April 2003
April 2003
| FROM THE HEAD TEACHER
Congratulations - When it comes to problem solving the Year 8 team from Therfield are the champions. Simon Morris, Bethany Page, Steven Elwood, Jessica Crosby, Daniel Lerpiniere and Joanna Stock took the honours for the youngest age group in a Grand Final at BP Sunbury last month. The challenge to Surrey schools was set up by Surrey SATRO (Science & Technology Regional Organisation) and involved schools, both independent and state, from all over the County. The teams were allowed 30 minutes to design and one hour to build a device that would propel a table tennis ball into a trap no more than 30 cm wide. On entering the trap, the ball had to light a bulb. The winning margin was an impressive one with Therfield gaining 144 points and the next best being 98. Other schools competing after winning their regional heats were Whitgift from Croydon, Oxted School, Wimbledon High, Surbiton High and Reed's School from Cobham. Well done to all concerned. Changes to the School Day - During the time of the public examinations - GCSE, GNVQ, A2 and AS - it is necessary for us to look at greater flexibility in the school day so as to accommodate the timing of these exams. During the main period of the exams - 12th May - 27th June - the lunch break will be from 12.05 -12.50. School will start, as usual, with a warning bell at 8.30 am but will close at 3.15 pm during this period. We Went Sailing - Twenty nine students and three staff enjoyed a week at the Medina Valley Centre near Newport, Isle of Wight during the Easter holiday. Much of the week was spent sailing on the River Medina, with most students gaining a Sailing Certificate from the Royal Yachting Association after assessment. Courses were run to cater for all abilities and experience, ranging from Start Sailing Stage One right up to Advanced Blue Badge level. Weather conditions were ideal as, coupled with wind strengths and tidal variations, they gave students the experience of coping with plenty of change over the week. A day sail down the River Medina to Cowes and out into the Solent and westwards to land at Newtown River for lunch was a highlight of the week. Apart from the many practical sailing sessions and theory work ashore, there was still time for leisure activities. These included a swimming session, a visit to Ryde Bowling, some videos and the traditional last night indoor games evening. Academic Tutoring - The next Academic Tutoring Day will be on Tuesday, 13th May. Prayer Group Meetings - Mondays, 19th May and 23rd June are the dates for the next Parents Prayer Group meetings at the school. Starting time is 8.00 pin. All are welcome to attend or request for a prayer to be said. Mrs Poole (01932 865476) will be happy to give more information. Challenging at Chess - Five Therfield students - Thomas Coton, David Manders, Saifur Rahman, Dean Smith and Daniel Trevors - have qualified for the Surrey Mega Final of the UK Chess Challenge which will take place at Therfield on Saturday. The most successful players will then go on to the National Giga Final in June. The Maths Department run the Chess Club at the school and are delighted to see us so well represented. Dates to Note - Study leave for Year 11 students begins on Monday, 12th May and the final Year Assembly will be held that morning. The cost of replacing books and equipment is enormous, so please remember that all school property and text books must be returned once the relevant examination is over. Year 12 study leave starts Friday, 16th May and students return to school on Monday, 16th June to begin their A2 courses. Year 13 have their final day in school on Friday, 16th May. Testing Times - A reminder that all 14 year-olds in English state schools will be sitting National Curriculum Tests in Mathematics, Science and English from 6th-9th May this year. It is essential that all Year 9 students are in school at that time. Your son/daughter will also be assessed in all National Curriculum subjects and you will be informed of the level reached. Module Exams - Year 10 students are reminded that they need to prepare for Modular Exams in Maths on 12th and 25th June - it is very important for students to have with them a working calculator and proper equipment. Science modules take place on 24th June. Cards Not Cash - Letters will soon be going home giving details of how we plan to introduce a cashless system for buying food and drink from the Canteen. Trust Fund - The current major project being undertaken by the Trust Fund is to enhance the sound facilities in the Main Hall. The improvements will see a fixed projection unit in the hall which will greatly assist when meetings, assemblies and presentations need the use of an overhead projector. The improved sound quality will also be most welcome for the music and drama productions. The Trustees are most grateful to the parents who contribute regularly to the Fund and urge everyone to respond as generously as possible to the next appeal letter which goes out this term. A Look at Business - Thanks to input from local business people and a programme run by Young Enterprise, Year 10 students were able to find out some of the highs and lows of running a business. They were divided into groups, given a project briefing, elected their personnel and over the two days had to rise to the challenge of making the largest profit in town. At the conclusion of the exercise they gave a presentation on what they had learned. On Show - Examination candidates for GCSE, AS and A2 Theatre Studies demonstrated their considerable skills in a series of shows before invited audiences and, most importantly, external examiners. The AS students gave a darkly comic production of the Capek Brothers The Insect Play. This satire of human society seen through the lives of insects was performed with great insight and feeling. The A2 students performed Our Country's Good, a true story