The Shield - Winter 2022

THE SHIELD

WINTER 2022

www.stdunstans.org.uk

WELCOME TO THE WINTER EDITION OF THE SHIELD Independent Senior School of the Year

S

t Dunstan’s College was named Independent Senior School of the Year at the Tes Awards 2022, which are known as the Oscars of education.

Judge David James has worked in independent schools for over 20 years and is an experienced inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

St Dunstan’s celebrates record-breaking results

T

his summer, the College celebrated exceptional A Level and GCSE results, which when compared with previous public examination results at the College are the best-ever on record. 29% of all A Level grades were A*, with 63% either A* or A, and 88% grades A*-B.

10% of students achieved 3 A* grades or higher, with multiple students achieving 4 A*s, and over a third of students awarded at least 3 As. 47% of all GCSEs were grades 9 or 8, the former A* grade, with 69% a grade 7 or above, and 85% grades 9-6.

2

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

He said: ‘There’s a very clear and coherent vision of what they want to do, both with the curriculum and the local community.

The head is asking interesting questions of the sector, including areas like privilege and responsibility, which go beyond the usual platitudes. It’s a really interesting school in a tough market, trying to not just survive but actually make something different for the children and families they’re working with.’.

Website wins at the Davey Awards

W

e are delighted to report that our website has been recognised at the 18th Davey Awards.

The Davey Awards, which are judged and overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), celebrates outstanding creative work from around the world.

St Dunstan’s was celebrated in the education category. This is the second time St Dunstan’s has been recognised at the Davey Awards.

In 2019, the school won ‘Best in class’ for its previous website.

Remembrance Day

T

he College community came together on Friday 11 November for the annual Remembrance Day Service. The Head led the service in the Great Hall, which also included readings by the Head of School and a representative from the Dunstonian Association.

Following a performance from the Chapel Choir, the College then moved

outside onto the front crescent for the two-minute silence and laying of the wreaths.

Members of Year 2 laid wreaths on behalf of the Junior school, and Prep pupils joined with the Senior school to respectfully observe the twominute silence. Pre-Prep thoughtfully considered those who provide service to us by making poppies for the whole College display outside the Great Hall.

St Dunstan’s pays tribute to Her Majesty The Queen

F

ollowing the sad news of Her Majesty’s passing, the College came together to remember her lifetime of service.

A flag was flown at half-mast outside the College for the period of mourning, the Head led a special assembly, and a moment of reflection was held ahead of the state funeral.

Speaking to the College community, Mr Hewlett said: ’This is a sad day and the end of an extraordinary chapter in all our lives, but in the words of the Queen’s father “this storm too shall pass”. And so, as with all aspects of life, we will move to a new chapter under the stewardship of our new monarch, King Charles III, but for now let us remember Queen Elizabeth and all she has given to our nation and the nations of the Commonwealth.’

A response from King Charles III

Dunstonian Association & Development News

T

he College was saddened to learn of the death earlier this year of one of our oldest alumni, Alan Bryett (’39), at the age of 99. Alan led a full life, but was perhaps most noted for the part he played in the mass POW breakout from Stalag Luft III in 1944 (memorialised in the film The Great Escape).

T

wo Junior School sisters were delighted to receive a response from the new King.

They had sent thoughtful cards and pictures to His Majesty following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. www.stdunstans.org.uk

3

MUSIC NEWS Michaelmas Concert

T

he Music Department presented their annual Michaelmas Concert at St John’s Smith Square in Westminster in November. This was the College’s largest concert ever, with more than 240 students performing from across the College to a sold-out audience.

The concert featured exceptional music-making from our ensembles, with highlights including the Jazz Ensemble and Big Band under Mr Harrison’s leadership, the performance of Eric Whitacre’s ‘Cloudburst’ by the Chapel Choir and the College Orchestra’s powerful renditions of ‘Moldau’ and ‘Night on the Bare Mountain’.

