1 1 Dear Parents I would like to wish all those students who are ...

31This issuePage 1 Executive Principal’s LetterPages 2-6 Parent InformationPage 7 School UniformPage 8 Educational VisitsDear ParentsI would like to wish all those students who are takingpublic examinations this summer the very best ofluck as they confront the challenge ahead. I knowthat they have worked very hard and have been wellsupported by teaching and support staff at schooland of course by their families. We all look forwardto a very positive outcome when the results arereleased in August.An undoubted highlight of the term has beenstudents‟ success in raising an incredible £71,175for Sport Relief. This is once again more than anyother school in the country, and over the last fouryears, students at the Math have raised £116,000for this very worthy charity. I am immensely gratefulto parents and families for the support they gavetheir sons and daughters through sponsorship.Through their enterprise and leadership skills, ourstudents embodied the Math school strapline ofaspire, achieve, excel. We all owe an enormousdebt of gratitude to Mr Parker for inspiring andmotivating students to go the extra mile and beyondfor Sport Relief. Thanks are due also to MrsMiddleton and to all staff for encouraging studentsto get involved. This money will make a significantdifference to people‟s lives all over the globe, and isan achievement of which the whole schoolcommunity can be justifiably proud.During a very moving celebration of this outstandingachievement in the school hall, representatives fromSport Relief told us about the difference ourdonation will make to the lives of children all overthe world.You will be aware that the new Art and Technologyblock is now open. I hope your children have givenyou good reports of the space and facilities itprovides. We are very grateful to our Trustees andto the local authority for their financial support forthis exciting project. In a competition held tochoose a name for the new building, the winningentry was „da Vinci‟, submitted by Barnaby Sneller 8Castle. A formal opening ceremony will be held on12 July.Work has now begun on refurbishing the old Art andTechnology workshops to turn them into classroomsfor English and Drama, which will be ready inSeptember.This term‟s newsletter will tell you more about thesuccesses of the term just finished and give you ataster of some important events, for exampleFounder‟s Day, the Summer Concert and Prizegiving, due to take place next term.Have a restful mid-term breakG Holden (Dr)Executive Principal31

Good News22Sports Relief UpdateMusic DepartmentNewsGood NewsWell, by now you are probably aware theschools Sport Relief total has reached awhopping:£71,175.00John Bishop sent us a message:“ I’m absolutely blown away by the amount thatthe Sir Joseph Williamson’s MathematicalSchool has raised for Sport’s Relief this year.That money is going to change lives. I’ve seenthe projects that Sport Relief supports and thegreat thing is it’s not only going to help peopleabroad, but people right here in Kent andacross the rest of the UK!Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And onbehalf of all those who will benefit from themoney, thank you from the bottom of theirhearts too.”So, the question I am asked almost everyday is “How are you going to beat that?”Well, one thing is certain: I am not goingto beat it. But we might. Where it goes isup to us, the people in this school andmany others besides. So, whether wetake it higher again in 2014 is up to agreat number of us together. Acommunity. Will we raise the bar again?Well I don’t know (again). I was told in2010 that we wouldn’t beat 2008, andthis year I was told that we wouldn’t beat2010. The one thing I do know is that wecan’t stop now - our contribution hassimply become too important. While wecan make a difference, we must make adifference. So far, this year, I haven’theard anyone yet suggest that we can’tmake an even greater difference in 2014.Perhaps we are beginning to believe inour own ability to make a difference inthe world. And when that happensanything is possible.Once again, thank you all and very welldone.Mr ParkerWith all the focus on coursework andexamination preparation, it is stillamazing to see how many studentsseem to balance this work with theircommitment to music.We had twostudents, Matthew Norris 10 River andJonathan Shoobridge, 12 Castle whowere finalists in the Medway YoungMusician of the Year Competition on29 th April. In what was a closecompetition, both played really well.One of the school bands called “LastMinute Lobster” came to the assistanceof a local primary school. A member ofthe Temple Mills Primary SchoolParents’ Association heard this band atour Spring Concert and thought theywould be ideal to headline the TempleMills Primary School Fete on Saturday12 th May. The boys played a number ofcover versions including “Walking