October 2011 Issue 8 Welcome Back to Our First Prayer Term As an Academy
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ST. JOSEPH’S NEWS October 2011 Issue 8 www.stjosephs.swindon.sch.uk Welcome back to our first Prayer term as an Academy. A special greeting to all our new Year 7 Dear Lord Jesus, parents and students. I hope that Help the members of Buckfast House get through all the everyone had a relaxing summer activities we are given. break whether you stayed at home or Help us to understand everything we are going to do. went overseas. It is a pity, however, that Give us the courage to take part in every activity and we got our summer in October! help us to encourage others to do their best. This is always an exciting time, the start of a Amen new academic year when we look forward to the many opportunities that will unfold over the Be the best you can be coming months. Friday 30th September marked the launch day of the ‘Be It is normal for me at this time of year to report on our the Best you can Be’ programme at St. Joseph’s Catholic examination results with which we are very pleased. Our College. Inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games, the ‘A’ Level results, in particular, were excellent. The College programme is based on the Olympic values of Respect, average points score (APS) per student this year was 681 Friendship, Excellence, Courage, Determination, Equality APS, an increase from 568 in 2009, with 43% of students and Inspiration. The activities are designed to enthuse achieving A/B (29% in 2009). The Sixth Form has been students with a desire to be a part of the Olympic Legacy. identified as significantly improving and was mentioned 218 Year 7 students took part in the launch day which in the Sutton Trust report as getting more students to began with an inspirational talk from Mark Richardson. university as a percentage than our nearest three Sixth Mark is a former world class athlete who has won honours Form colleges. at all the major Athletic Championships. His career The College is extremely proud of this achievement; it highlights include winning an Olympic Silver Medal in is one of the reasons for our expanding Sixth Form as the 4x400m relay at Atlanta in 1996. Students relished well as our membership of Villiers Park Educational Trust. the opportunity to listen to Mark’s story and question This initiative enables students who have no history him about his career in athletics. of further education in their family, to get to the ‘elite’ Year 7 students then went on to complete their own universities. success maps, based on their dreams and goals for the GCSE results saw English achieving 74% A*- C and Maths future. 66% with 75% of students achieving 5 A*- C. The RE Lucie Blake, 7L said “It was exciting to meet an Olympic department was our star department this year with 82% athlete like Mark” of students achieving A*- C. Sasha Brady, 7C said “It was inspirational and has definitely As always, the College is not complacent about its helped to build my confidence” results; detailed evaluation has already taken place with each subject area. This is to ensure that strengths are Michael Yap, 7S said “The day has been really interesting; identified and areas for improvement noted and worked meeting an athlete and learning about the Olympics” on in the coming months. Kyathleen Gurung, 7A wrote “Today was brilliant from The College has been granted Gifted and Talented status the moment we stepped into our class to the moment along with Business and Enterprise by the Schools we left school. The highlight today was meeting Mark Network. The focus for our Continuing Professional Richardson and knowing his story and how he persevered Development (CPD) training for staff this year is ‘raising through many obstacles. I think that we used B&E skills, aspirations’ for all through the Gifted and Talented asked questions and teamwork. I really enjoyed today programme and Villiers Park programmes. and I hope that we have many more” I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr A Stoten (Buckfast) and Mr N Hathaway (Walsingham), our two new Assistant Principals who will work alongside Mrs Bailey (Glastonbury) and Mr Slater (Evesham) and our other new colleagues. Each Assistant Principal is responsible for a House under our new system with each House being assigned a Student Manager and a Head of House. You may find it useful to make a note of who these are for future reference. I have no doubt you will hear a lot more about the House system from the students over the next year. M Harries, Principal What’s going on? Student Destinations Dates for your diary ICT News The summer of 2011 marked the end of what was a very successful year for our College Sixth Form. Our students 18th October Sixth Form Open