Coloma Newsletter Summer 2019

COLOMA CONVENT GIRLS' SCHOOL

Coloma News Upper Shirley Road, Croydon, CR9 5AS |  020 8654 6228 |  www.coloma.croydon.sch.uk

summer 2019

TERM DATES

150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

Last Day of Term Friday, 19th July Staff CPD Monday, 2nd September (no students in school) First Day of Term Tuesday, 3rd September Half Term Holiday Monday, 21st October – Friday, 25th October Last Day of Term Friday, 20th December

DIARY DATES A Level Results Day Thursday, 15th August GCSE Results Day Thursday, 22nd August 11+ Open Morning

Coloma celebrated its 150th Anniversary in the sunshine on the school field in a beautiful outdoor Mass, led by the Most Reverend Archbishop Peter Smith on July 11th 2019. It felt very fitting to celebrate the school in situ. Surrounded by the school, its pupils, governors, staff, clergy, former pupils and various guests, we were blessed as the sun shone and the community was able to come together to celebrate our very special school.

In his sermon, Archbishop Peter Smith, described the purpose of education as enabling 'human flourishing', the importance of living this out spiritually and recognised that this has always been at the heart of Coloma. We were also honoured as a school to receive the Apostolic Blessing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In his blessing, he unites himself in thanksgiving with the pupils, parents, staff, Headteacher and governors.

After Mass, guests were invited to visit our newly installed prayer garden; a wonderful, quiet, prayerful and serene area. Guests and pupils also enjoyed looking around an exhibition of photographs and other memorabilia on display in the Performing Arts Centre; reminding us of the people who have served the school in its 150 years.

Many things have changed in the school's 150 year history but Coloma's core values remain the same; putting Christ at the centre of everything we do. The school continues to live up to its motto, Laborare est Orare - To work is to pray.

(must be booked in advance) Wednesday, 25th September 11+ Open Evening Thursday, 26th September 11+ Open Morning (must be booked in advance) Wednesday, 2nd October

Subscribe to Coloma’s online calendar at www.coloma.croydon.sch.uk /school-calendar

Volume 11, Issue 2summer Month 2018 2019 l Page 01

SCHOOL NEWS MESSAGE FROM COLOMA’S NEW HEAD GIRL The Head Girl position is integral to life at Coloma and I, Flora Dell’Accio, feel privileged to have been elected to this position.

I study Biology, Chemistry and Maths at A-level and I am hoping to study medicine at university.

Combined Cadets Force in the army section, the school choirs, the school play, the Medical Society and the volunteering trip to Lourdes to name a few.

Along with my Head Student team, I look forward to strengthening existing traditions and helping to create new ones.

Outside of my studies I take part in many extra-curricular activities including being a part of: Model United Nations, the

Flora Dell’Accio, Yr 12

COLOMA COMMUNITY WEBSITE Coming soon!

To mark the 150th Anniversary Year, we will be launching our very own Coloma Community Network!

Coloma prides itself on having strong links within the community. As girls pass through its doors, so do their parents, extended families and teachers. We value the footprint of each and every pupil and hope that they and their families and teachers will remain connected to the school long after they leave.

We are delighted to be launching the online Coloma Community this year, to

celebrate the 150 years past and future.

This site will bring together an entire Coloma ‘family’ and will be a private and secure online network open to all; current and former parents, staff and governors, alumnae and friends of the school.

This exciting new social network will include photo galleries and the latest news and events. Launching in September 2019, follow the link on the main school website to join.

Alternatively, email your details to esmith@coloma.croydon.sch.uk to be notified when the community site goes live!

JACK PETCHEY AWARDS Congratulations to the following girls who have received Jack Petchey Awards for their commitment and dedication both in curriculum subjects and extra- curricular activities.

Charlotte Murphy Yr 12 – Reorganising the school library.

Olivia Nunnes Yr 7 - Chess Club Abbie Burnett Yr 10 – History Club Shannon Dagnell Yr 13 – Dance Academy Nicoli Fernando Yr 10 – Mathematics Mrs A Hiller

YEAR 7 CLOTHES SWAP

JACK PETCHEY “SPEAK OUT” FINAL On the 2nd April, Coloma was selected to host the Croydon Final of the Jack Petchey’ Speak Out’ because we won the event last year.

