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Issue 47

Headlines by Rachel McGowan

29 January 2016

Working together to promote & celebrate achievement

Below is an article from the Sunday Times. Please take a few moments to read it.

It is interesting to note that successful students are averaging twenty one hours of Independent Study each week when on their degrees. This strongly supports the model we require, where students progress from seven or eight hours each week in Year 7 to around ten in Years 9 and 10 before studying for up to

Study

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Headlines by Rachel McGowan cont’d

fifteen hours a week in Year 11. More important even than the amount of time studying is the clear message from the article that study needs to be independent; namely that students should spend a good portion of their time furthering their knowledge of their subjects, not simply completing tasks set by their teachers; exactly what we suggest you should all do each evening. For those of you still struggling to take ownership of your home study, I’d like to remind you of the four elements you should build in. Independent Study should be a mixture of: completing specific learning tasks set by your teachers researching and reading around the topics you are studying reflecting on and reviewing the subjects you have learned about in lessons identifying key questions and areas where you need further direction from your teachers. Every student at the school needs to ask themselves, as we approach the halfway point in the academic year, whether they have really pushed themselves thus far. The key message from all research shows that the earlier you accept responsibility for your studies and the more you commit to regular, organised studying, the more success you will enjoy. Let’s all of us look to improve this aspect of our learning as we move into the last twenty school weeks of this academic year.

Rachel McGowan

Last summer, during the holidays budding writer Khushleen Kaur in

8G decided to write a spooky story and enter it into the ‘Young

Writers Ghost Story Competition’. We were delighted to hear that

Khushleen’s story has been selected for publication a new anthology,

‘Grave Encounters – A Collection of Ghost Stories’. This is a

wonderful achievement and we are very proud of Khushleen’s

enterprising spirit as well as the imagination and creative expression

she displayed in her story. A copy of the book will be sent to the

British Library and further libraries across the UK. ‘Grave

Encounters – A Collection of ghost stories‘ is scheduled for

publication on 31st March 2016.

Here is a little preview of part of her story:

‘..from what my mum told me, my grandparents live inside an old house that was built during the 1930s,

but their home used to be a funeral parlour. My grandma was the only one in the house who could

actually see people who were not alive and this story is her experience. To understand Grandma’s story

we need to go back further to the sad death of a lady who lived in the area.’

We look forward to reading the rest of her story when it is published. Congratulations and well done!

Ms K Thakor

Assistant Headteacher

Published Writer in Year 8

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More Smiles Non-Uniform Day

St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington is a Hospital which has become very special to Plashet

School. In October of last year the Hospital cared for Vaishali Suhayr, 11L and her

family at the most darkest of time. Sadly, Vaishali lost her fight against a variety of

medical issues, but we have formed a strong bond with the Children’s Intensive Care

Unit that supported Vaishali and her family.

January 15th would have been Vaishali’s birthday and we could not let that special

moment go unmarked. As a Tutor Group, 11L celebrated as they would have done

had Vaishali been with us and as a School we sang her ‘Happy Birthday’ and released

colourful balloons to mark the occasion. Vaishali’s family joined us on the crisp

afternoon and we were so proud of the participation of our whole learning community.

Every year, around 400 patients are cared for in the Children's Intensive Care Unit at St Mary's but it also

turns away hundreds more critically ill children because it does not have enough beds. This means

children may have to be transferred hundreds of miles for treatment. Last year, the unit had to turn away

233 children, more than half the number actually admitted.

St Mary’s Hospital is undertaking a major charity drive to raise funds for a much needed new unit. The

new unit will have 15 beds, almost doubling the current number, allowing more than 200 extra children to

be cared for each year. There will also be new equipment, a dedicated parents' room and a private room

allowing space for doctors and nurses to provide emotional support and care to families whose children

are very seriously ill.

As a School, we collected money through a Non-Uniform Day on Friday 15th January. We raised,

£2,139.83, and we will make a direct donation to the More Smiles Appeal. Should you wish to find out

more information about the appeal, you can by accessing the website at, www.moresmiles.org.uk.

