Newsletter 19 12 2013

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Christmas Term

Thursday 19th December 2013

EXAMS Friday 23/05/14 INSET DAY EXAMS Please be advised that the following GCE/GCSE exams will be taking place on the above date.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK God of hope As we wait for the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, make us mindful of others and their needs,

GCE (AS) CHEM1 GCE (AS) DRAM1 GCE (AS) 6RS02 GCSE (Year 11) History Unit 2 Dates and times are dictated by the exam boards and cannot be re-arranged by the College. Students taking these courses are therefore expected to attend their exams on this date.

Exam Results Days - August 2014

and show us how to bring good news to all Your people.

Thursday 14th August 2014 08:30am - 10:30am A2 Results (Year 13) 11:00am - 12:30am AS Results (Year 12) Thursday 21st August 2014 10:00am - 12:00 noon - GCSE Results (Y11 only)

We ask this through Christ Our Lord.

SPECIALISM SUCCESS OF THE WEEK

waken our hearts to Your message,

Amen.

ECO FACT Remember, if you added together the gaps around doors and windows in the average size house they would be equivalent to a hole in your wall the size of nine standard bricks

PARENTS AS PARTNERS THE NEXT TERM Parents – please can you check your child’s equipment for learning and uniform over Christmas and replenish any items as necessary. Every student should carry with them everyday a pen, pencil, ruler and their planner, in addition to their exercise books and textbooks. A calculator is also required for Mathematics, Bible for RE and dictionaries for languages and English. Students are also expected to have the College bag for carrying books and equipment as described in the College uniform policy

The All Hallows Christmas Fair proved to be a huge success in this week with large crowds turning out each break and lunch time for 3 days in a row. In the true spirit of the College's core value of 'co-operation', Y13 Sociology students joined forces with BTEC Business students, KS3 Enterprise students and teachers to put on a fantastic show of design and entrepreneurial talent in a tremendous offer of seasonal products. Hot chocolate was served from the serving hatches of the new outbuilding and handcrafted Christmas products were sold from the new stalls. These included Christmas tree decorations, seasonally decorated cakes and even creatively packaged Christmas presents for pets. The new outbuilding and stalls venture was officially launched on Monday, when Pete Pealing of Peaks and Plains Housing Trust cut a ribbon to declare the new site open. Peaks and Plains provided part of the funding for the project from their Community Investment Grant with the rest coming from the charity 'Giving Nation' who are supporting KS3 Enterprise activity in the College. A special mention should also go to Cre8 Works, a social enterprise based in Macclesfield for their design and supply of the outbuilding and to Gavin Kenning Engineering based in Derbyshire for working with the College to ensure the stalls were perfect for a College setting. Most importantly however was the fun and experience enjoyed by the students of All Hallows all in a good cause. The students collectively contributed to a wonderful Christmas celebration, soaking up the atmosphere created by Christmas lights, Christmas music and a visit from Santa Claus. Jacob Cotterill, a Y13 BTEC Business student has seen the project through from beginning to end and said "This really sums up what All Hallows is all about. I have learned so much from the whole experience and I am so pleased to have been part of it. I only moved to the area and joined the College in the Sixth Form and I can't believe how much we can achieve in a short space of time." Money raised from The Christmas Fair will go towards the India Clinic Appeal

YEAR LEADER "DROP IN SURGERIES” Year Learning Leader "Drop In Surgeries" will be run on the following times and dates: Year 11 - Tuesday 7 January 2014 between 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm with Mrs Williams Year 10 - Thursday 9 January 2014 between 12.00 noon and 1.00 pm with Mrs Remfry Year 12/13– Thursday 30 January 2014 between 8am– 9:30am with Mr Howells and Mrs Garvey These are for parents who would like to discuss any concerns relating to their child. No appointment is necessary, but please be prepared to wait.

YEAR 11 PARENT’S EVENING 16th January 2014, 5pm - 7.30pm Online booking for this event is now available through the College website. Please go to "For Parents>Parental Gateway". For problems with log-in please contact the College on 01625 426138/01625 410287. The College hopes to see all parents/students in Year 11 as we consider this an essential aspect of home-school partnership. As a College event, students are expected to attend in full College uniform.

CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY EPIPHANY 6 JANUARY 2014

Students and staff are invited to donate 50p to our India appeal and wear their Christmas jumper on the Feast of the Epiphany on the 6 January 2014

ATTENDANCE MATTERS Over the last week of College attendance was as follows:

97.00% 96.00%

Year 7 - 94.9% (down 1.7% on the previous week) Year 8 - 96.0% (up 0.8% - well done Year 8) Year 9 - 94.0% (up 0.2% - well done Year 9) Year 10 - 93.4% (up 0.5% - well done Year 10) Year 11 - 91.9% (up 0.5 % - well done Year 11) Year 12- 95%

Year 13- 96%

95.00%

94.00% 93.00% 92.00%

91.00% 90.00% 89.00%

A better week for the College, but what happened to Year 7?

YEAR 7

YEAR 8

YEAR 9

YEAR 10 YEAR 11 Year 12

Year 13

The average for the week is still 94.0%. Since 3rd September attendance has dropped 0.1% to 95.6%. We aim for 97%.

Last week GIRLS attendance has decreased 0.8% to 93.2%, BOYS attendance has increased 0.9% to 94.9%. Well done boys and come on girls! Since 3rd September boys are still winning girls 96.1% to 95.2%.

Parents are politely reminded to avoid absence unless it is absolutely necessary. Thank you for your on going support regarding medical absence and holiday absence.

Holiday absence from College Holidays will not be authorised from 1st September 2013 under new legislation on all English schools. Requests for holidays must still be made in writing to the appropriate Key Stage leader (Mrs Garvey KS5, Mr Blades KS4 and Mr Diamond KS3), but in the vast majority of cases they will be unauthorised. A Fixed Penalty Notice may be issued of £60 per parent / carer per student, to be paid within 21 days, otherwise the penalty will rise to £120 per parent / carer to be paid within 28 days. If the penalty remains unpaid then the matter will proceed to the Magistrates Court where you will receive a criminal record if you are found guilty.

Medical absence from College Whilst the College requires parents to contact us on each day of absence , school policy now requires that any student who accumulates 7 or more days of absence during the course of the academic year will be asked to provide medical confirmation of need to be absent before any further absences are authorised for medical reasons. This is a necessary measure as we closely monitor absence due to illness / medical reasons in order that we can ensure students are supported where needed.

For your information medical confirmation does not have to be a doctor's note but can also take the form of a medical appointment card, a copy of a relevant dated prescription or evidence of medication being taken If no medical evidence is provided then the absence will be coded as unauthorised. Ten or more unauthorised absences may result in you receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice. This incurs a penalty of £60 per parent / carer to be paid within 21 days, otherwise the penalty will rise to £120 per parent / carer to be paid within 28 days. If the penalty remains unpaid then the matter will proceed to the Magistrates Court where you will receive a criminal record if you are found guilty.

The link between attendance and achievement is well researched and documented and students should be aiming for an attendance rate of no less than 97% over the year. Thank you for your continued support with this importance issue.

CALENDAR

Term

College Opens to Students

College Closes to Students

Epiphany

Monday 6 January 2014

Friday 14 February 2014

Easter

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Friday 4 April 2014

Whitsun

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Thursday 22 May 2014

Trinity

Monday 2 June 2014

Tuesday 22 July 2014

The following are the dates for training days in 2013-14. Students are not required to attend on these days. Unless taking an external exam.

Monday 24 February 2014 Tuesday 25 February 2014 Tuesday 22 April 2014 Friday 23 May 2014 Wednesday 23 July 2014

ADVANCED NOTICE Languages Controlled Assessments 2013-2014

Please find below the list of dates for the languages controlled assessments. Each assessment can count for 15% of the final GCSE. Teachers will let your son/daughter know on which dates they will complete assessments. Please avoid time off both on the date and in the lessons preceding these dates. Please contact a.harrison@allhallows.org.uk with any queries.

Year 11 Writing 2 Speaking 2

11y Thursday 16 January 11g Tuesday 21 January Thursday and Monday 13/17 March

Year 10 Writing 2 Speaking 1 Speaking 2

10y Tuesday 6 May 10g Thursday 8 May Tuesday/Wednesday 10/11 March Thursday/Friday 3 /4 July

Year 9 Speaking

Tuesday/Wednesday 8/9 July

RECOMMENDED READS Angel Fire by L. A. Weatherly Only Willow has the power to defeat the malevolent Church of Angels - and they will stop at nothing to destroy her. However, Willow is not alone. She is with Alex, a trained Angel Killer - and her one true love. Together, they must train a new generation of Angel Killers. But as a half-angel, Willow can't help feeling like an outcast, even with Alex by her side. So when a handsome stranger with a tortured past arrives at the AK camp, Willow finds herself inextricably drawn to him.

Split by Stefan Petrucha Wade Jackson has always felt split, his love for playing and writing music competing with his ambition to do well in school. But when his mother dies, this need for order competes with his desire to leave it all behind. What follows is a split in his consciousness that takes him to two very different worlds. Told in alternating chapters that together form one cohesive story, "Split follows both Wades as they pursue what they think is the correct path. One Wade continues working hard in school, pulling all-nighters to write a computer code he believes will save the world. The other Wade pursues the dream of being a dive-bar singer, pulling all-nighters to party, gamble, and live on the edge. But when these two worlds begin to collide, each Wade will need to find a balance between control and abandon, order and chaos, life missed and life lost, in order to save himself.

A Riley Bloom Novel: Radiance by Alyson Noel Riley Bloom died, aged twelve, in a car crash with her parents and her beloved dog Buttercup. Her sister Ever survived -- but that's another story. Riley must let go of Ever and all the things that tied her to life and discover what she's meant to be in the afterlife. Riley is a soul catcher. That means helping the unhappy lost souls who stick around in the human realm to move on and find their own place, over the bridge, in the great hereafter. With her spirit guide, Bodhi, and Buttercup by her side, Riley embarks on an adventure that will take her around the world sending ghosts back where they belong, until she can finally make it there herself.