MARRIOTTS NEWSmarriotts.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/... · communities and projects to work with on the 2016 trip. We will be working alongside Football Gambia and will

Page 1

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2

Headteacher: Ms Bethany Honnor

Marriotts School, Brittain Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG2 8UT

Email: [email protected] Tel: 01438 726999 Fax: 01438 318560 Web: www.marriotts.herts.sch.uk

DEAR PARENTS, CARERS, STUDENTS AND STAFF

I hope that this latest edition of our newsletter finds you well. We will, from now on, be producing a half termly, rather than monthly, newsletter with regular bulletins and updates in between.

We have had a great half term and continue to be very proud of all the achievements of our students. During our recent Ofsted inspection staff and inspectors alike were impressed by the excellent conduct of our students. We have now received our report. Here are a few key quotes. “All leaders, staff and governors share a drive and ambition to ensure the success of every student.” “ …teaching is improving quickly and students’ progress is accelerating, particularly in English …” “Attendance has risen markedly to above average …” “Students behave well, have good attitudes to learning, feel safe and are willing to take on responsibilities.” “The school strongly supports students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. British values are promoted well.” “The sixth form has improved and is now good … students make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage of their lives.” “Students’ behaviour is good. Their attitudes to learning are good.” If you would like to view a full version of the Ofsted report, this can be found on the school’s website at www.marriotts.herts.sch.uk.

Thank you for your patience and understanding following our small fire earlier this term. The fire service were very impressed by our students and many parents have told me that they were grateful for the regular communication about the fire that they received from the school. We are

now back to normal and students continue to progress well. As you know I have cancelled our planned inset day in January and term time now starts for staff and students on 5th January at the normal time. This term students have enjoyed lots of activities, trips, a theme day and a visit to the Natural History museum to name a few. It has been fantastic to see so many of you at our parents’ evenings where attendance has averaged over 80%. We would like to pass on our good wishes to Mrs Price who leaves us at the end of term. We wish her well as she relocates further North. As the weather is getting colder can I encourage all students to wear a school jumper and a coat, and remind all students that trainers are not permitted. We have a busy few weeks coming up with mock exams for our hard working Year 11s, coursework for Year 10s and the Christmas concert to plan for. I know that students will keep up their excellent attendance and attitude until we break up for a well-earned rest. Thank you for your ongoing support and enjoy the newsletter.

Beth Honnor Headteacher

We would like to

wish you all a very

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year

from

The staff and

students at

Marriotts School

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.marriotts.herts.sch.uk/


Page 2

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 12th December - Christmas Jumper Day Thursday 18th December – Student Christmas lunch and Christmas Performance (evening) Friday 19th December – Last day of term: school finishes at 12.20 pm Monday 5th January – First day of term: normal school day Thursday 15th January – Yr9 Options Evening Thursday 22nd January – Yr9 Parents’ Evening Thursday 29th January – Yr 7 Parents’ Evening TUTOR EVENING 25TH SEPTEMBER Thank you so much to all parents who attended our Tutor Evening on 25th September. It was a fantastic evening and we really appreciate your support. Thank you also to the many of you who took part in our survey. For those of you who were not able to attend and would like a booklet, please visit our website. Thanks to all the parents who completed the survey, results are shown below.

OPEN EVENING On Tuesday 30th September we held our annual Open Evening event and we are pleased to report that it was a massive success. The school was

buzzing and the headteacher’s talks were packed. All the Year 5s and 6s who visited us were really taking part and enjoying the numerous activities that were available for them. I have been delighted to receive a number of emails from parents of prospective students thanking us for the event and praising particularly the helpfulness of the staff and the wonderful work of our student tour guides. Our student speakers and our Head Boy and Head Girl gave wonderful presentations. We are really proud of you all. Aim high, work hard, be kind.

