With best wishes from all the staff, governors and pupils ... · of Halloween mazes and rides. The...

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1 Autumn Term 2018 www.testvalley.hants.sch.uk Follow us on Facebook and Twier Facebook: hp://www.facebook.com/testvalleysch Twier: @testvalleysch With best wishes from all the staff, governors and pupils of Test Valley School

Transcript of With best wishes from all the staff, governors and pupils ... · of Halloween mazes and rides. The...

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Autumn Term

2018

www.testvalley.hants.sch.uk

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/testvalleysch

Twitter: @testvalleysch

With best wishes from all the staff,

governors and pupils of Test Valley School

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Headteacher’s Message

Thorpe Park Fright Night

On Sunday 21st October, two coaches of brave souls headed to Thorpe Park for a day of fun filled thrill rides, followed by an evening of spooky entertainment.

Every year Thorpe Park opens its gates for extended opening times to allow the spooky goings on to take place in the dark, with a range of Halloween mazes and rides.

The extracurricular trip for pupils in Years 10 and 11, allowed pupils to take full advantage of all Thorpe Park has to offer and to get into the spirt of Halloween.

Both staff and pupils had a memorable and fantastic time being scared by zombies and clowns and are looking forward to next year’s proceedings.

Dear Parent

I do hope you enjoy this edition of our termly newsletter. As always it celebrates the many

events, activities and opportunities our pupils and staff have taken part in since September.

This term has been a very long term. We have enjoyed welcoming our new Year 7 and welcom-

ing back last year’s Year 11 pupils to our Annual Presentation Evening. We were also delighted

to welcome Mike Bushell (BBC Sport) as our Guest of Honour to this event.

In this final week of term our annual Celebration of Christmas Concert was held in St Peter’s

Church in Stockbridge. This was a wonderful evening with a variety of seasonal music, carols

and readings.

Finally, I take this opportunity to send my best wishes and thank you

for your ongoing support. I look forward to next term.

Miss L Hiscock

Headteacher

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Oliver Harper-Adams 11N has become the 2018 Hampshire Junior Champion in the CPSA Accredited and international FITASC Compak Sporting shooting discipline.

This was achieved with his Beretta Outlander 12 bore semi-auto shotgun on Sunday 30th September at Southdown, West Sussex.

Ben Burgess 10N took part in the British Shooting Schools event on 11th October.

Ben had a great day and finished a respectable 14th in his section. It was a good experience and there were lots of schools involved.

The Year 11 Charity Committee launched the

Rotary Shoebox Appeal again this year. Rotary

is a worldwide voluntary organisation by

people who are dedicated to “service above

self” helping others over the globe, showing

that there is good in the world. Pupils and

staff were asked to fill shoe boxes with a

range of small gift items to be given out to the

children around the world. This year Test

Valley School donated 78 shoeboxes.

Charity Committee Helping Others

Test Valley School Sporting Achievements

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Saturday 3rd November saw our new Year 10 DofE teams (8 teams) take part in their first outing of the season, a local area day walk around the South of Winterslow and Broughton Down.

The purpose of the day walk was to test out map reading skills, see what the team stamina was like and start the process of team bonding.

The DofE offers a wide range of opportunities for those who take part and one of the key things is developing independence and making some special memories in the process.

The team I walked with seemed to have a great time together and I could see the buds of those special memories starting to grow.

I am sure all those who took part cannot wait for our next outing.

Duke of Edinburgh Day Walk—Mr S Langdown

Pictured are Keshni Bhoodhoo, Louise Roskilly, Elizabeth Amos, Florence Chilcott, Lauren Pike and Iris Pigott-White

MFL Revision Club

We had the final revision session of this term and 2018 on Thursday 13th December. The French group had lots of fun playing Pictionary during which the Y10 team really gave the Y11 team a run for their money!

The German group had a challenge to write 10 German and English words from different topics on balloons and then build a tower! Anna, Rebecca, Andreea and Edward got off to a slow start as they struggled to actually blow up the balloons! But then they found their stride and managed to sneak in with the tallest tower. Lots of fun, vocab, biscuits and chocolate!

