Reach Out

This week, the Anti-bullying Committee (The A.B.C.) have been leading our assemblies for National Anti-bullying Week 2022. The theme for this year is ‘#Reach Out’.

Students have been considering who they can ‘Reach Out’ to and how they can do this.

Students have been reminded of the definition of bullying:

The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face to face or online.

 

 

 

We looked again at the types of bullying: Physical, Verbal, Psychological and Online.

And we reinforced how, if we challenge an act of unkindness at the very start, we can prevent a potential future case of bullying.

During our assemblies, students have been reminded of some ‘Pathways Out’. Here, at Winston, the term ‘Pathways Out’ is used to help students seek support, help and advice when they need it.

The most important message is for students to ‘Reach Out’ to someone if they need help. Students can talk to someone at home or a friend. If they tell someone in school, or use the ABC button, we can help.

For online help, we have recommended:

www.kooth.com

www.childline.org.uk

www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

 

Equally we can all Reach Out to someone who needs support.

 

Congratulations to the A.B.C. who were magnificent!

  

Acting on Feedback

 Girls Football U14s - Second Round Win

Winston girls took on some tough opponents in the 2nd round of the county cup this evening. 

As the evening grew colder the girls took to the pitch, to attain their position in the County Cup Tournament 2022. 

Rosebery V Winston got off to a touch start, with the oppositional team having a lot of possession. The Winston girls kept pushing and with a penalty given away by a hand ball in the box by Rosebery, Ava takes to the penalty spot. The atmosphere is tense, Ava shoots and SCORES, 1-0 Winston! 

Rosebery come back with pressure, the ball is played back and forth, back, and forth with possession averaging at 50/50. The half-whistle blows, 1-0 Winston. 

As we take the field for the second half the rain starts to fall. The field is wet, the ball hard to hold and Rosebery are trying to equalise. With a long ball by the opposition and a long reach from Amelie, the ball slips just past the keepers' fingertips and into the back of the net 1-1! 

However, with the resilience the Winston girls know so well they push back. Slipping the ball consistently down the wing, Lucy makes some brilliant runs with fantastic help and assistance from striker Charlotte and centre mids Chloe and Ava. The ball is in the box and Ava takes a strike, it hits the back of the net, perseverance and a fantastic shot, the score is now 2-1 to Winston!

Ten minutes left, the rain keeps coming but so do Winston girls! Keeping the ball out of the back of our home net the final whistle blows the final score 2-1 to Winston. A tense but fantastic game of football, resilience and perseverance takes us into the third round!

Number 1 - Amelia B, named player of the match by the opposition. Fantastic game and some brilliant saves, well done Amelie!

Well done girls and thank you to Rosebery School for a fantastic and challenging game of football! 

Miss Turner 

Learning Review Feedback

What an incredible 2 days. The objective of Learning Review is that our students are given the opportunity to spend time to reflect on their strengths and identify areas that they can develop, creating personalised strategies that they can use to help them be the best version of themselves. 

A selection of quotes from students:

'It gave me a good understanding on what to do in the future to help me be the best I can be'

'I was able to feel more confident about how I need to improve and specific subjects I need to focus on'

'Coming up with constructive strategies that I feel will help me to progress further in my learning'

'It went well, and I know what to focus on'

'I am proud that I was able to come up with some really useful strategies to improve my skills.'

A selection of quotes from parents:

'It's a really valuable experience for the kids AND the parents'

'It was nice to sit down and have a look at the bigger picture with them and hear their voice'

`She has just thrived under face-to-face teaching at the school. Learning Review has allowed us to think of what her primary school said about her and see where she is now. We are so proud of her'

A selection of quotes from staff:

'I have had honest conversations about what we can do together to enhance their learning'

'It is valuable to see students identify their weaknesses but also focusing on positives, taking a lesson they enjoy and really want to thrive in.'

'I have been able to get to know some of my tutees better. Some have had some excellent strategies that I have used for other students later.'

Here are some of the strategies that our students have created for themselves:

'After I receive feedback on a piece of work, I will look over what I have done, identify where I can improve and take action to develop my answers'

'If I do not get the mark that I want, I will remind myself that this is a direction, not a criticism.'

'Remind myself that resilience doesn't mean I have to do it alone, I can always for help, and this is not a weakness'. 

 Speakers4Schools

On Tuesday 15 November Year 9 had the opportunity to hear from Deborah McKenzie, Chief People Officer at NHS Blood and Transplant. To coincide with Careers Week, the Assembly gave the students insight into all the jobs available within the NHS - including architects, managers, van drivers - as well as the doctors and nurses they would expect.

Students studying Health and Social Care, and selected Year 9s, then got to take part in a Q and A session where they asked wide-ranging questions about careers and the opportunities available. Questions ranged from routes into social care, the qualifications needed to be a physiotherapist, the different blood types, and whether it mattered that Matt Hancock was taking part in I'm a Celebrity! The students also asked about work experience opportunities and how best to make GCSE and A-level choices.

Many left with new ideas, questions, and renewed focus for next steps to discuss during the Careers Fair on Wednesday.

Its Careers Day today and our students will have the opportunity to visit the exhibits, to talk about the skills required and routes into roles and take away ideas/pathways to discuss at home.

Don't do this at Home!

 Year 7 Science

7WR and 7CT looked at displacement reaction this week. Mr Spain used aluminium foil in a mixture of copper chloride and hydrochloric acid and lit the hydrogen gas produced.  

Due to the copper displacement in this reaction the flame has a lovely blue -green hue, just like the Northern lights, followed by a pop as the hydrogen gas reacts with oxygen.

Key Stage 4 Science

Dr Gonzalez has introduced a spectacular, exothermic reaction to 11W5 and 10CB, as a recap to the catalysis topic in chemistry.  Potassium permanganate was sprinkled over a mixture of peroxide and ethanol to create these series of loud but harmless bangs.

