27 Spring 2015 - Greenhead College

NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 27
Spring 2015
Greenhead
news
The newsletter of Greenhead College
Global Success in Business
Three Business Students have had their business
proposal selected for the world finals of the PolyU
Global Student Challenge in June organised by the
Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The students had to complete a 20 page business plan for an innovative
business idea. The Greenhead business is called TrackerTech - a creative
animal tracking device entitled PinPoint. It works by connecting a GPS
tracking chip placed under the animal’s skin to the owner’s smartphone app
via satellite communication so they can always find the whereabouts of their
World finalists:
animal. Finalists competing against Greenhead in Hong Kong include teams
Sarah Gerrard, Jake Hutchinson, Ciara Duffy
from Australia, India, Japan, Korea, Sweden and Canada. The finals will involve
presenting the proposal to an international panel of judges. This is the only global contest of its kind to encourage innovation and
entrepreneurship and only one other team from the UK qualified for the prestigious finals. Greenhead came 3rd in their last trip to the
finals in 2011 and the Business department have an enviable track record in competitions. 30 teams were selected for this year’s
final. Mark Mitchell, Head of Business and Economics, who is mentoring the team commented: “we are really looking forward to
taking on our rivals from around the world. Our students have nothing to fear. They have a well written business plan and a
superb idea that could succeed commercially.”
GC in DC
IMPORTANT DIARY DATES
APRIL
2
College closes
15 & 16Library and G8 open for revision 9.30am to 4.00pm
SUMMER TERM
20 College opens
23 Higher Education Information Evening for Parents at 7.15pm
28 Students meet PaWS Project Leaders/Supervisors (6 period day)
MAY
4
College closed
5
Biology AS/A-level EMPA exam(am)
7
Physics AS EMPA exam (am)/Physics A2 EMPA exam (pm)
8
Last day of AS teaching
11 AS/A-level Examinations commence
18 Governors’ Meeting
22 Last day of A2 teaching. College closes
HALF TERM
23 College opens
JUNE
1
College opens (AS/A-level examinations continue)
8
Art Show Private View, 6.30pm-9.00pm
12 ‘What’s Ahead?’ careers conference at 8.45am for all AS
students. Meeting with PaWS supervisors/project leaders for
all AS students. A2 General Studies exam (pm)
15-19 Project and Work Placement Week
18 A2 General Studies exam (pm). Music Concert on Greenhead
Park Bandstand, 6.30pm-7.30pm
22 Lessons commence for new A2 students
24 PAWS Debriefing (4 period morning).
Summer Examinations end
JULY
1-2 Trip to Oxford University Open Day
2-3 Trip to Cambridge University Open Day
6
Governors’ Meeting
10 College closes
Last October, 36 A2
History students
went trans-Atlantic
to deepen their
understanding of
American History to
assist with their US
Civil Rights studies.
First stop was New York City
where we had a whistlestop tour of the ‘Big Apple’
taking in the Statue of Liberty, Wall
Street, the Empire State building, Times Square
and the Broadway show
‘Chicago’. To work off the plentiful American servin
gs, a few hardy souls met
to establish the Greenhead Central Park runnin
g club. Our walking tour of
Harlem revealed stories of how African American
culture developed from the
jazz age in the 1920s through to the 1960s and
the life of Malcolm X and
the rise of Black Power to the gentrification of this
neighbourhood today. Our
stopover in Philadelphia led to a tour of Indepe
ndence Hall and tales of the
American Revolution and a Philly cheese-steak
before our main destination,
Washington DC. In the nation’s capital, we stared
up at the Lincoln
memorial, stood in the steps of where Martin Luther
King delivered his
inspirational ‘I Have a Dream’ speech before visiting
JFK’s grave at Arlington.
Our tour of Congress explained how the American
Constitution sought to
defend the principle of liberty and raised the clear
contradictions of slavery
and racial segregation which forms the main focus
of our US coursework.
We had a great week of good food, early mornin
g runs, long walks, shopping,
visits of museums and monuments and so much
more. Many thanks to Jodie
Reynolds for organising such a memorable week.
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Greenhead
news
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 Spring 2015
Business students’ success in prestigious
ICAEW competition
This year’s ICAEW BASE competition was
held at the Village Hotel in Leeds. Students
had to work hard to formulate new business
strategies and present them to a panel of
judges. The task involved taking on the
role of a chartered accountancy firm Parker Greenhead Runners Up: James Herdman,
Young in order to advise family firm Zest Ltd Milan Farhan, Laura Hallowell, James
on how they should increase their profitability Pettinger, Max Nabridnyj and Henry Young
when faced with some important strategic
and ethical dilemmas.
