In our Performing and Creative Arts news this week, we'd like to share that we have a company of 23 students appearing in a large-scale light and performance festival taking place in Devonport.
The festival is part of the Devonport 200 years celebration and our students will be performing on and around Devonport’s iconic buildings.
The event is called Dazzle and is engineered by the Real Ideas Organisation.
There is lots happening today and tomorrow from 5.30pm to 9.00pm in the centre of Devonport, all free of charge with no booking required.
Our company of DHSB musicians and actors are not only performing every half an hour live outside the Guildhall, but they wrote and devised all the music and theatre themselves (with some great direction from Mr Webb).
There will be really stunning site specific performance work featuring both Music and Drama; if you can please call in to see them retelling stories of Devonport.
Mrs Luing-Holmes
Into the Woods
Do you have your tickets yet for our production of Into the Woods.
We are staging this show in the Edgcumbe Theatre on Thursday 13 March and Friday 14 March at 7:00pm, and rehearsals are going well.
Scan the QR code on our poster for tickets!
KS3 Science Eureka Club
This week the students at Eureka Club, with Dr Chapman-Greig, conducted a series of experiments with transition metals - which show different coloured compounds.
Originally used as a Sixth Form practical, the students conducted themselves amazingly!
Mr Spencer
Visit to Schneider Electric
This week we took our two Industrial Cadet Bronze groups to visit our local industry partner, Schneider Electric.
We were given a tour of the factory floor and received insights into the manufacturing process, how automation has changed their approaches and how different factories in different companies collaborate to create the final product we see in the shops.
Following this, both groups gave a practice presentation in front of their mentors, detailing all the progress they've made so far. With only a few weeks left until our final submission, both teams are making great progress.
Mr Spencer
Excellent Work
Students in Mrs Johnson’s Year 9 English class have been studying short stories from the anthology 'Iridescent Adolescent' this half term and replicating the techniques they have studied in their own creative writing.
One of the stories they have studied 'The Last Woman on Earth' is a graphic story and after reading the story, students worked in groups to come up with their own graphic story. Here are three stories which were particularly successful.
Tom, Samson and Bailey
Jaden, Joe and Dylan
Ewan, Rowan and Aidan
SWAT Challenge Day
Thank you to Finbar Steven 9F who has written this account of the SWAT Challenge Day held in Bournemouth yesterday.
The South West Academic Trust is a group of selective secondary schools from across the region.
The Team Challenge Day held in Bournemouth was an exciting and memorable experience for all the students who participated, including several from DHSB. Designed to promote teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership skills, the day was filled with engaging activities that encouraged collaboration and friendly competition.
Despite an early start, we all managed to arrive on time and spent about three hours locked up together on the minibus, which actually helped bond the team quite a bit.
Once we got to the grammar school it was hosted in, we started off with a rousing talk and conversation with former paralympian, David Wetherill. Then students were grouped into teams made up of students from different schools. Each team was given a series of tasks to complete throughout the day. As we were mixed up with other schools, the real challenge was working with strangers towards a common goal and we did that excellently.
Each challenge was uniquely designed to test different skills, ranging from building structures to strategic thinking. Activities such as the escape room and the blindfold maze required us to communicate effectively and work together to achieve our goals.
My favourite activity was the escape room the hosting school had set up as the students had to delegate tasks to solve many puzzles scattered about the room as we brainstormed the ultimate solution.
At the end of the day, we had to make a presentation about what challenge means to us. I believe that challenge means continuing with a task after failure or setbacks.
The event was not just about competition but also about fostering friendships and building confidence. Many students stepped out of their comfort zones, taking on leadership roles and supporting their peers in ways they hadn’t before.
Big thanks to Mr Coombes and Mr Webb for taking us!
Finbar Steven 9F
Sparx Maths and Sparx Reader
Each week we celebrate our highest performers in both Sparx Maths and Sparx Reader, two of our core homework platforms. We are proud of all of our students who complete their homework each week to such a high standard but these students deserve a special mention.
Congratulations!
Sports Update
Football
On Monday after school the Year 7 C football team hosted Plymouth College for a 7-a-side friendly tournament. Mr Bunney said it’s great to be able to give even more students a chance to play for the school.
It was a tough afternoon for the Year 7 A team when they were knocked out of the Devon Cup by Torquay Academy. The team took to playing a different way well to try and compete but couldn’t get it over the line.
Good luck to Torquay in the next round.
Mr Callicott said there were fantastic performances from the team at the Year 8 football central venue. The team won two matches and lost only one.
Cricket
Mr Bunney said, “Well done to the U15 Indoor Cricket team who won the Devon Cricket West Devon Schools tournament this week winning both games against Millbay and Stoke Damerel".
The team has qualified for the county final next month!
Basketball
Mr Anderson said he saw a fantastic work rate from the team at the Year 7 Basketball Festival.
The team played six games.
The Year 11 Basketball team also played this week, taking on Coombe Dean.
The team lost but there were lots of positives and Mr Anderson said he really enjoys working with such a lovely bunch of students.
Rugby
The U14 Rugby team took part in an invitational rugby tournament at Ivybridge this week in preparation for the Rosslyn Park 7s in March.
Well done to all students and staff involved in another fabulous and busy week of DHSB sports fixtures.
Victoria Park Community Group
We have been asked to share this information about Victoria Park Community Plymouth, a new community group created to benefit everyone who uses or lives near Victoria Park in PL1.
The group has contacted us with an invitation to attend their first AGM and a request to help them spread the word about how people can get involved in supporting Victoria Park community.
Here's how you could help
Attend the first AGM at 7.00pm on Thursday 13 March at the Pavillion Cafe in Victoria Park. Everyone is welcome, registered members can elect committee members and vote on key decisions. Please email victoriaparkcommunityplymouth@gmail.com to confirm your attendance.
Register to become a member if you'd like to have a say in how the group is run. Membership is free and open to anyone over 18 who has a connection to Victoria Park.
Carmel Lawless (Secretary)
Victoria Park Community Plymouth
