welcome - dartford grammar school for girls - dggs times · 2017. 11. 14. · driving career, young...

DA

RT

FO

RD

G

RA

MM

AR

S

CH

OO

L F

OR

G

IR

LS

DGGS Times ISSUE NUMBER 38 DECEMBER 2015

Dear Parents/Carers The end of the calendar year

always provides an opportunity to reflect on the many successes and achievements of our students. Having started the academic year celebrating superb GCSE and A level results, we have continued to be impressed with students’ positive approach to their studies; students in all year groups have been making excellent progress across the curriculum since September, in addition to participating in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. New students in Years 7 and 12 have settled in very well and have proved to be first-rate ambassadors for our school. We were very proud of the students who helped at our Open Evenings and as usual, we received overwhelmingly positive feedback about their positive attitudes, enthusiasm and very warm welcome. Following the exceptionally high numbers of prospective Year 7 students and their parents attending the main school Open Evening and Open Morning at the very end of Term 1, on 24th November we also welcomed record-breaking numbers of prospective Year 12 students to our Sixth Form Open Evening, which is testament to the excellent post-16 provision offered by the school.

In this newsletter you will find details of some of the many activities, trips and visits students have experienced over the last term, and as we approach the Christmas holidays, there have been even more events than usual. In the last couple of weeks our Christmas festivities have included the Toys to the Tree assemblies to collect gifts for various charities chosen by the students themselves, the fiercely contested inaugural House Christmas cake

competition (which were then donated to Help the Aged), a performance of a Christmas Carol to Year 7, a Sixth Form pantomime for Year 8, a traditional Christmas lunch, the Christmas Carol Service for Year 7 students at Christ Church, our Humanities Christmas Lecture by Lord Peter Hennessy in aid of Crisis at Christmas, and on the

very last day of term, celebration assemblies with awards and certificates, and student musical, poetry and dance performances before ending with our first staff pantomime (accompanied by much audience participation!). A very positive way to end a very successful term!

As with all aspects of school life, we are always keen to hear parents’ feedback; if you have any comments or suggestions please email [email protected]..

The Headteacher Parents’ Surgeries for Term 3 are on Thursday 14th January 4:00pm-6:00pm and Wednesday 3rd February 4:00pm-6:00pm. If you would like to make an appointment to talk to me at my Parents’ Surgeries, please contact my PA, Mrs Lorraine Hamlyn on extension 237 or by email [email protected] I would also encourage parents to contact your daughter’s/son’s form tutor, subject teacher or Head of Year to discuss any concerns or queries.

Before I end my introduction, I would like to thank our two maternity cover teachers, Mr Gammon and Mr Feeney who are leaving us at the end of this term and we welcome back Mrs Lewis and Mrs Last to their classes in January. I would also like to thank the FPTA for their generous donation to the redecoration of the canteen; their support of the school is very much appreciated.

I hope that all our families have a very happy Christmas and peaceful New Year. We look forward to welcoming back all students at the usual time on Monday 4th January 2016.

Sharon Pritchard Headteacher

From the Headteacher Term Dates 2016-2017

2

Skills London 2 Trips: Oxford and Licence to Kill?

3

News from your School Library

4

Career Club 8

Year 8 Volcanoes 9

Pathways to Law Programme

10

Geography Trip to 11

Philanthropic Update

12

Drama Department News

14

Food Technology 15

Art and Design News

16

Dt Trip to the Crystal

18

Year 8 Arts Day 19

Poetry by Heart 20

Respect Star Badges

20

News from the AEN/EAL Team

21

National Science + Engineering Competition Finals

21

Christmas Cake Competition

22

High Impact Learning Strategies

23

Sporting Highlights 24

Curriculum Enhancement Days

25

Admission Consultation

26

FPTA Barn Dance 26

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Toys to the Tree

mailto:[email protected]

P A G E 2

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38

Working together to achieve academic excellence and personal potential

Skills London In November we accompanied Year 11 to Skills London 2015 at the ExCeL, London. Young people looking forward to the prospect of beginning work can sometimes find it an overwhelming process. For our bright students there is a wealth of opportunities on the horizon and it can prove daunting. We have identified this event to support our students to make important decisions. Skills London is now considered London’s biggest jobs and careers event bursting with careers from creative to finance. More than 200 organisations were represented. All had the remit to help young people make the right choices for the future. All employers were recruiting, with an estimated 45,000 jobs up for grabs including post-A Level opportunities and Apprenticeships-in addition to graduate programmes. To help students manoeuvre the large space, each zone had a coloured flag to direct students to the career opportunities of personal interest. One of the best features of attending an event such as Skills London is that every student will be satisfied that they have had an opportunity to access information that is relevant and appropriate to her. Students also had access to individual, independent advice at the Careers and Enterprise Hub, where qualified, professional advisers were on hand to give help and answer questions. DGGS has been taking students to Skills London since it first started. Every year the event goes from strength to strength and provides an increasingly valuable element to the careers programme that is vital to students at key transitional stages of their education.

Ms Carver Careers Manager

STAFF TRAINING - DAY 1 Thursday 1st September

STAFF TRAINING DAY - 2 Friday 2nd September

TERM 1 Monday 5th September 2016 to Friday 21st October 2016

STAFF TRAINING - DAY 3 Friday 7th October

HOLIDAY Monday 24th October 2016 to Friday 28th October 2016

TERM 2 Monday 31st October 2016 to Friday 16th December 2016

STAFF TRAINING - DAY 4 Monday 19th December 2016 (to be accredited)

HOLIDAY Tuesday 20th December 2016 to Monday 2nd January 2017

TERM 3 Tuesday 3rd January 2017 to Friday 10th February 2017

HOLIDAY Monday 13th February 2017 to Friday 17th February 2017

TERM 4 Monday 20th February 2017 to Friday 31st March 2017

HOLIDAY Monday 3rd April 2017 to Monday 17th April 2017

HOLIDAY Monday 1st May 2017 Bank Holiday

TERM 5 Tuesday 18th April 2017 to Friday 26th May 2017

HOLIDAY Monday 29th May 2017 to Friday 2nd June 2017

TERM 6 Monday 5th June 2017 to Thursday 20th July 2017

STAFF TRAINING - DAY 5 Friday 21st July 2017 (to be accredited)

Term Dates - 2016-2017

P A G E 3


Trip to Oxford On Wednesday 18th November a group of Year 11 and Year 12 students attended a trip to St. Hugh’s College in Oxford. Upon arrival we were greeted by the outreach officer of St. Hugh’s and were directed to a talk about university life, the college system at Oxford and admissions. We were given an insight into life at Oxford by three undergraduates – attending a variety of courses on offer at Oxford. This allowed us to better understand the differing structures of day to day studies. We were then given a tour around St. Hugh’s – the library, the courtyard and the accommodation. Due to the location of St. Hugh’s, and the fact that it was formerly a women’s only college, the library is very comprehensive and allows undergrads to research topics in a variety of ways. The courtyard surrounding the college is very picturesque and creates a relaxing environment. As well as being able to unwind outside, the college has many facilities for everyone, ranging from a bar to the Junior Common Room. The day was very memorable and an informative experience, which allowed us to further explore our options for higher education. St. Hugh’s College made a great impression on us all!

