Woodlands Newsletter SPRING 2 31/03/17 At Woodlands we aim to become an outstanding school by INSPIRING and CHALLENGING our pupils so that they ACHIEVE well and are able to enjoy successful and happy futures A Message from our Head Teacher…

Dear Parents, Carers and Students, There has been a wealth of things to celebrate this term at Woodlands. Our Rock Challenge team were exceptional at the Guildhall in February and although not winning an overall place, they won countless awards for the production. It was such a pleasure to see so many students involved in the event. In March we won the University of Year 10 Challenge. The team had to work out how to contain an outbreak of smallpox and advise the government in how best to do this. They beat teams from across to win the top position. In February some of our students competed in an inter school philosophon, engaging in intellectual debate with other young people around current affairs and moral issues. Furthermore, our Year 10 girls took part in a Women in Business event in March to celebrate International Women’s Day. They had the opportunity to quiz business women about how they have come to be successful as well as to partake in a scrumptious cream tea. As always, our students were a credit to themselves and the school. In late March, 36 of our students went to Iceland for four days to engage in some science and geography study. Great fun was had by all despite the freezing conditions. Our Year 8 MFL students have been working with the primaries teaching the younger students some French and Spanish. And on the sporting front, our teams have gone from strength to strength this term, winning many of their matches against local schools. Last but not least, the students raised over £300 for Comic Relief last Friday. In times of money hardships, it was great to see so many students giving generously to help those less fortunate. And on the theme of money hardship, as I am sure you are aware from the news, schools across the country are facing a huge crisis as educational funding has been cut. In Southampton the situation is particularly bad and Woodlands, like other schools in the Local Authority, is hit by the changes to the funding formulas. The Governing Body and I are working hard to minimise the impact to standards within the school. We face some tough decisions in relation to what services we will need to reduce in order to manage the budget. Our aim will always be to provide the best education possible to your child but I do need to make you aware of the increasing difficulties we face in these austere times. Staffing has been a little turbulent this term. We have had some long term absence in a number of areas. We have tried to minimise impact on learning as much as possible but I am aware that some students have been affected in a number of classes. Mrs Plant, who has been off sick for quite some time, has decided to resign and will be officially leaving us at Easter. We will also be saying goodbye at May half term to Mrs Lance who is leaving us to join Crestwood School. Mr Weston is leaving us at the end of the year to set up his own business and Mrs Pearce (our Key Stage 3 intervention teacher – not Mrs Pearce Head of Key Stage 4) will be leaving us at the end of the summer term to embark upon further studies. All four of these staff will be sadly missed and we thank them for all their hard work. Pleasingly, at a time of teacher shortage across the country, we have been able to make some excellent appointments for September. We have appointed two very experienced Geography teachers who join us from . We have appointed two new Science teachers and a new Assistant Head Teacher who will have overall responsibility for Science. We have also made further appointments in Maths. I look forward to telling you more about these staff as we move into the summer term. I wish you all a very restful Easter break. We break up on Friday, Upcoming Diary Dates 7th April at 2:40pm and return to school on Monday, 24th April at Inspiring 8:30am. The first lesson that day will be an extended tutor time. April Fashion Show Best wishes, From 6:00pm 27th Toni Sambrook May May Day Bank Holiday Challenging 1st Comic Relief May KS4 Exam Preparation Evening On Friday, 24th March 2017 Woodlands 4th From 6:00pm to 8:00pm held a non-uniform day to raise funds for Comic Relief. Thank you to all the students May Achieving and staff who participated we raised a Authors’ Day fantastic £301.31. 11th In particular a big thank you goes out to Mollie Gardner, Shelley May Wesley and Jamie-Leigh Wookey for organising a bake sale on Half Term the day. They made some delicious cakes and biscuits. 29th From Mon 29th to Fri 2nd June

