belvedere - The Belvedere Academy

BELVEDERE
ACADEMY
Summer
July-August
2012
We l c o m e
To The Belvedere Academy
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Fantastic GCSE results for first non-selective
cohort of students at The Belvedere Academy
98% of all
students achieved
5x A*- C
98% of the students gain at least five A*-C
grades including English and Mathematics
As the first independent school to become an academy we
are delighted with the success of our students.
98% of the students who joined The Belvedere Academy in Year 7 in
2007, when it first became an academy, gained at least five A*-C grades
including English and maths. This achievement compares very favourably
with the assessments carried out when they started at The Belvedere,
which predicted that 70% would attain this standard.
Principal, Mr Kennedy said:
“The examination results achieved this year by both our A level and GCSE
students have been outstanding. Staff, parents, governors and, of course,
the girls themselves are thrilled with these results which is something
we have all worked very hard to achieve since the Belvedere Academy
started in 2007.
We are extremely proud of every single one of our Belvedere girls who
are maintaining the extremely high standards long associated with this
outstanding school.”
G.C.S.E.
98% A*- C
including
aths
English & M
Once again, Belvedere students have
excelled in their external examinations
at A level. Our results show that 66%
of all grades at A level were A*-B, an
increase from last year of 5% and 89%
were at A*- C, an increase of 6%. The
excellent results mean that last year’s
Year 13 girls can confidently take their
first choice university places, three of
which are Oxbridge entries.
91% of all GCSE
grades at A*
-C
37% A*- A
grades
100%
of A-Level
students passed
82% A
-Lev
s at A el
*-C
grade
%
11.6s at A*
e
Grad
30%
Grades at
A*’- A
Congratulations A2 and
G.C.S.E. Students
National Sports Week
Tug of War (students)
Many teams signed up, but only one could win. Students had to use all of their strength to rise to
the top. Each match was very close and all of the girls whom took part agreed it brought out their
competitive sides!
Tug of War (teachers)
With the student Tug of War being a great success, the teachers had a lot to live up to. Splitting in half,
the teachers battled it out and gave a very impressive fight. The teachers became very competitive
and after the initial teacher battle was over Mr Wright and Mr Austin decided to have their very own
Tug of War. Again, it was a very close battle with Mr Wright eventually pulling to success.
By Olivia Rowley, Ceállach Bennett and Chloe Moran , Year 8
On Monday 25th June 2012 during National Sports Week, our PE department organized an array of
activities for both pupils and staff to take part in to celebrate the event. Each day of the week, was
jam-packed with fun and traditional activities that everybody could participate in.
Zumbathon
Full of dance, the Zumbathon proved a big hit. Many signed up and danced Monday lunchtime away
to a variety of energetic songs.
Hulahoopathon
Lots of the girls brought out their inner-child by taking part in the hula-hooping extravaganza. Even
the teachers got involved, showcasing their amazing hula-hoop skills!
Tag Rugby Challenge
A lot of teams entered the one-off competitive match. It was a nail biting tournament and we saw
some amazing tag-rugby talent. It was a fun, fast and action packed.
Young Leaders
The Belvedere Academy has 7 young leaders who are committed to a Leadership Club on Thursday
lunchtimes. They receive training and work as a team to develop their skills. The leaders are currently
volunteering in primary schools, secondary schools and their local community sports clubs. They
demonstrate their skills through leading warm ups, officiating at sports clubs, competitions and
organising various sporting events. They have attended a young leaders conference which enhanced
their confidence and self esteem. Well done girls and keep up the good work.
LSSP Sports Challenge
On Tuesday 19th June, Year 9 pupils attended the LSSP Sports Challenge morning session. They
took part in Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball and Badminton. The Volleyball team were delighted to be
crowned Volleyball champions beating Bellerive in a close final. The pupils really enjoyed the day.