Kamilla Yarmalenko, 12F

Every year a new cohort of youngsters graduate into full driving licence holders and find themselves in control of a heavy object capable of high speed. Throughout the formative years of their driving career, young drivers are at an increased risk of being involved in a crash, and young drivers kill and injure more of their passengers than any other age group. The reasons why young people are over-represented in crash and casualty statistics are many and include speed, impairment and distractions. Although many may not appreciate it, the main challenge for young drivers is their relative inexperience in controlling a powerful vehicle whilst dealing with a wide range of driving situations. Whilst pure driving skill may not be the main issue, it is their choice of driving behaviour that ultimately places them and others at risk. The influencing factors for such choices include peer pressure, responding to perceptions in social media and dealing with their own perceptions of vulnerability. Students were reminded of these factors as a number of representatives from Paramedics to Investigating Police Officers presented the impact that their roles expose them to daily. We saw victims of accidents describe how their lives had changed as a direct result of their injuries both emotional and physical. We heard how a father is trying to adjust to the unnecessary loss of his only son in another accident. The main points students were asked to think about were; avoiding distractions when driving, fastening seatbelts, taking unnecessary risks when overtaking, drink driving (including the morning after drinking) and choosing to accept a lift from someone who has been drinking or lacks experience. Although this was harrowing, it definitely made our students think a little more about the huge responsibility having their licence is. ‘It’s a licence to drive not a licence to kill’

Yvonne Green Head of Year 13

Year 13—Licence to Kill Trip

P A G E 4

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


A warm welcome to you all from your school library team. We are fast approaching Christmas which I am sure will bring some fantastic new books for you all to enjoy. If you are stuck for a good read or a book to buy as a Christmas present, have a look at our recommended reads section towards the end of our article (page 6). Let’s start this term’s news off with welcoming some new junior librarians to the team. From 7I we have Ashna Marie-Louise, Kelly Wang, Hansi Sagarasekara Gedara, Aksaya Sabesan and Briyanka Prabaharan. From 7H, Bethany Palfrey, Cleona Donnelly, Daya Matharu, Cleo Shinknin and Emily Phillips. From 7P Jasmine Angus and Sarah Marsh. From 7L Ithill Longe. From 8H Hemakshi Soni. It is lovely to have so many students willing to volunteer in the library. I shall look forward to working alongside you all over the coming months.

Year 7 Book Trail This term during the Year 7s induction sessions in the library, I have launched a book trail with each class. I am really pleased to say that the idea has been met with great enthusiasm by the students, with lots of hands going up in each class to be the first to read from the chosen titles. The books included in the book trail are The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan, Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman, Amber by Julia Sykes, Young Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lane, Wings by Aprillynne Pike and 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison, All of the books are part of a series, so I hope this will encourage students to explore the opportunity of reading further into the series after passing their chosen book on.

New Book Purchases Our suggestion box for new books students would like to read in their school library has been an overwhelming success this term. Using students’ requests and recommendations I have purchased new stock for the library from the following authors: Josephine Angelini, Malorie Blackman, Pseudonymous Bosch, Anne Cassidy, Philippa Gregory, Cathy Hopkins, Jeff Kinney, Kelly McKain, Hiro Mashima, Amy Meredith, Darren Shan, Zoe Suggs and Jacqueline Wilson. I shall look forward to sharing feedback with the students on how they enjoy the new titles.

News from your School Library

Update on Guardian Young Critic Competition. Seven students from year groups 7-11 took part in the book review competition held by the Guardian recently. The students read Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan. They each submitted a 500 word review of the book . We have recently received this very impressive feedback from the Guardian regarding the students’ reviews: “Thank you so much for entering this year's Guardian Young Critics competition. Unfortunately on this occasion you haven't been chosen as one of the winners. However, this was the strongest year for quality of reviews in the history of the competition so you should be particularly proud of your work. The judges found the decision extremely difficult. We would strongly urge you to enter the competition again next year, and if you are not already a member of the Guardian Children's Book site, you can join here. (http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site ).”

http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site

P A G E 5


Poetry Corner

I hope you enjoy the selection of poems from some of our very talented poets.

Winter Warmth Snowflakes gather on my window, like a gang of friends, none are the same as the other, and the rising sun, glitters on their surface.

Pulling on my welly boots, crunching through the crisp snow, catching snowflakes on my tongue, the trees are mostly bare, almost shivering in the icy wind.

Picking up the white treasure, as it trickles down my arm. Looking at the sun rise, like a disco ball, shining in the bright light. Sitting by the fireplace, warming up my feet, A mug of hot cocoa, sitting in my hands as snowflakes gather on my window. By Polina Sinderson, 8L

A Collage Poem By Afope Ogunremi, 9C

I was exhausted, drained even Shocked by the enlightened people

Feared by the determined Glum and mystical

News from your School Library (continued)

The pain is now less than the fear By Hemakshi Soni, 8H

The thud as he reaches the ground The lifeless bodies lying all around

The sound of the gun-shot But still we fought

Through the pain and the cries And forgetting your bye-byes!

The terror in the eyes Regretting all of the lies

Death is just a step away We all pray in our special way

Nobody wants it anymore But we all know this is called

WAR

P A G E 6

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


Here are two of the superb book reviews that were entered into the competition

Apple and Rain Everybody knows family is important. They are some of the only people in your life who love and cherish you no matter what. In “Apple and Rain” nothing is more important to the protagonist, Apple, than family. Since her mother abandoned her and her grandmother when she was 3, she has been desperate for her to return. When her mother makes a surprising reappearance, she is not everything Apple thought she was. Apple has to deal with her mother’s antics, looking after her younger sister Rain, (whom she has only just met) her best friend hanging out with mean girl, Donna and her dad having a baby with his new wife. Her only escape from her hectic life is her poetry. She writes poems for her English assignment where she expresses poetry to escape her hectic life, I thought this showed how talented Apple was, even though her fragile relationship with her mother highlights how young and vulnerable Apple is, and how easily she can be taken advantage of. I enjoyed her relationship with Rain, and how it grew from initial loathing to a clear sense of trust between sisters. Throughout the book, when everything falls apart, Apple is left to pick up the pieces. This brings out a sense of determination in Apple, and shows how desperate she is to make her family work. Whilst she clearly wants nothing but the family she now dreamed of, by the end of the book she realises the most important thing: you can’t choose your family. Apple learns to love the family she has instead of leaving them for the family she wants. I really enjoyed the book as the characters were extremely relatable . As a reader, it is easy to put yourself in Apple’s shoes and try to imagine what you would do if you were in her sticky situation. The story highlights a true issue of not being satisfied with what you have, instead of learning to love what you have and considering yourself lucky with what you have been given.

