Always look on the bright side of life
Mr King shares of his volunteering experience in America where he learned the power of positivity which he now manifests at every given opportunity.
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Mr King shares of his volunteering experience in America where he learned the power of positivity which he now manifests at every given opportunity.
Read MoreIn the dim and distant past of 2002, when the US dollar was worth 50 pence, and in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, I headed to upstate New York to try my hand at volunteering, American Summer camp style.
There was one small difference, however. The dates of my travel meant I couldnβt be accepted onto the longer six week jobs of βCamp Americaβ. Instead, I had managed to find an organisation that provided the traditional summer camp experience for children infected/affected by HIV/AIDS.
I had no idea what I was doing. I was travelling alone for the first time, to places with no internet (and mobile phones were barely capable of internet at that point – it was the dial up modem era).
I would return to the same organisation for the next 10 summers – it defined my post university life.
I was a counsellor in the Coyote cabin, looking after 9-11 yr old boys. There were about 7 counsellors and 18 campers. About half of the children were HIV positive, the others had siblings or parents with HIV/AIDS. Each cabin had a nurse assigned who would arrive 3 times a day with the various cocktails of drugs for the campers. In the early summers I can remember the medicine battles well. The campers hated the medicine. In my second summer I understood why. In trying to convince a camper that we had to stick to the meds, otherwise we would have to send him home, the nurse suggested he and I took the medicine at the same time. A syringeful of yellow/brown liquid later and I understood the camperβs attitude. Decades later, with children of my own, I have no idea how a parent would have managed to persuade a child to do that three times a day. Thankfully, drugs improved over my summers in the sun, and both the side effects and the better taste meant that the interruption of the nurse visiting became less impactful on the purpose of the camp – having fun.
There are many, many stories I have from those summers. I was a counsellor, a group leader and wellness operative. I met hundreds of other volunteers and got to know them well. I made mistakes, not many, but learned the hard way how tiredness and frustration can impact those you work/live with. And whilst I learnt from those mistakes, I learned even more about the power of positivity. Most years had a mad-capped idea that became a reality. One camper had wished for a βGiant Cookieβ at circle time one day, and by the end of the week we had found a way to bake it. Over a metre in diameter, it fed the entire camp pretty much, and made a dream come true for more than one child that summer!
Image caption: We started this with the remnants of street chalk at the end of one week of campers. 11pm we started and 12:30am we finished, in order to surprise the campers when they woke up. The doors are into the dining hall, and they lined up each morning opposite them before walking over the message.
My eyes were opened to cultures and subcultures very different to my own. The campers explained to me their lives in the Bronx, or Harlem, Queenβs or Brooklyn. Language and possessions that I had never come across. I was in awe of a group of New Zealanders who travelled across the world to teach the dance lessons each year. Native Maori friends, with a strongly Christian ethos, they were held in the highest regard by the campers. Not a bad or aggressive bone in their body (even the 6β4β professional rugby league player), they were welcoming to all, regardless of dance talent or lack of. It was a wake up call to me, therefore, to find, on a brief minibus tour of the Eastern seaboard that first year, that some non-Maori New Zealanders had nothing but disdain for indigenous Maoris and their descendants. It was a tough tour, driving for many hours a day in a small minibus, visiting sights and then camping/socialising with people whose views I found to be quite intolerant.
The organisation developed and grew. It started year-long mentoring programmes and moved campsites to a Jewish camp ground. It was fascinating watching the heartbeat of the camp move seamlessly, so evidently encapsulated in the people. When the operation moved location, the ethos was unaffected, and new traditions were added courtesy of the new hosts. They shared positivity, get up and go, and the willingness to dream.