Revision starts again on Thursday 10th January.

Pupils in photos: Emily Cook, Tilly Cartwright, Tia Gilligan, Grace Cowley, Rebecca Ledwidge, Edward Dance, Anna Hotchkiss, Andreea Hagiu, Jakob Parkes, Aaron Stinson and Jamie Meaton.

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Come along to

in the LIBRARY

Tuesday & Thursday 3:30— 4:30pm

We were able to raise a total of

£566.73 for BBC Children in Need

this year.

Well done everyone!

Year 8 have had another busy term with 'no time wasted' learning in class being the focus for the year.

The year group have participated in two very different PSHE days, the first in October being an Enterprise Education Day looking at the world of designing, producing and marketing through the task of creating a new trainer for the sports and leisure market. The second in November was an introduction to local politics and emphasised the importance of full participation in the democratic process. For this we were facilitated by a team from Test Valley Borough Council including the Deputy Leader and Leader of the opposition groups who shared their own perspectives, alongside subject experts who helped the pupils create 'Manifestos' dealing with local and national issues such as town planning, transportation links and environmental policy. The pupils had the opportunity to vote using genuine polling station booths and found the experience both challenging and empowering.

Our daily focus, however, remains firmly on the journey of academic success and the pursuit of personal excellence which was highlighted by our Parents' Consultation Evening in mid -December when staff were able to feedback to parents some of the real success stories of the term. As Year Co-ordinator I remain very proud of the overwhelmingly positive outcomes for the group in terms of both progress and the crucial positive attitudes and excellent behaviour displayed by so many and look forward to the continuation of this dedication and vision in the coming year.

Year 8 Update—Mr I Murdoch-Smith

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On Friday 28th September pupils and staff from Test Valley School baked cakes to support the Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning and raise money for cancer care. The event was particularly poignant as it was organised in memory of Mrs Lynda Berry, a member of the English Department who passed away in the summer.

Pupils from the Year 10 GCSE Food class made a selection of small cakes as part of the contribution and the Year 11 Charity Committee set up the display of cakes and then hosted the event. This took place during the open morning for parents. They then continued to sell the cakes through break time to pupils and staff.

A fantastic £242.79 was raised and has been received by Macmillan Cancer Care.

A huge thank you to all involved and to those who supported the sale.

MacMillan ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning 2018’

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PSHE at Test Valley School focuses on the well-being of our pupils now and in the future. It addresses pupils’ own experience and prepares them for when they leave school. As part of a whole school approach it develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. As part of the programme, every effort is made to encourage pupils to develop their personal skills. In addition, The Department of Education have recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.” There is a wide scope of necessary topics explored.

For more information and the Year group specific Curriculum Programmes please visit our website: https://www.testvalley.hants.sch.uk/curriculum/pshe/

Here are just a few of the highlights of the most recent PSHE Day

PSHE Day (Personal, Social and Health Education)

CoolLED Prize Winner

During their last PSHE day, Year 11 visited a careers fair where one of the exhibitors was CoolLED. CoolLED designs and manufactures cutting edge LED illumination systems for researchers and clinicians using the latest LED technology.

As part of the careers fair, CoolLED ran a competition using images, which had been magnified. We are delighted that Dominic Hart scored a huge 80% on the competition and is pictured here with Tim Sulman, who visited the school to present Dominic with his prize of a £25 Waterstones voucher.

Other topics explored on the day were:

Year 7 pupils reflected on sense of self, body image, racism and unwritten rules.

Year 8 pupils had a Democracy Day where they learned about the voting system.

Year 10 pupils discussed relationships, which included deep dives into gender stereotypes, online relationships and inappropriate relationships.

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Test Valley School Internet Payment System

We would like to encourage parents to use the Test Valley School Internet Payment system which allows you to make payments for trips using the Internet.

There is no charge now for online payments.

If you would like to register for online payments, please contact the school office.

