THE KING JOHN SCHOOL54 December 2013 THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No
NEWSLETTER No: 54 - December 2013 Cinderella The King John School Christmas Production As I write this, we are putting the finishing touches to the Schools production of ‘Cinderella’. It has once again confirmed how lucky we are at the King John School to have such talented students and dedicated members of staff. I hope that many of you will have enjoyed the production and I would be grateful for any feedback you might have. A detailed review and photos of the show will be in the February newsletter. We would like to wish you a merry Christmas, and a very happy 2014. Mr Saunders, and the Creative & Performing Arts Faculty
Photo’s above are from the Cinderella rehearsals. JACK PETCHEY AWARD Harvey Coplestone has donated stop clocks with part of his Jack Petchey prize, which he presented to members of the Science Faculty. Harvey was nominated by his Biology teacher, Mrs Smith who had the following to say about him:"Harvey consistently achieves A* in all assessments. He works on A level work at home and always supports other students. He even organizes lunchtime revision with them. He is literally awesome and definitely deserves recognition."
THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER窶年o 54 December 2013
La Granja, Barcelona 2013 Fulton Paper sponsor the Parents Newsletter paper
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Message Board From Dr Margaret Wilson, Headteacher The best news this half term is that the new 6th Form car park has at last opened, which has enabled work to begin on the two wing extension to the 6th Form. The work should be completed in time for the 6th Form intake in September 2014 and I will keep you updated on progress. As usual this half term has been one of our busiest of the year. I hope all those that managed to attend enjoyed the pantomime, Cinderella; I know that I did. The students really enjoyed themselves and gave us just a glimpse of the huge talent pool we have in the school. There was also a Carol Concert and during the term students have arranged and put on their own shows as part of their courses. Well done to you all! The school has taken on board the results of the surveys carried out during the summer term. As a result of the parent survey we have increased the number of parents’ evenings to 2 per year group per year and you will soon be able to access regular half-termly information on your child’s progress in their subjects. We will email you to let you know when these are available; if you have not done so, please advise the school of your preferred email address. For the time being our website is the ideal place to visit if you want to know what is currently happening in the school. To further improve communication we will also be arranging regular termly parent forums where you will be invited into school to share your thoughts and ideas on how we can further improve with members of the senior leadership team.
Sudoku, answers on page 24
I would just like to remind you that the school will close to students on the last day of term at 12.30 pm.
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It just leaves me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year from all the staff at The King John School.
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Bad Weather Arrangements
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This is the time of the year when severe weather may cause problems for teachers and students trying to get into school. If we do get any really severe snowstorms please listen to the local radio (BBC Essex and Essex FM) for the up to date news from the school. School closures will be posted on our website by 7.30am www.thekjs.essex.sch.uk. It would be helpful if you didn’t telephone the school directly – the lines just get jammed and teachers trying to contact the school cannot get through!
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Uniform Shop Opening Times
Incidents Outside School
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday For Parents: 9.30am - 11.00am For Students: 2.00pm - 2.20pm Term time only
Please be aware that any incidents which occur out of school hours, that you deem to be of a serious nature /or may jeopardise the safety of your child, should be reported to the police, who will make a report,. The school cannot be responsible for incidents which happen outside of school hours.
Reminder to all parents When your child is absent from school we appreciate you calling Student Services to report their absence, but would like to remind you we still require you to send in a letter of explanation for the absence with your child on their return. Without this in writing, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised and may result in the involvement of the Education Welfare Officer.
If you require the Police Liaison Officer you should contact Rayleigh Police Station on 01268 775533
MRS J COPELAND STUDENT SERVICES CO-ORDINATOR
Breakfast Menu
Lost Property LOST YOUR PE KIT, COAT, KING JOHN HOODIE, SHOES OR BAGS? Lost property for students to view will be on display at morning break by the main staircase on Thursday 19th December 2013 Please be aware that any property unclaimed will be donated to a local charity
toast and a piece of fruit a bowl of cereal and piece of fruit cereal and yoghurt yoghurt and dried fruit fresh oat muffin
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU NAME TAG ALL YOUR BELONGINGS IN FUTURE
Borrowing Money
all options £1 each
Student Services lend small amounts of money to students in emergencies only i.e. forgotten lunch and/or bus money to get home. A phone call will be made to parents to confirm this is allowed. We would like to remind parents that if your child has borrowed money from Student Services it should be repaid the next day as we only have a small float to lend to students.
Parents VLE login now available
NB. This facility will be withdrawn from a student who has money outstanding.
We now have a parent login to our VLE. This provides you with access to the students’ area, which will enable you to see work being uploaded and used by your son/daughter. It also gives you access to the parents’ area which contains useful information, school letters, extra curriculum booklets and Newsletters. Please feel free to have a look.
Letters Home All letters sent home are available to view on the
VLE site together with the Parent Newsletters, Extra Curricular Activities Booklets and the Key Stage 3 Newsletters See opposite for login and password
Username: kjsparent Password: parent 4
THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Year 7 Year 7 School Disco
Danny Confrey 7-02 Danny is very successful at Karate and has a blue belt. He is also an instructor to other students. He has just had trials for Gillingham and is now part of the squad.
