SHENLEY BROOK END SCHOOL

SCHOOL NEWS Vol 18 Issue 9 : 9 March 2017

Diary Dates

13 March Year 12 History Lecture in London

14 March Years 8, 9, 10 County Cup Football Finals

14 March Years 9, 10 Drama Trip

15 March Year 12 Maths Institute, Oxford

15 March Year 12 Geography Field Trip

16 March Year 10 Parents’ Evening 4.30pm to 7.30pm

16 March Sixth Form English Trip

17 March U16 Girls’ County Cup Football Final

17 March Year 9 Big Bang Science Fair

18 March Years 9 to 13 International Churchill Speaking Competition

20 – 31 March Year 10 Experience of Work Placements

20 March Year 10 College Visits

20 March Year 12 Young Enterprise Finals

22 March Year 12 Geography Field Trip 23 March Year 12 Parents’ Evening – Sports Hall 4.30pm to 7.30pm

24 March Year 7 English Trip – Stratford on Avon

Welcome

Inside, as always is a cornucopia of activities to keep you updated and entertained.

It is lovely to see such a wide range of reports that include work experience, debates, football

success, electronic booking for parents’ evenings and gamelan.

I am really pleased that we can offer so much breadth and that so many students want to participate

in the wider life that we can provide. And of course, studying for qualifications.

It was nice to see many parents of Year 11 students at the recent evening where we covered how to

support your child during the GCSE revision time. If you were unable to attend, the presentations are

available on the school’s website.

There are a few parents’ evening coming up (Years 10, 12 and 9) and I look forward to seeing many of

you at one (or more) of them.

Mr G Martin

Headteacher

Grease is the word for Romeo and Juliet Young Shakespeare Company Revision Workshop for Year 11

They think our love is just a growing pain

Why don't they understand it's just a crying shame? Their lips are lying, only real is real

We start to find right now, we gotta be what we feel

What does Grease have to do with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Quite a lot, according to the Young Shakespeare Company!

Recently, the Young Shakespeare Company visited the school to deliver a

performance workshop of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to support Year 11 students as they

prepare for their GCSE English Literature exams. With a cast of just five actors,

they delivered an updated and dynamic performance of the play, combining Shakespeare’s

words with the soundtrack from the film Grease. Here’s what some of our students had to say about the experience:

“It helped me to remember key quotations. It was fun and gave more understanding as it was based in a modern setting. The actors expressed the characters really well.” - Charni C “It was good because they really engaged the audience. It developed my understanding of the play because when they were in role, they explained the reasons for their choices.” - Franklyn M “The performance was good and I learned a lot about the characters, what happened and why.” – Lewis C “I thought the performance was very good and I really liked the way they decided to make it into a high school environment to link it to modern day society.” – Layla A “It was interesting and intriguing. I like how they still made it relevant yet still kept its original style. It’s helped me to understand the language a lot more.” - Natalia C

Year 12 Parents’ Evening – 23 March 2017

Information has recently been communicated regarding the new online

appointment booking system that the school is trialling. This new system will

allow you to choose your own appointment times with teachers and you will subsequently

receive an email confirming your appointments. We hope this will be an improvement to the

previous system and we welcome any feedback.

Please visit https://shenleybrookend.parentseveningsystem.co.uk to book your appointments.

Appointments can be made from 3 March 2017 and will close on 22 March 2017. If you have

any concerns or do not have access to the internet, please contact Mrs Pryde in the sixth

form office on extension 263 who will be happy to add appointments on your behalf.

Cyber Bullying – Concerned about your child?

Cyberbullying is an increasingly common form of bullying behaviour which

happens on social networks, games and mobile phones. Cyberbullying can

include spreading rumours about someone, or posting nasty or embarrassing messages, images or

videos.

Children may know who's bullying them online – it may be an extension of offline peer bullying - or

they may be targeted by someone using a fake or anonymous account. It’s easy to be anonymous

online and this may increase the likelihood of engaging in bullying behaviour. Cyberbullying can happen

at any time or anywhere - a child can be bullied when they are alone in their bedroom - so it can feel

like there’s no escape.

If you're concerned about your child, and finding it hard to start a conversation with them, then click

on the link below, or copy and paste into your browser.

www.itv.com/thismorning/hot-topics/anti-bullying-concerned-about-your-child-how-to-start-the-

conversation

Lucy Alexander, whose son Felix tragically took his own life after being the victim of bullying, is now

an anti-bullying campaigner. Her advice and guidance is also linked to an interview that was aired on

This Morning and is also worth watching and sharing with your child/children.

http://www.itv.com/thismorning/hot-topics/bullying-drove-our-children-to-take-their-own-lives

If you or your child would like further support or advice regarding cyber bullying, then please look at

the links below.

www.bullying.co.uk

www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk

www.kidscape.org.uk

www.childline.org.uk

www.bullybusters.org.uk

www.thinkuknow.co.uk

www.brook.org.uk

by Mrs S Ryan

Student Services Adviser

LIBRARY NEWS Reported by the Library Team

Lower School Debating Club

In our recent debate, we had some last minute

changes to our speakers and Hawraa Hijazie from our

sixth form, stepped in at the eleventh hour to propose

the motion, ‘This House Believes teachers should

wear body cameras’ with Year 11 student, Mia

Sawjani in opposition.

