Summer Newsletter 2018

r e t t e l s w e N

HURSTMERE SCHOOL

Hurstmere School Hurst Road Sidcup, Kent DA15 9AW Telephone: 020 8300 5665 Facsimile: 020 8300 2039 Email: info@hurstmere.org.uk

Iceland Trip 2018

Summer 2018 Issue 20

Website: www.hurstmere.org.uk

ENRICHMENT WEEK July 16th - 20th This year trips include Zambia, PGL Liddington, Paris and the Creekside Discovery Centre. Other activities will take place inside school during the week. A report of these various trips and activities will be covered in the Autumn edition of the Newsletter.

We wish all the boys an enjoyable and enriching experience.

PGL Liddington

‘F@KE NEWS’ not this time!

8 pupils from Year 7 were congratulated and had their talents celebrated at the Bexley Children's Literacy Awards, held in the Civic Offices, Bexleyheath, with the Mayor of Bexley in attendance. Hurstmere were the runners up in the competition with their 'Fake News' broadcast which made the audience applaud and laugh at their efforts. A trophy and official photograph will be displayed shortly in the foyer.

The pupils to commend are: Harry Kane (who also spoke at the event), Oliver Wilkin, Ethan Buchanan, Ted Dargavel, Kamron Holmes-Lewis, Ellis Daly, Jack Corbyn and Louie Lynch.

The broadcast can be viewed online and is definitely worth 3 minutes of your time:

http://www.hurstmere.org.uk/225/news/post/49/fake-news-hits-hurstmere Mrs L Murphy - Head of Media

Creekside Discovery Centre

Mr K Wadsworth - Assistant Principal

All tracking and reports for students in Years 7 - 11 are issued in Firefly. > Pg. 2

> Pg. 5

RIVERS OF THE WORLD

Hurstmere boys receive their certificates at the Literacy Awards held in the Civic Offices.

> Pg. 6 - 8

CSI ENGLISH

> Pg. 11

ICELAND TRIP

SPORTS LEADERS

Dear Parents

Once again I am delighted to showcase some of the latest activities and developments from the vibrant Hurstmere Community.

has grown substantially in recent years, under the oversight of Mr Wright.

Following the annual application process in which the number of ‘first choice Hurstmere’ submissions rose once again, in September we will welcome another 218 boys to the school in the new Year 7.

The school passes on its best wishes to Year 11 students, who will have left us by the time of the publication of this newsletter. Most of those young men have worked hard in recent months to secure themselves every possible post-16 opportunity, with significant help from the dedicated team of staff at Hurstmere.

I look forward to meeting with all parents of boys in all year groups at the Year Group Information Evenings in the new term.

I would also like to publicly thank the school’s outgoing House Captains and Vice Captains for their efforts over the past year, and to welcome their successors to their posts. The impact of those officers on the School Council and the ‘Student Voice’ in general

Mr G C Stollery - Principal

This means that the school as a data processor will need to ensure that all data from all subjects (pupils, parents, staff, etc.) will be collected, stored, used and deleted as documented within the regulation. All new privacy notices and policies regarding GDPR can be found on our website and we encourage all parents/ guardians to ensure that the information which we hold at school is updated as soon as any changes to the current details are made.

HURSTMERE IS GDPR READY! As most parents/ guardians will be aware the law is changing in regards to data protection. As from 25th May the Data Protection Act 1998 will be replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation 2018.

For more information please visit our website or visit www.ico.org.uk (Information Commissioner’s Office).

Mr K Wadsworth - Assistant Principal

The boys’ art work will be exhibited as part of the Thames Festival in September and internationally as part of the British Council’s ROTW Festival.

RIVERS OF THE WORLD FESTIVALS PROJECT

Shona Watt was really impressed by our participants’ creative abilities, attitude, enthusiasm and conduct; they did themselves and the school proud. Thank you boys. And thank you to Ms Bates for overseeing the two days and Mrs Cox and Mrs Osman for their support.