I give below an extract from an email from a prospective parent: “I was hoping you would pass this email to Ms Honnor

and perhaps the Head of Year 7. Firstly thank you ALL for a very interesting and informative evening. We are very impressed with all aspects of the school and would like to compliment you on the politeness and helpfulness of pupils and staff. Our guide for the evening was exceptional and incredibly knowledgeable about the school. We did not realise until half way round our tour that she was only a year 7. I believe her name was Elisabeth [sorry didn’t catch her surname] and we would like to pass on our personal thanks to her. Keep up the

good work.” TEA PARTY On Friday 3rd October, we celebrated our successful Open Evening by thanking the student volunteers with a tea party. Over 300 students and members of the Stevenage FC Youth Academy, who acted as tour guides and



Page 3

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




helpers at the busy event, were invited to attend. Staff served tea and biscuits and they enjoyed an extended break, as well as receiving achievement points and letters home. Marriotts Headteacher Beth Honnor said “We are so proud of our students. They ensured that the busy evening ran smoothly. Our students are our best ambassadors. I have received countless emails and phone calls from prospective parents, praising the maturity and helpfulness of our student guides, many of whom are in Year 7. At Marriotts we are very focused on rewarding students for all the contributions that they make to school life. Well done students we hope you enjoyed your tea!” YEAR 7 FOOTBALL On Monday 29th September the Year 7 Football team played a match against Kings Langley in the County Cup. They lost 1-0 but this was against a traditionally very strong team who had already played three matches. The attitude of the students was absolutely amazing. The best ever seen. A real credit and advert for the ‘New Marriotts’. Congratulations to the following players: Piotr Perlik, Alfie Miles, Jack Lincoln, Corey Carter, Lewis Edgar, Jack Ellwood, Alex Parker, Tom Brown, Jack Downes, KieWearn, Sam Galatis (GK) Aaron Doherty, Harry Lovatt, Callum Allcock-Green and Dante Kiraka Richu. SIXTH FORM FOOTBALL On 1st October the Sixth Form Football team played a match against Highfield School in the District League. They won 9-2! Stephen Dada was a stand out man of the match with 4 goals. A comment from the opposition teacher; “Quality in both attitude and ability and totally deserved the win”. Congratulations to the following players: Billy Newport, Scott Monk, Jake Keenan, Danny Holmes, Jonathan Griffiths, Stanley Holford, Luca Khoury, James Ferrari, Jordan Stewart, Stephen Dada, Kieran Davis, Denis Kalema and Luke Sambridge. NETBALL On 1st October Year 8 Girls played two fixtures. They beat The Nobel School 5-4 in the first game and then dominated the game against Barnwell beating

them 22-1 (not sure Casey Davies missed any opportunity). Congratulations to the following players: Eve Newstead, Orla Newstead, Dayla O‘Sullivan, Charlotte Jackson, Selma Ajazi, TinoModise, Kendall Furr, Casey Davies, Jess Terziyska and Kayleigh Perry (c). VIENNA SHAVES HER HEAD

Vienna Aplin, Year 7 shaved her head on her 12th birthday to raise funds for Macmillan. She took on the challenge after her mum's close friend, Maria Stewart, died from cancer aged 46 in 2007. She said "I know people who have lost family

members to cancer, I especially wanted to do this in memory of our family friend who sadly died". Vienna has already raised £732 for the charity and donated her hair to the Rainbow Trust Children's Charity which will use it to make wigs for children who lose their hair through cancer treatment. If you would like to make a donation please visit www.justgiving.com/Vienna-Aplin HUMANUTOPIA TRAINS HEROES I am pleased to report that the Marriotts ‘Heroes’ continue in their good work to help new Year 7 students during a recent workshop.



http://www.justgiving.com/Vienna-Aplin

Page 4

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




GAMBIA BUILDING PROJECT In April 2015 five representatives from Marriotts School will be flying to the Gambia to undertake a build project that was started this year along with Stevenage FC. The school’s representatives will be visiting and camping in a local village and continuing with small building projects starting this year along with building a football stadium for the local community. We are pleased to announce that Marriotts School will be leading this project in 2016 and will be taking students out to the Gambia to continue with the

great work already started. This is going to be a great opportunity for sixth formers to travel and experience life in a West African country.

The forthcoming trip to Gambia will be used to find communities and projects to work with on the 2016 trip. We will be working alongside Football Gambia and will be partnering up with local schools in Gambia and fundraising to help the local communities. This will be something that the school will look to do every year and will have a great impact on our students learning.