It was an amazing night; the Music department did us proud with foyer music, a flute quartet and a year 10 soloist and there were numerous year 10 students helping set out refreshments, guide teachers, pupils, judges and parents to various locations, organise time cards and mike up contestants.

They were a credit to Coloma. Chiara Laferla, last year’s winner, was the MC and proved herself to be an eloquent public speaker yet again. Chi Chi Devis and Sophie Raynor represented the school and both spoke with confidence and charisma. Sophie was awarded third place.

The Deputy Mayor commented on how impressed he was with all our girls and their various contributions to the evening.

Mrs A McDonald

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Eco-captains from Year 7 organised a Clothes Swap day. Each student brought in three to five items of clothing that were in good condition but they no longer wanted.

For every item of clothing they brought in they were given a raffle ticket and could swap their raffle ticket for a different item of clothing.

It was a great way to get new clothes for nothing, be environmentally friendly by re-using the clothes and any garments left over were taken to the RSPCA charity shop.

SCHOOL NEWS YOUNG ENTERPRISE Coloma’s Young Enterprise team went through an amazing journey this year with their company, “The Merging Plan”.

Starting from scratch and managing to raise funds through selling shares and having a cake sale, the team completed their first full project by December where they sold Christmas themed diffusers in Centrale which sold fantastically!

From then, the journey continued where the team sold their own water bottles which they called “Vessel.” By April, the team had now started to finish up their business year and were prepared to attend their first competition at Centrale, where they did brilliantly at the Croydon and Bromley Showcase winning 3 out of 7 awards including: Digital Presence, Best Team Journey and Runner Up, which allowed them to advance to the next round in London Bridge.

At the South London final, the girls did very well in their presentation and interview and managed to beat 8 other teams for the Best Team Journey award.

Overall, the team expressed how they learnt many valuable skills for the future and felt that this experience truly made them feel like business women!

Sayma Rahman, Yr 12

BTEC LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE STUDENTS COMPLETE 100 HOURS OF WORK EXPERIENCE! As part of the BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (equivalent to two Alevels), our students in Year 12 are required to complete 100 hours of work experience in a local health or social care setting.

The students have enjoyed a range of placements in local schools, hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries and nurseries. These have given them a realistic insight into the roles and responsibilities of different health and social care practitioners and informed their personal career plans.

They have also completed a range of work-related tasks which they are writing up, evaluating and filing in a portfolio of evidence. This work will demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired during the course and contribute to their final grade for the qualification.

All the students have been commended by their supervisors for their enthusiasm, commitment and work with service users and staff. It has been very rewarding visiting them in their placements and seeing them putting their classroom learning into practice in the field. They have been great ambassadors for the school and we are very proud of them!

Mrs C Dixie

CAREERS ‘SPEED-NETWORKING’ EVENT On Tuesday 2nd July, Coloma welcomed over 45 guests to school, to speak to our pupils about their careers and the pathways they took to get there.

We were fortunate enough to welcome people from a variety of industries including; clinical psychology, medicine, sports coaching, hospitality and journalism.

Year 10 pupils met our guests first and gained a real insight into the world of work and the depth of opportunities available. Many of the pupils commented that their minds ‘had been opened’ to

careers such as forensic psychology and civil engineering; job sectors they had never considered before.

Our Year 12 students met our visitors during their PSHE lesson and were able to speak to them, not only about their careers, but their experiences and qualifications at post-18 level, something they found invaluable, as they begin to write their personal statements for their UCAS applications.

Our Year 9 students finished the event off with plenty of thoughtful questions and were even able to greet the London Fire Brigade, fire truck and all, on our school playground. Some of our pupils were lucky enough to try on the fire-fighter equipment and even set-off the truck’s siren!

We would like to thank all of our guests for giving up their time so generously and we are delighted that we have managed to provide such an opportunity for our pupils.

Miss R Dulley

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SCHOOL NEWS COLOMA WINS NATIONAL AWARDS FOR PERFORMANCE

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPELLING BEE Huge congratulations to Elizabeth Willis in Year 7 who won the Routes into Languages Spelling Bee London Regional Final for French.

