The Lister Weekly Update #17
March 20th 2024
On Monday 11th March 2024, the Lister Senior Debate Society attended the South Hampstead High School Spring Debating Competition. The competition was a 'Fictional Worlds' debate tournament, meaning all of the motions were related to three Fictional Worlds. Students debated topics set in the universes of The Hunger Games, Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter. For example, motions included "This House believes that Sherlock Holmes should join the police" and "This House would abolish the Hogwarts house system". Lister fielded two teams at the competition, composed of:
Clement Coulton (King, Year 9)
Santiago Sozomenou (King, Year 10)
Ruby McCallum (Da Vinci, Year 10)
Malakai Sandy (Shelley, Year 10)
Om Shukla (Galileo, Year 10)
Tanya Ambia (Galileo, Year 10)
In a tournament filled with debaters from some of the most competitive teams in the country, the Lister teams performed fantastically, winning 2 rounds, with a further 2 rounds still to be decided on. They debated against students ranging from Year 10 up to Sixth Form, and won several debates across the day. The host school, South Hampstead High School, are an independent girls school in Finchley, and home of the Debate Hub, who organise many of the competitions that top-performing debate schools participate in. Judges in the competition have been former Team England debaters and international debate circuit judges. The event was an exciting opportunity for all students involved, and Lister made their mark as a serious debate school to contend with.
Further Education
'Bring Your Family to University Days' are a series of free one-day events aimed at providing information, advice and guidance about university to young people and their parents and carers through fun and interactive sessions on UCL's central London campus.
These events will include activities such as subject taster lectures, panels, support sessions for parents/carers, campus tours and the opportunity to talk to current university students. A FREE packed lunch will be provided.
When and where will the events take place?
They are offering primary and secondary school students the opportunity to visit the UCL campus with their families during spring and summer 2024. The dates and relevant school years for Bring your Family to University days can be found by following the link below:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/widening-participation/learners/primary/bring-your-family-university-days
Punctuality
This week we would like you to continue supporting our focus on punctuality to school. We appreciate that the days of Ramadan can be challenging, with an earlier start to the day for many of our community. However, please can you work with your children to make sure they are still leaving in plenty of time to arrive at school before 8.25am.
Exam Preparation for Year 11
We are in the final steps of year 11 before they take their final GCSE exams, with only a few weeks to go before your children take their first GCSE exam. As you know, we are always aiming for excellence as a school and we aspire to provide a world class education for our students. As the year 11 have only recently taken their last mock exams, the results will be a good indication of their flight path. However, nothing is decided until the final exams have been sat. To improve on excellent results is probably the hardest challenge, but one that our elite students should not shy away from. Equally, students who have less satisfaction with their results probably have the easiest improvements to make. We strongly encourage all students to approach their revision in an organised way - break down the revision mountain into smaller steps. Prepare revision cards for each curriculum area and by each exam. As parents, we would like you to proactively encourage your children to make a revision timetable and reward them for sticking to it.
If any students are feeling stressed by the pressure of these final exams, they can speak to teachers or find support with Place2Be - our school counselling service.
Lister Students Explore Career Pathways
Last week was nothing short of extraordinary as our year 9 students embarked on a remarkable expedition to the Royal Courts of Justice, marking the culmination of National Careers Week!
Two groups of our budding students had the opportunity to wander through the hallowed halls of justice, ready to immerse themselves in the intricate workings of the UK legal system. They learnt about the great history of the court which was opened in 1882 and were amazed by its stunning Hogwarts-like architecture. They were able to observe court proceedings and witness the legal justice system in action. This first hand exposure provided valuable insights into how the justice system operates and the roles everyone plays in this.
The highlight of the visits was the mock trial activity! With a real case of cyberbullying as their compass, our year 9's embarked on a trial like no other. They channelled their inner barristers and judges, they scrutinised evidence, formulated arguments and honed their persuasive concluding statements. Overcoming nerves, they navigated the complexities of the legal process well and with determination, leaving no question unanswered!
Our Year 9 students have not only glimpsed the inner workings of the legal world but they have also discovered the boundless potential within themselves to effect change and uphold the principles of fairness and equality. They all did an excellent job at representing Lister's aiming for excellence!
Lister's Foodbank
Lister's Foodbank will be held on Wednesday 27th March and is open to Parents and Carers of students at Lister Community School. Please see further details on the poster below. We would appreciate it if you could bring your own bags.
Please note: it is the responsibility of parents/carers to check for allergens and dietary requirements such as vegetarian and halal. Lister makes every effort to check for best before dates but these may sometimes be missed, so we would recommend you double check these.
