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- Sports Extra Curiccular Programme 17th-21st June
- Friday Bulletin - 14 June 2013
- Sports Extra Curricular Programme 10th-14th June
- Friday Bulletin - 7 June 2013
- Sports Extra Curricular Programme 3rd-7th June
- Year 8 Charity Work
- Friday Bulletin - 24 May 2013
- Sports Extra Curricular Programme 20th-24th May
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Sports Extra Curiccular Programme 17th-21st June
Friday, 14 June 2013 14:27
To download the sports extra curricular programme for this week, please click on the image below (If download does not work, please try right clicking on the image and select "Save Target As". Alternatively you can now view the document without downloading by scrolling down.
Friday Bulletin - 14 June 2013
Friday, 14 June 2013 11:37
Dates For Your Diary
- Year 8 Parents Consultation Evening – Monday 17 June, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
- Sixth Form Induction Day, Friday 28 June
- Year 7 Parents Consultation Evening - Monday 1stJuly, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
- Year 7 Parents Information Evening for Parents (Review of the year and stepping up to year 8) Tuesday 2 July, 6.00 p.m.
- Year 6 Parents Induction Evening – Monday 8 July, 6.00 pm
- Sports Presentation Evening, Thursday 11 July, 7.00 p.m. College of St Hild and Bede
Year 11 Revision Guidance
Year 11 study leave continues and revision is skill of the utmost importance. There is revision guidance on the school website for all year 11 students. It can be found by following the link below.
http://www.durham-johnston.durham.sch.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=357&Itemid=159
In addition, the following attachment can also be used to support revision.
Public Examinations Information for Leavers 2013
Mr O'Sullivan - Assistant Head
Maths Weekend at Dalesbridge
Last weekend 27 pupils and 4 staff spent two days at Dalesbridge outdoor centre preparing for the GCSE Mathematics exams taking place later in the week. The group set out from Durham Johnston at 9.00 on Saturday morning and by midday all pupils were taking in part in their first maths session. The full programme consisted of 14 maths sessions covering a range of topics and activities from exam paper practice to maths relay races. Pupils also had time for a walk to the nearby village of Austwick and energetic games of rounders.
The feedback from the pupils has been very positive:
“Good variety of intense work and relaxation, the teachers also helped me with a few topics that I was struggling with.”
“Every hour seemed like half an hour”
“I’ve made loads of progress and understand more now”
“Able to concentrate without distractions”
Miss Rush, Subject Leader for Maths
Key stage 1 Multi Skills Festival at Durham Johnston
On Monday 10 June 150 children from local primary schools attended a multi skills festival organised and run by Mrs White and the PE department using leadership students from our school.
Children aged 4, 5 and 6 came from St Oswald’s Infant school, Shincliffe Primary, Nevilles Cross and New Brancepeth schools.
Year 7 students acted as team leaders, each of them taking responsibility for 6 children in their team. This gave them an opportunity to work on the healthy lifestyles topic they had been covering in PSHE, encouraging the youngsters to be active. They also had the responsibility of getting the teams to the correct activity, keeping them motivated and encouraging them to do their best.
Ten members of our Sky Sports - Living for Sport leaders ran the events each pupil demonstrating excellent leadership abilities.
The youngsters rotated around 6 different sport zones and ran, jumped and balanced all afternoon.
Mrs White, Sports Co-ordinator
French Week in the PE Department 17 – 21 June
Pupils in years 7, 8, 9, and 10 will have the opportunity to experience some different sporting activities and practice their French vocabulary during their lessons next week. Activities planned include Boules, Outdoor Handball, and French Dodgeball. There will be a daily five minute quiz in form time each day, French Boules and Outdoor Handball competitions during the lunch period and a ‘French Corner’ in the PE corridor so that pupils can learn about French culture.
Miss Kerbout – PE Department
Annual Sports Presentation Evening
We will be holding our Annual Sports Presentation evening on Thursday 11 July, 7.00 p.m. at the College of St Hild and St Bede. Tickets are priced £6.00 and are available now from PE department staff. It is a great evening!
Mr Hopper, Subject Leader for PE
Pupils Enjoy Falconry Display
Over 60 year 7 students had the opportunity to enjoy a falconry display on Monday afternoon. Most of the students had been studying the play “Kes” and so were able to appreciate seeing and learning about kestrels. Other birds of prey on display included a barn owl, a peregrine falcon and, causing particular delight, a four week old eagle owl chick. Students learnt about how the birds are built to fly and their amazing hearing or eyesight which enables them to hunt.
