Stoke News - Autumn Term 2

A wonderfully festive end to another fabulous term at Stoke College. I am immensely proud of all of our students and their achievements.

Welcome to our final Stoke News of 2022, and a joyous edition it is, too! I am so proud of all our students’ achievements this term - in class, on the sports field, in musical concerts, drama presentations and art exhibitions. Many of the highlights, recorded in this communication, will bring back wonderful memories as you read the reports, or inspire our younger students.

For many of us, the festive season began when Years 7, 8 and 9 enjoyed a very enjoyable visit to the pantomime in Bury St Edmunds. I would like to thank all the students and staff for the beautiful Carol Service this afternoon, and it was such a fitting way to end the term, with so many parents in attendance, too.

Our Year 11 students have just completed their mock examinations, while Year 13 will take theirs after the Christmas holidays. Achieving a balance

between revision and a well-earned rest will be important. Many of Year 13 are to be congratulated on receiving excellent offers from universities, including several very prestigious destinations, on which we shall report in greater detail in time.

I am thrilled that the PTA have given us an event to look forward to beyond the festive season. I hope you will join us at our Stoke Ceilidh, to celebrate Burns Night, on 27th January. I know there are only 200 tickets, so I encrouage you to book early. See you on the dance floor!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Advisory Council and all the Staff, may I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a joyful New Year.

Warmest wishes,

Gareth Lloyd. Dr Gareth Lloyd

Lying in State

Stoke Sixth student, Briton, visited London to pay his respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

I began my trip to London with an eerie atmosphere knowing everyone around me was likely to be going to the same place as me to mourn, with this I found a lot of respect for our monarchy. When I arrived in London after taking a tube train for the first time I realised how long the next 14 hours were going to be. I was pleasantly surprised with the absence of pushing in out of respect. Once I did what felt like a tour of London following the queue I arrived at the security checkpoint, here it was immediate how much importance she had, everyone making sure they are ready to say goodbye without causing a disturbance outside the hall. Once I passed the checkpoint I was faced with the door to the hall while being surrounded with a quiet and respectable atmosphere, this was a colossal contrast compared to the past 14 hours. Once walking through the door there was a tall hallway which would lead to the stairs down into the room where she lays. Once making it around the corner it instantly struck me how quiet the hall was despite it being an acoustic hall. The respect in there kept the atmosphere in a quiet state, the lack of pushing and over eagerness was like something I have never seen, especially after everyone waiting hours and hours. To really add to the atmosphere I witnessed the guards changing and the dutifulness that could be felt when they were still honouring the queen and laying their arms despite her passing. I didn’t regret queuing afterwards and neither did anyone else and I feel that says alot about our monarchy.

By Royal Appointment

Three Stoke Sixth Formers received the invitation of a lifetime to a service at Buckingham Palace, in the presence of His Majesty King Charles III.

On Wednesday 2nd November, Tom, Mia and I travelled up to London to attend a commemoration service at Buckingham Palace in the presence of His Majesty King Charles III. This unique invitation came as a result of the three of us volunteering earlier this year, assisting in historical oral interviews with refugees who were at Stradishall Camp, together with volunteers who worked there.

It was an absolute honour to be invited to such a prestigious event. The purpose of the Commemoration Service was to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the British Asian Ugandans coming to the UK after being expelled from Uganda. The service was both moving and informative, as well as having humorous moments, too. Alongside this, we met a former BBC producer/director and cameraman who taught us camera, lighting and directing skills and shared personal experiences and lessons which they had learnt.

This will be a day that we shall never forget and we were all so grateful for the opportunity.

Josh, Head Boy, Yr 13.

Stoke College Swimmers Make More Than a Splash

Four Stoke College students take medals at the prestigious ISA National Swimming Event.

We are extremely proud of our group of swimming students who recently took part in the ISA National Swimming Event.

The event took place at the Olympic Aquatics Centre in London on Saturday 3rd December. Each of our students took a place in the competition, helping East Anglia finish 3rd nationally.

Finlay, Yr 12 came 4th in Breaststoke. Yr 13 student, Sean, came 4th in the 50m Butterfly. Aiden, Yr 11, got a 5th place in

the 100m freestyle - he was the youngest in this category too! A special congratulations goes to Corey Yr 10 who won the following medals:

Bronze- 100m Freestyle Silver- 4x50m Freestyle Relay Gold- 4x50m Medley Relay

“I am so impressed with the sporting drive and commitment of these boys. A fantastic achievement for all” Mr J Evans, Head of Stoke Sport.

Corey, Yr 10, won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.

12 Days of StokemasThe Stoke Christmas video

We had a lot of fun before, between and during lessons at the end of November, creating our 2022 Christmas video. Dr Lloyd jumped onto the piano and recorded his vocals and a host of students and staff donned Santa hats and sparkles to spread a little festive cheer.

Our Estates team donned tinsel and hats and pirouetted around the courtyard, our A Level History students became the ‘Six wives of Henry’ and our Business Team became the bespectacled ‘Four Typists Typing’. Special mention to Yr 13 superstar, Josh for taking the all important solo role of ‘Head Boy in an Old Tree’. If you haven’t yet seen this feast for the eyes, visit the link or scan the code to the right. >>>>>>>

View our video now

Scan the code below or click here: https://www.stokecollege. co.uk/12-days-of-christmas/

What brilliant sports our Stoke College students and staff are! Not settling for a simple festive message, we made a Christmas video. With a twist on the traditional favourite carol, the ‘12 days of Stokemas’ features our own countdown of celebratory gifts, sent to Dr Lloyd.

Stoke College Partners With Historial Theatre

Stoke College has become a partner of the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds. To mark this happy partnership, we went to see the panto!

On 1st December, Years 7, 8 and 9 took a long-awaited school trip to the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds to see the pantomime, The Legend of Robin Hood.

The trip marked the start of our new partnership with the Theatre Royal, that will see benefits for all members of the Stoke College community. See information to the right (>>) for exclusive 2-4-1 ticket offers for all Stoke College students and parents, for selected shows.

We asked some of our students to give a review of Robin Hood and were delighted to receive positive reviews and praise. It was the first time our Spanish students, Rodrigo and Javier had seen British pantomime and they both gave it the thumbs up.

Sasha’s Streak Plate Success in Y13 Biology

Y13 student and Mark Wang Scholar, Sasha, describes the moment she realised she had grown an E.coli colony in the Biology Lab.

In November, myself and the rest of the year 13 Biology class performed a practical in which we grew Staphylococcus and E.coli on petri dishes to learn the techniques of streak plating as well as how to differentiate between the two bacteria.

Our practical was successful as we were able to grow both bacteria between us. Due to the similarities in the appearance of the bacteria some of us only picked up one or the other on the second round of streak plating. This, however, allowed us to

clearly distinguish between the two as once they grew more we saw that staphylococcus was round with fuzzy edges whereas the E.coli was just round. My results (as shown in the pictures) was that of only E.coli as I realised after growing the bacteria that I had only picked up an E.coli colony during the final streak plating process. Overall we found the practical very interesting as we were able to put into practice the theory that we had learnt during our lessons, and I know that, for me, it was a surprisingly proud moment when I saw that the streak plates were successful.

Where Has the Old Stoke Uniform Gone?

We are delighted to be able to update everyone on the exciting journey of the Stoke College retired uniform.

This term saw the launch of the new Stoke College uniform. With almost 50 years of the iconic stripey blazers, a new future set for Stoke College coupled with the ever-increasing difficulty to obtain the uniform, it was time for a brand new look for our school.

The arrival of the beautiful new blue tweed blazers and smart new Lion and Uniform sports kit left only one problem. What to do with the old uniform? School uniform cannot be sent to charity shops or easily recylced in this country, yet we were keen not to put good clothing into landfill.

We were delighted when Stoke family, the Mutswungumas, offered a solution. A new chapter for the stripey blazers in Zimbabwe, where the family have links with a charitable organisation.

We think they look wonderful on their new owners and are delighted to forge a bond with a very different school to our own. There will be one more shipment of uniform in the

New Year. If you would like to donate your old Stoke Blazer or sports kit, please contact info@stokecollege.co.uk.

Oxbridge Poem, Part 1

Charlie H, Yr 11, has won 100 House Points for his entry in the Inter-House English competition.

I was once a wonder, Was once a planet too; Now they have stripped me of my title.

To say jealousy is ripping me apart. I’m jealous of everything you all have And now I have nothing I was once apart of you Then you kicked me to the curb ‘Cause you gave me no space.

