Lent Term Newsletter 2018
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AWARD
Message from the Principal We end our Lent term on a real high with the opening of The ARC as a dedicated and bespoke space for assemblies and gatherings. It has been wonderful to re-establish Prep Parents’ Sharing Assembly and with the addition of a new ‘hybrid’ piano, to have our students singing heartily their favourite hymns. It was a special moment to hear the College Hymn, Jerusalem, being sung with great gusto by senior school students and also to share our new College prayer which is illustrated below. The College Prayer Lord, we remember Our Founder, Saint John Baptist De La Salle and Our Patron, Saint Joseph. We pray for all those who are part of the College community. Lord, give us the strength to follow your son Jesus and to serve one another with respect, kindness and humility. May we always be willing to love and support those in difficult circumstances and find the confidence and moral courage to be our best. As we aspire to grow and develop in your Holy presence, let us be thankful for the many gifts and opportunities we receive through your Grace. God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen
The Easter break from College is a key period for our Year 11 and 13 students as they revise for their GCSE and A-levels. Their effort, selfmotivation and tenacity will prove the key determinants in achieving what they each deserve in August. We look forward to welcoming students into College for supervised revision and subject revision sessions across the Easter holidays in line with Mr Cinnamond’s dates. It is always with great sadness that we say good-bye to College staff. We wish Mrs Drake, Head of English, a long and happy retirement. We also wish Mr O’Halloran every success in his new promoted post as Head of Mathematics and with the arrival of his baby in June. After Easter, the College is very pleased to be welcoming into its community: • Mr Richard Battye - Teacher of Mathematics • Mt Richard Brock - Teacher of Religious Education • Mr Richard Kerridge - Teacher of History Finally, we wish our girls and staff a successful and enjoyable Sports Tour to Spain and we look forward to hearing about their hockey and netball matches and visit to Barcelona. As ever, to mention all of the College’s activities and events over a single term would be impossible. However, a flavour and sample of our wonderful students’ achievements are highlighted and illustrated in the pages which follow. I wish all St Joseph’s families a fabulous Easter break. We look forward to seeing all students when they return to College on Tuesday 17 April.
Mrs Danielle Clarke Principal 2
Focus on a Teacher Mr Fergus Wilson Vice Principal Pastoral and Boarding It was difficult to ignore the impact of change whilst growing up in Newcastle in the ‘80s. Mine closures and privatisation dominated local headlines, whilst outside the North East AIDS had been discovered, the Challenger Space shuttle exploded, a hole in the ozone was detected, the Chernobyl meltdown shook the world and ‘Thriller’ was on the ghetto blaster. As a youngster I was most interested in maths and science; biology was logical and fascinating. I enjoyed acting in school shows and played county rugby. These themes continued at Loretto School, a full boarding school near Edinburgh. I soon discovered the way to build relationships and enjoy life was by being busy and fully involved. I was lucky to play some of the best golf courses in Scotland, travel the world in a pipe band and laugh until my sides ached. As I moved through the school I enjoyed leadership opportunities: helping younger students in the house, rugby team and CCF. I even ran even a juggling and circus skills activity. My memory is that students actively ran clubs and societies, managed aspects of the school and covered for absent teachers. On reflection it seems rather odd and alien to the teaching profession I entered. Before taking up a place to read Zoology at Manchester University, I headed to Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand as a gap student. I was introduced to the life of teaching there through
