Term 5: April 2017

Mr Stuart SmithPrincipal

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope you all had a relaxing Easter break.

Please take a short time reading this term’s newsletter about some of the achievements and activities our students were involved in. I hope you will join me in wishing our Year 11 students all the best for their forthcoming exams which begin in a few weeks. Many have been attending extra classes, homework hub as well as revision at home which has prepared them very well for their subjects.

Stuart SmithPrincipal

Calling all Missing Books!As part of our Love Reading initiative we are requesting that all pupils who have outstanding library books return them to the library immediately. If pupils have lost their book, they will need to either pay for it with their Vivos or replace the book. This is a compulsory system and will be much appreciated.

Appeal for helpWe are asking for help with any building materials (old windows/doors/wood etc) that you would be happy to donate to the school to help build an outdoor classroom in the woods for the Forest School. If you would like to help or would like any further information please email Mr Williams n.williams@hasla.org.uk Thank you.

We had a very successful fundraising day for Comic Relief on Friday 24th March. We asked all students and staff for a

donation of £1 for a non school uniform day. One of our members of staff ran a marathon around the school in 4 hours. The total amount raised was £1,102.35. Thank you for your support.

They say twelve strikes is a perfect game, and Nikkita Truslove (Year 8), at the age of twelve, has been playing tremendous games of bowling outside of school. Nikkita started by being guaranteed to be a member of this year’s Sussex squad – a huge achievement as she is the youngest member of the team by over four years! Now being supported by a national coach, she is one major tournament away from pre selection of the Triple Crown – a team of top under 16 year old girls who represent England in bowling competitions.

1066 Schools’ Book AwardsOn Thursday 22nd March, Miss Beeney and nine students attended the 1066 Schools’ Book Awards, held at Bexhill Academy. The awards shortlists four books, and the participating students, who came from five local schools, vote for their favourite. This year for the first time ever there was a joint winner: Susin Nielsen with ‘We are Made of Molecules’, and Narinder Dhami with ‘Thirteen Hours’.

In addition to the main award, there was an opportunity for participants to get involved. Competitions included the Best Book Review, won by THA year 8 pupil Jorja Mills, and ‘Get Caught Reading’ – take a photo of yourself in an unusual place – which was won by THA student Phoebe

Gould.

After the awards finished there was a chance to chat with librarians and students from other schools.

‘Thrive’ Trip to The Marlowe TheatreOn the 27th February, Year 10 and 11 travelled to Canterbury after school to see an interactive performance called ‘Thrive’. This tackled issues around aspirations, young people’s mental health and wellbeing, loss of a friend and coping mechanisms. All students really enjoyed the evening as they all gained a different perspective of the story. Thanks to Miss Green for coming along on our jolly jaunt of an evening of culture!

Year 10 performed their very powerful and dramatic pieces to a packed audience of Year 8 and Year 9 as part of their first exam pieces. The atmosphere was electric and the pieces were brilliant showing the range of talent in the Year 10 drama groups. The groups used the poem 'I Read It in The Paper,' as their stimulus, which tells the story of a women suffering from mental

health issues, who abandons her baby. The groups used a fantastic array of drama

techniques to tell the story, including a nightmare scene and chorus work, where not a single person was out of time. Well done Year 10!

Science Assemblies March

Challenge LecturesOur Challenge Lecture this term was given by Mr Storey on the Warrior Gene. It was great to see so many parents and staff attend this event.

The following week we held a debate based on this lecture about the Warrior Gene; this was organised and led by the students.

Watch this space for news of the Challenge Lecture next term. If you would like to come, just turn up.

A week of Science assemblies where students participated in some experiments.

‘This girl can’ BasketballDuring term 2 a group of Year 9 students were selected to take part in the ‘This girl can’ basketball leadership programme. The campaign, ran by Active Sussex over 6 weeks, enabled the students to deepen and strengthen their understanding and knowledge of the game as well as teaching them to lead groups and referee games.

On Wednesday 23rd March we spent the day in rehearsals at Bexhill College in preparation for the evening’s Bexhill Electric Prom. The students experienced every aspect of putting on a show including how to rehearse, give their requirements to the stage crew, set up their equipment and remember their settings etc.

Students on stage at The White Rock Theatre performed our own song, ‘Imagine the Possibilities,’ as part of The Hastings Thrives Song-Contest before providing the entertainment for the audience whilst the judges deliberated.

Live LoungeWe ended the term with a ‘Live Lounge’ session at break time and an opportunity for those who couldn’t make it to the various events to hear just what our students can do. If you’d like to be more involved with making music then please drop by and take part in one of our clubs.

Music events at THAThe music department has not stopped this year! We’ve attended many events, taken part in making new music and performed at The White Rock Theatre and Bexhill Electric Proms and it’s not over yet!

Dance workshopOn Friday 24th March, Year 9 GCSE dance experienced a contact workshop. The girls worked hard developing contact work, from assisted rolls to handstand lifts. The students are looking forward to continuing to develop their contact work in future lessons and are already thinking of ways to use it within their forthcoming choreography. U13s Rugby matchMonday 27th March saw the U13s hosting their first rugby game against Bexhill Academy. The group of 13 students from Years 7 and 8 played consistently well demonstrating great determination, power and discipline. They embedded skills and strategies learnt within lessons and clubs, playing a strong defensive game. The girls are looking forward to their next match after Easter.

Key DatesParent Forum Meetings - 14th June

If you would like to attend Parent Forum please contact Ann Bourne, Events Manager, at a.bourne@hasla.org.uk

Paris Trip March 2017

Meeting one minute after midnight on a crisp morning, 36 Year 9 and Year 10 students embarked on this year’s whirlwind tour of some of the most beautiful and picturesque

sights of Paris. Sacré Cœur gave us our first bird’s eye view over the city followed by a stop off at the Eiffel Tower; many students surprised themselves by making it to the second and even the third level and in glorious sunshine, we were rewarded with a second wonderful view of Paris from a more central perspective.

We visited the Louvre and followed the hoards to see the Mona Lisa, before shopping in the underground shopping mall, a spot of food, a night-time stroll around Notre-Dame and soaked up the warm, music-filled atmosphere around the île de la Cité and the banks of the Seine, as Parisians made the most of the weather.

The staff would like to express our pride in our students on the trip who really took every opportunity to make the most of their experience. Bravo.