Inter-Schools Photographic Competition

Exciting news of an inter-schools photographic competition, a chance for 11 to 18 year-olds at all schools and colleges from across Swindon borough to show off their artistic side. The competition, run by the Swindon Advertiser and The Commonweal School, has two categories - a digital camera section and a mobile phone camera section. The theme is I Love Swindon and we are asking for pictures which tell a story of your community or your life, family or friends. The competition will be judged by Dave Evans, chief photographer at the Adver, and Josie Williams, community arts development officer at The Commonweal School and professional photographer. Entries must be received by 5pm on May 6, 2009. Rules: You must get permission from the people you photograph for it to be reproduced in the newspaper and associated web sites. The photograph can be taken at any time (ie. it may be a picture you took some years ago), but it must be your own work. You can enter up to five times You may use a digital enhancing package such as Photoshop. Pictures must contain people and not just be photographs of building or places You must be aged 11-18 and live within the Swindon borough. No entries received past the deadline of 5pm on May 6, 2009, will be included in the competition. Normal Newsquest rules apply - click here. How to enter: Digital Camera Competition - Email your entries to photocomp@swindonadvertiser.co.uk. Remember to add your name, age, school, contact number and a sentence describing your photo. Mobile Phone Competition - Text your entries to 80360, starting your message with SWINDON NEWS followed by a space and then your message, which must include your name, age, school and a sentence describing your photo. Prizes: The winners in each of the two categories will receive: 1st - £50 2nd - £30 3rd - £20 All six winners will receive a trophy and a chance to go out with the Adver photographers on a Saturday. A prize-giving ceremony will be held in May and winning entries will be published in the Adver and on the Student Adver website.

G-Mag says what are you waiting for? Go and take those pictures!

George Tweed Gardens Retirement Home

George Tweed Gardens is a retirement home in Shaw which Greendown School works with. In the Maths department, Year 8s have been designing a Easter party for 12 of the residents of the retirement complex. They have had to make invitations and plan prices for the party.

Finally, here are the winners:

A side winners: Megan Keel, Rhiannon John, Jess Harmer - from Mr Dixon’s class

B side winners: Zoe Samwell, Curtis Blake, Dara Williams, Amy Welsh - from Mr Hurr’s class

They have worked hard and put a lot of effort into these parties. We hope the elderly guests enjoy them.

By Ashton Slade Josh Talbot Kieron Parker
Year 8

Photo Competition!

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/community/studentadver/photocomp/ - use this link to get onto the site for more details on the photo competition.

This is how to enter: Email your entries to mailto:photocomp@swindonadvertiser.co.uk?subject=Schools. Remember to add your name, age, school, contact number and a sentence describing your photo or you could text your entries to 80360, starting your message with SWINDON NEWS followed by a space and then your message, which must include your name, age, school and a sentence describing your photo.

The prizes are: The 3 winners in each of the two categories will receive:
1st place - £50
2nd place - £30
3rd place - £20.
All six winners will receive a trophy and a chance to spend a day with the Advertiser photographers on a Saturday. A prize-giving ceremony will be held in May and winning entries will be published in the Advertiser and on the Student Adver website.

By Josh Talbot
Year 8

Black Country Museum

Last Wednesday Year 8 pupils went on a school trip to the Black Country Museum. I interviewed Josh Talbot and Keiron Parker, both from 8PV, about their views on the trip.

Q. Josh what were your first impressions when you arrived?

A. It was cold and wet and the front of the place looked really modern and I thought we would be outside all day. We were outside most of the day but it was really enjoyable and we didn't even get wet.

Q. Keiron - what did you learn?

A. I learnt that mines were dangerous places and they were sometimes filled with gas. This is called the Black Country Museum because of all the fumes and coal.

Q. Josh - did you enjoy it?

A. The coach journey was long but we had fun. When we got to the museum it was interesting and worth the trip.

By Ashton Slade

Year 8

UPDATE ON THE CASHLESS SYSTEM!

