News @ The Dixie May 2016 1 | Page www.dixie.org.uk 01455 292244 T here has been a great deal of comment in the press regarding tesng in the last few weeks and as I write this newsleer, external exams have started for our Year 11 and L6 and internal exams are about to start for years 6-10. Our Upper 6th are in the final week of preparaons for the start of their A2 level exams aſter half term. Recent headlines in the media regarding tesng have ranged from 'We mustn't hide our children from pressured situaons - learning to fail is important', ‘Stop 'aſter-test pares', Nicky Morgan tells primaries’ to ‘Secret Teacher: Dear Nicky, I cried at the SATs hell you put my pupils through’ and ‘Sats: pupils in tears aſter sing 'incredibly difficult' reading test. I am very happy to be the Headmaster of a school in which Year 6 students don’t sit SATS and which doesn’t confine students’ learning to preparaon for one week of tests. Any test of greater significance for the school than the individual pupil is in my opinion the definion of a bad test and our curriculum is about far more than just the learning which takes place in the classroom, as the advert at the boom of this page reflects. Our aim for Year 6 students is that they emerge from the summer exams feeling that they were well-prepared and happy; the pressure for high achievement should not be felt by our 10 and 11 year-olds. By the me students reach Year 11 and GCSE exams it is very much our experience that revision strategies are so finely honed that exams pass without any undue bother. I wish all our older students well as they make final preparaons for external exams. To help our Year 6 students celebrate the end of their first exam period at the Senior School, on Friday 27 May they worked on a variety of cross curricular acvies in preparaon for a South American day at the Junior School. The rota of acvies included making Brazilian cookies in HE, replicas of Inca treasure in DT and in History they started producing their graphic novella based on the explorer Piz- zaro. Finally, in the aſternoon they designed and made Mardi Gras masks in preparaon for their day at the Junior School. Pictures are included on the final page of this newsleer. Tuesday presentaon assemblies highlight the impressive range and quality of achievement at the Dixie. From Chemistry compeons, Maths challenges, Biology Olympiads, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Climb- ing, Fencing, Singing, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Music making, Netball, Hockey, Rounders, Tri- athlon, Athlecs, this half term has been another of outstanding involvement. The GCSE and A level Music Soirees were real musical treats highlighng the talents of our sen- ior musicians, but also the tremendous strength of our music department, the dedicaon of the staff and peripatec teachers and fantasc tech- nical support.
10
Embed
01455 292244fluencycontent2-schoolwebsite.netdna-ssl.com/FileCluster/... · 2016-05-27 · musical treats highlighting the talents of our sen-ior musicians, ... chocolate fountain,
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
News @ The Dixie May 2016
1 | Page
www.dixie.org.uk
01455 292244
T here has been a great deal of comment in the press regarding testing in the last few weeks
and as I write this newsletter, external exams have started for our Year 11 and L6 and internal
exams are about to start for years 6-10. Our Upper 6th are in the final week of preparations for
the start of their A2 level exams after half term. Recent headlines in the media regarding testing have
ranged from 'We mustn't hide our children from pressured situations - learning to fail is important',
‘Stop 'after-test parties', Nicky Morgan tells primaries’ to ‘Secret Teacher: Dear Nicky, I cried at the
SATs hell you put my pupils through’ and ‘Sats: pupils in tears after sitting 'incredibly difficult' reading
test.
I am very happy to be the Headmaster of a school in which Year 6 students don’t sit SATS and which
doesn’t confine students’ learning to preparation for one week of tests. Any test of greater significance
for the school than the individual pupil is in my opinion the definition of a bad test and our curriculum
is about far more than just the learning which takes place in the classroom, as the advert at the bottom
of this page reflects. Our aim for Year 6 students is that they emerge from the summer exams feeling
that they were well-prepared and happy; the pressure for high achievement should not be felt by our
10 and 11 year-olds. By the time students reach Year 11 and GCSE exams it is very much our experience
that revision strategies are so finely honed that exams pass without any undue bother. I wish all our
older students well as they make final preparations for external exams.
To help our Year 6 students celebrate the end of their first exam period at the Senior School, on Friday
27 May they worked on a variety of cross curricular activities in preparation for a South American day
at the Junior School. The rota of activities included making Brazilian cookies in HE, replicas of Inca
treasure in DT and in History they started producing their graphic novella based on the explorer Piz-
zaro. Finally, in the afternoon they designed and made Mardi Gras masks in preparation for their day
at the Junior School. Pictures are included on the final page of this newsletter.
