HEADTEACHER'S KEY MESSAGES

Where has the time gone? I simply cannot believe we only have two weeks until the two-week half-term. As ever, Deptford Green has been a hive of activity both inside and outside of the classroom.

We will now be publishing the newsletter biweekly on Monday rather than a Friday.

As I write this to you all with the wonderful news from our vibrant school community, we have also been reflecting on so many traumatic events across the world. I would like to take this opportunity to think about the multiple lives that have been affected by the incredibly sad unrest unfolding in the Middle East and the earthquake in Afghanistan where there has been such a loss of life. Many in our school and local community will have been directly affected by these events and to them we send our heartfelt sympathy.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to Celine Nembhard for organising the successful Careers Fair last week. 27 schools and colleges sent representatives and Year 11 students from neighbouring Addey & Stanhope school visited alongside our own students. We are confident that this event has helped our year 11’s to think more deeply about their sixth form choices and are more secure about the direction for their next step in their learning journey.

I was delighted to meet with our School Captain candidates during last week’s Hot Chocolate Friday and was impressed with their commitment, attitude and unwavering focus on improving the lives of their peers. This week the student council will sit for the first time and I am sure they will be able to present their ideas to the senior team articulately and confidently. We will feedback on the outcome of the council meeting in an upcoming newsletter.

We recently held a Meet the Tutor event for every year group. Year 7 took place in person on site with years 8-10 online. Year 11 parents were also on-site at the highly valuable Information Evening. Sadly, attendance at these events was lower than we had hoped. These events are important because they are an opportunity for the school and home to work together to provide a well-rounded package of support for our young people. We hope that future events are better attended.

You will see from the article below that there are many ways that the school community are celebrating Black History Month. This ranges from movie showings to curriculum topics, celebrations of Caribbean food on offer in the canteen and a poster competition. We hope to see many of you at our annual Cultural Evening event next week - Be the Dream - where I'm sure our students will wow the audience with their amazing Cultural Catwalk show!

As ever, we are making every effort to improve the overall attendance across each year group. As you will all know, the link between low attendance and poor progress and outcomes is profound. We encourage you to ensure that your child has 96% or higher attendance and that all holidays are taken during the half-term and term breaks.

Have a GREAT week and I hope to see many of you next Thursday at the event.

Best wishes,

Emma Thurston

COMING UP AT SCHOOL!

Here is the link for Ticketsource - click HERE or HERE

Here is some detail about the workshops on offer:

TEXTILES WORKSHOP

Join our Alt Tailor club for a mending or upcycling session! Bring an unloved or forgotten piece of clothing to update and refresh with help from the young tailors at Deptford Green. Materials will be provided and you will learn how to mend or decorate your clothing to make it wearable and loved again. We look forward to meeting you and seeing what designs you come up with!

AFRICAN DRUMMING IN SOUTH AMERICA

Join us for an hour of immersive drumming, where you will embark on a musical journey that bridges continents and cultures. In this hands-on experience, you will discover the captivating rhythms that connect Africa and South America, tracing the lineage of drumming traditions that have shaped the heartbeat of these regions.

POETRY WORKSHOP

Injecting creativity into your day to celebrate our cultural values and diversity. Join us in exploring creative writing, poetry and illustration working with writers from our local community to harness your inner-poet. Have a go at making your own 'Black Out Poetry' or playing with language to celebrate the spoken and written word. All abilities and ages welcome. (An anthology of work to be created, curated and celebrated after the event.

DRAMA WORKSHOP

Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? A practical exploration of culture and what culture means to you. Exploring our identities and how they interplay with the rich and diverse world around us.

SALSA WORKSHOP

The ship arrived. Several departed with their homes in their hands. Suitcases packed with formal clothing. Newly certified citizens eager to learn the ways of British culture. They had no idea that their indigenous culture would set a path of musical extravaganza. An enriched fused sound from the Caribbean. From the largest islands to the smallest, all had an impact on British soil. Some of which ended up on formal dance floors and others in urban music videos.

Which sound and dance does Deptford Green have to offer on our cultural event evening?

Yes, you guessed right. Salsa is back at Deptford Green School. Get ready, get warm and join us on this fusion of Caribbean sounds and slick dance off.

ART WORKSHOP

This will be a mixed media workshop, using screen printing, drawing and collage to create artworks representing iconic and influential black women. Saluting our Sisters.

