Newsletter 6

Ashton Highlights Newsletter 6

Friday 7th November 2014

Welcome back; I hope you all enjoyed a restful half term and have returned to school raring to go!

We have another busy half term ahead of us as we start the countdown to Christmas, with a number of in school and extra curricular events planned, which you can read about on page 6. I am afraid that Christmas always seems to creep up on me, and every year I promise myself that I will be better organised next time. I’m sure I’m not alone in this! I am pleased then, that our talented hair and beauty team have announced their plans to release Christmas offers, which I hope you will have a look at and consider trying.

Our Christmas Card competition is still running and although we have had some excellent entries so far, I would encourage students to submit their entries by the deadline; you have to be in it to win it after all. Page 8 will give you details of how to enter.

A number of new SCAMPs activities have been launched this week, including “Running for Fun” with Mr Barrow and Mrs Jackson. Both of these staff are keen runners and they have opened this activity to students of all ages and abilities, whether they are short distance speed runners or long distance strollers (like myself!) More of how this activity went will be in the next edition.

The full range of SCAMPs activities on offer can be found on page 3.

The Performing Arts faculty have been very busy as well this week, starting rehearsals for the Christmas season. There is a comprehensive programme planned which includes events in school and in the local community. If you would like one of our choirs (yes, choirs—we have a number of specialist singing groups ranging from conventional music, Jersey Boys, Singing Against Racism) to visit your organisation or community group, please contact Miss McClelland at school and she will happy to try and accommodate your request.

We have received news this week that 8 students from our Post 16 provision have started their University courses and are thoroughly enjoying them. Cara Williams and Liam Hall are at Edge Hill studying Early Years Teaching, Brett Gregson is studying Physics, Natalie UttingEaland is studying Art, Emma Booth, Bethany McCann, Becky Miggins are studying Nursing all at UCLAN and Rebecca Harrington is studying Psychology with the Open University. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and wish them well in their studies.

As always, your support is appreciated as we strive to keep Ashton “A school to be proud of”. If you wish to discuss any issues or share a good news story, please do not hesitate to contact me either by ringing the school or by email.

Best wishes, Sharon Asquith, Principal 1

Public Services at your service On Friday 24th October the L3 Public Services students visited the RAF outreach facility at Aintree, Liverpool. They spent the day completing a series of 'command & control' tasks to help them complete components of their course. Many thanks to Gaz and the staff at the RAF.

The Skills Show On the 16th October the 6th formers attended the Skills Festival at Preston Grasshoppers. The event was designed to include a range of hands on activities to promote vocational qualifications and apprenticeships. Local employers from various sectors such as aerospace, advanced engineering and manufacture, financial, creative and health to name a few, provided a broad range of inspiring and engaging activities to promote current and future employment.

One of the activities was from a box making company that timed the students, to see how long it took them to produce a box. Toni Metcalfe from year 12 was the quickest on the day, and managed to complete the task in 18 seconds, winning herself a ÂŁ50.00 ITunes voucher. Well done Toni.

Music Erik Farkas sat his Grade 5 Music theory exam at Penwortham Girls High on Tuesday. Erik plays the flute and played in a symphony orchestra in Hungary before coming over to us in year 10 last year. Erik has performed in a Lancashire Music Orchestra at the weekends and other various performances. The Expressive Arts department wish him the best of luck!

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SCAMPS Our extensive range of extra curricular activities is called SCAMPs which is an acronym that captures the breadth of activities: Sport, Communication, Academic, Music, Pleasure. All students are encouraged to attend.

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ASTRONOMY CLUB This week's topic was Hubble and the age of the Universe.

We discussed 'Hubble's Constant’ - his formula for recessional velocity both in word and symbol form. He noticed by use of the Spectrometer that objects closer to us were moving away at a slower rate than those which were at a greater distance from us. He also observed that the vast majority of objects were moving away from us (Red Shift), which indicated that if you went back in time then the objects would naturally have been closer together. This gave rise to the argument that all matter would seemingly emerge from one original point, providing us with the Big Bang theory and by use of mathematics, the approximate age of the Universe.

The students were to use a spectrometer outside as their first practical. Regrettably it was cloudy and raining so this has been put on hold for a future lesson.

Meanwhile, Miss Watson provided them with a satisfactory substitute practical in which they created a model to explain Hubble's Law. This was well received by the students, with a mixed group of Kirkham and Ashton performing an experiment, collating data, producing a scatter graph and coming up with results which confirmed his theory. A balloon, a pen, a tape ruler, graph paper, a calculator and a lot of hot air were the apparatus required. Don't ask!

