Maidstone Grammar School for Girls Non sibi sed omnibus
The Summer Bulletin July 2017
End of Year Message By Miss Stanley, Headteacher We have seen many fantastic achievements from our students over the course of this year. Reading the weekly parent bulletins and the news items on our website and Facebook Page give a real feel for the tremendous and varied talents of our students. In addition it was a real pleasure to attend the recent Art Exhibition and Sports Presentation evening (to name just two recent events) which celebrated the achievements of our students in school. And as I write this I am also looking forward to watching this year’s KS3 celebration. At the end of this term we are saying goodbye to some members of staff. After 23 years at MGGS Mrs Farnham is retiring from teaching. She has had such an important role as Head of Year 7 to every student in the school and can probably claim that she knows more than anyone else about the students in our school. She will be greatly missed by staff and students. Mrs Fuller our Senior Science Technician is also leaving after 18 years at MGGS. She will be greatly missed by the Science Department and all students who have Science lessons. Mrs Kelly is also retiring and we wish all three of them the very best for a long and happy retirement. Mr Pidgeon, who has been at MGGS for eleven years is moving to a school nearer his home. During his time here he has been a strong advocate of the Prince’s Teaching Institute, which has been to the benefit of the school. Mr O’ Sullivan has gained promotion to Head of Physics at The Weald of Kent Grammar School. Both Miss Shohid and Mr Woolacott are moving to teaching positions outside of Kent, and Mr Hamilton has gained promotion to Head of Computing at Bethany School. Mrs Sherwood- Farnfield our Biology Technician has also gained promotion to a position at The Malling School. We wish all these colleagues the very best for the future and look forward to hearing from them in due course. I do want to take this opportunity to thank all the staff, both teaching and support staff for all their hard work this year. They give tirelessly of their time for the benefit of all our students and I am grateful to have such a team of dedicated professionals here at MGGS. It has been a busy term for students in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 who have all been 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 so far has been very good, but at times almost too hot! I trust the beautiful weather will continue into the holiday, and that everyone has a chance to really enjoy it. Please allow me to wish you all a happy and enjoyable summer holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone again at the start of term on Tuesday, 5th September.
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Governors’ News By Angela Pilgrim (Chair of Governors) As the school year draws to a close the governors have been reflecting on our work over the year. We have enjoyed many school events during the year. The school is a busy, thriving place and the range of excellent events is truly impressive. It is so good to see our students working with confidence in art and technology, drama, music and sport as well as achieving so well in academic areas. Thank you to staff and students. Governors have been busy working to help the school develop further. Each governor is linked to a different area of the curriculum or to aspects of school life and student care such as safeguarding. We have carried out visits to school during the working day to meet staff and students so that we are well informed. Our governors have a wide range of skills and experience and are committed to providing the strategic leadership to help Maidstone Grammar School for Girls maintain its position as an outstanding school. During the last year we have recruited more governors and next Autumn have elections for parent governors. I do hope that many parents will consider standing for election, especially those with experience in the skills areas we still need to fill such as marketing, building and construction planning and higher education. Finally, I would like to wish everyone an enjoyable summer break and hope that the examination results in August bring happiness and the results students deserve.
Vivienne R in Year 7 Meets The Queen! Vivienne met The Queen yesterday! She was one of only 12 children of employees working at the Canadian High Commission selected. The event took place to celebrate 150 years of Canadian independence.
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Sports Day by Mrs Robbins All my fingers, toes, arms and legs were crossed the morning of the 29th June in the hope that the weather would hold out, meaning that Sports Day 2017 could take place. As I made my way into school the air was warm and more importantly the ground was dry and there was no rain forecast for the rest of the day; plans went sharply into action to ensure MGGS Sports Day 2017 would be one of the best yet.
Unfortunately we could only fit in the track events but this did not seem to affect pupils’ spirit, excitement, determination and anticipation for the event. I can honestly say the support and encouragement that I witnessed from pupil to pupil was second to none. The House Leaders did an absolutely fantastic job encouraging and organising their teams. This year’s sports day was there for the taking and one house took its chance right from the beginning, going on to lift the trophy. We had two school records broken which included the Senior Girls’ 100m record which was broken by Milly Isaac and the Senior Boys’ 100m which was broken by Jacob Arbury. I would like to offer a huge congratulations to the Normans house for lifting the Sports Day Shield and to every single student who took part in the event. They should be proud of what they have achieved. I would also like to thank all MGGS staff and the PE department, as without their help and support the day could not happen.
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin District Athletics Success! By Mrs Smith On Thursday 29th June our Junior and Intermediate Athletics teams competed in the Maidstone district athletics competition at the Julie Rose Stadium, Ashford. All of our girls performed brilliantly achieving some excellent results including Madie H breaking the Intermediate Girls’ Javelin record, Olivia H achieving a personal best time in the Junior Girls’ 100m and Mollie W achieving a personal best time in the Junior Girls’ 800m. Overall our Intermediate team placed 2nd and our Junior team won! Fantastic results girls, well done. Thank you to all those who competed. Junior Girls team with their trophy
National Schools Sport Week: 26th - 30th June by Mrs Smith National Schools Sport Week took place during the week beginning 26th June. Its aim is to make everyone enjoy and take part in some type of Sport during the course of the week and also enjoy it! There were multiple activities to take part in. First of all on Monday there was a Danceathon where students dressed up in funky outfits and danced to Just Dance. On Tuesday they could enter a team of seven and compete in a bench ball match against other teams from their year. This took place at lunch time in the sports hall. After school there was a Rowathon in the sports hall. Wednesday was meant to be sports day but due to bad weather it was cancelled and postponed to Thursday. On Thursday as well as having sports day there was a cricket tournament during lunch and a netball tournament after school. Finally, on Friday there was a fun run that took place at lunch time on the netball courts. “I think that National School Sport Week is a really good idea and gets everyone involved in sport. Everyone loved it and we can’t wait for the next one!” Daisy A and Ellie B, 7s With over 300 pupils getting involved in something active during the week, the week was a great success. Thank you to all staff and students who helped to make it a fabulous, sport packed week!
