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GUMLEY HOUSE CHRISTMAS 2014 Founded 1841 Dear Parents and Carers, Once again we have a bumper edition of our end of term newsletter! I hope you enjoy reading about the varied opportunities that the different year groups have been involved in. All these experiences contribute to building character and skills preparing our students to be adaptable, resilient and to have a strong sense of justice as they embark on the world outside school. IOE Confucius Classroom accreditation awarded to our school With my warmest wishes, Remembrance Day: Isleworth 390 Centennial Commemorations for the onset of World War 1 90 Students honour those who fought for our country. Read more on page 16 Laura Areniece lays the wreath on behalf of Gumley Europe in or out? Ewa Kolczynska Headteacher Gumley House School was the first school in the borough of Hounslow to teach Mandarin and nationally we are one of only 6% of state schools teaching this language. Read more on page 11 I want to thank you for all your support throughout the term and wish you and your loved ones every blessing as we celebrate the coming of Christ’s birth. May the New Year bring you much joy! We are delighted to announce the IOE Confucius Classroom accreditation in recognition of our commitment to Mandarin teaching. Gumley hosts a conference for 240 6th form students from 4 schools. Influential speakers debated their positions and views with students. “I now have a better understanding of EU history and structure” read more within the 6th form section 6th For m Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) The Electric Shadow Company Student Daria Ansari-Saeid is keen to enter the film world post university. Earlier this year she applied and gained a course place with the British Film Institute. More recently, she was very lucky to be offered a placement with The Electric Shadow Company and here talks about her experience….. “I read the script of the company’s new production, The Hippopotamus. I assisted the Director around London making notes while he chose and filmed locations and then I edited images of hippos using Photoshop so that he could use them to overlap the images of the locations. I also helped to find examples of location shoots and researched a film they could screen as part of their monthly promotion show reel linked to the theme ‘Extraordinary Characters’. Both the producer and her assistant talked to me about the industry and their university experience which was really beneficial for me. I achieved a really good insight of the industry and it definitely helped me narrow down that I’d like to work in the more practical side of the business, directly on a production through camera work in cinematography perhaps.” BSKYB Fast Forward Internship 2015 Once again BSKYB made a special visit to 6th form students to launch this amazing scheme. Year 12 students were also all included in order to help them begin to plan their future options too. BSKYB is offering a limited number of internships starting in July 2015. There are six places available to students in Hounslow schools offering them a chance to work in any one of five areas of the TV and broadcast business from Sky Production Services, Entertainment channel 2 portfolio, in-house creative agency, Sky Creative, Sky News or Sky Sports. As BSKYB states…”Our Fast Forward Placement offers students a chance to gain valuable working experience and turn a passion for media and entertainment into real business skills”. An excellent group of our Year 13 students completed this submitting outstanding 5000 word research reports. They set themselves very critical and interesting tasks. As part of the assessment requirements, each student presented their research to an audience comprised of teachers, students and friends. It was a great celebration of their accomplishments and achievement. Well done! Anna Rutowicz said: My EPQ title was ‘To what extent is consumer psychology used to influence consumer behaviour and choices?’. I looked at the relationship between the research conducted by consumer psychologists and how it is used by businesses. My research included how genes and environmental factors influence behaviour, how branding affects beliefs and values and the psychology of persuasion. Chloe Spurling stated: My title was ‘To what extent would the Yellowstone Caldera pose a greater threat to the human race compared to past supereruptions?’ The EPQ has developed certain skills, which aren’t always covered within the A level syllabus, for example, it develops research, self-monitoring and time management skills. It also allows you to further your understanding of a topic area outside of your studies that you are interested in and may want to study at university Amelia Christopher’s topic was ‘Did the Local Government Act 2000 improve decision-making and accountability in local government?’ She says: I thoroughly enjoyed the learning process as I was strengthening my passion for politics throughout my journey. Local government as opposed to central government or European Parliament, forms the “backbone of our society”. I wanted to explore local government further and build upon my two-week work experience within Hounslow Council. EPQ Georgina Horgan, Chloe Spruling, Anna Rutowicz & Amelia Christopher lic Ryan Bourne, Head of Pub moderating the debate, ds , Fiel ian i itic Lor Pol to: at pho ocr in t Dem Liberal Left to righ ic Affairs, Sharon Bowles, ustry & Millicent Policy, Institute of Econom federation of British Ind Con , der Lea ject Pro , her liament Par an ope Eur Steven Altmann-Ric The Projects Manager, Ragnhild Scott, Education Europe in or out? The purpose of this conference topic was to develop students’ understanding of the EU and to extend their ability to debate on multiple factors from trade to migration. The subject this year had an additional relevance as the majority of students will be first time voters in the next UK election. “A great oppo rtunity to liste n to people with importan t opinions on m atters that concern ou r future and th at we do not necess arily take enou gh time to consider norm ally.” In addition to all of our own sixth form students we welcomed 6th formers and staff from: • Gunnersbury Catholic School • Isleworth & Syon School • Maria Fidelis School FCJ eneral e me g usly v a g t en “Millic ge that I serio d le e in a w kno it put m rstand o s , d e nde lack ce to u that la p d goo ions sentat the pre .” d followe This conference was made possible with the invaluable support of TEAM (The European Atlantic Movement) Student referendums were held at the start and finish with the vast majority voting to stay in the EU in both votes. stay in “We should se 45% u a c the EU be re to the a s of export enefit EU so we b the m o greatly fr trading” leave should icting B G k “I thin s it is constr a ith the EU y to trade w hich it il s b ie w our a countr e iv t ic a altern ther econom r u f stops ” pment develo “I thin k stand that Britain ing on has a th s stage but th e political i trong is is on nterna by the ly tio a positio uthority we