Penwortham Post December 2013 Penwortham Girls’ High School Education Rocks Awards 2013 Welcome to thought I would let you all know of my memorable evening spent at The Education Rocks Teacher Awards at Blackburn College on Wednesday the end of term I 27th November, accompanied by Shaun Lewis, Vice-Chair, Karen Pomeroy, Head teacher, Angela McDonald, retired Assistant Head teacher, newsletter. and John Ramsdale, Assistant Head teacher. As always, there have been a wide I am very proud to tell you that Penwortham Girls’ High School were nominated and shortlisted for two awards range of exciting activities taking and were runners-up in both of these categories. Only those shortlisted were eligible to attend the ceremony and place both within and outside the the awards covered all schools in the north-west Rock FM region; Rock FM’s Hywel and Jamie presented the classroom. Next term promises to event. be even more eventful as we’ll be Angela McDonald, Assistant Head teacher, who retired last December, was runner-up in the Lifetime organising a range of events and Achievement Award for Dedication to Education. Angela worked at Penwortham Girls’ High School for 33 years activities to celebrate the school’s and worked tirelessly for the well-being of all the girls as Assistant Head teacher. It was under her leadership of the pastoral team that the school gained an outstanding grade from Ofsted for Behaviour & Safety. It was a Diamond Jubilee. Look out for more delight to see her again and to hear of her busy life in retirement! We wish her well and are proud that she was details in our weekly newsletters. present to be awarded with this recognition of her dedication to the school. Karen Pomeroy, Head teacher, was runner-up in the Head teacher of the Year award. It is a daunting task Next year will also see the completion for anyone in her first headship, to take over the reins of an already good school from a long-standing and of our Humanities classrooms and well-respected Head teacher and to move the school forward in the way that Karen has done. She has gained outdoor learning area. Good progress enormous recognition from the local authority and from Ofsted for is being made and we are hoping that the way in which she has led academic improvement on an upward it will be completed by March. trend; perhaps even more importantly, she has steered Penwortham Girls’ High School towards an even more successful future. Karen has transformed many aspects of the school to move it to the next level In the meantime, on behalf of all the in its successful history, whilst maintaining all of its past successes. staff and governors at PGHS, I would I am sure you will be as proud as we are that she has received this like to wish you recognition of her unending energy and drive! all an enjoyable I am sure that both Karen and Angela would recognise that these and restful awards are only possible in a school where all the staff and pupils holiday and all create the right environment for success to be possible; both awards the very best for are a reflection of the outstanding staff and girls at Penwortham Girls’ High School and we should ALL take enormous pride in them. the New Year. Lorimer Russell-Hayes, Chair of the Governing Body www.penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk 1 Art Department News Year 11 visit to the London National Gallery r11 visited the London National Gallery in September, we had guided tours of the National and Portrait Galleries, Ytea at Planet Hollywood and a walk over the Thames. What a fun packed day! 2 www.penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk Art Department Primary School Visit he Art Department recently invited twelve budding artists from Penwortham TCommunity Primary School to recreate a landscape painting by the celebrated British contemporary artist, David Hockney. The year 5 pupils used acrylic paint on 12 separate A3 canvases which eventually came together to form a large group painting. The painting will be displayed in the school hall for a short time and then given to Penwortham Community Primary School. The workshop encouraged the pupils to use expressive brushstrokes as well as learning how to mix colours effectively. Texture, tone and colour were the main elements we looked at. The painting took a full day to complete; this enabled the pupils to fully immerse themselves in Art, without any interruptions! The results are amazing and we hope that the pupils gained a real insight into the processes of producing a large scale group painting using new techniques. www.penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk 3 English Department News Just before the mock exams, 60 girls visited ‘All About Me’ Hutton Grammar School to watch a live Poetry Competition performance of ‘Of Mice and Men’. This his deserves a special Congratulations to the following was a brilliant chance to revise as the girls mention as the girls spend girls for just tipping the balance and he winner in a recent poetry watched key scenes from the book brought considerable amounts of being judged winners – I am glad the competition during anti- to life by some very talented actors. The T decision lay with the tutors and not character of Lennie showed his simplicity time, effort, creative energy and, I Tbullying week me. and vulnerability with flashes of real anger suspect, parents’ money to produce and aggression. The hotseating activity at the inventive projects they do. This 7P: Ami Clement and Katie Howarth Bullying the end of the show was particularly useful year’s batch were no less difficult to 7G: Amy Mawdsley and Georgina for the girls in helping them get ‘inside’ the minds of the key characters. Hutton staff judge than previous years and we Hardman Sorrow, commented on how attentive and mature are thrilled by the results and how 7H: Jessica Hamer and Harriet Booth Words that hurt, our pupils were at the event. it helped the girls share information 7S: Emily Flynn and Lily Rowlinson They treat me like worthless dirt. The annual about themselves in Form Time. Well done to all and have a restful They really don’t care, English PLEASE hold onto the projects till Christmas. Do they not understand that it’s Department next year so we can use them to Mrs Millward-Hopkins not fair? London Trip inspire another group of eager Y6s. took place on Do they not understand that 13th and 14th these words cut like knives? December. A group of I’m stressed, depressed, messed. 45 pupils from I’m worn inside year 11 and 5 staff travelled to the capital to watch a stunning performance of I’m torn outside. ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ in the I feel like a bird that’s lost flight West End. An overnight stay in a nearby Glued to the floor hotel gave the girls much needed rest for a day sightseeing on the London Eye and Numb and stranded. Christmas shopping in London before I could sail to success and be returning home safely on the Saturday night. Photos of the trip will be posted on the shining star school website in the English department But these words are keeping me area shortly. depressed and happiness is afar. Runshaw Performing Arts students visited By Khadija Patel Yr 8 the school on Tuesday 10th December to present their modern version of the Taming of the Shrew to year 10 pupils. This was a brilliant opportunity for our Khan will be looking at future young chef competition budding actors in the Drama department Year 7 News winners. On top of this, some girls did superb jobs in to experience live theatre up close. It is representing the school by speaking at their primary great to see Shakespeare still relevant in the ear 7 have had a very successful first term at schools to talk to pupils. Quite a start! 21st Century and thank you to the talented PGHS: well done! bunch who performed this for us. Away from lessons and responsibilities, the Rock N’ Y Roll Panto places were quickly snapped up and 49 The English Department, under the They came with amazing projects and hard work done girls are looking forward to that on Wednesday 18th enthusiastic eye of Miss Thackeray, have in their ‘Keep Your Brain Alive’ booklets. They settled December. Many are involved in our own amazing been involved in a range of reading activities quickly and were soon involved in Form activities, this term. A big thank you to all our Year 9 panto, ‘Cinderella’, Sophie Wilson, 7H, being so lessons and clubs. Form reps presented their first helpers who work with Year 7 on the paired impressive she was given a speaking role! public speeches to parents at an enjoyable Information reading scheme. We have also seen our year Evening on Thursday 28th November. Not only that, Here’s hoping this promise continues to be fulfilled as 8 girls making super progress with their some of the cakes showed a real talent and I expect Mrs these lovely girls progress through the school. reading at Kindle Club every Wednesday. If your child would like to be involved in any of these activities next term, let us know. 4 www.penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk Maths Department News The Mayfield High School Data Project et 10A in Mathematics have spent this half term taking part in the Mayfield High School Data Project. A number of mathematicians Sfrom various year groups as well as our very own Mr Cheal, went into an unknown school and conducted one of the largest data collection surveys held in a school in Great Britain.