Hi everyone!
We are continuing our blog for Year 8 but it will be on the main Red Maids' site. Please follow this link on the right hand side of the page then click on the 'Senior' tab. All our blogs can be found there.
See you soon!

Hello everyone!

Well this is my last blog ever as a Year 7! It's been an amazing year, full of adventures and excitement. When I look back, the best thing was meeting all these new people and also, I guess, learning new things at school. I can't believe I'm going to be in Year 8 soon. We all agreed the other day that this year has gone so fast.

We had a games afternoon with QEH last week which was really fun. We played this game called shepherds and sheep. The boys were blindfolded and we had to lead them into the pen just by talking to them and instructing them where to go. It was really interactive and taught us to work together as a team. It all went really smoothly. When we finished the games we all went into the dining room and we were supposed to ask each other set questions but everyone just chatted really which was much more sociable.

We still don't know who our tutor is next year but we know Miss Hannah is our new head of year. We are going to find out our tutor this week. I felt a bit sad having to take home all my bags and books and clear out our lockers. I found a few Christmas cards when I was clearing up and an overdue book. The best bit was finding some chocolate buttons I had forgotten about so I had them for my break! They weren't too old!

Well I hope to carry on next year so keep reading for the exciting adventures of a Year 8!

Have a great summer!

Hi there!
Three weeks to go till the end of term! I cannot believe I am nearly at the end of being a Year 7. It's been a really busy year and it feels like centuries ago that I was in primary school. This year has gone really fast though because we have done so much.

Looking back my favourite things have been meeting lots of new people and learning loads of new stuff. In science for example, we have done Chemistry, Biology and Physics instead of just Science. We have done quite a few practicals which I had never done before I came here. We have been making gargoyles in Art and this has been really fun. We had to look on the internet for images of gargoyles and bring them in to give ourselves inspiration. They did remind me of Doctor Who's Stone Angels though which is really scary...

Next week we are going to see 'A Misummer Nights' Festival' at QEH which is a Sheakespeare play given a Glastonbury twist. I still have to finish my history prioject on Brunel so I might do some extra work on it tonight.

My puppy is doing really well and growing fast but he has been a bit snappy in the last few days. I think I will need to take him out for some giant walks in the holidays.

See you soon.

Hi there!

Sorry its been so long but when I tell you what's happened you'll see why.

Well, the first week was exam week. There was so much revising to do that it was quite boring at times. The actual exams were much better because you didn't have to bring in your books, you just sat there and scribbled all day. The teachers were really sympathetic and kept repeating things like "Remember to read all the questions" and "Always check how many marks each question is worth" and "Your best will be good enough"! All around Year 7's area there were posters saying good luck and Mrs Gupta sent each class a card!

Getting the results was really nerve-racking. I was shaking when I got my French because I really wanted to do well in it. I was pleased with most of them in the end. Maths didn't go very well but I had trouble with the first section.

Half term was a big relief and was very relaxing. I saw a brilliant film called "The King's Speech". It was great seeing the main guy conquer his fears. When he couldn't get his words out you felt really sorry for him. I think it was the highlight. My brother had to revise all over half term but I could just slow down and have a fun time - and there is lots to look forward to now. There is a disco next week with QEH and then the week after we have "Team-building" for a whole afternoon which is basically lots of games outside.

We made these really cool things in ICT with Mrs Bramley-Dymond called "Dingbats". Its a bit hard to explain but its a picture you see AND read at the same time. If you've seen 'Cathphrase' on TV its a bit like that. Here's an example...

0...2,3,4 is the image you see and the answer is 'no-one.

Geddit?!

See you soon!

Hi there!

I'm really sorry, I don't have time to write anything this week - I'm too busy revising for my exams!

They will all be over by half term so when we come back in June I will be able to tell you all about my week off!

See you then.

Hi everyone!