28th November
Isobel Clifton 7-06 Isobel will be taking an “Imperial Society of Teachers Dance” examination in December. This will lead to a teaching qualification in due course.
A Girl’s View: The disco was really fun and everybody had a great time. There were some games and prizes! During the disco we played a - Girls VS Boys dance battle, it was really funny and the boys WON. We had to do our best dance moves, our best funky chicken, how our mum’s dance and how dad’s dance. The boys dads must dance really, really badly but very funny.
Laura Jardine 7-11 Laura took part in the Southend Music Festival on 22nd November. She really enjoyed herself. Robyn Read 7-10 Robyn will be attending the regional qualifying event for Irish Dance, held at Broxbourne in Herts. If successful Robyn may get a chance to represent our region at the World Championships in London in Easter 2014. In order to reach this level in the highly competitive world of Irish Dancing, Robyn will have to work for many months including 3-5 classes a week, daily practice and cardio fitness training. This hard work is done in addition to her school and homework with the ultimate aim of becoming World Champion in her age group.
At the end we played a few games and then it was time to go home The following day we were all tired. by Kayla van Wyk 7-11
Matthew Read 7-03 Matthew auditioned earlier in the year to perform in the professional Panto, Rapunzel, at The Towngate Theatre Basildon. Matthew’s audition was very successful and he was picked out of 150 children with only 7 boys chosen. He has had rehearsals every Sunday and Wednesday for the past 4 months and recently every night after school and all day Saturday. Matthew’s parents are very proud that he has understood the commitment he has undertaken. Matthew has had to put his social time together with his school football and basketball on hold. He has kept up to date with all homework, we are really proud he has done so well.
A Boy’s View: The disco was really good. At the beginning the DJ came into the cafeteria and performed magic tricks to everyone. He even made fire come out of his hands. He was really funny not just in the cafeteria but at the disco as well. I loved the bit when he made boys v girls in a dance off. The boys won of course but we still had fun. In the dance off he pretended to be like his nan and dance to crazy frog. He wore a hat that went over his head that made him look bald and funny. All in all it was a great night and I would definitely do it again. by Daniel Ralph 7-11
The show opened on December 4th 2013 and runs until January 5th 2014. Mr & Mrs Read would like to thank the King John School for the support they have given him regarding the time off required. Erin Lee Year 7 At the Essex Long Course Winter Championship, at Basildon Sporting Village, Erin came 1st in the 200m Butterfly, 2nd in the 100m Butterfly and 3rd in the 50m Freestyle. All of her times were personal bests and she beat tough competition including previous Country Champions.
Year 7 Christmas Bazaar 6th December This year’s Christmas Bazaar was a roaring success. The Year 7 tutor groups created Christmas themed stalls ranging from a cake sale to throwing snowballs at Santa. They raised a fantastic: £361.98. Well done Year 7, their tutors and all those students and staff who supported the bazaar.
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Do you know of anybody interested in Training to Teach? The King John School has an established record of successfully supporting trainee teachers. We offer the opportunity to train in an outstanding school, supported by experienced mentors and with a dedicated in school training programme. We offer a range of school based routes including Schools Direct and School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT). Recruitment for trainee teachers starting in September 2014 has already begun. For more information on different routes into teaching please look at the Teaching Agency website: http:// www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/teacher-training-options More information on the application process can be found on http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/teachertraining Our Schools Direct training programmes can be found by searching on the UCAS site for the South Essex Institute. Our SCITT programmes are provided by the Essex Schools ITT Partnership. For help or advice on training to teach with The King John School please get in contact by email: kjs@thekjs.com marking for the attention of Mr Sweeney.
Here are some of the things we did for Children in Need Day this year: Chocolate Chaud et Croissants in languages Pudsey l'ours posters written in French by years 7 and 8 Pudsey poems, posters and acrostics in English Lovely banana cake in the staff room, Cake sales at lunchtime Beat the goalie on the Astro turf at lunchtime Bailey's onesie Sixth form fancy dress
Overall we raised a brilliant £2,058.77 in just one day. Well done and thank you all for your generous support.
HOLIDAY DATES 2013/14 TERMS (Inclusive dates)
Non Student Days
Autumn 2013 Tuesday 3rd September—Friday 20th December Spring 2014 Monday 6th January—Friday 4th April Summer 2014 Wednesday 23rd April 2014—Tuesday 22nd July 2014
Tuesday 22nd April 2014 Monday 21st July 2014 Tuesday 22nd July 2014
GENERAL HOLIDAYS (Inclusive dates)
BANK HOLIDAYS
Autumn 2013 Monday 23rd December—Friday 3rd January 2014 Spring 2014 Monday 7th April—Monday 21st April 2014
25th & 26th December 2013 1st January 2014 18th & 21st April 2014 5th May 2014 26th May 2014 25th August 2014
HALF-TERM HOLIDAYS (Inclusive dates) Winter 2013 Monday 23rd December—Friday 3rd January 2014 Spring 2014 Monday 17th February—Friday 21st February 2014
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER窶年o 54 December 2013
Mon ours Pudsey
By Frankie Fleischer 7-07 7
THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Rights Respecting School Award Update
There are 45 articles on the convention. The main ones that apply in school are: The right to an education Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full The right to be safe The right to be healthy/clean The right to have a voice
Every child must ensure they let others access their rights. Some of the school’s charity work helps children around the world (as well as in As a whole school we have achieved level 1 of this country) realise their rights. UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School Award. This Students will be working on rights through tutor award is based around the United Nations Contime activities and in lessons where appropriate. vention for the Rights of the Child. A child is Any student that wishes to can classed as anyone under the age of 18. Rights be part of the steering group are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, that is leading us towards this participate and fulfill their potential. award. This award is about every child knowing what For more information go to their rights are and more importantly being responsible for their rights and respecting them. www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa It is also about all adults in the school modelling Rights Respecting behaviour. We are now work- Respecting Schools —Hina Robinson ing towards level 2 of this award.
