Newsletter 46, May 2022

Winton Community Academy

NEWSLETTER 2022

ISSUE 46 Summer Term

Welcome

Whilst this has been the shortest half term it has felt like the busiest! As you will see in this edition of the newsletter we have all been very, very busy. My first highlight of this half term was watching the staff football match. This was because so many students came to support and cheer on their teachers. Even this week, a few weeks after the event, I heard a student congratulate a member of staff on the quality of their goal! We are looking forward to more of these events to really bring the school community together. Another highlight has been seeing the completion of our new music room and the excitement this has caused for many students who are keen to have music lessons from next year. It is great that we will have a Year 10 music class for the first time in years at Winton! Finally, the school has experienced its first "exam season" for quite some time. Year 11 have responded really positively and for the rest of the school community it is good for them to see what exams look like when you get to the end of your secondary school journey....even if it is a little daunting! We are looking forward to a jam packed final half term with the return of many events and much fun!

Mrs Helen Jones - Headteacher

Goa-oh no…

Winton

VS Eggar’s

Friday 29th saw the return leg of the Winton Teachers FC vs Eggars Teachers FC. On a warm afternoon, both schools kitted up for the deciding game to be crowned champions. With a vocal crowd of supporting students and teachers, the game kicked off in good spirit. The game was evenly matched, the scoreline certainly reflected this!

With the final whistle blown, and the final score 4-4, penalties were declared to decide the victor of the second leg. Unfortunately, penalties do not seem to be a strong point for our teachers!

Eggars won the day with the penalty shootout 4-2. A thoroughly enjoyable game and many positive comments about the attitude and atmosphere throughout. Watch this space for the next fixture featuring the Winton Teachers FC!

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Matilda Trip Cambridge Theatre in London On Wednesday 11th May 49 students, staff and members of the community attended a trip to the Cambridge Theatre in London to watch the musical Matilda.

“Matilda the musical is a multiaward winning musical from the Shakespeare Company, inspired by the beloved book by the incomparable Roald Dahl. With book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. And the musical won 99 international awards, including 24 for Best Musical.”

This year our summer musical is Matilda and the students

were very excited to see their scripts be brought to life. As they entered the theatre they were singing the songs from the musical. The students were amazed by the whole performance, set, music and lighting. One student said, "They are amazing! I can't wait to get rehearsing!" and another student said, "I have got lots of ideas for my character and I am looking forward to performing".

Mrs Franklin said "It was a great opportunity to inspire the students ready for our summer musical. The students were outstanding and inspired by the performance and were excited to continue with our rehearsals. Tickets for our Matilda will be out soon!"

Lights, Camera, Action!

DigiEd Student Day at Andover College On Friday 29th April, some of our Year 10s enjoyed a day of digital editing work experience at Andover College.

The students were set the task of producing a short film/ advert for their school or their favourite lesson. Students planned, created and promoted their own productions!

They used promotional materials, the green screen and camera to record their film/advert, then watched back their finished creation at the end of the day and received a good feedback. Great experience and new skills for students!

On Friday 6th May the Winton Community Academy Drama Company were proud to present their first ever production. The company performed the well known comedy play 'Our Day Out' for friends, family members and fellow students. The evening was a great success and our cast, made up of students from Year 7, Year 8 and Year 10, helped to take the audience on a journey of laughter and emotion with some excellent performances. The students had been rehearsing and preparing for the show for several months and have worked tirelessly to bring their characters to life. For many of the Year 7 students in our cast it was their first ever performance to a paying audience and they showed great confidence and courage and I believe they will all keep this as a memory they will never forget.

A big thank you to everyone involved in making the performance happen and a special thank you to Ms Oldman who helped to co-direct the show. I know that Miss will agree with me in saying that it has been a pleasure to work with such passionate and enthusiastic students and be able to put on the first play that Winton has seen in many years.

Thank you to everyone who came to support our cast and I look forward to welcoming you back to the theatre next year for our 2023 production.

