Stringer Press | Autumn Term 2022

Stringer Press

AUTUMN TERM

MESSAGE hEADTEACHER'S MESSAGE

MATT HILLIER

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Governors

There has very much been an air of optimism at school this term as, for the first time in a been able to support both learning and the wider curriculum without any restrictions. We year celebrating our excellent GCSE outcomes and we finish this term with the Year 11 good position, aiming to equal or exceed these results next summer With college applic submitted, the final few months will provide them with the stepping stones they need for have also made a very successful start to their GCSE subjects and, although it is early d option choices, feedback from staff and students, as well as our observations of lessons, show the rapid progress they are making Thank you for making sure those in your care are attending, participating, and learning together in a supportive environment

Another incredible positive this term, and one that has been moving for staff here at school too, has been the care and support shown by our wider community in the number of donations made to support families in financial hardship by funding school meals for students The act of kindness from one parent spread and has become a safety net that some of our families have been enormously grateful for Your generosity towards our fundraising drives this term has also been fantastic: as a community we have collected donations for antiracism charity Show Racism the Red Card, the DEC Pakistan floods appeal, men’s mental health charity Movember, Brighton and Whitehawk foodbanks and for Martlets Hospice

In the same spirit of gratitude, we would like to thank a parent for their fundraising efforts on the school’s behalf, which have led to an incredible donation of £5,000 from their employer, Amazon – a much-needed boost for our school funding. This money will be put towards our STEM education, including a 3D printer. If you would like to get involved or can help in any way with school fundraising, please visit our website: https://dorothy-stringer co uk/fundraising/ or email communications@dorothy-stinger co uk to join the DOTS, our parent fundraising group

I am hopeful we can look ahead to 2023 with confidence that not only will students continue to receive excellent learning, but they can also look forward to work experience, enrichment week (including our sports day) and trips and visits as well I am always amazed at the number of opportunities the students have here, and it has been wonderful to see the levels of engagement with sports training and fixtures, both early in the morning and in the evenings after school, especially this term when the days are so short. Our PE staff are out in all weathers, fostering the team ethic and camaraderie which students will remember for a lifetime. I know some of our students also represent their county and countries, and huge congratulations to them as they manage both competition and their educational studies

A final thank you goes to our dedicated staff, who, in addition to all of the above this term, have also put on rehearsals for the upper school drama production and our carol concert, and begun preparations for this year’s art exhibition and dance show In addition, staff have hosted workshops to support parents and carers of neurodivergent students and facilitated our collegiate environmental work with the other Surrenden campus schools and colleges on the Liz Williams Butterfly Haven and the tree planting project on Stringer Way.

I do hope that during the Christmas holidays, students and staff can rest and enjoy time together with family and friends I wish you all a safe and relaxing break over the festive period and a happy and healthy 2023

DOROTHY STRINGER OPEN EVENING

At the start of the school term, we welcomed Year 6 students and their families to have a look around Dorothy Stringer School on our Open Evening. The evening was a great success, made so special by the students who came in and volunteered their time to showcase departments. There was a real buzz around the school, and it was wonderful to see how proud the students are to be members of the Dorothy Stringer community; we would like to say thank you to all those involved.

On the evening we held four Headteacher and student talks, the students really stole the show and their passion for the school shone through. Well done to the three Head Students involved: Ivy, Sammy and Pinky, and the wonderful Year 7 students who talked about their experience of settling in here, Stella and Eli.

HEAD STUDENTS 2022

We would like to introduce you to our current Head Students: Ivy, Pinky and Sammy, and Deputies, Scout, Lennon and Musa.

Our Head Students and Deputies have already been fantastic ambassadors for the school, helping at a celebratory event for long-standing school Governor Reg Hook which was attended by lots of ex-staff, as well as during our Open Evening, with the Head Students making four speeches to our prospective students and their families. They all showed great resilience and were wonderful representatives of the school. We look forward to working with them more in the coming terms.

