2012-October Newsletter-pdf - St Augustine`s Catholic College

College
From the Head Teacher
October 2012
N ews
Dear Parents
Since the publication of our last newsletter St Augustine’s has a great deal to be proud of. On the 27
September we joined over 2000 children from all other schools in the Diocese at the Colston Hall in Bristol for
The Big Assembly to launch the Year of Faith. Richard O’Mahony led the music for the whole event with
musicians and singers from the College and our feeder primary schools. It was a wonderful and uplifting
occasion and a great opportunity for us to perform alongside our feeder primary students. This same group
of talented students were then invited to provide the worship music at the diocesan Head Teachers conference
Mass. As a college we launched the Year of Faith by observing Little Way Week that focused on the writings
of St Therese of Lisieux.
We welcomed Fr Matt Anscombe and Fr Tom Dubois into the College to talk to students in all year groups
during St John’s new Awakenings Mission. Both priests shared their personal experiences of faith and belief
and encouraged student and staff involvement in the wider parish mission.
During the CAFOD Harvest Fast we held a week of assemblies and Morning Prayer that challenged us to see
Jesus in those around us who need our help. The money that the students raised will help CAFOD’s work in
some of the poorest communities in the world.
The first of two voluntary residential retreats for Year 11 took place at St Cassian’s, Kintbury and our students,
joined by students from three other Catholic schools, explored the themes of awareness and reconciliation.
During our two Teacher Training days in October staff built on the successful TEEP training from last year,
creating resources and new schemes of work after reflecting on talks from our guest speakers. 20 teachers
also completed their TEEP level 2 training that focuses on effective coaching and mentoring.
The College remained busy during half term with the completion of the new sixth form study building,
refurbishment of the Gym and one classroom, new flooring in the girls toilets and other cleaning and
maintenance works.
As we commence the month of November we take time to remember all those who have died – those we knew
and loved and also those who died alone without friends or family to mourn them. During November there will
be a book in the Chapel where staff and students can write the names of those we knew who have died as a
sign of our remembrance and pray that God may grant them eternal rest with Him in heaven.
J. Alsop, Head Teacher
Golden Book Nominees
for September 2012
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Rhiannon Taylor (7B) for being chosen
as Trowbridge Carnival Princess
Owen Brown (8M) for doing very well in
the Junior Karting Championships
Jack Colyer (9C) for being selected for
the Kennet District Under 15 Winter
Coaching programme for the 2012-2013
Winter training
Alice Wynne (10M) for representing RAF
Cadets at the Swimming Nationals
Ellen McKeaveney (11C) for passing
the British Horse Society Progressive Test
Music Theor
y R
esults
heory
Results
ABRSM Grade 5 Theory
Huw Cheston
Distinction
Alice Wynne
Merit
Emma Louca
Merit
Flora Nisbet
Pass
Sophie O’Donnell Pass
James Henderson Pass
Literacy News
Year 7 students took part in Write Path Collaboration,
an international writing collaboration that involved
sharing in the writing of a story. The beginning
paragraph of the stories were written by well-known
authors and passed to a different school every hour to
continue the next section of the story. On 9 October
stories were begun by well known writers such as Jean
Ure, Sally Gardner and Roger Stevens and schools
involved came from all over the UK, Vietnam and the
USA. Mr Kendall and Mrs Hawke facilitated as the
students got to grips with the parts of the story already
written and then produced the next paragraph within a
very short time frame. It was wonderful to see how
capably the students worked together and how
creatively they responded to the stories. Go to
www.writepath.com/ning to see their work.
Author visit
St Augustine’s was visited by author Andy Robb on
Tuesday 2nd October. Andy visited under the auspices
of Bath Children’s Literature Festival. Andy spoke to
Year 7 and talked about his book and his life and how
the most mundane events in everyday life can be used
to inform creative writing. He then held a writing
workshop for students from Year 8 and explored the
link between character and event and how to use this
link to create and to improve story-writing.
Reading Challeng
e W inner
Challenge
On Monday 8th October, Euan Friel, Niall Ellis and
Morgan McGowan accompanied Mrs Hawke to the
new Trowbridge Town Library to meet with
representatives of Clarendon College and the John of
Gaunt School in Trowbridge. The occasion was to
celebrate the completion of the Trowbridge Teen Reads
summer reading challenge and to pick the winner of
the Kindle. Community Librarian, Basil Nankivell, pulled
the name of the winner and it was a St Augustine’s
student! Sophie Rose (8M) won the Kindle and, in a
draw for our students only, Owen Brown won a set of
signed Sophie McKenzie books. Well done to them and
to all the students who completed the summer reading
challenge. It was indeed a challenge and students rose
to it beautifully, reading some interesting books and
writing some incisive reviews.
Dor
set and Wiltshir
e
Dorset
iltshire
U-14 Rugby Squad
Six students from our current Yr. 9; William Cornwell,
Joseph De Jaeger, Niall Ellis, Samuel Gibbons,
Adam Gordon and George Hiscock were all selected
by either club or school to trial for the County on Sunday
7 th October at Carnford School, Wimborne. All six
acquitted themselves extremely well and it is a pleasure
to report that Joseph, Adam and George have been
selected to train/play for the County Squad.
