ISSUE : 12 SUMMER 2017
St Bonaventure’s Magazine
1935
ar y s r e v i n n A h 140t 1877 - 2017
2017
Happy Anniversary to all staff, students, governors, parents and friends of St Bonaventure's
message from the headteacher Dear Staff, Students, Parents and Friends of St Bonaventure’s, I hope that you enjoy this new magazine, which comes at the end of a very exciting academic year. 2017 is a special year for our school as it marks the start of our 140th Anniversary and not many schools are able to say that they are as old as us, let alone Catholic schools. When St Bonaventure’s was founded by the Franciscans in Forest Gate in 1877 it had only been one generation since the Catholic Emancipation Act had given Catholics the right to practice their faith freely. The formation of a Catholic school for boys changed the lives of young men in immigrant families forever in East London. This year we give thanks to the Founding Fathers of our school. “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.” In all religions charity is a key value. As hard as our lives can be at times, there are always others that have a significantly more difficult life. This was seen mostly starkly in recent times by those made homeless after the terrible disaster in Grenfell Tower. By showing love and compassion for the poor, vulnerable and dispossessed we are following the life of Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that I like to encourage our students to give freely. It is always very humbling to see how generous our families are and this year we have excelled. The year is not yet over as I write this and we still have charitable events planned; during MAD all donations will be collected and distributed to Richard House Children’s Hospice, our Anniversary Mass will be used to collect for the building fund of St Antony of Padua and our CAFOD group still have some work to do. Even with these collections we have already raised a staggering; £19,128.88 I am very proud of this record. Thank you all and God bless you for your kindness and love. The full details of all recipients can be found on the school website at http://www.stbons.org/charitable-donations/ The end of each academic year brings happiness tinged with sadness. We are all very happy to start a nice, restful break but we say good-bye to some members of staff and students that have been a big part of our lives. To all our Year 11, Year 13 and staff that are moving onto new chapters of their life we say; “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6: 24-26
message from the Chaplain The summer term has been one full of incredible events in the life of our school community, and seems to have flown by so quickly. It is important however, every now and then, to stop and reflect on what makes us who we are. What has made St Bonaventure’s the vibrant Catholic community it currently is? Our shared experiences help to define who we are and reflect what is important in our lives. This term has been one where, as a nation, we have seen numerous heartbreaking tragedies which have called for our response as a faith community. Here at St Bonaventure’s, we have done so in word and in deed, with our prayer, our times of silence and reflection to remember those who have been affected, and also out practical response, living out the call of Christ in the Gospel to ‘love your neighbour’ when our community responded so generously with donations for the homeless from the Grenfell Tower fire, which were then driven to the local parishes to help those in urgent need. A real example of the Gospel in action. As we celebrate our 140th Anniversary, some of our students made pilgrimage to Lourdes where we brought with us the prayer intentions of our school community which were placed in the grotto, and lit our school candle, symbolising the prayers of our community continuing long after we had left. Our pilgrimage was a wonderful time of grace and joy for our students and something that I am sure will be treasured for many years to come. In the Marian month of May, every class had the opportunity to pray the Rosary together at the statue of Our Lady on the friary lawn. The month of May also saw the crowning ceremony and procession on the friary lawn on the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, led by our parish priest, Fr John. Also in this anniversary year, we have celebrated our vocations school mission day, which saw many priests, religious, and seminarians come in to share their faith stories with our students, and included a time of prayer with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary being prayed for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and finishing with Holy Mass celebrate by Abbot Hugh Allan from Chelmsford who joined us for the day. It is so important to pray for vocations, and is a responsibility we all share. After all, in the words of the late Cardinal Basil Hume, ‘No Priests, No Sacraments’. So we thank the Lord for another day full of Grace where we could see the Holy Spirit at work within our community. We have so much to look forward to this coming year, and have celebrated so many wonderful occasions already, including a visit from a Cardinal, the Catholic Transition Retreat Day in Colchester with 400 primary school students, regular Friday lunch time Mass, morning prayer before school, lunch time Rosary, and much much more, all within our anniversary year, jointly celebrated during our diocesan centenary. So as this year draws to a close, we give thanks to God for all the Blessings we have received this term, and indeed, over the past 140 years of the Catholic faith being taught in this place. We place all of our achievements, and our hopes for the future, under the loving protection of Our Blessed Mother, and continue to ask for her powerful intercession, together with our patron, St Bonaventure. I wish you a happy and restful summer.
God bless you all. Paul Halliwell
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, Pray for us. St Bonaventure, pray for us. Mr Connolly
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A very special visitor spent the morning with us on June 28, as part of the Speakers For Schools programme.
