15th June 2018 32
Dear all
It has been a busy week of exam feedback here at school with students thinking carefully about their results and planning their next steps. Our central message revolves around ‘what is in your control?’ and asking our students to ensure they celebrate their successes and focus on the feedback their teachers are giving them, to empower them with their next steps. It has been my absolute pleasure to join Yr9 and Yr10 students for their assemblies this week where we explored how we develop our own growth mindset and the power of perspective.
Last week I referenced the recent ban of smart phones in schools by the French government and this week has seen the issue discussed by UK secondary headteachers at the Girls’ Day Trust Conference. Of course, we have had a ban on smart phones since September 2015 and I have always been clear that I believe this to be one of the best moves we have made as a school. We are the first generation of parents and teachers to tackle the issue of screens and new technologies with our young people and it is important that we continue our open dialogue; celebrating the huge benefits that screens afford us whilst securing firm boundaries and healthy habits for our children.
We are delighted that as a result of our pioneering approach in the area of smart phones the Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, has asked to visit the school and meet with students next week. This is an exciting opportunity to discuss our approaches as a school and possible next steps. The Children’s Commissioner launched their Digital 5- a Day campaign last year and, as a school, we are keen to get involved with this project ahead of our inaugural Health & Wellbeing Conference in autumn term. The campaign is designed to help young people manage their online lives and I would encourage all parents to have a look.
A very useful guide can be found at the following link: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2017/08/06/digital-5-a-day/ Parents may also want to encourage some Youtube watching by exploring the following short film at home, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsUGmyjqw2w led by blogger Simply Luke. There will undoubtedly be much more to follow here but I hope these resources enable continued open dialogue at home on screens.
A reminder about our upcoming Archer Adventure on the 18th July, if you would like to get involved please do email my PA Justine Csaky: [email protected]
With my best wishes,
Lucy Harrison Headteacher
KEY DATES FOR THE DIARY:
June W/C 18th Collection week for Asylum Seekers – new packet of pants (see below for more information) Thurs 21st Friends Association – Parents’ Quiz Night – additional tickets available on Parentpay Tues 26th Woodhouse Open Evening for Year 9 and 10 families https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/woodhouse-open- evening-for-archer-families-tickets-46972320475 Weds 27th Year 9 Upper School Parent Evening,6.30pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/year-9-upper-school-parent- evening-tickets-46181155078 Thurs 28th Students dismissed 1pm for staff INSET Thurs 28th Year 10 taster day at Woodhouse College Fri 29th School closed INSET day
July Thurs 5th Years 7, 8 and 10 trips Thurs 5th Year 9 Lifelong Learning Day Fri 6th Year 10 SRE day
Fri 6th Year 9 Residential trip to Kingswood Saturday 7th Football Tournament (more information below) Weds 11th Summer Showcase – tickets available on Parentpay Thurs 12th Summer Showcase - tickets available on Parentpay Fri 13th Learning Review Day Sat 14th Archer Summer Party Mon 16th Sports Day Tues 17th Year 8 SRE Day Tues 17th Year 9 GradFest Weds 18th Archer Adventurer Walk Thurs 19th Last day of term, students dismissed 12 midday Key information: Uniform: All students are required to wear sensible, black leather/leather look shoes for school. Our copy of our shoe guide can be found here: http://thearcheracademy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Shoe-guide-for-Parents- 2018.pdf Clubs and Societies: Take a look at all the activities on offer at school: http://thearcheracademy.org.uk/wp- content/uploads/2018/06/clubs-schedule-summer-2018.pdf
Reminders: Parentpay: Please make sure that your account is topped up for the remainder of the academic year.
Race the Neighbours: Sign up here www.racetheneighbours.com and email Sarah Glennon to let her know you are taking part [email protected]
Facebook and Twitter: Remember you can follow all our latest news/photos on Facebook – The Archer Academy, Twitter @ArcherAcademy and Instagram @archeracademy
WOW WORD OF THE WEEK
WOW Lower - jaundice WOW Upper – salient
Spag Crime - incite and insight
FRIENDS ASSOCIATION – Mrs Csaky
Special Guest Appearance for Quiz Night – Thursday 21st June 7 – 10pm, Lower School
We are delighted to announce that Archer parent and actor, Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell in EastEnders will be joining us for Quiz Night and auctioning off a priceless EastEnders memento – an Albert Square board, signed by the entire cast. Steve is supporting our Make Beaumont Brilliant campaign to build our new library/study centre at Upper School.
