Fearnfile 478 October 23rd

Fearnfile - out every two weeks!
FEARNHILL SCHOOL
23RD OCTOBER 2015
Headteacher’s Message
Onwards and
Upwards!
Fearnfile
Issue 478
As we approach the half
term break I am taking a
moment to look back at
the progress we have
made. So much has happened and I am happy to share more
good news with you. It has been a big
challenge for me personally to start as
the new headteacher, but everyone here
at Fearnhill has made me so welcome. I
really feel part of the place and would
like to thank everyone, staff, students
and parents, for the warmth and positive
atmosphere that makes this school so
special.
 Everyone has worked very hard and
deserves a break. On the subject of
work, just a quick reminder of the ‘Take
your Sons and Daughters to Work’ Day
on 20th November. Year 8 will gain a
great deal from spending time in a ‘real’
working environment and the experience will help them think about their
own future plans. Thank you for your
support with this!
 We encourage parents and carers to
be actively involved in the life of the
school and we are happy to meet and
discuss any issues you may want to
raise. To help with this, please contact
reception and make an appointment if
you need to meet with any colleague.
In a busy school day it is not possible to
meet with people if you arrive unannounced, and we want to have any information you need ready for you.
 More footballing success! Our Year 7
boys team have moved on from beating
The Knights Templar School, gaining victory over The Priory School 4-2. Not only
are Year 7 doing well; Year 10 also beat
The Priory 9-1. Wonderful!
 Year 11 reports have gone home this
week. We are constantly reviewing student progress and if you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate
to contact your child’s form tutor or Mr
Doherty, our Head of Key Stage Four. The
picture looks positive for this year group
and we have very high expectations of
them. Thank you for all your support and
enjoy the break.
Liz Ellis
Headteacher
Half Term
Monday 26th Friday 30th
October
*** Please ensure that we have your current email
address, any updates to be sent to the Main Office
Thank you ***
SAM Learning
Don’t forget SAM Learning for revision and practice! SAM Learning is the school’s
online learning resource. It has activities and exam questions for all subjects from
KS3 to Key Stage 4. You can use it for catching up or getting ahead with your work in
any area. This is how you can get logged on:
 Centre ID: SG6FS
 User ID: date of birth followed by initials, e.g. 211003MW
 Password: Same as above until changed
Alternatively, you can use YouID within school to get straight to SAM Learning without the need for a password.
Mr Williams
Assistant Head
Canteen News
We currently have a ‘Guess the Fruit’ game taking place in the Canteen
at break and lunchtime. Students are invited to come along and have a
go at guessing the name of the selected fruit-winners get a Satsuma!
This is just a bit of fun and a great way of learning as well as getting one
of your 5-a-day!
So far the fruits guessed have been a Pomello & a Kiwano.
Pomelo
Kiwano
Craft Club
Page 2
F E A R N HI L L S C H O O L
Memories of When I was at School
School for many is described as ‘some of the best days of your life’. A time when
your future is not yet mapped out and your career path not yet sign posted. Parents often tell students to enjoy these ‘carefree’ days so they can look back on them
fondly in later years. Do Fearnhill staff agree, were their school days happy ones?
What are their memories of this time? Let’s find out…
“When I was at school I was very quiet and not at all confident. I was very shocked
(and a bit scared) when my form tutor, Mr Simmonds, hand-picked me for a main
role in the school play. He didn't give me a choice and I couldn't work out at the time why he
would choose me. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my school life and as an
adult I now understand why he picked me. He knew it would make me a little more outgoing
and improve my confidence. He was spot on. A good teacher always knows best!”
Ms Flett
Receptionist
Careers Corner
College Open Days/Evenings for Year 11 Students
Please be aware that Further Education Colleges are now starting to
host their Open Days/Evenings. Remember, all of you should have a
plan B, you can apply for as many 6th form/College courses as you
wish and should be keeping your options open. Visiting local Colleges may help you decide what you really want
to do over the next 2 years whether it be 6th form, College or an Apprenticeship.
