St Bernard’s High School
A Catholic Academy for Arts and Science
St Bernard of Clairvaux Newsletter 12
Summer Term 2018 HEAD TEACHER’S LETTER
Dear Parents,
I am delighted to introduce this latest edition of our school newsletter. I am particularly grateful to Mrs Pestana who has taken up the editorial reins in the light of Mr Walls’ continuing absence. Mr Walls is making great strides forward in his health, and he is very grateful for all of your prayers and good wishes.
There are many causes for celebration in this edition.
The citizenship of our sixth formers was celebrated at the Cathedral with Bishop Alan, and the artistic talent of our A Level and GCSE students was admired in our recent art exhibition. The visit to Cambridge for our physicists will have given them many ideas for future employment, and the school community as a whole enjoyed our ‘Meet the Professionals’ careers fair.
Much of this newsletter relates to leadership. The fundraising for next year’s leadership conference is well underway, and practical leadership can be seen in the marvellous number of students involved in the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. Spiritual leadership has not been neglected: we congratulate those in our community who recently received the sacrament of confirmation. Their witness to their faith is an important one in our increasingly secular society.
Leadership has also been a key feature of Mrs Allen’s tenure as Deputy Headteacher here at St Bernard’s. She has served the school for fourteen years, and so many students, staff and parents have benefitted from her wisdom, compassion and outstanding teaching. Like so many of you, I have valued her advice and support, and, as she retires at the end of this term, she will be greatly missed by the entire community here at St Bernard’s. We wish her a long and happy retirement, and thank her for all that she has done for our school.
Once again, I thank you for your support as parents. The success of St Bernard’s can only be prolonged through the marvellous parental support we receive. We are grateful for this, and ask you to sustain that support in the closing weeks of this academic year.
Yours faithfully
Mr A Sharpe Head Teacher SPIRITUAL AND MORAL Citizenship Awards
We were delighted to send two of our Sixth Form students to receive the Catholic Citizenship Award from Bishop Alan at Brentwood Cathedral in May. Samantha Dube and Joy Davison won the award jointly, and their citations read:
Joy is working towards her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award and helps with the teaching of the Bronze Award for 2 hours every week after school. She is a house captain and a learning ambassador, organising and leading services of reconciliation and house assemblies. Joy also volunteers at whole school events, looking after Year 3 and Year 5 children who visit St Bernard’s. She is a mature and respected member of the 6th form, and is known for her empathy, leadership and independence of thought.
Samantha is an excellent role model for everyone at St Bernard’s. She always offers to lead and motivate the sixth form during events, and is always the first to volunteer for school activities. She is a vibrant addition to our 6th form and although she only joined St Bernard’s in Year 12, has shown the same values and commitment as those members of the school community who joined in Year 7. She fully understands what it means to be a senior student in a Catholic school.
Bishop Alan congratulated Joy and Samantha on their special contribution to the life of St Bernard’s, and, afterwards, they and their families were treated to a buffet lunch, on what was a proud day for all of us.
“Love one another as I have loved you” CONFIRMATION Congratulations to the following students on their confirmation.
