St. Ambrose Barlow Weekly Newsletter Vol.4 Issue 20 March 1st, 2019




FAITH IN YOU

LOVE IN LEARNING

HOPE IN BETTER

this week in our school . . .

Volume 4 Issue 20 March 1st, 2019

getting it right ready respectful safe

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ST AMBROSE BARLOW RC HIGH SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM

“

Head’s start .

Mr. Davis, Headteacher, reflects on the week.

Mr. Davis, Headteacher, reflects on the week.

This week we launched a document that we have

been working on for a while: The Ambrose Way. It is of year is that with Normally, weabout wait this untiltime something in aI meet refined each Head of Department to review the state before it is issued, but we have taken a results. Way This and involves differentsummer’s tack with exam the Ambrose we are plenty of useful and thought-provoking developing it collaboratively across the school but it is usually talking about over thediscussion, next few weeks. numbers and letters. Behind this data are stories: how pupils did, how they felt, what Lent feels like an ideal time to start something they liked and what they achieved. We like this, particularly since the purpose of The always focus on how things can be Ambrose Way is to make clear to everyone what improved as well as celebrating what went it means to be part of our community. It is more well. As a Catholic school, exam results are than a set of rules or expectations, it is a detailed just one way of expressing the unique, Godexamination of the characteristics, behaviours given talents and skills of each pupil. It is and virtues that we are trying to develop in important to look beyond the data so I am everyone.

delighted that much more of my job involves being in classes, walking around the school The Ambrose Way is written around the nine and talking to pupils, students and staff. dimensions of our mission statement. Over the next nine weeks we are focusing on one If ever you are feeling at all despondent or dimension each week, discussing it in form time fatigued I reckon a quick tour of the school and amongst staff. The document has already would quickly raise your spirits. Let me been scrutinised by staff and members of the show you what I mean. Today (Thursday, parent council, but the most important group of September 29th) for instance, I dropped into constituents is the pupils and we will gather their Year 10 GCSE Music. There, I was views during the nine week roll out.

delighted to listen to performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Hold Back In this week’s newsletter you can see the first the River and When the Saints Go Marching dimension, Unique dimension In. I also gotTogether. to sit withEach Daniel and Chester makes clear what we expect to see people do,DJing as they demonstrated their prodigious how they shouldNext, act, but alsolunch, what Iissupervised consideredthe talents. during unacceptable.

Then the document clarifies what canteen and made a point of watching the everyone can expect and provides some interactions that take place daily. Pupils and inspiration the form of a open Gospel or staffinholding doors forquotation one another, similar. offering Unique thanks, Together, for example, focuses on little moments of personal generosity, forgiveness and recognising the appreciation and gratitude. Of course, dignity of everyone our school. things don’t in always go well in a school, but it is lovely to witness a voluntary apology from It beginsa with that very time high staff, bar: “Ior Yearwords 9 to one of set thealunch see Christ in everyone.”

As school expectations see one pupil help another who is unsure go, this where is a tough but it gets to the heart of to goone, for class. what we are. It also encourages pupils (and staff, for it applies to them to askathemselves In Sixth Form,too) I enjoyed lengthy chat with questions about their deeper sense purpose Aidan who explained both theoftheory of and meaning: who am I called to be?

What does differentiation and its potential commercial God expect of me? In What mission hestudying given application.

English theyhas were me thatthe he has given no other?

play Blood Brothers and talking with humour and excitement about superstitions; in Year 7 RE they were dissecting our new mission statement and exploring the personal meanings within it. School is a busy, bustling, humming place.

I get to Maths to find all of Year 9 embroiled in agoes task further that is so challenging and exciting This than simply considering a future that I want to stay and have a go myself. career or ambition, it delves into the very material Outside it’s: you Without seen mythinking tie? that makes us“Sir, whohave we are.

Can you open my bottle?

What did you about our own worth and purpose, it is hard to think of last night’s game?

Whatconsidering time is it, appreciate that of others; without Sir?” and, at least once a day, “Oh why we are special and unique, it is my challenging It canas besuch. noisy at todays!” see others

times and in a community this size we can’t expect everyone to get on with each other all the time. But it is our community, and a lively, lovely, positive one at that.

