Our School, Our Week
25 November 2021

 

 

Student News

For Halloween, Cressida Farr Y8 and a friend decided to dress up and ride their horses around the village trick or treating. She has made her outfit herself in addition to embedding her skills, knowledge and understanding of the sewing machine.  

Fantastic outcome Cressida. Well done.

 

 

 

Geography

Out of recycled materials, Year 7 have been creating COP26 flags to raise awareness of global environmental issues and the importance of the conference for a sustainable future

  

             

 

In Geography Year 8 and 9 students have made COP Top Trumps cards: Which countries do you think have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions? Or the highest share of renewable energy?

Thinking hard, Year 9 students then evaluated the question "To what extent has the COP26 conference been a success?"

  

 

 

Year 8 Music

This term our Year 8 students are working on different scales in Music and this week, 8FS created some fabulous group performances using the 'whole tone scale'.

 

  

  

  

 

 

Pumpkin Carving Competition 

Following on from our Newsletter last week, we had lots of amazing entries for this year's DRHS pumpkin carving competition. Students created imaginative and unique pumpkin designs, it was a difficult decision to choose a winner but here are the results.

 

 Winner:

Mahika Singh 8BE

 

Runners-Up:

 

Lara Tidmarsh 10H

 

Amber Richardson 8BE

 

Ellie Flaxman 9K

 

 

 

Anti Bullying Week:

 One Kind Word

Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated In England and Wales by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and takes place from 15 to 19 November 2021.  The theme was "One Kind Word". The week began with Odd Socks Day which is supported by CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day and his band Andy and the Odd Socks.

Kindness is more important today than it has ever been. The isolation of the last year has underlined how little acts of consideration can break down barriers and brighten the lives of the surrounding people. This is one of the reasons, that ‘One Kind Word’ has been chosen as the theme of Anti-Bullying Week which took place from 15 to 19 of November 2021.

7BA showing they're #unitedagainstbullying through wearing odd socks to school. 

 

 

England Hockey U16 South West Hockey Tournament

Below is a photo of the students who competed in the England Hockey U16 South West Hockey Tournament at Clifton College on Tuesday 9th November. We played three group games.

We drew 1-1 with King Edwards School

Lost 3-0 to South Wilts Grammar School

And beat Penryn College 1-0.

As a result we qualified for the next round and had to play Ribston in the quarter-final. After a tough defensive game, the game finished 1-1 which meant that the match had to be decided on shuffles with 3 players stepping up to take them. Sadly we lost 2-1 to Ribston but enjoyed a competitive day of hockey. As ever, the students were a credit to DRHS.

 

 

The Honey Collective

We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to our ex-students, who kindly offered their time to support the school in our work on creating an equitable experience for students of colour. Their input and feedback has been invaluable and an important part of our learning process. 

As we move forward on this issue as a school and become better educated through training, our ex-students have expressed their desire to step back from this and focus on their own lives and careers; a decision that we absolutely respect. 

Upon the completion of the ‘Race and Identity Leadership Training’ led by Integrity Coaching, that SLT and ASLs are undertaking we will reconnect with our former students and update them of our progress as a school in tackling the issues that they rightly raised.

 

 

National Schools Under 19 Chess Championships

On Thursday 18 November after school we took part in the National Schools Under 19 chess championships. We played in an online qualifier at school in the IT room.

Seven teams took part in the tournament, and we had to finish in the top 3 to qualify for the next regional stage in the spring term.  We had eight girls from DRHS that took part, with our top six scorers counting to the overall team total.

It was very close all the way through with the top four schools changing places all the time. After a very tense last few minutes we eventually finished in 3rd place which meant we qualified.
Well done to our 8 players; Jaime, Zoha (top scorer), Bethany, Naila, Khushi, Anshutha, Shreya and Isabel.

Jaime Ashworth 10H

 

 

 

Food and Nutrition

Year 7 and 8 are continuing to travel around the world on the Different Tastes course.
Last week we featured USA - in time for Thanksgiving and making Cornbread Muffins

 

 

 

 

Chapel Arts Lunchtime Concert

On Friday 19^th November, our A level Music students from Year 12 and Year 13 accompanied by Mrs Day, performed at a lunchtime concert at Chapel Arts in Cheltenham.  These lunchtime concerts have been arranged for local school Musicians in collaboration with the Cheltenham Music Festival Society. 

Tilly Berry opened the concert by singing ‘Still Hurting’ from The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown followed by Shalom Tayo performing ‘Cradle Song’ by Hongjin on the piano.  Maddie Maund sang ‘Someone like You’ from the musical Jekyll and Hyde which was then followed by Evie Perfect singing ‘Music for a While’ by Purcell. Niamh Rainbow then played ‘Moonlit Blue’ by Blaz Pucihar on the flute. 