In November a container was packed with lots of building materials, football kits and donations and

will be leaving this month for the team to unpack and use when they arrive. WISEPAY

We have recently introduced a new secure online payment service called WisePay. This payment service allows parents and carers (and extended family members), to make payments to the school using their debit or credit cards. Payments can include school fees, invoice payments, trips, tickets, uniform purchases, book purchases, clubs, bus payments, sports or music payments – in fact, WisePay can facilitate any payments that may be made to the school. THE MARRIOTTS WAY: An approach for all staff This is our staff code that as head I expect all staff to follow. What it means to be a member of staff at Marriotts School

We realise that as members of a school that is on a journey to be outstanding a good staff culture is central to our future success. We therefore have a set of values or philosophies that we commit to as a team. We call these “The Marriotts Way”.

1. We do whatever it takes. 2. We are positive and optimistic. We believe

‘these kids can’. 3. We are focused on students’ progress to open

doors for them. 4. We model what we expect to see from students

and each other. We live our values. 5. We are consistent and we ‘hold the line’. We

buy into and own group decisions even if originally we expressed disagreement.

6. We are solution focused and have a ‘Can do’ attitude.



Page 5

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




7. We are hardworking, disciplined and demonstrate ‘relentless follow through’ knowing that this is what will get our students the results they need. We know that their success is our responsibility.

8. We have high expectations for progress, for behaviour, for students and for ourselves.

9. We ‘Sweat the small stuff’ and know that attention to detail along with good habits and routines will secure our success.

10. We are ‘on our books’. We know that the way they are presented, the quality of work within them and the quality of marking must be outstanding. They are a temperature gauge for the whole school.

11. We ‘Pick up the Pizza box’. We recognise in a busy school that there are hundreds of odd jobs that will turn up unexpectedly and we will all ‘muck in’ to help each other out.

12. We want to build a culture of open, honest and productive dialogue with one another. The leaders’ doors are always open to discuss anything and everything, and we are expected to share our thoughts, ideas and concerns. We are team players, we respect all members of staff in both teaching and non-teaching roles and we value each other’s contributions, knowing that we are all responsible for our collective success.

SIXTH FORM UPDATE On behalf of the sixth form I am very pleased to introduce to you our newly appointed Head Boy and Head Girl, Stephen Dada and Annabelle Bullock.

We had several good applicants and the decision was very tough as each student put forward would have been a credit to the school. The pair have made a fantastic start to the role so far with the support of the Senior Prefect team.

After a much improved set of exam results the sixth form has doubled in size. The sixth form area is a buzzing hive of education that now includes over 100 students all on a minimum of 3 A level subjects or equivalent. Comments from sixth form students a member of staff are given below. “It is great to have a cohort full of enthusiastic, determined, hardworking and driven students. I have seen the sixth form grow in my short time here and the atmosphere around the place is fantastic.” “I chose to go to Marriotts sixth form because of the wide range of opportunities available to me.” “The Marriotts extra programme gives me the chance to learn life skills to prepare myself for university.” We are delighted in the way that students have responded to changes and are proud to have students that were part of the winning year group for the Central England Pixl Award for progress at GCSE last year. The bespoke programme for sixth form students is well under way with both staff and students expressing how beneficial the programme is.

Students are given the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular activities and lessons such as a cooking class, car maintenance, first aid, self-defence and application writing. The Marriotts extra programme also sets time for students to take part in work experience. Many students are already using their study periods to gain vital experience in work places to help them gain skills for their futures. Sixth form students have also been fantastic in helping with events such as open evenings, again gaining life skills but being great ambassadors and role models for the school.



Page 6

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




Marriotts sixth form has been successful in building working relationships with both Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Universities. So far we have been fortunate enough to be able to have guest speakers from the universities, UCAS workshops, application skills programmes and drop in advice talks set up. SO ACTIVE Marriotts School are proud to be a partner in the SO Active programme which aims to get the people of Stevenage and in particular the Bedwell area active over a three year period.

