MGS TIMES April 2014

Dear Parent/Carer

Welcome to this Easter Newsletter. Like every Spring Term, this one has been incredibly busy. Even though the Autumn Term is the longest in any school, it is the Spring Term that requires everyone to go to the next level in preparation for the summer examinations, and this year has been no exception. Once again I firstly wish to thank everyone: staff, students, governors and yourselves for the ongoing support and hard work being put in to ensure we achieve the best.

This time last year I said the ‘wheels of change are beginning to turn,’ and sometimes change brings with it anxieties and challenges. But I have to say that the school community has embraced the return to its values and traditions, and even more so now that our history is playing a significant part to our future. We have enjoyed the ‘honeymoon period’ following the Ofsted Inspection back in September and are now working on improving the school further; ensuring that the outstanding practice is witnessed in all areas of the school particularly with what goes on in the classroom. We have had a number of conversations and made some important decisions about our curriculum (in preparation for the new changes coming in over the next two years); our homework policy and practices have been reviewed ready for September to ensure we further develop independence and ownership amongst the students but also provide a slightly more structured approach; and we have begun to look at how we can improve our quality of questioning in the classroom to strengthen challenge and reasoning. All of these initiatives will hopefully make a positive impact on learning and so levels of achievement.

This year I have been particularly pleased with the many positive responses from students, staff and parents about the re-introduction of Subject Teacher Consultation Evenings. The evenings provide an important opportunity for teaching staff, parents and students to discuss progress and have been positively welcomed by many. I hope that you all have benefitted from the evenings and now understand more how you and we can continue to support your child.

This term the school has been busy preparing for the Development/Alumni Fund Launch in September. A committee has now been set up consisting of key staff who can contribute to the development of the project. This will gradually expand to include students, parents and Governors. Part of the preparations was hosting an evening inviting a small group of parents into school to act as my sounding board. They listened to the presentation that I intend to deliver from September to all parents, and acted as critical friends providing constructive advice and suggestions. Thank you once again to all those parents who attended; their support will allow me to be better prepared for the launch in September.

This Easter not only marks the end of Term 4 but it is also when we say goodbye to two members of staff. Mrs Anderson has been a part of the MGS family for just under 8 years and she now embarks on a new exciting journey as Headmistress at Spalding Grammar School in Lincolnshire. Mrs Anderson started at MGS back in the September of 2006 and quickly set to work transforming the pastoral structure of the school. Her legacy will be the effective structure that we see today. She has basically achieved her main objective: to create a pastoral structure that is fit for purpose, supportive of teaching and learning and keeps track on every single student. She. has also been in charge of many other areas of the school, particularly the Prefect Team. They are certainly the flagship of the school and I know I speak for many current and past Prefects, Vice Captains and School Captains that she will be incredibly missed. Mrs Anderson is not just Mrs Pastoral though; she has worked very closely with Mr Smith in developing teaching and learning and she certainly leads by example in the classroom. Her lesson during Ofsted was one of three lessons that were picked out by the Inspection Team as exemplary. As a teacher she knows what learning is and is able to draw out from her students a love for her subject. I have only had the pleasure of working with her during the last two years, but she has been there whenever I needed her. She is an extremely knowledgeable, experienced and skilled leader who knows what is right for MGS. It has been a pleasure working alongside her, get- ting to know her as a colleague and friend. I wish her all the success and best in her new role. She will make an excellent Headmistress and we look forward to hearing about how her school evolves over the coming years. We will miss Mrs Anderson.

Mrs Cordrey began working at Maidstone Grammar School in the Canteen in 1995. This was when our canteen supplied cooked food in tins for the local primary schools. Mrs Cordrey used to work at one of the primary schools and “popped” up to help out now and again. The Head Cook at that time, saw what a diligent worker she was and asked her if she would like to come and work at MGS as a Kitchen Assistant. Mrs Cordrey accepted the challenge and within a relatively short time became Assistant Cook. She came – and never left – until now!! Mrs Cordrey joined the Front Office in February 2000 as a Reprographics Assistant and worked happily away until a vacancy came up as the Receptionist in September of the same year. The rest, as they say, is history!! She has now made the difficult decision to leave MGS to enable her to look after her ageing father and also her very lively grandchildren. She is also excited about travel- ling with her husband – outside of the school holidays!! We wish her well and would like to take this op- portunity to thank her for her dedication, commitment and loyalty during her 19 years of service to Maid- stone Grammar School.