about a group of convicts sent from England to Australia in the 18th century. This powerful and disturbing play involved two productions - one naturalistic which emphasised the theme of punishment and a second stylised which stressed the theme of love. This was a challenge which the young cast met with enthusiasm and much thought. The GCSE Drama evening involved over thirty students and featured productions devised by the various groups. Yet again, work of a high standard was produced and appreciated by the audience which included a number of Year 11 students. Spring Concert - This popular musical occasion drew an appreciative audience last month and it was marvellous for the young instrumentalists and singers to play to a packed hall. The programme involved nearly 130 students and included all the school's ensembles - Swing Band, Lower School Singers, Year Seven Band, Main Choir, Advanced Singers, Symphonic Band and Main Orchestra as well as solo numbers. Important August Dates - Thursday, 14th, will see the publication of Advanced Level results and Thursday, 21st, is the date for GCSE and GNVQ results. Drama Evening - Years 7, 8 and 9 will be staging a production of George Orwell's Animal Farm in July. Invigilators Needed - Mrs Harvey, Exam Secretary, would like to hear from one or two 'mature, responsible and calm' people to add to her team of invigilators for the forthcoming public examinations. If you are available for approximately 40 hours during the months of May and June, please contact her on 01372 814463. This is a paid position and times are flexible. Return to Teaching - If you are interested in returning to teaching in Surrey , a refresher course is being offered free of charge to help you in any decision making. The course will include sessions on the National Curriculum, Numeracy and Literacy, Pupil Behaviour, Secondary Developments and general guidance. Places are limited so early reservation is essential - more details from Chris Lewis 01372 834444 Ext 5011, email rare@fours.co.uk The Big Read - Hopefully, students will have taken part in and continue to follow the progress of this BBC initiative to find the nation's favourite book. Voting has now closed. The top 100 will be announced shortly and then the favourite ten selected will be explored in depth in the Autumn. The English Department has run several activities to promote this debate including a Year 7 Treasure Hunt to find the favourite book of a cross section of those who are employed at the school. Attention to Punctuation - All Year 7 and 8 students will have plenty of practice of where to put their full stops and commas during Punctuation Fortnight which is to be held from May 12th - 23rd. In classwork and homework, staff across all subjects will reinforce the importance of clear writing and communication. Race Night - An enjoyable and highly successful Night a the Races was organised by Year 13 students as part of their Leisure and Recreation course. This was an exercise in how to set up and run an activity which would appeal to the public and make money. They rose to the challenge superbly, all those who attended voted it a success. It also raised money for World Vision, a leading aid and development agency and the Rhianna Davenport Trust. Charity Football Match - On Sunday, 18th May at Tooting and Mitcham FC's ground at Morden there is a great opportunity to see some famous ex-Chelsea players take on a Celebrity and Business team in a Charity Football Match. Peter Osgood, Ray Wilkins, Ron Harris and Kerry Dixon are among the ex-players planning to appear while Marco Greco and Dean Gaffney from Eastenders should be among the opposition. The event, which will be compered by Graham Cole (PC Stamp from 'The Bill'), includes other attractions such as the Police Dog Display team and is in aid of the swimming pool appeal for Linden Bridge School for Autistic Children. Several Therfield students have siblings at the school and more information can be obtained from Mrs Barbara Howarth in the School Finance Office. Theatre Date - Claire Howes, Year 8, took part in a Storm the Stage production of The Pilgrimage and The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Dorking Halls on 7th April. Extra Maths - Three able mathematicians from Year 7 attended a Maths Workshop at Redhill and spent the afternoon involved in problem solving activities. The workshop was set up to involve students from a number of schools and concentrate on areas of mathematics not usually covered in lessons. Help for Kenya - Mrs Noble, who is in charge of our Teaching and Learning Centre, plans to spend time working in an orphanage in Kenya during the Summer. Her personal ambition is to put a bowl in every hand so that the children can eat without having to share chipped plates as is presently the case. To date she has raised £1000 towards the cost of putting the roof on a new school and pay for the training of two teachers. She is also collecting pens, chewable vitamins, antiseptic cream, sterilising tablets etc to take with her - if anyone would like to contribute either cash or goods, please bring in to the school or contact Mrs Noble on 01372 814420. Dyslexia Talk - Wynford Dore, founder of the Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Treatment Centre is the main speaker at a meeting to be held at Holy Trinity Church, Carlton Road, Redhill on Tuesday, 20th May at 8.00 pm. Details from 01737 763888 or 556173. Army Cadets - Surrey ACF is shortly to re-open its local detachment at Leatherhead. The ACF is the Army's youth organisation and is aimed at boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18. Information on 01737 767663 (Tuesday evenings) email talaveracoy@hotmail.com Numeracy Fair - The Maths Department set up a Numeracy Fair for Year 7s at the end of term and this provided an amusing lunchtime diversion as students played games, solved problems and won prizes. Come