NEWSLETTER www.cowesec.org info@cowesec.org
Friday 21st September
Dear parents and carers, Our term feels in full flow now and we have had a busy week! On Monday our sixth formers received a presentation from the School Liaison Officer from the University of Cambridge. Students received a presentation on how to write successful university applications and of the importance of aiming high with their university choices. The majority of our students from last year’s Year 13 are starting university courses over the next few weeks and we aim for our university programme to be as supportive and successful this year. The representative from Cambridge was impressed with both the focus, positivity and courtesy of our students and our fantastic facilities. Our Year 7s have had a particularly packed time with CATs tests this week and their form tutor evening but many of them have still found time to start joining clubs and getting involved with their Cowes Charter. I very much enjoyed meeting so many of our Year 7 parents during our form tutor evening and we were pleased to receive very positive feedback from parents on how well the transition is going. A reminder as we start the new school year that we use the SIMS Parent app. This app lets you see a wealth of information that links to your child at the academy but one area is linked to our reward card records. At CEC we aim to provide a stimulating, challenging and rewarding learning environment which supports learning, celebrates achievement and encourages everyone. Awarding rewards and informal praise in class are both part of this. Do please both have a look on the app and speak to your son/ daughter to find out how many rewards they have collected so far and well done to all our students for their calm and positive start to the school year. A reminder that I continue to hold parent surgeries across two Tuesday sessions at 1pm-2.30pm and from 3.30pm – 5.30pm. These sessions are there to enable parents to get to know me and discuss the work of the school directly. Attendance is by pre booked appointments only so please email dharrison@cowesec.org or phone the school on 01983 203103 asking for Donna Harrison to book a slot in advance of each Tuesday. With best wishes, Rachel Kitley
Covering topics such as:
Congratulations Georgia! Georgia Morey, Year 8, achieved first place in her beginner trophy dance with The Lynette Bailey Academy of Irish Dancing last week.
School play news Arabian Nights, will be performed the last week of the Christmas term. Rehearsals are now fully underway and are on Wednesday and Thursday each week from 3-5pm. Please see the list in the Creative area for the week’s rehearsals.
Georgia competed in the South Essex Open Championships on Monday 15th September and is now a beginner champion, she also achieved first place in Next week we will publish a more detailed Thea’s Slip Jip – a schedule as it is difficult to predict how long commemoration dance. each scene will take until we have completed a We are so proud of her success and wish her the best of luck in her next competition - taking place in October.
few rehearsals. If you have not been to an audition but still want to get involved, you must see us on Monday 24th September or Tuesday 25th September.
Mrs Bloom Maths Teacher What do you like most about teaching at Cowes Enterprise College? I like the students at this school, they are very polite and ready to learn. I also love the new building and my large classroom. What made you want to teach Maths? I taught Maths because I have always enjoyed learning Maths myself and I wanted to bring that love of the subject to my students as I did for my own children. What was your childhood aspiration? My aspiration was to work with children and so teaching was the natural progression after I obtained my degree. Who is your favourite mathematician (and why?) My favourite mathematician has to be Johnny Ball from my childhood, watching Think of a Number was always fascinating.
A note from the English team The English team would like to take the time to welcome our new year 7 students and say how impressed we are with how they’ve settled into their English lessons. They are an enthusiastic and sparky bunch! Students are currently studying (and enjoying!) Oliver Twist (ISBN 978-1402726651), a classic Dickensian tale of an orphan who finds himself negotiating the perils and punishing life of Victorian London. Alongside extracts of the original text, we read an abridged version published in a series called ‘Classic Starts’ and there are a number of other heritage titles that are available in the same series such Black Beauty, Treasure Island and Great Expectations. Throughout year 7, students will have three lessons of Literary Heritage, two of Mastery Writing and one Reading for Pleasure/Library lesson per week. There is also a weekly homework task related to Oliver Twist set on Show my Homework and we encourage students to read for 15 minutes per evening at home. They can read fiction or non-fiction – a book of their choice from our library or from home! It is very important for students to become familiar with classic texts and we encourage reading widely from both Heritage and contemporary books. A few other books we recommend to support student learning for the Oliver Twist unit are found below! Happy reading! The Usborne History of
Ruth Brocklehurst
9780746084441
The Victorians
Ruth Brocklehurst
9781409566427
Queen Victoria
Susanna Davidson
9781409549871
Villainous Victorians
Terry Deary
9781407178684
The Vile Victorians
Terry Deary
9780439944045
Victorians
DK
9780241187593
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Victorian Schoolchild
John Malam
9781909645288
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Joan Aiken
9780099572879 /
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
9781402766459
The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
9780747594802
The Lie Tree
Frances Hardinge
9781447264101
The Lion, the Witch and the
C.S. Lewis
9780007323128
Northern Lights
Phillip Pullman
9781407130224
Related Fiction
CEC Sixth Form aim high for university applications We were delighted to welcome Ellie Wood from Cambridge University admissions team to our sixth form this week. She delivered a series of truly insightful presentations to our year 12 and 13 students covering an insider’s guide to successful university applications. Ellie was able to explain the differences between campus and collegiate universities and was especially inspirational in encouraging all our sixth form to aim high with their studies and university applications. Year 13 students gained further advice and guidance about writing personal statements and preparing for interviews and entrance assessments.
