Spring is definitely in the air; with the evenings already getting lighter, it is benefiting many of our sporting fixtures. Our reputation for sport grows weekly with so many successes for a range of students in a variety of sports. Our year 8 girls’ football team need a special mention with their coach and manager Paul Carter. The success to become the last 8 has been documented in previous newsletters; the match against Queens School (Bushey) was always going to be a great challenge as Queens are perhaps the strongest team in the region. Our girls played incredibly well in this home match but unfortunately lost. However, we are so proud of the team- well done! Music too is blooming! The recent “Big Band” evening, which I unfortunately missed, proved to be a real treat. We have never received so many emails of congratulations from an event before, a selection of which can be read below. A big thank you to all involved. Our staff development day on Friday 18 will be delivering training on how to teach outstanding lessons, sharing good practice and materials. The school will be closed to students on that day.

Governors Grapevine Let me introduce myself – I am Dr Viv Jones and I have been a Community Governor since 2007. I have two children at Simon Balle and I felt I could contribute to the Governing body of the school with both my experience working in the Higher Education Sector and my research background in Environmental Science and Geography. I am a member of the Environment and Community Committee where recently we have been working on issues of health and safety and also finding ways in which to make the school more sustainable. I also sit on the Attainments and Standards Committee which is concerned with monitoring and raising standards throughout the school. Should you wish to comment or make any suggestions, please email me at governors@simonballe.herts.sch.uk Dates for your diary 18 Feb INSET Day, no school for students 21-25 Feb Half Term 2 March Gym & Dance Evening 3 March Yr 10 Parents Evening 15 March Spring Concert Broxbourne 17 March Yr 13 Parents Evening 24 March Yr 12 Parents Evening 26 March PSA ‘Auction of Promises’ 31 March & 1 April

House Performing Arts Competition

8 April End of Term 11-25 April Easter Holidays 26 April School resumes 29 April – 2 May

Bank Holiday Weekend

3 May School continues

Specialist Schools and Academies Trust We were very pleased this week to receive notification from the SSAT that Simon Balle School has successfully met the following criteria in their ‘high attainment’ category:

• 65% or more 5+ A*-C results including GCSE English and Maths

• 65% or more 2+A*-C results in science subjects and

• 40% or more 1+ A*-C results in MFL A Selection from the many emails we have received after the Big Band evening: “Just to say how much my husband and myself enjoyed the Simon Balle Big Band Concert on Friday evening. The talent of these young people is outstanding, the enthusiasm and encouragement of the musical teaching staff should be applauded.” Cllr Brenda Haddock, Mayor of Hertford “I really enjoyed the evening and was very impressed with the performance. Such talent and maturity from your young performers.” Cllr. Edward Bedford, Mayor of Ware. “What a fantastic night! Congratulations to all involved in producing a concert of such staggering quality.” “Having only heard the band ‘in the distance’ I was very, very impressed with the live performance. I felt that the vocals were outstanding and that the whole band was extremely cohesive, and a credit to everyone. I went away with a real ‘buzz’ – a feeling that I’ve often experienced at Wembley concerts…but never in Hertford before!”

Student Senior Leadership Team Year 12 students were recently invited to apply to become senior student leaders through a written letter of application. The letters received were of a very high quality and demonstrated a wide range of skills and experience in leadership as well as a genuine enthusiasm to give something back to the school. The application process involved a group interview with Mrs Saunders, Mr Preshous and Ms Ellis as well as a discussion with a panel of current student leaders. Congratulations to the following students on becoming Senior Student Leaders:

Jack Alexander Katie Irwin Peter Shaw Richard Andrews Abbey Kennedy Rachel Stewart Zachary Barber Damini Kotecha Emily Sullivan Alex Benham Victoria Lochead Harry Thomas Charlotte Boulton Sam Lumley Ashleigh Underwood Grace Carter Tasmin Maxwell Sarah Underwood Lucy Ensum Bryony McPerson Craig Webb John Harding Deborah Murcott Harry Wright

