13778 Gryphon - Newsletter

Autumn 2013
What’s going on ...
The Gryphon School’s Drama and Music Departments’ production of Rodgers
took place towards the end of
and Hammerstein’s
term. There were three performances and there will be photos and a full
report in the next edition of the Newsletter.
South Pacific
PTA Quiz Night – Friday 7 February 2014 7pm for 7.30pm
Get your teams ready for this much loved annual event. There will be a
Ploughman’s Platter, Licensed Bar and a Raffle. Tickets are £5 per person in
advance and £6 on the day. Book early, we sold out last year!
Year 7s had better weather for their
Carey Camp trip this year. Great fun
was had by all…see page 3 for the
full story.
Shorn for the Philippines
The Pod brings Faster Food
An additional food outlet has just opened at The Gryphon School. It’s called
The Pod and is in the first quad beside the LRC. The Pod, which has been
doing a roaring trade, is an outside catering facility for the students where
they can buy everything that can be bought in café@Gryphon except the main
meals. Pizzas, paninis, sandwiches, homemade soup, yoghurts, cakes, biscuits
and drinks can all be picked up quickly to take away.
Its success has, we estimate, shortened queues in café@Gryphon by at least a
hundred students at break and lunchtime so congestion has been reduced,
there is less waiting around and everyone is getting and paying for their food
faster.
Gordon Smith – Bursar
Students honoured in Sherborne Abbey
Well Done
& Thank You!
This term has seen a massive effort by our
students to raise money and donate items
for those less fortunate than themselves.
We are enormously proud of this
achievement and would like to thank them
for their hard work, the way they have
willingly given their time and the
wonderfully imaginative ways they have
gone about raising money.
Once again the achievements of The Gryphon School’s Years 11 and 13 students were honoured early this term with a formal Prize Giving Ceremony in
Sherborne Abbey. It is always a fantastic occasion and this year the awards were presented by Mr Darran Gunter, Chief Fire Officer for Dorset.
In an inspirational speech Mr Gunter, who told
students he had left school without finishing
Sixth Form, urged them, as they go out into the
world, to stretch themselves, look for experiences
and grasp them. He said doors open to you
because of the hard work you have put in and
The students have raised over £3,500
for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, nearly
£1,400 for Children in Need, donated
140 Christmas shoeboxes to Operation
Christmas Child, filled 47 backpacks for
Mary’s Meals and donated 742 items for
the Lord’s Larder. See page 7 for more
photos and details.
www.gryphon.dorset.sch.uk
that ‘just enough is not good enough’. He
encouraged the students to strive for more and
said ‘Don’t be sad that this part of the journey is
over but smile because it has happened’.
Headteacher, Mr Steve Hillier said, ‘It is a
privilege to be in Sherborne Abbey to celebrate
the wonderful achievements of our students. I
am so proud of them.’ This year The Gryphon
students achieved their best ever A Level results
and it was another outstanding year for GCSE
students.
(Mr Gunter’s inspirational talk can be found at
www.gryphon.dorset.sch.uk/latest-news)
During the summer holidays a group of our
new Year 7 students attended a range of
activities provided by the School as part of
our transition programme. Summer School is
run with the intention of introducing future
students to The Gryphon School community.
This year the students participated in
activities such as trips, sports, Art Workshops
and team building sessions. Six members of
staff supported the students during the two
weeks of activities. The Art Workshops were
supported by ArtsLink’s TakepArt Project
which is funded by the Big Lottery. All the
students who took part felt that the Summer
School helped them to settle in quickly and
feel confident in their new school.
Students with the banner they made during one of
the Art Workshops
THE GRYPHON BECOMES A
‘SCHOOL OF DREAMS’
Tutti Fruit-ti!
Settling in to School
Bananas and apples are good for you. They
also make pretty good piano keys! During the
Open Evening for Year 6, students were
treated to the Gryphon ICT Banana Piano.
Students are used to using a computer
keyboard to control an object on the screen
but now, with Computer Science a key part of
the new computing curriculum, we are
introducing the Makey Makey. This is a small
device that allows students to break-out of
the confines of a keyboard and make anything
into a controller bringing a more kinetic
element into the IT classroom.
Honda’s ‘School of Dreams’
team visited The Gryphon this
term for a free two-day
‘thinking skills’ workshop for
9-13 year old pupils and
educators. Pupils from The
Gryphon and our local primary
schools took part. The School
of Dreams programme helps
young people understand the
importance of pursuing their
dreams, and teaches skills and
strategies to help turn their
dreams into reality. Students
are encouraged to become
‘Sharers’ and ‘Doers’, by both
taking what they have learnt
and cascading it to others, and by organising team projects which aim to change something in
their local community for the better.
The workshop, which was supported by Ash Honda, based in Yeovil, was challenging, great fun
and thoroughly enjoyable.
Hayley Andrews - Head of PSHE & Citizenship
‘The History Boys’ dress up for the Year 6 Open Evening
So the students at the Open Evening were not
just playing the Banana piano but also using
Play Doh to control a helicopter game
onscreen (designed by current Year 8
students). Students and parents were also
able to see how Microsoft’s kinect maps body
movements in a game via “Scratch”
programme and have fun with the classic 80’s
toy Big Trak (used as an introduction to how
programming works).
Work experience
It is clear that the way we approach and use
computers is rapidly changing. Our students
of the future will not just understand how to
use the Office suite, but be able to
programme mobile apps, create their own
games and publish their own websites plus
much, much more.
Nigel White – Head of ICT
Stars of the Future
Luke Ayling and Gavin Williams from Yeovil Town Football
Club were the coaches and we would like to thank them for
their inspiring work. Thanks too to everyone, who came along
to join in and to Hannah Bullock, from the nursery, for
organising such a successful session. Indeed, it was such a
success that regular sessions will now be booked and we are
already planning a ‘Summer Soccer School’ for 2014!’
