The Dragon - St. George`s Catholic School

St. George’s Catholic School
‘Inspired by Gospel Values to Learn, Achieve and Excel’
Autumn 2014
Head Teachers Message
Dear Parent/Carer
I would like to begin by thanking and congratulating Ms
Mondesir, our Editor-in-Chief, for her hard work producing this festive edition of the Dragon. I am sure you will
concur that the quality and variety of the articles are a
fitting tribute to a busy first term. The most significant
news of our first term is that an Ofsted inspection in November found us, once again, to be ‘outstanding’. That is
testimony to the hard work, time and commitment given
by pupils, parents, staff and governors over the
years. We are determined to persist in our journey of
continuous improvement so that our pupils get the very
best academic and pastoral support, giving them the
wherewithal to progress with confidence in their lives.
The introduction of ‘After school Prep’ at the end of the
day has been well-received and I am pleased to see so
many pupils (as many as thirty-six, one evening in November) enjoying a meal at the end of the day, after an extra
two hours of focussed study. I am sure the popularity of
this extra provision will continue to grow. The whole
school memorial service held in November on Armistice
Day, with its reflective and solemn note, showed off the
best side of the school. In February, sixty-five of our pupils are due to visit the battlefields in Northern France
with Ms King as part of the school’s programme to commemorate the Great War. As I write, preparations are in
train for our Christmas Carol service with the choir and
orchestra practising hard. Despite the frenetic pace of the
last few weeks, during this season of Advent, we have taken time during assemblies to reflect and prepare for the
birth of our saviour, focussing as a school community on
the message of hope heralded by Jesus’ birth.
I am delighted that the school’s latest data received from
Ofsted shows that we have sustained very high levels of
value-added despite changes to the examination system. This is testimony to the extra push that we are giving
our pupils through after school and holiday classes but
also through our focus on homework. However, it is important to point out that we also excel in sport and our
various sports teams have achieved great success. Of particular note is the Girls’ Year 7 football team and the under 13s Basketball team. As always, I am grateful to all
the many staff who give up time to support these endeavours.
Gregory and the Sixth
Form team who are ensuring a purposeful and
academic atmosphere.
I am always concerned
that our students behave extremely well
both in and around the
school. Behaviour on
the footprint of St
George’s is outstanding. However, we exhort our pupils too, to remember
that when travelling to the school or on their way home in
the evening, that they conduct themselves in a way that
would bring distinction upon the school. Please reinforce this latter message so that the reputation of the
school in the local area continues its upward trajectory.
Having been at the top of examination league tables consistently we need to push even harder to ensure rising
academic standards. Of course Christmas is a time to
have a rest, to have a break and to recharge. At the same
time, I ask parents to ensure that your child does not neglect their homework, their studies and their revision over
the break. We will of course be continuing with some extra session teaching during the holiday period for our pupils who will shortly be taking public examinations. For
our younger pupils, developing their literacy and reading
skills remains as important as ever and I am pleased that
we are able to give every Year 7 and 8 student a reading
book to study and enjoy over the Christmas period.
Sadly we have to say goodbye to several valued staff including Ms C Thomas – Head of English for 7 years in the
school who is moving back home to her native Australia. She is responsible for the formidable examination success in English which has placed us consistently in the top
5% of schools and will be greatly missed. We also bid a
fond farewell to Mr Onus and Ms K Ling from the Mathematics department for their contributions. We thank all
the above for their hard work and dedication to the school
and wish them well in their future careers.
Can I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and
Holy Christmas.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
In the Sixth Form the UCAS rush (the University application process) has now subsided and I am delighted that
several of our students have interviews and offers from
Russell Group Universities and one of our students is Martin Tissot
waiting on an application to Oxbridge. This is a testimony
to the hard work – not only of the students themselves –
but their hardworking teachers, I would also thank Mr
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informally during the many occasions
when we are in the School for other
events.
We are your Governors and although
the majority of us are appointed because we are at Catholic School by
the Archdiocese of Westminster, we
also act as your representatives, actively watching over your best interests
in the school and those of your children. In addition we have a number
of invaluable parent Governors, with
children actually in the School, who
are even more closely involved in how
the School is functioning. Our Governing Board also included staff nominees, both teaching and support, as
A message from our Chairman of
well as a Community representative
Governors— Martin Morton
I realised the extent to which the Gov- who happens to be a local Westminster City Councillor. We do not have
ernors are truly part of ‘Team St
George’s’ when I reminded staff after any vacancies on the Board at the
moment, but if any reader of the
the recent ‘outstanding’ inspection
Dragon would like to be considered
report by OFSTED, that we too had
been inspected—three of us for nearly when one becomes available please
an hour. I only hoped we had not let let me know.
the school down.
I am always available, at last resort,
and through the School, if I can be of
Nominally all staff are employed by
help in any school related situations.
the Governors though much of the
selection process is delegated to the
senior management team. Most im- Martin Morton
portantly we select the Head Teacher.
Chairman of the Governing Body
When Mr Tissot was appointed it was
at the end of an exhausting two-day
selection process. We remain
delighted with the outcome. Really
good Heads are difficult to find these
days. Our role is now ‘to hold him to
account’ as OFSTED requires, for the
effective running of the school. This
we do formally at our regular
Governors meetings each term, and
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St George’s Catholic School
Term Dates 2014-2015
SPRING TERM 2015
Tuesday 6th January — Friday 13th February
Half Term:
Monday 16th February — Friday 20th February
Monday 23rd February— Friday 27th March
SUMMER TERM
Monday 13th April—Friday 22nd May
May Day
Monday 4th May
Half Term:
Monday 25th May— Friday 29th May
Monday 1st June—Thursday 16th July
IMPORTANT DATES
5th January 2015
INSET Day
6th—9th January 2015
Formal Mock Examinations for Year 11, 12 and 13 Students
12th—16th January 2015
Formal KS3 / Year 10 Exams
14th—22nd February 2015
Ski Tip (Led by Ms Savage)
2nd—6th March 2015
Jamie’s Farm (for selected pupils)
9th—13th March 2015
Formal Mock Examinations for Year 11, 12 and 13 Students
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SPIRITUALITY
During December we hosted the Senior Citizens Christmas Party, organised the shoe box
Mr
appeal for disadvantaged young people
throughout the world. We also collected
Dadswell
items for the Christmas Hampers for the elderly and disadvantaged families in our
This Autumn has been very busy, with the
welcoming masses for the whole school that community.
took place in September and a retreat programme that ran through September to De- During the Spring Term, we will be organising
retreats for Years 8, 9 and 10 pupils and
cember for the Year 7 and Year 11 pupils.
preparing for the Easter Egg Appeal during
Lent.
Mr Dixon ran a sleepover night for the sixth
form so that our young people could experience sleeping on the street. He also organ- Once again, we are
ised survival pack for street kids in the Philip- grateful for the parishes
of Kilburn and St John’s
pines.
Wood for providing us
with Priests throughout
During November we commemorated the
the Autumn Term to celeoutbreak of the WW1, with an outdoor service and the laying of the wreath. In Decem- brate our voluntary Masses every Friday morning.
ber we again remembered with a short
prayer service with Year 7 the anniversary of
the death of Philip Lawrence.
YEAR 7 Students Retreat
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QUOTES FROM Yr11 PUPILS WHO ATTENDED THEIR RETREAT IN OCTOBER
I enjoyed the Spiritual discussions
we had with our groups. I felt safe
to express my beliefs and
opinions—it was a good escape
from stress
It was a very positive
experience also very fun
I have enjoyed my
trip to the retreat
as it gave me a
chance to think
and be at peace
with myself
The retreat was an interesting ,
different experience which made
me reflect and really think about
the topics we discussed.
It was a very religious experience
The experience
helped me explore
my faith
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Year 7 are buzzing about books
Year 7 were extremely excited last week to receive the gift of a book thanks
to the Book Buzz project, which is run by Book Trust.
Before half term, every pupil picked their choice of book from a diverse
selection including Geek Girl by Holly Smale, The Great Ice Cream Heist by
Elen Caldecott and A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson. St George’s is
delighted to now be a part of the project which aims to get pupils
independently reading and excited about books. The Bookbuzz list is chosen
by an independent panel of experts, which always includes a librarian, a
teacher, an author and other children's book experts.