The Greenhead team came runner up to a private school (Plymouth College who had
travelled up from Devon to take part). Mark Mitchell, Head of Business at Greenhead
College was very impressed by the presentational skills and business acumen of the
students taking part commenting that “this has been a valuable experience for all
the students in helping to prepare them for a professional career in business.” Top
accountancy firms EY, PwC and KPMG were all present at the event in a drive to
recruit some of the UK’s most promising business students.
More information from Mark Mitchell, Greenhead College Tel: 01484 422032
Things aren’t always what they seem:
Sociology Speakers at GC
On Tuesday, 10th February, several hundred Sociology A-level students were privileged
to hear two engaging, educational and stimulating talks given, firstly, by Cyril Pearce
who focused on the history and significance of Conscientious Objectors during World
War I and, secondly, by Tony Gill who analysed social attitudes towards mental health
and in particular schizophrenia.
Under the title of his book, ‘Comrades in Conscience’, Cyril Pearce encouraged the
students to think beyond any traditional perceptions of young men willing to fight for
King and Country; while most did, there was a significant minority, and in Huddersfield
in particular, who actively resisted the call to go and kill their fellow men. Looking at
society afresh was also central to Tony Gill’s appeal to the students to consider their
perceptions of mental health. Reflecting his research paper, ‘The Lived Experience of
People with Schizophrenia’. Over the three hours, both speakers interacted with the
audience answering questions and using well-chosen slides and projections. Mark
McKay, who organised the event, commented that the students learnt a great deal
about the issues and the use of appropriate sociological research methods. PW
Religion and Science Conference:
On Tuesday March 11th our AS-level Religious Studies students attended an
in-house conference hosted by Dr Peter Vardy covering revision topics broadly
arranged under the heading of Religion and Science.
Dr Vardy is the former Vice Principal of Heythrop College University of London which
is a specialist Theology and Philosophy college. Since retiring, he has set up Candle
Conferences and is now the Lecturer to whom almost every sixth former turns for
help in revision and making quite often very difficult topics a little clearer and easier to
understand.
There were four separate lectures and a small
debate discussing such topics as the Big Bang, the
part mathematics plays in the Universe, Evolution,
whether there is any room or proof for God in
theories about creation and whether design in the
Universe points to random chance happenings or
an intelligent designer creating things with real
functional complexity and a specific goal in mind.
An excellent day that we hope will be become a
regular feature in our calendar from now on. IK
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Maths Report:
In November of this academic year Russell Main, Divya
Karan, Khalil Zaman and Leo Haigh represented GC
maths students in the UK Maths Team Challenge event at
Manchester University where they had to use maths they
learned at Greenhead in abstract and complex ways to
solve problems of an unfamiliar nature. They faced many
school teams from around the country yet still achieved a
college record finish.
Also in November, 120 maths students sat the UK Senior
Maths Challenge where the best performing students
gained Gold, Silver or Bronze awards by displaying
their problem-solving skills in unusual contexts; the top
performers could then go on to tougher rounds in the
future. Molly Acheson achieved “best in college” status.
In March this year A1 and A2 maths students went to the
Maths Inspiration Event at Leeds Playhouse, they were
treated to lectures by famous Mathematicians on “the
Fourth Dimension” and “using maths to model behaviour
in farm animals” and the kind of maths involved in
TV game shows. It was a fascinating experience and
thoroughly enjoyed by all who went.
Leo Haigh
Business/Economics
Trip to New York 2015
Twenty-eight students, accompanied by three
Business/Economics staff, left Greenhead
College in the early morning on Wednesday
11th February for 5 days in New York, to
experience everything that the city had to offer.
The trip included sightseeing in the financial district,
including Wall Street, a tour of the Museum of
American Finance and a poignant visit to Ground Zero.
An enthusiastic tour guide at Macy’s enabled students
to learn first-hand about marketing and promotion in
the world’s largest department store, with, of course, a
bit of time afterwards for shopping!
Other highlights included ice skating in Central Park in
the back drop of the Manhattan Skyscrapers, a theatre
trip on Broadway to see The Jersey Boys, visits to the
top of the Empire State Building and The Rockefeller
Centre and a boat tour around Liberty and Ellis Island
to see the Statue of Liberty. The only downside was the
weather. Despite very little snow, it was at times minus
12 degrees - a good job we all came armed with lots of
layers and woolly hats!
