Gordano School Newsletter No.4

Gordano School Newsletter

Diary Dates:

Tuesday 15th November Governors Surgery

Thursday November 17th Sixth Form Open Evening

Thursday November 17th School ends 2.25

Friday November 18th Inset Day

Thursday 24th November Year 11 Celebration—GCSE Presentation Evening

School Uniform and PE Kit No orders can be taken over the phone. All orders must be on an official order form and can be placed in the following ways:

• Order forms can be downloaded from the Gordano Website and emailed to sales@monmark.co.uk

• Collected from the Main or Student Reception and from the school shop at Gordano School.

• All orders must include payment.

Samples of all school uniform items are available to try at the school shop which is open Tuesdays 3.00 – 4.30 and Thursday lunchtimes 12.40 – 1.30. Uniform is not available at the shop in Clevedon.

Exchanges must be returned in the original packaging and a completed Blue Order Form enclosed. Exchanges can be dealt with in the school shop. All orders/exchanges are delivered to the address on the order form.

Message from Gary Lewis—Headteacher As I write we are approaching the last performance of Bugsy’s three night run. I am very much looking forward to seeing the show tonight and have heard brilliant reports of what an enjoyable school production it has been. Really well done to all the staff who have worked so hard to produce, direct and lead the music in the show, to parents who have supported us so faithfully and especially to our fantastic students who have given their all. I am sure that you have been left wanting more so let me point you towards our delightful Carol Service and hugely enjoyable Christmas Concert still to come next month. We have had some changes in the Governing Body this Autumn. Steve Gazzard has stepped down as Chair of Governors after three years. I am glad to say that we shall be able to retain his skills as a member of the Governing Body. Adele Haysom has been elected as the new Chair and Julian Brookes will take on the role of Vice-Chair of Governors. It has been a pleasure to work with Steve, who is always both challenging and supportive. I know that Adele and Julian will bring these characteristics to the Chair also. Still on the topic of Governors, we welcomed Sally Varley to the Governing Body at our October meeting. Sally is a very senior manager in the Children & Young People’s Directorate at North Somerset and has been nominated by the Director, Sheila Smith. She has great experience in school admissions and property and will be a tremendous asset to us. At the same meeting we said goodbye to

No 04 11th November 2011 Attendance Line 01275 841374 attendance@gordano.n-somerset.sch.uk Term dates and past newsletters can be found on our website. www.gordano.n-somerset.sch.uk

Read the Headteacher’s Blog at www.gordano.n-somerset.sch.uk

Gordano School Newsletter No.4

Isabell Palmer who has been a great friend to the school, Mike Jones has taken her place as a Community Governor and at the end of this sequence of moves a space for a Parent Governor has opened. Nominations should be received by the Clerk, Mrs Shirley Boden, by 3pm on Friday, 18th November. As a member of the Association of School and College Leaders I am one of the few staff in school whose union has not balloted on the possibility of strike action on 30th November. So far I have had notice from the GMB, Unison, the ATL and the NUT that they will be calling on staff to take action over pension changes and the outcome of the NASUWT ballot will be known next week. As always, the school leadership and governors will take every possible lawful step to maintain our service but I would encourage parents to put contingency plans in place for that date. I shall aim to take a decision as early as is possible to minimise disruption to families. We have now achieved planning permission for the new Sixth Form Study Centre and I expect the contractors, Wilmott Dixon, to mobilise on site early next month. We are focussing on the practicalities of coping with a construction project right at the very front of the school campus. One unwelcome impact will be that access between the Clevedon Road and St Mary’s Road gates will be blocked. This will mean that buses and cars will not be able to access the school site at the start and end of the day. We will be making alternative provision for buses but parents picking children up by car will need to make alternative arrangements. I will be writing to parents to make some suggestions about this shortly. Lastly, I am looking forward to our GCSE Celebration Evening on 24th November. Our former Year 11s did tremendously well in their examinations and although it must seem quite a long time ago now that they are immersed in their studies in Sixth form or elsewhere it will be great to see them pick up their certificates and receive our congratulations.

