the eagle - King`s Norton Boys` School
Transcripción
the eagle - King`s Norton Boys` School
THE EAGLE DECEMBER 2014 THE EAGLE DECEMBER 2014 CONTENTS Head’s Message Chair of Governors Message Head Boy Message House News Pastoral News Welcome to KNBS Charity News Welcome to our new students Sixth Form News Leavers Destinations Library News Maths News Prize Giving Evening Art News Learning Support News Student & Eco Council News Music News Science News History & Geography News Outdoor Pursuits & DofE News Sports News English News 2 3 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 21 22 Editorial Mrs B Newton Acknowledgments Thanks to all the staff and students for their contributions Cover Acknowledgments Front: Yr 8 students mountain biking at Cannock Chase Nov 2014 Back: Remembrance Day service at KNBS November 2014 THE EAGLE Headteacher’s Message I am very proud to be writing my first message for The Eagle. This has been a very busy term including a wonderful Prize Giving evening and superb Christmas concert. We also welcomed the Old Nortonians into school for their annual visit during October where students past and present met up to reminisce about their schooldays here at KNBS. A key impression I have had during my first term here at King’s Norton Boys’ is the importance of the school’s traditions; the re-launch of The Eagle exemplifying this. I am a firm believer in the importance of moving with the times and embracing change, but I also recognise the importance of our traditional values. For example, engendering in students pride in their appearance and respect for others are still as important today as they were in the past. The opportunities we give to our students both inside and out of the classroom provide them with the skills necessary to succeed academically and personally. Looking through this edition of The Eagle you can see the range of experiences on offer at KNBS and what a great school this is to be associated with. I look forward to working with staff, students and parents to make sure KNBS continues to be as successful in 2015 and beyond. Paul Woodhouse Headteacher 2 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Chair of Governors Message What good news! Our best ever GCSE and A level results. Congratulations to all the boys, congratulations also to the young men in our 6th form who look incredibly smart in their suits. They have even been commended by members of the public. As we all knuckle down to the hard work of a new academic year, hoping for greater success, I would like to remind everyone of our school message, “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in day out” Sarah Brown Head Boy Message As the school year is well underway it might be a good time to introduce myself and the rest of the Headboy team. There are six of us in total, one Head boy, two Deputies and three other team members. As a group, it’s a big commitment to be part of the team and one that we all take very seriously. One of our main functions is to represent the school at events, whether that means speaking to parents, students or visitors such as at the recent Prize Giving evening or by just being on hand to help out and meet and greet at the numerous events that take place throughout the school year. We also play a prominent role in fundraising and planning Sixth Form social and extra-curricular activities. This an important part of our role as it isn’t just about A Levels and grades but about enhancing the community spirit with some time away from our work. More importantly, we are the voice of the student body at school. This starts with the fact that we ourselves are students. Most of the concerns or queries you may have, we’ve probably had at some point in our time at King’s Norton Boys’ School. Our job is to relate these concerns to the teachers from the students point of view and to work alongside them to ensure our educational and pastoral needs are supported. It’s important to realise that we do not just represent the Sixth Form but the school body as a whole and with this in mind we work hard to encourage and maintain links between the students in the lower school and the Sixth Form. This is apparent when you see the partnership that takes place with the Sixth Formers and the year 7 & 8 students who attend the reading and maths workshops in the library. We care about our school, we care about its students and we want it to be the best it can possibly be. We are dedicated as a team to help both the staff and our fellow students and hope we can make a real impact. We aim to work hard over the next academic year and make a real difference to all those here at KNBS. Aaron Drapkin. 3 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE House News Neptune It has been a fantastic start to the academic year for Neptune House and I have been extremely pleased with the progress and commitment shown by students. It has been a privilege for me to send home such a vast amount of praise postcards recognising the success of so many students within the house. We are also celebrating record attendance figures in the house (96%) and it is clear to see the correlation between effort, attendance and success. At the recent awards assembly many pupils achieved 100% attendance and certificates for 50 positive red flags – an impressive feat. A special mention must go to the following boys who have achieved the coveted „Student of the Week Award.