SFXtra April 2011 by Peter Evans

sfxtra March 2011

In partnership with

YOUTH PARTNER

Contents Nightowl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ¡Viva Españia! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Revision Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . 6 Big Schools Birdwatch 2011 . . . . . . . . . . 8 Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award . . . . . 9 Year 7 Curious Minds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Community Classes at SFX. . . . . . . . . . . 11 Manchester University Debating Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Debating Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Skiing Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Art Study Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Classics Trip to Manchester . . . . . . . . . 18 Three Peaks Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 School Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Dear Parents We are now fast approaching the time of year which is central to our faith; that of Easter. Easter is a time for hope and celebration following on from a period of reflection during Lent. One of the things which we frequently ask pupils and students to reflect upon is the quality of their relationships with others and how we can try to live out our lives as Jesus taught us to by showing respect to everyone. Sometimes when we reflect on such things we can become overly critical of ourselves and it takes an outsider to point things out which we might take for granted as we experience them on a daily basis. A visitor to school recently commented upon the excellent relationships which they had observed during their week long stay and that this was something which made a real difference to members of our school community. This was good to hear, but of course there are always areas we can work on. At Easter I would like to encourage us all to continue to strive to live in the way which Jesus taught us, remembering that He paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be given the opportunity to experience “life in all its fullness…”. During Lent let us not only think about the penitential aspects of what we should give up etc, but also on the positive Friday April 1 – school closes at 3.30pm for two weeks things we can do to make things Monday April 4 – Friday April 8 better for all of those we meet – Easter Revision classes available in school for every day. Y11,12 and 13 students

Dates for your Diary

I wish everyone a very Happy and Holy Easter. Yours sincerely L D Rippon Headteacher

Newsletter Editing Team James Leyshon 11BR - Senior Editor Robert Gaul 13CA Hannah Jenkinson 12OW Declan Nhyus 8BR Fraser Hanlon 8BR Max Butler 8BR James Sharples 11OW

Monday April 18 – school opens at 8.40am for pupils and staff Wednesday April 20 – school closes at 3.30pm for Easter weekend Thursday April 21 – Maundy Thursday – school closed Friday April 22 – Good Friday – school closed Monday April 25 – Easter Monday – school closed Tuesday April 26 – school opens and operates a Monday timetable* Wednesday April 27 – school open and operates a Friday timetable* Thursday April 28 – normal Thursday timetable, school closes at 3.30pm for Royal Wedding weekend Friday April 29 – school closed – Royal Wedding Monday May 2 – school closed – Bank Holiday Tuesday May 3 – school opens at 8.40am for pupils and staff Friday May 13 – Year 11 Leavers’ Mass followed by breakfast and then Year 11 study leave. Monday May 16 – Year 12 begin study leave at end of day Friday May 27 – Year 13 Leavers’ Mass followed by breakfast and then Year 13 study leave, school closes at 3.30pm for May half term holiday (reopens Monday June 6 at 8.40am) *Please note these changes which are necessary so that examination classes do not miss out on lessons affected by the number of holidays in April.

St Francis Xavier's College PE Facilities At St Francis Xavier's College, we believe that first class opportunities to take part in Physical Education and Sport are essential and we are justifiably proud of our outstanding achievements both on, and off the playing field. Furthermore, we have an enviable tradition of welcoming the local, national and international community to the College for sporting events. Some of our facilities are reaching the end of their usefulness, and our commitment to continuous development and improvement means that we are seeking to expand and enhance our provision, for the pupils and local community we serve. In particular we would relish the chance to have a full size Sports Hall and other facilities to enable us to keep at the cutting edge of Sporting and Health provision. Our vision is to use these facilities for our own curriculum needs, but also, wherever possible, for the benefit of our neighbours who deserve access to such facilities on their doorstep. In the light of Government funding cuts, and the abolition of the Building Schools for the Future programme, which would have given us these advantages, we are looking for support in finding other avenues to explore to help us meet our needs.

How to sign the SFX Sports Facilities Petition VISIT THE COLLEGE WEBSITE

Please offer your support by signing this petition and join us in bringing this up at a local and national government level. 2

(www.sfx.liverpool.sch.uk). Click on the link Sign the SFX Sport Petition. This is situated on the top left of the page under the heading Current News. Click the following link: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sfxpe / to load the petition. Read the corresponding letter and sign the petition section filling in details at the bottom of the page.

Donations

Examination News

We are very grateful to two former members of the College for their recent generous support. A donation from Mr Samuels has enabled us to install a LOOP system as part of our sound facility in the main hall which will benefit those with hearing difficulties.

Congratulations to pupils in Year 11 on their outstanding GCSE results in Maths and English. A very large number of pupils obtained a grade C or above in both subjects – very well done! In English alone 80% of the grades were at C and above – surpassing last year’s record.

We have also received funds from Mr Hart to support the provision of a prize to be awarded at Proclamation and also a bursary. The prize will be known as "The Francis Hart prize for contribution towards the Religious Life of the College". The bursary towards University costs will be awarded to the student who exceeds their target grades by the greatest margin in public examinations taken at the end of Year 13.

Thoughts of course now turn to the examination season which begins in May. We are only officially in school for around 7 days in the whole of April so it will not be long before we see the return of exam desks to the Hall. Pupils in years 10, 11, 12 and 13 are involved in examinations this summer and we wish them all the best of luck. Their hard work between now and June together with them making the most of the opportunities presented in terms of Nightowl and Easter revision classes will be rewarded with good results of which the students will be able to feel proud.

Moodle Resources Update Careers Advice and Guidance For those students who are seeking advice and guidance on all things related to careers, then the new VLE Moodle page is the place to go! Over time, this will be further developed to contain web links to apprenticeships and information on how to apply for apprenticeship schemes. Students looking for part time work can access advice which will enable them to building a great C.V. as well as help with interview techniques and how to gain confidence in getting that job.

There is a range of information on education and training for older students and also job opportunities which are currently available. Phil Hogan is the personal student advisor who will be facilitating this resource so if you have any ideas please visit the page and leave a post on the forum at the top of the page. GCSE Maths – View the text book Online at home. With the summer exams fast approaching, the students have a great resource to use which is available on their Maths course page on Moodle! The live text books are fully interactive and can be accessed online, 24 hours a day.

