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Weekly Newsletter

February 2, 2024

This Week:

Headmaster’s Welcome

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

This has been another busy week at Bethany, which has been dominated by our whole school production of Dancing Queen.

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There were rehearsals on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, a performance last night, a second performance tonight with the final show tomorrow night. One cannot help but feel good whilst watching this excellent production. The staff and pupils involved have worked incredibly hard and it is great to see such enjoyment on the pupils’ faces as they perform.  How I wish I had a fraction of their talent.

 

Tomorrow is Open Morning and pupils should arrive one hour later than normal to School.  Buses will also depart one hour later and please note that there is no return bus service. Pupils can be collected from 12.30pm onwards.

 

Half term begins next Friday at the end of the School day. During the half term break, we have a skiing trip to Austria; the staff and pupils are looking forward to it and I hope that everyone will have a great time out there.

 

I read this quote last weekend from Thomas Edison the American inventor who was credited with inventing the light bulb. He said “Opportunities are missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”. How very true – there is no substitute for hard work to ensure success.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Francie Healy

Headmaster

Latest Bethany Blog

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The latest Bethany Blog of the Spring Term has been written by Mrs Harper, Head of DLS and SENCo at Bethany School. She writes about helping to organise your teens and keeping lines of communication open.

Teen Wrangling 101: A Guide to Organising Your Teenager
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Parenting teens is challenging, unpredictable, and occasionally hazardous. The task of organising these curious creatures can feel like herding cats. Here are some ideas to help you navigate this interesting developmental stage.

 

Clear Expectations: Establishing clear guidelines and expectations is essential for helping your teen understand their responsibilities within the household. Clearly outline rules, chores, and academic expectations to provide structure and accountability.

 

Time Management: Many teens struggle with managing their time effectively, often leaving Prep until the last minute for example. Help them create a timetable to prioritise tasks and allocate time for study, extracurricular activities, and their social life. Try these Apps, Evernote, iHomework and Streaks all have good reviews.

 

Independence: Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and independence. Support your teen to make decisions and take responsibility for those choices, whether it’s managing their finances or organising their social calendar. Try the Go Henry account. It’s a smart debit card account with built in money management tasks.

 

Lead by Example: As parents, we serve as role models for our teens. Demonstrate the importance of organisation and responsibility in your own life. In particular demonstrate self-care. It’s good for you and it’s good for them to see you prioritise this essential life skill.

 

Open Communication: Establishing open and honest communication with your teen is crucial for building trust and understanding. Create a safe space for them to express their thoughts, concerns, and aspirations without fear of judgement. Try talking side by side, (a dog walk, in the car, on the sofa), this is much easier that literally face to face.

 

Celebrate Progress: Recognise and celebrate your teen’s achievements and progress, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement encourages them to continue striving for excellence and reinforces positive behaviours. Try rewards like a meal out, friends over, manicure, watching a live event, cooking together, a new mascara, a new phone case perhaps.

 

Organising your teen requires the patience of a saint, consistency, and effective communication. Help them navigate this turbulent time with confidence and resilience. Remember, parenting is hard work. Everyone gets it wrong at some point. Support each other and maybe with a couple of strategies in place things could be a little easier.

 

Mrs Harper

Head of DLS and SENCo

Latest Sports News

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The latest sports news from Bethany School. This week saw another busy week of fixtures which included some excellent team performances in both netball and hockey as well as an impressive victory for the 1st XI football team in a local derby.

Football | Bethany 1st XI v Sutton Valence (away)
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The Bethany 1st XI travelled away to arch rivals Sutton Valance for an extremely heated local derby. Sutton Valance started strongly adopting a long ball tactic, with two quick wingers and a very tall and athletic striker. Sutton Valence tackled hard, sometimes unfairly but with the official allowing dubious challenges, it truly set the tone for the entire game.

 

Bethany rode their luck for the first ten minutes, and should have conceded a couple of early goals with Sutton Valence proving to be the dominant side. However, we eventually steadied ourselves, and after a fantastic break down our left flank, Bethany were awarded a corner. James Candeloro delivered a great ball into the box, which was headed home by Archie Cashman.

 

The remainder of the first half was hotly contested, with Sutton Valance being more bullish in every aspect of their game play. The home team support was extremely loud, cheering anything slightly positive they did. With the home support urging them on, Sutton Valence scored the equaliser, before dispatching their second before the break, 2-1 to the home team.

 

The Bethany team responded exceptionally well to the half time team talk from the coaches, and started to win individual battles all over the pitch, which silenced the opposition crowd.

