THE SHIELD
TERMLY NEWSLETTER
MICHAELMAS 2019 www.stdunstans.org.uk
WELCOME TO THE MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
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THE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
ST DUNSTAN’S UNVEILS POPPY DISPLAY
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he College unveiled a large poppy display to mark this year’s Remembrance Day, which featured more than 650 poppies. This included two ‘rivers’ of poppies, which hung from each side of the front entrance, and a giant poppy was also installed at the front of the College. The display featured a large cross in the centre of the ‘D’ and more than 150 smaller crosses, each representing a former pupil who had fallen during the Second World War and other conflicts, before and since. A donation was made to the Poppy Appeal on behalf of the College.
Service of Remembrance
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he annual Service of Remembrance took place on Monday 11 November. Pupils and staff from across the College gathered in the Great Hall, which featured a sea of red petals, for a Remembrance assembly led by Canon Boswell and the Headmaster, Mr Nicholas Hewlett. During
the assembly, Mr Hewlett spoke to pupils about the importance of Remembrance and St Dunstan’s significant losses during the First and Second World Wars. The College then gathered outside on the crescent for a minute silence, prayers and readings by Canon Boswell and the Head of School.
KEY DATES Lent Term
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Mon 6 Jan - Term begins for pupils Wed 8 Jan - 7+ and 11+ Entrance Examination Day - College closed for all pupils Fri 10 Jan - Year 11 Oxford Trip Mon 13 Jan - Lent Forder Programme begins Mon 13 Jan - Deadline for Sixth Form Scholarship applications Thus 23 Jan - Year 9 Parents’ Evening Tues 28 - Thus 30 Jan - Big Talk (SRE) Education Seminars (Whole College) Tues 28 Jan - Year 7 Parents’ Evening Wed 29 Jan - Parents’ Big Talk (SRE) Education Seminar Tues 4 Feb - Year 8 Parents’ Evening Thur 6 Feb - Year 9 GCSE Choices Evening Tues 11 Feb - Woodwind Chamber Concert Thur 13 Feb - Deadline for Year 9 GCSE Choices Thur 13 Feb - UCAS 1 Evening Fri 14 Feb - House Music Sun 16 – Sun 23 Feb : EXEAT Mon 24 Feb - Mon 2 Mar - Year 13 Trial Examinations Thur 27 Feb - Teatime Concert Tues 3 Mar - Whole College photograph Fri 6 Mar - World Book Day celebration Thur 12 Mar - Year 10 Parents’ Evening Tues 17 Mar - Year 12 Parents’ Evening Wed 18 - Sat 21 Mar - Legally Blonde Performances Fri 27 Mar - Diploma Graduation Ceremony Fri 27 Mar - Term ends for all pupils
www.stdunstans.org.uk
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MUSICAL EVENTS Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
A level music seminar
he College’s annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols took place on Thursday 12 December at St Pancras Church. The service included performances from the Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and the Chapel Choir. The Prep Choir and the Year 7 SDC Voices also performed in the service. This year’s event raised money for Centrepoint, the UK’s leading charity for homeless young people. Thank you to everyone who donated!
level music students attended a seminar held by Trinity Laban Conservatoire on Friday 29 November at Blackheath Halls.
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They listened to discussions about the set works they are studying and watched performances of the pieces, including extracts from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and piano pieces by Debussy and Stravinsky.
THE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
Michaelmas Concert
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he annual Michaelmas Concert took place in the Great Hall on Wednesday 13 November.
This year’s concert featured outstanding performances from the Brass Ensemble, Chapel Choir and the Woodwind Chamber Group, as well as the First Orchestra.
House challenges and competitions
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his term, there has been a variety of House events bringing together pupils, staff and parents.
staff. Hecker won for the pupils, and despite a close finish, Stuart won the staff quiz.
