Latest News | Hugh Sexey C of E Middle School

Year 6 Reflect on their trip to the Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Synagogue

Fri 26 May 2017 Ms Taylor

I found the trip to the Synagogue very interesting. I learnt a lot of new things because I got to see things physically like the yad, the ark, the Torah and a lot more things. I learnt how the Jewish study the Torah and how they pray. I liked that we got to try on what Jewish people wear like the prayer hat and the shawl. I enjoyed finding out what the Torah looked like in real life and I am glad I got the opportunity to visit the Synagogue and find out what it looks like. It was also nice to find out the similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To make the trip even better maybe they could include even more practical things like learning how to pray like the Jews. I think the trip to the Synagogue was very interesting. Also I liked finding out the differences between the progressive and the orthodox Synagogues.

Vania.

On the trip to the Synagogue, we all came through the door and we sat down on the carpet. She talked about what they wore and let us try on a Kippah and a tallit. Mrs Taylor then took photos of us. We were sat down there for about 45 minutes but it seemed like 2 hours.

Straight after, we went into the prayer room. It had the Torah (not on parchment) on the chairs. We were asked some questions and we asked questions back.

What I liked about it was getting out the Torah and having some homemade challah bread, it was very salty.

I would have liked to do some activities on worksheets and what they really did on celebrations. I would also have liked to dress up and do more fun things.

Philippa.

I thought the trip was interesting and factual. I learnt all about the Torah, the Ark and things women and men wear. We got to eat the challah bread which tasted really nice. I learnt that the scroll was made out of parchment and that they have a scribe to write for them. In Non-orthodox synagogues they allow women and men to sit together, they have English and Hebrew in the Torah books. In orthodox Synagogues they restrict men and women sitting together because the Torah says so. I think it would be better if they let us stand up and have a look around the Synagogue. Most of the time they had us sat down, sing us some of the Torah or read it in English.

Esther.

New games/PE kit for HSMS

Tue 23 May 2017 Mr McGrath

Dear Parent/carers

In July, Deane and Son's will begin to stock the new design of games and PE it for pupils at Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School. The new kit is in keeping with the current colour scheme, although the white PE kit is now to be replaced with a red branded t shirt. The new design of shorts/skorts are to be used for both games and PE. The skort is a new and optional extra for the girls. It can be used instead of the shorts for sports such as netball, hockey, athletics and net and wall games. Shorts will still be needed for football, rugby and gymnastics, so are a compulsory purchase.

An optional hooded sweatshirt will also be introduced. This can be worn to and from school, and in games/PE lessons. The hooded sweatshirt will be branded with the Hugh Sexey crest and can have the students surname (no nicknames) on the back.

This new kit is initially intended for the new intake of year 5 pupils. The old design of kit, is still acceptable for next year for our current pupils. However, Deane and Sons will be stocking all items in sizes suitable for years 6, 7 and 8 should you wish to purchase it for your child.

Be aware surnames printed on the hooded top and the rugby shirt will be £4.50 per name.

Ross McGrath

Saxons Charity Week

Tue 23 May 2017 Mr Jackson

The Saxons House Captains ran some charity events last week to raise money for DogsTrust. These included a onesie themed mufti day, sponge a teacher/student and the Morning Mile.

Well done to Isla, Libby and Rio for their enthusiasm and excellent organisation of these events. Also thank you to the students who volunteered to get soaked and to those who walked/ran a mile each day for five days.

Owing to a few wet days last week, the Morning Mile will be continuing to Wednesday. The final total raised for DogsTrust will be known once all the sponsor money is in.

Under 11s Cricket - HSMS vs Millfield

Tue 16 May 2017 Mr McGrath

Congratulations to Millfield school who progress to the next round of the Saracens cup in the under 11s Cricket. The game was played under Barrington rules, and finished 243 - 207. The Hugh Sexey team really couldn't have performed much better, and will hopefully learn a lot by playing against such a quality team. The batting pair of Nick Whittingham and Will Bougard performed well hitting 8 runs between them for no outs. Will Creaser and Tom Beane also put in a solid shift, hitting 14 for 2. This was against a particularly good fast bowler, who caused real difficulty with his delivery.

