2011-2012 term 4

Congratulations are in order for 10B1, who were rewarded with an

afternoon of takeaway pizza, having won a competition across the Year

10 maths groups. As part of the build-up before their GCSE Unit 1 exam all of the groups

were given an assessment, a list of topics and 2 weeks to revise. Lessons focused on exam

technique and revision sessions were run at lunch times and after school. With the pizza

prize for the best class improvement on the next assessment, the benefits of revision were

clear. Nearly all the students involved managed to improve on their starting mark, with the

winning group improving on average by 5 marks. Hopefully the added motivation will prove

valuable when the results of the Unit 1 exam are released on the 19th April. Good luck to

all! Mr A Manktelow, Maths Teacher

Thamesview School

THAMES V IEWS

Special points of

interest:-

Kent Youth Service

Library Corner

B & E Events

Student Poetry

Inside this Issue:

Headteacher’s letter 2

Enrichment 8

Challenger Community 5

Discovery Community 7

Endeavour Community 4

Enterprise Community 6

Important Dates 11

Spring Term 4

March 2012

Business & Enterprise

Maths Pizza Competition

Paralympics Games Winners Jamie Smith and Megan Payne (both

ably assisted by Karen Smith and

James Paul), represented Thamesview

and thirteen other Gravesham students

in the Kent Championships at Pent

Valley, Folkestone on Saturday 17th

March 2012. Competing against teams

from Swale, Canterbury, Maidstone and

Folkestone our team were emphatically

clear winners. Well done to all the

competitors in what proved to be a

brilliant occasion.

Jamie Smith, Year 9 Competitor

I am pleased to announce that

TVAS (Drama Club) submitted an

entry to the Kent County Drama

Competition and won their

region, beating all schools from

Gravesend, Dartford and

Swanley & District. The group

then competed against five

other finalists at the grand final

which was held at The Stag

Theatre in Sevenoaks in the

middle of March. Last year a

group of Year 9 students made

it to the final, but unfortunately

lost out on the night. This year

we had students from Year 8

and Year 7 representing

Thamesview against older

students from various schools. I

am pleased to announce that

they should be really pleased

with their achievement and have

once again proved the out-

standing talent that we have in

this school as they came 2nd

overall. They have been brilliant

and are flying the Thamesview

flag in Kent. The students won

a £400 cheque for the drama

department, a lovely large glass

award, which now sits proudly in

our prominent trophy case, and

each actor won £25 each and a

whole range of other prizes.

Congratulations all!

Paul Ferguson,

Learning Facilitator for Drama

The Winning Students:

Tonicha Gilbert (Yr 8)

Olivia Devaney (Yr 8)

Stanley Clarke(Yr 8)

Luke Bainbridge(Yr 10)

Kayliegh Hill(Yr 8)

Jessica Knowles (Yr 8)

Cerys Knowles (Yr 9)

Gaby Hutchinson (Yr 8)

Zaynab Bankole (Yr 8)

Tanya Hills (Yr 7)

All a Drama

Archery has hit the target for students. Two

beginners‘ courses have taken place so far

and a third has just started. The Club is after

school on most Wednesdays in the sports

hall, using Recurve trainer bows, genuine

arrows, and straw targets, and there is a

white archery net to stop the arrows from

damaging walls if they miss the target

(hopefully no misses by the end of

the course!) All students who have

taken part so far have thoroughly

enjoyed themselves and most have asked

to be put on the waiting list for a second

turn later in the year. Mrs Moor‘s son, Iain

(17), joined the second group to

demonstrate his advanced skills and more

complicated bow. Groups can be up to 10

students per course. Anyone who wants to

join should contact Mrs Moor in PD for a

form to be signed by parents/carers.

As you can see from the photos, archers

have a fun time, even though we have to

be very safety conscious. Why not give it a

Right on Target

Competition

Win £15

for I-Tunes See Page 8

Enrichment.

Don‘t miss

out.

Spr ing Term 4

Who Am I?

On Friday 27th January we held our

annual Mock Interview Day for Year 10

students. We had interviewers come

into school from local businesses

including KCC, Gravesham Council and

Jaxx Hair Salon to name a few.

Each employer was asked to

nominate their top student on the day

and the ‗top ten‘ all received a

certificate and gift voucher, as well as

valuable feedback forms from the

employers. The overall winner was Lee

Pinder who also received a Sony

Camera.

Mock

Interview Day

The top ten (pictured below) were:

Katherine Bagshaw, Kieran Treleaven,

Alfie Chambers, Jamie Gilber, Liam

Carter, Kelly Austin, Jason Haigh,

Michael Bruford, Lee Pinder and Jordan

Stoneham.

From the employers‘ feedback we can

tell the standard was extremely high this

year where all students presented

themselves in a very professional

manner and the employers were

particularly impressed with the standard

of business dress worn.

