Headlines by Andy Hodgkinson

Sue Donovan reporting…

Cameron (13LSt) gives up his own time to do the sound for school productions, concerts and awards ceremonies. He is a member of the Air Cadets and does a lot of voluntary work with them. He is studying full time for A Levels as well. Cameron will buy a Ruben’s tube and a Kundt’s tube to assist with wave form experiments in his A Level Physics lessons with his £250 award. William (10ACm) has a friend with severe depression and he has taken on board the decision to help out

under very difficult circumstances. He is a really kind person. IT is William’s passion and he would like to spend his £250 award on some Raspberry Pie programming resources to help develop programming skills especially in his Computer Science lessons. Hannah (9LWo) is an expert at Karate, has represented Sweyne Park School and her country in competitions and has recently returned from the World Championships. She is really modest about her skills but has won lots of medals. Additionally she inspires others to try new things they might be good at. She wants to split her £250 grant between Maths, Science and CPRE.

1st December 2017 796

Duty Pupils

Thank you for all your help:

Ella & Max (8JFe)

Zain & Ben (8CWe)

Isaac, Chloe, Oscar (8SCm)

Edward (8CWi)

Pupil Services

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

INSET Day As you know, on Friday we had our annual staff November INSET Day, and you may like to know that our focus was on preparing pupils for the increased challenges of both GCSE and A-Level reformed examinations. There was also a focus on how our work at Key Stage 3 can be improved further to ensure the highest levels of progress. Hopefully, the training will benefit all our pupils and ensure they are well prepared for all the recent changes to terminal exams. Year 13 Parents’ Evening Thank you to all parents and carers for attending last week’s important Parents’ Evening. There was a lot of positive feedback, and we are very grateful for your support at home. For your information

Wonder by R J Palacio

August was born with a terrible facial deformity; whatever you’re imagining, it’s probably worse. It’s so bad that the doctor actually passed out when he was born. It means that ten-year-old August has always been home-schooled by his Mum. It’s now time for August to start school. It’s sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but definitely heart-warming and it will remain with you, long after you’ve finished reading.

One of the Free Bookbuzz Choices for Year 7!

Wonder, the film is in UK cinemas from Friday 1st December!

Year 13 exams start on Wednesday 10th January 2018. Little Havens and Havens Hospice As you may be aware, we have raised money as a school for both Little Havens and Havens Hospices over many years now, and last week I was delighted to receive a call from their Community Fundraiser to say that we have raised over £25,000 over recent years. They asked me to pass on their thanks to our community, and to say how much it means to them. It says a great deal about the youth of today that they have been prepared to support such a worthy cause over such a long period of time; thank you also to parents and carers for your on-going support. Enclosed in this edition of the SPT is information regarding Havens’ Give a Gift project. If you would like to know about this, then please visit their website at:

www.havenshospices.org.uk/giveagift.

Each day (starting on Friday 1st December) in the Library, there will be a Christmas question, which relates to a film/programme that is being shown on TV over this Christmas period. All you have to do is keep a note of your daily answers and hand them all in on the 12th day (Monday 18th December). Previous questions will be displayed in the Library. Winners will be announced in the Library at break on Tuesday

19th December! Join in the festive fun!

Answers to Mrs Waghorn

in the Library.

A raffle is taking place on Tuesday 12th December during the music concert in aid of this year’s Charity Week in which money will go to Special Needs & Parents (SNAP) and our partner school in Tanzania. The Charity Week Committee would appreciate it if it would be possible for students and parents to donate prizes for the raffle. If anyone would be interested in donating, please email: Lydia.faulkner@spsvi.com or leave donations in the Main Office.

On Thursday 14th December from 6pm-8pm there will be a Quiz Night in aid of this year’s Charity Week. The quiz night is open to students, teachers and parents in teams of up to 8 people. Tickets will cost £7.00 per person which includes a portion of fish and chips and entry. If you are interested in attending, please contact Lydia Faulkner with a list of team members and a team name.

Thank you in advance for your support.

USED STAMPS FOR RNIB

Please hand your used stamps to Reception. Thank you.

Nathan at B & M Stores

Drama Department Rachel Childs reporting…

The Drama department has had a very busy start to the year both in and out of the classroom, engaging with performance and theatre through highly creative and imaginative means. Beyond the walls of the classroom pupils have experienced outstanding professional productions that have moved and inspired them as audience members. This has kicked off with our GCSE and A Level cohorts where 60 pupils attended a performance of ‘Things I Know to be True’ at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester. This piece, performed by the group Frantic Assembly, was beautiful, moving and extremely symbolic. Many of the pupils walked out stunned and amazed by the invigorating experience the production offered.

Furthermore, these pupils will also experience the delights of the performance group Kneehigh in the production ‘The Tin Drum’ next month. This company has built a reputation for creating vigorous and popular theatre for audiences. In this piece pupils will get to see the art of puppetry in a highly unique performance. Key Stage 3 pupils will also have the opportunity to see outstanding live theatre. Our Year 8s will, in January, be attending the popular and exceptional West End musical production of Disney’s ‘Aladdin’. This performance will very much be in line with their class learning where pupils have been exploring genre and the different styles of performance that help to create theatre. Finally, our Year 7 pupils have been working hard in acquiring and developing their drama skills. In the photo below, tutor group 7CCa demonstrate their character building skills.

Media Department

Shelagh Badger reporting…

Scriptwriting Skills Pupils who choose Media Skills during their options in Year 9, and after their GCSEs in Year 11, often do so because they think they want to move into professional writing of some sort. This often starts as journalism but can just as often be scriptwriting for television or radio. On Monday 6th November, the Media Department were fortunate enough to have a visit from Mick Collins, co-writer of recent Sunday night television hit ‘The Last Post’ on BBC One. He spoke to a broad range of students from A Level Creative Writing, BTEC Sound Production and A Level Media Studies, with two representatives from Year 9 as well. Students prepared questions before the event and took part in a guided Question and Answer session. The group learned about the practical aspects of being a writer, for example, where the best place to write is and what they should write about. Naturally, students wanted to know how to get paid for writing, which is often the most difficult part of all! The most interesting detail of all the information Mick shared, was the fact that scriptwriters get paid twice for the same work! They are paid first for the production of the script itself and all the drafts and rewrites this can involve. Then, the scriptwriter gets paid again, on the first day of recording! WHY? Because if the script has been changed from a written format - the script itself - into an audio-visual format - TV or radio show - it becomes a different product! Nice work if you can get it! Students forwarded a range of ideas for new shows (just in case) and are looking forward to hearing from the BBC!

Year 13 Scriptwriters