Blog week ending 12th June
Appreciation Postcards. This has been a truly heart-warming experience for all of us, to 
be given the opportunity to show our appreciation to fellow students and staff .. and particularly lovely (and humbling) to receive the kind words – they all mean so much. Blank postcards are distributed at form time for students to write to another student or member of staff and are distributed once a term. A lovely scheme that demonstrates just how warm and supportive our Stone Lodge community is! Below, a tiny selection of the comments received.
Golden Tickets. Congratulations to all those students awarded Golden Tickets for demonstrating excellence in terms of work and attitude. A special congratulations to the below students who were presented with a £10 Amazon Voucher in our first House prize draw. Pictured, Year 9 Anthony who was presented with a Golden Ticket by Mr Antonelli in his History Lesson for excellent contributions to the lesson.
This week Miss Rutt is meeting with each Year group’s Student Leaders to garner the ‘student voice’ input and feedback on school policies and proposed developments. As is always the case, students give insightful and articulate feedback making astute observations and recommendations on everything from our behaviour policy to school timetables. Following these meetings, the Student Council (a smaller group with representation from every Year) will meet to discuss the common themes across the Year groups before meeting with our SLT to share their feedback and observations. Pictured below, our Year 8 Students Leader panel. 
As part of our fund-raising efforts for the Year 12 Prom, Mr Naylor, Mrs Wenham, Mrs Pickard and I braved the cold water for a ‘wet sponge throwing’ contest .. as it turns out, students are remarkably accurate with their aim! And a ‘special’ thank you to Mr Field for ensuring the bucket was kept topped up with very cold water!
Year 7 Food Preparation & Nutrition students have been developing their cutting skills to ensure they are able to distinguish between chef knives in order to safely use the correct knife for each task. Students practised the bridge hold and claw grip whilst cutting vegetable into frequently used styles including; julienne, rondelle, batons and chiffonade.
Ms Croucher’s Year 7 English students have been exploring persuasive writing which is a valuable skill that develops critical thinking, inspires action, and effectively communicates ideas. Using text excerpts from famous speeches as stimulus including Elizabeth I “I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a King of England too.” Students went on to write their own compelling persuasive texts to inspire their intended audience.
Mrs Masoud’s Year 8 Scientists are currently working on a Physics topic – electromagnetism. In the pictured practical lesson, students used an electrical current to generate a magnetic field. Students learnt that the magnet can be strengthened by increasing the turns of the metal coil and increasing the current. Students plotted their findings in a scientific manner – very well done! 
Mrs Favata’s Year 9 Geography students have been considering the effects of climate change and in this lesson investigated the different output and impact of different energy sources. Students have been debating the pros and cons of energy sources, with some enthusiastic support for investment into cleaner renewable options!
Library update. Our recent topics have been factually based and at times emotive and quite serious so I thought it would be great to take a break and do something fun together!
I chose a book series that’s a global phenomenon as well as a firm favourite in our SLS library. It is undeniable that Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s commercial success and popularity is because its characters are relatable, funny and engaging – appealing to even the most reluctant readers! The series also offers an exploration of universal themes, including the challenges and triumphs of growing up and adolescence.
Our students listened to an interview with “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” author, Jeff Kinney, from the Wimpy Kid studio in Boston, where he discussed his inspiration for the series and why he thinks his books have been so phenomenally popular since their launch in 2007. What’s also noteworthy is that Jeff Kinney is a passionate advocate for children’s reading and often speaks out about the importance of libraries and librarians, highlighting the challenges we face.
To finish off our lesson, children and SLS staff took part in a tutorial by a professional book illustrator on how to draw, step-by-step, the book’s character, Greg Heffley.
This week we have been exploring the importance of book covers in making them appealing to their target audience. As the old saying goes, people often still judge a book by its cover. We went behind the scenes in one of the Art Departments at Penguin Random House to learn more about the process behind designing an impactful cover and how the designers approach the project.
One of the Designers showed us how a simple concept can drive the look and feel of a book cover to connect with new readers and secure good sales. Students learned that collaboration is a large part of a designer’s role, with multiple teams involved in assessing different potential visual options before the book is sent to print. As part of our lesson students evaluated book covers considering how well they felt it ‘sold’ the books and whether they found it appealing. Happy reading! Mrs Nguyen
SL6. “The UCAS discovery event was a massive success in expanding our knowledge on our post-18 options. We had the opportunity to discuss and understand how our current A Levels impact our future and allowed us to fully realise the different pathways available to us after our time at Stone Lodge. The different stalls were both insightful and engaging in explaining the different courses available and exceeded expectations and left lasting impressions on us. We engaged in meaningful discussions with different universities which built our confidence in our future options. The people from the universities offered different perspectives on career outcomes after we finish university. Overall, it was an extremely engaging day packed with valuable information. It was an amazing opportunity to experience”. SL6 student
Farewell to Year 13. We said a fond farewell to Year 13 with a meal at Efsane and with a breakfast assembly on 6th June.
They are a sterling bunch of students who have embraced the challenges of extended diplomas with aplomb and dedication, epitomising the RIDES values throughout their two years with us. They all leave with clear ideas of their next stages.
Year 13 next-step destinations. 60% University, 30% employment with local partnership companies, 10% apprenticeship with a local partner company and 10% abroad.
They have been a fantastic group to work with, and we will them all the very best for the future. Thank you to Kieran for his contributions as Head Boy. SL6 Team
We have received the below opportunity from Dartford Royals FC.
PLAYERS REQUIRED! GIRLS FOOTBALL ALERT!
With our newly acquired permanent home ground and clubhouse at Northumberland Heath recreation ground, Dartford Royals FC are looking for players who will be in year 5,6 or 7 and 8/9/10 from September to build on their girls’ football offering for the 25/26 season in the Erith/Dartford/Bexley/Bexleyheath areas.
We are a friendly and inclusive community grass roots football club and our girls football teams are growing.
We train on Thursday evenings (Oakfield Park, Wilmington) and play on Sundays at Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground, Erith. Quality coaching and development for all players is provided as well as match day and training kits.
Please message Dan on 07990820703, via Facebook or fill out a contact form for more details: www.dartfordroyalsfc.co.uk/contact
Forthcoming Dates;
Last GCSE Exam – 17 June
Year 7 – Information Evening PGL Marchants Hill – 17 June 5.30pm
Year 8 & 9 Information Evening PGL Isle of Wight – 18 June 5.30pm- Main Hall
Year 10 Information Evening Barcelona – 18 June 5.30pm- Drama Studio
Year 11 Leavers Assembly – 18 June
Sports Day – 20 June
Year 10 Exams – w/c 23 June
Year 11 Prom – 25 June 7-11pm
Year 6 Parent Transition Meeting – 26 June
Year 6 Transition Day – 4 July
Uniform sizing day – Years 8-10 – Friday 4 July
Uniform sizing day – Year 6 (new Year 7s) – Saturday 5 July
Year 12 LBC Trip (Learning Beyond the Classroom) – 8 & 9 July
Year 7 to 10 LBC Week – w/c 14 July
Year 12 Work Experience – w/c 14 July
Year 10 mock exams results day – 21 July
Student Celebration Week – w/c 21 July
Last Day of Term 6 – 22 July 12.05pm
Best wishes,
Catherine Cusick
Headteacher
