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S A C R E D H E A R T N E W S

Autumn Term—Issue 7 Friday 2nd November

Dear Parents, Guardians & Students,

A warm welcome back to everyone after half-term! I trust that you all had a good rest and that we are all ready for the challenges of the next eight weeks leading up to the end of term. However, among all the work, exams, assessments and other school-based activities it is important we find some time to reflect.

All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Days took place this week. Both are vital dates in the Catholic calendar, as we take the opportunity to remember the departed, both in heaven and purgatory respectively. On such days I believe it is appropriate for us as Christians to consider the

impact of our own lives on other people. If we were faced with our own judgment day now, how would we fare? Would we be able to say proudly that we have lived gospel values? Or would we fall short of the standards of kindness and compassion that God and Jesus expect us to strive for? If we are falling short, then what can we do to make a change in our lives? What could we do today to be a better person?

These days are also an opportunity for us to remember those of our loved ones who are no longer with us and to give thanks for the sometimes positive and sometimes negative legacies of theirs which – for better or worse - we still carry with us. It is important that every generation strives to be better than the last, so we ask for God’s strength and guidance as we seek to follow the example of the good and saintly acts of those who have passed away, but also to avoid the mistakes of the past. It is in that way that we can forge a positive and loving future. Mr L. Williams Assistant Headteacher

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING 8 November

INSET DAY 23 November

Year 7 Parents’ Evening

29 November

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Name: Tobi Otenigbegbe – 7B Found: A calculator & footprint badge Name: Rosemary Kamanda – 8P Found: A set of keys Name: Harry Duru – 7P Found: A pendant of flag of Congo Name: Laura Kabba – 7P Found: A pair of glasses

Name: Jordelle Akulu – 8P Found: A mobile phone Name: Myron Volcy –

10TT Found: A set of keys Name: Jeremy Nana

Owusu—7T Found: A set of keys

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE WEEK (Commencing Monday 5th November 2018)

Monday 5th November Y11 Assembly Y12 Maths Mock @ 3.15pm (School Hall) Tuesday, 6th November Y7 Assembly—World War 1 Y7— WW1 History Workshop Wednesday 7th November Y11 Drama Trip (pm) - Ms Trustman Y8 Indoor Athletics—Mr Ojuriye Y10/11 Basketball v Walworth—Mr Blake

Thursday 8th November Y9 & Y12 Assembly—WW1

Y8 G&T Maths Trip—Ms Cawley

Sixth Form Open Evening (4.30 to 6.30)

Y9 RSE

Friday 9th November Y10 & Y13 Assembly—WW1 Y8 Mass Y12 MFL Trip—Ms Martinez Gea Y8 M/B Southwark Cathedral Mass (am) - Ms

Noonan, Mr Price, Mr White Y11 Basketball v Dulwich College (4pm) - Mr

Blake Y12 Northern Line Extension Trip (P6)-Ms

Sparkes

“To see God, to be similar to God: this is our hope. And today, precisely on the day of the Saints and before the day for the dead, it is necessary to think a little about hope: this hope that accompanies us in life… There are moments of difficulty in life, but with hope the soul moves forward and looks toward that which awaits us”

POPE FRANCIS

All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day

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Debate & Public Speaking this Autumn half term

September: Open Week & Year 10

Public Speaking Training

Pupils in Year 10 this year began the term with a full day of public speaking training with the Jack Petchey Foundation in conjunction with Speakers Trust. The day started with pupils practicing how to introduce themselves. Discussion centred around the power of eye contact and a firm hand shake! This was followed with group work where individuals made speeches to their team that began with various impromptu sentence starters, such as ‘My feelings about school uniform are…’ or ‘Pupils should/shouldn’t be allowed to leave school at 14’. Pupils were then fed back to by their team:

STANCE!

Pupils demonstrating that posture is very important, and what you do with your hands reflects how

your audience see you.

Pupils use their speaking guides to help them give

feedback to their peers in order to improve next time.

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September: Open Week & Year 10

Public Speaking Training

Pupils went on to have group discussion about their feelings concerning the culture that they live in, and if they felt

it offered them the best opportunities. This exercise was designed to get the Year 10s thinking about their

surroundings and the political climate. It was very interesting to hear the pupils speak so eloquently about their

problems within the areas that they lived in, talking about both what they enjoyed about London, as well as what

they found difficult or scary.

The morning drew to a close with pupils beginning to prepare a speech of their own that would be delivered in

the afternoon session. The speech was aimed to be 1-2 minutes long, reflect the skills that the pupils had learnt

during the day and allow the trainer and I to decide two of the best speakers that would go on to enter the Jack

Petchey Speak Out Challenge in March 2019.