The Gryphon School work experience
programme 2013 saw 70 Year 10
students embark on one and two week
placements in the Summer Term.
A full range of occupational areas were
covered including construction, care,
engineering and hairdressing. Some
students chose to undertake placements
related to their vocational studies such as
motor mechanics and agriculture, while
others opted to try something new like
retail and green keeping.
The students had an enjoyable and
worthwhile experience with several
coming away with part time jobs and
others the possibility of apprenticeships
on leaving the school.
Comments from employers included: ‘He
worked really hard’, ‘We will be sad to see
him leave’, ‘A credit to The Gryphon
School’ and ‘Can we have her full time
please?’
2013 work experience was a great
success and will continue for Year 10
vocational students in July 2014.
Richard Jones – Careers Advisor
2
LITTLE GRYPHONS are starting training early to be football
stars and are getting ready for next year’s World Cup by
practicing their moves. The Little Gryphons’ footballers were
thrilled, this term, to take part in their first Soccer School
session in The Gryphon School’s sports hall.
Eiron Worbey – Little Gryphons’ Nursery Manager
Building Cells
Our youngest scientists at The Gryphon School
were asked to imagine that the Science Museum
had asked them to make a model cell for display.
Year 7 students have produced fun, inventive and
ingenious models truly worthy of display in such a
prestigious venue. Their representations of
specialised plant or animal cells included edible
versions, with cakes, jellies and vegetables
utilised! The Science Department has been amazed
and wowed by their work. Well done, Year 7!
Caroline Dallimore – Head of Science
YEAR 8 TEAM WINS YOUTH SPEAKS COMPETITION
Two Year 8 teams entered for this year's Rotary Club
of Sherborne Castles Intermediate Youth Speaks,
hosted at Sherborne Preparatory School. Gryphon
Team A - Luke Hamill-Smith, Jesse Henry and Joseph
McCloskey spoke on the Value of Youth Centres
whilst Gryphon Team B - Libby Cheleda, Peter
Zaborowski and Edward Walters discussed ‘School
uniform, is it Necessary?’ Both teams spoke with
confidence, passion and included just the right
amount of humour. They were up against five other teams from Sherborne Girls, Sherborne
Prep and Leweston, all working hard to win the competition. After an anxious wait while
the judges deliberated, the results were announced in reverse order; tensions rose as
places were awarded and the winners were…. Gryphon Team B. They will now go forward
to the District Competition in the New Year and, if successful there, could go onto Regional
and ultimately the National Final. We wish them every success.
Jackie Brighouse - Head of Year 8
Chloe Burton, Bertha Gaadza, Cameron Thrower, Colette Little, Alex Radford and Francesca Turton
Wide Open Walls in Africa
In October of this year I was fortunate enough
to be invited to Africa to work with the Street
Art duo Best Ever on a project called Wide
Open Walls that they have been involved in
for the last few years. The project, in Gambia,
was founded by Lawrence Williams in 2010
and grew out of an earlier project called
‘Bushdwellers’ that Lawrence had been
working on with local people . The aim was to
create something of lasting value to the area
and community, through building links with
international artists and functioning as a valid
art installation, as well as helping promote
eco-tourism and educational links to the area the Ballabu Conservation Zone which
comprises 100,000 people and 14 villages.
Gryphon Students wow
audiences at The Octagon
Grease, the musical about teenagers in 1950’s
California, was brought to exuberant life in
Yeovil Youth Theatre’s recent production at
The Octagon. Nine current Gryphon students
and three former students joined a cast of 52
young people to bebop, shake and hand jive
to the iconic songs made famous in the 1978
film. The high octane production follows the
love lives of the Burger Palace Boys and the
Pink Ladies with all the teenage angst that
entails! Colourful costumes, American accents,
an amazing car and professional singing and
dancing brought the audience to their feet
each night. The students had worked on the
play since May, rehearsing up to three times a
week to learn the complicated steps and
tongue twisting lyrics which give the play its
vitality. Well done Cameron Thrower, Alex
Radford, Immi Baxter, Chloe Burton, Daisy
Baxter, Bertha Gaadza, Colette Little, Abigail
Spear and Francesca Turton – ‘The power
you’re supplyin’ , was indeed, ‘Electrifying’!
Sally Baxter
Explorer visits The Gryphon School
Year 7 Survive Carey Camp 2013
Film-maker, Everest explorer and fiction
writer, Matt Dickinson, talked to Year 8 and
Year 9 students about his life and his books
based on Chaos theory. The books are fast
paced thrillers suitable for young teenagers.
On Monday 30 September the first two
Tutor Groups from Year 7 set off for their
three day adventure at Carey Camp. Over
a two week period all eight Tutor Groups,
including staff, undertook the tough tasks
of mountain biking, kayaking, orienteering
and sleeping out in the wilderness as well
as many other challenging activities.
JMP and MRD went in the first week,
followed by PMu and MSD. The weather
started well, but by the end of the week it
was wet and windy. That did not dampen
spirits and everyone seemed to have a really good time, capsizing their kayaks, winning the
low rope competition and cooking their own lunch.
The project is building year on year and
developing strong bonds with the local
people, building a creative and cultural
interchange. With links and support from the
Eden Project back in the uk, Wide Open Walls
has wider environmental aims for the area as
well as the artistic elements.
During my week I watched, photographed and
filmed the Best Ever guys working on a few
huge murals which I am making into a short
documentary film. I also painted a few
smaller pieces of my own. I hope to return at
some point to work on some larger pieces in
the villages and possibly set up some links
with The Gryphon and the five schools already
linked to the Eden Project.
Many pupils surprised themselves with how much they enjoyed ‘bivvying’ and two students
learnt how to ride a bike for the very first time. Mr Andrews managed to keep most people
awake with his loud snoring and Miss Peters demonstrated, on many occasions, her fear of
spiders. One of the most memorable moments was Mr Miles waking the students up playing
his trumpet and Ms Sampson getting stuck in the low rope course. CWD and SWC went the
following Monday to glorious sunshine, followed by SAP and EMW who managed to catch
some of the good weather in the first part of their trip. Again they took part in the fun
activities and had the opportunity to play games, drink hot chocolate and win tutor awards at
the camp fire.