Currently we are running our HOPE project (Help older people exercise). This group meets every Monday in the Sports Centre and they take part in Sports activities such as pilates, walks, table tennis and lots more. The group also access the schools IT equipment and spend time every week using the internet and social media to keep in touch with friends and relatives. This is funded by the SO Active programme. KS3 UPDATE Each year group have been introduced to their Yearly Focus which relates to their end of year graduation. Assemblies have been delivered by Year Leaders and the KS3 Raising Standards Leader. Year 7 Focus - Transition and Induction. Year 8 Focus - Leadership and Independent Learning. Year 9 Focus - Foundations for Success at Key Stage 4.

The Year Focus and end of year Graduations have been introduced to provide extra incentive, support, and challenge and provide a platform for students to succeed and then be prepared for the proceeding year. The Year Focus will be embedded throughout the year in form times, assemblies and in lessons. During form time in the Spring and Summer term; form tutor interviews will take place for students to complete their 'Steps to Graduation' targets to ensure they reach the end of the year succeeding in their Yearly Focus. Additionally, the level they Graduate at (Standard, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) will be measured against set criteria. For Years 7 and 8 this will be conduct points, and in Year 9 only; it will be measured by the number of lessons they make 3 Levels of Progress in by the end of the year. Students will be constantly updated about their conduct points and levels of progress through subject assessments. This will allow for support and intervention to put in place where required. The level of stretch and challenge in lessons for higher ability students is also an area which will continue and be focused on going forward for development in teaching and learning across KS3. STUDENT VOICE The student voice moves into its first full cycle this half term. Last half term the School Council met with outside agencies linked closely to the school; Cofely for environmental developments, Sports Centre for charity and other opportunities in addition to teaching and learning feedback and respect and tolerance consultation. In relation to the anti-bullying week, Marriotts are an active part of the Cross school Student Voice where our Senior Sixth Form students and Head Boy and Head Girl are driving forward a 'Respect' campaign in conjunction with all the North Herts Secondary Schools. The whole school will have a voice on this through form time discussion which will then be presented to each Year Council which in turn will be presented the School Council's Respect and Tolerance Department to create and present the campaign across the North Herts community.



Page 7

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




Student council visit to the Mayor’s chambers.

The Student Council will also be meeting to discuss lunchtimes with Caterlink, Community projects and Marketing with the Marriotts Marketing team and Cofely on any building initiatives. In addition to standing items on the agenda linked to behaviour for learning, there will be items relating to respect and tolerance plus teaching and learning across the school. LITERACY CORNER During the term we have been promoting reading in all English lessons, with an allocated ten minute reading slot in every lesson. In addition to this, once a fortnight, students have been completing guided reading sessions during Tutor Time. The response to these reading sessions has been fantastic from the students as they are reading their way through many new titles and genres. Students seem to be more enthused and excited about reading, with many commenting on the latest titles they would like to see in their Christmas stockings this year! The Top Ten Teen reads for this Christmas are:

1. The Everest Files - Matt Dickinson 2. Half Bad - Sally Green 3. The Bubble Wrap Boy – Phil Earl 4. Rock War – Robert Muchamore 5. The Apple Tart of Hope – Sarah Moore

Fitzgerald 6. We were Liars – E Lockhart 7. I Predict a Riot – Catherine Bruton 8. Cuckoo Song – Frances Hardinge 9. The Castle – Sophia Bennett 10. Lobsters – Tom Ellen and Lucy Iwson

During a ‘mini mock OFSTED’, conducted by our consultant Mr Meredith, a group of Year 7 readers read and discussed their books with him. They all said that they have become more regular readers in recent months. Last half term three students read over half a million words! Congratulations and well done to Katy Nichols, Abbie Cowan and Shoba Begum. The English Faculty are sharing recommended reading lists with parents during parents’ evenings to support more reading at home and have also introduced a ‘takeaway’ menu of homework connected to independent reading for all KS3 students. On our recent Inset day, staff undertook training on developing writing skills for students in their area. Learning walks have shown that key words are being used consistently and we are now moving towards more development of students’ sentence structures to help them become confident writers in any form and genre. More work on this skill area is to follow, through the homework set by the English Faculty, with a ‘takeaway’ homework linked to writing planned for the Spring Term. REWARDS We would like to congratulate the students who have received a Year Leader Award since September. These awards are presented to students who have achieved in their studies, for example, for fantastic effort across all lessons, positive attitude towards school, being really kind and fantastic, positive contribution on theme day.