Pupils came back from lunch and were given a little time to prepare In the afternoon

the room was rear-

ranged in order to

give a more formal

impression and to

allow to pupils to

see the class as an

audience, rather

than their peers or

classmates. The

speeches showed

great courage,

some pupils strug-

gled with this, oth-

ers took to it like

ducks to water;

loving the chance

to show off!

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Some of the most memorable speakers will be invited to take part in an assembly,

and will be chosen from there to compete in the regional final:

Sarah Coleman Seun Omotosho

Leo Wallace Eden Ehioghae

Erdine Matonga Francesca Pires

Cheyenne Faulkner Giovanni Saraceto

In addition, there were some highly commended pupils who showed significant

improvement and effort throughout the day; these included:

Precious Agho Abie Koroma

Elie N’Guessan Monica Lemos-Frietas

All pupils will get a certificate to show they have taken part in a day of public speaking training,

certificates will be filed in their folders for safe keeping.

Debate and public speaking important dates

Debate Mate will be running the club launches in London after half term and the dates are as follows:

Debate Mate Plus (6th Formers Debate club) – Monday 29th October Debate Mate Core (Years 7 – 10 Debate club)- Thursday 1st November

Debate Mate Accelerate (Years 7 – 10 timetabled debate) - Thursday 1st November

*** ALL DEBATE MATE CLUBS BEGIN THE WEEK OF THE 5TH NOVEMBER***

September: Open Week & Year 10

Public Speaking Training

Sarah Coleman: “I’m really glad that we did public speaking training. I think it will help with the English speaking exam and I really want to perform in the “Speak Out” regional final.”

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Sixth Form Catenian Public Speaking Competition

Every year Sacred Heart compete in the

Catenians Sixth Form public speaking

competition. The Catenians invite all Catholic

Sixth Forms in their province to enter a

preliminary competition with the grand final

taking place in Manchester the following year.

This year the competition was hosted by Bishop

Thomas Grant School, and Sacred Heart

entered Precious Ogunlowo and

Ezekiel Johnson in Year 12. Both pupils, spoke

with eloquence, authority and alacrity and,

though they did not win, were certainly worthy

of it.

Precious Ogunlowo performing ‘The Queen’s Speech’,

about how there is royalty in all of us and imploring

women to embrace their inner queen!

Ezekiel performing his

speech ‘Airing’.

Explaining to the

audience the importance

of the first impression

and how acknowledging

someone makes all the

difference.

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It was particularly enjoyable to witness the level of friendship, comradery and spirit that exists between our Year 12 pupils. I was inundated with requests from students who wanted to support the two competitors from Sacred Heart, so much so that we took the school mini bus and still couldn’t fit everyone in, some pupils even made the effort to get there separately.

Thank you to all of those pupils who came to support, it made the atmosphere so much more positive and very much added to the confidence of the speakers.

At Sacred Heart we highly value the importance of public speaking and debate. We believe it contributes to our young people’s future both academically and within the work place. With decent public speaking skills, a pupil will improve college application and interview skills, whilst also introducing them to abilities that will give them strength and resilience in later life.

Sixth Form Catenian Public Speaking Competition

The Judges: Bishop Pat Lynch. Sharon

Grange (past Headteacher) and Bren-

dan Ducey (Catenians Director Province

Above: Duncan Aitkins

(Catenian MC for the evening)

Adama Nwamoh Keziah Mensah Jessica Aka Brigid Ferguson Laing Courtney Daapa Maame Sekyere Marie Pembele Francess Sombay Elizabeth Talobi Kailah Daley Dynelle Bruce Redempta Amara Precious Ogunlowu Suriya Winstone Mailat Tekle

The pupils, teachers and staff who attended and competed

Public speaking tip: ‘When speaking in public try to ensure you are talking

about a topic you are passionate about, this will strengthen the sincerity of

your tone and language’

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Sacred Heart School World War One Centenary

Remembrance Commemoration

2018 marks an important centenary in world history. It is one hundred years since the end of World War 1, then known as the Great War. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 the Armistice was signed, agreeing the surrender of Germany to the victorious Allies, which included Great Britain and her empire, France and the USA. The 11th of November has marked the date when, as a country, we come together in remembrance of those people who have fought and died for our country, for freedom and the values that we hold dear in all wars that have been subsequently fought, in addition to World War 1 (1914-1918) and World War 2 (1939-1945). World War I was originally known as ‘The Great War’ and ‘the war to end all wars’ because its size, magnitude, death and destruction was unparalleled at the time. It is estimated that over 37 million people from countries as far reaching as Canada, Japan, Algeria Cameroon, Australia, The Congo, Italy, Portugal, Cuba, Brazil, India, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Uganda died. This includes 10 million military personnel and over 7 million civilians who died as a direct result of the fighting. The remaining figure reflects the huge numbers of people who died as a consequence of the fighting; malnutrition, disease and starvation due to food shortages brought about through the disruption in world trade. The importance of World War I is partly due to