Theo Jones won the award for funniest camper that week by providing endless
entertainment for pupils and staff and Miss Pakijavan won the biggest wimp award for not
sleeping in a ‘bivvy’. Miss Walsh’s tutor group seemed to take great pleasure in getting her
wet during kayaking and Mr Davies tried to convince everyone that he had to capsize his
kayak rather than admitting that he fell in. All the pupils seemed to enjoy the trip and gained
memories that will stay with them forever. Hopefully the Year 7 team will be able to provide
more opportunities like this in the future. Thank you to everyone who made the trip a
success.
Tanya Pakijavan – Head of Year 7
Gareth Fareham – Art Teacher
Matt had a fantastic selection of photographs
that showed the students the true scale of
Everest. He also urged students not to give up
on their dreams. It took him 12 years from the
initial idea to get his books published. He was
first rejected by 16 publishers.
Matt Dickinson also ran a Careers Café for
Sixth Form students interested in film making
and the TV industry. He explained that
although he took a degree in Archaeology, he
was involved in a film club at university. His
first job for TV AM was in 1984.
It is always great for students to meet authors,
as it encourages them to see the world from a
different point of view. We are delighted Matt
Dickinson was able to spend time at The
Gryphon.
Julie Hoskins – LRC Manager
iGryphon
At the beginning of this term we launched our exciting iGryphon project. This involves the use of iPads
across the curriculum. Members of staff have devised a series of lessons within their subject area and we
have bought 100 iPads which are predominantly being used with Year 7, although this is now being
expanded to other Year Groups. Our pupils use a range of apps involving multimedia, virtual reality, as
well as traditional presentation and word processing tools and apps specifically linked to subject areas.
Year 7s, for example, have used Explain Everything to design their dream house as part of a Geography
lesson discussing settlements and Year 12 use iAnnotate to annotate music score. With the changing
world of technology, it is important that our pupils are equipped to deal with this change when they
progress into further education and employment and by using this type of device we are providing our
pupils with the necessary skills to cope. If you have any questions regarding the iGryphon project please
contact Stuart Lawson, Assistant Headteacher.
ST ALDHELM’S CLASS OF 1980
REUNION
is going to be held at The
Gryphon School next year. It’s
for St Aldhelm’s School students
who are celebrating their fiftieth
birthdays this school year, and for those
who taught at St Aldhelm’s between 1975
and 1980. If you interested in coming
please contact Tsui Miller (ne Chiu)
tsui@mill1821.freeserve.co.uk
Battle of the Bands
Congratulations to this year’s winning band ‘The
Drugstore Romeos’ (Matt Ward, Ali Chester, kat
McManus, Isaac Macpherson, Ed Rich). A massive
thank you to our excellent judge this year - Mr Jo
Burt, to the IT Team and ESP who did such an
amazing job on the sound and lighting set up, to
Charlie Main for the superb Powerpoint backdrop, to
Rhys Hellyar and Will Geeson for their endless help
in setting up and production, to all the staff
volunteers without whom the whole event would not
happen and of course, to our wonderful audience of
students and parents for their support and for
creating such an excellent atmosphere for the
competition. Jo Burt said ‘Playing in a band and
being good requires not only dedication to your own
choice of instrument but also a dedication to the
group as a whole. These guys expressed all of this in
their performance. Without the singer of course
there is no song and this guy has a very good as well
as interesting voice. No dramatics here but an aura
built from the stillness of his delivery. The result is a
terrific reception that would be the envy of any
professional band. I was surprised, they were
exceptional!’
Val Mizen – Head of Music
3
ultimate Teenage Curry
created on Work Experience
Photographs by katharine Davies
CATERING
Future Chef Competition
Ex-Gryphon student wins
Young National Chef of
the Year
A former Gryphon student, Ben Champkin,
has won this year’s Young National Chef of the
Year title in a competition held in London in
October and organised by the Craft Guild of
Chefs.
Ben, who left The Gryphon School in 2008,
impressed the judging panel, which included
the competition’s chef ambassador Mark
Sargeant, a former National Chef of the Year,
who said he served up a great three-course
menu. Mr Sargeant, said: ‘Ben demonstrated
that he not only has the flair and passion to
make a real mark in the industry, but
understands fundamental cooking skills, the
first and foremost ingredient to success in the
kitchen.
Ben studied Level 1 NVQ Hospitality at the
School and then did an apprenticeship at the
Eastbury Hotel in Sherborne. He is now at The
Elephant Restaurant in Torquay. Caroline
Elsworth, Head of Food Technology, was
thrilled to hear of Ben’s win, ‘What an
achievement, It is so good to see an ex- pupil
who always had great potential achieve at
such a high level.’
For more details of Ben’s win and the
competition see http://craftguildofchefs.org/
Debating Matters
Cooking club this term has concentrated
on encouraging Year 9 and 10 students
to enter the Future Chef competition.
Hotly contested heats, where students
had to produce a main dish using local
and seasonal foods, produced some
wonderful and creative meals from
meatballs in an apple gravy to stuffed
chicken, wrapped in pancetta and served
with sweet potato ‘chips’. The final on
Saturday 9 November saw five nervous
contestants battle it out in front of the
judges – Marcus Wilcox of the Rose and
Crown in Trent and Mrs Pamela
Peacocke, Head of Year 9. The standard
was very high with all the contestants
concentrating on the flavours in their
dishes and presenting carefully plated
meals to attract the judges. Izzie Swann
was victorious winning by one mark!
Congratulations Izzie – she will now
work with Marcus on a two course meal
for the regional finals in the New Year.
