LDBS SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER€¦ · LDBS Schools Newsletter Issue 31 ~ Summer - Winter 2017 page 1 of 19 ISSUE 31 SUMMER ... comprised of a 6 foot 8” armed bright orange centipede

LDBS Schools Newsletter Issue 31 ~ Summer - Winter 2017

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ISSUE 31 SUMMER - WINTER 2017

LDBS SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER

We hope you enjoy this and future issues which will be printed at the beginning of every term. “We cannot publish this newsletter without your help!” (More details at the back).

GARDEN ECO-WARRIORS...Trent, Cockfosters pupils regularly give up their lunch time play tolearn, work and play in the modest school garden, achieving success innumerous horticultural projects. Sixteen pupils also attend the afterschool gardening club. 2015 and 2016 saw the school winning “BestEducational School Garden in Barnet” sponsored by Finchley Nurseriesand the trophy was presented by the Mayor of Barnet.

Pupils made paper‐mache’ “Seed Hearts” for Valentines Day, raising £96 for the garden.Four Y4 girls & the school gardener, Tim Ferrar designed and built five novelty bird nest boxes, which were acastle, beach hut, Georgian cottage, blue terraced house and a Church, complete with bell tower. Thesewere auctioned to parents and bids reached a total of £197 for North London Hospice.The Spring flowers did not go to waste and were made into bouquets that were bought by parents, raising£40 for the garden. This was swiftly followed by a plant sale of the flowers and vegetables sown and tendedby the pupils. Due to hard selling by the pupils, they raised £153 to boost the garden planting area.

In April & May 2017, they designed and built a 1m x 1m garden for R.H.S. “Budding Gardeners” competitionheld at R.H.S. Wisley, the theme ‘Famous Five’. Trent’s was titled ‘Famous Five go Jurassic’.

On 25th May 2017, ten children and staff travelledto Wisley to build the garden for judging and theywon GOLD as well as ‘The Curators Award’ whichwas an engraved garden trowel.

The school Eco‐Warriors hosted an afternoon teafor parents to chat, socialise and meet in the lushgarden. At the beginning of July 2017, twentychildren from Y1, Y3 & Y5 went to Hampton CourtFlower Show to view all exhibits and their‘Scarecrow’ entry for this years competition,comprised of a 6 foot 8” armed bright orangecentipede.

A calm, peacefulTeepee’ was erected in the garden where children could read, chat orjust sit. Twelve large pots supported 8” bamboo canes which had sweetpeas, runner beans, nasturtiums, beetroot, clematis and sunflowersgrowing up towards the centre in a riot of colour.

Lastly, they gathered together to collect snails for ‘Racing Day’. Thesewere placed in the centre of a board with lettuce around the outsideand various ‘obstacles’ (deterrents) placed in‐between; coffee grounds,broken egg shells, sand, gravel, banana skins, tar paper & stones and aring of copper. The results were duly noted and they have lots of‘humane’ protection for crops.


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MOVING IN...The pupils, staff and trustees of StMary’s, Norwood Green welcomed theBishop of Willesden, the Rt Revd PeteBroadbent, to officiate the opening and blessing of the school onWednesday 1st November 2017. The move to their new permanentbuilding took place during the summer of 2017, having spent 3 years inSt Mary’s Church Hall. Dr Hurrell, who had the original idea for the school some years ago,undertook the worthy job of cutting the cake.The Y3 choir sang a beautiful rendition of “Swing Low, Sweet Charity”under the musical direction of Mr MacMillan, along with someenthusiastic hymn‐singing from the whole school.

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAYHONOURS LIST...

In June 2017, Dee Scott, Headteacher atBeavers Community, Hounslow wasrecognised for her Services to Education.She was awarded the title Member of theOrder of the British Empire (MBE).

Penny Roberts was awarded the MBE forher work in founding and Chairing St LukesFree School in Camden

PEACE PROCESSION OFDOVES...

Staff and children from St Saviour’s, Poplar had theopportunity to be involved in the centenary of thebombing of the school in Upper North Street on 15thJune 2017. This involved Y4 pupils and staff beingpart of a peace procession of doves to signify thechildren killed in the bombing. The school choir leadthe singing forHRH QueenElizabeth andHRH PrincePhilip under theexpert guidanceof Tom Daggettfrom St Paul’sCathedraloutreach.

The schools in Tower Hamlets Deanery have formeda choir directed by Tom Daggett which plans to singin St Paul’s Cathedral.

