Issue 91

Working together to promote & celebrate achievement

Friday 22nd March 2019 Name & Tutor Group:

Headlines by Rachel McGowan

2019 Parents’ Meetings

A reminder that we have two remaining Parents’ Meetings as follows:

 Tuesday 26th March: Year 10 Parents' Meetings, 13.30 - 17.30  Wednesday 3rd April: Year 7 Parents' Meetings, 13.30 - 17.30

Parents’ Meetings begin at 13.30 and finish at 17.30. School will therefore finish early at 12.35pm for students on both days to ensure all subject teachers and support staff are available to meet with parents.

Exam Preparation

Examinations are approaching for all students as follows:

 Year 11 written exams begin on Monday 13th May  Year 10 written exams on Monday 10th June  Year 9 written exams on Monday 29th April  Year 8 written exams on Monday 29th April  Year 7 written exams on Tuesday 30th April

Diary Matters

We will break-up for our Easter holiday at 12.30pm on Friday 5th April 2019.

All students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 are expected back to school on Tuesday 23rd April.

Year 10 will be on work experience from Tuesday 23rd April until Friday 3rd May.

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.

Year 9 Jewish Museum Visit

Throughout January and February all of our Year 9 students visited the Jewish Museum in Camden. Year 9 are currently learning about the Holocaust and its impact on faith.

They spent the morning investigating key Jewish beliefs and learning more about faith and belief in Judaism. Students also learnt about Jewish artefacts and different denominations within Judaism. Then in the afternoon all students got to experience a first-hand testimony from Elsa, a Holocaust witness. Elsa travelled to on the Kindertransport, and told us about her experience from the adventure of getting on the train at midnight to arriving in London to start her new life. Elsa described herself as ‘one of the lucky ones’ and was eventually reunited with both her parents, many other Jews were not so lucky.

Although her testimony was heart-breaking as she had to leave her family at such a young age, the students also found it inspiring; she was welcomed in London and was able to start a life here. As always the museum was pleased to have Plashet students back to hear their insightful questions and thoughtful views.

Students from 9L with Elsa who travelled to

London on the Kindertransport

Ms Still, Curriculum Leader for Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

A New Plashet Chair of RE Matters

Fatima Khatun 10P was elected as the Executive Chair for RE Matters by all participating schools in Newham. Harshitha Shankar 10A has also been elected onto the Executive Committee.

RE Matters provides schools with the opportunity to promote dialogue between young people of different faiths, secular backgrounds and cultures. It supports collaborative work and inter- faith dialogue and enables our students to work with the local and wider community. It also seeks to develop young people’s skills in articulating their concerns and questions, and provides them with opportunities to work with faith leaders.

Being the chair means that Fatima will work alongside Claire Clinton (RE Advisor for Newham) to plan the meetings. Both Fatima and Harshitha have made an impressive commitment and attend Executive Meetings regularly with Claire Clinton and students from other secondary schools. Fatima has already presented at the National RE conference and both Fatima and Harshitha will continue to lead our RE Matters groups in their up and coming projects. Well done to both of these students on their hard work, commitment and success.

Ms Still, Curriculum Leader for Philosophy, Religion and Ethics

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Harry Potter Book Night

Our annual celebration of the Harry Potter series took place on Thursday 7th February. It was an exciting evening, beginning with us being sorted into our house by the famous Sorting Hat! Next we had to solve a puzzle in order to make a potion. We had a lot of fun figuring out the clues in order to make the rainbow coloured potion, being tested on our knowledge of Harry Potter. We then drank some ‘Butterbeer’ which was the highlight of the evening! There was a huge queue, impatient to taste some!

Once we all had a laugh after sipping some Butterbeer, we got selected by our wands and created creatures representing our houses. A fun and interactive activity.

Last but not least, Gryffindor were announced as the winners of the House Cup and to finish the event, we received a chocolate frog to enjoy on the way home!

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and will definitely grab the chance of attending again next year!