‟ This is a prestigious award that can only be achieved by one pupil in the whole of Neptune each week. Pupils are recognised through their effort, commitment and contribution towards a positive school ethos. The following boys should be extremely proud of their efforts: Matthew Lea 7N, Dylan Price 8N, Bryan Achy 8N, Nathan Hitchman 9N, Ciaron Bevan 9N and Ethan Carter 11N. Neptune House has had success on many fronts, and what was particularly pleasing was to see our House crowned champions in the recent Rugby competitions. Sport offers so many vital life skills and it is clear to see how effective the team work is within Neptune. A special mention must go to Alex Mistry and Nicolas Igracev who represented the House in an exceptional manner. I look forward to recognising progress, attendance and achievement in the coming term. Excellent start boys, well done! Mr Bradley Mercury Mercury House earned 6500 house points during the first eight weeks of the new academic year! Mercury are currently top of the House point league table and are battling to secure their first championship title in three years! Out of the top three highest achieving students in KNBS, Ben Wilson (9M) represents Mercury House; having earned 89 HP since the start of term. Well done Ben! I have been impressed with the contribution each member of Mercury House has made to a wide variety of competitions and extracurricular activities so far this year. Students are leading their own charity fundraising events and raising money for KNBS's chosen causes. Last year, Mercury House raised the highest amount of money for charity and this year, we intend to raise even more! Mercury House team are proud of the start their students have made to the new academic year and we hope to build on these successes as we move into 2015. Mr Lingard Saturn Saturn have been working really hard since the last edition of The Eagle. The achievement system has now changed whereby red flags count towards form and individual totals, as boys strive to achieve their best. Notable performers have been Leigh McLellan 82 red flags, Matej Novakovic 89 and David Joseph 90. House rugby has also been a highlight during the autumn term. There have been good levels of participation, and the boys' from Saturn performed to a high standard. The year 9 and 10 team were the stand out performers with 4 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Jamie Maynard, Nathaniel Christie, Joe Beesley, Faizan Ramzan, Jake Whitmarsh, Sam Fitzpatrick, Tom Stone, Sasha Melville and Ned Hollyoak winning the house rugby trophy for Saturn. I look forward to celebrating both academic and sporting achievements over the coming year. Mr Ramsey Jupiter Jupiter House have continued to set high standards this year and once again won the overall house competition in July. As a reward for this great win, the 3rd in a row, the whole house were invited to go on a trip to Drayton Manor just before the school broke up for October half term. The students and staff had a great time and it was fun and worthy reward for a very strong house. This year there has been a change in the way we record house points with all boys now gaining 1HP for every positive red flag they get in lessons. Currently the top four for Jupiter House are Danny Blake-Burke 9J with 93, Adan Omar 10J with 82, Cameron Smith-Mullings with 77 and Tommy Williams 8J with 77. The form with most HP's so far this year in Jupiter are 8J with 1637. The continuing hard work and determination of all the boys in Jupiter House is as always paying off and in particular they collectively have an attendance of 96% which is extremely pleasing. In particular 7J stood out during the certificate hand out at the start of the month where 20 of the 30 boys were awarded a 100% attendance certificate. I am extremely proud to be head of Jupiter house and look forward to seeing them continue to succeed into 2015 and beyond. Mr Clifton Pastoral News Anti Bullying Week Along with most schools in the country KNBS took part in recognising National Anti Bullying Week from 17th - 21st November. Students in year 7 had the opportunity to have PSME lessons on 'cyberbullying' delivered by the school's PCSOs, and there was a moving whole school assembly on 'Standing Together' against bullying. Attendance We are pleased to announce that the school's attendance is currently a 'best ever', coming in at a fraction under 96%. A large percentage of boys still have 100% attendance for the school year which is particularly pleasing. Peer Mentoring The peer mentoring system instated at the end of last term is successfully up and running, with numerous students having benefited from one-to-one support from our mentoring team. The mentors will continue to work with the Student Support Team during the coming year, and we will restart the selection process in the summer term. Mr Allen and Ms Steele 5 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Welcome to KNBS Miss P Bishop Science I studied Biology at the University of Birmingham and stayed on to complete my teacher training. I have a keen interest in animals having previously worked with the rhinos at Chester Zoo. In my spare time I enjoy white water kayaking and hiking outdoors. Mr J Butler Mathematics I am a newly qualified Maths teacher and am privileged to be a part of KNBS at such an exciting time for the school. I was born in Boston before going on to study Maths at Derby. I love the number crunching and statistical sides of mathematics. Currently, I live in Birmingham and outside of the school I am a bit of a sports fanatic being a partisan fan of Boston United (football) and Sebastian Vettel (Formula 1), whilst also playing cricket and other sport whenever I’m not watching it on TV. I also have an interest in languages, having studied both French and German beyond GCSE. Mr A Buxton Music I am the newest member of the Music department and I have just moved to the Birmingham area from London where I lived for the last 16 years. Before entering the teaching profession I was a member of Her Majesty's Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards as one of the Queen's Trumpeters. I love everything to do with music, especially the music