St. Ambrose Barlow Weekly Newsletter Issue 6

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JANUARY 8TH 2016 Issue 6

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 Years of Celebrating 60 Years of60Outstan 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.

Communications and Relationships IMPORTANT DATES & FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Often it doesn’t feel like work.

We are Year 9 Parents’ Evening January 20tha Catholic co

privilege to see our young people flourishing, to sp January 20th ways and watch them grow in confidence.

They a To develop an January effective and relationships which is based School reopens 4th system 2016 8.45of amcommunications English GCSE great resit results January 20th unfold bor every lesson adventures and stories Gospel values of mutual tolerance, care and understanding towards all member Headteacher’s Surgery January 7threspect, 5 pm Year reports published and 11 creativity.

Our equallyJanuary inspiring22nd staff are dedica school community.

Year 11 GCSE Drama person in their care.

They may get outstanding re Year 11 GCSE Drama brings so much more to the education of our studen Practical (this week) January 11th Written (this week) January 25th

Individual Support and Development differently so that every child can realise their gifts a Year 11 Reviews January 11th - 13th HT Surgery they are. Doing this meansJanuary that we25th are bringing to Year 9 Retreat January 14th PSHE Super Day January 11th ethos of to theencourage school.

To celebrate the unique nature of each person and their development as indi Year 11 GCSE Drama

Practical (this week) Curriculum

January 18th

6th Form Parents’ Evening

Burns Supper

January 29th 7 pm

There is great spirit and energy in this school. You c Year 11 Parents’ Evening February 4th curricular activities, in the array of research projec Year 11 Meningitis Year 8 Reviewsthat flows through February - 10th There the creativity our 8th learning.

Immunisations January 20th A National Teach To introduce all pupils to a broad, balanced, and differentiated curriculum and t Ash Wednesday 10th onerelevant is left behind, no-one February 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

Tuesday saw all of Year 7 assemble in the Hall for the last two periods of the day to take part in the 100 Word Challenge. This is On Wednesday we were visited by an international literacy project that Peter Gibson, one half of the allows students of all ages to post entrepreneurial duo behind their 100 word responses to a Manchester’s Grindsmith Coffee starter word, theme or picture company. Peter came in to advise us online and receive comments from on setting up a coffee business in the other users. The challenge was Sixth Form run by students for the co-ordinated by Mrs. Tulloch who school and the local community. This earlier in the year had arranged for is something we will be working Year 7 pupils to train with the towards over the next few months. As creator of the challenge as Literacy part of this process Grindsmith will be Ambassadors. English classrooms running a coffee cart at the Year 9 were abuzz with the white heat of Parents' Evening and working with creative writing. At the end of the students from across the school afternoon the year group shared throughout that day. We also have their pieces in the Hall and really more exciting enterprise plans for Year enjoyed hearing their peers read 7 building on the enormous success of aloud. They were even better than the Christmas Fair.

Mr. Davis’s effort!

GRINdSMITHs partnership

year 7 100 word challenge

On Thursday we welcomed staff and students from Abraham Moss High to speak to our staff about British Values. This is an issue on which we have been working for the past year and we were very impressed with the ideas from the students and the confidence with which they presented. As a result of the activities we are developing further our implementation of British values using some of the creative and pupil-led ideas from Abraham Moss. It is always great to collaborate with another school in this way.

british values evening

2016 begins: HAPPY NEW YEAR! It has been great to welcome our students back this week after the Christmas holidays.

It has been a pleasure to see each year group in assembly, hear and take part in talk about presents, family gatherings and resolutions already broken and it is always a delight to go around the school and witness some of the outstanding work being done by our young people. Many students remarked on how pleased they were to be back at school, despite the early start and the inclement weather!

The last two weeks of the Autumn term saw a number of exciting events and initiatives take place: the Barcelona trip, the talent show, the launch of an additional school bus, the Year 7 Enterprise Fair, the Advent Liturgies and the MADD Evening and much more besides.

As we start this term we are looking forward to unprecedented numbers of students being recruited for our 6th form in response to our A-level and BTEC offer with over 180 applicants already. We also be continuing our work to challenge the stigma around mental health. In all of this the support of parents and guardians is vital - please do contact me about any matter or attend one of my HT surgeries. I look forward to meeting you and offer you and your families every good wish for the year ahead.

Ben Davis, Headteacher