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STUDENTS GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR COMIC RELIEF
T H E W H I T BY H IG H S C H O O L S P R I N G N E W S L E T T E R 2 0 1 5
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ANNUAL SKI TRIP REVIEW
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LETTER FROM THE HEADTEACHER Although relatively short, the spring term is probably one of the busiest as students prepare for the summer examinations. The completion of Controlled Assessment work, subject specific development, revision and examination preparation ‘set in’ to support all our students to achieve their best in the summer examinations. In amongst all this work the school continues to offer a wide range of opportunities in school and outside. This spring term edition of the newsletter highlights the many activities that have taken place since the last edition and demonstrates how we endeavour to enable our students to widen their experiences. Our visitors to school have included Baroness Walmsley, author Peter J Murray, Susan Sellars the High Sheriff of Chester and the Mayor of Ellesmere Port, Cllr Brian Jones whilst our annual ski trip to Italy saw over sixty students and staff embark upon an exhaustive week of skiing and work experience. Towards the end of last term, we were all captivated by the wonderful talents of our students as the traditional school performance ‘hit the stage’. I am, extremely proud of the quality of all our productions but the school’s interpretation of ‘Hairspray’ was quite stunning. Five performances to a packed Overpool Hall again highlighted the talent and hard work of our students of all ages and of staff from many departments across the school. Another fantastic success bringing The Whitby High School community together.
The school contributes to support many local charities through House fundraising but also continues to offer support to more global organisations. Our ‘Red Nose Day’ charity run and Global Footsteps initiative involve staff and students in the wider aspects of helping people both within and beyond our own community. My thanks go to all who organise, help and participate in these most valuable events. Our successes on the sports field (or sports hall!) continue with congratulations to our Year 8 Basketball team who were crowned ‘District Champions’ – another piece of silver for the trophy cabinet whilst our other teams continue to dominate the competition circuit. Enjoy this edition of our newsletter but please remember to catch-up with other events through our website or follow us on twitter. I wish you and your family an enjoyable Easter break and look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 20 April 2015.
Mr B Heeley Headteacher Prepare Achieve Care Enjoy
POLITICS STUDENTS HONOURED BY BARONESS VISIT On Friday 21st November, The Whitby High School hosted a talk with Baroness Walmsley from the House of Lords, to encourage students to engage more with political issues and the parliamentary process. Baroness Walmsley spoke to Sixth Form History and Politics Students about her position in the House of Lords, and what life is like at Westminster. Students were also given the opportunity to ask any questions they had, several of which included discussion of gender roles in the House of Lords, and even questions that sparked political debates, highlighting the political awareness of many of Whitby’s students. A-Level Politics teacher John Simpson explained that Baroness Walmsley enjoyed her visit, appreciating the “high standard of questions and interest” that the students showed. She also praised the school for its “outstanding” OFSTED rating in PSCHE, a subject in which Baroness Walmsley expressed great interest. When asked about the importance of students’ participation in political discussions, Mr Simpson explained, “It is important for students, (and indeed people of all ages), to participate in political discussions. Sharing, discussing and arguing about political opinions and events helps people to gain a deeper understanding of them. If we did not allow people to discuss politics we would be effectively living in a totalitarian dictatorship which would obviously completely infringe our rights and liberties. Discussion of political issues helps to overcome apathy, which is especially prevalent amongst young people who do not want to take any interest in subjects which they, (wrongly), think do not affect them. The discussion of political ideas also helps to combat extremism.” Baroness Walmsley’s visit to Whitby High was arranged through the ‘Peers in Schools Programme’ which has been running across the UK since 2007 and has so far involved around 50,000 young people. Mr Simpson said of the programme, “The Peers in Schools Programme is useful for History and Politics A-Level students because it gives them the opportunity to speak to a member of the House of Lords and gain an understanding of the work of the House of Lords. The programme brings the work of the House of Lords alive for students and takes it beyond studying a textbook. Students also are able to quiz a Peer about their own beliefs and take on topical issues.” All staff and students at the school enjoyed Baroness Walmsley’s visit and the school hopes to be able to participate in the “Peers in Schools Programme” again in the future. Eleanor Griffiths, Y13 A Level History student.
