ACS Newsleter - Alperton Community School

ACS Newsle er Raising achievement and learning together and caring for each other Friday 20 Dec 2013 Message from the Headteacher We have almost reached the end of another very busy and produc ve term at Alperton Community School. Our Year 11 students have been working hard in their mock examina ons over the past three weeks. These examina ons are an essen al part of the prepara on for the summer GCSE examina ons and will be followed up with a Mock Examina ons Results Day in January. A significant number of Year 11 students sat the English iGCSE examina on in November and we are all wai ng expectantly for the results which will be released at the end of January. To give our students the best possible prepara on for their GCSEs next summer we are likely to run a further set of Year 11 examina ons before Easter. This year we have tried to make our school aims simple and accessible. Obviously, student achievement is our top priority – we aim to do our best to make sure that every student achieves at or above expecta on in all their subjects. This academic year our teachers have focused on how to develop literacy in every lesson. As a parent you can help by making sure that your children use some of their leisure me for reading. If your home language is not English, please try to expose your children to spoken and wri en English. Use the TV, the radio and newspapers as an opportunity to speak and listen to English throughout the evening at home. This term we have had a number of very successful school events. Academic Review Day took place on 27th November. The next tracker report will be sent out ahead of our next Academic Review Week next term. We have also enjoyed two very enjoyable Extended Learning Days, a Year 13 and a 10A Parents Evening, Year 12 Sixth Form Open Evening, Year 6 Open Evening, Sports Awards Evening, SHOBOs and the Winter Concert – barely enough me to breathe! And we s ll have the Upper School Presenta on Evening to look forward to. Recently we have hosted a group of Swedish and Danish Headteachers who were extremely interested in how we had developed an inclusive ethos at the school. We also hosted a large group of Middle Leaders from Llantarnam School, South Wales. Not only did two of our Year 12 students visit Auschwiz with the Holocaust Educa on Trust, but they have also been asked to speak at the Greater London Authority’s Holocaust Memorial Day next year. The Brent River Park Project was again a tremendous success. To quote the organisers “the Alperton students were all so polite and well behaved, and so willing to learn to do an excellent and safe job of plan ng to make a wild flower meadow. All were a credit to the school". Congratula ons to Ms Radford who has been appointed Deputy TLL Science. Also, congratula ons to Mr Beko who has been appointed Maintenance Supervisor and finally a special well done to Mr Rust‐Andrews and Ms Rufo who have both been acknowledged the pres gious tle of Specialist Leader of Educa on (SLE). It is always sad to say goodbye to students and staff. This term we say farewell to Ms Owji, Science teacher, and Mr Rapsey, CRA for Art. We wish them well in their future careers. Recently I received a le er from the father of a family who were moving overseas which said “may I take this opportunity to thank the staff for all the support rendered in the last three years while studying at Alperton Community School. My children really enjoyed their school years and have acquired the best knowledge, skills as well as make new friends which they will treasure for the rest of their lives”. Finally, I would like to thank the Governors, parents and students of the school for their support. I would par cularly like to thank the dedicated and hard‐working staff for all they have done for the students. On behalf of the Governors and staff at Alperton Community School I wish you a peaceful and res ul Christmas and New Year. I look forward to seeing you again in January. Mr McKenna Pastoral News Year 7 (Ms Taylor) A er a very good start we are now 11 weeks into the term. We have managed to get 225 places filled in year 7, bea ng all other schools in the Brent area! All the students have se led in well (a li le too well for some) and we have managed to see some really good work. The students enjoyed their first experience on Extended Learning Day 1 when we travelled to Hyde Park and the Science Museum. Despite the horrible weather, the students seemed to really enjoy the ac vi es put on by the PE staff. All students were able to par cipate in finding out about space and how energy works in the Science Museum. We only managed to lose one bag which, was eventually found! Students are now embarking on a new challenge of raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. A number of students have set up bake sales and have raised over £100 already. We are all looking forward to celebra ng the end of term with the Interna onal Somali Evening and the Fes ve Party where we can celebrate the special religious fes vals