Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well, as we near the end of another typically busy week at school.
This week at Kelmscott has been as vibrant and engaging as ever, packed with opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and experience something new.
One of the cultural highlights was hosting an external theatre company for a performance of the Spanish play Primera Cita (First Date). What a fantastic and engaging experience for our students, thanks to the Modern Foreign Languages department. Maria and Carlos’ theatrical journey from pre-date panic to an entertaining cinema encounter provided plenty of laughs and valuable learning opportunities. Our students truly stepped up to help the pair prepare for their big date, demonstrating creativity and collaboration. From offering fashion advice to Maria—choosing the perfect lipstick, nail varnish, trousers, and top—to assisting Carlos with his English homework. Even Carlos’ shaving mishap, with enthusiastic encouragement for “mas, mas, mas” shaving foam, was all part of the fun.
Special recognition goes to Abdul and Bogdan for joining Maria and Carlos on stage, offering support during their not-so-smooth cinema date. Their contributions brought the story to life and highlighted the humour and charm of the production. Well done to everyone involved for making this play such a memorable and entertaining event. The MFL department is already looking forward to organising more plays in the future, and we can’t wait to see what creative and comedic stories they’ll bring to the stage next. Experiences like this not only entertain but also enrich language learning, offering a dynamic way to explore Spanish culture and practice the language in context.
On Thursday, our Year 9 students had the opportunity to visit the London Stadium for an inspiring day focused on sustainable careers. The day kicked off with lunch in the stands overlooking the pitch, accompanied by a performance from a brass band that set an energetic tone for the day. Following lunch, students immersed themselves in hands-on activities:
Creating podcasts with BBC Sounds, tapping into creativity and media skills.
Making Hydrogels with the Royal Scientific Institute, a fun and educational experiment exploring sustainable materials.
The event also provided opportunities for students to engage with representatives from various universities and colleges to discuss pathways in further education. Adding to the excitement, students explored VR technology, discovering how it is being used to raise awareness about climate change and sustainability issues. This experience gave our students a chance to explore industries focused on building a greener future and to consider the pathways they might take in this vital field. It was a fantastic day that combined learning, creativity, and inspiration. Well done to all who participated.
The winners of the Black History Month Art and Creative Writing Competitions had the privilege of joining local historian Peter Ashan this morning for an enlightening Freedom Walk. The walk provided an in-depth exploration of the history of Black and Asian communities in Walthamstow, stretching as far back as the 17th century. The walk highlighted Walthamstow's resistance against the National Front in the 1970s, along with a range of fascinating facts and figures about our local area. Peter shared his extensive knowledge, uncovering stories of the East End's rich Black history and emphasising the importance of understanding the long-standing diversity of the borough. This experience not only celebrated the students' achievements in the competitions but also connected them with the cultural and historical tapestry of their local area, highlighting the significance of inclusivity and heritage.
Sports now and last Friday, a group of twenty students had an incredible time participating in a cricket festival. The girls embraced the sport with enthusiasm, learning new skills and displaying great teamwork throughout the day. Inspired by the event, they have requested to start a cricket team, with training sessions now taking place every Friday lunchtime.
Kelmscott entered two teams, each playing three games, and both performed exceptionally well—finishing 1st and 2nd overall. A special mention goes to Amira Farrugia, Myah Farrugia, Kenza Idrissi-Kacemi from Year 7, and Zahra Yasin, Year 8 for their outstanding performances. Their efforts were recognised with well-deserved hoodies as prizes. Huge congratulations to all the students involved, what a fantastic achievement.
This week saw some thrilling basketball action from our Kelmscott teams, showcasing teamwork, perseverance, and promising talent on the court:
Year 7/8 Boys Basketball
The boys faced off against a strong Lammas side on Tuesday night, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and resilience. Despite a tough match, they managed to win the 3rd and 4th quarters, though the final score ended 20-14 in Lammas' favour. Special mention to Daniel Ace Estremadura, who was awarded Player of the Match for scoring eight points. The team is eager to bounce back in their next game against Willowfield.
KS3 Girls Basketball
The KS3 girls team played their first game of the season on Wednesday in an away fixture against Walthamstow School for Girls. The team displayed great skill and sportsmanship, representing Kelmscott PE with pride. Myah Farrugia stood out with an incredible effort, earning her Player of the Match. The team is already looking ahead to their next training session, focusing on defensive strategies to sharpen their game for upcoming fixtures.
Well done to both teams for their hard work and determination, we are looking forward to seeing them in action again next week.
A couple of items from last week that I would like to mention:
On Friday, twenty-nine of our Year 7 students participated in an engaging Numeracy Workshop on ‘Budgeting’, facilitated by KPMG LLP, one of the world’s leading accountancy firms. The workshop aimed to equip our young people with essential financial skills and knowledge, empowering them to manage their money effectively and understand the importance of saving. The session began with a lively discussion on identifying the difference between essential and luxury items, where students shared thoughtful and insightful responses. Following this, they took part in a ‘Budgeting Challenge’, working collaboratively to plan how to best use a given budget. Students demonstrated great teamwork and problem-solving skills, coming up with smart and practical solutions for managing their resources. Their enthusiasm and engagement throughout the session were commendable, and they showcased their understanding in the discussions that followed. A big thank you to KPMG LLP for delivering this valuable session, which has provided our students with practical financial knowledge for the future.
Our Year 10 Fine Art students had an inspiring trip to the newly refurbished National Portrait Gallery as part of their GCSE coursework. The visit offered a fantastic opportunity to research, analyse, and appreciate a range of portraits showcasing historical and contemporary figures. The day included highlights such as the Tudor Kings and Queens galleries, where students marveled at the intricacies of royal portraiture, and Marc Quinn’s 'Self', a thought-provoking sculpture created from the artist's own blood. Students also made excellent use of the gallery's learning centre to deepen their understanding and gain inspiration for their studies.
The students’ conduct throughout the day, whether exploring the gallery or traveling on the tube, was impeccable and a true credit to Kelmscott School. While everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day, many shared a common sentiment: their "feet were a bit tired" after so much exploration. Well done to everyone involved for making the most of this enriching experience.
The highly anticipated School of Rock dress rehearsals took place on Thursday, with Year 7 enjoying a sneak peek of the full performance today. This all builds towards the final performance on Monday evening at 6pm, which is already fully booked.
Thank you to the parents who joined us this week for our first meeting to discuss forming a PTA or similar group. It was a very positive and constructive session, with ideas for fundraising opportunities and potential events that could bring our school community even closer together.
On another note, as a school we have started discussing the possibility of becoming a smartphone-free school. This is an important topic, and while we are still exploring the direction we might take, it is worth noting that research suggests smartphones can have a detrimental impact on young people. I will keep you updated as these discussions progress. Were we to go down this road, we would look to engage and consult with parents fully before taking any decisions.
We will begin rolling out login details for Edulink next week, in the meantime you can access the full guide for the app here. Please take a look at the guide so that once you have received the email with your login details, you can begin to familiarise yourself with the new app. Please note that we will not be using Edulink for any communications (to or from school) for the time being, we will continue to use MyEd until we are ready to go live with Edulink, hopefully by the end of January.
For families with children entitled to free school meals, Waltham Forest will be running a cooking workshop during the Christmas holidays. For eligible families, please see here for more information.
You can find information about the Waltham Forest Family Hub community drop-in sessions and festive closures here.
Finally, congratulations to Elsie Tulloch and Charlie Adams, both in 8K, who have topped the reward point charts this week, each with an impressive 40 points. This is the third time they’ve achieved this milestone, a fantastic achievement. Congratulations too to the following chart toppers for the other year groups:
Year 7, Osama Medjbour in 7L with 16 points
Year 8, Charlie Adams and Elsie Tulloch in 8K with 40 points
Year 9, Jude Cambridge Brown in 9K with 29 points
Year 10, Armita Yadollahi in 10C with 30 points
Year 11, Kiril Kucalov in 11L and Zahra Turkman in 11O with 14 points.
With every good wish,
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher
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