Week ending Friday 29th January 2010

Year 9 Options
Today marks the end of the Year 9 Option Process. All option forms should now be with Ms Kelly. Yesterday’s Parent’s Evening provided Year 9 pupils with an opportunity to finalise their option choices following discussion with Subject Staff. If parent/carers or pupils have any outstanding questions related to the option process, they should contact Ms Brotherson (YC) or Ms Kelly (Deputy Head).

The Price
On Wednesday 27th January a theatre group performed a road safety play for our year 7 pupils entitled “The Price”.
The production was a fast moving multimedia presentation, focusing on road safety. The play dealt with the way young people behave on the streets and the tragic consequences that this can lead to. The play is based on actual events which led to the death of a young boy. His parents gave permission for the play to go ahead, in his memory, to help save lives.
Pupils are shown pictures and video footage of the teenager and the effect his death had on his parents and friends.
We have had this presentation for the last 4 years and plan to repeat it next year.

B4L Classroom Expectations as part of the Cumberland Code
Staff and pupils have been doing some interesting work around the type of behaviour which will best support learning. We have been answering the question “What behaviour is required to ensure a good lesson takes place?”
We have already agreed:

o Arrive on time in an orderly manner and with the correct equipment.
o Listen to the teacher and other students.
o Always follow instructions.
o Respect other people and their property.
o Do your best and allow others to do their best.

Sports News
Football:
Year 9 boy’s friendly - Cumberland 2 – 1 Rokeby

Indoor athletics:
Year 7 indoor athletics league: Following event held at Cumberland on Monday,
Girls team are now 2nd and Boys team are 6th in the borough league.

CSI at Cumberland

Today it was CSI Day at Cumberland School.

Friday 22nd January

GCSE Music Performance.
Congratulations to all those year 10 & 11 pupils who performed on Thursday evening as part of their GCSE course.

YEAR 11 Group Performances I
Shakiyl Choudhury & Joshua Evans – Falling (Alicia Keys)
Lok Kei Wan & Temitope Raheem – Slow Motion

YEAR 10 Compositions I
Stefan Taylor – Peaceful Playground
Hussain Ahmed - Breeze

YEAR 10 Solo Performances I
Nicola Gunnarsson – Etude (Otto Langley)
Romaine Rose-Cameron – O Mio Babbino Caro e Ben (Giuseppe Verdi)

YEAR 10 Compositions II
Shane Watson – 2012
Katherine Bulaon – Lost in Time

YEAR 11 Group Performance II
Laura McGrath & Chennel Chalmas – No-one (Alicia Keys)


YEAR 10 Solo Performances II
Stefan Taylor – Lightly Row
Hugo Ezimora – Drum Solo (own composition)


YEAR 10 Compositions III
Romaine Rose-Cameron – Oblivion
Ehimetalor Unuabona – Midnight Dream


YEAR 11 Solo Performances
Lok Kei Wan – Nostalgy (R. Clayderman)


YEAR 11 Special Events Compositions
Chennel Chalmas
Deverie Young


Year 10 Group Perfomances
Katherine Bulaon / Iris Kamara / Taiwo Olokayode / Kehinde Olokayode – Sunday Morning
Whole Group – Circle of Fifths (composed/arranged by Ms Eglin)

Goodbye to Ms Martyr who begins maternity leave on Friday 22nd January
Hello to Ms Passey who will be her replacement.

Year 11 Mock Exam Results
On Friday 22nd January the year 11 pupils received their Mock Exam Results. As always on these occasions some were happy while others realise that there is still a lot of work to do if they are to achieve their potential.

I reminded the year group that they only have approximately 70 days of school left, or put another way, 350 hours of lessons.

I reminded them that "If they do what they have always done they will get the same results". I know that most want to improve on where they are now.

Headteacher's Commendations
Congratulations to the following pupils who have received a letter of commendation for an aspect of their life at school.

Fateha Begum 8R
Kenny Lee 11B
Fatima Lakdawala 11E
Priscilla Asare 9N
David Nduka-Oladiti 9A
Malcolm Lukwago Bisaso 9N
Kyran Green 9C
Dhruv Patel 9C
Ali Ayerman 9C
Hira Ikram 8R
Noor Ishanzadah 10C
Tahiyat Huq 11E
Dana Hurley 9C
Peta-Kay Gordon 10C
Aromire Afolabi 10C
Matilda Cobham 10U
Kim Doan 10M

A challenging start to 2010

Since the recent snow first fell, last Wednesday (6th January), I have been enjoying it with my own family.

Unfortunately, for school, it has presented many challenges. Each day we have had to take extra measures to ensure staff and pupils remain safe. The main decision, we have taken on a daily basis, is to keep the pupils inside at break and lunch time. While this is OK for one or two days for a prolonged period it has put a strain on the school community.

Today, after consultation with Senior Colleagues, Governors and the Local Authority I took the decision to close at lunchtime. This decision will be reviewed daily. I do not expect to take this action every time it snows. However it is a consequence of a prolonged spell of very poor weather.

Olympic Champion visits Cumberland

OLYMPIC CHAMPION TO PATRON GAMES

Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu MBE will be the official patron of the 2010 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games, which was launched at Cumberland School on Friday 8th January.

Christine is the UK’s most successful athlete of recent years, having won gold at the 2007 World Athletics Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games to go alongside her famous victory in Beijing in 2008.

As a youngster, she cut her competitive teeth at the London Youth Games, representing her borough of Newham in netball and athletics. The Balfour Beatty London Youth Games are Europe’s biggest annual youth sport event. In 2009, the Games saw over 47,000 participants from 33 boroughs taking part in 30 different sports.Christine said: “I am really happy to be patron of the 2010 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games. It is an event which holds a lot of fond memories for me.“When I was a youngster, the games were always one of the highlights of the year. It was always very competitive, but also lots of fun too. There was always a great spirit among your team-mates and healthy rivalry between each of the boroughs.“It was a really rewarding experience in my early days in sport and I know it continues to be a massively popular event right across the city.

Anthony Kendall, Chairman, London Youth Games said: “It is an honour to have a sportsperson of the standing of Christine Ohuruogu as our patron for 2010. She has come a long way from being a young netballer representing Newham at the London Youth Games to becoming one of the world’s finest athletes.“She is the perfect example of how a positive sporting experience at a young age can lead on to so much more in life. With Christine’s support we are looking to build on the huge success of last year as we strive to make this year’s Balfour Beatty London Youth Games the biggest and best yet.”

Cumberland goes Into the Hoods

Despite the snow and below freezing weather conditions, on the evening of Friday 8th January a group of Year 10 GCSE Drama candidates visited the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank to see the award winning ‘Into the Hoods’.

The amazing performance was put on by Zoo Nation, a talented group of young performers who have already taken part at the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony, Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations at Hyde Park, and who have appeared on television shows such as Graham Norton’s ‘When Will I Be Famous’, ‘Popworld’ and ‘The Late Edition’.

Cumberland in the snow