for the year. Year 8 (Mrs Green) As Pastoral Managers we are on the assembly rota; when it was my turn I opened it up to the year group to take a lead. Some students in 8N took up the challenge and presented a very good informa ve assembly about ‘Solidarity’. They explained exactly what this meant with poems and a play, standing at the front with the word ‘SOLIDARITY’ spelt out, with an explana on for each le er. It is not easy to stand up and speak to over 200 of your peers but they did very well! I am looking forward to seeing what the next form class will present in the new year. I have also been very impressed with how Jananthi, Praga and Santhiya have volunteered to help out with the Year 7 Fes ve Party, selling ckets for Ms Taylor during break, lunch, a er school and on the evening of the Fes ve Party. Year 9 (Ms Alexander) Year 9 have had a calm start to the year. They have been studying hard and preparing themselves for a busy, exci ng Spring Term when they will be having special subject assemblies to help them choose their GCSE op ons. We will be having our Op ons Evening on the 6th February, when the Year 9 students will be able to speak to each subject area, along with their parents. We have also this term introduced Year 9 prefects. A er much delibera on, we made our decisions and now have 35 prefects including a Head Boy and Girl (Najiib and Pragna respec vely). Each successful candidate now has a green e and prefect badge to dis nguish them from the other students. They are allocated different du es each day under the supervision of the Student Supervisors, which they perform with great enthusiasm. The posi on is so popular that I am s ll have students asking for applica on forms; I now have a growing reserve list which indicates to me how well the prefects are performing their roles! Pastoral News Year 10 (Mr Hawes) Every Wednesday in St James’ Church (across the road from the Stanley Avenue site), Mr Hawes, Ms Alloway and a youth worker from Brent run a Youth Club for Year 10 students from 1.00pm to 1.45pm. This is part of our students going out into the local community and having a posi ve impact. There are currently sixteen students who a end, mostly students from Mr Hawes mentoring group. We would like to expand the number of students to approximately 30 and start a tuck shop and sell some food items as well. There are a range of ac vi es for the students and staff like pool, table tennis and bead jewellery‐making. On 18th December there will be a pool final where the winner gets a gi voucher for £20. The youth worker also gives the students advice on careers, and provides a laptop for them to carry out research. So far the club has been very posi ve and the students look forward to a ending each week. Year 11 (Ms Bailey) I feel that there has been a very posi ve start for students in Year 11. Overall I have noted that Year 11s are focused on with the task of achieving the best in their GCSEs. The highlight of this focus was the excellent Extended Learning Day 2 a endance by Year 11. Alongside all of this there has been a large number of students who have been, and s ll are, taking part in different projects run by outside agencies such as ‘Success for Life’, ‘Into University’ and ‘Sport and Thought’. I have been very pleased to see how posi vely the students have approached these projects and I feel that within Year 11 we can only go from strength to strength. Sixth Form (Ms Wright) I have been impressed with the way Sixth Form students have been volunteering their me across the school this term. Our young people have lots of energy and the will to become more involved in the community . For those of you that have yet to commit to any volunteering, I have this to say: me is a valuable commodity; don’t waste it, use it to volunteer! A endance & Punctuality Well done to 7Q, 8S & 8T, and 9X! Well done to G2, K5, and 11A! Well done to A6, and E8! Well done to Year 7! Lateness has improved by a staggering 2735 marks from last year! House News House Aus n (Mr Mohamed) This is a House which absolutely commi ed to the holis c development of students in our care. House Austen students have the unique opportunity of taking part in the House Austen enrichment programme, which is led by my superb team of House Austen tutors. The enrichment programme offers our students the chance to learn La n, engage in philosophical enquiry, po ery, and much more. I would encourage any Austen student to take part in as many aspects of school life as possible and extend that invita on to parents and carers also. The events and ac vi es are great fun and a superb part of school life to become involved in. House Einstein (Mr Miah) Welcome to Einstein House. My name is Mr Miah. I am the Head of Einstein House, and I teach PE to all year groups. Team Einstein’s mo o is simple, “For the students, by the students”. We place student voice at the heart of our house, and aim to empower every student to take a lead and make a change. I believe only through ac ve par cipa on, self‐help, and empowerment