Maidstone Grammar School for Girls Non sibi sed omnibus
The Summer Bulletin July 2018
End of Year Message By Miss Stanley, Headteacher
This term has seen some fantastic achievements. The Great Silence 2 on 29th June was an impressive day and evidenced some innovative teaching and real commitment on the part of students. The day was to raise funds for the refurbishment of the library. We will see the library painted over the summer and more resources starting to come into the library. I am grateful to all those who sponsored students for this event. The school’s 130th celebration on 7th July was a wonderful afternoon. We had visitors who had left the school over 50 years ago, together with others who are due to start in September. The tunnel tours proved to be very popular as were the afternoon teas. I am grateful to all the staff and students who gave so willingly of their time for this event. At the end of this term we are saying goodbye to some members of staff. Mr Cook is retiring after 35 years at MGGS, the whole of his teaching career. It is impossible to put into words how great an impact Mr Cook has had on so many students at MGGS. He will certainly be missed by all within the Science department as well as by the whole school. It is very unusual in this day and age for a teacher to dedicate the whole of their teaching career to one school. We are very grateful to him for all the time and energy he has given to the school. He goes with our very best wishes for his retirement. Mrs Owen is also retiring after 24 years at MGGS. She has since 2009 being very involved in the Sixth Form as Head of Study. She has worked tirelessly with all students in the sixth form to ensure they have made the very best of their education here at MGGS, and has given an immense amount of time to supporting students on an individual basis. I know many students are hugely grateful to her for this. Mrs Owen has achieved outstanding success in her leadership of Textiles during her time here. I have frequently been amazed at the quality of the work students have produced in Textiles and has so often been on display in reception. Mrs Owen also leaves with our very best wishes for her retirement. Mrs Crozier has, after thirteen years at MGGS, gained promotion to Rochester College to lead on Teaching and Leading. Her passion for History has been constant throughout her time here, particularly in teaching the Crusades. She will be particularly remembered for organising and running the medieval fayre for a number of years for KS3 students. Mr Horstrup, as I have previously informed parents and students is moving to become Headteacher at Dover Boys Grammar School, after 12 years at MGGS. Mr Horstrup started at MGGS as Assistant Headteacher and very quickly took over the leadership of the Sixth Form. During his time in charge of the Sixth Form Mr Horstrup oversaw the Sixth Form’s move to Buckland House, and it is to him we are indebted to for the names of ‘Sixth Form Central’ and ‘The Engine Room’. More recently Mr Horstrup became Deputy Headteacher, as part of a then team of three Deputy Headteachers, before in these last three years being sole Deputy Headteacher. This role in particular, has involved both pastoral and curriculum responsibilities. We wish Mr Horstrup the very best in his new role and look forward to hearing from him in due course.
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Maidstone Grammar School for Girls Non sibi sed omnibus
The Summer Bulletin July 2018
End of Year Message Continued By Miss Stanley, Headteacher
We have three colleagues who have been with us during this last academic year and who are moving on to new opportunities at the end of this academic year: Miss Feeney, Mrs Walker and Mrs Forbes-Gower. We are grateful to each of them for their work at MGGS this year and wish them all the best for the future. I do want to take this opportunity to thank all the staff, both teaching and support staff for all their work this year. They give tirelessly of their time for the benefit of all the students and I am grateful to have such a team of dedicated professionals here at MGGS. It has been a busy term with students in Years 10,11 and 13 all taking public examinations. We wish them the very best for their results and look forward to seeing them on results days.
The weather this summer has been very good, but has often felt too hot, but I trust the beautiful weather will continue into the holiday, and everyone has a chance to really enjoy it. Can I wish you all a happy and enjoyable summer holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone again to start term on Tuesday, 4th September.
