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Telephone: 01304 201151 Absence Line: 01304 200155 Fax: 01304 200152 E-mail: admin@astorcollege.org.uk
the
LINK Autumn 2011
Dear Parents/Guardians This term has been extremely rewarding with OFSTED confirming the high quality education that
The International Musical Production of Cabaret was performed for the last time on Saturday. It performed professionally with Anglo/American/Russian international casts on Monday and Tuesday followed by our own casts for the remainder of the week. Personally I feel it has been one of our most exciting and moving musicals and I hope many of you were part of the appreciative audiences. Mr Oliver (Director), Miss Wood, Mrs Stapley, Miss Cloke and Mr Payne deserve special mention for all their hard work and time to ensure such a professional level of performance from our young actors and actresses. I wish our 5 lifters and 2 referees who have been selected to represent England at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in December the best of luck. The Astor powerlifting team is the strongest in the country and should anyone be interested in joining please contact Mr Clubb (PE Department). I am looking forward to the Federation Carol Service on Wednesday 14 December and hope that many of you will be able to join us for an uplifting Service to celebrate Christmas together at Charlton Church. The 6th Form have been particularly impressive this year, we revised the prefecture and they have become highly valued Senior students who support the College and lead by example. I hope the prefects and the 6th Form enjoy their well deserved Masquerade Christmas Ball on Monday evening. Next term will begin at pace with many Year 11 and 6th Form students taking final exams in January. Please support your sons and daughters with reminders about revision for these important exams over the Christmas holiday. Additional revision sessions will continue during lunchtimes and after College throughout next term. Finally can I take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and very happy New Year.
Very best wishes
Mr E Pallant Head of College
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION OF CABARET Cabaret is our 35th International show and our 26th production with a joint international cast. It has already been performed to great acclaim in Virginia, USA, in the New Kent High School Theatre and The Kimball Theatre, Williamsburg. Our UK production is a wonderful example of international collaboration. We have brought together young actors, singers and dancers from the UK, Russia and the USA to form one cast.
Reece and Anton would like to say well done to all students who have attended Skill Force over the last five weeks. Merry Christmas from us both!
We have had an extremely successful and busy term in the English Department.
News and Congratulations Year 7 News: A selected group of Year seven and Sixth form students have continued to read together at least twice a week. This is proving to be both successful in terms of reading ability, and enjoyable for the Year 7s and the sixth formers to spend time together. Well done! Also, we are pleased to report that we are running an exciting creative writing course. Well done to the following students who are involved: Lauren Scrivens-Waghorn, Erin Wallace, Luke Jaggar, Alfy Galvin, Rhys Mockridge, Rebecca Hussain, Rhys Whitehall, Tom Wesley, Travis Potts, Ben Pollard, Matthew Medhurst, Glen Bajrami, Sharon James, Sarah Babins, Leah Knowles, Freya Macloughlin, Amelia Dyer. Reading Awards:
following students who have achieved a Silver Award for reading ten books so far this term: Megan Morecroft, Jennifer Glasgow, Allie Knott, Hannah Morris, Kathryn Stephenson, Len Dowse, Stefan Barnett, Kirsty West, Kizzie Ludlam, Yasmin McNeill. We also had three Gold Award winners, who had read a fantastic fifteen books this term. A huge well done goes to: Charlie Hayes, Olivia Wright and Emily Balfe. Year 8: We were extremely pleased to welcome the published author Ian Macdonald into College this term. He worked with all of Year 8, discussing what inspires him to write and inspiring our own budding Year 8 authors! Year 9: Year 9 has been involved in writing their own radio shows this term. A huge well done goes to the following Year 9 students who successfully broadcast their shows on Jack Mackenzie, Gereldine Penn, Sebastian Fairley, Emily Clark and Brendon Ulyatt. Year 10 and Year 11 News: Year 10 and Year 11 have been working hard on controlled assessments and exam preparation this term. Year 11 had an opportunity to take their English Language GCSE in November, fingers crossed for the results in January! All of Year 10 and Year 11 will be involved in a GCSE exam In January and are working hard to prepare for this. A special mention must go to Nyall Bickley who achieved 40/40 for his speaking and listening controlled assessment, an A* grade! We are extremely proud of the efforts made by our students in English this term. Well done and keep up the good work. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year, The English Department.