Further Success for Noelle Gordano Sixth Form student, Noelle Finch was victorious in the RS:X windsurfing U17 fleet on the final day of racing at the 2011 RS:X Youth World Windsurfing Championships h e l d i n C a g l i a r i , S a r d i n i a . Noelle who previously won the U17 title at the RS:X Europeans last month, went into the final day with a six point cushion on her closet rival for the U17 gold medal. After the event Noelle commented “There was a real mix of conditions throughout the week and the competition was stiff. Racing the older U19 girls was a real challenge and the U17 girl from Israel was also a strong competitor for me. I had, however, raced some of them at the Europeans so I sort of knew what I was up against. To be finishing races in such challenging conditions and to be competing at the top end of the fleet with competitors a lot older than myself was very pleasing!”

Maths - Recreation or Competition? We are now in the fifth round of the Cipher Challenge (a national online competition) and the students who chose to enter are doing well, and still in the race! One of our teams of Sixth formers (Ben Hunter-Craig, Lewis Johnson, Matt March and Eve Gardner) have so far finished joint first in seven out of eight tasks. Amy Tang in year 10 has not only finished joint first but has also been one of the lucky winners selected to receive a prize, and her cheque for £25 arrived in the post last week. Most of our Sixth Form mathematicians entered the Senior Maths Challenge, another national competition, and we are awaiting some exciting results. Next Tuesday, 15th November, we are off to UWE with four of our Year 12 and 13 students, Matt March, Ben Hunter-Craig, Sam Down and Joe Withers, to take part in a Senior TEAM Maths Challenge organised by UKMT. We Will keep you posted on the results... Francoise Johnston ( Maths faculty)

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GOVERNORS’ SURGERY Tuesday, 15th November 2011

6 – 7pm

A Governors’ Surgery with Chair Adele Haysom, Vice Chair Julian Brookes and Headteacher Gary Lewis will take place in the New Conference Room between 6.00 to 7.00 pm next Tuesday, 15th November. This is by appointment only and is an opportunity for parents/carers to raise any issues or concerns that they may have. An indication of the nature of your questions would also be helpful to allow responses to be prepared in a helpful way. Please contact Mrs Shirley Boden, Clerk to Governors, to make an appointment. Tel: 01275-842606 or Email: sboden@gordano.n-somerset.sch.uk

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BP Roadshow Students at Gordano School took part in a one day roadshow delivered by representatives of BP Enterprising Science Team. During the fast paced session students managed budgets and traded in oil, reacting to market news working competitively in teams to make a profit. Organiser of the event Rebecca Grist said “ This was a great opportunity for students to apply skills and knowledge they have gained from different areas of the curriculum to a different situation. It made their learning more relevant to the World today, and all of the students were really enthusiastic about the event. We all appreciate the work by the BP Enterprise Science Team

for providing such an engaging event." Gordano Students work with Aardman Animation Students at Gordano School worked with representatives of Aardman Animation on new resources for educational, interactive web based games for BBC Bitesize with a focus on Key stage 3 Geography. Gordano students were presented with storyboards and design team ideas and their comments will be taken into consideration at the next stage of design before the games go live in March 2012.

North Somerset Youth Parliament

Do you want to improve North Somerset? In North Somerset we have a UKYP group set up that meet every fortnight at Gordano School. Within this group we discuss issues within North Somerset and hope to start to make changes . At the moment, we are targeting youth facilities and how we can keep them open and improve them. We are really keen to build on this group and anyone who wants to get involved can contact the UK Youth Parliament member for North Somerset, Peter Davies on peter@childon.f2s.com or his helper George Hancorn, gh96@msn.com. Feel free to contact either of us and we will update you on any recent

meetings and events. Peter Davies Youth Parliament Representative for North Somerset

Mock Council After completing research on their chosen topics, 10 students from Gordano Sixth form took part in a mock council meeting at the Bristol City Council House with John Cabot Academy and St Brendan’s sixth form. After a brief introduction from the council’s legal officer Steven McNamara, schools were given the opportunity to talk to their party’s leader and ask any final questions. With Gordano representing the Liberal Democrats, the debate proceeded, allowing students to put their party’s view across on issues such as prostitution, drugs and human trafficking.

