We have reached the end of term and the end of this year, and I am very proud of our community.
Once again we have all pulled together to ensure that we have had a successful term. Our students and staff have enjoyed festive activities over the last couple of weeks which you can read about today and in last week’s Head’s Blog.
On behalf of everyone here at DHSB, we wish you season's greetings and all good wishes for the new year.
Celebration Assemblies
This term’s celebration assemblies were held on Wednesday when students were recognised and rewarded for their behaviour and attendance during this term.
Awards were made in the following categories and when more than one student was nominated a special ‘santa race’ was held to determine the winner. This caused a lot of fun and excitement in form rooms!
Student of the month
Student of the term
Most commendations
Good behaviour award
95% attendance award
100% attendance award
Mr Manley said, “ It's always lovely to end this term by celebrating the achievements of so many students.''
Thank you to our Heads of Year and Deputy Heads of Year for delivering the assemblies and a special mention to Mrs Stanton for putting the wonderful slides together.
Whole School Christmas Assembly
This morning I led the final whole school assembly of this term. Students stayed in their form rooms and together enjoyed Christmas karaoke and a Christmas quiz as well as listening to messages about keeping safe through the break.
We also welcomed a special visitor who delivered chocolates to all!
Christmas Poetry Competition
On Wednesday I presented Jack Cox 9W with a first-placed certificate and prize for his entry in the DHSB Christmas Poetry Competition, organised by Mr Richards.
Mr Richards said, “Students were invited to write a festive poem with the scope being left deliberately wide to allow them to show creativity and individual thought. We had lots of entries which was fantastic”.
Very well done to Jack, and to Jake Parsons 9N, Harley Treloar 11E and Gregor Norster 11E, our three runners-up.
Please read and enjoy the poems.
A Christmas feast by Jack Cox 9W
The evening hues of nighttime sky,
Were perfect for the lights found high.
Blinking and flashing over a feast,
Which mainly consisted of beasts.
All ravenous, angry and snarly,
As some fought over some parsley.
This feast is filled with joy and frustration,
As the pot roast takes some determination.
The beasts will squabble and shout,
For politics is what they're talking about.
As the snow piles up in lumps outside,
The thought of the beasts staying is the only downside.
The feast goes on well into the night,
As they start to eat cakes with frosting so white.
The beasts who were once filled with rage,
Calm down as someone reads from a page.
The feast has stopped,
Now that the beasts have flopped.
The beasts now calmed exit the home,
As those who stay sigh and moan.
They dread them coming again next year,
Even now the thought draws a tear.
They'll bare through it like they have before,
For the beasts always choose their door.
The feast has now ceased,
So they throw on a fleece.
As the nighttime hues fade,
The bed is where they are laid.
As Christmas ends with final sigh,
This is where I say goodbye!
Excellent Work - Year 8 Digital Enterprise
Mr Scott has shared examples of Excellent Work from Year 8 students this week.
He said, “In their Digital Enterprise lessons, Year 8 students have created promotions for the homelessness charity, Crisis. Students used Google Slides and Canva.com to create their individual design”.
Here is a selection from 8P.
Well done.
Nicholas Toms
Henry Rajesh
Kenzou Twitchett
Jay Fox-Hopwood
Luke Madgett
Dominic Reynolds
Excellent Work - A Level Art
It is a pleasure to celebrate the outstanding work achieved at A Level Art where students at DHSB demonstrate an extremely high level of achievement, writes Mrs Burdon. Often this work surpasses our expectations and again we are able to see this within the work of our present A Level students.
Here are examples from Harriet Beardsmore 13CMC who has also shared this comment about her work.
'Juxtaposition is to place two things together with a contrasting effect. I am going to conduct an artistic investigation into how juxtaposition can be expressed through materials and medium, colour and concept. Throughout history, juxtaposition has been used in the Surrealism movement, often showing unexpected contrasts, for example, in the works of artists such as Salvador Dali. This genre has always had a personal resonance as I find the human diversity and expression fascinating.'
Thank you Harriet.
Photo That Physics
Mrs Hicks says the aim of this competition was to take an amazing picture and explain the physics happening, because physics happens everywhere.
The winners were judged on their photo and written work, and all competition entries were amazing, well done everyone!
It was extremely difficult to choose the winners, but they are as follows.
Dylan Witnall 7S
The physics of gravity, wind, buoyancy and light
Rudi Gibbs 11C
The physics of the invisible ink mandala
Arran Pannell 12ALG
Light bulb physics
Christmas Craft
Thank you to Ms Davidson who has shared these photos of Sixth Form students and their Christmas creativity.
Alumni News
Mrs Kinsella has asked me to share this link where you will be able to read the DHSB alumni newsletters
The latest publication has news from our recent 125 anniversary event including videos of the talks, the drone footage and a folder of photos of the day.
Well worth reading!
Sports Update
Football
Well done to the Year 8 team who took part in the Plymouth Schools central venue competition after school on Tuesday playing two really tough games.
The Year 7 team also played at the central venue competition this week.
Mr Carpenter said, "A great way to end the Year 7 central venue with a win and two draws, all the players involved in all the matches over this term have been excellent - well done".
House Football
Many students have taken part in the house football competition, with fixtures held throughout this term.
Mr Campbell said, “A huge, well done to all who competed. As always a great turn out by the Year 7 teams, pictured here”.
Basketball
Mr Anderson reports the Year 10/11 Basketball team played two games on Wednesday showing a fantastic attitude and willingness to learn. The team took a win against Plymstock and lost to a very strong Torbridge side.
And Finally
Please use this link to read a full round-up of all our sports news this term.