21st June 2016
Dear families It seems incredible that we are already looking to the end of June and thus only five weeks left of this academic year. Yet we are welcoming both our new Reception children and our rising Year 7s through a series of transition programmes and visits. Once again the competition to gain a place at Simon Balle has been incredibly strong, with large numbers on the continuing interest lists and also going to appeal, for both Year 7 and Reception. A reminder of our popularity and success! Thus, the ‘end’ of the academic year brings many opportunities to both celebrate together as a dynamic community as well as looking ahead. Much of this newsletter is dedicated to both.
Achieving Gold! Out of the blue I recently received a letter from the ISM (Incorporated Society of Musicians) congratulating Simon Balle on last year’s GCSE music results. Achieving the Gold Award meant that our results in music at Simon Balle put us in the top 2% of schools nationally, but one of the few comprehensive, non-selective schools. Only one other school achieved this in Hertfordshire but their ‘academic’ profile is very different to ours. This is a great achievement and although not about the brilliant musical opportunities we offer, it of course underlines the culture which ensures that those taking music at GCSE achieve. So a big thank you to all – especially Mark Taylor and his team.
Music for a Summer Afternoon Saturday July 2nd 3pm – 6pm Tickets £8 adults, £5 concessions (under 3s free) Family ticket (for 4) £22 available from the music department 01992 410408 or via music@simonballe.herts.sch.uk (full details available on poster later in this newsletter). This year we have decided to replace our traditional summer Broxbourne Concert with a very special festival. We are holding a family and student festival with a range of music and drama. Reception children will be performing, as well as our many groups, choirs and bands – all outdoors. In addition the entertainment will be interspersed with drama pieces. There will also be traditional stalls, a licensed PSA bar and an opportunity to visit our annual art exhibition where our stunning GCSE and A level will be on display. Please remember to bring rugs and a picnic but no alcohol. Friends, neighbours and family are all welcome to support our work and help fundraise. If you know exstudents please do encourage them too as many are now back from university. We are very excited by this new venture and want it to be a great success and a way to start our 60th birthday celebrations.
Please excuse our appearance! After a recent visitor commentated about the state of one of our buildings, I realised that we hadn’t given you an update on current work. A frequent visitor to many schools and organisations was overwhelmed by the sense of community and purposefulness here at Simon Balle and yet mentioned the ‘state’ of one part of the site. I hastened to tell her that the panels on the Technology/Science block had been deliberately removed as part of our refurbishment programme. Our successful bid to the Education Funding Agency for £640,000 to have science/tech block area refurbished is most welcome and will improve not only the appearance of the rooms but also the efficiencies. We noticed a dramatic difference when the three storey block was completely ‘window walled’ three years ago. Now we just need the rest of the 1950 – 1970s buildings refurbished! The contractor is working very hard and work is progressing well and all is on time to be ready for next term.
A reminder School will be closed for ALL students on Friday 8th July. This is for a staff training day – the majority of the day will be spent planning the new curriculum and examination courses.
Almost 60 years old! During the coming 12 months we will be celebrating and reflecting on the school’s 60th year. We have been carrying out some of our own historical research and have already many interesting details. Unlike Richard Hale,(who will celebrate their own 400th anniversary in 2017) our school evolved out of a number of preexisting schools in Hertford and has very much been at the centre of the community for the last 60 years. And even then, it took time from when it first opened to students on this site on 18th September 1956. (I have the actual diary in my office when the entry for that date was made) to when the name was changed to Simon Balle (governor minutes) in September 1967. More of this history will be reported in each newsletter in the coming months. We are planning a number of new events alongside many of our existing ones for students, families and also any alumni. If you are, or know of an alumni please get in contact with us (details below) so we can keep you updated of our other events. We would love to have representation from all 60 of our years as an educational establishment. Our first event is the ‘Festival in the Park’ detailed above on Saturday 2nd July. The annual Simon Balle Fun Run will take place this year on Thursday 14th September: 1.45pm – 3.30 pm. This year it will be bigger and better with the whole school participating (over 1300 students) to raise money for school improvements. We are also planning a ‘legacy’ concert at which we will invite alumni and their families to relive their wonderful time being part of the Simon Balle music community as well as an opportunity to see how ‘music lives in’ with new talent being constantly nurtured.
