Newsletters

TIME FOR CHANGE: A CULTURAL HAPPENING

Some people change the world and they do it in big ways. Other people change the world for their families, for their local communities and this is just as significant. Some people change the world through protest, think of the brave souls who after years of campaigning in Bristol to remove the statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader, and not being listened to, took matters into their own hands and through collective action removed the statue themselves. Was the statue about history or about celebration? Was their action vandalism or democracy in action?

Some people change the world through activism. The years of relentless campaigning by Doreen Lawrence to get justice for her son Stephen has meant a better, safer and more equal society for all of us. But there is still work to be done.

Some people change the world through their artistic expression and their special talents.

Harriet Tubman an Abolitionist said: “You have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars, to change the world”.

In October we had our Cultural Evening, a celebration of Black History Month. We were lucky to welcome our guest speaker and co-founder of Knights Of Publishing, Aimée Felone. Knights of is an independent publisher of children’s literature whose mission is to be more inclusive and diverse. It is important growing up that we see representations of ourselves in the books that we read and that stories reflect our own cultures and backgrounds.

The work of People like Aimée means that our own school library can be stocked full of inclusive and diverse stories. Thank you Mr Paish...

MAKING THINGS HAPPEN: SYBIL PHOENIX

As part of Black History Month we were able to host the exhibition: Making Things Happen, a retrospective on the life of Sybil Phoenix. Thank you to We Are Lewisham, Geraldine Walsh, Lucia Tambini and Woodrow Phoenix for allowing us to have the exhibition at Deptford Green. Mrs Phoenix represents something special for us at Deptford Green because much of her work supporting young people in our community has happened in the area around our school. In 1971 Mrs Phoenix founded a youth club for black teenagers on Pagnell Street and named it Moonshot. The club was in an old mission hall and became a community hub for local black people where there were academic classes, a lending library, dances, a football team, support for young mothers and social evenings for the elderly.

The centre was destroyed one night in an arson attack by members of the right-wing extremist National Front. Mrs Phoenix vowed to rebuild it, she said: ‘My name is Phoenix, and I will build a new centre from the ashes of this club, so god help me’. In 1981 the new Moonshot opened and it was the first purpose build centre for the black community in the UK. It is still open to this day, playing host to Playhouse Nursey and IRIE Dance amongst other things.

Mrs Phoenix has also fostered hundreds of children from our local community and has been a voice and an advocate for hundreds of people over the years. She is a true icon in our community and has made such a big difference over many years. Thank you Mrs Phoenix.

by Alex Y10

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLACK? 

What does it mean to be black?

It means that you carry your culture in your skin, your hair, your words

What does it mean to be black?

It means that people think you can be too dark or too light

Are you even black?

They ask.

How hard is it to be black?

To live in a world where you have to try to fit in because of your skin

How hard is it to be proud of your hair, even if you don’t like it

Some want to blow dry it to make it straighter, more manageable, less black

Does that make it easier for me or for them?

It makes you question your identity.

Am I black?

Am I black enough?

What does it mean to be black and female?

It’s hard to be tough in this unforgiving world and not be seen as violent

The stereotype of the angry black woman getting in the way

Am I black?

Am I a woman?

Am I enough?

What do you think?

by Zena Y10

BASKETBALL

The year 8-9 basketball team competed in a knockout tournament at Bonus Pastor school on the 15th of November. The team got off to an amazing start beating Conisborough school narrowly 9-8 with Roshan Muhiden scoring the winning basket with seconds on the clock. The team then got knocked out to the eventual winners St Matthews in the semi-final after a good display. All involved represented the school excellently!

DRYDEN GOODWIN BREATHE 2022

Year 10 & 11 students have participated in Breathe 2022, where they drew frames for a stop motion animation highlighting the effects of air pollution in Lewisham. The animation will be projected onto Catford Townhall from November 30th. Please do come along and see their beautiful work! Click HERE to learn more about the project

GEOGRAPHY VISIT TO THE THAMES BARRIER

On Wednesday 8^th November, a group of year 8 pupils visited The Thames Barrier in Greenwich. The aim of the trip was to learn about how the barrier works and how it protects London from flooding.