Our budding young actors took to the Great Hall stage for this year’s House drama, putting on performances worthy of an Oscar. Despite stiff competition, Forder were the ones to take home the prize on the night. The pupils also braved the weather for this year’s House cross country event, which saw more than 300 pupils take part in the annual race and Stuart went on to win the title. In December, two House quizzes took place in the Great Hall, one for pupils and one for
Macmillan Tea Party
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his year’s Macmillan Tea Party and bake sale was a great success, raising £678 for the charity. Many thanks to everyone who contributed delicious baked goods or came along on the day. It was wonderful to see our community come together to have a lovely time and raise much needed funds for this brilliant cause. Special thanks to the Friends of St Dunstan’s, whose organisation and enthusiasm helped make the event such a success.
www.stdunstans.org.uk
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European Day of Languages
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he College celebrated the European Day of Languages on Thursday 26 September. In the run-up to the day, assemblies were hosted across the College, looking at the theme of communication and how languages help and support it. During the Lower School assembly, pupils discussed British values and how the French Revolution may have influenced these. During the assembly, Year 8 language pupils also put on a performance of the events linked to the French Revolution, including a spectacular scene of the
decapitation by guillotine of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. During Sixth Form assembly, pupils Michael, Carla and Willow put on a highly emotive and atmospheric version of ‘Le Petit Dejeuner du Matin’ by Jacques Prevert, set to live music in the Great Hall. St Dunstan’s Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Mrs Nina Crivellari, also spoke to pupils about her love of languages, quoting one of her favourite Chinese proverbs: ‘To learn a language is to have one more window from which to view the world.’
Year 13 Scholars’ Symposium
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n Tuesday 19 November, Head of Sixth Form, Mr Brewer, held a Symposium for all Year 13 scholars in order to recognise the culmination of their two year journey in the Sixth Form. Essays and projects were extremely diverse and topics included: ‘Analysis of the Relationship between Feminism and Fairytales’; ‘To what extent is childhood trauma a factor towards young adults committing gang violence’; ‘Carbon Neutrality’; and a very personal project on ‘Exile – my grandmother’s trek to freedom, 1940–1948’.
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THE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
College Parliament launches
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his term, we were delighted to officially launch the College Parliament.
Following consultation with pupils, we now have a clear structure throughout Junior, Senior and Sixth Form. We will also hold an annual Parliament Summit at Lewisham Council.
Digital Leaders
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he introduction of our Digital Leaders across Key Stages 3 and 4 have allowed some of our pupils the opportunity to demonstrate fellowship within the school community.
Digital Leaders are trained to support staff and pupils with IT, troubleshoot hardware and software, train future Leaders in the Junior School, provide support during Open Mornings and teach mini lessons to their peers, especially with regards to internet safety. The Digital Leaders have already begun to create a ‘Digital Wellbeing Programme’ aimed at ensuring our school community make informed choices about appropriate and ethical use of digital technologies.
Careers Convention
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ur annual Careers and Higher Education Convention took place on Monday 11 November. This year’s convention featured more than 64 delegates from a variety of industries, including insurance, finance, health, government, police and the Armed Forces. Our Festival sponsors,
KFH (right), also attended and spoke to pupils about careers in property. We also had a selection of universities in attendance, including Imperial College London, King’s College London and Loughborough University.
www.stdunstans.org.uk
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World Mental Health Day
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orld Mental Health Day was marked on Thursday 10 October. As part of the day, pupils and staff wore yellow to support the #HelloYellow campaign, by Young Minds UK. The College’s foyer was decorated with yellow bunting and balloons, and our mental health prefects also put together information boards for pupils to read during break and lunchtimes.
Fearless team visit College
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he Fearless team visited the College on Wednesday 13 November, spending the day in the foyer talking to pupils and staff. Fearless is a dedicated young person’s charity where pupils can get and give information about crime with complete anonymity.
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THE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
Young Mayor of Lewisham
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efore the country heads to the polls, our pupils and those across Lewisham voted for their Young Mayor. The Young Mayor is elected by 11–17 year olds who live, work and study in Lewisham. Last year, more than 9,500 young people voted across the borough. This year, the College had three pupils standing as candidates.
The Forder Programme Fair
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he Forder Programme Fair took place on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 September. During the Fair, Head of Co-Curricular, Mr Gower, spoke to pupils in the Lower School about St Dunstan’s Forder Programme and how they can sign up to a range of activities and clubs.