Page 8

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




Here are just a few of the students receiving their certificates.

Shenelle Davis Jess Bailes and Millie Cook

Lauren Elliot, Nathan Zelli and Jade Mole

Congratulations to all our winners. Well done! SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural)

SMSC is crucial to any school as it is through its provision that students develop a set of characteristics and capabilities that enable them to cope with modern day life. At Marriotts we understand that SMSC should be at the core of everything that we do and you will find it evident in many aspects of the school, from day-to-day lessons, to special events, and through various clubs and extra-curricular activities. This term the Year 7s enjoyed team building activities at Fairlands Lakes, Year 9s took part in a WW1 commemoration event at Knebworth House and Year 8 students attended a trip to the Natural History Museum. Students in Year 10 have had

opportunities to visit the theatre, to see Woman in Black and War Horse. As a school we have acknowledged a number of significant events, for example, assemblies acknowledging Black History Month and Languages Day. During form time we have remembered those that lost their lives in 9/11 and we debated the Scottish referendum. November 11th saw Marriotts School take part in commemorating the National Remembrance Day. As a school we believe it is important that all of our community understand the origins of Remembrance Day particularly in this centenary year following the beginning of the First World War. Students took part in a number of activities of remembrance - tracing the histories of individuals who fought in the war, poetry writing and the creation of ceramic poppies that have been laid in one of the school garden areas as an act of remembrance. As a whole school community we took part in a moving assembly which remembered the sacrifice of soldiers who have fought in conflicts throughout the last century with students and staff contributing poetry readings and music. Proudly following the call of the Last Post all students and staff followed the two minute national silence at 11 o'clock - a quiet moment for us all to pause and reflect on the contribution that so many have made. Whilst a sombre occasion the students showed how mature and dignified they have become at Marriotts School in showing their respect for those who had risked their lives to preserve our freedom.



Page 9

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




Following year assemblies, Harry Welham in Year 7 said “It was very moving. It made me think about anybody that died and how it made their families feel.” Headboy, Stephen Dada said “Today has been an absolute eye opener. In the past years it has never had such an impact on me as it has today. I have seen the importance of the 11th November as have the rest of the school through the hard hitting assemblies that were in place today. This day is truly a remembrance day as it will never be forgotten.” We will also be acknowledging anti bullying week through a series of activities. The school’s reward system has developed further this term. It provides us with very tangible evidence that our students have a positive attitude to their work and have a strong moral code - they are able to distinguish between right and wrong. Students also show respect for each other and their environment. Also at Marriotts much is achieved because of the positive relations between pupils and staff. Many of our students are now Learning Leaders as they have demonstrated a number of positive qualities. They were rewarded with a tea party at the end of the half term, we had 370 students in attendance - that’s a lot of tea and biscuits. Also this term we have successfully launched our Marriotts Lifeskills Programme this involves a series of PSHE/ Citizenship lessons. This term there has been a focus on Respect and personal values. Various other topics are planned for later in the year such as online safety, work related learning and financial capability. Preparing for Life in Modern Britain would be the ultimate aim of the work we do in this area. We have many partners to help us deliver our Life Skills curriculum, including Humanutopia who we have worked with once again this year, to the enormous benefit of our students. The Year 9 girls have also taken part in a ‘Confidence Girls’ workshop, run by Herts for Learning, and our Year 10s have embarked on a series of workshops designed to help them with Employabilty skills. In addition we plan to use our Theme Day Programme to extend and enrich the curriculum and to foster a sense of enjoyment and fascination