Year 8 are studying the topic of Rivers this half-term and this visit would have given them an in-depth insight into how tidal rivers work and why the management of the Thames is important to London.

Pupils looked at flood maps and the potential disaster of a flood in central London. They had to decide what items they would take with them if a flood did happen and they were able to run a practice drill of operating the barrier in the even of a high tidal surge.

INTERVIEW WITH MS NEMBHARD WITH KHYRN & YUSSUF Y10 

Khyrn & Yussuf are doing this interview as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award

Yussuf: Where are you originally from?

Ms. N: Originally, I am from the south of France, I grew up in a town called Montpellier, it is a beautiful place near the seaside. It also a university town so thousands and thousands of students live there.

Fun fact, the medical school in Montpellier is the oldest continuously working medical school in Europe and as a sixth former in Montpellier, visiting their medical museum was a very entertaining, if gruesome, way to spend an afternoon!

Yussuf: Did you attend the university?

Ms N: Yes, I did attend the university.

Khyrn: What brought you to England?

Ms N: In France, like a lot of European countries, if you don’t speak other languages, your access to the job market is quite restricted. I came to England because I wanted to improve my English before I started applying for jobs. I came to London and I really loved it so I started working here. I met my husband, had children and I stayed (but I’m still trying to improve my English).

Khyrn: What made you want to work in a school?

Ms N: I really enjoy working with young people, however, I didn’t know that to begin with. When I was younger a few people had told me I would probably enjoy working with young people. However, maybe because my mum was a teacher, I partly resisted the idea. Overall I really enjoy working with young people and try to give them access to things I might not have had access to when I was a student.

Yussuf: Why did you choose Deptford green?

Ms. N: Partly, it’s because I live in the borough of Lewisham, so it is a very convenient commute to work! Also, I think because I work in the area I live in, it adds another dimension to my role. My role is to provide you (students) with as many opportunities as possible. I also believe Deptford Green is a very special school with very special young people in it.

Yussuf: If you could just expand on that last point, what is your role at DG?

Ms N: My job title is Careers Coordinator so that includes organising things like Work Experience (mainly Y10) , ensuring that you as young people are aware of opportunities in the job market and in further education but also making sure you are prepared to access those opportunities. A typical day might include meeting with universities to see what I can organise for different year groups for example so you can visit them either to try out a subject or to have mentoring. I might also take students to visit an employer. This is the result of me linking and making connections with employers, outside organisations, colleges and universities etc so young people at Deptford Green can develop an awareness of different pathways and have avenues to explore and develop their interests and transferable skills. I really love my job because I get to work with you (young people) for part of the day and to also link with the outside world so there is a variety that I really enjoy.

Khyrn: What do you like most about your job?

Ms N: There’s a variety of things I love. For example, because I live in the area, I sometimes see ex-students and talk about what they have gone on to do after their GCSEs and to know that I was a little part of yours and their journey to becoming successful people is immensely rewarding. It’s joyful.

Maybe I also have a short attention span, so I enjoy doing a variety of different tasks and use different skills and learn new things every day and this job allows me to do that.

Khyrn: How long have you been working at DG and what made you stay?

Ms N: Soon I will have been working here for longer than some students here have been alive! I was trying to work out how long I have been working here earlier today; I think 13 years and what made me stay? I think it is because the young people are amazing, so I really love working here.

Yussuf: What are your passions?

Ms N: On a professional level , my passion is to make sure that young people have access to opportunities. I believe passionately in fairness, social mobility and social justice and I think my role is hopefully a part of that. Although I grew up in a beautiful place in France, there was not that many opportunities available to us and there were barriers to accessing opportunities so I think that part of my role, to make sure you have those opportunities, is my passion. In my personal life, I love my family, I love spending time with them, I love reading and art, theatre and cooking.

