NEWS GREENSHAW. Action-packed visit to Marchants Hill. December 2016

G R E E N S H AW December 2016 NEWS Action-packed visit to Marchants Hill Our Year 7 students headed for a few days to PGL in Marchants Hill near Hi...
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G R E E N S H AW December 2016

NEWS

Action-packed visit to Marchants Hill Our Year 7 students headed for a few days to PGL in Marchants Hill near Hindhead in November. The aim of the trips was to provide students with physical, social and personal challenges, whilst promoting core team values with practical tasks to create a positive, confidence-building experience. The vast range of exciting activities which the students tackled included a challenge course, zip wire, vertical challenge, Jacob’s ladder, orienteering, the trapeze and the giant swing, amongst others. The students’ favourite activity was the raft building, where they worked together in groups to build and race their own rafts. Additionally, they were treated to evening entertainments such as singing around the campfire.

This is what some of the students said: Clara: “It was funny when my friend fell in the water!” Hollie: “We had a brilliant time working together as a team.” Megan: “It was so cool because we got to try out so many different activities.” Laura: “I loved every activity, but the zip wire was by far my favourite.” Anneke: “The zip wire was terrifying at first, but when you stepped off the platform, it was the best thing ever!” Shannon: “I loved the food!”

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In brief

n Fright night! Our Year 10 GCSE Drama group organised a Halloween event as a fundraiser for the production of Macbeth at the Shakespeare Schools Festival. The girls’ creative spirit bought to life two themed rooms of fortune tellers, not-so-cute dolls and zombies. They also prepared some spooky treats for participants and raised an amazing £260 for the drama department. Well done to all involved.

n Exploring the Docklands Year 12 A level Geography students visited the London Docklands Museum to study regeneration of urban areas. They went back in time to World War 2 and studied how the Docklands dropped into major decline before becoming a flourishing urban environment. They then travelled down to Brixton to study the causes and impacts of gentrification. This a contentious issue in the local area, as many locals have been forced out of the community through increased rent prices. Students were led on a guided tour by an expert on the local community and enjoyed the lively atmosphere and steel-pan drums, despite the bitterly cold temperature.

Map your Future day Greenshaw students in Years 8 to 12 enjoyed an inspirational day off timetable on Wednesday 9th November. Students from Year 9 to 12 took part in a selection of over forty informative workshops aimed at firing their imaginations as to what their futures could hold. Practical workshops in construction (plumbing, electrics, gas, bricklaying and carpentry), as well as media, hair and make-up, gave students a taster of what they might study in further education. Local employers Mazars LLP and Thales Engineering and Technology inspired our potential accountants, engineers and analysts. Guests from universities, including King’s, Imperial, Southampton, Cardiff, Brighton and Sheffield, raised aspirations and informed students of the vast array of courses available in higher education. Touring the Future Pathways room, students gathered facts from potential destinations, ranging from specialists such as Sutton District Training, Access to Music and Plumpton College. As well as this, over twenty universities.

Students perform the Scottish play On Monday 14th of November, 27 talented drama students took part in the national Shakespeare’s School Festival, performing a mystic and mature production of Macbeth.

n Sports workshops A level physical education students visited St Mary’s University where they attended a sports nutrition workshop in the morning and a fitness testing workshop in the afternoon. Students were able to apply their understanding from the classroom in a practical context, and get a taste of what it means to study sport and exercise science at university. 2 December 2016

Year 8 students started planning their futures by visiting an option choices subject fair, meeting guests from a range of careers such as engineering, journalism, medicine and design. Our visitors this year were particularly impressed by the engagement of our students and the thought they had put into their questions.

The students inspired a full audience at the Leatherhead Theatre and were both professional and extremely determined. Four students also managed the show’s technical elements, such as sound and lights. Miss Tucker, drama teacher, observed: “This production has been a weekly endeavour from all students, a collaboration of efforts from all our young thespians. Their performance was met with positive reviews and a rapturous round of applause. I would like to applaud my cast – they were both a pleasure to work with and respectful role models for Greenshaw.”

