Bishop Vaughan Catholic School Ysgol Gatholig Esgob Vaughan Parents’ Newsletter December 2011 Cylchlythyr Rhieni Rhagfyr 2011
All houses are designing and producing a mural based on the lives of the house saints. The ‘Saint Non’ mural has been completed. Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils have worked extremely hard with Art teacher Mr Thomas to produce a colourful and exciting design in a stained glass style.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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School Term and Holiday Dates 20112011-2012 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
Monday 13th February
Friday 17th February
Friday 30th March
Summer 2012
Monday 16th April
Monday 4th June
Friday 8th June
Friday 20th July
The Headteacher, staff and governors wish all parents, carers and pupils a happy and Holy Christmas and a successful New Year. Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda Dates for your Diary Last day of term is Thursday 22nd December 2011 school closes at 3.25 pm. Pupils return to school on Monday 9th January 2012 - week two on the timetable INSET DAYS Friday 30th March 2012 and Monday 25th June 2012
Advance notice of Examination Dates 2011/12 External units for Years 10 -13: from 10th January 2012 to 31st January 2012. School exams for Years 7-10: Monday 14th May to Friday 25th May 2012.
Welsh Government Banding The details of the Welsh Government School Banding System were published on 8th December. It was pleasing to note that Bishop Vaughan has been given a grade one, one the highest. It is of course only one measure of the school’s achievements but it is good news. I should like to thank all staff and pupils for their hard work and efforts. Behind this is the fulsome encouragement and expectation parents and guardians give to their children. I take the opportunity of thanking you for this. Mr J Blackburn
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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Christmas Services Times of the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services in the different parishes are printed below. 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 this Christmas time.
Blessed Sacrament (Father Fewell) 892722 Christmas Vigil 5.00 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 10.00 am
Our Lady of Lourdes (Father Thadathil) Christmas Vigil 8.30 pm Christmas Day 11.00 am
Sacred Heart Morriston (Father Jones) Christmas Vigil 5.30 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 9.30 am and 11.00 am
St. Benedict’s Sketty (Father Evans) 298412 Christmas Vigil 6.000 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 8.30 am and 11.00 am
Our Lady Star of the Sea (Rt Rev Mgr Canon Kinrade) Sacred Heart Ystradgynlais (Father Teyrnon) Christmas Vigil 6.30 pm Christmas Vigil 8.00 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 10.00 am Christmas Day 9.30 am St. Benedict’s Clydach (Father Teyrnon) Christmas Vigil 6.00 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 10.00 am
Holy Cross (Father Thadathil) 586454 Christmas Vigil 6.00 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 10.30 am
St. David‘s (Canon Flook) Christmas Vigil 6.00 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 11.00 am
St. Peter’s (Father Thadathil) Christmas Vigil 8.00 pm Christmas Day 9.00 am
St. Illtyd’s (Father Thadathil) Christmas Vigil 6.00 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 9.30 am
Cathedral Church of St. Joseph (Father Michael) Christmas Vigil 7.00 pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 8.00 am and 10.00 am
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
Attendance Parents Information It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure their children receive a full time education – THIS IS THE LAW. Parents must ensure that their children attend school regularly and on time. It is a parent’s responsibility to let the school know if their child is going to be absent. Remember the only legally acceptable reasons for not being in school are:
The School Can Help
If you are worried or feel there is a problem with your child’s attendance, it is always best to talk to the school first, however: The school can help with a variety of issues such as: •
Attendance Issues
•
Bullying
•
Exclusions
•
Child Protection
•
Advice and Support
If you want any help and advice about your child’s attendance, please contact: J Austin (Education Welfare Officer 01792 772006 Ext 218)
• • •
Illness Approved parental holiday For a Religious Day of Observance
or N Williams, (Senior Tutor for Attendance and Inclusion 01792 772006)
Examinations Information for Candidates Sitting External Examinations Enclosed with the December Newsletter are JCQ information sheets, it is important that both parents and pupils familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations of external examinations prior to the January 2012 examination series.
Collection of Certificates Certificates gained during Summer 2011 examinations will be available for collection in December 2011. It is important that you collect your certificates as they will be returned to the examination board after 12 months. For certificate collection phone the school giving your name and the date you sat your examination, your certificate will be ready for collection from the school reception the next day. Thank you.
Anthony Brown, Exams Officer
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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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: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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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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. 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!