King John Nominated Charities 2013-14 Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Southend Hospital and Basildon Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) provide specialist support for babies born prematurely or with difficulties Great Ormond Street Hospital deals with over 220,000 patient visits every year. Read some of the remarkable stories of our patients and their families. Donations allow the hospital to buy equipment, fund research and provide better facilities that would otherwise be unaffordable under the NHS. Scope exists to make this country a better place for disabled people and their families. The charity works with disabled people on the issues that are most important to them and aim to raise awareness, change attitudes and influence government policy This Canvey based charity helps children suffering from the symptoms of Posterior Fossa Syndrome as the result of a brain tumour. It also improves education and awareness of brain tumours in children and young people. Cassie is a local girl and cousin of one of our year 11 students who was born with a rare brain condition called ponta cerebellar hypoplasia 2 which stopped her brain from developing properly. Cassie needs regular specialist treatment in Slovakia which we are raising funds to support.
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Christmas Carol Service 18th December 2013 Please look out for the February edition for a write up and photos of our Carol Service at Benfleet Methodist Church!
On Remembrance Day
Dance workshops Year 10 GCSE had three dance workshops, with guest dance choreographer, Gemma. Students were taught a group performance dance in a commercial style of dance to Rihanna and Chris Brown’s ‘Nobody’s business’. Students really enjoyed the workshops and learning a new dance routine. They will perform the dance in the school show in February.
Harry Holland Year 10 Music BTEC, performed the Last Post on his cornet before the 2 minutes silence.
Congratulations to Chelsea O’Connell who came 2nd in the Musical Theatre category at Southend Music Festival. Chelsea has been attending these festivals with the school’s singing teacher Miss Russell. Well done!
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Photography V&A & Southbank Trip The Year 12 A Level Photography class took a trip to London recently. The day started at the Victoria & Albert Museum to visit two photography exhibitions, ‘The History of Photography’ and ‘Making It Up.’ The aim was to inspire the students in their current project and to find influence in photographer’s work. We spent the rest of the day at the Southbank where the students took photos for their urban themed portfolio using the local skate park and cityscapes to inspire them. It was a great day out and was a fantastic opportunity for the students to get out and take some great photos!
KJS Dance Show 2014 Monday 3rd February – All day Dress and Tech rehearsal 9.00-4.00pm Tuesday 4th & Wednesday 5th February 2014 Evening Performances 6.30pm Tickets on sale after Christmas Performers include: Years 7 and 8 Dance Clubs 9/ 10/ 11 GCSE Dancers Gifted and Talented Dancers A Level Dancers Performing arts students
Year 12 Music BTEC Show This year the Year 12 Music show was a success! Although it was an assessment, everyone who was involved thoroughly enjoyed it and were pleased with the outcome. The process of making the show took approximately 3 months, each participant in the show was assigned with individual roles to make the show successful and professional. Organisation was good across most areas with most things at a good standard, this allowed everything to fall into place. We had a great turnout and a lot of support from family and friends. Reviews of the show called it entertaining and exciting to watch which we are all very proud of. The Year 12 Music BTEC Class
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
The Tate Modern
Year 13 Music BTEC Show
The Tate Modern was a huge success. All students thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They responded to the task of having to select a painting and on their return expressed their views on particular works they admired. It was a pleasure to spend the day with the students’, their behaviour was exemplary. A big thank you also to the staff involved in making this experience successful.
The show took place at The Hollywood and was a very intimate acoustic session. The students performed current chart hits such as 'Counting Stars' and 'Hey Ho' They worked extremely hard on organising the venue, promotion, risk assessment, selling tickets and it really came together on the night. Well done to all members of the group for putting on a great show and working so hard!
Mrs Antorka
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Unwanted Christmas Gifts
The year 10 COPE class are collecting unwanted Christmas gifts in January 2014. Please send your unwanted gifts into Miss Quinn in GD6. These will be sold on 25th and 26th March 2014 in Miss Quinn’s room GD6 to Year 7 and 8 students. All money raised will go to a recognised charity. Thank you in advance. Mrs. Jeffery, Miss Quinn & the year 10 COPE class.