We have released a handful of extra tickets for the night, so please snap them up asap on Parentpay.
If you are a diehard fan of the show and you are interested in making a sealed bid for the sign but cannot make it on the night. Please email [email protected] with details of your bid.
Summer Party – Saturday 14th July Our annual Archer Summer Party will take place on Saturday 14th July. Please put the date in your diary. More details to follow…
If you would like any more information about the Friends Association please email Lisha Taylor [email protected] or Sara Wolfin [email protected]
CARNEGIE WINNERS – Mrs Wolfe
Big news this week is that a group of Y8s presented to other Barnet schools in the Carnegie Shadowing event, held at East Barnet School, and did rather well. The Carnegie medal is awarded each year to the best book written in English for children and young people. It’s the one to win if you are an author.
Across the UK, school groups shadow the shortlist, reading, discussing, writing reviews and eventually presenting. Yesterday, the schools voted our book, The Hate U Give as the best book. It will be interesting to see if the author wins the actual medal on Monday 18th. T.H.U.G. has mature themes and the vocabulary is a little ripe but our Shadowers must be praised for approaching the reading in such a sensible manner. Students were also thrilled to meet author Patrice Lawrence of ‘Orangeboy’ fame.
Library reminder: Students have been asked to bring in any overdue library books. A fine of £5.00 per missing book will start to be issued which will appear on ParentPay. Could I ask you to help your child look at home for lost books? They all have an Archer stamp inside.
Thank you for your support.
AYSLUM SEEKERS PANTS COLLECTION – Mrs Csaky
We are collecting pants Monday 18th – Friday 22nd June
Next week the school will be once again supporting the local Asylum Seekers Drop In Centre by collecting packets of new adult sized underwear for the clients who attend the drop in centre. We are asking all students to bring in a packet of new, adult sized, multi pack of underwear any day next week. Collection buckets will be available in every form room and we will also have a collection bucket in reception for donations. We are looking for both ladies and men’s underwear, any size from small to extra-large.
The project helps destitute asylum seekers who travel from all over London to East Finchley to receive support from volunteers who assist with medical and legal matters. It means a great deal to the asylum seekers to be given new underwear when they attend the drop in. They also have access to a ‘personal shopper’ who will provide them with other clothes they may need.
HEADTEACHER’S LUNCH – Miss Harrison
I was delighted to host Headteacher’s lunch at Lower School this week for the 30 students in years 7-9 who were nominated by their Heads of Year for exemplifying the Archer Way for the whole school year.
Well done everyone.
CODEBREAKERS – Mr Oakley
Year 9 and 10 Computer Science students enjoyed a fascinating trip to Bletchley Park, the home of the Codebreakers from the Second World War. It is astonishing to think that 10,000 people worked there during the war and that 8,000 were women, you would never guess this from watching films such as The Imitation Game or Enigma. Bletchley is the birthplace of the computer as we know it today, and students saw the oldest working computer, known as ‘The Witch’.
Students also learnt how computers have evolved from the 1950s into what we use today and how computer storage has become so much smaller in size and processors so much faster. The technology in our phones is literally billions of times faster than what was used in the 1950s.
Students had the chance to write a game of BBC Micros – parents who were at school in the 1980s may remember these and participate in a workshop writing a solution to the Turing Test which is all about fooling a person who is talking to a computer into thinking they are not talking to a machine.
ARCHER SHOWCASE – Miss Randall
Summer Showcase 11th and 12th July
Rehearsals for the Archer Summer Showcase are in full swing and we are delighted to announce that tickets are now available to purchase on Parentpay for families of students who are participating in the show.