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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School Uniform Year 77-11 Pullover: Pullover
burgundy, v-necked with official school logo.
Tie: Tie
years 7-11 official school tie.
Socks: Socks
with trousers, dark-coloured or white with skirts, standard grey or white
Tights: Tights
should be flesh-coloured, medium grey or black, plain and seamless. NB socks or tights MUST be worn.
Blouse/Shirt: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.
MakeMake-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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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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: Pullover
navy, v-necked with official school logo.
Tie: Tie
Sixth Form official school tie
Shirt/Blouse Shirt Blouse: 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: Skirt
navy blue, knee length
Trousers:
navy blue, standard design. No denim, leather, flares, corduroy etc.
Socks: Socks
with trousers: dark coloured, or white with skirts: navy blue or white
Tights: Tights
plain, seamless, navy tights may be worn.
Shoes: 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.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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English Department The Writers’ Club Starting in the Spring Term 2012 Mondays 1.301.30-2.00 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 youngwriters.co.uk/ youngwriters 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 previous success at “The Times Spelling Bee”, we are looking forward to preparing again for this year’s regional heats in Newport. It is an exciting and rewarding experience for all who are involved. Preparations are underway to find our star spellers for 2012! All year 7’s are welcome to attend our sessions where we will practise our spelling strategies and competition techniques. The club is held in Room 13 every Thursday lunchtime at 1 o’clock. Please contact Miss Neucker for any other details. 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.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
RE Department As part of the Swansea schools’ initiative to raise awareness of respecting the Rights of the Child, Bishop Vaughan School was fortunate enough to host a talk given by Jean Robert Cadet. Jean Robert Cadet has spoken about children’s rights and responsibilities at the UN and has firsthand experience of what it is like to be a child whose rights had been neglected. Jean Robert spoke to over 700 students about his life and his work in Haiti which aims to help children who are known as Restavik or ‘looked after’ children. Often these children have their fundamental rights taken away and many, like Jean, do not even know their birth date.
Bishop Vaughan School took a cross-curricular approach to the visit and follow up lessons focused on children’s rights. Work relating to Children’s rights is being produced in many subject areas and across a range of age groups. Work includes creative writing in English, a discussion of names in Welsh, expressing freedom from and freedom for in art, prejudice and discrimination in RE, children’s rights and fair trade by the fair trade group.
Students in 8.1 wrote letters to Jean expressing their thanks for his talk and describing what they had found interesting in his talk. Their written work expressed empathy and impressed Jean so much that he replied to each person individually! This of course made their efforts so worthwhile. We all look forward to his visit next year!
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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Modern Foreign Languages Extra French! The MFL department provides extra French lessons during lunchtime every Tuesday and Language Club every Monday.
Maths Department Four Nations Maths Challenge Results. On the 17th and 18th November year 7 and 8 pupils took part in the Four Nations Maths Challenge online. Well done to everyone that took part. Bishop Vaughan came 26th in Wales so thank you to everyone who helped us get to this position. Da iawn. The best performing classes in the school were:1st 7.6. 7.6 nd 7.7 2 3rd 9Q1. The highest scoring pupils were Alex Caswell and Carlo Coppola both from 7.6. Fantastic scores. Ardderchog! Everyone who took part can log on now and print their own certificates to put in their progress files.
UK Junior Mathematical Challenge Clearing up after the party I found two pop bottles which were full, two which were one third full, two which were half full, two which were one third empty, two which were half empty, and two which were completely empty. How many bottles did I find altogether? A:
4
B:
6
The solution can be found on page 22
C:
8
D:
10
E:
12
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
Comenius Project Visit to Bishop Vaughan Bishop Vaughan became a very European school for the week beginning 10th October. Kick-starting the second and final year of our Comenius project, all 50 of our partner teachers and students arrived to sample Welsh culture and a bit of school life. A great time was had by everybody and even the weather was no too bad for their visit. Great friendships were formed or renewed and we were all sad to see them leave. Many of our Essential Skills and Welsh Bac classes are now working hard on the Comenius themes that will be presented in the Comenius project meeting in Spain in March, and then the final meeting and project end will take place in Slovakia in May. Thank you again to all the pupils and parents who made this visit possible by hosting a student. Here are some photos showing a selection of the many activities that went on that week in school.
