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Classical Civilisation Trip to Rome

October/ November 2019

students were able to see the site of the Roman senate house, as well as the spot where Mark Antony delivered his famous eulogy to Caesar. Finally, we climbed to the top of the Palatine hill which contained the vast ruins of the imperial palace and offered amazing views across the whole of the city. After a quick spot of lunch we then visited the Pantheon. This amazing temple has been converted into a Catholic church, and it was amazing to see both the old Roman designs married to newer Catholic imagery and artwork. Despite the 27 degree heat we then walked across the centre of the city to view the area where the Circus Maximus had stood. Even though there were no remains of any buildings, it was still an incredible site. The Year 11 students were particularly excited by this part since the building is an important source for their GCSE.

Day three saw us head down by coach to the Bay of Naples to visit the preserved sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Meeting up with our guide, we were first shown around the partly excavated site of Herculaneum. The town had stood at the foot of Mount Vesuvius and had been completely destroyed by the blast of heat and mud following the eruption. Students were shocked by the skeletons which had been found, many of which were clearly in the middle of trying to escape by boat. We then drove over to the site of Pompeii. The sheer scale of the place was amazing, as was the extent to which it had been preserved. Of particular note was the amphitheatre which, whilst smaller than the Colosseum, was nonetheless very impressive. Afterwards we walked across the city to its central forum, from which Mount Vesuvius could be seen ominously looming over the city. On the final day, the students were given a chance to explore the picturesque towns of Sorrento and Stabia. The weather was incredibly pleasant and as we had the day to fill before flying home, there was plenty of time for sightseeing, souvenir buying and sampling the local cuisine. Mr Firth History Department

During the October half term the History and Classics department took twenty students from Years 11 and 13 to explore the Roman sites at Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as the remains left in the city of Rome itself. Accompanying the students were Mr Firth, Mr Seaman and Miss Deane. Students had the opportunity to see many of the locations and ruins which form a key part of their A level and GCSE courses respectively. After travelling to Rome on Monday 21st October, the second day of the trip saw the students walking all over Rome to see many of its most important sites. The first stop on the agenda was the Colosseum. Students were impressed by the sheer size of the building. We then explored the ruins of the old Roman forum. Of particular interest was the site of the oldest known temple in Rome dedicated to the god Vulcan. The Year 13

Classical Civilisation Trip to Rome

Classical Civilisation Trip to Rome

Languages week ran from Monday 23rd to Friday 27th September. It was yet again a successful event with the ‘Bake Off’ being the most attended, especially among Year 7s.

Activities varied from; outstanding taster lessons in German, Mandarin and Tamil, which were led by our amazing Modern Foreign Languages Ambassadors. Fun and interactive after school activities included a delicious ‘Bake Off’ judged by our Lead MFL Ambassadors, a unique calligraphy workshop and finally movies in Spanish and French.

The movies were watched by Year 7 students in class, with a quiz to complete at the end.

Congratulations to Sara, Year 7 who beat eleven other contestants to win the ‘Bake Off’. Sara received a well deserved prize of Nando’s vouchers.

Runners up received stationary and sweets respectively. All of the participants made stunningly appetizing foods, it was extremely hard to decide the winner.

A huge well done to all the students who participated in the events, not only did they work hard but demonstrated all of the four Queensmead values, Respect, Kindness, Independence and Resilience.

Tvisha Year 8

Languages Week

Shay, who won Westfield vouchers after being picked randomly for participating in all activities

Bake Off champion — Sara

On 11th October, myself and three other students were selected to make, build and plant a raised flower bed, with the help of professionals from a charity called Growing Spaces. Firstly, we started off by constructing the sides by connecting the pieces of wood using an electric screwdriver. Once the flower bed had been built, we then transferred two

tonnes of soil. This took several hours but it was worth it in the end. Although the weather was wet and miserable this did nothing to dampen our spirits. We then planted the beds with strawberries, thyme, sage and edible flowers. It was a fantastic experience and we hope that in the future we can plant many more flowers and fruits, maybe even

vegetables. Kevin and Cam from Growing Spaces were really helpful and showed us what to do each step of the way. We all felt that we gained a considerable amount of knowledge which will definitely help in the future. Emma Year 8

Growing Spaces

On 29th October twenty five Year 9 and Year 11 students and three members of staff travelled to Whitechapel to take part in a Jack the Ripper tour. We met our tour guide at Tower Hill. His knowledge about the area and facts about Jack the Ripper were really interesting. We also learnt what life was like in 1888 living in the slums of Whitechapel. At each stop our guide showed photographs of what the area looked like then. We were amazed to see that there are still some of the original buildings where some of the victims drank or lodged. It was an interesting tour and helped the students to get a real understanding of the area and what life was like during the time of the Whitechapel murders. Queensmead students were a credit to the school, our guide complimented them on their behaviour and said what lovely students they were. Thank you to all the students who attended the trip. Mrs Oakley Environmental Officer

