4 April 2019
Dates for your Diary – Spring Term 2019
- Easter holidays – Monday 8 April to Monday 22 April (term ends on Friday 5th April and resumes on Tuesday 23 April – 2 weeks and 1 day)
- Information evening for the parents of Year 12 students who are going on the Geography trip to Naples - Wednesday 24 April, 6.00 p.m.
- School closed for May Day Bank Holiday - Monday 6 May
- Year 8 Parents' Consultation Evening, Monday 10 June 3.30 p.m. - 6.00 p.m.
- Summer Half Term - Monday 27 - Friday 31 May
- Durham Johnston Music Festival – Friday 28th June, James Hall – entry forms will be available soon after Easter
- Music for a Summer Evening – Friday 5th July, Atrium Café
- KS3 Celebrations – Monday 8th July, James Hall (Big Band and finalists from the Music Festival will be performing at this event)
Parent Governor Election
Following the recent ballot, we are pleased to announce that Mrs Sims-Williams has been appointed on to the Governing Body.
Year 9 App Lab Winner
We’re delighted to announce that we have chosen the winner of our “Year 9 Best App” competition. Recently, all Year 9 students worked on projects in their Computing lessons to make a mobile phone application. There were some fantastic creations and I’m sure we have some developers of the future in our mist.
The winning entry includes lots of great features as well as having a potential to add extra improvements in the future. We’d love you to have a go by clicking the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/djcsLogo1
Mr Garside, Business and Computing
House News
On Friday March 22nd we held a non-uniform day in support of our “Giving back” campaign.
We raised in excess of £1300, cheques will go out this week to 3 local charities: Changing Lives, Durham Foodbank and the Joan James Chemotherapy ward at Durham University hospital. These charities really help our local community and we are proud to support them.
Thank you to everyone who contributed.
Miss Forbes and The House Team
Are you creative? Are you competitive? Will you have some free time on your hands this Easter?
Is you’ve answered YES to any of the above then we have just the thing for you….
Remember your time in primary school when the eagerly anticipated Easter competition would be held? A competition where you built your own model with toilet roll tubes, tissue paper and enough PVA glue to hold a battleship together, all with an egg as the star of the show?! A competition where no parents ever (cough) helped students EVER…..
Well it’s back – let’s see what you’ve got model makers!
Good luck
Miss Forbes and the Kenny Team
GCSE Business
This week my Business Studies class have been learning about the importance of training and employee motivation.
I wanted them to experience this first hand. A willing (well almost) group of Year 10’s took on the role of the “trainers” and the rest of the class became the “trainees”. We set-up training stations and then rotated. We had a ukulele lesson, fine art skills, Keepy-Ups, angling our thumbs and playing the recorder (that brought back memories of primary school and slight earache!).
At the end we talked about skills development, communication, training styles and motivation. All of the students either learnt something new or improved their current skills set. They recognised that modelling, good practice and a trainer who was knowledgeable was key, as was their engagement and commitment!
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Well done Year 10 - I'm impressed.
Miss L Forbes - Subject Leader, Business & Computing
Hackathon Results
Last week we had our very first Durham Johnston Hackathon. The students were given a week to make a game using the theme of Space. We had some wonderful entries and clearly a lot of hard work and great team work took place. Thank you to our two Sixth Form students Thomas and Mark who organised and supervised the event as well as marking the submissions.
The results are as follows:
Here are the Hackathon results:
1. Valentine Cooper, Reuben Griffiths, Annabel Wade, Peter Jones
2. Callum Wood, Rowan Ridd, Evan Baker
3. Jamie Ivory
The sixth form team will be in touch with all students who entered after the Easter Break to give feedback as well as to award the prize to the winning team.
Well done to all involved!
Mr Garside, Business and Computing Department
Music Notices
Music tuition during study leave for Years 11, 12 and 13
You are still more than welcome to come into school for instrumental/vocal lessons, and you need not be in school uniform if you are just on site for this sole purpose. If you are unable to attend lessons, please would you be kind enough to inform your teacher in order that this time can be reallocated.
ABRSM Prize
Congratulations to Rosa Pollard Smith (year 11), who was awarded the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music prize for gaining the highest mark for grade 7 on any woodwind instrument in the North East in 2018. She achieved 139 marks out of 150, when only 130 is necessary for a distinction.
Year 13 Musicians
Many thanks for your many and varied contributions to extra-curricular music over your time here. We would be delighted to invite you to ‘Music for a Summer Evening’- see below. Please collect a yellow invitation from the music department before you go on study leave.
Music Dates for the Summer Term
Durham Johnston Music Festival – Friday 28th June, James Hall – entry forms will be available soon after Easter
Music for a Summer Evening – Friday 5th July, Atrium Café
KS3 Celebrations – Monday 8th July, James Hall (Big Band and finalists from the Music Festival will be performing at this event)
Mr Holmes, Mrs Holmes, Mrs Wiggers
PE Department News
As football reaches the end of the season our teams are still involved in several cup competitions.
On Wednesday our Year 8 team were at home to Greenfield in the semi-final of the league cup. This was an excellent game in which we took an early lead. Greenfield equalised and with time running out a 30 yard shot beat our keeper to give Greenfield a 2 – 1 victory. Also on Wednesday our VIth form team completed their season with a home game against Lanchester St Bede’s. Neither team had anything to play for and in a very relaxed game we ended the season with a defeat.
Today our Year 7 and U14 girls rugby league teams are at Kingston Park for the Regional Finals. Hopefully we will be able to bring news of more rugby success after the Easter holidays.
Also today our Year 10 rugby team are leaving for the annual “rugby mini-tour”. They are travelling to Harrogate to play a match against Harrogate Grammar School. From there they travel to an outdoor centre near Thirsk for an evening of “team activities” before taking part in various outdoor pursuits during Saturday.
Finally on behalf of the PE department can I wish everyone a Happy Easter.
Mr Hopper - Subject Leader for PE