in our students and in the world around them. Our first Theme Day will be a focus on Politics and Human Rights. TEACHING AND LEARNING UPDATE It has been another exciting half term for the Teaching and Learning Team with lots of new developments. As you know, we track the quality of teaching and learning very regularly so that we can make sure that we are meeting our target of ‘Every lesson, every day good or better.’ We are pleased to report that in the latest cycle of appraisal observations, in which all staff were observed for an hour, 85% of lessons were judged to be good or better. Our regular marking trawls continue to show improvement and we are now focusing on the action that students take after the marking is completed. We have appointed some new lead practitioners who are working really hard to enhance the provision of literacy in school and to drive up the standards of teaching across the curriculum. We continue to work on our five foci, which as you know are: the Marriotts lesson non-negotiables; marking for progress; homework for progress; knowing your level/grade, your target and how to get to the next level/grade and questioning for progress and engagement. Several faculties have had their mini Ofsted where an Ofsted inspector comes in and works with us to inspect the department by looking at the quality of teaching and learning and behaviour and achievement over time and then helping us to action plan so that we can improve further. Review of the Year 13 Trip to watch Frankenstein on the stage For the English Literature A2 class, the syllabus states that you must study a gothic text, which for us, is Frankenstein. On the 30th October there was a production of Frankenstein directed by Danny Boyle, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (the monster) and Johnny Lee Miller (Victor Frankenstein).



Page 10

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




The production portrayed the monster to simply be keen to learn and very lonely. This was shown through the monster learning to speak English with a poor blind man in the cottage. There is no indication that he will be evil, only, he is child-like and innocent. He is afraid for people to see him due to his scars, which is why the audience seem to sympathise with the monster when he finds comfort with a blind man. Boyle portrayed him as a character who is simply misunderstood which captivates the audience into what might happen later. Boyle made the monster seem like the victim, who is tainted by the evil of Frankenstein. It is left to the audience wondering who really does have the right to give and take a life. So overall, the production was shown from the monster’s point of view, but always remained enticing and thrilling.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it helped us to understand the text more which will help with our examination in the summer.

Written by Taylor Slater BEHAVIOUR for LEARNING

As we continue our journey to become the best school in Stevenage for all of our students, a few quick reminders to ensure our standards continue to remain high and everyone is actively a part of our school community:

Uniform- Please be reminded, black school shoes is the only footwear permitted in the building - trainers, canvas shoes etc. are not part of our uniform code. Outdoor wear - coats, hooded tops etc. are not permitted for wear inside the building. Attendance and Punctuality- Students should be arriving at school by 8.25am to ensure they are prompt in arriving to their morning tutor time and ready to engage in the daily activity. There is a ‘100% Attendance’ competition running enabling each student who is present and on time everyday to be entered into a draw within their year group. The winning student will receive a voucher to spend over the Christmas holiday. Additionally the form in each year group who has the overall best attendance will be treated to a special breakfast next week. SHOW MY HOMEWORK Show my homework is an online application that centralises all the homework set by the school. It is easily accessible to teachers, students and parents and can be viewed online and through an app for iOS and Android devices for tablets and mobiles. Show my Homework allows you to see all the homework that has been set by each subject teacher for an individual student. It shows how many days until it needs to be submitted, sends emails and push notifications as reminders and provides access to resources published by teaching staff. All students have login details. However as a parent you can access the homework calendar by following the instructions below. Step 1. Login to https://marriotts.showmyhomework.co.uk Step 2. Click on “Homework Calendar” Step 3. Use the drop-down filters to search for “teacher”, “class”, “subject”, “year”



https://marriotts.showmyhomework.co.uk/

Page 11

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




Step 4. Click “Apply Filter” Step 5. Calendar shows homework that has been set

Show my Homework has had a really successful launch at Marriotts and students are finding it helpful in reminding them when homework is due and what they need to do for the activities set. As parents and carers we would welcome you to view Show my Homework so that you can see the activities set for your child. STUDENT FOOTBALL CLUB PARTNERSHIP and ATHLETE PROGRAMME Our developing partnership with Stevenage Football Club has given our students some very exciting opportunities so far this year. Stevenage FC have issued us with complimentary tickets to games and throughout the academic year, I will be selecting a range of students to join the Aspire+ Programme which is facilitated by a community coach from the football club with a focus on raising aspirations and team building exercises. The programme also includes a tour of the stadium.

