YEAR 7 Camp! - Christleton High School
Transcripción
YEAR 7 Camp! - Christleton High School
The Magazine of Christleton High School Summer Term 2014 YEAR 7 Camp! Also in this Edition: Head Teachers Report Battlefields Trip Football Success! Duke of Edinburgh Gold Successes Wet... but a roaring success!! 2Spring Term 2014 2 Christleton High School Magazine Welcome to Christleton’s “Super Samba Summer of Sports”! This wonderful Summer of Sports is just about to get even bigger! Are you wondering how you and your family are going to survive the lazy, hazy days of Summer, with no School and no World Cup to keep the kids occupied? Well, you needn’t worry any longer! Christleton High School is pleased to announce the inaugural “Super Samba Summer of Sports” Camp. Running from Monday August 18th to Friday August 22nd 2014 and designed for 8-14 year olds, this weeklong activity programme has been created to appeal to children of all ages, within the qualifying age range. Each and every child will be able to explore and experience a daily schedule, packed full of new, different and exciting activities, all under the expert guidance of superbly trained staff. Under the banner of “Go Play, Go Create, Go Discover”, your child will have the time of their lives! Whether it’s playing a familiar sport, or taking part in new sports such as fencing or archery, your child will gain something new from our new summer activity week …… we guarantee it! The Multi-Activity programme will help advance your child’s development, ensuring that new sporting skills, as well as invaluable life skills, are learnt during their time at Christleton’s “Super Samba Summer of Sports” Camp. No two days will be the same on the Multi-Activity programme! We also guarantee at least 120 minutes of exercise a day double the Government minimum guideline. Your child will have the time of their life! Not only will it be the highlight of their summer, but it will give you a break from hearing the usual Summer refrain of ….. “What are we doing today? I’m bored”! Our events and activities are delivered by dbs (formerly CRB) cleared staff and coaches, who are experts in their field and are passionate in their desire to ensure that your child has a great time, as well as benefiting from a whole week of sport. Our whole programme is designed to be highly varied with real opportunities for your child to choose the activities they want to try and enjoy but because the week is delivered in a fun and engaging way, your child will enjoy educational and developmental aspects without even realising it. In addition to the huge range of activities on offer, the 8-14 year olds will take the lead in our 'Fantastic Friday Final Challenge'. With so much going on, older children will forget about their phones, ipads and Xbox’s… for a few hours at least! At an introductory price of only £100 for the week (or £22 per day if your child can’t make all five days), it just could be the best value of the summer! To enrol your child by booking your daily tickets or week long ticket in the “Super Samba Summer of Sport”, simply visit www.christletonhigh.co.uk, go to box office and follow the easy to use instructions. If you require any further information during term time, contact Mr Rowan Mills, Christleton’s Director of Sport, at [email protected] Please be aware… Places are limited and they are filling fast! Book early to avoid disappointment! Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 3 Welcome to Contents 4 Head teachers Report 22 Primary Maths 48 Duke of Edinburgh Trips 6 Normandie 25 Poetry Competition 50 Ski Trip 7 Going for Gold 29 Enrichment Week 53 Yr 6 Transition Day 8 West Cheshire college Visit 31 Roberts Bakery Visit 56 CHSA 10 Battlefields 32 Neston High Visits 57 Goodbye Yr 13 12 Visit to Parliament 35 Gym and Dance 60 Banking on a secure future 13 Here We Go 37 6th former for a day 64 Honk 15 Hot Scholars 40 Yr 7 Camp 70 Sports Reports 17 Art visit to Conway 44 News from Sylvia Wood 79 CCF comes to Christleton 19 Art for Duke of Ed. 46 Sport relief 80 Return to the Forbidden Christleton Planet Headteacher’s 4Spring Term 2014 Report Welcome to the summer edition of our magazine. It is now a full 12 months since we changed the school day and opened the all-weather pitch. Both have added substantial value to the experience of our students. At the conclusion of Enrichment Week students moved into their new timetable and onto six weeks of serious hard work. 4 Christleton High School Magazine Enrichment Week this summer went really well. A particular highlight was the impact of the Pathways visits and clear signs that students are considering their careers and higher/further education much more seriously and much earlier. This can only benefit them in terms of securing advantage through focus, as well as ensuring that they move into areas of strength where their talents can flourish and they can lead happy, successful lives. great role modelling. There are significant educational advantages and some very exciting opportunities, flying and the like. We were one of the first approved schools on the Government’s new Cadet Expansion Programme, and it was a privilege to be invited to meet the Prime Minister at No 10 in June, on behalf of the school, to share our experience with senior politicians and military figures. Students opted into a plethora of visits including work places, Russell Group universities, colleges, apprenticeship and banking programmes, agriculture and industry. School Camp this year was quite a tough one. Very wet weather gave it rather a Glastonbury feel, but as ever our students rose to the challenge and got excellent preparation for their DofE Bronze awards, which they will be able to start in two years’ time. We have had quite a lot of staffing change this year, almost all of it due to promotion or retirement. I believe this is a sign of a very healthy school, but recognise that continuity is important, so we will pay particular attention to the induction of our new staff to ensure students are not disadvantaged. A full summary of the teaching staff changes is listed below. My ambition within it is that students of all social backgrounds and abilities will be able to interact, obtain, and give • Our cadet programme is now officially approved. It will be led by Mr Hollywood and Mrs Stott who will be recruiting around 40 students from Years 10 and 12 to make up the first cohort. I envisage that this programme will expand considerably over time. I am sure you will join me in congratulating our successful staff on securing promotion, and wishing those who are retiring a long and happy period ahead. A special mention and thank you goes to Mr Fisher, who was a student at the school and has worked here for 33 years teaching PE and leading year groups. Mr Fisher, Senior Teacher/PE is retiring after 33 years at Christleton. Spring Term 2014 • • • • • • • • • • • Mrs Stewart, MFL, has retired after 10 years at Christleton. Miss Bevan, Head of Business Studies, has relocated to pursue a career in the commercial sector. Miss Brennan, English, is relocating to Australia due to her partner’s job. Miss Doyle, Maths, who joins us as Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator. Mr Mills, Director of Sport, who joins us from the Armed Forces. Mrs Begbie, Head of Year/Geography who has been promoted to Director of Sixth Form at The Whitby HS. Mrs Holme, Head of History who has been promoted to Head of Humanities & EBacc at Childwall Academy. Summer T erm 2014 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Sixth Form D Gannon and Miss J Edwards Mr R Ives Miss C Sullivan Mrs S Lister Mrs R Harding Ms K Saxon, Mr Mrs J Hughes I am delighted to be able to report that despite cuts of over £400,000 we have managed to set a budget for 2014/15 which is not only balanced, but has a small contingency. This was always going to be a difficult year so it is with palpable relief we can move forward. There has been a rise in Sixth Form numbers and this, allied to the change in local government funding formula, means the budget is now sustainable with less difficulty for the following year. Mr Lofts, Key Stage Co-ordinator English, promoted to Head of English at Argoed HS. Mrs Hill, Key Stage Co-ordinator Maths who is relocating to join her husband in Cambridge. Mrs Mann, Geography, who has been promoted to Head of Geography at Thomas Boteler HS. Miss Crews, MFL, who has been promoted to 2nd in Department at Salendine Nook HS. Their replacements have been appointed and we will be introducing them to you in the Autumn SWAN. As a result of the changes above, I am pleased to share the new achievement and care team leaders for 2014-15: 5 This leaves us in a very fortunate position compared to many schools, both in the locality and nationwide, and our good fortune has been further enhanced by success in the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund bid. The school has been awarded £825,000 which will enable us to renovate to a very high standard the remaining and unrefurbished elevations of the school. It also sends out a powerful message to our students and community that we are a school which keeps moving and constantly wishes to develop and improve. Our ‘amnesty’ letter from Ofsted has now expired and it is around four years since we last had an inspection. I believe the school is capable of achieving an outstanding grade because of the continuous improvement which has occurred since the last inspection, in both learning and teaching and the impact on the most vulnerable students. I look forward to the inspection and being able to share many of the excellent things which are done by students and staff. Because the new regime is no notice, we will need to do some planning to ensure that key governors are available or deputised for when we are inspected. As ever we welcome your comments about what we do well and what we need to improve, and ask for your support in sharing these with Ofsted when we are inspected. Can I finish by acknowledging the support you all give to the school. To have such talented and resourceful students is a real privilege. I hope you have a great 6 weeks together and look forward to welcoming the students back in September for another successful year. Tony Lamberton Headteacher 6Spring Term 2014 6Spring Term 2014 6 Christleton High School Magazine 6 Christleton High School Magazine James Day Lundi Je me suis réveillé à 12:15. J'ai voyagé de l'Angleterre en France. Nous avons voyagé en car avec mes copains. A mon avis je pense que c'était extrêmement amusant mais aussi ennuyeux. Normandie 2 - 6 Juin 2014 During Enrichment Week 45 year 8 students travelled to Château Beaumont in Normandy for a week of outdoor activities, cultural visits and practising French - bien sur! A great time was had by all and our students were fantastic ambassadors for the school. A special mention must go to Jac Goodall and Osian Williams for speaking the most French; Richard Tickle, Ellie Edwards and of course Thomas for overcoming their fear of heights. Nick Broughton and the Chihuahuas for superb entertainment at the talent show; Elle Moulson and Paige Pedlow for being the students that everyone should take on a school visit! During the week, students had to write a diary about their stay. The overall prize for best entry went to Erin Stuart. Read Erin's diary below, together with some excerpts from other students' diaries. Erin Stuart Lundi J'ai voyagé en France en car avec mes copines. J'ai détesté le voyage parce que c'était très barbant et j'étais vachement fatiguée. Après nous sommes arrivés en France à 16:00 et nous avons mangé et nous nous sommes couchés. David Dentith Mardi J'ai joué à l'aéroball avec Jac, Fergus et Richard et nous avons gagné! Aussi j'ai fait la course d'obstacle aux yeux bandés. A deux heures j'ai voyagé à la cidrerie et c'était hyper intéressant parce que nous avons appris des choses. Elise Allison Mardi Nous avons fait des activités, c'était génial. Nous avons fait la course d'obstacle aux yeux bandés. L'après midi, nous avons voyagé à la cidrerie. Je me suis couchée à minuit. Joe Williams Mercredi Le matin nous avons visité un marché et j'ai acheté un drapeau de la Grande Bretagne pour sept Euros. L'après midi nous avons visité le Mont St. Michel et je pense que c'était très grand. Grace Lindsay Austin Mercredi Nous sommes allés au marché et j'ai mangé un crêpe. Le Mont St. Michel était amusant et très vieux. Après nous sommes allés à Super U et j'ai acheté du chocolat. Mardi J'ai mangé un pain au chocolat pour le petit déjeuner avec mes amies et c'était délicieux! Puis nous avons fait des activités chez le château, c'était assez amusant. Après le déjeuner nous sommes allés à la cidrerie. J'ai aimé car c'était intéressant et j'ai pris beaucoup de photos. Mercredi Nous sommes allés au marché et c'était vachement amusant car j'ai acheté beaucoup de choses. Puis nous sommes allés à Mont St. Michel et j'ai aimé car c'était très intéressant et amusant. Sophie Bridgewater Jeudi Nous sommes allés à la chocolaterie et le Refuge de l'arche. Il y avait cinq statues en chocolat dans la chocolaterie. Il y avait des centaines d'animaux dans le Refuge de l'arche. J'ai pris des photos. Fergus Walker Jeudi Ce matin nous sommes allés visiter la chocolaterie et j'ai acheté des chocolats pour ma famille. Plus tard nous avons visité le Refuge de l'arche et on a vu un léopard. Cet après-midi j'ai fait la tyrolienne. Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 7 Going for Gold ! In November last year, sixteen official St James Palace VIP invitations arrived at christleton High School. Mrs Stott, Mr Lamberton, Mrs Evans and 13 Christleton Gold Duke of Edinburgh students were invited to the Gold Award Presentation On Wednesday 19th March 2014 in the presence of the Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Excitement grew and the special day, 19th March arrived. Travelling to London we negotiated the underground system and popped out into a glorious Green Park. A short walk to St James’ Palace and we were welcomed in by one of the Queen’s bands. After a tour of the grand Palace rooms, decorated in opulent reds and gold’s, and floor to ceiling paintings depicting historical events, we arrived at the room for the North West region. The Banquet Room filled up with smart and nervous students, accompanied by their proud guests. We quickly practiced forming groups ready to receive HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and after a speech by Katie Brand, she presented us with our Gold Award certificate. A ten minute warning was our cue to get ready for the royal guest. The Duke of Edinburgh entered the room and having been introduced, had a brief chat with Mrs Stott. She proudly mentioned the 13 Christleton High School students and the Duke spent a number of minutes chatting to them and all the other Gold students, VIP’s and guests in the room. With such an extraordinarily large group of students we were privileged to have our own official CHS photograph. It was an inspiring day, not to be missed or forgotten. One every CHS DofE student should aim for. If you are ready for the challenge, look out for the launch dates next term on the school calendar. Back row left to right: Mrs Stott, Amy Bradshaw, Tom Adam, Fiona Smith, Jenny Gunther, Bernadette Tildy, Jack Varley, Imogen Langmead, Jack Fleetwood, Kate Richardson, Mrs Evans. Front row left to right: Rebecca Mallows, Emily Adam, Katie Brand (celebrity), Mr Lamberton, Susie Philips, Hannah Dickson. 8Spring Term 2014 8 Christleton High School Magazine Outdoor Biology for ‘A’ level students ‘A’ level Biologists have been making use of school grounds, to help practice their fieldwork techniques, in preparation for a field trip later this year. On the 14th of March this year 49 of our students visited the Big Bang Fair at the Birmingham NEC. The Big Bang is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK. Everything is aimed at showing young people just how many exciting and rewarding opportunities are available to them with the right experience and qualifications. This visit included all STEM club members, the D&T Hot Scholars and a small amount of science students. The purpose of the visit was to support learning in all aspects of STEM and to contribute to Pathways giving students an insight into possible career paths for the future. All Students thoroughly enjoyed the event and we have had huge interest in next year’s Big Bang Fair. Random sampling techniques using quadrats has enabled us to investigate the difference in the numbers of plants species growing under different conditions within the school grounds. We compared frequently mowed areas with less frequently mowed ones and investigated light and shade areas. Through Independent research into the preferred growing conditions of the various species we were able to explain some of the results found. Direct observations of the environment and practical scientific enquiry outside the classroom are fundamental to an understanding of the nature of science and are an integral part of the A level biology course. In November, A level biologists will be attending three day practical field course fieldtrip in North Wales to experience a range of different fieldwork techniques and habitats. Watch this space! Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 Year 8 Visit West Cheshire College As part of the Year 8 Pathway programme, a Group of students accompanied by Mrs Edwards and Sylvia Wood visited West Cheshire College for a morning in May. Here’s what they thought of the experience: - A small group of us visited West Cheshire College to look at what courses we may want to do in the future. My favourite places were the theatre, sport and dance studio. However they also had a lot of other things such as music, textiles, cooking and art. Sydney Barker I would like to be an airhostess one day so my favourite part was they section of an aeroplane that they used to train people, I also liked the hair and make-up bit too. It was a good morning and I hope to go there in the future. Emily Hardwick Mr Francis and Miss Edwards took me and a group of Year 8s to West Cheshire College. It was very nice and I hope to go there in the future. My favourite part was seeing all the great art work that the students had produced. Emma Taylor Watch this space... Our STEM club here at Christleton High School are about to embark on our most ambitious project to date. This project will involve sending a weather balloon up to approximately 80,000 feet up in to the atmosphere to record data and take photographs. We have already made and tested several models and will be hopefully launching before the summer break. Stay tuned for another update in the next issue... 9 Battlefields 10 Spring Term 2014 10 Christleton High School Magazine 2014 This year’s trip started with the usual early Monday morning and a 5.45am meeting time at school; 15 minutes later 38 sleepy students and 5 sleepy staff set off for Belgium. As a change this year, we travelled by Eurotunnel rather than ferry, a new experience for many of the passengers (especially Katie Flowers who found the train very exciting), and after about 10 hours arrived in Ypres: ‘Great experience, was great fun! The travelling was not great but my friends kept me going’. ‘I enjoyed the coach journey because it was good fun and all listened to music and stuff’. First stop was the chocolate shop where everyone stocked up (‘I really liked Belgian chocolate’) before arriving at our hostel – another new experience this year as we stayed at the Ypres Lodge ‘The rooms were really nice’ and dinner. After a much needed early night, everyone was up in good time for our day around the Ypres Salient, starting with the Flanders Field Museum which houses a permanent display about WW1 and a new exhibition specifically focusing on medicine during the war. This was followed by some more free time in Ypres (this mainly involved buying chocolate and waffles) before we headed off to Talbot House in Poperinge. A feature of this year’s visit was our task to find the graves and memorials of as many Christleton soldiers as we could and we discovered the first of them at Brandhoek Military Cemetery on our way to Talbot House. Lieutenant Laurence Garnett (son of Canon and Mrs Garnett) died on 7th June 1917, having returned to Britain from Canada where he had settled before the outbreak of WW1. After paying our respects (‘I enjoyed seeing the personal stories of the war’) we continued to Poperinge, visiting the death cells and ‘shot at sawn’ where those accused of desertion or cowardice would spend their last 24 hours, before arriving at Talbot House. Talbot House was opened on 11th December 1915 as a place for soldiers to rest and recuperate when they were away from the front line. Talbot House provided healthy food, entertainment, an opportunity to attend church and a break from the horrors of the trenches. Today it is a ‘living museum’ which still offers accommodation as well as the opportunity to visit the house and gardens and view the exhibitions: ‘Most of all I enjoyed visiting Talbot House because it was interesting to see what soldiers did outside of the war’. Talbot House was followed by two further and very contrasting cemeteries. Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest British War Cemetery in the world; there are 11,871 graves and the memorial name bares the names of nearly 35,000 soldiers with no known graves who died from August 1917 to the end of the war. Spring Term 2014 ‘I enjoyed looking through the graves and going to the big memorials’, ‘I was shocked by the number of unknown soldiers’. Langemark German Cemetery is the only German cemetery in Ypres Salient and contains 44,292 soldiers, many of whom are buried in mass graves, something which the students found particularly shocking. After an early tea at the hotel we set out again for the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate which has taken place at 8pm every day since 11th September 1929 (apart from a period of four years during WW2). The Menin Gate contains the names of over 55,000 soldiers and we were privileged to find two Christleton soldiers on the wall; Private George Davenport and Private Walter Handley were both killed on 31st July 1917. The ceremony itself is sombre and thought provoking and, despite the crowds, was a memorable experience for everyone on the trip. Wednesday We travelled back into France to spend a day on the Somme, with more of a focus on the actual tunnels and trenches than the day before. It was also Megan’s birthday so we started the day with balloons and cards and ended with signing and cake. Our first stop was at Vimy Ridge where students descended Summer T erm 2014 underground into the Canadian communication tunnels and then walked through some of the trenches that the soldiers had lived in; we then went to the Canadian memorial which commemorates those who fought and died there: ‘the Vimy Ridge memorial was very impressive’. We then travelled to the Thiepval Memorial which remembers over 73,000 men who died on the Somme and who have no known grave. Again, we were lucky enough to find Frank Davies and Frederick Mulliner, both soldiers from Christleton who died in July and August 1916. As the rain continued to fall, we made our way to Newfoundland Park, a Canadian Memorial and preserved trench system where, on 1st July 1916, a 40,600 lb mine was exploded to signal the start of the Battle of the Somme. A high point of the trip for many of the students was our final stop of the day at Ulster Tower: ‘I preferred the trenches because we got information and it all made sense’. 11 Our final visit of the trip was on our way home on Thursday morning when we stopped to visit the grave of another Christleton soldier, Harold H Walley, at Bluet Farm Cemetery. Harold was a Gunner with the Royal Garrison Artillery who lost his life on 17th September 1917. A big thankyou goes to Anna Thompson who took photographs of all the Christleton soldiers. This was another excellent trip, characterised by high standards of behaviour and a great deal of sensitivity. In the words of the students: ‘I really enjoyed learning about WW1 History and I was shocked by the number of unknown soldiers’ ‘It was an interesting and thought provoking experience to visit the memorials and trenches’ ‘It was emotional’ ‘I enjoyed the trip. I think it made me realise how many people died when I saw the amount of names and graves in the memorials and cemeteries’ ‘I enjoyed being able to see a place with so much history and meaning to it’ ‘The trip was a once in a lifetime experience that was both a great learning experience and good fun’ Students had the opportunity to see excavated Irish trenches and hear stories of the soldiers who fought in them: ‘I enjoyed the trenches the most although it rained, with the tour guide, it was very interesting’, ‘I loved it when we went and looked round the trenches and I found the story about the spook really interesting’. Parliament 12 Spring Term 2014 12 Christleton High School Magazine 6th Form Politics and Law Trip to Christleton High School students were given a warm welcome by court staff and, following an enlightening visit to the permanent exhibition in the Court’s basement, which highlighted some of the landmark cases which its judges have already heard, we went to explore some of the court rooms. In March this year, 6th form Politics and Law students again enjoyed their annual trip to Parliament and the Supreme Court. After a surprisingly easy train and underground journey we arrived at the gates of Downing Street and passed through security so that we could get a close-up view of the Prime Minister’s residence. Students took the opportunity to have many photographs in front of the famous door before we left for our next visit to the Supreme Court. Vincent Parry: ‘The fact that we were standing on the very foundation of our country’s political origins was truly ground-breaking’ At the Supreme Court, Mr Cumberford became our tour guide: In October this year we will be able to celebrate the fifth anniversary of a defining moment in the constitutional history of the United Kingdom: the creation of a new Supreme Court for the United Kingdom in Parliament Square in Westminster, finally transferring judicial authority away from the House of Lords. Many students were surprised by the relative informality of this highest of UK courts: judges, barristers and visitors to the court all sit on the same level in rooms which are well-lit and comfortable, and even furnished with a special Peter Blakedesigned carpet featuring symbols of England (a rose), Wales (a leek) and Ireland (a flax). The highlight of the visit for most students was a chance to visit the Privy Council chamber, where final decisions are made on complex cases submitted by Commonwealth countries, some of whom still have capital punishment. It is a room where the judgment made can literally be a matter of life and death. Free time followed the Supreme Court visit before meeting again outside the Houses of Parliament which Harry Killoran found particularly enjoyable: ‘The trip was great as it allowed us to see both Houses of Parliament and reinforce our knowledge from our Politics lessons.’ Students were fortunate enough to be able to visit the House of Commons and the House of Lords as well as Westminster Hall and St Stephen’s Hall where they had opportunity to ask our knowledgeable tour guide many questions of. Matthew Entwistle says: ‘One of the places we visited in London was the House of Lords in Westminster. The most surprising part of the visit was the size, just like the House of Commons it was considerably small compared to what you might think having seen it on TV. You weren’t allowed to sit on the seats and there was a throne on the far side specifically for the Queen; simply being in the same room that the Queen sits in once a year was unforgettable’ Marcus Senior sums up the trip: ‘The trip was a great experience and extremely informative. The political system is a key part of our day-to-day lives and it is fascinating to learn how Parliament affects our daily routines. The shaping of our world has been made within these walls and it was truly incredible to witness where history has been forged in the flames of democracy and righteousness. We were standing where History was made and where it will continue to be made for generations to come.’ Spring Term 2014 Hair We Go! Summer T erm 2014 13 Michelle at Nicholas Harvey was brilliant and showed me the wedding hairstyle book for ideas and helped me choose the style. They gave me magazines to read whilst they did my hair and offered drinks as well. They were so friendly and I loved the end result. Thank you Mrs Pritchard for organising the prize, and thank you Nicholas Harvey for donating the voucher! Being a Hot Scholar is great fun and a good way to get more involved in a subject that you really enjoy. One o’Croc Lunch! I am an MFL Hot Scholar in Year 10. A few months ago I won a Hot Scholar Prize of a Hair Styling Gift Voucher at Nicholas Harvey in Christleton. As my Aunt was getting married, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to use the voucher, as my hairstyling skills are limited! I am a Languages Hot Scholar. With the other Languages Hot Scholars, I have visited primary schools, made displays, marked and given feedback for the work of younger students and also planned and run an activity in my Department on Open Evening. On the starter platter was Frikadel (a meatball in a sauce on a giant nacho), stuffed mushroom, crocodile on toast, and goat’s cheese in puff pastry. It was really nice and the crocodile tasted a bit like chicken. I like being a Hot Scholar because we get the chance to experience a wide range of opportunities including those that come from winning prizes. I won a Hot Scholars prize to go to the restaurant Jabula in Ellesmere Port. It is a South African restaurant located by the docks. We were served by Adél, Michael and Lot who are all from South Africa. My prize was a voucher for four people to have a sharing platter of tastes of South Africa, however, they also let us have the starter plate at a discounted price. The sharing platter consisted of chick-n potjie, chicken curry and boboti. My favourite was the chicken curry; it was delicious! When we had finished our meals, we were taken over to the corner of the restaurant and given a drumming worskshop! It was a great day and I really enjoyed the experience. Emma Ogunyemi 11L5 Hot Scholar in MFL The Hot Scholars group is very grateful to Jabula for this very supportive and generous gesture. I would definitely recommend Nicholas Harvey; it has a lovely atmosphere and the stylists are wonderful! Emily Freeman 10B5 14 Spring Term 2014 14 Christleton High School Magazine Sixth Form Travel & Tourism Students at Your Service! Year 12 Students find out about Career Opportunities in the Hotel Industry Earlier this year Travel and Tourism students were able to find out about how a large organisation meets the needs of internal and external customers, assesses the effectiveness of the customer service it provides, and the measures it takes to make improvements by visiting Carden Park Hotel near Chester. Sixth Form Travel & Tourism Students Patrick Hansford and Georgina Moulton enjoying the hospitality at Carden Park hotel. I particular enjoyed seeing the facilities of the conference rooms, and how they can be adapted for different types of events” We are very grateful to Debbie Corbett, People & Development Officer at Carden Park for hosting such an excellent visit and providing plenty of ideas for students to develop further in their coursework. Sixth Form student Georgina Moulton said: “The trip was really good in giving an insight into all the different areas of the Pathway to a Career in the Armed Forces At the beginning of May over twenty students from Year 9 and above enjoyed a really informative presentation from Army Officer Sgt Richard McLaughlin. Sgt McLaughlin spoke about the huge variety of Army careers on offer, from specialising in Engineering, to progressing through to officer level. Opportunities for travel, enjoying elite sporting events, developing skills such as map reading and team-work, and being prepared to live with a certain degree of risk were all covered, and our students were keen to ask lots of questions to get further information. Many thanks to Sgt Richard McLaughlin for proving such a good insight into Army life, and to our students for making such an appreciative audience. Attention: Sgt Richard McLaughlin with Jack Carey 10B1, Liam Coppock 10B5 and Joseph Berry 10L4 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 15 Hot Scholars are Stepping Up... ...and into their Teachers’ Shoes Hot Scholars are teaching, training, leading, motivating and initiating. Now in their 3rd year, they have found their feet and those feet are firmly under the table. 16 Spring Term 2014 Towering Talents Talented Art students from Year 7 up to Year 9 took part in a mixed media art project. The students were chosen for being talented and passionate about Art. We learned a variety of techniques using paint, tissue paper and shells always keeping to a blue and purple colour scheme. We inked manipulated card, sprinkled coffee on ink and covered ink with cling-film as well as other techniques. This was all done during our first enrichment workshop. The second workshop was when we tore the prepared papers and created mixed media collages onto netting. Each square of netting is different but looks like water because of the colours and shapes. Finally, in the last workshop the collages will be made into sculptures that will be installed in the natural area at the front of the school, near the Junior Yard. All the students’ work will be put together and displayed on the sculpture. As time passes, we hope the sculpture will start to become part of the landscape. Let’s see what happens! Isabella Ford & Lauren Moore 7K1 16 Christleton High School Magazine Summer Spring Term Term 2014 2014 Year 10 Art students were invited on an Art residential trip to the Conway Centre. The trip gave the students the chance to learn and develop their art skills by working with new peers and learning from other artists. All of the artwork produced over the weekend will be added to their GCSE portfolios. This is what they thought: “This trip has been a good experience as it has taught me many different techniques and pushed me to work a lot quicker than usual.” Sophie Clark “I enjoyed working with different people and on a different scale. It was nice seeing how much work you can do in a small space of time.” Holly Astle “I enjoyed working with different schools and meeting new people. It was really good to work on different scales and use new techniques.” Josie Proudlove “It was really fun to learn new techniques, such as using a swivel scalpel. I appreciated getting advice on my work from the artists. It was a good chance to meet new people as well as getting to know other people better. The weekend has enriched my portfolio.” Polly Bowerman “I really enjoyed producing a lot of work in a short space of time and learning great, useful techniques.” Billy Walsh “It was a totally new and different experience which I really enjoyed.” Garth Paul-Davies “I found meeting new people was a great way to learn new things that I would never have even thought about trying beforehand.” Lewis Gerrard “I really enjoyed the challenge of completing lots of work in just one weekend. I think the work I have produced on this trip will help my GCSE grade greatly. I was so much fun.” Charli Brickland Summer T erm 2014 GCSE ART @THE RESIDENTIAL CONWAY CENTRE 17 18 Spring Term 2014 Taking Away Memories of the Whacky Bunch in Art! During my time as a Sixth form student I was given the opportunity to apply for the job as a 6th Form Art Technician. I am happy to have been given the position, and, although I was apprehensive in the beginning, I looked forward to starting and earning some money. The job entailed coming in for half an hour before school started most days, and for an hour after school on Wednesday. The hours were good as I had to make the journey to school anyway. As always the Art Department were really welcoming, and I felt comfortable around the staff. I learned a range of useful things. I also got the chance to create displays around school and was always involved in washing line week. Throughout my time as the student art technician, Miss Dentith left and this gave me more responsibility during the transition from Miss Dentith to Miss Booth. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in my favourite department (The Art Department!); there are lots of memories and I will miss this whacky bunch! Erica Smith (ex-student) 18 Christleton High School Magazine 19 Art forDuke of Edinburgh Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 All of the projects were really entertaining and fun. Redoing the celebration wall was my favourite because I had free reign to do whatever I wanted with it, and I’m happy with the results. The first piece of work I did was preparing for a Year 7 workshop. I decorated lots of strips of material using a glue gun to attach buttons and bottle tops. I had a lot of fun and got glue everywhere! For the past 10 weeks I have been working in the Art department to gain my Skill achievement for Duke of Edinburgh. I spend a lot of time in the Art department so I chose to complete my placement here. I am interested in Art and I wanted this opportunity to learn more about it. I have really enjoyed doing jobs in the department; it has been a lot of fun. I have also redesigned the Art Department’s Celebration board, painted the store cupboard door with chalkboard paint, helped curate Washing Line Weeks, redesigned the department’s sketchbook competition stickers and put up KS3 Art displays in the Maths department. I had help from my friend Sophie Brown when painting the door and putting up the displays. I have learnt a lot from doing these projects. I now know how to make a good display and show students work off in the best possible way. I have extended my knowledge on how to use ink and glue guns. It has also taught me a lot about the Art department and how things work behind the scenes. If I had the chance to work in the Art department again, I would do a few things differently. I would go to the Art department in lunchtimes to finish things I had not completed and I would try to be a bit more independent, and not ask for help so much. I think choosing to work in the Art department for D of E will help anyone who wants to increase their skills and understanding, and who wants to get involved with Art at school. It is also great if you can work with a friend like I could. Emma Newnham Year 9 20 Spring Term 2014 Welcome to Food Tech Tasting 20 Christleton High School Magazine Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 21 Creative Control in Art This term my fellow Year 9 students and I have been making artwork based on animals that are celebrated throughout the world. Hot Mustard We’ve had the freedom to pick an animal and find out about a culture that celebrates it. My groups’ submissions On Wednesday the 12th include Canadian Brown Bears, Peruvian Parrots, March 2014 the Art Hot Scholars and British Bulldogs. were invited to participate in Hot Mustard. Hot Mustard is an art group run by our Art teachers that brings together members of the For my piece I chose to study the Red school and local community to make their own Eyed Tree Frog. I found that making my artwork in a communal/studio environment. piece was challenging and fun as it is not something I would normally do. It The Art Hot Scholars all arrived with a variety of art projects to work on and there were many different was interesting to research the red projects going on in the art room. eyed tree frog and the Amazonian Rainforest culture that celebrates It was a really fun afternoon and quite inspiring to see the variety of projects people were working on. The teachers it. I became interested in how the also very kindly made a drink for us all and even laid on forest is being destroyed and biscuits! It was a really useful and fun session and we are all what role we might play in delooking forward to the next one! forestation. I have put London in “It was really fun and it was good to see what the other the background of my piece to people were working on.” Matty explore this link. “I really enjoyed being able to be able to concentrate on my work as well as talking and having a good time.” Ellie I found this project really interesting because you are not doing the same work as everybody else and you are researching your own “It was good to work with the other Hot Scholars, information to complete your work. This meet them and see what they were doing.” James was good as it helped me to be Jess Jones and Anna Lambert independent and come up with ideas for my Hot Scholars in Art work by myself. This will help me in all of my learning and as I go on to do my art GCSE in Art. “It was good to have the available equipment to do my art and it was fun too.” Jemima Aaron Bird 9LA1 22 Spring Term 2014 y r a m i r P 22 Christleton High School Magazine s h t a M y a D 4 1 0 2 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 St a in rt w fi it de nite h a s p j an igns our ile o n d a , lar ey; f te fa st ge s add sse Th flo lic s llat e wi es eve in en on ng of ra g r th ly re ou l sp hom Ma us mi la y tdo oon bu th ias ssin ra or ad s D tic f u s es g ce de m i y a n … ea g at ls o an y d r ( hs f f d in on r 6 ed go ch rac an Mo Ju pu ien al ta o n e pi t w r d le l l pr e th m s– a ng 4 ea th sa im a es a su ) t W ar n 1 n c d r h re y a 0 is on ow ! an vert sch 0 pu i ng ou d o on oo d p re f an en ) d ls ils di r Pr j ( f d en im o e C r be pro yed sce hri om t w ar s n c a bl f t a as y ha me em da ded leto our nd ‘M so y o on n, of o to at lv f m th Ol df u r p in h e e a l n s et g . Th t M i ur es Ou hem at eld, artn an h ’ e – k th for r br ati s D Saig er a st c at e i gr o t th he llian al fu par hton ea all da e t d st t M n, tm , d Mr y a a a ff an ath gam ent y y s. a r w an d w s Mu as n d s t es rd s e h e m re aff nj elp oc o o ot on h ye ers hl d y. by al l! 23 24 Spring Term 2014 French Writing Competition This year the Modern Languages Department held its’ first writing competition with year 7 French students. Students were asked to create a story based upon the book Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell and students from each class were put forward to the final. 