Lower School Choir opening the Welcome Reception
Group photo (spot the BVS pupils)
Group workshop
Meeting the Lord Mayor
Catalonian traditional Stick Dance – performed with the help of Year 13 pupils Ross Goodridge and Liam Jenkins
Our French and Spanish assistants learning a traditional Greek dance.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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Comenius Visit to the Welsh Department On Wednesday 12th October we were introduced to some pupils from other countries during our Welsh lesson. We had prepared some questions beforehand, and we learned about the pupils’ hobbies, homes and schools. I talked to pupils from Latvia, Slovakia and Lithuania. During our conversations, the pupils had the opportunity to try some Welsh food (welsh cakes, crackers and cheese). We were then invited to sing the Welsh National Anthem. With some help from our class, the Comenius pupils were soon singing along! I found the lesson very interesting and it gave us the opportunity to show our culture and to learn about other cultures too. Megan Williams 10.3
On Wednesday October 12th, my Welsh class had a chance to speak with students from other schools around Europe. For the first half of the Welsh lesson, we met people from Spain, Portugal, Latvia and France. I spoke to three girls from Catalonia and all were very friendly and really polite. We asked questions about each other and ate some home-made welsh cakes! I would love to do something like this again. Annie Bass 10.2
In school we participated in a Comenius group activity in which we spoke to European students from Croatia, Bulgaria and Spain to name a few. We introduced them to the Welsh language and culture and talked about Welsh traditions like the National Eisteddfod. The European Students then taught us about some of their traditions. I was intrigued by their culture and learnt a lot from them. It was great and was a nice insight into the lives of our fellow Europeans. I hope they took something special away from this experience (apart from the lovely welsh cakes). I know I did. Tomas Hopkins 10.7
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
Performing Arts Academy@BVS
Dear Parents, Carers & Guardians, Bishop Vaughan School has the pleasure of announcing the newly created ‘Performing Arts Academy at Bishop Vaughan School’. As a team of passionate and experienced professionals in the world of Music, Drama & Theatre Studies we believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to access a wide and varied curriculum. Membership of the Academy will allow pupils to gain Certificates & Awards for their participation and efforts as well as ‘Extended Learning Opportunities’. During the Year a number of different workshops will take place and more will be added – we need your help too. During this Autumn Term we have launched some exciting Workshops and Activities for pupils, and the response has been overwhelming. Here is a sample of the activities that have been on offer during the Autumn Term. Monday KS3 Lunchtime 12.50 – 1.25pm ‘Sing – A – Loud@BVS’ (Lower School Choir for Years 7 – 9) Tuesday KS4 Lunchtime 1.50 – 2.25pm ‘Vocalize@BVS’ (Upper School Choir Years 10 – 13) Friday Lunchtimes 12.50 – 1.25pm ‘Scene-ario’@BVS’ (Lower School Drama Club) Thursday KS3 Lunchtime 12.50 – 1.25pm ‘Orchestra’@BVS’ Wednesday Week 1 and Thursday Week 2 @1.30pm - Only Lads Aloud We also have: ‘Windcraft@BVS’, and ‘Macs@BVS’ - a Music Technology Workshop. Pupils in Year 11 have also been attending ‘GCSEMusic@BVS’ on a Monday after school between 3.30pm – 4.30pm.