FOOD WORKSHOP

Get hands on creating a great dish from the Caribbean, all the smells and flavours, so rich and sumptuous! You can also keep your creations for a meet later! Feeding your soul and your bellies!

Parents/Carers

If you can come and help us to run the bar/refreshments on the night, we would be very grateful. If you can spare a few hours to help organise this beforehand by helping order in/collect the refreshments and/or help run the bar on the night, please could you email: twalker@deptfordgreen.co.uk

Thank you!

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH @DG

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT WE ARE DOING IN SCHOOL AROUND BLACK HISTORY MONTH

INTERVIEW WITH PC LEIGH HAMMOND – OUR NEW SAFER SCHOOLS OFFICER

by Khyrn and Yussuf Y11

Khyrn: The first question for you today is where did you grow up and how did that influence your decision to become a police officer?

PCL: I grew up in Kent, in Chatham specifically, however this had no influence on my decision to join the police. My great aunt was a police officer, her father was also a police officer so I’ve got a family lineage of members in the police force. My brother is also in the police so I’ve always respected them and it was probably when I got to around 15 or 16, I was starting to decide what I want to do career-wise.

Yussuf: How would you describe your role within the school?
PCL: My main role is early intervention and youth engagement. A lot of people believe having a police officer in the school reflects badly on the school and gives it a bad reputation somehow, whereas actually, having a police officer isn’t a negative thing. We are here to identify any problems early on, to work with individuals and the school to ensure people don’t get into trouble. There are multiple ways we can do this. For example, I run Police Cadets in order to get young people involved in different activities to prevent them for getting into trouble or by offering them different pathways.

Khyrn: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
PCL: For me working in schools, it’s seeing children progress and develop as young people. Starting from the age of Year 7, developing and becoming more confident, becoming successful, achieving target grades. At the Police Cadets, people tend to start with a lack of confidence. They aren’t very comfortable talking in groups but by the end of it they are taking the lead, giving instructions, willing to partake and contribute within groups. They learn lots of skills they can take with them for life and these contribute positively to their future careers.

Yussuf: How do you aim to create a positive relationship with culturally diverse students?

PCL: That’s an interesting question. My aim is to show police aren’t just law enforcement, so when people see an officer or a police car it isn’t always a negative thing. By having conversations with students, showing we are just like anyone else and at the end of the day, educating people as to why we do certain things, I hope this helps people to understand our perspective. Also I feel it is important we listen and learn from their experiences. I try to incorporate their feedback.

Khyrn: How long have you been a police officer for and what’s your most interesting encounter?

PCL: I’ve been a police officer for 17 years now. My most interesting encounter is difficult to pin down as I’ve been involved in multiple situations. The most significant one I’ve been involved in was the 2011 riots. Those were challenging times. I was on duty for nearly 20 days in a row doing long shifts, the longest one being 22 hours. It was very tough but one thing I did notice during that period, despite there being a lot of aggression shown towards the police, there was also support shown from members of public; one of the only times we’ve had a vast amount of people come to us and express their gratitude.

Yussuf: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a Police Officer?
PCL: Some of the challenges include breaking down barriers as people may have negative impressions of the police potentially due to previous encounters, so for me personally, I feel it is important to demonstrate that our main objective is to help people. We have got a role to do and we aim to listen to concerns within the local community. We police ‘with consent’ which means we do it with the support of everyone. We don’t live in a society where the police are ruling with an iron fist. At the end of the day, we are public servants.

Khyrn: Do you face any abuse due to your role?
PCL: Not very often, however when people do, they are abusing the uniform. They don’t view us as individuals so I always try and speak to the person and explain, although you may have had negative interactions, the police are here to help you and I try not to take things personally. The abuse is usually based off past experiences or even what they hear from others about us.

Yussuf: Final question; what piece of advice do you have for today's youth?

PCL: One of the biggest things I would say is to be careful with your phones. A lot of people walk around with their phones exposed, not aware of their surroundings, not looking where they’re going. To some people that is an opportunity to steal your phone, so I’d suggest keeping your phone in your pocket when you are on the street. Keep it out of sight. Also be wary and cautious with social media; be aware of what you post and what you say. How would you feel if those messages were sent to you? Always treat others the way you want to be treated.

Yussuf & Khyrn: Thank you for your time with us today.

PCL: You are welcome.

Thank you Yussuf & Khyrn as always...

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AT SCHOOL?