24 Christleton High School Magazine Crane project Over the last term the Business Hot Scholars have been working collectively to organise the Peace Crane Project in aid of Claire’s House. The peace crane story - In 1945 during World War II the United States used atomic bombs to attack the to attack the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombings were the first and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in wartime. Nicole McCauley, Jude Jones, Leah Parry, Charlotte McConnell, Ted Harris, Jay Davies, Jamie Edge, Sophie-Mae Lane, Meredith Charlton, Taryn-Olivia Walker, Fay Gaskin, Ellie Bennett, Isabella Ford, Eve Griffiths all made it onto the short list and Leah Parry was judged to be the overall winner. Leah’s book has now been published and you can find a copy in the iResearch Centre. You can read some of the other shortlisted entries using the QR codes below. A young girl Sudako (aged 2) and her family thought they were lucky survivors until 10 years later when she developed leukaemia. An ancient Japanese legend dictates that those who make 1000 paper cranes will be granted a wish. Fraught with treatment and pain, Sadako set herself a focus to make 1000 cranes before her death, as they symbolised peace and wishes. She made around 640 before she died. In memory of Sudako her friends and family completed her wish to make 1000 and the ancient legend still exists in Japan where peace cranes can be seen displayed in parks and memorials across the country. We were extremely touched by this story and our target is to make 2000 cranes and display them at Claire’s House. If everyone in the school made one crane we would reach a total of 1,500 but we want to be able to grant two wishes. This experience has taught us a number of values, but we have enjoyed the powerful impact that teamwork and the sense of community can bring to a school. Isabella Ford Jamie Edge Hot scholars from different departments have contributed in various ways; the DT and Art departments are putting the cranes together, the History and Child Development departments are making a WOW wall display, the Drama department are making a drama piece of Sudako’s story and the Music department have composed a piece of music for our assembly to launch the Peace Crane. By doing this project, we have learnt many new skills but most importantly we have learnt to persevere in order to learn reach our target. We hope this story inspires you to do something good and any Peace Crane Donations would be very much appreciated. Jay Davies Nicole McCauley Priya Karnik 8Ba2 and Louise Rossiter 8Ba2 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 Year 7 Performance Poetry Competition At the end of last term Year 7 had a very special assembly. Like other assemblies it was held in the hall, but this assembly had poetry readings by some of the Year 7 students. The room was filled with eager Year 7’s waiting for their friends to recite their poems. The recitals started with individual students. 10 students took it in turns to perform their poems. Most of the poems were by established poets but a couple of clever students had written the poems themselves which was very impressive. Following the individual recitals each form group performed a recital. There was a bit of rivalry between the forms to perform the best recital and groups ranged from just 2 up to about 6 students. After the recitals there were prizes of vouchers and sweets for both the winning individual and winning group, plus second and third prizes for the runners up which were awarded at the end of the assembly. The Year 7’s applauded all the winners. Katy Dwyer, Year 8 English Hot Scholar said “My friend Katy and I were fortunate enough to be selected from a group of Year Eight English 'Hot Scholars' to judge the Year Sevens annual poetry competition. It was an interesting experience because we were able to evaluate the performances as well as taking part in the poetry competition last year. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is offered a similar opportunity to have a go. It was great!” Freya Bowerman Year 8 English Hot Scholar 25 26 Summer Spring Term Term 2014 2014 KS3 Food Tech Students have been experimenting with Gnocchi 26 Christleton High School Magazine 1 Gnocchi is a sort of pasta for potato lovers – they are small Italian dumplings usually made from potato, flour and egg and shaped into small ovals with a ridged pattern on one side. 3 Gnocchi is often poached (cooked in boiling water) and then cooked au gratin (with breadcrumbs and grated cheese) in the oven and served as a hot starter. Students have been 5 experimenting with a basic mixture by adding chopped spinach, grated carrot and ham/cheese along with a variety of different seasonings and flavourings. We have also been developing different sauces 7 to serve with the gnocchi such as tomato and basil sauce and ginger and spring onion roux sauce. It is fun, simple to make, cheap and really adaptable. The basic recipe was in the last edition of The Swan. Have a go and see what you can create. We all love gnocchi 9 2 4 6 8 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 Year 8 Product Design Year 8 students have once again demonstrated their excellent creative and problem solving skills when designing and manufacturing their jewellery and point of sale. They challenged themselves with traditional metalworking techniques and modern CAD/CAM skills to develop their final products. Here is a selection of the best! 27 28 Spring Term 2014 28 Christleton High School Magazine GCSE Product Design The current Year 11 cohort have excelled themselves in GCSE Product Design, manufacturing products they can all be proud of. We have had a wide variety of products ranging from hobby kits and seating to a children’s playground rocker. Much of their work has been on display on the school ‘WOW’ wall for over two weeks and both the practical and written work has had many favourable comments. All of their hard work has paid off and they can now concentrate on their forth coming examinations. Here is a selection of the GCSE Product Design practical work: SPELLING BEE In November 2013, we began training with Miss Holt, Mr Hurth, Miss Dionisi and Miss Wallace to enter into the French Spelling Bee competition. Firstly, we were given 50 French words to learn, remember and spell before being tested. Eventually, we possessed the skills to spell 200 general French words! As well as this, we needed to know how to say the accents and learn the correct pronunciation. In the final weeks leading up to the competition in Manchester, we were given the test conditions and rules as if it was the real competition… The French Spelling Bee was a brilliant experience because it helped us learn new vocabulary and broaden our range in French. We think the French Spelling Bee is an amazing club to be involved in. We would recommend the French Spelling Bee to anyone who is interested in the language. It really widens the amount of vocabulary you know and can speak in French classes. Besides the learning side, Spelling Bee is an exciting and fun thing to do with your friends. Jessie Griffiths and Natasha Lawrence Year 8 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 Enrichment week visit to Liverpool University During Enrichment Week a group of 120 Year 9 students visited Liverpool University in order to take part in several STEM activities. These activities included a balloon experiment where students were required to try to make various size balloons neutrally buoyant by adding/removing weights. Then using this information to plot a graph in order to estimate what size balloon would be needed for a specific weight. The students developed their understanding of volcanoes and the potential hazards and dangers surrounding them, they then had to recognise and control these issues on the fictitious ‘Turtle Island’. The feedback from students has been excellent and the programme for the day worked really well. A big thank you to Peter Goodhew, Steve Bode and his team for organising such an enjoyable day. Here are some photos of our students enjoying their day at University. Mr Prouse 29 30 Spring Term 2014 30 Christleton High School Magazine Cooking Up a Career in Catering: Second Helpings! Jack’s Pathway to West Cheshire College In the last issue of the Swan (Spring 2014) we heard how Year 10 student Jack Whitehead had visited the Careers Open Evening at West Cheshire College and was so inspired he decided he would like to spend a whole day there gaining experience of the catering and hospitality courses. A day was arranged for Jack in May and here’s what he thought of the experience: - Dish of the Day: a delicious selection of roasted vegetables, prepared by Jack Whitehead 10L2 during his day at West Cheshire College Alton Towers was the highlight of Enrichment Week for us because we got to go on amazing rides with our friends. We enjoyed all the rides such as the ‘Smiler’ and ‘Oblivion’. Luckily, on the day we went the weather was warm, which made our trip even more enjoyable. The best ride of the day was the ‘Flume ’because we got soaked! Everyone on the trip thoroughly enjoyed it; what a great way to end the week. We can’t wait to go again! Beth Layder and Lottie Cossins Year 9 “I really enjoyed West Cheshire College because it gave me an insight into what you would be doing as a student but it also gets you prepared for when you are looking for a job. During the day I prepared vegetables for the kitchen, I served customers and I learnt how to serve customers correctly. I would recommend anybody to study catering at West Cheshire College because it is amazing.” Jack Whitehead 10L2 For further details about all the courses on offer and how to apply visit the website http://www.westcheshire.ac.uk/ or call the College Hotline 01244 656555. On yer bike for National Bike Week Inspired by National Bike week in June a group of staff joined a local Breeze ride organised through Sky Ride. Vicky Shearn (school receptionist), a Breeze champion herself, lead the 12 mile circular route along the canal. The ride led out to Mickle Trafford on the Greenway and back to Christleton through the country lanes. A few of us also made the extra effort and commuted to school on our bikes during this week too. Look out for more more free events www.goskyride.com Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 What’s Cooking? When we first arrived at Roberts Bakery we were escorted around to the back of the building to the baking area, we were told to wear protective gear and hair nets to make sure nothing contaminates the bread. After we put on our gear we were shown how the machines operated. Firstly they mixed in the different ingredients of flour, yeast salt and oil into an extremely large mixing machine. Once the dough had finished mixing we were each given a piece, next we began to carefully but quickly knead the dough. Once we had finished kneading the dough we began to roll the dough into a smooth ball. Next we were given a tin and shaped the dough inside; we leant many different shapes and methods for how to choose a good pattern. Half of us did a basic design and the other half did a more complex patterns. Once the bread was placed in the oven we went upstairs through the bakery and watched a promotional video about how Roberts’ Bakery was first created and how they teamed up with Little Treats Co. After we finished watching the video we went back over to where the bread was made. We began tasting different breads, which were used in the past by Roberts’s bakery, some were salty some had no salt then we tasted the present day recipe. Once we finished tasting we checked our loaves of bread. When they were finished the staff packaged them for us to take home. At the very end of the trip Roberts’ Bakery gave us a gift bag filled with different makes of bread, biscuits and writing equipment. JACK HAYNES Last term we visited Roberts’ Bakery in Northwitch as part of our D.T Food GCSE. This was a very useful experience as we are studying about bread production in a factory. At the bakery we were shown around the test kitchen and made some of our own bread. Here we learnt the ingredients in different types of bread, about the baking times, styles of bread and different tin types. We were also shown a video of the history and production of the company. To add to our experience we were given several different loafs of bread to test at school. We were also given samples of the bakery’s products to take home. Emma Flanagan 10L2 31 32 Spring Term 2014 32 Christleton High School Magazine the wildebeest which are the emblems of the Hot Scholars. At the meeting with the Neston students, we explained all about how we apply to be Hot Scholars, about exploits, and how we can enter prize draws. We also told them about why we like Hot NESTON HIGH VISITS HOT SCHOLARS AT CHRISTLETON Hot Scholars is now in its 3rd year. It is an original Christleton idea but one that we want to share with other schools. This has already started to happen and, already, 15 Neston High School students and 2 teachers have visited the Christleton Hot Scholars to find out more! They wanted to start Hot Scholars at their school because they thought that it was a great idea! We told them what Hot Scholars is and how it works. We also showed them our new logo that you may now have seen. The new logo was designed by Daisy- May Taylor in Year 13 and includes the earth, the swan and Scholars and how to avoid what could go wrong. Neston is now in the process of setting up its own group! Here is what one of the Neston teachers said, Many thanks for your time today and sharing the work with our students. It is evident that Hot Scholars has made a real impact in your school, listening to your students speak so positively and confidently about their work has been really inspiring for our students and myself. Oliver Brunskill - Year 10 Oliver is a Hot Scholar in Art Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 33 34 Spring Term 2014 34 Christleton High School Magazine The Ultimate Selfie A truly remarkable selfie was taken by one of Christleton High School’s ex-students, British photographer and travel blogger Lee Thompson on top the ‘Christ the Redeemer’ statue in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Former student Lee describes himself as "a bit of an adrenaline junkie", and on the day, there was no hesitation - i couldn't wait to climb on to the head of the 124ft-high statue. "Nothing was holding me down, and I think it looks scarier than it actually was," said Lee. The view was incredible. As he popped his head out of the 124ft-high statue he took a photograph of himself with the city below. Very few people are able to climb the landmark in Rio de