On Saturday 27 January 2024, 14 pupils from Croydon High School (Juniors and Seniors) accompanied by Mrs Karteepan, Mrs Krishnamurthy, Mrs Nathanael and Mrs Abrahams took part in the Galactic Challenge in Bede’s School in East Sussex.
Galactic Challenge gives young people the chance to experience space, science and engineering first hand through industry simulation. This competition is the junior version of the UK Space Design Competition and the objective was to design a space settlement in low earth orbit.

Croydon High pupils were split across 3 companies out of the 5 companies that were formed. The pupils gained the experience of working in a large team in a highly pressurised environment. It is no surprise that our girls took the lead in presenting part of the final presentation to the judges in their respective companies.

Some of our junior pupils from Year 6 got elected to present their ideas on stage to the judges. This was indeed a proud moment for us!

One of the many highlights was, Ahaana (Y9), who was elected as Vice President of Engineering in her company named Infinity. During the presentation, Ahaana and Riya explained the structural design of their space settlement design mimicking a beehive. The judges were particularly impressed with the e-ink windows and security ideas. Ahaana did a brilliant job in answering the questions from the judges and backed her ideas with scientific explanations. Ahaana led her company to victory winning the judges approval along with her fellow Croydon High peers, Riya, Mahathi, Mahi, and Sophie.

This is what our girls had to say about their experience:

“I really enjoyed my experience at the Galactic Challenge, I learnt the largest size that a satellite can be before falling out of orbit is the size of a rugby pitch! I really enjoyed our practice sessions in Croydon High where we got to know each other, and the challenges that we might face. I came out of this with a head full of thoughts and lots of new friends.”
Sophie

“The galactic challenge was an incredible experience which I’ll never forget. It was a bit intense towards the end but we managed to do it anyway. I learnt a lot of interesting facts about space on the day which I’d have never found out about otherwise. I also made a lot of new friends and it was great fun working with them!”
Misha

“The Galactic Challenge was a wonderful opportunity for us to understand how to use our knowledge about space to create a settlement that is able to support life outside Earth. Working with new people who we had never met before was an enjoyable way to understand how to collaborate and develop teamwork skills which will help us in the future. We worked in an amazing environment, where we, in addition to learning about astronomy, found out whether we are better at designing, or at research.”
Sara

“The Galactic Challenge was an amazing experience for me. As well as using our existing knowledge to design our space settlement, we learned lots of new things. For example, I learnt about anaerobic digestion, the process by which organic waste is broken down in an oxygen free environment to generate energy.”
Arya

“I found the galactic challenge a wonderful way to meet new people and learn new things about necessities in a settlement and a bit about astronomy. I learned how to work well with people and to communicate better when in a team. I loved meeting new people and working with them. All in all, it was a great experience to be creative and collaborate.”
Mahi

“I found the Galactic Challenge to be a really interesting experience – I hadn’t done anything like it before and I am happy that I was able to take part! Being vice president of my team was quite hard because I had to help control and plan out what people’s roles were and the things we needed to do before a certain time, but I would say that overall it was really nice to be answering and asking questions with the people in our team. My main highlight would definitely be our team winning the competition! It showed me that even though everyone was a bit chaotic, (especially some of the boys in the group), our hard work and effort paid off. I hope that we will be able to do something like this again in the future!”
Ahaana

“The day was exciting and tense, and not to mention, very stressful. The boys were even more so! I was able to learn how to manage tasks in timed pressure and I got to work with others of different ages. All of the work was ultimately worth it as we won first place but I will definitely remember this experience for next time.”
Riya

Mrs Arabi Karteepan
Head of Physics

Mrs Maya Krishnamurthy
Head of Enterprise Technology – Junior School

Year 9 took part in a series of workshops to learn about how and why the Holocaust happened. We followed the stories of different groups that had been targeted by the Nazis and their collaborators. This included learning the story of a British survivor, Leon Greenman. We explored how a series of events led to Leon, his wife Else and two-year-old son Barney, arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Else and Barney were brutally murdered on arrival in the gas chambers and Leon selected for work. In order that the world did not forget the horrors of the Holocaust, Leon gave regular talks to school children about his experiences, and also wrote a book, An Englishman in Auschwitz.

