Haggerston Newsletter of Recorder Issue 005_December 2014 Diary Dates Friday 19th December End of Autumn term Monday 5th January Start of Spring term Dear Parents/Carers Thursday 15th January In this edition of the Recorder you will notice more reports than usual Year 7 Parents’ evening from the sixth form, a signal of how it has grown in size considerably 5.00pm – 7.00pm this year, which is a significant change for the school. What is also significant is that the other gradual change which the school has been Thursday 22nd January undergoing over the past four years is now complete – this term the Year 11 Parents’ evening school is fully mixed, with boys in year 11. 5.00pm – 7.00pm Celebrating the successes and achievements of all the children and young people in this school is one of the privileges of being Monday 16th – its Headteacher and, as always, it gives me great pleasure to 20th February introduce to you another fine edition of the Recorder, packed full Spring half term of such celebration. Thursday 5th March At this point in the year the school is extremely busy. Year 11 have their mock GCSE exams this week; other years are in the middle of their end Year 8 Parents’ evening of term assessments or preparing for A level mocks in January, and 5.00pm – 7.00pm last week saw the annual school production, ‘Uprising’, involve more than 100 young people and hugely impress its audiences. Thank you Thursday 26th March for all of your support for the school, and our continued drive to raise Year 10 Parents’ evening standards to ‘outstanding’. 5:00pm-7:00pm We wish you all a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas holiday. Friday 27th March Dr. Jane Keeley, End of Spring term Headteacher Monday 13th April Start of Summer Term A lasting Legacy Thursday 16th April October saw the permanent installation of artwork on the south wall in the Year 9 Parents’ and atrium commemorating the work of the architect Ernő Goldfinger. The text Options evening and graphics illustrate unique design features of our building as well as 5.00pm – 7.00pm highlighting the history of the school building that we work and study in. The installation was generously funded by Rivington Street Studio. Monday 25th - 29th May Summer Half term Friday 17th July End of Summer term New term starts on Monday 5th January 2015 Haggerston Recorder December 2014 Alma wins “the most Uprising original idea” prize PASSION, PROTEST, In July, Alma Morris attended POLITICS the awards ceremony at the School of Computer Science at Last summer I sat in the school hall Manchester University, where and was moved to tears by a year she embodied the Haggerston 9 student singing Sam Cooke’s “A values of confident, capable and change is gonna come “. Despite creative with her animation film the song coming from another entitled “The Future I-World”. time and place, the words and way She achieved the prize for the it was sung reminded me of how “most original idea”. relevant it still is today. Use the link to see her entry At Haggerston we have always www.animation14cs. believed that the voices of young manchester.ac.uk/gallery/ people are powerful. Their words winners/Best/ carry weight, no more so than Here are her thoughts on her when performing. winning the prize: It must be hard growing up today. “I was very excited when I arrived at The image of listless, self-absorbed, the University and I felt very lucky materialistic youth can dominate to have been chosen as a prize the media. If you have the privilege winner considering they received of working with young people you 1,339 entries across the UK and know that is not the case. the judges included professional Over 100 students worked with people from famous companies focus, creativity and determination like the BBC and Electronic Arts Open House in creating this year’s performance. (The Sims). I got lots of inspiration If you are purchasing This is a true reflection of our watching the other winning entries, Open House at Haggerston on hats, gloves and school community from year 7 which were all of a high standard. Saturday 20th September was scarves, please note students, who have been with us The afternoon workshops and once again a huge success. Steve the school uniform for less than a term to sixth formers presentations were fascinating, Fitzwilliam, one of our parents and in their seventh final year. especially a talk about computer part of the Haggerston School policy only permits science and music. I got to control Association (HSA), and also the following: The London riots, mothers and a bulb with my mind and try on the an architect himself, worked in daughters, and a love of vegetables, • A Dark Plain* Outdoor Coat. *plain new Occulus Rift, a virtual reality partnership with our sixth form are some of the eclectic mix you – any item described as plain head mounted display. I also found students in conducting the tours. would have seen had you been part must have no patterns, markings out about opportunities to do other The visitors were shown around of the audience. All the pieces were or logos. workshops and about what seems our unique grade II listed building, connected in some way to protest, celebrating the work of Erno to be a really good University. I • Plain dark (navy/black) hats passion, politics on a personal or Goldfinger and the sympathetic had a great day and I would like only (of the knitted ‘beanie’ type global level. refurbishments done by Avanti to thank Mr Wilson and Mr Rains provided by the school) may be This year our ambition was to as part of the Building Schools for because none of this would have worn to and from school and entertain our audience and make the Future programme. happened without their help”. during break and lunch periods them think. After five sold out Alma Morris 9B but must not be worn in performances and rave reviews I school building think we can say we succeeded. • No baseball caps are allowed. Ms Ray-Choudhuri, Head of Expressive Arts Beanie hats, scarves and gloves can be purchased from Student Services at £3 each. Haggerston Recorder December 2014 Year 11 students gaining Our first term at Haggerston the Duke of Edinburgh with flying colours This year we are tracking the journey of a few of our Year 7 students. Here are some of their reflections of their first term at Haggerston. A group of our current year 11 students achieved their Duke of “My first term at Haggerston has been great!. My teachers are firm but Edinburgh Bronze Award at the end fair and want the best for us. Haggerston School is a friendly place. The of the summer term. To achieve the other students have made me feel very comfortable during my first weeks Award students had worked hard and at Haggerston. Our school is dedicated to making us join a club. I attend spent their lunchtimes, weekends basketball and drama – which are fun!” and evenings learning new skills and Teon Collins-Durrant activities. The three activity sections “Like my mum always says – life is school and every experience is a lesson. are Physical, Skills and Volunteering Royal Society of Chemistry Lectures My first term has been an experience for me in different ways, such as Black History Month and activities have ranged from The A level Chemistry students have been attending the monthly Royal learning new social skills and making new friends and all of it has been celebration basketball, badminton, singing, Society of Chemistry lectures at Burlington House in Piccadilly. very exciting.” and mentoring to volunteering at Saraya Osinnowo As part of Haggerston’s Black Hackney City Farm. All students have In October they were fascinated leaning more about Sir Humphrey Davy - who History Month celebrations, our shown excellent commitment to their invented the miners’ lamp and discovered the elements sodium and potassium. “When you first enter Haggerston, you feel nervous about many things, but business partner, Freshfields, activities, attending regularly and The students were fortunate to meet Sir John Meurig Thomas, Honorary after a day or two you understand what is expected of you and how to be a asked for our students to write and sharing their new hobbies Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of good student. The highlights are mainly the subjects and being in the school perform a poem on the themes with each other at our Duke of Cambridge, who gave the lecture. production where I played keyboard.” of culture, heritage or identity. Nicholas Westwood The final was whittled down to Edinburgh meetings. In November Dr Philip Ball opened their eyes to the chemical history of the twelve entries, and these lucky The final section involved the expedition, pigments on the artists palette. Students were fascinated to learn that paintings “Everybody in the school community has been very polite and helpful” twelve performed their pieces to which was the most challenging section through the ages are very much dependent on the pigments available at the Chloe Tran an audience of parents, peers, as pupils needed to work as a team to time. He spoke of ancient paintings having once been much more vibrant “I love it, it’s better than anything, I just don’t want to leave. can’t wait for staff and Freshfields visitors. Each plan a hike and to camp overnight. For and what we are looking at now are the faded images.