Janeiro, but Lee was able to convince the Brazilian tourist board to let him scale the monument. It took the 31-year-old almost half an hour to reach the summit of the 124ft-high statue, climbing narrow steps where a single misplaced move would have resulted in serious injury, or worse. However, it was all worth it for the Londoner when he poked his head out of the top of the statue to be met by the sight of the sprawling city below. Lee managed to take a photograph of himself in one of the greatest ever selfies. Lee, who co-founded group travel firm www.theflashpack.co.uk, said: 'I think it must be the first selfie from the top of ‘Christ the Redeemer’. The experience was "wonderful, terrifying and breathtaking", an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. Spring watch comes to Christleton High! In 2012, as part of the Eco school project, a small camera was installed inside the nest box in the school eco garden. For the first time this year, birds have nested here and, as a consequence, the school community has been able to capture a privileged view of the day-to-day nesting activities of one of our most popular and adorable garden birds, the Blue Tit. Starting in mid-April and taking a couple of weeks, the nest was busily built from moss and wool. Then, one morning, a couple of eggs appeared in the nest and each day afterwards the female laid another, laying 10 in total. The eggs are smooth and glossy, and white with purplish-red spots. Incubation of the eggs by the female was slow, but then, after about a fortnight the climax of one of Nature’s miracles was reached. One by one, the blind, naked nestlings hatched from their eggs. Both parents then worked tirelessly flying back and to with food for the growing nestlings and it was a delight to have an insight into the world of these new parents. By Installing a camera, we were able to follow the remarkable development of the nestlings. There were moments of happiness and great sadness, but ultimately the heart-warming joy of seeing the Blue Tit fledglings emerge from their nest. Gym & Dance Show 2014 Spring Term 2014 The Annual school Gym and Dance show took place on the 13th February 2014 and was even bigger and better this year with over 60 students taking part. There was a huge variety of dancers from all ages and they were Summer T erm 2014 all magnificent in their execution. The gymnastics and dance groups seem to get better and better and come up with so many great ideas both on the floor and vault. 35 The very large crowed that attended must have been so happy with what they saw, so many people giving their all and working hard together. Well done and keep it going, same again next year! Mr Barton 36 Spring Term 2014 36 Christleton High School Magazine Spring Term 2014 6 Summer T erm 2014 37 th Former for a day... 38 Spring Term 2014 38 Christleton High School Magazine “To Cut A Long Story Short…” Pathway to an Apprenticeship in Hairdressing Students in Year 10 and 11 enjoyed an informative presentation and Q and A when Jane and Emma from Salon Vie visited the school earlier this term. The two salons in Nantwich and Tattenhall offer a full range of beauty treatments from qualified therapists. Emma and Jane from Salon Vie meet Megan Lloyd 11B1, Kay Davies 11B3, Jessica Jackson 11B1 and Emily Hewitt 11B5 Students heard about the key skills needed to be successful in the industry, with an enthusiasm for the job being paramount, along with a friendly manner, attention to detail, punctuality and reliability. Apprenticeships: Getting it Nailed with a Hands-On Approach! Nailing those Skills: Bethany Taylor 11L2, Shauna Barton 11B3, Natasha Parks 11B2, Georgia Fennel 11L1 A visit this April from ‘The Nail Company’ has led to Year 11 student Shauna Barton gaining an apprenticeship. Congratulations to Shauna. During the hands-on presentation a group of Year 11 students were able to practise some of the skills needed and ask questions about what the apprenticeships involve. Many thanks to The Nail Company for proving this opportunity. Year 11 student Kay Davies was successful in gaining a related work placement and now has an apprenticeship in hairdressing arranged. Many thanks to Jane and Emma from Salon Vie; see the website for further information: - www.salonvie.co.uk/index.htm Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 39 Calling all Year 11 Students... Work Experience week is less than THREE months away! Work Experience: Monday 20th to Friday 24th October 2014 Reminder: the week before October half term is Work Experience week; this means that Year 11 students will be off-timetable for the week and be able to get valuable experience of the world of work and a possible future career. Research continues to show that in a highly competitive jobs market relevant work experience can make a huge difference to students’ employability. Work Experience also helps with future decision making about careers; students can understand work likes and dislikes better, learn about an occupation and decide whether it is for them. At the time of writing we have received confirmation of a huge variety of placements. Companies and organisations kindly offering placements include: Airbus Elevator Studios Eaton Estate Grosvenor Willows Veterinary Group Cutlass Technologies Donald Insall Associates Horns Mill Pre School Waverton Primary C P School Sable Cottage Nursing Home Eclipse Creative Consultants 40 Spring Term 2014 40 Christleton High School Magazine p m a C 7 Year Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 41 42 Spring Term 2014 42 Christleton High School Magazine Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 43 44 Spring Term 2014 44 Christleton High School Magazine News from Sylvia Wood our Pathway Careers Advisor… pathways can make an appointment to see me through Mr Francis or Mrs Varley. I will also be available at most Parents’ Evenings at school and appointments to meet me can be arranged for this as well. I can also be contacted directly at [email protected] Hello again! AsAs I am sure you already know my name is Sylvia Wood and I am the Pathway Careers Advisor for Christleton High School. I am based here at Christleton High School every Wednesday when I will be involved in activities such as guidance interviews, group work and talks with students. Any student who wishes to meet with me for help, support, advice or guidance related to careers and future Have you heard of RPA? RPA stands for Raising the Participation Age; the government has changed the law so that from start of the 2013/14 academic year, all young people are required to continue in education or training: • until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17. • from summer 2015 this will be until their 18th birthday. Students completing Year 11 in Summer 2014 (or any later year) will need to continue for longer - until at least their 18th birthday. This does not necessarily mean staying in school; young people have a choice about how they continue in education or training post-16, which could be through: • Full-time study in a school, college or with a training provider. • Full-time work or volunteering combined with part-time education or training. • An Apprenticeship apprenticeships.org.uk What does this mean for parents? The legal requirement to participate is on your son or daughter. This is because we know that, at 16, young people are starting to make – and take responsibility for – the decisions that affect their future. We know that parents will be providing support and guidance to their children as they make these important decisions about their future, but there are also other sources of help. Spring Term 2014 Is financial support available for my child? The 16-19 Bursary Fund provides financial support to help with essential educationrelated costs like transport to their school or college, a lunchtime meal or any equipment they might need for their course. You can find out more about the 16-19 Bursary Fund: www.gov.uk/1619-bursaryfund Where can I find out more? More information on RPA is available here: www.education.gov.uk/rpa Meeting with Students In the last issue of the Swan I summarised what the format is when students come to see me for information, advice and guidance. I aim to provide a service to meet the needs of each individual but each meeting will normally proceed as follows: • Welcome and brief introductions • Summary discussion of where the student is in his or her thinking • Exploration of the choice of options ahead • Next steps in terms of actions and how to proceed • Follow-up meeting arranged where appropriate Summer T erm 2014 Within a week of the meeting I will email a short one-page summary so that students and school have a record of what was discussed and the steps identified. Recent guidance conversations have included the following: - The most popular subject Year 11 Work Experience placements - information on employers, how to research, insurance issues, thinking outside the box Careers related to Maths (the favourite subject of two students I have seen this term) Year 10 student interested in Forensic Science– qualifications and training requirements discussed. The student really meant Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) which entry requirements are quite different for. Year 11 pupil who wants to change her A level subjects and know which careers she can consider. Good luck to all students who have the opportunity for some summer or part-time work, and to all our Year 11 students with their Work Experience placements in October. I look forward to getting to even more students in the Autumn term. Designed and printed by Creative Graphic Design • Print • Web Design • Promotions Cheshire’s Creative Social Enterprise Part of the Winsford based charity The NeuroMuscular Centre, all profits go towards supporting our vital work. Contact Alison Evans 01606 863464 Sylvia Wood Pathway Careers Advisor 45 [email protected] nmcentre.com 46 Spring Term 2014 46 Christleton High School Magazine Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 On Friday 21st March 2014, Christleton High school turned “sporty” for the day for sport relief. All year groups participated in wearing sportswear to school, with some fabulous efforts and outfits from the Sixth form. In the week leading up to the event all Key Stage 3 classes took part in a “Sportathon” with the aim of playing as many different sports in PE lessons as possible, while gaining sponsorship for doing so. This event was run by Mr McIntyre and the amazing Year 8 PE Hot Scholars. A netball match took place putting the Year 9 girls County winning team against the Year 9 boys National Final footballers...the girls showed their superiority and were victorious. The final event of the week was the Sport Relief mile run, held at lunchtime with many staff and students taking part. A special mention to the Maths department who were the most well represented department in the event and to Jac Goodall (Year 8) who completed the event doing cartwheels!! £1,867.12 In total we raised Well done to everyone who took part. 47 48 Spring Term 2014 48 Christleton High School Magazine Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions 49 2014 Spring Term 2014 50 Spring Term 2014 50 Christleton High School Magazine The ski trip came and went very quickly this year; it was a huge success with over 60 students attending from Years 8 – 13. Passo Tonale had plenty of snow and the weather was fantastic with warm temperatures and blue sky. So many students had a great time with so many activities available such as the quiz, shopping, night ski and pizza night, as well as having the disco and games room available at all times. Joe Bramhall and Ellis Brackenbury kept all the students entertained with their singing and piano playing skills during the evening’s relaxation period. Both boys had a great experience and Ellis has got a number of hours skiing footage on his Go Pro. The 6th form evening was absolutely fantastic, all students had a great evening of telling jokes and stories which ensured Mr Axon and Mr Barton didn’t fall asleep after a long day on the slopes. Cameron Clark was like a rocket on the slopes, his excellent ability and daredevil attitude enabled him to almost Ski Trip Passo force his way into the Italian downhill racing team! Joe Venables was also another student who had a fantastic trip, he worked so hard to improve his skills all holiday and by the end it was like he was born on skis. A huge well done must also go to the advanced group. Their instructor really pushed the boundaries and challenged the students on and off piste all holiday and considering their instructor was once in the Olympics, it was a huge credit to all skiers for keeping up with him. The pictures do not do the trip justice as it was such an amazing experience for all, but here are just a few from one of the best school trips this year. Mr Barton Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 2014 Tonale - Round 2! 