The Droylsden Academy Magazine

May 2012 Issue 7

Official Opening Ceremony of Droylsden Academy

The new Academy building was officially opened on Tuesday 28th February 2012.

Invited guests were greeted by the Head Boy Ben Thomson and Head Girl Emma Bowker; they enjoyed a drinks and canapés reception and music performed by a String Quartet from the Northern Chamber Orchestra. Guests were then free to wander the Academy building before the formal part of the evening began. Contents

Page 2 French Trip to Paris

PageThe 3 Geography newsletter Field Trip of Droylsden Academy Assault Course Fire Brigade Visit

Page 4-5 Academy Activities throughout the Year

Page 6 The RSC at Droylsden A four piece jazz band entertained the guests Academy whilst they took their seats for the formalities Sporting Achievements in the auditorium. Budding Photographer Mr Davies welcomed guests and thanked Page 7 Festival Programme everyone for attending and their continued support; the Head Boy and Girl gave a joint Competitions speech and told guests how they had managed the changes from single sex schools, to the Page 8 Library Corner Academy, the new experiences the Academy offered students and then the move into the new Academy building in January.

A Youthful United Nations Speeches were also made by the sponsor and Chair of Governors Mr Peter Ryder – Principal Tameside College, the Executive Leader of Tameside Council Councillor Mr Higgins and Mrs Warren took a Mr Kieran Quinn and Councillor Mr Gerald Cooney. small group of year 11 to attend a Model United Nations weekend. They The formal opening of the new Academy was performed by represented two countries, preparing Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester – debates, and amendments to policy Mr Warren Smith JP. statements on all sorts of current global issues. They were addressed by the Guests were MP Andrew Stunnel and Emma Barnet entertained with musical performances Media Editor of the Telegraph. Droylsden by Miss Platt, Lucy Academy was one of many schools and Mounfort, Danielle 6th form colleges who attended as well Foley and Anya as some from other countries. As always, Simpson and dancers it was a big occasion where they met, Sian Gregory, Ellis Pye listened to and took part in debate with and Ellie Sutcliffe. students from all over.

Manor Road, Droylsden, Manchester, M43 6QD Tel: 0161 301 7600 www.droylsdenacademy.com 2

French Trip to Paris

It was 3am and my eyes were barely shutting when Mum came in to wake me up. I was tired but really excited because today was the day we were going to Paris!

The trip was really long and the sea was After the Eiffel Tower we went on a boat trip Then we got quite rough so loads of us felt a bit sick on down the Seine and saw loads of different back on the the ferry. parts of Paris, like the Latin Quarter, Notre coach and saw Dame Cathedral from the water and the Mont Martre When we got to the hostel we had some smallest house on the River in Paris. It was and the dinner and went to find our rooms, which one window wide! Moulin Rouge were massive! Some of them had 7 beds in Windmill. them. It was good because all the people After the Seine we had lunch by the river and in my room got on really well together and then went to the Palace of Versailles which After Marie on the first night, because we had been is covered in gold. We were told that the had left the travelling all day, we all just fell asleep really king who built the palace, Louis XIV, was also coach we quickly. called the Sun King and he moved from Paris went to a because he didn’t feel safe there anymore. park at the There were hundreds of rooms with massive bottom paintings on all the ceilings and the gardens of the were hugely exquisite with really nice views Champs Elyse of the countryside outside Paris. and had our lunch. We then walked down the Champs Elyse and had That evening we were all really tired from some free time to go up one side of the road doing so much, we had dinner and everyone and meet up with the teachers before we had the opportunity to either go to their all crossed the road and had an hour and rooms or go for a little walk. I went with a half to walk back down the other side. It Miss Hutchinson and we found a little was really good because we felt safe as the supermarket, a bank and loads of other teachers were close but it was nice to be able shops but they were closed because it was to go in groups and practice our French by after 5pm. When we got back, everyone ourselves. We went to McDonalds, a sweet came back downstairs and we had a quiz shop and some clothes shops, but it was in our room groups. We had to think of quite expensive. something French to call our groups. We didn’t win. After we all met again we walked back to the coach we went back to the hotel On the second day in Paris we had a tour for dinner and to change. Then we went of the city on the bus with a little grandma bowling in a dodgy little place underground. called Marie. She was really interesting and It was good fun though and I beat everyone showed us where Napoléon Bonaparte is on our lane. Callum Grimshaw won the buried in a hospital for soldiers, that was overall prize though with a really high score. covered in gold, and that he has 7 different coffins. We were all really tired after bowling so we went back to our rooms and fell asleep The next day was Miss Hutchinson’s birthday She also showed us the place where Marie almost straight away. I couldn’t believe it and we all sang to her on the coach on the Antoinette and King Louis XIV were was the last day already and I wanted to stay way to the Eiffel Tower. We had to line up beheaded in the Revolution. We stopped near for a little bit longer. for ages to get into the lifts to go to the the Cathedral of Notre Dame and went inside; second level but it was well worth it. It was the stained glass windows were amazing. I had a great time and I am definitely going a really clear, sunny day and you could see Marie told us that it used to be a sanctuary to go on another languages trip! Thank you! all of Paris. There was a really expensive for anyone that needed it and you couldn’t shop with tourist stuff in and a hole with even be arrested by the Police! We had a By Nathaniel Ainsworth Year 9 glass over it so you could see all the people look around the outside and saw the flying walking around below. We couldn’t go to buttresses which were even more impressive the top; it was closed because of the wind. from the land than from the Seine.

The Droylsden Academy Magazine Inspiring Minds 3

Geography field trip to Aldbrough, East Riding of Yorkshire On Friday the 20th of April we set out from school to go to Aldbrough to have first-hand experience of the effects of coastal erosion. We have been learning

about mass movement and the fact that in some areas On Saturday we had 3 hours of revision in the morning and then we the coast is eroding at up to 1 metre a month. To try went to Flamborough to see a lighthouse and some stacks, caves, and prevent this in some places millions of pounds arches, stumps, sea platforms and headlands and bays. Whilst we were looking more closely at the notches and caves we saw three have been spent on defences to protect the coastline. seals. Then some of the class went in the lighthouse to look around. After that Mr Jackson said we’d earned some time off so we went to We first went to Aldbrough, which is one of the places worst Bridlington. There was a fair so we all got an hour to go off in our affected by erosion. We drove up a lane and the road just suddenly groups to have some time away from the teachers (we needed it, stopped where the cliffs had slumped. You could still see the road in they are hard work!) short sections; but below where it should be and where there used to be static caravans, there were broken sewer pipes and disused After dinner we had a quiz that our team won and Mr Jackson was service pipes randomly poking from the clay. It was quite scary to showing us all card tricks and we could have time to just chill and stand on the edge because you could see cracks in the grass where play on the Wii or watch TV. the next chunk of cliff would break away. On Sunday we got to stay in bed a little bit longer (8.30!) longer After that we went to Hornsea where the council have built three and went out after breakfast to see Spurn Point, which is a natural different defences to prevent the road from falling into the sea. landform called a spit. This is where deposits of sand and rocks We saw riprap just below the cliff- this would help stop some of the create a new piece of land. On the spit there are loads of specialised energy from the sea hitting the cliff. Another defence we saw was salt loving plants and creatures like lugworms and dunlins. a ‘groyne’, which catches material that is suspended in the sea, this would form a beach. The last defence we saw was a sea wall, this After the work, we played rounders on the beach before getting would make the sea energy turn on itself because of the curve of the back in the bus to go to a bird hide further back towards the wall. mainland. A Yorkshire Wildlife Trust representative told us about all the eco-friendly and sustainable materials they have used on the spit After that we went to a guest hotel, which was in the middle of to help maintain the habitat for the creatures that live there; like nowhere and played a game called ‘qubes’. This is a Scandinavian the road that absorbs water and can be moved in small blocks if they game where you throw bits of wood at blocks of wood to knock decide that the area has too much wear and tear. them over. The rooms were really spacious and the beds were so comfortable I fell asleep instantly. By Megan Boyle Year 11

Assault course Fire As part of the Leadership unit Brigade of Mr Dixon’s BTEC Sport group, the students participated in visit the Army’s assault course and teambuilding sessions at the Mr Higgins has barracks near Bury. As part of recently set up the day, the students had to good links with complete logistical problem GM Fire Service solving exercises, complete the where the Fire physical fitness and Rescue teams runs and of course come in and talk tackle the famous about the dangers obstacle course. of dangerous The students really driving. They enjoyed themselves have come in and are asking to several times this term and worked with a variety go back!!!! of groups. The photos here are of the year 10 Foundation Learning group when they watched a volunteer being cut out of a vehicle.

www.droylsdenacademy.com May 2012 Issue 7 4

academy activities throughout the year

Monday 23rd January 2012 is the centenary of Alan Turing - code-breaker, mathematician and founding father of computer science. Although he died relatively young, Alan Turing made a unique impact on the history of computing, computer science, artificial intelligence, developmental biology, and the mathematical theory of computability. The Alan Turing Centenary Cryptography Competition is a cryptography competition aimed at school children in Years 7-11 to celebrate his centenary. It is organised by the School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester. Miss. Morton’s Year 9 math class is currently taking part.

Thursday 15th March

On Thursday 15th March a group of Year 9 students attended Manchester University to participate in a STEM event. The event consisted of a variety of stalls demonstrating scientific experiments, maths puzzles Wednesday 8th February and robotics. To On Wednesday 8th February a group of Year 11 students follow on from spent the day at Manchester University and studied the 2011 the morning earthquake which hit Japan off the Pacific coast of Tohoku. session we They looked at the effects of the earthquake which lead to walked along the Tsunami which caused a number of nuclear accidents, Oxford Road to primarily the on-going level 7 meltdowns at three reactors another building in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, to take part in and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of some afternoon thousands of residents. experiments.

Wednesday 25th January

On Wednesday 25th January the Navy Fit for Life team came to the Academy and worked with both the Sport department and Catering department. In Sport they did team building and fitness. In Catering they did demonstrations and the students got to make a chicken curry and added a special ingredient of a mini Bounty chocolate bar.

The Droylsden Academy Magazine Inspiring Minds 5

Easter holidays

Work experience took place just before the Easter holidays. Year 10 students had the opportunity to go to a work placement of their choice for a week. These placements ranged from garages to hairdressers, from primary schools to clerical and many more. Ms. Williams had the pleasure of visiting the majority of the year group in their place of work and received Tuesday 20th March some very positive feedback from both the students On Tuesday 20th March the whole of Year 7 and employers. had a performance by BAE Systems and the RAF Educational Programme Road Show. Following on from the performance 2 classes took part in a robotics workshop where they got the opportunity to build a mini robot and learn about how they are designed and work.

Wednesday 21st March On Wednesday 21st of March three teams of 4 Year 10 students gave up an afternoon of their Work Experience week to participate in the annual High Thursday 19th April School Challenge hosted by Hyde Clarendon College. The annual primary school competition started on Several schools took part in the heats where one of Thursday 19th April. The theme for this year has been our teams made it through to the semi-finals. Semi- tied into the Olympic Games as the design is to be finalists consisted of Ben Lomas, Jack Clare, Jake displayed in our Perform wedge which consists of Chambers and Cameron Hall. sport, drama, dance and music. We will keep you up dated on the progress of the competition where the winning designs will be displayed and judged at our Summer Fair which will take place on Saturday 7th July at the Academy.

www.droylsdenacademy.com May 2012 Issue 7 6

The RSC Sporting at Droylsden Academy! achievements As you know the Year The Rubbish Shakespeare Company also To act out the characters we had to make 10 boys football team, known as the RSC came to Droylsden different positions using our body by lost 3-2 on penalties (0-0 Academy in March, but are they really so starting from our shoes and working our rubbish? way to the top of our heads. We focused extra time) in the final on the three main characters which were of the ‘Tameside Cup.’ It Well the Year 8 students at Droylsden Ariel, Prospero and Caliban. was an extremely close don’t think they are. RSC might not be as amazing as the Royal Shakespeare We then had our chance to shine; they and well fought game. Company but they are much funnier and placed us into groups and gave each we students loved them. group a different scene to practise. Throughout the cup, the boys have played some excellent They showed the year 8 students their Finally the most relaxing part of the football and put in 100% version of ‘The Tempest’ play then played lesson; we got to sit down and watch our effort into every game. some drama and Shakespeare games. fellow classmates work. I can guarantee We have beaten some very Students got to do their own Tempest that it will not only be us that will say this, strong opponents, including play at the end of the day and they were but the Rubbish Shakespeare Company Audenshaw, Copley High School fantastic. All of this in the 3 hours they was AMAZING. The morning was very and St Thomas Moore. The were at the Academy! enjoyable and we had lots of fun. We hope we can see them perform again. organiser of the Tameside Cup, The company was made up of four men who has been at a number of and they played 2 or 3 characters each. By Liam McGann, Will Moxon and our games, not only commented ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare has Judyta Klimecka Year 8 on the boys’ excellent about 10 characters in it and for them to footballing ability, but also their perform all of them was exhausting to ‘outstanding behaviour’ and watch! ‘great team spirit.’

