Settle College Matters Newsletter May 2014 MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL This half term has been a short one and I can't believe how much we have achieved over the past five weeks. I always read the newsletter feeling a real sense of pride in what Settle College students can accomplish on a day to day basis. The students continue to contribute in a very positive way to the school and the community. Mr Paisley has recently launched our newly formed Student Teaching and Learning group, as part of our “students as Leaders” programme, and I am looking forward to hearing their ideas to help us ensure that we are always delivering high quality learning experiences. All students involved in any sort of student leadership are given a 'Student Leadership' badge to wear on their blazer and as I reported in my last letter to parents they will be able to gain accreditation for their work through the Specialist Schools and Academics Trust. One of the real highlights of this half-term was going to see the Under 15s playing in the National Rugby Union finals in London on Saturday 3rd May. Although I know very little of the rules of rugby Ms Doyle kept me up to date with developments on the pitch! We were so proud of the girls coming eighth in England and their team sprit and sportsmanship was fantastic. The Year 11 girls also saw rugby success winning the National Rugby League Championship, this is an amazing achievement and this is down to the determination, stamina and professionalism of the team. The girls are always encouraged and supported by the PE staff who spend almost every evening after school taking the students to competitions and matches all over England! Some of the girls will be going to Settle Primary after the half-term holidays to talk about their rugby experiences and to show the primary students their trophy. The Arts Evening in April was a showcase for the talent of our students with an entertaining evening of singing and musical instrument playing from students in Years 7 to 13. The Art Exhibition demonstrated the artistic talent of many of our students. Thank you to parents and governors who supported this very enjoyable evening. We ended this half-term saying 'bon voyage' to our French Exchange students and teachers, and we look forward to seeing them again in June when Settle College students, accompanied by Miss Donworth and Ms Bataller visit College St Joseph in Herbignac, France. I would like to thank all the families who hosted our French visitors and made them feel so welcome. The examination season continues after half-term and I know the vast majority of students will be studying hard over the half-term holiday. They are being encouraged, guided and supported by staff and their families. I wish all students every success in their final GCSE and A Level examinations. I am sure all their hard work will pay off when they open their exam results in August! With all best wishes Ms M Costello Principal 2 DIARY OF OUR VISIT TO BARCELONA The travel to the airport was swift and uneventful. The airport security was another story and after many searches and pat downs, (the result of a glue stick!) we got through to departures. Here there were rows of shops, cafes and bars. We boarded the plane and then embarked on a game of ‘tetris’ to get into correct seats. The flight began… After a day of travel we arrived in a wet but warm Barcelona and made our way through the busy streets to the Hotel Roma Reial, our home for the next three days. We dragged our tired bodies up the many stairs and settled down to sleep (well excited chatting mostly, how could we sleep we were on holiday!). Friday - After a restful night’s sleep we woke up to croissants and orange juice and were enthusiastic for the day ahead. We made our way down to the Barri Gothic, a historic part of the city. It was good to see the ancient architecture had been preserved as it was a special part of Barcelona to see. Next, our Sat-Nav (Mr Whitaker) led us to the market where exotic fruits, fancy chocolates and smelly fish were being sold. Once lunch had passed we had a beautiful boat tour of the harbour. We were bathed in heat and had a sound track delivered by an old accordion player, but there was learning taking place… The Geography students were able to identify coastal defences such as rip rap and sea walls along the way, Mrs Johnson was very pleased. The Art students talked about the interpretation of the post modernist era. We visited Barceloneta beach (a reclaimed swamp) where we had fun in the sun. Shortly after returning to the hotel we hungrily set off for a Spanish experience - Tapas. We were eagerly anticipating this meal however, not all the dishes