BLOG WEEK ENDING 22ND MARCH
At Stone Lodge School we are active and engaged members of our local community. We regularly take part in our own initiatives, including visits to our local care home, as well as liaise with local businesses for work experience opportunities for our students and support in the plans for our local community week in July. We regularly support charitable endeavours for local causes, and members of our student and staff body take on individual challenges for the benefit of our local community. This week, we took part in the Great Dartford Schools Litterpick. Our Student Leaders worked their way around a wide local area of green spaces and along London Road. It is always heartening for the students to see the positive encouragement and response from local people as the students armed with their pickers and bags of litter are spotted helping keep our local area clean!
Miss Anderson is running the London Marathon for Mind North Kent who assist young people with their mental health across Kent. So, if you are able to support her efforts please click this link and donate any money you can – all is very gratefully received, no amount too small!
What a show! Our talented School of Rock cast and production team put on the most incredible performances over two nights, to a packed audience. The cast were energetic, comedic and were brilliant with their characterisation. The production team were professional and slick under the supervision of Luke in Year 13!
Mr Bailey, Head of Drama and Year 8, and Mr Muzio, Head of Music, have received many positive and enthusiastic reviews from audience members, noting the growth of the cast from last year. They would like to thank each member of staff who gave their time to support over the two nights. Finally, a huge thank you goes to everyone who came to watch the production, especially our special guests from the Priory Mews Care Home! The students were truly a credit to the school and their families; something we should all be very proud of.
And the reviews are in .. hot off the press!
“I just wanted to thank Mr Bailey, Mr Muzio and everyone involved in the School of Rock production. I appreciate just how much time and effort you all put into this and the encouragement you gave to the students. My child absolutely loved being a part of this production and it was wonderful for us to see him so committed and performing with confidence. Thank you for helping him to feel part of something special.” Parent
“Just needed to email you after watching both shows. What a fantastic production – well done! It’s so great seeing the children grow through these productions. Lots of the cast are from my child’s primary school so we’ve been watching them in Christmas shows etc since Reception! You are teaching them skills that they can use in all aspects of life. Thank you.” Parent
“We would like to say a massive thank you for the invite as VIP guests to the show which was held on the 13th March. The residents and staff of Priory Mews really enjoyed the show; they all have been speaking about it to everyone. Residents would like to say well done to the drama students and teachers that have worked really hard putting the show together; they all should be really proud of themselves. Thank you once again for making this possible for the residents.” Priory Mews Resident Experience Manager
“Would you please pass my congratulations to Mr Bailey, Mr Muzio and all who were involved in the production of School of Rock? As the school’s first full musical, it was a triumph. It was so good to see the development in confidence and skill of the students since the early beginnings. To think that these students are still only in KS3 is very exciting. Particularly impressive was Jessie of course in holding the stage and cast virtually the whole time. However, it really was an ensemble performance, representing a huge amount of work from everyone. I know that miming on instruments is almost harder than playing them and this too was really convincing.” Sara Kemsley, Chair of Governors
Miss Rutt accompanied students who have attended trampolining club to the Kent Schools Competition at Jumpers Rebound in Gillingham. It was a fantastic day for the students who attended to witness and compete against other talented students. They represented Stone Lodge both on and off the trampoline in a fantastic light and should be very proud of themselves. We even came away with two trophies…Lenny L (Year 7) won 2nd place in the U13 male elementary, and Oliver H (Year 8) won 1st place in the U14 male advanced! Well done to Oliver, Lenny, Robyn, Matilda, Maci, Yasmine and Lana!
The Great Stone Lodge Bake-off House Challenge. This week Seacole House took part in their cooking heat! And as you can see from the below, all cooked to an exceptionally high standard, with the judges commenting on the students’ professionalism and the great flavours of their finished bakes. Congratulations to Feyikemi, Vienna and Evie of 7G who go through to the Grand Final on Tuesday 7th May, their Easter theme was incredible and so was that cake! Next heat is Johnson House, planning day 23rd April and cooking day 30th April.
House Update. The House Point scores are currently standing as below. There’s everything to play for …. Plenty of activities and time to gain more House Points!
Groups of Year 10 and 11 students have been on an educational visit to Livingstone Hospital’s educational suites, where they received training from a range of heath care professionals. Students were able to develop their understanding of rehabilitation and the role of nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy through the patient’s journey. Students also observed cannulation of a model arm, took blood pressure and carried out basic life support. This helped health and social care students in their studies and provided an invaluable careers experience.
Year 8 students have been learning about Transpiration in plants. Plants need to take up water, minerals and carbon dioxide to transport them to the leaves for photosynthesis. In the below lesson, Miss White demonstrated Transpiration, the way liquid and minerals travels through a plant from the roots. Using coloured dye, Miss White was able to illustrate the flower’s absorption of colour as the liquid travels up the stem to the petals and leaves.
