009 10th february 2012

Issue 9 10th February 2012

Clifton High School

Many thanks to our speakers and the BAS members who volunteered their time and enthusiasm for this highly successful evening. Further thanks is due to our brilliant caterers for the delicious hot-chocolate and other refreshments and to Bristol University Chemistry Department who donated the solid carbon dioxide.

Starry Fun On Monday, 31st January, the Clifton High School Astronomy Club shared their interest in the heavens with the whole school community at this well-attended event. Alien hoaxes, the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence and astrophotography were discussed. Mr Oliver Tunnah showed some of his fantastic images of some fascinating parts of the night sky, taken using the Faulkes telescopes, which the school club also uses. We made a comet with solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) and made constellations out of star-biscuits. There was astronomical art and star-charts galore. Several members of the Bristol Astronomical Society came along and were able to talk about how to get started in astronomy. (Binoculars and a reclining garden chair is a good place to start). There were telescopes to see, although unfortunately no observing was possible due to the snow clouds! There are observing sessions at the Bristol Astronomical Society’s Failand observatory every clear Saturday evening. If you would like to actually look through a 12inch reflecting telescope, please send an e-mail to Dr Camacho: [email protected] and she will reply with details of how to join in the fun.

“The night was a great turn out! We had a whole range of ages turn up

including pupils and parents from the school. Although it was too

cloudy to see any stars, we continued to enjoy the activities that we

had going on inside. Thank you to everyone who attended the evening

we hope you had an enjoyable time. From Dr. Camacho and the

Astronomy Team!” Laura Bentley 8-1

mailto:[email protected]


We saw so many new and interesting things that it would be impossible to list them all, but rest assured we now know an awful lot more than we did before! We hope the pictures catch the spirit of the day!

Mendip Madness

Wind swept and muddy, year 6 clambered onto the minibuses after an exhilarating morning in the Mendips and a few fell asleep on the short journey back to school! This was one of the best trips we have had in year 6, learning so much about mountains and rivers for our topic this term.


In the photograph (top left) you can see Piers, Tom and William and the two photographs (above) showing Class 2R , all proudly displaying the laurel branches that they will build into panels to make dens on our next visit.

While India (bottom left) gathers cut branches together to move them to another site.

Forest School

Our children in years 1 & 2 (Key Stage 1) had a wonderful, but chilly visit to the woods last week. Year 2 played co-operative games, lopped laurel, collected and sorted firewood and sat round the campfire to drink their well earned cup of hot chocolate.

It was a cold and frosty morning for Class 2L but the woods were beautiful and we noticed the first signs of Spring – an abundance of snow drops!


WW2 Experiences Shared

Year 4 are very grateful to Alison Smith's grandfather who came to talk to us about his childhood during WW2. Mr Glidden lived on a Somerset farm and had many interesting and memorable experiences to share with us. We would encourage you all to talk to your grandparents about their WW2 experiences.

Winter Wassail Concert Tuesday 31st January

The freezing weather on Tuesday evening perfectly complemented the programme of the Winter Wassail concert in the hall. The wind band painted a wintry musical scene in the Chronicles of Narnia, before reminding us of events a few weeks ago, with A Rockin’ Christmas. The Flute Group brought some warmth with Tropical

Tango, while the Orchestra had everybody’s feet tapping with an Abba Medley. Fantastic solo performances from Arthur Byrne and Alice Hoskins made for a varied first half. After a glass of wine, the audience were treated to choral performances. First Cantata (the choir for years 7 to 9) confidently presented three songs, including Christmas Lights by Coldplay. Then the seasoned performers in the Chamber Choir took to the stage with a popular programme of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, I Don’t Know How To Love Him and Hallelujah. Many thanks to Mrs Hindmarch for preparing the performers so well, that they were able to really give of their best. We’re now looking forward to the Choral Society Concert on 2nd March.

Year 2 Titanic Topic Year 2 has become embroiled in their ‘Titanic’ themed work this term. They are called to attention in class by a ship’s bell as Ship’s Captains Lee and Roberts lead children in their leaning. Class 2L have been fascinated by the construction of this mighty ship. To bring the enormous size of the vessel to life we measured our school drive which is 120m long. Titanic measured more than twice this!