It's getting nearer ... exam time I mean. I started my revision on Saturday and I am experimenting with different techniques to see what works best and have found 'my preferred learning style' as Mrs Gupta would say. I make up a story about the sentence I am trying to learn so, for instance, I made one up about longitude and latitude and its proving quite helpful. I am looking forward to English because we are going to write a few paragraphs based on a range of subjects because it is a 'skills based' subject.

I can see the sixth form doing their exams in the Lecture Theatre now. They are sitting there in complete silence scribbling away. We have to walk past quietly so that we don't disturb them. I can recognise some of the House Captains but they are not laughing and smiling the way they do when we do House Netball! Apparently they are doing the International Baccalaureate which is like A levels but not.

At the weekend I will be doing revision but I am also going to see my Auntie's new baby. She is only a few weeks old so I am going to take a little rabbit toy. We left it on the kitchen chair yesterday and my dog got hold of it and took it outside so my mum has had to wash it. Luckily he didn't do too much damage.

Wish me luck!

Hi there,

Well did you see it? The Royal Wedding of course! I woke up at half past seven and even though I was packing as well because we were going to Wales, I managed to see most of it. The tense build up was really amazing. I made sure I was sitting nearest the TV and my mum brought in croissants, fruit and tea and the folks had a fizzy drink thing which was quite nice. My dog really needed the toilet at a crucial moment so my dad took him out because he wasn't really bothered about the whole thing, but my mum and I were glued to the TV from the first moment the guests were arriving.

The first highlight of the day for me was when 'Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge' got out of the car. I absolutely loved her dress. It was 'stylish trad' and she was trending the lace on her arms! When she walked down the aisle, Harry (what a sauce boss!) turned round to look at her. William kept his cool the whole way through, even when the ring got a bit stuck on Kate's knuckle.

The Queen stole the show. She looked like a custard cream - a posh one of course! When she got out of the car she got out of the wrong side, even though the footman opened the other door. Pippa Middleton looked really beautiful - she had a lovely cowl thing and it made her look so pretty! Her brother looked really classy and although I didn't understand what he was reading out it sounded great.

The best of all, though, was the balcony kiss! It was a bit planned the first time but William looked more enthusiastic the second time. By the time we were watching this my mum was crying, my dog was snoring and my brothers were making lots of jokes about it.

Oh and one more thing...I have just seen on the internet that the nun sitting next to Kate and Wills was wearing black Nikes. How weird is that?

Good afternoon!
Well the holidays went as quick as a horse at Badminton! My holiday was awesome because I went to the trials and I saw Mary King who came third. I think she might go to the Olympics and do showjumping and eventing.
I watched two really good films; 'Avatar' (which I didn't want to watch at first but I ended up enjoying) and 'The Blind Side' with Sandra Bullock. It was a true story and really touching and although it was really sad at first, it got really happy at the end. My friend saw 'Red Riding Hood' at the cinema and she said it was the best film ever.
The biggest piece of news I have is - I HAVE A DOG! He is chocolate coloured with white bits dotted around. He is a cocker spaniel and he is the same size as a loaf of bread! He is eleven weeks old and will be allowed out in nine days time. I can't wait to walk him with my friends dog.
School is great. Mr Cooper has grown a beard and he looks a bit like David Beckham - not sure if he plays football as well though! Exams are coming up which means all our homeworks are going to be revision. I think everyone will get grumpier as the weeks go by.
We made bolognaise in Food Tech today. It was absolutely hilarious because the smell of seventeen chopped onions at the same time in one room was awful! I don't know if my family will eat what I have made - it looks a bit dodgy!
See ya!

Hi there, Well, this is the last week before the Easter holidays. I am really excited because I am going skiing and I'm getting a puppy! It's been a busy week at school. We had House netball and we painted war paint on our faces. I don't think our team played very well but we had a lot of fun. In maths we made 3-dimensional objects which was actually really fun! We were allowed to listen to music from Jessie J and Willow Smith while we were making them. Last week I went to see Kylie Minogue in concert. She was amazing and her costumes were gorgeous - especially when she dressed up as a Greek goddess! I have just realised that my mother's ancestors were merchants, so that's my Fact For The Day! Have a great holiday!

