Grammar School
We have finally reached the end of the term and can all look forward to a restful holiday with friends and family. This term has again been incredibly busy what with the changes to GCSE and A-Level specifications that we are still embedding; the introduction of the new assessment framework to prepare for the changes to the accountability measures; the on-going conversations we are having and plans that we are making to restructure the pastoral and house systems; and the imminent building expansion project that we hopefully will be starting in January. On top of all of this we have also interviewed and appointed the new Deputy Head who will be starting here in September next year to replace the retiring Mr Smith. The two week holiday has come at a good time!
As usual this newsletter will pick out and acknowledge a number of success stories we have seen at MGS over the last few months; and there have been many. I would particularly like to thank the entire cast and crew of the recent School Production In this Issue of Zorro. Over 50 students and 10 members of staff pulled together to produce four wonderful performances. The Merchandise goodwill, commitment and dedication they displayed were remarkable and a credit to how they feel about their school and News & to each other. Thank you ever so much. Achievements Thank you also to the many students and parents who recently donated toys and gifts that we have collected on behalf of The CCF Salvation Army. The response has been amazing. All of the presents were put under our Christmas tree on Tuesday before MGSPA. representatives from the charity came in to collect. Your generosity was overwhelming. Thank you. Term Dates
Finally I would like to say that I am again extremely grateful to the staff, parents and governors of the School who support the students ensuring we go on being the school that we cherish. Thank you to the many, many students who do wonderful things each day and who take pride in the knowledge that they are a part of something incredibly special. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. M Tomkins
MGS December Newsletter 2016 MGS Development Fund
Parker Pens £7 Crest Cufflinks £10
Small umbrella: £18 Large Umbrella: £22
Packages available: Cufflinks, large umbrella and parker pen £35, (£30 with small umbrella)
OM Woollen Scarf £28.00 OM Tie £7.00 OM Acrylic Scarf £16.00
If you would like to purchase MGS Merchandise, please email to sandy.smith@mgs-kent.org.uk
MGS December Newsletter Student Achievements & News
China Trip 2016
By Sam Smale Cr3
Leaving Beijing for Shanghai we arrived at the train station, the first thing that was striking was the vast amount of security, armed police highlighted the Chinese emphasis on safety and eventually after spending some time at the station we made our way to board the Bullet Train. The train itself was far more spacious than we had imagined and although the journey itself lasted for six hours we arrived in Shanghai by the evening after what felt like a much shorter, very smooth journey.
The first thing we all noticed was the heat in Shanghai, it was a much warmer city than Beijing, aside from the weather it was much cleaner, the absence of smog and the presence of blue sky reminded us more of a western city than Beijing did. We made our way to the Bund as the sun wend down and walked along the waterfront, for me this view was the highlight of the trip, as every building began to light up we stayed to take pictures and appreciate the differences between the modern skyline of Shanghai and the historic, more traditional buildings that were in Beijing. The Bund was very clean and most buildings displayed some form of Western brand, the overall feel was more familiar to us than that of Beijing. The group, as a whole, seemed to agree that what Shanghai lacked in obvious tradition it made up for in being more welcoming.
After quite a while we then made our way to dinner to experience if the food in Shanghai could compare to that of Beijing. After dinner we made our way to the hotel and after a long day we were all in great need of our beds, especially knowing we had an early start the following Morning.
We had an early start the next day as we were on our way to visit a Middle School, we left the hotel by 7.45 and ended up arriving in very good time at the school, so we had a chance to drive around the town and see the surrounding areas before arriving in time to watch their morning exercises.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
China Trip 2016 Continued The morning exercises were both bizarre whilst fascinating, every student was perfectly in time and the sight of hundreds of students all acting as a whole unit, the Chinese chants, we believed to be both instructions and politic messages, made the whole event somewhat strange. However we enjoyed our first day at the school, visiting lessons and getting a chance to really understand the Chinese way of life from the perspective or ordinary Chinese children. We had a music class, where we learnt about traditional Chinese music and saw the teacher perform, and we had a calligraphy lesson, practising using the ink. That night we went shopping along Jiujang Road, here we saw more Western brands and chain stores and had a chance to buy some gifts.
The next day we had our final visit to the school, we were greeted and had a lesson on Chinese theatre in which we watched traditional performances and Chinese opera and studied different Chinese stage costumes, and they gave us a chance to win some Chinese masks similar to the ones we had been looking at. After lunch we had a less formal lesson which gave us the chance to make some Chinese cuttings and be creative for a couple of hours, eventually having our cuttings laminated and given back to us by the teachers of the school. The end of the afternoon, before leaving, was probably the most enjoyable part of the trip, giving the pupils their gifts from us, I personally made friends with a group of 4 students through comparing our different social media, we all agreed that the differences between Western and Chinese social media was less than we would expect. We gave our gifts and every student was extremely grateful, all offering gifts in return.
