MICHAELA MATTERS

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that the end of the year is nearly

upon us. Our opening, three years ago, seems like yes‐

terday. How extraordinary it is that our Year 9s are al‐

ready half way through one of their GCSEs! Time lies

when you are enjoying yourselves!

While it may seem that the last year has gone by in a

lash, a great deal has happened. As families will know,

Ofsted visited us just before May half term. It was an in‐

teresting and exciting experience. he pupils were a de‐

light as usual and the inspectors were blown away by

them. he inspectors were rightly very impressed with

the progress our pupils are making here.

We were delighted, therefore, to be the only school in

Brent that has been given Outstanding in all categories

by Ofsted. he staff, pupils and families have worked

very hard together and I am glad that the inspectors

were able to appreciate Michaela for what it is: an excel‐

lent school.

Our summer 2017 paper will tell you the details of our

speaker visits this year, including Nick Gibb, Minister

for Schools and Claire Fox, writer and director of the

Institute of Ideas.

his year has seen some exciting musical events at

Michaela. he Chamber Choir performed 'Matchmaker'

from the 'Fiddler On the Roof ' musical at the Christ‐

mas performance last December. he full ensemble

gave a stellar performance of 'Dance of the Sugarplum

Fairy' from 'he Nutcracker' ballet, which they executed

magniicently. For the inal, end-of-year performance,

all the choirs and ensembles are putting together excit‐

ing performances.

We look forward to September when Powerleague will

be up and running again and normal sport will resume.

I would like to thanks all parents for their understand‐

ing during this time when circumstances outside of our

control have meant we have been limited in what sport

we have been able to offer.

We are excited to be welcoming the new Year 7s who

will join us, eager to learn the 'Michaela way'. From

September, we will have 480 pupils and I know our cur‐

rent Year 7, 8 and 9s will ensure that they are excellent

role models.

here is an important parent assembly for the current

Year 8 and Year 9 families in September which will ex‐

plain the GCSE experience and will advise families on

how to prepare for it. It is crucial that all current Year 8

and current Year 9 families attend. Please see our emails

and letters for details.

he summer holidays are long and we are keen for

pupils to remember all that they have been learning so

we will be setting holiday homework for them. We are

grateful to families for their support with this and we

look forward to September when all pupils return with

at least the minimum homework completed. Every holi‐

day, nearly half of the pupils complete twice the mini‐

mum of homework set. I am certain that these pupils

will go far in life because they are willing to go above

and beyond.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all families

a very happy and sunny summer. hank you for your

support over the year. We will see you in September.

Yours faithfully,

Katharine Birbalsingh - Headmistress

2 Issue 6

Claire Fox came to talk to us about free speech and how

anyone and everyone should have freedom of speech

even if they have radical ideas. She argued that we must

all allow others to speak freely because silencing others

will limit our knowledge of other possibilities. She said:

'the only way to beat an argument is to have a better ar‐

gument.'

his motivated many of us to hone our debating skills.

Ms. Fox taught us that having knowledge is fundamen‐

tal to shaping our ideas and arguments and that all

speech can be scrutinised in a pejorative manner. Most

importantly, we learned that listening to others will em‐

power us in life.

Kavit, 9A

he unique education and irm discipline at Michaela

attracts many visitors.

One such recent visitor is Barnaby Lenon. Prior to

achieving the accolade of Chairman of the Independent

Schools Council, he was the headmaster of Harrow

School: a prominent private school. He is also known

for having tutored the former Prime Minister, David

Cameron, and our current Foreign Secretary, Boris

Johnson, at Oxford.

At Michaela, he spoke to pupils in an assembly about

Winston Churchill. He spoke about Churchill's virtues

such as stoicism and perseverance. We learned that

Churchill spent most of his childhood in poverty and

had a speech impediment, yet became 'one of the great‐

est orators of all time.'

Finally, he noted that Michaela pupils have the ability to

be as great as Winston Churchill if we put our minds to

it.

Roshaun, 8P

On the 27th March 2017, Claire Fox delighted Michaela

with a talk about our freedom of speech. he British lib‐

ertarian writer argued that we should all have an unlim‐

ited amount of freedom of speech and suggested that

acts such as the recent terror attacks on London and

Manchester are attacks on this freedom.

She let us with an intriguing dilemma: freedom of

speech or no freedom of speech at all? Her arguments

included that freedom of speech betters our arguments.

his is because it is only by knowing the other side to a

debate that we can choose if our initial view on the ar‐

gument is morally right or wrong.

Moreover, if we do not have this freedom, ignorance

starts to become prevalent in society. hese arguments

supplied the ingredients for a great lunch debate where

many Michaela pupils were divided on their beliefs.

Joseph, 9A

Last term, the Minister of State at the Department for

Education, Nick Gibb, came to visit Michaela Commu‐

nity School. He sat on our table at lunchtime and told

us about the amazing day he had had at our school. He

explained that our school is unique and that we should

be very proud of it.

He stated: 'Michaela has a strong academic standard,

superb behaviour and very happy pupils'. His inspira‐

tional words reminded us how lucky we are to be at an

exceptional school, where education is taken very seri‐

ously and pupils work very hard.

He observed many of our lessons and was impressed

with the peaceful environment and the concentration

on the faces of all the pupils. Before leaving he an‐

nounced, 'I have faith in everyone and I know they can

succeed'. his raised our conidence and motivated us

all to work harder so that we can succeed in life and

make our school proud.

