Bexley Grammar House Athletic Championships
10th June 2023

Pupils are allowed to compete in one Track event,
one Field event and one Relay event only.

ALL FIELD COMPETITORS ARE TO COME CHANGED IN PE KIT AND REPORT TO THE RELEVANT TEACHER AT THE ACTIVITY AREA. PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENT START TIMES. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR SPECTATORS TO ATTEND FIELD EVENTS FOR SAFETY REASONS.

PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENT START TIMES AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE PRESENT AT LEAST 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE START OF YOUR EVENT

Book donations for Summer Fayre!

I am going to be running a stall selling books at the fayre, and would gratefully appreciate any donations of books to sell, in particular children's books and young adult books. Any donations can be dropped at Reception or the library.

Many thanks,

Mrs Carey, School Librarian

24 May 2023
Pre-loved Donations Wanted!
Read more
24 May 2023
Summer Fayre Bakers Wanted!
Read more

PE News

Cricket News

Our superstar Year 9 cricket leaders did a great job running their first Year 5/6 competition for local primary schools. They are hosting one after half-term, too, so the practice will be good for them!

 

Joseph and Dev each produced breakthrough innings for the U15s on Thursday, but it wasn’t enough to beat a Chis and Sid side who did well to take their chances. On to the next one…

Mr Lines, Head of PE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Football Success in Year 8 

Huge congratulations to Jamie Hawney (8ERE) and Austin Tanner (8STA) for winning the Junior Premier League National Champions with Welling United, on Sunday 20th March 2023.

Having already won their regional leagues this season. Welling United were up against 11 other national teams at the JPL National Championships on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st May, at Warwick University. 

The matches were tough, but Welling came top of their group having won 3 games & drawing 2 games & scoring a total of 10 goals. The final was a tense final match against Bristol, which saw Welling United eventually win 1-0. They were crowned as the JPL National Champions which was an amazing achievement in itself given the exceptional high standard of football played out over the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Austin & Jamie were exceptional over the weekend & played their part in the success of Welling United being crowned Junior Premier League National. Two future football players to watch out for I am sure.

Congratulations to you both and excellent results.

Mrs Belton Owen
Director of Studies, Year 8

 

Year 9 Rounders

Our Year 9 rounders teams had a wonderful afternoon playing one their favourite summer sports as we hosted the Bexley Borough rounders tournament in the week before half-term.  We had no less than 22 girls taking part and fielded two teams.  A fantastic opportunity for the players and a chance to demonstrate their batting and fielding prowess, which we have been developing in their weekly training sessions.  8 schools attended the tournament, which resulted in fierce competition for the title of Bexley Borough Champions!  Mrs Mallin and I were very proud of the girls as they finished overall as runners-up and our second team in 4th position.  Your commitment, enthusiasm and team morale is an absolute joy to be a part of.  Well done girls! 

I think Darina sums up their time well.

"Participating in any competition against other schools is always fun - all of us had such a good time, and we managed to improve our teamwork to become even better than before! I am very proud of all of my friends and hope there will be more opportunities to participate in rounders' tournaments in the future."  Darina Mitkova, 9KAS

Mrs Howard and Mrs Mallin

Geography News

Year 7 Docklands Diploma Trip 2023

Before the half-term break, the Geography department took the whole of Year 7 to visit the London Docklands to assess how successful the regeneration of the area has been.  This will then be used for the students to complete their Geography diploma.  All students were superb ambassadors for BGS as well as being very engaged in the regeneration of the area - Well done! 

Read on to see what 3 students shared about their trip:

“The Geography school trip was spectacular and we saw so many modern buildings. My highlight was going to the Museum of London Docklands and finding out about many cool things I didn’t know, such as how much money it took to build the London Docklands (£66,000,000)! I also enjoyed filling in the booklet we were given with my ideas and facts to help me with my diploma. We went to two destinations on the trip, one of which was Canary Wharf with enormous buildings which we took photos of. 