ST BONAVENTURE'S IS THRICE BLESSED
Justice of the Supreme Court, the Right Honourable Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill, CVO, came in to speak to 6th Form students about his career.
Not many schools can say they have special blessings from three Popes over the past 120 years but that’s exactly what St Bonaventure’s can proudly claim.
He told them that after studying law at Cambridge’s Trinity College he was called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1968 and took silk in 1985.
The school has just received a personalised blessing from His Holiness Pope Francis to bless the Headteacher, staff, students and community on the occasion of their 140th anniversary that begins this summer.
He served as Attorney General to the Prince of Wales from 1988 to 1994 before becoming a judge of the Chancery Division from 1994 to 2002. During some of this time he was also Chairman of the Law Commission.
This wonderful blessing has just been framed and has been added to the corridor outside Headteacher Mr Halliwell’s office along with the blessing from Pope Paul VI that was bestowed on the school in 1977 for their centenary but never displayed until now.
He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2002 and between 2007 and 2012 he was Senior President of Tribunals and led the planning and implementation of the reforms of the tribunal system following the Leggatt report.
The blessing from Pope Leo Xlll, dated 1896, was discovered in a dusty corner of one of the huge cellars about a year ago and has now been restored and framed and added to the other two blessings outside the Head’s office for everyone to see.
He was happy to answer questions and pose for photos afterwards too.
PAPAL BLESSING FOR 140TH
SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS
LORD CARNWATH'S VISIT
Mr Halliwell said: “I am honoured to have three Papal blessings spanning over 120 years and knowing that three Holy Fathers have blessed and prayed for our school, it’s students and staff makes me feel very humble indeed.
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CAREERS NEWS
After making contacts with the Civil Service Department of Health we have been able to secure work experience between 17 and 21 July for four of our Year 12 students. The lucky students will be able to shadow senior civil servants, get a trip the House of Commons and No 10 Downing Street thrown in! A senior civil servant has set this up for us and she works at a senior level organising scrutiny committee meetings at the House of Commons. The students are: Kiran Sweeney Harjinder Singh Chauhan Nnaemeka Obiozor Nicola Laudat. Have a fantastic summer.
“2017 is a very special year for us and although the school has changed dramatically in the 140 years since it was founded, the love and care our students receive has not changed and staff still strive to get the best out of them every single day in a bid to improve their life chances. Pope Francis’ special blessing will invigorate us all to “Live, Love and Learn in the Presence of the Lord” – as our motto states – every single day.”
1877-2017
ANNIVERSARY
ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE : PAGE 3
IT DIDN’T RAIN ON THEIR PARADE
YEAR 10
The awful inclement weather on June 6 didn't spoil the enjoyment of a hardworking group of 24 Year 10 students who journeyed by coach to Royal Holloway University in Surrey for their Scholars Programme (Brilliant Club) Graduation. For the past term, they have the unique opportunity to experience university-style tutorials with PhD students to help them make an informed decision as to whether attending a top University is for them.
All 24 students wholeheartedly and successfully embraced the challenge and 25% of the cohort obtained the equivalent of a First Class Degree. Their dedication was rewarded with a fitting occasion of the Graduation in an inspiring location. Well done students!
Studying either the STEM course that focussed on Biology entitled ‘Eye Spy’ or the Humanities Social Psychology Course that was called ‘Us v Them’, the students had to dedicate a lot of their time to homework tasks and a final assignment marked to University standard to a set deadline.
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Year 12 Biology students went on a trip to the Kew Gardens recently and attended workshops on plant conservation, plant adaptation and biodiversity.
April’s Jack Petchey Award winner in St Bonaventure's School was named as Year 10 student, Nathan Kobi. Nathan is a very determined student who has shown resilience during his 4 years at St Bonaventure’s. He has impressed staff with his positive attitude and he never lets his Cerebral Palsy affect his attitude to his studies despite him being in constant pain. He regularly needs Botox injections into his legs to help him with his pain and in a bid to increase his mobility. He never complains nor lets this hinder his daily life.
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JACK PETCHEY SCHEME
6TH FORM
Thanks to Dr Alizade for the photograph.
He participates fully in all his lessons including PE and is a popular student. It is for these reasons that he has been given the special recognition. Nathan, along with all this year’s winners, will receive a medallion at a special ceremony at the O2 in September when his family will be invited to attend.
A TASTE OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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The three day Bushcraft trip to Penshurst Place in the beautiful Weald of Kent was a huge success according Mr Murray who accompanied the lads.
On June 8 we held a mock election in school with Years 7 - 9 queuing to vote in St Francis' Hall .