The Showcase will be taking place at 6pm on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th July at the fabulous theatre at the Arts Depot in Finchley.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT UPDATE – Miss Jones
The Music department are excited for a busy summer and a number of performance opportunities at prestigious local events in the coming weeks.
The Festival Choir will once again be singing at East Finchley Festival on Saturday the 24th June. Students will be performing on the Community Stage at 2.50pm and all are welcome to attend and support. This is usually a lovely family day out in the sunshine, supporting the local community. Students performing need to register at Lower School at 2pm for a quick rehearsal before walking down to Cherry Tree Woods together. Students will be free to leave when the performance has finished at 3.10pm.
Junior Archershop have been invited to sing at St Jude's Schools Prom on the 28th June, a performance that will include a number of local primary and secondary school and is accompanied by professional musicians. We have
been fortunate enough to secure a workshop on the 18th June with the Proms leader in advance of the concert, where students will be preparing materials for the concert.
There are complimentary tickets available here if you would like to come along: https://www.promsatstjudes.org.uk/2018/schools-prom-27.php
BEAT have been in contact about the following opportunity, it is an audition for show called 'Got What it Takes?' and they are looking for confident and able singers aged 11-14. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/got-what-it-takes-series-4-be-on-a-show
LEAVERS’ BALL – Mr Savage
Please do have a look at the official photos from the Leavers’ Ball here:
https://www.jondixonphotography.co.uk/Client-Area-Your- images/Archer-Academy-Prom-25518/
FAMILY FOOTBALL FUN – Toby Blume
ADULT FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT – Saturday 7th July On 7th July we're holding our annual 5 a side adults football tournament (at school) to raise money for the school. Any individual or teams (squads of up to 8) welcome. Suggested donation of £15 per person but no one should be unable to play due to cost so open to offers.
We'll have the World Cup trophy (okay a full size official replica) available on the day to have your picture taken with, plus food and drink and a penalty shootout for young people. Even if you don't want to play do come down and support the event! The event is kindly being sponsored by estate agent, Jeremy Leaf.
And at 3pm (after the tournament concludes) we'll be showing the world cup quarter final.
Please contact Toby for more info or to register your interest in playing [email protected]
PARENTS Vs TEACHERS – Saturday 14th July I am also organising a parents vs teachers football match at the summer fair the following week (time tbc) and if any parents are interested in taking part in this friendly game please let me know.
STRETCH AND CHALLENGE MATHS PUZZLE – Mr Barrow
Postcards will be awarded to every student submitting a correct solution (or substantial work towards a correct solution) to their Maths teacher by Monday. This week's puzzle is below:
A Mean Calculation
Can you work out the mean of this set of numbers without using a calculator?
97 97 98 99 99 99 100 100 101 101 103 104 104 105
ARCHER CAFÉ 7KAL – Miss Alcock
Well done to 7KAL on a fantastic cake sale and for raising £100 for the school – brilliant work!
NATIONAL BOOK TOKENS COMPETITION – Sarah Glennon
National Book Tokens are running a competition to win £5k of book tokens. The more entries we have the higher the chance of winning. Help us win £5,000 of National Book Tokens for the school library - and get £100 for yourself! Just enter the competition online, it only takes a minute: http://po.st/schools18
HEAD OF YEAR UPDATES – Mr Naylor
Exam Week: ‘Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations.’ Ralph Marston
Y Y Year 10 – Ms Humphrey Another week down in our fast approach to Year 11 to the summer holidays.
Thank you for those who have returned the End of Year 10 Trip reply slips at lightning speed, please keep them coming - especially those wishing to go to Adventure Island. It is great to see our young people excited to spend the day celebrating and relaxing together, hopefully in good weather.
Woodhouse Taster Day selections have been made this week, with students selecting 3 classes to trial - many taking up the chance to study something they haven't before. Law, Politics and Philosophy are popular choices. A reminder that this will take place on Thursday June 28th, and students need to arrive at 08.50 at Woodhouse College.
After the success of the punctuality drive, we are launching a Homework Drive to assist Year 10 with better and more timely homework. For most students this will be business as usual, but for those few who perhaps believed that Summer had already arrived... they may find themselves 'detained' in an after-school homework completion session in Upper Study Hall.