Nightowl The NIGHTOWL sessions will continue to run until Thursday 12th May 2011. The sessions run from 4.00pm – 6.00pm each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening. Many pupils have attended the sessions each week which provide boys with an opportunity to complete coursework or revision, attend targeted intervention and booster sessions or brush up on study skills and exam technique. The sessions run in one hour blocks from 4pm – 5pm and from 5pm – 6pm, so if you are attending NIGHTOWL don’t forget to tell your parents you are staying late at school. Hot evening snacks are available between 3.30pm and 4.00pm at a small cost.

Please see the rota for session availability. Miss Lindop

¡Viva España! After almost two years of negotiations, discussions, and risk assessments, a group of students from Years 9, 10, 12 and 13 experienced a sample of ‘the true Spain’. Guadix, in the province of Andalucia of Southern Spain was the destination with the trip lasting from 10th to 17th February 2011. The trip began with an alarmingly early arrival at John Lennon Airport. Meeting Mr Lloyd (who was pumped with coffee), and the group for 5:45 am, we were both excited and nervous about the week ahead. After touching down in Malaga, we had a 2 hour coach journey led by a rather truculent driver. It has to be said, he was the only one who treated us with anything other than kindness, generosity and warmth for the whole week. We then arrived at IES Padre Poveda, which was the school where we experienced Spain’s relaxed, pleasant education system, to meet our exchange partners for the first time. We spent a number of days at the school, during which we were treated like A-List celebrities whilst studying the likes of Philosophy, Chemistry and Biology. Most of us had a short journey to our “adopted homes”, but others were located in small neighbouring towns, mine being D_lar. Despite being scattered around, we found it an incredibly beneficial experience to aid our abilities and confidence of speaking the language, at the same time truly embracing their lifestyle. There were various excursions on the itinerary, including a visit to Granada City Centre and two castles, one of which was up a rather steep hill, leaving one of 4

the sixth form boys lost for words for the first, and final, time of the week! We also visited Alhambra (a Moorish palace in Granada). Despite numerous unsuccessful attempts to wind up Mr. Lloyd about how ‘boring’ it was, it was a truly breathtaking place that I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to visit. I speak on behalf of everyone involved when I say that it was an immense experience and I am thoroughly grateful to Mr. Lloyd, Miss Marquez and the school for providing us with such a fantastic opportunity. We also strongly recommend visiting ‘the true Spain’ and a number of us are planning to return to Guadix in the summer. We accommodate our

partners from 27th April to 4th May 2011 and I sincerely hope that everybody at SFX will provide an experience to our partners that will be as pleasant and memorable as ours was in Spain. Muchas Gracias! Robert Gaul 13CA

Keeping your Brain Healthy Be Brain Smart Just like any other part of your body it needs your help to stay healthy! With examinations fast approaching for many pupils it is very important that we are aware of the following tips focused on how to keep our brains healthy. Did you know a good night's sleep can improve your test scores without you doing any extra work? And a wrongly timed chocolate bar can slow your thinking right down? Your brain is very sensitive and it constantly needs to repair itself and build new connections between the cells as you learn new things. To do this, it needs top class nutrition, a steady supply of energy, a steady supply of oxygen, and time asleep to do all of its updating.

Revision Tips and Techniques With KS4 and 5 examinations approaching fast it is very important that pupils have started or are starting to plan a revision timetable to help prepare for this important time. Some pupils may find it quite difficult working independently at home and as a result fail to revise effectively or find themselves off task and not revising at all. 1.

Arrange a quiet space for revision, without distractions.

Make sure that the room is well lit; you have a pen, pencil, rubber, ruler, the books needed.

Have lots of water available and healthy food, including fruit and vegetables.

Establish a revision timetable/plan and stick to it.

Use active revision techniques (mind-maps, diagrams, revision postcards dealing with topics, lists of key words) – it’s faster, more effective and much more fun.

Break revision down into small manageable chunks.

Establish a good time to learn for example if you are no good until you’ve had your Dinner leave it till later, but if you work better straight from school revise at 4pm.

Learn/revise something every day – even if there are built in ‘lighter’ days e.g. Saturday.

Make it multi sensory, use at least two senses: hear it, say it, see it and do it.

Diet For general brain health, you need to eat a balanced diet, containing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Every other part of your body will benefit from this too. Your brain needs a steady supply of energy, but it can only get this from a type of sugar called glucose. This glucose comes from the carbohydrates you eat, but only certain kinds of carbohydrates will do. These include wholemeal bread, pasta, porridge and pulses, which take time for your body to break down, so release their glucose slowly and steadily. Chocolate, biscuits and other sugary snacks are sadly not good for your brain. They release their sugar so quickly that your brain will peak... but then quickly crash afterwards leaving you feeling less energised than before. Not recommended for any brainy work. Don't skip breakfast (or lunch) – especially before an exam. Your brain will perform less well if you haven't eaten for hours. Brain scientists have shown that a student's test results are lower when they haven't eaten. But you need to eat the right thing. Again, junk food won't work. The brain needs those slow-releasing carbohydrates. Beans on toast for example, have been shown to be particularly beneficial.

10. You can: 1) read the information you wish to learn, 2) write/draw some brief notes/diagrams/charts on what you have learned, 3) summarise the information by talking it through/drawing/writing down key ideas, 4) listen to someone else’s summary or look at someone else’s diagram. 11.

Highlighter pens are good for making notes, charts and key words.

12. Use revision cards (plain postcards work well): write down a topic and five key words about that topic. Turn over the card. See if you can remember all the words on the card. Design a set of cards for each topic. 13. Routine is important e.g. go to your learning place, turn off the TV/radio/music, sit at your desk and get everything around you that you need. 14. Structure is important, e.g. look at the last thing you did on this topic, read your work, work for 10 minutes, take a 5 minute break, work for 10 minutes, take a 15 minute break and revise for 5 minutes.

Six Simple Revision Techniques

Six Steps for success Step 1: Decide on your goal, and know your deadline.