Sharfa, 9A

Claire Fox on Free Speech

NEWS

Nick Gibb Enjoys Visit to MCS

Barnaby Lenon Inspires Us

3Issue 6

On Wednesday 26th April, Year 9 were fortunate

enough to listen to guest speaker Susan Pollack, a sur‐

vivor of the Holocaust. During her visit, Mrs. Pollack

talked to us about her own experiences as a teenage girl

in the 1940s and how her own family was affected by

anti-Semitism. It was inspirational to hear about her

perseverance ater members of her family were never

seen again: 50 of them did not survive the Holocaust

and Mrs. Pollock and her brother Laci were not reunit‐

ed until 20 years ater the liberation of the camps.

Mrs. Pollack later went to university and studied Psy‐

chology in order to ind out how such a systematic

genocide could have happened. One quote from Mrs.

Pollack was: 'you are so lucky to have an education'. As

well as learning more about the experiences which a

survivor has encountered, Mrs. Pollack taught us to be

grateful for the privileges which we have today, which

were not available to many children at that time. his

inspired many of us and we are grateful to have had the

opportunity to talk to her.

Amrutha, 9A

All of us know that, everywhere, there are families who

lead difficult lives because they lack food, hygiene prod‐

ucts and toys for their children. Frankly, I cannot imag‐

ine what it would be like to lack these things.

If I ever complain about not having the internet, my

mother will say to me, 'you complain that you do not

have internet, but others do not have food.' his always

makes me feel more grateful for the things I have.

Ms. Rizvi contacted an organisation called 'he Trussell

Trust'. hrough this, families who really need food or

clothes can receive them. We spent two weeks collecting

items from our own homes to donate to others. We

compiled a huge amount for them and feel happy that

our efforts will aid those who need these things more

than us. As author Victor Hugo says, 'an emptied bag is

a full heart'!

heona, 9Z

Holocaust Survivor Inspires Year 9 Pupils

Easter Hamper Appeal

4 Issue 6

When I irst started at Michaela, I was completely as‐

tonished by how much the teachers expected of us. I

could not believe that we had to complete homework

every day. I felt that I did not it in. I felt like an

outsider, but I soon learned to become a Michaela pupil

who worked as hard as possible.

In Bootcamp week, I was dazzled by how easy it was to

get demerits and, consequently, detentions. herefore,

my initial merit balance was dismal. By the end of Boot‐

camp week I decided to take action and, luckily for me,

I found a great tool to help me: Times Table Rock Stars.

My merit balance improved a lot and I built up more

trust with my teachers.

Ater this discovery I started to set big goals on TTRS,

such as: a place in top ten in the school, then top ive

and then, eventually, number one. I did not think that I

would ever achieve the top spot but, to my surprise, I

did.

his took commitment, dedication and devotion but it

paid off with lots of merits and, more signiicantly, with

long term success. Working hard at TTRS has enabled

me to understand the beneit of working hard for my

exams and, as a result, I have gained results of which I

can be proud.

Mahad, 8P

At Michaela, we believe that we are uniquely passionate

about learning. However, Michaela is actually not just

about this passion. Did you know it is also about grati‐

tude? We believe that gratitude is a major cause of suc‐

cess; this is why we give appreciations!

An appreciation is a small speech dedicated to a person

who has helped us become the person we are today by

showing us kindness, even in the smallest way.

As well as emphasising our gratitude, appreciations ac‐

tually prepare us for the future as they improve our

public speaking and conidence. Why don't you give an

appreciation today and brighten someone's day? As Ms.

Lund likes to say: 'appreciations are the highlights of

our day'.

he best appreciations celebrate something speciic: an

act of kindness or a recognition that someone you know

is doing something brilliant for you or for others. What

will be your appreciation today?

Madiha, 7D

At Michaela, teachers emphasise the importance of self-

quizzing. Getting into daily quizzing habits is difficult

to adapt to at irst, as many new pupils realise. However,

something that is good for your future is never going to

come easily. Once in the habit of self-quizzing, it trans‐

forms your grades and weekly quiz results.

Personally, Maths is one of my weakest areas and I

found it a very difficult subject to understand. I received

a weekly quiz result back from my Maths teacher, Ms.

Rizvi, and I decided that a '0.5' grade was not good

enough. I really pushed myself and did double the min‐

imum of self-quizzing. In time, the results displayed my

hard work. I achieved 100%! his is one of many expe‐

riences pupils at Michaela share and it makes us appre‐

ciate having such a helpful revision technique.

For those who are still struggling to connect with self-

quizzing, I would urge you to keep working hard; you

will see a massive improvement!

Rayyan Fernandez, 8P

At Michaela, there is a shop which can be used by

pupils if they are missing a piece of equipment. It is cru‐

cial that pupils replenish missing or broken equipment

because, if you are missing something, you will receive

an instant detention from your form tutor. his may

sound somewhat unfair but it is absolutely crucial and

beneicial as it teaches us how to be organised. his

means that when we take our GCSEs, we will not forget

any pieces of equipment such as pens or protractors and

thus hinder our exam success. When I irst became a

Future Leader, I knew I wanted to help out in the school

shop to improve my maths skills and my social interac‐

tions.

Want to work in the shop? You need to have a great rep‐

utation inside and outside of the school. his is impor‐

tant because the teachers need to trust you to handle

money sensibly and honestly. You must demonstrate in‐

tegrity, hard work and kindness. If you are interested in

helping out in the shop, please speak to Ms. Clear.

Karrar, 8P

From Average to Perfection!

Shop Success My Michaela Odyssey

Two Claps on Two...