Without thinking about our own worth and purpose, it is hard to Perhaps the single highlight of my week, if I appreciate thatbeoftheothers; without had to pick, would conversation I had with Mrs. Fay who is leading the considering we library. are special development ofwhy our new I am a and library enthusiast and have been ever since unique, it isThechallenging see others I was little. furthest reach to of my is back to moments spent in our asmemory such. local library entranced by its colour and bright possibilities. On Twitter Pope Francis has reiterated this recently, calling #RememberingMyLibrary reveals the hold us to a more personal relationship with God: that such an institution has: ‘A library card “God does not want so much to reveal to us that was a free pass to wonderment, words and he exists, but rather that he is the ‘God with us,’ the ability to roam the world’ observes one that he loves us, is interested in our personal user, whilst another quotes the wrought iron story and cares for each person, from the gates of Stalybridge library, ‘Read, Mark, smallest to the greatest.”

Learn and Inwardly Digest.’ Others talk of the escape that a library represented or of It the is our aim itthat, overfrom the coming weeks as we refuge offered an unkind world. develop The Ambrose Way together, we deepen the bonds our last community aspeacefully well as our faith.

Mrs. Fay in spent Saturday If stacking you would like to be involved or give me your the shelves and we are inching thoughts on this please do get in touch.

closer to opening. What thrilled me was her

comment that several boys, some of whom Inaffect this edition of of thereading, newsletter 8 & 9) a dislike were(pages electrified byyou can also read Bishop John Arnold’s letter which presence of a library in their school: ‘You will be shared with pupils and like, staff.read In itit,he offers mean I can borrow this and, practical ways to put our faith into action, and he Miss?’ was the breathless utterance of one focuses particularly on the ways in which we can pupil. Our library is at the heart of the take better care of the environment, ‘our common school: a space for being open to and home’. sharing ideas and experiences. It is openplan and its shelves serve as a reminder I encourage you to be read lettertoand discuss it that there should nohis barrier anyone with your children, it concerns, amongst using its volumes or seeking knowledge,other things, the world they will and lead.

solace, entertainment or inherit information.

I can’t

wait to see it come to life in the weeks God bless, ahead thanks to Mrs. Fay and her band of helpers.

Ben Davis Headteacher Ben Davis, Headteacher Twitter: @BenDavis1972 Twitter: @BenDavis1972

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calendar what’s on

HOUSE POINTS

 

Advance Notice Ash Wednesday, March 6th, all pupils involved in liturgies Ash Wednesday

Young Shakespeare Company workshops (til Thursday) Feast of St. Francis

WED 06

TUE 05

World Book Day

THU 07

This Week

This Year

St Benedict of Nursia

264

6580

St. Bernadette of Lourdes

234

6383

St. Francis of Assisi

291

6801

St. Michael the Archangel

656

6862

Blessed Oscar Romero

257

6921

St. Teresa of Calcutta

211

6365

FRI 08 SAT 09

MON 04

COMING UP THIS WEEK week beginning 04.03.19 week A

attendance We aim for 100% attendance for all of our students and have set 96% as satisfactory attendance for this year. Attendance is monitored period-by-period and statistics are published each week.

Excellent attendance guarantees excellent learning.

Attendance by year (w/b February 11th)

Year 7 Year 8 year 9 year 10 year 11 School

95.9% 94.9% 94.2% 94.9% 92.6% 94.5%

Attendance and its impact on learning 10 days absence means 95% attendance 19 days absence means 90% attendance 29 days absence means 85% attendance 38 days absence means 80% attendance 47 days absence means 75% attendance Please note: If your child is off school you need to contact student services the same day on

Top: at the Siemens Rollercoaster Challenge; Below: 6th formers at the Teenage Cancer3 Trust fundraiser

AROUND THE SCHOOL THIS WEEK  

Pupils visited Oxford University this week enjoying lectures and a trip to see some of the extraordinary architecture of this seat of learning.

Top: at the Siemens Rollercoaster Challenge; Below: 6th formers at the Teenage Cancer4 Trust fundraiser

AROUND THE SCHOOL THIS WEEK  

From top left clockwise: Pupils at Oxford university enjoying a lecture; Amy and Matthew receiving their Bronze Crest award; the pupils in Hollywood

Top: at the Siemens Rollercoaster Challenge; Below: 6th formers at the Teenage Cancer5 Trust fundraiser

AROUND THE SCHOOL THIS WEEK 


The art trip to London

Top: at the Siemens Rollercoaster Challenge; Below: 6th formers at the Teenage Cancer6 Trust fundraiser

AROUND THE SCHOOL THIS WEEK 


Visiting Manchester Art Gallery as part of an art trip

Top: at the Siemens 7 Rollercoaster

DIOCESE OF SALFORD  

Pastoral Letter of the Right Reverend John Arnold Bishop of Salford To be read in all Schools in the week leading up to 6th March 2019, Ash Wednesday Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Season of Lent begins in just a few days and calls us to think about our Faith and to make promises about how we might put our Faith into action in more practical ways.

