Bishop Vaughan Catholic School Newyddion Ysgol Gatholig Esgob Fychan P ARENTS ’ N EWSLET TER D ECEMBER 2008 Bishop Vaughan Catholic School’s Retreat to Rome, October 2008
Finally, after a year of planning and preparing, the day arrived for our departure to Rome. We all met at Bishop Vaughan Catholic School car park at 8.00 am and after saying the ‘Our Father’ together we excitedly set off for what proved to be a very valuable spiritual, social, educational and cultural experience.
Siobhan Frecker of Parker Travel Ltd and Father Andrew met us at Ciampino airport and it was reassuring to see friendly and familiar faces. Our coach driver was waiting to take us to Palazzola and within half an hour we arrived.
Continued on pages 3, 4 and 5
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
SCHOOL TERM AND HOLIDAY DATES 2008-2009 HALF TERM Term
Term begins
HOLIDAYS Begins Ends
Term ends
Tuesday 2nd September
Monday 27th October
Friday 31st October
Friday 19th December
Easter 2009
Monday 5th January
Monday 16th February
Friday 20th February
Thursday 9th April
Summer 2009
Monday 27th April
Monday 25th May
Friday 29th May
Wednesday 22nd July
Autumn 2008
The Headteacher, staff and governors wish all parents, carers and pupils a happy and Holy Christmas and a successful New Year. Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda. Dates for your Diary Last Day of Term - The school closes for the Christmas holiday on Friday 19th December at 3.25 pm. Inset Days - Monday 5th and Tuesday, 6th January 2009 - school is closed for pupils Wednesday 7th January - All pupils return to school (week two on timetable) Inset Day - Friday 13th February 2009 Half Term Holiday - Monday 16th February to Friday 20th February 2009 Advance notice of Examination Dates 2008/09 External units for Years 10 - 13: mid January 2009 School exams for Years 7-10: Monday 11th May to Friday 22nd May The main external exam period begins on Monday 11th May 2009 and will continue to the end of June. Please be aware, however, that some examinations, especially orals and practical examinations are normally held before this date. The full academic year school calendar is available to view on our website, alternatively parents can collect a paper copy from the school’s main office. PLEASE NOTE: Whilst the school understands the difficulties with holidays, we would remind you that breaks should not be booked without the Head approving the time off first. We would bring to your attention that School Inspectors have regularly pointed out that there is a clear link between absence and lack of academic progress!
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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Retreat to Rome, October 2008 The view of Lake Albano was breathtaking and all of us were very pleased that we had made the decision to stay at Palazzola rather than the busy centre of Rome. We began our retreat with Mass led by Father Andrew in the beautiful chapel at Palazzola. After supper we sang the ‘Salve Regina’, led by Father Kevin, at the statue of Our Lady. All of us looked forward to what the next day had to bring. This became our regular habit after evening meals and students and staff found the experience very moving. After breakfast we set off for Rome, where we had tours of the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica. Many of our sixth formers are studying Religious Studies, Art and History and found the tours very informative and worthwhile On Tuesday we took a trip to Tivoli Gardens. The scenery was breathtaking; students took every opportunity to have photographs in front of the water features. We were very fortunate with the weather; students and staff took the opportunity to have a quick swim before supper. Some found the experience a little chilling however! After a picnic lunch we visited Castel Gandolfo home of the Pope’s summer residence where students had the opportunity to buy ice cream and do some shopping. The weather was glorious and on return to Palazzola students went swimming once more. The friendly atmosphere at Palazzola was perfect for our students where they felt very much at home in the evenings, playing the piano, watching films having a sing song or keeping in touch with family and friends on computer.
On Wednesday students and staff arrived at breakfast in the uniform polo shirts that we had ordered for our attendance at the Papal audience. The sense of universal Christian community was overwhelming as Christians from all over the world gathered at St. Peter’s square. Our students and staff were very excited to see the Holy Father and when our school’s name was called out the cheer from us was deafening!
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
Retreat to Rome, October 2008 After the audience we all walked to the Campo dei Fiori for free time and lunch. Later we were given a tour of the English College by Liam Bradley who is from the Menevia diocese and many of our students had met with him previously at Bishop Mark’s Mark’s retiring Mass. It was a positive experience for our students to witness a young person in training for the priesthood. At Palazzola, Father John Nunan from the Leeds diocese celebrated Mass for us and those who attended had an overwhelming sense of belonging to one another through Christ as well as of our worth as unique individuals. For many of our students, Thursday was a very memorable experience. The catacombs of San Callisto were for me one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. Walking where our early Christian martyrs had worshipped and were buried was truly awesome. I was fascinated with the Christian symbols drawn during times of persecution and with the sense of community and solidarity that the first Christians shared in the face of persecution. An image which impacted upon me was a tiny fresco of a person with arms upheld praising God; a clear message of the eternal joy of the Gospel message even in the midst of persecution. We all enjoyed the guided tour of the Colosseum and our walk alongside of the Forum on our way to the Pantheon. Supper at a Pizzeria and a walk to Giolittis ice cream shop and then the Trevi Fountain ended our very busy day. Students and staff were pleasantly exhausted and being in Rome at night time was a memorable experience for all concerned but particularly for one of our students who was celebrating his eighteenth birthday! Our last day began with a trip to Rocca di Papa Market for shopping. This was a typical Italian village and a visit to the market gave us a sense of Italian culture. We returned to Palazzola for a special lunch, another eighteenth birthday and a time to thank staff at Palazzola for such a warm welcome and an enjoyable stay. Father Andrew celebrated Mass prior to lunch and we gave thanks to God for the experiences we had shared. We left for the airport with many students pleading for an extra week at Palazzola! At 10.30 pm we arrived back at Bishop Vaughan School where parents met with their children. This was a truly memorable experience for me and for those with whom I shared the retreat. I hope to return to Palazzola in the near future with another school group and would certainly recommend that schools take the opportunity to stay in the safety and beautiful setting of Palazzola. Siobhan’s organization of each of the days was superb and made it so much more relaxing for staff who accompanied the students. I recommend that schools contact Siobhan at Parker Travel Ltd where she will cater for your particular needs. My heartfelt thanks go to the students and staff who accompanied me on this retreat and made it such a worthwhile experience.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
Retreat to Rome, October 2008 Here are quotes from two of the pupils who visited Rome:I enjoyed the trip in general. The sites and the scenery were jaw dropping. We had five days and every day we did something really interesting. It was truly amazing and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the future. I believe it was a success. Mrs Hansen and the teachers deserve a lot of credit for their hard work. Alex Jones 13.3 The week flew by like a flash, but the memories will stay with us forever. The beautiful paintings in the Sistine Chapel, the gloomy catacombs, the magical Trevi Fountain, the scenic Tivoli Fountains and, of course, Giolittis ice cream parlour. The day we were most looking forward to came and you could hear the buzz of excitement all around; the day of the Papal Audience. We sat down on our seats in the Vatican in our matching t-shirts, the sun was shining down on us and we waited patiently and excitedly for the Pope to arrive. As he arrived, flags from around the world were held high and everyone was cheering. As the English speaking Cardinal blessed Bishop Vaughan we all screamed in support! This special trip will be remembered by all and we all hope to return! Chloe Parsons 13.1 and Rosie Walker 13.2.