MEET OUR HEAD STUDENTS MEET OUR HEAD STUDENTS

My name is Ivy and I am honoured to be one of this year's Head Students I’ve been lucky enough to have taken part in various different things over the years such as being a sports captain, peer mentor, member of the JLT, a YMCA mental health advocate and many more All of which have taught me valuable communication, leadership skills and have also given me the confidence to continue exploring my hobbies I love photography and all the arts (although please don’t ask me to dance, I have no sense of rhythm) and was lucky enough to grow up around these things my whole life I grew up painting constantly and despite often being rather busy now, I still try to make time in my schedule to be creative whenever I can When I leave Year 11, I hope to leave a positive and memorable impact on younger years because of both my doings as a Head Student and my role in day-to-day Stringer life I want to encourage other students to leave their comfort zones and take advantage of every opportu them just as I did Because if they do, they will have a truly memorable Stringer experience I am et for the friends I have met both in and out of the classroom and the teachers who continue to encour my very best

Pinky

Hello, I’m Pinky and I’m one of the three Head Students here at Stringer Some of the things I enjo playing music, reading comics and solving problems, especially Maths riddles (I know Maths is sub learned to like it, and now I absolutely love it)

The main reason why I applied to be a Head Student was because I didn’t want anyone else to face discrimination like I had, especially during the pandemic I also wanted to try my best to resolve some other issues such as the uniform, toilets (although the superloos have made a massive change), and help make school a more enjoyable environment overall

To make recognition of diversity both engaging and effective, I came up with a few ideas: one of them being a food fair day where people bring in traditional food from their cu a non-school uniform day, but students are encouraged to they are, because everyone is unique, and everyone shou interesting than the usual 9 40 - 3 10 day Thank you for your time to read this, and I hope that toget the school together so that everyone feels comfortable to

Sammy

Hi, I’m Sammy and I’m one of three Head Students at Do because, in my opinion, our school is one of the very best make our school better in any way possible I also unders I’ve taken it as a responsibility to try to give back to our co working, responsible and ready to tackle any challenges that may come up in my role as Head Student Outside of school, I like to take part in sporting activities like tennis and cricket and love to watch any sport there is out there One of my favourite pastimes is to spend time with my dog, walking and playing with him In terms of what I hope to achieve in school, I have lots of ideas For example, I would like to look into study leave for students taking mock and real exams I think that if this was made an option for some students, it would help maximise their potentials I am a very welcoming person so if anyone wants to raise any ideas, they might have about our school I am always willing to listen and take on board their ideas

Lennon

Hi I'm Lennon Reed.

I am one of the Deputy Head Students at D joined Dorothy Stringer in 2018 and have en of the school team that has helped me grow and caring personality; throughout my life I'v had quite an independent upbringing and m in life, as hard workers who always prioritise a creative outlet, I also really enjoy fitness a playing games, my favourites are: Doom Et

musa

Hi, my name is Musa and I'm a Deputy Head Student for Doroth a place where students have a say in what happens and to mak Stringer for close to five years now and despite whatever has b constant in my life to see and make friends - new and old - and forward to seeing your favourite teachers and learning from the my twin brother Yusuf who has pushed me to overcome challen While some aspects of that are difficult, like trying to find my ow someone that I can always rely on (even if we do get a bit comp of my hobbies are carpentry - which has taught me patience an wish I had a good excuse for that one; and just exercise, as sim leads to a reward that's hard to match Thank you for reading

Scout

My name is Scout and I represent the students here at Dorothy Stringer by being a Deputy the main ways I like to express myself are through playing football on the weekends, creatin looks at home and even teaching football skills to Year 3s on a Saturday morning. These ar elements that make me…me! Growing up with two older brothers is not easy; however, it h how to be confident and independent as myself and as a person of colour Using all of thes up through sports, school and social life, I continue to be myself throughout life’s ups and d

TAMARA HARVEY - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

We would like to congratulate one of our ex-students, Tamara Harvey who has been appointed as Artistic Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

This is an incredible achievement, not only to be appointed to the position but to be the first woman to be permanently appointed artistic director at the RSC, and we are extremely excited to be able to share it with our ambitious young creatives here at Stringer. We hope it will help to inspire them into careers in the Arts.