Comments made by Gregory Stride, Alex Reading and Alex Kraushaar were put forward during the debate and Gordano did themselves proud. Following the debate, students were given a tour of the Council House. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, giving students a better insight into the roles, responsibilities and topics that the council participates in. Tessa Mathieson

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Christmas Charity Appeal – Caring at Christmas This year, Year 13 will again be supporting the charity ‘Caring at Christmas’ which, amongst other good works, opens a shelter for homeless people over the Christmas period. For a week or so, people who normally live on the streets are able to be warm, dry and part of a community, with access to health and social care. It is staffed by volunteers and relies entirely on donations. (See website for more details: http://www.caringatchristmas.org.uk/). For a number of years now, thanks to the fabulous generosity of parents and pupils, we were able to take a minibus full of goods to the centre. Over the next month, members of Year 13 will be visiting all the tutor groups in the school to publicise the charity and, most importantly, to collect donations for it. We would welcome the following:

• Non-perishable food items such as tea, coffee, sugar, fruit juice, squash, biscuits, mince pies, chocolates, jam, peanut butter, flour, cooking oil, tinned foods – especially fish, corned beef and ham

• Non-food items such as washing-up liquid, cling film and foil, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shower gel, soap, shampoo (miniatures preferred)

• Good quality second-hand clothing such as jeans, trainers and sweaters (suitable for 18 – 40 year olds). Donations of new underclothes and socks would be especially welcome.

• DVDs (for entertainment in the hostel) Please encourage your son or daughter to bring in a donation. Fridays are especially good days to bring things in, as we will be going round to collect items from the tutor groups then. Otherwise, donations should be brought to the Sixth Form Common Room. A group of students from all years will be taking the donations to the shelter on Friday 16th December. Please support us in what we consider to be one of the most important parts of our Sixth Form community work. Rachel Tinkler and Sophie Hicks—on behalf of the Senior Prefect and Sixth Form Council teams

Free Rugby Tickets Bristol V Leeds Sunday 4th December 3pm Tickets will be given on the basis that there will be an accompanying adult with each child. Parents must provide confirmation of their attendance for their child to be given a ticket. Please see Mr Supple for further details.

Year 7 Create Extended Learning The first Create Extended Learning task was launched on Thursday 10th November, during a Year 7 assembly. This competition is open to all Year 7 students. The winning students from each tutor group will be rewarded and attend a Head's Lunch with Mr Lewis. Our Student Leadership Team will be involved in judging the winning entries and three overall winners will receive a £20 Mall voucher and be put forward to present their entry at the Extended Learning Celebration Evening in July, where even bigger prizes will be awarded. The first task is: Produce a representation of something you have a passion about or are interested in. This could take the form of a piece of artwork, a model, a dramatisation or a presentation. Students will have 3 minutes to present their entry to their class during tutor time on the 25th November. Good Luck! Mrs Francis Head of Learning

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Bookmark Competition! Well done to all our Year 7 entries to the Library Bookmark competition. The entries were all of a high standard, but our final winners were; 1st prize Natalie Cheetham 7L1 and second prize Niamh Roberts 7C2. Congratulations to them both. Their bookmarks will now be copied and made available for the use of all students in the Library for the rest of the year!

Movember Well, another year another moustache, yes that’s right folks Movember is back! 1 week in we have several teachers taking part with some surprising results. If you do not know what this is about let me enlighten you. Movember is an annual event that takes place world wide in the support of men’s health, in particular prostate and testicular cancer. Men grow a ‘tash’ for a month to raise money to give to The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute for Cancer Research. Now some facts,

• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

• 37,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.

• 250,000 men are currently living with the disease.

• Around 2,000 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer in the UK each year and it usually affects young or middle aged men.

• The most common types of testicular cancer are seminomas and non-seminomatous germ cell tumours, which are also known as teratomas.

• Treatment for testicular cancer is very effective, and nearly all men are cured. There will be events going on in school throughout November but you can also go to this website, www.movember.com, click on the donate button at the top of the page and look for Gordamo. You can give to the team or to an individual. Thank you very much for your support for this great charity and remember the prostate you save could be your own. Wayne McMillan

Bugsy Malone - Sold out! After an amazing “warm up” performance on Monday afternoon to pupils from neighbouring primary schools, the cast of Bugsy Malone went on to play for three nights to a packed hall with every night a complete sell out. The production was a huge success and featured students from all year groups with lead performances from Miles Chandler, Angharad Grimwood, Rachel Kemp, Amelia Landon, Alec Playford and Jo Withers. Audience members praised the cast and the production team— 'Congratulations to all on stage and behind, on such a brilliant performance last night - you must be very proud! We were riveted by the performances and by the singing and dancing'.

'JI ust wanted to say that my family and I had a really good time at Bugsy last night. Very impressed with the quality of production and the level of performance shown by such a large number of Gordano students.' 'I haven't been able to get to a Gordano show or production before but have only ever heard good things about them and Bugsy definitely lived up to its reputation'.