'I have gained results of which I can be proud'

WHY WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL

5Issue 6

My perspective on Michaela has changed recently. Dur‐

ing the Christmas holidays, I decided I would take a

different approach to the term by making sure that I

was considering demerits and detentions as helpful re‐

minders. Before the Christmas holidays, I was not ac‐

cepting responsibility and I was trying to break the sys‐

tem that is in place to help us. I came across as deiant.

Teachers have helped me to change my behaviour and

my opinion of the school. I have become much more

positive since then and this has helped me to get

through my days smoothly. I now know that my

chances of getting merits and rewards are sky-high if I

am in a positive mood.

Zakye, 8A

At Michaela, we have high expectations for all pupils

and we want them all to have a good future. We look af‐

ter all pupils during school and aterwards so that chil‐

dren have a completely bully-free zone, which other

schools lack. At the end of term, we check pupils' merit

balance to see if it is in positive numbers and, if it is,

pupils watch a movie in their form rooms with popcorn

and cookies as a wonderful reward. However, if chil‐

dren have not been working hard enough and have a

negative balance, the privilege is removed from them.

Jemel, 7Z

Michaela provides its pupils with the tools they need for

the best possible futures. At Michaela, pupils aspire to

go to the best Universities in the country like Oxford

and Cambridge.

How does Michaela do this? Teachers always recom‐

mend that pupils complete extra homework to prevent

procrastination and to develop good habits such as al‐

ways doing double the minimum amount. Pupils also

have holiday homework to avoid laziness. At Michaela,

we complete a minimum of 20 pages of self-quizzing

but all children are always aiming to complete double

that amount or even to ill the whole book, which is 80

pages of self-quizzing.

Zeyad, 7D

Exam week prophesies our future. Pupils attending

Michaela encapsulate the ethos of hard work, which is

the key to exam success. However, some pupils and

their parents may believe that children become

'stressed' because of the 'harsh exams'. hose who say

this do not comprehend the beneits of examinations

for a pupil's long term future.

Despite this, the vast majority of Michaela students do

not fall prey to the negative associations with exams. In‐

stead, they ardently self-quiz, practise mock papers and

revise, allowing them to overcome exam fears and face

them with valour. Self-control is the key to fulilling our

aspirations and goals!

Ibrahim, 9D

he teachers at Michaela show respect and kindness at

the same time. Ms. McTaggart helped me to understand

that love conquers hate. Other teachers always encour‐

age me to do double the minimum. I would like to say

thank you to all the teachers who have been kind to me

with an acrostic poem:

Michaela teachers are awesome role models to us all!

In the eyes of the pupils, the teachers deserve the best

behaviour,

Come to Michaela to see what kindness is all about,

Here at Michaela there is no bullying; the teachers keep

us safe,

And the teachers are hilarious,

Everyone is a part of the Michaela family,

Love conquers hate!

And come and join us on our journey!

Pranathy, 7D

'Exam week prophesies our future'

What Makes Michaela Great?

Fail to Prepare; Prepare to Fail

Changing my Mind

'Michaela provides its pupils with the tools they need for the best possible futures'

Love Conquers Hate!

6 Issue 6

Whenever you are feeling lazy and too complacent to

reach beyond the walls of the minimum, you are pro‐

crastinating.

he key to breaking down the fences of procrastination

is motivation and this is found by keeping the right

people around you.

Imagine life as a movie with twists and turns; the stakes

keep rising and the audience is compelled. You are the

person behind the camera ilming your life. You are the

only person in the audience.

Nobody likes a ilm that takes too long to get to the

point; it is your responsibility to make sure your ending

is exceptional.

he moral is that life can be full of challenges and op‐

portunities. Doing the minimum will result in you

achieving the minimum.

Doing more gives you more, as long as you have the

power of motivation to guide you along the way with

the help of friends and family.

When you are at university, it will just be you. Your

friends and family may be the gatekeepers to your suc‐

cess but your own motivation is the key to open it. Are

you willing to make a great movie, or a terrible one? Do

you want to close the bridge between fantasy and

reality? Motivation is the key.

Like Will Smith notes in he Pursuit of Happiness: 'you

want something; go get it. Period'.

Ishe, 7D

Well done to all of Year 7, 8 and 9 as we journey to‐

wards our summer exams, ready to carry on with our

daily quizzes. For more than three whole weeks, we

have been self-quizzing each other to improve our

chance of success and to beat, defeat and out-compete

pupils from private schools such as Eton College.

In 7 Demeter, Ismail Nawaz, one of Demeter's strongest

representatives (and one of the irst future leaders),

scored an outstanding 60 out of 60 in the Maths main

exam, setting the bar high for his peers.

I asked Ismail for a tip on how he deals with procrasti‐

nation when studying proves difficult.

Ismail's response was, 'I self-quiz and go above and be‐

yond the bare minimum, which is why I am proud of

myself.'

Shae Keir-Bubb, an Athenian in Year 7, gained one of

the top marks in the Art drawing exam and is showing

great skill and potential as a future artist. Shae ex‐

plained how he had met such high expectations from

Ms. Speller: 'previously, I have witnessed that if I self-

quiz more than the bare minimum, not only will I avoid

being on the cusp of detention, I will experience key in‐

formation that our teachers are giving us before our

GCSEs and expand my knowledge to automaticity and

can earn top marks out of all the pupils in the county

and go to a Russell Group university. For example, my

90% rating in the Art practical exam could be 100%; I

will not get complacent until I achieve each and every

goal I have set for myself.'

Finally, a message to all pupils: always go above the lim‐

its! Exceed your teachers' expectations. As we draw

closer to our GCSEs, remember that if you fail to pre‐

pare, you prepare to fail. On Friday I worked incredibly

hard and came third on the IXL charts, and my form

dominated the top ten leaving the other forms in the

dust. Every time you decide to push yourself brings you

one step closer to your goals.

