A visit from NYC

30th April 2019Mr T Gava

Lister hosted some visitors from New York City last week as twenty-five students (and their teachers) from the Bronx Center for Science and Math spent a day with us during their visit to Paris and London, investigating attitudes to immigration and education, supported by PDT Partners.

BCSM students began the day with a ‘Making Music’ session, led my Mr. Morgan and Ms. Brown.  Within minutes, they were all body-drumming in unison and singing songs from Lister’s community opera, ‘Full Circle’.  They then had a tour of the school, dropping in on some English and Science lessons, before completing a History lesson on Elizabethan economy with Mr. Beck… they’ll remember MUSHPIE for life!

Teachers and students from BCSM both commented on the wide range of subjects and activities offered to Lister students.  The American system, they told us, was much more proscriptive, with less opportunity for students to choose the subjects they studied, and no music during curriculum time at all!  They were also really impressed with how challenging the work being completed by Lister students was!

The day concluded with a panel discussion – an opportunity for BCSM students to ask our students about life and education in London, and for Lister students to find out about living in New York City.  As it turns out, both sets of students had a lot in common… both groups complained about homework and school lunches, both groups though of their teachers as extended family, and all had very similar tastes in fashion, food and music!

It was a fantastic day for all involved, and we are hoping to be able to arrange a visit for some Lister students to BCSM in the not too distant future!

Dance Matters

19th March 2019Mr T Gava

The Dance Department has given the students fabulous enrichment opportunities and activities to support the curriculum this term.As well as our extensive dance clubs we organised a range of activities including workshops with Seagoney Lowe-Vidal and ex-Lister student Joseph Toonga from Just Us Dance Theatre. in January our Year 10 dancers competed in the Annual Dance Borough Competition at NewVic where they performed their ResTec piece called TranS-MYT based on the support that a person that suffers HIV and AIDs needs; they performed brilliantly and secured second place.

The Dance Department have been working hard on getting our Year 11 GCSE candidates ready for their exam next month.  This involves Intervention sessions after school and some Saturdays, meaning that they got the opportunity to work with some of our Lister Dance alumni including Alex Jarrett and Lianca Murphy (Class of 2016), Angelo Martins (class of 2017) and Prisca Ntumba (class of 2018).  Year 10s and Year 11s had a great lyrical workshop with another ex-Lister dancer Tanyel Hassan who is currently teaching dance at Curwen primary and at the Deborah Day Theatre School Trust.  We also recently found out that Lola Adaja, another Lister alumnus, has secured a role in the acclaimed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the WestEnd.

Lister dancers were on show at the Vital Stages Dance Platform in Barking and Dagenham; they weren’t dancing, featured in images displayed in a month long exhibition of dance.  The images chosen were from the Boys Do It Better Dance session, a workshop with Tanyel Hassan, ex-student Rakeem Murray-Martin and our own Ms Coke ‘on pointe’ with the caption ‘she wasn’t sure if she still could, she tried and she did!’

We are also pleased to announce that our partnership with UEL is going from strength to strength as we have attended a fantastic Open Day at the Stratford Campus where our students had a tour of all the facilities including the music recording studio, editing suites, the radio station, dance studios and then had some amazing master classes.
Forthcoming events include:-

  • A trip to the renowned Pineapple Dance Studio to do a commercial street dance class with Josephine Tarquinio-Singh aka ‘Lil J’
  • An evening of ‘krump’ called 3 Rounds of Amp at the London School of Contemporary Dance
  • The lunchtime dance show, Dance Episodes

Dance Department

Stressed?

7th March 2019Mr T Gava

Here’s what to do…

Stress is your body’s response to things getting too much. Everyone feels it at one time or another. We can’t stop it happening, but we can understand it and know what to do about it.

