Magazine - End of Term Spring 2016

Langley Park School for Girls END OF TERM MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

With very best wishes for a Happy Easter.

Art and Photography, Berlin Tour 2016

Art and Photography, Berlin Tour 2016

Dear Parents and Carers, The reports in this magazine show what a busy term it has been. With school budgets still decreasing in real terms, we really appreciate all your support. If you have not yet contributed to the School Fund, your donations are welcome at any time of the year. We would encourage you to use the Standing Order Mandate Form on our website. Once again, the last page of this magazine carries some dates for your diary. Best wishes for the Easter break,

Dr Anne Hudson

LPGS Music Department visit Spain

After a brief coach journey we found ourselves in the glittering medieval city of Burgos whose ancient white-stone castles and churches were made all the more spectacular by the unexpected blanket of snow. Our first gig was in an ancient hostel on the Camino de Compostella to an effusive audience. We were on top form and all the months of preparation started to show – but we knew there was more to come… Our tour took in several important Spanish towns. After a morning visit to Leon whose Cathedral boasts the most beautiful of all Spanish Gothic architecture we retired to Lerma for our second concert. Although the town had been blighted by flooding we kept our spirits up as we performed to a diminished but appreciative audience which included children from a charity whose building had been affected. We moved base halfway through tour - to Salamanca. Famed for its Ancient University (founded 1218), its charming Baroque Square, its Roman bridge, its wealth of interesting buildings and winding backstreets it was an easy city in which to lose yourself, figuratively and physically! It is also a

quintessentially Spanish city whose language and lifestyle remain relatively unsullied despite its popularity. Everyone was able to seek out their own little corners and after dinner each evening we were replete with adventurous tales and tapas; with raciones and ‘raconteury’. Our final concert was in the Palacio di Figuero which befitted the culmination of all our preparation. The space was beautiful, the acoustic favourable and the atmosphere electric. A seasoned and discerning audience were moved to ovation and even autograph hunting (!) by our superb performance. It was a moving farewell to our Year 13 students, who have given so much of their time and talent to the department. And so we returned home with a fond Adios and with feeling of having experienced that rare camaraderie which can only come through collective creative endeavour.

Mr R Holdsworth, Music Department

Over February Half term the Music department led a trip to Burgos and Salamanca in the Northern Autonomy of Spain: Castille y Leon.

LPGS Music Department visit Spain

LPGS Reading Week 2016

Monday 29th February to Friday 4th March marked the annual LPGS reading week. As a school we have developed year on year as a community of readers and this was a week to celebrate the love for reading evident around the school.

Assemblies were held each morning to talk about why the high levels of reading in the school are so important. We talked in particular about how all students should be proud as they are reading more than the national average and making huge progress as a result. During the week we also held a writing competition to raise money for Book Aid – the official World Book Day charity. This charity helps to provide library facilities, train librarians or deliver book boxes to international communities who do not have access to books in the way we do in the UK. Students were invited to submit their 500 word original stories; the quality was impressive. 108 stories were entered (some students

entering two or three stories) from Years 7 up to Year 12. There was also a raffle held to raise money for Book Aid – the money is still being counted but the students have raised over £100, a sum which will make a real difference to children desperate to read. Mrs Hall ran some fantastic events during the course of the week including a celebration on World Book Day (March 3rd); the library is usually busy at lunchtime but this event was a huge success with every corner packed full of students taking part in competitions, raffles and fun activities.

Creative Writing Competition

The highlight of World Book day this year was the staff’s effort to br ing be loved characters from novels to life. Staff from across the faculties dressed up and the results of their efforts can be seen in the photograph. Can you work out who we were a l l supposed to be?

1ST PRIZE:

Miranda Jenik 7KH, winner of a Kindle Fire HD Miranda wrote a beautiful story written from the perspective of a tree under attack from bulldozers – a highly original tale, skilfully written.

2ND PRIZE:

Georgia Hajigeorgiou 7SB, winner of a Kindle Georgia wrote a haunting story about a young girl’s eventful day at school. The most engaging part of the story was the twist at the end… no spoilers here but the story is available to read on Firefly and in the school library.

3RD PRIZE:

Emily Jebb & Rachel Piper 9LH, winners of a Waterstones book voucher Emily and Rachel wrote a story that was incredibly well crafted, their use of imagery and the atmosphere created was fantastic.

Sathya Kumar 9LH, Emma Mukerji 7GB

and Lawrencia Lusanie 7SB

GET CAUGHT READING RAFFLE

Adia May 7SB, Amina Rafiq 7SB

Library Competitions READ ALL ABOUT IT

Year 7 LIF

E P

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SP

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This term the Year 7s have begun a challenge set out by Miss Cejer and Mr Desai. The Year 7 Life Passport aims to ensure that our students are resilient and have a broad set of life skills that will positively carry them forward in school and in life.