Below you can read the article by The Guardian:

Congratulations to ex-student and rugby player Morgan Adderly-Jones, who started in his first Premiership Cup match for Gloucester in September. Gloucester beat Cup holders Worcester 49-21.

mORGAN ADDERLY-JONESPREMIERSHIP RUGBY PLAYER

UPPER SCHOOL PRODUCTION

DRAMA DEPARTMENT

Autumn term is a busy time for the Drama Department with auditions for the upper school production. Rehearsals have already started for 'Peak', a self-written play which will be premiered at Stringer in February.

'Peak' explores the teenage experience of secondary school, the complex relationships with adults and their peers and how we develop the resilience to make the most of being young.

Auditions were well attended and resulted in an ensemble of 28, committed to work together creatively and be ready for audiences in February.

Performances will take place from Wednesday 1 February to Saturday 4 February. Tickets will be made available for purchase in January.

Debbie Ettinger, Head of Drama

LIZ WILLIAMS BUTTERFLY HAVEN NATURE RESERVE

MR SANDERCOCK

The rain stopped just in time for the inauguration of the Liz Williams Butterfly Haven on Stringer Way. It was officially opened on 3rd November by the Mayor, Cllr. Lizzie Deane, who was joined by students and staff from Dorothy Stringer, Varndean, Balfour, Varndean Sixth Form College and Downs View Link College, all of which share parts of the Surrenden Campus. Also in attendance were various other people who have been involved in the creation and maintenance of the project, and of course the sheep that grazed the site courtesy of Sussex Wildlife Trust.

The event coincided with the first International Day of UNESCO Biospheres; this butterfly haven is an excellent example of how we can encourage wildlife into our urban environment and why we are part of The Living Coast Biosphere. Since its creation 15 years ago, the Liz Williams Butterfly Haven has become an important site locally and nationally for butterflies, with over 30 species being found here! It has inspired the development of butterfly banks across the city.

Thanks to everyone who ventured out to take part in this event and to the Mayor Cllr. Lizzie Deane for officially opening the haven!

WOODLAND WORKING DAY

MR SANDERCOCK

Thank you to everyone who came and helped out on our woodland working day on Saturday 19 November.

MR SANDERCOCK

During October and November, we welcomed the Sussex Wildlife Trust’s flock of Sheep to our Butterfly Haven. who have done a marvelous job of grazing the butterfly haven as part of the management for biodiversity of the site. We have loved having them here and they will now be moving onto their next grazing assignment. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered in looking after the sheep, we look forward to having them back next year!

TREE PLANTING

MR SANDERCOCK

During National Tree Week our eco-committee students helped to kick off the Stringer Way Avenue project! On 29th November our students joined students from other local schools to plant elms along Stringer Way, where an avenue of trees will form a wildlife corridor linking Hollingbury and Burstead woods, the Dorothy Stringer nature reserve woodland, Balfour’s wildlife reserve and Varndean School and Varndean College’s wildlife areas The new tree canopy will also link up the mature tree line into Withdean and Preston Parks This project is one way of ensuring the future of elms in our city, providing habitat for wildlife such as the white-letter hairstreak butterfly which breeds on elm.

Councillor Hannah Allbrooke, chair of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee, said: “It’s inspiring to see schools working so positively together to make space for nature, improve biodiversity and reduce the effects of climate change The Surrenden campus is an important site as it links directly with the South Downs, bringing nature into the city. The underplanting will further enrich the biodiversity of the area and the whole project will increase the opportunities for the children and young people to be closer to nature.”

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this project with us, we are looking forward to watching the trees grow!

GLYNDEBOURNE TRIP

MRS FLINT | MUSIC

On 10th October, a group of Year 10 music students enjoyed a trip to the world-renowned Glyndebourne Opera House to see a stunning performance of Puccini's opera 'La Boheme' .

La Boheme is an opera of passion, friendship and heartbreak, telling the tragic love story of two young Parisians, Rodolfo and Mimi, who navigate their way through a short life of poverty and hardship. The powerful and moving performance brought tears to the eyes of some of our students.