Returning to the successes this term, I wish to point out a few before you go on to read about more:

In rugby, Maidstone Grammar School is now the Kent U18 Girls 7s Champions. We went undefeated throughout the entire tournament beating Sutton Valance School in the final 20 – 5. Well done girls, con- gratulations, and thank you to Mr Hart who helped steer them to victory.

In football we reached the Kent Cup Final at both U13 and U19 level. Unfortunately we were unsuccess- ful at the U13 level but the achievement of reaching the final of a competition that started with 96 teams must not go unnoticed. The boys played extremely well with enthusiasm and drive, always had their heads up despite the position they were facing, and most certainly represented the school. Well done boys for reaching the final and thanks to Mr Jones and the PE Department for their support.

The 1st XI squad, on the other hand, won their final beating Brompton Academy 1 – 0 becoming Kent U19 Champions for 2013-14. This is a remarkable achievement and the boys should feel extremely proud as we are of them. Many thanks to the entire squad for their on-going commitment to the sport, and thank you to Mr Restarick and the PE department for guiding the boys to this victory. Well done.

Finally, I wish to thank everyone involved in the recent Sport Relief Charity Day. The day was a great day for Maidstone Grammar School and certainly illustrated our community and charitable nature. The final amount is still unknown but it looks to be in excess of £6500. The three main events: The Sport Re- lief Mile, the 24 hour row-a-thon and the Dodgeball competition were all heavily attended and brought the whole school together, which was lovely to see and be a part of. Thank you once again for everyone’s involvement, and let us hope that it continues and grows in the future.

May I finally wish you all a pleasant and peaceful Easter break.

M. Tomkins Headmaster Thank You: I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to parents and students who have sent me their best wishes as I prepare to leave MGS after eight very happy years. I have been touched and hum- bled by the letters, cards, emails and good wishes that I have received in recent weeks. Thank you very much. It has been a pleasure to be part of MGS and to have worked with you all so closely over the years. I wish you all the very best for the future. Michele Anderson

Parking in Maidstone Leisure Centre: further to recent letters sent via ParentMail, this is a reminder that the car park at the Leisure Centre will become a customer only car park from 1st May. Banners and notices are due shortly at the Leisure Centre advertising what changes will be in effect from that date. We will keep you up to date as and when we receive information. On no account should students park their cars in the school car park. There is insufficient space for staff parking and we are unable to manage student park- ing on the site. Sixth formers, as per our letter, can purchase an annual membership at the Leisure Centre from 24th April but before 1st May and their car will be registered with the Leisure Centre systems to allow them to park during the school day.

Health & Safety: can I please ask parents not to drop off or pick up their children outside the school gates nor drive into the school car park at the start and end of the school day as this is a health and safety hazard and we are concerned about the welfare of the staff and students.

Student Services Department: I am very pleased to inform you that the MGS Student Services Team has been selected as a WINNER of the prestigious Kent Teacher of the Year Awards 2014. This is a fantastic achievement and most worthy of the teams’ ongoing support of students and staff. Congratulations to eve- ryone in the team; we should all feel extremely proud of this recognition. There will be a ceremony in May where they will be presented with their award, and hopefully there will be some press coverage.

Microsoft Office 365 for Education Free to all current MGS Students: Just a reminder that all current MGS Students can download and install the Office 356 Software free whilst you are a student at MGS, and school maintains its current Microsoft licensing agreement. For more information, visit the news section of the MGS Website here: http://www.mgs.kent.sch.uk/news/

GCE/GCSE Exams: GCE and GCSE exams commence on 12 May and conclude on 24th June. Timeta- bles remain available on Insight. Candidates who have exam clashes will be informed as to how these have been resolved. All clashed exams will be scheduled for the original day of the exams, however they may take place in a different session. If an exam is moved to an earlier or later session candidates will be super- vised between sessions. All candidates have been reminded of the exam rules and requirements.

Please note a change in arrangements for looking after valuables during exams. This year exams will take place in the school Sports Hall and candidates will no longer be able to bring mobile phones or other elec- tronic devices into the exam room. There will be a designated area in the Refectory mezzanine where their possessions (including coats) can be left. This area is covered by CCTV. However, items are left there at the candidates own risk. Therefore, it may be better if candidates do not bring valuables in at all or, if they do, leave them in their locker (these will be available to students until the book return day). If a candidate is found in possession of a mobile phone or other electronic device they are likely to be disqualified from that exam and potentially other exams.