Mr D Blower - Head of Art & Design

Twenty of our ‘Gifted and Talented’ artists from Years 8 and 9 were given the exciting opportunity to take part in a two day workshop working with the artist Shona Watt. The boys were taking part in the second year of our partnership with the British Council’s ‘Rivers of the World Festival Project’. They worked very impressively alongside our visiting artist, producing sculptural constructions in response to this year’s theme of ‘River Culture’. The boys investigated the ‘Yoruba’ beaded crowns from Nigeria as the starting point for their artwork.

Our project partner school is the New Hall International Academy in Lagos near to the ‘Five Cowrie Creek’ river, who responded to the ‘River Culture’ of our River Thames in their workshops. It will be interesting to compare the different work produced by both schools.

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H u rst m e re H o u s e Re p o r t

CITIZENSHIP

ELECTIONS FOR HOUSE CAPTAINS

This June Citizenship is focusing on BREXIT.

May was the month for elections, not only locally but also in school, with the voting for the new House Captains. After some passionate campaigning and friendly rivalry between the candidates with all promising to try and change the school in a positive way for students, the ballot papers have been counted by the 'Ballot Paper Counting Committee’ and duly verified. I am pleased to announce the new House Captains: Caxton House -

Ben Bleksley (C) and Conor Daley (VC)

Chaucer House -

Oscar Gray (C) and Josh Horak (VC)

Cobham House -

Callum Deppe (C) and Sam Horak (VC)

Sidney House -

Joseph Jeffery (C) and Ethan Driscoll Niles (VC)

INTER HOUSE ATHLETICS 2018 Field and Track Events 13th & 14th June There will be information about these events in the next edition of this Newsletter in September 2018.

IT’S IN THE BAG FOR ZAMBIA

We offer our congratulations to the new Captains and their Vice Captains and wish them well in their endeavours.

The Hurstmere in Zambia project has been organising events over the year to raise funds for the school’s 2018 Zambia Trip this July. It will be the 6th student tour with the Tag Rugby Trust and will involve 16 students from Year 9 and Year 10. The purpose of the tour is to change the futures of some of the most under privileged areas in Zambia. The project will look to build upon, and add to, existing projects that the previous tours have started. These projects include a water tower which provides water for over 30,000 people, a chicken coup which provides food and a source of income, a library and many other projects. All of these projects are designed to be sustainable and have a lasting impact.

In May, the boys organised another bag packing weekend at Morrisons in Sidcup. Volunteers worked from 10.00am till 5.00pm helping shoppers pack their bags in exchange for a donation. This, thanks to the generosity of the shoppers, not only raised essential funds but was an opportunity to promote the project throughout the community. Thank you to Morrisons and all those who helped - all efforts were greatly appreciated.

Other fund raising events have been well supported, but now the hard work is done as it is not long before the students head off to Zambia. It will be a truly memorable trip which will give the boys many rewarding experiences helping those less fortunate. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible.

Below are some of the fund raising events and the monies raised:-

HOUSE STANDINGS Cobham Sidney Chaucer Caxton

MORRISON BAG PACKING - £857.00 NON-UNIFORM DAY (Nov & May) - £990.38 - £651.79 DONATION from JK Clothing - £5,000.00 QUIZ NIGHT - December Mr M Wright - Head of House - £666.00 Year 7 DISCO - February (June 2018) - £510.00 RFU Ticket Sales - March 12673 - £150.00

11139 11059 10719

Mr B Maher - HoY 10

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YEAR 10 - MATHS FEAST In March a group of our most able Year 10 mathematicians visited Rainham Girls School to take part in the "Maths Feast" which is part of the Further Mathematics Support Programme.

The aim of the competition was to test a wide range of mathematical and communication skills. Each round required different skills and strategies to solve a wide range of mathematical problems.

The boys did well achieving high scores in each round as well as winning some rounds.

Mr R Nagra - Director of Learning

On the 29th June, I am happy to announce that there will be a Studio Fix Showcase at 6:30pm in the main school hall.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to see the great work that Andy Gilbert has done throughout the year with the boys in the Music Department. On top of that - there will be acts from two other schools he works with, Blackfen Girls School and Sherwood Park Primary School.

It would be lovely to have as many people there as possible - the boys always really appreciate the friendly faces in the crowd. If you are interested in attending tickets are on sale via Wisepay for ÂŁ5 and can be collected from the finance office .

