T R eflection The R eflection achieving more together
January/FebruaryMay 2019 2020
www.liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk @Liskeard_School
The magazine of Liskeard School & Community College Head’s Letter
Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of Liskeard School,
As we hit the half-way mark of the academic year, it is a good time to reflect on what we have achieved so far and what we still need to do to ensure we get the best out of students. As always, there have been numerous activities taking place outside of the classroom, some of which are celebrated later in the magazine. These extra- curricular activities are a great way for students to develop personally: making new friendships, learning new skills, building confidence and raising aspiration. Our ‘In the Spotlight...’ feature this edition is a focus on students’ personal development from joining the school through to leaving us after Year 13. We have created an overview of the opportunities students are given as well as the character and attributes we are trying to develop. I hope you find it interesting.
At this time of year I start to think about our areas for development as a school. To help with this, please could you use OFSTED’s Parent View survey to feedback your comments about your experience of ‘Team Liskeard’. The link to the survey is below.
https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/login?destination=give-your-views
We are currently exploring various changes to the school day for the next academic year. This includes the length of lessons, when tutor time takes place, how long break and lunch are and the timings of the school day. We will be in touch to get your views on some of these in due course.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Yours,
Alex Lingard Head Teacher Top Merit Earners this Half Term
Year 7 Year 8 Liam Storer 71 Alexia Lewis 52 Sammy Pennington-Ridge 57 Kieran Owen 49 Gregory Welsh 42 Rebecca stephens 49 Finley Dunn 41 Kernesa Shaw 41 Tabitha Powell 41 Jamie Salter 40 Phoebe Copplestone 40 Jessica Shaw 39 Sam Whell 40 Alex Smith 39 Kess Davies 38 William Dinnie 38 Luke Maton 38 Emmie Singfield 38 Tina Cobb Poppy Honeywell 37 37 Vinnie Elliott Naomi Pollard, Imogen Rowe
Year 9 Year 10
Tyler Upton 45 Josie Burnett 28 Talan James 39 Maddie Timmons 28 Charlotte Taylour 37 Sophie Bettinson 25 Isaac Stewart 33 Maddie Chinn 21 Frankie Burchell 32 Josh Dean 21 Luisa Gould 32 Ryan Whiting 21 Charlie Pepper 32 Macey Cunningham 20 Grace Sobey 31 Jamie Bradbury Bell Rollings 30 Emma Dawe 19 Lily-Beth Southcott 29 Aisling Delaney Abi Hinchliff, Thomas Sichel
Year 11
Aaron Upton 35 William Stephens 21 Emel Gul 23 Harry Edwards 20 Lucas Crossley 22 Maddie Miller 19 Hannah Hiscock 22 Shannon Crispin 18 Harry Nicholls 22 Leah Strevens 18 In the Spotlight... Personal Development Education is not just about achieving the highest grades. It is as much about developing young people into confident and responsible citizens. We want students to have courage, to be resilient and to show kindness. We want them to understand the possible careers paths on offer to them, what employers look for and how to be life-long learners and leaders. We want them to be independent, articulate and reflective.
As a school we give this ‘personal development’ a high priority. We provide opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom. We teach some of it, we promote and celebrate some of it. On the next page is an overview of the personal development ‘journey’ students undertake from joining us to leaving us seven years later. I hope you find it interesting. If you’d like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Green Charter Update
We are still recruiting students to join our Eco-Council. If anyone is interested please see Mrs Penberthy or Mrs Birkbeck.
We have just received notification from the Woodlands Trust that we will be receiving over 400 tree saplings to plant in March. We now need to work out where to put them! Once we have an exact date, if any parents would like to support the planting of the trees, please get in touch. We have been in contact with Cornwall Council who will be including our tree planting as part of their Forest for Cornwall campaign.
We are looking forward to welcoming Cllr Edwina Hannafore into school after half- term to talk to us about the project and how students can get involved.
3| a place where...
Important Information and Updates
Socks and Black Jumpers A number of students have been wearing black jumpers during the recent cold weeks. Jumpers need to be V-neck (so that the tie can still be seen) and should be worn under the blazer, not instead of a blazer. I have also noticed more and more students wearing white socks to school. Please can you ensure your child wears black socks as per the uniform policy. Thank you.
Chewing Gum A polite reminder that chewing gum is not allowed in school. Students seen with chewing gum will be told to spit it in the bin and any packets of chewing gum will be confiscated. I will be asking staff to issue a Ready to Learn point after half-term for students caught chewing.