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Musical extravaganza! On the evening of Monday 12th December, Greenshaw saw the return of the Christmas Concert. The music department set out to serve up a festive feast of musical performances with all the trimmings! The evening began with a good old sing song of Merry Christmas Everybody by a large number of Year 7 students. Festivities continued with a number of soloists and singers performing some classic Christmas songs and carols. GCSE musicians, and extra curricular clubs, formed groups to perform a variety of ensemble pieces from current pop to African rhythms. The star at the top of the tree was the sixth form choral group PitchSlap, who brought a Christmas party atmosphere to the event, despite a number of members being hit by illness. The remaining singers rustled up a last minute arrangement of Do They Know it’s Christmas. Mince pies and festive drinks were served as a delicious nightcap to the evening. Mr Doherty, Head of Music, said: “The music department would like to thank all the performers, parents and teachers who supported the event. Have a very Merry Christmas.”

A word from the Head The December half term is always one that brings a combination of good cheer, but also the certain knowledge that a wellearned break is deserved for students and staff alike! This term has seen our largest ever year group of students join Year 7, and they have been a source of positivity for the school. Their trip to Marchants Hill was enjoyed by all, and the Christmas concert showcased their talents. Elsewhere the school might appear to be dominated by building work – certainly if one were to visit the school and see the extension at the front of school it might be an assumption that the school is one large construction site. In reality, although the impact of these works has at times impeded us, the vast majority of our site remains unaffected. Where the works open up the benefits are clear: for example, a fully accessible ramp opening into the dining hall and a double width corridor at the front of school both make movement around school simpler and more pleasant. More details about the building work can be found below, but the benefits are already proving significant. So at the end of what has been a busy and highly productive term, as the many and diverse events on these pages attest to, I wish all families a restful and enjoyable holiday. Mr N House, Headteacher

Expansion update What a difference a year makes. This time last year, the building was a steel frame and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the weather would not cause any further delays to the project. We are now delivering lessons in all 15 new classrooms, have a modern, spacious and welcoming reception area and improved facilities, which make the site more inclusive to disabled visitors. The next phase of the project is to modernise the interior of the building. We have widened corridors to improve circulation, constructed a new ramp down to the dining hall and have demolished the classrooms at the back of the hall so that it can be extended. This will increase the seating area during mealtimes and provide a teaching space at other times. We have demolished the old Yellow House and finance offices and are constructing a new, wider staircase up to the science classrooms. Between now and Easter, we will be creating two new science laboratories, a new food technology room and will be refurbishing the media resources room. The builders have also started the ground works for reinstating the car park, which was demolished to make way for the site compound. Mr Bingham, School Business Manager December 2016 3

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In brief n Insight into US politics

The Year 13 Government and Politics A level students were very fortunate to attend a preview of a PBS documentary portraying the upbringing and backgrounds of the two 2016 presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. This provided a fascinating insight into the 2016 presidential election and the policies of each candidate. There was also an opportunity to hear a speech by the US ambassador, Matthew Barzun. The highlight of the trip was discussing the documentary and the candidates’ campaign with fellow students from across the UK.

n Remembering the sacrifice Students and staff observed a two minute silence on Monday 14th November. Once Year 7 had returned from their residential trip the previous week, all students and staff observed a two minute silence to acknowledge the sacrifice made by servicemen and servicewomen who have died in this country’s service. Headteacher, Mr House, read some stanzas from Laurence Binyon’s poem, For the Fallen, that was written in 1914. Two minutes of silence then followed. Head of Social Sciences, Mr Gardner, lead a series of assemblies in the course of the week, on the theme of remembrance, in which he discussed global conflict. He emphasised that those who wear a British uniform and put their life on the line in the service of our country, deserve remembrance and respect.

n Cash payments We are moving towards being a cashless school by the end of this academic year. The school finance office is unable to give change to students bringing notes in, so please try to provide your child with the amount that you wish them to credit their account with if you haven’t used the online facility. (Please note that the machines do not take the new £5 note.) Payment for meals, trips and books should be made online via the Scopay system. If you do not have access, please email [email protected] and you will receive a code to set up your account. 4 December 2016

Green light for the Greenshaw amphitheatre We were delighted to hear that Greenshaw has been awarded a grant of up to £12,000 to build an amphitheatre and learning space through the Tesco Bags of Help scheme. The scheme uses the funds raised through the sale of its 5p carrier bags to help finance community based projects.

the maximum funding available. The additional money will be spent to make the structure more weather resistant so that it can be used throughout the year. A huge thank you goes to all students, families, friends and staff who voted for Greenshaw.