Mrs Everall, English Department
Teams of the week
Athletics
Highlight of week was the performance of our Inter Girls Athletics team on Tuesday. They were competing in the English Schools regional round in Middlesbrough. After an excellent day of competition they won the event scoring well over 300 points. The girls’ performance was outstanding!
Tennis
Well done to our U13 boys tennis team who beat Hummersknott to win the Durham League. They now face a play-off against the Cleveland winners to reach the National Stages in September.
Our year 8 rounders team also had an excellent victory on Wednesday against Durham High School to maintain their unbeaten record this season.
Cricket
On Wednesday our Year 7 cricket team had an easy victory against St Aidan’s to remain top of the Tyneside league.
Athletics
Congratulations to Joe Severs, Emily Gargan and Emma Bramley who all won their events at the County Athletics Championships on Saturday to become County Champions. Good luck to them for tomorrow when they compete in the Northern Championships in Middlesbrough.
Finally, good luck this afternoon to our year 7 boys tennis team who are playing in the Tyneside Schools Finals at Dame Allan’s and our Under 13 Super 6 golf team who have a competition at Durham City golf club.
Mr Hopper, Subject Leader for PE
Sports Extra Curricular Programme 10th-14th June
Monday, 10 June 2013 19:54
To download the sports extra curricular programme for this week, please click on the image below (If download does not work, please try right clicking on the image and select "Save Target As". Alternatively you can now view the document without downloading by scrolling down.
Friday Bulletin - 7 June 2013
Friday, 07 June 2013 14:37
Dates For Your Diary
- Year 12 students return from study leave – Monday 10 June 2013
- Year 8 Parents Consultation Evening – Monday 17 June, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
- Sixth Form Induction Day, Friday 28 June
- Year 7 Parents Consultation Evening - Monday 1stJuly, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
- Year 7 Parents Information Evening for Parents (Review of the year and stepping up to year 8) Tuesday 2 July, 6.00 p.m.
- Year 6 Parents Induction Evening – Monday 8 July, 6.00 pm
- Sports Presentation Evening, Thursday 11 July, 7.00 p.m. College of St Hild and Bede
Year 11 Revision Guidance
Year 11 study leave has now started and revision is of the utmost importance. There is revision guidance on the school website for all year 11 students. It can be found by following the link below.
http://www.durham-johnston.durham.sch.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=357&Itemid=159
In addition, the following attachment can also be used to support revision.
Public Examinations Information for Leavers 2013
Mr O'Sullivan - Assistant Head
Reminder – Year 10 Study Visit to Austria
There will be a meeting for parents whose children are going on the study visit to Autria (5 – 13 July). The meeting will take place on Thursday 20 June at 5.00 p.m. in James Hall.
Ms Schwaiger – Subject Leader for German
Annual Sports Presentation Evening
We will be holding our Annual Sports Presentation evening on Thursday 11 July, 7.00 p.m. at the College of St Hild and St Bede. Tickets are priced £6.00 and are available now from PE department staff. It is a great evening!
Mr Hopper, Subject Leader for PE
Year 7 Visits to NCJ Media Office in Newcastle
The first two NCJ Media trips took place this week. Both were very successful and gave students an insight into journalism, as well as developing skills, such as: time keeping, decision making, problem solving, IT skills, editing and graphic design.
Mrs Walton, Head of PSHE, Citizenship
Speed Visiting!
Several of our year 9 pupils were invited on a whistle stop cultural tour of Gateshead and Newcastle this week – and we couldn’t have picked a better day for it!
We started at the sunny Angel of the North, had a tour of Sage, Gateshead (noThe anymore!), saw the only legal graffiti wall in the North-East, took a trip to the viewing decks at The Baltic, crossed the Millennium Bridge to the Tyneside Cinema (where we were treated to a newsreel in the 5p seats) and finished at the Laing Art Gallery where we analysed some artworks and pretended to be abstract sculptures!
All of this was followed by a mad dash back across the Tyne Bridge to make it back in time for the buses.
Was it a world record for the most activities in a day? Maybe not, but it was a valuable experience for all involved, giving a real insight into a range of cultural activities and centres of excellence in the North-East, and a speed-walking workout too! We spent over an hour in each of the venues and finished the day warm, but cultured, and some of the group even managed a trip back on the train.
This visit formed part of the school’s response to the Henley Report for Culture, which this year has given KS3 pupils the opportunity to visit the theatre, the DLI Museum, Durham Cathedral, Beamish Museum and to be entertained here, in school, by the Northern Sinfonia. Feedback from the pupils was excellent, ‘I’ve never been to Newcastle before, I enjoyed it.’, ‘It’s my first visit to the Angel of the North, it’s huge!’, ‘The art wasn’t as boring as I thought it would be!’, ‘It’s been a really interesting day, thank you!’
Mrs Sinclair, Music Department
Year 7 Visit to Sunderland University
Embracing the spirit of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and John Delorean, Year 7 descended on Sunderland University to explore the delights of university life. Eyes lit up with the local university branch of Greggs and some rather tempting vending machines before their brains were stretched with the complexities of bridge design and construction. Some quite amazing bridges came to life and survived the Audi challenge and this was followed with the joys of rocket cars that would have brought tears to Top Gear. All in all a fantastic day.
Mr Weaver, Assistant Head
Year 8 trip to Beamish
On Wednesday 5th June, the whole of year 8 visited Beamish Open Air Museum. This is part of the school’s response to the Henley report, which encourages schools to offer opportunities for children to experience high culture, including heritage sites. In form groups, pupils visited all of the main sites in the museum, learning about life in a typical North East town and colliery village in the years leading up to the First World War, as well as life on a farm and a manor house in the 19th Century. A highlight for most was visiting the sweet shop in the town! Feedback from pupils tells us that they enjoyed themselves, with most learning something into the bargain.
The behaviour of pupils was exemplary throughout the day; we received many compliments from both the staff at the museum and members of the public about behaviour, manners and how interested and attentive students were in the exhibits. They were a credit to the school and to themselves; a pleasure to take on a trip.
Many thanks to the staff who accompanied us, despite it being such a long day!
Miss McKenzie, History Department
Teams of the week
Cricket
Congratulations to our Y8 cricket team who beat Emmanuel College by 8 wickets on Monday to reach the County Cup quarter finals.
Also well done to Y7 cricket team who beat Egglescliffe by 9 wickets on Wednesday. Good luck to them tonight when the travel to Blaydon to play St Thomas More for a place in County Cup quarter final.
Tennis
Well done to our Under 15 boys’ tennis team who beat Barnard Castle 6 – 0 on Tuesday to reach the County Cup semi-final.
Rounders
Excellent results for our Year 7 & 10 rounders teams who both beat Parkview on Wednesday with a special mention to the year10’s who won 75 – 12!
Also well done to Y7 cricket team who beat Egglescliffe by 9 wickets on Wednesday. Good luck to them tonight when the travel to Blaydon to play St Thomas More for a place in County Cup quarter final.
Athletics
Finally good luck to our athletes who are representing Durham Central at the County Athletics Championships at Monkton Stadium on Saturday. They are Sarah Rowell, Emily Gargan, Melissa Raine, Eleanor Daglish, Emma Bramley, Georgia Whitfield, Davey Chapman, Thomas Waggott, Connor Johnson, Joe Severs, Robert Mitchell, Alex Reay, Oliver Watson, Ryan Dews and Joe Wilson.
Mr Hopper, Subject Leader for PE
Sports Extra Curricular Programme 3rd-7th June
Tuesday, 28 May 2013 00:00
To download the sports extra curricular programme for this week, please click on the image below (If download does not work, please try right clicking on the image and select "Save Target As". Alternatively you can now view the document without downloading by scrolling down.
Year 8 Charity Work
Friday, 24 May 2013 06:51
Year 8 Charity Work
So far we have completed two successful bake sales. In the first one we raised £52. In the second we raised £72. Our aim was £100 in two bake sale and we were able to exceed our target by £25.
Our overall aim is to raise £500 and give it all to Cancer Research. We want to do this by bake sales, sponsored runs, sponsored swims. Lauren will also cut off some of her hair for sponsor money! We have put our names down for the race for life and Greggs Cancer run. All our sponsor money goes to fight cancer. We are going to work on this challenge throughout the summer and up until Christmas (when we will do carol singing and busking). For further sponsors we will be selling lemonade and snacks to people in our neighbourhood as well as car washes. During school we will be putting on some films and hold a tuck shop at the same time.
We have already received a letter of thanks from Cancer Research for the work we have do so far.
by Lauren Donaghy and Cressida Appleton
Friday Bulletin - 24 May 2013
Thursday, 23 May 2013 10:30
Dates For Your Diary
- Term begins - Monday 3 June
- Year 8 Parents Consultation Evening – Monday 17 June, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
- Year 7 Parents Consultation Evening - Monday 1stJuly, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
- Year 7 Parents Information Evening - Tuesday 2 July, 6.00 p.m.
