Autumn - Bridgemary School

BRIDGEMARY SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 2015
Student Leadership Team
2015 - 2016
We are delighted to announce that our new student leadership team for
2015-16 has been assembled.
We would like to introduce them to you, from left to right, Jack Hazard
(Deputy Head Boy), Cameron Moore (Head Boy), Olivia Eldred (Head
Girl), Olivia Hillan (Deputy Head Girl).
These young people had to go through a rigorous application process and
interview and did so with great poise and character. Over the course of
the next academic year you will see these young leaders representing the
school at prestigious events taking a lead role in supporting, organising
and participating in activities at Bridgemary. We offer these students our
congratulations and best wishes for their tenure as the school's most
senior prefects.
You can read a profile on each of the students on the following page.
Head & Deputy Head Girl
Head & Deputy Head Boy
Name: Olivia Eldred (Head Girl)
House: Falcon
Name: Cameron Moore (Head Boy)
House: Falcon
My main reason for applying to the student
leadership team was to help contribute
towards improving the reputation of the
school, and by being what is considered a
good role model to other students of the
school.
I applied to become part of the student
leadership team to develop my leadership
skills further. I’d like to use the position to
voice students’ opinions to the senior
leadership team of the school and to set
the bar for the other students within the
school. I’d like to encourage students to
do better.
My Goals:
1.
2.
3.
My Goals:
I would like to be successful with
my GCSE exams and my role as
Head girl.
After Bridgemary I am planning to
go to college.
Then hopefully off to London to a
Performing Arts school.
1.
2.
About me: I like to play rugby; I play it
at above club level. I love maths;
however I don’t like physics which is
odd because they’re similar. I am a
young ambassador for the local area.
About me: I tutor younger children
outside of school in the Performing Arts.
I like to be part of a successful team.
When I’m older I’d love to visit different
countries.
Name: Jack Hazard (D. Head Boy)
House: Eagle
Name: Olivia Hillan (D. Head Girl)
House: Hawk
I wanted to apply to help the school
improve, so the groundwork’s set for the
future. My brother is in Year 7 and I want
to make the school outstanding so I can
help him and many others get a good
education with an amazing experience. I
intend to support the school in what they
do, and voice the opinions of the SLT staff
to the students and parents.
I applied for the student leadership team to
improve my leadership qualities; through
this I can set an example to other students
and encourage others to achieve and reach
their potential.
My Goals:
1.
2.
3.
Achieve good grades whilst at
Bridgemary
I’d like to a attend college and
university to study physiotherapy
Achieve the best possible grades to
set myself up for the future
Attend College and University to
study
Sports
coaching
and
Geography
I’d like to do a post-grad in
teaching at university so that I can
become a teacher
My Goals:
1.
2.
3.
Succeed in my GCSEs getting all
As and maybe 1 or 2 Bs.
Get my A levels
Go to university
About me: I like to play ultimate
Frisbee and represent the school, but I
like lots of other sports as well. I would
love to travel the world. I also like to
go camping a lot.
About me: I enjoy participating in sports
clubs within the school like netball and
frisbee. I do not enjoy maths or history.
In the future I would like to travel the
world.
2
HAWKS
It has been an exciting start to the new
school year so far. All students in Year 7
have settled in very well and have made a
fantastic start on their journey with us at
Bridgemary. I would like to welcome them
all to Hawk House, as well as some new
staff who have joined us as Hawk Tutors;
Mr O’Toole (Yr 7), Miss Roberts (Yr 8), Miss
Isern (Yr 9) and Mr Cormier (Yr10).
that we will adopt.
If you are keen to take part in this exciting
opportunity, speak to your tutor, if your
design wins, it will be professionally drawn
up and printed! Watch this space to see
the winning design in our next edition.
Last year, Hawk House decided to
nominate Rowans Hospice as our House
Charity. We are delighted to announce
that we raised £80 towards this great
cause. Thank you for your support.
Please welcome all new staff and students,
and help them to settle into Hawk House
smoothly,
by
building
positive
Relationships and treating them with
Respect.
We have started this year in great form and
this has seen us rise to the top of the
leader board for Rewards, measured by
the total number of House Points! What a
fantastic start – let’s keep it going,
particularly Mr Jones tutor group in Yr 7
who have accumulated the most!
Can you name the type of Hawk
in the picture below with Mr
Brooks? Tell Mr Brooks or Mr
Winkles for a prize!
As we value our School ethos and the 5Rs,
some tutors have decided to work together
to support the Migrant Crisis that is
happening, by donating various items. Miss
Roberts’ group in particular have taken a
lead on this, and are a real credit to Hawk
House, by demonstrating that they believe
everyone should have Rights.
Over the next few weeks, Senior Leaders
will be coming into your classrooms to see
who is taking Responsibility for their
learning and is making excellent progress.
If you are chosen, then your name will be
put into a prize draw with a chance to win
an Ipad Mini!
Congratulations to those
Hawks that have already had their name
entered!
I hope you enjoy the rest of this term, and
let us try to stay on top of the charts for
Merits!
Want to leave your mark on the Hawk
Legacy?
Mr J Brooks
Assistant Head Teacher
Head of House – HAWK
As our older students will know, we
recently decided to re-invent our House
Logo!