three people who have become lifelong friends. I spent much of my time playing touch rugby, coaching athletics and picking up random tasks. A highlight was taking the Maori Club to the National Speech Competition (representing your school and your Whanau – family – at a speech competition was a higher accolade than playing rugby for the first XV!) In the holidays, living on a shoe string, I roved throughout the South Pacific. My time at university was spent playing rugby league and studying obscure aspects of animal biology. After a dissertation on insect navigation and creating a teaching package about evolution, I took up a place at Cambridge University and gained my PGCE in Secondary Science. I headed to Cranleigh School and became fully involved in boarding, rugby coaching (including leading a 1XV tour to NZ), headed up the school and district athletics and led the Advanced Infantry of the CCF. Through training for and completing the 125-mile Devizes to Westminster kayak marathon, my wife and I were introduced to the West Country. After the birth of our daughter we took up a housemastership at Milton Abbey School in Dorset. The School was set to undergo radical change in its boarding provision. On leaving Milton Abbey after a stint as Head of Boarding, I was proud to have helped institute leading boarding provision and an outstanding whole school activities programme. During our time in Dorset, I also became an Independent Schools Inspectorate compliance inspector. Our move to Suffolk has been wonderful and I have felt very at home at St Joseph’s. The students and staff have been extremely welcoming and I find the College’s values and mine are well aligned. I look forward to getting to know the pupils and parents of the College even better. 3
St Joseph’s College Rocks the Night Away Andrew Lloyd Webber took the 2003 hit film School of Rock and transformed it into a musical. Now St Joseph’s College has taken his musical and transformed the lead character from Mr Dewey Finn to Ms Dewey Finn and in so doing cast prolific and versatile actor Aimee Butcher in the role made famous by Jack Black. Renowned for the strength of our performing arts, the College consistently fills the theatre at Dance East to capacity for the annual musical and this year was no exception. The production showcased the depth of musical and acting talent at the school. Centre stage throughout was Sixth Former Aimee, with an assured performance as a down-on-her-luck rocker masquerading as a supply teacher at an uptight private school. Her grungy, lovable rock chick persona was ably counterbalanced by the apparently conventional Principal, played by Head Girl Charley Hewitt. Both Aimee and Charley have set their sights on careers in the musical theatre; Charley having already secured offers from three prestigious performing arts colleges. The girls hone their talents both in school and out. Last year both took LAMDA Gold Medal examinations through St Joseph’s and were awarded distinctions, achieving an A* A-level equivalent.
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In School of Rock they were supported by a rollicking cast of boys and girls drawn from throughout the senior school. There were many fine performances; some of the biggest laughs of the evening were raised by Wilfred Kemsley and Morgan Willetts. Just as impressive as the acting was the music. School of Rock perfectly showcased the abundance of musical talent at St Joseph’s – in fact the school has more potential rock stars than Horace Green itself. In the show, two bands fought it out in the climactic Battle of the Bands competition – No Vacancy and the School of Rock Band – and both blasted the auditorium with sound. Special mentions to the young School of Rock Band members Oscar Bolton (guitar), his cousin Freddie Bolton (drums), William Scoones (keyboard) and Olivia Max (bass). Mrs Clarke, Principal of St Joseph’s College, said, ‘It was an absolute pleasure to watch all three nights of the run. Months of hard work go into productions of this kind and performances at this level are incredibly rewarding for the students taking part. Congratulations to all involved – you gave a lot of people a fantastic, rocking night out.’
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The (Read and) Write Stuff Luna Hansen and Lia Taylor (both Lower Sixth) have taken first and second place in a writing competition organised by Suffolk Mind. The entries were judged by Suffolk author Elizabeth Ferretti. Suffolk Mind launched the competition to encourage 16 to 18-year-olds to write stories or poems about sleep and the emotional need for privacy. The competition was organised in memory of writer and broadcaster David Cocks, who died last year. David was a Trustee of Suffolk Mind for 14 years. Luna’s story was praised for its strong start, depiction of alienation and development of tension. Lia’s poem stood out as a ‘refreshingly different piece of writing’, with a great sense of progression and a strong storyline. The students will receive their awards and prizes at a presentation taking place in May at Quay Place Heritage and Wellbeing Centre, Ipswich.
