RMS Sixth Form Bulletin Edition 3: 18th March 2016 Message from Ms Weatherston‌ I have enjoyed reading the Year 12 reports this week - I am always astounded with how busy you all are and appreciate the many and varied contributions that you make to our community. Ensure that you scrutinise the very detailed comments provided by your teachers and that you respond proactively to their advice. The Year 13 At Home next Thursday represents a valuable opportunity to discuss with staff how to make the last tweaks in preparation for the forthcoming examinations.
Nicole Weatherston Head of Sixth Form
Important Notices It is very disappointing that I need to write about the state of the Common Room. As has been said on numerous occasions we have great facilities but it is everyone's responsibility to keep these clean and tidy. There are lots of bins and two dishwashers and sinks-it is completely unacceptable to leave food and half empty cups strewn around the room and expect cleaning staff to tidy these up. The carpets are covered with stains and arms of chairs have been broken. I am afraid that if the situation continues I will have no alternative but to close the Common Room.
Next Week... Monday: Form time - girls will start looking at their chosen MOOC Tuesday: Cultural talk - Rachel Bard and Minnie Ryder will be telling us about Israel Wednesday: Chapel Thursday: House Day, followed by Year
13 'at home' (starting at 3.00pm)
May we take this opportunity to remind you that House Day is a compulsory school day. It was interesting to hear so many of the Year 12 girls talking about integration across the different year groups in the School as something they would like to develop. House Day offers us that chance to come together across the different age ranges and further develop the whole community feeling within the School. I look forward to a great deal of Sixth Form participation this year. Thank you Ms Weatherston and Mrs Freeman
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News BBC Young Writers Competition 2016! The BBC are holding a competition for young writers aged 14-18 and I would like to encourage you to enter! The deadline for receipt of entries is 5pm (BST), Friday 29 April 2016. The competition is open to young people who live in the UK. Entrants are asked to create stories of up to 1000 words on any topic with the judges eager to see stories that show real imagination and creativity; high quality writing that can capture and hold the reader. Find out more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/38byvwbCNXRGYPDFW6VpC2R/the-bbc-young-writers-award
Miss Callow
A message from Mrs Isherwood.. You may be thinking about your future choices, such as whether you will go to university or if you may like to take an alternative route. Apprenticeships are a great alternative to university and many still enable you to gain qualifications as you work and train. Please take a look at this website to find out about a apprenticeships https://www.future-talent.com/. Also, click here for information about Volkswagen apprenticeships Apprenticeships are available at post GCSE and post A Level. They are available in a wide variety of areas such as Accountancy, Fashion Design, Retail, Hospitality, Engineering, Technology, Please arrange to meet with me if you would any further information. Also, anyone interested in becoming an Airline Pilot may like to go to an exhibition to find out more www.pilotcareernews.com/live Finally, an interesting read; The industries of the Future by Alec Ross. You might be surprised, but one thing is for sure, the job market is going to change massively. A copy of this has been ordered for The Resource Centre.
Meeting for Literacy Ambassadors At break on Tuesday (22/3/16) in Room 14. Mr Dowds
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News British Science Week 2016 British Science Week 2016 started on Friday, but there's still time to get involved this year! While the main purpose of British Science Week is to inspire and facilitate a grassroots celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths featuring events and activities all around the UK, the British Science Association is also putting on a number of flagship events during the week. Keep checking the British Science Week website and social media sites for the most up to date information! We are very pleased to announce that Project MC2, the hit show on Netflix, have partnered with us this year on the British Science Week poster competition. The poster competition is open to students until 15 April 2016 - more details can be found on our website. Not only that, but we're also running an exclusive competition for students to win a McKeyla McAlister doll! Enter before 17.00 on 21 March 2016 to be in with a chance of winning.
Entries are now being accepted for the International Images for Science competition 2016. The competition is organised by The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) and supported by Siemens as part of the Curiosity Project, a three-year programme which aims to engage young people with science and engineering. Entrants are required to take a visually appealing picture that tells a science story. The top 100 entries will be chosen by an expert panel to be exhibited at the British Science Festival in Swansea in September 2016 and then across the UK. “We want as many people as possible to enter this competition - school or college students, scientists, photojournalists, artists - everyone!” says RPS coordinator, Gary Evans. “Entrants can have fancy equipment or use a smartphone, it doesn’t matter. The important point is to capture your view of science in a way that tells a story to the average person.” The competition is free to enter, simply register online at rps-science.org and upload your images to the web site. Closing date is midnight on 1st May 2016.