Meaning that students have the
power to design and create the new logo
Follow us on Twitter
@HawkHouse15
3
EAGLES
Eagles ended the year on a high by winning
Bridgemary’s Sports Day. 2015 was the
first year that Eagles have celebrated
victory in Bridgemary’s Sports Day. Eagles
worked hard to collect more Gold, Silver
and Bronze stamps than Hawks and
Falcons across a range of activities. Well
done Eagles!
Year 7
1st – Aaron Hazzard
2nd – Isobel Symons
3rd – Jenson Stephens-Richards
Chris Cooledge and Hannah Childs were the
stand out performers from Eagle and are
pictured below celebrating the victory. We
hope that Eagles can retain the Sports Day
cup in 2016.
Year 8
1st – Ray Bowring
2nd – Charlie Wyatt
3rd – Charlie Garrett
Year 9
1st – Amber Rowan-Davies
2nd – Emily Symons
3rd – Harrison Green
Year 10
1st – Sydni Pritchett
2nd – Ahliyah Browne
3rd – Kelsie Stevenson
We would like to welcome 7CHS and 7SRN
tutor groups to Bridgemary School and to
Eagle House. Eagles would also like to
welcome Mr Batten as their new Deputy
Head of House and Mrs Hopkins as a new
Year 7 tutor.
Year 11
Eagles have started the 2015/16 academic
year very positively; we are currently the
best behaved house, with fewest demerits
and we also boast 109 students still with
100% attendance. Mr Toone and Mr Batten
would like to congratulate the top three
students from each year group who have
accumulated the most house points so far
this year:
1st – Brandon Lancaster
2nd – Keeley Featherstone
3rd – Aisha Searle
Mr B Toone
Assistant Head Teacher
Head of House – EAGLE
Follow us on Twitter
@EagleHouse15
4
FALCONS
The start of the new term could not come round
quick enough for Falcon Head of House Miss
McClarnon and she was pleased to welcome back
Falcons old and new for the start of the academic
year.
But one thing is for sure we will be there to
support you and to guide you through this
academic year.
I look forward to getting to know you all and
celebrating many successes this academic year.
There have been some changes to the House
structure. It has been a sad farewell to Mr Falloon
who takes up a new position within the school, on
behalf of all Falcons I would like to thank him for all
his hard work and support over the past academic
year.
The Inaugural Transition Shield
July seems so long ago, but it was in July that
Falcon House had its first major victory of the year.
The new year 7s came up to spend 3 days with us.
Over the three days we challenged them to collect
as many house tags as they could before
converting these into House Points at the end of
the third day. It ended up being a very close run
competition but Falcon House came away the
winners of the House Shield a great effort and a
sign of the times to come.
I am however very pleased to welcome Mr Jones as
Deputy Head of House along with the following new
Falcon Staff: Mrs Bright (Head of Maths) Mrs Monk
and Mrs Evans (Year 7 tutors) Mr Hibbard (Year 9
tutor) and Mr Ebdon (Year 10 tutor). We have been
lucky to have the following staff transfer to Falcon
House this academic year Mrs Cooper (Year 8 tutor)
and Mrs Cairns (Year 10 tutor). A formidable team!
We look forward to many successes this academic
year.
Falcon Year 7 Quotes:
7MNK
“Mrs Monk is a legend”
Miss McClarnon welcomed Falcons back with an
assembly focussing on the year ahead and our
vision. It was a time to reflect on the fact that
Falcon House is a community, and as such
communities are built on Relationships, we support
each other, we cheer each other on and laugh with
each other, we hold each other accountable and
sometimes we will have difficult conversations with
each other, we offer a shoulder to lean on, we are
loyal and importantly we are a family.
“I really enjoyed my first couple of days at
Bridgemary. I loved Art and Maths.”
“I have really enjoyed Bridgemary because I have
had fun in every lesson. My favourite subject was
Maths with Mr Pugh.”
7JES
“I have felt AMAZING at Bridgemary so far. It is
very fun being here.” - Cain Russell
It was an opportunity to be reminded of the values
of being a member of Falcon house one of which,
hard work, is at the centre of everything we do. We
expect every Falcon to give their very best, we
expect them to come to class prepared every day.
We expect students of Falcon House to actively
participate in lessons, we expect them to run and
sprint, to never cut corners, and to never let up
before they cross the finish line.
“The first few days at Bridgemary has been
amazing. I have felt welcome and safe in my
surroundings.” - Jasmine Stinton.
“It has been the most exciting days of my life,
learning new things and meeting new friends.
I was scared at first but after the first I have been
building my confidence.”
The staff of Falcon House expect you to sweat, not
just to physically sweat but to mentally sweat as
you wrestle with new
and challenging ideas,
as you complete all
your
academic
assi gn m en ts .
We
expect you to sweat
as
you
get
uncomfortable
and
even scared as you
try new and difficult
things as you risk
making mistakes and
experiencing failure.
“I really enjoyed my first few days here. It was
better than I thought it would be. I have made
many friends and I am looking forward to this
year.”