Year 10 Stars of the Week
Oliver S and Diana K for their resilience and hard work, achieving best overall exam results in the Year!
Year 9 – Mr McSherry Another week. Another assembly on the Upper School. This week’s assembly was led by myself, it seemed like it had been a while. I did my best to echo Mr Oakley’s message with the year group last week.... be positive, understand your results and what they mean, there are two years to go, now is the time for a gear change.
Understandably there has been some anxiety regarding grades and assessments over the last couple of weeks. Mr Oakley has shared a thorough explanation with the year group and if you would like a copy of the information please do not hesitate to contact your son/daughter’s tutor.
My message to the Year group during assembly was to encourage them to adopt a positive mindset when it comes to their results, but also to reinforce the point that everybody needs to focus on what they can control. That is -
Effort. Application. Determination. Attitude.
I look forward to next week where the year group have the whole day on Upper School on Wednesday, then followed by the Thursday morning assembly slot as normal.
Please make sure you have booked your ticket for Year 9 Upper School Parent Evening, on Wednesday 27th June at 6.30pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/year-9-upper-school-parent-evening-tickets-46181155078
Have a lovely weekend.
Year 9 Stars of the Week
Connor P - for impressing Ms Theve with his French homework and creating opportunities for himself Rohan V - for inspiring the year group and setting an example for all in his commitment to parkour
Year 8 – Mr Mustafa Year 8 have had a fantastic week and have been eagerly filling out their pink exam results sheets. This process has enabled them to reflect on their results and start thinking about their targets for year 9, as we launch their 'Being Year 9 Ready' programme. I have been very impressed with Year 8's resilient and optimistic attitude towards their exams and want to thank all parents for supporting this process and reinforcing the discussions that we have been having in school around the significance of their exams and our next steps forward. I was particularly impressed as I visited Science lessons this morning to see such hard work and determination. Well done Year 8!
Year 8 were also excellent ambassadors to the school this week with Ms Wolfe, who accompanied her to East Barnet School, to give a presentation on a book nominated for the Carnegie Medal award. I am delighted to say that their presentation was a huge success and the book has now been chosen to go forward in the competition! Well done!
Please could I remind all parents that there is going to be an information evening at 6pm on Lower School next Monday 25th June to discuss the upcoming Year 8 residential. If you are unable to attend this event, please do drop
me an email so that I can forward you the relevant information.
I wish all Year 8 families a very pleasant weekend!
Year 8 Stars of the Week
Holly S-T and Youssef E for excellent Science results!
Year 7 – Ms Martin/Mr Savage This week in Thematic Learning, the Theme Park project was launched in line with the reward trip to Thorpe Park at the end of the year. What an exciting opportunity for everyone!
Following our exam week, students have been given a pink exam slip to complete throughout the week. Please do ensure that you are checking this on a daily basis to see your child's progress in their subject areas. I was delighted to welcome some of our future year 7s into school on Wednesday for some taster lessons. A huge thank you to Matthew, Sonny, Amelie, Scarlett, Tia and Natasha for leading these and being great ambassadors for the school.
I am delighted to introduce Mr Savage to the newsletter who also has an update for you this week:
It's been a lovely week getting to know the Yr 7 cohort. It's been a really positive week putting names to faces and I've enjoyed lots of conversations. I was particularly impressed with many of Yr 7 who came up and introduced themselves to me on their own accord including several handshakes with excellent grips. I hope Yr 7 continue to make such excellent first impressions moving forward.
When I introduced myself in assembly last week to Yr 7 I discussed my experience with the outgoing Yr 11 cohort. Over the last four years I've certainly, if not seen it all, seen a plethora of issues, concerns, incidents, achievement, milestones and celebrations. This puts me, I feel, in a strong position to help guide and support the current Yr 7s on the next steps in their Archer adventure.
I look forward to meeting you all over the course of the summer term,
Have a lovely weekend.
Year 7 Stars of the Week
Matthew, Sonny, Amelie, Scarlett, Tia and Natasha for leading on Year 6 Taster Lessons