Summer Success Edition 2010

sUCCess the news magazine of Ullswater Community College

Cheered

up

U.C.C.

ISSUE1 SUMMER 2010

Our cheerleading squad make some noise at the National Championships

Ullswater Community College WE GET THE RIGHT RESULTS

Celebration

of our

community WELCOME to the first edition of sUCCess. The purpose of this school magazine is to celebrate the very many good things that happen at Ullswater. There will be an edition of the magazine every term and we will try to focus on a different theme in the life of the school in each new edition. The magazine will complement Student Speak, which will continue to focus on items, issues and views generated by students.

This new magazine will combine stories that have links to students learning in, and contributing to, the outside world.

We will also be very pleased to have contributions from students who have left the school and have gone on to do exciting things elsewhere. The first issue of sUCCess has the theme of ‘Community’. We hope you will find it interesting.

Nigel Pattinson, Headteacher

Working together: Headteacher Nigel Pattinson with Year 10 students Matthew Bradley, Joanna Hodgson, Cara Banks and Jack Slessor.

Live, on air!

ON 11th March, UCC students were part of a nationwide BBC project in which more than 25,000 students from across the UK became budding journalists and reporters for the day.

The UCC news team were kept very busy throughout the day. Jack McAtear and Jess Everett, together with our local mayor, helped the BBC to achieve a new world record in weather readings. Meanwhile, Macaulay Gladwin and Alice Roper went on location and interviewed the Springwatch team. The BBC was so impressed with this story that it posted it live on the BBC news website. Helen Skelton of Blue Peter fame

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phoned the school for a live interview, telling Charlotte Stobbs about her recent Amazonian adventure.

As part of the preparation for the day, Macaulay also interviewed Lord Mandelson about the flooding in Cockermouth.

The group worked frantically to meet the deadline, and broadcast their news report live on the BBC website at 2pm. You can watch the podcast on the UCC website.

Michelle Lewin, LRC Manager

Weather readers: Jess Evrett and Jack McAtear with local mayor, Councillor Malcolm Smith, LRC Manager Michelle Lewin and Geography teacher Anne Brennan.

Budding reporters: (Alice Roper and Macaulay Gladwin.

Cheerleaders

jump for joy

In step with Dance THE Dance Leader Award takes place in Key Stage 4 and consists of eight units.

Students experience cross-curricular links with Citizenship, Music and PE, all through the art of dance.

They peer assess and evaluate each other, in order to refine their choreography skills in preparation for their final unit, which is to teach Dance to a younger age group. This year, they taught Year 6 pupils from North Lakes Primary School. Student Jess Newell said: “The choreography was really challenging, but we were all very proud of the finished result.”

IN March, 40 UCC cheerleaders attended Cheerleading Camp in Shropshire, where they took part in workshops, ranging from cheerleading routines to stunts, jumps and dances.

The girls also took part in different outdoor activities, such as the ‘Giant

Swing’ where they were suspended 30ft in the air and dropped to the ground on a bungee, rock climbing and archery. They were an asset to the school throughout the trip, and their enthusiasm, hard work and commitment is to be commended.

Karen Key, PE Teacher

Choreography skills: Year 8 students Rosie Baglee, Jodie Morrison, Jade Atkinson, Lucy Parker and Shannon Blaylock.

Cath Jones, Course Leader

Democracy in action DURING this year’s general election, students used the college’s Moodle system in ICT lessons to vote electronically for the party of their choice.

More than 800 students engaged in what was happening both locally and nationally. Unlike the college election, where students use the traditional ballot box to elect members of the college council, this was the first time that students had voted electronically. The final result mirrored the national scene, with the Conservative Party receiving the most votes.

John Sander, Head of Citizenship

‘Posh’ personas CSCAPE Dance Company visited UCC in March to run a physical theatre workshop with students from Years 7 to 10, based around their show – ‘posh second home owners’ wives’.

The students were asked to create a posh character together with a rhyme about who they were. Using the seating in the lecture theatre as their stage, and Drama techniques taught by Cscape, they worked hard to put together their own performance based around the ‘posh’ personas they had created.

Jo Jenkins, Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator

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Studentsskills

Ullswater Community College WE GET THE RIGHT RESULTS

grow their

THE Eco Garden is a fantastic facility, which was created originally to support students following an ‘alternative curriculum’ programme. The garden was developed using locally sourced materials, recycling where possible. The use of chemicals is not permitted.

Students of all ages take part in a range of activities, which include making bird boxes and bird tables, weeding and planting, building an Anderson shelter and dry stone walling.

The skills that students learn in the Eco Garden also complement those needed for the John Muir Award.

