Last week our agriculture students accepted a cheque for £754.95 from Wightlink. The cheque was presented by Martin Gulliver from Wightlink.

The funding was granted following an application Mrs Lloyd, Teacher of Agriculture, submitted as part of Wightlink’s Green Fund for Schools initiative. As part of the application process schools were asked to outline how they would use the funds on an environmental project.

The funding that has been received will be used to add bat boxes, bird boxes, bug boxes and hedgehog houses around the school site. We also plan to purchase a camera, which will be added to one of the nest boxes so students can observe nesting and hatching.

Mrs Lloyd and the agriculture students are now looking forward to moving forward with their project! We will be posting updates so that you can follow the project as it develops.

As part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award program, 44 students at Medina and Carisbrooke recently embarked on a practice day hike for their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze. Despite the cold and wet weather,the students had a great time exploring the natural surroundings and challenging themselves both
mentally and physically.

The day began with students receiving a map and compass to navigate their way through the designated trails. As they set out on their journey, the students were initially apprehensive about the weather conditions. However, the students remained positive and determined to reach their destination. They shared jokes and stories along the way, boosting each other’s morale and creating a sense of camaraderie. One group decided to attach colourful balloons to their bags to lighten a gloomy day. The students were thrilled to see different species of wildlife, which added to the excitement of the adventure as well.

Throughout the hike, the students were encouraged to take turns leading the group and making decisions about the best path to take. This not only developed their navigational skills but also strengthened their communication and teamwork abilities.

Upon completing the hike, the students were proud of their accomplishment. They had not only completed a challenging physical activity but also developed important life skills such as leadership, problem-solving, and perseverance.

In conclusion, the practice day hike was a memorable experience for the students at Medina and Carisbrooke. Despite the weather being cold and wet, the students had great fun exploring the outdoors, developing their skills, and building lasting friendships. We look forward to seeing them take on the challenge of their final expedition for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award at the end of the month.

This year we supported World Book Day on Friday 3 March by reading a five part story at the beginning of each lesson throughout the day.  The chosen text was a short story from the book ‘Being an Ally’, a recommended text for our readers. Students found the story engaging, thought provoking and it led to further conversations between students and with teachers. The book can be purchased with a World Book Day book token from most book stores.

Student reflections

Clyde – I think that it is a good moral to stand up to racism by helping others who need it and by becoming an ally. When they start their own website I think it is inspirational because it shows that by sharing stories we can speak out and not be afraid. It shows us how people can feel when they are belittled and how by helping each other we make each other feel better and supported. 

Erin – It was a good story, it teaches you about not just sitting there, but instead using your voice to speak up for others. It teaches us that racism still exists and it can be subtle but it hasn’t disappeared. 

D – I thought it was interesting to read about something that happens in real life. it wouldn’t be something that I would normally read, as it is not the same genre. You may not hear much about racism, but it is clear that it still exists, and it changes the way I have thought.

Leo – I thought it was very interesting and it is a real life situation that could happen at any time and this makes it relatable. 

Oliver – I thought it was a good short story and it shows that a few words can make a big difference to a situation. 

Deacon – I agree with the message that racism is harmful but the story was a bit short.  We hear about racism regularly but there seems to be no better ending to the story ever. 

Stefan – It was a good book, and it teaches about things that I  know happen but I haven’t experienced.  It gave me a new insight on a really important issue. 

Harry – Showed me things I might not have noticed before about the way I speak to others. 

Chloe – It is a good thing to talk about and I can relate to it. It makes me feel less alone. 

On Wednesday 1 March, 60 students from Carisbrooke College, Medina College and The Island VI Form went to see a production of ‘Freshwater Five’ at the Quay Arts in Newport.

The play told the story of five fishermen from The Isle of Wight who were convicted of drug smuggling in 2011. The five men in question have always pleaded their innocence in the face of contradictory evidence. 

It was an excellent piece of storytelling, highly creative and very well acted. It should provide our students with lots of ideas about how to create and develop their own productions in the future.

In the badminton finals, our players, who had qualified, by finishing in the top two pairs in their age group heats, met the other top pairs from the other pool of Island secondary schools.  Our Year 11 girls pair, Ellie and Sherine, lost their first game, before gaining some revenge in their next game, by beating Carisbrooke, who had beaten them last week.

They went into their final game against the Free School looking to build on that success but narrowly missed out on the win. However, their progress in a week has been excellent and they made Medina proud!

The Year 8/9 girls pair of Kaitlyn and Mylea were also unlucky, winning two games and only losing one, meaning they were tied for first place with Ryde Academy as the Ryde team went into their last game against The Free School. Unfortunately the Ryde team won that game and took first place but our girls, who had played really well, finished a highly credible second.

Our final pair in the tournament was our Year 9 boys pair of Aaron and Fergus. They went unbeaten all evening, playing superbly, winning the event as clear winners! Congratulations to them. They now move onto the Hampshire round, representing the island in February.

The whole team were outstanding throughout and a real reminder of the amazing students we have at Medina!

We are pleased to share the continuing success that our Year 10 mentors have achieved this term promoting and spreading the word for the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) project.

Following their first successful MVP session with Year 7 tutor groups last term, the Year 10 mentors had their second planning session last week. They then joined the Year 7 tutor groups during their PSHE lesson on Monday morning and delivered informative and thought-provoking sessions around the theme of recognising different types of abuse, with a key focus on highlighting the best ways to demonstrate respect to others.

For both the planning session and Year 7 lesson, we welcomed visitors from Paragon who are supporting the development of the MVP programme across IWEF. They are a specialist team, part of The YOU Trust, their mission is to empower change for individuals, families, and our communities. The Year 10 mentors have embraced the opportunity to meet the representatives from Paragon and talk to them about MVP and its values.

As we approach the end of this half term we are excited to be approaching the part of the year when Year 9 students will have the opportunity to take part in training as MVP mentors. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the community across IWEF ensuring an environment that is safe, promotes healthy social norms and a culture which is known to prevent violence. Details of how to get involved will be released in due course.

Well done to all of the Year 10 MVP mentors!