A huge thank you to all the students on the trip! AC
Greenhead
news
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 Spring 2015
Real World Economics
Greenhead Bake Sale:
On the evening of Thursday, 12th March 2015, a committee of
19 Economists from the College hosted the third annual Real
World Economics event.
The proceeds from the event go towards a student run microfinance
scheme administered through the Kiva global microfinance organisation.
This entirely student-managed microfinance portfolio is the only school/
college based one of its kind in the UK and the fourth largest school/
college based portfolio in the world. This year’s event carried the theme
of ‘Agriculture & Construction’ and the audience of 150 were treated to
a series of engaging talks all delivered by the Economics students. Using
the technology of audience interactive key pads, those present were able
to respond instantaneously to questions posed by the speakers throughout
their presentations. The guest speaker on the evening was a Greenhead
College alumni, Vishnu Hariharan, who became involved with Kiva as a
fellow, visiting the Philippines to oversee the management of microfinance
loans and their use in the field by entrepreneurs. Led by Project Leaders,
Alfie Ruttle and Freddy Blake, the committee researched, planned and
delivered talks on GM Crops, Urban Agriculture and the 2022 Qatar World
Cup. The Marketing team co-ordinated the logistics of the planning around
the event alongside ticket sales. Overall, Real World Economics 2015
was a huge success and this stemmed from a committee of 19 students
meeting up weekly for 7 months to plan and deliver something they are all
truly passionate about – Economics. JCO
‘Lessons from Auschwitz’:
For our ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ enrichment, we got the opportunity to
visit Poland on a one-day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau with The Holocaust
Educational Trust. On a frosty morning we flew from Leeds Bradford and
landed a short time later in a snowy Krakow. All that was going through our
minds was what we’d discover. Firstly, we visited a Jewish cemetery to get
an understanding of Jewish life before the war in the town of Oswiecim. It
was hard to believe a town with a high population of Jewish people could
be reduced to zero. Secondly, we visited Auschwitz I. We were taken around
the museum by a guide who explained the atrocities that had taken place
and showed us the harrowing reminders left behind. Finally, we visited
Auschwitz-Birkenau. We were taken aback by the sheer size of the camp,
and struggled to comprehend what it would be like to be an inmate. At the
end of the day we attended a memorial service at the iconic Birkenau railway
lines, we prayed with
Rabbi Barry Marcus
MBE, which was
both upsetting and
inspirational. Even
today, weeks on
we are still unable
to comprehend
the events of the
Holocaust.
Tyler and Patrick students, who wrote the article,
are pictured to the right of the guide.
Tyler Augustine and
Patrick Coleman
A successful bake sale for the Leonard Cheshire Disability
was held at Greenhead. The sale raised £75 plus a gift aid
contribution. This money will be used to help create a garden
for the residents. Many students complete voluntary work
as part of our Greenhead Voluntary Service Programme at
Leonard Cheshire and make a valuable contribution by helping
the residents. LJ
AS Geography trip to
Shropshire and Snowdonia
A very cold and snowy first half of the week was followed
by a milder, but windier second half. At least the rain kept
away! The students had to grit their teeth to brave the icy
waters of the river in Carding Mill Valley, but at least they
were treated to a warm and themed reception back at
the Preston Montford Field Study Centre. The final day up
in Snowdonia was
another cold affair
and particularly
windy on the Friday
with a few students
getting blown off
their feet! Visibility
was excellent
though, revealing
the myriad of glacial
landforms which
had been a magnet
of attraction for
a certain Charles
Darwin, prior to him
writing The Origin of
Species. RBR
GC students triumph in the British
Biology Olympiad Exam:
14 Biology students entered the British Biology Olympiad
exam this year; over 6,000 students from almost 500
schools took part. The exam tests students’ knowledge
beyond the syllabus. Our students did outstandingly well
achieving a total of 12 medals.
Sophia Hasanie was highly commended. Bronze medals
were awarded to Simran Kaur Rai, Helen James, Hengwei
Zhu and Ashleigh Davey. Oliver Spear, Max Smith, Sreya
Vadlamani and Mustafah Kazi achieved silver medals.
The four gold medal were awarded to Kai Lin Sun, Abdul
Al-Mohammad, Oliver Palmer and Joshua Norwood. A
truly fantastic result.