There were also engaging performances from our additional choirs, with the 80-strong Prep Choir winning hearts with their polished singing and SDC Voices introducing many of our new Year 7 vocalists to public singing.

4

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

Chamber Concert for Black History Month

T

he Race Diapason and Music Department at St Dunstan’s hosted a Chamber Concert celebrating Black History Month on Thursday 6 October.

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

O

Our annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols took place on Thursday 15 December at Southwark Cathedral.

The service opened with a welcome by

The Revd Canon Micahel Rawson, which was then followed by an introduction and bidding prayer by The Revd Canon Colin Boswell. The service also featured stunning performances from SDC Voices, the Chapel Choir, the Year 7 Choir, and the Prep Choir.

The event took place in our Great Hall, celebrating Black musicians with music from our String Quartet, Wind Players, Guitar and Jazz Ensembles.

Our vibrant partnership with Bonus Pastor Catholic College continued with a solo steel pan performance and vocalist singing ‘Killing me Softly’ by Lauren Hill and ‘Man in the Mirror’ by Michael Jackson.

Our Race Diapason catered the evening, serving Jamaican patties, plantain and salt-fish fritters. Jamaican Dragon Stout was the alcoholic beverage of choice, with ginger beer as the non-alcoholic alternative.

The Great Hall was transformed, with portraits and sculptures from our Art department, books from our Learning Resource Centre and djembes from our Lower School. It was a successful celebration with efforts from all corners of our inclusive and collaborative school.

Winchester Concert Scholars’ Concert

A

s is tradition, the Music events calendar began with our annual Scholars’ Concert in the Ben Chudleigh Recital Room. Our audience were treated to performances from our Scholars in years 9 and above, including classical, jazz and musical theatre contributions.

We look forward to taking our scholars to external performance opportunities next term.

I

n September, our Chapel Choir travelled to Winchester Cathedral to sing choral evensong. This was the first engagement of the year for the choir, which now has over 30 members and is a fully balanced SATB choir.

The group enjoyed singing music by Walton and Stanford, with standout solos from Anton (Year 11) and Daisy (Year 12). The choir look forward to further evensongs at Southwark Cathedral and their tour to Barcelona in the new year. www.stdunstans.org.uk

5

SIXTH FORM NEWS

Diploma Scholars’ Symposium

Inaya recieves Arkwright Engineering Scholarship

O

Y

ear 12 student, Inaya, was awarded her Arkwright Engineering Scholarship at a Ceremony on Friday 28 October, held at the IET London. Inaya received her Scholarship Certificate and met with her fellow recipients and representatives from her sponsor, the Royal Air Force. This is an incredible achievement, and the College is very proud of Inaya. Through this scholarship she will receive professional mentoring and opportunities to visit and meet many engineering companies.

Freud Museum

Y

ear 12 psychology students’ visit to the Freud Museum provided opportunity to extend their knowledge beyond Freud’s Oedipus, Electra, psychosexual stages of development and psychoanalysis theories, to learn about his life, success and critiques.

Students learnt more about Freud’s beliefs about psychology, as well how he contributed to the development of psychology as it is today

Sixth Form in Peak District for Gold DofE

A

group of our Sixth Form students have completed a practice expedition in the Peak District. The students visited the national park in preparation for their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

6

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

n Thursday 17 November, our Year 13 Diploma Scholars brought their final projects to culmination in the Scholars’ Symposium. And fabulous they were too: everything from quantum physics to psychological colour responses, from Van Gogh’s mental perception to cryptocurrency viability, the world was on display.

Scholars in the younger years were wowed by the sheer level of care and attention on show.

Runners up were Rhiannon for a project on the 1947 terrible instant division of Pakistan and India, and Matilde for her in-depth workbook portfolio on the question of ‘How could Biodesign make the world more sustainable?’. The winner was Desiree (below left) for her wonderful video and response display on the topic, ‘What Does Being Black Mean To You?’ A wonderful evening and our thanks to the scholars for their ingenuity and depth of thinking, a credit to themselves and their school.