Top Falcons:
At the time of writing this newsletter we would like
to congratulate the following students who are top
of the House Point Leader Board keep up the good
work:
Emily Smith, George Buckham, Hayden Haines,
Deanna Holloway, Joshua Sargent, Joshua Hurst,
5
FALCONS
Tyrone Martin-Menditta, Finn Briony, Tyesha
Kirton, Jade Feasey, Megan Kirk, Lauren Brown,
Connor Cairns, Ellise Hillan, Luke, Beer, Maisy
Curry, Louanna Spring, Ellie Whitaker, Ntasha
Doole and Kane Higgins.
greatest players in the area- those in the NHL
(National Hockey League) and likes to watch and
learn new skills. He says there is nothing negative
about being involved in Ice Hockey at such a high
level but that injuries can happen. He was once
“tripped from behind which made me bite my tongue,
there was blood everywhere!” Cain acknowledges
that it can be quite violent at times but also insists
that “it’s more tactical that you think”.
A special mention to Emily Smith year 7 JMK who
has the second highest number of House points
across the whole of the school.
Miss McClarnon, Falcon House, and all of Bridgemary
School wish Cain luck as he pursues his dream of
becoming a full time Ice Hockey player.
Falcon spotlight
We’re very lucky in Falcon House to have such a
wide range of talents displayed by our students.
Cain Russell is one of our new year 7s who is
proving to be one to watch! At four years old Cain
began skating at Gosport Ice Rink. It became
obvious quite quickly that he had a noticeable
talent for the sport, and what began as a hobby
once or twice a week soon developed into a real
passion for Ice Hockey.
House Charity Round Up
I would like to thank the following Falcon Students
Jordon Payne, Steven Smith, and Shaan Pettifor for
their commitment and enthusiasm in organising a
house charity football event. There efforts helped to
secure £100.00 that was split across the 3 House
charities.
Mr O’Toole helped to organise the ‘Who is the
member of Staff’ competition and who can forget the
Head of House gunging. On the last day with all the
money counted Mrs Radford (Deputy Head Teacher)
led the three Heads of House and the whole school
out onto the mound. A very relieved Mr Toon thanked
everyone for not paying for him to be gunged,
leaving a very nervous Mr Brooks and Miss
McClarnon. In the end it came down to 31p and after
a very tense build up it was Mr Brooks who had the
honour of being gunged (a week’s worth of canteen
left over’s ceremoniously dumped on his head). A big
thank you to Mr Brooks for being such a good sport
and fantastic news as we have managed to give over
£300 to charity in the last academic year.
Look out for lots of opportunities to raise money for
your House Charity this academic year
Cain now trains most evenings after school in
Basingstoke and his enthusiasm and dedication to
his sport paid off last month when he received an
email, which Cain says made him “jump up from
my seat”! The email informed Cain that he had
been selected to represent England in the Under 13
Ice Hockey Team! He describes it as his “proudest
moment” and says his Mum couldn’t stop smiling!
In February next year Cain is heading to Canada as
part of the England team for the International
Quebec Ice Hockey tournament. He will be
competing against teams from Canada, the US,
Europe and elsewhere. Supported by his family
who will be travelling with him, Cain is excited to
meet other players from around the world.
Cain says he is motivated by playing with the
Mrs A McClarnon
Assistant Head Teacher
Head of House – Falcon
Follow us on Twitter
@FalconHouse15
6
Reading and Literacy
Aaron Hazzard and Piper Massey
Year 7
New Word Millionaires for
September
7
Reading and Literacy
Every student in year 7 will soon receive a book
from Bookbuzz.
Bookbuzz is a reading programme which gives
schools the opportunity to offer their year 7
students the choice of book from a list of
specially selected titles.
The aim of Bookbuzz is to inspire excitement
about reading and discovering new books and
authors. We hope your child enjoys their
Bookbuzz book and that it encourages them to
continue reading.
The Hampshire Book Awards
Regional Voting day
The judges of this award are Year 8 students
from participating schools (secondary schools
subscribing to the School Library Service). The
student judges were involved in every stage of
the award, from selection of both the long and
short lists to the final vote for the winning
author. The student judges decide the winner
of the award by scoring each book for
Enjoyment, Enrichment and Engagement.
To find out more about this year’s titles, and
other books that your child might enjoy, do
visit the website where you can also find useful
links about reading and writing, and fun writing
activities that you can do at home with your
child: www.bookbuzz.org.uk
Bridgemary School is also making a significant
contribution to supporting this initiative as we
continue to strive to promote reading and
literacy amongst our students.
Many schools participate in regional HBA events
during the voting period and representatives
from eight schools were invited to the final
voting and discussion day on the 1st July which
was held at Bridgemary School in the LRC.
Tracey Sweetenham
Learning Resource Manager
Here are the wonderful Bookbuzz books
for 2015-16:
The winning author was Jonathan
Stroud “Lockwood & Co”
All the Hampshire Book Award participants will
be invited to meet the winning author when he
collects his award on the 12th November at
Winchester Guildhall
8
Reading and Literacy
Also:
Congratulations to Alicia Light and Millie Edney
for winning the book quiz on the day. Both
girls donated their 5 books to our library
Key Stage 3
Reading
Challenge…
(Using Accelerated Reader).
So what exactly is our KS3 challenge?
Well anyone that’s been taught by Mrs Beach
for English will know that she likes to read. (In fact
that’s a bit of an understatement!)…
All the students who took part in the final
voting day, were a credit to Bridgemary School.