we can develop future leaders. Every student has a vision, dream and a desire when they come through the school doors, and my aim is to help them achieve this. Through the support of my team each student will be mentored, guided and coached to bring the best out of our young people. House Ghandi (Ms Abdul‐Cader) A warm welcome to House Gandhi. In our House, we work to achieve the best that we can through team work, encouragement and enjoyment. Our house mo o is “Be the Change…”and we will be working together to try and ensure that we make posi ve changes within ourselves and our community. Throughout the year, there are many opportuni es to take part in various House events and we encourage ac ve par cipa on in all of them. The events are great fun and a superb part of school life House King (Ms Zaraat) I am confident that, through the diverse range of challenges & events planned for the coming year, there will be plenty of opportuni es where the members of House King will con nue to show off their many talents. Throughout this year every student will have the opportunity to contribute and I cannot wait to see the suppor ng banners, hear the encouraging cheers and hand out praises to every member for their individual involvement in our success. In Mar n Luther King’s own words “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl but whatever you do keep moving forward”...remember every li le, no ma er how li le, s ll counts as long as it is taking US in the right direc on! House Compe
ons The Year 10 football league came to an end with Einstein being crowned the league champions. However it wasn’t as plain sailing as it should have been. With only 3 games to play Einstein 1 needed 1 win and 1 draw to guarantee the tle, without relying on any other results. However the final 3 games proved to be difficult and Einstein 1 only managed to draw all their games. As a result the pressure was on for Austen 1 to defeat Einstein 2 to claim the tle. Surprisingly Einstein 2 held their nerves and managed to secure a draw resul ng in Einstein 1 being crowed the Year 10 league champions. Faculty News Art, Design and Technology Year 11 Art students lunged into a crea
ve spree during the GCSE Art and Design Mock Exams in December, producing original and exci ng artworks. We look forward to seeing some of these crea ons in all their splendour displayed in the Art and DT End of Year Exhibi on in July 2014. Mr Alemdar By Michael, Year 11 Music By Sujana, Year 11 This year’s Winter Concert turned out to be a huge success. There was a wide range of talent from Year 7 students right through the to the Sixth Form. This year’s Concert provided a perfect opportunity for a collec on of our students to showcase their true musical poten al. With the talent that was on show, this was certainly achieved and without it the show would not have been as cap va ng as it was. Without the help of a group of dedicated Sixth Form students, as well as the Music teachers, the Concert would not have run as smoothly as it did. Despite there being a number of pressures behind the scenes, it was a huge relief knowing that all of our hard work had paid off. Sacchin, Head Boy Faculty News Drama On Wednesday 13 November, the Box Clever Theatre Company came to Alperton to present to all the Year 9 students a Drama on bullying called The Hate Play, as part of the Brent Ini a ve 2013. The play and the workshops were subsidised by the John Lyons Charity Founda on. The students enjoyed the wonderful produc on which highlighted the problem of bullying. Box Clever and Michael Wicherkek then came back the following week to do two Crea ve Wri ng workshops with 20 of the students for them to understand more of the play and it’s background and context. 10 students then a ended a Symposium at Capital City Academy with Queens Park Community School to present the whole ini a ve to teachers, police, youth workers, and the John Lyons Charity. Mrs Oteng The Hate Play, by Michael Wicherek (Ar s c Director of Box Clever Theatre). The Hate Play deals with the sensi ve issue of hate crime and is aimed at Key Stage 3 students. The play explores the loves, hates and power struggles of four teenagers. When the perpetrator of hate, Tan, pushes herself and her friends Skate and Cal too far, this leads to disastrous consequences for the vic m Vik. The play honestly addresses the reality of bullying, specifically hate crime. It also explores the dynamics of teenage friendships and peer pressure. Box Clever is a writer‐led touring company crea ng challenging and inspiring contemporary theatre with and for young people. Faculty News MATHS Senior Maths Challenge Results! On 5th November, 39 students took part in a Senior Maths Challenge. This is a na onal compe on organised by the United Kingdom Mathema cal Trust and is aimed at 16‐19 year olds studying mathema cs. The ques ons test mathema cal applica on and logical thinking, carrying nega ve marks for wrong answers! The compe on is externally marked and bronze, silver or gold cer ficates are awarded along with