Bishop Vaughan Catholic School Ysgol Gatholig Esgob Vaughan Parents‟ Newsletter April 2012 Cylchlythyr Rhieni Ebrill 2012
All houses are designing and producing a mural based on the lives of the house saints. The „Saint Teilo‟ mural has been completed. Pupils from last year‟s Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils worked extremely hard, with Art teacher Mr Thomas, to produce a colourful and exciting design in a stained glass style.
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SCHOOL TERM AND HOLIDAY DATES 2011 - 2012 HALF TERM HOLIDAYS Term Autumn 2011
Term begins Friday 2nd September
Begins Monday 24th October
Ends Friday 28th October
Term ends Thursday 22nd December
Spring 2012
Monday 9th January
Monday13th February
Friday 17th February
Friday 30th March
Summer 2012
Monday 16th April
Monday 4th June
Friday 8th June
Friday 20th July
Dates for your Diary Last day of term is Thursday 29th March 2012; school closes at 3.25 pm. Friday 30th March 2012 is an Inset Day. Pupils return to school on Monday 16th April 2012 - week one on the timetable.
Inset Days Friday 30th March 2012 and Monday 25th June 2012.
Advance notice of Examination Dates 2011
School exams for Years 7-10: Monday 14th May to Friday 25th May 2012. The main external exam period begins on Monday 14th May 2012 and will continue to the end of June. Please be aware, however, that some examinations, especially orals and practical examinations are normally held before this date.
PLEASE NOTE: Whilst the school understands the difficulties with holidays, we would remind you that breaks should not be booked without the Head approving the time off first. Please write requesting permission to the Headteacher and not Senior Tutor or Tutor. We would bring to your attention that School Inspectors have regularly pointed out that there is a clear link between absence and lack of academic progress!
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Easter Services Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter are the central focus of the Church‟s year. The liturgical rites for each of the days are an essential support to understanding the Christian message. We urge everyone to attend their Parish church for the three occasions. Times of the services in the different parishes are printed below. We wish you and happy and Holy Easter. Blessed Sacrament (Father Fewell) Holy Thursday 8.00pm Good Friday 3.00pm Solemn Passion 7.00pm Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 9.00pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 10.00am Mass and 6pm
Our Lady of Lourdes (Father Thadathil) Holy Thursday 6.00pm Good Friday 10.00am Stations of the Cross 3.00pm Solemn Passion Holy Saturday 7.00pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 11.00am Mass
Sacred Heart Morriston (Father Jason) Holy Thursday 7.30pm Good Friday 2.15pm Confessions 3.00pm Solemn Passion 7.30pm Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 8.30pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 9.30am/11.00am/6.30pm Mass
St. Benedict‟s Sketty (Father Evans) Holy Thursday 7.00pm Good Friday 3.00pm Solemn Passion 7.00pm Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 9.00pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 8.30am/11.00am Mass
Our Lady Star of the Sea (Rt Rev Mgr Canon Kinrade) Holy Thursday 7.00pm Good Friday 10.30am Walk of Witness 3.00pm Solemn Passion Holy Saturday 8.30pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 8.30 am/10.00am Mass
Sacred Heart Ystradgynlais (Father Teyrnon) Holy Thursday 7.00pm Good Friday 3.00pm Solemn Passion 6.30 Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 7.30pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 11.30am Mass
St. Benedict‟s Clydach (Father Teyrnon) Holy Thursday 7.00pm Good Friday 3.00pm Solemn Passion 6.30 Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 7.30pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 10.00am Children‟s Mass
Holy Cross (Father Thadathil) Holy Thursday 7.30pm Good Friday 10.30 am Stations of the Cross for children 3.00pm Solemn Passion 7.00 Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 8.00pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 10.30am Mass
St. David„s (Canon Flook) Holy Thursday 7.00pm Mass of the Lord‟s Supper Good Friday 3.00pm Solemn Passion Holy Saturday 8.30pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 10.00am/6.00pm Mass St. Illtyd‟s (Father Thadathil) Holy Thursday 7.30pm Good Friday 3.00pm Solemn Passion 7.00 pm Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 8.30pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 9.30am Mass
St. Peter‟s (Father Thadathil) Good Friday 10.30 Stations of the Cross Easter Sunday 9.00am Mass Cathedral Church of St. Joseph (Father Michael) Wednesday 11.30am Chrism Mass Holy Thursday 7.00pm Good Friday 3.00pm Solemn Passion 7.00pm Stations of the Cross Holy Saturday 8.30pm Easter Vigil Easter Sunday 8.00am/10.00am Mass
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
Attendance The law says you should only be off school if: The Education Act of 1996 says that if you are between the ages of 5 years and 16 years and are registered at a school, it is your parent or guardian‟s responsibility to make sure you attend on a regular basis. The Government guidelines say that your attendance should be at least 90%
You are ill
You are on an approved holiday
You have a recognised Religious Day If you are away from school, your parent or guardian MUST contact the school and tell them why you won‟t be in.
If your parent or guardian doesn‟t make
sure you go to school regularly, they could be taken to court!
If your attendance is 80%, this means that you miss…
The Police have the power to remove truants from the streets. This means that if you are out and about when you should be in school, a Police Officer could approach you and escort you back to school.
1 day every week 6 days every half term 12 days every term 36 days every year 180 days in five years (Nearly one whole school year)
You must be in school by 8.50am. If you are late, you must sign in at Pupil Reception. Regular lateness could mean detention. Late arrivals will be recorded on your registration record. Poor time keeping adds up…If you are 15 minutes late every day, you will miss out on two weeks of school every year.
