Glossopdale Community College NEWS Winter 2016 Welcome from the Principal I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. At Glossopdale we embrace the festive period and like to think we have added some Christmas cheer to the community with our bands playing around the town, in primary schools and in local churches. On the last day of term, we are having a Christmas Jumper Day to raise money for MIND. The frame for the new school is going up In College, our current intake for Year 7 was up 40% on An amazing milestone the previous year, external reviews have confirmed that achieved! students’ behaviour has dramatically improved and par- ents and students say—in a recent survey— that bully- ing is rare and students feel safe. The Sixth Form, now judged as good, had excellent results this Summer and we continue to work on the improvements needed to further raise standards across the college. We are all excited that the £23 million new school con- struction started this August and last week the placing of the frame for the building has begun. Construction is due to be completed during Spring 2018. This is all part of our aim and determination to be an “outstanding learning centre at the heart of the commu- nity”. Festive Fundraising Instead of sending traditional cards, our Year 7 and 8 students have been creating Merry Christmas messages that are displayed in Reception at Hadfield in exchange for a donation to Bare Necessities - the Glossopdale Food Bank. We are very proud of our students’ creative work and the generosity they have shown towards families that are facing food poverty this Christmas. If you would like to make a donation to the Food Bank, please leave the items at reception and we will deliver them on 20th December along with the donations from our students. Christmas Jumper Day will take place on the last day of term—20th Decem- ber. In return for a £1 donation to MIND, the mental health charity, students can attend College in their festive finery. For up to date news, events and information please visit www.glossopdale.derbyshire.sch.uk or find us on Facebook Restart a Heart In Safe Hands On 18th October our Year 8 students learned how to Our Sixth Form students have also been learn- save lives when they took part in a national event sup- ing First Aid as part of their enrichment pro- ported by the British Heart Foundation. Restart a Heart gramme. Over 30 students have Day has helped train over 150,000 children and young signed up to complete a Basic people across the UK in 2016. The sessions are deliv- First Aid qualification and Defib- ered by volunteers from the Ambulance Service, the rillator training. They have British Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance. Glos- learned important practical skills sopdale extended a warm welcome to our Community which will enable them to deal Paramedic, Val Cockran, and her team of volunteers as with common medical emergen- our students gained basic life support skills that could cies; from assessing a patients' save lives in the future. vital signs (ABCs) and placing a person in the recovery position, assessing a patient for AV- PU, through to the potentially life saving actions of CPR and how to use a defibrillator. Students on the course said they really enjoyed it—they feel more confident and they know that they have learned skills for life. A Hundred Years of Roald Dahl 25 Million Words Read, and Rising! Over 100 Year 7 and 8 students visited Manchester Opera House to watch a stage production of Roald Accelerated Reader is in its seventh Year at Glos- Dahl’s classic story, “Georges Marvellous Medicine”. sopdale. All of our Year 7 students have embarked on Students Jack Mettrick and Josh Hampson give us a journey with Accelerated Reader. They are reading their review: books and sitting On Tuesday 15th No- online quizzes vember we went to see when they have George’s Marvellous finished. They are Medicine at the Man- building up individu- chester Opera House. al “word count” We thoroughly enjoyed scores and compet- the show. There were ing for rewards for lots of humorous moments Best Tutor Group, most words read in the show but a lot of and enthusiastic Attitude to Read- people enjoyed the giant ing. 92% of the Year 7s finished and chicken scene most of all. quizzed their Reading Book in the It was an amazing show last few days. Between them they that had clever tricks like have read more than 900 books (over 25 the hilarious giant chicken million words) since September 2016! and the part where the Our favourite authors in Year 7 include: Jeff nasty grandma grew through the roof! The actors Kinney, Liz Pichon, Dav Pilkey, Rachel