Marina Furrasta in 7Andrew said, after receiving her book,
“I chose A Boy Called Hope because I really like mysteries
and knew from the blurb it would be interesting. I can’t wait
to start reading!”
We hope all of year 7 enjoy nestling down over Christmas
time to their new books.
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PTA
Parents & Teachers Association
The St George’s Parent Teacher Association organises events that bring
together parents, teachers and students from the school and raises money
for the school and other causes.
The PTA organised the St George’s Christmas Fayre on 5th December 2014
If you are interested in joining the PTA please contact Miss Kaye at [email protected].
we meet approximately once a month and are always keen to introduce new members.
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Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party
This year’s senior citizen’s party was very well attended with over 70 guests. Our
guests where treated to an evenings entertainment, which started with ‘A Christmas Carol’ performed by our students. The school choir was next and our guests
enjoyed joining in with the Christmas carol singing, everyone then played a game
of bingo and finally Santa and his elves arrived with gifts. Food and drink were
served by our student all evening. Our guest commented on what a lovely evening they had, had and were looking forward to next year. A huge thank you to all
the staff and students involved who worked extremely hard to ensure our guests
had a lovely evening.
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After School Prep
"This term we have launched "After School Prep" sessions open to all pupils, from Year 7 to
Year 13.
Pupils are invited to come and complete their homework in the library on a
voluntary basis. The library is open from:
3.10-6pm Monday-Wednesday
3.10-4.10 Thursday and Friday
Any pupil remaining in school at 5pm will be entitled to an evening snack (e.g. a slice of
pizza or a sandwich) free of charge. Pupils are free to leave the library whenever they wish.
This facility is available to any pupil who has handed in a permission slip from their parents/
carer. If your child wishes to attend and does not have a permission slip please ask them to
speak to Ms L. Ling. (Head of Year 8)
This initiative has proved extremely successful and beneficial during the first term and we
hope that it will continue to grow in popularity throughout the year."
Ms L Ling,
Head of Year 8
MFL Teacher
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DRAMA DEPARTMENT
Ms Taylor
HAIRSPRAY….
Auditions have been going well for our production
of Hairspray, which is scheduled for the Spring Term.
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
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usic Department
Nicholas McCarthy – One Handed Pianist
On Wednesday 5th November, ten students in Years 8 and 9 got the opportunity to
travel to the Royal Albert Hall for a piano workshop with one handed pianist Nicholas
McCarthy.
The workshop took place in the Elgar Room, with 60 students from schools across London. Nicholas performed on a bright red grand piano and talked to us about his
career and how he started to learn the piano. He explained how the technique of
playing the piano came to him naturally when he was fourteen. He is the only one
handed pianist to graduate from the Royal College of Music.
Outside The Royal Albert Hall
He also talked to us about how he never gave up,
even when he was rejected from some music schools
because of his disability. Nicholas talked to us about
his inspiration from other one handed pianists in the
past, particularly from World War I and the way that
they made music for only left handed players sound
like it was played with both hands such as Ave Maria
by Schubert. Something that was truly amazing! He
performed different pieces of classical music to us as
well as music from wartime.
After a question and answer session with Nicholas we were given a tour of the Royal
Albert Hall. We visited the gallery and the main arena and even saw where the Royal
family sit before they go to their seats in the Royal box. It was a truly amazing and inspiring day!
Sinead Stenson 8A
With Nicholas McCarthy
usic Achievements
EXAM RESULTS
Congratulations to the following students who passed their ABRSM performance exams earlier this year:
Amber Dutton
Grade 3 Voice with Distinction
Charlotte Bull
Grade 3 Voice with Distinction
Sina Mizani
Grade 3 Piano with Distinction
Congratulations to the following students who passed their ABRSM Music
Theory exams in November:
Bethel Issac
Grade 3 Theory with Distinction
Liliana Goss
Grade 3 Theory
Mariam Kakushadza Grade 3 Theory
Noer Al Janabi
Grade 2 Theory
Segen Bedeau
Grade 2 Theory
Sinead Stenson
Grade 1 Theory with Distinction
Charlotte Bull
Grade 1 Theory with Distinction
Venesa Fazlija
Grade 1 Theory with Merit
Lucy Cook
Grade 1 Theory with Merit
Music Theory club takes place in Room S2 Wednesday lunchtime.
Any one interested in learning to read and write music
notation is more than welcome
Extra-curricular music
Monday
Orchestra (all ages and abilities welcome)
3.30 – 4.30pm
Tuesday
Escola de Samba
3.15 – 4.15pm
Wednesday
Music Theory Club
1.30 – 2.00pm
Choir
3.30 – 4.30pm
Rock School
3.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday
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Vocal Workshop with First Aid Kit
On Monday 20th September I went to the Royal Albert Hall to take part in a workshop with
the Swedish Folk duo First Aid Kit. I was one of only 20 students chosen from the Tri-Borough
Music Hub. The workshop started with a Q&A session with First Aid Kit, Johanna and Klara
Söderberg, who then performed some of their songs for us. After that we all did some
vocal warm ups and were divided into two groups. Johanna took half of us to learn the
harmony of their hit song Emmylou, while Klara took the others to learn the melody. After a
while of practising separately we came together and performed Emmylou to a small
audience. You can listen to our performance on the BBC website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29316064).
As well as being able to sing with First Aid Kit, all the students involved were privileged
enough to be given two free tickets to their performance at the Royal Albert Hall the next
day. It was a fantastic experience that not only enhanced my singing technique but also
gave me a valuable insight into the music industry.
Charlotte Bull (Year 9)
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LI
RACY CLAS
S
“ On Saturdays a dedicated number of students from years 7-9 have been
showing their commitment to their learning by attending an additional Literacy club.
They arrive at 9.30 and spend three hours working with Mr Ladva to improve their
literacy in a variety of fun ways. Together with reading a number of brilliant books including
some of Rudyard Kipling’s short stories, or the group’s current favourite “Boy” by Roald
Dahl, writing short stories, spellings and playing word games also form part of the activities.
The club has been running successfully for 2 years and will continue next term given the
Pupils’ enthusiasm and progress.
Below the student’s speak of their successes.
“Saturday class has made me more confident to read in front of other people and has
improved my writing and given me confidence. My favourite part is the word games which
are fun.” – Rafael Viamonte Yr8
“Saturday school has helped me improve my reading and understanding of words and
spellings and has helped me understand my homework. I enjoy the story writing most
because we are allowed to make stories as funny as we like.” – Luca Martinez Yr9
“This is my second year at the Literacy club. I enjoy writing my own stories, using my
imagination, exploring different ways to write the same story to make it more interesting
and using different words to make the stories exciting. The Book we are currently reading
“Boy” is about Roald Dahl’s childhood and is so much fun. My spellings have become very
good.” – Ancel De Sousa - Yr9
“I am new to the Literacy club. I am having so much fun reading and writing, my understanding of words and how and why they are spelt the way they are has helped me very
much. I really enjoy the different word games we play.” - Victor Malta Yr8
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Monday—Friday
8am —8.45am
Students from YR7 and 8 come to Handwriting Club every morning with Ms.O'Donnell and
Ms.Ettienne.
Here are some of the views of the students.
Theo 8M
“This is my second year in handwriting club. I have been making progress in my work. I can
now write smaller. I am trying hard with my presentation. This is a great club. I am always
asked if I need to top up my account or if I need anything for the day ahead.”
Jonathan 8T
“This is my second year in handwriting club. I like coming because it has helped me with
my confidence. It is important to me as it has improved my handwriting and spelling. I get
all the help I need and if I have any worries I can get it sorted. It is nice to be told how well
I am doing.”
Malaki 8F
“I am attending club for the second year, the good thing about it is my handwriting has
improved and also my spelling.”
Ms.O' Donnell /Ms Ettienne - “It has been a privilege to work with these students, to watch
them change from shy individuals to confident students who get to the club on time and
take pride in their work. They are all making great progress. We look forward to continuing
to work with the handwriting club.”
Ms O’Donnell
SEN Department
St. George's RC School
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New Fiction in the Library!
