George Mitchell School Times Summer 2019
Talented Maryam’s high praise for her teachers FORMER student Maryam Chergui, who is now studying at one of the top universities in the world, has paid tribute to the teachers at George Mitchell for putting her on the path to success. She says the unique blend of encouragement, support and dedication shown by teaching staff at George Mitchell helped her fulfil her potential. Maryam is now in her second year of a Chemistry degree at King’s College London, which was ranked in the top 25 universities worldwide last year. She said: “My time at George Mitchell was fantastic and the reason it was so good was because of the teachers. “They cared for you and encouraged you but most of all they pushed you not only to do your very best and fulfil your potential but to believe in yourself and believe you can achieve your ambitions. “George Mitchell is a very special place because you really felt that the teachers cared about you, wanted you to succeed and be the best you can be.” Maryam, who left in 2015 with top GCSE grades, reserved special praise for her Maths teacher, Mr Frimpong and Art teacher, Mr Alexander. She added: “They were the best of a very good group of teachers. They inspired me and they gave me a passion and love for their subject – everything a teacher should do but isn’t always able to.”
Tips: Maryam helps George Mitchell pupils during a Chemistry workshop at King’s College
Maryam studied A-Levels in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and French. She has advised current students to talk to teachers about their future plans. She added: “Students have an incredible resource in their teachers to talk about their
Hasan’s name highlighted after scholarship success YEAR 11 Hasan Patel had his name printed in The Times newspaper in recognition of winning a scholarship to Eton College. As is the custom for the world-famous school, the names of students who have been offered a scholarship place in the upcoming academic year are published in the announcements section of the paper. Hasan (right) won a £76,000 scholarship to Princes William and
Harry’s old school Eton in December last year, thanks to our new scholarship programme. He will rub shoulders with the elite when he takes his place to study A-Levels in History, Geography, Politics and Drama Studies in September. He won his place after coming through a gruelling three-day assessment at the Berkshire School which included three entrance exams, seven interviews and a public debate.
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career and university ambitions, use it. Talk to them, they will have the information you need. “Nothing will happen if you keep your ambitions and dreams to yourself. You need help and they will help you get there.”
Generations combine for a community party STUDENTS celebrated a unique intergenerational art project by inviting the community to celebrate at a street party. Artwork created by George Mitchell primary students and residents from a local care home was on display at the event held in June. There was also music from the school’s steel band, while both old and young dressed up in costumes to mark the first year of the partnership. Quality Street, run in conjunction with arts charity Magic Me, aims to build confidence, creative thinking, partnership and communication skills between the younger and older generations. Years 3 and 5 pupils have been working with residents from the Seddon Centre, most of whom are in their 70s, 80s and 90s. Experienced artists are running the workshops in a range of subjects, including music, theatre, visual arts, film and storytelling, with classes being led by experienced artists. They also created a mural with a local football team in partnership with Leyton Orient FC. Care home resident Fatima, 71, said: “It has been an amazing project, amazing. Spending time with children has made me feel so young again – it has been like getting a new lease of life. “The party was just so special, so many children and older people together. This is such a great idea and they should do it everywhere.
“Older people need to be kept occupied and have exciting things like this to do. “I hope the children got as much out of it as we have.” Year 5 pupil Shihon said: “It has been really nice spending time with the elderly people at
the care home. We have learned so much from them and really enjoyed it. “I had a great time with my family at the street party. It has been great showing all my friends and family and the community all the work we have done.”
Students given preview of university life MORE Able students got a taste of life at a top university on a Chemistry outreach day at King’s College. They took part in four analytical experiments themed around identifying compounds. The day trip gave students the opportunity to use advanced equipment which will help when taking their practical exams at GCSE. Year 10 student Bianca Andreea said: “King’s College is an amazing place – really inspiring with amazing equipment and amazing professors. I would love to go there to study for a degree. “You can tell as soon as you set foot in there that you are in a very top place for learning. We got the chance to talk to current students and have a look around.” More Able Coordinator Ms Kenny said: “Giving students the opportunity to experience life at a top university goes a long way to motivating and encouraging them to apply to and ultimately attend these top institutions.”
