Art & Photography News

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Head’s Award

Congratulations to Amber Dunstan and Yuhsuan Chen in Year 13 who won the ‘Head’s Award’ this term. Their beautiful art work will be displayed in Mr Warren’s office.

Year 12 Art Print Workshop

We had the whole day off timetable to participate in a lino workshop, which consisted of carving our tiles and printing them with high quality inks. Doing this workshop allowed us to not only add another beautiful piece into our A-level books but also expand into other media. We were taught new techniques to improve and advance our lino skills. I found it very enjoyable and helpful as the art staff helped us choose our print design and size, as well as helping us throughout the day with the lino itself. With the materials and supplies the art department was able to provide us, our Year 12 class was able to produce fantastic quality prints.

Madison Meins

Year 12 Photography

Year 12 photographers are already taking some fabulous photos. Well done from the art department.

 

House Omelette Challenge

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Last week, Design & Technology – Food hosted the first cooking challenge of the year. Teams of KS3 students representing each of the Houses were given 20 minutes to produce their omelette ready for the judging panel. The entries were judged on presentation, aroma, texture and flavour. The judges were impressed by the quality and creativity on display: it was the first time any of them had tasted a chocolate omelette!

Thank you to all those Year 7 – 9 students who took part. The students rose to the challenge producing some ‘eggcellent’ omelettes.

Special mention goes to Year 9 student Evie Murfett who produced a winning entry for Parks House and then kindly helped run the competition for the other year groups.

Thank you, also, to our special guest judge, Mrs Dray, former Head of Design Technology.

Government & Politics trip to Parliament

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On Friday 27th September, our Year 12 Government and Politics class visited the Houses of Parliament. We went on a fabulous (and very informative) tour, during which we saw the House of Commons and the Lords, the voting lobby for MPs, Westminster Abbey, central lobby, and many more fascinating rooms in Parliament.

We also learned about the history of Parliament, the day-to-day running of Westminster, and the importance of the role of the Speaker of the House of Commons. Our lovely tour guides were great and answered our many questions!

We then attended a law making and debating workshop, where we learnt the fundamental rules for carrying out a proper, democratic debate. We also learned about the process in which laws are made and changed. Two speakers (one an ex-Presdales student) talked to us about their roles in Parliament, and the vast job opportunities the House of Commons and Parliament offer, such as Select Committee assistants, IT and graphics/creative consultants, education branches, and, of course, MPs!

It was a very inspiring and interesting trip, and we all feel we walked away from it knowing so much more about how our government and Parliament works. Thank you to Mr Spurgeon and Ms Chandler for organising the trip and navigating the tube with us!

“Within the trip we had a debating workshop, were we learned how they debate in the House of Commons. I got the privilege to be the speaker of the house. In this role I decided who could speak next and when it got too loud to say ‘order, order’. The workshop was amazing, as it taught us how to structure a debate, to make sure everyone’s voices are heard” Katy Higham

“It was a great atmosphere, especially considering the current political climate” Grace Richards

“The workshop we did on law making & debating was really interesting and the career paths available in Parliament seem like amazing opportunities” Connie Marshall

“There were little bits of history everywhere we went. Seeing the MPs’ voting lobbies and being able to walk down them was fascinating” Jamie Parker

“It was really interesting to see it all in real life” Connie Robinson

“We learned loads about the complex history of Parliament, and seeing all the possible careers there really opened our eyes to what Parliament does” Safia Sipi

One student Meg Sleath said this about the workshop, “I thought it was really interesting to see how a proper debate would work, especially as we were debating a current, divisive issue. It was very enjoyable!”

