Worthing High School December 2013 MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Governors, This term ends on a note of optimism and excitement for the future. Our HMI monitoring visit confirmed the progress we are making and we have embarked on the next chapter of improvement with enthusiasm. I am enormously grateful for the incredible amount of hard work on the part of all staff; this has paid dividends across the board. Most importantly students reported to HMI how much they appreciated and noted the efforts of staff. Half term saw an incredible visit by staff and 15 Year 10 students to India to support students at a school in their lessons. Our students took with them a range of educational resources, delivered lessons and shared in the daily lives of staff and students. This visit to St Joseph’s in Nallajerla, in the Andhra Pradesh region, was the culmination of 2 years hard work by the students. In Yr. 8 the students had undergone a rigorous selection process to gain a place on the trip; they then had to set about raising £1,500 each through a variety of fundraising activities. The team was led by Jim Fenlon, and he was ably supported by Katie Guirey, Mark Leswell, Ryan Loversidge and Stuart Williams. The team wrote a fascinating daily blog which those of us at home followed with great interest. We look forward to the next chapter in this amazing partnership. At the end of this term we sadly say goodbye to three members of staff and wish another two the very best as they embark on maternity leave. Jonathan Millington leaves us to take up an exciting opportunity at Southfields Academy in
Wandsworth, where he will be responsible for setting up a new behavioural unit. Jonathan has been at Worthing High for over 7 years and during that time has given tirelessly of his time to support students and the school in general. We shall very much miss Jonathan’s great humour and willingness to support the school in all its activities. We also wish Nick Street the very best as he leaves to take up a teaching position at Selsey Academy. Nick’s enthusiasm in the Science labs will be greatly missed. Jo Tyrell-Baldwin also finishes her one term contract, we are enormously grateful to Jo for her hard work this term. As Claire Armstrong, Sarah Hurley and Clare King embark on their maternity leave, we wish them all the very best and look forward to hearing news of the
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
births of their new babies and welcoming them back to school in due course. Joining the staff, we welcome Sanjida Begum who joins the Maths Department, Louise Sandiford who joins the DT department, Damon Thompson who will be covering Clare King’s maternity period,Gail Adams will cover Sarah Hurley and similarly Denise Caruana who will be covering for Claire Armstrong. I do hope you all enjoy a peaceful Christmas and I very much look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Monday January 6th. Very best wishes Carolyn Dickinson
Monkey Carol” from Emily Coles. Junior and Senior Choirs sang Over 150 parents, friends and beautifully and our Gifted and Talmembers of the local community ented group – Madrigalia sang a joined Worthing High Students for French madrigal and a Christmas their annual Carols by Candlelight lullaby. The instrumental group on Thursday 12 December. The performed a Christmas Canon. evening provided an opportunity David Martin, Music subject leader for us to celebrate Christmas and said: “Our hall was transformed showcase the musical talents into a magical place of candlelight of our students. Over £100 was and we were then taken through a raised towards our defibrillator beautiful experience by our fund which will provide a much wonderfully talented musicians. All needed lifesaving resource for the our students performed so well and school and the wider community. made the evening a moving and special time. The audience were treated to a We were very grateful to councillor beautiful evening of festive Bob Smytherman Mayor of music, readings and musical Worthing and Rev Wing for their performances from over 60 presence this year.” students. A candlelit procession to Once in Royal David City sang by Amelia Smith set the atmosphere. The audience joined in with traditional and new carols, readings from students and staff and a beautiful solo of “The
CELEBRATION OF SUCCESS Year 11 Presentation Evening is the highlight of the school year. A chance to celebrate the outstanding achievements of all our Year 11 students who left Worthing High in the summer. The evening started with drinks and a buffet and then guests took their seats in the beautifully decorated hall. The evening started with a presentation of certificates to all students and also thirty six special awards. These included subject awards, prizes for student progress, GCSE results and also the Hyder-Wilson trophy which is awarded to a student who gives an outstanding commitment to the school.
