Success Christmas 2017

Success

Christmas 2017 Edition

Achievement Awards

Addams Family

Christmas Concert Religious Studies Ambassadors

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In Pursuit of Excellence

Contents 3. Head’s Welcome 4. Achievement Awards 8.

In Focus: Biology Technician 9. Paris Trip 13. Carol Concert 16. Michael Grant

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Welcome

Head’s Message

On the evening of December 19th we celebrated our Presentation Evening awarding GCSE, A level and Vocational Course certificates to students who took exams in the summer of 2017. It is always a pleasure to see students return and catch up on what they are now doing as well as seeing our own Sixth Form students in a more informal setting. The achievements that were recognised were the culmination of hard work and dedication on the part of students and staff alike and it was a very enjoyable occasion as we come to the end of another busy half term.

As always we continue to combine the academic with encouraging involvement in extra-curricular activities and a care for those in need. One of the highlights of this half term has undoubtedly been the school production of The Addams Family which played to packed houses on each of the three evenings. We saw great talent in acting, singing and dancing and the joy on the students’ faces at their success was a delight.

In the build up to Christmas, students have been out singing at a variety of local locations, they have been donating items for the Salvation Army Food bank and raising money for the chosen charity this year which will focus on mental health services for young people – which as we see so often in

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the news are much needed but seriously underfunded. As I write we are preparing for our Carol Services which will take place in College groups and be a fitting end to the term It has been a long term with a great deal of activity and I am sure staff and students are ready for the rest and relaxation of the Christmas holidays.

I would like to thank all staff for their work this term both in the classroom and in all the extra-curricular opportunities they provide. I also thank so many of our students who day in day out do the right thing at the right time in the right place and get so involved in the life of the school.

On behalf of all at Carr Hill I wish you and your families a very happy and peaceful Christmas and every best wish for 2018.

Mr Andrew Waller Headteacher

In Pursui t tof ofExcellence In Pursui Excellence

Achievement Awards Former Year 11 and 13 students came back to school with their families and friends to celebrate their academic achievements in summer. There was time to catch up with friends and staff during a drinks reception before heading into the hall for the ceremony.

Each student was awards their GCSE, ‘A’ Level or Vocational course certificates during the ceremony which was testament to all the hard work and dedication they had put into their time at Carr Hill. Faculty Leaders presented Individual subject awards which were given to the Highest Attainers and Most Improved for each subject. College Leaders each presented an award to those students who had made an Outstanding Contribution to School Life, before other received certificates to acknowledge 100% attendance. One student, Kate, also received a certificate to note her incredible 100% attendance record from Year 7 all the way through to Year 11.

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Headteacher Mr Waller said, “It is always a pleasure to see students return and catch up on what they are now doing as well as seeing our own Sixth Form students in a more informal setting. The achievements that were recognised were the culmination of hard work and dedication on the part of students and staff alike and it was a very enjoyable occasion as we come to the end of another busy half term.�

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An Addams Family Spooktacular Students wowed staff, parents and students in November with the performance of the much anticipated Addams Family Musical

“Incredible”, “Simply wonderful” and “Breath-taking” were just some of the comments staff and students recieved after giving awe inspiring renditions of the ghoulish and macabre ‘The Addams Family Musical’ over three consecutive nights.

Made up of over 70 students the cast performed songs such as ‘When You’re an Addams’, ‘Full Disclosure’ and ‘Move Towards the Darkness’ in an epic story of one family’s wrestle with love and fitting in, or not, with perceived societal norms.

Head Girl Eliza who played Morticia Addams said, “After months of rehearsals and hard work it was so exhilarating to perform to a full house.

We are blown away that so many people came to support us, and want to say a big thank you”.

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Eve Martin played father of the family, Gomez Addams: “He was such an interesting character to portray, from the accent, to his romanticism and quick sense of humour, I relished every moment and thank our Drama Department for giving me this opportunity”.

