Issue 6 March 2012
NEWSLETTER
Message from the Head Teacher Dear staff, students, parents and carers, This is my last head teacher message for the newsletter. I have had an incredible experience as head of this school. It has been an amazing five and a half years. Kingsbury is a challenging school to work in for all sorts of reasons. It is also a dynamic and exciting learning environment where the vast majority of students come to school to achieve. It has been my job to make sure that Kingsbury students leave with the best possible academic qualifications and the personal skills and qualities that will help them to
succeed in the future, whatever path they choose to take. I also want to provide them with rich experiences, like those featured in this newsletter. I have really enjoyed my time here and have left the school in good shape with a sound platform on which to build. I shall look back on my time at Kingsbury with great fondness. May I take this opportunity to thank you for the support that you have given me and wish you all a safe and happy Easter break. Farewell and good luck for the future. Ms S Coulton, Head Teacher
Attendance Matters!
Reception Opening Hours:
Attendance overall is currently 94%. Please ensure your child attends school regularly and on time. We do not authorise holidays/leave of absence from school during term time for any reason.
Monday to Thursday 8.00am – 4.00pm Friday 8.00am – 3.00pm Should parents require assistance outside these times they are most welcome to leave a message on the answer phone and somebody will return their call as soon as possible. Mrs Colvin
Well done to 8G for achieving 100% attendance recently! A tin of chocolates was presented to form tutor Mrs Jennings to share amongst the form. Mrs Clarke
Goodbye to the following staff who are leaving us for pastures new. We wish them well in the future:
Dates for your diary Monday 16th April Summer term, students return. Thursday 26th April
Year 7 Parents evening
Monday 7th May
May Day Bank Holiday
Ms S Coulton
Head Teacher
Mr I Smith
Assistant Head Teacher
Mrs M Hughes
Office Manager
SAFETY ALERT
Sainsbury’s Active Kids Please keep collecting as many vouchers as you can so we can purchase equipment for our students. There are collection boxes in main and student reception areas. Mrs Jakszta
These Jequirity bean bracelets,
recently on sale across the UK, have been found to be highly toxic due to the seeds they are made from. The NHS is urging people who have bought these bracelets to wash their hands, avoid touching their eyes or mouth, and return them to the supplier straight away. Ms Coulton
Hearing impairment Sharon Poxon, a teacher of deaf children, recently delivered an assembly to Year 8 to raise awareness of the issues this can cause in school, what it is like to be deaf, and how they can help. If parents have concerns that their child is experiencing difficulty with their hearing, they should contact Mrs Fowler, the school hearing impairment coordinator. Mrs Hitchins
@KingsburySSC
This newsletter is also available online at www.kingsbury.bham.sch.uk. If you would like to receive newsletters by email please email: enquiry@kingsbury.bham.sch.uk with „Newsletter‟ in the subject header.
Kingsbury School and Sports College, Kingsbury Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B24 8RE Web: www.kingsbury.bham.sch.uk
Phone: 0121 373 1080 Fax: 0121 306 4878
Email: enquiry@kingsbury.bham.sch.uk
FOCUS ON ENJOYING AND ACHIEVING KSSC students and staff have been really busy this month. More detailed reports will soon be available on the News section of the website, under the Home tab. Mrs Rose
Art students of the month
Maths Superstars
Congratulations to Seren Skeete, year 7 and Ifra Nisar, year 8. Your Vivoâ€&#x;s and certificates are on their way! The artwork is on display in school and on the school website. Mr Daniel
Well
done
participants
to
KSSC
in
the
UK
Maths Trust competitions held
recently:
medallists
individual
Jane
Beale
(Silver), Tinuola Shodeinde and Harkamal Gill (Bronze), and the Team Challenge Maths stars Harkamal Gill and Regan Burns group who got through to the Regional Final: Jane Beale, Precious Iriabe, Harkamal Gill and Regan Burns. Mrs Nelson Richard Denning with Year 8 & 9 students
World Book Day Visit
Dedicated Health and Social Care students
Local author Richard Denning, writer of young adult sci-fi and historical fiction, visited us recently. The day included a lively debate with year 8 and 9 students about the science of time travel and a discussion on Einsteinâ€&#x;s theories. Who would have thought that a visit by a fiction author would have encouraged learning about physics! Mrs Bowley
Well done to these students who gave up their Saturdays to attend workshops at UCB: Nathan Benson, Elise Davis, Leah Ward, Sarah Griffiths, Jessica Lay, Sarah Bello and Danielle Biggs. Mrs Jakszta
Citizenship Assembly
Enrichment Day
Well done 8B who recently delivered an assembly to the whole year group on the theme of Citizenship. The students talked about what makes a good citizen, and delivered their presentation through role play, poems and a short video clip. The session was a great success and held the attention of the whole year group throughout.
The event on 13th March saw students trying a variety of activities with an Olympic or Science theme. These included Paralympic sports, rocket cars, photography, journalism, art, music, website design and much more. Thank you to all the staff for their hard work and to our visitors for their invaluable support. Blindfold Football A full report and photos will soon be on the school website. Mrs Rose
Mrs Hitchins
Year 11 Health & Social Care students
Gifted and Talented News Dayle Demaret-Smith excelled himself performing at the Sound City Concert at Sutton Town Hall on 2nd March. Well done Dayle! Year 7 students visited BMet. College recently to participate in a games design workshop, using Games workshop students their skills to create characters in a virtual world. They had a fantastic day, supported by staff at the college.