So congratulations to the Budding from each week, following boys who have along with a report represented the Academy: Photographer of the match, to the Tameside Advertiser Max Barraclough whom have been My interest in photography started very helpful in Rhys Taylor when I was 9 years old, with sports publishing my work Jamie Nolan photography always being a priority of by including two of mine. I have helped out at numerous my photographs in Jack Ward football, rugby and cricket clubs within their newspaper. the Tameside area in a bid to publicise Ross McCarthy their club and my work. My second photo was taken in Betws Adam Crawshaw Y Coed in North Wales in the Conwy Every Valley whilst on a trip around England Kane Hickman weekend, and Wales. To capture the majestic I follow beauty of the flowing water, I used long Jack Eaton Droylsden exposure photography by lowering Scott Anderson Cricket the shutter speed on the camera which Club gives a misty effect whilst keeping the Josh Statham © around background sharp and in focus. This Tameside allowed me to seize the essence of fast DJ Horan which helps me to improve my skills flowing water. in photography whilst doing my GCSE Callum Green coursework. Droylsden Cricket Club Tim Abram Eddie North have asked me to publish my best photo Callum Divine Alex Cohen Connor Roberts Josh Ellingworth

The Droylsden Academy Magazine Inspiring Minds 7

Manchester Children’s Book Festival Schools’ Programme

Many of the events listed on the main Festival Programme and running during the school day from Monday 2nd - Friday 6th July are free to attend. See each individual event for further details and book places. This information can be found on the website: www.mcbf.org.uk

Meet the author: story reading Coming up . . .

The Manchester Writing School at Manchester • Soon to be launched – ‘The Poetry of Art’: a brand new Metropolitan University is thrilled to welcome Dame competition which encourages year 5,6,7,8 & 9 pupils to engage with the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy, John Agard, Jacqueline Wilson, one of today’s most successful and well- Grace Nichols and Philip Gross through the medium of art. loved children’s writers. Her work is cherished across the Details soon to be posted on the competitions page. world and has sold over 30 million copies in the UK alone. • Young writers aged between 14-16 from the North West will soon be invited to take part in the third Portico Come and hear the utterly brilliant Jacqueline talk about Library’s Young Writers mentoring programme. Details of her fantastic stories, such as Hetty Feather, The Story of this will appear on the competitions page shortly. Tracy Beaker and her new book The Worst Thing About My • Workshops to promote the Mother Tongue / Other Sister. Hear about how she first became a writer and about Tongue competition will shortly be offered to schools who her writing routine. There will be a chance for you to ask have expressed an interest in this multi-lingual poetry your own questions, and a limited book signing after the competition. Sign up via the link on the competitions page event. to receive further details of this. Or see www.mtot.org.uk • The Manchester School of Art will shortly be distributing As Jacqueline Wilson will only be available for a limited their ‘Exhibitors’ Packs’ for the ‘Out of Schools’ exhibition time, the holders of the first 200 tickets sold will be able to schools from across Greater Manchester. Contact Clare to get their books signed – so book early! You will be Knox-Bentham on [email protected] for details. contacted as the event approaches to let you know if you have one of the 200 ‘golden tickets’! The signing is limited to one book per person. The Manchester Children’s Book Festival and its partner organisations present a number of Jacqueline Wilson competitions for schools and young people. Mother Tongue Other Tongue Tuesday 3rd July 2012 6.30 – 8.00pm Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a poetry competition MMU Geoffrey Manton Building that celebrates cultural diversity and the many languages Tickets: £11/£7.70 concessions currently spoken in secondary schools across the North West Book on 0843 208 0500 or via www.mcbf.org.uk of England. Closing date · Monday 28th May 2012 · Open to young people aged between 12 and 18 (school years 7-13) Presentation of prizes at MCBF Family Fun Day on Saturday MCBF Reading and Writing Relay 30th June 2012 by Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy.

During the main week of the 2012 Manchester Children’s All Write! 2012 Book Festival, we want people across the world to be reading Inviting original creative writing in any genre children’s books and writing for children – so we’re launching on any topic in any language. the MCBF Reading and Writing Relay. Closing date · Monday 4th June 2012 · For ages 8 – 12 (school years 5, 6 and 7) – ideal for On Monday 2nd July 2012, there’ll be a reading event at use in school transition projects Manchester Metropolitan University after which one of our ‘Festival Runners’ will set off with a special baton, which will Presented by the Manchester Children’s Book be delivered to a Manchester school. The school will then pick Festival and the Manchester Writing School up the baton and start their reading, before passing it on to at MMU. the next group. Alongside this, we’ll be launching a ‘virtual baton’ on the Festival website, and readers and writers all over The Poetry of Art the world will be invited to pick up the baton and tell us what A competition that invites 8-16 year olds to respond they’ve been reading or writing on the Festival website blog. artistically to poems that will be performed at the Carol Ann Duffy and Company event on Thursday 5th July. So, whether you’re a school arranging an in-class reading, a Winning pieces of art will be exhibited at the Festival and group of adults planning an overnight read, or a children’s will provide the back-drop to this exciting event. Artist-led writer working on a new story – everyone can get involved! workshops will be offered to participating schools. Sign-up for the Festival mailing list to be kept up-to-date Details will be emailed to schools signed up on the MCBF with all the latest developments and news about the Relay on mailing list. In the meantime, contact: mcbf.org.uk. www.mcbf.org.uk Open to young people aged between 8 and 16.

www.droylsdenacademy.com May 2012 Issue 7 8

Library Corner

The current Children’s their chosen Laureate for 2011-2013 is the books. There is a writing award winning author Julia element Donaldson. Her triumphs to the include ‘The Gruffalo’ amongst competition others and the teenage novel for the ‘Running on the Cracks’. students to enjoy

too. This gives them the chance to The Children’s Laureate is a position share their thoughts about their awarded in the UK every two years to favourite book with a child in another a distinguished writer or illustrator of Commonwealth country. Children’s books.

The competition will run until Friday Children’s Laureates: 29 June 2012. Students can take part in both elements of the competition Years Author or choose just the Diamond Reader or 1999–2001 Quentin Blake Diamond Writer. 2001–2003 Anne Fine 2003–2005 Michael Morpurgo The Droylsden Academy THE 2005–2007 Jacqueline Wilson TIMES SPELLING BEE TEAM 2012 is: YEAR 7s 2007–2009 Michael Rosen 2009–2011 Anthony Browne 1. William Clare 2011–2013 Julia Donaldson Running on the Cracks 2. Samuel Quinn This is a novel for teenagers. 3. Kaiynath Rabnwaz Once again this Year the Academy Leo’s running from her past. Finlay’s 4. Jacob Allen will be working alongside the public running into trouble. Together they libraries in delivering the Summer stumble into a crazy new world of The team play on-line: Thursday 29th Reading Challenge events across secrets, lies and Chinese food. But March 2012. Tameside . We will be recruiting someone is on Leo’s trail … Don’t tread volunteers for the Summer reading on the cracks. If you tread on a crack it If successful, the team will be invited Challenge after Easter and hope to could be him. to a live semi-final in May; the winners match the same record number of of the ten regional semi-finals will Academy participants as in previous Winner of the Nasen Inclusive compete in the Grand Final in London years. We had more volunteers than Children’s Book Award 2009. (This in June for the title of Spelling Bee any other Tameside School, quite award is for a book that provides Champions. impressive! positive images of people with special educational needs and disability, Spell Help: This Year’s Summer Reading Challenge including mental health issues.) There are lots of fun, activities and is called ‘Story Lab’ (see attached). games where students can challenge Volunteers will be invited from all Year Shortlisted for the The Independent each other or other schools etc. on The groups to assist with these reading Booksellers award. Times Spelling Bee website: sessions and related activities at www.timespellingbee.co.uk different libraries across the borough. It is excellent experience for those ALL STUDENTS can improve their students who would enjoy working spelling, word bank and vocabulary with children and carries an element of just by logging on and making a responsibility. It is also a great way of profile. meeting new like-minded friends. All interested students need to come and A Parent /Carer e-mail address is see Miss Thompson in the LRC for an The competition in a nutshell required if under 18 and students need application form. To mark the Queen’s 60 year reign, to add the Academy post code: M43 members of the Royal Family are going 6QD. The new Library App on a tour of the Commonwealth. This now means that students can log By taking part in The Big Diamond into the Library system from home Jubilee Read the students will set off from their iphone/tablet. See the on their very own tour too, moving Academy website for details. around Commonwealth countries on a fun classroom wall map as they read Created by www.concept4.com (ref 4851 05/12), an ISO9001 Quality and ISO14001 Environmental accredited company. (ref 4851 05/12), Created by www.concept4.com

Manor Road, Droylsden, Manchester, M43 6QD Tel: 0161 301 7600 www.droylsdenacademy.com