The Grove Times

THE

GROVE

TIMES

Edition 1 Weds 18th March 2015

HIGHBURY GROVE GETS OVER IT In the wake of our exciting launch as a Stonewall Champion School, Kerensa Ballantyne, Rocco Lofinmakin-Dutta and Lucas Elgueta take a look at some of the issues raised and things they learnt.

At the beginning of this half term, HIghbury Grove became a Stonewall Champion school.

Stonewall is a nationwide charity that aims to tackle discrimination and conflict around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, with the ultimate aim of true equality for all. Stonewall

was founded by a small group of men and women in in 1989, who decided to fight against injustice to the LGBT community. One of the charity’s biggest victories came in 2013 when a law in favour of same sex marriage was passed. The first gay marriage was in 2014.

However, as we were soon

to find out, Stonewall also fights other sorts of discrimination in our society, such as racism and sexism.

To celebrate the launch of Highbury Grove as a Stonewall Champion School, groups of ‘diversity role models’ came into our school to... (cont. page 3...)

Welcome to the first edition of The Grove Times. It is our hope that this paper will run on a regular basis, to reflect and report on the interests, opinions and achievements of all the students at Highbury Grove. Our name and logo come courtesy of our competition winners, Bruce and Dominic in Year 8, though there were lots of fantastic entries to choose from, as you can see from these other finalists! Thank you and well done to everyone who has contributed to this first issue. VBA

IN THIS EDITION: FEATURES: Highbury Grove becomes a Stonewall Champion School - page 3 Curriculum changes questioned page 4 LIFESTYLE AND ENTERTAINMENT: Film and TV reviews, Recipe Corner, What’s Hot and What’s Not - pages 5-7 Oklahoma! - pages 8-9 PUZZLES AND QUIZZES: BREAKING NEWS: MONDAY 16TH MARCH...

A HUGE congratulations to Caitlin Hogan in Year 13, who, after becoming the first Highbury Grove student (ever!) to be offered a place at the University of Cambridge, is now looking to be the first Highbury Grove student to turn down a place at the University of Cambridge. She has now gained an offer - and scholarship bursary - from Chicago University in the USA. To have such prestigious and competitive higher education institutions fighting over her in this way is a testament to her hard work and ambition. We are all immensely proud of you Caitlin: WELL DONE.

Thunks and Guess the Teacher pages 10-11 CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS: Showcasing the best of HGS creative talent - page 12 SPORT: Success for the Basketball Academy and the girls, plus retrospective match analysis of Arsenal v Man U. - pages 13-15

NEWS & FEATURES

ple and their experiences.

Another exciting visitor was Sanjay Sood-Smith, who recently appeared on ‘The Apprentice’.

He came in to speak with students about his life and being gay.

He spoke openly and confidently about how he spent a lot of his primary and secondary school life being bullied and discriminated against.

He showed us how to support LGBT people and make them feel safe and confident in our society.

Year 7 art students show their support for Stonewall by designing anti-homophobic language posters.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS (continued from cover)... ... educate and inform students about LGBT people. They worked with year 7, 8 and 9 and encouraged them to be open minded towards and accepting of LGBT people.

Year 8 students, for example, had the chance to meet some LGBT diversity role models during their classroom lessons. We did a few workshops with them which were very inspiring and taught us a lot about what it was like to be LGBT.

One of the workshops we did was about stereotypes towards LGBT people. We were given three descriptions, which fitted with the

three role models and we had to match them up. This was interesting because it made us think about different types of stereotypes and it was quite hard to match the descriptions. For example, the woman who was a lesbian had three children. So many students were surprised by this and did not expect two women to be able to have children, so it was really interesting to hear her talk about her different experience of motherhood.

It was very exciting to be able to discuss these things and ask questions of people who were so open and welcoming. The whole year group agreed that we have learnt a lot about LGBT peo-

Other features of the week included a screening of the film ‘Pride’ (reviewed in our Lifestyle section on page 5) and the release of scores of posters proclaiming an end to the unintentional use and abuse of discriminatory language. Word from the staff room is that teachers have been fighting over the “Some People Are Gay. Get Over It.” mugs!

Overall, the whole launch was a huge success - one of the best things we saw was Ed and Rosa Varlow, who both painted their nails in rainbow colours to honour the event - a brave (and stylish!) move that reflected the open and accepting attitude promoted by the whole week. We look forward to more Stonewall involvement in school life in the future.