Woodlands has social networking accounts on

Facebook, Twitter & Nextdoor **Attention Parents** Thank You

Please be aware that the old style £5.00 Many of our students are involved in notes will no longer be legal tender from extra-curricular activities but massive 5th May 2017. congratulations to Shane Thompson who regularly gives up his spare time to Therefore, Woodlands will not be accepting them during volunteer for the Southampton the Summer term, the last date for them accepted in Children’s Play Association (SCPA). After th school is Friday, 7 April 2017. helping out at their successful 2016 Playday his efforts have been rewarded

with an official thank you from the Association. “THANK YOU to all the organisations for all of your help and support leading up to the event and to those who provided activities on the day, SCPA Staff, SCPA Executive Committee, Volunteers, the Play Rangers Maintenance Team from and all the Young Volunteers, especially Shane Thompson (pictured left) who organised the real car painting activity.”

Catering News

Exam success! Just before half term Year 11 completed their second Catering practical exam consisting of their two course Italian menu. The students all made a main meal, including making their own pasta and a side dish of bread and a trio of desserts. The exams were a huge success and all the Year 11 students should be very proud of what they produced.

Pictured above left is the dish made by Chelsea Sparshott and below right is the dish made by Chaya Brown.

Dance News The Rock Challenge team won a host of awards at this year’s competition in February with their piece called Broken Branches which depicted a woman’s struggle to balance family life career. Special congratulations go to Sophie Lacey who was awarded the John Goodhead Shield for Endeavour which is currently being displayed in reception. Harry Eaglen successfully took home the award for lighting and Shannon Heather won the award for video directing. The team also took home four other awards in the categories of positive inclusion, community support, stage crew and choreography. Congratulations to all the staff and students who again made the event such a success. Thank you also to Mrs Thomas for the wonderful artwork.

The BTEC dance class successfully completed their examination solo dances this term and I am so proud of the confidenceand discipline they showed on the day. The Year 9s are working hard to complete their studies on dance from around the world and it has been really fun to watch and also an eye opener into some hidden talents within the year group. Key Stage 4 News Year 11s have now completed their final set of mock exams and are hopefully starting to see the benefits of the hard work and revision that they are doing. The library will be open for revision during the second week of the Easter holiday to allow them to do some focussed revision but we also hope they take this opportunity to have a rest and return after the holiday refreshed and ready for the final push for the summer exams. I know the year group are also looking forward to their prom and final invites or information on how to apply for a lifeline will be coming home with students on the last day of term. I would like to take the opportunity to remind parents that we have been very clear about the expectations surrounding being invited to prom since September and updated students every half term as to whether they were on track or not so there should be no surprises.

A group of Year 10 girls were lucky enough to be invited to attend a Women In Business networking and afternoon tea at Solent University this term as part of International Women’s Day. The students were a credit to the school and thoroughly enjoyed the event, especially the cake!

The Key Stage 4 study room is still going strong and appears to have had a really positive effect on students’ progress and attendance in Year 10. This support is now being opened up to Year 9s as the Year 11s are now more focused on specific subject revision sessions. Any pupils who are absent from school will be booked into the room so they are able to catch up on any work they have missed. With Year 11s starting their final exams shortly we are now on the search for the new prefect team. This process has been launched to the Year 10 pupils and applications are due to Mrs Pearce by Thursday, 6th April. We look forward to reading their applications shortly.

Maths News

Numeracy Ninjas is continuing to be a huge success at Key Stage 3 this half term. The latest Grand Masters awards went to Patrick Chalacinski and Grace Smith (Year 7), Kally Reed and Patryk Cwiklinski (Year 8) and Abdul Mutasim and Kc Jenkins (Year 9).

March 14th was World Pi Day. The Maths department celebrated this with a special DEAN and Key Stage 3 pupils have been busy creating a Pi Cityscape (pictured below) which illustrates Pi to 7,189 decimal places. The Pi Cityscape runs along the whole length of the Maths corridor and looks absolutely fantastic! Every Wednesday, pupils across the school have been learning about how Maths is used outside of school through DEAN. This half term pupils have learned about the Maths behind get the most for your money at an all you can eat buffet; why Spiderman couldn’t exist in real life and the history of time and calendars.

