Dame Alice Owen's School

Latest News - information for our whole school community:

*** Please note! Essential IT upgrades are taking place during the summer holidays - there should be no disruption to our email service, however, if you have an urgent message, you are advised to ring the school office (mornings only) on 01707 643441 - thank you ***

Added w/c 19th July 2010

Summer goodbyes from Dame Alice Owen's We would like to wish all students, parents, staff and governors a well deserved summer holiday. July Newsletter now available - see Newsletters page SUMMER TERM ENDS: 11.45AM - THURSDAY 22ND JULY AUTUMN TERM BEGINS FOR YEAR 7 & 12 ONLY: 8.45AM - FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER AUTUMN TERM BEGINS FOR WHOLE SCHOOL: 8.45AM - MONDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER

Dame Alice Owen's Science Project with Cancer Research UK and supported by the Royal Society - final outcome!
Please see Press report (and photographs below from our visit to Cranborne Primary school this week) on the results of Year 10 students work to raise the awareness of skin cancer to primary school children in Potters Bar - a huge thank you to Cancer Research UK, the Royal Society, our Head of Physics, Mr S Poliakoff and our Director of Specialisms, Mrs P Perrett, who made this project possible.

Year 10 students present to Cranborne Primary pupils about the dangers of too much sun UV Presentation	Helping make bracelets with colour changing beads	Ultra Violet (UV) colour changing beads - white when out of the sun
		Ultra Violet colour changing beads - coloured when exposed to UV rays in the sun

Visitation - Lower School Prize Giving - Tuesday 20th July 2010 At the culmination of another outstanding year, governors attended the first of two prize giving's to celebrate our successes and award students with Achievement, Endeavour, Music, Sport, Reading and Creative Writing Prizes. We were extremely privileged that author, Mrs S Gardener, accepted our invitation to present the prizes to our students and speak about her own personal education and difficulties that she had faced. Her message was for students to believe they are all winners, if not today, sometime in the future. Mr P Martin, Chair of Governors, spoke about the challenges that faced the governors, expressing his confidence that the right team is in place to rise to the future economic climate, thanked retiring governors and welcomed new governors to the governing body. Dr A Davison reflected on the exceptional work of staff and students, supported by parents, over the last year and students reported on Sports highlights, a French debating contest (in French!) and Music and Drama performances. The Junior Band, conducted by Mr B Bean, performed Exodus, Lady Marmalade and Under the Rice Moon, choir girls sang Pie Jesu Requiem and three poets read out their own winning works.

Sports Pavilion - Work in Progress As we break up for the summer, our builders remain hard at work to complete our new Sports Pavilion, previously destroyed by arsonists in early 2009. We look forward to our special opening by English Cricketer, Monty Panesar, in the Autumn Term.

Year 7 Mid Herts Cricket League Winners July 2010 (The team beat Mount Grace School in the final by 25 runs)

Sports Fixtures for academic year 2010/11 are now available for Boys and Girls PE on the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) to enable parents to reserve dates in advance for matches. Parents are reminded that they share log-in and password details with their child.

Garden Plot comes to Fruition
Over the past 7 months, the Dame Alice Owen’s Life Skills groups in Years 8 and 10 have been working on an environment project that saw them take a piece of wasteland within the school’s grounds and turn it into a fruit and vegetable plot.  Mr G Simpson and Mr C Archer, who take the classes, took initial advice from Capel Manor College and Mr I Breeze also helped with the project. On the 8th July, food was served in the school canteen that had originated from the plot.  This is how it was done...

Wasteland in the school grounds	Life Skills group work to clear ground and sow seeds	Harvesting the crops...	Ready to eat!

Added w/c 12th July 2010

Arrangements for the Final Week of the Summer Term

Monday 19th July - Year 7 visit to Brewer's Hall to collect their Beer Money, Year 8 Activity Day
Tuesday 20th July - 1.45pm Lower School Prize giving
Wednesday 21st July - 2-5pm Open Afternoon, 7pm Visitation Ceremony
Thursday 22nd July - Years 8-13 collect their Beer Money, 11.45am - School dismissed

Mr B Pepper and the Chamber and Symphony Senior Orchestra's, received standing ovations at the last concert of the school year on Thursday 15th July. Performing in the Edward Guinness Hall for probably the last time, ten students from Year 13 took additional bows for their contribution to music throughout their seven years at the school. They thanked Mr B Pepper, who conducted both orchestra's on the evening, for "everything". The stunning music of Haydn, played by the Chamber orchestra, was followed by the school's amazing first performance of a whole breathtaking symphony by Tchaikovsky. The concert was watched by Mayoress of Hertsmere, our previous headmistress, Mrs A Williamson and Mr E Guinness himself.

The audience listened spellbound.

The Arrow Magazine 2010 - Out Soon! Our Sixth Form Arrow team will be selling this year's copy of The Arrow Magazine next week at Visitation and Prize Giving. Representing excellent value at £3 a copy, this investment will give you highlights from the year at Dame Alice Owen's. This is a front cover preview, so look out for the bold design around the school next week - well done to the team, who have once again, created a superb publication.

- This week, Deputy Head and German teacher, Mr J Godfrey and Head of German, Mr F Stegner, inspired their Year 10 students to increase their vocabulary by preparing German recipes in the Food Technology room, speaking German throughout the entire lessons. Mr J Godfrey's class cooked Currywurst mit Bratkartoffeln and a vegetarian option, Halloumi mit Bratkartoffeln vegetarisch, while Mr F Stegner's class created Schnitzel. Dr A Davison even popped in for a tasting session and to commend students on their combination of language and cookery skills!

- Drama enthusiasts among us are reminded that the Lower School Production of Wind in the Willows starts on Wednesday 14th July and continues Friday 16th and Saturday 17th July, 2010 in the main school hall.
DOORS OPEN AT 7.15PM FOR A 7.30PM START

- Pensioners from the 'Sixty Plus' club in Potters Bar were invited to join our Year 8 and 10 Life Skill classes for a Summer Tea Party last week. Dame Alice Owen's students provided them with tea, sandwiches and homemade cakes (baked by Zoe Titmuss and Abigael Bernie).  Our visitors then enjoyed a poem recital by Karina Paschalis and a game of bingo!  The ladies and gentlemen also took the opportunity to view the art work in the foyer area and were highly complimentary.  Overall they seemed to have a lovely time and we look forward to seeing them again in the future. Thanks to Mr G Simpson for arranging the afternoon.

Added w/c 5th July 2010

- "Owen's Nearly New" - Mrs L Anscombe has just received three bags of our style Rugby Shirts from St Columbus School (same colour as ours), as they are changing their colours in September. If you would like to take advantage of their availability, she can be emailed at: loreley@anscombe.co.uk or you can leave a message for her on 01707 661669.

She also has a plea to current Year 11 parents for any GOOD QUALITY old school uniform that could be donated to her second hand uniform stall, as it provides a valuable service to parents with children in the lower school and an excellent recycling opportunity. Please deliver donations to the school office in a bag labelled "Owen's Nearly New" - thank you.

- Old Owenians are invited to the Annual Harold Moore Luncheon for all Old Owenians on Monday 25th October, 2010 at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square, London. For more information, please click here - all welcome.

- Reminder! You can now purchase a CD recording of the Choral Concert, held on Thursday 1st July, by completing this order form and returning it to the school office.

- Congratulations to our Senior Chamber Choir, who achieved fourth place out of 18 schools, competing at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod held in Llangollen, North Wales on Wednesday 7th July. You can see and hear them sing at www.llangollen2010.co.uk - go to Competitions, Senior Children's Choirs. A selection of photos of the choirs involved should then be displayed. Click on the photo and the video should begin to play. Thanks to Mr Simon Werner and Miss Liz White for organising for the choir to take part and performing with them.

ParentMail from Dr A Davison - Royal Veterinary College Tour at Dame Alice Owen's School, Thursday 30th September, 2010 - 3-6pm. Click here for more details from the Royal Veterinary College. Booking early is essential as this event is open to all other schools in Hertfordshire and North London.

- Congratulations to Year 9 and Year 8 Girls Rounders teams, who both won their Mid-Herts District Rounders Tournaments on Tuesday 6th July held at Monks Walk School. Year 9 beat Monks Walk in the final and Mount Grace were beaten by the Year 8 team - eight schools took part - Chancellor's, Mount Grace, Monks Walk, Stanborough, Bishop's Hatfield, Sir Frederic Osborn and Hertsmere, who organised the events.

Year 9 Rounders Team with Miss K Anderson	Year 8 Rounders Team with Miss K Philp

- Year 8 Real Game will now be held on Friday 16th July and Year 8 Trip to Phasel's Wood on Monday 19th July

- Year 7 Enterprise Day is being held on Friday 9th July

Added w/c 28th June 2010

- Special thanks from the Chair of the OSA (Owen's School Association) for the Festival of Voices:

"I would like to thank everyone involved in yesterday's Festival of Voices evening - yet another successful OSA event. The work and planning behind the scenes was amazing as always, and with so many dedicated committee members working extremely hard all day (and evening), we should all be very proud.

Outside Dining	Inside Catering	Miss E White, Mr S Werner and Mr M Brady

So many parents and guests expressed their gratitude and praised the OSA for organising and hosting this event. The food was truly magnificent, the raffle prizes were great and very well presented as always (even the pineapples were well received), the decoration and setting was excellent, and whoever organised the weather needs a huge pat on the back !!!

We must also thank the students, the music department and in particular Mathew Brady, Simon Werner and Liz White, for all their hard work and dedication in school and also for giving up their Saturday. The extra work they put in over and above the call of duty is gratefully appreciated and should not be taken for granted. I shall be writing to them on behalf of the OSA to express our gratitude and appreciation. And finally, I shall also be writing to Tyler Rix and the students who entertained the parents and guests after the interval (from what I have been told, they were fantastic).

Great work everyone.

Best Regards, Steven Savvas (Chair)"

- Congratulations to the Boys' and Girls' School Athletics Teams, who won overall at the District Sports Competition at Gosling Stadium, Friday 2nd July. Queenswood won the Girls event, with DAO coming second and Stanborough won the Boys event, again DAO were second - twelve schools competed in total.

- Choral Concert a huge success - Thursday 1st July - presented by Junior Choir, Junior Chamber Choir, Senior Girls, Senior Mixed and Senior Chamber Choirs*, inlcuding a performance by Tyler Rix. Comments by a member of the OSA (Owen's School Association) and a Grandparent below:

OSA member - "the concert last night was stupendous - the best I have ever heard at school, and come to think of it one of the best I have ever heard anywhere! Matthew Brady alongside the school teaching team seem to have really fired up the choirs.  If last night is anything to go by Saturday should be something very special"

Grandparent - "the concert was absolutely wonderful and the standard quite amazing - all the music staff are so good. DAO are lucky to have seconded Matthew Brady for a year from America - he was brilliant and so inspirational. It will be interesting to see how the choir do in Wales on 7th July".

You can now purchase a CD recording of the Choral Concert, held on Thursday 1st July by completing this order form and returning it to the school office.

* The Senior Chamber Choir is competing at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod held in Llangollen, North Wales.  Forty-seven pupils from Years 10-13 are competing in the Senior Children’s Choir category and are required to perform two contrasting items, one of which has to be either a traditional song from the competing choir’s country or a piece by a composer of the country.  The choir will perform ‘Mercy Street’ by Peter Gabriel and ‘Nobody Knows’ by Michael Tippett.  The competition will begin at 11am on Wednesday the 7th of July and the choir has been asked to report backstage at 13.50 in preparation for their performance.  You can view the competition online as it happens or afterwards by visiting the website at www.llangollen2010.co.uk.

Congratulations to the U14 Girls Athletics team, who have become County League Athletics Champions for the first time in 12 years! Eight schools qualified for the finals at Jarman Park, Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday 29th June. The DAO girls team of 10, took part in track and field events, winning 6 out of the 11 events and won by a clear 6 points (total 69) over Watford Girls (total 63) and last years winners. They beat Sir John Lawes (60 points), Broxbourne (53 points), Presdales (50 points),  St Michaels (46 points) and St Clement Danes (43 points).  They also won the Silver Salver for coming top in their half of the League (24 schools). Dame Alice Owen’s U14 Girls have only won this trophy twice - in 1998 & 1989. A fantastic achievement for the team and PE staff who have worked really hard with the girls to develop their techniques.

- Students taking part in the District Sports Athletics at Gosling Stadium on Friday of this week will be leaving school at 8.30am.

- School Sports Day next Tuesday (6th July) will take place in the afternoon - lessons in periods 1-3 will be as normal.

Would you like to promote an event or celebrate a success on this page? Please email me your details at: englishm@damealiceowens.herts.sch.uk

In the event of possible school closure due to snow or an emergency:

1. Go to the County website (access accomodates large volume of traffic): www.hertsdirect.org to check school status or the actual open/closed status page: www.imodus.com/summary.aspx?company=99 from 7.15am each day during snow or closure period.

2. See subsequent updates on this website (access may be slow due to volume of traffic): from 7.15am each day during snow or closure period. For parents with internet access on their mobile phones, bookmark this address for school website updates: http://damealiceowens.herts.sch.uk/mobile. Parents may also view the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) website: www.school-portal.co.uk/Grouphomepage.asp?GroupId=35578

3. Listen to: BBC Three Counties Radio (103.8 FM / 95.5 FM or 630 MW / 1161 MW)

4. Check your emails for: ParentMail message

5. Check your mobile for: ParentMail text service for Urgent Messages (Red) if you subscribe

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