Well done to all students for making

this day such a success.

Nerys Sandy

Business and Enterprise Administrator

I am me,

I am like the advice that I give,

Cryptic, mysterious,

Though I like reading, I like writing,

I like school in particular.

Not many people like me.

Those friends I do have, I value and they, I am sure,

Must value me too.

They are like gold and silver pennies,

Shining brightly all around,

The new friends are silver, as silver as the moon,

Because as I gain new friends,

They will be turned from silver friends, into golden ones.

My old friends are golden,

Even though any friend is worth more;

Golden like the sun.

There is magic in this world, that no-one can see,

Unless you value those around you.

That magic comes in many forms;

Friendship, love and even hate.

Value everything as it is, and you will see the magic, true.

What it is, is up to you. That is my advice to you.

I am me,

And I give advice to those around me,

Though, that advice comes in many forms. That is me.

By Kathleen Jones, Year 10EPGF

This term saw the beginning of a

new after-school club at Thamesview:

The Sewing Club. Run by Mrs Smith, an

experienced seamstress, the

students had the opportunity to make

a shoulder bag. We had some brilliant

first attempts in a wide variety of chic

designs and colours. Students have learnt skills like how

to use a sewing machine, measure and cut fabric as well

as the all important ironing of seams during the making

process.

Next term the students will be selecting a more

difficult pattern and are being encouraged to go bolder

with their choice of design and fabric.

Nerys Sandy


So Cool to Sew

This year Fairtrade fortnight ran from 27th February to

9th March. The idea behind Fairtrade Fortnight is to

highlight the principles and products of Fairtrade and the

positive impact buying Fairtrade products has on

developing countries.

The Business and Enterprise department supplied

Fairtrade chocolate, bananas as well as tea and

coffee in the staff room, and invited members of staff to

share a brew and some chocolate to celebrate the

Fairtrade Fortnight. Staff were also asked to

complete a ‘pledge‘ card agreeing to swap

their usual brand for a Fairtrade one in the

future. How about you, parents?

Nerys Sandy


Fairtrade Fortnight

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff, Governors,

Students and Friends,

I had to write this immediately after

returning home from the recent Elton

Estate performance, because I wanted to

convey how absolutely brilliant it was as a

school show. I, like a number of other

audience members, was moved to tears,

when the unexpected happened at the

end; not only were the songs brilliantly

sung, but the acting was enthralling so

that you really were lost in their roles. An

excellent script written by My Ferguson,

and beautifully choreographed by Mrs

Beaumont. Mrs Chester facilitated the

simple but effective set design and Miss

Cormack directed our two talented Year

11 students, Dominic and Charlie, who

played throughout. I shall never listen to

Elton John in the same light again without

remembering the best school show I have

had the pleasure to watch. Happy

memories and sheer brilliance—my

congratulations to all who took part; front

and back of house!

Year 11 are into their penultimate

month with us before they enter into their

final exams. I think the message has well

and truly hit home with most of them that

it is ‗now or never‘ to make a difference

with their GCSEs. Many attend additional

revision classes at school and put in the

additional hours at home. I cannot stress

enough how important it is for students

to make time at home for revision if they

really are going to reach their potential. If

you need guidance as to what you can do

as a parent at home for your child, please

contact our Aimhigher Team who will

provide resources and support for you.

Well you will all know by now that I

have reached the sad decision to leave

Thamesview; it was a very difficult

decision, but I believe that

the timing is right for me

professionally in my career, but more

importantly it is a good time for

Thamesview as it is very secure in its

results and staffing, in order to benefit

from new leadership. The prospective

Headteacher applicants are already

requesting the documentation to apply

and many of them are booking visits to

the school before the application

deadline set for 12th April. There has

been significant interest from a really

high calibre of candidate. The

Interview dates are set for April 26th

and 27th, where the Governing Body

Panel will select the future

Headteacher for Thamesview with

input from many students and staff.

Some parents are also being included

in the process to ensure that you have

the right person to continue to lead

Thamesview to even greater successes

in the future. Meanwhile, for me and

the rest of the school, it is business as

usual, and still working very hard to

ensure your children are reaching

their potential, whether in Year 7 or any

other year.

Finally, from me this term, I would

like to wish you a very happy holiday. I

hope the sunshine beams brightly

whether you may find yourself in your

garden or off to somewhere more

exotic. Please check the Term

Calendar on page 11 so that we see

everyone back on Monday 16th April by

8.35am and in full school uniform.

Best wishes,

Rhiannon Hughes

Headteacher

It was the first birthday of NASA our Nurture

and Support Area in March! NASA is an area

located in Discovery, but for all the students in

all Communities, where students can speak to

one of the four Learning Mentors (one for

each Community). The area is always

buzzing with students throughout the day;

some taking part in group work, others

meeting for breaktime club, Year 11

students using the area to revise for exams,

Friendship Groups, ASD Support Groups,

Anger Management groups, Art Therapy

and much, much more!