Yussuf: What is your favourite food?

Ms N: I love fresh food, food from the market. I love French food, food from home like my family’s cooking. I also love Jamaican food (part of my family is Jamaican) such as rice and peas, jerk chicken and ackee and salt fish .

Yussuf: Are there any books you would like to recommend to the students?

Ms N: One book that I loved was Small Island by Angela Levy. I also watched the play and the TV adaptation, which I loved equally.

Khyrn: What is the book about?

Ms N: It is about the Windrush generation. About coming to a new country and expectation vs the reality of that journey. It is about family, love and race and I feel it is a very beautiful and moving and important story.

Yussuf: One final question from me. What is your favourite holiday destination?

Ms N: Because I live away from my family, I like to visit France as for me holiday is all about family.

Khyrn: When is the last time you visited France?

Ms N: Last summer. I spent the whole holiday there. It was really nice, hot and relaxing, going to the sea, to the river and just being with family. I rarely travel to far away destinations.

Yussuf & Khyrn: Thank you very much for letting us interview you.

Ms N: No problem, my pleasure.

National Green Careers Week with the Construction Youth Trust

Students in Year 7, 8 and 9 met with a variety of employers to discuss how their career could and should help reduce carbon emissions and make environmental improvements.

Thanks to The Construction Youth Trust, we met with employers who told us about how their work in the Built Environment is changing to help tackle climate change. Sustainability and Project Managers, Thermal Heating Installers, Engineers, Plumbers were some examples of jobs included in a game of Careers Top Trump cards which provided an opportunity for Y7 and Y8 students to explore the technical and green skills required for each job, the pathways into those jobs and salary expectations.

What Will London Look Like In 2030?

Click HERE for a video to learn more

London Schools Climate Kickstart 22 Campaign -Green Careers

In a green job, you might also develop products, design new services and places or influence and facilitate the way people and businesses do things so they are more sustainable and friendlier to the environment.

Did you know you could study Anthropology and work with communities to redesign their environment?

Did you know that you could study History and work to design policies for local government to achieve Carbon Zero?

Y9 students met with Sam and Jake from the Collaborative Design Team at Sustrans to discover new roles and learn how designers, urban planners and engineers work with communities to design healthier cities. Students were then tasked with reimagining Sanford Street, in front of our school, to encourage cycling and repurpose it into a cleaner and more pleasant multipurpose space.

Sustrans is a national organisation working to create places with clean air and green spaces and where people can walk and cycle. Thank you for visiting Deptford Green and we look forward to seeing you again soon!

What are Green skills and Green Careers? Why should our students be interested?

Start LMI says: "Green Skills refer to the technical skills, knowledge, behaviours, and capabilities required to tackle the environmental challenges we face. Some jobs and roles might not be directly linked to delivering sustainable or environmental outcomes, but they can still make a significant contribution.

Green skills can be grouped into hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are especially important when considering green jobs and the green industry and include Engineering & Technical skills, Science skills, Operational Management skills and Monitoring. The following soft skills are also deemed as highly important, Design Thinking, Creativity, Adaptability, Resilience, and Empathy.”

Watch these videos to see examples of green jobs, what makes these jobs green and how you can they help tackle climate change.

Click HERE for a video to learn more

Learn about reducing waste through innovative labelling technology:

Click HERE for a video to learn more

Learn about transforming fashion into a circular economy:

Click HERE

SPACE LAB- Creative Art Astronomy workshop- Thursday 10^th November

Students in Year 7 and 8 met with Creative Computing Artist and UAL Lecturer Jazmin Morris and Dominic Galliano, Physicist and Cosmologist and Head of Public Engagement at UCL. We loved hearing about their work and students had plenty of interesting questions about the universe. Students then explored concepts of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning using software and 3D modelling to create their own Cosmos Artwork.

