The importance of The Summer Holidays By Lizzie Shepherd The summer holidays are a very important part of the year. Many kids like it because of the 6-7 weeks free of school and homework. However, the summer holidays are important for many other reasons than the absence of school. The free time and nice weather means that it is the perfect time to make good friendships, create memories, and get to better know yourself. However many people waste their summer holidays doing nothing but sitting around watching tv and sleeping. There are many good things you could do in these 42 days. You could go on a long walk or have a picnic with your friends. Even though the sunny weather is a big part of summer not everyone enjoys the sun, you can still have fun without it. You could make jewellery, have a sleepover with your friends, finish a book you’ve been meaning to for ages or even write you own short story. The summer is filled with beauty everywhere you look. Flowers are in full bloom with all of their beautiful colours, the weather is amazing ,days are longer leaving more time for adventure, and so much more. You only get 43830 hours to be a teenager.5040 of those hours are spent in summer holidays. Use them wisely.
✩Bucket list✩ By Eylul Uger and Lizzie Shepherd
✿Paint tote bags✿ ✿Have a picnic✿ ✿Go berry picking at a farm✿ ✿Make bracelets ✿ ✿Buy cheap cameras and make a summer photo album✿ ✿Go pottery painting✿ ✿Have a huge game of tag✿ ✿Photoshoot✿ ✿Stargaze✿ ✿Tye dye shirts✿ ✿Go minigolf✿ ✿Visit a museum✿ ✿At home spa day✿ ✿Go to an escape room✿ ✿Karaoke with friends✿ ✿Baking competition✿ ✿Movie marathon✿ ✿Make a time capsule✿ ✿Go to an art gallery✿ ✿Make paintings together✿ ✿Fly kites✿ ✿Take an art class✿ ✿Make milkshakes✿ ✿Plant flowers✿ ✿Draw on the ground with chalk✿ ✿Make homemade pizza✿ ✿Volunteer somewhere✿ ✿Have a game night with friends✿ ✿Go bowling✿ ✿Play is a slip-n-slide✿ ✿Go on a road trip✿ ✿Go 24 hours without internet or television✿ ✿Climb a tree✿
Refreshing Strawberry lemonade By George Smith For those hot summer days when you need a cool down… Ingredients 175g sugar 400g strawberries, hulled and quartered, plus extra whole strawberries to serve (optional) 200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (the juice of about 4-5 lemons) Ice, to serve
Method
1. Tip the sugar and 1 litre water into a saucepan over a medium heat and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. 2. Put the strawberries in a blender and blitz to a purée. You can strain this through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds, if you prefer. Tip the strawberry purée into a large jug with the sugar water and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Pour into glasses filled with ice and serve garnished with whole strawberries, if you like. Will keep chilled for a day.
Enjoy!
Make your own bread!
Sourdough Bread Ingredients •
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
•
3-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°), divided
•
7 to 8 cups bread flour, divided
•
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
•
2 tablespoons butter, melted
•
2 tablespoons sugar
•
2 teaspoons salt
•
Cornmeal
Directions 1. In a 4-qt. non-metallic bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of flour until smooth. Cover loosely with a clean towel. Let stand in a warm place (80°to 90°) to ferment for 48 hours; do not stir. (The mixture will become bubbly and rise, have a "yeasty" sour aroma and change colour from transparent yellow to grey over the course of 48 hours.) 2. Stir in milk powder, butter, sugar, salt, remaining water and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. (Do not knead.) Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. 3. Heavily grease baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Gently punch dough down. Turn onto a well-floured surface; divide in half. (If baking loaves one at a time, cover and refrigerate half of the dough. Proceed with shaping and second rise when oven is ready so shaped loaf can be baked immediately after the second rise.) 4. With floured hands, gently move the dough in a circular motion. Use friction from the counter to stretch the surface and create a smooth top and round loaf. Quickly and gently transfer to prepared pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°. 5. With a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal slashes across tops of loaves. Immediately bake for 10 minutes. Gently brush or spray loaves with cold water; bake 25-35 minutes longer or until golden brown.
Roding Valley in Bloom! By Sophia Barrett and Sydney Campbell
The 27 Club By Ellie Wakinshaw
When Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain passed in 1994, people began to make connections. Cobain died at 27 - the same age as four famous musicians in the late 1960’s/early 1970’s. This brought public attention back to the aforementioned event. But who were these musicians, and why did they all die at the same age, and around the same time? Brian Jones was the founding member of The Rolling Stones and the first of these four musicians. He played multiple instruments in the band, including the guitar and the mellotron. Unfortunately, Jones developed a severe substance abuse problem which led to negative effects on his health beginning to show in the mid 60s, and eventually getting him kicked out of the band in June of 1969. A month later, he was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool, under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Although it was seemingly ‘death by misadventure’, there have been copious theories suspecting otherwise. Jimi Hendrix was a revolutionary electric guitarist in the late 60s. He is often considered one of, if not the best guitarist ever. This is especially amazing, because his career only spanned four years, and was cut short by his untimely death. On September 18, 1970, Hendrix asphyxiated on his own vomit, after having overdosed on sleeping pills - almost twenty times the amount regularly prescribed. It is not known why he did this; was it murder, suicide, or just an accident?