She went on to represent Coloma in the National Final as one of the 105 of the 7525 pupils who began the competition in London.

Coloma has once again been recognised nationally for its excellent results in 2018 based on data from the Department for Education and Ofsted, analysed by SSAT, the Schools, Students and Teachers network.

Coloma was found to be among the best performing secondary schools in the country, receiving two awards for being in the top 10% of non-selective schools nationally for attainment and progress.

The SSAT Educational Outcomes database compares all state-funded schools in England and the highest performing schools for a range of key measures are awarded SSAT Educational Outcomes Awards.

Sue Williamson, Chief Executive of SSAT said, “I am delighted that Coloma Convent Girls' School has won two Educational Outcomes Awards. This recognises one important aspect of the school’s work but at SSAT we believe an outstanding school has deep social justice at the heart of its plan; it subjects that plan to constant challenge and innovation; and it liberates teachers to perform brilliantly in the classroom.

SSAT is pleased to recognise the quality of leadership and the hard work of all staff to ensure the success of every child. A big thank you and well done to students, parents, staff and governors.”

We are delighted for Elizabeth and so pleased with all of the Year 7 students who competed in class competitions and also in the competition for Year 7 as a whole.

Well done, Year 7!

Mr A Handley

YEAR 9 SALTERS’ FESTIVAL OF CHEMISTRY On 2nd April, four Year 9 students represented Coloma at a Salters’ Festival of Chemistry at University College London.

Niamh Duggan, Kimberly Ezan, Nathania Opedo and Megan Shakespeare worked in teams with other schools to take part in experiments in the university chemistry laboratories. Their task was to make a sample of paracetamol, and then analyse it to confirm that was what they had actually produced.

They used techniques usually introduced at A level, or even degree level, including vacuum filtration, purification by recrystallisation, using a UV lamp to observe the results of their thin layer chromatography, taking a melting point and infrared spectroscopy. They then carried out tests on other samples of paracetamol provided to work out what impurities were present.

After a day working in the laboratories, the girls enjoyed a fun lecture in the university lecture theatre, finishing with eating some ice cream made using liquid nitrogen. They all worked really well, using techniques which were completely new to them, and enjoyed a taster of university life.

SOUTH WEST LONDON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE DAY Science and Technology Challenge Day was held at St Mary’s University, Twickenham in June. Year 9 students were split into pairs and worked in a team with a pair from one of nine other schools, taking part in three of four possible challenges intended to encourage students to consider studying STEM subjects and even a STEM- based career.

The Robotics Challenge involved programming a Lego Mindstorm EV3 robot to navigate a set course. The students took on the role of a doctor in the Medical Diagnostics Challenge, where they diagnosed conditions suffered by simulated patients, using tests, scans and so on. The E-FIT Challenge used the latest E-FIT 6 facial recognition software to create a computer image of a criminal from a simulated crime. The students designed and constructed a battery powered vehicle in the Vehicle Challenge, timing their final runs.

The girls all worked very well in their teams and gained two third places and three second places in the challenges. Maansi Richard and Isabelle Rodrigues achieved first place in the Robotics Challenge. All of them enjoyed their day of challenges.

Mrs T Insuli

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SCHOOL NEWS COLOMA RE-ACCREDITED AS WORLD CLASS!

CCF SUMMER CAMP At the beginning of July, cadets from Coloma aged 13 to 18 travelled to MOD Bicester in Oxfordshire. We were hosted by the DEMS Regiment (Defence, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment) who gave us an insight into their work.

During the week, we were able to use military metal detectors and find model IEDs buried in the ground; we saw a demonstration of military working dogs; we fired rifles on a 25m range to work on our marksmanship; we also slept out in the field for 3 nights.

Coloma is delighted to have be reaccredited as World Class! In comparison to the national inspection regime, the World Class School Quality Mark assesses the students not the school, and World Class Schools have to re-accredit every two years, to retain their status.

The assessment was awarded in July 2019 and is therefore up to date and relies on current, fresh, and robust evidence. Coloma is recognised as a school that supports their students to develop into World Class young people year on year, over a sustained period of time.