Gabriel; an inspirational story… as part of MGS charities initiatives many students continue to be in- volved in individual and House fundraising for local and international charities voted for by the students. One of the recipients of the international donations is a Ugandan orphan - Gabriel who lost both parents to HIV/AIDS, at a tender age of 4 years. Gabriel was brought up by his auntie (as far as he is concerned she is his mother) who could not afford to educate him. He charmed a few eco-tourists who got him into the me- dia; that's how Blaise Matthews (then Hurricane House Captain) came across him and decided that he wanted to do 'something' to help. The fundraising campaign was launched by two Sixth Form students; Ste- phen Haffenden and Luke Garner who endured leg-waxing in front of their peers and raised the initial £400. After they left the school decided to share the cost of Gabriel’s on-going fees, to be rotated between Houses; this was to ensure that Gabriel completed his education. Gabriel has done his sponsors proud. He recently received his A level results which were excellent; Maths - B, Physics - B, Economics - A General Paper - Distinction and Computer Science - Distinction (the latter two were taken at our AS level equiva- lent). He expects to be offered a degree course in Mechanical Engineering and he just can't wait! I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Gabriel in summer 2013 and I was blown away by his gratitude to MGS (he thinks it is a school of ‘angels’ – bless him) and his overall drive for success.

Gabriel sent me a text message on his auntie's phone on Monday 24th March to inform me of his results and wrote 'Thank You MGS' seven times; apparently, one for each year group. An additional 'Thank You' from me, to all of you – current and former students and parents who continue to support MGS’s vision to help those who are disadvantaged, in the local and wider environment! When charity fatigue kicks in, please remember this story and keep going! N. Lumutenga

A Twist in the Tale...: who’d have thought that we had so many budding writers in Year 8? A Twist in the Tale is a competition organised by Young Writers. The objective was to recreate a well- known story or fairy tale with their own unique twist. However, there was an additional catch: re-tell it in just one hundred words. Sound easy? Have a go yourself! Several students in Year 8 submitted their spins on original stories which will be published shortly. Many of them were surprised to hear to their work would actually be printed. Perhaps we have a great author in the making in our midst? I certainly think so. We await our copy of the anthology with bated breath. Miss Burton

The following students will have their work published: Sam Bridgwater, Simon Coppard, Jacob Ryan, Mark Gallagher, Tom Cunningham, Harry Aldous, Shujahat Afzal, Ryan Webb, Joe Williams, Samuel Judd, Damian Barley, Matthew Banks, Cem Kanik, Bishan Rai, Elliot Stedman, Andrew Chow, Harvey Goodyear, Guy Crouchman, Harry Shaw, Adam Reumel, Joe Verrell, Lewis King, Ewan Robertson, Jack Wakeford. Competitions:

Art: David Norman, Y13 has won this year’s NADFAS competition (National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies), from a field of the area’s best A Level Art students. He shall receive a £1000 prize and the opportunity to exhibit his work in a professional setting.

Westlands Mathematics Competition: On 13th February, MGS came second to Rainham Mark Grammar in a mathematics competition organised by the Westlands School. The junior MGS team did well to come in the top two out of 25 teams. The pupils were: Thomas Hill 9Cl, Joe Gosney 9H, Oliver Collins 8I, Louis Dunlop 8I.

UKMT Regional Finals: the MGS Junior Team then went on the represent the school at the United King- dom Mathematics Trust Regional Finals held at Tonbridge Girls’ Grammar School on the 26th March. This was also an all-day event and includes teams from all over Kent and some from the Netherlands too. The MGS team came 11th out of 32 teams overall. The boys were brilliant and a superb asset to the school. It is hoped they will continue their love of mathematics in preparation for the Intermediate and Senior competi- tions over the coming years.

Maths Inspiration Talks: the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury was the scene of some intense mathematical topics and discussions on the 25th March as 16 Year 10 pupils travelled to see a number of enrichment talks with the aim of introducing new concepts and understanding of where mathematics and further mathemat- ics at A Level can take you. The pupils were rapt as they watched and listened to: Simon Singh –International Best Selling Author and Libel activist – talk about The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets. David Acheson – Oxford mathematician – spoke about pizza, proof and the electric guitar. Colin Wright – Software specialist and juggler – The Mathematics of Juggling. All three talks were superbly entertaining and thought provoking. The day certainly gave plenty of rele- vance to mathematics in the real world and its very definite uses. Invicta Mathematics Competition: on the 13th March the MGS Intermediate Maths Team went to Invicta Grammar School for the final of the mathematics competition they had organised. The team won their heat in November and were determined to win. After three hours of intense mathematical reasoning MGS were declared the winners with 124 points ahead of Gravesend Grammar and Invicta Grammar with 115 points each.

