21st December 2012 - Sir John Lawes School

End of Term Newsletter No 493 - December 2012A song we hear rather frequently at this time of year begins, ‘So this is Christmas, and what have you done?’ Welllooking back over the last term it is clear that the SJL community has done quite a bit and we’ve kept the activitygoing right up until the last minute! Even as I write this on Thursday morning, we still have students getting readyto perform for some of our neighbours in our annual OAPs’ Concert at All Saints Church, which follows swiftly onthe heels of our Christmas Concert last night at the same venue, and Monday’s Prize Giving at St Mary’s Churchin Luton. There are likely to be some very tired young people at the end of the week!Prize Giving was, as always, a wonderful evening as you can see from the broad smiles on the faces in thepicture. We were incredibly honoured to have Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Martin Evans as our guest speaker,whose speech reminded us that whilst success at school is a good start, it’s only a step on the way to a futurecareer – a point he illustrated with some very amusing school reports of the (now) famous! In an incredibly kindgesture, Sir Martin and Lady Evans had also brought Nobel medals for our merit winners, from their visit to theNobel Awards last week. The students were in no way disappointed that they were made of chocolate – in fact Ithink they preferred them that way! We were also entertained by ex-student Annabel Williams, who is now aprofessional singer and whose performance got everyone’s toes tapping. Annabel is a regular performer atRonnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London and I’m sure that some of our students will have been inspired by her exampleto consider a career in the arts. All in all a terrific event once again – not sure how we’ll top it next year!On Wednesday evening we had the opportunity to get into the Christmas mood with our musicians and readers atthe annual Christmas Concert which showcased the depth and breadth of talent at SJL with individuals andensembles playing at a very high standard. We are grateful to All Saints Church and Rev. Linda Williams for theirhospitality once again.There’s lots to read below about the work which some of our faculties have been involved in this term so I won’t goon too long! However I would like to make a couple of points about uniform as we end the term. We return onJanuary 7 th in what is usually pretty unpleasant weather and we think it is hugely important that students keepthemselves warm. However hoodies are NOT a part of the SJL uniform and should not be worn in school or onthe way to and from school. Students are free to wear school jumpers under their blazers and warm coats overthe top. If you are hitting the sales over the break please do buy coats rather than hooded sweatshirts if you wantyour children to be protected against the elements! In order to help meet the needs of fussy teenagers (and also

to enhance road safety on the way to and from school) we are now changing our rules on coats for school so theydo NOT have to be a dark colour – however they should be smart and not covered in large or offensive logos.As haircuts are also often a feature of the holidays, can we remind students and parents that hair should be anatural colour and not an extreme style? Any colourful hair-dye should be washed out before returning to schooland no haircuts should be shorter than a number 2. In addition, boys’ haircuts should not have too extreme adifference in lengths between the top and the sides – some of our students are starting to look dangerously likethey are sporting mohicans! Please don’t be swayed by cries of, ‘everyone does it!’ I can assure you they don’tand anyone who does not follow our uniform code should expect to be removed from lessons until they do.Not a particularly festive note to end on, so I shall make sure I finish positively by reminding you that highlightsfrom both the occasions I have mentioned above and many other activities which have taken place over the lastterm will be available to view in our podcast so do use the link on our website to get a first-hand view of the action!I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and all good things in the New Year!As always, if you have any comments or suggestions I would be pleased to hear from you, please contact me athead@sjl.herts.sch.uk.NOTICESClaire RobinsSCHOOL CLOSURESIn exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to close the school during normal hours. In these instances i.e.due to severe weather conditions, we shall inform parents by the following means:BBC Three Counties Radio92.1 FM or 630 AMMercury FM97.5 – 102.7FMSir John Lawes Websitewww.sjl.herts.sch.ukSJL on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/#!/sirjohnlawesSchool telephone message 01582 760043Herts County Council’s website www.hertsdirect.orgEND OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS – BUSESWe were advised earlier in the week that a number of buses would be collecting students early, to accommodatethe early closing of the school. Students were told of this change as soon as possible and we therefore hope thatas many parents as possible were able to take advantage of this opportunity.START OF TERMAll students and staff return to school on the 7 th January which is a normal school day.SPECIALIST SCHOOL NEWSScienceThe Cold Blooded Club have had another successful term. The club is run by Year 12 students Alex Liddingtonand Jake Dearman and is open to year 7 and 8 students. This year the club members have learnt all about avariety of cold blooded animals, such as snakes, toads and lizards. They have worked together to help look afterthe school snake, Tyson, and regularly watch him eat his lunch…! Next term we will have some students bringingin their pets too - last year students brought in a tarantula and a gecko for club members to learn about. Tyson isgoing to Jake’s house for the Christmas holiday. If you are interested in joining the club, please speak to Jake,Alex or Mrs Patteson. The club runs every Wednesday at 1pm in S6.Science Club provides an opportunity for KS3 students, mostly Year 7, to explore different areas of Scienceoutside timetabled lessons, often by means of fun practical experiments and demonstrations. These haveincluded holding fire, investigating convection currents, conducting flame tests for different metals, writing with fire,planning investigations into the best conditions for garden invertebrates and how to get a metal weight to moveagainst gravity.