Please note that online payment for trips will only be accessible once it is confirmed that we have reached the minimum number of pupils required for trips to go ahead.

Year 11 pupils took part in Millinery Magic - our annual fashion show, designed as an enterprise activity. Pupils worked in teams as the managers of a business company. The purpose of the activity is for pupils to gain an understanding and appreciation of how businesses have to work within a competitive and collaborative market. As the title suggests the chosen business revolves around the fashion industry and transforming existing hats and recycled materials into more creative, attractive and fashionable headgear.

As well as designing their hats, teams had to write a business plan and a finance plan and meet with a business manager to talk through their proposal. The day culminated with a fashion parade to promote their own company’s products.

Millinery Magic

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Year 9 presented Change for a Tenner, a fantastic concept. Small groups set themselves up as company with a role for each member, from managing director through to accountant and, of course, workers. Each group is given £10 to invest in stock to support their concept, an allotted time slot and space at their fair. They then set out to make more money for charity.

Prior to the day, groups plan and discuss outline concepts. During the day board meetings are held to plan their strategies and ensure their business plan and costings are all recorded. Some ideas work and some do not.

The range of ideas and creativity was outstanding, from pupils who had clearly spent a lot of time constructing or baking at home, to groups who put some serious thought into presentation and the obvious attraction they could draw in.

Tutor-group 9G won the day, thanks in part to a particularly enterprising group who took prior orders to cook and sell pizzas on the day. This group made £28.95p. Mr Langdown would like to congratulate the whole of Year 9 who rose to the occasion and worked very hard throughout the whole event.

Change for a Tenner

We now have some items of second hand school

uniform available in exchange for a donation to

school funds.

If you are interested please contact the

school office by email on

[email protected]

with what uniform items you require for your child

(including size) and we will check if there is

anything suitable we can offer.

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What a busy Autumn Term Year 10 have had. With the study towards their GCSEs well and truly underway the pupils are definitely ready for a rest. The pupils have been getting to grips with the content of their chosen GCSE subjects, many pupils are working very hard in order to try and achieve their targets.

Some pupils have been busy both inside and outside the classroom. I would like to congratulate the Year 10 Mentors, both those involved in guiding and supporting the Year 7 pupils as they embark on their journey in Test Valley and those who help support other pupils with their mathematical studies. The mentors have been very successful in their role. The Young Leaders have also been very busy this term, taking part in a variety of events. I am very pleased to have received positive feedback from a number of primary schools emphasising how well the Young Leaders are fulfilling their role. A special mention to Kyron Cox, James Ashley and Alex Davies who have started their training to become Services Pupil Ambassadors.

Year 10 have had the opportunity to take part in two successful PSHE days. The pupils were given the opportunity to ‘Plan a Prom’, there were budding designers seen throughout the day and also during the presentations where they shared their ideas. During the second PSHE day Year 10 explored the theme of ‘Healthy Relationship’.

This term I introduced a number of Head of Year Awards. Congratulations to 10S who won the first Head of Year breakfast for best attendance. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed having breakfast purchased for them and having it all together as a tutor group. Good Luck to the other 3 tutor groups as the next winning group will be announced in January.

As you can see we really have hit the ground running this term. I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year. Have a very peaceful and relaxing festive period.

Year 10 Update—Mrs A Ewart

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If you have read one of my articles before you will know that I am passionate about the growing trend to make mental and emotional health something that is easy to talk about. We all have mental health just as we have physical health and our health both physical and mental fluctuates and is affected by a whole range of things both external to us and internal. Building our own and our young people’s mental resilience and well-being is both each individual’s responsibility and the responsibility of us as educators.

Having recently read the government’s green paper I, once again, feel very proud of the good practice that already exists within Test Valley School and I am hopeful that the additional proposals that the green paper makes will “build on the range of excellent work that already takes place in schools and colleges.” At Test Valley School we know that “supporting good mental health goes hand-in-hand with equipping young people with the qualifications, knowledge and resilience they need to live a fulfilling adult life.” With over half of all mental health conditions beginning before the age of 14, providing support for good mental health at school is essential.