Luna’s story: In the winter I thought that the coldness of this city was seasonal, that with the spring warmth it would transform and I could feel at home. I was mistaken. Even in the summer there is no softening of the chill. Service is without a smile; fast, efficient, mechanical. There is no greenery at all, the planters installed by some optimistic architect remain bare, not even a weed. It is clean and utterly soul-less. There is no music unless it is the tinny prelude to a police announcement, there are no street vendors, there are no street artists or brightly covered storefronts. Everything is monochrome from the stores, to cars to clothing. When I got here I wore a red woollen jacket and orange mitts,
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but apparently you can't get hired looking like that. Now my black heeled shoes strike the grey cement and my black overcoat descends to my knees. My hat is black and as a small act of defiance my scarf is the softest of blues, almost grey. The city is blurred like an old painting; it could be a great work of art, had it been drawn by an expert hand. The buildings and the Japanese cherry trees are silhouetted black, two-dimensional. The streets yawn in every direction with only the old newspaper dispensers and street-lamps to break the view between buildings, so high that the tops disappear in the swirling white. It doesn't smell right at all, in fact it smells of nothing but the damp trees not yet in bloom. Without the fumes of the traffic its odour is as fresh as any meadow without tincture of grass. My footsteps echoed like stones off a cave wall. All I want to do is melt into the darkness. But what is the point? This place had been abandoned long ago, other than the odd birds, I had the only beating heart in many square miles of sleeping concrete. The city is still asleep, little do they know, they are in for a rude awakening. I turn into the same alleyway I have passed time & time again only this time I stop, open my bag and take out the beginning of my revolution. The quiet hiss of the can as I spray a black line across the wall is somewhat comforting. The shrill metal clanking as I shake it only emphasizes the feeling and a smirk sneaks upon me. Black mixes with blue and before my eyes visions come alive of soaring eagles, and majestic horses that pale in comparison to one word. Freedom. I stand back, smiling proudly at my handiwork. Of course I would probably be the only one to admire it. I have sprayed the design on a crumbling wall in the back of a dinghy alley. Nevertheless, it is a sign, one I hope someday, someone will find. Someone who will shake the city into action. Someone who will wake us up. Someone to save us.
Lia’s poem: Once there was a koala named Kobi, who never slept a wink! He’d stay up all night and all he could do was think. His friends would sleep for up to 22 hours per day, “Just close your eyes and try” is what Kobi’s parents would say. He’d wander through the jungle to try and feel more tired But he was denied sleep, the only thing he desired. At school, koalas are all taught to climb Kobi fell behind because of his bedtime! He couldn’t concentrate in class so his friends were better His friend Kara offered to help and so Kobi let her. They’d practise all day and parts of the night And only one thing became clear - Kobi’s memory just wasn’t right! He couldn’t recall the basic steps he was taught, “Your lack of sleep is the cause,” Kara thought. Kobi never remembered where he hid his leaves for lunch He’d wander for hours just to find something to munch! His mood was affected also, Always grumpy, so his friends would want him to go And poor Kobi was too tired to play So his only option was to go away. One day he left in search of his latest food stash When a branch fell down with an almighty crash! Kobi hit his head then fell to the floor, fast asleep. He started to dream, a dream he wanted to keep. He was swinging easily through the trees and went to the highest heights, He could remember everything Kara said, and was climbing without a fright! Kobi could hide the juiciest leaves And, later, find them with ease! He was the happiest that he had ever been, Plus he was the best at playing games amongst the coffee beans.
Zoe Tanner (Y7) performed brilliantly when she represented St Joseph’s College at the Area Final of the Schools’ Book Mastermind competition, finishing in first place – four-and-a-half points ahead of her nearest rival. All the entrants had to pick a different book than the one on which they had answered questions on in the previous round. Zoe chose Cathy Cassidy’s Summer’s Dream and is considering another book in the series for her next challenge – the regional final on 4 May. Best of luck Zoe!
A few hours later, Kobi woke up on the floor Feeling better than he ever had before. He stretched, yawned, scratched his head, Then thought of all the time he had spent out of bed. “This won’t do!” he said to the birds and the bees, Standing up, his eyes briefly scanned the trees. He felt refreshed, happy, ready to go! He was up and climbing and wasn’t slow. Kobi went straight to school just before the bell, He explained to everyone how he fell And how his dream had told him what to do. He would never again miss sleep, he was starting anew! Through the trees it took him moments to get to school, Now he wouldn’t walk in late and look like a fool! Kobi kept to his word, slept as much as the others, Rose to the top of his class and over took his brothers! Kara, his friends, and all his family were proud, Kobi felt, for the first time, that he belonged in the crowd. He was never grumpy, confused, lonely, or bored; From that moment on, he simply soared!
