We have had a strong start to the half-term with lots of excellent events already having taken place, and despite the flooding we experienced over the break! Our damaged rooms are still drying out but we are hopeful to have them back in action before Christmas. Our teachers and students have taken this in their stride and got on with the job at hand; our value of togetherness has shone through, so a big thank you to all of them.
Over the holiday, a team of teachers took some students to Sorrento on a Humanities trip. This was a GREAT trip and a real opportunity for our students to grow and develop. Much fun was had alongside the immersion into a different culture. Thank you to Mr Stamp for leading this excursion and to all the teachers that gave up part of their half-term break to go along.
We had an excellent Y11 Celebration of Achievement for the class of 23 last week. It was a lovely opportunity for our old Y11’s to come back and catch up with us about how they are getting on in college and to celebrate with them. We had some wonderful music performances from students past and present and some great speeches too. A big thank you to Mr Conway and the Y11 team for organising the event. Well done also to our current Y11's for getting through their PPE's over the last couple of weeks. We hope you are pleased with the outcome.
On Friday we had the exercise bikes and rowing machines out in the canteen to raise funds for Children In Need. We saw students and teachers competing for the fastest times and we raised £50. It was lots of fun and a big thank you to Ms Pritchard for organising this as part of our new Wellness Strategy.
Big congratulations to Nancy in Y11 who has been achieving great things in London and the Home Counties in Athletics. We are proud of you Nancy - well done.
Our Parent Teacher Association is coming on well; thank you to everyone who is involved and to Ms Walker for coordinating things in school. They will be having their first big fundraiser in February - a family-friendly Valentine's film night - and will be in touch with more details in the New Year.
Our Christmas showcase this year is called ‘All the Trimmings’ and is on Tuesday 19th December. We are looking forward to lots of drama performances, music and exhibitions, as well as some prizes to be won! I hope that you are able to join us for this event.
We had some excellent assemblies last week on Remembrance from Ms Bax and this has come at a significant time for all of us with so many conflicts around the world and so many people displaced as a result of this. It is important, especially for young people, that we remember the conflicts and the lessons of the past… lest we forget.
Best Wishes,
Emma Thurston
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: ENJOY THE HALF TERM!
Tuesday 28th November - Art/Goldsmiths Workshop
Wednesday 29th November - Y7 - 11 Flu Vaccinations
Wednesday 29th November - Music Concert at Blackheath Halls 7pm with rehearsals on site between 9am and 12:30pm
Thursday 30th November - Football fixture with Mr Walker
Monday 4th December - 9to5 Musical performed at Trinity Laban with Mr Heelbeck 6pm onwards
Wednesday 6th December - Y11 Parents' Evening from 4pm
Wednesday 6th December - Football Business Trip to Chelsea from 10:30 with Mr Aniagwu
Thursday 7th December - Christmas Jumper Day
Thursday 7th December - Puppetry Workshop
Friday 8th December - Drama Panto Trip Y7 9am-1pm
Tuesday 19th December - Christmas Showcase at 5.30pm
Thursday 21st December – End of Autumn Term 1/2 Day
This morning we climbed to the summit of Mt Vesuvius and had a talk on how we can predict future eruptions #volcano #GREATeruption #Sorrento https://t.co/BwtfH1xNDp
Parents/carers - 'The' Mr Heelbeck is asking for volunteers to help run the refreshments stall/bar for this event. If you are happy/able to help, please email him directly: jheelbeck@deptfordgreen.co.uk
Tickets will be on sale on the website from tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you there! Thank you.
MFL
Later this half-term, Y7's will be competing in their French/Spanish classes in a Spelling Bee. They will get a list of French/Spanish words to learn and practise spelling using the French/Spanish alphabet. Who will be the super speller? Resources will be available in the library at break and lunchtimes for those wishing to get ahead.
The winners from each class will then compete against each other in a Spelling Bee Evening Event after Christmas - parents/carers will be invited to cheer them along!
Y10 CREATIVE FILMING PROJECT
As part of an exciting project with St Marylebone’s School called 'Creative Collaboratives', Y10 French and Spanish students will plan, produce, perform and then record a creative video of themselves in a scenario in French/Spanish, speaking about the topics they have been covering so far. An example of this is pretending to be a weather reporter saying what the weather is going to be like and what activities you could do. The videos will be shared on our school website. Lights, camera, action!
Here is a FREE5-week Millwall multisport after-school Club running at Millwall Community Trust Lion Centre.
