Gryphon School Newsletter Autumn 2013

Autumn 2013

What’s going on ...

The Gryphon School’s Drama and Music Departments’ production of Rodgers took place towards the end of and Hammerstein’s term. There were three performances and there will be photos and a full report in the next edition of the Newsletter.

South Pacific

PTA Quiz Night – Friday 7 February 2014 7pm for 7.30pm Get your teams ready for this much loved annual event. There will be a Ploughman’s Platter, Licensed Bar and a Raffle. Tickets are £5 per person in advance and £6 on the day. Book early, we sold out last year!

Year 7s had better weather for their Carey Camp trip this year. Great fun was had by all…see page 3 for the full story.

Shorn for the Philippines

The Pod brings Faster Food An additional food outlet has just opened at The Gryphon School. It’s called The Pod and is in the first quad beside the LRC. The Pod, which has been doing a roaring trade, is an outside catering facility for the students where they can buy everything that can be bought in café@Gryphon except the main meals. Pizzas, paninis, sandwiches, homemade soup, yoghurts, cakes, biscuits and drinks can all be picked up quickly to take away.

Its success has, we estimate, shortened queues in café@Gryphon by at least a hundred students at break and lunchtime so congestion has been reduced, there is less waiting around and everyone is getting and paying for their food faster.

Gordon Smith – Bursar

Students honoured in Sherborne Abbey Well Done & Thank You! This term has seen a massive effort by our students to raise money and donate items for those less fortunate than themselves.

We are enormously proud of this achievement and would like to thank them for their hard work, the way they have willingly given their time and the wonderfully imaginative ways they have gone about raising money.

Once again the achievements of The Gryphon School’s Years 11 and 13 students were honoured early this term with a formal Prize Giving Ceremony in Sherborne Abbey. It is always a fantastic occasion and this year the awards were presented by Mr Darran Gunter, Chief Fire Officer for Dorset.

In an inspirational speech Mr Gunter, who told students he had left school without finishing Sixth Form, urged them, as they go out into the world, to stretch themselves, look for experiences and grasp them. He said doors open to you because of the hard work you have put in and

The students have raised over £3,500 for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, nearly £1,400 for Children in Need, donated 140 Christmas shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child, filled 47 backpacks for Mary’s Meals and donated 742 items for the Lord’s Larder. See page 7 for more photos and details.

www.gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

that ‘just enough is not good enough’. He encouraged the students to strive for more and said ‘Don’t be sad that this part of the journey is over but smile because it has happened’.

Headteacher, Mr Steve Hillier said, ‘It is a privilege to be in Sherborne Abbey to celebrate

the wonderful achievements of our students. I am so proud of them.’ This year The Gryphon students achieved their best ever A Level results and it was another outstanding year for GCSE students.

(Mr Gunter’s inspirational talk can be found at www.gryphon.dorset.sch.uk/latest-news)

During the summer holidays a group of our new Year 7 students attended a range of activities provided by the School as part of our transition programme. Summer School is run with the intention of introducing future students to The Gryphon School community.

This year the students participated in activities such as trips, sports, Art Workshops and team building sessions. Six members of staff supported the students during the two weeks of activities. The Art Workshops were supported by ArtsLink’s TakepArt Project which is funded by the Big Lottery. All the students who took part felt that the Summer School helped them to settle in quickly and feel confident in their new school.

Students with the banner they made during one of the Art Workshops

THE GRYPHON BECOMES A ‘SCHOOL OF DREAMS’

Tutti Fruit-ti!

Settling in to School

Bananas and apples are good for you. They also make pretty good piano keys! During the Open Evening for Year 6, students were treated to the Gryphon ICT Banana Piano.

Students are used to using a computer keyboard to control an object on the screen but now, with Computer Science a key part of the new computing curriculum, we are introducing the Makey Makey. This is a small device that allows students to break-out of the confines of a keyboard and make anything into a controller bringing a more kinetic element into the IT classroom.

Honda’s ‘School of Dreams’ team visited The Gryphon this term for a free two-day ‘thinking skills’ workshop for 9-13 year old pupils and educators. Pupils from The Gryphon and our local primary schools took part. The School of Dreams programme helps young people understand the importance of pursuing their dreams, and teaches skills and strategies to help turn their dreams into reality. Students are encouraged to become ‘Sharers’ and ‘Doers’, by both taking what they have learnt and cascading it to others, and by organising team projects which aim to change something in their local community for the better.

The workshop, which was supported by Ash Honda, based in Yeovil, was challenging, great fun and thoroughly enjoyable.

Hayley Andrews - Head of PSHE & Citizenship

‘The History Boys’ dress up for the Year 6 Open Evening

So the students at the Open Evening were not just playing the Banana piano but also using Play Doh to control a helicopter game onscreen (designed by current Year 8 students). Students and parents were also able to see how Microsoft’s kinect maps body movements in a game via “Scratch” programme and have fun with the classic 80’s toy Big Trak (used as an introduction to how programming works).

Work experience

It is clear that the way we approach and use computers is rapidly changing. Our students of the future will not just understand how to use the Office suite, but be able to programme mobile apps, create their own games and publish their own websites plus much, much more.

Nigel White – Head of ICT

Stars of the Future

Luke Ayling and Gavin Williams from Yeovil Town Football Club were the coaches and we would like to thank them for their inspiring work. Thanks too to everyone, who came along to join in and to Hannah Bullock, from the nursery, for organising such a successful session. Indeed, it was such a success that regular sessions will now be booked and we are already planning a ‘Summer Soccer School’ for 2014!’