We are here to help. If you have anything you would like to talk about, see a teacher or call into the Education Welfare Office at school
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SCHOOL UNIFORM To All Parents and Guardians Please note that during the summer term only, students are permitted to wear the school uniform polo shirt instead of shirt/blouse and tie. There is no requirement to change to the polo shirt, it is an option if you so choose. Please note if the weather is chilly and a pullover/jumper is needed this must be the standard school uniform pullover/jumper worn over the polo shirt if necessary. No other variations are permitted and students incorrectly attired will not join their class for lessons. A noticeable minority of pupils are wearing jumpers which are not of the required uniform colour of maroon. The jumpers are several shades lighter than what has been the standard in the school for many years. It seems as if there is a supplier passing off these jumpers as meeting Bishop Vaughan requirements when in fact they do not. Parents/guardians are being misled. I am well aware how expensive these items are, and there is no suggestion that they should be replaced or not worn. However, when the time comes for natural replacement, through wear and tear or loss, I ask, please, that the correct colour is purchased. Two suppliers who sell the proper version are: Bergoni 1 Cambrian Court Ferryboat Close Enterprise Park Swansea SA6 8QN Tel: 01792 796880
J & S Products 74 Tycoch Road Swansea SA2 9EQ Tel: 01792 206658
Please could parents/guardians of students also note that felt/fabric shoes, even if black in colour, are not considered suitable footwear for school. Please adhere to the footwear requirements as stipulated in the uniform dress code, a copy of which follows. Can I also underline that our school dress code does not permit hair colouring other than in natural colours (i.e. no green/blue for example). Parents/guardians and students are respectfully reminded that if you choose to come to Bishop Vaughan School it is important you follow the requirements in respect of school dress and appearance. High standards in these areas support the schoolâ€&#x;s high reputation. Students failing to meet this expectation, without good reason, cannot expect to be allowed into their class for lessons. Repeated failure to cooperate, quickly becomes defiance of school authority and there is the likelihood of serious sanctions. The school is most grateful to the vast majority of parents/guardians and students who cooperate and support us in these matters. Mr J Blackburn Headteacher
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
School Uniform Year 7-11 Pullover:
burgundy, v-necked with official school logo.
Tie:
years 7-11 official school tie.
Socks:
with trousers, dark-coloured or white with skirts, standard grey or white
Tights:
should be flesh-coloured, medium grey or black, plain and seamless. NB socks or tights MUST be worn.
Blouse/Shirt:
plain light blue, standard school style. Not denim or fashion.
NB During the summer term only light blue polo shirt with school logo, may be worn. Skirt:
mid-grey or black in material and standard design, standard knee length (knife or box pleat permitted).
Trousers:
dark grey or black and standard design NOT fashion or jeans. No denim, leather, flares, corduroy etc.
Shoes:
black, dark brown or dark grey with flat or low heels. Ankle boots may be worn in winter provided they conform to the above regulations. Trainers are not permitted. Felt/fabric shoes are not permitted. Heavy boots (military, Ugg etc.) are not permitted
Outer Garments:
pupils may wear mackintoshes, coats, anoraks or cagoules. However, all outer garments, of whatever type, must be plain, dark and single coloured. Anoraks or cagoules must not be too long, too short, “bomber jackets”, denim type, hoodies, tracksuit tops or cardigans. A luminous reflective strip is permitted and parents/ guardians are strongly advised to consider this. No logos, writing, patterns of any description should be present. Denim is not allowed. Baseball caps are not permitted in any circumstances. There is no necessity for anorak hoods to be worn at school.
Jewellery:
A single sleeper or a single stud of minimum size in the lobe. No other piercings are permitted. A medallion or chain may be worn if discreet. It must be removed for PE/Games. All other jewellery is forbidden. It should be noted that tattoos are not permitted.
Make-up/Hair Dye:
Make-up is forbidden. If hair dye/highlights are used they should be a natural colour with no extreme contrasts (i.e. greens etc are not permitted), no „designs‟ to be shaved into the hair. No „skin head‟ type haircuts.
All items of clothing should be clearly marked with the pupil‟s name.
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School Uniform Sixth Form Uniform The Sixth Form uniform is navy and white – two of our suppliers are:Bergoni, 1 Cambrian Court, Ferryboat Close, Enterprise Park Swansea, SA6 8QN – Tel: 01792 796880 J&S Products – 74 Tycoch Road, Swansea, SA2 9EQ – Tel: 01792 206658 Parents who have any doubts about what is acceptable should contact the school for guidance. Please do not rely on information obtained from elsewhere. Pullover:
navy, v-necked with official school logo.
Tie:
Sixth Form official school tie
Shirt/Blouse:
plain white, standard school style (not fashion)
NB During the summer term only navy blue polo shirt with sixth form logo, may be worn. Skirt:
navy blue, knee length
Trousers:
navy blue, standard design. No denim, leather, flares, corduroy etc.
Socks:
with trousers: dark coloured, or white with skirts: navy blue or white
Tights:
plain, seamless, navy tights may be worn.
Shoes:
dark coloured with flat or low heels. Ankle boots may be worn in winter and sandals in the summer. Trainers are not permitted.
Topcoat:
dark blue/black/grey – single coloured only.