In the Robotics Club students have been working on solar power based projects, aiming to design a method ofstopping solar cells from overheating and reducing their efficiency, and will be continuing on with their research inthe New Year. Other pupils have been working on the Rampaging Chariot, a remote controlled robot, and havebeen supported by visits from engineers from SELEX Galileo based in Capability Green, Luton.This term has seen the advanced planning start for next term’s whole school Science Week. This is a major eventin the school calendar and celebrates science throughout the school with all faculties delivering science themedlessons. As part of this event we expect to make use of our new iPad teaching resources, and to ensure thatScience continues to build on the high profile and success it has earned at SJL. More details to follow in the nextreport.MediaNew investments have been made in cameras and camcorders for the whole school media resource, and we arenow nearly complete in our phasing out of old tape based systems and replacing them with fully digital baseddevices. The expansion of the media courses means more students than ever are using this equipment, with theMedia Studio in virtually continual use. The support provided to staff and students by our media facilities managerand production technician means that even more students are able to access these fantastic facilities.Sounds Just Like (SJL) Radio continues to flourish under the guidance of Mr Farrar, with students from all yeargroups presenting and producing. You can listen to shows through iSpace and the website.The yr12 and 13 BTEC courses are flourishing, and students continuing to produce exceptional work. A supportedtrip to the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour has been an excellent opportunity to see the sheer scale andproduction values of this incredibly successful media franchise.Yr12 & 13 students at the Harry PotterStudio Tour.The BTEC students are currently producingmusic videos that have taken them aroundthe region, from filming in the sound studiosat The Hat Factory in Luton, to TheShuttleworth Collection at Old WardenAerodrome for scenes with 1920’s cars andaeroplanes, and into London for some greatshots in character make-up at nationallandmarks.CHARITY FUNDRAISINGWe are delighted to announce that Sir John Lawes recently donated £1183.79 to the charity Street Child of SierraLeone. The funds were raised though a sponsored fun run in April and the Prefects’ Picnic for Year 7 students inSeptember. Street Child of Sierra Leone was the Junior Leadership Team’s adopted charity for last academicyear. It exists to help get children off the streets and into care and education in Sierra Leone, and to prevent themfrom ending up on the streets in the first place. Our fundraising has helped over 20 children back into school thisyear. The Junior Leadership Team continues to promote charitable fundraising in the school and next term will besupporting Cardiac Risk in the Young.21 ST CENTURY LEARNERSOnce again we are placing one 21 st Century Learning quality in thespotlight each half term of this year. Students set targets forthemselves in the relevant area and review them at the end of thehalf term. The quality in the spotlight for the first half term wasresourcefulness. Those students in Years 7-11 who achieved thegreatest success in meeting their target were awarded theresourceful sticker by their tutors to put in their planners. Theirnames are listed below. In the second half of term the focus has