In just eight months of last year, she managed to
read over 2 million words!
“This event was an amazing opportunity to
discuss books with other schools. I would love
to do this again.” Jamie Barnes
So your challenge is to beat Mrs Beach’s word
count on Accelerated Reader!
“Wow! This event was very exciting and
different. I really enjoyed discussing the books,
especially as we all had different views on how
the books were written.” Millie Edney
This challenge will run for the whole academic
year but you’ll need to start taking quizzes pretty
quickly. WHY?
Because Mrs Beach has already read over
192,000 words!...
Mrs Sweetenham, the LRC manager, would like
to thank all the students who took part in the
Hampshire Book Award.
Aims of the award




To promote the enjoyment of reading
To foster a reading ethos within the
school
To draw attention to the most
rewarding and accessible fiction for the
age group
Some books that Mrs
Beach had read
recently…
To challenge students to critically
assess books and to make a reasoned
argument in group discussions.
9
Science
English
Trail of Betrayal
Science at Key Stage 3
By Becky Johns (Year 10)
Three weeks into their first term at
Bridgemary School, Year 7 have completed
topics which have introduced them to ‘How
Science Works’ and ‘Chemical Reactions’.
The students have commented about their
experiences so far.
The worst thing about betrayal,
Is that it hardly ever comes from
your enemies.
We obviously weren’t following the
same trail,
Another face, other identities.
‘In Science, I’ve enjoyed the new topics
and practicals as they have been enjoyable
and educational. My favourite practical was
one where we went around different
stations and said what happened after our
experiments. It’s very different to primary
school as its more hands on and practical’
(Aaron Hazzard- Eagle)
***
Together we’ve been through it all,
But now we’ve faded to black,
Because you just let me fall
After you stabbed me in the back.
***
Never in a million years,
Did I suspect my best friend
You cried with me through the tears
Yet you decided to pull the trigger in
the end.
‘Science at Bridgemary is really different to
primary because there are more practicals
and we use a lot more scientific vocabulary.
I think it is really exciting and interesting. I
now know a lot of scientific vocabulary’
(Emily Smith – Falcon)
***
You hurt me in the most horrid way
known,
No longer do I even have the
strength to smile,
I can’t believe I’ve ended up all
alone,
Wishing you weren’t so hostile.
***
All our memories thrown down the
drain,
I don’t know what to do,
I thought it was us against the
world,
But all along it’s just been me
against you.
10
English
A Little Too Much
Collaborative Work in Year 7
By Ritika Rai (Year 10)
The year 7s kick started the term with some
fantastic team work!
Around the theme Titanic, the new Year 7
students were bonding in their new classes
whilst exploring how to produce thoughtful
considered texts for different writing
conventions.
Under the clear blue sky I laid myself,
Onto the green emerald grass,
Covered in refreshingly cold dew,
In distant sound of voices buzzing,
I looked left,
Children playing with their parents,
I looked right,
Couples strolling across the park,
If only life was this calm and content,
Then maybe being a student wouldn’t
feel so unpleasant.
Chain only we could see, feel or touch,
Wrapped tightly around our necks
dragging us down,
Suffocating us,
While pressure loaded on our backs,
Mounding up as each year goes past,
Adults’ constantly telling us it’s for your
future,
To get a job, a house, a living!
And we get it,
But sometimes,
Sometimes.
It just gets a little too much.
But knowing we will just look
ungrateful we push the feelings down,
Keep our heads down,
Keep our grades up,
Until it just gets a little too much for
some people,
And it takes too long for others to
notice…
Under the clear blue sky I laid myself,
Onto the green emerald grass,
Covered in refreshingly cold dew,
In distant sound of voices buzzing.
In their table groups they started by
brainstorming reasons for leaving their own
country. This of course, also brought on
discussions of the current migrant crises in
Europe. The exemplary behaviour and the
empathy shown by our amazing new
students enabled us to have a very mature
and interesting discussion.
After watching a short clip about the
boarding of the Titanic as well as a quick
senses activity, they then had to create a
diary entry from one of the passenger’s
point of view; as they were boarding the
Titanic. They had to describe what they, as
the passenger, saw as well as how they felt.
The work was peer assessed with a
compliment (what went well) and an idea
was given about how they could improve
their work (an even better if).
It was a well-liked lesson and I am looking
forward to continuing to explore different
topics with this wonderful creative class.
Mrs Nicholls
Language Department
11
English
pleasant and perky students. English,
maths, science, PE these are much loved
subjects where every student feels
involved and want to be a part of
something and that something is the
Bridgemary community where every
teacher and pupil can unit together in the
heart of something special that everyone
needs to feel.
Bridgemary in 500 Words
The following is a piece written by a
student who would prefer to remain unnamed. However, she has created a piece
of work which she was highly commended
for:
Spectacular science with flames burning
multi coloured and crackling Bunsen
burners filling the room with a surreal
light. Plants no longer with pigmentation
because it has been drained of chlorophyll.
Pigs hearts being dissected like a bear
tearing its pray; to find different types of
muscles and tissues. Lava lamps bobbing
up and down on window seals waiting to
be collected while agar
jelly sits
fermenting further down in a dark, damp
and dingy corner of the room. Science is
always enjoyable when you come to such
a fantastic school like Bridgemary.
