Jan/Feb 2014 - New-Bridge Integrated College

Read All About It!
February
2014
college
Newsletter
Inside this issue:
Music............2-3
Eco School......4
Masterclasses
in Art................5
Languages
Corner ............6
Numeracy
Corner.............7
Literacy
Corner.............8
Sport...............9
Gifted Gallery
Space............10
Windows 8 App
Day................11
Welcome to February’s edition of “Read All About It!”
Read ahead to see all the wonderful things that have
happened at New-Bridge over the past few months...
Open Day 2014
New-Bridge Integrated College held its most successful Open Day to date
on Saturday 18th January 2014. The inclement weather conditions did not
stop the constant flow of families who came to visit the college and enjoy the
‘New-Bridge Experience’. Mrs Anderson explained to Primary 7 pupils and
their parents that Open Day is one of the most exciting days in our school
calendar. She said ‘It is about ‘you’ seeing first hand what our school is about.
The New-Bridge experience develops character and develops well rounded
individuals who truly understand the values of tolerance and mutual respect.
The New-Bridge experience develops a community spirit where everyone feels
valued’. Thank you to all who took the time to visit us and we look forward to
welcoming many P7 pupils in Year 8 in September.
Music Achievements at New-Bridge
Gifted & Talented
Ulster Youth Choir
Fiona, along with nine other pupils from New-Bridge Integrated College, will spend a week this
summer taking part in an intense training programme in Campbell College, Belfast.
The pupils will each be given a challenging repertoire of Music to sing and a chance to learn
different singing techniques in breathing and harmonies, taught by renowned international voice
coaches.
Speaking about the success of her talented pupils,
music teacher Mrs McLean says Mr Alan Leech, a
renowned conductor in the Ulster Youth Choir, was
“blown away” by their talent.
“I invited Mr Alan Leech to visit New-Bridge back in
November last year. He held a 90-minute intense
workshop which I called a ‘gym class for your voice,’
and at the end of the session 16 of our talented choir
members auditioned for a place in the Ulster Youth
Choir.
“Ten pupils have secured a place in the Ulster Youth
Choir this summer and will be touring with them
throughout the year. This is an amazing opportunity
for our gifted and talented New-Bridge students.
“I feel very privileged that he selected so many of our
pupils. We have the gifted and talented programme
in school and I am always looking for new things to
do to promote our pupils’ talents” she said.
Crediting Mrs McLean for helping her secure a place on the programme, Fiona said,
“I was surprised to be selected. I am really looking forward to the experience and learning
how to be part of an 82 strong choir and also extend my repertoire when I am applying for
universities. I am also looking forward to making new friends on the course too.
“Mr Leech told us that we will stay on site for the duration of the course and basically we will
wake up and sing all day until we go to bed that night. It is a great opportunity,” she said.
The 16-year-old, who is in Year 12, says she has always had an interest in singing and has been a
member of both the New-Bridge choir and Chamber Choir.
“I have sung in school musicals, concerts and assemblies. I began going to singing lessons in Year
10. I like to sing modern music, musical theatre and jazz. I recently sang in our ‘Winter Warmer’
concert in school and am currently preparing for my GCSE performance exam.
“I am in the school choir here and it is amazing! Everyone is very talented. We sang for Mr
O’Dowd [Education Minister] when he visited the school back in November, and we took part
in a concert recently in the Market Place Theatre, Armagh with Keith Wilson and his band,” she
said.
2
Music Achievements at New-Bridge
With the choir due to perform at a concert at the Iveagh Theatre, Banbridge in March
organised by the Rotary Club, Mrs McLean says her students are currently working towards
raising money for the course fees of £485.
“We have just had a new recording studio built and after Easter, Fiona has booked recording
time in the studio to record her debut CD which will have about four or five tracks. This
will be sold in the school and her local community and the funds of
which will go towards the course fees.
“We will also be doing other fundraising events to help raise money
and some students will be applying for bursaries,” she said.
The nine other students selected for the programme include Alanna
McCourt, Katie Taylor-Magoran, Rachael Clydesdale, Sarah Devlin,
Honer Travers, Rebecca Wilson, Sophie Jones, Harry Singer and
Connor Downey
New-Bridge Recording Studio
We are very proud of our
new Recording Studio in
the Music department.
With invaluable help from
our Parents’ Association,
New-Bridge students
staged their very own
tribute to the Broadway
shows in their recent
production of ‘Show
Time’. The proceeds of this event funded the build for this new project and we are delighted
with the hi-tech and professional finish. Selected pupils have been trained in using the ProLogic recording programme and are responsible for the smooth running of the studio. This
is yet another exciting development in promoting the Gifted and Talented programme in the
College.
Our Guitar tutor Mickey Murphy has returned safely,
with a few blistered toes, from the Sahara desert. Mickey
raised £4000 for NI Hospice through playing his guitar
and his long walk!
