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    Cyberfirst Girls Competition

     

    Written by: By Amelia C and Anushka M, Year 8

    On the 18th November the 2024 National CyberFirst Girls competition took place. It is an annual competition and is organised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ. The aim is to raise more awareness of career opportunities in cyber security amongst girls. This is in the hope that they can increase the number of females in the cyber security workforce as the current number of roles held by women is only 17% globally.

    This term, Mrs Parker gave us the opportunity to take part in this exciting competition, which was open to all Year 8 girls. A group of girls were excited to take on the challenge and work together. It was a fantastic opportunity for us and showed us how interesting a job in cyber security would be. The competition consisted of 5 different sections: logic and coding, networking, cyber security, cryptography and the speciality. Each section was split into 3 different levels: beginner, intermediate and expert, with the expert challenges scoring the higher points. 

    We spent a lot of time working on skills that would help us during the competition by looking at short videos and other resources on the internet. We had the opportunity to try using different apps and programmes we had not previously used like Cyberchef and MD5. During the 10 day competition we worked really hard in small groups to complete as many of the challenges as possible with the aim to score the highest possible points. As a result, St Clement Danes came in 6th place in the East of England which is a great achievement. We were really grateful for this opportunity and pleased with the result.

    We all feel we have learnt a lot from the experience, not just from the challenges, but the collaboration of working as a team. Despite not winning, the competition has opened our minds to a future career in this industry. We would like to thank Mrs Parker for giving us the opportunity, it has shown that Computing has a lot more to it. It was a privilege to represent St Clement Danes School. 

     

     

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    19th December

    Charities Week 2025

    The halls of St Clement Danes School have been buzzing with holiday cheer this week as the annual Charities Week is officially in full swing. As the Autumn Term draws to a close, pupils and staff have united to raise vital funds for three incredible causes: Endometriosis UK, Spread a Smile, and Herts Young Homeless. The school is alive with the spirit of giving, driven by a jam packed ‘Advent’ schedule designed to get everyone involved in the fundraising efforts. This year’s itinerary has been filled with exciting activities, ranging from pupil led lessons and a "Mystery Bucket" challenge to the competitive excitement of the "Elf Auction" and various competitions. Pupils have also enjoyed the classic "Sponge the Teacher" event and a visit to Santa’s Grotto, ensuring the festive atmosphere is matched only by the community’s generosity. Beyond the classroom activities, pupils have been sharing the festive spirit with the wider community. On 18th December, the SCD Senior Choir paid a special visit to Chorleywood Manor Care Home. The residents were treated to a beautiful selection of Christmas carols, featuring performances by members of the Chamber Choir, Evensong Choir, and the Barbershop Choir. Year 12 pupils Immy and Chrissie noted that "it was a very joyful occasion and it was lovely to see the residents joining in and looking so happy." The success of such a busy week relies heavily on pupil leadership, and the school extends a massive vote of thanks to Year 13 for their incredible hard work and dedication. Their enthusiasm have been the driving force behind this week's fundraising efforts. The week is set to conclude on Friday with the Grand Finale: the highly anticipated Sixth Form Revue, promising a spectacular end to a week of community, charity and celebration.