1. CONDENSE. Fitting notes onto one side of paper makes them easier to stomach, so rewrite and cut down as you go. 2. HIGHLIGHT. Target key areas using colours and symbols. Visuals help you remember the facts.

Step 2: Make an effective plan

3. RECORD. Try putting important points, quotes and formulae on tape. If you hear them and read them, they're more likely to sink in. 4. TALK. Read your notes out loud, it's one way of getting them to register. 5. TEST. See what you can remember without notes, but avoid testing yourself on subjects you know already. 6. TIME. Do past exam papers against the clock; it's an excellent way of getting up to speed.

It's important to be absolutely clear on what your goal is, so you'll know when you get there. If there isn't a natural deadline, like an exam, then choose a deadline, and write it on your calendar. This might move, but you need a date to focus on.

Using your examination dates create a revision timetable to plan when and what you need to revise to prepare for your exams. Don’t forget to make use of all the Night Owl sessions and extra revision classes being provided by each department. Step 3: Think ahead: What sort of help will you need? Look round corners – you now know what you've got to do and when, but will you need any expertise or practical help to get there? If so, don’t leave it to the last minute, contact people early. Step 4: Stay motivated

Easter Revision Timetable Easter Revision classes will be taking place on the 4th, 5th and 6th April. These are not drop in sessions; your son will be invited to attend by his subject teacher via a letter home. Each session is shown by the subject, the year group, the room number and the teacher taking the class.

A big goal will require a lot of hard work, and a lot of persistence. You need to keep your energy and enthusiasm levels high, and this is within your own control. Step 5: Don't get stressed Easier said than done when your project starts to go off the rails... but if you understand what stress is, you’ll be able to manage it better. Step 6: Prepare for the Big Day Anxiety about exams can ruin all your hard work just when it matters. However you can reduce your anxiety greatly by taking control of the situation.

TIME

Monday 4th April

Tuesday 5th April

Wednesday 6th April

9am-10am

English Literature AHS E5 English Language PSS E6

RE RE2 LWH & RE3 SBR DT – NPN,SBD & DBW DT1,2 &3

Performing Arts – PSS E6 Physics P3 (Separate) – SCS in S2 Biology (Additional H) – SIN in B1

10am-11am

English Literature – AHS E5 English Language – PSS E6 History – ACT H4

RE – RE2 LWH & RE3 SBR DT – NPN,SBD & DBW DT1,2 &3 Chemistry C2 (Additional) ADS in C3

Performing Arts – PSS E6 Physics P3 (Separate) – SCS in S2 Biology (Additional F) – SIN in B1

11am-12pm

History – ACT H4 PE – AMY PE6 Geography (Paper 1) – SCN G1 Leisure & Tourism – GBT in G1

Psychology – PFY PY1 Chemistry C2 (Additional) ADS in C3 Mathematics (F) – M3 & M6

Art 11B – GDS A1 Spanish – JLD & MMB L4 & L5

12pm-1pm

PE – AMY PE6 Art 11A – GDS A1 Geography (Paper 1) – SCN G1 Leisure & Tourism – GBT in G1

Psychology – PFY PY1 Mathematics (F) – M3 & M6 History – IGN in H3

Art 11B – GDS A1 French – LMN L1 Spanish – JLD & MMB L4 & L5 Greek – GSY CL1

1-2pm

Latin – GSY CL1 Art 11A – GDS A1 Mathematics (H) – M1 & M3

History – IGN in H3 Physics P2 (Additional) – LHT in P2 Chemistry C2 (Separate) ADS in C3

Greek – GSY CL1 French – LMN L1 Biology (Separate) – SIN in B1

2-3pm

Latin – GSY CL1 Mathematics (H) – M1 & M3

Physics P2 (Additional) LHT in P2 Chemistry C3 (Separate) ADS in C3 7

A Level Biology Discussion with Derek Stanley The Local Authority’s Science Improvement Officer, Derek Stanley, came into school this term to meet and discuss issues with our Year 13 Advanced Level Biology students. They were treated to an hour-long discussion about topical media issues relating to Biology, Medicine, DNA Technology and treatment of diseases. This was an attempt to get A Level students to talk about & discuss real issues relating to their A Level Biology course and How Science Works.

Big School’s Birdwatch 2011 On Saturday 29th January, 2011, five Year 8 pupils took part in the Big School’s Birdwatch: Ben Rutt-Howard, Sam Benson, Jake Brooks, Michael Connell & Ian Cartwright. The pupils recorded as many different species of birds that they saw during a one hour time period from 11.00 am to 12.00 pm. The results were submitted on-line to the RSPB.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience of “thinking beyond the fence” and hearing the thoughts and views of their colleagues. Despite some remaining fairly quiet, there were significant contributions from Philip I’Anson, Philip Davies, Christopher Mullock, Ben Brown, Joseph Kelly, Christopher Rigby, Rory Back, Rachael Lyon and Callum Murray to name but a few. Mr Fox

Derek Stanley with 13F

This National survey (along with other school & garden observations) helps the RSPB to compile a ‘picture’ of the population numbers of various garden birds and winter migrants. We were very pleased to record a buzzard (which appears to be resident in the school grounds during the winter) and many Redwings. Redwings are winter migrants that travel from Scandinavia to spend the ‘ milder’ winter in Britain. The pupils also enjoyed watching a large flock of Goldfinches eating the seeds from various wild plants in the school grounds. The group hope to put up some nest boxes ready for the breeding season in the Spring. We are also intending to purchase a moth trap so that nightflying moths can be identified and their numbers monitored. Derek Stanley with 13D

Mr Fox Results Blackbird Black-headed gull Blue tit Carrion crow Chaffinch Buzzard Collared dove Fieldfare

0 2 7 4 2 1 0 6

Dunnock Feral pigeon Goldfinch Redwing Greenfinch Herring gull Mistle thrush Long-tailed tit

0 12 16 54 4 4 2 0

Magpie Pied wagtail Robin Rook Song thrush Starling Woodpigeon Wren

6 0 1 0 2 0 6 0

Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award On the 24th March 2011 several students will be attending the BT Convention Centre (attached to the Liverpool Echo Arena) to collect their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The evening will be an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the College’s students and is the end result of a year of hard work for them. To obtain the award the students must complete four individual sections, namely; Skill, Service, Physical and Expedition. The students all completed different personal challenges for the first three sections and for the expedition they have undertaken a practice day walk around Rivington, a practice weekend expedition in the Peak District and a massive 30 mile walk over three days around the Yorkshire Dales. Those collecting the award are: • Rory Back • Charlotte Blakeway • Jack Brown • Natalie Casey • Phil Evans • Tom Keating • Daniel Keeley • Simon Lee • Rachel Lyon • Zach Prendergast • Alex Simons • Zachary Taylor - Byrne • Matthew Weeks A report will follow in the summer Newsletter documenting what took place on the presentation evening.

