Great Torrington School IN THIS ISSUE STEM UPDATES YEAR 7 GETTING TO KNOW THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AT RHS ROSEMOOR Great Torrington School Calvesford Road Great Torrington, Devon EX38 7DJ 01805 623531 [email protected] www.gts.devon.sch.uk The Big Bang @ GTS is a STEM event aimed at pupils in years 5 – 7 from across North Devon schools and inspires them to consider science or engineering careers. On Friday 6th October, over 600 pupils from 15 primary and secondary schools from across North Devon attended the fair. The aim of the Big Bang @ GTS is to show pupils how the science of today is the technology of tomorrow, with interactive STEM activities. Throughout the day there was an array of interactive workshops, which involved hands-on practical skills in STEM, from extracting your own DNA in the ‘Who do you think you are?' workshop, to working with green screen technology, making slime and building their own elastic racer buggy to investigate how forces, energy and friction work. The day was a great success with so many young people engrossed in STEM activities provided by a collection of exhibitors from local industry and education. These include, Anglo Krempel, Austin Phillip, Beran Instruments, TDK Lambda, Exeter College, IET, Petroc, SEA, Institute of Physics, Greenfield, Specsavers, X-STK, Eton Aerospace, TT Electronics, National Trust, Science Magic sow, Sciencedipity, Fire brigade, Police, Dr Stuart Davey and Anew South West. The fair, organised in partnership with GTS, North Devon Manufacturers Association and Group Training & Development couldn’t have run without our very kind sponsors, Ernest Cook Trust, Bideford Roundtable, Great Torrington Cavaliers, Holmes Hines Memorial and Engineering and Physical Science Research Council. Thank you to everyone who took part, including our Young GTS Science Ambassadors, who looked after all 600 visitors so very well. THINKING OF OTHERS JUST KEEP GIVING YEAR 11 REUNION A fantastic evening of celebration was held on December 6th, when we welcomed back our ex Year 11 to receive their GCSE certificates and awards. Congratulations to the whole of the 2017 cohort for their GCSE achievements and we wish you all the very best for your future. Award winners: LISA ROKER AWARD – Flynn Miller HEAD OF YEAR AWARD (given for caring service, personality and willingness Presented by Heads of Learning to give time) Caitlin Jackson, James Clement, Rose Mason, Alice Presented by Miss Tracey Amos, on behalf of Mr & Hayward Mrs Roker SCIENCE AWARD - Adam Gasiorowski DARTINGTON AWARD – Keeva Dennis Presented by Mrs Jacqui Royse (given for academic excellence) Presented by Ms Jacqui Royse DAYLIN BROWN AWARD - Joshua Knight (given for being a role model and achieving success H.M. THE QUEEN’S GOLDEN JUBILEE “ICEBERG” despite finding academic journey a challenge) AWARD – Daniel Carter Presented by Miss Tracey Amos (given for contribution to Music and time given in the school community) GOOD CITIZENSHIP AWARD - Trinity Hickford Presented by Mrs Nicola Buckley, on behalf of Great (given for being an outstanding leader within the school Torrington Almshouse, Town Lands and Poors community) Charities Presented by Mr Andy Bloodworth DALZELL AWARD FOR HUMANITIES - Oli Jewitt (given for excellence in Humanities) Presented by Mr John Stanier 3Rs: at the heart of the curriculum 3Rs has had a very busy Autumn term. In all years we have been discussing the delicate subject of bullying: online, in school and out of school too. We take bullying very seriously at Year 10 Plan your Work Experience Great Torrington School and we have tried to reinforce ideas for tackling the issue if and Year 7 - "A Telling Tale" when it arises. We pride ourselves in having teachers, LSAs, The Hardy Centre and PSCs by that care and who are here for the pupils to Paul Stevens talk to. However, we have reinforced that family, websites and helplines are valuable too. Our main focus was that talking about the problem is at the heart of tackling bullying. A fun performance and had us laughing Year 10s will soon be heading off to do their throughout. It also made us think very carefully week’s Work Experience and some of the about what kind of person we think we are and pupils have been rewriting their CVs and how we show respect to others. letters of application/speculation. We would be really grateful if you could check your child/ren have done this and ask them if they have secured a placement. They should be doing this at the moment. Year 11s should be thinking about what they want to do next year. In 3Rs we are encouraging them to think about what they want to do in the future and to apply to college. Not all students are confident in their next step and they will need their family’s/carer's advice. The pupils must apply Year 8 - 11 Future Opportunities for themselves and although we are helping Evening and supporting them in this, it is ultimately their responsibility. 