Year 7, 8 and 9 students learned how to survive in the wild on the banks of the Medway 32 miles south of London.
BRITISH VALUES
Year 10 didn't participate as they were out on their two week work experience and Year 11 had a maths examination.
The boys all posted their votes in the specially made ballot boxes and the winner in school was announced as Labour with a landslide victory of 426 of the 549 votes cast. This wasn't reflected in the National picture the following morning when the result of the General Election was revealed.
Outside the usual confines of the classroom, the boys blossomed and really took to the outdoor life and learnt new skills as well as gaining a greater understanding of the British landscape. They learned how to build fires, shelter building, camp craft, camouflage and concealment and fresh water swimming techniques as well as an end of camp bushcraft tournament. They were taken out of their comfort zone and away from the distractions of city and school life and they were encouraged to be independent and work in a team when needed. By the end of the three days they left with a new sense of sufficiency and confidence.
MISS HILLAN'S BAKERY OPENS
Sounds wonderful!
Deaf Awareness Week in May was marked in school with Miss Hillan's Sign Language Club organising a big cake bake sale whereby they raised an amazing ÂŁ100 for the National Deaf Children's Society. The BSL St Bon's group is made up of Year 9 students who have been learning sign language since they started in Year 7. CHARITY
BUSHCRAFT
They developed their leadership skills, decision making and practical thinking and each day they got to grips with life in the outdoors which was a unique way to learn and interact.
Mr Connolly spoke at an assembly to stress the importance of voting and added that Pope Francis' had urged everyone to use their democratic right to vote and to use that vote wisely.
The cakes look yummy.
ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE : PAGE 5
ST BON'S OR ST BEES? When students returned after the Easter break they were joined by 20,000 new recruits in school creating a buzz around the corridors but the newcomers won't be taking part in any lessons and they are all assigned to the one classroom...on the roof. As you've probably already guessed, these are no ordinary pupils but honey bees - the school's very own St Bon's Bees.
COMMUNITY
A special weather-treated cedar hive containing a Queen honey bee and a nucleus was installed over the holidays in an apiary on the roof.
The modern no mess, no fuss Flow Hive boasts a clear end-frame so the honey can be clearly seen when it's ready to harvest as well as making checking the health of the colony easier for specially trained beekeepers in school. The extraction process is gentle and less stressful for the bees and they hardly notice any disruption as they remain undisturbed and happy. Having the honey on tap is so much easier and the husbandry easier for the beekeepers too as Headteacher Paul Halliwell went on to explain: "We have joined the London Beekeepers' Association, Epping Forest Beekeepers Association and The British Beekeepers Association so have lots of support and are really excited to get started with our urban hive.
MISS FINLAY'S FINEST MATHS NEWS
The United Kingdom Maths Trust (UKMT) Junior Challenge is a Maths competition aimed at high ability Year 7 and 8 pupils. On Thursday lunchtimes the boys have been preparing for it and they sat the national test on the 27th April 2017. The top 40% of students nationally receive either gold, silver or bronze awards, the top 7 % receive gold award. Out of the 29 pupils who took the test three received gold (Charles Madamba, 8Kolbe, Nicholas Kandratsenka, 7Wall and Rainier Reyes, 7Atkinson), 10 received silver and 5 received bronze. One pupil (Charles Madamba, 8Kolbe) came in the top 0.02% and was invited to enter the Junior Kangaroo an international competition where these pupils across 37 countries sit a challenging, problem solving, mathematical assessment.
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"We have done lots of research and went to see the hive they have set up at The Petchey Academy in Dalston which is working really well. Likewise, West Ham Park is home to several hives and they have been very useful with their help and information. In fact, we have received lots of support and advice and we think it's really important to educate our students and raise awareness of the issues affecting bees. We have planted seeds to help attract bees to the flower beds on the Friary Lawn and once our colony is established we plan to sell small pots of honey to staff and students. This could be something our Young Enterprise Group might want to develop in the future." Mr Young and Mr Halliwell also became registered Beekeepers and reckoned the bees are doing so well and thriving that honey should be ready to be harvested by this August. Stuart Anderson (pictured above) co-inventor of the Flow Hive spoke to Mr Young and Mr Halliwell at a meeting of the Epping Forest Beekeepers this term. When we return to school in September jars of honey should be available to buy.
STUDENTS DESCEND ON STRATFORD
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On Friday, June 16, three 6th Form students from St Bonaventure's, abseiled down the iconic Orbit structure and observation tower in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, for CAFOD.