Artist Nicola Rae joined us and students will take part in another workshop next term to exhibit their work at APT Gallery- Watch this space!

“I really enjoyed using 3D modelling to create my own planet artwork and it also made me want to learn more science”.

Scholarship Opportunity Alert for Ex-Deptford Green Students applying to University

If you are an Ex-Deptford Green student, applying to university and you and your family live in a L&Q property, you could be awarded £6000 for three years to contribute towards your student fees.

Considering the Cost-of-Living Crisis and university costs, this amount could be life-changing. Please share with young people who could apply.

To apply:

Complete the Expression of Interest form online by clicking HERE

If eligible, you will then receive a call and be invited to complete an application form, leading to interviews before final selection.

*The closing date for Expression of Interest is 3^rd January 2023

Eligibility:

Students should be applying for university entry in 2023

Students can live out in university accommodation or at home with their family and attend any university but must be included on an L&Q tenancy as a dependant and will need to provide the tenancy number from the head of the household. Good luck!

ALUMNI

If you are a Deptford Green alumnus, we would love to hear from you!

Let us know where you are now, share your journey with younger students, feature in posters around school, come back and visit or simply stay connected.

You can either fill in the form on this link: Click HERE or join our Future First Alumni Network: click HERE

If you are interested in helping at school events by running a refreshment stall, helping fundraise or help develop links with the community, email Library@deptfordgreen.co.uk

If you want to get involved with the Arts at school or have some ideas or skills you can offer to the department, email AHeiser@deptfordgreen.co.uk

A Parent/Carer skills audit will be sent out early next week so please look out for that and feed back.  Thank you.

Join our Lewisham community event to answer the question - what do you want mental health staff to know about your experiences?

We know that trust, stigma, power dynamics, perception of threat, and racial trauma all affect the experiences of Black families seeking support from mental health services. We have been developing ideas to change these experiences, with a community-led campaign to improve the knowledge and awareness of staff working at Lewisham CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service).

We hope you can join us for this event to explore your views on:

• What do staff need to know about your fears and expectations for mental health support?
• What do staff need to know about you and your experience so far?
• How can Lewisham CAMHS staff help to further improve the mental health of Lewisham's young people?

We hope by the end of this meeting to have a clear sense of how things are at the moment and what we need to do next. We also want to tell people how they can continue to be involved in the campaign, for example by joining our steering group.

EVENT SIGN UP LINK: CLICK HERE

Deptford Green School- Cost-of-living support

At Deptford Green School we want to do all we can to support our students and their families through the cost-of-living crisis. Please read the following overview of the support we can offer.

Get in touch with us to let us know if you’re struggling with your finances

Deptford Green School will do all we can to support you and your families during this challenging time. We know everyone is feeling the pinch this winter and we want to support those families in our school community who are impacted the most. If you’re struggling with your finances, please do get in touch to let us know, as there may be things, we can suggest which will help. We want to do everything we can to help you and your child through this difficult winter.

Check to see if your child is now entitled to free school meals (FSM)

If your child is eligible for free school meals (FSM) you need to get them registered. This will allow them to get a free meal at school, and we’ll get extra funding to support your child’s learning. Contact our school office on 0208-691-3236 for more information.

Contact your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau or Family Hub

CITIZEN'S ADVICE BUREAU (CAB)

You don’t have to be a UK citizen to get support from your local CAB, you just need to be
a resident of the local area. The CAB can help you with:

• Getting benefits of other financial support organised
• Accessing support for essential costs (food, bills, rent)

Visit the Citizens Advice website or contact your local branch to book an appointment. Freephone Lewisham Advice Line is open. Call us on 0800 231 5453 to talk to an advisor (Mon to Fri, 9:30am – 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 4:00pm).