The link below allows you to access some of the material that will be performed on the night.

https://soundcloud.com/studiofix/sets/studio-fix-summershowcase Mr C Ballard - Head of Music

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CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION IN ENGLISH

‘What thou seest when thou dost wake, Do it for they true-love take;’

Today in Mrs Murphy’s Year 8 English lesson, as part of our study of the novel 'Revolver', we created our own crime scenes for other groups to solve. They had to use the evidence and interrogate a witness at the scene to identify the murderer. I enjoyed pretending to be a detective.

- Billy Loring, 8cd

Year 7 are currently studying Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. In a recent lesson with 7ab EN2, pupils created their own spells, attempting to use Shakespeare's language and rhyming couplets. The results were then performed as a piece of drama to the class. There were some interesting suggestions for things they wished could magically occur!

You had to find the evidence, sometimes concealed and unhelpful to the case, and come up with a theory. We enjoyed working together as a group. - Josh Nolan, 8ab I was a witness for our group's murder scene. I had to wear a crime scene suit and gloves so as not to leave my DNA at the scene. I thought this was a unique idea and quite enjoyable.

- Connor Perry, 8ab

Mrs Murphy, inspired by Shakespeare concocting her spells and potions.

Here are some of the spells below:Kai Hems: Forget-Me-Not: A spell to help recall memories and lost items.

Forget not your loved and misplaced item, This deja vu potion will, with you, reunite them.

Rub it on thou pillow then slumber, slumber well.

As you sleep, your memory will come out of its shell.

Then you wake, thou memory is restored Remember thou item and enjoy your reward.

Year 8 English students act as crime scene investigators.

Edward Horton: Oblivious: Ingredients - alcohol and fish brains.

Beware, beware this spell Is...Treacherous and unfair Forget, your victim will Empty heads this potion will fill.

Feelings of extreme deja vu No memories will come back to you.

I unleash this spell onto you OBLIVIATE. Nathan Brathwaite: For Gaming Grouches Video games will become a reality, So apply this ointment for immortality!

Now sit thee on thou couch, Soon you will not be a gaming grouch.

Invite a pal, escape from reality Yes, thou shall!

Mrs L Murphy - Head of Media

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Day 2:

ICELAND 2018 DIARY

Being woken up at 6.30 on a Saturday morning by Mr Maher knocking on the door was not a pleasant experience, yet it was worth it because after breakfast we headed out to visit Skogafoss, a jaw dropping waterfall pouring over the cliff face. It’s sensational how loud and powerful waterfalls are and after a short trek to the top we were met with the wondrous sight out as far as the Atlantic and we could even see the island of Surtsey.

The Land of Fire and Ice

Subsequently, we headed to the Eyjafjallajökull flood plain. It was amazing to see the aftermath of an event which caused havoc on so many of us in 2010 after the eruption, as the flood plain was caused after the eruption led to large amounts of water being washed down the valley. Afterwards, we boarded the gargantuan 8WD monster truck and ventured off in to the middle of nowhere (not before George Wormeleighton broke his seat by sitting on it).

Well off of the beaten track, we waded through numerous rivers.

Constantly, we tried to take in the overwhelming beauty of the landscape.

Riding the monster truck back, we rendezvoused with our coach and headed to the beach, but it wasn’t the sort of beach we were used to as there was no golden sand or shingles, or any sunbathers, but instead a fine black sand along with the roaring and dangerous Atlantic. It was spectacular, and we all managed to get a group photo in front of the basalt columns.

Hurstmere’s latest trip to Iceland took place in the first week of the Easter Holidays with 42 students from Year 11 visiting this wonderful country. It was a truly amazing week. The boys had a fantastic time visiting and seeing some incredible scenery. The trip really was one that they will never forget! But don’t take my word for it, here is a diary written by Joshua Barnes about the trip.

Day 1: On the Friday morning, the school gates were bombarded with sleepy students, half asleep, but all eager to get going. Nobody forgot anything: even Mr Waghorn remembered his passport this year! The journey was surprisingly quick, and before we knew it we were on the plane and then in Iceland.

Arriving in the smoky bay was like setting foot on another planet, the landscape was beautiful, with endless moss covered volcanic rocks and a picturesque backdrop of countless snowy mountains.

