Newsletter December 2014 Students `paws` for

Newsletter December 2014
Dear Parents/Carers,
It’s difficult to believe that I’m approaching the end of my first term as Principal. So much has been
achieved in such a short time and the response from both students and staff has been fantastic. I’d also
like to thank all parents for your support as we raise standards at the Academy.
Goole Academy is fast developing a reputation for sporting success in local and national competitions.
There is also a very wide range of extra-curricular opportunities at the school including: dance, drama
and foreign visits. I’d like to thank all the staff involved for their incredible hard work in providing these
opportunities for our students.
Rehearsals are already underway for the Goole Academy production of Fiddler on the Roof in early
March and I hope you will be able to join us for this to see the amazing talent
on offer.
Please use our Academy email address (wearelistening@goolehighschool.
org) if you have any concerns, or need help in any way.
Once again, all staff here at Goole Academy would like to wish you a very
happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Matthew Partington,
Principal
Students ‘paws’ for thought
KIND hearted students have been making sure that animals in need of
extra loving care, find ‘purr-fect’ comfort this Christmas and New Year.
They have donated food, treats and other essentials to give to the RSPCA
for their local rescue centres.
One box, from Charliejay Broadhead, even had a gift tag attached from all
her pets, including dogs, cats, guinea-pigs and a Bearded Dragon.
Photo: Korben Armstrong and Joshua Birbeck (both Year 8) with some of
the goodies collected which are to be handed over to the RSPCA.
Proud evening
Year 11 students, Lucy Pritchard and Connie Redshaw, received
recognition at the prestigious Selby and Goole Community Pride Awards.
They both walked away with the runner-up title in their respective
categories when they attended a glitzy ceremony at the Drax Sports and
Social Club, hosted by BBC Look North’s Clare Frisby .
Lucy (16) was nominated by Academy staff and was shortlisted in the Sporting Future category. Among
her personal achievements, she became one of only six girls from the county to qualify for the netball
Regional Performance Academy last year. She has also been playing squash for the past seven years
and was last year selected to become part of the Yorkshire Under 17s squad.
At school, Lucy has completed a Sports Leaders qualification and is also a netball
coach at an after school club.
Meanwhile Connie (also 16) was shortlisted in the Bright Star category. As a
Butterfly Dance Studio student, Connie covers many dance disciplines and has
passed 37 internationally recognised exams.
The time she devotes to dancing has, however, not stood in the way of her
academic progress and she has already achieved five GCSEs a year early. In addition, the Year 11
student raises money for cancer charities, including taking part in the Race for Life this year.
Above right: Lucy receives her award from Clare Frisby and Allan Stewart, Selby College Principal
Above left: Connie in the audience with her mum.
Lunch is served
A new dining system has been launched to alleviate problems of over-crowding and long queuing times –
both of which were raised as issues of concern in a recent survey of parents and students.
Food service has been split between different counters, which means the queues are now shared out and
serving time is cut down. An extra member of staff has also been appointed to the dining team.
Full details can be found in the News section of www.gooleacademy.org
Any feedback and comments would be welcomed. These can be submitted by completing the short form
in the ‘Contact’ section of the website, or emailing [email protected]
Dates for Your Diary
Thursday December 18th
Monday January 5th Tuesday January 6th
Thursday January 15th Tuesday January 20th Thursday January 22nd
Wednesday January 28th Thursday January 29th Saturday January 31st Friday February 6th /Saturday 7th Friday February 13th Monday February 23rd - School closes for Christmas holidays
- Staff training day
- Students return
- Year 7 Parents’ Evening
- Year 11 photos taken
- Parents’ Forum meeting, 6pm
- Year 10 vaccinations
- Year 9 Parents’ Evening
- Years 10/11 London trip
- Edinburgh trip
- School closes
- Students return
African Odyssey
A TRIO of fundraisers are aiming to help teenage girls in West Africa get an education.
Sixth Former George Robinson, Science Teacher David Nicoline and Year 11 Manager Sarah Champion
are hoping to fill a shipping container full of educational equipment and personalised items to send out to
the new school in The Gambia.
The Brufut Learning Centre, which is set to open its doors to up to 40 young girls in 2015, has been built
thanks to Goole couple Denise and Howard Burgess, who sold their Jefferson Street home to fund the
project.
The threesome are collecting donations of school equipment, clothes, bedding, books, toys, toiletries and
many other items, with which they aim to fill the container in January.
They have also launched a Shoebox Appeal, to provide presents for
local children - which was jump-started by local car dealers Glews
Garage with the donation two large boxes of gifts.
George, Sarah and David are to fly out to The Gambia next Summer
to visit the project. Sarah and David will be staying for ten days but
George will be helping out there for six weeks.