A big “Well Done” to all those students listed above. As always they really do show the school in a most positive light and always do justice to themselves and to the staff who give up their time to make the award possible. A record of thanks must go to Mr Evans, Mr Rippon, Mr Holden, Mr Daniels, Ms Cullen and Mr Wignall.

Year 7 Curious Minds Film Project – Chile Collaboration 7Y1 are working on a film project called “Everyday Lives” with creative partners from the FACT cinema in Liverpool City Centre. Alex and Caroline from Fact have been helping the boys learn skills in ICT and film making to help them use film to communicate with pupils in the Centro Menesiano Melipilla , which is one of the Mennaisian brothers’ schools in rural Chile. During March, we will spend an afternoon at the FACT centre in Wood St which will include an opportunity to get out and film life in the city to build into their finished productions. FACT and the SFX website will co-host the finished material and the contributions from our partners in South America.

Year 7 Fundraising The Year 7 boys and their form tutors have been working hard to raise money for the Alder Hey Imagine Appeal. 7 Rigby, led by Mr Morgan, ran the Santa dash in December and Felix Rigby from 7 Campion organised a Scalextric competition. Lucas Johnson from 7 Lewis has also worked extremely hard showing entrepreneurial spirit in raising money. The current total is £1,500.00 which is still rising. Mrs Grace would also like to thank the many helpers who have been selling raffle tickets for the bumper Easter raffle to be drawn at the end of this term. Representatives from Year 7 will be visiting Alder Hey very soon to look at what the money raised will be going towards. Mrs Grace will report back in the next newsletter issue about the visit. If anyone in Year 7 has any other fundraising ideas please let Mrs Grace know. James Leyshon

UK Intermediate Maths Challenge On Thursday 3rd February 2011 over 170 Year 9, 10 and 11 pupils took part in the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge. All students involved are in Set 1 for Mathematics. The challenge allows the pupils to test their logical thinking and their existing Mathematical knowledge. This year we have 2 students who achieved a Gold award, 4 who achieved Silver and 16 who achieved a Bronze award. Sam Lyons (Year 11) achieved the best mark in the school. He obtained a score of 79 which gave him a Gold Award. Alex Gentle of year 10 also received a Gold award with a score of 78. Well done to all students involved. Miss Arends

Community Classes at SFX Skills for Life As part of our Specialist Status Community activities courses will be available at the College from Thursday 28th April until Thursday 21st July 2011. All classes are an exciting opportunity to develop new skills and are available to anyone within our local community. So if you are a parent, carer, a support worker or you are simply someone who wants to learn something new, come along and find out more about the various courses on offer. If you couldn’t make it to our enrolment evening on Thursday 17th March then please telephone the Community Coordinator Mrs Leong at the College on: 0151 288 1000 and she will be available to provide you with the relevant information.

COURSES BEGIN THURSDAY 28th APRIL 2011 7.00pm - 8.30pm

Support for Xtra Learning What Courses are on Offer? • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Digital Photography: Image Manipulation Computers for Beginners French Conversational/ Intermediate Computers Intermediate Level Spanish Conversational/ Intermediate Introduction to Guitar Irish Language Basic Introduction Genealogy Help your child with Moodle (Virtual Learning) Singing Craft Dry Clay Pottery/Sculpture Watercolour/Pastels/Acrylic Painting Cake Decorating/Flower Arranging First Aid (additional charge TBC) Zumba (Latin Dance with exercise £3.00 per session) British Sign Language (101 Introductory Course additional charge TBC)

£30.00

12 weeks at a cost of 11

SFX winning team and runners-up, St.Paul's, London

SFX Win Manchester University Schools Debating Competition Taking place on Saturday 5th February 2011, this event featured five SFX teams in an overall field of forty-eight. They achieved the following results: 1st 8th 18th 34th 37th SFX B team who beat SFX A and St.Paul's. 12

Matthew Handley and Matthew Oldham Daniel Keeley and Jonathan Mitchell Philip Devine and James Leyshon Natalie Casey and Joseph Irwin Jack Wray and Dominic McCaffrey

Congratulations to everybody who took part. The two Matthews obviously deserve special mention for their tremendous victory. It culminated with a win in the final over the prestigious St. Paul’s School, with our boys successfully proposing the motion, “This House believes that university students should pay the whole cost of their degree.”

Waiting for the announcement of the motion

Neither should we overlook the efforts of Daniel Keeley and Jonathan Mitchell who – despite not reaching the final – managed to pull off some highly commendable results. They also managed to beat St. Paul’s in one of the earlier rounds, as well as vanquishing their friends - the two Matthews - in a somewhat esoteric debate entitled, “This House would research into the use of unmanned military drones”.

Offering a challenging point of information

Delivering a winning speech

SFX E Team

Team work

SFX winners shaking the hands of their opponents

We are the champions, my friend And we’ll keep on fighting to the end We are the champions We are the champions No time for losers ‘cause we are the champions of the world

What a thoroughly ungracious attitude rock band Queen displayed on their 1977 single release, “We are the Champions”. Winning needn’t involve this sort of macho conceit. Look no further, for example, than SFX’s own Debating and Public Speaking Society (DAPSS), whose victorious exploits never lead them to ignore those bringing up the rear. As chivalrous Year 13 pupil Daniel Keeley explained: “I’m a competitor, of course, but I never lose sight of my humanity.” You may recall that ‘SFX A’ made a flying start to the new academic year back in November with a fine victory in the Pimlico World Style Competition courtesy of Matthew Handley, Daniel Keeley and Matthew Oldham. Subsequent events have seen ‘SFX A’ notch up yet more triumphs and continue a quite remarkable run of winning every competition they have entered since April 2010.

