Dates for your Diary

Week A

Monday 16th Oct Parent Surgery, 5.30pm

- 6.30pm Yr 7 Road Safety Play Yr 8-11 Assessment

Week

Tuesday 17th Oct Yr 11 Careers Enterprise

Day

Thursday 19th Oct Yr 7 Settling In Evening

Friday 20th Oct Break up for October Half Term at 2.45pm

Macmillan Cake Sale

On Friday 29th September Hassenbrook held their own Macmillan Cake Sale instead of the Macmillan Coffee Morning. It was a whirlwind of a half hour during lunchtime but so unbelievably successful.

We were overwhelmed with cake donations from both staff, students, parents and the public. The Canteen was buzzing with students and staff all there to help support this worthwhile cause.

As well as the cake sale, we had an ‘In Memory Of’ wall display where students and staff we able to write a little message in a star for any loved ones they have lost. It was a very moving site to see, so many of our students choosing to write a message.

The half hour lunchtime went so fast and before we knew it, it was over and we barely had any cakes left which is exactly what we wanted.

Overall we raised £163.76 for Macmillan Cancer Support and we couldn’t be happier with the support we got.

A massive thank you to Mrs Smith and her team of helpers for their dedication and hard work.

Dates for your Diary

Week A

Monday 27th Nov Parent Surgery, 5.30pm

- 6.30pm

Tuesday 28th Nov Yr 8 Girls Netball Match,

3pm at St Clere’s

Thursday 30th Nov Yr 7 & 8 Girls Netball Match, 3pm at Gable

Hall Class of 2017

Celebrating Success Evening from 6.30pm

Week B

Monday 4th Dec Parent Surgery, 5.30pm

- 6.30pm

Tuesday 5th Dec Yr 9, 10 & 11 Girls

Netball Match, 3pm at Ockendon Academy

Thursday 7th Dec Yr 10 Careers Masterclass

Friday 8th Dec Yr 7 Trip to Colchester

Zoo

Autumn Half Term Attendance League Winners

As you may know, Hassenbrook run an Attendance League. This is a great way to motivate our students to come into school and to celebrate those that do.

Every half term we have a prize draw for all those students that get over 95% attendance. There are three winners; 1st prize is a £20 voucher, 2nd prize is a £10 voucher and 3rd prize is a £5 voucher. Each year group has a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize.

The winners are…

Well done to all the students that got 95% attendance or more. The phrase ‘you have to be in it to win it’ has never been more true!

So don’t forget that we are now running the next half term Attendance League.

Posters explaining the Attendance League are up in your tutor rooms. If you have any questions, please ask your tutor or Mr Ruck.

Congrats! Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11

1st Prize Lewis

Lightfoot No

Publicity Ryan

Harrison Harry

Fulcher Paddy

Wallace

2nd Prize James Martin

Ella Mulholland

Ryan Fuller Christine

Jacobs No

Publicity

3rd Prize Dylan

Harper Jonathan

Hickey Lewis Hayter

-Perfett Sonny

Marlow Luka

Nwabude

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11

Hassenbrook’s BBC Radio 1 Teen Hero

In the month of October, Tofi Sobodu, Year 8, was in the running to win the BBC Radio 1’s Teen Heroes Award.

The Radio 1’s Teen Awards is the number one teen event that BBC host. It honours the UK’s unsung teenage heroes.

Tofi was nominated for this award through his writing. He is a poet and a wordsmith, who has been inspiring people of all ages since the age of seven. He uses his creative talent to make a difference within his community.

He has a strong passion to see change in society and with this, Tofi contributes to projects surrounding raising awareness of mental health among his peers. He was also part of the Young Minds project, which uses the music genre ‘grime’ to encourage people to express their feelings about their mental health and to break through the stigmas and taboos by getting people to share their thoughts.

Tofi was nominated for this award for a series of poems he wrote all about mental health. As Tofi got through to the semi-final stage, he was invited to Kensington Palace in London for a reception hosted by Prince William, Prince Harry and singer Rita Ora, as well as radio presenters Clara Amfo, Nick Grimshaw and Greg James.

“It’s just really crazy. You’d never think that you’d be here,” he said after meeting the royals. “When you seen them on TV, you’re like, ‘They’re going to be really posh when you meet them,’ but they’re actually really friendly.” said Tofi about his experience at Kensington Palace and we couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

This is such a high achievement, to be nominated for such an award and we are so unbelievably proud of Tofi!

If you would like to read a poem from the series that got him his nomination, then you can on the next page.

Again congratulations Tofi and well done!

