July 2013 - St Michaels
Transcription
July 2013 - St Michaels
St. Michael’s Catholic School Summer Term Newsletter St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk Principal’s News Newsletter Date: 23 r d July 2013 As we come to the end of another busy year I would like to thank you all for your continued help and support. Principal: Mr R. Simpson Vice Principal (Primary): Dr S. Leonard Vice Principal (Secondary): Ms E. Skinner Contents Principal’s News 1 Upcoming Events 1 News as reported in enewsletter House Summer Sports & Sports Day 2-9 10-13 Dates for the Diary Upcoming Events End of Term Year 9 & 10 Trip to Normandy A2 & AS Results GCSE Results 14 We work with all pupils with the intention of doing our best for them and encouraging them to grow and develop in an environment where the gospel injunction to ‘love your neighbour’ is taken seriously and where service is seen as an important part of life within this community. Once again we anticipate that a number of significant improvements will be in place for your children when they return after the school summer holidays as we try to improve the educational environment within the school still further. At this time of year it is always the case that we have to say goodbye and thank you to staff who have made a significant contribution to the life of the school and we prepare to welcome new faces to pick up the baton for future cohorts of pupils. I would like to extend my gratitude to all staff who are leaving and wish them well in their new roles. A new staff list will be available on the school website in September. Please note that from September we will revert to the normal Autumn/Winter school uniform in the Secondary Phase. This means that the polo shirts should not be worn. Given the hot weather we have had this year the polo shirts have been a real help to keep children cooler than they otherwise might have been. Can I also remind you that the rule on hoodies and inappropriate school outdoor coats remains unchanged for September. The rule on coats is that they should plain navy or black coats. I would like to remind parents that holidays and absences generally will not be authorised where a pupils attendance is below 90%. Please try to stick to the dates when the school is closed for planned absences as attendance is linked closely to achievement. We will be looking at new DFE guidance on holidays and attendance in the near future and will share this with you in September when governors have considered the implications further. I pray that you are able to have an enjoyable and restful summer and that you return safely to the school in September from wherever you are during the summer holidays. Best wishes. Mr R Simpson Principal St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk Ricky Brown Dance Workshop All the children in the primary phase had a wonderful day with Ricky Brown doing his dance workshops. The routines that they managed to learn in the time that they were with him were quite amazing and the performances were superb – we have some real ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ stars of the future. Many of the children said that they wished they could have done the dancing all day. The teachers thoroughly enjoyed it, too, and many thanks go to Mrs. McDermott for organising this opportunity for everyone. Year 8 Athletics Event, Tuesday 4th June Isis Hogan came 2nd in the 1500m, Natalia Klejnowska came 1st in the shotput and 4th in the 100m and both Kacper and Milan made it to the 100m final. A superb effort by all. Year 11 Geography Field Trip to Lulworth Cove On Friday 7th of June, 70 Year 11 Geographers set off for Dorset to carry out the data collection for their controlled assessment. The journey down was punctuated with some heavy downpours but we arrived in Lulworth shortly after 12 o’clock to glorious sunshine. The students then set about collecting data, talking to visitors and taking various measurements as they investigated the impact tourism has had on the area. After a rain shower mid-afternoon we had to abandon our walk up and over to Durdle Door and instead headed towards Swanage and the Youth Hostel that would be our accommodation for the evening. The students were allowed some free time in the town before heading back to the classroom for more work. There, data was collated and organised before tea. The students worked so hard that they had everything completed and could relax in the evening. Some took to the games room, some to the lounge room where critical appreciation of the singers on ‘The Voice’ took place! After a relaxing evening everyone headed to the washrooms and then to bed. Following a refreshing night’s sleep we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading back to High Wycombe. The journey was clear and we arrived back to smiles and hugs from family. Thanks to Miss Bungard for the entire organisation and planning that went into the trip, to Mrs Grey for her expertise and guidance and to Mr Pless and Mr Maxfield who also accompanied the trip. Art Exhibition, Thursday 13th June The Art Department hosted their annual exhibition of GCSE art work on Thursday evening. As last year, art work from both phases of the school was on display. For the older pupils the exhibition is a crucial part of their Art course but for the younger ones it was a chance to showcase their work from across the year. Well done to all and special thanks to Mrs Sheehan and Mrs Austin. KS4 Information Evening, Thursday 13th June There was a very good turnout from parents of pupils that have newly started Year 10. The presentation given is available on the school website to download for any parents that were unable to attend. Father’s Day Celebrations Both the Reception classes had a wonderful time on the St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk afternoon Friday 7th June celebrating Father’s Day. Dads, granddads, uncles, Godfathers and big brothers were all invited in to spend some time playing and learning with the children and enjoying the inside and outside learning classrooms. Miss Condie and Miss Rudki were delighted with the turn-out – we had 45 visitors in total which was just fantastic! Given on-going research and news about the importance of male role models in children’s lives, this seemed to be a very positive picture for our pupils. Huge thanks go to all those who organised their time to be able to attend and who so willingly rolled up their sleeves and got involved organising games and activities. Musical talents We had a wonderful concert on Tuesday with Mrs. Fiske’s recorder, clarinet and flute players. The children entertained us with a variety of musical styles including jazz and classical and we had some wonderful solos from Megan Denham, Rebecca Staggs and Caitlin Maye. Mrs. Fiske has done a brilliant job with her musicians and they are testament to the real joy of learning an instrument. We are delighted at the number of primary phase children who have expressed an interest in continuing to learn or starting a new instrument next year. Father Willie’s Golden Jubilee St. Michael’s Catholic School were superbly represented on Friday 14th June at Father Willie’s Golden Jubilee mass. Children from across the phases were represented with Elsie Connolly, Thomas McDermott, Jaydn Briggs and Jessica Palin all reading bidding prayers and presenting the offertory gifts to the Bishop and Ben D’Cruz serving on the altar. Father Willie was very touched by the children’s contributions and made special mention in his thanks on the Parish newsletter and after Sunday morning mass. We felt very blessed to have had a role in such an important occasion. District Athletics 14 schools entered the competition but with all the single sex schools the positions were as follows. Y7 girls 9th out of 12 Y7 boys 5th out of 10 Y8 girls =6th out of 12 Y8 boys 6th out of 10 Y9 boys 6th out of 10. Y10 boys 5th out of 9 (There were not enough girls to enter a full team in Year 9 or 10 but well done to Clare Croome and Razia Quashie for representing the school so well) Stand out performances Razia Qashie - Y10 girls - 1st in triple jump and 3rd in shot Aaron Carey - Y10 boys - 3rd in 100m and 4th in long jump Marton Balogh - Y10 boys - 3rd in high jump Aaron Gould Adams - Y7 boys 1st in high jump, 6th in 100m and a dominant performance in the 4x100m relay Year 10 & 11 Theatre Visit to War Horse Picture courtesy of the Guardian website Drama students from Year 10 and 11 headed into London on Wednesday evening to watch the superb adaptation of War Horse, the stage play of Michael Morpurgo’s book, which has also recently been turned into a film. The group were fortunate to be met by one of the lead puppeteers who explained how they managed to get the horse to look so life like. The play itself lived up to expectation and the students arrived back at school St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk after an impromptu night time tour of London’s sights. Year 10 & 11 Careers and Enterprise Days Year 10 & 11 students have been taking part in Careers and Enterprise Learning tasks earlier in the term. Day one was similar to Dragons Den where the students had to design a product, market it and present their ideas to the rest of the year. Day two focussed on areas of citizenship as they designed an election campaign. There was a buzz around the rooms with students busily working in teams and rehearsing their presentations. Some used music and drama