- Mr Kingston

“I really enjoyed Our Day Out, it was really fun but I also learned a lot of new skills in Drama. I really made some new friends during rehearsal and the teachers, Mr Kingston and Miss Oldman are a load of fun. Overall I think it was one of the my best moments of my Year 7” - Amelie N “What I really enjoyed about the show was being able to become the character that I was playing by the creative use of the costumes and lines. I also really enjoyed being able to make friends with other cast members. Overall, I really enjoyed the show.” - Olivia Sky O

“I found the show really fun and entertaining. I feel like it also brought me closer to the people there and the subject, drama.” - Hannah S “I enjoyed that everyone was great to perform with, everyone was really encouraging and friendly and the show turned out amazing.” - Isla M “I really enjoyed performing because we'd worked so hard on it for ages and the end worked out really well. I liked how the audience wasn't really big, so it wasn't overwhelming and we could still perform like there was nobody watching.” - Jessica L

“Playing a role in drama company was extremely enjoyable from the cast and storyline. Drama company feels like another family and it feels like I've bonded and made so many more friends within the months I've spent with the cast. I am so happy I was involved in this amazing opportunity.”

- Eva G “2 reasons why i think the show went well are: how we fluently remembered our places on stage and when to say our lines, and how people stayed in character even in tableaus and non script acting.” - Hayleigh W

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD EXPEDITION!

“Overall it was a good weekend. It did have its moments when we felt we were ready to give up but we kept pushing ourselves. We had loads of laughs and when we finished it was so rewarding and after all the planning and preparation it was a good achievement.” - Bluebell P

It has been a long time since the academy participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award but this year we have succeeded in getting it up and running with a staff team of four.

The weekend of 21st and 22nd of May was the first practice expedition with the first group in the New Forest. The start for day one was at Bolderwood with the group heading towards Holmsley campsite for the night and finishing at Anderwood on day two.

This was a new experience for all the group so we knew it would be challenging for them walking with all the kit for an overnight camp but the girls were in good spirits and for some, it was the first time they have camped. Thankfully the weather was on our side, sun for both days.

Some of the highlights of the weekend were Melody having a Spanish conversation over a radio to Mr Wilson, the girls not realising that the staff were awesome at hiding, the disapproval from the girls when the staff had ice cream but they were promised one at the end of day two, the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as the girls spotted the forest animals whilst heading to the starting point and the proud feeling when you know the group have successfully navigated independently through the forest.

The phrase, ’What a difference a day makes’ certainly rang true this weekend. The difference in the girls’ confidence from day one to day two was amazing and the staff team are so proud of them!

- Miss Wilson

Youth Options Forest School This term our nurture class had fun challenging the Youth Options Forest School leader to come up with snacks we can cook on the fire. We’ve had waffles, calzones, popcorn, potato cakes (for St Patrick’s Day) and have even been unusually brave by trying nettle pancakes with ingredients we foraged.

We have had plenty of time to relax in our hammocks and enjoy some sunshine as the weather is getting warmer.

As a group we have worked on our communication, conflict resolution skills and resilience especially when sharing resources and attempting challenging tasks. In the Forest School environment we have seen confidence growing and big-hearted students working as a team which has been great fun.

- Mrs Gillan

Lou Lou, Goats, Geese and Snakes!

This term a lot of new animals have landed at Winton! When Mrs Jones first arrived at Winton in 2020, she said “I have wanted a school dog as I previously worked in a school with a dog I know what an asset they are and how they can really help students particularly those who are struggling with mental health.”

Mr Flavell agreed to take on the responsibility of owning Lou Lou. Lou Lou is a puppy at the moment and she is undergoing training to become a fully qualified therapy dog. Whilst she undergoes training she is making a number of visits during lessons and helping Year 11 with the exam pressure!

“Being able to have Lou Lou before my exams has been an insane help. Her presence has kept me calm in order for me to be able to go into my exams with a clear mind.

I am also so grateful to Mr Flavell for bringing her down before my exams.” - Megan H, Year 11

This term we have also received new pure pygmy goats, Persephone (Pip), Pandora and Daphne. This will really help students with their practical Animal Management lesson to learn more about farm animals.

This term we have also received two geese (male and female), some new chickens, and three snakes! The department has lovely brand new eagle houses for chickens that are fox and weather proof!

Letters to Kenya

Winton is excited to collaborate with the Chaddy Mission School again by participating in a penpal exchange, an initiative which is now in its second year. Year 7 have been busy learning about the art of letter writing in English and have been composing their own letters to the school. We

have picked the best 10 to send and students are hoping to receive letters back in return soon. The pupils also have been asked to think about ideas for fundraising to help have computers installed at Chaddy. Year 7 has come up with the idea of a ‘fun run’ which takes place on Friday 27th May!

“I really hope to get a reply from the students in Chaddy Mission School. I’d like to know more about them!” - Grace C

“I’ve never written a letter before! It was fun because I had to get a stamp and post it.” - Ellie W

To find out more about the Chaddy Mission Kenya visit: https://www.chaddymissionkenya.org

The Globe Players A London theatre company called The Globe Players visited the school on Thursday 28th April to perform Shakespeare's Macbeth.The team of 4 actors put on a sterling performance for both Year 10 and 11 to help them better understand the text as part of their GCSE Literature qualification.

The actors performed the key scenes in the play

as well as provided explanations in between so that students could get the full Shakespeare experience but also have key moments and context explained clearly to them.

The Globe Players will be returning to Winton in October to put on a performance of Romeo and Juliet for Years 8 and 9 and we look forward to welcoming them back!

Reading Mentoring From September 2021 Reading Mentoring scheme continues! A group of Year 7s are taking part in a reading mentoring programme with students from Years 9 and 10. Volunteers from Years 9 and 10 were trained in the skills needed to be a good mentor, and most importantly they received their badges! This exciting initiative has allowed younger students to build confidence and strengthen their reading skills whilst the older students talk with and listen to the younger student. At times they get to read aloud to the students and there are always enthusiastic conversations about books taking place. The atmosphere in the sessions is always very positive, and I know all participants get a real buzz out of being part of the programme.

- Mrs Harvey Literacy Co-ordinator

“We really enjoy reading together with David or sometimes Luca. It’s fun and we all take turns.” - Florence G and Grace C

“I have used my reading mentoring to work towards my DofE Award, which is amazing.” - Mia B

Creative Writing Collaboration On Thursday 5th May, 5 of the Most Able students in English travelled to Winchester College for the culmination of a 4 month Creative Writing Project, led by the president of the Creative Writing Society Ed Haslam-Jones.

The Creative Writing Project began in February, when 9 of our most talented story writers in years 8 - 11 held our first virtual meeting with Winchester College’s Creative Writing Society.

During that initial meeting, the students decided on the key elements that every writer needed to include in their stories: A familial link, Longstock, The name Bailey, Butterfly, A pocket watch, Cherrypick, And their own made up word: Eathenom.

Everyone who participated in the Project interpreted the brief in different ways, which made

our following virtual meeting very interesting as we shared first drafts and helped each other develop ideas for how the stories could progress.

On the day of our visit, we met Winchester College’s Creative Writing Society and shared our finished stories. I was so proud of our students and the quality of their final pieces on the day. And very pleased to see how impressed the older sixth form students were with the work our students produced. Following the meeting, we enjoyed a tour of the site, stopping to enjoy a snack by the river and time in their outside classroom to continue to share the rest of our stories. After time to relax in the library we attended the College’s Sustainable Fashion Show, where we were able to cheer on some of our new friends.

- Mrs Keenan

Student Librarians

Our Student Librarians are integral to the day to day running of the library and have been trained to use the Reading Cloud system so that they are able to help other students find books in our catalogue, as well as loan and return books. Student Librarian duties are carried out to a maximum of 2 per week during their break and lunch times, following a rota that is on display in the library.

Student Librarians duties include: returning books to the library shelves and making sure the books are tidy on the shelves in alphabetical order with the spines facing out. Senior librarians can also scan any returned books back in to the library shelves.

Being a student Librarian helps to develop good communication and leadership skills, punctuality and responsibility, an interest in books, as well as simply making friends! Student Librarians are also reliable, hardworking, honest, sensible and enthusiastic.

If you are interested in becoming a Student Librarian speak or email Mrs Faulkner.

Dates for your Diary Spring Term 2022 30th May - 3rd June HALF TERM 9th June Prefect Evening 16th June PCAB Meeting 22nd June Andover Dance Festival at The Lights 27th June Year 6 Family Evening 28th June Year 6 Transitional Day 30th June Year 11 Prom 7th-8th July Matilda Performance 8th July Athletics Day 11th July Sports Day 12th July Community Day 13th-15th July Motion and Commotion 18th July Awards Evening 22nd July - 31st August Summer Holidays

Winton Community Academy

London Road, Andover Hampshire, SP10 2PS Tel: 01264 351822

www.wintoncommunityacademy.org Email: contactus@wintoncommunityacademy.org Headteacher: Mrs Helen Jones