Newsletter April 2011 by St Francis of Assisi

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Technology College Headteacher: Mrs P. Mullins, B.A. (Hons), M.A.

NEWSLETTER

Dear Parents,

8th April 2011

As we approach Easter, we sadly say goodbye to three of our staff â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mr Briggs (MFL), Mrs Hallam (Maths) and Mrs Weaver (RE). We wish them well in their next venture and are grateful to them for all they have given to our students. During this term, we have been busy implementing our new Learning Strategy, which means that our younger students will have a longer period to prepare for their KS4 examinations. The current Y8 will begin their KS4 in September, allowing them a full eight terms to prepare for examinations. We have been delighted with the support given by our Y8 parents and their excellent attendance and participation during our information evenings. We have been starting some of our KS4 courses during Y9 and are now following the pattern of a large number of outstanding schools by facilitating a six term KS3 and an eight term KS4. As part of our economy drive, most of our school publications will be delivered electronically from now on. Only those parents who have filled in a written request for hard copies will receive them. We hope to reduce costs in energy, paper and labour in this way. Our Newsletter is now being edited by Miss Nolan from the English Department who has encouraged a greater student input into this publication. Our students would appreciate your feedback so let them know what you think of our new style Newsletter. (continued â&#x20AC;Ś)

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Remember our examination students in your prayers during Easter. This is a busy time for them and their teachers and we wish them all every success. We hope you will all have a very holy and happy Easter. Yours sincerely, P. Mullins. NEWSLETTER DATES 2010/11 Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 Issue 4

Thu. 7th October Thu. 9th December Fri. 8th April Thurs 21st July

SCHOOL CONTACTS If you have any concerns about your child then please contact one of the following Heads of Achievement & Learning: Year 7 Mrs Beaumont Year 8 Mr Howes Year 9 Mr Brown Year 10 Mrs O'Leary Year 11 Mr Conway/Miss Pearce Year 12 Mrs Haynes / (Ms Brayshaw) Year 13 Mrs Haynes / (Ms Brayshaw)

DATES FOR THE CURRENT ACADEMIC YEAR 2010—2011

Friday 8th April: Wednesday 27th April: Thursday 28th April: Tuesday 3rd May: Friday 27th May: Monday 6th June: Friday 22nd July:

End of 4th Half Term. 13.40 Finish Staff Inset Day. Students do not attend. Staff Inset Day. Students do not attend. Start of 5th Half Term End of 5th Half Term. 15.30 Finish Start of 6th Half Term End of 4th Half Term. 13.40 Finish

Year 7 News Spelling Matters Four Year 7 students attended the regional Spelling Bee competition in Wolverhampton in March. The super St Francis spellers were up against seven other schools in the area and Francis, William, Alex and Sam were hailed the winners of the first round with Francis B being named the best speller at the competition. Unfortunately, we were pipped to the post in the second round and at the closing scores and we came second place to Newport Girls School in Wolverhampton. The boys were chosen as the top spellers following a number of spelling heats in school so we were sure to have the four best spellers of Year 7 representing us. The boys gave up their lunchtimes and attended after-school sessions to train their spelling brains and all the hard worked paid off. Well done to Francis, Will, Sam and Alex. We hope you share your expertise with next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x;s spellers.

Multiple Intelligences in Year 7 All Year 7 pupils took part in a multiple intelligences test where they investigated what learning style was best suited to them. Pupils completed a questionnaire and took part in the brain box games to find out where their strongest skills were. Pupils explored what it means to be the following learners: Interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, logical, and kinaesthetic. The activity helped pupils to realise what were their best skills and which activities they perform best in. All pupils will now be given a colour coded sticker to display on their homework planners so teachers can identify their learning styles. Whatever the learning style, Year 7 pupils now have the understanding about their own strengths and weaknesses and can share this information with their peers, teachers and family at home.

Year 7 News Kingswood Trip In March, 140 Year 7 pupils travelled to Kingswood Activity centre in North Wales for a weekend of fun-filled activities. Here is what four Year 7s had to say about their experience in their very own top 5 lists: Kyrsty “I really enjoyed climbing round in the dark in caving.” 1. Jacob‟s Ladder. It was very funny watching people trying to scramble to the top. 2. The food. Chips on the last day were delicious. 3. Chicken egg. This was my funniest moment. We had walk like a chicken and pretend to lay a square egg – we were too embarrassed but the teachers had to do it. Very funny! 4. Caving. This was the best activity for teamwork. We all helped each other through the dark spaces, giving each other help and support to crawl their way through. 5. Orienteering was really hard because my team didn‟t understand the map and we made all the wrong choices.

Joseph “Kingswood allowed me to express myself in an exciting way and I wish I could do it all again.” 1. Jacob‟s Ladder was the best activity. I had to climb up different size logs hung in the air. This was a real challenge was exciting. 2. High Ropes. I enjoyed this activity because of the swinging and rope pulling involved. 3. Orienteering was good fun because it was difficult and you had to work together to find the waymarns. 4. Team Tech. We had to work in teams on different activities and raced against each other; this was fun. 5. Low ropes. This one was difficult but it was fun.