On Thursday 28th June 2012, Belvedere’s English and Media Department held a
star-studded media showcase. GCSE and A-Level students showcased their Oscarworthy work to an audience of fellow students, teachers and parents.
Most of the students who took part received awards such as, ‘most likely to send a chill down
a teacher’s spine.’ Another award went to the winners of the 10 second film competition,
where we had to condense our favourite film to only 10 seconds. Many students entered
this competition and the standard was really high. The winning film was ‘Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory’ edited by Rosie Bell and Francesca Bennett, who won Odeon cinema
vouchers.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest names, such as, Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Depp and Arnie Swarchenegger
attended the red-carpet event ... well, their cardboard cut outs did anyway!
We were entertained by a wonderful band called Boy Story 4, which included Belvedere’s very own Mr
Woolley. They played old time movie classics such as Ghostbusters and Footloose, and a show stopping
finale performance of My Girl. The whole event was full of laughs, cheers and smiles. Well done to the
English and Media department for pulling off this fantastic showcase, and a huge well done, to the
students who had their work showcased. Each and every one of their films was truly excellent.
By Kiera Finn-Oluonye and Amy Higham
School of Rock 2
Salters Competition
Friday 18th June saw the Geography and Science
Teams join forces to provide Year 8 with a fun,
interactive day about Rocks! We began with
an assembly by Miss Palin and then everyone
descended into Science in form groups to be
taught five different rock-themed lessons:
igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, weathering
and erosion, the rock cycle, and dinosaurs. The
day ended with a plenary and ‘rock star’ awards
assembly.
Our Year 8 Chemistry Team (Aminah Masood, Anna Nicholson-Krackiewicz, Lydia Kinman-Carroll and
Katie Lou Holland) won the overall first prize at the Salters’ Festival of Chemistry at the University of
Liverpool on Wednesday 13th June 2012.
It’s amazing what
you can see through
a microscope
They competed against 16 other schools from across the country including Wirral Grammar for Girls
and Liverpool College on Merseyside. One of the lecturers mentioned that their ‘fool-proof’ chemistry
method was something he had never seen before and was so good that they would put him out of a
job!
Liverpool Science Challenge Day
I loved
creating crystals
Earlier this year, twelve gifted and talented girls from Year 8 and 9 attended the Liverpool Science
Challenge Day at Liverpool Hope University.
I’d love more days
learning about rocks
using chocolate
Congratulations to Head Girl Eleanor Moubray
who received a Physicist of the Year award
at Liverpool University. She was formally
presented with this award at an evening
function held on Wednesday 4th July.
Cong
rats!
The girls were presented with a challenging range of problems to solve including building a bridge
to span a gap, designing a robot to complete an obstacle course and solving crimes using forensic
science. The Belvedere teams solved some tricky problems and had the best designed bridge and one
of the fastest racing cars. The girls had a good time understanding science, university life and gained
an important insight into scientific careers.
Green Day
On Friday 22nd June 2012, STEM club organised and
developed an activity as part of Green Day. Students
had the chance to create their very own ECO Superhero.
Green day is an event for schools about climate change
and the environment. As a School we are in the process
of following a seven-step process to achieve a Green Flag
Award. The Green Flag Award symbolises excellence in
the field of environmental activity. Green day helped to
raise awareness of being environmentally friendly and
will thus contribute to our school gaining this award.
The Belvedere Bake-Off
The Belvedere Bake-Off challenge was to create cupcakes with either
an Olympic or Jubilee theme. With two prizes of £20 there was a
lot at stake and there were nearly 60 entries. The competition was
open to Key Stage 3 and took place in the library. The cakes were
marked by a team of judges who were looking at the flavour texture
and appearance of the cakes. Teachers were then able to buy them,
which raised £62.01 for Marie Curie and £62.01 for our Moroccan
Charity. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and tension as
the contestants came to see if their cakes had won. No matter the
result it was a fun and delicious day. The Jubilee and Olympic prizes
were won by Rebekah O’Neill and Alina Carrasco Toft.