Invicta Mathematics Competition: Alexander O’Neil 11H, Toby Wheeler 11H, Scott Bentley 10Cr & Wil- liam Luckhurst 10E.

Mock Trial – 15 March 2014: an inspiring, educational and dramatic day was enjoyed by the Mock Trial Team. The team of Year 8 boys took on the challenge of presenting legal arguments in the Magistrates Court in Maidstone. The Defence team, Jamie Darch, Bradley Howard and Harris Skinner were praised for their clear and confident speaking and listening skills. The witnesses, Thomas Allmett and Cagri Ustaoglu convinced everyone of their innocence and earned appropriately admiring comments from the opposition team members. The Prosecution team, led by Henry Warby and Ethan Berry ran a professional and deter- mined campaign which was perfectly complimented with the sterling performance of our Witnesses Harry Miles Watson and Samuel Bowes-Read. Several local Magistrates expressed their delight in the analysis, presentation and success of the prosecution team. The final judging section of the competition is devoted to the acting Magistrates. Cory Stancombe, Harry Meades and Junior Okoroafor had the very difficult task of judging, impartially, the performance of both our and the opposing teams. They were commended for their attentiveness throughout the proceeding and their ability to make objective decisions.

The team achieved a commendable second place which is even more impressive in the light of the fact that all of the other schools fielded teams of Year 9 pupils. Although Aravind Manoj was unable to join us on the day, he contributed to the team effort and helped behind the scenes. Finally, the excitement continues as we await the results of Anton Tismer’s entry to the Court Reporters section of the competition. Well done! We are already planning for next year! Mrs J Jones (Librarian) Kent Schools Public Speaking Competition 2014: four of MGS’s fantastic young people did the school proud when they participated in the Kent Schools Public Speaking Competition on Wednesday 2nd April 2014 at Invicta Girls’ Grammar School. Two demanding rounds of public speaking kept them on their toes. Round one: a rehearsed, two-minute speech. The challenge for round two: to prepare and present an impromptu address on a topic given to them at the event.

In Year 12, participating in the senior category, were Ben Johnston and Lydia Ross. During round one, Ben gave an insightful and energetic (some might say ‘top-notch’) speech on the theme of passion, while Lydia gave an eloquent and educated address on learning. In Year 8, taking part in the first ever junior competition, were Harvey Crease and Harris Skinner. Harvey delivered a well-timed, quick witted speech on humour while Harris gave an emotive delivery on the subject of freedom.

For round two, MGS’s students showed originality and innovation in their personal approaches to the polit- ically driven subjects. Daunting? Perhaps for some; but not for the creativity of our students who showed skill and stoicism amid a field of six other schools. The standard was impressively high. One of the judges described the evening as a ‘fantastic display of public speaking’ and commended all the participants as ‘extremely brave.’

Sadly, MGS did not come home with any prizes from this particular event. However, Ben, Lydia, Harvey and Harris showed their talent and proficiency in this particular field through their performances tonight, plus the hard-work and commitment put in to prepare to compete. Well done to all four – be proud of yourselves – we certainly are! Ms Lewis & Miss Burton

Life in Year 8: as Learning Manager for Year 8, I would like to share some of the achievements of our stu- dents over the past few months. Many of our boys are actively involved in many different activities outside of school. Their commitment to these activities is impressive, and their willingness to do this while main- taining their studies is a credit to them. This is just a snapshot of the things our boys do. I would love to hear more of what our boys achieve outside of school and would encourage them and their parents to share their achievements with us. Mr Highsted

William Price 8I William is currently starring in the West End Musical, Matilda, at the Cambridge Theatre. He is playing Bruce, one of the leading male roles in the show which is an adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. The musi- cal has received numerous awards and is one of the most popular shows in the West End at the moment. Expect him to be a regular on the stage for years to come. Mr Goddard, William’s form tutor led a trip for some of William’s friends from Year 8 to go and see him perform (see separate report).

Toby Harris 8E: Toby is racing in his first competitive season after joining Club Cyclopark in September 2013 and taking part in training throughout the winter. So far he has competed in two regional races at Merton and last weekend in the first home regional at Cyclopark in Gravesend. He has qualified for the A final in both of the events to date and is looking forward to the next big challenge which is his first Na- tional event again at Cyclopark on the 12th and 13th of April.

Racing will continue throughout the summer at Regional level in the south east and also at national level further afield. Toby is particularly looking forward to the Regional to be held at the Olympic Park Stratford in July.