Three students, Abdul Al-Mohammad, Joshua Norwood
and Kai Lin Sun, as top gold medallists, have been invited
to take part in the second round of the exam. All medal
winners have been invited to an awards ceremony at the
Society of Biology in London later this year. JSV
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Greenhead
news
Rotary Youth Leadership
Awards (RYLA) Student Report
Josee is currently an A2 student who shares her
views about why attending the RYLA course has
proved so inspiring.
“On my arrival at the Centre, I had no idea what to
expect from the course. Our first task was to construct
a device efficient and reliable enough to enable the 32
members of the group to cross a “river.” But four days
later, we were able to successfully complete the same
task.
I went to RYLA not knowing what to expect but what
I left with was overwhelming. The confidence to say
“I can be a leader, an effective one. The ability to
contribute positively in a team. Be it with my skills or by
elevating morale with a permanent smile on my face, as
pointed out by my team mates.”
The RYLA experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
An opportunity made possible by Rotarians, who
sponsor us. I have met and shared memories with some
amazing people. These memories will remain with me
for a very long time, if not for the rest of my life. I cannot
express how grateful I am for my RYLA experience.” JE
EXAM SUPPORT
The Easter break is, without doubt, the most important
time of year for revision as students across the country
realise that their exams are just around the corner.
There is no single best way to revise as everyone revises
differently; the techniques students use depend partly on
what it is they are studying. However, the same principles
apply to all subject areas; rather than continuously
re-reading subject material, students should adopt a
strategic approach to their revision. Preparation and
practise is essential for success in exams.
The experienced Learning Mentors within the Study
Centre can introduce students to a variety of approaches
that will help them at this anxious and often stressful
time. Helping students to plan and organise their
time efficiently, whilst simultaneously dividing revision
into manageable chunks, will increase the chances
of remembering important information to aid exam
performance.
In addition to supporting individuals with revision
planning skills and strategies, we regularly assist
students with exam technique. Helping them to
understand how to interpret questions and use their time
wisely can develop exam confidence.
All students are welcome to come along
to the Study Centre (C2) at anytime to
make an appointment with a Learning
Mentor.
For more information follow us on twitter @
gcstudycentre.
Look out for the ‘stall in the hall’ providing free revision
resources and advice. CBE
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NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 Spring 2015
Oxbridge
Greenhead students
are in the process
of getting offers
from universities all
over the country.
This includes a
large number who
have achieved
offers from the
competitive
Russell Group
universities, which
include Oxford and Cambridge.
This year, 23 Greenhead students have provisional places at Oxford and
Cambridge, to study an extensive range of subjects including Medicine,
History, Mathematics and Engineering.
Over the last five years, 150 offers have been made to Greenhead students
from Oxbridge, representing intake from a wide range of high schools across
the region.
These students have benefitted from significant guidance with their
applications, including mock interviews and participation in the HE+
Programme, a University of Cambridge initiative to encourage state pupils to
apply to ambitious universities.
Greenhead’s Oxbridge Coordinator, Dr Martin Smith said “It is very important
that our students aspire to study at a university which will challenge them
intellectually. We do our best to encourage and support these young people
and give them the opportunity to fulfil their academic potential”.
March 2015 Careers
Report
This year’s Employer and Gap Year
Fair, held on February 12th, aimed
primarily at those not taking the
conventional HE path, show-cased
nearly 50 firms, both local and
national. A diverse range of areas
was covered, such as law, finance,
engineering, retail, the armed forces
and placements abroad. Students
found out about apprenticeships,
courses, employability skills,
sponsorship and volunteering. New
this year were short presentations by
eight firms and a helicopter parked
outside the main hall, encouraging a flying start to careers management.
100 students attended the Higher Education Convention at Manchester and
can look forward to college-organised visits to university open days later in
the term.
Currently students are choosing which talks they wish to hear at our annual
“What’s Ahead?” Conference in June, immediately prior to a week of workshadowing.
Students now receive a weekly email highlighting important careers
information and are welcome to access the department via facebook and
twitter.
For those who are still unsure, individual careers interviews are available
every day of the week. RB
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Greenhead
news
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 Spring 2015
The Student Officers 2015-2016:
Welcome to Greenhead’s recently elected Student Officers pictured
below. This team of nine provides an invaluable service to the
whole student community. Enrichment student journalists caught
up with the officers in a national election year to obtain some
salient soundbites about their roles and responsibilities.
Maja an aspiring lawyer, is the first female Chair in four years.