Sophie Zienkiewciz is presented with the Hyder-Wilson award by Tony Cohen
Sophie Zienkiewicz was awarded the Hyder-Wilson Trophy. Headteacher Carolyn Dickinson said: “Sophie has made an outstanding contribution to Worthing High School during her four years with us. She has been a model pupil and has been involved with
many activities and events providing support to the school. We are all very proud of her achievements and wish her well with her future studies.” Tony Cohen, Chairman of the Governing Body gave the main address. Tony reflected on the time his four children spent at Worthing High School and praised the staff and students for making the school such a welcoming environment.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - Wednesday 18 December 2013 The first annual general meeting of Worthing High School is on Wednesday 18 December at 6.00 pm. For more information please see our website using this link. WHS Annual General Meeting Parents, carers and students are welcome to attend.
FORTHCOMING PRODUCTION Rehearsals are now well under way for this year’s school production of “The Dracula Spectacular” It tells the tale of the forces of good against evil as the Lord of the Vampires seeks to seduce the sweet and vulnerable school teacher, Miss Nadia Naive. She is protected by handsome English doctor Nick and his friend Father O’Stake, who are also assisted by Herr Hans and Frau Gretel. Good meets evil at the castle by the black lake as the show speeds towards a thrilling climax and an intriguing twist. Our talented cast have put so much effort into the
2
musical so far and we can’t wait for show time on 4th6th March 2014. Information regarding tickets will be circulated nearer the time. We hope to see you there! Miss E McCarthy Leader of Drama
SCHOOL’S FIRST TWO APPRENTICES Sean Stallard is the first Science Technician Apprentice to be appointed in the South East Region. Sean said: “I applied to be an apprentice lab technician at Worthing High because, after doing my A-levels, I knew that I wanted to do something Chemistry related. I had a look around for apprenticeships that were related to Chemistry, because they would give me work experience as well as providing me with some extra education I could use for higher education. The Lab Technician post appealed to me because it meant I would learn all about how chemical solutions would be made, and how to prepare practicals. As well as that, I would always be busy and doing something, I don’t like the idea of doing a job that involves me being sat at a desk. I’ve found the first few weeks really interesting. I’ve learnt a lot about how to prepare practicals, as well as keeping track of stock. I’m always busy doing something due to the constant need of practicals in the department. As well as that I’ve met a lot of new people, and everyone has been really welcoming.”
So far I have learnt lots of new skills, and experienced exciting and challenging new things that make the job very worthwhile. Not to mention the staff who have been so welcoming and friendly to me, making me feel really comfortable and more motivated. I hope to Amber Shepherd, who is an ex pupil of Worthing grow more as a person and develop many more skills and qualities from this experience. I’m very High has also started work at Worthing High as grateful to be granted this opportunity and hope an Office Apprentice, supported by Northbrook to continue to enjoy my time here for the rest of College. Amber said: “After searching the my apprenticeship.” apprenticeship website for a suitable apprenticeship, I found Worthing High School Karen Hayler, Business Development Manager was offering one in Administration. I knew at Worthing High said: “We were very keen as a straight away I was going to apply for it as having been a student there 4 years ago, it was local employer and education establishment to offer apprenticeship opportunities to local young a place very close to me that I shared lots of people. We have received excellent support good memories in! from Northbrook College and TDR Training who I also wanted to get a feel of what it would be like to work in a busy atmosphere and to acquire have made the recruitment process really easy for us. Both Sean and Amber are already the relevant interpersonal and practical skills proving to be assets to the school and I would for future prospects. A job in the Business and encourage local employers, especially schools, Admin sector is something I’ve always felt I am to embrace the Apprenticeship Programme quite suited to; and these past few weeks of working in the Admin Office at Worthing High are when considering how to fill vacancies.” proving to be very valuable.
SPONSORED WALK FOR CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE We are pleased to announce that our final fund raising total was £7832.00. Although this is a little short of our target of £12,000 we are very grateful to all our students and their families and friends for supporting the event. Our Just Giving page is still open and should you still like to donate please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/WHS-Walk-2013
3
2013 INDIA TRIP A life-changing experience, full of memories that will stay with me forever.’ Eden Shelton, student at Worthing High School. It was seeing a glimpse of extreme poverty in the slums as we flew into Mumbai airport that made us realise that we had begun the school trip of
a lifetime. Fifteen pupils from Worthing High School and three from Angmering School had travelled to India to work with the CRED Foundation, a UK based charity, in St Joseph’s School in India’s southern Andhra Pradesh region. It was to be an unforgettable experience that will forever change our perspective on the world.
