Each Friday I share our theme of the week to give an opportunity for you to discuss this at home as a family with your child.
This week our theme is ‘five ways to wellbeing’ and this was explored in House assemblies on Wednesday.
In the Head’s Blog I try to give examples each week of our school community’s engagement in the five ways to wellbeing, listed here:
Keep learning
Take notice
Be active
Connect
Give
Students of the Week
Each week members of staff can nominate a student for our ‘student of the week’ award.
Today I met those who had received this award during the last few weeks of the summer term for ‘Lunch with the Head’.
As you will read, students are selected for a wide variety of reasons.
Will Heard 10P for being selected to play in the U16 International Junior Tennis Competition in Italy.
Morgan Jones 7N for displaying great sportsmanship at the Plymouth Schools Athletics Championships
William Wilkinson 10S for being superb when supporting the STEM week at Mary Dean’s Primary School
Ben Adams 6AJD for his professional communication skills when speaking to children at Mary Dean’s Primary School as part of their STEM week
Jack Adams 6RWO for his outstanding commitment to prefect duties as well as his effective and well measured support for another student.
Benedict O’Connell 9W for looking after a member of his DofE Bronze team when he fell ill during the assessment expedition
Max Maclennan 9N for carrying the bag of rucksack of another student as well as his own for some of the second day of their DofE Bronze Assessed expedition
Morgan Taylor 9W for his helpful approach and use of initiative at the school Open Evening
Parents in Partnership
This week Year 7 parents and students were invited to continue their journey through induction into life at DHSB at the first of a series of parents in partnership events. This was the first opportunity for families to meet with the form tutor, Head and Deputy Head of House who will support their child through their time in year 7 and beyond.
It also provided the opportunity to introduce parents and students to the concept of ‘growth mindset’ and importantly the role parents and carers play in working with the school to help all students to learn to problem solve, embrace challenge and seek to become the best they can be through effort, hard work and changing the way they approach challenges they may face.
Mrs Edwards explained how changing the way you think about something that may be tricky and the way you respond to someone facing a problem can help develop a growth mindset approach.
The growth mindset phrases are here for you to see:9 questions to support a growth mindset in your children:WHEN THEY HAVE FAILED:What did you learn from that? How can you apply it next time you have a similar situation?WHEN A TASK IS DIFFICULT:What other ways can you try to approach that task?WHEN THEY ARE NOT GOOD AT SOMETHING:What could you do to get better at it? What could you practice?WHEN THEY ARE NOT THE BEST:Who can you learn from?WHEN THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO:What is one small step you could do to start?WHEN THE TASK IS TOO EASY:How can we make this more challenging for you?WHEN THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING:What have you learnt about success? What are your next goals?WHEN THEY DON’T AGREE WITH THE RULES:What new ideas/suggestions do you have?WHEN THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THEIR OWN WORK:Who can you ask for some honest feedback?
Mr Martin then challenged families to work together on a number of problems such as; physical, mathematical, strategic and word based.
One parent said ‘what a fabulous event, it has really made me think about the way I respond when my son is stuck on something.’
If you would like to know more about growth mindset please look at the slides from the event which are on the school website or contact Mrs Edwards.
Excellent Work
Our examples of excellent work this week have been submitted by Mrs Waterfield. The following pieces of writing have been published in a Young Writers book called Mission Contamination. Young Writers was created in 1991 with the express purpose of promoting and encouraging creative writing.
It started with the deaths. First a trickle.Then a stream. Mothers. Daughters.Grandparents. It killed anyone and everyone in its path except the “lucky” 0.1% -who were immune. Now the survivors of this nightmarish new world have the burden of restoring society and cleansing the world of this foul disease. However,this isn’t the worst of the survivors problems, for the infected didn’t die, but were brutally mutated into vile cannibalistic creatures that will stop at nothing to tear you apart and feast upon your flesh.They were friends,family and neighbours but now they are perverse abominations .
