allowing them to understand the impact of our actions on the environment.
We hope by participating in the Green Flag Programme there will be many benefits for the entire school community including a greener, healthier learning environment. The programme will encourage responsibility and teamwork through initiatives such as litter picking, recycling schemes, biodiversity projects, and energy-saving campaigns. The aim is that these initiatives will not only improve our school grounds but also our local community. Additionally, by embedding sustainability into daily school life, we will cultivate a culture of environmental awareness, inspiring everyone to be proactive in preserving our planet for future generations.
To ensure that sustainability remains a core value at Beachborough, we have appointed Mrs Susan Caddick as our Sustainability Coordinator, she will oversee the school’s green initiatives and help embed eco-consciousness into all aspects of school life. As pupil voice is at the heart of all our initiatives, we have established a Green Council these passionate children will lead projects, raise awareness, and drive meaningful change within our community.
We are actively working towards achieving our Green Flag accreditation by September. This will be a significant milestone that will recognise Beachborough’s dedication to sustainability and empower the children to be environmental ambassadors for the future.
On Tuesday, Form VI enjoyed an exciting STEAM Day with the inspiring theme of Oceans. Throughout the day, they explored the wonders of Science, Computing, Art, and TED through hands-on activities that combined creativity, problem-solving, and real-world applications. In Science, they investigated Cartesian Divers, exploring the principles of pressure, and experimented with sodium alginate beads to understand the chemistry behind polymers derived from seaweed. Art saw them experimenting with watercolours and salt to create striking ocean-inspired pieces including sea creatures! While in Computing, they delved into game design using “Fuze,” crafting interactive digital experiences. Meanwhile, in TED, pupils transformed ocean plastic into unique pendants, reinforcing the importance of sustainability and innovation in design. The energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity shown by Form VI was superb. A huge thank you to Mrs Blithe, Mrs Caddick, Mrs Cox and Mrs Hodgkinson, Mrs Parsons and Mrs Oram for their organisation and inspiring activities.
Mr Charlie Ross (also known as the grandfather of Zac in Form IV) visited on Tuesday to give a talk to Form IV about writing an autobiography. Charlie, one of our best-loved television personalities, wrote his autobiography Sold! last year. The book recounts his life so far and is filled with fascinating behind-the-scenes insights and delightful stories, from school days to the saleroom. A huge thank you to Charlie for visiting us and sharing his wisdom!
As we reach the end of a busy and fulfilling half term, it is hard to believe how quickly the time has passed! I hope you all have the opportunity to rest, recharge, and enjoy some time with family and friends.
Wishing you all a wonderful half term!
Simone
I am delighted to announce the following scholarships awarded by Stowe School:
For the first time in the school’s history, we entered both an U12 and U11 side into the annual Cothill Rugby 7s competition. This tends to attract a wide pool of schools, with this year being no different as last Saturday, Beachborough were up against 11 other teams taking part, most of whom are playing rugby as their major sport this term. Each team was placed into a group of four; Farleigh, Cheam and Summer Fields B being placed into our pool.
Although undoubtedly a team effort, a special mention must go to Leo S who was voted as Beachborough’s player of the tournament. Unfortunately, Leo broke his leg in our final game against Summer Fields, a mere 30 seconds from the end of the whole competition. He had, up to that point, enjoyed a superb festival with his elusive running style, scoring a number of tries in the process. He also showed huge bravery in the aftermath of the incident in which he sustained his injury and our thoughts and prayers are with him for a speedy recovery.
Eliza B, Ian D, Arabella H-S and Ben S represented Beachborough this year at the Caldicott Olympiad. After a warm greeting by Caldicott’s head, Mr Jeremy Banks (former Beachborough headmaster), 6 teams began three rounds of exciting maths problem solving. Ben, Arabella, Ian and Eliza demonstrated strong collaboration and communication skills and worked admirably as a cohesive team to work out each problem. One round involved racing around the hall to collect and give answers, and Ian was very speedy around the track for our team! The afternoon involved a science experiment necessitating careful and precise measuring and timing, followed by a fairly rapid fire science quiz. Whilst not the winners this year, our Beachborough representatives did themselves and the school proud; they took everything in their stride, persevered and gave each activity their very best effort. It was a thoroughly enjoyable, and very tiring, day!
We are delighted to announce the formation of our brand-new Boarding Council, a dedicated group of pupils committed to making boarding life the best it can be! This initiative brings together representatives from all year groups, ensuring that every boarder’s voice is heard. The council will be led by our senior boarders, who will take on leadership roles in running meetings, gathering feedback, and working on initiatives to enhance our boarding experience.
Join us for our next Beachborough Explorers event, taking place on Monday 17th March 2025 at 09.45am-11.00am.
We can’t wait for Ultimate Activity Camps to return this year, with camps running during the Easter and summer holidays. These camps offer an incredible opportunity for children to discover new activities, boost their confidence, and make lasting friendships. Each week is packed with over 40 thrilling sports, games, and creative activities, all delivered in a safe and fun environment inspected by Ofsted.
We are thrilled to announce that a team of 35 children in FIV-FVI have formed our brand new Eco-Committee and, collectively, will be introducing many green initiatives throughout the school.
To celebrate Chinese New Year, Leila and Miller have a family tradition. Grandma collects coins and offers children to dip into the bag and grab a handful of coins and tokens. If you get a 5 token you get a £5 note, if you get a 10 token you can exchange it for a £10 note and then you add your tokens and coins together.
On Sunday 27th April, Mr Blee will be running the Shakespeare Half Marathon, all in aid of raising money for Mary’s Meals!
It was a great afternoon at the Swimming IAPS qualifying event at King Henry VIII School in Coventry, on Thursday. The Beachborough Swimming Team were amazing and did the school proud!