The Golconda Fort in Hyderabad was our first real experience of India, walking up the 3,000 steps receiving an incredible welcome from everyone we met showed
4
us the kind and hospitable nature of India. When we reached the top of the Fort, the weather changed: rain like we had never experienced fell down across Hyderabad. We hurried back onto the coach and onto a local market, this is where students had their first taste of bartering as they bought hand crafted gifts for friends and family, ranging from wooden chess sets to swinging chairs. We spent the night in Hyderabad in a hotel which we would come to miss over the coming week, hot water and 24 hour electricity were luxuries we would miss in Rajahmundry, our final
destination. We soon left the city and flew into Rajahmundry (rural India), this was a very different India. Our journey from the airport was fascinating, we experienced the roads of rural India for the first time; they need to be seen to be believed! The horn is a significant part of an Indian road – everything from a manoeuvre, to forcing a cow to move from your path warranted the use of the horn, several times. This mixed with the incredible sights each day, the endless potholes created by the Phailin Cyclone that hit the area prior to the trip and the smiles and waves we would receive everywhere we went created a wonderful
atmosphere. Breakfast on Sunday was curry, a dish we would enjoy for all three meals for the next week. Although repetitive, students soon learned to appreciate the value of choice.
We visited a small church near Nallarjeerla, where we sat amongst the residents receiving a warm and loving welcome whilst our team leader introduced us to the congregation, before seeing St. Josephs School for the first time; this was where we would spend the majority of the next five days – experiencing the joys of teaching in an Indian School. The journey to the school each day was always as exciting as the last, monkeys on the road, goat markets and fishing in flood waters were some of the highlights. As we arrived at St.
Josephs School on Monday, we saw happiness and joy in the faces of every Indian child, which added to the enjoyment and successes of the week. Students filled their hair with gifts of yellow flowers and hifives were seen all round as we began our unforgettable experience. The days were split into three main sections, teaching in the morning followed by two activity sessions.
The students were split into pairs to teach a class of up to 46 Indian children! Each lesson was as successful as the last, varying from pronunciation to creating papier mache planets – all to fit in with the week’s theme of Superheroes.
the most part of the week; the heat and humidity did not however put off students from giving it their all – really making us proud! As the week progressed, relationships with the Indian children strengthened and each day on the trip was
and grateful for us being there, fascinated by our culture, enjoying each and every conversation and appreciating the chance to their pronunciation of the English language. Our time at St. Josephs ended with a community event, which was attended by the local media and key members of the local community - this was a fulfilling end to an amazing week. Before our long journey back to the UK, we had the opportunity to visit a stone breakers, rural slum and leprosy colony, this led to an emotional final day for all. It was sad to say goodbye to India but the experiences will
Teachers from the Worthing schools also had the opportunity to teach the older students, a memory which will always be relished. The activities were an equal success, especially cricket (even a mention of the word led to excitement everywhere). Each day had the captivating addition of two whole school sessions run by two members of the CRED foundation, Hannah Wareham and Mikey Francis. These sessions involved songs, rhymes and the students at St. Josephs always loved seeing their teachers taking part in the daily fun and games. The weather was glorious for
a blessing for all.
