January 2018 Newsletter Website Version

GILLINGHAM SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2017

From the Headteacher R.E.D
January
I have thoroughly enjoyed Department. I would like to
my first term at Gillingham. thank all these colleagues for Year 9 students are participating
Students, colleagues, parents and their tireless commitment to our in R.E.D January, which means
governors have all made me feel school and I wish them all the
very welcome and have helped success for the future. Run Every Day in January!
my transition into a new school
enormously.Thank you. Colleagues joining us this term In the December newsletter, we
are as follows: Mr Heayes joins spoke about Hannah Beecham’s
Parents/carers will be aware the Maths Department and Mrs visit and the RED movement
that I held a number of briefing Broomfield is teaching in the with much focus on the value
sessions during the Autumn Science team. Both Mrs Gunstone of physical exercise on mental
term. I would like to thank all and Mrs Lodder join the Modern
those who attended - during Foreign Languages Department health.
each session we had a lively whilst Mr Thomas will be working
question and answer section with colleagues in the Geography To start the days off, the Year 9s
based on our vision for the Department. We wish all these and their tutors are exercising
school. Your feedback was much teachers every success. by either running or walking
appreciated and really helped around the astro-turf pitch
me in terms of understanding Elsewhere in the school, we during tutor time. If the weather
our school. Subsequently, we would like to welcome Miss Addis doesn’t happen to be on their
have now produced a ‘Values who becomes our Data Manager. side, they will be doing indoor
and Vision’ document. This is We have also appointed Miss
designed to celebrate and share Dyer and Mrs Burfitt as our most armchair aerobics!
the values that we hold dear at recent Cover Supervisors. We If you’d still like to sign up to
Gillingham and will help to shape would like to welcome all three this challenge, you can register
and underpin our improvement colleagues to our school. for free here: http://www.
work in the future.The document
itself, along with our School Regards runeverydayjanuary.com/
Development Plan, can be
found on our website. Paul Nicholson
Headteacher
Sadly, at the end of term, we
said farewell to some of our
teaching colleagues. Miss Marke
and Mrs Day have both left the
Maths Department, Mrs Barns-
Graham has left the Languages
Department along with Mr
Wacey who leaves the Science

Government and Politics Sixth Form
Trip to London Christmas

Fair

The Year 12 and 13 Government Phillips, Somerset’s Jacob Rees The Christmas Fair was put on
and Politics students were at Mogg and former Deputy Prime by the Sixth Form Committee
school for 5:30am on Monday Minister Nick Clegg – all gave and their helpers to raise money
4th December on departure to short addresses before answering and donate to Hipp!!-Bones, a
London for a day of Government questions from the students. targeted youth club for young
and Politics. The day really added to the people with learning difficulties,
First stop was a visit to the Houses groups understanding of the autism and/or additional needs
of Parliament where the Year 12 current political climate and has living in North Dorset and
students were taken on a tour incentivised some to look for neighbouring counties.
of the Palace of Westminster, the their own political careers!
House of Lords and the House Mr Godfrey Special thanks to Zen and Oli
of Commons; whilst the Year 13 for the Christmas Carolling and
students met with North Dorset to a mysterious English teacher
MP Simon Hoare. He responded who took on the role of Father
to their questions on a range Christmas in the Grotto!
of issues which included Brexit, Mr Godfrey
Donald Trump, Housing Policy
and who the next Prime Minister
might be.

From there, the students took
a short walk to Westminster
Central Hall for the Annual
Polecon Conference. Speakers
included the Speaker of the
House of Commons John Bercow,
Tory Grandee Ken Clarke, rising
star in the Labour Party Jess

Exam Certificates

Summer 2017 Exam Certificates (GCSE, AS, A2) are in school ready for
collection.

We also have a number of certificates from previous years. Unfortunately
we are unable to send these through the post. If you wish someone to
collect them on your behalf, we must have a letter/e-mail of authorisation
from the candidate.