We know that at school we cannot change all the factors that can negatively affect mental health such as parental conflict, loss, trauma, poverty, physical health conditions and other situations beyond our control but we can provide support for young people that can help to build mental resilience and wellbeing. Test Valley School is a caring environment and all staff and especially tutors, keep an eye on their pupils and are encouraged to pass any concerns on to the Head of Year as well as being available to listen if possible and requested. In addition to this core system,

Jacqui Whitehead is a trained mental health first aider and she is in every day except Wednesday. Jacqui offers drop in sessions in the Library before tutor time and at break time, pupils who have concerns can come and speak to her. Often her intervention is sufficient to assist the pupil and she is also able to make onward referrals both to myself as the school counsellor and to other agencies such as CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). An onward referral to another agency would always be done with parental involvement. These onward referrals may be done through the GP too.

The three core proposals of the green paper are:-

1. To incentivise and support all schools and colleges to identify and train a Designated Senior Lead for mental health.

2. To fund new Mental Health Support Teams, which will be supervised by NHS children and young people’s mental health staff.

3. To pilot a four week waiting time for access to specialist NHS children and young people’s mental health services.

I think there is always a danger when governments set targets that people down the chain are forced to focus on the targets and lose sight of real people and their issues. Having said that, I believe the direction and theme of the green paper is very exciting and it would be good to have a team that we could link in with. The waiting time in school for one to one support is longer than we would want it to be, with pupils waiting up to a term to see one of us and having additional resource would be very helpful. The paper itself says; “It is essential that the new Mental Health Support

Test Valley School is proud of our pastoral care and for over 15 years we have had a counsellor in school, many of the pupils benefit from a little support from our pastoral team. Mental/emotional health is no different from physical health, most people will have times in their life when they need some extra support. For some, this support will come from within the family but often young people find it extremely beneficial to talk to someone who is not involved with their day to day life. As an ongoing feature in our newsletters our counsellor Davina Nicholson (MBACP Accred.) is going to muse on some areas of this support.

The Counsellor Contemplates

Department for Education Green Paper on ‘Transforming Children & Young People’s Mental Health’

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Teams, and the funding that goes with them, are developed carefully so as to work alongside existing good practice and services, rather than disrupting or replacing them. Good practice exists … It is essential that the teams build on and increase the support already in place, for example high quality counselling services in schools and colleges, instead of replacing it.”

It is important that you all know there is already mental and emotional health support available in Test Valley School and there is also a lot you can do for yourself or if you are a parent for your child/ward. A starting point might be to check whether you or your child/ward are getting your 5 a day or the ABC of mental health.

Time to be, time to relax without too much stimulation or doing activity. Lying on bed listening to music, chilling in the park, practising yoga or mindfulness = down time; a break from your busy life and a break from social media. Notice beauty in nature.

Connect; face to face time with family, friends or team mates,; eating a meal together or other joint activity.

Develop a hobby; doing something you enjoy and that makes you feel good, could be anything from stamp collecting to mountain biking or learning a language.

Express yourself. Ask for help if you need it. Show kindness to others – helping others increases self-esteem (a vital ingredient in resilient mental/emotional health). Share your feelings with someone you feel safe. Paint a picture. Write a story. Be yourself.

Active, physical activity is essential for good mental/emotional health and preferably out of doors (weather permitting). A

B

C D

E

The Counsellor Contemplates cont.

Act of Remembrance - 100 Years since the Armistice which ended the Great War

‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.’

Remembering in the Library

During Remembrance Week, pupils were able to visit the library and make a poppy for the library display and take part in puzzles, including codebreaking. There were also a number of new displays, featuring fiction and non-fiction books about the First World War.

Continued on next page...