Drama teacher and Show Director, Miss Sheffield said, “What an honour it has been to work with such a talented group of young people. I have been so impressed with their perseverance and dedication and their hard work has certainly paid off. As a department we’re very proud of the production and are thankful for the support of all the students, parents and staff who have contributed to making it happen.”

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What is a biology Technician?

A Biology Technician is someone who looks at the lessons to be taught and provides any equipment needed for practical aspects. Each period of the day there are a possible 10 lessons of science to be provided for so that is up to 50 lessons every day which could need practical equipment.

Teaching staff supply a list of the lessons they plan to teach the following week which will include practical equipment. Technicians will then research what equipment is suitable and in what numbers for each period. This may involve shopping for fresh items for example sugar, fruit or flowers, or making up chemical solutions at various concentrations in a variety of bottles. It also involves growing bacteria on agar and keeping them alive until needed, pouring sterile agar plates and incubating cultures for use by pupils. All of this involves a lot of attention to safety regulations and risk assessments which we are legally bound to follow.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The most enjoyable part of the job is how varied it is. It’s not the same every day. I also enjoy the challenge of getting experiments to work. It is hard work and you are on your feet all day but it keeps me fit!

What advice would you give to students thinking about pursuing a career in this kind of role?

I would say that as a career this job is interesting and fun but there is no career progression or senior positions available. It takes quite a lot of hands on training so experience of the job is often valued by employers. Some technicians I know have volunteered for work experience within a school as a way of getting some training before applying for the job.

After pupils and teachers are finished with the equipment it must all be safely disposed of and washed up and put away in a system where we can find it again immediately. Storing thousands of items so that you can find them again is not easy so our room is kept tidy! Everything is labelled and has a place it must go back to.

How did you get into it?

I studied Applied Biology in Coventry Polytechnic after leaving Sixth Form and worked in Hospital Public Health laboratories as a medical laboratory technician for several years. My specialism was bacteriology and I even worked for 5 years in Switzerland in a veterinary bacteriology lab. I have been working as a school laboratory technician for 20 years. I have worked in several schools as general Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics Technician.

What does an average day look like for you?

It starts at 8 o’clock when I feed the animals and check the plants for water. Then I will put away the glassware which has been drying overnight.

Equipment is prepared at least a day in advance so the items for period 1 are on trolleys and can be put into the different laboratories. Then I look at what is needed for each period the next day and prepare trays to be used then. At each change of lesson all laboratories are emptied and equipment for next lesson are put in. Then the items brought in are washed up, dried and stored. This continues until 4pm when we go home.

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Mrs Walker with Reg the snake

Quickfire Christmas Round

M RS WA L K E R

IN FOCUS:

Within any organisation, a lot goes on behind the scenes to ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently. In this feature we meet the staff who work hard to make sure our students enjoy the best we are able to offer them. In this issue Science Technician Mrs Walker tells us more about her varied and interesting role.

1. Real tree or artifical?

Artificial - it’s less messy.

2. Traditional Christmas Dinner or something else?

Traditional with all the trimmings - I love turkey!

3. White Christmas or Warm Christmas?

White! It reminds me of Switzerland.

4. Tinsel or no tinsel?

Tinsel - I like sparkles.

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Summing up the Maths Trip to Paris Over half term students and staff said “au revoir” to Kirkham as they set off on a 4 day Maths trip to Paris.

They enjoyed many of the sights and experiences this historic city has to offer including a visit to the Science and Maths Museum La Villette, Montparnasse Tower, Notre Dame, The Lovre and of course no trip to Paris would be complete without experiencing the thrills of Disneyland.

As well as immersing students in the Parisian culture the trip was used to show how mathematics can be used in everyday situations and why it is so integral to our lives.

Tasks such as planning out the journey to and from the ferry called on their time management skills, whilst exchanging currency tested their arithmetic. Maths teacher Mr Johnson said, “So often students think that the skills we learn in maths are confined to the classroom, so it was great to be able to show them practical ways to apply the principles and theories we have been learning to day to day situations.