Just a reminder than you can top up your cashless card now on line! If you havent registered for this yet then we urge you to do so. It only takes a minute and you can pay for school trips in easy payments as well if you like!
If you have mislaid the letter that we sent out giving you your username and password then contact the School Manager who can arrange to send you another. Paying this way is a real help to the school as the amount of cash handling we have to do receeds, then the costs do to!
M Lanchester - School Manager

Young Musician of the Year

On Thursday 19th March, Greendown hosted yet another successful music competition. Separated into two categories, Beginner and Advanced, pupils ranging from Year 7 to 11 gathered impatiently, waiting for the evening to get underway.
The drama studio had been transformed into the perfect place to perform music, with the trophies on full display to give each performer a taste of what they could win.

The evening went exceedingly well, with an interval after everyone had performed. After everyone had had a chance to mingle, they all took their seats to listen to a flute duet by Victoria Carless and Hannah Mitchell.

At the end of the evening, everyone participating was presented with a certificate and appropriate feedback was given.

The winners of the night were...
Joanna Gillingham for the Beginner category
Charlotte Soffe for the Advanced category.

Congratulations to everyone that took part in the event!

By Nathalie Cannell
Year 9

Exam Dates

Upcoming Exams for Years 9, 10 and 11



Morning exams will start at 9 am, and Afternoon exams will start at 1.20 pm.

Where there are clashes pupils will be notified individually of the changes.



Wed 06 May 09:00 - Music Intergrated

Mon 11 May 09:00 - Geography

Mon 11 May 13:30 - Turkish Reading(Year 10/11)

Mon 11 May 13:30 - Functional English (Year 10)

Tue 12 May 09:00 - Cert in Prep for Working Life Paper

Tue 12 May 09:00 - Dutch Listening (Year 10)

Tue 12 May 13:30 - Philosophy and Ethics

Tue 12 May 13:30 - Religious Studies

Wed 13 May 13:30 - Music Listening

Wed 13 May 13:30 - Fuctional Maths

Thu 14 May 09:00 - Catering

Thu 14 May 09:00 - Physical Education

Thu 14 May 09:00 - Engineering (Year 10)

Thu 14 May 13:30 - Science (Year 9/10/11)

Fri 15 May 09:00 - Home Economics (Foundation and Higher)

Fri 15 May 09:00 - Spanish Listening

Fri 15 May 09:00 - Astronomy

Fri 15 May 13:30 - Functional Maths

Fri 15 May 13:30 - Dutch Reading (Year 10)

Mon 18 May 13:30 - Maths B Module 5

Tue 19 May 09:00 - English Lit (Foundation and Higher)

Tue 19 May 13:30 - ICT Short Course (Year 10)

Wed 20 May 09:00 - Spanish Reading

Wed 20 May 13:30 - Science

Wed 20 May 13:30 - Biology

Thu 21 May 13:30 - Turkish Listening (Year 10/11)

Thu 21 May 13:30 - Dutch Writing (Year 10)

Fri 22 May 13:30 - Turkish Writing (Year 10/11)

Mon 01 Jun 09:00 - Maths B Module 5

Mon 01 Jun 13:30 - D&T - Resistant Materials

Tue 02 Jun 09:00 - English Paper 1 (Foundation and Higher)

Tue 02 Jun 13:30 - Geograohy Paper 1 (Foundation)

Tue 02 Jun 13:30 - Geography Paper 2

Wed 03 Jun 09:00 - History: P1 Med OR Crime & Germany

Wed 03 Jun 13:30 - French A Listening Test Tier F

Wed 03 Jun 13:30 - French A Listening Test Tier H

Thu 04 Jun 09:00 - Science A, Unit 4 (Foundation and Higher)

Thu 04 Jan 13:30 - English Paper 2 (Foundation and Higher)

Mon 08 Jun 13:30 - Engineering (Year 10/11)

Mon 08 Jun 13:30 - D&T - Graphic Products

Tue 09 Jun 09:00 - Geography

Tue 09 Jun 09:00 - Religious Studies

Tue 09 Jun 13:30 - Business Studies

Tue 09 Jun 13:30 - Business Finance

Wed 10 Jun 09:00 - French reading

Wed 10 Jun 13:30 - Science (Year 10)