Any queries, please e-mail:
shann@gillingham-dorset. co.uk

The Ashes may not have gone too well...

…but I bet we could beat the The Year 10 Play Unified Team of
Aussies at Table Cricket! This Sports Leaders were trained by
inclusive activity uses a table tennis Rob Newton from Dorset Cricket,
table with borders that have scoring then they taught the activity to the
zones (4’/6’s) and fielders to catch students from the Giles Group
you out. who will be our school team at the
County Competition in January.

The leaders also learned the A mention must also go to Robyn
Umpires’ signal for scoring and Whitmore of Year 11 who has
will coach and officiate at the done incredibly well to be selected
competition. Howzat?!! for the Somerset Ladies Under
17 Developmental Squad – a year
young!

The bowler sends the ball down a She’s certainly a maiden that can
chute and the batsman uses the mini bowl them over!
bat to send the ball to score as many Rosie Thompson
runs possible in an over of 6 balls. Head of Sports Development

LEPRA Streetdance Student
Performs
On 9th October, the Year 7 students split themselves into two groups Flute at
and took it in turns to go to the Multi-Purpose Hall and dance to raise Bryanston
money for LEPRA. Concert
The charity LEPRA raises money to try and help cure leprosy in other
countries.The treatment is readily available in the UK, but is not always Year 8 Baxter student, Frankie
available in Third World countries. Jones, was invited to play the
Before the dance, the Year 7 students were asked to raise money by flute at a concert (soirèe) held
asking family members or doing some kind of sale. A student in GB at Bryanston School on the
managed to raise £167 by doing a cake sale! Out of all this time and
effort, the school managed to raise £2470.71! 12th December.
Meanwhile at the dance, one of the students loaned Mr Lake a bright The evening is by way of a
neon tutu and so as well as dancing, the students were laughing their thank you to sponsors of The
socks off! Richard Ely Trust, who have
Year 7 Student supported Frankie in learning
music for the past few years.
The evening was a huge success
and Frankie’s performance was

very well received.
Well done to Frankie and all

the other players!

Music Technology A Level

We all listen to music everyday. It of production - composition and ‘Learning about the setup, the
may not be an active decision, but recording - as well as the technical microphone, the music theory, the
when you turn on the TV, walk knowledge that underpins the compression of music - it’s all been
through a shopping centre, or call entire process. Alongside this, really interesting’ Ruby,Year 12
up a customer helpline, you are students delve into the complex
listening! and fast-paced history of Music
Technology, understanding key
This high-quality audio is the innovations that changed how we
result of years of innovation and listen, and meet the trailblazers
ingenuity, so much so that it is who developed new, exciting
now possible for anyone with a recording techniques that paved
computer to create a chart-topper. the way for the high-quality music
If you look at the world of music that we all listen to, and often take
production and recording today, for granted, every day.
it is a vastly different entity to the
one experienced by artists and If you are considering a career ‘I enjoy music and the creative
bands in previous decades. The in the music industry, this is an process that it involves – I’d like to
rate of technological change across essential A Level for you. pursue music technology in further
all industries is exponential, and In this modern era, technology education.’ Tom,Year 12
music is no different. is completely intertwined with
the production of music, and is
At Gillingham, we prepare A Level something that will give you the
students who are looking to carve tools necessary to succeed.
a career in this volatile industry by
providing the Music Technology A If you require any further
Level, which has been renewed and information regarding the course,
improved for this academic year. feel free to contact
ohiggs@gillingham-dorset.
Students get the opportunity to co.uk
explore two key creative strands

Carol There was also some excellent
Concert audience participation during
the carols! The concert was a
Students,parents and staff joined huge success and the students’
together on the evening of the
15th December for an evening hard work paid dividends.
of festivities at our annual Carol
A retiring collection on the
Concert. night raised £412 which has
been split; a donation of £288 to
The concert brought together Diabetes UK and the remainder
all of the extra-curricular music to purchase new music for the
ensembles; readings from some
of the students involved, the extra-curricular ensembles.
Head Boy & Head Girl, the
Headteacher; and of course, The Music Department would
like to thank all the students for
mince pies and sherry! their hard work, and all the staff
who helped make the evening

possible!