News from Music

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Hand Chime Team

Year 7 classes have had a visit from Mrs Dixon in the maths department this term. Mrs Dixon is an expert Hand Bell and Hand Chime player and has been working with a year 11 Hand Chime team for the last couple of years. All Year 7s were introduced to the beautiful instruments that were generously donated to the school by the Presdales PTA. Mrs Dixon is running extra sessions to start a 2nd hand chime team and we would like to encourage all girls from across the years to give it a go. The sessions are on Tuesday at 12.45 in room 17 and Friday at 12.45 in room 17. Just pop along to have a go! Playing the hand chimes gives a great sense of satisfaction from playing in a team and also can be very relaxing and educational as you learn to read the music as you play.

A Level Music Conference

On Tuesday 8th October the music department took 7 A Level students to a conference on “Wit, Style & Unity: Haydn’s Symphony no.104” presented by David Coggins MMus, generously hosted by Queen Anne’s School in Reading. The day was thoroughly enlightening and a real challenge for our A Level students who came away with a greater depth of understanding of our set work.

Upcoming Events

  • Deniz Isingor, Piano Diploma lunchtime recital, Friday 13th December, 1pm in M1
  • School Carol Service, Wednesday 18th December, 6pm, St Mary’s Church, Ware

European Week of Languages

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During the week of 23rd-27th September 2019, we celebrated the European Languages we teach in school with coloured bunting, a lunch menu with a European flavour and lunchtime activities including face painting, fan making and edible Russian bracelets. The bunting created by all students in Year 7-9, in both of their languages, became a House competition. The winners were

In tutor groups, we looked at languages which are not spoken such as sign language and ‘silbo gomero’ (made entirely of whistles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0CIRCjoICA). We thought about why learning a language is important (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txABk3q4aHk) and watched clips of Pep Guardiola. He speaks 5 languages and often forgets which one he is meant to be speaking! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtWDBEXVUts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJprf_72CXg

Russian

Monday lunchtime at the start of the European Week of languages at Presdales, Year 12 Russianists helped students make sushki bracelets.

Sushki are traditional Russian small, crunchy, mildly sweet, bread rings eaten for dessert, usually with tea or coffee. The word sushka has a common root with the Russian verb sushit “to dry”. Traditionally, sushki were strung on a string for selling on the street or at regional markets, so we made mini versions.

Congratulations to the Russian general knowledge quiz winners: Saffi Adams (Year 12) Daisy Reid (Year 8) and Zoe Puncher (Year 9).

Italian

Tuesday was Italian day. Pasta alla carbonara was laid on in the school canteen and some of our lovely Year 8 and Year 12 students tested their make-up artistry skills to decorate Presdalian faces and hands in the red, green and white of the Italian flag. The colours of the tricolore are said to represent the green of the Italian countryside, the white of the snow-capped mountains and the red of the blood shed during the unification of Italy in the 19th century.

French

The French Department has been very busy during the European Week of Languages considering various aspects of French culture. Year 7 focused on food and drinks in French speaking countries. In Year 8, pupils researched beautiful natural sites and monuments in France, trying to look beyond Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Finally, Year 9 were very keen to present French inventions and creations. Pupils created some stunning bunting on those topics which will be displayed in the Language rooms in preparation for Secondary Transfer Evening. On Wednesday 25th September, our Year 12 students organised a lunchtime activity and were very busy helping Year 7 creating Blue, White, Red jewellery with Hama beads.

German

In German, Year 7 researched facts about Germany. Year 8 researched facts about the 2 other German speaking countries, Switzerland and Austria, and Year 9 looked into fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, discovering that many of our well-known fairy tales originate in the German version and are translated. At lunchtime, the girls played on the Haribo ‘Gummi Bär’ slot machine and tried to guess how many were in a pack of Gummi Bär. The winner was Abbie Oldham of 7RM who guessed the closest with 150. There were 146!!

Spanish

The Spanish Department celebrated European Week of Languages by making cardboard fans in red and yellow (the colours of the Spanish flag). Fans have long been a symbol of Spanish culture, as a way to cool down in the heat of the summer and as a prop used in flamenco, the traditional dance of the southern region of Andalucía. In addition, the school canteen was kind enough to lay on some delicious paella as part of that day’s lunch.

