BOTTISHAM VILLAGE COLLEGE
October 2009 PRINCIPAL’S NEWS Chair of Governors I am delighted to inform you that Mr Philip Hodgson has recently been elected as the Chair of Governors. Philip has been involved with the College for a number of years as a long-serving Governor. Mrs Hilda Buchanan was re-elected as Vice Chair. A full list of our Governors is available on the website.
Open Evening The autumn term is always an extremely busy one and this one has already been packed with many activities and achievements. One highlight was our annual Open Evening, which took place on 1st October; we welcomed large numbers of Year 6 pupils and their parents/carers to come and see us at work. We were delighted that hundreds of our own students chose to give up their evening to share their school with our visitors. The college was a hive of activity, ranging from energetic, practical demonstrations in PE, a simulated version of Antarctica in Geography to a poetry writing challenge in English. Visitors also had the chance to enjoy refreshments in our own Coffee Shop in the Project Area, which is run by students as part of their Catering course. Many thanks to all students and staff for helping to ensure that this was such a successful evening.
New Build Programme The new build programme continues to make very good progress and we are hoping that the Dining Room extension will be available for use shortly after halfterm. The new teaching block is due for completion by Easter 2010 and will contain: A purpose-built Special Educational Needs & Inclusion Unit A suite of classrooms for the English faculty A large multi-purpose space
Once this block is completed, a programme of alteration/improvement work will take place within the existing main teaching block, to provide new accommodation for the Modern Foreign Languages faculty. The final phase of the works will be the conversion of the current MFL block, to a large Locality Base. This will provide additional accommodation for a number of Local authority support services for both the college and wider community, as well as a new Youth Centre and Children’s Centre.
Uniform Many thanks for your ongoing support in working with us to ensure that uniform is worn appropriately; there has definitely been significant improvement in this area. Once current concern is the very short length of skirts that a small number of girls are wearing. The uniform guidance is quite clear in this respect; “plain black, midcalf to knee-length; no extreme styles, no decoration, no distinct belts. Tight fitting and short skirts are not acceptable.”
Sculptor in Residence We are very much looking forward to welcoming Matthew Sanderson to Bottisham later this year. Matthew is a highly regarded local sculptor based in Horningsea, who has been commissioned by the David Urwin Trust to create a new sculpture for the college and local community. Matthew has been consulting with students and staff at the college, as well as members of the local community to help to inform his design ideas. So far, he has come up with four ideas which are currently the topic of much discussion. These ideas can be seen, alongside examples of Matthew’s work, just inside the Main Entrance to the college. The final decision to confirm the chosen design will be made shortly. We are extremely grateful to the generosity of the David Urwin Trust, which is enabling us to be involved in such an exciting project. We have no doubt that the sculpture will provide a wonderful focus in the centre of The Principal’s Lawn, an area that will be very much at the heart of the college, following the completion of the current building programme. Mrs K Evans Principal
BTEC Construction The term has started with a flurry of activity. Our Year 11 students have had the opportunity to see behind the scenes of the new build at school which is rapidly taking shape. Our thanks go to Matt Chillingsworth, the Project Manager at Kier Construction. Also our Year 10 students have visited Mackays hardware store in Cambridge and have been measured for their personal protective equipment which should be ready for their first site visit after the half term. GCSE Catering On 5th October our Year 10 students visited the new catering facilities at Cambridge Regional College. They were able to sample a two course meal in the new Park Restaurant followed by a tour of the commercial kitchens. They will return later in the year to prepare a meal, experiencing for themselves, life in an industrial kitchen environment. Future Chef Competition All our Year 10 catering students were given the opportunity to enter the school heats of the FutureChef Competition on the 6th and 7th October. We were very lucky to have the Head Chef of Hotel du Vin in Cambridge, Jonathan Dean, as our judge. The students had to prepare a main course with a budget of £4.00 within the hour. Jonathan was able to see the students preparing and cooking their chosen dishes and he did taste every single dish! After much deliberation, 8 runners up were chosen and our congratulations go to George Smith, James Green, Anita D’Aleo, Beth King, Chantelle Callen, Frances Collett, Ronnie Littlewood and Georgina Chambers. The overall winner was Harvey Martin, who will represent the school in the next heat of the competition which will be held at Peterborough Regional College on 19th November 2009 . Harvey prepared a dish of chicken breasts wrapped in Parma ham with a mushroom and Dijon mustard sauce. To help him in the next round, Jonathan Dean will be a mentor and Harvey will have the opportunity to work with Jonathan at the Hotel du Vin perfecting his dishes. Congratulations to Harvey and we wish him well in the next round of the competition. Mrs Matthewson Vocational Coordinator
Lost Property
www.software4students.co.uk
All clothing worn to school, ie, school uniform, PE kits, footwear and coats should be named. If they are lost, they will then be
As agreed with Microsoft, the final date that parents, guardians and students in the UK can buy 10 Office Programs for £35 ends 31st October.”
