Aspire & Achieve Together Holcombe Newsletter December 2018

Season’s Greetings from everyone at Holcombe CONTENTS

Message from the Executive Principal 1

Message from the School Captain’s Team 2 Sixth Form News Open Evening 3 School Captains Team and Prefects 2019 3 Year 13 Prems 4 Team Wayfield 4 Key dates for Term 3 4 Holcombe Carol Service 5

La Traviata 6 Holcombe Talent Show 6 Operation Christmas Child 7 Community Spirit and Altruism in Action 7 Christmas Card Competition 7 Year 7 News 8 Christmas Connection – Computer Science Wreaths 10 Save the Children – Christmas Jumper Day 10 Well Done Year 8 11

Countrystyle Recycling 11 Holcombe and Victory Remember 12 Duke of Edinburgh’s Award 13 The Holcombe Association 13 National Students’ Art Exhibition 14 KS5 Maths Challenge 14 Holcombe Heroes 15 Medway Youth Council 15

Kent Junior Squad – Pool 15 Gloves Boxing Club 15 Music Clubs 16 Fractal Tree 17 Handball Competition 17 The Royal British Legion 18 Medway Schools Futsal Competition 18 House Results

Basketball and Rugby 19 Table Tennis 20 Badminton 21 Extra Curricular Activities 22 Extra Curricular Activities – Music 23 Term Dates - 2018/2019 24 Looking Ahead : Term Dates – 2019/2020 25 Page 1 HGS Newsletter M ESSAGE FROM THE E XECUTIVE PRINCIPAL

I am delighted to introduce this Christmas newsletter, as we draw to the close of what has been a wonderfully busy and productive year here at Holcombe.

For me, this marks the end of my first two terms at our school. I am thoroughly enjoying leading such a vibrant and capable community, and take real pleasure in seeing the continued academic and personal achievements of our students. A recent external Quality Assurance visit to assess the quality of education in our provision confirmed what I and our staff body firmly believe – Holcombe continues to thrive and already shows rapid development since our excellent Ofsted report in the spring. Our journey towards becoming “Outstanding” is certainly gathering pace.

There has been much to celebrate already this academic year, and this newsletter is testament to the talents and dedication of our community. It has been hard to pinpoint highlights, with such a wonderfully diverse range of events, activities and occasions. I was delighted to welcome Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford to Holcombe to open our new 3G pitch, which we share with New Horizons Children’s , another of our Trust schools. Our students are really enjoying the benefits of this superb facility, and it has been great to welcome community organisations onto our site to share this resource.

We have had two hugely successful events for prospective students in Year 7 and Year 12, and I was very proud to receive positive feedback from our visitors on both occasions. As always, our staff and students were a real credit to us, acting as excellent ambassadors for our school. Holcombe students continue to demonstrate their community spirit in a number of ways; notably through the “Altruism in Action project and donating shoeboxes and £590 to the annual Samaritans Christmas Child Appeal. Holcombe also took a leading role in our Trust this term, with Sol Lyons in Year 7 winning the Thinking Schools Academy Trust Christmas card competition. His design, incorporating our MET agenda (Mastery, Endeavour and Thinking) through thinking maps, was chosen from entries across our 17 schools as the official Christmas card for TSAT, and as thus will have been sent out to numerous educational colleagues over the festive period. Congratulations to Sol!

Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude and congratulations to our Student Leadership Team, ably led by Michael Cameron, as they come to the end of their term of office. They have truly excelled in their roles, and been hugely successful in inspiring and supporting students and staff alike. I’m delighted to introduce Daniel Marks and Thea Baker as Head Boy and Head Girl respectively, and look forward to working in partnership with them in January as we continue to drive our school forward.

Thank you for your continued support; on behalf of the staff and students here at Holcombe Grammar School I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ms M Gage Executive Principal Page 2 M ESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL CAPTAINS’ TEAM

The first two terms of a school year are always busy, with both academic, and importantly non-academic events and activities, and that has certainly been the case for the School Captains’ Team.

During the first two terms, Holcombe hosted its Open Day for prospective Year 7 students, and more recently, the Open Evening for prospective Sixth Formers. The School Captains’ Team are very grateful for the assistance that students provided, both in the run up and during these vital school events.

In September, the School Captains’ Team organised Holcombe’s participation in the UK Youth Parliament’s annual “Make your Mark” ballot. This is the UK’s largest youth consultation and sets out the UKYP’s priorities for the year ahead. In Holcombe, we had a turnout of 71.8%, and of particular note are 7Sh2, 7Ba and 10Sh, who had turnouts of 96.7%, 96.6% and 96.4% respectively. Combatting Knife Crime was the most popular issue, with 164 votes, closely followed by improving transport (86 votes) and supporting mental health (79 votes). All of our results were passed to the UKYP and we thank all the students who voted.