Throughout the trip students completed workbooks covering subjects such as area, average speed and properties of 3D shapes”.

English Gothic Masterpieces

Year 8 English Students enjoyed designing and making their very own Gothic Inspired creations as part of their studies around Gothic culture.

Class 8c1 have been exploring Gothic short stories and were tasked with taking concepts from the genre and transforming them into something visual.

English Teacher Miss Cranney said, “I gave them a few ideas, but was really impressed when they came back with cakes, spray painted flowers, lanterns, figures made from modelling clay and some incredible drawings and typography.

They really captured the genre well.”

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Mr Grady nominated you to feature in our ‘Inspire’ article, because he thinks you’re an inspiration to other students, how does that make you feel?

Harry: I don’t see myself as an inspirational person, I am their big brother and big brothers look out for little brothers and sisters, but I feel proud Mr Grady thinks that.

Ben: I feel the same as Harry really, although I’m honoured that Mr Grady thinks of us as inspirational though.

We’ve heard you both help your Mum out a lot with the twins. Can you tell us about them and how you help?

H: Mum calls me and her ‘Team Twins’ because we do most of the work for them between us. Alfie (aka Panda) has Autism and Down Syndrome (DS) and Arthur (aka Monkey) also has DS and may have Autism but we don’t know for sure yet.

B: I do the everyday jobs to help mum like washing up, taking out the bins and making the twins beds. Mum calls me the mini man of the house because I am small and helpful like a Dad! There is only a 1 in a million chance that twins will be born with DS. We are lucky because there are only 9 sets around the world and we have one of them. I will help mum when she’s cleaning their teeth and doing their nails because they wriggle. Mum says I help just as much as Harry even though I am not hands on with the twins as much, because I do a lot of jobs around the house and that gives Mum time to feed, change, bath the twins and not worry the house being upside down and messy. I also make the twins juices and get them biscuits if they want a little snack. Team work is what Mum calls it.

INSPIRE:

HARRY & BEN LOWE

There are many students at Carr Hill who go above and beyond both at school and at home.

In this feature we meet Ben and Harry Lowe who juggle their schooling with helping their Mum to look after their 5 year old twin brothers who both have Downs Sydrome.

I’m p roud Arth of u and r for wa lkin I’m h g a p I’ve h p elped y that him.

Harr y

Harry & Ben with Alfie, Arthur and little sister Elsie I also support Arthur in his walker because Mum is pushing Alfie in his wheelchair or vice versa, but usually I walk Arthur because I like to see him taking steps knowing I am encouraging him to take those steps.

What are your favourite things to do with your brothers?

H: I love to do High Five activities with the twins. It’s a charity we are part of and we go places as a family most weekends. Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Tower the Circus, but my favourite is trampolining because the twins love to bounce and I love hearing them giggle.

B: I really like the Space Centre. It’s a multi-sensory play area and we all enjoy it.

How does it feel to be young carers?

H: I don’t really view myself as a young carer but I am classed as one because I do so much with the twins. I love my brothers and I love seeing them develop, my favourite part of being a young carer so far is watching Arthur start to walk because he is 5 now and he’s trying so hard. I feel proud of him and happy that I’ve helped him.

B: I don’t mind being a young carer because they are my brothers. I sometimes get upset because I don’t like to see them struggle and I don’t like that part of it.

How does being young carers impact on your schooling, and how do you balance school life with a busy schedule at home?

