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Weekly Newsletter

May 24, 2024

This Week:

Headmaster’s Welcome

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

Welcome to the last newsletter of this half term. This has been a good week at Bethany as GCSE and A Level pupils continue to cope well with the examinations. Immediate post examination feedback from the pupils has been positive.

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Today started off in the best possible way for me as I had the pleasure of seeing some Year 7 and 8 pupils perform Drama, Music and Dance in the Music School at 8.30 am and there was also some great Year 7 Art work on display.

 

In the last week, some cricket matches were inevitably postponed because of the inclement weather, but a British summer wouldn’t be a British summer without rain!

 

I attended a Year 10 drama evening on Tuesday night, where monologues were delivered superbly well. It was a joy and privilege to witness such talent on display.

 

Our Silver Duke of Edinburgh Expedition pupils left for their expedition last night and thankfully the weather has been kind to them so far. Depending on their navigation skills, the pupils can be collected from Bethany tomorrow afternoon sometime between 1pm and 4pm.

 

On Saturday 8th June we have a Getting to Know Bethany Day for pupils in Years 7-9 who have signed up to attend Bethany in September. While the children are familiarising themselves with how we do things at Bethany, there will be various presentations for the parents explaining how Bethany operates.

 

No doubt our Year 9, GCSE and A level pupils will spend some of next week revising for their forthcoming examinations. I also hope that they get some relaxation time.

 

The surprise announcement of a General Election means that our media will be filled with political debate over the next 6 weeks. It was nice of the government to tie in the General Election date with our last day of term. I must write and thank them!  Franklin D. Roosevelt once said. “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely.  The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” Bethany will hold its own mock General Election vote at the end of June and it will be interesting to compare our results with the national picture.

 

Have a great half term.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Francie Healy

Headmaster

Year 7 & 8 Science National Challenge Success

This year marked an exciting new chapter for the science department as our pupils embarked on the inaugural Year 7 and 8 Science Challenge 2024, organized by the British Physics Olympiad. This competition was designed to spark curiosity and enthusiasm for physics among our younger pupils, and the results have been nothing short of impressive.

Igniting Young Minds: Bethany Shines in Year 7 and 8 Science Challenge 2024
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Our pupils rose to the occasion with remarkable achievements: 10 Gold awards, 62 Silver awards, 22 Bronze awards, and 4 Commendations. These results highlight not only the talent of our Bethany pupils but also their dedication and passion for learning.

 

The Year 7 and 8 Science Challenge was born from a desire to provide engaging opportunities for younger pupils. Their collective efforts of the pupils and their science teachers ensured that the challenge was both educational and enjoyable.

 

The primary aim of this competition was not to create another exam but to inspire pupils to view physics as an exciting and dynamic field. We wanted them to see physics not as a mere collection of formulas but as a way to understand and interpret the world around them. This initiative sought to cultivate an environment where participation and curiosity were the main objectives.

 

Although this is our first year participating in this competition, the results have has been promising. Pupils found the questions engaging and the experience rewarding. The spread of awards suggests that the competition was appropriately challenging, with a sensible distribution of marks.

 

The success of our pupils in the Year 7 and 8 Science Challenge 2024 is a testament to their hard work and enthusiasm. This competition has not only provided them with a platform to showcase their skills but also fostered a deeper appreciation for physics as well as competing at national level. We are proud of their achievements and look forward to continuing this journey of exploration and discovery.

 

This initiative marks the beginning of a new tradition at Bethany School, one where the wonders of physics are celebrated and young minds are encouraged to view the world through a scientific lens. Here’s to many more years of inspiring and challenging our pupils to reach for the stars!

 

Where Are the Stars? See How Light Pollution Affects Night Skies

Latest Bethany Blog

This week’s blog has been written by Mr Evans, who talks about Year 7 pupils fantastic visit to the Juniper Hall Field Studies Centre in Dorking.

Year 7 visit Juniper Hall
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On Tuesday, our Year 7 pupils had the fantastic opportunity to visit the Juniper Hall Field Studies Centre in Dorking for an educational and adventurous field trip. The focus of the trip was to learn about river systems, specifically the River Tillingbourne, through hands-on experience and direct observation. 

 

The day began with an engaging class briefing at Juniper Hall. Here, the pupils were introduced to the nature and characteristics of the River Tillingbourne. They learned about its source, course, and the geographical features that define it. This initial session provided a solid foundation for the practical activities that followed. 

 

Armed with their new knowledge, the pupils then set out to access the river at two distinct sites. At these locations, they participated in various exercises designed to measure the river’s physical properties. Using a tape measure, stopwatch, and cork, the pupils learned how to measure the width, depth and velocity of the river. These simple tools allowed them to gather data and understand the importance of accurate measurements in geographical studies. In addition to these traditional methods, pupils had the chance to experiment with a Hydroprop to record the river’s velocity. This device provided a more advanced way to understand the flow rate, adding an exciting technological element to their fieldwork. 