Tofi Sobodu’s Teen Heroes Poem

This is Tofi’s favourite poem out of the series of poems he wrote that got him nominated for his Teen Heroes Award. The poem is called ‘Sometimes’ Sometimes I just can’t breathe Sometimes the weight is just too heavy to heave Sometimes I’m already full and I don’t get to eat Sometimes there’s just too much web for me to weave Sometimes the valley or the shadow of death is scary Sometimes the thought of my condition scares me Why is life like this? Why did I write this? Because I’m not perfect Is my whole life worthless Because I’m different? I can’t sit still and listen Is that how it works? Life can be such a jerk Sometimes I don’t feel bothered enough to try Sometimes the haters get too much and hang you up to dry Sometimes nobody ever asks you if you feel alright Sometimes I wish life was worth being alive If you are struggling with your mental health then please talk to someone, your tutor, your teacher, a friend, someone in the pastoral team. There will always be someone to help. There are also some great websites out there to seek help from.

www.mind.org.uk www.youngminds.org.uk www.headstogether.org.uk Thank you so much Tofi for sharing this personal poem with us. We are all so proud of you and you should be proud of yourself!

Bailey White’s Donation for Little Princess Trust

Bailey White in Year 9 is an amazingly kind and generous student. For a year, Bailey had been contemplating the idea of growing her hair to then donate to the Little Princess Trust. The Little Princess Trust is a charity that provides real hair wigs for children that suffer from hair loss. After a lot of thought and a lot of growing, Bailey thought it was time and knew

that she wanted to donate her hair. Over the year, her hair grew and grew, and when she got her hair cut, she cut off 7 inches! Bailey says that she likes her new short hair and that she feels so good knowing that she is going to be helping someone that really needs it. This is such a selfless act and Bailey should be so proud

of herself, we are! Before

After

Hassenbrook Academy Goes to the District Sports Cross Country

On Wednesday 15th November Hassenbrook took part in the District Schools Cross Country which was held at Blackshots in Grays. All the students’ behaviour and performances were amazing. We are still awaiting final places for the team event. Although, we did have some very good individual performances and they are to run in the regional cross country on Saturday 20th January 2018. Maseon King (Year 7) came 2nd in his age group and was awarded his silver medal. Holly Dover (Year 10) came 8th in her group. Overall Hassenbrook came 7th out of 11

schools. We are so proud of all the students that took part and are so happy that you represented the Academy. Well done to all!

Dawson Langan Plays for Thurrock District Team

We are so proud of Dawson Langan, Year 7, for being selected to play for the Schools Thurrock District Football team. This is a massive achievement and a great opportunity. We are so happy for you Dawson and we know that the Schools Thurrock District Football Team is lucky to have you! Well done Dawson!

Readathon Sponsorships

Last month Hassenbrook held a sponsored Readathon for the Read For Good charity to help raise money for children hospitals. A massive thank you to everyone that took part for this amazing worthwhile cause. If you still haven’t collected your sponsorship money please note that all money needs to be handed in to Mr Branchsmith by Thursday 30th November so we can get it all sent off and our total calculated. Thank you for your support.

Bethany Smith’s Baton Twirling Success

Over the half term, Bethany Smith (Year 9) competed in the NBTA, National Baton Twirling Association competition.

Bethany competed in a range of disciplines and achieved two 1st place awards, three 2nd place awards, three 3rd place awards, two 4th place awards and one 5th place award.

This is such an achievement and we are so proud!

Bethany has earned herself a place on the dance team that are going to the National competition in April 2018 which is taking place in Norway!

Well done Bethany!

The Elephant Project in Sri Lanka

If you remember, back in the Summer a group of our students when one a once in a lifetime trip to Sri Lanka on a volunteering project. One of the task that they had while they were out there was to visit an Elephant Sanctuary and help out. Olivia Powell, Year 11, who went on the trip wrote about her experience at the sanctuary and she wanted us to share it with you.

‘The elephants were the project that I was most excited for. This is due to the fact that we were going to be working in close proximity with these incredible animals. When we arrived at the project there were areas where the elephants were kept, they had to have one leg chained due to Sri Lanka laws. Each elephant has its own mahout which is an elephant keeper, trainer or rider. They are bonded with the elephant from a young age. There is a specific language only spoken between the mahout and the elephant, this is only known to the mahouts.

The mahouts have a tool called a billhook which is a hook made from steel or silver attached to a wooden handle, it is the main tool used to control and train elephants.

The billhook is used when the elephant does something it’s not supposed to. When this happens the mahout will use it to poke the elephant in three areas including behind their ears, around their eyes and on their trunk. This happens to prevent the elephant from hurting people or charging.

Where the elephant is kept needs to be cleaned daily. We used a brush to sweep away the leftover food, and a shovel to get rid of the waste. Then buckets of water were splashed over the area, we had to scrub the floor using a brush. We did this multiple times to make sure it was properly clean because

the elephant will not return to the area if it smelt or was not clean.

After this was completed, it was time to walk the elephant down to the lake through the village. When we got to the lake there was already another elephant in the water. The mahout then got the elephant into the water and he started to cut up a coconut, which we used to clean her. We got to scrub the elephant while the mahout cleaned her face and ears.