Remembrance Week at Test Valley School

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Remembering Together in School

Miss Hiscock (Headteacher) led assemblies at the beginning of the week to start us thinking about this important time. During registration times tutors were able to follow this up further with presentations prepared for them by the Humanities team. On Friday 9th November we gathered in the Main Hall for the Remembrance Assembly led by Mr Murdoch-Smith. This also included readings by pupils and we all marked two minutes of silence on the sound of a bugle.

Remembering with the Local Community

The Head Prefects and Deputy Head Prefects attended the Remembrance Service at St. Peter’s Church in Stockbridge with Miss Hiscock (Headteacher) on Sunday November 11th. The pupils were invited to read the poem The Crosses by Bill Minton during the service and to lay a special poppy wreath at the memorial. A large number of our pupils also participated in services and parades across the local area with their own families and as members of other local organisations.

Remembering through Art

Pupil representatives from all Key Stage 3 year groups worked with the Art department and Year 10 pupils to create a Remembrance Mosaic. This will be displayed in school once fully completed to mark this centenary anniversary of the First World War ending.

Remembrance Week at Test Valley School cont.

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Year 11 Update—Mrs N Osborne

The Autumn Term is always a busy one with pupils preparing for and sitting their mock GCSE exams and applying for college or apprenticeship places. The prefect committees have also been busy arranging the Prom, the Yearbook, and organising charity events. During this term pupils have collected shoeboxes for the Rotary Club, organised collections for Children in Need, planned a Christmas gig and arranged Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children.

The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Congratulations to all the Year 11 pupils below for completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Abbey Barton Elliot Bullis Molly Chandler Sophie Clark Joseph Cliffe Josie Brightman Emily Cook Grace Cowley George Dahne Rosanna Davies-Pountney Edward Duffield Harry Eyles Dominic Hart Alix Hart Holly Harvie Isabel Henrys Matthew Hesp Anna Hotchkiss Fred Hunt Sam Hunt Rose Kane-Smith Benjamin Leslie Jorja Lovejoy Elyssa Newell Mabel Pigott-White Megan Porter Alice Raynes Sydney Reidy Connor Shaw Isabelle Sinclair Sam Thompson Megan Ward Since the start of the year pupils have been gathering achievement points in lessons for good work, attitude and home learning tasks. The points have all been added up and the top five pupils from each tutor group will take part in this terms Golden Hour. This terms Golden Hour winners are: -

11A: - Sam Hunt, Sydney Reidy, Isabel Henrys, Abbey Barton and Megan French.

11D: - Josie Brightman, Megan Barclay, Mia Cuitto and Natasha Hewson

11N: - Chloe Lockyer, Henry King, Oliver Crowden, Sophie Clark and Tilly Cartwright

11S: - Sophie Bushell, Dominic Hart, Nadia Stevens, Maddy Beal, Jamie Meaton and Jorja Lovejoy

Careers Fair On Thursday 11th October Year 11 pupils attended the Area Careers Fair held at John Hanson School. This was an important event showcasing some local business, apprenticeship schemes and colleges. During the remainder of the day in school pupils attended three workshops. One workshop was devoted to career exploration using IT, including a careers profiling programme. Pupils were also given advice on and time to produce a Personal Statement for their college/workplace applications. During the afternoon pupils completed a careers portfolio in order to support and organise their careers plans. Looking Ahead Looking ahead to the Spring Term, Year 11 Parents Consultation evening is on Thursday 10th January (booking will open on Monday 7th January) and pupils have a PSHE day on the 29th January, which will focus on revision methods and planning a revision timetable. Year 11 pupils will also have a second mock exam for English, Maths and Science starting on the 26th February.

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On Thursday the 13th of December, we held our annual Test Valley School Christmas Gig to raise money for charity and celebrate the last year of school.

The quality of student performances were amazing this year, with appearances from Lily Thomas-Tulloch, Santa's Little Helpers dance trio, and the Year 11 band 'Four Amigos' consisting of Kai Hughes, Lian Newell , Jude Allenby and Mathew Fealy.

Much fun was had by all who attended and all money received from door entry will be donated to charity.

This year we raised an impressive £91.48.