To launch the ‘Performing Arts Academy@BVS’ we ran a competition for pupils entitled ‘Sgript-It@BVS’ which allowed pupils to write a short script in either Welsh or English to be dramatised and filmed in school. This will support the work of the ‘Reading Behaviours’ & ‘Literacy Strategy’ for this term. We have also had the pleasure of ‘Only Men Aloud’ visiting the school for a Workshop on October 6th and this was an exciting and thrilling experience for all who were involved.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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Drama Department @ BVS We Will Rock You On 12th and 13th July 2011 Bishop Vaughan ‘rocked’ with songs such as ‘Under Pressure’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Another One Bites the Dust’. This high energy show was a huge success and some of the performers have kindly written about their experience of rehearsing and performing. Matthew Sullivan (chorus member) – This year’s school production was the most fast paced, exciting show. Every one of my friends who came to see it said that it was a really fun and exciting show which was well worth watching. Taking part was a blast. Everyone in the cast got along. We all had fun and learnt so much about what it means to take part in a show. Giorgio Kays (Kashoggi) – Being in the school production was a great personal achievement for me because it was the first show that I had ever been in. After the first performance one of my teachers told me that I had done extremely well – I was happy with that. I think it is a good thing that we have a school production because it expands our learning. Siobhan Fitzgerald (Scaramouche) – Performing in this year’s school production was not only hard work, it was also extremely fun and a huge learning curve. I found my role challenging but highly enjoyable and it has become one of my favourite roles ever. Sougri Abugre (Bohemian, dancer, doctor) – I really enjoyed being in ‘We Will Rock You’. It was fun and exciting. There was great music and great performances from the cast. The costumes were cool too! We all worked very hard and it was worth it! Once again our pupils proved to be very committed and my congratulations go out to those who performed those demanding roles, those who were part of the chorus and those who played in the orchestra with the peripatetic music staff. This was a huge team effort and I was one very proud drama teacher. Mrs L Williams – Coordinator for Drama
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
Performing Arts Year 12 Talent Show Star Struck November 2011. For our year 12 A-Level Performing Arts course, we had to plan a creative event. The whole point of this was for us to discover the immense amount of organisational skill that is needed to plan such an event. As a class we decided to choose a talent show, as there is a huge tradition of them at Bishop Vaughan. Little did we know how much organisation and marketing would be involved. We began by creating posters, holding auditions and promoting the event. Auditioning people was the most gruelling process for me; it was difficult to say no to people who had obviously put in so much effort. The response from lower school pupils was phenomenal! Just over 35 groups, bands and solo artists came to have a go. We then had to acquire some pupils from the upper school to be extra acts and guest performers. Overall the show went well. Everything went to plan and ‘Star Struck’ was very enjoyable. We had very good feedback from parents, performers, teachers and friends. However, the whole experience was stressful and a real insight into the organisation behind programmes such as the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. This experience was also a very fun and enjoyable one which has helped me grow in organisation and leadership skills. Chloe Measday The actual night was such a success. We had so much positive feedback from participants, parents, and teachers. We were incredibly pleased with how the show ran. It was professional and smooth considering how new we were to this type of thing. The winning act, which received the highest number of audience votes, was 'The Fury’. This was a band consisting of five boys. They won a very impressive trophy which was designed by our A level performing arts class and made by Mr Evans of Bishop Vaughan’s D&T Department. The boys in the band were worthy winners. The stress and hard work paid off in the end and I was really proud of the work we put in to make the event such a success! Isabella Pike The pupils found this experience very challenging but a fantastic learning experience. They are now required to write a piece of coursework about the process of planning this creative event. I was immensely proud of them all and I congratulate them on the success of their talent show. Well done Year 12 Performing Arts. Mrs L Williams – Coordinator for Drama
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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PE Department Congratulations to Katherine Morris on winning the gold medal in the pentathlon in the Welsh U18 championships. Katherine will be travelling to Scotland shortly to compete in the British Championships. We wish her all the best. The following girls have successfully completed a netball leaders course: Sara Mayne, Lauren Griffiths, Anaya George, Courtney Rogers, Chloe Stallard, Amy Radden, Jessie Godwin, Vanessa Ho, Katherine Morris, Naomi Jones, Yasmin Wozencraft. Congratulations also to Sean White on his successful completion of a level 1 referees course in rugby
Sports Clubs & 5x60 clubs Day
Lunch 1
Lunch 2
After School
Monday
Badminton Gymnastics
Yr 8 & 9 netball
Yr 7 hockey
Tuesday
Multi gym
Wednesday
Multi gym Yr 10, 11 & 6th form netball Multi gym
Yr 7 netball Yr 8,9,10 & 11 hockey Girls football
Thursday
Badminton
Friday
Basketball
Basketball Multi gym
Street dance
5x60 activities this term are: gymnastics, hockey, netball, badminton, basketball and rock climbing at the Dynamic rock. In addition the department runs multi-gym sessions and has fixtures in football. rugby, netball and hockey. Also, well done to Luke Murrells. He received an award from the Sports Development team at the Swansea Sports Awards for his participation in 5 X 60 activities last year. Also congratulations to Natalie Hughes and Kai Phillips on their selection as Sports Ambassadors for Bishop Vaughan School. They were put forward by the PE department in recognition of their enthusiasm and support of the PE department and extra curricular activities. They will now act as role models for other pupils and assist in promoting lunchtime and after school activities.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