Sixth Form Visit to the RNLI Public Services visit to Mumbles Coastguard and the R.N.L I. on the 27th November 2008. We have to study uniformed Public Service organisations as part of our studies in the Sixth Form. Mr. Davies and Mrs. Hart organised a trip for us to visit the Mumbles Coastguard station and the Royal Life Boat Institution at Mumbles. We left school and went straight to the R.N.L.I, which is a charity organisation and is manned voluntarily. We as a group presented the lifeboat personnel with a cheque which had been collected by school pupils studying public services. We learnt about the lifeboat and its crew in Swansea and found the talk very interesting. We then went on to the bottom of the Pier and did a tour of the lifeboat. We then walked further along the coast and walked up to the top of Mumbles hill where Miss Marsh guided us through the map and orienteering session which is also part of our Public Services course. We enjoyed ourselves although we did end up getting very wet as the weather was very bad. We visited the restaurant on the Pier for our lunch and afterwards walked all the way back to the cliff to the Coastguard Station. We were given an excellent presentation and found out how the Coastguard can track boats and keep constant surveillance of the coastline through the use of sophisticated computer Technology. We were all presented with a “goody� bag which contained key rings, pens, I.D. tags and safety leaflets. We all thoroughly enjoyed our day and thanks to Mr. Davies and Miss Marsh for taking us.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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CAFOD Contrary to the Kaiser Chiefs’ song “It’s cool to know nothing”, B.V.S. students explored the idea that “knowledge is power” during their CAFOD assemblies in October. The fact that one child dies of malnutrition every eight seconds was the knowledge they were given, and challenged that ‘with power comes responsibility’; the responsibility to at least try to do something about the situation. Many students rose to the challenge and pupils in 7.3 became “servants” to parents doing household chores. All donations were gratefully received and donated to CAFOD. They raised £136.20 and gave mums and dads a well earned rest. The fund raising was run as a House competition and the results were:1st Dyfrig 2nd Brynach 3rd Teilo 4th Cadog 5th Mabyn 6th Non Anonymous donation Total raised
£179.21 £105.55 £ 58.65 £ 56.04 £ 51.29 £ 42.29 £100.00 £700.40
Dyfrig gain another 25 house points
Operation Christmas Child
Students throughout the school have been collecting shoe boxes filled with Christmas presents in support of Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child project. As usual the students enjoyed participating in this event to support children in war torn countries. Sixth formers have especially had the responsibility of overseeing the project and special thanks goes to them. Some of the students who participated in the project are pictured above.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
English Department News NATIONAL POETRY DAY Congratulations to all of the students who took part in the Key Stage Three poetry competition. There were three class winners in each teaching group and students received a certificate as well as house points. Special congratulations go to the overall winners, Dylan Jones from Year 7, Emma Clarke, from Year 8 and Morgan Hannah from Year 9! An additional prize will be presented in assembly. SPELLING BEE Year 7 pupils will be taking part in a new initiative being launched by The Times – the first UK Spelling Bee. The aim is to discover the UK’s best young spellers as well as to make learning spelling a fun and entertaining activity. All pupils will be involved in spelling contests in classes to help raise the profile of spelling as well as identify our best team. We will then put forward a team of three pupils (plus a reserve) who will participate in heats between schools up and down the country, in March. The winning teams will then progress to the Regional Finals which will be staged in May. The Grand Final will be held in London in June 2009. This will be a high-profile event featured in The Times newspaper and on Times Online. Exciting times ahead! YOUNG WRITERS SQUAD Last year Swansea Council teamed up with the welsh arts organisation, ‘Academi’ to create a Young Writers Squad which gives talented young writers in Swansea a chance to hone their skills with the help of real-life authors. This was the first time that budding young writers in Swansea had been given the opportunity to get together to encourage each other to develop their natural abilities. Three of our Year 7 students, formerly pupils from St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Clydach, were selected to be part of the squad last year. It has been so successful that the squad is continuing to meet this year. “We meet regularly at least once a month on a Saturday at the Dylan Thomas Centre. We write poems and stories and sometimes we do script writing or even some drama related activity based on our writing. There are about thirty of us in the squad, a mixture of boys and girls and of different ages. Sometimes we have visiting authors or poets who come to talk to us and give us tips on how to improve our writing. They have all been really inspiring and come from as far afield as America. Last week we did a photo story which was a new experience for many of us. In the last few sessions we have also been talking about the fascinating story of Lord Dunraven. This squad is an excellent way to get to know what you are really capable of and it is a superb way for us to broaden our vocabulary, learn more about writing and extend our writing skills. It is also an ideal opportunity for us to meet people with similar interests and make new friends. We really are a team and love being part of the squad.” Gabriel Cura 7.1, Francesca Hutchins 7.3 and James Lawson 7.1 Their commitment and ability has been commended by the team, ‘…it has been a pleasure to work with such delightful and talented young people’. Pupils will continue to meet regularly on Saturday mornings during the academic year. Good luck for all future ventures!
