No.636 Friday 18th January 2019

WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.jfk.herts.sch.uk

THEME OF THE WEEK: PARENTHOOD WEEK TWO (RED) Monday 21st January ➢ Year 10 A&B Netball v Abbots Hill @ 3.30pm Tuesday 22nd January ➢ Year 12 A Level Drama Theatre Trip

➢ U15 Girls Basketball v Beaumont (A) @ 3.30pm ➢ Year 7A Netball v Ashlyns District (A) @3.30pm

Wednesday 23rd January ➢ Year 9 Basketball v Hemel (H) @ 3.30pm ➢ Year 11 Consultation Evening @ 4.00pm

Thursday 24th January ➢ Year 11 Basketball v Hemel (H) @ 3.30pm ➢ Year 10 B Netball v Ashlyns (A) @ 3.30pm

Friday 25th January ➢ JFK Day- Non Uniform ➢ House Charity Events @ Lunchtime

WEEK ONE (GREEN) Monday 28th January ➢ U15 Girls Basketball v Ridgeway Ac (A) @ 3.30pm

➢ Year 7 Football v Ashlyns (A) @ 3.30pm ➢ U13 County Cup Hockey v Beaumont @ 4.00pm

Tuesday 29th January ➢ Year 10 & Yr 11 Globe Players Visit ➢ 8As Cup Netball v Tring (A) @ 3.30pm

Wednesday 30th January ➢ Year 11 Spoken English Language Filming ➢ Year 7 Basketball v Longdean @ 3.30pm ➢ Year 9A League and Cup Netball v Hemel (H)

@ 3.30pm ➢ Year 8 Football v Longdean (H) @ 4.00pm

Thursday 31st January ➢ Year 9A v 9B District Netball (H) @ 3.30pm ➢ Year 7 Football v Astley Cooper (A) @ 4.00pm

Headteacher Mr Paul Neves BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE, NPQH

Hollybush Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 2PH Telephone: 01442 266150

Website: www.jfk.herts.sch.uk Email: admin@jfk.herts.sch.uk

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday 6th, Thursday 7th and Friday 8th February

➢ School Production “The Odyssey” @ 7.00pm Hall

Wednesday 13th February ➢ Year 7 Consultation Evening @ 4.00pm

JFK DAY - NON UNIFORM We are celebrating the inauguration of John F Kennedy with a non-uniform day on Friday 25th January. Herts Catering will be serving an American themed lunch for the students. Donations of £1.00 will be collected during morning registration in the week and monies raised will go towards the school fund. This year there will be a new and exciting addition with various House Charity events at lunchtime. The charities being supported are:

● Great Ormond Street ● The International Rescue Committee ● Prisoner’s Education Trust ● Parkinsons’ UK ● Mind ● Catholic Association for Racial Justice

DRUGSLINE On Wednesday of this week the tone was one of doom and gloom, as each year group had a session with an expert in the field of drugs and addiction. Steven Mervish returned to JFK following his very successful first visit last year. His message was unashamedly hard-hitting and direct, warning about the dangers of engaging with drugs. Steven works in schools across the country but is also a trained therapist who works in ‘rehab’ centres and has a wealth of experience in supporting addicts and seeing the devastating effects of their life choices. Very positive feedback was received by students, staff and parents following the day’s presentations.

SCHOOL PRODUCTION - COMING SOON This year’s school production is 'The Odyssey' adapted by Hattie Naylor.

“The Odyssey: an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem dramatising Odysseus’ quest to return with his men to his homeland after the fall of Troy. Along the way, the intervention of the gods, the great Cyclops, the Sirens and a host of other dangers must be overcome in this exhilarating play…”

We would like to invite all parents/carers and students to come and see our production taking place on the 6th, 7th and 8th February 2019, starting at 7pm. To order tickets please see the ticket letter attached or students can collect a letter from Student Services. During each performance there will be refreshments provided by a Sixth Form Dragon's Apprentice team with some of the proceeds going to support DENS.

