RECENT NEWS

On Tuesday 1 March, Colchester Academy held an interesting World Book Day. Teachers dressed up as their favourite character from one of their favourite books. Miss Moore was Titania from “A Midnight’s Summer Dream”, and Mrs Lock the donkey, Nick Bottom, from the same book. Miss Selfe was Wally from “Where’s Wally?” and we can’t forget Miss Cozma as the genie from the book Aladdin. Competitions were held, for example, being caught reading in weird and wonderfull places such as the trunk of your car. Students submitted photos for this competiion to see if they would win. Another competition was “Who was reading that book 25 years ago?”. This involved photos of teachers reading books from 25 years ago and students having to guess who the teachers in the photos were. Layla Couzens Year 7 Student

World Book Day In this age of unrelenting information, 24-hour news, social media, and COVID-based restrictions on our lives, it’s no surprise that many of us have recently, at times, felt overwhelmed. I can only imagine how it must feel as a young person, trying to forge a path in the world. As a 30+ year old trainee Design Technology teacher I am forging a new path for myself, having worked in a completely different field for over 10 years. However, I’ve been welcomed by Colchester Academy’s students with open arms, and I’m excited to be taking our journeys together. By now, my students realise that I’ll do my utmost to help them navigate the landscape and ensure they can be the best they can be. And by “best”, I’m not referring exclusively to exam results. I chose to work with Colchester Academy because they understand that success isn’t measured solely on this; they value kindness, compassion, and empathy. I’m not prepared to accept that any student can’t “make it”. I’m enjoying helping students identify their strengths, to unlock their potential. In teaching Design Technology, I have been afforded the opportunity to teach students skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives. My educational background is in Art & Design, but with Design Technology encompassing cooking, nutrition, catering, metals, plastics, woods, papers, and boards, I have almost as much to learn as my students! There is lots to take in, but as Albert Einstein once remarked: “You never fail until you stop trying.” In between teaching and looking after my very demanding 5 year old daughter, you’ll often find me plotting my family tree, knitting, painting and creating in the kitchen, with varying levels of success! Miss Taylor Design Technology Teacher

Wembley Trip

This term Year 7 students have had ‘The Bookbuzz Experience’. Bookbuzz is part of the BookTrust – a charity which aims to encourage students to read by providing them with their own books to keep. Here’s what some of our students had to say. Jasmine 7O2 Switch-Up To start our Bookbuzz journey we watched a video containing a review of each of the books.I chose the book SwitchUp about two girls who board the same flight to London. It’s the beginning of the craziest plan ever. Damiola 7H1 Animals Up Close Bookbuzz is a book company dedicated to getting books to Year 7 students for free. I think Bookbuzz is a fabulous charity as I was not a fan of reading. In class we watched a 24 minute film about the books and the Colchester Academy students have benefitted enormously from this organisation and the wonderful events they have to offer, authors explained the stories. and we will continue to support our students through offering everything Make it Happen has to provide, to ensure our students have bright futures. Below are links and information areas for you to explore. Please sign up for any events you wish to, they Tristan 7L2 Little Bad Man are all there to help support our community, particularly through what is a very challenging time. Bookbuzz has helped me a great deal. Instead of me having to pay for a If you need any support in accessing these events, please do not hesitate to contact us via general@colchesteracademy.org.uk. book (reading is now one of my favourites) Bookbuzz put it in my hands for free. I could not thank Bookbuzz enough for putting such a brilliant book We are with you every step of the way. in my collection. Mrs Ross Marleigh-Rose 7L2 City of Ghosts Assistant Principal and Raising Standards Lead I’ve always enjoyed mystery books so when I saw City of Ghosts I knew I had to get it, almost like a connection.

Women’s FA Cup Final – Sunday 5 December 2021 Colchester Academy were excited to invite 12 Year 11 students to the Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday 5 December, to watch the London derby, Chelsea v Arsenal (the final had been delayed from May, due to a backlog of fixtures caused by the pandemic). The trip was a reward to students who had made the most progress in Sports Science and BTEC Sport, and had also attended Period 6 sessions throughout the first term. We set off in the Academy minibus and after a quick stop at the Services, we arrived at Wembley, the golden arch illuminated in red and blue to represent the teams’ colours. Once through the security checks, we made our way to our seats, opposite the half way line. Despite the roof being open and the persistent rainfall, the atmosphere inside the stadium was electric, heightened by the cauldron of noise being generated from each group of supporters. This was a very special occasion as it was the 50th anniversary for the FA Cup Final in the women’s game. We were privileged to have the two captains from the first final, Lesley Lloyd and Elsie Cook, presented to the crowd before the game and both received an emotional welcome as they brought the FA Cup out onto the pitch. After a live performance by Ella Henderson, we then joined her and the band of the Coldstream Guards in singing the National Anthem. The build-up was finally over, as the 40,942 in attendance eagerly awaited the referee’s whistle to signal kick-off! We were in for an exciting, if one sided, match which saw an early goal for Chelsea and although the first half was one-way traffic, Arsenal managed to hold on until half time. However, two second half goals from Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, including a sublime chip over the advancing goalkeeper, sealed Arsenal’s fate, preventing them from winning their 14th title. After staying to watch the Chelsea team receive the trophy and then walk the perimeter of the pitch celebrating their victory, we made our way back to the minibus to begin our journey home to Colchester. The students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the day, with the majority of them happy with the final score. Well done Year 11, keep up the hard work and effort in all of your lessons. Miss Bull Trip Leader