Spotlighter | 20 November 2015

Spot

23 November 2015 | Autumn term

The fortnightly newsletter for Stoke Newington School & Sixth Form

Hackney Sports Awards success for SNS

Mr Doherty At the Hackney Sports Awards 2015, double Olympic medallist Rebecca Romero presented SNS with the Hackney Schools Challenge award for the 4th year in succession.

This award goes to the school that has the highest number of students selected to represent Hackney at the London Youth Games. We had 71 students participate in the games, across several sports ranging from football and

netball to rowing and cycling.

A tremendous achievement and one that our school is very proud of.

Congratulations to all the students and coaches involved!

Dear parents & carers We are really pleased to have seen so many of you at different events in the last three weeks.

Thank you for attending the parents’ forum which focused on homework: I hope you have received my letter which summarises the discussion and next steps for improving homework completion further.

a short survey which we would be grateful if you could complete.

I look forward to seeing all of you on Progress Review Day on 9th December.

Best wishes,

I know too that some of you will have enjoyed the PTA Quiz night. The PTA are seeking to involve as many parents as possible and are sending out

Annie Gammon Headteacher

KS4 & KS5 get a musical masterclass from lecturer Robbie McGrail 13N A group of KS4 and KS5 music students attended a talk from Martin Suckling, lecturer in composition at the University of York, on Tuesday 10 November. The talk was held in the music department with head of music, Owen Bourne also in attendance.

Martin, a highly successful composer, teacher and violinist, focussed his talk on the Arts in general, with particular attention to music degrees, highlighting the myths surrounding the study of Arts at degree level.

He used examples of former students who had gone on to jobs in diverse sectors such as Nike, the BBC, state teaching, English National Opera or a PhD study in folk music. As Martin

noted, the impact of the Arts and Humanities in Britain is staggering, for example 60% people in the Houses of Parliament have Humanities or Arts degrees (despite the current emphasis from government on the importance of Science based degrees).

Music alone contributed to nearly 5 billion of the UK gross income last year, and the idea that the Arts are unemployable was firmly put down. For instance, music degrees require a high level of cultural understanding, as much as that of history or literature, and often require written and verbal skills, attractive to future employers.

He also talked through the exciting degree course at York University with a focus

A-Level trip to UCL

A group of Year 12 and 13 physics students went to University College London (UCL) on Friday for a lecture celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

The talk was given by Dr Christian Boehmer from the department of mathematics and included topics such as: black holes; how space and time are the same concept and the speed of light. UCL is one of the top ten Universities worldwide and the lecture was attended by over 300 Sixth Form students from London.

on creativity over academic essays, and the incredibly diverse modules on offer from dance, to film score, to Beethoven’s String Quartets and even musical philosophy, psychology and aesthetics.

The talk was to inform those present about music and the Arts at higher education but the topic raised goes much further. The fact was stated that, although sciences are deemed the most important subjects among many, creativity and the Arts have just as much place in society as the sciences do.

Year 9 trip to Cambridge

A group of Year 9 girls attended a Physics Experience at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge on Friday the 13th.

The group were given a tour of the college, this was followed by an afternoon at the Cavendish Laboratory where the group took part in a practical session and were given presentations on curriculum physics as well as exciting research topics. A big thank you to Ms Alexander from the careers team for organising the trip.

Special report: Why we must do more to SNS football round-up promote sustainably sourced palm oil

Lucy Haylett, Catherine Ilea and Agnes Gill investigate the damage that the mass production of palm oil has on the environment We must take action against those who use and sell products containing unsustainable palm oil.

Its’ effects on endangered species is horrific. It is an important issue because drugstores, such as Superdrug and Boots have been known to sell products that contain palm oil that has been extracted in a nonenvironmentally friendly way (causing deforestation and destroying habitats).

Clearing rainforests for oil palm plantations has destroyed critical habitat for endangered species like rhinos, elephants, tigers and orangutans, which have all been pushed to the verge of extinction.

According to maps released by Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, 1.24

It’s been a busy week of football at SNS. Here are the latest results.

On Monday, the U13 girls football team won all their games in the Hackney League which puts them on the verge of winning the league for the 5th successive year.