The Gryphon School work experience programme 2013 saw 70 Year 10 students embark on one and two week placements in the Summer Term.

A full range of occupational areas were covered including construction, care, engineering and hairdressing. Some students chose to undertake placements related to their vocational studies such as motor mechanics and agriculture, while others opted to try something new like retail and green keeping.

The students had an enjoyable and worthwhile experience with several coming away with part time jobs and others the possibility of apprenticeships on leaving the school.

Comments from employers included: ‘He worked really hard’, ‘We will be sad to see him leave’, ‘A credit to The Gryphon School’ and ‘Can we have her full time please?’

2013 work experience was a great success and will continue for Year 10 vocational students in July 2014.

Richard Jones – Careers Advisor

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LITTLE GRYPHONS are starting training early to be football stars and are getting ready for next year’s World Cup by practicing their moves. The Little Gryphons’ footballers were thrilled, this term, to take part in their first Soccer School session in The Gryphon School’s sports hall.

Eiron Worbey – Little Gryphons’ Nursery Manager

Building Cells Our youngest scientists at The Gryphon School were asked to imagine that the Science Museum had asked them to make a model cell for display.

Year 7 students have produced fun, inventive and ingenious models truly worthy of display in such a prestigious venue. Their representations of specialised plant or animal cells included edible versions, with cakes, jellies and vegetables utilised! The Science Department has been amazed and wowed by their work. Well done, Year 7!

Caroline Dallimore – Head of Science

YEAR 8 TEAM WINS YOUTH SPEAKS COMPETITION Two Year 8 teams entered for this year's Rotary Club of Sherborne Castles Intermediate Youth Speaks, hosted at Sherborne Preparatory School. Gryphon Team A - Luke Hamill-Smith, Jesse Henry and Joseph McCloskey spoke on the Value of Youth Centres whilst Gryphon Team B - Libby Cheleda, Peter Zaborowski and Edward Walters discussed ‘School uniform, is it Necessary?’ Both teams spoke with confidence, passion and included just the right amount of humour. They were up against five other teams from Sherborne Girls, Sherborne Prep and Leweston, all working hard to win the competition. After an anxious wait while the judges deliberated, the results were announced in reverse order; tensions rose as places were awarded and the winners were…. Gryphon Team B. They will now go forward to the District Competition in the New Year and, if successful there, could go onto Regional and ultimately the National Final. We wish them every success.

Jackie Brighouse - Head of Year 8

Chloe Burton, Bertha Gaadza, Cameron Thrower, Colette Little, Alex Radford and Francesca Turton

Wide Open Walls in Africa In October of this year I was fortunate enough to be invited to Africa to work with the Street Art duo Best Ever on a project called Wide Open Walls that they have been involved in for the last few years. The project, in Gambia, was founded by Lawrence Williams in 2010 and grew out of an earlier project called ‘Bushdwellers’ that Lawrence had been working on with local people . The aim was to create something of lasting value to the area and community, through building links with international artists and functioning as a valid art installation, as well as helping promote eco-tourism and educational links to the area the Ballabu Conservation Zone which comprises 100,000 people and 14 villages.

Gryphon Students wow audiences at The Octagon Grease, the musical about teenagers in 1950’s California, was brought to exuberant life in Yeovil Youth Theatre’s recent production at The Octagon. Nine current Gryphon students and three former students joined a cast of 52 young people to bebop, shake and hand jive to the iconic songs made famous in the 1978 film. The high octane production follows the

love lives of the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies with all the teenage angst that entails! Colourful costumes, American accents, an amazing car and professional singing and dancing brought the audience to their feet each night. The students had worked on the play since May, rehearsing up to three times a week to learn the complicated steps and

tongue twisting lyrics which give the play its vitality. Well done Cameron Thrower, Alex Radford, Immi Baxter, Chloe Burton, Daisy Baxter, Bertha Gaadza, Colette Little, Abigail Spear and Francesca Turton – ‘The power you’re supplyin’ , was indeed, ‘Electrifying’!

Sally Baxter

Explorer visits The Gryphon School

Year 7 Survive Carey Camp 2013

Film-maker, Everest explorer and fiction writer, Matt Dickinson, talked to Year 8 and Year 9 students about his life and his books based on Chaos theory. The books are fast paced thrillers suitable for young teenagers.

On Monday 30 September the first two Tutor Groups from Year 7 set off for their three day adventure at Carey Camp. Over a two week period all eight Tutor Groups, including staff, undertook the tough tasks of mountain biking, kayaking, orienteering and sleeping out in the wilderness as well as many other challenging activities.

JMP and MRD went in the first week, followed by PMu and MSD. The weather started well, but by the end of the week it was wet and windy. That did not dampen spirits and everyone seemed to have a really good time, capsizing their kayaks, winning the low rope competition and cooking their own lunch.

The project is building year on year and developing strong bonds with the local people, building a creative and cultural interchange. With links and support from the Eden Project back in the uk, Wide Open Walls has wider environmental aims for the area as well as the artistic elements.

During my week I watched, photographed and filmed the Best Ever guys working on a few huge murals which I am making into a short documentary film. I also painted a few smaller pieces of my own. I hope to return at some point to work on some larger pieces in the villages and possibly set up some links with The Gryphon and the five schools already linked to the Eden Project.

Many pupils surprised themselves with how much they enjoyed ‘bivvying’ and two students learnt how to ride a bike for the very first time. Mr Andrews managed to keep most people awake with his loud snoring and Miss Peters demonstrated, on many occasions, her fear of spiders. One of the most memorable moments was Mr Miles waking the students up playing his trumpet and Ms Sampson getting stuck in the low rope course. CWD and SWC went the following Monday to glorious sunshine, followed by SAP and EMW who managed to catch some of the good weather in the first part of their trip. Again they took part in the fun activities and had the opportunity to play games, drink hot chocolate and win tutor awards at the camp fire.