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University Taster Courses March-May
Engineering, English, Psychology for Education Professionals and Media Arts taster courses recently added to the Programme of university taster courses for Sixth Form students We are pleased to announce that Birkbeck University of London, City University London, Royal Holloway University of London and UCL have all recently added the following free taster courses for sixth form students to the Programme of university taster courses taking place in 2016 at universities across London. You can apply and find further details by following the links below or via our website www.london.ac.uk/tasters. Places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis for the majority of the taster courses so please apply as soon as possible. Engineering Engineering, UCL, Mon 4 April 2016, details/apply Women in Engineering, UCL, Thu 30 June 2016, details/apply English City University London, Fri 22 April 2016, details/apply Psychology for Education Professionals - Supporting Children’s Reading Birkbeck, Tue 3 May 2016, details/apply Media Arts (Film Studies, Television Studies & Production) Royal Holloway, University of London, Tue 5 April 2016, details/apply
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University Taster Courses cont’d A full list of all University of London taster courses with places available taking place March - May 2016 Please find below a list of free university taster courses for year 12 lower sixth form students taking place over the next few months. For a complete list of ALL taster courses taking place in 2016, please see the website www.london.ac.uk/tasters Accounting and Finance—City University London, Tue 26 April 2016, details/apply Catalan—King's College London, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply King's College London, Wed 25 May 2016, details/apply Computer Science—Goldsmiths, University of London, Wed 23 March 2016, details/apply Queen Mary University London, Wed 20 April 2016, details/apply Birkbeck, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply Drama and Theatre— Royal Holloway, University of London, Tue 5 April 2016, details/apply Goldsmiths, University of London, Mon 11 April 2016, details/apply East European Languages - UCL, Mon 25 April 2016, details/apply Education—Birkbeck, Tue 3 May 2016, details/apply Engineering—UCL, Mon 4 April 2016, details/apply Engineering as an Alternative to Medicine - Queen Mary University London, Thu 7 April 2016, details/apply Engineering (Electronic) - Queen Mary University London, Wed 20 April 2016, details/apply Engineering (Options for Women) - Queen Mary University London, Fri 8 April 2016, details/apply English—City University London, Fri 22 April 2016, details/apply Film Studies—Royal Holloway, University of London, Tue 5 April 2016, details/apply Fine Art—Goldsmiths, University of London, Wed 23 March 2016, details/apply French Studies—King's College London, Wed 25 May 2016, details/apply History of Art—Goldsmiths, University of London, Wed 23 March 2016, details/apply Information Systems—Birkbeck, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply International Development—King's College London, Wed 23 March 2016, details/apply Journalism—City University London, Fri 22 April 2016, details/apply
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Latin America—King's College London, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply King's College London, Wed 25 May 2016, details/apply Law—City University London, Thu 14 April 2016, details/apply Mathematics—Queen Mary University London, Wed 6 April 2016, details/apply Media Arts—Royal Holloway, University of London, Tue 5 April 2016, details/apply Music—City University London, Fri 22 April 2016, details/apply Music Technology—City University London, Fri 22 April 2016, details/apply Organizational Psychology—Birkbeck, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply Portuguese—King's College London, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply King's College London, Wed 25 May 2016, details/apply Psychology—Royal Holloway, University of London, Fri 15 April 2016, details/apply Psychology for Education Professionals - Supporting Children’s Reading—Birkbeck, Tue 3 May 2016, details/apply Radiography—City University London, Fri 13 May 2016, details/apply Religion—King's College London, Wed 6 April 2016, details/apply Sociology—City University London, Fri 22 April 2016, details/apply Spanish—King's College London, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply King's College London, Wed 25 May 2016, details/apply Speech and Language Therapy—City University London, Fri 13 May 2016, details/apply Television Production—Royal Holloway, University of London, Tue 5 April 2016, details/apply Television Studies—Royal Holloway, University of London, Tue 5 April 2016, details/apply Theatre and Performance—Goldsmiths, University of London, Mon 11 April 2016, details/apply Theology—King's College London, Wed 6 April 2016, details/apply Veterinary Nursing—Royal Veterinary College, Wed 4 May 2016, details/apply
There are more taster courses at www.london.ac.uk/tasters
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Cambridge University News Exoplanet hunter: in search of new Earths and life in the Universe In 1995, in Geneva, PhD student Didier Queloz discovered a planet orbiting another sun – something that astronomers had predicted, but never found. Today he continues his terra hunting for extreme worlds and Earth twins in Cambridge. Read more
Killer flies: how brain size affects hunting strategy in the insect world Cambridge researchers are studying what makes a brain efficient and how that affects behaviour in insects. “When an animal is limited, is it because their neural system just can’t cope? Or is it because they’re actually optimised for their particular environment?” asks Dr Paloma Gonzalez-Bellido from the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. Read more
Uncovering the afterlife of Ancient Egypt The Fitzwilliam Museum is marking its bicentenary anniversary celebrations with an exhibition on its remarkable collection of Egyptian coffins. Going beyond the images of mummies, animal-headed gods, pharaohs and mystery often associated with ancient Egypt, Death on the Nile reveals fascinating new information on how these objects were made. Read more
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Cambridge University News Vice-Chancellor’s speech: “We are international; but we are European first” The Vice-Chancellor gave a speech discussing how leaving the EU would affect UK universities at the International Higher Education Forum earlier this month. He said: “As far as our sector is concerned, there is no persuasive case in favour of being out.” Read more