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Cricket News! By Mrs Shave Well done to all those girls who have played Cricket for the school this season. We have competed in a number of tournaments finishing with the finals at Mote Park. Despite some excellent cricket being played both the U13 and U15 teams found themselves finishing in 4th place overall. A fantastic achievement to get as far as the finals; well done to all those girls who played!
Higher Sports Leader Event By Mrs Shave On Tuesday 25th April our Higher Sports Leaders arranged a day of activities for a number of local primary schools. The morning activities included Tri-Golf and Boccia and in the afternoon the pupils got to play Ultimate Frisbee and dodgeball. The day ran very smoothly and all pupils involved had an enjoyable time. The primary school teachers were very complimentary about the excellent organisation and leadership skill that the girls displayed.
MGGS Placed Second at National Dance Finals! by Mrs Smith On Monday 3rd July our dance group Spectrum travelled to Wellingborough to compete in the National Finals of the school dance competition ‘The Great Big Dance Off’. They had won the South East KS3 round to earn their place in the finals and the standard of dance was incredibly high. 471 students competed in the KS3 and KS4 categories and we placed 2nd in the KS3 category. The girls danced brilliantly and we are extremely proud of their fantastic achievement. Well done, girls. Information from the programme below: With 1 in 10 children aged 5-16 now experiencing a mental health disorder we follow one girl's journey through diagnosis and recovery. This is aimed at attacking the stigma and false assumptions surrounding mental health problems. Inspired by Girl, Interrupted we consider that crazy is just 'you or me amplified' and look at the beautiful, fulfilling and worthwhile lives people living with mental health problems lead along with the support and strategies they can use. Music - God’s Great Dust Storm by Katzenjammer Choreography - Mrs Smith, Isabelle S, Spectrum
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin U13 Football Kent Cup Winners By Miss Relph
On Friday 30th June the U13 football team was invited to Priestfield Stadium for a lovely 2 course meal to celebrate their successful win in the U13 Kent Girls’ Football Cup. Students, parents and staff had a fantastic evening to recognise and celebrate these outstanding young footballers. Charlotte W (captain) went up on stage to collect the trophy on behalf of the whole team. The school and PE department are extremely proud of all the players. The girls have worked so hard throughout the season and thoroughly deserved to win. Well done girls, you are Kent Champions!
Y12 Intermediate Biology Olympiad by Mrs Binks Twenty five of our Year 12 A level Biology students took part in the Intermediate Biology Olympiad on 26th June. The British Biology Olympiad challenges and stimulates students with an interest in Biology to expand and extend their talents. It enables students to demonstrate their knowledge and to be suitably rewarded and publicly recognised by the award of certificates. It is hoped that competing in the Olympiad will encourage students already interested in this valuable, wide-ranging and rewarding subject to continue their study beyond A level. More students took part from MGGS than ever before and more prizes were achieved. Alex R, Penelope R, Eleanor S and Daisy H were Commended. Margaret C was Highly Commended. Lottie H and Lauren O achieved Bronze certificates. Katie T achieved a fantastic Silver certificate. All students who took part did this voluntarily as an extra aspect of their A level Biology studies. They all worked very hard and are now able to add this to their portfolio of achievements, for future university and employment applications. Biology has links to a wide range of careers and interests, from medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, to pharmacy, forensics, environmental science and psychology. The new A levels encourage an holistic approach to Biology and this competition proves that our students are capable to seeing ‘The Big Picture’ in Biology and applying their knowledge to new and exciting situations. Well done to all the students who took part!
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Year 10 Devising Skills Workshop by Miss A-M Stanley On Wednesday July 5th year 10 GCSE Drama students took part in a workshop at MGGS run by the artistic director of Splendid Productions Kerry Frampton. As part of the GCSE course students must work in small groups in order to create their own pieces of theatre. This is a really challenging part of the GCSE as students are required to decide on the storyline, the style and genre of the piece, blocking, set, lighting, sound and costume. The workshop was designed to kickstart this process. Students spent the three hour session looking at the importance of committing to performance, being supportive group members, approaching characterisation and creating a fictional world on stage in a more physical way. Students were certainly stretched and challenged, they created some really imaginative work that saw them go from creating stereotypical characters to journeying through a strange new world and taking some of their audience with them. I very much look forward to seeing what shape their own devised pieces take.
Little Shop of Horrors Workshop with Year 8 by Miss A-M Stanley On July 11th Lucy Randall one of our year 13 Drama and Theatre Studies students returned to MGGS to run a Musical Theatre workshop with a group of year 8 students. Lucy has a lot of performance experience and has performed in a number of musicals at the Hazlitt and of course played Nancy in 'Oliver!' She has been and continues to audition for Drama school. Lucy's passion and enthusiasm for performing is infectious so she jumped at the chance to pass this on to some of our younger students. During the workshop students were taught a song and piece of choreography from 'Little Shop of Horrors'. All the students picked both of these up really quickly and were certainly not afraid to hit the high notes or through themselves into the fast paced 'sassy' dance. We have some very talented students here at MGGS. A big thank you to everyone who took part.