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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Science Exams & Revision Science News - External Exam Dates GCSE exams Years 10 and 11 Biology B1 and B2 Monday 12th January 2009 Chemistry C1 and C2 Thursday 15th January 2009 Physics P1 and P2 Monday 19th January 2009 AS exams Biology Wednesday 14th January 2009 Chemistry Friday 9th January 2009 Physics Tuesday 13th January 2009 A2 exams Biology 2804 Central Concepts Thursday 29th January 2009 Chemistry 2814 Chains, Rings and Spec. Wednesday 28th January 2009 GCSE Biology Revision Lessons Mon 15th Dec 1.30pm-2.00pm B1 revision for classes 10.1-10.3 Room 26 B2 revision for classes 11.1-11.3 Room 29 Tue16th Dec 1.30pm-2.00pm B1 revision for classes 10.4-10.6 Room 29 B2 revision for classes 11.4-11.6 Room 33 Thurs 8th Jan 3.30pm-4.30pm B1 revision for classes 10.1-10.3 Room 26 B1 revision for classes 10.4-10.6 Room 29 Fri 9th Jan 3.30pm-4.30pm B2 revision for classes 11.1-11.3 Room 29 B2 revision for classes 11.4-11.6 Room 33 Pupils will need to sign up to these classes and collect a past paper exam from the appropriate Biology teacher. They will be expected to bring the completed exam paper to the revision session. Chemistry revision lessons Year 10
Monday 12th January, lunch time Tuesday 13th January, after school, 3.30pm – 5pm
Year 11
Thursday 8th January, lunch time Wednesday 14th January, after school 3.30pm - 5pm
Year 12
Thursday 8th January, afterschool, 3.30pm – 5pm
Physics revision lessons Year 10
Wednesday 17th December, lunch time Friday 16th January, after school 3.30 pm - 5.00 pm
Year 11
Tuesday 13th January, lunch time Thursday 15th January, after school 3.30 pm -5.00 pm
Consent forms must be completed and returned to Mr Davies to attend after school revision lessons.
GCSE Science Revision Guides and Workbooks Many Pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11, who are currently studying GCSE science, have already taken up the opportunity to purchase these books from the school. Separate revision guides and workbooks are still available for Biology, Chemistry and Physics at a cost of £3.00 per book. The normal retail price of the revision guides are £4.50 each and the workbooks are £5.50 each.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
All about Science Science Club Science club will be starting back up on Mondays of week 1 in room 5, and all year 7 and 8 pupils are welcome. Science club consists of fun experiments which pupils wouldn’t usually do in science lessons, we are also aiming to get pupils more involved in the planning of experiments. Here is what science club members think: ‘’Science club is cool, you learn about stuff you don’t learn in class.’’ – Ryan Kent
‘’It is a great club to have fun, learn about science and do practicals’’ – Corey Edwards ‘’Science club is really good, and it is really fun because we learn lots of new things about science, and it helps in tests and exams.’’ -Hannah Stubbs
So if you are interested in science, cool experiments and having fun turn up to room 5 on Monday, week 1, at lunch time.
Electronics Club Electronics Club meets every Tuesday in room 23 at 1.45 and is open to any pupil with a technical interest who particularly likes building models and making them work. Our current project is to make a “Micromouse” style vehicle, which by means of sensors and electronic circuitry, will follow a white line drawn on a floor or bench. At the moment, we are not concerned with speed but our target is to improve the model so that we can compete against other teams and schools. At present, the club is attended mainly by junior pupils and our A-level students but we are looking for interested year 9 pupils who might be considering GCSE Electronics and any year 11 pupils who want a taste before taking Electronics at A-level. Mr. Owen and Mr. Beynon
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All about Science Can Chemistry Command the Rain? Recently the Sixth Form were given the opportunity to discover the answer to this question, and many more. In an interesting and informative presentation, Mr Joel Loveridge from Cardiff University challenged us to think creatively about the roles of Chemistry in Industry. For instance, it is used in drug research, the development of renewable fuels, and even in controlling the weather-particularly needed in Wales! The presentation ended with an opportunity to subscribe to a Science Journal ‘Chemistry World’ (containing the answer to the original question), an offer that was quickly accepted by those present, indicating the enthusiasm felt by many sixth formers for Chemistry. By Emily Tofts 13.3
Save money this winter! This term Mr. Walker’s Year 9 Science class has been investigating ways in which we can both help the environment and save money this winter by insulating our homes more efficiently. They have run investigations to find which materials are the most effective insulators of heat and used their findings to design and build model houses to see how we can reduce heat loss in the home.
All models were tested to see how effective they were at preventing heat loss and a prize was awarded to Karl Gardiner and Naomi Lynch for their winning design.
