This Term's Merits and Postcard Points Winners

Merits/Postcard points winners

Students across the school are awarded points for their hard work and contribution to school life in general. This is in the form of computerised ‘merits’ for Key Stage 3, and ‘postcard points’ for Key Stage 4. Congratulations to the following students who received the highest number of points in their year group in the autumn term: Eleanor Lomas, Scarlett Bullen, Aimee Eaton, Taylor Littlecott, Tanya Hemsley, Matt Logan, Sean Birch, Charles Newey, Ruby Shute.

Mrs Young hosting a  tea party to celebrate the achievements of the winning students

Year 10 Interform Competition

Year 10 Interform Competition 

This half term has seen the transfer of the Interform cup to 10 Ashdown. They achieved this with a score of 19 points, and a 3 point margin between them and their nearest rivals Ditchling and Weald, who came joint second with 16 points. Ashdown came first in two categories; they received the highest number of ‘postcard points’, and also had the best overall average grades in their progress reports (along with Firle who came joint first). 

The competition continues in the New Year when there will be an Interform quiz challenge. The winners of the September/October half term were Firle. Congratulations to Ashdown and Firle, and good luck to all Year 10 next half term.

Lexia

The cohort of twenty Year 8 and 9 students who have been working on Lexia for the past ten weeks enjoyed a celebratory party in the library today to mark their achievement and progress.  Lexia is a software programme that provides individualised, targeted practice for students to improve their reading skills.  We introduced Lexia to students in September and it has been used enthusiastically by our first cohort.  They chose the books they are holding in the photograph as a reward for working so hard.

Christmas Poetry with 7 Glynde

7 Glynde enjoyed their last library lesson of the year with Mrs Bamford and Mrs Duck by sharing their favourite Christmas poems and stories.  

The Christmas Show - A Winter Wonderland

The Christmas show took place to a packed hall last night.  The appreciative audience enjoyed the opening performance of Chailey's Shakespeare Schools' Festival 'Twelfth Night' production.  This was followed by a Year 7 Extravaganza with all five tutor groups singing Christmas songs and Mrs Young will, today, decide which tutor group was the best - a difficult task as each group sang their hearts out with their enthusiastic versions of well-loved classics.  

The second half of the show featured solo and group performances of poems, songs and play extracts, songs from the staff and student choirs, and the school orchestra and flute ensemble provided some Christmas music.  

This ambitious production had the largest ever cast and, as a result, gave many of our students the opportunity to shine on what proved to be a very special evening. Chailey conjured up a really magical Winter Wonderland.

The proceeds from the ticket sales will be supporting St Peter & St James Hospice.

The Orchestra

The Choir

  

Year 11 trip to Cologne

Year 11 had a great two-day trip to Cologne in Germany visiting the famous Christmas Markets.
Ice skating and lots of food were among the highlights!  All the pupils were fantastic, writes Ms. Morrow.

MFL Students visit Sussex Downs College

Year 10 talented MFL students visited Sussex Downs College with Ms Morrow to attend a talk being held by MFL graduates about how they have used languages in their travels, at university, and in their future careers.

Fletching Primary School students visit Chailey for a taste of French and Italian

On Friday, 13th December, 18 students from Fletching Primary School came to Chailey to be taught French and Italian by a group of Year 10 students. They made Christmas Cards and sang "Vive le Vent" with great enthusiasm. The younger students had a brilliant time thanks to our Year 10s who were fantastic!

10 Ashdown create some festive decorations

Miss Hall's tutor group, 10 Ashdown, have been getting into the festive spirit by making large colourful paper chains to decorate their tutor room. With some Christmas music on in the background, everyone in the form worked together to make the fantastic decorations. Students who are taught in room 6 have been amazed to see all the paper chains hanging all around the room and it seems that 10 Ashdown may have started a trend - other teachers and students have begun to add some Christmas cheer to their own classrooms. Miss Hall is delighted to have such a beautifully decorated room and would like to thank her tutor group for doing such a great job! 

National Christmas Jumper Day Friday 13th December

Here are some of the staff celebrating National Christmas Jumper Day to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas!  There were more amazing jumpers being worn by staff on duty around the school when the photo was taken.

Newick Breakout Day

Nine Year 6 students from Newick Primary School visited Chailey School on the 26^th November for exciting and creative activities with the Mathematics Department. The enthusiastic young mathematicians were split into teams and given the roles of Statistical Analyst and Research & Development; 'planets division' and 'astronomical units division'. They had great fun building scale models of the Solar System using two different scales: one for the relative size of the planets made from coloured paper and one for the relative distances between the planets, measured out with rolls of toilet paper! 

Year 9 learn about the work of the British Legion

John Hayward with Mr Smith and Miss Ainsworth with some Year 9 students

Today the Library hosted a visit by John Hayward, a local British Legion volunteer. He told the Year 9 English class, who have been studying World War One poetry, about the origins of the British Legion and the work they do in supporting the men and women in the armed forces.