Australian legal scholar elected as next Master of Christ’s College Australian scientist-turned-legal scholar Professor Jane Stapleton has been elected as the first female Master of Christ's College. She will become the 38th Master in September, succeeding Professor Frank Kelly, who has been Master since December 2006. Read more
My Room, Your Room at Murray Edwards Former Oxfam CEO, Dame Barbara Stocking (Murray Edwards, New Hall 1969), talks Dome Life with current student, Bethany Evans. Watch the video
St Catharine’s elects new Master The Fellows of St Catharine’s have elected Professor Sir Mark Welland as the next Master of the College. Sir Mark will take up office in September 2016, succeeding Professor Dame Jean Thomas, who has been Master of St Catharine’s since 2007. Read more
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Summer Schools
English Literature Summer School 2016 A wonderful opportunity for students with a passion for literature to discover a range of new authors and texts, explore fresh approaches to familiar works and to prepare for undergraduate study of English Literature. “Before attending the English Literature Summer School, I was not sure if I wanted to study this subject at higher level, but participating in such an academically driven environment, surrounded and taught by specialists who are so enthusiastic about their subject, has convinced me without doubt that I would love to pursue English Literature at university. If you have any reservations about whether this course would be useful - don’t hesitate! I had one of the best weeks of my summer, meeting so many nteresting people, whilst learning about areas of literature I had never encountered before!” English Literature Summer School Student 2015 Summer School Schedule 2016 The English Summer School – Part 1 will cover literature dating from 650AD to 1790AD, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer, The Renaissance, Shakespeare, Restoration Literature and the Rise of the Novel. In addition we will also be covering Historicist and Feminist critical approaches as part of this Summer School. Taking place 25th-29th July. The English Summer School – Part 2 will cover literature dating from 1790AD to the present day, including Romanticism and the Gothic Movement, Victorian Sensation Novels, Literature and the British Empire, Modernism, Postmodernism and Contemporary Literature. We will be covering the ‘Death of the Author’ and Postcolonial criticism as part of this Summer School. Taking place 1st-5th August. The English Summer School – Part 3 is new for summer 2016, and will cover Contemporary English Literature, including prose fiction, poetry and drama. We will be covering Psychoanalytic criticism and ‘Theories of the Canon’ as part of this Summer School. Taking place 22nd-26th August.
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Summer School contd
Please note that students can attend all Parts of the Summer School, or just one or two, depending on their literary interests. Although the courses complement one another, they can also be treated as stand alone events and there is no requirement to have attended Part 1 in order to register for other Parts. Thematic coverage by period, combining close study of texts with lectures on historical and cultural context, and setting major authors side-by-side with less familiar works, will help students to appreciate the development of prose, verse and drama in English from the middle ages to the present day. We will not only engage in close textual analysis of Medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, Nineteenth Century, Modernist and Contemporary writers, but also evaluate these movements in light of the authors' own critical writing. As well as looking at the purely written word, we will also cover literature in performance, comparing play scripts to film adaptations and reading through sections of the works using different performance theories. As an integral part of Part 1 of the Summer School we will attend a performance of Macbeth at the Globe Theatre on the Southbank. Literary theory and criticism will play an important role in the Summer School and students will be invited to examine texts they have studied in the light of competing theories of the nature and value of literature and the role of the critic. This Summer School is suitable for all students aged 15-18 with a passion for literature, and will be particularly useful for those looking for a taste of undergraduate level engagement with texts and theory. Practical Details: The cost of booking any single Part of the English Literature Summer School £465, the cost of any two Parts is £850, and the cost for all three Parts of the Summer School is £1200. The Summer School will be held at a University of London venue in Bloomsbury (please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required). There will be a limited number of bursary spaces available for those who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details. To book a place please visit http://www.debatechamber.com/summerschools/english-summer -school/ call us on 0845 519 4827, or email info@debatechamber.com. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
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Forthcoming Events continued
Women in Engineering webinar The IChemE Diversity and Inclusion Working Group aims to promote equality and inclusion principles and practices in the Chemical Engineering Community. The group hopes to address matters related to age, ethnicity/race, gender, maternity/paternity, relationship status, religion, sexual orientation and disability. The Women In Engineering Campaign is a series of recorded interviews highlighting the significant contribution of women to the engineering field through the sharing of personal experiences. The next webinar presents an insight of what life is like as a student or young graduate in the Chemical Engineering Industry. These women will talk about the motivations behind their choice of study, the aspect they enjoy most, the challenges they faces and their future aspirations. Please tune in and support the event. Speakers:
Abisola Ajani, Student at University College London
Suzanne El Shafei, Student at the University of Aberdeen
Sarah Clark, Process Engineer at Amec Foster Wheeler
Zeella Labram, Process Engineer at Amec Foster Wheeler
Date: 13 April 2016 Time: 12:00 - 13:00 Location: Online Webinar Cost: Free of Charge Target Audience: Students and Young Engineers Registration is now open. Individuals can register online here. For more information please visit the website or download the event flyer.
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