Mansion House Guard of Honour

CCF NEWS

I

Remembrance Sunday Parade

n December, Senior cadets from both the Royal Navy and Army Section provided a guard of honour at Mansion House, for a dinner hosted by the Worshipful Company of Marketors and the Lord Mayor of London. The cadets were as well turned out as ever and represented the College admirably, drawing lots of praise from guests, the Marketors, and the Lord Mayor himself. The Coxswain and RSM marched their respective Sections into the famous Egyptian Hall, which earlier in the week had hosted the Prime Minister, to receive rapturous applause from the 200 guests.

O

n Sunday 13 November, the CCF once again took part in the Lewisham Remembrance Sunday Parade. With over 50 cadets and 10 staff present we were the largest unit on parade.

The weather was perfect for marching; the cadets represented the College at this public event to a high standard. Special mention goes to Royal Navy cadet Marco Ong and Army cadet Matilda Passmore who were selected to lay the wreaths on behalf of the College. Army cadet Kilgallen must also be congratulated for doing an excellent job carrying the CCF Standard for the entire parade. Thank you to all the cadets and staff who attended.

The Lord Mayor’s Show

T

his year, the CCF were delighted to be invited by our affiliated Livery Company, the Worshipful Company of Marketors, to take part in the Lord Mayor’s Show in central London. Our entry consisted of the Corps of Drums and a marching contingent of Royal Navy and Army cadets. This was the first public performance by the Corps of Drums for over two years and the cadets were understandably a little nervous.

Navy Cadets Afloat Training

I

n late September, a group of Year 11 and Year 13 cadets from the Royal Navy Section took part in a day of afloat training at the Danson Park Watersports Centre. Students enjoyed getting out on the lake to go kayaking, sailing and on paddleboards. The weather was glorious, although slightly lacking in a little wind, making sailing quite tricky.

Speaking about the event, Major Davies explained: ‘Both the marching contingent and Corps of Drums were excellent and represented both the CCF and the College

to the highest of standards. Special mention goes to Drum Major Sales for her leadership on the day, Lead Side Drummer Dixon for keeping us all in time when marching and Bass Drummer Foster who had the hardest job, both playing and carrying a huge bass drum for the entire parade. Thank you to all the cadets and staff who made it such a fantastic day.’

Royal Army & Navy Cadets MOI courses

T

his term, Royal Navy and Army Cadets in Year 11 took part in their respective Method of Instruction (MOI) courses. The 3-day course is designed to prepare Year 11s to teach the new Year 9 cadets through several areas of the cadet syllabus. Staff saw a huge growth in confidence from all cadets and they can be very proud of their achievements. The course provided a fantastic opportunity to confirm skills and boost knowledge and we have every faith that, with more practice and experience, they will all develop into highly competent and confident instructors. www.stdunstans.org.uk

7

SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS Youth Mental Health Summit

A

s part of World Mental Health Day, St Dunstan’s was delighted to host its second Youth Mental Health Summit on Friday 7 October, 2022.

This year, writer and broadcaster, Sam Delaney, led the keynote talk ‘How to talk about mental health’. St Dunstan’s Deputy Head Pastoral, Jade McLellan, also led a powerful talk on ‘Child and adolescent brain development,’ and behaviour consultant Kat Stern also spoke to guests about feelings around stress.

Year 7 Academic Scholars at the Science Museum

T

his term, our academic scholars attended the Science Museum as part of their scholarship programme.

Pupils explored the Space gallery, Making the Modern World and Mathematics in the Winton Gallery. The trip was designed to enrich their passion for STEM subjects.

Sixth Form intensive trip to Paris

D

uring Exeat, our Year 11 and 12 French students enjoyed an intensive trip to Paris.

