Cyberspace Conference
You might remember Jake Oakes from previous issues of South Hunsley News when we were proud to announce that he was training with the English Deaf Cricket Squad. Recently he was invited to London to speak at a Cyberspace Conference on behalf of the National Children’s Deaf Society (NCDF). The conference, which featured Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague was on the impact that the internet and cyberspace has on different areas of society. Jake spoke in front of over 600 delegates about ways of making the internet more accessible for deaf people, including subtitles on videos and the use of British Sign Language (BSL) translators.
Christmas Concert
In just a few short days, on Thursday 15 December the Music department is holding its annual Christmas Music Concert. Starting at 7.00pm and featuring performances from the school orchestra, the school choir and a number of solo recitals it will be a wonderful evening as ever. Tickets are on sale now from the finance office, priced at £5 for adults and £2 for concessions, with refreshments included.
::: Volunteer Work
O
n finishing their A-Levels, most students tend to progress either straight to university or perhaps into a new career. Some take a year out to travel, or perhaps to get some work experience before deciding on a career or university course. Beth Gray is a little different. She plans on studying medicine at university following her gap year, which she plans to spend volunteering with children in Cambodia. She’ll be working for Project Trust, based on the Isle of Coll off the Scottish Coast. Unlike many gap year organisations, Project Trust is extremely selective in the choice of its volunteers, sending only a handful of handpicked individuals every year. Beth will be matched carefully to a project to suit her skills and abilities and will spend her time in Cambodia as a valued member of the community rather than a traveller or tourist. She’ll be working mainly with children, teaching some elementary English and being involved in the general
health and welfare of the community. Beth says “For me this work will be incredibly rewarding and will give me the chance to make a real difference to these young lives”. Sponsorship fundraising is an important part of Beth’s preparation. If you would like to sponsor her year volunteering please contact the South Hunsley Sixth Form on sixthform@southhunsley.org.uk.
::: YouTube Sensation
Nutcracker Performance Lexie McPherson of Year 7 performed in a Northern Ballet performance of The Nutcracker at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford on Tuesday 8 and Saturday 12 November. She played the role of a mouse in the show, and spent around ten minutes on stage each night after weeks of rehearsal. Lexie described performing as being a great experience, particularly on the Saturday when she danced in front of a full house. Lexie’s next performance will be with her dance school RS Dance, where she will take part in the ballet Coppélia. We wish her the best of luck for this and any other future endeavours.
Sixth Form Student Olivia Pougher meets McFly at Hull Freedom Festival
A
t South Hunsley we like to celebrate our students achievements, whether they’re academic, sporting or otherwise. Olivia Pougher certainly has an unusual achievement. Her YouTube channel (under the name “olivia94tennis”) currently has well over 1,600 followers, and more than 430,000 views on her videos. To put that in perspective, the latest X-Factor video has just over 100,000 views. On her videos, Olivia plays guitar
covers of famous rock songs, including complicated pieces by Muse and McFly. Tom Fletcher of the band McFly even commented on one of her videos, saying “‘This has justified my whole career. If we inspire one person to pick up an instrument then job done” This has led to Olivia’s covers being played on Viking FM, and to her meeting McFly at the Hull Freedom Festival last year. More recently, two of her covers have been featured on the NME website. SOUTH HUNSLEY NEWS