News from the Principal News for parents, carers, pupils, students of the Academy and the community of Paignton PCSA Christmas 2012 It's Panto Time!! PCSA proudly presents Dick Whittington The Academy’s Faculty of Creative Arts & Design Technology is proud to be presenting its sixth full scale Christmas Pantomime: this year it is ‘Dick Whittington’ and we feel sure it will be as brilliant as the last five! This highly ambitious venture involves a cast of 50 actors, singers and dancers ranging from Year 7 to Year 13. The production is fully costumed and has all the advantages of being in a Theatre with lighting and sound. Tickets can be purchased through the Palace Avenue Theatre Box Office Tel: 01803 665800 or by completing the reply slip already sent to you by the Head of Faculty. Mrs Sian Dale. Performance dates are Wednesday, 12th and Thursday, 13th December at 7.30pm and ticket Prices are as follows: Adults £8.50, Children/Senior Citizens £6.00, Family Ticket £24.00 (2 adults and up to 3 children). Children in Need The Academy took part in various activities to support Children in Need on Friday, 16th November. PCSA will be donating over £700 to Children in Need as a result of donations for wearing non-uniform clothes, bake sales, gladiators, lunchtime roller disco, a penalty shoot out and much, much more! Some brave girls from Borough Road also took a sponsored dip into the freezing cold sea on Paignton Beach. The photograph shows members of our staff really getting into the spirit of the day. Our thanks go to all the students and staff who took part in this fundraising event. Page 1 A Festive Message from: Jane English Principal We have had a very busy and exciting Autumn Term with as always lots of activity taking place. This Newsletter gives an account of some of these activities. A major event in the history of the College has taken place and we are now an Academy. We look forward to working alongside our partners Prospects as the Academy moves forward. As Christmas approaches we have a range of activities taking place to celebrate the festive season. I hope you will be able to join us. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and successful 2013. Inside this issue …….. Christmas Events Page 3 School Uniform Page 4 Activities Week Page 5 Year 7 Fresher's Camp Page 7 Academy Logo page 8 English Examination/Controlled Assessment Dates Page 9 Term Dates 2014/15 and 2015/16 Page 11 6th Form News Page 13 Careers Information Page 17 Focus on Sport Page 18 Attendance Page 23 Free School Meals Information Page 25 Information for your Notice Board Page 26 Page 2 Christmas Events at PCSA Christmas Lunches The Carol Service Pupils’ Christmas Lunches will be held on the The Academy Carol Service will be held on following Dates and times: Wednesday, 19th December at 5.30 pm. Borough Road Centre For the second year running the Carol Service Tuesday, 18th December 2012 will be held at St Mary's Parish Church in Collaton St Mary with the kind permission of Waterleat Road Centre Rev. Gillian Maude. Wednesday, 19th December 2012 The programme is made up of readings (from the Bible and well known literature); traditional The cost of the lunch will and modern Christmas Carols and pieces of be £2.10 for two courses Christmas Music performed as solos, duets and and the canteen kindly trios. request that all lunches are ordered in advance. The Academy Choir will be performing as well as Pupils who are entitled to the Staff Choir. a free lunch will receive a free Christmas lunch. Refreshments will be served at the end of the Service. All are welcome to attend: admission is free and Last Day of Term there will be a retiring collection. Friday, 21st December is the last day of the Autumn Term. The school day will end for students in Years 7—11 at 2.00 pm after a Final Assembly. Year 11 will finish at 1.00 pm and the 6th Form will finish after their Final Assembly which will be held at 10.00 am. Unfortunately we cannot arrange for buses to pick up students early, however, if any pupil is unable to leave at this time they may wait in the Library at Waterleat Road or Reception at Borough road until the normal finishing time. Staffing News I would like to inform you that Marilyn Newton will be retiring from her post as Assistant Principal as of 31st of December 2012. Marilyn has worked in the Academy for 13 Years and has put in huge amounts of hard work during that time, making significant contributions to the development of the Academy. I am sure you would all join me in wishing her well in her retirement. Miss Wilkinson will take over the role Head of Year 7 until a permanent Head of Year is employed. Sadly the following