The English Department ran a scary poetry competition, open to all years, during the spooky season of Halloween!

The task started with inspiration during form time where students were exploring three different types of poems structures and what they could potentially submit. Over the span of the final week of term to the start of the next, students handed in a range of ballad, rhyming, acrostic, haiku and free verse poems - we even received a booklet of three poems from one of our winners!

There were some really eerie and uncanny poems but as a department we have decided our three winners are:

• J. Choi 9A1

T. Shafiq 9A2

H. Abdalla 9A1

We also thought these students deserved a special mention for their creepy work:

E. Ford 8B1

L. Ncube 7T2

T. Clarke 9A1

The English Department thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone’s submissions and want to say a big thank to all the students who participated 😊

Congratulations go to G Naces and D Aqrawi (both pictured) as well as A Singh in 8Y2. G Naces scored the highest percentage in the class in the Autumn 1 French assessment, with D Aqrawi and A Singh in second place. All boys demonstrated that they are self-motivated to achieve as it was clear a lot of revision had taken place for this assessment. Well done, everyone!

From this week, Warhammer Alliance has a new home in A5 after school on a Wednesday. With so many students attending the club each week we now have a lot more room to play games and paint as well as a dedicated building area and better access to taps for paint brushes.

This half term we are having a big push on learning to play Warhammer 40k. With the new edition launch over summer students new and old are learning this new version of the game in preparation for a ladder tournament just before Christmas. With thanks to P.Curnew 7B1 the club also has some brand new card battlemats which are helping the tournament shaping itself up to be a very competitive scene.

The ladder tournament will allow all students to challenge each other for rungs on the ladder, the top 3 at the end of 3 weeks will be crowned our school champions and will each go away with prizes, top prize will again be a mystery model from the red boxes.Other hobby still persists, as some students are less interested in the gaming side or want more time to perfect their models for the tournament we still have dedicated painting areas to continue to do this.  

This month in the maths department we have had had have 90 hours’ of work completed on Mathswatch. With 500 logins, and over 2000 questions attempted. 

Special mentions go out to some of our top pupils. J. Choi 9A1, A. Andrews 9B1 and L. Connolly 7B1who are the top students this month putting in a mighty 11 hours of work between the 3 of them.  

Special mentions to T.Farrell 9A1 who has now ‘Mastered’ 70 topics through his time using mathswatch with the school. This means that he has got 100% correct answers on all the interactive questions of 70 different topics on mathswatch!

There are still some sheets available for those who haven’t had chance to pick one up yet. See which of the 9 challenges you can complete at home with your responsible adult. Please remember to bring these in at the end of the month so we can tally up how we did as a school! Some teachers are already completing theirs and you can see what progress they have made so far. Thank you to E. Foyle for making such a great start on his!

#Cutyourcarbon

In a moving and solemn Armistice Day commemoration, Turves Green Boys' School joined forces with the seven schools from the Matrix Academy Trust. Our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) organised a parade that served as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made for our nation. The event symbolised unity and remembrance, with CCF cadets from all schools displaying discipline and respect as they marched in formation. 

Our entire school community, including pupils, teachers, staff and visitors, came together to witness this heart-warming display of solidarity. The event emphasised the core values of this day, respect, gratitude, and remembrance. In a moment of silence, we paid tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for our country, symbolised by the wearing of poppies. 

The Armistice Day parade was more than just an event; it was a time for reflection and a chance for our school community to express gratitude to our nation's servicemen and women, past and present. As we move forward, let us always remember the significance of Armistice Day and the importance of honouring our heroes' memory. 

A huge congratulations to B. Mallett on his performance in the Autumn 1 French assessment. B Mallett wrote a spectacular piece on his home town, what you can do there and what he likes to do there. The piece demonstrated that a lot of revision had taken place and was a pleasure to read. Well done on a superb performance and for showing that you are self-motivated to achieve!

This week science club celebrated bonfire night be making our own colourful displays. Metals burn with distinctly colourful flames so we were able to use Bunsen Burners to look at potassium, sodium, calcium and copper metal salt solutions.  

The result was flames that burned bright orange (the colour of Tango!) red and green. All of our students lit and controlled Bunsen Burners flames safely and ran their own tests with fabulous results. One student commented “this is my favourite science club so far”.  

Knowing how to identify metal salts using flame tests is key GCSE curriculum which our KS3 members have now gained key experience in. Well done to all of our science club members for their fantastic work. 

Cory F (Year 7) has been riding and competing in championships involving Motocross since he was 5 years old. He has competed in many competitions including the Weston Beach Race and does the Winter championships every weekend. He has worked himself up from a 50cc to 85cc. His favourite bike is a Honda CRF because it has his initials on it! And also, a GasGas. Cory wants to train and teach people key skills involved in Motocross when he leaves secondary school. From January next year he will be competing in the Severn Valley Championship. 

As we wrap up the first half term of the academic year 23/24, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge the outstanding rewards and achievements of our pupils at Turves Green Boys' School.

Throughout the half-term, we have witnessed exceptional behaviour from our pupils, and it is with great pleasure that we recognise those who have consistently displayed outstanding conduct. These pupils have shown exemplary behaviour and have set a positive example for their peers.

Additionally, we would like to commend those pupils who have consistently put in their best effort in all aspects of their academic journey. Their dedication and commitment to their studies have not gone unnoticed, and we are proud to acknowledge their hard work.

Furthermore, we would like to highlight the pupils who have demonstrated the highest levels of attainment in their academic subjects. Their exceptional achievements serve as an inspiration to all, and we applaud their academic excellence.

Attendance is a vital aspect of pupil's educational journey, and we are delighted to recognise those with excellent and outstanding attendance records. Their commitment to regular attendance showcases their dedication to their education and sets a positive example for their peers.

We also want to celebrate the pupils who have made significant progress in their reading abilities through our Accelerated Reading program. Their commitment to improving their literacy skills is commendable, and we are thrilled to acknowledge their accomplishments.

In addition to these individual awards, we would like to acknowledge the commendations that our pupils have received for their exceptional efforts and achievements. These commendations reflect the recognition they have received from their teachers and peers for their outstanding contributions to the school values and community.

Lastly, we would like to extend our congratulations to the recipients of the Head of House Star Pupil Award and the Headteacher Recognition Award. These awards highlight the pupils who have consistently gone above and beyond in all areas of their school life. Their exceptional qualities and dedication deserve special recognition.

We are incredibly proud of all our pupils and their achievements during this first half term of the academic year. Their hard work, determination, and positive contributions make Turves Green Boys' School a truly remarkable place of learning.

We look forward to continuing our journey of success together in the second half of the term.