Cassandra Clare
Mortal Instruments series
City of Fallen Angels
City of Lost Souls
Susanne Collins
James Dashner
Underland Chronicles series
Maze Runner series
The Maze Runner
The Scorch Trials
The Death Cure
Becca Fitzpatrick
Hush, Hush series
Crescendo
Silence
Finale
Mary Hooper
The House of the Magician series
At the House of the Magician
The Royal Command
The Betrayal
Morris Gleitzman
Once, Now, Then, After series
Jill Lewis
Sky Hawk
Moon Bear
White Dolphin
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Patrick Ness
Chaos Walking trilogy
The Knife of Never Letting Go
The Ask and the Answer
Monsters of Men
Veronica Roth
Divergent trio
Divergent
Insurgent
Allegiant
Moira Young
Dustlands trilogy
Blood Red Road
Rebel Heart
Raging Star
Also available:
Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Long
Haul
John Green
Paper Towns
David Walliams
Awful Auntie
Jacqueline Wilson
Opal Plumstead
Derek Landy
Skulduggery Pleasant The
Dying of the Light
There are many more, don’t miss out!
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Thanks to all the students who participated in the library
poetry competition and created lovely poems on the theme
REMEMBER!
Library Poetry competition winners are:
Juliana Co (8F) - First Prize
Andrew Branco (8A)-Second Prize
Antoinette Sylva (7P) - Third Prize
Remembering!
Sometimes remembering can be good,
Like when you remember winning,
You won’t forget it if you could.
Sometimes it can be a bad thing,
Like losing family or a friend.
But what you should remember
Are all good times you’ve spent.
Just remember all the good things
And sometimes also the bad.
Just remember to remember
All the fun times you’ve had.
By Andrew Branco 8A
I wonder what it was like in the past
I wonder upon the sky
Up, up so high
Sitting upon the grass
What happened in the past?
Time goes so quickly
I didn’t have time to ask.
I wonder when the war started
Did they have canons with flask?
Or did they have questions to ask?
Time goes so quickly
I didn’t have time to ask.
I wonder how people lived in the past
They cast bombs all around
But people died on the ground
People died brave
But tears like waves…
I wonder what it would feel like
To see dead animals and people all around
You could see their blood on the ground
Time goes so quickly
I didn’t have time to ask.
I wonder what it was like in the past.
By Juliana Co 8F
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TRIPS
CHESSINGTON SCHOOL
TRIP
Over the last few years for those lucky and
enthusiastic students, St George’s provides
an annual school trip to Chessington, World
of Adventures. This is an excellent
opportunity for both staff and pupils to get to
enjoy a day out and get to know each other
better.
04/10/14: Arriving at Chessington on
Saturday morning, we had roughly a dozen
staff and 100 pupils to take around the park.
Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour but this didn't put a dampener on pupils’ spirits! After a short briefing with pupils,
everyone was off to explore the park!
Walking around the park in typical British
weather conditions all day, we had the
opportunity to visit many attractions and
rides, from “Rattlesnake Rollercoaster &
Dragon Falls” to “Tomb Blaster & Vampire.”
In the afternoon we took the opportunity to
visit the zoo and aquarium which boasted
many unique and endangered species of
wildlife. During lunchtime we visited the newly built hotel and enjoyed a buffet dinner in
the “Safari” Restaurant.
As our day came to an end, we took a safari
bus journey into the hear of Africa, with the
park again boasting many animals such as
black rhinos, zebras and giraffes. This was an
excellent and enjoyable day out with staff
and pupils. I will look forward to the next one!
Mr Moore, Geography Department
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TRIPS…
ExCel — Skills London
Skills London 2014 is a two day exhibition which is held at ExCel London. This is an annual
jobs and careers event for 15-24 year olds and their families. The event features over 180
exhibitors including colleges, training providers and employers. Our students attended this
event, which they found useful.
CHINESE DAY EVENT
Selected students attended this event organised by the Chinese Embassy. Students took
part in a range of
activities and were
able to take part in
interactive workshops (calligraphy
and Chinese
Painting), as well as
sample a Chinese
Buffet and watch Tai
Chi and Martial Arts
Performances.
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Making Traditional Masks
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SKI TRIP-Practice Run….
On Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th
December all those students going on
the ski trip in February 2015 went to the
snow centre in Hemel Hempstead to
practise and brush up on our ski skills. It
was really cold and hard work but
fun. After lots of falling over, at the
end of our two hour lesson the whole
group managed to keep their balance. It was a really fantastic trip and I
can’t wait to go skiing in February.
Sinead Stenson (8A)
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Trip to the Tower of London:
On the 1st of December, 30 pupils
from years 7, 8 and 9 were chosen to go on
a trip to go to the Tower of London. We
were chosen because we designed the
best ideas to remember
WW1 on our WW1 Remembrance Day.
When we arrived at the Tower of
London, our teachers gave us a tour
around the Tower of London and we got to
see where prisoners were kept centuries
ago. We went into buildings such as the
White Tower which held the royal
armour of Henry VIII, Charles I and
James II.
After, we had a workshop where we learnt about spies and what happened to German spies when they were caught during World War One. It was really fun and we had to
act out being in court and deciding whether the spy was guilty or innocent.
In the end, we got to see the Crown Jewels and see all the crowns that each King and
Queen wore during their reigns. It was really fun and we enjoyed this experience a lot.
Fationa Kabashi and Venesa Fazlija 9A
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Our visit to the BRITISH MUSEUM
On Monday, the 17th November, we went to the British Museum to look at the African Art.
We saw textiles, which were very colourful and they had amazing patterns. In addition we
saw masks. My favourite was of a Buffalo, it was my favourite because it had huge horns
and was funny to look at. The Tree of Life was a big tree with a few animals. The tree and
animals were made from rusty gun parts, from the Mozambique civil war. To add to this
there were lots of detailed pots that people used to carry water.
We all completed a
work book where we answered questions and drew sketches of what we saw. In class we
are currently working on an African patterns project.
Leon Alves 7A
Special thanks to Miss Luckett, Miss Birch and Mr Clarke for helping out on the day!
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This term, Youth Club has returned bigger and better
than ever. We received our highest levels of interest
and were able to expand our membership to a
whopping 80+ members!
With Christmas fast approaching, Youth Club has
been getting into the festive spirit. As well as our
usual activities of baking, table tennis, video games,
air hockey and sports, we have been lucky enough
to enjoy some wonderful Christmas themed trips.
Earlier this month, we made the trip all the way to
East London to enjoy an evening of outdoor ice
skating at Broadgate ice rink. Under the
“I have really enjoyed Youth
Club. It has great trips, different activities and I love
getting to hang out with by
best friends…”
-Aoife Cullen 7A
enchanting backdrop of Exchange Square, the pupils were able to show off their skills, with thankfully
only a few minor tumbles.
This week, we have joined the hordes and braved
the explosion of Christmas joy that can only be
Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. With the whole of
Youth Club out for that evening, everyone was able
to enjoy the merriment - from the fairground rides
and Bavarian style food, to the ice sculpture gardens and craft stalls and, a great time was had by
all! This most certainly topped off a marvellous first
term.
Next term the entertainment will continue with
cinema nights, a Valentine Special Youth Club and
many more exciting trips…
Many thanks to all the staff who volunteer their time
to help at Youth Club and make it such fun as well
as a special mention to all the Year 10, 11 and 12
Youth Club helpers for their hard work and
exuberance.
“I continued in Youth Club as a
helper as I found it so enjoyable
when I was a member myself. It
has allowed me to work on my
leadership and teamwork
skills...”
- Ali Salim 11A
Ms H Williams
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PE DEPART
EN
Season’s greeting from all in the PE department!!!
This term has seen the greatest performance in sport across the school as we have
touched new ground in football, basketball, table tennis and cricket.
Boys Football
We have made incredible strides in boys’ football this term, breaking new ground in the
English Schools’ cup, Westminster League and the 6th form Further Education league. For
the first time for some considerable years we entered the English Schools’ Cup with year 7
and year 8, ultimately falling valiantly to defeats. However, the experience gained by all
concerned will stand us in excellent stead for the coming seasons as they move through
the school.
