Issue 50
Working together to promote & celebrate achievement
22 April 2016
Name & Tutor Group:
Headlines by Rachel McGowan
Plashet School wins awards for exceptional 2015 results
During the holiday I was delighted to receive a letter from the SSAT congratulating us on our
excellent performance last year.
Plashet School has been nationally recognised for its exceptional 2015 performance by the
Schools, Students and Teachers network (SSAT). Educational Outcome data analysis from SSAT
has shown that the school is in the top 10% of non-selective schools nationally for high average
grades achieved by students and the top 10% nationally for progress made by pupils between
their key stage 2 results at primary school and their key stage 4 results. A third award recognises
the schools success in enabling pupils to fulfil their potential.
The schools’ SSAT Educational Outcomes awards will be presented at a regional celebration
event held to draw attention to the work of high-achieving, improving and innovating schools
and teachers.
Sue Williamson, Chief Executive of SSAT said: ‘It’s my great pleasure to commend Plashet School
on their excellent 2015 performance and to have the opportunity to highlight and share their
great work.’
Plashet Post
On the 21st March just before we broke-up for Easter Mr Beach our Bursar wrote to all parents
about Plashet Post. He outlined our desire to move to a digital version of our fortnightly
publication in order to reduce costs and allow readers to see colour photographs of all the
reported activities. Our plan would be to have the e-Plashet Post sent direct to parent’s email
addresses.
Responses to this request have been very few and I therefore wish to flag this up a second time
to families.
We need to confirm that the email addresses we have for each parent/carer is current. Please
therefore send an email from your current email address with your daughter’s name and form
group in the subject box, by Friday 29th April to: [email protected]
For any parents who do not have an email address or who would prefer a paper copy of Plashet
Post please write your request in your daughter’s planner and ask her to show this to her form
tutor.
Rachel McGowan
Year 8 Residential Trip to Liddington
Between Wednesday 13th and Friday 15th April 128 Year 8 students were given the opportunity to
challenge themselves away from the security of home. Everyone showed how they could work outside of
their comfort zones and participate in a wide range of activities that were not part of their daily routine.
Our base for the experience was the PGL centre at Liddington, outside Swindon and the en suite
accommodation and excellent meals meant that we were all ready for the challenges we were set.
The activities on offer included abseiling, Aeroball, a crate challenge, giant swing, an obstacle course,
open canoeing, survivor and zip wire. Each activity either involved individual commitment or teamwork
participation. For those students who were fearful of heights, the Giant Swing and abseiling required a
great deal of resilience and ear plugs for the spectators! The communication skills required to
complete the crate challenge and obstacle course meant that the eleven members of each group had to
work together in order to succeed. Open canoeing presented opportunities for navigating challenges on
water and working with a partner. The students quickly realised they needed to organise their attempts
at rowing and for some, that took a great deal of resilience! Leadership and initiative were integral
parts of the majority of the activities, including the massive game of ‘capture the flag’ the students (and
staff) participated during the evening of Wednesday 13th April. Importantly rhythm and musicality were
needed for our disco on Thursday 14th April, however most of the girls were too frightened to really cut
loose on the dance floor, so they opted for a shuffle at the side of the room!
Thankfully the weather was kind to us and the only real downpour happened when we returned to East
Ham on Friday 15th April. The biggest challenge we all faced was embracing the unknown and being
independent. We were in charge of our own suitcases, filling up our water bottles, making our beds,
getting to the meeting point on time, selecting our clothes, organising our showers and doing our hair,
choosing the meals we wanted to eat, clearing our own tables, getting enough sleep, waking up on time,
living without Wi Fi and working with a whole range of new people.
As an opportunity for personal growth, Liddington was so much more than exciting activities. It was a
chance for our students to gain an insight into rural life away from the safety net of East Ham and it was
possibly the only time our students will ever travel with 128 people they know.