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Year 9 9-01 Niamh Smith represented the school in cross country and came 1 st . She has been selected to compete for Essex. Rebecca Lloyd will be taking her Intermediate ballet exam at the Royal Ballet school in London on 5th Dec. We wish her good luck as she has been working very hard in preparation for this exam. Maddie Dyer was selected for the National Talent Squad in Netball and she went to Worcester at the end of November to compete against all the other performance centres - a great achievement! Dylan Woodcock has recently competed for motocross in Florida – well done! 9-02 We are proud of several accomplishments in 9-02. Isaac Clifton did very well on his French GCSE, completing it three years ahead of time with an A grade. Fantastic work Isaac! Congratulations to Minna Church for earning a Distinction in her LAMDA Exam. She and Natalie Coombs have also been cast in the school production of Cinderella. We look forward to seeing their excellent acting skills on the performance nights! We also have Thomas Hogarth, Heather Marshall and Rachel Rutherford supporting year 7 tutor groups as Numeracy Leaders and Ellie Dally, Minna Church, Natalie Coombs, Isabel Mortimer, Rachel Rutherford and Ella MacFarlane doing the same as Literacy Leaders. This year has had a very promising start! 9-03 This half term has certainly been full of achievements for 903! As always, Lukas Volk impresses everyone with his speediness and came 2nd in the District Cross-Country for the school. But Lukas isn’t the only one going for gold! Sam Philips is headed for Denmark to compete for team GB in Ju-Jitsu. If Sam wins gold, he’ll be the British National Champion. Good luck! Continuing in sports, we are proud of Callum Alderson for scoring four baskets during his first basketball match. Keep up the good work! And it seems we’ve got a bit more luck left, because Luke Stevens’ football team has finally beaten their fierce rivals 3-0! There’s also news that Tia Bowers has almost achieved her next belt in kick boxing whilst Hannah Bright is practising for a dance show next year. 903 are loving the new reward scheme. We wonder who’ll get their first badge! Obviously, as this is our first year of studying our options, we’re all very excited about our GCSEs and what the future will bring; but for now, we’re happy with our clear expectations cards! 9-04 We’ve had a great start to this year! Many have been selected as numeracy leaders and have been showing off their Maths skills every week. Melissa Tankut has raised lots of money for charity recently and is one of our best cross-country runners. Melissa has also been elected as a student voice rep for the form alongside Royce Taylor and Charlotte Stibbards. Ben Rackley recently took part in the Mayor’s Show in London and marched as part of the Sea Cadets in front of thousands of people. Adam Lidell is still a sporting star and recently took part in an Essex Cup Football match. As per usual, the entire form are working hard and this is evidenced in the stacks of Lion awards that have been handed out. Well done 9-04! 9-05 A lot has been happening in and out of school for 9-05 - well done to everyone! Florence Pepper and Ella Fuller have been successful in LAMDA, receiving merits for their efforts. Joe Greenwood and Florence Pepper have been working hard on the school production which we’re sure will be a massive success. Joe Greenwood is fortunate enough to be one of the main characters in the production (Buttons). Joe Greenwood has also performed recently at the Palace Theatre. Joe Belcher was involved in the rugby team’s recent success, beating St Claire’s School in the Essex Cup; he also set a school record at the Districts. Theo Fadayiro won the National Cup for Basildon Athletics Under 15’s whereby he competed in three separate events. All of 9-05 have been working hard within school, both in lessons and in their extra-curricular activities! 9-06 We have been working hard this term. GCSEs are going well and Lion awards are accumulating – who will get the first badge, boy/ girl! A welcome to Leah Austin, the tutor has made her very welcome. What a talented tutor group. Will Gillard is playing an ugly step sister in the school pantomime, Cinderella. Madeleine Knighton, Patsy Poullas and Daisy Stokes are playing ministers. Good luck all! Maddie Norris came second in a United Dance competition at Stoke on Trent - well done! Emily Anderson, Madeleine Knighton, Maddie Norris, Ellie Paul, Daisy Stokes and Abby Webb have already started their preparation for the February dance show – what dedication. A really promising start to the year, well done 9.06! 9-07 A new look 9-07 has seen a term full of excitement and achievements. A new tutor, Mr Finch, and a new student, Ronnie Bearman, have only added to the greatness of the group. However, we are all very sad to see Poppy Douglas leave to move to a different area. As a group there have been many sporting achievements both in and outside of school. In particular, we’ve noted Connor Wallington’s football team, starting the season with an eight game unbeaten run - well done! We are looking to continue working on our sports and athletics to improve on our 2nd place in Sports Day last year. There is also a well done to Jason Tomlins for completing his Grade 4 flute exam and alongside Niamh Neville who is helping with the Christmas panto. 9-08 George Gray and Josh Hales from the 9-08 tutor went to fantastic lengths to organise a penalty shoot-out for Children in Need. They did this entirely on their own, organised the promotional material and the prizes and pricings. George and Josh between them barely let any goals in and in the process raised £25 for the Children in Need charity. Well done lads!