CENTENARY...HRH Princess Alexandra attended a Serviceto Celebrate the Centenary of LadyMargaret, Parsons Green at WestminsterAbbey on Tuesday 17th October 2017.The service was conducted by the Dean ofWestminster, the Very Reverend Dr JohnHall, who gave the Welcome andpronounced the Blessing. Testimonies wereread by pupils and alumnae.The Address was given by the RightReverend and Right Honourable RichardChartres KCVO ChStJ FSA, Dean of HerMajesty’s Chapels Royal.The service was sung by the combinedchoirs of Lady Margaret School, directed byDr Christopher Parker and the organ wasplayed by Matthew Jorysz, AssistantOrganist.


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VALUES...HRH Prince Andrew visited Meridian Angel,Enfield on Wednesday 27th June 2017, and saidmany wonderful things about the school. Theevent was also attended by the DeputyLieutenant of Enfield and the Mayor as well asthe Archdeacon of Hampstead, The Ven. JohnHawkins, Inigo Woolf from the LDBS and arepresentative from the Department ofEducation. Prince Andrew also metheadteachers who work in partnership with theschool and attended a briefing to hear about theschool, visited classrooms and saw an assemblythat included an extract from the production ofRomeo and Juliet. Prince Andrew finished the day by unveiling aplaque with messages that have beenincorporated into the school’s values.

NEW BUILDING...Christ Church Bentinck, Marylebone held theofficial opening of their new school buildingextension on Thursday 29th June 2017 with theActing Bishop of London, the Rt Revd PeteBroadbent, leading the blessing and cutting theribbon.

POCKET PARK...On Tuesday 28th November 2017, Holy Trinity,Tottenham held the grand opening of ‘PocketPark’, which is an area that was once owned byHaringey Council. Fr Ian Booth, Area Dean ofEast Haringey led the service with Fr Bunmi andthe Mayor of Haringey officially opened the newunderground classroom. Everyone assembledoutside while the steel pan band played and FrIan blessed all the different areas in the park.This outside space provides adventure and

curiosity for thechildren wherethey can hide,run, explore,look after anddiscover howplants grow andmake deliciousmud pies.


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CLEAN AIR...In May 2017, St Mary’s, Bryanston Square held Westminster’sfirst ‘Clean Air’ Street Party.The road was closed off for three hours and the children couldplay freely outside school without any traffic; the communitybattles daily with the effects of air pollution. There wereactivities related to healthy eating, healthy lifestyles andreducing air pollution, organised by Westminster City Council,the Marylebone LEN (Low Emissions Network), St Mary’sChurch and the school. There was also musical entertainmentprovided by St Mary’s school choir.

PARTNERSHIP...Three schools in the R.B. of Kensington and Chelsea formed aDeanery partnership ‐ the ‘Chelsea Deanery Partnership’: ChristChurch, Chelsea; Holy Trinity, Sloane Square; St Cuthbert withSt Matthias, Earls Court. The launch took place on 12th May2017 when staff, priests, LDBS and LA representatives,governors and some children from each school met together.

(The aims are to raise educational standards, promote staffdevelopment and also achieve great financial efficiency.) Children

read out quotes collected from their peers about their schools:Christ Church ‐ ‘Our school is an exciting place to learn in. Wealways look forward to the next year and what will happen…some things are always the same and some things are new ineach year group, it makes learning really good.’Holy Trinity ‐ ‘I love all the different opportunities we are givensuch as planting seeds from space given by Tim Peake, the sportevents at Chelsea Academy, going to Wembley Stadium to

watch the Women’s FA Cup Final, the Mozart performance, goinghorse‐riding, going on to school journey, the end of year production

for Y6, the leavers’ service and all of the other things which wedo!’ St Cuthbert with St Matthias ‐ ‘What makes my school special isthat it is a Christian school but everyone is invited, no matterwhat religion. We have kind children and we also have loads ofactivities‐learning is fun and educational.’

LONDON HISTORY DAY...St Luke’s, Hampstead children and staff took part in thevery first London History Day by dressing up as charactersfrom London’s diverse history on Friday 26th May 2017.Among the staff were Queen Elizabeth, Rosalind Franklin,Emmeline Pankhurst, Amy Johnson and Charlie Chaplin;the young Londoners came as a whole array ofcharacters, from King Henry VIII to Vivienne Westwood andfrom Jessica Ennis to Sherlock Holmes.In assembly, they heard about Charlie Chaplin’s final speech in his famous film ‘The Great Dictator’ ‐ “Wewant to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery.”