This might involve thinking about the ways in which we pray, the importance of raising money for charity or how we might follow the tradition of giving something up for Lent.

I would ask that this year we look beyond personal lives, to our role within our wider communities and to the voice of the Church in our world.

In preparation for Lent this year I am writing to you about a very urgent matter. Most of us will be aware of this issue but may not yet have recognised the need to make a practical response. I speak about Climate Change and our care for the environment of our planet.

In the United Kingdom we have been lucky that the effects of climate change have only had a small impact, but even here we have experienced freak weather conditions which are clear evidence of changes to our climate. We have had floods which have destroyed homes and livelihoods, and other changes to the weather including the so-called Beast from the East which brought blizzards, strong winds and bitter cold last year.

Elsewhere in the world severe and long term droughts, floods, rising sea-levels and extreme temperatures are clear evidence of the damage that our actions and our way of life are having on our world. These have affected millions of people, most often in the poorest countries and who have done least to damage our environment.

This is not a problem that we can just leave to governments to solve. Pope Francis tells us that we are all required, every one of us, to make changes to our lives and begin to repair the damage before matters become irreversible and cannot be fixed. I am sure that a growing number of people are aware of these problems but all too many of us are not taking the actions which are needed to make the difference.

You might well ask why the Bishop is speaking to us about Climate Change. I am writing because Pope Francis is calling us to be aware of what we have done to our world and the certainty that, without immediate action, we will inflict permanent damage on our planet which will affect the lives of our children and our children’s children.

Top: at the Siemens Rollercoaster Challenge; Below: 6th formers at the Teenage Cancer8 Trust fundraiser

This is a matter which is rooted in our Faith. Creation is God’s gift to us and we are called to look after

God’s creation. But for a long time we have exploited our world and its resources, often ignoring the consequences with little thought for the impact of our actions. But now we are coming to understand what we have done and we still have time to correct the damage, if we act quickly.

Every one of us can make a difference by the small actions that we can make.

To name a few: We can shop more carefully, and only buy the things that we need.

We can walk or cycle more, using public transport more regularly rather than getting lifts in cars.

We can turn lights off in unused rooms and turn the heating down to reduce the energy we use.

We can reduce the waste we make and recycle more.

If everybody makes these minor changes they would combine to have a significant impact on the environment. In this way we can show the goodness of our faith by our actions.

We can also spread the word among family and friends so that everyone understands their role and their responsibilities. I would like to challenge every school and parish in this Diocese to form an action group to come up with a practical response. I invite you to watch “Global Healing” as an introduction to practical ways of helping to heal our planet. I challenge this Diocese to take the lead in Pope’s Francis’ call to healing our planet. Let’s make the Diocese of Salford a leading light for ways to heal and care for our common home.

I would like to think that, as the Bishop of the Diocese, I can always encourage hope. I believe that, thanks to the advances in science, we have discovered the reasons for Climate Change and we still have time to correct our ways. We know that we have caused the extinction of thousands of species.

We are changing the seasons by our destruction of the rain forests and we have used up our natural resources for profit. We have caused the melting of the icecaps, the severe droughts, the freak storms, the variations of the seasons upon which agriculture and food production depend. We have caused people in coastal regions to lose their livelihoods through rising sea levels.

But, with our commitment and by working together, we can slow the destruction of the environment and begin to correct our mistakes. There is still time but unless we achieve significant progress in the next 12 years, our scientists are certain that our future generations will suffer life-changing consequences with no means of turning the clock back.

And in our determination and our work, let us remember that we are not walking alone. The gift of the Spirit ensures that we have the strength to do what is right. There is no doubt that we face a human catastrophe but by our willpower we can heal the damage, mend our planet and “care for our common home” for future generations.

“Stay with us, Lord, on our journey” Yours devotedly,

+John Arnold Bishop of Salford

Top: at the Siemens Rollercoaster Challenge; Below: 6th formers at the Teenage Cancer9 Trust fundraiser

TWEET OF THE WEek More

jill walter @jill8carl Feb 28 It's all thanks to you Mr McDonagh and Mr Waterworth for spending the extra time with them, helping them along the way. And i think the biscuits definitley help too. Great teachers get the best results.

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FAITH IN YOU

LOVE IN LEARNING

HOPE IN BETTER

ST AMBROSE BARLOW RC HIGH SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM www.stambrosebarlowswinton.org 37 Ash Drive Swinton Salford M27 9QP 0161 921 1570 @SABSalford Headteacher: Ben Davis 11