Theo Jones won the award for funniest camper that week by providing endless entertainment for pupils and staff and Miss Pakijavan won the biggest wimp award for not sleeping in a ‘bivvy’. Miss Walsh’s tutor group seemed to take great pleasure in getting her wet during kayaking and Mr Davies tried to convince everyone that he had to capsize his kayak rather than admitting that he fell in. All the pupils seemed to enjoy the trip and gained memories that will stay with them forever. Hopefully the Year 7 team will be able to provide more opportunities like this in the future. Thank you to everyone who made the trip a success.

Tanya Pakijavan – Head of Year 7

Gareth Fareham – Art Teacher

Matt had a fantastic selection of photographs that showed the students the true scale of Everest. He also urged students not to give up on their dreams. It took him 12 years from the initial idea to get his books published. He was first rejected by 16 publishers.

Matt Dickinson also ran a Careers Café for Sixth Form students interested in film making and the TV industry. He explained that although he took a degree in Archaeology, he was involved in a film club at university. His first job for TV AM was in 1984.

It is always great for students to meet authors, as it encourages them to see the world from a different point of view. We are delighted Matt Dickinson was able to spend time at The Gryphon.

Julie Hoskins – LRC Manager

iGryphon At the beginning of this term we launched our exciting iGryphon project. This involves the use of iPads across the curriculum. Members of staff have devised a series of lessons within their subject area and we have bought 100 iPads which are predominantly being used with Year 7, although this is now being expanded to other Year Groups. Our pupils use a range of apps involving multimedia, virtual reality, as well as traditional presentation and word processing tools and apps specifically linked to subject areas.

Year 7s, for example, have used Explain Everything to design their dream house as part of a Geography lesson discussing settlements and Year 12 use iAnnotate to annotate music score. With the changing world of technology, it is important that our pupils are equipped to deal with this change when they progress into further education and employment and by using this type of device we are providing our pupils with the necessary skills to cope. If you have any questions regarding the iGryphon project please contact Stuart Lawson, Assistant Headteacher.

ST ALDHELM’S CLASS OF 1980 REUNION is going to be held at The Gryphon School next year. It’s for St Aldhelm’s School students who are celebrating their fiftieth birthdays this school year, and for those who taught at St Aldhelm’s between 1975 and 1980. If you interested in coming please contact Tsui Miller (ne Chiu) tsui@mill1821.freeserve.co.uk

Battle of the Bands Congratulations to this year’s winning band ‘The Drugstore Romeos’ (Matt Ward, Ali Chester, kat McManus, Isaac Macpherson, Ed Rich). A massive thank you to our excellent judge this year - Mr Jo Burt, to the IT Team and ESP who did such an amazing job on the sound and lighting set up, to Charlie Main for the superb Powerpoint backdrop, to Rhys Hellyar and Will Geeson for their endless help in setting up and production, to all the staff volunteers without whom the whole event would not happen and of course, to our wonderful audience of students and parents for their support and for

creating such an excellent atmosphere for the competition. Jo Burt said ‘Playing in a band and being good requires not only dedication to your own choice of instrument but also a dedication to the group as a whole. These guys expressed all of this in their performance. Without the singer of course there is no song and this guy has a very good as well as interesting voice. No dramatics here but an aura built from the stillness of his delivery. The result is a terrific reception that would be the envy of any professional band. I was surprised, they were exceptional!’

Val Mizen – Head of Music

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ultimate Teenage Curry created on Work Experience

Photographs by katharine Davies

CATERING

Future Chef Competition

Ex-Gryphon student wins Young National Chef of the Year A former Gryphon student, Ben Champkin, has won this year’s Young National Chef of the Year title in a competition held in London in October and organised by the Craft Guild of Chefs.

Ben, who left The Gryphon School in 2008, impressed the judging panel, which included the competition’s chef ambassador Mark Sargeant, a former National Chef of the Year, who said he served up a great three-course menu. Mr Sargeant, said: ‘Ben demonstrated that he not only has the flair and passion to make a real mark in the industry, but understands fundamental cooking skills, the first and foremost ingredient to success in the kitchen.

Ben studied Level 1 NVQ Hospitality at the School and then did an apprenticeship at the Eastbury Hotel in Sherborne. He is now at The Elephant Restaurant in Torquay. Caroline Elsworth, Head of Food Technology, was thrilled to hear of Ben’s win, ‘What an achievement, It is so good to see an ex- pupil who always had great potential achieve at such a high level.’

For more details of Ben’s win and the competition see http://craftguildofchefs.org/

Debating Matters

Cooking club this term has concentrated on encouraging Year 9 and 10 students to enter the Future Chef competition.

Hotly contested heats, where students had to produce a main dish using local and seasonal foods, produced some wonderful and creative meals from meatballs in an apple gravy to stuffed chicken, wrapped in pancetta and served with sweet potato ‘chips’. The final on Saturday 9 November saw five nervous contestants battle it out in front of the judges – Marcus Wilcox of the Rose and Crown in Trent and Mrs Pamela Peacocke, Head of Year 9. The standard was very high with all the contestants concentrating on the flavours in their dishes and presenting carefully plated meals to attract the judges. Izzie Swann was victorious winning by one mark!

Congratulations Izzie – she will now work with Marcus on a two course meal for the regional finals in the New Year.