Ewan Robertson 8Cl Ewan is currently in France for his third training camp of the winter where he is with the British ski school. He is competing in the British championships over the Easter holidays and looks to consolidate his position as one of the best young British skiers. If Ewan finishes in the top 2, he will be selected for Team GB for the coming season. We wish Ewan all the best.

Year 8 Geography trip: on 4th and 6th March, Mr Darbey led a Year 8 Geography fieldtrip to Arsenal FC and its surrounding area to investigate whether the Club had helped in the regeneration of the local commu- nity. Here is a report by Shujahat Afzal of 8Cr about the fieldtrip:

In 2005, Arsenal Football Club moved from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium. Highbury had a capacity of 60,000 until the Hillsborough Disaster occurred, following which a rule was made that seating be intro- duced to stadiums. Arsenal didn’t get permission to rebuild the stadium so they had to move. They moved to the Emirates and after the move, many people felt that “Arsenal’s move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium has not improved the local area.” To see if this was true Year 8 travelled to Islington where both stadiums are located. We had a tour around the Emirate and we also went to the old location of Highbury, which is now a block of flats. Then we visited different areas and filled out Environmental Quality Sur- veys.

On the day, we recorded our information in different ways whilst exploring the area. During our tour of the stadium, our tour guide gave us all an information booklet. We had many questions to answer in it, and so during the tour we all filled out booklets with the appropriate answers.

After the tour, we went to many different areas which were: Armoury Square; Drayton Park; Highbury Square; Blackstock Road and Arsenal Station. We judged the locations on: litter; noise; buildings; space; traffic and vandalism. We marked them from 1-5 (1 being poor and 5 being great). Overall, despite some litter and noise, the areas were well kept. There were a few old buildings, but there were also nice buildings around such as shops, libraries and universities. A tiny bit of noise was produced by constructions workers and shops as we walked around, but it wasn’t too loud to bother anyone. Also, whilst exploring the areas, we didn’t see or experience much traffic which was great!

The whole point of the trip was to see if the stadium change improved the local area, and in conclusion, we all agreed that it did. We came to this decision because it has created many jobs for the local people and it has earned a lot of money which is going towards improving the local area. Also, we found out that Arse- nal FC had been taking small steps towards regenerating the local area. For example, the stadium move provided enormous benefits to the local community which included the creation of 2600 new jobs through development. They have also invested in many local businesses and built many more buildings such as nurseries and the Arsenal Learning Centre. We came to the decision that Arsenal are gradually changing Islington and that the Arsenal FC are sure to achieve their aims soon enough. Shujahat Afzal

Matilda the Musical: William Price in 8I has been busy rehearsing over the past few months for his role in ‘Matilda the Musical’ at the Cambridge Theatre, London. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl and adapted into a musical by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin, this show has received critical praise and many awards. On Tuesday 1st April 2014, members of staff and students from Year 8 went up to London to watch this show and see William in his role as Bruce Bogtrotter. The show was superb and enjoyed by everyone and William was given a ‘hero’s welcome’ as he exited the theatre at the end of the night. We are very proud of the work William has done in this and it is an excellent show to go and see.

CCF news: The CCF were thanked for making arrangements for Ben Williams, Year 13, to be 'on duty' in support of the Lord-Lieutenant at Canterbury Cathedral. Both the Lord-Lieutenant and Viscountess De L'Isle very much appreciated him being on hand throughout the day to assist with any duties that needed attention and were impressed by his impeccable dress and wonderful confidence.

Ben was totally undaunted by the whole occasion, which was particularly impressive, as there were well over 800 guests in the Cathedral, including many high profile people from around the County and beyond. This is a very important event in the Lieutenancy calendar year and we were delighted that Ben could be part of it. He was an absolute credit to his parents and to the School and he clearly was proud to be there with everyone too. CCF news: Congratulations go to Mr Moores who, following the RAF motto, has been promoted from Plt Off to the rank of Flt Lt and appointed as OC RAF Section with effect from December 2013. Congratulations also go to Flt Lt CL Day who previously occupied this position but has now started a new generation of cadets of her own following the birth of her twins!

In the Army Section, the OC, Capt T Dovey deserves congratulation for his promotion to the rank of Major and his appointment as 2 i/c of the Contingent. Despite the time of the year and the restrictions that have to be placed on outdoor activities by the weather in the winter months there has still been a lot going on. The results of the National Radio Net Signals Competition in December were announced on Christmas Day and our team was placed 4th out of the 19 teams entered – a good result since our CCF does not specialise in signals training.

For the year 9 recruits, two Weapon Handling Safety Camps were arranged over two weekends and every participant, over 120 of them, passed the Weapon Handling Safety Test which allowed them to test their live firing skills on the indoor 25 m range.