 

It wasn’t long before Bethany started to string passes together, which both stretched and frustrated the home team. After a great move and finish from Rasan Bamoki, we scored the equaliser. You could sense a slump from Sutton Valence, and pure belief from Bethany that they could win the game.

 

Twenty minutes to go, this was the toughest part of the game, both teams fighting for the winner, but unlike the first half, Bethany were more dominant and bullish in all areas. Luca Chettiers dribble typified the mindset of the team, he endured three firm tackles one after the other from the opposition, leaving them strewn on the floor with various ailments.

 

With Ten minutes remaining Bethany won a corner, which was once again dispatched exceptionally well by James Candeloro, who had a great game. Archie Cashman span towards the back post, rose like a proverbial salmon and headed the ball back from whence it came. The fully outstretched goalkeeper had no chance, 3-2 to Bethany, and a fully deserved victory.

 

Final score: Bethany 3-2 Sutton Valence

Player of the Match: Archie Cashman

Coaches Player of the Match: The entire team!

Netball | Bethany U15A v Ashford School
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In their second match of the season, Bethany U15A came up against Ashford School, who are a challenging competitor.

 

With help from Coach Cooper and Mrs Wareham, the girls took an early lead and maintained this throughout the game. All the players demonstrated their excellent understanding of the game and it also meant that pupils could also play out of position and gel as a team.

 

Well done to Lily Dowling, whose long range shot from the circle edge earnt her player of the match.

 

Final score: Bethany 22-3 Ashford School
Player of the match: Lily Dowling

Netball | Bethany U15B v Ashford School
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At first glance, Ashford looked to be taller all round so it was important for Bethany to come forward and use their dodges to get free. And they didn’t disappoint!

 

We held the opposition to zero goals in the first half with Grace Holmes dominating the circle with movement and shooting and Ruby Peters and Lily Williams stopping the ball, and even reaching their shooting circle.

 

The second half was even better with Leah Carnegie scoring the lion’s share of the 14 goals earning her Player of the Match from the opposition.

 

Sophie Finnamore took the Goal Attack bib in the final quarter so that all the players had equal time on court and sunk a very respectable 3 goals. Mia Castle made herself a nuisance to the Ashford attack, getting intercept after tip after intercept.

 

An excellent team performance!

 

Final score: Bethany 22-3 Ashford School
Player of the Match: Leah Carnegie
Coaches Player of the Match: Mia Castle and Grace Holmes – both of whom put in their best performance of the season and really took on board training from Monday.

 

However, everyone played well so anyone could have been given Player of the Match!  Well Done!

Hockey | Bethany U15A v Battle Abbey School
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Bethany’s U15A team started their hockey season with a brilliant match against Battle Abbey on Tuesday. Despite their relative inexperience, Bethany showcased resilience and adaptability throughout the game.

 

The match started slowly for Bethany as they adjusted to the pace and nuances of the game. However, they managed to weather the initial pressure from Battle Abbey, thanks in part to a spectacular save by Lucien Franklin in goal.

 

Bethany took the lead through a well-taken goal by Hux Maunder-Allan, after demonstrating their ability to capitalise on opportunities. However, Battle Abbey responded swiftly, exploiting some defensive lapses to score two quick goals and take a 2-1 lead into halftime.

 

In the second half, Bethany mounted a spirited comeback, with a late goal levelling the score at 2-2. The team displayed excellent tactical awareness and dominance, controlling possession and creating scoring chances.

 

Despite their strong showing, Bethany was dealt a late blow as Battle Abbey scored a brilliant goal in the dying moments of the game, securing a narrow victory. Nevertheless, Bethany’s performance, particularly in the second half, was commendable and bodes well for their future matches.

 

This match served as a valuable learning experience for Bethany, highlighting areas for improvement while also showcasing their potential.

 

Final score: Bethany 2-3 Battle Abbey

Player of the Match: Hux Maunder-Allan

Coaches Player of the Match: Ollie Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

Hockey | Bethany U15B v Battle Abbey School (away)
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The U15B boys hockey team played their first match against Battle Abbey School at Horntye Sports Park on Tuesday afternoon.

 

Having trained well in the first weeks of term, they team were keen to get going. All Bethany players were excellent and rapidly grew in confidence, match play skills and overall effectiveness during the game. In a very even half, both teams created chances. Bethany forced a short corner at the midway point after some excellent work down the right-hand side by Seb Baines and Winston Boudet-Fenouillet . After the ball was initially cleared by Battle Abbey, Bethany sent it back into the circle and Samuel Lobo finished with a shot into the bottom corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead. Battle continued to attack and created some good opportunities, including several one on one’s with the keeper, but Gabi Kulcsar stood firm and cleared his lines brilliantly.