Trowbridg
e Youth P
ar
liament
wbridge
Par
arliament
Oliver Barrett has been elected Chair of Trowbridge
Youth Parliament. He made an excellent presentation
at the recent meeting and was elected unanimously to
serve as Chair for this academic year.
Oliver is pictured here with other St. Augustine’s
members of the Youth Parliament, Emma Routledge,
Liam O’Mara, Abigail Hunt, two of the students
who helped to make the mosaic, Megan Marszal and
Francesca Willis, and former student and sprint star
Danny Talbot, at the recent ceremony in Trowbridge
Park to unveil the mosaic. All of the Trowbridge schools
contributed to the mosaic via the Youth Parliament. Well
done Oliver and the rest of the team.
Kennet District
U-15 Cric
ket
Crick
Jack Colyer (9C) has been selected by Wiltshire Cricket
to attend the Kennet District U-15 winter coaching
programme. The programme is an opportunity for Jack
to work alongside other talented Cricketers and receive
coaching from experienced coaches.
Sacr
ament of Conf
ir
ma
tion a
Sacrament
Confir
irma
mation
att
St Thomas Mor
e, BoA
More
Bishop Declan was at St Thomas More Church in
Bradford on Avon on Wednesday evening, 17th October,
to minister the Sacrament of Confirmation. The following
St Augustine’s students were confirmed:
Luke Charleton (7T), William Starkey (7C), Lily
Brown (8B), Zoe Timbrell (8C), Miles Charleton (9F),
Cecilia de Bruxelles (11B) and Laura Edwards (11B).
Sacr
ament of Conf
ir
ma
tion a
Sacrament
Confir
irma
mation
att
St Ca
tharine’
s, F
Catharine’
tharine’s
Frrome
Bishop Declan was at St Catharine’s Parish in Frome
on Tuesday evening 23rd October to minister the
Sacrament of Confirmation.The following St Augustine’s
students were confirmed:
Katie Bobrowska, Adrian Boniecki, Nadine
Bustarde, Callum Close, Laura Coleman, Cameron
Croll, Euan Friel, Shannon Garvey, Joseph
Gauntlett, Matthew Gibbons, Ellie Green, Emily
Hobbs, Andrew Hollomon-Ley, Jakub Hudzik,
Mairead Hughes, Phoebe Hughes, James Krige,
Georgina Littlewood, Ella Muers, Nico Mussell,
Thea O’Connor, Rui Paulin, Angus Porter, Isaac
Rhodes, Courtney Rigby-Dent, Lauren Smith,
Jonty Sweeney, Megan Ward, Giulietta Willamson,
Hannah Wood and Isaac Wood.
Attendance
Please could parents ring or email from their own
account each day of illness by 9.30 a.m. Absence texts
will be issued by Mrs Sharp if no notification has been
received. If the college requests a note this must be
returned within 14 days of the absence to avoid the
absence being unauthorised..
Medical and dental appointments should be made
outside of college hours unless specialist hospital
appointments have to be kept or it is a medical/dental
emergency. A letter from a parent or guardian must be
shown to the Tutor who will sign it to show they have
seen it and agree. Students must then show the letter
to whichever teacher they are with when they wish to
leave. The letter should then be given to Mrs Sharp
at reception when the student signs out. No student
will be permitted to leave the college without a parent
or guardian unless this is stated in writing.
Students and parents/carers experiencing difficulties
with attendance matters should contact the College at
the earliest opportunity and talk to their child’s Tutor,
Head of Year or the Pastoral Officer.
Telephone 01225 350001/Email: [email protected]
Congratulations
Alice Wynne represented the RAF Cadet Squad in the
Nationals at Cranwell this holiday. Well done!
Can I remind parents that no student is allowed
into any classroom until the 1 st bell has sounded
for registration.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
November
5th
Start of Term 2 for students
7th
A2 Media Trip
Former Yr 11 Presentation Evening
8th
9th
Understanding Truth Conference
10th
St John’s Christmas Bazaar
14th
Malaysia International Leadership Conference
Yr 12 Parent/Teacher Consultation Evening
15th
6th Form Open Evening
20th
Vocation Day
23 rd
Yr 11 Scripted Exam
26th
Yr 13 Parents Consultation Evening
27th
Yr 7 Concert
28th
Yr 7 Concert
29th
HPV Vaccinations
30th
St. Augustine’s Catholic College
•
Se
ver
e Wea
ther Inf
or
ma
tion
Sev
ere
eather
Infor
orma
mation
In the event of a college closure we will inform you
in the following ways:
y an announcement on GWR FM breakfast show
(97.2 and 102.2 GWR FM)
y placed on the website of GWR FM at
www.gwrfm.co.uk
y an announcement on BBC Wiltshire (103.5 and
104.3 FM)
y placed on the website of BBC Wiltshire at
www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire
y notice placed on the college website at www.staugustines.wilts.sch.uk
y a text message will be sent out to all parents for
whom the College holds a mobile number
Wingfield Road
BA14 9EN
•
Trowbridge
•
Wiltshire
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