Please check the Open Days/Evenings dates and times which are displayed on the Year 11 Careers board. These,
along with other important information, are also emailed to you so be sure to check your school email regularly.
Dates for your diary: Fearnhill 16+ Information Evening is on Tuesday 17th November from 6pm. Letters will be
issued in due course.
The Highfield School will be hosting their 16+ Information Evening on Wednesday 18th November.
Year 10 Work Experience
The WEX process has started
for 2016! A copy of the
Parent/Pupil WEX Guide and
an accompanying information
leaflet have been sent home
to all parents/carers via School
Comms. Copies can also be
found on the school website
via the following links:
http://fearnhill.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/letters/wexleaflet2015.pdf
http://fearnhill.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/letters/wexparentbooklet2015.pdf
Any questions please ask.
Page 3
Ms Balchin
Director of Teaching & Learning in Careers
F E A R NF I L E
Inside the Classroom - Technology
So many interesting and fascinating lessons take place here at Fearnhill School so we thought we would share
with you what is going on inside the classroom...
11D/Rm1 Resistant Material Lesson
Year 11 students are completely committed to their Controlled Assessment. They are currently engaged in producing a range of design ideas for their project.
Next time…
Find out what is happening in Music!
Students are working
hard, having previously
used a range of creativity techniques such as;
 Jack Straws
 Scruffitti
 Geometric Shapes
They are now working
on their own master
piece!
This Controlled Assessment contributes 60% towards the students’ final grade
Well done to Mrs Cottenden in
the Learning Support Department who was the only person
to have a guess at the ‘Pi Dingbat’… it was of course ‘Pirates
of the Caribbean’
Mr Oliver
DTL in Technology
Page 4
F E A R N HI L L S C H O O L
Where Are They Now?
Life After Fearnhill School
Celebrating the success of our ex-students. We hope you enjoy hearing about their successful career paths following their time at Fearnhill School.
Emma Cooke
Twins Emma and Sophie Cooke attended Fearnhill School from 2004-2011. We spoke to
them to see what they are up to now…
“After obtaining 9 A’s and 3 B’s at GCSE level, I went on to study English Language and Literature, History and Spanish at A-level. Not every school offers the opportunity to not only
achieve academically, but also socially, emotionally and independently. Access to supportive and extremely knowledgeable teachers during my time at Fearnhill simply motivated
me to want to go above and beyond A-levels to degree level. Upon leaving Fearnhill, I have
since obtained a First Class degree in Criminology and Sociology, as well as a
MA in Criminology with a semester abroad from the University of Kent, Canterbury. I have been lucky enough to be granted a prestigious Economic and
Social Research Council fully funded PhD from the University- there are only
100 of us across the whole of the UK, having been selected out of thousands
of applicants. I am currently looking into the legal aid cuts and the effect this
is having on the lawyers themselves. This is not only as a result of all my hard
work; however if it hadn’t been for Fearnhill and their constant support and
encouragement; I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now. The education, as
well as the wider schooling experience I received during my time at Fearnhill
has undoubtedly set me on the right path, and allowed me to move a step
closer to my dream of becoming an academic”.
We are very proud of Emma and all she has achieved so far and look forward
to hearing what happens next!
Watch this space…
Look out for the next edition of Fearnfile to see what Sophie Cooke has
been up to since leaving Fearnhill!
Scott Saunders Update (see the previous edition of Fearnfile 477 for the full story!)
Scott has successfully got through the first 2 weeks of The Apprentice! We are all rooting for him and hope he
can continue to shine! Good luck Scott!
Scott’s journey
so far in photos
Watch Scott Saunders on The
Apprentice series 11 on BBC One
on Wednesdays at 9pm.
DON’T MISS IT!!!
Page 5
F E A R NF I L E
Robot Rumble
When I told the members of the Robot Club that they would
need to be in school for 8:30am on Friday 16th of October, I
expected moans and groans coming from all directions!
What I did not expect was to have students arrive at my
classroom door a little after 7:30am, eagerly wanting to get
an extra hour of work done before we headed off to our
competition. I was blown away by the dedication and enthusiasm that was emanating from my classroom that early in
the morning!