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Anisah inspired by Steinberg tale The operatic retelling of John Steinberg’s novel, A Man of Good Hope, inspired this write-up by Year 8 pupil Anisah (right). Here she discusses why she enjoyed the performance at the Royal Opera House. compliments excellently the narration of the main character by adding to the sense of drama and lending poignancy to the sad moments. It helps the audience to truly understand how the character is feeling. This show is amazing and I would definitely recommend it. From the exquisite production to the mesmerising roller-coaster of emotions, this heart-wrenching story of a young Somali boy and his life deserves all recognition and more.
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The story is a tragic tale of a young boy called Asad who had an extremely difficult childhood. He overcomes it by being resilient despite having to deal with lots of challenges. His mother is shot and killed and so he travels to Somalia to live with a distant cousin but then she is shot and so is then tasked with looking after her before she leaves for America. He grows up and becomes a successful business man, he marries, has a child. But then tragedy strikes again and his other cousin dies. His world comes crashing down once more. There are many reoccurring themes such as war, death and love which really stick with the audience. The acting was marvellous and really sells the characters and their hardships. The music
Pupils to give park plot a much-needed facelift GEORGE Mitchell pupils will be responsible for giving an unloved plot of land a full gardening makeover after winning a competition. Our students’ diversity-themed garden will transform the space in Linear Park, thanks to a lottery-funded renovation project. They will plant flowers that represent the different races, religions and nationalities, as well as a LGBT flag-themed flower bed. The winning group has enlisted the support of our Gardening Club, who will be helping with the planting and tending of the garden. They have also been studying the bio science of the garden in class to learn the best types of flowers and plants for the soil. Year 9 student Willow Norman said: “We were really happy to win the competition because we wanted to have the opportunity to take part in the project. “The whole project has brought science to life for us because we are interested to know which flowers and plants we need for the soil.” Fellow Year 9 Tiana Quinton said: “We wanted to create a garden that represented our school and our community. I think that is what made our idea unique. This has become
Focus on bike safety PRIMARY students learned how to be safe while cycling thanks to the weeklong Bikeability programme. Bikeability training is delivered at three levels, starting in traffic-free environments progressing to cycling on busy roads and across junctions. It replaces the old cycle proficiency test, which used to be carried out in primary schools and was introduced in 1947.
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a real team project because we are now getting help from the Gardening Club and science department. It is really exciting.” Ms Kenny said: “This project has really enriched students’ knowledge of GCSE topics and given them something practical and meaningful that they can apply their learning to.”
Playground garden THERE are plans to replicate the Linear Park project at George Mitchell thanks to money raised by a sponsored event. The science department wants to put the £650 raised from taking part in the Olympic Park fun run for a mini garden in the playground.
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Shopping trip: Some students collected a variety of plants (above) for the George Mitchell playground garden, while the Linear Park project (below) is already taking shape
Students wow audience with play performance STUDENTS left the stage with applause ringing in their ears after a very impressive dramatic performance. George Mitchell’s budding actors brought the house down at the Donmar Warehouse with their 15-minute play themed on cultural identity and language. The show, partly developed by students, was the culmination of three months of weekly drama workshops with professional actors. Year 9 student Sofiane Regab’s stage craft won praise from a professional actor in
the audience, who singled him out after the performance. He said: “It was strange. He came up to me afterwards and told me how impressed he had been by my performance. “It was really amazing to get praise from a professional actor. “He told me that I had talent and that I should keep acting. He was really impressed with my performance. It has motivated me to get involved more with acting.” Year 10 Vinnie Rodriguez said: “The
feeling of getting up in front of the audience and performing is something I have never experienced before. “There is nothing like it.” Head of Drama Ms Bradley added: “The students were utterly incredible; I could not have been prouder of the way they conducted themselves and performed. “As they will say themselves, they have developed so much as people and as actors throughout this project. It has had a profound impact.”