Some of the key highlights included a visit to the Assemblée Nationale (the French Parliament) with a guided tour in French and English, including access to areas of the parliament usually reserved for French citizens; a guided tour of the fabulous Opera Garnier led by our very own Ms Poirel who wowed us with her insider knowledge from her years as a professional opera singer; a scavenger hunt around the Marais area; an open top bus tour; and taking in the spectacular view of the Paris skyline from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

8

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

DRAMA

Classics trip to Athens

FARM

A

F

group of 29 students, in Years 9-13, who are studying either Latin or Classical Civilisation, or both, flew to Athens in the October break. The first attraction was the Cape Sounio with its temple of Poseidon and spectacular views. In Athens, our students visited world-famous sites such as the Acropolis, the Olympic Stadium, the Plaka district and the Archaeological Museum.

ollowing the success of The Laramie Project and Machinal in 2021 was never going to be an easy task but as is so often the case here at the College, the cast of FARM have embodied a uniquely creative and courageous form of storytelling in their reimagination of one of George Orwell’s most notable works. As well as seeking to create contemporary relevance in their story telling, the students involved have sought to take complete ownership of the outcomes; from the detailing of costume to the technicality of the staging; they truly have made it their own

Black Box

T

his term in Black Box, students have been focusing on the demanding skill set needed to invent theatre using traditional Brechtian methods that seek to alienate the audience in an Epic Theatrical styling. Students have had the chance to perform within a safe environment and learn to refine their process of development, culminating in a sharing of practice based on a topical matter in the news at the moment.

Chaos

I Mayor of Lewisham visits

S

t Dunstan’s was delighted to welcome the Mayor of Lewisham to the school on Wednesday 12 October.

Damien Egan, who has been Mayor of Lewisham since 2018, visited St Dunstan’s for a tour of the college grounds and to meet with the Head, Nick Hewlett.

to

nspired by the Machinal project last year, Chaos is a student-led production that has been catalysed by a team of Year 12 Performing Arts Scholars. This production amalgamates opposing styles and explores a range of current and modern themes including race, familial issues, love and the origins of the universe. Students have been interpreting an abstract yet poignant text and developing it into an ensemble-driven piece of theatre. This is an ongoing process, with the cast continuing to realise their ideas into next term.

Technical Theatre

T

his term has been another successful term for students interested in all aspects of Technical Theatre. The allnew House Performing Arts competition, created multiple opportunities for KS3 & KS4 students to design both lighting and sound for pieces of devised theatre.

www.stdunstans.org.uk

9

SENIOR SPORT NEWS Swimming

Hockey

W

e started off the season with a Year 7 Gala against Colfe’s. For many this was their first-ever experience of a competitive gala and everyone had a great time, being able to race all strokes over 25m. Special mention must go to Tunde Duda for winning every race and helping support those swimmers around him who were new to galas. Out of the 14 races that swam our U12 team won 11 of them, giving the highest scoring points overall. This is a virtual gala meaning that all the schools within the league all race during the same week and the points are allocated according to time rather than where you are placed in the race. We have now received the results and for the first time in a long time St Dunstan’s College is in the A final, competing against all the other top swimming schools in London.

Football

T

he change to a first term of football has been a positive one for our boys this term, most notably the round 2 ESFA cup victory vs Dagenham Park Church of England School and the entertaining 4-4 draw played out with Trinity School earlier this term. This enthusiasm and energy has trickled down through the year groups and it has been fantastic to see over 50 boys regularly out at after-school training for our Year 7 cohort. During games lessons and at after school training sessions, students have prioritised their development regardless of their footballing background or ability, and this has ensured that all students are having a positive session with high expectations being set and reached across all year groups. Across the different ages, highlights have included the Year 10 Blackheath Cup fixture vs Ark Greenwich Free School, winning 6-4 after extra time, the Year 8 3-2 victory over Forest School, and the Year 7 4-2 victory vs City of London.

10

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

H

ockey continues to go from strength to strength at the College. We saw the introduction of our Hockey Leadership Programme this year in which we have had 40+ older students volunteering to coach and support the younger years which has been fantastic to see. We have also seen the introduction of goalkeeper specific training sessions which have been well attended by our students, and are having a huge impact in our results.