technology side of things. Some people may think of me as a geek because I love tinkering with gadgets and computers. My greatest achievements to date are performing at "Live 8" which was watched by 3 billion people and two Classical Brit nominations Mr D Janes P.E I am a newly qualified teacher. I studied Sports Coaching Science at Worcester University before completing my teacher training at Wolverhampton University. Teaching is my passion and I am really happy to be part of the KNBS philosophy. As you have probably guessed I love sports, with football being my main discipline. I have previously coached at Birmingham City Academy and in America. I currently represent Worcestershire in the recruitment and selection of students who play for England at school level. I enjoy participating in a range of sports, and I especially enjoy the theory side of the subject. Away from these commitments, I enjoy watching films, especially horror! I hope to make a positive impact on the boys at the school, engaging them to share my enthusiasm for learning. 6 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Ms C Kamieth Business Studies/Travel & Tourism I am originally from Germany and moved to the UK in the summer of 2014. I am currently in my 7th year of teaching. Before coming here I worked at a vocational college in Hamburg, Germany teaching MFL English, Business Studies and Economics to students doing their training as a travel agent or Ship Broker. At KNBS I teach Business Studies, ICT and Travel and Tourism. In my free time I enjoy travelling, going to the cinema and reading. My greatest weakness though is SHOPPING – I have a slight shoe addiction owning over 80 pairs. Unfortunately I had to leave most of them behind which sadly is forcing me to buy new ones Ms E Knight Mathematics I grew up in Kings Heath and went to study Criminology at Nottingham Trent University. I then lived in France for a year and worked as a lifeguard. When I returned, I completed my Masters in Terrorism, Security and Policing at the University of Leicester, after which I completed my PGCE in Secondary Mathematics at Warwick University. Outside of work I have always been a keen sports person, playing hockey most regularly. Mr K Keelan Science I was brought up on the Wirral, before going to study at the University of Manchester. I completed my PGCE at Oxford & having taught for the past three years at a similar, but mixed school in Oxfordshire. I've recently moved to Birmingham to teach Chemistry. In my spare time, I enjoy reading about & travelling to new countries, managing to rack up sixteen this year! Ms R O’Neill History I am Irish born and was bred in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I did my undergraduate degree in Modern History at the Queens University in Belfast and my teaching degree at Exeter University. This is my first year as a newly qualified teacher and I am very happy to begin my career at KNBS . From a young age I have always been fascinated by and enjoyed History and I hope that my lessons have this impact on the students I teach. I had the opportunity to live and study in Berlin, Germany for 6 months (I did not know a word of German!). This experience helped me develop my own knowledge of historical time periods that particularly interest me such as inter-war Europe, Communist Russia and Nazi Germany. 7 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Mr O Parsons Mathematics I was appointed Head of Mathematics in September of this year after successfully teaching at both King’s Norton Girls’ School and King Edward VI Five Ways for the past nine years. My degree is in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Birmingham (both B.Sci and M.Sci). I was born in Kings Norton and have lived locally all my life. Besides Mathematics I am an avid. supporter of West Bromwich Albion Football Club and enjoy playing guitar in my spare time Mr L Wallace P.E/Geography I came to KNBS this September to join the P.E and Geography Dept. All of the staff and students have made me feel extremely welcome since arriving. I have a big passion for sport, particularly rugby. I have represented Hereford and Worcester County and Irish Exiles on a number of occasions, and currently play for a local club. I enjoy music, I play guitar and am a big Red Hot Chili Peppers fan. I'm also a bit of a film buff, with a personal favourite of mine being Anchorman. “ I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.” Charity News Following our student council meeting in October we are delighted to announce that we will be supporting 3 charities for 2014/15. They are the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Motor Neurone Disease and Leukaemia Research. We have a very strong tradition of helping others here at KNBS and over the past 6 years have raised over £26,000 for charity. We will be holding our first charity week of the year in the last week of this term with the return of the ever popular KNBS Has Got Talent Show taking place on Thursday 18th December. Our aim is to raise at least £1000 for each of our chosen charities over the next 12 months through a wide variety of fundraising events during our 3 charity weeks. We are extremely proud of all our students and their generosity towards those less fortunate than themselves. Look out for the pictures of the weeks events and more information on our chosen charities in the next issue of The Eagle. Mrs Newton 8 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Welcome to our new students... Starting at a new school is a big step for your son. We work hard to ensure that their move to KNBS is a positive experience and that their time here is successful and fulfilling. There are plenty of opportunities for our students to take part in while they are here at KNBS. Our extra-curricular timetable