The School Captains’ Team have also hosted a number of School Council meetings in these two terms. Firstly, we addressed the results of the ‘Holcombe Food Survey’ that was carried out. Students fed back to us that food needed to be cheaper, and of a greater (and healthier) variety. Our findings were passed along to the Senior Leadership Team. The School Captains’ Team also hosted a School Council on the theme of respect, where we discussed respect towards others, and how we can show respect as a whole school community.

During our end of term activities in the summer term, and in September, the School Captains’ Team has been raising money for Teenage Cancer Trust. In the summer we held a tag day, and ran a pick ‘n’ mix stall, both of which raised directly for Teenage Cancer Trust, and along with another tag day in term 1, I am very pleased to say that over £1,300 has now been donated to the charity.

Working with Miss Martin, the School Captains’ Team helped to co-ordinate the annual Christmas Shoebox donation, and as a school we donated 110 shoeboxes and raised £590. We are very grateful to all the students who participated in this. Holcombe also participated in the Save the Children Christmas Jumper day on Friday 14th December, and it was great to see so many students participating and raising money for such a good cause.

The team are honoured to have been able to work for the Holcombe community for 2018, and I would like to thank all the students, staff and parents who have supported the School Captains’ Team in all the events that we have run over the course of the year. As we hand over to a new team in January (which students will be introduced to after the break), I am confident that the good work of Holcombe’s School Captains’ Team can be continued and furthered, and I wish the new team every success in their roles.

I hope every member of the Holcombe community has a very restful and relaxing Christmas break, and I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Michael Cameron

Michael Cameron (Head Boy) SIXTH FORM NEWS Page 3

Sixth Form Open Evening

As always, the Sixth Form Open Evening was well attended by both internal and external students, who were thinking about their next steps post 16 options.

We were flooded with hugely positive comments from prospective students and parents/ carers in regards to our excellent students and staff who are a credit to the school. We also had visiting staff from the fellow Trust schools of and , who were able to showcase the subjects that will be in place in our joint curriculum offer from September 2019.

Applications forms from all students need to be received by the school no later than Wednesday 23rd January 2019, with consultations being held for all non-TSAT feeder school students on Saturday 26th January 2019.

The success of the evening as a whole came down to the hard work of teachers and students who work tirelessly to make this event the outstanding success it always proves to be.

School Captains Team and Prefects 2019

A huge number of students in Year 12 applied to be part of HGS’ Prefect body. After reviewing well over half of the year, we decided on the students that will incorporate our Captains’ Team and Prefects. Well done to the students below who were successful, we look forward to working with you over the next year.

Captains’ Team

Head Boy Daniel Marks Head Girl Thea Baker Deputy Head Boy Elliot Odom Deputy Head Girl Bethany Franqueira Head Prefect Martin May Sports Captain Caitlyn Ehrich Captains’ Team Hanna Roob Harry Osborne

Prefects

Jesse Akinbadewa Priyanka Aulakh George Atzev Jessica Ballard Dan Belsey Simon Bowgen Jack Brisley Kiera Ferguson Billy Flynn Henry Freeman Max Bailey James Grogan Sam Harber Ethan Kerr Connor Murphy Megan McGinley Mark Nutting Phoebe Hudson Mitchell Phillips Reece Perkins George Reynolds Jag Singh Tom Short Maisie Murphy Steel Thomas Tweedley Harvey Welch Abigail Williams

SIXTH FORM NEWS Page 4 Year 13 Prelims Year 13 had their first set of Prelims of the year, and after a slow but steady start getting back in routine after the summer break, the students applied themselves in the right frame of mind and demonstrated the core habits that we expect to see in our students.

Prelims are a key opportunity for students to understand their strengths and weaknesses as we begin to embark on their last few final months as a HGS student.

There was evidence of sustained improvement for many students after their Year 12 Prelims that they sat in June. Along with the increased focus and students taking advantage of peer mentoring and support sessions, we hope to see this improvement continue into their final Prelims in March 2019.

Team Wayfield

We have received brilliant feedback about a group of our Year 12 students, who have been volunteering at a nearby .

During their initial visit to Wayfield Primary School, Year 6 stu- dents welcomed us to their school with a presentation they had de- signed. They then took our students on a tour to introduce them to the school and put their worries at ease. Our students are now working with Years 5 and 6 one day a week, and Years 3 and 4 one evening a week, helping students develop their mathematics skills.

This collaboration has been a huge success. A teacher at the school reported that her class thoroughly enjoyed being supported by our Year 12s, and that there was a ‘real buzz in the room while they were working.’ We hope this joint venture will continue to be a success, and that all students involved will continue to use this opportunity to learn, challenge themselves, develop new skills, and thrive.