Governors’ News
As another school year draws to its close, I am amazed how quickly the last year has gone by. The school year has been packed with events from House Arts and the Carol Service in the Autumn to the 130th celebration and the Key Stage Three afternoon in July. Governors have enjoyed attending events and witnessing our students’ excellent work across art and technology, drama, music and sport. Well done to all students and a sincere thank you to the staff who put in many hours preparing students and making sure that events run smoothly. The Governors have also had a busy year supporting the school and helping it to develop further. We have been in school visiting departments and helping with school management and administration so that we are well informed about the work of the students and staff. Our Governing Body has been strengthened over the last year with the appointment of new parent and co-opted governors. We welcome interest in the Governing Body and if anyone would like to know more, do please contact our clerk to the Governors at the school. I am leaving the Governing Body at the end of this school year. I have reached the end of my term of office and my academic and personal commitments make it too difficult for me to complete another four years. It has been a privilege to work as a governor for MGGS and I wish the school well. I leave the Governing Body in very good hands; Mrs Lindsay Horne is taking over as chair and Dr Rosanne Brimsted and Mrs Jo Oakley will be vice-chairs. Finally, I would like to wish everyone an enjoyable summer break and hope that the exam results in August bring happiness and the results students deserve.
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Development Trust News By Mrs Brewer , Development Trust Officer I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support over the past 7 months, since I started as the School’s Development Trust Officer. We have achieved so much and I am especially proud of all the students, who have pulled together to help complete our ‘Let There Be Light’ campaign. Special thanks also go to The Oldham Trust and the Rochester Bridge Trust for their contributions. The Rochester Bridge Trust visited us to see the completed works on Thursday 5th July. Russell Cooper, Senior Warden at the Rochester Bridge Trust, said:
“Having been instrumental in founding Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, the Trust was pleased to be able to continue its support by providing this grant for stage lighting equipment. “At the Trust we appreciate the impact of engineering on our daily lives and this grant gives the pupils the opportunity to gain practical experience of the science and engineering behind the art of theatre production.” At Maidstone Grammar School for Girls we have a highly regarded team of skilled Student AV Technicians, who are in charge of every event, show and production held at the school. Being a technician is not for the faint hearted and involves elements ranging from sound engineering, lighting design and operation, to projection and professional photography. The new stage lighting power distribution systems have enabled the school to make use of the amazing lighting facilities, which had had to be taken out of action due to ageing wiring and electrical problems of the 30 year old system. The AV students gain industry standard experience with our state of art sound and lighting systems enabling them to be prepared for jobs in the future such as working in theatres and film. They also get hands-on experience of skills such as developing teamwork, confidence and social interaction.
The big in-school event of the year was ‘The Great Silence’ which raised £6,934.17 (plus Gift Aid) towards the refurbishment of the school Library. Huge congratulations to the Romans who raised the most, but all of the Houses did a great job and will be receiving 100 points towards the House Cup for every £100 they raised. A special mention must also go to Oluwasemilore F and Lucy P in year 7 and Bethya G in year 8 who raised over £100 each.
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The Summer Bulletin Development Trust News Continued By Mrs Brewer , Development Trust Officer th th
Our 130 Birthday Party on 7 July was a huge success and we really enjoyed meeting lots of our Alumni. It was wonderful to learn more about our history from those who were here and to see how much they cherish their fond memories of MGGS. As part of our celebrations, year 12 students Emily J and Grace M ran a mini summer fair. Together with their team of volunteers, they raised a total of £702.90 for the Development Trust Office. We are very grateful for their hard work. Well done to you all! Emily J said “The 130th celebrations had been a long anticipated event and to be able to be a part of it was amazing, to meet people that have previously been apart of MGGS was incredible and hearing their stories about their days back at school, it was obvious how prominent the community spirit was throughout the school to every old student I talked to and was great to see how that had not changed. To be able to organise the Summer Fair with a dedicated team of students brought great joy to see how much enjoyment people got from the stalls and activities we had organised. Overall an amazing day!”
Emily J and Grace P who did a wonderful job of organising a mini summer fair at our 130th birthday celebrations.
Year 8 students, Jasmine N and Katie D worked extremely hard on their stall of beautiful, homemade creations and raised £89.50 for the Development Trust Office.
Jasmine N said “My friend Katie and I had been working for months on a craft stall for the MGGS 130th anniversary celebrations. We had made phone cases glasses cases, purses pillow cases, the list goes on. On Saturday 7th we finally had the chance to sell our products. It was a great day and despite the heat, we made £89.50 for the school! It was an amazing opportunity for Katie and I to develop not only our textiles skills but also our business skills. All in all the event was a huge success which has given us great hope for the future! Many thanks to MGGS for letting us take part in this event.” The DTO’s next project is ‘A Garden to Remember’. Our aim is to create a beautiful, peaceful space for students to remember lost loved ones, but also a place for our Alumni to leave a legacy and for the family of our Alumni to be able to come and celebrate the lives of those members of the MGGS community who have passed away. If you would like to find out more, please contact dto@mggs.org for more information.