Ms L Sanderson
Assistant Headteacher
2
Year 8 Residential Trip to Liddington
3
BBC School Report 2016: with Plashet School STEM Club
Throughout the week that started on Monday 29th February 2016, the STEM Club had been working on an
annual tradition, the BBC School Report. During this week, pupils in schools from all around Britain
become journalists and report current events happening in their schools, communities and the world. In
our school we were focussed on some of the achievements of our STEM Club. Our stories ranged from
the Solutions for the Planet project to our collaboration with our International Partner School, Muktangan,
all the way in India.
During the week, all the STEM Club girls had to record their own stories. Some groups came early in the
morning to do their recording and showing the dedication of the STEM Club. As soon as we were ready to
film it was lights, camera, and action from then on with the help from our amazing camera woman, Nishat
Basir.
At the end of the week we had managed to pull out an engaging, interesting report and all of our hard
work really came through in our report. The STEM Club was thrilled with the results.
I thought that this event was a real privilege as I had the chance to put myself in a journalist’s shoes
allowing me to explore another part in media.
For the past few days, the STEM Club have been preparing and working on the BBC School Report 2016.
The previous team did an amazing job and we wanted to do even better.
We started recording on Monday, 3 days before the deadline, and we featured three main stories:



Our visit to the House of Lords.
Solutions for the Planet.
Our connecting school in India Muktangan.
The next day, we decided to wrap things up by adding a few more stories such as our STEM Club Speed
Dating Event and our participation in the BBC Micro Bit Project. I worked the rest of the day editing the
clips we filmed. Eventually, I did get rid of the bloopers and then sent the clips to Aminah Hussain
11P, to merge all the videos together.
This was a frustrating but rewarding job! The outcome was very satisfying, so I have to thank the whole
School Report team for sacrificing their sleep to go to school at 8 am for filming. Well Done Team!!
Noshin Sadia 8N and Nishat Basir 8G
4
BBC School Report 2016: with Plashet School STEM Club
BBC Make it Digital –MicroBit coding at the Blue Room
On 23rd March 2016, we were invited to
attend a filming session with the Make
it Digital Team working with on the
MicroBit at the BBC Studios. So the
MicroBit team (now Year 8, but with
new members!) reunited once again to
play around with this mini-computer.
We travelled to White City, where the
building is located, and met a guide to
lead us to our stage. Once we finally
got there, we got our BBC School
Report Badges and took a few photos.
Then we were introduced to the Blue
Room, the tech heaven which also
provided the perfect setting for us to
film the MicroBit tutorial. Before we started recording, we explored our surroundings and we were
astounded at the assortment of technology to play with. There were 4K cameras, virtual reality headsets,
tons of phones and tablets as well as a colourful range of TVs. We even got our hands on the Google
Glasses! Awesome!!!
5
BBC Make it Digital –MicroBit coding at the Blue Room cont’d
Eventually, we sat down and started our coding lesson. Our “teacher” taught us how to perform basic
instructions on the MicroBit. We started off with adding a string – a phrase or a word – that looped over
and over again. To test if our script had worked, we ran it on an emulator, which is the virtual simulator
of the actual MicroBit, and if it did, we compiled the script into a .hex file and uploaded it into the physical
device through a USB cable.
The process of coding gradually became easier as we got the hang of it, so we experimented to see the
outcome. It was a trial-and-error moment as we tested out different ways to execute something but the
best part is when the results are exactly what you wanted after minutes of playing around with scripts.
I think that this is what coding is. This career seems like a boring one to people because they believe it
consists of just staring at a screen typing nonsense all day. However the MicroBit blew that stereotype out
of the water! I found the interface really simple and engaging and I learnt that it isn’t just “typing”, it’s
problem-solving. Every obstacle is a puzzle waiting to be answered.
Overall, I think that the MicroBit has changed my thoughts about coding.
