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The Heath
FEBRUARY 2012
Mock Results Day
Our year 11 students had the chance to experience the highs and lows of receiving exam results r e c e n t l y. A l l y e a r 11 students were presented with the mock exam grades in the same way they will receive their official GCSE results in the summer. In the past this simulation of the real thing has really helped students focus on their current working level
compared to where they need to be.
During the morning we had tears of joy and tears of despair but the key message is that it’s not too late and each and every member of staff is on hand to help. As an added boost, our year 11 listened to our guest speaker, Richard McCann, shortly after receiving their results.
Richard was kept a surprise from the whole school even the staff, as he had a very special message to talk about and we did not want this to be diluted by people knowing who he was. The message he gave was as powerful as we expected and certainly g a v e o u r y e a r 11 students plenty to consider about the inner potential that exists within them all.
If you know of anything happening in and around our school community, let us know, or if you have any comments about the newsletter email: stewartd@heathschool.org.uk
Printed and Animated Christmas cards competition Local recruiting consultants DATS approached the Heath school and asked if a competition could be run for printed and animated Christmas card designs. The ICT department ran the animated Christmas card competition. Students were taught the program Flash in which an animated card can be created and published ready to send as an attachment with an e-‐mail.
Front row – Rebecca Downing 2nd place in animated card, Michael Moore 3rd place in printed card design. Back row – Kayleigh Woodcock 1st place in animated card, Mr Holleran, Sean Lewis 3rd place in animated card, Jessica E White 1st place in printed card, Stephen Nickson (DATS), Liz Taylor 2nd place in printed card.
The art department ran the printed card competition and asked students to design their ideas on paper. After many entries, 3 animated and 3 printed designs were chosen by a representative from DATS and prizes were awarded on the 15th December by Mr Steven Nickson. The winning entries will be sent to DATS employers and consultants as well as being uploaded to the DATS website, www.dats.co.uk.
Revolution Dance Company had their d e b u t p e r fo r m a n c e o n t h e 8 t h December in the C rooms in Widnes. They performed their first dance piece Black Box as a curtain raiser for Cronton Sixth Form college show. It was a great success and the company was well received and the company did The Heath School proud. Watch this space for more performances.
PE has created a strong partnership with The Heath Business Park. The GCSE PE class have had the opportunity to achieve higher fitness practical scores by using the specialised equipment and staff at the Heath Business Park gym. The students have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to go to the gym and have seen a marked improvement in their fitness levels. The Business park has also sponsored the PE department, enabling them to buy new waterproof jackets for their Young Leaders and sporting teams. See below the Y.7 hockey team modelling the new jackets.
A Helping Hand... Mrs Mullaney’s recent assemblies to pupils resulted in an impromptu collection by pupils which has raised a massive £172.57 for the charity Row 2 Recovery which is linked to Help for Heroes. Thanks very much to the pupils for their generosity.
Drama News ‘Blood Brothers’ at the Brindley Theatre Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’, the play that inspired the musical, arrived at the Brindley this January and 95 GCSE Drama students from The Heath were first in line for tickets! Encore and Cody Productions put on a great amateur show that depicted the tragic tale of two twins with some fresh ideas, including some well known Beatles tracks. Students are now busily completing written assessments that involve them reviewing the show and analysing the various elements of performance.
Christmas Show sells out again! Our Christmas Show was once again a great sell out success this year. The evening showcased work from the Art, Drama, M u s i c a n d D a n c e departments and had a f e s t i v e t h e m e t h a t welcomed in the holidays, but also celebrated the success of the first term. The show was hosted by our Year 11 Drama captains and involved well over 100 students. We’d like to thank everyone for the continued support and look forward to seeing you at our summer show!
Christmas
THE HEATH SCHOOL
CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2011
Ye a r 1 1 D ra m a s h o wca s e : Rehearsals commence. Our Year 11 GCSE Drama cohort are busily devising and rehearsing for their GCSE Drama exam, which is scheduled for April 26th. This year’s assignment brief is ‘Everybody has a story that has to be told.’ Students are busy interpreting/researching materials and are looking forward to welcoming their examiner to the show. Invites to parents and guardians will be sent out soon and we may even see some of the exemplary work showcased this summer at the Brindley. We wish them luck!
Mock Interview Days For Year 11 at the business park Over the two days 18th & 19th January two hundred and ten students were able to apply for and interview for two different fictitious jobs. Companies such as Eddie Stobart, Virgin Trains, O2, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, DATS holdings, Weston school and many more gave up their time to come to the business park and interview our students through out the day and then present the "successful candidate" with their highly commended rosette . Mrs Newcombe provided vital and amusing interview training so that students went into their individual interviews with confidence and their heads held high. Evaluations from the interviewers were very positive regarding the day and the students responses during interview •! Very impressive, most students are well prepared and enthusiastic, hard to believe they are so young •!
Great way to do interviews
•!
Loved the idea of the presentation of rosettes
•! Students well prepared and in most cases their conduct was impressive •!
Kids really engaged and good fun
•!
Rooms good and time slots right
•! Most of the pupils came across as motivated and keen to learn from the experience •! Fab day, well organised and I have enjoyed meeting your students, they are a credit to your organisation •! Students are a credit to you, even those who were obviously very nervous or shy tried really hard and took the whole thing seriously. I really enjoyed the experience Students also evaluated the event very positively with many comments such as " Brilliant the best learn4life day ever" " It was amazing" " I really enjoyed the experience even though I was nervous".
English Creative Writing Club The Creative Writing Club has had a very positive first term since it began. The pupils are enjoying being inventive with the topics they have chosen to write about. They enjoy the time they spend writing as well as discussing ideas amongst peers and friends.