The RAF Section entered a team in the regional finals for the Air Squadron Trophy but despite a most im- pressive effort was just beaten into 3rd place. This was a great disappointment for them as only the 1st and 2nd placed teams can go through to the national final – a final in which MGS has featured many times over the years. They did, however, win the Drill element of the competition!

The Contingent Commander, 2 i/c, and the SSI attended an update on security for cadet units. You would be amazed to know the most dangerous country in the world for visiting by military personnel. Unfortu- nately I cannot tell you! Isn’t that infuriating!

The Army Section entered a relatively young and inexperienced team for the 2 & 145 Brigade Military Skills at the end of March. They came up against some very strong competition from other schools and ACF units. We do know that we did not win but the full results have yet to be released before we know where we ended up – we certainly put up a very good performance on some of the stands in the competi- tion.

A conference and recce of the training area for this summer’s Army Camp at Beckingham in Lincolnshire was carried out and revealed what should be an experience to which the Army cadets can really look for- ward. On the looking forward front, the prospect of flying is back for the RAF Section after the recent problems with the Grob Trainer Aircraft; the RN Section has a week-long visit ‘afloat training’ on the Clyde Fleet Tender in June; sailing, canoeing and rafting at Mote Park is due to restart; summer camp plac- es have been obtained for the RAF Section.

Two Army cadets have gained places on a very demanding Leadership Course at Nesscliff in Shropshire just before Easter and on Friday 4th April the Tri-service Adventure Training Group departs for a week of varied and exciting activities in Snowdonia. WO2 Ben Williams in the Army Section is carrying out duties at Civic Ceremonies in his role as a Lord Lieutenant of Kent’s Cadet of the Year and Sgt Josh West (RAF section) has been awarded the high honour of an International Air Cadet Exchange. Sporting news:

Rugby: with 6 teams taking part this year our Girls 7s went to Benenden to take part in the Kent 7s tourna- ment, the girls were brilliant throughout the whole tournament only conceding two tries in the whole tour- nament and going on the beat Sutton Valence Girls in the final to become Kent champions.

Our U18s went to the Kent 7s festival at Gravesend Rugby Club and managed to become shield winners.

The U13s are Colfe's plate Winners and runners up at the St. Olave's 7s, they played some brilliant 7s throughout the season with the highlight having to be Rory Kuypers scoring seven tries in three games at Rosslyn Park.

Golf: Joshua Barley, Year 11 has been selected to play golf for England U16s and is also travelling to Spain over the Easter break for an international match. Congratulations and good luck to Joshua.

Roller Hockey: four players from Maidstone Roller Hockey Players, based at the YMCA in Loose, were invited to tour Portugal with England Roller Hockey. Charlie Williams from Year 7 was one of the players selected to represent England in a trip to Portugal's Santa Maria da Feira, Porto in a week of training and games. This gave the boys a better idea of how much the sport is played in other European countries to ex- perience the passion and dedication of professional players.

Each evening Maidstone Roller Hockey Club waited in anticipation for the results of the day and to hear how well their players had done. Against expectations, both teams were incredibly strong and won the ma- jority of their games against top quality Portuguese teams. It was a great experience not only for the boys and the families and a proud moment for the club which has not had a player representing England for some years.

Volleyball: I am pleased to announce that our Under 16s volleyball team were recently crowned district champions. They topped the league table ahead of all other Maidstone schools. They played extremely well and deserve credit for their performances.

Congratulations to: Zakir Chaudry (C), Adam Hunt, Finn Warner, Frazer Robertson, William Reynolds, Thomas Lindsey

Swimming: Harry Mews, Y11 swims for Maidstone Swimming Club, training up to 13.5 hours per week in the pool plus a further 2 hours land training each week. He regularly competes for the Club in Gala's across the county, often competing against swimmers older then himself. In April of last year Harry was invited to step into the position of Club Captain, not solely due to his achievements in the pool but also be- cause he is seen by the coaches as a role model in his behaviour and dedication to training for the other swimmers to follow.

Despite having swum with a recurring shoulder injury for the past few months Harry has successfully gained qualification to swim in the Kent Swimming Championships in 17 different events, and has quali- fied to swim in the ASA South East Region Championships in 6 events. In the recent MSC club champion- ships, Harry won 14 of the 17 events he entered and came a close second in the remaining 3 events.

Harry with his medals and trophies from the club Championships (including one trophy which has been in the Club since 1921 and a further award of best male swimmer in the club).