Marcus is an ex student who appeared
on MasterChef The Professionals this
autumn. We thank him for his generous
support of Catering at The Gryphon
School.
Caroline Elsworth - Head of DT Food
Don’t Tell the Bride
A group of students
have taken part in an
Enterprise Challenge
entitled ‘Don’t Tell
the Bride’. Working as
part of a team, they
had to plan a wedding for a make believe
couple outlined in a scenario provided at the
start of the day; similar in its approach to the
BBC programme.
The students planned the whole wedding
day’s celebrations for their Bride and Groom
using research they conducted. The students,
who are currently in Year 10 showed great
communication skills and the ability to
prioritise both of which are key enterprise
skills. Each team presented their plans to the
rest of the group. The team who ‘won’ the
competition were Rahan Alom, Henry
Brennan-Craddock and Lewis Day.
A team of 11 Sixth Form debating students
attended the Dorset and Somerset qualifying
round of the Debating Matters competition at
The Purbeck School in Wareham in October.
The tough first round saw our speakers, James
Gard and Arthur Morris, beat the opposing
team from Sherborne Girls in a debate about
the use of renewable energy sources in a
low-carbon economy. The boys were
complimented on their debating style and
quick responses. In a nail-biting final round
our speakers, Maddie Pollard and katie Irwin,
stood up well to tough interrogation from the
judges about the use of Smart Drugs but
narrowly missed out to The Purbeck School.
Maddie won the award for the best individual
contribution of the night and the whole team
performed extremely well in a very tense and
exciting competition.
Sally Hall - English
Please come and be part of our PTA
4
kelly Hodges - Business
Two aspiring young chefs from Sherborne, Dominic Stephens from The Gryphon, and Bella Elwes,
from Sherborne Girls have created a chocolate and lamb curry which they believe could help
with a range of common teenage problems – from boosting memory function for revision, to
clearing acne, lifting moods and keeping winter colds and asthma at bay. The two were on Work
Experience at PosItive PR in Sherborne when they came up with the idea and their curry recipe
has since been published in local newspapers, talked about on local radio and is on You Tube.
Their original ‘Chakra’ curry recipe was given
the seal of approval (and has benefited from
some culinary expertise) by The Eastbury
Hotel’s Head Chef Brett Sutton and by Spices
of India, who praised the students for their
innovative spice and flavour combinations.
Dominic said ‘We were originally inspired by
the TV chef’s recent series ‘Rick Stein’s India’
but wanted to tailor our curry to teenagers, as
that is the market we know most about. Our
research into the health-giving properties was
gathered from studies from Ohio to Iran, so
we’re confident that there is substance behind
the spices.’ ‘Curry is one of the nation’s
favourite foods, so is chocolate, and by
bringing the two together we think we have
hit on something that would appeal to
teenagers everywhere,’ adds Bella, ‘We’ve
taste-tested it among our friends and family
and have had a really positive response. Who
knows, we could be on to something!’
Then and Now - First ever Gryphon School History Magazine
Produced by students from Year 7 to Year 13 this term has seen the
publication of the first ever Gryphon School History Magazine. I was
surprised by the response of students to the idea of creating a
magazine and it quickly became evident that The Gryphon School
possesses an abundance of students with exceptional academic and
creative ideas. A group of dedicated contributors produced a wide
range of articles and artwork. These included a fascinating article on
Tyneham, the village that was abandoned during the Second World War
to make way for army exercises, an analysis of North korea’s
international posturing and a review of historical sites in Rome. The editorial group wanted the
magazine to have lighter elements so there is also a Victorian problem page, nominations for
heroes from history and an article on some of Yeovil’s strangest street names. To round off the
magazine one of The Gryphon School’s past History students wrote a feature on his life at
university as a History student studying at degree level. Due to cost of publication the magazine
is only available in a limited number in paper form but is now available to view via
www.gryphon.dorset.sch.uk/parents/newsletters
Steve Phillips – Head of History
The Gryphon Leisure Centre
has teamed up with Badminton England
to offer ‘SmashUp!’ Badminton
Fridays 4-6pm, only £1 per player
SmashUp! Is Badminton England’s perception
changing, innovative youth badminton initiative, aimed
at inspiring 13-16 year olds of all sporting ability to
swing a racket for fun.
Just turn up and play, every Friday at
The Gryphon Leisure Centre
Paddy Ashdown at The Gryphon School signing copies of
his book. ‘A Brilliant Little Operation’. Lord Ashdown was
at the School to talk about the Second World War raid
which inspired the book. The event was one of a series of
Evening Lectures regularly held at The Gryphon.
‘We Will Remember Them’
Our annual Remembrance Service, run in
partnership with ‘The Old Fosterians’ took
place on 8 November. The students of each
Year Council attended to represent their
Year Group at this very important
ceremony. The address was given by Naval
Airman Andrew Simpson who explained
why it makes a real difference to active
service personnel to know that they are
being remembered in this way. Naval
Airman Simpson is currently based at
Yeovilton and has seen active service in
Afghanistan. The Last Post and Reveille
were played beautifully by Gryphon
student Dominic Jones after which poppy
wreaths were laid at our Memorial Boards
by a representative of the School, Old
Fosterians and by Naval Airman Simpson.
Nicki Edwards – Deputy Headteacher
- The PTA organises social evenings and acts as an extra contact point between parents and the school. O
ur next meeting is on Wednesday 15
January at 5pm, everyone is welcome - as usual we will have an update on school developments and answer any questions from parents as a key part of our meeting.
Danish Students come to The Gryphon School
TRIPS
Sixth Formers in Iceland
21 Danish students spent a week in Sherborne
early this term attending classes at The
Gryphon School and visiting local businesses.
The students came from uddannelsescenter
Holstebro, a Business School for secondary
students in the Douzelage Partner town of
Holstebro, Denmark and their visit was jointly
co-ordinated by The Gryphon School and
Sherborne Douzelage.