 

Sixth Form Team Building

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On Friday 27th September, the Sixth Form students participated in an afternoon of team building activities. The students experienced a number of activities which encouraged them to plan, communicate, work together and stay motivated in a fun and energetic way. The emphasis was on the students to take ownership of their learning, using critical thinking to develop ideas on how to solve the challenges and build their resilience, rather than just giving up if they couldn’t complete a challenge. Their social skills were enhanced as they learnt to communicate with members of their tutor group on plans and solutions, as well as evaluating their own performance after each activity. The development of these skills will be an asset to the students both during their A Levels and in the wider world.

STEM News

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Year 9 Visit to Sandhurst

On the 26th and 27th of September 2019, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst welcomed around two thousand young people for their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths careers fair, RMAS STEM 19. Forty-nine industry partners, as well as units from across the Army, joined the Army to showcase STEM skills in action.

30 Year 9 Students attended this event: a fantastic opportunity for the students to explore different STEM careers, we were also fortunate to witness the Army’s first all-female parachute display team who landed onto the lawn in front of Old College.

A big thank you to EduFund who partially funded this trip.

“On Thursday 26th September we went to The Sandhurst Military Academy. It was such a good, inspiring event. We saw so many different companies who help improve our technology and the military. When we arrived, we split into groups to look at around all the stands; this was a fun and interactive experience, with leaflets and free pens and bags. There were also Army Troops scattered around who told us about what they do and how all the different types of machinery work. It was an exhilarating trip and I would love to do it again.” Mariam Shakir

“We loved the range of activities offered there and we are happy we got the opportunity to learn more about STEM subjects and professions. The talk given was very inspiring and made us think about our future careers. Would definitely recommend.” Lucy and Ruby

“Sandhurst had lots of new and interesting job ideas and we found out a lot about STEM jobs. There were lots of interactive things like quizzes, VR headsets, building things, playing games to win prizes and Army trucks to look at. We saw lots of new ideas for jobs and now we are more interested in this industry.” Sophie and Emma

Robotics Action

Congratulations to the girls who took part in the first Robotics competition of the session. This took place at John Warner School on the 28th September.

This seasons competition is called ‘Tower Takeover’.

VEX Robotics Competition Tower Takeover is played on a 12’x12’ square field configured as seen above. Two (2) Alliances – one (1) “red” and one (1) “blue” – composed of two (2) Teams each – compete in matches consisting of a fifteen (15) second Autonomous Period, followed by a one minute and forty-five second (1:45) Driver Controlled Period.

The object of the game is to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by placing Cubes in Towers, or scoring Cubes in Goals.

The Presdales School finished the day in 13th position.

Many thanks to the continued support from EduFund.

Physics Trip: PPMA Convention, Birmingham (3rd October 2019)

The 2019 PPMA physics trip was aimed at exposing Presdales physics students to engineering (mainly in the food industry).

We were given a private tour around a few selected stands, where experts in different engineering fields talked to us about their individual aspects of engineering including: packaging, the use of lasers in safety sensors in factories, the use of UV light in hygiene and the use of automated machines. Furthermore, we saw demonstrations of packaging machines in action. Manufactures also addressed how they are striving to reduce the use of plastic in food packaging by either cutting down the amount of material used to package an item or by changing to more environmentally friendly material solutions. Everyone was given the opportunity to have a VR experience of what it is like to be inside Bloodhound (a car currently being developed to break the land speed record). Soon after, we programmed gyroscope robots to push balls into goal areas: Presdales School set that day’s record of 10 balls.

A presentation was given by a local Hertfordshire engineering company, promoting apprenticeships as well as what it is to be a mechanical engineer. In addition, another speaker told us about his journey through his engineering career.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip as there were interactive tasks and I was inspired to take a deeper look into what physics as a subject could do for me in my future.