What is this picturesque place?
Green luscious grass swept over the serene
spaces that are not filled, trees standing
ridged like soldiers saluting
with squat
little benches perched around and lots of
space to roam. As clean as a whistle could
describe it no litter anywhere, with masses
of colour blue, green, red and white
aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Nothing
but a well-kept plot.
Fresh air wafting about with the smell of
cut grass, the children were cheaters
running in a football match a race against
time. Another group playing netball,
another doing Frisbee, another on
trampolines. Everywhere is filled with
exciting activities going on. Boredom is
not an option. There is lots to do at this
active school and defiantly never a dull
moment especially in PE. There is no need
for it here with two giant playing fields and
loads of equipment it would be a waste
not to use it.
This place is a school. Bridgemary School.
Muffled sound eroded out into laughter.
Laughter of children that fills the air in a
cacophony of sound rolling over the whole
area filling every minute gap possible. This
is
happiness.
Jubilant
teenagers
everywhere heading to class walking
swiftly.
Pungent aromas seeping out of the
cooking room lingering around corridors
before dispersing over the massive science
block leaving a sensational image of food
in your head. Sweet, savoury, spicy what
is it you could not tell only that the
students in there must be extremely
talented to produce such a scent in an
effortless way. Their faces gleamed with
satisfaction that they had been able to
create such a master piece.
Bang! Silence laid over the distant
buildings. Lessons have started. The cogs
in the teenagers minds exploding trying to
cope with the volume of accomplished
learning taking place. Why would you not
want to be here? As I peered through a
classes clean window I saw enthusiastic
children willing to learn, teachers enjoying
their jobs because of the students progress
and books new and old full of work.
This is an amazing school full of polite,
Do you want your children to feel like this?
12
Creative Arts
Music
“A REAL TREAT. ENTERTAINMENT AT ITS
VERY BEST"
We are entering an exciting time for music at
Bridgemary School with many plans in the
pipeline. Mrs Monk has joined the school as
Music teacher and has put in place a new
curriculum covering a wide range of musical
styles and genres.
Daily Telegraph
"A REAL THRILL OF HORROR"
Sunday Times
"ONE OF BRITISH THEATRE'S BIGGEST AND SCARIEST - HITS!"
Throughout the year Key stage three students
will have the chance to learn performance
skills in singing, on the keyboard and playing
the ukulele. They will also have the chance to
study African drumming, Samba and steel
pans as well as more traditional Western
Classical and orchestral music. This will be in
conjunction with learning about The Blues,
Reggae and popular song and developing their
own compositional skills. Mrs Monk is also
currently working alongside Year 6 class
teachers to deliver music lessons at Rowner
Junior School and is helping them with their
after school choir.
The Guardian
"DON'T GO UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING
SCARED OUT OF YOUR WITS!"
Sunday Mirror
"GUARANTEED TO CHILL THE BLOOD"
Evening Standard
"A TRULY NERVE-SHREDDING
EXPERIENCE!"
Daily Mail
"THE CHILLS ARE IRRESISTIBLY
EFFECTIVE...A DELICIOUS SPELL OF
MALEVOLENCE AND MENACE "
Very soon a range of extra-curricular clubs will
be available here at Bridgemary including
Samba Band, GCSE catch-up , Music Theory
club, Ukulele Club and Choir. Students and
parents are reminded that we can offer a wide
range of peripatetic instrumental lessons
including piano/keyboard, clarinet/saxophone,
guitar, voice and drumming which take place
during the school day. The cost of these is
£40.00 per term with a significant reduction
available for students who qualify for Pupil
Premium. Please pick up a form or speak to
Mrs Monk in the Music Dept for more details.
Time Out
This thriller, adapted by Stephen
Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill,
has been running at the Fortune Theatre
since February 1989 and one can see
why as it is a thrilling ghost story that
has you jumping out of your seat with
fright.
It is a clever tale that is full of surprises
and suspense. The story concerns a
young solicitor who is sent to wind up
the affairs of a recently deceased
woman. However, the dead woman had
led a reclusive life in a remote and
mysterious house. He discovers he has
to wind up her affairs without any help
from the locals who will not approach the
house because they believe the house is
cursed! Years later, and this is where the
play actually begins, he recounts his
ghostly experiences with the aid of an
actor/director, who helps him prepare to
Drama
On December 8th 2015 Year 11 Drama
students will be going on a trip to the Fortune
Theatre in London.
13
Creative Arts
Rock Challenge
tell his story in front of his family and
friends in a desperate bid to exorcise
the ghosts of the past.
Rock Challenge rehearsals are well
underway in preparation for show day
at the Portsmouth Guildhall on
Wednesday 16th March. There was a
clear buzz of excitement amongst
students at the audition stage and this
has continued into rehearsals. We
currently have 84 performers in the
team, 21 being boys so far which is
amazing but we would welcome more!
Our piece is inspired by the movie
‘Avatar’ so will have excellent potential
for visual elements such as costume,
make up and set design as well as great
characters and a strong storyline.
It is extraordinary that with the most
basic props, minimal set, a few sound
effects along with the atmosphere of the
drama and your own imagination this
play can scare you stiff! Although, I will
say I find the theatre -which is not very
big- is in itself hauntingly eerie! Even
going to the Upper Circle toilets is a
creepy experience, particularly if you
are by yourself.