This is available for 11–16-year-olds currently in years 7-11 at school. The multi-sport sessions will be held every Thursday from 4:30 - 5:30 starting on the 16th November up until the 21st of December.
Speaking and working with a number of young people, we have found that some find it difficult to engage with others, develop healthy relationships with peer's or struggle with socio-emotional learning skills.
By holding these Multi-sport sessions with embedded mentoring support provision, we want to help young people deal with these issues outside of school hours in a non-formal setting. The session will be open to the local community so pupils will also get to mix with other young people from others schools and areas.
Each activity session will be delivered by qualified coaches and will include:
Football
Boxing
Cricket
Athletics
All you have to do is scan the QR code and sign up!
If the QR doesn't work, please contact: Ophelie Zahui: Traineeship Officer
We had a lovely evening with the Ex Y11's celebrating their successes at DG and learning all about how they are getting on now they have left us! We miss them - they are NOT forgotten and seeing them was a much-needed tonic at the end of a long day!
Mr Conway led the event; Manny played the piano as people arrived. Ruby A, with Mr Hill and the Y11 band accompanying her, sang the Amy Winehouse classic 'Valerie' and Taiwo in Y10 sang a song he wrote himself which was truly outstanding. Our young people have SO MUCH talent; it was very moving watching them all perform.
A special mention to Abdulahi who won the Joe Couzins Award for Sport and Jiang who won the Sharon Morris Award for Mathematics. This was an emotional moment for many of us and both Joe and Sharon would be so proud of these deserving winners and the other nominees - well the whole year group let's face it! Well done to everyone - please keep in touch!
FATHIAH
LOKI
MAYA & MR WALKER
RUBY A
More photos to come in the next edition!
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AT SCHOOL?
REMEMBRANCE DAY 13TH NOVEMBER
ANTI-BULLYING WEEK KICKED OFF BY ODD SOCKS DAY!
Assemblies were held all week for all years to remind our students to look out for bullying and to report it if they experience it either personally or see it happening to others.
Ms Stanghon and the School Captains delivered the following message:
Too often, we are silent when we see bullying take place, silent about the hurt bullying causes, and silent when we hear bullying dismissed as ‘just banter’. Together, we can make a difference and take a stand against bullying. From the playground to parliament, and from our phones to our homes, let’s make a noise about bullying!
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!
Of course, we won’t like everyone, and we don’t always agree, but we can choose respect and unity. This Anti-Bullying Week let’s come together to have discussions about what bullying means to us, how banter can turn into something more hurtful, and what we can do to stop bullying.
WHAT IS BULLYING? It is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face to face or online.
"What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander." Elie Wiesel - Holocaust survivor & human rights champion
WHAT CAN WE DO TO COMBAT BULLYING?
SPEAK UP!
BE SUPPORTIVE - when you see someone being bullied, let them know they aren’t alone. Ask if they’re ok, ask if they’d like your help with dealing with it, or simply say hi!
TELL A TRUSTED ADULT - It’s always important to let an adult know what’s going on. Tell them what you’ve seen or heard. They’re here to help!
Who can I speak to if I need additional support?
Parents/Carers: please remember that the Safeguarding Team is there to help if you have any concerns about your child/children. Not just bullying, but for any issues that are worrying you. Please see how to contact them by clicking HERE
ART & TEXTILES
YEAR 10 VISIT TO THE DESIGN MUSEUM WITH MS GREENHALGH
Last week the textiles students in Y10 visited the Design Museum to see the exhibition 'REBEL: 30 YEARS OF LONDON FASHION'.
This landmark exhibition is one of the most wide-ranging collections of contemporary fashion culture ever staged in the UK. The exhibition allowed students to explore how careers in fashion are forged, and the multitude of opportunities that London's fashion scene offers young creatives today. The day was spent drawing and collecting inspiration which will now be used to inform the development of their course work.
It was so amazing to see the textiles group really engaged with all the different aspects of the exhibition, some even 'raving' in the nightclub area which had video and music from the 90s.