Additionally, the development of the Student Athlete Programme is now operational which has led to some elite athletes from Stevenage's Academy set up joining Marriotts with their

coaching hours integrated into the school day. These student athletes have the opportunity to participate in additional training to further develop their performance which is fantastic for grass roots football and a positive step in developing future professional footballers. Stevenage Football Club's Education Welfare Officer is key with tracking each player's academic progress to ensure their performance levels are being met both on and off of the pitch.

On Saturday 20th December Stevenage FC will be holding open trials at Marriotts on the 3G facility. These trials are for all age groups from under 8s- 16s at a cost of £10, which is payable in advance. For further information, please refer to Stevenage FCs full website: www.stevenagefc.com PARTICIPATION SKILLS THEME DAY – Year 7 On 3rd December Year 7 took part in a Particpation Skills Theme Day. This day involved outside speakers working with small groups and a visit from the Mayor of Stevenage, Sherma Batson. Our Year 7 reporters gave us the following information: Naima Abdul said “The day started off with small groups, we had a warm up and then were given a task to work on, this quickly helped us think about skills like communication, sharing opinions and making sure your voice is heard. Following this we chose an issue regarding school and/or the local area to discuss which we took to the Mayor when she arrived. We presented our questions to her and she answered them all as best as she could. After the session with the Mayor we went back to our groups and we took part in ‘The Great Debate’, which helped us to use key questions, understand how elections and voting works and to consider others opinions.” Sian Worton was pleased that after students put questions to the Mayor, Beth Honnor, also answered questions about the school from the issues raised. Sian said, “the day was very useful and we committed ourselves to working hard and working together. “



http://www.stevenagefc.com/

Page 12

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




The Mayor was asked two key questions by reporters: Marriotts: What happens if you are not voted for? Mayor: I will always continue to take an interest in the town and community and will continue to work in the voluntary sector even if I am no longer Mayor. Marriotts: Do the Youth Council issues get heard by you? Mayor: Most definitely, for example, the Youth Council have raised the issue about the Skate Park which is finally being actioned; this will be at Hampson Park. We want young people to use their voice to bring things to the Youth Council via their School Council – young people can get involved in lots of things but often don’t know how. The use of social media is a great platform for voicing your opinions too.

YOUNG ENTERPRISE DAY – Year 9 On Wednesday 3rd December Year 9 students took part in the Young Enterprise Day. The purpose was to help young people develop their skills for the future and to learn to deal with life challenges. The aim of the day was to design a housing estate with facilities to occupy the residents. We all completed this task in teams, with each member taking on a role, including; project manager, architect and town planner. The teams had to take into consideration the design, materials used, layouts, cost and most importantly making a profit. After sticking, bending and breaking things, students had then to present their working to a small group of judges. We had to show skills for an interview. For example; confidence, posture and using a clear and confident voice. A winner was chosen and prizes were handed out.

Students reacted positively to the task at hand, they produced excellent detailed plans and showed good skills in presenting their ideas. Oliver Arnold said “we are learning how to build a housing estate, showing good behaviour skills and working as a team. My team have responded to the task well and have started working and have great ideas for our project.” Charles Chaudry said, “We are making a piece of land into a housing accommodation using job roles to know our task and showing life skills which will be needed for the future. Its helping us work as a team”.



Page 13

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




Tyesha King summed up the day by saying “ The day was very enjoyable and pupils had a chance to see what job applications, CVs and other related things were.” Jane Shipley, Young Enterprise Manager for North and Mid Herts said, “The whole point of the day is to showcase the skills needed to apply for a job and succeed in life. You need to show good skills including; body language, confidence and being a team player”. We would like to thank all who helped put this day together for year 9 it was both enjoyable and informative.

Written by Jack Thomas and Matthew Dunn Year 8 “rock” the house at the Natural History Museum by Luke Ambrose and Travis Gapper Year 8 visited the Natural History Museum last month to learn more about their current geography topic, ‘The Restless Earth’. During their visit they looked at how tectonic plates move creating earthquakes and volcanoes and how rocks are formed. Year 8 enjoyed gawping at the precious diamonds, earthquake survival kits, heat-proof suits and volcanic bombs! The highlight of the day was experiencing the earthquake simulator, based on the 1995 earthquake that hit Kobe. Students stood in a recreated Japanese supermarket while the ground shook violently. Revision with a difference, Year 11 visit to Greenwich Millennium Village To prepare students for their upcoming exam the Geography department took Year 11 students to London for a revision session with a difference. Students visited Greenwich Millennium Village to investigate how the area had been developed sustainably. While at the site students undertook

environmental quality surveys and completed questionnaires with local residents. Students also travelled to Canary Wharf on the Emirates cable car, giving them the opportunity to view London from above. Students commented that visiting the places they study first hand really helped them understand their work. More field based revision trips will be held before the exam season.