Key dates for Term 3

Monday 7th January 2019- Start of Term 3/ Extended work experience deadline Thursday 10th January 2019- GCSE certificate evening Tuesday 15th January 2019- UCAS deadline Thursday 17th January 2019- Year 12 Parent’s Evening Friday 8th February 2019- Year 12 and 13 Apprenticeship Fair

We would like to wish all students a restful Christmas break, and look forward to the Mastery that we endeavour to achieve in Term 3. Page 5

Holcombe Christmas Carol Service

There is nothing like a good sing along to some of the best know Christmas Carols to get you into the festive spirit. The HGS Christmas Concert and Carol service on Tuesday 18th of December was not only ample opportunity for singing and sharing in festive cheer, but also an exhibition of some true rising talents within the music department.

We had live performances from the Holcombe Grammar School Chamber orchestra playing a medley of Christmas tune, the KS3 Choir singing some lively festive songs and our student jazz band playing songs arranged by one of our year 11 students.

A huge thank you to all parents, students and staff wo either helped, took part, or came to support this concert.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! Mr J Horsey

A lovely evening was had by all at the Annual Holcombe Grammar School Christmas Concert. This was held at St Stephen’s Church, Chatham, on the 18th December. The HGS Choir lifted spirits with their beautifully sung classics such as the Holly and the Ivy. They also included a rap which created a more contemporary feel to the night. The HGS Chamber Orchestra performed a Christmas Medley, a rendition of The Fairytale of New York and the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. There was also music by the Jazz Band, who brought festive cheer with their jazzy take on an all-time favourite, Jingle Bells.

Thank you to the Reverend Barry Linney for his warm welcome, to Mr Horsey for his work in organising this wonderful evening, and to Year 11 Noah Locke, for arranging the music.

Thank you also to all who attended, and special thanks to our Executive Principal Ms Gage, for her heartwarming words at the end of the evening, reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas.

Page 6 La Traviata

On Thursday 8th November the music department took 20 students to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury to watch the Glyndebourne production of La Traviata: Behind the Curtain. This unique production gave the students an amazing opportunity to explore the magic of Opera and stage production in a fascinating and accessible way; using humour, behind the scenes insights and outstanding live performances to engage and enrich them. The show was presented by the comedian, writer, actor, director and ‘Mock the Week’ panellist Chris Addison who took us through the journey of opera from the inside out in a way that brought into focus elements of stage productions not usually seen by audiences.

Not only was this a valuable insight for GCSE music students relating to their area of study regarding ‘Music for Stage & Screen’ but also for all those that attended in order to broaden their cultural experience and understanding.

Thank you to the other members of staff that supported and helped supervise during the trip, without whom this could not have gone ahead.

Mr J Horsey Head of Music “I really enjoyed the opera trip, the presenter was very funny and I learned a lot about the features of opera music. It opened my eyes to a style of music I have never really explored before. Definitely worth going!!”

Noah Lock Yr 11

Holcombe Talent Show

Holcombe held a successful Talent Show on Tuesday 18th December featuring multiple acts from across the school year groups. These included a jazz group and mag- ic acts. With our judges of Ms Gage, Miss Pothitos and Mrs Jhaj together with the crowd, the winner was crowned as Chris Chako, who performed an excellent stand-up routine that tore the house down.

In second place was Tom Bennet, a year 11 guitarist and vocalist who performed multiple pieces; in third place was Ollie Tomlin who sang Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD.

We would like to thank all the acts who participated, our three judges, and all those who bought a ticket and supported the show!

Page 7 Operation Christmas Child

A big thank you to all for the total of 110 shoeboxes and £590 that were donated to this year’s Christmas Shoebox appeal.

Community Spirit and Altruism in Action

During this term, 7Barfleur demonstrated the Holcombe Community Spirit and Altruism in Action (the attitude of caring about others and completing acts that help them but not getting anything in return) by personalising a variety Christmas shapes provided by Mrs Obee. The students decorated one of the shapes using a variety of different approaches that suited their own style. All the shapes will be sent to our local elderly residential homes along with the fantastic TSAT Christmas card designed by Sol Lyons in this form.

All 7B, Mrs Obee and Mr Plank would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Card Competition

Huge congratulations to Holcombe student Sol Lyons, 7 Barfleur for winning our annual Trust Christmas Card Competition!

This annual competition is organised by the Thinking Schools Academy Trust. All students were invited to submit their drawings to be considered for the chance to win. Sol's card, with its incorporation of the thinking maps used in our school, immediately stood out. We love the bright, eye- catching colours he has used and the layout of the card, allowing us to focus on the thinking maps they describe. His card shows that Christmas can be both fun and educational, and that Holcombe's MET (Mastery, Endeavour and Thinking) agenda is incorporated into everything we do.

Well done, Sol! Year 7 News Page 8

Since September, Year 7 students have fully immersed themselves in the life of our Holcombe community and we are proud to outline some of the many activities they have already been a part of.