THRELFALL EmilyWALL JasmineWALLER TedWHITEHOUSEMeganWILDY HannahWOODS AlfieWRENTMORE MaxYELLAND AidanWYPER CaraZADOK TomTHORNE NiamhTORRANCE ScarletTURBERVILLE LucyTURNER KimmyWESTCOTT EmilyWHITE LewisWILLIS MaxWOOD EmilyYOUNG JoeYOUNGER DaisyTOUGH NatashaTOY DanielTURBERVILLE OliverWHEELER TimothyWILKINS KatieWILLIAMS MollieWILTON BethanyWILLIAMS HeatherWILLIS LukeWRIGHTSON CassieYUSUF FarhiyaIndependent LearnersSome students have recently succeeded in winning every sticker available. This means they have shownthemselves to be resourceful, open minded, committed, flexible, motivated and co-operative. In short, they areindependent learners, demonstrating all the qualities needed for the 21 st century world. They will receivecertificates in a forthcoming assembly. Their names are listed below.Jay Loader 11LThomas Slack 10HNatasha Stokes 10KMatthew Burford 9KThomas Houghton 9LHannah Jones 9KECO SCHOOLS COUNCILThis winter, the Eco-schools councils of Roundwood Park and Sir John Lawes schools are collaborating in therunning of our new Green Christmas campaign. As part of this we’ve made a 3 minute video to share some tips fora Green Christmas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlfvpkyq4UE.We are aiming to raise awareness, both around school and at home, of how we all can reduce our impact on theenvironment this Christmas. This is our green guide with some top tips on what you can do to reduce wastageafter the merriment this December.In school, Eco-schools are creating Christmas card ‘Recycling Post-boxes’ to make paper recycling even easier inJanuary. After the big day, we are encouraging all students to bring in any unwanted Christmas cards to berecycled rather than thrown away. Approximately 1 billion Christmas cards are sent around the UK each year;these could easily be recycled, and that’s 1billion less pieces of card shovelled under Britain. It is also helpful tocheck where your cards are coming from. Many cards sold in this country are from the ‘Woodland’ trust or areRainforest certified. However, always check the back of the cards as well as the price tag before buying; cheapcards can so easily be from unsustainable producers and it is vital to source paper responsibly.As an alternative to recycling your cards after Christmas has come and gone, why not reuse them next year? Atop tip we’ll let you have for nothing, as it is Christmas: When your Christmas cards have finished radiatingdecorative cheer from your window sills, cut them in half, saving the front artwork and keep them as reusable ‘halfcards’for next year. Not only can you save money and reduce your paper waste this year, but it gives the familysomething to do during the long breaks between watchable Christmas T.V.For the day itself, how about trying to buy the Christmas shop from a local farmer’s markets? This supports localproducers, saves food miles and ultimately, buying the best, organic ingredients leads to a fresher and tastiercelebratory meal. You can also decorate your home with natural and recyclable materials. Out with the foilstreamers and in with freshly cut holly and recycled paper chains. These are great fun to make with young familiesand they also give you something to do with all those old Christmas catalogues that were destined for the wheeliebin.And for Santa’s sake, recycle the mountains of Christmas wrapping paper! Christmas packaging is any treehugger’s worst nightmare with an estimated 82km² of wrapping ending up in UK landfills this year. Larger sheets,on those extra special presents, can be reused next year on the stocking fillers and, most importantly, whenbuying paper it’s best to buy recycled or ‘paper’ wrapping rather than foiled back wrapping rolls as these areharder to recycle. We also throw away 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging over the Christmas holidays. To helpwe can always try to buy presents with less plastic packaging that cannot be widely recycled and even make somepresents at home; Christmas cookies don’t hang around long enough to need wrappers!At Eco-schools, we all hope you find our Green Guide tips useful and join in with our Green Christmas this year.

If you would like any more tips, there are some great websites like ‘Eco centric’:http://www.ecocentric.co.uk/acatalog/green-christmas.htmlMany merry wishes, Eco Elves unite!OXFAM YOUTH ACTION GROUPLAND GRAB THE YEAR 7ASSEMBLYAs the year sevens from Sir JohnLawes School in Harpenden filed intotheir assembly last Thursday, 6 thDecember, they were expecting atypical 20 minutes ofannouncements, congratulations andperhaps the odd moan. However, thesix young Oxfam campaigners,myself included, hiding behind thecurtains had other ideas.As we stood there listening to themuffled footsteps entering the hall,we were all filled with a sense ofnervous excitement at theopportunity to make a dramatic and engaging entrance which lay ahead. The assembly started just like normal,but then the sirens started, accompanied by the voices from the CD player (our voices - pre-recorded) that toldeveryone that 'this is a land grab.'As we strode purposefully out, placards in hand and kitted out in our hard hats and high visibility jackets, the shockon people's faces confirmed to us that no one had been expecting the intrusion. The audience, most of whom hadnever even heard of a land grab and none of whom had been expecting to ever have any experience of one, couldonly look on as we declared their assembly hall 'sold'.Once the initial shock had subsided, it was time for us to tell our onlookers why we had taken over their assemblyhall so suddenly and without any of their consent. At this point we ‘land grabbers’ turned back into our morenatural role of passionate campaigners, explaining that we were here as part of Oxfam's land grabs week of actionto show our belief that that unfair land deals forcing families off their land and leaving them with no way to growfood or earn a living need to be stopped.We also told the audience that the World Bank funds many big land deals and influences how land is bought andsold and encouraged them to join many others nationwide in calling on the World Bank to freeze its investment inland while it sets a fair standard for others to follow.Although the assembly hall was soon returned to its rightful owners, the issue of land grabs is a very real one inmany places around the world, with an area the size of London bought in developing countries every six days.You can find out more about Oxfam’s action on land grabs by going to: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign-with-us/find-an-action/land-grabs-dfidSTUDENT VOICE CONFERENCEThe year is 2100. The island that Harpenden is situated on wasapparently once part of a greater landmass known as Great Britain.Around the globe, there are islands hidden beneath the sea. A gradualflood, starting about fifty years ago, ravaged low-lying places on Earth,burying them underwater and wiping out all that lived there. Historiansgenerally agree that this could have been prevented.On Tuesday 18th December, twelve students from Sir John Lawes,along with groups of students from other schools across the St Albansdistrict, embarked upon a trip to the annual Student Voice Conferenceat the University of Hertfordshire, where they were made to think indetail about how their actions now could have devastatingconsequences for people in the future.