Members of Sixth Form are expected to wear the uniform throughout the school day. It should be noted that tattoos and piercings of any kind are not permitted. If hair dye/ highlights are used they should be a natural colour with no extreme contrasts (i.e. greens etc are not permitted), no „designs‟ to be shaved into the hair. No „skin head‟ type haircuts. Baseball caps are not permitted in any circumstances. Any jewellery must be removed if in the judgement of any staff, instructors or technicians it constitutes a health and safety hazard, especially in laboratories, workshops and PE areas. All items of clothing should be clearly marked with the pupil‟s name.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS Guidance to Candidates Outside each examination room will be a copy of the regulations which have been agreed by all the examination boards. This sheet gives you further guidance to help you through your examinations so that you are quite clear as to what is expected of you. Make sure you read both documents carefully and if there is anything you are unsure about, please ask. Some important points: Follow your personal examination timetable closely. Keep it in a safe place. Make sure you know your personal candidate number. It is shown as „Exam Number‟ on your timetable. Morning examinations start at 9.00 and afternoon examinations start at 13.00 (1.00 p.m.) unless otherwise indicated. Aim to arrive at the examination room at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. If you are late it will cause you unnecessary anxiety, and if you are very late you may not be allowed in. You are expected to attend examinations in correct school uniform. You will not be allowed into the examination room if you are not correctly dressed. If you attend with unsatisfactory uniform, entry in to the examination will only be allowed after your parents have been contacted and asked to deliver the correct uniform to the school. Wait outside the examination room until you are called in. Remember to visit the toilet – you could have a long desperate wait otherwise! Bags and coats must be left at the back of the exam room. You will be allowed to take in only what you need. Pencil cases are not allowed unless they are clear. Pencil tins, boxes and „solid colour‟ cases are not acceptable. A clear plastic „sandwich-type‟ bag is just as good as a clear pencil case. Make sure you have the appropriate equipment for each exam – pen (plus spare), pencil, rubber, ruler, sharpener are essential. For certain exams e.g. Geography, Science, and Maths you may need to add compass, protractor, calculator, coloured pencils to your list. Check with your teacher. You will not be allowed to borrow any equipment during the exam. As soon as you enter the examination room you must not communicate in any way with anyone other than an invigilator (supervisor) until you leave the room after the exam. If you become unwell during the examination, raise your hand and inform an invigilator. If you have a specific medical condition, e.g. diabetes, make sure you bring the appropriate drink and snack which should be placed on the floor alongside your desk. You must remain in the examination room for the time allocated to the paper. If you have any time remaining use it wisely to check your work – you will not have another opportunity, and a correction made may result in a better final grade.
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If you are too ill to come to school you must let the school know by telephone at the earliest opportunity. You must also obtain a medical note from your doctor and send it to Mr. Brown as soon as possible. It may then be possible to apply to the examination board for special consideration so that you are awarded a grade. If there are particular circumstances such as recent illness or you are suffering from distress for a particular reason, and you feel it has affected your performance in an examination, inform Mr. Brown and bring a letter from home. You may be entitled to special arrangements in your examinations such as extra time or help with reading. You will be informed of these arrangements before the examinations affected. Mobile phones, i pods or MP 3/4 players are not allowed in the exam room. If you have an examination clash you must report to the main hall at 8.40 on the day of the clash.
What about results? Examination results summer series will be available from the Main Hall on the following dates:A & AS Levels (VCE) GCSE
Thursday 16th August 2012 (9:30 – 12:00) Thursday 23rd August 2012 (9:30 – 12:00)
If you cannot collect the results in person you can Either (i) Give a stamped addressed envelope to the office before the end of your exams, and your results will be posted on your behalf. Or (ii) Ask an adult member of your family to collect your results on your behalf. If you do this they must bring with them a signed letter from you authorising them to collect your results. Unfortunately, we cannot give out results over the phone. CERTIFICATES Certificates gained during these examinations will be available for collection in December 2012. It is important that you collect your certificates as they will be returned to the examination board after 12 months
Finally, plan your examination preparation carefully and thoroughly, but most of all GOOD LUCK!
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English Department The Writers’ Club Starting in the Spring Term 2012 Mondays 1.30-2.00 pm Room 23 with Ms Neucker In conjunction with The Writers‟ Club we are producing our second professionally made book, which parents and guardians will be able to purchase. It will include stories, poems and other forms of writing from across the year groups. All pupils are welcome to make a contribution to the book. If they wish to do so please log on to this website http://writers.scholastic.co.uk/ Step 1: Click on Children‟s log in Step 2: Enter the Password bvss The Writers‟ Club always have a variety of writing competitions to enter whatever type of writing you enjoy.
A wide selection of competitions can be found on: www.youngwriters.co.uk/ You can also finish the story of a famous writer in this great competition on: http://www.usborne.com/youngwritersaward/ Please encourage your children to attend.
Spelling Bee After lots of hard work and commitment our star spellers will be competing in “The Times Spelling Bee” online round on Wednesday 21st March. We are extremely proud of them for representing our school and wish them the very best of luck! The club is held in Room 13 every Thursday lunchtime at 1 o‟clock and will continue to run after the competition. Please contact Miss Neucker for any other details. Good Luck!
Spellathon Join a global championship and practise your spelling at the same time! Mencap have released an online spelling championship that can be accessed by all. Log on to www.spellathon.net to find out more. You can create your own bee and even compete against Stephen Fry himself. Congratulations go to Year 7 pupils who have made good progress in their literacy skills this term. Olivia Sardella, Jay Davies and Dominik Dudek-Barczak have received certificates for their APK; visualising and summarising skills. Fellow pupils will be able to view this work in a literacy display in the school library. Mrs L Nicholson Smith
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English Department Our trip to Swansea Metropolitan University On February 9th my class went on a trip to Swansea Metropolitan University with Mrs Richardson and two other members of staff. We went there to meet two authors, Marcus Alexander and Jenny Valentine. The book Marcus was talking about was called „Who is Charlie Keeper?‟ He showed us part of the movie of his book and he asked us questions – if we had a question right we would get a poster of his characters. Chanelle and Bradley had one each for answering a question correctly. Jenny Valentine showed us all the books she has written so far, including „The Ant Colony‟ and „Broken Soup‟. She read us the opening paragraphs from her books and showed us how to create interesting openings of our own. Then after lunch we went into the gym and there we had to make up a story in groups, including the words „caterpillar‟, diamond‟ and „map‟. Our story was about a grandfather butterfly who gave his grandson a treasure map. The grandson set off to find the treasure with the help of a toad which he met on his travels. I won‟t give away the ending – you‟ll have to read the book to find out what happens (when we publish it!) – but we had great fun writing it. I really enjoyed the day. I hope we get another chance to see some authors. Rosmi Reji 7:4
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Maths Department
UK Maths Challenge Results On the 2nd February 2012, 96 pupils from years 9 and 10 took part in the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge. In the challenge, the pupils had to answer 25 multiple choice maths questions. The pupils did very well and the following were the best achievers in the school. 1st Jt2nd Jt2nd 4th 5th 6th
Thomas Crudge Gabriel Cura Alexander Rockefeller Thor Jones Lauren Davies Mirren Beveridge
Year 9 Year 10 Year 9 Year 10 Year 10 Year 10
Silver Award Bronze Award Bronze Award Bronze Award Bronze Award Bronze Award
The following pupils just missed out on a certificate but they still did exceptionally well. Jt 7th Jt 7th Jt 7th Jt 7th Jt 7th
John Dodd Katie Davis Aws Radef Connor Buller Katie Davies
Year 10 Year 10 Year 10 Year 9 Year 9
Well done to everybody that took part and letâ€&#x;s see how we do next year!
UK Junior Mathematical Challenge My train was scheduled to leave at 17.42 and to arrive at 18.17. However, it started four minutes late, and the journey took 43 minutes. At what time did I arrive? A:
18.21
B:
18.23
The solution can be found on page 26
C:
18.25
D:
18.27
E:
18.29
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
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Key Skills Bright Sparks All pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 are now using Skills Passports to evidence the skills they use inside and outside of school. They are expected to look for opportunities, in class and in the various clubs or organisations that they are involved in, to show when they use skills such as „Working with Others‟, „Showing Leadership‟, „Commitment and Perseverance‟ and „Forming Opinions and Making Decisions‟. Once recorded in their „passports‟ pupils log on to the Bright Sparks website at www.myskillscymru.org and upload this information, including photos, school work etc, as evidence.
Well done to all those pupils who have been busy logging their skills, but special congratulations to our first Bright Sparks Champion: Rosmi Reji 7.4 (33 posts) Please encourage your child to use the web-site so that they can see their skills‟ achievements growing.
Modern Foreign Languages Extra French! The MFL department provides extra French lessons during lunchtime every Tuesday and Language Club every Monday.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
RE Department Response to the Talk by Jean Robert Cadet – a cross curricular effort. The response to the talk was extensive, making an impact on literacy skills as well as Wider Key skills. The following work is evidenced at Bishop Vaughan School. Empathetic writing in varying styles such as poetry, letter, diary in the English, RE and Welsh departments; video produced by the Performing Arts department. Power point the Music department; Emotive abstract expression through sculpture, art and music was created by Year 12 students and facilitated by Welsh Baccalaureate students on RE day. The work allowed for students to communicate in a number of ways their feelings and empathy with the plight of Restavik children in Haiti. Geography and Psychology linked the talk to A level specifications and the unit of study on Portraiture in the year 11 Art GCSE group was inspired by it. Bishop Vaughan‟s Fair trade group were able to use their knowledge and understanding of the plight of children in Haiti to underpin work produced for teaching to year 6 students about the rights of the child and fair trade. This provides some evidence that the involvement there was not only cross curricular and extra – curricular but further reaching towards transition and impacting on literacy skills is extensive Student support for the event impacted on their moral responsibility and citizenship and they raised over seven hundred pounds in order to support the charity work through selling blue bands which had the words „End Slavery‟ on them. The bands continued to be sold after the event and it was a pleasant surprise to find that Jean Robert Cadet wanted to take the time to re-visit school and explain to the students how the money they had raised would be spent. The event served as a platform to raise awareness of the rights of the child and to enhance communication skills. Jean Robert donated two of his books to school and there was an immediate interest in borrowing the books or buying them on Amazon. The talks by Jean made a lasting impression and opened up new ways of communicating empathy in a variety of learning experiences. The event provided an opportunity to explore a theme from a cross curricular approach and helped students to observe links between areas of the curriculum. Jean Robert‟s experience communicated the notion that education is a way out of poverty and enslavement and the opportunity to explore ventures of this kind again are most welcome. Many thanks to all students and staff who supported the event. Heather Hansen and Sarah Thom