Hawraa argued that we are already used to CCTV in

schools and that body cameras would be a natural extension in ensuring the safety of staff

and students throughout all areas of school. She suggested that instances of negative or

threatening behaviour could be recorded accurately, so that those reviewing events would

have factual evidence, rather than hearsay reports. She also believed that students and

staff could review video footage as a teaching and learning aid, so that repeat incidents

could be avoided and situations handled differently.

Mia felt that using body cameras would have a negative impact on the learning experience,

causing distrust and resentment between staff and students. She far preferred the

implementation of a consistent approach to behaviour management, based on training,

dialogue and consequences, feeling that students were less likely to ‘play up’ to the camera,

hoping to wrong-foot a teacher or fellow-student. Mia also argued that body cameras are

expensive and that limited resources could be spent to better effect on other teaching

materials. Giving teaching staff surveillance technology, favoured by the police, could cause

students to feel they were being treated like criminals.

Mia won the debate, with a majority from the floor and the committee.

Shenley Book Ends Sixth Form Reading Group

In addition to reading, ‘Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe’ by Benjamin Alire Saenz, which students found engaging and relevant to their own life

experiences, members had been enjoying a wide variety of genres and authors, including the

following:

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley • Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (read, impressively, in the original Spanish

version, Como agua para chocolate) • Divergent by Veronica Roth • Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Students commented that they found reading complemented their studies,

providing an essential source of relaxation and escapism throughout their

mock exams.

Our next meeting will be on Friday 31 March at lunchtime in the Sixth Form Library when

we will look at Khaled Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. All the titles mentioned above are available to borrow from the Sixth Form Library.

World Book Day Big Book Swap Event – 2 March 2017

Many thanks to all staff and students who helped make our Big Book Swap event such a

success. We received hundreds of books featuring many popular authors, including Jacqueline

Wilson, Derek Landy, Anthony Horowitz, Cathy Cassidy and Jeff Kinney.

Participants were able to swap their vouchers for a book from our wide selection. Birch

House brought in the most books to swap and one lucky student from Birch, who donated a

book, will win a £10 voucher at a prize draw in the next house assembly.

Many generous individuals donated armfuls of books, and any books remaining, after our Book

Swap, will be available in our forthcoming Book Sale, week commencing Monday 13 March. All

titles, including some brand new books, will cost just 10p. Why not stock up early on some

Easter reading?

World Book Day Book Tokens

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will have received World Book Day tokens in their registration

trays along with the recent edition of the Teen Book Club magazine. The tokens can be

exchanged for World Book Day titles available at all good book shops, including W H Smiths

and Waterstones.

There are specially written £1 books by popular authors such as Jacqueline Wilson, David

Walliams, David Almond and Michael Grant.

Tokens can also be offered as part payment for full-priced books and for any titles chosen

from the Teen Book Club magazine.

Any students in other year groups can pick up a £1 token from the library. They are valid

until 26 March whilst stocks last.

Sixth Form Debating Club

Aaron Heighton proposed the motion, ‘This

House Believes the House of Lords should be

Abolished’ with Zoë Broad in opposition. Aaron

believes the House of Lords to be outdated, out

of touch with the will of the people and

undemocratic, in that they are unelected. He

argued that they delay important legislation and

claim extortionate expenses, sometimes out of

proportion to the amount of work they do.

Zoë, in contrast, suggested that members of the House of Lords bring experience to the

parliamentary process, with the Lords made up of some ex-politicians, but also with expert

professionals from business, religion and the world of medicine. She argued that they were

not always under the thumb of party whips and were more likely to scrutinise bills for their

merit, rather than for personal ambition or party glory.

Zoë admitted that reforms were possibly needed to ensure all Lords took their

responsibilities seriously, and claimed appropriate expenses, but felt it would be a gross

misjudgement to abolish the Lords altogether.

The vote from the floor was split, whilst the committee, after much deliberation, voted to

uphold the motion, favouring Aaron’s arguments.

Forthcoming Events in the Library

Book Sale Monday 13 March to Friday 17 March (all books 10p each)

Closing Date for Teen Book Club Orders Thursday 16 March

(Use your £1 World Book Day Tokens)

Games and Puzzles Lunchtime Thursday 16 March

Books R Us Meeting Tuesday 21 March

Easter Craft Lunchtime Thursday 30 March

Student Attendance and Sickness

Parents please note that students should not contact you to be collected if they are ill.