51 52 Spring Term 2014 Enrichment Week 52 Christleton High School Magazine Geography Wirral Country Park Thurstaston Field Trip 2014 On Thursday 22nd May, Monday 2nd June and Thursday 5th June, Year 8 Geography students visited Wirral Country Park for a fieldwork investigation into sustainable tourism. Tourist Amenity Surveys were carried out in four locations within the Country Park assessing the extent to which the park meets the needs of tourists today, the facilities provided and the methods used to try protect the environment for future generations. Students walked along the beach identifying problems relating to coastal erosion and cliff collapse, assessed the success of some methods of coastal management and looked at how the park was trying to increase biodiversity by encouraging the development of pond and meadow habitats. The weather was, in classic British Summer Time style, ‘varied’, with the heavens opening in downpours on one day, hazy drizzle on another and glorious sunshine on the final visit! Whatever the weather, students took the opportunity to picnic in the sun and enjoy a well-earned ice cream at lunch time. “I learnt that Wirral Country Park is an example of a sustainable tourist location because it provides for the future by preserving natural habitats for animals and also provides a fun day out for all the family, with a range of different facilities and attractions.” Josef Hollywood Year 8 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 53 Year 6 Transition Day... This trip gave the Year 6’s a chance to get used to the high school environment and for CHS helpers to meet upcoming Year 7’s and get to know them. We also gave them a few tips and answered and questions they had. They seemed to really enjoy the experience (especially with getting to see what it was like when we have a fire alarm!) Osian Williams 8K1 The transition day for Year 6 went really well, it was a good opportunity for them to meet their new year and get used to a high school environment. They liked working together and using technology. I really enjoyed meeting them. Jessica Le Grange 13Atwood The app designing project was really fun and i really enjoyed doing it. We made apps for people joining Christleton so they know what to expect and what to do. MGL are the people who did it and they are really friendly and if you are stuck they will help you. Cal Rawson 9K2 I really enjoyed helping out with the Year 6’s on their induction day, as Sixth Formers we ran groups with seven Year 6 students each and it was really nice to be able to show them around the school in order to help them feel more comfortable when they come next year. I was really glad I had this opportunity. Bethan Hosker 13Mulvey We l c om e 54 Spring Term 2014 54 Christleton High School Magazine Religious Studies – New Year 7 Students Church Visits Having met them several times over the last few weeks we are very excited to welcome our new cohort of Year 7 students in September. Our programme of transition events includes primary school visits, app-making Transition Project Days, Maths and English intervention sessions, and a Summer School for students that we feel would particularly benefit. As part of their work on Christianity, Year 9 students have recently been on a visit to St James’ Church, Christleton. It was a great experience and we would like to thank St James’ for their hospitality. Our Primary School Visits involved some of our Year 7 students visiting local primary schools with Miss Edwards or Mr Francis and talking to those in Year 6 about joining Christleton High School. Here’s what they thought of the experience: “I got the chance to visit Guilden Sutton primary school to give some information to the Year 6 students. They were all very keen to know about the school and, in my opinion, will make an excellent contribution to the school. Also it was an exciting experience for us because we got to learn more about our school and had the opportunity to talk to some of the soon to be year 7's” Leah Parry 7Ba2 “I went to Oldfield primary school and the pupils they were very polite and asked a couple of questions. They asked things like do you get lost and can you wear jewellery, to which we replied with sensible answers. All the pupils were well mannered and behaved while we were there.” Nicole MCauley 7K2 “I went to Oldfield Primary and I found it intriguing to hear their intelligent and educational queries and questions. I thoroughly enjoyed going to Oldfield as they were confident and well behaved whilst we were talking to them. I now hope the Year 6’s now feel much more confident about starting Christleton in September.” Dominic Wright 7Ba2 Top Picture: Eve Griffiths and Lucy Peterson all prepared to present to Barrow Year 6 students Centre Picture: Dominic Wright and Nicole MCauley get ready to meet Year 6 students from Oldfield Primary Bottom Picture: Saying hi to some of our new Year 7’s from Guilden Sutton Here is what one student thought: We went to the local church, we got the opportunity to look around it and ask questions about it. We had a sheet to guide us and we had to find out the answers by asking a volunteer or find the answers somewhere around the church. It was a beautiful church and I enjoyed it. Katy Dwyer 9K1 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 MEDIA COURSEWORK 55 Year 7 Trip to Grasmere On a bright sunny day on the 26th May 2014, a group of 30 year 7 students took part in a well-earned visit to Wordsworth’s birthplace in Grasmere. Students were shown around Wordsworth’s cottage, where he grew up and penned many of his most famous works such as daffodils. They were then taken on a walk to see many of the beautiful sights that had inspired the great man to produce such moving poetry. Students found out more in a workshop where they were given the chance to be creative poets themselves and there was still time for an ice-cream before heading back to Christleton. Mr Lofts 56 Spring Term 2014 56 CHSA Christleton High School Magazine Christleton High School Association The CHSA is a group whereby parents and staff work together to enhance the community ethos within our school. Whilst a focus is of course on assisting in fundraising towards the school you will also find the CHSA supporting events in terms of parent evenings, open evenings and performances. The CHSA is an example of excellent partnership working between staff and parents to enable the best possible experience our young people have at Christleton. learning and teaching delivery but certainly enhance it. Each one of the students in the school will have benefited from many of the items the CHSA has provided through fundraising. You can see some of the photographs below of items provided in last 12 months. In the autumn term each subject area within the school is invited to submit bids for funding. The bids need to demonstrate the items can be utilised for the benefit of many children and also enhances the students experience…in other words, the CHSA often provides the more “icing on the cake” items! At present the CHSA account balance stands at £7K and so looks forward to being able to utilise these funds for our students in the autumn. Traditionally, the CHSA has also planned events such as the Year 7 BBQ and the Christmas raffle; both of which are major fundraising events in the annual calendar. The CHSA raises funds that provide the additional items for the students in the school; aspects that are not essential to There is a core committee who meet every 2 months; any parent or staff member is welcome to attend any of the committee meetings. These are always posted on the school website calendar. However, the main aspect of the CHSA is the support provided by parents to carry out the events. There are at present approximately 70 parents on the email list and there are 50 parents in total who have offered help at some time or other over the last 12 months. We are however always looking for more help … help to provide refreshments at a parents evening or school production, help to provide a parent perspective to other parents at open evenings, help to purchase items for the events, help to set up or clear away at an event or help to gain views at a committee meeting for which bids should be considered. The CHSA also operates a “200 Club” which is an easy way to help raise extra funds for our school. An annual payment of £20 is made through the completion of a standing order mandate. Each member of the 200 Club is automatically entered into the annual draw held at the school Summer Concert. 1st prize last year was £200, 2nd £100, 3rd £75 and 4th £75. Obviously the more members there are, the bigger the prize fund! If you are interested in joining the 200 Club, the standing order mandate can be viewed on the website and can be submitted to the school cash office for the attention of the CHSA Treasurer. Thank you so much to all of you that have helped over this academic year. Your input is hugely appreciated. If you are willing to be involved – even in a very small capacity, please send an email to [email protected] asking to be placed on our email list. Chair of CHSA Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 Goodbye Year 13 57 58 Spring Term 2014 58 Science News Year 8 Science in the Spotlight During the last term Year 8 students were learning about sound: What causes sounds; how sounds travel; how instruments make different notes; and how they could protect their ears from loud noises. They had the opportunity to apply what they had learnt in a creative and practical way from making musical instruments that had to play at least 3 notes to designing ear defenders. “I found out that sound is caused by vibrations. I thought sound was …just sound.” Lewis Buckley “I enjoyed making the ear defenders because it showed and tested how materials keep the sound out. It helped me understand about sound.” Lauren Roberts “I liked making the ear defenders because we had to think of a way to limit the vibrations getting into our ears.” Jamie Pritchard With thanks to 8B1 and 8L3 (ably supported by Mr Axon!) Christleton High School Magazine Get Involved! The Mentos Fountain Challenge The National Science & Engineering Week and KABOOM! are running The Mentos Fountain Challenge. The challenge is to create the highest possible fountain using nothing more than Mentos, diet cola and pure brain power! They are asking for students to email a YouTube link or photos of their best fountains to [email protected] If you want to take part see their website at www.mentosfountainchallenge.com or the poster outside A16 for further details Year 7 – Out of this World As year 7 students were learning about space one of their homework activities was to design and make a model of the solar system. Students worked hard and came up with a wide range of creative ideas which provided a useful starting point for a discussion about scale. Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 59 Sixth Former Physics Goes International for a Day In May the Physics Department hosted 27 Italian Students During Enrichment Week Year 10 spent the day as a Sixth Form student. In science they had the opportunity to complete a practical experience on one aspect of the AS courses. The Biologists challenge was to extract DNA from strawberries, Apparently strawberries have a lot of DNA! And they also made paper 3D models of a section of the DNA molecule to take home as a souvenir. The Physicists investigated whether all materials obey Hooke’s Law. A simple experiment which became increasingly scary when adding masses to an elastic band that is already holding 5 or 6 kg! who were on a two week English Language immersion course with the Conlan Language School. The 17 – 18 year olds were carrying out a project on Alternative Energy and the Environment. This is a subject they don’t really cover in Italy where the emphasis is on the theory and calculations alone rather than the relevance of science in everyday life. With a little help from Google translate Mrs Mothersdale and Mr Evans gave the students a flavour of Sixth Form Physics lessons in England. Through an experiment they found the density of water and ice so they could work out the effect of melting ice on sea levels. The students’ command of English was very good: At the end of the session they were able to present their findings giving impromptu group presentations in English! Science group 8L1 gave the Italian students a guided tour of the school and an opportunity to practice everyday conversational English. The Italian students were overwhelmed with the size of our school and pleased to have the opportunity to tour in small groups so that they had a chance to talk with English students! 60 Spring Term 2014 60 Banking on a Christleton High School Magazine Secure Future middle market businesses and large corporations with a range of banking, investing, asset management and riskmanagement products and services. With clients from over 150 countries, offices in 40 different countries and over a quarter of a million global employees in the investment bank alone. BAML is one of the world’s largest financial institutions…yet it is also right on our door step in Chester Business Park. As part of our Pathway programme of activities we are delighted that one of the world’s leading financial intuitions has chosen to work in partnership with Christleton High School for the benefit of our students and their employees. Read on to find out more about this exciting initiative… Bank of America Merrill Lynch Bank of America Merrill Lynch is part of Bank of America; it is a financial institution serving individuals, small and BAML are committed to assisting all the communities where they do business. In linking with Christleton High School BAML are keen to give Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 Christleton sixth-form student, and he was able to give a real insight into the opportunities available after leaving school. The workshops began with a presentation on what makes effective curriculum vitae (CV), with students then splitting into smaller groups for individual feedback about the CVs they had created. time to help our students build skills they can use in further education and life after school. BAML have already worked closely with the school to plan sessions designed to improve employability and increase confidence, giving real examples of key business do’s and don’ts. As part of our Year 10 Enrichment Week this June over 100 students in Year 10 enjoyed up to three different half-day workshops, led by a team of representatives from BAML. One of the team, Sean Williams, is a former 61 Great excitement was tangible as students bought and sold stocks and shares in a range of different companies to great success…and the occasional disaster….! At the end of the session BAML facilitators analysed the performance of each team and gave prizes to the winners. This was followed by an intensive interview workshop, with students taking part in mock interviews, observing each other, and giving feedback. The importance of having evidence of experience to back up qualities was really highlighted, and by the end of the session students had really taken on board the advice given. The final workshop gave an insight into the real world of investment banking, with students working in teams to maximise the wealth of their portfolio in the face of changing market conditions. The support of the BAML team has really helped students build transferrable skills and confidence alike and we look forward to developing our relationship with BAML further in the year ahead. Many thanks to the BAML team for providing such a worthwhile experience. Find out more about the wide variety of careers with BAML at: careers.bankofamerica.com/ emea 62 Spring Term 2014 62 Christleton High School Magazine Do you know the four main types of banks…? 