Rabbiya: “The changes recently made are too much for me and some other students to follow. As far as I am aware, in the last 3 years at Highbury Grove School there have been lots of changes in administration. New head teachers joined and left, as did teachers. It caused a lot of disturbance to the educational process and it inevitably became difficult to keep a consistent behaviour or curriculum policy.

Mr. Sherrington: ‘I’m very pleased to know students are so passionate about their curriculum and want to engage in a discussion about it.

OPINION: Curriculum Changes at HGS Rabbiya Naz gives us a student perspective on the changes happening in September, and Mr Sherrington responds to her concerns.

I want to draw your attention to the Year 7 perspective. We agree that discipline is the most important foundation in carrying out education during secondary school. The changes made to the school’s behaviour policy, while tough, are helpful, and there has been a big improvement; even only being here since September we can see that.

The changes decided for the next year, however, are making some of us question why we selected Highbury Grove in the first place. HGS has always been special and popular among local primary schools because of its specialist school, Friday enrichment and half day for some children on Friday. We do think that some of the curriculum changes are helpful for our bright futures (the options added to Year 9, the additional time on certain subjects), but it is too complicated to follow. Changes are positive, but we don’t want everything to be changed. We want to keep some of the activities as they have been in the past. Specialist school is a big area of concern – we want to be able to choose according to our interests, which is also a helpful skill for options selection in Year 9.

Friday has always been a half-day at HGS and it is beneficial for most of the students, who take advantage of the different activities offered. Many pupils join clubs outside school during enrichment time, which is an important part of our development. It is also helpful to keep our brains refreshed for Monday.

All in all, while we understand the need for change, we think some of the ideas need to be explained better as it feels like we are losing some of the things we love most about this school.”

You’ve made it very clear that we need to do more to explain the changes; there’s a lot to take in. I can promise that we will do more to go through it all.

The positive comments about the behaviour system and the Year 9 options are good to hear. The big concerns seem to be about specialist schools and Friday enrichment, which I understand.

My perspective is rather different: when I arrived at Highbury Grove I would say that I had more complaints about specialist school and Friday enrichment than anything else. There are lots of students like you who value it but, actually, lots of students and their parents really don’t. Most students simply leave school early on Friday and do nothing at all with the time.

Some students would rather change specialist schools each year; some would rather not do it at all. It’s a complicated picture.

However, we do have a plan! We’re creating a very exciting enrichment programme that will run every day after school, Monday to Saturday, with all kinds of options for students, including all the things we do now. Everyone will be asked to choose at least one activity.

Most of the current specialist school activities will become enrichment activities where students can mix between age groups and explore different options each term or year.

Students interested in Theatre, Music, Art and Sport will still be able to pursue their interests.

Next term we will show you what it looks like you’re going to like it! Hopefully! Let’s keep the discussion going.”

Something on your mind?

We want to hear from you - email your opinion piece to newspaper@highburygrove.islington.sch.uk

‘SELMA’ ‘PRIDE’

‘BIG HERO SIX’

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

FILM REVIEWS

Dramatisation of the Civil Rights march in Selma, Alabama in 1964. David Oleyowo (who trained at City and Islington College!) portrays Martin Luther King whilst he and other activists strived for equal rights at a time when equality was scarce. This film tells the story of the troubles during this period and unlike many others of its kind it does it without painting Martin Luther King as a saint and it showed that everyone has virtues. This is an amazing film that will pluck on your heartstrings. Rocco L-D A true story about a group of gay and lesbian activists who leant their support to the miners’ strikes in 1984. Realising that they and the miners were being discriminated against by the same groups of people, the activists poured their energies into raising money and support for a small village in South Wales that was becoming ever-increasingly impoverished due to the strikes. Moving, eye-opening and ultimately heartwarming, this is a 5 star, absolute must-see! RRA

From the creators of ‘Frozen’ and ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ comes an all new movie about a young robotics genius, HIro, who has lost his older brother and is now befriending one of his creations, a large robot called Baymax who has been created to help people. This may sound like a little kids’ movie with its superheroes and Disney origins, but it is an amazing family movie, with humour and adventure. A brilliant film: WATCH IT NOW! MIa Gaywood

RECIPE CORNER: Sweet Potato Fries 1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees

INGREDIENTS 2 sweet potatoes (rinsed and dried) 2 tablespoons veg. oil 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne

2. Cut the potatoes into thin strips.

3. Mix all other ingredients together in a large bowl and mix with the potatoes until they are evenly coated.

4. Transfer the potatoes to a large baking tray. Spread them out to ensure even cooking.

5. Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, turning the fries once or twice during that time to cook evenly. Cooking may take more or less time, depending on the size and thickness you cut the fries.