UCC actively encourages our students to take part in this award scheme, which encourages awareness and responsibility for the natural environment. As a result, Year 9 student Jake Atkinson recently became the 100,000th person to receive the Award.

Green fingers: Emily Slack, Year 8 and Richie Arnold, Year 10.

Mandy Middleton, HLTA Mentor

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THE JOHN MUIR A W A R D F OC U S E S ON T H E E NV I R ON M E NT, A L L O W I N G S T U D E NT S TO D E V E L O P A R AN G E O F S OC I A L AN D P R ACT I CA L S K I L L S

‘‘

Outdoor adventure KEY Stage 4 special needs students recently took part in an outdoor residential at Bendrigg Lodge near Kendal.

The group were given the opportunity to try archery, climbing, abseiling and zip wiring. They also canoed on Killington Lake and travelled to Yorkshire, where they explored Yordas Cave.

Eight students also competed in the Kielder Challenge at Talkin Tarn.

Students, with and without disabilities, worked together to solve complex outdoor puzzles, including rescuing a teacher from under a bucket of water, crossing deadly swamps and collecting birds eggs. The team performed brilliantly, coming second to Mayfield School.

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Rib Nicholson, Assistant Head of Special Needs Department

Expeditionary force IN April, two groups of students taking the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, set out to complete their Bronze practice expedition at Ullswater.

The canoeing group, led by Mrs Middleton, were pleased with their efforts. Tom Batty, Year 11, said: “We’ve all enjoyed working together as a team.”

Although the walking group complained about having to carry all their kit, the two groups stayed the course and finished triumphantly at Glenridding on Sunday afternoon.

Louise Auchterlonie, Acting Award Leader UCC

On course for university I’M currently studying Product Design, Health & Social Care and Psychology in the Sixth Form. I chose Product Design as I always enjoyed GCSE Graphic Products.

After studying design for children and showing an increased interest in Health and Social Care, I started looking into a career linking these two subject areas. As a result, in Year 13, I chose a ‘design for disability’ project and began investigating occupational therapy.

This involved designing aids and adapting tasks to promote movement.

I am now hoping to study Occupational Health at Northumbria University.

Cara Varty Year 13 Design Technology Student Hands-on experience: Cara Varty.

Schools tackle flooding STUDENTS from Ullswater Community College recently gave up their Saturday to team up with students from Trinity School in Carlisle.

Meeting at the Environment Agency, they found out how the Agency, partnered with the Eden Rivers Trust in the European Adaptive Land Use for Flood Alleviation (ALFA) project, deals with floods, and learned how climate change affects us all.

After visiting the Agency’s incident room, they saw how real flood defences work in Appleby.

Recipe for success YEAR 13 students Gemma Gregson and Nathan Allen came up with some interesting product ideas after interviewing bakers and visiting Bells factory in Lazonby.

“We enjoyed working alongside the Product Development manager where we gained an insight into the baking industry, which was fundamental to our product development project,” says Nathan.

Gemma was very pleased with her product. “We learned about different roles in the factory and the tour around the bakery allowed us to see production lines in action. The equipment was very different to that in our classroom and the product development ingredient sheet helped us to plan our recipes for large-scale manufacture.”

John Sander, Head of Citizenship

Joy Albert, Teacher of A-Level Technology

Mouthwatering

marmalade

I RECENTLY created a pink grapefruit marmalade, featuring heart-shaped peel, for a competition at The World’s Original Marmalade Festival, held at Dalemain. I decided to make the marmalade with heart shapes as I was submitting it in on Valentine’s Day. Tiptree is now producing the marmalade, and it is being sold in a number of high profile places, including Fortnum & Mason, as well as in local farm shops. So far, £3,000 from sales has been donated to Hospice at Home.

In the same boat: UCC students prepare for their Bronze Award.

Katie Mason Year 9 student

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Creativity curriculum

Ullswater Community College WE GET THE RIGHT RESULTS

across the

A GROUP of Year 7 students have been involved in a Creative Partnerships project exploring the cross-curricular theme of word and image.

Our artist-in-residence inspired students to create large-scale images to be sited around the campus as aspirational statements and/or images. The opportunity extended students’ skills in a variety of areas including Photography, Art and English.

As well as Year 7 students, the whole college contributed to the project with a

written piece on a postcard in their English lessons in response to aspirational poems, quotes or statements. The postcards will be displayed as the first part of an exciting and thought-provoking exhibition of work.

In addition, Year 9 students have been producing large-scale portraits of inspirational people linked to departments in the college. Once finished, the portraits will be displayed in each department area.

Carolyn Simpson, Art Teacher

Interviews are just the job

THIRTY local employers, including Dodd & Co Accountants, the Environment Agency, Penrith Co-op, the Army and Kiddlywinks Day Nursery, volunteered to give mock interviews to our Year 10 students.