Marcus is an ex student who appeared on MasterChef The Professionals this autumn. We thank him for his generous support of Catering at The Gryphon School.

Caroline Elsworth - Head of DT Food

Don’t Tell the Bride A group of students have taken part in an Enterprise Challenge entitled ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’. Working as part of a team, they had to plan a wedding for a make believe couple outlined in a scenario provided at the start of the day; similar in its approach to the BBC programme.

The students planned the whole wedding day’s celebrations for their Bride and Groom using research they conducted. The students, who are currently in Year 10 showed great communication skills and the ability to prioritise both of which are key enterprise skills. Each team presented their plans to the rest of the group. The team who ‘won’ the competition were Rahan Alom, Henry Brennan-Craddock and Lewis Day.

A team of 11 Sixth Form debating students attended the Dorset and Somerset qualifying round of the Debating Matters competition at The Purbeck School in Wareham in October.

The tough first round saw our speakers, James Gard and Arthur Morris, beat the opposing team from Sherborne Girls in a debate about the use of renewable energy sources in a low-carbon economy. The boys were complimented on their debating style and quick responses. In a nail-biting final round our speakers, Maddie Pollard and katie Irwin, stood up well to tough interrogation from the judges about the use of Smart Drugs but narrowly missed out to The Purbeck School.

Maddie won the award for the best individual contribution of the night and the whole team performed extremely well in a very tense and exciting competition.

Sally Hall - English

Please come and be part of our PTA

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kelly Hodges - Business

Two aspiring young chefs from Sherborne, Dominic Stephens from The Gryphon, and Bella Elwes, from Sherborne Girls have created a chocolate and lamb curry which they believe could help with a range of common teenage problems – from boosting memory function for revision, to clearing acne, lifting moods and keeping winter colds and asthma at bay. The two were on Work Experience at PosItive PR in Sherborne when they came up with the idea and their curry recipe has since been published in local newspapers, talked about on local radio and is on You Tube.

Their original ‘Chakra’ curry recipe was given the seal of approval (and has benefited from some culinary expertise) by The Eastbury Hotel’s Head Chef Brett Sutton and by Spices of India, who praised the students for their innovative spice and flavour combinations.

Dominic said ‘We were originally inspired by the TV chef’s recent series ‘Rick Stein’s India’ but wanted to tailor our curry to teenagers, as that is the market we know most about. Our research into the health-giving properties was

gathered from studies from Ohio to Iran, so we’re confident that there is substance behind the spices.’ ‘Curry is one of the nation’s favourite foods, so is chocolate, and by bringing the two together we think we have hit on something that would appeal to teenagers everywhere,’ adds Bella, ‘We’ve taste-tested it among our friends and family and have had a really positive response. Who knows, we could be on to something!’

Then and Now - First ever Gryphon School History Magazine Produced by students from Year 7 to Year 13 this term has seen the publication of the first ever Gryphon School History Magazine. I was surprised by the response of students to the idea of creating a magazine and it quickly became evident that The Gryphon School possesses an abundance of students with exceptional academic and creative ideas. A group of dedicated contributors produced a wide range of articles and artwork. These included a fascinating article on Tyneham, the village that was abandoned during the Second World War to make way for army exercises, an analysis of North korea’s international posturing and a review of historical sites in Rome. The editorial group wanted the magazine to have lighter elements so there is also a Victorian problem page, nominations for heroes from history and an article on some of Yeovil’s strangest street names. To round off the magazine one of The Gryphon School’s past History students wrote a feature on his life at university as a History student studying at degree level. Due to cost of publication the magazine is only available in a limited number in paper form but is now available to view via www.gryphon.dorset.sch.uk/parents/newsletters Steve Phillips – Head of History

The Gryphon Leisure Centre has teamed up with Badminton England to offer ‘SmashUp!’ Badminton Fridays 4-6pm, only £1 per player SmashUp! Is Badminton England’s perception changing, innovative youth badminton initiative, aimed at inspiring 13-16 year olds of all sporting ability to swing a racket for fun.

Just turn up and play, every Friday at The Gryphon Leisure Centre

Paddy Ashdown at The Gryphon School signing copies of his book. ‘A Brilliant Little Operation’. Lord Ashdown was at the School to talk about the Second World War raid which inspired the book. The event was one of a series of Evening Lectures regularly held at The Gryphon.

‘We Will Remember Them’

Our annual Remembrance Service, run in partnership with ‘The Old Fosterians’ took place on 8 November. The students of each Year Council attended to represent their Year Group at this very important ceremony. The address was given by Naval Airman Andrew Simpson who explained why it makes a real difference to active service personnel to know that they are being remembered in this way. Naval Airman Simpson is currently based at Yeovilton and has seen active service in Afghanistan. The Last Post and Reveille were played beautifully by Gryphon student Dominic Jones after which poppy wreaths were laid at our Memorial Boards by a representative of the School, Old Fosterians and by Naval Airman Simpson.

Nicki Edwards – Deputy Headteacher

- The PTA organises social evenings and acts as an extra contact point between parents and the school. O ur next meeting is on Wednesday 15 January at 5pm, everyone is welcome - as usual we will have an update on school developments and answer any questions from parents as a key part of our meeting.

Danish Students come to The Gryphon School

TRIPS

Sixth Formers in Iceland 21 Danish students spent a week in Sherborne early this term attending classes at The Gryphon School and visiting local businesses.

The students came from uddannelsescenter Holstebro, a Business School for secondary students in the Douzelage Partner town of Holstebro, Denmark and their visit was jointly co-ordinated by The Gryphon School and Sherborne Douzelage.