LEYTON Orient footballer Marvin Ekpiteta talked about the importance of hard work for a successful career during a visit to the school.
Pupils focusing on religion
AS a reward for the tireless effort and dedication during their SAT exams, Year 6 pupils were treated to a day out at Jubilee Park.
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PRIMARY pupils have been learning about different religions and cultures on visits to places of religious worship. Each year group has visited gurdwaras, mosques, churches and temples throughout East London to teach students to respect and value others. They learned to meditate, were given a delicious meal, took part in prayer and sang hymns. By the time students leave George
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Mitchell Primary, they will have visited a place of religious worship for every major religion practised in the UK. Primary Head of School Ms Williams said: “It is of the greatest importance to teach students the importance of tolerance and respect for others. “Spending time in different places of religious worship gives them a balanced and broader view of those with which they share their school and community.”
Travel ambassadors to pitch in with safety video OUR Young Travel Ambassadors have once again secured funding to make students safer on the roads. They will spend a £250 grant on producing a video highlighting the dangers on the roads and creating an obstacle course for students to practise safely. Pitching to a Dragon’s Den-style panel at Transport for London (TfL) headquarters in Stratford, the students won backing for a video to raise awareness of safety issues when crossing the road. Yassir, a Young Travel Ambassador for George Mitchell, said: “Staying safe on the road is something that young people need to have more awareness about. “We want to produce a video which really stays with our fellow students and makes them think twice when crossing roads. This is a really important project because it can save lives.” Paige, also a Young Travel Ambassador, said: “It was really exciting to pitch our ideas to the panel at Transport for London. It made you feel like you were in a real-life Dragon’s Den.”
Student volleyball helpers having a ball on the beach STUDENTS have been hailed as a credit to the school after being ball retrievers at an Olympic Games volleyball qualifier. The group of 16 pupils gave up their Saturday to assist at the Continental Cup, a ranking event for Tokyo 2020. Year 8 student Alfie Butterfield said:
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“It was really good fun being so close to top athletes at an Olympic Games qualifier. It is not something you get to do most weekends. Fellow pupil Nalia Macintosh added: “I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be looking out for the sports people we worked with when they are at the Olympic Games.”
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THERE were smiles all round when the caterpillars our nursery pupils have been nurturing transformed into beautiful butterflies.
THE school celebrated a love of reading by holding a Book Fair with books on sale for as little as £1 in July.
Workshop inspiration for young business minds BUDDING entrepreneurs got top tips on setting up their own business from industry professionals at Invest in Education, held at University College London. They heard talks on negotiation, finance, marketing, leadership and presentation before applying their newly acquired knowledge in challenge workshops. Year 10 student Abadhe Ahmed said: “I
really enjoyed the negotiation exercise. It gave me a very good understanding of why you need to listen to and cooperate with people to get the best outcome. “It showed me different ways of working and there were lots of really good ideas from the speakers. They were inspiring because many of them came from very normal backgrounds.”
Pupils get early insight into university learning PRIMARY students learned about ancient Egypt, zoology and History of Art as part of a partnership project with University College London. The Year 5s got a taste of life at one of the world’s top universities while visiting exhibitions in UCL’s museum department. The sessions were followed up by workshops back at George Mitchell, which were supported by postgraduate students from the university. Highlights included learning about mummification, seeing lion skulls and viewing prints from world-famous artist Rembrandt. Pupils also created their own historical artefacts inspired by the project, which were showcased at the George Mitchell Museum of Objects. Pupil Cristian said: “I really enjoyed the art workshop where we got the chance to make prints. It was a really fun project.” Fellow pupil Charlotte said: “The workshops
were really fun. We learned lots of stuff we didn’t know before. I enjoyed the art classes. I would like to do that at university.” Year 5 teacher Mr Newlands said: “Students came away with a better understanding of what exactly university is and how it applies to their futures.
“They are at an age now where many of them know what university is but it is still a bit alien to them. The purpose was to give them exposure to it in a fun and digestible way.” The school also has a new mascot – the Asiatic Mouse Deer, adopted as part of the partnership with UCL (above).