Jasmine N and Katie D with some of their stunning creations.
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The Summer Bulletin Key Stage Three Celebration By Miss Heppeler, Assistant Headteacher
We are pleased to celebrate the success of our Year 9 students as they leave Key Stage Three and start their GCSEs. Joining us for our Key Stage Three Celebration was Mrs Farnham, previous Head of Year 7, who gave a speech to our Year 9 students and Year 7 and 8 prize winners. Well done to all students and to those who performed at the event and all prize winners.
Charity Update By Miss Heppeler, Assistant Headteacher
Yet again, MGGS students have had an excellent year of fundraising, from RAG week in December to raise funds for our partner schools in Nepal to individual form charity events throughout the year. So far this year, students have raised a total of ÂŁ13 276, with events still taking place right up until the end of term. A huge thank you goes to all of Year 9 and the Music Department who organised the Wish Upon a Heart concert and raised ÂŁ1 857.05. This is a fantastic achievement. Well done and thank you to all!
Outlet Suggestion Box By Mrs Medcalf, Trips & Visit Co-ordinator
We would like to encourage students to make suggestions for what stock they would like to be sold in the Outlet, or, improvements that could be made. As of September, there will be a pile of notecards, near the Outlet hatch, for students to complete and post through the suggestion box.
Public Examination Results By Mrs Weston, Examinations Officer
16th August 2018
A Level Results in Main Hall Year 13 8.30-9.30am Year 12 9.00am-9.30am (approx. 5 students)
23rd August 2018
GCSE Results in Room A101 Year 11 9.00-10.00am Year 10 10.00-11.00am
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The Summer Bulletin Stephen Hawking’s Interment at Westminster Abbey 15/06/18 By Megan H and Alex E Year 12 Professor Stephen Hawking (born on 8th January 1942) worked on the basic laws of the Universe, the most notable being his work on black holes and the Big Bang.
In 1963, at the age of 21, Stephen was diagnosed with ALS, a form of Motor Neurone Disease, and was given just 2 years to live, but he lived for an extra 55 years after diagnosis. Motor Neurone Disease gradually affects the brain cells that carry signals to the body’s muscles which caused Hawking to become wheelchair bound and dependant on a computerised voice system. His most famous life achievement is his combination of the theory of relativity with the quantum theory. He discovered that black holes emit electromagnetic radiation, later named “Hawking Radiation”. This suggests that overtime black holes lose mass, causing Hawking to theorise that black holes evaporate. In 1988, his book “A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes” was published. Hawking wrote the book for non-specialist readers who needed no prior knowledge on existing scientific theories in Cosmology (the study of the Universe). He was a strong believer that information should not just be retained by the most elite in his field. Professor Stephen Hawking died on 14th March 2018 in Cambridge, England, at the age of 76, with his Interment being held at Westminster Abbey on 15th June 2018. At the express wish of his family a number of seats were made available to schools and the general public. The ceremony was attended by 4 students from MGGS: Megan H, Alexander E, Angharad G and Anna S accompanied by Mrs Davies and Mr Reid. The ceremony was filled with the recollections of fellow scientists and friends of Stephen Hawking and was accompanied by some very memorable and beautiful music. The reading by Benedict Cumberbatch was a highlight. The setting of Westminster Abbey and the sight of so many famous faces made the occasion even more memorable for both students and staff. This really was a once in a lifetime event.
Biology News!
A group of Year 10 students took part in the Royal Society of Biology Challenge in March this year. Every single student who took part achieved an award ranging from Commended up to Gold. Huge congratulations go to Sarah I and Annabelle J who achieved the top Gold award. A group of Year 12 students then took part in the Royal Society of Biology Intermediate Olympiad in June. It was a really tough paper but huge congratulations go to Lydia W and Kaitlyn C for achieving the Gold Award and scoring 84% and 79% respectively. Well done to everyone who took part, you really made us proud!
