May 2010 Newsletter by Jason André

MAY 2010 NEWSLETTER Dear Parents and Carers, We are now well into our examination season and with our vertical curriculum we have at times five hundred students sitting examinations. The staff have offered a rigorous revision programme which will continue through the half term break. The students continue to take every opportunity to access this support and are focused on the task ahead. Our Learning Gateway, Fronter has a full revision programme for most subjects, so your child can also revise on line with materials created by their teachers. If your child is taking examinations this summer please support them by ensuring that they take advantage of these opportunities. We are very pleased to have been able to extend our curriculum model into year 9 for the next academic year, so that all our year 9 students will follow a GCSE or equivalent examination course of their choice, whilst still ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum. The students are very excited with this programme which enables them a higher degree of choice at an earlier stage in their education. All secondary schools within Enfield have been approached to participate in security screening. On the last day of the half term the Borough Commander and local police operated a security arch at the school. Students and staff were pleased to accommodate this initiative as it raises for all of us awareness of personal safety. We have also had assemblies on the theme of internet safety. Please ensure that you check your children’s internet access and the kind of information they post on networking websites.

tion through our learning gateway. If you have not yet accessed your child’s record electronically please contact Mr Andre at jandre@lvhs.enfield.sch.uk, to be issued with your password. Our Chicago trip was very successful as you will read on pages 8 and 9. It has given all of the students involved a fantastic experience and for the four students who will potentially receive scholarships, a life changing opportunity. Thank you for all the support you gave to the fundraising for this trip. We raised in total £11,007.33. We were also very pleased to welcome Tessa Sanderson to the school as our guest of honour for the Celebrating Sports awards evening. I wish you a restful break and thank you for your continuing support. Janet Cullen Principal

Lyndsay Johnson, Tessa Sanderson and Janet Cullen at the Celebrating Sports awards evening

STOP PRESS… Further to our consultation on biometric registration, we have sent individual letters to each student. Please ensure that you return the letter to school. I am confident that the new technology will enhance how we can support you as parents. We are continuing to develop our technology to ensure that parents get clear up to date informa-

We have been advised that major works will be carried out on the pylon in the school field during the summer holidays from Monday 6th to Friday 20th August. Parents and Students need to be aware that the tennis courts, Astroturf and field will be out of bounds for everyone during this time.

NE W S LE TTE R

P A GE 2

Student Voice

Super Heroes

School Council choose Jack Petchey Award Winners The Jack Petchey Foundation allocates 10 awards to Lea Valley High School each year. Winners receive £200 to spend on enriching or supporting an area of school life. For example, last year one student chose to take her Drama class to the theatre, another chose to buy extra equipment for the Duke of Edinburgh Award group. Following a visit and information session from a representative of the Foundation, the School Council asked to organise nominations for the awards from the student body. There will still be one staff award and one Principal’s award but the other 8 are to be awarded between the year groups, by the School Council.

“I have learnt to share, to not talk as much as I used to and to stay focused. It’s a nice project. Give the teachers all the respect, stay focused and you will enjoy it.” Marco Faria, 9TW

The Criteria for Jack Petchey awards are:

• • • •

Effort Positive attitude Overcoming difficulties or problems Taking on personal challenges

Young people are often excellent judges of each others strengths and frequently know more about the circumstances of their peers than the adults around them. Each Tutor Group is offered the chance to nominate 2 members of their class, with reasons. Names are then erased and the School Council selects from unnamed descriptions. In addition, the year group for which the award is being considered is not allowed to see the nominations or participate in any way in the selection process. This ensures that everyone has a chance to nominate and be nominated and eliminates the possibility of favouritism or corruption. I have been impressed by the systems that the working party developed, by their enthusiasm and efficiency in delivering and collecting nominations and by their sense of commitment and fair play. Thanks also to Form Tutors for helping facilitate the process during Lifeskills lessons. The following students have received nominations this year. Congratulations to: ( Year 10) Chris Ogieva , Chloe Hughes-Cullian, Anthony Coombes Murat Korkmaz, Lewis Gorman, Chloe Lane, Tice Mehmet Sam Rose* (Year 11) Eylam Kara, Ema-Jane Jenkins, Alice Smith, Darrick Coomsonm Lauren Price, Kelly Webb, Karay Ayan, Paige Logie* Mohammed Aylan, Gemma Martin (Year Year 12 & 13) Poppy Green, Daniel Noble*, Cirhesna Hibbert Rob Kasongo, Rikki Masterton, Antolina Szpak, Khalid Abdirabi (* = Award winner) Jo Danischewsky Link Teacher for the School Council