Year 7 Students celebrate World book day Thursday 5th March marked the date for the annual World Book Day. To celebrate this the English Department organised a balloon launch for Year 7s during lunch. At 12:40, crowds of excited students bustled in the playground eagerly collecting their balloons. This was something extrememly different to a normal lunchtime, an alternative to the usual World Book Day fancy dress. Around 280 balloons were being held, each with a tag containing the student’s name and favourite book, and the school address. People who eventually find the balloons could send them back. Who would win this unusual race? After chatting and trading (and some early releases) the time had come. The launch. With impeccable timing the sound of a classic whistle signalled the release. The sky was filled with iridecent colours painting the cloudy sky. Cheers filled the air as the balloons rose and joined the clouds. Their once vibrant colours turning to silhouettes; the only trace of their presence being mere black smears on the blue canvas of the sky. A few sighs of dismay were heard when several balloons snagged themselves onto the cables and trees. As with all good things the time of the balloons had come and gone. As the bell rang loud the last straggling balloon disappeared out of view. Will we ever see them again? In previous years we have had tags returned from Ireland and even further into the continent. What a fantastic event! Tom Barley & Lewis Todd - Year 7
NEWS JUST IN! One balloon tag has been returned...from Belgium!
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As the bell rang loud the last straggling balloon disappeared out of view. Will we ever see them again?
GLOBAL FOOTSTEPS TEAM MAKE STRIDES Monday after school has been a busy time for the Global footsteps students. They have been using old pieces of wood that would normally be scrapped and turned them into beautiful T light candle -holders for the home. They have also been making hanging love hearts too which will go on sale soon. Their next project will be to work with T Bags to recycle them into another wonderful home product. Many thanks go to Mrs Barnes and Mr Gillam for their support in making this venture a huge success. The Global footsteps Choir, which has running on a Wednesday after school, have been recording a song by the Script @Superheros and they are also practising an African song. The choir will be collaborating with our twinned Primary School Woodlands and Wade Deacon in Widnes. Our other Global schools in Zimbabwe and South Africa are working on the same musical project. All songs will be collated together. A huge thank you to Mrs Rowlands, Miss Mitchell, Mrs Barnes and the very talented Becky Broadbere for leading these wonderful, inspirational students at The Whitby High School.
GEOGRAPHY QUIZ Four Year 9 students participated in the annual Geographical Association quiz in December at Chester University. They were Ben Griffiths 9TR, Nicole Clarke, 9Y, Kyle StratonSymes 9WR, Charlotte Cameron 9WR They came 5th out of 21 teams. The winning score was 66 and our team got 57. They were a credit to themselves and the school. Thanks to Mrs Walker for organising it.
PETER J MURRAY
We were delighted to welcome Peter J Murray to The Whitby High School for his third visit. This year was an extra-special year as Peter was not only presenting to our Year 7 and 8 pupils, but he was also our guest speaker at Presentation Evening. Peter’s humorous and scary presence on stage had our pupils enthralled! Peter shared some of his stories from his spooky tales Moonwailer, Scabbajack and Ten O’Clock Caller and left us all on the edge of our seats with his cliff-hanger ending, “If you want to find out what happens...you’ll have to read the book!” Peter’s words certainly hooked our pupils as the library was full to the brim with pupils purchasing signed copies. We look forward to seeing Peter next year for his annual talk!