onSunshine” which seemed appropriate asthis was perhaps the only sunnySaturday in May! Their next big gig is inthe Central Theatre as part of theHundred of Hoo School showcase “TrustAnyone who has come near the Musicdepartment will not have failed to haveheard the “Cinderella” music which A2students were assigned to compose.We are delighted that SamuelShackleton 13 Gordon and Phillip Vidler13 Bridge have had the opportunity tohear their forms compositionsperformed live by the City of RochesterSymphony Orchestra on Monday 27 thMay. This is very exciting as they will beable to conduct their work and getsome feedback from the orchestraabout their pieces.Finally, our Summer Concert “Aroundthe World in Eighty Minutes!” takesplace in the school hall on Wednesday27 th June.Our congratulations go to SimonCromack - 11 River, who in Year 10undertook Work Experience at BoxleyParish Council offices, during whichhe helped the office with plans for theGolden Jubilee and sent outInvitations to the Royal Offices to seeif they could get a Royal to open theproject, which is a orchard.As itturns out The Earl and Countess ofWessex are not only going to openthe Orchard but the opening has beenchosen as an official Diamond Jubileevisit on behalf of the Queen.Music ExaminationsCongratulationsto the followingboys who haverecentlyMusicExaminations:takenGradeAidan Phillips-Smith - 9 Gordon wasexamined in Grade 2 Piano andpassed with merit.Oluwadamilola Jamie Erogbogbo - 11Thetford was examined in Grade 4Jazz Piano and passed.Adam Mohamed - 10 Castle wasexamined in Grade 1 Guitar andpassed with Merit.22

Parent Information33Holidays DuringTerm TimeThe school strongly disapproves of pupils beingwithdrawn from school for holidays during termtime. Missing school can have a serious effectupon the continuity of students’ learning andhinder their progress. All parents of boys joiningthe school sign an agreement undertaking not towithdraw their son from school for any reasonother than illness or unavoidable medicalappointments. In exceptional circumstances, theschool may grant up to ten days school leave forholidays, but this is entirely at the school’sdiscretion and will not be granted if the requestcoincides with important school business.In such circumstances, a Holiday Form should beobtained from Reception. This must becompleted and approved at least two weeks inadvance of the proposed holiday. Please notethat long weekends cannot be counted as an‘annual holiday’. Parents should be aware that incases where an unauthorised holiday is taken, theschool may refer the case to the AttendanceAdvisory Service who could pursue a penaltynotice of up to £100. The school will not approveany absence for social events. In certaincircumstances students may be granted leave ofabsence for special events such as representingthe county at major sports. Such requests shouldbe addressed in the first instance to the FormTutor and should be made in advance of theevent.Please note that Founder’s Day on Saturday 7thJuly is a compulsory day of attendance. Norequests for leave of absence or holiday will begranted for that day.Monday 9th July will be a day off in lieu ofFounder’s Day. By law, all absences have to beapproved by the school and any absences whichare not approved will be recorded asunauthorised absence on the pupil’s record.ParkingMobile AppThe Math has an App which will allowpupils and parents to get the latest newsstories and calendar events added to theschool website straight to their iPhone orAndroid phone.H o w t h e A p p W o r k sFirstly, you will need to download the Appfrom either the iTunes App Store orAndroid Market by clicking on the relevantbuttons below or by loading up the Appstore on your phone and searching for‘School News’.Once you have located and downloadedthe App (which is free), launch the App andyou will then be able to either click on the‘Find my school’ button which uses thephones GPS to locate schools within 20miles, or you can type in the schoolspostcode and click on ‘Get my school’button. Enter the School’s postcode: ME13ELPlease note that parents must NOT drive onto the schoolsite to drop off or collect their son/daughter.You will then see a list of schools that usethe App. Click on Sir Joseph Williamson’sMathematical School.You will then be able to click on the ‘News’button to view all of the latest news itemsand all of the upcoming calendar events byclicking on the ‘Events’ button.When you click on ‘My Schools’, this willdisplay the school address, telephonenumber and email address which you canclick on to either phone or email the schooldirectly from the App.Medical InformationIMPORTANT REMINDERWisepay is the School‟s preferredmethod of payment for theInstrumental Scheme, school trips,clubs and activities, cash (exactmoney please) and cheques(student name & form on the backplease) are still accepted but mustbe paid DIRECTLY into theFinance Office - MORNING