michaela matters - mcsbrent.co.uk
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MICHAELA MATTERS
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe that the end of the year is nearly
upon us. Our opening, three years ago, seems like yes‐
terday. How extraordinary it is that our Year 9s are al‐
ready half way through one of their GCSEs! Time lies
when you are enjoying yourselves!
While it may seem that the last year has gone by in a
lash, a great deal has happened. As families will know,
Ofsted visited us just before May half term. It was an in‐
teresting and exciting experience. he pupils were a de‐
light as usual and the inspectors were blown away by
them. he inspectors were rightly very impressed with
the progress our pupils are making here.
We were delighted, therefore, to be the only school in
Brent that has been given Outstanding in all categories
by Ofsted. he staff, pupils and families have worked
very hard together and I am glad that the inspectors
were able to appreciate Michaela for what it is: an excel‐
lent school.
Our summer 2017 paper will tell you the details of our
speaker visits this year, including Nick Gibb, Minister
for Schools and Claire Fox, writer and director of the
Institute of Ideas.
his year has seen some exciting musical events at
Michaela. he Chamber Choir performed 'Matchmaker'
from the 'Fiddler On the Roof ' musical at the Christ‐
mas performance last December. he full ensemble
gave a stellar performance of 'Dance of the Sugarplum
Fairy' from 'he Nutcracker' ballet, which they executed
magniicently. For the inal, end-of-year performance,
all the choirs and ensembles are putting together excit‐
ing performances.
We look forward to September when Powerleague will
be up and running again and normal sport will resume.
I would like to thanks all parents for their understand‐
ing during this time when circumstances outside of our
control have meant we have been limited in what sport
we have been able to offer.
We are excited to be welcoming the new Year 7s who
will join us, eager to learn the 'Michaela way'. From
September, we will have 480 pupils and I know our cur‐
rent Year 7, 8 and 9s will ensure that they are excellent
role models.
here is an important parent assembly for the current
Year 8 and Year 9 families in September which will ex‐
plain the GCSE experience and will advise families on
how to prepare for it. It is crucial that all current Year 8
and current Year 9 families attend. Please see our emails
and letters for details.
he summer holidays are long and we are keen for
pupils to remember all that they have been learning so
we will be setting holiday homework for them. We are
grateful to families for their support with this and we
look forward to September when all pupils return with
at least the minimum homework completed. Every holi‐
day, nearly half of the pupils complete twice the mini‐
mum of homework set. I am certain that these pupils
will go far in life because they are willing to go above
and beyond.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all families
a very happy and sunny summer. hank you for your
support over the year. We will see you in September.
Yours faithfully,
Katharine Birbalsingh - Headmistress
2 Issue 6
Claire Fox came to talk to us about free speech and how
anyone and everyone should have freedom of speech
even if they have radical ideas. She argued that we must
all allow others to speak freely because silencing others
will limit our knowledge of other possibilities. She said:
'the only way to beat an argument is to have a better ar‐
gument.'
his motivated many of us to hone our debating skills.
Ms. Fox taught us that having knowledge is fundamen‐
tal to shaping our ideas and arguments and that all
speech can be scrutinised in a pejorative manner. Most
importantly, we learned that listening to others will em‐
power us in life.
Kavit, 9A
he unique education and irm discipline at Michaela
attracts many visitors.
One such recent visitor is Barnaby Lenon. Prior to
achieving the accolade of Chairman of the Independent
Schools Council, he was the headmaster of Harrow
School: a prominent private school. He is also known
for having tutored the former Prime Minister, David
Cameron, and our current Foreign Secretary, Boris
Johnson, at Oxford.
At Michaela, he spoke to pupils in an assembly about
Winston Churchill. He spoke about Churchill's virtues
such as stoicism and perseverance. We learned that
Churchill spent most of his childhood in poverty and
had a speech impediment, yet became 'one of the great‐
est orators of all time.'
Finally, he noted that Michaela pupils have the ability to
be as great as Winston Churchill if we put our minds to
it.
Roshaun, 8P
On the 27th March 2017, Claire Fox delighted Michaela
with a talk about our freedom of speech. he British lib‐
ertarian writer argued that we should all have an unlim‐
ited amount of freedom of speech and suggested that
acts such as the recent terror attacks on London and
Manchester are attacks on this freedom.
She let us with an intriguing dilemma: freedom of
speech or no freedom of speech at all? Her arguments
included that freedom of speech betters our arguments.
his is because it is only by knowing the other side to a
debate that we can choose if our initial view on the ar‐
gument is morally right or wrong.
Moreover, if we do not have this freedom, ignorance
starts to become prevalent in society. hese arguments
supplied the ingredients for a great lunch debate where
many Michaela pupils were divided on their beliefs.
Joseph, 9A
Last term, the Minister of State at the Department for
Education, Nick Gibb, came to visit Michaela Commu‐
nity School. He sat on our table at lunchtime and told
us about the amazing day he had had at our school. He
explained that our school is unique and that we should
be very proud of it.
He stated: 'Michaela has a strong academic standard,
superb behaviour and very happy pupils'. His inspira‐
tional words reminded us how lucky we are to be at an
exceptional school, where education is taken very seri‐
ously and pupils work very hard.
He observed many of our lessons and was impressed
with the peaceful environment and the concentration
on the faces of all the pupils. Before leaving he an‐
nounced, 'I have faith in everyone and I know they can
succeed'. his raised our conidence and motivated us
all to work harder so that we can succeed in life and
make our school proud.
