NewsNews No.4

6:00am awakening may be daunting for some but for However, I did have me it was no ordinary day. I was travelling to London my own claim to A with other members of Youth Parliament from to fame, sitting in the join our 300 UK Youth Parliament companions to make history place of Harriet by debating in the House of - the first time any Harmon for the last group other than Parliament has been able to do this. two debates and In short, UK Youth Parliament is an organisation giving 11-18 even briefly speaking year olds from all over the UK an authoritative voice, in the to the Speaker of the shape of 600 or so annually elected young people - House of Commons, representatives, voted for by young people in the different John Bercow in constituencies. I myself am the current Member of Youth Westminster Hall. Everyone was really engaged in the debates, Parliament speaking out for the young people who live in including those watching, based on positive feedback I’ve had. , voted for based on a speech I gave in January last year. UKYP succeeded in producing a positive image of young people It was a fantastic sight to see the chamber full of passionate from all around the UK to the audience and Parliament itself. young people like myself, raring to debate our five topics, It was amazing to see some MPs watching us speak, and I think chosen and voted by the young people of the UK; we have really proven that young people are responsible citizens, engaged with political issues. Free University Education Youth Crime and how to tackle it At the end of the debates we voted on ‘lowering the voting age Free transport for over 60s, but not for young people to 16’ as the campaign to focus on for the year ahead. Capitalism, the economy and job opportunities for young With such a welcoming, hopefully this will become an annual people occurrence - after all UKYP has been brought up a few times in Lowering the voting age to 16 Parliament now, to a chorus of positive “here, heres” from our Although I wasn’t picked by the speaker to address the MPs. chamber, it was a pleasure to listen to the articulate and Your MYP, Sophie Bradfield informed opinions of my fellow MYPs.

e (Year 12 and 13 Art students) recently had the great privilege of listening to David Evans talk to us about the subject of his book “Appropriation” and W the fine line between stealing someone’s idea and “appropriating” an idea and using it in your own work - and a fascinating talk it was; diversifying into tales of his amazing experiences documenting the work of John Heartfield in Berlin around the fall of the Berlin War. He talked to us about the art of choosing a name if you are going to get ahead in the art world, as Heartfield was actually a German artist whose real name was Helmut Herzfield and he used the name John Heartfield to criticise the anti-British sentiment in Germany at the time. And so he encouraged us to come up with our own, more interesting names, which was really enjoyable and fun, helping each other to create suitable choices. The author/artist then instructed us to create our own works of art using materials he provided, and he himself joined in, finally giving us his views on what we had fashioned in the time given. Overall it was an inspiring and greatly interesting talk from an equally inspiring and interesting man. WARREN PEACE (!?) - Year 12 Art Student

On a cold, windy and rainy Sunday position. In a very much tightened morning at the end of last year, a small competition framework, the team must team from Parkstone travelled to the wait for the results of the final regional South West Regional Biathlon (run/swim) competition in early 2010 to see if they competition at Millfield School in Somerset. will qualify for the National Finals in First up was the Year 9 team of Rochelle Aldershot Garrison on 21 March 2010 as Stott, Laura Chitty and Georgia Poole. one of the top 8 teams in the country, but After a determined run in the rain they so far they seem likely to do so. were lying 4th as a team. The swim Melissa Courtney did even better for improved their position with individual Parkstone in the Year 12/13 event in the trophy positions of 5th for Laura, and 6th afternoon to win the run by a for Rochelle. Having abandoned her considerable margin and take fourth in netball for the day, Georgia put in a strong the swim, to be Overall Champion. This run and committed swim to come 22nd to means that Melissa qualifies as of right for bring the team home to the silver medal the National Final.

Early in January former Year 13 students returned to Parkstone to celebrate the achievements of last year’s A Level students. The evening started with refreshments in the Sixth Form Common Room, allowing the former students to chat with their old classmates and enjoy swapping stories of their lives after Parkstone. After the girls’ excitable reunion, the school prizes were announced and awarded. These informal presentations were very lively and humorous, with anecdotes and tales of school incidents being recounted. The students finished the evening in high spirits, expressing their great enjoyment at returning to the school.

“Pact-Dorset” delivered a “parenting with, their daughters’ activities and for them; and the use of “I messages”, teenagers” course to a group of parents friendships. explaining to the young person how their of our Year 8 and Year 9 students. Other sessions covered methods of actions make the parent feel. dealing with conflict in a non The participants really enjoyed the The 6 week course focused on strategies confrontational manner using “active sessions, and everyone was still coming for working with young people, and listening” skills after a “calming down” in the cold, dark Tuesday evenings at the helped parents enhance their time; allowing teenagers to undertake end of the course! understanding of teenagers’ needs. Key responsibility whilst still supporting and messages included the need for teaching them when appropriate; Thanks go to Mary Marsh for sharing her “connection”, for parents to show an allowing teenagers to learn by their expertise and running such an enjoyable interest in and, to an extent, get involved mistakes, not always providing solutions and productive course.

or 5 days at the end of last year, I was artist in residence at . This was a wonderful opportunity for me to spend a week dedicated to working on a project from start to finish. It was also a great chance for the students to see F artwork created from initial conception to final product. For the residency I was allotted a relatively large space at the end of ART2 and I was given a free rein as to how the project would progress. When I am given an empty space my reaction is to attempt to fill it! So my first thoughts were how to fill such a large space within the timescale allotted with materials that could be easily found. Space and materials then became the restrictions that would direct how this piece should progress. I think that much of my work arises from restrictions and that when contemplating a new work the narrower the brief the more creative I must be to achieve something pleasing. I am keen to use mundane materials like paper that can be turned into something more dramatic. Paper is usually thought of as being flat and white and is commonly used as the vehicle for other work that is written, painted or drawn upon it, but with this work I felt that I would make the paper the art itself. The structure was built from 208 individually folded paper pyramids of differing sizes, and was inspired by the hidden internal crystal cavities found in geodes rock formations. Hidden internal spaces interest me and I was drawn to the idea that I could use the space allotted to me to map another separate space within it. I approached the formation as a pixelated image, like that of a digital photograph, but instead of building the image by varying the colours I would alter the height of the elements. Also I wanted to escape the idea of the pixel as a square unit and wondered what would result if the pixel was pyramidal. The structure was made by organising half of the pyramids on a base lifted from the floor and then suspending an exact mirror copy from the ceiling. The internal space was then mapped by the gaps made by the varying sizes of the pyramids. I thought the whole week was great success especially as the structure very closely resembled my initial vision as well as turning up some unforeseen delights like the optical patterns that each line of pyramids made, and the wonderful shadowplay created when the work was illuminated. PAUL HEARN – Artist & Parkstone’s Art Technician

AND FROM A STUDENT’S POINT OF VIEW … uring the end of the Autumn Term we were blessed as a department to have an “Artist in Residence” – not only was our Artist able to come and practise in our school but he was also a member of the Art Department as well! D This enabled us, as students, to get an insight into the creation of an art piece right here in our school. Talking to Mr Hearn gave us permission to enter his own world of processing ideas, from a mental image right through to the final physical piece of art. His art piece was inspired by “hidden internal crystal cavities found in geodes” which I found particularly captivating as it involved contrasting ideas of Mathematics and Art. His artwork showed freedom in design but with numerical precision being created from over two hundred finely measured pyramids. Seeing him work has taught me that not only is art the finished painting on the wall, or the beautifully carved sculpture, but it is also the process of an idea. The very fact that starting with an initial plan can lead you onto a journey of discovery – but what you learn and how your art changes is the true quality of your finished design. Michelle Gorton – Year 12 Art Student SSppeecciiaalliisstt SScchhoooollss

n Friday 8 January, every student in Year 8 competed in the Year 8 Interform Maths Challenge. They took part in teams of O 4 or 5 students in rounds including a head to head competition and a relay race. The aim was to get the highest score by getting as many correct answers as possible to some very difficult Maths problems. In a very close contest the winning teams came from 8A and 8S although congratulations go to all who took part.

ear 9 students recently enjoyed Languages Frontiers Day, during which they worked in teams to set up their own leisure company in The school has been awarded a grant to Y French, German or Spanish. develop links with our partner school the During the day, they made radio jingles for their company, produced and Kyoto Gakuen High School in Japan. filmed television commercials designed a promotional t-shirt and created The school hopes to send a teacher from the menus for the centre’s canteen. school to Kyoto on a professional exchange in The two days were a great success and the September 2010 and to host a returning winning group has been invited to present teacher in the Summer. The focus of the their work at a regional conference for exchange is looking at the differences Headteachers, hosted by the Enterprise and between educational practice in Japan and the Skills company. UK and is a precursor to a possible student Our Sixth Form language students supported exchange in the following year. the day and were congratulated on their We will also be hosting a visit from the efforts. Togane Prefecture School (based near Tokyo) Some student comments from the days: on 22 March. The students and teachers One of the T-Shirts designed by ‘It was a fun way to express our creative skills visiting us for the day want to learn more the students about the British education system and to join and speak languages’ sixth form students in their lessons. ‘Fun yet informative – a good experience of the world of business’ We hope that some of our Japanese students ‘The activities were challenging and fun and we learnt that business can be from Parkstone will be joining the group to interesting’ practise their language skills! ‘It has given me more confidence in speaking another language’