Anti-Bullying Conference Day 7th October 2009 The Locality Team and Police worked with Bottisham Village College and Soham Village College, to put together an Anti-Bullying Conference Day for 29 student leaders who were chosen from the 2 schools. The challenge given to the students at the start of the day was that they had to imagine they were a media arts company and they had been commissioned to produce 5 media products that could be used across the 2 schools during Anti-Bullying Week 2009. The day, hosted by Bottisham Village College, started with some presentations. The first from the Locality Team concentrated on Cyber Bullying. Then PC Alison Jones spoke about E-Safety and some of the dangers that face young people online and finally PCSO Maria Green spoke about staying safe when out and about. After a refreshment break, the students were split into groups; 2 groups worked on a drama/film production, 2 groups worked on posters and 1 group working on a PowerPoint presentation. In the afternoon, the group reformed to share their experiences and explain what they had come up with in their workshops and how they were going to take this forward to ensure their work was ready for Anti-Bullying week. Evaluation feedback was very positive and the day was judged as a success. The students were well motivated and worked well together, they engaged fully in the workshops. They put across their views in a mature way and produced exciting resources that they will use throughout the school to help reinforce the message that bullying is not acceptable in school.
Mark Cowdell Education Welfare officer
MFL Faculty News Welcome to our new Foreign Language Assistants! On 1st October we were delighted to welcome to BVC the new Foreign Language Assistants who will be working with us in Languages lessons this year,;Asna Oulghazi (French), Susanne Freimüller (German) and Alba Oreja (Spanish). Asna will be here in week A, Susi and Alba will be here in week B. We look forward to working with them all. European Day of Languages 26th September This year, the MFL faculty decided to celebrate European Day of Languages in a different way and wanted to welcome all our talented new year 7s. Every form in year 7 took part in our own version of X Factor-meets-Eurovision song contest competition. All year 7s learnt a French song with their teachers and recorded a video of their performance, some of them even had their very own choreography! All tried hard to please the judges, that is all year 7, 8 and 9 students had a very tough choice to make deciding on who should be our first ever European Day of Languages French Song contest winners. The results… will be revealed after the Break (that’s half term) Visiting German teachers from Anna Van Rijn Last week we welcomed two German teachers from the Anna van Rijn School, our partner school in the Netherlands. Ms van Wijk and Mr Korf were here to see school life first hand at BVC and to discuss our joint German language project. Students from AvR and BVC will be putting their foreign language skills to real use again this year by communicating with each other in German. Partnership with Erich Kästner Realschule, Kempen BVC has renewed its link with the Erich Kästner Realschule in Kempen, Germany, after having lost contact for several years because of staffing changes at both schools. Students in Year 10 and 11 are preparing letters for penfriends in Germany, and an exchange visit to the school is being organised for later in the year. More details to follow. Thinkquest web-site launched in MFL Students studying Year 10 German have started to use the Thinkquest website this half term. The website allows registered schools and their students anywhere in the world to communicate with each other securely and collaborate on learning projects. Year 10 German students will use the site to keep in touch with their penfriends at our German and Dutch partner schools. Year 10 French will also be starting using the website for class projects after half term.