Our project involves creating an outdoor learning space in the design of an amphitheatre to enable our students to maximise the land we have, and create a more welcoming and inviting outdoor space. It will seat at least 50 students and have a stage space for lectures, performances and outdoor learning. Our project received the most votes in the given time period, enabling us to receive

Miss Tucker and Mr Butcher voting for the project at the Tesco store in Sutton.

Our new sixth form ambassadors We have appointed our head girl and head boy from Year 13 (pictured) and a deputy head girl and deputy head boy from Year 12. Alice, Joe, Olivia and Joseph have been selected for these posts against very tough competition, but they were all very worthy winners of their respective titles. To apply for the positions, students needed to write a letter of application and ask a member of staff to nominate them for the role. This year, as ever, was incredibly competitive and Ms Ayres, Miss Buchanan and Mr Mirtschin were tasked with the job of selecting a short list of students to interview. The interviews required the students to show a level of passion and commitment to Greenshaw and demonstrate why they were the right person for the job.

Now that they are in post, their work begins. For the head boy and girl, Joe and Alice, they have already been centre stage at two of the most important events of the school calendar – open evening and sixth form open evening. The deputies will run the sixth form student council/committee and will act as the leaders of the sixth form student voice.

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There have been many highlights this term. A large number of Year 7 went to PGL Marchant’s Hill near Hindhead in Surrey which was wet, muddy but a lot of fun. Year 7 parents went ‘back to school’ when they experienced a maths, English and a science lesson and

The autumn term has provided an overwhelming number of successes which it gives me great pleasure to reflect upon.

Pride. Respect. Resilience. The core principles that Year 9 have adopted as a year group to make them successful.

Being head of Year 10 has kept me and my deputy, Mr Jones, very busy getting to know lots of new faces. Our focus has been to create an environment where students understand that every minute in school is directly contributing to their success in Year 11 and their GCSEs. Alongside the focus on learning, students

In preparation, students have had science and English Language mock examinations this term and I am pleased to say much of their coursework and controlled assessments have been completed.

Open evening was another huge success. We had 90 tour guides from Year 8, in addition to individuals helping in departments, whilst Molly and Kris enthralled those who attended the head teacher’s speech. I hope you all enjoy the holiday and look forward to 2017, which will see the GCSE options choices process begin for Year 8 students. Mr Johnson, Head of Year 8

It has been a busy term. Mr Narbrough and 9MNA organised a mufti day for Alzheimer’s and Ellora was a deserving winner of a Jack Petchey award for her work volunteering in Romania. Outside school, praise has to be given to Rebecca and Charlotte. Rebecca won a medal in a shooting competition at Bisley and Charlotte made the standby list for the England Ladies National Football Camp. I hope you have a very restful and joyful holiday and return refreshed and revitalised for another successful term in 2017. Mr Higgins, Head of Year 9

have been undertaking activities around destinations. This has included a careers assembly outlining the options available at post-16, as well as targeted tutor time searching career and provider options. This will carry on throughout the year with the support of our team of tutors, who have worked tirelessly supporting their tutees. Finally, I would like to wish all the students, staff, parents, and carers in our Greenshaw family a very joyful holiday season. Ms Radwan, Head of Year 10

This cohort of Year 11 students are up for the challenge. Year 11 form tutors and teaching staff have tried hard to motivate and nurture them, and recognise that they need to be mindful of the stress that our young people face when being asked to complete so many examinations. The students, their teachers and families are a team and, by working together, we are confident any challenges will be overcome. The Year 11 team wish them a well-earned rest over the Christmas break to recharge their batteries and focus them in preparation for the even tougher term ahead.