Thu 11 Jun 13:30 - History

Thu 11 Jun 13:30 - Maths B

Fri 12 Jun 09:00 - Science (Life Care and Agr & Food)

Fri 12 Jun 09:00 - Biology A

Mon 15 Jun 09:00 - Religious Studies

Tue 16 Jun 13:30 - Sociology Written

Wed 17 Jun 09:00 - Science A

Wed 17 Jun 09:00 - Chemistry A

Thu 18 Jun 09:00 - Health + Social Care

Fri 19 Jun 09:00 - Add Science A

Fri 19 Jun 09:00 - AD AP Sci A

Mon 22 Jun 09:00 - Science A

Tue 23 Jun 09:00 - Maths B (Year 10)

Wed 24 Jun 09:00 - Add Science A

Wed 24 Jun 09:00 - Chemistry A (Year 10)

Good luck!

G-MAG

G-Mag is looking to move on to the next step with the Magazine .
we are now hoping that we will soon be able to get the Magazine on to paper
so that we will be able to send it home with pupils. This will mean that adults if
they do not have Internet will be given a hard copy.
We will still be keeping the online Magazine but we are just taking the next step
and making that more people will know about the G-Mag.

A Trio of Events 'enthuse' Greendown

In 2007, Greendown Community School in Swindon was one of the first schools selected to pilot npower’s ‘enthuse’ programme and last week, the event returned to the school for the third consecutive year.

Over 260 Year 9 students participated in a range of interactive activities designed to help them think about the impact science and engineering has on their daily lives, during the recent two day educational experience. South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove also popped along to find out more about the programme.

Enthuse, which is part of npower’s Brighter Futures Programme, is a five year scheme designed to inspire and engage students aged 12-14 years old in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

The students were encouraged to think of ways to improve existing products or design a completely new concept, before considering the very real problem of how we can meet and reduce the UK’s future demand for energy. These activities were followed by a ‘facts and fiction’ session where the students were given the opportunity to meet with engineering staff from npower’s Swindon offices. Throughout the day, the students took part in a series of hands-on activities relating to the power industry.

The day ended when Gill Sarjent, head of Maths, was presented with an award, which recognised the continued support and efforts of the school towards this highly successful programme.

Gill Sarjent said “The school is very proud to be involved with the ‘enthuse’ programme since day one and continued participation during the last few years. The students have been given an excellent insight into what it would feel like to be an engineer. Also, the opportunity to strengthen our relationships with staff from npower helps bring the activities to life and gives the students a great introduction into the world of work.”

Anne Snelgrove MP commented: “It was fantastic to see the students having such a good time while they were learning. This scheme brings science and technology to life and makes it real.”

One year 9 student added “I think the whole day was good as I liked learning about different careers and I really liked all the “hands on” activities. My favourite workshop was ‘Bright Ideas’ as I liked designing a new product, which was completely different. I think we should run this event every day for year 9 students!”


In 2008 alone, npower enthuse days reached out to over 3400 students across the UK.

To find out more about npower’s education programme and free resources for schools and community groups, visit www.npower.com/education.

Dance Show Details

Tuesday 24th March
Wednesday 25th March
Thursday 26th March

£2 for one child
£3 for one adult

If you want to get tickets, go to the PE office and speak to Miss Trezise.

School Council Update

Today we had a Year 8 school council meeting, here are some of the pointers we would like to inform you:

Firstly, we looked at the information sheet to see if anything needed to be adapted, we all agreed that childline should be added and that it was a successful idea.
We then went on to look at the issue of uniform, a few ideas cropped up; the predominant thought was about have a non-school uniform day at the end of each term. One of the problems about that plan was if a special day like comic relief comes in the term it won't be as effective.

The tiles we designed at Christmas brought up some concern of vandalism. This is because we wrote our names on them and some tiles could get ruined. We all agreed, however, that it was worth the risk and the plan is going ahead.

The last point we spoke about was that the school got donations of £400, so we discussed what to use the money for. We got only two ideas; one is for sports equipment, the other is for art equipment.

Thank you for reading.