Georgia Ridley (Year 12)

Drama News

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A Doll’s House, The Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith

On 18th September, A Level drama students went to see an adaptation of Ibsen’s classic play, A Doll’s House, re-written by Tanika Gupta and new artistic director Rachel O’Riordan at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. We see the production set in Calcutta 1879 under British rule, bringing new dimensions to the production of racial politics alongside the classic portrayal of female perspective and ownership. The students have since led some great debates on the naturalistic classic and already produced some interesting responses to the Section A Live Theatre section of their exam.

Miss Mack Head of Dram

Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

Year 11 GCSE Drama students went to see ‘Everyone’s Talking About Jamie’ at the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue on Wednesday 25th September. The students were experiencing live theatre in preparation for their Component 3 examination where they will discuss their response to the production and demonstrate their theatrical knowledge. The students really enjoyed the production which is based on a true story of a young man named Jamie New, who wants to attend his school prom in a dress. The show explores many current issues of identity, self-expression and having the strength to be true to who you are. Year 11 students made mountains of notes during the performance and have returned to the classroom full of ideas that they are ready to discuss in their written exam! Thank You to Mrs Hetherington and Mr Rock for supporting us on the trip and to the GCSE Students who were exemplary all day!

Miss Mack Head of Drama

Peter Gynt, The National Theatre

A Level Drama and Theatre students attended a matinee production of Peter Gynt at The National Theatre on Tuesday 1st October. This was their second theatre trip in two weeks, allowing them to see a very different approach to classic theatre by the great Henrik Ibsen, often known for naturalism! This modern adaptation by David Hare sees Ibsen’s hero run away into the 21st century, whilst still raising the original dramatic poem’s question: Does a belief in individualism help or hinder us in trying to live purposefully in the present day? The students’ heads were spinning after the 3 1/2 hour production which raises some big questions about life!

Thank you to Miss Murrell for supporting us on the trip and to the A Level students who were exemplary and a pleasure to spend the day with! Good luck with your analysis now on what it all meant!

Miss Mack Head of Drama

Careers News

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Year 9 Learn to Earn Day

On Tuesday 8th October, Young Enterprise delivered their Learn to Earn Programme to our Year 9 students. The programme inspires students and provides information on career options to help make informed choices for their future. It enables students to set goals and plan their next steps to prepare them for life beyond education. Through hands-on fun, practical activities, Learn to Earn explores themes such as career choices, personal skills and talents, recruitment and job interviews, salaries, earnings, tax and the costs of living, financial planning and budgeting.

“I think this experience has helped me with a lot of things, including budgeting and finding out how I use my skills to influence my employer.” Ruby Lush

“I believe this experience has helped me not only open my eyes and discover reality, but to help me feel more confident about my future career. This has benefited me loads and I really appreciate this opportunity.” Rebecca Alexander

The Quality in Careers Standard

You will be pleased to know that we have been successful in completing the Commitment Stage of The Quality in Careers Standard.

Year 11 Options

Don’t forget we have an information morning on Wednesday 6th November for your daughter to support her with her decision as to what she will choose to do at the end of Year 11. The programme on the morning will include short ‘chat sessions’ with the teachers of the new and unfamiliar A Level subjects on offer in our Sixth form. These will include subjects such as Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Government and Politics, Philosophy and Ethics, Photography and Film.

For those students who do not wish to take A Levels and who would prefer to embark on a vocational course at a local college after Year 11, we have planned a tour for them to HRC Ware and Broxbourne Campus.

PE News

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Coming Up

Monday 24th
Year 13 A Level Politics Conference, London

Tuesday 25th
Year 9 Options Evening, 6pm
Year 10 L4L (pm)

Tuesday 25th & Wednesday 26th
Year 11 Art Mock Exam

Thursday 27th to 12th December
Year 11 Mocks

Contact Us

Presdales School
Hoe Lane
Ware
Hertfordshire
SG12 9NX

Tel: 01920 462210
admin@presdales.herts.sch.uk

Headteacher:
Mr Warren