School History - 2005

January 7th
We arranged for Cascada to visit our school last week. They led the children in vibrant song and percussion.
We have helped devise a joint training initiative for many schools in the local area. This will lead to a performance at the Bishop’s Waltham Festival in the summer term. Year 6 chldren will be the focus for this project. They will have a number of workshops with the Cascada group. The project has supplied us with 23 African drums to use in the future. We are very excited about the possibilities. [School newsletter].

Children sort their lunchtime waste to discover the secrets of a compostible lunchbox.

May 12th
Ridgemede Swim Teams: Gold Medal Success!
Having qualified in the Hampshire round of the Bazuka National Swimming Championships for Primary Schools, three of the Ridgemede School swim teams were in action again at the Southern Division Gala at the Quays in Southampton on Sunday 9th May. Sixteen schools from Hants, Dorset and Sussex were competing in each of the freestyle and medley 4x25m relay events to try and qualify for the National Championships at Ponds Forge Pool in Sheffield on the 18th June. At this regional gala, the girl’s team… swam well in their heat but did not quite manage a place in the final. The boy’s medley (mixed stroke) team had a superb swim and gained a place in the final but unfortunately had to pull out due to a torn arm muscle. This left the onus on the boy’s freestyle team to swim their way to Sheffield.
With the heats over, the Ridgemede team… were lying in second place and were allocated lane 5 in the final, next to their main rivals.
From starting gun to finish, their dives, swims and take-overs were all brilliant and the team powered their way to first place in an improved time of 1 minute 03.98 seconds!
The whole squad erupted into applause and the parents on the balcony went wild! All that training had paid off, Ridgemede had made it to the National Championships! [School newsletter].

June 15th
The staff and Governors at Ridgemede have decided that it is time for us to update our school logo. The oak leaf symbol has served us well but we think it would be good for our school community to offer ideas for a new design that we can use on our school stationary, uniform and new school signs.
At the end of this term we will be saying goodbye to Mrs Young and Miss Moorhouse. Mrs Young is retiring after working at Ridgemede School since 1990 and Miss Moorhouse is moving away from the area and has a new job in London. We will miss them both next year and would like to wish them well in their new adventures. [School newsletter].

The summer includes a number of themed days based around creativity and enquiry. Children also take part in the Bishop's Waltham festival, displaying the drumming skills they have developed.

November
A group of singers join from other children across Hampshire to take part in the Junior Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

December 2nd
The Christmas Fayre on Saturday was very successful raising nearly £1,500. This money will go towards purchasing sound and lighting equipment for future school productions. [School newsletter].

December 9th
The children (and Miss Manchester and Miss Rogers) have been working very hard to get ready for this year’s Christmas performance called ‘Peace Child’. [School newsletter].

Ridgemede Staff, 2005

Eric Halton (Headteacher)
Gen Marsh (Deputy Head)
Gill Cooper
Janet Young (until July)
Monica Carter
Lynne Hope
Rachel Moorhouse (until July)
Harriet Manchester
Elizabeth Rye
Sarah Martin
Katy Rogers
Katie Beaney
Jon Senior
Jo Sudbury (from September)

Jackie Tredré
Julie Hopgood
Leslie McLay
Debbie Barclay
Jeannette Mars
Debbie Simpson
Julie Johnson
Karen Langston
Hannah Broomer
Claire Davey
Sarah May-Miller

Liz Channon (Administration officer)
June Harding (Assistant administration officer)
Debbie Holley (Assistant administration officer)
Graham Newton (caretaker)
Lynne Bate (assistant caretaker) (from July)
Susan Stoop (cleaner)
Sharon Burt (cleaner)
Sam Baldwin (librarian & technician)