Olly Higgs

Gillingham Science Debut
Ambassadors Novel
Success
Just over a year ago, Dr Alison Rivett visited Gillingham and spent time for Former
training some of our students in the art of “Physics Busking”. Since Head Girl
then, these students have become Science Ambassadors running after-
school Science Clubs at Primary Schools. So far they have completed It is always exciting to hear news of
sessions at Gillingham Primary and St Mary the Virgin. The sessions our alumni, and one of our former
have involved circuits, magnetism, lenses, colour, motion and time. Head Girls, Libby Page has made
waves in the publishing world with
In January 2018, they will be making at least 6 visits to St George’s her debut novel, The Lido, which is
School at Bourton. There are plans to make visits to more of our set to be released in April by Orion
Primary Feeder schools after that. So far this scheme has been a great
success with lots of hard work, enthusiasm and fun from all involved. Publishing this year.
Many thanks to the Ogden Trust who help fund this project.
Jason Blake The Lido,set in Brixton,London,tells
Head of Physics the story of an unlikely friendship
between a young journalist Kate
Autumn Term Reading Plus Stars in her mid-20s, feeling lost and
lonely in the big smoke and a
Year 7 Brixton-born and bred, 86 year
Charlotte King, Harry Hinchcliffe, Caitlin Ballard, Sophie McLaren, old Rosemary. Both bond over the
forthcoming closure of their local
Alexander Rogers, Chloe Lee,Amy Cull,William Wilkes, lido in which they come together
Rebecca Marshall, Jake Hargrave, Poppy Rutter, Matthew Stabb, with the local community to make
a splash and fight against the
Ellie Prowse, Gemma Fishenden
Year 8 council and developers.

Braian Lewandowski, Samuel Fudge, Poppy Shepherd, Oliver Wakelin, Libby, 26, has already sold the
Ella Clarke, Billy Goodey, Amelia Lewandowska, Libby May Kebby, film rights of The Lido to Catalyst
Farley Chinchen Leo Butterworth, India Holloway, Maddison Pike, Global Media, a film, television and
gaming production company and
Taylor Osman, George Harris, Cieran Abbot, Mackenzie Stein, content financier so look out for
Ella Clarke, Dylan Savill, Logan Mackenzie-Charrington it in cinemas in the next few years.
Year 9
Congratulations to Libby on her
Cameron Gill,Ryan Snook,Stephen Bird,Holly Brown,Finley Kennett, success, we wish her well in all her
Isobel Junge, Oliver Bishop, Nathan Eveleigh , Jacob Harrison,
Peter Lane, Brandon Perry, Sam Dukes,Archie Rainger future ventures.
Well done to you all!

Important Information to the eligibility
of Free School Meals

Under new guidelines regarding the introduction of Universal Credit, if a family are in receipt of Universal
Credit they may be eligible for Free School Meals.

We would encourage all families that are in receipt of Universal Credit and do not currently receive Free
School Meals to apply online at https://www.dorsetforyou.com/free-school-meals.

The student will receive £2 credited to a squid card on a daily basis as soon as the school is notified.
The school doesn't see any information about your income.Any students who get paid these benefits directly,

instead of through a parent or guardian, may be entitled to apply for free school meals.

