Rossall School News – Michaelmas Week 3

We have enjoyed some glorious weather as of late. We are just hoping it lasts!

Message from The Headmaster

In the late Summer of 1977, Voyager I and II left planet Earth to begin their journey into interstellar space. On board were a pair of golden records that were jammed full of music, pictures, sounds and greetings from this planet of ours. Carl Sagan headed up the team responsible for compiling this brief snapshot of life on Earth. Yet, how on earth do you reduce humankind to a pair of golden discs? There was much deliberating over the choice of music and the Beatles lost their place because of copyright issues. However, Bach, Beethoven made the cut alongside Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. Outrageously, Mozart was not originally going to be included because Carl Sagan thought that this would be too lightweight for the palettes of highly cultured aliens. Eventually, an extract from The Magic Flute was included because it included the highest note sung in traditional opera thus demonstrating the range of human vocal cords. Of course, this is all wonderfully silly but, at the same, time fascinating. 



On one level, this could be seen as nothing more than a distraction from the serious business of ‘doing science’. It is almost comical to imagine NASA agonising over whether or not to include an Elvis number or to settle for Melancholy Blues performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven.  One touching inclusion was a performance directed by the brilliant period performance specialist David Munrow who tragically took his own life at the age of just thirty four, less than a year prior to the launch. 


An image from one of the Golden Discs 
The inclusion of a recording by Munrow, perhaps gives us a clue to why these golden discs assumed such importance in the public imagination. Even if interstellar space is crowded with aliens, the chances of the probes ever being discovered is infinitesimally small. The utter vastness of space and the fact that the nuclear reactors will shut off completely in about 2030 means that in astronomical terms, they have only really popped down the road for a pint of milk.  In the 43 years and 10 days since its launch, Voyager 1 has only travelled 13 billion miles. Travelling at the speed of light, that distance could be covered in under 24 hours. Considering the nearest star is 4.3 light-years away you can see the problem. Space is just too big for us to randomly bump into some aliens. 
So why include the discs? Perhaps because it touches something deep within ourselves. We long to make connections with others and there are times when science needs to give way to that profoundly deep-rooted sentiment that inspires us to dream of life, or some form of existence,  beyond this planet of ours. The thought that we constitute little more than a speck or a mote of dust in some far flung corner of the Milky Way Galaxy does not appeal to that extraordinary impulse within us that wants to make connections and establish friendships. We struggle with social distancing because it is intrinsically contrary to who or what we are.  

Any alien fortunate enough to have stumbled upon the discs will hear greetings in Aramaic, Armenian alongside Bengali and Burmese. They can listen to this whilst exploring the 115 images that attempt to explain every aspect of our existence from reproduction to traffic jams and from flight to the beauty of the natural world. It is touching, naive and a project imbued with the faith, hope and dreams of a world that does not wish to be solitary. The inclusion of the golden records on the Voyager probes has always touched me because it is so incredibly human to dare to believe that we will one day be able to transcend our earthly isolation. 

Thinking about those golden discs the other day, I wondered how one might reasonably reduce this past year at Rossall to a set number of images or sounds. Of course, this would not be possible. Sure, in this digital age of ours, we could probably condense more information into our alien discs than was possible in 1977 but, ultimately, the motivating spirit of this community is beyond distillation and beyond description. In the aftermath of lockdown, I think it is that togetherness, that sense of belonging that our children value most. Perhaps that it is, in part, why it has been such an excellent start to term but there is something more than this, and I cannot put it into words, particularly special about this time. 

Back here on planet Earth, it has been a week during which sporting fixtures, music, and a whole host of other activities have got underway. School is as busy as ever and we are learning that there is so much that we can accomplish, even during these times. It is important to remain cautious but our ongoing testing contract with Oncologica provides us with an additional sense of confidence for it means that we have the ability to test staff or pupils at any given point in time. Masks and track and trace devices are worn but, and here is the strangest thing, their ubiquity has served to render them almost invisible. 

All that remains is for me to thank you for your continued support and whilst we do not have time to devote to communicating with aliens (!), we dare to dream of a time beyond COVID. However, in the meantime, we are doing everything we can to ensure that all of our children continue to flourish during these times. I am so proud of this community and all that we are accomplishing. Have a wonderful weekend when the time comes.

All best wishes,
Mr Jeremy Quartermain
Headmaster of Rossall School

Message from the Junior Headmaster

Dear Parents,

Long may the sun continue to shine on our new term! The fantastic weather has afforded us the opportunity to have plenty of lessons outdoors and the children have thoroughly enjoyed getting some fresh air whilst learning at the same time. The weather has also enabled us to eat our lunch outside although this has attracted some feathered friends who seem to enjoy pinching the odd sandwich – I hope no one was eating chicken!