Our Lady of Lourdes Sacred Heart Amy Fox Jillian Tighe Grace de Rozario Jovanna Gibson Emma Harris Stephanie Solomons Sophia Blackburn Hannah Murphy Anna Daley-English Ellen Deer Alysia Kean Nell Seymour St Helen’s Erin Barrett Klaudia Kloc Mia Mullin Anna Kotouckova Sofia Haiser Oliwia Dzielawa Lucy Thomas Barbara Krzyzanska
Our Lady of Canvey Holy Trinity Poppy Sullivan Harsha Shaju Jessica Sullivan Christina Kandappasseri Bayley Keeble Memphis Fleming St. Peter’s Jolie Phillips Tammy Alberts Harriet Brocklebank Rebecca Sands-Wren
St Basil’s St. Teresa’s Joyce James Lucy Mills Elrea Thomas St Thomas of Canterbury Our Lady of Ransom Bianca Ohiaeri Niamh Geeson Charlotte Dennis
MERIT CERTIFICATES
Gold Certificate Katrina Barnes Mattia Mollica
3rd Silver Certificate Erica Serbu Roselinda Jaimon Wendy Munjuri Emily Pride Maddalena Robinson Shannon Parker Mia Rozzo
2nd Silver Certificate Benita Basil Leanne O’Sullivan Jessica Powrie Perpetual Okah Daniella Coombs-Martin Angel Babu Leah Barry-Cox Lilia Andrasz Toluwani Akinseli Natasha Gravatt Aoife Lagden
1st Silver Certificate Ellie Grover Alexandria Bennett Anita Lebioda Hannah Berrill Jessica Batt Fiona Jesudass Elizabeth Ambrose Sasha Steneman Jennie Michael Jenifer Hanlon Liza Mathew Somtoo Mefor Hannah Barnett Keala Bucci Zainab Masood Jessica Ellington Joan Mathew Imogen Gregory Imogen Bennett Tracey Afriyie-Osei Paris McGhee Jagoda Slotwinska Isabelle Seymour Saskia Truter-Banks Phoebe Hines Emily Smith Anne Abraham Eva Kelly Lois Taylor-Woolcock Isabella Twine Anastasia Burdulea Anisha Chapudzika Caitlin McEvoy Connolly Mollie Toohey Amelia Dukes
CAREERS FAIR Ms Davies, Careers Co-ordinator
On 24th April students had the opportunity to meet ‘Career Professionals’ throughout the day as over 80 professionals from the world of work attended our annual Careers Fair.
Professionals who attended represented careers in Accountancy, Agriculture, the Armed Forces, Banking including the Bank of England, Beauty, Building and Construction, Business, Childcare, Dentistry, Engineering, Environmental Science, Fashion, Film and TV, Fire Service, Gaming, GAP, Graphic Design, Hairdressing, Health and Social Care, Hospitality, ICT, Insurance, Journalism and Creative Writing, Law, the London Ambulance Service, Media, NHS, Mental Health and Disabilities Nursing, Adult Nursing, Performing Arts and the Theatre, Hospitality, Retail Management, Media, Music, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Quantity Surveying, Radiography, Robotics, Science and Technology, Sport and Football, STEM, Volunteering and Water Treatment.
Many of the professionals attending used the event to promote their profession and to provoke interest in our students; especially in those areas where there are shortages of skilled staff. They offered advice and information on the training routes open to students including apprenticeships. Many students were offered the opportunity to work shadow and work experience placements and summer internships were forthcoming.
As always the visiting professionals were impressed by the courtesy and maturity of our students.
‘I really enjoyed talking to the students about Psychology’. Mrs Dalley, Psychologist
‘It was a pleasure to attend your event, the children did you proud and asked some very good questions’. Santander
‘Thank you for having us. I found the event to be very beneficial and well organised. Worthwhile for all involved I felt. Lunch was great too! Please do keep us in mind for any future Careers events’. Big Creative Education
My colleague and I were very impressed with your learners. They were extremely polite, with very high personal presentation and they are a credit to you all at St Bernard’s’. Debut Academy
Feedback from students has been positive too.
‘I found it interesting and useful’
‘I had the opportunity to find out about so many jobs!’
‘It gave me information about jobs I hadn’t thought about!’
‘It was interesting to meet so many different people who were lovely to talk to.’
I would like to thank all the professionals and the school staff involved for giving so generously of their time and expertise to make this event a success and to the students who were a credit to the school.
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FUNDRAISING Ms Connelly, Head of Year
Congratulations to Harriet Brocklebank10A and Jessica Sullivan10C who, with the help of Poppy Sullivan 10C, Memphis Fleming 10A, Isabel Bewers 10C and Bayley Keeble 10C, managed to raise £300 for the Year 11 Leadership Conference which will take place on Friday 19th October 2018.
The girls held a coffee morning at their local church and organised tea, coffee, cakes, a raffle, guess the teddy bear name, guess how many sweets in the jar and more cakes – there were a lot of cakes!
The event took months of planning and the amount of money raised is a record! All of the students showed a level of leadership which bodes well for their conference in Year 11. Well done!