Flowers dyed by this method are sold in florists and supermarkets .. if you wanted to experiment at home there are lots of videos available, including Colour Changing Flowers Experiment (Biology) (youtube.com)
Additionally, to mark British Science Week students are invited to enter the British Science Week poster competition. Students could create a poster showing how a certain type of technology has changed over time, or even the advancement of time-telling technology itself. Budding poster makers could also go futuristic show us how they think the world might look in years to come, or perhaps look at nature – lifecycles, lifespans, evolution and hibernation – nature is full of timely topics. Deadline is Friday 22nd March! The top 5 entries will receive House Points and be sent off to be judged nationally and could receive prizes.
Year 11 Easter Revision Sessions scheduled from Tuesday, April 2nd to Friday, April 12th. These sessions are designed with one primary goal in mind: to ensure the academic success of our students. This focused revision time can make all the difference in boosting confidence and achieving the best grades possible. Our dedicated teachers will be on hand to offer personalised support and guidance, addressing any areas of difficulty that students may be experiencing. This individualised attention can help clarify concepts and provide valuable exam preparation tips and strategies. Research consistently shows that regular revision and practice are essential for long-term retention of knowledge. As partners in your child’s education, we encourage you to support and encourage their attendance at these crucial sessions.
Photos from previous Revision Sessions.
Students travelled to St John’s Catholic School for an immersive day celebrating International Women’s Day. Students took part in a series of talks and activities intended to inspire our students to aim high! Students took part in an Empowering Women talk as well as inclusive sports including cricket and a high energy Zumba class! It was a truly uplifting and fun day!
Our Librarian is delighted to announce the arrival of (lots of!) new books! Students had compiled a ‘wish list’ of titles and as you can see from the below photos … were very happy indeed to find they have arrived! New titles include; women footballers in the ‘Ultimate Football Heros’ series, fantasy titles, and books that have been made into Netflix series such as ‘to all the boys I’ve loved before’. The books will now be put on the system and will be available to borrow after the Easter holidays!
The new library display celebrates International Women’s Day and includes a whole host of titles to inspire and inform students and features a range of motivational women.
Cheerleading club is restarting! The Club will run every Monday from 3.30pm to 4.30pm in the Sports Studio. Everyone is welcome, please come and speak with Miss Gardner in the PE Department for more details and to sign up.
Please join me in congratulating Oliver H of Year 11 on a sensational performance with his U16 boys Dartford Valley Rugby team. Oliver and the team secured the County title with a bonus point 14-20 win at Sevenoaks in frankly ridiculous conditions! Testament to their discipline, composure and self-belief, they delivered once again to become back-to-back 22/23 & 23/24 champions. They playing in what can only be described as a mud bath, it was horrendous but they loved it! Ollie has played in every match and they went unbeaten in the league games. Next step is the County Sevens tournament.
The next challenge is definitely a tough one … getting the kits clean!
If you or your child would like to find out more about training and playing opportunities at Dartford Valley – you would be made very welcome! To find out more please click here.
Our Sixth Form (SL6) Sports students will be hosting a series of exciting after school sporting activities for our Year 7 & 8 students. All sessions are FREE and refreshments will be available! All sessions open to boys and girls, everyone welcome! For more information and to sign up, please come along to the PE Department!
- Futsal Tournament (indoor football) – Monday 22nd April – Year 7 – come along and join the fun … and perhaps win a trophy!
- Dodgeball Tournament – Tuesday 23rd April – Year 7 & 8 – House Points and Prizes up for grabs!
- Football Fun Day – Wednesday 24th April – Year 7 – House Points and Prizes up for grabs!
PTFA Update .. date for your diary! Come along to our Quiz Night on the 24th April hosted by our very own quizmaster extraordinaire, Mr Naylor! Bring your own snacks and drinks and join in the fun! Suitable for all ages, teams of up to eight people .. we look forward to seeing you there!
Message from our catering team – please note Fish and Chips will be on Tuesday 26th March. Wednesday 27th is the special Easter Celebration Menu including chicken drumstick with creamy mushroom sauce and hot cross buns! Please note – sandwiches and wraps will still be available.
Forthcoming Dates;
Year 10 Grades Report home – 28th March
End of Term 4 – 28th March, finish at 12.05pm
First Day of Term 5 – 15th April
Year 11 Grades Report home – 15th April
DofE Bronze Practice exhibition – 19th – 20th April
Stone Lodge PTFA Quiz Night – 24th April 7pm, £5 per person available on ParentPay. Maximum of 8 in a team. Suitable for all ages! Bring your own snacks and drinks.
Best wishes,
Gavin Barnett
Head Teacher