Amongst this term’s highlights have been the 1st XI’s victory over JAGS 2nd XI, beating them 3-0 at home under the lights, and us building to playing Colfe’s under lights at the end of the season. Well done to all those who have been involved with hockey this term!

Cricket

O

ur winter cricket programme has been in full swing since the first week of the Michaelmas Term.

This has seen 50+ cricketers honing their skills using the bowling machine, indoor cricket nets and crash mats from 0715-0800 every Tuesday and Friday morning. It has been fantastic to see so many cricketers attending, and so much improvement as we build towards a successful summer.

Ballet

SENIOR HOUSE UPDATE T

allet Forder Club has been well attended by this term by both students new to ballet and those with dance experience. Students have made excellent progress working on exercises at the barre, including pliés, glissés, ronde de jambe and grand battements. Students have also learnt some sequences in the centre, focusing on allegro, port des bras and pirouettes.

We saw lots of competitions happening throughout the term, but most notably the introduction of a new major house competition, House Performing Arts. Students were asked to choose a song and draw out any themes they could from that song to help them devise a production.

B

he Michaelmas term is an exciting time for the House system and as always, we’ve been incredibly busy once again.

House Performing Arts was a combination of art, music and drama to create a moving performance. Students were given minimal staff support and were responsible for every part of the production including, but not limited to, direction, rehearsal, backstage, acting, performing and choreography. The evening was attended by an audience of 300 and live streamed to a ‘fan zone’ of 250 students in the refectory. It was an incredible evening, and all performances were excellent, but Hecker came out on top.

eSport

T

he eSports Club have started the season strongly, winning all their games in decided fashion. Our first team ‘The Dunstonians’ now go into the Christmas holidays with a secured place in the First Division South for the Spring Elimination Tournament thanks to wins against the Mid Kent Goliaths, Godalming PentaKill, Guildford Gladiators, West

Mosaic Club

I Herts Groups and Bexhill Warriors. This will see them compete for a place in the national division where they will be up against top teams across the United Kingdom. A highlight of the season to date was our match against the West Herts Group where we came from behind to win, thanks to phenomenal teamplay orchestrated by Robert Hume and the excellent, individual performance of JR Abbey.

n our Forder Mosaic club, pupils have been designing bespoke gifts, creating pictures with beautifully textured decorated surfaces.

These will be designs made up of closely set, coloured small pieces of material such as stones, glass, tiles, or shells and will always be from recycled materials. www.stdunstans.org.uk

11

Black History Month

JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS Prep Carol Concert

Baarmy Bethlehem

P

R

rep pupils raised the roof of St Laurence’s Church on Thursday 8 December with a beautiful Carol Concert.

We heard both old and new readings of Christmas and heard the Prep choir perform two moving pieces. The concert ended with ‘O Come all Ye Faithful’, accompanied by Year 6’s professionally performed descant. What a wonderful way to start Advent here in the Junior School. Thank you to all those who donated to Lewisham Foodbank during the Service; your kindness will go a long way to supporting those in our local community this Christmas.

eception and KS1 worked incredibly hard on their performance of ‘Baarmy Bethlehem’ this term. With a little help from some sheep, they were able to tell the Nativity story and have a ‘Baa Baa Boogie’ at the same time!

Positive Ageing Council

Y

ear 2 choir had a great time singing for the Positive Ageing Council of Lewisham members, a group formed of anyone aged over 60 who lives, works, learns or volunteers in the borough. The children attended the Christmas Annual Meeting, singing carols and reading festive poems to members of our wider community.

Nursery Nativity

N

ursery had their Nativity performance on Friday 2 December in the Great Hall, much to the delight of their proud families and teachers. St Dunstan’s youngest pupils impressed their audience with their confidence. It was a fantastic start to the Festive season, with lots of singing, smiles and memorable moments.

12

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

I

n celebration of Black History Month, the children in Reception looked at traditional African patterns and necklaces.

