24 May 2019
Dates for your Diary – Summer Term 2019
- Year 8 Parents' Consultation Evening, Monday 17 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
- Music for a Summer Evening – Friday 5th July, Atrium Café
- KS3 Celebrations Evening – Monday 8th July, James Hall
Mr O'Sullivan Writes
When It's Done And All This Has Gone, Find A Feeling, Pass It On
The image above is from 1966 and it is the only photograph I have of my parents before they got married. In the picture my Dad is 18 and my mother is 16 and they seem completely oblivious to anything other than each other. My parents were married later that year and we gave them a framed copy of the photograph when they celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2006. I’ve often wondered if my sister and I would view it as being so special if it were merely one of hundreds. Would we even look at or remember it if that were the case? The photograph matters to me but my parents were slightly less enamoured. ‘You can’t really see us in it’ my mother commented afterwards.
Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have left recently and they followed the ‘leaving’ rituals that have come to define 21st Century schools. They signed shirts and year books, had their photographs taken with teachers and friends and watched a slide show that featured their year 7 photographs. Those photographs always generate the best reaction, capturing them at a key moment of transition.
To read the full article please click here.
Ski Trip 2020
Please may I take the opportunity to remind parents and carers who are going on next year's ski trip, that the 4th instalment is due on Friday 7 June.
Mrs Hopper - Ski Trip Co-ordinator
Recycling
The school is taking proactive steps to deal more effectively with paper and plastic waste generated in school. We have now put measures in place to recycle plastics and mixed paper and card separately from general waste.
The school is also considering a variety of options in order to remove single-use plastic items currently used in our catering services.
Ms Charlton - Director of Resources
Junior Maths Challenge
On Tuesday 30th April,110 students from Years 7 and 8 took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. The results are now in, and we are pleased to report an excellent performance from our students, with 76 students winning a certificate.
Eight of our students did so well that they have qualified for the next round, the Junior Kangaroo. The award for Best in School and Best in Year 8 was won by John Phillips, who did so well that he has won a place in the Junior Maths Olympiad instead of the Junior Kangaroo. Molly Browell and Quinn Baldwin won second and third place respectively, with Aiden Wilkinson taking fourth place and the Best in Year 7 award.
Congratulations to all of the students involved.
Mr Patterson - Maths Department
Team Maths Challenge Finals
We are excited to report that our Team Maths Challenge team comprising of Raymond Geng, John Phillips, Quinn Balwin and Will Lambert have won a place in the National Final in London. The students will compete with the winning teams and best runners up from regional heats held all around the country in a competition that includes a poster round, a group round, a Cross Number, a shuttle round and finally a relay round. The team is already busy designing and preparing their poster with Miss McCarthy, ready to go to London in June.
We wish them both congratulations on their achievement, and good luck in the final!
Mr Patterson - Maths Department
PE Department News
A busy week of rounders started on Monday as we took on Framwellgate. It was an excellent evening as all four of our teams won. The scores were:
Year 7 won 77 – 43 with Lucy Brown player of the match (POM)
Year 8 won 79 – 21 with Sofia Hesselink POM
Year 9 won 44 – 20 with Isla Meikle POM
Year 10 won 45 – 18 with Niamh Lang POM
Also on Monday the basketball season concluded with our Year 10 team taking on St Cuthbert’s in the Tyneside Cup final.
This was an outstanding game which was close throughout. We were 2 points behind with less than 30 seconds to play when a basket from Roan Varley took the game into over-time. However we couldn’t find another basket eventually losing by 3 points.
On Tuesday our U13B boys tennis team travelled to Staindrop for a league match. After a slow start we took control going on to win the match 4 – 2.
Rounders continued on Wednesday as our Year 9 & 10 teams hosted Durham School. We had two more excellent victories as our Year 9’s won 53 – 44 with Holly Jenkins POM and the Year 10’s won 66 – 34 with Maisie Maguire POM. Also on Wednesday our U15 boys and girls pentathlon teams were at Monkton stadium competing in the County Pentathlon Championships. Everyone competes in 5 events throughout the day with the points being added together to get an overall winner. It was excellent news for Durham Johnston as our girls team finished runners-up with Isabelle Sharman finishing in 3rd place and therefore making the County team. The boys also produced great results with our B team in 4th place and our A team also finishing runners-up. Bryn Newland was our best placed athlete finishing in 6th place.
Our girls football season finished on Wednesday as our Year 7 and U13 teams took on Lanchester St Bede’s in friendly matches. Our Year 7 team won 7 - 1 and our U13’s also won 4 – 1.
We also had tennis matches on Wednesday as we took on Polam Hall. They had to concede the U13 match but the U15 game was of a very high standard. The match ended 3 – 3 so we needed a tie-break to decide the winner. Unfortunately we lost that 10 – 6.
Finally, on Wednesday we had a handball coach in working with some of our Year 9’s in preparation for a competition after half-term.
Tennis continued last night as our U13B and U15B boys teams travelled to Barnard Castle for league games. In perfect conditions both schools played some excellent tennis. Honours ended up even as we won the U15 match 4 – 2 and lost the U13’s 4 – 3 after a tie-break.
Also yesterday our U15 cricket team took on Hetton in the county cup. They are a very strong team and scored an impressive 168 runs in their 20 overs. Despite a spirited effort we kept losing wickets ending up well short of their total.
More rounders last night as our teams played both Choristers and Parkview.
Our Year 7 & 8 teams both beat Choristers with the scores 50 - 33 & 67 - 46 respectively. Kaelyn Jones and Libby Eyre were voted POM’s.
Next was Parkview and again we won all four games. The scores were as follows:
Year 7 won 83 – 10 with Arianne Jones player of the match (POM)
Year 8 won 59 – 42 with Libby Eyre POM
Year 9 won 68 – 59 with Jenny Horridge POM
Year 10 won 63 – 43 with Lauren Etchells POM
This confirms our Year 7, 8 and 10 teams as Durham Schools league champions and the Year 9’s are still waiting for other results.
We are looking forward to meeting those pupils who are going on the Malaga sports trip, bright and early, on Sunday 2nd in the school car-park at 2.45 a.m.
Mr Hopper - Subject Leader for PE