Alison Saunders – Headteacher
Non uniform day – Thursday 7th July 2016 We have been asked to hold our last non-uniform day to collect for JDRV. This is a charity which funds research and gives support to families living with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. For reasons not yet fully understood, the immune system – which is meant to protect us from viruses and bacteria – attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. Insulin is crucial to life. When we eat, insulin moves the energy from our food, called glucose, from our blood into the cells of our bodies. When the beta cells in the pancreas fail to produce insulin, glucose levels in our blood start to rise and the body cannot function properly. Over time this high level of glucose in the blood may damage nerves and blood vessels and the organs they supply. This condition affects 400,000 people in the UK, with over 29,000 of them children and some at our school. We would encourage students to bring a minimum of £1.00 to support this admirable charity. Students should dress sensibly and not wear anything which may be deemed inappropriate (please note that girls must not wear shorts). Those who come to school dressed inappropriately may be sent home to change. Mike Moss - Deputy Head Dates for your diary Monday 27th June
Sports afternoon (Larch Centre)
Thursday 30th June
Art exhibition in the Larch Centre
1st July – 3rd July
Haworth Trip (Y12 English)
Saturday 2nd July
Music For A Summer Afternoon
Monday 4th July
Y8 trip to Globe theatre
Tuesday 5th July
Rock School Gig
Thursday 7th July
Non Uniform Day – JDRF Music Tour meeting 6pm (Rehearsal Room)
Friday 8th July
INSET
Monday 11th July
Music Theatre Evening in the hall
Wednesday 13th July
Transition evening for new Y7 parents
Thursday 14th July
Transition day Awards ceremony
Saturday 16th July
Music tour leaves
Monday 18th July
Stevensons (uniform supplier) in 3pm—7pm
Tuesday 19th July
Stevensons in 3pm—6pm
Reminder: students moving into Y10 will need to buy maroon jumpers Please also see Stevensons update later in the newsletter Friday 22nd July
END OF TERM
Sports Congratulations Congratulations to Year 11 student Jenny Goodson who has been selected for Regional Training (JRPC) as part of the England Hockey Board single system. This reflects the hard work she has put into training, extending her fitness and her match play both at County and Ladies Club level. We can also congratulate Year 8 student Louis Broad who has been selected for the Hertfordshire U16 County Badminton squad. This also is a reflection of years of dedication and hard work. Good luck to all of our potential sports stars of the future!
Win £5,000 for the School Library National Book Tokens are running their free prize draw again, so please have a go to try and win £5,000 for Simon Balle School Library. You will also get £100 for yourself! To enter please go to: http://www.nationalbooktokens.com/schools#.V2euY9IrK1s Many thanks in advance. Janet Syme - Librarian
Non-uniform days You will see in this newsletter information about our latest non-uniform day. For many years we have asked for a minimum donation of £1.00 per student, however from the start of the new academic year we will be asking for a minimum donation of £2.00 per student. This will be in line with many of our local secondary and primary schools. The increase will make a significant difference to the many varied charities we support. Mike Moss - Deputy Head
Vacancies We are currently looking for an Achievement Support Assistant to join our English department in September.
There is also a unique opportunity to join our sixth form team as Learning Centre Manager. The post involves working with A level students and the post-holder should want to make a positive difference to students’ overall achievement and relish the prospect of helping to create tomorrow’s citizens.
For full details of both vacancies please visit http://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/vacancies/.
Madeleine Harman – School Manager
Time to celebrate! OUR NEW WEBSITE We are always looking for ways to improve our service to customers and with the speed of technological developments; our website was the ideal place to start. Our new site is launching soon, so we wanted to let you know what improvements we’ve made.
Easier to use
We’ve significantly improved the usability of the site, so that it works well on all devices, particularly mobiles and tablets. We’ve also overhauled the buying experience, so it’s easier to navigate and to shop from, as well as being better looking. These improvements will be followed later in the year by additional features, including added product information and images.
Register now for added features Once you’ve created a personal account (at www.stevensons.co.uk) all future purchases (instore, online and by phone) will be recorded in your order history. This will make it quick to check what you bought and when, if you need to repeat buy an item or to order the next size up. You’ll also get alerts about ‘pop-up shop’ events at your registered school/s; notice of school specific special offers; the opportunity of booking fitting appointments prior to the busy ‘Backto-School’ period, as well being able to download the most up-to-date uniform lists for your school or year group.