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CROSS CHANNEL...In July 2017, Revd Graham Buckle, Vicar of St Stephen’s,Westminster and Ex‐officio of Burdett Coutts/Townshend,Westminster completed an epic cross‐Channel swim with fourother keen swimmers, as part of a relay effort, in a time of 14hours and 47 minutes. They hit the Channel waters at 2am inthe pitch dark and staggered ashore on a French beach in mid‐

afternoon amid windsurfers and bathers.Each member of the team did three one‐hour‐shifts and were swimming to raise money

for Charity. Fr Graham raised nearly £5000 towards his church’s floor and heating repair fund.Fr Graham said “At first I was a bit shocked at the swell, and was taken by surprise. But it was quiteeuphoric and an amazing thing to have achieved. Completing the feat required navigating three plagues:a shoal of jellyfish, a swarm of seagulls and at the end, a force seven gale.” The weather was so bad forthe final few miles that he would have given up, if the team had not been within sight of the French coast.

FORMULA E...Greig City Academy, Haringey Formula 24 racing teamhad a brilliant day's racing at Ford Dunton TechnicalCentre Test Track in July 2017. The team had extensivelymodified their Formula E car and the girls produced asuperb heat sink for the motor which improvedperformance immensely. After a crash in the first race, the drivers pushed to makesome great times and consistent laps in the second racewhich pushed them up the board. After a nail biting race theyfinished 7th overall and in 3rd place in Kit Cars. The students were over the moon and couldn’twait to receive the trophy and medals – their first podium place of the season.

LIBRARY BUS...Rachel Barton, headteacher of Littleton, Surrey had a vision toprovide the children with a vibrant and engaging place to read;encouraging them to further their reading skills, expand theirimaginations and make reading on the bus an interesting andexciting learning place. Creating the bus was a real communityproject and the ‘Littleton Bus Library’ doors finally opened forbusiness during their Summer Festival at the school on Saturday17 June 2017.

The school wall had to be knocked down by one of the parents, MrMagnani, who then kindly rebuilt it, to accommodate manoeuvring the bus into position with

the intention of turning it into a static, but unusual library for the children. The bus is equipped with airconditioning, heating, electricity and lighting which was installed bylocal contractors and the book shelves, carpet tiles and paintingwere completed by the school’s dedicated caretaker, Phil Anstey.The project which includes soft furnishings, a quiet corner andoutside seating has been lovingly chivvied along by the school’sbusiness manager, Susan Holmes. Dedicated parents helpedraise funds for the refurbishment; Kathryn Donovan andShepperton Studios Drapery Department created the beautifulseating and signage.


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ST MARY’S, BRYANSTON SQUARE

Different stations were set up around the hall for children to engage with and respond to. The mostpopular stations were the map of the world; thinking about people we might want to pray for in othercountries, a ‘be still’ corner for personal reflection, and a place to say sorry. Children from every classvisited the prayer space.

PRAYER SPACEPRAYER SPACE


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GRENFELL...St John the Baptist, Hampton Wick combined charityfundraising for the Grenfell Tower charity along with acelebration of ‘St John the Baptist’s Day’. St John’s dayis marked annually with an activity and this year theytook advantage of the weather; the 286 pupils weretreated to a 30 foot waterslide on Tuesday 27th June2017, which they enjoyed immensely. The School tookthis opportunity to ask pupils and their parents toconsider those less fortunate and asked for donationsto be made for those affected by the Grenfell Towerincident. £500 in donations was received.

On Friday 23 June 2017, St Mary Abbots, Kensingtonpupils and staff wore Green in support of those whohad lost their lives and those families who had losttheir homes in the Grenfell Fire Disaster.

There was a huge response from theschool community and by the end ofthe day, £1,105 had been raised.A photo of the whole school was takenas a reminder of the day. Prayerscontinue for those in the communitywho have been affected.

All Soul’s, Foley Street held class reflections onFriday 23rd June 2017.

St Paul’s, Brentford children dressed in an item of green clothingand made a donation. Prayers andthoughts were shared during phasedassemblies. In total they raised £585which was sent to the British RedCross, who were co‐ordinating relief

efforts.

Christ Church, Chelsea raised £833.66. Pupils, Anders (Y5) and Helena (Y3)held their own cake sale, raising £206.15, which they kindly asked if theycould add to the school’s collection.