Once more we whizzed through security, and after meeting with our guide Nick, we set out on our first excursion to the Perlan 360° Observation deck, which is a large dome which stores all of Reykjavik’s heated water reserves. There was also a cafe on top, which allowed us to become acquainted with the ridiculously expensive prices of Iceland.

After enjoying the views for a while, we set off to drop our bags at our hotel for the night, and then embarked on a cold journey along the seafront to the Hamburger Factory. Personally, I’ve never had a better burger, and we all went to bed in good humour and with full stomachs.

Our hotel for the night was Hotel Dyrholaey, in Brekkur, Myrdalur.

It sounds like I’ve just fell asleep on top of my keyboard but I can assure you that was the name. It was a good hotel too, providing us with a three-course meal to stuff our faces with. Following dinner, we settled down for Mr Waghorn’s quiz, which also included some questions from Nick about our outings that day. It’s fair to say the teachers seemed fairly surprised at how much we’d listened to the tour guide.

Day 3: As dawn broke on Easter Sunday, Mr Maher once again made sure everyone was up and ready to go; to all the pupils’ dismay as it was not even 7.00am yet. It had snowed overnight, and a soft blanket of snow had elegantly carpeted the already scenic landscape. It was another happy coach journey, passing through the endless Myrdalssandur lava fields, with countless undulations peppering the rocky environment. Everywhere we looked it was like a blank canvas as the endless, snowy landscape merged with the clean, white sky.

We were driving through absolutely stunning scenery, and then the coach stopped in the middle of nowhere. We all got out and climbed a short hill, and as we reached the summit we were 6

Next, it was finally time for the Secret Lagoon. It’s amazing how you can go from being freezing cold to boiling hot in seconds, as we ventured in to the naturally heated water. It was heaven! There was a path going around the outskirts of the springs, so many of us took it upon ourselves to walk around it, despite only wearing

Iceland-Continued

instantaneously hit with the breath-taking sight of the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. It was stunning, how immense this was, with icebergs the size of houses. Descending down to a beach littered with icebergs taller than Zac Eugene, the cold, biting wind didn’t matter to us.

Afterwards, we headed to the Svinafellsjokull glacier and ascended a steep, tricky path. Mr Maher stayed on the coach along with some kids who’d forgotten to pack their hiking shoes, presumably he’s scared of heights as it didn’t take long to realise the grandeur of this glacier. It’s hard to describe the immense scale of everything in Iceland, the boulders, the icebergs, the mountains, the glaciers; even the majority of the cars would make a European city car look puny! It was the same with this glacier; looking down on it you couldn’t help but feel as if you were on top of the world.

swimming trunks and it being well below freezing. I’m not sure whether Matt Crane has ice running through his veins or ice for a brain, as he spent more time walking around the path than he did in the actual lagoon. The only downside to the wondrous predicament we were in was the smell, as every now and then we were engulfed in a cloud of smelly methane.

Once more we boarded the coach and went back to the Hotel Dyrholaey. Again, the dinner was sufficient enough to fill the stomachs of everyone, and after another competitive quiz night, we were all happy to get to bed at the end of a dynamic day.

Day 4: Another day beckoning, everyone emerged from their hotel rooms like zombies, keen to depart on the day’s journeys. Our first stop was the Eyjafjallajokull Visitor Centre, where we were treated to an emotional rollercoaster of a film on how the 2010 eruption almost destroyed the lives of one small family. It was upsetting to learn how two weeks later the, now ageing, couple would close the centre.

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mic and we all enjoyed listening to his attempts at pronouncing place names.

Iceland-Continued

After our last explorations of Reykjavik, our expedition turned north towards the airport. Making one last stop at a rocky cliff, we glared at the spellbinding waves crashing against the sturdy rocks and reaching up in to the air. Eventually, we made it to the airport, and after expertly passing through security, we made it onto the plane home.

Arriving in Heathrow, it was unbeknown to us until a good few hours after landing that Iceland-Air had the decency of forgetting to take the majority of our luggage with us; in fact Mrs Bennett was the only teacher who received her suitcase! But we didn’t let that spoil the party, and after a long wait and a jubilant coach journey, we finally arrived at Hurstmere just before midnight.