I’m jealous of what you have, Neptune may be too cold and your face Is wiped by frosty wind.

Uranus, you make me feel sick spinning So fast and so strange, no thank you. Saturn, you look spectacular with all Your rings you look amazing but you’re Damaged and bruised.

Jupiter, you scare me your winds are so Strong, your anger uncontrolled you’re too Big to handle double my size, no Thank you.

Mars once possibly great now decayed And desolate you’ve lived through your Time and seen it all but you’ve seen too Much now you’re dirty and cold to touch

Earth, how could we not be jealous, you Inhabit life and natural blossoms but The creatures on you destroy you

Venus, you’re not Earth but not Mars You’re still growing, playing in your Greenhouse, Your heat builds now the hottest of all Mercury, you’re only just bigger than Earth’s moon but you’re really fast, the Fastest of them all

You all have desires, some have rings, Some have moons but I’m fine being me. I’m happy now with my four little moons Around me safe in my little bubble for Now.

I’m safe in my space with my friends we Are all unique but all one of the same, Floating away distance and discard But not or ever alone.

Charlie H, Yr 11.

Bronze Awards and House Points for Stoke Students

The Autumn term has seen the rise of a healthy competition between the Stoke College Houses - Lions and Unicorns.

This half-term, students have been building a healthy competition between the Unicorns and the Lions.

We have had several inter-house competitions in poetry, creative writing, sports and our whole-school Christmas Showcase.

Individual house points awards, for those students who have now achieved their bronze award for 100 house points so far this year, go to:

Florence M Nema N Alessia E Bertie P Hector D Lily C Skye B Eleanor M Maddie J Charlotte B Sienna F-M Josh S

They will all receive their certificates after the Christmas holidays.

Currently, the total scores are Unicorns 3,125 and Lions 3,335

Busy Charity Month

At Stoke College we like to support as many charities as we can, and this month we have had the busiest month yet, supporting a range of wonderful and deserving charities.

The eagerness to get involved in each charitable idea, no matter how wacky, demonstrates the kindness of all the staff and students at school. This term we have raised a total of £283.35

This month alone we have had a bake sale and ‘wear it blue’ for World Diabetes Day, arranged entirely by one

of our Sixth Form students, Alisha.

We had a non-uniform day and a bake sale for Children in Need. Again, the majority of which was arranged by our wonderful Sixth Form Prefects. We raised an amazing £150.

We have taken part in Movember, which is a fabulous charity raising funds for men’s health. We have staff and students sporting Mo’s at various stages. We have also asked that as many of us as possible will move 60 miles for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour. While we did not ask for donations, we did raise important awareness for the wonderful work this

charity does. Please donate or sponsor if you can.

This term culminated in Christmas Jumper Day, on Friday 9th December. Students came into school in their most festive Christmas jumpers. Daisy, Yr 7, made her own festive hoodie (see our Instagram page).

Christmas Jumper Day is Save the Children’s annual event which raises money for children in the UK and elsewhere. If you would like to donate to future Stoke College charity events please keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook pages feed for more details.

Boarders Audition for Dancing on Ice?

Stoke College boarders have had a very busy Autumn term. There have been many activities to enjoy from Halloween mayhem to an escape adventure and even an ice-skating trip.

On November 19th, our weekly boarders travelled to Chelmsford for a day of shopping and ice skating. While our sixth formers were able to embark on their own adventures, our juniors were assisted by our boarding staff, visiting shops such as JD, North Face, and American Candy. Two of our star skaters, James and Candela, educated our other boarders on the basics of skating on the ice. After several falls and stumbles, everyone soon began to pick up the technique.

Spooky happenings on Hallowe’en.

Many believe that the boarding houses are haunted and there were certainly unexplained sightings on the evening of October 31st. Starving skeleton babies raided the fridges, students transformed to mummies

and were spotted wildly wandering through the common room. Even the staff were transformed by the full moon and inflicted what looked like a scene from a medieval torture chamber on the boarders - all in the name of apple bobbing! Luckily ‘Sister Sasha’ and ‘Sister Josh’ were on hand to exorcise all the demons and restore calm at the end of the evening.

How to Break Out of Stoke College - with Mrs B-M

Mrs Beatham-McDonald challenged the boarders to escape from Stoke through a game requiring strategy and skill.