Duke of York Royal Military School Exchange Visit During the last week of Term 1, a group of about 20 Year 11s spent a day at Duke of York Royal Military School (DoYRMS) on a Maths and English exchange programme. The students worked in groups together with students from DoYRMS who were also working at similar levels. The Sessions involved a variety of activities held both in-doors and outside. There were individual study tasks, pair and group work. Topics covered included core areas chosen by the Maths and English teachers. Students enjoyed the Treasure Hunt in English where they became news reporters for the day, In Maths, students had to explore nets and surface area of real-life 3-D shapes which included cylinders (Pringles), triangular prisms (Toblerone), and hexagonal prisms (Turkish Delight) and had to take the treats with them on getting the answers right!
The Cookie Project Yes they did it! We mean the Year 10APs, who put to practice what they learnt in Maths about ratio and proportion. The students learnt about the different quantities of ingredients for a basic chocolate chip cookie in both metric and imperial units. They also learnt how to change the quantities to suit different amounts of cookies. At the end it was a worthwhile exercise as everyone had the opportunity to fill their cartons made in class with freshly baked brown chocolate chip cookies.
Who said Maths is boring? We cannot wait for the next project ....
Catch up sessions for Year 11s Catch-up sessions are now running for those students in Top-set who need extra help in Maths in some of the challenging topics they are learning in class. The sessions, which run every lunch hour on Fridays, are held in Rooms 7, 5 and 4 alternatively.
REMEMBRANCE DAY Astor College Military Cadre Cadets represented the Dover Federation for the Arts at the annual remembrance parade in Dover November 13 2011.
Liam Christie laid the wreath at the Port of Dover Cenotaph outside Dover town hall .
First place was awarded to Sara Connor. Sara describes music as her greatest passion and said she sang kmfm show. She is extremely excited.
-taught pianist,
Another student from Astor, Hannah Caldwell (Year 13) sang Jar of Hearts and won third place winning £100. Hannah describes herself as passionate about singing and also loves playing the guitar and dancing. Hannah hopes to forge a career in music. All the young people involved in this competition will receive Youth Achievement Awards for their efforts. The DVD is available at http://tinyurl.com/7eg8uky or call 01304 826360.
HOLIDAY DATES
TERM DATES
"Welcome
to Pegasus"
We operate from Astor College for The Arts, Astor Avenue, Dover Kent CT17 0AS For more information please visit our website
Pegasus Playscheme provide Good Quality support and services for children with a variety of severe and complex disabilities. We operate a 3 week summer playscheme, offering activities for children with disabilities and severe learning difficulties. Each child is Supported by a local able bodied teenager. We provide open access for disabled children giving them opportunities to meet new people, make new friends and experience a wide variety of different fun and risk taking activities in a safe environment. At Pegasus we cater for each of the 5 outcomes from the Governments
Pegasus provide places for over 65 children each day, we place them into age appropriate groups. We are able to do this by hiring 4 mini-buses ensuring all children participate in leisure activities. Activities such as Sailing, Sea Safari, Pony Trecking, Swimming, the Cinema, Horse Riding, Canoeing and we also visit local zoo, farms etc, on a rota. Pegasus offer a safe environment for children, some of whom have a rare and complex disability, Enabling them to enjoy a fun packed summer playscheme. We promote independence allowing the children themselves to make the choices of which activities they would like to take part in through discussion at our Youth Forum meetings and feedback after the scheme. Whilst also providing 70 plus teenagers the opportunity to enrich their lives, building skills and encouraging voluntary work, shaping their future. We actively promote community acceptance of disabled children as being equal members of the area in which they live. Pegasus run a traditional scheme to 21st Century guidelines, and this year we celebrated 25 years of operation. We operate to Ofsted registration guidelines. We had a full Ofsted inspection in August 2009 receiving "Good" a copy of which can be viewed on the Ofsted website. Pegasus have a full complement of up-to date Policies including Child Protection and Vulnerable Young Adults. We use sport and exercise to strengthen communities and provide opportunities for people who are excluded or disadvantaged through low income, rural or social isolation, age, disability, race, sexuality or gender to tackle the exclusion and isolation experienced by some of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities. All volunteers and committee are subjected to Full Enhanced CRB checks.
pegasus is a registered charity no 299301
Dover Federation for the Arts would like to invite you to their
Carol Service on Wednesday 14th December 2011
6.30pm Charlton Church St Alphege Rd Dover