Learning Mentors also work closely with

primary schools during transition from Year

6 to Year 7 for the more vulnerable students

coming into Thamesview, to ensure that all

students settle well and are happy.

Any student that is worried, upset

or anxious and would like to speak

with a Learning Mentor for any

reason can come to NASA knowing

that there is always support. Our

school Counsellor, Sally Kemp is also

based in NASA and scattered around

this page are some comments from students

in different year groups who come to the

area.

We are all proud of NASA and would like to

welcome any student, from any year group, to

come and speak with the Learning

Mentor for your Community if

anything is troubling you.

Miss T Weedon

Learning Mentor for Discovery

Spr ing Term 4

‘Everyone in

NASA is friendly

and understands

your problems’.

Bianca Year 8

‘NASA

helps

because it is

a place where

everyone is

friends’.

Connor Year 7

‘NASA is a place where

you can get away from

everything and feel calm’.

Jaydine Year 8

Community

Name

Points

Challenger 159

Discovery 190

Endeavour 227

Enterprise 236

Watch This Space!

A big thank you to everyone who

collected the Morrisons Vouchers! They

have been put to good use as we now have

a good selection of gardening equipment.

Watch the area by the greenhouse and

HOPEFULLY you will soon be able to see

vegetables and flowers growing with the

help of willing students!

Thank you once again to all of you who

helped to bring in the vouchers to school.

Mrs E Piper

Learning Mentor for Enterprise

‘NASA helps me as

everyone never

underestimates you, they

are kind and helpful’.

Rebecca Year 8

Extended Learning Are you getting worried or stressed about

completing your Extended Learning? Did

you know that every lunchtime (apart from

Friday‘s) in C12 a Learning Mentor is there

to help you? If you are struggling or do not

have internet access at home come along!

Miss T Weedon

Spr ing Term 4

Term 4 has been another busy term for the

students in Endeavour. Students have made good

progress academically during term 3. During PSHE

students have been studying Healthy Living in Year 7;

Year 8—Diversity. As part of the year 9 option choices

they have been playing the online Real Game.

With less than 30 days until Year 11 exams begin

students must be spending the Easter holidays

revising. On Fronter students can access SAM learning

resources as well as all Maths resources.

Endeavour students have continued to shine and

make us proud. We have had some fantastic results in

the recent Maths and English exams. The acting and

drama talents of some of our students were

recognised at a Kent competition where the students

came second in the competition and won some

vouchers for themselves and some money for the

drama department.

It is not only students in Endeavour that are

excelling themselves but our staff as well. Mrs Turner

has been selected as a member of the Kent Archery

Team. We are very proud of her and ask, ―Could the

Olympic Games be calling?‖

Miss Arndt

Head of Endeavour Learning Community

This term, Endeavour students have been set a

series of Literacy tasks which encourages

progression within their ability. I am very pleased to

say that many students are demonstrating their

literacy skills with confidence and requesting the

higher levels. Very well done!

Congratulations to the Endeavour students that

have taken part in the Readathon. Remember to

collect your sponsorship money as every penny

contributes to a fantastic charity.

Laura Skipsey

Learning Stage Leader

We have recently received information on the progress

of our Year 11 students in their recent Maths and

English exams. We are extremely proud of the following

students for achieving C grades in Maths or English

Chay Bellingham, Ryan Chahal, Dillan Colleer,

David Cox, Maha Forster, Charlotte Glynn,

Arry Harwood, Megan Limbert, Elliott Liquorish,

Harry Merrison, and Jason Rawlins.

Amy Morriss

achieved an A grade

for English and a C

grade for her Maths.

Francis Meakins

achieved a B grade

for English and a C

grade for Maths.

Congratulations to all;

fantastic achievements!

We are extremely proud of the following Endeavour students who took

part in a Drama competition. They competed against other schools within

Kent and I am proud to say that this group came second!

Cerys Knowles Jessica Knowles Stanley Clarke

Zaynab Bankole Luke Bainbridge Tonicha Gilbert

In recognition of students who have gone out of their way to

be helpful, kind and considerate:

Esther Adeyemo Thomas Bateman George Howlett

Lauren Yates Kieran Stoneham Billie-Joe Gibbons

Jordan Stoneham Lia Mercer Lucy McFarlane Lee Rawlins

The following students have had 100% attendance since the beginning of

September

Esther Adeymo Luke Bainbridge Zaynab Bankole Simon Bardo

Dillan Colleer Danny Coyne Bethany Daines Ehizogie Ebosele

Billie-Joe Gibbins Louisa Haigh Graham Hill Sarah Hutchins

Eleanor Lawry-Johns Courtney Percival Abbie Richardson

Jodie Spinks Lauren Yates Jordan Stoneham Kieran Stoneham

Top Achievo Earners in

Endeavour

KS 3: Kieran Stoneham (171)

KS4: Alexi Leech (118)

Lauren Yates: 142 Jade Hooper: 138

Laura Hobson: 113 George Irving: 106

Toni Law: 102 Stephanie Tunnicliffe: 95

Harriet Harrison: 94 Zack Carroll: 93

This term students have had the opportunity of cashing in

their Achievo‘s for some prizes. This has proved to be a

very popular venture.