ART

Since the beginning of term year 8 students have been working hard on a special project led by Polish artist Rafal Zajko. They were making costumes for Zajko's 'Techno-harvest' parade to close the Deptford X festival this year, that included themes from Zajko's artwork such as techno music, harvest festivals, love parades, catholic parades and the industrial revolution.

On Sunday 1^st October some excited Y8's and Ms Wakelin and Ms Bartlett took part in the parade - it was a fantastic event and we looked amazing in our Avant-garde costumes!

YEAR 11 6TH FORM & COLLEGE FAIR

Despite illness preventing many being with us on the night, we were delighted to welcome 27 post-16 providers and organisations (listed below) supporting young people to develop skills and experience and to see many Year 11 and their families planning their next steps.

Once again, guests commented so positively on the evening and on Deptford Green students, including a visiting Deputy Head who remarked ‘Your students were GREAT- they asked brilliant questions and I met some lovely families- you are very lucky!’

These are the providers who attended:

Access Creative College, Ada the National College for Digital Skills, Ask Apprenticeships, Big Creative Education/ Academy, Blackheath High School, British Army, Construction Youth Trust, Creative Mentor Network, CTK Sixth Form Colleges, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, Haberdasher's Hatcham College, Lewisham College, London Design and Engineering UTC, London Nautical 6th Form, London Screen Academy, London South East Colleges, Millwall Community Trust, Mulberry UTC, Prospects, Rose Bruford College, Royal Greenwich Trust School Sixth Form, Second Wave Youth Arts, Sedgehill Academy - Sixth Form, Shooters Hill Sixth Form College, South Bank University Sixth Form, St Thomas the Apostle College, Thomas Tallis School

If you have any questions regarding applying to sixth forms and colleges and apprenticeships, contact Celine Nembhard - Careers and Enrichment Lead - on Direct number: 0208 469 4896 or Email: CNembhard@Deptfordgreen.co.uk

Thank you to Ms Nembhard for putting this event on for our school community.

SIXTH FORM AND COLLEGES OPEN DAYS FOR SEPTEMBER 2024 ADMISSION

CTK Aquinas Sixth Form College - Saturday 30th September 9:30-13:30 Click HERE for further information

Prendergast Sixth Form - Tuesday 10th October 2023 17.30-19.30 Click HERE for further information

CTK Emmanuel Sixth Form College - Saturday 14th October 9:30-13:30 Click HERE for more information

Thomas Tallis Sixth Form - Wednesday 18 October 2023 from 17.00 to
20.00 Click HERE for more information

Haberdashers Aske’s Sixth Form - Thursday 9th November 17:00-19:30 Click HERE for more information

STAC Sixth Form - Thursday 16th November Click HERE for more information

Kingsdale Sixth Form - Wednesday 27th September 4-7.30pm
Wednesday 18th October 1.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 8th November 1.30-6.30pm
Wednesday 29th November 1.30-6.30pm

Click HERE for more information

WE LOVE TO STAY CONNECTED!

We were delighted to welcome alumni Abbi, Michael and Travisha (Class of 2012) to our Careers Fair.

We love to stay connected with our students and we love seeing them flourishing. Thank you for sharing your tips and insights with Year 11 students.

If you are an ex-Deptford Green student, let us know how you are doing (your contact details will not be passed on to third parties and will only be used for the purposes outlined on the sign-in forms).

Interested in joining Deptford Green alumni network?

You can join on this link: click HERE

Not sure you want to join the network yet but happy to share your memories of DG and share what you are currently doing? If so, complete the alumni portrait form on this link: click HERE

Y9/10 GUT GIRLS PROJECT WITH MR CALLAGHAN

Over the course of the summer term, a group of Deptford Green students took part in a fantastic local history project exploring the lives of women working in Deptford's slaughterhouses (Convoy's Wharf) during the 19^th Century. The project included mudlarking on the river with experts from the Museum of London and a number of workshops with local artists to create zines and collage pieces which were printed on mugs and tote bags. The crowning glory of the experience came with the students' work being exhibited as part of the Deptford X Festival, which we were happy to visit in September.

A BIG THANK YOU TO ©JonSpaull/Capture FOR THE GREAT PHOTOS and thank you too Mr Callaghan.

A REMINDER OF YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING JOURNEY'S BY SUBJECT DEPTFORD GREEN

Clicking on the following subject links will show you what your child is learning as we go through each term...