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The Summer Bulletin Maidstone Area Book Awards Trip By Mrs Hill, Learning Resources Co-ordinator th On Thursday 9 May, a group of nine girls from Years 7-10 travelled to Valley Park School for the ‘MABA’ awards ceremony. The girls who had participated in a regular book group, read the six nominated books and voted for their favourite one. At the award ceremony we met one of the nominated authors, Bali Rai. Bali wrote ‘City of Ghosts’ and spoke about his writing inspirations. He was very opinionated about social media culture and we enjoyed discussing our favourite YouTube stars and fiction authors with the students from the five other schools who took part in this event. Bali passionately believes that “Books should make you feel something and challenge what you believe about the world.” Although Bali didn’t win, he knew the winner Zana Fraillon personally and loved her book ‘The Bone Sparrow as much as the students did! Watch out for the ‘Tripadvisor’ style reviews in the Library and join our next MABA book group if you love reading!
E-twinning Project: Read and Share! By Mrs Bassett, Head of French
Over the last two terms, our avid readers from Years 8 to 10 have been involved in the etwinning project run by Mrs Bassett and a French school in Poitiers with the help of our librarian, Mrs Hill. Students chose to read a book (in English or French) and exchanged reviews in their respective target language on the e-twinning platform. A Skype session took place on the 25th June to allow the pupils to reflect on the project. This was a great challenge for our students, especially when they read in the target language, but the outcome was worth it! Keep an eye out for our next e-twinning project next year!
Musical Theatre Workshop By Miss Stanley, Head of Drama th
On Monday July 9 Sarah Hutchinson and Richard Free from YMT (Youth Music Theatre) visited MGGS to run a Musical Theatre workshop with 40 year 7 and 8 students. It was a fast paced 2 hours where students worked together to turn Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet into a contemporary musical using lyrics that they had written themselves. The lyric #loveisdead is still going round in my head! It didn’t matter whether students had any previous singing or dancing experience; it was about getting students to be creative and re-tell the story in their own unique way using a combination of dancing, singing and acting. Thank you to everyone who took part!
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The Summer Bulletin French Penpals Visit By Mrs S Bassett, Teacher of Modern Foreign Languages th On Thursday 14 June, 7C and 7N met their French penpals for the first time; although the rest of Year 7 haven’t yet met their own penpals, all forms were involved and carried out some language activities to put to practise what they had learnt in class. As well as speaking in the target language, the French pupils attended one lesson to immerse themselves into our school system for the day. A very big thank you goes to our French A level students, Abbey G, Anna C, Jennifer N, Baraqat S-B, Lena S-G, Gemma H, Molly L-M and Fabiana I, who organised and carried out the activities all day.
French Choir Club By Miss L Hunt, Teacher of Modern Foreign Languages
For the past three terms Miss Hunt and a group of 15 students from Year 7-9 have met every Tuesday lunchtime to sing in French. The songs they have been practising are modern French songs that are big hits in Francophone countries. The band the students have liked most are a group formed from the Voice, France, who were initially solo artists and became a band of six called 'Kids United'. The students have really enjoyed letting off some 'steam' whilst singing upbeat songs and learning French lyrics off by heart. On Thursday 14th June, the students from the singing club performed to 45 French students who visited for the day from Reims. The students from MGGS put on an excellent show despite the initial fear, and the atmosphere was buzzing!
Year 7 Trip to Boulogne-sur-mer By Mrs S Bassett, Head of French Year 7 pupils ventured out very early on the 20th June for 7A,C and F and on the 27th June for 7G, N and S for a day trip to Boulogne-sur-mer where they visited a sweet factory, bought souvenirs in the old town and saw the local market in the town centre. As they had been learning about shops and directions in class, pupils were able to put into practice what they had learnt to find their way around Boulogne. Although the ferry was not originally the chosen means of transport, the change turned out to be very popular and for some pupils, this was the highlight of their trip. A very popular and successful day out!