The idea was for the students to experience how business is taught in this country and to see local businesses in action and, as well as attending classes at The Gryphon, the students visited Sherborne Girls, Tetrapak, Castle Gardens and the Rendezvous. The Danish students stayed with families of Gryphon School students, teachers and Douzelage Committee Members around Sherborne and Yeovil. They took part in a wide variety of activities including visiting Sherborne Abbey and the Almshouse, bowling in Yeovil, and, a particular favourite, a social evening in Sherborne playing skittles.

The visit was a great success and Sherborne Douzelage and The Gryphon School would like to thank everyone involved.

Dragon Boat Racing for Great Britain Two of our students competed for their country in the summer as part of the British Dragon Boat Racing Team. Will and Alan Rooks, who are in Year 11, took part in the 11th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Szeged in Hungary. Their hard fought races included the 1000m, in which they missed the bronze medal by half a second, and the 500m and 200m sprints. In the 500m sprint the team won a bronze medal with the 10 man boat, where there was only half a second between each boat. A brilliant achievement!

The team came very close to a medal in many of the races against teams from all over the world. Dragon Boat racing is a very tough discipline. There can be up to four races for each team each day and there are few breaks between sprints. Being fourth in the world is a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to Will and Alan, who will also be competing next year at the European championships in the Czech Republic.

A joint Science and Geography trip for Sixth Form students took place in the first week of the summer holidays, taking in the unique sights of Iceland. 30 students spent five days exploring the South West region, starting with a relaxing dip in the famous Blue Lagoon upon arrival.

Students bathed in the geo-thermally heated pool and took the chance to have a silica mud mask! After the first night spent in a Viking-themed hotel we visited Hjalpafoss, one of many photogenic waterfalls spread across the region, and then onto the base of Mount Hekla. Over the following four days travelling through the stunning landscape that Iceland has to offer, students experienced the Solheimajokull glacier, sat on the basalt cliffs of the black sand beaches, descended into a volcanic crater lake and wrapped up warm to go whale watching off the coast of Reykjavik. Iceland is world-renowned for its progress towards

utilising renewable sources of energy and as part of the trip we visited the Hellisheidi power plant where we had a guided tour of the geothermal energy exhibition, showcasing the sustainable methods currently being developed. Students were taken back in time when we stopped off at a Viking farmhouse to see how Icelanders used to live, and were blown away at the power and magnitude of Gullfoss, Iceland’s most photographed waterfall.

Both staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I believe that the completely different culture and climate left a lasting impression on all of us.

Experiencing the past: Year 9 trip to Big Pit This year’s visit to Big Pit in South Wales was the twelfth year that Gryphon students had made the journey across the Severn Bridge to experience working conditions in a coal mine. In that time the site has seen considerable change. The winding tower and workshops remain the same as they did when they were last used in 1981, as do the underground facilities such as stables and machinery left in the mine because it was too expensive to dismantle it and bring to the surface.

Yet above ground there has been a lot of development. The canteen has been turned into an interactive museum and a simulation of life underground has been erected, complete with dynamite explosions.

Big Pit has been added to uNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites due to its importance in the exploitation of coal during the Industrial Revolution.

Today’s students can only wonder at the grim conditions experienced by

miners who worked long hours in filthy conditions in pitch black conditions. The miners who act as guides are all people who have worked in coal mines, some have expertise that is still called upon. In 2011 several of the workers at Big Pit were despatched to Gleision Colliery, north of Swansea, to help rescue four miners who had become trapped underground when it flooded.

The visit was an incredibly valuable experience for our students, made more so by the documents that the miners showed them regarding conditions. A list of causes of death at Big Pit included children who had died of Weils disease due to the presence of rats in the mine, as well as the more usual diseases such as black lung, caused by inhaling coal dust. Fortunately, there are no rats underground today.

Dan Cornish - Science

Danger – Coastal Path gone!

The weather was set fair once again for the Year 9 Geography trip to the Lulworth coast back in October. Year 9 were armed with clinometers and ranging poles, collecting data for a major project comparing the beaches at Durdle Door and Man o’War Cove. There was extra excitement this year as the sea had done its work in eroding a section of the cliff since our last visit, taking a length of the path well-trodden by Gryphons of old with it. The steps down to Durdle Door had gone and the old hands noticed quite a few changes around Lulworth Cove too.

The students certainly know that the Dorset coastline is ever-changing!

Roger Baxter - Geography

Steve Phillips – Head of History

Rainbows show the way!

Bemused and bedraggled may be the best words to describe Year 10 students following a wet and windy day on Porlock beach. Despite the conditions, we battled on against the elements to collect some rather sodden, but definitely very important data. Well done to Year 10 who didn't need the regular rainbows to cheer them on their way. There was diligence and determination in measuring some very wide and undulating beaches and even the rare spark of genuine excitement in measuring the size of pebbles; admirable to anyone but a well-seasoned geographer. It will be a pleasure to mark the fruits of their labour, a controlled assessment worth 25% of their GCSE. Heads up Year 10, the best bit is to come!

Charlotte Roberts - Geography

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Mindful Matters Stress has been in the news recently but it is hardly new. A recent survey (BERA 2013) found that there was a link between worry and performing badly in exams. Mindfulness is proven to help individuals cope with stress and worry.

We humans have an innate setting to dwell on the bad things that can happen to us. By paying attention to the present, we can accept what is happening but learn to respond to it more positively. We also learn how to leave past events ‘alone’ and not worry about those yet to come.

