School Blog, week ending 13th March
International Women’s Day. Girls’ Football Day at Dartford FC. A group of our students recently attended a fantastic Girls’ Football Day at Dartford FC, in collaboration with Kent Police. The event provided an opportunity for students to discuss important topics, such as how to make the local area safer and ways to break down barriers for girls in football.
Alongside these discussions, the students took part in a variety of football drills and activities, building their skills and confidence on the pitch. The day ended with an exciting six-a-side tournament, where they competed against other schools in the area. It was a brilliant experience for all involved, promoting both personal development and a love for the game!
A Level Politics Trip. Ms Ayling accompanied students on a fascinating visit to The Houses of Parliament and House of Lords. Students were met by MP for Dartford Mr Dickson and ex-teacher from Stone Lodge, MP for Chatham and Aylesford Mr Osborne who led a brilliant question session as well as a guided tour providing a unique insight into the workings of government. A student on the trip commented “I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the recent school trip to Parliament. It was an incredibly enlightening and immersive experience that provided a unique insight into the workings of our government. The opportunity to witness the historic architecture and engage with the informative presentations truly deepened my understanding of our democratic processes. This trip has not only sparked my interest in politics but also reinforced the importance of civic engagement. Thank you for organising such a remarkable experience!”
Library Update World Book Day. It’s the most wonderful time of the year (for a librarian!) … we’re talking about World Book Day! We celebrated World Book Day in an assembly led by Mrs Evans, Head of English as well as in all library lessons.
World Book Day is a worldwide celebration of authors, books, reading and illustrators which aims to provide every child with a book of their own. The WBD charity supplies children with £1 Book Tokens which can be redeemed against any book in any bookshop or leading supermarkets or children can choose a free book from the below selection, which they get to keep! How fantastic is that?
All Year 7 and 8 students received Book Tokens during their weekly Library lessons. Students from other year groups who would like a token can collect it from the library. I still have a number of extra tokens, so if your child would like another one or two, they can come and see me during the week to collect it. I also have a number of (the below) free books to give away! – no tokens needed. These will be distributed on a first come first served basis, so please be quick to avoid disappointment!
It is our annual tradition to encourage students to get creative and take part in Design a National Book Token Competition. There are great prizes to win! Please bring your designs and signed entry forms to the library and I will send them off to the organisers. The closing date for entries is Sunday 6th April 2025. Winners will be announced in May 2025. https://www.worldbookday.com/competition/design-a-nbt/
Stone Lodge students can also enter another fantastic World Book Day competition to win Yoto Ultimate Reading Bundle – 24 audio books. Competition closes: 23 March 2025. To enter, fill in the quick and easy form here. https://www.worldbookday.com/yoto-competition/
Let’s not forget reading has so many benefits, including improving memory and brain function as well as reducing stress levels, increasing attention span and developing empathy! It provides a workout for our brains, a bit like physical activity for our bodies, improving vocabulary, and helping students understand different ideas, building knowledge and increasing imagination! Not to mention improving mental health in a significant way too!
By encouraging children to get involved in World Book Day and reading more, we help them to set the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and personal enrichment!
Happy reading! Mrs Nguyen – Stone Lodge Librarian
Year 7 student Biologists took part in a practical lesson as part of their flowers and pollination topic under plant reproduction. Students dissected a flower and correctly identified the parts of flower with emphasis on the male (stamen) and female (pistil) parts used in sexual reproduction in plants.
Year 7 Scientists took part in a practical lesson as part of their study of refracted light. Light waves change speed when they pass through objects with different densities causing them to change direction, called refraction. Using a light unit and Perspex block students were able to mark the angle of refraction.
Our SL6 Engineering students are working on an electrical devices and circuits module. Students have built an electrical circuit, then written the associated code before checking that the circuit functions as intended then finally writing a report demonstrating the various stages of the design, simulating, constructing and testing.
This module develops understanding of how electronic components are used in a range of applications, from domestic home entertainment systems through to the control systems for nuclear power stations and aircraft.
NEW CROCHET CLUB! Miss Humphreys’ new crochet club is a creative haven for students to unwind and explore their artistic side. Open to beginners and experienced crafters alike. Everyone is welcome, from the self-taught beginner to the experienced crocheter.
We offer a great range of clubs and activities that students can join in at lunchtimes and after school – I would urge all students to try something new, or pick clubs that support out of school interests! There literally is something for every taste or interest! Learning – Stone Lodge School
Please join me in congratulating Year 7 Olivia T on her magnificent performance in a recent Ice-Skating National competition. Olivia achieved a career personal best and came 14th out of 23 girls in National Level 2 Jump Competition. Olivia is on track to compete in the British Championships, and we look forward to further updates from her skating triumphs.
Harvey H, our SL6 correspondent
. Over the last fortnight, the SL6 cohort have been busy in their extra-curricular activities. The Year 12s are looking to sort out their work experience placements for July and have been delivered an assembly by the Year 13s. This assembly consisted of advice on places to go based on the subjects that each student is currently undertaking at Stone Lodge. As well as this, we showed how work experience can benefit them as they look to progress to next steps this time next year. The Year 12 Politics group took a tour of the Houses of Parliament yesterday morning. Along with this, they had interactive activities such as creating their own political parties and campaigns. Yesterday afternoon, the SL6 football team played against Wilmington Grammar School where we unfortunately lost 6-3, but put up a good fight despite having a lack of players and can hold our heads high!
Forthcoming Dates;
Year 7 Parents’ Evening – 13 March 4-7pm (tonight)
Year 9 Careers Workshop – 14 March
Additional Year 10 Mocks – till 19 March
Year 9 Careers Talk – 21 March
Local Community Litter pick – 24 March
Year 8 Parents’ Evening – 27 March 4-7pm
Awards Evening – 3 April 7-8pm
Year 11 Grades sent home – 4 April
Last Day of Term 4 – 4 April 3.30pm finish
First Day of Term 5 – Tuesday 22 April
Best wishes,
Gavin Barnett
Headteacher