Christmas Gig 2018

Jude Allenby on the drums

Ella Milligan, Dotti Morgan and Connor Shaw

singing Santa Baby

Mathew Fealy, Kai Hughes and Liam Newell

Ella Milligan, Dotti Morgan and Connor Shaw

singing Santa Baby

Mathew Fealy, Kai Hughes and Liam Newell

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It really is the most wonderful time of the year. We celebrated Christmas Test Valley School style with our annual Christmas Concert at St Peter’s Church. Another special occasion with our talented pupils, staff and a parent.

This year saw the addition of our Year 11 band who added some pizazz to the evening.

Pupils have worked extremely hard in the run up to the evening and had a busy day of rehearsals down at the church before the evening celebration.

A huge thank you to Mrs Leyman for putting on another wonderful evening. Merry Christmas!

A Celebration of Christmas

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The Year 7 pupils have had a fantastic start to their Test Valley Journey. They arrived on their first day looking smart and ready to take on this next step in their education. It was lovely to see them all get to know each other over the first couple of weeks and it is now hard to spot the pupils who came completely on their own from their primary school as they have all integrated so well.

There are obviously always teething troubles with such a lot of pupils getting used to each other but on the whole we have managed any problems successfully and I have been really impressed at the high level of quality parenting which has helped us to sort out friendship problems, conflicts and behaviour concerns. Of course, new issues will present themselves and I would urge parents to get to know their child’s tutor so that it makes it easier for these things to be dealt with quickly.

We had a great parents’ information evening which was well attended and the feedback about it was extremely positive. In particular, parents were pleased with the information on friendship issues/ bullying and internet safety. I would ask all parents to monitor their child’s phone and internet usage as a matter of urgency as friendship problems often spill over into these areas.

We have just had our celebration assembly and it was a pleasure to give out prizes and certificates to pupils who have done well throughout the term. 7N won the prize for most Achievement Points and 7A won the prize for having the least Behaviour Points! Angus Bone should also be commended for having the highest Achievement Points in the year. I have noted down the numbers for all of these awards so far and all tutor groups now have an equal opportunity to win this prize at Easter.

A high number of pupils have 100% for their attendance and they will all receive a certificate to congratulate them on this. I was very impressed at the number of pupils who managed to achieve this milestone and I hope that they strive to maintain this where possible.

The following pupils were nominated by their tutor for being the Star of the Term:

7A – Harry Blundell 7D – Ben Harrison 7N - Oliver Armer 7S – Hayleigh Docherty

I also gave out Act of Kindness Awards. Throughout the term I have kept an eye out for pupils who have done something kind for another pupil or for the school. The pupils who received this award were:

7N – Bella Turpin 7S – Ruby Robinson 7N – Lily Ross 7A – Daisy Mansfield

7S – Elliott Hamilton-Smith

I will look out for more acts of kindness in the Spring Term as I value this characteristic so highly within my year group.

Finally, I would like to use this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and restful Christmas holiday.

Everyone has worked really hard this term and we all thoroughly deserve a good break. I look forward to

seeing them all back in January and meeting you again at the Parents’ Consultation Evening next term.

Year 7 Update - Mrs C Stubbs

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On 30th November 11 Year 9 pupils went on a trip to Lloyds Bank in Charlton. There were pupils from other local schools and colleges too, each with pupils from different year groups. During the visit we did three activities: Paper Towers, Space Race and Ice Scape. In Paper Towers we had to create the tallest tower we could using just the paper we had on the table. We were in mixed groups with pupils from the other schools so we got to meet new people.

In Space Race we had to imagine that we were in a space race and the rocket stopped 200 miles from the finish line. We had to choose from 15 things and decide which were most important - we did this on our own at first and share it with the group that we were in and then we had to come up with an overall decision about which would be most important or not so important.

