Principal's Message
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Evelyn Grace News PARENT/CARER NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2016 Principal’s Message IN THIS ISSUE Reading for Pleasure Programme Kindred Spirits The Year 12 big Reading Project Duke of Edinburgh Awards Literacy Tips Dear Parent and Carers, and is really starting to impact upon Careers Fair the abilities of our students. Library Welcome to the Spring Edition of the borrowing has gone up each month Evelyn Grace News. I am confident that Gifted and Talented since the start of the year and I would you will be impressed by the fantastic love to see this continue so that Programme range of activities and opportunities on every student is making use of our offer within our Academy. outstanding library. Study Skills: The Spring Term has been a very Work Smarter, Not Harder With the summer exams getting ever short term, but that hasn’t stopped us closer all of our students in Years from squeezing in as much as possible Madrid Trip 11, 12 and 13 should be taking every into our school calendar. From our opportunity to revise and prepare for Year 7’s all the way through to our Lambeth Model UN their exams. To support your sons and Year 13’s every child has been given daughters I would recommend that the opportunity to get involved in Art they create a revision timetable and something special both inside and revise every evening for a short period outside of the classroom. There Drama of time. In ten weeks it is all over so have been trips to the countryside the small sacrifices now will lead to big with The Duke of Edinburgh Awards Music benefits come August. and overseas with our annual visit to Spain. Coupled with a visit from an I am very grateful to all of our staff who Student Development American High School and the hosting go above and beyond the call of duty in Centre of the Model United Nations our providing such excellent opportunities students really have been shown the for our students and I would like to take Sport world outside our window in a hope to this opportunity to thank everyone • Football broaden their horizons and their own for their hard work. I would also like • Basketball expectations. to thank all parents and carer for your continued support and I am confident • FLOW Dance Crew You will remember that we introduced that together we can achieve our aim • Netball a ‘Reading for Pleasure’ Programme of being one of the best schools in the in September which see’s all of our • Rugby country. students read in a group for thirty minutes each day. This programme Mr Devon Hanson Information and Dates has gone from strength to strength Principal 2 | The Evelyn Grace News - April 2016 Reading for Pleasure Programme Since September 2015, EGA has Cold. We’ve also discussed the current introduced a new feature to our already crisis in Syria through Zephaniah’s broad and engaging curriculum. We Refugee Boy and explored the impact are now, in Year 7 right through to of World War Two through the eyes of Year 13, reading in our form groups for Anne Frank. 30 minutes every day. Our Reading The Reading for Pleasure Programme for Pleasure Programme consists has seen a huge impact on the of students returning to their forms students’ discussions about literature after lunchtime to read the same book and current affairs. In addition, with their peers. Amongst a variety borrowings from the library have of challenging and diverse texts the grown a great deal and many staff, students have tackled some literary visitors and students have expressed classics such as: Orwell’s Animal Farm how fascinated and impressed they and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. have been by the students’ insight, Rashawn Gray with the books he has Students have also traced the trail left engagement and deep-thinking skills. completed this Year. They are: ‘Lovely by serial killers in Sebold’s The Lovely Bones’, ‘Face’, ‘Lord of the Flies’, ‘Animal Bones and Robert Swindells’ Stone Farm’ and ‘War of the Worlds’ Students say: “I didn’t really like reading but since beginning the reading programme, I like that time we have with our group. I really enjoyed Animal Farm as I like “As a group we have the connections we were able to make explored a variety of strong and with history and politics. My favourite “We have enjoyed inspiring female characters through book so far has been Face by Benjamin reading LOTS of books. As a the novels we have read. Reading such a Zephaniah” group we have read 15 short stories. variety of challenging texts has extended our Our favourites have been Dump and The vocabulary, helped us to connect our learning Rashawn Gray 10 DBA Dark Star. across the curriculum especially in history. Also The best thing about our ‘reciprocal reading it has allowed us to engage with current affairs group’ is meeting new characters and in society. quizzing!” Reading together every day has brought Andre, Emma, Nicolle, Noah and Ms us closer as a