In this photo (right) you can see Hannah turning the trundle wheel as the rest of the class count each metre aloud.

To really experience life on board a ship we visited SS Great Britain. Children were thrilled to meet Isambard Kingdom Brunel relaxing in the First Class lounge area.


Year 1 Dentist Visit Dressed in his Dentist’s uniform, Mr Hall visited the Year 1 children to talk about the importance of looking after their teeth.

Dentist Visit continued … The children were fascinated to find out that they had to brush their teeth for all of two minutes, twice a day, and they then got to practise good cleaning using their own toothbrushes. Later, they became Dentists themselves, and carefully looked into each others mouths with special mirrors.

Many thanks to Mr Hall for offering to come to our classes and for bringing in so many exciting resources, especially the giant teeth!

Balloon Printing

The nursery children have been exploring the areas of ‘Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy’ from the EYFS Foundation Stage. One of our activities was to explore balloon printing using small, medium and large balloons. This was a collaborative activity in which the children were encouraged to share paint and balloons, The results were very effective and the balloon print can now be seen as the background to our ‘Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy’ display in the ground floor corridor of the Prep building; come and have a look!


Year 4 Visit M Shed

Year 4 spent an interesting morning at the M Shed last week. It really brought their themed work on WW2 alive as they huddled into an Anderson shelter, dressed up as an evacuee and experienced spying techniques in a Warden's hide-out!

Year 10 GCSE Drama Students Perform to Prep

As part of their exam course, Year 10 adapted stories with the theme of winter for the Prep children. They were commissioned to make the

plays magical and use narrative theatre techniques to make their plays interesting and entertaining for their young audience. The groups worked very well together and produced work of an excellent standard. The feedback for the children was excellent and proved that all their hard work was well worth it!

“The children really like seeing where the future may take them. They loved the slapstick, funny bits as well as the glittery fairy characters. They were very impressed with the icy rapper dance. They liked the opportunities to join in, be it blowing away the icy wind or shouting out “behind you”! They interacted with action and gazed open mouthed and smiling at the wonderful dramas before them. Thank you for inviting us!” Mrs Aleyna Roberts

Year 4 Visit M Shed

Year 4 spent an interesting morning at the M Shed last week. It really brought their themed work on WW2 alive as they huddled into an Anderson shelter, dressed up as an evacuee and experienced spying techniques in a warden's hide-out!


Head Boy and Girl

Voting for a new Head Boy and Head Girl is now a firm fixture in the spring term calendar of events. Staff and pupils from Year 10 - Sixth Form voted from a short list of six – four girls and two boys, who in Wednesday morning assembly each delivered a short presentation outlining why they should hold this position of responsibility. Mr Psarros had told the school before the presentations, and Dr Neill reiterated afterwards, that they should listen carefully to what each nominee had to say, and be careful not to vote just for popularity. Our future leaders must possess such qualities as a sense of responsibility, the ability to remain calm under pressure, to be proactive, to be organised, to lead by example and to listen to ideas put to them by the student council. Each nominee gave an excellent presentation stamped with his or her own particular style and it is now up to the rest of the school to decide who they think will be our best future student leaders. The results will be announced later in the term.

Year 9 Futures and Skills Day

On the 6th February all of our Year 9 students took part in the schools first ‘Futures and Skills Day’. In the morning students played The Real Game, in which they were able to take on work roles and make monthly budgets. Needless to say, a lot of students found that their dreams of owning multiple houses and a car for each day of the week were a little out of their reach when they were given their job roles! The game highlighted the importance of education – perfectly timed as the students will be soon embarking on their GCSE courses. In the afternoon, students were shown how to research university courses. Students found the process valuable in making sure that the GCSE options they were planning on choosing would allow them to carry on to study courses that might interest them at degree level in a few years time.