Mrs Gordon

Spr ing Term 4

Topic: Superheroes

Term four and five have seen KS3 Challenger students taking on the

world as they have been busy creating their own superheroes.

The project this term has included some of the following tasks:

Produce a poster showing some of the characteristics of a superhero

Produce a graph showing the favourite superheroes of twenty people

Create a puppet based on your new superhero design

Create a t-shirt print presenting your favourite superhero

Evaluate the special powers and weaknesses of your chosen Superheroes and Villains

Once again it has been great to see students really get-

ting creative in particular with making their own wooden

spoon heroes and designing their own superhero t-shirts

(some of which can be seen in the photographs included).

As a result a number of our students have earned them-

selves ‗Challenger of the Week‘ and received five Achievos.

Many of the creations can be seen displayed in the glass

cabinet outside of the community office.

Well done to those who always complete their tasks with

such effort and dedication. Keep it up!

Miss L Howe

Challenger LSL

Challenger students have been recognising and congratulating one another in our recent

‗Celebrating Success‘ assembly. Students were recognised in a number of categories.

Here are just a few:

Top five students for progress in each year group

Highest progress in a subject over a term

Students on or above target in every subject

Recent Science, Maths and English GCSE results

So many of our students demonstrated that they can meet and beat

the targets they are set within their various subjects. This is a testament

to their consistent hard work and effort. I know I am not alone when I say

how proud that these achievements make me feel!

A special mention does need to go to Charlie Collier (Y 10) who gained

a fantastic A* grade in his module test for Maths. Well Done Charlie!

Another busy couple of terms have flown

by, and Challenger students have again been

showing how great they are, and why we are

so proud of them. Year 11 students have

received results from exam entries in core

subjects (Maths, English and Science), and a

large number of them have achieved C grade

or better, or exceeded their target grade. This

means that the college and sixth form

applications are going through and I am sure

places will be secured in the near future.

Some outstanding results were seen and none

better than Charlie Colliers A* in his maths

module.

We were also really proud of our Year 10

students who had mock interviews with local

employers. Challenger had a number of

students who were rated in the top ten

interviews, and Lee Pinder (CZD) was voted as

the best candidate that the employers had

interviewed. Well done Lee!

As we move towards the end of the

academic year, and Year 11 leave us to start

exams, we start to ask the Year 10 students

who would be interested in being a senior

student. A letter of application and an

interview are used so that the community

team can make a decision. If you are

interested then speak to the current senior

students, and find out what it is like, and the

benefits that it bring to you. I look forward to

the applications.

We have also started to arrange the

Challenger community day visit on the 19th

July. Last year we walked to Shorne Country

Park. This year we are going to visit Greenwich

Park in London. There are a number of historic

landmarks to visit there, and it also gives the

opportunity for students to build relationships

in the community. We are asking for a £5

contribution towards the travel cost to get

there, but then the other areas in the park are

free.

I am looking forward to the up coming events

and supporting the Year 11 students as they

approach a really crucial time in their

education.

Mr M Hodges

Head of Challenger Learning Community

Spr ing Term 4

Year 11 Exam Success:

Back in November 2011, a

selection of Year 11 students

took their English and Maths

GCSEs early. Unfortunately

their nerves had to hold out a

little longer as the results were

not due in until the beginning

of January 2012. On the day

of the results there were some

anxious looking young people

waiting to see what they had

achieved. I am pleased to say

that there were some good

grades obtained by all of our

students but notably some

extra praise for some that

achieved a C in both English

and Maths. They were:

Amy Costas

Louis Evans

Bob Flood

Michael Seaney

Harry Souten

Well done!

Senior Students; Reflections:

Jessica Goldsmith: When I first became a Senior

Student I was nervous and didn’t have a lot of confidence in

speaking in front of groups of people. Now I enjoy it and

have more confidence.

Amy Costas: I now find it much easier to present

information to other students and members of staff. Overall

I feel this role has given me the skills and abilities to help

me in my future career.

Dominic Burgess: I feel that being a Senior Student

has increased my confidence.

Snooker Loopy:

In December, Jordan Butler and I

competed in the Area Snooker

Championship. This is a competition for

young people under the age of 18 and it

is held at the Miracles Youth Centre in

Gravesend. During the competition we

won all our games and were both very

happy with our performance especially

as we were playing against people who

were a few years older than us. As a result of our outstanding

performance, we were crowned Area Snooker Champions and

were each awarded with a glass trophy.