Teams from each form class have participated in the Inter-house Rugby, Table Tennis and Badminton competitions that took place in terms 1 and 2. Each participant enjoyed competing in four games against the rest of the year group.

The rugby contest was won by Conquest House. The Badminton contest was won by Shannon House (Shannon 1 and 2 joint first place) and the Table Tennis contest was also joint first places for Conquest and Barfleur Houses. Congratulations, and well done to all students taking part!

We were pleased to meet many parents and families of Year 7 at our ‘Settling In’ Event in September, and form tutors continue to build bridges between home life and school life to support the transition into Year 7.

Page 9 Many students took part in our Open Day event in October where they successfully gave school tours to visiting families. Our boys were complimented for their ability to answer questions and interact well with the Year 6 children they showed around school. In particular Henry Stephens, Ayoola Adeoye and Ethan Willard gave brilliant speeches that they had prepared and auditioned for to deliver to hundreds of guests.

As part of their History studies, Year 7 worked on building models of motte and bailey castles to demonstrate their understanding of the topic. Many students presented their models to the class and achieved great results for their evidence of learning.

Year 7 students have joined a variety of extra-curricular groups at Holcombe including the gym, computer coding and chess clubs. Others have already found the confidence to start up clubs and societies that fit their interests. Sam Hall worked with his friends to set up the Lego club after school on Fridays, Fred Firmin and Matthew Johnson have started the Riddle Club on Tuesday lunch times, and David Obidimalor and George Pearson are beginning to run a Media and Drama Club on Friday lunch times.

To demonstrate their community spirit, Year 7 also took part in the Christmas Shoebox Appeal and gave many donations, as well as those in uniform attending school in their cadet and scout outfits in honour of Armistice Day.

We look forward to the continued progress of Year 7 throughout the coming terms as they continue to engage with the learning and extra-curricular opportunities on offer.

The timetable for clubs and societies can be found on the school website which is always being updated with new initiatives. Page 10

Christmas Connection – Computer Science Wreaths

Computer Science may not seem like the most festive of subjects. However, pupils in 8-3 certainly experienced the joy Computer science has brought to Christmas since it’s communication protocol conception in 1915 (the first trans -atlantic communication – January 1915). Computers have revolutionised the way in which communication occurs, now allowing families to connect to each other no matter where they are in the world at this festive time.

Students in 8-3 were tasked with creating a Christmas communication and general Computer Science themed wreath. The group (as can be seen) really threw themselves into the challenge and created the fantastic wreaths you can see here. It was a real challenge to judge the most appropriate, but in the end the wreath depicting three of Computer Science’s influential inventors as well as the slogan ‘Connecting us this Christmas’ was crowned the winner. Everyone in 8-3 created wreaths appropriate for the holiday season showcasing a variety of elements from their learning over the past two terms, and should really be proud of themselves.

Happy holidays!

Holcombe Grammar School joined thousands of other schools across the country in supporting Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day on the the 14th of December.

All of the proceeds will be going to the charity Save the Children, which supports millions of children in need around the world. Proceeds may be used to bring essential food, healthcare, education and protection. Donations are still being counted, however we have currently raised in excess of £250!

We would like to thank staff and students for taking part and for their kind donations. It was a joy to see everyone in their festive jumpers, supporting this worthy cause and spreading Christmas cheer. Page 11 Well Done Year 8

This term, Year 8 have branched out of Holcombe Grammar and have been making a name for themselves in the community.

Leo Nordkvist, Brent Varral, Lucas Monks, Kieran Morgan, Elisha Babayemi, Amon-Ra Meseorisa, Braydon Turner and Matthew Olorunlogbon have represented the school at a regional handball competition and WON the overall competition. A huge congratulations goes out to the boys who have earned a well-deserved victory.

Faizaan Quraishi has represented us at the Medway Youth Council and within the school, Timi Soyinka has taken on the momentous role of tabling a motion at the debating club; “This house believes that the government is doing their best to end domestic violence”, something usually undertaken by our Year 13’s, so this is a remarkable show of maturity and engagement in the community.

Toby Donlon and Akash Pillai have taken the graphic novel club by storm with their outstanding contributions and Tye Prater has had an active role in the management of the school, having met with senior teachers to discuss the ‘MET’ agenda.

Poetry Slam this year has been enjoyed by many of our students, with Ryan Gurnett, Timi Soyinka and Jack Lane really standing out as poetry enthusiasts. Ryan himself has described this extracurricular activity as “a great way to prepare for my GCSE’s”.

Josh Boffa, Timi Soyinka, Frankie Wiseman, Tye Prater, Joe Button, Gideon Aidoo and Charlie Bell all very bravely, delivered an assembly to the entire year group covering the importance of recycling looking after our environment, both within school and globally.

