It’s all about commitment, resilience and determination!

Ten Tors Challenge

This was a strong year for DHSB with four school teams completing their routes and students also taking part with organisations outside school.

We’re extremely proud of all our students who took part in the challenge this year. It’s a great event and participation builds resilience and teamwork.

A big thank you must go to all the staff who support the teams including Mr Ames, Mr & Mrs Huq, Ms Davidson and Mr Clifford (parent).

35 mile A Team – route CP were in at 09:34 – first on their route (18 min ahead of the next team)

Team Members Josh Moyse, Will Coulson, Tom Hall-Strange, Jeremy Prichard, Daniel Smith, Tom Cochrane

35 mile B Team – route HE were in at 08:47 – first on their route (1hr 28 min ahead of the next team)

Team members Ben Suckling, Jackson Spry, Tom Scott, Harry Richardson, Cameron Hart, Joe Mackey

45 mile Team – route RL were in at 09:24 – first 45 team in (56 min ahead of the next team on their route)

Team members Michael Moore, Jacob Woodbridge-Harris, Peter Clifford, Sam Cade, Luke Goldstone, Jamie Williams

55 mile Team – route XF were in at 14:22 – seventh team on their route

Team members Sam Cox, Max Vernall-Williams, Dan Harris, Tom Foreman, Jack Adams, Tom Hind

We’re aware that a lot of students take part in the challenge with organisations outside school and we’re pleased to celebrate their achievement too.

35 miles

Billy Fletcher – Devon Army Cadet Force

Cameron McCance – ATC (West Plymouth Sqn)

Angus Dixon – ATC

Matthew Noble – 27th Plymouth District Scouts

Elliot Parr-Byrne – Devon ACF

Angus Cotton – Dartmoor Plodders

45 miles

Fintan Kinsella – Dartmoor Plodders

Kofi Bruce – Dartmoor Plodders

Sam Burston – Tavistock and District Youth Forum

Robin Bickley – Tavistock and District Youth Forum

Theo Jenkins – Tavistock and District Youth Forum

100% attendance

There are two students in Year 11 who have a 100% attendance record over five years at DHSB.

They are James Cape and Thomas Gyllenship, both 11P.

Mrs Edwards says this is a “tremendous achievement”.

James and Thomas joined me for lunch today and received certificates and vouchers to mark their five full years of attendance.

Young Enterprise Awards

Our Young Enterprise team, MRKT, team invented a clever device which attaches to the base of trays helping waiting staff to carry them and prevent spillages and breakages.

The team won the Innovation Category at the recent award ceremony. Mr Jenkins said the team was commended on taking a risk in developing such a complex product which dealt with a real issue.

The group hours spent researching the hospitality market which included studying operations at restuarants in Plymouth.

He added, “Roseanna Milburn, the company MD, has been given a reduced grade entry to Bath University to study marketing on the basis of taking part in the programme and leading a successful enterprise. The team was superbly supported by Matthew Rashleigh our business adviser from Babcock and a former student”.

Team members Jessica Gould, Charlie Beale, Roseanna Milburn, Kalon Walters, Ceri Evans and Yasin Soliman

MRKT’s television ad

Excellent Work

Our examples of excellent work this week have been produced by 8C who have been working on sound, shape and concrete poetry inspired by Edwin Morgan.

Ms Machray has shared these three pieces of work.

Nathaniel Sinclair-Smith

 Tom Davis

Jerome Phillips

We were very sorry to say goodbye to Ms Machray today.

She is leaving her post as Teacher of English and Deputy Head of Priestley to move north for family reasons. We hope she will be very happy and successful in the future.

Information, Advice and Guidance

Ms Moreton provides a full and varied programme of visits and talks to all year groups and you can read about what’s been happening on Friday mornings in her weekly blog.

This morning it was the turn of the Fire Service and our visitor spoke about arson to Year 8 students.

As a follow-up I’ve been asked to share this information about the Fire Cadets.

Sports Update

Badminton

Congratulations to our school badminton team who took part in a national Schools Badminton event last weekend.

The team did really well and finished the day in eighth place winning their final game against Gosforth Academy.

The event started with 45,000 students taking part and so this was a fantastic achievement.

Team members William Freer, Ethan Hunt, Leon Yeldo, Preet Pradeep, Samir Siddiqui

Talented player Toby Leung was missing from this event as he was representing Devon in the Shires League finals held at Stoke Mandeville.

Toby ‘led by example’ and the Devon U18 team took silver. Well done Toby!

Cricket

The Year 9 cricket team had a ‘fantastic afternoon’ when they played two and won two in the Plymouth softball cricket competition.

It was a different story for the Year 8 team who lost to Plymstock and Heles. Mr Orkney said it was a ‘tough day at the office’.

U15s also suffered a defeat yesterday to Plymouth College (by 25 runs). Highlights: Harris 42, Epps 18 & 2-21, Stevenson 2-17.

Year 7 & 8 Plymouth Athletics Championships

Well done to Year 7 students who came first in the 4 x 100m relay yesterday.

Here Luca is pictured coming home in first place.

Sam Knobloch in 8C in action in the hurdles

Cliff Diving

Regular readers of my Head’s Blog will know that Owen Weymouth has competed at world class level in his chosen sport of cliff diving.

He has also recently qualified for the Aquatics World Championships being held this summer in Budapest. Good luck Owen!

You can follow his achievements on his instagram account – owenweymouthcliffdive

Staff Charity Update

Staff have been busy making blankets and hats for the Keep Me Close appeal which supports the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Derriford Hospital.

Tracey Stacey and Donna Wade, representing the Keep Me Close appeal, visited the school to collect them. Tracey said, “Thank you for your support, hard work and dedication in making so many wonderful blankets”.

She also asked for parents to get involved with the appeal which can be found at their Facebook page called ‘Keep Me Close’.

Congratulations to Paul Withers who bravely completed a Skydive raising money for St Luke’s Hospice. Paul is pictured with his fundraising total.

Future Events

13 – 14 May Dof E Bronze Training Expedition

17 May Year 11 and 13 Final Day

20 – 21 May DofE Bronze Training Expedition