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Staff in the Spotlight Mrs Ana Teresa Lourenco Housekeeper Manager I was born in Nazaré, one of the most beautiful seaside resorts on Portugal’s Silver Coast. Known as the town of ‘the seven skirt ladies’ in honour of the fishermen’s wives who wrapped up in many layers to await their husbands’ return from the sea, today Nazaré is more famous for its big surfing waves. When I was a student my ambition led me towards Economics and Business Management and before I finished high school I was invited to work in insurance broking, where I remained for nearly eight years. Working in that competitive environment, I achieved my goals and I developed the skills I have today. In 2003 I moved to England, intending to stay for five years at the very least to learn the language and understand the culture. My first job was in a poultry factory, where again I remained for eight years. As a QA Audit Quality Technician, I was tasked with checking products all the way through to dispatch to the suppliers, including M&S, Tesco and ASDA. I had my first daughter in 2006 and found I needed something to calm down my busy life. While I was on maternity leave, I decided to study for a Level 3 Diploma in Beauty Therapy. This was not, however, what I really wanted to do in my future life. The draw of the business environment was always present, and, in 2011, I decided to go to University of Suffolk to study for a BA (Hons) in Business Management. I graduated in 2016. 8
My work at St Joseph’s College, where I began as a cleaner in 2012, matched my schedule as a university student and a newly expectant mother. The following year my younger daughter was born. With two children and as a full time student, I have been helped by St Joseph’s College. The school has given me aspiration and confidence in my entire journey. In 2015 I was offered the role of Cleaner Supervisor and 2016/2017 my title became Housekeeper Manager. St Joseph’s College is a sizeable enterprise, occupying a 60-acre campus, catering for both day and boarding students aged between 3 and 18 years. It is very active, operating 50 weeks per year, including lettings all year and X-keys in the summer time. Keeping the standard of cleaning high is my task and it is my role to monitor, support and motivate staff on a daily basis. The Housekeeping Department comprises 18 employees working shifts from early morning until evening. It is a busy environment, but you will find us all ‘Being our Best’ to maintain the school’s ‘Excellent’ feedback and reputation.
News from the Prep School Igniting the Fuse Our Mission Impossible Day proved an empowering experience for our Year 6 pupils and external guests as they face their big move across to Senior School. The girls and boys were challenged to carry out a range of exciting mental and physical tasks, which they did to the satisfaction of their ‘controls’, Mr Fletcher and Mrs Button. At the end of the day it was Mission Accomplished!
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Eco-Warriors Say ‘No to Waste and Litter’ Having joined the pupil-led Eco-Schools programme, the Prep School launched right in, electing its own Eco-Committee. Led by Year 6 prefects Archie Hepton and Sophie Schwer, it includes representatives from each year group. The Committee carried out an initial ‘environmental review’ and identified waste and litter as areas to focus on, then wrote an Eco-School Action Plan and shared its project ideas with the Prep School community. Mrs Wood, Head of Prep School said: ‘Our children were particularly inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s “Blue Planet II” and decided to take action. Last month they went to Felixstowe to clear litter and give a practical demonstration of how much could be achieved to improve a location with a morning of concerted action.’ The working party followed up the day by leading an assembly, explaining what they had done and encouraging others to follow suit, inviting them to participate in Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Big Spring Clean’ campaign. Immediately after the beach clean-up, representatives of the committee, along with Miss Wright, Head of Infants and EYFS – and St Joseph’s Eco Coordinator – were invited to speak on BBC Radio Suffolk, where they were hosted by DJ Mark Murphy.
The Prep School will follow the Eco-Schools programme through all its seven stages and hopes to secure the Green Flag Award in the autumn. The pupils have already increased the amount of recycling achieved at the Prep School, identifying key locations for bins and liaising with housekeeping and grounds staff. They have also instituted a daily collection of compostable waste, which they take to their own on-site allotment, ready to power this summer’s green beans and pumpkins.
Benedict’s Galop was the Pick of the Bunch The finalists in the Prep School Music Competition delivered a fantastic afternoon of music to an appreciative audience of parents and friends. A variety of instruments plus voice gave a broad range to the programme, which included modern, traditional and classical pieces. The final was adjudicated by musician and music teacher Mr Dave Christie, who gave a brief assessment of each performance, suggesting ways the children could improve. He said, however, they should all know they had given the audience a lot of pleasure. Mr Christie presented special certificates to the best performer at each level. The recipients were Lara Schwer (Y3) (violin) in the Absolute Beginners, Archie Bainbridge (Y4) (piano) in Pre-Grade 1, Tilly Jones (Y6) (piano) in First Graders, Grace Bestley (Y6) (voice) in Elementary, Jack Hussey (Y6) (trombone) in Intermediate and Benedict Rosher (Y6) (trumpet) in Advanced. Benedict, who played a traditional Russian tune, Russian Galop, was also judged by Mr Christie as the best performer overall.