A number of students in Years 7, 8 and 9 took part in the Superheroes Project, designed by the Secondary Support Service. The project was created to promote some of the outcomes from the SEAL agenda, in particular, how to listen, focus and work effectively together. There was also an emphasis on celebrating one’s own and others’ achievements. Students studied a range of well-known superheroes and villains. They considered the features of a true hero or villain, and talked about their imagined habitats and lifestyles. Following this research, students discussed how they would create their own original characters. Using a range of mediums, from fabric to felt tips, and from glitter to fur, they then created figures, designed and cut out patterns, and brought their imagined characters to life. Finally, students created a name, profile and a range of superpowers for their figure. Throughout the eight-week project, the students’ conduct was excellent and their achievement was celebrated when they participated in a Private View of their work. This fantastic event was attended by their friends, staff and parents. “I have learnt how to be kind and to share.” Nadean Pillay, 7EP “Enjoy it. Don’t disturb others, as it will be wicked in the end.” Jordan Knight, 7EP

In behaviour support, we are all very proud of our students’ achievement. We hope you are too! Alison Varndell Director of Subject, Behaviour

Martin Heraud Awards Two Lea Valley Students were awarded the Martin Heraud Award for Endeavour earlier this term. Lewis Gorman and Berfin Aydogdu and their proud parents were invited by the Enfield Rotary Club to a lovely meal and ceremony where they received their award for the hard work they have put into their studies and the progress they have made. Along side students from other Enfield schools and their families and teachers, as well as the Rotary Club members, the two students had to make a speech to the crowded room, which they did very clearly and confidently, as excellent representatives of Lea Valley High School. “ I was so happy when I got my award and my family were really proud of me. Don’t just wish for it...Work for it!” Berfin Aydogdu 8DL

Helen Powell Assistant Principal

L E A A L LE Y H IG H S C HOOL NE W S LE TTE R

P A GE 3

Information, Advice & Guidance

School Sport Partnership

World Book Day World Book Day took place on the 4th March 2010. We celebrated World Book day with a visit from the Author, Bernard Ashley. Bernard Ashley worked with a wide range of students from all year groups in two workshops. He was a captivating story teller and had the students mesmerised with his tales. Afterwards he signed autographs for the students.

Take 6 Basketball: On Thursday 25th March, the Enfield PE Team in conjunction with Mini Basketball England organised a Primary School Festival in Take 6 Basketball which is a small sided version of the game designed to make the game more accessible to younger children. We also had young leaders from Lea Valley High School and Bishop Stopford’s School helping to run coaching sessions and then run the tournament. The following 6th form students assisted on the day;