strengthen nal ed n with have w in the ith thi EU” s e rmed m “It info mic no on eco ms and proble d also an issues ould c t wha t these preven ” ms proble “Steven comm unic with the audien ated well ce and the points that he made were interesting, he included concise data w hich helped me to understa nd his presentation.” “I felt Ryan Bourne presented an interesting case for what might happen if we left the EU and his rational thought processes and arguments were engaging” 3 6th For m Global Young Leaders Conference - New York & Washington A number of students gain places each year, Here is Charlotte Gallagher-Squires’ account … “I gained more experience from my ten days at the GYLC than I could have imagined. The first week I represented the UK at the UN Security Council. We were given a crisis in Cyprus and had to draw up a resolution stating the steps we believed would be best to take, followed by a debate. The 2nd week involved a UN Global Summit in the United Nations building in New York where I enjoyed taking part in the Human Rights Council. We also attended a number of inspirational talks which included Student chooses study tour in China Ciara Kavanagh is one sixth form pupil who lived with a family for two weeks in the city of Hangzhou, while taking four hours of one-on-one tuition each day. She says: “Following exams last year we were given four weeks where we could take on work experience. I was already looking into a degree in Chinese so I thought that some time in China would be beneficial. “Realising that my reading and writing skills were far stronger than my speaking and listening, we decided to focus on the latter. Although it was hard to communicate in the beginning I think my language skills definitely improved and I managed to learn a more natural style of speaking. This trip definitely made me want to embark on a degree in Chinese.” 4 Kurshida Begum’s experience as a human trafficking survivor and Dave Butler on his journey from teaching, to setting up and running the Safe Haven Project for young people with HIV/AIDS. His encouragement not to limit ourselves in terms of our goals is something that I am now applying to my own life.” To compliment all the hard work I had the opportunity to visit a number of tourist attractions in both Washington and New York such as the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Holocaust Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Nuffield Research Placement at the Mullard Space Laboratory in Surrey Modelling neutral-plasma chemistry in the Io torus at Jupiter Sixth form student, Christine Thorogood describes this extraordinary experience: “Over the summer I took part in a 4 week research placement in association with the Nuffield Foundation. My project location was in the planetary department in the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Surrey where I was supervised by Dr. Christopher Arridge. We devised and tested a computer model using data obtained by NASA’s Voyager and Cassini missions to compare the relationship between the volcanic activity of Jupiter’s moon Io and the ratios of the consequent sulphur and oxygen ions inside the Io plasma torus. At the end of the project I presented my research to PhD students and Professors from all departments. I attended numerous talks and tours of the laboratories, including Dr. Geraint Jones who is currently working on the Rosetta Mission; landing the Philae space probe on Comet 67P. I had an amazing time at MSSL and it really helped confirm my love for physics and ambition to become a researcher. I attended a celebration event in November where I met all the other Nuffield students in my region which was great to hear all the successful and diverse projects. I would recommend the Nuffield research placements to anyone hoping to study science, mathematics or engineering in the future. “ Oxbridge & Medicine Interview Preparation Day Students who have applied to attend highly competitive universities and courses were invited to attend an interview preparation day in London. The day was hosted by admissions tutors; graduates and communication specialists for sessions which helped them prepare for and participate in mock interviews. A very challenging day! Students said of their experience: Siobhan Cabble: Overall, I found the day incredibly challenging but ultimately invaluable as it provided me with a starting point for the skills that I can further develop on my own in the course up to my interview. Gabriella Rutzler: I found myself being challenged in the practice interviews to think at a higher level and also enjoyed discussing and debating with other A-Level students about each other’s areas of interest. Joanna Lada: I certainly feel much more confident now about how to tackle any interview, the two mock interviews we had, although intimidating, showed us what to expect at an interview and were a brilliant opportunity to practice our new skills! First Aid Training When a group of us, sixth formers, entered the common room to begin our training in First Aid with St John Ambulance, our knowledge about incident management, cardio pulmonary resuscitation and how to manage bleeding wounds were limited; however, three hours (and many acronyms such as DELTA and AMEGA) later, we felt fully prepared to deal with emergency situations. We realised that being trained in First Aid is an essential life skill, that provides people with the ability to be effective, safe and prompt in emergencies. First Aid training offers people the ability to potentially save lives, as First Aiders are often the first to attend casualties, before the paramedics arrive. Following the course, precisely twenty four hours later, two of us had already put our skills into practice. When another sixth former had a nose bleed, Anna and Sabrina knew exactly how to assist her. “We immediately remembered what Mark taught us about the positions you have to be in when you experience bleeding in different regions of the body. We quickly told her to tilt her head down and we closed the tip of her nose to form a blood clot. We supplied her with tissues and soon the nosebleed stopped. We were glad we knew what to do, as before the course we would have just let her tilt her head up, which is actually the wrong thing to do.” First Aid Course: 10 September 2014 Heather Brown Alex Carden Megan Elliman Sabrina Libid Karen Mok Nikita Norton Dunja Relic Anita Rochalska Anna Rutowicz Chiara Vedi Nicole Rayment: I also learnt the admissions tutor is trying to test our thinking skills when stripped back from all that we know, whilst analysing how we think on the spot. Mary Gregory: Overall, the whole experience was highly helpful and provided us with a good insight on what to expect at our very own interviews. 