I was delighted to be able to share the camp with some of my family. My mum, wife, her godmother and my brother-in-law, have all done a summer of volunteering at various stages. They each made friends through their experiences. And the network of kindness is powerful. Iβve stayed in bedsits in Harlem, sofa surfed in Buffalo, and even enjoyed a guest room on 5th Avenue in Manhattan (the lift opened into the apartment!). In return, weβve been able to link up with New Yorkβs best close up magician to give of his time at the camp, teaching the campers, and to provide resources and enlist other volunteers to support the programme.
My summer camp life is a decade behind me, sadly. Iβm very grateful, however, for the open-minded outlook, the work ethos it galvanised within me and the incentive to spread aspects of both at the opportunities afforded to me now.
Mr David King
Deputy Head (Pastoral)
Ms Jordan will be teaching Spanish to Year 7 to Lower Sixth, filling in for Mrs Wood who is on maternity leave.
Read MoreAt this point, I am working on getting know the new systems and curriculum I am covering and of course will slowly get to know the girls and make sure that they are getting what they need in terms of results and attention. I want to make the classroom a safe space for them to explore, make mistakes and learn from them!
Not sure how hidden they are but I am a trained actor π I also write and perform spoken word pieces and I used to teach salsa.
Just go for it β whatever it is! Stop worrying and enjoy! Making mistakes is all part of the process and people are honestly less focussed on judging you than they are on judging themselves. Soβ¦ be you a 1000 times. As Meisner (I believe) once, said β βbe you β everyone else is takenβ.
I once went to work as a teacher trainer at a charity in Thailand. It turned out to be in a bit of a mess organisationally. I didnβt know what to doβ¦ whether I should even return to the UK. Instead I braved telling the UK director that things needed improvement and he asked me to be the Programme Director in Thailand to make it happen. So, within 2 weeks, I went from being a trainer to being the boss and was able to turn things around for the charity. I stayed there for 6 months. Unexpected and really rewarding!
Ms Eilis Jordan
Teacher of Spanish
Mrs Shonpal joined us earlier this month as Academic Support & Neurodiversity TA.
Read MoreMy role is working with different pupils across the school with SEND, who may require additional support to extend their learning. I will be working alongside Mrs Sharples and Mrs Deblock to actively support girls learning and empower them to achieve the best of their ability in all subjects and create an atmosphere where pupils feel confident to learn.
To achieve the best for the pupils and encourage them to work hard to reach their goals and beyond, to be a supportive TA who pupils can easily approach with regards to mental health. Provide knowledge and encourage pupils to be confident, independent and resilient. To update my knowledge and training in SEND so I can provide the best support to pupils.
One of my hobbies is photography, especially of new places I have visited, going on regular walks with my dog in the countryside and woods has allowed me to take more photographs.
You can do anything you want, just need to work hard, focus and believe in yourself, there are no limits!
One recent event I am proud of is finding out I have got this role at Croydon High School, I feel empowered and excited to be part of an exceptional school. Another time I clearly remember is when I was shown kindness by one of my colleagues. Her caring nature helped me through a difficult time. She listened and offered a helping hand which I am grateful for. Sometimes being compassionate means a lot.
Mrs Harinder Shonpal
Academic Support & Neurodiversity TA
Congratulations to Mrs Krishnamurthy who has recently been promoted to Head of Junior School Enterprise Technology.
Read MoreI consider myself extremely lucky to be in a role that is a perfect blend of two of my passions – Teaching and Computer Science. As the Head of Enterprise Technology in the Junior School, I am responsible for planning and delivering the Computer Science curriculum to all the pupils in the Junior School. I also enjoy encouraging the pupils to take part in various stem events and competitions.
My key aspiration has always been to instil a love for learning and encourage a passion for coding in my students.
My hobby is reading, and I can easily lose myself in a book for hours especially during the holidays. During lockdown I experimented with acrylic paintings and hope to someday take lessons to improve and enhance my artistic skills.
Set ambitious goals and strive to beat your own best but always remember to look after yourself and prioritize your mental wellbeing.