Enjoying some family time at the park H: Mum always makes sure we do our homework while tea is cooking or we do it a little later depending what we H: I get up at about 6.30 because I make the twins break- have. It can be difficult balancing them both out because fast as Mum sorts out a few things for school run. I make if I hear my brother upset I like to make sure he’s okay. them toast and while they eat I get ready and then help Mum will shout me if she needs help but usually if we Mum dress them, put their shoes and coats on and I put are doing our homework she will leave us to get on with them in the car while mum clears up after the morning it. That said, I will always make sure Mum’s okay and rush. After school we feed the twins first and I usually sometimes I forget what I was writing or the sum I was on feed Alfie and Mum feeds Arthur. They need help to do a and that can be frustrating. I’ve done homework at 10pm lot of things. I help with bath time after tea and put their before now because Alfie was super stressed and wanted PJs on before Mum and I put them to bed between us. only me. Because I dress them in the morning with mum I Alfie is a monkey at nights and we have a special bond so don’t have too much time to mess around in the mornhe sometimes wants me to cuddle him. He gets stressed ing. From 6.30 to 8.30am it’s crazy and if I’ve forgotten easily due to his autism and hates loud noises. I am home to do any homework I just don’t have the time to do it from school about 3.45pm and don’t stop till around 7pm. last minute because my brothers need so much support.

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I have to sort myself out the night before. I tend to go to bed early because it can be none stop. My mum doesn’t sit down until they are in bed and sometimes it’s the same for me and that’s when I find it hard to fit homework and school around being a young carer.

B: I don’t do as much as Harry so I get a little longer on my homework but I still help a lot and I also have the household chores to do and I do help in emergencies for example if one of the twins is poorly I will help strip beds, hold them while mum gives them medicine and that kind of thing.

Message from Mum, Emma Lowe: Arthur and Alfie are amazing boys thanks to these two lads of mine! Harry helps so much when it comes to the twins and Ben is the man of the house when it comes to household duties; he gives me time to sit down and actually have a cup of tea! Sometimes Ben doesn’t realise that his jobs are just as helpful as Harry who does do most things with the twins.Not many children Harry and Bens ages would help around the house like these two do and still manage to do their school work. I’m very proud of them both.

with in hing ds The t cial nee have spe at you but g n i s th hav ly is for thing st fami u your n to wait ever; it j r. n e ar g y e n a l s o l o r t eve ittle we n t take a l migh Ben

Harry helping Arthur to walk Quickfire Round...

Harry with brothers Arthur and Alfie How do you relax?

H: Mum always likes to make sure we get time for ourselves so we do things like trampolining or free running, we use to do BMX racing but the twins needs got complicated so we couldn’t commit to that like the trainer wanted us too. We go sailing because we have a boat in Scotland and we love to fish, we also have quad bikes and we can ride around the farm as and when we like. Mum thinks having us time is good for us but I always worry and always make sure she’s okay. I don’t like it when I am at school and an ambulance goes past, I always worry it’s my brothers because they can get poorly so quickly.

Football or Rugby?

B: Rugby H: Rugby Sweets or Chocolate?

H: Sweets B: Chocolate Maths or English?

H: Maths B: Maths Ninja Warrior or Crystal Maze?

H: Ninja Warrior B: Crystal Maze KFC or McDonalds?

H: I don’t tend to eat any but if I had to choose it’d be KFC B: McDonalds

B: I free run and Mum has promised we will join a group and usually if Mum promises she will do it, but that is in the summer when the twins don’t take poorly so quickly. Winter isn’t good because the twins get poorly so easily, so we do more in the summer rather than winter. We both enjoy our quad bikes and fishing. We got new rods on our birthdays in July but haven’t had a chance to use them yet but we will once all settles and the boys are better and do more. That’s the thing with having special needs in your family, you have to learn to wait but we never say never, it just might take a little longer to do it but we always do find a day we can.

Mr Grady said, “When I heard about the ‘Inspire’ article I immediately thought of Harry and Ben. The way they care for their siblings and help at home whilst maintaining a good work ethic at school is amazing and demonstrates immense maturity.

They are a credit to Carr Hill”.

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Are you a young carer?