Well done to all who took part! Mr Walker
UK Junior Mathematical Challenge Here is a maths challenge question for you:Clearing up after the party I found two pop bottles which were full, two which were one third full, two which were on third empty, two which were half empty, and two which were completely empty. How many bottles did I find altogether? A4
B6
C8
D10 E12
The solution can be found on page 17
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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Year 9 Engineering Team Challenge On the 13th November we left school for Swansea University at 9:30, we then spent half an hour in the Mini bus to travel just six miles to get to the University. When we arrived, we were then introduced to the organisers of the engineering challenge (ICE); then they told us what would be happening throughout the day. We were then put into groups of four which ranged from the letters A- N, these groups were made up of mixed pupils from different schools, giving us a chance to meet new people; the other schools involved were from Bishop Gore, Olchfa, St. Josephs (Port Talbot), and many others from within the Swansea area. We were given half an hour to communicate with our fellow team mates to discuss our ideas on how to complete our engineering challenge. The Challenge - we had been asked to build a tower crane, using plastic straws, elastic bands, wooden dowels and we were given a wooden base and a house brick , we had to include in the design a pulley system at the top of the tower crane which was to hold a cup that held weights. To make the challenge more realistic they implemented some rules and regulations such as the height of the tower must be 60cm and over, also the length of the boom had to be 60cm long, and each extra straw or elastic band had a cost! We as our individual teams generated many different ideas for our towers, so we all had towers varied in shape and size. When all the tower cranes were completed they were all lined up along a row of tables labelled with our letter of our team. Then the cup was placed at the end of the boom and then a sponsoring engineer placed as many weights as possible into the cup until the tower collapsed under the weights, the tower which held the most was group ‘A’ and held 72 weights. During the challenge we had to complete a quiz and fill in a costing grid to show how much money we spent on materials for the tower. The winner of the challenge was based on three criteria 1- number of weights held, 2- number of questions correctly answered and 3- and the cost of the tower crane. As the towers were being judged we went for lunch where we had time to chat with the other school pupils. After lunch we went on a tour of the University Engineering Department, we had one of the students from University show us around, so we got a chance to see what Swansea university life was like with all their facilities. Once the tour was over we gathered in the main hall, we were then notified of the winning teams. A big well done to Adriano Parisi for coming third and winning £15 voucher, Bethan Jones for coming second and winning £20 voucher and also, Karl Gardiner and Jessica Thompson for coming first and winning £25 voucher each. Also congratulations to all the students from Bishop Vaughan School who took part in the challenge, they were Bethan Jones, Chelsea Hopkins, Adriano Parisi, Erfan Mesbah, MarthaRose Hale, Karl Gardiner, Kyle Quick, Louis Bashford, Caitlin Griffin, Chris Gray, Stephanie Duffy, Lauren Risely, Jamie Richards and Jessica Thompson. Written by Chelsea Hopkins and Bethan Jones
Stop The Press …. Stop The Press …. Karl 9.4 and Jessica’s 9.5 team won the overall competition, which was based over 4 different dates and 4 different venues, Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and Carmarthen Universities. They brought back an amazing £200 for school equipment. Well done Karl Gardiner and Jessica Thompson. Also thank-you Mr. Smith and Ms. Gwilliam for taking us on this engineering course, and for putting up with us all day! www.engineering-team-challenge.co.uk/2008/report/report.htm (to see the report of the event plus photos)
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Classics Competitions The Classics Department competitions for pupils studying Latin in Years Eight and Nine have produced some outstanding entries this term! The number of high-quality entries made the judging process even more difficult on this occasion than it usually is! The work submitted showed evidence of careful research and planning, and that many hours had been spent on presentation. Entries for the Spring term competition are already flooding in! Year Nine pupils are reminded that their theme for the next round of competitions is ‘Gladiators’!
Congratulations to the winners of the most recent competitions: 8P First Place: Joint Second Place: Third Place: Highly Commended: Commended:
Boudicca, by Liam Dunne— a previous competition winner
Erin Myles, 8.3 Vivian Presgrave, 8.1 Abigail Rockerfeller, 8.3 Emma Clarke, 8.3 Adam Evans, 8.1 Liam Joyce, 8.1 Ryan Argyle, 8.4 Robin Bermudez, 8.2 Luke Blanche, 8.1 Siobhan Fitzgerald, 8.3 Chloe Hayden, 8.1 Nicholas Hughes, 8.1 Lucy Jenkins, 8.3 Nikki John, 8.1& Molli Martin, 8.1& Roisin Oldroyd, 8.1 Alicia McCabe, 8.3 Sean McCabe, 8.4 Joshua Mulenga, 8.3 Kyle Penhale, 8.3 Diny Peter, 8.2 Ian Remot, 8.1 Lia Rodda, 8.4 Jack Stacey, 8.1 Keiron White, 8.1 Isabella Williams, 8.1 Justine Zamora, 8.2
Replica of a Roman villa Model of a mythical creature Sculptures of Medusa and Cyclops Papier Mache Vase Collage of Romulus & Remus story CD Drawing Picture Presentation Writing Picture Model of a mythical creature Model of a mythical creature Picture Joint entry: Medusa collage Picture Picture Picture Picture Story & illustration Picture Picture Drawing Picture Picture Picture
Yasmin Wozencraft, 8.6 Kerryn Morgan, 8.6 Hannah Sarsfield, 8.6 Rebecca Thomas, 8.6 Zoe Baker, 8.7 Chris Charalambou, 8.7 Chloe Davies, 8.7 Daniel Davies, 8.7 Callum Dilling, 8.7 Keiran O’Connell, 8.6 Alwin Thomas, 8.6 Sharlene Thomas, 8.6 Emily Toulcher, 8.6
Model of Vesuvius Model of Vesuvius Model of Vesuvius Mosaic Shared project Drawing Shared project Picture Picture Vesuvius Picture Picture Picture
8Q First Place: Joint Second Place: Highly Commended: Commended:
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Year Nine First Place: Joint Second Place: Third Place: Highly Commended: Commended:
Nia Palla, 9.2 Anya Slowinski, 9.4 Christie Bannon, 9.4 Carys Davies, 9.5 Michael Goodwin, 9.5 Fridah Kamani, 9.5 Liam Lewis, 9.5
Painting of a gladiator Writing and illustration of gladiators Explanation of the origins of gladiatorial combat Sketch of Medusa Illustration of a gladiator Illustration of gladiatorial training Gladiator illustration
Liam Dunne, 10. Tom Sheridan, 10. Busisiwe Phiri, 10.
