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Message from the Headteacher HIGHLIGHTS p3 Debating Club p4 Badminton success p5 Archbishop of York p6 Dancing Queens p7 Blencathra fun
p8 BMX brilliance p9 Iceland trip p10 Super cyclists p11 Serving the Queen p12 Creative Christmases p13 Public speaking p14 Save some money p15 Online safety
Dear Parents and Carers We have begun what promises to be another productive and eventful term. I hope the contents of the Newsletter will give you a flavour of life at St Michael’s and the range of enriching extra-curricular activities and events happening on a regular basis. Charitable giving As a Christian school where ‘love thy neighbour’ and the Christian values of compassion, service and thankfulness are part of our daily life, I have been amazed and humbled that in this time of economic recession our pupils have shone in their charitable giving. For example, the Christmas Appeal for ‘Oxfam Unwrapped’ raised an amazing £1,300 translating into many chickens, sheep, goats, trainee teachers and wells that will make a real difference to people in the world that are less fortunate and more needy than ourselves. Since September 2015 over £5,000 has been raised and this does not include other charity giving such as food parcels and the British Legion Poppy Appeal. Thank you for your encouragement, prayers and practical support.
Michael’s. Following their mock examinations and their reports, they now have a clear idea of their strengths and areas for improvement.
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We are also celebrating success in gaining the ‘RE Quality Mark’ Gold standard for a second successive time. This There is no substitute for award recognises the high dedication and hard work quality of learning in RE. and I do thank and encour- Congratulations to Mrs Carol age parents and carers to Berry and her team of dedicontinue with their fantastic cated teachers and pupils. support by ensuring that controlled assessments and Kirkland Rowell questionhome learning deadlines naire are met and that pupils at- Thank you to parents for filltend the many and varied ing in the recent questionafter school activities denaire. It is very helpful to us signed to support learning. to get feedback from you. It is quite possible for puWe await the collated results pils to improve by one or and I shall write about these two grades from this stage and any resulting action we through hard work and propose to take in my next commitment. newsletter.
Congratulations! The government has recently published the annual performance tables for schools in England for the 2015 GCSE results. There is much in the tables for us to celebrate, not least the strength of our core subjects, our very high valueadded score and the overall attainment of our Year 11 students whose average grade was B+. I am obviously tremendously proud of the dedication and hard work of students and staff that has ensured students have been able to “do Year 11 their best and This is, of course, a crucial time for our Year 11 pupils. achieve their best”, not forgetting the valuable conThese young people are a very special year group with tribution made by parents great character, ability and and carers. You can view the tables at talent who add so much to www.education.gov.uk/cgithe corporate life of St
The Diocese of Blackburn also wish to gain a better understanding of how parents view Christian Youth Workers/Chaplains who work in the Diocese. Dan Bishop has been our Christian Youth Worker in school since July 2014 and we believe he does an amazing job with many young people, their parents or carers and in the local parishes. I would be very grateful if parents of Year 9 pupils were able to spend a few minutes completing an online questionnaire at: https:// www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ XYK5Q9S for the Diocese. Staff I am delighted to announce that Mrs Victoria Thompson joined us in January as joint P.T.O.