We were treated to a surprise visit from one of the cast members as we were leaving, bringing excitement and a plethora of questions. For many, this was their first live opera experience, one not to be forgotten.

TOMORROW'S WARRIORS JAZZ WORKSHOP

MRS FLINT | MUSIC

A few of our Year 10 Music students took part in a Jazz workshop last week, led by Tomorrow's Warriors.. They are a leading Jazz agency who work alongside schools, providing workshops to young people who are keen to improve their performance skills in Jazz. Our students found the experience very rewarding and thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the professionals They were full of enthusiasm and a credit to Stringer.

The same day, 5 of the students took part in a Q&A with Ezra Collective, a professional Jazz ensemble borne out of Tomorrow’s Warriors. Another great experience for our students.

ANNUAL CAROL SERVICE

MRS FLINT

The Music Department were pleased to host the Dorothy Stringer Carol Service this year, after the last two challenging years. It was a magical evening, with students rising to the occasion and their beautiful voices echoing round the church. We had performances from our Stringer Brass and Stringer Strings, along with a delightful oboe accompaniment from one of our Year 9 students, to the well-known Coventry Carol. It was wonderful to see and hear the church filled with many families, friends and Dorothy Stringer staff. Here are some photos from our final daytime rehearsal. We wish you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous 2023!

ODD-SOCKS DAY FOR ANTI-BULLYING WEEK

This year on Monday 14 November Dorothy Stringer staff and students joined in with the AntiBullying Alliance Odd Socks Day for Anti-Bullying week.

Anti-Bullying Week 2022 took place from Monday 14th – Friday 18th November with the theme 'Reach Out'. It is coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which is based at leading children's charity the National Children's Bureau.

Bullying affects millions of lives and can leave us feeling hopeless. But it doesn't have to be this way. If we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out. Whether it's in school, at home, in the community or online. Reach out to someone you trust if you need to talk. Reach out to someone you know is being bullied. Reach out and consider a new approach. And it doesn't stop with young people. From teachers to parents and influencers to politicians, we all have a responsibility to help each other reach out. Together, let's be the change we want to see. Reflect on our own behaviour, set positive examples and create kinder communities. It takes courage, but it can change lives.

Anti-bullying information: Bullying (dorothy-stringer.co.uk) How to report bullying at Dorothy Stringer: Student Support

SCHOOL FUNDRAISING

This term we have supported several different charities as a school. We would like to thank parents, carers and students for their fundraising efforts.

DEC – Pakistan Floods Appeal

In September we held a fundraising day for the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal, which raised a total of £1,819

Show Racism the Red Card

In October we supported Show Racism the Red Card, the UK’s leading anti-racism education charity, with whom we are registered, by holding a red themed non-uniform day This raised a total of £1,190 69 for the charity

MOVEMBER

During November some of our staff took part in the ‘Movember’ challenge.The aim for those taking part was to not shave above the top lip for the entire month of November, starting clean shaven and carefully crafting their Mo throughout the month.

The purpose was to raise funds and awareness for men’s mental health and to compel lifesaving conversations. We would like to thank the Stringer Community for all your generous donations, the Stringer Movember team managed to raise £760!

CHRISTMAS FOOD BANK COLLECTION

EXTRA CURRICULAR

This year we held a Christmas Foodbank collection to support those in our local community who are struggling with the rising cost of living this winter. Thank you to everyone who donated food, the donations were split between Brighton Food Bank and The Whitehawk Foodbank. The foodbanks were extremely grateful for the large donation from the school community and asked us to pass on their thanks to everyone.

We would also like to thank all the students and staff who were involved in sorting and delivering the food, without them it would not have been possible.

We would like to remind you that if you or your family are currently struggling with food insecurity, please find a list of support services on the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership website.

UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX TRIP

We were delighted to be invited to the University of Sussex to attend a series of workshops around the subject of Dealing with Uncertainty around Covid and Climate Change. A range of ages and abilities attended, and Ms Eborn took a group of Year 9 students who were excellent role models for our school; their contributions were thoughtful, creative and insightful

Lila and Mabel, two of the students who attended the trip, reported that the trip was very informative, and that they learnt lots about how to improve our school and reduce its carbon footprint.

GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIPS

MISS BRICE, GEOGRAPHY

This half term we have been undertaking fieldwork across Year 8 and Year 11 lessons Year 8s have been getting to grips with the fieldwork equipment and conducting an exciting microclimate enquiry in our very own school grounds Students were recording the weather in various areas of the school to see how buildings and green space affect the wind speed, temperature, humidity and light availability Some of the equipment used can be seen in the images - can you guess which instrument is used for measuring each weather condition?

Year 11 put their existing skills to the test and were investigating whether or not the environmental quality of Brighton changed as we walked from the city centre towards the suburbs They measured criteria such as traffic levels, noise levels and availability of green space - what do you think the results were?

We look forward to conducting more local enquiries with Year 10 this November, and with Year 7 and 9 later in the academic year. Fieldwork allows students to critically assess the natural and built environments around them and encourages them to develop key skills in collecting and analysing data Students get the opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it in a real-world context, connecting with the environment around them and seeing their local area from a different perspective.

If you are interested in conducting your own climate research, check out this link for information on how to create your own weather station at home: https://inventorsoftomorrow.com/2018/01/22/diy-weather-station-for-kids/

In October we were delighted to be able to take 130 of our Year 10 students to Branching Out Adventures where they got to try their hand at a number of activities such as the high ropes, the leap of faith, and the giant swing. This great day out was a behaviour reward trip for those students who have consistently displayed exceptional behaviour during their time at Dorothy Stringer.

Our students all had a great time despite the inclement weather, and staff were so impressed by everybody’s willingness to get involved and give the activities a go. It was also great to see students supporting and encouraging one another as they tackled the high ropes – well done Year 10!

WAKEHURST PLACE SCHOOLS SCIENCE FESTIVAL

60 of our Year 8 students were invited to Wakehurst Place to join in their Schools Science Festival, 'Food for Thought'.

It was a hands-on day of learning all things Botany and Horticulture, held in the inspiring Millenium Seed Bank and beautiful grounds of Kew's Wild Botanic Garden at Wakehurst.

Despite the poor weather, our students were a credit to the school, throwing themselves into all the activities on offer. These ranged from meeting and talking to the scientists from the seed bank, helping the Horticulture team to propagate plants from cuttings, to making seed bombs to take home and encourage pollinators into their gardens.

Students took away important lessons of how they can help in tackling the challenge of ensuring the world is fed in the face of global environmental change. A great day was had by all!

MATHS OLYMPIAD

MATHS DEPARTMENT

In September our Year 11 Advanced Maths students took part in two Maths challenges; the Mathematical Olympiad for Girls and the Senior Maths Challenge. All students worked incredibly hard during these challenges, which are aimed at A-Level students.

In early November we received their fantastic results, which we and the students are so proud of. For the Mathematical Olympiad over half of the girls received a merit, and Eleanor Murdoch got the top result and just missed out on receiving a distinction.

For the Senior Maths Challenge, again aimed at A-Level students, our students achieved 8 Bronze awards, 7 Silver awards and 2 Gold Awards, which is an amazing achievement by all. Pinky Watson got a fantastic score of 83 on the Senior Maths Challenge and achieved an extra award for Best in School.

SPARX MATHS

This year in Mathematics we have adopted a new platform for our home learning. Sparx Maths is an online platform that uses over 200 million data points to personalise every homework for every student. This ensures students always receive homework that is both achievable and challenging meaning they experience success as well as being stretched by harder questions. Students are set one compulsory task each week, but also have the opportunity to achieve bonus XP points

Congratulations to all who took part in the challenges!