After these activities five of us went off to do a Dragons Show which we had been working on for the past few days. We then went back to our last activity which for me was the Ice Scape. We had to make a home for a little elf that had been trapped in high speed wind and needed a shelter that would not move. We divided into groups again and numbered ourselves; number 1 had to sit back and do nothing, number 2 had to be blindfolded and number three had to go and get any extra equipment that we needed but they had to do a forfeit first. The twist was that the blindfolded person had to make the shelter and everyone else apart from Number 1 had to tell them what to do. After everyone had made theirs, they brought a fan over to our tables to act like the wind and see if our shelters could take the force of the fan.

After that everyone gathered together again and those who took part in the Dragons Den performances were given a certificate each, one in a frame for the school and a £20 Sainsbury’s gift card. After that it was time to get our gift bags and get on the mini bus back to school.

Lloyds Banking Group Event—Written by Kez Stanford 9A

Archie Goddard, Liam Jeans, Kez Stanford, Harry Lunn and Jude Whitlock

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Geography is going great! by Mrs A Ewart

I am very pleased to report that Geography has got off to a fantastic start this term at Test Valley.

In Geography Year 9 have been learning about Tectonic Activity. Everyone has been working so hard and shown a real interest in this area of study. We will be continuing this after Christmas, were we will study some areas that have been affected by nature disasters. Similarly, to Year 7 the pupils had an extended piece of home learning to complete this term. The pupils were required to make a model of a Volcano ensuring they identified the main features. Below are some of the Volcano creations that have been submitted, as you can see the results of this home learning are wonderful.

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Geography is going great continued… by Mrs A Ewart

In Year 7 we have been learning about the Tropical Rainforests. The pupils were very excited to find out about the different species of animals and the different types of vegetation that can be found in the rainforests. The pupils were required to complete an extended piece of home learning; they had to create a model of the Tropical Rainforest. The final pieces are absolutely fantastic, I have included some pictures for you all to see.

A massive well done to all the pupils for all their hard work this term. Have a lovely Christmas and a good rest, ready for the Spring term.

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Primary Schools’ Cross Country 2018

The Cross Country is the first Sports Leaders event in the calendar for the local primary schools. The

weather was perfect and the scene was set for a challenging competition. The Sports Leaders were all in

place helping to marshal and control the event.

Team talks were given and schools watched as the competitors warmed up with the Sports Leaders.

Last year’s winners Wallop were keen to repeat their performance as they

encouraged their participants all the way around. Year 8 Young Leaders and Year

10 Sports Leaders joined in with the races and led the runners around the course

so there was no confusion about the route. The team trophy was to be theirs

again this year. Well done Wallop and all the medal winners.

Medals were presented to the 1st and 2nd place competition runners by the Year 8 Sports Leaders.

Getting Ready

Overall Team Placing 2018 School

1st Wallop

2nd Stockbridge

3rd Wherwell

Team Trophy

Cross Country Medal Winners

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Wallop School continued their winning streak with the Indoor Sports Hall Athletics held on Monday 15th

October. They worked hard on the activity stations and managed to reach Gold medal status and will now

attend the second round in March.

Coaches from

Personal Best

Education

explained the

activities and set

up seven field

events that

included the

target throw, long

jump, and javelin throw stations.

Indoor Sports Hall Athletics 2018

The Sports Leaders watched and

recorded the results for each school

encouraging all the competitors to do

the best that they could on each of the

athletic disciplines. The Sports Leaders

presented the gold and silver medal

winners to the competitors and

congratulated them for doing so well.

Well done to all the Leaders on a very

successful and enjoyable event.

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100% attendance – Having started the term talking about the impact of poor attendance on progress (and ultimately results) along with the importance of work ethic to employers it was very impressive to be able to hand out 100% attendance certificates to a large number of Year 9 pupils.

Congratulations to:

Attitude and Attainment - Certificates were also awarded for top attitude to learning and achievement across all subjects for this term. Congratulations to:

Tutor quiz results – Our weekly tutor time quiz pitches team against each other and their average results against other tutor groups in Year 9 to win the termly prize.

