FE B RU ARY 2 0 1 3
T H E S E C O N D A RY N E W S L E T T E R Secondar y News from the Pupils and Teachers of King’s College, Alicante
Activity week for ever yone
Head of Secondary Message February has been an exciting and enjoyable month in Secondary. Trips and Activities week has provided every pupil from Year 7 to Year 13 with the opportunity to enjoy new experiences and learn new skills. It is sometimes easy to forget that education goes far beyond just the academic experiences that we are able to offer our children in a school environment. Complementing that experience, with the wealth of activities you can see in this month’s newsletter, provides another dimension to the education we offer here at King’s College and enriches and supports what our pupils have been studying in class. A huge thank you to the parents, pupils and staff who worked so hard and enthusiastically to make the week the success it was. As well as activities week we have also been very fortunate to welcome back
the John Madejski Academy to our school again this month. The school, a Specialist Sports College based in the south of England, has a first-class Drama and Dance department and pupils from the academy led an exciting and inspiring set of workshops for many of our KS3 and KS4 pupils. The Year 7s were also treated to an awe-inspiring performance of the Shakespeare play, “Titus Andronicus”, which acted as a fantastic springboard from which to launch their own studies of the famous, English poet and playwright this coming term. The visit was a resounding success and we look forward to working closely with the Academy again on similar projects in future years. With all the excitement of activities week and the month’s other events behind us it is important now that we re-focus on the remaining four weeks of term. March
is an important time for all pupils, not least those who are about to sit external examinations, and by now all pupils in Years 11-13 should be well into their revision schedules and counting down the remaining time to those important dates. Mr. Roberts, our Director of Studies, will be writing more in our April issue regarding exam preparation and dealing with exam stress. If you do have any questions in the meantime then please do not hesitate to contact him.
Simon Wicks Head of Secondary Pag e 1
MR. BUTCHER
ACTIVITY
&
TRIPS WEEK
In February, secondary pupils and staff embarked on a programme of trips and visits. There were two residential trips to Barcelona and also the Ski trip to Huesca as well as several day trips. We also had an extensive programme of activities in school during the times when pupils were not out on trips.
CONVENT OF SANTA CLARA DEL REAL, MURCIA VISITED BY OUR SIXTH FORM
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ALICANTE & THE WATER MUSEUM YEAR 7 We drew a sketch of something in the Santa Bรกrbara Castle. All of us enjoyed it a lot!! Next, in the Water Museum, we played games and resolved quizzes. The guide showed us how the sea water is taken to homes and how they clean it.
ORIHUELA & MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ YEAR 7 When we went to Orihuela, we visited my old school “Santo Domingo”. We visited the Church of the school and the Claustro. We also visited the Cathedral and the Miguel Hernández House-Museum. Adrián, Year 7G I think it was a marvellous little town, I really think Santo Domingo is a really precious and beautiful school. I learned lots of things about Miguel Hernández, and took a lot of pictures. I learned nearly all about him and saw his wonderful house. Clara, Year 7B I liked our guides from the Water Museum (Alicante). They were so kind and explained legends and stories from water, fountains and rivers. “Our eyes just see what they like”: I like this phrase...and it is so true. Everything I saw was so beautiful and took us back as if we were in the Miguel Hernández time. But what I really enjoyed was Santo Domingo’s Church because it is so big and so amazing!. Diego, Year 7B
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ALCOY &
MODERNISM
YEAR 8
In the trip to Alcoy, we went with a guide and he explained to us all about the history of this village and the important places like El Refugi or La Font Roja. These places are very interesting and beautiful places to visit. I’ve never been to Alcoy, but I am sure I will go back and visit it again. By lunchtime, we went to have our lunch at the Font Roja, this was a very beautiful place to have our lunch. We had a lot of fun, because we got to spend time with all of our school friends on a school trip. The food was good so I did not have any problems with that. Silvia, Year 8D I loved to go to Alcoy. We visited the Town Hall and saw the paintings. The guide told us a lot about Alcoy’s history. After that, we went to the Refugi de Cervantes and we saw the different parts. In the afternoon, we went to the Font Roja. It was fantastic!. Jaume, Year 8S