OPENING

The Science department and ten of our aspiring young scientists had the privilege of attending Varndean College’s official opening of their state-of-the-art STEM Centre. We were entertained for the afternoon by explosive demonstrations, hands on practical experiments and an inspirational talk from Lord Professor Sir Robert Winston. Our students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and participated whole heartedly in the various workshops

This half term, the Science Department has had an exciting makeover! Nine colourful, informative and engaging wall wraps have been installed throughout the department to celebrate the diverse and rounded curriculum our students experience during their time here at Stringer. With the aim of inspiring our future geneticists, analytic chemists and engineers (to name a few), these bespoke wall murals touch on the three main areas of our science curriculum and have created a buzz of energy and excitement in our corridors.

Ms De Silva, Head of Science

Trips are back!

The Languages Department is really pleased to finally be able to organise our first trip to Jaén, in southern Spain.

In December we will be taking a group of 40 students to Jaén for five days. The group will have a jampacked week of activities, many with students from a secondary school in the town they will be staying in. They will fly to Madrid, where they will be met by their guide for a tour of the town, before taking a coach ride down to Jaén. During the week, they will meet with the Spanish students, visit the school, go to an olive oil tasting, visit a science park, see the towns of Granada and Malaga, as well as many other activities.

We aim to organise a similar trip to France at the end of 2023 and will then offer the Spanish trip again in 2024. We know there were a lot of disappointed students who didn’t get a place this time, but hope that they will be able to join us on one of our future trips.

Non-taught languages

This year we have had 35 students preparing a GCSE language exam independently. Students have been entered as non-taught candidates for French, Spanish, German, Italian, Polish, Mandarin, Portuguese, Turkish, Japanese, Russian and Arabic.

All students completed the speaking component first and I was so proud of how well they prepared for this and the subsequent listening, reading and writing papers. They have shown good organisation skills, resilience and great maturity and I am hoping their grades in summer will reflect the efforts they have put in. It was fantastic to be present in all the speaking exams, listening to such a wide range of languages being spoken. Thank you to staff and members of the Stringer community for helping out with the conduct of these exams.

If you speak another language fluently, as well as having a good level in reading and writing, we might be able to enter you for an exam during your time at Dorothy Stringer. If you would like more information, email me at myr@dorothy-stringer.co.uk or come to M007 to have a chat. You can also get information about the exams in the Non-taught Languages section of Course Materials on the SLG.

Meyer, Non-Taught Coordinator

Miss

PHONICS

This year, our Year 7 and 8 students will start learning phonemes in French and Spanish. Although we have always taught the key sounds in both languages, this is the first time that we will be explicitly teaching all the sounds across the two years. All students have been given a phonics sheet to have in their books and we have already started our phonics inserts in lessons. Here is a copy of the phonemes for the two languages. Using them, are you able to say the tongue twisters on the next page?

Le petit écureuil, qui aime faire des clins d’œil, déguste son millefeuille sous le chèvrefeuille. (The little squirrel who enjoys winking, is savouring his millefeuille under the honeysuckle tree.)

Cuando cuentes cuentos, cuenta cuántos cuentos cuentas, porque si no cuentas cuántos cuentos cuentas, nunca sabrás cuántos cuentos has contado (When you tell stories, count how many stories you tell, because if you don't count how many stories you tell, you'll never know how many stories you've told )

ESU PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

On the 30th November a group of our Year 7 students, led by Mr Sillery, took part in the first round of the ESU Public Speaking Competition. Juna M, wrote the following about the event: Our team, consisting of Ned W (Speaker), Aysha C (Chairperson) and Henry V (Questioner), along with Juna M & Harriet H (Supporting), prepared an incisive and thought-provoking speech proposing UK prison reform based on the Swedish model. Although sadly our team did not win on the evening, we are waiting to hear if we have qualified for a wild-card entry into the next round, scheduled for the end of January. A great effort from the team, well done all!

BEBRAS CHALLENGE

In November, all our Lower School students took part in this year’s Bebras Computing Challenge. The Bebras Computing Challenge introduces computational thinking to students and is organised in over 50 countries! The challenge is run in partnership with Oxford University to get students all over the world excited about computing. Our top scoring students from Year 7 were: Mia C (1st), Sam T (2nd), Noah T (3rd), Cecilia E (joint 4th) and Daniel P (joint 4th).