Day 4 Continued: After our refreshing start to the morning, we headed to the birthplace of the word ‘Geyser’; a place called Geysir! Water was shooting up in the air all around us, as if the earth itself was burping. It certainly smelt like the earth was burping, due to the methane being secreted. It was fascinating to learn about the way geysers work, and then to see them in action was certainly a highlight of the trip.

As if things couldn’t get any better, we headed in the direction of Thingvellir Park, where we were able to feast our eyes on the spectacular Gullfoss Waterfall. Standing on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the valley which contained possibly the most beautiful attractions Iceland had to offer was breathtaking, and if the views didn’t take our breath away then the wind did, as it was hammering us! Once more we could gaze at a colossal landmark which left us feeling almost overpowered by the wind and the sound. Finally, we ventured in to Thingvellir Park, seeing first hand the Mid Atlantic Ridge, and learning how the two tectonic plates are tearing apart. We also got to see the official residence of the Icelandic Prime Minister, which was quite interesting and how it’s situated in the middle of nowhere.

Begrudgingly we plodded back in to the Hotel Cabin, knowing it would be our last night in Iceland. We weren’t the only school in Iceland however and we managed to become well acquainted with a Scottish School before heading to our favourite restaurant in the whole country; the Hamburger Factory.

Day 5: It was a rather sombre atmosphere for some at breakfast, knowing that our time in Iceland was coming to an end. However, with everyone in great spirits, we said goodbye to the Scottish School and drove off. We managed to get a chance to take We would like to say a massive thank you to all the teachers who came, especially Mrs Bennett who was really unwell only a short while before the trip. Thank you to Mr Baston for organising the trip, Mr Waghorn for the quizzes, and Mr Maher for being our alarm clocks, also to Nick the tour guide and Christian our helpful coach driver.

Iceland 2018 has undoubtedly been the best trip I’ve ever experienced. I’ll never forget it and would highly recommend it to anyone else.

By Joshua Barnes

a stroll down one of the capital’s main high streets, which was smaller and a lot friendlier than Sidcup high street! Unfortunately, we had also departed from Nick, but that was fine by us as Mr Baston took the 8

So, as you can see, everyone had a fantastic time in Iceland on what was truly a trip to remember! I would also just like to add that the students were a pleasure to be away with and have given me some great memories too. If you’re interested in going to Iceland in the future keep an eye out for information (or if you are in Year 10/11 and want to go in 2019 see me as soon as you read this!)

Mr T Baston - Head of Geography

ZOOLAB

- Gold Tie Awards Each year Hurstmere’s Science Department proudly recognises the achievement and commitment of selected students in Year10/11 by awarding them a Science Gold Tie. Students can start volunteering in Year 9.

During the first two days of Science Week 2018, Year 7 attended a Science workshop entitled Zoolab. Rangers from the company brought a variety of animals including a tarantula, corn snake, rats and a giant African Millipede. During the workshop, the Rangers explained how each animal has evolved over millions of years and described how their adaptations are suited to their habitats. The sessions developed good discussions about environmental awareness and the importance of individual species. Pupils (and staff) were invited to face their fears and handle the animals, providing an exciting and memorable learning experience.

MUST criteria: 

Consistently try your best and meet all Science Targets



Have exceptional behaviour in and around the department/ school

VOLUNTEER criteria: Volunteering is a key aspect of the Science Tie award. The Science ties are awarded on some or all of the following criteria (along with the MUST criteria). 

Getting involved in running of extra-curricular clubs (rocket club/science club)



Getting involved with open mornings, open evenings, Year 9 options evenings



Helping to do things around the department - e.g. looking after our pets



Maintaining and updating display work for the corridors and classrooms



Going ‘above and beyond’ with homework, projects, etc.



Academic mentoring of students of younger years

Mr P Dovell - Teacher of Science

MARINE ENGINEERING WORKSHOP The Sea Cadets bought their unique Marine Engineering Pathway (MEP) workshop to Hurstmere for Year 7 and 8 students on 29th November 2017. This exciting two-hour workshop brought engineering to life. The session was packed with hands-on activities designed to thoroughly explore engineering challenges and real-life scenarios. All students learnt and had fun at the same time.