is available on the school website as well as being displayed in form rooms and around school. We encourage all our students to experience all aspects of school life both inside and outside of the classroom. We spoke to some of our new year 7 students recently to ask how they feel now they have their first term behind them... “It was a bit scary at first starting at a new school but I soon settled in. I‟ve made some great new friends and really enjoy it here. My favourite lesson is Maths because I love numbers. I like being able to go outside onto the playground and playing fields at break and lunchtime. I go to the library after school to meet up with my friends and do my homework.” “I really enjoy all the sports here at KNBS. My favourite subject is P.E. I‟ve really enjoyed my first term here at KNBS and think it‟s great.” “I‟ve made lots of new friends. I‟ve joined the Warhammer Club in the library and have settled in really well.” “I like how easy it has been to make new friends. I really like my new school” “Everyone is really friendly here. My favourite subject is Science because I like doing the experiments.” “I have been able to find my way around very quickly. I like ICT the best but I also really enjoy P.E. I think this is the best school!” “My favourite subject is Technology because I really enjoy making things. I also like Art. I‟ve joined the Warhammer and Badminton clubs and have made lots of new friends. The staff are really helpful and friendly.” “I‟ve had a great first term at KNBS. I was nervous but once I‟d made some new friends and found my way around I was ok. I like the different lessons and the canteen. The food is really nice.” 9 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Sixth Form News Our Sixth Formers began their new term looking exceptionally smart and ready for the challenge of a new chapter in their educational life. We welcomed back many familiar faces to our Sixth Form with 56 of our former year 11 students continuing their studies at KNBS as well as a number of students from other local schools. They have all had a very positive first term and share some of their thoughts of their first few weeks with us below. “After looking at multiple colleges and Sixth Forms, there was something that attracted me towards KNBS. I liked the facilities and courses on offer and felt that the members of staff were very passionate about their subjects when compared to other colleges. I was also drawn towards the fact that the Sixth Form uses the school site so the change wouldn‟t be too drastic. I liked the attitude of the students as they, along with the staff, welcomed me into the Sixth Form and within two months of being a student here I have made a lot of friends. Overall, I feel that KNBS is a very welcoming environment and I‟m very happy to have chosen it.” “Many of the Sixth Form and Colleges I looked at were attractive in their own way but KNBS was exceptional. The students and staff were very polite and welcoming to a new face. I have found it very easy to make friends and have really settled into the KNBS way of life.” “The first thing I noticed about Sixth Form is the amount of control you have of your school life. As I had been a student for the past five years I already knew a lot about the school. As a Sixth Former the staff expect a lot more from you but are always willing to help when you need it. So far I have had a great time working with fellow students on projects and learning things that interest me.” “ I had been at this school for five years before deciding to come to the Sixth Form. As a result I already knew my way around the school which helped me to settle in. I decided to stay at KNBS because as well as having lots of friends here I think the teachers are great, even if a little strict at times!” “I chose KNBS Sixth Form because I had been a student here for the past five years and had seen how much it had improved in that time. I really like the staff and was looking forward to all the varied courses on offer. I like the fact that it is a mixed Sixth Form and that you have the opportunity to attend both centres. I am really enjoying my chosen subjects and am very happy that I chose KNBS over anywhere else.” 10 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Leavers Destinations 2014 NAME DESTINATION COURSE Bashar Abuwarda Nicholas Adams Burhan Adi Yusef Bastaway Will Bozic Will Brice Mattia Brogna Ethan Brotherton Oscar Cutts Peter D’Urso David Davies Connor Evans Harri Evans Will Fewster Jake Fisher Makiese Futila Denis Gerassimenko Thomas Gould Araf Haque Lance Hayward Bradley Hendry Thomas Heslop Sam Hughes William Hughes Madhava Laarbi Brogan Kambo Joseph Lester Nashwan Manounah Nicholas McEvoy Brendon Mtengwa Thomas Newman Ben O’Rourke Joseph Oakes Daniyel Owusu-Darko Jack Pumphrey Jeevan Rama Jake Ringland Daniel Roberts Jay Ryatt Samraj Sahota Ben Sharp Daniel Thomas Thor Thompson James Ville Joshua Winnicott Xander Zandhuis Rumahn Zuman University of Derby Conservatoire Coventry University University of Leeds University of Leicester Birmingham City University Worcester University University of Wolverhampton Manchester Met University Newcastle University Leeds Metropolitan University Newman University University of Manchester University of Sheffield University of Birmingham Worcester University University of Hertfordshire Leeds Metropolitan University University of Sheffield University of Kent University of Worcester Staffordshire University Stratford Upon Avon College Swansea University Aberystwyth University Birmingham City University University of Warwick Swansea University Loughborough University Birmingham City University University of Warwick Newman University University of Wolverhampton King’s College, London University of Brighton Keele University University of Derby