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RE Department Charity Sponsored walk in support of the HCPT On the 22nd February, in the pouring rain and howling wind, students and staff braved the weather to participate in a sponsored walk/jog/run. Students had the choice of doing 10K or 5K and, of course, how they completed the walk depended on levels of fitness. The students completed the charity event during their General RE lesson on a Wednesday afternoon and many of the year 12 students who had no lessons joined the event. Money collected will be donated to the fund for students who are undertaking a pilgrimage to Lourdes in April with the HCPT Trust. The idea for completing the walk in a 118/118 theme came from Joe Collins and Sean White (Year 13). In true form they completed the 10K and made very good time. Those who did 5K enjoyed a hard earned treat at Verdi‟s Ice cream parlour at the end of the run. Generosity was shown in a number of different ways. Parents helped out with the event – giving up their time to record student times – thanks in particular goes to Mrs White and Mrs Houlihan! Staff used PPA/MGT time to help support the event – thank you Mrs Perwick, Ms Foulkes, Ms Smith, Mrs Thom and of course Mr Jenkins, our personal camera man! Steve and the team at Cymru Coaches gave us a free coach ride to the starting point - this helped to make the event possible. Student support for charitable events at Bishop Vaughan School has always been excellent and this proved to be no different. Well done all of you especially in view of the fact that we were all soaked! A word of advice to Mr Jenkins – don‟t wear your best shoes next time! Our heartfelt thanks go to all those parents, students and staff who gave up valuable time to contribute. (NB: All money is still very welcome paid via the School House) Joe Collins and Sean White (Sixth Form) and Mrs Heather Hansen.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
PSE Careers Information Year 7 Diversity Day All year 7 pupils were recently involved in a Diversity Day focusing on a range of activities including Bollywood and African dancing, Tai Chi, African drumming, Capoiera and Belly dancing. Pupils were also treated to lunch which included foods originating from some of the countries focused on during the day. The day was arranged with the help of Mr Taha Idris OBE, Chief Executive of the Racial Equality Council. Mr Idris sent an email to the school after the event which indicates the impression that Bishop Vaughan pupils made on him as a visitor. The email reads: 'I wanted to specifically mention the fact that out of all the schools in which we have offered these sessions, Bishop Vaughan pupils have been the best exemplar of good behaviour. I was rather surprised to see the depth of knowledge that they already possessed in respect of equality and diversity issues. On one occasion, for instance, we did not expect the pupils to know all mandates of equality and the pupils surprised us by quoting each one of the six mandates. That is an exceptional performance for adults yet alone 11 year olds. I am sure that you are proud of the ethos at Bishop Vaughan which has generated such characters. Please keep going like this and you will produce leaders of tomorrow.'
Bishop Vaughan School awarded the Careers Quality Mark Bishop Vaughan School was this week presented with this award for the procedures and initiatives it has in place for providing quality careers education and guidance to its pupils. The award recognises how careers provision in the school impacts on pupil knowledge and understanding in this area. The school is one of only two in the authority to achieve this award. Mike Jones (DOL PSE/Careers)
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Music Department The Music Department continue to be proud of the talents and creativity shown by the pupils at Bishop Vaughan School. Hemiola Youth Choir On Tuesday the 28th February the school were delighted to host a Grand Assembly for all of Year 7 & 8 as we were presented with a choral presentation from the Hemiola Youth Choir, directed by Ms Delyth Holland and accompanied by Mr Glenn Crooks. Pupils from Bishop Vaughan sang to the Assembly inviting new members to join the choir on a Monday evening at Gorseinon Tech starting at 6.30pm.The assembly included a Welsh song as well as a traditional African piece. The attentiveness of our pupils listening to the singing was exemplary and pupils are to be congratulated for their interest and support to the visiting choir. Well done everyone. Only Lads Aloud@BVS It is with great pleasure that we announce to you that the 'Only Lads Aloud' singers recorded the Ospreys Rugby theme song 'Ozzie's Army' on Monday 5th March in the school hall. 'Lads' from Years 10 - 13 made their musical arrangement of this song which will be performed in the Liberty Stadium over the next few weeks. The Ospreys Education Team were so delighted with the recording that they simply stated that it was 'brilliant' and far exceeded their expectations. The 'Lads' were accompanied by our talented musicians Tommy Evans (Drums), Jack Beynon & Connor Burns (Acoustic Guitars), Christian Betts (Bass Guitar) - Yr10, & Nathan Corbett (Lead Electric) Yr 9. Our 'Only Lads Aloud' singing were: Nathan Roberts, William Clarke, Liam Joyce, Giorgio Kays, Luke Blanche, Mike Hinder, Adam Evans, Roberto Monni, Josh Hartnoll-Gigg, James McCarthy, Matthew Mogford, Matthew Sullivan, Patrick McCambridge, Kyle Penhale, Scott Hopkins, Kieron White, Tom Watson, Paul Stevenson, Mambwe Mwanza, Daryl Verbosidad, Osahon Aghedo, Daniel Vickers, Antony John, Brandon Patton, Joe Collins, John Collins, Sean White, Thomas Crudge, Mubanga Kauseni. The boys will also be videod with 'Ozzie' himself in the next few days and Bishop Vaughan pupils will have their talents shown on the big screen in the Liberty Stadium for future Ospreys Rugby matches. I am delighted and very proud of the boys and hope that this will give them the exposure and motivation they truly deserve to move on to future singing events. Well done 'Only Lads Aloud@BVS'.