to enhance their message. Each student was assessed during Day 1 and will receive a City & Guilds certificate which they can put into a CV. Results from Parental survey There were 79 parents that responded to the online parental survey representing 103 pupils, of which that largest group of responses came from parents of students in Years 7, 8 and 10. The survey ran for three weeks from 20th May to the 7th June 2013 on the parents and carers page of the schools website. A summary of the feedback is available to download from the parent page of the school website. Thank you to all parents and carers that took the time to take part in the survey and we will inform you of future improvements. Primary Phase Sports Days The primary phase had two fantastic mornings for their sports days. The sun shone – but not too much – and it was warm but not enough to impair anyone’s physical performance. A huge variety of races were run including obstacle races, egg and spoon races, relays, hurdles, sprints and 100 metres and at the end of the Key Stage 1 and Foundation Stage day parents, toddlers and some of the teachers also completed their own races. It was wonderful to see everyone having so much fun and the atmosphere was great. The staff worked really hard to make the mornings run smoothly and work so well but special thanks must go to Mrs. McDermott who spearheaded both events and made some very considerable changes to the format which seem to have gone down well with everyone. Thank you if you managed to come and share the morning with us and we all hope you enjoy this small selection of photographs. Reception visit to Odds Farm Park Reception children had an amazing first day trip to Odds Farm Park. Once again they were very lucky with the weather because it didn’t rain until they were all back at school so they could enjoy the many different activities on offer including feeding the young calves and lambs, watching the sheep racing, going on the Odds Farm Park tractor and train and meeting a whole range of animals. All the children told me they had really enjoyed the day and one pupil St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk reported it was the best day of her life! Miss Condie worked very hard to arrange the trip and was well supported by Miss Rudki and the many members of our staff who accompanied the children on the day. Year 5 Summer Games Wycombe Museum Last term, Mrs. Heffer organised a project which enabled our Year 4 and 5 pupils to enter the ‘Design a New Museum’ competition for Wycombe Museum. This was open to children and schools across the county and beyond and we were absolutely thrilled to find out that one of our pupils – Erin McGovern in Year 5 – had won the first prize for her fantastic suggestions. Madalyn Baskerville from Wycombe Museum came and presented Erin with her prize and certificate on Monday and Erin’s design can be seen at the museum for the next few weeks. Erin’s brilliance has also meant that we have a £50arts and craft voucher to spend on the school and we have also been asked to represent the school’s perspective on the planned changes at meetings over the coming weeks. Brilliant work, Erin – we are very proud of you! Year 5 pupils were lucky enough to take part in the Summer Games event organised by Mrs. Simmonds at the secondary phase. They had an incredibly sporty week! Given the opportunity to take part in a range of different sports, they competed with other local schools including St. Peter’s in Marlow and Wycombe C.E. All of them came back saying how much they had enjoyed the morning and our basketball team were victorious with a first place finish. They said that learning basketball in their PE lessons had really helped but Shaye from 5W also spoke for the group when he said that the quality of their team work had been the deciding factor. Well done all of you! for different animals, to feel a snake’s skin – which is much drier than they thought it would be – and to go on the special Whipsnade train. Thanks go to the many parents who accompanied the children and gave up their time to make the visit possible. Year 13 Charitable collections The Mayor of High Wycombe, Trevor Snaith was in school on Monday afternoon to give out certificates to pupils in Year 13 who have been working to raise money for a range of charities all year. They have been organising bake sales and sweet stalls to raise money. The mayor’s visit has also been covered by the Bucks Free Press. Year 1 Visit to Whipsnade Zoo As part of their science topic, Mrs. Nye and Mrs. Lloyd organised a visit to Whipsnade zoo. The children had an amazing time and many of Year 1 said that seeing the splashing sea lions was a particular highlight. They had the opportunity to see feeding