newsletter

theHallParkAcademyMay 2020

This edition of the Hall Park Academy newsletter is unique. It is the first time that we will be reporting on what has been happening ‘in school’ even though for the vast majority of students the school has remained closed.

This edition is testament both to the creative minds of Hall Park staff in coming up with some very inventive ideas to keep students engaged in their learning at home and to the dedication of Hall Park students themselves who through the pages of this newsletter have clearly demonstrated their commitment to their learning from their living rooms, kitchens, and gardens.

Mr Keogh and I have been very impressed with the high-quality work being produced and we are so pleased to be able to reward such outstanding effort with the newly created certificate of achievement.

There has been much talk recently about heroes, from our NHS and key workers to veterans from VE day, including the remarkable Captain Tom. But what is a hero? Christopher Reeve, ‘Superman’ once said, ‘A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.’

Keep going everyone and have a great half term.

Mrs Dyce

The teaching staff at HPA have been suitably impressed by the standard of work completed via our online learning platform during the school closure, so much so that we wanted to reward individual students for outstanding work and commitment to their studies at this time.

Every week each faculty in school will award a special “Certificate of Achievement” in the following categories: - KS3 boy (Y7 or Y8) - KS3 girl (Y7 or Y8) - KS4 boy (Y9 or Y10) - KS4 girl (Y9 or Y10) The “Certificate of Achievement” is then posted home to each chosen recipient - keep up the good work and continue to produce those excellent pieces of work.

“It was nice to get the certificate because I have worked hard on my English work at home. My teacher is really interested in what books I’ve been reading.”Lois Alton - Year 7

HPA Certificate of Achievement

Thanks to our operational staff!

Whilst many have been able to work from home, keeping our school open for a select number of students has meant some of our staff needing to work on site. A big thank you goes to all our Site Team, Kitchen Staff, Cleaners, IT and Admin support who have kept the day to day running of the school going throughout both term time, holidays and bank holidays! Thank you!!

You may know that Mr Fenby has been collecting buttons for a year now, originally to help our students to grasp the scale of suffering in the Holocaust. However, recently we had a number of requests for buttons from groups of people making equipment like gowns, masks and patient clothing for the NHS. Who would have guessed how important this collection of buttons would become?

Each group requested different sizes but since school is not open for the majority of our students, the task fell to Mr Fenby’s own children to carefully sort over 100, 000 buttons into categories, a task which they clearly relished! We were more than happy to be able to supply each group with what they requested, for example Mrs Matthews’ neighbour, who is using 5kg of our buttons to make masks. We look forward to a time in the future when we can start to build up the collection again.

Congratulations to students who have achieved Word Millionaire status this academic year. Even in lockdown you can complete Accelerated Reader quizzes and now is the ideal time to get in some extra reading and reach for that Millionaire status! Below are those who have managed to achieve the feat, along with the number of words they have read.

2,960,859 - Lois Alton 1,179,280 - Lily Harrison2,116,943 - Fern Butler 1,173,591 - Ruby Brown1,351,763 - Courtney Warr 1,143,391 - Scarlett Beddoe1,300,801 - Dylan Furniss 1,049,254 - Elise Catlender

Button Collection

2019/20 Word Millionaires

Last term in Drama club, we explored physical theatre techniques, performing in the style of Steven Berkoff. His style is non-naturalistic, often focusing on movement rather than voice. The students threw themselves into these abstract performances and began to develop some exciting, fast-paced physical pieces. When students return to school, we will continue to develop physical theatre skills, incorporating other features like multi-rolling, shared narration and choreographed group-movement. In Berkoff’s physical theatre, we ask students to step away from reliance upon language and written dialogue, instead thinking more about their exaggerated facial expressions and vocal work, as well as stylised physical movement.

This has definitely been a step out of the comfort zone for some Drama Club students, but they have already grown in confidence and are well on the way to becoming consummate physical performers! We hope that the students will be able to show off their work to families and friends in a showcase performance later in the year.

Need a drama fix? Bored in lockdown, why not watch some of the fabulous free theatre that is being broadcast around the web? Watch to help you with your drama lessons or watch and enjoy with your family. If you cannot find it from the link, simply search for the title in YouTube itself.Watch the Disney Aladdin musical on YouTube - https://youtu.be/o-gLbgpzCc8The National Theatre release a performance once a week - https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/nt-at-homeThe Show Must Go On (You Tube channel) from Andrew Lloyd Webber also releases a play once a week -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvagCirque du Soleil - https://youtu.be/3zuBpFgxDCI

Drama

The students across Years 7 and 8 have been asked to get involved in the kitchen, this could be by preparing and using their knife skills to chop up vegetables, cooking or baking meals or treats that their families would enjoy or simply by doing the washing up!

I have loved seeing your creations and the photos show how well you have done.

My Head Chef for Year 7 is Lilly Cane who has become her family’s chef and has produced some tasty treats as well as using the BBQ in the warm weather.My Head Chef for Year 8 is AJ Parkin who has made a variety of dishes and has also sent in photos of himself washing up!

Mrs Sampson - Teacher of Food and Technology

Cooking & Baking

At Hall Park, we have been commemorating the 75th anniversary of VE day. Students have been completing their PSHE focus on this iconic event in History and as part of their History work, they have been creating a poster which shows remembrance. In these difficult times, the level of dedication and commitment shown by all students (ranging from Year 7-13) and staff was incredible. The aim was to reach 75 posters for 75 years and to commemorate, a few of the posters have been shown in this newsletter.