This was Princess’s opinion on the school trip and some interesting facts she learnt, saying:

“We discovered many fascinating things about London's history, the Docklands Regeneration, and businesses in central London during our enjoyable and thrilling excursions to the docklands. I discovered that the development of the DLR improved access to the London Docklands by making it quicker and easier and the establishment of jobs in the neighbourhood. There were only 28,000 employees there in 2000, as opposed to 105,000 today. 8,000 local government dwellings are being upgraded.''  Princess Otto

And a comment from Zoe:

“I found the trip fascinating as it not only allowed us to find out more about this historic location, but also we were able to see the incredible buildings and the artwork (statues and more) that was put in place, along with 1.5 square kilometres of green spaces, making the area beautiful as well as effective!.”  Zoe Chown

“Altogether, quite a good school trip and I would recommend visiting the docklands too.”  Grace Shaw

Miss Ashman, Geography Department

Safeguarding Update

Dear Parents/Carers,

This week I would like to draw your attention to concerns around vaping. While in the past it may be marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, it is crucial for parents and carers to be aware of the potential risks associated with vaping.

Health Risks:

Vaping exposes individuals to various harmful substances, including nicotine, chemicals, and potentially toxic aerosol particles. The long-term effects of vaping are still being studied, but early research suggests it can lead to:
a. Nicotine addiction: Vaping products often contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can have a significant impact on a young person's developing brain.
b. Respiratory issues: Vaping can cause lung damage and respiratory problems, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. It may also increase the risk of respiratory infections.
c. Cardiovascular problems: Studies have shown that vaping can negatively affect heart health and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
d. Adverse effects on mental health: Evidence suggests a link between vaping and increased anxiety, depression, and mood disorders in adolescents.

Gateway to Smoking:

Vaping can serve as a gateway to traditional cigarette smoking. Research indicates that young people who start with vaping are more likely to progress to smoking cigarettes later on.

Unknown Long-Term Effects:

Since vaping is a relatively new phenomenon, the long-term health consequences are not yet fully understood. However, early studies raise concerns about potential risks to overall health and well-being.

We would encourage you to explore resources on the risks of vaping. The following websites provide valuable insights and evidence-based advice:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

BBC health

By educating ourselves about the dangers of vaping, we can have open and informed conversations with our children, helping them make healthy choices. It is important to maintain an ongoing dialogue with your child, discussing the risks associated with vaping and reinforcing the importance of making responsible decisions.

If you have any concerns or require further support, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,
 
Mr S Auckland, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy Head
 
Past safeguarding updates can be found on our website or by clicking on the link here.
 

 News items you may have missed

 

Native speakers of French or Italian…

We are looking for members of our school community, who are native speakers of French or Italian who would like to join our amazing team of Modern Foreign Language teachers in September 2023 to maximise the exposure our sixth form students have to authentic conversation in their chosen language of study.

The Language team would organise a schedule around your availability, which would allow for small workshops and conversation classes of 2–5 students. We are looking for native speakers who could ask students questions and support them to articulate and develop their responses accurately. Our Language teachers would support you with the planning of the workshops and topics for discussion. Topics of interest include: Identity, Traditions, Tourism, Food, Culture, School Systems, Equality and The Environment.

If you would like to know more, please contact symons_m@bexleygs.co.uk. We would welcome the chance to include our wider community in our mission to continue to provide an outstanding curriculum.

The MFL Team

Lost Property

If your child has lost any of the items shown above or anything else, please click on the link here to report lost property or email us directly
reception@bexleygs.co.uk.

Reception Team

Dates for your Diary

June

Thursday 8th ~ Final day to purchase Summer Fayre ONLINE raffle ticket (see notice)
Saturday 10th ~ NORMAL SCHOOL DAY (BGS Summer Fayre & Sports Day -see notice)
Saturday 10th ~ PA Pre-loved uniform sale (see notice)

MONDAY 12th ~ SCHOOL CLOSED DAY IN LIEU OF SUMMER FAYRE & SPORTS DAY
Wednesday 14th June to Friday 16th June Year 7 & 8 Exams. 
Click on the links below:
here to read Mrs Boulden's letter
here to read Mrs Belton Owen's letter

Wednesday 21st ~ PA Meeting 7.30-9pm (see notice)

Wednesday 28th ~ GCSE EXAMS CONTINGENCY DAY

July

Tuesday 4th-Friday 7th ~ The Addams Family Musical 7pm (see notice)

Wednesday 12th ~ Jazz Evening 6pm (watch this space)