Benefits Creative writing can benefit you as a learner in many ways. For example, you will be having fun, but you are actually undertaking, at times, vigorous work as you use both thinking and English skills. Students are given the room to express themselves, develop ideas and, perhaps most importantly, write from the heart.
Advantages The club allows pupils who are less confident to start developing their skills and gain confidence in the skills they have. It also allows the opportunity for pupils to get feedback on your work and illustrate for you that you have the freedom to explore ideas without the time constraints of a typical lesson.
Why creative writing... Creative writing can breathe life into reading and writing, providing lively opportunities for you to explore each area as you see fit. It is students exploring your imagination and your language. It is not uncontrolled ‘verbal doodling’. It requires accuracy in expression of vocabulary and, above all, a vivid imagination. Below is an example of just one type of piece produced during a session linked to Remembrance Day: War is raging all around. People fall but make no sound, Poppies grow where people die All of this makes me sigh. I play the keys on my piano; It makes me feel so sad. Why don’t we love? Why do we fight? Why don’t we trust? Why don’t they live? Hannah Littler, 8Y1 The number of members of the club is growing each week and, with poems like the one above being produced, it’s not hard to see why. We hope to see many more of you there.
Mr Cochrane and Miss Mitchell
The Heath Sixth Form
H
6
As you all are now aware the Heath is forging on with it’s plans to open a 6th form facility for our students from September 2013. The feedback supporting the application has been overwhelming and it is clear that the information from our students, our parents and our business community is that the 6th form is desired and needed in our community. The reason we are working hard to succeed in this plan is that the demand for high quality post 16 provision is clearly evident and to offer a provision for Heath students and others in our community an A level centre, A STEM centre, A performing arts centre as well as a course tailored for Foundation learners is a fundamental aspect in our vision for where the Heath will be in 3 years. Please take a look at our web site and register your interest in the proposal as the more evidence we get from our students and families the harder it will be for Government to refuse us. www.heathsixthform.org.uk R Rogers Vice Principal
Learn for Life STEM DAYS Techniquest & Catalyst On Wednesday 18th January all Year 7 pupils participated in a trip to Techniquest, Wrexham, North Wales and The Catalyst Museum, Widnes. The theme for the day was STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the aim was to excite and engage young people about these subjects through demonstrations, workshops and interactive practical activities based on ‘Forces’ at Techniquest and an outstanding Science show at the Catalyst Museum. All Year 7’s were exceptionally well behaved and staff at both venues were complimentary on their manners and attitude. Well done Year 7 – we are so very proud of you!
Christmas Poetry Competition The English department like to keep subject matter topical, using interesting stimulus to inspire students’ creative writing. For that reason Miss Thomas, (KS3 English Co-ordinator), entered the Heath into a national Christmas poetry competition. The competition was run by West Mercia Supplies, and the aim was for students to write original poems about anything relating to the festive Christmas period. Over one hundred and thirty students embraced the challenge and worked hard to write imaginative and entertaining poems. The entrants have been commended for their positive contributions. The winners have been announced, by West Mercia Supplies, and I am proud to say that out of one thousand and sixty-six entries, nationwide, the Heath school won first place! The winning entry was written by Tara Dalton in year eight. Her poem portrays a heartfelt reality for many people at Christmas time. She gladly received the winning prize of a fifty pound Waterstones voucher – she is a credit to the school and has been happily congratulated by her peers. As a faculty we strive to give our students creative opportunities such as this to motivate, enthuse and engage. Well done Tara!
LIPA 4:19 has moved to the Heath! LIPA 4:19, a franchise of The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, has been established in Halton since 2009. This is an exciting move for us as we continue to grow and flourish as an academy, supported fully by the Heath School. We are a part time performing arts academy for 4-19 year olds, and run classes on a Saturday during term time in singing, dance and drama. We have also performed several full scale shows in venues including the Brindley and across Merseyside, enjoyed thoroughly by performers and audiences alike. We also give the students opportunities to take part in performing arts examinations(dance/drama & singing) by accredited boards. For all age groups, classes are fun and stimulating and are carefully designed to reflect the correct stage of performing arts development. We recruit the very best staff and all our tutors have relevant qualifications in their discipline, alongside working in the performing arts profession as artists and performers. We also have a uniform dress code ( LIPA t- shirt and black leggings/trousers). We believe this allows students to focus on classes and friendship without worries or concerns. If you wish to find out more information or wish to apply for a place at LIPA 4:19 at the Heath, please contact: Kate Allerston, Principal of LIPA 4:19 at the Heath 01928 576664 or kallerston@heathschool.org.uk
The Heath - A Specialist Technology College Closure Dates Inset Days
SCHOOL CLOSES
SCHOOL REOPENS TO STUDENTS
Friday 10th February 2012
Monday 20th February 2012
Thursday 29th March 2012
Monday 16th April 2012
Friday 4th May 2012
Monday 8th May 2012
Friday 1st June 2012
Monday 11th June 2011
Friday 5th October 2012
Thursday 19th July 2011
Tuesday 4th September 2012
Monday 22nd July 2013
Friday 19th October 2012
Monday 29th October 2012
Tuesday 23rd July 2013
Thursday 20th December 2012
Monday 7th January 2013
Friday 15th February 2013
Monday 25th February 2013
Thursday 28th March 2013
Monday 15th April 2013
Friday 3rd May 2013
Tuesday 7th May 2013
Friday 24th May 2013
Monday 3rd June 2013
Friday 19th July 2013
Friday 30th March 2012 Monday 3rd September 2012
Wednesday 24th July 2013