Pursuit of excellence – One student nominated per form for completing all the challenges whilst pursuing excellence and being the best they can

Contribution to the Community –

One student who has gone above and beyond the challenges and made an impact to the local or wider community

Outstanding achievement – For

three students who have excelled in the Own Challenges section and done something extraordinary

Best Overall Form – For the form

group who have worked together and completed the most challenges

If you have a daughter in Year 7 please do encourage her to take part in the challenges, talk about what she can achieve and join in as much as possible. Even if your daughter is not in Year 7 think about challenges that could be set and be ambitious to come out of her comfort zone. Any feedback on the Life Passport would be greatly appreciated! Contact Mr Desai [email protected] or Miss Cejer [email protected] if you would like any further information.

The Life Passport is a booklet that the girls will be completing over the upcoming months and trying to complete various ‘challenges’ that will help them on their way to adulthood. Challenges such as: cooking a healthy dinner for two or more people, helping with gardening such as weeding, clearing leaves and potting, practicing a magic/card trick and performed it in front of four people and a tricky one; not using screens for a whole day! Although some of the items in the Life Passport are already common place in some homes, we hope others are challenging and push students out of their comfort zones. Students who are able to meet these challenges will gain a sense of accomplishment and possible boost to their self-esteem as well as making another step towards becoming confident resourceful adults. The challenges are checked off in school by ‘Life Passport Reps’ found in each form who track and monitor the girls progress in completing the challenges with prizes being awarded in the listed categories;

Over the last term the Year 7s have been working with Tricia Taylor in their PSHCE lessons with Miss Cejer to develop a Growth Mindset. At Langley, we know that students who have a Growth Mindset are more successful in school and are happier in their learning. A Growth Mindset also helps students to persevere when faced with challenges. In contrast, a Fixed Mindset leads people to easily give up or settle for tasks that are too easy. The concept of a Growth Mindset was developed by psychologist Carol Dweck and popularised in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Tricia came in and worked alongside Miss Cejer and the Year 7s to think about their current Mindset and try to develop this into a Growth Mindset. The girls learnt about how the brain works and how that learning anything takes time, effort and practice. A key part in learning is how pathways are built in the brain and how learning occurs through the synapses of the brain. The girls created their own learning pathways (see pictures) and were able to verbalise how they had learned to do something. The idea being that if they can learn to ride a bike, they can learn to do anything. The idea with Growth Mindset is to enhance students’ thinking and get them to realise that many things are not easily learnt, it will take hard work, and probably failures on the road to success. The Year 7s were taught that if they cannot do something not to be ‘fixed’ on this and become frustrated but to say ‘I can’t do this, yet!’ At the start of the work 68% of girls in Year 7 at Langley already had a Growth Mindset, which is excellent and we hope that at the end of the work with Tricia there will be a greater number of students with a Growth Mindset who have shown increased resilience and a love of learning.

Year 7

Growth

Mindset

Art and Photography Berlin Tour 2016

During the February Half Term holiday, 22 students attended a four day tour of Berlin. Students from GCSE and Post-16 Fine Art and Pho tog raphy cou r ses experienced a breadth of cultural highlights from the city including the Jewish Museum; Hamburger Bahnhof gallery; ‘Me’ Collectors gallery; Berl inische gallery; Reichstag Dome; East Side gallery and Kathe Kollwitz museum. Students were able to develop exam and coursework projects, as well deepening their cultural understanding. A positive response was given by all, with Berlin’s vibrant street art drawing much attention. Students thought it was great that they had more freedom to be creative. Heads were also turned by Berlin’s architecture with its combination of new and derelict buildings that helped create diverse and ‘edgy’ suburbs. Students represented LPGS excellently and were a pleasure to have on board.

Mr R Hall, Art Department

Saul Leiter: Retrospective By Hollie Lockwood, Year 13

Saul Leiter was an American photographer and pioneer of colour street photography. Born on 3 December 1923 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Leiter was given his first camera age 12 by his mother and later left New York to become a painter. After meeting Richard Pousette-Dart, who encouraged Leiter to pursue photography, Leiter began to take black and white photographs. It was in 1948 that Leiter began to experiment with colour, creatively pushing the boundaries in photography. It is the current Saul Leiter exhibition at The Photographers' Gallery that showcases Leiter’s highly influential work, from his stunning portraits to tonally abstract photographs and paintings.

