autumn term 2 2014

Newsletter
Autumn Term 2014 (Issue No.2)
Singers hit
the right
note
Erith School Choir lifted the
spirits of weary Christmas
shoppers when they performed
at Bluewater Shopping Centre
led by Choir Master and Head
of Music, Mr Wilkinson
DA
TES FOR YOUR DIAR
Y
DATES
DIARY
From the Headteacher
Last Day of Autumn Term
Friday 19 December 2014
Season’s greetings to each and every one
of you! As ever we’ve reached the end of
a very long term in good shape and
already looking forward to the New Year.
At this moment our Year 11 students are
outperforming the final results of last
year’s cohort and are looking to beat all
records in the summer with our Year 10s
hot on their tails.
Students finish early:
Years 7/8 dismissed at 1.00pm
Years 9/10 dismissed at 12.30pm
Year 11 dismissed at 11.30am
6th Form dismissed at 11.15am
First Day of Spring Term
Monday 5 January 2015
All students
arrive 11.00am
School Production:
The Little Shop of Horrors:
Monday 9 February
Tuesday 10 February
Wednesday 11February
Tickets now on sale see website for further details!
As you look through the pages of this
Christmas issue, you’ll see just how many
different types of activity our students
have been involved in over the last month
or so; it makes for fantastic reading. In
the last few weeks alone, we’ve been out
walking the streets of Bexley raising
money for charity with the Rotary Club
and their Santa Sleigh. On average,
we’ve managed to raise about £800:00 a
night which, by the time we get to
Christmas itself, will be a magnificent
total.
In addition, we’ve also raised money
through our very successful Christmas
Jumper Day as well as make a huge
contribution to the Erith Food Bank which
will meanRead
that some
people
be
the full
storywill
inside!
able to provide a good meal for their
families over the Christmas holiday.
This is the side of Erith School that
people don’t often see. We have
some really smashing students who
will go the extra mile to help others
less well off than themselves and
they are the life blood of the school.
They are our future and we must
make sure that they are ready to
take their rightful place in our
community and help them to make a
real difference to all our lives.
On that note, I would like to take this
opportunity to wish you all a very
Happy Christmas and an extremely
successful New Year. I hope you
manage to get a good rest over the
next two weeks so that you can
embrace the coming year with great
energy and enthusiasm so we can
work together to build on the
successes of the last twelve months.
Have a great holiday!
Mr Brian Lloyd
Headteacher
2
Poster Competition
Two of our art teachers, Miss Tighe and Mrs Courtley,
worked with volunteer students after school to design
posters for the school’s forthcoming production, Little Shop
of Horrors which will be performed in February 2015.
We were so impressed by the incredibly high standard of art
work that all the volunteer students produced and it was
difficult to choose a winning design; so, for the first
time we have chosen three poster designs.
As you can see here, Lois Burrows, 8 Milne;
Megan Wright, 8 Milne and Zakiya Watt, 9
Zephaniah have worked incredibly hard on their
designs with their art teachers and at home.
These posters have been placed around school by
6th Form students to advertise the production.
Ms L Williams, Head of Creative Arts Faculty
Erith Squadron 3579, ATC
Erith cadets took part in this year‘s Poppy collection at
Bexleyheath, where a record £60k was raised over the 2
weeks collection.
Erith School students who took part were: Cdt Ameen
Ahnien, Cdt Rosie Arrowsmith, Cdt Chanachai Chaiyaphum,
Cdt Richard Deane, Cpl Jake Hanfrey, Sgt Jessica Kelleher,
Cdt Joshua Longhurst, Cpl Megan Masters, Cdt Philip
Muspratt, Sgt Ben Ridley, Cdt Callum Rock and Cdt Safara
Yates
Flight Lieutenant, Andrew Kelleher
Gary Hyde, Governor
It is with great sadness that we must inform
parents that Mr Gary Hyde, a Governor and
Trustee of Erith School for many years, has
passed away.
Mr Hyde was a most dedicated Governor, who
supported all aspects of school life, most notably
through his work with
Fast Track, a system
to monitor student
attendance, and his
role as link Governor
for the Creative Arts
Faculty.