Lisa said:
I enjoyed the textiles trip to the design museum to see the 30 years of fashion exhibition. The designs and experience were phenomenal, and each design was different from the next. The way the designs were displayed made it feel more exciting as there were different rooms and sections moving from one place to another. There was music in some rooms while others had clothing and accessories either on display or hanging from the ceiling. One of my favourite designs was probably the 3D printed Daisy earrings made by Yuhan Wang as it has a mix of the Eastern and Western cultures and is a visual romance with the 19th-century manifest. Another part of the trip I enjoyed was when we visited the Kyoto and Fukushima Gardens as the views were amazing and the fishes and peacocks were really cool. As everyone else continued to explore the two places, some of my friends and I went to feed the pigeons and squirrels which was a lovely end to our visit. Thanks Lisa
Amelia said:
I really enjoyed the textiles trip to the design museum. The designs looked amazing, and all were different and creative in their own way. Going there has helped deepen my passion for fashion. Because of the amazing designs, I felt incredibly moved and inspired. This makes me want to pursue a job in the fashion industry in my future. Seeing the processes and the final outcomes of these amazing outfits, gave a good insight into how they were made and what the artists were trying to show with their art. Even though we didn’t get to go the second exhibition we were able to see the beautiful Kyoto and Fukushima Gardens. It was a great trip! Thanks Amelia
GEOGRAPHY TRIP TO SORRENTO
Dante Y11 - one of our School Captains says:
Some Y10's & 11's recently went on a trip to Sorrento in Italy where they found out how to make ice-cream, pizza and some unexpected friends! They also discovered the beautiful island of Capri; the jaw-dropping Mount Vesuvius and the fascinating Pompeii. They revelled in learning about the old and the new; the ancient and the modern. We asked some Y11's what their favourite day was on the trip and they told us it was all about the beach and the boat trip.
On that day they started off by playing football on the beach (as they had all over Sorrento). Students said: “We enjoyed playing keep it up [where the aim is to avoid the ball from dropping without using your hands] while playing Brazilian music because it made us feel like Neymar,” but that was just the start of their thrilling day at the beach!
Later that day, some students decided to swim around the caves to explore the area. They found a little ledge to jump off. However, four of the students noticed a gate at the entrance of a cave. It was unlocked! They wandered in, a bit cautiously as they didn't know what was in there, but they found, by going a bit further in, that it was like a warehouse for boats. It seemed like they had not been used for years. An abandoned warehouse… the stuff of adventures! As they clambered on top of the small fishing boats, they noticed the dust that enveloped the hulls, covering every inch of the boats’ surface. They also found a kayak with a paddle that looked like it could hold four people. 'Perfect for us' they thought, so they brought it out from the cave and attempted to have a go at kayaking. But of course, everyone wanted a go and it ended up capsizing many times due to the amount of people trying to get on, however it was a blast! Then they decided to return it and instead play a game of beach football. This was a game with teachers and students on both sides which was played with all the passion of a World Cup Final but with the added fun of a being on the beach with your mates. Then after a long, fun day, the hot showers back at our rooms was our ‘dolce vita’!
The trip was excellent with many memories and friends being made... for students and teachers alike.
Thanks Dante - this is an excellent report!
ARLO!
CABLE CAR IN CAPRI
THE STAFF TEAM - MR GEORGE, MR STAMP, MS CALVERT & THE MR HEELBECK!
THE AMPHITHEATRE AT POMPEII
HOLLY & BO
ESME & RAFE
ALEX STAYING COOL!
WHAT IS 'THE' MR HEELBECK DOING??
HIKING UP TO MOUNT VESUVIUS
LAURENCE - OUR OWN ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND!
THE OLD CITY OF POMPEII
Loredana says: Throughout the Sorrento trip we managed to do a vast range of activities. Firstly, we were taught to make the original recipe of Gelato which we all got to try at the end. It was definitely the most amazing Gelato I've had. The next day we visited the famous Mount Vesuvius and the remains of the Roman city of Pompei whilst having a dubious adventure in finding souvenirs!
Waking up early the next morning, we took a boat to Capri where we took lots of photos, especially during the boat tour. My favourite moments were definitely the night time trips to the beach where, despite the darkness, we went swimming. Additionally, we might have had the boys "borrowing a kayak" from a cave.
On our last day, Mr Heelbeck managed to convince the whole group to play a game of 'Mafia', where some students conspired together to kill me first go, just because I realised Mr Stamp was being too obvious (revenge is coming). Overall, I believe that was my favourite and most memorable school trip ever and I am missing it already! Thanks Loredana
MAKING GELATO
MICHAEL AND HIS PASTRY!
ARLO'S 'DUBIOUS' SOUVENIR SHOPPING ADVENTURE
MAKING PIZZA...
WAITING FOR PIZZA...
AND EATING PIZZA!
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS FROM THE HOTEL
ON THE BOAT TO CAPRI
We hope you have enjoyed these photos. They are a small selection and more will be available to view at a later date on the website. Thank you to everyone (staff and teachers) for contributing to this collection.