Swimming: on the 20th March I travelled out to Rovanemi, Finland for the IX Winter Swimming World Championships. I had already competed in the UK Cold Water Swimming Championships last year, were I achieved a fourth place in the under 20 category. On the second day of competition in Finland, I competed in the 25m Breastroke. In this event I managed to achieve fourth place in my age group, which was the un- der 20 category.

The day after, I was competing in the 25m and 50m front crawl, with the latter being the event that every- one wanted to win. In the 25m front crawl I came seventh in my age group, after becoming confused on where they took final times from. In the 50m front crawl I achieved a placing of fifth in my age group. This was such a huge achievement for myself. The swimming arena was on the bank of the Kemijoki river with the pool being cut out of ice which at least a metre deep in places. The water temperature for this competi- tion was 0⁰C, with the water starting to freeze over between races, and the average air temperature was about -5⁰C during the day and as low as -20⁰C at night. Alan Luckhurst, Year 13

Alan enjoying some relaxation during his trip.

Rowing: Following very kind donations from parents and Old Maidstonians, the School has been able to acquire seven boats, blades and other essential items to continue the development of rowing. This equip- ment will be of tremendous help and will certainly add to the experience MGS students get. Like all boats they will be named, and will follow an MGS theme, such as: Gaudeamus, 1549, and Olim Meminisse Juva- bit. Current and future MGS rowers will benefit from their use and it is hoped that the sport will continue to flourish in the years to come. Thank you ever so much to everyone who donated to the project. It is lovely to know that parents and former students support the development and want to help.

Following days of stage building, lighting reposition and sound checking it was time for the 3rd MGS rock event, approximately one year on from the first. Taking a step back and looking at how far we have come in a year, I couldn’t believe how far we had come. Everything was better, more bands, better bands, better staging, better lighting, better sound. It was a very proud moment. After a delayed start we were eager to get the show started. Following a couple of opening songs from the staff band, the crowd and boys settled into the performance. They did us proud, bands ranging from Year 7 to last year’s leavers, all the students putting on a high quality show. The levels of performance by the students on stage, supported by George Auger and his sound and light team were brilliant. In the crowd were parents, students, instrument teachers and local promoters. Speaking to some of the promoters they were very complimentary about the quality they were seeing and they have now invited some of our students (some as young as Year 8) to perform in their events.

It was a successful evening and helped us raise funds to help further develop music in the school. A thank you must also go out to the Parents’ Association who have since agreed to replace the old lighting desk that sometimes fails during performances. We all look forward to the next event and hope to continue making it bigger and better.

On 8th May there is a non-school event taking place at Beacon Court in Gillingham where four of the school bands will be playing and it would be great for them to have some support. The evening will likely start at about 7pm and tickets are £3. D. Martin

Developing Music at MGS: in recent years Music at MGS has been developing through the restating of student band evenings, school musicals and the new initiative of Extended Learning Week. There are more students participating in music on a regular basis and we wish to develop this further. In the last year we have raised £1200 in addition to the normal school budget which we have spent on purchasing more instru- ments to help cover the extra demand from the students. We are now sending more students to university to study music based courses and the feedback of how MGS has prepared them for these courses has been very positive but we want to make it better. We have a few aims over the next couple of years:

 To develop a loan system of instruments to encourage our students to take up an instrument.  To deliver more opportunities for students to play live at school and on the local music scene.  To prepare students better for university courses based on music.  To improve the quality of production put on at the school to make them more professional.

As parents we would like to ask for your support. If you have any unwanted live performance/recording equipment (amps, microphones, PA Systems lights etc) or musical instruments (both classical and modern) we would like to ask if you would be prepared to donate them to the school so that we can inspire the next generation of students to take up music. Alternatively we would gratefully accept donations to help us with our aims. If you would like to know more please email me on [email protected]

Raising Funds, Raising Learning

This has been a quieter term for the PA in terms of events but that doesn’t mean the wheels haven’t been turning rapidly as we continuously work towards our next event, develop new ideas and discuss where the money raised should go. One development we have made is our branding - please note the header of this article. All our events and fundraising activities will now use this logo in some form and we hope that it will make our efforts more noticeable.

Our big event this term was the Quiz held at the beginning of February. This sociable, fun event is run eve- ry year but the addition of a bar has increased both interest and income, with tickets and tables being sold out quickly. Lots of people contribute to arranging food, drink, the quiz and ensuring that everything runs smoothly on the night. We are delighted to tell you that over £1,300 was raised, a record in recent years.

