July 2018 - Term 6 Blog

Year 12 students are currently on work experience in a broad range of organisations including law firms, hospitals. TfL, media companies, accountants, schools, veterinary surgeries, and other well-respected businesses.  Other students are on university taster weeks in Bath, Newcastle and Exeter. We would like to extend our thanks to all companies who gave up their valuable time and expertise in supporting WG6 students in their work placement. We look forward to hearing all their news when they return to us on Monday 23rd July.

   

Introducing our new student leadership team, all roles and responsibilities are listed below.  Thanks to Rebecca Seymour 12A and Sean Walsh 12D for completing the below display, including roles and photographs which is in-situ at the girls site, in the Manor, outside Mrs Tiddy’s office.  We look forward to working with all our student leaders over the coming months and for them to build on the success of the previous year’s team. 

Mrs Tiddy hosted a thank you lunch for our hardworking student leaders.  Students were introduced to the delights of 80’s music by Mrs Martin and Mrs Halstead via a CD which many of them had never seen before!  It was a gesture of appreciation for all the hard work they have carried out and we look forward to working with them over the coming months.

Our WG6 hosted a Community Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care.  Special guests included the new Mayor of Dartford, Councillor David Mote and Mayoress Ellen Mote, Governors, local support agencies such as our PCSO’s, Dartford based companies Laing O’Rourke and Electrosonic, residents from Wilmington Manor Care Home and school alumni.  It was a lovely event enjoyed by all!

Mrs Regan of WG6 said, “The credit should go to our students who were fantastic ambassadors for both schools.  They worked so hard and the feedback I received from our visitors was very complimentary, especially from the residents of Wilmington Manor who didn’t want to leave!  The patience and kindness our students demonstrated was so lovely to see and they were delighted to have met the local Mayor and Mayoress”

The Mayor also congratulated the students on their ‘extremely successful event, which he said, demonstrated true community spirit’.

Thank you to all WG6 staff and students for organising such a wonderful event.

Pictured, Mayor & Mayoress with Head Girl Ellie-May, Head Boy Louis & Head Boy Anu

Pictured, Alan Mitchell, PCSO, Joanna Vezey of Laing O'Rouke with WG6 students

Pictured, Mrs Diane Connell, Chair of Local Governing Board second from left, forth from left Mrs Catherine Goodhind Governor Mr Adrian Connell

Local residents of Wilmington Manor Residential home with student leaders and staff from Wilmington Manor.

Local residents with our WG6 students

Year 12 Psychology students have been learning about localisation of functions within the brain.  This means they must know which parts of the brain do what! Miss Smith wanted them to be so confident about what their own brains did, that she got students to create paper brain hats and then pairs tested each other on what areas were called and what they were responsible for.   Now they can all point to their own brains with ease!

  

Our Y12 Students attended The South London Higher Education Exhibition at Goldsmiths, University of London.  Exhibitors included UCAS experts, university and college representatives, the armed forces and industry professionals offering apprenticeships - all on hand to offer advice, information ... and a lot of free pens(!) to our students.

Students had the opportunity to get application advice, attend seminars and get first-hand insight from current university students.  It was a unique experience to kick-start research or refine futures choices.   The exhibition was a hugely beneficial experience for our students and it generated a lot of excited debate and discussion on the way back to school.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Lucy (Y12) and Ellie (Y13) have just been representing England WU18’s in a tournament in York. They drew 1-1 on the first day against Northern Ireland. Day 2 saw the team face the Republic of Ireland and achieve a 2-0 win. This is an excellent achievement for our two students, who work tirelessly pursuing their dreams of becoming professional footballers, alongside maintaining excellent attendance and grades in school.

To top this off, Lucy was voted number 1 on the player’s podium, which was voted for by other players.

A huge congratulations from everyone at WGSG!

Pictured, left Lucy and right Ellie

  

WG6 held two induction days for our new Y12 cohort.  Internal students from both sites joined forces on Monday for special ‘taster’ lessons in their selected A Level options.  The taster lessons offer insight into the new course syllabus and an opportunity to meet fellow students.  A teambuilding day is scheduled for the first day of tem (4th September) for all Y12 students. 

 

Pictured, students in taster Biology and Physics classes.  Special thanks to the PFA for providing the funding for the new department microscopes.

 

 

 

Y12 To help guide and prepare students for the many career options and decisions ahead the WG6 team planned a series of seminars to help them make informed choices.  Speakers and session leaders included representatives from Outer Temple Chambers, University of Greenwich, Oxbridge, UCL, London South Bank University, University of Westminster, The Central College for Animal Studies, Cardiff University, Life Skills and Kent Police.  The key note and closing speech was delivered by Southampton University.

Pictured left, Alumni Dr Fran Pool of UCL who spoke to students planning to study Maths at university and below right Year 13 leavers from 2017 and 2018 also offered advice to current students.

 

Pictured, below, a session with Alumni Patrick Tano from The Central College for Animal Studies.

  

This year’s GCSE & A Level Art Exhibition contained a dazzling range of pieces.  Students work took in sculpture, instalations, mobiles and 3-D artworks in additon to more ‘traditional’ mediums.  The moderating has taken place and we eagerly anticipate the outcome. 

  

 

 

  

The PFA has recently registered with easyfundraising and WE NEED YOUR HELP! If you shop online, could you please sign up to easyfundraising.org.uk to help the PFA raise funds?  By using the easyfundraising site whenever you shop online, the retailer sends a free donation to the PFA, at no extra cost to you. This enables the PFA to fund essential school equipment and facilities that helps support your children's education. We want to raise as much as possible, so please visit our new easyfundraising page at: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/wilmingtongrammargirls/ and click ‘join us’. Thank you!

School Alumni Amber Anderson is an illustrator and ‘live visualizer’.  She regularly takes on high profile freelance jobs such as this gorgeous project for The Wimbledon Foundation.  Amber donated the ‘Amber Anderson Cup’ to WG6 which is awarded every year for Excellence in Art.  You can see more about the project in an interview she did https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34VLZ11taFA.

Students have been very involved in updating and revising the WG6 dress code.  We look forward to seeing you all in September in your matching suits and button down shirts or blouses.

Congratulations to Miss Head, 6th form PE teacher, who has welcomed a baby boy, Ethan .. and he’s gorgeous!

We would like to say a special goodbye to Mr Sodhi, leader of WG6 Business Studies and Mrs Harris WG6 PE teacher and Head of Y10 and Ash House.  Good Luck for all your future endeavours, please do stay in touch.

It has been an eventful and busy term, WG6 continues to get bigger and stronger and we extend our thanks to Mrs Tiddy for all her hard work and dedication.  We wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to welcoming you back, refreshed and prepared for Y13.

Best wishes,

 

The WG6 team