Welcome to the weekly Newsletter for parents and carers of students attending John Hanson Community School.
Inspire - Care - Succeed
‘HEAD’ Lines
Music to my ears
Dear parents/carers
It is very easy for schools to get caught up in the ‘accountability game’ at this time of year and focus purely on examinations and the subsequent impression this gives of a school.
While I am sure you would agree that academic success and doing well in examinations is critically important to students’ future choices, there must be more to school than just this.
This is certainly the case for John Hanson students both inside and outside of school. Alongside the wide variety of day and residential trip opportunities, sporting and cultural activities open to students during their 5 years with us, many go on to take their interests from school into community activities and visa-versa.
A prime example of this is the fact that 2 John Hanson Students; Bradley Whittam and Dominic Edwards-Wilds have been invited to travel to Prague as part of the Hampshire County Training Band this summer.
For students at John Hanson, academic success opens doors to further and higher education possibilities, but it is the memories and friendships forged through their participation in wider school life that make them the people they become.
Enjoy the sunshine this weekend with your children
Regards
Russell Stevens
Headteacher
Hot Weather, Blazers and P.E. lessons Period 5
Due to the forecasted continual hot weather we are extending the period for which students do not have to bring or wear there blazer until at least Friday 6th July. If they have a P.E. lesson period 5 on any day next week they can go home in their kit rather than having to get changed.
Russell Stevens - Headteacher
Paris 2018 ~ 20th-24th June 2018
100 students, 9 staff, 2 coaches (and Drivers),Laurence the tour guide, enough water, crisps, sweets, apples and sandwich fillings to feed a small army, once more John Hanson is on the road for the annual French trip. Taking in cultural, sporting and historical settings, year 8’s resilience was put to the test with a packed program, punctuated with those wonderful serendipitous moments that can only happen in a major city:
We en-masse sat down to watch a dance performance accompanied by a full orchestra playing Ravel’s Bolero (I wonder what the sparse crowd thought when their number were suddenly swelled by our impeccably behaved ranks.)
In Arles town square an enthusiastic blues band playing with gusto for the English crowd,
Pole vaulting and karate celebrate the forthcoming Olympic games straddling the bridges of the Seine as we cruised along on the Bateaux-Mouche
The piece- de-resistance, a supercar rally disembarking from the in-bound ferry. (Only to be stopped 16 km outside of Calais for speeding at a reported 256KPH!)
Paris is a beautifully eclectic city, rich in heritage and diversity, iconic buildings and landmarks contrast dereliction, debris and and graffiti kissed facades. The vastness of the cityscape can only truly be appreciated through our visit to the Eifel tower; where even from the second platform it is impossible to see the boundaries. In comparison, our journey down highlighted the vast agricultural emptiness, punctuated with regimented lines of pylons and lazily spinning turbines.
That being said our students were fortunate to view some quintessentially French villages on the road to Giverny with their proud stone walls, pompous town halls and shuttered windows as we followed the gentle rolling hills on the periphery of Normandy. The subsequent visit to Monet’s breath-taking house and gardens has been captured by many of the students, whether focusing on the individual delicate beauty of a particular blossom, or recreating the famous impressionist paintings of the lilies and the Japanese bridge. The house is a revelation, faithfully maintained as a living museum, bedecked with his personal art collection and many of his own favourite paintings.
Further on, many were moved by the walking tour of Arles to visit the last hours of Vincent’s tragic life in abject poverty and despair. Cultural references frequently reveal themselves in unexpected places, some of the Doctor Who fans delighted in pointing out the church used in the series. For others standing in the wheat field where Vincent fatally wounded himself was a poignant experience, as was the lone sunflower atop his simple grave.
I never grow tired of the panorama enjoyed from the top of Montmatre, the bustling Parisian streets, the hawkers and artists, the tourists, the cacophony of horns as belligerent gesticulating drivers play chicken for the meagre advantage of a few feet. Our students quickly adjusted to the constant cry of ‘keep over’ as they fan across the pavement.
City life is a massive contrast to the relative calm of Andover streets.
The magnificent Sacre-Coeur church sits proudly at the highest point in the city aside the rebellious artistic neighbourhood once frequented by the likes of Van Gogh and Gauguin. We stopped to eat flash-fried streaks, fries and snails. Many of the students had caricatures drawn of themselves after in the square. Some are wonderfully accurate.
A good proportion of the group enjoyed the tour of the church, with its breath-taking windows, carvings and cavernous interior.
For some of course the highlight of the trip is Disneyland and the Studios. Bravado is tested to the extreme on the Tower of Terror, or Hyperspace mounting. The piped music is almost soporific, but the parade is always a worthy spectacle. A steady procession of Mickey eared students are duly registered, ice cream devoured, presents purchased, all in all a thoroughly magical and exhausting day.
For the sports fans the Stade de France always offer an entertaining tour, from the presidential suite to the catacombs and jail for those unfortunate enough to be arrested during a match or concert. We learned of Diva’s both on the pitch, and on the stage; students marvelled at bizarre stories (my favourite being Madonna’s insistence on her own personal toilet to be installed and subsequently destroyed). Our students weaved their way to the changing rooms before they were able to charge onto the pitch.
Our homebound journey took us to the Somme and the tortured landscape of Vimy Ridge, the Canadian war memorial to the lost in the Great War. It is a sombre finale for a generation that takes so much for granted. The scale of craters and the proximity of their trenches underline the horror of the anecdotes of wailing wounded in no-man’s-land, machine guns and belligerent generals. Artefacts are beautifully displayed in the visitor’s museum. I caught many of the students quietly reading a letter drafted by a young father on the eve of the battle, never to return.
Finally, and fortunately, we dodged a four hour delay on the train for a mill pond crossing of the English Channel affording us crystal clear view of the white cliffs miles before we even entered the port of Calais.