Liverpool John Moores University Aston University Birmingham City University University of Derby Swansea University Loughborough University Birmingham City University Sheffield Hallam University Leiden University (Netherlands) Nottingham Trent University Business Management Civil Engineering Animation Natural Sciences Music Technology Sports Therapy Video & Film Production Design Engineering Modern Languages Sport Business Management Sports Science Geography Physics with Astrophysics Biological Sciences Football Business Management Electrical & Electronic Engineering Sport & Exercise Science Physics Film Accounting Sports Journalism Performing Art (Acting) Software Engineering Mathematics/Physics Forensic Computing Philosophy Aerospace Engineering Sport & Exercise Science Art & Design History Sport & Education Studies Music Technology Pharmacy Nursing (Mental Health) Economics & Mathematics Psychology Accounting & Finance Mathematics Accounting & Finance Geology History Sport & Exercise Science English Journalism Law 11 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Library News Film Club Our Friday lunchtime film club is still very popular with all year groups. Since our return in September we have had a few new members join us in watching and reviewing films. We have found that as well as giving our students the opportunity to watch a movie with their friends, film club also builds talking and listening skills as well as improving their literacy when writing their reviews. OLIVER Students and staff can now access the library catalogue via the school website. They can search for books, write reviews, reserve items and renew loans. More information will be given to students on how they can use this new resource in the new year. Literacy news The paired reading scheme is back and proving very successful already. The Sixth Form students have been meeting with their year 7 partners every Tuesday and Thursday in the school library for their reading sessions. The 20 minutes spent reading to their Sixth Form student is invaluable in improving the reading skills and confidence of the younger students. “Reading is the most important subject in school. To master any other subject you need to be able to read.” Mrs Newton Maths News All pupils studying Maths at A-level were entered into the UK Maths Trust Senior Maths Challenge. This is the first time that all pupils studying Maths in the Sixth Form have been entered into the competition, and they performed exceptionally well. A particular mention should be made to James Taylor (Y13), Will Davies and Rachael Ward (Y12) for achieving the Silver award, with the Bronze award going to Craig Walker, Hayoung Cho, Jamie Tennant, Matthew Igracev (All Y13), Tom Admans-White, Aaron Greatrex-Sweeney, Peter Bond, David Bond, Joshua Challis, Deklan Pollock, Sam Wood and Ben Lawrence (Y12). Well done on a fantastic achievement! Maths intervention The Maths workshops run by Mrs Mucklow and held in the library have been very busy this term with 20 students being mentored by the Sixth Form students in their maths skills. Just 20 minutes of extra maths help every week makes a massive difference to the skills and confidence of the students being helped. 12 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Prize Giving Evening Our Annual Prize Giving Evening held on Thursday 16th October was a great success with staff, students and parents having the opportunity to celebrate the fantastic achievements of the students as well as being able to catch up with old friends. Headboy Aaron Drapkin welcomed everyone to the evening. Our new Headteacher, Mr Paul Woodhouse then introduced our special guest, former Headteacher, Clive Sentance who gave a very inspiring speech about the importance of good habits and hard work. His speech reiterated the importance of our school saying, “ Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” We were also extremely fortunate to welcome Mr Karl Hearne, former Headteacher of KNBS to once again present the Howard Stockley Prize. As well as the awards themselves the other highlight of the night was the musical performance by year 10 student Christopher Pearson on piano. Year 8 & 9 Awards English – Tomas Wainwright, Liam Campbell, Declan Williams & Bradley Humphries Maths – Tim Hayton, Daniel Rose, Billy Speakman & Daniel Coates Science – Andrew Afoakwa, Alfred Banner & Fred Thompson Art – David Joseph & Marcus Williams Geography – Charles Grice & Arnov Paul-Choudhury Music – Billy Gallagher & Shiloh-Taye Anderson Religious Education – Ryan Burt, & Ethan Powell MFL – Alex Hemming & Andre Bras-Goldberg Technology – Matej Novakovic & Aymen Aulaiwi P.E. – Alfred Crowson & Nathaniel Christie History – Ben Haywood & Ben Grace Year 10 Awards English – Daniel Franklin & Joshua Agathanggelou Maths – Mohammed Faraazullah & Christopher Pearson Science – David Nyikako, Alexander Borthwick & Joseph Styles Art – Brad Cunningham Geography – Andrew Chan Music – Matthey Foley Religious Education – Henry Bowen MFL – James Bledsoe Technology – Isaac Lester P.E. – Daniel O’Donoghue History – Oliver Smart 13 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Year 11 Awards English – Keir Stephenson & James Leach Maths – Federico Brogna & Peter Speakman Science – Paul Britton & Oliver Page Art – Tom Allen Geography – Harry Williams Music – Joshua Lyons Religious Education – Shafiq Hussain MFL – Matthew Pumphrey Technology – Connor Herring History – Lewis O’Callaghan Business Studies – Sam Fleming ICT- – Adam Kiani Media – Fayed Hussain Achievement across the Curriculum Jamie Fisher, Joshua Appleby, Ben Dewes Awards for outstanding sporting performance Joseph Spalding & Gileon Lorenzo-Whervin Awards for outstanding GCSE performance Charlie Crofts Joshua Challis Reuben Pritchard Franz Del Rosario Jack Macpherson