Year 9 Paris Trip By Mrs S Bassett, Head of French
Before embarking on their French adventure, 40 Year 9 students went to Paris for 5 days at the end of term 5. Mrs Bassett, the trip leader, Mrs Higbee, Mrs Chell and Mrs Farnham, who volunteered to take a week off retirement, all accompanied the party. And what fun they all had! From a visit to the Château Vaux-le-Vicomte, via the Parc Astérix theme park to the Eiffel Tower and Le Louvre, to mention a few, the students were immersed into the Parisian way of life - without forgetting pains au chocolat and croissants for breakfast everyday! Of course, the students had to taste snails too; you’ll appreciate that this was not as successful as the continental breakfast choices…
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Sports News Wimbledonth Trip Mrs Shave, Teacher of Physical Education On Wednesday 4 July, 9 lucky students had the opportunity to visit the iconic sporting event that is Wimbledon. The students enjoyed an exciting match between M Raonic and J Millman with each set going to a tie break. The next match was between A Radwanska and L Safarova. With the temperatures rising inside court 2 the match finished with a win for L Safarova. Some of the girls were lucky enough to sneak a glance of Roger Federer warming up before his match on centre court. A fantastic day out was had by all.
Charlotte qualifies for Kent U15 Netball Academy By Mrs Shave, Teacher of Physical Education
Charlotte W in 9S has qualified for the Kent U15 Netball Academy which forms part of the England Netball Performance Pathway. This follows 2 whole Sundays of trials in a process that started with 170 trialists, all of whom had been nominated by their school or club. This is the third consecutive year that Charlotte has achieved County recognition and she will now train with the Kent squad for 20 Monday evenings during the winter. Congratulations Charlotte and good luck in future netball matches!
CU13 Kwik Cricket Tournament and ODI Match By Mrs Shave & Miss Relph, Teachers of Physical Education On Friday 15th June our U13 cricket team travelled to Canterbury to take part in the secondary schools’ cricket festival. After a 3 hour journey (due to a severe accident on the planned route) the girls arrived and quickly prepared themselves for their matches. In the group stages they successfully beat Strood academy 226-218 and Wilmington Academy 219-206. They topped the group so went on the play Ashford School in the semi-final, after some beautiful bowling from all players they beat Ashford 224-199. In the final they met Sevenoaks School which was a tougher game and unfortunately we lost by 5 runs, with the final score being 219-214. So the U13’s came runners-up in the secondary school competition which is a fantastic achievement. Well done to all players.
Team: Millie R-E, Jessica B, Keira M, Emma K, Charlotte W, Ella B, Claudia A-C, Fern C, Stella G. The team then went on to the Spitfire Ground to watch an international match between England Women and South Africa.
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Sports News U13 and U15 Tournament at Mote Cricket Club By Mrs Shave, Teacher of Physical Education On Tuesday 5th June, the U13 and U15 cricket teams competed in the ‘Chance to Shine Cricket Competition’ at Mote Park. Both teams played extremely well with some great moments of cricket from Fern C and Emma K who were recognised for their efforts by being awarded a champagne moment trophy. The U15’s played so well that they have qualified for the regional competition to be played on Tuesday 10th July. Good Luck to the U15s and well done to everybody who took part!
U15 Regional Finals By Mrs Shave, Teacher of Physical Education th On Tuesday 10 July, we travelled to Malden Wanderers Cricket Club in Surrey to compete in the Regional Finals. The girls played two matches, one against Salesians from Surrey and one against Robert Clack from Essex. We won one and lost one which put us in second place and into the semi finals against Farlingaye School from Suffolk. The girls played well with some excellent batting and fielding but unfortunately lost the game. Special mentions must go to Gabi J for two excellent catches, Gracie H for brilliant bowling and Maia H for surviving some very fast and difficult bowling. It was a lovely day of cricket and an exceptional achievement to reach the regional finals.
District Athletics Competition at Julie Rose By Mrs Robbins, Head of Physical Education On Monday 9th July 16 students from Years 7-10 travelled to the Julie Rose athletics stadium in Ashford to compete in the Maidstone Schools’ District Athletics Competition. The girls fought hard against the other Maidstone schools in very hot conditions, producing some excellent results. Lucy T placed first in the 200m breaking the record in a time of 27.2, Eleora L placed 1st in the junior girls shot put and Madie H won the javelin for the third year in a row. The junior girls continued their run of success and brought home the trophy for first placed and the senior girls placed 3rd in what was a very competitive field. We would like to say a great big congratulations to all pupils who took part.