Gary will be sadly
missed and our
thoughts are with his
family at this difficult
time.
3
Debating Competition
On Saturday 6 December, Mrs Guy accompanied two
students, Safara Yates and Imanuella Okoronkwo
from Year 11, to the British Parliamentary Schools
Debating Competition run by the London School of
Economics Debating Society.
Safara and Imanuella developed their skills in
presentation and argument. The girls realised just how
hard they needed to work to compete against the
other entrants, not just in the debating competition but
in other areas such as a place at a top university.
The girls did very well achieving a first place in the
fourth round which is a fantastic achievement in their
first debating competition.
Mrs R Guy
What did the students say?
“ We debated with a lot of
people. I learnt debating skills
going through each round
and we got to interact with
other young people with
different abilities and we
enjoyed the challenges.
I learnt an awful lot! We had to
think on the spot about difficult
subjects from around the world. We were only given 15
minutes to come up with an argument, for or against,
with no help at all. I learnt how to understand and
accept alternative opinions on controversial subjects.
Imanuella Okoronkwo, 11 Teak
The day was very inspiring and furthered our
knowledge of how to express and articulate our
views with sophisticated vocabulary. We came
fourth in the first round but managed first place in
the last round, which was really good as we were
novices. I feel it will help me in English lessons
when it comes to justifying my opinions.
The best part of the day was
watching the standard of the
other entrants debating I really want to reach that
standard. The sense of
energy and adrenaline that I
felt when we got a first place
was great!
Safara Yates, 11 Teak
The Return of the Christmas Tree
There hasn’t been a Christmas tree at Midfield Parade,
Barnehurst for some years so Mrs Whipps, Erith School’s
Office Manager, wrote to the Mayor of Bexley about
reinstating one. She was told that almost £1000 would be
needed to put in an infrastructure ready for a tree and lights
for this and subsequent years.
Mrs Whipps got to work raising money by asking local
residents and businesses to donate to the Christmas Tree
fund. Kier Group donated the tree and lights and Mrs
Whipps, with the help of her neighbours, raised all the
money needed. The tree lights were officially turned on by
the Mayor on 5 December.
Mrs Whipps said the generosity of the local residents was
amazing and the tree looks lovely.
Miss T Wallis, Publicity and Marketing Assistant
Let’s Grow!
We would like to thank everyone who donated
‘Let’s Grow’ vouchers to the school.
The 3000 vouchers have been
used to buy aprons for the Food
Technology department.
4
Rotary Christmas Charity Walks
Hit Your Target!
“I wanted to go on the walk for charity because the
money collected will help my brothers school, he has
special needs. I really wanted to help.
My sister and I sang along to the Christmas music.”
Rosie Little, 7 Orwell
“I decided to join the walk because I like helping charities,
especially at Christmas. I know that some people in certain
countries don’t get presents and I am lucky to be living in
England.
The best part of joining in was meeting new friends.”
Christopher Smith, 9 Milne
“ I decided to go on the Santa walk because I like to help
people and meet other members of the community. The best
part of joining in was feeling part of the community and
being able to help people.”
Samantha Rushbrook, 9 Orwell
Mr Lloyd was pleased to award Gold ”Hit Your Target”
badges this week to two students in Year 7 Manpreet Singh, 7 Kipling, and Ines Floricica, 7 Eliot.
Well done!
5
Christmas Card Competition
Once again our Art Department has run a very
succesful Christmas Card Competition, with the
winning entries being selected as the School’s official
Christmas card.
We had some exceptionally good entries this year and
the winning designs and runners up from each year
group are shown below.
The winners were:
Year 7
Winner
Runner Up
Qasim Amin
Jamie Bacon
Year 8
Winner
Runner Up
Rania Rubenga-Webster
Autumn Adams
Year 9
Winner
Runners Up
Jake Pavey
Jakia Miah and Arpit Badhan
Year 11
Winner
Jordanna Smith
Qasim Amin, Year 7
Jake Pavey, Year 9
Jamie Bacon, Year 7
Arpit Badhan, Year 9
Rania Rubenga-Webster, Year 8
Jordanna Smith, Year 11
Jakiya Miah, Year 9
Autumn Adams, Year 8
6
LIFE course at Erith Fire Station
Two Year 10 students, Charlie Neve and Dylan Riddall, have
taken part in a LIFE course at Erith Fire Station, where they
had the opportunity to participate in various activities and
tasks relating to the role of a fire-fighter.