Countrystyle Recycling

Following a meeting of the Wellbeing Committee, the recycling bins, pictured, have been placed around the school.

The Wellbeing Committee is run by volunteer staff ambassadors. The Committee seeks to coordinate and implement initiatives and activities around the school, including implementing the “Six Ways to Wellbeing”, a strategy to promote ways in which small, positive changes can be made to our daily lives. The Committee this term focused on two elements of the wellbeing wheel: 'Giving' and 'Caring for the Planet.' These recycling bins may be a small change, but will promote cleanliness in classrooms, and thus make for better working environments, in turn improving the wellbeing of both staff and students. They will also mean we are continuing to help the environment. Page 12 Holcombe & Victory Remember…

Holcombe Grammar School and The Victory Academy participated in a variety of events over Remembrance weekend, to honour men and women of the Armed Forces who have been in harm’s way, many losing their lives, in the defence of our county and our way of life.

On the Friday at HGS, students took part in Uniform Service Day and cadets from any of the armed forces and those who are part of the Scouts attended school in their uniform. All students participated in respecting a 2 minute silence at 11.00 a.m.

At the Victory Academy, students in Years 7 and 12 participated, with teaching staff, in a special remembrance event in the Academy’s courtyard. They took part in a presentation by two members of the Armed Forces who talked about remembrance and then respectfully lined up in an arc behind the flag pole which was at half-mast. All other year groups joined the 2 minutes silence, watching respectfully from their classroom windows.

On Remembrance Sunday, students participated in another two local events.

Students from Holcombe (Year 7) and Victory Academy (Year 7 & 8), who are cadets in the TS Temeraire, Victory Academy Sea Cadet Unit, participated for the first time in the Remembrance Day commemorations in Chatham. This year’s event was extra special for several reasons:

 This was the 100th Anniversary of the 1918 Armistice  Remembrance Sunday coincided with Armistice Day  This is the first year that TS Temeraire was taking part in the service at Victoria Gardens, Fort Pitt.

The cadets marched from Richard Street, through Chatham to Victoria Gardens where they took part in the ceremony, laying a wreath on behalf of the unit and joining in the commemorative service, before marching back through the town.

In the evening, two students attended a special event at Fort Luton. Victory Academy Captains, Yeni and Jade, were honoured to be asked to read out the names of all the fallen soldiers from the local area, in a moving ceremony at 6.45 p.m. which involved the lighting of a commemorative beacon to honour the end of WW1. The event was the first of its kind to be held at Fort Luton, which included readings and marching by a group of soldiers in commemorative uniforms and ended with an impromptu sing-a-long around the beacon.

I was proud to accompany students to both events and it was brilliant to see the level of respect and pride our students demonstrated. They were a true credit to their school, their cadet unit and the Trust.

Mrs J Villalta Head of School Page 13

A record number of students have signed up for the Duke of Edinburgh this year with 55 Bronze, 15 Silver and our first ever Holcombe Gold group from Year 12. Participants from the Bronze and Silver awards from last year have been working hard to complete their physical, volunteering and skills sections in time for the presentation which will happen in February to attain their award all sections must be complete by the beginning of January 2019.

We have also been given the opportunity to nominate four Duke of Edinburgh Ambassadors who will be trained by D of E to assist in the running of the Award at Holcombe. Congratulations to Dominic Frost, Samuel Gosling, Riley Pokora and Kelvin Streater whose commitment to the Award scheme over the past two years has been exemplary.

The Holcombe Association is a PTA (Parent Teachers Association) which is a registered charity organisation (Charity No 1102291) and comprises of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, which represents the Committee and Trustees. There is also a very small group of helpers.

We are all voluntary and like yourselves we all go out to work. The PTA meet once a month for a general meeting and yearly holds an AGM. There are approximately ten meetings per year.

We exist to provide much needed support to the school by raising extra funds for extra resources and equipment that is not normally covered by the school budgets. A small example of what we have bought in the past: sports equipment, books, 3D printer, washing machine, orthopaedic equipment, maps, mini bus, snooker/pool tables, picnic tables and benches, Xbox consoles, chess clocks, etc….

We also do front of house and refreshments at most of the school functions and events, such as, Parents Evenings, Year 7 & 8 discos, quiz nights, bingo evenings, Founder’s Day, Carol Service etc.

None of this can be achieved without your help! With your help we can run more events and support the school and your child. To get involved with the PTA and find out even more about what we do or how you could help, please get in touch. Email: [email protected]. If you see us around school, come up and say hello!

The following meetings will be held in The Hub (M20) Sixth Form Block at 7.30pm,

Monday 21 January Tuesday 11th February Monday 18th March Monday 15th May Monday 17th June Monday 8th July

We look forward to seeing you.