After school Year 7 Reading group A number of year 7 students attend the after school reading group on Wednesday afternoons with our library assistant Ms Bateman. This takes place in the library and is aimed at encouraging and raising the students’ reading levels. The group is well attended and students’ are benefiting from the extra support that they are receiving. Year 10 Work Experience – 28th June – 9th July 2010 Work Experience for year 10 is fast approaching and students should now be preparing to call their employers and arrange their interviews. This is an exiting time for year 10 students as they prepare to experience two weeks in the world of work. Should you have any queries please contact me! All year 10 students will be sitting a maths exam on the 30th June, letters have been sent home about this and letters have also been sent to all employers to make them aware of the situation. Students will be expected to attend the exam and then continue on to their work placement straight after. UCAS HE Convention 50 Year 12 students’ visited the UCAS HE Convention on the 5th March 2010. The convention brings together universities within the UCAS scheme to inform and guide prospective university students. Visiting the convention plays a vital part in helping students decide about what and where to study within higher education. Prospectuses are available from most of the stands at the conventions and gives the students an insight as to what each of the universities offers. AIM HIGHER HE Summer Schools A number of students have applied for the Aim Higher University Summer school programme. The aim of the HE Summer schools is to give students a taste of university life. They are designed to show students the opportunities higher education has to offer and give them the chance to explore the options open to them. A number of our students have been accepted into the summer school programme again this year. Helen Roberts Assistant Director: Information, Advice & Guidance

Ryan Hek, Elizabeth Baidoo Cari Philadelphia, Ben McErlean Tanya Maphosa, Cyril Sarran Dare 2 Dance - Girls Dance Empowerment Day: On Friday 23 April, around 80 girls aged 14-19 from across the Borough took part in a street and break dance workshop. The idea behind Dare 2 Dance was to empower the girls to think wider than just performing dance but also to think about other pathways that maybe open to them within the area of Dance and Performing Arts. The girls learnt a number of moves and routines across the genre of street and break dancing including body popping, they were also treated to performances from some of the top female break dancers in the country to inspire them to get involved in dance performance. Leadership Academy: The Leadership Academy students have finished the 4 sessions for this academic year and are now being encouraged to use the skills they have learnt to volunteer at a number of sports events across Enfield and London in the coming months. They will be completing their Step into Sport passports which logs the amount of hours they have volunteered and certificates this so that the students have something tangible to use with their CV when applying to University or jobs. The students are also in the process of organising a Multi Sports Festival for Primary School students in July.

NE W S LE TTE R

P A GE 4

Careers Fayre On Thursday 18 March we held a very successful Sports Careers Fayre at Lea Valley High School. We invited the Borough’s Leadership Academy students to attend along with all the students in Key Stage 4 and 5 who are studying PE and Sport pathways in the curriculum. The sports hall was set up as a marketplace and students could speak with organisations and groups (Army, Royal Navy, University sports departments, Physiotherapists, coaching organisations etc) who advised them on the opportunities and careers that are open to students in the area of PE and Sport. There was also plenty of interactive equipment to keep the students entertained and lots of informative literature to take away to help make decisions on possible future pathways. Tag Rugby The Lea Valley and Enfield School Sports Partnerships in conjunction with the RFU, Saracens and Enfield Ignatians held the annual Borough Festival at Enfield Ignatians on Tuesday 18 May. Over 200 students from 20 schools attended the day. They played 6 games each in the form of group stages and then the top two from each group played in quarter finals, semi and then the final. Eventually, after a fantastic final, Merryhills Primary School beat Grange Park, who were the Cluster League Champions from earlier on in the season, 10-9 after a second period of extra time. It really was a fantastic day with so many students from across the Borough playing to such high standard and with such enthusiasm and spirit. Ahmed Abdulla Just before Easter, ex Lea Valley High School student Ahmed Abdulla came and assisted Mr Oynucu, Mr Woodville and Mr Turner with a training session for the Year 8 football squad. Ahmed was a schoolboy at the Arsenal academy while at Lea Valley but moved to West Ham Utd when he

was 16 and is now a professional at West Ham, playing regularly for the Reserves and hopefully in the near future looking to break into the first team squad. The Year 8 boys went to see Ahmed play for West Ham in the FA Youth Cup back in February and so he came in to take the students through their paces, answer questions on the life of a professional footballer and advise the boys on the importance of education as well as a career in sport. We wish Ahmed all the best in his football career and thank him for giving up his time to work with the students.