Our top scoring students from Year 8 were: Flo W (1st), Aisha B (2nd), Ionie A (3rd), Max M (4th). Our top scoring students from Year 9 were: Rita M B (1st), Damian G (2nd), Ralph T P (3rd), Gus C (4th).

Well done to everyone who took part!

ART MOCK EXAMS

Our Year 11 students produced some truly exceptional work in their GCSE Art, Photography and Textiles exams this term. We couldn’t be prouder of their incredible creativity and skills, and we can’t wait to showcase their work in our Summer Exhibition on Saturday 13 May For now, take a look at some of their great work below.

COFFEE MORNING FOR PARENTS AND CARERS OF NEURODIVERGENT YOUNG PEOPLE

This term we were pleased to welcome 50 parents and carers to our coffee morning on Monday to develop and move forward support within and outside the school for neurodivergent students The session was co-facilitated by Hayley Russell, our primary mental health worker and we were pleased to welcome Becky Robinson, chair of the Brighton and Hove Parent/Carer council (PACC) to observe as we are the first secondary school in the city to convene this type of group.

Alongside considering the challenges faced by both young people with ADHD and their families we have also invited interested parent/carers to join a steering group. The focus of this group is to work with and alongside the school to consider current practices, the impact on this group of young people and some co-constructed ways forward.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

On Friday 4th November we held our annual General Knowledge Quiz for both students and staff. We had 80 quizzers answering 30 questions that covered subject areas from science to music and from maths to children’s TV programmes

The standard this year was amazing with 4 students scoring 25 out of 30 and these students will be invited to our annual Mastermind quiz in February where they will have both a specialist knowledge and general knowledge round.

Thank you and well done to all those students and staff that took part this year The four finalists for the Stringer Mastermind Quiz on February 10th are as follows;

Student winners:

Isla Reuben Zac Kit

Staff winners:

The joint champions this year were - Ms Rosenberg and Mr Elliott with 29pts Third place - Mr Holtom with 28pts

This Autumn term has been as busy as ever for PE, Sport and Dance. We have really enjoyed re-entering some of our KS4 year groups back into the National Cup for Football and have loved watching our new Year 7s enjoying all the extracurricular opportunities that the Dorothy Stringer PE department offer.

At Stringer, our aim is to ensure that everyone who wants to, gets an opportunity to represent their house or their school in an extracurricular fixture. To this end, this year we have already had around 60 students represent Dorothy Stringer School in extracurricular football sides in Year 7. We have also had loads of successes, with our Year 7 girls team through to the quarter finals of the County Cup, the boys A team also into the 3rd round of the County Cup, and the Year 7 boys B team have only lost one fixture this year. Our 7C team played their first fixture against Blatchington Mill last week. All our lower school football teams, as well as our U16 Girls football team, remain in the County Cup with a good chance of making the finals. We would like to give a special mention to all those students who were successful in trials for the Sussex Schools FA; Ned W (U12 Boys), (U13 boys), Lorien HM (U14 Girls) Jake R (U14 Boys), Will P, Adrian H-N, Jesse M, Adam B (U15 Boys), George I (U16 Boys).

Our netball teams have made a good start to the season, with students showing a strong commitment to training before school. It’s been great to see the Year 7s bring their knowledge up from Primary School and expand on this further. Both the Year 7 A and B teams have played three fixtures, with performances to be proud of on and off the court. Special mention to our opposition’s Players of the Matches for these games; Savannah S (twice!), Edie L, Amelie A, Florrie R-F and Asha N. The Year 8s have made a promising start to the season with some strong fought matches. The Year 9A team remain undefeated, fingers crossed it continues. The Year 10s had their biggest win ever, scoring over 20 goals in one match. The Year 11s have shown great commitment and a strong start to the season.