The re-accreditation process was challenging. In order to qualify for reaccreditation Coloma students had to work collaboratively with a partner World Class school, to prove to their partner students how their own school has supported them to retain their World Class credentials.

The assessment framework is composed of skills and competencies that students need to be World Class citizens in a dynamic global economy. Through working in partnerships, students developed their networking skills and become part of a World Class student alumni association which will provide them with supportive, professional and potentially enduring relationships.

Congratulations to Sarah Gardiner, Emma Hiscock and Hannah Little who successfully drove Coloma's application.

Our personal highlight of the week was our visit to the local Fire Station where we got to experiment with some fire extinguishers, use a jet powered water hose and cool off in a soaking shower on a ridiculously hot day.

As always CCF camp is incredibly important in developing individuals and working on their teamwork abilities. Many of our Coloma girls proved their skills and thus were promoted to higher ranks; some of these were incredibly lucky to be promoted by the Colonel in the DEMS Regiment.

We look forward to a new cohort of cadets this year and are very thankful to students Claudia Pickup and Anna Dyduch, our Sergeant Majors, and as we say goodbye, we wish them success in the future.

Written by Staff Sergeant Joanna Vieira O’Neill and Staff Sergeant Flora Dell’Accio, both in Year 12.

MARY'S MEALS- BACKPACK APPEAL This half term, Year 8 have been collecting and donating items of school equipment. Once our collection boxes were full the form captains set about filling 30 backpacks with school supplies as well as toiletries and clothing.

The filled backpacks are currently awaiting collection where they will begin their journey to Malawi. Once there, they will be gifted to school children who are in much need of basic supplies.

This was a great opportunity for year 8 to serve the wider community as well as reduce waste, as the charity encourages the donation of pre-used items.

Miss M Wake

YEAR 7S MAKE BUG HOUSES Year 7 Eco-captains thought it would be a good idea to make bug houses for around the grounds of Coloma Convent Girls’ School.

7Y worked in teams of two or three and made them in their DT lessons with Mrs Stack and Mrs Kelly.

Each bug house was personalised by the students using the laser cutter, so the girls would always know where their bug house was and could monitor it over the coming years.

Miss C Huggett

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SCHOOL NEWS PSYCHOLOGY TRIP TO BETHLEM MUSEUM

As an extension of our psychology course, we visited the Bethlem Museum of The Mind in Beckenham. During the day we were able to partake in a number of activities and gain an insight into both the history of Bethlem and the work that they currently do.

The first workshop that we attended was about the ‘History of Bethlem and mental health treatment' which was delivered by a museum director. In this session we learned about the role of Bethlem over the past few centuries, providing care to those who are mentally ill. The speaker also clarified and debunked common myths and preconceptions that people may have of the Bethlem hospital and mental illness.

Our second session was a talk from Mary Yates, a nurse consultant at the hospital. This was enlightening as we were able to gain an in-depth understanding of what exactly her career entails and we were also given the opportunity to ask her more questions about her field, as well as her experiences as a nurse consultant.

As it transpired, she is very keen to promote physical health as she believes there is a strong link between physical and mental health so she focuses on getting patients to stop ‘self-medicating’ and to take up exercise. She is also working on restorative justice and provided insight into how the forensics department works.

We did a tour of the museum and gallery during lunchtime and found the artefacts used to treat mentally ill patients in the past quite shocking but informative.

In our third session we critically analysed a piece of artwork called ‘The Maze' by Ukrainian artist, William Kurelek. The patient was unable to speak to doctors so he used his art to communicate his issues. Our job was to try to decipher the art to see how much we could understand about his background and all the events that had happened to him that lead to him being ill. We also had to try and work out what he was diagnosed with.

Overall, this day was very beneficial as it further informed our understanding of mental health and the mind, as well as giving us an insight into how it is both treated and approached in the real world. It was a lovely relaxed day out which was a welcome postexam experience and allowed both the students and teachers to interact in the beautiful grounds of Bethlem.

By Dijonay Wedderburn and Shleena Coulson (Yr12 Psychology students)

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DESIGN YOUR OWN ECO SCHOOL As Eco-captain, I entered a ‘Design your own eco school competition’ in which I designed what I thought an eco-friendly school of the future would look like by adding things like solar panels and a space for flowers to grow. A few weeks after I entered my design, I was informed that I had made it to be a finalist and got an opportunity to go to The Crystal in Lindon to see if I had won the competition for Years 7-8.