Scholars visit Greenwich Observatory
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group of our scholars visited the Greenwich Observatory on Thursday 17 October. The pupils began the day with a breathtaking show in the planetarium that taught them all about our universe and how small planet Earth is measured next to it. The pupils were then given two extremely informative classes: one a workshop about exoplanets, and another a masterclass about the Rosetta mission.
Sustainability Committee meet
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t Dunstan’s Sustainability Committee met on Wednesday 2 October to discuss plans for the academic year ahead. The Committee, which is the only working group in the College to be made up of pupils, staff and parents, aims to ensure St Dunstan’s is a committed green and sustainable organisation. During the meeting, the group heard from the pupil’s Green Society, caterers Holroyd Howe and other members, on areas that the committee should focus on going forward. www.stdunstans.org.uk
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THE JUNIOR SCHOOL Junior cross country
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ouse cross country (pictured above) was a huge success this year, where the children demonstrated determination and superb sportsmanship. Well done to the winners, Usherwood!
Year 1 ‘Freeze It’
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ear 1 were visited by a scientist on Wednesday 20 November who taught them all about the properties of solids, liquids and gasses. Throughout the morning, the Pre-Prep pupils had to use their knowledge of how differently solids, liquids and gasses behave to help fix her broken machine, through a range of scientific investigations.
Year 3 travel back to the Stone Age
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n Friday 13 September, Year 3 spent a wild day, learning all about life in the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including hunting techniques to catch a woolly mammoth!
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THE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
Official opening for Junior School temp building
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e were absolutely delighted to open our Junior School temporary building on Monday 2 September.
marks the exciting first stage of our facilities development plan, with our new buildings planned for opening in 2021. The Junior Head Boy and Head Girl had the honour of cutting the ribbon.
The building, which will house Years 4–6,
DT enrichment workshop
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n November a group of Year 5 pupils took part in a DT enrichment workshop in the Senior School. They worked together in pairs to create boats which had to withstand a series of tests. The pupils had a great time and produced some excellent designs.
Year 5 Chemistry taster
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rs Hartwell from the Senior School, welcomed Year 5 pupils to the Chemistry Department on Monday 18 November to give them a taster of the subject. The pupils got to see an experiment in action and learn about the properties of burning.
Reception mark Black History Month
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eception participated in a variety of rich learning activities during Black History Month. The children learnt about items invented by black people including the dustpan, the ironing board and peanut butter to name just a few. They looked at important black role models and talked about prejudice and how it might feel. The classes also explored African and Caribbean culture and enjoyed making African necklaces, playing on the Djembe drums, listening to stories and exploring African patterns. Reception also tried on some real carnival hats and then made their own. They ended the week with their very own carnival and enjoyed making and tasting a tropical smoothie and dancing to music.
Year 6 Art enrichment
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n December a handful of Year 6 pupils took part in an exciting art enrichment workshop in the Senior School.
The children worked in small groups assisted by some senior school art scholars to create some wonderfully creative and imaginative Cubist sculptures. www.stdunstans.org.uk
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JUNIOR PERFORMANCES Year 4 and 6 instrumental concert
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his term, our Year 4 and 6 pupils put on a fantastic instrumental concert at St Bartholomew’s Church. Well done to all the solo performers and also our newly formed Junior School Wind Band.
Year 4 Young Maestros
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ear the start of term, a team of professional woodwind and brass musicians came to school to demonstrate their instruments to our Year 4 pupils. The children then had lots of fun
trying out each of these instruments and choosing which one they would like to learn for 5 weeks. Following this, the pupils presented a very entertaining concert to their parents and staff.
Junior House Christmas Challenge
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s we stepped into December, the Junior School came alive with festive singing and dancing. The annual House Christmas Challenge is an event that we all look forward to each year. Hecker, Usherwood, Forder and Stuart performed their favourite Christmas songs with gusto and excitement. Well done to everyone for their enthusiasm and hard work. What a wonderful time of year!