Wearing the Gold Tie indicates the student’s hard work and enthusiasm in the subject, and is an invaluable way for them to demonstrate their diligence to 6th forms, schools, colleges and employers when they eventually leave Hurstmere.

The students were made aware of opportunities available in marine engineering as a career. They got to learn about the various roles and responsibilities of a marine engineer across the world. Students were provided the opportunity to be marine engineers designing boats that could carry a maximum number of marbles. Students collaborated brilliantly in group planning, drawing, measuring, calculating, constructing and testing their boats. At times students challenged the visitor with quite challenging questions.

If you are interested and are in Year 9/10 please see your teacher or Mr Sheehan.

Mr J Sheehan - Head of Science

Once again Vocab Express has been very popular with our pupils studying French across all five year groups.

Using this website/app allows the boys to consolidate their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar studied in class.

All students taking part did Hurstmere proud.

“I enjoyed the team work and the hard work that we all put in to produce “All gear no idea” which could hold 33 marbles. I also enjoyed finding out about what marine engineers do and all the places they go. It was fun finding out about all the different ships.”

Year 7

I would like to congratulate the following boys who have achieved the highest scores in their year groups between September 2017 and June 2018. They have all won points for their respective houses. (Scores are correct at the time of writing).

Year 7

“I really liked this lesson, I learnt a lot about marine engineering it was really fun, I think I might consider being one in the future. I liked making the boat because it was fun and constructive.”

Year 7

Year 8 Charlie Goff 6550 William Howlett 5559 Reis Jordan 5452

Year 9

Ivan Diep 4060 Harry Ward 3162 Thabit Mahamdallie 3153

“I enjoyed everything in this experience because I got to do some really awesome stuff with some really awesome people. I think that our structure was really good and I really thought it was going to sink when it fell over but it stayed up. It would have been better if we would have used wire but in the end we got the highest amount of marbles to win the competition.”

Year 8

Year 10 Kelvin Ho 7433 Eusebiu Filip 4610 Scott Durden 4025

Daniel Marsh 5055 Nathan Masters 4713 Jack Wilkinson 4640

Year 11 Benjamin Luxford 7435 Joshua Barnes 6125 Alfie Wallace 2760

Ms J Anand KS Coordinator Science Mme L Notton - Head of French

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SPORTS NEWS YR7 u12 Kent Cup WINNERS! 76 teams started out in the u12 Kent Cup and after a great season for Hurstmere’s Year 7 football team all roads led to the Kent Cup Final at Margate FC against Sir Roger Manwood School. Hurstmere dominated the early parts of the game keeping possession and looking threatening in attack. After a number of chances Frankie Baker broke the deadlock with a well directed header after great work from Tommy Franklin down the right side of midfield. Shortly after the first goal the second and third followed after a couple of pieces of magic from Ruairi Woodcock. Although the boys had a three goal cushion at half time they came out with the same intensity in the second half and it started with a thunderbolt from Henry Phillips to make it 4 - 0. Two goals from George Button and one each for Jack Callagher, Tommy Franklin and Jamie Winchester finished off a very dominant and classy 8 - 0 victory. Well done to all the squad on a great achievement!

Year 7 football team—winners of the North Kent Cup Mr J Eiffert – Teacher of PE

YR10 FOOTBALL North Kent Cup

YR8 FOOTBALL North Kent Cup WINNERS!

The Year 10 team travelled to Sporting Club Thamesmead full of confidence on the back of a very good season. St Pauls were the opposition, a team we had narrowly beaten 3-2 earlier in the season in the ESFA Cup. The game started at a fast tempo and neither side created clear goal scoring opportunities in the first half. Hurstmere did go in a goal behind thanks to a deflected goal that wrong footed the Hurstmere keeper Nathan Murray. St Pauls doubled their advantage early in the second half and at 2- 0 down Hurstmere had it all to do. Not wanting to go down without a fight Hurstmere started to create chances and it was Luke Jenkins with two unbelievable headers from set pieces that levelled the score with just over five minutes to play. The momentum was with Hurstmere and they pushed for the win in the closing stages only to be denied twice.