Our wonderful athletes have given a strong account of themselves in the winter season. Our U13 boys team and U15 girls team, consisting of Izzy L, Simi S, Lara C, Cara M, Esme G, Stan H, Ned W, Fynn P-J, Felix D and Otis C, qualified for the regional round of the Sussex Schools Cross Country Cup. Special mention to Stan H (Year 7) who came second in the Sussex Round 1 held at Waterhall. We are really looking forward to the Brighton Cross Country on Tuesday 10 January. We feel that our students have a great chance to win this competition. Our Year 7 and 8 students have also recently impressed at the indoor athletics competition; huge congratulations to the Year 7s who came 1st in the boys competition and will go onto the next round to represent Brighton and Hove in the Indoor Athletics Finals. The Year 7 girls came 5th, Year 8 boys 3rd and Year 8 girls 4th. Well done to all involved!

The rugby season has also started well, with more students then ever attending clubs and representing the school The Year 7s have had a fantastic start to the year having played four matches and won all four They recently beat both Seaford Head and Brighton College Prep on Monday 5 December; Herbie R-S and Isaac G really stood out as future superstars. They now progress to the next rounds of the County Cup taking place in the New Year Our Year 8 and 9 teams have been competitive in the games they have played, with the Year 8s losing to a strong Warden Park team but some excellent individual performances, including Haydn P and Eddie B The Year 9s recently attended a Rugby Development Day at Hurstpierpoint College The boys learned and developed new skills from the excellent coaching they received and then were competitive in the round robin tournament in the afternoon against four other schools.

Our Year 10 and 11 rugby sides have recently played Cardinal Newman and Blatchington Mill The Year 11s were beaten away at Blatchington Mill but the Year 10s beat a Cardinal Newman B Team in a highly competitive game. Particularly noticeable performances were from Otto M and Thomas S.

A great start to the year, and there will be more rugby for all year groups to look forward to in the New Year!

The interhouse system continues to give all students an opportunity to take part in some competitive sports against their peers. This Autumn term, students have had the opportunity to represent their house in Football, Table Tennis, Handball, Basketball and Capture the Flag In the new year we will be holding our rescheduled Stringer run once the weather gets a little warmer

Well done to all students who have taken part in extracurricular PE!

Out of school success

We would like to say a massive well done to Flair (pictured) who has won GOLD in the British Gymnastics National Championships for her amazing Tumbling in the 11-12 year-old category The competition was on Saturday 3 September at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield Congratulations Flair!

Congratulations also to Lorien, who has been selected to take part in the U14 Sussex Schools FA Girls squad for the 2022/23 season. This is a great achievement, and she will not only be representing the county but also Dorothy Stringer School every time she takes to the field We look forward to hearing about Lorien’s future with the Sussex Schools Football Association

If your child has been involved in achievements outside of school, don't forget to let us know at communications@dorothy-stringer.co.uk

ENRICHMENT WEEK 2023

We’re really excited to once again be running Enrichment Week this academic year for Year 7, 8 and 9 Enrichment week will take place from Tuesday 11 – Friday 14 July 2023 (Monday 10 July will be Sports Day)

Attached is a copy of our booklet which details all the activities on offer. Students this year have the option to pick either one 4-day or two 2-day activities. We will be asking all students to pick first, second and third options for the week as we cannot guarantee everyone will get their first choice Activities offered may be limited to certain year groups or they may be open to all three year groups Full details are in the booklet, along with cost and any equipment needed by students

All students will need to return their completed Student Choice Form to their Form Tutor by Friday 27 January 2023 We will then allocate students to the activities and inform them of their selection in March We will not ask for any payment until full details have been confirmed Student Choice Forms can be found on the SLG, or there will also be some hard copies in the Nexus.

We are really looking forward to what looks to be an amazing week and thank you in advance for your support with this

Let's Dance returns once again to The Brighton Dome in March 2023. It is the largest celebration of school dance in the whole of the UK With over 2000 performers involved once again this year, Let's Dance plays a major role, not only in encouraging our young people to be active, but also in ensuring that dance and physical activity remains a high priority in educational establishments across the city.

Let's Dance is organised and managed by Dorothy Stringer School with assistance from a group of young leaders from Varndean College.

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We are always interested in hearing about our students’ achievements outside of school as well, and would love to celebrate them in our termly news and on social accounts Please share them with us by emailing communications@dorothystringer.co.uk.

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