Photo: George Robinson receives gifts from Jane Richardson, Glew’s
Garage Marketing Manager.
Prom-tastic evening
FESTIVE fun was on offer as part of a fundraiser when the Year 11
Prom Committee staged a Christmas Fayre.
More than £800 was raised from the event, which not only included
dozens of craft and other stalls and a Santa’s Grotto; but also featured
a dazzling fashion show.
Year 10 students turned models for the evening to showcase gowns
from Red Carpet Ready, of Lincoln, which claims to be the dress shop
of choice for the TOWIE stars!
Musical performances were included, from soloist Paul Wilson and the newly-formed school choir.
Goole Academy remembers
STUDENTS and staff honoured the fallen of world conflicts
since 1914 on Armistice Day, which this year commemorated the
Centenary of the outbreak of WW1.
One hundred students were accompanied by staff to the annual
memorial ceremony at Goole’s Cenotaph, while Year 7 students
invited fellow students, staff and members of the public to come into
school to view their progress so far on a documentary they are creating about the Great War.
They are covering topics which include life in the trenches, the use and fate of animals, the Home Front
and the effect of the conflict on Goole.
For the open morning, they were joined by members of the Goole First
World War Research Group, who had a stand displaying documents
and artefacts related to people from the local community who went to
the Front.
Above: Students and staff, including Principal Mr Partington, with war
veteran Mr George Smith, at the Cenotaph.
Left: Zack Hudson, Olivia Watson and Caitlin Sacre.
Wings Waggle tribute
A GIANT poppy was created on the Acadmy field to mark the Centenary of the outbreak of the First World
War - made out of 2,300 paper poppies cut out by student and adult volunteer members of the Spirit of
Goole build a plane project ; with help from Goole Beavers and members of the Pastures Day Centre.
Organised by Spirit of Goole’s Project Manager, ex-RAF engineer
Jack Milnes, it was also a heartfelt tribute to those who have died in
more recent conflicts.
Pilots in the area were also invited to fly over the poppy and waggle
their wings in respect.
Wedding fever
EVERYONE wants a magical setting for their Big Day and, for those looking to tie the knot in the near
future, Goole Academy was the place to find that extra sparkle when it became the venue for a glitzy
Wedding Fayre.
With nearly 20 stands from local businesses offering bespoke
packages in every aspect of a wedding, there was no shortage
of ideas – or excitement.
Dresses, disco floors, photo booths, food, photographers, table
dressing, suits, sweet treats, cars, cards and flowers – as well
as that all important honeymoon - were on offer among other
ideas and many brides-to-be said “I do” to bookings for their
special day.
Students have the job in hand
A GROUP of Year 10 students got a taste of what life beyond the classroom could
hold for them when they attended a regional careers event in Leeds.
The teenagers were treated to a range of hands-on activities and face-to-face
advice when they paid a visit to the Skills Yorkshire exhibition at the conference
centre in the grounds of Leeds Utd FC.
The exhibition included stands from a
range of universities and colleges, training
agencies, companies and apprenticeship
providers.
Photos Kean Noon gets up close and personal at the animal care
stand, while (left) Students try their hand at problem solving.
Fundraising is a piece of cake
A Total of £892.17 was raised from our non-uniform day, in aid of Children in
Need and the Warm Heart Malawi (African) charity.
Staff and students got into the spirit of the occasion by following this year’s Children in Need theme of the Great British Bake Off and the five nominated cakes
– chocolate, Battenberg, carrot, lemon drizzle and fruit.
Students paid £1 to come in non uniform and £1.50 for coming in uniform, while
staff gave donations either for dressing up or not.
Star studded evening
BOY George and Elvis shared the stage with The Village
People, the Scissor Sisters and Amy Winehouse, among
others when staff ditched the day job for a Stars in Their Eyes
performance.
Organised by BTEC Music students - George Robinson, Ellie
Hodgson and Cameron Ullathorne - a total of seven acts
played to a packed audience.
Academy principal Mr Partington, along with Assistant Head
Teachers Ms Weld and Mr Jones, turned judges for the glitzy
event, from which the £400 raised has gone to the Rhys Wilkinson Enterprise
Fund.
Graduate Coach Mr Pollard and TA Mrs Pepper (pictured below left) walked away
with the winners’ title after their
performance as the Scissor
Sisters.
Also pictured are Miss Aldridge
as Amy Winehouse and Mr
Saunders as Elvis.
Right: Cameron, George and
Ellie present a cheque to Mr and
Mrs Wilkinson
New build takes shape
A MULTI-MILLION pound transformation at Goole Academy is rising from the ground - thanks to the
work of building contractor Sir Robert McAlpine - and is on schedule to open to staff and students next
September.