The children are thoroughly enjoying their new subjects as part of our exciting curriculum that is now on offer to them all. With Spanish and Drama already cemented as firm favourites, these have been joined by forest and beach school sessions; the pupils really are getting a wonderful education at Rossall!

The children are beginning to settle down to routines and being with each other again. Having been out of a classroom environment for such a long period, does mean it will take time for them to acclimatise back into the swing of things and I am sure they will continue to embrace the structure they have once more. The launch of our clubs programme this week has provided further opportunities for bonding, as well as exciting new challenges and experiences. From science club to knitting, sports to music, and team challenges to nature club, the pupils really do have the chance to explore their hidden talents.

Have a lovely weekend.


Have a wonderful weekend.

Mr Turner
Headmaster of Rossall Junior School
60% STUDENTS TO STUDY AT
RUSSELL GROUP/TOP 20 UNIVERSITIES

The vast majority (72%) of our Upper Sixth leavers in 2020 went to UK universities. Of this, 60% went to Russell Group/Top 20 universities with 40% taking up places at Top 10 universities. Studying at universities abroad continued to be a popular route for many students with 10% of students opting to take up places outside the UK. Three students won golf scholarships to study in the USA, one student will be taking up a place at the prestigious Istituto Marangoni in Milan whilst another will be studying Law at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt. We could not be prouder of their accomplishments and wish them all the very best of luck for the future.
ASSEMBLY – MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER
It was another jam-packed assembly, this week! Mr Quartermain paid tribute to Old Rossallian, Sir William Frankland – one of the people behind the Pollen Count. Ms Porovic commended the students who won various awards, and Mr Cropper gave an update of Sport at Rossall. There was also a brief history of the boarding houses as told by Mrs Lee, our Senior School Monitors introduced themselves, and Mrs Stacker touched on the importance of looking after our mental health. We hope you enjoy.
SENIOR MONITOR INTRODUCTION BLOOPERS
You may have seen our Senior Monitors introducing themselves in Monday’s Assembly. What you didn’t see was all the extra footage of them trying to get it right!
GOLF SUCCESS
Congratulations to Rossall Golf Academy students: Conor Owen, Lucy Moss, Ryo Kamata and Joe Jackson, who won The Forty Club North West Golf Championship at Pleasington Golf Club yesterday.

If you are interested in the Golf Academy and would like more information, please visit: https://www.rossall.org.uk/school-life/golf-academy/
MUSIC MADNESS
We are delighted to share with you that our new keyboards have arrived. This means, we now have a state of the art digital keyboard for every single student in each of our music classes. Our Year 8 students were the first to use them this week, as they began to create and perform blues music.
SPORT AT ROSSALL
It is great to see our students back on campus and involved in different sports. They have enjoyed football, badminton, tennis, basketball and of course, the outdoor socially distanced gym!
SATURDAY CLINIC NOTICE
The Saturday Clinic, run by Fiona Quartermain (Head of Learning Development) and Fiona Gallagley (Teaching Assistant) commences on Saturday 19th September from 10.00am to 12.00pm in the Learning Development Department, located above Mondos.

If pupils need any additional support or guidance with study skills/prep and a quiet place to revise and work, they may find the Saturday Clinic very beneficial. Places are limited and support needs to be tailored to individual needs depending on subjects and the age ranges of pupils who are keen to attend.
To register your interest, please send an email to  [email protected]
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
10.30-12.30 Art Department open (Ms Heap)
10.30-12.30 Music Department open (Mr Dobson)
10.30-12.00 Year 13 IB Maths HL Workshop (HS102) with Ms Porovic
10.30-11.30 Business Breakfast (BS Dept) with Mrs Wright
11.00-12.30 GCSE Film Studies (PAS) with Mr Newell
10.30-12.30 DT Department open (Mr Hodgetts)
08:30 – 09:30 U12 & 13 Boys Football with Mr Kelly
08:30 – 09:30 U12 & 13 Girls Hockey with Mr Roberts
09:45 – 10:45 U14 & 15 Girls Hockey with Mr Sidwell
09:45 – 10:45 U14 & 15 Boys Football with Mr Kelly and Mr Newson
11:00 – 12:00 Senior Boys Football with Mr Newson
13:45 – 14:45 Badminton & Gym with Mr Cropper
14:45 – 15:45 Boarders Football & Basketball (Boarders only) with Mr Cropper