The concert ended with Tilly singing ‘If I Loved You’ from the musical Carousel which was accompanied by Evie and finally Alice Candish played Elegy by Kenneth Leighton on the cello.  The concert was very well attended and over £100 was raised for the Music department.  We are looking forward to organising another concert at Chapel Arts next term

   

 

 

Cricket

This autumn has seen a variety of county and regional cricket trials take place with Denmark Road once again doing very well.  

At U18 level, we have three Girls who were selected for the squad for summer 2022 - Betsy Mangan, Liv Brock and Katie Jones. While Flo Hampton has again been picked in the U15 squad. A few of our Y9 students also took part in the trials, and while they were unsuccessful this time round, they will hopefully go one better next year.

In addition to successful county trials, Flo and Katie were also asked to try out for the Western Storm academy. The Western Storm is the professional women's team representing Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wales, and for whom England star Heather Knight plays. After an intense series of five trial sessions in different parts of the region, it is fantastic to share that Katie Jones - fresh from an incredible summer where she scored almost 1200 runs (including two centuries and a 99) - was selected as one of a final squad of 18.  While Flo was unsuccessful this time round, she was the youngest person asked to trial and acquitted herself admirably - the experience will stand her in excellent stead for the future. Both girls are also part of the Gloucestershire Emerging Players Programme (EPP) where they will benefit from extra coaching with the county as part of a small group of players who have been identified as having particular potential to be successful in the future.

Amelia Moore in Y9 has followed in the best traditions of Denmark Road cricketers of recent times, but has gone one better... as part of the first girls cricket match ever to be played on the famous Lord's pitch.  This was part of the MCC cricket Hub competition in which her Cotswolds team made it all the way to the final, where they unfortunately finished runner-up to a very strong Bradford team. Amelia did herself proud, and can now tell everyone she meets that she has hit a 4 at Lord's!

Finally, we are pleased to say that for the second time, Denmark Road has been named in the top 20 of all-girls' schools for cricket in the country by the prestigious Cricketer magazine, which will be published tomorrow (Friday 26th November).

It has been a fab year so far, and we are looking forward to enjoying our first indoor season in three years when we return after Christmas.

 

 

 

Children in Need

Thank you to everyone who took part in this year's Children in Need Non-Uniform Day. Together we have raised £756 for this amazing cause. 

 

 

LRC News

On Thursday 11^th November we commemorated Remembrance Day with a very moving ceremony.  In the LRC, there is a display of books which incorporate peace, war and remembrance of those who fought or who have been affected by conflict.  The noticeboard display includes wartime memories of students who attended the School during the World War II: gas masks, air raid shelters along the school hedge, fire watching at night, fruit picking, harvest camp, rationing, bread and margarine with sugar for breaktime snacks, knitting, and exchanging notes in desks with the girls from Kings Norton Grammar School who were billeted in Gloucester for safety.  The students’ recollections reflect the close school community and shared sense of responsibility of both students and staff to do their bit during a national crisis. 

 

       

 

Anti Bullying week, with the theme One Kind Word, showing the difference that a simple kindness can play when people feel isolated.  Below is a selection of books which deal with bullying or in which kindness towards others makes a difference. 

 

 

Many thanks to everyone who has purchased books from the Scholastic Book Club this month.  Your support makes a huge difference.  The Book Club’s next order deadline is Wednesday December 8, so that there is time for orders to arrive and be distributed to students before the holidays. Here’s the link: https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/schools/denmark-road. 

Please remember NOT to tick the box which asks if you work at the school, as it means it’s more difficult for DRHS to receive the Scholastic Credit.  Many thanks for your support.
 

 

Ms Carol Cordall, School Librarian

Follow the LRC on Twitter   @DRHS_LRC and Instagram   drhs_lrc

E-mail: library@denmarkroad.org
 

 

 

Quiz Night

There is still time to purchase tickets for Quiz Night. 
Tickets are available from DRHS main reception £5.00 per person with teams of up to 6 people.

 

 

 

Useful Information

If your child is absent from school please email absence@denmarkroad.org. 

If your child requires a medical/non-medical form please fill in via our website: Denmark Road High School - Forms  These forms can be emailed to absence@denmarkroad.org or your child can give them in to the Well-being Centre.

When you come to pick up your child from reception please do not park outside the school gates or on any road markings which state you must not, on road junctions, or in front of private driveways.  Please park sensibly opposite the school.  If your child is ill and is unable to walk far, or you have problems with mobility, you may ring the bell on the gate and bring your car into the front car park.  Thank you for your consideration. 

Please let us know when you change your home address, mobile number or email address.  We cannot keep in touch with you if we do not have your correct details.  Please email changes to office@denmarkroad.org

 

Dates for the Diary

 

26th November - Inset Day

3rd December – Quiz Night

9^th December – Year 8 Excellence Evening

15th December - Carol Concert (Tickets on School Shop)

17^TH December – End of Term 1:30pm finish


 

Finally, Follow me @DenmarkRoad365

Please follow me on Instagram at drhshead and Twitter @denmarkroad365.  You will see a snapshot into DenmarkRoad365 and the life of a Headteacher at one of the most amazing schools in the country.