Entrance Examinations Over the last two weeks, Dr Neill has been delighted to interview many scholarship candidates, both from our own year 6 and pupils from other schools, too. Each pupil

delivered a short presentation, and these varied from Greek Gods to breeding snakes and from Mozart to scuba diving! Pupils spoke so articulately and with such passion, and were very keen to share their interest for their subjects with Dr Neill. Following their presentations Dr Neill continued the interview seeking opinions from them on such matters as world leaders, technologies for the future and what makes Britain great. There were some very impressive and articulate responses! We have received acceptances already from some top scholars and we look forward very much to them joining us in September.


Star Awards in Key Stage 1 The girls of Class 2L proudly display their Star Awards given to them in ‘Squashy Prayers’ this week by Mr Richards. They earned their special merit by achieving full marks in their weekly spellings for 3 consecutive weeks. Well done girls!

Old School Uniform Initiated by Mrs Rosser, and with the help of the school nurses, Clifton High School has been sending our old school uniform to International Aid since 2010 – we have recently received some fabulous photos from Sierra Leone of children wearing some very familiar items, and looking delighted.


Playground Buddies

Our playground buddy system offers support to all children from Reception to Year 2 who may feel a little lonely at playtime. Anyone in need of a play mate can choose to sit on our ‘friendship bench’ to alert the Year 2 buddies that they need a helping hand. Our playground buddies offer companionship and support although all children know that grown ups are always on hand if the need arises.

Science Café

The school’s second ever Science Café took place on Wednesday the 8th of February. Dr Simon Hanna from Bristol University came in to speak to students about the problems associated with polymers. Inspired use of a selection of Christmas decorations helped to establish in the students mind what a polymer actually is and how their structure affects their properties. The audience was shocked to learn about the environmental impact of plastics and the problems their disposal can create. After Dr Hanna’s presentation the students tucked into biscuits and hot chocolate with marshmallows – the perfect fuel for discussions!

Pupils and teachers alike then asked some challenging questions of Dr Hanna such as: are paper bags a better option than plastic bags? Why are plastic bags easy to tear when they have so many interlocking molecules? Could micro-organisms be used to break down unwanted polymers?

Dr Hanna dealt with each question expertly, even involving some impromptu and very funny demonstrations in his answers. Everyone who attended the café left with plenty to think

about. Worldwide we use about a billion shopping bags a

day, most of which end up in rubbish dumps. Hopefully

some of the scientists in the making who attended the

café will be able to solve some of the problems associated

with polymer use.

A Warm Welcome

On a chilly morning, students were welcomed into School by Mrs Wiltshire and her staff giving out hot porridge.


Year 6 and 7 Pizza and Film Night

Give us a PIZZA and what have you got? The start of an amazing evening at CHS! The PA hosted a truly memorable Pizza and Film Night on Thursday, 9th February. The Beech Café was buzzing with excitement as the pizzas were delivered and then devoured with equal enthusiasm! Dr Neill couldn’t believe how much they managed to eat in such a short space of time! The film, Mr Popper’s Penguins, then set off a relay of laughs and hilarity as the pupils lounged on beanbags and large cushions. The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all, including Mrs Bywater, Mrs Doubleday, Mrs Goyal, Mr Collins and Mrs Barker; our thanks to them for keeping the children company.

The final words must come from the pupils: Harry: The pizza was delicious. Isobel: The film was the best I have ever watched! Sam: The film was hilarious. Charlotte: The school is awesome late at night. Greg: I found the film extremely funny. Jack: I really enjoyed it. William: It was really fun staying up late watching a movie in school on beanbags. Lizzie: The film and the pizza were great – lets do it every year.


Regional Glider Champions

The whole of year 9 went to the regional finals of the Flying Start Challenge, held this week, and one of the Clifton High teams won the event! ‘Team Josh’ consistently scored the longest flights all day, their longest being over 26 metres. Everyone also had to present their posters, answer questions about flight and their glider designs and they had to complete a quiz about aeroplanes.

When asked what was the biggest contributory factor in their success ‘Team Josh’ said “Building a whole new glider. The cardboard wings on our first one were too light and so making them out of balsa wood really helped”. So we have at least one team through to the National Finals in Yeovilton in March. Congratulations to Josh, TJ, Nick, Alex and Sebastian.


Creative Movement in the PE Department

Since the beginning of January, pupils in Years 3, 4 5 & 6 have been actively involved in creative movement activities within the Physical Education curriculum. This opportunity has offered pupils an imaginative and alternative way of expressing themselves in sport, where they are not in direct competition with other pupils or schools in team games. Pupils have explored work with percussion, voice and music to create movement stories or act out dramatic scenes which allow freedom of expression based around a theme. Year 3 classes (pictured above) have been combating alien forces! Year 4 created winter weather scenes, with artificial snowflakes, whilst Year 5 groups have worked with partners producing action word scenes. One Year 6 class has been exploring Olympic themes working with hoops to the music “Chariots of Fire” and the other class (pictured below) produced a spectacular rendition of the theme of “The Four Elements”, which they will be showing to the rest of the Junior school at a later date. It would appear that all pupils have enjoyed the opportunity to express themselves in sport in a different way; some of their work has been quite inspirational. Well done everyone!

Clifton High School Extends Unique School Club Link With Rockleaze Rangers FC Rockleaze Rangers is a boys’ football club based at Coombe Dingle Sports Centre. The club has well established links with CHS, and places a focus on developing the skills of the players in an inclusive and enjoyable atmosphere. Sessions take place on Saturday mornings between 10.00 and 12.00. A new U6 (Year 1) coaching group will be formed in September 2012 for boys who are currently in Reception Year. There are still a small number places free, so we are looking for boys who are keen on football to join the group. There are currently 4 CHS children in the group already, but as we aim to allocate approximately 25% of places to CHS, we'd like to get 3 or 4 more in the group. If your son is interested, please contact Ian Louden (Rockleaze Rangers’ Secretary) at [email protected] with your son's name and date of birth. Any parents who would like to help with the coaching are also very welcome. All other age groups (for boys currently in Year 1 to Year 6) in the club are full but if you would like your son to be placed on the waiting list, please contact Ian and he will forward your details to the relevant year group coach For any girls interested in playing football, our sister club BLU (Bristol Ladies Union) FC play at Coombe Dingle on a Sunday morning. They start at U8 (Year 3) and run teams up to U17 (Lower Sixth). Please contact [email protected] for more details.

U9 A&B Football v QEH The U9s “A + B” played against QEH on Friday 27th January in what can only be described as atrocious conditions. The torrential rain before kick off was always going to be a major factor and despite many uncontrolled fouls taking place everyone couldn’t help but be mildly amused. The defence consisting of Aidan, Mungo, Kunal and Max did their best but some quick passing allowed QEH to take an early lead. The two Charlies combined well to level the score shortly after, ably supported by Freddie and Giuseppe. A slight lack of focus lead to QEH regaining the lead but Clifton High never gave up and the match remained close up to the final whistle. The “B” match was played in good spirit and Jonny, Arthur, Conor, Oscar and Finn should be commended for their valiant efforts. Well done to all the boys in Year 4.




U8's B Football v QEH A CHS U8s “B” team played a 9-a-side game against QEH Bs on Friday 27th January. Thankfully a pre-match downpour had subsided prior to kick-off, but conditions were still very difficult, with the ground muddy and a cold wind blowing across the pitch. Two minutes into the game and a clearly stronger QEH team was 2-0 ahead despite some determined defence by Auden and Omid. However, the CHS team showed tremendous character, with skipper Angus putting in some spirited challenges and determined runs to keep some balance in the game. As the half continued CHS’s defence became better organised with Alfie and Jack taking more central roles but the home team still went in 4-0 down at half time. In the second half CHS started the stronger side, and after five minutes some constructive passing from Ishan and Adam saw Angus have the team’s best chance, but his shot was deflected wide. A breakaway goal from QEH saw them go 5-0 ahead, but they were having increasing difficulty in breaking down the CHS defence, with Jacob and Ishan covering back from midfield. CHS’s man of the match was goalkeeper Nico who grew in confidence and positional sense as the game developed, and produced a number of last ditch tackles and saves. The CHS team kept their heads high and if anything were spurred on by the score line and pressed to get a goal back. Several good efforts went unrewarded, notably a strong shot from Auden, when QEH broke out of defence to score their final goal. At 6-0 the score didn’t fairly reflect a game which was balanced for long periods, and in which CHS had plenty of attempts on goal. Most importantly the boys all enjoyed the game and will start the next match with a bit more experience and a lot more confidence.