The children learnt how these necklaces are created and had a go at recreating the patterns for themselves. There was also a taste of carnival, listening to Soca music with Ms Grey and having a dance up and down the Pre-Prep corridor with traditional Djembe drums.

Junior Art

I

t has been a busy term in the Junior School art room with some super work being produced, a lot of which has been linked to Black History Month. Year 3 have been learning about contemporary black artist, Kimmy Cantrell and have started to use their sketchbooks to good effect. Year 4 have been inspired by artwork from the Benin Empire and created effective versions of Idia in the mediums of charcoal and soft pastels as well as cardboard relief. Year 5 have created fantastic portraits of Black heroes in the style of Kehinde Wiley and these have involved drawing, painting and printing techniques. Finally, Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed a project inspired by graffiti artist, Banksy. They have had some interesting discussions with regards to the political messages of some of his artwork. They worked collaboratively on final pieces which are now displayed in the Junior School Hall.

Languages Day

T

his September, we had another wonderful time celebrating Languages Day in the Junior School.

We travelled to four continents in one single day: that’s some serious airmiles! For example, some pupils tried their hands at Peruvian, Welsh or Bulgarian dancing, while others tasted some Brazilian drink or discovered origami. The children really enjoyed trying their hand at a variety of scripts and having a go at various languages.

NSPCC Speak Out Stay Safe

A

s part of the Stuart Curriculum this term, Junior School pupils enjoyed a special NSPCC assembly on the topic of Speak Out, Stay Safe. This highlighted the importance of recognising and responding to inappropriate behaviours in peers and adults. Pupils impressed staff with their knowledge of who they could Speak Out to if ever they felt unsafe.

Be Kind to Your Mind

Diwali

B

O

ur Nursery class particularly enjoyed celebrating Diwali this year. They were very engaged in the retelling of the story of Rama and Sita, choosing to do this as a whole class and then in smaller groups using toys and costumes. Year 1 and 2 pupils also took part in an exciting Kathak Dance workshop provided by one of our parents.

Harvest Festival

I

n October, the Junior School celebrated Harvest Festival and were delighted to hold our first ever Pre-Prep and Year 3 Harvest Festival Service at St Laurence’s Church in Catford. We were particularly impressed with Reception, who sang their first song in public – ‘Big Red Combine Harvester’!

We were pleased to hear words that reminded us about the importance of sharing with our community from Canon Boswell and Miss Whitwood, who shared with us a story to help us understand more about the role of foodbanks.

eing aware of mental health at the Junior School has seen the introduction of our ‘Be Kind To Your Mind’ lunchtime sessions. This was something that the Pupil Parliament requested and is proving to be very successful. It offers Prep children the opportunity to come to a quiet environment during playtime. They can speak to an adult if there is something worrying them, or just sit and read if they need some calm time. We welcomed our new ‘therapy dog’ which the children named Poppy Storm.

Big Talk

T

he Junior School pupils welcomed Big Talk Education into the school in November so that they could take part in the Growing Up Safe programme.

Pupils learnt about all the changes that will occur as they get older, and enjoyed active workshops where they challenged misconceptions and received answers to all of their questions. We now feel ready for all of the changes that will occur! www.stdunstans.org.uk

9 13

JUNIOR HOUSE UPDATE

House Netball & Rugby

F

T

order House have had a busy and successful Michaelmas term, with the children taking part in House Cross Country, House Netball, House Rugby and of course the House Art competition! In our Forder House assembly, we had a great debate over which house mascot to choose and although it was a close-run thing, the lobster was pipped to the post by Freddie the Forder Fox Usherwood welcomed in the year with smiles and a positive attitude. Our new house captains have taken on their role with enthusiasm and commitment.

Usherwood have taken part in several sporting activities, including cross country and netball and, as always, participated with enthusiasm and some great cheering; supporting not just their own teams but the other houses as well.

