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Winter Term 2012 The Badger’s In Town!

Ruth Badger, business guru and star of BBC TV’s The Apprentice, was Guest of Honour at Castle's annual Celebration Ruth Badger with Castle's Students of the Year Emily of Achievement Evening recently. Walters and Hardip Singh-Lidder and Head, Michelle King. In the company of last year's leavers, Lower School prize winners, parents and staff, Miss Badger spoke about her first experience of being a budding entrepreneur in her primary school playground, about the lessons she has learned through her various business ventures and gave her audience an insight into the skills and knowledge needed to become a success in the various environments in which she works.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of certificates and prizes to last year's Year 11 students who returned to school for one final time.

holiday and would welcome your support in ensuring that your child returns to January properly dressed in plain, black leather shoes. Details of the uniform appear on Page The Autumn Term is always a busy one and I 2. There has been so much that has taken place and I hope am constantly amazed at the energy and that you will join me in thanking all the staff who have commitment shown by our staff and students which worked so hard this term to make it so successful. enable so much to take place both in and out of the classroom. I hope that this edition of Castle Matters gives Sadly, we will be saying goodbye at the end of this term to you some idea of what has been taking place in the school a number of staff members : Mr Detheridge, Miss Knott, over the past four months. Miss Rose, Miss Grove, Miss Lane, Mrs Huda and Miss Blythe (who will still be with us for one day a week until Since our last edition, we have seen the school record its Easter). They will be sadly missed and we wish them all best ever examination results for the third year in a row well. (and be on track to improve still further with our current Year 11 students), we have welcomed a new set of Year 7 The New Year promises to be an exciting and busy time for students into the school, our Student Voice continues to Castle High. We will, of course, be continuing to focus on have a real say in what goes on at Castle and we are very raising further the standard of teaching and learning in our busy making further improvements to the school and to classrooms and we will give our Year 11 students every our students’ attendance and opportunities. I must also ounce of support as they work towards their final exams congratulate all students on their efforts to improve their and start planning for their futures. uniform – they are looking really smart. We will be continuing our emphasis on full school uniform after the Finally, a big thank you to all our parents and carers who do such a fabulous job in supporting our students. What End of term information we do would not be possible without you and I will end by This term ends on Thursday, December 20 at 1.15 wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New This will be a non-uniform day in aid Year. of Project Gambia – cost £1 Next term begins on Tuesday, January 8 at 8.50 12

Winter Term, 2012

N A r t e w s

Mrs Griffiths has been working with Year 3 children from Wrens Nest Primary School who have been studying the Romans. I was delighted to be invited to visit Priory Primary School on several Year three visited Castle High School where they worked sessions and to work with year 5 very hard producing a delicate mosaic tile using coils and (5GB and 5BC) producing artworks in marked tessellate squares. Their finished work was clay. The classes had been studying excellent. the Aztec Gods and all students were able to create individual tiles and a large Sun God for the They then produced the uniform borders with sweeping display around the school. coils making the waves. They then finished the frieze off by all creating a highly detailed fish . All pieces were fired and The children were able to use the snake Gods and will be taken back to Wrens Nest for painting, then formed writhing monsters and the very intricate returned to Castle for assembly. Centipedes that were amazing and frightening. Even celebrities may not eat these.

All the work was fired and glazed and then with the aid of Mr Evans were framed and plated ready for hanging. We look forward to the next visit for their Christmas biscuits and their Greek medusa masks. Mrs Griffiths also worked with both Y4 classes who were looking at World War 2 during the Blitz. - S. Griffiths The students were shown how to use cardboard to create Anderson shelters and they then decorated the outside of the cardboard with lovely vegetable plots. All students produced their own model and then added sandbags, This year’s Art Exhibition again saw a stunning range of paving, rocks and vegetables to the model. work which had The next session saw groups making a large model of an been produced by aircraft hanger and several Nissan huts to house the a wide variety of squaddies. students at the school. The students then came to Castle High School where one group made the Cenotaph and the wreaths around it. Two The exhibition was groups made models of the London underground. Finally a opened by the large mural of the London Blitz was created to show the Mayor of Dudley, bombing of St Paul’s. A final group made the poppies for Councillor Melvyn their own collective wreath and when they come back Mottram and was from firing in the kiln there will be a good deal of painting held at Dudley Art and display for these eager and dedicated learners. Gallery.

School uniform Mobile ‘phones, headphones and other Please remember that the only footwear allowed in school is plain, black leather electronic devices are not shoes. allowed in school!

Trainers, Vans, Converse, canvas pumps and other informal shoes are not permitted. If seen, they will be confiscated! 2 Full details of our uniform regulations – including details about hair colouring and facial piercings – can be found at www.castle.dudley.sch.uk

Winter Term, 2012

This year we have reintroduced Year 11 Prefects as part of our school wide ‘Student Voice Team’. Each Prefect belongs to a Focus group within the school and works to achieve various goals. Our ‘Castle in the Community’ Focus Group is currently working on raising money for charitable concerns. As you may be aware, one of the current charities the school is working for is ‘Project Gambia’.

In order to help raise funds for this charity, the ‘Castle in the Community’ Focus Group has decided to stage a ‘Zumba Marathon’ on Wednesday 19th December, on school premises during normal school hours. Students will be given the opportunity to leave one of their scheduled lessons in the day and enjoy a bit of Zumba dancing, led by Miss Howe!

Prizes will be awarded for the most enthusiastic Zumba dancers and all students who take part will receive a Vivo reward!

Year 9 GCSE Food Technologists have been working on a project similar to Gino D’acampo’s television programme There’s no Taste Like Home.

It was originally agreed that four finalists would be chosen and their parents invited into school for the final. However Miss King was so amazed at the quality and Danielle Burton, 7EL professionalism shown by the all students, it was decided that the final would involve everyone. Brodie McCabe, 7EL After much deliberation and lots of sampling it was decided that the winners were Rida Zaneb (Vegetarian), Lucy Bewley (Savoury) and Diana Mohammed (Sweet).

Congratulations to all students on their hard work and the three winners will be receiving gift vouchers and Vivos for their efforts. Charlotte Green, 7AH Maryam Javed, 8LG

The month of November saw our Year 7s taking part in an inter-form competition to help collect goods for the Samaritan’s Purse ‘Operation Christmas Child’ annual appeal to provide needy children around the world with a shoebox full of presents.

They were given the task of gathering as many items as possible, the winning form being the one who collected the most! The response from the Year 7s was phenomenal and the photo shows just a fraction of the total amount collected.

The winning form, 7NF, managed to collect over 250 items on their own! Their prize, as well as getting the satisfaction 3 of knowing they have helped children all around the world, was a ‘Festive Fun’ afternoon at the end of November.

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Winter Term, 2012

Sports teams have made a really positive start to the year here at Castle High.

The Netball teams have gained some fantastic results in the first half of their season. Under the guidance of Miss Tame, the Year 10 team has only lost one of its games so far, getting better and better each match. The Year 11 Netballers also had their time in the spotlight, gaining a great victory against Coseley. There is more glory for both teams to come I’m sure as the season progresses.

The Year 7 and 8 Netball teams have been producing some good performances under Mrs Ferguson. The teams have played some friendly games this year and have developed in every game. The girls have shown fantastic commitment and discipline attending training every week.

The Girls Basketball team have fixtures awaiting them before the Christmas break, with a talented team assembled for the challenge ahead.

The Football teams have been hard at work this season, the Year 8 squad in particular getting a valuable victory against Stuart Bathurst. All the teams have been improving with every game, with lots of potential for the future. The lads have been involved in fixtures against other schools and against other Year groups, which have brought some tasty full-capacity encounters. The Basketball squads have started their season with some impressive performances. The Year 8 team is competing in a Year 9 league and has nearly caused two upsets in its first two games. The Year 11 team has looked full of promise, beating Wordsley and losing narrowly to Kingswinford.

This year has seen the introduction of the Sports Captain system to the school.

A talented group of Year 10 and 11 leaders has been working hard in its own time to coach and assist with extra-curricular clubs and teams. Notably Dan Richards, Mark Ganderton and Brandon Hall have been instrumental in helping Mr Hooley with the younger football teams.

Nic Holness, Reece Maxwell and Osmaan Ghaffor have given many lunchtime and after school sessions to develop the Key Stage 3 basketball teams.

Deepika Khali and Saffron Williamson have been a fantastic help with the Year 7, 8 and 9 Netballers.

We have many talented individuals who compete at a high level outside school in their own sports. Joe Fairfax has qualified for the West Midlands Cross Country competition after a stunning performance in the Dudley section.

This year has many more twists and turns for all the teams at Castle High. We will be keeping you updated with results, performances and achievements through the website and on the Shout Out page. Keep tuned for all the action as soon as it happens!

Parking outside school is dangerous!Please don’t park on the yellow markings