On Wednesday Mr Winstone led our whole school assembly which, as a follow up to the national Anti-Bullying Week, looked at the important role of bystanders in reducing incidents of bullying and hateful language.
Students were asked to reflect on whether they would intervene if they saw someone in distress.
Mr Winstone then used research to help students understand the complexities of why people are less likely to intervene when in a larger group. This is a phenomenon known as the Bystander Effect.
We then looked at how we can overcome this effect and the importance of reaching out to the victims of bullying as an important bystander intervention.
The assembly ended with a chance to congratulate four members of our school community who had exemplified our school values by overcoming the Bystander Effect and coming to the aid of a gentlemen who had found himself in distress outside of school.
We frequently receive messages of praise for our students' actions and it was good to have an opportunity to share this with the whole school community.
A special mention to Alex Boghian 8N who played beautifully on the piano as students entered and left the assembly. It was a pleasure to listen to him perform.
Excellent Work
Thank you to Miss Hunns who has shared these photos of Year 10 Food Preparation and Nutrition students who successfully completed the high skill of filleting fish.
Student News
Congratulations to Tarka Liddle 10N who has released his new Christmas single, Sound of Christmas, on all streaming platforms. His artist name is Traka.
The single will be played on Sunday 4 December on True Radio between 9:00am and 10:00am. This will be Tarka’s first radio play.
We're also hoping to hear Tarka perform the song in school before the end of term.
Excellent Work
This week we have a second example of Excellent Work, this time from Barnaby Hunt 9N.
Mrs Phillips said, “Year 9 students are currently studying Romeo and Juliet and were tasked with writing two diary entries from the point of view of Romeo. Barnaby decided to write his in Shakespearean English and produced two very convincing entries. He has taken on the character and used an array of vocabulary from the text which has resulted in two well focused and convincing pieces of writing”.
Barnaby has written one diary entry about Romeo’s unrequited love for Rosaline and one following the Capulet’s party where Romeo meets Juliet.
Carol Service
Monday 12 December at 19:00 at the Minster Church of St Andrew
Our Celebration of Christmas Carol Service will take place on Monday 12 December 2022, at 19:00 in the Minster Church of St Andrew, Royal Parade, Plymouth.
Year 7 students are preparing for the Carol Service and all parents, carers and friends are warmly invited to join us. Admission to the service is free and there is no requirement to book tickets.
The service will end at about 20:00 and as families leave there will be an opportunity to make a donation to the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. Funds raised will help the Salvation Army to support homeless people and provide boxes of groceries and modest gifts for families in poverty.
Creative Arts News
Christmas Concert - Wednesday 14 December
We are very excited to present this year's Christmas Cracker in the Edgcumbe Theatre from 7.00pm to 8.00pm (bar opens at 6.00pm). There are a wide variety of acts from solo singers, to whole-class Michael Buble performances. Tickets are pay what you can, so no booking necessary but please bring cash for your donation. Plenty of Christmas drinks and snacks to fill your boots before the fun starts!
Children in Need
Well done to all the performers and Year 10 tech crew who raised a brilliant £108 for Children in Need by performing in Refuel! A great gig, thank you and we cant wait to see the Christmas live lunch on 15 Decembe in Refuel.
There are photos in last week's Head's Blog.
Student News
Well done to Alexander Leonard-Williams 7P who achieved a distinction in his Grade 2 ABRSM cornet exam this week!
Instrumental Lessons
Dont forget, last chance to sign up for Instrument and vocal lessons to start in January.
Mrs Luing-Holmes
PSHEE Activities
This week Year 7 began using the online STEPs workbook which encourages them to learn and think about their potential next steps and all the possible options they have, as well as developing employability skills. They can continue working on this until the end of term.
Next week's lesson will mainly be preparation for the Christmas Carol Service.
Year 8 students had an introduction to a specific option to consider post GCSEs, the relatively new T levels. These are the equivalent of three A levels and are a good option if a student has a clear idea of the sector or industry in which they want to work, somewhere in between A levels and an apprenticeship as they include several weeks of industry placement.
Year 9 students spent the first of two lessons preparing their presentations for the employer challenge which will be judged by our friendly local employers on 9 December while Year 10 students were visited by other professional supporters of the school for their mock interviews. The visitors had also previously read and critiqued the mock applications for an imaginary Saturday job.
Huge thanks to Ms Daragon, Mr Wardle, Mr Byrne, Ms Sanders, Mr Washburn and Mr Rizk for giving us their valuable time and expertise.
Finally Year 11 students listened to a presentation by Mr Adams regarding Sixth Form option choices, which included brief talks from Mr Alsop, Economics, Mr Tombs, Psychology, and Mr Macleod, Politics introducing their subjects which are new in Sixth Form.
So no let up in the very full itinerary for Careers, PSHEE and Citizenship as we head towards the end of term - more details in the Head’s Blog next week. Sue Moreton
Sixth Form Enrichment and Tutorial
What was your reason for joining the Conservative Party?
Do you think the Tory party is making mistakes now?
What are your solutions for the mistakes made by the party?
What advice would you give someone early on in a potential political career?
What are your thoughts on legalising drugs?
Do MPs in safe seats do less work?
These are a few of the questions posed to the Right Honourable Johnny Mercer MP today in our Enrichment time.
We were thrilled that Johnny came back to visit our students and to hear thar improved employment chances for young people in Plymouth are a personal priority alongside his main ambition of support for veterans.
He described his experiences in politics and the tensions in parliament as well as the superficial contexts presented through social media and the reward and value of 700+ contacts a day meaning that you are getting things done- the best reason for being involved in politics.
As well as Johnny's visit, tutors prepared Year 12 students for the citywide post-16 road safety event next Wednesday at the Plymouth Guildhall and Year 13 tutors explored the law and some of the legalities for 16 year olds and 17 year olds.
We want to thank the students who made such authentic contributions to our Sixth Form open evening. It's true that our guests wanted to hear perspectives directly from the students themselves and this busy event was wonderfully supported. Thank you also to the patient parent taxis!
Ms Davidson
Sports Update
Football
News from our football teams from Year 7 to Year 11 this week. Well done to all students who have played.
The Year 7 team travelled to Exmouth Community College for their Devon Cup match this week but unfortunately lost 4 - 2.
The Year 8 football team had a good win and performance in the Devon Cup against Kingsbridge this week.
The Year 9 team won a really hard fought and a well contested game 4 - 3 in the Devon Cup against Tiverton. A superb and entertaining game for any neutral. On to round two!
It was a really good 4- 0 win for the Year team in the Devon Cup first round away at Ilfracombe. The second half performance was excellent and made the long journey home sweeter, said Mr Bunney.
The Year 11 team is through to the fifth round of the national cup after beating Torquay Academy 7 - 2 on Wednesday afternoon.
Basketball
Congratulations to the U14 basketball team who won all three of their latest round of games in the Plymouth School Competition.
The team is unbeaten in six matches to date.