By 8:30, we had packed up our two robots, all the spare kit,
laptops and controllers and were ready to set off on board
the school minibus.
This year we have been lucky enough to enter two robots in
the Robot Rumble Competition. The first team had a little bit
of a head start as they were formed back in April. Our second team only came together at the start of this school year
so we knew they would be at a disadvantage heading in to
the competition.
We arrived at MBDA Systems, Stevenage and were greeted by our mentoring
engineers. Both teams set up camp and dived straight in to attaching arms and
claws to their robots as well as finishing off any last minute programming
snatches.
Almost too soon, both the Fearnhill teams disappeared into the interview rooms where they made a presentation on how they built and programmed the robots. Most teams in the competition had made a power point
presentation on their robots, we however, decided that the teams would go in and talk about their experiences.
The judges were enthralled. Our students spoke clearly and confidently. They connected with each judge when
talking to them about how they overcame various obstacles and displayed their scientific knowledge and understanding when describing how they constructed their robot. It just goes to show that a presentation does not
always require a power point!
The event was made up of three challenges. Students had to programme their robot to carry out an obstacle
course autonomously (without using the controller), pick up and sort various objects into different stations and
finally turn off as many lighting buttons as they could on the reaction board.
Both teams worked fantastically well and supported each other throughout the competition. When the results
were announced, we were all delighted when Fearnhill Team 2 claimed first prize and Fearnhill Team 1 snatched
4th place.
These results were then added to the results from previous events and as we head for the final event on December 12th, Fearnhill School are currently holding 1st and 3rd place over all.
I am incredibly proud of both teams for their camaraderie, dedication and enthusiasm they showed throughout
the day. They were impeccably well behaved and a credit to the school.
I hope you can join us on Saturday 12th December at Oaklands College, Welwyn Garden City to support our
teams in the final where hopefully we will be bringing home the gold and silver!
“Whilst we were there we had to
finish off building the Robot and then
we could go and do the challenges,
we did well on all of them and they
were fun to do.” Zoe Reilly 8U
Page 6
“We went to the Robot Rumble
contest and we competed against
14 other schools and team 2 came
1st with 31 points and team 1 came
4th with 24 points.” Liam Mills 9Q
Miss Wilson
Science Dept
F E A R N HI L L S C H O O L
“We went to our second competition and emerged victorious!
It felt totally awesome since it meant we won twice in a row.
During the competition we had to change how the claws
moved because the balls that we had to pick up kept sliding
off. The challenges included the Sorting Wall, the Reaction
Board and the Autonomous.” Donhin Qiu 9Q
“I enjoyed Robot Rumble from the start because of the teamwork and because I actually
liked spending more time in school building
the robot. Fearnhill was victorious in the first
competition and we had fun and made our
own robots better and functional. The challenges were hard with 15 schools.”
“Team 1 may have come in 4th but they did get the best time
on the Autonomous Track.” Daniel Walton 9Q
Rui Martins 9Q
“We competed in a competition and we all controlled the Robot and all had a go at the different challenges.”
Morgan-Lee Dadds 9Q
“We had been preparing over the past few weeks. We had to
make a Robot and then programme it to move how we want
it to. Scores were added for each round. On Saturday 12th
December we will be competing again so until then we have
lots of time to practice and hopefully we will win again!”
Autumn Goddard 9R
“We had to do 3 challenges, I got to do the Autonomous Challenge, it was really fun but nerve-wracking. When we got
there Team 2’s Robot was not finished but when we left it was
and it made us get 1st place.” Georgina Goddard 8R
“We had to build 2 Robots so we split in to 2 teams, Team
Einstein, and my team - The 8 Musketeers. We made
‘Botzilla’. We competed in 3 challenges and after the 14
schools did them we found out that my team came joint 1st
place… YES!!!” Liam Spicer 9R
“We signed up a robot, programmed it and
won. We redesigned it, reprogrammed it and
won again. Team 1 came first in 2 challenges
– the Autonomous and the Obstacle Course.