Nina Jackson Director of Learning for Music
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Comenius Project Visit to Spain After successfully hosting our partner schools in October it was our turn to visit one of our partner schools. Miss Neucker (English Dept) and Mrs L Williams (Drama and Performing Arts) accompanied four 6th form pupils on this school exchange visit to the town of Olot in Catalonia, Spain. The 'Cor de Maria' Catholic school hosted the visit and the pupils stayed with Spanish families for four nights. During their stay the pupils experienced many wonderful sights such as the Salvador Dali Museum, the Montsacopa volcano, Camp Nou football stadium in Barcelona, and the Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona. The sights were truly magnificent and the people were so friendly and welcoming. The next and final trip in this project will be to Bratislava in Slovakia.
Sagrada Familia
Daria‟s best moments: I truly fell in love with Spain. It is one of the most beautiful countries that I have ever visited. We visited many places, but for me the most incredible of them of all was the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona. Every little detail of this magnificent church has been planned with a passion. The amount of work put into it is breath taking and it still is not finished!
The Dali Museum
Carlita‟s best moments: I made lots of new friends and I enjoyed learning about the Catalonian culture and how they are different to Spain. I also enjoyed trying new food.
Fridah‟s best moments: Going to Spain on this trip was one of the best experiences of my life. It was a chance for me to mingle with people from other countries and cultures. Not only did we get to visit such a beautiful place, we got to meet lots of new people and this made the trip even better. I have made life-long friends as a result and gained a lot of knowledge and experience. This was a once in a lifetime trip and I feel blessed and grateful to have been given such an opportunity. The view from Montsacopa Volcano with the Pyranees in the distance.
Sacha‟s best moments: The croissants for breakfast made the trip for me!! I thought the whole trip was really interesting and it was lovely meeting new people and learning new things about their country. The trek up the volcano was like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro but the view was out of this world. The whole trip was very tiring but fantastic!
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Ski Trip 2012 The 2012 Bishop Vaughan Ski Trip took place from February 10th to Saturday 18th 2012. Pupils from years 8, 9, 10 and 11 left the school in the morning, dressed in this years ski hoodies, purple in colour, to begin our very long journey by coach to Austria. Everyone was really excited and looking forward to their winter holiday. We arrived in Alpendorf in the afternoon of Saturday, extremely tired but excited to see the snow covered mountains. Our hotel was a youth hostel and typically Austrian and situated right on the slopes in Alpendorf, with a view of the slopes we would be skiing the following day. An added advantage of this accommodation was that the intermediate groups could ski home to the hotel in the evening. It was a truly fantastic location and all the pupils really enjoyed it. The youth hostel itself was properly equipped with games rooms hosting table tennis and table football and a trampoline room. There was a cinema room as well! The Sunday was our first day of skiing and we were blessed with fantastic deep snow! It was however very cold, down to -17 degrees!! We were all grateful for our thermals! In the next few days we had some sunshine and blue skies, and later in the week it snowed. We had three groups. One advanced and two beginner groups. The intermediate group had the lead instructor and they were soon zipping down every possible run in Alpendorf. This group skied back to the hotel most days and had an extra half an hour relaxing and enjoying the fantastic facilities. The first couple of days were the hardest for the beginners. However, by the end of day three most pupils were smiling and laughing at how well they were doing. In the beginner groups there was a good sense of team spirit with everyone encouraging each other when people fell over. Whilst in the intermediate group it was survival of the fittest! Their days comprised of fast skiing and lots of adventures. There were several highlights in the evening activities too! On the Monday evening we went to a neighbouring resort where the pupils bowled. Afterwards the students entertained the teachers with their moves on the dance floor! Pupils were also able to visit a swimming pool complex where they had the opportunity to swim in outdoor heated pools. It was a fantastic venue and just the thing for aching legs after a hard days skiing! The teachers watched proudly as all our pupils persevered throughout the week and we were all really impressed at how much everyone had learned! I have launched the 2013 BVS Ski Trip and I have already been approached by lots of interested pupils who have heard all about the 2012 trip! This visit was such a success we have decided to book the same resort and hotel again. Lots of the pupils who went this year have already applied to come again! If anyone wants to go they should see me to register their interest as soon as possible. L. Jones
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
ESDGC Eco House Competition Winners The Year 7 „Rehash Your Trash‟ Competition to make a Christmas tree decoration out of waste materials aimed to reinforce the „reduce, re-use, recycle‟ habit. Members of the Eco committee (seen here) selected the best 5 from over 100 entries. The overall Year 7 winner was Nicholai Mateo‟s „CD santa‟.
The Year 8 „Litter Collage‟ Competition continued our current anti-litter campaign. Pupils use „litter‟ items to get the „don‟t litter‟ message across to their peers. Members of the Eco committee (seen here) selected the best 5 from over 100 entries. The overall Year 8 winner was Olivia Collins 8.3.
Fairtrade Fortnight Pupils in Years 7,8 and 9 gathered information and presented it in leaflet form for this year‟s Eisteddfod to mark Fairtrade Fortnight as well as enacting a small drama entitled „Fabulously Fantastic Fairtrade Fred‟. The Fairtrade Committee organised a relay race to support this year‟s theme „Take a Step for Fairtrade‟ involving over 900 pupils. Everyone signed a poster to show their support and enjoyed a Fairtrade chocolate treat at the end!