5 6th For m Lourdes 2014: Putting our FCJ values into action We are all very proud of our 21 sixth form students who volunteered to spend a week on the Westminster diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes in order to care for the sick and elderly and to make the pilgrimage run smoothly. Throughout the week long pilgrimage, the students and staff from Gumley worked hard at putting our FCJ values into action. We all served as ‘Red Caps’ and the people we looked after and spent time with are known as ‘malades’. Taking part on the pilgrimage had a deep impact on all our students. Due to limitations in space only a selection of reflections and comments from our students can be included here: Esme Soiza: “I was very privileged to be helping a lovely elderly lady called Christina as my malade for 3 of the 5 days. This made our relationship very special to me as she was extremely appreciative of our help and company. Both Christina and the other malades were a huge part of our experience, making it more rewarding than we had ever hoped. I particularly enjoyed the candle light processions in the Rosary Esplanade because of the spiritual unity and atmosphere of people altogether from different countries and cultures, all with the same intention: to pray. 6 Sinead O’Rourke: “In Lourdes I got an insight into what life is like for the sick and elderly. Throughout the week we were able to build strong bonds and relationships with these people; to go from being strangers to being friends in such a short space of time was very special. Knowing that I was making such a difference to them and helping them in every way that I could was a great feeling, and seeing the happiness they got from that was truly humbling.” Helena Smyth: “When I went to visit the Grotto with a malade, she became tearful and revealed that she never thought that she would make it to Lourdes. Needless to say, this profound statement weighed heavily on my mind; how many other people never thought that they would make it there? The number, I knew, would be uncountable but the miracle is that they did make it there.” Eleanor Godwin: “Going to Lourdes was one of the most rewarding, enriching and challenging experiences of my life. Spending time with the malades and getting to know them as individuals was probably the best part of the whole experience for me. Not only did I get to know many of the elderly, I also became good friends with the other Red Caps, especially those from Gumley, St Marks and Nicholas Breakspear.” Summer Schools - offers to our students continue to grow Student Joanna Lada Many students attended summer schools & taster days across the country. Students give their views: Over the summer, 3 of our sixth form students had the incredible opportunity to have an overnight stay at Homerton College, Cambridge. Their experience included a campus tour, lectures and tutorials in either Arts & Humanities or Science based subjects and the opportunity to experience college life. Rachel Scott “I enjoyed being introduced to a wide range of subjects that I wouldn’t normally even consider and the summer school gave me the opportunity to explore Cambridge and all its different colleges which I hadn’t had a chance to see before.” Heather Brown commented: “It was interesting with a range of subject talks being offered which allowed me to explore other subjects as well as my own. I have a much clearer picture of what it is like to study at one of the top universities.” Anna Rutowicz: Psychology at London Metropolitan University said: “I got a real insight into what Psychology is like at university we attended lectures every day and learned about new topics which are not covered at A-Level. On the last day we had a graduation ceremony we were certificated and presented what we learnt throughout the whole week.” Sophia Thompson: “I particularly enjoyed learning about different jobs, approaches, experiments, the developmental stages, psychopaths in the work place and addiction. It was a useful experience and I would recommend it to everyone” Imperial Vision Senior Conference (Medicine) Chiara Vedi: “The Vision Senior conference’s speakers were extremely inspirational and excellent role models. The mock interviews were initially a source of apprehension for me, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to articulate answers to key questions and received constructive criticism, because the process is no longer as unknown (nor scary) to me.” International Summer School for Young Physicists at the Perimeter Institute in Canada Joanna Lada, currently in year 13, had an incredible opportunity to attend the International Summer School for Young Physicists in Canada over the summer. She was one of only 20 international students who attended the conference. Joanna gained from fascinating lectures in quantum mechanics, special and general relativity, and cosmology, and even ventured into the compelling world of quantum field theory. A highlight was the mentoring session in which she worked with four other ISSYP participants and a PhD student to derive the force between two parallel plates in a vacuum (the Casimir effect), which stretched into and beyond a physics degree! She says of her experience: “Apart from being an intellectually stimulating experience, ISSYP was also enriching in many other ways. Getting to meet other students from all over the globe and learning about their cultures was a truly unique experience, and I have made so many life-long friends in the space of two weeks. The physics was also interspersed with several outings, including to the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (which involved a trek down an active mine), the Institute for Quantum Computing and Niagara Falls! ISSYP was truly an incredible experience that I will never forget.” International Day of the Girl Conference, Southbank Centre For the 4th year our 6th form students have been invited to this amazing Women of the World conference. The day kicked off with a London Eye mentoring session with 12 high profile women. Workshops in the afternoon addressed discussions and activities on a range of issues, but now over to budding journalist Eleanor Duce for her first-hand experience, edited from her article for the local Guardian’s Young Reporter scheme. ‘Girl Power! (EVENT) Coincidentally, this was the day that the world received the news that one of the most influential and inspirational young women, Malala Yousafzai, had won the Nobel Peace Prize. Throughout the day there were many activities with strong emphasis on empowering women and girls throughout the world and spreading the important message that all females should be encouraged to strive to reach for the stars the main theme of the day being ‘Speak Up’. Report by student Eleanor Duce 7 Science GSK Work Experience GSK offered 5 students across Years 11 & 12 a very exciting 3 day work experience placement in the autumn half term. Students had to apply for these positions. The objective of the Molecule to Market workshop was to inspire students studying science to further their knowledge, to explore a career in science and to look at the possibilities of working within this sector. Additionally, students received a bronze accreditation as part of the Industrial Cadet programme. Maria Gabriel “We had amazing, informative talks from professionals working in GSK’s different departments that ranged from drug discovery to clinical trials and to marketing. This helped us further