The story of the Greenmans was followed by exploring an interactive timeline of Nazi Germany. From this we were able to ascertain what the Holocaust was and the events that led to the ‘Final Solution.’ Although the Holocaust refers specifically to the systematic murder of Jews, we learnt about other equally important groups targeted by Hitler including Roma, Black people and gay men.

Finally, Year 9 covered the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by British forces on 15th April 1945. We listened to Richard Dimbleby broadcast as the troops entered the camp. The BBC initially refused to play his report, as they could not believe the scenes he had described, and it was only broadcast after Dimbleby threatened to resign.

In the afternoon Year 9 were able to respond to the day through creating memorials to remember the victims of the Holocaust. Alongside artwork, some very thoughtful poetry, prose and music was created and shared in assembly. We were incredibly impressed with the standard of work and their maturity in handling this very difficult topic. A special mention for Alisha, Arielle C, Arielle C-H, Flo H, Gabby, Hanna M, Isla, Loveleen, Lula, Mariayah, Naima, Natalya, Rachel, Ruby and Taya, who spent their afternoon planning or contributing to a fantastic and informative assembly for the whole school on Monday.

Ms. Katy Fenwick
Head of History

Cynthia was six in 1939 when Britain entered World War II and twelve in 1945 when the war ended. This positioned her perfectly to enhance Year 9’s understanding of our current topic on the Blitz. She shared a reading from her new book, “Seeking Shelter: Memoir of a Jewish Girlhood in Wartime Britain,” and took questions from the room. She explained how, during the Blitz, she and her mother made the short journey from Croydon to Godstone after witnessing the bombing and hearing of the loss of life on Addiscombe Road, a short distance from where they lived. Cynthia found a sense of safety in Godstone, escaping the necessity of enduring the dreaded Anderson shelter, which she had spent numerous nights in at her Croydon home. However, she was less impressed with having to be taught alongside boys! Upon returning to Croydon, Cynthia shared with us a harrowing incident where a V2 bomb landed near her and her mother as they were on their way to Croydon High School, marking the most terrifying experience of her life. Her story certainly brought to life the impact of the Blitz on young children.

Year 9 also had the opportunity to ask Cynthia about her time at Croydon High. She shared her pride in being a Croydon High girl, expressing her love for the uniform and the enduring friendships she had formed. It was heartening to learn that she had made friends for life and never lost touch with her Croydon High besties, despite eventually moving to America. It was lovely to hear from Cynthia and we continue to share extracts from her very informative book in our History lessons.

Ms. Katy Fenwick
Head of History

We were lucky enough to have attended talks from Professor Mentchen from Cambridge University and Dr Poetzsch from Bristol University. The talks stretched and challenged our learning techniques and knowledge of the language in entertaining (and unexpected) ways.

This included a confident-speaking workshop and even learning a spell on how to heal a horse in Althochdeutsch (medieval German). A favourite of ours was the warm-up for the drama workshop in which we had to find a partner and shout “Du machst das Fenster auf!” (You are opening the window!) in a given tone (frustrated/ sad/ happy).

The day was really engaging, and there was lots of opportunity to talk to other students from other schools from across London in German.

Malina J
Lower Sixth

The annual Articulation Prize invites those aged between 16 and 19 to deliver a 10-minute presentation to an audience about a work of art, architecture or an artefact in a museum or gallery setting. The adjudicator was D.Wiafe, Artist, educator and Course Leader BA (Hons) Commercial Photography, London College of Communication. His work in brand partnership projects (Converse, Jigsaw, Capture One) has provided platforms for young talent in photography to innovate in branded content, community initiatives and cultural projects.

Madeline chose to talk about the artist Sarah Meyers-Brent and her piece ‘Ooze IV’, her delivery was authentic, passionate, and delivered with confidence and we could not be prouder!