Interhouse Results: The next Interhouse competition is on Tuesday 25 May, when the Year 7 students will compete in an Rounders competition. The 5 a side football was very successful before Easter, with large numbers of boys and girls competing for their House. The overall results for the football competition were as follows (this includes the competitions for Year 9 and 10 Boys and Girls). 1st

23 points

=2nd

19 points

=2nd

19 points

4th

18 points

5th

17 points

6th

15 points

7th

12 points

8th

10 points

SR are overall 5 a side Football Champions for 2010 Tim Perkins Partnership Development Manager Cricket Our first match against Chase Community School in the Enfield Cricket tournament! We were in the changing room getting changed into our cricket kit, discussing our strategy. Everybody on our team was ready and so was I. We made our way to the Astro-Turf and met the pupils that we were going to play against, they looked very good, and I mean very good!. Most of them very tall and were experienced players. Matthew our number one bowler was chosen to be our Team Captain, Matthew and the Captain of the other team stood up and flicked a coin to decide who would bowl first. Matthew succeeded in giving us a healthy advantage; we were bowling first that was our advantage because Matthew, Ferhat and Fabien were our star bowlers of the team. They scored a total of 7 wickets between them, tying down Chase to 102 all out. Then it was our turn to bat, Matthew and Ferhat went in to bat first, unfortunately Ferhat was out for 3 runs, then Malcolm came in to the crease ready to rock ‘n’ roll! Matthew scored us 54 runs and Malcolm scored us 35 runs, with 8 more runs because of the wides and no-balls, we finished on 103-1 our Glorious Victory! We were free to cheer. With his 43 runs and 3 wickets, Matthew was the man of the match. On behalf of myself and all the Team I would like to say a big thank you to Mr. Oyuncu for coaching us, his support and giving up his time to help us out. Nathaniel Vanderpuye 8BM

L E A A L LE Y H IG H S C HOOL NE W S LE TTE R

P A GE 5

Photography

Aim Higher in Art

Photography GCSE has been a new course to the school this year. Students have looked at aspects of digital photography including colour, composition and digital manipulation. Students have been looking at the work of artist Julian Opie and creating their own versions of his work. This picture was taken as a simple colour photo and then edited in PhotoShop to give it the flat, simplified look that inspired by Opie. It was created by Katie Gardner and is a portrait of Buddy Neville.

Three AS students from Lea Valley were accepted onto a Saturday school at Chelsea School of Art and Design, one of the top three Art schools in the country. The school ran over three Saturdays and allowed students the chance to see how a top art school runs, experience a taster of life as an Art student and also to see what different courses they could study. The students also took part in creative work, making sculptures and using the professional photography studios belonging to Chelsea Art School.

Aimee Lawrence Teacher of Photography

Five students from our AS and A2 year groups have been accepted onto a two-week summer school at Central St Martin’s School of Art, another of the top three Art schools in the country. Students will be given a grounding in all of the Art disciplines that Central St Martin’s offer. This will be an amazing opportunity for our students to really further their Art skills and experience university life. Congratulations to Chloe Kidd, Chloe Wall, Rachael Christodoulou, Naomi Hackett and Sophie Player, we can’t wait to hear all about your time at Central St Martin’s! Aimee Lawrence Assistant Director of Year 8

Literacy at Lea Valley Sport Relief 2010 On Wednesday 17th March 2010, Lea Valley High School Sports Council along side Mr N Woodville organised a mile run around the school in aid of Sport Relief. The course was based around the perimeter of the school field, the astroturf pitch and the outside of the school building; this being an exact mile. All Students were able to donate £1 to wear their trainers with their sport relief socks and run the mile during the school day. Lower school Students chased two sixth formers, Daniel Cole and George Luck, who were dressed as hares! They ran along side their teachers, including their Principal, Ms J Cullen.