When Hugh Sexey were in the field, they performed well, but were unable to prevent some well executed shots from Millfield. Alex Scott took a lovely wicket in the 6th over and bowled a further 5 dot bowls. Tom Beane showed excellent resolve by putting a testing over behind him to bowl a great wicket in the 8th over. Spinner Olly Richards made a great catch from a Will Bougard bowl, and both players really put themselves about in this fixture. Kenny Poole gave a good overall performance, performing well with bat and bowl. Behind the stumpts Thelonius Jagger had a very good game as wicket keeper. He was put into an unfamiliar position, but showed real promise and bravery. Will Creaser enjoyed the opportunity to play against a lot of County players, and was delighted to bowl out a fellow Somerset player in the 9th over.

The Hugh Sexey players should be really proud of their performance and can look forward to the Whylie Shield and the indoor SASP competitions.

Cricket -U12 County Cup, HSMS vs Taunton Prep

Tue 16 May 2017 Mr Lamb

Squad: George Nuttycombe, Lewis Richards, Sam Tucker, Tom Spinks, Aidan Jeffries, Isaac Nichols, Will Creaser, Oli Richards, Ben Frost, Will Flavin & Fraser Bruce.

This was a very tough first fixture of the season for the team but a great chance to see what level they are at. Taunton prep won the toss and selected to bat first. The opening bowlers Lewis Richards and George Nuttycombe got off to a solid start with George taking an early wicket in the second over. From this point the Taunton batsmen never looked back. They raced to 114/1 in the 12^th over. In the 13^th over Hugh Sexey missed out on two opportunities with two dropped catches. Taunton really took advantage of this and ended their 20 overs with a great total of 188/1. George and Lewis then opened the batting for Hugh Sexeys and both got off to a solid start. George played brilliantly and was hitting boundaries in all directions, he moved onto 33 and was removed by a great delivery leaving Hugh Sexeys on 52/1. This bought Will Creaser to the crease who quickly settled in playing solidly to steady the innings. Three more wickets fell leaving Hugh Sexeys on 99/4. Tom Spinks and Will then had a partnership of 29 to see out the 20 overs. A great effort to reach 128/4 against such a strong Taunton team. Well done everyone involved.

Cornet Success

Tue 16 May 2017 Mrs Harrison

Congratulations to Lydia, 5JC, on passing her Grade 3 B flat Cornet exam with Merit! Well done.

School pupils share pencils to raise awareness of children not in school

Mon 15 May 2017 Ms Taylor

Following HSMS's successful 'Share a Pencil' week our efforts have been reported in QA Education; the article is reproduced below:

'Pupils at Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School in Somerset, were the first to take part in an innovative scheme to raise awareness of the 124 million children in the world who are missing out on an education* across the globe.

The first ever national Share a Pencil Day takes place on 17th May 2017, when pupils will be asked to share a pencil for a single lesson, an afternoon or the whole day, to experience what learning is really like for the many children without access to school or the basic materials to learn. In the run-up to the event, the organisers, Hope, worked in partnership with Hugh Sexey Middle School to demonstrate the educational benefits of the scheme to teachers,before the big day itself.

Roberta Taylor, leader of humanities at Hugh Sexey C of E Middle School, said: “The Share a Pencil Day experience was an eye opener for our children. They are aged nine to 13, so they know a little about Syria and the refugee crisis but did not really have an understanding of what these events meant for the individuals in those situations.

“Watching videos of children explaining what living in a zone of conflict means on a day to day basis, developed a deep empathy for the impact global events have for the people living within them.

“The lesson material is entirely suitable for years five to nine. We used a film by Emma Watson, the Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast actress, to introduce the topic and then the children w

“Every pupil had the opportunity to complete a worksheet about the children, although we ensured that there were only enough pencils for one to be shared between two pupils, so the children found out first-hand what it is like when pupils have to share learning materials to get work completed.

“The scheme helped pupils foster an understanding of what life is like for others perhaps less fortunate than themselves. We also feel it is important to encourage children to appreciate that they are in some ways very fortunate to have access to all the advantages they have and Share a Pencil Day is perfect for that.

“The children were even more engaged than I had hoped they would be and it created some great discussions. We ended the lesson with pupils creating posters about why they loved school.

“The activities really helped our children to grow their sense of global responsibility and, most importantly, the children now understand that they can make a difference. I would encourage as many schools as possible to sign up.”

