Making a Contribution

 Volunteering

The Winston Churchill School's Eco-Committee took part in Keep Britain's Tidy event. In our ambition to become an Eco-School, the Committee focused on the impact of litter on the environment and organised a litter pick to raise awareness. For Eco-Schools Step 5: Informing and Involving, students from across the school took part and joined the Eco-Committee in litter picking all types of litter in and around our school site:  over 50 people were involved, including Committee members, teachers and other student volunteers. 

For our assembly theme last week, the Committee taught Year 7 through to Year 10 how litter can impact our oceans and the new 30x30 initiative the UN have introduced for World Ocean's Day. This is something that students will learn even more about on 8^th July in their Geography lessons. We have two further litter picks scheduled, one of which will involve litter picking outside our school grounds and the natural environment of our local community. 

Thank you to everyone who took part!

Mr Doul

Time to Reflect and Remember

 The Battlefields Visit

“From the 28^th to the 30th of April 2023, a group of 80 Year 9 pupils attended the History Battlefields trip in Belgium and France. Pupils studied various aspects of WWI during Year 9 and the trip provided pupils with context and a first-hand experience on what it was like to serve.

After an early start, pupil’s set off for Belgium and France with packed three-day itinerary starting with the Ypres Salient. Visits included Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth war graves cemetery and a tour of the WWI exhibition at the Flanders Field Museum in Ypres. Followed by one of the highlights for both staff and pupils a quick stop at a Belgian chocolate shop.

Saturday was spent visiting various sites and memorials in the Somme region of France. Including a network of underground tunnels at Wellington Quarry, tunnelled by British and New Zealand forces and part of a surprise attack during the Battle of Arras in 1917. This was followed by a tour of two Canadian memorial parks, Newfoundland and Vimy Ridge. Pupils also visited the largest manmade crater of WWI, Lochnager, set by British forces at the start of the Somme offensive in 1916. The day ended with a visit to Ypres town centre, where three Winston pupils participated in the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate, an act of remembrance that has taken place since 1928 for the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died at the Ypres Salient and have no known grave. Pupils who took part in the ceremony noted how 'empowered' and 'honoured' they felt. 

 

The final day involved a tour of a preserved German trench at Bayernwald, followed by a visit to the German cemetery, Langemark. Later pupils were able to identify the grave of the youngest soldier at Essex Farm cemetery, which is also the site Canadian soldier John McCrae wrote the famous ‘In Flanders Field’ poem. To end the trip pupils visited Lijssenthoek Cemetery, which represents the truly global scale of WWI.  Containing graves for Commonwealth soldiers, Chinese Labour Corps as well as the French, German and US army. Here pupils worked together to find the grave of Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler, one of only two women from WWI buried in Belgium.

Pupils were excited to share their experiences about the trip with one pupil commenting how they enjoyed 'the last day at Lijssenthoek...and was fascinated by the fact that there were 100s of graves but only one female grave for Nellie Spindler'.  Others shared how engaging they found the trip and the importance of visiting the sites respectfully."

Miss Robinson

Developing Girls' Football at Winston

 Year 7 in Competition

Year 7 played away at Surbiton High, this week, taking on the Surbiton Year 8 side in the National Year 8 'B' cup.

Despite playing a year up and against a side only beaten twice in 15 games this season, the Winston girls physically matched their opponents.  The opposition were clearly very well drilled and organised and we had to play disciplined in the opening 15 minutes. 

We were then awarded a free kick some way out, which Tilly drove straight through and into the goal.

We had to defend really deep and were caught out with an attempt on goal.  Jess did really well to save it onto the crossbar, but as she ended up painfully into the side of the goal, surbiton bundled the ball in.

We then lost a little concentration and we're caught by a really clever passage of play as the opposition converted from close in.

After a half time team talk we sent the girls out with some additional instructions and we forced a number of corners in strong 10 minute spell.  During this time we fashioned a good chance to equalise but the ball drifted just wide of the post.  

We fancied our chances if we could get to penalties and in heavy rain we sent Amelie forward to force the play.  This left us overloaded at the back and in the final seconds Surbiton scored a third on the break.

The opposition wouldn't surprise us if they get to the Semi or Final of the competition and just highlights how well the girls have done.  It's incredible to think many of our team only began playing competitive football 6 months ago.  We need to pick ourselves up now for the District Final in a few weeks, which we are really looking forward to. 

Mr Phillips and Mr Inwards

From the Jungle to the Gym!

Get Wild About Reading

Our latest display Get Wild About Reading features stories with animals in the story, on the front cover or in the title! Animal books are always really popular, so if you enjoy these types of books, pop down to the Library to see what's on offer! Also see what animals you can spot lurking amongst the bookshelves!

I can't wait to see some of you exploring some of the wild reads we have here in the Library! As always, Miss Dodds is more than happy to help you find your next read, either with a personal recommendation or by working together to find something you'll enjoy.

Happy Reading!

Miss M Dodds

Discovery Space Manager

 Year 8 Gymnastics

Year 8, in gymnastics, focused on different balances, including: weight bearing, counter tension, counter balance, symmetrical and asymmetrical.  This week 8C had another workshop based on the idea of Gymnastics Scrabble, where they had to replicate a group or individual balance and we had to correctly identify the scrabble tile. Some group moved into successfully spelling out a 3 letter word. Now the students are full of ideas so next week we will putting balances into action packed routines. 

Mrs Smith 

Year 7 Leader

Teacher of PE & Winston Extra 

Key Stage 3 Recital Evening

 Recital Evening in Performance Space

On Tuesday 14^th March, 21 students from Years 7, 8 and 9 performed in the Key Stage 3 Recital Evening in the Performance Space. The event, organised by Mrs Antony, gave each student the chance to perform a solo piece in front of an audience of friends and family. All of the performances were excellent, and the students involved should be very proud of what they achieved. 

Surgery At Winston

 Revision!

9CT had the pleasure to either take part in or witness a surgery being performed on a mannequin. The " patient " was prepped for surgery and incubated by Ms Buttery, who has also ensured that the surgeon was fully scrubbed in and dressed appropriately. "Dr Rose" used a scalpel to open the skin, then a manual saw to cut the sternum reaching the lacerated liver with the aim to remove it.

The students assisted with handing the tools over, pumping oxygen or syphoning the "blood " away. This was part of their anatomy recap in biology.

 Orchestra in a Day

On Thursday 30^th March over 100 students from Winston took part in the Music Department's Orchestra in a Day event to raise money for the Turkey and Syria Earthquake appeal. All of the students donated money to the appeal to take part and spent the day in the Performance Space rehearsing four pieces of music (How To Save a Life, Allegro, I Can See Clearly Now , and Pirates of the Caribbean). During the rehearsals our older and more experienced students fully supported their younger and less experienced peers which enabled everyone to successfully tackle their music. At the end of the day the students performed the four pieces to an audience of friends and family who also donated to the appeal. The final performances were excellent and all of the students taking part should be extremely proud of what they achieved. 

The Music Department are also thrilled to have raised over £300 for the appeal and would like to thank everyone who supported the day.