Year 7 News Hannah “My favourite moment was singing „Clensy‟s are the best!‟, Miss Clensy was our group leader.” 1. The songs! We were singing all weekend, I almost lost my voice. 2. The people. It was great spending time with my new friends and having fun. Also the Kingswood activity leaders were really nice and made all the activities fun. 3. The caving. We had to crawl through the caves which was tricky but a great activity. 4. Problem Solving. We worked together as a team to work our way through the activities. 5. Climbing. We had to climb up a big wall which was really high.

James “Kingswood was loads of fun, I had a great time with my friends.” 1. Caving 2. Jacob‟s Ladder 3. Absailing 4. Climbing 5. Low ropes

Year 8 News Technicolour Trip By Alex, 8N At the beginning of March, Year 8 went on a trip to the Grand Theatre, situated in Wolverhampton, to watch the play based on the bible story of Joseph.

Joseph and his Technicolor Dream Coat was great.

There was lots of singing and dancing and it was a very enjoyable play to watch. The girls especially enjoyed the trip because of the handsome Keith Jackson who played the lead role. The other patrons watching commented on the behaviour of the St Francis pupils and Mr Howes even received a phone call to commend our excellent behaviour.

Going for Gold Pupils from Year 8, 7 and 9 are taking part in the Going For Gold challenge this term. See future issues for news on their challenge.

In Year 8 and want to tell us about a news story? Send it to Miss Nolan at hnolan@stfrancis.cc or upload a word document on the VLE.

Options in Year 8 Year 8 students and parents have been informed about the new Curriculum changes taking place from September. All Year 8 students have now made their options for the upcoming year. The school structure will now move towards to a two year Key Stage Three Curriculum and a three year Key Stage Four Curriculum. This change will see students benefit from skillsbased learning and focus on key subjects in their studies. Here are the views of two Year 8 students:

“I am excited about taking my options earlier as this will enable me to focus my studies on the subjects that I really enjoy and on those which I‟m good at. The extended Key Stage 4 will also mean I have more time to prepare for my GCSE exams.” (Charlotte 8N) “I am glad that I have an extra year towards my chosen studies; it means that I can now focus on the subjects I enjoy. This will help me to achieve my ambition of becoming an engineer in the future.” (Jordan 8N)

Year 9 News Choices in Year 9

PGL trip

by Marisa, Year 9

In March, Year 9s had to make big decisions in which options to take. To help influence our ideas we had fantastic support through an options evening and guide booklets. At first I was unsure which career paths I wanted to choose but after receiving help from school I masnaged to make a decision. The information I was offered really helped me to decide which options to take. I am looking forward to next year.”

Kielder challenge

by Marisa, Year 9

The main discussion within Year 9 has been the PGL trip which will take place in June. Ot will give the year group a chance to have an enjoyable weekend whilst also building our teamwork skills. Year 9s are busy discussing how much we are looking forward to the opportunity and are hoping that the English weather will take a good turn for us!

by Daniella, Year 9

The Kielder challenge is taking place over the course of the next few weeks with teenagers and staff from all over the Midlands. The Fieldfare trust campaign has now been running for 24 years to support teenagers with disabilities. These special needs students will experience a once in a lifetime opportunity, exploring the out- doors life style whilst interacting with kids like ourselves who live the regular life. As students from St. Francis of Assisi, we had the wonderful opportunity to apply for the kielder challenge and share this once in a life time experience with the pupils from Saxon Hill School. Before the kielder challenge event, we have the chance to meet our team mates from Saxon Hill, to understand their needs and requirements to help them enjoy this special event. Aidan, a year 9 student taking part in the Kielder Challenge said, “It will be a good experience, working with others and helping them socialize.” Another lucky student Melissa, also year 9 said, “As well as having fun with others, I‟ll be helping them!” Many of the St. Francis Students are overjoyed with the acceptance of their application and simply can‟t wait for the event to take place.

Year 10 News Making Peace in the Garden Year 10 boys have been working with Mr Howes in the Peace Garden at school. The Peace Garden is enjoyed by all of the school community and the project aims to make improvements to the area for everyone to transform the garden into a more welcoming and friendly place. The students will be working on the project until December are giving the area a revamp, planting new shrubs and to bring the garden alive and introduce colour this Spring.

Soli House

by Megan and Marie-Clare, Year 10

Kick Start to the Future Burton Albion footballer Darren Moore visited Year 10 boys in March to talk about the importance of training and keeping fit and healthy. He answered questions on football and inspired students to work towards achieving their goals and always doing the best they can. Darren commented on how he is as enthusiastic about playing for Burton Albion as he was for teams in the Premiership – a great role model.