“Every pupil had the opportunity to complete a worksheet about the children, although we ensured that there were only enough pencils for one to be shared between two pupils, so the children found out first-hand what it is like when pupils have to share learning materials to get work completed.

“The scheme helped pupils foster an understanding of what life is like for others perhaps less fortunate than themselves. We also feel it is important to encourage children to appreciate that they are in some ways very fortunate to have access to all the advantages they have and Share a Pencil Day is perfect for that.

“

To date, around 20,000 pupils are in line to take part in Share a Pencil Day on 17th May which gives pupils in schools across the UK the opportunity to learn about the issues faced by many children around the world and explores the difficulties they often have to overcome to access an education.

Once teachers have registered their interest via https://www.hope.co.uk/share-a-pencil-day-sign-up-form they can access lesson plans, films and posters to support their Share a Pencil Day activities. Schools can also purchase special Share a Pencil Day pencils, the proceeds of which will go towards Hope’s Bright Futures mission in partnership with Plan International UK. The funds will support the charity’s education projects worldwide, which include transforming the lives of girls in Kamuli, Uganda; helping children in Pakistan get an education, and the training of 275 female teachers in Sierra Leone.

Evan Lewis the founder of Hope, the organisation behind Share a Pencil Day, said: “Our goal is to raise awareness of the educational issues that many children face globally.”

For more information visit https://www.hope.co.uk/share-a-pencil-day-sign-up-form Twitter: @hopepencils #ShareAPencilDay #PencilSelfie

Yr 5 @ Bristol

Wed 10 May 2017 Mrs Edmonds

The year 5 children continued their exploration and investigation into Space by visiting @Bristol last week. The children took part in a workshop where they learnt about the size and distances of the planets, as well as the effects of Space on the human body. They also visited the planetarium where they had an amazing 3D experience and then had the opportunity to explore the rest of the exhibits.

Message history

Tennis vs Taunton Prep School

Tue 09 May 2017 Mr McGrath

Well done to Charlie Jackson, Henri Beeson, George Nuttycombe and Jamie Wilbourne who all put in strong performances against Taunton Prep school in the School tennis. Wedmore tennis club were kind enough to allow us the opportunity to use their facilities, and it made a significant difference playing on such a well maintained surface. The boys all thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and it is pleasing to see the profile of tennis starting to rise. Number 1 seed Jackson, had a breathtaking game with Vaughn Julian. The game went all the way to 6-6 with Charlie holding his nerve in the tie break. The standard of tennis was very high, and it certainly brought the best out of both players. Beeson won his game 6-1, showing a powerful game throughout. Nuttycombe had an intriguing battle with Freddie Salter Green. Both players showed good touches, but Nuttycombe came from behind to win 7-5. Wilbourne had a difficult opponent in Jack Whatmough. Wilbourne battled gamely but ultimately came up against a more experienced opponent. The games then went to doubles with Nuttycombe and Wilbourne making a dynamic pair and Jackson and Beeson. In the top seed Taunton raised their game and came out 6-1 winners. On the other court there was a classic battle taking place, so much so that the cows from the nearby farm came by to watch. A win for Hugh Sexey would have secured overall victory, but Taunton got the rub of the green and emerged 7-5 winners in this game. This meant the competition was tied at 3-3, as the coaches checked the rule books, it emerged that either a 1 or 2 seed and a 3 or 4 seed had to combine to play doubles first to 10 points. Jackson and Nuttycombe were selected to take part in the doubles shot out and despite playing well slipped to a 10-5 defeat, meaning Taunton won the fixture. This was inevitably disappointing but the players learned so much from the playing against top opposition. It was also a privilege to play at Wedmore tennis club, and we look forward to further strengthening those ties in the new future. Thanks also to Taunton Prep.

Yr 8 Cricket - Frank Steer U13 Memorial Shield

Fri 05 May 2017 Mr Albrow

Year Eight played Churchill Academy in the first round of the Frank Steer U13 Memorial Shield. A gripping match where some early wickets meant we were soon ploughing our way through their lower batting order. Churchill were bowled out for 83 runs at the end of the 17th over in an 18 over innings. Taking to the bat ourselves we made a slow start but thanks to Charlie J who batted his way through to the penultimate ball we passed the target set in the 15th over finishing on 84 for 7. A great game and some brilliant performances. We now meet Sexeys Bruton in the next round.