On our final full day we visited the Water City, we spent the day walking around the market and took the chance to buy some last minute souvenirs. Most of us decided to purchase some food, mainly from the chocolate and sweet shop, ready for the long journey home. Once in the air, knowing we were heading back to the UK, we realised how much we had done in 10 days, not only had we visited two very different cities but a School that allowed us to witness real Chinese culture first-hand, the trip was very enjoyable and really allowed us to discover every aspect of the Country.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of football, but I couldn't help but be completely astounded in all the grandeur and sheer architectural genius that was the Emirates Stadium.
We were taken on a fascinating tour of the world-famous stadiums interior, from the swanky “Diamond Club” with its beautiful 1930’s Art Deco style (which I soon learnt was to commemorate Arsenal’s numerous successes of the period), where the greats of the football world had rubbed shoulders, to the surprisingly comfy, heated seats of the Directors box, to the ordinary seats where so many faithful football fans had come from all over the world to watch their favourite team play. I felt incredibly lucky which other pupils had access to so great a privilege??
We saw the changing rooms of the visiting teams and then onto the luxurious changing rooms The home team. You could certainly see that no expense had been spared on providing for their needs! You could see the very board with the “tactics” of the precious match, still there written by the managers hand not less than twelve hours ago. Wow!
We saw the capacious press conference room, which was surprisingly large. It would need to be I suppose to fit all of those eager reporters hoping for a scoop of the days match. We learnt of the ingenious translating network in which an interpreter is in a separate box with the foreign reporter, instantly translating the managers words into the other language.
We then bid a fond farewell to the stadium for the next part of the trip-urban regeneration. We saw all of the new housing and public services that Arsenal had built as a condition of the deal of their move. We proceeded to Highbury Square, the sight of the old stadium where we saw the grand Art Deco façade of the East Stand. Now I understand why it had a Grade 2 listing! (this meant that it was protected by law and could not be demolished or changed in any way). The old stadium has been converted into luxury, expensive flats with rent costing tenants in some cases a whopping £1000 a week! The pitch had been converted into an attractive garden with the expensive flats looming overhead.
We learnt a lot about urban regeneration and the interesting story of Arsenal F.C move from Highbury Square to Drayton Park, both in Islington. It was a trip which I had fairly surprisingly enjoyed, due to my lack of interest in football and learnt a good deal from. Lets hope I can remember enough in time for my next CAT!
By Samuel Butler 8E
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
This year, the first school production was the spectacular Zorro! A vibrant cast of 37 individuals brought the singing and dancing crowd of a “pueblo” in 19th Century California, to life, accompanied by the vibrant music of the Gipsy Kings. Thankfully, under the guidance of Directors Mrs Brooks and Mr Goddard, teamwork and months of dedication all round, we produced a truly stunning version of Zorro the musical that I am sure will not be forgotten any time soon. Our leads were absolutely fantastic, portraying a host of different characters. Feisty, passionate Luisa was played by Christine Bordean; Danny Sharp gipsy performer Diego, who transforms into Zorro; Oscar Waters abandons his usual joking, caring nature to be villainous tyrant Ramon; Belle Keane used her amazing, sultry singing voice to play queen of the gipsies, Inez. Dan Edwards brought the house down as Ramon’s hapless sergeant, and incurable romantic, Garcia. So what brought our play to life? What provided the atmosphere, the volume and the reactions? The ensemble was our greatest strength. Numerous individuals that had to sing and dance simultaneously in almost every scene (this is a musical after all). Actors who had to switch from being vibrant gypsies, to cheeky sailors, to angered townsfolk and even beggars terrifyingly close to getting hanged. The dances were choreographed entirely by the talented Mrs Sharon Acaster and Ms Eileen Lewis. The graceful dancers Saskia Smith, Brad Watkins, Elaura Lacey and Allen Wesson showed us what national level ballroom dancing looking like with a few spicy salsa moves. The pulsating, passionate music was provided by our fabulous band. In charge of conducting them, as well as supporting the soloists, was Miss Mason. With her and the rest of the cast, there was never a dull moment in rehearsals. Many thanks as always to our wonderful support crew: Mrs Leigh Morton designed and built the majority of the set as well as organising every single tiny detail, costume and prop perfect. Special thanks to our wonderful technical team and stage hands. Finally, I would just like to mention Mr Kevin Young for being the producer for our show. Thank you to him for all his hard work. So why do we do this? Why do we dedicate so much of our time at arguably the busiest time of the year? It liberates us. We can become another character and live their adventures, laugh at their jokes and even feel their sorrow. I think everyone who took part can agree with me that we will surely miss our rehearsals. It was worth the work and the wait to hear the sincere cheers and applause of the audience. This has been abridged for the newsletter. To read the full version of Christine’s fabulous article, please visit our website in the New Year.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