What we feel when we’re stressed is primal, cave-man stuff – that fight, flight or freeze feeling, when we can’t handle a situation, or our brain perceives we’re in danger or under threat. We feel it when there is an actual danger or threat, but also when there’s just too much to do, or we don’t feel able to do something. In this state, our bodies produce adrenaline and cortisol to help us get through the situation. And when this happens, the parts of our brain that help us think, shut down, so we can focus on survival. That’s why it’s impossible to concentrate, or think clearly, or learn, when we’re stressed.

If we experience too much stress, or we are in a constant state of underlying stress, it can cause further problems, like not being able to sleep, eating too much or too little, not being able to focus or feeling anxious all the time.

So what can we do about it?

  • Know the triggers: what kind of thing makes you stressed? Is there a pattern? Is there any way to avoid it, or approach it differently? Is there someone that could help you with it?
  • Be realistic about what you can do: often stress is a result of feeling overwhelmed and this can be because we’ve over-committed or taken on a task that we don’t feel able to do. We can’t do anything well when we’re stressed, so it’s best to be be realistic and ask for help or say no to things we can’t manage.
  • Look after yourself: sometimes, all we need to do is get more sleep and/or eat better. Stress can make us eat more, or not eat enough. It can also make us crave the wrong kind of foods, like those high in sugar and fat, which end up making us feel worse. The healthier we are the better we are able to cope with stress.
  • Get into your body, not your head! Endorphins, released by our bodies when we exercise, improve the quality of our sleep and reduce stress. We can even produce endorphins by breathing deeply, which is why relaxation and meditation can help too.

If you would like to talk to someone about a worry or anything else, you could speak to your Tutor, Pastoral Manager or Anti-bullying Ambassador, make an appointment with Place2Be (via your House) or use the online anonymous counselling service Kooth.com.

Elizabeth Denton

World Book Day 2019

13th February 2019Mr T Gava

This year Lister is celebrating World Book Day on Thursday 7th March and we just can’t wait! Once again we are inviting staff and students to come to school dressed as a book character. Staff outfits get more impressive year on year so we’re excited to see more weird and wonderful creations. We’re also looking forward to seeing even more students dress up this year after we introduced their participation for the first time last year – there’ll of course be praises and merits awarded for effort. Students must write their chosen character in their planners (on the 7th March page) and get it signed by their tutors before World Book Day. This is not a non-uniform day – students either need to be dressed as a book character or in school uniform. So, who will you be? Mary Poppins… Harry Potter…The BFG… Gangsta Granny… Peter Pan… Alice in wonderland… Oliver Twist… Katniss Everdeen… Percy Jackson…. Pop into the library for more ideas!

We’ll be celebrating the wonder of books on and around 7th March. Look out for a special Thought for the Week, themed assemblies, tannoy readings and teachers sharing their reading history. On World Book Day we will have an extended tutor time in which we’ll be doing an exciting competition based on the detective game Cluedo. Of course, all students will receive their £1 book tokens which can be put towards a book of a higher price or exchanged for one of the special World Book Day publications. This year the £1 books include offerings from Lister favourites Rick Riordan, Malorie Blackman, Jeff Kinney, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Patrice Lawrence.

All these celebrations will be supporting Book Aid International. If you dress up please bring in £1 so that we can contribute to their very important work. Book Aid International’s vision is for ‘a world where everyone has access to books that will enrich, improve and change their lives.’ They work all over the world to make this a reality. Take a look at their website to find out more about their essential work.

Scholars Blog

20th December 2018Mr T Gava

The Access Project at Lister

My name is Raseda, I’m in Year 11 and I am the Student Ambassador for The Access Project at Lister. The Access Project offers free tutoring in one of your GCSE subjects and mentoring in school so you can learn more about attending university.

I am tutored in Maths for one hour every week by Emily, who works at Queen Mary University. We discuss the topics that i’ve been covering in Maths at school and work through exam questions together. It’s good to have this one on one time with someone who is experienced in Maths to give me extra support to understand what we’re doing at school.