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THE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
Reception & KS1 Christmas performance
NURSERY NEWS Hot chocolate!
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nce again, the Reception & KS1 Christmas performance was an absolute triumph and it continues to be one of the highlights of the year in our St Dunstan’s calendar. The pupils delivered an outstanding performance of ‘A King is Born’, treating us to fantastic acting, catchy songs and dance moves to rival those on Strictly! Well done, Pre-Prep; the whole community was left feeling unbelievably festive thanks to all of your hard work.
ur Nursery children had a fabulous start to the year. During their first few days, the children made lots of new friends and the teachers were excited to hear all their questions.
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s the weather got cold, the Nursery children started to make and serve each other their very own ‘hot chocolate’. They used all sorts of interesting materials including sand, sticks and leaves. The teachers decided to make some real hot chocolate. First the children were served some and asked what ingredients they thought were put in. Then the class made their own. The children needed somewhere to serve this delicious hot chocolate so the Nursery Café was officially opened.
Junior carol service
Autumn arrives in the Nursery
Nursery Christmas celebration
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ur Junior pupils put on a beautiful carol service on Thursday 5 December. All of the pupils from Years 1 to 6 came together for a wonderful service following weeks of rehearsals.
Welcome week
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uring the second half of the term, the children were inspired by the change in the weather. During some of their lessons, the young pupils explored the College field and were encouraged to think of words that could describe the autumnal weather.
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he annual Nursery Christmas celebration (above) took place at St Laurence Church on Tuesday 3 December. In the lead up to the performance the children practised very hard and sang the songs throughout the day. They were so excited to share their learning with their family and friends and the teachers were very proud. www.stdunstans.org.uk
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Year 7 Bushcraft
TRIPS & VISITS
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t the very start of this term, all of our Year 7 pupils went on a three day residential trip to the woodlands of Blenheim in Oxfordshire. During their stay, they experienced a number of workshops that focused on learning key survival skills such as camouflage and concealment, cutting tools, wild fire cooking and shelter building. Pupils were fortunate to have fantastic weather over the three days
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THE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019
and so many of them chose to sleep in the shelters they built rather than use the tipitents that the Bushcraft company provided. The climax of the trip had to be when the Year 7s saved the teachers from a ‘plane’ crash (left). Luckily for the teachers, the pupils did a sterling job, demonstrating incredible teamwork, by getting the teachers out of the wreckage and patching them all up with emergency First Aid bandages.
Senior geographers’ trip to Iceland
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uring the Michaelmas Exeat, a group of our senior geographers travelled to Iceland. During the trip, the geography pupils visited the famous Lava Tunnel, Thingvellir National Park and even caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights.
A level Physics Live
Year 12 visit Paris
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n December, our Sixth Form physics students visited the A level Physics Live event at the Savoy theatre. The day of lectures had five eminent Physicists speak - most notably Prof Jim Al-Khalili - about the new field of Quantum Biology, and Prof Frank Close on Nuclear Physics.
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ear 12 began their time in the Sixth Form with a two-day trip to Paris. The students and Sixth Form staff visited several iconic sites including the Cathedral of Sacre Coeur, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and the Musée d’Orsay.
Aside from these, the day also had two sessions with a chief examiner, on how best to pick up marks in the A level examinations.
Speaking about the trip, Mr Scambler said: ‘Students enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere of the “City of Light” and got very competitive with the Paris Photo Challenge! Taking the Eurostar there and back again made for a particularly civilised journey.
The whole trip was a great bonding experience, and students will have kindled friendships that will support them throughout their time in Sixth Form.’
www.stdunstans.org.uk
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Year 4 visit Dulwich Picture Gallery
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ear 4 visited the Dulwich Picture Gallery on Wednesday 16 October to explore the artwork on show. They took part in a workshop to use the art they had seen as prompts to create fantastic stories.
Theatre trip
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n order to get into the festive spirit, Prep visited the Unicorn Theatre to watch an awe-inspiring production of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Canterville Ghost’. A wonderful time was had by all.
