Blog Week Ending 13th February
I hope you all enjoy a well-earned break this half term and to those of you that are lucky enough to be going away (like our Ski Trip students and staff!) enjoy your adventures! We will return to school on Tuesday 25th February.
Our Sports Department Ski Trip will be heading to Austria on 15th February – and the excitement is mounting! Our special trip hoodies are now in .. modelled by Mrs Selfe! Our X (Twitter) page can be seen here and we will update with pictures and information as often as we can. A reminder that the pack list and trip information can all be found on TEAMS ski page as well as a recording of the meeting that was held in December. A special report on the trip will appear in the Blog after half term.
The Sports Department’s topic this term was Outdoor Adventurous Activities for Years 7 to 9 looking at team building, communication, trust, problem solving and map reading.
The latest House Challenge was set by Mr Green, Head of Computer Science. Don’t forget to get your answers in by tomorrow 14 February. There will be prizes for the winners! Good luck everyone.
Safer Internet Day. Mr Green created form time activities for both KS3 and KS4 based around this year’s theme “Too Good to be True?” This Safer Internet Day, it’s all about starting conversations about how to spot, respond to and report all types of scams online including … romance, impersonation and investment scams as well as money muling. This practical session highlighted key ‘signs’ and indicators that ALL internet users should consider when online.
Year 7 Computer Science students have been introduced to programming for the first time this term, in the form of HTML and CSS. These are the languages used to create websites. Students have been creating a website all about themselves utilising multiple elements of code such as changing the colours, the alignment, font of text, images and links into their website – and learning the ‘ins and outs’ of web design. This will be investigated in more detail in Year 8.
Year 10 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition students are applying their learned skills as they prepare two complex dishes for their mock exams. These mocks allow students to finesse timings, menu and flavours whilst consolidating a range of impressive cooking techniques to produce their finished meals – dish components included, hand made wraps, chilli sauce, enriched pastry, pasta, coulis and prepped and filleted meat joints – great work chefs!
Amelia in Year 9, who is a member of Kent Youth County Council has been involved in making the awareness raising film and campaign designed by Kent’s young people to tackle street harassment and violence against women and girls (VAWG).
Produced in partnership between Kent County Council, Kent Police and the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit and funded by government. The ‘Don’t Disrespect’ film and campaign is the result of research conducted in schools and youth groups in Kent. This revealed street harassment to be a prolific problem with 75% of girls and women across the country, aged 12 to 21, having experienced public sexual harassment on the street from men and boys.
The campaign challenges boys to take a stand and end street harassment. The aim is to call for boys and young men to recognise that such actions are unacceptable and to empower friends and peers to take a stand and speak up when they witness this behaviour.
Amelia has been interviewed speaking about the campaign on our local BBC news. To view the film, please click here. And for the interviews, please click here.
Year 12 Politics students, along with Dr Harris and Miss House visited the Houses of Parliament. The first activity was a tour of the Palace, led by one of the excellent tour guides, where both the floors of the Houses of Commons and Lords were visited. Following this, the students attended ministers’ questions in the Commons, where the Justice minister was answering questions. This was followed by a meeting with Dartford MP Jim Dickson. The final activity of the day was attendance at a session of the House of Lords, where two new Lords were ‘introduced’ to the House and questions followed about the support given to disabled young people and their families.
WG6 Year 12 Biologists took part in a heart dissection practical to examine the main blood vessels of the heart and the coronary arteries and to carry out a detailed examination of the differences between the chambers and walls between them. Students then produced a scientific annotated drawing of their findings.
World Book Day is nearly upon us, as is Valentine’s Day. To celebrate the month of love the Library has a ‘Romantic Tropes’ Book Bingo available for all students to take part in. The objective is simple – read 16 books to complete the bingo, all with different tropes of the romance genre! Sheets are available in WGSG library.
PFA Update. We are always looking for new members and new ideas for fundraising events, so please get in touch (link below) if you feel there is something we should try. If you are able to help in any way and would like to join our WhatsApp group please let us know [email protected]
Forthcoming Dates;
Last Day of Term 3 – 14 February
Ski Trip departs – 15 February
Inset Day – 24 February
First Day on Term 4 – Tuesday 25 February
Year 13 Written Report home – 26 February
Years 7 & 8 Grades home – 26 February
Year 10 Progress Exams – 27 February – 11 March
Year 7 Epistemic Insight Evening – 19 March
Year 11 Grades Report home – 31 March
Best wishes,
Michelle Lawson
Headteacher