She aims to bring “approachability and determination” to the role.
Maja is also a Student Governor. Umar is a Student Secretary.
He is passionate about “representing people who don’t have a
voice and working with marginalised people.” Adam is the new
Student Finance Officer. Ideally he wants to ensure the executive
stays within budget and he wants to make a “lasting impact after
he leaves the role” and hands over to the next Student Finance
Officer. Harriet Hamber-Stott is the Student Equality and Diversity
Officer. She feels resolute about “eradicating racism and sexism.”
She aims to ensure that the college environment reflects a culture
where all individual learners are afforded an equality of opportunity.
Samaira is a Student Charity Officer and is partly responsible for
organising the Charity days. She enjoys this role as it allows her
to “influence people less fortunate than herself.” Ben is Student
Welfare Officer and joins Maja as a Student Governor. He defines
himself as a “guitarist, hospital volunteer, science enthusiast”
and boldly aims to improve the storage of bikes. After the recent
successful college charity fundraiser for Red Nose Day, music
enthusiast Alice is relishing her role as a Student Charity Officer.
Alice’s aspirations are to continue the “sense of community” within
college. James Bailey has recently been assigned the role of the
second Student Secretary. This involves taking the minutes of
meetings and promotional work. The strengths he hopes to bring
to this role are his organisational skills and coherent note taking
making “it easier for other members to carry out their duties.”
James enjoys playing the drums in his spare time and hopes to
pursue a media or journalistic related career. Finally, Rebecca is
Student Social Events Officer and was inspired to run for office as
she wants to promote events which get all “Greenhead students
involved.” Rebecca aims to work to deliver the current student
events which are already on offer. She feels a student officer’s role
is to “help everyone” and to lend a peer ear. Currently the team
are busy preparing to help enrol and support students joining
Greenhead in August. We wish the team every success.
Written by: Lucy Spence, Matthew Sweeting, James Bailey, Helen
Vella Taylor, Olivia Webster & Issy Wharton
Pictured from left to right: Rebecca Johnson, Samaira Mahmood,
Harriet Hamber-Stott, Alice Hambling, Adam Finchett, Maja Adam,
Umar Farooq, James Bailey and Ben Marsden.
Britain’s Brightest Business Brains
Once again Greenhead students were successful in
getting to the finals of the Target Jobs National Schools
Challenge, also known as the Schools Brightest
Business Brain Competition.
Out of 10 students representing the North East region an amazing seven
were from Greenhead College after successfully completing a series of
online aptitude tests. The finals were held at top law firm Wragg and
Co in Birmingham and involved a series of group tasks to judge the
students’ thinking skills.
Greenhead College Leavers’ Reunion and
Awards Evening:
This event was held at Huddersfield Town Hall in January 2015.
It was a celebration of student success featuring around 60
subject and achievement awards presented to over 80 returning
students. “The centre of the evening was the humble and
modest acceptance of the awards, the recipients representing
the achievements of the entire student body” (Paul Wood).
Entertainment was embedded within the occasion, notably
musical performances from the Big Band and the Chamber
Choir. A performance of Little Red Cap from Grimm’s fairy tales
featured alongside a visual montage presented by Greenhead’s
Student Officers. The winners of the Battle of the Bands Lana
and the Lion closed the enjoyable proceedings.
Pictured above are finalists: John Hughes, Charlotte
Thompson, Fergal Byrne, Gaby Anderson, Hollie Joyce
and Callum Gillott. Connor Ward was also a finalist.
Enrichment Film Club:
From celluloid classics to hybrid topical genres, the new Enrichment
Film Club is drawing hosts of student viewers. Katie Shaw, leader
of the Enrichment, is introducing the film canon alongside exploring
genre studies. Theoretical insights about film as a medium are
provided and post screening, there is a weekly forum for students to
write reviews. Congratulations to Elliot Barnett a Film Club member
who recently won a national review writing competition. Elliot’s
critique of ‘It Happened One Night’ has won national acclaim. He
was awarded a certificate, Film Review of the Week and a copy of
the Hitchcock classic ‘Vertigo.’ Josh Powers observes that it is “great
as a taster for what studying Film at AS-level might be like.” Ciara
Simms also references that this Enrichment has “opened up different
eras of film that I never would have considered before, and was
pleasantly surprised.”
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Greenhead
news
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 Spring 2015
New Faces • New Faces • New Faces • New Faces
Greenhead Won Her Back
‘Travel travel travel!’ enthusiastically
exclaims Catherine McIlroy, the new
addition to our Spanish department.