recogni on for the ‘best in school’. Ms Rufo Website Maths Puzzle of the Week! Well done to all the students who have been taking part in the weekly website Maths website puzzle. If you haven’t entered this compe on yet then go the school website & click on maths puzzle (on the le hand side). Solve the problem, follow the instruc ons & you could get 50 merits! A new puzzle goes live every Monday. Ms Rufo Digital Technology Community News Create the Future Senior Ci zens’ Christmas Lunch Ten representa ves of the STEM club a ended a “Create the Future” event at the Royal Ins tu on in November. They had an audience with Vint Cerf, one of the founders of the Internet and heard from a panel of experts. They came away inspired having joined in discussions about the future of engineering. The annual Senior Ci zens’ Christmas lunch too place on 11 December. It was a very joyous occasion, with the Year 7 students proving to be excellent hosts; the Sixth Formers ensured that all were looked a er and the carol singing, led by Ms Meacock and Ms Za, was much appreciated. Make A Difference Day Over 40 students planted 750 daffodils in Brent River Park in an event which they helped to organise alongside Brent Council and the charity Thames 21. Their ongoing contribu on to the environment led to the Brent River Park Community Partnerships team winning the London Team Awards 2013 which were presented by London Mayor Boris Johnson. Plan ng Project In December the volunteers were invited to a bulb and plug plan ng project at Fryent Country Park as part of an ini a ve to restore Masons Field. The 40 strong team made an excellent impression and received an invita on to help Barn Hill Conserva on Group. New Year’s Day Parade 2014 Look out for our students again this year. They are leading the Brent entry to the theme of the Swinging Six es. The dholl drummers will no doubt entertain the crowds again. Sports News Year 8 Boys Football Success December has been a good month for the Year 8 Boys football team, with victories over Queens Park and Crest Boys. Milan put in a Man‐of‐the‐Match performance as Alperton ran out 3‐2 winners against Queens Park, with the goals coming from Renaldo, Walid and Anas. The following week Alperton beat Crest Boys 2‐1, with goals scored by Mohamed and Ayanle. Shani picked up the Man‐of‐
the‐Match accolade. Mr Wheatley Year 7 Boys Netball A group of Year 7 boys decided to take on the girls netball teams. So far they have won against a mixed Year 7 and 8 girls team, and almost won against a staff team. They make up for their lack of height by their very quick passing and working together as a team. Watch this space for future games! Ms Alloway Year 7 Girls Netball and Cricket The Year 7 girls netball team have had mixed results this term; however their best result was against Wembley High, winning 4‐2. And in cricket news, so far two girls from Alperton have been selected for the Under‐13 Youth Games in February. Congratula ons to Axsana and Nandini! Ms Alloway Hannah Beharry visits ACS Hannah, GB boxer and Sky Sports Mentor for Alperton, spent the day working with out Year 10 and 11 students. Her presenta on was inspiring and made out students think about their own goals for the future. Students are involved in the Sky Living for Sport programme, which runs every year at Alperton. Students have to set goals within PE and the school, and can be rewarded for the progress they make. Hannah acts as our school mentor, keeping up to date with progress the students are making. Ms Hazley And finally... A en on all prospec ve Maths and Physics trainee teachers! School Direct The School Direct model is a school‐led teacher training route, where par cipa ng schools recruit and select their own trainees with the expecta on that they will then go on to work within the school or cluster/federa on of schools in which they were trained. School Direct places are offered by a school or group of schools in partnership with an accredited teacher training provider. We are currently trying to recruit Maths and Physics trainees to start in September 2014. Dates for your diary Monday 6th January 2014: Start of Spring Term (students come into school at 9.30am). Thursday 16th January: Year 9 Parents Evening at Ealing Road, 6.00‐8.00pm. Thursday 23rd January: Year 11 Parents Evening at Stanley Avenue, 6.00‐8.00pm. Tuesday 28th January: Professional Development Day 4 for all staff (school closed to students). Thursday 6th February: Year 9 Op ons Evening at Ealing Road, 6.00‐8.00pm. Friday 7th February: Na onal Non‐Uniform Day. Wednesday 12th February: Extended Learning Day 3 for all students. Thursday 13th February: Year 10 Parents Evening at Stanley Avenue, 6.00‐8.00pm. 17th—21st February: Half‐term (school closed to students). Thursday 6th March Year 12 and 13 Parents Evening at Stanley Avenue, 6.00‐8.00pm. Thursday 20th March: Year 8 Parents Evening at Ealing Road, 6.00‐8.00pm. Tuesday 25th March: Extended Learning Day 4 for all students. Friday 4th April: End of Spring Term. 7th—21st April: Easter Holiday.