YEAR 11

Year 11 students have had a tough, but rewarding, term. It is a delight to see how they have grown and matured as they consider their plans after their final examinations. There are numerous pathways that students want to follow, from professional football to make-up artists. The majority of students aspire to return to the Greenshaw Sixth Form and we hope their efforts and hard work will be rewarded with the grades that allow them to do this.

maintaining an exemplary school record of achievement.

YEAR 10

There has been a lot of change at Greenshaw in the past few months, and perhaps one of the biggest changes the school has seen in some time was the transition from house teams to a year structure.

Mr Clarke, Head of Year 7

YEAR 9

As the first term with the new year system draws to a close, it gives me great pleasure to say that I have a genuine respect for the current attitude to learning of Year 9. The start of new courses and an increase in challenge means that at times their resilience has been challenged. They have taken on this challenge and persevered and I am very proud of them. Year 9 is where the foundations are laid for a successful future and, if this term is a sign of things to come, then the future ahead looks bright.

With all of the achievements of one term, we look forward with excitement and enthusiasm to the next. Let’s strive for success in the spring term 2017.

YEAR 8

We began Year 8 by identifying our ethos, and settled on the simple principle of ‘effort’. Together it was concluded that in order to succeed, it is imperative that students persevere with their learning and constantly strive to improve. Such outstanding effort is certainly a characteristic that could be said of Tarlee, who was recently crowned a triple European gymnastics champion. This was as a result of a huge amount of commitment, whilst still

had a taste of what their children are learning at Greenshaw. Year 7 students showed their competitive side during an eagerly fought out games morning. Each tutor group competed against each other to win points for their house in table tennis, dance, football netball and handball.

YEAR 7

What a few months it has been for Year 7 in their first term of secondary school! I am proud to say that our youngsters have made a fantastic start to the year. Beginning a new school is a challenge for most – new teachers to get to know, timetables to remember and new classrooms to find. They have coped very well and it feels like they have been at Greenshaw forever.

Mr Kidd, Head of Year 11

head boy and girl, Joseph and Olivia, and I look forward to working with them. In Year 13, the focus has been on UCAS and we are expecting to equal or supersede the number of university applications we make this year compared to last. Art and design students are working on portfolios and preparing for potential interviews for art courses.

In Year 12, the tutorial programme has included an introduction to the A level mindset, where our learners are being asked to consider their vision, effort, systems, practice levels and attitudes toward their studies. We have also appointed our new deputy

On behalf of the sixth form team, I would like to wish everyone a restful and happy Christmas and I look forward to 2017. Miss Buchanan, Head of Sixth Form December 2016 5

SIXTH FORM

This has been an exciting first term. Many lessons are now in new classrooms in the extension, there has been a re-branding of sixth form study areas and assessment hours are being held in the SRC – ensuring that this has been a productive term with a focus on work and progress.

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Year 10 Achieve students have fun on the water The Year 10 ‘Achieve’ group enjoyed a brilliant day of canoeing at Southmere Lake in Thamesmead. Miss Webb, Head of Alternative Provision, said: “Students grasped the skill of paddling and worked fantastically as a team, their hard work and perseverance will contribute towards their Prince’s Trust qualification ‘participation in sport’ unit.”

Raising awareness of Alzheimer’s Mia, in 9MNA, came up with the excellent idea of a mufti day to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society: a UK organisation leading the fight against dementia. This disease sadly involves memory loss, confusion, emotional instability and loss of mental ability for those affected. The ailment has impacted lives around Mia and also the lives of the family of several members of staff. After 9MNA produced fliers and informed friends via word of mouth and on social media, the mufti day came around on 7th December. It has raised a wonderful £1107.85 so far for the charity, and the tutor group hopes that the event has done the equally important job of raising awareness of a distressing health condition that still needs to be understood better. Thank you to all parents/carers, students and staff that contributed. 6 December 2016