Evening Information Technology is becoming more and more Alana Turner a major part of everybody’s life; IT systems at work, have certainly made the most of the opportunities at St. 21st October College closes for Students games consoles at home, mobile phones for virtually Joseph’s and we wish them every success in the future. Studying Sport at Gloucester 1st November Students return to College every teenager, email, facebook and twitter replacing The destinations of our Sixth Form students are wide- University conventional communication methods. The rapid 8th November GCSE Music & College Singers Concert ranging; they include degree programmes, gap years, development in IT technologies throws up challenges of 14th November Anti-Bullying Week how to keep students up to date with these changes, employment, apprenticeships and joining the Armed Forces. 15th November Year 11 Parents Evening (Population P) whilst still covering the essential requirements of the ICT national curriculum. 23rd November Year 11 Parents Evening (Population Q) Destination % of students For the last two years at St. Joseph’s, we have introduced University in UK 48% 6th December Christmas Celebration Concert a topical ICT theme every week to make all students 16th December Christmas Services aware of recent developments and also to stimulate Deferring UCAS application until 12% their understanding of the wider world of IT outside the 2012 and/or Gap year Ryan Sweeney curriculum. Recent themes have included: Employment 12% Studying Law at Reading University Christmas Boxes • ICT’s role in the summer riots Further Education (including 11% In November, Year 9 students will work together with • Updating wikipedia to understand its reliability and specialist courses such as make- members of the Sixth Form during a Flexible Friday to bias make hundreds of Christmas boxes to send out into our • How relevant is ICT to the church? up for film & Performing Arts local community. The students will decorate and fill shoe Across all year groups, students enjoy these “Themes of School) boxes with small gifts to be delivered to people in need the week” and enthusiastically take part in the ensuing Apprenticeship programmes 6% over the Christmas period. We will be producing boxes discussions. If you’d like to keep in touch with what is for young children, teenagers, adults and the elderly. being covered, ask your son or daughter about the week’s topic, or if you’d like to suggest a topical theme, send me Joining the Armed Forces 5% Gillian Langston We are asking members of our College community for an email at [email protected]. donations of shoe boxes and Christmas wrapping paper. Foundation Degree at Swindon 3% Studying Biochemistry at York Please bring such items to G01, G02 and G03. College University Our Year 13 students have been and will continue to Fantasy Football University in USA 1.5% approach local businesses to request donations of items The Fantasy Football league is now up and running with Return to Country of birth 1.5% suitable for the boxes. We would also welcome any good- over 100 teams taking part. This year, we have linked quality but unwanted items you have that could be given the league to the House system, so there will be house as little presents for somebody. points available each month for teams with the most points. It’s not too late to enter a team and entries are We would ask for items such as: small cuddly toys, Katie Blackmore chocolates, soaps, mittens/gloves of all sizes, scarves, open to parents as well – just ask your son/daughter to Catherine Carroll bubble bath, books including novels and children’s books, pick up an entry form from Mr Firth in the Silver Family Studying Mental Health Nursing at Area. For more information, latest standings and house jewellery (ideally in small boxes or pouches), toiletries, Studying Criminology at Cardiff University of West England (UWE) points keep an eye on the notice board in the Music sweets, nail varnishes, toy cars/trains, colouring books University with crayons or pencils, stationary, unwanted DVDs, corridor and on the website at www.schoolfl.com. Good biscuits, tea, hair accessories, small or deflated footballs, luck all! yo-yos, tennis balls, bouncy balls, playing cards, Barbie dolls, small dolls, Lego, Christmas decorations, small board games, and other items you think someone might Josie Prunty like to receive this Christmas. Please also bring such Studying Geography at Lancaster items to G01, G02 and G03. John Jamieson University If you are able to support or contribute to St. Joseph’s English Literature at University of Christmas Boxes in any way, or know anybody who can, Amy Chapman West England (UWE) please get in touch with a member of the RE department Studying Film Studies at as soon as possible.