We got to see the ‘Blue Room’ where all the latest digital technology from flat screens TVs to glasses with
GPS were displayed. We also learnt how to code on a mini-computer known as the Micro Bit. The Mico Bit
is quite a simple product, the main use of it is to teach children how to code.
This was an ‘amazing’ trip.
By Nishat Basir 8G, Ameisha Thahir 7G and Noshin Sadia 8N
Science Week Activities
Thursday 17th March saw the annual Science and Maths quiz take place after school in the South Hall.
Several teams pitted their wits and knowledge against each other, answering questions about famous
scientists and mathematicians, watching and describing experiments and tackling everyday maths
problems. There were some hiccups to start with, such as the missing remote control and no-one will
forget the sight of Mr O Donnell standing on the table wielding a long pole! Thanks for everyone who
attended and helped out to make the event a success
The winning team were: Sandra Thekkeppurayil 10E, Munira Zannat 10H, Selina Begum 10H
and Mr O’Brien.
6
National Science Week 2016 - Monday 14-Friday 18th March
There was huge buzz around the Science Department as we, as always, were celebrating National Science
Week. There was a splendid range of different events for all students. Some of which are illustrated
below:
The egg-tra-ordinary challenge
Your mission is to try to make a
carrier for this rare dinosaur egg
that will protect it from cracking,
even if it is dropped from a great
height!
The tools you can have to make
the carrier are:




Sellotape (x 1m)
Drinking straws (x5)
1 egg (only the one …it is rare!)
Scissors
A4 plastic sheet
Your carrier and egg will then be
tested from different heights
against your main competitors.
The winners are the group whose
egg remains whole from the
greatest drop.
During Science Week all Year 7 students were given a challenge to carry out during their Science lessons.
Most students attempted to make a parachute and cushion the egg with the straws, but eventually they
all saw their designs SPLAT onto the floor!
The groups that won during their Science lessons then competed against each other during Friday lunch
break using similar equipment, except 10 straws and no plastic sheeting.
5 forms’ eggs all cracked at the same height and so 7L, 7A, 7E, 7G and 7N representatives were all
winners. The names of the winners are:Halimah Munir 7A, Diya Patel 7A, Nepa Abdul 7A, Jumaimah Uddin 7A, Esha Jadeja 7E, Sana
Hussain 7E, Gauri Shaji 7E, Samiyah Naznin 7G, Aqsa Mahmood 7G, Hafeja Khanam 7G,
Zainab Ahmed 7N, Saleha Ismail 7N, Charu Kuganathrajah 7N, Taiba Majumdar 7N.
Mr P Murphy
Year 7 Coordinator
7
Science Week Activities
The Balloon Rocket challenge
was so much fun!
We had limited resources so it
was such a challenge to design
the Rocket. We were proud of our
rocket that travelled quite far on
the testing line. Our idea was to
make sure it had enough air in
the balloon to push the rocket
forward. Knowing Newton’s third
law came in handy this time and
we created a rocket that
successfully travelled along the
string.
By, Arij Khan 9N
The winners were:
Rattan Sagan 9P
Iqra Khan 9P
Rukhsar Hussain 9P
Minhaj Ahmed Meer 9P
8
Science Week Activities
Physics Masterclass: ‘Theories of Light’
On Thursday 3rd March, a collection of Year 10 and Year 11
students attended a very special physics ‘masterclass’ on the
‘Theories of Light’. This masterclass was held by Dr Justin
Palfreyman, an ex-Cambridge University lecturer and a current
physics teacher at Seven Kings High School.
Dr Palfreyman started the session by asking us to write down as
many philosophers or scientists we had heard of or knew about.
He wanted to know how many philosophers or scientists we knew
off the top of our heads before we started the session, and
admittedly, there were not a lot. After this, we began discussing
the distinction between a ‘philosopher’ and a ‘scientist’; what
separates a scientist from a mere philosopher? The answer:
evidence! Scientists carry out experiments to produce evidence
that disprove their theories, while philosophers only theorise and
do not physically carry out investigations to prove whether their
theories are valid or not. Dr Palfreyman also emphasised that
scientists do not aim to prove their theories, but rather to disprove
them. This way, scientists are always challenging themselves and their evidence in order to create the
most concrete theory they could possibly produce.