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Sports News Kent Cheerleading Success for MGGS By Mrs Smith,
Teacher of Physical Education On Wednesday 27th June MGGS entered its first cheerleading competition.This was held at the University of Kent as part of the Kent School Games which involved over 1000 students in various sports. The guest speaker at the event was Lizzie Yarnold, double Winter Olympic Gold medalist and as a former MGGS student came over to our team wish our girls good luck. The team felt very privileged to have the opportunity to chat with her and hold her gold medal. They performed brilliantly and won their category. In addition to this they were placed 2nd overall in the entire competition, narrowly missing out on the title of ‘Grand Champions’. A fantastic result!
The team with their trophy
Our team ‘MGGS Elite’ worked extremely hard in rehearsals and their successful routine and performance was a real team effort. We are very proud of them. Well done!
The team with Lizzie Yarnold and her Olympic Gold medal
National ndDance Finals By Mrs Smith, Teacher of Physical Education
On Monday 2 July two of our dance groups travelled to Cheltenham to compete in the national finals of the school competition ‘The Great Big Dance Off’. Intermediate Academy, our Year 7 and 8 group, performed ‘It’s ok’, a dance which centres around coping with bereavement. Bereavement is defined as being deprived of a close relation or friend through their death. Their dance explores this concept and displays the story of a girl who has lost everything, but chooses to focus on the good of the past, whilst moving forward with support and love from those around her. G-Fix our Year 10-13 group performed ‘Little red riding hood’. As a child, fairy tales and bedtime stories offered an escape from reality to a magical fantasy world we longed to live in. Our favourite childhood story ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ portrays bravery, courage and persistence as she entered the forest to save her loved ones. Our piece takes a dark twist on the classic fairytale as the forest becomes dominant and overpowering, pushing Red Riding Hood to the very limits. With the dark side stronger than ever, it is going to take everything she has in her. Will she make it out alive? To qualify for the finals Intermediate Academy won the South East regional KS3 competition and G-Fix were placed second in the KS4/5 category. The standard of dance was very high and it was a great event to be part of. Both groups performed exceptionally well and we are very proud of their achievements. Well done!
G-Fix our Y10-13 group with ‘Little Red Riding Hood’
Intermediate Academy, our Y7-8 group, with ‘It’s ok’
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Sports News Sports Day by MrsthRobbins, Head of Physical Education
On the morning of the 28 June MGGS Sports Day 2018 started with the track events up on the top field where the whole school came out to support and cheer on their house. The atmosphere was electric. You could not fault the pupils’ determination, drive and spirit. The House Leaders did an absolutely fantastic job encouraging, motivating and supporting their teams. We had three school records broken which included the Year 7 Girls’ 100m record which was broken by Lucy T, the Senior Boys’ High Jump which was broken by Michael A and the Year 9 Girls’ Rowing which was broken by Niamh M. Midway through the day Danes house took an early lead, following the track events but everything was to play for with the field events still to take place. All houses fought hard to catch Danes but did not quite manage it. So, a great big congratulations go to Danes house for lifting the Sports Day Shield and being crowned 2018 champions! Huge congratulations to every single student who took part in the event. They should all be proud of what they have achieved. We would also like to thank all MGGS staff and the PE department, as without their help and support the day could not happen. Here is a collection of photos from the event.