Firstly, James Dyer hit the post directly from a corner. Dyer again was denied with an audacious overhead kick which the St Pauls goalkeeper clawed away having looked well beaten. Great save and into extra time it went. St Pauls started brightly and quickly made it 3- 2. Hurstmere battled and created several openings but ultimately it wasn't to be our day. A cracking Kent Cup Final that was a great advert for schools’ football.

The Year 8 team led by Mr Ball and Mr Eiffert in Mr Jones’ absence travelled to Maidstone Football Club looking to win back to back Kent Cups. The opposition were Rainham Mark GS. In the early stages Hurstmere passed the ball about with confidence and without several saves from the Rainham Keeper the game could have been over early on. Olly Evans did break the deadlock in the first half and Hurstmere went into half time with a much deserved 1 - 0 lead. Rainham remained resilient but did little to trouble Archie Bennett in the Hurstmere goal. Harry Day doubled the lead midway through the second half and that was how the game finished. Another fine season for the Year 8 football team and I am sure they will want to build on their successes again next season.

Mr J Ball - (2i/c PE)

Mr J Ball - (2i/c PE)

NORTH KENT CRICKET FINALS

TENNIS CLUB

The Year 7, 8 and 9 cricket teams took the short walk across the field to Chis and Sid for the annual cricket North Kent Finals Day after all qualifying from their groups.

Hurstmere is delighted to welcome back Phil Layfield from Shooters Hill Tennis Club to work with our Year 7 and 8 students who are interested in playing tennis. Phil has been coming to Hurstmere for the last few years, where over a 12 week period he runs a school club, coaching pupils who have limited or no experience of playing tennis.

His sessions are well attended and the students, yet again, have made huge progress thanks to Phil's enthusiasm and expertise.

These lessons and the boys’ hard work culminate in a competition at Shooters Hill Tennis Club on the 5th of July against other local schools. This is a fantastic opportunity for the boys to put into practice their new found skills!

The Year 7 and 8 teams played two very close games but managed to win both for Hurstmere.

Congratulations go to Ellis Daly the Year 7 captain and their manager Mr Robinson. Also, hats off to Charlie Deppe, birthday boy, and Year 8 captain and his manager Mr Dye. Unfortunately, the Year 9s lost to a strong Chis and Sid side but competed admirably even with a star player missing from the team.

Well done to all involved!

Mr M Wright - Teacher of PE/Head of House

Mr J Eiffert - Teacher of PE

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SPORTS NEWS - SPORTS LEADERS KS2 Cross Country Event Hurstmere hosted the School Games Inter School KS2 Cross Country Competition in March for over 200 children from across the borough. On a cold and blustery day over 200 children from local Primary Schools descended on Hurstmere School for the annual KS2 Cross Country competition. Sports Leaders from year's 9, 10 and 11 acted as 'Hares' or marshalled the course providing encouragement and support for the runners. With 28 teams competing it was fantastic to see so many children running and enjoying the event.

Quadkids 2018

Tee Off to Success

Once again Hurstmere's fantastic Sports Leaders supported the running of one of the borough's School Games Inter School competitions. 10 Sports Leaders from Year 9 went to Erith Athletics Track and ran the Vortex throwing event as part of the Quadkids competition in May. This event was attended by 18 Bexley Primary Schools whose team of athletes all competed in the 75M Sprint, Standing Long Jump, 600M Run and Vortex Throw. Hurstmere boys teamed up with Sports Leaders from Bexleyheath Academy, Erith School, Townley Grammar and volunteers from Bexley Athletics Club and were an integral part of the workforce that ensured the event ran smoothly and everyone had a great afternoon.

Year 9 and 10 Sports Leaders battled against the cold to run a successful Tri Golf competition as part of the School Games programme for Bexley Primary Schools in April and despite it being a cold and blustery day they maintained their enthusiasm and commitment to ensure all competitors had a great time. Teachers from the schools were really impressed by the professionalism of the leaders and how well they explained the golf challenges and motivated the children. Opportunities such as these are really developing the boys’ life skills helping them to grow in confidence and develop their leadership skills. Well done boys!