Escape From Stoke - was the name of the challenge set by Mrs Beatham-McDonald for the Stoke boarding houses.

The daring duo - Rodrigo and Javier - battled through each stage and despite appearing to be foiled at every turn, they eventually managed to break free after an hour and twelve minutes.

Thank you Mrs B-M for a very entertaining challenge.

Tuesday teatime.

After an evening of intense study, we all need time to unwind and what could be better than a Christmas themed game of guess who. Santa hats and Reindeer antlers provided the finishing touches to this festive frivolity. I wonder how many of you have ever been named a ‘Yule log’?

New fitness craze hits boarding!

The ‘wobble board’ is proving to be the new fitness workout in boarding. Requiring balance, thighs like ‘The Rock’ and a stomach of iron, it gives a complete body workout as you compete against your opponent to be the last man standing on the wobble board.

Or is it just a case of never being too old to have fun at the playpark?

“Seesaw Margery Daw, Karena can go higher, James can try again and again, But he will eventually tire.”

Art Competition: Designing the 2022 Christmas Card

As the Christmas season approaches, students at Stoke College started feeling festive, creating their own Christmas card designs for the whole-school competition. Over 40 students submitted a design; ranging from watercolour paintings, chalk drawings, printmaking patterns and pen illustrations. With so many wonderfully unique creations to choose from, four students have been selected and their designs will be used for the Stoke Christmas cards.

Isla, Yr 12 Watercolour

Candela, Yr 9 Watercolour

Eden, Yr 10 Lino print Rodrigo, Yr 9 Colouring pencils & collage

Artwork Of The Week

In the second half-term this year, we have seen more fantastic artwork from Stoke students exhibited in the Church.

Creating Beyond the Classroom

Miss Coll loves to see the artwork students have been creating in their free time. Art not only brings enjoyment, but is beneficial for stress reduction, problem solving skills and enhancing your fine motor skills. Creating in your free time can help promote imagination and encourage creative observation too. Year 9 student Bruno N brought in his fantastic basketball player drawings to share with fellow basketball enthusiasts in the year. To explore your own creative ideas, students are encouraged to join Miss Coll’s art club Tuesday after school and Wednesday lunchtime, where students can use resources to create anything they would like!

If you feel inspired to get creating, here are some crafty ideas to spark your creative interest and prepare for the Christmas period:

Congratulations to Tilly B in Year 10, Henry H in Yr 11 and Lily C in Year 8. Tilly showcased her beautiful drawing skills in her still-life mixed media drawing piece using tonal pencil, continuous line and colouring pencils. See below. Henry has been exploring still-life, too, in his GCSE

coursework, completing this enchanted watercolour study (see Henry’s work above). And to Lily, who has showcased creative confidence in her unique Surreal Being study, applying watercolour in vivid colours to her monoprint of an invented character.

Use a roll of brown paper and draw or paint your Christmas inspired doodles – use this as your wrapping paper for all your presents.

Recycle your old toilet roll tubes to create Christmas characters. For a snowman, paint the tube white, glue three buttons down the centre, wrap red paper around the neck for a scarf, cut an orange carrot shape for a nose and don’t forget to draw a happy coal smile and eyes in black pen.

Cut snowflakes, trees and stars out of black card and stick to an old clear jam jar. Light a candle and place inside the jar and see the shadows cast across your room for a cosy Christmas decoration.

What’s Been Happening in Hambling?

The Art studio has been a hive of creative activity this term. Students have been exploring new media and deepening their knowledge of others. The results have been outstanding.

Year 7 students have been exploring shape, form and pattern in paint. Using watercolour and acrylic, young creatives have been turning shape into form and now begin their Sonia Delaunay inspired paintings, working hard to achieve accurate brush control and bold acrylic colour palettes. Year 7, can you remember the difference between shape and form? And what is the difference between contrasting and complementary colours?

Year 8 students have loved creating their own ‘Surreal Being’ collage in art, creating imaginary characters that are out of this world. These collages were used to create a monoprint before students applied watercolour paint in unexpected and fantastical colours. Ask your child, what does surreal mean? And why is it called a monoprint?

Also printmaking, Year 9 students have begun turning their self-portraits into a lino print reduction. After creating a detailed design plan, students have carved and printed layers of their print using a monochromatic palette of printing ink. Year 9, are you able to explain to a friend or parent what a lino print reduction is? Do you remember what monochromatic means? And how can we show form in a portrait using colour?