Natasha Hollins, 11K

Recommended reads for this term. I recommend Leopold Blue by Rosie Rowell. My junior librarians recommend: Little Stars by Jacqueline Wilson My Sister lives on the mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher Traces by Malcolm Rose Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling The name of the book is secret by Pseudonymous Bosch The Demonata series by Darren Shan Fortune Cooke by Cathy Cassidy The 5th wave by Rick Yancey Uglies by Scott Westerfeld This morning I met a whale by Michael Morpurgo Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce Falling fast by Sophie McKenzie Air head being Nikki by Meg Cabot The Dark Touch Series by Amy Meredith The StarCrossed Trilogy by Josephine Angilini


P A G E 7


Apple and Rain Sarah Crossan was an author that I had heard many positive comments about however I had never read one of her books. I know one of her famous books is The Weight Water, which I haven’t read! But looking at the book I thought I would give it a go and read it. And I did! Apple and Rain may look like a small book however it contains much more than you think; drama, romance, adventures, sadness and happiness. It tickles your reading nerves. It was 11 years ago when Apple’s mother had left her and since she had been living with her Nan. Why would her mother run away? To fulfil her own dreams. Sadly Apple’s mother had flown all the way to America for her own ambitions and forgot about Apple. However out of the blue Apple’s mum returns for Apple. So she decided that she didn’t need her loving yet overprotective Nan, she wanted her mother. But did she make the right choice and will surprises come? To help Apple make her decisions she had one friend Pilar but as with nearly all her relationships Pilar grew distant. So Apple was left with no-one just her mother. But there was one girl who was even more lonely and lost that Apple met and she learned from her. However, further through this story Apple meets a young lad who helps her more than you would think. She thought that he may not be handsome or cool but he was a friend - Del: This book swirls around the defying life of Apple. The relationships are close to real situations. Think about it would you love your mother if she had left you for 11 years and she didn’t contact you or anything? Well something will happen with these doubts. Sarah Crossan tells the truth of Apple’s life and she uses the best words to fit her sentences to make it a perfect novel. After reading this amazing book I have been intrigued to read more of Sarah Crossan’s books. She is an amazing author and will be loved by others. Through this book I have had many emotions; I was about to burst into tears, I was sometimes even angry with Apple’s choices and sometimes I was so glad that Apple was happy. If I had to recommend this book it would be quite difficult because I can’t decide what age group or who specifically to give it to. But I would say if you want a good read at bed or in school I would definitely recommend this book. It isn’t scary at night and it is not boring at school. So if you see this wonderful book on a library book shelf or in a store then pick it up and read it. I know you will enjoy it. Definitely this book is 5 stars.

Sanchi Joshi, 7H

I hope you have enjoyed reading about all the exciting things happening in the library during this term, together with reading some of the very thoughtful pieces of work by our extremely talented students. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas with lots of new books under the Christmas tree.

Rose Buckingham School Librarian


P A G E 8

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


CAREERS CLUB – NOVEMBER: Financial Services focus The November ‘Careers Club’ lunchtime talk, with its focus on the Financial Services, was popular with students across all year groups and quickly became a ‘standing room only’ event. Students were left gasping in disbelief at some of the facts Mr Wickham delivered during his insightful talk on Friday 20th November. They were also visibly surprised to know about the enormous scope and employment opportunities for bright graduates. His personal journey from the earliest days of his career to his current impressive role, at the head of a global trading company, held everyone’s attention. It was an exciting, motivational talk and we hope that it has left students with lots to think about, research and explore further. Mr Wickham quickly dispelled Financial Services as being Accounting. He nominated a wide range of industries under the umbrella term: Securities Markets, Fund Management, Banking, Management Consultancy, Legal Services, Insurance and others. With London as the world’s leading financial centre, Banking accounts for over 450,000 jobs in the City of London alone. It can confidently be stated that London is a powerhouse of talent and we, in Dartford, are on its doorstep. We now know that the Financial Services industry employ more than 1 million people in the UK and another 1 million working in conjunction – which equates to 1 in 14 of all jobs. Over 660,000 people

are employed in London alone in the UK financial and associated professional services. With regard to the salaries and bonuses available, Mr Wickham only alluded to the wide scope and range of earning potential for bright, educated people. The numbers were big ones. Among the subjects he nominated as being important he acknowledged Maths and languages; both globally important in today’s small world.

As home to The London Stock Exchange, The Bank of England and Lloyd’s of London, London is the foremost global centre for international trading; the UK is Europe’s largest centre for commodities trading and is the biggest market in the world for

interest-rate derivatives traded over the counter AND the largest hedge fund market in Europe. Please do not think that a career in Financial Services is all about the money. The UK has taken the lead in two aspects central to the international drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: carbon trading and clean technologies. If you are interested to know more about Financial Services and would like Mr Wickham to return to DGGS to hold a workshop, he has kindly volunteered to do so (although his diary is, unsurprisingly, quite full for the near future). In the meantime students are encouraged to carry out further research into the wide range of careers available, perhaps starting with the City of London Corporation (www.cityoflondon.gov.uk ).

Tracey Carver (Careers Information and Advice Manager)

Rose Buckingham (School Librarian)

Careers Club

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

P A G E 9


Update on our new Careers Club We are enjoying the success of the Careers Club here at DGGS. We are going to need more chairs in the Library! This academic year we have confirmed speakers for: September Medicine October Languages November Financial Services December Media January Police Force We have great plans for our future focus months and would welcome volunteers from our parent/carer community who have expertise in a career area and could come in to school between 1.15pm and 2pm (usually on a Thursday) to share information with students from all year groups. If you are interested to become a Careers Club volunteer please email:

Mrs Buckingham [email protected] our Librarian, and/or Ms Carver

[email protected] our Careers Manager.

Year 8 Volcanoes! As part of their study of plate tectonics and associated risks in Geography, Year 8 were able to design and make their own volcanoes. Students chose a wide variety of methods from using papier maché to cardboard to plasticine, with some even making a multi coloured volcano in the form of a cake! Well done to all the girls who took part and we have a small selection of photos to share of some of our volcanoes in action!