BREAK& LUNCH TIMES ONLY. All detailsrelating to receipts and paymentschedule information on instalmenttrips are available on Wisepay only.Letters detailing all username andpasswords to access Wisepay weresent in September 2011.P l e a s e e - m a i l :knappd@sirjosephwilliamson.medway.sch.uk if you require areminder of this log on information.Wisepay is a payment secure siteand a link is on the homepage of thes c h o o l w e b s i t e ,(www.sirjosephwilliamson.medway.sch.uk) under “Useful Links”.It is the responsibility of parents to notify the school of any medical conditions which achild may have and which require the school to administer medication in an emergency.Any such medication must be delivered to school in a plastic box labelled with the pupil’sname and enclosing clear instructions on dosage etc.The only exception is when a pupil has sustained a temporaryinjury which makes walking difficult.In such cases agreement should be reached in advance withthe school by contacting our receptionist.A letter authorising the school to administer the medication MUST also be included. Theschool is also able to store and distribute medication of a more routine nature but againit should be delivered in a plastic box, clearly labelled, enclosing details of dosage,frequency of issue, etc. Please also note that it is the parents’ responsibility to recordexpiry dates and to ensure items are replaced as necessary.34

Parent Information44Term Dates for 2011/12Term 6Uniform Shop Term Time Opening Times:Monday, 12.45pm until 2.15pmWednesday, 2.30pm to 4.30pmFriday, 12.45pm to 2.15pmIt is always a good idea to phone the school shop during theiropening hours to check to see if they have what you need in stock.Telephone: 01634 830148Holiday opening times:The Simmonds Uniform Shop will be open during the summerholidays on the following dates:Monday 23rd July – Saturday 28th JulyMonday 30th July – Saturday 4th AugustMonday 6th August – Saturday 11th AugustMonday 13th August – Saturday 18th AugustMonday 20th August – Saturday 25th AugustTuesday 28th August – Friday 31st AugustOpening hours 10am-4pm weekdays and 9am-1pm Saturdays.Closed Wednesdays.New IntakeIf you have a son starting Year 7 in September 2012, then you willneed to make an appointment with Simmonds at the new Year 7Open Evening on the 13th June or by ringing 01634 830148. Topurchase uniform for other pupils, you do not need to make anappointment.See our website for uniform pricesor telephone Simmonds Tunbridge Wells01982 510123Start: Monday, 11th June 2012 (Day 6)Finish: Friday, 20th July 2012STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYSPUPILS DO NOT ATTEND -Thursday 19th & Friday 20th July 2012Founder’s Day Saturday 7th July (Compulsory attendance)Day off in Lieu of Founder’s Day - Monday 9th JulyLast day of term early lunch and early assembly.Term Dates2012/2013Staff Development DaysPupils Do Not AttendMonday, 3rd September 2012Friday, 26th September 2012Monday, 5th November 2012Term 1Friday 31st August - Yr 12 only Registration DayStart: Monday 3rd September 2012 (Staff only)Finish: Friday 26th October 2012Autumn Break: Monday, 29th October 2012 to Friday, 2ndNovember 2012Term 2Start Monday, 5th November 2012 (staff only)Finish: Friday, 21st December 2012Christmas break: Monday, 24th December 2012 to Friday,4th January 2013.All term dates can be found on our website:www.sirjosephwilliamson.medway.sch.ukSchoolcomms is a system that enables us to generate a single e-mail that can contain an attachment such as a newsletter, details of a trip,invitation etc and we can send it to a targeted audience who could be parents of members of a form, a class, a team or even the wholeschool – assuming everyone has signed up! No more letters which disappear into student’s bag, only to appear two weeks after an eventhas taken place!!If you are not receiving messages via Schoolcomms please email: office@sirjosephwilliamson.medway.sch.ukFor security reasons, please include your son’s/daughter’s name, form, address andpostcode in this email.4

Parent Information55Engagement with ParentsParent ViewOfsted launched its ‘Parent View’ website in November 2011.Parent View asks for your opinion on 12 aspects of your child’sschool, from the quality of teaching, and how well the school ismanaged to dealing with bullying and poor behaviour.I would like to encourage you to complete the brief survey. Bysharing your views, you’ll be helping our school to improve.The answers provided to each question tell us if we need tochange any aspect of our work for the better. You will also beable to see what other parents have said about our school.The Ofsted site requires your email address and a password tocomplete the questionnaire. Before registering please readthe Ofsted "Terms of Use."Parent SurgeryThe school hosts a monthly Parents Surgery on the secondThursday of every month. This provides an opportunity forparents