Sharfa, 9A
Claire Fox on Free Speech
NEWS
Nick Gibb Enjoys Visit to MCS
Barnaby Lenon Inspires Us
3Issue 6
On Wednesday 26th April, Year 9 were fortunate
enough to listen to guest speaker Susan Pollack, a sur‐
vivor of the Holocaust. During her visit, Mrs. Pollack
talked to us about her own experiences as a teenage girl
in the 1940s and how her own family was affected by
anti-Semitism. It was inspirational to hear about her
perseverance ater members of her family were never
seen again: 50 of them did not survive the Holocaust
and Mrs. Pollock and her brother Laci were not reunit‐
ed until 20 years ater the liberation of the camps.
Mrs. Pollack later went to university and studied Psy‐
chology in order to ind out how such a systematic
genocide could have happened. One quote from Mrs.
Pollack was: 'you are so lucky to have an education'. As
well as learning more about the experiences which a
survivor has encountered, Mrs. Pollack taught us to be
grateful for the privileges which we have today, which
were not available to many children at that time. his
inspired many of us and we are grateful to have had the
opportunity to talk to her.
Amrutha, 9A
All of us know that, everywhere, there are families who
lead difficult lives because they lack food, hygiene prod‐
ucts and toys for their children. Frankly, I cannot imag‐
ine what it would be like to lack these things.
If I ever complain about not having the internet, my
mother will say to me, 'you complain that you do not
have internet, but others do not have food.' his always
makes me feel more grateful for the things I have.
Ms. Rizvi contacted an organisation called 'he Trussell
Trust'. hrough this, families who really need food or
clothes can receive them. We spent two weeks collecting
items from our own homes to donate to others. We
compiled a huge amount for them and feel happy that
our efforts will aid those who need these things more
than us. As author Victor Hugo says, 'an emptied bag is
a full heart'!
heona, 9Z
Holocaust Survivor Inspires Year 9 Pupils
Easter Hamper Appeal
4 Issue 6
When I irst started at Michaela, I was completely as‐
tonished by how much the teachers expected of us. I
could not believe that we had to complete homework
every day. I felt that I did not it in. I felt like an
outsider, but I soon learned to become a Michaela pupil
who worked as hard as possible.
In Bootcamp week, I was dazzled by how easy it was to
get demerits and, consequently, detentions. herefore,
my initial merit balance was dismal. By the end of Boot‐
camp week I decided to take action and, luckily for me,
I found a great tool to help me: Times Table Rock Stars.
My merit balance improved a lot and I built up more
trust with my teachers.
Ater this discovery I started to set big goals on TTRS,
such as: a place in top ten in the school, then top ive
and then, eventually, number one. I did not think that I
would ever achieve the top spot but, to my surprise, I
did.
his took commitment, dedication and devotion but it
paid off with lots of merits and, more signiicantly, with
long term success. Working hard at TTRS has enabled
me to understand the beneit of working hard for my
exams and, as a result, I have gained results of which I
can be proud.
Mahad, 8P
At Michaela, we believe that we are uniquely passionate
about learning. However, Michaela is actually not just
about this passion. Did you know it is also about grati‐
tude? We believe that gratitude is a major cause of suc‐
cess; this is why we give appreciations!
An appreciation is a small speech dedicated to a person
who has helped us become the person we are today by
showing us kindness, even in the smallest way.
As well as emphasising our gratitude, appreciations ac‐
tually prepare us for the future as they improve our
public speaking and conidence. Why don't you give an
appreciation today and brighten someone's day? As Ms.
Lund likes to say: 'appreciations are the highlights of
our day'.
he best appreciations celebrate something speciic: an
act of kindness or a recognition that someone you know
is doing something brilliant for you or for others. What
will be your appreciation today?
Madiha, 7D
At Michaela, teachers emphasise the importance of self-
quizzing. Getting into daily quizzing habits is difficult
to adapt to at irst, as many new pupils realise. However,
something that is good for your future is never going to
come easily. Once in the habit of self-quizzing, it trans‐
forms your grades and weekly quiz results.
Personally, Maths is one of my weakest areas and I
found it a very difficult subject to understand. I received
a weekly quiz result back from my Maths teacher, Ms.
Rizvi, and I decided that a '0.5' grade was not good
enough. I really pushed myself and did double the min‐
imum of self-quizzing. In time, the results displayed my
hard work. I achieved 100%! his is one of many expe‐
riences pupils at Michaela share and it makes us appre‐
ciate having such a helpful revision technique.
For those who are still struggling to connect with self-
quizzing, I would urge you to keep working hard; you
will see a massive improvement!
Rayyan Fernandez, 8P
At Michaela, there is a shop which can be used by
pupils if they are missing a piece of equipment. It is cru‐
cial that pupils replenish missing or broken equipment
because, if you are missing something, you will receive
an instant detention from your form tutor. his may
sound somewhat unfair but it is absolutely crucial and
beneicial as it teaches us how to be organised. his
means that when we take our GCSEs, we will not forget
any pieces of equipment such as pens or protractors and
thus hinder our exam success. When I irst became a
Future Leader, I knew I wanted to help out in the school
shop to improve my maths skills and my social interac‐
tions.
Want to work in the shop? You need to have a great rep‐
utation inside and outside of the school. his is impor‐
tant because the teachers need to trust you to handle
money sensibly and honestly. You must demonstrate in‐
tegrity, hard work and kindness. If you are interested in
helping out in the shop, please speak to Ms. Clear.
Karrar, 8P
From Average to Perfection!
Shop Success My Michaela Odyssey
Two Claps on Two...