Mrs Hill
News from the Physical Education Faculty Rugby and Hockey All the year group squads have been playing rugby and hockey fixtures and there have been large numbers of students attending training sessions. We often field two or three teams in each year group. Unfortunately a number of the rugby fixtures had to be cancelled because the lack of rain had left the pitches too hard. Hopefully some of these will be played in November. The Year 7 students have trained particularly well, and have had a lot of assistance from a dedicated team of Year 10 sports leaders. Results for all teams have been good. The main District Tournaments are fast approaching - these provide exciting opportunities for all players involved. Inter Form Competition The first inter form competition of the new academic year was a great success, involving all students from Year 7 – 9 as participants, ably led by Year 10 sports leaders. Rowing Club The rowing club meets every week in the gym and is open to all students. Working on the Concept 2 machines the students train to beat their personal best results for a set distance. These results can then be entered onto a data base and the students can see how they are ranked in the school, in the County and even Nationally! A number of rowers have joined one of the local clubs and are training on the river. Triathlon Club This club continues to grow and is one of the most successful in the District. At the end of the summer term we held an internal competition and despite it being rather warm all the athletes did themselves proud. Badminton Club This recreational club (meets on Thursdays Year 7 and 8) and on Fridays (Years 9, 10 and 11). All are welcome. Meet in the Sports Hall after school until 4.20pm. Non Traditional Sports Competitions On Tuesday 3rd November teams will be representing the college in table tennis, badminton and orienteering. Details are on the sports notice boards.
Basketball Training for the basketball teams will start in early November, and a number of club nights for all year groups will be available. Fixtures and Tournaments against other schools have been arranged. Cross Country All KS3 students have been participating in their annual cross country running block, trying to get a personal best time. This is a challenge for everyone participating! Swimming Please note the availability of free swimming in the Bottisham pool for all students from 3.05pm to 4.00pm on Mondays and Thursdays and from 4.30pmt o 6.30pm on Fridays. Do take this opportunity to get exercise, practise your strokes and have some fun! School/Club Links The P.E. Faculty has long established links with a number of local Sports Clubs. This enables us to give accurate information to all students who show an interest in developing a particular sport outside of school. If you are involved in a sports club and would be happy to encourage new members please send full contact details to the P.E. Faculty.
Mr Alvey Student Absences
Mobile Phones
We would like to remind parents to ring school on 01223-811250, Extension 444 to report a student absence on the first day of absence stating a reason. This extension is for absences only.
Please do not contact students on their mobile phones at school. Phones are allowed only on the condition that they are turned off during school time.
Please ensure the school is rung before 9.00 am. An unexplained absence after 9am will automatically generate a text or email message to the parent, informing them that their child has not registered in school and requesting an explanation.
You may contact the Student Support Office on ext 272 and a message will be passed on.
School Car Park For the safety of staff and students, please remember not to use the car park immediately in front of the school to drop students off in the morning. This area is for staff use only.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at Bottisham has been going from strength to strength over the past few years, with around 50 participants signing up for the Bronze Level each year and around 30 moving on to the Silver Level. This Autumn, participants of both Bronze and Silver have been away on expeditions. The Bronze group spent 2 days navigating their way around an area of Thetford Forest, enjoying the excellent late summer sunshine and dry weather.
The Silver group went further afield to complete their Qualifying Venture in the White Peak area of Derbyshire. Although not quite so lucky with the weather, all remained in high spirits even with the heavy burden of their rucksacks to complete the 30 mile, 3 day expedition. Participants will now focus on completing the other sections of their awards. Bronze participants will start the preparation for the qualifying expedition early in the New Year to give plenty of time to plan routes and undergo the training for the expedition in May (date to be confirmed). I will launch the Bronze Level to Year 9 students in the Spring Term. Those students who are interested in finding out more about the award should look at the D of E notice board near the main school entrance or go onto the Award website (www.dofe.org). The increased popularity of the D of E creates a greater need for adult supervisors/ helpers for the expedition section of the award. If you think you would be interested in helping with the award at any level and would like to find out more, please get in touch.