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Year 9 cont’d 9-09 We have been working hard this term and getting used to our new GCSE subjects. Lavinia Tidy-Jones has been keeping busy as usual representing the school in every sport possible. She is currently having trials for the Essex football team! Bryce O’Dea has been representing the school at cross country in awful weather and came 6th in the District! Ewan Dunlop has been juggling his time between rugby and rehearsing for the school panto, in which he is playing “King Cuthbert the Convivial”. Allegra Webb is playing a farmhand in the panto and has also just received Honours at the Southend Music Festival singing “When she loved me” from Toy Story 2. Also thriving in performing arts are Emily Osbourne and Isabelle Beasley. Isabelle has also just won a national championship with her dance crew and as part of a duo. Joe Phillips is progressing as a boxer- he has won some fights and is going to be representing Essex! Allegra, Webb, Bethany Whipps, Ellis Gammon and Joe Phillips have also been doing a good job as Literacy Leaders with year 7 this term. Well done to all of these students and we hope for many more achievements from everyone next term! 9-10 We have had a really great start to the year in 9-10, getting involved in many charitable activities. From donating to and raising money for Children in Need, as well as putting together two beautiful ‘Christmas Boxes’ to send to less fortunate children around the world and make a real difference to someone else’s Christmas. The festive spirit of 9-10 does not stop there; eight students are involved in the Christmas pantomime ‘Cinderella’ (Maise Elliot, Amy Dowler, Sammy Chapman, Katie Jackson, Ellie Lamb, Francesca Hicks, Isabelle Juniper and Ashleigh Greenslade) – hopefully you manage to catch the excellent performance – well done girls! Outside of the school, there are successes to celebrate too: Dylan Barns has been making waves in the world of sea fishing, recently winning a competition, and Lucas Swan has been pedalling for the charity Mind (19 miles!) and raising more money to help a great cause in the process. Congratulations to all involved with the fantastic start to year 9. We look forward to reporting back on more successes in the new year. Merry Christmas from 9-10! 9-11 In our tutor group this term we have achieved many great things: Danny Warrens has represented the school at many sports including football, rugby, basketball and cross country. The football team are still in the National Cup and the Essex Cup. The rugby and basketball teams are also still in the Essex Cup competitions and on Tues 3rd December. Dan Warrens and Mason Smith played with the rugby team against St Claire’s away and came home winners, 29-21. Last week, one of our pupils, James Williams, filled a Christmas shoe box on his own and brought in so much stuff that he almost filled a second box! These were added to the box our tutor group had already produced. Lastly, we wish Paige Newton luck as she is currently preparing for a Christmas performance with her dance school. This will be performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre London. Good luck Paige!!!
Dylan Woodcock 9-01 Dylan performed in the motocross in America. Once again he performed exceptionally well out on the track finishing 7th and 8th in the respective finals, ahead of many of America's top youth racers (who all train and ride more as they prepare for their future career) and was actually the highest placed Kawasaki racer in his classes. There's no doubt about it in my mind, as an ex professional motocross racer myself, that Dylan has the talent, determination and attitude to reach his goal of becoming a professional himself. Off the track he was also disciplined, focused and very professional in his approach, making time to talk to many people in the industry over there. This will help bring him to their attention and only enhance his growing reputation, both here in Europe and over the Atlantic. There is a small race report on the Team Green Kawasaki UK website. http:// www.teamgreenmx.co.uk/kawasaki-news-article.aspx?itemid=30109 Thank you for giving Dylan time away from school to pursue what it obviously going to be his first career choice. Quite simply he is one of the UK's most naturally gifted youth motocross athletes and his dream is to make motocross his full time living. Jeff Perrett Kawasaki Team Green Motocross manager 13
THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Year 12
Developing key learner characteristics In an aim to develop key cross curricular qualities in students at the KJS sixth form, an innovative tutor program has been created to help develop our students as learners and young adults and help prepare them for further education and employment. Each half term, the tutor time, learning and teaching focus will be developing one of these qualities.
“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why” Bernard Mannes Baruch
The focus for the first half term of 2013 was to develop skills of organisation. Class teachers awarded points to students who showed an improvement in their organisation over the 7 weeks and here are the year 12 winners.