Julian Calloway
Assistant Headteacher

Play Unified...Unified Play

As a follow up to the work started whose drama summed up best the
by the Play Unified Ambassadors, principles behind the Unified Play
making sporting opportunities project - they will now perform
open to children regardless of their piece in a forthcoming Year 7
their ability or disability,the PE and Assembly.
Drama Departments combined
to set the Lower School Drama There were 4 groups who over Everyone deservedly received an
Club a challenge.They had to plan an 8 week period, used their ‘Oscar’ to recognise their hard
and perform a piece of theatre lunchtimes to decide scenarios work over the weeks and as a
in action based on the theme of where exclusion could occur in permanent reminder of their
‘Inclusion Right, ExclusionWrong.’ school and told a story through involvement in such a worthwhile
We were one of the only 10 their performance of how the and unique project.
schools in the country selected issues rose and were appropriately Rosie Thompson
by the Youth Sport Trust to Head of Sports Development
attempt this task, and received a dealt with.There were some very
loaned iPad to record the project powerful actions and dialogue
progress and performance as well which left the audience seriously
as a clapperboard and Director’s reflecting on the drama they had
chair to keep.
witnessed - although there were
also elements of humour which
demonstrated the range of acting
skills from all the casts.

Following the performances, the TheWinning Group with their Oscars
judging panel of Sam Thorpe,
Sarah Lowery and 2 Play Unified
Ambassadors, Will Boarder
and James Batten had the very
difficult job of deciding the group

Student Chef reaches finals of the
Teflon Diamond Standard Awards

Jack Rymer, 12JO, has been selected
as an ‘Aspiring Student Chef’ finalist
in the Teflon Diamond Standard
Awards 2018. Jack is the second
student from Gillingham School
Food Technology Department who
has reached the National Final of
this competition.

Jack will travel to London in January
to cook his game dish (see photo)
as well as having to tackle a fish
dish and a soufflé. He will pick up
his personalised chef whites before
cooking for an esteemed panel of
judges.

We wish him the very best of luck!

Mrs Ovenden

A request
from Food
Technology

If anyone has any sweet tins/
biscuit tins/containers that
they may be getting rid of
after Christmas, please could
the Design and Technology
Department have them.

They will help us provide
students who forget a container
during cookery lessons and
need to take their food home.

Roses and Celebrations tubs
are brilliant if people have them!

Thank you!

Jackie Merry

Othello
This is one of Shakespeare’s most intense and GILLINGHAM SCHOOL PRESENTS
gripping tragedies.

‘Othello’ touches on themes which are
absolutely relevant today. It is a play about
an outsider, accepted as a successful general
by the Venetian Senate. However, his status is
reliant entirely upon this success, hence his
frequent self-justifications.

As a man,he never truly belongs to the society
of Venice or indeed Cyprus. Society is both
fascinated and suspicious of his ‘Otherness’.

It is perhaps for this reason that he becomes
easy prey to Iago’s arguably psychopathic

character who manipulates all those around
him.

Desdemona, the beautiful Venetian daughter Othello
of Brabantio, has fallen for Othello, the exotic William Shakespeare
outsider, and in a very modern way marries
him with only the grudging acceptance of her
father. Like a modern girl, she stands up for
herself,but finds Othello’s developing jealousy
and obsession difficult to understand and to
accept. In causing Othello’s downfall, Iago
also destroys Desdemona, Othello’s former
friend, Cassio and his own wife Emilia.

Richard Lunn Gillingham School Main Hall - Wednesday 31st January, Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd February
Tickets 01747 833844 [email protected]

Tickets for productions- call 01747 833844 or email [email protected]

Speech Day

The Annual Speech Day Awards is a day of recognising and celebrating the achievements of our Upper School
students and leavers. Prizes, trophies and shields were presented to students after nominations from their

subject teachers.

With the presentation being led by Mrs Turnbull, the prizes from Year 10 Curriculum were awarded by the
Governors and the Headteacher. We were also treated to two beautiful musical performances from the
winners of the Mrs Fricker Music Cup.

We also heard from Chair of Governors Robin Hussey, Headteacher Mr Nicholson (in his key note speech!),
Ms Vallender and Mr Flanagan. Our Special Guest Speaker Mr Lavis provided an inspiring speech about his time
in Morocco, facing the Marathon Des Sables 2017.

