JAGSnews

• Continued

  It was an absolute pleasure to see our musicians out in force at the Spring Concert and St John’s Smith Square Orchestral Concert.

  The programme allowed our instrumentalists and vocalists to join forces and it was wonderful to see so many KS3 musicians in the ranks.

  I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a restful holiday, a blessed Ramadan and a Happy Easter.

• Charity Challenges

  In addition to the story mentioned last time about Caitlin (Year 13) and Caoimhe (Year 12) who will, by the time this newsletter is published, have rowed the equivalent of a marathon in the quad in order to raise awareness and funds for Women’s Aid, 12 students, led by Miss Hubble (and supported by me) will be undertaking a World Challenge trip to Nepal in July.

  The preparation and team-building day was held on Saturday and the World Challenge guide facilitator was thoroughly impressed by the nuanced, sensitive and considerate thoughts and comments from the JAGS students as they considered their role as volunteers in other people’s space. The theme of the volunteering is gender equity and the team will be guided by local people to assist victims of abuse appropriately in a variety of different ways. This will be followed by a trek in the foothills of the Himalayas. Great adventures and experiences lie ahead.

• Benchball

  Fun and healthy competition are great for fostering a happy community and it was wonderful to see the Inter-form benchball competition taking place in the Sports Hall yesterday.

  A massive thank you to Emily and Ms Thomson and the PE team for organising the matches.

  Form Tutors got involved too! Strike a pose
  Mr Billington!

• Looking ahead

  There will be plenty of opportunity to thank the outgoing Year 13 Student Leaders at the start of next term, as we introduce the next cohort of successful applicants. However, at the end of their last week ‘in post’ it seems appropriate to highlight that the Head Girl, House Captain, School Prefects and Subject Prefects have done an astounding job this year and the whole school community is very grateful for their commitment, leadership, enthusiasm and kindness.

  We know that big things lie ahead for this talented group! Year 13s and Year 12s have competing priorities over the Easter break; they must endeavour to strike the right balance between fun, co-curricular activities, academic preparation for Assessments and A Levels, and, importantly, the three R’s of rest, recharge and relaxation. We hope that they all have a productive three weeks in order to have a fulfilling and successful Summer term. Happy Easter everyone!

UK Chemistry Olympiad

• Participation Awards

  • Azrah
  • Orna
  • Kavika
  • Daamini
  • Shaan
• Bronze Awards

  • Jessie
  • Solene
  • Mailyn
  • Rosie
  • Viola
  • Iris
  • Myfanwy
  • Poppy
  • Anna
• Silver Awards

  • Emily
  • Caitlin
  • Alice
• Gold Awards

  Achieving a score within the top 9.2% of candidates across the country:

  • Esme

  Congratulations!

• Chemistry Revision Breakfasts

  This Half Term, the Chemistry department have been running Year 13 Chemistry Revision Breakfasts.

  From 8.15am, girls have arrived with travel mugs in-hand to sample Miss Hussein’s speciality Bunsen Brews (hot chocolate and Turkish Coffee!), tuck into croissants, hot cross buns and muffins, and kick-start their morning with some revision!

  The atmosphere has been focussed and supportive, and we are really proud with the effort our A-level chemists are putting in to their revision.

  Sessions will continue to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays right up until study leave.

   

   

Year 9 Volcano competition

• For accuracy of model

  • Noella
  • Audrey
  • Nerys
• For creative use of material

  • A Sushi volcano by Eloise
  • A Knitted volcano by Kayleigh
  • A Plaster of Paris volcano by Charlotte, Chloe and Freya
• For geographical and detailed annotations

  • Radhika, Phoebe and Shayna
  • Elsa
  • Ella
• And the overall winner is . . .

  • Annabel and Rania for their accurate, creative and very geographical cake!

  Congratulations!

7K Poetry Slam

• Who cares?

  • Who cares?

  by Ina (Year 7)

  Long nights of darkness and of grey
  No rays of brilliant sun
  That’s how it feels to be all alone
  No laughter and no fun

  So maybe if I were drowning
  or coming close to death
  Or maybe I were suffocating
  Or breathing my last breath

  Nobody would care for me
  For I do not matter in this world
  That folks is what “hard knock life” is like
  And it really takes its toll

  But now my life is normal
  I have lunch dinner and tea
  But now I must mention the SWAN charity
  It is them we should thank not me

  It started as a mission
  to feed every man on the streets
  To give them food and shelter
  And somewhere to rest their feet

  And without them I wouldn’t be smiling
  Sitting here with a family of six
  In a nice old house in Kent
  With two goats and a hutch full of chicks

  But I’ll never forget the hard times
  When my life was pointless and mean
  And when I had no money
  And when my clothes were never clean

  So, one sunny morning I met the swans
  And said we’d make a great team
  I want to help people like you do
  Let’s be someone’s sun beam

  So if we come round to your house
  And you ask us why we care
  Will answer cus each soul is wonderful
  And each soul deserves care

  So remember the date
  a reply would be great
  but meanwhile you know what to do
  Spread the smile around
  It’s free not a pound
  And remember care for you.

Climate Cafe

• Waste reduction

  During Eco Week earlier this year, a Food Waste trial was conducted to measure the amount of food going untouched by the end of the lunchtime period.

  This helped to provide a benchmark upon which we could improve as we looked to decrease waste across the school site.

  We are proud to announce that a follow-up trial this week recorded a 12kg reduction in food waste.

   

   

Katya Balen

• Rishika

  It tastes sweet and sour at the same time like an apple but more sour. I can feel it rolling around my mouth like a sweet pebble slowly dissolving in my mouth as I get nearer the centre a strange fixing sensation tickles my tongue. Lucy Lovell
  It feels like a wet cuboid, sweet but it has a tangy flavour that prickles and pokes your taste buds. As I savour it, flavour keeps oozing out and it keeps getting smaller and smaller. It reminds me of sweet mint on some sweet-salty and feels like a rock, a smooth one

• Jasmine

  The crinkle of the wrapper, it’s like skipping in leaves,
  Just back at home, dad and me
  A bright yellow shine the rising of dawn,
  It’s sour and sweet not bitter and strong
  Smelling funny different and fake
  Not loving and sweet like flowers awake.

• Thalia

  The sound it crinkles. The smooth feel of the wrapping in my hand. Soft. I place the yellow block in my mouth and roll my tongue around it. I taste in the tanginess and sweet that it contains. As my tongue explores it, the powder melts in my mouth, and the taste remains. How strange I think.

• Nana

  I had a weird yellow ovaly thing which smelt like something I have smelt before. It also tasted like an expired pomegranate or in simple word really, really weird. It looked like the sun from how I have seen it. The yellow rock pebble thing had a weird taste. After I had finished I really don’t like it I feel like my dad would like this.

• Idil

  I can’t believe the taste, it’s like the sweetest thing I had before… what was it honey yes honey it tastes like happy buzzing bees and the texture is like the rippling water on a stream.

• Ava

  I slowly unravelled the plastic coating, a rectangle sweet with rounded edges. The marble effect was entrancing different shades of yellow swirled around. I cautiously out it in my dry mouth. My tongue explored around the sweet. Its floral taste was unlike anything I had had; the sour tastes fulfilled desires I never knew I had. A tingly feeling on my tongue was exciting; the sugar swam down my throat. My tongue was pinched as it got caught in a crevice.