Perhaps you’ve not thought of yourself as one before now but reading Harry and Ben’s story has resonated with you? If so there is support available. You can talk to your Mentor, Care Leaders or College leaders or have a look at the Young Carers page on the ‘Action for Children’website:

Ben bowling with Alfie

www.actionforchildren. org.uk

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Design a Christmas Card Competition Mr Waller tasked students with designing the school’s official Christmas card this year. The competition was rife, but after some deliberation Year 8 Kia’s deisgn was chosen to be printed. As part of the prize, Kia, along with runners up Kristers and Jenna, had the privilege of decorating the Christmas tree whilst enoying some festive treats.

Kia said, “I’m really happy to be chosen as the winner and it was fun decorating the tree”.

The winning design

School Carol Service After a busy term, the Christmas festivities culminated with the annual school Carol Services. Students and staff alike gathered for a time of reflection to remember the true reason for the season.

Students lead Bible readings depicting the story of Christ’s birth, carols were sung accompanied by the school orchestra and choir and prayers lead by Mr Waller. It was a wonderful way to round off the term and focus our attention on why we celebrate Christmas. Mr Waller encouraged us all to consider this quote from German theologian Meister Eckhart, “What good is it that Christ was born 2000 years ago if he is not now born in your heart?”

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Christmas Concert Family, staff and students were treated to an array of festive musical acts at our annual Christmas Concert.

From John Lennon’s ‘War is Over’ to a three minute version of Tschaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ there was a genre for everyone to enjoy. The pieces were performed by students from all years, some solo and a plethora of various ensembles and orchestras.

Music teacher Miss Dawson said, “We are very proud of the students who overcame their nerves and performed so beautifully for the enjoyment of others. It was a lovely way to start off the festive season”.

Music teacher Mr Brown added, “We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the families and friends of the students who came along to support us. We really do appreciate it, and it gives our students an opportunity to demonstrate their talents”.

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RS Ambassadors’ Thought for the Week The RS Department has a select group of students who help the department plan and organise a variety of activities. The scheme enables students to have more of an input into the department giving them opportunities to develop their thinking and understanding through a variety of creative avenues.

The RS Ambassadors’ first challenge this year was to plan and deliver a range of activities for the school Open Evening. These included moral dilemmas, a famous quotes quiz and PlayDoh sculptures to depict what evil looks like. More recently the ‘RS Ambassdors’ Thought for the Week’ was launched to encourage students and staff to think about various issues and respond with interesting answers.

Ambassador Jamie said, “Thought for the week is a great opportunity to get people thinking about philosophical questions. I like having the opportunity to work with the other RS Ambassadors to influence perception and enjoyment of RS at Carr HIll”.

RS Ambassador Jamie, Year 9.

RS Teacher Mr Churm came up with the idea of RS Ambassadors as a way of engaging students and encouraging them to look more deeply into theological and philospohical concepts and theories outside of the classroom environment.

He said, “I am extremely grateful for the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication of the team of ambassadors. It is a real pleasure to work with them. We have lots of fun and are making a really positive contribution to Religious Studies and school life. We meet reguarly to plan events and help enage other students, and we’re currently working on a questionnaire to gauge perceptions towards RS in school.”

Some of the Ambassadors with RS Teacher Mr Churm Thought for the Week: The questions & answers so far...

1)

Is suffering part of being human?

2)

How will humans become extinct?

The human race will become its eventual demise. Throughout human history, human beings have waged war against one another, killed one another and discriminated against one another.

3)

Will we find life on other planets?

It is likely that we will find life on another planet in our solar system because the moons Enceladus, Ganymede and Europa all are thought to have water oceans that could support life. It is likely that the first life that we find will be bacteria, space plankton or pond skum.

4)

What is the best superpower and why?

Reading people’s minds – you would know when people are lying.

Yes suffering wouldn’t occur if it wasn’t for humans as moral evil of others takes place. The way humans act causes suffering to the world.

Mr Churm

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I’m passionate about sport and helping young people achieve their potential through sound coaching and encouragement, so when the opportunity arose for me to develop the Sports Partnership programme I jumped at the opportunity.