the way it totally altered the course of the twentieth century. Many historians have made a clear link between World War I and the causes of World War II in 1939. The harsh terms the Allied powers inflicted on Germany in the peace Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, which included Germany having to accept formal responsibility for starting the war in 1914 (Article 231 – the War Guilt Clause) and huge reparation payments (£6.6 billion) to compensate the Allies for the damage and destruction they had suffered, was a key factor in the rise of the Nazis and, as a result, World War II. However, World War 1 must also be recognised for the development of scientific, medical and technological advances and discoveries. For example, World War One led to the introduction of the use of tanks in 1916 which revolutionised warfare. The founding of the Royal Air Force in 1918 highlighted the development of aeroplanes, originally as a tool of recognisance and later in fighting but also the use of air traffic control and radar. Huge medical advances were made with the use of mobile X-ray machines and the use of blood transfusions with saved countless lives. Furthermore, World War I marked the start of the development of plastic surgery, as Harold Gillies pioneered techniques to rebuild the faces of servicemen who had been terribly disfigured as a result of the fighting.

British soldiers cheering as news of the

armistice, ending WWI, is read to them,

11th November 1918

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Sacred Heart School World War One Centenary

Remembrance Commemoration

Sacred Heart School, along with schools, youth groups, museums, churches and other institutions across the country, will be marking this centenary with a number of special activities and events from 5th November 2018. For example, Year 7 will take part in an exciting workshop entitled ‘Hands on History – World War I’, students in Year 8 will be participating in a remembrance service at St George’s Cathedral and Year 9 will be talking about the role of black soldiers with historian and author of ‘Black Poppies, Britain’s Black Community and the Great War’, Stephen Bourne. There will be a school cinema club where we will be watching ‘My Boy Jack’ and all students are invited to take part in ‘Did you know….’ treasure hunt quiz about World War I. Crucially, children in KS3 will be learning about different aspects of World War I in all their subjects to highlight its wide-ranging importance, and to draw interesting cross-curricular links to the war and its centenary.

We hope that this wide range of activities is en-gaging, memorable and thought-provoking for our students. It is our hope that students will end the week having developed a deep respect for the scale of sacrifice and destruction of World War I, and an appreciation of its immense historical sig-nificance.

History Department

Crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace to

celebrate news of the signing of the armistice,

11th November 1918

ART DEPARTMENT—WORLD WAR ONE CENTENARY

Pupils from Y7 T, B & C and Y9 Art produced artwork using a mixture of paint and collage.

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SIXTH FORM JOURNALISM TEAM

This week’s newsletter article features work written from a variety of students across Sacred Heart. From poetry to motivational speeches, each celebrate the beauty of being black and the joyous progress made over the centuries, and thus is the perfect way to conclude black history month. A final sincere thank you to everyone who participated – they’ll be many more writing opportunities to come this half-term!

PART OF ME

I am a mix of both black and white I am a symbol of both roles

But when I look through history books All I see are white faces.

A part of me is recognised A part of me neglected

A part of me got the part A part of me was rejected.

This is a month where I can be glad To see me a racial mix

It’s not like a history book Where the writers choose and pick.

Black history month is important to me As I can finally see

The rejected and neglected, Brilliant part of me.

Chelsea Beattie, 8M

My Black History

My black history is such a long story Too many people have reached the glory,

Martin Luther King “I had a dream” But it’s not at all times that we did succeed.

Sitting at the back of the bus, Worked as slaves,

For what? Just because of a darker colour. I can’t even explain my emotion enough.

How can we learn right from wrong When the people above us don’t know how to stay strong?

Don’t be defeated by what people think, We are all unique in our own ways Even if it does mean tone of skin.

Where should I even begin? Language, clothes, food

No matter what we do it’s our own thing For this is what we should believe in.

Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, How much do you think they got past?

Don’t let stereotypes describe the type of person you are, Because no matter what colour, disability, acts you do,

We will always breakthrough.

Elizabeth Aremu, 9B

What does being black mean to me? Being black means that I am different. It means that I am able to express

myself freely through my culture. Black people originate from different parts of the world, and because of this, we have different experiences. These experiences help to build our character which makes up each

individual black person. As a result, I like being black; even though we share the same skin tone in different variations, we are all still unique in a special way.