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Year 9 Trip to Paris by Diva C and Freya H, Year 9
On the last week of term 5, 40 year 9 students went on a residential trip to Paris with Mrs Farnham, Mr Ansette, Mrs Chell and Mrs Bassett. Please see below for some students’ accounts of their time in France. “We visited France for four days to extend our knowledge about French culture, practise our language skills and have fun! On the first day, we visited “la chocolaterie de Beussent Lachelle” and watched how their delicious chocolate was created. Needless to say we all had a taste! Later on that day, we arrived in the small town of Lésigny and reached our accommodation, the Château de Grande Romaine, that has hosted many famous football teams in the past; we did some great activities with our tour guides together in the evening to get to know each other. The next day, we travelled to Paris and spent the whole day visiting famous attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse and Le Louvre. On that day, we must have walked over 20 000 steps up and down the Eiffel tower as well as up to the SacréCoeur. But what a view! The day after, we headed out to an amusement park called Parc Astérix which is based on the Asterix comics and had lots of fun going on rides all day as well as ordering ice-cream and drinks in French. On the last day, we sadly left the Château and did some shopping in the hypermarket en route to Calais before crossing by shuttle to arrive happy but exhausted at MGGS later in the evening. The Paris trip was amazing and will be a memorable trip for all of us! If you are considering taking French for GCSE, I would definitely recommend this trip to next year’s year 9!”- Diva Chand 9A “In my opinion, the 2017 Paris trip was great fun and I am very glad that I went on it. I enjoyed everything from visiting the Eiffel Tower to going to Parc Asterix (a theme park). I thought the whole trip was very well organised and I also enjoyed the PGL location we stayed in as I found the evening activities really fun and interesting as they related to France. We had many opportunities to try new things and have new experiences (I even tried a snail!). I liked that we got to see lots of parts of France and that we got to go to le Louvre which is a famous art museum. I think that the trip was set on the best date as the weather was very good which made the whole experience even better. In my opinion, the highlight of the trip was going to Parc Asterix because I love theme parks and the weather was really good. The whole atmosphere of the park was very nice as well as being based on a comic book. If I were to go again, I wouldn't change it and I would do everything the same as I found it great fun. In addition to this, I think the trip really benefited my French speaking as I got the chance to practise it properly with people who speak it as their first language. So overall, I would definitely go again because I had great time and it also helped me become more confident in the French language!!!” Freya Hills, 9A
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The Newsletter Year 7 Trip to Boulogne-Sur-Mer by Mrs Bassett
All of year 7 were given the opportunity to go on a day trip to Boulogne on the 16th June and on the 30th June. After an early start, we made our journey to Boulogne and had a lovely walk round the medieval town where some of the students bought berets and other souvenirs. After lunch we all went to visit the sweet factory where we were shown how to make delicious candy! And of course, we couldn’t leave France without some shopping, so we spent the rest of the afternoon in the town centre browsing shops such as magasins de vêtements, boulangeries and pâtisseries! Most students were brave to ask for items in French and improved their confidence in speaking the target language.
Oxjam - A Letter of Thanks! By Mrs Wood Dear Year 9 students from 2011 to 2017, your parents, carers, family and friends. This is the first time I have ever written a letter to 1,260 students plus their supporters. However, I needed to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to you all. In 2011 I came up with the mad idea of letting students take their own lessons and put on a concert. The idea was to give you all the chance to use the skills you had learnt over 3 years of Music lessons to the benefit of others - by raising money for Oxfam. It would give an insight into the real music working world, and the types of careers open to you with the skills you are developing. It was also to help you learn how to work with one another, be diplomatic and find ways around conflict. I felt that if we raised £500 in that first and each subsequent year then it would be worth all the work that would need putting into it, as our school community would be having such an impact on the wider world. You can probably imagine my surprise and overwhelming delight when my 2011 Year 9 group raised £1135.04! Since then the Oxjam project has gone from strength to strength. Every year I am amazed at how much you can achieve out of an hour’s lesson each week. Each concert the standard gets higher and higher, and I get to see the wider talents of my students, from gymnastics to tap dancing and art to textiles. This year has passed a personal target, which is why I have taken time to reflect and wanted the opportunity to say thank you. The last couple of years I started to set my eyes on seeing if we could raise past £10,000 as an overall school total. This year we smashed it having raised £2380.58. Adding this to all the work of the previous 6 year groups that takes us to the grand total of £11,714. Just imagine the impact our singing and dancing has had on others. Never has it seemed so pertinent as we see Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen and South Sudan on the brink of a famine crisis. Since 2014 I have shown each year group a video of a Facebook post based in South Sudan, trying to get students to imagine what it must be like to be hiding from civil war. Now not only are more countries needing aid to escape war, but South Sudan itself is facing the consequences of manmade conflict mixed with nature’s drought. So thank you to every single one of my 1,260 Year 9 students for going along with my mad idea and getting involved. Thank you to the 300 people or so each year who have given up their evening to watch the performances and so generously donated to such a cause. I am very proud of you all and what you have achieved. Year 8 - it’s your turn next!! With warm regards and thanks to you all, Mrs Wood
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Primary Schools visits to MGGS WWII Tunnels by Mrs Bracey This year has been our busiest ever for tours of the extraordinary World War II ‘tunnels’. We started off with our ‘Tunnels and Tea’ event in September. This gave the opportunity for visitors of all ages to venture underground for a tour and to then sample a vintage tea, expertly provided by the PFA. In addition, some visitors to the PFA Bake Off in March also booked to have a guided tour meaning that we were once again able to share this very unique experience with the wider community. Of course we have also continued to be fortunate enough to welcome some of our local primary schools for tours. This has meant that in the academic year 2016/17, in addition to our event visitors, an astonishing 67 members of primary school staff and over 500 primary school children have had the opportunity to ‘go back in time’ and imagine life for Maidstone students during World War 2. Many have also sampled the delicious World War 2 lunches, usually consisting of a meat and potato pie with vegetables followed by a sponge pudding and custard or biscuit and served especially for them by our wonderful canteen staff. Some students were a little nervous about tasting “wartime” food at first, but in the main, most enjoyed their first experience of a World War 2 dinner. One visitor declared it “absolutely delicious!” and wished he could have pie every day! The photo shows pupils and staff from More Park Primary. They are re enacting ‘heads forward’, just as students would have done during a wartime air raid, when attempting to avoid the shock waves of a bomb dropped nearby. Already we have school bookings for September and we are looking forward to welcoming more school visitors in 2018.
