The newspaper written by Kettlethorpe pupils

Teacher Feature by Ella Goodair and Emily Mitchell

On Thursday 8th October, we had the pleasure of interviewing Mr Griffiths, the head teacher of Kettlethorpe High School, for the first publication of the Teacher Feature article. We asked lots of questions and received many answers as to why he likes working at our school and the fun he had when he was a child. Recently, won the Challenge cup To start with, we asked him why he liked working at Kettlethorpe against Salford Red and he replied, ‘I like coming to work and doing my job; being with Devils. It was a close young people who enjoy being in school and want to be in school, is match with Leeds fun. It makes things exciting and rejuvenates things. Every day is winning 17-16. different, and it is never dull. That is the great thing about being in Strictly Come Dancing a school: no two days are the same.’ started on TV. This

How long have you been working at Kettlethorpe? Mr Griffiths season, the first ever answered: ‘I came to Kettlethorpe in 1993 to be head of a subject same gender couple was department and then, after four years, I became a deputy head. I announced! left in 2001 for a period of 8 years and I have now been back at Kettlethorpe for 15-16 years.’

After that, we asked Mr. Griffiths - What subject did you teach at school before becoming head teacher? He answered: ‘I taught Will it happen this year? Design and Technology (Graphics). I was really pleased to teach Halloween is going to look a lot different for kids that subject and I loved every minute of it. I really miss teaching this year, as there the subject and being in a class with young pupils. It was great will be no parties watching students make things and get better over the five years I or gatherings with taught them.’ their friends. We also found out what subject Mr. Griffiths enjoyed the most Instead, families whilst he was at school. ‘I always enjoyed doing the practical can expect to subjects, I enjoyed P.E. I went to a school in London, and it was a tough little school. There were no fields, no grass anywhere. Just concrete and tarmac and we had to do all sport away from school. spend October 31 indoors If you were good at something, regardless of whether you wanted while carving pumpkins to do it or not, you had to do it. Cross country, cricket, hockey. and apple bobbing. So, is Great little school. I loved D.T. and making things with my hands; Trick or Treating in 2020 they were my favourite subjects. I didn’t like maths, but I enjoyed cancelled in the UK? English I loved reading books and my parents did too. They had 14,000 books in their house, far too many.’ The Joke Of The Half Term What started your passion for teaching ? ‘I was inspired by teachers at school and when I was older and went to Wales, I met Why did the skeleton burp? another teacher who took me under his wing and taught me a lot of Because he didn't have the guts to fart! skills and inspired me to get my teaching Continued on page 5 The Kettlethorpe Press

Pumpkin muffins

Dry ingredients Why don’t you give

2 cups of self-raising flour 1 teaspoon of cinnamon these recipes a try? 1/2 a teaspoon of ground ginger by Savannah Khall

1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/3 cups of brown sugar

Wet ingredients

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla ex- tract

6 tablespoons of room temperature butter

1 1/2 cups of seedless pumpkin pulp Rice krispie spiders and ghosts Method:

1. Prep the tin with cupcake cases or cooking oil. Ingredients (makes 9):

2. Mix the dry ingredients together except the brown sugar 100g of rice krispys in 1 of the bowls with a whisk or mixer. 4 strawberry laces per spider

3. Cream the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes in a separate 150g white and milk chocolate each (melted) bowl or until light and fluffy. Boiling water (be careful with the bowl!) 4. Beat the eggs one at a time into the bowl holding the creamed butter and sugar mixing after each egg has been added until well combined. Method:

5. Next, add the seedless pumpkin pulp and vanilla extract 1. Boil a kettle and pour into a pan. into the butter, sugar and eggs. 2. Add the milk chocolate 1 cube at a time into a bowl and 6. One cup at a time add the dry mix into the wet ingredi- turn the hob on and place the pan on it, then put the bowl ents and beat on low speed until combined. Do not over- containing the chocolate on the pan. mix! 3. Stir with the wooden spoon until melted. Repeat for the 7. Transfer the batter evenly into each cupcake case. white chocolate in a separate bowl.

8. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until set. To test if it is cooked 4. Add half of the rice krispies to the milk chocolate. poke a fork gently through the centre of 1 muffin .If it Leave a bit of chocolate to make eyes on the ghosts. Re- comes out with a few crumbs that means it is ready. If not peat for the white chocolate. put it in for 5 minutes and check again repeat until ready. 5. Transfer the milk chocolate mix into 4 cupcake cases 9. Cool the muffins for 10 minutes then take them out of and add half to the last cupcake case. Repeat for the white the tray. If you greased the pan with cooking oil, gently run chocolate mix. Use the opposite colour to make eyes. a knife around the muffin tin to loosen it and then remove 6. Put in the fridge to cool for 10 minutes and when the it from the tray and enjoy. chocolate hardens serve and enjoy.