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MARQ &
LUCENTUM
YEAR 8
At first, we started by visiting the MARQ Museum. We went to the Prehistory room, were the guide explained to us about the daily life at those times, how they buried the people, which types of clothes they used, how they hunted, etc. Then, we went to the Iberian room, were the guide explained to us about the culture and the religion of the Iberians. At the end of the tour of the MARQ Museum, we visited the Romans’ room, were the guide explained to us how Romans invaded part of Spain, how they imposed their language and customs, their culture, etc. Finally, we visited Lucentum. The guide led us through the ruins of Lucentum while he was explaining to us what they meant and why the Romans built them. He also showed us small remnants of statues that had been built by them. This was a very informative trip because I think that all year 8 learnt a lot during the visit. Also, we had great fun! Marta, Year 8D I enjoyed this trip because we learned a lot of different things and interesting facts. In MARQ our guide explained to us how people lived before. In Lucentum, our guide explained in great detail about Roman Baths and it was very interesting. Kristina, Year 8D
www.marqalicante.com
LA VILA JOIOSA:
THE ART OF CHOCOLATE
YEAR 9
The trip to la Vila Joiosa was very tasty! We first went to a Chocolate Valor factory. When we went in, the factory smelled incredibly of chocolate, delicious! Then, we emptied their chocolate reserves. Then, we went to Chocolates Pérez, the oldest one, where some of us ate 100% cocoa chocolate. Finally, we drew some of the typical houses of la Vila. It was a great experience! Andrea & Héctor, Year 9W
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NOVELDA &
MONÓVAR
YEAR 9
We went to Monóvar and Novelda. First we visited the Azorín House where we found out about Azorín’s life and where he lived. We saw where he worked, slept, and saw the library were a huge of amount of his books were kept. Then we had a snack in a little park and afterwards, went to the Modernist HouseMuseum, built in the Modernism Style from the last century. We discovered about the family that lived there and the history of the house. Before lunch, we visited one last place, the Santuario de la Magdalena, and after the talk, we listened to the organ. Then we had our new packlunch and, played around the park. When we arrived at school, we made our own picture to contribute to the exposition. Pablo, Year 9M
BENIDORM
TRIP
YEAR 9 Our sprighlty year 9 Geography students recently set out on a sunshine filled trip to Benidorm! The aim of the field study was to investigate how Benidorm has changed from being a small fishing village to a booming and multi cultural high rise town, as a result of tourism. Students were also evaluating the sustainability of tourism in Benidorm through their fieldwork observations.
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VALENCIA
VISIT
Personally, our visit to Valencia was very interesting and enjoyable. The monument that I most liked was the town hall, a building made by three different architects at two different times and centuries, and that now is one unified building. In addition, the central market was also very nice because you could see everyone buying traditional food; it’s a modern building of the twentieth century, and what amazed me were 959 stalls at the market and the colourful glass windows to take all the advantage of the natural light. Then we went walking beside the lovely Turia gardens, covered with green vegetation that made it a very pleasant place to take a walk. We arrived at Gulliver’s park, which we all enjoyed like little kids, throwing ourselves down slides. Finally, we arrived at the Science Museum (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias), which I also liked a lot because we were able to touch everything as it was all interactive to engage the public in all the activities. I highly recommend Valencia as a tourist place, to visit museums, buildings or just to enjoy it. Alba, Year 12
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MURCIA
VISIT
From start to finish, Murcia was an exhilirating experience. We arrived (on time!) at the stunning Town Hall where Pedro, our tour guide (whose English was impeccable) met us.
