FOCUS

Half-Term Newsletter

Issue 2 - December 2003

The end of the longest term of the school year approaches and whilst long in weeks it does seem to have flown by. There have been innumerable events and activities, many of which you can read about elsewhere in Focus. I'd like to congratulate all the boys and staff who have played their part in these sporting, artistic, dramatic and musical events.

Year 11 have just completed their Mock Examinations and, as they receive their results, I hope they see where they need to focus their efforts in the coming months to ensure that they achieve the best results possible in their GCSEs. The date of the Choices Evening for any Year 11 looking to join the Sixth Form has been changed to Wednesday 28 January 2004. This is the same date as the evening at Dover Grammar School for Girls and will allow boys and their parents to visit the girl's school if they are interested in subjects taught there. Further details will be sent to Year 11 parents early in the New Year.

We say goodbye to Mr Johnson, Mr Greenwood and Mrs Ash this term. My thanks to them for the contributions they have made to the school. Special thanks from me to Mrs Barbara Hall, who came to us for a term as Deputy Head. Mrs Hall agreed to do this at very short notice and she has been a wonderful support to me and I will miss her very much. Mr Rogers leaves us after 17 years as our Senior Science Technician - we wish him a long and happy retirement. I am sure everyone will join with me in wishing these colleagues well.

Finally, on behalf of all at the school, I would like to wish you and your families a happy Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Mrs Julia M Bell
Headteacher

ACHIEVEMENTS, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS.

Schools Mace Debating Competition
Congratulations and thanks are due to Alex Libby and Tom A Smith of Year 13, who represented the school at the first round of the Schools Mace Debating Competition held at Simon Langton Girls' School on 13 November. They put up a good case opposing the legalisation of cannabis against the King's School Canterbury, but were unfortunately not strong enough to be selected to go through to the next round. We hope that next year more sixth form students would like to take part in debating, since the skills involved are invaluable in many areas outside the academic.
Mr MG Thomas
Head of Upper School

Winner of Art Competition for Year 7 Pupils in Kent Schools
The 'Safe Travel to School Awards' poster design contest has, for the second successive year, been won by one of our pupils. Harry Gambrell of 7 Port has repeated the achievement of Ben Hindle, who won this competition last year - its inaugural year.

Work by 30 finalists from around Kent was exhibited in County Hall, Maidstone and judged by members of The Passenger Transport Unit and voted for by members of the public.

Our finalists were:
Lorcan Wolujewicz, Joshua Coughlan, Perry Desouza, Jake Huskinson, Anthony Gray, Alasdair Grogan?Jarvis, Matthew Cosier, Sam Fogarty, Kris Welburn, Conor Falluto, Jake Cowens, Robert Harnett, Ashley Brannan and Harry Gambrell, the 1st prize winner.
Harry's work is to be used in the campaign's publicity material.

Congratulations to Harry and well done to all our participants for producing such high?quality work.
Mr SM Almond
Subject Leader for Art and Design

Cinema Tickets
Congratulations to Lewis Hook of 8 Priory, who has won Mrs Bell's special monthly prize of cinema tickets for his contribution to the school with his excellent portfolio of English work.

Jeans for Genes Day
On Friday 17 October the school took part in the national fundraising event, Jeans for Genes Day. As you may be aware, this is an event that raises money for a number of charities linked to genetic disorders and conditions, and the money raised goes towards research and treatment.

Every member of the school that wished to participate paid £1 and wore jeans for that day. As well as this there were a number of other events that took place. On the actual day there was a special assembly promoting the day and I would like to thank Mr Nugus, Mrs Lloyd, Miss Dawson and Dr Cruttenden for appearing in the assembly and setting the day off to a great start. There were also sponsored silences and other sponsorships going on through the day.

A special thanks also to Mrs Lloyd, she is very involved in this area and has arranged the day this year as in previous years. Mrs Lloyd is also a keen artist and she produced ten paintings on the subject of DNA and genetics and these were auctioned. The paintings raised in excess of £35, a big thank you to everyone who bought one.

The final total for the day has now been calculated and the money sent to the charity. The total raised was £761.15, which was a superb effort.