group as well.” Carneiro in Year 7 Y11 G&T Girls’ Group and Ms Idun 3 | The Evelyn Grace News - April 2016 Kindred Spirits In October 2013 Dr Brian Williams, and not being afraid to use the word around the world in places such Principal of Cleveland Heights Options love made me feel that we had a as: Brazil, Argentina, China, Korea, Program was in England to research connection.” America and England but I could not ‘Global Education Policy when he wait to visit Evelyn Grace Academy. The following day, Dr Williams, along met our very own Mr Hanson. Mr Within the first thirty seconds I knew with the other Principals came for Hanson gave a talk to a group of that it was special. I could feel the a visit to Evelyn Grace Academy. A Leading Educationalists from across energy within the building and it was visit that Dr Williams was extremely the Atlantic to share his views good” excited about. and opinions and to talk about the After his brief visit Dr Williams challenges he faced at Evelyn Grace During his interview Dr Williams said headed back to his Hotel, stopping Academy. Bearing in mind this was “I have visited many different schools at Starbucks on the way. It was in near the beginning of Dr Hanson’s Starbucks where he had his big idea. headship at EGA. It was this meeting that led Mr Williams to believe that Dr Williams decided that he wanted to he and our Principal were ‘Kindred bring a small group of students from Spirits’. his school to London, to Brixton and more importantly to Evelyn Grace When recounting this story to Academy! It wasn’t until the July Mr Barsby, Dr Williams remarked of 2014 when Dr Williams got back “The way Mr Hanson talked about in touch with Mr Hanson with his developing relationships, respect proposal which later became a reality. Sight-seeing Dr Williams commented that “[we began! Staying up till late to ensure are] only here for a short amount of that no stone of London was left time, and in that time they needed to unturned. Nate Jolly was overheard conquer the world,” meaning that not by Dr Williams in a conversation with a minute of their visit was wasted. his fellow Americans stating that, During their short stay in our Capitol “today was the best day of his life.” City Brian and his students visited Big Something I personally believe is a Ben and the Houses of Parliament, phenomenal achievement for Evelyn embarked on a City River Cruise, Grace Academy, as eight hours of this visited Oxford University, Stonehenge, day was spent in our magnificently the London School of Economics designed building! and ‘that’ Starbucks where it all 4 | The Evelyn Grace News - April 2016 About Cleveland Heights, Ohio The Cleveland Heights High School in anyone”. Added to this the fact disciplinary infractions have gone Options Program (CHHSOP), which is that he was physically attacked in from forty-seven to just nine” for the now in its fifth year, is an alternative his first week in his last High School whole school. High School for students who and you can get a good picture of When asked how being in the have found traditional High School why Nate disliked school so much. Cleveland Heights high School problematic and are consequently Yet, sat in front of me today was a Options Program has impacted upon not on course for graduation. These totally different person. Nate is full his life Cherronn Hodges, (one of students are given the opportunity to of confidence, has great manners and CHHSOP students), that states that apply to enter this program. Students is clearly a very intelligent and able “he actually started to like school,” are encouraged to apply if they young man. whereas previously he had wanted to regularly find themselves in trouble Dr Williams explained that, “The drop out. He went on to say that “he in High School, for poor behaviours, program is an online program, so has a lot of respect for his teachers, poor attendance or other negative students have twenty-four hour who give him time to concentrate and influences. Darian Cruz, a student at access. Although students attend focus on his work and that now he the school commented that, “there school for only half a day they are is managing to be ahead in all of his was a certain stigma attached to the also given the opportunity to follow subjects and achieving well.” Program and that initially he was vocational courses, work in industry discouraged from applying,” however, and in some cases attend regular High since being accepted on to the School for particular lessons.” program he has not looked back! “When the school opened its doors Nathan (Nate) Jolly added that “due five years ago it started with just to his family moving house three eighty students, however, these times and going to High School in students were responsible for over three different school districts he had one thousand disciplinary infractions no chance to settle into a school, no within their High School, schools chance to make real friends and no which contained over 1600 students.