The scary scenario above may seem shocking, but it is not unrealistic if things continue as they are, as a graduateof Oxford University told the students. The Arctic sea ice has been rapidly melting over the past few decades, butin 2012, the lowest ever level of sea ice was recorded in the Arctic. If nothing is done about this, then more ice willmelt, resulting in rising sea levels and leading to mass flooding.Students at the conference were taught about how to contribute to sustainable development and combat possiblefuture catastrophes through a series of workshops, with themes such as water efficiency, renewable energy andbiodiversity. Robin Teveson, a Liberal Democrat peer, gave a talk about the political difficulties of achieving globalsustainability.The students and staff involved in the conference aimed to put the ideas they learned into practice in the schoolcommunity. The SJL Eco-Schools group will be launching many new projects based on these ideas. To helpcontribute to sustainable development, you can get involved with Eco-Schools by speaking to me or anotherSustainable Schools Ambassador, any student from the Eco-Schools group, or a member of staff.Max Jenner 10RHOUSE NEWSThis term we have had hard fought house competitions, with students competing in Lawes’ Team Games andNewton’s House quiz that filled the hall with students testing their general knowledge.The following results were announced in our House assembliesResults for Newton’s House Quiz1 st King House2 nd Newton3 rd Austen4 th Ryder5 th Hepworth6 th Britten7 th place LawesResults for Lawes’ Team Games1 st King2 nd Austen3 rd Hepworth4 th Ryder5 th Britten6 th Lawes7 th NewtonAlso this half term, judged byMs Robins, was the SJLChristmas Card Competition. In4 th place: Felix Bowler 7K andElisha Mans 8A3 rd place Nick Davis 10N andLauren Bailey 7N

1 st place Sarah Hunt 10KResults including appearance points6 th Britten, Lawes5 th Ryder4 th Hepworth3rd Austen2 nd Newton1 st KingStill to be added are the House points for the Form Room decoration completion, as tutor groups constructChristmas Trees, Father Christmases, and festive up their form rooms. Final House totals for this term will beannounced in final assembly. Also awarded in final assembly will be the Merit Mark Cup, which will be awarded tothe House that has been awarded the highest number of Merits, Ace Cards and Head’s CommendationsRemember you are rewarded for taking part; it isn’t just about coming first, second or third!Mr Higgins, Mr Evans, Mrs Ponte, Ms Montgomery, Mrs Crowder, Mr Thompson, Mr RobinsART FACULTY NEWSAs we reach the end of the autumn term Y11 GCSE Art and Textiles students are in the final hours of their mockexams, bringing to completion some exciting pieces of animation, painting, printing, sculpture and textile work. Y10are now working on Art and Textile pieces with everything from a Dalek portrait to a life size figure made of shoes.Sixth form students are working hard to complete their second piece of coursework in Art, Graphics, Photographyand Textiles, again with mixed media portraits, life size joiner photograph portraits, illustrated childrens’ books andan enormous fabric lion mask . The completion date for all this work is the end of January so that our A Level andAS students can start their actual exams in February. As always the standard is high with students developingaccomplished and highly individual pieces of work.In Photography students have been using our new darkroom, built over the summer, so now they can explore theiridea using film and traditional forms of wet photography alongside the digital they are all used to.In the lower school, the kiln has been working flat out to fire Y7’s clay portrait heads and the Y9 students’ dragons,alongside lino prints and still life paintings, while Y8 have all made a sculpture of a hand metamorphosing intosomething else.Outside lessons members of the sixth form have been working with local artist Melissa Canepple, planning andpainting the new mural in the underpass at the bottom of Station Road. Previous students from SJL were involvedin the painting of the earlier mural during the 80s, so it’s excellent that our current artists braved the cold tomaintain our tradition of community involvement.Students from all years have been involved in the Art Faculty’s House Competition to design and produce theschool Christmas card. Ms Robins was our judge, casting a festive eye to separate the naughty from the nice.There was a large number of entries and a high standard so even short listing was difficult with Y10’s Sarah Hunt’sSJL themed Father Christmas being chosen for the official school card.