If students feel ill they are expected to go to the medical room where

they will be assessed, and if the medical staff feels it is necessary,

parents will be contacted to collect their child.

If your child does contact you, and has not followed the correct

procedure, please do not collect them but refer them back to the medical

room.

If your child has a specific medical issue impacting on attendance, please speak to the Year

Leader or Mrs Baldwin (Welfare Officer) who will offer help and support.

Thank you

Mrs Baldwin

Welfare Officer

Year 10 Experience of Work Final preparations for the FE / HE trips and Work Placements

Work experience

We have organised a session in school on Friday 17 March to ensure as far as possible that all

students are ready to go out on their placements on the morning of Tuesday 21 March. They

will be told about Health and Safety and Safeguarding issues and asked to reflect on how

they can get the most out of the work experience.

Employers will be contacted early on in the placements and all students will either be visited

by a member of the Shenley Brook End staff or receive a phone call so that we can evaluate

the placement and record each student's individual achievements.

Parents and students have already received a detailed job description as part of the

contracts and students have been urged to contact their employers to ask any questions they

may have about starting their placements. However, on the last Friday in school before the

placements, we will issue students with the top copy of this contract so that they can refer

to it if they need to.

IMPORTANT We will also provide students with a form about emergency contact details for

the duration of the placements and any health issues of the students that may be relevant

and indeed most important to bring to the attention of the employers. This form should be

completed carefully and passed to the employer as soon as the student arrives on the first

day in the placement.

Reminder: if your child is going to be unavoidably absent from the placement, please advise

the employer and the school in the usual way.

Don't forget that the HE / FE trips take place on Monday 20 March in school time before

the placements start the next day. Please do not be late into school as this may cause a lot of extra work and delay our departure.

And finally, the teachers, Form Tutors, Year Leader, Mr Martin and everyone in the Work

Related Learning and Careers Team wish you all every success in your placements. We are

really looking forward to hearing about the fantastic achievements that you will all no

doubt realise during this wonderful work experience opportunity.

Mr Greenhalgh and Mrs Gladkow

Sports News Reported by the PE Team

Congratulations to our Year 9 boys, Year 10 boys and under-16 girls football

teams who have all made the county cup finals in recent weeks.

While SBE school has achieved success in these competitions in the past, most recently

winning the Year 10 and under-16 girls’ trophies last year, we have never been so successful

as to have the opportunity to win three titles in one year before.

The finals are all due to take place at Thame United, Meadow View Park, Tythrop Way,

Thame, OX9 3RN. Students who have been selected for the final squad and will be notified

by letter in due course.

Boys finals (Tuesday 14 March 2017):

Year 9am – 1.30pm kick-off - The Hazeley Academy v Shenley Brook End

Year 10am – 3.30pm kick-off – Shenley Brook End v Dr Challoner’s Grammar School

Girls finals (Friday 17 March 2017):

U16 – kick-off TBC – Shenley Brook End v TBC

Diversity Week

Students recently engaged in Diversity Week which considered

different areas of inequality/prejudice which exist in society.

The areas highlighted to support the Equalities Act were Religion

and Belief, Gender, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation (LGBT),

Transgender and Disability.

Students took part in a range of activities including a form time

'Guess Who' competition, an assembly from Stonewall and a

'Bake Off' sale.

Ms Amekhfi and Mrs Nottingham

We are nearing the end of the term and the Lost Property

continues to grow.

Please encourage your child to look on the tables in the

“Street” from Friday 10 March. The tables and remaining items of clothing will

be there until the end of the term when they will be recycled.

Items of value are locked in reception; enquiries should be made to one of our receptionists.

Parents are welcome to come into school at the end of the school day to look for any lost

property which may belong to their child.

Year 9 Parents’ Evening

The Year 9 Parents’ Evening will be taking place on Thursday 30 March 2017. We will be

trialling a new appointment booking system which will allow parents to book their own

appointments with teachers.

Further details will be communicated within the Parents’ Evening invitation letter.

Gamelan Reported by the Music Team

This week all Year 7 have taken part in an amazing musical experience - learning how to play

an Indonesian Gamelan. Dr Jonathan Roberts, one of the country's leading experts in the

music form, delivered sessions to each group culminating in a concert on Wednesday evening

in the theatre. Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali and an orchestra

comprises mostly percussion instruments like metallophones played with mallets, hand drums

and gongs.

'Learning about Gamelan was extremely interesting and fun. I learned a lot about the

instruments and the Indonesian culture.' Leonie 7SCO

'I liked Gamelan because it was different from what I usually play and it was fun to

experiment with.' Nathan 7SCO

'Not only did I learn about the type of music which Gamelan is, but the culture too.' Giselle

7SCO