DEBATE MATE LAUNCH WITH MR RAMSAY
The day of the launch, selected Deptford Green students visited a heritage building filled with wisdom and knowledge. It was in the heart of Westminster adjacent to the famous Westminster Abbey. Debate Mate hired a venue named the Emmanuel Centre to launch the Debate Mate League and Cup. Our regular participants at Deptford Green were excited and humbled by the performances they witnessed by expert debaters.
I am positive that our students will not only enjoy themselves in this year of debating, but manage to compete well and perhaps even ... dare I say it? WIN!
More importantly, I believe we will have some fun and learn through talk.
Thank you Mr Ramsay - we look forward to hearing about the team's progress throughout this competition and good luck to you all!
JACK PETCHEY WINNERS
Our Jack Petchey winners have contributed to the school. Above Kamari Y11 (left) and Jack Y10 (right) funded a Bosh bluetooth speaker. The speaker is gratefully received and will be used by students in many musical activities throughout the school.
The long awaited arrival of our school’s sports tops funded by Rio Y8 (Jack Petchey winner from last summer)! Students are excited and proud to wear an official Deptford Green sports top. Let's hope this brings good luck and fortune to all participants in every game in the near future.
Mr Couzins we are thinking of you... never forgotten.
Thanks Mr Ramsay.
BBC CHILDREN IN NEED FUNDRAISING
Here are a couple of photos from the event
Adam Y7 and Mr Melia in a battle of the fittest!
Mr Conway and Kimario Y11 going for it!
CAREERS
Advertising Unlocked
Year 10 students spent the day at McCann Demand in central London exploring careers in the creative industries. With agencies across the globe, McCann produces advertising campaigns, experiential marketing, and brand strategy for a wide variety of clients.
We had such a wonderful, warm welcome and met people at all levels across the agency to learn more about what a day at work looks like before forming teams of 'mini agencies' to work on a brief for a client. Each team presented a fantastic pitch and creative ideas and received feedback.
Students gained an understanding of how different roles work together to make a campaign happen and particularly enjoyed hearing each person’s career journey; what they studied, how they got into their current role and what they enjoy about it.
Students commented:
“I really did not know what I could do or what I wanted to do but now that I have visited the agency and met all these people and also attended the careers day we had at The Horniman Museum last term, I know all these jobs and I can see myself doing one of them in the future.”
“I really enjoyed all the tips they gave us and learning about how they design a billboard. It was cool seeing the editing suites and the amazing office.”
“Now that they have explained the different jobs, I can see which ones would really suit me and that I would like to work in a place like this.”
Big thanks to everyone at McCann for sharing their experiences with our students. We definitely have future leaders at Deptford Green School.
MEDIA CLUB
“International Bad Man Sees Stuff Well!"
Enthusiastic Y7's taking part in our first Media Club session
One of the many log lines to come out of the first character design workshop of our new Media club, in partnership with Ravensbourne University.
The room was fizzing with enthusiasm and energy when students were tasked with designing goodies and baddies, using cut out shapes and looking at basic shape language and character design. Students then listed adjectives describing their characters and brainstormed their log lines, a one-sentence description of their movie idea that encapsulates its main character and plot so enticingly that producers will want to bring it to our screens and we will want to watch it.
Hattie from Ravensbourne University commented: “Students produced some absolutely lovely outcomes in the short space of an hour and we are looking forward to next week where we battle archetypes and lots more drawing. It was lovely being with such energetic young minds! Thanks so much Ms Nembhard and Deptford Green School for having me”
Media club is on Wednesdays and for the first 5 weeks we are focussing on animation. Another 5 weeks will focus on Photography and then Film for the last 5 weeks.
If you have any questions about After School Clubs and other Enrichment activities, contact Ms Nembhard Career and Enrichment Lead, at cnembhard@deptfordgreen.co.uk
ENVISION YEAR 10
Our first Y10 Envision team of 23/24 is now about halfway through their programme. This week they visited their business partners to practise their pitch.
Deepali, their Envision coach, said:
“What a dynamic, productive, and joyous morning working with Deptford Green young people and their mentors from Glennmont Partners from Nuveen.
Presenting to a room of adults can be nerve-wracking, especially in Nuveen’s grand Bishopsgate offices. However, in our second mentoring session, the team wholeheartedly embraced this challenge and reached a milestone in their essential skills development. From conjuring up humorous, imaginative stories about their peers, with the aim of speaking continually for 60-seconds, to delivering a pitch about the social action project that they have designed, developed, and will soon be delivering.