By Amina Masood and Lydia Kinman-Carroll
Tall Ships ...
Ten days to sail from the top of England to the bottom with your friends sounds like the perfect start
to summer. Living a sailor’s life in the big blue sea is not an opportunity that comes around every
day. When hearing that the ship had to be thoroughly cleaned everyday and we would be sleeping
in tiny hammocks, I questioned if the experience would be the best for me, but I decided I was going
to go for it.
The first few days seemed like an eternity, waking up at 4am to be ‘on watch’ even though we could
see nothing but sky and water for miles on end. Everybody’s sleeping pattern was messed up and
every hour of the day there would be a random body curled up in their hammock. Once I had found
my ‘sea legs’ and had stopped vomiting over the side of the ship the journey became much better.
All of the students on board were allowed to climb up the masts to set the sails, which was both
thrilling and frightening at the same time. By the fifth day the sun was shining and the ship had
docked in Belgium and we were allowed to venture into the town and buy some famous Belgian
chocolate, as well as a challenge to find the tackiest souvenir!
By the tenth day, I did not want to leave the Stavros S. Niarchos and the close friendships I had made.
Meeting new people from all around the country doing activities I never thought I would do made
me realise how important it is to try new things that might even scare you - they might change your
life! The experience helped me to appreciate some things I had taken for granted and I made some
unforgettable friendships.
By Elle Battle Kennedy
Belvedere Academy has helped sponsor ‘Teaching Liverpool to Cook’ with its 100 day campaign.
It was set up to get the whole city cooking again and start a ‘Cookery Revolution’. Other sponsors
include Il Forno, Sapporo, The Home Quarter and Liverpool Hope University. The sponsorship enables
us to send 20 pupils to a Can cook session at Il Forno and Sapporo which is happening next week. The
project is designed to try and tackle obesity and encourage families who rely on convenience foods
to learn to cook wholesome foods on a budget.
Morocco
Mr Kennedy was invited by the British
Moroccan Society to visit a school called the
Talatast Rural Centre which is situated in the
Atlas Mountains near Marrakech, Morrocco. The school (or learning centre) is for Berber
children and women.
History Trip to
Conway Castle
Before the learning centre was opened
there was no school at all in the village and
children were unable to receive any education.
The learning centre has now become the focal point of the village with children waiting patiently
outside for their opportunity to use its only classroom. In the evening the centre is attended by
young women, most of whom have never been to school.
In some of the photographs you will see the children wearing surplus items of school uniform
donated by Belvedere Preparatory School who are supporting this school. We at Belvedere Academy
are also supporting this community and on the last day of term Belvedere girls were asked to bring
in any unwanted school uniform which was boxed up and will be shipped in a huge container to
these children at the end of each term or academic year.
Sixty students and seven staff enjoyed a day out at Conwy Castle in Wales on 26th June. We arrived in
the town of Conwy just before our guided tour of the magnificent castle which dominates the skyline
of the town of Conwy. The castle was commissioned by the English King Edward I in 1283 in an effort
to keep the Welsh under control. He built or repaired 17 castles between the border of England and
Wales and also around the coast of Wales.
The girls were taken around by our two very experienced guides, Mr Hilton and Mr Groom, who
explained about the strengths of this type of castle and how the King could escape if they came under
attack. We looked at features such as the Great Hall, the Chapel and the King’s Private Quarters.
After the tour, the girls were then led on a short walk along a section of the Conwy town walls by
their History teachers. The walls are 3/4 mile long and
originally contained the whole of the town of Conwy.
Our original plan was to have lunch in the park but
unfortunately poor weather meant we had to go back
to the coach to eat. After lunchtime the girls had an
opportunity to visit the two excellent gift shops by the
castle and buy an ice cream before we returned to school.