stay with us always. As Sophie Penfold, Worthing High School student said ‘It’s been a trip of a lifetime, I’ll never forget it!’ The teachers at St. Josephs were equally as welcoming
Written by: Mr Mark Leswell, Geography Teacher
5
THEATRE IN EDUCATION PROJECT FOR 11 DRAMA STUDENTS! On the 22nd of November 2013 we went to the Vale School to perform our theatre in education pieces to Years 3 and 4. We were performing pieces to do with bullying and friendship, because we were trying to make the children aware of how bullying can affect their lives and how to deal with it in the most sensible, productive way. There were six drama groups performing individual 20 minute devised pieces interacting with the audience to get them interested and understanding about friendship and bullying. Alongside our performances we developed little workshops for the Vale children where we taught them drama warm ups and drama
games all linked in with our theme, this was to help them learn to trust each other in a safe environment. Overall, I found the day went extremely well. All performances went according to plan and everyone had an amazing time. Finally, this experience did help develop and improve our partnership and bond between
the Vale First and Middle School and Worthing High School. Reported by Chantelle Stanbridge
YOUNG INTERPRETER SCHEME Welcome, Hoşgeldiniz, Witaj, We set up our group of Young Interpreters in 2011 and have successfully trained 13 students. The students have wholeheartedly immersed themselves in supporting new arrivals and their parents/carers both in school time, during open evenings, new intake day, tours of the school and translating within the local community. They took part in a cross-curricular activity with a Year 11 Citizenship class and spoke about their countries of origin, traditions and customs and produced popular recipes; sweet and savoury, which they cooked the following week. We all enjoyed the experience of eating Sushi, stir fried beef on a bed of fresh salad, Pancit Canton, a noodle dish, Bengali red lentil dhal and a sweet casava cake.
“It gave me confidence when I became a Young Interpreter, I assisted others to speak English and take full part in our School.” Lucy, Year 11.
We meet regularly in our group ‘Colourful Culture’ where we catch up on how new students are settling in, talk about ‘home’ countries and families and show each other on ‘Google Earth’ or maps, where we used to live. We celebrate festivals, make cards, play games and have a good time.
“I was pleased to be asked to be a Young Interpreter, I like to help people and feel that I have achieved something good.” John, Year 10.
On completion of their training, the students are awarded a certificate and badge in recognition of their high profile role. Some of the many languages spoken include,Romanian,Italian, Sinhala, Russian,Arabic,Mandarin,Tagalog, Spanish, Bulgarian, Bengali, Turkish, Portugese Sue & Fran Fisher ( LSA’s) andKnott Japanese.
6
“I was worried before I started school in the United Kingdom, but having a Young Interpreter helped me to settle in and make friends immediately.” Yo-Yo, Year 9.
We look forward as a group to continue supporting our students to ensure they feel included, safe and valued from the start of their time at Worthing High School. Happy holidays from all of us. Mrs. Ashby EAL Co-ordinator Inclusion
TINY TEMPEST
On 3rd December, Year Eight students were treated to a performance by Mini-Mall Theatre Company of Tiny Tempest, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s well-known
comedy, The Tempest. The production was both engaging and funny. A particular highlight was the ‘fight scene’, combining slapstick comedy with Shakespearean insults. The Year Eights should be commended for their attention and involvement. It was a fantastic experience and one which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. After the performance, twenty students, specially selected by their English teachers for their contribution to lessons so far this term, took part in a workshop run by the Director of the company. This was an opportunity for them to get to grips with the rhythm and language of Shakespeare’s plays and they had great fun making music, rapping to sonnets and working together to create a mini-performance. One student, Alex Hopkins, said: “There were lots of new skills to learn. I enjoyed the experience of working with a director.” Another student involved in the workshop, Ryan Stimpson, said: “We learned how the actors warm up. I also liked learning about the way Shakespeare made
up random words. I found it very useful.” The students who took part were an absolute credit to Worthing High School due to their effort, positivity and achievement during the workshop. Miss A Griffiths English
7
LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE Congratulations to all our Year 8 students who have already achieved bronze badges since they started AR in September. This is a great achievement as they have already read 500,000 words. Max Bevis in Year 9 has been awarded our first Gold Medal for reading 5,000,000 words, well done Max. Reading is going from strength to strength and this is evident in the LRC 100% board. We are actually running out of space for students to put up their stars by the end of each month. We are so pleased to see students enjoying what they are reading and discovering new genres and authors.