CHILDREN’s AUTHOR WOWS YOUNG READERS “Great cliff-hangers!” Tara Pritchard 7WR
“I want to read the books to scare my little cousin!” Lydia Williams 8WR
“Scary and fun!” James Anderson-Roberts 7H
“I love horror! Scabbajack reminds me of Doctor Who” Riley Sandiford 7H
2ENGAGE HIT HARD WITH ‘RISKING IT ALL’ SHOW On the 26th February, we invited the ‘2engage Theatre Company’ to perform a hard-hitting drama to our Year 10 students. The students had been doing work in their PSHCE lessons on exploitative relationships and the drama brought to life the issues that are hard to communicate, in reality, to young people. There were three storylines, (based upon local case studies), of local young people impacted by the following issues: e-safety, substance and alcohol misuse, sex exploitation and inappropriate relationships. This theatrical presentation highlighted both the risks and direct consequences young people face.
During the performance, pupils were engaged in mid-show discussion using forum theatre. This intervention allowed the audience to decide the fate of the characters and what consequences they will face. The key aims were to: ● Raise awareness about the importance of being safe online. ● Show the consequences of ‘sexting’ and social media misuse. ● Present real case studies on sexual exploitation and inappropriate relationships. ● Address substance and drug misuse. ● Highlight routes for support and advice for young people. ● Engage young people in deciding the fate of each character The performance was watched by the High Sheriff, member of Crimebeat who funded the project and PC Elizabeth Stanton and the feedback was very positive. Students thought that this theatre show was the most effective way to address the issues of e-safety, inappropriate relationships, sex exploitation and substance/drug misuse. “It was really gripping and emotional. I liked the end bit where they acted different scenarios.” “It made me feel sad and it made me more aware how bad risks can lead to other things and what some people have to go through.” “It made me think hard about my life.” ‘I was very impressed by both the level of engagement from the pupils of Whitby High with the 2engage performance and the commitment to supporting them through Mrs Worthington’s PHSE programme. The issues highlighted are real and the help available at School for students, if needed, is vital.’ - High Sheriff
ANNUAL SKI TRIP We departed school at 2:00 pm on Saturday 28th February, waved off by lots of parents, on our 2 Weardale coaches and there was an air of excitement amongst the group. Mr Heeley came to see us off – it was really kind of him to wish the staff and pupils a fantastic and safe trip. The Whitby High School Ski Team arrived at Aosta ready for boot and ski fit at approximately 1:00 pm local time on Sunday 1st March. We were met by our fantastic Interski Representative, Ceri Rees who proved to be a great help throughout our stay. Then it was off to Hotel St Nicholas for the last part of our journey. The proprietors, Roberto, Miranda and their team were all very accommodating and nothing was too much trouble. Our lunch was very tasty and filled with carbohydrates to prepare us for the slopes the next day. Later, in the afternoon, we were all allocated our rooms and given time to unpack and shower. On Monday the pupils were woken up at 7:15 for a big breakfast and our journey down to Aosta to collect our equipment. We then had a 15 minute trip in a gondola up to the pistes of Pila. The groups met their instructors at 10:00 am but the weather was a mixture of rain and sleet – not at all what we had hoped for! The instructors proved to be very popular this year, particularly Matt, Lexie, Eric and Les. The weather improved after a couple of hours and the visibility was good. Pupils had their lunch in one of the piste side restaurants.
All groups made progress and pupils returned to the meeting point by the gondola station at 3 pm satisfied. We had all found that the slopes were not busy, which meant more time skiing and less time queuing for lifts. Dinner was a tasty three course meal each night, which we all needed after expending so much energy skiing.