The pupils I teach always make me proud and especially so during important events and presentations. The Year 6 Enterprise Challenge Evening is an example of an event where the pupils make me extremely proud of what they are capable of achieving.
Croydon High School is a great school to teach in and I have seen a lot of kindness in action in the past 8 years that I have been here. I always feel well supported and empowered to have high aspirations for myself and my pupils.
Mrs Maya Krishnamurthy
Head of Junior School Enterprise Technology
Ms James currently teaches A level subjects of Psychology and Sociology, and has recently been promoted to Director of Pupil Wellbeing.
Read MoreThe Director of Pupil Wellbeing is a new and exciting role at Croydon High, and one I hope to develop over my tenure.
Firstly, I will be working as part of the pastoral team alongside the other Heads of Year and Mr King, to support and empower our pupils to develop their own positive psychological and physical wellbeing.
Through my background in psychology, and my training with the Positive NOW project, I will be rolling out a number of accessible, but effective tools for staff and pupils to use when difficulties might arise. These will be grounded in cognitive neuroscience and I hope will make a positive impact for pupils throughout the school.
An important area for me will be ensuring we, as a school, understand the wellbeing of each of our pupils and support everyone as they face the challenges of being an adolescent in today’s society. My role will also be to support parents and carers, to understand the unique challenges that face pupils today.
I am also excited to be working alongside Ms Krause, looking at ways we can use our PSHE provision across the school to encompass all areas of pupil wellbeing, including mental, physical, financial and social aspects.
Iβm not sure this counts, but my commitment to the gym, some would argue, is a talent of mine! In Sixth Form, I am quite vocal about my opinion that simply being a βmotivatedβ person is a myth. Motivated people are just committed people. Whether you see me as motivated or committed, exercising is about keeping my body and my mind healthy, and it is something I thoroughly enjoy and will not compromise on!
To enjoy being young! Like many people, I spent far too much time worrying about life and what other people thought of me; whether this be friends, peers or family. I would tell my 15 year old self to grab every opportunity that comes your way. Say yes to that school trip, try Duke of Edinburgh, learn to play a musical instrument, sign up for the cross country team (even if your friends think running is βuncoolβ), put your name forward for the debate club, learn a new language, volunteer, take up skateboarding, just say yes! I would also tell myself to dream, and dream BIG! I would tell myself to create a vision of my future life, remembering that this vision can go beyond simply the version of life I see before me, because I have the power to shape my own future.
I am 42 years old, and I am still incredibly proud of achieving a grade B in my English Language GCSE. To some, this may not sound particularly impressive, however, at age 12 I did not enjoy English. I found tasks that everyone else seemed to find simple, frustrating and crippling. I was in the bottom set for English where we were given weekly spelling tests, and made to read aloud to the class; this did not go well for me. I was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia and suddenly things started to become clearer. I worked hard, and by Year 11 I was in the top sets for most of my subjects, but English Language was still my achilles heel. My B grade showed me I should not be afraid to work hard or be ashamed of working hard, and it is a reminder that not all achievements start with an A!
Ms Nerys James
Director of Pupil WellbeingΒ
Milo is currently training to be the new Junior School therapy dog.
Read MoreMy role as the official school dog (in training) is to be a friendly companion, a good listener and an audience to the girls without making any judgements.
My favourite thing to do is go for long walks and to go swimming. I also love cuddles.
Mummy and Daddy take me for lovely walks where I live. There are lots of interesting smells and I have made friends with other dogs that walk there too.
My favourite food is the treats I get. Daddy lets me have a saveloy sausage when he has a fish and chip supper. The teachers in Junior school also spoil me, but shh don’t let Daddy know.
I can spin and roll over as well as give my paw. I’m much better when there is a treat involved!
Milo
Junior School Therapy Dog (in training)
This week's Alumnae Spotlight is on successful author and philanthropist, Emma Lloyd Cowell.