Students in year 7, 8 and 9 have begun their new comic strip during AM registration. They have been asked to design their own comic strip, creating a character that spends a day at Lea Valley High School. There have already created a number of different characters who face various quandaries. Meanwhile, the creative cultural workshop has begun in earnest with students across key stage 3 participating in a cultural workshop where they are taking the opportunity to learn about different parts of the world and different cultures. As a starting point they have been researching those countries that are involved in the World Cup. Other students in the older years have been taking advantage of essay writing workshops which have helped them to improve their writing style and ultimately their grades. Tom Hawkins Literacy Co-ordinator

Mathalon 2010 Our Year 9 students were invited to participate in the first Mathalon at St. Mary’s High School in Cheshunt in March. Teams of students had to participate in an online test and then competed with the other schools being asked quickfire maths questions which they had to answer out loud. The event was a complete success with students interacting with their peers and staff to raise money. The students and staff raised a total topping over £400. The money raised will be donated to the Sport Relief Charity, where it will help to transform the lives of poor and vulnerable people, both at home and across the world’s poorest countries.

Lea Valley were the only school selected to represent Enfield and competition was tough against the five Hertfordshire Schools, not helped by Lea Valley battling one student down! Having a team of three against the other teams of four members

Emma Hayward

The students did extremely well and managed to be placed second, losing to The Broxbourne School. Congratulations to the students who took part:

Deputy-Head Girl / Sports Council Chair

Jack Warren, Noor Owarish, Safia Dahir. Helen Roberts Librarian

NE W S LE TTE R

P A GE 6

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition 24th May 20 6th form students completed their practice expedition successfully this spring. This involved planning a route for a 6 hour walk through Epping Forest to Gilwell Park on Saturday, camping overnight and w a l k in g on through the forest to Theydon Bois on Sunday. By the end of the practice, the teams were confident to cook meals on trangia stoves, sleep under canvas, navigate using a combination of map and compass and support each other in a variety of situations. We were fortunate to have rain so valuable lessons were learnt such as; keep your map dry or it will fall to pieces, if your tent is dry when you get up pack it before it gets wet and backpacks sometimes have waterproof covers. (See photograph!) Thanks to Mr Cassidy, Ms Schofield and Mr Hawkins for giving their weekend to the activity and (as some of the usual staff that help were caught by the ash cloud) particular thanks to parents who helped with pick up at short notice and to Mr Astle who kindly came and collected the kit. Stud ent s now need to bring their logbooks in to sign off the sections for leisure, service and recreational activity, before their next expedition. The qualifying expedition will take place at the end of Term, and we will be making an overnight camp in the Screens Park area near Chelmsford. Well done to the Bronze group for willingness to engage in and learn from new activities and a great team spirit. Jo Danischewsky Director of Enrichment

Jam Free Dance Project Year 10 dance students Ryheim Scott and Jayden Gjuzi, members of Lea Valley’s Got Talent winning dance group; Flava, took the opportunity offered to them to become involved in this exciting project organised by Enfield Borough Council Arts Officer, Zoe Prosser and the Dance Arts Foundation. Coached by dancers and choreographers from Saddlers Wells Ballet Company, our students worked on Saturday mornings with students from other schools to put together a ballet inspired dance production which they performed once locally for their families and again at Saddlers Wells! Jayden and Ryheim enjoyed the experience, leaning about comtempory ballet, a dance style they had not worked in before. It was a great experience to work with the professional dancers from such a prestigious company, they felt they learnt a great deal to help them in their studies for the future. Helen Powell Assistant Principal