3Rs’ charity this year is Save the Children and this ties in with this term’s school value: Respect. On the 15th December we were all decked out in our ‘Christmassy’ best raising money for children at home and abroad. Total raised £582.44 ROLLE CANAL PERFORMANCE The Rolle Canal Gig is an Under the direction of Babcock Our Year 10 performing arts original production based on LDP Music Service Professional pupils took part in the production the history and legacy of the Lead, Debbie Kent, a cast of over at the beautiful setting of RHS Rosemoor, along with other Rolle Canal (Great Torrington). 150 young voices joined forces participating schools from, This transformational project with the Rolle Canal Gig Appledore Primary School, Great brought young people and community choir, led by Jan Baker (Head of Teaching School - Torrington Bluecoat C of E community members together Ventrus). School, Monkleigh Primary and St to tell the story through Mary’s Cof E Primary School. drama, scripted and directed This production detailed the by Robert Barber (Dramatise initiation, development and Amazing performances from Learning) and newly importance of the Rolle Canal everyone who took part and we commissioned songs, written and its impact on the local look forward to sharing the clip of a performance with you shortly. by local composer, Tony Kent community. (TeeKay Publications). Reading Hub occurs every Tuesday and Thursday after school, for 6 week blocks, and is for invited guests. We focus on: Learning to GTS read for enjoyment; the meaning of unfamiliar words. Pupils that have taken part have begun to find pleasure in reading and look forward to each session in anticipation of the next instalment of the novel. We are so pleased and proud of the improvement that READING pupils have made in such a short space of time. Their attitude towards learning and improving their reading skills has been HUB excellent. WEMBLEY TRIP On Friday 10th November, a coach of excited pupils made the long journey to Wembley to watch England’s men’s GTS TRAVELS football team take on Germany. The atmosphere was good and it was an amazing opportunity for our pupils to see some of the best footballers in the world in our very impressive National Stadium. Even though the score did not end with the win we’d hoped for, it was still a tremendous experience for our pupils, who were impeccably behaved throughout the whole trip. AMIENS CHRISTMAS MARKET TRIP On November 30th a group of GTS pupils travelled to Amiens, France to enjoy and experience the wonderful bustling festive atmosphere of a Christmas Market. One of the highlights of the trip was that it snowed and we explored the cathedral and the streets of Amiens. We also visited a light and colour exhibition and walked around some of the streets in Amiens. The following day we went to the Citie Europe, a shopping mall in Calais; this was fun as there was a variety of shops and restaurants to explore. After a few hours of shopping and purchasing gifts we started the journey home again. It was a great experience. By Madison Kirk, Grace Cotgreave, Ruby Vallely and Amy Watson M A T H S T R I P I attended a Maths Master class at Kingsley School in Bideford last Friday with four students from GTS. They joined students selected from other local schools for the course, which was led by Jenny Sharp, a lecturer from Plymouth University Maths Department. They enjoyed the day – and the food (!) – which was spent studying patterns and sequences in a fun way. The four students acquitted themselves very well and received a certificate to reflect their efforts. The students are: Harley Lambert, Ciara Luther-Gavin, Harry North and Juliette Reed. KRAKOW TRIP Pupils from GTS recently returned from a school trip to Krakow, which will be one that they will never forget. It was also incredibly valuable in helping them understand the unsettled past and inhumanity of the Holocaust. Without doubt, a visit to one of the concentration camps will have left a lasting impact on them, depicting the sheer scale of the terror that took place there. We are hopeful that someone reading this might be interested in sponsoring the Great Torrington School Show Jumping Team kit. SHOW This group of dedicated, ambitious young riders who are regularly out competing at venues throughout Devon and Cornwall; such is their success that we have now entered three teams, as well as JUMPING further individuals, into the North Devon Schools Show Jumping League. This is a very well supported, well publicised league, which SUCCESS attracts large entries (in excess of 50 riders per class) to its monthly GTS SHOWJUMPERS competitions at local equestrian competition centres.