Postmen, 1952, Saul Leiter

When I first entered the exhibition I was instantly hit by the vivid colour across the walls, a clear indication of Leiter’s work and metaphor for his career. It was an exciting prospect to be able to engage with the work first hand that I had only previously seen via computer screens and how I was able to share this experience with a range of different people. When I first walked into the exhibition there were two choices to view his work as it is exhibited in an L shaped formation. If you follow the route to the left, you can experience first hand how his career developed, starting with his punchy black and white photographs taken with his 35 mm Leica. Turning the corner, you are unexpectedly struck by his talented and colourful artistry and it was a privilege to be able to view Leiter’s paintings first hand. Following the room around I gained a deeper understanding of his career as it progressed from early coloured fashion photography to his photo documentary of New York City in later years. The engaging composition and photo abstraction in Lieter’s photograph entitled ‘Taxi’ 1957, is an example of Leiter’s unique perspectives that have made him one of the great pioneers of 20th century photography. Leiter’s use of saturated colour instantly draws the viewer’s eye in to his image. The passionate red tones against the shadows create contrast and a sense of warmth to his images and have similar traits to his paintings with expressionist

qualities. When we look at the photograph for the first time we are instantly drawn into the upper right of the image, the mysterious hand that appears from inside the taxi and this is further emphasised through the use of his engaging depth of field. The figure is anonymous, we cannot see their face, however we as viewers subconsciously ask ourselves questions about this figure, who they are and where they are going. It is this element to Leiter’s work that captures the viewer and draws them into the scene, placing us in this perspective, as we are one with the photograph. I found the diversity of the exhibition enchanting and firmly believe that the exhibition showcases work by Saul Leiter for each individual to enjoy. Although colour is an essential element to his photography, we are able to view Leiter’s punchy black and white images taken earlier in his career, contrasting his abstract paintings that are also featured in the collection. The exhibition places emphasis on how diverse Leiter was as both an artist and photographer over his career and is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to view a large collection of work by a highly influential photographer. This is an inspirational exhibition for those who are passionate about this field.

Taxi, 1957, Saul Leiter

PA

RIS

LAURA WATSON, 10SF My personal favourite parts of the trip were when we went up the Notre Dame and on the Bateau Mouche. The Notre Dame was really nice inside, with very pretty stained glass windows, but the best part was when we climbed to the top of it because from the top you could see the whole city which you had been walking in for the past few days. I also really liked the boat ride, because for the first time you got to see the whole of Paris lit up in the dark, and especially the Eiffel Tower. The trip was also really good because while in Paris, you were inclined to speak more French because it felt stupid to speak English. You were also really immersed in the French culture and the way they do things in France. If I had the opportunity to visit the city again, I would definitely want to.

Our wonderful students at LPGS made this one of the best educational visits ever! They were always willing to make the extra effort to go and see the best things Paris has on offer and they never complained once about all the walking (45 miles in 5 days!). We hope to go back in the future and experience even more of this wonderful and fascinating city.

2015

ESTHER OBIKOYA, 10SF In November I went on a five day trip to Paris on Eurostar where I saw many famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and the Notre Dame. It was really interesting to see the differences and similarities between France and the UK and it was also interesting to try to understand and speak the French that I've learnt at school properly, even though sometimes I failed and had to talk in English. Our hotel was very nice and it was really fun sharing a room with friends and exploring the city together.

ALLEGRA CARROLL, 10GH I liked the Paris trip because I got to experience life in one of the most famous cities in the world, first hand, and with many of my friends. I have heard about it numerous times in poems, books, films and songs and I would agree that it does feel romantic. My favourite parts were going up La Tour Eiffel and the boat tour at night on the last day. One memorable moment was seeing L'Arc de Triomphe because it was bigger than I'd expected and the sun lit it up really nicely. Being surrounded by Parisians encouraged and made me more eager to learn the language, and the self-service 'flunch' restaurant we went to every evening was brilliant - you could go up for not just seconds but thirds! C'était super! If I had the opportunity I would go again but focus on speaking more french.

APARAJITA KABIR, 10SF

In our days spent in Paris we experienced new things and places and had loads of fun. On the first day in Paris we visited the Sacré-Cœur which is beautiful. The next day we saw the Arc de Triomphe which is a famous monument which honours those who died for France in wars. Then we all went to the top of the Eiffel tower. We went to the Catacombs, Panthéon, parks, Notre Dame, Champs-Élysées, Louvre and different shops. We also went on a cruise to see the whole of Paris at night. This amazing trip helped us to learn about France and help our french skills. Paris is a wonderful place.

Culture Box with GEMS Wellington Academy

Before half term at International Club we came together to write postcards, film videos and come up with ideas to create a culture box to send to our partner

school in Dubai. We wrote them questions such as asking what kind of food they eat and what their school is like. We sent off the box, complete with English tea and biscuits for them to try!