After dinner each evening, Mr Millington passed on nominations for ‘crash of the day’. The winner had to wear a fluorescent bib for the next day’s skiing. Mr Millington also passed on a ‘Sponge Bob Square Pants’ costume to individuals as a result of having done something amusing! Mr Millington also passed on a doll to look after to individuals as a result of having been careless in some way. Monday evening’s activity, iceskating in Aosta, was great fun and we were the only school on the ice rink, which gave our pupils lots of space to practise their moves! Several pupils stood out for their skating prowess most notably Emma Jarman. On Tuesday the beginners’ groups began to execute competent snow plough turns and the intermediate group worked on parallel turns and stops. The pistes were in good condition and the sun was shining. Tuesday evening’s activity was the disco and it wasn’t long before we saw some great dance moves from the Whitby Ski Team, most notably from Kai Howell and Elliot Craig, who both got up onto a mini stage. Wednesday dawned a perfect, cloudless, blue day and this was the day that every group really pushed on. It was great to see all beginners’ groups make it up the cable car onto Grimod, an extensive blue slope up the mountain. At 3 pm when we all met again the pupils were all delighted and excited by their day. The girls in Brian’s ski group particularly stood out as the most enthusiastic pupils new to skiing – they have really caught the skiing bug! The aprés ski activity on Wednesday was bowling.
There were some interesting bowling styles amongst the pupils! Oliver Bagnall really stood out as an expert, with 164 points! On Thursday staff noted that the 7:15 wake-up call was getting harder as the pace was beginning to show on pupils’ faces. This was another great day for weather, although it was probably a little too warm, which makes skiing more tiring. All groups pressed on, learning more new skills. Thursday evening was Pizza night and we made the journey down to Aosta to an authentic restaurant.
The pizzas were delicious and everyone ate as much as they wanted. Liam Sparks particularly enjoyed his pizza slices and set a new record. Following pizza night, the yr 10 pupils spent some time filling in their work experience diaries. Ceri talked about her roles with interski, as a representative, manager and ski instructor. Pupils were given the opportunity to ask questions and gain a greater insight into her work. Friday dawned another great day for skiing. The sun continued to shine and the snow conditions were good. This was the day the instructors graded skiing competency in their groups. The GCSE boys’ group was filmed by Mr Millington performing the techniques they had learned, which will count towards their practical sport qualification.
On Friday evening the instructors came to the hotel to award certificates and prizes. The instructors this year were really outstanding and it was great to see how the pupils had bonded so well with them. In addition Mr Millington awarded prizes in many different categories. The pupils were also very keen to thank their instructors and staff for their efforts. Saturday, our last day, proved to be another great day for skiing. It was the turn of the GCSE girls’ group to be filmed showing their skiing techniques. As pupils said goodbye to their instructors at 1:45, there were lots of sad faces and some tears. It had been such a great learning experience. Following a very quick shower and a meal we all boarded the coaches for the long ride home. We left the Alps at approximately 6:30pm and had a very smooth journey. The coach drivers commented just how much they had enjoyed being part of such a well behaved and positive school group. Everyone we spoke to was so complimentary about our pupils. The ski trip was a really memorable experience for all involved. Well done to all pupils for being such determined skiers and having so much positive energy! A big thank you
Wow! A term has almost gone by since The Whitby High put on our jaw-dropping, show-stopping production of the Broadway hit musical, Hairspray. Tracy Turnblad the lead role (Charlotte Heyes Y12 / Sophie Dutton Y10) has a big heart, big personality and big hair, so it was only fitting that our school rose to the occasion with a big show to compliment this! Over 80 pupils were involved in the production from actors to dancers, musicians to tech crew, not to mention all the staff and past students who all worked tirelessly together to bring this vibrant musical to life. Each year, the talent demonstrated by our pupils blows us away and this year was no exception with an incredibly strong cast that had pupils from all year groups. The comedy duo Wilbur (Max Astbury Y13) and Edna (Curtis Ledsham Y13) had the audience crying with laughter. Other main roles included heartthrob, Link Larkin (Kyle Hickman-Germon Y13), Tracy’s geeky best friend Penny (Ashleigh Wood Y11 / Beth Cox Y10), the cool and hip Seaweed (Jordan Bool Y11 / Jack Parry Y10), his equally cool mother Motormouth (Georgia Leach Y10 / Kaylea Stanton Y10). The show also featured the horrible Velma Von Tussle (Sally Pickering Y13) and her despicable daughter Amber Von Tussle (Amy Livingston Y13), TV show host Corny Collins (Jack Minchew Y13) and wannabe dancer little Inez (Tanisha Adolf Y11). Once again, a great chorus of performers, without whom the musical would have only been half the show it was, supported the leads! It is encouraging when directing a show, to see up and coming performers involved from lower school and we look forward to seeing them as stars of our future productions! The dances, a number of which were choreographed by dance students (Georgia Jones and Robyn Farrington Y10) overseen by Mrs Witcher, were energetic and fun and really suited the style of the performance.