Shirromi Sivathas 9H

Year 11 Food Preparation & Nutrition Practical Exam

Wednesday 13th February saw the second practical exam for students sitting GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition. Students were required to plan and prepare a menu of three meals within a three-hour period. The girls demonstrated a high level of technical skills and processes, resulting in a range of dishes of an exceptional standard. This year’s titles ranged from dishes that met the nutritional needs of teenagers to those that were based on the Asian cuisine. The menus included Japanese, Pakistani and Indian cuisines.

The girls worked extremely hard, incorporating skills such as making their own mozzarella cheese to filleting fish and jointing chicken, making tortellini, fresh baguettes and sushi. The results looked and tasted amazing.

Our panel of tasters included Mrs McGowan, Mr O Donnell, Mr Coombs and Ms Thakor all of whom were highly impressed by the standard of the girl’s dishes as well as the taste. A huge well done to Khadeeja Abdur-Rahman, Nadia Afzal, Iqra Alam, Ebony Brown, Tanjela Choudhury, Ayesha Khan, Sana Khan, Spogmai Rahmani and Khalishah Rouf.

Mrs Begum, Subject Leader for Food Preparation & Nutrition

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Year 7 SOAS Taster Day

On Monday 11th February a group of Year 7 students attended a taster day at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Below are student accounts of the visit:

“I am grateful for being chosen to attend the SOAS Taster Day. I really liked the student ambassador workshops as we were able to learn about economics and the amazing language and culture of Japan. It helped me understand my options and the wealth of courses that are available at university. It also helped me to think about I want to do when I am older.” Rim Raddi 7H

“We had the privilege of going to SOAS university which gave us the chance to experience what it is like to be a university student. At the start of the day we were quizzed on our knowledge of the Middle East, Asia and Africa. This was followed up with two taster lessons on Japanese and Economics/History and finally the day ended with a tour of the campus. The university was massive and one could easily get lost! My favourite place was the library as there was an air of tranquillity and you could almost smell the vastness of knowledge in the air. The student ambassadors were extremely engaging and took time to explain some of the finer details of student life. I came away with a better grasp of the whole concept of studying at university, and it has spurred me to making sure I do well in my studies to ensure I get into a top university like SOAS.” Shreya Kotecha 7E

Mr Malik, Most Able Lead

Intermediate Maths Challenge

The UKMT Mathematical Challenges aim to stimulate mathematical problem solving. In this year’s Intermediate Maths Challenge 97 students from Years 9, 10 and 11 took part in completing the individualised challenge. The questions were aimed to make students think mathematically and problem solve. The top 40% of students in the country will receive bronze, silver and gold certificates. 1500 of the highest performers will then go on to participate in the Olympiad or Kangaroo challenge.

Our students worked really hard to gain the following certificates:

Year 9: 5 Silver and 5 Bronze Year 10: 9 Bronze 4

Year 11: 2 Gold, 5 Silver and 11 Bronze.

Afrin Patel 11S and Mahnoor Akhtar 11S achieved a Gold certificate and also qualified for the Pink Kangaroo Challenge.

Well done everyone!

Mr Amin, Teacher of Maths

Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge 2019

On 28th February 2019, 56 Year 10 students split into two groups and took part in the Jack Petchey ‘Speak Out’ Challenge. My group was led by Louise, who came and helped us by trying to get the most out of ourselves with physical and verbal tips about speech making.

Starting at 9.00am, we spent the first period working on body language which we discovered can actually have a much bigger impact on public speaking than the content of the speech itself. This included improving our posture and tone as well as many other things. After break, we continued by starting to incorporate structural features into our speaking, by answering questions such as “Do you believe in ghosts?” and “Do you think the death penalty should be reinstated?”

The afternoon brought both the writing and performance of our speeches, with all 28 students in each group having to work towards a two minute presentation on a topic of our choosing. The strict time limit brought the added pressure of delivering what we wanted to say clearly and concisely.

Finally, Louise and Mr Dry selected three speakers out of the group to go forward and compete to be Plashet’s representative at the Newham grand final. They will compete with the three students from the second group at a Year 9 assembly and, if chosen, will have the opportunity to deliver their speeches in front of hundreds of people and VIP judges.