3
Eco School
Cash for Clobber
The Eco Club would like to invite all students and their
families to get even more involved in spring cleaning
and recycling in 2014.
We invite you to collect clean, unwanted clothing,
bedding, soft furnishings and shoes to help raise funds
for New-Bridge College and the Northern Ireland Cancer
Fund for Children.
Cash For Clobber bags can be obtained by speaking to any member of Pupil Council or the Eco
Club.
The Cash For Clobber green bin provided by Cookstown Textiles is located outside the gates of
New-Bridge College.
Bring your Cash For Clobber bags to the Eco Club foyer in Room 6 for weighing and collection
of house points at break time on Fridays.
Remember EVERY FRIDAY is a CASH FOR CLOBBER DAY!
Mr Marc Williamson, Art Student Teacher at University of
Ulster is pictured with the Eco Club receiving recycled
materials to use in his sculpture work with Year 9 students.
Emily Orr 10MU, Pupil Council Yr 9 20121013, is pictured with Elaine Keegan 9BT, Pupil
Council and Eco Club Yr 8 2012-2013, with Eco
Schools Silver Award Certificate next to the Pupil
Council Eco Committee and Eco themes notice
boards in the college foyer.
Both girls represent the student groups and
college community who helped achieve the
SILVER AWARD during academic year 2012
-2013.
4
Masterclasses in the Art Department
Film student and Cinemagic member
Rebecca Kelly comes to New-Bridge
Integrated College
On Friday 24th January, Miss Rebecca Kelly, a Queen’s University Film student, conducted a
presentation to the year 10 students and year 14 Moving Image Arts students on the amazing
opportunities offered by the Cinemagic programme. Miss Kelly informed us that through
Cinemagic she is flying off to the one and only celebrity-Ville LA this summer to work in the
reputable studios such as; Fox, Pixar, Jim Henson, HBO, Creative Visions, Warner Bros, New York
Film Academy and Pepperdine University. Through
Cinemagic, she has also met A list celebrities such
as; Terry Bamber, producer of Skyfall; Aisling Walsh,
director of Song for a Raggy Boy; Brian Kirk,
director of Game of Thrones; Gareth Ennis Unwin,
Oscar winning producer for the King’s Speech;
Jessica Malik producer of The Woman in Black and;
Bronagh Waugh, Niamh O’Grady, Ben Peel, actors
in The Fall.
Miss Kelly offered her expertise and guidance as she watched our Moving Image Arts films,
providing invaluable suggestions about suited interdisciplinary links and film connections to help
with the development and reviewing of our work. Our MIA class were also fortunate to view
her artistically based film set by Queen’s University in which her theme was to reflect a building
through movement. Her attention to detail was superb and I am certain that Miss Kelly will
make it to the top of her chosen area of the film industry, a producer.
Miss Kelly also chatted to us about various Film courses within Universities and job aspects
within Film. It was an amazing afternoon, and we are so grateful for the time she spent with us.
Ceramic master class with Mr Williamson
On Monday 6th January we hosted a master class with Mr Williamson, who displayed a range
of ceramic techniques and processes to our year 11 students. The demonstration included
techniques such as slab-building, coiling and pinching. Mr Williamson also gave a detailed
account of his own work as inspiration for the budding artists. The class was very well
received by our students, who are presently involved in working with clay as part of their GCSE
coursework. (photo of Marc)
On Wednesday 8th January Miss Susan Guiney, BA Hons Architecture, conducted a seminar
with a range of senior students in the Art Department. Her
inspirational talk to the students commented on the links
between the STEM subjects and the Arts. Miss Guiney
discussed work produced during her A Level Art course
and Architecture degree, and demonstrated some of the
techniques used to produce a range of images. Her talk has
given encouragement to some of our senior students who
are presently making choices about their future courses at
university.
5
Languages Corner
Le Coin De Langues – The
Languages Corner
The alphabet exercise.
How many words can you think of which begin with the letters D, E?
French:
Deux= two
Douze= twelve
Dejeuner=lunch
Spanish:
Escribe= write
Escucha=listen
Enero=January
Spot the mistake in the sentences.
French:
Spanish:
‘habite une maison.=I live in a house.
Tengo fenomenal gracias.= I am great thank you.
6
Numeracy Corner
Puzzle of the Month
Entries for puzzles to be given to any Maths teacher. Winner will be drawn and get a prize!
Each entry will be entered into a raffle to receive a prize.
Junior (Year 8 - 10)
Senior (Year 11-12)
Sponsored by Iveagh Cinema
7
Literacy Corner
Book of the Month
Divergent
100 years in the future, in a dystopian Chicago, Beatrice
Prior lives in a society, split into five factions. Candor, the
honest. Abnegation, the selfless. Erudite, the intelligent.
Amity, the peaceful and Dauntless, the brave.