Sadly at the end of this term we are saying goodbye to Mrs Rigby, one of our two wonderful technicians. MrsRigby who has been with us for six years, as well as helping to keep the Art faculty organised which is no meanfeat in itself, has led art club, worked with students in textiles club, run an after school art sessions for adults andsupported students in lessons. She leaves SJL to continue her involvement at the Samuel Ryder Academy whiledevoting more time to her own illustration work and we wish all the very bestMr Higgins, Mr Carey, Mrs Gibson, Ms Lange, Mrs Ponte, Mrs Pullinger, Mrs Redford, Ms RichardsonSJL DRAMA 20122012 was not only a great Sporting year but it was also an impressive one for Drama and Performing Arts withmany trips and three shows in the old school Hall. Hairspray in March was a triumph in spite of postponement andsaw an entertaining synthesis of sixties music, funky dancing and American pastiche. The expertise of Ollie Slade,Aiden Doyle, Jamie Pritchard and Renatta Maniski-Luke supported Pari Shahmir as Tracey which made for athrilling production as well as a plea for racial integration. June saw a thirtieth anniversary production of SueTownshend’s Adrian Mole which came with a blessing from the author herself thanks to a link exploited by Adam“Adrian” Wilmshurst. Mrs Milton’s production saw a fine young cast playing the comedy and emotion of the Molefamily mid-eighties’ crisis with great performances from Tom Pigram, Adam Wilmshurst, Kimmy Turner, SophiaBlackburn, Sophie Caplan, Patrick Brine, Rory Glass and Ben Douglas and so many more! Theatre trips to BillyElliott, Shrek, We Will Rock You and A Midsummer Night’s Dream helped inspire and entertain aspiring Dramastudents in all year groupsAfter the Olympics we turned our attention to Dickens’“second greatest Christmas story ever told!” MissBritton’s fantastic production of A Christmas Carol wasa real seasonal treat with a “middle school” cast drawnfrom year 9 – 11. Jack Pannaman led the castbrilliantly, playing mean Scrooge and then kind Scroogewith equal conviction. The ghosts were brilliantly spookywith the smoke and shadows effects and the snowmachine blew loud and strong providing a foamy effectwhen the real stuff lay on the ground outside. Isupported Stage Management on this production underthe iron rule of Hannah Walpole and got a right tickingoff on the first night at the interval when a chair didn’tappear in the right scene. I was reminded how much funit is working back stage and that timing andconcentration are as vital for those behind the scenesas they are for the performers.