Overall, the day was educational as well as fun, and taught us aspects of speech making that we can take forward in life, not just in public speaking competitions.

Faheemah Akter 10P

Lendlease Challenge 2019

On Thursday 28th February, 30 lucky Year 9 Geographers were selected to participate in stage 1 of the Lendlease Challenge. This is an annual competition staged by Lendlease, a leading urban planning and construction group, whose headquarters are located in Stratford.

The girls were visited by Lauren Holmes from Lendlease. She led a workshop that explored the many exciting changes that are taking place in Stratford, as well as the opportunities created by such innovative urban design. Our Geographers were then tasked with using their learning to create a short sales pitch, promoting Stratford’s International Quarter to potential investors.

The following students who impressed the most have been selected to continue onto stage 2 of the competition:

Zoya Atif 9T Humera Master 9S Mira Patel 9P Nandhana Prakash Simi 9S Aaliyah Ali 9H

A massive well done to everyone involved!

Ms Hyam, Subject Leader for Geography 5

Battle of the Bands

The annual Battle of the Bands took place on 28th February at . The Battle of the Bands is a show where Bands from other schools in Newham compete for 1st place in 2 categories: Best Cover Song and Best Original Song.

Our bands, The Quest (bottom left) and The Septets (bottom right) competed against groups from Chobham , Lister School, Oasis Academy, School, and St Angela’s Ursuline School. The atmosphere in the hall was buzzing, thanks to the professional hosting skills of Temi 8H and Monica 10G who led the evening with charisma and flair.

The Quest kicked off the show with their rendition of Mardy Bum by The Arctic Monkeys. With Janesha Puvirajan 9H giving a fun and energetic performance as the lead singer and Zahra Rahman 9H dazzling guitar solo, how could they lose? They didn’t! They were the winners of the Best Cover Song category.

The Septets performed their original song, Spotlight. If you didn’t leave the hall singing the chorus over and over in your head, you must not have been listening! Unfortunately, they lost out to St Angela’s who won the Best Original Song but the judges absolutely loved it, and secretly, they told me that it was their favourite.

If you didn’t manage to catch Battle of the Bands this year, try to come next year. You will be inspired by all the young talent we have here in Newham.

The Septets The Quest Mehreen Qureshi 8A, Farhiya Afrah 8S, Monica Argyo 10G, Amirah Rob 10N, Drusilla

Zahra Rahman 9H, Raeesa Dalal 9H Duke 10L, Aqsa Mahmood 10G, Ameesha and Janesha Puvirajan 9H Thahir 10G, Agaliya Krishnathevan 10S and Livya Sundaravadivelu 10P

Miss Carne, Subject Leader for Music

Badminton Tournament

On Wednesday 6th February a group of 10 students represented Plashet at the London Essex National Schools Competition run by Badminton at Redbridge Sports centre.

Key Stage 4 team members were Priya Palanivel 10S, Nidhi Ben 10E, Gauri Shaji 10E, Sarah Sufi 10N and Charu Kuganantharajah 10N. Key Stage 3 team members were Samiyah Macadam 8G, Faiza Iqbal 8G, Ruqayyah Hussain 9H, Liba Saeed 9T and Sanskriti Sabharwal 9E.

All of the students played to a very good standard and were a credit to the school. The Key Stage 4 team finished in 4th place and the Key Stage 3 team finished in 3rd place. This was a good opportunity for the teams to experience competitive matches, as we look forward to retaining our title at the upcoming Newham Borough tournament. Well done!

Miss Boland, Teacher of PE 6

Body Worlds Exhibition

On Tuesday 26th February Year 9 and 10 GCSE PE students attended the exhibition at Body Worlds in Central London. The exhibition provided a fantastic opportunity for students to find out about the effects that lifestyle can have on the organs of the body.

We were able to see the theoretical work that we have been learning in school for ourselves. This will help to extend our understanding in both GCSE PE and GCSE Science.