6. Remove once the edges slightly begin to brown and fries begin to crisp.

WHAT’S HOT...

AND WHAT’S NOT.

Mia Georgiou helps us get it right.

Ripped jeans: the more rips the better!

French plaits

Timberlands

Flip flops and tracksuits... If it’s warm enough for flip flops, its too warm for a tracksuit.

Socks and sandals. Just no.

SICK OF BORING TV?

Don’t like Bargain Hunt, Antiques Roadshow or Ceebeebies? Don’t worry: Phoebe McDonnell chooses the best TV shows for teens.

T.V programs these days seem to be either appropriate for adults (e.g. Bargain Hunt, The Chase) or small children (Dog with a Blog, Girl Meets World). DULL. So instead of watching things that you don’t like, I have prepared a list of shows that are suitable for girls and boys aged 12-15…

Pretty Little Liars: If you enjoy thriller, mystery, drama and romance, this is the program for you! Pretty Little Liars is highly addictive, and follows the lives of four best friends whose friend Alison has recently disappeared.

When they discover she was actually murdered, they start to receive threatening text messages from someone simply called –A. Is Alison really dead? You can watch this on: Netflix.

The Flash: The Flash is about a man called Barry Allen who wakes up 9 months after he was struck by light-

ning and discovers that the bolt gave him the power of super speed. With his new team and powers, Barry becomes “The Flash” and fights crime in Central City. You can watch this on: Sky1.

The Big Bang Theory: This is about a woman who moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists. She does the neighbourly thing and shows them how little they know vabout life outside of the laboratory. You can watch this on: E4.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? If you want to know more amazing programs to watch type this in to your computer: http://www.imdb.com/list/ ls058678672/

BOOK REVIEW:’Geek Girl: All That Glitters’

by Holly Smale This is the fourth book in the best-selling ‘Geek Girl’ series. In the three books before this one, Harriet, the geeky main character, was spotted by a modelling agency and has now modelled in places all around the world. In this book however, she is back in the real world, starting sixth form and in need of more friends.

Her best friend is busy at fashion college and Toby has stopped stalking her... No one expects her geekiness - once they find out, how will she make friends...? by Mia Gaywood

REVIEW: OKLAHOMA! Since September, the Drama department and a dedicated team of students have been working on the school’s annual musical. Rhiann Isaacs went to see the opening night of HGS’ take on one of the bestloved Westerns of all time.

Highbury Grove seems to be forming a tradition of producing successful and entertaining theatre productions. From the edgy performance of ‘We Will Rock You’, to the jazzy atmosphere surrounding last year’s ‘Guys and Dolls’ and now the charming execution of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Oklahoma’.

It was astounding from the beginning, opened with the grandeur of ‘Overture’, conducted by Mrs Aron and the followed up

by Elliot Crinson as ‘Curly’ the smooth-talking cowboy, who brought the play to life instantly with a serene rendition of ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’. Elliot has proven to be an impeccable actor, gracing the stage with suave performances and tolerable American accents.

Likewise the stunning Sofianne Wignall as ‘Laurey’ brilliantly executed her role as the southern belle farm girl, sweet yet strong and independent. Her amazing solo piece ‘Out of My Dreams’, accompanied by the Dream Figures ended the first act with just as much splendour as it began. The Dream Figures left me hoping that ballet would become a much more regular aspect of productions at HGS. The play’s Romeo and Juliet-esque features were well appreciated, the romance was timeless and the chemistry between the two leads was effortless (perhaps less acting was needed between the so called ‘pretend’ pairing).

Kieran Butler - or, as I’m sure he’d

rather be called, K-Stepper - delivered a commendable portrayal of Jud, the slightly creepy, villainous lonely heart. I’m not sure I can look at Kieran the same way again.

Last, and I cannot express how definitely not least she is, we have Savannah Acquah Storey as the sassy Aunt Eller, truly comedic and exquisitely played. I loved this character and it is all thanks to Savannah’s interpretation of the southern accent and charm. Wonderful!

The whole cast and company alongside a tremendously talented orchestra presented, once again, a brilliant production of a brilliant play. The hard work put in by these incredible individuals is admirable and it would not have been possible without the dedication and direction of Ms. Lorraine Wright who I would say is on a fabulous uphill roll.

Last Week on the Farm

“I enjoyed the musical so, so much that I can’t even say how much. It was like watching a real musical in a theatre.