After checking in, we were taken to a hall while the exhibition was being set up. All around the room there were tables of people explaining what they do for a living and all the opportunities that are open to me. One person there had worked on designing the cable car (which is what I travelled to The Crystal in). Another person had even worked on the Shard. Many of the things these people talked about really interested me and I enjoyed talking to them.

Once the exhibition was set up we were allowed to enter and have a look around the various eco displays there. They showed us many different ways to create different types of reusable energy such as wind turbines, in which one wind turbine could produce enough electrical power to run a small town. There was also water that created electrical power using tidal flows. I found these great ideas but felt the water turbine was more superior due to the fact that there are always predictable tidal flows but you cannot always guarantee that there will be sufficient wind to power the wind turbines. We also got to see and interact with how to store and save energy and water sufficiently in the buildings of the future. On this display we were able to interact in designing a computer-generated house of the future by selecting the best components we thought would best suit the environment that the given house was located in.

By this time we were caught up looking at the displays and luckily one of the organisers of the event found us and led us into the auditorium.

There were already about 300 people seated. To my surprise, they had reserved seats for us at the front. I found the lecture very intriguing as it was all about surveying and the different aspects of the job. The audience felt very included as they had question and answer and also interactive quizzes where we used keypads to answer multiple choice questions.

At the end of the lecture it was finally time to find out the winners of the competition. I felt overjoyed as I saw my name and school appear on the big screen and they announced I had come first place for the Years 7-8 category.

I feel very proud to have received this award and thank the teachers who entered me into this competition.

Niamh Urquhart 7W

TRIPS AND VISITS CROYDON CROWN, FAMILY & COUNTY COURTS Croydon Crown Court had a fantastic open day in May which enabled young people and adults to get an insight into the workings of the judicial system.

TRIP TO BLACKLAND FARM

It was great to see a large number of Coloma students attending and enjoying the opportunities to speak to a wide range of individuals from professions such as the Met Police and Prison Services.

They were also able to see the cells, experience a Victorian trial or, if they preferred, a trial of Daddy Bear. Attendees could listen to talks on how to be a magistrate or juror and hear more sombre talks such as ‘Knives not Lives’.

Definitely something for all ages and students gained an appreciation of the range of jobs available either directly or indirectly linked to the judicial system. Some students from Coloma’s Law class enjoyed the chance to participate in a mock trial and the following is a reflection on their experience.

“The Croydon Crown Court mock trial was an enlightening experience that allowed our law class to experience the law first hand and partake in a memorable experience that has provided a comprehensive insight into the court procedure, advocacy and criminal trials. There were various opportunities ranging from being the court clerk to an advocate, which allowed each person to choose a role that demonstrated their abilities best.”

“I volunteered to be an advocate and this experience has confirmed my passion for advocacy and goal of pursuing the barrister route, as I was given the opportunity to speak to a jury and cross examine a witness. In particular, I found this helpful as the trial was a true demonstration of the trial procedure which was beneficial for those of us who are looking to study law in the future. The court also facilitated our team with a barrister who mentored us through rehearsals, composing scripts and informed us of the procedure which was central to our professionalism, confidence and success of delivery.” (Khadijah Rajah, Yr 12) Mrs C Daly

LES MOUCHES” FRENCH PLAY Some of our year 12 French students had a great opportunity to see the play “Les Mouches” by J-P Sartre at The Bunker theatre in London.

“It’s the tragedy of liberty against the tragedy of fatality” says Sartre.

On Wednesday July 4th, year 9 went on a trip to Blackland Farm where they participated in a range of activities from team building to the more scary abseiling or bungee trampoline. The girls worked together to overcome obstacles and face their fears.

Members of the year group who were convinced that they were not able to climb, or balance, or jump found the courage and exhibited immense tenacity and an amazing spirit of adventure.

It was a fantastic day and all staff involved commented on the excellent attitude of the year group and their willingness to work together and support one another.