Written by Ben Sizer, Year 9

The Thamesview Actors Society (TVAS) has been working on

a drama piece about the dangers of smoking. We have all

worked on it and added bits to it by practicing every

Thursday. We recorded it and sent it to a committee to

judge. We then had to wait until finally Mr Ferguson got an

email saying we had got through. We were all very happy.

We now have to rehearse it to make it perfect because we

will be performing it in front of an audience for the finals

on 14th March 2012 at the

Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks.

Written by Gaby Hutchinson

Year 8

Since this was written, TVAS

came 2nd in the final.

National Champion:

I went to Sheffield to take part in a National

Competition for life saving and came 1st. An

example of the events that I did was ‗The Medley‘

where I had to swim 2 lengths of the pool, touch

the wall, go under water 10m before coming up to

tow the Mannequin the rest of the way. Overall it

was a very good weekend and I can't wait to take

part in the competition next year to defend my

title.

Written by Keeley Gibbins, Year 10

Happy Easter! It has been a very busy last two terms as the articles

below will show; lots of individual success stories. There have also been

some great team efforts too, including our winning girls‘ football team in

the Community competition. Well done Enterprise. Clear eyes, full hearts,

we can‘t lose!

Mr G Robinson, Head of Enterprise Learning Community

Spr ing Term 4

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,

Another two terms have passed; two terms in which there have been many successes in the classroom and

outside. Many students took GCSE examinations for which they received results in January. Well done to all

those who achieved the grades they were hoping for. Other examinations have taken place since for which we

eagerly await the results. Our students in Year 11 especially are working hard to achieve the

best possible results for themselves and the best results ever for Thamesview! Our students

continue to excel in other areas of school life. Their attendance is consistently amongst the

best in the school; they are receiving many, many Achievos for their exceptional effort and

work; and, we continue to do well in Community competitions. Notable performances since

I last wrote in the newsletter include our debate team (came first) and girls’ football team

(came second). Well done to those students in particular, but to all who represent our

community in the various competitions that take place throughout the year.

As we fast approach the Easter holidays, I would like to wish everyone a safe and

enjoyable time and look forward to seeing all the students back in school on the 16th April.

Mr M. Sorby

Head of Discovery Learning Community

Amber Edgar 7DAW regularly attends

Miracles Youth Club. They have been

involved in a youth exchange with a

group in Finland. During the February

holiday, Amber was given the

opportunity to visit Finland. Here is

what she had to say about that

experience:

―In February I took part in the Finnish and English Youth Exchange

Programme with my youth club Miracles. I went to Finland for a week

and it was great fun. We learnt about Finnish culture, food and what

life is like for young people. When I was there I went skiing,

sledging, ice fishing, ice skating and I was the first to fall over in the

snow. I cooked dinner every night and made sausage and noodle

soup! If you get the chance to go to Finland you must go!‖

Congratulations to our winning debate team: Connor Ward,

Ben Lockwood, Amber Edgar, Jay Alexanda and Lewis Robbins—

and to Alfie McElroy for completing the most 100% Accelerated

Reader Quizzes last term.

Like much of the country,

we are all looking forward to

the 2012 Olympic Games

being held in London. The

Olympics is the theme of

Extended Learning this

term. Students have been

exploring the history of the

Olympic movement, the

sports involved, finding out

about the athletes who will represent Team GB and

will go onto to plan their own Olympics. However, we

have another reason to celebrate the 2012

Olympics.

We had the opportunity to nominate a student to

take part in the Olympic Torch Relay. They had to

embody the Olympic values of respect, excellence,

friendship, courage, determination, inspiration and

equality. It was a tough decision but eventually it

was decided that we would nominate Cameron

Edmonds 7DBB. We are delighted to announce that

the nomination was successful and Cameron will

join 8000 other torch bearers carrying the Olympic

Torch on its journey around Britain. Cameron will

join the relay

on Thursday

19th July in

Broadstairs.

This is a truly

deserved

honour and

I‘m sure will

be a fantastic

memorable

day.

Spring Term Cooking Challenge

T E R M 6 C H A L L E N G E S I N C L U D E :

Voc Block Challenge

Cooking Challenge

Spelling Challenge

Prom Challenge (Hair & Make up)

Spr ing Term 4

Photography Club For all students interested in photography there will be a new

club starting after Easter in the art department.

Digital photography

Photo editing

Photo manipulation

When – every Thursday, 3pm - 4pm Places are limited to 10, so please collect an application

form from Mrs Chester; places issued on a first come, first

served basis.