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
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Eisteddfod Dydd Gwyl Ddewi 2012/ St David‟s Day Eisteddfod 2012
The annual school Eisteddfod took place in the main hall on Thursday 1 st March. Brynach House started the day with a substantial lead gained in the off-stage competitions, however, the points available from the on-stage elements meant that it was all still to play for. The atmosphere throughout the day was superb, with pupils and staff cheering the acts with great enthusiasm and respect. The English poetry recital was won by Mabyn House, with Brynach and Teilo Houses in second and third place respectively. The Drama competition was a choice between the appropriately entitled “An Inspector Calls” written by Mrs Scannell or a Drama on “Fair Trade” in recognition of “Fair Trade Fortnight.” Non House‟s superb performance was victorious with Brynach House in second and Mabyn House a very close third. The Welsh recital “Fo a Fi” was a very powerful poem on the theme of bullying and Mabyn House were winners, with Teilo House in second place and Brynach and Cadog Houses in joint third place. There were many outstanding performances throughout the day, however, the highlight was without doubt, Non House‟s winning rendition of “Calon Lan” performed to the score of “The Rose.” The audience were spellbound by the quality of the singing to the accompaniment of acoustic guitars played by the students. The day‟s final results were: 1st Brynach House (1,311 points) 2nd Mabyn House (1,100 points) rd 3 Non House (1,088 points) 4th Teilo House (787 points) th 5 Cadog House (709 points) 6th Dyfrig House (684 points) During lesson 5, pupils in years 9 and 10 were allowed to attend a concert (comprised of the winning acts) and were very impressed by the quality of the performances. They were particularly appreciative of the two songs sung by the group “The Riff.”
Pupils singing “Calon Lan”
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
Sociology Visit to the Houses of Parliament Year 12 and 13 Sociology students finished their exams at the end of January. As a reward for their hard work, they were able to go to London on Friday, 3rd February. We set off at 7.00 am and four hours later arrived at Spitalfields Market. This was an interesting visit as the area around there is becoming quite “gentrified” as older industries have died out and more modern shops, housing and restaurants have taken their place. After lunch on one of the myriad of multi-cultural eating places, we re-boarded the coach and had a guided tour of some of the tourist hotspots of Central London, such as the London Eye, Westminster Abbey and Hyde Park. At 3.00 pm we arrived at the Houses of Parliament in order to pass through the very rigorous security procedures. We split into three groups and went through every section of Westminster, including the Queen‟s Robing Room, the Commons, the Lords, the division lobby and Westminster Hall. The guides were superb – full of interesting facts and stories as well as insider knowledge of M.P.‟s past and present. The whole tour is steeped in so much history whilst also being at the cutting edge of politics today. Our final treat was to go to the Victoria Apollo Theatre for an excellent West End Production of “Wicked”. Many of the students (and staff!) were word perfect on the music and so had to be restrained from singing along! There was so much laughter and tears. Every one of us was overawed by the quality of the show in every aspect – the costumes, staging, singing and acting was the best! We finally got home about 2.30 am after a wonderful day, the staff complimenting the students for their excellent behaviour. Miss Marnell, Mrs Cook, Miss Davies
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
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Welsh Baccalaureate RE Day Year 12 Welsh Baccalaureate pupils have once again shown great enthusiasm and strength of character by leading the RE Day on the 8th February. Artwork produced by Year 12 on pilgrimage
The theme for this RE day was Pilgrimage. Prior to the day the Welsh Baccalaureate pupils prepared various learning activities and exercises on Pilgrimage that would be suitable for our Year 9 pupils. These activities ranged from written exercises to visualisation activities and discussions about film clips. As if preparation of these materials was not enough, they then became teachers on RE Day, testing these activities on their Year 12 “classes”. Feedback from the day was very positive, both for the activities carried out and for the experiences that the Welsh Baccalaureate students gained, although it has put at least one of our students off teaching for life! The various activities have been handed over to the RE Department and we hope they will be of use when they are teaching this topic with Year 9. For those not so interested in teaching there will now be an opportunity to develop organisational skills, as their next responsibility is to plan and organise the RE Day in the summer term, which is a Year 12 pilgrimage to St.David‟s in West Wales. Well done again to everybody who took part this time. Keep up the good work!
St. David‟s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
Cambridge Latin Certificates Congratulations to the following pupils for their success in gaining their first Cambridge Latin certificates, awarded by the Cambridge University Schools‟ Classics Project:
Jessica Arnold, Bernadette Boniol, Jack Brenton, Ffion Byrne, Gabriel Cura, Keiran Davies, Ivy Davison, Jack Draper, Scott Farley, Lexie Fyfield, Bethan Hall, Leah Henry, Oliver Hughes, James Lawson, Tayla Milne, Matthew Mogford, Lauren Morris, Marta Porczyk, Sam Price, Aws Khalil Radef and Bethan Raven
Well done!
Mrs Pole
Virtually University Following on from the excellent lectures enjoyed last term as part of our ‘Virtually University’ video-conferencing programme and our partnership with Bedford School, Sixth Formers have benefited this term from the expertise of a variety of speakers, participating in lectures and workshops including the following: - Biomedical Science: How Your Brain is Wired Dr Samantha Alsbury, University of Greenwich - Healthcare: Healthcare Careers and Gaining Work Experience Fiona Cairns, St George's, University of London - Physics/Astronomy: How the Universe Works Dr Andrew Norton, The Open University Our thanks to Dr. Sharp for his assistance in running these!