GCSE Drama Showcase On Tuesday 6th December, some of year 10 and year 11 performed extracts from two scripts in front of a live audience. First up were the year 10 students, who performed short duologues from ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly. For some of the groups, it was the first time that they had performed an acting piece on stage. They performed well, demonstrating the high level of detail and the attention paid to both characterisation and rehearsals. The quick dialogue, reliant on well – rehearsed cues and explicit facial expressions demonstrated how their ability to adapt as actors to different roles has improved as a result of this unit. The students acknowledged how much time is needed to make a performance right, which will stand them in good stead for their examined scripted piece next year. Year 11 were performing one of their controlled assessment pieces. Three extracts from R.C. Sherriff’s ‘Journey’s End’ were performed. Set in the trenches of World War 1, the extracts explored the horrors of war experienced by the soldiers. Different extracts addressed issues such as alcoholism, leadership, loyalty, futility and ultimately loss. Thorough research of the context of the play, as well as characterisation through the use of explorative strategies, were crucial to producing a genuine performance. The students demonstrated their versatility, attention to detail and commitment in their pieces which were emotive, poignant and challenging. Thank you so much to the staff and students who came along to support us. It is much appreciated!
Former student Jordan Chambers caught in a conundrum
Old Maidstonian Jordan made his TV debut in a November edition of Countdown. The end result was 70-90 with Jordan just missing out on beating 5 times winner Tom Stephens.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
Handball
Handball club has been up and running again with the support Cross Country of Medway Dragons Handball. An impressive achievement from our students who The boys who have been took part in the Maidstone Schools Cross Country event involved are developing their in Mote Park. skills and will be representing MGS at the district U13 and Max Bragin won the Year 7 race with MGS gaining the U15 tournament this week, top 4 places in this race. Hamish Reilly won the Junior with the view to going on and (Y8&9) race. taking part at the Kent School Games if successful. Year 11 student Ben Hughes also won his race.
We wish them luck. 17 of our students are now representing Maidstone District at the Kent Championships in January at Dover.
Football
A successful campaign for the senior football teams have seen 22 fixtures take place at this level. The 2nd XI have had a particularly good season, they are well on the way to winning the league title and will be playing in the Kent Cup Quarter Final in January.
Year 8 A & B teams have both represented the school well in their first season of football at MGS. The A team winning their first tournament of the season against the district school and were very unfortunate to be knocked out of the Kent Cup by the current holders. We look forward to seeing more from you in the new year.
Our “free-scoring” Year 9 group have also competed well this year, equalling the Year 8 boys by winning the district tournament at the start of the year. The Year 9 team are still going strong in the Kent Cup and will be playing in the 4th round later this week. There are more A and B team fixtures to look forward to in the New Year.
Year 10 are carrying on where they left off last year and continue to compete strongly on all fronts. They will be taking on the current holders Hurstmere in the Kent Cup. Good luck boys.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
Rugby
Rugby continues to do well here at MGS, with 54 matches played across all age groups to date, and more to come in the new year. Year 7- This year we are very pleased that due to the desire to play and to represent MGS, we have been able to field 5 rugby teams for a number of block fixtures, including St Olave’s and Judd. This has involved upwards of 80 Year 7 students taking to the sports field to represent the school, including 100% win records for our MGS Jaguars and Lions teams. Year 8– Have had a successful season to date as well. Winning 58% of their fixtures including wins against Judd and Simon Langton. All the more impressive considering the amount of players who have been unavailable due to injury. The B team have also performed admirably with more than 20 boys committing regularly to training and weekend fixtures, well done boys. A further well done to Tom Rowe, who has successfully made the County squad for his age group. Year 9 - Have had yet another successful campaign, winning all but one A team fixture this year, an excellent achievement. The strength of the squad has also meant county call ups for Archie Strudwick, Ben Lawrence, William Haywood and Bill Leyland. Congratulations boys. Senior rugby- A great start to the year with big results against Simon Langton, Rochester Maths, St Olave’s and Gravesend Grammar. The squad now have the upcoming tour to France to look forward to in February.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 Student Achievements & News
MGS has always supported Children in Need this year was no exception. Sixth form students manned the gates from 7.30 in the morning. Many of our students arrived wearing ‘something yellow’ and everyone happily donated their £1 coins to help raise funds for this worthwhile charity. An enormous number of crispie cakes and iced buns were on sale throughout the day alongside the traditional Children in Need merchandise. We are happy to have contributed to one of the best years yet for this national charity.