In the last newsletter we published this tricky problem from the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge:

“Two brothers and three sisters form a single line for a photograph. The two boys refuse to stand next to each other. How many different line-ups are possible?”

Here’s the solution:

Let the five positions in the photograph be numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Then the boys may occupy a total of six positions: 1 and 3; 1 and 4; 1 and 5; 2 and 4; 2 and 5; 3 and 5. For each of these positions, the boys may be arranged in two ways as they can interchange places. So there are 12 ways of positioning the boys. For each of these, the girls must be placed in three positions. In each case, the first girl may choose any one of three positions, the second girl may choose either of two positions and then there is just one place remaining for the third girl. So for each arrangement of the two boys there are 3 × 2 × 1 different ways of arranging the three girls. Therefore the total number of line-ups is 12 × 6 = 72.

Interesting Maths fact: Did you know that one of the most important numbers, Zero is not represented in Roman numerals. Derived from the Arabic word, ‘sifr’, it is known from a variety of other names like naught, zip, nil and zilch.

Library News

Our students have shown continued commitment to their learning through reading again this term. With two weeks to go, they have passed 1,665 quizzes with an average pass mark of 89.6% and between them have read an impressive 32 million words. When quizzes are taken students can rate the book and it is interesting to see which books they really enjoy. The following titles have received the highest rating this term (book level is given in brackets): Although these were voted the most popular books, it is worth noting that, in our library, we have 5,116 titles on the Accelerated Reader (AR) Scheme! It is important to explore a range of authors to discover true personal preferences.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down (5.5) & Dog Days (5.2) by Jeff Kinney

The Boy in the Dress (4.2) by David Walliams

Tales from a Not so Fabulous Life (5.4) by Rachel Renee Russell

Football Force (4.7) by Jonny Zucker

Middle School Get Me Out of Here (4.4) by James Patterson

How to be a Pirate (6.5) by Cressida Cowell

Claw the Giant Monkey (5.0) and Luna the Moon Wolf (4.4) by Adam Blade

We are extremely proud of all of all students who have used the AR system purposefully to improve their skills this term. Please encourage your child:  to select a book at, or a little above, their own set level  to read with concentration for at least 20 minutes each day  to record, research and learn new vocabulary  to reflect and rehearse the book content before quizzing  to always take a vocabulary quiz if the book is marked with a red V In particular we would like to congratulate the following students who earned the coveted **Student of the Week** status this half term. They are: In Year 7: Patrick Chalacinski, Casey Chalk, Katie Goodchild, Martin McInnes and James Parker In Year 8: Jack Chivers, Alina Dillow, Owen Harding, Kacper Kazberuk, Faisal Malakyar and Amy Shearing In Year 9: Chris Brackstone, Jessica Fallows, Alfie Gregory, Daniel Kimbley and Katelyn Welford

BOOK WEEK! There was plenty of activity throughout the school linked to World Book Day on Thursday, 2nd March. The book quiz was won by Miss Hicks’s Tutor Group for Year 7, Miss Brown’s for Year 8 and Ms Rowland’s for Year 9. The quiz raffle was won by Liam Lane with Elliot Gardner and Erika Dauti as runners up. Thanks to all who participated and shared in the fun. *TESTING* We are currently re-testing students' reading. The test consists of 34 questions which are designed to assess word knowledge and comprehension. Unsurprisingly there is a strong correlation between effort over the term and progress made; those who perform well are often those who have put in extra time reading at home and have exceeded their targets. Test results will be recorded in the blue pages of your child's planner along with their recommended book level. Please encourage your child to refer to this information when selecting their DEAR book. *A date for the Diary: Thursday, 11th May 2017* This year our visiting author is Andy Briggs. He has written some very successful books and series and has also worked as a screen writer. He will be working with our Year 7 and 8 students in the morning and children from visiting feeder schools in the afternoon. Andy says, "During my interactive presentation I talk about writing and how great it is, showing them pictures of my work in Hollywood then lead into the books, my new Scholastic series, THE INVENTORY. At the end we have a loud interactive quiz." He will also be conducting a small writing workshop between sessions and there will be time for book buying and book signing. Eco Zone