Jack Petchey Awards Ceremony Lea Valley High School was again chosen as the venue for the Borough’s Jack Petchey event. Award winners and their families were welcomed by Neil Rousell, Codirector of Education, Children’s Services and Leisure, the evening was compared by Barbara Firth and Chris Bullock, Grants Officer for the Jack Petchy Foundation, talked about the aims of the Foundation. Jack Petchey was turned away from a job, being told he ‘wasn’t good enough’ after completing active service during the war, however, through his own hard work and enterprise by the 1990’s he had become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Britain! His awards are given to young people who have made a whole hearted and unselfish contribution to their school, club or community. Leader Awards were presented to adults who have demonstrated an outstanding ability and commitment to encourage and motivate young people. The Lea Valley Award was presented to Miss Tate. The evening was inspirational, award winners and their families enjoyed singing, musical and dance performances from young people from the Borough, including Lea Valley’s dance group, Flava. Lea Valley is very proud of its winners who were presented with their certificates and medals on the evening as well as being awarded £200 to spend to benefit other students at school: Lea Valley winners were: Pamela Milla, Karolina Kierpacz, Mihaela Volosciuc, Kyle Kenny Hannah Parker, Nii-Larte Lartey, Safia Ali, Jashua Cutler, Kate Ahern

L E A A L LE Y H IG H S C HOOL NE W S LE TTE R

Inclusion Jamie’s Farm Four year 8 students and three year 7 students visited Jamie’s Farm in Bath for the first week of the Summer Term. Within the first few minutes of arriving at the farm, mobile phones, i-pods and mp3 players were confiscated, along with the any sweets, crisps and chocolate that students happened to be carrying! This initial ceremony was to set the tone for the week, as hard work and exercise were fuelled by lashings of beautifully-prepared low-salt, low-sugar, additive-free food.

P A GE 7

progressed, taking part in all that farm life had to offer. The week had a positive affect on the students, and all of them rose to the occasion and embraced many of the experiences on offer. The ethos of the farm was to create a family atmosphere. In between long stints of outdoor work, students and adults ate together, discussing what they had been doing and what they wanted to do before they went home. The students were encouraged to speak pleasantly and politely to each other, remembering manners when asking for things out of reach further along the dining table. Group and individual reflection, with ‘shout-outs’, where students praised other people’s achievements, were also very powerful experiences. The students learnt a lot about themselves and grew to value each other.

Many of the students thrived in this rural environment, thoroughly enjoying working with the animals and very quickly bonding with site staff. Activities included feeding, medicating, mucking out and herding different kinds of livestock. All students also went horse-riding on at least one occasion and some of the students cooked delicious

To top it all, the weather was amazing all week and we were all very sad to leave. While some looked forward to their first takeaway all week, others offered to give up all of their electronic gadgets if they could only stay on the farm forever! Alison Varndell Director of Subject, Behaviour

Celebrating Sports Awards Lea Valley High School hosted this prestigious awards ceremony attended by Olympic Gold Medallist, javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson and His Worship the Mayor of Enfield, who presented the awards.

food which we all enjoyed. A few students even had the opportunities to go to an auction. Each of the students encountered moments of difficulty, but all seemed to grow in confidence as the week

Angelina Rowntree in Year 13 was runner up in the Young Sports Volunteer of the Year category and Lyndsay Johnson, who coaches our highly successful girls football team who impressed the American scouts so much in Chicago, was runner up in the Coach of the Year awards.

Stephanie Holloway Director of Specialsim

P A GE 8

CHICAGO 2010 After six months of fundraising and organising 12 boys and 12 girls from years 10 – 13, Lea Valley’s senior boys and girls football teams embarked on a trip of a lifetime with five very excited members of staff during the Easter holidays. After a rather rough landing in Chicago and a

NE W S LE TTE R

In the morning the serious side of the trip began with a visit to Robert Morris University. The students were taught by the Dean of Business about the history of Chicago and how they can live the American Dream – by just setting their goals higher. Then they met the Head Women’s coaches who educated the students about scholarships to America. After photographs for a University magazine, gifts from the University and a tour, many students were talking about how they wanted this – studying in America. Aspirations were already raised.

17 stop El ride into Downtown, to say everyone was tired when we got there was a understatement. The first morning, not so bright eyed but very excited, the group were visited by a representative from Challenger Sports UK, who spoke to the students on the possible coaching opportunities available to them in the USA. After tales of signing autographs, being treated like a star and the actual realization that they could embark on a football coaching career in the USA, the students were buzzing.