After we cleaned the elephant we got out of the lake and then we fed them watermelon slices, which we had picked up on the way. This process was amazing, as we have to connect with the elephant at a personal level. As we fed her, she looked right at us, which made it very personal.

This experience was amazing and one that I will never forget and I am glad that I had this opportunity.’

Thank you Olivia for sharing your experience with us.

Hassenbrook Academy Sporting News

On Tuesday 7th November our Year 7 boys Football team played against St Clere’s. They also played really well, showing great commitment and skills but unfortunately they lost 4-1.

On Thursday 9th November our Year 7 Netball team played against Hathaway Academy. They had a fantastic game supporting each other on the courts. And their hard work paid off as the girls won 9-2.

Well done to you all!

Anti-Bullying Week

The week commencing Monday 13th November was National Anti-Bullying Week. Here at Hassenbrook, we take bullying very seriously and support anti-bullying 100%. Throughout the week, we celebrated it here at the Academy with Anti Bullying themed assemblies for all years delivered by Mr Ruck. We are also running an anti-bullying poster competition for all years. We want our students to get involved and help raise awareness about anti-bullying and its importance.

It would be great to have some of these posters displayed around the school so if you would like to get involved then please speak to your tutor. To add to our new posters designed by our students, we have various anti-bullying displays. This is just one of our displays, expressing the importance of anti-bullying and how it can effect everyone at any time. We also have some quotes from our students here, giving them a chance to express how they feel about bullying. We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying, and we know you do too. If you have a problem, report it online anonymously and email bullystop@hassenbrook.org.uk. If you have any questions about the competition or about our anti-bullying policies here then please take a look at our website or contact us for more details.

WisePay Accounts

If you are a student who has a school lunch that is bought from the canteen, it is vital that your WisePay account is topped up. There are a lot of accounts that are overdrawn and these need to be urgently topped up. Please check your WisePay account regularly. If you have any questions or queries about this then please contact us and we can help with any situation. Thank you as always for your continued support.

Vivo Rewards

Vivos are Hassenbrook’s way of rewarding students in school. All students have an account and are encouraged to check their progress regularly. The points awarded can be exchanged for a variety of fun gadgets, stationery, vouchers and more! Form Tutors advise tutees of who has the most Vivos in their

year group weekly with certificates for King and Queen! Below are the reigning champions for the whole school year so far.

WELL DONE!

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 PLC

Queen Sofija

Satkovskaja Grace

Catterick Bailey White

Ramona-Nicoleta Ion

Stefany Osagie

KING Ronnie

Ager

King Harry

Dowler Harry

Gardner Ryan

Harrison Tife

Falayi Bailey Nutall

KING Andrew

Thompson

Year 8 Careers Masterclass

On Friday 17th November, Hassenbrook held a Year 8 Careers Masterclass. We were visited by Deb Farrell from Career Ready and also warmly welcomed our guest Career Ambassador today, Miss Sarah Curtis from QA Apprenticeships.

The students listened tentatively about careers that are available within the I.T. sector and in particular, about apprenticeships and how they can play a vital role in securing permanent positions within an organisation. The students were then asked to complete an activity, whereby they had to look at a selection of reasons as to what they felt was important to them, when applying for jobs in the future i.e. wages, working from home, working Conditions, location, progression, plus many more aspects of work.

Our students were engaged, mature and thoroughly enjoyed the session. We thank our guests for giving up their time to come in and work with our students, sharing their knowledge and expertise, which was greatly appreciated.

As part of the Safeguarding Guidelines at the Academy, parents should be

reminded that they should endeavour to drop pupils off in a safe and

considerate manner. Hassenbrook Road becomes too congested and young

people are having to negotiate many parked vehicles. If you need to come

into the site, this should be via the main gate as visitors can be seen on

camera. We have large buses that drop pupils off in the designated area, they often have

difficulty negotiating both residents' and visitors' vehicles. Although this seems a small

matter to some, the safety of our pupils is a very important element of our responsibility

of pupil safety. Parking on the zigzag lines around schools means that children cannot see

over your car when trying to cross the road. If you park in a dangerous place, you may be

issued with a penalty charge notice. We thank you for your support with this matter.

Do you, or someone you know have a talent or

achievement that deserves recognition? Please get

in contact with us at:

academyinaction@hassenbrook.org.uk

Remember to check our Website, Facebook and

Twitter accounts for updates, school letters,

notices, reminders and much more!

Extra Curricular Clubs - Autumn Term 2017

As always, we have a number of different clubs that run throughout the week. Here is the up to date Extra Curricular Clubs timetable for the Autumn Term so far. This may change, but when it does, we will let you know the changes. Remember to keep checking our website and social media accounts for more information and updates.