Year 13 went to see The Curious Incident of the dog in the night time as part of the NT Live programme at Hatfieldcinema an experience which fed their unit 3 devised project “fixation” which was performed with intensity andmenace at the end of term. Year 12 endured a five hour theatre practitioners’ conference at the National Theatreand then were treated to One Man Two Guvnors at The Royal Haymarket with one of the funniest set pieces Ihave ever seen involving a fire extinguisher!All in all 2012 was an incredible year for Drama and Performance that would impress even the hardest heartededucation policy maker and modern-day scrooge!? Thank you to all our supportive staff and parents who helpmake productions happen – you know who you are!Mr T Armitage / Head of DramaA CHRISTMAS CAROL REVIEWMarley might have been dead tobegin with, but the Sir John Lawesschool hall was alive and well withthe spirit of Christmas on Friday 7 thDecember, as Melody Britton’slavish production of ‘A ChristmasCarol’ led us through a winter’s talecharged with familiarity and festivecheer, in its swan song outing of athree night run.Powering the story’s trajectory withmasterful ease, Jack Pannamanproved a perfect choice forScrooge, traversing Ebenezer’semotional rollercoaster withconfidence and style, and elicitingfrom the audience the mostbewildering blend of sympathy andloathing.Rory Glass, who delightedaudiences in ‘Hairspray’ and‘Adrian Mole’ last year with his impeccable comic timing, was barely recognisable in the role of Jacob Marley,trading mirth for melancholy as Scrooge’s recently deceased partner. Sophie Caplan and Kirsty Dolby made aformidable deathly duo in the role of Ghosts of Christmas Past, appearing in unflinching, unnerving silhouettebefore taking Scrooge on a journey of reflection and self-discovery.The clock struck two, and shadows of the past made way for a decidedly different spectre, as Ellie Lewis appearedas the Ghost of Christmas Present, determined to educate Scrooge in the true spirit of Christmas. Those whoremember Ellie’s portrayal of the frighteningly foul Amber Von Tussle in ‘Hairspray’ last year were doubtlessrelieved to see her taking centre stage, full of smiles and season’s greetings.Just as Scrooge seemed to be warming to the idea of parlour games and turkey dinners, we were swept into thefuture, as Alex Button took to the stage as the menacingly mute Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. With his slow,sinister gesturing and ominous head nodding, Alex delivered a terrifying performance without uttering a singleword, showing Scrooge the consequences of a life misspent.Of course, what Dickens story would be complete without a host of memorable characters played by a talentedgroup of young actors? Aidan Alexander blurred the line between exasperated employee and doting dad withcharm and ease, in the role of Bob Cratchit. Ben Douglas, last seen as the bad-tempered Bert Baxter in ‘AdrianMole’, trod the boards once more in the roles of the effervescent Mr. Fezziwig and the disreputable dealer, OldJoe. In a nod to an audition process that saw our talented female cohort come out in droves, Scrooge’s nephewbecame his niece, ably navigated by Claire Leith, while Scrooge’s love interest, Belle, was played with realcompassion and sensitivity by Hannah Sweeney. Chorus lines and walk on parts were expertly brought to life by anumber of talented Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 students, while the courageous Harvey Mihill (Year 7), made his Sir JohnLawes acting debut in the coveted role of Tiny Tim.And yes, even in the most traditional of tales, there’s always room for laughs. Andrew David, who also playedScrooge’s niece’s partner, turned in a hilariously hard-boiled performance as Scrooge’s old headmaster, MikeyHayes enjoyed several scene-stealing moments in various guises, while Ryan Ginger and Ella Green played forlaughs in an altogether audacious party scene. Uproarious laughter was reserved, however, for Sir John Lawes’newest comedy duo, Adam Wilmshurst and Patrick Brine. Fresh from their father and son antics in ‘Adrian Mole’,the hilarious pair were back on form as the two portly gentlemen, who make the mistake of calling upon the not-socharitableEbenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve.

Mark Farrar and his team of technical wizards were on hand, yet again, to transform the hall into the streets ofVictorian London, while music was provided by the enchanting harmonies of Ellie Lewis, Anna Stevens, SarahHunt, Rebecca Skillman and Emily Wright. A magical night of theatre was enjoyed by all, proving that sometimesthe hottest ticket in town is often found on your own doorstep. Merry Christmas, everyone!Mr. MacCannYOUNG ENTERPRISE IN THE 6 TH FORMThis year there are 3 Young Enterprise Companies in the 6 th form. They haveattended workshops at PWC St Albans. They have all been busy selling theirproduce in the run up to Christmas. Unfortunately due to the Farmers marketbeing cancelled in November, when they each had a stall, they lost out on agood day .They have however made the most of other opportunities such asWheathampstead ‘Lights’ and you may have seen all 3 groups at the school play ‘Christmas Carol’. One of thecompanies ‘La Lettre’ will be at the Farmers market on Sunday 23 rd December. Do have a look out for them andmaybe purchase some last minute Christmas presents!We look forward to an ‘Enterprising’ New Year.With grateful thanks to our business advisors whom give up their time to help, Andrew Marr, Alison McLaughlinand Yolanda Rugg.Mrs Susan Griffiths Link TeacherLIBRARY NEWSBig Challenge – how many books have you read this year?This has been a busy term, especially with a big push for the Big Challenge. We have 18 people who havecompleted 52 books already! Remember, you have until the end of December to read as many as you can – 26gets bronze, 39 gets silver and 52 gets gold! The last 2012 Big Challenge party was Wednesday 19 December.Please hand in your sheets with the books you have read, immediately after the holidays.Red House Children’s book award.We have 30 students who have been reading one of the shortlists for the Red House annual children’s bookaward, which is an award based entirely on young people’s votes. There is a shortlist of three books for each of 3age groups. At Sir John Lawes, we have groups reading and voting for books in the older two categories. Studentshave until 25 January to read a shortlist of three books. For further information about the award, see:http://www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk/shortlist/indexAnd for anyone who is doing the Big Challenge, these books may also be counted towards your Big Challengetotal, until the end of the year!Blood Red RoadThis is the first of a trilogy by Moira Young, a new author who strides the border in fantasy fiction between teenand adult fiction. The publishers, Scholastic, are running a book review competition, for which the prize will be anauthor visit to the winner’s school. So, if you are looking for a good read, why not try this, and write a review?ChristmasAs usual, we had a mix of Christmas activities in the library, from a chain of favourite books/authors/characters, toMystery Santas to an Advent quiz, based on Christmas themed books and poems.The Advent quiz has a closing date of 7 January and is open to individuals, groups, forms and families. Link hereto the quiz and answer sheet, which also includes a list of books and poems, which may help you. Edible prize!Mrs Johnson, LibrarianSPORTS ROUND UPAs always it has been a long, busy and successful term in the world of Sport and PE for the students at SJL. Ourteams and individual sporting stars have been committed and passionate in all sports including cross country,football, rugby, netball, hockey and basketball playing in competitions and a range of friendly matches againstlocal schools.