Jamie Human William Davies Alexander Keith David Bond Jamie Clabon Cyril Ewins Prize – Jacob Ballard Howard Stockley Prize – Yongsun Ju Brett Linley Prize – Alex Rigby 14 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Art News Fantastic results Congratulations to last years GCSE group who achieved 95.5% A* - C grades of which 77% were A* - B and 36% were A* - A. A special mention must go to the following boys who were awarded either an A* - A grade at GCSE: Thomas Breakwell (A*), Oliver Blackburn (A*), Isaac Peat (A*), Callum Smith-Mullings (A), Harry Clabon (A), Jamie Clabon (A), James Phenix (A), and Benjamin Quiney (A). We would also like to recognise the excellent results awarded to the AS and A2 students: AS 2014: 89% A2 2014: 100% Ms Moysi & Miss Gowreesunker 15 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Learning Support News John Muir Award The year 7 nurture group have been working very hard in the school garden as part of their involvement in the John Muir Award. They have been very fortunate to have a volunteer from TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) to advise them on growing crops effectively, looking at different types of weeds and composting. “The John Muir Award is an environmental award that encourages people of all backgrounds to connect, enjoy and care for wild places through a structured yet adaptable scheme.” For more information on what the award is and how it benefits our students visit: www.jmt.org KNBS meets the Wombles As part of The Big Tidy Up we were invited to meet up with the Wombles at Kings Norton Playing Fields on Friday 10th October. It was great fun and everyone had a fantastic time even though it was picking up litter!! Our students also had the opportunity to work with the local environment agency who were carrying out water testing at the same time. Well done to all those who took part. Ms Drennan & Mrs Wallace Student Council & Eco Council News Our Student Council met for the first time on Friday 3rd October. The agenda included how we communicate, chosen charities for 2014/15, and celebrating success. As well as talking about general school issues such as catering, uniform etc we also agreed our chosen charities for the next 12 months. We will be supporting Motor Neurone Disease, Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and Leukaemia Research and aim to raise £1000 for each charity through fundraising activities over the next year. The Eco-Council met on Friday 24th October where we discussed how we communicate with others and our successful Health for Life Grant bid. Following our success with the Health for Life grant we have also been able to register some of our students and two members of staff onto a fully-funded sports leadership programme. This gives them the chance to gain a variety of sports coaching qualifications which will benefit all our students. The feedback we have had from all our Student and Eco reps has shown that their role is vital in ensuring that the students of KNBS have a voice within the school community. If you would like to know more about what we discuss at the Eco and Student council meetings you can download the minutes on the school website. Mrs Newton 16 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Music News This year, the music department is working hard to make sure that all KNBS students have the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities. Alongside our well-established King's Norton Swing Band, Mr Buxton has started the King's Brass Band and we have joined forces with KNGS to create King's Norton Symphony Orchestra! CBSO comes to KNBS In October, musicians from City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra visited the school to play in two performances attended by nearly two hundred year 7- 13 KNBS students. Over the last two years we have been working closely with CBSO to provide exciting musical opportunities for our students. In January 2015, our year 7 students will have the opportunity to visit Symphony Hall to see a live performance and will get to meet and greet some of the CBSO musicians. Drum workshop In November, five members of our year 12 music technology group accompanied Mr Lingard and Ms Wallace on a visit to Brays School in Sheldon. Brays School has an excellent reputation for working with students with special educational needs. KNBS were invited to run a African Drumming workshop, and this culminated in fifty students performing African themed compositions to the entire school! Christmas Concert On December 4th we held our Christmas Concert. Students worked very hard to prepare for this event and it was the first time King’s Brass and King’s Norton Symphony Orchestra performed to an audience. We are very proud of all our musicians and look forward to a very successful and musical 2015 . Mr Lingard and Mr Buxton Science News On the 14th of September Y12 A-Level Biology and Physics students visited the British Science Festival held at the University of Birmingham. They attended lectures and workshops on Particle Physics, Gravitational Waves, Virus transmission modelling and Plant Behaviour. This event gave students an excellent insight into the wider world of Science and Science based careers providing inspiration as they begin their A-Level studies. Mr Hodgetts 17 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE History News In or out...KNBS decide! On September 18th we held our own version of the Scottish Referendum with all staff and students invited to take part in the voting. The polls opened on the morning with a great flurry of interest. The Sixth Form polling clerks did a great job manning the station and ensuring that the votes were cast fairly and in accordance with our strict guidelines! After a nail-biting few hours we were ready to announce the results.. 