Read MoreEmma, a former actress and BBC presenter, has worked in the fundraising division of childrenβs palliative care for the last fifteen years. She is currently Head of Philanthropy for the national charity Together for Short Lives. She is passionate about the charityβs work and will talk to anyone who will listen about the difference their support can make to children. The charity wants to help every child and family living with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition get the very best care and support they can to make the most of every moment together.
Segueing from being paid to talk for a living into writing was a natural progression since storytelling has been at the heart of her career. Also, a keen linguist, Emma is attempting to learn Greek to maintain her love affair with the country where she has set her sweeping and evocative bestselling debut novel One Last Letter from Greece, published by Harper Collins, Avon in 2022. Her second novel, The House in the Olive Grove, was published in May 2023 and entered the UK bestsellers chart in its first week of publication. Her novels have thus far been published in fourteen countries worldwide.
Emma has said that she has always written stories since she was a child and the prospect of forging a career in writing is thrilling. When lockdown happened, she found herself on furlough and suddenly had the mind space to utterly concentrate on a story, and upon revisiting an idea, One Last Letter from Greece unfurled.
Emma lives between Cornwall and Greece with her husband, Tony, and their fur baby, a Russian Blue called Papoushka Gerald Cowell. She is a keen angler outside of work and held a Cornish record for over ten years until her crown was toppled!
Emma is currently in Greece writing her third novel. We caught up with her via email for a Q&A session:
I felt that we were encouraged to excel at what we enjoyed. For me, it was everything creative. I so fondly recall my amazing teachers – Mrs Shackel, my drama teacher, who coached me on my audition monologues for drama college and was such a cheerleader for my ambition. Mrs Davin-Looby, my music teacher; Mrs Butler, our wonderfully eccentric Art tutor; and Mrs Sharpe, who introduced me to the Fellini film version of Romeo and Juliet for our English GCSE. I remember weeping at it in the classroom; it was beautiful. Playing Juliet was my last professional acting engagement before I joined the BBC. I remember her unpicking the text in class and highlighting the imagery within the words. That informed my performance all those years later when I came to learn the role.
I was laser-focused on becoming an actress, and I recall being asked what my backup plan was, but I didnβt have one. I fleetingly wanted to be a journalist as Iβd always loved to write, but I managed to achieve both professions over the years and forged onwards on my very determined path!
See above! I was ambitious, and there is no doubt that Croydon High School gave me a belief in my abilities and to trust my instincts. The poise and confidence I gained from Croydon High School that I have learnt on throughout my career and life has undoubtedly given me the strength to walk into a room of strangers and connect and find a place in an unfamiliar space. I remember someone saying to me after I read my motherβs eulogy at her funeral – Mum was a secretary at Croydon High School Junior School – that you can tell a G(P)DST girl, it gives you steel and forth-righteousness to see you through to the end of the task. I didnβt appreciate it then, but the schooling I was privileged to receive gave me that strength and belief in myself.
Having my debut novel published and seeing it on the shelves in bookstores and subsequently going to number one on Kindle in America and Canada. It was inspired by my motherβs tragic early death, and I poured my life experience into fiction. The best piece of advice I was ever given was donβt just write what you know; write what you feel, and I did that. Alongside that, leading a capital appeal to raise Β£5.5m to build a childrenβs hospice in Cornwall was incredibly special, and Iβm immensely proud of that work.
To continue to write stories that speak to women about their life experience, friendship, motherhood- however that manifests or not- and ultimately love. It would be a dream to live in Greece and write full-time, but I will always aim to shine a light on the gaps in funding for childrenβs palliative care and tirelessly fundraise to support families with life-limited children.
Moisturise, learn to love how you look and find a way to be comfortable in your skin because you have something valid to say, so trust your inner voice and donβt doubt yourself for a moment. And make sure everyone you love knows how much you love them.
Wonderful advice for us all!
Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager
Our Class of 2022 alumnae returned to Sixth Form to catch up with friends, teachers and meet Binky!