We received a box back from Dubai after half term and were looking forward to seeing what was

inside. When we opened the box we found that they had made us quizzes about the United Arab Emirates, little boxes with facts in, recipes and a great video which showed us around their school. We learned a lot about their lives and it was interesting to see that there were so many different cultures within their school and also to see how many

similarities that there are between us.

JOANNE HUNTER 8SA

We are always looking for new projects to do with our partner school, if you would like to get involved, see Miss Artini or Mr Saumtally. International Club runs every other Tuesday lunchtime in room 2.

POP

Online-Safety Meets

On the 15th March, Year 8, 9 and 10 students had the fantastic opportunity to see the upcoming Irish band, Taken, on an Online Safety and Cyber Bullying themed school tour. Taken not only performed for the students, they also delivered an Online Safety and Cyber Bullying message.

LILY FINDLEY 8KC “Everybody had a great time, listening to the amazing boy band Taken. They are great singers, and everybody went crazy over them. When they talked to us, it really made us understand how to stop cyber-bullying. Getting a picture with them at the end and a signature meant that we could never forget this amazing experience.” JADA-LY QUANSAH 9SM “The boy band performed an original song and did a cover of Justin Bieber's Love Yourself. The atmosphere in the room at the time was amazing; everybody was singing along and cheering on the group. After their performance, they then gave us a talk on E-Safety. During the talk, they explained how to keep yourself safe on the Internet and what to do if you are being cyber bullied. During this section, there were a lot of crowd interactions, keeping everyone focused on the message being portrayed to the audience. After the concert and talk, an autograph and photo session occurred; creating many new and unforgettable experiences for the students. We look forward to seeing Taken progress and make a big impact on the music industry.“ ANNABEL WEBB 10SF “I think everyone really enjoyed the experience, we’re still talking about it so it definitely had an impact. It was great to hear about such a serious issue from people that we admire. And the singing was pretty good too.”

Year 10 Finding ‘Routes into STEM’

The course offered in South East London during the last three days of February half term gave the participants a STEM experience involving one day at each of Bromley College, the University of Greenwich and Balfour Beatty. Of the numerous Year 10 students to apply, two were successful and we congratulate Hana Bossong 10KG and Matilda Dale 10GR on their achievement.

Every year the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) delivers over 30,000 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) experiences each year, for young people age 11-21 across the UK. As a school dedicated to raising the profile of STEM careers for our students we have been promoting the various courses that are on offer, principally to students in Years 10, 11 and 12.

At the start of the Spring Term several Year 10 students applied for the ‘Routes into STEM’ course that the EDT runs for their age group. This involves: A three day experience including exciting hands on

STEM activities. A chance to explore apprenticeship opportunities

and compare them with traditional university studies.

A company visit to understand the fantastic career opportunities presented by studying a STEM subject.

A ’Routes into STEM’ workbook to take away, a course supervisor, lunch and refreshments.

“The course was an eye-opening experience where we had talks about going to university and apprenticeships. It gave me a better idea of what I want to do in future. The course also included experiments and site tours. On day one we went to Bromley College where we learnt about engineering products. We had the opportunity to use the program CAD to design a product. We later had a tour of the college. Afterwards we put together a circuit and used soldering irons to do so. On day two we made our way to Greenwich University, where we firstly had a tour during which we were able to learn about the history of the Painted Hall and the Cathedral. We were able to have a talk about student life at university. Throughout the day we took part in

activities such as sand castle building, making glow sticks and 19th century bowling. On day three we went to Balfour Beatty. This company was located near New Cross station as a large part of the company builds and fixes the railway tracks. We had talks from several different people; from experienced workers to people taking apprenticeships. We first had a site induction where we found out the type of jobs people do there. We then made a poster on everything we did in the last three days. From the course I now have a certificate for my CV that comes under work experience and the knowledge of the paths I can take later in life. I mostly enjoyed the tours however making my way to the locations was hard!”

Hana gives us an outline of her experience and shares photos of the locations:

We hope current Year 9 students will be interested in applying for similar courses next year and we remind Year 11 students that EDT Inspire courses for after GCSE examinations are still open to applications. To find out more they should visit: http://www.etrust.org.uk/inspire-year-11-girls-courses Mrs J Mann STEM Lead in Maths

NSPCC Number Day

Our NSPCC Number Day took place on Friday 5th February. It was a very successful day with students and many staff dressing up in their number-themed outfits. The day consisted of tutor time activities as well as puzzles and activities in Room 1 at lunchtime. Many of our KS3 students also enjoyed numeracy puzzles, quizzes and games during their maths lessons. At lunchtime, students attempted to estimate the number of sweets in a jar and Kate Gaunlett in 8KP came the closest with her estimate of 700 (there were 678 sweets in the jar). Students also had fun trying to measure the number of 2p coins it took to go from one end of Room 1 to the other (264!). There were numerous other puzzles and activities which the students enjoyed attempting to solve. We are pleased that we were able to raise almost £1300 for the NSPCC’s important work. The NSPCC believes that all children deserve a childhood free from harm and strives to help keep all children safe. Thank you to all staff and students who took part in the day. Mrs I. Karaman Whole School Numeracy Coordinator

Our NSPCC Number Day took place on Friday 5th February. It was a very successful day with students and many staff dressing up in their number-themed outfits.