Young Enterprise “Laugh It On” - 13 directors this year are involved in running their own company. The company will be selling good quality T-shirts with various jokes, and funny pictures with captions of your choice. The company slogan is “share a smile” which tries to highlight the importance of happiness, in society, for it’s health benefits. The T-shirts will be selling in school at £5.99 and make a fun Christmas or birthday gift. If you wish to purchase a T-shirt please contact any director or myself in B5. Mrs C Wynne
Kintbury Retreat 2011 From 11th to 18th October, 11 Sixth Form pupils went on a retreat to St Cassian’s Centre in Kintbury. Upon arriving, we were welcomed by Liz and the other team leaders. We were then allocated rooms in which we would stay for the duration of the retreat. Once everything was sorted, we were given time to get to know everyone from the other three schools who were also at the retreat. Our first activity involved everyone sitting in a large circle and we played a game which helped us find out some facts about each other. After this we were assigned ‘prayer buddies’. These were the friends that we were to be with for the retreat. Throughout our time there we were given tasks that would help us find out things about ourselves that we didn’t even know about until the task was done. These tasks included writing out our talents, going for a walk with our ‘prayer buddy’ and games designed to help us discover ourselves. At the end of the retreat we were given confirmation books in which other members of the retreat could write and we could write about our memories of the retreat. I found the trip to St Cassian’s a very fulfilling experience. Connor Burns 12.2
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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Operation Christmas Child It’s that time of year again, and we’ve had a busy few weeks collecting, wrapping and filling shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas Child appeal. This is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project, bringing joy into the lives of underprivileged children since 1990. It’s an initiative of Samaritan’s Purse, which is a Christian relief and development organisation that works through local churches to proclaim and demonstrate the love of God to children and families in need across Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This year, pupils from years 7 and 8 have given up their lunchtimes to wrap shoeboxes and help fill them with the generous donations of pupils, parents and staff. A very big thank you to all the pupils who gave up their time, and to all who donated to this year’s appeal.
Confirmation 2011 Congratulations to the pupils who were confirmed on 27th November 2011 at St. Benedict’s Church, Clydach. Sophie Beynon Chloe Brougham Evan Daley Rhodri Evans Thomas Hutchins Thomas Lamnea Billy Morgan Ben Scannell Matthew Thomas
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
Year 12 Public Services Outdoor Pursuits Week at Danycoed
All pupils studying public services are trained in outdoor pursuits and enjoy a week testing themselves at a variety of activities. Pupils are taught new skills and marked for their Team Work, Leadership Skills and their ability to improve their level of performance. This year pupils have completed rock climbing, abseiling, bush craft, orienteering, gorge walking, coast steering and surfing! Quite a challenge for many, but as you can see from the smiles they had a great time. It did rather surprise us that the biggest smiles of all were from the class whose orienteering trip turned into the muddiest day the centre staff had ever had! Jonathan Davies
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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Sixth Form News Academic News Congratulations to Hannah Challinor in Year 12, who has been commended by the examination board for her success in her Health and Social Care Double Award GCSE. The Headteacher was proud to receive a letter that informed him that Hannah had attained the very highest score of all candidates taking this examination. Well done to Hannah, and to her teachers for helping her to attain this excellent result! Sixth Form students have benefited from a number of lectures from experts in their field this term. Over the past academic year, we have forged links with the Sixth Form at Bedford School and with Oxford University. Our video-conferencing facilities are used to enable pupils at both schools — though many miles apart — to participate in live lectures delivered by staff at Oxford. The talks have been on various topics, including Biology, Psychology and ‘taster’ lectures for aspiring medics. Feedback from the lecturers has indicated that our students have been exceptionally enthusiastic and engaged and we look forward to a series of lectures over the Spring Term.
University News! Year 13 students have been busy submitting their UCAS applications and their early attentions to this process have once again proved rewarding. Most applicants now have several offers from which to choose, and a lucky few have now heard from all five of their universities! As in past years, there has been success in even the more competitive areas, with offers of places for Dentistry and Medicine. We also send our best wishes with the two students attending interviews at Oxford this week and congratulate them on their success in gaining these.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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 D. There were two full bottles and two empty bottles. The two half full and the two half empty are the same bottles. The one third full and the one third empty ones are different, so the total number is 2 + 2+ 2 + 2 + 2 = 10.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2011
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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 friend’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 parents’ 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 o’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 December 2011
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@swanseabishop.vaughan.school@swansea-edunet.gov.uk www.bishopvaughan.swansea.sch.uk