Year 7 News

Year 7 have been working really hard this term, with improving attendance across the year group and an excellent attitude to learning in the majority of pupils. A number of pupils have participated in the Streetspeare project in partnership with Beechwood School and will be performing later in July.

We also had a large group involved in Up to 97% of the another successful Rock Challenge and our materials that make girls are particularly well represented in up a printer cartridge football and other after school activities. can be recycled or reused. Well done all.

PE News - Football

Goals Galore and Three is the Magic Number!!

Woodlands U13s vs. Cantell School On Friday, 10th March and for a second time this season Woodlands managed to score seven goals in one game. The game started well with Woodlands scoring an early goal just after five minutes through Ciaran Chapman (1-0). Two minutes later and after some great interchanges up the field Shay Bull grabbed his first goal of the match (2-0). Woodlands continued to pile on the pressure but it wasn’t until the twenty minute mark when an in form Shay Bull powered the ball past the goalkeeper (3-0). At this point, Cantell looked deflated and Woodlands continued to dominate. Shay Bull whipped a lovely ball into the box from a corner, landing directly at the feet of Patryk Cwiklinski who did not miss from such close range (4-0). Half time was upon us and a few Woodlands changes were made including Year 7 debutant Cameron Hayter-Callaway. Cameron quickly made his mark on the game by sticking the ball into the back of the net from a scrappy corner (5-0). However, Cantell may have been down but they definitely weren’t out. For a passage of about ten minutes, Woodlands sustained some extreme pressure forcing Ethan Hartfield to pull off some unbelievable reaction saves which Goalkeeper, Joe Hart, would have been proud of.But, Ethan is only human after all and Cantell’s pressure paid off when they were rewarded with a goal (5-1). Woodlands were not done yet with another goal coming from Cameron Hayter-Callaway (6-1), making it his second of the afternoon and Kieran James, full of energy after having a short break, used his pace and carefully placed the ball into the back of the net (7-1). The final whistle was approaching but Woodlands had time for one more attack. With an Easter Egg at stake, Kieran James selflessly tried to put Shay Bull through for his hat trick, but the pass was inches away, unlucky Shay! Woodlands finished the game strongly and ending up with an impressive 7-1 victory.

Oasis Mayfield vs. Woodlands U13s It was a very cold and windy day on Friday, 17th March for Woodlands U13s, who had their last league fixture of the season away against Oasis Mayfield. Luckily for the team, the pitch was absolutely huge so they had plenty of running to do to keep them warm. If you are a regular in reading these sports reports, you may have guessed already that Shay Bull scored the first goal of the game, placing it in the bottom left hand corner from around eighteen yards out (0-1). Woodlands who were playing with a slight downhill advantage, as well as using the width of the pitch well, dominated the opening twenty minutes. This paid off when Shay Bull scored another fantastic goal from just inside the eighteen yard box, hitting the inside of the right post and creeping into thenet (0-2). A special mention and well done goes out to Shay during this football campaign as he has scored an admirable 10 goals in 6 games! With some tactical changes at half time by Oasis Mayfield, the tables had turned and the pressure was now on Woodlands. Oasis Mayfield had numerous chances but simply could not get the ball in the back of the net. Shay Bull had a chance to get his hat trick but somehow managed to get the ball caught up under his feet at the last second. Oasis Mayfield continued the pressure but came away with nothing. This would not have been possible if it wasn’t for Woodlands central defenders, Cieron Williams and skipper Jake Curtis who put on a phenomenal display, putting their body’s (and heads) on the line for the team. As the game came to a close, Woodlands set up one last attack with Patryk Cwiklinski scoring with the last kick of the game, making Woodlands well deserved 3-0 winners.