The room was filled with lively chatter, including honest conversations about how to overcome those inevitable nerves when public speaking. Our mentors shared the importance of truly believing that your voice is valuable – a message that I hope our young people will carry with them.”
Melissa Head of DE&I and CSR at Nuveen added:
“These students are so impressive and it’s a true honour to work with them on their project.”
Mary, Amer and Amelia Y10 team membersadded:
“We enjoyed seeing our mentors again. Their advice was useful and helped us a lot. It was good seeing how our pitch and confidence improved after acting on their constructive feedback. The programme is really fun and helps with your social skills.”
Envision is a programme that we are proud to have been running at Deptford Green for the last six years. Each year, two teams work with their Envision coach and their business partners to devise and implement a social action project and develop essential skills such as teamwork, communication, determination and creativity by giving young people real and meaningful experiences of public speaking and project management.
Looking forward to seeing this team continuing to progress.
If you are interested in your child being in the Envision team for the February- May programme so they can gain experience and improve their skills, contact Ms Nembhard Career and Enrichment Lead, at cnembhard@deptfordgreen.co.uk
Thank you Ms Nembhard
MFL
KS3 LANGUAGES INDEPENDENCE
Students across KS3 3 have been showing amazing independence in their Languages lessons, using their brand-new bespoke Knowledge Organisers to support themselves in lessons. Shout out to: Fred Y9, Lara Y9, Ivana Y9, Sofija Y9, Jayden Y8, Anna Y8, Ochia Y8 and Riyan Y8!
SPORT
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO Nancy in Y11 who is one of 60 athletes in London and the Home Counties to secure her place on the Player Development Pathway (PDP) at Super-league Netball Team London Pulse. We are proud of you Nancy - well done.
GIRLS FOOTBALL @DG
Our girls football team players across Y7-10 have been working hard in training to prepare for upcoming matches this school year. In training, they always show all of our school values, but especially togetherness and communication when playing.
First up will be the Blackheath U14 Girls Cup to be played this half-term! Shout out to Sophie, Lucia and Olivia B for leading the teams on training drills to share their skills. So proud of you all - Ms Calvert
EDUCATION CUTS HURT - FUND OUR SCHOOLS!
The NEU are organising a rally for funding. It's open to all staff and the public. They would LOVE teachers, support staff and PARENTS AND CARERS to attend!
Autumn Statement March & Rally. After 13 years of cuts, our schools are crumbling, our students with SEND lack resources, support staff are losing their jobs & £370m is ‘missing’.
WHEN: WEDNESDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2023
WHERE: Assemble at Westminster Cathedral at 5pm
EVENT: Rally 18:00 - 20:00 GMT
Rally at the Emmanuel Centre 9-23 Marsham Street London SW1P 3DW
Click HERE to book your free space and find out more
Please join us as we will be giving a sneak peek into the Parenting Smart - Online Course that is offered to parents and carers with children in Place2Be schools as part of our family offer.
Lewisham Parents and Carer's Forum is a voluntary group of parents and carers of children and young people (0-25) with special/additional needs and disabilities(SEND) living in the London Borough of Lewisham.
LPCF working together with services ensure better support for their children and young people with additional needs and disabilities.
We provide an opportunity for parents and carers to express their views and input into the planning and delivery of SEND services.
We signpost, support and empower families to obtain the best possible support and services for their children.
Free membership is for all parents and carers in Lewisham
We provide a drop-in service at Kaleidoscope Drop-In once a month together with other support groups in Lewisham.
We talk to other parents about their views and opinions on matters of interest and feedback to the relevant statutory sectors, as well as nationally.
We gather information on services and activities in the borough and share these with parents and carers and other organisations, including school SENCos.
We organise presentations, workshops and training for parents and carers on topics of interest and relevance to their children and young people.
We encourage participation and engagement of parents and carers.
To learn more about this wonderful organisation, please click HERE
Dear Parents/Carers
We would really value having any uniform your child/children have grown out of - especially blazers.
As the PTA really gets going in the next term, we will once again be holding some second-hand uniform sales - this should hopefully help to combat the cost of living crisis we are living through.
Another reminder to PLEASE PUT YOUR CHILD'S NAME ON THEIR UNIFORM. Again there is a build up of clothing just left unclaimed after you have all paid out your hard-earned cash on it all. If your child's name is not on it, we cannot return it to them. PLEASE LABEL YOUR CHILD'S UNIFORM.
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO Nancy in Y11 who is one of 60 athletes in London and the Home Counties to secure her place on the Player Development Pathway (PDP) at Super-league Netball Team London Pulse. We are proud of you Nancy - well done.