The idea was for the students to experience
how business is taught in this country and to
see local businesses in action and, as well as
attending classes at The Gryphon, the
students visited Sherborne Girls, Tetrapak,
Castle Gardens and the Rendezvous. The
Danish students stayed with families of
Gryphon School students, teachers and
Douzelage Committee Members around
Sherborne and Yeovil. They took part in a
wide variety of activities including visiting
Sherborne Abbey and the Almshouse, bowling
in Yeovil, and, a particular favourite, a social
evening in Sherborne playing skittles.
The visit was a great success and Sherborne
Douzelage and The Gryphon School would like
to thank everyone involved.
Dragon Boat Racing
for Great Britain
Two of our students competed for their
country in the summer as part of the British
Dragon Boat Racing Team. Will and Alan
Rooks, who are in Year 11, took part in the
11th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing
Championships in Szeged in Hungary. Their
hard fought races included the 1000m, in
which they missed the bronze medal by half a
second, and the 500m and 200m sprints. In
the 500m sprint the team won a bronze medal
with the 10 man boat, where there was only
half a second between each boat. A brilliant
achievement!
The team came very close to a medal in many
of the races against teams from all over the
world. Dragon Boat racing is a very tough
discipline. There can be up to four races for
each team each day and there are few breaks
between sprints. Being fourth in the world is a
fantastic achievement. Congratulations to
Will and Alan, who will also be competing
next year at the European championships in
the Czech Republic.
A joint Science and Geography trip for Sixth Form students took place
in the first week of the summer holidays, taking in the unique sights of
Iceland. 30 students spent five days exploring the South West region,
starting with a relaxing dip in the famous Blue Lagoon upon arrival.
Students bathed in the geo-thermally heated pool and took the chance
to have a silica mud mask! After the first night spent in a Viking-themed
hotel we visited Hjalpafoss, one of many photogenic waterfalls spread
across the region, and then onto the base of Mount Hekla. Over the
following four days travelling through the stunning landscape that
Iceland has to offer, students experienced the Solheimajokull glacier,
sat on the basalt cliffs of the black sand beaches, descended into a
volcanic crater lake and wrapped up warm to go whale watching off the
coast of Reykjavik. Iceland is world-renowned for its progress towards
utilising renewable sources of energy and as part of the trip we visited
the Hellisheidi power plant where we had a guided tour of the
geothermal energy exhibition, showcasing the sustainable methods
currently being developed. Students were taken back in time when we
stopped off at a Viking farmhouse to see how Icelanders used to live,
and were blown away at the power and magnitude of Gullfoss, Iceland’s
most photographed waterfall.
Both staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I
believe that the completely different culture and climate left a lasting
impression on all of us.
Experiencing the past: Year 9 trip to Big Pit
This year’s visit to Big Pit in South
Wales was the twelfth year that
Gryphon students had made the
journey across the Severn Bridge to
experience working conditions in a
coal mine. In that time the site has
seen considerable change. The
winding tower and workshops remain
the same as they did when they were
last used in 1981, as do the
underground facilities such as stables
and machinery left in the mine
because it was too expensive to
dismantle it and bring to the surface.
Yet above ground there has been a lot
of development. The canteen has
been turned into an interactive
museum and a simulation of life
underground has been erected,
complete with dynamite explosions.
Big Pit has been added to uNESCO’s
list of World Heritage Sites due to its
importance in the exploitation of coal
during the Industrial Revolution.
Today’s students can only wonder at
the grim conditions experienced by
miners who worked long hours in
filthy conditions in pitch black
conditions. The miners who act as
guides are all people who have
worked in coal mines, some have
expertise that is still called upon. In
2011 several of the workers at Big Pit
were despatched to Gleision Colliery,
north of Swansea, to help rescue four
miners who had become trapped
underground when it flooded.
The visit was an incredibly valuable
experience for our students, made
more so by the documents that the
miners showed them regarding
conditions. A list of causes of death at
Big Pit included children who had
died of Weils disease due to the
presence of rats in the mine, as well
as the more usual diseases such as
black lung, caused by inhaling coal
dust. Fortunately, there are no rats
underground today.
Dan Cornish - Science
Danger –
Coastal Path gone!
The weather was set fair once again for
the Year 9 Geography trip to the Lulworth
coast back in October. Year 9 were armed
with clinometers and ranging poles,
collecting data for a major project
comparing the beaches at Durdle Door
and Man o’War Cove. There was extra
excitement this year as the sea had done
its work in eroding a section of the cliff
since our last visit, taking a length of the
path well-trodden by Gryphons of old
with it. The steps down to Durdle Door
had gone and the old hands noticed quite
a few changes around Lulworth Cove too.
The students certainly know that the
Dorset coastline is ever-changing!
Roger Baxter - Geography
Steve Phillips – Head of History
Rainbows show the way!
Bemused and bedraggled may be the best
words to describe Year 10 students following a
wet and windy day on Porlock beach. Despite
the conditions, we battled on against the
elements to collect some rather sodden, but
definitely very important data. Well done to
Year 10 who didn't need the regular rainbows
to cheer them on their way. There was
diligence and determination in measuring
some very wide and undulating beaches and
even the rare spark of genuine excitement in
measuring the size of pebbles; admirable to
anyone but a well-seasoned geographer. It will
be a pleasure to mark the fruits of their labour,
a controlled assessment worth 25% of their
GCSE. Heads up Year 10, the best bit is to
come!
Charlotte Roberts - Geography
5
Mindful Matters
Stress has been in the news recently but it
is hardly new. A recent survey (BERA
2013) found that there was a link
between worry and performing badly in
exams. Mindfulness is proven to help
individuals cope with stress and worry.
We humans have an innate setting to
dwell on the bad things that can happen
to us. By paying attention to the present,
we can accept what is happening but
learn to respond to it more positively. We
also learn how to leave past events
‘alone’ and not worry about those yet to
come.