time Year 13 pupils being recognised for their charity work St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk Secondary Phase Trips Day From KS3, 147 pupils went to Chessington, 36 went Paintballing and a further 29 went to Hemel Hempstead where they spent the day skateboarding or caving/rock climbing and swinging on high ropes. At KS4, pupils went to Thorpe park. Before they ever left the Sports Centre in High Wycombe they had had to make sense of complicated letters, make decisions about first and second choices, persuade and negotiate with purse holders, meet deadlines for payment and be at the right place at the right time on the day. At their chosen destination they had to listen out for instruction, cooperate with peers, teachers and Venue staff, and be reliably back at the meeting point at the end of the day, complete with all their belongings. So far so good then back to the Sports Centre where they had to ensure they went to where you expected them to be - this is the point at which it did go wrong for a very few but we were able to reunite everyone eventually! I hope they had fun in addition to the learning experience of being one amongst many in an organised trip and you can all be proud of the way your children conducted themselves; they are a credit to you and to the school. Mrs Murray-Smith HoKS3 and Miss Costar HoKS4 7C Form Charity 7C have been running charity events throughout the year to raise money for Frenchay Intensive Care Unit. We have had two cake sales, Christmas Cinema, Candy Grams and members of staff have kindly made individual donations. We have raised a grand total of £320.57 and we would like to thank all students, staff and parents for their support in helping us to raise this money for such a good cause. By Nadine El-Kordieh, Grace Donaldson and Emily Goddard Year 8 Food Technology Visit to Domino’s Pizza On Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th two groups of Year 8 went down to Domino’s pizza in the town to see how pizzas are made. This fits into their topic on multi-cultural foods. The following is a combined report from three pupils. On a sunny morning we walked down the steep hill to town. When we arrived we were shown around by the people that worked there. They showed us all the food and drinks and took us into the walk in fridge which was needed to keep everything fresh and cool. We then got to make our own pizza. The dough was already made but we learned how to stretch it; this is called docking. They use corn maize to make the pizza nice and crispy. We then put on the sauce and different toppings. We then put the pizza into the oven. The pizzas went onto a conveyor belt which automatically takes the pizzas through the oven. We could then eat our pizza and there was a competition for the best ones made. It was a really fun trip and thank you to Miss Marshall and Mrs BarnettSmith for organising it and thank you to Domino’s staff for taking time to show us how they make pizzas. by Meschech Inniss, Maja Klejnowska and Lucy Russell Alec’s Angels On Wednesday 10th July, 10 More led assembly. They had invited in Brian from Alec’s Angels. Alec was a little boy who died from cancer and his father, Brian set up a charity to support other children with childhood cancer. Alec’s wish was to make children suffering from cancer SMILE and the other was to offer support to their families to cope. In June the form group took part in a 5K fun run and raised a total of £441. Brian presented medals and certificates to all the runners and in return he was presented with a cheque for the money raised. If you would like to know more about the charity and other events they run to raise money and awareness please visit their St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk website: http://www.alecsangels.co.uk/ money will go to support the invaluable work they do with the street children of Nairobi. Some of this money will also go to sponsor a student with bright prospects who attends the Irbaan School in the Mara. Claire and Freya presenting the cheque 10More with the Alec’s Angels team BBO Big Band Summer Bash for Imani Orphanage & Irbaan School, Mara A special thank you to Brian Greene and the band. Also a thank you to Brian’s wife Clare and her friend Jenny Witts who ran the bar. Due to the unusually warm weather they were kept very busy! Thank you to Conrad D’Cruz, Chair of the PTFA, for all he did to organise other refreshments and all the help he offered in setting up. The students from the Imani Team, led by Head Girl Olivia Grant, were also superb. They were here from early in the day helping to set up and direct operations. the country, due to the fact that the father of the family was falsely arrested. Along the way they’re