Ditcham Newsletter - Friday 26th January 2024 Dear Parents As you read this, I will be up in Loughborough with our hockey team taking part in a few days of sporting excellence. I look forward to being able to share a full report on our return! Elsewhere its been a busy week of sports across the whole school with successful rugby matches for our Juniors and some impressive hockey and cricket skills amongst the girls' teams. Year 10 students had a trip to Brighton to see Science Live where they watched some inspirational science communicators share their research and their passion - you can read the full report in the Seniors section. Friend of Ditcham, Lord Winston was speaking too and it was nice for the students to see him in action on the big stage - quite a difference to when he came and chatted to us in classrooms! Wishing you all a peaceful weekend.
Graham Spawforth Headmaster
Junior Merit Winners Congratulations to all the Junior merit winners for this week!
Headmaster Awards Congratulations to the Seniors who have been given a Headmaster Award!
Dragonflies
Super Explorers! This week our Dragonflies have been taking advantage of the sunshine and getting outside to explore the woods on the search for birds for the Big Garden Birdwatch that is happening this weekend. They've spotted pigeons, robins, crows and even a tree-creeper! Its a great way to contribute to the national understanding of our common garden birds so please do take part at home if you can! As well as exploring outside, the Dragonflies have been exploring their own bodies too and learning about their organs inside. They made drawings of themselves (which resulted in a lot of giggling as it was quite funny trying to draw round each other on a piece of paper!!) and then Mrs Harding drew on their organs for them colour in. There's never a dull moment in our preschool! Next week we are hosting a Stay and Play on Tuesday and are looking forward to welcoming some new families along to that. Please do spread the word if you know of any families looking for a preschool.... Kylie and Claire were due to be down at the Little Leaf Cafe this morning doing some hands-on birdrelated activities but Little Leaf had to cancel unexpectedly. We are hoping to reschedule and get down there soon! Have a great weekend! Kylie and Claire
Juniors
May the Force be with you... As part of our topic ‘Forces in Action’ Middles had to identify and explain the effects of water resistance. They were asked to design and carry out an investigation to find out how different shapes move in water. They had to think about how they could do this, what they needed to do to make it a fair test and how would record their results. The teams made various shapes using a set amount of plasticine and moulded some rather imaginative shapes, including a horseshoe! A lot of teamwork was required to get accurate results, especially when starting and stopping the stopwatch! Well done, Middles! Mrs Vaughan-Carpenter
Dear Parents,
Looking at all the exciting and engaging learning that is due to take place in 2024, you may have noticed on the school calendar that we are celebrating World Book Day on Thursday 7th March. There are lots of exciting events happening for World Book Day, which will be advertised through the National media. At Ditcham Park School we plan to join in with the fun, and to help the children fully enjoy the experience we would like them to come to school dressed as a character from any book We are hoping that with some advanced warning, you will have time to gather your thoughts and encourage your children to organise their costume in time for this day. Thank you for your continuing support. I wish you all the very best for 2024 and look forward to seeing all the wonderful costumes on Thursday March 7th, 2024. Kind regards,
Julie Mothersele
States of Matter matter to Lowers! In Science Lowers have been learning about States of Matter; after discussing solids, liquids and gases they tried to work out how close the atoms and molecules were in each state. Once they had discovered how close they are, we played the States of Matter game when the children became particles in different States, they did this atom acting game really well. We took this a step further when we made Liquid Lava Layers, understanding that oil is less dense than water and that the gas carbon dioxide made using the effervescent tablets stirred up the layers just like in a volcano. We talked about the bubble of gas going up and had great fun watching the moving ‘lava’. During the cold snap some children set up investigations at home to see if water froze when the temperature dropped below 0 degrees C outside by placing containers of liquid in the garden, the results were surprising. Great investigating Lowers!
Seniors
Science Live This week the Ditcham Community has been out and about in force. We love getting our children out of the classroom to experience different activities and also to engage with a wider audience. On Tuesday, our Year 10 students took a trip down to the Brighton Dome for Science Live. This was a fantastic day out in which they heard from leading scientists to give inspiring talks and also to show where their branch of science has taken them. The first talk was from Dr Giles Yeo, part of the Metabolic Research Lab at the University of Cambridge – his session focused on why our genetic makeup can lead to different body shapes and how we might decide to reach for that pizza slice instead of a stem of broccoli (and to be fair, not many would willingly reach for broccoli if given the choice….!). Then came the brilliant Maggie Aderin-Pocock from who walked us through the Universe and shared why she finds stars and the creation of our solar system so fascinating. Before the lunch break, we heard from Chief Examiner Stewart Chenery who gave some really helpful and insightful tips on GCSE exam success – how to get the maximum marks in questions and how to work smart when revising. Looking around the audience, it was good to see teachers AND pupils taking notes for these sessions! After a short lunch break, friend of Ditcham Park, Lord Robert Winston took us on a wonderful journey of embryo creation – not for the squeamish amongst us! With his usual spark and humour, Robert explained why pregnancy is a miracle and what happens when couples can’t conceive. Professor Sophie Scott, a researcher in Clinical neuroscience at University College London talked to us about why laughter is so good before the day ended in spectacular style with Professor Andrea
Sella discussing the science behind apparently ‘random’ patterns in nature. His Iodine clock experiment drew gasps of awe and a lot of applause. Who said science couldn’t be stage show?! The coach trip back to school was full of chatter about what they had seen at the show – suffice to say, it was a great tip! Science live tours the UK and its really worth going if you have even a passing interest – you will learn something new every time!