Ms L Sanderson

Assistant Headteacher

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Zoe Lucala and Zoeyanna Molton 11L might be very familiar to anyone who has seen our Expressive

Arts events over the past few years. Both students have made major contributions to the success of

Christmas Concerts and productions like ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Matilda’. On Saturday 16th January at the Lyric

Theatre, Hammersmith, both girls truly moved outside their comfort zones and threw themselves into a

three hour audition to be involved in the shows the Youth Music Theatre Company have on offer in 2016.

The auditions involved some intensive warm up exercises and stretching, learning and dancing new

routines and singing the main song from the 1981 Broadway musical ‘Merrily We Ride Along’. Zoe and

Zoeyanna were part of a group of approximately 30 other candidates hoping to follow in the footsteps of

Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith and gain a place in one of the productions to be offered this year.

Miss Carne and I were extremely proud of the manner in which both Zoe and Zoeyanna conducted

themselves throughout the entire process and in awe of their confidence on the day. Of course, if the girls

are successful in their auditions we will hopefully find out in February and of course, let you know how

you can support them on tour.

Ms L Sanderson

Assistant Headteacher

Auditions

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Year 7 Visit to the Hindu Temple in Manor Park

This month all of Year 7 attended a visit to the Hindu temple in Manor Park, to compliment their learning

in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. It was a chilly walk to get there, but they all had a great experience.

All Year 7 are currently learning about beliefs and practices in Hinduism. The students were able to speak

to the priest and ask him questions about what they saw in the temple and more general questions about

Hinduism.

Students were able to walk around the temple and see pictures/statues of the Gods they have been

studying. Students said that they really enjoyed the experience of going to a place of worship and

getting to explore the temple.

Malaika in 7N said, “I know a lot more about Hinduism, I know how Ganesh ended up with an

elephant’s head! I found it really interesting”.

Ms Still

Head of Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

Charu, Sumiya, Marlene, Sumaya 7N Amina, Mehwish, Zainab 7N

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On 14th and 15th January three groups of

year 11 BTEC students were taken on a

visit to the Centre of the Cell. The Centre

of the Cell is a Science Centre helping

young people learn about Biomedical

Science and research through digital

games and audio visual displays. The

centre is located in a pod suspended over

the biggest open plan research

laboratories in Europe based in

Whitechapel, London, UK.

D.J.Willrich Ltd. (DJW) – recognized as

one of the UK’s leading forces in the Audio

Visual industry, was subcontracted by the

lead contractor Beck Interior, to provide a full Medallion Integrated System in the Centre of the Cell. DJW

also worked closely with the project designer, Land Design Studio. During the visit, students were

immersed in the full audiovisual experience engaging with all the five different “spaces”, and scenes. Here

is what some of the students who went on the visit had to say.

It was an amazing and exciting experience. I learnt many new scientific facts linked to the BTEC course.

The games and quizzes helped me develop my confidence in the subject. Nimra Iqbal 11N

I found this trip exciting because I was able to meet a real Scientist. While I was inside the room that

contained the ‘Nucleus’ I was able to play many games, as well as focus on topics about healthy lifestyles.

We also learnt about many diseases. Thamina Bushra 11L

It was an amazing experience for us as I learnt a lot of Science in an exciting way. We had an interactive

session when we arrived and we were able to ask many questions. Zoe Lucala 11L

This was quite an interesting experience as we

were given the chance to look around and play

some games. At first, we were given a talk by

one of the organizers and we got to meet a 4th

Year Medical student and a real Scientist. The

best part was the games because they were

educational and fun at the same time. Raika

Channan 11T

Mrs Ali, Ms English and Ms Sundhlall

Science Teachers

Science Centre of the Cell Year 11 Visits

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Science Royal Observatory Planetarium Visit

On 12th January, 36 students from Years 10 and 11 had the opportunity of attending a presentation at the

Greenwich Observatory and Planetarium. The presentation was given by Dr. Paniez Paykari, a

Cosmologist who has travelled the world working on the birth of the Universe.

After a treacherous journey climbing a very steep hill, we reached the top with a splendid view

overlooking the sights of London. We were then greeted by a host, who directed us to the Planetarium.