Janis Joplin was the frontwoman of Big Brother and the Holding Company and was a successful solo artist. She won over the San Francisco music scene with her rich, bluesy vocals. Joplin released two albums with Big Brother and later, two solo albums. The last album, 1971’s Pearl, was released after her death from an accidental heroin overdose, in a Hollywood hotel room. Coincidentally, the singer passed only two weeks after the latter, Hendrix. Jim Morrison was the lead singer and lyricist of The Doors. He led quite a chaotic life - he had prominent drinking problems,was often outrageous on stage, and was an infamous womaniser. In 1971, he left the band, and moved to Paris with partner Pamela Courson (who, tragically, also passed at 27), to write poetry. But soon after, Morrison was found dead in his bathtub, from a drug-induced heart attack. No autopsy was performed (it was not required by French law), so there is still a veil of speculation surrounding his death. So, why did all these musicians pass at the same age? And, all within the space of 2-3 years? Well, the answer is, no one really knows. It just seems to be an incredibly unfortunate coincidence.
Summertime Ideas: By Eve Ansell School’s nearly out! And summer is practically at our fingertips! Summer time is the best holiday to spend time with your family and friends because of the beautiful weather, but sometimes we just feel stuck on what to do. The possibilities are endless and I have some of the best summer ideas to get you out of a slump. 1. Arts and crafts - arts and crafts are the best way to cure boredom, they are cheap, easy (sometimes!) and very time consuming and, most importantly, FUN! Just about anything around the house can be turned into something amazing! Some examples of fun arts and crafts are: origami, decorating, and making a mask! And even more! 2. Going to the beach - Do you want a place to really soak up the sun? Well, why don’t you go down to the beach? Fun for all ages and a place to try new things like swimming in the sea, making a sandcastle or searching for sea creatures! And of course, a place to relax for all the parents out there! 3. Museums and roadtrips - explore new areas and learn more about our world and its fascinating history! It’s time to get packing! 4. Homework - Oops! Just kidding! Summer is a time to relax, so no homework! You have been waiting for these six weeks for 323 days! Enjoy your time off! 5. Reading - Reading is a great way to pass the time and also boosting your vocabulary at the same time! The Loughton Library hosts a reading
competition during the summertime. It’s an amazing way to get involved and to meet new people and potentially make new friends!
Here’s to 70 years! By Jenade Rayment
These last terms have been good. We have had the Queen's 70th Jubilee where the planes flew over central London in a 70. She's the longest living Monarch to reign britain. We also had a portrait competition and a cake competition. The art competition was fun as I entered it and made her out of buttons. Whose crown is that? I think I know. Its owner is quite happy though. Full of joy like a vivid rainbow, I watch her laugh. I cry hello. She gives her crown a shake, And laughs until her belly aches. The only other sounds are the break, of distant waves and birds awake. The crown is shiny, rich and deep, But she has promised to keep, after tea and cake lots of sleep. Sweet dreams come to her cheap. She rises from her gentle bed, With thoughts of corgis in her head, She eats her jam with lots of bread. Ready for the day ahead.
Lesley Aggrey
Shows and movies to watch this summer By Lesley Aggrey
2022 is a good year for Marvel fans with exciting new titles such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will catch up with Stephen Strange after the Sorcerer Supreme got caught up in the events of Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame Genres : Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Horror (PG-13) Scheduled to be released on Disney Plus on Wednesday 22nd of June Thor Love and Thunder The God of Thunder returns to the marvel universe for one last time in a quest for inner peace. But Thor’s retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer who seeks extinction of the gods. Thor enlists the help of his friends to stop the God Butcher before it’s too late. Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy (PG-13) Released in cinemas July 8 2022 Stranger Things After the mysterious vanishing of a young boy, the people of a small town begin to uncover secrets of a government lab, portals to another world and evil monsters. The first half of season 4 was released on May 27 and the second half will be released July 1. With every episode being over 45 minutes, Stranger Things is the perfect show to binge watch this summer. The Umbrella Academy
43 women around the world gave birth at the same time on October 1 1989, despite none of them showing any sign of pregnancy until they went into labour. Seven of the children are adopted by billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves and turned into a superhero team he calls ‘The Umbrella Academy’. Season 3 will be released on Netflix on June 22, 2022. (TV 14)
Top Tips for Applying to Oxford University By Erin Weeks
Last week, a group of year 12’s were lucky enough to get a tour of Oxford university and hear some crucial advice from students and staff on how to apply. Applying To Oxford University Tips: 1. Personal Statement • 80% Supercurricular • 20% Extra Curricular Subject:
Oxford Recommended Super Curricular:
Biology:
The Epigenetics Revolution by Nessa Carey [Book] A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson [Book]
Computer Science:
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife [Book] Discrete Mathematics for Computing by Rod Haggarty [Book]
Engineering:
Why Don’t Penguins Feet Freeze [Book] Coasters 101: An Engineer's Guide to Roller Coaster Design by Nick Weisenberger [Book] How Things Work the Physics of Everyday Life by Louis A Bloomfield [Book]
Medicine:
Do No Harm by Henry Marsh [Book] The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee [Book] The Music of Life by Denis Noble [Book]
Psychology:
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre [Book] Blink by Malcolm Gladwell [Book] The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Oliver Sacks [Book] Opening Skinner’s Box by Lauren Slater [Book]
2.
Super Curriculars: • Something you pursue outside of your schoolwork, but shows an academic interest • These are essentially examples, which demonstrate your suitability for studying a subject at university • Critically Analyse - What did you learn? What did you agree or disagree with? Any links? • Examples: Reading, Podcasts, Talks/Lectures, Magazines/Newspapers, Work Placements
3.
Extra Curricular: • Something you pursue outside of your school work • These show that you have hobbies and interests outside of your studies • Examples include, sports, school clubs, out of school clubs, volunteering etc
4.
Oxford Admissions Interview/Tests: • A conversation about the subject you love with someone who equally loves the subject • How to prepare: Have discussions with a friend/relative about a subject you have little to no knowledge on - get used to your mind going blank. • Tests may be course specific- LNAT etc • Submission of written work [work you’ve already written] -essays etc