Corey, 7A

At Michaela, we aspire to do the best and achieve the

best grades. We cannot accomplish this vision without

the help of our inspiring teachers who help us to hone

our self-control and behaviour.

Mahatma Ghandi said: 'habits become character; char‐

acter becomes destiny.' his encapsulates our ethos at

Michaela. We say that everyone should persevere, 'even

when it's difficult, especially when it's difficult.'

he famous British Second World War leader Winston

Churchill gave many memorable speeches in his reign

and noted: 'success is never inal; failure is never fatal;

it's the courage that counts.'

Michaela pupils apply these quotations to our everyday

lives, resulting in the highest standards. his school is

the most disciplined, well-mannered provider of suc‐

cess stories at all levels. It is the 'talk of the town' and we

want to make our teachers proud.

Eshan, 7D

'It's the Courage that Counts'

WHY WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL One Step Closer

'I will not get complacent until I achieve each and every goal I have set for myself '

'Imagine life as a movie with twists and turns; the stakes keep rising and the audience is compelled'

7Issue 6

From the 10th to 14th February, the First World War

Centenary project took place to commemorate the

100th anniversary of the Great War. his is a trip fund‐

ed by the government, allowing two pupils from state

schools around the country to go to Belgium and

France and to visit battleields, war memorials and

cemeteries, many of which were built to honour those

who risked their lives to protect their country and its al‐

lies.

We spent three days visiting different battleields, muse‐

ums and memorials in France and Belgium. On the irst

day overseas, our group was accompanied by the British

Ambassador to Belgium: Alison Rose. We visited Li‐

jssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium, which was

rebuilt on the site of a hospital for the wounded in bat‐

tle. In Lijssenthoek, we learned about how the war af‐

fected ordinary people from all over the world and how

the war saw the creation of medical advances.

Next, we went to the Memorial Museum Passchendaele

in Zonnebeke and we saw recreations of trenches and

how soldiers would have lived. We were even able to

smell recreations of the gases that would have been

used. he museum also had an art piece: sculptures of

arms jutting out of a black surface to symbolise men

drowning in the looded trenches and reaching out for

help. In the evening, our tour group went to the daily

memorial at the Menin Gate. he Menin Gate is a beau‐

tiful memorial which is dedicated to the missing sol‐

diers who died in the Ypres Salient of the First World

War and who have no known gravestone. Mr. Taylor

had kindly organised for us to lay a Michaela wreath as

part of the ceremony, which was an incredible and un‐

forgettable experience.

On Sunday, we spent the day in France and visited the

Somme battleields and compared photos taken at the

time to their present positions. We saw the Canadian

Memorial, Vimy Ridge, which was made to remember

the Canadian soldiers of the war. he memorial is built

with a lot of poignant symbolism in mind and features a

statue of a weeping woman (or 'Mother Canada mourn‐

ing her dead'). Later, we visited cemeteries such as the

Caterpillar Valley Cemetery and the hiepval

Memorial. he hiepval Memorial is dedicated to the

72,246 missing soldiers of the Battle of the Somme, with

all of their names engraved in stone.

On the inal day, we relected on the importance of re‐

membrance in the past and today. We visited the Ger‐

man cemetery at Langemark and saw the differences

between the taller, individual British gravestones and

the smaller, German blocks which had multiple names

on each. Our last visit was to Tyne Cot: the largest

Commonwealth cemetery in the world. 8,369 graves be‐

long to unnamed soldiers, and although they were not

identiied, their sacriice will be remembered forever.

We had been assigned the names of two soldiers who

lived within walking distance of Michaela. he ceme‐

tery was huge and, by imagining one man in front of

every grave, the number of people who fell in the war

no longer seemed like a mere statistic. We found the

name of our second assigned soldier, George Henry

Bowden, and laid a poppy cross near it.

Finding their names was the most sentimental part of

the trip because it put everything into perspective and

helped us to realise just how personal and close to home

the sacriices made were. Overall, we enjoyed the trip

immensely and loved every minute. Each visit was an

opportunity to learn and understand more about the

First World War and to emphasise the importance of re‐

membering those who died for our country.

Keisi and Amrutha, 9A

‘heir Name Liveth For Evermore’ - Rudyard Kipling

'On the inal day, we relected on the importance of remembrance in the past and today'

8 Issue 6

he Anthony Joshua versus Wladimir Klitschko profes‐

sional boxing match that took place at the Wembley

Stadium on the 29th April was watched by a phenome‐

nal number of people both in the stadium and around

the world. Anthony Joshua won the match due to his

technical knockout during the 11th round. Although

many of us just know these two people as 'professional

boxers', there is much more to these heavyweight box‐

ers than meets the eye.

Anthony Joshua, a heavyweight champion, was born on

the 15th October 1989 in Watford. He is of Nigerian

and Irish descent, also known by the nickname 'AJ'. His

cousin Ben Ileymi, also a professional boxer, suggested

that he should become a boxer at the age of just 18.

Joshua was not particularly studious and suffered many

hardships throughout his life. Ater getting into the

wrong crowd and being sent to prison for ighting in

the streets, drugs and other crimes, he decided to turn

his life around and make something of himself, which

nobody would have expected. Anthony Joshua is a role

model to young people; even though he may have been

brought up in a council estate on the rough streets of

Watford, he became someone known globally. Ater all,

his motto is 'Be humble'.