3rd place - 9 Dickens

2nd place - 9 Austen

1st place – 9 Sopwith

Year 9 Update—Mr S Langdown

Best overall attitude Best overall attainment

Summer Simmonds Summer Simmonds

Olivia Rolfe Jonty Sinclair

Jasmine Saunders Harry Lunn

Erin Pinchbeck Olivia Rolfe

Sophia Clift Kacey Cavill

Kacey Cavill Abi Langdown

Emma Carter Zachary Morgan

Beau Hamilton-Smith Emma Carter

George Chinn Beau Hamilton-Smith

Finley Simmonds Jacob Holmes

Amelie Warfvinge Jasmine Saunders

Lauren Williams Oskar Harvey-Nash

Abi Langdown Amber Court

Morgan Evans James Boucher

Izzy James Emily Cole

Madeleine Mortimer Imogen Hammer

Suzie Draper

James Boucher Rosie Gleeson Dylan Lukaszewski Freyja Pike Rosie Weatherall

George Chinn Joshua Herron Ben Lunn Erin Pinchbeck Harry Wedgbury

Amber Court Liam Jeans Harry Lunn Owen Potter Katie Woods

Ella Edkins William Leslie Thomas Oak Summer Simmonds Megan Woods

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Achievement Points – Similarly combined average totals of achievement points in each tutor group pitch one tutor against another in the monthly totalling to see who comes first. Congratulations to:

September 9 Austin October 9 Nightingale November 9 Nightingale

Golden Hour – The 5 or 6 pupils in each tutor group get to celebrate together at the end of term with a bring and share golden hour winner. Congratulations to this term’s winners:

Year 9 Update cont. — Mr S Langdown

Austen Dickens Gaunt Nightingale Sopwith Kez Stanford Harry Lunn Amelie Warfvinge Jacob Holmes Izzy James Georgi Bavister Suzie Draper Amber Court Alyssa Richardson Thomas Oak Summer Simmonds Furyian Martin Archie Goddard Liam Jeans Erin Pinchbeck Kacey Cavill Alysha Reeves Imogen Hammer Beau Hamilton-Smith Ben Croft George Chinn Riley Jacobs Jono Ashley Emma Carter Abi Langdown

Lauren Williams Isabella Moriniere

PTA News

Thank you so much for your support with the PTA Grand Christmas Raffle. You helped us to raise a fantastic £2,321 before expenses. Which means we will have over £2000 to spend on improving aspects of school to benefit your children.

The best sellers and winners of the love to shop vouchers were:

Best seller in Year 7 Rhiannon Llewellyn – £25 voucher

Best seller in Year 8 Alishya Hannaford – £25 voucher

Overall best seller Rosie Weatherall – £50 voucher

Best seller in Year 10 Libby Bishop – £25 voucher

Best seller Year 11 Nile Battey – £25 voucher

Christmas Jumper Film Night – In addition to the draw, a large gathering of pupils from KS3 had a night out at the school on Friday 14th December at the Christmas Jumper Film Night enjoying the film ‘INCREDIBLES 2’, a hotdog or burger, tuck shop and the general fun of socialising.

If you feel your child is missing PTA events and you would like to be kept up to date with what is going on, please email the school, and we can put you on the PTA emailing list.

A special thank you must go to the fantastic PTA team for enabling and supporting the school through the raffle and film night.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas

Steve Langdown

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Below is some guidance on common illnesses and school attendance. Please note that the Medical Room is manned by first aiders and not medical personnel. Please take your child to the GP for treatment of issues not classed as a first aid emergency.

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Did you know that whenever you buy anything online, from your weekly shop to your annual holiday, you could be raising a free donation to our school? There are nearly 3000 retailers (including Amazon, John Lewis, Aviva, Trainline and Sainsbury’s) who will donate a percentage of the amount you spend to our school to say thank you for shopping with them. It’s really simple, does not cost you anything and there are no hidden charges for you. It does, however, provide a fantastic opportunity for the school to raise additional funds we can use to buy vital resources and equipment to support your child’s learning in school.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/testvalleyschool/?v=a&u=1NI8RY

Join here: