Year 8 Girls’ Netball

Our year 8 girls played their first netball match on Tuesday 13th against Chauncy School.

Understandably, the girls were very nervous to begin with and conceded 4 goals in the first quarter. However, after a quick pep talk and some movement around the court they found their rhythm. With some excellent shots from Shumaila and Sofia, the girls fought their way back to a narrow loss of 6-4 – only conceding 2 goals after the first quarter. Elisse, Isabella and Myleene were fantastic in defence and made it very hard for the Chauncy attack to get anything past them. Isabella was deservedly named player of the match, but all of the girls who took part deserve a big well done. Their next game is in February so watch this space!

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“Festival of Carols”, Hoddesdon

On Wednesday 13th December the ‘Phoenix Singers’ performed at the annual “Festival of Carols” in Hoddesdon.

We performed all the traditional carols as well as ‘Carol of the Bells’ to the Wednesday market traders and shoppers. We are always delighted to perform out and about in our lovely local community. Thank you to all the parents, nans and grandads and others who came to see us.

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St Mary’s Christmas Carol Service

As the holiday season unfolded, our school had the privilege of coming together for a truly enchanting Christmas Carol Service at St. Mary the Virgin Church.

On an unusually warm evening, the historic church provided the perfect backdrop for a night filled with festive cheer, community spirit, and music.

The ambiance of St. Mary the Virgin Church, with its stunning architecture and warm lighting, created a magical setting for our Christmas celebration. Families and friends gathered, forming a close-knit community within the church walls.

The heart and soul of the evening were the traditional carols that echoed through the hallowed halls. Led by our very own ‘Phoenix Singers’ choir, the community came together in song, harmonising beautifully to celebrate the spirit of Christmas. The shared experience of singing these timeless carols strengthened the bonds within our local community and created lasting memories for all who attended.

Adding a touch of tradition, Bible readings were eloquently delivered by Mrs. Bundock, Mrs. Andrews, and Mr. Simms. Their readings brought forth the essence of the Christmas story, adding a reflective dimension to the service.

These moments of scripture deepened the meaning of the celebration, reminding us all of the true spirit of Christmas. One of the highlights of the evening was the debut performance of Mrs. Andrews on the timpani.

Guiding us through the service was the charismatic Father Eugene, who led with warmth and grace. As we reflect on this special evening, it is evident that the Christmas Carol Service at St. Mary the Virgin Church was more than just a musical performance; it was a celebration of community, tradition, and the true meaning of Christmas.

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Year 13 Mock interviews

The Year 13 students recently participated in a mock interview, a transformative experience that significantly enhanced their employability skills.

This invaluable opportunity allowed our pupils to gain first-hand interview experience, a crucial step in preparing them for the competitive world of work. During the day, students not only faced the challenging questions but also received constructive verbal feedback and in-depth written evaluations. This personalised feedback not only guided them on refining their interview techniques but also provided insights into improving their CVs. The mock interview served as a confidence booster, instilling in our students a sense of readiness for the professional world. This initiative highlights St Mary’s commitment to prioritising practical career preparation and ensuring that our students are well-equipped for the challenges of the workforce.

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Year 10 Hospitality and Catering course – A real-life experience

A group of Year 10 hospitality and catering students embarked on an exhilarating journey at the High Leigh Conference Centre, where they transformed into professional chefs for a day.

Amidst the aromatic sizzles and tantalizing aromas, they skilfully crafted a diverse array of culinary delights, including succulent burgers, crispy southern fried chicken, delectable onion rings, vibrant bruschetta, heavenly cheesecake, and refreshing mocktails. Not only did they enjoy their culinary creations during a satisfying lunch, but they also had the rewarding experience of serving their dishes to the centre’s staff and trustees. Beyond the delicious flavours, this hands-on opportunity provided a valuable platform for the students to cultivate essential employability skills and gain insights into the inner workings of a professional kitchen. The exposure to the hospitality aspect of the company broadened their perspective, fostering a deeper understanding of the industry. Such immersive career experiences prove instrumental in shaping the students’ future plans, empowering them with practical knowledge and a profound appreciation for the dynamic world of hospitality and catering.

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Year 8 Boys Football

The year 8 boys football team headed to John Warner for the first match in the district competition.

The team played well and represented St Mary’s fantastically, despite not winning the game. With no recognised goalkeeper in the squad, Samuel, Aren and Bobby showed strong team spirit by volunteering to take a stint in between ‘the sticks’. You would have been hard pressed to know that this wasn’t their normal position based on their performances! The team will be looking to build on their performance in the next game and are already keen to get back to training next Tuesday. Squad – Amir, Santiago, Kerem, Andrew, Matthew, Bobby, Mason, Ahmed, Ozan, Natan, Samuel, Aren, Luca, Max

Player of the match – Samuel

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Gatsby Benchmarks for Careers Education and Guidance

We received confirmation on 1 December that we have all eight of the Gatsby Benchmarks for “world class careers provision in education”.

We are proud of this achievement and the statement it makes about our high-quality careers and guidance programme. This is a result of the broad ranging programme of lessons in PSHE, events such as the careers fair and mock interviews, outside speakers, and superb work experience we organise for the students at St Mary’s. It is this evidence that led the recent Ofsted inspection team to say Personal Development and Curriculum are GOOD and that “The school prepares pupils well to make decisions about their next steps in employment, education and training… They receive careers guidance that helps them shape their career goals.”

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Mayoral Debate Team 2023

On Wednesday 29th November a group of four of our KS3 students, participated in the annual Mayoral Debate Competition at Broxbourne Council Chambers, delivering their speech on what they want the Borough of Broxbourne to be like in another fifty years time and how they should achieve this.

They competed against other local schools and presented their speech to a packed audience of parents & carers, the Mayor and Councillors. Whilst on this occasion, they were placed third, all of the students spoke extremely eloquently, passionately and with clear understanding of the topic and showed excellent leadership skills. We are all very proud of their achievement in working hard as a team on this project and producing what was a quality speech together. Very well done to Gabriella, Isaac, Megan and Mason.

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Year 7/8 Girls’ Football

Well done to the Year 7/8 girls’ football team who played their first match in a friendly against Goffs Academy.

With the majority of the team having never played in a competitive football match before, they showed great determination, excellent sportsmanship and were fantastic representatives for the school. Congratulations to all the team: Itohan, Kheira, Ruby, Michaela, Kayla, Filomena, Andra, Shumaila, Eva, Sofia, Frankie, Selin, Alexia, Rihanna and Yasmin.

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Modern Foreign Languages

Last week a group of Year 9 French and Spanish students participated in the National Language Competition organised by GCHQ, one of the UK’s intelligence agencies.

 

The competition aimed to inspire language learning in schools from around the UK. Over the course of five days, students worked in teams of four to score points by tackling a variety of fun, language-themed challenges hosted on an online platform. The event saw students decoding words and phrases involving lesser known languages and even some made up languages! The challenges really got the students thinking and were very tough but they enjoyed the experience. Team “Great kind barnacle” with Talliah, Jaden, Anusha and Umut scored the highest within St Mary’s …congratulations!!

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