Painting of a druid Poem on the Roman invasion of Britain Illustration
Year Ten Artistic Endeavour: (Awarded jointly)
Oedipus Rex Theatre Trip Sixth Form Classical Civilisation pupils will be visiting the Grand Theatre on 20th January to see a production of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Pupils intending to take the A-level course next year are also welcome to attend see Mrs. Pole for further details.
Oxbridge Classics Conference for Schools Find out about the degree courses available in Oxford and Cambridge - even with no previous study of Classics! Those interested in applying to these universities for other subjects may also wish to attend, as pupils will have the opportunity to visit a range of colleges. Date: Fri 27th March. See Mrs. Pole if interested.
‘Guess the Song Title’ Competition Winner In the last newsletter, we asked pupils to guess the translations of three song titles. The answers are below. The winner was Corey Edwards of 8.5 Well done, Corey! saltans in via - Dancing in the Street lacrimae scurrae - The Tracks of my Tears silentio sonante - The Sound of Silence
Guess the Christmas Song The first three pupils to hand correct answers in to Mrs. Pole or Mrs. Arthur win a prize! gaudium mundo dum servant pecus pastores Orientis reges tres diem Christi album somnio O parve vice Bethlehem
New Courses Offered! From September, pupils will have the opportunity to take a GCSE Short Course in Classical Civilisation. Offered alongside other Short Course subjects - and therefore in addition to the usual number of GCSE qualifications - it provides students with a qualification equivalent to half a GCSE. Pupils will have the opportunity to study Roman history and the Greek myths that have proved so popular with Years Eight and Nine. This exciting opportunity will allow them to develop their current interests and gain accreditation for a subject that they already enjoy. The Latin GCSE - which covers language and civilisation - will continue to be offered and the courses can be taken together – study of one subject will certainly be of benefit to the other! From September, pupils will also have the opportunity to take two different A-level courses: the Classical Civilisation course offered at present, where all texts are studied in English translation and which requires no prior study of the subject, and a new Classics A-level. This allows current Latin students to build on their language skills with study of some texts in the original Latin. These new courses are designed to allow pupils to build upon existing skills and to develop in their own fields of interest. See Mrs. Pole for further details.
In Cicero’s Footsteps… Year Twelve Classical Civilisation students who have recently returned from the school’s Rome trip comment: “Looking around the forum in Rome was a surreal experience, as we realised that we were tracing the footsteps of men such as Caesar and Cicero whose lives had been lived out here. I found it really exciting to imagine that the buildings were once crowded with people watching the foremost lawyers in Rome argue some of the most thrilling court cases in history.” Kristian Roberts, 12.2 “It was tempting to call out ‘cui bono’ as loudly as I could -Cicero’s famous question ‘Who benefits?’ It’s been considered in law ever since: who had a motive for committing this crime?” Hannah Cheshire, 12.2
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
The first prize winner, Erin Myles, invites you on a journey around a typical Roman villa...
The cleverly-designed trompe l’oeil entrance seems to draw the visitor in!
The outside view
1st Inside, every room has a beautifully decorated mosaic floor. The paintings on the walls depict classical scenes. Move through the atrium to the enclosed garden.
Outside, a typical street scene ‌ and authentic Latin graffiti!
Mosaic Collage: Geometric Design
Just look at the level of detail!
Papier Mache Greek Vase
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
An illustrated explanation of the founding of Rome
The rescue boat heads towards Pompeii … perhaps Pliny the Elder is aboard!
Models and myths for the Medusa and Cyclops stories
A collage of Medusa — with hissing serpents for hair!
Map of the Bay of Naples and model of Vesuvius
A retiarius: a gladiator who Painting of a druid, as descrifought with a net and trident bed in Caesar’s Gallic Wars
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Music Monday Singing for everyone! Come along and join the singing group at Monday lunch times in the Performance Studio. A range of new, old, popular and traditional music sung. Anyone who has the ability to speak also has the ability to sing! So if you want to come and make some noise and have some fun while you’re at it, then give it a try! Wednesday
Thursday
Music Tech Club every Wednesday Lunchtime at 1.30pm.
Wind band rehearsals for woodwind, brass, bass and percussion instrumentalists. 1.45pm start in the Performance Studio.
Christmas Concert. Many thanks to all who took part in this year’s Christmas Concert. All your hard work and effort is greatly appreciated!. Miss James
House Saints Competition In order to consolidate students’ knowledge of the House Saint associated with their tutorial, the Religious Education Department set a competitive project for homework. Students were asked to research the Saint associated with their own particular house and present their findings in a variety of ways – power point, poster essay, project, or creative art. In their presentations students had to include the following information. A history of the life of the Saint and why they were made a Saint; an understanding of their personal qualities and what made the person worthy of becoming a Saint and lastly what we can learn from the life of the Saint and how can we apply these lessons to our school life. Some of our entries were outstanding and it took quite some time to agree on the winners! First prize winners gained 25 house points, second prize 15 house points and third prize 10 house points. We awarded two extra prizes for the creative projects as they were outstanding. All entries received one house point and special efforts two. Congratulations to all the winners ! Year 7 1st Mary Ellen Courtney 7.3 St. Dyfrig, 2nd Rebecca Owen 7.7, St Brynach, 3rd Jack Draper 7.6. St. Teilo. Year 8 1st Sean Hall 8.3, St. Teilo, 2nd Kyle Penhale 8.3, St. Teilo, 3rd Wallace Ford 8.7. St. Cadog. Year 9 Joint 1st Nia Palla 9.2, St. Mabyn and Carys Brannan 9.6, St. Cadog, 2nd Megan Jones 9.4, St. Teilo, joint 3rd Adriano Parisi 9.1, St. Dyfrig0 and Steff Slee 9.4, St. Teilo. Special creative awards went to:Josh Morgan 7.6, St. Teilo and Marrusz Gawarecki 8.7, St. Cadog.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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Languages Club
(An Italian lady, Renata Tufarelli teaches KS3 pupils how to make fresh pasta) This half term the “Languages Club” has been very fortunate. Students from KS3 have had the opportunity to watch an Italian lady showing off her cookery skills and pupils were also able to sample authentic Italian pasta freshly cooked. The whole experience was very successful thanks to the food technology department that was very helpful. Nathan Saunders from 7.2 said: “On Thursday during Languages Club we had an Italian cook (Renata Tufarelli) showing us how to make fresh pasta with a tomato based sauce. She also showed us how to make spaghetti, twirls and orrechiette. She then cooked the pasta and we tasted it. It was delicious!” A Welsh Baccalaureate student was also able to get involved within the “Languages Club” as Emily taught colours in French using games to Key Stage 3 pupils. The whole experience was very successful and gave her the opportunity to complete one part of her key skills. Very soon, during the “Languages Club”, another Welsh Baccalaureate student will also take the opportunity to deliver activities and games to younger pupils but this time it will be in German.