That evening after a long trip to Rockford, the staff and students met up with players and parents from the Rockford Dactyls/Raptors for dinner at the Machine Shed. Each player was linked up with a ‘buddy’ and by the end of dinner they had been given even more gifts and were chatting like they’ve known each other for weeks. To say they were excited was an understatement.

Still on a high, the players made their way to the lakefront for a training session, with the city skyline in the background. The staff put the players through their paces and seriously, we have never seen some of these students work so hard. It was clear from this moment that this trip had already had an effect on their attitudes. After a shower and a quick nap it was off to see the sights, with a walk up Michigan Avenue to Millenium Park, via the Water Tower Place and the Chicago River. The highlight was the Chicago Bean. I don’t think there has ever ‘bean’ so much appreciation for modern art! The night’s entertainment was a Chicago Bulls game. Though tired, all the staff and students thoroughly enjoyed this. They met the Benny the Bull mascot and loved the general atmosphere, usually only reserved for football in the U.K. The highlight however for most students was ‘We’re gonna do the wave’ – a song sang and echoed by LVHS students and Mr.Jones very excitedly as they got the whole upper section of the United Centre to do a Mexican Wave.

“I am so impressed with your players. I wish I could get my girls to play with such passion and tackle as hard as these girls. They have so much raw talent” American Coach

L E A A L LE Y H IG H S C HOOL NE W S LE TTE R

P A GE 9

After a much needed sleep in it was game day. A mixture of nerves and excitement greeted the staff at breakfast. But by the time we reached the fields at the Puma College Showcase all were much more focused. It was the boys to play first and, after a shaky start, they were exceptional. Mussa, Alex, Theo and Khyber particularly stood out. The game finished 1-1. Their second game was against much tougher opposition though, a Rockford side that contained many players who already had their scholarships secured. Even though the game finished with LVHS on the loosing end, every one of the boys were outstanding, with George and Sammy giving solid performances in the middle.

of the determination and heart they showed.

The girls were up next, and they were ready and focused. The first game against a much bigger and fitter Rockford team proved to be a reality check for the girls. However they took the loss on the chin and their second game was inspiring. There were so many stand-out performances as the girls held an excellent Chicago Fire team to a draw, even though they were mostly aged 17 and 18 and train together 2 or 3 times a week. Mollie, Katie, Wendy and Ayse were particularly outstanding. I personally have never seen these girls play so well; they were a true credit to Lea Valley High School.

This tour tested the students both mentally and physically and more than anything the students shone through. The goal of the trip was to inspire these students and to give them an experience that will open doors and motivate them to aim higher. Some students returned home, after being scouted by American Universities, with the very real possibility of a football scholarship. Others found their career path in coaching. However all students returned home with new found friends both at home and abroad and with a bond with their teammates that is as strong as ever and memories to last a forever. This really was a trip of a lifetime.

Buzzing from their day of football the students headed straight for the pasta party for them and their buddies, organised by the Rockford Park District. This evening made you proud to be a Lea Valley teacher. Many of these students were completely out of their comfort zone, however they responded remarkably. The way they, without instruction, socialised with the American players and behaved impeccably, was a true credit to the school and their parents.

The final night gave us a final dinner – where the students dressed to impress. After wonderful food at ‘Champs,’ there was a small presentation for Players’ Player of the tournament which was awarded to Theo Jones and Mollie Kmita, Coaches MVP for Alex Childs and Ayse Mustafa and Most Improved Player for Danny Burke and Katie Gardner. With the football over, all that was left for the final day was Shopping!! Something all students were excited about . With Abercrombie and Fitch, Macy’s and Vans to name but a few, many students had to purchase bigger carry-on bags to take all their new clothes home.