Hello everyone,

Well, the Junior School are doing their play at the moment and everyone likes watching them practice. It is called 'Oink' and one of the girls has to do a solo dressed up as a crocodile which must be quite a challenge. The set is like a painted field and we can see the caretakers painting it ... it looks really cool.

Yesterday we had English which is great at the moment ... we have started 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and we get to read out different parts and say them with expression and charisma. Everyone wants to do Demetrius or Helena although there are lots of good parts.

Got to rush today - late with some homework!

Hi there!

Well today is Teddy Bear Day! This means that you can bring in your teddy for £1 and the money goes to charity. I have got mine next to me now. He's a Tatty Teddy with a patch on his forehead and really small eyes. The reason I brought him in is because he is my favourite. He's a good portable size and really cute. We were taught a bit about the history of the teddy bear in RM7 assembly and I found out that they were inspired by Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, the American president. He was going to shoot a bear one day but it was tied to a rock and he felt bad about it so didn't. Someone - I think they were called the Mitchums - made a replica bear to remember the whole incident and it really caught on.

We had parents evening this week and I didn't go but waited eagerly at home. When my parents got out of the car I put my thumbs up hopefully and for a joke they stuck their thumbs down! I shrieked and then they started laughing because luckily it went well!

We are going on an awesome French trip - or le trip francais as I like to call it. We are going to Normandy where we will be making biscuits and we will be going to a boulangerie where we have to do some real shopping in French. I'm not sure what sort of place we're staying in yet but I will let you know! It's in July so it could be HOT.

See you soon!

Hi there!

Well two really important things have happened since I last wrote to you - Half Term and Justin Bieber's birthday!

1. Half Term.

This seemed so long in coming because of the cold that on the first morning I woke up and kept muttering "I can't believe it, I can't believe it!" Time seems to go quite quickly when it is so special so I tried to pack in as much as possible. I went to the cinema with my mates and we saw "Never Say Never" the Justin Bieber movie which was an absolute blast. Justin danced a lot in front of his screaming fans and a lot of them were crying. I think I would probably cry if I saw him too! After the movie we went for a Macdonald Chicken Mayo which I spilt all over the floor... We did also have to see my family in Wales which was ok.



2. Justin Bieber's Birthday.

This was on March 1st and he turned 17. I haven't really found out exactly what he did on his birthday yet but I know he wanted to get a mini motorbike. Last year he was bought two cars. The Range Rover was from Usher who signed him and the Lamborghini from P Diddy. I am quite a fan of him as you can see and really want to see him in concert. His hair has changed recently. It used to be all long but he has had it cut off and now it has a big spikey bit at the front. I bet that is quite annoying day to day!

Got to go - its registration!

Hi everyone!

Well, we have to be at school at 7.45 in the morning tomorrow! This is because we have to drive for an hour to get to the Royal High School in Bath where we are due to play netball. Netball is really fun but I have been put in a position I have never played before so I am a bit nervous! I won't tell you what it is because you could guess who I am!

Science today was really cool. We cut out pictures of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds and fish - the five animal kingdoms - then we made displays which will help us to remember the groups. I didn't realise that dinosaurs were reptiles - the word 'dinosaur' means 'bad reptile' apparently!

Music is good at the moment. We are learning 'Rooster Rag'. It is a really upbeat song, set on a farm (unsurprisingly) and the words on the music are really confusing because they are all over the place. We also do work on the Apple Mac Sibelius programme where we have to compose our own piece of music with a partner. We have to call them really random names so we can remember them. Mine is "The Man-eating Trainers Specialising in Bananas". My friend has called hers "Dave".

Counting down to half term now. Less than two weeks to go. I'm looking for a sleepover this weekend - don't know why its called that cos I never get any sleep!

Ta ta!

Well!