Sixth Form Committee
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
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Senior Prefect Appointments
Congratulations to the new Senior Prefects appointed this term. We wish them every success in their new roles: 2012/13 SIXTH FORM COMMITTEE Head Girl
Head Boy
Ananya George Moolepparambil
James Williams
Deputy Head Girl Treasurer
Deputy Head Boy Treasurer
Ffion Jenkins
Adriano Parisi
Deputy Head Girl Social
Deputy Head Boy Social
Cristiana Felicio
Morgan Hannah
SENIOR PREFECTS (House Captains) Samantha Davies - Non Coleen Jones - Dyfrig Kathryn Dâ€&#x;Urzo - Cadog Bethany Williams - Brynach Fridah Kimani - Mabyn Megan Jones - Teilo
Joshua Jenkins - Teilo Adam Powell - Cadog Daniel Minister - Dyfrig Fiad Mwamba - Mabyn Liam Harrington - Non Edward Coster - Brynach
SENIOR PREFECT (Links with Governors and Sixth Form Communications) Sam Pritchard
SENIOR PREFECTS (Sports Links) Nia Palla
Tom Rees
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
Cycling to School To All Parents and Guardians A small but increasing number of pupils are making their way to and from school by bicycle. While the school supports this as a healthy and environmentally friendly form of travel there are some concerns in relation to health and safety.
All those riding to school should wear a helmet. All those riding to school should wear some high visibility clothing. Bikes should be checked regularly for roadworthiness, particularly the brakes. In winter or when it is dark, bikes should be fitted with lights.
In addition pupils must remember that they are not to cycle on the school premises. If you have any questions in relation to these matters or would like some advice, do please contact the school. Mr J Blackburn Headteacher
PLEASE NOTE! Whilst the school understands the difficulties with holidays, we would remind you that breaks should not be booked without the Headteacher approving the time off first. Please write requesting permission to the Headteacher and not Senior Tutor or Tutor. We would bring to your attention that School Inspectors have regularly pointed out that there is a clear link between absence and lack of academic progress!
Pupil Information If any details have changed, please write or email into the school office so that our records may be updated. This includes any change to address, contact telephone numbers (especially mobile telephone and emergency contacts), place of work, doctor, or any new medical conditions of which we should be aware.
Could you please pass onto the school any relevant email address that we could use to contact you.
Maths Challenge solution E. The train left at 17.46 so it arrived 43 minutes later at 18.29
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
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Bus Passes Could both parents and pupils be aware that the children should carry their bus pass with them at all times. Pupils could be asked at any time whilst travelling on a school bus, to produce their bus pass as evidence that they are allocated a seat. If pupils have misplaced their bus pass please contact the school office who will organise a replacement. Also pupils are not allowed to travel on any other bus other than the one that is printed on their bus pass. On several occasions lately pupils have tried to travel on different buses, e.g. to go over to a friendâ€&#x;s place after school. This is not allowed and the drivers have the right to refuse entry to pupils who are not allocated to their bus. It is parentsâ€&#x; responsibility to collect their children and take them to alternative venues after school.
Parking Outside Bishop Vaughan A letter has been received from the School Community Police Officer asking us to pass on the concerns of local residents in relation to parking and vehicles causing obstructions outside the school from 3 oâ€&#x;clock every afternoon. Police Officers will be patrolling regularly outside the school to take positive action regarding any vehicles which are parked in contravention of road traffic legislation.
Mobile Telephones If pupils have mobile phones they should note that they are not to be switched on or in use inside the school. This includes the buildings, playground and playing field areas, before, during and after the school day. Mobile phones are to be kept out of sight, either on the person or in the school bag. The school can take no responsibility for any loss or theft of mobile phones. Parents and guardians are asked not to contact their children by phone or text during the school day. If an emergency message needs to be conveyed the school office will take the call and pass the message on. Similarly if a pupil needs to make an emergency call home he or she just needs to approach the office. Failure to comply with these rules will result in the phone being confiscated and kept in the school office for collection by a responsible adult. Any pupil using a mobile phone to record sound or video in school faces the likelihood of exclusion.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter April 2012
School Website The school website can be found at: www.bishopvaughan.swansea.sch.uk
Paying for trips Remember, if your child is paying for a school trip, the House is open from 8.30am until registration and at morning break and lunch times. All cheques should be made payable to „Bishop Vaughan Catholic School‟ and the pupil‟s name, tutorial and trip should be clearly written on the reverse. Thank you.
Lost Property We still have a number of items in lost property - which is now located in the main office. None of the articles are labelled and cannot, therefore, be returned to their owner. If your child has lost any item, please tell them to come and check with Ms Hancock in the main office. After a period of time items not claimed will be given to a charity shop as there is no room to store them. Lost property is available for checking at break and lunch-time. PLEASE LABEL ALL ITEMS OF SCHOOL UNIFORM SO THAT THEY CAN BE EASILY RETURNED IF HANDED IN TO LOST PROPERTY. Please can all parents and guardians be aware that the school cannot supervise pupils arriving before 8.40 am.
Bishop Vaughan Catholic School Mynydd Garnllwyd Road Morriston, Swansea SA6 7QG Phone: 01792 772006 Fax: 01792 790565 E-mail: bishop.vaughan.school@swansea-edunet.gov.uk www.bishopvaughan.swansea.sch.uk