1. Retail / Commercial Banks: Execute transactions directly with consumers. Services offered include savings overdrafts, mortgages, personal loans, debit cards, and credit cards e.g. NatWest 2. Investment Banks: Institutions that assist individuals, corporations, and governments in raising money e.g. Goldman Sachs 3. Universal Banks: Institutions that participate in both retail and investment banking activities, often with a global footprint. The term also applies to European continental banks who deal in both activities e.g. Bank of America Merrill Lynch 4. Central Banks: The principal monetary authorities of nations, which perform several key functions, including issuing currency and regulating the supply of credit in the economy e.g. Bank of England. 63 CHS Student gets place at prestigious Music School Spring Term 2014 Nick Broughton, a CHS student moving into Year 9 this term, has successfully auditioned for a much sought after place at the Junior school of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Designed for young talented students to stretch themselves in all areas, musically, the JRNCM takes place over six hours each Saturday and demands an enormous commitment from its students. Nick will engage in a number of specific studies each week: Music Theory, 1st Practical Study (Double Bass), 2nd Practical Study (Guitar), ensemble rehearsals and performances, symphony orchestra, composition and conducting lessons. Nick says “I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work with lots of other young musicians and it’s a great chance to expand my musical knowledge”. Located in Central Manchester, the RNCM boasts a fantastic building with excellent facilities and will offer Nick the opportunity to study and perform ‘classical’ music as well as jazz and other styles. Mr Phillips, at CHS, said “We are so pleased for Nick; he is a gifted student with a tremendous work ethic and he thoroughly deserves this amazing opportunity. I know Nick is looking forward to broadening his musical horizons and developing the skills he needs for a potential future career in a musical field. We wish him the very best with his studies”. Summer T erm 2014 64 Spring Term 2014 64 Christleton High School Magazine Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 65 66 Spring Term 2014 66 Christleton High School Magazine Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 67 68 Spring Term 2014 68 Christleton High School Magazine ‘Servus!’ The Austrians are here The revamped Modern Languages area is bustling and lively on any normal school day, but one Tuesday this spring saw the rooms positively overflowing with an influx of 39 new oneday-only students from Austria. Ringing with the sounds of excited chatter in German, these high school students met their UK counterparts from Christleton High School. The Austrian high-school students were taking a break from their studies on a two-week English course at the Conlan School in North Wales, and were looking for an authentic taste of British High School life. As well as getting a chance to chat to many of our own students of German, from Year 8 -11, the visitors received a wonderful welcome from our Modern Language Hot Scholars, who showed tremendous initiative in planning a morning of activities, quizzes and presentations about secondary education in the UK. Special thanks go to Emma Duthie 11B1, Grace Broughton 11B1, Lizzie Gornall 11B1, Emily Freeman 11B5, Emma Ogunyemi 11L5, Dominika Sadczuk 11B4, Joe Nesbitt 10BA2, Tommy Hughes 10BA2, Nat Curtis 9BY1, Thomas Attwater 9BY1, and Arin Theard 9BY1 for doing a sterling job in entertaining and engaging our Austrian visitors. The morning provided a fantastic opportunity for students from both schools to learn all about the others' culture: amongst other things, the Austrians were initiated into the peculiarly British delights of school dinners, detention (although thankfully this only ran to having the concept explained!), mushy peas and windbreakers on the beach. The highlight of the morning though was the ‘speed dating’ conversation time, when English and Austrian students paired off and had two minutes to find out everything they could about each other, using first German and then English. From CHS to the Conlan visitors: Herzlichen Dank und bis zum nächsten Mal! Mr Cumberford ‘It was good meeting people our age and finding out about what life is like for them in Austria’ James Moore ‘It was a good opportunity to practise my German’ Sophie Stephens ‘They asked us questions which surprised us and made us laugh’ Michael Rowland 69 Enrichment Week: Pathway Days Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 Our Enrichment Week this year gave students in Years 8, 9, and 10 the chance to take part in a wide range of activities and events to get them thinking about future opportunities. Year 10 students experienced being a ‘Sixth Former For A Day’ and attended a range of taster sessions in subjects new to them, such as Economics, Psychology, Sociology, and Travel & Tourism. Three different workshops led by representatives from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) were also available; see the separate article in this issue of the Swan for further details on this BAML event. “Listen carefully and you won’t put a foot wrong!” Trust, trepidation and team-building at West Cheshire College Students in Years 8 and 9 took part in a wide range of visits including Chester University, West Cheshire College, Glyndwr University & Techniquest, Reaseheath College, Fiddlers Ferry Power Station, Shotton Paper Mill and the University of Leeds. Thanks to all of the organisations involved for providing such as valuable experience for so many students across the week. “This University Leeds the Way!” Year 9 students get ready for their tour of the campus 70 Spring Term 2014 70 Christleton High School Magazine Year 9 England Schools Cup Finalists / British Isles Cup The week commencing 19th May 2014 promised to be a monumental one in the history of Christleton High School’s football teams. For the first time, Christleton would be taking part in the England Schools Cup Final before representing England at the British Isles Cup the following weekend. Our Year 9 team, having earned their place in the final by defeating Stanley High School, Bishop Heber, Blue Coat School, The Priory School, South Hunsley High School and St. Augustine’s RC High School would face Coombe Boys School, Fulham FC’s partner school at the Madjeski stadium on Tuesday 20th May 2014. We set off from Christleton at around mid-day the day before the game, heading down to our hotel in Oxford. That evening we held a training session, where the injured Tom Townsend was declared unfit to play and the boys went through some tactical points ahead of the final. We checked into the hotel, before enjoying a team meal that and an early night by all. After breakfast, where Mr Axon went back for third and fourth portions and hotel staff looked on in awe, we made our way over to the stadium, completing the warm-up in the Academy Dome adjacent to the stadium. The build up to the match went very quickly, we went through our normal preparation before the boys made their way out on to the pitch. We knew the opposition were going to be strong and they started so, Jamie Martin forced to make a string of quality saves before Coombe’s pressure told and they went ahead on seventeenth minute. We were defending well, but spectacular free-kick put us 2-0 down as we were trying to get through to half-time. The half-time team talk spoke about going out and giving it a go and that it is not in our nature to stop trying to win the game, we changed our style a little bit and the boys went out full of determination to get themselves back in the game. Leading scorer Brandon Dickinson came close as Rory Harper couldn’t convert from a set piece. At the other end, Jamie Martin was putting in a “worldie” between the sticks, refusing to be beaten before Coombe’s forward made it 3-0 and took the game away from us. This team are known for their “never say die” attitude and continued to battle away at Coombe Boys. The boys finally got the goal their endeavour deserved, Tom Wyatt keeping a cool head to beat the goalkeeper from the penalty spot, making the skipper the first Christleton player to score in a National Cup final. The goal lifted the yellows once more, a late corner saw all eleven Christleton players in the box, a fine example of the desire to still try and win the game. The corner came to nothing and Coombe surged up the other end to score in the open net as the final whistle sounded, as Coombe ran out 4-1 winners. A disappointing presentation followed, but all in all, the achievement of reaching a National Cup final is not be sniffed at and these boys have done their parents, the school and themselves incredibly proud. The Chairman of the England Schools FA came into the dressing room after the match, saying it was one of the best schoolboy cup finals he had seen in fourty years and that our “resilience” and “attitude” was superb against superb opposition. Spring Term 2014 Our monumental week did not end there however. By reaching the ESFA Open Cup Final, the boys were selected to represent England at the British Isles Cup at the National Sports Centre in Lilleshall, competing against the Champion schools from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. We travelled down to our hotel, where all the teams would be staying, on Friday morning ahead of Friday evening’s match against Northern Ireland. A quick swim was had around lunchtime before the opening ceremony of the tournament at 3pm. The tournament’s first match pitted our boys against Northern Ireland. In awful conditions with wind and rain affecting the play, the boys were able to notch a 10 win courtesy of a late goal from Sam Ward. This sparked wild celebrations amongst the players, which continued into the changing rooms after the game. “1-0 to the England” was the song as the bus took the boys back to the hotel for the team to enjoy an evening meal before an early night ahead of tomorrow’s game against Wales. Wales looked a strong outfit, and the age gap between the sides was soon apparent, Ysgol Plas Mawr taking the lead inside a minute. Christleton produced some of the best football I’ve seen as the half went on but could not find the elusive equaliser. Typically, against the run of play a second goal came, a defensive error left Jamie Martin with it all to do in goal as the ball was slotted beyond him, before a piece of individual brilliance saw a dribble produce a superb strike to give eventual winners Wales a 3-0 victory. Summer T erm 2014 Tournament football gives no time to be subdued; an afternoon of team bonding in Telford Shopping Mall was followed by the Champions League Final, Eddie Jones winning the squad sweepstake along with Matt Parkinson. Sunday saw the 3rd place playoff, as the boys faced Scotland. A squad hit heavily by injuries and feeling the tiredness of a physically and mentally draining week managed to muster up a superb first half where they led 1-0 through Christy Mageean before being pegged back to 1-1 before half-time. Scotland had too much in the second half, three goals gave Braidhurst High School from Motherwell the 4-1 victory to leave Christleton finishing 4th in the group of 6. The week was finally finished, 71 U12 District Rounders Champions On Wednesday 19th June 2014, the U12 Rounders team travelled to Bishops Bluecoat School to compete in the Chester & District Rounders tournament against 10 District schools. Our group was made up of Upton, Heber, Catholic High and Queen’s. The team played superbly throughout scoring a number of excellent rounders and great fielding they went on to win all their matches. the boys having competed in a National Cup final for the first time in the school’s history before representing England at an international tournament. It was an incredible experience and it was superb that we had the opportunity to showcase the talent Christleton’s football teams represent. No doubt there will be more National finals to follow for other year groups as we go from strength to strength. The future certainly looks bright for all year groups. These particular set of boys are a credit to the school and everyone is very proud of you. Mr McIntyre is looking forward to next year where we will go one better and become Champions of England! Bring on 2014/15! The final group match was a difficult one against a strong Queen’s team, but excellent catches from captain Lillie Fisher, and strong fielding on the posts from Hannah Thorley and Jessie Griffiths meant we won and went through to the semis as group winners. We then faced Tarporley in the semi final and won this game convincingly with rounders and half rounders scored by Lucy Peterson, Evie Gordon, Laura Roberts, Jessie Griffiths, Lillie Fisher, Ana Dunkerley, Hannah Thorley and Grace Beesley. With Queen’s winning their semi we then faced them again in the final. The whole team were focused and determined to win. Again great fielding from the whole team, slick fielding to Hannah Thorley on second base from Daisy Woolgar-Bebb and excellent catches by Grace Beesley meant Queen’s scored 5 rounders. Super batting from the whole team, including two rounders from Natasha Lawrence, clinched the victory and we won 8-5. Well played to all the team. Mrs Whigham 72 Spring Term 2014 72 Christleton High School Magazine Football Report Christleton High School strong sides such as Wilmslow and Weaverham before defeating Poynton. A long football season was finally drawn to a close, allowing time to reflect on another hugely successful campaign with plenty silverware to compliment some excellent performances. Our Year 7’s reached the NorthWest Finals of the England Schools Five-a-side Championship, facing the eventual winners who progressed from the regional round. They were crowned District Champions along the way before clinching the Cheshire crown. Kyle Moulton, Dan Malone, Matt Rain, Ben Lawrence, Will Goodwin, Joe Bowdler and Zac Hall were the boys involved and represented the school superbly. However, the 11-a-side District Cup brought less success, as we clinched the runners-up