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The Newsletter
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House News As the first big event for these Britons House leaders, Sports Day lived up to all our expectations. One of the strongest attributes of the Britons is our family spirit and moral support for everyone in the house (and you could tell this on the day!). Everyone came together and was chanting the new Britons song as loud as they could. It is fair to say most of us lost our voices after Sports Day. And as house leaders, seeing everyone so supportive and enthusiastic made us all so proud and even more excited to be house leaders. Throughout the day we had some great results, and we even broke some school records which gained us some extra points. We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took part and everyone on the sidelines cheering and waving their flags with pride! #gobritonsgo. Megan, Daisy and Charlotte. What an amazing start to the year for Danes! We are so proud of every one of you for helping us to win sports day. It was so amazing to see you all cheering on people that you have never met before and creating a house spirit like no other. The passion and commitment for the Danes house was so clear and we are so honoured to have been a part of this. We have lots of exciting events coming up with the main one being House Arts in October. House arts is a fantastic opportunity to represent your house in the most creative way possible. We have had many amazing ideas from Danes in all different year groups and we are going to include as many as we can. It is extremely important to us that as many people as possible take part, as we would really love to create the same house spirit that we had on sports day! We are planning many new exciting opportunities for Danes such as Dane of the term, where anyone in the house can share any achievement with us in or outside of school, and we will chose a Dane of each team who will be most certainly be rewarded. We’re so excited to work with all of you this upcoming year! Amelia, Sophie and Konyinsola x This past term has been full of house events that, as Normans, we have faced head on. This term marked the start of our term of office as Normans house leaders as we took over from our previous leaders. On Thursday 28th June Sports Day took place and we had an exceptional level of participation from our Normans across years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. We are extremely proud of all those who took part and we received some outstanding results. This includes our Year 7 relay team, Year 7 diamond cricket team and our Year 12 diamond cricket team who all placed 1st in their event. We would also like to mention the following individuals who placed 1st in their events: Ruby G, Alice N, Abby C and more. We would like to say thank you to everyone, including those who cheered on so loudly from the sidelines and showed their support by wearing yellow. Following Sports Day we had the Great Silence 2 in support of the school's 130th anniversary. As a house we have raised an amazing amount of sponsorship and have a total of £630 thanks to our students. This has contributed 600 house points toward the house cup, giving us a great start to the year. We have plenty more events coming up, including the house 130k challenge in which we must walk, jog or run 130 km total within our house. This is a great opportunity for all Normans to get involved, to once again show the commitment they have for our house and show support for MGGS on its 130th anniversary. We are thoroughly looking forward to next term and our chance to shine in House Arts. With the theme "Myths and Legends" we cannot wait to put the talents of our house on stage. Thank you so much Normans for all your hard work this past term, from your house leaders Freya, Liv and Brandon.
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E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
House News We are so proud to be the new Romans House Leaders and with the success of Sports Day (Romans coming 2nd!) we know that this year is going to be simply amazing. It was great to see our house come together as a family and cheer on each and every single participant; we feel so privileged to be leaders of such an enthusiastic group. The future looks promising for Romans and we have already started planning for House Arts, when we hope that Roman members are as enthusiastic for this event as they were for Sports Day. Thank you to everyone who has got involved so far. This is the year for Romans! Sophie C, Tasfia K and Kieran H
Our time as the new Saxons house leaders so far has been a challenging yet rewarding one. Whilst the stress of organising events has been difficult at times, the support of our fellow students has been overwhelming, particularly in the most recent sports day. We have nothing but pride for our fellow Saxons and truly believe that each and every one embodies the almighty traits of our ancestors, whether it be their loyalty, bravery, or courage. We hope to meet our house’s expectations of us and promise to continue to be the most enthusiastic and determined house leaders. This year we are eager to embark on the journey of House Arts. As a team we feel as though we all have qualities to bring to this competition, whether it be our creativity, organisation skills or just continuing to emit our passionate house spirit. However, we are most excited to work more closely with other Saxons to maintain the unity and resilience our house is so well known for. Words cannot express how incredibly grateful we are for the opportunities that we have been given so far. We are keen to see how the forthcoming year unfolds but we have not doubt that it will be as fun and enjoyable as it has already been. Thank you to all the Saxons for your support so far and let’s use this year to win back our title! All the love, Davina, Niamh and Khera x Wow! What a jam packed half term this has been! We started by thanking Bron, Brooke and Katie for all the hard work they put in last year and then the madness truly started for us! We started preparing for Sports Day which was an amazing day… The sun was shining and we placed third overall! A special mention goes to Lucy T in Year 7 for breaking the school 100m record! Sports Day was closely followed by The Great Silence. We have more events to look forward to: the MGGS 130km House Challenge and the Year 12 VU UN project. The excitement has already started for next year with our House Arts planning well underway. The script is in production and the ideas are flowing! We have also launched a House Logo Competition which challenges our students to create a new identity for the house that will be recognisable for years to come! Whilst Nicole has been away we have been so lucky to have help from Ellie W, Emily E and Luisa T and we would like to thank them for this! Here’s to a good year! Adam R, Nicole R and Harris S
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Summer Bulletin Year 11 Prom By Miss Relph, Headrd of Study
The Year 11 Prom took place on Tuesday 3 July at Tudor Park. Here are some photos from the event.