Nidhi Ben 10E

Year 8 Creative Industries Event

On Wednesday 28th February the whole of Year 8 took part in an Art and Design, Creative Industries event organised by myself and led by the London College of Fashion.

Students were given an informative talk about the East Bank developments taking place in Stratford, which is set to be the largest art complex since the South bank, with the BBC, Victoria and Albert Museum, London College of Fashion, Sadlers Wells theatre all opening on the East bank site. This will not only hugely benefit the area and the students living and studying in East London, but will also create thousands of education and career opportunities within the creative sector.

Students also took part in a mass creative activity to design and create wearable garments based around a given descriptive word. It was a fast paced activity, in which students were encouraged to think outside the box, in a conceptual way in order to answer the brief. After a hesitant start, students became engrossed in the activity and somewhat competitive. They all took very different approaches to solving the brief, experimenting with ideas, materials and techniques, and pushing themselves out of their normal comfort zone.

At the end of the practical activity, students proudly modelled their creations to the rest of the year group. It was a delight to see such varied creations and the exciting and unusual manipulation of materials. There was a real sense of joy and celebration in the success of completing a challenging task in such a short time frame.

The activity, with all its fun, did have a serious and important message about the importance of developing and nurturing creativity. Through the Art and Design curriculum, we empower our students to develop wide ranging qualities, experiences and behaviours that prepare them for the future, and enable them to develop and sustain a rewarding professional life. Skills such as building resilience when faced with a challenge or obstacle, enterprise developing ideas, taking initiative, connectivity and communication, and the ability to work with others and present a response.

With employers citing “Creativity” as the 3rd most important skill required by the year 2020, it is an important reminder that we all do as much as possible to provide opportunities for creative practice and thinking.

Ms Oozeer, Subject Leader for Art

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Plashet’s Top Designers and Models of 2019

Imagine the scene as the lights go dim and the floodlights highlight the catwalk. Students emerge from behind the curtains as the audience roars with excitement.

This year, the Textiles Fashion Show was held on Tuesday 26th February. Students across all year groups showcased the fruits of their hard but enjoyable work in Textiles lessons.

The show opened in style with Year 11 students who had created chic hoodies responding to the context of staying warm. We also saw Year 7 and 8 present their work related to the theme of bugs and butterflies. Their graceful fluttery wings, beautifully embellished shift dresses and scarves were captivating. Year 9 made a big entrance with their exquisite kaftans and dazzled the audience with their electronic products which they had programmed themselves.

Finally, Year 11 stole the show with their extraordinary final GCSE products and we were particularly honoured by our special catwalk guest, Mr Coombs!

After all that designing, making and unpicking (you know who you are), we would like to thank all the students and teachers for their hard work along with the support from the audience to make this show a very memorable event. Thank you also to all the teachers who came to support the event and Miss Louot for her fabulous photographs.

Syeda Maliha Quadri 11G

Year 9 Art and Design Visit

On 28th February, the Year 9 Art and Design group took part in a visit to the Grant Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts to carry out research on the theme of “Life, Death and Rebirth”.

The Grant Museum which is part of the University College London, is the only remaining university zoological museum in London. It houses around 67,000 specimens covering the whole of the animal kingdom. It was great to see such a variety of specimens and a great opportunity to study them up close. We were fortunate enough to have the whole museum to ourselves. Staff at the museum were very accommodating and helpful. We spent the morning recording through drawing and photography.

The afternoon was a completely different experience. From observing dead items in glass jars, we were treated to a series of films made by the Artist Bill Viola. The exhibition entitled “Life, Death and Rebirth”,

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explores the work of Michelangelo and re-interprets them in the contemporary digital form of film. We walked through pitch black rooms, in which slow motion films were projected on walls. It was strange at first adjusting to the darkness, but a very moving experience. Through exploring the theme of life, death and rebirth, Bill Viola makes connections to the elements of water, fire, earth and air. The exhibition includes drawings by Michelangelo produced in the final 30 or so years of his life. They were beautiful and sensitive observations of figures in movement.

