NORTH CESTRIAN Diary Dates:

WEEKLY NEWS Friday 10th November 2017 Wednesday 15th November: Issue 45 Year 11 Parents’ Evening

Building work You can’t fail to notice that the building work has commenced. I am grateful to the vast majority of parents who have shown care and consideration for safety by refraining from driving on site, especially during this first phase as the works get established.

The pupils have been very mature and orderly, too. Already, the wider drive entrance is appreciated; in the longer term, this will be a two-lane entry-way. Next week begins the demolition of the old D&T Block – no dynamite, just brick by brick. I am grateful too to our neighbours, Loreto Prep, as they allow builders access from their side as the building forms part of the party wall. The end result will be a nice, new wall, in keeping with the existing boundary.

Prep – supporting your child. Inside this issue:

Prep is the name we give for homework. It is designed to be low stakes but high impact: the learning of key ideas/concepts/facts to enable accelerated learning in the classroom. Important News Importantly, because the prep is straightforward we believe all parents and carers are really well equipped to support their child’s learning. PLEASE – your child has not ‘finished their Prep Support prep’ if all they’ve done is copied work from their knowledge atlas to their prep book. The acid test is: have they learned it? Ask them a few questions on it. Can they remember most, Bake Off some or none of it? Revisit it later and see if more has been learned. Elsewhere in this newsletter we’ve included two summary sheets: Perfect Your Prep 1 and Perfect Your Prep 2. Sports News 1 is aimed at what the child does, whereas 2 is about what goes on in the lessons following the prep. We hope you find them useful. Features

Stoicism Outstanding Learners

In morning briefings we have introduced the children to the concept of stoicism. Its origins PTA News lie in Athens in the 3rd Century BC. It perhaps can best be described as the frame of mind that allows you to wrest happiness from adversity. Life can be challenging for young people, so giving them the tools or at least a compass to rise to the challenges can only be a good thing. Interestingly, to the ancient stoics, they were intent on reaching or obtaining a good life or Eudaimonia. This can also be translated as a ‘thriving’ life. This is, of course, our mission statement. Great Cestrian Bake Off As promised from last week we now have some lovely photographs of the finalists from the Great Cestrian Bake Off (please see page 6). Their cakes were eaten very shortly after! I was very happy to sample the cakes as was Mrs Johnson, chair of the PTA, pictured also. The finalists were Laaibah Ahmed, Harry Doyle, Oscar Infante Addie, Nathan Royle, Sadeen Mreisheh and Nabeel Khan. Nabeel’s Bonfire decoration, with vanilla sponge and orange buttercream eventually won the judges’ favour. Thank you to Stef Williams, Regional Executive Chef with Holroyd Howe, Jeanette Hill (one of the chefs from our canteen), Mrs Johnson, (chair of the PTA ) and our very own Mrs Klutz for judging the very close competition.

2 PREP - SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD 3 PREP - SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD 4 IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Did you know?

If you have any concerns or queries concerning YEAR 11 NOTICE: your son or daughter, the FIRST PORT OF CALL should be WINTER EXAM TIMETABLES the Form Tutor: Email contacts: HAVE NOW BEEN 7EKL [email protected] PUBLISHED 7CBA [email protected] SEE PAGE 5. 7VJE [email protected] 7DWI [email protected] 7WCR [email protected]

8SBE [email protected] 8SMI [email protected] North Cestrian pupils may be eligible to 8TWI [email protected] receive extra funding from central government to support their education. 8JSC [email protected] The Pupil is designed to enhance the progress of children with the 8SWL [email protected] following circumstances:  They are eligible for Free School Meals or have previously been eligible for Free School Meals during some time in the last 6 9SCR [email protected] years (see eligibility below) 9EBU [email protected]  They have been in care of a Local Authority for 1 day or more 9PST [email protected]  They have a parent serving in the Armed Forces, or a parent that has done so in the last 4 years 10JBA [email protected] They have ceased to be looked after by the Local Authority through adoption 10VBR [email protected] Your child might be able to get free school meals if you get any of the 10SAS [email protected] following:  Income Support  Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance 11ACO [email protected]  Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 11PTS [email protected]/  Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 [email protected]  The guaranteed element of Pension Credit

 Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax HEAD OF YEAR 7 Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190) [email protected]  Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit HEAD OF YEARS 8 & 9  Universal Credit [email protected] If you think that any of these circumstances apply to your child, please HEAD OF YEARS 10 & 11 contact Mr. Blackshaw via the school number or via email at [email protected] to assist in unlocking the extra [email protected] funding for which your child is eligible. 5 OUTSTANDING LEARNERS

PLAYER OF THE WEEK IS: Mohamed Shikhrakab, nominated for dedication to practice and attendance.