TRIPS & VISITS Years 1 and 2 enjoy a pantomime
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ears 1 and 2 braved the rain and the south London buses to watch an amazing pantomime production of Sleeping Beauty at Greenwich Theatre on Wednesday 27 November. The performance was ‘awesome’ and ‘amazing’ according to our children, and included real snow, glitter cannons, a black pudding-wielding dame named Big Bertha and audience participation in the form of hurling ‘moon cakes’ at the evil Rasputin (with a tentacle for a hand).
Psychology in Action lecture
Year 4 visit British Museum
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level psychology students enjoyed a trip into central London to attend the Psychology in Action event on Tuesday 3 December. Students took part in five incredibly engaging sessions covering many aspects of psychology from how to master memory to the link between dancing and the brain. As well as this students discovered how to make their exams a success with some useful hints and tips from an examiner.
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ear 4 enjoyed a fun-filled visit to the British Museum on Friday 8 November. The pupils had an informative exploration of the British Museum’s Egyptian galleries, followed by a workshop where they learnt all about the mummification process!
Year 6 Centre of the Cell
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or their ‘Microorganisms and Investigators’ topic in IPC, Year 6 visited the Blizard Institute’s Centre of the Cell education centre. During this visit, pupils learned about research conducted by scientists and played games that helped them step into the shoes of these researchers. To round off the day, they investigated the symptoms of a mystery microbe to discover what illness had been caught.
UK Space Design
Year 6 in Burgundy
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his year we entered two teams into the UK Space Design Competition, a Lower School team and a Sixth Form team. The Lower School were teamed with Eltham College and won their competition. The Sixth Form team did very well but didn’t quite win this time.
First Lego League
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our of our Year 8 pupils competed in the First Lego League on Sunday 8 December at the American School in London. Ahead of the competition, the pupils had been building a Lego robot to complete a set of challenges and prepare for the day. The aim of the competition is to provide pupils with the chance to take part in a team which builds cooperatively and introduces physical computing.
ear 6 enjoyed an educational and fun-filled trip to Burgundy during the second week of term.
Particular highlights included making tartouillat, a traditional French apple cake, rope-making at Guédelon (a 13th century castle that is currently being built) and eating snails!
Year 6 Imperial War Museum
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n early October, Year 6 visited the famous Imperial War Museum.
The pupils had a fantastic time filming documentaries and reporting on different aspects of World War I. With some focusing on military equipment and others on clothing and nursing, pupils used primary sources to investigate what life was like during the Great War.
Congratulations to the team for bringing home the Judge’s Award for their tenacious nature. www.stdunstans.org.uk
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Year 9 Royal Navy residential
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uring the last weekend of November, 28 of our Year 9 CCF Naval cadets and staff enjoyed time with the Royal Navy on a residential in Portsmouth at HMS Excellent (The RN Gunnery School). The cadets stayed on warship HMS Bristol overnight, experiencing the three-tier bunks in their messdecks. They also had the chance to use the Gunnery School drill square and explore the warship from the bridge to the sea dart missile magazine (which is now a theatre).
CCF Year 11 Navy cadets attend course
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uring the first weekend of the October Exeat, a group of our Year 11 Royal Navy cadets attended a threeday Section Cadet Instructor Course. The course, which was held at Crowborough Training Camp, was an opportunity for the cadets to develop various skills that they have acquired during their CCF training and prepare them for the more senior ranks in the section.
Congratulations to Lt Karmock Golds
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ongratulations to Miss Karmock Golds after successfully completing her week long qualifying course at the Cadet Training Centre, Frimley Park. This, alongside her current service as an Officer in the CCF, means that she has now been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
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Cadets go scuba diving at St Dunstan’s
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ear 9 Royal Naval cadets were given their first opportunity to experience a discover scuba diving session on Monday 4 November. The session was delivered by Nemes Diving Academy in the College’s swimming pool and provided a quick and easy introduction into what it takes to explore the underwater world.
DA Family Day
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he Dunstonian Assocation hosted their annual Family Day on Saturday 14 September. During the day, former
pupils, parents and staff returned to the College to catch up and reminisce about their days at St Dunstan’s. Guests also were able to look through the school’s extensive archives which date back to the early origins of the College.
