Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well; a Friday update for you as always.
Year 11 have been busy fundraising this week with a cake sale to raise funds to help subsidise their school yearbook. The delicious homemade cakes have been a huge hit with both staff and students, raising an impressive £300. This is a fantastic start to their fundraising efforts, congratulations to all involved.
On Thursday, we were delighted to relaunch our food bank with a special event aimed at supporting our Kelmscott community. Families were invited to choose from a range of items we had stocked, and we are thrilled to share that the event was a resounding success, with over forty-five families attending. In just a few hours, all the items had been distributed, a clear indication of the vital role this initiative plays in our community. While it was wonderful to provide this support, it also means that our food bank stock now needs replenishment. If you are able to help, we kindly ask you to consider donating from the list of items, which you can view here. Your contributions will enable us to continue providing this valuable service to those in need. Thank you for your generous support, it makes a real difference.
On Tuesday morning, the French play Prendre Sa Revanche was performed, and it proved to be an absolute success, thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended. The students were captivated by the actors' sense of humour and the way the play was structured, ensuring they could easily follow the plot from the start. One of the highlights was when Zedan (Year 11) was invited on stage and transformed into a very trendy art dealer. His impeccable French accent impressed not only his peers but also the actors. Ihtesham (Year 11) also volunteered to join the cast, though to his surprise, he was tasked with playing Mrs. Bergman, another art dealer. He embraced the role with flair and was dressed in a strikingly fashionable outfit. Alexa (Year 11) joined in too, contributing enthusiastically to the performance. Additionally, a Year 7 student stepped into the role of a ruthless police inspector, helping to catch the unreliable art dealers, much to the delight of the audience. The play was both engaging and highly entertaining. It was a true pleasure to see our students laughing and enjoying themselves from beginning to end. Moments like these remind us of the joy and value of bringing creative experiences into the school environment. Bravo to all involved.
We were thrilled to receive an incredible number of entries for the Black History Heroes Portrait Competition. It was clear that many of the submissions took hours of effort and creativity, and we want to sincerely thank everyone who participated; your time and talent have not gone unnoticed. After much deliberation, we are excited to announce the winners:
Year 7: Clara Hubbert (7T) – Experimental mixed media piece with gestural mark-making
Year 8: Elsie Tulloch (8K) – Digital Award
Year 8: Salahuddin Khan (8C) – Fantastic use of colour and materials
Year 8: Eissa Akhtar (8O) – Fabulous use of tonal shading and mark-making
Year 8: Isabella Dasilva Pereira (8L) – Mixed media giving wonderful character
Congratulations to all our talented artists for their exceptional work. Each piece was unique and inspiring, truly celebrating the spirit of Black History Month - well done.
We are also delighted to reveal the winners of the Black History Month Creative Writing Competition, which closed on 31st October. Thank you to everyone who entered, the submissions were truly outstanding and showcased incredible creativity and thought. This year’s brief challenged students to: "Write from the perspective of a Black figure in history who has made a positive impact. You must write either just before, during, or just after the pivotal moment in their life that made history."
KS4 Winner: Anton Mastrangelo 10K for Let Them Listen (Joseph Bologne)
KS3 Winner: Hannah Arthur 9O for her poem on The Exonerated Five
Runners-Up: Yan Lin Weng 10O, Devon Miller 11E
Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up. Your work has celebrated the importance of Black History Month.
Sports now and we are excited to share the results from last week’s indoor athletics competition. Our Year 7 and 8 athletes performed exceptionally well, representing both themselves and the school with great effort and sportsmanship. Year 7 Highlights: The boys' team clinched victories in the 4x2 lap relay and the 6-lap race. The girls triumphed in the 8-lap paarlauf event. Overall, the Year 7 teams secured an impressive 4th place out of 11 schools, a fantastic achievement.
The Year 8 girls Football team braved the rain to play two outstanding matches this week. Both games showcased excellent communication and passing, with the players successfully applying drills and tactics practised in training. The competition continues on Monday evening, and we look forward to seeing their progress. Well done to all the students involved.
Our talented student performers and dedicated theatre technicians are working tirelessly to perfect their production of School of Rock. They are eagerly preparing for three exciting performances: one for Kelmscott students, another for local primary school students, and a special evening show for families and friends. The family and friends performance is scheduled for Tuesday 10th December. Details on timings and how to secure your tickets will be shared next week.
As part of the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) regulations, smart watches are strictly prohibited in all examination rooms. This rule is in place to ensure fairness and prevent any potential breaches of exam integrity. Failure to comply with this guidance may result in disqualification from the examination. With this guidance in mind we advise all students to leave these devices at home at all times. Thank you for your cooperation and continued support.
Some information to share that families may find useful. NHS North East London have created a Waltham Forest Winter Wellness guide, which can be found here
Finally, well done to the following students who topped the reward point charts for their respective year groups this week, with a particular well done to Charlie Adams in 8K who topped the charts for the school, for the second time this term, with a sensational ninety-three points, exceptional work.
Year 7, Mia-Rose Chipperfield in 7S with 23 points
Year 8, Charlie Adams in 8K with 93 points
Year 9, Dima Shehab and Elizabeth Pater in 9T with 24 points
Year 10, Cristina-Marcia Gyansah in 10E with 43 points
Year 11, Alexandra Cocos in 11L with 28 points
With every good wish,
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher
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