Issue 90

Working together to promote & celebrate achievement

Friday 8th February 2019 Name & Tutor Group:

Headlines by Rachel McGowan

Mobile Phone Protocol

Mobile phones are, to many people, an essential feature of everyday life. In light of the recent media attention about mobile phones in schools I wish to reiterate what has been policy for over six years.

I am aware that many parents want their daughter to have a phone on their journey to and from school to help ensure her safety. Within school students are safe and are able to contact home should they need to through reception. Similarly, parents/guardians can send messages to students by telephoning the school.

Whilst on school site students are not allowed to use their mobile phones or have them visible at any time. This rule is in place to ensure that students concentrate entirely on their studies and, in unstructured time, they are not engaged in activities with a mobile phone that could put them or others at risk and they instead spend their break and lunchtimes talking rather than looking at a screen.

If a student is seen using a mobile phone on school premises it will be confiscated and held in school for three working days. A letter will be sent home alerting parents/guardians of the confiscation. The confiscated mobile phone will be returned to the student’s parent or guardian after three days.

If a parent wishes their daughter to have a mobile phone for the journey to and from school, the phone remains the responsibility of that student and the school does not accept any liability for any mobile phone lost or stolen in school whilst in the child’s possession.

2019 Parents’ Meetings

A reminder that during the Spring Term each year group has their parents’ meeting. Parents’ Meetings begin at 13.30 and finish at 17.30. School therefore finishes early at 12.35pm for students on the following days to ensure all subject teachers and support staff are available to meet with parents.

 Thursday 14th February: Year 8 Parents' Meetings 13.30-17.30  Tuesday 26th March: Year 10 Parents' Meetings 13.30-17.30  Wednesday 3rd April: Year 7 Parents' Meetings 13.30-17.30

Emergency Contact Details

If you have changed your home or mobile telephone number in recent months, I would ask that you inform us as a matter of urgency. It is imperative that we have up-to-date emergency contact details for every child. Please telephone the school to inform us of your revised details. Your support with this crucial matter is much appreciated.

Sarah Mussi Author Visit

On Monday 14th January, young adult author Sarah Mussi visited Plashet and spoke to students in Year 8 and Year 9 about her books, her experiences as a writer and how she finds inspiration for her novels. The visit was part of a literacy project funded by the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators which aims to encourage students in schools to increase their reading for pleasure. Sarah Mussi took Year 8 students through the process which she follows when developing a story idea, while Year 9 looked at some of the issues which occur in her books and thought about their own responses to different moral questions. Both year groups participated in the events with a lot of enthusiasm!

“We met Sarah Mussi and she talked to us about how she got the inspiration for her story lines. I found her very amusing and lots of people wanted to buy her books. The books are mostly about the reality of scary situations and how the characters handle these situations. Overall, her books are really interesting, I recommend them to anyone who likes thrillers.” Sumya Yesmin 9E

“It was very good and we got some tips on how to write creatively when it comes to our creative writing essays.” Janesha Puvirajan 9H

“Having an author come to school was a wish come true as I had all my questions answered about writing books and publishing stories. Now I know, I might publish a story of my own. Overall it was a very interesting and fun hour.” Rahmah Bagum 8B

“It was very inspirational and amazing to learn that we can have a voice through writing.” Sasha Winn 8B

Ms Clifford-Smith, Librarian

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair took place from 3rd to 7th December. We made £413.08 and we got to spend £165 on free books for our libraries. It was a big success and there will be more new books.

Lia Ali 10A

Christmas Concert

The Christmas concert is where anyone who likes to sing or act can work together to create a performance for friends and families to watch and have a great time. The theme this year was “The Greatest Showman”. It was great and we had so much fun rehearsing.

We gave up many lunchtimes to rehearse, but the end result was worth it. In choir, we sang “Rise Up”, “A Million Dreams” and as a grand finale we performed “This Is Me”. In Drama, we re-enacted some scenes from “The Greatest Showman” and there were bands playing too.

Our teachers helped us a lot - even when we would mess things up, they were really helpful. The whole concert was amazing and everyone enjoyed participating in it. I am very delighted to have been part of this beautiful performance.

Janesha Puvirajan 9H

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Visit to the Imperial College Of London

Going to this university was a privilege as we got to see how life would be as a university student. We went to a Robotics Workshop which was led by students themselves. During the workshop we had to get into teams and make our own robots using Lego. We then had a relay race of the robots!

I believe that this was an experience of a lifetime. We learnt a lot about building, programming and how day to day life is in university. We all had an amazing time.

To end the visit, we had a tour of the campus and got the opportunity to ask questions about what life is like as a university student. They talked to us about Science labs, dorm rooms, lectures etc.

This was a really enjoyable experience and we hope to get an opportunity like this again.

Shinejot Kaur 8P and Ria Kotecha 8P

Year 7 and 9 Netball

The Year 7 and 9 Netball teams had a fixture against Chobham on 24th January 2019. All of the students worked really hard and were a credit to themselves and Plashet. The final score was a 1–0 victory to Plashet in the Year 7 match, and a 12–4 victory to Plashet in the Year 9 match. Player of the match was given to Yasmin Patel and Liba Saeed, well done!

The following students played:

Fatima Idrees 7S Humaira Jahedi 7E Mayesha Khanam 7S Dhanvi Patel 7T Yasmin Patel 7T Khadijah Sayeed 7T Aisha Sheikh 7E Leema Syed 7T

Yamina Ali 9H Alyaa Hussain 9T Ruqayyah Hussain 9H Mariam Raza 9S Liba Saeed 9T Isma Shah 9G Rabia Siddique 9T

Well done girls!

Mrs Setter, PE Teacher 3

Year 10 Sociology Visit

On 17th January 2019 Year 10 Sociology students visited the British Library where they were able to see original documentation, letters and artefacts from important figures and historical moments in the ‘treasure gallery’. This included letters and posters written and created by the Suffragettes, letters from Ghandi during his non-violent protests, ancient Bibles and Qurans.

In the afternoon students participated in a workshop at the Royal Courts of Justice. During this time, the students learnt that there are a variety of different courts who deal with different types of cases. For instance, the Royal Court is otherwise referred to as High Court where they deal with civil cases. They also learnt about the different roles played by people within the courtroom. Finally, students were given a real life case that occurred. They re-enacted the case whereby every student played a role and then students playing the jury delivered a verdict.

Overall students stated that not only did they find it useful for their curriculum but some are considering a new career path that they never considered previously.

Miss Teles, Subject Leader for Sociology

Post 16 Transition Event

As part of the CEIAG provision, we had a variety of post-16 providers visit Plashet School on Tuesday 10th January 2019 to help Year 11 students decide where they might want to move onto after they leave us in the summer.

The mass of colleges / training providers that attended were: NCS (Newham Collegiate ), NewVIc, London Film Academy, East London Science School, Seven Kings, Canon Palmer Academy, B6, LAE, Brampton Manor, Central Foundation, St Bonaventure’s, Caterham High School, LDEUTC, Sir George Monoux , Leyton Sixth Form, Big Creative Education, Havering Sixth Form College and Newham College.

“It was quite informative.” 11P “It was a brilliant experience to speak to providers face to face.” 11A

Mrs Clark, Lead for CEIAG, Work Experience and Learning for Life

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Learning for Life Morning

On Wednesday 16th January, Year 11 were involved in a series of programmes ranging from deciding on a career to organising a portfolio. The day began with a lesson on how to use a careers website called Job Explorer Database. Students had to answer various questions about themselves in order to find a job which met their needs, likes and dislikes. This really amazed and intrigued some students as to what jobs were available, especially as some of them had never considered the options which were generated.

Another session focused on how to organise a portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of documents and writing that Year 11 students will have to assemble and take to college interviews. The folder needs to include a personal statement so that colleges can see a review of the student. This personal statement may also provide the college with a reason to select a student to attend their college or sixth form. It also informs the student of how unique they are as a person. Students were given a basic template of a personal statement and a CV to help them on their way.

The final lesson of the day was based on students learning what makes a successful transition to college. Students were taught key words to use and selecting questions that are suitable for when trying to find important information about a college. They played a four in a row game to show their understanding on the different types of colleges.

Many evaluations, both written and informal, indicated that the day was a success and the cohort were much more confident in getting ready for life beyond Plashet school. If you are a parent/carer of a Year 11 student, please have a discussion about the colleges they are applying to, as the deadlines for some of them are fast approaching.

We will be doing NewVIc interviews in school on Wednesday 20th March 2019, so students will need to get their application forms in before half term in order to ‘bank’ a college place under their belt!

Mrs Clark, Lead for CEIAG, Work Experience and Learning for Life

Year 7 and 8 Netball

The Year 7 and 8 Netball teams had a fixture against Academy on Thursday 31st January. All of the students worked really hard and were a credit to themselves and Plashet. The final score was a 3–2 victory to Plashet in the Year 7 match, who came back from 2-1 behind and a 3-0 victory to Plashet in the Year 8 match. Player of the match was given to Mayesha Khanam and Asli Mohamed, well done!

The following students played:

Reyah Ali 7T Humaira Jahedi 7E Mayesha Khanam 7S Dhanvi Patel 7T Yasmin Patel 7T Khadijah Sayeed 7T Aisha Sheikh 7E

Temi Aladejuyigbe 8H Tasneen Hossain 8H Safiya Jones-Olugosi 8G Ayesha Khan 8T Israh Malik 8E Asli Mohamed 8T Laiba Saghir 8A

Well done girls! 5 Mrs Setter & Miss Boland, PE Teachers

Panathlon 2019

Six students participated in the Panathlon event held at Langdon school. They represented Newham in various sporting activities. This was an exciting opportunity for them to showcase their skills and talent in boccia, javelin, target throw and running events. They did exceptionally well and received medals and certificates for their performance.