The programme was designed by Carr Hill staff to replace the old School Sports Co-ordinator programme which ended several years ago. As a school we felt it was important to continue to offer opportunities to collaborate with primary schools and hence the Sports Partnership was born. The primary schools buy into the PE and Sport services for the academic year and there are various packages available to them.

Although I oversee and run the scheme, the views and requirements of the primary schools are taken into account when I’m planning festivals and competitions, and I try to meet the curriculum aims for the primary students by using the Key Stage 1 and 2 National Curriculums to aid in the planning.

Mr Doughty

The reasons we put so much value on and dedicate so much time to the scheme are vast. Aside from being a fantastic opportunity for primary school pupils to take part in physical activity and sport, it also goes a long way in helping the transition process from primary to secondary school, and prepares year 6 pupils for life at Carr Hill by giving them a taste of the facilities we have to offer in addition to meeting our staff and our amazing Sports Leaders. Incidentally the Sports Leaders are all Carr Hill students who have signed up to volunteer at various sporting events. They coach, referee, umpire, lead and help with the set up and organisation of events and are invaluable to the scheme.

Partnering with local primary schools has many benefits for us as a school too. The programme allows us to meet and identify gifted and talented students, as well as allowing me to provide Carr Hill Sports Leaders with an opportunity to lead, coach or officiate which helps them develop into confident young people.

For me as the organiser, I really enjoy meeting the primary school pupils and getting to know them. It’s great when they start in Year 7 and say, “I remember you from primary athletics or primary badminton – I had a great time!”. Liaising with the primary professionals allows me to develop new relationships and broaden my experience. It just goes to show that learning isn’t just confined to the classroom, and it certainly doesn’t end when you leave education!

Football Coaching

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Interschool Sports Day

Sports Leaders

Football Tournament

SPORTS PARTNERSHIPS

Here at Carr Hill we have a vibrant and energetic PE department which provides our students with a varied range of lessons and extracurricular activities. Alongside side this we also run a scheme to engage local primary schools and give younger children opportunities to partake in sporting events they might not otherwise have a chance to enjoy. Here Mr Doughty, PE Teacher and former Carr Hill student, tells us more.

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Michael Grant Brings Monsters to Kirkham Students from Year 8 and 9 had the opportunity to meet author Michael Grant, after being invited to an event hosted by Kirkham Grammar School.

“A driving torrential narrative” is how Stephen King described Michael Grant’s most renowned work ‘The Gone Series’. Speaking to students from a number of local schools the “evil genius of Young Adult Fiction”* Mr Grant inspired budding authors with tales of his unconventional rise to fame from humble beginnings. With 150 novels to his name his objective has always been to create interesting characters and plots which his young audience can relate to.

Inspired by the artists and writers from the mid-twentieth century who created the first wave of superheroes, Mr Grant set out to build diversity within his characters, “I thought, ‘What can I bring?’

‘What could I do differently?’, and I purposely set out to create superheroes without spandex or capes, less muscular and with more ethnical diversity”. It certainly worked with over a million copies of ‘The Gone Series’ sold in the UK alone. Now promoting ‘Monsters’ the first in a trilogy following on from ‘Gone’, Mr Grant had a captive audience as he talked about his characters, “My characters are my employees. Sometimes I have a good relationship with them and sometimes not. Sometimes they work well for me, but if they’re not I have to kill them.”

“ my My cha e they mplye racters e if th work w s...som are etim ey’r ell f e no o t I h r me, b es them ave to ut kill ”

After the session students had an opportunity to meet the author and have their books signed.

School Librarian Mrs Young said, “As a librarian, I’m passionate about students enjoying books and events like this go a long way in helping to bring the characters and stories to life. We’re very grateful to Kirkham Grammar for inviting us”.

*Egmont. 2017. Michael Grant Biography. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.egmont.co.uk/books/author/401/michael-grant. [Accessed 18 October 2017].

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