The defeat in the ESFAC was the only one experienced by the Year 8 football team this
season. They were magnificent in the Westminster League, going the whole season unbeaten with a record of 5 wins and 2 draws. This season is still yet to be decided as Paddington Academy have one game to play which could see them victorious on goal difference. The success of this season was topped by the graduation of several Year 7 players,
namely Tyla Tavernier-Stuart, Kris Nsumbu, Tom Stenson and Darome Michel-Best, to the first
team and playing a key role in the swashbuckling attempt for the title. As much as football
is about winning and victory, we are always interested in developing and maturing our talented youngsters to go on to bigger and better things. The three brightest stars of the season were captain fantastic Frankie Taylor, the silky skilled Josip Jevdjic and the talismanic
Josh Okotcha, who has been picked up by West Ham United on a permanent contract. All
three displayed incredible leadership and epitomised the spirit and determination of a
group who played some of the best football I have ever seen at this level. Of course, they
were more than ably supported by their team mates, many of whom contributed admirably throughout the course of the season.
The year 9 side are currently in the middle of their season, so best of luck to Mr Simmonds
and all concerned with that side.
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Girls Football
Girls’ football is probably where the greatest
strides were made within the PE department
this season. We entered several Westminster
tournaments across different age ranges,
performing well across the board. The year
10 side were led by their own talis-woman,
Amber Dutton, but ultimately succumbed to
defeat in the group stages of their tournament.
However, the greatest success story was the year 7 side, who managed to defeat all put
before them and take home the first St. George’s silverware of the season!!! Great credit
must go to co-managers Mr Andrews and Miss Wong, who were the best double act since
Morecambe and Wise, as they expertly marshalled the troops through all these tournaments, bringing home the silverware.
Further to this success, was the beginnings of a Sixth-Form girls 5-a-side team, who entered a
Sunday League competition in Southwark. At the forefront of this team were Nathania Dacosta
-Hymen and Aimelyn Gemao, pushing for greater participation and displaying excellent commitment throughout. The standard they were up against was very high, so victories were at a
premium, but now with the experience of new coach Iman Campobasso, I am sure the girls will
take greater strides in the coming months.
Basketball
Probably the joint-biggest sport within the school, basketball has been a large success story this
term in terms of developing individuals and their talents. The expert work Coach Patrick does
with the boys cannot be underestimated as he has them in 4 times a week to work on all facets
of their game. He has shaped individuals such as Tyler Small, Jihan Ibanez, Matthew Batten, Rafael Viamonte, Abiodun Adedo and Darius Vaisnoras into highly skilled basketball players. With
the new influx of individuals from year 7 the future is extremely bright on the basketball front.
Furthermore, the results have been positive, particularly at the fortress that is St. George’s where
we are unbeaten. The under 13s side have been lead expertly by Tyler Small, who has been a
galvanising force when the chips have been down.
The older boys have also had their fair share of action this season, with Andre Dias-Reis, Mark
Flares and Steven Panzout putting in several stellar displays in the under-16 age group. We
hope these boys will continue their development as they move forward this year.
30
Table Tennis
As always, table tennis is hugely popular
within the school. Last year we started a
morning club, which has maintained
strong numbers under the new
stewardship of Mr Hart. Such has been
the development of some of the players,
we entered the Greenhouse charity table
tennis tournament. Kyle Wellington, Leandro Sanca and Alex Olivieria-Krieger played in the
under-14 and Under-16 age groups.
Unfortunately, the level of competition was beyond
them in the Under-16 category, but all three received plaudits for their current level of ability and were told to continue developing.
We hope that the table tennis buzz continues over the coming months as we will have
several intra-school competitions.
Cricket
Often overlooked within the school, cricket has been a new acquisition to the sports
lunchtime schedule with coaches from Middlesex coming to school and offering their
services for free. We have been delighted with the attendance to these sessions this term
and we hope this will continue for the remainder of this year.
Have a very Merry Christmas AND God bless us, every one.
The PE Department
31
Ms West - Work Experience Co-Ordinator
Every year our Year 10 students have the opportunity to spend 2 weeks in a work place. The
work experience programme is seen as an integral part of their education and provides them with a range of
benefits.

Students gain an insight into the world of work, its relationships and disciplines.

They will acquire experience in a variety of new tasks which will help them to grow in confidence.

It encourages students to make full use of the opportunities offered to them at School.

It helps students to make serious decisions as regards to further education or employment.
During their experience they will learn the responsibilities and disciplines expected at work, the importance of
communication, punctuality, attendance and gain confidence in both social skills and new tasks they have
learnt. All students attend an interview; for many this will be their first.
Work Experience is a really constructive practice for our students. Most of them come back and report very
positively about what they have learnt and how they have been welcomed into the new working
environment. Even those, who on occasion have come back and not enjoyed their placement have still
benefitted as they have learnt to persevere and not give up.
Every year a variety of employers kindly take part in this scheme,
therefore we are fortunate to obtain a wide range of employers
within different sectors i.e. retail, law, finance, childcare, hair and
beauty, sports and leisure and many more.
Below are a few thoughts from our Year 11 students who took part in
the work experience scheme this year.
I went to Vox Africa for my work
experience based in Vauxhall.
Vox Africa is a news stations
who also broadcasts
entertainment content. It was
an amazing opportunity that
gave me a better understanding
of media as a whole. I’m very
In Year 10 my work experience started with a meeting
with the Head Teacher of the Primary School I was
working at, which also happened to be my old primary
school, St Eugene De Mazenod.
My job was to help the Year 6 students in their class.
Working with Year 6 made me realise I must work
really hard to achieve the highest levels I can for the
future and to make my family proud as well.
proud that our school is able to
supply us with these
opportunities. Overall I loved
my work experience and
appreciate what my school has
done for me
Jamie Andrah – 11T
Danny Lopez 11 F
I spent two advantageous weeks at my work experience, where I gained skills and
knowledge on how a public relations agency (specialising in art and culture) operate, from
the clients that they sought to get and how they build contact with journalists and reporters, to learning to create portfolios for potential clients.
Khuslen Ganzorig – 11A
32
‘Lest we forget’
St George’s Catholic School Commemorating World War One
2014 marks the World War I Centenary year.
100 years ago war was declared. This important
event was marked by St George’s on the 10th
November 2014, the day before Remembrance
Day and our Remembrance services. Students
from year 7, 8 and 9 had World War I themed lessons all day. Students were given information
about World War I during registration which included that over 100 countries were involved in One of the activities students did in
World War I and that there were more than
50,000,000 casualties as a result of the fighting. During the day students
attended their normal lessons but with a World War I focus. For example in Geography
students learned about the borders of Europe and how they changed; in Science
students learned about vehicles and changed to medicine during World War I and in
History students found about why World War I was known as the ‘War to End all Wars’.
At the end of the day students had to design their own way to commemorate World War
I and the top 30 were to be selected to go on a trip to the Tower of London to take part in
an ‘Espionage at the Tower’ workshop.
A couple of the stand out ideas include one from Cheyenne
Griffin in 8F. She thought it would be a good idea to create our
own special room, like a museum, and dedicate this to World
War I. In the centre would be a wreath of poppies. On one wall
there would be information to commemorate the involvement
of other countries in the war, on another would be pupil’s work.
People would also be encouraged to include their families stories from World War I. Venesa and Fatjona in 9a developed an
idea centred around a board game that wold inform people of
key information from World War I. Drawing on what they had
learned from the day, they decided that each level of the board game would be
themed around a different subject.
33
Battlefield Tour September 2014
Nathania Da Costa and Shaneia Da Costa won an opportunity to represent the school on a
trip to the Battlefields in France and Belgium
It was when I was given the opportunity to visit such an important range of landmarks, that
I realised just how significant World War 1 was, and its importance to us commemorating its
one hundred years. Going to the battlefields, it was surreal to think that people had died
and fought there. I enjoyed visiting the various cemeteries, especially Tyne Cot, as it was
remarkable to see that, even in a war, people could put their differences aside and respect the dead as even the enemy was buried with these soldiers. I am grateful that I was
able to witness an event so important, not just to British history, but to the world and to experience the last-post ceremony at the Menin Gate for the many who died in the Great
War.