Debating Matters On Monday 31st January 2011, SFX took part in a new competition entitled “Debating Matters”. Hosted by the college, the event attracted teams from Archbishop Blanch, King David and St. Margaret’s. SFX fielded its strongest line-up with Matthew Handley, Daniel Keeley, Jonathan Mitchell and Matthew Oldham (all Year 13) taking to the floor. The prestigious panel of judges for the evening comprised former BBC Northwest political editor, Jim Hancock, BBC religion and ethics expert, Amanda Hancox; and Kevin Bean of Liverpool University’s Institute of Irish Studies. The first motion to be discussed was, ‘Scepticism is crucial to the debate about climate change’. Opposing this viewpoint, Matthew Oldham and Jonathan Mitchell put together a highly convincing case for immediate government action, combining hard scientific proof and logical argument to devastating effect and leaving their opponents – rather appropriately – on very thin ice. ‘Sportspeople should act as role models’ was the second motion of the evening and one which SFX’s Matthew Handley and Daniel Keeley had no difficulty in proposing. Between them, the experienced pair weaved an argument that was compelling enough to make even Ashley Cole hang his head in shame. The combined efforts of the two teams meant that SFX sealed the win. Furthermore, Matthew Handley’s unrelenting excellence saw him announced as the event’s best individual performer. The boys now go forward to the Northwest final of the competition, which will be held in Bridgewater Hall on 11th March. 14

Matthew Handley – Nottingham Intervarsity Debate On 15th January 2011, Matthew Handley took part in a competition at Nottingham University, where he hooked up with SFX alumnus Bryn Gough. During his time at the college, Bryn acted as something of a pioneer for the newly-formed DAPSS, giving the society its first taste of victory with a memorable winning performance in the 2007 Catenian Association’s Intercollegiate Challenge Trophy for Public Speaking. Having gone to Birmingham University to study Politics and Philosophy, Bryn nonetheless kept up his interest in debating and also maintained strong links with DAPSS, offering support and advice along the way – something for which DAPSS’ commander-in-chief Mrs Boughey has always been very grateful. Bryn and Matthew obviously struck up a great rapport in Nottingham because they emerged as out-and-out winners of the event. Matthew even managed to eclipse the efforts of his senior partner by taking top spot on the speaker tab. Congratulations to the pair of them.

Oxford University Schools Debating Competition On 3rd February 2011, SFX entered two teams in the regional round of this competition, which was held at Parrs Wood High School, Manchester. ‘SFX A’ combined the experienced talents of Matthew Handley and Matthew Oldham, whereas ‘SFX B’ united Daniel Keeley and Jonathan Mitchell. There were at least thirty other teams taking part, but none of them could match the heavyweight contributions of our boys. ‘SFX A’ won the event with ‘SFX B’ claiming a far from shabby second place. Both teams now go through to the finals day at Oxford Union on Saturday 12th March, where they will get the chance to compete in the famous debating chamber of that great institution.

ESU Schools Mace Competition November 2010 saw SFX’s “Dream Ticket” of Matthew Handley and Matthew Oldham successfully negotiate the Northwest round of this illustrious competition which, at fifty-four years of age, is actually the oldest national debating championship in the UK. Come Saturday 19th February, 2011, the dynamic duo found themselves at Harrogate Grammar School, where they were hoping to do enough to progress all the way to the England Final. As it was, they were in commanding form, opposing motions such as “This House would have quotas for women in cabinet” and “This House would not subsidise the arts” with their customary vigour and panache. They won the event and will now compete for the title of National Champions at Dartmouth House, the resplendent headquarters of the English Speaking Union in London. The boys have actually been there before, having reached the final in March 2009, when they came a close second to the winners St. Paul’s. Can they go one step better this year? The final takes place on April 1st and, whilst we at DAPSS do not condone gambling in any way, we think that only a fool would bet against the two Matthews.

Sealing our place in the England Final

Delivering a convincing speech Preparing for the Northern Final 15

Skiing In the February half term, Mr Glover, Brother Peter, Mr Burke, Mr Harrison and Mr Wignall and 40 pupils from Years 8-13 visited Les Menuires in the French Alps. After an early start from Liverpool John Lennon airport, we arrived in what at first seemed like a snow free zone! Luckily, the closer we got to our resort, the more snow there was! On the first night we did some sledging and got to know our surroundings and then had our ski fit for the next dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skiing. Over the next few days we spent a good 4-6 hours skiing each day and then spent the evenings doing what boys from Liverpool seem to love doing most, watching the football! We watched a number of games, including; Liverpool v Sparta Prague, Everton v Chelsea, AC Milan v Spurs and a few more too! The behaviour of the boys was excellent both towards pupils from other schools and also towards the staff in the hotel, who were extremely impressed with how the boys conducted themselves. On the last day, we went on a big final ski together and stopped off for a few group photographs. The week flew by and it is certainly one the boys and the staff will remember for a long time. Mr Glover would like to thank the boys for their excellent behaviour on the trip Mr Glover

Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2011 Further to Philip Evans’ painting entitled M.U.D. (Mediterranean Urban Decay) featuring in the National Students’ Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London in May 2010, he was selected by James Horton, President of the RBA, as one of the RBA Scholars for 2010/2011. This is a marvellous accolade and Philip’s painting was chosen to be exhibited in the Annual RBA Exhibition 2011 at the Mall Gallery, London (2-12th March). Details of the exhibition may be found on the Mall Gallery website: www.mallgalleries.org.uk. Philip’s painting will be returned to school where it will be on permanent display in the College Boardroom along with other student paintings that have been exhibited at the Mall Galleries.