We then moved on to discuss a multitude of Greek philosophers.
They included: Socrates, Democritus, Thales and Aristotle – all
of whom had contributed a theory (or a foundation of a theory)
to modern science. We also delved into the history of Alexander
the Great, who was taught by Aristotle himself. Alexander the
Great ruled ‘Alexandria’, a place in northern Egypt, and had built
a massive library there called the ‘Great Library of Alexandria’.
We learnt that when Alexandria had been taken over by the
Romans, the library was burnt – and along with it the works of
many famous Greek philosophers (how tragic!)
Following this, we discussed the ‘Islamic Golden Age’, which saw
the introduction of many incredible mathematicians and
scientists. I thought this period in history was particularly
interesting because it spawned such an overwhelming large
number of greats, for example, Omar Khayyam, Archimedes and
Algoritmi, who still influence both mathematics and science
today.
Overall, I thought the masterclass was incredibly informative
and engaging. I was thoroughly impressed by the wealth of contributors in history to the theory of light.
The fact that they had all managed to help cultivate the theory of light we have to date is really very
exciting.
I would like to thank Dr Justin Palfreyman for the wonderful session and Dr Ibrahim from the Science
Department for organising it.
By Aroosa Hussain 11N
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Science Week Activities
Science Club
Last Science Club lesson was incredible!
Our teacher, Dr Ibrahim, thought it would be fun to make chemical models of VOCs (volatile organic
compounds). We have used molecular modelling kits to make 3D models of greenhouse gases, such as
carbon dioxide, oxygen, methane, nitrogen and water vapour. It was hard to remember all of the names
and the 3D structures of these models but we have accomplished the task successfully. Our teacher
explained to us the chemical properties of these volatile organic gases in detail, and using chemical
formulas helped us memorise them.
After we mastered our skills in making gas molecules, Dr Ibrahim decided to challenge us further, to
create 3D molecular models of drugs, such as aspirin! He explained that this activity was carried out in
advanced chemistry lessons taught at Plashet School and it is something the students here can look
forward to in the near future.
It is hard to believe that Year 7 students have succeeded in making complicated drug molecules. I am
extremely glad to be part of the Science Club and I look forward for more to come in the near future.
Samira Khan 7L
10
Science Week Activities
The Spectacular Science Show
Plashet students recently had the privilege to watch our Science Show which consisted of six mind
blowing experiments; the iodine clock, screaming jelly babies, Ribena and water, elephant toothpaste,
and last but not least, the flaming ice.
The show was pretty awesome. What an experiment the Iodine Clock was! Being waved from a clear
substance to a pitch black solution… Or what about the screaming, helpless jelly baby? The poor thing
was burnt to its grave. It takes talent to turn water into Ribena and vice versa and how about the
elephant’s special toothpaste; buy it soon- it’s in limited edition. However, no one could deny how
spectacular the experiment was! Arooj stole the show with her insane enthusiasm when she burnt the ice
- Year 11 were in a state of shock after that!
Students were filled with knowledge after we explained all the Science behind the experiments. We
enjoyed conducting the experiments just as much as the audience loved watching them. Overall, it was
an amazing opportunity to express all our creativity and we also got to learn a lot of Science while we
were having fun.
“It was just so amazing seeing the reactions on the audiences’ faces. It’s like they’d never seen anything
as good as this.” Zahrah M.M Ismael 8S
“This was so great! We can only do these types of experiments once a year and this year was just utterly
magnificent. Hopefully, we can come up with more enticing experiments next year.” Sana Shah 8S
It was the first time we did a whole show by ourselves. The first one was ok, the second was better but
the third one was great, as we really got into the stride of things. Next year we are going to plan
something even bigger as we have gained so much experience and confidence.