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From Cat Food to the Stars – Science Day Proves Popular
Year 4 Answers the Call for Programming Skills Year 4 enjoyed a day out at BT, where they took part in activities designed to build their computer programming skills.
Timetables were set aside for a Science Day in the Prep School, with a carousel of activities for all the children to take part in. The day was the brainwave of Year 6 Prefects Learning Council members Eddie Lloyd, Emma Logan, Hannah McNicholas, Georgia French and Jenny Gilmour, who led an assembly at the start of the day. Activities included testing for acid and alkali and measuring viscosity. Whilst one group attempted to capture rainbows, another worked on the relationship between the contents (cat food, tomatoes, beans or soup) of a sealed can and how far the can would travel when rolled down a slope. A highlight of the day was a visit to a mobile planetarium set up in the school hall. The children worked in mixed age groups and in their house colours, collecting tokens for good work and effort.
All Aboard The ARC The newly-revamped space which once housed the library is called The ARC, reflecting the College’s key values of Aspiration, Respect and Confidence. Designed to accommodate assemblies and events such as concerts and exhibitions, The ARC has proved both popular and useful. A Prep Sharing Assembly figuratively cut the ribbon. The library has moved just around the corner into the old Sixth Form Centre and hosts senior prep. The area also includes two classrooms and a café.
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Good Luck to the Young Couple
Putting the Sweet into Maths Success
As our Reception Class children have been expressing an interest in weddings, we set up a wedding role play area. Complete with an aisle, dresses and a flower covered arch, the stage was set for a delightful 'service'. Thank you to our bride, groom, flower girls, page boys and wedding guests.
As a celebration of Year 4 completing a unit on fractions, Mrs Bestley brought in a cake to demonstrate to the class that the larger the denominator, the smaller the slice of cake. The children then enjoyed eating their fraction!
Oscar’s Work Chosen for Exhibition Inspired by this year’s theme of ‘Nature’s Delight’, Oscar Willis (Y3) created a painting that impressed the judges of Young Art East Anglia. His work was selected for display at the Peter Pears Gallery in Aldeburgh, where its beautiful orange and pink tints looked radiant.
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A similarly innovative teaching method was employed to help Year 2 understand the concept of vertices. The children used straws and marshmallows to create 3D structures.
Prep School Sport What a fantastic term of sport it has been in the Prep School. With over 100 fixtures and countless clubs it is no wonder that every child from Year 3 to Year 6 has represented the College this term. We have seen U11 A-F football fixtures, cross country tournaments with over 35 children showing resilience, determination and skill to run in all kinds of weather and IAPS swimming galas. We’ve made new friends as we hosted touring sides and festivals galore. The Under 11 girls have been competitive across the board in netball this term. The A teams have had a tremendous season winning all bar one of their matches. The B team results are a good mixture of wins and losses but mostly wins! The centre court play has been particularly strong with the girls applying their fitness and agility from PE lessons, Games lessons and clubs to the game situation. Most of the girls have been to the Netball Club each Thursday and quite a few, have also been attending netball clubs out of school. We have been treated to some amazing goals. All the girls have been required to play in a variety of positions to prepare them for progressing to join new teams as they develop their netball in the future. A particular mention to Covita Portugal, who has shown the most improvement during the term and is now a confident and assertive player, using her height to its full advantage. With over 35 fixtures this term, the Under 11 boys have been equally busy. The bumper Year 5 and Year 6 classes have fulfilled A-F fixtures and produced some stunning play. The boys who played at St Felix will surely never forget Ben Charpentier’s wonder strike to level the B team game at 3-3 and those who played at the Finborough tournament enjoyed a beautiful spring day, narrowly losing to King’s Ely in the semifinal. Lucky we got the tournament finished on time as the Beast from the East swept in that weekend and wiped out the next few fixtures
for everyone! Football Club has again been hugely popular and skill levels have grown while children have played and enjoyed each other’s company. We had our annual visit from St John’s College, Southsea. It was a pleasure to welcome Mr Long and his teams again and the boys enjoyed the novelty of match tea before the game on the Friday night. After everyone was suitably refreshed the boys played a fantastic tournament of football under the flood lights. The following day Mr Long, a former national league hockey player, ran an inspirational masterclass before the children played a round robin tournament. The tour ended with a great morning of rugby on the Sunday when the U11 boys joined with St John’s to play a festival with Colchester and Felixstowe Rugby Clubs. The U10s also hosted St John’s for a game. Things have been just as exciting for the U9s. The Y4 boys have had their first taste of contact rugby. Results and performances have been brilliant. There have been fantastic team and individual tries and some outstanding defence. High point of the season came at the final festival. The games against Orwell Park, Old Buckenham Hall, Ipswich Prep, Culford and Holmewood House were a superb endorsement of the RFU’s age grade review. Full of skill, passion, courage and determination, all players had a fun-filled afternoon and will have learned a great deal. While the U9s have been starting their journey into contact rugby the U8s have been developing their evasion skills and building their rugby foundations in tag games. With a fixture almost every week the players have been catching, passing and dodging brilliantly and learning all of the physical and social skills that games can deliver.