Wladimir Klitschko may have been defeated, but he is

certainly not a failure. To put everything into 11 rounds

of stalwart boxing at the age of 41 is an achievement in

itself. his match was a reminder to all of us that suc‐

cess comes with hard work and anyone can be anything

if they put 100% into everything that they do. Michaela

teaches us the same virtues that Joshua and Klitschko

have, especially within the motto 'work hard, be kind'.

heir lives are full of persistence, endurance and, above

all, stoicism. Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko

are paragons of resilience.

Rayyan, 8P

A few months back I broke my dominant writing hand

because of pure oaishness. I felt sheer devastation

knowing how important our weekly quizzes were. As I

came into school I was bombarded with many ques‐

tions about my broken hand that I had to answer with

shame. I came into the school gates wondering how I

was going to get through a day not being able to write. I

asked Mr. Kirby how I could provide work whilst not

being able to write with my let hand. He had said to

me: 'you're going to have to become ambidextrous'. I

had to walk away with resignation; I wasn't prepared for

the struggle ahead. Every day I pushed myself through

the uncomfortable hardship, determined to triumph.

Four weeks into my endeavour, I was getting closer to

writing perfectly and by the end of my eighth week I

had triumphed; I could write clearly and neatly with my

let hand. hrough this hardship I have learnt that per‐

severance and endurance were the crucial elements for

success.

Kysha, 9D

By Maryam Khalifa 9A

he national anthem enables the diverse UK population

to hold their hands up to their hearts and recite their

song with pride and honour. he English language is

one of the most widely spoken in the world. Our rich

history and democratic ethos make us globally es‐

teemed and respected. Our formidable igure head,

Elizabeth II, deserves reverence, respect and passion

from every corner of the earth. So let's sing with enthu‐

siasm!

God save our gracious Queen,

Long live our noble Queen,

God save the Queen!

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the Queen!

Ibrahim, 9D

Becoming Ambidextrous

God Save the Queen!

'Our rich history and democratic ethos make us globally esteemed and respected'

Why Anthony Joshua is a Role Model

'Perseverance and endurance were the crucial elements for success'

FEATURES

9Issue 6

In the UK, Black History Month takes place in October.

It is a time of the year when we, as citizens of a demo‐

cratic country, relect on the historical persecution of

blacks across the world. hree major idols that were

part of the civil rights movement were Martin Luther

King Jr, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks.

Martin Luther King is famously known for his speech

beginning with 'I have a dream'. Dr. King led the MIA

(Montgomery Improvement Association) to protest

against the arrest of Rosa Parks for her refusal to give

up her seat to a white man.

Rosa Parks' direct protest against the persecution of any

dark-coloured person sparked the movement and all

activists were directly linked. Were it not for Rosa

Parks, it is unknown whether any civil rights movement

would have taken place in the 20th century and

whether separation due to skin colour would be consid‐

ered 'unheard of ' today.

Malcom X's questioning of society began when he was

asked to read from the dictionary the deinition of

'black', to be met with nothing other than pessimistic,

diabolical language linked with the word. When a

movement began, he joined.

hese three citizens in segregated America refused to

stay silent but, instead, fought for their rights and

shaped the future in which we currently live. Black His‐

tory Month is the perfect time to relect on these coura‐

geous igures of the past who allowed many of us today

to be considered human, rather than 'different'.

Maryam, 9A

With any revolutionary idea, there are supporters as

well as critics. Our way of 'tough love' is sometimes

misunderstood and disliked by the public. We have to

be able to move on as a school from these critical view‐

points. As a pupil at Michaela, I have seen the prejudice

against our school and our system from people who

have different opinions to our teachers. I do realise that

a thriving institution like our school cannot be

infallible. However, understanding the school's philoso‐

phy is key and I believe that once a person sees the

school in progress or the results it can achieve, they will

feel differently about our school.

Michaela is known for its tough and strong curriculum

where discipline is enforced to ensure a quiet and safe

environment where pupils can thrive. Our long days,

notably stricter rules and traditional lessons in which a

teacher speaks at the front without disturbances for a

long duration may lead to people thinking that this is a

school pressuring children to do too much. Michaela

rejects excessive technology in lessons and evenings

without homework, straying from the conventional

Western school curriculum.

he truth is, there are people who like it and people

who dislike it, for reasons none other than it is different.

he environment our teachers impose is undoubtedly

tough and requires a lot of effort and time. It's perhaps

understandable that many believe it is a school which

should be banned and which oppresses children.

Having understood the school and experienced its cur‐

riculum, I have reason to differ. I have seen the impact

of our school on me and my peers and I can say that

what we do is for the best. Over time, the school be‐

comes normal to you and instead of 'strict' it should be

described as 'fun' and a great learning experience.

hroughout history it has been proven, time and time

again, that with hard work and discipline comes results.

his is certainly the case for Michaela. We inevitably

cannot avoid the critical eye of the public. We simply

keep up the work ethic we believe in. I honestly believe

that the school we have is a great one.

Hamza, 8P

At Michaela, we are very fortunate to have the opportu‐

nity to complete one GCSE earlier than other pupils in

some schools. his year, all ive Year 9 form groups

started preparing for their Religion GCSE exam in Year

10. We have so far explored the origins, doctrines and

denominations of both Christianity and Islam. In addi‐

tion, we have recently started discussing the problem of

war and conlict. he lessons, as normal, are full of

learning. However, Religion lessons have been taken

even further by including pupils discussing and debat‐

ing complicated theological questions with the help of

our teacher. hese lessons have been really helpful not

only as GCSE preparation, but also to understand other

people's beliefs and views on life. To help boost our

grades we are given an essay to complete over the week‐

end. Although Michaela pupils are fortunate to have

teachers who work extremely hard to ensure a better fu‐

ture for them, we at Michaela believe that pupils must

work even harder to ensure a better future for them‐

selves. Our motto, 'work hard, be kind,' has never been

more relevant than as we prepare for our irst GCSE

exam.

Laith, 9A

By Jasmine Jadama 9A

Childhood is magical. We do not notice it slipping away

from us. We wake up and realise that we are not chil‐

dren anymore because we have grown up. Childhood is

an enchanted world in which we are closest to the mys‐

teries of existence. We can meet a dragon with seven

heads, with wizards or with heroes from movies or

comics.

Childhood is the only time in life in which we live ev‐

erything to its maximum intensity, in which we cry and

laugh plentifully on the same day and in which we up‐

set and forgive ater a few moments. hen, as the years

go by, as we mature and grow out of the exuberance of

childhood. It disappears. While it is a good thing to

grow up and take our lives seriously, we must not fall

into the trap of letting technology dominate us.

Kids today have no childhood. hey live indoors,

spending time in front of computer screens talking to

friends rather than going on expeditions with neigh‐

bours. he children now live in a virtual world, domi‐

nated by a sea of endless screens. It is important to

recognise this; we must enjoy the experience of living

life rather than watching a version of life on a screen.

heona, 9Z

Technology Ruins our Childhood

Michaela: What the Critics Say

Our Religion GCSE is Around the Corner

Inspiring Civil Rights Activists

10 Issue 6

Around the world in 80 days is a great book about an ex‐

tremely rich man who lives in a huge castle with an in‐

credible garden.

One evening, the protagonist is in a restaurant with his

friends, talking. One of his friends challenges him to at‐

tempt to travel all around the world in just 80 days. All

of his friends declare the task impossible, but he agrees

to try.

he book is illed with the countries he goes to, his ad‐

ventures in each country and the people he meets there.

It is illed with adventure, excitement and exotic tales.

To ind out if he manages to make it back home to his

castle within 80 days, borrow a copy from the Michaela

library!

Zeyad, 7D

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, a young

orphan from the slums of India, who is about to experi‐

ence the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation

watching, he is just one question away from winning 20

million rupees on India's version of the TV show: Who

Wants to be a Millionaire?

When the show ends for the night, police arrest him on

suspicion of cheating; how could a boy from the slums

of India know so much? Desperate to prove his naivety,

Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and

his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the

road, of risky encounters with local gangs and of Latika:

the girl he loved and lost.

Each chapter of his story reveals the key to an answer to

one of the game show's questions. Intrigued by Jamal's

story, the Police Inspector begins to wonder what a

young man with no apparent desire for riches is really

doing on this game show. he millions of spectators are

about to ind out…

Kysha, 9D

he Switch is a book that was written by Anthony

Horowitz, my favourite author. It is about a boy called

Tad Spencer. his boy has everything: amazing parents

and the freedom to do whatever he pleases for summer.

However, he makes the integral mistake of wishing he

was someone else. He wakes up as Bob Snarby, trapped

in a cruel, funfair world with horrible parents, a myste‐

rious fortune teller and the strenuous Finn. Will the two

boys change back? Read and ind out at the Michaela

Library!

Abdirisakh, 7D

Would you live forever? Would you be blinded by an

endless luxury? Or would you rebel against those who

disturb the circle of life? In the far future of our world a

drug has been invented, one which could keep you alive

forever more. Its name? Longevity.

Meet Anna Covey in Gemma Malley's 'he Declaration'

who is kept in a Surplus Hall where she lives a living

nightmare under rules and expectations. Fed by lies,

Anna thinks her life as a child is normal and that her

parents were sinful.

When Peter Pincet arrives, a boy raised out of the Sur‐

plus Halls (the real world), she begins to question all

she knows and escape the clutches of coninement. Will

Anna inally understand who was wrong and who was

right? Will she ever ind her parents again?

Shirali, 7D

'Read and ind out more at the Michaela Library!'

Film Review

REVIEWS

'Will Anna inally understand who was wrong and who was right? Will she ever ind her parents again?'

11Issue 6

For the past few months, some Michaela pupils have

been privileged enough to further expand their musical

knowledge by taking extra Music lessons each week at

school. At the moment, the pupils are working on a mu‐

sical piece which they will perform during the reward

event at the end of term. he piece is called 'Habanera',

composed by Georges Bizet in 1875. he Michaela en‐

semble consists of pianists, lautists, guitarists and this

year's new addition: violinists. In order for the pupils to

get as much practice as possible, rehearsals are held

during lunch times on speciic days as well as ater

school on Fridays.

However, the pupils are additionally aware that they are

expected to independently work on their allocated

pieces individually, as well as collectively, in order to

learn it to automaticity so that they won't be the weak‐

est link of the team. Music at Michaela is truly lourish‐

ing. As the end of term draws closer, the whole of

Michaela looks forward to experiencing the musical git

of the Michaela Music Ensemble.

Keiara, 9A

he Mathletes Elite group is an ater school, extra-cur‐

ricular Maths class. he Mathletes Elite group runs ev‐

ery Wednesday ater school until 5pm. To get into

Mathletes you need to write an application to Mr.

Kendall and take an exam as there are only a certain

number of available spaces. Every week in Mathletes we

are given a booklet created by Mr. Kendall and each

booklet begins with a tricky puzzle which we complete

in the irst few minutes. Last week, we learned about

magic squares and their properties and then we tried

completing magic square ourselves. In every booklet,

there are extra puzzles and UK Maths Challenge ques‐

tions. Completing these allows us to improve our maths

outside of lessons in preparation for much harder tests

such as the UKMT and our GCSE exams. he Mathletes

club is a unique opportunity: each session is thoroughly

planned with a booklet for us to use and keep.