Book Club We have been reading along with The Southern School Book Awards and are looking forward to going to the presentation at Roedean in January to hear who has been voted the winner. A group of Year 7 students from The Vale school came to visit us this week. They were keen to see all our wonderful resources in the library and enjoyed the book reviews our Year 9 students gave them on their favourite books. We are looking forward to running a book club with them and meeting up once a month at WHS to discuss. For more information on the LRC check out the LRC Newsletter which is posted on the website at the beginning of each month. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and your stockings are full of books! Mrs Phelan LRC Manager
PEER MEDIATORS The Peer Mediator Project is now in its third year at Worthing High School and is continuing to prove to be of great support to the younger students in year 8 and year 9. Our Senior year 11 Peer Mediators and our year 10 Peer Mediators have been especially pro-active this year helping younger students with self-image and low self-esteem concerns and exploring ways to support those who sometimes struggle to form new friendships and helping them develop good relationships with their peers. I am particularly proud of our Senior Peer Mediators, Emily
8
D’Agostino, Luke Scattergood, Zac Denton, Holly Hopkins, Jess Jackman, Amber Logan, Poppy Taylor and Rachel Thomas for their continued commitment to the project and the enthusiasm they have given to training and supporting the year 10 Peer Mediators. This year all of them will be nominated for the Princess Diana AntiBullying award for their conscientious and dedicated work. All this they have done alongside their GCSEs in a
year that is very important for them academically. Ms Belinda SilvĂŠ Peer Mediator Co-ordinator Pastoral Leader Salvington Community Worthing High School
NEW VOCAL GROUP - MADRIGALIA
ACOUSTIC CAFé On the first Sunday of each month, Worthing High School holds an “Acoustic Café” event at Green Cuisine Café, Rowlands Road, Worthing from 3.00pm-5.00pm. Students are given the opportunity to perform acoustic music to their friends and family – we have even had students performing with their parents and siblings too.
Madrigalia is a new vocal group at Worthing High. This group formed in October of this year to explore polyphonic vocal music and enjoy the challenge of singing complex part-songs. Accomplished singers from all year-groups in the school were invited to join Madrigalia and it has been a pleasure learning songs which have proved to be challenging melodically, rhythmically and lyrically due to the different languages associated with Madrigal singing. A Madrigal is a non-religious unaccompanied song written for a number of different vocal parts. It became extremely popular in Europe in the 16th Century and continued to be written during most of the first half of the 17th Century in Italy and England mainly. Madrigals were written as social entertainment for the middle-class and aristocracy. A merchant’s family and dinner guests, for instance, might
entertain themselves after dinner in their home by singing madrigals indoors around the dinner table. The aristocratic class might enjoy performing madrigals in an outdoor setting - garden or private park – for their own entertainment. Madrigalia have been learning various pieces including the famous madrigal by Jacques Arcadelt; c. 1507-1568. It is entitled Margot Labourez Les Vignes. They recently performed at the school’s prestigious Presentation Evening and will take part in the Carol Concert on Thursday 12th December. Madrigalia will be developing its repertoire in 2014 and looking forward to performing in school and within the local community in the future. Steve Jeffery
These events are very popular indeed. It is a lovely way to spend an afternoon, listening to live performances and enjoying food and drink in the café.
The Acoustic Café has become rather popular, and people tend to arrive from around 2.45pm. If you would like any further information, do not hesitate to contact Mr Jeffery on sjeffery@ worthinghigh.net or find him in D7 or the Heene Office.
9
Term Date Reminder: Last Day of Term Friday 20 December 2013 1.30pm finish Start of Term Monday 6 January 2014 9.40am start Have a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year! REPORTS ON-LINE We’re really excited that our new parent portal called “Insight” is now live. Through a number of screens you will be able to see, at a glance, information about attendance, attainment and behaviour and be able to access all school reports on-line. There is also the ability to see student timetables, exam entries, as well as results all at the click of a button. The site is live 24 hours a day and can be accessed from any internet enabled device. In the two days since its launch 160 parents have already logged into the system, and we are hoping that long term all
parents will want to use this extremely useful facility. The system is accessed at the following location https:// insight.worthinghigh.net/insight and every parent/carer who is listed as priority one in our database were sent via e-mail their user name and password. If you would like a login, and are listed on our school database, then please contact
the school and we will add you to this system. Please note we do need to hold an up-to-date e-mail address in order for you to use the site. If you would like further details about the system and a parental guide then please do visit our school website where there is additional information under the parent section.