With the league matches now finished, the team are now focused on their Southampton Schools semi-final match. Their opponents are yet to be determined as the match still needs to be played, but this is a home draw fixture and the team would appreciate lots of support in the hope they reach the final.

Drama News

Double, Double Toil and Trouble! Rehearsals for this year’s Streetspeare Schools Project performance of Macbeth are well underway. Pupils from Years 7 to 10 at Woodlands and Year 6 at Beechwood Junior School have learned about the story and characters of Shakespeare’s famous play. Most recently we ran an audition workshop, and then cast the play. Full rehearsals began at the end of March and so far it’s looking spookily good! We will be performing in the open air both locally and in Southampton city centre in early July. Look out for full performance details in the next Woodlands newsletter. To keep up to date on our Streetspeare Schools Project, follow our official pages on Twitter and Facebook: Twitter: http://twitter.com/SSPSouthampton Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/streetspearesouthampton

Year 8 and 9 News Active Kids This half term has been a busy 6 weeks 2017 for students in Year 8 and 9. As well as

fulfilling a range of football fixtures,

with some Year 9s playing in the U15 team and the Year 8s enjoying a Please collect and donate your successful cup run, there have been Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers to plenty of other activities. Woodlands. With your help we can make a difference by helping our At a recent Personal Development Day students to eat well, move well and Year 9 students were put through their live well in 2017. The deadline for paces by members of the Armed Forces. Students were briefed on collecting vouchers is 2nd May 2017. the range of career opportunities available in the armed forces before taking part in different problem solving activities led by current servicemen. Students participated with great enthusiasm and developed their Art News team building skills to solve the range of practical problems they were faced with. In discussion with the servicemen working with Star piece of artwork for this half-term: students, staff were complimented on the excellent behaviour and attitude displayed by the students they were working with. Once again our students showed themselves to be wonderful ambassadors for our school. Year 8 students have been participating in a range of leadership activities with the Saints Foundation through Mr Keens. These activities are designed to promote self-esteem and confidence and I will update you on these later in the year. Students in both year groups are making decisions about their futures. Year 9s are currently finalising their Options pathways while Year 8 students are choosing their Arts and Technology electives and will enable students to begin to specialise in those areas which they are most suited to. Hopefully students in Year 8 and 9 will take advantage of their Easter break to enjoy themselves but also to act sensibly and appropriately in By Nina Maudsley, Year 11. Her trial exam piece is inspired by our local community over the Expressive Art and developed from her photography, then school holidays. painted with acrylic on board.

Inclusion News

Our Key Stage 3 Inclusion students had a go at crochet, they had a lot of fun with it and are continuing to learn the skills and would like to make a blanket!

DT News

Pictured right are some excellent examples of work done this half term by our students.

Pictured left and right Megan Frampton from Year 7 is making screwdrivers.

**Attention Year 11** College Open Evenings

Which path will you choose?

Barton Peveril College Thurs 4th May ‘17 5:30pm to 8:30pm (023) 8036 7200

th Tues 11 July ‘17 5:30pm to 7:30pm (023) 8091 1299

Fareham College Weds 28th April ‘17 5:00pm to 8:00pm 01329 815200

Itchen College Tues 9th May ‘17 5:00pm to 8:00pm (023) 8043 5636

Richard Taunton Sixth Form College Thurs 6th April ‘17 6:00pm to 7:30pm (023) 8051 1811

Southampton City College Sat 10th June ‘17 9:30am to 1:00pm (023) 8048 4848

Sparsholt College Weds 26th April ‘17 4:00pm to 7:00pm 01962 776441 Thurs 22nd June ‘17 4:00pm to 7:00pm