REMINDERS & INFORMATION Forthcoming Trips
Forthcoming Events
Friday 28th September Harry Potter Trip (Y10 Art & Film students) Thursday 27th September Year 6 Open Evening Wednesday 10th October
Year 11 Higher Education Evening
Thursday 18th October
Physics Festival and Last Day of Term (early closure)
Friday 19th October
Staff Development Day
Friday 12th October
The deadline for payment and forms for the Old Bailey trip is Friday 28th September. A letter regarding the Berlin Trip will be going out on Monday 21st September. The Harry Potter Studio Tour Trip is full. For those students coming on the trip please collect a second letter on Monday (24th September) that confirms the travel arrangements for Friday.
Uniform Information on our uniform can be found at: http://cowesec.org/partners-and-new-starters/ uniform. Cowes Enterprise College uniform is available online and at the Simmonds school shop on site.
Uniform Shop Opening Hours Monday: 12.00—1.45pm Wednesday: 2.45—3.35pm Friday: 12.00—1.45pm
Old Bailey Trip (for L3 Business, Law and Sociology students)
Information for Y7 parents and carers Show My Homework, Online Payment System and SIMS Parent Further information regarding use of Show My Homework and our Online Payment System were sent via First Class post on Tuesday 11th September. If you have not received these yet please contact us via info@cowesec.org or call 203103.
Information regarding SIMS Parent was sent via email on Friday 14th September.
SIMS Parent SIMS Parent App is a tool that we use at Cowes Enterprise College. You can use this to view your student’s attendance, their timetable, their achievement and behaviour points and more! You can also use SIMS Parent to update your contact information. Designed with input from both schools and parents, SIMS Parent is intuitive, informative and immediate, providing parents with information on their child's progress to help inform, celebrate and support their child. You can access SIMS Parent on your browser via https:// www.simsparent.co.uk/ or by downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play! If you require a link code email to be sent please contact us via info@cowesec.org to request.
REMINDERS & INFORMATION Attendance Attending is the first part of succeeding! Students should be in the building and in their tutor class at 8.30am—any student arriving into this building after 8.30am will be considered as being late. We have had far too many students late to the Academy this week. A reminder that the procedure to report a student absence is to call the main Academy number (01983 203103), select Option 1 and leave a message on the Student Absence Line before 8.30am. There is no direct number for the absence line. Phone calls need to be made every day of the student's absence. The absence should be followed up with a letter detailing the duration and reason for absence on the student's return to the Academy.
Our whole academy attendance this week was 95.2%
Floating Bridge Shuttle Bus Autumn Term tickets are now available from Reception . Tickets can be purchased online through Scopay in pack of 20 for £10. Once payment has been made online, students should request tickets from Reception.
Drop off and collection Please be reminded that no parking is permitted on the white ZigZag lines surrounding the pedestrian crossing outside the Academy.
Tickets are single use only, non-transferrable and nonrefundable. Please note that lost tickets will need to be repurchased. Students eligible for free school meals are able to request a pass to access the Floating Bridge Shuttle Bus for free. The mini bus will travel between the Floating Bridge and Cowes Enterprise College every morning. The shuttle bus will be waiting in Medina Road, visible from the ferry. The shuttle bus will leave Medina Road at 08.10am and then a second shuttle will leave Medina Road at 08.20am.
Canteen Menus Menus for the canteen are now available on our website under the ‘Parent Information’ heading. Autumn Menu—Weeks 1, 2 and 3 http://www.cowesec.org/assets/docs/Menu-Prices-September-2018.pdf
Drinks and Snacks 2018 http://www.cowesec.org/assets/docs/Drinks-and-Snacks-Menu-2018.pdf
Summer 2019 External Examinations To All Parents and Carers of Students Sitting External Examinations in Summer 2019. Please can you be aware that the Joint Council for Qualifications have timetabled a contingency day for Wednesday 26th June 2019 for any GCSE and/or GCE examinations that may sustain national or local disruption during the June 2019 examination series. Therefore all students that are sitting exams next Summer must still be available to sit exams until this date. Any queries please email our Exams Officer, Mrs Hambley on ahambley@cowesec.org.
ACADEMY CLUBS Club Monday
Tuesday
Friday
Location
Cowes Combined Cadet Force (ages 12-18)
5-7pm
Capstan House
uCECLele Training Band
Lunch
MU02
Chess Club
Lunch
BT11
GCSE Art Catch Up Session
3-4pm
CA12
Year 7 Military Skills
3-3.30pm
CCF Office
Oasis Homework Support
2.45—3.30pm
Oasis
STOMP (jazz percussion group)
2.45—3.45pm
MU02
Jazz Band
2.45—3.45pm
MU02
Science Club
2.45—3.30pm
SRC
2.45—3.30pm
BU11
GCSE Art Catch Up Session
3-4pm
CA12
Communication Club
2.45—3.30pm
Reception
Oasis Homework Support
2.45—3.30pm
Oasis
uCEClele (auditions required)
Lunch
MU02
Chess Club
Lunch
BT11
Badminton Club
2.45pm—4.00pm
Winder Centre
Props, Costume & Scenery Club
3-4pm
CA15
Oasis Homework Support
2.45—3.30pm
Oasis
Choir
Lunch 3-4pm
MU02
Wednesday BTEC Business Revision
Thursday
Time
Basketball Club
Communication Club Wednesday 2.45—3.30pm Meet in Reception We will be working with IW Radio to produce a news bulletin to be played on their show each week.
After School Support Sessions Food Preparation and Nutrition, Design Technology, Child Develop and Health and Social Care We will hold after school support for NEA work or revision and recap will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Everyone welcome.
Winder Centre
BTEC Coursework Booster Sessions BTEC Coursework Days Saturday 17th November Saturday 24th November 9am—3pm
BTEC Business Finance Resit Friday 12th October
Revision sessions on Wednesdays from 2.45— 3.30pm in BU11