Once inside, we were welcomed by a breath-taking view of what it would be like to be in space. The

presentation was led by Dr. Paykari. We learnt a lot about the birth of the Universe and all the processes

that took place before the Milky Way was formed. The presentation went into depth about black matter

and the ages before the Universe was created. Once the talk was over, Dr. Paykari was open to taking

questions from the audience. After the questions and answers were over, it was time for us to leave the

Planetarium. We arrived back after a tiresome, yet interesting and informative, day. Overall, it was a

beneficial trip which we believe helped educate the students further into the depths of our Universe. And

if you are an aspiring astrophysicists or cosmologists, or if you are just simply interested in space, then

the Planetarium is a great place for you to go and learn about the wonders of our Universe."

By Zara Pervaiz 11G and Aminah Tassawar 11G

Dr Paniez Paykari

Our School’s Coaching & Mentoring Department works closely wih parents to support our students. As

part of this work we wish to invite parents to our new Coffee Mornings where Parents/Carers can ask

questions, receive information or simply get to know other parents.

Our first coffee morning will be on Tuesday 9th February from 9.15-10.15am. Just call into reception and

staff will be available to meet you.

Ms P St Louis CMD Manager

Parent Engagement Coffee Mornings

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Physics ‘Pendulums’ Masterclass

On Thursday 19th November, 30 incredibly lucky students from Year 10 were given the opportunity to be

taught a physics master class by a physics teacher at Seven Kings High School who has also worked at

Cambridge University in the Research Department.

The session began with a quick quiz about some of the principles and laws in Physics which was very

interesting as, in our groups, the quiz prompted a healthy debate where everyone was justifying their

answers. After the quiz, which was quite difficult, we learned about the way scientists discover things.

The teacher went through the process used by scientists to discover new things. We looked at ice melting

on different materials. First, we had to make a prediction about what we thought would happen when ice

was placed on metal and wood. We had to come up with a theory and make sure we had justifications for

it. After that, we tested our theories and, to my surprise, the ice melted on the metal. We then had to

conclude our experiment.

We looked at several other experiments. However, the highlight of the session was when we had to look

at a sequence and find out what the rule was and we were able to understand the power of a question

and its response in this session. If we ask the right questions we can find any answer. Sometimes we fail

to ask questions, it shows that a little bit of curiosity can take us to new places to discover amazing

things.

Overall, the session was engaging and innovative. It taught us physics in an engaging and interactive

way. Also, we learnt some of the most important techniques and processes of discovery that are used by

scientists. It is safe to say that the session not only inspired me to pursue a career in Science and take

advantage of my curiosity but it had an impact upon the whole class making us all more interested and

curious to learn more!

By Syeda Zainab Naqvi 10A

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Year 8 and Year 9 RoboGals Visit to Imperial College

On Wednesday 20th January selected Year 8 and 9 students had the opportunity to visit the Imperial

College of London to participate in a LEGO robotics workshop promoting girls to consider engineering as a

future career option. Enhancing our knowledge within the field of engineering, we learnt that creativity

plays a significant role in order to be a unique and successful engineer.

To create an effective and efficient device, we began with analysing the basic components which were

essential to the LEGO program. Using the software, we began creating and downloading algorithms for

our robots. We applied colour sensor technology, allowing some groups to program the robots to stay

within the ring.

After many attempts to successfully program our robots, we created weapons from Lego to shield our

robot from the opposing teams. To end the session we took part in battles against other teams with our

robots and crowned the Year 9’s the winners.

Overall it was a beneficial, enjoyable and memorable learning experience that gave us a wider view to the

world of engineering.

By Arundhathi Roy and Iqra Ahmed 8L

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Year 10 Studying MADE Simple

On Wednesday 13th January 2016, Year 10 took part in a workshop called Studying Made Simple. The

students were enthusiastic during the workshop and the evaluation results show that it was a valuable

learning experience had by all. Below is a written account of the workshop completed by Ubeydah Shah

10T.

Miss M Siviour

Head of Year 10

On Wednesday 13th January 2016, Year 10 were given the chance to discover new methods of revising

while talking about the problems they face during revision. Joe Rowntree, our host, used his knowledge of

Sociology taught us the best way of revising successfully. Many of us were surprised at the statistics and

techniques used to receive the perfect results. We found that listening to music while revising can actually

help trigger the information needed during tests. We learnt that our posture and the pen we use can also

affect our ability to remember key information. We also learnt how to beat procrastination, a problem

most Year 10 students are facing. Overall, the two hours we spent working together, taking part in

challenges, receiving rewards and discussing solutions are certainly going to be put to good use when we

revise for our next test.