DUNSTONIAN COMMUNITY Year 6 charity work with VSL
Congratulations to Dunstonian Joss
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ongratulations to Dunstonian Joss Young on completing his Initial Training at Britannia Royal Naval College and Passing Out to become an Officer in the Royal Navy.
epresentatives from Year 6 enjoyed their visit to Voluntary Services Lewisham, where they made and packed boxes for Christmas hampers, helping those less fortunate than themselves.
Dunstonian Greg Holder visits
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e were delighted to welcome back former pupil Greg Holder to the College on Tuesday 19 November. During the day, Greg spoke to pupils about his work in shark conservation and the part we can all play in protecting them. He was also the guest of honour at the Year 13 Scholars’ Symposium and had the hard task of judging the Sixth Formers displays. www.stdunstans.org.uk
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U16 basketball success
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ongratulations to our U16s basketball team who will be representing the Borough of Lewisham at the upcoming London Youth Games. The team made it through to the next stage following success at the U16 Basketball Lewisham School Games tournament at the Thunderdome. Speaking about the team, St Dunstan’s Director of Sport, Miss Watkins said: ‘It is a real achievement and such a deserved reward for all their hard work and dedication to training.’
SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS Netball best
Lewisham Schools Cross Country
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ur Year 9 and 10 pupils took part in the Lewisham Schools Cross Country competition in October. Our runners performed admirably in a torrential downpour and came away as the winners in all 4 races!
Hockey stars
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ell done to our U14 netball team who took part in the Kent netball competition in November. The team finished third, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the national round. However, this was the best finish for a St Dunstan’s team since the College first entered.
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ell done to Oli, Aiden, James, Livvy, Poppy, Calum, Ben and Amelie who are all part of the Metro Kent Development Squad and Abbie in Year 10 who has progressed to Kent County Tier 1.
New Muga unveiled
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his term, the Bursar was delighted to unveil the latest new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) on our Jubilee Grounds. The facility, which was installed by the awardwinning team at Spadeoak, is able to provide the ‘ultimate in player convenience’ due to its all-weather playability, versatility and minimal maintenance needs. This is the latest of many investments on our Jubilee Ground, which is increasingly becoming a centre for sporting excellence at the College and a focal point for our programmes of community engagement.
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Michaelmas Forder success
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ives, girls’ football, fencing, judo and badminton have all got off to fantastic starts and we have schools waiting in the wings to come and play fixtures in a number of new sports. A huge well done to all those who have taken the time to commit (both pupils and staff) to such excellent clubs and good luck for the fixtures!
Other sporting success •
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Congratulations to Emily in Year 6 who competed in the GFA Gymnastics regional Finals 2019 Floor and Vault (After qualifying through the Zonal tournament) and placed second. Well done to our Year 9 and 10 girls (pictured above), who umpired and coached at the Lewisham Schools U11s fast-five netball tournament. In November, our U14 rugby team were runners up in the Kent Shield competition at Gravesend RFC. Our 1st XV rugby squad won 48–3 in their rugby match versus Kent College on Wednesday 27 November Our First XV had a clean sweep of wins against Ashford, winning 38–12. They were congratulated on being the most organised and well-drilled team they had faced this season.
ESSA London Swimming Championships
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he ESSA London Round of the Team Championships took place on Monday 23 September. The event saw our swimmers improve times in nearly every event compared to previous years. Competing against much bigger schools in London, our swimmers battled in every relay and should be very proud of their achievements. Most impressive were our Junior girls who came in the top third nationally against far bigger schools.
SWIMMING
London League Final
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n November, the London League Final saw our top eight Year 7 and top 8 Year 8 swimmers represent the College against 15 other schools in virtual round. Our swimmers focused on each race, which saw us gain a place in the B final in 2nd place. The final takes place in February 2020.