were to everyone’s taste! Milly and Lauren’s pudding “Catalan Crea” even stained their tongues yellow! Saturday - We set off walking to the L’Exampla area of Barcelona at an energetic pace (I think Mr Whitaker had an appointment to keep!?). The buildings were breathtaking, we stopped regularly to take photos or pop into the occasional shop. We passed the Casa Milla which was embellished with mosaic tiles glinting in the sun. This masterpiece was created by Gaudi, an artist in the Nouveau Period. His creations and designs are situated throughout this marvellous city. We took it in turns to navigate but no one could match up to Mr Whitaker’s Geography skills. We then detoured as Ms Watt wanted to show us a wire sculpture which reflected movement. We were shocked by the number of beggars in Barcelona - a real contrast to where we live. We encountered them all over the city. 3 BARCELONA CONTINUED… After lunch we arrived at the impressive Sagrada Familia, it was stunning. Whilst sketching and painting with watercolours and breathing in the Barcelona air we watched in amazement as people started to form a human tower, apparently a traditional thing to do. We left the Sagrada Familia to go to the Picasso Museum, which Mrs Johnson said would be a few minutes, this was a fib! We arrived an hour later, tired and starting to form blisters, Barcelona is a big city! Picasso was an incredible artist, although some members of the group decided he must have been obsessed with female bodies and dog-odiles (a dog and crocodile mix). After returning to the hotel to ‘freshen up’ we set off walking (again) to tonight’s restaurant, we all hoped it would be better than the tapas and Catalan Cream of the previous evening! After half an hour of walking we arrived, light was literally shining from the door way. The buffet looked fabulous with glorious, rainbow coloured salads and a ‘fill your boots’ ethos. Sadly, this was not the right restaurant – we had the wrong map, the Geography teachers were not to blame. We staggered back to the correct restaurant (10 minutes from our hotel) and afterwards went back to the Placa Reial where our hotel was situated, ordered mocktails and sat in the warm sun, laughing, chatting and enjoying the atmosphere of the evening. Sunday - We were up earlier as we were travelling to the edge of city to Park Guell (thankfully not on foot!). The metro was interesting, after getting on the wrong platform, and then having to buy new tickets, we were off. The walk up to the park from the metro was vertical. There were escalators in the street it was so steep and long! Park Guell was amazing, the buildings were unbelievable. The whole park was designed by Gaudi to be a housing estate but only Mr Guell and Mr Gaudi ended up living there. We walked around the park and took in the panoramic views of the city. When we returned to the city we went shopping to purchase gifts and souvenirs for family and friends. Our trip was coming to an end. The restaurant for this evening was really good, we had tasty Spanish food and then had pudding in an amazing chocolate shop which was established in the 1800s. Finally we collected our bags and made the journey to the airport. No one wanted to leave. We had had an amazing trip and experience. At the airport we did yet more walking as our terminal was the furthest one, our blisters were starting to get blisters. As we sat and waited for the flight we reflected on the past few days, we all enjoyed different aspects of it. Molly enjoyed the boat trip, Megan and Evie enjoyed the beach where we could sunbathe and chill out. Anna loved the Barri Gothic, where as Laura thought the local market was the most enjoyable. Milly’s favourite was looking around the Picasso Museum whereas I (Harriet) enjoyed the street entertainers but Lauren’s was eating Catalan Cream. The staff had a great time too, Mrs Johnson enjoyed the boat tour and our enthusiasm, Ms Watt loved the post modern impressionism in the colourist period and Mr Whitaker enjoyed the walking, although I’m not sure if he ever made that appointment! We all loved Barcelona and none of us wanted to come home (sorry Mum and Dad). We have lots of memories to cherish and to look back on. A great experience for all to remember, thanks to everyone who helped to make it the best trip ever! Emily Baker, Lauren Capstick, Megan Craven, Milly Foster, Evie Howarth, Joseph Lister, Anna Marshall, Molly McHale, Laura Semple, Charoltte Whitaker and Harriet Whitaker 4 TOWNHEAD SURGERY PERFORMING ARTS EVENING STUDENT CONSULTATION On Thursday 1st May 2014 Mr Antony Radley On the evening of Monday 28th April, Settle College (Practice Manager) and Dr Davies from Townhead held the annual Arts Evening.