Careers – Information, Advice and Guidance
Get Inspired Portsmouth 2024 On Wednesday 24th January, Year 10 and 11 students attended the ‘Get Inspired Portsmouth 2024’ careers event, at The Guildhall in Portsmouth. The event was organised by the Education Business Partnership South in partnership with The Guildhall Trust. The event provided our students with the opportunity to gain a real understanding of the broad range of exciting career paths that the diverse businesses in and around the area have to offer, through interactive activities. It inspired students about local firms, employment, future career choices and opportunities with businesses in the Portsmouth area. Students were given the chance to learn about a huge variety of careers in the area, and ‘have a go’ at different skills and discover their talents. The students were able to speak to employers about real jobs. and be involved in quizzes and competitions to win fantastic prizes. With the ‘National Apprenticeship Week’ fast approaching, between the 5th and the 13th February 2024, the event also provided lots of opportunities to speak to companies about the different levels of Apprenticeships that they offered. Further details about Apprenticeships available in the local area can be found at: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk Independent careers advice and guidance can also be provided to anyone between the age 13 – Adult, through the ‘National Careers Service’ – www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk Its purpose is to help people to make decisions on learning, training and work. The service offers confidential, helpful and impartial advice, supported by qualified careers advisors. If you have any further questions about the careers provision at Ditcham Park School, please do not hesitate to contact me.
George Harris Head of History, Careers & Further Education
Sports News
U13 Girls Cricket On Monday the u13 girls cricket team competed in the Hampshire U13 indoor cricket tournament. Ditcham were in a group with Churchers, TPS and PHS. It was an 8 over innings game and it was the
first time the girls have played normal cricket rules were if you are out you are out. We started off against TPS and though the girls were a bit rusty with the ball they chased down 94 with a fantastic knock of 19 not out from Mackenzie G seeing us home. DPS lost narrowly to Churchers but bowled and fielded a lot better which was a major plus. Molly B played a swashbuckling innings of 22 not out and nearly saw us home. In the final match DPS needed to beat PHS to progress to the next round. Bowling first the girls restricted PHS to 92. We started brilliantly in reply with both Kitty S and Alina W retiring on 18 and 16 respectively. A middle order wobble meant Ditcham needed 7 off the last, the game went to the last ball and an incredible Yorker was bowled meaning the scores were tied. This meant that the team who scored the most runs off their first over won. PHS scored 7 and DPS scored 14 meaning the girls progress to the next round. It was a great day and the girls should be really proud of their efforts Key Performances: •
Molly B 22
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Mackenzie G 19
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Kitty S 18
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Alina W 16
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Nancy S 3-10 in two overs
Mr Walton Head of Junior PE
Year 7 rugby vs St Edmunds On Wednesday the Year 7 rugby team hosted St Edmunds in a 7's match. The game got off to a frantic start, with St Edmunds running in some early tries to put Ditcham on the backfoot. As they game developed Ditcham started to make more tackles and put pressure on the St Edmunds attack. Alfie H and Jamie B scored two individual tries which got Ditcham back in the game. In the second half Ditcham came out with more ferocity and it was really end to end. Dexter G and Jamie B again
ran over but in the end St Edmunds just had enough to win the match 10-6. It was a much better showing in the second half and the boys are certainly showing improvements. Well done to all Mr Walton Triangular U10 Rugby fixture v Boundary Oak & Sherfield School The boys had a very positive afternoon of Rugby at Boundary Oak on Wednesday 24th January. Two, 7 -a-side teams played three matches each and there was great teamwork on show. There was some impressive, fearless tackling from the boys along with some strong running with the ball. Both teams won all three of their games, so 6 wins out of 6 in total for Ditcham. Two of the games were won with a winning try on the final play of the game. Commitment until the final whistle was a joy to watch. Thank you to those parents and grandparents that were able to come along and support in such a positive manner – it was a very successful and enjoyable afternoon played in excellent spirit. Well played boys! Many thanks to Anders Bohea for the photos.