If you have ever been told to ‘relax’ you
can appreciate how difficult it can be to
do so on command. Likewise, to be told to
‘stop worrying’ will often make the cause
of the worry even more prominent. With
regular practice on paying deliberate
attention to the present, we can become
more aware of our bodies and how they
react to certain situations. This awareness
allows you to develop a perspective on
events that helps you ride out stressful
times and deal with its causes with
greater clarity and effectiveness.
Summer School at Yale
I was given the most wonderful opportunity to go to the uS in August as a part of the uS-uk
Fulbright/Sutton Trust programme. The programme was instigated to get more young people
from state schools to attend uS universities. I was fortunate to spend 10 days at Yale university.
I flew to Boston and visited Harvard, a place I’d only ever heard about. It was absolutely stunning,
as were Yale, Princeton and Columbia, just some of the uS universities I saw. On each visit we
were greeted by Admissions Officers, Academic Professors and students who took us on tours.
The Yale dorm in which I stayed can only be described as a turret of a castle! We were also
fortunate to share our meals with current undergraduates who gave us a unique perspective on
what life is really like as a student at Yale. We attended a variety of lectures, by incredible
professors such as John Gaddis who spoke on the Cold War and whose book I’ve read for A Level
History. The lectures provided an amazing opportunity to feel like a Yale Student and fully
comprehend life as a student. We also visited New York and the Yale Club, which features in The
Great Gatsby. It was the trip of a lifetime and has really helped me make an informed decision to
apply to uS universities.
... and speaking in the House of Commons
On Friday the 15 November the uk Youth Parliament took over the House of Commons and
staged five debates in the actual chamber. It was the most surreal moment of my life, being able
to sit on the historic green benches and take part in debates overseen by the speaker himself,
John Bercow. It was absolutely incredible listening to eloquent young people from across the uk
stand at the despatch box and voice their opinions. I was also lucky enough to be chosen by the
Speaker to speak on Work Experience and Careers advice, a feat eventually managed after much
persistent jumping up and arm waving to grab his attention. I will never forget the moment I was
able to speak on behalf of my constituents on an issue I am passionate about. We also went into
the division lobbies to vote on the next two manifesto points for the uk Youth Parliament. We
chose A Curriculum for Life and Votes at 16.
Natasha Glendening – Year 13
Exciting Developments at
The Gryphon School
This awareness has many other positive
benefits too. A greater appreciation of
what we have and less concern about
what we do not, for example. As has been
said, ‘You only have moments to live’ so
experience every moment to the full.
Stress Busters for Year 11 runs on Monday
and Tuesday – talk to your tutor about
attending.
Jem Shackleford – Mindfulness Co-ordinator
We are delighted to welcome this term a new member of the Sixth Form Pastoral Team. Mrs Jen
Jacklin, seen here on the right, has taken over as Head of Year 12. She is pictured with Mrs Anna
Mearns, Acting Head of Year 13 and Mrs Jane Tutton, Director of Sixth Form.
A new initiative launched this term has been the Paired Reading Scheme. This involves Year 12
students being paired with Year 7 and 8 students for reading practice. The younger students
then have the opportunity to read to their Sixth Form buddies during afternoon registration.
¡Busca un empleo mejor!
Twenty-five brave students took part in the
first Gryphon Languages Speaking
Competition last month, speaking either
in a language they are learning, or a language
they speak at home. The quality was
phenomenal and it was fascinating hearing
about their cultures, even if it was, at times,
impossible to understand the words, a lot can
be done with a picture. The very best
candidates made excellent eye contact and
projected their voices well, but even those
who were more nervous did not let their
nerves deter them and we heard speeches in
languages including Shona, Afrikaans,
Malayalam, urdu, Russian, Bulgarian,
Romanian, Tagalog, Norwegian and lots of
wonderful Polish. We are very grateful to Sir
Roger Hervey, Commander Boney Pyke, Mr
George Dobrescu, and Gaya Sanal, who came
in to judge, but we are also very grateful to a
huge number of people who are going to
watch the videos of the languages that we
could not cover on the day, including staff at
the Rajpoot for the urdu: a truly community
event! Special thanks to Meredith Jones, Jake
Perrett, Cyrus Vahidi and Ginevra Villani, who
compered the event, using at least ten
languages between them. They are also to be
congratulated because they then went on the
following morning to take part in the Eu
translation competition, Juvenes Translatores.
Clare Brignall – Head of MFL
Verbessern Sie Ihre Chancen, eine Stelle zu bekommen!
Pour trouver un meilleur poste!
The new MFL and Business Studies
extension at the eastern end of the School
is progressing well, particularly having
had, at last, a few days of excellent
building weather. Building work has
passed first floor level after the concrete
floor beams were lifted and laid in the last
week of November. Scaffold poles are
growing and the hope is to be at roof
rafter level before Christmas, with the roof
being complete by mid January 2014,
which will enable interior work to start in
earnest. The extension is on track to be
finished by 31 March 2014.
Refurbishment of the Leisure Centre to
provide four additional new classrooms
and a new Fitness Suite is slightly ahead of
schedule. The new Fitness Suite will soon
be ready for use, with fitness equipment
being moved from the old suite beginning
on 16 December. The new suite will look
fantastic and provide an excellent facility
for both Gryphon students and Leisure
Centre customers alike. The largest two of
the four bright new classrooms will be
furnished and IT equipped in January
2014 and student access will follow as
soon as practicable.
Gordon Smith - Bursar
Boost your chance of a job
Sixth Form students from five local schools joined us earlier this term for a
Translation Workshop led by John Evans from the Eu Translation Division, and Dr
Richard Mansell, who teaches translation at Exeter university. Mr Evans spoke about
the many opportunities that come from studying languages whilst Dr Mansell
discussed the various skills involved in translation and the amusing mistakes that can be avoided by an accurate piece of work. We heard that the
uk economy could be missing out on contracts worth up to £21 billion a year because of the lack of language skills in the workforce. We can no
longer rely on the rest of the world speaking English and if you want to sell something you have to do it in the language of your buyer. The students
were encouraged to bear in mind that studying languages at university gives them a year abroad, and that develops other skills beyond language
acquisition, boosting future employment chances. The talks were followed by group work on practice papers from the Juvenes Translatores
competition, which the Eu runs every year for Sixth Form students, and in which we have competed for the last two years. Last year one of our
students received a letter of commendation.