AGE OF TRANSFER CONSULTATION BY WSCC West Sussex County Council commenced a consultation on the issue of age of transfer to secondary schools and associated school reorganisation in the Worthing area on Monday 11 November 2013. A consultation document with full details has been sent to all parents/carers and copies are available on the school website. Consultation closes on 23 December 2013 so please ensure you have returned your consultation form by the deadline. http://www.worthinghigh.net/age-of-transfer-aot
WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CONSULTATION As part of the Age of Transfer Consultation, Worthing High School is proposing to change its Admission Policy to take effect from September 2015. Our consultation period runs from Thursday 28 November 2013 to Wednesday 29 January 2014 and is linked to the “Future organisation of schools consultation” across Worthing which has already been shared with parents. A letter giving details of the proposed changes, a response form and the new admissions policy have already been emailed to parents and are also available on our website at the following link: http://www.worthinghigh.net/consultation-admission-policy-2015
10
PENNY CRAZY the largest amount of money. As the week went on the amount grew and grew and by the end of the week when it
Worthing High school raised over £540 for Children in Need this year.
This year saw TNS, TMR, TIK and TFI tutor groups create lines between 40-50m long!
This fantastic amount was all raised from those loose coppers found down the back of sofa’s! The now infamous ‘Penny Line’ returned during Tutor time for the week leading up to Children in Need day. Each community Tutor Group competed against each other for the longest line, therefore
ART TRIP TO LONDON On the 22nd of November a coachload of impressively prompt art students from years 11 and10, set off to the Tate Modern. The journey ran smoothly and in a couple of hours the students were standing, Eco Committee bemused before a range of strange and wonderful artworks. There was plenty of opportunity to question the nature and purpose of art, though few were convinced that all the work deserved its place in such an illustrious venue.
The favourites were photographed or drawn and hopefully will inspire some of the ideas for students’ art exam designs which we will be working on in January. The National Portrait Gallery provided a more conservative set of artworks.
was Tarrings turn, they really brought out their competivness and won by an extra £100! Broadwater raised £81, Heene £88, Salvington £135 and Tarring £236!
Familiar faces painted in many different styles but still recognisable. The highlight of the display and probably the whole day, was the special exhibition
of portraits by Jonathan Yeo. Technically amazing, detailed paintings of many
stars, from film and art to politics. I’d like to say a big thank you to the students who helped the day run very smoothly, and allowed Mr Talbot, Miss Fillery and me to enjoy the trip too.
Is Private Fostering for you? Are you looking after someone else’s child? Private fostering is when someone under 16 (18 if registered disabled), is cared for and provided accommodation for over 28 days by an adult who is not a close relative. West Sussex County Council needs to be aware of such arrangements and can provide a wide range of support to those who need it. If you are in such an arrangement, or know someone who is, find out more about Private Fostering by visiting www.westsussex.gov.uk and looking up ‘Private Fostering’ or call the Children’s Access Point on 01403 229900 for more information.
Mr Whitaker - Art
11
OUTSTANDING! - 5th SUCCESSIVE RE-ASSESSMENT OF INVESTORS IN CAREERS AWARD We are pleased to announce that Worthing High School has successfully gained the Investors in Careers Award (IiC) after their recent re-assessment. The school is a long standing holder of the IiC Award, having been the first school in West Sussex to receive the award in 1999, and continues to maintain a high level of commitment to Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) with strong focus on business links.
have access to impartial advice and guidance and are well-prepared for transition to post 16 opportunities. An example of this is the Post 16/ Careers Fair evening which was held in early October, where students and parents have an
opportunity to speak with colleges about courses and discuss possible career paths with local and national businesses. Liz Millar Careers Advisor
The school has maintained a high profile for careers, work-related and enterprise learning at a time of significant change in the landscape of CEIG. A positive approach has been taken to make an appropriate response in the light of national policy changes and to ensure students
BLOOD BROTHERS- WEST END EXPERIENCE As part of our year 11 coursework, we went to London to watch the west end performance of ‘Blood Brothers’. It was an amazing day out, and helped us all when we came to do our own interpretation of the play, as it was an experience we’ll
never forget! Aside from being educational and useful to us, it was also a fun trip to London, and a brilliant opportunity to watch the famous west end performance – I think we all cried a little at the end! Nola Wakeham Year11
CHRISTMAS CHEER! A large group of students enjoyed the annual festive dinner celebrations in the school restaurant. Students were treated to an excellent Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and a unique pudding of Chocolate and Cranberry Sponge. Festive music played and crackers and table decorations made the restaurant seem even more festive! Many staff joined the students for lunch and a great time was had by all.
