Perseverance, Collaboration & Complexity As the examination season comes to a close over the next few weeks, we congratulate our students

and staff on their excellent efforts and thank parents for their strong support. A bright future

awaits those who invest time in working hard towards their goals and never give up. We are

rewarded for trying different approaches if things don’t work out as we planned and collaborating

with others to solve life’s more complex problems. Related to this, in the background, our plans for

new world-class buildings are reaching the final stage with news due very soon. As the actual plans

reach their conclusion, to preserve our memories of the current buildings, the Minecraft Club have

been busy this term building a virtual model of the lower school. The students have collaborated extremely well

and shown great perseverance and technical skill in achieving this complex, large-scale goal.

Hertswood Academy Aim High Achieve Excellence

Hertsbeat Monday 20th June 2016 | Issue 11:26

Peter Gillett, Headteacher

Building a virtual lower school has been a huge project and there's lots of work still to be done, but the students'

effort and enthusiasm have been incredible! We began with a simple outline of the academy’s buildings, drawn to

scale from satellite maps. The students then broke into groups, each tackling different areas. The terrain not being

perfectly level proved a real challenge, with several already-built buildings having to be shifted up or down to match

the ground around them. With most of the structure now complete, work has moved on to aesthetics — trying to

make the appearance match real life as closely as possible, as well as decorating and furnishing the interiors.

Led by Mr Wainwright, Minecraft Club meets every Wednesday and is now in its

fourth academic year, with new students accepted through an application process

every September. Outside of the current project, activities range from large scale

collaborations to competitions, both individually and in teams. You can find narrated

videos from some sessions over the last few years at youtube.com/hertswoodcraft.

Recently the students tried out Minecraft

in virtual reality on a Samsung Gear VR.

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Dissecting Science by Miss Sammi (Teacher of Science)

Students attending Lower School Science Club have had a lot

of fun recently. Our science club, which is held every

Wednesday after school, gives students a range of

opportunities to explore the fun and exciting side of science!

Right before the half term break, students were treated to

the wonders of the squid anatomy (and not to mention the

“SQUIDDY” smell). Our young scientists for the week found it

captivating to dissect and explore the key features of the

squid. Their key discovery, an undigested fish in the digestive

system of the squid!

This half term science will prove to be just as exciting as our scientists will be given the opportunity to explore pressure and

forces through the rocket racing challenge, and chemical reactions through their own hand-made volcanoes!

Science Club is hosted by Miss Sammi and Miss Anthony every Wednesday at 3:45pm in LS6. We are always excited to see new

faces, anyone interested in coming along for the first time is welcome.

Old Technology for New by Mr Morgan (Teacher of Music)

In collaboration with IT4Kids, Hertswood Academy is piloting a technology trade-in programme to raise money

to invest in Music Technology equipment. From 20th June to 22nd July, students will be able to collect forms

from the Lower School music department. These can be returned with unwanted smartphones, tablets, laptops and

personal computers, which will be securely stored before being professionally wiped of personal data, and recycled.

For more information, visit www.it4kids.co.uk/faqs and www.hertswoodacademy.org/it4kids.

Employability and Interview Workshops by Mrs Ronayne (Head of Careers and Student Progression)

At the start of last week, Year 12 students took part in two careers days. On Monday, the

students participated in workshops on teambuilding, career pathways and interview skills,

before experiencing mock interviews with employers from a range of companies. Tuesday

was a day of personal skills workshops followed by a careers ‘speed dating’ event with

some impressive representatives attending, including Bank of America Merrill Lynch,

Barclays, Royal College of Nursing and the Head of the Channel Tunnel Policy.

Feedback from students has been very positive. They have

gained a valuable insight into the skills they already possess and

the skills employers are often looking for. Comments included

“this has helped me to think about what job would suit me”, “I

now know what skills I am lacking in and how to develop them”,

and “it was a good insight into employers’ needs.”