If you have ever been told to ‘relax’ you can appreciate how difficult it can be to do so on command. Likewise, to be told to ‘stop worrying’ will often make the cause of the worry even more prominent. With regular practice on paying deliberate attention to the present, we can become more aware of our bodies and how they react to certain situations. This awareness allows you to develop a perspective on events that helps you ride out stressful times and deal with its causes with greater clarity and effectiveness.

Summer School at Yale I was given the most wonderful opportunity to go to the uS in August as a part of the uS-uk Fulbright/Sutton Trust programme. The programme was instigated to get more young people from state schools to attend uS universities. I was fortunate to spend 10 days at Yale university.

I flew to Boston and visited Harvard, a place I’d only ever heard about. It was absolutely stunning, as were Yale, Princeton and Columbia, just some of the uS universities I saw. On each visit we were greeted by Admissions Officers, Academic Professors and students who took us on tours.

The Yale dorm in which I stayed can only be described as a turret of a castle! We were also fortunate to share our meals with current undergraduates who gave us a unique perspective on what life is really like as a student at Yale. We attended a variety of lectures, by incredible professors such as John Gaddis who spoke on the Cold War and whose book I’ve read for A Level History. The lectures provided an amazing opportunity to feel like a Yale Student and fully comprehend life as a student. We also visited New York and the Yale Club, which features in The Great Gatsby. It was the trip of a lifetime and has really helped me make an informed decision to apply to uS universities.

... and speaking in the House of Commons On Friday the 15 November the uk Youth Parliament took over the House of Commons and staged five debates in the actual chamber. It was the most surreal moment of my life, being able to sit on the historic green benches and take part in debates overseen by the speaker himself, John Bercow. It was absolutely incredible listening to eloquent young people from across the uk stand at the despatch box and voice their opinions. I was also lucky enough to be chosen by the Speaker to speak on Work Experience and Careers advice, a feat eventually managed after much persistent jumping up and arm waving to grab his attention. I will never forget the moment I was able to speak on behalf of my constituents on an issue I am passionate about. We also went into the division lobbies to vote on the next two manifesto points for the uk Youth Parliament. We chose A Curriculum for Life and Votes at 16.

Natasha Glendening – Year 13

Exciting Developments at The Gryphon School

This awareness has many other positive benefits too. A greater appreciation of what we have and less concern about what we do not, for example. As has been said, ‘You only have moments to live’ so experience every moment to the full.

Stress Busters for Year 11 runs on Monday and Tuesday – talk to your tutor about attending.

Jem Shackleford – Mindfulness Co-ordinator

We are delighted to welcome this term a new member of the Sixth Form Pastoral Team. Mrs Jen Jacklin, seen here on the right, has taken over as Head of Year 12. She is pictured with Mrs Anna Mearns, Acting Head of Year 13 and Mrs Jane Tutton, Director of Sixth Form.

A new initiative launched this term has been the Paired Reading Scheme. This involves Year 12 students being paired with Year 7 and 8 students for reading practice. The younger students then have the opportunity to read to their Sixth Form buddies during afternoon registration.

¡Busca un empleo mejor!

Twenty-five brave students took part in the first Gryphon Languages Speaking Competition last month, speaking either in a language they are learning, or a language they speak at home. The quality was phenomenal and it was fascinating hearing about their cultures, even if it was, at times, impossible to understand the words, a lot can be done with a picture. The very best candidates made excellent eye contact and projected their voices well, but even those who were more nervous did not let their nerves deter them and we heard speeches in languages including Shona, Afrikaans, Malayalam, urdu, Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Tagalog, Norwegian and lots of wonderful Polish. We are very grateful to Sir Roger Hervey, Commander Boney Pyke, Mr George Dobrescu, and Gaya Sanal, who came in to judge, but we are also very grateful to a huge number of people who are going to watch the videos of the languages that we could not cover on the day, including staff at the Rajpoot for the urdu: a truly community event! Special thanks to Meredith Jones, Jake Perrett, Cyrus Vahidi and Ginevra Villani, who compered the event, using at least ten languages between them. They are also to be congratulated because they then went on the following morning to take part in the Eu translation competition, Juvenes Translatores.

Clare Brignall – Head of MFL

Verbessern Sie Ihre Chancen, eine Stelle zu bekommen!

Pour trouver un meilleur poste!

The new MFL and Business Studies extension at the eastern end of the School is progressing well, particularly having had, at last, a few days of excellent building weather. Building work has passed first floor level after the concrete floor beams were lifted and laid in the last week of November. Scaffold poles are growing and the hope is to be at roof rafter level before Christmas, with the roof being complete by mid January 2014, which will enable interior work to start in earnest. The extension is on track to be finished by 31 March 2014.

Refurbishment of the Leisure Centre to provide four additional new classrooms and a new Fitness Suite is slightly ahead of schedule. The new Fitness Suite will soon be ready for use, with fitness equipment being moved from the old suite beginning on 16 December. The new suite will look fantastic and provide an excellent facility for both Gryphon students and Leisure Centre customers alike. The largest two of the four bright new classrooms will be furnished and IT equipped in January 2014 and student access will follow as soon as practicable.

Gordon Smith - Bursar

Boost your chance of a job Sixth Form students from five local schools joined us earlier this term for a Translation Workshop led by John Evans from the Eu Translation Division, and Dr Richard Mansell, who teaches translation at Exeter university. Mr Evans spoke about the many opportunities that come from studying languages whilst Dr Mansell discussed the various skills involved in translation and the amusing mistakes that can be avoided by an accurate piece of work. We heard that the uk economy could be missing out on contracts worth up to £21 billion a year because of the lack of language skills in the workforce. We can no longer rely on the rest of the world speaking English and if you want to sell something you have to do it in the language of your buyer. The students were encouraged to bear in mind that studying languages at university gives them a year abroad, and that develops other skills beyond language acquisition, boosting future employment chances. The talks were followed by group work on practice papers from the Juvenes Translatores competition, which the Eu runs every year for Sixth Form students, and in which we have competed for the last two years. Last year one of our students received a letter of commendation.