Page 14 National Students’ Art Exhibition

The National Students’ Art Exhibition is an annual exhibition open to all state secondary and special schools in England. Held in the Mall Galleries in London schools submit entries with only 500 pieces selected. This year over twenty thousand pieces of artwork were submitted. Ciara McManigan, Harry Rann and Mitchell Phillips had pieces selected and exhibited, all using a different media. As a national event with works being chosen by an expert committee, Holcombe Grammar School are proud of the students and their achievements.

R. Mourino Assistant Head of Sixth Form

KS5 Maths Challenge

This term, our KS5 Mathletes took on a series of UKMT Mathematics challenges. Holcombe Grammar School hosted the senior team Maths challenge, and were placed 6th. Santhosh, Sophie, Lucca and Johannes were 10 marks away from the overall winners () across a possible 182 marks! It was very tight at the top!

Summary of winners

Year 13 Gold: best in year & best in school - Igor Pereira-Martins Gold: Robbie Bridges Silver: Sophie Barraclough, Louie Patching Bronze: Tom Emery, Anuj Ashar, Edward Peters, Bobby Coleman, Callum Mortlock

Year 12 Silver, best in year - Finley Haston Silver: Lucca Pereira-Martins, Thomas Tweedley, Sam Harber, Johannes Sadler, George Poole Bronze: Jack Brisley, Ryan Ward, Martin May, Jake Hooper-Ross, Ayomide Adeniran.

Huge congratulations to both Igor and Robbie who will go through to the kangaroo round of the National competition.

Page 15 Holcombe Heroes Medway Youth Council

Our Holcombe students Anjo Abraham and We are proud of our Holcombe student, Harmeed Ishola went above and beyond the call of Archie Bean, who has joined the Medway duty last month, when they handled a difficult Youth Council. situation on their way home from school. This is a forum for young Anjo and Harmeed travel home together on the people, run by young train. On one particular journey last month, a people, which enables them middle-aged gentleman approached them and to discuss important issues spoke to them in an offensive way. However, they relevant to them. Youth remained calm in the face of racism and hatred, and Council members meet from did not engage with him. They were supported by a all around Medway, and member of the public, who challenged the though the Council is gentleman and told him his language was independent, it is fully supported by Medway unacceptable. The member of the public and the Council. students, at this point, walked away, but were followed by the man. The man began to shout at Keep up the hard work, Archie! them. Again, our students did themselves – and their school – proud. They continued to remain Kent Gloves Boxing Club calm, and then defended the member of the public, by telling the man she had ‘a right to speak.’ Congratulations to Archie Barritt in Year 7 We would like to thank the boys for their bravery. whose determination and persistence is helping They defied hatred and stood up for what is right, him fulfil his dream. all the time carrying themselves with the utmost dignity. We are proud to have these Holcombe Archie says: “I have been Heroes representing our school and being role models for our students. boxing for about 18 months at my club called Kent Gloves. I train from 3 to 5 Kent Junior Squad - Pool times a week after school and at weekends as I have to keep Congratulations to Connor Lewis, really fit. My aim is to win 11Co, who has recently qualified to a National championship for play pool for the Kent Junior England and to box for the Squad. On Sunday 2nd December Kent Minors team and in he competed against 10 other potential candidates the Olympics. and won six of the nine matches, coming 3rd place overall. He is now registered as a member of the English Pool Association and will play for Kent Boxing is a hard sport as you do it on our own and do against other counties in the South East on a not have team players to help you. You have to have a monthly basis. healthy diet and that is hard sometimes. So far, I have had 6 skills bouts which are non-competitive, they Well done Connor! help you get used to boxing other boys that you don’t know and boxing in front of large crowds. I have been given a trophy for doing each one, I am having my first completive bout in a few weeks which I am nervous and excited about , I have been picked to train with the Kent minors Squad and hope to get picked to box and represent Kent soon”.

Archie Barritt Year 7 Page 16

Would you like support with you Examination work? If so join our

GCSE Support Session Do you want to learn how to write music? Would you like to gain Music Theory Qualifications? Then join

HGS Composition & Music Theory Group

Do you enjoy singing? Do you play a musical instrument? Would you prefer to perform in a big Do you work well as part of a team? group? Then join Then join HGS Chamber Orchestra MAKE SOME MUSIC IN STYLE HGS KS3 Choir MAKE SOME MUSIC CHORAL STYLE

Open to staff and students

Do you want to set up a band or develop solo skills?

Then join For More Information on any of the Music HGS Performance Workshop Groups or GCSE Support groups please MAKE SOME MUSIC WITH STYLE see the notice boards or contact

Mr Horsey Head of Music Page 17 Fractal Tree

7-3’s project over the last two lessons. They had to find out what a fractal was and then individually construct a tetrahedron from four smaller ones. They then teamed up in fours to make a larger one and then com- bined four of these to make the final ‘tree’.