Jack the Ripper Tour

Queensmead School hosted twenty five Year 12 students from Osaka Gakugei Secondary School in Japan. The students visited Queensmead as part of a cultural trip that included time in London, Paris, and Rome. Whilst at Queensmead the Japanese students had the opportunity to spend time with our students practising their English and learning about life in an English secondary school. As part of their visit they took part and experienced a range of lessons including; IT, Computing, English, History, Economics as well as conversing in three languages in a French lesson. The students exchanged gifts as mementos for the day and as a thank you for Queensmead hosting Osaka Gakugei Secondary School. Both schools shared lunch together where they could practise their English in conversation and also provided the Queensmead students with an

opportunity to learn some Japanese. Following lunch some of the students from Osaka performed a dance to the Queensmead students finishing off what proved to be a fantastic experience for all involved. It was a delight to host such wonderfully polite students from Osaka Gakugei Secondary School. Queensmead school was extremely proud of how our Year 12 students welcomed them and embraced the experience with energy and enthusiasm. They displayed all the values of a Queensmead student, showing kindness and respect through how they welcomed our guests. Many of the students from Queensmead said what a great experience it was for them as they got to learn a little bit about Japan. Whilst our visitors were full of praise for the school and loved the experience. Mr Clarke Assistant Head Teacher

Japanese Visit

Queensmead were delighted to have been offered the opportunity for three Post 16 students to take part in a four day Literature focused trip, from Sunday 3rd November, to the Belgian and French battlefields of World War One. Over the course of the trip we studied not only the history of the war itself, but the inspiration behind many famous poems by a range of war poets, including Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen,

Ted Hughes and Vera Brittain. Students read, discussed and performed poetry at some of the key battle sites; a poignant and moving reminder of the sacrfices made by so many and the impact the war had, not only on the soldiers but their family, friends and loved ones. Our experiences ranged from the patriotic and jingoist nature of the literature at the beginning of the war, all the way through to the vivid and violent experiences of the

common soldier, as well as the longing and fear of the families, wives, mothers and sisters who dreaded the knock on the door, but craved information from the front line. All in all, this was an amazing and thought provoking experience that I am sure will stay with us for many years to come. Mrs Gibbons English Department

Post 16 Battlefields Trip

On Monday 4th November, a group of Year 10 students were invited ice skating for their first rewards trip of the year. We hopped on the train at South Ruislip and once we arrived at the ice rink, students were keen to get their skates on and show off their skills on the ice. It did not take long to see many students confidently racing around the rink. It was also lovely to see the other students rallying together and helping each other make it around the rink without falling over too much. After our session on the ice, we had some time to grab something to eat before heading back home on the train. The students had a good time ice skating and were a credit to the school. We are definitely looking forward to what our next rewards trip has in store for us in the New Year! Miss Sheehy Assistant Head of Year 10

Year 10 Rewards Trip

Year 9 Netball

Christmas Card Competition

On Wednesday 2nd October the Year 9 Netball team played their first borough league match of the season. This was a home match against Ruislip High School.

The girls displayed some excellent netball in the first half and at half time the scoreline was 7-2 to Queensmead.

A few positional changes were made at half time and the second half saw the girls play a slower and more focused game.

They played an exceptional passing game and the timing of their moves was outstanding. Final score 17-2 to Queensmead, an excellent start to the season. Mrs Carter PE Department

Left to right: Saraniya, Rubigaa, Leah, Rachel, Meri, Demi and Alanis

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, sends an official Christmas card every year to dignitaries across the city and worldwide. He has invited London school children aged five to fourteen to draw a design for this year’s card based on ‘My Christmas’. The winning design will be the Mayor’s official Christmas card. It will also feature the winner’s first name, age and school on the back of the card. The competition is supported by Cass Art, the UK’s leading art supplies retailer. The winner will receive a certificate, the Christmas card personally signed by the Mayor and a £100 Cass Art gift voucher. Also, two highly commended entries will each receive a

certificate and a £30 Cass Art gift voucher. All schools that take part will receive a certificate and shortlisted entries will be shown on the Mayor of London Flickr gallery. Here are a few of the entries from our students, we wish them luck and will announce any winners in the next issue. Ms Evans Head of Art

It has been a great couple of months for rugby at Queensmead, with some impressive performances across Years 7, 8 and 9. All of the students have made fantastic progress in developing their game to follow a new fast-paced brand of rugby. The teams have faced some tough opponents over the last two months including Park Academy, William Perkin C of E High School, Uxbridge High School, Rosedale College, and Vyners School. Each game has pushed the teams to play their best and players have demonstrated great resilience throughout the games, maintaining fine spirits. With lots of boys transitioning into the club, the school's future in rugby is looking very bright. Over the next few months, all of the teams will be taking part in Middlesex and Hillingdon Borough competitions. We are also fortunate enough to have a visit planned from a professional London Irish player, which we are all looking forward to. Mr Fieldhouse PE Department

Boys Rugby

Year 7 Team

Year 8 Team

Year 9 Team

On Tuesday 19th November, the Year 10 Netball squad travelled to Vyners School for the annual Year 10 Borough Netball tournament. Unfortunately, due to injuries some Year 10 squad members could not play, so I would like to thank some of the Year 9 students for stepping up and competing in this tournament. The squad played four games

and their opponents were Northwood College, Bishopshalt School, Ruislip High School and Vyners School. They displayed excellent resilience throughout the matches and had to work hard defensively. Mrs Carter PE Department

Year 10 Netball

Dates for your diary

Queensmead School, Queens Walk, South Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 0LS Email: office@qmschool.org.uk Twitter: qm_news

Sena, Demi, Sara, Rachel, Phoebe, Isabella (Captain), Tessa and Meri

December Thurs 12th Year 10 Consultation Evening 4.00pm -7.00pm

Wed 18th Winter Concert 7.00pm - 8.30pm

End of Term Thursday 19th December

Inset Day Monday 6th January 2020

Term Starts for Students Tuesday 7th January 2020

January Thurs 23rd Year 9 Options /Consultation Evening 4.00pm -7.00pm