Holidays during Term Time If you decide to take your child out of school, without approval/permission, you will be committing an offence under the Education Act 1996. We may refer the matter to Cornwall Council, who, as the issuing officer, may decide to take legal action against you. A penalty notice can be issued under Section 444A and 444B of the Education Act 1996. This carries a fine of £60 if paid within 21 days or £120 if paid after this but within 28 days. Fines are issued per parent/carer, per child. Failure to pay the penalty notice may result in Court action. Persistent absences not authorised by the school may result in a prosecution in the Magistrates Court, leading to fines up to £2,500 and/or custodial sentences.
Revision for GCSE Exams I am often asked by parents how much revision Year 11 students should do in preparation for their GCSE exams. My strong recommendation, at this time of year, is that students should be spending 2 hours, five or six times a week studying at home. If homework takes 30 minutes, then students should spend a further 1hr 30minutes revising. If homework takes 1 hour, students should spend another hour revising. Our advice is to break this time into 20-30minute chunks, as this aids retention and prevents loss of concentration. As always, it is important students have time for things they enjoy and plan their revision carefully so that they get chance to relax and unwind.
Lockdown Procedures You should have received a text informing you that we practised our lockdown drill this week. It is highly unlikely we will ever need to go into lockdown for real, but if we do, please can I remind you as per the advice from the emergency services, not to come onto the school site. We will keep in contact with you via text and email.
Late to School After half-term we will be changing our sanctions for lateness to school. If students are late on three occasions (without good reason) they will receive an after school detention (1 hour). Parents will be notified via the Class Charts app. In Memory of Damien Bendelow
Following the tragic death of Damien recently, we have found some photos of his time in school that we would like to share. As you can see, Damien excelled on his contruction course and was crowned ‘No.1’ in the group by his classmates. Our thoughts are with Damien’s family and friends at this difficult time.
A student-led series of fund-raising activities are planned to support the funding of a memorial bench or plaque. Thank you to Harley Oakley, Year 12, for leading on this.
|4 Prom for All
We now have over 120 items for sale including a collection of dresses ranging from size 4 to 26, in all different colours & styles. Some are brand new with the tags still attached. We also have a selection of suits, shirts, shoes & bags. The Prom clothes will be available for sale, for pay as you can, donations, at our Easter Fayre on Saturday 28th March 11am-3pm in the Old Hall.
The PTFA would like to take this opportunity to thank the local community for their support because without them this project would not have been possible. Including Sterts Theatre, Callywith College & Glynn Valley Chef Wear. Rethink, Reuse, Recycle.
Making Prom accessible for all.
Sara Nicholas, PTFA Secretary
PTFA All Welcome Easter Fayre Saturday 28th March
11am - 3pm In the Old Hall Refreshments, Arts & Craft stalls, Children’s Activities & much more………… Student of the Month January 2020 Winner Austin Tolfrey (10S) Austin has been nominated by three teachers and deservedly wins January’s Student of the Month. Mr Bond and Mrs Warwick nominated him for his kindness in repairing and putting together all of the drum kits in the Music Department in his own time for the last few weeks (bringing in his own tool box!).
Mr Morgan also nominated him for his positive attitude in Computer Science lessons and how he has shown great resilience and determination with his programming.
Student of the Month Nominees
Alfie Collings 10S Ellie Waters 10E Toby Haley 7A for his resilience in adversity. For always being patient, Despite having a long-term Nominated by Ms Hocking helpful, hard-working and knee, Toby joins in his PE lessons well presented. Ellie has an whenever possible and stands excellent work ethic, and is out in the class even with his always willing to help other difficulties. He is a natural athlete students and to take risks with and has been pro-active helping in lessons, encouraging other her learning. Nominated by Mr students and being a real team Melling player. He has been a ‘stand out’ student in the Mencap AllMove George Wood 7S initiative, helping, coaching For his leadership, kindness and and encouraging less able friendship to another student in students in countless activities, Year 7. always displaying resilience and Nominated by Ms Holroyd empathy. Nominated by Ms Wetherill 5| a place where... Student of the Month February 2020
As we hit the half-way mark of the academic year I have decided to name all of the following as winners of February’s Student of the Month Award.