500 Words competition

BBC Radio 2, in the guise of Chris Evans and the Hay literary festival are launching a short story competition for under 13’s and Year 7 at Simon Balle are taking part. All year 7 students have had video advice on how to write good short stories from Anthony Horowitz & David Walliams and there will be prizes for the best entry per form and the overall best in the Year. All students are encouraged to enter the SBS competition and the official competition. More information and some tips from other children’s authors can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/chris-evans/500-words News from Performing Arts Dance On Monday 14th February 30 dance students took part in another successful Dance Festival at the newly refurbished Hertford Theatre. Junior Dance club, led by Nicole Savage, performed with style and finesse to the Beatles 'I saw her standing there' and were followed by 2 slick and well choreographed group pieces by the year 11 GCSE students. The second show entertained us with the year 12 highly energetic tribute to Michael Jackson. All students were a credit to the school and gave the primary students real aspirations.

Gym and Dance Display This event is on Wednesday 3rd of March and will staged in the school hall. It is a showcase of dance, gymnastics, trampolining and cheerleading. It promises to be an

exciting and lively event. Tickets are available from school reception at a cost of £3

adults and £2 students and concessions. We look forward to seeing you there.

Drama House performances are well into their rehearsals and I have been impressed with the quality of the work so far. Tickets will be on sale later this term but please put Thursday 31st March and Friday April 1st into your diary. This promises to be great entertainment. School Production This year's school production is 'Les Miserables' and we will be holding auditions in the last week of term. More information to follow. Sarah Cornell, Head Of Performing Arts

Food Inspiration Day On Wednesday 23 March students will take part in a deep learning day in Food Technology where they will observe a demonstration given by a chef from the Guild of Master Chefs and Premier Foods who will prepare and cook a number of dishes. Later in the workshop students will work independently and in groups to produce their own creations which will be judged by our visitors from the British Turkey Federation. Parent’s Demonstration and Cooking Event On the same evening the Chefs will put on a demonstration followed by a workshop where parents will have the opportunity to prepare and cook a number of culinary delights in our wonderful new Food room. We are looking forward to the events and will keep you posted when we have more details. As numbers for the evening will be limited if you would like to be involved please register your interest either by calling me on 01992 410400 ext 216 or emailing me at jonesl@simonballe.herts.sch.uk. Food contacts in the Catering and Food Industry We are anxious to forge greater links and work with local industries, businesses and catering establishments. If you work in Catering, the Food Industry or Food Retail or know of anyone who may like to work with us in Food Technology e.g. butchers, fishmongers. Bakers, chefs or restaurateurs etc please contact me on the number / email address given above. A big ‘Thank You’ to our parents who continue to support us so well by sending their children to school well prepared and organised for their Food Technology lessons. Students in all years have produced a range of dishes to a high standard this year and are always keen to rise to the challenge of tackling new recipes and ventures. Year 9 in particular have produced some outstanding results in their ‘World Food’ and ‘Vegetarian’ projects where they have been encouraged to develop their own recipes and ideas. Mrs Jones, Design & Technology

Basketball News from Miss Traynor TRAYNOR v HUMPHREYS – 7th February 2010: Many of you will remember Mr Humphreys who was a member of the PE department and Head of Year at Simon Balle. Two years ago, he moved to Bournemouth to become a Senior Teacher but still keeps regular contact with many staff from here. On 7th February, Mr Humphreys brought 12 of his GCSE Sports Studies girls (Yr 11) to us, to play in 2 basketball fixtures. The first was against Year 13 (girls who were previously in Mr Humphreys’ year group) and the second against a team combining Year 8 and 9. I am pleased to report that Simon Balle were victorious in both games and the girls were a credit to the school. Better luck next time Humphreys……………………….. YEAR 13 SQUAD – Won 36-8: Jodie Fletcher Jodie Butcher Sian Butcher Charlie Faloona Holly Shilston Amber Mehew Amelia Costin Harriet Carter

YEAR 8 & 9 SQUAD – Won 22-18: Molly Smallwood-Conway Jess Hill Katie Lok Flo Fyfe Maddy Twyning Lauren Willis Yasmine Scott-Gray Phoebe McMurray

Also Katie Lok in Year 9 has been selected to play for the County Basketball Squad.