Clubs This Term

Include:

Boxercise, Yoga,

Aerobics, Parkour

A Staff member said….”I wasn’t really

sure what to expect when I decided to try

yoga and was pleasantly surprised. I found

that I am stronger than I thought I was

and enjoy the relaxation aspect of it. I

would recommend yoga to anyone as a great

way to end the working day! Hayley Evans

(Data Manager)

S U D O K U

Enter the numbers

1-9 in each small

square; each

number can only

appear once in a

row, column or

box. The six yellow

squares give you a

number, write

these number‘s on

a piece of paper

with your Name &

Form and give to:

Mr P Robinson (by

27th April)

3 4 7

6 1 9 5

9 8 6

8 6 3

4 8 3 1

7 2 6

6 2 8

4 1 9 5

8 7 9

Lunchtime Clubs Include

Trampolining & Basketball

Winner of last

Term’s Word-

search: Amber

Webb who won

the £15 I-tunes

Voucher. Well

done Amber!

Never miss an opportunity to represent your Community!

Rebecca Sparks (Year 10 and

pictured left) said…. Boxercise

is a great way to keep fit. It is in

school for FREE and it’s fun.

The clubs run every Tuesday

afternoon. You have a great

trainer for every session. I’ve

been going ever since it

started….1 think it’s…GREAT

….. Don’t miss out!!!!

Jack Tomkinson (our Head Boy and

pictured below) said...yoga is a relax-

ing, calming experience that Natasha

and I and several others, including

teachers, enjoy every Wednesday. YOU

really should try it with your friends.

You’ll have a right laugh!!!!

All year 7s are involved

in a reading program

called Accelerated

Reader (AR). They have

been given a challenge

to read 20 MILLION

words by the end of

Term 6. They have

read over 15 million

already! So everyone

please encourage the

Year 7s on this

challenge.

Fantastic work so far!

What a busy couple of terms! I would like to congratulate the following students for

all their hard work during Terms 4 and 5. Zachary Meade, Caitlin Turner, Hannah

Collins, Amiee Goddard, Stephanie Tunnicliffe, Kelsey-Lee Relf, Kayleigh Homden,

Mary-Ann Owen, Megan Williamson and Lewis Foreman are all members of the

Thamesview MyVoice team that is part of a nationwide initiative by the Reading

Agency. These students give up many of their lunch times to plan and organise events

to promote reading and the library.

Term 4 saw two fantastic Alice in Wonderland themed events. There was an Alice in

Wonderland themed murder in the library community challenge that had five students from

each community searching for clues in the form of QR codes.

Each clue eliminated a suspect, scene or weapon from their list. Although no community

was able to solve it completely, Challenger and Endeavour

were able to get two of the three clues. Well done!

The second event took place at Gravesend Library. In

costumes, the MyVoice team read Alice in Wonderland to

an audience of small children. For more pictures and clips please visit:

http://www.myvoice.org.uk/kent.

Term 5 was just as hectic with the Community Challenge Read-a-thon and the library‘s

patron, Tony Lee, visiting us again.

Congratulations to all

communities for all your hard

work. The top fundraising

community was Challenger, followed by

Endeavour, Discovery and Enterprise. In

total we raised £319 for seriously ill

children. The top three forms were CPF,

EvJCo and EPSL. On

behalf of the Roald

Dahl’s Marvellous

Children’s Charity and

CLIC Sargent for Children

with Cancer, thank you.

I want to acknowledge once again the hard work that the Y7s have

put into their reading these past two terms. Big congratulations go

out to the following students:

Alfie McElroy

achieved 13 x 100%

results on his

Accelerated Reader

Quizzes. This is more

than any other Year 7

student during our

Term 4

Lauren Yates read

more than 1 million

words in one term.

This is more than any

other Year 7 student

during Term 4.

Most 100% Quizzes in their Learning

Community during term 4.

And remember Thamesview………

keeeeeeeeeeeeeep reading!

Mrs. Fox, Librian

Alfie McElroy

Billy Cheeseman Lucy McFarlane

Ryan Bailey

Last term you brought in

210 Box Tops for Books

tokens, resulting in £50

worth of free books! So

please continue bringing

them in because it is

great to get something for

nothing!

Billy

Mancini

Jake

Cant

Spr ing Term 4

Author, Tony Lee,

pictured above with our champion readers.

Duke of Edinburgh News The young people have done

themselves proud -

19 young people raised over

£1,000 for MacMillan Cancer

Support and Cherished Memories.

Since September 2011, 19 young

people have been planning and

organising two charity events for their Volunteering

Section of the Duke of Edinburgh‘s Award.

Firstly a non- uniform day was organised and run

within school and then in the February half term they

ran a Charity Event at Cascades Leisure Centre.

Throughout this event they liaised with agencies, local

organisations; two charities; KCC Youth Workers;

Cascades Leisure Centre; NWK College and many

other businesses; and companies to gain support with

putting on a Charity event to raise monies for their

chosen charities.

The group ran and organised a range of sporting

activities; Information and advice and Health and

Beauty sessions, including Yoga and Indian head

massage they also ran a face painting stall ; treasure

hunt, name the bear and guess the number of sweets

in the jar competitions along with a raffle.

