Headlines by Andy Hodgkinson

15th February 2019 843

Duty Pupils

Thank you for all your help

Joshua, James & Harriet (8PGa),

Abigail, Ciara, Harry, Georgina,

Maisie, Daisy & Amber (8MSm),

Charlotte, Lauren & Erin (8KCo)

Pupil Services

Half-Term May I take this opportunity to wish families a very enjoyable and relaxing half-term, and I hope all our pupils will return, refreshed, on Monday 25th February, at the normal time of 8.40am. In particular, “best wishes” to those pupils going on the New York trip and the Ski trip, who I hope will all have a fantastic time! Parents’ Evenings Thank you to those parents/carers who attended Parents’ Evening last night for

Year 7; your support is much appreciated and it really does make a vital difference.

After half-term, please can I remind parents/carers that Year 9 have their Parents’ Evening on Thursday 7th March, and Options Evening on Thursday 21st March. Thank you.

Heartstopper (Volume One) by Alice Oseman

Simon, Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they’ve never met… until one day when they’re made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. However, love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realised. Heartstopper is a graphic novel about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness.

PTA LOTTO WINNERS

FEBRUARY DRAW:

1st: Maria Bowen

2nd: Anna Munro

3rd: Mark Lydford

A member of the Leadership Team will be available to see parents without appointment:

9:00am-9:45am Monday - Friday

5:00pm-5:45pm Thursdays

Thank You

Marie Smith for your

wonderful donation of

wool to our Textiles

Department.

Check out Nicola Morgan’s Exam

Attack information on the VLE.

There is lots of helpful advice

including a Food Chart and

Exam Plan to aid your revision.

Nicola Morgan’s Exam Attack

Adam Thomson reporting… Going for Gold!

On Thursday 31st January pupils from the Sweyne Park Rights Respecting Steering Group visited the Velodrome at the Olympic Park in Stratford in order to take part in UNICEF UK’s annual “Away Day.” The group had been invited by UNICEF as a result of the school being awarded the prestigious Gold Rights Respecting Schools Award in December, becoming the first and only secondary school in the East of England region to achieve this. The group were asked to run a workshop for UNICEF staff, teaching them what life is like in a Rights Respecting School. This included facilitating a range of activities which are used in school, so that staff could live the experience of pupils, while there was also a presentation and a question and answer

session. Despite the daunting nature of the task in hand, the group did a superb job and impressed all of the staff at UNICEF UK.

As part of a thank you from UNICEF UK, the group were also able to have a go on the Velodrome track itself, receiving tuition in how to ride the special bikes and handle the track. There was also a lovely lunch provided, which went down very well with the pupils! A great day was had by all and the pupils will certainly remember the day for a long time to come!

Following her success with the school, coming in first

place in a district tournament, Ella (8MSi) entered her first

major NDP trampolining tournament at the end of last

year. She spent the year training towards the event and

has since planned to enter in further major tournaments,

the first of which is this month.

Emma (8PGa) reporting…

I swim for RADS (Rochford

and District Swimming

Club) at Clements Hall. At

the end of last year I

competed in two galas.

One was at Braintree

where I did three races and

I obtained two medals in

my 50m freestyle in which I

came 4th and in my 50m

backstroke in which I came

6th in my age group. I

have also competed in the

Club Championships at

RADS and managed to

obtain my 50m backstroke

county time. This means I can now swim in the Olympic pool

in London. I also took 10 seconds off my 100m breaststroke

best. I play the flute, which I started learning five years ago. I

am currently on grade 3 working towards grade 4. I

have lessons once a week and I practise most days.

Ruby (8MAt) reporting…

I have been training in karate for nearly eight years with

the Yamaguchi Gojo Kai Association. I train in Leigh and

Ashingdon four days a week and teach a class on a

Monday. I started karate when I was only five years old,

and I have just graded up to black belt, which took me

about a year to earn. Karate is all about self-defence

without the use of weapons. My Shihan (instructor) is

called Tony Childs, and has helped me succeed

throughout my eight years of training. Within the

association I am currently second in the world for

fighting and third in the world for Kata. Kata is a routine

of moves that you present against an imaginary

opponent. I have been chosen to compete in the next

European Championships which will be held in Hungary

this year, so I will be training hard to prepare for that!

Nancy (8AJa)