Swimming trials
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12 swim trials took place on the first Friday of the term. We had 50% of the year group trial and over a third took up a place in the swimming programme. All swimmers are showing a real commitment to training and we have some very promising club swimmers who are achieving County times. www.stdunstans.org.uk
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So Last Century
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t Dunstan’s Enterprises was delighted to host the So Last Century vintage fair on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October. During the weekend, the College’s Great Hall and Refectory was transformed with hundreds of 20th-century vintage and antique items.
ISI inspection
I NEWS IN BRIEF... Children’s author Sarah Mussi visits
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he College was delighted to welcome children’s author, Sarah Mussi to the College on Thursday 3 October. The famous author was visiting St Dunstan’s as part of the College’s opening minds lecture series. During her visit, Sarah took the children on a fantastic journey, from generating ideas and researching context, to the publication of a novel.
n November, St Dunstan’s underwent a full inspection from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). We were delighted to be awarded the highest possible outcome in each category. The inspectors found that ‘the quality of the pupils’ academic achievement and other achievements is excellent,’ and that ‘pupils of all ages display excellent knowledge, skills and understanding and become resilient in their learning as they move through the school’. Inspectors also found that ‘pupils show compassion and kindness for each other and have a discernible appreciation for their community and the world beyond.’ Praising the College’s community outreach, the inspectors noted that pupils ‘translate their moral awareness into carrying out activities such as charitable giving, both in terms of money and time, to local causes and they are able to engage with great issues of our time, such as climate change and inequality.’ Visit our website to read the full report.
E-safety day
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ngaging with an ever-changing digital world is so exciting for our pupils, but it also presents challenges. Pupils were taken through a journey for how to stay safe in this modern world through our E-safety day; a vital part of supporting the well-being of pupils online when gaming, researching homework and using mobile devices.
College open events
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his term, we have been delighted to welcome more than 1,500 prospective pupils and their parents to St Dunstan’s for our series of Junior, Senior and Sixth Form open events. During these visits, there were talks from the Headmaster, Mr Hewlett, Head of School, Polly, and other heads of sections. They also toured the College and saw the school in action with experiments, musical interludes and House rugby.
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UK Bebras results success
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n early November, Senior School pupils took part in the UK Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge. The challenge was sat by
roughly 260,000 students in the UK and tests the ability to think logically as well as the key skills involved in programming. More than 40 of
our pupils finished in the national top 10% and have now been invited to take part in the 2020 TCS Oxford Computing Challenge in March, which is run by Professor Peter Millican from the University of Oxford.
AWARDS Website wins at 2019 Davey Awards
College film wins at EVCOM Awards
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In September, the award picked up bronze at the EVCOM Clarion Awards, and in November it won bronze again at the EVCOM London Film Awards, which is known as the industry ‘Baftas’.
In the last 12 months, the College has launched a number of exciting marketing projects including a new website and video, as well as a campaign across the south east of London, including main train stations such as London Bridge and Charing Cross.
his term, the College film ‘Welcome to St Dunstan’s, welcome to our school’ - which you canenjoy on the landing page of our website - won two awards at industry ceremonies.
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he St Dunstan’s website has been honoured at this year’s 2019 Davey Awards. The website, which was created with the wonderful team at FinalSite UK, received a silver award for being a ‘best in class’ school site. The Davey Awards are judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), an invitationonly body consisting of top-tier professionals from a ‘Who’s Who’ of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms.
Marketing nominated for TES Award
t Dunstan’s has been shortlisted at the TES Independent School Awards 2020 for Marketing Campaign of the Year, for its marketing efforts in the last year.
Eco-Schools Bronze Award
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t Dunstan’s was delighted to receive the Eco-Schools Bronze Award in December, which was awarded in recognition of the College’s significant achievements in becoming increasingly sustainable. Well done to the Bursar, Mrs Wilkins, Green Society student leader, Ottilie, and the whole College for this tremendous effort. www.stdunstans.org.uk
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Stanstead Road, London SE6 4TY Charity number: 312747 A co-educational, independent College for ages 3 to 18 T www.stdunstans.org.uk HE SHIELD I MICHAELMAS NEWSLETTER 2019 020 8516 7200