Our Evening in Honour of St Cecilia

On 24th November, 2022, a group of Stoke students, staff and parents gave a concert in honour of St Cecilia.

St Mark’s, Newnham, Cambridge provided the beautiful backdrop for our concert to honour St Cecilia, the patron saint of music. Over 15 musicians took part in the event, performing to members of the public, parents and Old Stokians.

The

It was lovely to welcome back Old Stokians, Georgiana and Iona, to perform “O Del Mio Dolce Ardor” and “Burn”, respectively. Stoke College Sixth Form provided singers, musicians and orators for the event.

Thank you to our PTA for providing refreshments to everyone who supported this lovely Stoke College community event.

Stoke College Quartet performed “Dawn Over Stoke College”, a new piece composed by Year 10 student, Maddie. Talented Maddie also delighted the audience with a solo performace of “Sweet and Low”.

LAMDA Students Shine in our Stoke Arts Evening

Performing Arts Evening showcased some of the incredible talent of the Stoke LAMDA students, many of whom have reached Bronze level for Arts in the Stoke Diploma.

This first term with our new LAMDA teacher has been so successful. We now have two days of LAMDA a week in Stoke College with 22 students taking it so far. It is a fantastic way to develop theatrical skill, confidence with public speaking and an assured ability to present to an audience. It also gains you UCAS points once you start taking graded examinations. Well done to all our students this half term, particularly those who performed in our first Drama Evening of the Year.

A Winning Term of Sport at Stoke College

Badminton, Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Handball and Dodgeball - Stoke College students have embraced the sporting challenges of the Autumn term and, as you’d expect from a Stokian, given it their all.

U13 Girls’ Hockey V Gosfield

On Wednesday 2nd of November, the U13 Team travelled to Gosfield for a rematch, after our previous win. We continued the winning streak with another 3-1 win. The game was closely fought with equal scoring opportunities on both sides, unfortunately for Gosfield our Keeper, Emily, was more successful, earning her player of the match from the opposing team. The girls’ motivation increased in the second half with Izzy, Alessia and Lily scoring in close succession, assisted by Tabby and Zoe in midfield. Well-played the whole team, home player of the match goes to Lily C for her adaptability and persistence throughout.

U18 Girls’ Hockey V Gosfield

The U18 hockey team travelled to Bocking Astroturf on Friday 4th November for their first 11 a-side hockey match. Despite Ellie and Eloise’s solid defensive

performance, the team unfortunately lost the match 4-1, with many shooting opportunities that were prevented by the opposing goal keeper.

Player of the match went to Ruby B for her consistent movement and space creating that allowed the team to move out of the defensive half. A special mention must go to Keziah for her adaptability and motivation throughout the game, as well as her use of newer techniques when completing reverse defending.

U15 Girls’ Dodgeball V Gosfield (see pic above)

Written by Charlotte and Ruby A, Y9

On Tuesday 8th November, Stoke girls’ dodgeball team travelled to Gosfield. It was a tough game and we had some very close games; however, Stoke managed to pull through and win 1st place for team one and 4th place for team two. Ruby stayed close to the front, managing to get some players out whilst Skye, Anais and

Ffion held good defence, managing to catch a few of their players out along with others. Overall it was a great game with Maisy getting player of the match and special mentions go to Ruby for getting many players out and Ffion managing to catch and dodge a lot of their throws.

U15 Boys’ Handball V Gosfield

On Tuesday 15th November, Stoke College under 15s travelled to Gosfield school for a handball fixture. The boys played well in both sports despite it being the first time some of the boys have played handball competitively. The handball match was very close and Stoke were up against an experienced Gosfield side. Special mentions must go to Charlie F and Max P who showed a high level of intensity and cooperation with other team mates. The men of the match must go to Javier and Sam A for dominating the midfield and wings whenever we were on the attack. Gosfield won the fixture 5-3.

Make Sure You Have the Kit You Need for Spring Sports

See

U13 Boys’ Rugby V Brookes/TGS (see pic below)

On Wednesday 16th November, Stoke College under 13’s travelled to Thetford Grammar School for a Rugby fixture. Stoke got off to a flying start by going up 4 tries in the first 15 minutes of the game. Great balling and carrying from Hayden and Hector helped the team gain yardage to then score a try. The boys were first to each ruck, overpowering Thetford Grammar and showing domination in the first half.