The new state of the art facilities have been made possible thanks to a £10.1m package as part of the
Priority Schools Building Fund and will see the new building house a suite of classrooms and a creative
arts suite, with drama and dance halls as well as a library. The Studio College will also re-locate there.
In addition, the funding will pay for renovation of the original Edwardian building and re-instatement of the
listed gardens fronting Boothferry Road – work on which will start next summer; the return of the car park
on Airmyn Road to tennis courts; and the demolition of some
non-historical parts of the site to make way for the creation of
landscaped outside areas.
Visiting the school, local MP Andrew Percy said of the new
build programme: “Principal Mr Partington and Wakefield City
Academies Trust Chief Executive Officer Alan Yellup have a
clear, ambitious, vision for the Academy and the children of
Goole who attend it.
“Their drive, energy and leadership are already having an impact
on the Academy environment.”
SPORT
Students take the lead
A GROUP of Year 8 Sports Leaders showed true team spirit when they helped organise and run a
Multiskills event at Boothferry Primary School recently.
Students were selected for the Leaders scheme back in September, since when they have undergone
weekly training with Goole Area Schools Partnership (GASP) PE teacher Mr Butterworth.
At Boothferry, the Leaders worked in pairs and provided sessions for the youngsters, utilising a range of
activities, equipment, communication and that all-important teamwork, so that the children experienced a
number of challenges involving sprints, jumps, catching, throwing, chasing, time challenges and personal
goals,
The success of the event has led to a strengthening partnership between Goole High School and our
10 Feeder Primaries, with further events planned at Parkside Primary School and St Joseph’s Catholic
Primary School; and an after-school ‘indoor curling’ club at Hook Primary School in January 2015.
Another cohort of Year 8 Leaders will star training in January 2015.
In September 2015, the current Year 8 Leaders will have the opportunity to qualify as Level 1 Sports
Leaders, which will ensure increased out of school activity based at Goole
Academy and our feeder primary schools.
Netballers sent packing
NETBALLERS at Goole Academy will be the best dressed in town after
raising nearly £500 for a new team kit from a charity bag pack.
The girls from years 7 to 9 helped shoppers to pack their shopping at Tesco in
return for a donation to their appeal. The funds will also help with their sports tour to Dublin next March.
Academy Enrichment Co-ordinator and netball coach Mrs Howes said: “We are very grateful to Tesco and
to all the shoppers who supported us.”
Rugby
VICTORY was sweet for the U13s Rugby Team as they went through to the 4th round of the Yorkshire
Cup following a 33-17 win over Hall Cross School (Doncaster) recently.
Success is in the net
A TEAM of eight students have proved they are on the ball by passing their netball Youth Umpire Award.
The Year 8 sports enthusiasts now have their whistles at the ready after qualifying to rule on all the
intricacies of the fast-paced sport within their own age-group and below.
Destinee Ellis, Ellie Coulson, Katherine and Abigail Allen,
Alicia Lee-Jarman, Nina Reynolds, Megan McKone and Holly
Carmichael were all put through their paces during a six-hour
course within the school curriculum and during out of hours
sessions, tutored by Mrs Howes and Miss Henderson.
As part of the challenging qualification, they completed
individual workbooks and undertook a practical assessment to
gain the award which could also see them umpiring at festivals,
Youth Games and in local junior leagues, among other events.
They will hold their qualification until the end of the season in which they turn 18.
Goalfest Glory girls
The Year 7/8 Girls’ Football Team moved up to round five of the
National Cup following a 10-1 victory against Healing School, Grimsby.
The U13 team reached the last 32 in the ESFA competition from 308
teams entered
Meanwhile the U14 girls’ team reached last 64 in the ESFA
competition, out of 302 teams that entered.
Photo: the Year 7/8 girls’ squad
Staff net a victory
A STAFF netball team stormed to victory in a final quarter surge against a Year 11 side - though
the 18-8 final scoreline belied the excellent play from the Year 11 squad.
The latter included many talented players, one of which was regional representative Lucy Pritchard.
Head of PE Mr Donald was a star staff scorer and he
and PE teacher Mr Bean provided some stirling work
in attack, while SENDCo Mr Mason proved a superb
defender.
Umpires were Enrichment Co-ordinator Mrs Howes and
students Katherine Allen and Holly Carmichael, who
recently qualified as beginner umpires.
Photo: Staff team (from the left), Mr Douglass, Miss
Henderson, umpire Mrs Howes, Miss Devine, Mr Bean,
Miss Stephenson, Mr Donald and Mr Mason; students
(from the left) Katie Challenger, Mollie Down, Freya Davies, Jodie Hoare, Lucy Pritchard, Igor Luciano,
Joe Grimbleby, Szymon Czubik and Jake Fallowfield. Not pictured is staff member Mrs Tempest.