Soli House

From Tuesday 29th March until Friday 1st April 2011 students from Year 10 visited the Catholic youth retreat centre, Soli House in Stratford-Upon-Avon. This trip was as usual a complete success with many students asking staff if they can revisit Soli again later this year!

Many people were shocked by the experience at Soli and it was very different than how they imagined. The young leaders at the retreat were so kind, loving, funny, well humoured, kind hearted people and they became “almost like your big brothers and sisters!”

Thirty-seven students along with Miss. Clensy and Mr. Briggs enjoyed this retreat and found it an extremely “unique experience” that was “completely moving” and they participated in activities from hilarious group discussions with deep meanings behind them to Group games and activities which were riveting, exciting and full of laughter!

Words cannot explain the unique emotions and feeling that you experience at Soli but we would recommend this trip to any younger years that are offered the chance to go on this trip in year 10 and we would not think twice about visiting Soli again. I am sure that many people from the upper school years would agree with me.

There was also a chance to visit the historical town centre of Stratford which is the birth place of William Shakespeare and to have a walk around the river Avon through some beautiful countryside.

Feedback from a Year 10 boy: “I feel more comfortable. I didn‟t feel embarrassed to express myself as I knew that everybody who went to Soli was in the same position as me and was doing the same activities etc as me. It really bought me out of my shell.”

Year 11 News By Bethany, year 11. It is GCSE year for our Year 11's, so it's all revision, revision, revision. To help students with their exam preparation revision groups have been set up, as well as workshops. Your subject teachers will give you details of revision sessions for you. Many people in the year are applying for College places and Sixth Form for next year. They have been making their Sixth Form options for the subjects they would like to study post 16. Big decisions have to be made, our HAL, Mr Conway describes it as “taking a critical step of life experience.”

It‟s not all hard work though! There are some more exciting things that are going on in the year group... The MFL department has put on a trip to France and Germany in the summer half term and many people are working for their silver Duke of Edinburgh awards. We have also been fund-raising for the Lenten charities and many students have been taking part in sponsored runs and cake sales.

Photocall All Year 11 students had their photogrpahs taken to mark the end the year. The Year Group photograph was retaken in March so ensure that you get your order form in to order your copy before the end of the school year.

Party at the Prom Prom is on the 7th July and everyone is looking forward to it. This year we will be at Drayton Manor and have the luxury of a three course meal. The Prom Committee are busy working away to make sure the night is a fantastic celebration for us all. Watch this space for photographs and stories from the prom in the next issue of the newsletter.

Year 11 News Being Blood Brothers

Two actors from the famous tragedy Blood Brothers, by Willy Russell, came into our school on Friday 1st April to work with 11F3 students. The actors revised the play with 11F3 in an exciting, challenging and active manner in preparation for their English Literature examination. The actors gave our pupils the opportunity to hot seat the characters of „Sammy‟ and „Linda‟; engaging everyone with their convincing character portrayals. Their award winning performances as these characters inspired Emily and Jacob to volunteer to take on the roles of the downtrodden „Mrs Johnstone‟ and the loveable, but ill fated „Mickey‟. Emily‟s and Jacob‟s performances revealed that they both have a talent for acting - encouraging comments from the famous actor might even persuade them to consider acting as a career! The group were given an unusual and excellent revision of the play along with some advice on how to give a heart-breaking and tense performance. 11F3 were an absolute credit to the school and we are convinced that the workshop will help to consolidate their knowledge of the play ready for their exam in May. Encore!

Want to be part of the newsletter team? Email Miss Nolan at hnolan@stfrancis.cc or join the newsletter team in EN5 on Wednesday lunchtime to find out more.

Sixth Form News Macbeth Year 13 English Literature students are visiting the new theatre in Stratford-uponAvon on May 2nd to see a performance of Macbeth. This is the first visit to the new Shakespeare Theatre and all English teachers and students are very excited about seeing it for the first time. Look out for reviews and pictures in the next newsletter!

Lizzie and Jess‟s Day in Oxford! Jessica and Lizzie from Year 12 were invited to St Anne‟s College, Oxford for an English Open Day and a Literature Masterclass. The day consisted of four lectures as well as a tour of the college… The first lecture was about the meaning of words and how understanding and usage of phrases and words evolves over time. Without doubt the most intriguing of all the lectures was the talk on Shakespeare! We were able to explore „To be or not to be‟ and the ending of King Lear in its three differing forms; First Quarto, Second Quarto and Folio – it was interesting to see how a slight difference could change the meaning/interpretation! One of the Old English lecturers taught us about Beowulf in its original form and the ways in which it has been translated and interpreted over time (the most recent being Seamus Heaney‟s). At the end of the day a group of English students spoke to us about their experiences at the college, which subjects they took in conjunction with English and how they find the course overall. We found out lots of new things about the course and about studying English that we didn‟t know, which was really interesting. Overall we really enjoyed the day and it has really made us think about the future!

English News Switch off the Telly and Read Once again, St Francis KS3 students are taking part in the national Readathon campaign which raises the profile of reading while raising money for the Roald Dahl Foundation. Last year, KS3 students raised over £2500, an astonishing amount and this was all through sponsored reading. During the last week of term before Easter students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are given time to read in every English lesson and their Independent Study Assignment is to read too. English teachers want students to read anything and everything; short stories, novels, non-fiction, biographies, autobiographies, poetry… During the period of Lent, students are involved in all sorts of charity events and hopefully, Readathon can be part of this too. Please sponsor students to read, even if you give 1p per page, or 10p per chapter; it will encourage them to keep reading for a good cause. If you want to find out more about Readathon and how the money is spent then you can find information on this website: http://www.readathon.org/

World Book Day Can you imagine what it would be like to be taught a lesson by Lady Macbeth or Alice in Wonderland? Students had the opportunity to experience this on 3rd March when English teachers and Sixth Formers dressed up as their favourite book character to celebrate World Book Day. Characters included: Miss Havisham, Lady Macbeth, Little Red Riding Hood, Miss Marple, Alice in Wonderland and Mme Ramotswe. See if you can spot who‟s who in the pictures ...

Revision Log onto the English subject page on the VLE to find lots of revision work and web sites to help revision for GCSE, AS and A Level courses.

Science News STEM Adventures STEM club offers practical and adventurous activities for those who have an interest in science. We interviewed three year nines (Morgan, Sean and George) about what they encounter in STEM Club.

They came fourth out of six but did our school proud. They told us that they would do it again, so they know how to win which shows that our students learn from their mistakes. By Jess and Aimee, Year 9

Initially, Aimee and I weren‟t one hundred per cent sure what STEM club meant. Why did it differ from the usual science lessons? We enquired what STEM stood for, and learned it meant “Science Technology Engineering and Technology”, which made us more interested as to what they did in STEM. When asked what they enjoyed most, George said, “I enjoy the working environment and the days out of school.” Sean agreed and added “I also enjoy using the technology.” The students said that for the club to be improved, they could be left to handle the tasks more independently. They also appreciated how different the club was to the lessons. The three students told us that they take part in many practical activities. They revealed that they mostly enjoyed the F1 in Schools which was held in Loughborough University last month. They designed cars which were to be raced; they also had to present their ideas onto a presentation board to be judged. They also designed their own team tee shirts.

A STEM of Promise There is another STEM of pupils involved in the Science group and Joseph, Cameron and Brandon from Year 7 told us about what they had been doing in the club so far this year. “Each week at STEM is a new experience we have done lots of exciting projects such as making corn flour and bath bombs, entered the Big Bird Watch, built indoor rockets and outdoor rockets and have even had our photograph in the newspaper. STEM offers us lots of opportunities to experiment with and investigate things we would never have the chance to in lessons.”

Science News Elm Tree Project Year 7 students chose to give a different type of present this Valentine‟s Day and planted a special tree for Spring on 14 February. Students are hopeful that the love and care they can give to the tree will help it thrive into a healthy tree in years to come.

Science Live trip Year 10 Triple Science students had the opportunity to be lectured by leading Scientists in January when they attended the Science Live event at the Symphony Hall. Students commented on how the event stretched and challenged their thinking. Dr Maggie Aderin was an inspirational speaker and encouraged students to follow their dreams. She used her own experiences to motivate students by describing how she struggled at school as a dyslexic student but worked hard and later became a space scientist and has made a number of TV appearances. Our Triple Science students are now inspired to research the opportunities that Science offers them in future their careers.

St Francis is one of the chosen few schools in the country to take part in The Conservation Foundation‟s Great British Elm Experiment; a project to reintroduce Elm Trees to Britain. Successive generations of students will be monitoring and caring for an Elm tree over the years from sapling upwards in an experiment to unlock the mystery of why some trees survived Dutch elm disease which killed 25 million elms from the 1960s onwards. For centuries, Elm trees were a local landmark in Aldridge, reflected in the name of the local public house „The Elms‟ (now unfortunately re-named) but the area has seen the decline in these trees over recent years. April, a Conservation Biology student from Exeter University, visiting the school on work experience, applied for an Elm as a way to encourage conservation throughout the school. Mrs Mullins said: “It is very appropriate for our school to be involved in this experiment, as our Saint is the patron of ecology.” Schools taking part in the project will be asked to log their Elm‟s progress over the years on the Conservation Foundation website www.conservationfoundation.co.uk. Height, girth, biodiversity and any signs of Dutch elm disease will be recorded and it is hoped that with time - and luck - a new generation of elms will become established throughout the country and a new generation of pupils will be encouraged to have an interest in elms and biodiversity.

MFL News

MFL Trip to Strasbourg and the Black Forest May 2011 Details:The MFL department is taking students to France and Germany on Saturday 28th May 2011, returning on Wednesday 1st June 2011. The trip will encourage the use and comprehension of spoken and written French and German, as well as broaden cultural knowledge and understanding of France and Germany. Two days will be spent in France and two in Germany. Update:How exciting – the trip is only a few weeks away! We are finalising the itinerary, which at the moment includes a day trip to Strasbourg, with a river trip past the European Courts of Human Rights, and a day out at Europa Park, Europe‟s biggest theme park (www.europapark.de). The hotel accommodation will be situated in the Black Forest which boasts stunning scenery. Make sure you have cameras! The remaining excursions are still to be confirmed. Please ensure that your child has an up to date EHIC card (available online or from the post office). These are vital for free medical assistance. In addition, Miss Clarke needs passport details – passport number, valid from and valid to dates, as well as country of issue. This information is required as soon as possible. Please also complete the medical questionnaire and return to Miss Clarke no later than 6th May 2011. There will be a meeting for parents in the New Hall on Thursday 5th May at 4pm. Please let us know if you are going to attend.

MFL News

GCSE, AS and A2 Exam Preparation With the extraordinarily long Easter break this year, the MFL department would like to remind exam groups that regular access to French and/or German is vital for exam success. Here are a few tips for maintaining good levels of comprehension:  

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Daily Kerboodle practice – www.kerboodle.com Tasks have been assigned by your teachers in order to reinforce learning. Vocabulary from Study Pack – either Foundation or Higher, dependent upon your own entry. At least 10 words per day should be learned / revised. Watching DVD films / episodes in French / German at least twice a week (or as much as possible), to maintain good listening skills. Many DVDs these days have the „change language‟ function, allowing the dialogue to play in French or German. Using the internet to access German / French newspapers, in order to practise reading for gist. Try to understand as much as you can, working out the general meaning of texts based on the context. www.linguascope.com (username: „ws9sfa‟ password „stfrancis‟) for vocabulary practice. This website also allows you to access French / German TV and radio stations. www.languagesonline.org.uk for a variety of games / quizzes up to KS4. www.aqa.org.uk for access to past papers and examiner reports, in order to help you to prepare for your exams thoroughly.

MFL News Report by Jess and Kate from Y12 On the 13th February we along with three other A-level German students travelled to Marburg, in the state of Hessen for two weeks work experience! Jess I must admit that at first I was scared, but then after meeting my exchange partner and German Family for the first time, I knew this was an experience I wouldn‟t forget! For two weeks I worked at the local Gesamtschule (secondary school), which was fantastic – all of my lessons were either German Language, German Literature or English which meant that I was able to begin reading some novels /studying poetry as well as helping the German students with their understanding of English. During our free time, all us English students and our exchange partners met up – one weekend we visited Frankfurt (Hesse‟s largest City) and as a group we always got along so well – bit of a cliché but the memories will stay with me forever. I spent nearly all the time speaking German and I think what you realise when you‟re out there is how much you know. Even if you can‟t think of the exact words to say, you somehow find your way around the words; finding a different way of phrasing (or if all else fails, with the help of frantic arm movements!).

Kate I had an absolutely supertoll time in Deutschland! At first, like everyone else, I was quite worried about the idea of an exchange, but it was honestly the best trip I‟ve ever been on. It‟s very different to going on a school trip and staying in a hotel, because you‟re surrounded by the language 24/7, and have to live typical German life and actually try to speak the language. I didn‟t speak as much German as Jess did, because my exchange partner was extremely good at English, but I still feel like my German has improved massively. For my work experience, I went to a travel agent, where I did the filing and read lots of holiday brochures. I had to use German all day there, but the people were really friendly about it! I visited two major German cities, Cologne and Frankfurt, which were really nice and we had some really good days and nights out. The entire two weeks were fantastic. Everyone was lovely, and I still really miss Germany!

We were genuinely saddened to come back to England! Without doubt we would strongly encourage anyone to do an exchange – whether it be to Germany or France, wherever! It improves your language skills and confidence and enriches your understanding of both the country and culture. Take a language, and then get out there and experience it all for yourself! Die Welt liegt dir zu Füßen!

Art News Anti-Bullying Through Art As part of anti-bullying week 15-19 November in November 8F presented an assembly on the theme. The focus of the week in 2010 was the importance of the role of the bystander, to intervene and take action. 8F produced a large painting for the assembly. Each student in year 8 wrote their thoughts, views and opinions on bullying on to a piece of paper that was collected in. Every students statement in Year 8 has been added to the painting. The painting used three stylised figures to represent the role of the aggressor in red, the intervening bystander in green and the victim in blue. The painting is now on display outside the Key Stage Three HALS office.

Art News Congratulations to the A2 Sociology students who achieved 80% A â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B grades in their January module. Mrs Miller and Mr Haywood are very pleased with students and their hard work this term. Well done!

R.E News Students across all years have been putting their faith into action this term and raising money for the school‟s Lenten charities and students‟ own causes. Read the following case studies to find out more about how students have got on in their fundraising activities.

Ben in Year 7

Hannah in Year 7

Raised £20 for Make a Wish Foundation by creating a „Guess the name of the dog‟ game.

Raised £80 for Father Hudson‟s Society and Cancer Research UK through a sponsored silence.

Eliza in Year 7 Raised £60 through a cake sale for Father Husdon‟s Society and Cancer Research UK.

Victoria, Lucy, Declan, Hannah, Megan and Holly in Year 7 Raised £166 by holding a cake sale for Father Hudson‟s Society and Cancer Research UK.

About Father Hudson‟s Society Leonnie, Sarah, Kirsty and Danielle in Year 12 Students held a cake sale at St. Anne‟s Parish Church after masses and raised £169.00 over two days.

Father Hudson‟s Society is a charity that provides support for vulnerable people in our local area.

School Noticeboard CHANGE TO DISTRIBUTION OF EXAMINATION TIMETABLES With immediate effect, the practice of issuing paper copies of combined examination timetables to students will cease. Instead, a link will be sent via email to students taking them to the whole school examination timetable, which can also be accessed via the Student VLE. Students will now only receive a paper copy of their own personal examinations. Please also note that there is now an Examinations section on our website which will contain the examination timetables as soon as they are produced, all the examination rules and regulations (which should be read by all students), and an examinations booklet, containing many frequently asked questions.

MAKE A MEAL OF IT Follow the Catering link on the school website to view all of our school canteen menus and details of special offers and meal deals available to students. Our school canteen offers a fantastic choice of excellent, home cooked, healthy food choices at competitive prices. We are always happy to receive feedback or suggestions regarding our catering provision, if you have any ideas please contact Erica Guyler, Business Manager at school.

Should you have any queries relating to this, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. A. Burgess our Examinations Officer.

Mobile Phone Policy Mobile telephones are not to be brought into school by students in Y7-Y11. This has always been our rule and remains so. Students are here to study and mobile telephones are a hindrance during the school day. However, in exceptional cases, where there is a genuine need for a student to bring a telephone, parents must explain this in writing. In these cases, our current practice prevails i.e. the child concerned hands the telephone into our main office before morning registration and collects it from the office at 3.30pm.

Got an idea for a regular feature? Email Miss Nolan at hnolan@stfrancis.cc with your ideas and it may be included in the next issue.

For subject specific news see the Subject News pages.

School Noticeboard Fairtrade Fortnight This year Fairtrade Fortnight ran from Monday 28th February to Sunday 13th March. We got involved with activities to celebrate the event by helping to break the Guinness World Record for the longest piece of continuous bunting. The Fairtrade Foundation this year chose cotton as their focus and by way of raising awareness set the challenge of making and decorating Fairtrade cotton bunting flags. Year 7 got involved in the challenge and set to decorating the cotton flags with an array of glitter, sequins and drawings to celebrate Fairtarde Day. Some examples of the bunting can be seen in the Bridge Hall until 8th April after which it will be sent to the Fairtrade Foundation to contribute to breaking the World Record. Many other activities went on in school during the fortnight. Form groups collected money for the honey farmers in Chile, Guetameala and Kenya. Over ÂŁ145 was collected and will be sent to Traidcraft with other money raised. The current World Record for bunting stands at 2,696 metres and the Fairtrade Foundation have a target of reaching 4,350 metres (over two and a half miles). The record attempt is to take place on World Fairtrade Day Saturday 8th May.

Visit the School Website for important information.

School Noticeboard BEHAVIOUR ON SCHOOL BUSES Mr Tafano Behaviour on the school buses continues to be a problem despite continued warnings. I am afraid that it is necessary to ask again for all parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; cooperation in reminding their children that the right to travel on school buses is conditional upon their good behaviour. The school has had reports of students throwing food and water over other students, throwing items off the buses, smoking on the buses, failing to wear seatbelts, standing up when the vehicles are moving, damage to the buses and general unruly behaviour. This behaviour is unacceptable and is a serious safety issue particularly when these actions distract the driver of the vehicle. It is your childâ&#x20AC;&#x;s safety and that of other members of the public who are at risk. When behaviour falls below standard, students will be disciplined and may lose the right to travel on school transport. Parents of these students will also be invited into school to discuss the issues. In addition, the school has also received reports of some of our students being rude and disrespectful to members of the public whilst waiting at bus stops for school buses. Our distinctive school uniform is easily recognised by the general public in the area. The school and our students have an excellent record of behaviour and respect for other people, however we do need to remind students of their responsibilities as members of our school when travelling to and from school. We want your children to travel in safety. It is in their interest to behave. The bus drivers can easily be distracted. We would like to emphasise the need for good behaviour on the buses every day. The school expects it. Please note that The School Transport Information including the latest updates can now be found on the school website under General Information. Mr Tafano the School Transport Manager is available via the school office on 01922 740300 or on mobile 07990 894802 (E mail mtafano@stfrancis.cc) from 8.30am until 4.30pm Monday to Friday in school term to answer any transport queries.

Chaplain‟s Notes Grapevine

When we are faced with the daily news of tragedies and suffering in the world many people are forced to ask, „Where is God in all this?‟ Where is God in the suffering people of Japan struggling to reconstruct their lives after the devastating earthquake and tsunami? Where is God in the midst of the suffering which accompanies the struggles for freedom in Libya and other parts of the Middle East? Where is God in the family where a job has been lost because of cuts and the economic downturn? All these are valid questions and not easy to answer. Yet, as Christians, we have a ready response to these questions, especially as Holy Week and Easter approach. At the heart of what we believe is the Incarnation of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. God took our human nature in order to redeem our human nature. In other words – God gets involved in all that we are, most particularly our sufferings. As we trace the path of suffering which Jesus trod that first Holy Week, we need to remember that his human nature and his pain and anguish are real and not a sham. The most important of all Christian symbols is the Cross, which becomes even more powerful when it portrayed as the Crucifix. In all our churches and holy places, in our Catholic homes and in city, town or village squares, the Cross is displayed. This is the sign that God, in Jesus Christ, is not remote and distant from all the distress which we see around us in the world, but is there in the midst of it, sharing it fully with all those in need. As we approach the most holy season of the year let us contemplate the suffering of Jesus, and as we adore him, crucified, let us see in his face the people of Japan, of the Middle East, of the unemployed, sick and needy. When we do this it is impossible to question where God is – he is there, on the Cross making our sufferings his own. May Almighty God bless you and your families this coming Holy Week and Easter. Fr. Michael Leadbeater (School Chaplain)

School Noticeboard Lourdes Grotto Completed We are very proud of our recently built Grotto in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes. The work was undertaken by Second Nature Landscape Gardening and the project has been a personal ambition of our Head Teacher, Mrs Mullins, for some time. With the involvement of Fr David Mellor, our Chair of Governors along with Mr Probert our Site Manager and Mr Cox our retired Assistant Head teacher this ambition has now become a reality. The love, thought and care that has gone into producing our beautiful Grotto will provide a focal point to what is already a truly spiritual area of our school. Our central area accommodates a peace garden that is dedicated to our patron, St. Francis of Assisi and this is also where our Chapel is situated. The sense of peace and spirituality in the area is quite moving. Students can sit at our Grotto and offer their own personal petitions to Our Lady our Lourdes and we feel that this will be an additional spiritual inspiration to our young people.

Lourdes Fundraising by Bethany As usual we are very excited that many of our students have the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. This year 22 students and 9 members of staff along with friends of the school will be accompanying the Birmingham Lourdes Pilgrimage during the May half-term. The students that went last year had an amazing experience. Jamie in Year 13 said: “Lourdes was a fantastic experience. It renewed both my faith in God and humanity.” The students and staff have been fundraising all year. They organised a blue day in which all the students had to wear blue to school in order to raise money. Concerts, tombola‟s and raffles have also been helping to raise money to support the pilgrimage and help the students reduce £200 from the cost of the trip each. Contact scarroll@stfrancis.cc if you would like to offer support.

Extra Curricular Activities A Super Ski Trip in the Resort of Pretty Pila by Jess, Year 9. After a rough 17 hour journey of voyaging through several countries everyone was pretty tired and was anticipating that the ski trip was going to be worth the travelling. In two words- it was. Looking back now, though, the travelling was rather awesome. We journeyed by coach, through France to Italy. The hotel we stayed it was the Norden Palace and was four stars. Each room had a television, mini bar, shower, towel heaters and most wonderfully, a view of the beautiful mountains. I slightly miss waking up and seeing the sun rise above them. The first day was tough, but rewarding. I learned a lot in that first day. I‟m in no way sporty so I thought I‟d be terrible at skiing, and I was, but I really enjoyed it and I was so proud when I accomplished little things. By the end of the week, I was stunned at what slopes I could ski down because if I saw them at the start of the week, I would have felt that it was impossible and would have freaked out, and I‟m sure many others feel the same way.

The trip had night time activities too. We had numerous nights out to places such as a disco, bowling, ice cream night, pizza night, visiting the Nike factory and our presentation evening. During our free time we were allowed to visit the town and purchase items from the supermarket. The town was really authentic and tranquil and was a relaxed environment after a long day. It was a great and unique experience and I hope I can return to Italy again soon.

