WEEKLY NEWSLETTER –CONGRATULATIONS 1 DECEMBER 2017 TO … Website www.facebook.com/GreenswardAc/

w/c 4 December: B

@GreenswardAc

YEAR 12 MATHS IN ACTION

MY DAY AT THE PARLIAMENT

A group of Year 12 maths students, accompanied by Mr Bard and Mrs Allen, recently had the privilege of attending the annual ‘Maths in Action’ talk, hosted in London’s Emmanuel Centre.

On this exciting day, it all started out when my mum and I got on the train at 7.45am. We arrived at the Houses of Parliament early, so we had the opportunity to have our photo taken in front of Winston Churchill’s statue.

The event boasted an eclectic mix of lectures and presentations from leading mathematicians and physicists, who used the opportunity to detail exactly how they apply the subject in their profession. These talks varied from Simon Singh’s exploration of how Fermat’s Last Theorem was eventually solved after three centuries of tribulation, to how PhD student Matthew Sproggs disproved the statistical evidence published in the BBC. Perhaps most interesting, however, was the work of Dr Lewney, a hybrid between physicist and musician. His job involves the study of strings and their greater significance in the creation of matter; the presentation focused less on the complex theories behind his work and more on the human application of strings, mainly found in his frequent musical performances. We all had a really enjoyable day. Ultimately, the trip allowed us to see the many pathways open to mathematicians beyond graduation, finally answering the oft-cited question of “how does this help in the real world”. By Kieran Walter, 12EA

After we had all met up, ITV was there and everyone was on the ITV news. We then went inside and I was surprised to see how big it was, as on the outside it looks so small. To start the day off, we went into the Winston Churchill room. Because our MP was in meetings, he said that he would send down his deputy, Charlie. When we met Charlie I told him how lucky I was to go to a school that has done all that they can for me. They had even put me with a form tutor who has type one diabetes who wears a pump as well. Sadly there are some familes who don’t get the right care at their schools. We also said that it shouldn’t be right for kids not to get the right care. The campaign we were standing for was called Safe in School. About a week later we received our first letter from Sir David Amess saying sorry he couldn’t make it and that he

was writing to the head of the Department of Education and the head of Ofsted. He would also raise a question in Parliament. In total we managed to get 47,712 people to sign our petition. Since then Mr Amess has sent more letters and we have been emailing him to say thank you. This was such an amazing trip, one that I will never

forget. I hope that we have managed to make some changes for the ways that schools care for children with medical conditions. By Sinead Sweeney, 7W

YEAR 13 CRIMINOLOGY CONFERENCE The Year 13 sociology students attended a Criminology Conference in Westminster on 21 November. This involved lectures on a range of topics; what studying a degree in criminology involves, how social scientists conduct research into crime and particularly the study of domestic violence, techniques deployed in investigation to identify lies and how effective these are and finally an opportunity to hear the experiences of an ex-offender serving life for murder. A good day was had by all.

SKI JASPER 2019 The academy will be taking a group of students to the Marmot Basin in Alberta Canada in February 2019. If your child in in current year 7-10 and is interested in going on this fabulous trip then they can collect a letter from Mr Butterworth in CG06.

YEAR 11 MENTAL HEALTH ASSEMBLY This Monday, Year 11 were visited by an external speaker, Liz Rotheram, who shared her personal experiences of suffering with bi-polar disorder. Liz spoke of her journey from childhood battling bi-polar disorder which led to depression and how she has coped with various episodes. Liz spoke of the different people that have supported her and still remain supporting her. Liz's overall message to the year group was to ensure that if they are struggling in anything they should open up and talk to someone instead of bottling everything inside.

REPORTING AN ABSENCE – A REMINDER If your child is unwell and unable to attend the academy, parents must phone the academy as early as possible on each day of absence (01702 202571, option 1) or email [email protected]. Please clearly state your child's name and form, dates of absence and the reason for the absence. On their return, parents must put this information in writing to their child's Form Tutor. In the case of extended periods of absence for illness, we may request evidence of medical appointments.

If your child has an appointment during school hours, then parents must provide him/her with a letter containing all the relevant information or email [email protected]. Students must report to Reception to sign back in. For everyone's safety the academy must be able to find a student at any time during the day and this is why we must have a written record of whether a child is in or out of the academy. Your support with this, particularly at this time of year, when many bugs are circulating, would be much appreciated. Thank you.

MUSIC REHEARSALS Week Commencing – 4.12.17 8.30 – Day 1.20 – 1.55pm 8.55am Mon GWA Singers GWA Singers Tues Orchestra GWA Singers Yr 7 Singers Weds Yr 7 Singers (soloists only) Thurs Orchestra Year 7 Singers Fri Year 7 Singers

3.00 – 4.00pm Orchestra

Please make sure you are on time with your Instrument (if required) ready for a prompt start. Year 7s should ensure that they return their Christmas Concert Letter reply to Mrs Tovey in GG05 by Monday 4 December.

HISTORY TRIP TO BERLIN A polite reminder that the second payment is now due for Year 10 students participating in the History trip to Berlin.

PARKING IN DROP OFF BAYS We would kindly ask parents not to park in the drop off bays as this can cause congestion both on site and in Greensward Lane and major problems when coaches need to use this area on departure or return from trips. Thank you for your understanding

ASSEMBLY THEME & THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Recognition “Don’t worry when you are not recognised, but strive to be worthy of recognition.” Abraham Lincoln