Nathania Da Costa and Shaneia Da Costa
This Month the History Department formed a
committee of 15 students to come up with ideas to
best celebrate Black History Month. One of the ideas
that was implemented by the group is described by
Jesse below:
Black History Month
The history department set up a Black History Month workshop with helpers, including students ranging from Year 7 to Year 9. The Mezzanine was filled with enthusiastic students
learning the history behind the bus boycotts, Martin Luther King’s speech, and the development of Jazz and the influence it had on young black adults in America etc.
The workshop was very productive and had good feedback from peer students. It
Made going into depth concerning black history both enjoyable and informative. I
personally, think that the school should do this again as it was a great experience for me
and many other people.
Jesse Anim- Boadu 9A
34
Senior Mathematical Challenge 2014
On the 6th November 2014, students from St George’s took part
in the Senior Maths Challenge organised by the University of
Leeds.
Congratulations to the following students
Year 11
Marie ADDAI
BEST IN YEAR
Certificate: BRONZE
Alvaro TRONCOSO CEDEIRA
Certificate: BRONZE
Year 12
Kaysey CHANG
BEST IN YEAR, BEST IN SCHOOL
Certificate: GOLD
Matthew ARBUZINSKI
Certificate: SILVER
Nameer Al MULA ABD ALAL
Certificate: SILVER
David AMBER
Certificate: SILVER
Damian CZAJKOWSKI
Certificate: BRONZE
Paul OKEREKE
Certificate: BRONZE
Aaron BANJOKO
Certificate: BRONZE
Year 13
Liezelle PAGALA
BEST IN YEAR GROUP
Certificate: BRONZE
Bassam ABOALLABAN
Certificate: BRONZE
35
UKMT SENIOR MATHS CHALLENGE
The following year 11 12 and 13 students whose pictures are shown below, participated in the last
UKMT Senior Maths taken on November 6, 2014.
They obtained Gold, Silver and Bronze medal certificates by scoring marks ranging from 57% -82%
respectively. They have made St George's School and their parents proud with these achievements.
Hence, this is a strong indication of the bright future awaiting these students in their chosen careers
who will continue to excel in these challenges and other public examination in the years ahead.
L. Odezugo (PhDEngSc.), PGCE
UKMT Maths Challenge Coordinator
Achieving gold in the UKMT Maths
challenge will help me in the future,
as it would be a very useful achievement to put into my personal statement; it would serve to make my
statement unique and individual
from the others, and helps me to
stand out from the crowd. I've been
participating in the maths challenge
for 5 years now, and this is my best
accomplishment yet. It helps to
illustrate my mental development
over the years, and I am very proud
Kaysey Chang
of myself. The questions in the challenge really improved my thinking
and comprehension of mathematical problems; the effects of the experience really supported me when studying maths and even during physics.
Therefore, I believe that the UKMT maths challenge really helped me out,
and I am very proud of my own attainment.
Liezelle Pagala
Aaron Banjoko
Matthew Arbuzinski
Nameer Al Mula
36
Marie-Antoinette Addai
Alvaro Troncoso Cediera
Bassam Aboallaban
Damian Czajkowski
Paul Okereke
37
Department
This term the Sixth Form have had the opportunity to visit a number of Art Exhibitions: we
have had trips to the National Portrait
Gallery to see the BP Portrait awards, to Tate “I thought the trip to The National Portrait
Modern to see the Malevich Exhibition,
Gallery was interesting as I got to see all the
to the Royal Academy to see Anselm Kief-
different portraits artists do and all the
er’s exhibition and to Tate Britain to see The
different styles. My favourite was Javier
Turner Prize Exhibition and the Frank
Palaciose’s portrait,” Michael Adebayo Yr12
Auerbach exhibition.
“The Turner Prize Exhibition
was very different to the rest
of the trips. I thought we
would just see paintings but
these artists interpreted their
ideas through video clips. I
really enjoyed it and found it
interesting to learn how art
can be created in any form
or shape.”
Celyn Perez Dizon Yr12
“It
was really interesting to
see all the different drawing
and painting styles used by
artists to present identity.
Both the NP Gallery and Anselm Kiefer’s exhibition presented me with new ways of
creating art and gave me
ideas to incorporate into my
own work.”
Bamba Sidibe Yr12
38
Yr9 Self Portraits. Do you recognise them?
39
Yr7 Art Students have been designing Christmas Cards aiming to do them in the style of
Van Gogh which has been their main artist for this year. As always the money collected
from selling the cards will go to the charity ‘The Passage,’ which helps the homeless in
London.
40
YR11 ART STUDENTS WENT TO
PADDINGTON REC. TO CREATE
LAND ART PIECES INSPIRED BY
ANDY GOLDSWORTHY
“It was good to work with whatever
we could find in the park!”Maria Guillermina
41
“I would like to do
this more often. I
loved it!” Ashlani
Barry
YR 11 STUDYING
NATURAL FORM FOR THEIR
GCSE COURSEWORK IN
THE ROSE GARDEN AT
PADDINGTON REC.
It was fun! I wanted to go
again to do something
different” Vivian Pereira
42
On Monday 10th November we
commemorated 100 years since the outbreak of WWI. In Art we
re-created Van Gogh’s painting called
‘Vase with Daises and
Poppies.’ We had been studying the painting the previous week when it was sold for
£38.7 million. We looked at the poem ‘In
Flanders
Fields’ and
discussed
the symbolism of how
the use of the poppy originated. We were then
separated into groups,
producing painted poppies, collage poppies
and 3D poppies with tissue paper. We put them
all together to make an amazing collaborative
piece of Art Work.
Britney Pagot 7C
43
Adult Education
Adult education sessions have continued this term in the Art Department. We have a wide
range of people from the community coming to learn a variety of artistic techniques. This
term they have been following the GCSE course structure at St George’s, focusing on
natural form. The students are working towards final pieces that will be displayed in the
summer Art Exhibition.
44
Staff Corner ….. For Charity
This month the staff committee at St George’s ran their Annual Bake Off. The idea is that
staff bring baked cakes into school which are judged by two judges. Once the prizes are
given out for the winners, the cakes will be auctioned off to the highest bidder in order to
raise money for charity—and to allow staff to take amazing home-made cakes home with
them.
This year the five categories were:
1.
Cupcakes
2.
Tray bake
3.
Sponge
4.
Festive Cake
5.
Wild Card (anything adventurous that
doesn't fit in the above categories!)
Congratulations to all involved, over £380
was raised.
All proceeds are for JAMIE’S FARM’
45
‘BACK PACK’ CHRISTMAS
PROJECT FOR HOMELESS
CHILDREN IN THE PHILIPPINES
Mr Dixon organised the ‘Back Pack’ Christmas Project for Homeless Children
in the Philippines. This consisted of students and staff
donating items, which were put into rucksacks
and delivered to those children
in need.
A big thank you to all the students and staff who took part in
organising and filing the bags for
The ’Back Pack’ Christmas Project.
The bags were filled with toiletries, books, pens etc.
which we are sure will be gratefully received .
Thanks to Mr Dixon for organising this very worthwhile endeavour.
46
Dear Students and Parents,
We are extremely proud to launch our programme of extra-curricular clubs. While St
George’s School is best known for its outstanding exam results and its inclusive community,
we believe that a broad and balanced extra-curricular programme enhances our
Students’ development providing something for everyone. All of our clubs are free of
charge and are managed by St George’s teachers or approved professional coaches.
There are three reasons why we encourage all students to participate in at least one club.
Firstly, clubs provide the chance to acquire and develop key skills and talent. Whether it’s
the confidence and self-control that students gain from dance lessons, or the patience
and poise cultivated through chess, there are few better ways to develop your character
than to throw yourself into an extra-curricular activity.
Secondly, clubs provide a great chance to meet new people and immerse yourself within
the vibrant community of St George’s. You will get the chance to work with new teachers
and meet potential friends from other classes and year groups.
Finally, clubs offer the chance to have fun. Psychologists have repeatedly revealed that
the happiest people in life are those with a wide range of interests and hobbies. One
famous psychologist (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) says that the highest human experience is
that feeling you get when you are doing something for the sake of it, rather than to
achieve something else. He called this ‘FLOW’, but you might call it being ‘in the zone’. If
you can find something that you love doing, it’s a gift that will give you pleasure throughout your life.