to raise any issue, concern, complaint or worry directlywith senior staff. If something is on your mind, come alongand we’ll sort it out. No appointment is necessary, just turnup. Refreshments are available while you wait. Go toReception where you will be directed to the Surgery venue.Morning SchoolAs a result of the large numberof students who arrive atschool early in the mornings,we have opened a ‘morningschool’ facility. Between 7.30– 8.20am students will be ableto use the Library to read,undertake school work,complete homework or usethe computers.rules of the Library apply.The usualExaminationDatesSchool Exam Dates 2012Year 10 Exams 18th - 23rdJunePublic Exam DatesGCSE Written Papers:14th May – 27th JuneAS/A2 Written Papers:ResultsThe results of the March GCSEScience units will be issued tostudents at the start of Term5.AS/A2 Summer 2012 results:Thursday 16th AugustGCSE Summer 2012 results:Thursday 23rd AugustContact us:Main School Number01634 844008Absence Reporting Number:01634 815250Via e-mail:office@sirjosephwilliamson.medway.sch.ukSchool Website:www.sirjosephwilliamson.medway.sch.ukPupil AbsenceIt would greatly assist our administrative staff if parents were toeither email or telephone the school (using the absence line 01634815250) before 9.00am on each day of their son’s or daughter’sabsence. A message can be left on the answer phone, which isCateringRemember, breakfast is served from7.50am to 8.20am.Hot buttered toast,Filled toasties,Fruit,Bacon Sandwiches.Don‟t forget to check out the lunch menu on theschool website, (in the school information section).The school meal service provides the best value healthy lunch, as well as tasty snackitems.Staffing NewsAt the end of term 5 we say goodbye to a number of colleagues.Mrs Cambacedes leaves the school after 13 Years teachingGerman. She has made a huge contribution to the teaching oflanguages at the school for many years and we thank her for herwork and commitment in this area.We also say goodbye to two other members of the teaching staff.Mr Ashley has been teaching Business Studies and Life Skills thisyear and departs at half term. Mr Waite has been providingteaching in PE since Christmas and also leaves at half term. Wethank them for their efforts and commitment to the school.We would also like to pass on congratulations to Miss Leach whobecame Head of Gordon House as of Easter this year.56

Parent Information66Don’t fall behind withyour work!We are here to help you…Academic Support Club with Miss HeatherEvery night after school (except Fridays)3.15pm – 4.00pm in Room 10Come along if…You need a quiet place to do your homework/coursework,You need a bit of encouragement or help.YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN UP, JUST TURN UP.Academic Support Club has now been extended tolunchtimes for pupils who cannot stay after school.Whether you‟re stuck with Maths, need someinspiration for an English essay or want help preparingfor Science tests…Coming SoonThe Wicked Wizard of OzWednesday 12th, Thursday 13th &Friday 14th December,performance starts at 7.00pm.Matinee Performance on Saturday 15th December,performance starts at 1.00pm.SPORT’SThe 1st XI cricketershave made an impressivestart to the 2012season despite aheavily rain affectedcalendar. As thecurrent Lemon Cupholders, they have ahigh standard tomaintain. Victoriesagainst MaidstoneGrammar, St DunstansCollege and an 85 runwin over local rivalsKings Rochester haveproven that the prospectsare yet againgood for this season.Captain Hugo Parnellof 13 Thetford hasimpressed with thebat scoring 67 and 80in two of his threeinnings. With the ball,NEWSAdam Baldwin 11Castle and AaronRobertson of 11 Thet-Thetford have bothtaken 4 wickets for 8runs in a match.Good luck for the restof the season.Mr Bailey67

School Information77The Math SchoolConnecting to Schools inSaudi ArabiaThe Math School is connecting with aschool in Riyadh, Saudi throughConnecting Classrooms. ConnectingClassrooms is a global organization runby the British Council that buildslasting partnerships between groupsof schools in the UK and around theworld.Through these partnerships, theprogramme brings an internationaldimension to young people’s learning,develops trust and understandingbetween different communities, givesyoung people the skills and culturalawareness they need to live and workin a global society.There are three main components toConnecting Classrooms; they are:CollaborativeProjectsCurriculumThese projects are planned and carriedout in collaboration with internationalpartner schools and are embedded inthe curriculum of each school in thepartnership. The projects may involvea range of subject disciplines andschools are free to agree and designtheir own projects. However, thereare three main areas which allConnecting Classroom schools aroundthe world to integrate in their projectwork within their partners. They are:Internationaldialogue:Learning