I am sure the Thursday night audience would have agreed with me; their claps and cheers were so loud! ‘Oklahoma’ was really funny and had so many endings which was great. The songs were joyful and lively.

There were also some amazing dance acts, even including ballet, used in particularly emotional scenes to enhance the dramatic mood. I would love to see it again and rate it 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to any one!”

“Year 7 Alvaro Nicholls absolutely stole the show with his perfect cowboy accent, swaggering style and perfect comic timing - can’t wait to see him in a main role in future years!”

Artela Qorri, Year 7

Miss Barsby and Miss Clayton

Elliot Greene (Will Parker) and Kieran Butler (Judd Fry) kept a diary of the last week of rehearsals and the mania of opening night preparations...

The view from the audience...

Monday: All day rehearsal: things are starting to feel real! No microphones...

Tuesday: Technical rehearsal - lighting runthough and more panic over the microphones...

Looking good by the end of the day!

Wednesday: Perfomring to primary schools - good to have a practice run, but hard since we weren’t sure they understood what was going on...

Thursday: Opening night... Exciting, nerve-wracking... A massive relief!!!

Friday: Midday performance to Y7 was tough, everyone shattered.

That evening’s show was amazing though, with a sold out audience and the cast buzzing. Sad it’s all over!

“I saw ‘Oklahoma’ on the first night. I was really impressed by the energy and great spirit of the cast, and the overall professionalism shown - especially when Ali Hakim lost his ‘voice’ when the microphone dropped, no one flinched and ‘the show went on’.

The musicians were well up to the task of playing almost continuously - it makes such a difference to have live music. Great cameo from the enthusiastic year 7 cowboy, and I wish had a jolly old aunt like Eller!”

Katharine Edwards (Y8 parent)

“I was really impressed by the whole show; the score seemed very demanding to my untrained ear - difficult to play and requiring a lot of stamina - and the cast were word perfect. Standout performances for me were Elliott Crinson for his voice, Savannah Acquah-Storey for her sustained and convincing embodiment of an elderly person, and Kieran Butler for his sense of menace: a real touch of evil.”

Mrs. Dmochowska

“Mind-blowingly brilliant!”

Ms. Sharif

“I enjoyed the thoughful storyline, and the actors performed extremely well!”

“I only saw half of it but it was pretty cool, I enjoyed it a lot.”

Zion Roache, Year 7

Michael Bozek

PUZZLES AND QUIZZES 1: What has rivers with no water, forests but no trees and cities with no buildings?

2: Two men are in a desert. They both have packs on. One of the guys is dead. The guy who is alive has his pack open, the guy who is dead has his pack closed. What is in the pack?

3: If you are running a race, and you pass the person in second, what place are you in?

4: I know a word. Six letters it contains. Take away one. And twelve is what remains.

5: What starts with “e,” ends with “e,” and contains one letter?

6: What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you’ll die?

7: What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?

8: Which word in the dictionary is always spelled incorrectly?

GUESS WHO

Can you match the fact to the correct member of staff?

A: ...was head-hunted for MI5 but failed to pass the background check, being declared not-discreet enough to be a spy!

Miss Payne (PE) Miss Booth (MFL)

B: This ex-prom queen once sang to the real queen!

Mr Pointon (Maths)

C: This half-Belgian blonde is proud to support Oldham Athletic‌

Mrs Dmochowska (English)

D: This ex-Ryanair air hostess competed in the Irish Dancing World Championships as a teenager.

Miss Stafford (English) Miss Simpson (Science) Miss Garrard (Media)

E: ...used to be a synchronized swimmer.

F: This Cambridge graduate studied 400 year old manuscripts at university.

Mr Greegan (Maths)

G: ...was once hospitalised in a limbo competition...

Mr Young (Music Brass)

H: ...appeared on Britain’s Got Talent as a backing dancer for James Corden.

Mr Gilbert (Deputy Head)

I: ...once found a packet of diamonds in a petrol station and eventually took his family to Germany on the proceeds... After handing the jewels into the police of course!

J: ...can swim two and a half lengths of the school pool underwater.

Creative Contributions This is where we celebrate all the amazing artistic and creative talent at Highbury Grove – whether you’re taking photos, sketching your pets, studying Art at GCSE or writing poetry and short stories, send us your work!

‘DEATH’ (inspired by ‘The Book Thief ’ by Marcus Zusak)

Allow me to introduce myself, I am death.

And you? You are going to die.

Not now, not today, maybe not even for a few more years, but I will find you.