our understanding of how developing drugs to help patients is really a team effort”. Claudia Campo –Rodriguez “The GSK work experience has been mind opening to the amount of opportunities and career options there are out there for me. Before coming into GSK I wanted to study and work in chemical engineering but after hearing presentations from professionals I realised there were many other degrees like biochemistry that really interested me”. Meredith Webb “I found GSK a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I knew I was aiming for a career in science however after the course I also have more direction as during the ‘Molecules to Market’ course I discovered an interest in clinical trials.” Evija Romanova “GSK was an extremely useful 3 day course that revealed the diversity of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. The talks helped me to get an insight of each profession for example the regulatory affairs work; how information is presented and analysed which led me afterwards to research the specific courses at universities linked to this field” Imperial College Techno-entrepreneurship Project Launches for the 3rd year Open to all Year 9 students who each have to apply, this 2 month course offers 40 students the opportunity to learn and apply some extraordinary science and business skills. 4 weeks in our science labs then on to the big day to present at Imperial College! •Storm glass - a weather forecasting device •Fruit DNA the science of DNA structure and use •Business planning sessions covering marketing and finance through to SWOT analysis. •On the final week students will be given a brief by the Imperial College team and they will be asked to prepare a presentation for early-mid January to demonstrate their thinking and learning. •An internal semi-final judging session will be held in early-mid January in school to nominate the shortlisted best presentations. •28th January 2015 those teams then compete against each other at a Dragons Den style presentation at Imperial College in front of a panel of their judges. 8 Even Hurricane Gonzalo can’t beat the Year 9 Gumley Girls! Geog ra phy Year 9 Geographers enjoyed their fieldtrip to Selsey, West Sussex in October just as the tail end of Hurricane Gonzalo was battering the UK coastline. The aim of the fieldtrip was to investigate how well this stretch of vulnerable coastline is being protected from the sea so it was really useful to see the full force of the waves and the wind on the beach. We were also able to see the newly operational ‘managed retreat’ scheme behind the Medmerry caravan park. This Environment Agency coastal defence scheme hopes to prevent erosion in a sustainable way for the next 50 years. Maybe some of the current year 9’s children and grandchildren will be able to come back and see how successful it is in the long term! for a while…. The sun shone at least Huge waves from Hurricane Gonzalo Wind blown ye ar 9’s Year 12 in the Brecon Beacons The Year 12 Geographers enjoyed their regular trip to South Wales to the beautiful Brecon Beacons. offered to go beyond welly depth in the river so that we could collect our data at each site. We arrived in darkness and it was only at breakfast the next morning that the students were able to appreciate the lovely setting next to the Tal-y-bont reservoir with plenty of curious sheep watching us. In Cardiff Bay a sudden storm sent us all diving for cover, but despite the weather conditions the group were able to appreciate the massive redevelopment of the former docks into an impressive waterside location. The weather forecast did not look promising but we mostly managed to dodge the rain. Intrepid members of the group Back in class the students are finalising their write and analysis so as to be fully prepared for their exams next May. Year 12 Geography group Wet feet but st ill smiling Wet feet but still smiling 9 h s li g n E & s ie d u t S s Busines Launch of the Creative Writing Club The Creative Writing Club opened its doors this term and has been a great success! We have had over twenty Year 7 and 8 students attend every week with our invaluable Year 10 student helpers both supporting and leading the sessions. the support of their parents and the fantastic Year 10 helpers: Erin Dawson, Fatima Mawas, Catriona Cheek, Georgia Kellet, Grace Barry, Donia Zobdeh and Katie Lowndes. Each week there is a different theme and writing form explored from horror stories and poetry to film scripts and blogging! Our girls have demonstrated their buzzing imaginations and boundless enthusiasm suggesting ideas for future writing workshops. We produce a Creative Club issue with the girls’ work and they are working hard on a Christmas edition. Thank you for the dedication of our girls, The Year 7 girls wri ting a film scri helpers Co rinne Aub pt supported by tw o of our Y rey & Mic helle Endri ear 10 ukaityte Students Win Bar National Mock Trial competition at The Inner London Crown Court Fifteen of our Year 10 students were entered for the Bar National Mock Trial competition held at the Inner London Crown Court. Early on Saturday 29th November they set off to compete with other secondary schools in this very prestigious and unique event. 10 Supported by Barrister, Mr Faisal Osman, of 33 Chancery Lane Chambers, a critical link organised by the Citizenship Foundation, students from Gumley have worked hard since the start of term, Student Speakers - Google Community The A level Business Students participated in an online conference with the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, where he gave an inspirational talk on his journey as a digital entrepreneur, challenges faced and vision for the future of his product. Students were able to engage in a QA session, with other schools. A great opportunity to engage with an entrepreneur whose website is the 5th most visited in the world! Citizenship practicing each week in preparation for this big event. into the workings of the legal system and they gain significant hands on experience. The day involved the students taking on the roles of Barristers, Court Clerk, Usher, Witness, Defendant and Jurors. They played prosecution and defending teams in 2 criminal cases in a real court room and in front of a real Judge. Gumley won the first three rounds against Featherstone High School, Edgbarrow School & Rivers Academy. Then the team proceeded to the final against Chesham Grammar School and the Gumley Girls won! Also the majority of the other competing teams were made up of older students than Gumley’s so our students did incredibly well. Congratulations to our superbly talented team... The team will now go to the National Final on March 28th 2015 held in Edinburgh. Gumley school implements this amazing Citizenship Foundation initiative each year, its purpose is to provide young people with an insight Maud Ahmed, Louisa Albertini, Emily Binns, Erin Coleman, Gabriella Foley, Orla Humphries, Eleanor Igboanugo, Bianca Gazzingan, Anna Keefe, Lucia MatinezBotas, Sabina Marvulli, Lily Pearson, Scarlett Reiners, Amelia Tupper & Orlagh McNelis. terna tionals LanguagesDe&veIn