I would like to pass my thanks to Mrs Lloyd who made the day possible, the other members of staff who helped in organising the day and collecting the money and everyone who donated money however much it was. Thank you to you all.

I am looking forward to the event next year and raising even more money than we have this year. With support of the whole school this can easily be achieved.
Steven King
12 AC

Simon Garlinge
Congratulations go to Simon Garlinge of 9 Channel, who was a finalist in the National 2003 Young Pavement Artist of the Year competition. Simon's work was exhibited at the Tate Britain gallery and the competition was in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

Paul Witty
The Senior Tutor of Balliol College/University of Oxford has informed us that former pupil of our school, Paul Witty, has been awarded a 'Jervis-Smith Scholarship' in recognition of having adapted extremely successfully to the challenges of academic life at Oxford.

HISTORY

The History Forum has been debating the key issues surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy. The findings of Daniel Robinson (9 Castle), Daniel Knox and Michael Schlamm (both of 10 Priory) can be read below.

As it was recently the fortieth anniversary of the assassination, the questions set on the History Puzzle Board pertained to the events in Dallas on 22 November 1963. With a little help of a text message from Mrs Robinson, Daniel Robinson of 9 Castle has won himself a CD?ROM as part of November's history prize. I would like to thank Daniel for helping to produce a display on the assassination, which can be seen at the entrance to the school.

Jonathan Fullarton and Alex Libby of Year 13 completed the 'Lessons from Auschwitz' course and you can read their reflections below. As part of the course, Jonathan and Alex participated in a day trip to Auschwitz in Southern Poland. Along with the rest of the Year 13 History Group Jonathan and Alex will help produce an assembly for Holocaust Memorial Day in January.
Mr Jonathan Gaskell
Head of History Department

JFK Conspiracy - By Daniel Robinson of 9 Castle
NO murders in history have been subject to such minute analysis as those of U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his presumed 'lone assassin' Lee Harvey Oswald. Conspiracy theories abound - but I personally believed that Oswald was a lone hunter of fascists, not part of some sort of elaborate conspiracy, but I must argue for a conspiracy rather than my preferred theory. 'For America is not a country where secrets stay secret for long'.

First, some background information on JFK. JFK was the first Catholic President of the United States - he was also the youngest. He was put into presidency at a tender time with all that was happening; yet he confronted all. For instance: Racial Tension, Civil Rights Movement and the Cuban Missile Crisis. But the knife-edge that was between World War 3 and peace with the USSR and the infamous Fidel Castro, the rebellious dictator who worked a little like the modern Saddam Hussein.

John Kennedy married fashion icon Jackie, who later married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968.

JFK was a strong supporter of the American Space Programme; his goal of land a man on the moon later achieved in 1969.

Unanswered questions and inconsistent evidence about Kennedy's murder have led to speculation that Oswald may have been 'framed' or was not the sole killer. Most claim to be able to remember what they were doing on 22 November 1963 when they heard the news.

Most Americans believe there to have been a conspiracy but this has been stamped on the minds of subsequent generations by such flagrant misrepresentations as Oliver Stone's film JFK, which even received congressional endorsement, pictured on an elaborate conspiracy theory. But other evidence supporting the conspiracy is: In 1976 a U.S. Senate committee decided that at least one other gunman must have fired at the President. In 1979 the Assassination Committee of the House of Representatives concluded that Kennedy must have been the victim of a conspiracy.

Physical Evidence of a conspiracy:
For a start, the layout of the Dealey Plaza as the motorcade drove along away from the school Book Depository, which was where Oswald has been placed. Three shots were fired, the first was said to have missed, but Oswald was a marine sharp shooter. Did he take the first shot? 'The second', nicknamed the magic bullet went into the back of the President's neck then struck the Texas Governor John Connolly but to do this the bullet must first turn right on leaving the President's throat then go left and right again and strike John Connolly, so hence there must have been at least one other gunman. The third shot, which conspirators said was shot from the grass knoll struck the President in the side of the head and he slumped backwards dying as the motorcade accelerated to the Parkland Hospital where JFK died. So for JFK's head to go back and left as it did, surely he was shot from the side, from the grassy knoll not from behind in the Depository. Also the gun also discovered with Oswald's finger prints on it was an old Italian mail order rifle that could not have been fired the three times said in the eight seconds given.