A Level Art Study Day The Art ‘A’ Level cohort attended a Study day at the Walker and Tate Art Galleries on Friday 11th February with Mr. Kelly. The thrust of the visit was to inform the AQA Externally set Assignments and provide opportunities to engage with both historical and contemporary artworks as primary source material. The visit to the Tate coincided with the first major retrospective exhibition of the late South Korean artist: Nam June Paik whose work is renowned for having transformed video into an artist’s medium. Hailed as a pioneer of video and media art, Paik helped these genres attain recognition through his innovative use of technology, experimentation and performance. Paik was an inquisitive artist and employed art as a projection screen for his constant questioning of social, political, technological and economic processes. Engaging with different art forms is a fundamental part of the A Level Art course broadening horizons and furthering understanding whilst promoting inspiration for personal response. 17

Classics Trip to Manchester February 1st 2011 When we got to school, we waited on the cold frosty yard to board the coach. The journey to the Museum took around an hour. When we arrived, we took part in a drama session and learnt about the Egyptians and Greeks and the objects they traded. Later we went into a big room and saw a lot of objects which were all displayed behind glass. As part of a competition we had to draw one of the objects and advertise it as if we wanted to sell it. The competition winner would win sweets. After the competition task we went into a small room which had four tables, each displaying different objects which we could handle. This I found great and the best thing so far. Then we went downstairs to eat our lunch in the dining room. After lunch we took a five minute coach ride to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). We arrived at the museum early, so we went into a different part which had big trains and working machines in it. Then we went to a 4D cinema, which was great. The seats moved and we got sprayed by water and bubbles. We were also blown by wind. Then we went into a simulator which shook us everywhere and lasted for about 5 minutes, this was really fun. We also visited the gift shop and bought some souvenirs. We also went to a TV picture place which took your picture and displayed the photo on the TV in the middle and onto a media wall. Finally, we got to take part in different experiments and tasks, which was interesting and fun. It was a great day. Max Butler 8BR

Three Peak Challenge Several staff from the College are undertaking the Three Peak Challenge just before the Summer Holiday this year. The Three Peak Challenge involves walking up Snowdon - 2400ft, 9 Miles (Wales), Ben Nevis - 4370ft, 9 Miles (Scotland) and Scafell Pike - 2900ft, 5.8 Miles (England) all within a 24 hour period. The clock starts as we step foot on the first mountain base and ends as we step foot off the last mountain, the time scale also includes travel between the mountains. The challenge itself is quite demanding both physically and mentally and is no mean feat. Many have taken up the challenge in the past and have failed due to too little speed on the mountains and long journey times due to traffic jams (not that we will be wanting to go above the designated speed limit on any of the roads we travel along).

We are raising money for two charities; Help the Heroes and Marie Curie and donations to these charities can be made through our JustGiving websites which can both be found on our main website (www.sfx3pc.info). We would really encourage you to visit the site and keep upto-date with our blog which will also record our progress ‘live’ during the practice walks we undertake on the run up to the final challenge, and then hopefully on the actual challenge itself. The staff are undertaking the challenge for various reasons; fitness, personal challenge, the scenery, the teamwork, but most of all to raise money for our

nominated charities. We would really appreciate it if you could have a look at the site and think about the possibility of donating something towards our cause. We have already undertaken a practice walk up Mam Tor in the Peak district under adverse weather conditions, so much so that Mr Holden had to take up residence next to an open fire in one of the local hostelries to keep warm as the rest of the group walked a treacherous route around Castleton. Mr Holden was so dedicated to the cause, and through concern only, he kept in touch via text message letting us all know what he was up to. Some excerpts included “Just tucking into fish, chips and mushy peas”, “It’s too cold sat in t’van, I’m off for soup and a roll”, “Hurry up will you” and several other such motivational messages! It was also great to hear from Ms Cullen during our walk as she conveyed her apologies for not being with us on this particular walk due to other commitments, her sick bed! We will keep SFXtra updated with all developments but for now thanks to the staff who, in one way or another (be it actually walking on the challenge, driving or supporting) have all given their time up to take part. They are, in no particular order: Mr Rippon, Mr Holden, Ms Lucas, Mrs Norris, Mr Hayhurst, Miss Donlon, Miss Arends, Mr Gardner, Mr Burke, Mr Irwin, Mr Wignall, Mr McKevitt, Mr Collins, Mr Evans, Mr Bright, Mr Harrison, Mrs Barker, Miss Cullen, Ms Goodall, Mr Platt, Mrs Barker, Mr Morgan, Mr Daniels and Mr Glover.

www.sfx3pc.info 19

Trip to see Wolves

Wolves Trip

Recently we went on a visit to see a football match in Wolverhampton. We all went on the coach and it took a long time to get there. When we did get there, we went on a stadium tour around the stands and down by the dugout. I sat where Mick McCarthy sat in the dugout and where the substitutes sit.

The Wolves trip was great from start to finish. I had the time of my life. We travelled in a great coach. I had never been to Wolves' ground (Molyneaux) before, it was a good trip. Once we got there we went into the dugout which was a great experience.

When we had finished our tour we met Wolves’ new signing Lee Griffiths, we all shook his hand, asked questions and had our picture taken with him. Finally, it was time for the match, Blackpool were wearing white and Wolves were in their original old gold strip. The game kicked off and Wolves took an early lead when Matt Jarvis scored a goal, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake scored 2 more goals and O’Hare was the other scorer. Wolves won 4-0. Thanks to the teachers who took the time to take us there. Declan Nhyus 8BR

The atmosphere was fabulous and Wolves won 4-0. We learnt some good songs which we then sang on the way back on the coach! Fraser Hanlon 8BR

School’s Parliament SFX pupils have been regular attendees at the Parliament meetings this session. There have been some very important issues discussed including Street Safety, Student Outreach, the future of our Schools in the City, Bullying and the Holocaust. The boys were particularly moved by the stories told by the three Holocaust survivors. Our next session, on the 15th March looks to be particularly interesting and the pupils will have to work with the students from other schools to come up with ideas on Citizenship and Being a good Citizen.

The China Reunion

The School Council The School Council have undergone a big change this year. It was decided to move the meetings to lunchtime in view of the very poor weather we have been experiencing. This has been exceptionally successful. Over refreshments a full complement of students, representing each Year Group, have met to discuss such issues as litter, safety on site, cycling to school, reaching out to the older local community, the toilets, bullying, trips out for pupils and, a subject always close to our hearts, food provision at dinner time. I am always impressed at the maturity the pupils display when discussing issues. Mr Taylor kindly gave up some of his lunch hour to discuss any problems with sports provision. The sixth form girls were very keen to be included in more events. It is hoped to have an outside speaker to attend the next Council meeting but this is yet to be confirmed.