Gillian Day Curriculum Area Leader: Geography

Mia Skey 8K



P A G E 1 0

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


Opportunities can be in short supply, especially in such a competitive employment market, so when Ms Carver informed me of the “Pathways to Law” programme as an aspiring corporate barrister, I was quick to apply. The application process was challenging and with hundreds of applicants and only 70 places available at the London programme, I was ecstatic that I got a placement. The “Pathways to Law” programme is a national programme which is supported by top legal firms such as: Allen and Overy, Clifford Chance, Linklaters and many more. It is also supported by top Russell Group universities including: University of Oxford, Warwick, Exeter, Leeds, Bristol, Manchester, LSE and UCL. The programme offers an array of opportunities, such as a five day residential trip to Warwick University, chances to meet barristers who work in a variety of legal fields ranging from Criminal Law to Family Law, visits to court and chances to take part in mooting and debating. As well as this, it offers me the chance to network with undergraduate students studying Law at UCL; who are on hand to give help and advice. On Wednesday, I attended the Inns of Court in central London. I attended a lecture from a judge of a Supreme Court, and listened to his experiences and what drove him to study law at university. Listening to him was a real inspiration for me and it gave me so much drive and determination to succeed. It has made me realise that my aspirations are achievable and that I can be successful so long as I believe it myself. As well as hearing from a Supreme Court judge, I met barristers and took part in a mock trial. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a mock trial, as it tested my public speaking skills and evaluation skills. I constructed a good argument and learnt points of law and how these affect a person’s punishment. Furthermore, I was able to evaluate past case studies and how these can be used to help construct arguments. I really enjoyed my day as I met new people and made contacts with elite legal professionals. It has highlighted to me that the legal profession is so highly important for our society and it is a profession that I could potentially flourish in. I felt inspired, motivated and more determined to pursue my dream of being a corporate barrister; I will not let anything stand in my way until I become a success and fulfil my aspirations. To conclude, I am ever so grateful to Ms Carver for making me aware of this fantastic opportunity and I just want to emphasise that it is so important when offered an opportunity to grab it and make the most of it. For anyone aspiring to have a career in the legal profession I highly recommend applying to “Pathways to Law”, it is such an enjoyable programme, which will help you to understand what life as a lawyer is really going to be like.

Amy Vousden, 12A

Footnote from Ms Carver: DGGS has had success with the “Pathways to Law” programme in the past. I am excited for Amy that she is our latest successful applicant. For detailed information I would direct you to: http://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Pathways-to-Law-Brochure.pdf The programme takes place every year and delivers a full and varied programme, including: • A range of sessions over two years at the host university, covering a diverse range of topics • E-mentoring from undergraduate law students • Work experience in the legal sector • A trip to the Inner Temple and Royal Courts of Justice in London • Visits to open days at the other Pathways universities • A residential conference in the summer between Years 12 and 13 to give students a taste of life at university

“Pathways to Law” Programme—DGGS Success!

http://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Pathways-to-Law-Brochure.pdf

http://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Pathways-to-Law-Brochure.pdf

P A G E 1 1


Horton Kirby River Study As part of their Geography studies, Year 7 were taken to the River Darent during the enrichment days in October. As part of the visit, students had to collect various data at different points along the river. The aim of the visit was to enhance their understanding of river processes and the data collected is being used back in school to write up an investigation style project.

Gillian Day Curriculum Area Leader: Geography

Horton Kirby River Trip On Friday the 23rd October as part of our enrichment week, 7C visited Horton Kirby for a river studies trip at the River Darent and these are the things we got up to. First we went to a site where we measured the depth of the water. We found it very fun when we held a tape measure and metre ruler across the river to the other side and standing in the water. We then measured the velocity by “racing” three rubber ducks and counted how many

seconds it took the rubber ducks to travel 10 metres. After that, we collected 20 rocks and sorted their shapes and sizes; we did this both upstream and downstream. We sorted out all of the information into our sheets and after getting out of the river, we frantically tried to get rid of the water from our flooded wellingtons and headed back to the main centre to tuck into our lunch. Once we had finished, we reviewed all we had learnt that day and soon had to leave. On the way back, in the coach we sang songs and had a good laugh together in true 7C style!

Since being back in lessons we have used all the information we collected to write up a mini project. We have presented and analysed our data and are due to hand this in by the end of term.

Akua Asamoah and Farrah Adegunle, 7C

Geography Trip

P A G E 1 2

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


Philanthropic Update

This term has been especially enjoyable and equally as busy for our Philanthropic team. We are touched by the letters of thanks we receive from organisations we have recently lent our support to. It is encouraging for us to learn about how our efforts in school help the various organisations we help. We have made a grand start to the year already and thank students, those who support us at home and staff in school for contributing with such enthusiasm to all events to date.

Towards the beginning of November we supported the Poppy appeal in aid of the Royal British Legion in school, we sold poppies and enamel pin badges raising £183.38. On Friday 13th November we took part in the annual Children in Need fundraising day with a non-uniform day and a ‘Find Pudsey’ competition organised by Priscilla Ehikioya. Pupils were seen throughout lunch searching the premises for eight different Pudsey’s and all correct entries were put into a prize draw. We would like to congratulate Jessica Xiao from 7K for winning this competition. Overall we raised a fantastic total of £1072.21 which will go towards the local and international organisations Children in Need support each year.

This term, some year groups have worked hard to make a variety of charity events happen. The charity War Child was introduced to the Year 12’s in October and in November Year 13 worked alongside the Year 12’s to hold a fundraising event with the mission of sending as many girls to school as they can. They organised a throwback Thursday where many of the teachers found themselves teaching a variety of characters from Upsy Daisy, the Mario brothers and Minnie Mouse. In total they raised £319.77.

The highlight of the term has to be the preparation for our annual Toys for the Tree Assembly. All form groups have worked together to collect or raise funds to buy a present for someone less fortunate or an organisation in need. We have had a range of beneficiaries this year from our regular deserving charities such as Dartford Children’s Ward, Ellenor Lions, and Great Ormond Street to some less obvious but still worthy choices of Battersy Dogs Home, various hospices and in addition, many presents were taken to the Bluewater Foster Tree. Making someone feel special is always

of value at any time of the year, but being able to do this at Christmas makes it more magical. It has been fantastic to see a wide range of events take place this term, big and small and we hope this continues into 2016. The philanthropic team would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.

Rebekah Kidd and Jenny Sawings on behalf of the Philanthropic Team

P A G E 1 3


Sixth Form War Child Charity Event – “Throwback Thursday” Whilst this event was months in the planning, costumes had been years in the making. With outfits dating back to birth (well not the exact same onesies but you get the idea) it was obvious that everyone had thrown themselves into the idea of Throwback Thursday. As a girls’ school, we all find it so important that females across the world should get an education, just as we’re so privileged to do. So, when Itunu, one of our Head Girls, approached the Head Student Team with the idea of sending as many girls to school as possible through War Child, we all jumped at the chance. It costs £30 to send one girl in a developing country to school which isn’t too expensive if we get everyone involved and we knew a few things that would definitely raise some

money...food and dressing up. Throwback Thursday was the idea that we came up with, a sixth form charity event that would let us bring back our childhood for just one day. Now I know what you’re all thinking- are they even out of their childhood? But even if we’re not, Thursday 26th November was the happiest I had seen the sixth form in a long time; who knew that colouring books, dot-to-dots and throwback tunes (Destiny’s Child galore) could make 16-18 year olds so happy?