She has justified her interest with
travel to seven South American
countries, specifically mentioning
her teaching in Argentina as a fascinating cultural
experience. Perhaps a triumph to Greenhead’s
world-wide popularity, Catherine was in Bolivia
when she heard about the vacancy, and conducted
her interview over Skype. As a previous student of
Greenhead, she jumped straight on a flight back to
the place she ‘loved as a student’ and is enjoying
being part of the community once again. Fulfilling her
wish to teach Spanish at a more challenging level,
she hopes to continue teaching at Greenhead for
some time to come.
Phoebe Coburn and Katey Blagg
In the Business
Welcome to Cheryl Simpson,
Teacher of Business Studies. Prior
to joining Greenhead, Cheryl taught
Business at Dixons City Academy in
Bradford. Alongside this role, Cheryl
also held the positions of Head
of Sixth Form and Head of Careers and Transition.
Additionally, she was the Faculty Leader for Further
Studies. Cheryl has also delivered A-level EPQ and
General Studies. Current highlights experienced here
at Greenhead include “…enjoying really focusing on
my A-level teaching.” She is also impressed by the
“hardworking staff and students with a real focus on
teaching and learning.” Away from college, Cheryl is
the mother of three young children “…so much of
my spare time involves transporting them to rugby,
football and dancing.”
Costume Keen
Meet Chloe Ramsey, the costume
and prop technician who is the
newest addition to the Theatre
Studies department. Educated
at Huddersfield University, Chloe
studied costume and textiles before finding work
with an impressive 2.1 behind her! Balancing two
jobs, Chloe rarely gets a spare moment, however,
when she does, climbing and festivals are definitely
on her list. As a keen costume technician Chloe has
had work experience on many impressive sets, such
as ‘Great Gatsby’ at the Northern Ballet, and ‘Love’s
Labour’s Lost’ at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
She has even dressed actress Carla Mendonça,
originally from ‘My parents are aliens’, at The Royal
Exchange Theatre. Her dream is to design costumes
for films and theatre, but for now is enjoying finding
her feet in Greenhead. Dominique Haywood
A new and welcome
addition
A new and welcome addition to
‘New Faces’ is Geraldine Walker
from the History department, whose
passion for not only the subject
but the college is evident when
interviewing her. Geraldine attended Manchester
University to study Ancient History (naturally) and
Archaeology. When asked what she thought of the
college so far Geraldine replied, “Greenhead is the
best place I’ve ever worked at and the students and
staff have been very welcoming!” This brought me
to my next question: “Have you always wanted to
be a history teacher?” Not initially, when I was very
young I, actually wanted to be a Palaeontologist, but I
suppose that it ties in with History and it uncovers the
origins of the earth. I realised that I wanted to teach
History when I was at university” It’s not all work and
no play, however, as in her spare time Geraldine likes
to play the guitar and she’s also a keen gardener.
Dionne Spence
Under the Microscope:
A warm welcome to one of
Greenhead’s new faces, Lisa
Cadwell, who has joined our ranks
as a Biology teacher. We put her
under the microscope to find out
how she evolved into the teacher she is today. Lisa
was initially attracted to the medicinal benefits of
Biology, gaining her degree from the University of
Manchester in Biomedical Science. She began
her career as a researcher, but found the job to be
unfulfilling, and saw teaching as a way to enjoy her
subject whilst meeting new people. Greenhead’s
studious yet friendly atmosphere appeals to Lisa,
where ‘everyone’s got the same goals’. Outside of
her work, she is a self-confessed gym addict and
enjoys socialising with friends. We wish her luck
and every success at GC.Nathan Stewart, Sam
Harrison and Dominic Cooper
‘Yia!’ (Or ‘Hello!’) to Vicky
Rhodes
Greenhead welcomes the new
librarian Vicky Rhodes who has
joined us this year. Vicky enjoys
travelling to Greece in which she is
a fluent speaker - very impressive!
The ‘classic’ style of Greenhead’s library was a
contrast to the high schools she has previously
worked in teaching English. Furthermore, she loved
the focus of the students hard at work and the
wooden benches attracted her eye. Vicky’s favourite
book she used to teach at GCSE, is The Lord of
the Flies - something that she will always prefer to
read in a book format rather than the eBook (which
hopefully won’t pose a threat to our traditional
libraries!). Vicky always finds it difficult if asked for
a favourite book “as there are so many that I love
but I usually plump for Dumas’ ‘The Count of Monte
Cristo.’”