The sixth form boys won an 8 a-side tournament vs City Academy without million hectares of forest conceding a goal. were lost from 2009 to 2011, On Tuesday, the U15 girls including nearly two-thirds football team beat Stopsley of all Sumatran tiger habitat. school from Luton 6-0 in P&G products contain palm the national cup. Lauren oil that when extracted, it George scored a hat-trick to harmed the habitats of orang- confirm the win and Missy utans and so many are dying Macdonald stepped up above due to the palm oil industry. her year group with a MOM Here in the UK, we are performance in the heart of consuming a lot of these the defence. products and the demand for On Thursday, the U16 girls palm oil is increasing. What football played John Roan we buy here has an impact school and came away with on the lives of thousands of an emphatic 7-0 victory! animals!

Lauren George continued her excellent form with another hat-trick. Well done to Lauren for scoring six goals in two games.

On Friday the U13 girls football journeyed to Sandringham school in St We have also read on Albans for the national cup.

The Guardian website, It was a very tight game with that the UK intends to stop SNS leading 1-0 from a Missy using palm oil that has been Macdonald free kick from unsustainably sourced but to the halfway line. During the what extent have these laws suspiciously large amount been enforced? of added time (six-minutes) Our e-petition proposes signalled by the referee (also that products containing their coach), Sandringham sustainably sourced palm oil equalised. With no goals in are labelled so that shoppers extra time the match went to like us can be ethical penalties. SNS went through consumers and informed of to the next round winning what we are buying. penalties 3-2!

Calendar • • • • • •

Weds 25 Nov – Parents’ meeting re the school music strategy Thurs 26 Nov 15 - Year 13 parents’ evening Fri 27 Nov 15 - Late start for students | school starts at 10.55am Mon 30 Nov 15 - Inclusion week Weds 9 Dec 15 – Progress Review Day Thurs 10 Dec and Fri 11 Dec 15 – Winter music concert

Contacts

Headteacher Annie Gammon annie.gammon@sns.hackney.sch.uk

Chair of governors Crispin Truman chairofgovernors@sns.hackney.sch.uk

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) parents@sns.hackney.sch.uk Reception 020 7241 9600 admin@sns.hackney.sch.uk

Editor Nathan Holmes nathan.holmes@sns.hackney.sch.uk Reporter Robbie McGrail

Black leather, business like shoes and a suitable outdoor coat, which must be removed in lessons and assemblies.

Religious clothing e.g. headscarves and salwar kameez must be plain black. A small discreet stud earing may be worn at KS3, with a small hoop allowed at KS4. All pupils must also wear a lanyard with identification card. The following items are strictly forbidden: • Jeans, including black jeans, cords, chinos or combat trousers.

• Training shoes with a sports sole (e.g. Vans), hooded tops, and hats.

• Make up is not to be worn by pupils.

Boys Plain black smart trousers, KS3 students a standard white shirt with collar or school polo shirt and in KS4 a standard blue shirt with collar or school polo shirt, a school V-necked sweater or school sweatshirt.

Girls Plain black trousers with the school

8th December 7pm-9pm Sixth form block Organised by SNS staff and students Featuring: A three course meal cooked by the Chickpea Sisters (www.chickpeasisters.com they are amazing!)

Special guest speakers Raffle (prizes including Hackney Empire Christmas panto tickets)

School policy General Uniform

SNS’s refugee charity dinner

Tickets are £10 adults/£5 students logo or plain black knee-length skirt with the school logo; pupil premium/ free school meal pupils can claim £10 subsidy on these items. KS3 students a standard white shirt with collar or school polo shirt and in KS4 a standard blue shirt with collar or school polo shirt, a school V-necked sweater or school sweatshirt.

Holiday leave

Please remember that holidays are not permitted during term time. If your child has to be absent during term time, you must get written permission from Year 11 Curriculum Co-ordinator Jo Byrne before the travel arrangements are made and this will only be authorised for exceptional circumstances.

Contraband Items • • • • •

Mobile phones Headphones Hooded sweatshirts Jewelry outside of the school uniform policy Any other item deemed inappropriate by school staff

Clissold Road, London N16 9EX. Tel: 020 7241 9600

We would like to remind you that students are not allowed these items in school. We want to make sure students are concentrating on their learning. If students’ mobile phones or headphones are used, seen or heard in school they will be confiscated, with the SIM card. Only parents and carers will be able to collect confiscated phones from reception on the following Friday from 3.10pm. That also means if they are confiscated on Friday it can only be collected the following Friday. Phones will not be given back to the student, only directly to the parent/carer.

There may be occasions after attending an extra class or after school event when students wish to use their phone. They either need explicit permission from a member of staff who is with them or they need to leave school premises to do so. In all cases, a pupil who needs to contact parents/ carers will be allowed to use the phone in reception at a suitable time. admin@sns.hackney.sch.uk www.sns.hackney.sch.uk