U8's A Football v QEH The CHS U8s “A” team took on a strong, well-organised QEH team on Friday 27th January and performed very creditably in difficult conditions. In a 9-a-side match CHS played a 3-3-2 formation but had to spend the opening five minutes defending furiously as QEH used their skilful wingers to launch several attacks. Felix, Daniel, Alex and Oisin all made excellent last ditch tackles but were unable to stop the opposition scoring several well-taken goals. CHS slowly got into the game with Laurence and Max combining well and passing the ball wide for our wingers, C-J and Jack, to chase. However QEH surged back and scored 2 more goals before they were awarded a penalty which Jackson saved brilliantly (and somewhat nonchalantly) to keep the half-time score at 5-0. CHS played even better in the second half with Finn, Oliver and Jackson moving into midfield to counteract the physical strength of QEH and Alex taking on goal-keeping duties. The team moved the ball around really well on a very muddy pitch and were unlucky to concede 2 breakaway goals mid-way through the half. CHS finally scored after an excellent one-two with Max put Laurence through to finish with aplomb, leading to much team celebration. After a final QEH goal the game ended as it had begun with Daniel and Oisin tackling their hearts out and Alex making some fine saves in the CHS defence. All the boys thoroughly enjoyed the experience (as predicted in the CHS Newsletter of 27th January) and were very proud to represent the school. Their football continues to improve and it won’t be long before they are back on the winning trail.

NETBALL SUPER LEAGUE VISIT On Friday 4th February, 30 girls from years 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, accompanied by Mrs Williams, Mrs Winn and Miss Price from the PE Department, travelled to Bath Sports Village to watch Team Bath play a super league netball fixture against Surrey Storm.

Many of the girls on the trip represent the school in their age group netball teams and were excited to see just how their game may evolve in the future! There was a great deal of general encouragement, cheering, chanting and sounding of hooters offered by the girls who were amazed at the skills and shooting ability of the players.

The girls were lucky to see many of the England players representing their club sides and a thoroughly enjoyable but noisy evening was had by all, both teachers and pupils alike.


Year 7/8 football v BGS The year 7 & 8 boys’ second team went into their match with Bristol Grammar School high in confidence, following an impressive 2nd half fight back against Sidcot School a fortnight ago, which resulted in a 2-2 draw.

The predominantly year 7 team was strengthened through the inclusion of regular A team player Matt Kemery, who partnered Nic Falconer in defence. The game kicked off just before 5pm, and was unsurprisingly slow paced in the opening minutes, given the cold temperatures. It wasn’t long however before CHS goalkeeper Luke Silcocks was called into action, comfortably beating away a long ranged shot. The match remained even for the next 10 minutes, with Nasir Ahmed & Ted Powell not able to test the BGS keeper, though Luke Silcocks remained well protected by Nic Falconer and Matt Kemery in defence at the other end. BGS began pushing higher up the pitch, and after 15 minutes got the opening goal when their striker managed to find some space 10 yards out, and fired low into the right corner of the goal. Shortly afterwards it was half time, and Mr. Collins brought on Jack Hembrow for Nic Falconer in defence.

The second half began with BGS dominating possession, and the reliable Luke Silcocks was once again called upon to make a few fine saves. However with seven minutes of the second half played, the BGS pressure finally told, as Luke Silcocks could only parry a fiercely struck shot to an oncoming BGS attacker, who easily dispatched the ball from two yards out. CHS made their second substitution, with Nic Falconer returning to the game in place of striker Nasir Ahmed for the last five minutes. But this defensive move couldn’t prevent BGS scoring their third goal, after CHS failed to efficiently clear a corner, resulting in the ball eventually being bundled over the line. Ted Powell did finally work the BGS keeper with a powerful shot in the last minute, but the ball was tipped wide, and the match ended in a 3-0 defeat. The boys can be pleased with their work rate, but there is still room for improvement during the rest of the season.