'I have gained results of which I can be proud'
WHY WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL
5Issue 6
My perspective on Michaela has changed recently. Dur‐
ing the Christmas holidays, I decided I would take a
different approach to the term by making sure that I
was considering demerits and detentions as helpful re‐
minders. Before the Christmas holidays, I was not ac‐
cepting responsibility and I was trying to break the sys‐
tem that is in place to help us. I came across as deiant.
Teachers have helped me to change my behaviour and
my opinion of the school. I have become much more
positive since then and this has helped me to get
through my days smoothly. I now know that my
chances of getting merits and rewards are sky-high if I
am in a positive mood.
Zakye, 8A
At Michaela, we have high expectations for all pupils
and we want them all to have a good future. We look af‐
ter all pupils during school and aterwards so that chil‐
dren have a completely bully-free zone, which other
schools lack. At the end of term, we check pupils' merit
balance to see if it is in positive numbers and, if it is,
pupils watch a movie in their form rooms with popcorn
and cookies as a wonderful reward. However, if chil‐
dren have not been working hard enough and have a
negative balance, the privilege is removed from them.
Jemel, 7Z
Michaela provides its pupils with the tools they need for
the best possible futures. At Michaela, pupils aspire to
go to the best Universities in the country like Oxford
and Cambridge.
How does Michaela do this? Teachers always recom‐
mend that pupils complete extra homework to prevent
procrastination and to develop good habits such as al‐
ways doing double the minimum amount. Pupils also
have holiday homework to avoid laziness. At Michaela,
we complete a minimum of 20 pages of self-quizzing
but all children are always aiming to complete double
that amount or even to ill the whole book, which is 80
pages of self-quizzing.
Zeyad, 7D
Exam week prophesies our future. Pupils attending
Michaela encapsulate the ethos of hard work, which is
the key to exam success. However, some pupils and
their parents may believe that children become
'stressed' because of the 'harsh exams'. hose who say
this do not comprehend the beneits of examinations
for a pupil's long term future.
Despite this, the vast majority of Michaela students do
not fall prey to the negative associations with exams. In‐
stead, they ardently self-quiz, practise mock papers and
revise, allowing them to overcome exam fears and face
them with valour. Self-control is the key to fulilling our
aspirations and goals!
Ibrahim, 9D
he teachers at Michaela show respect and kindness at
the same time. Ms. McTaggart helped me to understand
that love conquers hate. Other teachers always encour‐
age me to do double the minimum. I would like to say
thank you to all the teachers who have been kind to me
with an acrostic poem:
Michaela teachers are awesome role models to us all!
In the eyes of the pupils, the teachers deserve the best
behaviour,
Come to Michaela to see what kindness is all about,
Here at Michaela there is no bullying; the teachers keep
us safe,
And the teachers are hilarious,
Everyone is a part of the Michaela family,
Love conquers hate!
And come and join us on our journey!
Pranathy, 7D
'Exam week prophesies our future'
What Makes Michaela Great?
Fail to Prepare; Prepare to Fail
Changing my Mind
'Michaela provides its pupils with the tools they need for the best possible futures'
Love Conquers Hate!
6 Issue 6
Whenever you are feeling lazy and too complacent to
reach beyond the walls of the minimum, you are pro‐
crastinating.
he key to breaking down the fences of procrastination
is motivation and this is found by keeping the right
people around you.
Imagine life as a movie with twists and turns; the stakes
keep rising and the audience is compelled. You are the
person behind the camera ilming your life. You are the
only person in the audience.
Nobody likes a ilm that takes too long to get to the
point; it is your responsibility to make sure your ending
is exceptional.
he moral is that life can be full of challenges and op‐
portunities. Doing the minimum will result in you
achieving the minimum.
Doing more gives you more, as long as you have the
power of motivation to guide you along the way with
the help of friends and family.
When you are at university, it will just be you. Your
friends and family may be the gatekeepers to your suc‐
cess but your own motivation is the key to open it. Are
you willing to make a great movie, or a terrible one? Do
you want to close the bridge between fantasy and
reality? Motivation is the key.
Like Will Smith notes in he Pursuit of Happiness: 'you
want something; go get it. Period'.
Ishe, 7D
Well done to all of Year 7, 8 and 9 as we journey to‐
wards our summer exams, ready to carry on with our
daily quizzes. For more than three whole weeks, we
have been self-quizzing each other to improve our
chance of success and to beat, defeat and out-compete
pupils from private schools such as Eton College.
In 7 Demeter, Ismail Nawaz, one of Demeter's strongest
representatives (and one of the irst future leaders),
scored an outstanding 60 out of 60 in the Maths main
exam, setting the bar high for his peers.
I asked Ismail for a tip on how he deals with procrasti‐
nation when studying proves difficult.
Ismail's response was, 'I self-quiz and go above and be‐
yond the bare minimum, which is why I am proud of
myself.'
Shae Keir-Bubb, an Athenian in Year 7, gained one of
the top marks in the Art drawing exam and is showing
great skill and potential as a future artist. Shae ex‐
plained how he had met such high expectations from
Ms. Speller: 'previously, I have witnessed that if I self-
quiz more than the bare minimum, not only will I avoid
being on the cusp of detention, I will experience key in‐
formation that our teachers are giving us before our
GCSEs and expand my knowledge to automaticity and
can earn top marks out of all the pupils in the county
and go to a Russell Group university. For example, my
90% rating in the Art practical exam could be 100%; I
will not get complacent until I achieve each and every
goal I have set for myself.'