Mr Ainsworth
U8/U9 Tag Rugby The U8/U9 boys rugby teams travelled to Boundary Park for their annual tag tournament. The U9 started off a little rusty and the lack of support running effected the early matches. However with each game the boys grew in confidence and started playing some nice rugby. They defended stoically all afternoon and the focus now is to create more opportunities with ball in hand. Well done to the whole team and it was a really enjoyable afternoon. Thank you as always to the parents who came to watch, the support is much appreciated. The U8s had a very successful afternoon winning 4 out of their 6 games and they played some quick, flowing rugby that was great to watch. Thank you to Miles B who looked after the team and well done to all the team for working tirelessly all tournament. A great afternoon of rugby Mr Walton
U9/10 Hockey fixture vs Frensham
On Thursday, 12 lowers and middles travelled to Frensham Heights to play a friendly hockey fixture. On this occasion, we didn't manage to score any goals but we had some strong defending from Honor, Emmie, Emily and Matilda who stopped Frensham from scoring several goals. We worked on our spacial awareness and the strength of our push passes. Well done to all the girls!
Miss Small
Hampshire Schools Cross Country - Aldershot Last Saturday, Isla S and Millie T represented the South East District at the Hampshire Schools Cross Country. The girls competed in the junior age group against some of the strongest runners in the county. Millie stormed to a dominant victory leading from gun to tape. Isla got spiked by another competitor's cross country spike but showed great strength in her character to finish the race in a fantastic 20th place. Meanwhile, whilst Isla was running her twin sister Rose was swimming at the Hampshire County Relays in Winchester. Rose helped her team secured two silvers. Well done girls, Ditcham are very proud of your sporting achievements. Miss Small January MTB Adventure Ride A small but committed group of pupils assembled at school on Saturday morning for the start of a tough ride to the trails of Queen Elizabeth Country Park. Temperatures were low and a persistent wind tugged away warmth very quickly, so some rigorous riding was required. A minor disaster occurred within minutes of the school gate as Fergus, our ride leader, snapped his chain. With impressive stoicism, he urged us to push on while he made the repair and the speed with which he caught us up was testament to both his fitness and mechanical skills. There are a few testing hills on the trail to QECP and by the time we arrived at the start of the Blue Trail, worries about the cold had long since receded. The Blue Trail is familiar to terrain to most of our riders but was new to one, so we moved through the trail in sections, working on techniques as we encountered small jumps and berms. The new skills area developed at the bottom of QECP are fabulous resources for young riders and we spent an enjoyable hour there “sessioning” the various features. Our club riders wisely opted for a pick up at the park and so avoided the tough ride back. Our next ride is scheduled for the 25th February.
Mark Philips Adventure Sports Coordinator
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Fixtures Please see the table for upcoming fixtures. Do come along and support if you are able to!
PE Department
Notices and Events
Stay and Play dates We are hosting two Stay and Play sessions next week: Tuesday 30th January - Stay and Play in Preschool (9.30am to 11am) Friday 2nd February - Stay and Play in Reception (9.30am to 11am) Please do spread the word if you know of families who might be interested to come and see our Early Years in action!
Winter Wellbeing EVENING Session
Following on from the two successful morning workshops that Juliette Barnes, our in-house Wellbeing Coordinator ran this week, we are delighted to be able to offer an evening workshop for any parent or staff member who was unable to attend the morning sessions. This will be an amalgamation of the two workshops and thus is suitable for both Junior and Senior parents. You will explore the typical developmental stages and therefore what we should anticipate seeing in our children's behaviour. We will explore how to create an environment in which your child or children can thrive and feel secure and also discuss finding the balance between work, rest and play. To book, please click this link to complete a short form. You are welcome to bring along a couple of guests too, just add in the number of seats you require. Some light refreshments will be provided on arrival. We look forward to seeing you there!
Half Term Tennis Club! Sign up for our Half Term club with Ditcham Tennis Academy. Book through Ticket Source to secure your place on this popular 3-day camp.
Supporting our community We were really pleased that some play equipment that is too small for our Dragonflies could be donated to Harting Preschool. They sent us a couple of photos of it being used! If only children were that excited about cooking and washing up when they hit the teenage years....! Huge thanks to Giles from the Estates team who took it down to the preschool for us.
Rock Climbing Club If you are climbing the walls looking for activities for your children, then why not make them climb the walls instead?! Come along to Climb Chichester for some fun sessions and let them drive themselves up the wall whilst you have a cup of coffee.
Grease is THE Word! Tickets are now on sale and going fast! Coming soon! We will have four evening performances and two matinees and there will be the chance to pre-order a traditional American Diner meal of burger, fries and a milkshake from our Ditcham Diner before the weekday evening shows - there will be a pay bar and a tuck shop available too for each performance. We are also looking for anyone or any business who would like to sponsor the show in some way. If you are able to help us, please drop us an email and we can send you details of our sponsorship packages. Putting on a big, ambitious show like this requires a big and ambitious set and we can't wait for you to experience our bespoke black-box theatre and incredible set!
So spread the word. The only word. Grease. Its the word you need to be talking about....