Jamie Goodenough In addition to this, the Year 7 and 8 first team also played

against BGS and played superbly well. The boys were level

for the majority of the match 1-1, with Tom West finishing

off a fine team goal. With 5 minutes left, Clifton High

continued to push to the winner, however this left them

exposed at the back and BGS capitalised with one late

breakaway goal and soon after another due to some poor

marking. The game eventually ending 3-1. Well done to all

the boys involved. What a fantastic sight it was to see on a

cold Tuesday evening with over 16 boys from CHS competing

well against BGS with some terrific support from parents

who braved the elements!


Bristol Senior Schools Art Exhibition

Clifton High School is once again exhibiting a range of Upper School pupils’ artwork at the annual Bristol Senior Schools Art Exhibition, at Bristol Cathedral. The standard of work from all the schools’ displays is always fantastic and this year is no exception. The exhibition runs from 10th to the 28th February and entry is free.

Year 6 proudly present

“Gel!”

Thursday 23rd February

You are warmly invited to come to watch our performance

Drinks from 6.30pm in the Beech Room

Performance at 7pm in the Main Hall

We look forward to seeing you there

No ticket required

Welcome to our school

Trainee teachers Miss Baker and Miss Rundle (pictured) have settled into life in Key Stage One working alongside children in 1W and 2L respectively. They are both nearing the end of their teacher training and are thoroughly enjoying working with our wonderful children.


Save The Date This year’s Clifton High School Ball will take place on Saturday 23rd June. The theme will be “Arabian Nights”. More details will follow after half term. There are many exciting sponsorship and advertising opportunities to promote your business this year. If you are interested, please contact Mrs Rosser on: [email protected]


EEEaaasssttteeerrr HHHooollliiidddaaayyy DDDrrraaammmaaa CCCooouuurrrssseee Devising workshops based on fairytales

with a performance at the end

Sun 15th April 2pm to 5pm Mon 16th April 9am to 5pm Tues 17th April 9am to 5pm Wed 18th April 9am to 5pm Thurs 19th April 9am to 5pm (with an evening public performance of work 7pm to 9pm)

Open to Year 7- 13; max 45 places To book a place e-mail Mrs Malpass [email protected] Hurry because numbers are restricted!

Cost of the Course: £50


Kindles and similar

We have noticed in recent weeks that some pupils are reading literature on Kindles. We are always eager to encourage reading and are pleased about this, however, parents should be aware that Kindles and similar e-book readers, like laptops and mobile phones, are the owner’s responsibility and are not covered by the school’s insurance.

School Contact Details Tel: 0117 973 0201

For general communication: [email protected] To report an absence: [email protected]

Oxford Owl

We are letting you know about a helpful, free website to help you with your child’s learning of reading. Oxford Owl provides practical advice and top tips up to age 11 to help you support your child’s reading all the way through their primary school years. In particular, there is a very good video from Ruth Miskin giving ten top tips for getting started with phonics. Of course, every happy reader deserves a reward. So there is a special ‘Kids' Barn’ area that's jam-packed with games and fun activities to make reading more fun than ever before. There are free eBooks for you to read with your children. You can enjoy these eBooks and activities with your child's favourite characters, such as Biff, Chip, Kipper and Floppy, the Project X team and Winnie the Witch. Older children will also be able to enjoy a whole host of engaging chapter books. www.oxfordowl.co.uk

Sports Selection Policy Interested parties can now view our updated Sports Selection Policy on the parents’ secure area of the website.

Warhammer Club

Several of our pupils are very keen to start a Warhammer Club. All play Warhammer games as a hobby at home but feel they could enjoy their hobby even more if they could get together with others who share their interest. We are looking for a parent, who might have a little understanding of the Warhammer phenomenon, to run an after-school club for these enthusiasts each Wednesday from 3.35-4.10pm. If you feel you might be able to help, please contact Mr Richards on 0117 973 0201. Your support will be much appreciated.

Key Stage 1 Clubs This is just a reminder to all parents of children who attend after school clubs. If children go to a physically active club such as rugby/football they may bring a small healthy snack to eat immediately after school to give them extra energy. Please note that this does not apply to drama, ICT, handicrafts or Spanish.



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009 10th february 2012

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