Clare Brignall - Head of MFL

6

CHARITIES

The total raised for Children in Need this term was £1382.34. The School had a non-uniform day, Little Gryphons wore pyjamas, and Sixth Formers wore fancy dress.

A season of giving This term has been marked by enormous generosity from The Gryphon Community. Thank you for all that you have given and contributed for the well-being of children and adults locally, nationally and around the world.

The Gryphon School and Nursery were enthusiastic supporters of the Operation Christmas Child shoe box appeal this autumn.

A staggering 140 boxes were filled with gifts which will be distributed to children in Eastern Europe. This is almost double the total sent from The Gryphon last year and will boost the number of children who will receive a box filled with presents and love this Christmas. Last Christmas, a total of 977, 880 children from 15 countries across the world, including Haiti, Belarus, ukraine, Zimbabwe and Serbia received a special shoe box gift thanks to the commitment of supporters across the uk.

Stories of the children that have been helped can be found at www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk It seems appropriate that this edition is so full of stories of generosity. Christmas, after all, is an opportunity to reflect on the gift of love that God offered to the world 2000 years ago in Bethlehem when Christ was born.

Harvest Appeal 2013 For over 20 years The Lord’s Larder has supplied emergency food parcels in and around the Yeovil and Sherborne area. Last year 42,000 items of food were given out which helped to ensure that 1986 adults and 1116 children did not go hungry.

Once again we were glad to support the Lord’s Larder for our Harvest Appeal. This year the School Community, including Little Gryphons Nursery, donated over 742 items to the Larder. This is a massive increase on our total from other years. The students who delivered the produce were a credit to the school and enjoyed seeing first-hand how the Lord’s Larder operates.

Thank you for your generosity!

Diane Tregale - Chaplain

Backpacks for Raising Money for the Mary’s Meals Philippines Students spent a week working hard to raise money for victims of the typhoon which hit the Philippines. Every Year Group was raising money for Shelter Box, a charity which provides disaster relief tents and other help to families who have lost their homes. About £230 will buy one of those vital tents which can become home to a family and the aim was to raise enough to buy a shelter per Year Group. They were allocated a day each for fundraising. All sorts of events took place, including a Year 7 Sponsored Walk, a Year 8 Cake Sale, a Year 9 Fair, a Year 10 Flashmob and the Head of Year 11, Mr Roger Baxter, had wet sponges thrown at him! Meanwhile, many Sixth Formers came to school in formal attire for ‘Strictly Come Downton’ and Sixth Form tutor, Mr Tom Crassweller, and a Year 12 student, Jacob Clough, had their heads shaved! Counting is still going on, and money is still coming in, but at the time of writing The Gryphon School has raised £3500. That total far exceeds our target and we

The Sixth Form have also backed another project to help the world’s poorest children. They have filled 47 backpacks with educational items, as part of a Mary’s Meals campaign. The charity’s Backpack Project asks people to donate backpacks filled with materials such as notebooks, pens and school clothing, to send to children receiving Mary’s Meals.

The School held a non-uniform day to raise money for the charity last term and Sixth Form students were inspired to try and fill 40 backpacks to send to children in Africa. Each backpack costs about £25 but the students and families and friends have exceeded the target and are sending 47 to the charity. They were presented to Ann White from Mary’s Meals during a Sixth Form Assembly.

The aim of the charity is to address the immediate needs of a hungry child by giving them something to eat, and to enable that child to receive the education which can offer an escape from poverty. The average global cost to feed a child for a whole school year is just £10.70.

Jane Tutton, Director of Sixth Form, at The Gryphon School said: ‘Our students realise they are privileged to be able to take their education for granted and wanted to do something to help others less fortunate’.

are very proud of the students for their fantastic money raising ventures.

www.marysmeals.org.uk

7

Netball umpiring

Boys PE The Year 8 Rugby Sevens team produced a series of exceptional performances in the Sherborne Prep School Tournament finishing third after winning three games, drawing one and losing one. The lads, new to the game of Rugby Sevens, were quick learners and quickly adapted their skills to this format of the game. Jasper Hodgson and Mark Southall carried the ball strongly creating space for others and the team’s play makers took advantage of this with Ethan O’Grady, Harry Vines-Booth, Tom Doggrell and Harry O’Sullivan all using the ball intelligently and with a high degree of skill to change to point of attack and move the ball out into wider channels where our flyers Israel MasonWilliams and Sam Yeo were able to score a bucket full of tries with their searing pace and elusive footwork. The team had a wonderful afternoon and has huge potential to excel in the future, especially with the unavailable Luke Garland and Gabriel Pickin to supplement the squad next time. Many thanks to kitt Thomas-Peter and Max Lawday for their help coaching the team; the boys really benefited from their experience and expertise.

Girls PE Hockey Year 7 players enjoyed an afternoon at the new all weather pitch at Yeovil Rec. Following a coaching session led

by South Somerset Community Coach the girls entered a tournament against king Arthur’s, Stanchester, Holyrood and Preston. After a fantastic group stage the girls made it to the Final against Preston. A fantastic show of team work and skill brought the final score to 4-1 to The Gryphon.