All these students have achieved the best attitude scores in their year groups in their most recent Progress Checks. In many cases, they have scored 1s in every one of their subjects. They also have great attendance and no behaviour issues at all. Attitude underpins everything and with such a determination to work hard, each one of them will undoubtedly succeed in school and in life. Winners
Paige Udy 7I Rebecca Stephens 8A Jessica Shaw 8L Kerensa Shaw 8L
Lily-Beth Southcott 9L Melissa Zalick 9L Maddie Chinn 10A Dylan Profit 10L
Kyle Profit 10L Molly Burchell 11A Georgie Butler 11I Chloe Penhaligan 11L ...there are no end of possibilities |6 Platinum Merit Award Winners (100 merits)
Rebecca Alexia Lewis 8I Alex Smith 8I Aimee 8L Daniel Hiscock 8L Jessica Shaw 8L Stephens 8A
Archie Lambert- Chrissie Ruth Pankhurst 8L Jacob Meller 8K Poppy 8L Naomi Pollard 8K Govier 8S Cullingford 7A
Sammy Penning- Tean Tyler Foster 7L Aaron Upton 11I Luke Maton 7K Sam Cotterill 8K ton-Ridge 7R Churchward 7K
Kensa Cameron Evie Mordew 7K Ewan A’Lee 8I Imogen Rowe 8I Tyler Upton 9E Jack Bottrell 8S 8I
Jenna-Rose Gregroy Welsh 7E Curtis Pringle 7I Lauren 8L Jamie Salter 8R Alice Doyle 8I Facey 7S
Kieran Owen 8R Sam Whell 7R Mary Poppins is coming to Liskeard!
We are excited to announce that our whole school production this year is Mary Poppins! Auditions took place this week and rehearals will begin after half-term.
A spoonful of sugar...
|8 Y7 Speed Networking
It is never too early to start thinking about your future! Year 7 students were challenged to do just that when they took part in an employer speed networking event on 15th January. In groups of six or seven, Year 7 students had ten minutes to interview a professional with an interesting career to find out as much about their job as possible before the whistle blew and they moved onto the next person!
Visitors were blown away with the quality of the questions students asked them. Questions range from ‘what qualifications do you need to do your job? to ‘what is the most interesting thing that has ever happened to you at work?’ to (the most impressive question of the day) - ‘do you feel the media portrays your profession in an accurate way?’
Students were given the opportunity to interview people with a range of jobs, including a deep sea diver, a chiropractor, a physiotherapist, an accountant, a social worker, a building surveyor, a care home manager and others. The feedback from the event was tremendous. 86% of the year group said it opened their eyes to jobs they never knew existed. 75% said the event made them realise that getting good qualifications are key to widening their opportunities in the world of work when they are older. Added to this, a good time was had by all!
A massive thank you to all the visitors who gave up their time to come in and talk to students about their job. If you are in employment and willing to do the same we would love to hear from you! Bring Your Grown Up to English
It was fantastic to see so many parents and students at our third Bring Your Grown Up event of the year! Students had fun playing word games and creating similes about a member of their family (much to the amusement of their parents!).
Key take away messages from the evening were that helping your child improve their literacy doesn’t have to be serious - there are all sorts of games you can play as a family, from Scrabble to Boggle, to competing against each other in word based game apps! Also the importance of reading couldn’t be highlighted enough. Those who attended were lucky to hear local author Rob Beck talk about how reading can enrich young people’s lives by transporting them to ‘different worlds’ and fire their imaginations. In an age dominated by technology it can be difficult sometimes to get teenagers to put down their phones - Rob explained that reading can be online, it can be a blog, a comic, a magazine, in hard copy or digital form.
The evening ended with a big plug for our brand new KS3 Reading Club! Please encourage your child to attend - every Thursday in E8 at lunchtimes. Operating Theatre Live
Students from Liskeard School and Community College, together with students from Looe Community Academy and Saltash Community School (all part of the SMART Schools Trust) have once again had the fantastic opportunity to try their hands at surgery, during a special Operating Theatre Live event held at the Liskeard school.
Operating Theatre Live is the UK’s only touring dissection-based surgical experience; they travel the country setting up virtual operating theatres for students to gain experience of anatomy and physiology. Students from across years 8 – 11, had the opportunity to get a taste of working in the clinical profession from a very hands-on point of view.
Working in teams around an operating table, a real life scenario was set up, with students being encouraged to assess and communicate with their patient before preparing them for surgery. They independently calculated the required concentration and dosage before anesthetising their patient. Once anaesthetised, students looked at the structure, role and physiology of the brain and eye. They were able to remove the brain from the cranial vault and identify structures such as the cerebellum. Following this, students learned to intubate their patient and dissected the lungs and heart.
Mrs Michelle Inger, who had worked with Operating Theatre Live to organise the session, was delighted with the students’ response. “It was wonderful to see the students really engaging with each experience; it really gave our students the opportunity to engage with others who have similar career aspirations and to get excited about how amazing the human body is” she said.
Students who took part in the event said of the experience, ‘it was just awesome’, ‘I never thought I’d actually get to hold a real brain, it was really interesting’. Springboard and the Apprenticeship Roadshow The team from Hittraining / Springboard visited to inspire a group of year 9 students into careers involving food preparation. A wide variety of chef skills are required for different establishments such as restaurants, café, cruise ships, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.
The students had to prepare a cream tea suitable for a person suffering from a condition called ‘dysphagia’ (this is the medical term for swallowing difficulties). Due Students trying orange juice that has been thickened to not being able to chew and swallow solid food they with starch. Providing essential liquid to the body, but does not cause a choking hazard. had to blend the scone ingredients to a puree and then pipe the mixture to create a desirable scone shape. Jam and cream was then piped on top - Remember jam then cream - we are in Cornwall! The focus was to reconstruct the pureed food into its original form, so it appealed to the person eating it.
Waitressing skills were demonstrated with a competition to carry 3 plates with mini eggs on. 9 seconds was the fastest time to serve the plates of eggs from one end of Scones are blended to a puree which can be piped to resemble the scone. This makes it look more appetising the kitchen to the other. for the person who suffers from dysphagia.
Jack from Springboard then explained about the young chef of the year competition which runs every year for students 11 to 16 to prepare a 2 course meal on a budget. The students cook their menu in front of qualified chefs and the best meal goes forward to compete against the other regions in the country. These students then cook again in front of a panel of chefs and the overall winner is awarded Best Young Chef of the Year. Students piped their cream tea on to a plate.
The finished cream tea! Taste Testing The proof is in the pudding! Army Air Corps Team Visits LSCC
Liskeard School played host to the Army Air Corps Presentation Team on Tuesday 28th January.
Students were able to find out what the AAC do, entry routes and what a day in the life of a soldier entails.
Students were then put through their paces by taking part in team building STEM exercises. Year 11s Preparing for the Real Thing! Students preparing for their GCSEs were given a taste of what it may feel like in the summer when they received their mock exam results last month. After a presentation by Mr Lingard, students opened their result envelopes together, then spent time reflecting with their peers and tutors about how they had done.
Students were then split into smaller groups where they could do some individual reflection and set some goals for the coming weeks in preparation for the real exams in May and June.
Parents and carers then joined us for parents’ evening to get feedback from the teachers about how their children were doing and what they need to work on to get the highest grades possible. The support from parents was excellent with an almost 90% turnout.
Headteacher, Alex Lingard, said “It was a good day for our Year 11s. It was lovely to celebrate with those who have worked so hard and done so well. We have high hopes for this year group and will be offering lots of support over the next few months.” Cornish Times - “School Report”
Are you a budding news reporter? Do you have a passion or story that you would like to share? Perhaps, you have an opinion that you would like to express and tell others all about, then here is your chance.
The local newspaper ‘The Cornish Times’ have approached Liskeard School and Community College (as well as other secondary schools in the area) and asked if we would like to get involved in a new project that they are running.
They would like students to produce news and reports for a special ‘School Report’, 4 page, pull-out supplement, this will include 20 articles of between 50 and 200 words on any subject of the students’ choice. They want this feature to be a reflection of the student voice; opinion pieces on local, national and global issues are welcome, as are reports on events, write-ups on sports fixtures, interviews, reviews etc. Artwork and photography is also welcome along with a short introduction or explanation. A fantastic opportunity to showcase your work!
This supplement will be run on a monthly basis, with contributions from one school per edition, Liskeard School have been lucky enough to secure the launch of this new supplement which is due to be featured in the February 28th edition of the Cornish Times.
If you would like to get involved at any point throughout the year, please contact Mrs Schooling, Mrs Archer or Mrs Corrigan to register your interest, The feature will be running between two and four times throughout the year, so there are lots of opportunities for anyone who is interested. Book Club Thursday lunchtimes (1.20pm) in E8 All year 7 and 8 students welcome If you have a passion for reading or have read a book that you wish to share, please come along.
Please could students come to the English office at break or lunch-time to sign up for this club. Dr Shilling’s 9 Books to Read Before You Turn 16
The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton set the groundwork for Young Adult fiction when she wrote The Outsiders in high school. Ponyboy’s journey shows that things can go too far very quickly when you’re willing to do anything to belong.
Author: S.E Hinton Publisher: Penguin; 01 edition (4 Aug. 2016)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night
Mark Haddon’s novel follows a boy with autism who is working to solve the murder of a neighbour’s dog. The prose puts readers inside the complicated mind of Christopher John Francis Boone, offering a new perspective on people who are different from most.
Author: Mark Haddon Publisher: Vintage; 51 edition (1 April 2004)
The Book Thief
The New York Times bestseller, which inspired a major motion picture, explores a Nazi society, where a young girl’s passion for reading feeds her soul when all else seems bleak.
Author: Markus Zusak Publisher: Black Swan; Film Tie-In edition (30 Jan. 2014)
Lord of the Flies
William Golding’s iconic novel follows a group of schoolboys who survive a plane crash only to be stranded on a remote island. The book’s simple lesson that people can change in an instant impacted the works of Stephen King, Suzanne Collins, and more.
Author: William Golding Publisher: Faber and Faber; New edition edition (3 Mar. 1997, originally published 1954) The Fault in Our Stars
Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old cancer patient, meets and falls in love with Gus Waters a similarly afflicted teen from her cancer support group. Hazel feels that Gus really understands her. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially Grace’s touchstone, “An Imperial Affliction” by Peter Van Houten. When Gus scores an invitation to meet the reclusive author, he and Hazel embark on the adventure of their brief lives.
Author: John Green Publisher: Penguin; 01 edition (3 Jan. 2013)
To Kill a Mockingbird
The storyline is based in Maycomb, a small town in Alabama in the 1930s where Scout lives with her elder brother Jem, and her father, Atticus, who is widowed. ... Scout and her brother get to learn some crucial lessons about judging others through the character of Boo, the cryptic and solitary neighbour.
Author: Harper Lee Publisher: Arrow; 50th Anniversary edition (2010, originally published 1960)
the Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger’s big city tale of teenager Holden Caulfield was first published more than 70 years ago, but the way Holden desperately keeps his pain inside is a teenage turmoil that hasn’t changed.
Author: J.D Salinger Publisher: Penguin; 01 edition (4 Mar. 2010, originally published 1951)
Animal Farm
Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is an allegorical story about the Soviet Union’s early years. At the beginning of the story, Old Major inspires his fellow farm animals to revolt against their human master, Mr. Jones, owner of Manor Farm. Leaders of the animal revolt include two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball.
Author: George Orwell Publisher: Penguin Classics; New Ed edition (24 Feb. 2000, originally published 1945)
His Dark Materials
The story centres on a girl called Lyra who goes on an epic adventure to uncover the mystery behind something called Dust, meeting giant polar bears, witches and evil villains along the way.
Author: Philip Pullman Age Range: 11 years and up Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (6 Sept. 2018, originally published as a trilogy: Northern Lights (1995) (published as The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife (1997), and The Amber Spyglass (2000)) House Competition Update
We have lots of house competitions planned this year. Every month there will be a subject competition. In addition there will be inter-house sports competitions running during tutor time. Remember that House points are also awarded for good attendance, good behaviour and great attitudes in class.
PSHE Hate Crime House Competition Winners The theme this year was ‘Stand Together’, Y8 were delivered a Hate Crime Workshop by PC Geoff Turner-Moore and were reminded how important it is to choose our words carefully, be kind and to recognise that our differences should be embraced. Not only have we asked students to think about the use of hate language and their actions, we also asked them to think about countries that have suffered from Genocide and how we can stop division. 2020 also commemorates 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. We have been so impressed by the quality of the 2019/2020 PSHE House Competition Entries, and the competition was so tight that Mr Lingard had to add his own category. Our School Winners will be awarded 300 House Points each, and all entries will be awarded 20 house points.
Winners Art: Paige Udy, 7I - Centaur, Ela Napruseweska, 7K - Phoenix, Bailey Kent, 7S - Phoenix
Winners Short Story: Alicia Collison, 7K - Phoenix, Jasmine Lang, 7E - Pegasus, Sierra Jones, 7I - Centaur
Winners Photography George Ellis, 7K - Phoenix, Emma Stratford, 7I - Centaur, Thomas Urie, 7S - Phoenix
Highly Commended: Connie Frith, 9K - Centaur, Luisa Gould, 9S - Pegasus, Grace Dunn, 7I - Centaur Winners of the Humanities House Competition (to come up with a slogan or catchphrase for each Humanities subject) are:
Geography “Without History “Bringing the past to the geography you’re present” Sophie Charlton 10E nowhere” Ashlei (Phoenix) Santillo 10E (Phoenix)
Business “Your mind, your EPW “Make the world money maker” Matthew a better place” Mya Dutton and Kyle Profit 10L Williams 8I (Griffin) (Phoenix)
Phoenix are the overall Humanities House Champions 2020!
As an additional incentive we also have an amazing prize draw planned for Easter where students get a chance to win a SUP.
Every half-term students with 100% attendance or 0 behaviour points will receive a virtual raffle ticket. The more tickets received the better the chance of winning! English House Competition Room 101 - what would you like to see disappear off the face of the earth? What gets your goat? What grinds your gears? Give us your best rant about whatever annoys you most!
Use all of your best persuasive language tricks in no more than 250 words - now there's a challenge!
Powerful, passionate and persuasive arguments to Mrs Leon in E8/the English Office.'
GCSE Drama Performances
Thursday 5th March 5pm Drama studio Only suitable for ages 14+
The GCSE Drama students will be performing a dress rehearsal of their practical exam piece. They have been working hard to rehearse extracts from play texts for a visiting examiner. There will be a range of texts with some not suitable for younger audiences. Heads of Year Messages
Year 7
I hope this message finds you well. Thank you all for your continued support and hard work at home. It is fair to say that at this stage Year 7 are adapting well to the different demands secondary school presents.
In the class room pupils continue to go from strength to strength. This I’m sure is reflected in the most recent Progress Checks. Ensure you look through these and talk to you sons and daughters about each subject. However, at this stage please pay particular attention to the application and organisation scores. The application score indicate how well/hard pupils are working (1 is high and 5 is low). Any scores that are below a 3 require immediate attention. If they have achieved a 3, then that would suggest they are doing the minimum required, so again improvements are needed. In terms of organisation the scale (1-5) is the same. This is an area we need to address as we are experiencing an increased number of pupils arriving unprepared for lesson. PE in particular is a concern and I would really appreciate your help and support in making sure your sons and daughters arrive fully prepared and fully equipped.
Overall, I am really happy with where the year group are currently, but would like to see some of them take more responsibility for their organisation, their actions and what they say. Mr Mitchell Year 8
So far it has been a really positive start to the term. The pupils have looked over their recent Progress Checks with their tutors and have been thinking about how they can improve in areas that need to be addressed. Pupils should be achieving 1’s and 2’s for their application and organisation, anything less than this indicates that they need to apply themselves better in order to lift the grades. This is a really important year for establishing good practise so your continued support is much appreciated. Please continue to email either myself, Mrs Harris or individual staff members if you have concerns.
This term we have a number of Year 8 pupils who are showcasing their drama work - this is taking place in the Drama studio on 13th February at 5pm. The theme is Refugees and the pupils have devised work to reflect the experiences and journeys of refugees - all are welcome. We also have a team of Year 8 pupils who are taking part in the Magistrate’s Court competition - this is a fabulous competition that takes place in a real court with the pupils taking on all the roles you would find in a court case. The group who have volunteered are already shaping up to be a team that will be ready to rise to any challenge from the other schools. We wish them luck in their preparation.
There are a huge number of activities available for pupils to participate in - extra curricular activities are crucial for developing confidence and skills and the list is on the school website and on posters around the classes for pupils to access. These activities, and others outside school, also help to divert attention away from the attractions of social media. We are finding increasing number of problems are caused by the misuse of social media and these problems are coming into school. Both myself and Mrs Harris spend a considerable amount of time trying to get to the bottom of issues that have started as a result of inappropriate comments over social media. Please can we ask that as parents/ guardians you take note of what is being sent over the phones.
We are looking forward to seeing students aftre the spring half-term break. Ms Snowling Year 9
Christmas holidays seem a long time ago now and the options process will almost be finished by the time you read this. It was really pleasing to see how many of you attended the Options Evening on 29th. The pupils have engaged with the process really enthusiastically and been discussing their choices in a very mature way. If you haven’t yet had the interview with your child and one of the Senior Leadership Team, please 11| a place where... come prepared with any questions you might have. At this interview final choices will be recorded. Then it will up to Mrs Penberthy to try to make everyone’s choices fit!