It made all of the team smile to see everyone get so involved and enjoy something that we had spent so long planning, especially when the café turned itself into a sixth form cha cha slide (with everyone seeing how low they could go). It really made me proud, not only to see everyone knowing the words to Beyoncé, but also working together to provide an education that will improve the lives of so many. We hope that all the money we raised from the cake sale, the dressing up and donations will leave a legacy to improve the communities of all those we’ve managed to send to school. We have so far raised £280 from this event, but more money is being brought in all the time. This means at least nine girls can be funded to go to school for the year, thanks to the generosity of DGGS Sixth Formers.

Genevieve Redgrave, 13F

Lauren Oblein

7H HAS GOT TALENT—TO RAISE MONEY FOR TOYS TO THE TREE In order to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital School, we decided to put on a ‘7H Has Got Talent’ Show. On Wednesday 2nd December, the form room was transformed into a beautiful arena of talent. We had singing, dancing, magic and tin foil hats! Thanks to our marvellous talents, we raised a whopping £77.63. This money will go to buying some books for the students at Great Ormond Street Hospital School and to CRISIS.

Philanthropic Update—continued

P A G E 1 4

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


Animal Farm Over 80 students from Years 7 – 13 auditioned for February’s whole school production of Animal Farm. Rehearsals are now underway and the performances will take place on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th February. Tickets will go on sale nearer the time.

Workshops In September our Year 13 students took part in a Commedia Del Arte workshop

at The National Theatre and on Friday 4th December, 24 KS4 and KS5 Drama

students took part in a practical workshop led by the world famous physical

theatre company ‘Frantic Assembly’. Students were inspired and influenced

and the workshop undertaken will further develop their theatre skills and

knowledge. Again, we have more workshops planned for the future, so keep

your eyes peeled…..

Theatre Trips We have run two theatre trips in the Autumn Term including; on the 13th October a KS5 theatre visit to the National Theatre to see a production of ‘Our Country’s Good’ and on the 26th November a KS3 theatre trip to see ‘Matilda’ at The Cambridge Theatre. “I very much enjoyed the theatre trip to see Matilda the Musical. The music was original and I loved the way that it helped to tell the story and communicate characters thoughts and emotions. The dancing was inventive and creative, as was the set which was bright and colourful. The falling confetti was great fun. The characters were just like those in the book and were brought to life on the stage through their vocal and facial expression, movement and body language” Emily Weaver 7H We have plenty more trips to come in the Spring and Summer Terms including a Year 9 and 12 Trip to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time on the 6th January 2016.

Drama Department News

P A G E 1 5


It’s been a while since I taught Food Technology, but when I did I loved it. I have been given the opportunity to teach it again. I was excited throughout the summer holidays creating a curriculum that the students would enjoy and learn from. It has been tough but exciting as students have developed practical skills and increased their understanding of safe food handling and preparation. Year 7 have made a variety of dishes from dippy divers to designing their own flavours of scones, each allowing their skills to increase with each practical they have completed. Year 8 have created a number of dishes from Kofta’s, vegetarian Lasagne to bread designing and baking, they have also considered why people choose to be vegetarian. Year 9 have continued to develop their practical skills and have been evaluating their outcomes following practical experimentation. All of which will support them when it comes to the GCSE coursework write-up. Year 10 had fun with our bake off Victoria Sandwich where the desire to over decorate and outdo each other became the priority and resulted in some disappointing outcomes as cream filling was added to some warm cakes! It has been a tough start to teaching a new subject: if I have to improve one thing it would be getting the students to complete practicals in the one hour and that does include the cleaning up! Mrs Lake has been so supportive preparing ingredients and clearing up what the students don’t and supporting my developing skills and ideas.

Yvonne Green Curriculum Area Leader: Food Technology

Off to a “Frying Start”

This term we were asked to research a recipe for Victoria Sponge. We were asked to plan the tasks and timing for the manufacture of the Victoria Sponge and it needed to be completed in 1 hour. Before we started baking the Victoria sponges, we had to create a flow chart which tells us what we have to do, checks we have to do to ensure the sponges are baked to perfection and how long the timing is for each step. We were only allowed to make the cake if our steps added up to one hour or less, no more. Whilst making the Victoria sponge we all felt relaxed as the flow chart really did help us to know what we were doing and how long it was going to take. Faith and Priya from 10C said that “The bake off element of the task had made it encourage a healthy competitive atmosphere which made us want to do better and hope to be judged the best.” Titi Sodomodinu from 10K said “The stressful part of the baking was waiting for the sponges to cool as this took a while and nearly ruined our flowchart planning but we managed in the end and everything turned out well. Mrs. Green evaluated the look of the sponge after she had cut a small slice from each of the cakes. The comments given to each student related to texture, filling to sponge ratio, the rise and the overall look of the cake. We had to wait 15 mins for our cakes to cool so that we could apply our whipped cream and jam otherwise it would melt. That had to be the most stressful part. Otherwise, everything was perfect and absolutely fun!” In first place: Freya McSweeney 10L in second place Thuva Peranthanasingan 10I and third place was awarded to Emily Gray 10L Thuva Perathanasingam

Well done Year 10! There was a very calm atmosphere and some very impressive bakes. It was great to see you all embrace the fun element whilst developing those crucial timings and cleaning up. Yvonne Green Curriculum Area Leader: Food Technology

Victoria Sponge Bakeoff


Well done to our very talented Fine Art students for being selected for this year’s 2015 John Downton Awards for Young Artists. The students whose work was selected for this exhibition and shortlisted for the awards were all from last year’s Year 13s group: Katherine Jones, Katie Pearson and Isabelle Smith. To be shortlisted for this award is a great achievement with it being open to students across the whole county and with a record number of students applying this year. The exhibition of all the selected students’ work will be open until 2nd December at County Hall, Maidstone.