My experience with The Access Project has not only taught me useful things for school but even basic life skills. I have learnt how to use public transport because I travel to tutorials on my own on the tube, and I’ve improved on my punctuality and organisation, which is are crucial skills you will need for your whole life.

For those of you who have no clue what you want to do, The Access Project will help you learn and explore the career paths you might have an interest in. There are trips every year to visit different universities and you also get one-to-one meetings with your University Access Officer in school to talk about your academic progress and your future.

I have enjoyed The Access Project very much, and I would 100% recommend it to anyone. It is a one of a kind opportunity that will be very useful for anyone with all kinds of different plans for when they leave school.

*

The Access Project is a fantastic opportunity available to Upper School students who are interested in going on to study at top universities.

All of the Access Project tutors are volunteers who work or study in London. They work in a variety of careers including law, finance and the media, and usually hold their weekly tutorials at their office. This means that students get to hear first-hand about their experiences of university and how they reached their high-flying professions.

The goal of The Access Project is for students to learn more about what it would be like to attend a top university; as well as gaining the skills, independence, and the grades to help them fulfil their ambitions.

Students can apply to join The Access Project at the end of Year 9. If they are chosen to take part, they remain on the programme until the end of Year 11.

For more information, speak to Ms Hathaway in the Careers Office on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Sara Voisey

Careers Blog

14th December 2018Mr T Gava

Teachers may often see the Careers Team popping in and out of lessons to chase students for permission slips or to hand out visit letters. Parents and carers may have signed permission letters for trips and other careers activities. We thank all teachers, parents and carers for their support with this and as a result, the Careers Team have engaged just under 1000 students in careers activities since the start of term!

What have the students been up to I hear you ask? From participating in the Lord Mayor’s Show with Barclays, sound mixing with the Madison Square Garden Company, to listening to ex Olympian Colin Jackson CBE talking about the hurdles in his career to name but a few, it has been both an inspirational and eventful term.

We at Lister are fortunate to have a Careers Team focused on preparing our students to make informed decisions and aspire to reach their goals through activities and events. We had our most successful Year 11 Options Day to date with over 37 organisations attending the afternoon fair and 14 supporting the carousel.

Careers Education as you may have known it being just an interview in Year 11 no longer exists. Neither is it just the responsibility of one person to deliver as it now encompasses a wider school approach both inside and outside the classroom to be effective.

Often when teachers ask a few follow on questions such as ‘what skills do you think you have used?’ when a student is presenting in front of the class for example, or ‘what careers do you think relate to this subject?’, this can encourage students to think about their futures and consider different career families. Equally, we appreciate parents and carers asking the students about the trips or workshops they have attended and how it has helped them reflect on their career choices.

Staff are encouraged to visit the careers office is located in the East block and speak to the team if they wanted further information about what we are doing at Lister or for regular updates, follow the @ListerCareers Twitter handle.

We look forward to all the exciting opportunities awaiting the students in the Spring term!

—

Nazmin Begum

CEIAG and Extended Services Officer

Your wellbeing 5-a-day

3rd December 2018Mr T Gava

Our wellbeing – our state-of-mind and our feelings – are vital to our overall health and to our learning.

We know we should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. But what can we do for our wellbeing?

There are a few simple things that we can fit easily into every day, whatever we’re doing and whoever we are, that will make a big difference to how we feel about ourselves, our relationships and the rest of the world!

Here they are:

Connect: a problem shared is a problem halved! Talking to a friend often makes the problem seem less daunting.
Be active: as well as keeping us physically healthy, exercise helps us concentrate, feel and look better, and sleep better.
Give: helping others is proven to activate the reward centre of the brain, reduce stress levels and even help us live longer!
Keep Learning: learning something new can change our perspective and build confidence.
Take Notice:slowing down and noticing what’s around us makes us feel more relaxed and puts things into perspective.

What could you try today?