12
P
raising, ensuring our children have the best resources to help them achieve. We are always looking for new ideas and contacts. Perhaps you could help?
We are a mixed group of parents, covering various year groups, who want to help provide the best for their children. We meet every six weeks to suggest and organise fund raising events that benefit the whole of Worthing High School.
Unfortunately, in this current economic climate these would not happen without our funding.
WHSA money has recently funded items and events including: Dance T-shirts, Zoolab (science days), Eclipse Library System, Maths Software and Prom Nights.
Over the next four years your child will need ‘extras’ which will be beyond the school budget. Together we plan and organise activities that are both community building and fund
MACMILLAN BAKE On Wednesday 25th September 2013 we held our second ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ in aid of Macmillan cancer support in the staff room. Walking into the staff room at break time I was so impressed by the number and variety of cakes that staff had baked, from coffee cake, lemon drizzle and ginger they were all there. Mrs Scane’s coffee and walnut once again was the first to sell out! So thanks to all the lovely staff who baked or bought cakes, and put up with me hounding them for weeks beforehand, we raised an extraordinary £147.00 for Macmillan.
Debs Bayford Master Cake Baker
We have had quiz nights, car boot sales, BBQs and music evenings but maybe you have an event in mind? Please come and join us to help our children enjoy a full and varied life here at Worthing High School. Contact us at: whsa@ worthinghigh.net
Fire, Fire! learning first aid and many of the routines that the Fire Fighters have to perform on a daily basis, even using ladders to do an exercise in the training tower, complete in their own uniform! With the support of the officers, the boys learnt a lot about themselves, enjoying working as part of a team and also leaning skills to benefit their own selfesteem and confidence. Both boys thoroughly enjoyed the course and Elliott received the Fighters and students from other award of outstanding individual of local schools on the Fire Break the week. course. During the week, they spent time Mrs Fillery Two year 9 students Elliot Brown and Dwaine Pease, both from Heene Community enjoyed a week working alongside Fire
13
HOWARTH - THE WOODWIND SPECIALISTS I am very grateful to Laura King and the staff at Howarths for their hospitality. At Worthing high school we are very fortunate to have such close links with a musical company dedicated to perfection. Our students had a unique and fascinating day and were able to see the amazing process of making a musical instrument from a piece of wood and sheets of metal. They learnt how years of patience and dedication are needed to perfect each oboe. A real labour of love. I couldn’t help thinking that the proud ‘made in England’ engraved on each oboe should have read made in Worthing! The students were invited to help prepare some of the finished instruments for despatch. With pride they polished the keys and placed the instruments and accessories In the beautiful
cases. In the afternoon they had a great time running the marketing department and presenting dragon’s den style to the marketing manager a very creative idea for engaging their peers in playing the oboe. Lewis Strotten says “When I first arrived I was surprised at where Howarths was located and how much they actually do in a small space right in the town centre. I have walk past it several times without knowing it was even there. I really loved the trip to Haworths as it was a very interesting and exciting day.
I enjoyed the tour of the factory and helping make accessories for the oboe cases was really fun. I was blown away by the precision and detail put into designing and creating a world class oboe. Right here in Worthing. I found playing the oboe a very enjoyable experience and quite a challenge. When I have finished my GCSE’s I would love to take up the oboe as it is a very different instrument to play. I love the sound it makes.” David Martin – Music Department.
INTRA TUTOR MORNING SPORT COMPETITIONS Intra tutor bench ball competitions have been taking place all term during registration period. All tutor groups have been competing against each other in their communities to find four overall community winners. The first round competitions saw the following tutor groups go through to the community finals round:
Students and staff competed well and four clear winning tutor groups emerged. Going through to a place in the overall school finals was: BLE, HDB, SHU and TFI. Final Bench Ball positions: Tutor group finalist • • • •
1st - TFI 2nd - BLE 3rd - SHU 4th - HDB
Communities • • • •
14
All tutor groups and communities have competed well with the teams below making it through to the finals.