We then visited everything the city had to offer, except the wee fashion boutiques, and enjoyed lunch in the centre, too. Not only did I love visiting the city and learning about it’s history (thank you, Pedro!), but getting time to spend time outside of the classroom with classmates and teachers was a treat. Hazel, Year 12 On the 21st of february we went to visit Murcia with Sra. Vila, Sr. Lazaro and Mr. Turner. We had a guide who showed us all the interesting buildings in Murcia, such as the cathedral and the town hall. He explained with great detail what made those building so important, such as the baroque facade of the cathedral or the neoclassical style of the convent. After seeing the building we went to the center of the city to eat and look around the shops. In conclusion it was a very beneficial trip for us as we learnt a lot about the city of Murcia, and now we know that Murcia is more than just IKEA. Gus, Alvaro, Manu & Sandro, Year 13
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SKI
TRIP
We left school just before 10am picked up our monitor, Dani in Torrent, made a lunch stop near Teruel and arrived at the hotel in Sabinanigo just after 6pm. A nice easy journey with a bit of music, a film and a lot of excitement, and now we are fed, watered and all ready for an early start tomorrow and the metres of snow that await us. Best get lots of sleep.....(ahem).... Getting out of bed at 7am is not as tough when there are 3 metres of fresh snow waiting for you and after a quick breakfast we made our way up to Panticosa. The quickest ski fit of recent times meant we met our instructors for a 10am start and lessons to perfect carving turns, learn to snow plough or simply how to stop! The sun was out to help us see the way and excellent progress was made by all. Lunch was enjoyed together before the groups went off to perfect the skills learnt in the morning. The black run from the summit was tested for safety by the teachers (the things they do for their students), though the final run of the day to the bottom was maybe a bit optimistic. Luckily, the ski patrol were about to show the way and a full days skiing was achieved. Tired and smelly bodies lay strewn throughout the coach on the way back to the hotel and the promise of a hot shower..... Now we Alicantinos are no strangers to a sunny day, but when the big fireball in the sky reflects off a mountainside of snow, all the brighter (and warmer) it feels. The cloudless sky greeted the skiers after their well earned lie in (7.15am) and a day of t-shirt skiing beckoned. The initial hour saw beginners who could just about stop end up conquering full blue runs, intermediate skiers fly down the black run and Guillermo lose his skis. The lack of accidents on piste was replaced by incidents on the chair lifts. 3 snapped poles and one dropped by the end of the day is testament to the importance of having to check your mobile at every opportunity. A group trek to the back
of the mountain for the afternoon was an inspired decision as we were afforded every type of piste and the mountain to ourselves. More than half the group joined the advanced skiers for the end of day run to the bottom to bring a fruitful and sunburnt day to a close. A wander around Sabinanaga preceded dinner and the day concluded with cards and disappointed Barca fans in the Hotel cafeteria. The third and final day came too quickly and passed in a flash, though the skiers made the most of the day again by waking early, rising without complaint and collecting skis and poles quick enough to earn all of them a quick run on a deserted piste before meeting the instructors. Even the beginners had the rare opportunity to lay the first tracks on newly bashed snow and quickly progressed from Green to Blue before lunch. Visibility was reduced under the cloudy sky, though the snow was softer for it and the more able groups were able to use the snow that was breaking from the piste to attempt technical turns on the Black run from the top of the mountain. The final free ski of the afternoon saw the skiers venture to their favoured runs discovered during the week. The beginners faced the daunting task of using the ski lifts, intermediates attempted the Black runs they had been eyeing up, and the advanced skiers passed on tips to their friends and guided them through some as yet unseen hills. 42 tired and weary skiers met for one last time by the gondola and those who had one more run in them made their way to the village for the last time, and for the others an easy egg ride took them safely back to the waiting coach. Tall tales and bold claims were shared on the way back to the hotel, with the knowledge that the torture of wearing ski boots was over.....for now.
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ACTIVITIES
IN FRENCH
During the Activity Week, the French Department organised a morning of games in french. Pupils participated in all the activities with enthusiasm. Congratulations to Marta, Martina, Victor, Manuel y Jacobo who won the competition.
MATHS IN
ACTIVITY WEEK
Another busy and successful day for year 7 who explored the application of mathematics in a real life context. They looked at how for over 2000 years maths has been used to help improve people's lives; in one session students built sundials and studied the maths behind this ancient device, in another session they used computers to analyse the damage and injury to cars and people involved in a crash. They also designed and built parachutes and tested their designs by seeing if their eggs would survive being dropped out of a second floor window, a cracking exercise. If the day was not busy enough students using various mathematical tools measured different aspects of the school building estimating its height and length. In a single day students were introduced to the maths used by engineers and scientists in a wide range of industries, thanks to all the students and maths and science teachers, who together made it such a successful day.