loping global citizen Our school achieves “IOE Confucius Classroom” accreditation Continued from front page We are delighted to announce the IOE Confucius Classroom accreditation in recognition of our commitment to Mandarin teaching. Confucius Classroom: The Institute of Education Confucius Institute (IOE CI) is a bilateral project with Peking University and Peking University High School and supported by the Office of Chinese Language Council International, Hanban. Vision and Innovation: We identified early on that our students needed to be prepared for the global and economic changes taking place in the world and embedded Chinese within our curriculum in 2008. Leading the way: Gumley was the first school in the borough of Hounslow to teach Mandarin and nationally we are one of only 6% of state schools teaching this language Extending Innovative Learning: Primary School Partnerships: One of our key objectives starting in the 2015-2016 academic year is to provide teaching support to embed Mandarin learning into local primary schools. Starting in Year 7 through to A Level our students receive a committed Chinese academic linguistic and cultural learning path supported through a range of on-going initiatives from:a bi-annual educational and cultural trip to Beijing to video conferences Students at Gumley House School can learn one of 3 languages in Year 7 and from Year 8 many are able to increase this to 2 additional languages. We will keep you updated of our plans & please look on the front page of our website for recent press coverage too. Chinese Teachers’ Educational Tour As part of our links with the International School’s Network and the Hubei Training Programme each year we host 25 teachers from schools across different provinces in China. Teamed with our language department these teachers experience our modern language curriculum through a series of workshops. 11 Languagel citsize&ns Interna tional Developing globa Student comments China Summer 2014 Louise Stephenson “Was one of the most amazing, eye-opening experiences of my life Its people are the friendliest, most generous and hospitable I have ever met. Its history is exquisite and fascinating and its language is simply beautiful.” Tian’an men Square in Beijing Gumley students once again participated in the fantastic two-week summer camp for British schools, organised by the Institute of Education Confucius Institute in partnership with (and subsidised by) Hanban, the Chinese-teaching arm of the Chinese government. 12 students who are this year studying Mandarin at GCSE (years 10 and 11) and Pre-U (year 12) spent 10 days combining a visit to an outstanding school in Shenyang in north-east China, deepening their knowledge of Chinese language and culture and visiting the famous tourist sites in Beijing. in Beijing Summer Palace Beijing Zoo Calligraphy lesso n at Yucai Scho ol in Shenyang Coco, Selfie with Guide g jin ei B r ou Jasmin Perreira “Learning about the culture and their different ways of life was really interesting. Meeting the Chinese locals, a student’s family in their home and the new people from other schools broadened my way of thinking.” Meredith Webb “It was a great opportunity to extend our knowledge of the language by attending Chinese classes in Yucai High School, Shenyang; we also enrolled in many other new and exciting lessons such as traditional flute playing, calligraphy classes and tai chi lessons”. Tofumni Omisore “The China trip is not only one of the most memorable parts of my time at Gumley but by far the most beneficial. From attempt to master the challenges of the Chinese culture and language, crossing their roads to climbing the Great Wall.” Georgia Kellett “It was cool to see the Chinese culture and how people lived. It was a really eye-opening experience and I loved climbing the Great Wall and visiting so many attractions.” Welcome to St. Mary’s University’s PGCE Students 27 PGCE students visited the languages department earlier this term and spent the day observing lessons and discussing the effective teaching and learning in our dynamic MFL department. St Mary’s University and Gumley have a long history of partnership and hosting the trainee teachers every year before they embark on their teaching placements. We are proud to inspire them and give them the drive and support to become 12 the best language teachers. of our partnership. Sadly we cannot have all of the 27 students, but we are delighted that one of them will be working with us in their B placement in the Spring term. See you all next year for another successful day. Our Sixth Form students attend St Mary’s in the summer presenting the Learner Voice findings which completes the loop Go Global What does it take to sell Spanish Tapas to the French market, Chinese tea to the Italian coffee drinking nation, French perfume to the demanding Chinese market and Italian pizzas to expand the Spanish population’s culinary menu? Students embarked on these challenges in different languages throughout the day, creating a presentation on behalf of a client seeking to expand into a new international territory and then presenting their marketing plan and the new product they had created in front of a judging panel. Fusing language and business skills and competencies, this intense, fast paced and challenging programme gives all year 9 students a real taster of real of some of the issues organisations are addressing in today’s global economy. International partnerships St. Andrew’s Junior Colllege, Singapore For the 5th year we have welcomed the sixth form students and teaching staff from St. Andrew’s College in Singapore. Both St. Andrew’s and Gumley students collaborated across a very broad range of subjects to develop joint curriculum learning with our 6th formers. Staff members worked incredibly hard to create a comprehensive programme to ensure they were fully integrated in each lesson. followed by a wonderful poetry recital prepared by St. Andrew’s, addressing tensions arising from modernisation and the erosion of culture and traditions. The cultural workshop enabled both sets of students to explore the similarities and differences between our two cultures as well as further developing their friendships through working with their Gumley peers. A key aim for St. Andrew’s students is that in addition to gaining an experience in our school of similar subjects they study such as English, Physics, History, & Geography for them to also experience other subjects that do not form part of their curriculum in Singapore hence; they gained a real insight into Government & Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Photography & Drama also. Our English Literature students presented a comprehensive analysis & debate of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ 13 Languagel citsize&ns Interna tional Developing globa Mandarin Pre-U student conference Sixth form students studying Mandarin travelled to Gloucester in November to join students from other schools also studying for the Pre-U qualification. They participated in sessions about Chinese history and literature, as well as developing