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COMMUNITY SPORTS HUB...Hayley McQueen, Sky Sports News’ lead anchor,officially opened William Perkin’s, Ealing newcommunity sports hub on Tuesday 25th April2017. The hub contains a new all‐weather pitchand a two‐storey changing room pavilion;projected to increase 14‐25yr old participationby 238%.In addition to the school’s 785 students, thegrassroots site will also be used by local primaryschools, and called ‘home’ by Middlesex FA GirlsCentre of Excellence and local sides GreenfordCeltic FC and Hanwell Town Youth FC. As part of the project planning, William Perkinworked alongside the Middlesex FA and EalingCouncil to compile a five‐year FootballDevelopment Plan (FDP) – a long‐term vision ofhow sport will be played at the new football hub.In order to maximise participation throughoutthe calendar year, William Perkin is embarkingon an ambitious second phase of this project. Inpartnership with Middlesex County Cricket Club,the vision is to create a centre for state schoolcricket, a hub for local primary school children toexperience cricket and a base to be used byMiddlesex Womens’ Cricket. Hayley McQueen, said: “This facility is muchmore than a pitch and changing rooms – it’s acommunity focal point. Not only will it be usedevery minute of every school day by the WilliamPerkin pupils but also by the wider community.It’s an opportunity to keep fit, improve socialskills or maybe even gain qualifications, such ascoaching badges.”Dame Alice Hudson, Executive Headteacher ofTwyford Academies Trust, said: “As a Trust, weare committed to achieving outstandingstandards in sports as well as the Arts. We areproud to have facilities which rival theindependent sector whose success story indelivering national sports men and women weseek to emulate also.”

COMMUNITY SPIRIT...In June 2017, children and adults all over theUK wore green clothes, to show their supportfor the people affected by the fire at GrenfellTower.On the ‘Green for Grenfell’ Day, St John’s,Walham Green held a sponsored silence atschool, with all children and adults taking partfrom Nursery to Y6. The school communityraised an astounding£6,249.20 for thevictims and sent thedonation to K&CFoundation. St John’sreceived a letter andcertificate of Supportfrom the Charity. The school school mottois ‘love one another’ and they hoped theircontribution helps the community affected by

the tragedy.

MANDARIN...On Wednesday 6th December 2017, tenMandarin pupils from St Mary MagdaleneAcademy enjoyed a very special trip to theForeign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) inWhitehall.The visit was to celebrate the first year oftheir Mandarin Expansion Programme, and tocongratulate the pupils and teachers for theirhard work and commitment.The students were hosted by the Rt Hon NickGibb MP and the Head of Mandarin, Ms Luoand were also joined by the Secretary of Statefor Education, Justine Greening, and theBritish Ambassador to China, Dame BarbaraWoodward.

S.O.U.L...During the 2017 Autumn term, children at StClement Danes , Drury Lane have beendeveloping their physical and mental health infun active workshops led by by S.O.U.L. Ltd.


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PROBLEM SOLVING...In early December 2017, St John’s, Upper Hollowayfocused on maths in context and real life problemsolving.

HOUSING ISSUES...On Tuesday 17th October 2017, YoungAmbassadors represented Holy Trinity,Tottenham at the Haringey CitizensAssembly. They presented three issues tothe Assembly (made up of local schoolsand churches) about the new WelbourneHousing Development and also askedArgent Related, the developers, to committo the following:· To build 50% affordable housing· To promote a healthy environment in

Tottenham· For Argent Related to become a London

Living Wage employer and work with Haringey Citizens to get young people apprenticeships

Argent Related committed to 60%affordable housing and to work withHaringey Citizens and the school on theother two issues. Other institutions sharedstories about campaigning against roguelandlords, ensuring people who work atTottenham Hotspurs earn the LondonLiving Wage and also about providinghousing for refugees under the communitysponsorship scheme for refugees.

DEMOCRACY AT WORK...In July 2017, St Luke’s, Old Street held theirannual head boy and head girl elections. Y5children carefully prepared and edited theirmanifestos, practicing their speeches andpresented the rest of theschool with a difficulttask in voting for theirfavoured candidate.The results were veryclose with only a fewvotes between them.The victoriouscandidates were Baileyand Ozge who begantheir duties inSeptember 2017. Theother 8 short‐listed candidates will assistwith duties as deputies. (photo – a Y1 boy casting

his vote.)

The best female cricketers from around the globecompeted in the pinnacle event of theinternational game, the ICC Women’s World CupFinal at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Sunday 23rd July2017.