Afterwards, refreshments were enjoyed by our award winners and visitors in our Sixth Form Canteen – thanks
to catering and the site team for all their help.

Well done and congratulations to all of our students who were presented with awards!

Student Library Committee Raise
Funds for Team Rubicon

On 1st December, Gillingham Student Library Committee held a fundraiser for Team Rubicon. Overall we
raised £185.11, special mention to Ben Magill.
Team Rubicon ‘unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy
emergency response teams in the UK and around the world’ in cases of disaster.Their main catch phrase is ‘Find
your purpose and get awesome’. Every single person in the Student Library Committee found their purpose
and got awesome.
There were 27 students involved including: Tristan Berry, Lily Cross, Radha Patel, Poppy Edmund-Urch, Bailey
Andrews, Alice Boarder, Max Haggerty, Ella Barrington, Theresa Ashby, Freya Mitchell, Alice Oliff Lee, Katie
Gibson, Libby-May Kebby, Ben Magill, Daisy Stenner, Jennifer Higgins, Madeleine Mason, Romilly Pearson, Ryan
Weeks, Cameron Gill, Sophie Berry, Poppy Firth, Elsa Kennett, Leon Harper, Roman Renner, Chloe Flower-
Sunley, Amelia Lewandowska, Hannah Bealing and Sophie Postans. These students from Years 7, 8 and 9 were
assisted by sixth formers: David Simkins, Eden Simkins, Libby Low and Matthew Ward.
They planned their activities for a number of weeks and even arranged for members of Team Rubicon to come
into Year 9 Assembly to talk about the sort of projects they get involved in and what they have achieved for
people living in disaster areas.
‘On the day, students in the school took part in a Lucky Dip,Tombola, Guess the Number of Sweets in the Jar, Guess the
Book Covers and a Cake Sale. The whole event was a great success and all those involved are to be commended for
their efforts.’ Year 9 Student
‘As the librarian I would like to add my thanks to the students who did a brilliant job. I would particularly like to mention
Daisy herself, who worked tirelessly on this event coordinating between the charity and the school. She was the driving
force behind the whole effort and proved herself to have meticulous organisational skills.’ Ms Vallender

P.E Twitter

The PE Department would like to let everyone know about their Twitter page!

@Gill_SchoolPE

They’re going to be using it to showcase events, let followers know about important fixtures
in the calendar and photos too! It would be great to get a good following from parents and

students! Thank you!

The Ed Kent Senior
Charitable Trust Kangaroo

The Ed Kent Charitable Trust is inviting applications from individuals Maths
who need financial support for their sport or music activities. They are Results
looking to help those who have either recently been selected for a higher
level (county or regional perhaps), which has increased their cost of Congratulations and well
participation, or they’ve experienced a change in their personal financial done to all the pupils who
situation that has made it difficult for them to continue at their current won certificates in the recent
level. Perhaps a student would join a club, band or orchestra if extra
Senior Kangaroo 2017.
funding was available. Congratulations to:
Gabriel Evans
To qualify for the grant, the applicant must be under 18 years of age (Qualification)
and a resident of Dorset.All sports and activities will be considered but
priority will be given to cricketers and percussionists, as these were Ed’s Max Wilson-Hebben (Merit)
Ben Patterson
particular passions. (Qualification)

Further details about the charity can be found on the website: www.
edkenttrust.org along with the application form.

Applications must be made by 31st January.

Dracula:
The Bloody

Truth by
Le Navet

Bete

A theatrical and comical retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic novel reveals that the events recorded in 1897 were
not fiction at all, but fact. This brand new show travels across Europe from the dark and sinister Transylvanian
mountains to the awkwardly charming seaside town of Whitby and into the world of the supernatural, educating
us all on the perils of dealing with vampires. Packed with song, dance, shadow puppets and even some Victorian
parlour tricks, Le Navet Bete promise to have the vampires back in the ground and leave audiences flying high.