1st - Tarring 2nd - Broadwater 3rd - Salvington 4th - Heene
The second half of this term saw students participate in the intra tutor basketball competition.
Overall finals take place week beginning Monday 16th December with the overall schools finals on Thursday 19th December. We wish all the teams good luck. Miss Field Leader of PE
DISPLAY ANNIVERSARY JA Displays celebrated their second birthday with a small party. The student team, led by Year 10 student Joshua Ageros, is responsible for maintaining school displays in classrooms. Karen Hayler Business Manager said: “Joshua and his team have been really helpful in keeping all the displays of student work refreshed in classrooms. They are really valued by the teaching staff and work extremely hard to ensure our displays are always looking great.” Also celebrating with Josh is the I-Wan-a-Quiz team. The student team is led by Iwan Jenkins and they create a weekly quiz for tutor groups to participate in each week.
MELROSE CARE HOME Worthing High School has been building a close link with local Nursing Home, Melrose (Mill Road, Worthing). On Friday 6th December, we presented a musical afternoon to the residents of Melrose after our school day had ended. We all crowded into the residents’ lounge and started with a traditional sing-along including “You are my sunshine” and “Lily Marlene”. Students and residents sang with gusto and it was a lovely start to our afternoon together. Students gave individual performances on their instruments. It was lovely to hear songs and instrumental pieces being performed so professionally from our students and the residents responded with gratitude and encouragement. When we had finished our programme, we were asked to perform to Margaret who was unable to leave her bedroom and join us in the lounge. A selection of our students joined with in giving Margaret her own private concert. She was deeply moved by this and joined in with the songs. It was a really special moment and one that has stayed with me since that day.
The residents were really sad to see our students leave. One lady, Josie, told me that they
see very few young people and it is such a special opportunity for them to chat with our students – she is so excited that Worthing High School students will be returning soon – she can’t wait! Ted has become a good friend of Worthing High and it was so heart-warming to see our students greeting him with such affection. They caught him up on all their news and Ted was simply thrilled to be chatting with them. Ted gave us an excellent solo in “Lily Marlene”. The residents (especially Betty, who never wants the students to leave) kept asking for “just one more song…” – which was a real encouragement for our youngsters. Lou Bruce (Care Home owner) writes: Melrose Care Home is delighted to be working with Worthing High School. Steve Jeffery has put together a programme of workshops (art and music) which students will come and run with our residents. These initial meetings have been a real success - there was a tangible buzz as young and old interacted. The students were a credit to the school - polite and friendly, patient and encouraging. Thank you so much. We are so looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship. We are thrilled to have such a strong link and bond with Melrose and look forward to developing our friendship more and more over the coming weeks. Steve Jeffery
15
INCREDIBLY INSPIRATIONAL VISITOR Steve Brown, GB Wheelchair Rugby Captain 2012 spent a day at Worthing High School on Friday 18th October. Steve started the day by delivering an inspirational assembly to all year 9 and10 students on his life to date. For the remainder of the day Steve worked with 22 year of our 10 students on a Sky Living Project to improve self-confidence, participation and self-esteem through physical activity. Steve started the day by working with students on the six keys to success, mental toughness, hunger to achieve, people skills, sports and life Carolyn Dickinson, Headteacher said: “The Sky Living Project has brought inspirational sports personalities into our school and by sharing their experiences they have been able to support the development of our students. We are looking forward to working with Steve over the next 12 months.” knowledge, breaking barriers and planning for success using his own life experiences and team building skills. Leader of Physical Education at Worthing High, Marie Field said: ‘The day was incredible, students were motivated and inspired throughout. Steve is an excellent role model for all our students. Projects and programmes like these are invaluable to help young people develop important life skills that will help them in and outside of school, now and in the future. Worthing High School is looking forward to welcoming Steve back in the New Year.”
supported by the Sky Living Project. In previous years we have worked with Pete Waterfield Olympic Diver and Thinus Delport a South African ex rugby union player who played for Worcester Warriers and South Africa.
Miss M Field Leader of PE uke Turner (student) and Diana Nicholson
This is the 3rd year Worthing High School have been
www.worthinghigh.w-sussex.sch.uk
email - achieve@worthinghigh.net
Tel: 01903 237864