Congratulations to the Year 9 football team who defeated Bodmin 5-0 in the County Cup last week. Also, well done to the following students for being accepted on the Exeter Scholars Programme, which is aimed at informing pupils of the opportunities and realities of being a University student: Morwenna Burgess, Shaya Clark, Antony Easton, Lily Inger, Lilly Kaseke, Aden Pownall, Shona Rollo, Milly Ruby, Ronnie Simmons, Adam Smith, Alfie Ward.
The Spring Progress Check was emailed to all parents recently. Please take a close look, especially at your child’s Application and Organisation scores, and encourage them to make any changes needed for improvement in these areas. Mr Glasgow Year 10
Well we reach two milestones- the half way point of the school year and the start of my maternity leave! I would like to thank everyone for their kind comments and wishes of good luck- it will certainly be different looking after one baby instead of 170 students! This term has been fairly short, but has had a lot crammed in, with more planned for next half term.
Before I go, I really do need to request your help and support in making sure that your son/daughter have completed the Work Experience forms (yellow), as the deadline is soon after the half term holiday on Friday 6th March. After this point, students will be asked to stay in at lunchtime and potentially after school with Mrs.Carlin to sort their WEX out. Mrs.Carlin has been into assembly numerous times to go through the process, and has sent many more emails to students with opportunities of placements. Linked to this, on Tuesday 11th March students will be taken to a Skills Show at Plymouth university, due to them unfortunately missing out on the Skills Show at the Royal Cornwall Showground back before Christmas. Please ensure your son/daughter has returned their consent form, and the £3 donation has been paid.
Whilst I am off, if you wish to contact the pastoral team you can do so via extension 159, where you can speak to Mrs.Cozens the AHOY or contact Mr.Pollard who will be standing in for me as HOY, on [email protected]. Mr Pollard is an experienced member of TaemLiskeard and will do a sterling job in my absence.I wish you all the best for the rest of the year, and look forward to seeing you all again around Christmas time. Ms Dove Year 11
Year 11 enjoyed an excellent evening at the Eden project Ice-skating just before Christmas. The many novices were stunned at the ability of Ella Kitt. What was great to observe was the mutual support and help they gave each other as they tried to master Ice-skating. I am sure this caring attitude and support for each other will continue as we approach this summer.
The Summer Prom, will be held in school this year and our date is 3rd July 2020. The school PTFA were kind enough to join us for assembly to share their wonderful idea “Prom for all.” This was followed up with an event in school on Friday 24th January in the evening where nearly new Prom dresses and suits were put on show. Please speak to Mrs. Cozens if you want further information. Dresses are also available at our Easter Fayre on 28th March.
I have spoken to groups of students this week about the importance of fantastic attendance between now and the final examination. Please could I ask parents and carers to help here as every day at school is incredibly important. EARN revision sessions continue to be very well attended and successful. These run every afternoon in the library straight after school and finish at 16:15. In addition, lunchtime booster sessions are open to all. Please see the programme overleaf. Mr Gluyas
...we learn together & hard work is rewarded |12
Dates for your Diary
17th February - 21st February Half-Term 2020
Inset Day 24th February 2020 (School closed to students)
Higher Education Finance 25th February 2020 Evening for Y12/13 students 6:00pm
4th March 2020 Y10 Parents’ Evening 3:45pm - 6:45pm
5th March 2020 GCSE Drama Performances 5pm
11th March 2020 Y12 and 13 Parents’ Evening 3:45pm - 6:45pm
Kernow Health Immunisation 12th March 2020 (Y8 and Y9)
25th March 2020 Y8 Parents’ Evening 3:45pm - 6:45pm
End of Spring Term 27th March 2020
28th March 2020 Easter Fayre 11am - 3pm
...together we achieve more |14 Call for help: 0800 328 0006
Café Abundance Junk Food Café Liskeard Food Bank, St Martin’s Church Liskeard Methodist Barras Place Centre, Liskeard Church Hall 9.30 to Midday on: Midday to 1.30pm on: Midday to 1.30pm: Monday 2nd March Friday 7th February Friday 21st February Monday 6th April Friday 3rd April Friday 20th March Monday 4th May Friday 1st May Friday 22nd May
Contact: [email protected] OR 07539 473 754