EVERY CHILDHOOD IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR

THE KID’S PAN AMERICAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016 By Nia Blackman 7SK

February 10th 2016 after almost a year of training I finally boarded my flight to Los Angles California, to take part in the IBJJF Kids Pan American World Championships. My first stop once I had settled in was to visit and train at the renowned and famous Art of Jiu-Jitsu academy in Santa Ana run by 5x World Champions The Mendes Brothers. It was just amazing to train there and an honour to meet professors Gui and Rafa Mendes it was a major highlight of the trip. Sunday 14th February was the big day and I wasn't nearly as nervous as my Mum! I was more excited and couldn't wait to put all my training to the test. The Walter Pyramid Arena were the competition is held is an iconic Venue and also hosts other major BJJ tournaments such as the BJJ World Masters. After cheering on my little sister Zuri and bestfriend Dali who's division's were before mine, my chance finally arrived...

I had waited so long, trained super hard and nothing was going to stop me! My first opponent was very aggressive and she came at me hard but my calm focused technical approach proved too much and she became frustrated and began making mistakes which I took full advantage of, I won 6-0. My next opponent was equally tough and I could tell she wouldn't break easily, relying on my technique and strengths I managed to assert my game plan and again winning 6-0. I am so grateful for all the encouragement and support I have received, it has meant the world. I wouldn't be where I am now without my parents, coaches, friends, family and teachers. This is only the beginning, I plan to maintain my No.1 World ranking by competing in the IBJJF ranked events in Brazil and Las Vegas later this year as well as being an ambassador for the UKBJJA woman’s outreach sports programme #unstoppablegirl.

SELF DEFENCE SEMINAR By Daisy Bell 7SK

On the 2nd of February 2016 I, along with many other students, took part in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminar. This was held by Nia Blackman and her coach. The seminar was based on self-defence and how to defend yourself in situations that you feel uncomfortable. I learnt many interesting moves including how to loosen my hand from a tight grip around my wrist and also how to break free from someone who has grabbed hold of me. We were told to work in pairs, which was very helpful as

everyone had someone to help perfect their defensive moves. At the end of the seminar Nia and her coach performed a series of different moves to show us just how cool and fun this sport could be! Everything that I learnt at this seminar I found very interesting and also very enjoyable. I have also been inspired to join a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club after taking part in the seminar. In conclusion, I found Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu great fun and am very grateful for the opportunity that I had. I fully recommend it as a sport that is worth a try.

Being able to field five teams across three year groups has been a great success for LPGS Hockey this year. Two strong squads from Year 7 & 8 and one full XI from Year 9 have competed against other schools such as Colfes, Bromley High, St. Dunstans and Sydenham High School, having excellent results across the board. Commitment to training has been outstanding, with over 30 girls coming out to Year 7 and 8 training each week and the results from matches have reflected this dedication.

Without a hockey league set up in the borough, LPGS have been keen to ensure that hockey is still maintained as a popular sport within school and that can be played and competed in against other schools. We welcomed new players to our Year 7 squads this year, with over 70 students coming out to the first training session. Across their season, the selected students in the two teams, between them have managed to score over 40 goals, which is a fantastic achievement. Noticeable performances have come from Katherine Pearce, Beth McCoy, Sydney Hanrahan, Hollie McCoy and Heidi Forsyth. The two Year 8 squads have continued to go from strength to strength. Competing against similar schools to the other KS3 teams, the Year 8s have again been dominant in their games, developing some outstanding tactical play, individual skill and team performances. The A team did very well when they attended the Kent Mini Hockey Championships. Beating teams from Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School and Highworth Grammar School, and taking a 1-1 draw against last year’s 3rd place team Tonbridge Grammar. LPGS went through to the quarter finals to play last year’s runners up, Kent College. They showed a fantastic display of defensive hockey and came very close to scoring several times, but could not quite match Kent College and unfortunately lost 2-0. But the team have a lot to feel proud of and will build on this for next year when they will go back and beat them! Again, there were some commendable performances by individuals such as Jess Smithson, Natalie Smithson, Jasmine Hoad and Emily Jacobs.

LPGS KS3 Hockey Report

The B squad have also had a great season, putting in some fantastic performances against their rivals. Scoring plenty of goals and again, with certain individuals shining through and proving to be excellent leaders of the team. Bliss Ross has developed very well into a more confident player, as too has Jodie Graham who likes to score goals for fun, with Lauren McClafferty also doing very well in defence.