125 votes were cast Yes: 23 votes 18.4% No: 101 votes 80.8% Spoilt: 1 vote 0.8% (This voter very firmly told Scotland where to go!!) Poland trip As this issue of The Eagle goes out a group of year 11 students and staff are visiting Krakow, Poland. The trip will also include a visit to Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camp, Oskar Schindler’s factory and the Jewish Quarter of Krakow. Students will also have the opportunity to meet and talk with a survivor of Auschwitz. The purpose of the trip is to give the students a wider understanding of the nature of WW2 and the Holocaust and it will be an invaluable experience for everyone involved. We will include a full report with photographs in our Summer 2015 edition of The Eagle. Welcome to our new teacher We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest member of staff, Ms R O’Neill to the History Department. Ms O’Neill is also Form Tutor for 7N and joins us as a newly qualified teacher. She has written a little piece about her background which you can read on page 7. Geography News The Geography students have had the opportunity to take part in some very informative and educational trips over the past 6 months. The year 8 students visited South Wales and the Big Pit Museum on 4th July, the year 10 students took part in a field trip to the Cotswolds as part of their GCSE Geography controlled assessment on 16th October and the year 9 students were very lucky to have the opportunity to visit the Olympic Park in London on 14th November. All visits were very successful with the students enjoying the chance to get out of the classroom. 18 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Outdoor Pursuits News The Outdoor Pursuits Department led by Mr Mobley has had a very busy Autumn term with students taking part in a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. The boys have been canoeing down the River Severn to Arley, sailing on Edgbaston Reservoir, canoeing down the Worcester Birmingham canal into Birmingham city centre, sailing around the Greek Islands, rock-climbing at Creation Climbing Centre in Moseley and mountain-biking at Cannock Chase. DofE News Bronze Final Expedition 2014 Congratulations to the following boys who successfully completed the challenging 15-mile practice hike in Cannock Chase from 19th – 20th June and from 2nd - 3rd July 2014: Team 1: Sam Carson, Peter Speakman, Simeon Johnson, Jamie Fisher, Adam Kiani, James Leach. Team 2: Jacques Charmetton, Matthew Street, Oliver Page, Lewis O’Callaghan, Nathan Coley, Paul Britton, Nico Zandhuis. Team 3: Alex Mistry, Henry Payne, Jon Maxfield, Sam Clements, Tom Jarvis, Matt Pumphrey, James Speirs. Team 4: James Holmes, Keir Stephenson, Shifaq Hussain, Federico Brogna, Tom Allen, Alex Caley, Jake Jones. Team 5: James Pitts, Jack Carroll, Freddie Jevons, Josh Gauntlett, Ryan Murray, The weather was very kind to us over both days, which made the expedition a very enjoyable experience for all. All teams coped very well with the challenges that they faced, and the morale of each team was very high. Well done to all of them! I would also like to thank Mr Bale for leading the expedition, as well as Ms Tully and Mrs Ayres for the support they offered to me and the boys. Silver Practice Expedition Congratulations to the following boys who successfully completed the challenging 30-mile practice hike in the Derbyshire Peak District from 26th – 28th September 2014: Team 1: Oliver Page, Paul Britton, Tom Jarvis, Tom Woodhead, Josh Lyons, Jacques Charmetton. Team 2: James Pitts, Noah Ledgister, Ezra Keating, Jack Watson, Keir Stephenson. The weather was very kind to us throughout the 3 days, especially considering the time of year. Both teams coped well with the challenges that they faced, and morale remained high throughout. Well done! I would also like to thank Mr Mobley as well as Mrs Wallace and Miss Bishop for their hard work and support. Mr O’Connell - DofE Award Leader 19 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Year 7 Activity Week In July 2014 we held our annual Year 7 expedition to the seaside! 75 boys along with 7 very foolhardy brave members of staff travelled to Porthcawl, South Wales for a week of activities including, canoeing, gorge-walking, surfing, bodyboarding, swimming, climbing, raft-building, quad-biking, archery, laser tag, orienteering, paddle surfing and much more. The trip was a huge success with all the boys having the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities they may not have normally have access to. The week ended with a celebratory BBQ with all the staff and students enjoying a well earned feast and a game of football. As always the extra curricular activities available at KNBS have given our students the chance to experience life outside the classroom. Thank you to Mr Bradley for organising such a great week and for providing us with lots of wonderful memories. 20 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE Sports News Football The Year 7 and 8 boys have been working hard after school to facilitate their football development. The boys play in a variety of matches, working under various match play conditions. Recently, the focus has been on developing a 'football vocabulary'. By using key terms during phases of play, the boys are able to recognise a situation and adapt accordingly. This structure will allow the boys to improve their understanding and application of football, which they can take into school fixtures and into their out of school clubs. Year 8 Football Team - The boys achieved a fantastic result against Shenley Academy, winning 5-1 to advance into the next round of the cup. Playing in a new system, the boys showed superb versatility and adaptability in order to execute the tactical game plan. The team played with