Mrs A Macdonald

The students discovered that “The Flies” are an image, a symbol of several ideas: of remorse, guilt, fear and fate. It is an adaptation of the Greek myth of Electra, a tale of liberty but with a Sartrian bloody edge. What was really well appreciated by the girls was the director’s modern production and, of course, the live music of the Mauritian rock band.

Mrs M Howat

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION RISE THEATRE RETREAT DAYS

The Religious Studies department was pleased to welcome back RISE Theatre Company to run a series of retreat days for girls in Year 8 – 11.

The days took place in February and June and consisted of drama performances, discussions, games, creative workshops and personal reflection. Each day was very well received, very thought provoking and moving, especially the sketch reflecting on ‘Jesus the photographer’.

VISIT BY THE DOMINICAN SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH We were absolutely delighted that Sr. Mary Catherine and Sr. Mary Benedicta from The Dominican Sisters of St Joseph, based in Lymington, near Southampton kept their promise to return to Coloma to speak to girls in Year 10 about their vocation to the religious life, which is part of the new GCSE programme.

They spoke very movingly about their early lives, how they were called to live a committed religious life and the sacrifices this entailed.

Sr. Mary Catherine, in particular, spoke of her love and passion for music and how she had to give up her desire to be a flautist in a professional concert orchestra. The girls asked the sisters numerous questions such as ‘can you wear your own clothes?; do you have to wear sandals with socks?; what do you do all day?; how many times a day do you pray? And many, many more. All were answered graciously and with good humour.

Mrs P Horsman

Mrs P Horsman

PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES the Basilica, greeted by great cheering and clapping. It was the beginning of a wonderful week.

Sunday evening the girls were introduced to their ‘family group’, some of which they had met or made contact with, prior to travelling. With some trepidation, they were left to become acquainted with the children and helpers.

On Sunday 21st April, 29 Year 12 students set off from Gatwick Airport to participate in the annual Easter pilgrimage to Lourdes with HCPT. On arrival, a quick lunch was taken before we all set off for Ste Bernadette Basilica for Easter Sunday Mass, celebrating the resurrection of Our Lord, and what a noisy, joyous celebration it was.

The theme for this year, decided by the Welsh Region, was ‘Cariad’ – God’s love is the best love. We were treated to the wonderful spectacle of Cariad, herself, a giant red welsh dragon carried by eight people, which gracefully made her way into

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On Easter Monday, there was a welcome liturgy for all pilgrims with HCPT, retelling the story of St Bernadette and Our Lady’s apparitions. Prior to this, seven of the group spent the day working at Hosanna House, the highlight of which was the petting zoo. Later that night at 11:00pm, we attended the very beautiful, peaceful Mass at the Grotto, giving the chance to reflect on what had already been two incredibly packed days.

Each day the girls went to their group, helping look after disabled or disadvantaged children, playing with them, talking to them, sharing their experiences, walking the stations of the cross or walking

in the footsteps of St Bernadette, going on a whole host of outings, from the mountains to the seaside. During Tuesday’s Marian (torchlight) procession some of the girls were acolytes, accompanying the statue of Our Lady carrying candles. Unfortunately, the heavens opened and a deluge came, but still we carried on singing or processing.

The highlight of the week was the Trust Mass for Benefactors, giving thanks to God for all who made the pilgrimage possible.

Added to this very busy week, we undertook our own special times of reflection, the highlight of which was our own torchlight procession. As we processed we reflected on those who are special to us, who have helped bring us to Lourdes, on things we regret and our hopes for the future. At the end we left our candles as a reminder of our thoughts and prayers.

It was a truly wonderful, inspirational and life-changing experience , one to long be remembered.

Mrs P Horsman

LANGUAGES GERMAN DEBATING SUCCESS!!

The Goethe Institute’s UK German Debating Competition this year saw stunning successes for Coloma Sixth Formers against Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School and Wellington College, an independent school in Crowthorne.

The judges greatly admired the debating skills of the Coloma team: Caitlin Farrell (captain), Tochi Iyke, Pearl Young and Jasmine De Braganca, describing the Coloma team as “amazing competitors with really impressive German”.