If a student would like to talk to someone about a worry or anything else, they can speak to their Tutor, Pastoral Manager or Anti-bullying Ambassador, make an appointment with Place2Be (via the House) or use the online anonymous counselling service Kooth.com.

Elizabeth Denton

Library Blog – part 2

21st November 2018Mr T Gava

“Harry — I think I’ve just understood something! I’ve got to go to the library!”
And she sprinted away, up the stairs.
“What does she understand?” said Harry distractedly, still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from.
“Loads more than I do,” said Ron, shaking his head.
“But why’s she got to go to the library?”
“Because that’s what Hermione does,” said Ron, shrugging. “When in doubt, go to the library.”

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In our last post we told you about the physical treasures housed in Lister Library, but there is much more to your school library than first meets the eye. Last year we upgraded our library catalogue to AccessIt and we are delighted with the functionality that this system brings. One of the best things about AccessIt is that staff and students are easily able to view and search the catalogue; simply select the AccessIt app on the Lister Website. Don’t miss the Quicklists we have produced for different curriculum topics and special events, and keep checking back as we are consistently adding to this selection. The ‘One Search’ facility means that you can easily expand searches to other resources like Newham Libraries, The Churchill Archive and The Day news website. Additionally, we have pinned an abundance of research tips and links to our homepage.

During their library lessons we teach year 7, 8 and 9 students to use AccessIt. This has become much easier this year with the introduction of our shiny, new Chromebooks. This equipment is available for students to use in the library before and after school and during break times. We will also put them to good use when we undertake our series of research skills sessions. All students participate in these during their library lessons in year 7, 8 and 9. We teach them how to evaluate sources using the following criteria: Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose. In the face of Fake News it is so important that we are all developing these skills. The tasks we do are engaging and linked to the subjects the students are studying in English. The research principles we teach can be found in the student planners on pages 85-86 and we encourage these to be implemented in all subjects.

Next term the Library team is excited to be managing the new Learning Hub. Our job as librarians is to bring Lister’s wealth of physical and digital resources to life. As qualified librarians we have the skills and knowledge to help students and staff find the information they need from reliable resources. As Neil Gaiman once said: “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.” We are looking forward to enriching the Learning Hub experience by pointing staff and students towards relevant books, periodicals and online resources. The approach by many of our students seeking to answer questions is simply to ‘google it’. We know that more targeted searching and deeper analysing of sources is crucial in sifting through the deluge of information in this digital age.

We hope these blogs have provided a taste of what we do in Lister Library. Whether you be staff or student, do make sure you visit us to find out how we can assist your studies, research and reading for pleasure. And of course keep a look-out for exciting events hosted by us, like Lister Literary Festival and World Book Day celebrations.

Ms Welton

EAL at Lister

5th November 2018Mr T Gava

Imagine a typical year eleven lesson on a cold winter’s day. The pressure of the looming GCSE exams, the wistful dreams of being nestled in bed instead of memorising quotes in the gloomy confines of a chilly classroom amid heartbreaking protestations of ‘It’s cold’, ‘It’s raining’, and ‘I’m sick’… It’s enough to make any teacher want to stand up and declare, “You all need to pull your socks up. I don’t care if it’s raining cats and dogs out there, those exams are still coming!” These words can probably never be said in an EAL classroom or to an EAL student without further questioning about the wellbeing of the cats and dogs.

No matter how neglectful one in a million students can sometimes unfortunately be, the type of language we use to help them can be dangerously close to being the exact opposite of helpful. ‘Pull your socks up’, for example, can lead to a rather quizzical look down at the socks in question, followed by a confused ‘Ce este în neregulă cu șosetele mele?’ – ‘What’s wrong with my socks?’ in Romanian (true story). Clarity, therefore, is absolutely key. Waffling (no matter how much we all love a good soliloquy) is not the way forward, especially with EAL students.