We are delighted to announce that Katherine Jones won the John Downton Prize for Painting and her work will be exhibited at Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate from 8th December 2015 to 24th January 2016. A special award titled ‘The People’s Choice’ was presented to Isabelle Smith. This award was voted by the public and we are delighted to announce that she won this award by a substantial margin. The Art Department is also really appreciative of all the other girls from DGGS who entered this competition, some of them independently. We hope to have future successes next year. Congratulations! Rachel Oliver Joint Curriculum Area Leader: Art and Design

Isabelle Smith

2015 John Downton Awards for Young Artists

Over the past 6 weeks, the graphic

design students in year nine have been participating in a competition known as Design Ventura. Two teams had to design a product based on a ‘live’ brief to be presented to Mrs Pritchard and ultimately entered for the national competition. The Design Ventura Brief was to ‘create a well-designed product to sell in the Design Museum Shop, relating to the theme MOVE’. The adventure began with a visit to the Design Museum where we took part in a workshop with members of the Deutsche Bank Youth Engagement Program, who helped us create inconceivable ideas using just paper. Consequently, we admired the exhibitions on display to try and identify the target audience. Subsequently, we made our way to the Design Museum Shop, knowing that it would be the best place for inspiration. There we asked a member of staff what product sells best and why so we could gain market research to increase our knowledge on the shop. This once in a lifetime experience certainly helped my team and I to picture what our final product could be. Bursting with ideas, my team and I now had to decide on just one. As we all had different views, we were unable to decide on what idea was the most excellent. Fortunately, a class vote settled which idea

we would bring to life. Now that we had a final verdict, we could elect who would take on which roles by writing down our strengths and weaknesses to determine which role we each suited most. However, soon enough we encountered a second challenge - how could the specification be obtained? Extensive research revealed that most entries to the competition involved the completion of three A3 sheets displaying how the specification had been achieved and how their product could be successful in those circumstances. Following

the footsteps of previous winners, we too presented our product on three A3 sheets. Before we knew it, it was pitch day. With three completed A3 sheets and a PowerPoint to summarise each section, we pitched our product to Mrs Pritchard. Both teams’ pitches were exceptional yet there could only be one winner, which was later submitted into applying for the top ten. Without a doubt, the Design

Ventura project was an eye opener for each and every one of the Year 9 graphic design students, whether it be working with a group of new students or impressing Mrs Pritchard with our final pitches. I would like to thank Mrs Maritz, who allowed me to experience opportunities I could have never imagined during this once in a life time journey.

By Georgia Howard 9L

Design Ventura

P A G E 1 7


Textiles Students Visit the Knitting and Stitching Show On Friday October 9th, the Art and Design Textiles students from years 10, 12 and 13 enjoyed a visit to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. This was a chance for the younger girls to gain their first experience of this huge event, which showcases the work of leading international textiles artists, collecting valuable first hand research for their GCSE projects. The older girls were able to use the visit to interact with professionals, asking carefully planned questions. This annual trip greatly en-hances their technical understanding and opportunity for contextual research. I hope that you enjoy reading Megan Pettey’s excellent account of her day.

Julie Evans-Wild Curriculum Team Leader: Arts and Technology Faculty

My Trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show, by Megan Pettey 10C

At the show there were many stalls and interesting textile exhibitions to look at. These included work by individual artists and textile companies. There were many different textile styles and techniques on display from abstract felt art to delicately crafted embroidered pieces. I saw work from many different artists for example artists like Annie Mundy and Mary Gamester and companies like the Guild of Silk Painters, Felt Creative, Colour Craft and RSN (the Royal School of Needlework). I especially loved the work from the graduates of the Royal School of Needlework because the detail they had used in their embroidery was amazing. They had sewn all sorts of patterns and even some animals in bright and eye catching colours. They had a range of different designs from traditional to contemporary. Some pieces used different techniques within the embroidery for example working with metal. Other pieces they had made included intricately sewn portraiture and other imaginative designs. I really liked a piece consisting of a parrot which looked so realistic – like a painting – even though it had been embroidered. The artist showing at the exhibition explained that the work displayed was all by her and her friend which they completed in their time at the Royal School of Needlework. The artist I particularly found interesting was Mary Gamester who displayed a lot of her transfer painted and embroidered textile pieces. When I spoke to her she explained how the majority of her work is inspired by Indian textiles – which links to the theme of my project back at school. She also said each piece can take months to produce because of the many different techniques involved in making the finished product and also because of the vast amount of detailed hand embroidery and machine stitching she uses. I really liked her work because I found some of the different techniques she uses exciting because I have never seen or used them myself before. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the knitting and stitching show because it has given me more ideas for textiles in the future and also some of the Indian inspired artists there gave me inspiration for my current project.

Megan Pettey, 10C

Textiles visit to the Knitting and Stitching Show

P A G E 1 8

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


DT Trip to the Crystal

The Crystal—A unique exhibition Today we visited the Crystal in London. The building was devoted to

sustainability and trying to improve life for the future. There were many different activities that we did throughout our time at the Crystal such as trying to maintain our own city and cycling for energy. A favourite part for the group was the large water section and fountain and the very informative ‘pumpkin’. The fact that the different activities were interactive made them extremely exciting and enjoyable. The videos we watched about the world today and in the future were very

innovative and some of us said that we felt that the videos inspired us to do something to be more sustainable at home. Some of the facts that were stated in the video shocked us a lot, such as that in 2050, 75% of the world’s population will live in cities! We found it really interesting when we could see how sustainable cities were compared to one another – Copenhagen was number one. The thing that mostly let down London was our transport systems. The Crystal is working on new ideas to show different types of transport and when you go there you can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide you produced from your journey there. Learning about other people’s lives was very informative and interesting. Our group especially like Ling’s life story and were fascinated by how different her young life was compared to ours and by how her life panned out. We said that we didn’t realise that there was such a difference in lifestyle and that watching her video helped us learn something new. Overall, we think that the experience was great and enjoyed learning about sustainability and how we can be more sustainable. We enjoyed the experience and would be happy to go again!

Year 10 DT Class

The Crystal – A unique exhibition.

P A G E 1 9


Our Year 8 students were treated to a whole day of activities within the arts subjects on October 22nd, for one of their Curriculum Enhancement Days. The aim of this day was to enable the girls to try out techniques and activities which take an extended time to complete and to work creatively alongside students from a variety of forms, rather than in their usual groupings. For half of the day, the girls attended a workshop session in one of the visual arts, either Textiles or Fine Art. For

their other session, they enjoyed a workshop in Drama, Music or Dance. All of the activities focused on a central, African theme for inspiration. Two follow -up assemblies were recently held for the students to share some of the highlights of the day. They thoroughly enjoyed seeing themselves and their friends performing a ‘Welly Dance’ on film and giving live performances of their own interpretations of Just So Stories. These were both highly confident

and impressive. It was also great to see their excited reaction to a slideshow featuring their brilliant tie-dye scarves, design drawings and themselves and friends dressing up during the Textiles workshops. I should like to compliment Year 8 on their approach to every aspect of this Arts Day. They worked with enthusiasm and behaved impeccably throughout, making the day a pleasure. Well Done Year 8!

Julie Evans-Wild Curriculum Team Leader: Arts and Technology Faculty

Year 8 Arts Day

P A G E 2 0

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


Respect Star Badges The Head Student Team wanted to reward students for embodying our values here

at DGGS and in the first term they put in place nomination slips for every student and tutor to put forward a student from their form as the person who best demonstrates the value of ‘Respect’. It was very hard to choose between the many nominations that were made, but the following students are to be congratulated on being awarded the ‘Respect’ star in their form this term:

Star Badge Winners – Respect Badges

Next term, the Head Student Team will be taking nominations for ‘Creativity’ across many areas, to include art, dance, drama, music, design and original ideas.