I haven’t failed. I’ve identified 10,000 ways this doesn't work. Thomas Edison
For the second half term, knowledge has been the focus with students learning how to take notes, research and improve their learning skills. The winners from each tutor group will join the Organisation Winners on a day trip to the Houses of Parliament for a tour, mock voting and election seminar. For further information see http://thekjstudent.wikispaces.com/ 14
THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Year 13
This year has seen an increase in the amount of extra-curricular sport in the 6th form. This has ranged from competitive league and cup fixtures in Football, Rugby and Netball, to Sport For All activities in enrichment and ‘Friday Night Football’. Football saw a very slow start with a couple of heavy defeats with the team adjusting to college football. However the last 3 weeks have seen convincing wins vs. SEC, Walthamstow Academy and Redbridge College. The team are currently in mid table of their Essex League and have advanced into the 3 rd Round of the County Cup. With games every Wednesday up until Easter, the season has a long way to go and there is growing optimism as the team gradually improves week on week. Leading goal scorers this season so far include David Abiona, Matt Hubbard and Jordan Scott. The Rugby team started the new term with a convincing 58-0 win vs. Billericay School. The team played some outstanding Rugby from start to finish. With a solid scrum led by props Ben Shaw and new STUDENT Jack Spencer, King John were able to profit in the backs with Ben Bello and Wilson Copeland amongst the scorers. They will hope to build upon this in the next Round of the County Cup. The Sixth Form Netball girls played their first round match against William De Ferrers. They were missing key players due to injury and illness so players volunteered to play out of position so the game could still go ahead. It was a close game with the girls playing together for the first time. They lost by 4 goals but now go through to the Essex Plate competition. We travelled to Moulsham school in Chelmsford to play in a friendly match. The girls played very well and won 22-7. There are games coming up every Wednesday for the next few weeks so keep your eye on the notice board outside the PE room. The Friday night football has been a huge success with up to 80 6 th form pupils competing from 4pm. Unfortunately for the students, the staff team currently sit at the top of the league table! Special thanks must go to David Abiona for his organisation skills in ensuring the smooth running of the competition. Feel free to follow results/ updates/key information about the competition via the Twitter profile of KJS Football. Finally there are enrichment sports available to all students every Tuesday period 5 and Wednesday period 4. Mr. Edwards
YEAR 13 FORENSIC SCIENCE TRIP THURSDAY 5th DECEMBER 2013 On Thursday, 5th December ten year 13 students visited the Forensic Crime Bureau Division at Essex Police Headquarters in Chelmsford. The areas the students visited are even restricted to members of the police force. Here the students had a taster about what it would be like to work as a forensic scientist for Essex police and tried out some of the numerous techniques they use to enhance, develop, picture and then categorise fingerprints from evidence collected from a scene of crime. The students were exemplary and represented the school well. I would like to thank Essex Police, the individuals that looked after us and PC Paul Clark for setting up this opportunity. Mr McCue
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Top 7 University Interview Tips It’s about that time of the year when UCAS applications are steadily being processed and students are feeling the excitement of logging on to UCAS Track to find out if they have received an offer or need to attend an interview in order to complete that next step to Higher Education. With this in mind, here are my top tips to help you prepare for an interview! This advice is from my personal experience of attending an interview at the University of York for a Computer Science course, so may differ slightly for other courses and universities. 1. Do your research into the university and how they teach your chosen course. Although questions surrounding these aspects may not come up, it will certainly help when you come to make your firm and insurance choices. 2. First Impressions are very important so greet your interviewer with a firm handshake when necessary. The Pure Potential Interview Guide says to avoid the ‘deadfish’ (weak) or ‘bone-crusher’ (very strong) type of handshakes. 3. Smile. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget to smile when you’re nervous. Nerves are understandable but don’t forget to flash those pearly whites and show the interviewer that you’re a bold and confident person. 4. Possible questions that are likely to come up and are worth a thought are: a. Why did you choose this university? b. Why did you choose this course? You are also likely to be asked about something included in your personal statement, so make sure you read it a couple of times before the interview and make a note of anything which the interviewer may bring up. 5. Have your own question that you genuinely want to find out about, as you can be almost certain that the interviewer will ask if you have a question. Make sure that your question’s answer isn’t found in the university prospectus or website. This will look like you haven’t researched properly. 6. Be honest. If you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification, and if you don’t know the answer to something say, but show how you would be interested in learning about it. 7. Practice, practice, practice. Practice with a parent, friend, teacher, or even yourself in the mirror (worked for me)! The more you hear yourself answering a question out loud, the more confident you will be on the day. Overall, be yourself, don’t forget to have a good time and enjoy the day! By David Abiona 13-07
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Hair & Beauty Hair Price List Styling (including styling products) Cut and Blow Dry/Set £6.00 Wet Cut £3.50 Shampoo and Set £4.00 Blow Dry £4.00 Braids/Platting £4.00 Intensive Conditioning Treatments (Short) £5.00 Intensive Conditioning Treatments (Shoulder length) £7.00 Intensive Conditioning Treatments (Below shoulder) £8.00 Hair Extensions by Quotation PERMING (*without cut and finish) Perm— long hair by quotation £10.00* COLOURING (*without cut and finish) Semi-Permanent or Temporary £10.00* Permanent £15.00 / £20.00 Highlights/Woven £20.00 / £30.00
Beauty Price List Make-up Day Evening Special Occasion Waxing Half leg Three quarter leg Full leg Bikini line Forearm (half) Full arm Underarm Abdomen Lip & chin Electrical Facials Microcurrent Vacuum Suction Facial Faradic Facial Galvanic Facial High Frequency
£4.00 £4.00 £4.00 £5.25 £6.50 £8.00 £3.95 £4.50 £4.75 £3.50 £3.50 £3.25 £8.00 £8.00 £8.00 £8.00 £8.00
Facials Basic Paraffin Wax Prepared Masks Peel-off Mask Dermalogica Facial
£6.50 £7.25 £7.25 £7.25 £10.00
Manicure Basic Paraffin Wax Prepared Mask Peel-off Mask Electric Mitts French Manicure File & Polish only Pedicure Basic Paraffin Wax Electric Booties French Manicure File & Polish only Eyebrow & Lashes Eyebrow tinting Eyelash tinting Eyebrow/lash tinting Eyebrow shaping (waxing) Eyelash perming Massage Full body massage Back massage Aromatherapy-full body massage Aromatherapy-back massage Electrical Body Treatments Faradic Galvanic G5 Vacuum Suction Micro current Epilation Eyebrows Lip/Chin Bikini Underarm Abdomen
KJ’s Hair and Beauty Salon
The King John School Shipwrights Drive Thundersley Essex Tel: Beaut y 07766407190 Hair 07766406967 www.thekjs.essex.sch.u k We specialise in Dermalogica Products 17
£4.75 £5.95 £5.25 £5.95 £7.25 £6.00 £3.25 £5.25 £5.95 £7.25 £6.50 £3.25 £3.50 £4.50 £5.95 £3.95 £8.00 £10.00 £4.00 £12.00 £5.00 £7.00 £7.00 £5.00 £7.00 £7.00 £3.00 £3.00 £5.00 £5.00 £3.00
THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER窶年o 54 December 2013
By Brodie Coxshall, Rhianna Gibbs and Kurtis Launder.