to the Casino - The Friends are running a Casino Evening on Friday, 9th May and they hope it will be as successful and enjoyable as last year's event. Letters giving details of how to get tickets went home by 'pupil post' yesterday. Sports Round-Up We can look back on another successful season and now look forward to a term of cricket, athletics, tennis and rounders. Sports Day will be on 19th June (field events) and 20th June (track). In football we played a total of 110 fixtures, often involving A and B teams, with the 1st XI reaching the final of the County Cup. We have great hopes for next season as the present 2nd XI, which has included a number of Year 10 boys, has been getting some good results and the Year 8 team won five matches in a row. Basketball, in which we ended up as district champions for Years 8, 9 and 10, clearly showed the benefits of specialist coaching. Rugby successfully attracts a dedicated following with boys from Years 8. 9 and 10 and we finished the season with an excellent win over Hinchley Wood School. Hockey continues to be popular with both boys and girls and the Year 9 A and B teams are to be congratulated on coming joint first in the District Indoor six-a-side tournament. Cross Country saw Therfield with its usual strong representation in the District and County Championships for both boys and girls. The House Cross Country runs were keenly contested, the leading runners being Ross McKenzie, Anna Francis (Year 7), James Bottomley, Amie Turner (Year 8), Alex Hawkins, Victoria Valentine (Year 9), Sean Coppack, Gillian Fox (Year 10), James Claxton, Sarah Adamson (Seniors). In Netball we have fulfilled a crowded fixture list of friendly and league matches plus tournament competitions while the Gym and Dance Clubs and newly formed Cheerleaders Club have proved popular extra-curricular activities for the girls. International Badminton - Chris Langridge, now in Year 13, was selected to represent England in the European Junior Badminton Championships over Easter. He reached the quarter finals of the men's doubles and played in the team event. Chris has been steadily making a name for himself in Badminton circles and has played for England on a number of occasions. In the recent U19 National Championships he and his partner (not from Therfield) won the doubles title without losing a set. Chris also played tennis to a high standard and eventually had to decide which of the two sports he would pursue seriously - he chose Badminton and clearly has made a good choice. He has to fit in his training, coaching sessions and tournament play around a busy academic timetable as he is taking A2 examinations in June and July and plans to go to university. Charity Fundraising - Sixth Form students were very pleased with all efforts on their Rag Days. They raised over £500 which will be divided between SeeAbility and Cancer Research UK. Highlight was probably the Main Hall 'Outrageous Challenge' event which kept a packed hall shouting encouragement and advice during one lunchtime and the students are particularly grateful to the members of staff who so willingly rose to the Challenge. Marathon Run - Mr Garner, who ran the London Marathon in aid of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, completed the course in 3 hours 32 mins. He had hoped for a better time but said it was a real struggle to get round and he was very glad to see the finishing tape. Mrs Pickett from Learning Support did the run in 3 hours 55 mins and she too found it "an awful struggle". On a positive note she crossed the finish line with her husband and raised £3,500 for the RNLI. Both runners would like to thank all who sponsored them. Still Counting! - By the end of last term we had received 23,148 Tesco 'Computers for Schools' vouchers and are keen to receive even more. The store has now stopped issuing vouchers but we have until next month to send in our grand total. So please, if you have any hidden away somewhere send them in to the ICT Department. We are most grateful for all your donations and will advise you what equipment has been sent for when we have the final tally. Please remember also that the ICT Department also collects empty toner and inkjet cartridges which can be recycled and also raise funds for the school. An Invitation - The Police and Community Partnership Group is holding a public meeting in the North Leatherhead Community Centre on Monday, 12th May. The group is particularly keen for parents living locally to attend as it is expected that discussion concerning young people will be prominent on the agenda. The evening programme will start at 7.30 pm with a chance to chat over tea and coffee with local police officers, district councillors and council officials followed by a more formal seated discussion at about 8.30 pm. Looking after Cats and Dogs - If you are replacing pillows, duvets, blankets or towels this Summer please give a thought to the residents of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Apparently they are in urgent need of clean bedding . A local resident (Mrs Dawn Campbell 01372 377267) has agreed to take in any donations and will deliver to the Home in Battersea. Visiting Royal Marsden - Sixth Form Physics students attended an Open Evening at the Royal Marsden NHS Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research. This was a visit packed with information and of particular value to those taking the Medical Physics option at Advanced level. Ski Trips - Following the success of this year's trips which everyone seemed to feel offered some of the best skiing experienced for years, the school will, once again, be running Ski trips in the February half term. The Seniors (details from Mr Garner) will be going to the Swiss Alps and the Juniors (details from Mrs Wingrove) will be returning to Austria, with Söll as the destination. DATES FOR THE DIARY:
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