Fiona Kellett Assistant Headteacher

Chartwell

Year 7 – Farrah Adegunle

Year 8 – Giri Jeyakumaran

Year 9 – Mfon Umoren

Year 10 – Sophie Stewart

Year 11 – Faye O’Brien

Knole

Year 7 – Bethany Collins

Year 8 – Daisy Wigg

Year 9 – Victoria Wilson

Year 10 – Lola Oladimeji

Year 11 – Lysandra Fryer-Petridis

Hever

Year 7 – Sophie Dix

Year 8 – Milly Constable

Year 9 – Raveena Longia

Year 10 – Faith Kanu

Year 11 – Natasha Gill

Leeds

Year 7 – Evania Raju

Year 8 – Megan White

Year 9 – Maithilii Muthal Puredath

Year 10 – Omolayo Oluwadare

Year 11 – Neelam Bungle

Ightham

Year 7 – Aleenah Joshy

Year 8 – Sajana Rameshwaran

Year 9 – Jenna Crowle

Year 10 – Imogen Platt

Year 11 – Amelia Harris

Penshurst

Year 7 – Lucia du Bell

Year 8 – Gloria Akinpelu

Year 9 – Santhya Sothynathan

Year 10 – Gienna Khattra

Year 11 – Alexandra Tucker

Congratulations to this year’s winner of the first round of the Poetry by Heart competition, Louisa Jacobs 11I. Louisa impressed all four judges on Wednesday 25th November with her recitation of A Forsaken Garden by Algernon Swinburne and What the

Chairman Told Tom by Basil Bunting. Her confident, word-perfect performances were both entertaining and assured.

Eight competitors from Years 10-13 took part this year in the school-based competition, learning poems ranging in length from 20 to 77 lines. At the County Contest which will take place in January at the University of Kent, Louisa will be representing DGGS and competing with other students from the south east for a place in the regional and national finals.

We wish her the very best of luck! Wendy Mackenzie Teaching Assistant: English / EAL Co-ordinator

P A G E 2 1


DGGS is through to the National Science +

Engineering Competition Finals!

The AEN Office is a friendly, colourful place where students of all year groups are welcome to drop in to ask for advice or help with any of their additional educational needs or simply to have a chat about how they are getting on in school.

Every Wednesday from 1.30-2.00pm, students from all year groups who have visual perception difficulties (sometimes referred to as Irlen Syndrome) are invited to meet in the AEN office. As part of the Visual Perception Awareness week, we made badges for each student to wear to indicate the colour of the overlays and paper that they use to overcome their VPD and the group also spent time together making coloured pom-poms to further raise awareness of their needs. Please contact Ms Crawley for more information. Reader Partnership Scheme

A new pilot support group for Year 7 students with English as an Additional Language was launched this term to provide an extra opportunity for our bilingual students to expand their academic vocabulary.

The Reader Partnership scheme is designed to enable EAL pupils to support each other in developing their vocabulary in a more informal environment by reading additional material. The six students who currently attend the pilot group have two members of support staff and a Year 8 student working with them as they explore a text which they do not cover in English lessons. They are building up a bank of vocabulary that is new to them personally and are encouraged to work on this in their own time too.

We would welcome any students from Years 8-10 who speak other languages at home to become one of the reading partners and join the scheme to promote language proficiency and mentor our younger students as they progress through the year. Please contact Mrs Mackenzie if you would like to help.

Suzanne Crawley – AEN Support Manager Wendy Mackenzie – EAL Co-ordinator

We are delighted to be able to share with you that our team of Year 11

students; Tsemaye Uwejamomere, Victoria Adams and Aqila Rahman with their project “Vision Over Sight (VOS)” has been selected for the Finals of the National Science + Engineering Competition, which are held at The Big Bang Fair in March 2016 at the NEC, Birmingham.

Tse explains the aim of the project: “Vision Over Sight is an innovative way to improve the lives of the blind population through the use of

wearable technology, in the form of smart glasses. We decided to name our product VOS (Vision Over Sight) as we believe that it fully embodies our main aim which is to improve the wellbeing of people living with blindness by providing the blind with an alternative way of ‘seeing’ the world.

The glasses work by adapting the Google Glass and adding additional features that provide the blind with alternative ways of experiencing the world around them through modern day technology, such as optical character recognition, barcode scanning, colour detection and facial recognition.”

There were a record number of entries and the standard was extremely high, so this is a huge achievement. Many congratulations!

Carol Williams Assistant Headteacher and Director of Science

News from the AEN/EAL Team

P A G E 2 2

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


Christmas Cake Competition

This term’s House competition was to decorate a cake to represent Christmas. We were truly amazed at the quality and originality of the entries. There was a Santa in bed; a Santa stuck in a chimney; a Hansel and Gretel–style house; a fully laid Christmas table (including marzipan turkey!); winter scenes including glazed lakes, trees and flowers; dancing penguins; smiling snowmen; marshmallow igloos; reindeer pulling a sleigh…and lots of snow!

Mrs Green and Mrs Lake, our Food Technology specialists, judged the cakes. Winners from each year group were awarded 8 points; those in 2nd place were awarded 6 points and those in 3rd place 4 points. All other entries were awarded 2 points for taking part. Decisions were extremely difficult to make.

Meadowside Centre clients (Help the Aged) were the lucky recipients and were actually speechless with delight. The Year 13 Hever cake was described by one volunteer at the centre as the most beautiful cake she had ever seen.

Many congratulations to everyone who took part. Please find below the results: Fiona Kellett Assistant Headteacher

Year Group Results

Year 7

1st place (8 points) 7C

2nd place (6 points) 7K

3rd place (4 points) 7H

Other entries (2 points) 7I, 7L, 7P

Year 8

1st place (8 points) 8C

2nd place (6 points) 8I

3rd place (4 points) 8H

Other entries (2 points) 8K, 8L

Year 9

1st place (8 points) 9H

2nd place (6 points) 9C

3rd place (4 points) 9L

Other entries (2 points)

Year 10

1st place (8 points) 10L

2nd place (6 points) 10H

3rd place (4 points) 10C

Other entries (2 points) 10K

Year 11

1st place (8 points) 11K and 11H joint

2nd place (6 points)

Year 12 – no entries

Year 13

1st place (8 points) Year 13 Hever

Overall Points

HEVER: 38

CHARTWELL: 26

KNOLE: 20

LEEDS: 16

IGHTHAM: 8

PENSHURST: 2

P A G E 2 3


High Impact Learning Strategies

In recent assemblies and during form time, we have been talking to students about our five High Impact Learning Strategies. These are the habits and approaches adopted by very successful students of all ages – from Year 7 students through to university undergraduates.