By Hannah Adams and Zoe Samwell
Year 8

Results of Red Nose Day

On Friday 13th it was Comic Relief. Many of you know that our school had a non-uniform day and each pupil gave £1 to donate to Red Nose Day. Miss Eagle was fab and donated a whopping £25 directly to Comic Relief! On the day, our school raised £955.84. More may be coming in still!

This money we raised will be going towards making children have a better way of life.

By Josh Talbot, Kieron Parker, Holly Score
Year 8

Late Start - Good or Bad?

In recent news, one headteacher stated that teenagers shouldn't start school until later on in the morning, as late as 11am. But is this really as good an idea as it sounds?

G-Mag would like to hear your views...
However we have evaluated if this issue is a good or bad idea.

G-Mag thinks that going to school later will be a good idea because students can have a lie in and will be able to focus more when they arrive.
We also think that students can have a proper breakfast.
Also, students might cause trouble in the morning when they have nothing to do before school.

One of the main reasons that this idea would not work is that when school would end, at approx 5pm, it would be mid-rush hour. This means more traffic, and overall, there would be less time to do homework.

So, let us know what you think!

By Kristy Soo and Nathalie Cannell
Year 9

Mad March Hare

On the 15th March, an exciting day took place right here at Greendown. The Mad March Hare, which supports Breakthrough Breast Cancer, was set up after a member of the group died of breast cancer - Her name was Irene Hare. She was a power walker known for being part of Twin Peaks, a renowned walking group in Swindon. Breakthrough is a research charity dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer.

Last year was the first time for the Mad March Hare, bringing in over £10,000. This year saw 500 people pile through the gates, doubling 2008's turnout. Approximately 250 people, both children and adults, ran or walked the 5km, with the latter doing the 10km.

One runner, Ali Slaven-Holder, ran the 5km. "I'm hoping to do it in 1 hour, because I'm walking. It's my first time walking and I hav my daughter and her friend to walk with me. My sister's been diagnosed with breast cancer, so I'm doing it for her."

Marley, aged 8, did the 5km run with his Mum from brunelfm. It was his first time and he was very eager to do it again - expect to see him next year!

The youngest entrant was only 3!

Our very own Kieron Parker ran 5km and completed it in just under 25 minutes!

After the event, everyone gathered in the large atrium to have a cup of tea from FairTrade.

Leroy Spreadbury, runner number 122, ran the 10km and finished at the same time as last year. Congratulations everyone that ran or walked!

By Nathalie Cannell and Carney Bonner
Year 9 and 10

New Sports Clubs!

Trampolining - Gymnastics Flight - Monday
Badminton - Monday
Boys Futsal - Tuesday
Lads and Dads - Tuesday
Basketball Clinic -Tuesday
Cheerleading - Tuesday
Boys Rugby Year 7 - Wednesday
Boxercise - Thursday
Athletic Pre-Season Training - Thursday
Multi Skills - Thursday
Girls Futsal - Netball - All Years - Thursday
Bollywood Dance - Friday

We need a big push on sports clubs as we are a sports collage and we have the best facillities in Swindon!

RED NOSE DAY

This Friday we are having a non-school uniform day for Comic Relief. Pupils are to bring in £1 which will raise money for poor and less able people in Africa and right here in the UK, supporting all ages and helping them to live better lives under the best circumstances possible.
As well as getting the opportunity to wear what you want, that pound may save a life.
So it's the least you could do!

DO SOMETHING FUNNY FOR MONEY !!!

These are some of the wacky ideas...

Curtis-8PV

-"I am going to spray my body red and wear as much red as possible!"

Ellie-7TH

-"I am going to wear lots and lots of socks!"

Nadia-7TH

-"I am having a sponsered silence and wearing PJs."

Gorgia-7TH

-"I am not using my right leg."

Josh-7TH

-"I will spray my hair lots of different colours."

Tom-8CM

-"I will wear an Afro wig."

Also, Miss Eagle is bringing in £25 and wearing all of her clothes. She doesn't need Red Nose Day to be funny!

Whether these people will carry out these spontaneous ideas, we are not sure, but one thing we are sure of is that it is going to be a spectacular day.

By Hannah, Zoe, Holly, John, Josh, Kieran and Ashton

Year 8