Thetford Grammar fought back valiantly in the second half and capitalised on our errors in defence and managed to get over the line and equal our scoring. The match finished 31-31.

Man of the Match goes to Macka for exceptional offload play and ball carrying throughout the game.

running with the ball, and to Sam S and Sammy for excellent carrying of the ball and try scoring. The man of the match is Henry M for beyond excellent tackling and play-making passes.

U15 Hockey V TGS (see pic below)

A great match for our U15 Hockey against Thetford Grammar School. Alessia scored 3 goals, Izzie 2 and Zoe 1. A great win to Stoke College of 6-3.

U15 Boys’ Rugby v TGS report by Riley

The under 15s played a match against Thetford Grammar School on 22nd November; the score was 28 to 56 to Stoke. The game started with a Stoke kick off and in the first third Stoke were up 26 and Thetford had only scored once. In the next two thirds we scored again four times and Thetford only scored three more times. I would like to give special mentions to Harvey for amazing defensive tackling and

U18 Mixed Badminton V Gosfield (see pic above right)

In the Badminton match on Friday 25th November, we played against Gosfield in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Overall, each of our wins totalled to 16 points compared with Gosfield only winning 6. Honourable mention to Kitty, Isla, Ollie Bx and Adam who managed to win all three of their games.

Spring Term

Stoke Sports Kit

Next term the boys will be playing Football and the girls will be playing Netball in games.

Boys will need the following: Full Games Kit (shirt, socks, shorts) Shinpads Studded Boots

Trainers School Tracksuit (optional but advised)

Girls will need the following kit: Full Games Kit (shirt, socks, shorts)

Trainers School Tracksuit (optional)

To order Stoke Sports kit contact Mr Bashford ottis@btconnect.com

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

This half-term, Year 9 have taken a journey to the centre of the Earth to discover how the ground beneath our feet is actually more like a Ferrero Rocher festive chocolate than they might have thought. Miss Liddicott explains.

The Earth can be likened to a Ferrero Rocher, or if you like Shrek – an onion, in that they all have layers. After explaining this we began to explore, in more detail, the uppermost layer of the Earth, the Crust.

Did you know that the layer of Earth we live on is split into 12 tectonic plates? Did you also know that tectonic plate movements are responsible for creating mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes? Year 9 certainly know this now.

As part of a two-week homework project, each student has built on their classroom learning by getting creative. Students have chosen to create either an informative poster explaining the four main plate boundaries and what happens at each of them or to construct a 3D model detailing one plate boundary and showing what occurs there. We have had some fantastic submissions and it has been wonderful to see Year 9 so engaged with their topic and showing off their creative flair.

Congratulations to our top 4: Riley, Adam, Candela and Charlotte, for their models. Congratulations also to Javier & Ffion for their excellent posters. Great effort all round and a wonderful reflection of their engagement and learning with this topic!

Where are we?

Do you have a child in Year 7? Were you thinking of planning a family hike? Now could be the time! Year 7 have been honing their map skills over the last half-term and might be ready to lead you on a local adventure…We

have had a look at an Ordnance Survey map for Stoke-by-Clare and found our school. We have learnt about common map symbols and how to find out what they represent using a key. The group have all tackled reading four-figure grid references with great skill and even had a good

go at the more challenging six-figure ones. We brought our topic to a close with understanding why maps use scale and calculating some real life distances & finally with having a look at how height and relief are shown with contour lines. If you do go an adventure, let us know how it goes!

Christmas

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Chemistry: a Captivating Value to Humankind

Year 13 Chemistry students have been discussing their passion and interest in the subject and sharing their thoughts on the A Level curriculum.

At A Level, we learn the more in-depth structure of atoms, all the way to the fascinating composition of organic chemistry; allowing us to realise a new perception of the world around us. From the countless chemical reactions that occur within our bodies on a daily basis to those that impact our planet’s atmosphere; chemistry’s crucial role in our lives, and its value to humankind is captivating.

It is this connection of the science to the world around us that makes Stoke College’s A Level chemists so passionate about their subject. Our current Year 13 cohort have exciting futures ahead of them in their chosen fields. Amir has been inspired to study Chemical Engineering; Georgie, Sasha and Osian intend to study Medicine; and Patrick and Karena wish to study Sciences. Chemistry is either required or extremely useful for all of these courses, and is one of the many reasons to study Chemistry at A Level.