The China reunion meeting was something that myself and Steven Lennon were looking forward to most after our trip to Shanghai in May last year. The reunion was an opportunity to see the other teenagers who took part in the once in a lifetime trip with us once again. The reunion was held in the Confucius Centre in Liverpool University and had a great turn out with pupils, teachers and parents all attending. The meeting began with refreshments, and a chance to mingle with the friends we made during the trip. Several people who were associated with the trip made speeches and presentations about how successful it was. We were finally presented with certificates and other memorabilia to remember our China experience. James Sharples 11OW

Football As we enter the final stage of the school Football season it is looking very likely that almost all year groups will be competing for some kind of silverware in the Merseyside and Liverpool Local Leagues and Cups. It is with regret that I tell of the Year 7’s six month unbeaten run finally coming to an end in the English School National Cup. After a superb run to the last 16 in the country our impressive Year 7’s were beaten 2-0 away from home to highly fancied Wilmslow High School of Manchester. At a local level the team are still yet to lose and have displayed excellent commitment and form as the games come thick and fast and the opponents become more difficult. Some notable hard fought draws against Cardinal Heenan and West Derby have left the team almost in touching distance of winning the League title. The team are also flying the flag in the two remaining cup competitions with the Merseyside Cup quarter final and a Liverpool Cup quarter final taking place this term. Looking promising and shaping up well towards the end of the season also are Mr Glover’s Year 8 team. With fixtures in hand to catch up on, they are well placed to mount an end of season assault on the Year 8 League and are only narrowly behind Cardinal Heenan and St Margaret’s with the coming weeks remaining fixtures looking like they will have a major effect on where the Year 8 Merseyside League title ends up. Similarly, the Year 8 team are proving to be a dangerous opponent in both Local Cups, with quarter final and last 16 ties against Halewood Comprehensive and De La Salle respectively. After a flying start to the school football season it looked at one stage that the Year 9 team were going to conquer all before them at both National and Local level. However, indifferent form after the Christmas break has left the team with only the League to chase. A narrow and extremely unlucky 3-1 defeat to close rivals Cardinal Heenan in the Year 9 Echo Liverpool Cup ended the sides cup dreams for the season, although, with postponed League games still to be played the team have a slight chance of edging into the top spot. I am sure under Mr Murphy’s charge the team will come back strong and eager when they move up to Year 10 next season.

An exciting end to the season is largely expected of Mr Brown and Mr Burke’s Year 10 football team. With an impeccable and unbeaten league record the League title is well within their grasp with final games vs Alsop and Sacred Heart being the decisive games on which they can clinch the League. Viewed as one of the most competitive and tightly contested age groups within school football, it is to the team’s credit that they are in strong positions in both League and Cups. In the Merseyside 6th Form football League, games are coming in thick and fast due to a heavy fixture backlog because of the frost before and after Christmas. With both 1st XI and 2nd XI fighting for points to enable them to qualify for the top eight elimination playoffs it has made for some very exciting games and results for both teams. The 2nd XI have had some very exciting results including a 4-2 beating of Knowsley Community College and a 4-4 thriller against King George V with star turns coming from Max Burns and Tom Seargent. Their passage into the top eight was slightly hampered by back to back 2-1 and 4-1 defeats to Cardinal Heenan. The 1st XI have had an indifferent campaign losing only a couple of games but carrying the tag of draw specialists of late, giving up winning positions against Knowsley Community College and Alsop, where both games ended 2-2 with SFX being in front going into the closing stages. A fantastic 4-1 victory over last season Merseyside League and Cup double winners Cardinal Heenan has left the 1st XI with an outside chance of getting into the top eight with a big game against Halewood Comprehensive being a deciding factor. Star turns of late for Tom O’Driscoll and Daniel Smith both chipping in with important goals and performance from defence. I would once again like to thank all involved in schoolboy football at SFX for their effort and commitment since September, and wish all the teams the best of luck for the remainder of the season. Mr Kelly

Liverpool Marathon 9th October 2011 Have you always wanted to run a marathon but don’t know where to start? Are you already planning to run this race? Would you like to raise some money for the school? Now is your chance. A number of PTA members who are experienced runners are planning to run in the event, we can offer support and guidance to the beginner (there is plenty of time to enter and train). We even have a website to take the hassle out of sponsorship. So why not join us running this year’s Liverpool Marathon. If you are interested in taking part please contact the PTA. 21

Badminton Tournament V Parklands The SFX badminton team were invited to play Parklands school of Speke in January 2011 with a good mix of doubles and singles games. Despite the limited time Parklands had to fit in all the games, the boys did really well, enjoying the occasion. The influx of emerging talent from Year 7 with the experience they had in the Doubles South Liverpool Tournament late last year, will have no doubt given them great enthusiasm to do well and it showed with all round wins against a very good Parklands team.

Basketball This term Year 7 have continued their development in the Liverpool South Partnership League. The team have performed well and proved to be difficult and skilful opponents. Team manager Mr Brown has been particularly impressed with the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s man to man defence, which is a successful part of their game. Alongside their league progress, Year 7 have also played fixtures against local schools Gateacre and Parklands. The team enjoyed comprehensive victories against both schools. Catching the eye in these games were Anthony Chin and Connor Taylor.

Dominic Bramwell, Michael Goodwin, Niall Quinn and Ben Foster all showed a mature attitude towards the game! Well done! The team is now looking forward to playing the Singles Tournament in the summer term. D. McKevitt

Lisnagarvey Visit Lisnagarvey High School from Lisnagarvey, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland visited on 2nd February 2011 to participate in a friendly as part of their tour to Liverpool and Manchester. The Year 8 team played well and enjoyed a 9-1 victory! In addition to this the Year 10 team won 8-0.

