Since the last newsletter several additional news items need to be passed on to all parents.

Parking We waste so much time on this and it is a distraction from the important work of running a school! I am getting very frustrated by a small group of inconsiderate parents who continue to park in the wrong places and then are abusive when challenged. Not only do these people cause problems within our site but I am also getting complaints from the residents of Balls Park as parents are using Balls Park as a drop off zone. I am afraid this is totally unacceptable. Most of our students live in Hertford and can walk to school. I do not understand why they need to be driven to and from school. Parents sometimes wait up to half an hour to pick up which blocks our car parking area. We spend a great deal of time with students promoting walking to school, outlining all the benefits - please support us and now that the evenings are lighter it should be easier and safer for students to walk home. Please, please, can all parents be more considerate. Thank you.

Exam League Tables These were published nationally last week and our entry deserves some commentary. Please refer to http://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/exam-results/ And finally: Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Pooley (Head of Year 11) on the birth of their son Joshua. Both Mother and son are doing very well. May I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support during these recent cold months of January and February and wish the whole school a restful mid term break.

Alison Saunders

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Term Dates Spring Term : 5th Jan to 2nd April Half Term : 16th-20th Feb Summer Term : 20th Apr to 22nd Jul Half Term : 25th-29th May February Wed 25th : Year 10 Art Trip Year 13 RE Trip Thurs 26th : Year 13 Parents Evening March Mon 2nd : Full Governing Body Meeting at 7pm Thurs 5th : Year 12 Parents Evening Fri 6th : Big Band Evening at 7.45pm Thurs 12-14th : Year 13 Geography Trip Fri 13th : Non Uniform Day Mon 30th : Year 10 Field Trip

13th February 2015

THIS ISSUE: Introduction Readathon Non-Uniform Days Stevensons Music News PE News

Well done to Year 7 on raising over £454 for the sponsored reading event ‘Readathon’ last month. Thank you to everyone who raised money, which goes to support charities which help seriously ill and disabled children. It was a good collective effort, but the following students merit an special mention: Alice Gower: £45 Lucy Martin: £45 Zak Pettengell: £65 Mr Davies (English Department)

Non-Uniform Days Thank you to all parents and students who supported last weeks non-uniform day. We raised £863.42 which will be shared between both a national and local cancer charity. Our next non-uniform day will be Friday 13th March in support of Red Nose Day.

Stevensons Stevensons, our school uniform supplier will be at Simon Balle on the 31st March selling uniform, including our summer shirts. More details will follow nearer the time. Thank you.

Music Department News Our Trinity Rock & Pop candidates achieved outstanding results in our January exam visit, with the examiner complimenting their teachers on how well-prepared they were. Our vocalists really shone, benefitting from extra sessions on microphone technique and performance which are important elements of their exams. We await the results of our second exam visit from the Associated Board this Tuesday – again the examiner told us she had had an enjoyable day and commented on how well our candidates presented themselves.

Our busy half term was rounded off with our Strings Evening at St Andrew’s Church last night. Students performed solo and ensemble pieces in a varied programme that took the audience from Shady Gulch to the Caribbean via much of Europe. There were promising performances from our younger students who have hopefully been inspired by our older students who were so impressive – Harriet Dyke on viola, Emily Judd on ’cello and Tom Dyke on violin. To achieve this standard requires enormous commitment and many hours of dedicated practice. Thanks to all who took part for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

NAME FORM INSTRUMENT GRADE RESULT

EMILY CROSSLEY 13L BASS GUITAR 5 PASS

JOE LEGGETT 12B BASS GUITAR 5 MERIT

ADAM GREENHALGH 7A ELECTRIC GUITAR INITIAL MERIT

NEIL BOLES 7N ELECTRIC GUITAR 2 MERIT

MAX ELAND 7B ELECTRIC GUITAR 2 PASS

OWEN GREENHALGH 9L ELECTRIC GUITAR 2 MERIT

JOSEPH CHAPMAN 10M ELECTRIC GUITAR 5 MERIT

KATE WOOD 11R ELECTRIC GUITAR 7 MERIT

ANNA BEAVEN 8R VOCALS 2 DISTINCTION

SARAH GREAVES 8R VOCALS 2 MERIT

CATHY DIXON 10B VOCALS 3 DISTINCTION

ROSA NOXON 10R VOCALS 3 PASS

HOLLY DEAR 11N VOCALS 5 MERIT

BETH DOYLE 13R VOCALS 5 MERIT

HANNAH GREAVES 11N VOCALS 5 MERIT

MAISIE PARCELL 9B VOCALS 5 DISTINCTION

ALEX SALTER 13B VOCALS 5 MERIT

SOPHIE TARRY 11R VOCALS 5 MERIT

YASMIN JAMES 11A VOCALS 6 MERIT

NOEMIA MCAULEY-HOLLIS 12L VOCALS 6 MERIT

GEORGINA FAWBERT 13A VOCALS 8 MERIT

FLORENCE FYFE 12M VOCALS 8 DISTINCTION

RACHAEL JANES 12B VOCALS 8 DISTINCTION

OLIVER TYCER 13N VOCALS 8 MERIT

A reminder that next half term we have the Big Band Evening on Friday 6th March and the Strings and Singing Concert on Saturday 28th March – tickets for both are available from the music office (posters below). Looking ahead, we also have our Wind and Brass Concert at the very start of the summer term – Saturday 25th April in the hall at 7pm.

PE News

Football Update

Saturday 24th Fixtures v Richard Hale

Y7 drew 0-0

Y8 won 5-0

Y8b lost 1-2

Y9 won 4-3

Y10 won 3-2

At the moment the Year 7 & 8 boys have qualified for the semi-finals of the District cup. After half term the Year 10 boys play Freeman College and the Year 11 boys play John Warner in what effectively are District quarter final matches. Good luck to the boys involved.

6

th Form Girls win District 6-a-side competition

On Tuesday night the sixth form girls won the district six a side tournament winning all of the games they played .

Rugby update

Congratulations to the Year 8 boys who have qualified for the County finals on the 20th March. The Year 7 boys will play a round robin tournament between Goffs and John Warner to decide who represents the area in the Y7 County Competition.

Basketball update Congratulations to the Year 9 boys who have recently become District champions.

Hockey Update

Year 9 girls had their district tournament on Monday. The girls came 3rd overall with a convincing win over Broxbourne and fought well in all their matches.

Sportshall Athletics Congratulations to all four Sportshall athletics teams who have qualified for the District final to be held at Wodson Park on 12th March. The Year 7 & 8 boys have also qualified for the County finals to held on the 17th March also at Wodson. Well done to the Year 10 & 11 leaders who have done a fantastic job in running the District fixtures so far this year.

Congratulations to Jacob Fenwick who finished 19th in the recent County Cross Country championships at St. Albans.