But was it Castro, as he was threatened by JFK or the FBI or American Government - after all this is the government that lied to their people by saying they had no intention of attacking Cuba, but did and failed. They also had the motorcade washed as to disregard all forensic evidence.

Oswald was then shot in the Dallas police station basement by Jack Ruby, a loner and nightclub/strip club owner. He must have been part of the conspiracy sent to silence the killer that was caught. I hope you understand what I have said. The fact is that is still an unsolved crime and murder.

Solo Assassin - by Daniel Knox and Michael Schlamm of 10 Priory
On 22 November 1963, when he was hardly past his first thousand days in office, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was killed by an assassin's bullets as his motorcade wound through Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was the youngest man elected President; he was the youngest to die.

Within a few hours of the shooting, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald and charged him with the murder. We believe that Oswald committed the murder.

On 24 November, another man, Jack Ruby, shot and killed Oswald, thus silencing the only person who could have offered more information about this tragic event. Therefore, our case can only be backed up by other pieces of evidence instead of any evidence, which could have been gained by a trial.

It's in almost every conspiracy book: the claim that Oswald could not possibly have gotten off the shots in the necessary time (6 seconds). Does this show that there was more than one person in the assassination? The answer is no. Oswald had returned a few months earlier from the Soviet Union where he had spent nearly four years after a discharge from the US Marine Corps. This meant Oswald had the skill to fire the rifle quickly and accurately.

You may have seen the documentary on Channel 2 a little while ago. This programme was shown on the anniversary of the assassination. In this documentary new evidence was shown. In this evidence, new technology was used to calculate where the bullet shots that killed JFK came from. The evidence found showed that all the shots came from one location (proving that it could only have been one person). But most importantly it showed where the shots came from - the sixth floor of the Texas schoolbook depository, where Oswald happened to be working. Also the rifle that the bullet was fired from was found hidden here.

Witnesses claimed that they saw Oswald leaving the building a few minutes after the assassination and then shot a policeman who came over to investigate. In conclusion of all this evidence we believe that Oswald clearly must have been the assassin of JFK and that this wasn't a conspiracy.

Year 13 Trip to Auschwitz by Alex Libby and Jonathan Fullarton
It was a cold Sunday morning and we went to London on the 26 October 2003 to have a pre?visit seminar at Hillel House. Here we had the opportunity to meet a survivor of Auschwitz. Kitty Hart survived 18 months at Auschwitz, this is especially impressive when you learn that the general life expectancy was only 3 months within the camp. The Holocaust Memorial Trust also prepared us for our visit by showing us a video made by Kitty Hart. This showed us what the camp was like and what atrocities happened there. Kitty explained her experiences of the camp and how she survived such a terrible ordeal. It was an eye opening experience and aided our understanding of the Holocaust.

On 4 November we flew to Krakow Airport in Poland. When we arrived at Auschwitz we were hit by how it had been transformed from a camp to a museum. This does allow you to see any items that have been kept, you are reminded that all these items once belonged to a life; shoes, glasses and suitcases have been kept and preserved in some rooms as exhibits. Rooms of hair have been kept as an example of how the Nazis treated the Jews; they had their hair shaven off to humiliate them and to be used as clothing in the home front. That was quite disturbing. Auschwitz -Birkenau is the complete opposite of Auschwitz 1. It has been left the way it originally was. Nothing has been altered and many of the people we went with described it as 'raw'. We got to see the ruins of the destroyed furnaces; this was a really intense experience because it was hard to comprehend that 6 million human lives had been lost in these buildings. We also visited the places where the bodies and ashes were buried. In the evening everyone gathered for a remembrance ceremony with a Rabbi and the Holocaust Trust. At the end of the ceremony everybody lit a candle as a sign of respect. This was very moving looking back and seeing the hundreds of candles by the place where so many lost their lives. To end the visit we walked back along the railroad to the entrance at Birkenau, this was a very solemn moment of the trip and allowed us to reflect on what we had seen, where we had been and what had happened there only 60 years ago.