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin BICE News by Mr Hamilton It has been another busy and exciting year in the BICE (Business Studies, ICT, Computer Science and Economics) department with lots of events taking place throughout the year. In the last two terms, the students within the department have embarked on wider learning opportunities, have taken part in competitions and we have also had taster days for Year 5 students. Groups of Year 9 and 10 students embarked on the CyberGirls competition which was run by GCHQ. The students learnt a lot about cyber security, encryption and ciphers. Oliver W in Year 13 scored 10th in a special event of the Beaver Computing Competition held at the University of Oxford while 96 students from all key stages went forward to round 2 of the competition with some achieving the merit level. Well done to all those involved! Our Year 12 Business Studies and Economics students undertook projects that are similar to those used in higher level education or which occur in real world situations. Economics students undertook writing a dissertation on an economic subject of their choosing. The dissertation titles included ‘Economics reasons for the fall of the Soviet Union’, ‘Should the Brazilian Government prioritise economic growth over protecting the rainforest and the environment?’ and ‘Why are the Danish the happiest people in the world?’. Meanwhile, Business Studies students undertook writing up a business plan and proposal in teams. Each team had to come with their own unique business idea, investigate the market, contact different stakeholders and work out a financial plan. Students had to then present their business plan in front of 3 Small Business Managers from HSBC, Maidstone. Denise Wells commented, “We visited the school on 5th July to listen to the Year 12 Business Students’ business ideas and ask them some questions about their plans. All of us were impressed with the confidence of the students and the content of their plans and presentations.” The winners of the Business Plan Project were ‘Traditionally British’, consisting of Danielle A, Charlotte H and Lily C. The winners were rewarded with vouchers. We also hosted two Year 5 taster days after school during Term 5 which looked at programming and building websites. Students were able to print out their programs and websites to take home with them! Around the school, the BICE Department has been reviewing the school online safety policy and letting the students play an active role in the policy writing process. We continue to work with Google and its G Suite for Education as we embed the online system further into the school, as we strengthen and develop our position as a leading school for Google in Kent!
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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House News These past few weeks have - to say the least - been exciting for us House Leaders. From the moment we found out we got the roles right up to now, we’ve worked non-stop to make every moment as enjoyable as possible for the house - from leading our first house assembly, right up to Sports Day (we came 4th!!!). We are so proud of each and every person who took part in an event for us (with a few breaking school records) or for just being on the sidelines and giving all your support. A big focus for us this year is that we want to improve our house spirit and Sports Day showed us we’re already achieving this. In the past we haven’t been as successful as other houses but this year we’re determined that we’ll be able to turn that around. We look forward to seeing you all again in September ready to start preparing House Arts! Come on Vikings - this can be our year! Bron, Brooke and Katie xx Saxons, what a great start to the House Year! We really are proud to say that we are the new House Leaders to the loudest and the most enthusiastic house. We may have come in last place on Sports Day but it was an amazing chance for everyone to come together, and the support everyone gave for one another was incredible. Thank you everyone for signing up for events, and getting so involved with Sports Day because we know it is the enthusiasm from everyone that makes the day so special. You have made us all so proud and we can’t wait for more opportunities to work with you. The Year 12 UN Presentation is our next big project which is focussed on ‘Promoting Gender Equality; we’ll be letting you know how well year 12 do and we have our fingers crossed for a great result. This is followed by Inter-House Rounders which will be a great chance for everyone to get involved and a great way to end this year before the summer. Holly W, Ellie K, Emily P, Douglas O. Beth M, Let's hope this House year continues being as fun and enjoyable as you have all already made it! Lots of Love, Amelia, Lucy and Steph x
Aimee V, Sinead C, Amy S, Larissa O, Dilys W, Niamh B, Ben G, Kyren B, Emily M
As Romans House Leaders we can both say that Sports Day was truly fantastic. It was great to see the house come together and act as a family. The support that everyone showed for each other was immense and made us very proud to be responsible for such an enthusiastic group of people. Following on from this, the future for the Roman’s House looks very promising and we cannot wait to get stuck into House Arts and hopefully get as many of the house involved as we can. A massive thank you to everyone who has made it a great year so far! Jenna R and Alex R
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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House News The Normans have had a great victory this term by winning Sports Day. As House Leaders, we are very proud of everyone who competed and supported and would like to thank our house for their brilliant dedication and commitment. The day was full of both excitement but also anxiety as the house managed to stay first place throughout the whole of the track events. We hope that in the future we can recreate this success for the other upcoming events like House Arts and would like to thank all the Normans in advance for their continued support. Laura, Lucy and Maddie x
