Other Cultures

Buddhist Temple Visit

On Thursday 4^th April, The Wat Phra Dhammakaya London, Buddhist Temple, opened their doors to eleven of Winston’s Year 10 students.

Less than 1 mile up the road, it was a surprise to learn that, for Winston, this is the first time that we have visited this beautiful temple. Nonetheless, when Miss Singleton, Mrs Strachan and the small group of students arrived, the monks and Buddhist teachers couldn’t have been more welcoming.

To start with, the students were invited to take their shoes off and kneel on the prayer mats, where they learnt about the three main teachings of Buddhists- Generosity, Precepts, and Meditation. These are the self-imposed rules that encourage individuals to live a good life, for example by being generous, not harming others, and to take time to look after themselves.

They then learnt about the difference in looking after themselves: To keep a fit and healthy body- you have to be active and move. But to keep a fit mind, you have to take time to be still and calm your thoughts. All linking back to dealing with the stresses of everyday life, school and the pressures of growing up: An important part of which- helped through meditation. The teaching monk, dressed in orange robes then talked the students through meditation. Their hands clasped on their laps, palms open, focusing on the centre of their bodies. Breathing together, all keeping still minds.

The group then had a tour of the temple. A huge old church, with areas for prayer, eating, for their VIP Monks and a ceremony hall. All maintained through donations and support from locals and people from all around the world. Staggering, and awe-inspiring.

Snacks were laid out for the students to enjoy afterwards, served by the monks. The students had a chance to ask questions and interact with them, and thanked them for their time and for welcoming them into the temple.

The group all agreed it was a worthwhile experience, coming away from it feeling calm and armed with techniques to control their stress. Miss Singleton, Mrs Strachan and the Year 10s would like to thank the people of the Wat Phra Dhammakaya London temple for their generosity and time, and we that this is the start of a relationship that will continue to teach the students of Winston valuable life lessons.

End of the Spring Term

Year 7 Celebration Assembly

Congratulations to Year 7 students! I was privileged, this morning, to watch over three hundred students receive awards for their contribution to our school and for individual performance. There was recognition for attendance, as well as for academic success and for making a significant difference to our community.  Some students were also selected to perform; this included some gymnastics as well as music. 

It was a lively event with plenty of audience participation!

Thank you to Mrs Smith and her team for making it an event to remember.

Key Stage 4 Recital Evening

Winston held a Key Stage 4 Recital Evening on Tuesday. We had 27 different solo, duet or trio performances, which makes it our largest recital evening to date and with the Key Stage 3 evening, means over 50 students performed solos across the two evenings.  The standard of the evening was very high and we will now have the difficult task of selecting our finalists for Winston Young Musician of the Year from those who performed.

Further Celebrations!

GIFTED & TALENTED PE

Recently, 15 students involved in our G&T programme took the opportunity to complete an assault course based in the Dorking countryside. The purpose of the trip was to push the students out of their comfort zone. The challenging course also promoted teamwork, planning and resilience in order to complete each obstacle. It was great to see the group supporting and encouraging one another whilst pushing themselves beyond their usual physical capabilities. Despite the cold and muddy conditions everyone had a great time and enjoyed celebrating their successes over the course after completion.

Yr10 SPORTS LEADERSHIP

51 students from Yr10 have signed up and are now part way through their Sports Leaders UK Level 1 Qualification. The qualification aims to encourage and guide students, through the medium of sport, to develop leadership, interpersonal, planning and organisational skills as well as building their confidence. This week 25 of our sports leaders had their first opportunity to participate and lead in a Primary Tag Rugby Festival held at Winston. Students planned and delivered their own activities, organised the use of equipment and acted as team assistants to warm up and guide the Yr4’s through the morning sessions. 3 rounds of fixtures were then organised and distributed to allow the primary students to play mini games. Overall it was a great learning experience for our leaders who will take many positives from the day and look forward to future festivals in the summer term. Below is some of the feedback received from the local primary schools:

“The students who moved round with the groups were great in engaging and getting to know the children.”

“I know the children and adults enjoyed it, they came back buzzing.”

“The fact the weather was miserable and they all still had a great time is a testament to the excellent nature of the event.”

Year 8 Assembly

The Year 8 Celebration Assembly recognised success from across the range of subjects and other school activities.  Students also had the opportunity to thank their Form Tutors for all the support that they have enjoyed this academic year.  The Year 8 students have made an outstanding contribution to our school.

Let's Celebrate!

Announcing Head Girl & Head Boy

Selection for the position of Head Girl and Head Boy has always been through a process of application and interview.  This year our current student leaders, Shehneela and Olly, introduced a new process, which involved all of our students, in each year group.  

Following the application and interview six students were selected to move forward into the new stages of the process, the hustings and the student vote.  Each of the candidates presented their compelling reasons for wanting the roles in assemblies and were then able to talk to students during break and lunchtimes.  Evie, Daniel, Randa, Mateo, Lucy and Jack worked extremely hard, as they faced a week of campaigning to get their message across.

The vote took place, with students lining up and formally being given a voting slip and entering the polling booth.

The announcement was made on Tuesday 2nd April and we are delighted the students selected Lucy and Mateo as Head Girl and Head Boy for the coming year.  

The six candidates will form a formidable team, working to further develop our school.

This new process has raised the profile of this important role within our school and it has given our students a voice.  Thank you Olly and Shehneela for giving our students the opportunity to select their leaders.

Year 9 Assembly

Each year group has been celebrating their achievements so far this year, with 243 Year 9 students walking on to the stage to receive a certificate.  Mr Byrne made it clear to Year 9 that in exactly one year, they will be celebrating the selection of Head Boy and Head Girl from their peers!

Opportunities

Opportunities to Join the Winston Team

I will be recruiting new staff over the next few months, to join us in September or possibly earlier and will try to keep you up-dated as to progress with this process.  Over the next six weeks, I will be advertising for the following positions:

Library Manager
HR Manager
Cover Supervisor
Family Support Worker
Lunchtime Supervisors

Interested?  Have a look at our website!

It is also good to hear from graduates seeking a gap year job or a route into teaching.  We have an innovative programme and offer a highly supportive environment in which to develop your skills as a teacher.  Come and talk to  some of our trainees, to find out how it works and the benefits of joining a great profession.

Mr Phillips is also seeking some reliable young people, at least 18 years of age to support the work of the site team during the holidays.  They would need to be physically fit and willing to participate in training.   Simply email Mr Phillips s.phillips@wcsc.org.uk an expression of interest.

If you can support the school by passing this information on to anyone you think might be interested in a position at Winston, it would be appreciated.

Year 7 Clay Work

Students in Year 7 have developed their ideas for their final art piece around the sea and the creatures that inspired them.  They were busy working on a clay tile, adding detail and texture.