This guide identifies all the clubs that are available at St George’s this term. The clubs are
listed by category and by day.
Make the new academic year of 2014-2015 the year that you try something new.
Mr Patrick
Assistant Headteacher
47
Academic Clubs
Homework Club: Every day after school in the Library, for all year groups until 4:30pm.
Handwriting Skills: Mondays and Wednesdays before school, in the SEN room.
Computer Club: Every lunch time in S11.
Art Club: Thursday lunch time in S14 for all year groups.
Design Studio: Every Monday after school in the DT department until 4:15pm.
SEN Maths Club: Monday after school in S9.
Music theory: Wednesday lunch time in the music room.
French Club: Wednesday after school in F1 until 4:10pm.
Spanish Club: Wednesday after school in F2 until 4:10pm.
Science Club: Tuesday after school in F11 until 4pm.
Spelling & Vocabulary: Every lunch time in the SEN room.
Performing Arts Clubs
Choir Practice: Wednesday after school until 4:30pm.
Rock School: Thursday after school until 5:30pm in the Music department.
Escola de Samba Band: Tuesday after school in S2 4:00pm until 5:30pm.
Orchestra: Monday after school in S2 until 4:30pm.
Sports Clubs
Table Tennis: Every morning in the Sports Hall from 7:30am until 8:30am.
Boys Basketball: Tuesdays and Thursdays after school in the sports hall until 5pm.
Girls Basketball: Wednesday after school in the sports hall until 5pm.
Football: Tuesday for years 9, 10 & 11 until 5pm at Paddington Recreation ground.
Football: Thursday for year 7 & 8 until 5pm at Paddington Recreation ground.
Athletics: All year groups every Thursday until 5pm at Paddington Recreation ground.
Fitness Training: Wednesday after school in the MPA.
Other clubs
Coding Club: Monday after school in S9 until 4:30pm.
Youth Club: Thursday from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.
Film Club: Wednesday lunchtime in the MPA.
48
MORNING
Before school
LUNCH TIME
AFTER SCHOOL
Handwriting Skills:
In the SEN room. 8:20am
until 8:45am
Computer Club:
In Room S11
Homework Club:
in the Library, for all year
groups until 4:30pm
Table Tennis:
In the Sports Hall from
7:30am until 8:30am
SEN Maths Club:
In Room S9.
Orchestra:
In Room S2
until 4:15pm
Coding Club:
In Room S9 until 4:30pm
MORNING
Before school
Table Tennis:
In the Sports Hall from
7:30am until 8:30am
LUNCH TIME
AFTER SCHOOL
Computer Club:
In Room S11
Homework Club:
In the Library, for all year
groups until 4:30pm
Boys Basketball:
In the sports hall until 5pm
Football:
years 9, 10 & 11 until 5pm at
Paddington Recreation ground
Science Club:
In Room F11
Until 4pm
Escola de Samba Band:
In Room S2
4:00pm until 5:30pm
49
MORNING
Before school
Handwriting Skills:
In the SEN room. 8:20am
until 8:45am
Table Tennis:
In the Sports Hall from
7:30am until 8:30am
LUNCH TIME
AFTER SCHOOL
Music theory:
In the Music room
Homework Club:
In the Library, for all year groups
until 4:30pm
Spelling & Vocabulary
In the SEN room
French Club:
In Room F1
until 4:10pm
Film Club
In the MPA
Spanish Club:
In Room F2
until 4:10pm
Choir Practice:
until 4:30pm
Drama Club:
In the MPA until 4:15pm
Girls Basketball:
In the sports hall until 5pm
Fitness Training:
After school in the MPA
50
MORNING
Before school
Table Tennis:
In the Sports Hall
from 7:30am until
8:30am
LUNCH TIME
AFTER SCHOOL
Computer Club:
In Room S11.
Homework Club:
In the Library, for all year
groups until 4:30pm.
Art Club:
In Room S14 for all year
groups.
Rock School:
Until 5:30pm in the Music
Department.
Boys Basketball:
In the sports hall until 5pm.
Football: T
Year 7 & 8 until 5pm at
Paddington Recreation
ground.
Netball:
In the school Playground
until 4:30pm
Youth Club:
from
5:30pm – 7:30pm
MORNING
Before school
Table Tennis:
In the Sports Hall
from 7:30am until
8:30am
LUNCH TIME
Computer Club:
In Room S11
AFTER SCHOOL
Homework Club:
In the Library, for all year
groups until 4:00pm
51
Sixth Form
HEAD BOY
As newly appointed Head Boy of our school, I am pleased to
have attained such a prestigious position amongst the school community. My voyage towards head boy all began when I enrolled at this
school in the September of 2008. The school has been a welcoming
and supportive environment since I started and I have relished every
single day.
My first year was my most imperative because for me it was a chance
to start off with a positive first impression both amongst the staff and pupils. This led to my
first job within the school being a Register Monitor. It may have been a minor responsibility,
nevertheless for me it was the beginning of a greater school life.
My duty followed through to year 9 and 10 where my status within the school grew. This was
aided by the addition of two new jobs the first of which was Head of Cohesion. Head of
Cohesion essentially was me bringing the school and the local community together.
Although initially intimidating, this proved to be a most uplifting task. The second job was
being a part of the School Council. I became a representative and a voice for pupils who
wanted change within the school.
The following year I became a Peer Mentor. This entailed me aiding new near 7 students
with the transition from primary school to secondary school as well as assisting them
through their academic year alongside offering emotional support.
In year 11 and 12, I signed up for prefect duty and was elected by my peers and the staff
and had to go through an interview process to be chosen. After a successful interview I
was appointed prefect and had to work with others in the prefect team. We were specifically selected to represent the school through working a number of different jobs, all of
which improved the day to day school life.
Head boy, is perhaps the highest status attainable for a student. I was honoured to be
elected by the school head and my fellow peers. I'm fundamentally the forefront voice of
all students, a phenomenal experience thus far, as I approach the end of my school
journey.
Finally, for any students questioning whether to prolong their stay at St George's after GCSE
to enrol into Sixth form, I strongly advise you to do so. The Sixth form in our school offers an
individual learning experience catered to what you enjoy as well as offering emotional
support during the stressful season of exams. During this stressful time the support staff is
core to achieving the best you possibly can. The school has helped to pursue my ambition
to go into a medical career and I am grateful for this. It will be really sad to leave St
George’s next year, though the 6 years which have just soared by really quickly, have
been the best experience so far.
Asanka Wanniarachige
52
Sixth Form Student
St George’s school is a brilliant place to study. One of the benefits about being a student
at the sixth form is that you are able to study alongside ambitious people who all share the
same motivation. This in itself motivates me to aim high and work to the best of my ability.
The teachers are also very helpful as they do all they can to help students within their
Subject: whether it be providing more revision classes or giving the students extra resources to help with their understanding around the subject, there is always a teacher
who is happy to help. The overall atmosphere at St George’s is upbeat and friendly,
which allows students to feel part of a community.
One of the best things about St George’s is that students are able to take part in extracurricular activities to help them ‘stand out from the crowd’ which will enhance personal
statements when applying to universities. The Access Project is a programme which
recently began in our school and is aimed at providing students in state schools with the
resources to do exactly that: ‘stand out from the crowd’, providing students with the opportunities they otherwise may not get. Through the Access Project students are able to
partake in after school clubs and workshops that will later benefit their university applications. I was also able to get a free chemistry tutor through the Access Project.
I have decided to take on a new responsibility as vice president at ‘Show Me Wot You
Got’ (SMWYG); this is London’s biggest inter-college talent show which is organised by
students. The role makes me responsible for managing all of the various departments within our student body; however, I look after the finance department in particular. It is a brilliant opportunity to be able to organise such an event. It is great to be able to work alongside your peers and other people when running such a big event. Through this opportunity
I hope to strengthen my leadership skills.