 

The second half continued in the same manner as the first, a very open end to end contest. Both goal keepers were on form and reacted well to several chances by clearing their lines. Seb Baines was excellent on the day, winning his tackles in the right back position, and passing the ball forward with accuracy, while Samuel Lobo marshalled the midfield. Bethany held on to the lead as the game drew to a close, and it was a great effort by all the team in their first match.

 

Final score: Bethany 1-0 Battle Abbey
Player of the Match: Seb Baines
Coaches Player of the Match: Gabi Kulcsar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hockey | Bethany U13A v Battle Abbey School
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The U13A boys hockey team played Battle Abbey School on Wednesday. In a return match from last week the team were aiming for success this time around, as they continue to develop.

 

The team started strongly and with plenty of possession, moved the ball well and applied pressure. Oliver Scott was very effective in midfield with Jack Le Vine also playing well. The Battle Abbey defence played well and tried to keep a clean sheet. Battle Abbey grew into the half, resulting in some good attacking plays of their own, which Seb Hickmott saved very well in the Bethany goal.

 

After a half time reshuffle in key positions, Bethany made an early breakthrough. Isaac Lord played the ball out from the back into the midfield, and with some good stick work the ball was shifted to Nico De Widt who skilfully placed the ball into the corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead. Bethany grew in confidence and applied increasing pressure with plenty of shots that were well saved by the Battle Abbey keeper. Battle responded with their own pressure in the final minutes, but Bethany stood firm in defence and secured a 1-0 win.

 

Final score: Bethany 1-0 Battle Abbey
Player of the Match: Nico De Widt
Coaches Player of the Match: Max Morgan

Hockey | Bethany U13B v Battle Abbey School
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The U13B Boys hockey team played Battle Abbey School on Wednesday afternoon. In a return fixture from last weeks drawn match, the team we keen to go one better.

 

Bethany started very well with Michael St Clair Bishop, Alfie Munthali and Arthur Twynman marshalling the defensive line and limiting any Battle Abbey attacks, while Harry Jermyn was a driving force from midfield to create several goal scoring opportunities. Midway through the half, a quick break with accurate passing and fast stick work opened space on the left side of the circle for James Cheesbrough to hit a well-placed shot into the goal and give Bethany a well-deserved lead. Battle pressed in the final few minutes of the half, and a slight mix up in the defence led to an equalising goal.

 

The second half saw both teams finding space and trying to play on the front foot, but Bethany defended well again with Seb Graham in particular, picking off Battle Abbey attacks. Harry Jermyn was rewarded for his excellent tracking back and driving forward play throughout the match, when he picked the ball up just outside the circle, dribbled to the top and fired the ball in for a 2-1 lead. Bethany continued to press throughout the half, with several shots being very well saved by a busy Battle Abbey goalkeeper. At the final whistle it was a good win for Bethany and a performance that saw all players improve their hockey skills.

 

Final score: Bethany 2-1 Battle Abbey
Player of the Match: Harry Jermyn
Coaches Player of the Match: Michael St Clair Bishop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hockey | Bethany U13C v Battle Abbey School (away)
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The Bethany U13C hockey team were away at Battle on a cold and blustery day. Bethany started well with an early goal from Tobias Chapman and Battle nearly responded with a goal of their own had it not been for some great defending by Hamish Henderson.

 

The game was very one-sided for the next 10 minutes as Bethany added to their tally with Tobias Chapman gaining his hat-trick and Hamish Henderson defending like a wall.

 

After 3 quarters the score was increased for Bethany to 5-0 with Oliver Candeloro getting on the scoresheet, Tobias Chapman then scored his 4th of the game to finish off a great performance.

 

In the last few seconds Battle scored a consolation goal for the home team.

Player of the Match: Tobias Chapman

Coaches Player of the Match: Hamish Henderson

Hockey | Bethany U13D v Battle Abbey School (away)
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A great performance from the U13D’s, who travelled to Battle Abbey for their first hockey fixture. Against all expectations, Bethany started really well, keeping shape whilst stringing together some lovely passing patterns.

 

Some great work from Stanley Faulkner, who passed to Andrew Stubblefield, who then passed down the line to Hamilton Cridge. Hamliton, always seemed to create space to receive and deliver successfully passes to team mates.

 

At the end of the first half, both teams drew level with two goals each.

 

Hamiliton and Andrew continued to control the game for Bethany, showing some fantastic game understanding and technical ability. Bethany gained the upper hand securing their first win of the season 5-2.

 

Final score: Bethany 5-2 Battle Abbey

Player of the Match: Hamilton Cridge

Coaches Player of the Match: Andrew Stubblefield

Latest Library News

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