Team 2 came 1st in 2 events – Reaction Board
and Sorting Wall. Out of 15 schools, Team 2
came 1st and Team 1 came 4th, this was excluding the points from the Obstacle Course.
Team 2 had more people and Group 1 also
helped them.” Kavin Niranjanan 8U
“It was really fun and a great experience. I
drove the Robot in a challenge called Reaction Board and Autumn Goddard did an activity called Autonomous – she got
2.something seconds which was really good
all in all. Thank you to Miss Wilson.”
Chloe Thompson 9U
“We came 1st out of 14 schools and I’m really
pleased with all of us and how we did. Building the Robot was fun as we got to learn new
skills and compete against other schools.”
Lewis Cottle 8Q
“We were there for 5 hours and we had to change our Robot so we could get the best score possible. During the
Sorting Ball game the claw kept on getting stuck and it was really hard to control that game.” Dray Morris 9U
“I joined the Robot Club not knowing what I was getting in to. Leading up to the event, we had to build a stable
base that could move forwards, backwards, then turn both ways. At the event I created a claw for the Robot’s
arm. It had to hold a large plastic ball in two different challenges. The first was the Sorting Wall which was
quite difficult. We had to sort red and blue balls in to red and blue areas. I drove the Robot in the Autonomous
challenge. It was more difficult than you think because I was under pressure to perform. The last challenge was
the Reaction Board. We had to be quick to turn off the lighting buttons as we could. We worked hard as a team
to build the Robot in time and compete in all the challenges. We were very lucky and we came in 1st place. I feel
proud of my team and myself but I am already nervous for the final event. I hope you wish us lots of luck in the
final.” Joshua King 8R
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F E A R NF I L E
PE Page
Winter PE Kit Policy
The following items are allowed in addition to normal PE kit in order for students to stay warm when temperatures drop.
- Plain black track suit bottoms
- Base Layer (under armour, skins etc)
- Black Fearnhill fleece (plain black also acceptable)
- Plain black track suit bottoms
- Base layer (under armour, skins etc)
- Polo shirt to be worn under rugby shirt if needed - rugby
shirt to always be outside layer
PE Dept
Be sure to check regularly to find out
what is going on
Find us at: @FearnhillPE
Page 8
F E A R N HI L L S C H O O L
Business/Finance News
This issue continues the theme of money. This article looks at the UK currency, specifically at the banknotes.
The Bank of England has been issuing banknotes for over 300 years. During that time, both the notes themselves
and their role in society have undergone continual change. From today's perspective, it is commonly accepted
that a note that costs a few pence to produce is worth five, ten, twenty or fifty pounds.
Current Banknotes:
There are currently four different denominations of Bank of England notes in circulation.
Security features help you to identify genuine banknotes. Take your
time to check your notes, particularly if light conditions are poor or
you are handling a large number of
notes.
Look at the note, and feel the
note. Do not rely on one single
feature. If you have doubts, compare the note with one that you
know to be genuine.
There are some counterfeit notes about. They are completely worthless. Don’t get caught out – protect yourself
and check your banknotes when you receive them.
It is a criminal offence to keep or pass on a note that you know to be counterfeit. If you have a note that you
believe is a counterfeit you must take it to the police as soon as you can. They will provide you with a receipt
and send the counterfeit to the Bank for analysis. If the note is genuine reimbursement will be made in full.
DID YOU KNOW: banknotes are going plastic?
Following a three year research programme and a public consultation during autumn 2013, the Bank of England
has decided that its next £5 and £10 banknotes will be printed on polymer. (or plastic as some of you may think.
Similar to the Australian Dollar)
The aim is to introduce the next £5 (featuring Sir Winston Churchill) in the second half of 2016 and £10 note
(featuring Jane Austen) a year later. The new notes will be smaller (by around 15%).
The Bank’s research has shown considerable benefits in polymer banknotes, they are cleaner, more secure, and
more durable than paper banknotes. They will provide enhanced counterfeit resilience, and increase the quality
of banknotes in circulation. Polymer notes are also more environmentally friendly than paper and, because they
last longer are, over time, cheaper than paper banknotes.