were fantastic as well! Renee Russell, Chris D’Lacey, Cathy Cassi- 2016 marked the 100th birthday of famed children’s dy, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo. author and our Year 11 Performing Arts students are preparing a Roald Dahl Celebration Drama, in appreciation of his 100th Birthday year. This will be The Best for All, by All toured across primary schools in January 2017. Safe Drive Stay Alive All of the Year 12 students visited the Middleton Arena to watch the Greater Manchester ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’ theatre based event. Safe Drive Stay Alive is hard hitting initiative aimed at young people to educate them about the risks associated with driving and using the roads. Students watched a series of short films about people who were dramatically affected by a road traffic collision and they listened to the personal accounts from the emergency ser- vice personnel who deal with the aftermath. The final speaker was a father who lost his son in a traffic collision and he gave a very personal account of that tragic evening. Students found the event very emotional and they now understand their responsibility as a driver. More information can be found at safedrivegm.co.uk GCC SPORTS NEWS Leadership Day Table Tennis Twelve of our outstanding leaders from Year 10 & 11 We have taken part in the were invited to a Leadership Day which was organised U16 Derbyshire Team Ta- by the High Peak Schools Partnership and hosted by ble Tennis Finals this Buxton Community College. The day was an invalua- year. We were represent- ble experience for the students because they gained ing the seven secondary foundation level leadership awards in their selected schools in the High Peak; sport of either netball, football, badminton and crick- having won the district et. The students have now used the leadership skills round. Each area within and resources in the community with local clubs, with- Derbyshire can send one in school at extra- representative school. The team of Dylan Sanderson, curricular clubs and in Josh Glaister, Tyler Halton and Matt Parks did really lessons which go towards well. The standard of competition was exceptionally their Level 2 Junior high with many players nationally ranked. We came 5th Sports Leaders which was a very creditable performance. Awards. It was a fantas- tic day and a big ‘well Key Stage 2 Dance Day done’ to all who attended The school hosted their annual Key Stage 2 Dance and represented the Day which was led and organised by the Dance De- school. partment and the BTEC Dance students. The theme of the Dance Day was Pandora’s Box and it was a su- X-Country- Team Relays @ New Mills per fun filled day with over a hundred and fifty students Year 7 – 3rd from the local Primary schools attending. The Dance Year 8 - 2nd leaders were amazing on the day and made it an ex- Year 9- 3rd perience to remember for all the pupils involved. Well Year 10 – 3rd done girls! Football Results Girls Derbyshire Cup 1st Round Boys Derbyshire Cup 1st Round U13’s GCC (2) V (1) Lady Manners U13 GCC (2) V (4) Ecclesbourne U16’s GCC (1) V (4) Woodlands Boys High Peak League Boys Tameside Cup 1st Round Y7 GCC (3) V (1) Saint Thomas Moore Y7 GCC (3) V (3) New Charter (GCC won on Y8 GCC (3) V (5) Saint Thomas Moore penalties) Y9 GCC 5 V 0 Saint Philip Howard Y8 GCC 1 V 5 Audenshaw Y9 GCC 2 V 3 Droylsden Academy Y10 GCC 1 V 5 Alder Castle Head Outdoor Discovery Sixty excited year 7s are getting their kitbags ready for the up-coming Outward Bound Transition trip to Castle Head Outdoor Discovery Centre in the Lake District in February. As part of a drive to build year-group cohesion, create new friendships outside of those forged in Primary school and encourage teamwork, the students will spend three days (and two nights!) away - taking part in an exciting programme of events including: orienteering & problem-solving; bushcraft, shelter-building; canoeing and team-games. Whilst we will all be taking nice warm clothing for a winter visit to the Lakes, we’re looking forward to being warmed up afterwards by hot-chocolate and toasting marshmallows over a camp fire. There is much-anticipation about our first year 7 residential trip (including who will share rooms with whom!) and we intend to repeat this as a regular event for smooth transition. Watch out for pictures and our review on the trip in the next newsletter! Year 8 are Stretched and Challenged After a year of intense Accelerated Reader reading and quizzing in Year 7, our Year 8 students are now trying lots of different quality authors, reading a variety of genres and producing excellent written reviews to entice fu- ture readers.