Year 8 A Squad

Above: Year 7 A Squad Left: Year 7 B Squad

With the impending resurfacing of the all weather pitch our hockey teams are proving the need for such a facility to be renewed. In the last month our girls have played fixtures against Colfes and St Dunstans across all age groups and come away with extremely impressive results. U15 vs St Dunstans – W 2-0. A great game of hockey from a team who have not played together in a while. Their passing and formations were exceptional. Players from Year 8 stepped in to fill some key positions and shone in the 11 a-side game. Goals from Megan Bone and Sophie Graham secured the win but the team performed amazingly well as a whole, supporting and encouraging each other every step of the way. With more fixtures to come we are hoping for big things from these girls in the years to come. Well done.

Finally, a Year 9 squad of both Year 8 and Year 9 players has also had a good season. Playing full pitch is a big adjustment to some of the younger players, but they have taken it in their stride and gone up against some tough opposition but proved their worth. Developing some new players such as Amalie O’Hare in goal, and having the stability of seasoned players such as Lucy Tomlinson in defence means this squad is continually growing and can build year upon year. I look forward to seeing these squads next year moving up age categories and further developing their skills and team play. They have been a pleasure to coach this year! An excellent season, ladies. Well done!

LPGS Hockey

Goes from Strength to Strength

Year 7 Netball - London Youth Games

The Year 7 A Squad won a place at this year’s London Youth Games by beating all other teams at the Bromley competition back in October. The girls then got the opportunity to represent Bromley at the London Youth Games at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Wednesday 9th March. The girls competed against 33 other Boroughs and had a fantastic day in the largest sporting event in Europe!

During the morning’s round-robin competition the girls were placed in Pool B playing against three different boroughs; Hackney, Croydon and Enfield. Game 1 against Hackney (Mossbourne Community Academy) went off to a great start winning 6-0. Game 2 against Croydon (Croydon High) was going to be tough, the girls had heard this was the school that won the competition nearly every year and they looked like a strong team. The girls had a great game and won 4-1 playing with excellent defending and strong attacking. The final game in the group stage was against Enfield (Enfield County School) and the girls thought it would be an easy game due to that team losing to Croydon High. It was however very tough but with some hard work Langley came out on top and won 7-5. Coming top of Pool B was a great start to the morning and even the rain did not dampen the girls spirits. For the afternoon the Pools were reshuffled and all the schools were split into higher and lower leagues depending on the morning results. Langley were placed against two teams who had come 2nd in their pool, and one team who had won. The girls knew they had to play extremely well to get through to the Semi-Finals. The games started well winning the first game 7-5 (against Sutton) and even the sun came out for a short

period which was much appreciated. The second game was another good game for the girls beating Havering 4-1. The final game was against Waltham Forest, who also won their Pool and we knew it would be tough. The result in the end was a draw, 3-3, however with Waltham Forest drawing another one of their games it meant Bromley and LPGS were through to the knockout round and the semi-finals! Semi-final round Vs Croydon High (again)! Croydon had also got through to the semi-finals and we knew this would be a close game. Croydon got off to a great start as their shooting was fantastic, rarely missing a shot. Langley did all they could to try and come back from a shaky start but unfortunately Croydon were just too strong. Finally, Croydon won 6-1 and our Langley team was knocked out of the competition. However, all was not lost as the girls came overall joint 3rd with Bexley and received a medal! A great day and the girls were very happy as Miss Cejer had said if they came in the top three she would take them to Afters in West Wickham as a well-deserved treat. A fantastic achievement for being one of the top four schools in all of London!!

On Tuesday 23rd February, we played a Netball tournament at Hayes. This was the Bromley Borough tournament and we won overall. The first match we played was against Priory and the final score was 6–0 to us. We found this match pretty easy but we thought that as a team we needed to slow it down and clear space. The second match was against Chislehurst and we beat them 2–0 although this was a closer match than before, we had cleared more and slowed our movements down. Our third match was against Farringtons, whom we had beaten before but you

could never know who would win. The final score was 7–0 to us which meant that so far we had won all of our games. This match we had dodged for almost every ball to make sure that it was not intercepted. We then played Bromley High A team which we knew would be a challenge but we tried our hardest. The final score was 6-1 to Bromley high. This was our only defeat. Afterwards we played Charles Darwin B which we won - the score was 6-2 to us. After that match we played Harris Beckenham, we had played them before and we had won so our hopes were high. The final score was 4-1. After that we were waiting for the results to come out. If we had come first or second we would go through to the semi–finals. We got the results and we were the runners up of our group. This meant that we would play Charles Darwin A team in the semi – finals. We knew that this would be a tough match as we had played them before and they seemed to be a good team. The final score was 4-2 to us which meant that we made it through to the finals. The other team that got into the finals was Bromley High. We were pretty scared as only about 30 minutes before we had lost to them. Although we tried to not let that get to us and put a smile on our faces. It was a very tough match but the final score was 3-2 to us. We were so happy because it meant that we were 1st in the whole of Bromley. Playing on the team was Grace Richards, Issy Ward, Grace Duncan, Emily Donaldson (me), Monica Fiddeman, Jodie Graham, Christie Davis, Emily Jacobs and Hannah Stevens. Well done U13’s!

