Curriculum Leader for Art, Miss Gilroy,  ran a Saturday session this weekend for her Creative and Design students and reports that it was superb.

The hard-working students were busy creating mono prints and etchings and spent the morning producing some impressive pieces that will really help them with their forthcoming exams and sketchbooks. 

The weekend workshop was well attended and the students enjoyed the experience whilst learning new skills.

Twenty two Year 9 German students had a real treat yesterday, January 24, when they experienced learning outside the classroom and had fun too.

Lead Practitioner, Ms Prichard and German Assistant, Miss Lottmann  took the teenage linguists to see German Rap and Soul Artist, Chefket, perform at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone.

Chefket was visiting London as part of his European tour and he set aside a date to perform to UK students learning German. This was organised by The Goethe Institut and was a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience modern German culture along with other similar aged students from other schools across the Capital.

Ms Prichard commented: “The boys were all very excited and enthusiastic and it was a great opportunity to hear lots of German and learn new vocabulary as well as plenty of opportunities for audience participation. Chefket’s rapping was pretty impressive too. One of our students was brave enough to get on stage and perform to the whole audience earning  the loudest applause of the day.’ Ein guter Tag’ as Chefket might say  – (the title of one of his songs.)” 

Councillor Seyi Akinwowo is with us all week delivering assemblies to all Year groups  about online safety and alerting students as to the different types of abuse and harassment many people and women in particular suffer from online bullies and trolls.

She was in today, Tuesday, January 23, speaking to Year 8 boys about Glitch UK and delivering a workshop on cyber-bulling.

She gave the students lots to think about and stressed the importance of behaving appropriately online at all times.

Seyi herself has suffered online racist and misogynist bullying and she explained to the students how soul-destroying and hurtful such nasty comments can be and how it can affect everyday life.

She urged the students to think before they react to anything online and think before they do anything that could hurt anybody else. She stressed that whatever they do and whatever information and photographs they share could potentially follow them throughout their career and have dire consequences.

The boys got involved and enjoyed the special assembly. Seyi involved them and was pleased to discover the boys were aware of the pitfalls of cyber bullying and online safety and were quite knowledgeable.

Here are some photos from today’s session.

Our Year 7 basketball team played their first game of the season yesterday, January 23, and won a comfortable 77 to 17.

Parents are reminded that students will finish at 12.25pm this Thursday, January 25, so staff can prepare for the 6th Form Open Evening that’s scheduled for that night.

The following morning, Friday, January 26, students will start an hour later than usual too – at 9.45am.

The Open Evening is an opportunity for Year 11 students to chat to teachers and current Year 12 and 13 students and ask questions about A Level and BTEC courses on offer.

It’s a very informal evening with lots of useful advice on offer.

Come along from 6pm to see how St Bon’s can help.

Two of our 6th Form Sports Science students, Laja Ogidan and Matilda Asiamah met the South African netball team at the Copperbox ahead of their game this Saturday.

A student from 8 Colman was today presented with the first Jack Petchey award of 2018 for the caring, helpful way he helps out a student with special needs.

Romeo Pjetri who is 12 and went to St Helen’s Primary School was nominated by Director of Inclusion, Mr Jobbins, for supporting a classmate and helping him with his work.

Mr Jobbins was touched by the way Romeo encouraged the boy to put his hand up in lessons and to participate which really helps him to feel included and helps boost his confidence.

Mr Jobbins was impressed by Romeo’s caring nature and felt it deserved to be recognised so this morning Headteacher, Mr Halliwell, called Romeo in to his office and presented him with a certificate from the Jack Petchey Foundation and added: “What a fantastic young man Romeo is to show love for a fellow student the way he does.”

Romeo is deciding what to do with the prize money he will receive.

At our end of year assembly on December 19, we presented three cheques totalling almost £10,000 to three worthwhile charities.

Margaret and Barry Mizen who are the parents of murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen attended the Christmas liturgy and collected a cheque for £1,826.57 for their ‘For Jimmy’ charity. The money was collected from our Christmas Jumper mufti day on December 14. They were overwhelmed by the generosity of staff and students and said the money would really help with Jimmy’s legacy of spreading the message of forgiveness, peace and hope across the country.

Bernadette Fisher from Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society (BCCS) that provides counselling for local children came to collect a cheque for £8,000 and Ms Hillan accepted a cheque for £131 on behalf of ‘Contact the Elderly.’

Mr Halliwell added: ” I am so proud of the amount raised this term. A phenomenal amount in just 12 weeks. To be able to present that massive amount in cheques to three worthwhile charities was a wonderful start to the Christmas holidays.”

Have yourselves a merry little Christmas and don’t forget students finish at 12.30pm today after the final assembly.

Stay say over the holiday and we’ll see all students back in school on January 3.

Important dates are published on the back of the school magazine and your son will be bringing one home with him today so please ask for it.

Merry Christmas everyone.