Art Learning Journey - click HERE

Business & Enterprise Learning Journey - click HERE

Computing Learning Journey - click HERE

DT Learning journey - click HERE

Drama Learning Journey - click HERE

English Learning Journey - click HERE

EAL Learning Journey - click HERE

Ethics and RE Learning Journey - click HERE

Film Studies Learning Journey - click HERE

Geography Learning Journey - click HERE

Health & Social Care Learning Journey - click HERE

History Learning Journey - click HERE

Maths Learning Journey - click HERE

MFL Learning Journey - click HERE

Music Learning Journey - click HERE

PE Learning Journey - click HERE

Personal Development Learning Journey - click HERE

Science Learning Journey - click HERE

Sociology Learning Journey - click HERE

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS & ACTIVITIES

NATIONAL TEEN ONLINE BOOKCLUB:

'RUN REBEL' WRITTEN BY MANJEET MANN

From left to right: Eden, Mohamed, Sheetal, Micha, Lisa, Amelia and Loredana

We are currently reading Run Rebel by Manjeet Mann which is a FANTASTIC verse novel. It has been made into a stage play and you can hear Manjeet telling you about her feelings about her book & the play. Click HERE

In between reading the book, we are getting to hear from various professionals about their career journeys and next week we get to meet Manjeet Mann herself! We are all really looking forward to that. Her other novel 'The Crossing' is a huge favourite at Deptford Green.

In her novels, Manjeet truly gives us an empathetic narrative...

GARDENING CLUB WITH MS MANNING

These lovely people were having such a lovely time in the sunshine after school!

From left to right: Poppy, Amber, Rafe, Harley and Sofija plus the amazing Ms Manning of course, bringing her own sunshine along with the sunflowers!

MR GEORGE PLAYING TENNIS WITHOUT TENNIS RACKETS!

I went into the sports hall to find everyone having fun despite the lack of tennis rackets (they have some now!) and I took a video of Mr George playing but kindly left it out as he kept dropping the ball!!!

JUNO HAS ARRIVED!

Click HERE to learn more...

CAREERS

It was fantastic to see 25 Year 11 students aiming for grades 7+ in their GCSEs attending the Colfe’s Sixth form Scholarship meeting.

We discussed the pros and cons and concerns that students had about attending an independent sixth form, the application process and the criteria for all the different scholarships, as well as the facilities available at the sixth form, from small classes, clubs and societies to swimming pool, fencing and an array of other sports.

Colfe’s has a number of merit-based and means-tested scholarships - click HERE - including Drama, Sports, Arts and many Deptford Green students have gained fully-funded Leathersellers' Scholarships - click HERE - in the last few years. These are awarded based on exam results, personal statement, school reports, references and an interview with Colfe’s Headteacher.

Application deadline is 6^th November and the entrance exam is on 17^th November.

Any questions or need support to apply to Colfe’s or any other scholarships, contact Celine Nembhard-Careers and Enrichment Lead- on Direct number: 0208 469 4896 or Email: CNembhard@Deptfordgreen.co.uk

Y11: LEYLA AT THE BFI

Leyla is doing the BFI Film Academy course. This is a course that aims to develop young people skills and access to the industry - click HERE to find out more -

As well as her work experience at Sister Productions, Leyla took part in the Empowerment London Film Club pilot we did in the summer term. After meeting Rhia at the final session, she decided she would apply to the BFI Film Academy and she was actually offered a place at 3 different locations!

The schedule for the club was:

Week 1 Filmmaking Class One: Camera Workshop with industry professionals
Week 2 Filmmaking Class Two: Sound & Lighting with industry professionals
Week 3 - Filmmaking Class Three: Leading a Team - Assistant Directing with industry professionals
Week 4 -Shoot week

Week 5 - Post-Production & Editing with industry professionals
Week 6- Edit week

Week 6 - Showcase & Next Steps

Featuring Rhia Aden (BFI Academy), Akua Gyamfi (Founder of The British Blacklist) and Deborah Williams (Writer, Producer and Digital Composer)

Leyla writes:

My first day on the BFI course at CTVC was fascinating and enjoyable. Everyone made me feel extremely welcome, and there was so much film chat!

There was a Masterclass with Kara Smith, a screenwriter-producer who answered all of my questions. She was extremely enthusiastic about her career and her life, and she provided us with so much industry advice that I learnt so much in just one session.