Students completed letters of application

and CVs and took part in role play exercises and other activities to prepare for the day.

This was a valuable experience for the students, and the response from employers was extremely positive.

Shirley Ivinson, Assistant Headteacher

All hands to the pump YEAR 9 students attended a nineweek firefighters course, where they learned basic firefighting skills and worked with pumps, ladders, hoses, cutting equipment and breathing apparatus.

The aim of the course was for the students to improve their communication skills, selfconfidence, leadership skills and community awareness.

Afterwards, students said they didn’t realise how difficult it was to be a fireman and how much they enjoyed learning about discipline and teamwork.

Sue Monaghan Alternative Curriculum Co-ordinator

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Hose next: Rosemary Noble and Jake Atkinson, Year 9.

Lessons in life and death

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T H E C R E AT I V E P A R TN E R S H I P S P R O J E CT E X T E N D E D S T U D E NT S ’ S K I L L S I N P H OTO G R A P H Y, A R T AN D E N G L I S H

BIRTH, life journeys and death are three of the topics explored by Year 7 RE students in their first term at Ullswater Community College.

‘Spiritual Cumbria’ is an exciting opportunity to learn about the diverse ways that people express their spirituality, by exploring the landscape, people and cultures of the area.

Students research different locations including Dufton Ghyll Woods, Castlerigg Stone Circle and St Bees Abbey, and reflect on what spirituality means to them. Student Laura Hewitt commented: “Nature inspires me and other people because Cumbria is very beautiful.”

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Dreams become reality: Year 7 students Brendan Evans and Cameron Eveleigh.

Tea is served!

Marty McCanny, Head of RE

Vision of a better world: Louise Morrissey and Katie Mason, Year 9

Focus on Fair Trade YEAR 9 students Helen Bateman, Katy Mason and Louise Morrissey visited Morland Primary School to give a presentation about Fair Trade. The pupils were also given the opportunity to look at Fair Trade products and to take part in a quiz.

Our students also worked with pupils in Years 3 and 4, completing a word search before writing a letter to the PTA and other groups persuading them why their school should become a Fair Trade school.

The girls were invited to a Fair Trade coffee morning by the class teacher, who hoped their presentation would be the start of stronger links between the two schools.

Ian Tuer, Business and Enterprise Co-ordinator

THE Spring Tea Party, hosted by UCC students and staff, was a great success. The food was prepared and served by Year 10 catering students and entertainment was provided by students from Years 7 to 13. All 120 guests received a small raffle prize, donated by local businesses, students and college staff.

Special needs Sixth Form students also regularly host a luncheon club for Eden’s elderly residents in conjunction with Age Concern.

Food is served in the Conference Room and the students are on hand to make sure their guests feel welcome.

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Ullswater Community College Wetheriggs Lane, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 8NG Telephone: 01768 242160 Email: admin@ullswater.cumbria.sch.uk Website: www.ullswater.cumbria.sch.uk

Fun and games: Anwen CalderWilliams, Year 8.

Good

sports

UCC students and teachers took part in numerous events to help raise money for Sport Relief.

In PE lessons, more than 800 students took up the challenge of running the Sport Relief Mile in fancy dress. In addition, two Year 8 students, Chloe Verrel and Anwen Calder Williams, took part in a ten-hour ‘bouncathon’ on a trampoline. The event was a fantastic opportunity for students to be part of a national campaign that was not only active and fun, but enabled them to take positive action to change the world around them.

UCC teachers also got involved through a staff netball match, a staff v student hockey match and a football penalty shootout.

In total, we raised £760.

Karen Key PE Teacher

Learning to be leaders

STUDENTS Megan Ellery and Tristan Venus have been working towards their Higher Sports Leaders Award, which is all about developing leadership skills through sport. There are nine units, including first aid and organisational skills. The students also have to complete thirty hours of voluntary service, ten of each

Alpine adventure

Cold play: UCC students on the slopes.

DURING February half term, 29 students from Years 9-11 embarked on an Italian skiing trip to Pila in the Aosta Valley. One student said: “As we came out of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, we were surrounded by mountains covered in a metre of snow. It was the most amazing sight I’d ever seen.”

The weather, skiing and snowboarding were excellent, and all the students gained a minimum two-star award. The ski company also received a letter of commendation from the hotel and the students were entered into a competition for the season’s ‘best school group’.

Peter Lee Trip Organiser/Head of ICT

within the community, with children and with the disabled.

The pair’s favourite module was working with the students of Portland School, Sunderland.

Megan said, “It was such an amazing day; it really surprised me and made me rethink how I approach students with a disability”.

Mrs Cath Jones, Course Leader