To find out more about the new UK banknotes visit the Bank of England website on www.bankofengland.co.uk .
Source of information: The Bank of England
Mr Snyders
Director of Teaching & Learning in Business & ICT
We are collecting used stamps for The Garden House Hospice
If you have any then please send them in to school
in an envelope for the attention of the Main Office
Page 9
F E A R NF I L E
Opening of the Premier Inn Hotel in Hitchin
On Tuesday 20.10.15 both the year 12 and 13 Btec
Business classes went on a trip to the official opening of the new Premier Inn hotel in Hitchin. We
were greeted with open arms and everyone
seemed quite friendly. We were the only school in
attendance along with local businessmen and
women of Hitchin. The manager and staff of the
hotel provided us with some lovely food and drink.
We were then given a speech by the Head office
management of the Premier Inn as well as badminton silver medallist Olympian Gail Emms MBE. This
was followed by her and Premier Inn staff giving
us a tour of all the rooms. We have learnt that
the Hitchin Premier Inn has the 60 000th bed for
that hotel. They also support the Great Ormond
Street Hospital Children’s Charity. I had the opportunity to have my picture taken with the
Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity mascot as
well as given permission to do the Lenny Henry
flop on one of the comfy beds. Overall it was a
great day. Thanks to Mr Catlin and Mr Snyders
for inviting us along.
Danny Kalket
6thDMG
PSHCE Dates
November 2015
Year 11 PSHCE Day - Face to Face with Finance Day Fri 6th Nov P1-4
Year 7 PSHCE Day - Bullying Workshop Weds 18th Nov Periods 1 & 2
Year 9 PSHCE Day - RE/Morals Thurs 19th Nov P1-4
Year 8 PSHCE Day - Take Your Sons & Daughters to Work Day Fri 20th Nov All Day
Page 10
F E A R N HI L L S C H O O L
Library Corner
Book of the Week
Bomb by Sarah Mussi
“You have been chosen…do exactly as we say…you are strapped into a suicide vest…with
one mobile call we can blow you sky high”.
When Genesis goes on a blind internet date, she just wants to get over her ex-boyfriend
Naz. She just wants someone to like her again. But when Genesis wakes up the morning
after the date, she can't remember a thing. She doesn't know where she is, or how she
got there. And she can hardly move because she is strapped into some kind of body armour ...
To her horror Genesis has become an agent of mass destruction, a walking weapon in
the hands of a terrorist cell. The countdown to detonation has begun: Genesis must reexamine everyone and everything she loves and make terrifying choices ...in the face of certain death.
A gutsy, compelling and chilling thrill-ride.
Your Local Library
If you haven’t done so already, take a moment this half term to go down
to your local library and join up – it’s free! As well as a great selection of
books and DVDs, they also have an extensive e-library, computers to hire
and access to some very useful online reference databases.
Here’s a summary of what they can provide for you:
11-16 year olds
Join in: Chatterbooks, Teenage Reading Groups, Summer Reading Challenge, ImagiNation
Borrow: Teenage fiction, Magazines, Information books for leisure reading and homework
Discover: Homework help, Herts eLibrary for Teens, Whats on in libraries, Volunteering opportunities (14+), Digital magazines, Free Wi-Fi
Check out the website www.hertsdirect.org/services/libraries/ for more details and opening hours or come
and see Mrs Dent in the library.
Happy half term reading!
Mrs Dent
Librarian
MFL News
World Cinema Club
The MFL Dept have started their World Cinema Club. This takes place in L4 every Friday from 1:15pm-2pm.
I bring in films from around the world with English subtitles. If anyone has any suitable films that we could borrow please let me know!
Ms Davies
Director of Teaching & Learning in MFL
Page 11
F E A R NF I L E
Sixth Form News
On Tuesday 13th October, a group of our Sixth Form students were invited to attend the
OPAL Event (Older Persons Active Learning), hosted by Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, in partnership with other agencies and services to support our elderly and vulnerable community.
