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Teddington School Newsletter
Friday 5 July 2024
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Headteachers Message
Dear Families
I hope this week's newsletter finds you well. It's been another busy week at Teddington filled with lots of exciting events.
On Monday, we held our annual Year 6 Transition Day. It was a huge success, with our new students settling in seamlessly. It was great to see our new Year 7 cohort enjoying themselves, making new friendships and immersing themselves in new subjects; we are all excited to welcome them in September.
On Tuesday, we welcomed back our German exchange students. Their trip was a resounding success, providing them with invaluable experiences and memories. The students gained so much from their time abroad, from cultural exchanges to improving their language skills. We are looking forward to welcoming our German counterparts over to Teddington before Christmas.
Wednesday saw us open our doors to Year 5 students from local primary schools and over 100 local parents for a Year 5 parents' event. It was a pleasure to showcase our school and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We hope to see many of these families at future events and look forward to potentially welcoming them into our school community in the near future.
Yesterday was a particularly busy day. We ran a mock election for students in all year groups and gave each student the opportunity to vote following a week of input about each on the main political parties during tutor time. Year group and whole school results will be announced on Monday. We held another STEAM Day, this time for Year 9 who participated in a range of hands-on activities and team building games centring around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. In the afternoon we welcomed over 15 local, regional and national businesses into school for a Year 10 careers fair. It was great to see students interacting with representatives in such mature fashion. On Thursday evening, our theatre was transformed into a vibrant stage for our performing arts evening. Our students delivered various drama, music and dance pieces, showcasing their talents and hard work. Well done to all students who participated.
Next week, many of our students will be out on various end-of-year rewards trips. These trips are a great way to celebrate their hard work and achievements throughout the year. Our annual sports days will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. These events are always a highlight, offering students the chance to compete, have fun, and showcase their athletic talents. A group of our Sixth Form students will be heading to Geneva to visit the CERN centre. This is an incredible opportunity for them to engage with groundbreaking scientific research and gain insights into the world of particle physics.
For now, I hope you enjoy a restful weekend, and we look forward to welcoming students back into school on Monday for a prompt 08:40 start.
Kind regards
Mr P Grills
Headteacher
Weekly Highlights
On Saturday afternoon, the school singing group performed at the SMSP Summer Fair. They gave an excellent performance at a very appreciative audience.
These Year 9 students entered a writing competition and are going to be published authors. The brief was to write a 100-word story for publication in a young writers' anthology. The title of the book is Mission Catastrophe.
Well done to each and every student, this is a fantastic achievement! 👏
Fred in Year 7 was joined this week by Shawn from Hollyfield School. Shawn has just completed his GCSEs and took the opportunity to join us for a mentoring session. We hope Shawn will come back soon!
Our students took part in a mock election today! This is a fantastic opportunity for them to engage in the democratic process, understand the importance of voting, and develop their political awareness.
Congratulations to Kai-Luca Ampaw on his wild card entry into the Boys Qualifying Singles tournament at Wimbledon. Wishing you all the best! 🎾
The student newspaper 'The Kingfisher' has been printed! It's been a great effort from a dedicated team of young journalists. We have some printed copies in the school reception if you would like to collect one!
A great time was had by all Teddington students who went to Hampton Boys School for a General Election husting on the morning of Friday 28 June. The event offered a unique opportunity to hear from the six local candidates standing for election in the Twickenham constituency. The election candidates address a range of questions on both local and national issues from energy, mismanagement to taxes and VAT!
Congratulations to our star students of the week! ⭐
Weekly Head of Year Message
Dear Families
As the new Head of Year 7, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking over this wonderful year group. They have continued to maintain high expectations throughout this half term which has been fantastic to see. This term has been filled with many successes, including our outstanding performance in the Borough Sports competition, where our students showcased their athletic prowess and team spirit. The excitement of the Scholastic Book Fair added a literary buzz to our school, and it is incredible to note that Year 7 students have borrowed an impressive total of 1,256 books from the library this year.
I am very proud of several Year 7 students on the Teddington Leadership Team who demonstrated exceptional leadership and maturity by assisting with the Year 6 Transition Day. They guided our upcoming students and made them feel very welcome. Additionally, they have been helping Ms. Andreas in the Science department with Year 5 pupils from schools in the local community, further showing their dedication and willingness to developing as young leaders. Students have also competed in the Junior Maths Challenge, and we are thrilled to announce that Wilf Perkins has advanced to the Junior Kangaroo competition. A truly commendable effort.
The excitement is also building for our first reward trip and the upcoming Sports Day. These events will provide wonderful opportunities for our students to strengthen their relationships with peers and further cultivate a strong sense of school spirit. As we approach the end of this academic year, I am confident that our Year 7 students will finish strong and be well prepared for their transition to Year 8. Well done to everyone for their hard work and enthusiasm, and I look forward to even more achievements and memorable moments in the future!
Kind regards
Mr D Hutchings
Head of Year 7
Student Shoutout 🎉
On Saturday 29 June, Iker in Year 7 and Freddie in Year 8 represented Richmond Borough in the London Youth Games Finals Festival at the Lee Valley Hockey Centre, where they placed 3rd overall.
This is a fantastic achievement by you both, congratulations from us all at Teddington! 🎉
German Exchange
A message from Mr Hole, Head of Year 9
Thirty Year 9 students have had the experience of their lifetimes living with a German family in Konstanz for six days. Students have shown a great amount of resilience in this as they have faced many things which are different to what they are used to. During this trip we have taken boat rides across the beautiful lake Bodensee, travelled down the river Rhein and also swam in both beautiful waters.