Page 2 The newspaper written by Kettlethorpe pupils The Kettlethorpe Press The girl and the Happy waves

Crashing violently against the jagged rocks, with the News power of the whole ocean behind each attack, the Smile Day waves towered menacingly above her. Swimming, Did you know that there is a ‘smile day’? Well, on 2nd Octo- kicking, screaming; the girl remained helpless in the ber 1963, Harvey Ball created a smiley face image. It was middle of the sea, too far for her screams to be heard from there onwards that he made a ‘smile day’! Every year and yet too close for her to go unnoticed. Yet, no one countries all over the world celebrate this day, which is de- went to save her. A few indistinguishable people on voted to smiles, good deeds and acts of kindness! the shore observed her from afar, noting that something was not quite right but not knowing what Black History Month was happening. October is ‘Black History Month’. This gives the whole world an opportunity to celebrate differences between races. Many It was her and the waves. laws and rules of different countries have been changed No one else. over time. Thanks to Martin Luther King - along with many She swam frantically towards the beach, swallowing other famous activists – for giving everyone an opportunity mouthful after mouthful of the salty tasting water for their voice to be heard. but being too frightened to care. The sky growled A prize to stop the Earth’s demise angrily as the looming clouds approached overhead. Recently, Sir David Attenborough and Prince William have Vigorously, the wind whistled and the people on the teamed up to launch the Earth Shot Prize. An award that is beach foreseeing the oncoming attack from the the environmental equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize. Until storm, turned to packing their towels and umbrellas. 2030, they will be giving away five £1million prizes each Every wave more year, to people who invent ingenious new ways to reach the violent and ‘Earth Shots’. These include: cleaning our air; reviving the aggressive than oceans; creating a sustainable waste free world; fixing the the last, she climate and restoring and protecting our planet’s precious fought against biodiversity. This is the most important environmental them with every award in history! fibre of her Here is a quote by Prince William: “The Earth is at a tipping being. Her point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we screams getting lost in the wind which whistled are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our louder than her. unique power as human beings and our continual ability to And then she went under. The waves engulfing her lead, innovate and problem solve. People can achieve great tiny figure in the distance. Mouthfuls of water more things. The next ten years present us with one of our great- frequent, the water now pushing its way in her lungs est tests - a decade of action to repair the Earth.” until they burned livid on fire. Ironic, isn’t it? So if you want to save the planet (or just get caps on!!! No one will notice she was gone. Not until her body https://earthshotprize.org/ washes up the shore like a beached whale and her Essential viewing for all who care about the environment face reduced to a blue, disfigured mess. Not until she and the future of our planet - David Attenborough: a life on ruins someone or some family’s happy day at the our planet (Netflix). beach. Only then will her death be noticed.

Short story by Meiyan Secco Compiled by Alice Mitchell and Yasmin Coe

Page 3 The newspaper written by Kettlethorpe pupils The Kettlethorpe Press

Having suffered 9 defeats, can Trinity finally scrape a win against the side that narrowly beat them last time out?

St Helens v | Venue: | Date: Thursday 15 October 2020 by Thomas Batty and Ruby Browning

As St Helens and Wakefield Trinity get ready to face off in go down oddly on his ankle, and he goes off. 10 minutes gone round 16 of the Betfred , the coaches have off the clock and it’s a Trinity penalty. Chester looks like he posted the 17 man squad for their game on Thursday. has no belief in his team any more. Saints score 8-0 and Saints’ head coach posted this earlier today: Coote cannot convert 8-0 still. Trinity bring Fafita but it’s a 1, James Bentley 3, 4, 5, Saints penalty. It’s another try for Saints but this time Coote 6, 7, 8, Thomas did convert 14-0. Makinson 11, Lois McCarth-Scarsbrook 12, 13, 30 minutes gone and another try by Saints. What are Trinity Dominque Peyroux 14, 15, 18, Alex doing here? 18-0. Coote also converts 20-0. 24-0 Saints score Warmaley 19, Jack Welsby 20, Matty Lees 17. again. And another conversion 26-0. What are Trinity doing Wakefield Trinity head coach Chris Chester posted this this evening? And it’s a hat trick by Makinson 30-0. 32-0 earlier today: Matty Ashurst 11, James Batchelor 16, Eddie Coote converts. And that is the first half done. Battye 41, Jack Croft 24, David Fafita 8, Chris Green 17, Ryan As half time hit like a bullet to the head, all hope had risen to Hampshire 29, 2, Max Jowitt 21, Craig the gods—will there be any way for Wakefield Trinity to win Kopczak 15, Reece Lyne 4, Romain Navarrete 37, Innes Senior back this match or is this just game gone to waste, another 34, 36, Alex Walker 1, 13, round of energy for nothing? The score 32-0 and all St 23. Helens fans are on edge, they’re in the lead but can they keep Having re-signed for Wakefield after falling down the it that way in the second half. Only time can tell. pecking order at Canberra Raiders, what will Sam Williams Its not been long since the restart and Saints are already at it do when he starts at Trinity in a few weeks? again trying to get another one. And as the match gets underway it seems like Chester has 50 minutes gone and there is a horrible call by the referee, he some doubts about his side. I wonder what he is thinking? just says play on to a full blown forward pass. Nothing yet 5 minutes gone and the first decision for VAR will Saints be with scoring this half. And Trinity score to go to 30-4. Can allowed this? And video referee Scott Michalowski says it is a Wakefield convert 30-6? Yes they can. 10 minutes to go. TRY 4-0 St Helens. It is just up to Coote to convert it but he Saints score two times on the trot 42-6. And to end this game has failed 4-0. off Saints put their wining lead to 32. As Alex Walker claims the ball from the high kick he seems to The game ends 48-6.