- Sports Presentation Evening - Thursday 11 July, 7.00 p.m. at College of St Hild and St Bede
Year 11 Revision Guidance
Year 11 study leave has now started and revision is of the utmost importance. There is revision guidance on the school website for all year 11 students. It can be found by following the link below.
http://www.durham-johnston.durham.sch.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=357&Itemid=159
In addition, the following attachment can also be used to support revision.
Public Examinations Information for Leavers 2013
Mr O'Sullivan - Assistant Head
Music Department News
Northern Sinfonia Performs at Durham Johnston
On Tuesday morning all students in years 7, 8, 9 and some musicians from year 10 and 13 were treated to a fantastic performance by The Northern Sinfonia, the resident orchestra of the Sage, Gateshead. It was an orchestral ‘show and tell’ which enabled students to experience the resonance and power of live acoustic music through a wide range of repertoire, from the Wallace and Gromit theme tune to the last movement of Prokoviev’s Classical Symphony. We very much look forward to a return visit in the future.
Durham Johnston Music Festival
Students who have been selected to perform in the School Music Festival on July 4thhave been emailed. If your son or daughter has entered please ask them to check their school email for final arrangements.
Evensong to Celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Chamber Choir will join forces with the Chapel Choir of Durham School to sing Evensong in Durham Cathedral on Sunday June 2nd. The choir rehearsal is at 2.00pm and the service starts at 3.30pm. Those attending the service are asked to be seated by 3.15pm and the service will be finished by 4.45pm.
Mr Holmes, Subject Leader for Music
Year 8 Visit to Beamish
On Wednesday 5th June, the whole of year 8 will visit Beamish Open Air Museum. This is part of the school’s response to the Henley report, which encourages schools to offer opportunities for children to experience high culture, including heritage sites. Pupils will be out of school for the whole day and will need to bring a packed lunch. We will not be leaving the museum until 4.15pm, when the coaches will drop pupils off along the usual late bus routes.
A letter has been posted out providing parents with further details o the visit. To read the letter please click on the following link Year 8 Letter to Parents (Beamish) June 2013
If you have any concerns or queries about the visit please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Miss McKenzie, History Department
Birth Announcement (nonuplets!)
We are proud to announce the birth of nine baby ducks in our outdoor area by the school pond. Born just outside the English classrooms but exact birth date unclear. Ducklings first spotted Monday 20thMay. Mother and babies doing well but would welcome a bit of better weather!
Dr. Bolton, Subject Leader for Biology
Teams of the week
Cricket
Last Friday both our Under 13 boys and girls cricket teams competed in the Durham City Inter cricket competition at Brandon CC. After an excellent day’s cricket both our teams won the competition. The boys won all the games easily. Both teams now go on to represent Durham at the County Championships in June. A great result, and we wish them all the best for the match in June.
Athletics
Outstanding achievement on Tuesday at the Under 15 County Pentathlon Championships at Monkton Stadium.
The best 13 schools in the County took part with about 120 athletes competing. After completing 5 events both our Boys and Girls teams won to become County Champions. The boys team won by over 600 points. Well done to Emily Gargan who won the Individual girls competition. Also we had 5 of our boys in the top 8 including Oskar Maatta who finished 2ndand Joe Severs who finished 3rd. Very well done to all who competed.
Acrobatic Gymnastics
Well done also to Vicky Gargan and her co-gymnasts who competed at the British Acrobatic Gymnastic, National Development Finals recently. She, along with two other girls from different schools in the area competed in the very competitive NDP 4 grade, representing the North, but competing for the Deerness Gymnastics Academy.
The girls had to do two rounds, a Tempo round and a Balance round. The Deerness girls gained the Gold.
Sports Presentation Evening
We will be holding our Annual Sports Presentation evening on Thursday 11 July, 7.00 p.m. at the College of St Hild and St Bede. Tickets are priced £6.00 and are available from PE department staff.
Mr Hopper, Subject Leader for PE
Sports Extra Curricular Programme 20th-24th May
Saturday, 18 May 2013 00:00
To download the sports extra curricular programme for this week, please click on the image below (If download does not work, please try right clicking on the image and select "Save Target As". Alternatively you can now view the document without downloading by scrolling down.
Friday Bulletin - 17th May 2013
Friday, 17 May 2013 12:56
Dates For Your Diary
- Year 8 Parents Consultation Evening – Monday 17 June, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
- Year 7 Parents Consultation Evening - Monday 1stJuly, 4.00 – 6.00 pm
Big Parent Mailing
Thank you very much to the many parents and carers who have returned the extensive paperwork we sent last week. If you have not done so, please would you send us the replies we asked for in the mailing:
- your contact details for the new texting service,
- your biometric agreement and
- any thoughts you have on improving home-school communication.