The cake sale was HECTIC! When you are dealing with money and cakes at the same time it is really complicated. You have to try to keep an eye on who is buying what and everyone is really eager to buy. We must have had most of the school queuing up. The Year 11's came first and there were a mass of Year 8's who turned up all at once. Everyone was staring at all the cakes and seemed to take ages to make up their mind. I was exhausted afterwards and there was a lot of cleaning up to do. There were a few cakes left but only one cookie!

We've started Art this week. We did tone and texture and Mr Johnston showed us what previous students have done with photography. One was an underwater picture of a girl who was holding her breath and her hair was everywhere. It looked really scary and creative and a bit chilling!

I read an amazing book last night. It was called "Boys don't Cry" by Malorie Blackman and it was really modern and it tells the story of a boy getting his A Level results but instead he finds out that he is a father! I had to read it non-stop and I am lending it to my friend.

The new Sixth Form Centre is nearly done. I am eagerbeaver to see it now and quite jealous of the Sixth Form!

See you soon.

Hi again!

Well we had our puzzle afternoon with QEH Year 7 and it was pretty amusing. It was quite frantic moving around the hall to take part in all the games like 'Mother Sheep', 'Rush Hour' and Chess. Rush Hour is a game where you get a car and you have to position the cars in a certain way on the board. Then you have to get the Red Car, which is trapped in the middle and you have to move all the other cars. It didn't really encourage teamwork because you had to work on your own. One boy on our table got a bit stuck and the sixth former had to step in and help. He was quite geeky and knew all the games backwards. I managed to avoid playing chess because the rules are so confusing. There were a few bang-tidy boys!

The food has really gone up a notch recently. I think its because they are trying new recipes. Pesto chicken with garlic and rosemary mash is now my number one meal, shortly followed by the lemon salmon with puy lentils.

We have decided in registration to say something random instead of 'Yes' when the register is called out. So now we say something personal each time, so today for instance we said our favourite charity - mine is Unicef!

We are having a cake sale on Friday and I have decided to make a Rocky Road cake. Its going to be in the Dining Hall at break on Friday so see you there - except you won't know who I am, hee hee!

Well hello again.



Just had a frustrating 10 minutes trying to get the computer to work. I think computers have moods ...



Well, we had a French test today. My chair in the classroom was really squeaky so when I went to put my test on the desk, the chair made a funny and annoyingly squidgy noise and everyone looked at me. The questions were easy if you had revised a lot (which obviously I had!) and were about lives, pets, siblings - common stuff for everyone. I am a bit worried about the results, although my last test went pretty well.



House Hockey last Wednesday was the wettest I've ever been but it was really good because I like representing my House (my House Captains are very encouraging) and it was really good fun getting so muddy. When I got home my mum told me I wasn't allowed upstairs with my shoes on. I then went to the toilet upstairs and the mud trailed up the stairs and let's just say she wasn't happy!



We had the special meal at lunchtime today. It was AMAZING! It was salmon and it looked incredible, with little crispy things on top of it and the salmon was on cabbagy/leeky things and it came with loads of mashed potato. The mash had a real kick to it - I think there was cheese in it!



Got to go now - Science next and its a long way away ...

Hello everyone!

Well, here we are back at school after a really long and exciting holiday! My holidays were FAB because Bristol was gridlocked due to the snow so I had to stay at home, eat yummy food and watch loads of DVDs. Wasn't it great that it was a White Christmas? My snowman lasted for ages. I hope your presents were as excellent as mine were. I got a camera and my own tree which my parents said I have to look after. Hope it doesn't die!

Even though I am sad that the holidays have ended, it is great to be back at school. We had a really funny assembly on Friday when the Classics teachers dressed up in Roman costumes and were really funny: "Infamy, infamy - they've all got it infamy!" Mrs Gupta managed to kill Julius Caesar which was her target I think.

We are doing board games with QEH next week. We are all saying to each other how much we aren't looking forward to it ... but we think everyone secretly is!

More later - the fire alarm has just gone off!