USH Newsletters

20th May 2016

  • Message from Miss Williams

    Shakespeare tells us that ‘All the world’s a stage’ and it has absolutely felt that way in the USH English department this week.

    On Tuesday we were treated to a fabulous display of shoebox theatre devised by our Year 7 pupils around the theme of Elizabethan England. The evening was indeed declared “a triumph” by Mr Woods. (Please see the article and additional photographs in a feature below.)

    On Thursday meanwhile, 40 Year 11 students attended a performance of Arthur Miller’s ‘A View from the Bridge’. The play, directed by the visionary Ivo van Hove, won three Olivier Awards and was aptly timed 11 days before the text would appear in their GCSE English Literature paper.  The experience has certainly brought the text to life for our students and built their skills of empathising with the struggles of the protagonists.

    Good luck to one and all with Monday’s exam; we only hope you go out there and give it your best shot!

    Clare Williams
    Assistant Headteacher

  • Year 7 Shoebox Theatre Project

    In English this term Year 7 have been studying Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.  We spent some time at the beginning of the unit studying what life was like in Elizabethan England so that students could understand what Shakespeare’s experiences would have been at the time of writing the play.  Students were set a homework project to create a shoebox theatre depicting one aspect of Elizabethan life.  We received many fantastic pieces of work and the students should be very proud of the amount of effort they put into their shoebox theatres.  On Tuesday 10th May, we held an exhibition of everyone’s work and invited parents and teachers to come and share in their success.  Each visitor was given a sticker to vote for the shoebox theatre that they thought was the best in each class.  The following students were awarded the parent and teacher award for their outstanding shoebox:

    7C – Thomas Goldstraw
    7G – Weronika Leszek
    7I – Finbar Harvey-O’Keefe
    7O – Jonny Blunt
    7T – Elizabeth Russell
    7U – Oli Cook

    Mr Woods gave a special Headteacher's commendation to:

    Jonny Blunt
    Elizabeth Russell
    Jack Stevens
    Zuzanna Kolodziej
    Ruby Hook
    Chloe Tsao

    Congratulations to these students!  We also held voting within each class and further certificates will be given out in lessons in due course for the following categories: most eye-catching, most informative, most creative, and most likely to be bought in a shop.

    We would like to thank all of Year 7 for their efforts and the outstanding work that has been produced, you should be very proud of yourselves!

    Miss Hayward

  • Ellie The Zebra

    Ellie the Zebra will be exhibited alongside the other Zebras in Southampton during the summer as part of the Marwell Zoo Zany Zebras Project.

  • Southampton Schools Swimming Gala

    USH attended the Southampton Schools Swimming Gala on 28th April at The Quays and the results are as follows:

    Overall Boys and Girls: Third Place
    Overall Boys: Third Place
    Overall Girls: Fourth Place

    Well done to all involved who gave up their time for a fantastic collective team performance.

    Miss Marks

  • More Swimming Success for Isabella!

    Isabella Fraser Corbridge swam at the South East Regional Swimming Championships last weekend.  She won a bronze medal in the 200m Butterfly and hopes that her time may qualify her for the English Nationals in August.  The qualifiers will be announced in June.

    Well done Isabella, we are all really proud of your achievements and good luck with the qualification!

  • Message for Current Year 7 Parents, re: Paris Trip

    Thank you to everyone who has paid the next instalment of £150, this was due last Friday and places are at risk if this hasn’t been done.  If there are any issues, it is vital you get in touch with me straight away.

    There will be a Parent Information Evening on Tuesday 24th May at 6pm in the hall.  If you are unable to attend, please get in touch and I will send you the relevant information.

    Many thanks

    Mr Perry 

    Martin.Perry@ushschool.org


  • Basketball at the O2

    On Sunday May 8th, Mr Wallace and I took a group of 12 students to the O2 to watch the final game of the British Basketball Season at the O2 in London.  It was the grand finale of the season and the last opportunity for the teams to win some silverware.  Leicester City Football Club are not the only sporting club in their city winning accolades: Leicester Riders Basketball Club were going for a treble having already won the League Cup and been crowned champions in the regular season.  However, Sheffield Sharks stood in their way and despite the lead changing continuously, being tied at many points, Sheffield triumphed, winning 84-77.  We were treated to dunks, blocks and many three pointers from both sides and it was a fantastic game of basketball.

    It was a pleasure taking the students from USH - they were a credit to themselves and the school and I am looking forward to next year!

    Mr Hield

  • JET STAFF AND PARENT CHOIR

    WE NEED YOU!!!

    All schools in the Jefferys Education Trust will be collaborating, once again, to stage the 2016 JET PROM at 7.00 pm. on Wednesday 15th June at Central Hall.

    The event will be featuring the Jet Staff and Parent choir which you are invited to join. No previous experience is necessary and we welcome mums, dads, grandparents, ex-students, teaching staff, office staff....everyone! Join in the fun, raise your spirits and help to bring our JET community together.

    Rehearsals will take place in the music department of Upper Shirley High School on the following dates.

    We would like you to ideally attend three of the rehearsals including the final practice.

    MONDAY 23RD MAY  5.00-6.30pm
    THURSDAY 26TH MAY  5.00-6.30pm
    MONDAY 6TH JUNE  5.00-6.30pm
    THURSDAY 9TH JUNE  5.00-6.30pm
    FINAL PRACTICE MONDAY 13TH JUNE  5.00-6.30pm
    PERFORMANCE WEDNESDAY 15TH JUNE  7.00 - 9.15pm

    Please note, for those with child-care issues, children are welcome to come along to rehearsals, ideally with something to do quietly by themselves.


  • Earth Day

    Earth Day - 22nd April - was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.  

    As part of the JET Trust, Upper Shirley High’s Science Department and some willing Year 10s hosted 100 year 5’s from Hollybrook and Wordsworth schools. Year 5s were taken on a tour of the school by Liz Cartwright, Alice Orr, Lucy Spencer, Kamil Balin, Si Tamikevicius and Kayleigh Betteridge who arranged and organised the tour themselves, year 5s were able to see the whole school including some lessons including catering, design and technology and ICT.

    Year 5s were then treated to a classroom experience where they made colourful rainbows using acid and alkali reactions. Ola Leszek, Carina Janning, Aiden Cunningham, Alex Davis, Alice Parsons and Katherine Brocklesby were very helpful lab assistants, showing Year 5s how to use universal indicator, how to recognise an acid and an alkali and testing common household items.

    The last part of the hour was a science magic show hosted by Ryan Wilkinson, Justin Basham, Oliwia Kowalik, Flo Stone, Molly Robinson, Imogen Reynolds and Parmjeet Taak. The show was fantastic, with bangs, fire, smoke and explosions. The Year 10s were interactive and explained all their demonstrations with excitement and scientific interest, the Year 5s were very enthusiastic. We can’t wait to meet them as Year 7s in 2017.

    A scientific success!

  • Summer Term Medical Reminder

    Now that the Summer Term is upon us and the pollen count increases, please can you ensure that your child has their antihistamine medication before coming to school.  Also. with the Athletics Season under way, all asthmatics should carry their own inhalers.  Please can you also ensure that your child has a bottle of water and some sun block and a hat in their bags.

    Thank you.

    Mrs Kelly