The visit was arranged by Rachel Ainsworth, a trainee teacher in the English Department.

He very kindly donated a collection of books about World War One to the library.

Science Workshop at Priory School

Inspiring Science trip to Priory School

On Wednesday 27^th November fifteen year 9 students went on a trip to Priory School to take part in a triple Science inspiring workshop event.  The session included demonstrations from current Brighton University students studying Pharmacy at degree level.  The purpose of the trip was to encourage students to think positively about triple Science.   During the interactive two-hour workshop students rotated around five different activities:

Discovering our Nanoworld - how mobile phones can be protected by Nano-particles!

Making medical kits for the developing world (for diabetic sufferers)

How do we make sure the drugs we take are safely produced? (real and fake drugs)

Clean sources of energy - is it possible?  (chemiluminescence and an example of this is glow sticks)

From paints to clothes: the science behind colour generation

The trip was truly inspiring and the students really enjoyed asking the current university students questions about what they studied at A-level and at school - hopefully it has helped to motivate them with their current and future education choices.

Mrs Scott-Smith

STEM Coordinator

STEM Club

STEM club

STEM club is for anyone who loves Science and has an interest in the world around us or the way things work!  It runs on Thursday lunchtime in Lab 2 with Mrs Scott-Smith.  Our first three-week project was to grow our own crystals!  We have since made Cartesian divers, which demonstrate the principle of buoyancy and looked at the phenomenon of Pepper’s Ghost, which is a type of illusion used in haunted houses and some magic tricks.  It uses a piece of Perspex or glass to create false images.  This week, with a slight Christmas theme, we created our own sparklers!  I am looking forward to starting new investigations after the Christmas break!  Well done STEM club! 

Mrs Scott-Smith

STEM Coordinator  

Chailey Science Technicians create a Christmas tree with a difference!

With Christmas fast approaching, the Science Technicians have created a departmental Christmas tree for the enjoyment of staff and students.  The tree was constructed over a few days during lunch breaks and comprises: a retort stand, clamps, bosses, conical flasks and round bottomed flasks filled with coloured liquids.  All topped off with a plasma globe.

On behalf of everyone in the Science Department we wish you all a VERY happy Christmas. 

Chailey Young Designer Award

 Report by Mr Deacon

Six winners from Rotation 1

This month saw the launch of the Chailey Young Designer Award. Two students from every DT class in years 7, 8 and 9 were presented with a small acrylic trophy to recognise their achievement in Design Technology. 

 

Each year group will complete a further three projects this year and so there are three more opportunities to win another trophy.

Every time a trophy is won the name of the student will be recorded on a spreadsheet. At the end of the year the students with the most ‘Chailey Young Designer Awards’ will be invited on a trip to London to see the Design Museum’s ‘Designer of the Year’ exhibition. 

 

Find out how designers are working on an energy-creating pavement

Or perhaps find out how Nike made the 'Hyperfeel' super light trainer

Each individual will also receive a shiny, new pin badge to wear on their blazer to show everyone that they are one of the best design students in the school.  The design for this pin badge is currently being designed by Year 8 students.  The winner will be announced at the end of January.

It is hoped that by acknowledging the students’ success, it will inspire our students to try their best and reach their potential. 

Congratulations to the first 42 winners!

Running Club

Running Club - Mr Simmonds        Report by Oliver Hopkins and Alex Shepard

Running Club is for all students and teachers to come along and run, get fit, improve or simply have fun.  All participants run at their own pace between 3.15pm to 4.15pm every Thursday after school.  The running route is often changed to give all participants a new challenge.  Each week all runners have a log book to set new targets and monitor which route they have run.  Mr Simmonds organises the club and normally runs with us.   Over the weeks there have also been a variety of teachers who have joined in the fun.  Mrs Hall is a regular and appears to be getting fitter by the week! Running Club is all about long distance and consistency so no sprinting but building up stamina and cardiovascular fitness.   There are currently 40 students attending every week but there is always room for more.  My record distance is 3.5 miles and Alex has clocked up 3 miles in a session.  Come along and try to beat our record or be the next Mo Farah!

Mr Austin's Trip

Mr Austin’s trip – report by Dan Hillier

Mr Austin, Mr Barnard and a selection Key Stage 3 and 4 rugby players, enjoyed a trip to the Stoop Stadium, Twickenham on Friday, 15th November to watch Harlequins take on the Sale Sharks in the LV cup.

Being the home team, most of the boys chose to support the Quins for the evening, but they were left disappointed as Sale ran out 31-26 winners in what was an entertaining and closely fought match.

Front row seats meant that the boys were up close to the action, enabling them to get a real feel for the level of physicality involved in the professional game.

It was an impressive spectacle and one which we, the boys,  and Mr Austin and Mr Barnard thoroughly enjoyed.