Our “Languages Club” is always looking for new ideas and we hope that other students who have the experience of another language will want to come and share their knowledge with us, as it is always a great experience to learn from other cultures. The Club meets every Friday lunchtime at 1.50pm. During the “Languages Club” pupils have the opportunity to use French, Spanish, Russian and Italian.
Maths Challenge Solution is D There were two full bottles and two empty bottles. The two half full and two half empty are the same bottles. The one third full and one third empty ones are different so the total number is 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 10
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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Our Welsh club has had a successful launch this year and is proving to be very popular, especially with year seven pupils! Every other week we are joined by Eleri from Menter Iaith Abertawe who plays lots of different games to help our pupils practice what they learn in their Welsh lessons. On the other occasions fun activities are arranged by Mrs. Smith and Ms. Jones along with the help of Sarah Marie, Rhys and Edward (our 6th formers). Read the opinions of some of our members……….. I go to Welsh club in G1 every Thursday with the two best teachers in the school! There are always Welsh quizzes, fun games and a chance to better my Welsh! Even if you don't know how to speak Welsh the sixth formers and our teachers will always help us! So if you fancy fun, house points and prizes the Welsh Club is the best place to go! Bring your friends too! Rydw i’n caru dysgu Cymraeg!!! Tomas Hopkins 7.7
I love going to Welsh Club because it gives us extra opportunities to learn more Welsh. We play fun games and get lollipops!!! Megan. Williams. 7.3
I love Clwb Cymraeg it’s really fun! Once a fortnight Menter Iaith Abertawe come to club and play games with us. It’s really fun and you get to meet new people, create posters and it really helps us learn. It’s really nice to have someone else other than our teachers doing the club for a change as we hear other people speaking Welsh in school. It’s really fun! Mary Ellen Courtney 7.3 Mae Siarad Cymraeg yn wych!
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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The AS/A level students have to study Welsh media as part of the course and have appeared on two Welsh television programmes this year. “Pawb a’i farn” and “ Noson Lawen Tawe”. Here is Rhys Hopkins opinion of the experience………… I found both experiences interesting and I really enjoyed seeing how a television programme is put together, as one programme was a live broadcast with Dewi Llwyd a famous Welsh presenter. We also got the opportunity to meet Alun Cairns after the show. Edward harry said………….. “Going to both venues was eye opening, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Having the experience of being with Welsh speakers and conversing with them was also a great experience, and I hope to continue my Welsh studies further after sixth form.
I’m really enjoying studying and learning the Welsh language and experiencing Welsh culture and the way of life…...Marie. Rowden Cooper.
The Deputy Head Boy Rhys Hopkins who has studied Welsh at Bishop Vaughan for nearly seven years gave an outstanding speech in the Presentation Evening in Welsh. He was congratulated by Kevin Johns who is also a Welsh speaker on his words , and commented on the clarity and correctness of his speech. Ardderchog Rhys!! Here we have year seven students playing language games on the year 6 open evening1 they worked really hard that night impressing the parents and the pupils from the primary schools! Da iawn a diolch yn fawr!
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Sixth Form News Year 12 Mountain Walking Course On Monday 17th November, Year 12 AS PE group set off on a week of mountain walking activities. We headed down to Rhossili feeling anxious about what to expect. After a short walk up to the centre we met our instructors for the week and had a lovely dinner of burger and chips. Our first task was situated around Rhossili centre and onto Rhossili Downs where we used our orienteering skills to complete a course. After being woken up early Tuesday morning we were all tired but looking forward to the day ahead. We took the minibus for 10 minutes down the road to Milwood Forest. After listening to our instructors we set off in our groups to look for markers hidden away behind the trees and under logs. We all worked hard and enjoyed our day but after some map work back in the centre we had an early night. Wednesday morning we had another early start. We set off for a long day of walking up the Brecon Beacons. We set off by the South Wales Caving Club and we were put into groups. We all had to take it in turn to lead legs and lead our groups in the correct direction. After a very long day in Brecon we came to the centre where we had to prepare for the course we were going to undertake for our assessment the following day. This took a long while as we needed to be very accurate. Thursday morning we woke up very nervous and excited. Looking out the window we could see awful weather conditions with drizzly rain, high winds and very poor visibility. After a hearty breakfast we went to put on our gear and made sure we wrapped up very warmly. Half the group set off from Arthur’s Stone, whilst the other half from the centre. The groups set off at separate times and each individual group headed off following their planned route. After a good couple of hours walking, the extremely wet and tired group finally arrived at their destination. The day was a real success with most groups following their route plan perfectly. Even though one group were 8 miles off course, they recovered well and managed to find their bearings and were back on track. After a lovely tea of chicken curry, rice and chips most people headed off to bed. On the final day the instructors decided we had worked hard enough to give us a treat. We headed down to Rhossili Bay to do abseiling which everyone took part in except a few of the boys. Thank you to the teachers for a very good week.
Nia Lewis and Victoria Crocker.