staff will also be leaving us: Mr Shaw, Head if ICT and Business Studies; Mrs Webley, MFL Teacher; Miss Dietrich, Science Teacher, Mrs Carter, Sports Technician and Mrs Henderson, First Aider. We wish them all well for the future. Page 3 International Links Kampala, Uganda I travelled to Lagos for the second time this The Academy continues to support the Malaika year to head the school Leadership Programme Babies Home, in particular Year 8 have been for the British Council. Mr Maunder from very hard-working in support of the Oldway Primary School and Mr Lock from ChildsiFoundation who run the home. Combe Pafford Business and Enterprise School joined me in working alongside 15 Nigeria Headteachers. We were there for 3 days to undertake work in the schools and organise a conference. During our stay our hosts arranged for us to be presented to His Royal Majesty Oba (Dr) Salaudeen Afolabi Adekoya and the Queen, Her Royal Majesty Amb. Olori Muyibat Olayinka Oyesfusi and their chiefs. Some representatives from Year 8 were involved in a Skype session with the Babies’ Home. They met the babies, the staff and were treated to a wonderful drumming session from the carers. They then had the opportunity to interview the General Manager, the Senior Social Worker and the Care Manager. The questions were searching but well received and gave a real insight into living and working in Kampala and the work of the Malaika Home. We are in the process of developing a link with a school called Stand Tall Training Centre, a school which promotes vocational skills and enterprise activities. discuss this matter further please do not hesitate Body Piercing, Hair and to contact the appropriate Key Stage Manager or Head of Year. Make Up Make-up should be discreet, avoiding high Over the Academic Year there has been a fashion styles. Extreme hair colour and styles marked increase in the number of students with are not acceptable. Pupils displaying these facial or body piercings. The Governors have a styles will be educated out of normal lessons. clear policy regarding this matter stating that Coloured nail varnish should not be worn. only one stud or sleeper earring in each ear is permitted. All other facial or body piercings should be removed during the school day (plastic School Uniform retainers are not permitted as an alternative). The Governors took this decision on the grounds May I remind parents that students should of health and safety some time ago and, as a always come to school in full uniform. result, the school policy with regard to piercing is regularly publicised throughout the school year. Full details of the Academy uniform can be found at: If your son/ daughter is thinking of having a http://www.paigntoncommunitycollege.com/ piercing, then I would ask you to think very uniform/ carefully about the timing of such a procedure as there is usually a time span, immediately after Please contact your child’s Head of Year if you the event, when the piercing cannot be removed. have any concerns or questions regarding The College will not be able to make any uniform. allowances during this time. Should you wish to Page 4 After fierce competition, a sterling performance Publisher’s Challenge from each group and much deliberation from the three judges, the winners were announced - In October 2012 it was Publishers’ Challenge fourth place: Connor Miles and Dominic Stock- time of year again: the whole of Year 8, er; third place: Holly Fitzpatrick and Jackson working in groups, took part in a competition in Zheng; second place: Will Shepherd, Abi Jones English lessons where they had to select, read, and Sam Baker;. The winners were Thafisha review and promote a book of their choice Alam, Kaska Dalton and Charley Birtles! Watch which they felt would be suitable for the school out, Penguin Books! PCSA are coming! to purchase for our students. The groups were The morning was very enjoyable the judges required to invent a suitable publishing house were delighted to see the hard work the name, slogan and book series name. students had put into their display materials Students created advertising materials for their and to hear the level of maturity of persuasion publishing house and invented a suitable ‘offer’ in the students’ talks on their new book series. Every group within each English class presented their sales pitch to the class and a winning group was chosen from each class to represent the class in the final competition in the school library which was transformed into a publishers’ fair where a panel of judges- the prospective ‘customers’- quizzed the publishers about their deals, their book choice and how it would benefit the school.