The school exchange trip to Konstanz, Germany, was an unforgettable experience that combined cultural immersion, personal growth, and lasting friendships. The students took on this challenge and benefitted massively in so many ways. The journey began with a flight to Zurich, from where we boarded a coach to Konstanz. Excitement and nerves then filled the air as we then met our German exchange partners at Geschwister-Scholl Schule.
Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our hosts with a beautiful buffet of typical German foods. It was great to see many getting stuck in and trying new foods straight away. From here the students then went off to stay with their German exchange families.
On the school days, Teddington students were brought to Geschwister-School Schule for the start of school (at 07:50). German students then attended lessons whilst we spent the day as a group doing various activities, ranging from boat rides across the beautiful Lake Bodensee, swimming in the Rhein or Bodensee, visiting the Zeppelin Museum, visiting and exploring local towns and walking across the countryside of Germany and Switzerland.
We now look forward to the return leg of the exchange in November and December with great anticipation.
Year 11 Prom - Friday 28 June
Student's Fundraiser
My name is Robyn, and I am halfway through my A levels at Teddington, studying Biology, Chemistry and Geography. I have recently been accepted for a volunteer teaching placement in 2025 with the charity Project Trust.
Project Trust has over 50 years’ experience of providing international volunteering opportunities for young people. My placement will be in one of three countries - Malawi, Cambodia or Ghana. I will be teaching in local schools, both English and my chosen subjects, and be involved in youth development work where I will help mentor young people who have had a difficult start in life. I will be living, working and helping within the community for up to a year. Placements are designed to meet community needs and never take work away from local people.
I know I have a lot to offer and would love the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others in such a special way, but to make this possible I need to raise the necessary funds.
I would therefore be extremely grateful if you could donate to my fund and help me achieve my goal which is linked below this text. The money raised goes directly to Project Trust to pay for the essentials such as flights, insurance and accommodation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and any support will be massively appreciated!
Kind regards
Robyn Boynton Lavelle
BET Sustainability Conference
A message from Miss Steer, Assistant Headteacher
Attending the BET Sustainability Conference last week was a remarkable experience for our students. They presented on Green Week, showcasing their dedication to environmental awareness and action within our school community. Participating in various workshops, they engaged deeply with the principles of sustainability, learning innovative strategies to create a positive impact on our world.
This experience not only broadened their understanding of global environmental issues but also empowered them to become proactive ambassadors of sustainability, both within our school and beyond.
Year 9 STEAM Day
Year 9 had a STEAM enhancement day yesterday in which they completed the following range of activities:
- Design Technology - created wooden blockbots in the image of environmental campaigners
- Food Technology - looked at festival food and vegan alternatives to the regular fare found at food trucks
- Textiles - created items of clothing from recycling and rubbish
- Art - Reinvigorated the Dodo with colours and textures
- Photography - Macro-photography with mini-figurines on rubbish and litter
- Science & Maths - a carousel session looking at climate change issues
- Computing - Impact of encryption on the modern world of computing and some codebreaking fun
In the afternoon they had a team building exercise, working together to solve puzzles and dexterity problems.
Overall, Year 9 had a fantastic day off timetable and came up with some amazing creations!
Performing Arts Evening
On Thursday 5 July we held our annual Performing Arts Evening where we show case the talent at Teddington through performances from Music, Drama and Dance. The students did an amazing job with a real variety of styles and genres presented.
Well done to each and every student involved, it was a fantastic evening full of tremendous talent! 👏
Staff Vacancy
We are hiring for September 2024!
Please have a look through our job vacancy of Office Manager and apply if the job description applies to you!
Please email info@teddingtonschool.org if you would like further information.
📢 Call for volunteers 📢
A message from Ms Merson, Assistant Headteacher
We are excited to announce that our school will be relaunching the Rapid Reading programme in September 2024, aimed at enhancing our students' literacy skills. This innovative reading intervention programme has been designed to support children in developing their reading fluency, comprehension, and overall love for reading.
To ensure the success of this programme, we are seeking enthusiastic parent volunteers who are willing to dedicate a morning slot from 08:30 - 09:00 to help our young readers thrive. No prior experience is necessary as comprehensive training will be provided in September. An exact date and time to be confirmed.
If you are interested in making a positive impact on our students' reading journey, please complete this form by Friday 12 July 2024.
Thank you for your support and dedication to our school community.
If you have any questions regarding the programme, please contact me via mersonl@teddingtonschool.org.
Teddington School PTA
1 July - Successful preloved uniform event - We’re so grateful to raise £1,500 in an afternoon.
Thank you for all those helpers sorting the gifted uniform and, on day, enable new parents to obtain 250 reasonably priced items of uniform; and thank you, Kathryn Rocha, for going above and beyond – making uniform sales more organised, frequent and assessable.
9 July (17:00 – 18:00) – Year 6 Induction disco
We have over 100 incoming Year 7s coming to our silent disco. We are also hosting a new parent’s café at the same time. So, all are welcome. If you can help, please contact Jenny Day who is organising this great event.
11 July (19:00 onwards): PTA end of year drinks at the Anglers (if this weather continues inside!)
Please have a look at our PTA bulletin to see our end of year annual review.
Please have a read of some fantastic events and opportunities happening locally by clicking on the 'Neighbourhood News' button below.
Upcoming Dates
8 - 11 July: High Flyers Geneva Trip
9 July: Years 8 and 10 Sports Day
9 July: Years 7 and 9 Rewards Trips
10 July: Years 7 and 9 Sports Day
10 July: Years 8, 10 and 12 Rewards Trips
11 July: SEND Bowling Trip
11 July: House Drama Rewards Trip
Broom Rd, Teddington TW11 9PJ