The pupils of Christ Church Bentinck, Marylebone wereselected to join the teams during the celebration of theirNational anthems and witnessed England beat India in adramatic women's cricket World Cup final. This was agreat advert for the women’s game and the families fromthe school were very proud to be part of this memorable

occasion.


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SUMMER 2017...SUMMER 2017...

St Paul’s, Hammersmith held its first summer fair in nineyears, to raise funds for the playground; St Paul’s steel pangroup entertained the visitors.Y3 summer fabulous finales – a French café. Children servedchildren – using their French skill – and taking orders forcheese, croissant and fruit. Y6 fundraised for their end of year show by doing errands forstaff and children and put ona wonderful performance ofHairspray!

Meridian Angel, Enfield had a beach day on Friday14th July 2017, followed by a summer fair.

St Mary’s, Hampton children tried out a new play‐frame after the 2017 Summer holidays. The schoolcommunity and the PTFA raised the necessaryfunds for the play‐frame.


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2017 HEADTEACHERS’ SOCIAL, MORAL, SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL TRIP TO SICILY...Here are just a few of the highlights and magnificent photos taken on the trip in October 2017.

ART CORNER...Greig City Academy Y13 artists.


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ALL DIFFERENT, ALL EQUAL...Anti‐bullying week took place at St Paul’s, Whitechapelin late November 2017. The School Council gave apowerful presentation on the importance of friendshipand helping others. Classes focused on ‘Our GoldenRules’ and did some work centred around how theyshould all look after and care for one another. To markthe day, children went to school wearing odd sockstaking account of the theme ‐ 'All different, all equal' andthe money raised went to the Anti‐Bullying Alliance.

OPEN GARDEN...Christ Church, Chelsea held an open garden & artexhibition on Friday 16th June 2017.The Pupil Parliament children took on the roles ofGarden Guides with music performed by the choir,refreshments from the Pop‐Up Café, a garden shop andan art exhibition.

SURFIN’...On Friday 30th June2017, Y5 and Y6children from HolyTrinity, Northwoodchoir made theirway to WinstonChurchill Hall for achoir competition.The first category was classical music which they won singing “Amazing Grace” from Proms Praise. Thesecond category was pop and they sang “Surfin’ USA” wearing sunglasses.

SCHOOL COUNCIL PROJECTS...The Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP visited StAndrew’s, Barnsbury on Friday 17th November2017 which was ‘Children in Need Day’. She met with the School Council and discussedlocal, national and international projects theschool is involved in and also had a tour of theschool.


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SLEEP OUT...On Saturday 10th June 2017, fourty‐three pupils aged11‐16yrs and ten members of staff from St MaryMagdalene Academy, Islington climbed Old ManConiston in the Lake District to raise money for theAcademy's chosen charity, Macmillan. They camped inthe grounds of Rydal Hall which is the Diocese ofCarlise Conference, Retreat & Holiday Centre and setin a stately 17th‐century mansion on 34 acres ofgrounds next to Rydal Mount & Gardens, former homeof poet William Wordsworth.Headteacher, Vicky Linsley said 'it was hard to believethat we had camped and climbed a mountain in someof the most appalling and challenging weatherconditions possible in the UK. The pupils met thechallenge with resilience and cheerfulness, there wasnot a single moan, complaint or unwillingness tocarry on at any point over the weekend‐ what anincredible group of young people!' At present the Just Giving site has over £3000 indonations from parents and friends of the Academy,a fantastic achievement by the whole team.

In June 2017, Y7 Saskia with her younger brotherAlfie completed an awe‐inspiring charity cycle ridetogether from London to Paris conquering poorweather and tiredness – 432km over just four days– to raise money for Cancer Research.Before her trip, Saskia said, ‘I feel nervous because Iknow what a big thing it is to do, but I’m trying tokeep that out of my mind and concentrate on howhappy I will feel when I see the Eiffel Tower. It wasreally hard at times and sometimes I wanted to stopbut I did this in memory of my granny who was adaredevil and loved challenging herself to do more.She inspires me.’Saskia and Alfie havebecome the youngest‐known girl and boy tohave cycled from Londonto Paris via Dover.

BECK TO SCHOOL...To celebrate World Children’s Day on Monday20th November 2017, David Beckham, in his roleas a UNICEF ambassador, surprised pupils atKentish Town, Camden by popping in for a chatand an impromptu game of football. He met withthe Rights Respecting Council, discussed theirwork with Unicef and shared his experiences ofvisiting placeswherevulnerablechildren arenot accessingtheir rights tomedical care oreducation.