As Danes House Leaders we are very loyal and committed to our wonderful house and we want to achieve great things this year. We believe we are off to an amazing start being placed second in sports day and we hope to do equally well, if not better, in House Arts and all the other events throughout next year. We hope that in our year as house leaders we will be able to bring back a sense of pride for every member of the house and we hope to create a family atmosphere throughout the school. We believe that the recent events at Sports Day were a fantastic representation of our house and we are extremely proud of everyone. One of our main highlights was witnessing every member chanting and cheering for people they may have never met before but being able to support them through the house. We would like to thank everyone who has participated so far and we look forward to everything we’ve got to come in the next year. Charlotte H, Rhiannon H and Katie R x
The first two terms of being Britons House Leaders have fulfilled our expectations in both pleasure and stress! Sports day has just passed and although we did not come first we are tremendously impressed with the morale of the entire house. It all came together to make a perfect day for all Houses alike. We were also thoroughly impressed with the amount of banners and flags made for the house by students and would love to say one more big thank you. We are faced with House Arts after the summer holidays and we are so excited to get everyone involved once again. We cannot wait to see how it all comes together! Ryan, Esme and Allanah x
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Year 11 Prom The Year 11 Prom took place on Tuesday 4th July at Oakwood House. Here are a couple of photos from the event.
The Next Generation of Year 7 Students @ MGGS by Ms Starns We were delighted to welcome our new Year 7 students to MGGS earlier in July. Here is a selection of photos taken on their Welcome Day. We can’t wait for you all to start in September!
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin 26th International Samba Band Festival 2017 by Megan H, Year 11 Tiffany W in Year 9 and I have just arrived back from a weekend of Samba after performing in the 26th International Samba Festival in Coburg, Germany which is the largest Samba Festival outside of Rio de Janeiro! We both joined a Samba Band outside of school called Bloco Fogo which means "Band of Fire" about a year ago, (blocofogo.com, @blocofogosamba on Instagram and 'Blocofogosamba' on YouTube) and we performed with the band 6 times over the course of this weekend at a mixture of stage performances and street gigs! Over 90 samba groups attended the event, with lots of performances over the weekend and 2 large parades on Sunday. As someone who has been in the Samba Band at MGGS for the past 5 years, I would like to personally thank Mrs Wood and Mr Chapman for always providing a wide array of exciting clubs for pupils at MGGS, without which I would never have had this wonderful opportunity presented to me this year! We both agree that it was an amazing experience and one that we can't wait to participate in again in future years!
Italia Conti Senior Singing Prize and Performance Isabel W in Year 9 sang her first solo for Italia Conti in their performing arts show, ‘Limitless’, at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells this weekend. Her parents commented, “It went really well and it was lovely to see how Isabel’s confidence is growing on stage.” An added bonus was that Isabel was announced as joint winner of the Italia Conti Senior Singing Prize at the awards ceremony which took place between Sunday’s shows. This was a lovely surprise and is quite an achievement for a 14 year old! She was presented with her prize by the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Julia Soyke. Official photographs were taken of the event and will be available shortly. Congratulations, Isabel, on your performance and your award!
A Tradition of Excellence Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0SF
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The Summer Bulletin Library News by Mrs Hewett It has been a busy end to this academic year for the Library, with many events taking place. Following the Poetry By Heart competition judging taking place during the Easter Holidays, we were delighted to receive a letter informing us that our student, Rosie Webster had been awarded the Runner Up position for the Kent entries! The feedback for Rosie’s recitations was fantastic and a joy to read : “Rosie was the runner up in a strong Kent heat. She chose two contrasting and challenging poems. ‘Invictus’ is well known, but in a strong and individual recitation, Rosie brought a real crescendo to the uplifting last lines. In ‘The Inquest’, a poem rarely chosen in the competition, Rosie’s recitation made the grim and morally Rosie and her fellow competitors in the School ambiguous tone of the poem clear.” round of the Poetry by Heart competition.
In April we were very excited to welcome authors Josie and Ian Snowball, to talk to a group of our year 7 students about writing. This was a particularly exciting visit, as Josie is one of our year 7 students and had written a book with her father when she was just nine years old! The visit was inspirational and provided many useful tips for our future writers!
On May 11th we were delighted to host the 2017 Maidstone Area Book Awards Ceremony (MABA). The MGGS reading group was joined by reading groups from Valley Park School, Maidstone Grammar School, The Holmesdale School and Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School for the ceremony. We were able to invite Polly Ho-Yen, author of Boy in the Tower to come and talk to the students about her creative writing process and the inspiration behind her books - an invasion of slugs and soggy school broccoli! The winning book (the favourite from all of the schools) was announced with a traditional gold envelope moment and was ‘We Are All Made Of Molecules’ by Susin Nielson. ‘Boy in the Tower’ came a very close second! The MABA reading group will be starting up again next year during term 1, so please come along to the Library to find out more!