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
PAUSE PAUSE posters have been iconic around the main school for a number of years, but Mr Watts decided it was about time that the Sixth Form students had their own personal twist on the posters. Loui and I were given the task to create new PAUSE posters but with a twist. We had many meetings with Mr Mechem and finally decided upon a Vogue styled poster. After completing research, we decided to start photographing a variety of students from both year 12 and 13. Once the photos were completed, this is where the real task begun. THE EDITING. We started by selecting 5 of our favourite pictures to be used for the 5 letters of ‘PAUSE’. After this we started using our research of Vogue to manipulate our photos into authentic representations. Many hours of editing later we finally had 5 posters that we were happy and proud of. We would like to give a thank you to anyone who was involved in any area throughout the process; we couldn’t have created them to this standard without your help. We finally would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to Mr Mechem for all his support and allowing Loui and I to use his computer at any time, even when he had a lesson. By Emmy Dixson and Loui Sharman
Examinations Office The King John School Examination Office now publishes all important examination information on the school website. Look in the Main Entrance section and you will see the new examinations tab on the right-hand side. We will be regularly updating the site with deadlines, times, venues, booklets and guidelines etc. Please keep checking the site for the latest information about the current and forthcoming examination sessions. Please contact the Exams Officer, Ms. S Newton, with any enquiries.
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Languages Welcome to Mrs Sutton who has joined the Spanish department , Mrs Sutton is an experienced Spanish teacher and examiner for GCSE and A level for both French and Spanish and we are very lucky to have her join our team. During October half term, Miss Murray and Mr Del Rosario took a group of year 8 students to a residential farm near Barcelona Here is what Ewan Waller, one of the year 8 students thought: La Granja is a very fun place. You can talk to everyone in Spanish instead of English for once. The part that I liked the best about the trip to La Granja was the opportunity of meeting new people and trying new things. Students who are considering going to La Granja should do it as it is once in a lifetime opportunity. You do not usually get to have this experience. I would certainly take part again!
Student successes! Congratulations to the following students for being nominated by their peers or teachers as the student of the month in their class and year. Year
French
Spanish
7
Olufolahanwa Oyetunde Simbiat Mustapha
Danielle Crisp Ewan Nevett
8
Jacob Winter Jessica Miller
Othni Pachy Joe Clark
9
Jessica Hanlon Marcus Chan
Ellis Gamon Ashleigh Greenslade
10
Chloe Knowles Natasha Mpofu
Christopher Lane Bethany Impey
11
Harvey Coplestone Jude Fitzsimons
Lucy Wakeling Joy Ferrand
12
Jasmine Catmull Oliver Youell
Emma White Lawson Gregory
13 Italian
Need extra help with your French or Spanish homework? Want to practice some speaking? Just want to check something quickly? Lorena & Mrs Rouyer Brown our Spanish and French assistants are available to help you each Tuesday in UC8. Drop in if you need any support with homework, coursework or just to find out about something French or Spanish!
Daniel Lee Katie Bull Jordan Rowe
Dates to remember! March 2014 KS4 Trip to Paris. Over 30 students will be undertaking language and cultural tasks around the beautiful city of Paris. April 2014 – Spanish trip to Barcelona and surrounding regions. Students will be enjoying the culture and language opportunities provided in this beautiful part of Spain May 2014 Year 7 and 8 trip to St Omer, France for a trip combining science , history, cookery and French! Details for all trips, including photos and videos of past trips and letters can be found on the VLE, French/ Spanish, Trips
Joyeux Noel! Feliz navidad! From the Languages Faculty!