Timi, 13DT

What I love about being black is the diversity and variety

of choice I have with African food

Sharlene, 13TG

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SIXTH FORM JOURNALISM TEAM

What do I like about being black? Our music, our creativity, our fashion, our art, and much more. But what I love most is the amount of pride we take in our hair, and its versatility. We have so

many dynamic looks that are unique, it’s unmatched.

EboT, 13ZH

The dance culture that black people possess makes me feel alive and keeps

me in good spirits. Also, I feel connected to my ancestors through the distinct

history of black people.

Anthonia, 13TG

Being black involves so many great aspects, I can’t choose just one. I love the people, the

food, and the way we understand each other when speaking our language.

Osamuyi, 13TG

The best thing about being black is the jokes that you’ll always hear.

Emmanuel, 13TG

It’s this time in our lives we think about the past, future, present. We think about the people representing us. We

think about how much the black community are struggling, trying to find their way in an unpredictable

economy.

We need something special in our lives. Our struggles could be used to help us strive. Our past shall sculpt our future. Faith equals destiny, black youngsters’ lives shall

no longer be in jeopardy.

Ethan, 9B

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I think it’s safe to say that this year’s Sixth Form mixer was a success! Fun games; invigorating music; delicious food; a cheerful atmosphere – what was there not to enjoy? For one afternoon, all stress and worries were put aside, allowing everyone to come together and seize the oppor-tunity to genuinely have fun. High spirits were sustained throughout, despite the near casualties during a game of musical chairs!

I genuinely believe this event has bridged the gap between Year 12 and 13, as it has encouraged much more interaction between the two years, and more importantly a greater sense of settlement, especially for the Year 12s. Both members of each year group have commented that the mixer allowed “greater integration” as well as promoted “a sense of collectivism”, and it was felt that the success of the afternoon was due to “everyone’s eagerness to make the most out of it.” An immense amount of effort went into the organisation of this event, ensuring that it was enjoyable and accessible. Thus, a special thank you to everyone who made the mixer possible, including the events com-mittee, DJ, catering staff, technician and the support provided by Madam Roszkowski and the rest of the leadership team. The leadership team are excited to plan more upcoming events for sixth formers to im-merse themselves in. The mixer was merely a taster of what the leadership team have in store – be prepared for much more to come!

Ellie Panayiotou, Head Journalist

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Year 8 Food Tech club will be starting after school on Thursday 1st November and will run for 6 sessions. Pupils will be making mystery products! The club is by invitation only so please see Ms Hibbett to find out if you are eligible to attend or check registers for lists. The club will start no later than 3.10pm and we will aim to finish by 4.15pm. Please bring containers but ingredients will be provided. Ms Hibbett

Food Technology

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COUNTDOWN TO EXAMS

For the dates of all forthcoming exams, please go to the Sacred Heart website –

www.sacredheart.southwark.sch.uk. Click on ‘Parents’, then on ‘Forthcoming exams’.

This page of the website is updated throughout the year as exam timetables and

dates are finalised, so please check it on a regular basis.

Parents are reminded that students should not be taken out of school for any reason during exam periods. Medical or dental appointments must not be made during this time, as

exams cannot be rescheduled or taken at another time to suit the student. A student who misses an exam (for whatever reason) will score zero marks, exactly as they would for a

public exam such as a GCSE or an A level. In such a circumstance, subject teachers will base their assessment on classwork and homework and write reports accordingly.

How many school weeks away ?

Year Group

Exams

0! Years 12 & 13 There will be 2 ‘assessment weeks’ for Years 12 and 13,

starting on 5th November. Students will undergo assessments within their normal timetabled lessons.

3 Year 10 Year 10 exams are scheduled for the week beginning

26th November. These will be the first real tests of how well they have settled into their GCSE studies.

5 Year 11 ‘Mock’ GCSE written exams in all subjects begin on 10th

December. Y11 will be on ‘study leave’ (ie only coming in to school when they have exams) from 3:00pm on 10th December. Practical exams will also take place in the final week of term.

7 Year 8 Year 8 Mid-Year exams will take place straight after the

Christmas holidays (beginning on Mon 7th January 2019)

10 Year 9 Year 9 Mid-Year exams will take place in the week

beginning 28th January 2019

12 Year 12 Mock AS exams (or mid-year exams for subjects not

sitting AS) take place in the week beginning 11/02/19

13 Year 13 Mock A level exams take place in the week beginning

25-02-19

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Message to all Parents

Please make sure that your son/daughter is properly equipped

for the forthcoming exams

As a minimum, they should have several black pens,

pencils, a set of colouring pencils, a rubber, ruler and

pencil-sharpener, mathematical equipment (protractor,

set-square, compasses and a working calculator). All

students MUST also have a large TRANSPARENT

PENCIL-CASE.

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