The bond built on the trips will last for the remaining years at school, and the memories far longer. Students and teacher alike develop new insights and mutual understanding through the shared experience, some profound, other more amusing. I learnt that it was now cool to wear socks with slippers outside! (Sliders). I can’t wait for them to look back on that fashion faux pas in a few years time. That aside the novelty and logistics of having to make your own packed lunch, breakfast and dine with over half the year group, and meet at specific points was something of a military action that we certainly mastered within a couple of days.
Trips abroad are exhausting and rewarding. I would particularly like to thank all the staff who worked around the clock for the students, without whom we could not do this. And of course my final thank you goes to the students, who we do this for and never fail to inspire.
Until next year.
Mr Brown.
Thinking of a future career path?
We have some fabulous new books in the library (LRC). Careers 2018, which lists job profiles of over 500 different jobs from an administrator to a zoologist. Each job description provides information of the entry level i.e. qualification level, required to start your career in that particular job, the working conditions, advantages and disadvantages of that job and the skills required which may match your own strengths and skills.
If you have no idea of what you may like to do, the book may provide you with some inspiration!
Could the job you are considering, offer an apprenticeship route? To find out more about apprenticeships at all levels, including degree apprenticeships, then look at the Apprenticeship Guide 2018 and the prospectus for the local colleges who may be able to help you find an employer.
Cupcake day for Dementia.
Magazines: if anyone regularly buys, or has a subscription to a magazine that may interest the students of John Hanson, we’d really appreciate your old (but in good condition) copies once you’ve finished with them in our English classroom libraries.
We’re thinking anything hobby based such as sewing, or sporty, as well as titles such as Focus, The Economist etc. Please deliver to main reception.
Many thanks,
Mrs Hall
Andover Dance Festival
Last week The Lights hosted the annual Andover Dance Festival. It was a great evening and John Hanson was proudly represented in choreography and performance.
Year 10’s Emma Crabbe and Jack Tyler choreographed Balksbury’s dance troupe; they have been working with the primary students after school.
Year 7 students, Abi Sebon, Bronwyn Ashman Scott, Scarlett Woods, Lily Mae Thomson and Lucy Hide independently choreographed and performed a fabulous dance.
All students represented the school well and we are very proud of them!
John Hanson Community School are hosting a Big Write, writing competition titled ‘Community’ in the summer term.
This competition will involve all students submitting an entry for one of the following genres:
journalism
non-fiction
descriptive narrative
This five week writing initiative, to take place during tutor time, will culminate in a prize giving extravaganza on Monday 9th July where a panel of guest judges and VIPs will read through the entries and select their winners.
The purpose of the event is to build excitement for writing, so to help celebrate students’ success we’d like to offer prizes to the winners too.
For example: Second tier prize: £5 gift voucher or book; First tier prizes: £10 gift voucher; Gold tier prizes: Kindle HD fire
If you’re able to make a donation towards these it would be much appreciated.
If you feel you are able to offer any support with acquiring some of these prizes please contact Jo or myself.
Anna Hall
Assistant Headteacher
Performing Arts in 2018 - Music and Drama
Our rehearsals will continue as detailed below:
Drama and Music Evening 17th July 2018 7pm
P6 Music Technology (Yr 10) and Music Tech Club - Monday/Tuesdays 3-4pm
School Choir Wednesdays 3-4pm
Drama Club Thursdays 3-4pm
3rd July 2018
Yr 6 Induction Day
Yr 6 Transition Fair
All Day
1615-1845
Whole School
6th July 2018
School closed for Staff Training
All Day
10th and 11th July 2018
Yr 5 Taster Days
17th July
Drama and Music evening
7pm
20th July 2018
End of Term
3rd September 2018
School closed for Staff Training
All Day
4th September 2018
1st Day of attendance for all students
Superleague Match at Bath.
On Friday last week nearly 50 of the netball club went to watch a netball Superleague match at Bath.
The game was between Team Bath and Wasps. It was a crucial match for Bath to stay in with a chance of a place in the semi-finals, which was a tough task as Wasps are currently top of the league.
The game was amazing and a really great opportunity for the girls to watch top class netball with several England players playing - Ebony Beckworth-Chambers and Kadeen Corbin for Team Bath, and Jade Clarke and Natalie Haythornthwaite playing for Wasps.
The game ended with a 58-40 win for Wasps.
The girls had a fantastic time meeting all of the players at the end and having photos with Kadeen Corbin.
They also had their photo taken with the Wasps team, with Scarlett Law being lucky enough to wear the Commonwealth gold medal!!
Year7/8 district sports
Monday 25th June saw the turn of the Year7/8 district sports day, held at Charlton Athletics Track in Andover. We could not have asked for a better day, the sun was shining, not a cloud in sight.
Year 7 stormed to victory winning by over 100 points, great team performance, some of the notable performance from the Year 7’s were, Charlotte Nelson & Louis Harvey 80m Heat winners; Jess Dunney 150m heat winner; James Herbert 200m heat winner; Libby Hall, Margret Carroll & James Herbert High Jump 1st; Louis Harvey Long Jump 1st; Katie Sargent Shot Put 1st; Flavia Zamfir & Lewis Broe Discus 1st; Flavia Zanfir & Oliver Hartnell Javelin 1st.
Likewise Year 8 were victorious this time by a smaller margin of 29 points, some of the notable performances of the year 8’s were, Charlie Valvona 100m heat winner, Lucy Noble 200m heat winner & Jade Patterson Discus 1st.
Overall a highly successful day for John Hanson bringing back 2 trophies, hoefully we can repeat this success next year.
SPORTS RESULTS and FIXTURES
Coming soon Thursday 12th July - Sports Day at Charlton track.