High impact learning strategy 1: “Highly successful students try hard and think hard”

Successful students know that learning is sometimes difficult and they expect to make mistakes. They understand that this is an important aspect of the learning process. For this reason, we have been talking to students about the importance of coming to lessons expecting to think hard. It’s important to remember that everyone makes mistakes. The most successful students accept this and try to learn from their mistakes. We all learn best when we have to think and figure things out for ourselves; therefore, this means that we have to be determined and resilient. High impact learning strategy 2: “Highly successful students participate”

Successful students speak up in discussions, ask questions, answer questions and help other students

because they know that talking about their learning and their work helps them to comprehend difficult concepts. These students also understand that discussion and listening carefully to others helps them to make sense of complicated ideas. High impact learning strategy 3: “Highly successful students know their strengths and weaknesses” Successful students think carefully about what they’re good at and what they’re not so good at. But very

successful students go one step further and take action to enhance their knowledge and understanding of their least favourite topics or subjects. We talk to students about the importance of avoiding the temptation to spend excessive amounts of time on topics that they find easy or comfortable. High impact learning strategy 4: “Highly successful students make the most of their teachers’ feedback”

Successful students know that their teachers are experts and their ‘ebi’ or ‘further thought’ comments contain great advice about how to improve, learn more and take steps forward. Successful students think very carefully about their feedback and act on advice. High impact learning strategy 5: “Highly successful students take time to reflect on their work and their learning”

Students who understand how they learn best do very well on their courses, from Year 7 through to university. Very successful students regularly read through their work to make sure they fully understand what they have been learning about. If necessary they then take steps, such as extra reading or research, to address areas of difficulty or confusion. Successful students also discuss their lessons at home, and even try to relate their learning to what’s happening in the news.

Martin Jones Deputy Headteacher

P A G E 2 4

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


Sporting Highlights

Unified World Championships- Muay Thai From 2nd - 9th November 2015 I went to Benidorm, Spain to represent

England at the Unified World Championships. I competed in Muay Thai and KI, but in both events no-one was in my category (11-13 years, 32kg). In the category above for Muay Thai (11-13 years, 36kg) my team mate also had no-one in her category. Therefore, so we could get a fight, the organisation moved me into her category. The fight went to a decision and I lost due to her weight advantage and points, but still came 2nd in a category that wasn't my own. In addition, I won my own Muay Thai and KI categories by default. It was a great experience and I would love to do it again.

Bethany Collins, 7K

U14 Kent Netball Tournament Langley Park School for Girls Lost 1-7 Maidstone Grammar School for Girls Lost 2-3 The John Wallis Academy Won 7-0 The Rochester Grammar School Won 4-2 St Dunstan's College Won 2-0 St Lawrence College Lost 4-6 Sydenham High School Won 3-1 Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School Lost 2-9 Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls Lost 1-8 Overall Joint 5th

Sevenoaks Swimming Gala Well done to all students in the gala for an excellent swim. The final result was 214 points to Sevenoaks and 177 points to DGGS. Well done also to students who swam up into the older age group. A great team effort.

Miss Fisher, Teacher

P A G E 2 5


On the last two days of Term 1, back in October, we had our first Curriculum Enhancement days for this

academic year. On these special days, we “collapse” the usual timetable and substitute an exciting and varied programme designed to enrich the experiences of our students.

Year 7 students had a highly successful “Brain Training” day where they looked at learning styles, how they learn best and revision techniques on one day and a geography field trip to Horton Kirby, where they thoroughly enjoyed splashing around in the river, collecting data on the other. Year 8 students had a wonderfully expressive Arts Day with an African theme, where they took part in two very different workshops, followed by a fantastic day exploring Wildwood Woodland Discovery Park. This is a wild animal park where students had the opportunity to see wolves, lynx, and other native but rare species close up in a controlled and safe environment as well as enjoying all the other facilities of the park. Year 9 spent their first day taking part in a series of workshops around the theme of sex and relationships and on their second day, were set the task of designing and constructing a Throne on their Design and Technology Creativity Day - Can you really make a throne strong enough for a heavy king or queen to sit on, just from old newspapers? Well, the answer was an emphatic YES! Students worked in teams against the clock and produced some fantastic thrones. Mr Barton was our King for the day and had the unenviable task of testing all twenty thrones! Year 10 spent a fun-filled day exploring one of Shakespeare's most enduring plays: Romeo and Juliet led by the actors from The Globe Players professional theatre company. Students found this a truly inspiring day and we are sure that their experiences will impact on aspects of the coursework they will be completing as part of their English GCSE. Their second day was filled with action workshops including Strive4 success workshops, First Aid with St John Ambulance, an inter-House challenge and a high-energy, orienteering-based team building event. Year 11 had a variety of very valuable subject related workshops, to support them in their final year towards their GCSEs, including English, R.S., Languages and Science where they also had a visit from the Astrodome. Additionally, Year 11 took part in a very competitive inter-House Bench Ball competition and an inter-House challenge. Years 12 and 13 also enjoyed taking part in inter-House Bench Ball competitions as part of their programme. For the rest of their time, Year 12 produced some amazing materials as part of the very competitive War Child project, whilst for Year 13, the focus was very much on supporting their next steps with a series of talks, UCAS support, individual and group interview practice as well as Portfolio preparation for those moving on to a practical arts or design foundation year, all rounded off with a very amusing quiz.

So much achieved in just two days, but none of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of a significant number of staff, so our sincere thanks to everyone involved in making the days a huge success. Our next Curriculum Enhancement day is planned for Wednesday 25th May for Years 7 and 8. Other Year groups will be involved with internal assessments or external examinations at this time.

Carol Williams Assistant Headteacher and Director of Science

Curriculum Enhancement Days

Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd October

P A G E 2 6

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE NUMBER 38


ADMISSIONS CONSULTATION We are currently consulting on our admission arrangements for entry to the school in September 2017. The consultation commences on 14th December 2015 and closes on 25th January 2016. Details are available to view on the school website www.dartfordgrammargirls.kent.sch.uk and Kent LA website www.kent.gov.uk If you have any comments on our proposed admission arrangements, please send these by post to Mrs J Brooke, Chair of Governors, c/o Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Shepherds Lane, Dartford, Kent DA1 2NT or by email to [email protected]

The FPTA is organising a Barn Dance on Friday 29th January from 7.00 – 10.00pm featuring the professional ‘Skinner’s Rats’ who are one of the finest Barn Dance Bands in the business! Tickets are only £6 for adults or children and are available from either the Finance Office or the FPTA on [email protected]. There will be refreshments on sale including a selection of wines and beers. Come along with your friends and family for an evening of guaranteed fun!

http://dartfordgrammargirls.kent.sch.uk/

http://www.kent.gov.uk/



welcome - dartford grammar school for girls - dggs times · 2017. 11. 14. · driving career, young...

Documents