Over the February half term 10 young people aged 12-18 years old

worked with Graffiti artist from Writers Bench to plan and design

sporting themed tunnels for the opening of Europe‘s largest Cycle Park,

Cyclopark. The group created designs, learnt how to apply spray paint

safely and also learnt about the legal implication and history of graffiti.

The group were supported by KCC

Community Youth Tutor, Penny

Stotesbury; Groundwork and

Community Liason Officer, Tay

Arnold. In freezing conditions,

Thamesview Vocational Centre

supported this holiday activity and

prepared the walls ready for the

graffiti designs to be applied.

What a transformation !!

Graffiti Design Team

at Cyclopark

Spr ing Term 4

Community Youth Tutor – Penny Stotesbury

01474 566552 ext 8081249 Mobile 07920 526546

The young people were also supported by the Right Honourable

Mayor of Gravesham and Pepper Pig. Overall there were over 100

people who attended and took part in the activities on offer with 62

raffle prizes available to win and 16 organisations attending.

I am sure that you will appreciate all the hard work and

commitment that these young people put in to make this day be so

successful.

WELL DONE TO ALL THAT TOOK PART

Many thanks for every one that supported this event especially

Cascades Leisure Centre for allowing us to use their venue for free;

Howard Hunt Group for printing all the leaflets for free and all the

companies and

organisations that

supported them with

either raffle prizes,

volunteering hours or

giving of their time.

We invite you to nominate a young person or

group who fit into one or more of the categories of

Arts, Music, Sports, Good Friends and Carers,

Bravery, Volunteering and Service to the

Community, Citizenship and Environment and

Personal Development. We are not

just looking for high fliers — we are

looking for real triers! If you know

of a young person between 11-18

years who deserves recognition for

their efforts.

PLEASE NOMINATE NOW!

You can nominate by going on to

www.kent.gov.uk/youth/tryangle

For full terms and conditions of

the Try Angle Awards, please go to

www.kent.gov.uk/youth/tryangle

Closing Date: 13th April 2012

Key Events: Friday 30th March - Last day of Term 4

Monday 16th April - Start of Term 5

Thursday 26th April - Year 7 Parents‘ Evening

Thursday 3rd May (Date changed from 10th May) -

Parent‘s Forum 7.00pm

Monday 7th May - Bank Holiday (no school)

Thursday 24th May - Year 8 Parents‘ Evening

Friday 1st June - Last day of Term 5

Monday 11th June - First day of Term 6

A Governor’s View

Diary Dates Staff Development Days:

Friday 29th June 2012

Bank holidays: Monday 7th May

Please note that the school will be

closed on these days for students.

Term Dates

4 Monday 20th February to

Friday 30th March

5 Monday 16th April to

Friday 1st June

6 Monday 11th June to

Friday 20th July

Hello to all students, families, staff and fellow governors

Way back in 2003 I was approached by a colleague at Kent

County Council to ask if I would consider being a school governor. He

had a particular school in mind that was experiencing difficulties and

was struggling to find anyone willing to give their time to what he

thought was a ‗worthy cause‘. The school was Thamesview but it was

a very different school to the one that we all know today.

In 2003 the school was in special measures. A new Headteacher

had not long joined the staff and was committed to turning the

fortunes of the school around. It was a challenge that the whole

staff, leadership team and governors rose to and, now in 2012, I am

proud to be part of the successful, thriving community we are now

familiar with. It is not just about the fantastic new building. It is

about the staff and pupils and the commitment and effort to improve

that they have shown over the past few years.

I attended a full Governing Body earlier this week and was greatly

impressed by the senior leadership teams‘ professionalism and their

commitment to ensure that all pupils in the school will be supported

to achieve their potential, and, wherever possible exceed

expectations. It now feels like we have a supportive academic

community that is thriving, with everyone pulling in the same

direction, working towards a common goal: ‗Believe, Achieve,

Succeed‘

We are just coming into a very busy time of year and I would like

to take this opportunity to wish all students working towards

examinations good luck. When I have been into school and had an

opportunity to see students in lessons I have been encouraged to

see them focused, on task and enjoying the new building. For

someone who has only known a traditional school structure and

layout this is particularly pleasing and is testament to the thought

and planning that went into ensuring that the new environment was

one that would support. our students learning and development.

For those of you in Year 11 who will leave the school in the

summer I hope that you have enjoyed your time at Thamesview and

that the experience will stand you in good stead for the future.

Finally, I could not write this article without referring to the news

that, as you will all be aware, Miss Hughes will be leaving us in July. I

was personally involved in recruiting her in 2006 – one of the best

things I have been part of during my time as a Governor. I would like

to personally offer her my thanks and best wishes for the future. The

school has been lucky to have her as Headteacher. Her vision and

commitment has been crucial to the success Thamesview now

enjoys. Together with her senior leadership team and staff we are

now very much a school of choice for many young people. As

Governors we now have the task to look for a worthy replacement.