Although the Chemistry theory is fascinating, the practicals are not easily overshadowed. From these, we learn so much from crucial laboratory techniques to amazing practical applications. For instance, constructing your own battery using chemicals! Or finding the percentage of iron in iron tablets - by titrating them using potassium permanganate which is a purple solution, (see Patrick’s experiment in the pictures).

The principles of chemistry are essential to the development of products and processes which address the key problems currently facing humanity and our environment. This is a very exciting time to be exploring Chemistry at A Level. If you would like to know more about the subject at Stoke College, please speak to Mr Burridge.

Maths Challenge Results have Arrived!

On 4th October, our A level Maths and Further Maths students took part in the National Maths Challenge. Read on to discover the brilliant results.

Many congratulations to all of those amazing Sixth Formers who participated in the Senior Maths Challenge, competing against their peers across the country in this prestigious national competition.

The 90-minute paper put our students’ mathematical skills to the test with an array of complex problems designed to promote reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using techniques. At the beginning of this half-term, the results were delivered and we were incredibly proud to learn that a significant number of our students had achieved bronze and silver awards. A fantastic feat! Particular congratulations must go to Oliver, Adam and Tom in Year 12 who were awarded bronze certificates and to Saffron, Patrick, Eloise, Amir, Tom, Sean, Oscar and Sienna who were awarded silver certificates.

Well done to Sienna who came top in her year group, achieving “Best in School”.

Sienna, one of our incredibly talented further mathematicians, performed spectacularly in the Mathematical Olympiad for Girls, obtaining full marks in all but one of her solutions and was awarded a Distinction. This is a huge achievement and we are particularly proud of Sienna. Only the top scoring candidates across the entire United Kingdom receive such a score in this three-hour long paper! The Mathematical Olympiad for Girls is aimed specifically at girls and young women across the UK and consists of five challenging problems.

Congratulations to all of our brilliant mathematics students who put themselves forward for this competition and well done for all of your achievements!

Les Douze Jours de Noël & a French Festive Treat

The whole of Year 7 enjoyed creating “les douze jours de Noël” using French vocabulary and learning about the celebrations of Christmas in France.

Madame Henson’s Year 7 French students have enjoyed learning about French Christmas traditions and have created their own 12 Days of Christmas or “les douze jours de Noël” They have created their own beautiful chart featuring activities to do each day.

We invite you to pratise your French and translate Madame Henson’s French Christmas plans below.

A Noël, il y a deux semaines de vacances. Quelques jours avant Noël, nous décorons un sapin avec des guirlandes multicolores et des boules. Il y a un ange en haut du sapin et parfois une crèche au pied. Les enfants écrivent aussi une lettre au Père Noël pour demander des cadeaux. Selon la tradition, les petits enfants mettent leur soulier (leur chaussure) devant la cheminée ou devant le sapin pour avoir des cadeaux et du chocolat. Noël est une grande fête. En général, on va à l’église le soir du 24 décembre et après on fait le réveillon. On se couche très tard. On prépare de la bonne nourriture, comme des escargots, de la dinde aux marrons, du saumon fumé, des coquilles Saint-Jacques, du foie gras ou des huîtres. Comme dessert, on mange normalement une bûche de Noël avec des petits personnages dessus.

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La Galette des Rois - a delicious French festive treat

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année a tous

A Puzzling Task for Year 7 Design Technology

Mr Reeves reports how our Year 7 students are getting on in their first term of Design Technology at Stoke College.

Students in Year 7 are designing and making a two to six piece wooden jigsaw puzzle from M.D.F. originally and then onto some upcycled hardwood.

They are learning to accurately cut by hand with a coping saw and also how to use a powered reciprocating saw safely. Students are then removing any machine or hand cut saw marks

with various grades of abrasive paper from 80 to 240.

Students will be then using coloured woodstain, clear varnish or wax to finish their designs and then we will looking at packaging and advertising to their target audience. Featured in photos are Neema, Hayden, Ted and Macka at various stages in their projects

News from the Stoke PTA

Fireworks, a concert in Cambridge and a sell-out Christmas fundraiser - it’s been a busy few weeks for the Stoke PTA. We’ve a fabulous family event planned for January, too. Read on to discover more.