BASKETBALL...It was another double in 2017 for Greig CityAcademy, Haringey at the English Schools’ Finalswhen the U14 and U16 girls’ teams clinched goldon Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th May 2017.Anitha was declared MVP (Most Valuable Player)for the U16s and Daniella for the U14s.

SUPER-GYMNASTS...St George’s, Freezywater Y5 and Y6

Gymnastics' Teamcame 1st in theEnfieldGymnasticsFestival in earlyDecember 2017.Gymnasticsteacher MrsBacon wascredited for herhard work intraining them.


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RYA AWARD FOR ENDEAVOUR ...Greig City Academy, Haringey were nominated forthe RYA Award for Endeavour and were selected as awinner by the RYA Honours and Awards Panel. The senior crew and Jon Holt were presented withone of the Royal Yachting Association’s mostprestigious awards by HRH the Princess Royal,President of the RYA, Princess Anne at theorganisation’s annual awards ceremony in London on24 November 2017.The RYA praised the 'foresight and dedication of aremarkable teacher, Jon Holt', who set up the sailingprogramme and inspired so many students to settheir sights high. The RYA commented: 'Everyone involved in ProjectScaramouche and the successful completion of theRORC Rolex Fastnet Race 2017 are truly deserving ofthe RYA Award for Endeavour.'Jon Holt said: 'A major milestone in the boys’ successin racing came with the invitation to train alongsidethe British Keelboat Academy with the Cowes EtchellsFleet. Intensive training from David Bedford andDavid Franks led to the students achieving 4th placein the Louis Piana Cup last August. They all intend toundertake a full Etchells programme in 2018. Thisaward is a reflection on the remarkable resilience ofour young sailors who have overcome everyperceived barrier in the sport to succeed not only atsailing itself but also in racing. To get recognition ofthis by theRYA isfantastic.'

RACE FOR HEALTH...St Luke’s, Hampstead once again took part in theCamden Schools’ “Race for Health” on Thursday27th April 2017, and won. The theme was“Around the World in 80 Days”, and with a totalof 143,853 active minutes logged and 19,698miles completed, the children travelled from TheReform Club in Victorian London and made it allthe way to San Francisco.

GIRLS SAIL SCARAMOUCHE ...Yachtmaster, Nick, gave Greig City Academy Sixthform girls the confidence to sail Scaramouche on avery chilly two days in the Solent under the watchfuleye of Sarah Corrigan and Ms Peters. Jazzmine,Aisha, Rikma, Shamika, Elif, Gulcin and Anetha sailedfrom Southampton to the Isle of Wight and backwhilst learning the basics of sailing a yacht such asScaramouche ‐ tacking, hoisting sails, taking the helm,rights of way in a busy stretch of water.Ms Peters said 'People on the water look out for oneanother ‐ there's lots of camaraderie and people keepan eye out for anyone in trouble. Everyone was sofriendly ‐ they are used to seeing Scaramouche in theSolent.'

EVERYTHING DINOSAURS...In November 2017, Stanwell Fields, Y1 pupils had a visit from Dinosaur Mike whoexplained about fossils, dinosaurs and paleantology. Children learnt that theAnkylosaurus is an armoured herbivore whose stomach was the same length as

eight children stood in a line and that his brain was thesize of a fist which is over 20x smaller than ours inrelation to their body. As they moved very slowly andquietly they would freeze if they heard aTyrannosaurus Rex, which would just walk right onby. They discussed fossils and described them,deciding that they can be both heavy and light, hardand cold. They also learnt about Anomites which are sea dwelling dinosaurs withten tentacles, closely related to an octopus. Mike from ‘Everything Dinosaurs’, was very impressed with the children'sengagement and included the days’ event on his blog ‐

https://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/_archives/2017/11/03/squirrels‐and‐hedgehogs‐study‐dinosaurs.html


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GRADUATION...St Paul’s, Hammersmith receptionclass graduated in style, sharing alltheir favourite memories and theirhopes for KS1 at the end of July2017.

FOOD RECYCLING...The School Council at St Clement Danes,Drury Lane initiated a very successful foodwaste recycling project. The childrenintroduced recycling bins in the playgroundfor fruit snacks, food waste recycling binsin the lunch hall, kitchen and staffroom.

Y3 took part in a project with The Delaunaycafé/restaurant in Covent Garden. The project includedcooking workshops at school and visits to the Delaunay’skitchen where the children enjoyed marvellous chocolate‐making sessions with the top pastry chef, Regis Negrier.

