It has been a pleasure to welcome students back to DHSB this week and a real joy to see everyone again.
Students and staff have returned in good spirits and it has been lovely to hear the chatter and laughter filling the school site.
Our new year messages are available to read at this link.
We are especially pleased to welcome our new Year 7 and Year 12 students and our new staff.
Also joining us for the new academic year is a cohort of ten trainee teachers, starting out on their year long journey to obtain qualified teacher status with Devonport High School for Boys and Marjon University.
It is always a pleasure to welcome prospective teachers into the profession, but this year we are very proud to welcome ten when the sector is facing a large recruitment and retention drive. It is so important for us as a school to have the opportunity to engage with higher education and educational research to inform our own pedagogy and practice. Trainees also offer a fantastic opportunity for our students to see that we are all here to learn.
I look forward to seeing their progress in Maths, English, Science, PE, Geography, Business, MfL, History and Art.
Duke of Edinburth’s Award Update
Our Gold Duke of Edinburgh participants successfully took part in their expeditions during the summer holidays. We had teams walking in the Slovenia Alps, walking in Bannau Brycheiniog, or canoeing in the Wye Valley. All participants battled tricky weather conditions but completed successfully and were a credit to the school. Congratulations to them all!
Mrs Wills has taken over as the new DofE manager and questions about DofE can be directed by email to dofe@dhsb.org.
You can find more information on a brand new website which is a great resource to help pupils make the most of the opportunities that DofE provides. Please also follow @dofe_DHSB on X (Twitter) for updates.
Certificates will be presented to those participants who completed their award earlier this year very soon, more detail to follow.
Mrs Wills
Creative Arts Update
Instrumental Lessons
We are very excited to have a strings teacher starting with us this term! The fantastic Nikki Farris will be teaching violin and viola on Fridays and there are only a few remaining places for lessons. If you would like strings or any other lesson please follow this link or email me at emma.luing-holmes@dhsb.org for information.
We can offer lessons in voice, strings, all brass, all woodwind, piano/keyboard, guitar, bass, and drum kit, and lessons run in weekly rotation over the school day.
Whole School Musical
The Musical has landed - Les Miserables - audition details -
Auditions for Years 7, 8 and 9 for any role are on Monday 18 September from 3.30pm - 5.00pm in the theatre. Audition pieces are a choice of 'Little People' sung by Gavroche for all ensemble parts, or for lead roles 'Stars' or 'Master of the House'. Students in KS3 only need to prepare the first verse.
Auditions for Years 10, 11, 12, 13 from DHSB, DHSG, PHSG and ND take place on Thursday 21 September.
Male roles to prepare either 'Stars' or 'Master of the House' and are expected to act through song. Female roles to prepare either 'On my Own' or 'I Dreamed a Dream' and are expected to act through song.
Cast list up Friday 22 September at 8:00am. Rehearsals take place on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30pm - 5:00pm although times can change subject to role requirements.
Rising Stars
Students in Years 11 and 12 were performing locally over the summer as professional outfits - well done to the band 'Sleaze' featuring our Year 11 students Tom Jane, Dylan Cook and Dan Cocker, and the band 'The Other Woman' featuring our Year 12 A level student Evelyn Wilkinson.
All these students performed songs that were their own material and were outstanding representatives of music at DHSB. Well done also to Dylan Lyndsley-Leake, a Year 11 music student who will be performing at the BBC proms in November!
Pauline Quirke Academy
The Edgcumbe Theatre is now home to the PQA - a theatre school for students training in the arts. There are two schools running - Friday night 5:00pm - 8:00pm and Saturday 10:00am - 1:00pm, offering high quality provision in Drama, Comedy, TV and Film and Musical Theatre for ages 5 - 18.
If you can’t get enough of the fantastic arts five days a week here at DHSB you can now find a sixth day to train and signing up is now open! If you want any further details please give the principle, Sam Pomeroy a ring on 07957 109305, or contact via Facebook or the main PQA website.
Dates for your Diary
If you are a busy parent or carer and like to keep on top of things here is a list of upcoming events in the Arts at DHSB.
29 September 2023 - Macmillan Music event - a cake and music lunchtime event to raise money for the Macmillan Cancer Charity
17 & 19 October 2023 - GCSE Year 11 Music Solo Performance Exam
2 November 2023 - El Dia De Los Muertos Rock concert details TBC
11 December 2023 - Christmas Service at St Andrews Church - Plymouth
14 December 2023 - Christmas Concert at Stoke Damerel Church
7, 8, 9 February 2024 Les Miserables Performances
28 March 2024 Spring Ensembles and Acoustic Cafe
24 May 2024 Gig on the Green
20 June 2024 Classical Recital Evening at Stoke Damerel Church
4 July 2024 ARTS crossover project - the first ever evening of Art, Music and Drama combined in one, site specific performance!
Mrs Luing-Holmes