Clare Brignall - Head of MFL
6
CHARITIES
The total raised for Children in Need this term was £1382.34. The School
had a non-uniform day, Little Gryphons wore pyjamas, and Sixth Formers
wore fancy dress.
A season of giving
This term has been marked by enormous generosity from The
Gryphon Community. Thank you for all that you have given and
contributed for the well-being of children and adults locally,
nationally and around the world.
The Gryphon School and Nursery were enthusiastic supporters
of the Operation Christmas Child shoe box appeal this autumn.
A staggering 140 boxes were filled with gifts which will be
distributed to children in Eastern Europe. This is almost double
the total sent from The Gryphon last year and will boost the
number of children who will receive a box filled with presents
and love this Christmas. Last Christmas, a total of 977, 880
children from 15 countries across the world, including Haiti,
Belarus, ukraine, Zimbabwe and Serbia received a special shoe
box gift thanks to the commitment of supporters across the uk.
Stories of the children that have been helped can be found at
www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk It seems appropriate that
this edition is so full of stories of generosity. Christmas, after
all, is an opportunity to reflect on the gift of love that God
offered to the world 2000 years ago in Bethlehem when Christ
was born.
Harvest Appeal 2013
For over 20 years The Lord’s Larder has supplied
emergency food parcels in and around the Yeovil and
Sherborne area. Last year 42,000 items of food were
given out which helped to ensure that 1986 adults and
1116 children did not go hungry.
Once again we were glad to support the Lord’s Larder
for our Harvest Appeal. This year the School Community,
including Little Gryphons Nursery, donated over 742
items to the Larder. This is a massive increase on our
total from other years. The students who delivered the
produce were a credit to the school and enjoyed seeing
first-hand how the Lord’s Larder operates.
Thank you for your generosity!
Diane Tregale - Chaplain
Backpacks for
Raising
Money for the Mary’s Meals
Philippines
Students spent a week working hard to raise
money for victims of the typhoon which hit the
Philippines. Every Year Group was raising money
for Shelter Box, a charity which provides disaster
relief tents and other help to families who have
lost their homes. About £230 will buy one of
those vital tents which can become home to a
family and the aim was to raise enough to buy a
shelter per Year Group. They were allocated a day
each for fundraising. All sorts of events took
place, including a Year 7 Sponsored Walk, a Year 8
Cake Sale, a Year 9 Fair, a Year 10 Flashmob and
the Head of Year 11, Mr Roger Baxter, had wet
sponges thrown at him! Meanwhile, many Sixth
Formers came to school in formal attire for
‘Strictly Come Downton’ and Sixth Form tutor, Mr
Tom Crassweller, and a Year 12 student, Jacob
Clough, had their heads shaved! Counting is still
going on, and money is still coming in, but at the
time of writing The Gryphon School has raised
£3500. That total far exceeds our target and we
The Sixth Form have also backed another project to help
the world’s poorest children. They have filled 47
backpacks with educational items, as part of a Mary’s
Meals campaign. The charity’s Backpack Project asks
people to donate backpacks filled with materials such
as notebooks, pens and school clothing, to send to
children receiving Mary’s Meals.
The School held a non-uniform day to raise money for
the charity last term and Sixth Form students were
inspired to try and fill 40 backpacks to send to children
in Africa. Each backpack costs about £25 but the
students and families and friends have exceeded the
target and are sending 47 to the charity. They were
presented to Ann White from Mary’s Meals during a
Sixth Form Assembly.
The aim of the charity is to address the immediate
needs of a hungry child by giving them something to
eat, and to enable that child to receive the education
which can offer an escape from poverty. The average
global cost to feed a child for a whole school year is just
£10.70.
Jane Tutton, Director of Sixth Form, at The Gryphon
School said: ‘Our students realise they are privileged to
be able to take their education for granted and wanted
to do something to help others less fortunate’.
are very proud of the students for their fantastic
money raising ventures.
www.marysmeals.org.uk
7
Netball umpiring
Boys PE
The Year 8 Rugby Sevens team produced a
series of exceptional performances in the
Sherborne Prep School Tournament finishing
third after winning three games, drawing one
and losing one. The lads, new to the game of
Rugby Sevens, were quick learners and
quickly adapted their skills to this format of
the game. Jasper Hodgson and Mark Southall
carried the ball strongly creating space for
others and the team’s play makers took
advantage of this with Ethan O’Grady, Harry
Vines-Booth, Tom Doggrell and Harry
O’Sullivan all using the ball intelligently and
with a high degree of skill to change to point
of attack and move the ball out into wider
channels where our flyers Israel MasonWilliams and Sam Yeo were able to score a
bucket full of tries with their searing pace and
elusive footwork. The team had a wonderful
afternoon and has huge potential to excel in
the future, especially with the unavailable
Luke Garland and Gabriel Pickin to
supplement the squad next time. Many thanks
to kitt Thomas-Peter and Max Lawday for their
help coaching the team; the boys really
benefited from their experience and
expertise.
Girls PE
Hockey
Year 7 players enjoyed an afternoon
at the new all weather pitch at Yeovil
Rec. Following a coaching session led
by South Somerset Community
Coach the girls entered a tournament
against king Arthur’s, Stanchester,
Holyrood and Preston. After a
fantastic group stage the girls made
it to the Final against Preston. A
fantastic show of team work and skill
brought the final score to 4-1 to The
Gryphon.