Read MoreWe were delighted to welcome back some of our youngest βold girlsβ to a reunion in the Sixth Form centre last Friday evening. Prosecco, Croydon Highβs famous brownies, and a good catch-up were the order of the occasion. The girls were obviously happy to see old classmates and teachers and to pass on all their news after their first year at university. Conversations centred on how much they love university life with new friends, new challenges, and various societies joined; it was touching to hear from several girls how much they miss their Croydon High family.
They loved the slide show of photos from Year 7 pictures of Skern through to their last day in Upper Sixth. The girls were very pleased to have the opportunity to meet Ms Davies and were thrilled when Mrs Beck arrived with her new puppy, Binky! They were all happy to receive the latest copy of the Ivy Link magazine as it doubled up as a fan on a scorching September day! After wandering around the school, they reluctantly departed but promised to keep in touch to let us know how they are getting on.
Once a Croydon High girl⦠always a Croydon High girl! We are still very proud of all of them.
Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager
Lower Sixth took part in a Leadership Day event led by Flying Start XP.
Read MoreOn Thursday, we took part in the C-Me leadership workshop. Based in the main hall, we were given the opportunity to work withΒ an occupational psychologist to discover aspects of our own personality, strengths and weaknesses, but also how we can better work with each other in a group setting.
We began the day with a series of exercises such as penning down desired qualities in a good leader, and identifying our current leadership strengths from a list of possible options ranging from relational strengths such as compassion and empathy, to more executional strengths like detail orientation and efficiency.
Even after these rather simple exercises, many of us were left surprised by how much this taught us about where our strengths and leadership qualities lie, and therefore how these qualities affect how we function within a group. Then, after answering a series of questions relating to our professional, leadership and social habits, we were given a primary and secondary colour that linked to our behaviour. There were four main colours:
Individuals that were predominantly Red are individuals that are outspoken, bold and decisive, and contrast highly with the often tactful, indecisive and team-oriented Green individuals. Likewise, the energetic, visionary and outgoing Yellows highly differed from the logical, realistic and analytical Blue individuals.
It was absolutely fascinating to receive such an accurate and detailed explanation of how our primary and secondary colours affect how we work in differing professional environments, and how we dial up or down certain colours to better work within certain environments. I also found it immensely interesting to learn how different colours can alter their behaviour and approaches to better work as a team and aid each other in reaching our full potential. This workshop gave us a chance to discover more about ourselves, but just as importantly it taught us more about how to work together with people of differing work ethics and personalities in a team.
Alice C
Lower Sixth
Lower Sixth headed to Surrey University to engage with undergraduates and students taking their PhDs.
Read MoreOn Wednesday 6 September, Lower Sixth travelled to the University of Surrey, in Guildford, for an enlightening experience of the university lifestyle. We started off the day with an intriguing Q&A session, with students ranging from undergraduates all the way up to a student taking a PhD. This allowed many of us to receive detailed and fascinating answers to a number of questions asked about the university and the inevitable lifestyle change that comes with it.
The opportunity to speak to students on a more personal level than university open days allow, was a unique and fascinating one. Following on from this, we were then split into smaller groups and given a tour of the university’s extensive and decorative campus. The University of Surreyβs sizeable library, comfortable study nooks and scenic lake meant there was certainly a point of intrigue for everyone. Once we returned from the tour we finished the day by hearing about the lives of both a student taking a masters in politics and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.
This rare opportunity enriched our knowledge of the pathways following from being an undergraduate and hopefully will inspire many to consider the impressive work of masters and PhDs. Overall the day was an enhancing experience and helped many of us to look towards our futures, as well as gaining a copious amount of aspirations and goals to drive them through sixth form.
Milly C
Lower Sixth
Five of our recent alumnae returned to Sixth Form to speak to the students about their first two years at university.