Films and shows picked by Ella O’Sullivan

Page 4 The newspaper written by Kettlethorpe pupils The Kettlethorpe Press

Continued from page 1 degree at Loughborough brothers and 2 sisters. The thing I liked most about University. For me, those people are who really inspired me growing up was being out in the outdoors: camping, going to start teaching. I enjoyed it and it made my life so fun.’ to the Lake District, the scouts, football, rugby and riding a

We asked Mr. Griffiths -What is the biggest change that bike. I lived near a place called Epping Forest, just on the he has witnessed since leading Kettlethorpe? and he edge of London. My childhood was very fun. I had good answered this question with such love, and we think that he parents and they wanted me to do well. I didn’t always do really does like seeing our school succeed. He said ‘I have well at school, but I had a fun time. I remember going to been a head teacher for 20 years. 15-16 of those years, I have fun places like Snowdonia and building dams in rivers with spent at Kettlethorpe. It has gone really quickly. However, my brothers and doing that sort of thing. I got things the biggest change I think I have felt is that the school is wrong that were interesting and worried me, but I learnt a much more of a community and we always get on together. lesson. I don’t like getting things wrong and I am fairly Well not always, sometimes we do fall out but most of the compliant and follow the law and I don’t usually get into time, everybody seems to get on. We have a really nice mix bother. I liked being with similar people who had the same in school of people from all sorts of different backgrounds. It mind set and attitude. I used to play the violin (and still do wasn’t always as friendly when I first started. The staff also now) I didn’t like it when I was younger because it got in make an impact and school is a really nice place to be.’ the way of rugby. I could have done better in this. But my childhood was never dull, and I used to spend a lot of time What is the best thing about KHS? He knew straight with my grandad. I have a lot of happy memories from my away, what he was going to reply with: ‘The people that are grandad.’ in it. The young people who come here and the staff. Because that is what makes it a school!’ Mr. Griffiths is a Could you tell us something interesting about your man with a strong belief and desire in our school and that is family? ‘I think I've been very lucky with my family. A lot what makes him such a great head teacher. of it goes back to ambition and people wanting to better themselves. My grandfather was a bookseller but before As head teacher, do you have any outstanding ambitions that he was a miner. He worked down the mines in South that you would like to fulfil? Mr Griffiths answered: ‘For Wales, so I come from a mining family, but my grandfather the school? In the old days, I used to think “LET’S GET THE made a decision and set up a bookshop with his brothers. It SCHOOL TO BE OUTSTANDING” but I’ve got beyond that was called ‘Griff’s Limited’ and it was based in London and now. What I think matters most is that everybody gets the because that happened, my dad then went to university grades that they deserve to get and I find that sometimes and then we’ve all been to universities. We all like music; some children have it harder than others. It’s more we all play musical instruments; I've got pictures of my challenging for them as they have difficult circumstances to grandfather playing the triangle when he was about 6 and deal with at home and so-on, so what I want to see is every then he played the violin- that is a big part of our life. child being successful and moving on to employment and Another thing that is a great part of our life is rugby. We having families and having a great life. That is what I would just love to watch rugby. We like to watch Wales; we’re not really like to see more of. I think we have done an awful lot English supporters. I love watching rugby with my over the years, but I just feel that there are still some kids in brothers. I’ve got a sister who has special needs, which is school that have it hard. I think we need to make it fair and sad, and she needs a lot of looking after; she lives in a I think that we need to do that because it’s the right thing to home where she is looked after by other people. It makes do and we need to do it in a way without making them stand you realise how well you can be and be successful whilst out or be identified as children that do have a hard time. someone is at the other end and doesn’t have such There is plenty to do and this job is never dull and my desk, opportunities. That is something about my family, and my as you can see, is reasonably tidy at the minute, but it will sister, she has real qualities, she does nice things and has a never be empty, will it? There is always something to do.’ good memory.’