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Summer Bulletin Summer Term - Attendance Update By Mrs Cleaveland, Attendance Officer Thank you so much for working with us to further improve our levels of attendance.
KS3 and KS4 absence Thank you so much for working with us to further improve our levels of attendance. Please continue to use either the attendance@mggs.org email address or the absence telephone message Option 1 to advise us of your reasons for student absences. Please note that you should either email or telephone, there is no need to do both. Also, send student absence emails via the attendance@mggs.org email address. Sixth Form Absence When leaving a telephone absence message on (01622) 752103 could you please ensure that if your message is for a Sixth Form absence that you select Option 2 (student absences in the Sixth Form) and not Option 1 (which is designated for student absences in Years 7-11) and vice versa. The attendance@mggs.org email can also be used to notify student absences for Sixth Form. As per our attendance policy, it is parents’/carers’ responsibility to contact the school on the first and every subsequent day their child is absent. This is a safeguarding requirement so that all parties know that a student is safe. We have noticed from the Student Signing Out Sheets that some pupils appear to be signing out of school for medical appointments without giving prior notice. Students either need to show a medical appointment card / letter to the Attendance Officer or parents / carers need to call, email, supply a letter or note in the Student Planner to advise the School in advance of a medical appointment. It is also good practice for a student to show their next medical appointment card to the Attendance Officer when they return to School after a medical appointment, if there are more appointments planned in school time. All requests for student absences need to be made in advance of a student taking the leave of absence. Family holidays in term time will not be authorised. The following are also examples of absence that will NOT be authorised:Shopping trip. Child/family birthday. Medical/dental appointments of more than half a day without good reason. Confusion over school dates. Inadequate clothing/uniform. Oversleeping/missed bus or train. Absence of siblings if one child is ill. Persistent non-specific illness – poorly/unwell, without medical evidence. As a school we work closely with KCC and any persistent unexplained absences are notified to them accordingly. We are also monitoring persistent lateness at school. Just a few minutes of lateness over 19 days can be the equivalent of missing 30 minutes of form/lesson time. Form time is important as it is when form tutors give important messages to students, both pastoral or otherwise. Student lateness is constantly being monitored by Head of Study's and does make a difference to your daughter’s overall attendance percentage. Thank you for your continued support in maintaining our attendance at MGGS. Keep up the good work!
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org
The Summer Bulletin Medical Notices By Mrs Crouch, Medical Room Supervisor
Medication Please ensure all students have the necessary medication they require on them at all times (i.e. inhalers/epipens) or that they leave a spare at the main office should they need to use it upon their return to school in September. Paracetamol Please note that we are no longer able to supply students with paracetamol and would suggest if students are suffering or do suffer from severe headaches or other pains that they bring in what they need for that day. Plasters With a new term approaching and shoes - please ensure students have sufficient plasters on them if they are suffering from blisters. Student feeling unwell? Under no circumstances should students contact their parents directly to be collected when feeling unwell. All students should present themselves to the student hatch where a member of the office staff will attend to them and make contact with parents/carers if necessary. Please ensure the Main School Office is notified of any new medical conditions or changes to your daughter/son’s medical history by emailing central@mggs.org
News Stories By Ms Starns, Admissions & Marketing Manager
If you have any news you would like to share with us, please contact Ms Starns at mstarns@mggs.org. Please also see the full articles each week on our Facebook page below.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MyMggs Twitter https://twitter.com/@MGGS
Term Dates 2018 -2019 Term 4 - 2019
Term 1 - 2018 3rd September 4th September 10th October 19th October
INSET Day (no students in school) Start of Term 1 for students INSET Day (no students in school) Last Day of Term 1
Start of Term 2 Last Day of Term 2
Start of Term 5 Last Day of Term 5
Term 6 - 2019
Term 3 - 2019 3rd January 4th January 15th February
Start of Term 4 Last Day of Term 4
Term 5 - 2019 23rd April 24th May
Term 2 - 2018 29th October 19th December
25th February 5th April
INSET Day (no students in school) Start of Term 3 Last Day of Term 3
3rd June 19th July 22nd July 23rd July
Start of Term 6 Last day of Term 6 INSET Day (no students in school) INSET Day (no students in school)
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
T: 01622 752103 F: 01622 681947
E: central @mggs.org
www.mggs.org