Finally, a message to all pupils: always go above the lim‐
its! Exceed your teachers' expectations. As we draw
closer to our GCSEs, remember that if you fail to pre‐
pare, you prepare to fail. On Friday I worked incredibly
hard and came third on the IXL charts, and my form
dominated the top ten leaving the other forms in the
dust. Every time you decide to push yourself brings you
one step closer to your goals.
Corey, 7A
At Michaela, we aspire to do the best and achieve the
best grades. We cannot accomplish this vision without
the help of our inspiring teachers who help us to hone
our self-control and behaviour.
Mahatma Ghandi said: 'habits become character; char‐
acter becomes destiny.' his encapsulates our ethos at
Michaela. We say that everyone should persevere, 'even
when it's difficult, especially when it's difficult.'
he famous British Second World War leader Winston
Churchill gave many memorable speeches in his reign
and noted: 'success is never inal; failure is never fatal;
it's the courage that counts.'
Michaela pupils apply these quotations to our everyday
lives, resulting in the highest standards. his school is
the most disciplined, well-mannered provider of suc‐
cess stories at all levels. It is the 'talk of the town' and we
want to make our teachers proud.
Eshan, 7D
'It's the Courage that Counts'
WHY WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL One Step Closer
'I will not get complacent until I achieve each and every goal I have set for myself '
'Imagine life as a movie with twists and turns; the stakes keep rising and the audience is compelled'
7Issue 6
From the 10th to 14th February, the First World War
Centenary project took place to commemorate the
100th anniversary of the Great War. his is a trip fund‐
ed by the government, allowing two pupils from state
schools around the country to go to Belgium and
France and to visit battleields, war memorials and
cemeteries, many of which were built to honour those
who risked their lives to protect their country and its al‐
lies.
We spent three days visiting different battleields, muse‐
ums and memorials in France and Belgium. On the irst
day overseas, our group was accompanied by the British
Ambassador to Belgium: Alison Rose. We visited Li‐
jssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium, which was
rebuilt on the site of a hospital for the wounded in bat‐
tle. In Lijssenthoek, we learned about how the war af‐
fected ordinary people from all over the world and how
the war saw the creation of medical advances.
Next, we went to the Memorial Museum Passchendaele
in Zonnebeke and we saw recreations of trenches and
how soldiers would have lived. We were even able to
smell recreations of the gases that would have been
used. he museum also had an art piece: sculptures of
arms jutting out of a black surface to symbolise men
drowning in the looded trenches and reaching out for
help. In the evening, our tour group went to the daily
memorial at the Menin Gate. he Menin Gate is a beau‐
tiful memorial which is dedicated to the missing sol‐
diers who died in the Ypres Salient of the First World
War and who have no known gravestone. Mr. Taylor
had kindly organised for us to lay a Michaela wreath as
part of the ceremony, which was an incredible and un‐
forgettable experience.
On Sunday, we spent the day in France and visited the
Somme battleields and compared photos taken at the
time to their present positions. We saw the Canadian
Memorial, Vimy Ridge, which was made to remember
the Canadian soldiers of the war. he memorial is built
with a lot of poignant symbolism in mind and features a
statue of a weeping woman (or 'Mother Canada mourn‐
ing her dead'). Later, we visited cemeteries such as the
Caterpillar Valley Cemetery and the hiepval
Memorial. he hiepval Memorial is dedicated to the
72,246 missing soldiers of the Battle of the Somme, with
all of their names engraved in stone.
On the inal day, we relected on the importance of re‐
membrance in the past and today. We visited the Ger‐
man cemetery at Langemark and saw the differences
between the taller, individual British gravestones and
the smaller, German blocks which had multiple names
on each. Our last visit was to Tyne Cot: the largest
Commonwealth cemetery in the world. 8,369 graves be‐
long to unnamed soldiers, and although they were not
identiied, their sacriice will be remembered forever.
We had been assigned the names of two soldiers who
lived within walking distance of Michaela. he ceme‐
tery was huge and, by imagining one man in front of
every grave, the number of people who fell in the war
no longer seemed like a mere statistic. We found the
name of our second assigned soldier, George Henry
Bowden, and laid a poppy cross near it.
Finding their names was the most sentimental part of
the trip because it put everything into perspective and
helped us to realise just how personal and close to home
the sacriices made were. Overall, we enjoyed the trip
immensely and loved every minute. Each visit was an
opportunity to learn and understand more about the
First World War and to emphasise the importance of re‐
membering those who died for our country.
Keisi and Amrutha, 9A
‘heir Name Liveth For Evermore’ - Rudyard Kipling
'On the inal day, we relected on the importance of remembrance in the past and today'
8 Issue 6
he Anthony Joshua versus Wladimir Klitschko profes‐
sional boxing match that took place at the Wembley
Stadium on the 29th April was watched by a phenome‐
nal number of people both in the stadium and around
the world. Anthony Joshua won the match due to his
technical knockout during the 11th round. Although
many of us just know these two people as 'professional
boxers', there is much more to these heavyweight box‐
ers than meets the eye.
Anthony Joshua, a heavyweight champion, was born on
the 15th October 1989 in Watford. He is of Nigerian
and Irish descent, also known by the nickname 'AJ'. His
cousin Ben Ileymi, also a professional boxer, suggested
that he should become a boxer at the age of just 18.
Joshua was not particularly studious and suffered many
hardships throughout his life. Ater getting into the
wrong crowd and being sent to prison for ighting in
the streets, drugs and other crimes, he decided to turn
his life around and make something of himself, which
nobody would have expected. Anthony Joshua is a role
model to young people; even though he may have been
brought up in a council estate on the rough streets of
Watford, he became someone known globally. Ater all,
his motto is 'Be humble'.