Olena Pfirsch & Colette McNulty
Thriving Networker:
Richard Lyons is our newly appointed Network
Manager. Richard has been working at our college
Ain’t no mountain high
since 1999 and has seen the college develop and
enough
thrive throughout the years. His job entails several
GC welcomes Mike Gregory, our
responsibilities including supporting over 2200
newest recruit to the IT technician
students and staff and managing all the computers
team. He not only has a passion
and infrastructure so the users get the best out of
for computers and software but
the facilities available. Away from College, Richard
also mountain climbing, skydiving,
is the President of the “Huddersfield Society of
motorcycling and other spine tingling outdoor
Model Engineers” who amongst other things run the
activities. Mike grew up in Huddersfield and was
Miniature Railway in Greenhead Park. Richard enjoys
a former student at Greenhead. At the end of his
the challenge of his job, working alongside respectful
animation course at University, he found his way back and intelligent students and staff.
to his roots and now he’s happier than ever. Having
Grace Powell & Mollie Powell
grown up around computers, it is no surprise that he
is now an IT expert. We wish him the best of luck.
By Maryam Hussain and Leanne James
Language Assistants:
Excellent Assistance:
Each year Greenhead’s Modern Foreign Language (MFL) students
have their curriculum enhanced as a result of the invaluable input
that the Language Assistants contribute. Working within the MFL
curriculum team, students directly work with Language Assistants
in a conversational and broader learning context. Thank you to
all the Assistants. They supply language learners with academic
expertise and cultural international insights. Enrichment student
journalists caught up with one of the Assistants to find out more.
6
The Enjoyment of Doing
A warm welcome to Tom Probert,
the newest addition to the Maths
department. Tom joins us as an
active teacher, though he had spent
much time post-university studying
economics working in offices and an
insurance company. As a teacher, Tom loves leading
a class and trying out different things. In his spare
time, Tom is involved in a variety of activities such
as mountain biking which puts his core strength,
balance, and bike handling skills to the test, as well
as being an active father and spending quality time
with his children. He also a member of Huddersfield’s
amateur Bridge team. Tom’s advice to students is do
what you enjoy doing and you’ll do well.
Shazana Kauser & Iona Kay
Bonjour Prescillia:
Welcome to Prescillia who is the latest French assistant to join Greenhead’s Languages
department. Her life (before Greenhead) involved studying English at University in France.
Prescillia enjoys working with students to develop their language skills whilst “bringing
in the French culture.” She is enjoying her time at Greenhead and living in Yorkshire for
the first time. She admits she misses French food, more so, her mum’s cooking but has
discovered her own interest in cooking with ingredients bought from Yorkshire Farmers’
markets. Prescillia loves reading, watching TV series and is an avid film watcher. “I’m
really happy! It is an amazing opportunity” to join the MFL team “and everyone is so
friendly.” Greenhead is lucky to have such a dedicated member of the team.
Lauren Osborne & Charlie Cockburn
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Greenhead
news
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 Spring 2015
Netball Semi Final Success:
Running Club Huddersfield 10k:
The second team hosted Brighton College in the semi final of the
AOC National Plate competition, relieved they were given the home
draw! A tense game saw the lead change hands five times with both
teams playing first class netball. Eventually Greenhead won through
with a final score of 37-33. This is a phenomenal achievement and
one which highlights the netball talent we have in the college. They
will now play in the final in Wolverhampton. This is not their only
achievement, however. Strong performances throughout the year
have seen them unbeaten in the league and with only one game to
go,the title is theirs. Admirably led by the dynamic duo of Phoebe
Walsh and Ellie Wright, the second team have achieved more than
most colleges first teams! Brilliant! SY
Sunday 22nd February
was the date. Eleven am
was the start time. Six
student runners joined
staff members Julie
Davies and Liz Bowen
to take on the delights
and demands of the
Huddersfield 10k.
Running Club is part
of the Enrichment
programme and we
meet every Wednesday
afternoon. Thank you to
Julie Davies for leading the excellent runs and providing the
group with diverse local routes. Thanks are also extended to
Steve Lumb who is part of the staff team. Thank you and well
done to all of the 2014-15 student runners.
