Mental Health Awareness Week
A Resounding Success!

(Monday 13th - Friday 17th May)

A cheerful image from Monday's bake sale: the psychology prefects are selling an
array of delicious treats. Their smiles reflected the success of the event!

Mental Health Awareness Week, organised by Miss Gowdie (Psychology teacher) and the dedicated psychology prefects, was a vibrant and impactful event this year. Kicking off with a bake sale on Monday, May 13th, the generosity of our students was overwhelming. The sheer amount of treats donated allowed us to host a second bake sale on Tuesday, May 14th, during both break and lunch times. To further raise awareness, Thursday, May 16th, was designated as "Wear Green Day." Students showed their support by donning green attire or accessories and contributing donations to YoungMinds and Place2Be charities. The week culminated in a dynamic "Move Day" on Friday, May 17th, where both students and teachers participated in an array of activities including races, juggling, hula-hooping, and kick-up competitions. The energy and enthusiasm were palpable, creating a lively atmosphere that resonated throughout the school.

In the lively snapshot from Friday's Move Day, three beaming teachers proudly
display their medals after winning the hula-hoop contests.

Here are statements from our dedicated psychology prefects, Princela and Farida, reflecting on the week's activities and their impact on our school community.

To promote Mental Health Awareness Week, I, along with some of the other Senior Prefects, helped give an assembly to the Year 7s, during which we discussed the importance of mental health awareness, the signs to look out for in yourself and others, as well as coping strategies. This assembly was very successful! Some of the events of the week included a Bake Sale, Wear A Green Item Day and Move For Mental Health, which included lunchtime activities on the Friday. The Bake Sale managed to raise a total of £109.50! All of which will be donated to mental health charities ‘Young Minds’ and ‘Place2Be’!

Princela

In a delightful image, Mr. Griffin is captured in the
midst of hula-hooping.

For the ‘Wear a Green Item Day’, students were encouraged to bring in a green item to raise awareness for the two chosen charities, ‘Young Minds’ and ‘Place2Be’.

Move for Mental Health (lunchtime activities), was a very eventful and successful lunch where not just students of all year groups, but teachers too engaged in multiple activities at lunch to get them moving! We had a variety of juggling, hula-hooping, keepy-uppy competitions and a race! Some winners of each competition even got special medals as a reward for their accomplishments. Overall, it was a fantastic way to keep everyone engaged and moving!

Farida

 Year 9 students proudly hold up their medals (well deserved win!) from the
hula-hoop contest. The competition was intense!

MFL News

Sofie translated a passage from a novel by Susan Kreller called ‘Elektrische Fische’ (Carlsen Verlag 2019).

Und als ich an diesem stürmischen Samstag im April den Ostseewind auf der Haut spüre und ihn sogar riechen kann, da ist mein Zuhause zum ersten Mal wieder da, es ist kein Ostseewind, es ist ein irischer Wind, und alles stimmt, die Windstärke und diese warme Sorte Kälte und wie weich die Luft ist, alles fühlt sich genau irisch an.

Der Wind ist Dublin.

Und Dublin weht mich an, weht um mich herum, umzingelt mich, es bringt meine Haare durcheinander und die meisten meiner Gedanken, Dublin riecht nach Samstag und Stille und Velgower Baumblüten, nach gewaschener Wäsche und nach Kartoffeln, Fleisch, Gemüse, nach einer-einzigen-Zigarette-nur, die zwischen zwei Großvater Fingern klemmt, nach Frühlingswärme mit kühlen Streifen und einfach nur nach Wind.

Und jetzt ist dieser Wind in meiner Nase und in meinem Kopf und auf meiner Haut, aber ich kann ihn nicht festhalten, so sehr ich es auch versuche. Was mich am Anfang noch froh gemacht hat, bringt mich jetzt fast zum Weinen, ich greife nach dem Wind und wie Sand

rinnt er mir durch die Finger, nur viel leichter, viel weicher, und irgendwann reicht es mir

und ich denke, wenn mir der Wind mein Zuhause nicht zurückgibt, dann vielleicht das Meer.

And on this stormy April Saturday, when I can sense — or perhaps even smell — that Baltic wind on my skin, my home has returned to me once again. It is not a Baltic wind. It is an Irish wind. And everything lines up, with the wind strength and that warm type of cold and how soft the air is. Everything simply feels Irish.

The wind is Dublin.