PERFORMING ARTS LAMDA 2015 A number of Drama students from Year 10, 12 & 13 have embarked on the extracurricular Drama qualification LAMDA again this academic year. Students are now preparing their monologue’s for performance and are regularly reviewed and coached throughout the year. LAMDA has been running since 2008, it gives Drama students fantastic opportunities to independently extend their performance skills and technique, allowing them to gain an accredited qualification, which also contributes to UCAS points for University.
ABLE GIFTED AND TALENTED Able, Gifted & Talented drama students have been attending extra workshops periodically on a Thursday 3pm-5pm. The students have an opportunity to work with different students of all age groups to develop their devising skills, knowledge and understanding of drama and will be working towards a project later on in the year. New A, G & T workshops will be coming back on a Wednesday 3pm5pm after Easter Break, updates will be on our Drama Twitter page and via school email. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
The innovative set design, which incorporated the band playing live on stage on a (very high) platform, was absolutely fitting for a show of this calibre. This was enhanced by vivid lighting (Joe Miley Y11 and Mr Ball), which added to the overall effect along with the range of bright 60s style costumes. Our Stage Manager (Sophie Knapman Y13) and her team ensured that the right things happened and the right props were on stage at the right time! The first production meeting for our next show is just around the corner and auditions will be taking place in the near future, so watch this space...
“Just to say how much we enjoyed last night – well done to everyone who took part” “It was one of the best productions I have watched in years in a variety of schools. It has been the highlight of this academic year for me. It had passion and soul!”
On Thursday 12 February, Daniel Boyle 11TR gave a small charity concert during Tudor Assembly to raise money for our charity, The Muscular Dystrophy Foundation. Tudor House have raised £160.00 so far this year. Well done!
RED NOSE DAY WHITBY STUDENTS HAVE A NOSE FOR CHARITY FUN
A big Red Nose Day well done to the studentss and staff who turned up to take part in the annual Red Nose Day mile run. The red wig’s and wacky clothes were out to do their bit for this important charity event and it was nice to make a contribution to the amazing £1 billion raised around the country for worthy causes in Britain and around the world.
PRESENTATION EVENING 2015
Our Annual School Presentation Evening took place on Thursday 20th November. It was a full house with not only current students attending but also some of our ex-Year 13 students returning from University after their first term to be presented with awards for their excellent achievements in the summer A-Level examinations. Our special guests were Peter J Murray, children’s author and his Worshipful the Mayor of Ellesmere Port, Cllr Jones. After Mr Heeley gave the audience a review of some of the past academic year’s highlights the audience were privileged to hear Peter J Murray’s inspirational talk about his background, growing up in Yorkshire and his sheer determination to succeed against all odds. He gave our students a loud and clear message that hard work and determination does pay off. After congratulating ninety students on their achievements and endeavours Peter carried out a book signing. The successful evening was attended by a huge number of family and friends.