FAMILY HUB 

Contact your local Family Hub to get help accessing all the support you might need as a family. The closest Family Hub to Deptford Green School is Bessborough Family Hub in Westminster. The lead contact is Catherine Drake Wilkes and the email address is:

cdrakewilkes@westminster.gov.uk

Check you’re paying the right amount of tax

Make sure you’re on the right tax code. If you aren’t you might be due a refund. Use the Money Saving Expert's free tax code calculator to find out.

Claim any benefits you’re entitled to

Use one of these benefits calculators to determine whether there are any benefits you could be claiming:

Turn2us

Policy in Practice

Support for migrant families - use this calculator if you are a migrant family, or if you have no recourse to public funds

You may be able to get benefits paid early if you’re already feeling the squeeze - this is known as ‘a short-term benefit advance’ - you will need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) office that’s dealing with your claim.

Check you’ve received all the government’s cost of living payments

The government's cost of living payment is available for those receiving certain benefits or tax credits. You don’t need to apply for these – if you’re eligible the money should go straight into your account.

If you think you’re due a payment, but haven’t received one - report a missing payment to the government here.

Be aware of scams! If you receive any emails, texts or phone calls asking you to fill in an application form or asking for your bank details to receive a cost-of-living payment, do not talk to them or send a reply. Get more information on cost of living scams on the Money Saving Expert's website.

Find out what help you can get with your energy bills

Take a look at these resources from Simple Energy Advice, the British Gas Energy Trust and the Money Saving Expert website.

See what other support you can get from your local authority

Lewisham and other Local Authorities have lots of other support and schemes that you might be eligible for, including:

The holiday activities and food programme access to food and activities over the school holidays

Help with transport to school

Help with the cost of uniform

To find out more for Lewisham click HERE

Get free or low-cost food

If you’re worried about not having enough food to feed your family, you’re not alone. There are a number of places offering support. Here are the local foodbank opening times and locations.

Deptford Salvation Army

Mary Ann Gardens, Deptford, SE8 3DP. Open Monday 12- 2.

Lewisham Salvation Army

4 Albion Way, Lewisham, SE13 6BT. Open Tuesday 10-12.

St John the Baptist Church, 353 Bromley Road, SE6 2RP. Open Wednesday 12-2.

Find other local foodbanks with these websites:

Bankuet, The independent Food Aid Network, The Trussell Trust, or your local Community Fridge

Use food waste apps and websites like Olio, (for free food and household items from your local community), Too Good To Go, (for low cost food from local restaurants), or Low Price Foods (food that has passed its best before date, but is still safe to consume)

Here is the latest newsletter from the Lewisham Parent & Carer's Forum for parents/carers of children with additional needs and disabilities. Click HERE

To all staff, students and parents in our Deptford Green community:

I encourage everyone to take care on your journeys to and from school now that mornings and evenings are getting darker. This could be as simple as taking out ear-pods when crossing the road and being extra vigilant.

Whilst our brains are amazing in how they automatically do things without us even thinking about it, they do deserve a little support now and then as we adjust to the changes in wintertime.

This year, our school community has witnessed a few unexpected and difficult experiences in and around the school. It is important to remember that such experiences are unusual, but if you feel that you have been affected by them, Place2Talk and Place2Think are services available to all.

23/24 SCHOOL TERM DATES FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Click HERE

DEBATE MATE

Here's an opportunity in your school to make a difference in your world. Everyone can make a difference. All they need is a voice. YOU HAVE THAT VOICE. Come to debate mate with Mr Ramsay and learn how to use your voice effectively.

FILM CLUB

Mr Watts is holding this film club for all you film buffs and potential film professionals!

FOOTBALL COACHING

MR CONWAY & MR WALKER OFFER FOOTBALL COACHING WITH JF SKILL SCHOOL EVERY SATURDAY MORNING FOR Y7 -Y9

GET INTO DANCE!

'Step Into Dance' going strong. All ages welcome. Tuesday 3.15pm-4.15pm in the Drama Studios

We have an amazing dance instructor and full programme of classes, performances and visits planned. All dance classes are free. Come along and dance away!

See Ms Pritchard if you want to know more!