^{Sarah Meyers-Brent: Ooze IV, 2016, Paint, Cloth, Foam, Frame and Mixed Media, 31.5″ x 73″}

Here is just a section of Madeline’s thought-provoking presentation:

‘Everything in nature grows, and then it decays. It is the essence of the cycle of life and there is a very delicate balance between the two that I will be exploring today, out of growth or decay – which do you think is more important? Which one do you perceive as being more beautiful? As a whole, we all try to avoid decay. But decay is what enforces the fact that everything has mutability, that everything has impermanence and the duality of growth and decay working simultaneously is a pertinent characteristic of nature that is presented in the works of artist Sarah Meyers-Brent. Brent’s art challenges and expands our understanding of these concepts, not just as mere subjects but a profound reflection on natural disasters, environmental destruction, and the human condition. In her works, the distinction between painting and sculpture becomes blurred, creating an amorphous experience that envelops and transforms the available space that she is presented with. She is known for using materials such as recycled fabrics, paint rags and decaying flowers, the materials she uses are often brittle, disintegrating – yet beautiful – a homage to the fragility of our environment and the impermanence of life itself. The natural elements of the piece will continue to deteriorate, whilst the painting preserves the snapshot of life, highlighting the opposing elements of existence. Sarah Meyers-Brent’s art is a deliberate message, weaving together the transience of life and the evitability of decay’.

Mrs Elizabeth Smith
Head of Art & 3D Design
Director of Teaching & Learning

Reception were excited to visit Selsdon Library this week. During our visit we learnt about how to become a member of the library, how to take care of our books and that children can borrow up to 25 library books at one time. The librarian, Cathryn shared a pop up rhyming version of Goldilocks with us linked to our topic on Traditional Tales as well as the Fairytale Mix Up book which creates different versions of familiar stories.

Mrs Amanda-Jane D’Aranjo
Reception Class Teacher
Early Years Leader

Professor Andrew Coates came to give a very exciting lecture about what affects the weather in space and also gave us an insight into his ongoing research about the possibility of there being life on Mars in the past!

We first discussed neutral particles in the atmosphere as well as the different layers that the atmosphere is composed of. From lowest to highest, the major layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere.

Then we talked about the effects of solar winds on phenomena such as the Northern and Southern lights. Both the Northern and Southern lights are caused by the interaction of gases in Earth’s atmosphere and with the solar winds. Solar winds are a stream of electrically charged particles, called ions, that shoot out from the Sun in all directions.

Next, we dove into “The Realm of Plasma”… And not the kind you study in Biology! The universe is made up of something known as space plasma, which is the fourth state of matter after solids, liquids and gases. Space plasma generates its own electric current and can even conduct electricity better than metals!

We discovered that there are Auroras on other planets with a magnetic field (not just Earth) and even saw some computer generated images of what the Auroras on Jupiter and Saturn would look like.

Afterwards we learned about the importance of the magnetosphere and how it helps the Earth develop into a planet that could support life by preventing harmful solar radiation and cosmic radiation from reaching the Earth.

Then we went on to explore the very exciting topic of the top locations for life beyond Earth! There have been signs of water on the surface of Mars about 3.8 billion years ago and it has an existing kind of magnetic field, acting as evidence that it once had a dipolar magnetic field like the Earth. It is also home to the largest volcano in the entire solar system!

The basic requirements for life are liquid water, essential elements (Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus and Sulphur), a source of heat, as well as sufficient time for life to develop. All of these factors are thought to have been present on Mars about 4 billion years ago so it is very possible that there was once life on Mars, just a long long time ago!

Finally, to end what had been a very informative presentation and discussion, we had the opportunity to have a question and answer session with Professor Coates, who gave us some valuable answers to our many many questions!

All of us at Astrogazers just wanted to say a huge thank you for coming in and teaching us all about your research! It was really interesting to find out more about the weather in space and exciting to think about the prospect of potentially meeting some aliens in the future… or maybe that’s a little bit of a stretch! Who knows?

Anaiya S
Astrogazers Crew Operations & Resources Engineer

Fit Feb is now underway, so don’t forget to upload this week’s your kms on the Google Form or email fitfeb@cry.gdst.net by Sunday 4 February 2024.

How to take part

Whether it’s running, Yoga, HIIT or golf, you can rack up those kms or convert your workout using our activity conversion chart. At the end of each week, please submit your distances.