WEEKLY LITERACY AND NUMERACY CHALLENGES

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LITERAC

NUMERACY

Congratulations to last week’s winners :

Ella Roberts 8S and Chloe Wilmore 9H

Congratulations to last week’s winners : Simi Sing 8S Adam Howard 11S

The competition to be the best form was very exciting and the standard was high, nearly 90% was needed to get into the top 10, a score that would previously have been a top 3 place. Every form scored over 60%. 4 year groups were represented in the top 7 with year 7, 8 and 9 all appearing in the top 4. In 4th place were 9H while 2nd place was shared by 2 forms, 7T and 7O, who had an identical score. But just out in front winning by a margin of only 1 entry was 8S, congratulations to Mrs Williams and her form!

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IN THE SPORTS DIARY For the next 4 weeks, on a Tuesday, the Preston Grasshoppers squash coach will be coming into coach squash to the year 7’s.

Thursday lunchtime - Melissa Brown, the Women and Girls Football Development Officer from the Sir Tom Finney foundation, PNE comes in to coach the girls’ football team up until Christmas.

ON THE FIELD Results

Netball v Longridge Yr 9 Lost 7-1 Yr10 lost 22-2 Yr11 Won 9-7 Football: Yr 10 v Longridge lost 4-3

The U13 girls football team played in the Central Lancashire U13 Girls Cup on the 23rd October. The first group stage saw Ashton face Southlands and then Brownedge St Marys; Results as follows: Ashton 0 v Southlands 1 Ashton 1 v Brownedge St Marys 2 - Scorer Ellie Tinsley.

Player of both matches Samantha Robinson.

Coming third in the first group stage meant we faced the local Preston schools in our next group; we went on to win this group Results as follows;

RUNNING FOR FUN Don’t forget, the running club started this week. It would be great to see more students, and staff, joining in. Just contact Mr Barrow or turn up in the foyer on Thursday’s at 3.15pm.

Running For Fun • • • • •

Are you interested in running with others?

Open to all years Open to all abilities Thursday 6th November Get changed and meet in school foyer at 3.15pm

• Week 1 will be an astro turf baseline run

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THEME OF THE WEEK Students are asked to reflect on weekly themes during form time and assembly time.

Week 9 — Being Safe The tradition of Guy Fawkes-related bonfires actually began the very same year as the failed coup. The Plot was foiled in the night between the 4th and 5th of November 1605. Already on the 5th, agitated Londoners who knew little more than that their King had been saved, joyfully lit bonfires in thanksgiving. As years progressed, however, the ritual became more elaborate.

If you are attending one this weekend be careful and be safe.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 13 November

PTA AGM meeting 6.30 pm in the Post 16 Centre

14 November

Year 12 Engineering Your Future Careers

21 November

School trip to New York leaves (21st—25th November)

26 November

Years 11, 12 and 13 Certificate Evening 7 pm

28 November

INSET day—school closed to students

1 December

INSET day—school closed to students Year 12 and Year 13 Parents’ Evening 5 pm

4 December Year 11 Post 16 Taster Day 8 December

Trip to the Clothes Show

10 December

Post 16 Community Day

12 December

Year 7 and Year 8 Drama visit to the Dukes in Lancaster

16 December*

The Christmas Show 6 pm

16 December

Post 16: The Physics Lecture at UCLAN

18 December

Rewards Day

19 December

School closes Year 7 & 8 assessment data/Year 11 subjects reports home

*subject to confirmation

NEWS FROM THE KITCHEN On Tuesday 11th November, there will be a free taster session at break time, when one of schools suppliers will be coming in with various samples of products. If they prove to be popular, then they will put them on the menu in the future. That’s pupil power !

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THEME OF THE WEEK

Our theme of the week is Remembrance. Mr Clare has been into assembly to talk about why we wear the poppy and shared with us the story of one of his family who served in the Great War. It was moving to hear about how many young men went off to serve their country and never came back, or came back so injured that life for them was never the same again. Many of us were shocked when we heard that some boys lied about their age so they could join up; some of us have brothers the same age as some of the young recruits. Mr Clare is putting together a Remembrance Display in school and has asked for any family stories that staff or students might have so that they can be included in the display. In Resistant Materials Year 7 have been making Remembrance Crosses, working under Mr Houghton’s expert guidance .

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