Our students greatly enjoyed preparing for the very thought-provoking topics and standpoints allocated to Coloma, firstly arguing for a compulsory year abroad for all schoolchildren, and then presenting arguments for the advantages of plastic in a world which is understandably very concerned about this issue.

Coloma students after our debating victory against Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School

Very many congratulations to the Coloma team members on your superb ability, in German, to present sophisticated, cohesive and convincing arguments which never failed to impress!

Mr A Handley

TRIP TO ANGERS AT EASTER 2019 A group of twenty-seven year 10 students spent a week with families in Angers. Every day, they had opportunities to discover, explore and practice their aural skills in a fun way and in an authentic environment.

On one occasion they wandered round one of France’s best known theme parks, Futuroscope, and experienced the many attractions, whilst admiring the futuristic architecture.

Another day, they visited the last of the watermills along the Avort river, made some “fouées” (a type of bread-bun) and tasted some of the specialities of the region.

The visit to “Le Cadre Noir”, the most famous equestrian school for the French military, was well appreciated by the group, as they could learn so much about horses.

We must not forget the shopping and the hypermarket in Angers town-centre and of course the entertaining session at the local bowling alley.

The guided visits of the “Tapisserie de l’Apocalypse” and the Giffard Distillery were very informative and an excellent listening exercise!

DEUTSCHLAND IST SO FANTASTISCH!

Year 10 students after visiting the amazing Herrenchiemsee Palace The fantastic German homestay in Mühldorf am Inn in April was a wonderful opportunity for our Year 10 students to rise to the challenge of staying with German families, putting their language learning to good use and gaining an insight into the culture of the country. It was lovely to see such happy faces the morning after spending the first evening with the host family!

Our exciting excursions during the trip included visits to major Bavarian sights including the fascinating salt mine of Berchtesgaden, with its exciting slides and underground caverns, as well as the Olympic Park and the Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich FC. The gorgeous city of Passau, where three rivers merge into one, was also a great favourite, and the girls greatly enjoyed questioning the local people about life in their beautiful region. Of particular excitement for the girls were the enjoyably energetic activities of ice-skating, outdoor swimming and, of course, shopping in the centre of Munich!

We are delighted that, each year, so many of our Year 10 students participate in the homestay visit, taking great delight in seeing Germany and gaining so much in terms of cultural, linguistic and social understanding.

Mrs M Howat Mr A Handley

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MUSIC NEWS NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MUSIC FOR YOUTH

EVENING OF SONG

On Thursday, 4th July, St Cecilia’s Singers travelled to Birmingham to take part in the National Festival of Music for Youth. After very heavy traffic and rehearsing on the coach, we made it to Symphony Hall just in time.

Six other choirs from around the country were also taking part and it was really useful to watch the other performances to learn from each other. Each choir had a very different style, from classical to contemporary. We sang three pieces: The Parting Glass, Sih’r Khalaq and Da Pacem. Overall, I think we really listened to each other and worked together as a team and the experience left everyone feeling inspired but also exhausted!

On Tuesday, 7th May, Coloma were delighted to welcome family and friends to the annual, “Evening of Song”.

The night featured performers from Years 9 to 13 and showcased the wide range of talent we have at Coloma.

Thanks to Mrs Hope for accompanying us on the piano and to the rest of the Music staff for making the trip possible.

Georgia Blatch, Yr 12

Some highlights of the night included Nicole Kilama's emotional performance of 'You Don't Know This Man' and of course, the grand finale, Mariam Wocial's powerful rendition of 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' from The Sound of Music.

SUMMER CONCERT This year’s Summer Concert took place on Wednesday, 10th July and was an evening full of amazing performances, including a piano duet by Katie Makulska and Joanna Vieira O’Neill who played the very pretty Berceuse from the Dolly Suite by Fauré.

There were also several trios and ensemble group performances including a beautiful Korean Folk Song called 'Arirang' performed by girls from Years 10 and 11.

The showstopping performance of 'A Million Dreams' from The Greatest Showman by Miss McLean's pupils put the audience in a wonderful mood.

Overall, the concert was a memorable night full of beautiful music. We would like to thank not only the students for their commitment and enthusiasm, but the music staff and singing teachers for all their hard work and the parents who support their daughters.