Moving on, we asked Mr. Griffiths a few questions to do Were you ever told off at school? This is a good with his childhood: Do you have an interesting memory question that will entertain most people; but nobody is from your childhood? ‘I have lots of interesting memories perfect...right? Well this was Mr. Griffiths at school: ‘Yes, I from my childhood. I had a very happy childhood; I have 2 got into bother. I don’t like getting told off and I got told off

Page 5 The newspaper written by Kettlethorpe pupils The Kettlethorpe Press once for something I didn’t do. I thought this was really brought a lot of hope and feeling into his answer: ‘As you unfair. I was around 11 and I was at a junior school and next get older, things change in your mind. To keep going for as door was a school for children who were deaf and the boys I long as possible in what I do. To be fit and healthy. You was with at the time started throwing stones at need to look after your health, and you need to be the windows. I was with them but didn’t throw any stones physically fit to do what you need to do, and I think at and I actually stood away from it and I remember getting some stage that will catch me out.' told off and being blamed for that. That’s why I am quite If you could change anything about the world right keen, if kids get it wrong in school, there is always 2 sides to now, what would you change? ‘We’ve mentioned the a story, and you need to find out the full picture before you Covid vaccine, but I think it’s really sad that in this day and make a judgment. I got detentions but, I never got excluded age, that there are still young kids and families with not or sent home. I was quite a good boy in school really.’ enough food to live on. I think the famine in Africa, the Could you tell us something that no one else in school poverty and not even having access to fresh water is quite knows about you? We were intrigued to know the a sad thing really and yet we can develop nuclear answer to this question and were very happy when Mr. technology, we can make aeroplanes, we can fly to the Griffiths gave us an answer: ‘I had a very famous godparent. moon, but some people in some countries haven’t got Some of the staff might know about this, but the pupils enough water to live on. It stops them living and it kills won’t. He was from Dagenham and he was a very good them young and I think it’s really sad.’ musician; he played the organ and got a scholarship to What was your greatest accomplishment when you Oxford University and became a very famous comedian. He were at school? Did Mr. Griffiths ever achieve anything did a lot of television work and made some films. One of the at school that made him extremely proud? Let's find out: ‘I films was called Arthur, The Movie. The star of that used to love being in charge. I was a house captain and in program was my godfather. My dad was friendly with my final year at school, I was Head Boy, that was quite a someone and that friend became my godfather. He was nice thing to be. It taught me all about responsibility. I world famous. Editor’s note: We believe that world famous have always liked to change things for the better and make actor was a certain Dudley Moore. things happen. The biggest thing for me, was doing well in Is there anything you would like to improve at KHS? my A-Levels to go to the university of my choice. That was ‘Yes. The computers are never quite up to scratch are they, what made me, because if I hadn’t gone to university, I never quite do what they should do, so the computer suites, would be doing something completely different.’ IT technology and the WIFI around school. Maybe, if we can If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, have a swimming pool, that would be brilliant, wouldn’t it? who would it be? ‘The first person to climb Mount Everest But we’re not likely to get one! I’d like to improve the was Edmund Hillary and he climbed the famous mountain facilities. We’ve done a lot of work with facilities recently, in 1953 and after that he did charity work or Bobby Moor the new building and there is planning permission granted who was the England captain of the football team in 1966. I for a new building where the caretaker's bungalow is, so was a big West Ham fan and Bobby Moor was a West Ham we’re going to knock that down once we get the money in to player.’ And if you had one superpower, what would it do it.’ Mr. Griffiths said this, and we have every hope that be? 'If I had one superpower, it would be to make time these things will happen when the time is right to do it. stand still so that we could live the moment for longer.’ If you could do anything at all (like fly or jump really high) what would you do? ‘If I could do anything right now, I’d After our interview, we realised how much love Mr. develop a vaccine for Covid-19; because I think that will be a Griffiths has for Kettlethorpe High School. He is a great real showstopper for all of us when it happens. It’s going to head teacher and has all of his mindset to pupils achieving change our lives and it has changed our lives. I just don’t and getting the grades they need to get. Furthermore, he is want it to carry on, because it’s been going on for too long. a man of his word and understands the children in our It’s more of a percentage of your lives than it is of my life. school. Because of this, KHS respects everyone whatever So, I would like to come up with a drug that we could all their race, religion or sexuality. We are a big family and take and make it go away.’ will always be there for everyone no matter what. We asked Mr. Griffiths: What is your greatest desire? He

Page 6 The newspaper written by Kettlethorpe pupils