Cross CountryThe Cross Country Season this year has been excellently contested by girls and boys from every year group. Wehave had some excellent results along the way with all year groups performing well at all six races. Several of ourrunners have been entered for the County Cross Country Championships on Saturday 2 nd February atWestminster Lodge. They are: Ella, Hutson, Ruby Mulgan, Aimee Gorman, Bobby Vivanti, Peter Chamba,Keegan Brown, Matt Swan, Adam Wilmshurst, Rory Glass, Sarah McCullough, Amy Hartnup, CaitlinEckley, Ellen Brookes, Kate Chisholm, Emily Wood, Eloise Culley, Alice Jackson, Lauren Eckley, AbbyWest, Abby Smith, Sophie West, Sam and Jamie Jones, Sam Hartnup, James McMurray and Ollie Lacey.Good luck to you all. We really hope that some of you reach your goal of qualifying for the NationalChampionships at this event.FootballWith the exception of the Yr7s and Yr9s who are both still currently in their County Cups it has been, by our ownhigh standards, a slightly disappointing term on the football front,with little success in either the National or CountyCups for our teams.The new look senior side has the potential to do really well but lost in both competitions at the first hurdle despiteplaying some nice football. High hopes for the District Cup next term though. Likewise the Yr11 side perished at anearly stage losing a game they should definitely have won against John Henry Newman in the County Cup and atight game away against Grange School from Bedfordshire in the National. The Yr10s had one great result awayagainst Cedar Upper School in Northampton but then lost to JFK after leading 2-0 in the second round of theNational Cup. Similarly, the Yr8s had a good win against Hertswood School from Borehamwood in the County Cuponly to lose to Verulam in the next round.So the Yr7s and the Yr9s are carrying the hopes of SJL into next term. The Yr7s play Longdean from Hemel andthe Yr9s play Sheredes from Hoddesdon. After that it’s into District Cup season for all Year groups – we willpublish the draws in the New Year once they have been made.RugbyIt has been a very hectic start to the Rugby season but with some fantastic results and performance I’m sure theboys would admit it has all been worth it so far.Senior TeamThe Senior Rugby Team has had a great season so far, the boys have shown a committed and enthusiasticapproach to Rugby at SJL and the performances have really shown. The boys had a fantastic run in the Daily MailCup this year, reaching the 5 th round of the Vase competition. The boys have just reached the Herts County CupSecond Round playing Freman College.The year 7 Rugby team have had a fantastic start to the season. After a few solid performances at the start of theseason they played in the year 7 Herts rugby festival atNicholas Breakspear. After some excellent performances theycame away as the plate champions.The year 9 Rugby team have also had a great year so far. After5 games so far this season, the year 9 remain unbeaten.Included in this great run of wins was an excellent result againstRoundwood Park School 33-12. The year 9 team have somevery important games coming up, if they are successful in thesea night under the lights at OA's Rugby ground could be on thecards.The year 8 and Year 10 teams have also had a good year sofar with some very good team performances in a lot of games.NetballThe netball teams have been training hard this term, and have played in a range of District Cup and Leaguematches. The year 7 team is looking very promising, and will start their cup and league matches next term.Unfortunately, the Year 11 Tournament was postponed due to bad weather, but hopefully this can be re-arrangedfor the Spring Term. They have played some great netball so far this term, with an excellent 21-7 win recently