They volunteered their day to spend time serving tea, coffee and lunch, but their main
aim was to promote IT safety and resources to the elderly residents of Letchworth, in
line with the OPAL Event’s aim below.
Elderly and vulnerable persons are one of the target groups for assistance in relation to home and personal
safety. Statistically speaking elderly and frail people are more likely to suffer fires and injuries in their
homes than other groups. They are also more prone to crimes such as distraction and other types of burglary. Getting out and meeting people in the community is very important as many elderly people find themselves lonely and are unaware of the groups and societies that are available to them.
In addition they lose out on many benefits associated with modern life such as discounts available when
purchasing or using other online services. Banking and other utilities can also be far cheaper if done online
and older people miss out on these benefits by not being able to access these services. For those who are
unable to get out of the house easily there are also many services available using the internet such as home
delivery.
Working in small groups, our Sixth Form students produced interactive presentations and then worked on a
one-to-one with the our local residents, answering any questions and supporting them with their online security and resources available to them.
The event was a great success, with praise for our students from the other agencies involved, such as the Fire
Service, Police, The Samaritans and Trading Standards. The local residents also found our students to be
warm, friendly and helpful, building relationships between the two generations and giving everyone an insight
into our local community and it’s residents.
Dear Mrs Tant, Just wanted to say a massive thank you for the
wonderful 6th Form students who attended todays OPALS
event. Every one of them represented Fearnhill in such a mature and professional manner and they have made 100 older
people very happy. The event was a huge success and the contribution from the 6th form students had a big influence on this.
Can you please pass on my gratitude to them all.
Kind regards
Trevor Brown GIFireE
Station Commander
Stevenage & North Herts
Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Ser-
“I just wanted to call and let you know that I attended the event yesterday to tell you how lovely your Sixth
Form students were. They helped me with my computer and were so nice and friendly, it was lovely.
You should be very proud.”
Anne Liley – Attendee
Mrs Tant
(Local Letchworth resident)
6th Form ASDL
Page 12
F E A R N HI L L S C H O O L
Sixth Form Reports
Sixth form reports were issued last week. The reports give an indication of the likely grades the students will get along with an attitude to learning
grade. The following students in Year 12 are all already on track for their target grades: Tamsin Goodhew, Anthony Macit and Charlotte Thompson. The
following students from year 13 are also on track for
all their target grades: Kiera Chojecki, Hazrie Dawson, Glynn Hughes, Ben Kitchener, Romana Munir,
Hiru Senehedheera, Catrin Sewall, Jack Singh-Nath, Mollie Slater, Oliver Sobota, Poppy Stevens, Sujan Thayakaran, Sophie Williams and Georgia Willis. This is a great achievement: congratulations to all of them!
We have four students who are applying to Oxbridge colleges this year. On Saturday 10th October, a visit to
Cambridge helped some of them to decide which college to apply to. If the applicants are successful, they will
have an interview this term followed by an offer by January. We wish them well with their preparations.
Mr Williams
Acting 6th Form SDL
Half Term Activities
Kids Cook! Harvest Lunch Club
'for school aged children (and their families)
FREE
Tuesday 27th October 11:30am-1pm
Soup Toffee Apples Fruit
Apple Pie Drinks Apple Pressing
Where? Wilbury Hall, Bedford Road 01462 623119
KC
Visit our website for a full list of
Half Term activities taking place
in Letchworth
www.fearnhill.herts.sch.uk
Page 13
F E A R NF I L E
Student of the Week
Stop Animation
Be the next Nick Park! Create your
own stop animation movies!
Game Making
Ever thought you could make a game?
now is your chance to design and make
games in a variety of software. From basics to advance, the level choice is yours!
Fearnhill Radio
Have your say in what gets
played on the school radio.
Playing out every Friday
lunch in the canteen.
Without your input we
could end up playing Let
it go! on a loop!!
Photoshop
Let creativity takeover
and develop your
Photoshop skills.
Fearnhill School, Mathematics and Computing College, Icknield Way, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 4BA
Tel: 01462 621200, Fax: 01462 621201, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.fearnhill.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher: Ms E Ellis MA