KEEP KIDS SAFE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM The following Keep Kids Safe contact numbers may be useful:- Absence Alert Text Number 07624 815175 This is the virtual mobile number from which absence alert SMS text messages are sent to parents/carers. Parents/carers who reply to absence alerts will send their texts to this number. Absence Hotline Number 08442 393197 This is the number parents call to access the automated Keep Kids Safe at School™ absence hotline. This number is quoted in Absence Alerts. Please use the above numbers to report your child’s absence or alternatively you can call the school on 01438 726999 (option 1 for Marriotts, followed by option 2 for the absence line). Group Messaging Text Number 07624 815174 This is the virtual mobile number from which Group SMS text messages are sent to parents/carers and the number to which your reply text will be sent.



Page 14

MARRIOTTS NEWS

AUTUMN TERM 2




Keep Kids Safe Communication system Keep Kids Safe is an automatic system that generates a text if your child has not registered in school before 9.15am. Unfortunately, if you tell someone other than the attendance officer that your child will be absent, the message does not always get through before the texts are sent. For this reason we have a dedicated telephone number for you to call 01438 726999 option 1 (Marriotts) and option 2 (absence). As with any system, errors can be made and the school apologises in advance if you receive a text although you have reported your child absent. EMERGENCY CLOSURE AND BAD WEATHER If we have very bad weather or other emergencies that prevent the school from opening, please listen for announcements on BOB FM (106.7 and 106.9). Information will also be available at www.hertsdirect.org. Please note that although we will continue to notify local radio in the event of an emergency closure and will update the website as soon as we are able, our primary method of communication will be by text to the number identified as the primary parent/carer for each of the students in the school. As a result of this, it is essential that we have your up to date mobile phone number. If you are unsure whether or not you have notified us of your mobile number, please send a note to the school with your contact details and a request for your number to be checked on the system. Please discuss with your child what you would want them to do in the event of any sudden closure during the day, i.e. should they go to a designated friend’s house. This is especially important for students who do not live locally. CONTACT DETAILS It is vital that we have up to date contact information for you on our database. We are sending most correspondence out electronically now, so you are informed immediately of current news/events.

If we do not hold an email for Contact 1 then any correspondence home will be handed to your child via the register. Please visit the “Contact Us” page on www.marriotts.herts.sch.uk . This is one way of sending your new or updated details and we will amend upon receipt.

The Christmas Tree

A Christmas Poem by Author Unknown

Of all the trees in the woods and fields

There's none like the Christmas tree;

Tho' rich and rare is the fruit he yields,

The strangest of trees is he.

Some drink their fill from the shower or rill;

No cooling draught needs he;

Some bend and break when the storms

awake,

But they reach not the Christmas tree.

When wintry winds thro' the forests sweep,

And snow robes the leafless limb;

When cold and still is the ice-bound deep,

O this is the time for him.

Beneath the dome of the sunny home,

He stands with all his charms;

'Mid laugh and song from the youthful

throng,

As they gaze on his fruitful arms.

There's golden fruit on the Christmas tree,

And gems for the fair and gay;

The lettered page for the mind bears he,

And robes for the wintry day.

And there are toys for the girls and boys;

And eyes that years bedim

Grow strangely bright, with a youthful light,

As they pluck from the pendant limb.



http://www.hertsdirect.org/

http://good-wallpapers.com/wallpapers/23542/Christmas Eve, Christmas Tree, Presents, Fireplace.jpg

Documents

MARRIOTTS NEWSmarriotts.herts.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/... · communities and projects to work with on the 2016 trip. We will be working alongside Football Gambia and will