Once again, it has been a great show. We would like to dedicate a big ‘Thank You’ from all the team to
Ms Chaudhri and the Science teachers who helped in making our show successful in every way.
Science show team 2016
11
Science Week Activities
Tallest Tower Challenge
During this year’s Maths and Science
Week, Year 8 took part in a tower
building competition. In order to build
our tower we were given six sheets of
newspaper and a roll of masking tape.
Our towers had to master two criteria: strong enough to hold a tennis ball and taller than the rest of the
groups. We had a discussion in class about the growth of tall buildings and their structures. Year 8’s had
to use their scientific knowledge in order to accomplish the task.
Khadijah Bhariwala, Bisma Khokar, Humayra Ismail, Aisha Bahal and Ebony Brown 8T with
their winning tower.
Year 8 students building their towers
12
Count on us Secondary Maths Challenge 2016
A team of five Year 8 students from Plashet
participated in the heats of the Count on
Us Secondary Maths Challenge at City Hall,
London on 12th April 2016, where they
competed against 12 other schools from
across London.
The Count on Us Secondary Maths
Challenge is run by the Mayor’s fund for
London and supported by the Jack Petchey
Foundation. It is aimed at helping young
Londoners reach a high level of skill in
Maths. This year 47 schools were involved.
The challenge runs alongside the National
Curriculum and the rounds are structured
to improve student’s fluency, reasoning
and problem solving.
There were three rounds for the challenge
heats.
Round 1 was on geometrical
problem solving. Solving puzzles such as
the Tower of Hanoi, tangrams, soma cubes
etc. Round 2 was a game of 24. Students
have to put four numbers together to make
24. This round varied in difficulty,
beginning with whole numbers and
progressing on to decimals and fractions.
The round develops student’s mental
arithmetic skills. Round 3 was a code
breaking activity using famous landmarks
in London. Students had to break a code to
stop a virus that was threatening the city.
Students had to solve equations and use a
cipher shift to get the clues. The clues
were related to famous landmarks in
London and students needed to have
knowledge of the institutions to find the
clues.
At Plashet, the challenge first began in the Tanha, Arundhathi, Mariam, Sabah, Midunaa with Mrs Khan at
classroom and it was then run as a club City Hall, London
during Enrichment. The team of 5 were then selected and spent lunchtime, after school and their holidays
practicing for the heats.
Tanha Rahman 8L completed the case study on how the challenge had affected her learning and she
commented, ‘Now that I am participating in the Maths challenge, I feel like I can do anything and I feel
that I can do things more independently’.
We are thankful to Mrs Harvey and Mrs Khan for working with the students in preparation for the
challenge.
Mrs A Kalote
Curriculum Leader
13
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day was fast approaching and our class, 8T, were hard at work preparing to
present our International Women’s Day assembly. Eight very special famous people worked hard to write
their speeches about their feelings of the wonderful women we all are!
We rehearsed our assembly and helped each other learn our lines, be confident, and most importantly,
stand strong with each other to deliver positive assembly. In our assembly, we talked about the meaning
of International Women’s Day, introduced the famous celebrities who made a difference to our world.
We finished with Ebony Rose Brown and Laiba Nawaz in our class performing two songs. The overall
atmosphere and feeling of, “We didn’t forget our lines!” was really good. We were proud of our work.
Throughout the process we covered all six Plashet Practices in one way or another. We realised that by
developing our skills we felt a sense of accomplishment. We could not have been as successful without
Dr Abrahim’s support.
By Noor Hussain, Khadijah Bhariwala and Haniah Memon 8T
14
Year 8 Globe Twelth Night Visit Peter Bateman
On Tuesday 15th March the whole of Year 8 went on an extraordinary visit to The Globe Theatre.
As soon as we entered the theatre we noticed how gigantic it was. Before the play started the cast
entertained us by playing instruments, singing and dancing. Everyone sang along to Justin Bieber’s
songs.