We have continued to provide refreshments at a range of school events from Open Evenings to Concerts, from School Plays to Rock nights and although this might only form a small part of our fundraising efforts, several hundred pounds have been raised already this year. Please do stop by and have a cup of tea or a chocolate bar next time you attend one of these types of events.

The PATH Lottery continues to make a little extra money each month as new members join. Our second Super Size Prize for £100 was drawn on Monday along with our regular monthly winners and with just 3 more draws and one final Super Size Prize remaining, this will be the final month this academic year that you will be allowed to subscribe at just £5/number. For details go to the school’s website and navigate to the ‘Community’ tab. From there you can access the Parents’ page where you will find the Parents’ Asso- ciation. The PATH lottery is explained in full and a form can be downloaded or simply pay online via the ParentMail payment website.

We receive regular donations via the easyfundraising site where registered users have made purchases online and we have now passed the £1000 mark for donations received. This doesn’t require our support- ers to do much apart from visit their required online shop via this site. PLEASE JOIN IF YOU HAVE- N’T ALREADY – it’s extremely straightforward and can sometimes even save you money. Just go to: http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/mgspa , register and shop.

There is going to be another ‘Meet & Greet BBQ’ for Year 7 and 8 students and their families on Satur- day, 17th May from 12 to 2.30pm. Along with a fun inter-house quiz, there will also be a licenced bar, tea/ coffee, and confectionary. More details will follow so keep an eye out for ParentMail or visit the school’s website.

The Football Fiesta and Family Fun Day will be held on Saturday, 21st June from 10am to 3pm. This year, as well as the annual Year 7/8/9 Inter-House football competitions, there will be Tug of War contests, tombola, Penalty Competition, BBQ, teas, coffees and cakes. More details will follow via ParentMail along with details on the school’s website.

There will be a special raffle for a football signed by the Arsenal team and we hope that supporters of the Gunners will be eager to take part. Again, keep an eye out for a ParentMail when we will detail exactly how you can participate.

We recently donated money to the Rowing club topping up the money they have already raised inde- pendently so that they can purchase extra equipment and boats in order to expand the club. The PA also agreed to donate a small amount of money for the next 3 years to facilitate the running costs of the club.

Our other donation was a substantial amount to the Sound & Lighting team. This is run by a group of sixth formers who provide an invaluable service not only to us for such events as our Fireworks Night, Quiz Night, Football Fiesta etc but also to the school for every presentation, concert, play, open evenings and much more. Their equipment has been very well used over the years and is now starting to fail. Therefore we felt it was only fitting to meet all of their costs to upgrade, replace and repair their equipment.

And contributions are not limited to money. We always need helpers at events, big or small, and it is these ‘contributions’ that ultimately allow us to raise funds for the school. As the saying goes: “Time is money”. Perhaps you can turn a bit of your time into a lot of money for MGS.

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. Remember, your PA is only as good as the support it receives from you, the parents!

We wish you all a Happy Easter with plenty of chocolate!

MGS Calendar dates

Term 5

22 April 2014 - First day of Term 5 23 April 2014 - Y8 Shakespeare Day 24 April 2014 - Y6 Induction Evening 28 April 2014 - Y13 photo 28 April to 2 May 2014 - Y10 Exams in class 1 May 2014 - Y7 & 8 Junior Individual Maths Challenge at MGS 5 May 2014 - Bank Holiday 12 May 2014 - GCE & GCSE exams start 23 May 2014 - Last Day of Term 5 26 to 30 May 2014 - Summer Break

Term 6

2 June 2014 - Inset Day (no students in school) 3 June 2014 - First Day of Term 6 for students 9 to 13 June 2014 - Y7 & 9 exams in class 12 June 2014 - UCAS Evening 13 June 2014 - Y12 UCAS Day 19 June 2014 - Art Exhibition & Summer Concert 23 June 2014 - Y13 Book Return 26 June 2014 - Pre Sixth Form Induction Day 1 26 June 2014 - Y11 book return 26 June 2014 - Y13 book return & Leavers Tea in Quad 27 June 2014 - Pre Sixth Form Induction Day 2 27 June 2014 - GCE & GCSE exams end 30 June to 4 July 2014 - Extended Learning Week & Y12 Work Experience 9 July 2014 - 1st XI vs Old boys’ cricket match 10 July 2014 - Y6 Induction Day 11 July 2014 - Founders Day Service & Junior Speech Day 15 July 2014 - Sports Day 17 July 2014 - Reserve Sports Day 18 July 2014 - Last Day of Term 6 (2.30pm closure)

First Day back for students in Term 1 – Tuesday 2 September 2014 Monday 1st September 2014 - Inset day for staff

(Please retain)