We also had the opportunity to meet Katie, a production manager at CTVC, who shared tips on sustainability from pre-production to production to post-production. As an environmental student leader, her masterclass spoke to me. I have so many ideas to share with our wonderful school community!

Thank you Leyla - you are truly amazing!

NAOMI: Y11 ATTENDED THE IMPERIAL COLLEGE SCIENCE SUMMER RESIDENTIAL

This summer I took part in a residential Science programme at Imperial College London. It is situated in South Kensington and is considered to be a very prestigious place of learning. I was there to explore my interest in STEM subjects and experience university life. I felt very proud of being chosen because not everyone who applied got accepted.

I was there for 4 nights in total. On the first day, we did some icebreaking activities to get to know one another. That day we had a lesson that explored the moral and ethical issues of testing animals for products. We also got to play games and we ate pizza and went to our dorms before 11pm.

Over the course of the remaining days, in the mornings, we took part in STEM lessons – Biology, Physics. Chemistry and Maths – and we took part in some lab work too which was very interesting. In the afternoons we got some ‘down time’ including going offsite one day for a trip to the Globe Theatre to see ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ which I really enjoyed.

We could also play games or watch a movie at times. It was a fantastic experience. We were shadowed by a mentor who was a university student and she was able to tell us all about the reality of being a student there. The last day was focused on a presentation because our parents were coming to see us deliver them. I felt really proud of my achievements and all in all, I would recommend that if you get the chance to apply for this programme when you are in Year 10 (through Ms Nembhard) definitely go for it because it strengthens your communication skills, it increases your confidence and looks great on your CV! As a result of taking part, I now have new friends that I am still in contact with and feel I have an idea of what university life will be like.

Naomi Y11 (on the right) with her friends.

Thank you Naomi! This is a great encouragement for others who get the opportunity to apply.

MORE CAREERS INFORMATION

Some Careers Events coming up for Year 10- Get Involved!

A reminder that this is all good preparation for Year 10 work experience (some students do get placements from taking part), a good addition to students’ CVs for future opportunities, as well as their personal statement when they apply for sixth forms and colleges.

Places are limited for each event, so get in touch or respond to invitations asap if you want to take part or have any questions.

ENVISION PROGRAMME

Every year, our students have the opportunity to take part in Envision, a 12-week programme where students develop a social action project, meeting once a week after school with their coach and developing essential skills and confidence. They are paired with a business which they visit on 3 occasions to interact with their employability mentors and to receive advice on their project management.

We have 2 cohorts of students taking part in Envision, cohort 1 from October to January and Cohort 2 from February till May. Students are paired with Nuveen/ Glenmont Partners, a company that invests in renewable power, including solar and wind.

Launch meeting is on October 11^th

LEGAL CAREERS EVENT 12/10/23 @ DEPTFORD GREEN P2 &3

Students from Deptford Green and other Lewisham Schools will participate in a networking event with 9 Law Firms to learn about a variety of Legal Careers.

CREATIVE COURSES Y10 COLLEGE TASTER 09/11/23

Students will visit Access Creative College new premises - click HERE to find out more - for a taster in Music, Media, Games, Computing and Esports courses.

CAREERS IN ADVERTISING INSIGHT DAY 15/11/23

Students will spend the day at an advertising agency and get an insight into a day in the life of the agency. They will meet strategists, creatives from the design and media team as well as people in business development and support services. Students will then get a brief and a chance to win prizes.

COMPUTER SCIENCE Y10 - FOUR WEEKLY SESSIONS STARTING TUESDAY 14th NOVEMBER FROM 16:00-17:00 @ COLFE'S SIXTH FORM

The sessions are designed as enrichment for the GCSE course and/ or to encourage students to consider Computer Science at A-Level. Places are limited (5 to 8 places) and for students with a genuine interest in attending all 4 sessions after school.

Well done to the students who attended the visit to Clifford Chance Law Firm in Canary Wharf on Tuesday 26^th September.

Clifford Chance is a commercial law firm. Students toured their offices, learn about routes to become a solicitor and recruitment information and met solicitors and other people working in commercial services.

“It was interesting and educational. I enjoyed the tour and learned about different types of lawyers and I now know what is a ‘training contract’ and a ‘seat’.”

“It was a fun day and the people were so nice. I enjoyed learning about all the different jobs and the office building was so cool.”

“I think I improve my LORIC skills as I talked to so many new people.”

Newsletters

DEPTFORD GREEN NEWSLETTER

ISSUE: 9th OCTOBER 2023