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The Summer Bulletin Library News cont’d by Mrs Hewett Tuesday 27th June saw the return of West Borough Primary School for a Literacy visit. MGGS Year 8 Students were joined for a reading and writing workshop by fifteen year 6 Students from West Borough Primary School. The session was led by Mr Pidgeon and Miss Wilson, facilitated by four of the school Sixth Form Ambassadors and was hugely successful and very enjoyable! The creative writing produced by the year 5 students was of a very high standard and showed just how worthwhile the session had been. For many of the West Borough students, this was their first visit to the MGGS library. The MGGS girls and West Borough students worked well together to create newspaper articles about a suspected crocodile in the River Medway! They completed many tasks together, from interviewing, to researching and writing. We look forward to welcoming the West Borough children back next year.
There has been a Scholastic Book Club running towards the end of this term, which has helped raise some commission for the MGGS School Library to spend on some new books. Mrs Hewett would like to thank everybody who has purchased a book and hopes that they enjoy reading their new books shortly. Have you heard about the MGGS Summer Reading Challenge? 6 whole weeks off, what will you do to fill all of that lovely time? Why not take part in the MGGS Summer Reading Challenge? Reading just 6 books/items from the grid will enable you to be entered into the prize draw, which could win you a £10 voucher for Waterstones! All you need to do is print your Summer Reading Challenge sheet, which was e-mailed to you and start reading, completing the sheet as you go! Don’t forget to check out the following book reviews from the MGGS Teaching/Support staff if you need some ideas for what to read! There will be a book amnesty for the first week back in September! Please could any students who have any Library/English books that they no longer need please return them…..even the overdue or suspected lost items! For the first week back there will be no fines issued, so this will be the ideal time to return any books that you may ‘find’ during the summer holidays.
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The Summer Bulletin DofE Summary by Ms Starns, DofE Unit Leader This year has been a fantastic year again for DofE. The DofE Team; Mr Hamilton, Assistant Bronze Leader, Mrs Harding, Assistant Silver Leader and myself Unit Leader, along with so many member of staff who volunteer, have thoroughly enjoyed seeing your students develop through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The final figures are not yet in as we are still collecting information and evidence from students but it is anticipated that we will see 74 Year 10 Bronze’s, 16 Year 11 SIlver’s and possibly 17 Year 13 Gold’s complete their awards shortly. MGGS is one of the most successful units in Kent for completion rates and we are often referred to by County DofE as an outstanding unit, which is down to both the staff and of course our determined students.
Bronze DofE Award by Mr Hamilton, DofE Assistant Unit Leader, Bronze It has been another fantastic and successful year for the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We have had over 70 participants undertake different activities for their different sections including everything from photography to ballroom dancing! We had a very successful day walk back in March where all participants were able to carry a full rucksack around Snodland and to get a taste of a D of E expedition. This was followed up by the practice expedition at the end of April where students were able to camp overnight and put their training in campcraft into practice. The assessed expedition in June saw groups encountering different challenges including overgrown footpaths and new building developments which were not on the map! As my last report as Bronze Assistant DofE Leader it was fantastic to have ended on such a high with both assessors and supervisors telling me such positive accounts and recollections of all the participants. Well done to all participants this year and I hope that you consider going on to your Silver DofE Award. I would also like to say thanks to the DofE team who have made the smooth running of the award possible for such a large cohort.
Silver DofE Award by Mrs Harding, DofE Assistant Unit Leader, Silver
This year's Silver DofE cohort was amazing. The students have just successfully completed their Silver DofE expedition in perfect weather conditions. It was a joy to spend the weekend with them and we are proud to have been a part of their experience. Well done girls; all of you are more than capable of going on to achieve your Gold DofE Award, which we very much hope you decide to do. Have a well earned, restful summer and I look forward to seeing you all on results day!
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The Summer Bulletin Gold DofE Award by Ms Starns, DofE Unit Leader Since the start of July last year I am delighted to report that 12 Sixth Form Students have successfully completed their prestigious Gold DofE Award. Throughout the year we have reported on the numerous visits to The Palace by our students to collect their certificates. This year we currently have 41 students enrolled on the Gold DofE Award, consisting of students either in Year 12 or 13 and at various stages of their award. Several of these students have already completed their expedition phase and are now just getting ready to submit all their evidence for the volunteering, physical, skill and residential element of the award. Other students have already completed their practice expedition in the Brecon Beacons at Easter and will go on to complete their assessed expedition during the summer holidays. We wish them every success in their expeditions and look forward to hearing about their fantastic journey in Snowdonia. Pictured here are the girls collecting their certificates from The Palace. The students are from left to right: Bethany R, Molly H, Abbey S, Hannah W and Rosanna W.
Future of DofE by Ms Starns, DofE Unit Leader Next year is business as usual for DofE at MGGS! However, there are a few changes. We say farewell to Mr Hamilton as he ventures outside of MGGS in his new role as Head of Computing. Mr Hamilton has inspired, motivated and nurtured our Year 10 students through their first experiences of DofE for several years. For many students the whole experience can be a real challenge, facing many things they have not had to previously. We also say goodbye to Mrs Harding who is remaining at MGGS but stepping down from her role at Assistant Unit Leader of the Silvers. Mrs Harding has contributed so much of her life experience to the girls and has always inspired them in times when they thought it was all too much. DofE dates for next year are not yet available, however, I can report the following: Year 10 - Bronze DofE Award Year 11 - Silver DofE Award Years 12 & 13 - Gold DofE Award Dates of training, practice and assessed expeditions will be confirmed, in conjunction with each year groups academic programme. Once the dates are confirmed, they will be publicised via The Bulletin and ParentMail along with details for enrolment to the award. Please note that these are the only dates available so please be sure you can make them before enrolling your daughter or son. Lastly I leave you all with this thought...