We are also looking to borrow a number of props for the production and any donations should be clearly marked with student name/s and left in Student Services by the end of January:

● Football; Dog leash; Watering Can: NOT plastic; White sheets: 2/3 ● Magic tricks like juggling balls or cards or handkerchief or anything portable ● Picnic table cloths: gingham or striped or floral or small table cloths and Picnic baskets ● Wine bottles; Wine goblets or glasses; Serving trays; Flagons or urns for wine (water in our

case!) ● Small red velvet and gold velvet drawstring bags or similar ● Gold or silver plates or salvers; Wooden or pottery bowls: large and small: a number ● Plastic fruit: particularly grapes; Small toy knives: 3 ● Rope: for on board a ship; Wooden toy ship and figures; Small plastic pigs ● Tapestry - Woven cloth or Embroidery: large (Penelope which nightly she has unravelled) ● Bow and arrow: large: wooden + number of arrows with flights and also wooden. ● Copper or silver colour pans: need about 10 and not very big but make a noise!

We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible to support our hard working cast and crew.

Headteacher Mr Paul Neves BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE, NPQH

Hollybush Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 2PH Telephone: 01442 266150

Website: www.jfk.herts.sch.uk Email: admin@jfk.herts.sch.uk

THE DOODLE APP FOR SCIENCE All students in KS3 and KS4 have access to an online homework and revision resource called Doddle. Doddle has many resources which makes it easier to understand what has been covered in class. They have recently launched an app where students can access all their revision and homework on the go! To find the Doddle app, simply go to the play store or the app store, depending on your device. Search for Doddle Learn, and click Install.

You can then use your existing details to log in. If students haven’t logged on already in class, they can access the materials using the following instructions: Go to www.doddlelearn.co.uk

Enter the school name in the institution field.

Your username is your first name followed by your surname, followed by the year you started JFK. For example, if your name is Anna Jones and you started JFK in 2015, your username would be AnnaJones15.

Everyone has the same password initially, which is jfkennedy. We advise that you change this to something memorable when you first login. Enjoy browsing and using Doddle in Science!

NETBALL The 10As had two comfortable victories this week. On Monday they defeated Abbots Hill B 18-4 in the league and then beat Kings Langley 21-3 to reach the District Cup final. Isabella Tagg shot brilliantly in both games to earn MVP. The 8B also faced Kings Langley in their cup game and earned a hard fought 9-5 victory in very cold conditions. This has lead to a place in the Plate finals in March. Martina V-Peris earned MVP. On Wednesday the 10Bs faced a very tough league game v Hemel and rose to the challenge brilliantly. At half time the score was level and the quality of netball was excellent. Hemel pulled away to win 18-13 but all the girls should feel very proud of their efforts. Great shooting by Tash Tilney earned her MVP. GYM AND DANCE Final reminder to all performers that the DVD of The Greatest Show is still available to purchase for £5.00. Please pick up an order form from the PE office. LIBRARY - 3D CHALLENGE

There will be a 3D Challenge in the library for students and staff from Tuesday 15th January. Have you got a keen eye?

There are 12 magic pictures to see and find a picture in them. One of the picture is incorrect and the first student and the first member of staff finds the right answer win a prize.

Good luck!

ESPORTS The computing department are running the annual ESports tournament, if students would like to enter they need a team of three. Team members must be from the same year group and year 7s must be 12. Sign up is in A11 during break and lunch.

Headteacher Mr Paul Neves BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE, NPQH

Hollybush Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 2PH Telephone: 01442 266150

Website: www.jfk.herts.sch.uk Email: admin@jfk.herts.sch.uk

NEWS FROM THE BRIDGE This week Year 12 enjoyed a talk by Sarah Bouvier from the University of Hertfordshire. Sarah spoke to them about the university application process as well as different routes students can take to achieve a degree. She also discussed the importance of completing a good personal statement to make your application stand out. She also briefly explained about student finance and how the student loans work and that money should not be a barrier if you would like to go to university. Students were invited to attend open days at the University of Herts to look at their facilities and courses. Thank you to the parents who were able to attend the Year 12 parent consultation evening on Thursday. This is a good opportunity to see how your child has settled into their A level courses and to find out how they are progressing. The Year 13 exams have finished this week. Teachers will be marking papers and students will be given feedback on their results. We encourage parents to discuss the results with their child. We will be attending the UCAS conference at the Excel London with the Year 12 on Tuesday 26th March. Letters will be sent out shortly with regard to this trip. Some students will have received an offer to attend the Oxbridge conference at Epsom. Please can we remind parents to return the permission slip for this trip. FINANCE OFFICE

● Year 7 Caritas Sleepover, due to high demand closing date moved forward to Monday 21st January.