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
LANGUAGES CONT’D Growing Up Multi-lingual Growing up in a multi-lingual family has enabled me to appreciate a wide range of cultures. In my household, there are three main languages – Krio (Sierra Leone), English and Yoruba (Nigeria). Although English is the main language spoken in our house, Krio is also a regular dialect, which has been spoken to us from an early age. Krio is a West African language made up from a mixture of African and English, and also includes some hints of Portuguese and French. Learning this language makes it easier for me to pick up other languages, but also means Krio can be understood a lot easier than most other languages, by people who don’t necessarily originate from Sierra Leone. For example, the Krio word ‘pickin’, which means child, comes from the Portuguese word "pequeno." The Yoruba language is not as easy to pick up because similarly to the Chinese language, one word pronounced in different ways can mean different things. Pidgin English from Nigeria is a form of ‘broken English’ and can be understood by those who speak Krio. Growing up multilingual has influenced my language in various ways and in addition, these influences come from socialising with family and friends from other countries including Ghana, Uganda and Trinidad & Tobago, but mostly by my environment and cultural background. Rebecca Abiona 13-04
Physical Education DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY This year was by far the coldest and wettest Districts we have ever been to!!! All of the students ran well and coped with the very difficult conditions. The year 7 girls went first and Phoebe Judd was the first King John girl home in 6th place. The team finished 4th in a very competitive age group. The year 7 boys had Joshua Murphy-Roe as their first runner home in 7th and the team finished 3rd. The year 8 and 9 girl’s race was very close in the opening stages, but Niamh Smith pulled away from her closest rival and finished in 1st place. Katy Fenner and Abby Rex also finished in the top 10 and the team finished an agonising 2nd, only 1 point away from 1st. The year 8 & 9 boys had Lukas Volk as their top finisher in 2nd place, with Bryce O'Dea in 6th, again the team were 2nd. The year 10 & 11 girls were crowned District Champions with all 4 runners in the top 10 finishers. Kiera Tippett was 2nd Emily Warren 5th, Abbi May Walters 6th and Briony Findlay 8th. The year 10 and 11 boy’s race was won by a huge margin by Christian Gray. This is the 2nd time Christian has won this title and he did it in fantastic fashion with Aaron Marshall in 7th. Overall, the team finished in 2nd place. Thank you to all of the parents that came down and stood in the freezing cold to support the school! Mrs Cann and Mr Webb 21
THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
Waste not, want not! The whole school recently considered the effects of waste food on the environment and on the purse. A recent survey stated that an average family throws away the equivalent of six meals every week, about £650 of food per year. With this in mind, students were asked to submit their favourite dish made with leftover food and the winning recipe was from Lucy Oliveri (8-07). Her recipe is given below and more ideas for using up leftover food can be found at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com .
Chicken pie with carrot mash 60g chopped streaky bacon 340g leeks, washed and sliced 1 large (leftover) tomato, diced 340g cooked (leftover) chicken, diced 450ml chicken stock (can be made from roast chicken carcase) 2 dessertspoons plain flour 2 tablespoons crème fraiche 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and sage ½ teaspoon tarragon 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry 1 beaten egg or milk to glaze Seasoning Dry fry the bacon until crispy then add the leeks and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the diced tomato then sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Stir well and gradually add the stock whilst gently stirring. Bring to the boil then add the crème fraiche and herbs and transfer to an oven proof dish. Cover the mixture with the puff pastry and glaze with the egg or milk. Bake in the oven, gas 5, 190°c, until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot (about 30 minutes). Serve with the carrot mash and greens. Carrot mash Leftover potatoes and carrots mashed together with 1 tablespoon milk and heated through until piping hot. Mrs Franklin, Food Technology and Catering Department Science Key Stage 3 Club Students who have attended the Key Stage 3 science club, have looked at a range of topics this term including finding out what colour the leaves are really turning and testing alkali metals’ reactions with water. Students are now investigating whether the acoustics in one of the science rooms can be improved, after extensive testing of different materials students' are planning to cover a wall in the room with egg boxes. Watch this space.....
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER—No 54 December 2013
2013 Family Learning week provides the opportunity for families to learn together. The King John School hosted a wide variety of activities for families to take part. National Family Learning Week is an annual awareness campaign promoting family learning events across the country. The week was a great success and there were over 30 events on offer and over 400 people attended . The feedback was very positive from parents and students. Parents enjoyed the activities but liked coming into school and learning as a family. The week also enabled parents to learn how to support their child at home. We look forward to seeing you all next year! Feedback from students ‘My name is Jaimie Linnen, I am a year 7 student and I took part in the Beauty session at the family fun week, which was really great. I went with my mum and my best friend Olivia and we learnt how to give a manicure. It was really interesting and I loved being in the salon’.
Jaimie Linnen
‘My name is Olivia Crossman and I took part in the Family Fun week. I went with my Dad to Olivia Crossman the fitness. It was really fun as my dad normally goes to the gym and it was great to learn from my dad and to also show him what I have been learning in PE. Family Fun with Art
Family Fun with Maths Family Fun with Media
Family Fun in the Fitness Suite
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THE KING JOHN NEWSLETTER窶年o 54 December 2013
Level 3 Electrical Treatments Body Electrical Treatments: Galvanic Electro muscle stimulator Micro-Current Lymphatic Drainage
Facial Electrical Treatments Direct High Frequency Galvanic Micro-Current Lymphatic Drainage All facials are good for deep cleansing of the skin, they also help to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles giving skin youth and radiance. Visible results can be seen after a course of treatments. Cost per treatment ﾂ｣10
Visible results can be seen after a course of treatments. Cost of treatment ﾂ｣8.
Looking to hire the KJS Facilities Well look no further If interested please contact James Benford 01702 426703 Or E-mail : jamesb@thekjs.com The School can offer: Astroturf Sports Hall Gymnasium Classrooms Theatre Dance Studio All available to hire in the evening or on a Saturday (Regrettably we cannot hire premises for social gatherings and parties)
Sudoku Answers from page 3 24