against STAGS. The Year 9s have also made really good progress this year, and their recent win of 20-5 againstSamuel Ryder is a real reflection of this progress. All Year Groups will have lots of matches next term, with theirseason culminating in their District Tournaments, so make sure you all keep up the hard work when we return afterChristmas.HockeyAll hockey teams are entered into the County Cup. Most teams have already played some tough matches. Theyear 10 team have played some excellent games, beating Hitchin Girls School and drawing against JFK. Very welldone to Victoria Cleevely who has been voted player of the match on several occasions.Year 7 and 8 hockey players have been given the opportunity this term to attend district training sessions run byPDM Dan Klinger at Oaklands College. All students found these sessions extremely useful. Year 9 and 10 havethe same opportunity in the New Year. And finally many thanks to Cameron Hutson who has helped with thesesessions and also assisted to umpire fixtures. Very well done hockey players, looking forward to more success inthe New Year!BasketballThe Year 9 and 10s have completed their fixtures this term. The Year 10s started off their league programme backin September and enjoyed good victories against Samuel Ryder Academy and St Albans Boys during theirseason. A big thank you to the boys for their time over the years as this is the end of the league for them. TheYear 9 team have enjoyed success in their matches and their excellent play secured some well-earned victories.This year the team have sometimes only consisted of 5 players, but their commitment has been fantastic. A greatwin to finish off against Roundwood ended a good season. The Year 7 team start their league matches next andthen it will be Year 8 later in the New Year.A big thank you to all the students involved and we hope to see more successes in the future.School Gamesgreat strength and depth.The School Games competitions are well underway, and SJL hashad great representation in all the competitions so far. Thesehave included Badminton, Table tennis, Volleyball, GirlsBasketball and Girls Rugby. We have had great success in theLevel 2 District Competitions, and the U14 Boys Badminton, U16Girls Table Tennis and U15 Girls Volleyball all qualified for theLevel 3 County Competitions. It is great to see these sportsbecoming so popular - the badminton and table tennis clubs inparticular -resulting inKeep your eyes open for the House Tournaments that will betaking place next term – there will be lots of opportunity for youall to earn appearance points for your house, and earnvaluable points that go towards the Overall House Competitionresults. All information will be up on the noticeboard in thesports hall next term.Gym and DanceAuditions have taken place for the Gym and Dance Display on 12 th and 13 th February. The standard is looking veryhigh, and it looks like it will be a fantastic evening of entertainment. A tremendous number of students have beencoming out to Gym Club on Friday lunchtimes and after school, and tickets will be available in January. If youwould like to buy some, just speak to a member of the PE Faculty.We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year lookingforward to all your further success in 2013.The PE Faculty

BATTLE OF THE BANDSA quartet ofHarpenden 16-yearoldsthis week wona resounding victoryover groups from allover Hertfordshire,in the 2012 Battle ofthe Bands at thePioneer Club in StAlbans. Thefoursome, whomake up the groupGodfrey, won boththe audience voteand the professionaljudges', with theirperformance of twooriginal songs,'Insane' and'Castaway'.The four have been friends since nursery school. Twins Mark and Hugh Pettit (Mark on vocals and rhythm guitar;Hugh on bass), and drummer Charlie Tominey, all attend Roundwood Park School. Lead guitarist Bill Brooks goesto Sir John Lawes. Their win paves the way for a professional recording session at a local studio, and, they hope,for more live performances in the area. The Battle of the Bands is organised by Hertfordshire Music Service, andis open to bands from secondary schools across the county. Godfrey's music can be found on YouTube at'godfreybanduk', and their 4-track demo CD can be ordered via the band's own website atwww.godfreyuk.webs.com.COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES THIS CHRISTMASLoneliness puts older people at risk of serious health issuesLoneliness among older people has recently been described as a “hidden killer” that can increase the risks ofdeath by 10 per cent.A study found that older people who are lonely have a less active lifestyle, exercise less and maybe drink more,increasing the risk of heart disease and blood clots. The findings have prompted the government to becomeinvolved in measuring the scale of loneliness in order to better target services to alleviate it.Hundreds of thousands of people across the country will spend Christmas and the festive season alone, and inHertfordshire, the Alone at Christmas campaign has been launched to encourage people to think about their olderor vulnerable relatives, neighbours or friends. Will they be alone? Maybe they would they prefer to get out andabout and join activities with family, friends or in their local community?Through the Alone at Christmas campaign, people can• tell HertsHelp about events, services and activities taking place this festive season• volunteer to help with a community event• find out what’s happening in their area if they are Alone at ChristmasPlease call HertsHelp on 0300 123 4044 or email info@hertshelp.net. For all the latest news and to join theconversation, follow us on Twitter at #aloneatChristmas.If you are thinking about volunteering or running an event, HertsHelp can point you in the right direction for supportand advice. You can also add your event to the calendar on the county council’s website: visit www.hertsdirect.organd click on the ‘Events’ tab.To see all events that have been added to the calendar, simply click on the relevant date.

21st December 2012 - Sir John Lawes School

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