about each other’s culture.Skills for employability:Helping students gain essentialworkplace skills – critical thinking,research, analysis, presentation skills.The contact seminarA contact seminar took place in Riyadhfrom 28 April to 1 May 2012 whichresulted in the emergence of threeprojects (and an SEN teacher project)which will be undertaken by studentsin the cluster schools in Medway andRiyadh.The projects are:1. Cultural ExchangeThe aim is to know what a school dayand weekend in the life of a KSA/UKstudent would be like. This wouldinclude one day at school and one dayon the weekend/holiday.2. Comparative renewableenergy sources and theirefficiencyThe aim is to be aware of the variousrenewable energy sources in variousparts of the world based on their localclimate, e.g. wind farms, tidegenerators, solar energy etc.3. Healthy LivingThe main aims are to develop anunderstanding of how to live in ahealthy manner. This will help todevelop knowledge and understandingof cultural differences in relation tohealth (food, exercise, smoking, drugsand alcohol).SEN teacher and provisiondevelopmentThe aim is to share practice and policyin order to develop SEN ProvisionSaudi’s Visit to UKVisiting schools in the Medway cluster.This will involve lesson observationsand meeting classroom teachers, HoDsand SLT members.ConclusionThis visit was a very educational learningexperience for me. It was a verywell planned and organised seminar byboth British Council and the team fromMinistry of Education in Saudi Arabia.It was a pleasure working with theteam and with the participating Sauditeachers. They were all positive andexcited about this experience and howthe students in both countries willbenefit from it.Dr Ismael L K KaramAssistant Head TeacherSir Joseph Williamson’s MathematicalSchoolA c t i ve c i t i ze n s h i p :Contributing to community, awarenessof these issues within the communityand working to overcome them.A group of teachers from the ClusterSchools in Riyadh will visit Medwayduring February/March 2013 for abouta week. This visit will involve:Planning projects for the second yearwith the teachers/coordinators fromthe Medway cluster.78

Educational Visits88Year 12 Canary WharfDespite the dreadful weather theEconomics trip to London was bothwarm and informative, as it allowedinclusiveness and inquisitiveness to takeplace. The trip began with a talk at OneCanada Square, Canary Wharf, whichnot only holds great financial minds butalso has spectacular views that trulyshowed the extent of growth within thefinancial district. The talk focused onthe development of the area from apiece of land to the heart of the UK’svast financial and commercial district.Travel and employment were amongthe many topics mentioned, along withsome excellent questions raised bymembers of the class, which tested theknowledge of the speaker. A ‘day in thelife’ of a Canary Wharf employee wasgiven, from the underground shoppingarea to the presence of a variety ofdifferent cultures – with companiesfrom all around the world spanning the235 metre-high building.After our talk at One Canada Square weventured on to the Bank of England,where we were given the opportunityto walk around a small museum thatfocused on the development of moneyas a whole, as well as the Bank ofEngland. We were allowed to hold agold bar for example, that wassurprisingly heavy. Questions were setin order for us to learn key pieces ofinformation about the Bank, such asthat it was founded in 1694 and that itstwo core principles are monetarystability and financial stability. A talkwas then given by a long-standingemployee of the Bank of England, whichfocused on Monetary Policy (a topiccovered within our lessons). Fluctuatinginterest rates were explored andanalysed and we were able to see asmall part of how the Bank of Englandhas an effect on our lives.Anna Friend 12BrYear 9 Masny VisitOn Thursday 31 st May 2012, a groupof Year 9 French students went to theRobert-Desnos school in Masny.Despite having to get to school at 5o’clock in the morning all of thestudents were excited to meet theirFrench partners.At 11 o’clock, we arrived at theschool and met up with our partners.We took some time to talk to themand jumped straight into the day’sactivities. There were three activitiesthrough the day: a murder mysteryand drama activity, a tour/quiz of theschool and an ICT task that involvedcreating our own superhero.All the activities were great fun.Despite only spending 4 hours at theschool, we all got to know our partnersreally well. The trip was botheducational and enjoyable and was aperfect balance between work and fun.The trip was a great success.Mrs Manchaud-GreenParking in the Local Community: Please can we ask that when parents are using the car park of St John Fisher CatholicChurch to drop off and collect pupils, that you are considerate when parking or waiting, avoiding blocking access or parking on thegrass. Thank you.8