Sports Awards Evening 2022

                    Celebrating our Students

Our guest for the evening was Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, a British middle-distance runner and the current the British 800m champion.  She competed in the 800 metres event at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, finishing 5th in the final. In 2016, she won the women's 800m at the Anniversary Games, and also reached the semi-final at the Rio Olympic Games, narrowly missing out on a place in the final. In 2019, Shelayna took the gold medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

Shelayna handed out the awards throughout the evening, celebrating with us the success of our students and then told her story, taking us through the highs and lows of her career.  She demonstrated to the audience of  students, staff and parents that it requires determination, hard work and resilience to succeed.

Our Talented Students

It was with great delight that we were able to host the thirteenth annual sports awards evening just before half term following COVID! We were really excited to have over 150 students, along with their parents, attend the evening to celebrate Winston sport, as well as to celebrate the achievements of all our gifted and talented performers! It is so important to recognise the student's successes, commitment and dedication to their sports, and the resilience and hard work they endeavour to put into their training week in week out to achieve the best they can.   

During the evening we presented our main shields to students who go above and beyond in their commitment to school sport.  And the winners were:

Most dedicated to School Sport: LUCA WALTON

The Young Sports Leader: JESS BRIDGER-CUNNINGHAM

The Sarah Hammond Achievement Award: CAMERON GOLESTANIAN

Performer of the Year: ALEX BISHOP

Most Improved: CHARLOTTE GALLAGHER

Services to School Sport: GEORGE EVANS

Joe Grant Sports Personality of the Year: FENN HORNER

Team of the Year: Y10/11 GIRLS FOOTBALL

 

The PE department also gave a round up of last years sporting achievements for each team and sport and it was great to see so many students’ coming up to the stage to receive their awards and be recognised for their dedication to school sport and their performances throughout the season.

And the winners were………….

Racquet Sports:

Most Dedicated: Rose Whisker (KS3), Luca Walton (KS4)

Coaches Player: James Pratt (KS3), Ben Kuk (KS4)

Netball:

Most Dedicated: Holly Fernandez (KS3), Jozelle E Silva (KS4)

Coaches Player: Mia Plaugmann (KS3), Ella Price (KS4)

Boys Athletics:

Most Dedicated: Charlie Hardwick (KS3), Matt McDonough (KS4)

Coaches Player: James Skeet (KS3), Alex Bishop (KS4)

Girls Athletics:

Most Dedicated: Florence Holmes (KS3), Isabelle Heney (KS4)

Coaches Player: Isobel Wathen (KS3), Grace Timblick (KS4)

 

Boys Basketball:

Most Dedicated: Olly Thorpe (KS3), Matt Hallums (KS4)

Coaches Player: Dom Corner (KS3), Seweryn Zylka (KS4)

Girls Basketball:

Most Dedicated: Isobel Mellor (KS3), Asya Durmus (KS4)

Coaches Player: Mariana Castano-Pena (KS3), Sarolta Kohari (KS4)

Girls Football:

Most Dedicated: Eda Durmus (Y7), Amelie Backhurst (Y8/9), Erin Gallagher (Y10/11)

Coaches Player: Parisa Baghri (Y7), Ava Price (Y8/9), Ellen Turner-Gadd (Y10/11)

Boys Football:

Most Dedicated: Alfie Hardwick (Y7), Oli Harrison (Y8), Jack Phillips (Y10), Callum Spillar (Y11)

Coaches Player: David Okoro (Y7), Matt Gilkes (Y8), Harrison Wood (Y10, Cameron Golestanian (Y11)

 

The sports awards evening also gave us the opportunity to recognise the sheer talent of our County, Regional, and National sporting performers.  We currently have 25 students on our Gifted and Talented register who compete at these levels in a variety of sports ranging from National swimmers and gymnasts, County and National representatives in football, County and Regional basketballers to Regional dressage riders, Regional cyclists, County performers in Judo and Netball and County level divers to name a few.  We are in absolute awe of your recent achievements and wish you all the best in the coming months for future competitions.  Having learnt all about your future ambitions, we are so excited to see you one day representing our country!

During the evening, we also showcased some of the talent we have at the school with an outstanding gymnastics performance from Jay Coote, Archie Sturt, Tegan Fookes and Georgia Fookes as well as enjoying some excellent dance performances from Sophie Magid, Caitlyn Cope, Emma Bradbury and Mae Farrimond.  

A massive thank you goes to the PE department for their continued effort, dedication and passion that they show and invest on a daily basis.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the parents and carers of all the students who participate in and represent Winston sport – your undevoted commitment to your children is commendable. And finally, a massive well done to all the students who attended the sports awards this year and to those who won awards.  We look forward to seeing you all next year to celebrate Winston Sport.

 

Mrs Daniels

Subject Leader PE

Winston Remembers: The Last Post

 Thought Provoking Art

In art club this week some students up-cycled an old wedding dress by hand painting with acrylic paint and ink inspired by the theme of Remembrance Day. 

Winston Remembers

To remember and honour those who died in conflicts around the world, students and staff at Winston gathered on the patio to listen to the Last Post being played by our trumpet players and to reflect in silence for two minutes.

Students are to be praised for their outstanding response to this event.  Our Head Students, Emma and Josh then laid a wreath on our memorial garden.

At Last...

 Performance Space! 

Finally, Performance Space has been handed over to the school and Mr Drake has been able to hold his first sessions in this great new space.

The Brass Ensemble rehearsed in the morning and then the school orchestra held their first full session after school on Wednesday.  Both students and staff were excited to use the new space as the acoustics enhanced each piece.  It is definitely worth the wait!

  

Drama are also beginning to use Performance Space this week.