A brilliant thriller that is a must see!
This thriller, which recently celebrated
3000 West End performances and is
now the second longest running play in
the West End is undoubtedly the most
spine chilling ghost story ever told on
stage.
Those students that are involved in
Rock Challenge but are not doing this
for their LEAP activity need to ensure
their £15.00 particpation fee is paid into
student reception by Wednesday 21st
October. Any student that has not made
their payment by this date will not be
allowed to attend rehearsals until after
payment has been made.
If you are the kind of person who
enjoys being scared witless, then this is
the show for you. It is cleverly written,
and directed to keep you on the edge of
your seat. The simple set is effective,
and the special effects remarkably real.
Rehearsals are taking place every
Wednesday and Thursday until the
Christmas holiday. In January, after
school rehearsals will also be introduced
on a Friday. Please check the Rock
Challenge bulletin board outside the
dance studio for more information on
rehearsal times and dates.
It is not hard to see why this show has
lasted so long, I sincerely hope that it
makes it through another 3,000
performances.
The students will also experience a 2
hour workshop with professional actors
in the legendary Pineapple Dance
Studios!
We are planning to do a range of
fundraising activities to raise as much
money as possible in order for the
performance to be of a high standard.
We will be kicking off with a Danceathon
which will take place over the coming
weeks. All cast and stage crew
members will be expected to take part
in fundraising activities so listen out for
Let’s hope that Mrs Hunt and Mr
Hibbard and their students sleep easy
after watching this horrifying play!
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Creative Arts
Students’ created observational
tonal drawings in their first lesson
with fantastic outcomes.
more information regarding our first
event… the Danceathon!
If anyone is interested in joining the
Rock Challenge team, whether you
would like to be a performer or a stage
crew member, please see Mrs Hayward.
I look forward to working with a great
team!
Mrs Hayward.
Art
Well done to all year 9s and 10s for
your hard work and positive start to
this course.
GCSE students have made a fantastic
start to their Art course.
‘VICTORY’ for Bridgemary!
The ‘Victory’ panel that Bridgemary
Students created was used to help
make a Trafalgar sail to celebrate
Trafalgar day. The Community
Trafalgar Sail project achieved over
600 squares and ended up making 2
Trafalgar sails!
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Humanities
RE / Philosophy and Ethics
Congratulations to last year’s Year 11
s t u d e n t s f o r s o m e f an t a s t i c
achievements in the Philosophy and
Ethics exam. Special mention goes to
Chloe Lyth on securing an A grade
and in going on to study Philosophy
and Ethics and Religious Education at
Peter Symonds College, Winchester.
Miss McClarnon wishes her the very
best for the future.
Can you identify this continent?
Year 7 have made a great start to RE
and are exploring amongst many
things the origins of religion and the
need for religion in today’s world.
They are already developing good
philosophy skills and there has been
a lot of thinking taking place.
Students have also been playing
Battleships, learning about latitude
and longitude as well as the topical
issue “Should we be in the EU?”
In year 9 students have been looking
at what makes them human, and
have had an opportunity to discuss
the purpose and benefits of believing
in a soul. They will have the
opportunity to discuss how the world
came into existence and their place
in the universe.
Year 11 students have been out
collecting their GCSE Geography
controlled assessment data. Students
spent the day in Whiteley Shopping
Centre, carrying out questionnaires
and interviewing shops owners about
whether the area is sustainable for
the future.
Geography
Year 7 students have been learning
about the World. In Mr Brook’s class
they have been re-creating the world
map using some PE Kit!
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Food Technology
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Our new enrichment programme was launched this
month. The Learning & Enrichment Activities Programme
(LEAP) is designed to offer a wide range of experiences in
order that students can try new things; develop new
hobbies, and have fun.
LEAP periods happen during period 3 and all involve all
students in Yrs 7-10. The aim of enrichment is to enable
students to experience a wide range of activities that
would not normally feature in the formal curriculum. The
activities not only strengthen students C.V.s and therefore employment and university
applications, but also develop their skills and confidence. Most importantly they are designed
to be fun!
All activities have been planned and delivered by Bridgemary staff. Staff were asked to step
outside their comfort zone of their subject area and share an interest or hobby with the
students.
The response from staff has been amazing and as a result we
were able to compile a comprehensive and diverse range of
activities which they were willing to share with the students.
All students have opted to follow a course for either a term,
or a year, depending on the activity and the first session was
a great success.
If you have any ideas for future sessions please do not hesitate to get in touch perhaps there
is a session that you could offer or think we should be offering.
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Transition & Summer School
With SATS week drawing to a close, primary school teachers and Bridgemary staff were
able to refocus the Year 6 students on the next phase of their education – transition to
secondary school.
Following on from the initial expectation
assemblies in their primary school with Mr
Sivier, every student coming up to us in
September was offered a 1:1 session with
Ms Winter. Students were able to discuss
any concerns and have their questions
answered in a relaxed and confidential
environment. This was particularly useful
to those students who were especially
nervous about the move. As a school it
was helpful for us to be able to start
getting to know the students prior to them
coming up and to talk about friendship
groups etc. There was very little that wasn’t discussed; from school dinner food to
ultimate Frisbee! Going in and out of primary schools enabled Ms Winter to observe
students in their own environment, beginning to get an idea of how students learn best.