THE WHITBY HOST NATIONAL NETBALL FINALS It is always a tense affair but the 2015 National Schools Finals in Ellesmere Port was laced with drama from the start to the finish. Grey skies and a chilly breeze welcomed the 54 competing teams to the north-west on Saturday morning; however, the action on court was red-hot from the first whistle in a fiercely competitive renewal. Group stages In the U14 category it was Hulme Grammar who impressed in Section A, securing eight straight wins with an impressive defensive display. Wellington College joined them in the semi-finals as they took seven victories, only losing to the table toppers. George Salter were an unlucky third place after losing a winner-takes-all encounter with Wellington. Section B was dominated by Millfield who went through the group stage unbeaten, only dropping points in a 9-9 draw with second placed Ripon Grammar. Chrisleton High narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot when they lost 10-9 to Ripon and had to settle for third place, finishing a point behind their opponents. Fallibroome Academy were imperious in the U16s Section C, securing a maximum 40 points. The most dramatic climax to the group stage was saved for this section, with Guildford High School losing out on a semi-final spot by a single goal. Instead it was Grammar School at Leeds who progressed to the knock-out stages. The two sides finished level on 32 points and although Guildford had the superior goal difference, it was the Yorkshire side who moved through with a goal average 0.05 superior to their rivals.
Another side with a 100% record was Beaconsfield High in Section D. They were joined in the next round by Tonbridge Grammar who secured an impressive seven victories. Higham Lane completed the top three but failed to make the semi’s. Greenhead College swept to first place in Section E in the U19s tournament, securing an unbeaten record of seven wins and one draw in the process. Tunbridge Wells Grammar got the better of Millfield in the battle for second spot. In a copy of the other U19 group, Section F saw Hartpury College progress with the same record of seven wins and a tie. Guildford High School eased the heartache from their U16s with a solid second place finish, Wellington College occupied the unfortunate third position. Finals In the semi-finals of the U14 competition, Hulme Grammar continued their fine from with a convincing 15-4 victory against Ripon Grammar. They were joined in the final by Millfield who were equally impressive in their 11-3 success over Wellington College. The latter did manage to pick themselves up and take third place following a 12-6 win in their play-off with Ripon. A passionate final unfolded in front of a vocal crowd and it took extra-time to decide a winner. Finally crowned U14 Champions were Hulme Grammar who outlasted Millfield 12-11.
The U16 semi-finals continued the trend of high drama with Grammar School at Leeds overcoming Beaconsfield High 11-8 and Fallibroome Academy squeezing past the challenge of Tonbridge Grammar by a narrow 10-9 score line. It was more one goal heartache for Tonbridge in the third place play-off as Beaconsfield picked up an 8-7 win. The final saw some home delight as Cheshire based Fallibroome Academy capped a perfect day with a 13-9 victory over Grammar School at Leeds. Extra-time was required in the U19 semi-finals as Hartpury College held their nerve to secure a 1413 success against Tunbridge Wells Grammar. They would contest the final against Greenhead College who were 12-8 victors over Guildford High School.
Awards Three additional awards are given to the best performing teams throughout the group stage. The goals trophy was collected by Guildford High School U16s who managed to net 128 times in eight fixtures. The defensive trophy was picked up by Beaconsfield High U16s as they conceded just 36 times in the group stage. The Endeavour award, which is given to a team or individual who had shown fantastic levels of sportsmanship and endeavour throughout the day, was won by Oakham School from the U19 section. England Netball would like to congratulate and thank all of the competing players, coaches, umpires, spectators and a wonderful group of volunteers for making the 2015 National Schools Finals a fantastic event for all who attended.
Tunbridge got the better of Guildford to take third place with a 14-12 win. The final was a hard fought contest but the slightly fresher legs of Greenhead College took them to a 13-9 victory against Hartpury to complete a good day for the northern based sides.
Year 8 team Crowned BASKETBALL District champs On Wednesday 11th March The Whitby High School’s year 8 basketball team travelled to Neston Academy to take on their fellow finalists in a tense match up. Captained by Malakai Siteine our boys continued their unbeaten run with yet another convincing display by beating the home team 36-16. Well done to the lads in overcoming a potentially difficult match in defeating the opposition in their own school.