I am in charge. I make the rules.

I am a saint. I am the cold shiver which tickles your spine.

The wrath of your sins will catch up, theres no running, no hiding. Sealed in a box of paranoia and insanity, slowly destroying your innocence, youth and beauty.

What now?

You wait and wait for the timer to run out, you wait for your turn in the queue, you wait for my cold, icy touch. I am the entity in the corner of the room, lurking, waiting for the right moment to catch you in my butterfly net. It’s my turn to wait.

There’s no escaping.

- Melissa Basder

The Highbury Grove Basketball Academy (HGBA) was launched this year and has been a great success. Interest in basketball within the school has increased dramatically, with students often playing on their own at break and lunch time, as well as attending regular training sessions.

With this boom in popularity and focus has come victory: our year 10 team have won all bar one game in the National Competition and have progressed through the group stages, on to the knock out round, where they will face Heartlands High School.

Their last two games really showed

the extent to which their hard work had paid off, with some fantastic performances. The first win, against Cumberland School, was a resounding 59-29 demolishing, with all players in the squad scoring at least one basket.

The most recent game, however, against Lister Academy, proved to be more of a battle from the start. Highbury Grove held their nerve and, after an extremely hard fought game, came out on top, deservedly winning 54-46. Specific mention for their outstanding performances goes to Samie Said, Dreyshun Peterson and Dylan Gellineau.

SPORT

SLAM DUNK FOR HGBA

Not to be out done by their older peers, the year 8 team have also had success in the National Competition, with three wins in a row guaranteeing them a place in the knock out stages. They beat Mossbourne Academy 18-11, St Aloysius 34-19 and then put in a fantastic performance against Bishops Challoner where they won 30-27 in a nail-biting over-time battle. There were some standout performances in that particular game from Gian Paragas, Ronaldo Jashari and Hamza Mohamed.

Well done to all the students involved and good luck for the knock out stages! MWE

In Welbeck We Trust MATCH REVIEW: Arsenal v. Manchester United, Monday 9th March 2015 In Danny Welbeck’s recent return to Old Trafford, he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win against United.The match kicked off as all of these games do: hot and furious. Monreal’s goal in the twenty fifth minute rocked Manchester United, but Rooney responded in kind ust four minutes later, cooling the nerves as Di Maria whipped in a beautiful cross.

The second half was quieter, with Man U edging it, but eventually Danny Welbeck pounced on a horrific back pass from Antonio Valencia and showed Louis Van Gaal that he is more than good enough.

Angel Di Maria was booked in the seventy seventh minute for simulation and then proceeded to tug on Michael Oliver’s shirt, resulting in a red card. From that point the game was turned on its head and Arsenal held on for victory. Just like Van Persie two years ago, Welbeck celebrated in style when he scored against his former club.

Arsenal also drew Bradford/Reading at Wembley, effectively ending UNited’s last chance at the silverware this season; Arsenal fans will be watching anxiously as the Bantams take on Reading in the quarter final replay. By Zion Roache and Lowell Hornby.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS

ONE TO WATCH: Liyah Robinson

Quickly becoming one of HGS’ most promising sportswomen, Year 7 Liyah currently represents both the school and Middllesex county at cricket. We caught up with her to get an insight into life as a future sporting star.

This year girls’ sport at Highbury Grove has been experiencing a tidal wave of success; with wins in football, netball, cricket, athletics, badminton, basketball and even table tennis, we’re looking unstoppable!

How did you get in to cricket?

I initially got in to cricket when I was in Reception, but started developing the actual skills in about year 3... I then got into my school team when I was in year 4.

How long have you been playing?

I’ve been playing seriously for about 3 or 4 years.

What do you enjoy about it?

I love everything about it, I enjoy cricket 100%; I would never stop playing it, it is my favourite sport.

What is your ‘routine’ like with practice for Middlesex etc.?

I don’t really have a routine, but every Tuesday after school I do cricket training and I have recently played with both the year 7 and 8 team and with the year 9 and 10 team.

Any cricketing heroes?

My granddad used to love watching/playing cricket and so did my dad, so I think they have passed the cricket spirit on to me. I think that in the future I will always love it and never stop playing, whether I keep playing at county level or not.

Thanks for talking to us Liyah!

A Note from the Editors We hope you have enjoyed the first edition of The Grove Times. If you wish to question, comment or contribute, please email us at newspaper@highburygrove.islington.sch.uk.

Get involved - we would love to hear from you!

RETURNING SUMMER 2015

Listen out for more information next term!