May’s Jack Petchey award was presented to a 6th Form student in St Bonaventure's who works tirelessly with students raising awareness and the profile of women in the science subjects. Aleffa Islam, who’s 17, joined St Bonaventure’s 6th Form from Brampton Manor Academy in September. She spends much of her free time networking with University science departments trying to organise speakers to come into school and motivate our young female science students. She is in the process of setting up a women’s group with the focus on women in science.
The 114.5 metre tall building is the UK's highest free fall abseil and only the brave attempt such a feat but that is exactly what John Dawes and Gabriel Vieira, both 17 and Amal Shabu who's 16, did to raise funds for the charity.
They set up a JustGiving page as they initially wanted to raise £300. They exceeded their target by an amazing £360 and raised £762 in total and were overwhelmed by people's support and generosity. Amal went on to explain: "It was a fantastic challenge and I'm glad we reached the ground safely. I'd like to thank everyone who contributed and made it all worthwhile"
JACK PETCHEY SCHEME
CHARITY
In the build up the the descent, the boys were busy selling ice creams and lolly ices in the playground at the school in Boleyn Road every lunch time and break time to help boost funds. With the warm weather, it proved to be very popular with the ices selling out each day. This gave the lads tremendous encouragement and set the scene for the abseil beautifully.
She’s constantly on the lookout for opportunities for scholarships, incentives and opportunities for women to study science at university not only for herself but for other girls in our 6th Form and she passes on what she has found freely. She recently organised a group of girls to visit Queen Mary University for a WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) conference. Curriculum Leader of Numeracy and Key Stage 5 Maths Coordinator, Miss Murphy nominated Aleffa for the award and commented: “I had a lunchtime launch event where Aleffa supported me in speaking to our female students about the importance of raising the profile of women in science. We discussed how we can play our part in inspiring the next generation and take advantage of some of the positive discrimination that is currently around. Aleffa really is a positive, proactive student who is passionate about what she believes in and genuinely wants to help young women fulfil their dream of a career in science.” Aleffa won £250 as part of her award and took a group of students to Greenwich University followed by a meal out.
The Director of RE at St Bonaventure's, Andy Lewis, went with them added: "They said they wanted to do something big for CAFOD and you can't get much bigger than this. I felt really proud the way they behaved on the day and the way they wanted to do something good for the charity that's close to their hearts.".
ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE : PAGE 7
OUR HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, THE WAR YEARS AND EVACUATION In the Autumn of 1873 the Franciscans opened a 'middle class school for boys' beneath St Francis' Church in Crescent Grove in Stratford with 25 students. This was called St Francis Day School and was only temporary accommodation. This closed a year later. ? On 27 August 1877 St Bonaventure's School in Upton was founded under the supervision of Father Germain Verleyen O.F.M. and numbers began to grow rapidly. ? Mr Mc Vey was the first Headteacher under the direction of the Franciscan Fathers and the active patronage of Cardinal Henry Manning. ? We were a Preparatory School and Junior School during these early days that why on some old photos on display the boys look so small and young.
? During the Second World War the school was evacuated to Felixstowe in Suffolk and was based at the county secondary school, Felixstowe Grammar, which was co-educational, whilst still retaining its own identity.
CHARITY
? The boys were billeted at the nearby villages of Trimley St Mary and Trimley St Martin but they were not there for long as in the Spring of 1940 the German occupation of Norway and Denmark b meant that Felixstowe could no longer be considered a safe town. ? The school returned briefly to Forest Gate before relocating to South Wales and the Rhondda Valley at Pentre Secondary School for a brief spell. THe students lived in a village called Treherbert but arrangements were not satisfactory - there was no Catholic Church close by ( Treorchy was the closest) and travelling to the school was proving costly - and there were plans to move back to Forest Gate but the Blitz of 1940 put an end to that strategy ? As a result of the Education Acts of 1902 and 1904, St Bonaventure's became a Secondary School known as West Ham Grammar School ( St Bonaventure's) and was fee paying. ? By 1910 the initial roll of 6 boys had risen to 100 with 5 masters employed. ? The First World War years were very difficult for our school. Lots of boys were left fatherless and records of admissions for that time show 'killed in action' next to the Father's Name and Occupation category. ? During the 1920s the school had 150 boys on roll and at the outbreak of war in 1939 that number increased to just over 200 with 11 teachers.
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? A temporary home was found in Raunds - a small rural market town in Northamptonshire - but as there was no accommodation available, the students and school had to settle in Wellingborough a few villages away. Here the students alternated between the Public and the Grammar Schools. This arrangement lasted until January 1943. ? This was a critical period in the history of the school since evacuation was voluntary, many boys left and numbers fell alarmingly and closure seemed inevitable. War brings uncertainty and after a period of doubt, an era of resurgence and regrowth followed.