Seeing science in action Fifty of our Year 13 A level Biology students recently travelled to Juniper Hall Field Centre, near Dorking, to carry out ecology field work. The students carried out various sampling techniques on Mickleham Downs, where they were able to put in to practice the use of quadrants, transects and data loggers to measure factors affecting the distribution of key plant species. The tasks contributed to the practical component known as PAGS, which form part of the new A level specification and will be examined along with other course content in June 2017. These were completed to a very high standard by all the students. In addition to the assessed tasks, some of the theoretical sessions in

school were reinforced practically such as scientific drawing and statistics and they also had an opportunity to see coppicing and a succession in action. Small mammal traps were set and a number of mice and voles were caught, admired and released. Head of Biology, Dr Hirst, observed: “The students worked extremely hard and were fantastic ambassadors for the school. I would also like to thank Mrs Carran, Mrs Wakefield and Mr Dowie, who gave up their time to support the students on the trip.”

Young Science Journal review Three of our Year 11 students - Lauren, Helen and Marcus - recently attended the Young Science Journal conference at Oxford’s St Anne’s College. Helen and Lauren tell us about their visit... “We enjoyed several lectures such as The Universe Through A Million Years, presented by Professor Lintot. He explained how we can map the universe and how mapping the universe can lead to the discovery of the history of space, but how having a degree doesn’t make you apt with technology. We also attended the lecture called the Blind Brain, in which we learnt how the brain differs when you a blind and how people learnt to live with just their other senses. “We enjoyed a workshop about how volcanos are prepared and planned for and saw several simulations. There were also many stalls, mainly hosted by different colleges. One was run by Coty,

who manufacture beauty products for brands like Rimmel London, and we learnt a little about how different products are manufactured, which was very interesting. It was really informative and we would take the opportunity to go again. The three of us are looking forward to working in partnership with St Philomena’s and Sutton Grammar in the Young Science Journal hub.”

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Outstanding achievements The Jack Petchey Achievement Award scheme is a reward and recognition initiative which enables schools and youth organisations to celebrate the achievements of their young people as well as receive additional funding. 31 Greenshaw students were nominated by their peers for awards this term, and the deputy head boy and deputy head girl selected the following three as winners. They each received £250 for the school and decided how they would like the money to be spent.

Akam, Year 12 Akam has given up his own time to travel to Kurdistan where he has helped in refugee camps. He has spent time talking to refugees who have fled war-torn countries and playing with children in the refugee camps, in order to keep their spirits up and provide a sense of normality for them. Akam decided to purchase a set of good quality basketballs for sixth formers to use with his award money.

Tarlee, Year 8 Tarlee is a national and European gymnastics champion. She is now European champion on the bar, floor and trampette and is silver medallist on the beam and vault. This demands a huge amount of commitment and dedication, and she achieves this whilst maintaining an exemplary record of attendance, academic achievement, attitude to learning and homework. Tarlee chose to buy a beam for use in gymnastics club with her award.

Ellora, Year 9 During her half term holiday, Ellora travelled to Romania with a family friend, where she spent the week working with disabled people. She sacrificed her whole week for the benefit of others and is keen to do the same again. Ellora decided to spend the award money on resources for Child Development.

Star player Congratulations to Charlotte, in Year 9, who was put forward by Millwall Football Club to trial for the England regional camp. Charlotte succeeded in the trial and will be attending regional camps throughout the season. This means she will get to work with elite players and have the opportunity to develop her sporting talent. She is now a standby player, one of the top 20 girls in the country, and could be called up for England at any time to attend camps at Loughborough University in the hope of progressing into the under 15 squad next year.

High flying executive inspires students Joanna Santinon, UK&I Tax Partner at EY (formerly Ernst & Young), visited Greenshaw to speak to a group of our Year 11s about what steps they need to take to be successful in life. She shared how she got to the top of her chosen field – finance and, specifically, tax. She told the students about her life experiences and the challenges they might face in the future. She advised the girls to take every opportunity they could and not to be afraid to tackle new challenges in case they made mistakes. She said: “We learn by

our mistakes. It is how we solve them that is important.” She was a great role model and inspiration for all of the girls.