Salvation Army Appeal Thank you to all of you who very kindly donated to this year’s plea to support the Salvation Army Christmas Gift Appeal. Once again our parents/guardians and staff have shown their generosity by bringing in over 800 toys and gifts so that those children less fortunate than our own can have a Christmas to remember. The Salvation Army were overwhelmed by the kindness shown by the Maidstone Grammar School Community and extend their grateful appreciation to all of you.
Hairless Christmas Well Done to Isaac Lee 10Cr who will be braving the cold this Christmas with much shorter hair, but all for a good cause. Issac raised £150 for the Kent Air Ambulance. Well done Isaac.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 CCF News
The CCF has been very busy again this term.
The Tri Service Infantry Exercise took place in Mereworth Woods. Twenty four cadets from all three sections took part in a challenging programme aimed at developing their field craft skills, independence and resilience. The programme included night reconnaissance patrols, sleeping in a platoon harbour (the woods) and culminated with a night ambush and a full platoon attack.
During October half term five NCOs from the Army Section attended a Cadet Leadership Course at Cadet Training Centre Dibgate. The course was aimed at senior cadets who wanted to develop their leadership skills in order to be considered for promotion to Sergeant. The delegates made a good impression on the training staff and are eagerly awaiting their course report and the next round of promotions.
On Remembrance Sunday, 77 members of the Contingent paraded at the St George Memorial in Maidstone. An excellent turn out and we received many positive comments about the conduct and presentation of our cadets.
The Army Section has had a team selected for the first time on the prestigious Cadet Cambrian Patrol 2017. This is a 48 hour, 25 km patrol around the Brecon Beacons on the full Army International Course. The team will require physical stamina, mental resilience as well as excellent technical knowledge to complete the course and training will commence in the New Year.
The Recruit Camp took place over the weekend of 9th-11th December at St Martin’s Plain Camp, near Folkestone. The 61 recruits completed a demanding training programme delivered by the 38 helpers and 10 staff. The camp was the culmination of a 3 month training programme and the recruits are now fully fledged cadets in their chosen parent section. The progressive training allowed them to develop skills in map reading, navigation, moving at night, camouflage and concealment, cooking in the field and building a shelter, before testing themselves on the navigation exercise and night noise patrol. All cadets received instruction in CPR and now have a certificate to show they have completed this life saving training. A thoroughly tiring but enjoyable weekend was had by all.
CCF RN Section - Damage Control Expedition to Portsmouth Twelve RN cadets and four Army cadets made an expedition to Portsmouth led by Lieutenant Tismer, ably assisted by Sub Lieutenants Pinn and Foreman. The cadets and officers travelled down to Portsmouth after school on Tuesday the 1st of November and were bunked on board HMS Bristol. The crew gave us a guided tour of the ship before an early night ready for our activity day. Early the following morning we made our way to the Phoenix Damage Repair Instructional Unit where we were given a lecture on how to repair a ship under attack. Even the most up to date modern ships need wooden wedges to hammer into the holes when a ship springs a leak. The cadets were instructed how to find leaks under water and shown how to plug them, there followed a guided tour of the damage control room (while dry) and then we were given dry suits and safety gear and took part in a simulated exercise.
MGS December Newsletter 2016 CCF News
MGS December Newsletter 2016 MGSPA News
Raising Funds, Raising Learning The new academic year started with our main annual event, the MGSPA’s Fireworks night. Once again we had fantastic support from parents, staff, friends, school prefects and our community for this Spectacular on Saturday 5th November 2016. The weather was dry, and a great evening was had by all. This event raised a net contribution to the PA’s charity funds of over £13,000, and the PA would like to thank Keely Gunn from Barclays Bank for providing match funding for this event. We hope that you all enjoyed the evening, and look forward to seeing you all again next year. On Saturday 3rd December, the PA organised a coach trip to Lille for the Christmas markets. This proved very popular indeed, with a second coach added, to accommodate the additional demand. Lovely weather, and great attractions, not to mention the market stalls – everyone had great fun.
Thursday 8th December saw the return of our Christmas Shopping & Pamper Evening; this was not as well attended this year so there will be changes made for next year. A big thanks to all who did attend, the prefects, and the Sound and Light team.
