SUMMER 2010 Newsletter - Drighlington Primary School

Golden Bunsen Competition at Temple Moor
Saying Goodbye...
Constructing a device to remain sunken for a maximum of sixty
seconds sounds easy but we can assure you it is not! Our Key Stage
3 and Key Stage 4 Golden Bunsen teams used every scrap of
scientific knowledge and ingenuity to come up with their 'sink-rise machine'
and presented their findings to an audience of about eighty Leeds students.
Congratulations to Bhanu Pillay, Fliss Chaplin,
Sam Beevors and Miles Tidman for coming
second (with a particularly impressive
presentation) and also to Alivia Cawley, Anya
Salhi, Abi Houseman and Archie Whitaker for
coming third in their group – with an especially
unique contraption!
It is with regret that we have to say goodbye at the end of term to several members of staff, all of
whom have made a significant contribution to the life of Horsforth School. We have to bid farewell to
Kate Bradley, Laura Bownass, Caroline Jackson, Natalie Metcalfe, Dave Mulvaney, Sarah
Peel and Charlotte Twigger who are moving to pastures new and we wish them every success for
their future. Congratulations and good wishes go to Lucy Brown, Claire Lucas and Sam Gibbs
who will all be taking maternity leave from September.
We send special wishes for a happy and relaxing retirement to Jenny Willmore and Gail Symons
and hope they will enjoy many new ventures in the future.
Jenny Willmore is retiring this summer after 28 years as a History teacher at
Horsforth School. Jenny has been a cornerstone of the Department during this
time and one of the most successful GCSE teachers in the School.
Jenny will continue working with children in her retirement. She already gives up her
time to work at a project where severely disabled children are given opportunities to
ride donkeys. The scheme demonstrates Jenny's twin passions of helping
disadvantaged children and animal welfare. Indeed many generations of
Horsfordians may best remember Miss Willmore through tales of her beloved dogs!
The School and the History Department will certainly miss her and we wish Jenny a
very happy and active retirement.
Gail Symons is also retiring at the end of the summer term after 11 years at
Horsforth School. Gail has been a valued colleague in the Maths
Department where students have benefited from her hard work and
dedication, particularly when running Key Stage 4 Mathematics but also in
connection with the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Maths Challenges in which the
school has participated for several years, through the UK Mathematics Trust.
Organising these challenges has involved much work and Gail has been successful
in developing and inspiring the interest of many students to achieve high results and
many Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates through the challenges.
We wish Gail a well earned and happy retirement.
A big welcome ...
We are delighted to welcome a number of new staff who will be joining us in the new academic year:
Paul Bell and Judith Nelson will be joining the Leadership Team both as Assistant Headteachers;
Helen Bagshaw, Emma DiGiorgio and Heather Sweeney will be joining the Science Department;
Ruth Burrell, Charlotte Green, Karen Owen and Melanie Stagg are our new additions to the
English Department; James Harrison, Vicky Haycock, Sarah Kingston and Julia Mahoney
(who has already been with us for one term) will join the Maths Department; Sunita Chandegra is
our new colleague in ICT; Susannah North will join the History Department and Zoe Wilkinson will
join the Art Department; Louise Dixon joined the Design & Technology Department recently as a
maternity replacement for Sharon Mayo and Sam Haigh is our new Assistant Superintendent. We
wish all of them a happy and successful career at Horsforth School.
OPPORTUNITY AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL