Coloma Convent Girls' School - Newsletter Winter 2019

COLOMA CONVENT GIRLS' SCHOOL

Coloma News Upper Shirley Road, Croydon, CR9 5AS |  020 8654 6228 |  www.coloma.croydon.sch.uk

Winter 2019

TERM DATES Last Day of Term Friday, 20th December First Day of Spring Term Monday, 6th January Half Term Holiday Monday, 17th February - Friday, 21st February Last Day of Term Friday, 3rd April First Day of Summer Term Monday, 20th April

DIARY DATES Year 7 Parent Consultation Evening Tuesday, 14th January, 4:30pm Sixth Form Soiree Thursday, 16th January, 7:00pm Year 8 Parent Consultation Evening Wednesday, 29th January, 4:30pm Year 10 Parent Consultation Evening Thursday, 6th February, 4:30pm Chamber Music Concert Wednesday, 11th March, 3:15pm Chamber Music Evening Thursday, 19th March, 7:30pm at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden Spring Instrumental Evening Wednesday, 25th March, 7:00pm Key Stage 4 Pathways Talk Tuesday, 31st March, 4:00pm Year 9 Parent Consultation Evening Tuesday, 31st March, 4:30pm Tea Time Concerts Wednesday, 22nd January, 3:30pm Thursday, 13th February, 3:30pm Wednesday, 1st April, 3:30pm Subscribe to Coloma’s online calendar at www.coloma.croydon.sch.uk /school-calendar.

CHARITIES WEEK 2019 This December, Upper Sixth students were given the annual task of planning, hosting and executing this year’s Charities Week. It was directed by the incredibly dedicated charities committee - Sophie Pilendiram, Lydia Hervey, Aoife Courtney, Kerry Leahy, Chantal Quadrucci, Nicole Olisa and Ama Awotwi.

Running from Monday, 2nd December to Friday, 6th December, this year's Charities Week raised approximately £4,500 for our chosen charity, "The Rainbow Trust".

The Rainbow Trust supports families who have a child aged 0-18 years old with a lifethreatening or terminal illness and who requires bespoke support. There are an estimated 49,000 children and young people in the UK living with a life-limiting or threatening condition who might require palliative care (University of Leeds, 2011).

The Rainbow Trust works by pairing each family with a dedicated support worker who supports the entire family, from allowing the parents time to relax or providing support for siblings to make sure they stay on top of school and have the chance to talk to someone if they’re suffering.

The Rainbow Trust believes in face-to-face contact so they try to make sure the families that do fit their criteria get a real person to talk to, “Not a website or a helpline. A real person who is there for whatever they need, for as long as they need. For all the stuff that medicine can’t do.”

The Charities Week fundraising events took place over the course of 5 days with lunchtime fundraisers happening everyday alongside a ticket collection, selling sweets, Krispy Kreme Donuts and later a raffle sponsored by local companies such as the Body Shop, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. This was all due to the hard work of the Charity Chairs who were delegated

different roles, among many other year 13s who also sacrificed their free time to check the lighting and sound, or to write letters to companies and go in-store to ask for extra support.

We are very proud of the week we’ve had and all the money raised.

As well as all the amazing donations, we also got the chance to show off the amazing skill at Coloma during the Talent Show. There was also a chance for the younger girls to see their teachers in a different light with the classic teachers’ performance!

We had the iconic boy-band NSYNC perform a classic which was choreographed by our dance captain, Lydia Hervey and also the legendary teachers’ video, which was shot and directed by our marketing head, Ama Awotwi which featured almost all of the teaching staff, and was edited by Katie Tucker.

Without the support of all of the girls we wouldn’t have been able to do this, so a special thank you to everyone who bought tickets, sweets and donuts or just donated money and also to the parents and friends who donated and shared our Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/Colomacharitieswee k2019.

We are very thankful and cannot wait to see the impact our money has on the families needing our support.

Mikaela Go, Upper Sixth

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SCHOOL NEWS It is both inspiring and humbling to be able to share just some of the activities that have happened at Coloma this last term. The events and achievements are as varied as ever and a testimony to the commitment of the students and staff. They have ranged from the U19 Novice Trampoline Team coming first in the London Schools Competition to the most recent after-school speaker who gave a really insightful talk on ‘Dark Matter and Artificial Intelligence’.

The school was inspected this term by the Archdiocese of Southwark and recognised again as providing an outstanding Catholic education. It was a welcome acknowledgement that the ethos is lived out daily, stating, ‘Every member of the school is treated with dignity in a culture of mutual trust. This reflects the vision of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph to nurture the faith of each child and to create a school in the image of the Holy Family’.

Nurturing of faith and of talents was evident in our recent Advent Service at Our Lady’s and in the Carol Service at Croydon Minster.

They were beautiful occasions which reflected the hard work of

HEADTEACHER’S MESSAGE students and staff and which fed the soul. Using Advent as a time of preparation and not yet celebrating Christmas is so important. As Pope Francis reminded us: “Advent means coming. The Lord is coming. This is the root of our hope: the certainty that God’s consolation comes to us amidst the troubles of the world. Not a consolation of words, but of his presence among us.” Our students have used Advent as a time to remember others, with collections of many different items throughout the school. The sixth form Charities Team is particularly to be commended for their work for the Rainbow Trust.

As we enter the final days of Advent, we continue to pray for all those experiencing troubles in this world. We ask that God’s blessings and love may be poured out on everyone so that all may experience his presence and peace among us this Christmas.

Mrs Collins, Headteacher

This term, to mark our 150th Anniversary Year, we launched our very own Coloma Community Network!

Coloma prides itself on having strong links within the community.

As girls pass through its doors, so do their parents, extended families and teachers. We value the footprint of each and every pupil and hope that they and their families and teachers will remain connected to the school long after they leave.

We are delighted to have launched the online Coloma Community this year, to celebrate the 150 years past and future. The site brings

COLOMA COMMUNITY together an entire Coloma ‘family’ and is a private and secure online network open to all: current and former parents, staff and governors, alumnae and friends of the school.

This exciting new social network includes photo galleries and the latest news and events. To join up, go to https://community.coloma.croydon.sch.uk/homepage or follow the link on the main school website under ‘Community’.

COLOMA IS REACCREDITED AS A WORLD CLASS SCHOOL truly a World Class School, you should be very proud.”

World Class Schools are required to prove their World Class status every two years, via a process of reaccreditation.

Coloma is delighted to be one of only 32 schools in the country that has achieved reaccreditation of their World Class School status.

At the assembly where the plaque was presented to Coloma, Miranda Perry, the Director World Class Schools Quality Mark said, “Coloma is full of World Class students … it has World Class staff. It is

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The reaccreditation process involves two World Class School student teams working together. Each team reports on their own school, exchanges and comments on the report of their partner school, and carries out an exchange visit, during which they video their partner school in action as World Class. The Coloma team was led by Emma Hiscock, Hannah Little and Sarah Gardiner.

“Our students' visit to their partner school, St Clement Danes in Chorleywood, was really rewarding. It has been so great collaborating with them over recent weeks. Our students have got a huge amount out of it and will continue to do so as part of the World Class School Alumni.” Miss Huggett, Assistant Head.

COLOMA ACHIEVES "OUTSTANDING" IN DIOCESAN INSPECTION Coloma had a Diocesan inspection (section 48) on the 9th and 10th October to inspect the Catholic life of the school. The inspectors have today released the report and found the school to be an outstanding Catholic school.

The inspectors said, "It is an inclusive Catholic community. Every member of the school is treated with dignity in a culture of mutual trust. This reflects the vision of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph to nurture the faith of each child and to create a school in the image of the Holy Family."

Very well done to all the staff and students. The full report can be read on the school website.

SCHOOL NEWS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY Thursday, 10th October was the global Mental Health Awareness Day. The Sixth Form took part in the #HelloYellow campaign to raise awareness around mental health.

COLOMA STUDENTS CELEBRATE STEM Nine girls from Year 10 went on a trip to Siemens Mobility.

The day was in celebration of Ada Lovelace - a pioneering woman in the STEM field.

The students wore an item of yellow and made a donation to charity. An amazing £227.07 was raised! We are very proud of their active support of this important campaign.

The girls learnt all about the complex systems behind running the railways from signalling to points, to circuits and much more.

There was a poster competition about the girls’ talents and aspirations and Coloma took home 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes!

Congratulations to Xiomara Andrade Sumbana who came 3rd winning a Raspberry Pi, Frida Osasere who came 2nd winning a Kindle Fire and Edilia Rodrigues who came 1st winning an iPad Mini!

COLOURSCAPE On Sunday, 22nd September, some of Coloma’s percussion students were asked to perform a percussion piece at the Colourscape Festival on Clapham Common in London.

Colourscape is a walk-in installation of colour and light, originally created by artist Peter Jones in the early ‘70s. Over 35 have been made, in many different sizes and shapes, offering different experiences around the world.

Our students played a piece written by David Stevens on long bells, each with a different tone, alongside an adult chamber choir. The piece was played brilliantly four times throughout the day so that the public could enjoy the music inside the installation.

Each student was in her own separate chamber around the structure, which meant that they relied on only the sound of the person next to them to know when to start playing. This created a sensory experience inside the whole Colourscape, with the mixture of bells and colourful light.

The overall experience was unique and inspiring for those who participated.

Lydia Hervey, Year 13

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL PYJAMAS It has been a very successful appeal, thanks to the support and donations from staff, students and families. We are very appreciative of the incredible amount of donations. At the close of our appeal, we have a final count of 94 pairs of pyjamas. That means 94 children will receive these pyjamas over Christmas whilst they are unfortunately in hospital over the Christmas period.

I would like to express a particular thank you to Poppy Dillon (10Y) for her dedicated support and enthusiasm with the cause. Poppy approached Ms Coleman in the corridor and expressed how she really wanted to help out and, every day since, she has been coming to help in any way possible.

Additionally, a big thank you to Mrs Boulter who was able to collect an amazing 30 pairs of pyjamas and added these to our donation.

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SCHOOL NEWS JACK PETCHEY AWARDS 2019

CCF OCTOBER CAMP During the last weekend of half term, some Coloma girls from Years 9 - 13 went on the annual October camp with Royal Russell CCF. It was a brand new experience for the Year 9s as it was their first camp.

On Thursday, 5th December, some of our Jack Petchey Award Winners for 2019 were delighted to be able to attend the Jack Petchey Awards Ceremony at the Fairfield Halls. This was a fabulous occasion with a great many Croydon schools represented, with winners from each school receiving an award for their achievements and their contribution to enriching the lives of their school community.

Many congratulations go to our wonderful Coloma Award Winners for 2019, with those able to attend on Thursday pictured here with the Mayor of Croydon.

Our 9 award winners this year are Abbie Burnett, Elizabeth Willis, Nicoli Fernando, Khadijah Rajah, Pati Bulik, Krysia Mawer, Charlotte Murphy, Olivia Nunes and Shannon Dagnall, with each winner attracting a £250 grant to support the work of the Department nominating the student.

We also warmly congratulate Mrs Howat on receiving the Jack Petchey Leader Award for Coloma for 2019. Mrs Howat has dedicated great energy to offering real opportunities to many hundreds of young people, to help them to see the possibilities afforded by the international world, and to develop their love and understanding of languages and cultures beyond these shores.

Our thanks go to the Jack Petchey Foundation for the opportunities and support it offers to Coloma as well as to so many other schools and youth organisations.

We have many wonderful students and teachers at Coloma, and we are really delighted to be able to congratulate Mrs Howat and our student Award Winners whose contribution so fully exemplifies the ethos and values of our school.

Mr Handley

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Over the weekend, we took part in many activities despite the challenging weather. I took part in Heartstart where I learnt the importance of first aid and earned a qualification. On the Saturday, we moved on to a navigation activity and then “camouflage and concealment”.

There wasn’t much time to relax in the evening as we went back into the field for a night exercise. Our task was to sneak up on the enemy and report back on what we had heard.

Even though the weather wasn’t on our side, everyone tried their best and we all had fun. The last activity we did was the obstacle course which was very tough but rewarding.

For the more experienced cadets in Years 10 and above, October camp was a chance to develop our leadership skills and knowledge. We spent the weekend at a training area near camp where we were able to practise our fieldcraft skills and do some blank firing.

The cadets were challenged in many ways, especially when they came under enemy fire whilst trying to extract a casualty. Everyone responded really well and put into practice all the skills they had been taught.

The whole weekend was very enjoyable and we are looking forward to future camps.

Thank you to Miss Leggatt for giving up your time to come with us on camp.

Cadet Francesca de Guingand (9U) and SSgt Gemma de Guingand (6L3)

CCF REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY During one of the most moving times of reflection and grief, the sun revealed itself with casual elegance to cascade its enlightening rays over the memorial garden.

With great relief to feel the warmth, as everyone started to feel their frosty fingers once more as the clock struck eleven o'clock.

Once more, the Royal Russell CCF cadets stood with pride, honouring those who had lost their lives for our country.

We remember this year the first official Remembrance ceremony that took place at Buckingham Palace in 1919, with King George V playing host to French President Raymond Poincaré as the allied nations joined together in mourning.

For the two minutes that everyone stood in reflection, thousands of poppies gracefully flew from the top of the chapel's clock tower, down to our feet as a symbol of the soldiers' bloodshed.

We will remember them.

Sgt Nicola Karkut (6L2)

SCHOOL NEWS WELLBEING CORNER

ROAD SAFETY PRESENTATION

This term at Coloma, we have thought about how community links to wellbeing. This has been promoted through two national awareness days – Mental Health Awareness Day in October and National Kindness Day in November.

The Kindness Boomerang video made by Life Vest Inside has been used twice this term to emphasise connection with others and to spark conversations about the impact we have on others around us and the importance of looking out for others in our communities.

This half term, a display has been visible for all year groups giving simple ideas on how to build community wellbeing.

Year 7 are new to the school community and have just completed their first term at Coloma. In the first half term, we had a PSHE session on the transition to Coloma and navigating new friendships within the school whilst also ensuring we show kindness to everyone whether they are a peer or a friend.

Claire Harrison has been dropping into KS4 form groups to support those within the school who are doing exams and is running a study skills group on Wednesday afternoons so that pupils know how to approach their study proactively and know how to help each other.

Next term we will be continuing our wellbeing focus and looking at how mindfulness can support positive mental health.

Year 7 attended a road safety presentation on Wednesday, September 11th in the PAC. The workshop involved the students watching a series of sketches and considering the consequences of allowing themselves to be distracted on and near roads.

The possible effects of inappropriate behaviour, including teasing, bullying and using mobile phones, were graphically illustrated. Strategies for becoming more self and road-aware were also discussed so that students can take responsibility for keeping themselves safe in the future.

Mrs Dixie

AN AUDIENCE WITH DAME JUDI DENCH A Level and GCSE Drama students from Coloma had the privilege of receiving an invitation to the reopening of the Ashcroft Playhouse at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon on Monday, 16th September.

This exclusive event included being part of an invited audience to hear Dame Judi Dench discussing her life as an actress and her friendship with Croydon-born Dame Peggy Ashcroft. Joined on stage by theatre critic Michael Billington and broadcaster John Hannam, Dame Judi provided both fascinating and highly entertaining anecdotes on her many famous roles on stage and screen, together with poignant memories of her friend. She was an inspiring speaker, giving rich insights into theatre history, and encouraging the next generation of performers.

This was a unique and valuable experience for all who attended. Speaking afterwards, the girls were impressed with her authenticity and humbleness, despite her incredible achievements over a long and illustrious career. She is, indeed, a national treasure and we are fortunate to have been graced by her presence.

Miss Woodacre

COLOMA STUDENT WINS PRIZED USA SCHOLARSHIP Congratulations to our Year 13 student, Marcia Numbreh Sey, who has been awarded a Sports Scholarship in track and field to study at Ohio State College in the USA. Marcia will be studying a Major in Criminology and a Minor in either Sociology or Psychology.

We would like to wish her all the very best and look forward to following her individual and Team GB progress in the coming years.

Mrs Ingram

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SIXTH FORM NEWS NEWS FROM THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT The Psychology Department has hosted two supra-curricular talks so far this term, the first by Dr Rebecca Brewer from The Royal Holloway on autism and alexithymia. This was a great introduction to the basic diagnostic aspects that define autism in terms of the classic triad of impairment (communication, social interaction and restrictive / repetitive behaviour).

Alexithymia is defined as a subclinical phenomenon involving a lack of emotional awareness or, more specifically, difficulty in identifying and describing feelings and in distinguishing feelings from the bodily sensations of emotional arousal (Nemiah et al. , 1976).

Dr Brewer highlighted how her research has shown that while alexithymia is more prevalent in autism, it appears to be a comorbid factor (an additional but unrelated diagnosis). So, while it would be initially tempting to see alexithymia as a root cause of the emotional processing difficulties seen in autism, this is not the case, though this group is clearly more susceptible to displaying this additional disorder.

Our second speaker was Dr Liz Newton who provided students with an excellent overview of the role of a research-active academic working in the university sector. Dr Newton also discussed her route into higher education after having had a family, and then going on to pursue a successful academic career.

opportunities for gaining entry to a good university as mature students later in life. She also discussed her research into problem-solving and mathematical ability and made excellent use of video case studies that highlight that mathematical language differs from regular speech communication (typically lateralised in the left hemisphere of the brain) and is probably located in the right hemisphere of the brain.

Both talks were very well attended, attracting strong pupil attendance, many of whom were from the lower school.

We have two additional speakers lined up for December and January and are very excited to be in the process of arranging a Year 12 visit to the new Psychology Department labs at the London School of Economics. This will enable our students to spend a day learning about and practically engaging in collecting psycho-physiological measures.

Dr Newton clearly set out the value of achieving strong ‘A’ level grades regardless of immediate intentions, to maximise future

Dr Noyce

EY APPRENTICESHIP TALK considered. Her PowerPoint highlighted the many sections in EY, the advantages and disadvantages of doing an apprenticeship scheme, the procedure for applying to EY and other resources that may be necessary when deciding which apprenticeship scheme is the right one for us.

Alumna returns to speak to pupils about career pathways On Friday, 6th December, a former Coloma student, Kitty Streek, visited the Year 12 A level and BTEC Business classes to inform us of opportunities available in contrast to a university

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route in regards to further education.

Kitty Streek herself is on the four years EY apprenticeship scheme and is currently in her second year.

We found it very useful and enlightening as it opened up another pathway which many of us had not

She answered all our questions with her in-depth knowledge, such as the work experience needed and her personal opinion of the apprenticeship scheme. We are very grateful to her for taking the time to explain to us another pathway that is available outside of university.

Tetyana Zholobaylo (Lower Sixth)

SIXTH FORM NEWS HSC STUDENTS VISIT GREENWICH UNIVERSITY

An educational visit to Greenwich University was organised on Wednesday, 13th November for Year 12 Health and Social Care students.

The Health and Social Care Taster Day was an opportunity for Coloma Sixth Form students to find out what it is really like to study a degree leading to

some of the most challenging and rewarding professions including: Adult Nursing, Children's Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Midwifery, Paramedic Science, Psychology & Counselling, Public Health & Health and Wellbeing and Social Work. The taster day provided the opportunity to sample every aspect of what it is like to study a range of health and social care programmes at the University of Greenwich.

The girls had the opportunity to meet university tutors and health professionals; take part in interactive workshops and gain experience of what it is like to study at the university.

Students were also given a chance to speak with current students from the

Faculty of Health throughout the day; as well as get first-hand experience of the campus, lecture theatres and facilities including clinical skills laboratories, which replicate NHS wards, allowing trainee health professionals to get real hands-on experience.

"The best part of the day was when I got taught how to carry out CPR on both an adult and a child. . ." Carysa, Year 12 Extended Certificate HSC student.

"The trip was great, I especially enjoyed the children's nursing workshop because I learnt many practical skills like checking temperature and heartbeat" Karen Year, 12 Extended Certificate HSC student.

YEAR 13 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE EDUCATIONAL VISIT TO CROYDON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL On Tuesday, 29th October, the Year 13 Health and Social Care group went on an educational visit to Croydon University Hospital.

Coloma girls were given the opportunity to visit the hospital for a tour which included observing various wards, seeing the educational and training department and visiting the Chapel. The girls also received an introduction to the huge range of NHS careers, and had the opportunity to take part in a question and answer session with a wide range of professionals who work within the organisation.

"The trip to Croydon University Hospital was an insightful trip as they gave me lots of advice into the sector I hope to work in. I talked to various professionals about their career and how some of them moved up in the job through schemes run through the Council and the hospital itself. Schemes such as BAME helped ethnic minority professionals to obtain a higher role in their profession. From this trip, I also learnt that many of the staff at the

hospital achieved their job through an apprenticeship programme rather than the traditional route of university. The trip overall was a success and I highly recommend that other students go as I feel the students will benefit from it".

Hannah Ali, HSC Diploma student.

"I found the trip very informative. The professionals at Mayday explained their profession and their roles and responsibilities within the hospital.

They also put us into contact with individuals who are currently in a profession we hope to pursue. I feel the trip greatly widened my knowledge and understanding about the variety of jobs available within the NHS as well as how I can get these areas through an apprenticeship". Angel Biju, HSC Diploma student.

"I thought the trip would only be really beneficial for those going into the Health and Social Care professions, but I was quite surprised that there were many other professionals within this setting. Some of the professionals ranged from engineers to directors of

HR. It was really interesting to see how all different professionals came into working for the NHS and it was very interesting to hear that one individual started as a plumber within the NHS but, due to the opportunities that the NHS offers, he managed to work his way up to being the director of building planning and engineering. Overall, it was a great trip in seeing the ways different professionals who weren't within the Health and Social Care profession were still able to work within the hospital; and to realise the opportunities that the NHS was able to provide for them compared to different workplaces." Aliana Abadoo HSC Extended Certificate student.

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SIXTH FORM NEWS BUSINESS BTEC CLASS VISITS CANARY WHARF On 17th October, the Year 12 Business BTEC class paid a visit to Canary Wharf to face one of the biggest and busiest John Lewis and Waitrose superstores.

The reason was to immerse ourselves 'behind the scenes' of Waitrose's recruitment and selection processes in order to enhance our knowledge and understanding of how exactly the company gets its outstanding reputation for customer service.

We had the privilege of spending time with the store’s HR Manager and we were also able to ask questions about Waitrose’s ethics, values and workforce planning to contribute to our research.

We were definitely impressed with the experience we had at Waitrose as our trip also included a fantastic guided tour around the store. We saw just how happy all the employees were, which just shows how passionately the business drives its ‘for us, it’s personal’ promise to its customers and Partners.

Nicole Karkut 6L2

YEAR 12 VISITS THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT & THE SUPREME COURT On Thursday, 10th October, the Year 12 Government & Politics and Law students travelled to Westminster for a tour of the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court.

VISIT FROM RESTORATIVE JUSTICE COUNCIL SPEAKER

The Law Department welcomed guest speaker Ruth Coltofeanu from the Restorative Justice Council who came to speak to the students about the aims and objectives of restorative justice and its benefits for society.

As a retired probation officer, she has first-hand experience of the criminal justice system and the powers of a victim-centred approach to reparation. We were excited to hear real life case stories that demonstrated the power of restorative justice and examples where the defendant was remorseful and wanted to try to repair the harm caused. We had the opportunity to watch clips of successful projects and have a question and answer session where we explored the problems as well as the successes mentioned.

Restorative justice in Croydon seemed to have a big impact on reoffending rates as we were told that there had been little to no reoffending by the defendant once a successful restorative justice meeting had taken place.

They also visited the Parliamentary Education Centre where they took part in a workshop exploring how members of the public and pressure groups have made an impact on the UK Parliament.

As they took a front row seat for historic events from Parliament’s past, in the 360° immersive projection space, the students met Muriel Matters and her fellow suffragists as they exerted pressure on the House of Commons, to gain votes for women. They then worked in groups exploring different types of pressure groups and evaluating the effectiveness of real-life campaigns and the impact they have had on our democracy.

At the Supreme Court, they were able to sit in the judges’ chairs and discuss the recent R v the Prime Minister case where the court ruled that Boris Johnson’s Prorogation of Parliament was unlawful.

It was a wonderful opportunity for Coloma students, especially those interested in a career in law and the criminal justice system. One participant said ‘it was really informative and explained the alternative options available within the criminal justice system.’

If you would like to find out more about restorativejustice, then please visit restorativejustice.org.uk.

Mrs Myerscough Mrs Gordon

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SIXTH FORM NEWS INTERVIEW PREPARATION WORKSHOP Year 13 attended an after-school Interview Preparation Workshop on November 18th, led by a representative from Pearson College London, as part of preparations for post-18 pathways.

The session included practical tips on typical interview questions, how to

OXBRIDGE INTERVIEW PREPARATION WORKSHOP

In an hour-long and lively workshop, students discussed the ‘myths’ surrounding the Oxbridge application process, and had the opportunity to respond to challenging interview questions in subject-specific groups.

The Oxford and Cambridge courses which Coloma students are hoping to study include Medicine, Biology, Veterinary Sciences, English, Law, Computer Science, and Human Social and Political Sciences.

Mrs Parreño

Mrs Parreño

YOUNG ENTERPRISE Prior to the trade fair, Unieco held a confectionary sale in the school hall, to raise money in order to buy stock and pay for department expenses. Sweet bags, cakes, doughnuts and popcorn were all sold, to raise money … which we did!

The Young Enterprise team at Coloma set up a company, Unieco, to compete in a regional competition. Unieco produces eco-friendly products in the hope of reducing plastic and negative externalities in the environment and to secure a better world for our future.

Coloma students in the process of applying to Oxford and Cambridge attended a session delivered by a representative from Mansfield College, Oxford, along with four students from Riddlesdown Collegiate.

prepare for university and job interviews, and time to practise personal responses and conversations.

With many students receiving invitations to interview at various universities in the coming weeks, this session was welcomed by attendees!

Portable metal straws and beeswax wraps were sold at Unieco’s first trade fair on Saturday, 14th December 2019 at Centrale shopping centre in Croydon. A full report will be available in the next edition of this newsletter.

With a good supply of goods now in stock, we look forward to growing and taking this company far with all the support we are receiving. For extra information or to purchase one of our products, please visit: Gmail: unieco.coloma.ye@gmail.com YE market place: www.yemarketplace.org.uk Instagram: unieco.ye Thank you for your support this past term with our fundraising and market research and be sure to remind your daughters to purchase our products and to help the environment in the ways they can.

Sirena Simeone 6L2 Unieco

YEAR 12 COACHING SKILLS Following a talk from Josh Hubbins from SLAMS on common mental health problems and the services offered by Croydon Talking Therapies, our school coach and mentor, Claire Harrison, delivered a workshop to Year 12 on coaching skills.

The aim of the session was to help students develop some strategies to improve their resilience and mental health. Claire explained the benefits of applying positive psychology and recognising the good things

that happen to us as we go through each day.

The students were also taught the value of active listening and practised appropriate skills through a series of role plays.

Claire concluded the session by inviting the students to apply positive psychology and active listening in order to develop an atmosphere of mutual support and enhance well-being within the sixth form.

Mrs Dixie

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PERFORMING ARTS NEWS ST CECILIA’S CHOIR SINGS IN MAYFAIR The Mass was intended for women of all ages coming together to pray for young people, too many of whom lose their lives and happiness through violence and mental health issues.

St Cecilia’s Singers took part in a Votive Mass of Our Lady on Wednesday, 6th November at the very beautiful Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair.

Many Catholic women's organisations collaborated to bring about this opportunity to pray together, including The Association of Catholic Women, The Catholic Women's League, Life Ascending, The Ladies' Ordinate Group and The Union of Catholic Mothers; celebrating, together with the

TEATIME CONCERT On 12th November, I had the honour of being part of the school’s very first ‘Teatime Concert’ in the Music Studio, to which parents of performers were invited.

The programme was mainly performed by string and guitarist soloists, with an additional singing piece and performances on the piano and flute. Genevieve Namazzi and Lydia Elderfield played a very beautiful and exciting viola duet which gave the audience a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the difference in sound between the viola and the violin.

All year groups were represented, from Year 7s with only a few weeks’ experience of playing their instrument, right up to our post-grade 8 Upper Sixth students.

Overall, it was a memorable moment, opening new opportunities for our school’s instrumentalists to demonstrate their hard work and dedication to music in a relaxed environment, perhaps less daunting than a more formal evening concert.

I hope this experience can boost the confidence of our wonderful musicians when performing in a larger concert in the future.

Sarah Gardiner (Year 13)

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choir, the unity and power of women’s prayer.

The students were wonderful representatives of the school, receiving many compliments from members of the organisations. A few of them had daughters and even granddaughters who had attended Coloma in previous years.

The occasion on the whole was absolutely beautiful with the choir singing parts of the Mass and creating a diaphanous atmosphere with O Magnum Mysterium which enchanted everybody.

Rosi Landy Freitas 6L2

THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS! Drama students at Coloma had a real treat when professional West End performer, Matthew Rowland, spent a Year 10 whole day leading students after workshops with GCSE, A Level and Year 8 girls.

Matthew recently performed in “Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the London Palladium and has also appeared in “Matilda” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

In class, the girls participated in a wide range of practical activities, learning about vocal and movement skills as well as interpreting text for performance. Matthew was also happy to answer questions on how he started his journey and trained to be a performer, gaining a Musical Theatre Degree and touring China in the musical “Cats”.

For those interested in pursuing a career in the creative industries, Matthew had lots of practical advice and showed everyone his Spotlight CV and a show reel of his work.

It was a highly enjoyable experience for the girls who clearly benefitted from his knowledge and gained some new skills. Matthew was equally impressed, describing our students as “amazing!”

Miss Woodacre PS. Miss Woodacre used to be his teacher!

LANGUAGES & MATHS BERLIN TRIP In the first week of the summer holiday, a fantastic group of 30 Year 12 students enjoyed a wonderful visit to one of the world’s most vibrant and culturally-stimulating cities, Berlin.

The group was greatly moved by the sights of the city, most significantly the Holocaust Memorial and other sights commemorating the darkest age of German history. The girls were also greatly absorbed by Berlin’s history as the divided city symbolising the Cold War division of Germany and of Europe.

Other activities included visits to former air raid shelters under the Gesundbrunnen area of the city, and an opportunity to dine in East Berlin, along with a beautiful river cruise through the heart of the city.

Further highlights were our visits to the Brandenburg Gate, to the remains of the Berlin Wall, to the former Tempelhof Airport building so vital in breaking the blockade of Berlin during the Cold War, and to the Reichstag, the home of past and

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

present German governments now renovated and restructured by the British architect, Norman Foster.

Naturally, the girls also loved the Berlin nightlife, appreciating especially the atmospheric Sony Centre, the new hub of central Berlin where once only the Wall had stood.

It was wonderful to see the girls taking such an interest in the culture and the history of this phenomenal city, and to enjoy and appreciate the delights of modern-day Berlin.

Mr Handley

SENIOR MATHS CHALLENGE

The European Day of Languages assembly was a real highlight of this autumn’s assemblies. The assembly began with a video of university students of foreign languages from across the globe, exemplifying the wonderful diversity of languages spoken on this planet.

The assembled Year 10 and 11 students were then interested to learn of all the benefits that language-learning can bring, not least how it can add to our intelligence, give us greater confidence and improve our skills in English too!

It was then fantastic for our Key Stage 4 students to see Sixth Formers studying for A-levels in French, German and Spanish speaking spontaneously in those languages about their love of language learning and what they most enjoy about the A-level course, their comments then being translated into English by Mrs Howat and Mr Handley.

It is of course so pleasing that so many of our Coloma language students go on to top universities and then enjoy careers with fantastic global opportunities.

The assembly was completed with a lovely selection of photos taken on this year’s educational visits to Munich, to the Loire Valley and to Berlin, along with a very thought-provoking prayer which reflected on the vital importance of foreign language speakers in bringing trade, international understanding and peace to our world.

Mr Handley

On 18th November, four Year 12 students represented Coloma at the UK Mathematics Trust Senior Regional Maths Challenge at Queen Mary University, London.

The day comprised of three challenges where we had to use our problem-solving skills and knowledge of maths to complete them. The questions were demanding, especially during the challenges where we had to work in pairs and couldn’t communicate with the other pair in our team.

We worked well as a team throughout the day and came in the top 30. Overall, the day was very interesting and a good insight into what it is like to study maths at university.

Senior Maths Team The Coloma Team Gemma De Guingand Molly Murphy

Chidimma Muoghalu Tetyana Zholobaylo

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PE NEWS TRAMPOLINING For the first time in Coloma’s sporting history, a squad of 17 Coloma girls entered the London Schools Trampoline Competition. After countless hours of practice, commitment and dedication from all the girls were at the heart of the team.

Special mention goes to Krysia Mawer placing 9th in U19 Girls Intermediate and Ella Francis placing 10th in U14 Girls Intermediate.

The highlight of the day was the U19 Girls Novice team who performed with poise and confidence, earning themselves 1st place in the team category, qualifying for the next round.

Emandu Cranwell, 2nd, and Emma Clarke, 3rd, also received individual qualifying spots and will head to Southern Schools with their team, Abigail Forbes-Wright and Miyake Hemans, on 19th January.

A big thank you and well done to all the parents, students and teachers who supported this event.

Miss Leggatt

NETBALL - U15 SURREY NETBALL SUCCESS

TABLE TENNIS A recent table tennis competition held at Oaks Park High School saw students from Years 7, 9 and 11 competing. Despite representation from a large number of schools and tough competition (particularly from Wallington Girls), the Year 11 students won their games and were crowned champions!

We are incredibly proud of the effort from all students. It was a long afternoon with some girls playing solidly for three hours.

Miss Budd

RUGBY After a recent visit from International England Red Rose Marlie Packer, our U13s teams have been extremely successful.

Coloma attended a tournament against Oasis Coulsdon and Woodcote, coming away with two convincing wins.

A special mention goes to Martyna, who received player of the match for her brilliant tackling and sportsmanship.

Miss Duffy

SWIMMING The season started with a friendly gala against Croydon High on 20th November.

Year 7, 8 & 9 students pulled together to demonstrate some excellent swimming styles. Particular strength was seen from Gracelyn, Sophie, Hayley and Eve. Well done to all who swam and a big thank you to the parents who supported the girls.

Miss Budd

On a sunny day in October, the U15 Netball team joined dozens of schools around Surrey to compete in the first round of the Surrey Netball championship.

With a tough group, dedication and determination would be the only way to qualify for the next round.

The team played excellently and achieved some convincing wins, as well as some very close fought victories.

The team finished 2nd in their group, meaning they progress to the Surrey Finals tournament. We will be training hard to make sure the team is well prepared.

Miss Wake

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BADMINTON GCSE and A Level students entered two teams in the Croydon Schools Badminton Competition on November 21st at South Croydon Sports Club, having received coaching to help prepare them for their practical assessment.

The girls competed in both the singles and doubles format, facing many schools including The Quest Academy, Old Palace and Thomas More.

One squad reached the final against Old Palace and went on to win the competition. Well done to all who played.

Miss Budd