We receive regular donations via the easy fundraising website, where members shop online via the site - http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ causes/mgspa. It is quick and easy to use. We now have 312 registered members and have raised £4000 since we signed up, just by our supporters shopping online. Please, please join us, if you haven’t already – it really is straightforward. This is such a good way to help the school. Easyfundraising are donating 50p for every supporter we recruit this month, so please get family and friends to join up, it is so easy to do, and doesn’t cost you a penny.
Upcoming Events: 3 February—Annual Quiz night 3 March—Tribute Night Total Jam 29 April—Charity Golf Day 25 May—Steve Davies Snooker Night
MGSPA News
Raising Funds, Raising Learning
On Monday 12th December, the PA ran their annual Christmas Wreath Making Workshop. This year 50 people attended this fun packed evening, resulting in a wide variety of stunning wreaths, as well as raising over £1000. Wine, soft drinks, mince pies and nibbles were included in the evening, along with festive cheer and Christmas music.
The final fundraiser this term was the Grand Christmas Draw. All prize winners will be contacted before the end of this term, and the winners names’ will be published on the school website. Thank you so much for all your support.
Finally, the Parents’ Association would like to thank all of you who have supported us during this term. Please check our page regularly on the school’s website, to see what events are coming up, and where the funds are spent. We have our annual Quiz Night on 3rd February, a ‘Jam’ tribute night with Total Jam on Friday 3rd March, our Charity Golf Day on Saturday 29th April, and an Evening of Snooker with Steve Davis on Thursday 25th May to look forward to.
**The winner of the £1000 prize in the December 100 Club Draw was Mrs Andrea Beadle ***
Why not get involved? There are many ways that you can help. Please contact the Parents’ Association via the school website, or talk to us at one of our events.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, and A Peaceful New Year MGSPA. News
Raising Funds, Raising Learning Winners - Christmas Draw Prizes – 2016
£250 Amazon vouchers Nicky Wheeler
£100 I-tunes voucher Darren Padfield
Golf for 4 – Westerham Golf Club Mrs Hardy
Meal Voucher for £60 – Wateringbury Hotel Gareth Henry
2 tickets for a home game at Maidstone Utd Mr Hardy
2 week family pass at David Lloyd Maidstone Mr D Eldridge
Kids Pass 12 month membership Sue Cakebread
Kids Pass 12 month membership Mrs Roantree
Kids Pass 12 month membership L Reynolds
Kids Pass 12 month membership Mr Singh
Kids Pass 12 month membership Joseph Hall
Set of headphones – Richer Sounds Mrs Randall
Sports watch – Chelsea Football Club Lorna Wyrill
Family ticket for Odeon cinema Jane Doherty
Family game of bowling at Hollywood Bowl C Lawrence
£20 John Lewis voucher Debbie Hayles
£10 voucher at Gravity trampoline park Mrs D Alexander
£10 Sainsburys voucher Mrs Walker
Afternoon tea for 2 – Patisserie Valerie Nickie Knight
Gardening bag Melanie Bloomfield
Tin of Quality Street Kate Porter
Beauty Gift Set (bath stuff) Jane Hancock
Bottle of wine – House of Commons Mrs Hardy
Bottle of wine S Eyre
Bottle of Sherry Ms Elliot
Slipper socks Mrs Bitz
Purse & Scarf M & S Val Gorman
Wash gift set Sarah Earl
Bayliss & Harding set for men Rose Wood
Christmas Wreath table decoration Andrea Beadle
Tower of Temptation chocs Brenda Smith
Diary Dates
Term 2
3 January 2017 - First Day of Term 3 W(eek 1) 5 January 2017 - Y8 Information Evening 6 January 2017 - Y8 Careers Day 9-13 January 2017 - Y8 Exams in Class 16-20 January 2017 - Y13 Mock Exams 22-30 January 2017 - Harvard Trip 24 January 2017 - Y9 Parents’ Evening 3 February 2017 - Hurricane & Spitfire Charities’ Day 3 February 2017 - PA Annual Quiz Night 8 February 2017 - Y8 Parents’ Evening 10 February 2017 - Rock Gig 10 February 2017 - Last day of Term 3
First day back in Term 4 – Monday 20 February 2017 —Week 1 Advanced Notice: 22 February 2017 - Y10 Parents’ Evening
Can we respectfully ask parents Please remember that our not to park in the cu-de-sac off of canteen is operated by a card West Park Road when dropping off system only not cash. This can or collecting students from our either be topped up online or by School as this causes problems for cash/cheque which needs to be residents. Please use Mote Park put in the canteen tray before which is easily accessible for the break so it can be added to your students from our back gate. account for lunchtime.
Contact Us
Maidstone Grammar School, Barton Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 7BT
01622 752101 [email protected] WWW: http://www.mgs.kent.sch.uk
MGS December Newsletter 2016