December 2002
December 2002
| FROM THE HEAD TEACHER
Working with Parents - At Therfield we feel it is important to work in partnership with parents to ensure that students are happy and successful during their time here. As part of this process, since September, we have been asking parents at Parents' Evenings to complete a questionnaire, the results of which will help us in reviewing and improving our practice. So far we have had returns from parents of students in Years 8, 11 and 13 and the results have been very encouraging. Some of the key areas are listed below. Over 73% of parents feel that their
son/daughter is challenged in most or all of his/her lessons. On a 'happiness at Therfield' scale the responses indicated that 96% of the students are happy here. We intend to continue providing the questionnaires at Parents' Evening, will keep monitoring the results and will act on the issues that arise. Staff Changes - Leaving us at the end of this term are Ms Roberts and Ms Collins. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all that they have contributed to the school and to wish them the very best for the future. Joining us in January will be Mrs O'Connell (teacher of English), Mr Gordon (teacher of Sociology) and Mrs Benson (teacher in Learning Support Department). I am also delighted to report that Ms Ryan will be rejoining the school towards the end of the Spring Term. Surgery Date - My next surgery for parents who have concerns or issues they wish to discuss will be on Wednesday, 22nd January from 5-8 pm. Please phone my PA, Mrs Sharkey on 814432 to arrange a time. Important Information about NEW Attendance and Punctuality Procedures. 1. Holidays in school time: 2. Students who are LATE to
school: We hope that parents/guardians will feel able to pro-actively encourage their sons/daughters to arrive at school punctually and to support the school in our efforts to ensure that we promote a good work and achievement ethic amongst our community. If you have any queries regarding the above procedures or concerns about your son/daughter and attendance, please contact his/her Head of Year or Mrs Carriett, the Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for attendance. Focusing on Revision - A one day course in revision and study skills for Year 11 students will take place on 28th January. The course is run by Learning Performance Group, costs £12 and is an aid to revision in the run up to the GCSE examinations that we have provided for a number of years. Feedback has always been very positive and we would encourage all Year 11s to attend. 28th January is an INSET Day when students are not in school. Letters giving full details will go out early next term. Clerical Help Wanted - The school is looking for some help in the School Office every afternoon 1.30-3.30 pm starting in January. The pay would be £3,248 for a ten hour week, termtime only. If you would like to be considered for this post, please telephone Mrs Howarth on 01372 814429. Dates and Times to Note - School will close at 1.00 pm on the last day of term, Friday, 20th December. On 15th January there will be a 3.15 pm closure to give time to prepare for Sixth Form Open Evening. Tuesday, 28th January is an INSET Day when students are not in school. Year 10 Parents' Evening is on 22nd January and 29th January is Year 12 Parents' Evening, on both these days school will close at 3.15 pm. The next Academic Tutoring Day will be held on February 6th and appointment times will be sent home via 'pupil post' nearer the date. Personal Property - Mobile phones have become a popular Christmas present but, as an expensive item, we do not encourage students to bring them to school. If parents and students feel that a phone does need to be brought to school for emergency use, the student will be responsible for its safe keeping. Success at Maths - The UK Senior Maths Challenge continues to thrive - this year 1,573 schools entered 60,400 candidates, an increase of 13% over last year. The Maths department were delighted that 43 Sixth Formers volunteered to sit the challenge and gained a return of 17 certificates - three gold, two silver and twelve bronze. Dan Richards, Year 13, achieved high enough to be entered for the British Mathematical Olympiad and we await his results. Other gold awards went to Year 12 students - Poppy Stagg and Michael Singleton. Silver winners were Emily Parker and Nikhil Mehra, both in Y13. Parking Plea - Parents are asked to heed the request from residents in Buffers Lane (off the Dilston Road roundabout) not to park or leave cars there when meeting students. It causes considerable inconvenience to them. A Busy Time - As the Year 11 Ball, Carol Concert, Senior Citizens' Party and Year 8 Citizenship Days all take place in the final days of term, we plan to publish reports in the January Newsletter. Presentation Evening - Many of our students who left last July and have completed a first term at university or in employment will enjoy a reunion on Thursday, 9th January when they return to school for Presentation Evening. This is the occasion when we celebrate their success in public examinations and recall their time at the school. Joining the Sixth Form - On 15th January at 6.30 pm (please note change of time) we will be holding our Sixth Form Open Evening. Students in Year 11 and their parents are invited to come along and talk to subject staff, see department displays and hear about what Therfield has to offer. Over 70% of students choose to stay on and continue their studies here and we offer AS, A2, AVCE and GNVQ courses. Although the majority of our students come from Therfield, we are increasingly attracting students from other schools, so if you know of anyone who is seeking a change of school Post-16 please tell them about us and recommend they come along on 15th January at 6.30 pm. They will be very welcome. Ties that Please - A number of students submitted entries for this year's Young Tie Designer competition and Holley Wilkes, Year 8, has received a certificate of excellence for being adjudged 'best in school'. This year's