The base was made with help from the SEN team and a year 8 student who was more than happy to help who was there.

The Koch Star was aided by some year 12 students.

Handball Competition

We would like to thank our Year 10 and Year 8 handball teams for representing us in the Medway Schools Handball Competition last month. As ever, the boys were a credit to us.

The Year 10 side finished in 5th place overall – a fantastic achievement, as the students are relatively new to the sport – and our Year 8s stole the show and won the overall competition!

The competition took place on the 29th November. The Year 10 matches were carried out in a league structure, with the students playing all of the teams from other schools in their age range. The team displayed strong performances, winning many games comfortably throughout the day. Sikum Kambang and Cameron Jarvis, in particular, helped the boys finish a very respectable 5th place. The professionalism of the students was impeccable throughout the games and a credit to themselves.

The Year 8s, meanwhile, played a group stage and then final based on their position in that group. They enjoyed a successful day, and although they have only started playing handball this term, they eased through their group dominating games and battling fierce opposition. Strong performances defensively from Leo Nordkvist were complimented by the much praised Kieran Morgan, Brent Varrall and Matthew Olorunlogbon’s goal-scoring ability. Holcombe then faced The Howard School in the final for a place to win the tournament and the chance to represent Holcombe and Medway at the Kent School Games. After a tight and well-played match, Holcombe came out victorious, with a 4-2 victory against Howard, meaning the team won the tournament and qualified for the Kent School Games. Page 18 The Royal British Legion

Holcombe Grammar School raised a total of £99.05 for The Royal British Legion's 2018 Poppy Appeal.

Students wore their uniforms into school as part of Holcombe’s Armistice Day commemoration. It was excellent to see many students standing in sup- port and respect of our servicemen and women. The school observed a 2 minutes silence at 11 o’clock as a mark of respect and to remember those that paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedom of others.

Medway Secondary Schools Futsal Competition

Congratulations to the following students who proudly represented Holcombe Grammar School at the recent Medway Secondary Schools Futsal competition: Paul Oni, Brandon Hatega, Jeevan Benning, Samuel Hall, Finley Whitton, Kieran Morgan, Brandon Morris, Tye Parter, Benjamin Ley, Luke Stephens, Luke Cawe, Ade Ademola, Harvey Cotton, Lewin Keen, Sid Hopkins and Derah Morah.

All pupils were selected because of their consistent outstanding attitude and behaviour in Physical Education lessons plus their strong commitment to extra- curricular sports clubs. The Year 9 and 10 team finished in a respectable 6th position whilst the year 7 and 8 team went one step further and finished in third place. A particular mention goes to Jeevan Benning who scored 7 goals in 8 fixtures. Congratulations!"

SPORTS Page 19

House Results

Year 9 - Basketball

Played Won Drawn Lost Goal Diff. Points Position

Conquest 6 5 0 1 19 16 1st

Guardian 6 4 0 2 12 14 2nd

Shannon 6 1 1 4 2 9 4th

Barfleur 6 1 1 4 7 9 3rd

Year 7 - Rugby

Played Won Drawn Lost Tries scored Points Position

Conquest 4 2 2 0 6 10 1st

Guardian 4 1 1 2 3 7 4th

Shannon 1 4 0 1 3 2 5 5th

Shannon 2 4 1 3 0 7 9 2nd

Barfleur 4 2 1 1 3 9 3rd Page 20 Inter-House Competitions - Table Tennis

Year 7

House Games Won Position st Conquest 10 1 rd Guardian 7 3 th Shannon 1 5 5 rd Shannon 2 7 3 st Barfleur 10 1

Year 8

House Games Won Position nd Conquest 1 11 2 st Conquest 2 15 1 th Guardian 6 4 rd Shannon 9 3 th Barfleur 0 5

Year 9

House Games Won Position st Conquest 12 1 st Guardian 12 1 th Shannon 0 4 st Barfleur 12 1

Year 10

House Games Won Position nd Conquest 9 2 st Guardian 12 1 th Shannon 7 4 rd Barfleur 8 3 Page 21 Inter-House Competitions - Badminton

Year 7 House Games Won Position Conquest 7 4th Guardian 8 3rd Shannon 1 9 1st Shannon 2 9 1st Barfleur 2 4th

Year 8

House Games Won Position

Conquest 1 11 2nd

st Conquest 2 14 1

th Guardian 6 4 rd Shannon 9 3 Barfleur 0 5th

Year 9 House Games Won Position Conquest 6 3rd Guardian 9 2nd Shannon 4 4th Barfleur 14 1st

Year 10 House Games Won Position Conquest 15 1st Guardian 4 4th Shannon 5 3rd Barfleur 9 2nd