The boys were introduced to practical activities including the
use of ladders, breathing apparatus and hose practice. They
had to demonstrate team work, self-discipline and
communication skills, all of which the boys improved on
greatly during the week.
Both boys completed a passing out ceremony at the end of
the week where they were praised for their hard work and
determination.
They were a credit to Erith School. Both boys are now
considering a career as a fire-fighter one day. Well done to
them both!
Miss Wadhams, Deputy Head of Year 10
English Schools Cup:
Quarter Finals
Our girls played a terrific game of football in Round 5
of this national competition. Through excellent
teamwork, communication and some fantastic
football the U16 team won 6-2 against Fullbrook,
taking them through to the quarter finals - the last 8
teams in the country.
Goal scorers were:
Breon Grant (3)
Leah Saunders (2)
Ellie Jeffkins (Captain) (1)
Very well done!
Miss Northwood, Team Coach
U16 Girl’s Team Triumph
Our Under 16 Girl’s Football team has worked continuously
hard this season, competing in many fixtures with an
undefeated record.
Having reached the quarter finals of the English Schools Cup
(last 8 in the country) they also recently qualified for the
semi-finals of the Kent cup. This is an outstanding
achievement in both competitions and it is solely down to
hard work, commitment and team work shown by every
single player. A huge congratulations to the following
players:
Ellie Jeffkins, Courtney Pepper, Jemma Witchlow, Shae
Ludlow, Annei Ali, Ellie York, Sophie Crow,Amy Nash, Leah
Saunders, Lillie Mae Allison, Breon Grant, Paige Iveson, Leah
McGirr, Isabel Canik, Safara Yates
They deserve a well earned rest over Christmas and we
hope to continue to progress in both competitions in the new
year.
Miss Northwood and Miss South
7
6th Form Psychology Taster Day
The purpose of the visit was to inspire students to think
around and beyond the subject. They were able to listen to
some of the country’s leading psychologists about their
current research and area of expertise. Students gained
insight into how to use Psychology after A-Level, such as
possible university courses and careers available in the field.
Maths Results
Year 11 students have recently received their results for the
first set of mock exams for maths, which they sat in
November with extremely encouraging results. Each student
has received a personalised printout for both their papers so
they know what they need to revise for the next set of
mocks in the new year. We will continue to focus on
ensuring that all students are making the expected progress
in maths.
The Saturday Maths Clinic will resume on 17 January and
topic revision will begin after school on Tuesdays next term.
If you have any questions with regards to Year 11 Maths
please do not hesitate to contact me via email at:
[email protected]
Mr M Williams, Head of Maths Faculty
5 Ps for Success in Maths
Erith School Radio:
Mystery Voice Competition
I would really like to thank everyone for their support in
getting the Erith School Radio off the ground –
especially the parents who helped raise money to fund
this exciting project.
In this final week of term we are running a Mystery
Voice competition for our Tutor Groups; they just have
to guess the mystery voices and post their Tutor
Group’s entry into the box in Reception!
Thank you for your
continued support for this
project.
Mr Kelly, Producer
Erith School Radio
The day promoted enthusiasm and interest in the subject
which will lead students to gain a wider knowledge and
understanding – this will translate into higher grades.
The visit will impact upon exam results – five of the lectures
were directly relevant to AS Psychology and the A2
Psychology course. The lectures provided motivation to
study harder and aim higher e.g. going to university. Most of
the lectures were given by university professors, and they
were very accessible, giving students greater confidence to
study at a higher level after the 6th Form.
The trip helped those applying to study Psychology at
university – they can provide evidence of a wider interest in
the subject when applying to UCAS. The whole day was very
successful; all the lectures were interesting and stimulating.