Laura Harry – PE
Year 11
The Year 11 Hockey Team faced their last
Yeovil and Somerset Finals after their
pool of league matches, playing against
king Arthur’s in the semi-final who have
been their rival team since Year 7. After a
very closely fought first half, the king
Arthur’s girls were unfortunately too
strong for them, resulting in a 5-1 loss.
They then faced Holyrood in the play-off
and won 4-0, so were third overall.
Player of the tournament goes to Alice
kendall for a superb performance in goal.
Well done on this fantastic result.
Meanwhile five students have been to a
Netball umpiring Workshop from which
they will work towards the Full All
England Young umpires Award. They
completed both theory and practical
sessions based around the role of an
umpire and rules of the game, applying
them within practical situations. The girls
are now expected to practise their new
skills within school netball fixtures in
preparation for an assessment in January.
We all wish Lisa Blatchford, Emily Eavis,
Natalie Yeo, Georgia Tailby and Chloe
Helyar the very best of luck.
Excellence in Rugby
The Year 9 Hockey Team also made it to
the finals after coming second in their
pool of league matches, where they
faced Sexey’s in their semi-final. They
lost 2-0 after a very competitive game. A
key player in this game was Josie Mitchell
who fought tirelessly in defence. They
then faced Huish in the play off and
played their best game yet. Two goals
from Scout Macpherson and one from
Lucy Hunt ensured a convincing win to
attain the third place prize! Well done to
all involved. Yeovil and Sherborne are
still running junior and senior coaching
for any players who want to continue
playing Hockey. See the YSHC website
for more information.
Back row forwards Elliot Cuff and Max Lawday have been rewarded for their superb
performances this season with selection for the u18 Dorset & Wilts County XV. Elliot has
developed in to a powerful ball carrier from the back of the scrum; his speed and physical
presence meaning that he invariably makes it across the gain line providing his team with a
target to play off. Max is an exceptional open side, with a skill set ideally suited to that position.
His ability to turn over ball at the breakdown and his intelligent running lines, in addition to his
superb leadership skills, have made him the stand out player in The Gryphon School 1st XV. Max
has also been involved in the Sherborne RFC 1st XV this season playing in the RFu Southern
Counties South League. Further good news for the school rugby community was that Will Morris
has been selected for the u14 Dorset & Wilts County XV. Well done to all three lads.
Jim Gower - Assistant Head
Sixth Form Sport
Sport has become a real strength in The Gryphon School Sixth Form with
numbers growing year on year. With fixtures happening on a weekly basis
more than 60 individuals have represented the School so far this year.
Rachael Troughton – Joint Head of PE and Sport
Year 8 Netball
The 1st XV Rugby Team has put in some
impressive performances during their
matches showing experience and cohesion
from the outset. . Max Lawday and Elliot Cuff
both made a massive contribution to the
excellent victory over Downside School in the
first round of the u18 Natwest Cup, The
Gryphon winning 18-15. Sadly we just lost to
Richard Huish College 22-21 in the second
round. Although they bowed out gracefully in
the Natwest Cup there are still fixtures which
we hope they will perform to the high
standard that has been set. For the first time
in Gryphon history the School has managed to
field three football teams at Sixth Form level.
This is showing how popular the sport has
become and the quality on show from all
three teams is making the decisions of team
selection very hard! With the 1st 2nd and 3rd
XI all winning matches they have played so far
it is clear that all the individuals involved are
showing commitment and passion for sport.
Although the 1st XI lost out in the second
round of the National ESFA Cup we hope they
will progress further in the Dorset Cup.
Hockey is becoming more and more popular
with the girls putting on great performances
The girls played in a pre-season netball
tournament against Gillingham A,
Gillingham B and Sturminster. They were
victorious in all games and won the
tournament, proving to be a force to be
reckoned with this upcoming season.
Joanna Peters – PE
Girls Football
An astounding performance was put in by
a mixed team of Years 7 and 8 footballers.
Winning their first game of the day
against Buckler’s Mead took them to the
final against Stanchester. A solid start
kept the girls in possession of the ball for
the majority of the first half. A last minute
goal for Stanchester made the half time
score 1-0. Exceptional performances from
both Ellie Chandler and Chloe Perham
provided a positive start as the whistle
went. A superb save by Rebecca Broom
kept us in the game. Despite Ellie’s best
efforts the finish wasn’t quite there.
However the girls played some fantastic
football, showing their potential for the
games to come.
Laura Harry – PE
Editor: Liz Oatts
Young Aspiring umpires
Joanna Peters - PE
Year 9
The Gryphon School, Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EQ
School and Sixth Form – T: 01935 813122 • F: 01935 816992 • E: office@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk
Conference Centre – T: 01935 810103 • F: 01935 816992 • E: conference@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk
We would like to pass on
our congratulations to Miss
Laura Harry following the
completion of all her
Netball umpiring awards.
Following an appointment
and pre assessment at the
under 17s European
Championships in Malta
Miss Harry was put forward
to take the final practical
exam for the Netball
Europe umpiring A Award.
Following her success an
invitation to the Maccabi Games in
Jerusalem was a very welcome
celebration and challenge. In her words
her first adult international competition
was ‘challenging, inspirational and
overwhelming’. Now a fully qualified
Netball Official Miss Harry is umpiring all
over the country within the National
Premiership League. We wish her the very
best for the remainder of the season and
in her future career as a Senior
International Netball umpire.
Nursery – T: 01935 810112
The Gryphon School is a company limited by guarantee • Registered in England with Company Number 08130468
•
F: 01935 816992
•
E: nursery@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk
in the matches they have had to date.
Fixtures have brought opposition teams from
Sexey’s, Sherborne Girls and Leweston. For all
those involved it is an honour to represent the
School and pupils dress to impress on match
days. With suits, shirts and ties on show it is
clear that pupils in the lower end of the
School realise how important sport is in the
Sixth Form and what it means to those who
are selected to represent the School!
Alan Cummings – Joint Head of PE and Sport