The school motto at that time was Animo et Fide which translates as Courage and Faith. ? In response to the 1944 Education Act, St Bonaventure's became a voluntary aided multi lateral school, the first and arguably most successful of its kind in the country.
1877-2017
ANNIVERSARY
? The school no longer existed for a small body of highly selective boys but was now open to all boys aged 11 -14 from East London and Essex and embraced the entire ability range. The number on roll trebled at this time. ? In 1949 it reverted back to the name St Bonaventure's School. The school's frontage and address was Khedive Road which we now call St Antony's Road. ? A plaque to "The glory of God and the memory of old Bonaventurians who gave their lives in the wars of 1914 - 1918 and 1939 - 1945" was erected in St Antony of Padua to remember all those who died. Next time you are in church see if you can find it and say a prayer.
ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE : PAGE 9
LONDON MIGRANTS' MASS COMES TO OUR PARISH The annual Mass for Migrants in the Capital in honour of St Joseph the Worker, took place in Brentwood Diocese this year at Saint Antony's. Bishop Alan Williams was the Chief Celebrant and a magnificent, colourful procession of banners from London's diverse ethnic communities and parishes - from the capital’s three Catholic dioceses: Brentwood, Westminster and Southwark.
FAITH
Our choir led by Ms Brockett sang as the procession entered the church with the Kerala community carrying their traditional, stunning parasols. The service began with testimonies from various speakers including Dellon in Year 8 who spoke compassionately and with kindness. His poignant words showed love and was along the lines, if we don't speak out, then who will? He spoke about the events we have organised in school to raise awareness of the plight of refugees in Newham and the Refugees Welcome fund. Mr Lewis, our Director of Religious Studies was there also and said he was incredibly proud of our boys. In his homily, Bishop Alan spoke about how it is hard to imagine how difficult it must be to arrive in another country without speaking the language and without knowing the culture adding that having compassion is great, having love and sympathy is great but what migrants and refugees need is practical help.
CITIZENSHIP AWARDS DIOCESAN AWARDS
Brentwood Cathedral was jam packed full of brilliant schoolchildren from all across the Diocese for the annual Brentwood Citizenship Awards on May 19. Three of our students, 6th Former, Trey Kyeremeh, Year 10's Rosen Bello and Year 8's Ethan Suppaya, were nominated for the awards for their work with various charities. Bishop Allan presented the trophies to schoolchildren from Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools from East London and Essex in a lovely ceremony attended by Headteachers, teachers and parents. Mr Halliwell was there to support our boys and afterwards Bishop Alan was happy to chat with the recipients and have his photo taken.
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Bishop Alan also thanked the ethnic chaplaincies, refugees and migrants for the great contribution they make to parishes. The Communion Hymns were sung by our choir and St Antony's Primary School.
GOETHE INSTITUT
MFL
The German club finishes another year on a high with a trip to the Goethe Institut. Each year at St Bon’s our German, French and Spanish assistants run very successful language clubs where KS3 pupils get the opportunity to practice the language they learn in class and learn new language and games directly from native speakers. On Tuesday 23rd May our faithful Year 7 German clubbers were treated to a trip to the Goethe Institut to celebrate all their hard work and learning with our assistant Stephan throughout the year. The Goethe Institut is a worldwide cultural association which aims to promote knowledge about Germany by providing information on German culture, society and politics. Our Year 7 pupils were given a tour of their UK flagship centre in South Kensington, where you can attend classes, borrow books and DVDs, and attend exhibitions, events and film screenings. To wrap it all up they attended a private screening of “Der ganz große Traum” starring Daniel Brühl.
BIG 4 MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT RETURNS TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Former St Bon's pupil, Nilesh Dosa, reached out to us last year and has been working with us this academic year. He has designed a programme to provide high quality mentoring for four of our Year 13 students as well as two former Bonaventurians.
ALUMNI
Nilesh made the prestigious Brummell Magazine “2017 Ones to Watch” list as a “Rising Star of The City” for his career so far in financial services as well as for his mentoring work with schools across London. His inspirational presentation: “If I can do it, you can do it too,” has been particularly well received. He currently works as a Management Consultant for world leading professional services firm EY.
and apply for the role. The support and insights that he has provided have been amazing. I've learnt so much from him and I'm grateful for meeting him. I think the work he has done has changed mine, and my friends’ lives, and he has given us chances we could have never expected. I hope that there are more people out there like him that have the ability to inspire and cultivate success in young people. I hope I can somewhat follow his footsteps and help others like he has.”
His mentoring with our Year 13s; Joshua Akinsowan, Harraj Singh, Myles Quacoe and Tolu Obafemi-Ajayi started in Sept 2016 with a visit to EY’s London Bridge Offices to learn about ways that they can stand out in a competitive job market. From Oct to Feb – Nilesh, ran monthly sessions, supported by a fantastic EY team, on a variety of areas including first impressions, employer expectations, team work, application processes, CVs and interview skills. In March, Nilesh also introduced us to the EY Foundation, which is a UK charity founded by EY, who led a half day Employability Workshop for over 30 of our Year 10 boys. Also in March, Joshua, received one to one coaching for the final stages of his application to the EY 5-year apprenticeship known as the School Leaver’s Programme - this included ‘how to prepare for the assessment centre’ and a mock interview with a senior UK partner. Joshua has now been made a potentially life-changing offer for the apprenticeship and says: “I hadn't heard of the company before I met Nilesh and now I have a job working there thanks to his guidance, mentoring and advice. I thought I would go to uni, follow the crowd and eventually I would end up working a casual 9-5 but Nilesh introduced me to Apprenticeships that EY offered. He was instrumental to my decision to take the leap
For Nilesh, this has been “a dream come true.” He added: “Growing up around here I absolutely understand the need for role models. Youths need access, the opportunity to visualise and most importantly the belief that ‘they can do it too’. It has been a privilege to be back at this wonderful school where my own journey began.” Nilesh is now making plans to extend the mentoring initiative, named 'icanyoucan' for up to ten Year 13s in the next academic year with the launch assembly planned for this September. Chris Jarvis Careers Adviser
ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE : PAGE 11
86J9BG6E 8HF:K LH LA: I6JBKA Barrister Max Archer came in to chat to 6th Form students this term about his career and how he got into law.
Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario from Bangladesh is seen pictured here with six Year 7 students who served on the altar for him at a special mass at St Antony's Church on May 17.
He spent the afternoon giving first class advice and was impressed by the calibre of our students.
Lucas, Tony, Alister, Andre, Remel and Noel were happy to meet the Cardinal afterwards. His Eminence was visiting the parish and met afterwards with members of the congregation, schoolchildren and teachers from St Bonaventure's. YEAR 7
6TH FORM
Max is based at King's Bench Walk and his area of expertise includes International and Travel, Personal Injury, Industrial Disease and Product Liability. He is often in court in trials and appeals and has a very busy schedule so we were very fortunate to have him spend time in school.
AND THEY CALL IT PUPPY LOVE The newest student at St Bonaventure's in Forest Gate is settling in well and is proving to be popular with staff and students alike but this is no ordinary pupil but a nine week old Australian Labradoodle pup called Ziggy.
THERAPY DOG
Ziggy joined the school on June 5, and is training to be a school therapy pet with funding secured with a Jack Petchey Foundation small grant. He will live at home with Geography teacher and Head of Year 8, Mr James Volket-Igoe, who went on to explain: "New research supports existing evidence that school assistance dogs can bring tremendous benefits to a school community. Therapy dogs can help teachers build positive relationships to remove specific barriers to learning for some students and physical interaction has been known to reduce blood pressure, assist with pain management and stimulate the senses. We're hoping Ziggy will provide a positive mutual topic for discussions, promote greater self esteem and help focus social interaction with our students."
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Therapy dogs help to stimulate the memory of some students and help with problem solving and emotional issues in school. They decrease anxiety and help students work with anger management issues and provide comfort for some students. The Learning Support and SENDCO Department are hoping to work with Ziggy too over the coming months. Mr V.I added: "His first day went really well, he made lots of new friends and loved being the centre of attention. He sleeps a lot of the time as he's only a puppy but already lots of boys have shown an interest in him. I've had a special St Bon's jacket made for him so he will fit in but it's huge on him at the moment." Already one student has sent an email to Mr Volket-Igoe expressing his delight at having Ziggy in school and explaining he had lost his pet recently and asking if he could become his friend and help with his care. Ziggy has already become involved in school life and was at the Mock Election on June 8 and at Sports' Day
)RM"0H0#VP#0O%!0OUM!# 6th Form students Jack Gay and John Dawes are pictured here looking very smart and clean but all that changed one weekend in May when they got caked in mud as they took part in the 'Tough Mudder' challenge which is described as "probably the toughest event on the planet."
Curriculum Leader for PE,Mr Bartlett, was delighted to announce that his brilliant Year 7 athletes were announced as the Simmond’s Cup Year 7 victors.
YEAR 7
This is an invitational competition for the best athletic schools and many Independent and Grammar schools take part that have state-of-theart facilities. Whilst St Bonaventure's has none of those benefits, merely the senior playground where PE lessons and training takes place, what the school does have is passion and determination and tonnes of spirit.
The 17 year olds trained really hard and had never done anything like this before. The race was held in Henley-on-Thames in Oxford on Saturday, May 6, and John went on to explain: "Teamwork was very important and all participants looked out for each other and encouraged each other to keep going which is what I really liked. There was undulating hills, thick mud, water and a range of mind-bending challenges that tested our mental grit so it wasn't easy but we were ready for it." Jack added: "Bengelino will be taking part with us and we had plenty of support." A 'Just Giving' page was set up for people to donate and support the boys. The official charity partner was the 'Help For Heroes' charity and Jack and John needed to raise as much money as possible for the cause which was set up in 2007 to help provide better facilities for British Servicemen/women who have been wounded in the line of duty. They managed to raise a fantastic £320.
N%#)0#%R"0S"0$UR#R0$U"RR0 CAREERS NEWS
CHARITY
Rather them than me but these lads really relished the endurance race which featured a series of hardcore obstacles over 10 - 12 miles and designed by British Special Forces to challenge the toughest of the tough.
Mr Bartlett is rightly proud of his athletes and thinks their success will spur them on to do well in other competitions. He added: "Schools from all over the London boroughs take part in the Simmond's Cup and our Year 7 squad pipped Whitgift Independent School from South Croydon the title. Our boys performed exceptionally well in both track and field and they were a credit to our school. They even met up with GB athlete Perri Shakes Drayton at Mile End Stadium who was happy to pose for a photo with our excited boys."
Three Year 12 students are going to be busy this summer working with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in their Legal Department as part of their Legal First Step Programme. Stephen Abdul, Ruweyda Aydarus and Jeremiah Balfourth will be working alongside corporate lawyers. This resulted from our Careers Advisor, Mr Jarvis' work with The Brokerage City Link.
ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE : PAGE 13
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On June 29 we welcomed 210 boys from a variety of schools across Newham and beyond as they came in for their transition day and met their new Form teachers.
Mr VI and Ziggy made a special visit to Jack Petchey's swish new Dockmaster's House offices at Canary Wharf to meet the team and grants Officer, Jane Evans.
Mr Bastian arranged the day and everyone lined up on the Friary Lawn after collecting their name badges and meeting their new Form teacher.
They were all really keen to see Ziggy as he and his training is partly funded with a small grant secured by the Jack Petchey Foundation and they really wanted to meet him and coo over his puppy cuteness.
Afterwards they assembled in Cardinal Manning Hall and met Samuel Jackson and Mr Halliwell and Mr Bastian.
NEW INTAKE
After sampling lessons and after lunch they went to Mass in St Antony's to celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. At the end of the day the boys looked very happy and said they were looking forward to starting with us on September 4.
THERAPY DOG
TRANSITION DAY EXCITEMENT
He was very well behaved and even travelling to their offices on the DLR people remarked how calm and well behaved he was. He promises to be a really good Therapy Pet and Mr VI is expecting great things from him.
#!RMY0%$0OUMRTR Gabriel Pontin in Year 10 gave a passionate speech about charity and how it brings out the best in people at the Speak Out Challenge Newham final at Brampton Manor Academy on May 8. 15 year old Gabe represented our school beautifully and spoke clearly, eloquently and with conviction. His parents, Ms Corriette and Mr Halliwell were in the audience to encourage him and were proud of his compassionate speech. Mr Halliwell added: "He was inspirational."
CAREERS NEWS
Saheba Chouhury from 12 Gregory will be spending this summer at Buckingham Palace working in the Royal Household as a sales and information assistant. As part of her responsibilities she'll be giving advice to tourists and visitors to the palace in the Customer Services Team. This is a well paid job that was advertised through Work Place Newham. What an incredible experience for her and earning good money too whilst providing an excellent talking point at interviews.
LITERACY
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Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge is the largest speaking competition for young people in the world. Run by Speakers Trust and funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation, the Speak Out Challenge has trained over 134,000 Year 10 students from 37 regions in London and Essex. Each year over 18, 000 young people are trained in how to Speak Out and each year they gain confidence and to speak with clarity and impact. It helps them to become better communicators which will help their career prospects. Here he is pictured with a guest of honour.
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AMAZING AMAL IS JUNE'S WINNER
IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL Every parent is reassured that when in school all the students at St Bonaventure's are in safe hands but the tables were turned on June 13, when Mr Halliwell, found himself in the safe hands of a former student.