Parkstone was recently proud to host a Year 7 Our Year 12 students are now running Société Française for any interested Sixth French training day for the school’s partner Form language students (Tuesdays 13:30 LAN5). middle schools. Ten middle school teachers spent the day at the school working with the The group has invited numerous guest speakers to present to them, including our Poole Primary advisor Jo Crocombe, to French assistant Flore Bergaron and Sabine Fairhall one of Parkstone’s Cover develop the scheme of work for Year 7 in the Supervisors, whose native language is French. The group has invited Agnès Spring Term. Gendry-Hearn, Product Buyer for Lush, to speak to them in February. Leading on from this, we are pleased to have Recently the group celebrated Epiphany (la fête des rois) which involved finding a learned that we have been porcelain figure (la fève) in the traditional cake of the festival (la galette des rois) awarded a Links Into Congratulations to our finders who then became the official queens of the day! Languages grant to promote creative speaking opportunities for Key Stage The success of this group is down to Amber Morley and Helena Kipling, who have 3 students. This work involves us collaborating with two other secondary organised and set-up this group from scratch. schools locally.

ongratulations go to Parkstone step is to travel to Denmark to students Annie Tinker and represent in the Nordic C Hannah Ridge who have been volleyball competition. selected to play for the England Junior volleyball team. Their next Good Luck Ladies!

Late in the Autumn term, Parkstone The chair of the Judges announced how debaters, Bethanie Watson and Hettie impressed she was at the high standard FILMCLUB at Parkstone is proving to Reed (plus loyal supporters) piled into shown and the impressive research the be highly popular with the students. the minibus with Ms Jarratt and Ms teams had undertaken, offering The groups meet on a weekly basis to Ashby and headed off to the district some helpful and constructive criticism round of the English Speaking Union watch and discuss a wide variety of Mace debating competition and comments on films. at for individual performances. Girls. Participating with our One student, Jessica Haytayan, even school were teams Our team was obviously submitted her written review on the from Bournemouth School, disappointed not to get film Strictly Ballroom to the website Bournemouth School for through to the next round www.filmclub.org and was delighted Girls, Poole Grammar, that i was chosen as one of the best this year, but should feel Thomas Hardye School and and posted on the website! . proud of their exceptional performances in what Her review said: It was a lively evening with was an extremely close teams debating the following I thought the movie was enjoyable three motions: This House competition. Two teams once you got through the rather Would Make Voting go on to the next round: confusing beginning. Compulsory; This House Would Bournemouth School for Randomly Test School Pupils Girls and The Thomas I liked the music and I thought the For Drugs and This House Hardye School. costumes and the make-up were Believes That School interesting - and kind of weird. The Examinations Are Getting Easier. Meanwhile we look dancing was great too. The floor debates following the forward to honing our I thought the characters were insane speeches by competitors were debating skills with some but I found them amusing. I liked particularly spirited and friendly debates against their accents. The ending was sort of enthusiastic, making for a Poole Grammar in the cheesy but I enjoyed the movie overall thoroughly entertaining event. coming terms. and would recommend it to my With refreshments, friends and family. spectators and participants from all the Debating Club meets on Tuesday You don’t have to enjoy ballroom schools mingled and chatted, discussing lunchtimes in ENG4 – students in Years the evening and continuing to debate dancing to enjoy this film – don’t the issues raised during the debates. 10-13 are welcome to join judge a film by its name!!!

Parkstone Grammar School PSA is hosting a

Parkstone footballers are excelling this season.

This month the U15 team overcame Bohunt School,

Liphook 3-1 to progress to the last 16 in the country! A With music and calling by fantastic achievement!!

1-0 down at half time, Parkstone raised their game in the second half to play their best football of the season culminating in three goals from Rhiannon Cowan, Friday 5 March 2010 Lucie Grisdale and Alicia Gibbs. The match displayed another fabulous performance from Dancing starts at 7.30 p.m. every single member of the Parkstone team: Alicia Gibbs(c), Bar Opens at 7.15 p.m. – all drinks reasonably priced! Faith Medway, Sruthi Balaji, Abbie Coombes, Georgia Tickets : £8 to include ploughman’s supper (cheese or pate) Boreham, Georgia Littlefair, Laura Chitty, Abbie Wall, . Isla Tweed, Alex Lane, Lucie Grisdale, Natasha Gibbs, Rhiannon Cowan. Invites have been sent to all parents via ParentMail & Student Register Well done ladies! For further copies, please contact the school office