On 25th June we held our Transition evening,
giving our new students and their parents/carers
the chance to find out more about what to expect
in September including the all important house
allocations! After a short presentation from the
Head-teacher, a raffle was drawn with the first
prize being a £75 Skoolkit voucher! Students and
their families were then taken, in their houses, to
an assembly with their Head of House where they
were told more about what would happen on the
transition days, and given the opportunity to ask
any questions.
The following week saw our three consecutive transition days. There was an air of
excitement on the first morning as students came into school via our student entrance on
Wych Lane. An assembly was held for the whole year group, with a welcome from Mr
Phillipsz (Deputy Head). Thorough tours of the school in house groups followed, before the
students were separated into groups and taken to
their
first
lessons,
accompanied
by
some
Bridgemary student helpers. A wide range of
lessons were experienced over the three days and
included many exciting activities. From the wearing
of an interesting variety of hats during R.E, to
dissecting an animal heart in Science, there wasn’t
a chance for our year 6 visitors to be bored!
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Transition & Summer School
A huge part of the 3 days involved the House competition. When students did some good
work, or were particularly helpful for example, they were given a House slip. Slips were
collected by the Heads of House each day and at the end of the week the transition trophy
was awarded to the house with the most slips during our final assembly. It was a close
fought competition but the winners were Falcon House. Miss McClarnon, Head of Falcon
House said: “Winning House points is not easy and students have to work hard to earn
them, showing that they are able to demonstrate Bridgemary 5Rs both in and out of the
classroom. As Head of House I am extremely proud of all the new members of Falcon
house who have enthusiastically worked hard to earn the House points, this certainly gives
us the advantage against all the other Houses as we go into the new academic year. I am
looking forward to working with you all over the academic year and winning more
competitions.” Congratulations to Falcon House, what a lovely way to end the term!
Although the school term had officially finished, we then welcomed fifty Year 5 and 6
students for our two-week Summer School. With a huge range of activities each day,
beginning with a free breakfast club, the students were able to experience life at secondary
school and start to get to know our teaching staff and each other. It was an enjoyable two
weeks for both the students and staff, and as Mr O’Toole commented; “It was brilliant to
get to know some of our new students, and very rewarding to see them grow in confidence
over the two week period.” Feedback from parents was also very positive and suggested
that the summer school helped children feel more confident about starting Bridgemary.
Details regarding Summer School 2016 will be available soon.
As you can see it has been a really exciting transition period this year with lots of events
for the new students and their families. The Year 6s, now our new Year 7s, have settled in
well to school life at Bridgemary. Watch this space for an expanded transition programme
for next year!
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Bridgemary Football Academy
Twenty four Year 10 Bridgemary students were
successful in applying to participate in the
Football Academy. The Football Academy uses
football as a tool for wider learning. Students
will be introduced to a number of roles,
including leading football activity sessions,
refereeing small-sided games, managing smallsided
teams
and
contributing
to
the
organisation and delivery of football festivals/
sessions for younger people.
Referee and Coach development.
The Foundation will run tournaments and
festivals over the Academic Year, and are
looking to incorporate the Football Academy
students within each of these events. These
events will include local festivals for the cluster
schools, as well as a Premier League
tournament to be staged at Bridgemary schoo
Upon completion, students will gain valuable
experience and an in-depth knowledge of
football that is recognised by colleges. It
provides an excellent introduction for those
looking to progress within the voluntary or
employed
world
of
sport
and
sport
development.
Top Row (left to right): Jade Feasey, Rebecca
Hope, Layla Payne, Ben Rosam, Louis Martin,
Jaymie-Lee Hull, Jakai Hammuda, Louis Howie,
Harry Johnson, Lewis Spurgeon, Jordan Payne
Bottom Row: Kane Higgins, Ahliyah Browne,
Jake Fazackerley. Leon Baxter, Wesley Scott,
Jack Bond, Shaan Pettafor, Stephen Smith,
John Butcher, Connor Barrett
(absentee
Morgan Cooley)
As part of the course students will be
completing voluntary work in the community;
assisting FA Skills sessions at Crofton School,
leading lunchtime activities, coaching Woodcot
Primary School’s football sessions and assisting
in a variety of football festivals hosted by the
Gosport
School
Sports
Partnership
at
Bridgemary School.
There will be further opportunities for students
to plan, coach and organise football sessions
throughout the year, including opportunities
provided to us by Chelsea Foundation. Chelsea
Foundation is Chelsea FC’s outreach into the
wider community and we are fortunate to
house
Chelsea
Foundation
on
site
at
Bridgemary School. The Football Academy will
have the opportunity to learn from and work
with Chelsea Foundation’s outstanding coaches.
Nurture Strive Achieve
Joseph
Naivalulev and Aiden Tombs were
selected to attend Chelsea Soccer School
because of their exemplary attitudes towards
learning. Both boys had faced significant and
life changing emotional adversity during the
academic
year
and
despite
this
their
attendance was above average and they both
made above expected amounts of progress in
reading, writing and mathematics.