It was with great joy that Stoke College was, once again, able to host a Fireworks and Bonfire Night. Hundreds of visitors came through the Stoke gates to mark the celebration of this popular autumn event.

Our team worked with Stoke’s famous Chef Paul to serve hearty hot dogs, mulled wine, soft drinks and snacks to members of the school and local community.

One visitor from Clare remarked that “it was brilliant to have such an event for the local community”, and the praise continued through our social media channels the next day. After the past few years, it was wonderful to have the campus buzzing with happy guests of all ages.

On November 24th, members of the PTA headed into Cambridge to set up and serve refreshments for the St Cecilia concert held at St Mark’s Church. It was a very happy occassion and a great opportunity to showcase the talents of Stoke College staff and students to a wider Cambridge audience.

Thank you to the sub-committee, led by Katy, who put together our festive 100 Square prize draw. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of Stoke parents, sending in gifts to hide behind each square. Incredibly, every square sold in under 48 hours of going on sale and we have raised a wonderful £500 towards funds. Thank you to everyone that supported this event.

Join us for our Ceilidh

On Friday 27th January we will be gathering together in the Stoke Sports Hall for a Ceilidh to celebrate Burns Night. Tickets are available now (see poster on page 2 for details) and include a warm sausage baguette meal. There will be a full bar with table service available (courtesy of our Sixth Form). Dancing is not compulsory but it may be hard to resist the merriment of the ceilidh and our professional callers!

Tickets are limited to 200 - so buy early to avoid disappointment. We look forward to seeing you there.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2023 from the Stoke PTA.

Thinking about joining?

The PTA are a voluntary organisation of Stoke parents and staff that gathers about twice per term to plan events and fundraising to enhance school life.

If you would like to find out a little bit more about the Stoke PTA, please contact us on email stokepta@gmail.com

Academic Calendar and key dates Spring Term 2023

January 2023

Mon 9th

Start of Term, Yr 13 Mock Exams begin, Inter-House DT Competition Launch

Thurs 12th Yr 9 Option booklets issued during RSHE

Fri 13th Yr 7 Form assembly followed by parents & Principal coffee 2.30-3pm

Tues 17th U15 Football & Netball vs Gosfield (away 2.30pm KO)

Weds 18th Yr 11 Examination Evening

Fri 20th Yr 8 Assembly, U18 Football & Netball vs Gosfield (away 2.15pm KO)

Tues 24th Yr 12 Parents’ Evening

Weds 25th Inter-House Drama Competition (lunchtime PAB), U13 Football vs Brookes/TGS (@ Brookes 2.30pm KO)

Fri 27th Yr 9.1 Form assembly followed by parents & Principal coffee 2.30-3pm, Yr 9, 11, 13 Drama student Theatre Trip, U18 Basketball & Netball vs Gosfield (away 2.15pm KO)

Tues 31st U15 Football & Netball vs Gosfield (home 2.30pm KO)

February 2023

Wed 1st U13 Football & Netball vs Gosfield (away 2.30pm KO), Y13 Exam Evening

Thurs 2nd U14 & U16 Rugby vs St Nicholas (away @ Harlow RFC 2.15pm KO)

Fri 3rd Yr 9.2 Form assembly followed by parents & Principal coffee 2.30-3pm

Mon 6th Inter-House Dance Competition

Tues 7th U15 Football and Netball vs Brookes/TGS (@ Brookes 2.30pm KO) TBC

Wed 8th Yr 9 Drama trip - New Wolsey Theatre

Thurs 9th Music and Words Performance & Art Exhibition evening, 7pm. Deadline for Yr 9 options form to be handed in by.

Fri 10th Yr 10 Form assembly followed by parents & Principal coffee 2.30-3pm

Mon 13th - Fri 17th HALF TERM

Mon 20th Start of term

Tues 21st Yr 10 Parents’ Evening

Wed 22nd U13 Netball vs Barnardiston Hall (away 2.30pm KO), U13 Football vs St Nicholas U12 (home 2pm)

Fri 24th Charity Day (TBC), Inter-House Sports: Goalball Sports, Yr 11 Assembly

Sat 25th - Sun 26th School Musical weekend Rehearsal (Principal characters 10am-4pm)

Mon 27th Book Scrutiny Week

Tue 28th U15 Football vs Brookes (away 2.30pm KO)