Tuesday presentation assemblies highlight the impressive range and quality of achievement at the
(Shot-putt), Chloe Vinestock (Long Jump), Georgia Ellis (Shot-putt ) and Under 13 girls won the
4x100m relay and qualify for the County finals.
News @ The Dixie May 2016
5 | Page
www.dixie.org.uk
01455 292244
Our athletics prowess is, I am certain, linked to our on-going relationship with Ian Roberts, England
athletics coach who attended the Dixie earlier in May and delivered a series of masterclasses. Elite
athletes from Years 6-11 benefited from this experience and were able to put his advice into practice
in the athletics competitions.
Year 6/7 were taught the mechanics of throwing activities, with particular focus on the shot-putt; Year
11 IGCSE students were taught the theory of 'acquisition of skill' through the long jump; Year 8 were
taught the sub-routines of the 'Fosbury flop' to develop their high-jump technique, whilst Year 9/10
worked on their relay baton change-overs.
Earlier in the half term, 18 students from the senior school participated in the ISA National Tri-athlon at Lucton School. All those who participated greatly enjoyed the event and did them-selves and the school proud, several students narrowly missing out on medals. The final results were as follows:
Tristar 2 (Boys) 11-12 years: Robyn Thiele 9th, Dan Kennedy 10th, Rio Naik 25th, Joseph Blunt 40th, Ted Davies 42nd, Elliott Breadon 49th.
Youths (boys) 15-16 years Mark McCall 4th, Zach Gauhar 6th, Luke Whitehead 16th
All participants were awarded with a certificate in school for their efforts. Well done to all our triathletes and to all who have represented the school so ably this half term.
News @ The Dixie May 2016
6 | Page
www.dixie.org.uk
01455 292244
The school’s Astronaut Training Club have been investigating the germination and growth of rocket seeds as part of a project organised by the UK Space Agency and the Royal Horticultural Society. One set of seeds had been on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months and the other stayed down on Earth. We investigated factors such as when germination occurred, when leaves appeared, height of plants, numbers of leaves and how many plants survived from the two samples. We couldn’t determine any obvious differences between our two samples, but we thought the colour of one set of rocket plants was slightly different overall to the other. Our investigation has now finished and our results will be sent to the UK Space Agency to be analysed with all the other results from around the country. We will be informed in the near future which of the two samples of seeds had been on the ISS and what, if any, effect this has had on their growth.
Dr Ketchion says that the astronaut trainees have been very keen and conducted their investigation in a proper scientific manner. Hopefully human kind will benefit from their results when astronauts can grow their own food on future space missions.
Seeds from Space Investigation
I am delighted to hear from Mr Macmillan that girls’ rugby training sessions for all years will
start on Wednesday 8 June and run for four weeks until Wednesday 29 June. Training will take
place at Barton Road after school and will finish at 5.15pm. Please arrange for your daughter to
be picked up from Barton Road. Any students that require a lift back to school will be able to
get one. The wearing of a mouth-guard is not compulsory but is recommended. If you have any
queries please feel free to contact Mr Macmillan at [email protected] .
Teamwork was much in evidence as both the Senior and Junior Schools gave amazing performanc-es at the Hinckley and Bosworth Mayor's Service on Sunday 24th April. I was grateful the Dixie parents and siblings were out in force - without us the congregation would have been very small indeed.
At the Dixie we don't like
to count our chickens
before they hatch and a
big thank you to Ollie
Crane for providing us
with some fertile eggs
from his chickens. The
chickens all hatched and
have been returned safe
and sound, but not be-
fore they were captured
on film! What better way
to study growth and de-
velopment than to see it
for yourself?! Year 6 stu-
dents have really enjoyed
"playing" with our chicks
and probably haven't
realised they having been
learning a lot too.
Not only is Mrs Buckell, (former parent and Governor) the driving
force behind ‘Dixie Diggers’ she has also donated some money to the
Science Department, which has been used to purchase equipment
for next year’s Sixth Form practical experiments. (left)
News @ The Dixie May 2016
8 | Page
From the Headmaster
www.dixie.org.uk
01455 292244
As we approach half-term, there is a great
deal to look forward to on our return.