And Dublin blows its wind at me, blows and surrounds me; I am surrounded. It blows my hair and most of my thoughts into a tangled mess. Dublin smells of Saturday and silence and Velgower tree-blossoms, of freshly-cleaned clothing, and of potatoes, meat, vegetables, of the just-one-more cigarette, resting between two of my grandfather’s fingers, of spring warmth interspersed with cool spells, and just — wind.

And now that wind blows up my nose and in my mind and on my skin, but I can’t hang onto it, no matter how hard I try. What used to make me so happy now brings me close to tears. I grieve the wind and it, like sand, runs through my fingers, only much lighter, much softer. And soon it’s all too much for me, and I think: if the wind doesn’t return my home, then perhaps it will give me the sea.

05 Jun 2024
MFL Trip to Oxford University
In May, the MFL Department ran their very first MFL trip to Oxford University with a selection of our Year 10 and Year 12 linguists. The focus of the trip was to give our most enthusiastic linguists a glimpse of the opportunities that studying languages at university could open, especially when comb...
Read more

PE News

The weather was finally on our side this week with rounders wins all round for the Year 8s and 9s against Trinity. The three Year 8 teams fielded solidly, with the Year 9s equally demonstrating a strong performance.

Players of the match were awarded to: Mary, Marla and Zara. Well done all! 

Mrs Kemp and Mrs Mallin, PE Department

PA News

23 May 2024
Adventure Island Discounted Wristbands Order by noon on 23/5/24
Read more

PA Events

June

PA Meeting
7:30pm – 9:00pm
26
June

A Message from the Examinations Office

GCSE Examination Timetable Summer 2024

The GCSE timetable for examinations to be taken in 2024 is now available on the school website or by clicking on the link here. 

GCSE Contingency Days Summer 2024

Please note, contingency days are timetabled for the afternoons of 6th and 13th June, as well as Wednesday 26th June 2024. These contingency days are designed to be used in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations.

This means that all exam candidates must be available to sit exams from the date of their first exam until Wednesday 26 June 2024.

This decision is not a school decision and does apply to all candidates in all schools.

Mrs Bono, Examinations Office

Year 11 Preparing for Revision

The booklet can be viewed on the school website under the header Teaching and Learning/ Year 11 or by clicking on the link here.

Thank you 

Please click on the link here to access all our Safeguarding Updates

News items you may have missed

Greenwich

If your child attends a school in another borough, you will need to apply to the relevant council or school directly. APPLY TO BEXLEY.

Tower Hamlets 

Children whose parents live in the borough but who attend schools outside the borough. Parents should apply to the authority where the school is located. APPLY TO BEXLEY.

Medway

Does not specify the location of the school and just has a link to applications. 

https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200164/school_information/354/free_school_meals. You may need to go via Bexley after this process. 

Bromley 

If your child attends a non-Bromley school, you must apply to the local authority where the school is situated. APPLY TO BEXLEY.

Dartford 

If your child attends a non-Dartford school, you must apply to the local authority where the school is situated. APPLY TO BEXLEY.

When these applications are completed, a notification should be sent to the school for us to update records accordingly, but it may be worth the parents sending in the email confirmation to us too.

Bexley Application Link

https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/free-school-meals/how-apply-free-school-meals/free-school-meals-form

Don't delay, apply today!

Lost Property

We kindly remind parents/carers to please write your child's name wherever possible on their items so that the Reception Team can return property to the correct student.

Please click on the link here to report lost property or email us directly via
reception@bexleygs.co.uk.

Reception Team

Dates for your Diary

June

GCSE Contingency (afternoon)
12:00pm – 6:30pm
06
June
Summer Fayre & Sports Day (normal school day)
9:25am – 2:45pm
08
June
School closed except for public examinations
8:30am – 3:15am
10
June
GCSE Contingency (afternoon)
12:00pm – 6:30pm
13
June
GCSE Contingency Day
8:00am – 6:30pm
26
June

July

Legally Blonde Production (see poster to book your tickets)
7:00pm – 9:30pm
02
July
Legally Blonde Production (see poster to book your tickets)
7:00pm – 9:30pm
03
July
Legally Blonde Production (see poster to book your tickets)
7:00pm – 9:30pm
04
July
Legally Blonde Production (see poster to book your tickets)
7:00pm – 9:30pm
05
July
Jazz & Pizza Evening (click here to book your tickets)
6:00pm – 8:30pm
17
July