Netball Update 9th February - Yr 9 Girls Netball v Turnford Molly Smallwood-Conway Jess Hill Chloe Demetri Anya Titchmarsh Emily Adams Grace Durbridge Katie Lok Kay Hammersley Emma Gregory Charlotte Janes Won 19-15 Player of the Match: Katie Lok Please read below a report from Mrs Noblett regarding the successes of our senior Netball squad; Senior District Netball Tournament On 8th February the senior girls took to the netball courts for their last matches as Simon Balle representatives. For the last 3 out of 4 years, this brilliant squad have been County finalists and represented Hertfordshire at the East of England tournament. Over this time we have students that have left school and gone to university and others have joined the squad after joining our sixth form from other schools. The girls did not let us down, beating Chauncy 14 – 1, Turnford 12 – 3, John Warner 12 – 1, Presdales 8 – 4, Broxbourne 8 – 5. Their last match was against Haileybury and unfortunately after being 5 – 3 up at half-time, ended up losing 7 – 9. To say we were disappointed was an understatement as we so much wanted to end with the District cup. I cannot praise the squad enough for their high standard of play and commitment; it has been a joy to watch their stunning performances. They are a delightful group and deserve success in their future netball careers at university. The squad has changed over the years but I must mention Jodie Fletcher, Jodie Butcher and Sian Butcher who have represented the school since Year 7. They have been fantastic ambassadors for netball, setting themselves high standards and inspiring all those around them. Holly Shilston is our sole survivor of the squad, who as a Year 12 still has another year to play and again has represented the school since Year 7. We were fortunate when Amelia Costin, Abigail Brown and Charlotte Andreas joined us in the sixth form. These girls are outstanding players who have brought so much to the team. It’s the end of an era for them and us, good luck girls and thank you. Mrs Noblett

Swimming Report The 3rd round of the district swimming galas took place at John Warner on Monday.

There were some exceptional performances from the following swimmers; Patrick Tarry was first in the 50m Back

Sophie Rawlinson was first in the 50m freestyle and Bethany Baxter was second in the 50m butterfly. The final District League Gala takes place at John Warner on the 4th April. District Trampolining tournament Fourteen Year 7 and Year 8 girls represented Simon Balle last night at the District Trampolining Tournament. Our Step 2 girls finished 3rd and 4th. The Step 3 girls finished 2nd and went through to the county final just losing out on victory by 0.3 points. Congratulations to Emily Judd, Grace Durbridge, Lily McMurray and Charlotte Adams.

Girl’s District Football Our Year 7 girls have had a fantastic start to their school football careers - on Monday 7th February the girls played Sheredes beating them 9-0. The Girls then faced John Warner and beat them comprehensively by 6 goals to 1. The girls will now probably face Goffs in the final of the District. Well done girls. The Year 8 Girls had another comfortable win last week beating Kings Langley 6-0. Boys Football District Cup Results Results are as follows;

• Year 8 v Sele – won 4-0 • Year 9 v Broxbourne – 1-1 • Year 10 v Goffs – lost 1-2 (A gallant effort by the boys who just missed out on a semi-final place) • Year 11 v Sheredes – won 2-1