What do you need to do?
If you already have an account set up online, your details and password will be carried over to the new website. If not, it’s simple to register and link your account to the relevant schools now.
Let us know what you think
We want you to experience excellent service whether you shop online or in store. By completing our short survey (at www.stevensons.co.uk/feedback) we can understand how to improve our service in ways that matter to you, our customers. As a thank you for your feedback, everyone who completes the survey will be entered into our iPad prize draw.
Simon Balle All-through School presents
Music for a Summer afternoon Saturday 2nd July 2016, 3pm Simon Balle All-through School Gates open 2.30pm. Under cover if wet. Tickets £8 Adults, £5 Concessions, under 3’s free Family Ticket (4 tickets) £22 Available from the Music Department music@simonballe.herts.sch.uk 01992 410408
Bring your own picnic and chairs, PSA Bar open
on Balle Schoo l Sim
Public Health Alert for caterpillar pest in oak trees
Last year we wrote to GPs and NHS Professionals alerting them to the health issues arising from human contact with oak processionary moth caterpillars. While the symptoms are largely self limiting and usually skin symptoms, severe reactions including respiratory symptoms (especially if hairs are swallowed) can result and people often attend A and E needlessly. The caterpillars are now expected in South Hertfordshire and the Forestry Commission, Countryside Management Service and Herts Public Health have worked together to get messages out to people using the countryside. There is a page here on NHS choices about it: www.nhs.uk/news/2010/08August/Pages/oak-processionarymoth-health-warning.aspx Further information from the Forestry Commission is as follows: People in southern parts of Hertfordshire are being alerted to look out for and report caterpillars of the oak processionary moth (OPM), which could be damaging oak trees in the area. They are also advised to keep away from the caterpillars and their nests, because their hairs can cause itching skin rashes and other health problems, and to report sightings to the Forestry Commission. OPM is a tree pest which was accidentally introduced to West London in 2005. Last year it was found in northern Barnet, raising the possibility that it could be found in Hertfordshire this year. The caterpillars feed on oak leaves, and in large numbers they can severely defoliate trees and leave them vulnerable to other pests, diseases and drought. Their tiny hairs also contain a protein which can cause itchy skin rashes and, less frequently, eye and throat irritations and breathing difficulties in people and animals. The hairs can be blown on the wind, and left in their nests on and under oak trees. The greatest risk period is May to July, when the caterpillars are active, although nests should not be touched at any time. The Forestry Commission, councils and land managers are tackling the pest with a carefully controlled programme of oak tree treatment and nest removal. Steve Scott, the Commission's East England Director, said that reporting sightings of the pest was a way in which the public could play an important role in helping to control it. “People such as tree surgeons, gardeners, forestry and ground-care workers, park wardens and park visitors whose daily lives bring them close to oak trees are ideally placed to spot and report the caterpillars or their nests, providing a valuable supplement to our formal surveys,” Mr Scott said. “Home owners with oak trees in their gardens should also check their trees regularly in summer for signs of the pest. “However, we don’t recommend they try to remove the caterpillars or nests themselves. For safety reasons this is best done by specially trained pest control experts.” Jim McManus, Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire, added, "The key risk to pets and humans is the hairs from the caterpillars, which can cause very severe irritation. We strongly support the 'don't touch' advice from the Forestry Commission, and advise people not to approach the caterpillars or their nests. “People should also keep their pets and livestock away as well. If you have asthma or allergies or have been prescribed an epipen, you should carry these with you when outdoors. “We have issued advice to local GPs and health professionals and to accident and emergency departments to help them identify when patients have been affected by the caterpillars, and to advise them on treatment. See a pharmacist for relief from milder skin or eye irritations following possible OPM contact, or consult a GP or NHS111 for more-serious reactions. If you develop serious breathing difficulties contact 999. Contact a vet if animals are seriously affected. For more information go to the Forestry Commission website which has pictures to help identify the caterpillars." Infested oak trees should be treated by qualified operators under strict controls to ensure it is safe for people, pets, livestock and the environment.