January 2003
January 2003
| FROM THE HEAD TEACHER
Presentation Evening - January's early fall of snow did its best to complicate arrangements for Presentation Evening on the 9th but all went well on the night. Students who had left in July were particularly pleased to meet up with old friends and swap stories about first terms at university, the delights of a gap year or how the world of work was turning out. In all, over 150 awards and certificates were handed out - a fair indication of the abilities of our students and the high regard in which we hold them. Guest of honour this year was Mr John Hickey, whose association with the school goes back to being a parent, a governor and chairman of governors. He was warm in his praise for the achievements of the students, mentioning that as a local businessman he was also an employer who knew the value of a good local school. The Senior Students, Sarah Glass and Nicholas Lambon, combined to give an entertaining few minutes entitled 'Reflections on our School' and musical interludes were provided by Amy Worsfold and Rob Haslam. Headteacher, Mr Tuck outlined the many successes of the year - the school had achieved record examination results, for the second year running was awarded the DfES's School Achievement Award, was awarded Investors in People status and saw well over 75% of Year 11 students choose to return to the Sixth Form. He quoted the words of Bishop Temple in the middle of the last century "If you want human liberty, you must have educated people" and said how true those words still are today. Thank you - A well deserved special award was made at presentation evening to Mr Frank Haslam who was warmly thanked for setting up and developing the Therfield School website, which is now being run by ICT staff at school. Referring to Mr Haslam's dedication, commitment and outstanding talent, Mr Tuck said, "anyone who has visited it - and thousands have - will confirm that it is an outstanding website". Mr Haslam will continue to manage the Alumni, History and Friends' pages. Free School Meals - The way schools are funded is linked to the number of students on roll who are entitled to free school meals, so, if your son/daughter is entitled to a free meal, please do return the form which was sent home earlier this month. To qualify, parents/guardians must be in receipt of either Income Support or Income based Job Seekers Allowance. All replies will be treated in strict confidence. Lateness and Punctuality - New procedures are now in place and, hopefully, will encourage students to have a sense of pride in good time-keeping. Details of what is expected were given in Decembers Newsletter, copies of which can be obtained from the school office. Dates and Times to Note
An important date for Year 9 parents and students is 5th Feb. when the Information Evening re choice of GCSE courses will be held at 7.30 pm. Holidays in School Time - Parents are reminded that a 'leave of absence' application must be made at least 14 days before the start of any holiday or absence during term time. The Headteacher will then decide whether or not to authorise a period of up to ten days maximum. Valuables in School - If at all possible please do not let your son/daughter bring valuables or large amounts of cash to school. It is particularly difficult to keep track of such items during sports lessons with the constant comings and goings in the changing rooms. The PE staff will lock valuables away during the lesson but students have to remember to ask for this to be done - and collect valuables afterwards! Aztec Treasures - A group of Year 10 GCSE Art students had the wonderful experience earlier this month of visiting the Aztec Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. This has proved to be one of the most popular exhibitions ever staged in London and the students had the privilege of viewing this most comprehensive survey of Aztec culture ever mounted. It proved to be a fascinating visit and gave students the opportunity to study artefacts at first hand and so provide valuable background material for their coursework. Prayer Group - Monday, 3rd February at 8.00 pm is the date for the next Parents' Prayer Group meeting at the school. All are welcome to attend and Mrs Jill Poole will be happy to give more information. (01932 865476). Young Players - Alexander Williams in Year 8 will be taking part in the filming of the next Harry Potter film Prisoner of Azkaban at Leavesden Studios. Claire Howes, Year 8, and two Year 7 students, Charlotte Millar and Libby Morris, are appearing in the musical Annie at Epsom Playhouse in a Leatherhead Operatic Society production, from 29 Jan to 1 st February. A Practical Lesson - Year 11 GNVQ Leisure and Tourism group visited Drusilla's Wildlife Park in East Sussex to find out what makes for good customer service. As well as touring the Park and judging for themselves what made this a venue for a good family day out, the students attended a talk in the Education Centre. The sun shone, they enjoyed themselves and gained a number of pointers on customer service which will be of benefit when completing their coursework. Help with Skills - We are looking for volunteers to come into school and briefly describe a typical working day in their lives, outlining qualifications and qualities needed, working hours etc. This would be of great help to Year 9 students as they decide on what options to take for GCSE. If you think you could help, please contact our Head of Careers. Miss Boxall, for information. Party Time - A great deal of hard work went into the planning and organisation of the Christmas Party for local senior citizens. Students from Year 12's GNVQ Leisure and Tourism group used their skills to cater