In comparing the two experiences, through the day, I would say the morning was very much based on the theme of death and the past, and recording and archiving in a very traditional way through the medium of the jar and formaldehyde. The afternoon was very much about the present and about reflecting on life experiences that we often take for granted. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit as it was the first time I have experienced either of these things.

Dharshika Pakkiyanathan 9A & Sumya Yesmin 9E

International Women’s Day

We did not let International Women’s Day pass us by at Plashet! Friday 8th March was embraced as an opportunity to promote the ways that we can keep on striving towards #BalanceforBetter in terms of gender equality.

Prefect Coordinators and Prefects offered Years 7 and 8 a myriad of opportunities at lunchtime to celebrate the accomplishments of women with competitions, quizzes, workshops and even an afternoon tea! It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all participants and we were grateful for the excellent resources and sessions the Year 11 Prefect Team designed and delivered.

Miss Sanderson, Assistant Head Teacher

‘Crowded’ Performance

On Friday 8th March, Year 9 Drama students watched an engaging performance of a short piece of drama called ‘Crowded’, which was created by three artists commissioned by Apples and Snakes and Half Moon Productions. The piece was developed in direct response to the growing number of teenagers in the UK struggling with their mental health.

‘Crowded’ tells the story of ordinary young people whose anxiety, depression and desire leads to harmful and destructive behaviours. Giving voice to emotions that are often unspoken due to social stigma, ‘Crowded’ was a powerful, funny and uncompromising story presented in a striking spoken word show by three exciting young poet-performers: Desree, Laura Rae and Slam the Poet.

“The performance was very good, especially as the topic was sensitive.” Mira Patel 9P

“I really enjoyed it the performance, particularly how just the three actors created the piece. I also enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions and get advice from the actors who have real experience of performing. I feel like their advice will help me when I complete my practical GCSE performance.” Asmaa Chaudhry 9G

Miss Sanderson, Assistant Head Teacher

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Malorie Blackman and Angie Thomas Visit

On Monday 11th March, 55 Year 10 Reading Role Models (students who volunteered to be a reading buddy for Year 7 and 8 students during Registration to help confidence and enjoyment of reading) and Carnegie Shadow group members (students who are part of the reading group who shadow the Carnegie Award annually) went to the Old Town Hall, Stratford to hear two internationally acclaimed authors speak.

Malorie Blackman is a British writer who switched from a successful career in computer programming to becoming a much loved and highly celebrated YA author. Her ‘Noughts and Crosses’ series has resonated with so many readers young and old. Angie Thomas hails from Mississippi in the United States of America and experienced worldwide success when her YA novel, ‘The Hate U Give’ was published in 2017 and became a feature film in 2018.

It was so interesting hearing both authors speak, but don’t take my word for it. This is what some of the Year 10 students had to say:

“Monday was such a great day and a wonderful opportunity to have met two of my favourite authors who write such powerful novels. I feel lucky to have had the privilege to sit down and listen to what they had to say and we even got a personally signed copy of their new books!” Ghajana Gajendra 10N

“It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and I enjoyed it very, very much.” Raazia Khan 10E

“The author visit was brilliant! Malorie Blackman and Angie Thomas are at the top of my favourite authors list. We learned a lot of interesting things, such as Angie Thomas can rap and we were the only school that got to take photos with them both - so we felt special. Thank you to Reading Role Models and Jack Petchey winners Safa Abufazal 10N and Raazia Khan 10E for getting us each a signed copy of On The Come UP.” Wahida Shakoor 10N

“It was a great experience to have been able to meet two great authors and get to know a little bit about them. They taught me that success only comes after failure and that we shouldn't be disheartened by it but instead to push forward and be persistent.” Monica Argyo 10G

“It was an amazing experience. The authors talked about the purpose of their books and how resilient they were in the whole process of publishing them. It was very interesting and fun!” Safa Abufazal 10N

Miss Sanderson, Assistant Head Teacher

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