Wladimir Klitschko may have been defeated, but he is
certainly not a failure. To put everything into 11 rounds
of stalwart boxing at the age of 41 is an achievement in
itself. his match was a reminder to all of us that suc‐
cess comes with hard work and anyone can be anything
if they put 100% into everything that they do. Michaela
teaches us the same virtues that Joshua and Klitschko
have, especially within the motto 'work hard, be kind'.
heir lives are full of persistence, endurance and, above
all, stoicism. Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko
are paragons of resilience.
Rayyan, 8P
A few months back I broke my dominant writing hand
because of pure oaishness. I felt sheer devastation
knowing how important our weekly quizzes were. As I
came into school I was bombarded with many ques‐
tions about my broken hand that I had to answer with
shame. I came into the school gates wondering how I
was going to get through a day not being able to write. I
asked Mr. Kirby how I could provide work whilst not
being able to write with my let hand. He had said to
me: 'you're going to have to become ambidextrous'. I
had to walk away with resignation; I wasn't prepared for
the struggle ahead. Every day I pushed myself through
the uncomfortable hardship, determined to triumph.
Four weeks into my endeavour, I was getting closer to
writing perfectly and by the end of my eighth week I
had triumphed; I could write clearly and neatly with my
let hand. hrough this hardship I have learnt that per‐
severance and endurance were the crucial elements for
success.
Kysha, 9D
By Maryam Khalifa 9A
he national anthem enables the diverse UK population
to hold their hands up to their hearts and recite their
song with pride and honour. he English language is
one of the most widely spoken in the world. Our rich
history and democratic ethos make us globally es‐
teemed and respected. Our formidable igure head,
Elizabeth II, deserves reverence, respect and passion
from every corner of the earth. So let's sing with enthu‐
siasm!
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!
Ibrahim, 9D
Becoming Ambidextrous
God Save the Queen!
'Our rich history and democratic ethos make us globally esteemed and respected'
Why Anthony Joshua is a Role Model
'Perseverance and endurance were the crucial elements for success'
FEATURES
9Issue 6
In the UK, Black History Month takes place in October.
It is a time of the year when we, as citizens of a demo‐
cratic country, relect on the historical persecution of
blacks across the world. hree major idols that were
part of the civil rights movement were Martin Luther
King Jr, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks.
Martin Luther King is famously known for his speech
beginning with 'I have a dream'. Dr. King led the MIA
(Montgomery Improvement Association) to protest
against the arrest of Rosa Parks for her refusal to give
up her seat to a white man.
Rosa Parks' direct protest against the persecution of any
dark-coloured person sparked the movement and all
activists were directly linked. Were it not for Rosa
Parks, it is unknown whether any civil rights movement
would have taken place in the 20th century and
whether separation due to skin colour would be consid‐
ered 'unheard of ' today.
Malcom X's questioning of society began when he was
asked to read from the dictionary the deinition of
'black', to be met with nothing other than pessimistic,
diabolical language linked with the word. When a
movement began, he joined.
hese three citizens in segregated America refused to
stay silent but, instead, fought for their rights and
shaped the future in which we currently live. Black His‐
tory Month is the perfect time to relect on these coura‐
geous igures of the past who allowed many of us today
to be considered human, rather than 'different'.
Maryam, 9A
With any revolutionary idea, there are supporters as
well as critics. Our way of 'tough love' is sometimes
misunderstood and disliked by the public. We have to
be able to move on as a school from these critical view‐
points. As a pupil at Michaela, I have seen the prejudice
against our school and our system from people who
have different opinions to our teachers. I do realise that
a thriving institution like our school cannot be
infallible. However, understanding the school's philoso‐
phy is key and I believe that once a person sees the
school in progress or the results it can achieve, they will
feel differently about our school.
Michaela is known for its tough and strong curriculum
where discipline is enforced to ensure a quiet and safe
environment where pupils can thrive. Our long days,
notably stricter rules and traditional lessons in which a
teacher speaks at the front without disturbances for a
long duration may lead to people thinking that this is a
school pressuring children to do too much. Michaela
rejects excessive technology in lessons and evenings
without homework, straying from the conventional
Western school curriculum.
he truth is, there are people who like it and people
who dislike it, for reasons none other than it is different.
he environment our teachers impose is undoubtedly
tough and requires a lot of effort and time. It's perhaps
understandable that many believe it is a school which
should be banned and which oppresses children.
Having understood the school and experienced its cur‐
riculum, I have reason to differ. I have seen the impact
of our school on me and my peers and I can say that
what we do is for the best. Over time, the school be‐
comes normal to you and instead of 'strict' it should be
described as 'fun' and a great learning experience.
hroughout history it has been proven, time and time
again, that with hard work and discipline comes results.
his is certainly the case for Michaela. We inevitably
cannot avoid the critical eye of the public. We simply
keep up the work ethic we believe in. I honestly believe
that the school we have is a great one.
Hamza, 8P
At Michaela, we are very fortunate to have the opportu‐
nity to complete one GCSE earlier than other pupils in
some schools. his year, all ive Year 9 form groups
started preparing for their Religion GCSE exam in Year
10. We have so far explored the origins, doctrines and
denominations of both Christianity and Islam. In addi‐
tion, we have recently started discussing the problem of
war and conlict. he lessons, as normal, are full of
learning. However, Religion lessons have been taken
even further by including pupils discussing and debat‐
ing complicated theological questions with the help of
our teacher. hese lessons have been really helpful not
only as GCSE preparation, but also to understand other
people's beliefs and views on life. To help boost our
grades we are given an essay to complete over the week‐
end. Although Michaela pupils are fortunate to have
teachers who work extremely hard to ensure a better fu‐
ture for them, we at Michaela believe that pupils must
work even harder to ensure a better future for them‐
selves. Our motto, 'work hard, be kind,' has never been
more relevant than as we prepare for our irst GCSE
exam.