spot after a 2-1 defeat against Upton. A highlight was the 4-1 victory over a strong Kings outfit, Zac Hall, Joe Bowdler, Harvey Jones and Ben Lawrence with the goals. Our Year 8’s enjoyed a phenomenal campaign reaching the last 32 in the England Schools Cup. The boys were crowned County Champions after a stunning run to the final. The free-scoring yellows knocked out Phil Hopkins was leading scorer as we retained the Under 13 Cheshire Cup having clinched it a year earlier. It is no small achievement to win a County Cup, and the boys produced some excellent football. Ben Gale impressed in goal throughout, with Captain Ben Clark and Tom Roebuck a mean pairing in midfield. As well as this, we hosted the Year 8 District 7-aside tournament and came out champions on a soaking wet evening on the 4G pitch. Beating Blacon in a tight final. Our Year 9’s were runners-up in the District Cup, beaten 4-2 by Blacon High and reached the final of the England Schools FA Open Cup Final. Read the full report for more information on this! The boys were also crowned 7-a-side champions, beating Tarporley on penalties. Our Year 10’s reached the District Cup Final for the third successive season but despite a valiant effort were beaten 2-1 by an excellent Upton side. It was a great run to the final, having beaten Heber in the semi-final in a thrilling contest. The boys were defeated in the last 16 in the County Cup and Mr McDonnell and the boys will be looking to go one better in the District next season as Year 11. Year 11 reached the semi-final of both the Chester and District Cup. In the District Cup, eventual champions Upton proved too strong with Ellesmere Port Catholic High School proving victorious in the semi-final despite our boys clawing their way back into the game to level from 2-0 down. The Sixth Form proved to be one of our best Under 18’s teams in recent years. Mr Fisher’s boys marched into the final of the District Cup, beating Upton on a windy evening at the Kings School to take the trophy home. The following week, the boys faced Sandbach in the County Cup final and came out as winners, marking the end of an era for an incredible set of footballers from Year 7 straight through to Upper Sixth. All in all, it has been another tremendous season for our Football Teams. Having four teams in the District Finals, winning two County Cups and one County tournament, as well as reaching a National Cup final for the first time in the school’s history. We have enjoyed making the most of our superb 4G pitch facility and the new dimension for fixtures it provides. Building on this year’s successes next season has the potential to be even more successful. Next year’s Year 7 will be the first Under 12 age group to play 9-aside, as we enter more National Competitions than ever before, including B Team competitions for some age groups. A great year, well done all. Up the Yellows. Mr McIntyre Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 73 Christleton 2nd in North West Athletics Our Junior Boys Athletics team have been ranked second in the North-West. The boys qualified for the North-West “A” Final after an impressive performance at the qualifiers in Warrington. The North-West “A” Final brings together the highest point scoring 12 schools spread between Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cumbria. The A Final took place on Tuesday 17th June 2014 at Stanley Park in Blackpool, and the boys recorded an impressive second place finish. This is the highest ranking the school has ever achieved in the England Schools Athletics Track and Field Cup. The team scored 412 points, an increase of around 80 points from their qualifying total. Phil Hopkins was the top scorer in an individual event, scoring 28 points for the team for his 100m time, clocking in at 12.2 secs. Jasper Mclaughlin was the top scorer for the team overall, in his two events (200m and long jump) he scored 46 points overall. Tom Roebuck scored 40 points (300m and shot) and Ewan Bradley scored (41 points) with a whole host of impressive scorers across the board. St Anselm’s College will now move into the National final, but the boys can be very proud of their second placed finish. Well done boys! Year 7 Girls Football The year 7 girls’ football team entered the 7-a-side tournament at the Cheshire and Warrington Winter Games, hosted at Chester University. Their first game was against Wilmslow High who had beaten them in the last competition, but the girls came from behind and managed a 2-2 draw. Brilliantly, the girls went on to a winning streak with four games unbeaten before being beaten in the final game. Despite this they earned a place in the final due to a fantastic performance from Jessie Griffiths in the semi-final against Bridgewater High. The final, against Wilmslow was an exceptionally close game that ended 0-0 after normal time. With no goals from either side in extra-time meant that an already nervy final went to penalties. Eve Gordon, Laura Roberts and Grace Beesley all scored their penalties and Hannah Thorley made a fantastic save to ensure the trophy was coming back to Christleton! Team: Laura Roberts (captain), Eve Gordon, Hannah Thorley, Niamh Lloyd-Kerfoot, Grace Beesley, Jessie Griffiths, Rachel Warburton, Imogen O’Neil, Lillie Fisher, Sophie-Mae Lane 74 Spring Term 2014 74 Christleton High School Magazine County Champions! Make it a Double! Christleton’s football teams were crowned County Champions in two separate age groups, meaning half of the Cheshire trophies came back to Christleton! Our Year 8 team, led by captain Ben Clark, had the following run to the final. Grange (Runcorn) 0-16 Christleton Whitby 1-6 Christleton Christleton 10-3 Ormiston Bolinbroke Wilmslow 2-4 Christleton Christleton 5-2 Weaverham The final would be against Poynton, Christleton running out winners on a wet afternoon at Kings. Phil Hopkins was amongst the goals as Christleton lifted the trophy for the second successive year. Our Sixth Form team, captained by Dan Astbury, marched into the final with the following results. Christleton 5-3 Neston Kings Chester 2-4 Christleton Wilmslow 1-4 Christleton Congleton 1-3 Christleton The students faced Sandbach in the final where Christleton proved too strong. Cameron Clark led the line impressively with Cameron Black lively throughout. The yellows saw off their opponents to lift the Cheshire Cup with a 2-1 victory. Year 7 District Athletics On Wednesday 11th June 2014, we travelled to Deeside Athletics Stadium to compete in the Chester & District Schools athletics event. The team of athletes from year 7 competed against schools from all over the district. Some exceptional performance throughout the day, notable Ewan Bradley who won the 70m hurdles to become district champion, but also broke the district record that had stood for many years. Harry Owen-Johnson also competed superbly in the district to win the javelin event. Ewan and Harry, along with other athletes who finished in the top 3 have now been selected to represent the Chester & District team in the county event... The following athletes have been selected Ewan Bradley (hurdles), Harry Owen Johnson (javelin), Ben Lawrence (1500m), Imogen O’Neill (200m) and Jessie Griffiths (javelin). Netball Successes Spring Term 2014 Another hugely impressive year for Christleton netball teams. This year we have won 5 District Championships (U13 A & B, U14, U16 & U18) with the U12 team being runners up. The teams have continued to dominate netball within the district as well as having success on a County, Regional & National scale. Summer T erm 2014 also reached the semi-final of the National Schools. The U14 team (Cat Nibbs, Molly Jones, Alex Bell, Megan Davies, Sophie Bell, Emma Newnham, Amy Russon, Emma Cresswell and Erin Brackenbury) were also crowned county champions playing superbly all season. The U13 team (Ellie Edwards, Beth Layder, Sophie Bridgewater, Grace Parry, Alex-Gore Rees, Maddie Sterling, Holly Mottershead, Jess Twigg and Beth Horsfield) were again crowned Cheshire County Champions remaining undefeated in the County all season. They Year 9 Netball team... District & County Champions 75 A combination of these two teams also reached National schools netball finals, having previously been crowned NorthWest Regional Champions. We are already looking forward to next season! Mrs Whigham Year 8B team District Netball Champions Year 8A Year 7 team District District Champions Runners up & County Netball 76 Spring Term 2014 The Year 8 rugby team may have lost heavily in the semi-finals of the Cheshire Cup but all players involved made the school proud. The team didn’t give up and fought to the end. Wirral Grammar hadn’t conceded a try going into this match and from the kick off you could see why. However, some tough talking and great attacking play from Tom Roebuck and Phil Hopkins insured that the away team had to stay on their toes. The Christleton forwards were impeccable all match with Oliver Trollop, Arran Brearey and Joe Williams leading the way, tackling hard and driving forward in possession. The second half was also very competitive and Wirral were still tough to break down but Christleton eventually did find a way through 10 minutes towards the end via a fantastic try from Phil Hopkins. 76 Christleton High School Magazine Year 8 Rugby Team make the school proud in the Semi-Finals of the Cheshire Cup Throughout the whole match and with some many Cheshire players in both sides it has to be said, Tom Roebuck looked one of the strongest players on the field of play and he deserved his ‘Man of the Match’ award. Well done to all players and we hope you have once again enjoyed another fantastic season of reaching the semi-finals of the Cheshire Cup, Winning the District Cup, Tarporley Festival and RFU Festival. Such a unique year group, see you all next season. Mr Barton Spring Term 2014 77 Summer T erm 2014 Building Learning Power Strengthening Learning Behaviours What is RECIPROCITY? Reciprocity is about knowing when it is good to work alone and also when to work with other people. It is about getting students to use a sense of independent judgement together with the skills of communication and empathy. In lessons we often ask students to work together in pairs or teams, but strengthening this learning behaviour is about practising how we relate to each other to get the best outcomes. Can you match up the learning behaviours associated with RECIPROCITY with the illustration? ? INTERDEPENDENCE Knowing when it’s appropriate to learn on your own or with others, and being able to stand your ground in debate. ? COLLABORATION Knowing how to manage yourself in the give and take of a collaborative activity, respecting and recognising other viewpoints; adding to and drawing from the strengths of teams. ? EMPATHY & LISTENING Contributing to others’ experiences by listening to them to understand what they are really saying, and putting yourself in their shoes. ? IMITATION Keeping going in the face of difficulties, channelling the energy of frustration productively. Knowing what a slow and uncertain process learning is. So how good are you in group work? Checklist: Think about the last time you worked in a group. Reflect on what role you played; tick the statements that are most like you • I offer ideas and opinions. • I ask others for their ideas and opinions • I ask others for proof, facts or reasons? • I criticise and disagree with others’ ideas • I pull ideas together • I summarise Is it wrong to criticise and disagree with others’ ideas? How could this be done to help learning? NEXT TIME you are in a group work situation try out some of the ideas above and kick start the learning. 78 Spring Term 2014 78 Christleton High School Magazine School’s Wall-Mural A few months ago, a group of Art Hot Scholars all came together to discuss the plan for a wall mural on some of the metal outer walls of our school. In the first session, we planned ideas for what could cover the empty space. Our first thoughts were on topics following things like the Swan, featured on the school badge, and using the school’s emblem to fill that space. Another idea was to use patterns from famous buildings, such as the glass on the Gherkin in London, and other artistic patterns. Then, we thought about famous buildings all over the world, such as the London Eye, the Gherkin itself, the Eiffel Tower, the 02 Arena, the leaning tower of Pisa and the Sydney Opera House. This idea soon became a favourite as we all drafted our own ideas for the project. Several ideas did cross over with other topics, like the Christleton swan, but the overall preference was to stick with famous buildings. On Wednesday 20th November 2014, we returned to continue to expand on our ideas. Now set with the theme of well-known buildings, we began to draft more designs. We all drew out our own ideas using four main buildings which were the Eiffel Tower, the Gherkin, Big Ben and the Sydney Opera House. Once those four buildings had been included, we added additional ideas using other buildings. One of the most effective ideas was to have the London Eye around the main buildings, as it drew the attention inside the ring and yet filled the space in a creative way. Soon, ideas were coming together and the final design was beginning to form. We intended to take the best features from everyone’s design, and developing them into one combined idea Izzy Griffin Morris 10K2 Spring Term 2014 Summer T erm 2014 79 Coming Soon to a High School near you ... Combined Cadet Force RAF Squadron! Ski Trip 2014 Watch this space for further details! Rapid Response Save Man in Need! Once again the Rapid Response team of Mrs Heaver and Mr Barton were on call yet again. A man was seen high up in the mountains hanging from a lamp post over the edge of a cliff, so when Rapid Response got the call it was inevitable they would be at the scene in no time to save yet another life. We cannot thank these two members of staff from Christleton High School enough for their bravery and support in the local area. We look forward to seeing them again soon, especially as the black diamond duo have since been caught taking time off when they should have been on call! No Class! From The Passo Tonale Ski Community Produced by NMC Design+Print, a social enterprise forming part of Cheshire’s NeuroMuscular Centre, working with muscular dystrophy... 01606 863464