Furthermore, a YouTube video has been created to show the posters, if you would like to view this please visit our History YouTube page at -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYBSYNLQQFe6NEuEg2WYSVg

Well done to every student and staff who sent a poster in! This has been an incredible project to be a part of and everyone in the History Department thanks you for your hard workMr Rochester - Head of History

VE Day 75th Anniversary

VE Day Student Work

Art

Movie on a Toilet roll challenge Toilet roll shortages are becoming all too common during the coronavirus outbreak, but students and staff from HPA have been getting involved with our ‘movie on a toilet roll’ challenge for a bit of fun, lifting our spirits in these difficult times. Here are a few of the brilliant creations.

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Harley Sweet Year 8 Cully Morley Year 7Year 7 & 8 students were set a drawing challenge, to create a drawing from a given list, every day for 30 days. It was very difficult to choose just a few.

Fern Butler Year 7

Grace Stanfield Year 8

Jodie Hawkins Year 8

Year 8 students have produced some super work looking at how to create optical illusions with the clever use of line, shape tone and perspective.

Zack Bradley Year 8

Lucy Timms Year 8 Matthew Sailsbury Year 8

GCSE students are working hard on their ‘Identity’ journals. A brilliant variety of work is being created based on themes set and personal artwork based on the current situation we all find ourselves in.

Elizabeth Tomkins Year 10 Lily Huang Year 9

Art

PE goes virtual!

Despite the current challenging times, all students and PE staff are engaging more than ever. We have been setting numerous challenges through SMHW and on our PE Instagram account HPA_PE. A polite reminder that as much as we would love to have parents on our Instagram account, we post a lot of content that requires GDPR consent from the students and therefore cannot accept follower requests unless you are a HPA student.

Over the last 5 weeks we have had so much engagement from all students on our social media platform where they have messaged asking questions on their homework and have shown us how they are keeping active. We have had videos and images from students horse riding, doing back flips on the trampoline, going for runs and walks, the toilet roll kick up challenge, the Macarena plank challenge, endless TikToks - even including some parents! A big shout out to Jack Naylor for keeping the Hall Park students entertained with his endless TikTok dances.

Our GCSE PE students have continued to do us proud too! They have engaged with tasks both on our Instagram page and Show My Homework. Also, our brilliant Year 11s have continued to produce good work and display the excellent subject knowledge they have developed since Year 9 and also begin to make that jump and prepare for A-Level PE.

A huge thank you too to all the parents who have communicated with the PE staff by sending in emails and photos of their children taking part in physical activity.

If you need any ideas, here are some places to find them:Joe Wick live on YouTube each morning.

https://tinyurl.com/yb96uhnx - this has ideas on how to stay active.

https://tinyurl.com/ya9dmeuu - Youth Sports Trust, they have a lot of ideas and resources on how to stay active.

PE

Playstation FC Schools Cup have been setting different challenges over the period of the school closure. Students from Hall Park have not only been getting active from home but they have also been getting creative. Students were challenged to create an image of their football idol that brings their personality and skill to life. Here are only a few of the entries. I think you will agree that they are outstanding.

PE

Wider CurriculumWithout a doubt, this has been the most unusual Half Term in living memory. We are so glad that so many of you are connecting with us via the Wider Curriculum Sessions. Please continue to log on every Thursday, as your Tutor will continue to upload the PowerPoints on Satchel One/Show My Homework.

The paintings, posters and poems that have been sent in were gratefully received by the two Nottingham Hospitals. (We have now started a Gallery in school to display copies of the outstanding work.)

Thank you to those who offered your Tutors online safety advice for my Grandmother, as she begins to use her new tablet. This was one of the first tasks we set as everyone staying safe in both the off and online world is so important, particularly during these uncertain times. (Please remember you can e-mail your Tutor or telephone School Reception - 01773 786 212 - if you have anything that you are concerned about.)

Finally, it is great to see the competitive Inter-House spirit is as strong as ever. Lots of you are engaging with Hall Park’s #VirtualWorldTour! (Remember, you just e-mail your Tutor with the number of miles that you have walked, jogged or cycled during your daily exercise programme. Some students are even sending in the stats from their Exercise and Rowing Machines which is great to see!)

Stay safe and in the words of Dame Vera Lynn: “We’ll Meet Again!”

Mr Spriggs - Wider Curriculum Coordinator

Wider Curriculum Student Work

Post 16

In the weeks since the school has closed we might not have seen much of our Post-16 students but that does not mean they have not been busy. Year 12 have adapted superbly to working remotely. This is not without its challenges for many who don’t have easy access to computers, tablets etc. However, students have been making excellent use of Show My Homework and keeping up with the substantial amount of A-level work their teachers have been setting. We are confident that despite these weeks of closure our Year 12 students will return to school and be able to hit the ground running with their A-level courses.

Year 13 students have been using the time to prepare themselves for the wider world after Sixth Form. Those who applied for university have been confirming their places, applying for Student Finance and engaging in wider reading to support their first year at university. Many have been in touch to tell us about the interesting activities they have found to keep themselves occupied and their brains active since school closed. Those looking for apprenticeships have also continued to actively search at this difficult time and have taken the opportunity to up-skill, taking part in online MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). University and apprenticeship places will be confirmed based on awarded grades so while students unfortunately do not have the opportunity to demonstrate the result of their learning in Sixth Form, they will still have their hard work rewarded.

Our Year 11 students who have applied to the Sixth Form have also been busy. Teachers have set ‘bridging work’ and A-level preparatory tasks for students to work on in order to bridge the gap between GCSE and A-level and to keep their brains academically engaged in this long period of time away from school. It is disappointing for our Year 11s, like for Year 13s not to have the chance to sit their GCSEs but completing the bridging work will allow them to show their teachers how capable they are of tackling their A-levels when we start back.