Ishan, 9A

At Michaela we strive for the best wherever we are: both

inside and outside of school. In lessons, pupils work ex‐

tremely hard so we can achieve our best. We have two

hours of Art a week; one hour is devoted to learning

and mastering techniques that are shown by our Art

teacher, Ms. Speller.

he second hour is used to learn crucial knowledge

about the history of art. Some pupils who have acceler‐

ated in Art have been given the opportunity to work on

a GCSE unit. At Michaela, these pupils are given work

to complete every week and they endeavour to do so to

a very high standard. Our goal is to complete work that

is of a grade nine GCSE standard despite only being in

Year 9.

Kavit, 9A

Reading Club is beneicial to pupils because it helps

pupils that have not had as much chance to read in pri‐

mary school and who would beneit from more

practice. In addition, we read the greatest books of all

time. Without Reading Club, some of the pupils might

ind it much harder to get a place at university or a job;

if you are not able to read or write, no one will hire you!

Reading Club teaches pupils how to read luently and

with passion and helps them to gain conidence in read‐

ing out loud. During Reading Club, everyone gets a

chance to read so they can improve their articulation

and expression. Reading Club is half an hour long,

meaning we have half an hour a day to accelerate our

reading until we excel.

Chardonnay, 9P

CLUBS

he Beneits of Reading Club

Art Attack!

'Our goal is to complete work that is of a grade nine GCSE standard despite only being in Year 9'

Music Ensemble

Michaela Mathletes

12 Issue 6

On the 14th March, we completed a science experiment

with Ms. Dyer. he experiment was a titration: a tech‐

nique used to ind the unknown concentration of a sub‐

stance. 9 Athena and others were extremely lucky to

carry out this experiment as, in many other schools,

pupils are not allowed to attempt titrations until they

are in Year 12 and doing Triple Science. he class was

trusted with very expensive and fragile glass labware,

such as pipettes and burettes. he process involved us‐

ing a known concentration of a substance (NaOH) to

ind out the unknown concentration of HCl. he

pipette was used to precisely measure 25ml of HCl,

which was then poured into a conical lask.

Two drops of Universal Indicator were then dropped

into the lask, which was then swilled. 30ml of Na0H

was poured into the lask, with pupils carefully making

sure that they reached the equivalence point. he class

would then inally calculate the concentration of the

HCl. his process involved hazardous substances and

the experiment was fascinating and enlightening. We

proved that they can be trusted in lab conditions.

Hamse, 9A

Pupils in Year 9 have been looking at how to draw

graphs to plot data. Ms. Dyer, alongside other science

teachers, are very precise and analyse our work very

carefully. All the teachers stress how important accura‐

cy is when drawing graphs.

When drawing graphs we must start by drawing the y-

axis (vertical) and the x-axis (horizontal). hen, we

must add our units of measurement underneath the x-

axis and to the let of the y-axis by spacing them out

equally.

From the data we collected during a practical experi‐

ment, we must accurately plot the results of the mean of

all the separate outcomes of the reaction. When we have

plotted all the data, we must draw a curve of best it and

then add the title above the graph. hen, our graph is

complete!

Kavit, 9A

'he experiment was fascinating and enlightening'

'All the teachers stress how important accuracy is when drawing graphs'

Measuring Success in Science

13Issue 6

Our School Year in Pictures

14 Issue 6

For the past two weeks, those who are part of the

Rhetoric Club have had the opportunity to debate

amongst themselves. One motion in particular was,

'this house believes that parents should be punished for

the misbehaviour of their school-going children.' As

Ms. Lund called out each child's name to present their

argument, each member nervously anticipated whether

they were the next one up. Each pupil had one minute

to present their speech and were all judged on their

projection, articulation and the quality of their argu‐

ment.

Each pupil successfully managed to put forward their

opinion eloquently. he proposition argued that: 'par‐

ents should be punished for the misbehaviour of their

school-going children because it will inluence the child

to think twice about their actions to avoid the suffering

of their parent.' In addition, it is the job of the parent to

teach their child how to behave from a younger age and

if this child misbehaves in school, it relects on the way

that the parent raises their child.

he opposition argued that: 'parents should not be pun‐

ished for the misbehaviour of their school-going chil‐

dren because it is not the ultimate job of the parent to

set up their child's ixed character; it is the child's re‐

sponsibility to build up, refurbish and spring-clean their

own characters.'

Ms. Lund and the class critiqued each presentation,

stating the strengths and weaknesses of each pupil.

hese debates are greatly beneicial to those who attend

Rhetoric because it allows us to recognise our areas of

weakness and it boosts our conidence for public speak‐

ing which will help us hugely in the future.

Keiara, 9A

Education is essential because it gives people the knowl‐

edge, skills and tools they need to navigate the world.

Without education, people would not be able to read,

write, calculate or communicate; they would also not be

able to perform jobs competently, accurately and safely.

Education also teaches people about the world in which

they live, including information about history, philoso‐

phy and culture.

It enables people to contribute to their community and

to their country. Some believe education is critical be‐

cause it helps to answer life's big questions, including

questions about how to live a full life and fulil others.

At Michaela, we believe that education is the route to

success, fulilment and happiness. If we do well at

school, we will have many options open to us!

Faduma, 7P

All Michaela pupils are aware that the work we do in

lessons is to teach us knowledge to help us pass the ex‐

ams that will determine the rest of our lives: our GCSEs.