NATIONAL EQUALITIES AWARD...On Friday 19th May 2017, The Lord Mayor of the City ofWestminster presented St Peter’s, Paddington with a NationalEqualities Award in recognition of its commitment to equality.To gain this award staff and governors are required to undertake

a thorough auditof the school’spolicies andsupply a widerange of evidenceto beindependentlyassessed.


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NOMAD BOOKS...On Wednesday 26th April 2017, a group oftwenty avid Y7 and Y8 readers from LadyMargaret, Parsons Green visited Nomadbooks to attend an author talk given bySarah Mussi, winner of the Glen DimplexChildren’s Book of the Year Award.Students were let in to some of the secretsof the world of writing and publishingbefore learning about some of the secretsof the Welsh mountains ‐ the setting forSarah Mussi's new novel ‘Here Be Witches’. Students were then given a lesson in Divination, and someeven got to predict the future in a tea‐leaf reading.

READING PROGRAMME...In October 2017, Children from St ClementDanes, Drury Lane participated in PenguinRandom House UK’s Reading Programme.Volunteers from Penguin visited the schooleach week to read with individual children.These children were also invited to visitPenguin Random House’s offices and weregiven a wonderful insight into the world ofpublishing with a guided tour of the officesand a gift of books to take back to school.

MATHS CHALLENGE...On Thursday 15th June 2017, four children from St Luke’s,Hampstead Winter Class, visited Hampstead School to participatein the Camden Schools’ Primary Maths Challenge. The teamsconsisted of Y5 and Y6 children. St Luke’s four Y5s workedtogether completing tasks using their logic, reasoning andarithmetic skills performing exceptionally well and managed tocome second out of ten schools.

MASTERCLASS...Indian author Nayanika Mahtani gave a masterclass forkeen KS3 readers and writers from St Mary MagdaleneAcademy, Islington on Wednesday 6 December 2017. After growing up in India and living in Africa, Nayanikamoved to London where she lives with her family andtwo goldfish named Sushi and Fishfinger. Her fascinationwith travel, history and other cultures is reflected in her brilliantly entertaining novel, ‘The Gory Story ofGenghis Khan: Aka Don’t Mess with Mongols’. The novel was the subject of the masterclass. After theinformative, fun‐filled talk, pupils enjoyed meeting Nayanika and asking questions about her books, anddiscovering tips on how to start writing their own pieces of literary work.


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HOPE, SIMPLICITY, CREATIVITY, COMPASSION, PATIENCE, UNDER-STANDING ...

Every pupil and staff member at Christ Church, Hampstead worked on the murals below.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS SERVICE...Dr Triplett's, Hayes started the 2017 school year with a surprisecelebration for three members of its Senior Leadership Team; InterimJoint Headetachers Pauline Byles and Rachel Anderson, and ActingAsssistant Headteacher Paul Wiggin all joined the Dr Triplett's family25 years ago.

CREATIVE WRITING...Greig City Academy, Haringey Y7 student, Arno Hahn, scooped first prize in the Crouch End Festival CreativeWriting competition with his story on the theme of unity ‐ 'The orphans escape'. Local author, Karen McCrombie, presented Arno with his prize on stage at the festival on Saturday 10th June2017. Here is an excerpt:“The falcons huddle together, warm inside their nest. High up, a ledge of steel and glass; the city below: ahubbub of shrill voices, roaring engines and coarse squeaks of pigeons. A gentle cock of each head reveals aglimpse of something rare. They are young, not yet fledglings, false primaries still growing. Dark markingsand sharp beaks define them. Three days and two of the six are dead. Cold urban winters – a harsh reality.As the sun sets, violets and oranges on the horizon merge and on the canvas of crimson two birds arestooping. A streamlined torpedo of feathers. And there below like a pool of ink a murder of crows. Pridecourses through them as the peregrines stoop. The impact is huge. This has never happened before. Thecrows throw open their wings and the peregrines, once the kings of the skies, now a small bundle of feathersdropping like a stone. The ground rushes up to meet them. The chicks squeak in anguish. And then there isblack. The chicks look up – jet black wings with silver flecks envelop the largest crow they’ve ever seen; huge

hooked talons one by one curl around the edge of the nest. The fournested orphans plummet down into the city.”