When the play started everyone was on the edge of their seats because of the dramatic shipwreck that
broke the two siblings apart. This left Viola to fend for herself. Everyone fell in love with the play when
the villainous characters Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew had started dancing and throwing confetti over
the standing audience. Their freedom stopped when Malvolio joined the party. The other characters had
sworn to make Malvolio’s life a living hell!
The three stooges Maria, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, planted a letter for Malvolio to find. The fake letter
contained what looked like Olivia’s feeling for Malvolio. The fake letter made him dress up in very bright
cross gartered yellow stockings. This was supposed to impress Olivia but really she hated the colour
yellow and made Malvolio look a complete fool.
In the meantime, Viola pretended to be a boy called Cesario. She started working for Duke Orsino who
was madly in love with Olivia (the same one that Malvolio was in love with). Orsino made Cesario take
messages of love to Olivia, but Olivia fell in love with Cesario (thinking he was a man).
Confused? I am pleased to say that I but all was made clear at the end.
We had a great time, for many of the students it was their first visit to The Globe Theatre and we can’t
wait to go again.
By Tanjela Choudhury, Urooj Ghazanfaz, Farhana Haque and Spogmai Rahmani 8A
Elmhurst Primary Debating Zara Teles
On 16th March 2016 four Year 10 students; Selina Begum 10H, Hiba Shaikh 10T, Saiyara Zaman
10H and Katelin Dharmajan 10H competed in the second round of the Newham Debate Mate league
which was hosted by Elmhurst Primary School. The competition composed of two sections, one in which
the Plashet girls would propose a motion and secondly to oppose a motion.
The first motion given was ‘This house believes you should lower the voting age to 14’. Plashet girls were
required to propose this motion as well as battle Eastlea Community School. I am proud to say we did
this splendidly.
The second motion presented to the girls was; ‘This house believes that all violent video games should be
banned’. This time the girls had to oppose the motion and beat the rival school Langdon. The girls came
up with very persuasive arguments as well as answering a few points of interest which led to Plashet
School winning for a second time.
So far the girls have managed to win every round they have participated in, this puts Plashet in a very
good position of winning the Cup.
Ms Z Teles
Subject Leader for Sociology
15
EAL MPAs to East Ham Library and Leisure Centre Lynne Kirtley
On Friday 23rd March, the EAL students and staff went to the Library and the Leisure Centre. We visited
the library and talked about the facilities of the library and students that die not have a library card made
their applications. We went on to visit the leisure centre. We enjoyed everything and took information
about all the facilities. It was a wonderful experience. Thank you to Mr Gill and Ms Kirtley who went with
us.
Aranii Nagarajah 9E
Year 8 & 9 Interform Competitions RHarrison
On Monday 14th May and Friday 18th May Year 8 and Year 9 competed in their annual interform
competition. Classes were split into three teams and they competed in netball, indoor rowing and seated
volleyball. It was a fantastic day with students demonstrating not only their sporting ability but also the
skills on team work, communication, leadership and decision making.
The results for each competition are below:
Year 8
Rowing
interform
Seated
Volleyball
Netball
Year 9
Rowing
interform
Seated
Volleyball
Netball
1st
G
P
G
1st
P
E
T
2nd
P
H
H
2nd
T
H
E
3rd
L
E
N
3rd
A
P
H
4th
T
L
E
4th
G
L
N
5th
N
A
T
5th
N
A
S
6th
A
S
S
6th
L
S
G
Ms R Harrison
Curriculum Leader for PE & Dance
16
Up for Debate!
On Tuesday 22nd March, six Year 9 Plashet debaters travelled to Dulwich College to compete in the ‘Up for
Debate Challenge’. With only 48 hours to research their topics, they debated whether child labour could
be justified and whether there should be a ban on violent video games. The final debate was an
impromptu topic: should fast food advertising be banned. This time they had only half an hour to prepare,
without the aid of teachers or the internet.