Laith, 9A
By Jasmine Jadama 9A
Childhood is magical. We do not notice it slipping away
from us. We wake up and realise that we are not chil‐
dren anymore because we have grown up. Childhood is
an enchanted world in which we are closest to the mys‐
teries of existence. We can meet a dragon with seven
heads, with wizards or with heroes from movies or
comics.
Childhood is the only time in life in which we live ev‐
erything to its maximum intensity, in which we cry and
laugh plentifully on the same day and in which we up‐
set and forgive ater a few moments. hen, as the years
go by, as we mature and grow out of the exuberance of
childhood. It disappears. While it is a good thing to
grow up and take our lives seriously, we must not fall
into the trap of letting technology dominate us.
Kids today have no childhood. hey live indoors,
spending time in front of computer screens talking to
friends rather than going on expeditions with neigh‐
bours. he children now live in a virtual world, domi‐
nated by a sea of endless screens. It is important to
recognise this; we must enjoy the experience of living
life rather than watching a version of life on a screen.
heona, 9Z
Technology Ruins our Childhood
Michaela: What the Critics Say
Our Religion GCSE is Around the Corner
Inspiring Civil Rights Activists
10 Issue 6
Around the world in 80 days is a great book about an ex‐
tremely rich man who lives in a huge castle with an in‐
credible garden.
One evening, the protagonist is in a restaurant with his
friends, talking. One of his friends challenges him to at‐
tempt to travel all around the world in just 80 days. All
of his friends declare the task impossible, but he agrees
to try.
he book is illed with the countries he goes to, his ad‐
ventures in each country and the people he meets there.
It is illed with adventure, excitement and exotic tales.
To ind out if he manages to make it back home to his
castle within 80 days, borrow a copy from the Michaela
library!
Zeyad, 7D
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik, a young
orphan from the slums of India, who is about to experi‐
ence the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation
watching, he is just one question away from winning 20
million rupees on India's version of the TV show: Who
Wants to be a Millionaire?
When the show ends for the night, police arrest him on
suspicion of cheating; how could a boy from the slums
of India know so much? Desperate to prove his naivety,
Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and
his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the
road, of risky encounters with local gangs and of Latika:
the girl he loved and lost.
Each chapter of his story reveals the key to an answer to
one of the game show's questions. Intrigued by Jamal's
story, the Police Inspector begins to wonder what a
young man with no apparent desire for riches is really
doing on this game show. he millions of spectators are
about to ind out…
Kysha, 9D
he Switch is a book that was written by Anthony
Horowitz, my favourite author. It is about a boy called
Tad Spencer. his boy has everything: amazing parents
and the freedom to do whatever he pleases for summer.
However, he makes the integral mistake of wishing he
was someone else. He wakes up as Bob Snarby, trapped
in a cruel, funfair world with horrible parents, a myste‐
rious fortune teller and the strenuous Finn. Will the two
boys change back? Read and ind out at the Michaela
Library!
Abdirisakh, 7D
Would you live forever? Would you be blinded by an
endless luxury? Or would you rebel against those who
disturb the circle of life? In the far future of our world a
drug has been invented, one which could keep you alive
forever more. Its name? Longevity.
Meet Anna Covey in Gemma Malley's 'he Declaration'
who is kept in a Surplus Hall where she lives a living
nightmare under rules and expectations. Fed by lies,
Anna thinks her life as a child is normal and that her
parents were sinful.
When Peter Pincet arrives, a boy raised out of the Sur‐
plus Halls (the real world), she begins to question all
she knows and escape the clutches of coninement. Will
Anna inally understand who was wrong and who was
right? Will she ever ind her parents again?
Shirali, 7D
'Read and ind out more at the Michaela Library!'
Film Review
REVIEWS
'Will Anna inally understand who was wrong and who was right? Will she ever ind her parents again?'
11Issue 6
For the past few months, some Michaela pupils have
been privileged enough to further expand their musical
knowledge by taking extra Music lessons each week at
school. At the moment, the pupils are working on a mu‐
sical piece which they will perform during the reward
event at the end of term. he piece is called 'Habanera',
composed by Georges Bizet in 1875. he Michaela en‐
semble consists of pianists, lautists, guitarists and this
year's new addition: violinists. In order for the pupils to
get as much practice as possible, rehearsals are held
during lunch times on speciic days as well as ater
school on Fridays.
However, the pupils are additionally aware that they are
expected to independently work on their allocated
pieces individually, as well as collectively, in order to
learn it to automaticity so that they won't be the weak‐
est link of the team. Music at Michaela is truly lourish‐
ing. As the end of term draws closer, the whole of
Michaela looks forward to experiencing the musical git
of the Michaela Music Ensemble.
Keiara, 9A
he Mathletes Elite group is an ater school, extra-cur‐
ricular Maths class. he Mathletes Elite group runs ev‐
ery Wednesday ater school until 5pm. To get into
Mathletes you need to write an application to Mr.
Kendall and take an exam as there are only a certain
number of available spaces. Every week in Mathletes we
are given a booklet created by Mr. Kendall and each
booklet begins with a tricky puzzle which we complete
in the irst few minutes. Last week, we learned about
magic squares and their properties and then we tried
completing magic square ourselves. In every booklet,
there are extra puzzles and UK Maths Challenge ques‐
tions. Completing these allows us to improve our maths
outside of lessons in preparation for much harder tests
such as the UKMT and our GCSE exams. he Mathletes
club is a unique opportunity: each session is thoroughly
planned with a booklet for us to use and keep.