 

One of the highlights of the trip was a short river walk where the pupils, donned in wellies, waded into the river to explore its meander characteristics first-hand. This immersive experience allowed them to observe the river’s bends and curves up close, gaining a deeper understanding of how rivers shape the landscape over time. 

 

Overall, the field trip to Juniper Hall was a resounding success. The combination of classroom learning and practical experience helped the pupils to appreciate the complexities of river systems. It was a day filled with discovery, teamwork, and a lot of fun, leaving our Year 7s with memories and knowledge that set them up well for a future in the subject. 

 

 

 

Latest Sports News

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The latest sports news from Bethany School.

Cricket | Bethany U13A v Claremont (Away)
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On a wet Wednesday afternoon Bethany U13 A travelled to Claremont, Bethany won the toss and elected to bowl first.

 

1st Innings: Despite the difficult wet conditions, Bethany’s bowlers started strongly, making early breakthroughs and putting pressure on the Claremont batting lineup. Both Ollie Scott’s and Callum Rae’s impressive spells saw them both claiming two wickets, while Michael St. Claire Bishop’s brilliant catch contributed to restricting Claremont to a total of 89 runs for the loss of 7 wickets.

 

2nd Innings: In reply, Bethany’s batting innings got off to a slow start, with the team losing four quick wickets. However, Henry Greig emerged as a standout performer, playing a crucial innings of 24 runs to guide Bethany closer to the target. Bethany unfortunately fell short of the total by 11 runs.

 

Result: Bethany lost by 11 runs
Player of the match – Henry Greig
Coaches Playerof the match – Callum Rae

Cricket | Bethany U13B v Claremont (Away)
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Bethany U13 Boys cricket team travelled to Claremont Preparatory school on Wednesday. With the weather not great and a wet wicket, the team played a modified match so that some team cricket was played.

 

In a 16 over match, with batsman returning to the crease for second innings and an incredible ball format, Bethany batted first. On a damp wicket with little bounce the conditions made run scoring tricky. Sebastian Hickmott was pick of the batsman scoring a four and six in his innings, while Bejamin Stapleton and Sebastian Graham also contributed well to the final score.

 

Bethany achieved a total of 81 runs off 16 overs. Claremont batted well as the wicket dried out, but run scoring was restricted by some accurate bowling and excellent fielding from the Bethany team. Stephen Kakouris bowled a good spell, along with Harry Jerymn who took a wicket, Felix Hardy who took two wickets in consecutive balls and Jack Shimmin who took a couple of wickets.

 

Oscar Hughes played well at wicket keeper with all players making some athletic stops in the field. Claremont batted their way to needing there runs from the final over to win. A great match saw Claremont win by two runs at the close of the 16 overs.

 

Result – Bethany Lost by 2 runs.
Player of the match – Sebastian Graham
Coaches player of the match – Felix Hardy & Sebastian Hickmott

Cricket | Bethany U15B v Claremont (Away)
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Despite the overnight and early morning rain, the U15B Boys match away at Claremont went ahead.  Even through the outfield was very wet, which made keeping the ball dry very hard to do, the pitch played very well.

 

Lucas Schippers, who did a good job as Captain for the day, won the toss and asked Claremont to bat first. The opposition opening batters got off to a flying start and never took their foot off the gas and scored at a high tempo throughout their innings. The U15 B boys worked hard in the field in very tricky conditions. There was good bowling from Jackson Sillicorn (who took the only wicket), Lucas Schippers and Jacob Chesterton.  The standout fielder was Jonah Burrows, who took on the role of Wicket Keeper. He was a natural behind the stumps, nothing much got past him and with a few lessons on the role of the keeper, Jonah has the potential to be a regular in that position.

 

Claremont ended their innings on a massive 213/1 from their 20 overs.

 

The now familiar opening partnership between, Winston Boudet-Fenouillet and Seb Baines, did a good job against the fast Claremont opening bowlers to kick off the U15 B’s innings. After three quick wickets, there was a strong partnership between Jackson Sillicorn (36 not out) and Lucas Smith (23 not out) as they found the boundary numerous times. Unfortunately, as the innings went on, the rain re-appeared and got steadily worse which made it hard for the players to play safely. The match was abandoned 12 overs into the U15 B’s innings.  A final comment to say that the team should be very proud of the way that they represented themselves and Bethany School.

 

Result – Match Abandoned due to rain.

Scores – Claremont School – 213/1 – 20 overs and Bethany 96/3 – 12 overs

Players Player – Jackson Sillicorn      Coaches Player – Jonah Burrows