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MOVING ON / THANKS…MOVING ON / THANKS…to the following Governors for their valuable years of service:

Jabeen Story (1 year) ~ St Andrew’s, BarnsburyEmma Skinmore (2 years) ~ Burlington Danes Academy, White CityCalvin Henry (2 years) ~ Sir John Cass’s Foundation, AldgateFreddie Lawson (2 years) ~ St Michael’s, CamdenRebecca Robinson (2 years) ~ Chelsea AcademyElizabeth Campbell (3 years) ~ Chelsea AcademyDeborah Wilckens (3 years) ~ St Paul’s, HammersmithSusan Ripley (4 years) ~ Bishop Winnington Ingram, RuislipStephen Burns (4 years) ~ Laleham, SurryFeysia Demie (4 years) ~ St Mary’s, HornseyPhilippa Turner (7½ years) ~ St Michael’s, Camden

Matthew Bruce (8 years) ~ All Saints, Fulham

RETIREMENT...Rob Hannan retired on Thursday 5th October 2017 from the LDBS after 11 years. Rob was the formerHead of St Mary’s High, Hendon prior to joining the LDBS on 1st September 2006 as the SecondarySchools Development Officer. He then oversaw the set up and opening of Chelsea Academy, WrenAcademy and a number of free schools; he also supported a number of other Dioceses with their schooldevelopment programmes.

Annie Gaudencio, Headteacher at St George’s Freezywatertook early retirement at the end of the 2017 Summer termafter 13 years at St George’s and Deputy Head MichelleSheehan became the new Head from September 2017.

31 YEARS OF SERVICE...St Mary Abbots, Kensington staff, parents and governorscame together to say a ‘fondfarewell’ to its longest servingstaff member in July 2017.

Eve Verjee, Nursery Officer hadworked at the school for 31 years and made the difficult decision to retire.She worked with two Headteachers, six Reception Class teachers and hadseen one thousand Y4 and Y5 year olds through Reception Class. She waspresented with an engraved oak clock to remember her time spent at theschool.

ONE IDEA...In November 2017, a group of Y5 and Y6 children from BeaversPrimary, Hounslow visited Andy Stanton, the famous author whowrites the ‘Mr Gum’ books. Andy shared how he writes his booksand said you only need one idea and to keep working at it.

Lisa Crispin was thefounding headteacher ofArk Burlington DanesPrimary Academy and losther struggle against cancersurrounded by family onThursday 29th June 2017.As a tribute to Lisa, Ark

Burlington Danes plan to name theirprimary school library the ‘Lisa CrispinLibrary’.


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BIRTH CONGRATULATIONS

Heather Knightley, Headteacherat St John & St James, Edmonton~ Grandaughter Eden HeatherNeriah on 18 October 2017.

NEXT ISSUE...If any schools would like to send any pieces of work,news items ‐ including charity fundraisers, births,marriages and retirements of staff, or pictures/photos(these will be sent back to you), artwork or poemswhich illustrate a particular event or on‐going projectfor the next LDBS Schools Newsletter ~ CHRISTMASand SPRING events, including Easter, please send to: Mitch Gallacher, LDBS, Diocesan House, 36 CaustonStreet, London, SW1P 4AU Fax : 020 7932 1111 E‐mail: [email protected] by 6th April 2018

DEAR GOD...Actual prayers of children!

If you can't make me a better boy, don'tworry about it. I'm having a real good timelike I am.

Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if heuses his golf words in the house?

When my mom makes leftovers, do I haveto pray for the food again?

I talk to you every day. It’s nice that I cantalk to you. But how come you don’t talkback? You can if you want. But you’ll haveto buy a ticket. You can get tickets on ourwebsite, or on Twitter.

After listening restlessly to a long andtedious sermon, a six‐year‐old boy asked hisfather what the preacher did the rest of theweek.

"Oh, he's a very busy man," the fatherreplied. "He takes care of church business,visits the sick, ministers to the poor...andthen he has to have time to rest up. Talkingin public isn't an easy job, you know."The boy thought about that, then said,"Well, listening ain't easy, either!"

REST IN PEACE...Gary Powell, husband of Gloria Powell, Chair at St John & St James, Edmonton passedaway suddenly on Sunday 10th September 2017.Gary was well loved and known to those, especially, who have been on the LDBS SMSCtrips abroad and will be sorely missed. Gary worked as an illustrator, designer,printmaker and educator. He was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton and alsoSenior Lecturer/Research Fellow at Central St Martins.

Documents

LDBS SCHOOLS NEWSLETTER€¦ · LDBS Schools Newsletter Issue 31 ~ Summer - Winter 2017 page 1 of 19 ISSUE 31 SUMMER ... comprised of a 6 foot 8” armed bright orange centipede