Blog week ending 2nd October

Celebrating Culture Day: A Joyful reminder of the inclusivity and richness that make our community so special.

Last week, our school was alive with vibrant colours, meaningful traditions, and proud expressions of identity as we celebrated Culture Day. It is one of the highlights of our school calendar, and this year’s celebration was a powerful reminder of the strength found in diversity. Students and staff wore clothes and accessories that reflected their cultural heritage, from traditional outfits to meaningful symbols, it was a chance for everyone to share a bit of their ancestry and traditions as well as learn more about each other.

Culture Day is more than just an ‘own clothes’ event. It’s a day where we honour the backgrounds that shape us, learn from one another, and celebrate the values of respect, unity, and understanding.

Students shared the meanings behind their attire, staff reflected on their cultural journeys, and everyone embraced the opportunity to learn something new. It was a proud moment for our community, one that showcased how diversity strengthens us and brings us closer together.

“Culture Day is one of our favourite events. It’s a chance to celebrate who we are and learn about each other in a really fun and respectful way,” shared Ms Pickard, Assistant Head Teacher.

“I loved learning about everyone else’s traditions, it made me realise how beautifully diverse our school is,” said Luca (Year 8).

“It’s not just about the clothes, it’s about the pride, the history, and the connections we share. Culture Day reminds us that our differences are something to be celebrated,” added Ms Bonnaud, Teacher of Spanish.

Here’s to many more days of celebrating who we are – where everyone is seen, heard, and reflected in our very special school community.

Our wonderful sixth form students (including our SL6 correspondent Millie, pictured left) hosted fun activities including face painting, place a pin on a map to indicate your cultural background as well as information stalls on different cultures represented in our SL6. One highlight was a special assembly delivered by Flourish and Nifemi in Year 13 which included this positive and uplifting closing line ..

“Our differences don’t divide us, they make us interesting, they make us stand out, and they make our world magnificently beautiful.”​

Spanish Teacher, Ms Senejoa and her Year 7 students enjoyed a hugely energetic lesson, practising their vocabulary and pronunciation to be able to describe a painting. To test understanding, students took part in an interactive quiz to win points for their teams – armed with foam fingers, team members raced to identify shapes and colours based on their Spanish names. Students used their white boards to demonstrate their understanding of the topic – Great work everyone!

As we reflect on another successful Culture Day, we celebrate the MFL department’s ongoing contribution to our school’s inclusive ethos and look forward to continuing to grow our community through the power of language and culture. Beyond Culture Day, our MFL department is developing new extra-curricular clubs that celebrate linguistic diversity and cultural heritage. New Clubs will be announced soon – watch this space!

Each House took part in a rousing House Assembly, their first of the academic year. The theme was RESPECT with each House celebrating our rich community focussing on respect for ourselves and each other across the school. Each assembly celebrated the success and acheivements of individuals with thunderous applause accompanied by their House chant or song, fostering a sense of belonging. 

Hawking are currently in pole position with an impressive 4,503 points so far this academic year!  To find out more regarding our Houses please click here

This Term’s clubs are now live, the full schedule is as below – truly something for everyone! Please encourage your child to sign up to at least one Club

Introducing teacher of Science Ms Olatobuson. In the below lesson, Ms Olatobuson’s Year 10 GCSE students took part in a practical lesson to develop their understanding of the current Chemistry topic, Halogens. Students conducted a scientific investigation into Halogen displacement reactions. Monitoring the results, students tabled their findings to deduce the order of reactivity. Ms Olatobuson added “Stone Lodge students engage positively with practical lessons demonstrating curiosity in outcomes and sound scientific understanding of key principals – all useful in opening up potential future career possibilities. Chemistry can open doors to a number of career paths including healthcare, engineering and environmental sectors”

Ms Robert’s Year 7 Food Preparation and Nutrition students have made vegetable soup this week. Using their safe cutting techniques to prepare chunk-cut veg, students considered how to thicken their soup using reduction while managing temperature, and finally to check seasoning/flavouring. A perfect recipe for the new seasonal vegetables!

Huge congratulations to Emily R of 10D who together with gorgeous Miniature Schnauzer, Maya, won a clutch of awards and rosettes at a recent Dog Agility competition. The competition, Paws in the Park, saw them scooping a senior league win with a clear round which means Emily has been promoted to the next grade up. Brilliant job Emily (and Maya) we’re delighted for you! .. and we look forward to hearing about future events.

Emily trains at Axtane Dog Agility Club – if you would like to find out more, or join a class click here 

Daniel H Y10 has received his Chief Scout’s Gold Award, which is the highest award a member of the Scout Section can earn!  To achieve the award, Daniel successfully completed a huge nine Challenge Awards and six Activity Badges …. Stepping outside his comfort zone developing skills that include resilience and determination. This is an amazing accolade Daniel, we are all incredibly proud of your achievement. If you would like to find out more or join, there are 10 Scout groups within the Dartford area – click here to find your local group. 

Forthcoming Dates;

Year 13 Mock Exam Week – 6 Oct

Year 6 Open Morning (appt only – booking details will be announced in due course) – 13 Oct

Year 6 Open Morning (appt only) – 14 Oct

Year 6 Open Morning (appt only) – 15 Oct

Year 6 Open Evening (no appt necessary) – 16 Oct

Year 13 SL6 Apprenticeship Event – 17 Oct

Last Day of Term 1 – 17 Oct

First Day of Term 2 – Thursday 30 Oct

Year 11 Mock Exams – 31 Oct – 7 Nov

Sixth Form Open Evening – 4 Dec

Best wishes,

Catherine Cusick

Headteacher