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.� - Edmund Hillary
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The Summer Bulletin Music for Medics Concert by Mrs Wood On 11th July parents, friends of the school and members of the local community came together to raise funds for Kent, Surrey, Sussex Air Ambulance at our summer music concert. The ideal of an outdoor concert had to be abandoned, sadly, thanks to the ‘Great British Weather’, but that did not dampen our spirits! The hall was decorated with fairy lights and electronic candles, giving an atmospheric feel to the evening, and visitors were still encouraged to bring their picnics. The performances showed the diverse talents of our students right the way through the school, from our Year 7s to Year 13s who returned especially for the occasion. We were also privileged to welcome Yalding Church Choir and Vocademy to perform and we would like to give our warmest thanks to them for their support of our community. Martin Hotson from KSS Air Ambulance also volunteered his time to come and talk to us about the valuable work the Air Ambulance does and how our fundraising would help. The concert was organised by a committee of 6th form students; it is thanks to their diligence and enthusiasm that the evening was such a success. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came along, giving their time, money and moral support, and helping to make the evening truly magical. Our target is to raise £2,500 for Kent, Surrey, Sussex Air Ambulance. The concert on Tuesday raised £1,133.83 from ticket sales and contributions on the night to both our own and the Kent Air Ambulance stand donation boxes, taking our current total to £1,316.43. Please do look out for more events in the new academic year.
Natural Forms Project by Mrs Francis Year 8 have completed a project inspired by Natural Forms where they had to design and create a structural costume for the body using only paper.
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The Summer Bulletin Christian Unions Collective by Hannah W, Year 13 This year the Christian Unions of MGGS, MGS and Oakwood Park have been up to some really exciting stuff! Before this year the MGGS and MGS Christian Unions were completely separate, meeting in their own schools on Thursday lunchtimes to talk, encourage and pray together. Oakwood CU didn't even exist! However, this year has seen the formation of the CU collective - a joining together of all the CU's because as a group of young people, we believe that together we can help to make a difference to the injustice there is in the world. A particular crisis that has been on our minds is the conflict in Syria. This year we have been making and selling bracelets in the colours of the Syrian flag to help people remember those affected by the conflict and to stand in solidarity with them as well as raise money for Tearfund's Middle East campaign which helps those affected in Syria and neighbouring countries. Last weekend we also held a very entertaining and successful quiz night for the same cause and so far our combined efforts have raised ÂŁ859.56. If you would like to read more about what we are doing please visit our Facebook and Just Giving pages: https://www.facebook.com/maidstone.cus.against.injustice/ https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/the-cu-collective-maidstone Next year the Christian Unions in each of these schools will be running again and anyone is more than welcome to attend. More information about the timings and where we meet will be available in September.
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The Summer Bulletin Virtual University at MGGS! By Miss Rhodes Lecture Subjects Offered: Nursing and Midwifery led by Canterbury Christchurch University; Art and Design portfolios and university applications led by UCA; Music, English literature, Dance, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Psychology, History, Politics, Maths, Popular Culture, Geography, Sociology, Health and wellbeing, Drama, Languages, EPQ, and Cooking. Just a selection of lecture titles: 'Spain's stolen babies'; 'CERN'; The changing English language- a brief history!'; 'Magicians, Derren Brown and scepticism'; 'The Romantics and the City'; Eye dissection; 'A Universe from nothing'; 'Who shot JFK?'; 'Is Captialism the answer to ending poverty?' And many more. Why we did the event: To introduce students to learning outside fo their A Level curriculum and to enable them to sample the style of higher-education style teaching. It also provided an opportunity for students to learn about specific subjects at university, such as nursing and midwifery, and how to enhance their applications for these subjects, as well as useful practical skills such as cooking on a budget. It was also an opportunity for staff to share some of their interests and passions with the students. Summary: VU was an excellent couple of days for staff and students. Students were able to sample lectures on a wide variety of subjects and learn interesting and exciting new things while staff shared their personal interests with them. Outcomes: We hope this has given the students a lot to think about, has enriched their knowledge and understanding, and has helped them in making their post-A Level decisions.
Un Activity for Visual University by Miss Rhodes
The winning house, Saxons, designed this logo, which features an infinity symbol at its core, for their campaign to promote gender equality. Aimee V, Holly W and Rosie W were the creative minds behind it.
Victoria G of Vikings created this logo as part of their campaign to protect natural resources.
Britons’ campaign focused on ensuring human rights around the world.