Pupils and staff can fill out a weekly Google Form and those without access can email fitfeb@cry.gdst.net

Please include the following information in your email:

• Distance (km)
• House or Croydon High School Group
• Evidence (screenshot of the fitness app workout or photo of details on the fitness machine)

Google Form* and email submissions dates and times:

• Sunday 4 Feb by 3pm
• Sunday 11 Feb by 3pm
• Sunday 18 Feb by 3pm
• Sunday 25 Feb by 3pm
• Thursday 29 Feb by 11.59pm

View all information about Fit Feb here and be ready to get active!

_{*Google Forms will be sent out for each week, so keep an eye out in your emails.}

Mrs Sue Beck
Head of Community & PE Department

Anna Mahtani, Class of 1993

Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Anna went to Leeds University as an undergraduate to study English Literature but discovered philosophy there and switched her degree. She went on to study at Oxford and Birkbeck before moving to Sheffield to write a PhD on the epistemic theory of vagueness. She then took up a British Academy post-doctoral position at Oxford before moving to the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2013. In 2015, she won a Philip Leverhulme Prize for researchers at an early stage of their careers whose work has had an international impact and whose future research career is exceptionally promising – to use for any research purpose. She has published on a wide range of topics, including vagueness, imaginative resistance, formal epistemology, and welfare economics.

Anna works on the philosophy of language at LSE, along with decision theory, formal epistemology and welfare economics, and the relationship between these areas.

Anna has just published The Objects of Credence. The credence (degrees of belief, subjective probabilities) framework is used by scientists and social scientists in almost all disciplines, including economics and political theory, and it underpins policy choices in healthcare, transport, education, and numerous other areas. The Objects of Credence brings to light a simple yet deep insight with profound theoretical and policy implications.

We caught up with Anna recently for a Q&A session:

What aspects of Croydon High School did you enjoy and find most rewarding?

I liked lots of the subjects and have some very happy memories of English and maths lessons in particular. I found the social side more difficult… I think I was a bit weird in the days when being weird was definitely not cool! But I found my feet more in the sixth form and really enjoyed spending time in the art block and acting in the school plays. I also made a good group of friends in the sixth form: we used to call ourselves the ‘untrendies’!

What did you aspire to whilst at school?

I had lots of aspirations, one of which was to become a teacher – and as it turns out, a big part of my current job does involve teaching, but at a university rather than a school. Another of my aspirations was to get onto an English Literature degree at Oxford, which didn’t happen, but it quickly became apparent that this was a gift: I went to Leeds instead, where I had the time of my life, discovered philosophy thanks to some inspirational lecturers, and was thoroughly supported in my future career.

How did Croydon High School empower you for your future?

I don’t think I did leave school feeling particularly ‘empowered’, but my confidence has grown gradually over the years. Things that have helped have included finding good role models, building up experience, and making good connections with peers.

What has been your proudest moment?

I’m proud of lots of things that I don’t really deserve the credit for, like my wonderful children. But as to being proud of myself, I feel like that when I have taken on a task that I’m a bit scared of – whether speaking in front of a large audience or committing to writing a book – and found that I can do it. Usually, the things that have seemed really daunting turn out to be totally doable if I just break it down into steps.

What are your hopes for the future?

At the LSE, our work is not supposed to be ‘ivory tower’ stuff but is supposed to connect up to the real world. We say that it should be ‘socially relevant’. My new project is very much on these lines, as it is about dementia and decision theory. There are all sorts of interesting questions here – about who should be making the decisions that affect a person with dementia and what should happen when a person’s life-long values do not seem to fit with their current preferences. I’m talking to lots of people affected by these issues, and hope that philosophy can offer some useful tools for people making these difficult decisions every day.

What would you say to your younger self?

I think I’d tell myself to stop worrying! Young people can feel under so much pressure to get everything right and not make any mistakes. But now I know that actually there are plenty of second chances and lots of different routes to where you want to get to. That’s what I’d say to my 15-year-old self, but I’m not sure if she would have listened!

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Yes! I have a great memory of Mr Vickery – maybe in form time? – giving us a puzzle to think about. This really caught my attention, and I had a big argument about it with a classmate (now Professor Charlotte Deane!). When I got to university, I found out that the puzzle was really about the opacity of certain linguistic contexts. And this topic is central to my recent work and a big theme in the book I’ve just written. So, thank you to Mr Vickery for that!

Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager