The TCA Reporter Thomas Clarkson Newsletter Issue No.1 Dec 2017 TCA Festive Newsletter The news publication brought to you by the students of - Thomas Clarkson Academy. The Newsroom Our student journalists report on a plethora of topics, including: current affairs, events, news, technology, art, history, Wisbech, and very importantly - our successes! Our student editors work behind the scenes to design the newsletter and decide on the content for each issue—this being our first of course. :) It may be starting out small, but we intend for it to get BIGGER with each issue. Congratulations to Sammy-Jo Hart (yr 7), the competition winner for our first front cover! If you would like to contribute to THE TCA REPORTER, please email: [email protected] 1 In this edition: March sparkles Festive Edition front cover competition win- ner (pg 1) with March sparkles with Christmas cheer (pg 2) Christmas Cheer An artist’s life - Inspira- tional Artist: Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (pg 3) Celebrity chef cooks up a fun day with TCA students (pg 4) MFL trip to Paris (pg 5 & 6) Competition festive cover, runners-up (pg 7) Mystery poet farewell (pg 8) TCA’s Christmas Pro- duction - Performing Arts (pg 9) Just for laughs (pg 10) I was blessed to witness the majestic lights switch on in Sport (pg 11) March on the 24th of November 2017. There were a variety Technology (pg 12) of things to do while people waited for the lights to be Remembrance service switched on. (pg 13) The lucky people, who had made it on this wintery night, en- Library Ambassadors joyed fun fair rides, Christmas songs and an endless supply (pg 14) of food such as hotdogs, burgers, hot donuts and candy floss. About Thomas Clark- son (pg 15) The lights were switched on at 7pm by Santa. Even though it was very cold, everyone was having fun. The boats had lights Adverts (pg 16) on which were as bright as stars. As most of the rides were on the road, lots of the roads were closed. My favourite part was when Santa threw chocolates at us - people were leaping into the air to catch the chocolate! By Lucy Hunt (yr 8) 2 Inspirational Artist Georgia Totto O'Keeffe was an American artist. She was Nationality American best known for her paintings School of the Art of enlarged flowers, New Education Institute of Chicago York skyscrapers, and New Columbia Universi- Mexico landscapes. ty University of Vir- O'Keeffe has been recog- ginia nized as the "Mother of Art Students American modernism". League of New York Painting Born: 15 November Known for 1887, Sun Prairie, Wiscon- sin, United States American modern- Death and Legacy Died: 6 March 1986, Santa Movement ism In her later years, O'Keeffe Fe, New Mexico, United suffered from macular de- States generation and began to Alfred Stieglitz Spouse(s) (m. 1924; his lose her eyesight. death 1946) Siblings: Ida O’Keeffe, As a result of her failing vi- sion, she painted her last Claudia O’Keeffe, unassisted oil painting in Alexius Wyckoff O'Keeffe, National Medal of Awards Arts (1985) 1972, however, her urge to Anita O’Keeffe, Catherine Presidential Medal create didn't falter. With the Blanche O'Keeffe, of Freedom(1977) help of assistants, she con- The Edward Mac- tinued to make art and she Francis Calyxtus O'Keeffe Dowell Medal in wrote the bestselling Jr. the Arts (1972) book Georgia O'Keeffe (1976). "I can see what I want to paint," she said at the age of 90. "The thing that makes you want to create is still there." By: Lillie-May Groves (yr 9) 3 Mark Lloyd cooks up a feast of fun at TCA with our students We organised an evening meal for par- The task was to prepare, cook and present a ents and the public with Mark Lloyd who 3 course meal for 60 members of the pub- is a celebrity chef. lic. Our parents, a news reporter and the Mayor of Wisbech There was a group of year 10 and 11 stu- (Steve Tierney) dents and we all had a role to play: some were also present as of us were in the customers for the kitchen, and two meal. were decorating the dining area. It Our customers were asked to donate a sum taught us what it of money for which they thought the 3-course would be like to meal was worth. This was a fantastic experi- work in a restau- ence for all, and it helped us with our culi- rant or any cook- nary skills, independence, communication ing environment. skills and team building. We loved working together, it was really fun and we would all The people in- do it again. volved were: Courtney Hill (me), Leo Ma- vor, Lily Pomfrett Beecham, Jas- mine Manderson, Connor Benbow, Gabi Ferreira, Bethanie Graham, A big THANK YOU to Mark Lloyd from Ben Marshall, Lo- Thomas Clarkson Academy and our student ran Hawkins and chefs! Courtney Price. By Courtney Hill (yr 11) 4 The Modern TCA Trip Foreign Languages to (MFL) department PARIS Miss Willows put a huge amount of effort into organizing a fun-packed four-day trip for a coach-load of TCA yr 8 pupils. Mrs Njikang, Mr Arrowsmith and Mr Woodruff went along, too. Here are some highlights of the itinerary: The ‘Parc Astérix’ theme park, where all the rides were based on the well-known and much -loved French cartoon character of the same name. Some of us got wet! 5 The Modern TCA Trip Foreign Languages to (MFL) department PARIS A boat trip down the river Seine which allowed us to see some of the great monuments of the city such as La Cathédrale de Notre Dame, (although the Hunch- back didn’t show). None of us got wet. The Vimy Ridge First World War Memori- al, built to commemorate the sacrifice made by Canadian troops during the 1914- 18 conflict. Canadian guides gave a very detailed account of the horrible conditions which the soldiers were made to endure in the trenches and tunnels. La Tour Eiffel-all 310 metres of it! We made it to the top by tramping up hundreds of steps, before reaching the lift which takes tourists for the final section. The view from the summit was stupendous! Speak to miss Willows if you would like details of the Yr 9/10/11 PARIS trip which will take place in the February HALF-TERM break! 6 TCA Festive front cover runners-up A very big thank you Ellie Wallace yr7 to all of our competi- tion entrants! Here’s the runners-up. Becca Black yr8 Emily Kirby yr 7 Kacey Johnson yr7 Skaiste Tlembetovaite Kiah Jones yr7 yr7 Jack Angel Vingoe yr8 Kzy Appadoo yr8 Chantelle Lott yr8 Wiktorija Trifanova yr7 Imogen Collins yr7 Wiktoria Przychodna yr7 Meida Rucinskaite yr8 7 Poets Corner ‘Twas the Week Before Christmas… ‘Twas the week afore Christmas A mince pie and some fizz And all through the school, Are what’s needed for staff, Students and Teachers were ready for Yule. Who swap Secret Santas, a joke and a laugh. Christmas themed lessons were applauded in Maths, And that’s where we must leave you Whilst kids read Darles Chickens For leave you we must - Just for the laughs! For a new school, a New Year and a new trust! Christmas Lunch was delicious, Full with crackers and hats and “So on English, on Science Nobody cared if they looked a bit daft. On Maths and on all, For you have the magic to grow the school Something for the needy and most deserv- tall!” ing, As Food Drive filled boxes Wished a bony old teacher Send a true Christmas serving. Who flew out of the door. In a wink she was gone before anyone saw. Then it’s on with bright sweaters Some light up - some sing, But she shouted: “Dear Sirs, A Christmassy school really makes the day Dear Ladies, whether Miss or Mrs, swing! A Merry Christmas to all and my Best New Year Wishes!” To celebrate Christmas (and holiday glee), Soon we gather in Eden (Anon) Around the tall tree. The carols have started and Sweet voices are ringing, Student goodbyes sound just like Angels’ singing! Farewell to our mystery poet :( Can you guess who? 8 TCA’s Christmas Production Christmas Concert Date: 6:30pm – 8:00pm 13th December 2017 Where: Thomas Clarkson Academy @ Theatre 9 Ho! * * Just for laughs! Ho! * * Ho! * * Q: What do you say to Santa when he’s This one’ll sleigh you! taking attendance at school? Q: What is the best Xmas present in the A: Present. world? A: A broken drum, you just can't beat it! Q: What did Mrs. Claus say to Santa Claus when she looked up in the sky? Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? A: Looks like rain, dear! A: Frostbite! Q: How much did Santa pay for his Q: What do you call Frosty the Snowman in sleigh? May? A: A puddle! A: Nothing, it was on the house! Q: How will Christmas dinner be different Q: What do you get when you combine a after Brexit? Christmas tree with an iPad? A: No Brussels. A: A pineapple. Q. Why do mummies like Christmas so Q: Why are Christmas trees so bad at much? sewing? A. Because of all the wrapping! A: They always drop their needles! Two snowmen in a field, one turned to the Q: What song do you sing at a snowman's other and said "I don't know about you but birthday party? I can smell carrots."! A: Freeze a jolly good fellow! Q: How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizzas? A: One that's deep pan, crisp and even! Knock knock! Q: What happened to the man who stole Who's there? an Advent Calendar? Hanna A: He got 25 days! Hanna who? Hanna partridge in a pear tree! 10 The Goblins Den With Mr Birch Magic: The Gathering The TCA Reporter needs Warhammer 40K.