All the debaters spoke passionately and were praised by the judges for the quality of their speeches and
their content. A massive congratulations to all those involved.
Ms J Hyam
Geography Teacher
17
Science Club
Do you want to be adventurous and do something exciting? Would you like to have fun, and try a new
experiment? Well, the Science Club would be the place for you!
Science Club is really fun because we do lots of exciting experiments. During our last session we had a
great opportunity to build rockets from balloons, straws, paper and tape. Once everyone had finished we
had a competition and found out which balloon went the furthest across the classroom. I have discovered
that the bigger balloon filled with air provides the greatest forward force (thrust). As engineers we had to
design and build a rocket that would minimise air resistance by making it streamlined.
I am very grateful to be part of this wonderful club and I would like to thank Dr Ibrahim for leading this
session. Science Club has really inspired me to consider myself as a true research scientist and has
boosted my confidence in this subject. It has also given me the chance to embrace my full potential in
engineering. Finally, I would encourage you to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the
science department by undertaking further thrilling experiments. Come and visit us at Science Club, hope
you enjoy the experience, as much as I did!
Misbah Hussain 7G
18
Poetry Competitions – Enter Your Poems on the Theme of ‘Place’
I have been working with groups of students to create poetry on the theme of ‘place’. This is in response
to the 2016 Betjeman Poetry Prize, which is open to all 10-13 year olds in the UK and which has an
amazing prize of £1000! I hope lots of students enter the competition – details can be found at
www.betjemanpoetryprize.co.uk. If anyone would like to write a poem in their own time and give it to
me, I’d be delighted to enter it into the competition for them. The theme ‘place’ can be interpreted very
broadly; you could talk about a physical place that means something to you, or you could use the idea of
‘place’ as a metaphor. I’d like to share a poem produced by Sameena Motala 7L, which focuses on ‘the
past’:
The Past by Sameena Motala 7L
I was little
I was fidgetty
I was lonely
I had tantrums
I was a runner
I was a screamer
I was a whiner
I was a flyer
Mum couldn’t take it
She went to the shops
She bought me a swing
I played on it
Drooled on it
Sat on it
Slept on it
Until…
My brother was born one day
It was the saddest day of all
Mum got rid of the swing from my room
So my brother could have it
I screamed
I cried
I shouted
It was the end
I was broken
I was lost
I was silent
I couldn’t do this anymore
So I ran away
Joshua Seigal
Poet in Resident
19
Library News
Carnegie Shadowing
The shortlist for this year’s Carnegie Medal was
announced in March and during the last few
weeks, members of Plashet’s Carnegie Club
have been reading and reviewing the eight
books still in the running for the most
prestigious prize in young adult literature.
Students have also been exploring some of the
themes discussed in the books during our
meetings.
One by Sarah Crossan is on the shortlist and
tells the story of Tippi and Grace, 16 year old
conjoined twins who find themselves having to
attend school for the first time. This is what
Sahana Navaneethan 10E thought of it:
“One is an amazing book written beautifully
with a mix of emotion. It is happy enough to
make you cry but also sad enough to make you
cry. With no spoilers I am going to tell you that
I cried all the way through. It is written so
convincingly with love and trust. It all falls into
place. People just care. We hear the voice of
Grace whereas mostly every other character in
the book only hears Tippi.
This is my favourite book by far this year. The
book talks about identity, who you are. It talks
about knowing who cares about you. When
there is a struggle, everyone comes together to
help you out. That is what really counts.
The book has a heart-breaking, breath-taking
ending. I would recommend this book to people who wouldn’t cry over a book. Not to people like me.”
You can find more book reviews written by Plashet students at http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/
reading-groups.php
Charity Book Sale
We will be holding a second-hand book sale in the North Library at Break on Thursday 28th April. All
money raised will be donated to Book Aid International.
Ms A Clifford-Smith
Librarian/Resource Manager
20