met by different people who begin to play a large part in their lives, in order to help release the father from prison. During the time we spent on the production we met loads of new people and made some great friendships. By making friends with the cast we were able to help each other with lines and songs and if it wasn’t for the friends we made, we wouldn’t have eaten so much cake! The amount of cake people brought in for rehearsals was insane… although it didn’t stop us from eating it all. As the first show day was getting closer, we were worrying that we weren’t improving much; consequently more rehearsals were required. It eventually got to the point where we had a rehearsal every lunchtime and we pretty much lived in the PA! Finally we were beginning to improve and actually perform, rather than just saying or singing the words. Mrs I. Markowska & Mr M Angell Railway Children – A Musical A massive thank you for attending and supporting this wonderful evening that was enjoyed by parents, teachers and friends of St Michael’s. I am pleased to inform you that we have raised a total of £1061.55. The Imani orphanage has become a much loved school project and the Over the last 4 months we have been working on the production of ‘The Railway Children’: the story of a family who were forced to move to A lot of hard work and effort was put in to attempt to make the show one to remember, so much so that by the time the show days came along all our voices had been destroyed - yet we still managed to put on an amazing show; however if it St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk wasn’t for Mr Packer and Mr Popper the show would have been a complete disaster. They put an endless amount of time and effort in just to make us look amazing! We definitely couldn’t have done it without them! Chloe Taplin & Ali Harkcom 10F Tennis Club News 01494 448700 or e-mail [email protected] www.raceforlifesponsorme.org /stmichaelscatholicschool Cricket Team News or by texting the code SMCS50 and an amount to 70070 e.g. to:70070 msg: SMSC50 £5 All money raised will go to Cancer Research UK We have the cricket finals for y7/8 and 9/10 on Thursday 18th July and Monday 22nd July, after the deadline for the end of year newsletter, so here are the results from the games we have already played. Y7/8 Beat Highcrest Beat Great Marlow Beat Wye Valley Beat Sir William Ramsey Beat Beaconsfield Lost to Cressex Playing Great Marlow in the final at HWCC 22/7/13 The tennis teams have both performed exceptionally well in the second year of the district tennis leagues. The leagues have been more competitive this year and so it is fantastic that the year 7&8 team have made it through to the final being held at High Wycombe Tennis Club on Tuesday 23rd July. Both teams have been lucky enough to have free coaching at the tennis club this year, through our partnership with the LuvTennis Coaching Company. Anyone that is interested in getting some coaching can contact either Guy Britton or Tom Scott on Y9/10 Beat Beaconsfield Beat Great Marlow Beat Cressex Beat Sir William Ramsey Lost to Highcrest Playing Highcrest in the final at HWCC 18/7/13 Pink Day for Cancer Research, 19th July 2013 The Secondary phase took part in 5K race for life on Friday. Donations can still be given on A group of parents are organising a sponsored walk to raise money for Reggie Lenharth, the younger brother of one of the families at school, who has recently been diagnosed with a tumour. Reggie is currently undergoing treatment in a specialist unit in Southampton. The walk takes place on Sat 3rd August leaving St Michael's Secondary Site at 10.30am. A 5 Mile route which goes from the school down to the Rye and surrounding areas, then back up to the school where the PTFA have kindly offered to provide refreshments. For further information please contact: Lorraine Sweeney-Jones on 07956 884 554; email [email protected] Sharon Austin on 07900591724; email [email protected] Letters and sponsor forms are going home with every pupil and we hope to get a good St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk response and lots of people walking for Reggie ! Please note- the route is not suitable for buggies, scooters or bikes and children must be accompanied by an adult. Pastoral Area News Youth web page launched for Aylesbury Catholic Churches on the pastoral area website; to check it out go to the following link: http://www.aylesburycatholicc hurches.co.uk/index.php/youth World Youth Day 2013 http://www.pmgschoolwear.co .uk/index.php Use the School Uniform shop online service to order your uniform for collection or deliver. Please note that from September we will revert to the normal Autumn/Winter school uniform. This means that the polo