LET’S Get IT RIGHT Giving you back what is yours
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The Summer Bulletin Development Trust Office News by Mrs Meaders Our first full academic year of the Development Trust Office now draws to a close. The year has been packed with plenty of contact with our alumni, with reunions, organised “private” visits from former students as well as surprise drop ins! It is always a treat to speak personally with our alumni, introduce them to current staff and see the school through their eyes. Some of our visitors haven’t been back since the day they left school - with our oldest returning leaver finishing her education here some 60 years ago! We have started organising reunions for 10 and 25 year leavers and are looking forward to welcoming back our 2008 and 1993 leavers in March 2018. Our biggest reunion event next year will be on Saturday July 7, 2018. MGGS will be 130 years old and we are planning to invite alumni both students and staff to come in and reminisce about their time at school and see the changes that have happened over the decades. We have tracked down the ex-student who made the huge cake for the Centenary celebration and hope she will be able to get baking for us again. The DTO saw through the completion of a refurbishment of one of the Quads. Due to a very generous donation from the Oldham Trust, the Quad has been beautified and planted and now sits proudly at the heart of our school. It has been re-named “The Oldham Quad”. We were supported by the PFA in installing some additional seating, so our thanks go to them too. From this…
To this...
And my wonderful watering team…..
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The Summer Bulletin Development Trust Office News cont’d by Mrs Meaders Pre Spa pic…
Post Spa day…
Through the sale of A Schoolgirl’s War - written by ex-headmistress Mary Smith, the DTO has raised a substantial sum of money and we will be seeing through a refurbishment of our Small Hall over the coming weeks. The book has now sold 1,000 and we are going to a re-print now. Thanks to Mary and all the purchasers of this wonderful piece of history. We have great plans for the year ahead - building a “Communi-tree” in the Oldham Quad and organising a whole school sponsored walk and run being first on our agenda. We will enjoy a summer break and return in September raring to go in our 130th year! Happy summer days to all, from Alexandra, in the Development Trust Office.
Barracudas are back at MGGS! - 31st July-25th August 2017
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The Summer Bulletin Summer Reading Recommendations from MGGS Staff Don’t know what to read? Have a look at the following book reviews, from the MGGS Staff. We hope that these reviews will help to inspire some super summer reading for the MGGS students, parents and staff: Mrs Hewett Recommends: Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean Every time a lad came fowling on the St Kilda stacs, he went home less of a boy and more of a man. If he went home at all, that is‌ In the summer of 1727, a group of men and boys are put ashore on a remote sea stac to harvest birds for food. No one returns to collect them. Why? Surely nothing but the end of the world can explain why they have been abandoned to endure storms, starvation and terror. And how can they survive, housed in stone and imprisoned on every side by the ocean? Brilliant, beautiful...as unpredictable as the sea itself. - Philip Reeve, author of Mortal Engines. Recommended reading age: 11+ Mrs Ryan Recommends: I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) by Yousafzai, Malala, McCormick, Patricia Everyone has heard of Malala Yousafzai, when you start to read the book you know that she was the girl who was shot by the Taliban and miraculously survived, but why was she singled out? An interesting read about growing up as a girl in Pakistan and standing up for rights. It makes you reflect on your own life and values. Recommended reading age: 13+ Mrs Ransom recommends: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern A beautiful and enchanting story of a magical travelling circus that appears only at night and provides attractions and wonders beyond guests' imaginations. In the midst is an ongoing battle for supremacy between one magician's daughter and his rival's adopted orphan boy. A tale of magic, rivalry and love. Recommended reading age: 14+ Mr Dougherty recommends: The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla. Collection of pieces from 21 Black, Asian and Other Minority Ethnic voices emerging in present- day Britain. They are by turn poignant, challenging, angry, humourous, heartbreaking, polemic and weary- and all present the distinctive experiences of being an immigrant or offspring of immigrants. 'An important and timely read' - J. K. Rowling. Recommended reading age: 14+
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The Summer Bulletin Summer Reading Recommendations by MGGS Staff Mrs Owen recommends: The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards This is a heartwarming story in the end! A young doctor takes an action that he thinks is protecting his wife but ultimately brings her to the brink of despair as her marriage disintegrates because her husband can't live with his lie. There is a secondary tale woven in too. Warning - it will make you cry! Recommended reading age: 15+ Mrs Marsh recommends: The Power by Naomi Alderman WINNER OF THE 2017 BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION - Suddenly tomorrow or the day after - teenage girls find that with a flick of their fingers, they can inflict agonizing pain and even death. With this single twist, the four lives at the heart of Naomi Alderman's extraordinary, visceral novel are utterly transformed. Recommended reading age: 16+ Mr Pidgeon recommends: Escape Clause by John Sandford When two tigers are stolen from a Minnesota zoo, Special Agent Virgil Flowers is sent to investigate. A genuine page turner, Escape Clause showcases John Sandford's genius as one of the world's leading thriller writers, with his trademark blend of humour, clear characterisation and fast paced action. Perfect for reading at the beach, this novel will keep you entertained all the way to the thrilling conclusion. Recommended reading age: 16+
News Stories 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.
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The Summer Bulletin
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Maidstone Grammar School for Girls Non sibi sed omnibus
The Summer Bulletin Public Examination Results 17th August A Level results in the Main Hall as follows: A2 results 8.30am - 9.30am AS results 9.30am -10.30am 24th August GCSE results in Buckland House as follows : Y11: 9.00am-10.00am Y10: 10.00am-11.00am
Term Dates 2017 -2018 Term 1 - 2017 4th September 5th September 11th October 20th October
Term 4 - 2018 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 - 2018 4th June 20th July
Term 3 - 2018 4th January 9th February
Start of Term 4 Last Day of Term 4
Term 5 - 2018 16th April 25th May
Term 2 - 2017 30th October 20th December
19th February 29th March
Start of Term 6 Last day of Term 6
Start of Term 3 INSET Day (no Students in school) Last Day of Term 3
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