We will work hard to make sure that the next Headteacher of

Thamesview will continue the progress we have made over recent

years.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter.

Mrs D Braddon

Spr ing Term 4

An upset mother of one of our Year 9

students has been into school to share her

concerns, as she has found that her son has

had two tattoos done on his shoulders without

her knowledge. The tattoos have been done on

the Dickens Estate. The worried parent is

concerned that other students may be

considering the same thing. Her biggest fear is

whether clean needles were used, as this is not

a registered tattoo artist. She has reported the

named person to the Police, but felt that

parents should be made aware. She will be

going through her GP to see if tests can be done to make sure her

son has not been infected with anything.

Under the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969, it is a criminal

offence to tattoo anyone under the age of 18 years even with

parental permission.

Just to inform you

that there will be a

thin Newsletter next

Term, as we will be

creating a final big

bumper issue at the

end of year in July!

A reminder to Year 11 Parents that

on the evening of the Prom, there

will be a professional photographer

at school to capture your family

together. The cost of the picture is

£10 and can be printed on the

night for you to take home as a

permanent cherished memory. We

look forward to you joining us at

school to send of the students on

their Year 11 Prom. Don‘t forget

your £10.

Connexions This term Connexions Interviews for Year 10 students have

started and all Year 10 students should have had their interview by

the end of May. Letters are being sent home and parents are invited

to attend. The interviews take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in

Thamesview Library. We have two Connexions staff in school;

Angharad Johnson (pictured) and Pam Childs.

Appointments can be made outside

school hours by contacting the Connexions

office in Gravesend directly on 01474

579840. Any parent wanting to book an

appointment can do so by contacting me.

Nerys Sandy


On 23rd and 24th February and 1st & 2nd

March, there was loads of wheelchair activity in

the Heartspace and around the school

grounds. The Whizz Kidz team had come to

spend time with our disabled students, and to

help them develop their wheelchair

skills. Activities included games like wheelchair

dodgeball (made more difficult for our sportier

PD students by making them race backwards or

doing wheelchair bunny-hops!), wheelchair

football, Dragon's Cave, and Caterpillars (a

student in a manual wheelchair getting pulled

along by a student in a power wheelchair).

More serious activities were: manoeuvring

and reversing around slalom obstacles, reaching

objects on the floor, negotiating closed doors,

and going up/down kerbs. Trish from Whizz Kidz

demonstrated how she gets into her car and

then collapses and loads her wheelchair into the

back seat, then two students both attempted to

beat her time.

Ashley Cripps and Lanre Sowami deserve

special mention for going down a flight of stairs

by bumping their wheelchairs down backwards,

one step at a time, whilst holding on to the

handrail - a technique they would only ever use if

there was no other way of escaping a dangerous

situation.

The course was a

great success, and we

would like to thank Trish

and Sue from Whizz Kidz

for their fun activities,

topics and enthusiasm

on those four days.

It was another

example of educating

the able-bodied

students as well as

the physically

disabled, so that

Thamesview

continues to be a fully

inclusive school.

Mrs L Moor

On Thursday 23rd and

Friday 24th March 2012,

Thamesview‘s Creative Arts

department presented Elton

Estate written specially by

Mr Paul Ferguson. The play was about a community who live on an Estate; friendships and

loyalty are the most important aspects of community life.

Bennie has to decide between his friends, ‗The Jets‘, and his

true love, ‗Nikita‘. Sadly the story ends in tragedy with ‗Nikita‘

accidently being killed by ‗Danny‘. This does however bring the

community together as one. The whole play was based around

Elton John‘s songs, all of which were sung by the students.

Music was played by Charlie Collier and Dominic Burgess. All

of the actors, singers and dancers were amazing. In particular,

Alex Terry who played ‗Nikita‘, who was awarded the first ever

Farish Star Award for Outstanding Performer, donated by Mr and Mrs

Beaumont in memory of her Grandparents. The evening was magical

with best performances yet from the students,

fantastic scenery and inspiring costumes. Well

done to all of the Creative Arts department for

putting together such an enjoyable evening.

Mrs Gordon

Spr ing Term 4

Talented Year 11 students have been exploring

sculptural techniques using clay, card, plaster

bandage and wire. Their work has been inspired by

the work of the artists Henry Moore and the Cubists

Pablo Picasso and George Braque. Music, dance

and the human figure have provided the themes for

their work. They have also developed their

photography skills by

producing exciting shots

of their work.

Mrs J Chester

BTEC Students Shine!

With Special Thanks to our UCA Photographer:

Dominika Ciemira

She is a ‗Student Ambassador‘ from the

University of Creative Arts. Fantastic pictures!

2011-2012 term 4

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