National Schools’ Cross Country Finals:
Congratulations to Lucy Farquhar, Molly Traviss and Alex Robinson
who represented the county of West Yorkshire at the National
Schools’ Cross Country Finals in Blackburn on March 14th. These
super speedy students qualified for this race having ranked in the
top eight athletes at the West Yorkshire Championships held at
Silcoates on February 7th. MSH
National Hockey Success:
The college hockey men’s and women’s teams have already enjoyed
success this season by qualifying to AoC Sport National Finals in
April 2015 and are looking forward to some top class competition to
test their skills. The teams have done well in the AoC cups this year
with the men’s getting to the quarter finals and the women’s and
mixed teams still to play their semi-finals. Congratulations to Becky
Jessop, Becky Hague and Kieran Barker on making the National
Squad. MSH
Judo Joe
Joe Holdsworth
won the annual
Greenhead Judo
Competition
beating Sanni
Sanni in the final
with a superb
counter throw to
Sanni’s attack. A
quick leg sweep
saw Joe take
the gold award
throwing with
Left to right: Sanni Sanni (silver) Joe Holdsworth (gold)
a full Ippon
and Martell Moss (bronze)
score. In the
bronze play off Martell Moss beat George Etherington using his
groundwork knowledge from Ju-Jitsu to apply a strangle choke to
gain a submission.
Greenhead Judo Club continues to meet on a Wednesday afternoon
in term time. MM
AoC Sport National Championships
GC are leading the way again this year for the Yorkshire and
Humberside Region at the AoC Sport National Championships,
27th – 29th March at The University of Bath. Following the
Regional Tournament which was held at York University in
October, we have 46 students who have qualified in the
following sports: cross country, female hockey, male hockey,
netball and swimming, making us one of the largest qualifying
college’s in the North. The netball team will be hoping to defend
their title following last year’s success. Go TEAM GC!! ACR
Ski Trip 2015: Champoluc in Monte
Rosa Italy
Our best ski trip yet! Fabulous snow, fantastic students!
And we go back next year....Join us - skiers and snow
boarders. BF
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7
Greenhead
news
NEWSLETTER ISSUE 27 Spring 2015
National Netball Champions!
On Saturday 14th March, the netball team were crowned National
Champions for the second year in a row.
This is a phenomenal achievement when you consider that last year we were
the first ever Yorkshire side to win the U19 section. Over 200 teams throughout
the country enter the championships so competition was fierce at the finals in
Ellesmere Port. Greenhead were undefeated throughout the tournament. They
beat Guildford in the semi-final and then faced their old rivals Hartpury from
Gloucestershire beating them 13-9 in the final. Parental support was superb and
there were a lot of proud faces and tears! Well done girls you were brilliant!
However, their achievement gets even better. The girls won SEEVIC (South East
Essex Sixth Form College) away in the semi finals, so are through to the finals of
the Colleges National Cup and are also representing Yorkshire and Humberside in
the Colleges’ National Finals to be held in Bath later this month. Here’s hoping like
last year a National treble is ‘on the cards’! SY
World Challenge:
A group of 37 students and former students (the largest ever!)
travelled to St James’s Palace to receive their DofE Gold Award
from HRH the Earl of Wessex.
A group of 37 students and former students (the largest ever!) travelled to St James’s Palace to receive their DofE Gold Award
from HRH the Earl of Wessex. After some initial nervousness, the Earl had put everyone at ease and was genuinely interested in the
experiences we had to share. Many of us volunteered on the WACKY project, a packed programme of activities for young people with
disabilities aged 13 – 25. We found it a fulfilling experience as it provided us with the opportunity to interact with a wide range of
people and take part in activities we would not normally do so.
In addition to the ceremony, we had the opportunity firsthand to enjoy and be part of the spectacle of visiting a Royal Palace. CJ
Photography Acknowledgement: Thank you to Ian Kennedy for his range of excellent photographs which feature in this edition of Greenhead News.
8
ww w.gre en h e ad.ac.uk
Created by www.concept4.com (ref J9280-03/2015), an ISO9001 Quality and ISO14001 Environmental accredited company.
In September 2014, the two A2 teams had their training expedition and thankfully there was no rain!
It provided us with the opportunity to work as a team for the first time to complete tasks from naming our shovels (Barry and
Brian) to setting up camp. The fundraising process has been generally going well too! At Christmas we sold Christmas puddings
and chocolate cakes, and the Huddersfield Rotary Club have been generous enough to donate £471 towards our group project –
where we will be helping to build an eco-tourist lodge in a remote community to provide a regular source of income for them. CJ