Read MoreOn Tuesday during our Strandβs session, the Upper Sixth were treated to a visit from five of our recent alumnae who had returned to pass on all their inside information about their first two years at university. Our alumnae were:
They each gave an inspirational and advice filled presentation covering at variety of aspects of university life, including accommodation, budgeting, academic mindset, social life and extracurricular activities. The Upper Sixth gained a good deal of information which will undoubtedly support them as they make their UCAS choices. They were also able to pose more personal questions in small groups; many wanted to continue their conversations beyond the scheduled time. There were clear themes within the advice they gave, summarised below.
I am very proud of our ex-students, they are all incredibly charismatic wise young women, who undeniably embody our school motto βMay her character and talents inspire others.β
Mrs Susan Gower
Director of Sixth Form Experience
Our green-fingered Gardening Club girls have had fun harvesting their crops.
Read MoreOur gardening club started back again and the girls were so excited to harvest the vegetables. We have:
We hope to turn the amazing crops into something delicious!
Mrs Claire Bird
Junior Teacher of Art
We are so incredibly proud of the Astrogazers and the success of launching their weather balloons.
Read MoreEver since I was a child, Iβve dreamed of venturing into space, little did I know back then that I would one day be planning a mission for girls to send not just one, but two weather balloons to the edge of space! The success of Mission Aspiration was the result of immense dedication, tremendous hard work and meticulous planning and preparation.
The first mission of Astrogazers was to launch a weather balloon to an altitude of 36000m in June. Unfortunately, strong wind gusts led to a friction burn between the release cord and the parachute cord, resulting in an unsuccessful launch.
Despite Astrogazers running like a βwell-oiled machineβ, the launch failure gave us the opportunity to reflect on what worked and what could have been done better. As a result, Astrogazers became resilient, motivated, and determined to make the next launch successful. And we did just that!
Having launched βgeneration 1β payload in the penultimate week of the summer term, we agreed on a having longer launch window in September with University of Bath. We wanted to take advantage of the favourable wind speeds that September offered before the average wind speed increased closer to autumn. With less than a week to go before the summer holidays started, we planned to meet every week virtually to make plans for the upcoming mission, aptly named βMission Aspirationβ by Ms Davies. We bought a new kit to start building two βgeneration 2β payloads, each named after a pioneering female figure in Physics. The payloads were named Sharman payload and Bell-Burnell payload. It didn’t take long for Astrogazers to jump into action and begin planning for the upcoming launches. I was truly impressed by the dedication and commitment of the girls who attended weekly meetings during their summer holidays.
We had planned an early September launch, but an Atlantic weather front delayed us in the first week due to unfavourable winds. As our rescheduled launch date approached, we faced a mix of anticipation and anxiety. The wind conditions had improved, though rain was a potential concern. Finally, we had set a launch date, Tuesday 12 September.
Despite the weather warning, we remained composed and well-prepared for the mission. The payload team assembled Bell-Burnell with a remarkable 15 minutes to spare. Meanwhile, the weather team diligently monitored wind speeds and tracked payload trajectories. The marketing team had everything in place, setting up the live stream for a flawless start.
After initiating the countdown, we experienced a rollercoaster of emotions β from surprise and shock to happiness and anxiety, all intertwined with the hope that this time the mission would be successful. As the payload soared into the sky, our excitement grew as we eagerly tracked its trajectory. The flight predictor indicated a course towards Oxford, while the GPS tracker provided real-time position updates every 3 minutes, confirming its journey towards South Oxfordshire. These moments of anticipation and discovery made the adventure exciting. Mr Ting and Mr Kazi drove off towards Oxford and contacted the local Post Office to obtain permission to enter the private land where Bell-Burnell payload had landed. Mr Kazi managed to squeeze through a bush to access the field and retrieve the payload, he was soon joined by Mr Ting and Paul Harwood from the Post Office. Paul Harwood said that this was the most exciting thing that had happened in the village in quite some time and being an editor of the local village magazine, he decided to write a short article to feature in it. Paul Harwood will be sending me a copy of the magazine through the post which I will be sharing.