The lesson of the course was a post seminar visit to the Imperial War Museum. Whilst at the museum we walked around the Holocaust exhibit, this brought a strange feeling as we'd been to one of the camps they were describing and we could say we've been there and returned. At the end of the day the whole group gathered and we discussed what we'd seen and how we felt. The visit to Auschwitz was a moving one and gave us respect for the sanctity of life. It was a worthwhile visit and the Holocaust should be remembered as a lesson to us all, and should never ever be repeated.

SPORTS

FOOTBALL KENT CUPS AND ENGLISH SCHOOLS TROPHIES
 

 Summary:  P 30     W 27       L 3           F 119       A 29        Average score        4-1

KENT CUP PROGRESS

ENGLISH SCHOOLS TROPHY PROGRESS

YEAR 7 REPORT

From a winning start against Dane Court GS - albeit with a team that couldn't keep position the season has gone from strength to strength. Dover deserved to beat Harvey, missed many chances and then gave away 2 silly goals. The Kent Cup run has now seen them reach the Quarter Finals. Recent experimentation with the team is shaping a stronger defence. Hopefully this will allow Captain Dan Young to push up into midfield. This is a team that is improving with each game.

YEAR 8 REPORT

Year 8 have improved enormously from last year and really deserve to be still in the Kent Cup. Dan Allen and Michael Kelly have been promoted into the Year 9 team where they are scoring freely. After posting some really impressive Cup results the team were missing 3 of the best players in Round 3 and went out 4 -3. If this team stays focused next year they should go much, much further. A special mention to trainer S King, who has done a really good job with the team.

YEAR 9 REPORT

This team are once again making a great Cup run. Unfortunately they are probably away to Howard in the Q Final. If they are to lift the Trophy they have got to find a way of scoring against Howard. Maybe the two Year 8 boys will help in this quest. The team still needs to learn to pass earlier if they are to realise their ambitions. Year 9 are also doing really well in the ESFA Trophy and are now into the last 64 of England. John Ellender has deservedly represented the Year 10 team and will continue to do so when the Year 9 Cup run ends.

YEAR 10 REPORT

Once again Year 10, led by Kent U15 Captain Stephen Grant, are in the Q Final. In their half of the draw Dover have missed the North Kent teams and probably will play Borden and Harvey GS before, hopefully reaching the Final. They have the talent and determination to lift this Trophy. It really is in their hands but injuries have dogged several key players in this team of late. Aaron Reed, Stephen Grant, Ben Walker and Sam Gore have also helped out with the U16 team and have now established themselves in the squad.

YEAR 11 REPORT

This has to be one of the most talented teams not to have won a Kent Cup - partly due to their own fault. With several players not making themselves available for the French Cup Quarter Final the team went to Leigh CTC badly depleted. Dover should still have won the tie but luck wasn't with them. In the 2nd Year 11 Cup the team has been selected from the best available Year 11 and Year 10 boys in a last attempt at winning. If this team stays together and takes it seriously they could go all the way. Early Friday nights with a cup of cocoa are needed from now on!

2ND X1 REPORT

Although this team were awarded byes and walkovers they played their Quarter Final with great spirit in awful conditions. A fluke goal scored by the wind finally beat them.

1ST X1 REPORT

This team is trying to lift the Cup to make up for last years disappointing final. So far they look unbeatable in this region and are now in the Kent Cup semi-final next month - probably away to T Wells GS. They have also reached the last 64 of the English Schools Trophy after 4 great rounds. The 15-0 1st Round victory was something special. Robbie Guy has scored many super goals and the defence has been awesome.

RUGBY

U15 REPORT

This team has made giant leaps in form since last April when they narrowly lost their East Kent Final at Manwoods. Although they have lost 3 games - they were actually the better team in all their matches. Their forwards were quite simply, magnificent. Many tries were lost by this team on technical grounds, if these were allowed they would still be rightfully in both Cups. Highlights of the season were the wins against Duke of York's RMS and the thrashing of Maidstone GS - both away. Most of this team play together for Dover and hopefully will go on to win the District trophy this year. If Tony Herbert - selected for Kent this year, and Jacob Perry were injury free the team would surely have scored even more tries. Special mention for Ben Rix, Luke Clark and Joshua McKenzie-Frazer for their stirring and pulsating runs through the opposition forwards.

CROSS COUNTRY