We began the trip in NYC, exploring famous landmarks and getting a feel for the culture and atmosphere of the city. Notably, we visited Ground Zero, marking the area where the Twin Towers used to stand, and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. This was an educational yet devastating experience as it brought to light the horrors of the 9/11 attack and how widespread the effects were across the US and globally. We were given plenty of opportunities to explore the city in smaller groups, shopping, trying new food, wandering through Central Park, etc. Highlights of the time in NYC were going to Times Square, the top of the Rockefeller Building, having a 360 view of the famous skyline, our ferry trip to Staten Island where we could see the Statue of Liberty up close, and Central Park.
We then made our way out of New York, seeing the beginnings of a Trump rally for the upcoming election as we left. We travelled through New York State, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and finally arrived in Washington D.C. We went on an amazing tour around the city, which was not only educational but incredibly interesting and a fun experience, visiting many memorials, such as Martin Luther King’s, Abraham Lincoln’s, the WW2 memorial and the Kennedy’s family grave plot (the eternal flame) in Arlington Cemetery. We also saw the Washington monument up close, the White House, and other political institutions like the Supreme Court and the Capitol building; where we received a guided tour through the House of Representatives and the Senate. We were lucky enough to also experience the passionate atmosphere of a Kamala Harris Rally. This was like nothing we had ever seen before and we could all feel the sense of community in what seems like a very divided country. On our last day we went to an immersive Spy Museum and ended the trip on a very positive, fun day.
Julia Neilson (Year 13)
The Careers Department arranged a trip to the Sky Up Academy Studios for 29 of our Year 9 students on Wednesday 13th of November.
At the bespoke TV studios, our students used Sky’s cutting-edge digital technology to create their own exciting digital content. They took on real-life media roles and worked with a team of experts to create a film trailer. We also had an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Elstree Studios as well as a 30 minute Career Challenge and a Q&A with a Sky employee.
The trip to the studios was really interesting and we hope it has given our students some ideas about possible future careers!
Some comments from our students about the trip :
“Our trip to Sky Up Studios was amazing! Our group started off learning about many of the different careers in the film industry and then we were told about how a film gets made from script to editing the finished movie. I learned so much about the industry and there is way more to it than you think! It even inspired me to think about a possible career in the industry. We got a virtual tour of the studios and then went on to film and act in our movie pitch. We all got a role in our group to contribute, and it was such an amazing experience!” Grace
“I thought the morning was a wonderful day out and I really enjoyed participating in a trip that me and other people were able to achieve. The sky studios are very posh and 100% exciting. Thank you for involving me and I can not wait to be sent our film as it was absolutely hilarious watching all of them. My filming team were great to work with and we all got along. The people who work there are lovely too.” Lily-May
On Monday 23rd September we drove to Canterbury, Kent to take 50 boxes, containing approximately 1000 old textbooks from all departments across the school to Books2Africa.
Books2Africa is a UK charity that collects and sends donated books to increase the quality of education in Africa. It also extends the life of the books and decreases the amount of books that end up in land fill (more than 13 million a year in the UK).
Books2Africa was founded in 2012 by 4 African students at the University of Kent as a student project (they collected more than 11000 books in their first year and stored them in their student flat) and they became a UK registered charity in 2013.
They shipped their first pallet carrying 1067 books to Morocco in February 2014 and on 4th May 2019 they shipped their 1 millionth book to Africa.
After unloading the books we looked around the centre and saw people recording every book that came in and sorting them into Subject areas. We then saw a huge shipment getting ready to go to Uganda. The map on the wall showed that they had organised many trips with the books to lots of different countries in Africa. We number coded all our boxes which means we will now receive information once they are dispatched to Africa and then ultimately which schools they are distributed to. This may take many months but we will keep you updated when we receive this news.
This small charity deserves recognition for their work and if you are interested in volunteering or donating then please find more information on their website books2africa.org.
Mr Spurgeon and Mrs Share
On Tuesday 7th May the French department had the pleasure of taking 22 Year 10 students and 2 Year 12 students on a 3 night residential trip to Normandy.
We stayed in the beautiful setting of the Château du Baffy and enjoyed visits to the picturesque towns of Honfleur, Bayeux and Deauville, where we were able to do some shopping for souvenirs and taste some delicious French delicacies.
Other activities included a trip to the beach, a very interesting visit to the Bayeux tapestry and a campfire with hot chocolate, marshmallows and lots of singing and dancing!
We were so impressed with all the students throughout the trip, especially when they conducted surveys with passersby in French on the beach in Deauville. They really made the most of being able to practise speaking, reading and listening to French and it was an absolute joy to see their confidence flourish and to spend time with them.
This is the first time that the French department has run this trip. It was a great success and we are looking forward to doing it again next year already!
Here’s what some of the students have written about the trip:
I thought the trip was so much fun! Not only was it a great opportunity to improve French speaking and confidence, but it was also really enjoyable! It was really nice to be able to visit several different French towns and explore the culture. It was also really interesting to see French locals and listen to their language. My personal favourite experience was going to the hypermarket because I’ve never seen such a big supermarket before! Overall I really enjoyed this trip and I think it has given me a lot of confidence in speaking French and even more of a passion in learning the language. (Jessica Knight, Year 12)
I enjoyed making new friends and spending time with people I don’t usually spend time with at school. I loved going and speaking to French people and asking our 5 questions. I think that was a really great way of learning by listening and speaking. I loved walking around the different towns and buying postcards and enjoying the different sights. (Chloe Haworth, Year 10)
I really enjoyed this trip, as I haven’t done a school trip abroad before. The accommodation and food was nice, we had lots of fun in Honfleur, Bayeux and Deauville, and I really loved how everybody was friends with each other by the end of the trip. If I could do this again I really would! 10/10. (Polly Carter, Year 10)
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Coming Up
Monday 18th
Year 10 Drama Final exam
Thursday 21st
String Recital (Dining Room), 6pm
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Tel: 01920 462210
admin@presdales.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher:
Mr Warren
