Somme Battlefield Trip 2008

On Sunday 16th March 2008 students and staff will travel to the Somme Battlefields with visits to British/Commonwealth and German cemeteries, Lochnagar crater (the biggest hole left on the Western Front) a preserved battlefield and the Thiepval memorial to the 70,000 who died on the Somme and then finally to Ypres for some frites, chocolate shops and the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial.

Travel by coach departing at 04.45am and returning 23.45pm - cost £35

Further information available from Mr D Pitcher

Year 9 Science visit to Paris

44 Year 9 students and Hove Park staff will travel to Paris by coach between 23rd and 26th June 2008 for a visit to La Villette City of Science offering the chance to see a wide variety of exhibits related to the new GCSE 21st Century Science curriculum and the newly developed Planetarium. To add to the excitement, students will also make a visit to Disneyland Paris!

Further information available from Mr Fernandes - Interim Head of Science

Year 8 PE visit to Narbonne

95 Year 8 students plus Hove Park staff will be travelling to Narbonne in the South of France for a week of activities and adventure staying at an Acorn camping village between 30th May and 7th June 2008. Students will develop their self-confidence and teamwork skills by taking part in challenging activities such as abseiling, swimming, fencing, catamaran sailing, snorkelling, high ropes, kayaking, dinghy sailing, banana boat and climbing.
Further information available from Miss Vermeer, KS3 PE Visits Co-ordinator

Italian Exchange - Sicily

After being in contact with a very hospitable Italian school, we are excited to offer students from Years 8, 9 & 10 the wonderful opportunity of an exchange visit to the beautiful island of Sicily where they will take part in an amazing week of planned activities.

We are linking with a School in Trapani, north western Sicily.

Hove Park will visit Sicily between the 8th and 15th of March 2008. The Italian party will return here for one week during 19th and 26th of May.

The trip will include:

• Return flight between Stansted and Palermo
• Return minibus transfers between Hove Park School & Stansted Airport
• Insurance
• Host families to provide meals
• Visit to Trapani City
• Guided tour by cable car of the Medieval town of Erice
• Guided tour of Marsala , island of Mothya, an ancient punic city
• Tour of Greek temple of Segesta

For further information please download the invitation letter.

Chinese celebrations

Fancy being called a rat? Well, any baby born this year will be – it’s Chinese Year of the Rat! To celebrate the Chinese New Year and to welcome Yimin Shi from Beijing, our Languages Team hosted our very own Chinese Day on 1st February. Yimin, who joined us in October courtesy of the British Council Chinese assistants programme, is teaching Chinese Mandarin to every Year 7 class once a week throughout the Spring Term. The Chinese Centre of Brighton and Hove sent us 14 tutors who lead a carousel of cross-curricular activities for our Year 7 students.

From Chinese singing & dancing to martial arts, calligraphy, using chopsticks and discovering Chinese history & culture, the day was an exciting, eye - opening learning experience! Hove Park says Xie-xie (thank you) to Yimin Shi, The Chinese Centre and Miss Bailey for all their hard work in organising this outstanding event.

South Korean delegates

If you thought school was hard work think again! Imagine going to school until you are 18 years old and starting at 6a.m! It’s well known that South Korean schools get some of the best results in the world (In a recent major international study they came top out of 57 countries for reading). With this in mind the British Council have recently been investigating why and if they can apply some of South Korean principles to British Schools to further our own success’.

As part of this investigation the British Council chose Hove Park to host 2 teachers and 4 students from Gungnae Middle School near Seoul for a week this term. The Korean ambassadors were tasked to experience traditional British culture including attending lessons, cooking traditional meals (the good old roast and high tea!) and absorbing Brighton and Hove life. These experiences will form a report to be used by the British Council.

As a school Hove Park has used this experience to highlight cultural differences to our students and will now forge new links with Gungnae including possible video conferencing, student and teacher exchanges and joint projects. Thanks must go to Mrs Golding for co-ordinating the visit, the Korean delegates and all the host families.