LIGHTHOUSE BULDING “We had an excellent time discussing and giving ideas. We also joined with Year 9 and we worked really well together. At the start it was difficult and we thought we were going to lose because the other team´s lighthouse was really good but then it fell and our lighthouse was the best, but we had a problem: it was too small! At the end, we won. It was really interesting. I would love to do it again!” “I liked doing the lighthouse in a team”
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TRIP TO
SANTA POLA
ORIENTEERING It was fun and exciting, being left to wander alone in the forest (with phones in case we got lost or needed to call emergencies for any reason), apart from a great experience, as we practised our map reading skills and our ability to keep track of where we were. I would recommend it. Nacho, Year 12
KEY STAGE 3
ACTIVITY WEEK
Pupils on Key Stage 3 have enjoyed one of the busiest, most varied and eye-opening weeks of this academic year during Trips Week. From entering the bedroom Miguel Hernández sat composing his poetry to understanding how to be safe on social sites on the internet, or learning how the Romans heated their water in the first ‘spas’ from real remains to mimicking the style of Japan’s most famous Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave’ in painting. There certainly has been something for everyone and pupils from years 7 to 9 took every advantage to try something new, exploring new learning horizons with ‘hands on’ workshops, activities, guided tours and school visiting experts of their field. Here are some reflections of KS 3 pupils: ‘I liked House Day best. I think the 10 minute games at the end of the day were fun, you were with people you didn’t know a lot about. I especially liked charades with Madame Belna.’ ‘I learned that in Rounders if you give the ball to the pitcher you have to stop running.’ ‘I learned that the Civil War was a very dark and bad war. ‘ ‘I found out about the legend of the castle of Santa Barbara.’ ‘I learned to construct a parachute to make an egg fly.’ ‘I think that working in a team is better than working on your own.’ ‘I enjoyed the golf because I am the best and I got the best score.’ ‘I didn’t know that the water cycle goes on and on. That’s why we must keep it clean or we get sick.’ ‘Alcoy was a very important place in the civil war because that is where they made firearms.’
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WORK
EXPERIENCE Last 18th to 22th February students in year 10 participated in the Work Experience project. This year we have been very privileged to count on parents’ invaluable support with this programme. Thanks to this collaboration, Year 10 were successfully placed in a great variety of working environments like law firms, vets, OAMI, advertising agencies to name a few..
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ICE SKATING
REWARD ACTIVITY
The last day of trips week saw the Year 12 pupils spending the morning working on their leadership skills by assisting in Primary or the KS3 games. In the afternoon in recognition for their hard work and commitment to the week, we went to the local Ice rink in Elche. Most of the students had not been Ice skating before. They all enjoyed it so much they wanted to know if they could do it every Friday and Alba even stated that she may have found her new winter sport.
ACADEMIC SCHOLAR’S DINNER
Verena, Ernesto, Toby and Tara all attended a Gala Dinner held in their honour in Madrid recently. All the King´s Academic Scholars from Madrid, Alicante and England were invited by Sir Roger Fry , Chairman, in recognition of their outstanding academic success in public examinations. Each of the scholars was presented with a certificate to mark their achievements. Claudia, who was unable to attend, received a congratulatory letter from Sir Roger Fry. The award of King´s Academic Scholar is a prestigious addition to the life of the King´s Group Schools and I look forward to this accolade being bestowed on many of our pupils in the future.
FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT In February our Y7/8 Football team, Year 10/11 Football team and combined Girls´Football team played in Elche against our sister school from Murcia. We won 1 game and lost 2, but all enjoyed the experience.
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JOHNN MADEJSKI
VISIT
The school, a Specialist Sports College based in the south of England, has a firstclass Drama and Dance department and pupils from the academy led an exciting and inspiring set of workshops for many of our KS3 and KS4 pupils. The Year 7s were also treated to an awe-inspiring performance of the Shakespeare play, “Titus Andronicus�, which acted as a fantastic springboard from which to launch their own studies of the famous, English poet and playwright this coming term.
SWIMMING
GALA
Swimming Gala. It never fails to amaze me how many talented individuals we have here in King’s College, Alicante. Our annual swimming gala was a great opportunity for pupils to show-off their swimming prowess and win some points for their houses in the meantime. Plenty of fun was had by everybody who took part. The list of winners and records can be seen on the website.
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KING'S IN THE MEDIA We are delighted that King's Group has been featured in a number of national press articles this month. Newspapers include La Razón, ABC, La Gaceta, The Telegraph and Redes & Telecom. If you would like to receive a copy of the articles, please email sam.wilson@kingsgroup.org.
Important Dates 14th March
Year 10 Parent Meeting
15th March
Year 12 Spanish Trip to Valencia
18th March
School Closed
19th March
School Closed
21st March
1st King’s College, Alicante Inter School Olympics
25th March
International Award Trip Part 2 (until 26th)
28th March
Last Day of Term 2
8th April
First Day of Term 3. Summer Uniform
Glorieta del Reino Unido 5 Alicante 03008 Spain www.bsalicante.com email: carlos.lazaro@kingsgroup.org