Since returning, eight students from years 11, 12 & 13 have been contacted regarding scholarships and are in negotiations with the Universities, a fantastic tribute to their skill and hard work and the dedication of all the staff and parents involved in the organisation of the event. Sara Mussell Teacher of Business

The word tough could not even begin to describe the second day of football. Exhausted and sore, both sets of players had a morning game that would push them to their limits. But still the character and determination came out, and even though each team were on the loosing side, they left the field with everyone extremely proud

Giving the last words to Sammy Locker-Townsend (we heard them throughout the trip)

“I’m going to America to play, nothing is going to stop me - I wish I could stay here now, I love it!”

NE W S LE TTE R

P A GE 1 0

Learning Gateway Parents: Have you signed up for the Learning Gateway yet? Do you want to access live information about your child’s learning at Lea Valley High School? Including:

ο ο ο ο ο ο

Key Stage 3 Maths Assessment season is well underway in the Maths Department. Year 7 and 8 students have completed their end of year assessments, and their results will be published in their summer reports. Year 9 students successfully completed their SATs examination and are expected to do extremely well.

Morning/Afternoon attendance information Lesson Attendance information Behaviour and achievements Timetable information Contact details held for you and your child Letters from the school

If you would like to gain access to this system please complete the form on the website or contact me, Jason André, André at school, and I will send you a username and password to enable you to access the the system

Curriculum News Fronter in Science Over the past term the Science department has been working very hard on putting resources on Fronter for our GCSE classes. Students can access them by going to www.lvhs.org.uk , clicking on the learning gateway link and then using their normal school login details. Resources available to aid revision include: Online versions of the textbook Revision podcasts for your phones and mp3 players Past exams with answers Interactive exams with animated answers Links to the BBC bitesize website for the specific course the student is doing

Are you making the most of Fronter? There are revision materials on Fronter for all curriculum areas. Make sure you are using it! If you have any problems accessing Fronter, please see Mr André It is essential that all GCSE classes are making good use of these resources in order to prepare for their exams. The key exam dates in science are: Biology 1: 9th June (re-sits for Year 10 & 11)

A group of 20 AG&T students from year 7 and 8 competed in the prestigious UK Maths Challenge aimed at the top third of students in the country. Students sat an hour exam paper testing their mathematical knowledge and understanding. Results are expected back in early June and the top students in the country will be invited to compete in the Junior Mathematical Olympiad. Good luck to all those who took part! On 3rd March, Key Stage 3 students celebrated World Maths Day by taking part in an online mental maths competition against over 1 million students from 235 countries all over the world including Sri Lanka, The Philippines, South Africa, Hungary, United Arab Emirates and Turkey, to name a few. Altogether Lea Valley students answered nearly 100,000 correct answers and united with over 56,000 schools to set a new world record! All students enjoyed the competition but special congratulations must go to Joseph Namooa-Foster who answered the most number of correct questions and Nina Gamboa who had the highest score. Well done! Here are the top scorers and best classes in each year group: Top Scorer

Best Class

Year 7

Hale Temizturk

7x2

Year 8

Nina Gamboa

Year 9

Farirai Mzila

8y1 9x1

Key Stage 4 Maths Exam season is underway and revision sessions are available for all year 10 and 11 students. Maths Mondays take part after school on the maths corridor for year 11. Tuesday lunchtime session runs in MA2 for year 10. A Level revision also continues after school. There is also a Saturday session on 5th June. Please ensure you sign up with you class teacher. Remember “fail to prepare and be prepared to fail” Students must ensure they have all the necessary equipment in preparation for the exam and bring these to every lesson as well: Calculator, Pens and Pencils, Ruler, Protractor, Compass

GCSE Maths Exam Dates

Chemistry 1: 16th June (all of Year 10 and re-sits for year 11)

Exam Linear Higher (non- calculator)

Date Mon June 7

Time 13:15

Physics 1: 24th June (all of Year 10 and re-sits for year 11)

Modular Unit 3 (non calculator)

Mon June 7