Ubeydah Shah 10T.

Year 11 Post 16 Transition Event

On Tuesday 12th January 2016 as part of the CPSHE CIAG provision we had 20 different post 16 providers

in school to help the Year 11 students with their choices of where they move onto after they leave us in

the summer.

The mass of colleges/training providers that attended were:

NCS – Newham Collegiate Sixth Form, NEWVIC, NEWTEC, Redbridge College, Westminster Kingsway,

Ursuline Academy, B6, LAE, Brampton Manor, Central Foundation, St Angela’s, St Bonaventure’s, LDEUTC,

Big Creative Education, Morpeth School, Havering Sixth Form College, Barking and Dagenham College,

Tower Hamlets College, Valentines High School and Woodbridge High School.

Ms F Clark

Head of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance, Work Experience and SEN

Teacher

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I recently read some research stating that public speaking is the most common fear. I recently worked

with 7S to produce poems on the theme of Fear. A fantastic range of poetry was produced, from the

humorous to the heartfelt. A number of students even overcame any fear of public speaking, and

performed their pieces for the class. Here are two of the fantastic poems that were produced.

Fear by Aisha Dorasat 7S

The next morning I woke up really late.

I didn’t care because

I always get a high level.

This time I didn’t revise thinking

I will be able to get a high level.

I went to school and I got my result.

I can see the failure in me.

I can hear my family losing trust in me.

I couldn’t fulfil my dad’s expectation.

I can taste the fear of sorrows in my mouth,

my stomach filled with butterflies.

I can smell the failure within me.

I can feel my heartbeat stop and pause

for ten seconds.

I hear a noise and I woke up,

realising it’s all a dream,

hoping it doesn’t become real.

Fear by Wasmaa Noordeen 7S

I could hear everyone screaming, dancing,

running and talking.

Nobody realises that I am new

to the school.

I am shy.

I feel like I’m going to die.

As I look around everyone has a friend.

I am only five years old,

starting a new school is hard for me.

I try my best to make a friend

but I can taste the bitterness of my fear.

Then one day a girl named Faaizah

came and asked to be my friend.

My heart was pounding.

I was full of joy.

I said yes.

Until the end of Year 6,

the years we have been best friends,

the days of joy we had to leave

to go to a new school.

Poems About Fear – Joshua Seigal

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Carnegie Shadowing Students from all year groups have been reading and reviewing the books nominated for this year’s Carnegie Medal. One of the books that has received positive reviews is Jessica’s Ghost by Andrew Norriss. This is what Samiyah Lunat of 10T thought of the story:

“Jessica’s Ghost portrays heartfelt messages throughout the book about several matters such as the power and strength of friendship, which leads to an unexpected ending, thus making it a rather emotional book to read. The cover and title of the book suggested to me that it was a book based on something scary, supernatural or terrifying. However this was the absolute opposite, yet nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read. Personally it is a must-read (especially as it is rather short) as it slightly makes us appreciate things a little more, and it also makes us want to change in order to become more helpful towards other people. Norriss does this by using a ghost ‘Jessica’ who can only be seen by a bunch of ‘misfits’, which actually results in them becoming close friends and bonding. As clearly mentioned, this book is not what I was expecting to read, however, I would urge for people to read it at least once, especially as some of the heavy content included is represented subtly, yet also deeply.”

Jessica’s Ghost is available in both Libraries. The Carnegie Club meets on Thursday lunchtimes to discuss books which have been nominated for the award and to take part in fun activities relating to them. Any students who would like to join should speak to a member of library staff. Saturday Sessions – an important reminder Students in Year 10 and 11 who wish to attend a Saturday Session must sign up in the South Library before the end of school on Thursday. By signing up, students are making a commitment to attend. We understand that sometimes the temptation to stay in bed on a cold Saturday morning can be very strong but please remember that it’s tempting for staff too! They manage to resist that temptation in order to you give an extra opportunity to revise or catch up on work with their support. Please try your best to honour your commitment by attending any sessions you sign up for – make the most of the chances provided to you to help you to reach your potential!

Ms A Clifford-Smith Librarian/Resource Manager

Library News