Mr Lonnen
FREE SCHOOL LUNCHES If you receive any of the following benefits you can apply for free school lunches for your child: Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance or Child Tax Credit, - so long as you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and your annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) does not exceed ÂŁ16,040 or Guarantee element of State Pension Credit or Support under part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999 Guarantee element of State Pension Credit Note: From 1 May 2009 where a parent is entitled to Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after their employment ceases, or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week, their children are entitled to free school lunches TO APPLY, you need to complete an application form or visit our web page and do it online http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/education/parents/help/lunches/
Forms are available by contacting the Education Welfare Benefits Service
01480-372307 or 01480-372308
ewb.fsm@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
FRIENDS NEWSLETTER Dear Parents/Carers Welcome to the Autumn edition of our Friends Newsletter AGM July 2009 Following a very successful AGM, I would like to welcome three new members to The Friends committee, Debs Sadler who has taken over as Secretary, Roman Maczkiewicz and Alison Mansell. We look forward to sharing their enthusiasm and new ideas for the forthcoming year. Quiz Night – Friday 13th November at 7.30pm in the Main Hall Please join us for this extremely popular evening, gather up a team and test your skills against fellow players!!. Tickets on sale £8.00 each – includes supper Teams of up to 8 - limited numbers – booking fast To book your ticket please ring 01223 811250 ext 275 advance teams only Email friends@bottishamvc.org Christmas Market & Craft Fair – Sunday 29 November 2009 10am – 4pm Visit our Christmas Market & Craft fair – solve all those Christmas presents at once! Due to its popularity we have an even greater number of stallholders attending. Our stall holders will have a wonderful selection of hand crafted gifts, handmade cards, bags and a wide selection of food produce including chocolates, cheeses, preserves and cakes to name but a few. We will also be holding our popular Christmas Tombola – watch out for the raffle tickets and posters which will be sent out after half term. Additional books can be requested by contacting friends@bottishamvc.org. A £25 ITunes gift voucher for the pupil donating the most tombola prizes!
Ultimate Christmas Pudding You will have received a letter and order form via SchoolComms for our fundraiser with a difference – our very own Christmas Pudding, Brandy Butter or Ultimate Chocolate Pudding – having sampled these I can say that they truly are the ultimate pudding!
These puddings were so popular last year that we have extended the range, we now have a delicious Triple Ginger pudding and a sumptuous Citrus, Honey and Almond pudding. Additional forms are available at reception. Order yours today to avoid disappointment! Latest delivery dates 16th December for ordered puddings.
Recent Projects supported by Friends – Display Screen When next visiting the college you cannot fail to notice the fabulous LCD screen in the student reception area. Full of information for the college and students, the screen also is updated for extended schools and community classes. New On-Line Payment Service launched after Half Term We are pleased to announce that immediately after half term we will be launching ParentPay. This is an on-line system which will allow you to top up your child’s lunch account, pay for school trips, music lessons and order uniform etc in simple easy steps. During half term all parents will be sent a letter explaining the system, and containing a unique login and password which will enable you to start using the system. If you do not receive this information (allowing for postal strikes) please contact the Finance Office. ParentPay is designed to make the process of making payment easy and efficient, saving you time and providing much greater efficiency for the College. We look forward to seeing you all logging on and enjoying the benefits very soon. Heidi Kempster Business Manager
Autumn Term 2009—Calendar of Events October 26th to 30th November 9th 10th 11th & 12th 12th 13th 17th 18th & 19th 20th 23rd 23rd to 27th 30th
December 3rd 4th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 18th
Half Term
GCSE English Exam, Paper 1 (9.00am to 10.45am) Road Safety Theatre Netherhall Open Evening Long Road Open Evening GCSE English Exam, Paper 2 (9.00am to 10.30am) Friends Quiz Night Humanities Master Classes for Year 6 Hills Road Open Evening Year 9 Road Safety Year 11 Catering Visit to CRC Year 11 Exams Year 11 Catering Visit to CRC Certificate Evening
PSHE Day Gifted and Talented Geography Revision Morning Year 8 Parents Evening Years 10 and 11 Royal Academy Life Drawing Day Years 9, 10 & 11 Textiles Trip to Clothes Show, Birmingham Carol Service, Holy Trinity Church, Bottisham Year 11 Imperial War Museum & St Thomas' Hospital Drama Trip to National Theatre, London Term Ends for Christmas Holidays Term Dates for 2009/2010
Spring Term
5th January
Spring Term starts
12th February
Staff Training Day
15th to 19th February
Half Term
1st April
Spring Term ends for Easter Holidays
Summer Term 20th April 3rd May 31st May to 4th June 22nd July
Summer Term starts May Day Half Term Summer Term ends