Bar Mock Trial In March a team of Year 8 and 9 students participated in the national Magistrates Court Mock Trial competition at Sutton Coldfield Magistrates Court. They had put a huge amount of hard work into preparing a legal case based on information provided by the Citizenship Foundation. Some took on the roles of lawyers, others witnesses and others court officials. The competition itself was very nerve wracking as they were performing in a real court and being judged by real magistrates, solicitors and legal advisers. On the day the team came in a close second, but there was individual success with Hannah (Y8) winning the trophy for the best defence lawyer. Congratulations to all of the team involved – they worked incredibly hard and showed great commitment in their preparations and great courage in overcoming their nerves on the day. Students involved: Charis, Hannah, Harry, Laura, Lucy (Year 8) and Daniella, Elle-Mae, Harriet, Lorna, Rebecca, Roisin, Shauna (Year 9)

Out and About Book Review of Bill Bryson‟s „A Short History‟ by Bethany, Year 11. 'A Short History' is the first Bill Bryson book I have read and straight away I fell in love with his humour and factual style. Usually a travel writer, Bryson is most famous for his award winning book 'Notes from a Small Island' in which he shares his first impressions of Britain. This book explores the history of scientific discovery over the past 300 years. Usually a travel writer, Bryson is most famous for his award winning book „Notes from a Small Island‟ in which he shares his first impression of Britain. The book‟s underlying strength lies in the fact that Bryson knows what it‟s like to find science dull. Bryson takes inconceivable theories and explains them in ways that makes them astonishingly interesting. In reading „A Short History‟, I have developed a great interest in Science, especially palaeontology, that has led me to go on and read other books on this topic. His investigation deal with seven topics, all of enormous interest and significance: the origins of the universe; the gradual historical discovery of the size and age of the earth (and the beginnings of the awesome notion of deep time); relativity and quantum theory; the present future threats to life and the planet; the origins and history of life (dinosaurs, mass extinctions and all); and the evolution of man. The informal and chatty nature of this book has entertained me and inspired me to learn. After reading „A Short History‟ I went on to read all of his other books and have enjoyed them all equally. The American author is brilliant and I would definitely recommend this book for anyone of my age and beyond.

Want to feature in the What‟s On section? If you want to write a review on an event, film, book, show or concert then email Miss Nolan at hnolan@stfrancis.cc a review of no more than 300 words and you might find yourself appearing in the next newsletter.

WANTED SPORTS REPORTERS Are you a budding reporter? Do you have an interest in sports? The newsletter needs you to be a Sports Reporter. The newsletter team would like a student to volunteer to report on all our wonderful sporting achievements in local tournaments. If you are interested, email Miss Nolan at hnolan@stfrancis.cc to find out more and you could be writing features about goals scored and trophy collections in the next issue.

Extra Curricular Activities Junior BBC news reporters at St Francis

By Chloe, Year 9.

On Thursday 24th March 2011 ten Year 8s and nine Year 9s took part in the BBC news school report. The day was a huge success with all deadlines being met and everyone working as a true team and we even had some live reports broadcasted on BBC WM radio station. The BBC news day project for St Francis of Assisi was run by Mr Griggs and Mrs Hamar and sponsored by Charlotte Harriman. The team had to broadcasting the report by 2pm and the radio clip had to be uploaded onto the BBC website by 4pm. The young reporters had to start the day as soon as they got into school by researching newspapers and listening to the BBC news website for breaking news and stories that would get everyone listening. The team then had to wait for the editors Sophie in Year 8 and Danni in Year 9 to decide what stories were going to be put in the broadcast and what stories were going to be cut. The reporters then got to work researching, interviewing and writing their stories. Everyone was in either in groups of two or three so the pressure wasn‟t too much. The team reported on the following stories:  Japan: after the earthquake and tsunami (reported by Caoimhe, Amelia and Chloe in year 9)  Budget cuts at St Francis of Assisi (reported by Lucy, Sophie, Luisa and Tierney in year 8)  GCSE options for year 8 and 9 at St Francis (reported by Sophie and Grace)  Children with shot gun licences (reported by Sean, Rhiannon and Danni)  Middle East round up (reported by Divine in year 8 and George in year 9)  Sports Report (reported by Finn in year 8 and George in year 9) and a  Weather forecast reported by Chantelle in year 9. Everyone in the team never stopped smiling. Everyone said that the BBC school report was a great experience and would love to do it again. A Year 9 student said: “The BBC news day was a brilliant day. It gives you a chance to look at the different sides of journalism and how important journalism is and how reliable your sources have to be.” The BBC news day overall, was a huge success and gave people an opportunity to look at journalism. It is great fun and helped people gain confidence in talking to people who they are interviewing who they do not know. To hear all our hard work, visit HERE to listen to the full report.

Extra Newsletter Curricular Information Activities The next date for the newsletter is July 2011. Thanks you to all students who contributed to the newsletter. Special thanks to the St Francis newsletter team which includes: Year 9 Jessica Aimee Marisa Year 10 Megan Marie-Clare Year 11 Bethany Year 12 Haliena Hannah Jess Victoria Daniel To be involved in the writing and production of the newsletter, contact Miss Nolan at hnolan@stfrancis.cc

St Francis Book Club by Natalie Do you like reading? Do you want to discuss the books you read? We are a part of the book club which is run by Mrs Roberts in the library. We think it is a great opportunity for people who love books to come and share their thoughts about the books they have read. So far we have made posters, read books on different genres, written reviews on books completed some creative writing in â&#x20AC;&#x17E;The Writing Vortexâ&#x20AC;&#x;. Book club takes place every Thursday after school. Why not come and join us?