Posted on: 9/07/2024Community, Creativity, CultureWe have been delighted to participate in this year’s Alton Arts Festival, a 10-day, multi-venue, multi-disciplinary arts festival in Alton. As a not-for-profit enterprise, the aim has been to celebrate the arts, community, and creativity which has provided our students with some fabulous opportunities and new experiences. Our thanks to all of the organising committee for a fabulous festival! As part of the festival a group of Year 8 students were invited to participate in a series of silversmithing workshops run by Meon Valley Studios. The sessions had been arranged in conjunction with the Alton Arts Festival and the workshops had been funded by 'The Goldsmiths Centre’ which included the cost of silver, so that there was no cost for our students to participate. During the workshops, the students learnt how to make and personalise a silver ring. This included punching a name into it, bending the silver using a ring mandrel and mallet and then sawing the ends off using a piercing saw to cut the shape. They then used a small blow torch to solder the ring closed before filing and polishing the silver. All the students had an amazing time and were so grateful to have been given this opportunity. Their completed pieces looked incredible and were so professional. A huge thank you goes to Olivia at Meon Valley Studios for arranging these sessions. View Article
Posted on: 26/04/2023London Mini MarathonOn Saturday 22 April, 45 Amery Hill School students from Years 7 to 11 travelled to London to compete in the TCS London Mini Marathon, a 2.6km race for school aged students, which took place the day before the full London Marathon. It was an early start, leaving school at 7am, but the excitement steadily built on the way to St James’s Park where students had final drinks and warmed up. The event took place on a closed, secure route with stewards and a dedicated welfare team on the course to make sure all runners had a safe and enjoyable experience. Waves of approximately 250 runners set off at five-minute intervals with students following a fantastic route that started at Horse Guards Parade and went past St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace and Green Park before experiencing the thrill of crossing the world-famous finish line on The Mall. All of the runners received finishers medals and were exhausted but very, very happy! Speaking about the event, Head of PE, Mrs Naomi Jackson, commented, “We have a very enthusiastic and talented group of runners at Amery Hill School and they had an incredible day in London. Experiencing an event on this scale, with thousands of young runners participating, was fantastic for our students.”View Article
Posted on: 17/12/2024Festive Fun!The Amery Hill Christmas Fayre took place this week with every student having an opportunity to attend with their year group friends during the school day. Completely organised and co-ordinated by the Student Parliament, with guidance from Mr Severs, the Main Hall was transformed into a festive fayre for everyone to enjoy! With home bakes, tombola stalls, karaoke, face painting, hand-made eco decorations, games and much, much more, the Events and Charity Committee, supported by the Community Committee, pulled off a fabulous day of fundraising, with the emphasis on festive fun! The origins of the Fayre go back to 2021 when the Student Parliament set themselves an aim to improve the sense of community at Amery Hill School, while at the same time, reaching out to support local charities and forge relationships with local businesses. They have certainly achieved that this week and in spectacular style! Our thanks to the many businesses who supported the event with incredibly generous prize donations. This year the majority of the money raised from the Fayre will be donated to the Salvation Army, with a small portion going towards funding the drama production of Grease. Last year the Appeal distributed more than 84,000 gifts and this year, the number of families requesting help is expected to rise yet further as a result of the cost of living crisis. Operating in over 650 communities across the UK, the Salvation Army provides support to those who are facing poverty, for struggling families and for older people in our communities seeking companionship. They provide food parcels to families and toys to children whose parents are unable to afford presents. Our students have again done us proud and reminded us how compassionate they are. A massive well done to everyone involved, and in particular our Events and Charity and Community Committees who have been busy for months to ensure the Fayre was a wonderful and successful event. View Article
Posted on: 20/03/2024On the Lava Trail - Sicily 2024The 2024 trip to Sicily was an action-packed event for 47 intrepid GCSE Geographers this year, with an itinerary taking in all the best bits of a visit to the Italian island. The first day, of two, included a tour of the Cyclops Riviera in the east of Sicily where students could marvel at the coastal stacks created from ancient lava flows and the black volcanic rock, followed by a short coach ride to the town of Taormina. The Greek/Roman amphitheatre here is steeped in history and with Mount Etna as a backdrop, could not be better placed. The evening meal, after some shopping opportunities, was at a traditional Italian pizza restaurant where all the students made their own pizza! Day two started with what, for many students, was the trip highlight – river trekking. Following the course of a river flowing directly from Etna itself, the cold water and the requirement to jump off four waterfalls presented a great challenge to the students. The highest jump was from a waterfall six metres high! Fortunately, wetsuits and helmets were provided. The afternoon’s journey up Mount Etna via cable car was exciting as the air temperature started to drop. Unfortunately, the cloud cover and weather conditions were too poor to proceed to the summit, however, students marvelled at the barren moon like conditions. And incredible scenery. Overall, it was an amazing trip enjoyed by all! View Article
Posted on: 20/03/2024On the Lava Trail - Sicily 2024The 2024 trip to Sicily was an action-packed event for 47 intrepid GCSE Geographers this year, with an itinerary taking in all the best bits of a visit to the Italian island. The first day, of two, included a tour of the Cyclops Riviera in the east of Sicily where students could marvel at the coastal stacks created from ancient lava flows and the black volcanic rock, followed by a short coach ride to the town of Taormina. The Greek/Roman amphitheatre here is steeped in history and with Mount Etna as a backdrop, could not be better placed. The evening meal, after some shopping opportunities, was at a traditional Italian pizza restaurant where all the students made their own pizza! Day two started with what, for many students, was the trip highlight – river trekking. Following the course of a river flowing directly from Etna itself, the cold water and the requirement to jump off four waterfalls presented a great challenge to the students. The highest jump was from a waterfall six metres high! Fortunately, wetsuits and helmets were provided. The afternoon’s journey up Mount Etna via cable car was exciting as the air temperature started to drop. Unfortunately, the cloud cover and weather conditions were too poor to proceed to the summit, however, students marvelled at the barren moon like conditions. And incredible scenery. Overall, it was an amazing trip enjoyed by all! View Article
Posted on: 17/12/2024Festive Fun!The Amery Hill Christmas Fayre took place this week with every student having an opportunity to attend with their year group friends during the school day. Completely organised and co-ordinated by the Student Parliament, with guidance from Mr Severs, the Main Hall was transformed into a festive fayre for everyone to enjoy! With home bakes, tombola stalls, karaoke, face painting, hand-made eco decorations, games and much, much more, the Events and Charity Committee, supported by the Community Committee, pulled off a fabulous day of fundraising, with the emphasis on festive fun! The origins of the Fayre go back to 2021 when the Student Parliament set themselves an aim to improve the sense of community at Amery Hill School, while at the same time, reaching out to support local charities and forge relationships with local businesses. They have certainly achieved that this week and in spectacular style! Our thanks to the many businesses who supported the event with incredibly generous prize donations. This year the majority of the money raised from the Fayre will be donated to the Salvation Army, with a small portion going towards funding the drama production of Grease. Last year the Appeal distributed more than 84,000 gifts and this year, the number of families requesting help is expected to rise yet further as a result of the cost of living crisis. Operating in over 650 communities across the UK, the Salvation Army provides support to those who are facing poverty, for struggling families and for older people in our communities seeking companionship. They provide food parcels to families and toys to children whose parents are unable to afford presents. Our students have again done us proud and reminded us how compassionate they are. A massive well done to everyone involved, and in particular our Events and Charity and Community Committees who have been busy for months to ensure the Fayre was a wonderful and successful event. View Article