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Year 10 in Rhossili uriDngDuring our week in Rhossili we went on a mountain walking course. The days were really tiring. We woke up around seven o’clock every morning and then walked mountains until around four o’clock. Our instructors taught us how to use a compass and we also did some orienteering while we were there. The nights were good, we would all have a shower, eat our food and then we had free time until bed-time. We watched films, played games, chatted, went on the computers and all sorts. The instructors were great fun and joined in with the groups. All in all it was an amazing week. Carys Norman 10.6
Blooming Marvellous We went to Plantasia as part of an Art trip. In art we have been looking at drawings of flowers and plants. The trip was spread out with some classes going on different days and the Year 10 Photography pupils came with us on one day. We went to Plantasia by bus where the journey was fun and lively as we were excited about what was ahead. Some of us had already been to Plantasia but were still looking forward to the visit again. When we got there we were told we had to draw 4 drawings close up of plants and flowers using different materials such as pencils and pastels. When we went into the actual Plantasia the temperature immediately changed, it was boiling. The place was big and very high up. We were allowed to look around for a while before we started drawing. There were many interesting plants and flowers to look at, which we were able to take pictures of. There were loads of trees and a Cactus room which was much cooler. After we finished drawing we could feed the fish and see all the different animals and insects, the monkeys were really cute. As a treat we were told we could go to Joe’s Ice cream or Dinky Doughnuts. Some people had both and stuffed their faces! We could also go to the gift shop and buy some souvenirs. Afterwards we went back into Plantasia and finished off our drawings. When it was time to go we had to get all our belongings and get the bus back to school in time for lunch. We had great fun. If you love plants and a warm climate you should visit. Emma Kavanagh, Sougri Abugre, Courtney Rogers, Jack Millen, Josh Williams.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
Retreat to Kintbury Silence, excitement, solitude, prayer, music, laughter, reflection, friendship, apple picking and late nights. Where can you experience all of these – at Kintbury of course! On 20th October, eleven excited sixth formers and our two equally excited teachers set off from Bishop Vaughan at one o’clock. After a very eventful journey including mishaps such as the bus not having sufficient seats, order mix-ups in Burger King and a ten mile traffic jam, we arrived at Kintbury – tired, hungry and four hours late, in typical Bishop Vaughan fashion. But even in our weary state, we threw ourselves enthusiastically into activities such as recalling our childhood teddy-bears names and (Mike’s favourite), paper-plane making. After much excitement, we retreated to the quiet room for night prayers. The next day we got our first glimpse of Kintbury at its best, in the bright morning sunshine, a truly beautiful sight. We then met with the other schools, which Lee, Jordan, Taylor and Mike may claim to be an even better sight than the surroundings! After being arranged into our small discussion groups, we received a meaningful talk from one of the group leaders, Jed, who recalled his experiences in relation to the day’s theme. After a hearty lunch, we went on the Emmaeus walk in pairs which saw us get to know our group members better and in some cases, get chased by angry farmers! In our small groups, we were then allocated a certain part of the Mass which would take place the following day. Wednesday’s theme was awareness. Another of the group leaders gave a talk relating to this. We talked about self-awareness, awareness of our surroundings and our relationships with other people. Though it may sound boring, the group leaders made it really enjoyable and worthwhile. In our free time we explored the grounds and walked to the local shop (less local than we thought!) to stock up on supplies. We then all chose an activity, either painting, decorating a stone, clay and bead making (which proved amazingly popular with the boys). We then had the Mass with each group contributing to the celebration. After tea, we settled down to a sing-song, which saw all of us embarrassed by Mrs Meredith singing her heart out to ‘Hey Jude’, (she ignored our advice to stay off the red wine and we had been told the windows were expensive to replace, but she didn’t listen.) The next morning after packing and making our beds, we went down for our final breakfast. We then split up into our schools and compiled a list of words that summed up what Kintbury meant to us – friendship, honesty, fun to name a few. Keeping in touch with our Welsh roots, we ended our presentation with a quick burst of ‘Oh fluffy sheep’ and after a few verses, the whole room was singing. We then all received memory books which people could sign to remind us of the great times we had and all the wonderful people we met. Finally, it was time to say goodbye (or so we thought). After waving off the other schools, we found ourselves bus-less (the bus had been booked for the following day!) Feeling a burden on the staff, we did a quick circuit of the Emmaeus walk then returned to be met by the staff offering us chicken and chips (the best food we’d had for a while) and a DVD till the bus arrived, 3 hours late. It was a truly unforgettable experience, if you have the chance to go, don’t miss it.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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Bus Passes Could both parents and pupils be aware that the children should carry their bus pass with them at all times. Pupils could be asked at any time whilst travelling on a school bus, to produce their bus pass as evidence that they are allocated a seat. If pupils have misplaced their bus pass please contact the school office who will organise a replacement. Also pupils are not allowed to travel on any other bus other than the one that is printed on their bus pass. On several occasions lately pupils have tried to travel on different buses. e.g. to go over to a friends place after school. This is not allowed and the drivers have the right to refuse entry to pupils who are not allocated to their bus. It is parents’ responsibility to collect their children and take them to alternative venues after school.
Parking Outside Bishop Vaughan A letter has been received from the School Community Police Officer asking us to pass on the concerns of local residents in relation to parking and vehicles causing obstructions outside the school from 3 o’clock every afternoon. Police Officers will be patrolling regularly outside the school to take positive action.
Mobile Telephones If pupils have mobile phones they should note that they are not to be switched on or in use inside the school. This includes the buildings, playground and playing field areas, before, during and after the school day. Mobile phones are to be kept out of sight, either on the person or in the school bag. The school can take no responsibility for any loss or theft of mobile phones. Parents and guardians are asked not to contact their children by phone or text during the school day. If an emergency message needs to be conveyed the school office will take the call and pass the message on. Similarly if a pupil needs to make an emergency call home he or she just needs to approach the office. Failure to comply with these rules will result in the phone being confiscated and kept in the school office for collection by a responsible adult. Any pupil using a mobile phone to record sound or video in school faces the likelihood of exclusion.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
PLEASE NOTE!!! School Website The school website has been redesigned and has a new address: www.bishopvaughan.swansea.sch.uk
Mrs Chiles is a First Aider NOT a nurse - therefore injuries incurred at home should not be sent to her the following day. If your child has an accident in the home/out of school please seek medical advice.