After the successful launch of Bell-Burnell payload, we were confident that we could obtain the same outcome with the Sharman payload. The two GPS trackers we planned to use failed to respond which led us straying away from the original plan. Just then, it started to rain! It felt for a moment, that the odds were against us. However, we dealt with the problem by finding a solution and having a backup GPS tracker that hadnβt been activated proved to be helpful. Since we had plenty of experience in assembling the payload, we were able to activate the GPS, call Mr King to authorise the subscription and attach it to the payload lid. Arya P and Ava P, quickly set up the GPS tracker and Sharman payload was ready!
We followed the same launch mechanism and soon after we had another successful launch. We eagerly tracked Sharman payload and we were slightly anxious as it got closer to its landing time. There were instances when the payload came perilously close to landing near busy roads or the River Thames. After waiting anxiously, we determined that the Sharman payload had landed in Lock Wood Forest which is privately owned. We got into the minibus to start chasing the payload, but we struggled to get in contact with the landowner and continued to drive towards south Oxfordshire. On route, I received a call from Andy who was working in Lock Wood Forest. To our astonishment, he reported that he had stumbled upon the payload. It was a stroke of luck that led him back to an area of the forest where he needed to clip a branch, a decision that otherwise wouldn’t have taken him to that spot, and our payload might have remained undiscovered. Just as Andy was about to fell a tree, which would have landed directly on the payload, he noticed the bright red parachute. Curious, he stepped away from his machinery, only to find the parachute connected to the payload perfectly seated on a tree stump! The payload was mere feet away from the River Thames, and the site had signs warning of danger to life due to tree felling. Andy had spent a month at Lock Wood Forest and was in his final week there, meaning there would be no one on-site thereafter. Additionally, the surrounding area was privately owned, making access seemingly impossible. After careful consideration, we agreed to meet halfway for the payload’s retrieval, settling on the unlikely location of the Tesco car park. It was a series of unexpected events and circumstances that led us to recover the Sharman payload.
We were lucky for many reasons! The payload didnβt land in River Thames, Andy had revisited the site where the trees had fell and spotted the parachute and payload in time before finishing his work, he prevented the payload from getting damaged by a tree and he followed the instructions on the payload to make contact. Andy will be getting a reward soon for finding Sharman payload.
The drive from Oxford to Croydon High School was filled with high spirit. We couldn’t resist the temptation to review the video footage captured by the Bell-Burnell payload. The moment we glimpsed the awe-inspiring view from the edge of space, we erupted in shouts of delight.
Mission Aspiration is a proof that with determination and dedication, you can accomplish anything. The mission has been incredibly rewarding and the response from the girls, parents and the school community has been deeply moving. Throughout the mission, a question that has frequently arisen is what motivates me to pursue this mission. My response is that I undertake this journey for the girls, and I aspire to offer girls the opportunities I wished I had myself.
Huge thank you to Jemca Toyota Croydon for sponsoring our Netball and Hockey Tour of South Africa.
Read MoreWe are so pleased and grateful to Jemca Toyota Croydon for sponsoring our Netball and Hockey Tour of South Africa later this year.
Our School Minibus service offers an efficient and flexible option designed to help families with journeys to and from school. Minibus travel is offered to pupils in Year 3 and up.
The service is managed on our behalf by Vectare, a specialist school transport management company. All bookings for our school bus routes are made via our online booking system, which can be accessed atΒ croydonhigh.vectare.co.uk.
The website allows you to book travel 24/7 from anywhere, meaning that if you need to leave early for work one morning or are running late and you would like one of our students to travel on a school bus as a one off, you can make a booking right up until the route is due to depart. Payment for the school bus service is made at the time of booking, so there is no need for pupils to carry cash.