SPANISH TRIP TO BARCELONA
Holly Pulham and Isabel Bewers 10C Twenty-nine Year 10 students had a fantastic week in Spain’s second largest city, Barcelona. During the week, we went to a language centre and took part in many activities. One of which involved going outside and talking to members of the public to test our Spanish speaking. We visited Park Güell, a beautiful park decorated with impressive mosaic and La Sagrada Familia, an unfinished Gothic church. These were both designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí. In addition, we went to Poble Espanyol de Montjuic where we were able to navigate our way around the buildings, which represent the different styles in the north, south, east and west of Spain. This was interesting because we explored the town in groups and noted down information that we read.
On our penultimate day we had a tour of Casa Milà. This was fascinating, not only because of the history of the building but also due to the beautiful views from the roof of Barcelona. On the last day, we travelled to the theme park, PortAventura. This was by far the best day because we went on the tallest, scariest rides with our groups of friends.
In conclusion, this trip has given us memories that we will never forget. We were able to learn and have fun, which made the trip exceptional.
THE WOW FACTOR Mrs Pestana, Head of Technology and Graphic Communication A short exhibition of the work of the Graphic Communication A-level students was held this month, in preparation for a visit by the AQA moderator. Staff and students in Year 10, 11 and 12 were invited to view the impressive showcase.
From the publication of coffee table books celebrating the Art of Typography, a campaign to raise the awareness of homelessness, the launch of new inventive products including fruit juices, environmentally friendly lighting, surface designs and music festivals with a difference to a carefully designed subscription beauty box based on an individual’s Myers Briggs test, the Year 13 designers have demonstrated that they are all extraordinarily talented, producing work that is innovative whilst remaining commercially viable.
Milton Glaser, a world renowned graphic designer once said, "There are three responses to a piece of design. Yes, no, and WOW! WOW is the one to aim for.”
It is fair to say, that the word "WOW" was heard over and over again, in the design studio during the display.
BULLSEYE !
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL MATHS FAIR Miss A James, Maths Teacher
Wednesday 16th May was National Numeracy and St Bernard’s celebrated by hosting a Maths Fair at lunchtime. Students were able to take part in a variety of maths themed games and activities. The activities on offer included:
Maths themed Bake Off judged by Miss March and Mr Thompson. This was won by Nizle Biju 9M and Alicia Braun 9M for their Chocolate Orange Tessellation Cake Creating a Pi paperchain Icing biscuits with different parts of a circle Reciting digits of Pi, which was won by Julie Nguyen in 10C who recited 315 digits of Pi from memory. The Sporty Maths competition where students had to answer as many maths questions as possible whilst skipping. This was won by Ewoenam Tetteh in 9F.
Thank you to the 6th Form Maths Ambassadors who helped to organise and run the event.
MUSIC EXAMINATIONS
Congratulations to the following students who recently took their Musical Theatre Examinations at the London College of Music:
Melissa Sibanda 8C Grade 3 Distinction Eloise Shervill 8C Grade 3 Distinction Joanna Edvi 8M Grade 3 Distinction Katrina Barnes 8M Grade 3 Distinction Charlotte Hill 8R Grade 3 Distinction Vanessa Dube 8R Grade 3 Distinction Helen Esposito 10F Grade 3 Distinction Mollie O’Mahony 9R Grade 4 Merit Leonie Davidson 11R Grade 7 Merit Joanna Gaudini 11R Grade 7 Merit
Congratulations to the following student who recently took her Clarinet Examination at Trinity College of Music:
Maureen Mukari 11F Grade 6 Merit DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD Mrs S Clancy, DoE Coordinator
Silver On Thursday 10 May, 4 teams and staff set off to complete their Silver Assessment Expedition. The groups found the walking tough, particularly as the weather was much kinder to us than anticipated. Despite this, the teams limped through and successfully completed this Section of their Award. They just need to complete their Volunteering, Physical and Skills Sections and load all the information onto the EDofE system to receive their Award at the next Local Authority presentation.
Two members of staff were also ‘on assessment’ over the weekend and both Mr Thompson and Mr Elmes (Junior) have now successfully completed their Assessor Training.
Bronze On Friday 18 May, 83 students and 14 members of staff went to ‘The Wilds of Danbury’ for the practice expedition. Despite having spent the last 8 months preparing for this moment and being warned they would find this challenging, a number of students found it harder than expected. Walking with a heavy rucksack for most of the day is never easy. The secret is to learn to pack sensibly, to ensure you have the right kit at the right time, but keep it as light as possible. The groups showed a lot of promise and completed the task reasonably well.
An important lesson learnt over the weekend was the need to eat the right things and to drink a lot. It always surprises me when two thirds of the group will come to the physical sessions in the autumn term insisting they will need their water bottle during a two hour session and then think that a similar sized water bottle will be sufficient for a walk all day in the sun. There is a reason why we say a minimum of 2 litres. Similarly, whilst most students took note of the instructions to eat plenty of pasta or high calorie expedition food in the evening, their food for during the day lacked the calories needed to keep their energy levels up. Porridge is an excellent start for the day. Sandwiches, wraps or pitta bread with fillings such as Marmite, peanut butter or jam are excellent foods to eat whilst on the move and will be fine all weekend if wrapped in foil. Treats can be added in the form of flapjacks, jelly or marzipan which are also excellent foods to keep you going.
The Assessment Expedition is in less than a month’s time so Route Cards will have to be completed quickly and efficiently. A reminder that on the Friday evening the Bronze participants all get a Roast Chicken dinner (or vegetarian alternative) plus chocolate pudding and custard to set them up for the Assessment.
Gold The Gold group have not met this term as they are in the middle of exams. Our training day will be on Monday 2 July from 9.00am – 3.00pm prior to departing on the Expedition on Tuesday 17 July at 6.30am. If participants have not done so, please ensure you have completed your Silver EDofE and handed in a medical form.
YEAR 9 CAMBRIDGE PHYSICS EXPERIENCE 2018 Grace O'Leary, Year 9
On Tuesday 8th May, a group of ten Year 9 students participated in a Cambridge Physics Experience day at Girton College and Cavendish Laboratories in the University of Cambridge. We firstly arrived to school at six in the morning and set off to the beautiful city of Cambridge.
The first part of the day consisted of a look at the life of a student in one of the UK's top Russel group universities, and a particular insight into Girton College and Cambridge University as a whole.
We were firstly enlightened about the college system, methods of tuition, events and other basic information about the university. Then, we were shown around the Girton College building by a student at the university who showed us the student life at Cambridge. The tour included the accommodation, the variety of facilities and the magnificent older structures of the buildings.
Amazed at our new knowledge of academic achievements at Cambridge, opportunities of success and grand architecture of the buildings, which in our eyes were identical to Hogwarts, many of us were soon inspired to achieve so we could hopefully end up in such a high and spectacular form of higher education.
After a lunch break in the beautiful grounds of the college we travelled to the Cavendish Laboratories which is the department of Physics at Cambridge University, just a few minutes away from the college. Firstly, we explored the small museum of the Cavendish Laboratory, which opened in 1874, and used as a laboratory for experimental physics. We saw some of the first developed physics equipment used and produced by physicists like James Maxwell, developer of the electromagnetic theory, and outstanding experimental contributions of Isaac Newton, Thomas Young and Gabriel Stokes.
Following our tour around the museum we took part in many physics tasks which involved practical experiments and sums. We also took part in mini competitions based on our physics skills and were also taught a lesson about visible light, led by a teacher at the Cavendish laboratories.
Overall, the day was an enlightening experience in which we all found extremely fun and enjoyed. The trip was a great opportunity to see the University of Cambridge, find out about the student life , explore the history of science, and learn lots more about physics! It was a great trip in which I feel St. Bernard's students were extremely fortunate to participate in.
OUR ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION Mr Galton, Head of Art & Design
On Thursday 24th June, the Art department held its annual art exhibition celebrating the work of this year’s GCSE and A Level students.
The department was transformed into a marvellous exhibition of GCSE work, showcasing the varied and unique outcomes of our Year 11 students, ranging from Betsy Smith’s Basquiat-style doll sculptures to Selina Doanvan’s portrait paintings.
We had students that were particularly ambitious with scale, none more so than Hannah Cunningham, who produced an excellent large scale close-up portrait. But it was Chloe Guerra who won the public vote for her work, which included a wall hanging, a landscape of the Philippines and an elephant that showed an influence of Van Gogh. Well Done Chloe! Many parents came to support their daughters during the exhibition and all should be proud of their achievements.