IKON Gallery visit KSSC students also visited the IKON Gallery and took part in a workshop aimed at promoting creativity, reflection and enthusiasm for modern Art. All the students did the school proud and enjoyed looking at Contemporary Art Work. More reports will be available shortly, and forthcoming G&T events include a year 9-11 Dance Masterclass at North Birmingham Academy on 4/5 April. Miss Millward
Together we can
FOCUS ON SCIENCE FACULTY Science is one of the three core subjects on the School Curriculum and we have 11 members of staff. From year 7 onwards, students study all three science subjects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. At GCSE they study Core Science, Additional Science, Triple Science and Applied Science. In all subjects there is a strong focus on linking theory with practical and everyday scenarios. This is referred to as „How Science Works‟ and students are expected to use scientific methods for all investigations. D Graham, Faculty Leader, Science
Surfing the waves Year 9 students h a v e b e e n learning about waves as part of the Year 9 students learn about waves module on the Electro magnetic (E-M) spectrum. We used a ripple tank to project waves on to the ceiling, allowing us to model “wavelengths” to help us understand how Reflection Refraction Yr 11 students studying how microwaves are different from radio waves, for light behaves as it travels from air into glass and out again. example. Students are applying their knowledge to find out COMPETITION whether the E-M waves given out by mobile phones and Wi-Fi transmitters are harmful or not! Some (Open to Year 7 and 8 only) students are now thinking twice about how long they spend on their phones and are advising others to limit Why does this stick appear bent? their phone use through a range of creative posters. Answers to Mrs Graham in room Mr Abdul 89, by Friday 20th April 2012
KSSC goes to Cosford..... Six students recently went to RAF Cosford to represent the school in a GO4SET competition. Go4SET links teams of Year 8/9 students with companies or universities to work on a „STEM‟ (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) project, to raise awareness and highlight future careers within these subjects. Mr B Singh We are working with Rob, a civil engineer from the company Mouchel, on a project about water and sport within our school. Whilst we were at RAF Cosford we had a range of challenges, and after completing them all we got a chance to roam around and it was quite brilliant. Hasan Saif-Ullah (9I)
STEM students at RAF Cosford
...and Cosford comes to KSSC!
RAF Cosford rocket car challenge
To celebrate this year‟s theme of „World in Motion‟ for National Science & Engineering Week, KSSC combined science with sport to create an Enrichment Day full of exciting activities for all students. Amongst the Science Faculty activities on offer for Year 8 were making rockets and sportswear design. Thank you to all the staff for their hard work, and also to Phil Clayton from the RAF Museum Cosford who came to support us on the day with a rocket car challenge. Mrs Graham
Together we can
Year 8 rockets
FOCUS ON COMMUNITY Year 10 Boys’ football The semi final of the Erdington and Saltley District Cup produced a nail biting encounter that saw a 2-2 draw after NBA equalised in the final minute. Following extra time, KSSC won 4-1 on penalties with Connor Forgie scoring the decisive kick. The entire team showed spirit, enthusiasm and a determination to win. As this newsletter goes to press, the team are preparing for the final on 23rd March at Bodymoor Heath. Mr Brough
STOP PRESS Easter Activity Camp @ KSSC
Health and Safety Notice
Could parents of students cycling to school please ensure their bikes are roadMonday 2nd to Thursday 5th April, 10am to 3pm. worthy and safe to use. They Ages 5-12. Unbeatable value, prices start at just £15 per day, £10 should have working brakes, per day if all 4 are booked. Second child discount. Due to popular be the right size for the rider, demand now includes Dance and Gymnastics! ideally have a bell or a horn, and lights for riding at Book online at www.sport-mad.co.uk/sports_camps or contact night. Watch this space for more information about 0870 919 3529. Enrolment forms also available from the leisure possible future Bikeability courses. Mr Green centre. Miss Stevens
Leisure Centre with
Fair
Tr a d e
Fortnight
Last month, students from the TLC and those undertaking the CoPE award were busy fundraising to support Traidcraft, a charity which fights poverty through trade in developing countries. They held coffee mornings and a raffle, supported by staff Mrs Ivery, Mrs Sharp and Mrs Fowler, and succeeded in raising £109. Well done to all the students and staff involved. Mrs Ivery
Fair Trade: KSSC students and staff raise funds to support Traidcraft
KSSC supports healthy active lifestyles The World Health Organization is a campaign which each year focuses on a single health challenge that will have a global impact. This year, for World Health Day on 7 April 2012, WHO is focusing on ageing and health with the theme „‟Good health adds years to life’’. A healthy diet and regular exercise can add years to your life span – what are you doing? KSSC provides students with extra curricular opportunities to support healthy active lifestyles; the timetable is on the school website under Students. Ms Walters
Ski Trip KSSC students have recently returned from a wonderful week skiing in the Swiss Alps as part of a large group from Birmingham schools. Most of our students were first time skiers but that did not put them off working really hard and by Ellen Ratcliffe, Owen Miles & Cameron the end of the week Thomson they were ski-ing across large parts of the resort and even into France. They were a credit to the school. Mr Halstead
Together we can
Competition report England At h l e t i c s NIA Birmingham
Indoor
Championships
P o s i ti on : 2 n d i n 2 0 0m F i n a l Ranking: 1st in the West Midlands and 3rd in the United Kingdom (U17) I enjoyed the competition, considering it was the first time since 2010 I've felt on form following my hamstring injury. I've made a great start to the year with a silver medal in the bag. I hope that success can continue to the outdoor season when I represent Birmingham at the UK 2012 School Games at the Olympic Park in May. Many thanks to the school, my Dad (#1 fan) and my Coach. Simbarashe Rwambiwa (11G)