Rianna Thompson-Quartey
Access Project
The Access Project is associated with various schools and universities to help students that
need support with their subjects by providing a one-to-one tuition for students. The Access
Project runs a six week after school programme which they attend after school once a
week for six weeks. The programme for our school students was business, which gave us
an insight about this topic which was useful for those who didn’t know a lot about business
and for those who studied business. Michaela runs the project in our school and she also
provides us with our own tutor which she matches us with. Taking this opportunity has
helped me through the subject as I have chosen to have extra tuition which is for English. It
is a great and easy opportunity for sixth formers to have as it gives you the needs and support to help you with your subject. I personally find the Access Project to be useful as it has
helped improve my weaknesses in the subject where I seem to need more support. I feel
that the Access Project is a great opportunity for young students who are starting their
A levels as it provides great support for the student and their subjects.
Aimelyn Gemao
53
UCAS and Universities
Report
The year 13s and their tutors have had a
busy term preparing their UCAS applications ready for the exciting next step into
Higher Education. While it has been a
somewhat stressful time, I, for one, am
always hugely inspired by how well our
year 13s do in presenting such an excellent
picture of themselves to prospective
universities. Consequently, I am delighted
and somewhat jealous by all the amazing
university offers that come flooding in at
this time of year, paving the way for so
many bright futures.
Like all years, the range of different
courses, universities and apprenticeships
applied to has been staggering. We have
had applications to study, Physics, Maths,
Psychology and Linguistics, Biomedical Sciences, History, International Business, Adult
Nursing, Criminology, Media, ICT and Law
to name just a few. We have sent applications off to Oxford, UCL, King’s College
London, Queen Mary’s, Exeter, Kent,
Greenwich, Kingston and many others. We
also have students planning on taking
apprenticeships in fields from Broadcasting
to Big Rig mechanics. The range of courses
and institutions applied to is testament to
what a broad variety of students we have
in the St George’s Sixth Form and how well
they all supported.
achieving their offers, the year 12s are busy
deciding where they will apply and how
they will make their UCAS application stand
out from the crowd. Our year 12 cohort
have already taken part in many trips to
universities, have signed up to university
outreach programmes, joined enrichment
clubs and started to read around the
subject they are going to apply to. The
process of deciding where you want to go
and what you want to do can never start
too early. In order to help inspire and
advise all of you potential St George’s
UCAS applicants out there, I have asked
various leavers from our classes of 2013 and
2014 to write to me about their experiences
of university. If you have any questions
about the UCAS process or university in
general, please don’t hesitate email me at
[email protected].
Have a very happy Christmas.
Mr F Morgan
While all the year 13s have got their application off by now, the UCAS process never
really stops. While the year 13s now have
to turn their attention to the small matter of
54
2013 LEAVERS TESTIMONIALS
first year we covered the law of tort, contract, European Union and public and
Shanika De Sousa
human rights. At the moment I am covering
Studying: American Studies
the law of land, trust, family, commercial
(with a year abroad) at Leicester
and criminal. I am sure this perhaps sounds
very boring and often I must admit it is very
My name is Shanika and I'm in my second
stressful! However, you realise that once you
year at the University of Leicester doing
go on to university you have clearly picked
American studies. University has been amaza subject that you are interested in and my
ing; my course is multi-disciplinary, so I get to
interest for law makes the course all the
study American history, literature, politics but
more exciting.
also things like American film and culture
and modules like ‘from beer to fraternity,’
The Second year so far has been very busy. I
which makes the course really exciting,
was recently selected to take part in a pro
engaging and interesting. My tutors are
very supportive and always on hand to give
advice. University life is buzzing, living in halls
in my first year was extremely fun, social and
is where I made most of my friends, the night
life is amazing and Leicester has a lot of
bono programme that is run by the legal
variety, so I always have a good night out. In
my second year I row for the university,
which is really fun, hard work, but you feel so
much like a family with your crew and boat
club that it's worth the early morning
For those who don’t know much about Not-
Hi, I am Shalika
commitment as you are likely to be spend-
centre at the university which I have been
preparing for. I also took part in a mooting
competition this term in which I successfully
passed to the second round. Therefore, so
far it has being a great term!
tingham, it is a beautiful city. Much smaller
than London, but it pretty much has every-
thing you need including a great night life!
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at unisessions. I would recommend all St. George's
versity so far and I don’t regret anything
students to at least visit a university .
about it. For anyone who is maybe looking
Shalika W. Mudiyansekage
to go to university I advise that you do your
Studying: Law—Nottingham University
research. Going to university is a huge
I am currently a second year LLB law student ing 3 to 4 years of your life there depending
on you course. Therefore, pick a place that
at Nottingham Trent University. I attended
you think you would fit in to best, especially
St George’s RC school from 2006 which is
when I started year 7 up to 2013 when I
if you are moving out of home for university.
finished sixth form.
Also, listen to Mr Morgan because he knows
Since starting university, I have being having
the best time of my life. First year was super
fun and I have made lots of friends from my
halls as well from my course. My course is
broken down in to different modules all
covering different types of law. During my
what he is talking about! He was a great
help during my time at St George’s when I
was applying for universities.
Best wishes
Shalika
55
As the course is at the heart of the Global
institute, I have also had the benefit to study
alongside many international students who
Perry Francis
have different approaches and ideas reUniversity: Leicester
garding the way the world is set out today in
Course: Maths (2nd year)
University has been a massive eye opener for terms of development.
me. My expectations of university were
completely different in the sense that I
thought university would be easier as you
have more freedom and focus on one sub-
Along with this, I have also been able apply
the theoretical knowledge gained whilst at
sixth form to several of the debates held at
seminars; however, that is not to say that
ject. This is not the case at all. Yes, you have
University life is not different from
more freedom and focus on one subject but Colllege. Studying towards a degree
its up to you to actually do all the assignrequires a great deal of independments and write the notes. However, even
ent research along with strict adherence to
though its harder, I am having the best time. set deadlines, In this respect, I have found
I am
that it is important to find the right balance
currently in my second year of studying
between academic life whilst also making the most of the new environment
mathematics at Leicester and currently
you are in.
pushing for a first this year. I'm also the
president of the street dance society and
work as a dancer in Uni.
University is one
of those once in a lifetime experiences and
I encourage you all to give it a go if you
love a challenge and think that it is for you!
I would encourage the new sixth form
students to try their hardest during
the preparation of their exams; although the
process can at times be stressful, just be
motivated knowing that all your effort pays
off in the end.
Abisola Yussuf
University: King’s College London
Course: International Development
As an International Development student,
my degree offers a distinctive approach to
the study of development by focusing on
the growth of 'emerging economies'
economies in contrast to the growth of
developed Western European nations. So
far, my experience has allowed me to
investigate those factors that have acted as
a major driving force in the global economy
whilst also exploring other factors that have
acted as a source of regression on their
growth prospect.
56
YEAR 13 LEAVERS 2014
Student
Course & Destination
Ossama Aboallaban
London Metropolitan University
Shamima Akther
Middlesex University, Business Management
Hassanen Al Janabi
Queen Mary University, Medicine
Ruben Almeida
Brunel University
Daniel Amber
Coventry, Psychology
Ulysses Cordero
University of Greenwich, Media & Communication
Pauline Cordora
University of Greenwich, Criminology
Joao Corona
University of Greenwich, Digital Media
Costa Daniela
Kensington & Chelsea College, Art & Design
Aegidius Dias
Brunel University, Digital Design
Diana Eleuterio
University of Greenwich, Criminology
Stefan Eriksson
University of Westminster, Architecture
Eric Fernandes
Further Education, Art
Angelo Gemao
Xhulio Gjokaj
Raphaela Guimaraes
Arnold Guloba
University of Greenwich, Film Studies
University of Greenwich, Business Management
Gap Year
Brunel University, Business Management
Mary Rose Kamara
University of Greenwich, Advertising & Marketing
Mohamed Khaled
Loughborough University, English
Hongde Li
University College London, History & German
Jack Long
Apprenticeship, Motor Mechanics
Julia Lutgens
West London University, Events Management
Malarvizhi Mathiyalagu
Kensington & Chelsea College, Art & Design
Sepeedeh Mehregan
University of Greenwich, Law
Asma Mosallaey
Kings College London, Biomedicine
Latifah Muhammad
Roehampton, Psychology
Jonathan Mvita Zulu
Greenwich University, International Business
Fauzar Nambiru
Brunel University, Business Management
Dominique Odquier
Apprenticeship
Guseppe Polise
Greenwich University, Business Management
Roji Rob
Middlesex University
Gowar Roufi
Middlesex University, Law
Princess Samson
University of Greenwich, Accounting and Finance
Melvin Jake Santonil
Kingston University, Film Studies
Allana Santos
University of Greenwich, Events Management
Darwin Sarangaya
University of Greenwich, Media & Tourism
Amir Shehu
Bristol University, Engineering
Eliony Simao
Early Childhood Studies
Ricardo III Torreno
Goldsmith, Computer Science (Gap Year)
Princewill Uzor
Sheffield University, Aerospace
William Walsh
Employment
Elena Whiteman
Kings College, Medicine
Abisola Yussuf
Kings College, International Development
57
The school will be running it's 5th annual trip to Jamie's Farm from 2nd-6th March
next year. Jamie's Farm is a 5 day trip for vulnerable children in urban schools and provides a unique combination of ‘farming, family and therapy’ through the residential
trip and follow up programme. The aim of the trip is to re-engage children with educational life and enable them to fulfil their potential both in school and the wider social setting.