On an appointed day each year, all sixteen year olds
must take part in an initiation test, which works as a
guide, telling you which faction you are most suited
to. Unusually, some results from the initiation test are
inconclusive, meaning you are suited to more than one
faction. They call it Divergent. Through the eyes of
society, Divergents are seen as a threat.
It is completely up to you which faction you join and you
may not be born into your desired faction . So at the age
of sixteen, you must make the life - changing decision of
choosing where you belong. Will Beatrice stay at home, or choose otherwise? As they
say, “faction before blood.”
At the Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice makes a decision that surprises everyone,
including herself. As she struggles in her chosen faction, she discovers she knows less
than she thinks. She learns about true friendship, loyalty, love, her family’s history and
the world she lives in.
The book Divergent is strangely relatable. 16 year olds
having to make life -changing decisions about their
future and where they belong. The friction between
the factions is scarily like our own history in Northern
Ireland. Each faction fights for what they believe in
and only for that.
The book unfolds and has you hooked, leaving you on
a frustrating cliffhanger, eager for more of the trilogy.
If you are a fan of the Hunger Games, the Divergent
series is a must read! The movie for the first book
is coming out next month, on the 24th March. We
recommend you read the book before you see the film
so you have “Four “ weeks to read Divergent. Good
Luck!
By Rachel Gallagher and Connor Downey 11MK
8
Sports Achievements at New-Bridge
Year 8 Netball
Year 8 Netball A & B team had their first
fixture against Dromore. The girls were a
credit to the school and proved to be on equal
par with Dromore as the A team drew 6-6,
and the B team drew 4-4. The A team was
captained by Hannah Chambers and player
of the match was Demi Moore. The B team
was captained by Magda Nosal, with player of
the match going to Mya McDowell. The girls
are looking forward to many more Netball
matches and the tournament in March.
School Show Jumping
The final of the School Show Jumping league at the Meadows Equestrian Centre saw
Newbridge Integrated College rider Gemma Chambers, Year 10, on board her fabulous
pony Honey jump into 3rd place. This was a fantastic finish for the school after a shaky
start to the league. Riders and ponies have worked very well throughout the year to
improve on their performances. This hard work certainly paid off as all riders started to
jump clear fast rounds against the
clock! Credit must go to the riders as
they were an asset to the school and
have certainly proved their enormous
ability in show jumping.
Riders:
Hannah Chambers Year 8
Mya McDowell Year 8
Indie Forsythe Year 8
Conall McGrath Year 8
Gemma Chambers Year 10
Molly Taylor-Magoran Year 10
Chloe Cumming Year 10
Next competition for the team is on St. Patrick’s Day.
9
The Gifted Gallery Space
2B or not 2B pencil ?
That is the question…
Do you enjoy creating your own art work
outside as well as inside the classroom?
Has your 2B pencil been used so much it’s
now only an inch long?
Are you constantly doodling, drawing and
daydreaming of being the next Picasso?
Every month the Art Department would like to feature
examples of students who are so passionate about art that
they spend their spare time creating exciting art work that
they’d like to share with the New- Bridge school community.
This month we are featuring Jamie McArdle in the Gifted Gallery
Space.
Moving Image Arts student Jamie McArdle has demonstrated
excellent interdisciplinary links throughout his illustrated essay.
These contextual links have informed his experimental work during
production of the various scenes within his short film. Significant
reference has been made to M.C. Escher as Jamie captured a sense of
claustrophobia within his staircase scene. Director Stanley Kubrick
would be in awe of this emerging new talent. Well done Jamie, keep
up the good work.
Artist of the month
Artist of the month for January is awarded to
Pagan Cooper
our year 9 student Pagan Cooper. She has an
exceptional talent for drawing and painting
which has been highlighted in her study of the
Christmas Still Life for Winter Art Exam. Pagan has
a particular interest in drawing animals and she has
been very generous in giving little gifted pictures
to members of staff from time to time. I can
personally vouch for how much this little act of
kindness brightens the day and I would encourage
all junior artists to share their art work with staff,
students and friends during the month of January.
Mrs E. McKeown
10
Windows 8 Workshop
Windows 8 Workshop
A group of Year 11 and Year 13 pupils were given the opportunity to go to a Windows 8
Workshop ran by Microsoft at the SRC in Armagh on Wednesday 18th December.
The pupils got the chance to design an app of their choice and learned how to use the
Microsoft app developer. They were able to add information, images, YouTube videos and
links. The apps varied in style and content from Hunger Games, Cars to a New-Bridge app!
There was a lot of competition there with pupils from the SRC and other local schools but the
quality of the apps were high and New-Bridge definitely showed their potential.
Miss Mc Cann
11
New-Bridge Integrated College
25 Donard View Road
Loughbrickland
BT32 3LN
Telephone: (028) 406 25010
Website: www.newbridgeintegrated.org
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