for, transport and entertain about 50 people and their efforts were certainly appreciated judging by the thanks they received on the spot and in letters afterwards. Education Sunday -16th February is the date set aside this year by all the Christian churches as Education Sunday. Bookham Baptist Church would like to invite all involved in education - teachers, staff, governors, parents and students - to a special service at 6.30 pm that day. If you would like to know more, please phone 01372 811313. Duke of Edinburgh Award - Following the successful launch of the scheme last year, Miss Kendrick and her helpers have agreed to offer present Year 9 students the opportunity to work for the Bronze Award. Those who successfully completed this section and are now in Year 10 will be able to go on to strive for the Silver Award. Year 11 Ball - Having worked hard for their GCSE Mock examinations, Year 11 students partied equally well at the Year 11 Ball which, once again, was highly successful. All those who attended looked well-groomed, elegant and very much enjoyed themselves. Mrs Gilbert and her student helpers deserve a big vote of thanks with a special mention for Mr de Little, who came back specially to take the photographs. Carol Concert - Congratulations to all students involved in a most successful Carol Concert just before the end of term and thank you to all parents, friends and staff who came along to celebrate Christmas with us. It may seem a long time ago now, but a selection of traditional carols and readings provided us with a wonderful programme of music, singing and worship. A Musical Challenge - The end of last term saw the first Practice Challenge for Year Seven Band. For four weeks, members timed all their home practice sessions in a competition to see which section of the Band could average the most hours. In total, the students did 327.5 hours of practice - almost 14 days straight! At the end of the month, with an average of almost eight hours each, the members of the Lower Brass section were declared the winners and celebrated in style with a pizza party at lunchtime. Accommodation Needed - When our exchange schools from Germany and France visit us, we are in need of accommodation for the accompanying staff. The German visit will be from 7th to 13th March and the French visitors come from 19th to 25th March. If anyone can help or would like more information, please contact Miss Buckell at school (01372 818123). Citizenship Studies - Year 8 students learned something of the rights and responsibilities of being a good citizen in a series of workshops which included an explanation of the voting system, the role of an MP and the importance of Human Rights. They also made preparations for money raising activities on behalf of Comic Relief and, on the lighter side, enjoyed a session of Ten-Pin Bowling at Tolworth and some football training from Chelsea FC coaches. They also sent a selection of letters to the Prime Minister detailing a number of concerns and were thrilled to get a letter back from 10, Downing Street thanking them and saying "a careful note has been taken of their views". The letters covered such contemporary issues as war with Iraq, the rights and wrongs of fox hunting, the fire-fighters strike and, as a change from a campaign for the Olympic Games to be held in London, a request that England should host the football World Cup. Lost Books - The Geography Department has declared an amnesty on all 'lost' text books. If anyone has a text book lurking at home, please return it to school - no questions will be asked! Worth a Visit - Biology students are recommended to visit the Darwin Exhibition at the Natural History Museum, particularly over half term. Entry to the museum is free as are the guided tours. Talks will be given by museum scientists at 11.30 and 14.30 most days - a very pleasant way to add to your knowledge. Spelling to Good Effect - Many thanks to all those who supported Year 7 students in this year's Sponsored Spell and also to the students for working so hard. A grand total of £1174.24 was raised and will be used to buy new books. Help with Dyslexia - A special evening on 'Study Skills' for secondary students will be held at The Harlequin Theatre, Redhill on 19th February at 8.00 pm. Organised by SE Surrey Dyslexia Association more information can be obtained from 01737 763888 or 01737 556173. Also on March 26th at Roehampton University there will be a half day conference specifically for dyslexic learners planning to go on to Higher Education. More information from Liz Lawlor at Kingston University 020 8547 7752. Cross Country - Therfield had a number of runners representing Central Surrey in the County Cross Country Championships. Gillian Fox, Clare Dear and Sarah Adamson were in the U17 team that achieved second place and Gillian, one of the youngest runners in this group, came fourth and has been selected for Surrey. Tom Scriven and Simon Holmes were in the Senior Boys team that came third. Help Offered - FamilyLine Surrey offers confidential support at time when people are struggling with family issues and can be contacted on 0808 800 5678. Help Wanted - Leatherhead Voluntary Car Pool are desperate for people willing to offer just an hour or two a week helping to transport local people to hospital and other medical appointments. A mileage allowance is paid. If you have a car available and some occasional free time please contact David Hawkes on 01372 378507. Coaching - Basketball coaching for girls and boys is offered Friday evenings at Therfield and Girls Football at Dorking Football Club on Thursdays by Mole Valley Sports Development. More information from Miss Nicholls at school or the District Council. DATES FOR THE DIARY |