Both of our guides complimented the girls on their
excellent behaviour throughout their time at Conwy. The
girls themselves described the day as “adventurous”,
“fun” and “exciting.” Many of the girls said they would
recommend it to the next Year 7 students noting that “if
you go you’ll have a ball” and that it was “one of the best
trips ever.”
By H Batterton
Advertising In The Belvedere
Academy News Ezine
Charity Walk
The Belvedere Academy News Ezine is published five
times a year, in September, November, January, April
and June. 1500 electronic copies are widely distributed
among parents, local businesses, nurseries, churches and
primary schools. Advertising with us will reach a large
target audience throughout Liverpool.
All revenue is put back into the production of the
magazine.
On Friday 15th June all of the students in Year 7 took part in a sponsored walk around Princes Park.
The students did as many laps as they could. Mrs Marshall and Miss Marley organised the event,
which was to raise money for Marie Curie. For this fantastic cause walkers, joggers and runners and
even some teachers managed to raise an impressive £750. The rain stayed off and it was a very
relaxing end to the week.
The advertising rates and advert dimensions are:
• FULL PAGE COLOUR £250
Inside front/back cover 180x265mm
• FULL PAGE A4 BLACK & WHITE £200
180X265mm
• ½ PAGE COLOUR OR BLACK & WHITE £60
(landscape) 180x130mm
• ¼ PAGE COLOUR OR BLACK & WHITE £40
(portrait) 90x130mm
By Mercy Opawole 8J and Beth Roberts 7W
KPMG Competition Winners
Yr 12 win KPMG competition. The 6th form
team consisting of Chloe Carter, Emily Rankin,
Georgina Partington and Roisin Vanes beat several
other teams from Merseyside schools to win the
inaugural KPMG Entrepreneurial Challenge.
Their business idea in support of the Oliver King
Foundation, was viewed as an outstanding project
and was even acknowledged by other schools the
best! They displayed all the qualities of Belvedere
Girls in winning the competition
By Mr Lucas
ts!
Congra
Visit to a Local Mosque
On Thursday 28th June a group of Year 12
Sociology students visited the Al Rahma Mosque
in Toxteth to learn about different religious beliefs
and practices in preparation for their study of
Beliefs in Society as part of their A2 studies.
The girls had a guided tour of the Mosque and
learnt about the key beliefs and practices of the
Islamic faith. They had the opportunity to listen
to daily prayers delivered in Arabic, ‘read’ the
Qur’an and ask questions about Islamic beliefs,
practices and culture.
Reward Lunch
As a reward for all our hard work and dedication
to being a Belvedere Girl, we were invited to a
rewards lunch in Princes Park. The rewards lunch
was a fun treat; it felt great to be rewarded for
all of our hard work this year. We loved having
the chance to mix with other girls from different
forms who we might not usually get to spend
time with outside of lessons. Mrs Marshall and
Miss Marley organised some great games and the
sun was shining out in Princes Park so we could
relax and enjoy our lunch together.
To place an advertisement, please contact Abi Cox on 0151
471 1845. Advertisements should be submitted as JPEG or
PDF files on CD or emailed to a.cox@belvedereacademy.
net
Cheques should be made payable to GDST Academy Trust.
All copies and payments need to be received one month
before publication.
Congratulations to the News Team from Belvedere’s
talented Journalism Enrichment. They are:
Keira Finn, Amy Higham, Abigail Stevens, Ceallach Bennett,
Maia Gaynor, Chloe Moran, Kalisha Mello, Nicole Gilbert,
Amy McDonald, Mercy Opawole and Olivia Rowley, Miss
Keating & Mrs Cox.
Many thanks to teaching staff who have also contributed
articles and photographs. For more news please visit
www.belvedereacademy.net
If you have any comments or suggestions for the
magazine then please contact Mr Peter Dykeaylen:
[email protected]
The Belvedere Academy
17 Belvedere Road
Princes Park
Liverpool
L8 3TF
0151 727 1284
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.belvedereacademy.net