The general feedback from students who are learning English as an Additional Language is that the best lessons are almost always the ones that are the simplest, with clear instructions, short explanations and a close eye on the individuals who might need an extra helping hand. Sprinkling in some complex language, as much as we adore broadening the lexicon of our appreciative young people, can sometimes be more of a hindrance than we think, especially if they’ve never heard the word before. However, using a genius G9 term and explaining it at a beginner’s level to make the word accessible for all goes a long way in teaching our EAL students, as well as the rest of the class, a wide range of vocabulary. In fact, they are also much more likely to use it in their speech, seeing it as part of their language, as well as in a written exam for a very specific purpose.

The EAL Department at Lister has existed for many years, and has grown and developed over these years for the better. Support within lessons has been tried and tested, dictionary provisions have been successes and – well, losses. Over time, Lister has encouraged in its EAL students a resilience that has been demonstrated by the department itself, proving by its very existence that determination is a real factor in attaining success. Withdrawals, EAL classes as well as Clubs and Reading Groups are some of the ways students are supported. Many schools are not fortunate enough to have these provisions in place, and having heard of the challenges faced by stretched teams of LSAs, TAs or even teachers, it is clear that Lister’s approach to EAL is exceptional – being a safe space, putting students’ needs first and supporting everyone in making all lessons EAL-friendly.

Ms Khan

EAL Co-ordinator

With special thanks to the EAL Lunch Club attendees for their contributions and valued opinions: Laura Paulet, Mariana and Alina Bacris, Ana Odir, Raluca Granada and Narcisa Stoica.

For more information on EAL at Lister, please email Ms Khan (hazira.khan@lister.newham.sch.uk).

Library

4th October 2018Mr T Gava

Albert Einstein once said that “The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library”. If one of the greatest minds in history thought this, then to these words we must pay heed. Whether you are new or old, student or staff member, make sure you visit Lister Library to discover the treasure within your reach.

Our most obvious treasure is to be found in our book collection for within the covers lie thousands of worlds, dreams, cultures, voices, histories and much more. We have over 10,000 books in Lister Library and we are constantly adding to this. We are, of course, in possession of a vast Young Adult fiction collection but we also have a large selection of Adult fiction as well as graphic novels, plays, poetry, easy readers and short stories. Over one hundred books are available to loan as class sets for use in tutor times. Our non-fiction collection is similarly substantial with an Advanced section to challenge able readers and provide inspiration for further study. Visit the library regularly to view our frequently changing displays – currently, we have ones for new books, classics, Black History Month and World Mental Health Day. Not sure what to read next? We are always happy to recommend something – talking about books is a favourite pastime of librarians!

We spend much of our time leading library lessons with year 7, 8 and 9. Each class visits us once a fortnight and we use the lesson to monitor their reading, help them choose new books, provide the opportunity to take Accelerated Reader quizzes on the books they have finished and read and discuss a news article. We get to know the students and their reading habits really well and are always trying to encourage them to aim high through reading books that provide a challenge, but that they will also enjoy. So what books are popular at Lister? Well, Alex Wheatle’s books barely touch the shelves they are loaned so frequently; copies of Alex Rider books can be seen in the hands of many of our students and a surprising amount of pupils always seek out something in the horror genre.

Whilst research has proven reading for pleasure is hugely beneficial in so many ways, not least for academic attainment and mental health, we know that many students find it hard to see the ‘pleasure’ element of reading. That is why we are passionate about uniting students with books that really interest them, about characters to whom they can relate. We are building a reading culture in the school, not only through enforcing 20 minutes of reading homework every day and supporting DEAR, but also through events like World Book Day and schemes like Bookbuzz. We also take top Accelerated Reader achievers on a trip each term to places like The National Gallery, Museum of London and The British Library and we have a team of Library Prefects who assist us at break and lunch times.

Hopefully, this post has given you a taste of what Lister Library has to offer. Next time we will share more about how we support the research needs of our staff and student community. Until then, keep reading and remember that the “The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library”.

Hannah Rowe

(Deputy Librarian)