Ishan, 9A
At Michaela we strive for the best wherever we are: both
inside and outside of school. In lessons, pupils work ex‐
tremely hard so we can achieve our best. We have two
hours of Art a week; one hour is devoted to learning
and mastering techniques that are shown by our Art
teacher, Ms. Speller.
he second hour is used to learn crucial knowledge
about the history of art. Some pupils who have acceler‐
ated in Art have been given the opportunity to work on
a GCSE unit. At Michaela, these pupils are given work
to complete every week and they endeavour to do so to
a very high standard. Our goal is to complete work that
is of a grade nine GCSE standard despite only being in
Year 9.
Kavit, 9A
Reading Club is beneicial to pupils because it helps
pupils that have not had as much chance to read in pri‐
mary school and who would beneit from more
practice. In addition, we read the greatest books of all
time. Without Reading Club, some of the pupils might
ind it much harder to get a place at university or a job;
if you are not able to read or write, no one will hire you!
Reading Club teaches pupils how to read luently and
with passion and helps them to gain conidence in read‐
ing out loud. During Reading Club, everyone gets a
chance to read so they can improve their articulation
and expression. Reading Club is half an hour long,
meaning we have half an hour a day to accelerate our
reading until we excel.
Chardonnay, 9P
CLUBS
he Beneits of Reading Club
Art Attack!
'Our goal is to complete work that is of a grade nine GCSE standard despite only being in Year 9'
Music Ensemble
Michaela Mathletes
12 Issue 6
On the 14th March, we completed a science experiment
with Ms. Dyer. he experiment was a titration: a tech‐
nique used to ind the unknown concentration of a sub‐
stance. 9 Athena and others were extremely lucky to
carry out this experiment as, in many other schools,
pupils are not allowed to attempt titrations until they
are in Year 12 and doing Triple Science. he class was
trusted with very expensive and fragile glass labware,
such as pipettes and burettes. he process involved us‐
ing a known concentration of a substance (NaOH) to
ind out the unknown concentration of HCl. he
pipette was used to precisely measure 25ml of HCl,
which was then poured into a conical lask.
Two drops of Universal Indicator were then dropped
into the lask, which was then swilled. 30ml of Na0H
was poured into the lask, with pupils carefully making
sure that they reached the equivalence point. he class
would then inally calculate the concentration of the
HCl. his process involved hazardous substances and
the experiment was fascinating and enlightening. We
proved that they can be trusted in lab conditions.
Hamse, 9A
Pupils in Year 9 have been looking at how to draw
graphs to plot data. Ms. Dyer, alongside other science
teachers, are very precise and analyse our work very
carefully. All the teachers stress how important accura‐
cy is when drawing graphs.
When drawing graphs we must start by drawing the y-
axis (vertical) and the x-axis (horizontal). hen, we
must add our units of measurement underneath the x-
axis and to the let of the y-axis by spacing them out
equally.
From the data we collected during a practical experi‐
ment, we must accurately plot the results of the mean of
all the separate outcomes of the reaction. When we have
plotted all the data, we must draw a curve of best it and
then add the title above the graph. hen, our graph is
complete!
Kavit, 9A
'he experiment was fascinating and enlightening'
'All the teachers stress how important accuracy is when drawing graphs'
Measuring Success in Science
13Issue 6
Our School Year in Pictures
14 Issue 6
For the past two weeks, those who are part of the
Rhetoric Club have had the opportunity to debate
amongst themselves. One motion in particular was,
'this house believes that parents should be punished for
the misbehaviour of their school-going children.' As
Ms. Lund called out each child's name to present their
argument, each member nervously anticipated whether
they were the next one up. Each pupil had one minute
to present their speech and were all judged on their
projection, articulation and the quality of their argu‐
ment.
Each pupil successfully managed to put forward their
opinion eloquently. he proposition argued that: 'par‐
ents should be punished for the misbehaviour of their
school-going children because it will inluence the child
to think twice about their actions to avoid the suffering
of their parent.' In addition, it is the job of the parent to
teach their child how to behave from a younger age and
if this child misbehaves in school, it relects on the way
that the parent raises their child.
he opposition argued that: 'parents should not be pun‐
ished for the misbehaviour of their school-going chil‐
dren because it is not the ultimate job of the parent to
set up their child's ixed character; it is the child's re‐
sponsibility to build up, refurbish and spring-clean their
own characters.'
Ms. Lund and the class critiqued each presentation,
stating the strengths and weaknesses of each pupil.
hese debates are greatly beneicial to those who attend
Rhetoric because it allows us to recognise our areas of
weakness and it boosts our conidence for public speak‐
ing which will help us hugely in the future.
Keiara, 9A
Education is essential because it gives people the knowl‐
edge, skills and tools they need to navigate the world.
Without education, people would not be able to read,
write, calculate or communicate; they would also not be
able to perform jobs competently, accurately and safely.
Education also teaches people about the world in which
they live, including information about history, philoso‐
phy and culture.
It enables people to contribute to their community and
to their country. Some believe education is critical be‐
cause it helps to answer life's big questions, including
questions about how to live a full life and fulil others.
At Michaela, we believe that education is the route to
success, fulilment and happiness. If we do well at
school, we will have many options open to us!
Faduma, 7P
All Michaela pupils are aware that the work we do in
lessons is to teach us knowledge to help us pass the ex‐
ams that will determine the rest of our lives: our GCSEs.