The Year 5/6 Science Challenge Day (21
June) was such a success last year and I am
certain it will be just as effective this year in
helping our new students make friends and
start to feel at home in the Senior School. I
understand from Mr Kirkwood that the aim
of this year’s Yr5/6 challenge will to be cre-
ate and decorate appropriately a timing de-
vice/clock that will move a marble down-
wards 50cm. Like our Whole School Sports
Day (4th July) it will have an Olympic theme
and is closely followed by our Induction Day
(23 June).
Please put 4th July in your diaries and come
with your picnic tables. I have ordered an-
other very warm day and Mr Fielding, Miss
Dicksee and Mr Vernon inform me that this
year there will be a podium for race winners
and Olympic style presentation ceremonies. I
look forward to welcoming you at Barton
Road and I know that one of the highlights of
the day was the whole school warm up lap of
the athletics track to the Chariots of Fire
soundtrack—be sure to arrive in good time!
Mrs Banton and Mr Dixon are already plan-
ning the Sixth Form Induction Days on Tues-
day 5th and Wednesday 6th July and we will
be welcoming a good number of students
new to the Dixie for these days. The pro-
gramme on Tuesday, which starts at 8.45 am
in the Library, will give new Sixth Formers
the opportunity to meet Heads of Depart-
ment who will talk to you about expectations
for the coming year as well as vital prepara-
tion work to be undertaken in the summer
break. There will also be time to review ca-
reer based targets, spend time in the Sixth
Form House and meet with our current Low-
er Sixth students. This is also an opportunity for our new Sixth formers
to wear business dress.
Wednesday is intended to be a more interactive and informal day, with
a variety of teamwork activities incorporating not only key skills im-
portant for the Sixth Form, but also an element of healthy competition!
Weather permitting, we are also planning a barbecue lunch at Barton
Road Sports Ground so the dress is more casual on this day.
Finally, on the last day of term, you are all invited to the Presentation
of Prizes 2015/6 which will again be held in a marquee at our Barton
Road Sports Ground. This promises to be another great celebration of
the academic year, and I will be delighted to introduce our Guest of
Honour, Mr William Ashworth, District Judge.
News @ The Dixie May 2016
9 | Page
www.dixie.org.uk
01455 292244
I have shown prospective
parents around the Dixie in
increasing number this year
(I am delighted that we now
have waiting lists in some
years) and I regularly refer to
our wonderful Sixth Form.
Those who have taken the
opportunity to speak to our
visitors never fail to impress,
are always the most potent
of adverts for the school and
real evidence of the ‘Dixie
Difference’. I am devastated at the thought of the Upper Sixth not being here next year, and the Upper
Sixth of 2016/17 certainly have large shoes to fill. Senior prefects are appointed by the whole school—
each student has a vote, and the votes from students are given the same weight as votes from staff. As
well as writing a letter of application and presenting to the whole school, each candidate is given a pan-
el interview with me, Mrs Banton and the existing Head Boy and Girl. I am delighted to announce that
next year’s Head Boy will be Christian Smaditch, Head Girl: Kate Smart, Deputy Head Boy: Lewie Brooks
and Deputy Head Girl: Eve Webley. Other key prefect posts will be announced on the Lower Sixth re-
turn to school after half term.
Preparations for the second Dixie Alumni dinner to be held on June 25th are now well under way. Tickets will only be on sale until 11th of June or until they are all sold. Ex staff confirmed as attending include Mr G.M. Carter (Music) and Dr Dack (Physics). I am also delighted that amongst the ex-students attending will be Zoe Hildred (nee Green), Mark Pritchard, Suzanna Neville, Debbie Hill and Neil Taylor. We will be supporting charitable causes as part of the evening and Mr Hamson will be selling the first e-edition of the Dixonian magazine for alumni of the Grammar school with news about school developments, recent events, activities of alumni and also what is going on in town. Please register your intention to attend by emailing [email protected] and all details about how to buy tickets are on the website.
All that remains is for me to wish you a relaxing half term and as promised, pictures of Year 6 enjoy-
ing this afternoon’s events are overleaf. Congratulations to those whose exams have finished, and
again, best wishes to those who have external exams to sit in June.