Page 22

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

BEFORE LUNCHTIME AFTER SCHOOL SCHOOL (1.20-1.50PM) (3.05-4.15PM) (7.30-8.30AM)

KS3 CHOIR TABLE TENNIS MONDAY GYM GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB GCSE PE PRACTICAL SUPPORT BADMINTON (B12) DUKE OF EDINBURGH (B12)

A LEVEL PE SUPPORT YR 7 BASKETBALL GCSE PE PRACTICAL SUPPORT BOOK THIEVES (A10) TUESDAY GYM HOMEWORK ON TIME SPANISH/FRENCH BADMINTON HGS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA FILM CLUB (S16) CODING CLUB (H11) RIDDLE CLUB ART CLUB (D20) 1ST XI FOOTBALL FIXTURES GCSE PE SUPPORT WEDNES- GYM YR 7&8 BADMINTON ARTICULATE (M14) DAY BADMINTON HOMEWORK ON TIME CHESS CLUB (E12) HGS VOCAL GROUP YR 7&8 RUGBY YR 9-13 BADMINTON

THURSDAY GYM GCSE PE EXTENSION HOMEWORK ON TIME BADMINTON COMPOSING & MUSIC THEORY

GROUP ART CLUB (D20)

YR 8 BASKETBALL GYM DEBATING SOCIETY GCSE PE PRACTICAL SUPPORT GYM (B12) CODING CLUB FRIDAY YEAR 7 FOOTBALL BADMINTON AND COMPUTING ETH- MUSIC PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP ICS GROUP (H11) LEGO CLUB (B12) KS3 FILM CLUB (H15) Page 23

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

HGS Music Groups 2018

Group Time Description

Lunch Time Singing in a group & Mondays Vocal Group /Choir 13:20 - 13:50 voice training

HGS Chamber After School Instrumental performance Tuesdays Orchestra 15:00 - 16:00 group

Lunch Time & Wednesdays GCSE Support GCSE Support After School

Music Writing & The- After School Learning how to write Thursdays ory Group 15:00 - 16:00 music

Performance After School Fridays Performance workshop Workshop 15:00 - 16:00

If you would like to join any of the clubs please see Mr Horsey - Head of Music Page 24

TERM DATES FOR 2018/2019

September 2018 to July 2019

Term 1 Start Monday 3rd September : Staff Development Day – no school for students Tuesday 4th September: whole school starts

Finish Friday 19th October

Autumn Break Monday 22nd October to Friday 26th October Monday 29th October: Staff Development Day – no school for students

Term 2 Start Tuesday 30th October Finish Wednesday 19th December Thursday 20th December – school closed for day in lieu of Open Morning

Christmas Break Friday 21st December to Thursday 3rd January Friday 4th January: Staff Development Day – no school for students

Term 3 Start Monday 7th January Finish Friday 15th February

February Break Monday 18th February to Friday 22nd February

Term 4 Start Monday 25th February Finish Friday 5th April

Spring Break Monday 8th April to Monday 22nd April

Good Friday Friday 19th April Easter Monday Monday 22nd April

Term 5 Start Tuesday 23rd April Finish Friday 24th May Early May Bank Holiday Monday 6th May May Break Monday 27th May to Friday 31st May

Term 6 Start Monday 3rd June Finish Friday 19th July Monday 22nd July: Staff Development Day – no students in school Tuesday 23rd July Staff Development Day – no students in school

Page 25

LOOKING AHEAD TERM DATES FOR 2019/2020

September 2019 to July 2020 Term 1 Start Monday 2nd September 2019: Staff Development Day Tuesday 3rd September 2019: Whole school starts Finish Thursday 17th October 2019: Whole school finishes

Friday 18th October 2019: Staff Development Day

Autumn Break Monday 21st October 2019 to Friday 25th October 2019

Term 2 Start Monday 28th October 2019

Finish Wednesday 18th December, 2019

Christmas Thursday 19th December 2019: School closed in lieu of Open Day Break Friday 20th December 2019 to Friday 3rd January 2020 Monday 6th January 2020: Staff Development Day

Term 3 Start Tuesday 7th January 2020

Finish Friday 14th February 2020

February Break Monday 17th February 2020 to Friday 21st February 2020

Term 4 Start Monday 24th February 2020

Finish Friday 3rd April 2020

Good Friday Friday 10th April 2020

Easter Monday Monday 13th April 2020

Spring Break Monday 6th April 2020 to Friday 17th April 2020

Term 5 Start Monday 20th April 2020

Finish Friday 22nd May 2020

Early May Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 2020

May Break Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May 2020

Term 6 Start Monday 1st June 2020

Finish Friday 17th July 2020 Monday 20th July 2020: Staff Development Day Tuesday 21st July 2020: Staff Development Day

The newsletter can be downloaded from the HGS website. Spring Term Commences on Monday, 7th January (Week B)