Year 11 left us yesterday to go on study leave. As is our tradition, they had a nice morning signing each others; year books and shirts, followed by a buffet and cheerful prize-giving to set them on their way to revision, and to say goodbye to those who won’t be returning to year 12. I reminded them that they are our last Whinney Hill year group and therefore have some very particular memories that younger year groups don’t have!
Are you interested in helping us set up a Parent Teacher Association – or a Friends of Johnston? Governors on the Pupil Well-being Committee are keen to find out if we have sufficient people who could get together to consider such a support group for the school. Our last PTA ended about 10 years ago, so it would be good to see if we could start again. Fundraising would be wonderful, as well as the added chance for community building between parents and school. If you are interested (don’t worry, you won’t be invited to take on a huge role) could you email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so that I can get an idea? Any thoughts very welcome!
We are having a close look at uniform from next week. Please will you make sure that you send your children to school dressed according to our requirements. Our uniform list is available here uniform list In particular, please remember that we DO NOT ALLOW
- trainers
- very short skirts
- stretchy skirts
- jewellery
- jeans or jeans-type trousers
and that short skirts must be worn with opaque tights, no matter what the weather is like.
Carolyn Roberts
Year 11 Revision Guidance
Year 11 study leave has now started and revision is of the utmost importance. There is revision guidance on the school website for all year 11 students. It can be found by following the link below.
http://www.durham-johnston.durham.sch.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=357&Itemid=159
In addition, the following attachment can also be used to support revision.
Public Examinations Information for Leavers 2013
Mr O'Sullivan - Assistant Head
Oxford University Summer School
Year 12 students Lucy Henderson and Ruth Bradley have been offered places on one of the University of Oxford's week long summer schools during June and July. Competition for these places is extremely tough, with 4400 students applying for 850 places in 2013. Both students will participate in an intensive programme of study and will attend lectures and seminars by Oxford academics and will be mentored by current undergraduates. They will also attend workshops on interviews and personal statements, careers events and social activities. Lucy will study Biomedical Sciences and Ruth will study Chemistry.
Maths News
In April this year, 108 pupils from Year 7 and Year 8 took part in the Junior Maths Challenge. 77 of the candidates have now been awarded a certificate.
Gold 17, Silver 31, Bronze 29
Best in Year 7 Joshua Elebach
Best in Year 8 Yuriy Tumarkin
Extra special congratulations to Yuriy Tumarkin who scored full marks and will go through to the Junior Mathematical Olympiad in June.
Miss Rush - Subject Leader for Mathematics
Team of the week
Congratulations to our year 7 girls’ rounders team who remain unbeaten after a comfortable win against Durham School on Tuesday.
Also well done to our Under 13 girls’ tennis team who reached the semi-final of the County Knockout with a 5 – 1 win against Durham High B.
Finally congratulations to Josh Raine in year 7 who attended the Durham Disability Football trials on Wednesday and was selected for the Durham City team to compete in the School Games finals in July.
Mr Hopper – Subject Leader for PE
Press Release - Leading Durham Headteacher Moves On
Monday, 13 May 2013 15:57
Leading Durham Headteacher Moves On
Carolyn Roberts, Head of Durham Johnston Comprehensive School in Durham City, has been appointed as Head of Thomas Tallis School in Greenwich, London, and will take up her new post in September this year.
Mrs Roberts took over the leadership of Durham Johnston in 2005 and oversaw the construction of new premises that opened in April 2009, transforming the school from a split-site arrangement with crumbling buildings into the splendid school that it has now become.
Mrs Roberts said, “I have had eight and a half very happy years as Head of this exceptional school. Deciding to accept a new challenge elsewhere was a wrench, but I know Johnston will continue to go from strength to strength. Wonderful young people, magnificent staff, supportive families and excellent governors make this a happy and successful community school which I shall miss enormously.”
Commenting on Mrs Robert's impending departure, Chair of Governors, Professor Simon Morris said, “Everyone connected with the school will be sad to see Carolyn moving on from Durham Johnston.” “In spite of the disruption that any major building project brings, and the constant change that comes from government, under Carolyn's leadership the school nonetheless achieved an "Outstanding‟ grading in its recent Ofsted report.”
“We are immensely grateful for all she has done for the school, which continues to be recognised as a leading school in the North East of England, and has a national reputation for excellence.”
“We wish her well in her new role.”
Professor Simon Morris, Chair of the Governing Body
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