‘I am so happy, I enjoyed the sports at Langdon School’ - Simi Jutla 11H

Ms Naidoo, SENCo Year 11 Participate in 'Solutions Not Sides'

On Thursday 31st January, students in Year 11 had the opportunity to attend a session led by an organisation named ‘Solutions Not Sides’. This is an organisation that promotes non-partisan education on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, with the motto ‘not simply pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, but pro-solution’.

In order to participate in the event, we had to have some knowledge of the conflict. So, a pre-session was lead by History teachers giving students a general overview about the current state of conflict between Palestine and Israel, and some history about the location. We learnt about the majority religion, minority religion, majority language and the amount of membership each country has in the UN (United Nations).

Already, it could be seen how the two countries could have disagreements amongst them just on the basis of their different religious and political beliefs, foreshadowing the topics that were discussed later. It became clear to me that religion is used as a facade to conceal the intentions of political leaders, who are hungry for power and land, regardless of the innocent lives that are at stake. Civilians should not be forced into an atmosphere of fighting, when initially they had no say in starting a conflict using military action where children become victims of hatred inflicted by manipulative leaders.

During the main session we were fortunate to meet two civilians from Israel and Palestine. We learnt about how they were brought up. Yehonatan, raised in Israel was forced to join the army at the age of 18. Wasim, from Palestine, continually put under house arrest, windows completely covered, with the sound of gunshots ever-present. Both at one point feared for their lives and the lives of their loved ones due to this conflict. They now work to reconcile young children from both countries, educating them in a non-biased manner. A question and answer activity allowed us to ask the two visitors many questions such as whether they felt as though the hatred they felt towards the ‘other’ was forced.

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The whole experience was very interactive and has successfully taught students to make informed choices and develop opinions about what can be done to tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We were set a task where different groups discussed possible solutions to resolve the conflict but based on our learning. One of the solutions included splitting Jerusalem so that half of it becomes the capital city for both countries. Another solution was to make Jerusalem independent to avoid conflict in the future.

Overall, this was not only a highly beneficial session for subjects including Religious Studies and History, but it also opened our eyes to the injustices that exist and how we must all strive for peace.

Michelle Javed 11E

Library Helpers

The school libraries are lucky to have an enthusiastic and committed team of student volunteers who help staff to keep the service running smoothly during break times and lunchtimes.

All of our Library Helpers work through a training scheme created by the School Library Association and earn a series of awards as they develop their skills. During the last few weeks, the following students have successfully completed awards and progressed through the scheme.

First Award Bronze Award Silver Award Sumya Yesmin 9E Taiba Majumdar 10N Juti Chowdhury 10A Sanskriti Sabharwal 9E Hafizah Fahmy 10N Wahida Shakoor 10N Shirromi Sivathas 9H Lia Ali 10A Umaiza Ahmed 8G

Ms Clifford-Smith, Librarian

Shadow Games: A Drama & Debate Workshop

On Tuesday 19th January, 120 Year 10 students were invited to attend a drama and debate workshop called ‘Shadow Games’. Students watched a play and then participated in a workshop based on their learning.

The play was about Spider, a refugee from Sierra Leone who after the death of a friend, becomes a political activist and participates in peaceful protests. She communicates regularly with ‘Samuel’ a withdrawn computer geek. However, both of them are also in contact with a sinister mutual ‘friend’, Osiris, who grooms them separately. To Spider he is the popular blogger who writes impassioned speeches encouraging readers to become ‘aware’ of issues of injustice, but to Samuel he is the mentor who persuades him to commit crimes on his behalf.

Following the play, students worked with the actors to put together a plan of defence and prosecution. Actors remained in role so students could question their motives and find out more about their choices and actions. Students learnt why they need to be cautious of their online communications. They were encouraged to understand how manipulative some adults can be when their intention is to get a young person to commit a crime on their behalf. We also heard stories from the perspective of Spider and Samuel’s siblings and mothers, which provided an insight as to how events such as these, not only affect individuals and the victims but also those closest to you.

Here are some reviews from three of the students involved:

“It was an amazing experience and I learnt a lot about inequality between men and women. The show was interactive which helped me understand the main message of the show. It intrigued me a lot and I would love Shadow Games to come and visit again.” Safa Abufazal 10N

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“I felt as though I was included in the play. It was quite exciting but it was very different from anything that I had participated in before in terms of interaction with the actors and characters. We looked further into the characters by hot seating them and even ended up becoming the jury to decide their fate”. Minaal Meer 10H

“I really enjoyed the theatre performance because it seemed very realistic and the actors were interacting with the audience to make us feel part of the performance. The debate at the end was really interesting because we were able to understand each character’s point of view and how they felt. Overall, I think the workshop was fun and thought provoking.” Faizah Noreen 10E

Miss Heath, Deputy Head Teacher

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