The A Level students displayed their work in the Dining Hall Extension. This was different from previous years, as students had been encouraged to be ambitious with their displays and incorporate an installation to show off their work. The students did not disappoint and showed their creativity and imagination through the very different ways of interpreting this brief. As people entered the room, they were first greeted by a large scale bird sculpture by Jarryd Nichols, destroying the surroundings, based on the surreal ideas of John Brosio.
In contrast, round the corner was the understated simplicity of Ellen Viney’s mirror triptych to accompany her paintings, which beautifully emphasised her ideas of body image. Other students’ installations were just as varied with Brooke Henning recreating a kitchen to emphasise the ideas of domestic abuse in her artwork, Harriet Overell displaying her mannequin sculpture in her homemade planetarium and Mia Cann creating a Van Gogh-influenced booth to project her video based on the film “Loving Vincent”.
One of the most popular pieces on display was Nothando Ngwawaira’s large scale painting that was based on the idea of racial equality, which was the centre piece of the exhibition. Throughout the exhibition, many remarked on the exceptional skill showcased within the work, particularly so in the portraits by Samantha Dube and Bryony Colquhoun-Driscoll.
The excellent work from all of these students has offered the Year 12 students plenty of inspiration for next year. NOTICES ST. BERNARD’S PERFORMING ARTS SUMMER SCHOOL 2018
This year from Monday 23rd July to Friday 27th July, St Bernard’s are excited to be running, for the seventh year, a week long Performing Arts Summer School run by in-house Dance & Drama teachers Mrs Alexander and Mrs Bell.
The week will give students a chance to explore different drama, dance and musical theatre techniques, develop performance skills and build positive relationships with other students and teaching staff. The course will include workshops covering choreography, dance technique, script work, improvisation, choric work and stagecraft - all around the theme of the popular story and stage show, Oliver!
The week will end with a short showcase performance for parents. Each day will begin at 9.30am and finish at 3.30pm, apart from Friday which will finish at 5.00pm and include the showcase which will begin at 4.00pm. Students will be able to arrive each day from 9.00am.
The week is open to any female student in Year 5 and above, so is a perfect opportunity for younger siblings to come and spend some time at St. Bernard’s. The cost for the week will be £65.00 and places are limited, being allocated on a first come first served basis. If you are interested, please pick up a letter from Mrs Alexander or download it from www.stbernards.southend.sch.uk, under the Community tab.
CALENDAR
Monday 4 June Students Return to School
Monday 4 June Yr10 & Yr12 MFL Exams Monday 4 June Yr8 Observation Drawing at the Seafront Wednesday 6 June Sports Day at Garon’s Park (Reserve Date: Thursday 7 June)
Friday 8 June Yr8 Observation Drawing at the Seafront
Monday 11 June Yr8 Observation Drawing at the Seafront
Tuesday 12 June Yr10 Borough Athletics Heats at Garon’s Park
Wednesday 13 June Yr7 Borough Athletics Heats at Eastwood
Friday 15 June Borough Athletics Final at Garon’s Park Friday 15 – Sunday 17 June Departs 1.00pm Bronze DofE Assessed Expedition to Ashdown Forest Returns 5.30pm
Monday 18 June Yr12 A-Level Photography Mock Exam
Wednesday 20 June Yr12 Visit to UCAS Convention at the University of Essex Wednesday 20 June Yr12 Exam Study Leave
Friday 22 June Yr11 Celebration Day
Monday 25 June Yr10 & Yr12 External Exams Wednesday 27 June Music for a Summers’ Evening Concert
Monday 2– Friday 13 July Yr10 Work Experience
Monday 2 July All Day Gold DofE Expedition Training
Wednesday 4 July School Closes at 2.00pm Wednesday 4 July Yr5 Open Evening Thursday 5 July Inset Day
Friday 6 July Yr6 Induction Day
Monday 9 July Yr12 Induction Day
Wednesday 11 July Yr12 Beyond 18 Parents Evening Thursday 12– Friday 13 July Yr 12 Beyond 18 Days
Tuesday 17– Friday 27 July Gold DofE Expedition Departs to
Wednesday 18 July School Celebration Event
Friday 20 July Last Day of Term– School Closes at 12.30pm for Sum- mer Break
St Bernard’s High School Milton Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7JS www.stbernardswestcliff.org.uk