Lost Property Since the start of November, a very large number of coats and jackets have been handed in, together with jumpers, trainers, door keys and various other items. None of these articles are labelled and cannot, therefore, be returned to their owner. If your child has lost any item, please tell them to come and check with Mrs Chiles. If these items are not claimed by the last week of this term, they will be given to a charity shop as there is no room to store them. Lost property is available for checking at break and lunchtime. PLEASE LABEL ALL CLOTHING! Please label all items of school uniform so that they are easily returned if given in to lost property.
Pupil Information If any details have changed, please write or email into the school office so that our records may be updated. This includes any change to address, contact telephone numbers (especially mobile telephone and emergency contacts), place of work, doctor, or any new medical conditions which we should be aware of.
Could you please pass onto the school any relevant email address that we could use to contact you.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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School Uniform Years 7-11 Pullover:
burgundy, v-necked with official school logo.
Tie:
years 7-11 official school tie
Socks:
with trousers, dark-coloured or white with skirts, standard grey or white should be flesh-coloured or medium grey, plain and seamless.
Tights:
NB socks or tights MUST be worn. plain light blue, standard school style. Not denim or fashion.
Blouse/Shirt:
NB During the summer term only light blue polo shirt with school logo, may be worn. Skirt:
mid-grey in material and standard design, standard knee length (knife or box pleat permitted).
Trousers:
dark grey or black and standard design NOT fashion or jeans. No denim, leather, flares, corduroy etc.
Shoes:
black, dark brown or dark grey with flat or low heels. Ankle boots may be worn in winter and sandals may be worn in the summer, provided they conform to the above regulations. Trainers are not permitted. pupils may wear mackintoshes, coats, anoraks or cagoules. However, all outer garments, of whatever type, must be plain, dark and single coloured. Anoraks or cagoules must not be too long, too short, “bomber jackets” or denim type.
Outer Garments:
A luminous reflective strip is permitted and parents/ guardians are strongly advised to consider this. No logos, writing, patterns of any description should be present. Denim is not allowed. Baseball caps are not permitted in any circumstances. There is no necessity for anorak hoods to be worn at school. Jewellery:
A single sleeper or a single stud of minimum size in the lobe. No other piercings are permitted. A medallion or chain may be worn if discreet. It must be removed for PE/Games. All other jewellery is forbidden.
Make-up/Hair Dye: Make-up is forbidden as are visible tattoos and piercings of any kind. If hair dye/highlights are used they should be a natural colour with no extreme contrasts. No designs to be shaved in the hair. No ‘skinhead’ type haircuts. All items of clothing should be clearly marked with the pupil’s name.
Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
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School Uniform
Sixth Form Uniform Pullover:
navy, v-necked with official school logo.
Tie:
sixth form official school tie
Shirt/Blouse:
plain white, standard school style (not fashion)
Skirt:
navy blue, knee length
Trousers:
navy blue, standard design. No denim, leather, flares, corduroy etc.
Socks:
with trousers: dark coloured, or white with skirts: navy blue or white
Tights:
plain, seamless, navy tights may be worn.
Shoes:
dark coloured with flat or low heels. Ankle boots may be worn in winter and sandals in the summer. Trainers are not permitted.
Topcoat:
dark blue/black/grey – single coloured only.
No logos, writing, patterns of any description should be present. Denim is not allowed. Baseball caps are not permitted in any circumstances. There is no necessity for anorak hoods to be worn at school. Jewellery:
A single sleeper or a single stud of minimum size in the lobe. No other piercings are permitted. A medallion or chain may be worn if discreet. It must be removed for PE/Games. All other jewellery is forbidden.
Make-up/Hair Dye: Make-up is forbidden as are visible tattoos and piercings of any kind. If hair dye/highlights are used they should be a natural colour with no extreme contrasts. No designs to be shaved in the hair. No ‘skinhead’ type haircuts. All items of clothing should be clearly marked with the pupil’s name.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
Pupil Planners Parents are reminded that it is essential to sign Pupil Planners every week. The Pupil Planner contains a record of the pupil’s behaviour and work. By signing the planner and looking at it at least once a week, the parent can see how their son or daughter is behaving and managing their learning. The planner contains the following codes:W=
A warning has been given for low level disruption i.e. talking, not working etc.
I=
An imposition has been given for failure to modify behaviour after the warning.
F=
A further imposition has been given because the pupil has continued to misbehave during the lesson.
R=
The pupil has continued to misbehave and a letter will be sent home along with further sanctions.
S=
Serious misconduct. The pupil has had to be removed from the lesson.
E=
Failure to bring equipment i.e. book, pen etc.
L=
Late to lesson.
H=
Homework not done.
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Bishop Vaughan School Newsletter December 2008
Savings to get you “On Yer Bike� Bikes4School Bikes4School is a great new scheme, designed to get more children and their parents on their bikes. It will enable pupils and their families to benefit from huge savings on the cost of bikes and cycling safety equipment. Meanwhile, the school will benefit from regular quarterly payments from Bikes4School, which are directly related to the value of orders received, to spend on whatever they wish. All you need to do is log onto the website www.bikes4school.co.uk and enter our school code which is Y2K5Y to get a bike, safety gear or clothing at a 10% discount, while the school gets 5% back of the purchase from Bikes4School.
Bishop Vaughan Catholic School Mynydd Garnllwyd Road Morriston, Swansea SA6 7QG Phone: 01792 772006 Fax: 01792 790565 E-mail: bishop.vaughan.school@swanseabishop.vaughan.school@swansea-edunet.gov.uk www.bishopvaughan.swansea.sch.uk