It’s been a fantastic week at DHSB which all started with us anxiously watching the weather on Sunday as students and staff set off for Bristol Airport (en route to the Erasmus SMART project in Lithuania) and to London for the Rosslyn Park national schools sevens tournament.
Students and staff were also up on Dartmoor for Ten Tors training.
Everyone travelled safely and you can read updates from their adventures in my Head’s Blog today.
Rosslyn Park
We are understandably very proud of the three school rugby teams who competed at the Rosslyn Park national schools sevens competition this week.
The U16 team did very well to get through to the second day of their competition eventually losing 14 – 12 to the Thomas Hardye School in the final 16 tie. Mr Orkney said the team was ‘outstanding’.
We’ve received a very complimentary message from a member of our alumni who said, “I left DHS in 1970 and post graduating from Loughborough spent my entire professional teaching and coaching sport career at Wellington College in Berkshire. I cannot tell you how pleased and proud I was to see how DHS performed. Given their successes, your boys will be deeply disappointed not to have progressed further but they should be genuinely proud of what they did achieve”.
He added, “My congratulations to all the players and coaching staff for flying the flag with such skill and distinction”.
Our U13 and U14 teams also played extremely well.
DHSB Today
I’m happy to share the spring edition of DHSB Today, our school newsletter.
As always it is packed full to the brim of interesting information about our school. We regularly receive fantastic feedback from our readers about DHSB Today and the Head’s Blog and I am extremely proud once again to see the significant amount of contributions from our students; there are a wide range of articles and examples of their work for you to enjoy and explore.
From everyone here at DHSB we hope that you enjoy catching up on what’s been happening around our school.
Please support our school community by sharing this edition of DHSB Today with your family and friends and remember you can keep up to date through my weekly Head’s Blog or via Twitter @dhsboys
German Exchange
Following our visit to Rheine, in November, the German exchange students from our partner school arrived in Plymouth on Thursday 15 March. 18 boys in Years 9 and 10 have just returned to Germany after spending an enjoyable and successful week with their DHSB partners and their families. This is the first time that we have had snow in Plymouth during a school exchange!
During their stay, the German students and DHSB partners spent a day in Plymouth learning more about the city’s history, enjoying a delicious fish and chip lunch and viewing Plymouth Sound from the top of Smeaton’s Tower.
They also had a morning orienteering on Dartmoor and time out on the water in Plymouth Sound on two tug boats. They really enjoyed steering the vessels and viewing the warships. The exchange finished with a bowling and burger evening – a yearly tradition!
All the boys involved have had a great experience of life and school in another country and have made some good friends in the process. We are now looking forward to planning the next exchange – we shall hopefully be taking a group of DHSB students to Germany for a week in November.
Mrs Saunders
Sport Relief Mile
Well done to Winstanley House and Edison House who organised our Sport Relief Mile on Tuesday. They were pleased to raise a total of £171.90 and although it was not a race we can congratulate the student and staff winners, Jamie and Mr Alsop.
Erasmus SMART Project
I mentioned in my introduction that staff and students travelled to Lithuania this week as part of the Erasmus SMART project, sharing good practice in Science, Maths and Technology.
There were delegates from France, Spain, Sweden and the UK as well as the host country.
Mr Berryman said the presentations given by our student representatives, Harry Bryan and Alfie Carlisle, were outstanding and added that they were true ambassadors for our school.
Well done!
Whole School Assembly
On Wednesday, Mrs Edwards and Dr Stears spoke about the Plymouth Oracy Project in our whole school assembly with the support of Mr Jenkins and several Year 7 students.
Information, Advice and Guidance
Today it was good to welcome back DHSB alumni who talked to students in Years 10 – 13 about university life, courses and careers. Ms Moreton will have a full round up in her Blog on Monday.
Ten Tors Training
The weather stopped almost all of the SW schools for a second successive training weekend but not the DHSB teams. Training started from Yelverton on Sunday in glorious sunshine but by 11.30am the moors were white and the predicted winds arrived which made for sub-zero training.
Conditions such as these really focus the mind. Teams leant that working in a buddy to buddy system brought about a one team ethos. Teams also realised that doing the most simplest of tasks is mad all the harder in harsh arctic conditions that Dartmoor is capable of producing.
All three teams headed for pre-determined escape routes, not that they were beaten by the weather but more due to the road and transport infrastructure.
Our next training sees the teams undergo their first two day session which seeks to mirror the event itself.
Mr Clifford
Sports Update
Modern Biathlon
Well done to Edward Fox 10S who qualified from the South West Region to compete in the national finals of the British Schools Modern Biathlon Championship that was held at Crystal Palace over the weekend. He was placed 23rd in the U15 category.
Year 7 Football
Year 7 students finish undefeated in this year’s central venue competition after two draws against Plymstock and Plympton Academy this week. I’m also really pleased to let you know that over 50 Year 7 students who have represented DHSB in the football team this year. Well done Year 7 – this participation rate is tremendous!
Basketball
Mr Anderson said, “I am extremely proud of the U16 Basketball team who made it through to the knockout stages of national cup. We narrowly lost to Penryn. I hope to coach them next year as a Sixth Form team”.
Devon Winter School Games
Twelve schools took part in the Devon Games table tennis tournament yesterday. Our first team took bronze and our second team finished in ninth place.
Ms McKee said, “It was a pleasure to take the students who all took part with great enthusiasm”.
First team – Ben Cresswell 9C, Ethan Carlisle 9C ,Elijah Hingston 8E and Addison Mee 8W
Second team – Evan Spencer 8W, Ben Hedley 8W, Harvey Brown 7N and Angus Kerr 7N
Future Events
Tuesday 27 March
Oxbridge Information Morning Year 12 Parent Consultation Evening
Wednesday 28 March
Year 7 Assessment Meeting
Thursday 29 March
Final day of the spring term
Saturday 14 April
Ten Tors Training Walk 6
Monday 16 April
First day of the summer term (B week)
Saturday 21 April
PTFA Theme Park Trip – Alton Towers