CH

AM

PIO

NS

U13 Netball Borough

WE Day

On the Wednesday 9th March, 16 others and I went up to Wembley Stadium for WE day. WE Day is a celebration of youth making a difference in their local and global communities. WE Schools is the yearlong program that nurtures compassion in young people and gives them the tools to create transformational social change. Together they offer young people the tools and the inspiration to take social action, empower others and transform lives—including their own. It may have an old name but WE day was an amazing experience I will never forget. There were lots of influential people, musical performances, as well as all the amazing things we learnt. We were given the tools to make a positive impact on others.

EMILY STOCKER, 8GB

45 students from Year 11 GCSE dance, and Year 13 BTEC and A Level dancers took a trip to Disneyland Paris to compete in the ‘Ultimate Dance Championships’ competition, and to be part in the main street Disney parade. Students had a very tough four days, getting up at 6.00 am in the morning for rehearsals and days of dance; with great success. 19 first places, 10 second

KATIE RIPLEY, 6IF JANUARY 2016 AWARD WINNER

FAYE KEMPSTER, 9SM FEBRUARY 2016 AWARD WINNER

OLIVIA TALLISS, 10KG MARCH 2016

AWARD WINNER

We would like to congratulate our Spring Term Jack Petchey Achievement Award winners. These students have been nominated by their peers and teachers as reward and recognition of their personal achievements.

If you would like to find out more about the award, more information can be found at http://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk/

Bromley Youth Council Manifesto Event 2016 On Thursday 10th March the LPGS Bromley Youth Councillors went to Oakley House, on Bromley Common, to participate in the annual BYC manifesto event.

The day was led by existing members of the BYC who greeted us by introducing the programme and purpose of the day. The first major thing we did was to mix ourselves into in groups of young people representing the majority of schools and colleges in Bromley. In these groups, we took part in an ice breaker challenge called ‘Build a Better Bromley’. The main purpose of this was to meet new people and be able to communicate and collaborate well with them in order to come up with ideas. My team came up with the idea of having an ice rink in Bromley since there isn’t one. The idea of a museum also came about and with these ideas; we put up an exhibition display to share with the wider group. After this, we were separated into different teams and took part in a series of workshops. The first was on identifying what BYC was, just to enhance our understanding and remove any doubts we had in our minds. We all discussed our views on how the Youth Council helps the society in general.

The next workshop was on the Primary Campaign for 2015/16 which has been Sex and Relationship Education. The final workshop was on the Secondary Campaign 2015/16 which was Transport. On this particular theme there were a few issues raised such as not being able to pay with cash on buses. Reasons for some of the decisions were explained to us and, as expected of us as councillors, we were asked to come up with ideas on how to improve transport in Bromley. In the afternoon, a panel made up of VIPs representing various departments of Bromley Council joined us to take part in a ‘Question Time’. This gave us the opportunity to ask challenging questions and improve our understanding of the decisions that are made. We ended the day by taking a vote on the topics that are the top priority for young people. These have now formed the BYC Primary campaign (Crime) and Secondary campaign (Well-being) for 2016/17. Nana Adjei 6CH

London Youth Games Dance Competition

15 students from year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13 took part in the London Youth games dance competition on February 2nd 2016. Our students won the Bromley division and went to the ‘Cooper Box’ arena to perform in the finale. The girls performed with passion, commitment and dedication and represented Bromley to a very high standard; over 25 schools within the London Borough was present at the event with the winning spot going to an all-state Performing Arts and Dance school. Our students had a fantastic time, collaborating with other schools and look forward to competing again next year.

45 students from Year 11 GCSE dance, and Year 13 BTEC and A Level dancers took a trip to Disneyland Paris to compete in the ‘Ultimate Dance Championships’ competition, and to be part in the main street Disney parade. Students had a very tough four days, getting up at 6.00 am in the morning for rehearsals and days of dance; with great success. 19 first places, 10 second

places and six third places, we were also involved in an event called ‘it’s a knock out’. Dancers learnt a set routine and performed for the judges, and after each round students were whittled down to only four, where two of our students got to the last four from 70 dancers and came second and third.

