St. Ambrose Barlow Weekly Newsletter Issue 4

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NOVEMBER 27TH 2015 Issue 4

Our Aim

In accordance with our Mission Statement the School’s aim

Faith and Worship

60

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 Advent Liturgy December 15th ways and watch them grow in confidence.

They a To develop effective 28th system of communications and relationships which is based 6th Form Open Morning an November 10.00am School closes for Christmas December 18th 12.00 every lesson great adventures and stories unfoldpm bor Gospel values of mutual 30th, respect, tolerance, care and understanding towards all member Year 9 Reviews November and creativity. inspiring4th staff are8.45 dedica School reopens Our equallyJanuary 2016 am school community.

December 1st and 2nd person in their care. They may get outstanding re MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING focus

brings so much more to the education of our studen Headteacher’s Surgery December 2nd 5 pm Individual Support and Development differently so that every child realise their gifts Next week (from December 2nd)can we begin a series of a Christmas Jumper Day December 4th they are.

Doing this means that we are bringing to extended forms on the theme of mental health. Our aim Christmas Lunch December 9th ethos of to theencourage school.

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

Communications and Relationships IMPORTANT DATES & FORTHCOMING EVENTS

is to eradicate the stigma of mental ill-health and

Year 9 reports to parents & guardians

December 11th

promote mental health.

This a whole school There ispositive great spirit and energy in is this school.

You c

Barcelona Trip

December 12th - 13th

initiative andactivities, many aspects of array it are led by studentsprojec curricular in the of research

Headteacher’s Surgery

December 14th 5 pm

the creativity that flowsfor through There themselves.

Information parentsour will learning. be sent home.

Curriculum

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

This was a week in which we put a focus on literacy. Arranged by Mrs. Tulloch and led by Julia Skinner, a former Headteacher, pupils and staff underwent training in the 100 word challenge. Out of this came clued-up pupil Literacy Ambassadors. The pupils were led by Julia Skinner to explore a picture before writing and publishing a 100 word response. The environment in the room was enhanced by the use of classical music and the ideas flowed as pupils and staff shared thoughts and responses to the work. We will be rolling out the 100 word challenge across a year group in the near future.

Julia was full of praise for our staff and pupils and the way in which they had engaged with the challenge.

Two of our pupils were successful in the regional heats of the Future Chef competition this week.

Beating off challengers from across the Northwest Leah and Daniel went on to earn, respectively the winners crown and special commendation for a dessert.

The standard of the competition was, as ever, very high and it is worth remembering that there had already been an internal competition in school amongst a large group of pupils to determine who would be going to the finals.

So watch out for our young chefs in the future - at a restaurant near you!

One of the highlights of the week occurred early on when we welcomed a team from Greater Manchester Police to the school to talk to various year groups about a number of issues. The workshops they led encompassed knife crime, drink and drugs and antisocial behaviour. A real highlight for many of the pupils and staff was when the police dogs were brought out.

Cute though they looked we were reminded that they had enough power in their jaws to break an arm and, judging by the reactions from the staff who faced them, they were not be messed with.

100 Word Challenge

Future chef competition success

GMP visit the school

What’s going on in… english?

What’s going on in…

PE and sport?

This week Year 9 could be found studying the play ‘Blood Brothers’

by Willy Russell. In some classes students explored the script by acting it out and attempting to capture the nature of the characters in their work. Others looked at language and the names of key character by producing wordsearches that led to a lot of competition between authors.

There was no shortage of success in amongst our teams and competitors this week and they showed no sign of flagging as Christmas draws nearer.

Our netball teams in Year 7 and Year 10 both recorded victories against Swinton High (9-3 and 6-2 respectively). This built on the great success of the Girls Football team last week who thrashed St. Patrick’s High School Seniors 3-1 and Juniors 6-0. The Key Stage 3 girls badminton team completed a School Games winning streak as well earning themselves gold medals.

AID FOR REFUGEES Co-ordinated by Mrs Dwyer-Moores we are continuing our collection of goods and clothing for refugees.

There is a real emphasis this year on developing our charity work thorough pupil leadership and participation. If you have any goods or clothing that could be donated we will receive it gratefully and will pass it on to a local aid agency for distribution to the many refugees who have come to this area. We already have a substantial amount of donations which is a testimony to the generosity of the school community. Later this month we will begin to have these picked up from the school.

T HI S WEE K IN PI C T URE S  

FUTURE CHEF COMPETITION FROM TOP LEFT: two of our fantastic Year 7 students for whom Christmas has come early. This is Billy and Jamelee from form 7f both of whom have received over 50 green writings from their teachers this term - an outstanding feat. Also on this page: the winning dish in the Future Chef competition from Leah Thompson; Leah with her dishes at the competition; Leah and Daniel, our two representatives at the competition.

FROM TOP: the Literacy ambassadors doing the 100 word challenge; poring over Blood Brothers word searches; acting out Blood Brothers; Charlotte the police dog and her handler