their grammar and speaking skills in highly inter-active sessions. Grammar with Pre-U Chief Examiner! students Y12/13 The six Xiaomin & g n o L plus Mrs Agenda Student Louise Stephenson gives her view “The conference was a great way for us to gain a better understanding of what the Pre U course is and how it works. I know now much more about the course, especially where speaking is concerned I am much more confident about what we are doing. We got to interact with examiners and teachers from other schools, learnt more about Chinese literature and overall had a great day!” and Phoebe Clayson-Lavelle explained “I had a wonderful time at the conference , it was very inspiring to see so many students there; especially girls. The guest speakers were extremely knowledgeable and I came away feeling very excited about the pre-u syllabus”. Hands-on grammar session Malaga - Immersion trip July 2014 Year 10 and 11 students enjoyed a taste of la vida española at the end of the last summer term spending five days in the sunshine of Andalucía. Students stayed in Spanish families in Benalmadena near Malaga and took part in lessons at the International School of Languages Maravillas in Benalmadena. All lessons and activities were in Spanish enabling students to develop their proficiency in understanding the language in more contextual and authentic situations. One special lesson was a paella cooking session where students also stepped in to help prepare the traditional dish with a Spanish chef. Students visited the city of Granada, the amazing Alcazaba in the old town built by the Hammudid dynasty as well as an excursion to the traditional village of Mijas where our girls enjoyed a donkey ride or just a relaxing time, we were accompanied by our Spanish Assistant who joined us for the day. 14 In Malaga, one of the highlights was the beautiful Picasso museum featuring a display of his life’s work. This journey represented the culture and life of Southern Spain and it certainly helped our students to extend their linguistic and cultural knowledge and their personal development. It was a pleasure to see the students grow and mature throughout the week and also embrace the Spanish culture from local fiestas with the locals to water sports at the local beach, it was a fantastic experience. Coming up!...The Summer 2015 Key Stage 4 Immersion trip is taking us to Salamanca in the North West of SpainThe trip is already full and we are looking forward to more Spanish adventures. Heads of House Update on Charitable Causes Community Thorpe Park: The year started well with last year’s house group winners the Fs going on their welldeserved trip to Thorpe Park just before the half term holidays. All girls had a fantastic day really enjoying all the rollercoasters and the chance to socialise with their house group. Congratulations again to the Fs. £562.42 was raised for the Missing Persons charity on our 1st charity day of the year. Year 7 students had a cupcake bake off and there were lots of very good entries but the winners were: Tilly Downes with her Poppy Cake entries & Amy Wilkinson with her Missing People cake entry. All the cakes were then sold to help raise money. Lots of girls wore a yellow item for the day. The BIG event was the male teacher leg waxing, over 500 girls came to watch and support a fantastic turn out! For the Christmas Charity day, there were lots of activities. Updates and photos will be publicised in the New Year. Christmas Bazaar Many thanks to all those who attended and gave generously to our Christmas Bazaar, especially our Gospel choir, who gave a wonderful performance. There were a great variety of new ideas this year, from Polish cuisine, French creperie, to the best selling chocolate tom-bola & Christmas cracker stalls. Santa was busy and added some festive cheer to the event. Strong arms were needed to pick up “The weigh the cake”, which came in at a staggering 4 kilos! The Bazaar raised a staggering £3,211, and the finale was of course our grand draw. Many congratulations to the winners, and a huge thank you to all those who contributed to it. The efforts of the year 7 pupils & parents were quite spectacular, and we raised a further £3,841! An all time high. So our combined total was £7,052! Heartfelt thanks, Parents Association “For all our girls & boys” 15 Community Remembrance Service Continued from front page 90 students from Year 7 to Year 13 honoured those who fought for our country. On 9th November 90 Gumley students together with students from several local primary and secondary schools took part in the armistice service at the Isleworth memorial. This commemoration was organised by the Royal British Legion and other local partners including The Isleworth Society and The London Borough of Hounslow. Church of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Bridget of Sweden, in Isleworth. Every student wore a sash representing the name of each of the 390 men who fought and gave their lives for our country in World War 1. The Parade There are 390 names on the Isleworth War Memorial, outside the Roman Catholic Remembrance Service Widening Participation University Expo A group of twenty year 9 students participated in University Expo’s talks and workshops to help them prepare for their post school education, hearing from representatives across a range of universities in London including the Royal Veterinary College, London School of Economics, Brunel and Roehampton. Students learned about University life including the courses offered, clubs and social activities and participated in games such as ‘Fresher Fortunes’ developed by the LSE to start thinking about student finance. A great opportunity and an inspirational day! 16 Aim Higher Speakout Challenge During November, 24 Year 10 students participated in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge aimed at providing the training and skills needed for successful public speaking. Throughout the day, the girls were taught the necessary skills to help with giving speeches and were involved in a number of ‘mini’ speech competitions and discussions where they practised their new skills. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, despite some nerves, as they worked with a dynamic trainer. We are looking forward to the upcoming Speak Out Finals! Well done girls. Students who participated said about the day: Annabel: “It was probably one of the greatest opportunities I’ve been given, I now have the confidence and skills not to be afraid of speaking in public. “ Michelle: “A really fun day, full of activities. It honestly helped me.” Jordan: “It really helped me to develop skills I’d never even heard of before. Very inspiring and motivating.” Music Speakout Challenge September: Barbican Trip: The academic year began with a trip to the Barbican for GCSE students to hear the London Schools Symphony Orchestra. This was a great opportunity to hear and see a live orchestra - a very different experience to hearing one on a CD! October: The Chamber Choir impressed parents in the assembly hall while Year 10 & Year 11 busking groups entertained visitors as they toured the school on Open Evening. ‘Stomp’ Theatre trip: The Year 8 trip to see the fabulous West End production of ‘Stomp’ left the girls inspired to create their own rhythmic performances in class! Curriculum Extension Days: These were led by Gospel Singer Dan Swana. The girls learned two songs which they performed beautifully at the Black History Celebration. Black History Celebration Evening: The Staff Choir also performed at the Black History Celebration along with the Year 10 GCSE students who had composed their own African style ensemble piece. September: GCSE Showcase Concert: The overall standard of performances from Year 10 & Year 11 students was both impressive and an invaluable opportunity for the girls to practise for their GCSE performance exams. Charity Concert: A small group from the Chamber Choir sang in a Charity Concert at the beautiful St. Andrew’s United Reformed Church in Ealing to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society. Wicked trip: The Year 9 students had the exciting experience of seeing the spectacular musical ‘Wicked’. GCSE students study the musical as part of their course therefore this was a particularly appropriate trip for those intending to go on to study GCSE Music. December: included lots of singing from our Year 7s, there were many examples of compositions and performances produced in class and many excellent performances from Gumley’s numerous and ever- improving ensembles! New…Keyboard Club – Our A level student, Heather Brown, launched the popular Keyboard Club this term, for members of Key Stage 3, which means girls can practise their favourite tunes with her help. 17 Drama Drama Christmas Round-up The Hills Were Alive at Gumley! What a triumphant week we had with our production of The Sound of Music! The audience rose to their feet as one at the end of every show, delighted and profoundly moved by the creative endeavour and talent of our company of Year 7 to 11s. The orchestra was outstanding as it played through the full score. Our costume makers and set dressers did an exemplary job of creating the world of Strasbourg during World War II that added to the professionalism of the whole production. It was everything we could have hoped it would be and more. Black History Celebration On 23rd October, we brought the half term to an end with our annual Black History celebration evening. The show had 200 girls performing in a varied programme of song, 18 dance, poetry, speeches and drama. Our theme for this year was Girls Arise! Empowering Girls. The show reflected this theme as girls of all ages took to the stage with courage, confidence and verve. Acts were interspersed with inspiring words of Malala Yousefzai, Maya Angelou and Nelson Mandela. Subjects across the school acknowledged Black History Month through teaching and learning in October. Work displayed during the event included Year 8 poetry and biographical tapestries inspired by West African textile artists. Shakespeare Schools Festival 2014 We were proud to be part of this year’s Shakespeare Schools Festival as this national event celebrated the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. Our Senior Drama Club entered The Winter’s Tale, a beautiful and sad tale of injustice and young love overcoming old prejudices. Our cast of twenty three girls delivered Shakespeare’s language with clarity and understanding, captivating the large audience at The Waterman’s Theatre. There will be an opportunity to see this piece again at next term’s Drama festival on 29th January. Theatre Trips As ever, theatre trips are a strong feature of Drama at Gumley. Our aim, as a department, is to offer as many students as possible opportunities to be inspired by London’s world class theatre. In September, Theatre Centre’s latest production: Muddy Choir by Jesse Britton, came into school. This new play for young people was commissioned to be part of the one hundred year commemoration of World War I. Set in the trenches in Flanders in 1917; it features three young recruits from Sunderland whose resilience, loyalty and friendship are challenged to their limits. Our GCSE Drama girls were very moved by the power of this play and gained insight into the plight and fate of soldiers in that devastating war. We took Year 13 to the Almeida to see Alecky Blythe’s Little Revolution. This was a verbatim piece set in the London Riots of 2011 and placed the playwright and the citizens caught up in the riots at the heart of this discursive play, showing divergent perspectives on the events of those hot August nights that saw parts of London on fire and in chaos. It inspired our Yr13’s own verbatim piece of theatre. is remains top secret. Suffice it to say, costumes are being dusted off, wigs are being donned and spectacular transformations will take place. Oh, yes they will! Thank you as always for your support of the creative arts at Gumley, and in helping us to provide your children with enriching and life-changing experiences. On 14th October, we took fifty Year 10 to 13 students, by tube (!), to see ‘The Scottsboro Boys’, a new musical by Kander and Ebb of Chicago and Cabaret fame. This show profoundly affected the girls. They learnt about truth, justice and sticking to your principles. They were by turns laughing, cheering and weeping as we watched the true story of nine young Black men’s lives destroyed by the (in)justice system of 1930s southern America. The show is a roller-coaster ride full of spectacular dances and songs. It is a must-see production and at the Garrick until February and it has just won Best Musical at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. In December, we took Year 10 GCSE Drama students to an exciting immersive theatre production of an adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s Grimm Tales. Performed over five floor of the Bargehouse space of the OXO Tower Warf, this production proved to be an unforgettable experience. The English and Drama departments have also collaborated to take the whole of year 8 students out to see the Royal Opera House’s production of ‘The Wind in the Willows’ choreographed by Will Tuckett, in its West End transfer at the Vaudeville Theatre. This celebrated production was a wonderful Christmas treat for our girls. And finally, Gumley staff will be treading the boards of our school stage in our annual staff panto to be performed to the whole school over two shows on Charity Day, 18th December. As I write, what the panto 19 ls il k S d te la e R k r o W g Developin The Big Leap How do you begin to identify your strengths, improve your communication skills, explore the type of careers that would best appeal to your interests, better prepare for interviews and get an insight into what recruiters are searching for in candidates? These were some of the career planning challenges all year 10 students explored as part of the The Big Leap, a programme created and delivered by recruitment consultant Charlie Ryan to improve students’ selfawareness, employability skills and competencies. As a result of this coaching, students stated a big leap in “feeling more confident and prepared in