Disneyland Paris Dance competition – Thursday 18th February – 21st February 2016

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P T A News

Easter Raffle Tickets are now on sale for the PTA Easter Raffle. Prizes include a 32” Toshiba LED TV and 2 tickets in a box for the Crystal Palace vs Everton game on Saturday 23rd April at 3 pm and a giant Easter Egg!! The draw will take place on Thursday 24th March and tickets are just £1 each. If you have any prizes you would like to donate to our raffle, these would be gratefully received. Please contact us at [email protected] with the details.

PTA Logo Competition Winner Well done to the very talented Gracie Whitter in Year 7 who won the PTA logo design competition. Gracie has won £20 of Intu vouchers and 50 Vivo points and her design will now be incorporated in all future PTA communications.

GRACIE WHITTER, YEAR 7, WINNER OF THE PTA LOGO COMPETITION AND MEGAN PEARCE, YEAR 13 STUDENT WHO DIGITALISED THE IMAGE

Summer Market Save the date!! Sunday 3

rd July

If you run a business and would like to have a stall at the market, please contact the PTA at [email protected] More details to follow shortly.

save money by not having to buy brand new uniform each year. If you have clean skirts, jumpers, cardigans or sports uniform please send them into school marked SECOND-HAND UNIFORM.

Do you have any good quality uniform at home that y o u r d a u g h t e r h a s outgrown? We would really like to set up a second hand uniform donation scheme so that as your daughters outgrow their uniform, it can be donated and sold on raising much needed funds for the PTA and helping other parents

Second-hand Uniform Donations

LPGS 100 Club

Half the money collected will be donated to the school and the other half will be used for the monthly prize. The Club will not be limited to 100 members and the more numbers we sell the bigger the monthly prize funds will be. You can buy as many numbers as you like so it’s a good way to get grandparents, aunts, uncles or family friends involved in supporting the school and be in with the chance of winning the monthly prize pot. More details on how to sign up to the 100 Club will be coming out after Easter.

In the coming months, we will be setting up a 100 Club Lottery. For those unfamiliar with how this works, here is a brief description. For a joining fee of £12 (£1 per month) you have the chance of winning a monthly prize of £50. Additional prizes are awarded if subscription levels allow. The draw takes place at the end of every month (or term end for holiday dates) by the Headteacher or one of her deputies.

Easy Fundraising Did you know that whenever you buy anything online - from your weekly shop to your annual holiday - you could be raising a free donation for Langley Park School For Girls, Beckenham? There are nearly 3,000 retailers on board ready to make a donation, including Amazon, Top Shop, ASOS, Jack Wills, John Lewis, Aviva, thetrainline and Sainsbury's – it doesn't cost you a penny extra! It's really simple, all you have to do is: 1. Join. Head to: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/langleyparkschoolforgirlsbeckenham/ and sign up for free. 2. Shop. Every time you shop online, go to easy-fundraising first, pick the retailer you want and start shopping. 3. Raise. After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to your good cause for no extra cost whatsoever! There are no catches or hidden charges and Langley Park School For Girls, Beckenham will be really grateful for your donations. They also have an App so if you shop on the go, you can download this to your mobile device. With just a handful of supporters we have already managed to raise in excess of £180 so please do consider supporting us in this way. If you are about to book your family holiday, flights, car hire or a package deal could easily raise in excess of £30 for the PTA for each booking.

Monday 11th April Term begins

Tuesday 19th April 7.30 p.m. PTA Meeting

Monday 2nd May School closed: Bank Holiday

Monday 30th May - Friday 3rd June: Half Term Holiday

Tuesday 28th June 7 p.m. New Year 7 Parents’ Evening

Wednesday 29th June Sports Day

Friday 1st July 7 p.m. KS3 Drama Performances

Tuesday 5th July New Year 7: Induction Day

Wednesday 6th July Reserve Sports Day

Wednesday 6th July 7 p.m. Summer Concert

Monday 18th July - Tuesday 6th September: Summer Holiday

SUMMER TERM 2016

Dates for the Diary

Ongoing Bikeability Training

We were, once again, delighted to welcome the Cycle Team of the London Borough of Bromley to our school in January and February to deliver Bikeability cycle training to students. Of those that participated three achieved Level 1 and 2 (cycling in a traffic free environment and progressing to a quiet T-Junction) and sixteen were successful in achieving Level 3 - which built upon their existing cycling skills and allowed them to experience, with an instructor, cycling through traffic lights, roundabouts, multi-laned roads etc. If your daughter is considering cycling to school I would suggest a high-viz tabard be worn and leggings under her skirt. Further information on Bikeability can be obtained via website: https://bikeability.org.uk If you, your family or work colleagues are interested in participating in any of the free cycle training offered by the borough you should contact [email protected]