School cyclists compete in a mini Tour GEORGE Mitchell cyclists tested their newly acquired riding skills against other primary schools in a borough cycle race. The Mini Tour De Waltham Forest saw Year 6 students compete in a series of races against other local primary schools. Aside from the racing, pupils took part in a range of activities themed on pedal power technology. They also learned about bike maintenance and got tips from experts at Cycle England during the trip to Jubilee Park in June. Year 6 pupil Mark said: “It was really exciting to race on behalf of my school and to compete in a proper race.” Fellow Year 6 Maliyah added: “We are encouraged at school to always take the healthy option by walking or cycling to school, so we love getting involved projects like this.”
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We aim to bring life-changing experiences that breed ambition and belief in students Headteacher Mr Hussain reflects on another memorable year at George Mitchell School... completed all of their GCSE exams and we look forward to celebrating their results with them in August. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who have offered extra support to students both after school and during the holidays to prepare them for their exams. I know that students are hugely appreciative of the extra support. In this newsletter you will be able to read about some of the many activities that have taken place this term, including a visit to
the world-famous King’s College London, winning yet more funding from Transport for London to improve road safety, and hearing enterprise tips from leading academics at UCL. At George Mitchell, we pride ourselves on offering life-changing enrichment experiences which instil in students an ambition and belief in themselves. This will continue to be the case. It just remains for me to wish you all a safe and relaxing summer break. I look forward to welcoming everyone back in September refreshed and relaxed after the holidays.
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IT has been yet another action-packed year full of academic achievement at George Mitchell. I must first thank the highly skilled and dedicated teaching staff who continue to go the extra mile for our students. A school stands and falls on the quality of its teachers and we have some of the very best I have worked with. This is complimented by a highly ambitious, highly motivated bright cohort of pupils who never cease to amaze me with their humour, inquisitiveness and attitude to work. In this environment, being the Headteacher of George Mitchell is a real pleasure. Our Year 11 students have now
Students put MP on the spot in Parliament visit STUDENTS got the chance to quiz Leyton MP John Cryer on local issues during a visit to the Houses of Parliament. They asked the local constituent MP about issues affecting the area such as healthcare, housing and the safety of young people. Students had been inspired after taking part in a workshop where they were tasked with creating a manifesto for their own political party before voting on which candidate to elect. Year 8 student Spirit said: “My favourite part was meeting our local MP Mr Cryer. He was very good at listening to our concerns about the area we live in. “We learned that you have to speak up about issues and tell politicians how you feel otherwise you won’t make change.” Fellow Year 8 student Ralitza said: “If you want things to change you have to be heard. We learned that in the session and about how important is to be engaged in politics.” Head of Humanities Ms Lewis said: “It is incredibly important that the young people at our school feel empowered and engaged in the political process.”
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George Mitchell students have been getting top tips on how to become the next Richard Branson thanks to a mentoring programme run by West Ham United. The Premier League club’s education team have been teaching Year 9 and 10 pupils the skills needed to start their own business.
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Pupils have learned product design, marketing and retail sales, coming up with ideas for products that could be sold in the club’s shop. During the weekly sessions, they also heard from a range of speakers including a lawyer who represents top Premier League stars. Year 10 student Osman said:
“Our idea has won a lot of praise. “We want to do a patchwork kit of all the years West Ham has won a trophy in a season. “It has been interesting because you learn via a subject you have a lot of interest in, like football. “It makes it more interesting for us.”
GEORGE MITCHELL PICTURE GALLERY
PUPILS got a unique opportunity to see Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca at the Royal Opera House.
PRIMARY pupils joining us in September had an action-packed day of Sports, Science and Drama at our Transition Day in June.
NURSERY students celebrated the Queen’s birthday by making and wearing their own crowns.
YEAR 1 students performed their class assembly to an audience of families in May.
Former England cricket captain Graham Gooch chatted to students and posed for pictures at the grand opening of the Leyton Cricket Hall.
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