St. Ambrose Barlow Weekly Newsletter Issue 5

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decEMBER 4th 2015 Issue 5

Our Aim

In accordance with our Mission Statement the School’s aim

60

Faith and Worship

To help us to grow spiritually as followers of Christ and as members of a C community: to make prayer, worship and liturgy central to school life.

School and Community

Celebrating 60 Years of Celebrating 60 Years of Outstan Outstanding Learning 1955 - 2015

To encourage and develop relationships between home, parish, school and the wider com in order to prepare our pupils to become responsible, I love comingcaring to workcitizens. here each day.

Often it doesn’t feel like work. We are a Catholic co privilege to see our young people flourishing, to sp Christmas Stall at local churches ways and watch grow in confidence.

They a To develop effective system of communications and them relationships which is based Diocesan Mass for Year ofan Mercy December 13th unfold bor every lesson great adventures and stories Gospel values of mutual 8th respect, tolerance, care and understanding towards all member December and creativity.Surgery Our equallyDecember inspiring staff dedica Headteacher’s 14th are 5 pm school community.

Pupils at Christmas markets December 9th person in their care.

They may get outstanding re Advent Liturgy December 15th

brings so much more to the education of our studen Christmas Lunch December 9th Ambrose’s Got Talent December 17th Individual Support and Development differently so that every child can realise their gifts a Full Governors Meeting December 10th School closes for Christmas 18thbringing 12.00 pm they are.

Doing this meansDecember that we are to Year 9 reports to parents School reopens January 4th 2016 8.45 am ethos of theencourage school.

To celebrate the unique nature of each person and to their development as indi

Communications and Relationships IMPORTANT DATES & FORTHCOMING EVENTS

& guardians

December 11th

Year 11 Celebration trip

December1 1th

CHARITABLE DONATIONS OVER ADVENT

Barcelona Trip

December 12th - 13th

Collections dry goodsinfor local residents and toys and curricular of activities, the array of research projec

Curriculum

There is great spirit and energy in this school. You c

the creativity that flows through our learning. clothing for refugees continue throughout Advent. There

A National Teach To introduce all pupils to a broad, balanced, and differentiated curriculum and t onerelevant is left behind, no-one is left out.

Visitors A National often School o pupils with the necessary knowledge, skillsofand Christian values required a rapidly ch purpose they find in the school; in this comes fro

Saturday morning saw a group of pupils and staff board a coach at 6.00 am bound for Birmingham and the Clothes Show. Led by Miss Furey they braved the high This Wednesday we welcomed winds and terrible weather to get to students from Year 11 at Harrop Fold and St. Mary’s RC High School, Astley. their destination. Once there they enjoyed the range of exhibitors and They joined us for an afternoon of Athe fashion show, absorbing the level and BTEC taster classes. The high quality designs and creative twenty students who came are all seriously considering the St. Ambrose talent on display. For many of the Sixth Form as a post-16 option. Their students this will be a chance to develop further their own artistic feedback was very good. They and design skills complimented the food, the quality of teaching, the range of courses on offer CLOTHES SHOW TRIP and the very welcoming and warm ethos. We look forward to welcoming many of them in September 2016 as Our Senior Girls Football Team members of our community. Thanks defeated Walkden High School 5-3 too to the teachers from Harrop Fold on Tuesday evening - an excellent who joined them result from a strong team.

Last Saturday we held our first Open Morning for the Sixth Form. A good number of parents and students attended and benefitted from presentations from staff and lour business partners on the unique opportunities available in the Sixth Form. We welcomed games designers, creative industry representatives and the Connexions service to reinforce the very special creative approach we are taking in developing our Sixth Form. It is the place to come to secure a good career or university place in the future.

SIXTH FORM TASTER DAY

SIXTH FORM OPEN MORNING

girls football success

DESIGN YOUR FUTURE

FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH

CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY

The 6th Form Creative

This week we made a strong start to our new approach to supporting positive mental health and challenging the stigma around mental ill-health. In extended form time students were led through a variety of activities to challenge their thinking and provoke openness and discussion. Many commented positively on the impact of this work. This is only the start of the work and there is much more to follow.

Friday December 4th was a big day in the Advent calendar for us as many students and staff opted to don their Christmas jumpers for charity. Everyone who wore the festive garment had to pay £1 to charity and this brought out a wide range of fashion items. Mr. Waterworth and Mr. Sanders became Santa’s elves for the day, whilst Mr. Hulton proclaimed his footballing allegiance through his jumper. Mr. Lawford was understated and tasteful whilst Mrs. Leather in Student Services went all out for the festive look. Whatever was worn it all raised money for a good cause and raised smiles across the school.

Media class undertook an educational visit to the GMEX in Manchester to the 'Design your Future' post-18 event. Year 12&13 students attended the event and visited stalls and spoke to tutors of post-18 opportunities to 'shape their thinking' for the future.

Students also were able to visit seminar sessions in the afternoon based on topics such as 'Film production' and 'Animation'.

The day overall had a real focus on the Media industry and Year 13 students acquired direct email contacts with several university tutors that could benefit their UCAS applications.

AMBROSE’S GOT TALENT The auditions for our first talent show were completed this week over three nights with nearly 50 acts auditioning for 16 slots. The standard of talent was very high and the judges had a hard time making their final decisions.

T HI S WEE K IN PI C T URE S  

CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY! Here is just a selection of jumpers from the excellent fundraiser on Friday. Staff are pictured below gathered around the school Christmas tree.

Above: it’s not The Smiths, it’s the Creative Media class; below: Students enjoying the Clothes Show.

Above: students from Harrop Fold and St. Mary’s HS trying out our Sixth Form for size; below: the judging panel of the Ambrose Got Talent competition with our very own Dermot O’Leary, Mr. Morrison.

SIXTH FORM OPEN MORNING

From top: our 6th formers in charge of catering for the day - the did a roaring trade; getting careers advice from games designer Mikael of Playground Squad; Join Us- why wouldn’t you?