If you want to know more about the trip, please find the link to a short video of the last trip
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgRGkZLqIDY
This year we will once again be running the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for
a select cohort of Year 10s. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a youth awards programme
focussed on the development of pupils’ leadership and teamwork skills, in addition to
resilience, problem solving and communication. Participants spend 6 months learning
new skills, committing to a physical activity, and volunteering, and the year concludes
with an assessed expedition in the Chiltern Hills Oxfordshire.
Following a gruelling week of interviews, with over fifty Year 10s applying for a
limited number of spaces on this year’s programme, the 2014 Bronze Duke of Edinburgh
cohort have been selected and are beginning their year-long award this December. This
year the programme is being run by Mr Pointer, Ms Kaye, Mr Wilkinson and Ms K Ling, who
offer their congratulations to those successful candidates, and a big well done to those
who tried but were not successful – it takes a lot of confidence and it was a very difficult
decision for all of us to have to make! Pupils will spend six months learning new skills,
committing to a physical activity, and volunteering, and the year concludes with two
expeditions to the Chiltern Hills in Oxfordshire.
58
Staff Corner …..
Men’s Football
It is probably best to start with the event of the term:
St. George’s Staff 7– 0 St. Augustine’s
The scene was set on a blustery, cool afternoon at Paddington Rec. The masses had descended upon the perimeter of the pitch and the captains had said their final words. As
they say, the rest is history. Goals from Sesay, Coach P (2), Simmonds (2), Kiyombo and
Moore piled the misery on St. Augustine’s, whose fans ultimately turned on their players and
started cheering St. G’s. Unfortunately there was a rather serious injury to St. G’s own version of Ledley King, Mr Patrick. His absence has been a great loss to the PE department and
the school in general, so we wish him the speediest of recoveries!
Man of the match: Mr Andrews
59
FAREWELL AND GOOD LUCK
Goodbye Ms Thomas.
Ms Clare Thomas has decided to return to Australia after nineteen years in England. This is a
great loss for St George’s as Ms Thomas has been with us for thirteen years. When she joined,
our school was a very different place and we were lucky that she chose to stay and use her
considerable creative talents, warm personality and unrivalled ICT skills to enable the English
department to thrive.
Past pupils still return asking to see her, remembering her lessons with fondness and she is a font
of knowledge about what pupils past and present are doing and thinking. This is because pupils have always felt that they could discuss any issues with her, safe in the knowledge she
would help and support them whilst always making sure that any necessary help was received.
Even today pupils gravitate to her room as she is, ‘always welcoming,’ and her teaching is,
‘engaging,’ whilst always pushing pupils to achieve as much as they are able. As one of her
pupils noted, Ms Thomas is, ‘always there and you always feel she wants to talk with you, teach
you and help you to do well.’ Her recent A’s and A*s for English literature are a testament to
her personal talent.
Ms Thomas has built up the English department to one that is consistently outstanding. She has
trained teachers to be genuinely outstanding both in their teaching and in the way they relate
to their pupils. This is reflected in the fact that English teachers from St George’s now hold down
good jobs both around the world and in this country. In fact, a victim of her own success, Ms
Thomas leaves a department which has many new teachers within it.
Ms Thomas has always had a huge input behind the scenes, often allowing others to take the
credit. Thus, last year alone she organised the Year 11 leavers mass with Mr Dixon, was the
guiding light behind the buddy inset and organised the revision timetable and equipment for
year 11, which proved so successful. Her legendary ability to plan ahead and use technology
in order to ensure everything is remembered and done, her creative ideas, (be it labels, forms
or whole school literacy – to name but a few) have passed into common usage often without
her claiming credit. She does in fact put real Catholicism at the heart of what she does, ensur-
ing the welfare of others before her own.
Her only fault is that she manages to do so many things at once, whilst making it look so
easy. Many people are fooled into thinking that she is not the powerhouse of activity that
we know she is. Moreover, she is a true friend and constant support to her department and
those lucky enough to work with her. She will be greatly missed and we hope that her new
life in Australia goes brilliantly.
Ms A Thomas
Head or Yr11/Assistant Headteacher
60
We say farewell and Good Luck to
Clare Thomas
I first started at St George’s in September 2002, having worked in
East London for the past five years and returning from a long
holiday in Australia. The school was a very different place back
then, not quite the calm and orderly place it is now. The thing that
struck me about the school and something that has stayed with
me for all my years here was the people and the students.
Over the years I have met many amazing people, from all parts of the world many of
whom I have stayed in contact with. It is always nice to talk about the ‘good old’ days at
St George’s, when things were much harder but always entertaining. Both the teaching
staff and in particular the support staff, have always been amazing, supportive and
friendly and that has been one of the many things that has helped me to stay away from
home for so long.
I will miss a great many people, perhaps too many to mention but in particular Ms Anne
Thomas who has been both a great friend and colleague for the past seventeen years.
We met originally at my first school and have worked together ever since. She has always
been incredibly supportive of both the English department and myself in general. I admire
every year her hard work and tireless support of the pupils in this school.
The English department itself has changed a great deal over the years, but it has always
been a department that has enjoyed the good things in life. I have loved the camaraderie
and friendship that the department has shared. I have had the privilege of working with
many outstanding, passionate and committed teachers who try to instil in our pupils a love
of literature and beyond. We have at times been described as the ‘fly in the ointment’ but
I am very proud of what we have achieved over the years and I have relished my role as
the head of such an outstanding department. I wish them continued success in the future.
However, the thing that I have enjoyed about St George’s the most is the pupils who fill it. I
have felt very lucky to teach some amazing, compassionate and fantastic young people.
It has always been great to keep in contact with them over the years and hear where their
lives have taken them. When I think about the things I will miss about London, one of the
things is always that I won’t run into former pupils anymore. I feel very privileged to have
had the opportunity to teach the students here and wish them, both past and present, all
the success in the world as they are the ones who make this school what it is.
At present I don’t have a new job to go to in Australia, but as I arrive summer will be in full
swing. So I am looking forward to leaving the cold behind and enjoying the sun. In some
ways I was never sure if this day would come, but as the time gets closer I think it is going to
be harder to say goodbye than I imagined.
I think it is going to be very weird to work somewhere else and not be known as “Little Miss
Thomas”. But I am looking forward to the next adventure.
61
FAREWELL AND GOOD LUCK
Miss K. Ling
Katy joined the maths department a year ago and very quickly she established herself as
an outstanding teacher and a key member of the department. As the second in charge,
she took responsibility for KS3, gifted and talented students and she also mentored trainee
teachers. Over the past year, it was a pleasure to see her develop and come out of her
shell and it is without a doubt that she will succeed on her new role as the head of maths
in her old school.
I would like to thank Katy for her hard work, dedication and contribution to the department. On behalf of the department and myself, I wish her all the best in her career and
future.
Ms El-Bendary
62
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW
YEAR FROM ALL THE STAFF AT
ST.GEORGE’S SCHOOL
63
St George’s School
Lanark Road
London
W9 1RB
Tel: 020 7328 0904
Fax: 020 7 624 6083
Email: [email protected]
www.stgeorgesrc.org
64