Benjamin Beasley
One hundred days. I’ve spent one hundred days sat waiting. But what am I waiting for? I think it’s clear that no one will rescue us now, I’m only prolonging the inevitable. I don’t even know what I need rescuing from. It didn’t seem like a threat, hell, it wasn’t even ‘it’ a few days ago. It wiped out humanity, littering the streets with rotting remains. I have advice though: die and pray for salvation. I have found even the most agnostic of man finds fortune in prayer. If you wish to fight, then good luck. I choose to die.
Rudi Gibbs
It’s happened. Of course it has. I don’t know why I ever doubted it, but this soon? Well, I suppose that now I’d better stop just sitting here and worrying, I’d better start doing something. Start stopping this, well, this contamination. I better start now. But how? HOW? MY BROTHER IS IN HOSPITAL, ALL MY FRIENDS ARE IN HOSPITAL, MY FATHER IS AT HOSPITAL, EVEN THE DOCTORS ARE ILL IN HOSPITAL, HOW ON EARTH AM I GOING TO DO THIS? Wait Philip, breathe, there we go. Well, I’ll start with… I…feel…a..bit..I, I’ll be ok, I think, I, MUM!!!
Harry Pickard
“You ok in there?”, I said as a growl emitted from the cockpit . Another growl sounded from the cockpit ; me and the crew looked at each other as if someone would suddenly know what to do. Suddenly, the captain was stood there giving off a ghostly glow. Oozing sores covered his face and he was snarling. He had the virus. I knew what I had to do. It was either this or a painful death from the virus. I picked up my pistol and shot the pilot. That night, everyone saw the blazing helicopter fall into the sea and explode.
Billy Carlton
LAMDA exam results – Summer 2019
Well done to the following students who gained LAMDA public speaking qualifications during the summer term.
Stavya Dubey – Grade 1 Public speaking – Pass with Distinction
George Cleeland-Smith – Grade 3 Public speaking – Pass with Distinction
Anunt Dhulkotia – Grade 4 Verse & Prose speaking – Pass with Distinction
Thomas Cochrane – Grade 7 (Silver Medal) Public speaking – Pass with Distinction
European Day of Languages
This week all students were involved in activities during tutorial time to recognise the European day of languages, many students were also competing for chocolate prizes as part of a huge QR hunt around the school site on Thursday, answering questions in an interactive quiz. We were also joined by students and staff from Marine Academy Plymouth who are beginning a special project in languages with Mrs Brooking.
Information, Advice and Guidance
Like every Friday morning at DHSB there is a packed tutorial programme covering a diverse range of topics including regular guest speakers. You can see from the tweets below from Mrs Moreton and Mrs Davidson.
Staff and Charity News
Well done to a group of staff who completed the tough 5K obstacle event as part of raising awareness and fundraising on behalf of Bowel Cancer West.
Thank you also to Mr Huq who volunteered as a steward at the event.
Fundraising continued today as Ms Davarian and Mrs Brooking hosted a special staff cake sale to mark the European Day of Languages and Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. The sale raised £150. Well done everyone!
Sports Update
This week has seen a very good start to the football and rugby season at DHSB!
Football
The Year 9 football team secured a 6 – 0 win against Tavistock College in round one of the English Schools National Cup. Mr Strang said this was, “An excellent performance in wet conditions”.
It was a ‘thrilling start’ to the Devon Wednesday League for the DHSB A team who beat City College 5 – 4 while the DHSB B team secured a ‘sensational 5 – 0 win against the Sub Mariners of HMS Triumph.
DHSB A
DHSB B
Rugby
Our Year 8 team started off their first round of the central venue competition with two good wins against Coombe Dean and Plymstock Schools.
Mr Orkney also reports two wins for the U14 Rugby team against Stoke and Plympton schools in the central venue competition.
The U15 team was 14 – 0 down at half time on Tuesday but turned the game around to beat Plymouth College 26 – 14.
Future Events
Wednesday 2 October
Year 11 Parents Evening
Sunday 6 October
Abbots Way Walk
Tuesday 8 October
Year 13 Parents Evening
Thursday 10 October
Choices Evening for Years 10, 11, 12 (Ms Moreton)
Monday 14 October
Strategies for Success Event (Mrs Edwards)
Wednesday 16 October
Sixth Form Parents Information Event
Thursday 17 October
Year 10 Report
Final day of Autumn term one
Friday 18 October
Non-pupil day