Year 7 Basketball team before their tournament fixture at Greenbank Sports

Mr Glover

Rugby It is with great pleasure to report that this term the College hosted its first ever home Rugby fixture (SFX vs Shorefields school). A 9 aside pitch was marked out on the grids and the Rugby League Development officer John Farrell deemed the game a great success with our Year 8 team narrowly coming out on top (20-16 against a strong Shorefields team). The day saw Impressive performances from Ifeyani Emeka Anayakwo and Kieran Howell. Since September both codes of Rugby have become extremely popular and we now have Rugby League coaches operating in lesson time delivering Rugby League based sessions which Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils are really enjoying. Recently the Year 7 Rugby Union team competed in a four team friendly based tournament at Sefton Rugby club against; Childwall, SMA and Cardinal Heenan. All players performed extremely well against some more experienced opponents. Year 7 showed a notable improvement with some excellent performances. Congratulations must also go to six members of the squad who are representing their club side in the Lancashire County U12 Finals in Preston. The following are involved: Phil Langford, Sam McGrath, Patrick Rowe, George Heron, Bobby Cook and Christian Ligget. 22

Year 7 team at Sefton preparing for a scrum

Cross Country

Squash Trip

Sporting success also came from the Cross Country team this term who have been competing in the City Finals which have been held once every half term at various venues across the city. The last two events were held at Calderstones Park and Sefton Park. Their success deserves a special mention as in both the Year 10 and Year 11 categories we have had both 1st and 2nd place finishes. At the events held at Sefton Park and Calderstones, Harriers athletes Luke Towers (Yr11) and Owen Sharp (Yr10) finished first and second respectively.

January of this year saw us take the Squash club attendees from Years 7, 8 and 9 to the National Squash Championships which were held at the National Squash Centre Sports City Manchester. The day was a great success with the boys taking in some exceptional squash from some of the world’s best male and female players. The boys also had the opportunity to talk to the competitors, squash coaches and officials on aspects of the game. Some of the boys were also given tips and techniques on certain shots and parts of their game.

Indoor Athletics This half term has seen the Year 7 and 8 City and County Indoor Athletics Championships take place. After last year’s Year 7 North West success we were very optimistic for both age groups. The Arriva Indoor Athletics is a well organised event with the track events being lap races ranging from two lap to eight lap with two different relay type races. The field events consist of; standing triple and long jump, standing reach jump, speed bounce and shot putt. Each athlete competed in three events contributing to an overall team score. In the Year 7 City Championships our team excelled and finished runners up in the competition to Archbishop Beck. The outcome of the competition came down to the final Relay Race in which a 3rd place finish unfortunately wasn’t enough to win us the competition but was enough for us to progress to the County Finals. In the County Finals held at Kingsway Leisure in Widnes both Year 7 and Year 8 performed admirably and the standard of performance was very high. In both age groups we finished an overall 3rd out of 8 schools which was a very good achievement for both squads involved. Year 7 Squad (Max Mckinnel, Daniel Morrisey, Josh Chellew, Alex Holmes, Alex Blackburn, Michael Owen, Chris Merrie, Matthew Lawerson) Year 8 Squad (Daniel Abayomi, Matthew Bainbridge, Michael Swift, Frazer Hanlon)

The main event of the day was watching world Squash Number 1 Nick Matthew in his first round game which he won quite convincingly against a Dutch opponent. After the game Nick spoke to the boys and posed for photos and signed programmes and racket handles for the boys.

Pupils with squash World No.1 Nick Matthew

PTA Update The PTA continue to work behind the scenes raising funds to assist the College in any way required. Recently, we have made donations to the Art Department and to the Design and Technology Department and welcome requests from any other section of the school. We will be supporting the Music Department when they hold their concerts in March and July and hope to organise a Ladies Night shortly with demonstrations of make up and beauty advice. Please check the school website for further information. Mr Andrew Keeley (Parent and School Governor) has agreed to run in the London Marathon in April and as such will be running to support the school. Please visit www.justgiving.com for details of how you can sponsor him. In the meantime, thank you for your continued support. Chairperson SFX PTA

Relay Race at the Year 7 Indoor Athletics In Kingsway Leisure Widnes 23

Football Tables Year 7 2010-2011 TEAM

Year 8 2010-2011

Pts GF

GC GD

Calderstones (YR7)

St Margaret’s (YR7)

SFX (YR7)

Cardinal Heenan (YR7)

West Derby (YR7)

Alsop (YR7)

-4

De La Salle (YR7)

-9

Sacred Heart (YR7)

-8

North Liverpool Academy (YR7)

-21

Knowsley Hey (YR7)

-7

All Saints (YR7)

Bluecoat (YR7)

24 -20

TEAM

St Margaret’s (YR8)

West Derby (YR8)

SFX (YR8)

Cardinal Heenan (YR8)

Alsop (YR8)

-6

Calderstones (YR8)

-14

Sacred Heart (YR8)

De La Salle (YR8)

-7

Bluecoat (YR8)

-6

North Liverpool Academy (YR8)

-14

All Saints (YR8)

-19

Amemva

Knowsley Hey (YR8)

-5

Year 9 2010-2011 TEAM

Pts GF

GC GD

Year 10 2010-2011

Pts GF

GC GD

Cardinal Heenan (YR9)

SFX (YR9)

Calderstones (YR9)

De La Salle (YR9)

West Derby (YR9)

Alsop (YR9)

North Liverpool Academy (YR9)

Bluecoat (YR9)

Sacred Heart (YR9)

TEAM

Pts GF

GC GD

SFX (YR10)

West Derby (YR10)

De La Salle

Cardinal Heenan (YR10)

-4

Alsop (YR10)

Calderstones (YR10)

-6

-1

Bluecoat (YR10)

-9

-16

Sacred Heart (YR10)

-2

-10

Knowsley Hey (YR10)

-4

Knowsley Hey (YR9)

-5

All Saints (YR10)

-7

St Margaret’s (YR9)

-15

St Margaret’s (YR10)

All Saints (YR9)

Beaconsfield Road, Liverpool L25 6EG • Tel: 0151 288 1000 Fax: 0151 288 1001 • Email: admin@sfx.liverpool.sch.uk www.sfx.liverpool.sch.uk