commitment, dedication and passion as they began to control proceedings. The goals started to come through slick passing and movement, with Mustafa scoring 3 goals. A solid display from Ben Haywood in goal, as well as the defence, allowed the rest of the team to flourish. Andrew Mhondiwa received Man of the Match with a fantastic all round display. The boys entertain CTC Kingshurst Academy after half term. Mr Janes Rugby Rugby has really taken off at KNBS this year, with a lot of interest from the lads wanting to be a part of the growing rugby scene. With fantastic numbers at every training session, the school has also forged links with Kings Norton RFC. The Year 8 rugby team drew their first game against Parkside school from Worcester and narrowly lost to Aston Fields School from Bromsgrove after conceding a few late tries. Fantastic performances from all of the lads so far and a sign of big things to come. House Rugby was a great success with over 150 boys competing in the week long competition across all years. The overall winners were Neptune with Jupiter 2nd, Saturn 3rd and Mercury 4th. The effort, skill and pride in representing their Houses was very prominent throughout. Women’s Rugby World Cup Winner Heather Fisher came in to give a motivational talk and practical session to rugby players from KNBS . The Year 9 rugby team continue to develop after their impressive season last year with a string of good performances. An outstanding 45-45 draw with Camp Hill shows the determination and improvement that this team are making. The Year 10 Rugby team are through to the 4th round of the Natwest National Cup Plate competition and have really grown as a team. Experienced players such as Dan O'Donoghue, Jamie Maynard and Joe Carter have led the way, combined with efforts from newcomers such as Sam White, Adan Omar and Alex Djukic. The Year 11 Rugby team won the district 7's championship held at KNBS. A strong year group face some tough fixtures in the remainder of the year and successful results will hopefully define them as a team. KNBS have formed an official link with Kings Norton Rhinos RFC. Coaches from KNRRFC now help coach the KS3 boys and boys from KNBS are encouraged to further their rugby development on the weekend at KNRRFC well run junior rugby section. Mr Milton and Mr Wallace 21 King’s Norton Boys’ School THE EAGLE English News World War I To commemorate the centenary of the beginning of WWI the year 8 students have been composing speeches as if they were the Captain of a group of soldiers ready to go to battle. The thought and presentation that has gone into the work has been outstanding. As we recently held our Remembrance Service to honour those students of KNBS who have lost their lives in war it seemed appropriate to share some of their work in this issue of The Eagle. Well done to Jake Foley who received a Headteacher’s commendation for his excellent speech shown below. “Today is the day our bravery glistens in the sun of the Somme. Are you going to roar like lions or squeak like mice? Are you going to be cowardly? If you are, you are no more. I believe in every particle of you lads. There will be blood, sweat and tears but no surrender. Who wants this? Today we will show them why we are still here and why the others are not. Terrorize. Advance. Do what you have to do. Do what you are paid for. As the King sleeps tonight his nation rests in your hands. And if for one minute, which I do not believe, you lads fail we have lost the battle but not the war. We shoot to kill, not to injure and if one of you lads die, and there will be deaths, then we will pack you in your sleeping bags and send you home. We are lions and they are our prey. Not just France, Britain or Europe rests in your hands but the whole world does. Today you will raise the flag of our land. Britain and France linked together. The people at home are fearful, tears flowing in their eyes, worried about the vermin attacking. We shall not let them. Just shoot and hope, don’t stop until you see them fall. We are British and shall never give in. Be victorious in battle and liberate the world.” 22 King’s Norton Boys’ School Remembrance Service On Sunday 9th November staff, students, parents and members of the Old Nortonian’s Association gathered around the memorial at the front of the school to remember those servicemen and women who have given their lives in war. The service was led by The Rev Mr Andrew Lomas with readings from our Headteacher Mr Paul Woodhouse, Headboy Aaron Drapkin, President of the ONA Samuel Poursain and Year 11 student Freddie Jevons. The last post was played by Jack MacPherson. 1914 – 1918 H L Barradell N S Bentley E W Bloor E Cartwright J L Collis R C Delahay G C Illingworth A E Jones R H Jones W H Millington C Thornton E Warden 1939 – 1945 H M Allen N Anthony R W Athey A J Barnett W A T Beeton J W Bode D Boraston H L Brozyna D E Bur C H Churchley A B Cooper A J Cottier R Craven M J David R J David P J Dawson L J Dyhouse KA Edwards N A Edwards P L Edwards J Farrell G F Featherstone P Fennell K G Fitch S A Furber S C Gibson N H Godwin W I Green C Griffiths F W Hand L E Herberth C Hetherington C L Holloway C F Hudson S H Hughes G E Jackson R G Jennings W F Joesbury L H Jones V C Kemp D Kirk H S Langley S Langtree W E F Lavender S F Lewis A Livingston G Lomas B E Lowe E C C Marsh K A Mills SW Mills K R Moseley D J Nixon H W Parker I Parker L E Parker R C Parker G C Pearson P C Peppiette G E Pitt C J Porter T G Reynolds D E Round H L Saunders W I Scott E H Shrimpton T M Simmons W E Spilsbury K W Stevenson W C H Style I H Thomas S C Trevis G P S Utting J Utting P A Wilde Egypt 1949 D C Tattersfield Afghanistan Staff Sergeant Brett George Linley G M Pupil at KNBS from 1992 – 1997 Killed in active service “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.”