But this is especially signiicant for the Year 9s. We are

now less than a year away from taking our religion

GCSE exam and less than two years away from taking

all of our other GCSEs. his has led to a lot of Michaela

pupils working harder to ensure that they get the best

results possible. Ater asking a few Michaela pupils,

known for their strong work ethic, I have conjured up a

foolproof list to make sure that we're on track for aston‐

ishing exam results.

1) Make sure you put 100% into all your lessons and

homework so that you get the most of the 500-hours

homework plan.

2) Aim for two pages or more of self-quizzing each

night. Change your mindset into only accepting double

the minimum of IXL (or more)!

3) Make sure to put all the effort you can into extended

homework to achieve the best feedback possible.

4) Do not think about all the time you may spend doing

homework as that may lead to resentment. Instead, just

do it and think about your long-term future.

5) Create competition with friends to see who can do

the most questions on IXL or get the most merits as this

will decrease the chance of you seeing homework as a

burden.

6) Compare yourself to people from private schools

where some work for 11 hours from Monday to Satur‐

day and ask yourself who is going to get into the best

universities. If the answer is 'them,' then begin to ask

yourself how you can change that.

7) Read every day. Reading is not only fun, but it im‐

proves your vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, ideas,

general knowledge and so much more.

Joseph, 9A

'Education is the route to success, fulilment and happiness'

7 Tips for GCSE Success

Debate, Discuss, Deliberate

OUR FUTURES

'Without education, people would not be able to read, write, calculate or communicate'

Education, Education, Education

15Issue 6

Down

1. he Greek god of war.

2. You can ind me in the past and I am created in

the present.

4 . Slayer of regrets, old and new. Sought by many,

found by few.

6. Who does Aeneas fall in love with?

9. Who gets lost in the Underword?

Across

3. Who guards the gates of the Underworld?

5. What object in school has keys but no locks?

7. he Roman goddess of wisdom.

8. What does Caesar say 'will come when it will

come'?

10. Easy to get into but hard to get out of.

On the 16th June 2017, we learned that Ofsted rated our

school as 'outstanding' in all areas! Hearing that an in‐

dependent and impartial professional body recognised

and publicly acknowledged what my peers and I already

knew made us extremely proud of the contributions we

have made over the past three years. Moreover, it made

us appreciative of the hard work our teachers have put

in to building this wonderful school.

Ofsted highlighted in their report that: 'attitudes to

learning are exemplary' and that 'all groups of pupils,

including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, make

exceedingly strong progress over time in a wide range

of subjects including: English, Mathematics, Science,

Humanities, French, Art and Music.'

his signiies that all pupils at Michaela Community

School have increased their academic performance im‐

mensely. I believe that this is an excellent educational

model that should be relected in all schools in the UK.

Ofsted's report is a true relection of Michaela Commu‐

nity School and I have no doubt that, in the next Ofsted

review, we will maintain our outstanding rating and im‐

press the country with our astonishing GCSE results.

Takiela, 9Z

Ofsted inspects schools every four years to determine

what a school is like and Michaela is no exception. Ev‐

ery aspect of the school, from behaviour to teaching, is

judged during the inspection. A few weeks ago, Ofsted

inspectors awarded us with an 'outstanding' result. he

results were deserved but not entirely expected.

Ofsted's opinion is respected across the UK by educa‐

tion institutions. It was difficult to predict if Ofsted

would judge our school according to convention and

mark it harshly due to the innovative way of teaching

that our school employs, or whether it would mark our

school by judging the environment and the results we

manage to produce.

he school was assessed and declared 'outstanding' in

every category by Ofsted. However, our teachers con‐

stantly reminded us that the Ofsted outcome was mere‐

ly a certiication; we would have been proud of our ex‐

cellent school regardless. Every day is an 'outstanding'

day at Michaela and we are all so proud of our achieve‐

ments.

Hamza, 8P

Michaela Crossword

Michaela is Rated Outstanding by Ofsted!

'Every day is an outstanding day at Michaela'

16 Issue 6

Just as negativity is contagious, and rubs off on other

people, positivity is contagious. When we are around

positive people, we feel happier, better and more posi‐

tive. Optimism is a happiness magnet: it attracts other

optimistic, happy people.

For centuries, philosophers have thought about and dis‐

cussed what leads to human happiness and fulilment.

here are many answers that have been suggested - wis‐

dom, purpose, meaning, contribution, virtue, habits, re‐

lationships, dedication, balance and tranquility - but

what underlies them all is fundamentally positivity,

both within and with others.

he more positivity you give to others, the happier you

make others and the happier you will be, in a virtuous

cycle and upward spiral of upbeat momentum.

Mr. Kirby

DRY INGREDIENTS:

•1 1/2 cups of lour

•1 cup of sugar

•1 teaspoon of baking soda

•1/2 a teaspoon of salt

LIQUID INGREDIENTS:

•1 cup of cool water

•6 tablespoons of olive oil

•1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

•1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

ICING:

•2 tablespoons of butter

•1 cup of powdered sugar

•1 tablespoon of cocoa

•1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract

•1 1/2 teaspoons of milk

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line a cake tin

with greaseproof paper.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

3. Mix all the liquid ingredients together.

4. Mix both sets of ingredients together until there are

no lumps.

5. Pour the batter into the pan.

6. Enter the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Take out the cake and make the icing.

8. Mix all the icing ingredients together.

9. Frost the cake.

10. ENJOY!

Vinuki, 9D

Delicious Chocolate Cake Recipe

Michaela Wisdom: Positivity