Boys Saturday football Year 7 v Turnford – 3-2 win Year 8 v Turnford – lost 2-1 Year 8 6-a-side Football Mr. Pooley’s Year 8 footballers went into this tournament as reigning champions and reaching the semi-finals where they met Turnford the eventual winners. It was 2-2 after full-time and therefore went to a penalty shoot-out where Turnford emerged victorious. Well done to the boys who got so close to retaining their title. Hockey Report The Year 8 girls played Haileybury in a closely contested match just losing out to a late goal. Inter-House Competition Inter-house Sports took place last week where the girls played netball and the boys played football. It was a fantastic week and we were lucky to have such good weather. Our CSLA students were out in force refereeing and umpiring, so a big thanks to them. The results are as follows; Year 7 Boys Football

1. Lea 2. Beane 3. New

Year 7 Girls Netball 1. Lea 2. Mimram 3. New

Year 8 Boys Football

1. Ashbourne 2. Mimram 3. Rib

Year 9 Boys Football Year 9 Girls Netball

1. New 2. Lea 3. Beane

Year 8 Girls Netball 1. New 2. Mimram 3. Rib

Year 9 Girls Netball

4. New 5. Lea 6. Beane

The Year 10 competition finishes on Thursday, results will follow in the next edition. Upcoming Competitions

• Tues 1st Mar – Year 8 Girls 5-a-side football • Wed 2nd Mar – Gym and Dance Display • Fri 4th Mar – District Cross Country Championships • Tues 8th Mar – Year 7 Girls 5-a-side football • Wed 9th Mar – Year 7 Boys 6-a-side football • Thurs 10th Mar – Sportshall Athletics at Wodson

Year 10 work experience reviews Placement: Cornish Herts I had a really good time on my work experience I worked at a Cornish pasty shop in town, called Cornish Herts. On my first day I was already learning how to make coffees and using the till and serving customers with food and drinks. I think I have learnt some more skills e.g. treating customers well and teamwork. They treated me like one of them so I felt really welcome and grown up. I was also offered a Saturday job when a place becomes available. I would recommend work experience to others because I think it has made me think that working hard in school could get you good qualifications which would help later life also you get a chance to work in a different place other than school and you learn lots of new skills. Luke Savidge 10HA My work experience! For my work experience I worked at a warehouse called Fine Confectionery. It is a small family run company owned by Andrew and Zoë, which deals with chocolate and sweet orders. I worked in the office, which was very different from downstairs, where packing, labelling and filling sweets happen. The office is where orders come in and information is stored. On my first day I was very nervous, as I didn’t know what it was going to be like. When I got there everyone was kind, friendly and made me feel welcome. When I went up to the office I had a talk with the owner about the company and what I would be doing during the week. While I was there I felt grown up and felt confident talking to people. I did many things but one of my main jobs throughout the week was entering job sheets onto excel software. Job sheets are from the packing room where orders of sweets or objects are filled labelled and packed. Job sheets shows what every individual person has done, they also show the times they started and finished a particular job. I also had to order job sheets into date order and company order for example River Island, Harrods, John Lewis, Topshop and many more, these where then put into a folder. Another job which I really enjoyed was cutting pictures out of magazines that the company sell, whether its jellybean or bendicks mints, and displaying them on paper. I had to type the magazine name, the date it was produced and the products which where going to be on the paper. When I had finished with the paper and the pictures of the products they would then go into a folder - this is to keep a record over the years of the products that where put into magazines. I also had to put old information of customer’s data into a big recycling bag which would be sent off to a secure company and would them be shredded. My most favourite day for sure was when I worked in the packing room this was good because not only did I get to handle sweets but I learnt that its very different because its more hands on and you worked as a team to get the order done quickly. I learnt after my work experience that working in a company you have to really get everything right especially if you are sorting orders, if you don’t send the right amount to a customer they would not be happy and you could lose them as a customer, you need to get things right first time to keep the company successful. Also I have learnt that there is so much paperwork that has to be done and there were so many records about customers. I would definitely recommend this as work experience to anyone. It has given me a good understanding of an adult job, how a company is made up and what you have to do to make it successful. I was made to feel welcome and felt comfortable in my environment. And who knows I might end up working in an office when I am older. Abbie Anderson 10smm