Mrs Tantony, Key Stage 5 Co-ordinator, Science
What did the students say?
The trip consisted of 6 speakers from the world of
psychology giving lectures on their specialist
subjects. We had the privilege of listening to
Professor Russell Foster speaking about sleep and
Dr Susan Gathercole on the working memory
model and the use of its practical applications to
help students’ with low attainment. Dr Lucy
Johnstone delivered a controversial talk on
psychiatric diagnosis and Professor Mark Griffiths
gave us a thought provoking insight into gambling.
I was made aware of the different career paths
within psychology and how it is practiced outside
the classroom. It helped me consolidate what I had
been taught in school, especially the lecture on the
working memory model. All of the experts spoke
about topics relevant to my course and the day
awakened an interest into my
second unit of psychology and
encouraged me to carry on
independent research.
My favourite part was the talks
given by Professor Foster and
Professor Griffiths - they were
so passionate about their area
of expertise.
Nicole Brownfield, Year 12
8
Just a few Reminders...
Procedures for Severe Weather
Wanted – School Uniform!
In the event of severe weather, regular and up to date
information will be made available to parents and carers via:
z
z
z
z
Has your child grown out of his/her school uniform
or is he/she leaving school this year?
Would you please donate unwanted items to our
nearly new uniform store? We particularly need
blazersand ties for both boys and girls.
Erith School website at www.erith.kent.sch.uk
Erith School Twitter account @erith_school
Parent text messages
OpenCheck service, which can now be accessed in
the following ways:
1. on-line at https://opencheck.atomwide.com
2. by phone on Tel: 020 8408 7508
(Erith School code: 3034022)
3. by mobile phone - just download the USOParentLink mobile app to access OpenCheck via
Apple iPhoneTM or Google AndroidTM
smartphones.
Thank you for your continued support and generosity
Uniform Standards
Overall these have continued to be quite good. A big thank
you to parents who, day in day out, support the school by
ensuring that their sons/daughters are appropriately
dressed for school.
Please be aware that using the mobile app may incur
data charges from your network provider.
As the colder weather creeps in, there are a few students
who are not wearing the correct outdoor coats or footwear.
Reception Opening Times
z
Coats must be plain black or dark navy blue (no
fur, suede, leather or denim, no trims or logos).
No other coat to be worn in or to/from school.
z
Trainers (outside PE lessons) or canvas shoes or
boots of any description are not permitted.
z
The school blazer is compulsory and must be worn
at all times.
z
School jumpers or cardigans are optional but are not
to be worn instead of blazers.
The school Reception closes at 5.00pm, after which all
incoming telephone calls will be taken by an answerphone.
There will be no access to the school after 5.00pm for
parents or visitors, unless previously invited to do so by a
member of staff.
Messages to Students During the
School Day
Parents are advised that they should not phone the school to
ask for routine messages to be passed to their children,
unless in an extreme emergency.
Appointments and domestic arrangements should be made
at home and written in the students’ Contact Book to help
students take responsibility for remembering these
arrangements and appointments.
From Monday 5 January 2015 school staff will no longer
pass on routine messages to students during the school
day, as this is disruptive to teaching and learning.
Please refer to the School Handbook which you can read or
download from our website at: www.erith.kent.sch.uk
We do our best to make our uniform rules crystal clear by
publishing the details in the original Admission Pack which
all parents must sign before a child is admitted, in our
Handbook (available on the website) and in the students’
Contact Book. There are also reminders in every Newsletter.
However, some students still appear in non-uniform items
and a few parents get upset because they have spent
money on non uniform items which are then banned and/or
confiscated. Please refer to the uniform rules before
you buy. If in doubt – phone the Year office!
Make this your New Year Resolution: I Will Arrive at School ON TIME!
Students arriving late to school (after 8.30am) will have an immediate same day after school detention
of 30 minutes. Being late for school has the same detrimental effect on your education as being absent
from school, so please ensure that you arrive at school on time, every day.
Please refer to our Lates Policy in the School Handbook on our website, which explains what happens
in the case of persistent lateness.

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