But this is especially signiicant for the Year 9s. We are
now less than a year away from taking our religion
GCSE exam and less than two years away from taking
all of our other GCSEs. his has led to a lot of Michaela
pupils working harder to ensure that they get the best
results possible. Ater asking a few Michaela pupils,
known for their strong work ethic, I have conjured up a
foolproof list to make sure that we're on track for aston‐
ishing exam results.
1) Make sure you put 100% into all your lessons and
homework so that you get the most of the 500-hours
homework plan.
2) Aim for two pages or more of self-quizzing each
night. Change your mindset into only accepting double
the minimum of IXL (or more)!
3) Make sure to put all the effort you can into extended
homework to achieve the best feedback possible.
4) Do not think about all the time you may spend doing
homework as that may lead to resentment. Instead, just
do it and think about your long-term future.
5) Create competition with friends to see who can do
the most questions on IXL or get the most merits as this
will decrease the chance of you seeing homework as a
burden.
6) Compare yourself to people from private schools
where some work for 11 hours from Monday to Satur‐
day and ask yourself who is going to get into the best
universities. If the answer is 'them,' then begin to ask
yourself how you can change that.
7) Read every day. Reading is not only fun, but it im‐
proves your vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, ideas,
general knowledge and so much more.
Joseph, 9A
'Education is the route to success, fulilment and happiness'
7 Tips for GCSE Success
Debate, Discuss, Deliberate
OUR FUTURES
'Without education, people would not be able to read, write, calculate or communicate'
Education, Education, Education
15Issue 6
Down
1. he Greek god of war.
2. You can ind me in the past and I am created in
the present.
4 . Slayer of regrets, old and new. Sought by many,
found by few.
6. Who does Aeneas fall in love with?
9. Who gets lost in the Underword?
Across
3. Who guards the gates of the Underworld?
5. What object in school has keys but no locks?
7. he Roman goddess of wisdom.
8. What does Caesar say 'will come when it will
come'?
10. Easy to get into but hard to get out of.
On the 16th June 2017, we learned that Ofsted rated our
school as 'outstanding' in all areas! Hearing that an in‐
dependent and impartial professional body recognised
and publicly acknowledged what my peers and I already
knew made us extremely proud of the contributions we
have made over the past three years. Moreover, it made
us appreciative of the hard work our teachers have put
in to building this wonderful school.
Ofsted highlighted in their report that: 'attitudes to
learning are exemplary' and that 'all groups of pupils,
including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, make
exceedingly strong progress over time in a wide range
of subjects including: English, Mathematics, Science,
Humanities, French, Art and Music.'
his signiies that all pupils at Michaela Community
School have increased their academic performance im‐
mensely. I believe that this is an excellent educational
model that should be relected in all schools in the UK.
Ofsted's report is a true relection of Michaela Commu‐
nity School and I have no doubt that, in the next Ofsted
review, we will maintain our outstanding rating and im‐
press the country with our astonishing GCSE results.
Takiela, 9Z
Ofsted inspects schools every four years to determine
what a school is like and Michaela is no exception. Ev‐
ery aspect of the school, from behaviour to teaching, is
judged during the inspection. A few weeks ago, Ofsted
inspectors awarded us with an 'outstanding' result. he
results were deserved but not entirely expected.
Ofsted's opinion is respected across the UK by educa‐
tion institutions. It was difficult to predict if Ofsted
would judge our school according to convention and
mark it harshly due to the innovative way of teaching
that our school employs, or whether it would mark our
school by judging the environment and the results we
manage to produce.
he school was assessed and declared 'outstanding' in
every category by Ofsted. However, our teachers con‐
stantly reminded us that the Ofsted outcome was mere‐
ly a certiication; we would have been proud of our ex‐
cellent school regardless. Every day is an 'outstanding'
day at Michaela and we are all so proud of our achieve‐
ments.
Hamza, 8P
Michaela Crossword
Michaela is Rated Outstanding by Ofsted!
'Every day is an outstanding day at Michaela'
16 Issue 6
Just as negativity is contagious, and rubs off on other
people, positivity is contagious. When we are around
positive people, we feel happier, better and more posi‐
tive. Optimism is a happiness magnet: it attracts other
optimistic, happy people.
For centuries, philosophers have thought about and dis‐
cussed what leads to human happiness and fulilment.
here are many answers that have been suggested - wis‐
dom, purpose, meaning, contribution, virtue, habits, re‐
lationships, dedication, balance and tranquility - but
what underlies them all is fundamentally positivity,
both within and with others.
he more positivity you give to others, the happier you
make others and the happier you will be, in a virtuous
cycle and upward spiral of upbeat momentum.
Mr. Kirby
DRY INGREDIENTS:
•1 1/2 cups of lour
•1 cup of sugar
•1 teaspoon of baking soda
•1/2 a teaspoon of salt
LIQUID INGREDIENTS:
•1 cup of cool water
•6 tablespoons of olive oil
•1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
•1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
ICING:
•2 tablespoons of butter
•1 cup of powdered sugar
•1 tablespoon of cocoa
•1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract
•1 1/2 teaspoons of milk
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line a cake tin
with greaseproof paper.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. Mix all the liquid ingredients together.
4. Mix both sets of ingredients together until there are
no lumps.
5. Pour the batter into the pan.
6. Enter the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Take out the cake and make the icing.
8. Mix all the icing ingredients together.
9. Frost the cake.
10. ENJOY!
Vinuki, 9D
Delicious Chocolate Cake Recipe
Michaela Wisdom: Positivity
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