brief was to design a tie for the leader of one of the main political parties and Holley's entry was a colourful tie for the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Resource Centre News - Thanks to the generosity of the Friends, we were able to launch the Reading Club which now meets regularly on Week 1 from 1.15 - 2.00 pm. So far we have been entertained by celebrity guests from within school. Mr Morley-Davies read us some hauntingly beautiful Welsh poetry and told us about books he enjoys reading, Mrs Carriett read excerpts from a number of sources, including a James Bond story and the Wind in the Willows. Mr Tuck gave an electrifying reading of some Chaucer and Shakespeare and Club members were enthralled by it all. We are also pleased to announce that the first Book Fair of this school year gave the Resource Centre a return of £100 in free books - many thanks to all who supported us. Baby Teacher - "it was quite sad to see how thin they were and how distressed they sounded when crying. It was even worse to learn that one of their cries had been recorded from an actual baby. The druggie baby also shook when it cried and the alcohol one had a face like a monkey" - this is an extract from a Year 10 student's thank you letter to the Friends for buying three real-life dolls to help Child Development and Health and Social Care studies. One of the 'replica babies' is programmed to keep you busy and alert day and night, another is a 'baby' born to a mother who has taken drugs during pregnancy and the third shows the results of drinking during pregnancy. Clearly, the chance to study these 'babies' has had a big impact and comments range from "it has made me think about the consequences of careless drinking and drug taking", "I was actually quite shocked" to "How could someone do this purposely". Mrs Rogers says that lessons have been described as "the best ever". If any parents have connections with youth groups who might like to hire the babies for use in discussion then please contact Mrs Rogers for further information. Praise for Marketing - As reported last month, our Year 12 students successfully defended their title at the Surrey Satro Marketing Challenge when they put forward their ideas on 'What Makes a Good School'. In sending congratulations to Mr Meadows and his team, Mr Gordon Cockburn, Development Director, commented, "The method of presentation and ideas that were generated by the students were absolutely brilliant and everyone who took part in the challenge could be proud". The team won £100 for the school. Competing teams came from all over Surrey and in second place were King's College, Guildford, with Fullbrook School, New Haw, third. Physics Conference - Eighteen Year 12 and Year 13 students attended a Physics Conference at Westminster Central Hall on December 3rd - Miss Kendrick, Head of Physics, reports : "The day consisted of a series of lectures and demonstrations from prominent scientists from around the country. We learnt about the physics of soap bubbles, how electricity can be made to jump through the air, electron scanning microscopes and some of the interesting effects that occur when materials are cooled by liquid nitrogen. There was a special star appearance of Patrick Moore, from the BBC's Sky at Night, who gave us a tour of the solar system, telling us his opinion on some of the recent developments in astronomy. As well as all this, we got some useful tips on passing AS and A2 exams from a Chief Examiner. This was a great day out which really brought to life some of the physics we study in school." On Stage - As a member of Storm the Stage Young People's Theatre, Claire Howes, Year 8, will be appearing in Grimm's Tales at The Theatre, Leatherhead. Storm the Stage is a recently established young people's theatre company and is run in association with the District Council. Prayer Group - Monday, 3rd February at 8 pm at the school is the next date for the parents Prayer Group meeting. All welcome or contact Mrs Poole 01932 865476 for details. Cycling Safely - We do get a number of comments from the public about the manner in which students cycle to and from school - some complain, some praise. It is important at this time of year for cyclists to have good lights and, if possible, wear light coloured clothing. Students must wear helmets and clearly display number plates if they wish to cycle to school. Rugby Visit - A taste of big occasion Rugby was enjoyed by a group of our enthusiastic players when they visited Twickenham for the Oxford v Cambridge match. The visit was organised as part of the ongoing programme to develop Rugby in the school and proved to be a first class opportunity to sample some of the wider delights of the sport. The occasion provided a trip down memory lane for Mr Thomas - the last time he attended a Varsity match was in 1964 -and he has the programme - cost 1s 6d - to prove it! Sporting Round-Up - Congratulations to the 1st XI who reached the finals of the County Football Cup. They lost 2-1 to Wilson's School in a very close match on Friday. The Chelsea FC Coaching sessions on Monday evenings have drawn attendances of between 50 and 60 boys and girls. Participation in Boys' Hockey has been outstanding, with 60 boys training regularly. We now have a team for each year group ready to take part in matches and tournaments. In Rugby there continues to be growing interest with 50-60 boys training from all years -Year 10 and Year 11 came second in the Cobham 10s Tournament. In Basketball we are district champions at Years 8 and Year 9. Cross Country will see Tony Adamson and Gordon Fox, Year 9, and Sixth Formers Tom Scriven and Steven Latham running in the County Championships next month. An early bird Trampoline Club has also proved popular. Success and excellent student participation in such a wide range of sports means a lot of dedication and out-of-hours work on the part of staff who would also like to thank parents who so willingly help out with transport and vocal support. Finally, may I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Dates for the Diary |