Our work with Chelsea FC Foundation (CFCF)
will include different opportunities such as
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Chelsea Football Club
Enthusiastically Aiden and Joseph spoke of the
“fantastic and amazing” time they had
experienced during their time at the soccer
school. Aiden explained, “We learned new skills
and football games that we can now share in
our school.” And Joseph also expressed how
much fun he had, “the best bit was making lots
of new friends from other schools.”
A great example of this would be the fact that
The Foundation are keen to explore avenues
around Girls specific football as well as
disability sessions. These sessions would be
hosted on the 3G facility at the School and
would be made available not only to our
pupils, but also to the wider community.
The Chelsea FC Foundation and
Bridgemary School Association
Bridgemary is delighted to announce a new and
exciting chapter in its association with Chelsea
Football Club Foundation (CFCF).
We first started working with the team from
Chelsea FC Foundation in 2013. They have
been providing high quality coaching within
Curriculum Time, while also running Inclusion
projects and helping with our Summer and
Christmas festivals.
In February 2015 former Chelsea FC Footballer,
and current Academy Coach, Jon Harley helped
pupils and staff open the schools brand new
third generation (3G) artificial grass pitch.
Other activities that would be inclusive for
young people across the area would be the
very popular Soccer Schools which take place
every school holiday period. Such courses
cater for boys and girls between the ages of 5
and 12 years old, and are perfect for
beginners and experienced players alike.
In addition CFCF are working closely with the
School Sport Partnership team providing
coaches to work within the local cluster
schools.
It now bring us great pleasure to announce that
as of September 2015 the team from the
Foundation will now be housed on site at the
School with a full time base within the School
Sports Partnership Office. By having a base on
site this will further add to the benefits and
opportunities afforded to our school, students
and the local community as a hole.
Students of Bridgemary now have access to
training from CFCF staff during curricular and
extra-curricular
time,
including
literacy
programmes and school Premier League
tournaments, and will have the opportunity to
receive training kit as well as potential match
tickets throughout the academic year.
We look to further developing our work with
The Foundation in the future.
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Chichester University ‘Star Student Event
Year 7 had a fantastic day, when we hosted Chichester University
and their ambassadors to learn about the different types of
qualifications and how they will progress them to their future
careers. They had an ‘Interview the ambassador’ session where they
got the chance to ask any questions they may have and find out
about all aspects of being a university student. Information on
qualifications was given in this session and students were then
quizzed on in the ‘Star student’ game. Students were split into
teams and then they each took a turn on answering questions,
followed by a bonus round.
The students had a fantastic day and a great learning experience;
they were an absolute credit to Bridgemary School.
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GCSEPod are award-winning experts in the field of mobile learning. GCSEPod is an internet
and app based learning environment. They provide high quality, focused learning in a
unique ‘Pod’ format across 20 popular GCSE subjects. A typical podcast lasts for 3-5
minutes and concisely presents subject specific examination content.
Bridgemary have embraced GCSEPod and are encouraging use of the software by students
for revision and homework; and by teachers for presenting new information to students
within lessons.
Students have the option to stream podcasts online, on their phone, or download the
podcast to watch offline at anytime. We have recently launched GCSEPod for all Year 9 and
10 students who are studying their GCSE’s this academic year. Our current Year 11
students have been using GCSEPod for the last year and as a school we have watched over
5,000 podcasts. This is what Bridgemary School students have had to say about GCSEPod.
Further information, instructions on how to login and guidance how to help students revise
in their students revise will be sent home to parents of Year 9, 10 and 11 students towards
the end of the term.
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Bridgemary School are pleased to have introduced Smoothwall. Smoothwall provides access for all
staff, students and guests to Wi-Fi. Smoothwall allows for strict and safe control over content that
users can view whilst providing opportunity for students to consume knowledge, produce content
and collaborate for educational purposes.
The aim of providing access of Wi-Fi for all students is to develop inquisitive and
independent learners, ready for an ever developing technological society. With greater
opportunity to use mobile devices sstudents should be aware that they bring in their personal
mobile device at their own risk. Bridgemary School accepts no responsibility for student’s devices.
Bridgemary advise every student to keep a record of the serial number of all electronic goods
brought to school, for insurance purposes, and that they should have their devices both insured,
and marked for easy identification. For personal safety reasons Bridgemary students are advised
not to display expensive or desirable electronic items in public places.
There are accompanying rules and online safety training for all students through Bridgemary’s
tutor program that ensure all students using internet stay safe and are aware of the potential
dangers. Each classroom has a copy of the rules that students are required to abide to (as seen
below).
RULES:
IN CLASS, OR OTHER TEACHER-LED SITUATIONS:
When not being used for learning, mobile phones and other items must remain on silent or
switched off and out of sight throughout lessons.
Students are not allowed to photograph, voice record and video record lessons or other school
activities, including other students or teachers without permission.
OUTSIDE LESSONS:
Music playing devices should be put away at the time pupils come onto the school site.
Forsafety reasons students should not be wearing ear or headphones during the school day.
Mobile phones may be used outside at break and lunchtimes.
MISUSE:
If students misuse or abuse the use of their personal mobile device teachers have the right to
confiscate the device.
Sanctions against the misuse of electronic devices will vary and will depend upon the
circumstances.
Teachers have the right to check the contents of any electronic devices brought to school, if
they believe the device has inappropriate or incriminating material on it.
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