entering the world of work”. The Guardian - Young Reporter Of The Year Launches in our school for the 6th Year! Diana Jarvis, journalist for the local Guardian who heads up this exciting initiative, presented certificates of recognition to last year’s budding reporters and launched the 2014-2015 scheme to all students in Years 10-12. In addition to the written communication skills students hone research & investigative skills as they identify a local community news story they wish to investigate and report on. Experiencing real life employment circumstances as they work within a clear framework of criteria stipulated by the paper including meeting regular deadlines, they also get to see their names in a public domain as each article is uploaded monthly on to The Guardian’s website. Congratulations to: Louise Bate, Georgia Courtney-Cox, Stella Harrison, Lydia O’Sullivan-Childs, Kimberley Stybel and Naila Schweizer and sixth form students: Charlotte Gallagher-Squires, Gabriella Rutzler & Marta Stok. Curriculum Extension Da ys Curriculum Extension days targeting exam skills 20 The Year 11 cohort received a full day’s training to review key exam skills, motivation and revision skills in an engaging and creative seminar. Students were reminded of memory, time management and positive thinking skills amongst others, to help them as they prepare for their mock exams and public exams at the end of the year. Each student indicated it encouraged them to Aim High. BEST Year 10 BEST Group continue to develop career & team work skills So far the BEST girls have had an eventful term: we have crossed a lake in barrels and poles, tunnelled our way through an assault course (blindfolded!), swung through the trees and walked the planks. We have mingled with the grown ups, the hairdressers, the artists, the childminders, the beauticians, the actors and bakers. Some of us have even been on a “plane” and made sure the rest of us were safe and comfortable. We have practised our RE, Maths and Science, worked on our weaknesses and built on our strengths. Together we are dreaming of our futures and are making plans to get there. 21 PE Senior Football Rally The senior football team entered two very strong teams into the rally this year. B team, consisting of: Maddie Gorrie, Gemma Hill, Adriana Andre, Katie Ttouli, Courtney Hanney, Emily Magill and Grace Ellis, finished a very commendable 2nd While the A team, consisting of: Senior Football A Team Imogen Jennings, Evie Harwood, Olivia De Rose, Tseganesh Shaymelo, Anna Gelderblom, Erin Shevlin and Alex Andre finished the tournament as winners. Gumley were responsible for the game of the tournament when the two teams played each other, with great competitiveness and skill shown by all. Throughout the tournament both teams played some great football and in the tougher games, showed great tactical awareness and the ability to keep going until the very end. Every student played very well and should be proud of their performance. Year 9 Interhouse Gym Display 2014 This year we saw another display of some fantastic gymnastic routines all Year 9 girls created a piece to Madonna’s song ‘Hung Up’. This year 1st and 2nd place were very close with ½ a point in it 9C with Alicia Northcote, Amelia Swaine, Saoirse Earles and Kisholi Perera –Merry got 1st place and 9F came a very close2nd place, 9T came in 3rd. 22 Senior Football B Team Sports Personality At the end of the summer term, the PE department launched its new Sports Personality of the Year award. There were three winners announced: • Junior Sports Personality (KS3) • Senior Sports Personality (KS4/5) • Team of the Year. The award has been designed to recognise and celebrate those who regularly make a positive contribution to sport at school and also those who show potential as future leaders within sport. This year, we had three very worthy winners. •The Junior Sports Personality was awarded to Olivia Sejourne, who was recognised for her excellent attitude and commitment to school sport while also showing promise as a future young leader. •The Senior Sports Personality was awarded to Eleanor Duce in recognition of her contribution to several school teams and her willingness to give her own time to help others develop their skills. •The Team of the Year was awarded to the Year 9 Netball ‘A’ Team in acknowledgment of their excellent sportsmanship, consistent success and fantastic team spirit. London youth games cross country Parliament Hill Student gains 3 gold medals Many congratulations to Ella Seymour Year 8 student, on competing in the West London Disability Swimming Gala and on her wonderful achievement of securing 3 gold medals! 1st in 15m Freestyle 1st in 25m Backstroke 1st in 25m Freestyle Emily Bryce, Millie Giglio, Evie Harwood, Olivia Sejourne, Anna Sheriff, Tilly Harwood, Lauren Fisher 23 Librar y Best Read House and Student Book Fair Gumley Library hosted its annual Scholastic Book Fair from 11th-21st November. The Fair provides students with the opportunity to browse the most recent titles, as well as celebrated classics. The girls can add books to their own library or can select books to give as Christmas presents. The Book Fair helps our aim of encouraging girls to read for pleasure. Once more, it was a huge success, and we would like to thank everyone who attended, and the volunteers who helped! The Fair included books by the popular Jeff Kinney and John Boyne, as well as fantastic titles such as ‘The Maze Runner’, ‘Awful Auntie’ and ‘Opal Plumstead’. Congratulations to the winners of the prize draw: Our Reading Award for the House who has read the most this term was won by the Ts, this is the 2nd time they have won! Our individual winner was Sofia Singam in 9J. Congratulations! Hounslow Teen Read The Hounslow Teen Read started in November. The Teen Read is open to girls from Yr9, who will read a collection of six books. At Easter, the girls will vote for their favourite book. The most popular book in the Borough will be the winner. 1st prize - Angelina Valentine 8R More Than This, Patrick Ness 2nd prize – Isabelle Manuel-Booker 7J Hello Darkness, Anthony McGowen 3rd prize - Julia Stepien 7T2 Hate, Alan Gibbons Echo Boy, Matt Haig Every Day, David Levithan Monkey Wars, Richard Kurti Santa’s Lucky Dip L-R: Kamila Fillipek 10R, Sienna Patin o-Sim 9M, Olivia Grannells 10C, Aoife Bourke 7C2, Erica Udunuwar a 10C, Soph 10M, Ashell Dourado 10M, Sarah Obinn ie Nicholls a 9T The Library has been celebrating Christmas! We had a Santa’s Lucky Dip and the money raised will be donated to the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice. L-R: Natalya Latka 8R, Elize Tanner 7C1, Megan Foley 7M, Julia Bahadrian 7T1 Pupil Librarians We would like to thank all our volunteer pupil librarians for their invaluable help during the term! They have been wonderful assistants during break and lunch times, and during the annual Book Fair. Gumley House Convent School FCJ Founded 1841 Headteacher: Mrs Ewa Kolczynska St. John’s Road, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 6XF Tel : 020 8568 8692 Fax : 020 8758 2674 [email protected] - www.gumley.hounslow.sch.uk