shirts should not be worn. Can I also remind you that the rule on hoodies and inappropriate school outdoor coats remains unchanged for September. The rule on coats is that they should be plain navy or black coats. The uniform policy is available on the school website. Mr Simpson EXAM Results – Dates: The dates for the exam results this year are: 15th August – Years 12 and 13 (AS/A2) 22nd August – Year 11 (GCSE) WYD@Home Brightlights: 27th July at Aylesford Priory in Kent. A weekend festival for young adults aged 16-30 offering a great programme of prayer, speakers, bands and workshops. Experience the Spirit of World Youth Day in Rio. For more info visit: www.brightlights.org.uk or email: [email protected] or call 0845 805 7010. Online School Uniform Shop Results will be available for collection from 11am onwards. Pupils in Years 9 and 10 who sat GCSEs and GCSE modules will get their results on their return to school in September. A reminder that the Connexions Centres in High Wycombe and Aylesbury are open for students from 1-5pm on 15th August and 22nd August when exam results are published. Students are welcome to drop in if they wish to discuss their progression plans. Mrs D’Cruz – Examinations Manager Wycombe Harvest Sunday 8th September 2013 HWBIDCo and Transition Town Wycombe are introducing a new annual food event for the town called Wycombe Harvest. It is an interactive celebration of local food for all the family and will bring together produce from within thirty miles of High Wycombe. See www.wycombeharvest.co.uk Holidays/Leave of Absence I would like to remind parents that holidays and absences generally will not be authorised where a pupils attendance is below 90%. Please try to stick to the dates when the school is closed for planned absences as attendance is linked closely to achievement. Mrs Quigley, Attendance Officer Please pray for our school. If you would like to join the prayer list, please email: [email protected] St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk St Michael’s Catholic School Summer Games. During national School Sports week the PE department hosted the annual St Michael’s Summer games. The Students participated in one of four sports ranging from Cricket, Rounders, Basketball and Handball against other pupils in there year group. They participated as one of the forms Beckett, Campion, Fisher and More. The events were officiated by year 10 and students who did a fantastic job assisting the PE teacher in the smooth running of these events. The overall results are as follows: Year 8 Rounders Handball Basketball Cricket Overall points rd nd nd B 3 2 4th 2 45 (4th) nd rd st rd C 2 3 1 3 60 (2nd) F 4th 1st 3rd 1st 65 (1st) M 1st 4th 2nd 4th 50 (3rd) Year 9 Rounders Handball Basketball Cricket Overall points th th th st B 4 4 4 1 40 (4th) C 1st 3rd 2nd 3rd 60 (2nd) nd st rd nd F 2 1 3 2 65 (1st) M 3rd 3rd 1st 4th 55 (3rd) Year 10 Rounders Handball Basketball Cricket Overall points st rd st nd B 1 3 1 2 75 (1st) C 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 35 (4th) F 2nd 1st 4th 4th 50 (3rd) M 4th 2nd 2nd 1st 60 (2nd) Year 11 Rounders Handball Basketball Cricket Overall points th 2nd st B 1st 4 1 70 (1st) C 3rd 1st 3rd 2nd 60 (2nd) F 4th 2nd 1st 4th 50 (3rd) M 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd 40 (4th) The overall points from Summer and Winter games 2012/13 Beckett – 590 Campion 450 Fisher – 570 More – 465 St Michael’s Catholic School Newsletter www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk St Michael’s Catholic School Daws Hill Lane High Wycombe HP11 1PW Phone: 01494 535196 PTFA Social Media Links: Website: www.StMichaelsPTFA.org.uk Twitter: @StMsPTFA Facebook: St Michael's PTFA (High Wycombe) Fax: 01494 446523 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] (Use for absence at both phases) Webshop: www.spendandraise.com/StM ichaelsPTFA Living in the Light of the Gospel Email addresses: [email protected] Millennium.Club@StMichaelsP TFA.org.uk Calendar – Upcoming Dates for your diary We’re on the Web! http://www.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk MAKE SURE YOU’RE GETTING WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTERS. SEND AN EMAIL TO THE OFFICE EMAIL ADDRESS. Scan this QR code with your smartphone to go straight to the school website JULY 28th – 3rd August – Year 10 French trip to Normandy AUGUST 15th – AS/A2 Results Day 22nd – GCSE Results Day Secondary Phase Reporting Dates: Year Progress Full Parents Group Check Report Evening 7 09/06/14 21/03/14 21/11/13 8 11/10/13 31/01/14 15/05/14 9 23/05/14 17/01/12 17/10/13 10 30/09/13 27/06/13 09/01/13 11 06/12/13 13/02/13 03/10/13 12 10/02/14 19/12/13 07/11/13 13 28/01/14 19/12/13 07/11/13 Joint 12&13 Parents 13/02/13 Evening