● Trip lists for students going to Andalusia, Krakow and Ski trip are now on the Finance notice board. Deposits for Andalusia and the Ski trip have gone to the bank this week. Deposits for Krakow will go next week.

● List of instalment schedules will be on WisePay, or preferred method of payment. LOST PROPERTY Once again, please can could all students come and check in Student Services for any lost coats or other equipment.

JANUARY’S BOOK OF THE MONTH - The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Mrs Cole suggests those in Year 12 and above might enjoy this book:

This novel had a deep impact on me when I first read it, because it was so different to anything I had read - or been allowed to read - before. I have also recently enjoyed the adaptation on Channel 4, starring Elisabeth Moss.

However, I would stress that I would only recommend it to students in Year 12 and beyond, as the ideas are challenging and, in some cases, the events are brutal.

The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel, centring on the character of ‘Offred’. She is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian state that has replaced the United States of America. Offred’s freedom, like the freedom of all women, is completely restricted. She can leave the house only on shopping trips, the door to her room cannot be completely shut, and the Eyes, Gilead’s secret police force, watch her every public move.

Atwood’s writing style, which alternates from present to flashback, allows the reader to piece together the situation which led to the creation of this dystopian world. The reader journeys with Offred as she struggles to cope with the realities of this cruel existence. JANUARY’S POEM OF THE MONTH The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson WORD OF THE WEEK Apocryphal (adjective) Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as true ‘The President simply couldn’t shake off the apocryphal stories of his antics at college.’ VACANCIES We are currently advertising for the following positions:

● Food & Textiles Technician - 31 hours per week, term time only ● Examination Invigilators - seasonal

Full vacancy details are available on the website: www.jfk.herts.sch.uk

Headteacher Mr Paul Neves BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE, NPQH

Hollybush Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 2PH Telephone: 01442 266150

Website: www.jfk.herts.sch.uk Email: admin@jfk.herts.sch.uk

JFK TWITTER ACCOUNT We now have a central JFK twitter account which we would love you to follow so we can share information, achievements and events happening throughout the school year. The account is @JFK_Hemel. This will not be used as our main source of communication but will give us the opportunity to share snap shots of information, opportunities, learning and news each day.

THE GADE FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICE

Hertfordshire County Council web site - www.hertfordshire.gov.uk and search for parent support

· General support from Hertfordshire County Council - Customer Service line 03001234043 · General advice for parents - www.familylives.org.uk or 0808 800 2222

ABSENCE LINE - AVAILABLE 24/7 If your son/daughter is going to be absent due to illness please telephone the

school absence line by 9.00am on each day of absence.

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

Year 10 Year 11

Year 12 & Year 13 (6th Form)

01442 229105 01442 229124 01442 229131 01442 229132 01442 229136 01442 229137

Students should bring a letter explaining their absence on their return to school.

Headteacher Mr Paul Neves BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE, NPQH

Hollybush Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 2PH Telephone: 01442 266150

Website: www.jfk.herts.sch.uk Email: admin@jfk.herts.sch.uk

EASYFUNDRAISING FOR OUR SCHOOL EVERY TIME YOU SHOP ONLINE Thank you to all those friends and family that have supported us by using Easyfundraising in 2018. This year alone we have raised £630.33 for our school so far. Thank you to our top supporter for raising an amazing £108.76 alone just by shopping online!.

Follow the simple instructions to join and then just shop via the easy fundraising website.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3... 1. Head to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/johnfkennedycatholicschool/ and join for free. 2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping. 3. After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to your good cause for no extra cost whatsoever! There are no catches or hidden charges and John F Kennedy Catholic School will be really grateful for your donations.

TERM DATES and UPCOMING EVENTS 2019

Spring Term 2019 HALF TERM Monday 18th - Friday 22nd February 2019 Term Ends Friday 5th April 2019

Summer Term 2019

Term Starts Tuesday 23rd April 2019 MAY DAY Monday 6th May 2019 Half Term Monday 27th - Friday 31st May 2019 Term Ends Friday 19th July 2019

*Please note that the February half term dates may differ from

Central Bedfordshire and Luton.