We have enjoyed welcoming students back to school this week and we would like to wish a happy new year to all our families.
In our first whole school assembly of the year Mr Adams considered respectful relationships and the first impressions judgments we form when meeting new people.
Mr Adams was supported by the DHSB Soul Band playing Respect. Well done to all involved.
The assembly slides are available at this link to enable you to consider the topics at home with your child.
Excellent Work
Many thanks to Mrs Mintoft who has shared these examples of excellent work from the Curriculum Challenge Week Year 7 History day.
Mrs Mintoft said, “The aim was to research other wider and diverse history between 1066 - 1500. Students had only just over two hours but produced some interesting and varied work.
Also, Miss Walker has shared examples of work produced by Year 7 students during the CCW RS/Geography day.
She said, “The first examples are action projects for CAFOD's 2022 campaign 'Step up to the plate' which tackles the broken food system and food poverty. The second examples are presentations of findings from fieldwork on the local community”.
Performing and Creative Arts Update
Thank you to all who attended the Christmas Cracker Concert! A huge amount of over £200 was raised in donations at the end of the show and this will contribute directly to buying new equipment within the Creative Arts Department. Thank you so much, we hope you enjoyed the festive feast of music, drama and art.
Beauty and the Beast
Watch this space - tickets for Beauty and the Beast will be on sale from Monday morning, first come first serve basis! Don't miss this spectacular school musical taking place on from 1 - 3 February 2023.
Details of how to buy tickets will be on our school website, and social media platforms.
Singing Teacher
New - We have a fantastic new singing teacher joining us this term, Cameron Mills. If your child is interesting in pursuing vocal skills and/or vocal performing skills, please get in touch with Mrs Luing-Holmes - spaces are limited and we have already filled most, so please do get in touch asap if interested.
Student News
Well done to Maximilian Chapman 11S for achieving his Diploma level in Violin. This is an exceptionally high standard to achieve and Max will performing with the Beauty and the Beast orchestra.
GCSE Music
Students in Year 10 and Year 11 Music will be going to watch The Committments Musical on the evening of Wednesday 25 Jan, if you haven't booked your tickets please email Mrs Luing-Holmes.
Creative Arts Clubs
Creative Arts Clubs will resume next week including Rock School (fee applies) and new clubs such as String Group, Singing Group (audition only) and Art Club. Please see this timetable for more information.
Mrs Luing-Holmes
Sixth Form Enrichment and Tutorial
We welcomed both year groups back with a short assembly of New Year intent, reminding students to focus on organisation and well-being, as well as creative diversions and good sleep habits through the months ahead.
Through cartoons we conveyed the message that 'together everyone achieves more' and suggested that students try adopting the 'Wonder Woman power pose' they tried out in assembly, more often!
We also celebrated the wisdom of Lemn Sissay in two of his poems:
"How do you do it?” said night,
“How do you wake and shine?”
“I keep it simple,” said light.
“One day at a time.” The sun sweeps the path of night to keep it in the day.
"To keep what I have" said light, "I have to give it away".
Ms Davidson
Teaching & Learning Update
At DHSB our staff are driven by an understanding that we engage in a cycle of professional development not because we are not good enough but because we can always improve. This has certainly been the case recently and all our teaching staff have been focusing on what it takes to use questioning effectively in the classroom.
Every teacher has a coaching partner and has been working on a specific aspect of their questioning to enhance the learning experience for their students. In the last term alone our teachers collectively spent over 18 hours visiting each other's classrooms and accompanied this with 18 hours of high quality discussions around Teaching & Learning - all this to support their professional development.
In addition we have had Mr Richards, Mr Morris, Miss Cunningham, Ms Davidson and Mr Brewer all being very brave in having parts of their lessons filmed for us to use in our most recent staff training and for this we are very grateful.
Our collective focus for staff professional development during the term ahead is Live Modelling. A central feature of an instructional teaching process is for a teacher to show their students how to do something so that they can then do it themselves. This applies to countless elements of learning from learning to tie your shoelaces, executing a basketball lay-up, writing a sentence, composing an essay, factorising an expression in algebra and making a neat dovetail joint. The challenge is to ensure that the hand-over is successful.
At DHSB our staff are exploring and practising the key ingredients of high quality modelling in order to support students as they move to becoming confident scholars in each subject discipline.
Please take the time if you can to look at our Teaching & Learning website page for more details on the specifics of both our current Teaching & Learning focus and our professional development work as a whole:
Mr Winstone
PTFA News
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023!
Please join us at our first meeting of the year to discuss fundraising on Tuesday 10 January at 6.00pm in the Conference Room (just behind the Visitor Reception).
We would love to see you and refreshments are provided.
Mrs Kinsella
Volunteer Police Cadet Units
We’ve been asked to share this invitation to join the Police Cadets at either the Devonport or Crownhill units which are currently recruiting.
Wednesdays 1830 - 2030, Devonport Unit at City College, Kings Road, Devonport
Thursdays 1830 - 2030, Crownhill Unit at All Saints Academy, Honicknowle, Plymouth
Thursdays 1830 - 2030, Plymstock Unit at Plymstock School, Plymstock (unit full and waiting list places only).
PC Deb Hart, the Youth Engagement Officer for Plymouth, says the application process is really easy. Students need to be aged 13 - 17 and apply online through the link below to arrange a taster session.
Sports Update
Mr Manley reports that the Year 11 football team joins the Year 7 and Year 10 teams in the last 32 of the National Cup after beating Callington College 3 - 1 this week.
Congratulations to all!