This term Stuart House have enjoyed meeting in person once again to give all children, new and old, a warm welcome to another year at St Dunstan’s. There

was also another important member of Stuart House introduced to us all. A new blue mascot... Stuart the Smurf! Our resident Stuart artists also produced some wonderful blue artwork inspired by the five St Dunstan’s values: confidence, compassion, courage, curiosity and creativity. Well done to all those who entered the competition!

Hecker’s term started with a bang, scooping victory across the board in House Cross Country, thanks to some high-placed finishes, as well as brilliant commitment from the guys in green, charging across the field like a verdant tidal wave.

his year our annual House Netball and Rugby tournaments were a huge success. Years 5 and 6 had separate events and they could choose which sport to play. The standard of play was high, and the children were hugely passionate about doing their best for their Houses.

Overall winner in netball were Forder, and in rugby it was Stuart.

Blue Peter Badge

Y

ear 1 pupil, Matty was thrilled to follow in her parents’ footsteps by getting her first Blue Peter Badge.

Well done!

Most recently there has been some awesome artwork inspired by our school values, from Isaac Newton’s curiosity, to the courage of young people protesting against climate change – all in a variety of shades of green! As for the Hecker House Mascot, watch this space!

New mural in Woodland Classroom

T

his summer, pupils in the Junior School excitedly unveiled a new wildlife mural in the Woodland Classroom.

Local artists Emma Barnie and Siôned Knight worked with junior pupils over several days creating a mural to complement the outdoor learning space. The beautiful piece features trees, birds, a fox and a pond – all things found in the Woodland Classroom.

14

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORT London Youth Games Cross Country

C

ongratulations to the eight pupils from the Junior School, who joined pupils from the Senior School, to represent Lewisham in the London Youth Games cross country at the weekend.

The event is an exciting one with all of the boroughs across London competing at Parliament Hill. Well done to our runners who battled across a challenging course and performed incredibly well against a huge crowd of runners.

FORDER Calm Club Students have been busy working hard in Forder this term. Calm club is a time to relax after a busy day at school. We practise breathing exercises and look at calm pictures before undertaking a mindful activity.

We are usually accompanied by some live music, thanks to our cellists!

French Forder Years 3 to 6 have been enjoying their Forder French club, taking part in a variety of activities.

We have been learning about and making famous French monuments from a range of resources including marshmallows!

We also learnt about the famous bridges of Paris covered in locks. We made our own kindness messages on locks.

Lifesaving

Cross Country Competition

C

ongratulations go to the cross country team for their win at the Year 4-6 competition at Colfe’s. Our fabulous runners won 2 golds, a silver and 3 bronzes individually.

They were also winners of the Year 4 girls, Year 5 girls and Year 5 boys team events. Each child contributed to wins in the overall girls’ competition as well as winning the trophy for the whole event.

Year 5 and 6 and been learning some lifesaving techniques both in the pool and on dry land. Activities have included casualty recognition, reach and throwing rescues, safe entries into water, surface dives, towing, recovery position and CPR. Although the children know that they are not yet old enough to perform rescues, we hope that they will pursue some lifesaving awards in the future!

www.stdunstans.org.uk

9 11 15

HELP US SHAPE YOUNG LIVES BURSARY CAMPAIGN – UPDATE Expanding the funds we have for bursaries is a top priority for St Dunstan’s, in order to give academically able children from lower income families the chance of an excellent and often life-changing education.

Thanks to the generosity of parents and alumni, we were unexpectedly able to offer two full bursaries at the start of this academic school year which are transformational for the students receiving them. We are also delighted to announce that the College recently received a large legacy which will be used to create two further named bursaries from September 2023 for two Year 7 students.

If you are able to support our Bursary Fund, please do so by scanning the QR code: Collectively we can achieve our ambitious target of raising an extra £3m over the next five years. Any amount will be gratefully received.

THE SHIELD I WINTER NEWSLETTER 2022

Stanstead Road, London SE6 4TY Charity number: 312747 A co-educational, independent College for ages 3 to 18 www.stdunstans.org.uk 020 8516 7200