Laura Harry – PE

Year 11 The Year 11 Hockey Team faced their last Yeovil and Somerset Finals after their pool of league matches, playing against king Arthur’s in the semi-final who have been their rival team since Year 7. After a very closely fought first half, the king Arthur’s girls were unfortunately too strong for them, resulting in a 5-1 loss.

They then faced Holyrood in the play-off and won 4-0, so were third overall.

Player of the tournament goes to Alice kendall for a superb performance in goal.

Well done on this fantastic result.

Meanwhile five students have been to a Netball umpiring Workshop from which they will work towards the Full All England Young umpires Award. They completed both theory and practical sessions based around the role of an umpire and rules of the game, applying them within practical situations. The girls are now expected to practise their new skills within school netball fixtures in preparation for an assessment in January.

We all wish Lisa Blatchford, Emily Eavis, Natalie Yeo, Georgia Tailby and Chloe Helyar the very best of luck.

Excellence in Rugby

The Year 9 Hockey Team also made it to the finals after coming second in their pool of league matches, where they faced Sexey’s in their semi-final. They lost 2-0 after a very competitive game. A key player in this game was Josie Mitchell who fought tirelessly in defence. They then faced Huish in the play off and played their best game yet. Two goals from Scout Macpherson and one from Lucy Hunt ensured a convincing win to attain the third place prize! Well done to all involved. Yeovil and Sherborne are still running junior and senior coaching for any players who want to continue playing Hockey. See the YSHC website for more information.

Back row forwards Elliot Cuff and Max Lawday have been rewarded for their superb performances this season with selection for the u18 Dorset & Wilts County XV. Elliot has developed in to a powerful ball carrier from the back of the scrum; his speed and physical presence meaning that he invariably makes it across the gain line providing his team with a target to play off. Max is an exceptional open side, with a skill set ideally suited to that position.

His ability to turn over ball at the breakdown and his intelligent running lines, in addition to his superb leadership skills, have made him the stand out player in The Gryphon School 1st XV. Max has also been involved in the Sherborne RFC 1st XV this season playing in the RFu Southern Counties South League. Further good news for the school rugby community was that Will Morris has been selected for the u14 Dorset & Wilts County XV. Well done to all three lads.

Jim Gower - Assistant Head

Sixth Form Sport Sport has become a real strength in The Gryphon School Sixth Form with numbers growing year on year. With fixtures happening on a weekly basis more than 60 individuals have represented the School so far this year.

Rachael Troughton – Joint Head of PE and Sport

Year 8 Netball

The 1st XV Rugby Team has put in some impressive performances during their matches showing experience and cohesion from the outset. . Max Lawday and Elliot Cuff both made a massive contribution to the excellent victory over Downside School in the first round of the u18 Natwest Cup, The Gryphon winning 18-15. Sadly we just lost to Richard Huish College 22-21 in the second round. Although they bowed out gracefully in the Natwest Cup there are still fixtures which we hope they will perform to the high standard that has been set. For the first time in Gryphon history the School has managed to field three football teams at Sixth Form level.

This is showing how popular the sport has become and the quality on show from all three teams is making the decisions of team selection very hard! With the 1st 2nd and 3rd XI all winning matches they have played so far it is clear that all the individuals involved are showing commitment and passion for sport.

Although the 1st XI lost out in the second round of the National ESFA Cup we hope they will progress further in the Dorset Cup. Hockey is becoming more and more popular with the girls putting on great performances

The girls played in a pre-season netball tournament against Gillingham A, Gillingham B and Sturminster. They were victorious in all games and won the tournament, proving to be a force to be reckoned with this upcoming season.

Joanna Peters – PE

Girls Football An astounding performance was put in by a mixed team of Years 7 and 8 footballers.

Winning their first game of the day against Buckler’s Mead took them to the final against Stanchester. A solid start kept the girls in possession of the ball for the majority of the first half. A last minute goal for Stanchester made the half time score 1-0. Exceptional performances from both Ellie Chandler and Chloe Perham provided a positive start as the whistle went. A superb save by Rebecca Broom kept us in the game. Despite Ellie’s best efforts the finish wasn’t quite there.

However the girls played some fantastic football, showing their potential for the games to come.

Laura Harry – PE

Editor: Liz Oatts

Young Aspiring umpires

Joanna Peters - PE

Year 9

The Gryphon School, Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EQ School and Sixth Form – T: 01935 813122 • F: 01935 816992 • E: office@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk Conference Centre – T: 01935 810103 • F: 01935 816992 • E: conference@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

We would like to pass on our congratulations to Miss Laura Harry following the completion of all her Netball umpiring awards.

Following an appointment and pre assessment at the under 17s European Championships in Malta Miss Harry was put forward to take the final practical exam for the Netball Europe umpiring A Award.

Following her success an invitation to the Maccabi Games in Jerusalem was a very welcome celebration and challenge. In her words her first adult international competition was ‘challenging, inspirational and overwhelming’. Now a fully qualified Netball Official Miss Harry is umpiring all over the country within the National Premiership League. We wish her the very best for the remainder of the season and in her future career as a Senior International Netball umpire.

Nursery – T: 01935 810112

The Gryphon School is a company limited by guarantee • Registered in England with Company Number 08130468

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in the matches they have had to date.

Fixtures have brought opposition teams from Sexey’s, Sherborne Girls and Leweston. For all those involved it is an honour to represent the School and pupils dress to impress on match days. With suits, shirts and ties on show it is clear that pupils in the lower end of the School realise how important sport is in the Sixth Form and what it means to those who are selected to represent the School!

Alan Cummings – Joint Head of PE and Sport