What do school nurses do? School nurses are registered nurses who have professional experience in supporting the health needs of school-aged children. They work as part of a team of specialist practitioners alongside school staff and support workers. They continue the work of the health visitor in promoting good health and prevention of illness in the school aged population. This is in line with the Department of Health ‘Healthy Child Programme’. The school nursing team works with parents, carers and young people of school age, providing advice and support across a huge range of different areas, such as sleep problems, eating disorders, emotional and mental health issues, and alcohol/drug related problems. The school nurse visits Greenshaw every Monday. If you think your child would benefit from an appointment, please contact their Head of Year, who will refer them.

Gymnastics festival On Tuesday 15th November, 20 children from our local primary schools enjoyed a gymnastics festival ran by our Year 9 and Year 11 students. PE Teacher, Miss Armstrong, commented: “The leadership qualities shown by Greenshaw students were fantastic and allowed some of the primary school children to really develop their gymnastic skills. All those that took park thoroughly enjoyed the event.” December 2016 7

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Sports shorts n Basketball

Our Year 9 team played Hollyfield in a league match, winning 48-12. Our Under 18 team beat Wimbledon in a league match.

n Football

Our under 12 girls team played Glenthorne and beat them 5-0. The Year 10 boys team beat Overton 1-0 in a league match. Year 9 boys team played Stanley Park and won 4-2. The Under 15 girls team recently beat Shenfield 5-3 in the National Cup.

n Netball

Our Year 7 squad drew with Overton, 2-2. The Year 8 team beat Overton 7-1.

n Gymnastics

The Year 8 girls and boys entered their first ever gymnastics competition against six other schools and did exceptionally well, taking away two gold medals. Two girls placed in the novice competition, with ZamZam coming third and Tiya coming in first place. Taylia, who competed in the advance competition, took first place and Harriet came second. All of the girls and boys worked extremely hard on their routines and performed brilliantly at the event.

n Cross country

26 Greenshaw students took part in the Borough Cross Country at Northey Avenue on 3rd November. Six Greenshaw students are now through to represent Sutton in the Surrey race in January. Well done to Joris, Charlotte, Jadie, Salma, Hana and Naomi. Our congratulations also go to the under 15 girls, who came second out of ten girls’ schools competing.

8 December 2016

Winter games morning The physical education department held their annual winter games morning for Year 7 students on Friday 9th December. All students took part in a variety of activities, representing their house in either netball, dance, basketball, football, handball or table tennis.

Miss Graham, PE Teacher, said: “Well done to all students that took part. It was great to see so much energy from the students competing for their houses.

The event was organised by the Year 12 Sports Leaders, who did an excellent job of organising such a large group of students.

Final results were – Red House in first place, Blue House in second, Green House in third and Yellow House in fourth place.”

Dates for your diary On Friday 16th December, school will close at approximately 12.30pm. Lessons 1 to 3 will take place as usual. Hot food will be available at break time and sandwiches for those who require a lunch before they leave. A complete list of school events can be found on the school website at www.greenshaw.co.uk. Autumn term ends (12.30pm) 16 December Bank holiday 2 January Inset days 3 & 4 January Spring term starts for students 5 January Y7 Parents’ evening 5 January Y12 Competitive University Information Evening for parents 12 January Y10 Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge 16 January Parent Think Tank 17 January Y9 Parents’ evening 19 January Y11 Parents’ evening 2 February Y11 Meningitis injections 7 February Y9-13 Trip to New York 9-16 February Half term 13-17 February Y10 Parents’ evening 23 February

GCSE Ensemble concert 6 March Y7 Trips to Morden Mosque 7, 9, 16 March Parent Think Tank 13 March Y9 -11 Examination dance evening 16 March Y8 Trip to WWI battlefields 17 March Spring term ends (3.00pm) 30 March Inset day 31 March Y7 -10 PE trip to Spain 8-15 April Good Friday 14 April Easter Monday 17 April Summer term starts 18 April Bank holiday (school closed) 1 May Parent Think Tank 23 May Half term 29 May - 2nd June Parent Think Tank 6 July Summer term ends (12.30pm) 21 July

GREENSHAW HIGH SCHOOL Grennell Road, Sutton, Surrey SM1 3DY T: 020 8715 1001 F: 020 8641 7335 E: [email protected] W: www.greenshaw.co.uk