It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at DHSB!
Today was Christmas Jumper Day. We enjoyed seeing everyone’s festive wear and raising funds for all the nominated House charities.
Here is a selection of the super jumpers and outfits seen around the site today.
7C
8E
8N
8P
9S
Sixth Form
Christmas Wreath
Many thanks to Mr Winstone and his family who have provided a bespoke DHSB Christmas wreath this year, and to Mr Parkin and Mr Brown for installing this and adding lights.
We hope this will bring a smile to visitors and those driving past our main gates this Christmas.
Carol Service and Christmas Concert
Continuing with the festive theme, you are all very warmly invited to our Carol Service and Christmas Concert next week.
Our 'Celebration of Christmas' Carol Service will take place on Monday 11 December 2023, at 19:00 at the Minster Church of St Andrew, Royal Parade, Plymouth.
Year 7 students are preparing for the Carol Service, admission to the service is free and there is no requirement to book tickets.
The service will end at about 20:00 and as families leave there will be an opportunity to make a donation to the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. Funds raised will help the Salvation Army to support homeless people and provide boxes of groceries and modest gifts for families in poverty.
Our Christmas Concert will be held at Stoke Damerel Church on Thursday 14 December at 7.00pm.
Tickets at £5.00 are available for advance purchase only on the DHSB Shop.
Please note, the doors will open (for those with advance tickets) at 6.00pm for mulled wine and mince pies, winter fruits and juice, with a relaxed performance from 6.00pm - 7.00pm for anyone with sensory difficulties. The lights will remain on, performances are acoustic and quiet, and talking whilst enjoying refreshments is encouraged. Then lights down for the main student performances from our ensembles from 7.00pm - 8.00pm.
The programme will feature the school windband, orchestra, vocal performance group, ukulele band, soloists, rock orchestra, string groups, brass band and the jazz band.
Excellent Work
Mrs Brophy says that students in 7P did some amazing work analysing the description of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. She was impressed by how deeply the students thought about the language choices and came up with some ideas she had never thought of before.
These examples are from Isaac Manata, Jayden Man and Britto Rajesh.
Sixth Form Open Evening
Ms Davidson wants to say a big thank you to all students who supported the Sixth Form open evening yesterday.
The evening was very busy with our Year 11 students and external visitors interested in finding out more about post-16 studies, and our Sixth Form students excelled in all areas.
We are especially grateful to those who delivered speeches so beautifully and expertly, those who acted as subject leads in the hall, our door people (greeting and guiding so courteously), car parking guides for doing a very difficult job, those running the refreshment stand with smiles and everyone else who may have set up or helped behind the scenes.
Ms Davidson said, “We appreciate the time you afforded to the school. You don't know how wonderful you are but fortunately we do”.
Sixth Form Enrichment and Tutorial
Year 12 students took a breather today, reflecting on tools for resilience, adaptability and still aiming high. Year 13 students have had three weeks on Interview skills and finished today with a wealth of questions and signposts to becoming skilful in these.
During p2, our Year 12 students heard more about possible careers in the Navy from Lieutenant Alex Ainscough.
His presentation was so interesting and gave us an insight into the breadth of roles of the Royal Navy and in particular in protecting our economy (£524 billion 92% of goods transported by sea) and humanitarian aid (natural disasters as well as war zones).
Alex also spoke about non seafaring jobs, sponsored degrees and bursaries as well as the huge responsibilities of all roles.
Student News
Many congratulations to Will Wooller 12ALG who has successfully gone through a rigorous selection process for a national Sea Cadet Role of First Sea Lord Cadet.
He will represent his area (Cornwall) on a national basis, alongside five other sea cadets from across the UK, representing the views of sea cadets to the organisation’s command and to the Royal Navy.
Very well done Will, we look forward to hearing more about this during the year.
Sparx Maths and Sparx Reader
Each week we celebrate our highest performers in both Sparx Maths and Sparx Reader, two of our core homework platforms. We are proud of all of our students who complete their homework each week to such a high standard but these six students deserve a special mention.
Well done!
Mr Winstone
Curriculum Challenge Week
I’m grateful to Mr Scott, Mrs Wilkinson and Dr Colvile for sharing their experiences from the three Curriculum Challenge Week residentials.
New York
Our recent school trip to New York City was an exhilarating odyssey of discovery and education, uniting 42 adventurous students and four dedicated teachers, Mr Scott, Mr Roberts, Miss Cunningham, and Ms Ferguson.
New York welcomed us with open arms, and our itinerary, brimming with iconic landmarks and cultural experiences, promised an adventure of a lifetime. The sights and sounds of Times Square, a kaleidoscope of neon lights and bustling energy, immediately captivated our students, igniting their curiosity about the pulse of this dynamic city.
From the soaring heights of the Empire State Building to the historic Financial District on Wall Street, each location became a classroom, offering insights into history, architecture, and the global economy. Hudson Yards presented a canvas of modern design, inspiring awe and imagination.
Ten Tors Training Week
21 students proved their hardiness on DHSB's Ten Tors 35 mile team selection and training week.
After completing an orienteering challenge on Yennadon Down, alongside two days of training and assessment in school on campcraft, first aid, navigation, and the rules for sharing Dartmoor with landowners, the military, flora and fauna, we set off for Nun's Cross Farm on Wednesday afternoon. Our first outing was a night-navigation challenge to find Childe's Tomb and hear the legends of Foxtor Mire (re-told by Dan Moulding with impressive accuracy).
The Met Office had given us plenty of notice that it might snow, so we were prepared and only had to modify our plans slightly when we woke on Thursday to find the tents and ground covered in snow, and the minibus stranded behind a snowdrift.
London
Students enjoyed a jam packed London trip, with highlights of being terrified in The London Dungeon, taking in the sights from the London Eye, learning about London life in the Victorian ages and embracing the magic of Harry Potter.
Entries for the photography challenge during our visits to The Natural History Museum and The British Museum were outstanding, with each category warranting four prizes, first prize winners were Butterflies taken by Jaeden Krisht Year 7 and the entrance of the British Museum with a shard of light by Jacob Gray Year 9.
Students experienced the amazing Christmas lights in Covent Garden, street food, the tube during rush hour and an amazing week was rounded off with a West End theatre visit to watch Matilda.
Thank you to all the students, Mr Orkney, Miss Hunns and Mr Strang for making the week incredible!
Mrs Wilkinson
Jacob's winning photo
PTFA Disco
Many thanks to our PTFA for organising a successful event last weekend.
This image gives a flavour of the disco with Christmas hats, light up sticks, and a shark, all courtesy of Pryzm.
Sports Update
Football
Mr Bunney said well done to the Year 11 football team who beat Teign School in round one of the Devon Cup earlier in the week.
Also, this week saw another great win for the 1st XI who played a team from City College.
Rugby
The U14 Rugby side lost 17 - 12 to Plymouth College on the last play of the game.
The U15 Rugby side also played well against a strong Plymouth College team but the match resulted in a loss for the DHSB team.
Basketball
Mr Anderson says the Year 10 basketball team lost to Plympton Academy who had a GB player.
However, our team played well until the end. Well done Year 10.
Netball
The Cheetahs played a match against DHSG this week.
Mr Orkney said, “Although they lost our team continues to make progress”.