MATHS OUTSTANDING LEARNERS: The school has paid for all students to have access to IXL to support their maths practice out of lessons. All Year 7 to 11 pupils have been given their login details and students are taking advantage of this by showing an excellent attitude to learning and hard work by using IXL out of lessons. PE Outstanding Learners..

Congratulations to Mrs Bradford’s top IXL users who have carried out independent study to boost their maths – well Congratulations to Amelia Newton and Samuel done! for their recent work and answers during their Cooper Lola Donnelly GCSE PE lessons. Covering the cardio-respiratory topic. Thomas Welch They gave some excellent answers and their prep was Mia Johnson outstanding. Ali Shahin Aiyana Sykes Keep up the good work! Also to Mrs Klutz’s top IXL learners this week: Mr Boswell For Mrs Klutz: Y11s - Brandon Nji, Louis Schneider, Louis Simpkin and Zaina Rennie for great progress on exam questions.

Y10 - Salsabil Mreishah, Uzma Chaudhry and Demi Heywood for consistent positive attitude to learning.

Y9 - Jemima Worth, Joel Dean and Eloise Hevicon for persevering on gradient challenges

Y8 - Shan Ulhaq, Bonnie Mann, Natalie Davies and Junayd Malick for taking on lots of challenge Y7 - Laaibah Ahmed, Keiran Gray, Elise Beswick and Darcia Almond for excellent classwork

For Mrs Roberts:

Nathan Royle in Year 7 for a great contribution and sharing his lovely mathematical analysis

And to: Outstanding Learners for the Maths and Computing Faculty

For ICT KS3 - Noah Connelly POSTCARD WINNERS 6

English Ilyan Marshall - Gold Demi Heywood - Gold Amelia Newton – Silver Malek El –Saeity - Bronze

Our Bake Off finalists! And winner NABEEL KHAN (pictured centre) 7 YEAR 11 WINTER TIMETABLE

GCSE HISTORY REVISION SESSIONS run EVERY week at the following times for all YEAR 10 and 11 HISTORY students.

YOU SHOULD ALL BE ATTENDING AT LEAST 1 A WEEK!

Tuesday 3.30-4.30pm, Miss McTiernan L5

Wednesday 8.00-8.30am, Mrs Cove L3

Thursday 3.30-4.30pm, Mr Cahill Hamblin FEATURES 8

Another happy bunny…...

Due to the unexpected amount that the 7DWi Bake Sale raised, the form voted to split the money between 3 charities. In addition to the Society for Abandoned Animals, they chose JDRF (a type 1 diabetes charity) and The Dog’s Trust.

Thank you again for your cake donations and purchases on the day! Here is a photograph of our animal pen, lucky number 7, currently housing Blue the rabbit.

George Reid’s What to Watch

Watch as many as you can and build up your sophisticated learning!

If any student or parent wishes to send in a review of a programme this week please email [email protected] for a guaranteed handful of achievement points, a place in the newsletter and entry into next week’s Prize Drawer! Day Time Programme Channel Friday 8pm to 9pm The Underground War Yesterday Saturday 8pm to 9pm The Mekong Reiver with Sue Perkins BBC4

Sunday 8pm to 9pm Blue Planet II BBC1

Sunday 10.20 to BBC1 12.30pm Remembrance Sunday

A King’s Speech: Martin Luther King on the Monday 7.30pm to 8pm BBC4 Tyneside Tuesday 8pm to 9pm Border Country: The Story of Britain’s Lost BBC4 Middleland Wednesday 9pm to 10pm Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of BBC4 Love

Thursday 8pm to 9pm Rome’s Invisible City Yesterday 9 FEATURES

Mr Waller’s Creative Writing Superstar

A lovely little poem by Shan Ulhaq - Year 8

Nature And Mr. Bell’s favourite Harry Potter quotation is very apt here…. You never realise how, silent and seamlessly, she blends with “Harry — I think I've just understood the land. something! I've got to go to the library!” And she sprinted away, up the stairs. You never realise how “What does she understand?” said Harry her unique art distractedly, still looking around, trying to can change a dull chill winter into tell where the voice had come from. a boastful shining summer “Loads more than I do,” said Ron, shaking bursting with bright colours. his head. “But why’s she got to go to the library?” You never realise how “Because that’s what Hermione does,” her magic transforms a thoughtless trunk of branches to a sweet home said Ron, shrugging. “When in doubt, go to for singing birds, who wake you each shining day. the library.”

You never realise how her mysterious spells Well done Mishaal keep the earth turning.

Mishaal Azmi (Yr 9)

What a super pupil! He is currently reading two books :

Mishaal says, Harry Potter - “This book is great because when I am reading it I am immedi- ately transported to a magical world! I believe that your imagination will really develop by reading these books. I am currently reading the last section where the two foes battle each other. I read in my spare time and for half an hour before I fall asleep. I love Harry Potter as it based on myths and magic.”

Great Expectations - “Is an excellent book because it is based in old Eng- land. The author uses words that I never knew existed and I have to use the dictionary to look up the definition. I get pulled into this whole new world and I learn that life was hard in the past and it conjures all kinds of images of what is happening!”

See above for Mr Bell’s favourite Harry Potter quote... CAREERS & OPEN EVENT S 10

On Thursday 16 November, from 6pm, King’s School will be holding Sixth Form Options Evening – this is designed to give potential Sixth Form students and their parents a greater understanding of the subject choices available and the syllabus content. Every academic department will give talks during the evening describing the content of their A Level courses. There will also be members of the Sixth Form staff and Admissions team on hand to answer questions about entrance requirements, the admissions process as well as the wider offering of our Sixth Form. SPORTS NEWS 11

Well done to Year 7 student Kiyomi Fujino, (pictured). She was part of Bollin Lacrosse Team which got to the quarter final in the National Finals of the England Lacrosse Primary Schools Pop Lacrosse Championships in June 2017, and they will get an award for this achievement.

UPCOMING SPORT….. The Basketball leagues will be starting in the next couple of weeks. The leagues will be in operation for Year 7 and combined teams for Years 8 & 9 and Year 10 & 11. Students are encouraged to get involved with Wednesday practice and fixtures every week. Cross Country Wednesday 6th December will see the Trafford Cross Country Championships event take place at Crossford Bridge Sports Ground. Students are encouraged to sign up on the noticeboard in the PE corridor. This event is open to all year groups. BadmintonU14 Badminton Tournament at St. Ambrose 28th November. (Boys) U14/16 Badminton 15th November. (Girls)

If you are interested please see Mr Boswell.

Congratulations to the following Year 10 students; Anish Thenayan, Ben Langley, Sriker Gattu& Muhammad Awais for representing the school in the National Badminton Schools Competition. The regional stage was held at St Ambrose on Wednesday 8th November. North Cestrian were drawn against AGSB and Sale Grammar School. It was great for the top seeds Anish and Ben to experience top level opposition. They are used to it playing Sir, but these pupils were top seeds for England. Following the group stage NCS played in the playoff round and successfully beat them 3-2 with a tense final doubles game which saw Sriker and Ben win the vital point. Certificates were issued in Briefing on Thursday and congratulations was deserved. We are now on the look out for any Under 14 players to represent the school in both the boys and girls competition. Any keen badminton players please see myself or Ms Connell.

Mr Boswell 12 PTA NEWS

BAGS TO SCHOOL The Halloween/ Bonfire Night WE WELCOME THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: themed Cake Sale We accept the following ‘good quality’ items for RE-USE: last week raised Men’s, Ladies’ and Children’s clothing Paired shoes (tied together or elastic band around) £101.10

Handbags Thank you for all your donations! Hats Bags Scarves and ties Jewellery  Like us at NCS PTA or follow the link: Lingerie https://www.facebook.com/ Socks Belts Soft toys Household linen Curtains Towels Bedding (bed sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers)

Great PTA night out this week at the Lucardo Escape Rooms in . Great fun and WE ESCAPED!! In good time for the PTA meeting next Thursday (16th November) - hope you can join us!