Mr Fagan-King and Mrs Gill Hope at their final concert

We were also treated to, amongst others, two percussion ensembles, clarinet and oboe duets, two guitar ensembles and many more. The Senior Flute Ensemble produced a very entertaining rendition of The Teddy Bears’ Picnic, with Mr Desorgher dressed head to toe in a teddy bear outfit.

The school rock bands made a notable contribution to the evening which included the debut of our third band Sunny Side Up. Students ranging from Years 7-12 participated and, as a result, it turned out to be a most thrilling and enjoyable evening for the students and parents/friends in the audience. This was of course thanks to the help and work of several music teachers, the tech team and the incredible Music Department.

A special thanks to Mr Fagan-King, who lead King Drummers and Jazz Band and to Mrs Hope, who accompanied many of the ensembles and soloists. Sadly, this was their last concert as teachers at the school.

Mrs Hope will be retiring after 39 years of dedicated service to the school and pupils; Mr Fagan-King is moving, with his family, to Dorset. They will both be missed very much and we wish them every good fortune in the future.

Ana Morgado (Yr 10)

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Antonia Mazuri, Year 11

PE NEWS ENGLISH SCHOOLS ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

LONDON YOUTH GAMES

4 girls travelled to Guildford to compete in this year’s English Schools Athletics Championships.

Each girl competed in a track & field event and although the standard was very high the girls held their own.

There were lots of fantastic performances so a huge well done to all involved.

Big thank you to Mrs Mooney and Sophie McMullan who volunteered to accompany the girls and assist with the running of the day.

Miss H Cheeseman

COLOMA STUDENT REPRESENTS BRITAIN! Marcia Numbreh Sey, in Year 12, has been selected to represent the Great Britain U20 team at the European Championships in Sweden. Marcia will be running the 100m hurdles.

It was brilliant to see so many of our Coloma Athletes competing in the London Youth Games this year.

Huge congratulations to Dumebi Onichabor, Shannon McCormack, Simone Eligon and the whole of Team Croydon for winning gold in the U19 Netball Final.

Ursula Moore in Year 8 won Gold in the High Jump and had the opportunity to meet Team GB sprinter Adam Gemili. Kasia Titterton also competed in Swimming and won silver in the overall female Swimming competition.

So many successes to celebrate, well done girls!

Miss H Cheeseman

Last season Marcia came 4th in the U18’s European Championships in Gyor.

DANCE ACADEMY

We all wish her the very best of luck!

CROYDON SCHOOLS ATHLETICS Lots of success at the Croydon Schools Athletics Championships this year.

Well done to the Year 9 Athletics team who placed 2nd and to the Year 10 team who placed 3rd.

The Year 8 team also had a very successful day and were crowned Croydon Champions for the second year in a row!

Congratulations to the Coloma Dance Academy who performed brilliantly at the Step Live Festival 2019.

The Year 7 team did extremely well for their first year at the event and placed 2nd in a three-way tie with Coombe Wood and Royal Russell.

The girls also took part in an inspiring contemporary workshop led by Step into Dance and had the opportunity to meet real artists. It was a great opportunity to perform at the Southbank centre once again, well done girls.

Miss H Cheeseman

Miss H Cheeseman

summer 2019 l Page 11

PE NEWS SPORTS DAY 2019

House pride was high on Monday when Coloma piled into Croydon Arena for a fun-filled day of athletics. St Theresa’s were determined to defend their title but there was all to play for as we started the first event.

As the day of sports progressed, so did the tension. There were some outstanding performances, with numerous school records broken!

Special mention to Krya Sethna-McIntosh who broke the Year 10 800m record, meaning she now holds the 800m school record for Year 7, 8, 9 and 10.

There was laughter, there was team spirit, and there was a lot of running, but, in the end, Sports Day 2019 will be remembered as a day of good competition, exemplary sporting endeavours and Mr Mainoo stealing the show in the staff relay.

Miss H Cheeseman

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OVERALL RESULTS The final placings for Sports Day 2019 are as follows: 6th Place 5th Place 4th Place 3rd Place 2nd Place 1st Place

St Barbaras St Winefrides St Bernadettes St Ediths St Theresa St Margarets

341 points 377 points 396 points 398 points 401 points 433 points