Touring Dorset with Artsreach, the counties touring arts charity. Suitable 8+
Tickets - https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/440269

“side-splittingly funny and, by far, the best new comedy I’ve seen this year” Broadway World

Thurs 8 February, 7:30pm. Gillingham School Theatre. 01747 833844. £10, £6 u18s, £28 fam

Fri 9 February, 7:30pm.Toller Porcorum Village Hall. 01300 320373. £9, £7 u18s, £28 fam

Sat 10 February, 7:30pm. Corfe Castle Village Hall. 07590 352219. £10, £8 u18s, £30 fam

Tickets for productions- call 01747 833844 or email [email protected]

Changes to Parent Mail & the App!

Download our Mobile App to pick up online payment service available Please note, your bank statement
important messages and make school through the App which allows you will display either the school
payments to pay for school items quickly name or ParentMail, depending
and easily on your smartphone, on your payment method.
We’re very pleased to announce tablet or computer. If you need any additional
that we now have our own school information or assistance, please
mobile App which you can use to We will inform you about use the help site:
receive school messages and make items you need to pay through www.parentmail.co.uk/help/
online payments. Parentmail, and you will be able to parenthelp
pay electronically, using credit or or please contact Helen Dixie in
If you have an Android debit cards as well as Paypal and the school Finance Office.
smartphone, please go to PayPoint.
your App Store and search for
Gillingham School. If you are If you do not wish to make
an Apple user, please note the payments online, you can of
branded app is not yet available course continue to make cash and
– in the meantime, please cheque payments.
download the ParentMail App
by searching “ParentMail”.

We’d like to encourageALL parents
to download our school App as
there are a number of benefits
both to you and for our school:

•It’s free for parents to download!
•All school messages will be sent
securely

•No need to search through a
busy email inbox for important
messages
•Read and respond to school
messages at work, at home or on

the go
•Every message sent arrives as
an instant alert on your mobile.*

(important – see below)

*At the moment you’ll be aware
that we send text messages to
you from time to time especially
for urgent situations, but these
are expensive costing the school
hundreds of pounds each year. If
parents use the App we can stop
sending text messages completely
and put the money to better use.

Since Monday 8th January, we have
been using +Pay on Parentmail for
any newly launched school trips,
revision guides, etc. This is an

Black Belts - School Library Shop
JANUARY 2018
FORGOTTEN SOMETHING?
Leo Butterworth PEN RUN OUT?
Lily Down
NO PROBLEM - COME AND SEE US
Harvey Barkess AT THE LIBRARY SHOP!

Follow Us on WE STOCK:
Facebook and Twitter Stationery - including pens, pencils, rubbers

Keep up with all the latest Glue sticks
Gillingham School news on our Geometry sets and calculators- a must for

Facebook and Twitter pages! maths!
Protractors & rulers
@Gill_School Book covers - A4 & A5
Art sketch books - various sizes
Gillingham School
Sixth Form Art portfolios
Photography books (black pages)
Please make sure to spread the
word and like! Memory sticks
Pocket dictionaries
EVENTS DIARY -
January/February ALSO AVAILABLE:
School ties
19th January - Quiz Night for the Music Tour
31st January,1st and 2nd February - Othello - School blazer badges
School Production, Main Hall Sports socks
8th February - La Navet Bete, Dracula:The
Bloody Truth, School Theatre Exam Clear Pencil Cases
ONLY £1.00

including a compass, pencil, ruler, rubber
and protractor.

Information & Tickets for School Events
For any of our events, contact the School Library,
01747 833844 or [email protected]

Headteacher P Nicholson BEd
Deputy Headteachers K Barker BSc, M Lavis BSc, S Turnbull MA

Gillingham School Hardings Lane, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4QP Tel: 01747 822222
1516-2016 Email: [email protected] Fax: 01747 825263
www.gillingham-dorset.co.uk