June's Jack Petchey award was presented to 6th Form student, Amal Shabu.
It was at the end of a flight from Southend Airport to Milan when Mr Halliwell was travelling with a group of Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood Headteachers to a conference in Italy, the flight attendant announced that: "The Pilot, Aaron Black, would like to thank you for flying with Flybe this evening.”
Amal and two friends managed to raise almost £700 and his enthusiasm and drive has made sure the school 6th Form CAFOD group has been invigorated this year. Mr Halliwell presented Amal with his Petchey certificate and badge yesterday, June 19, and said: “I have been really impressed with the way Amal organised these summer events. He has shown maturity and arranged things with minimum fuss. When he wanted to organise something he just got on and did it with confidence and didn’t need supervising or coaching.” Amal is the last of the nine students to receive a Petchey award in school. The nine, Mr V.I. and our school will receive special awards at the O2 on September 18 at the Newham Schools event. Amal plans to take a group of friends paint balling with his prize money.
ALUMNI
JACK PETCHEY SCHEME
16 year old Amal has been very active raising funds for the charity CAFOD this year. He organised ice cream sales during the recent heatwave which were a huge hit as well as taking part in a charity abseil down the Arcelor Orbit at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
That announcement immediately made Mr Halliwell do a double take as he recognised Aaron as being a St Bon’s former student and knew he had qualified as a pilot as he stays in regular contact with the school. Mr Halliwell spoke to the Flight Attendant who confirmed the pilot's name and she showed him to the front of the airplane and cockpit and surprised Aaron who yelled: “Hello Sir!’ and gave him a huge hug. He was thrilled to see that he had safely transported Mr Halliwell and his colleagues to Italy where they were having dinner with the Bishop that evening. What a wonderful coincidence. Aaron was happy to pose for photos with his former Headmaster and Mr Halliwell added: "God certainly works in mysterious ways and He made sure we were all arrived safely in Italy with Bonaventura (good fortune) and Aaron on our side.” Aaron, 23, joined St Bon's in 2005 and left in 2012.
NEW STUDENT LEADERS
YEAR 10
In May a series of interviews was held to find the next Headboy and Deputies. Twenty one boys were shortlisted and the field was very strong. Samuel Jackson was announced as the new Headboy with Reece Worme, Tony Thomas, James Appiah and Gabriel Pontin given the title of Deputy. The Senior Prefects are Neeraj Patel, Nicholas Tendo, Pryan Pirakalathan, Francis Cyril and Khalif Edwards Congratulations to the new team.
ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE : PAGE 15
GOOD NEWS FOR 6TH FORMERS
August 17
A Level results at 7am
Two of our Year 13 students, Nathan Vondee and Joseph Boateng, found out last week that they were successful in gaining internships with The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).
August 24
GCSE Results at 9am and 6th Form Enrolment
September 1
Staff Training Day. School closed to students
September 4 Year 7 start 8.45am - 12 noon Years 8-11 return 2.15pm-3.25pm Year 11 Group photograph
CAREERS NEWS
IMPORTANT DATES
Mr Jarvis explained: “We set up a series of employability and networking workshops with RBC for our Year 12 and Year 13 students. This culminated in students applying for internships that included a £2000 a year bursary for all three years they are at university plus periods of paid work experience throughout their time at university.”
September 5 Year 13 Welcome Assembly
This is a fantastic achievement for Nathan and Joseph especially as hundreds of students apply from schools across London.
September 6 Tempest photographer in school for Years 7 and 9
Well done.
September 7 Year 7 Curriculum Evening at 6pm September 8
Whole School Mass
September 14 Presentation Evening for the Class of 2017 GCSE students September 18 Jack Petchey Awards Ceremony at O2 September 19 Year 11 Curriculum Evening at 6pm September 20 6th Form Welcome Mass at 12 noon September 26 Year 10 Curriculum Evening at 6pm October 5
Open Evening for Year 6 at 6pm
October 9-13
Open Day Tour and Visits at 9.30am
October 19
Year 13 Parents' Evening 6pm
October 20
School finishes at 3.25pm for half term
October 23-27 Half term October 30
Staff Training Day. School is closed to students
October 31
Students return at 8.45am
November 13 Year 9 Parent's Evening at 6pm November 17 West Ham Park Sponsored Walk November 23 Catholic Young Persons Citizenship Awards December 12
6th Form Christmas Mass at 12noon
December 14 Year 11 Parents' Evening December 19 School finishes for Christmas at 12.25pm after assembly in St Antony's
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PAGE 16 : ST BONAVENTURE’S MAGAZINE
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