Ms S Allsop – School Games Organiser

Panathlon Challenge Report On Thursday 7th June a group of Hurstmere Sports Leaders from Years 9 and 10 travelled to The London Aquatic Centre in the Olympic Park, to help with the Berkshire Panathlon Final. All Sports Leaders were given training and then given a job to carry out during the competition.

Some were in the water assisting the competitors, others were timing the events, whilst others helped with deciding the final podium places and moving equipment around.

They had to assist a variety of disability pupils and help them complete the activities they were participating in.

The Leaders found this a great experience and enjoyed the day. Mr Simpson said that the boys were a credit to the school.

Louis Dunk (Year 9 Sports Leader)

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ALUMNI

LIBRARY NEWS

Hurstmere has received a great response to the Alumni articles that have been published.

As well as highlighting the achievements of our former pupils in a variety of careers, we are delighted to welcome some back as teachers or support staff.

Mr T. Monks (Class of 2012)

ACCELERATED READER MILLIONAIRES

Mr Monk’s love of music was evident from the start of his education at Hurstmere. He wanted to be involved in the performing arts and the Music Department gained a dedicated star!

Congratulations to our AR Word Millionaires!

2 Million Words + - and Oliver Simpson 1 Million Words + - George Castle; Harry Dawe; Jamin Hammond; Finley Hannon; James O’Connor; William Terry; Ben Walker; Edward Howard Year 7 have to date read over 49,000,000 words.

Mrs E Tubbs and Mrs J Dowse - Librarians

A highlight of his time at Hurstmere, Mr Monks says, was performing at The Royal Albert Hall for the Music For Youth Proms.

DIARY DATES 29/06/18 02/07/18 & 03/07/18 04/07/18 06/07/18 16/07/18 16/07/18 16/07/18 20/07/18 23-27/07/18 03/09/18 04/09/18

Mr Monks gained DD* (Distinction) in BTEC Music Technology and subsequently volunteered his services at Hurstmere to support Music lessons and Studio Fix. He also works at Urban Development, a London-based organisation playing an integral role in the growth of urban music.

Music Concert (18.30 doors open 18.15) Y6 Induction Days (08.00—15.00)

Y6 Parental Welcome Evening (17.30—19.00) Zambia 2018 Trip Enrichment Week Begins Y7 PGL Liddington Trip Paris Trip Last day of Summer Term—Early closure Sports Summer School Staff Development (School Closed) First Day of Autumn Term Open Mornings for prospective Year 7’s 29/09/18 Saturday Open Morning (10.00—12.00) 01/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 02/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 08/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 09/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 10/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 15/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 16/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 17/10/18 Guided Tours (9am) 19/10/18 Staff Development (School Closed) 22-26/10/18 Half Term Break 21/12/18 Last day of the Autumn Term

Along with enjoying jamming sessions with ‘Squeeze’ lead singer Glenn Tilbrook and ‘Nine-Below-Zero’, Mr Monks performed with Hurstmere’s ‘Gas Tanks’ supporting Madness in 2017.

Mr Monks is also involved in various local bands, as well as helping to support grassroots acts by hosting ‘Open Mic’ events.

Mr J. Eiffert (Class of 2009) After leaving Hurstmere in 2009, Mr Eiffert studied BTEC Level 3 Sports and Psychology at Blackfen School Sixth Form. He had no idea, at this stage, what he wanted to do in the future.

Mr Eiffert’s success at Blackfen led him to go on and achieve a 2.1 in a Sports Science degree at St. Mary’s University (2011 to 2014). He was a first team player in St. Mary’s Rugby League (playing in the BUCS National Premier South of England competition) and also had trials for Ireland’s Rugby League squad. Throughout his Blackfen and university days Mr Eiffert continued to play and support Rugby Union for Sidcup Rugby Club.

Whilst at St. Mary’s Mr Eiffert had work experience time at Hurstmere – just to see what it was like to be a teacher! It was a great success and he returned to Hurstmere in 2014 to begin his teaching career.

Are you a former Hurstmere pupil or maybe you have a relative or friend that was, and would like to share your achievements? If so, please email v.ahern@hurstmere.org.uk

Electronic version—www.hurstemere.org.uk/ Menu/News & Events/Newsletters/Summer 2018 Designed and Produced by Mrs J Dowse

School photographs by Mr C Richardson and staff

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