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The U9 girls have been involved in learning the fundamental and tactical skills of hockey. They have worked hard, training together to form competitive A and B teams, which have approached their matches in a true sporting spirit: competing with determination and being welcoming hosts off the pitch. Many of the girls have made a commitment to attend the Hockey Club after school, which has supported and enhanced their abilities. Some have found their feet quickly in this new aspect of the curriculum: Lara Schwer, Cerys Rowlands and Eve Belcher have all shown an early aptitude. Catie Lloyd, Sofie Simpson-Jacobs and Esther Sheldon have made a big difference to score lines, alongside Margot Richards and Harriet Gebhard proving their talents as able goalkeepers. Children have also competed in a wide range of other sports, too. The Cross Country club has continued to be as popular as ever. It has underpinned and supported the fitness of all the children who have worked hard through wind, rain and mud this term. We had a very successful meet at Moreton Hall with the podiums dominated by St Joseph’s pupils and children running with good tactics as well as determination. Particular congratulations to Grace Bestley who has now started distance training with The Ipswich Harriers and to Isaac Smith who continues to show real talent in the sport. Both have picked up gold medals again! Thirty-five runners were due to compete at the Eastern Area Schools Races on 21 March. Children who can confidently swim 25m of a particular stroke have represented the College. Our experienced Y6 swimmers have been valuable in keeping children who are new to competitions buoyant (excuse the pun!) and have guided them through the process. The St Joseph’s team won at the Ipswich High School gala. As always, we wish to thank our catering, grounds and administrative teams for their help this term and all of our parents for their support and encouragement
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British Council International School Award success for St Joseph’s College St Joseph’s has been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award at Gold level in recognition of our work to bring the world into the classroom. ISA celebrates the achievements of schools doing exceptional work in international education. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world. Just a few examples of the projects underway here are our Australian and German exchange programmes, our charity partnership with a school in Kenya (Osiligi Foundation), art and cultural studies, links to a kindergarten in Hong Kong, and our celebration of Chinese New Year, with our Chinese students taking the lead. Currently making the most of our international dimension are Year 9 students Adam Rudolph and Josh Bowyer, who are having an amazing time in Australia on their student exchange visit, with buddies Nick Shannan and Charlie Kellaway. They are really enjoying life at Knox Grammar School, Sydney, and their free time with their host families, who are showing them a marvellous time.
News from the Senior School Duke of Edinburgh Scheme Singer Euan Charms the Judges Attracts New Members Students participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme honed some camping skills in the comfort of the Sixth Form Centre. The great outdoors now beckons! The Duke of Edinburgh scheme has been very popular this year, with 30 Year 10 students registering to take part in the Bronze Award. Newly appointed Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator, Mrs Frost, has been very impressed by the commitment of the students in attending training sessions on a weekly basis and she is looking forward to a summer filled with both Bronze and Silver expeditions in some lovely locations, such as Norfolk, The Peak District and south Suffolk.
Fabulous work by Euan Chalmers (Y11), who was runner up in the Rotary Young Musician Singer of the Year competition at Chelmsford Cathedral. Euan, who was held to second place by a single point, is through to the National Final on May 18 in Edinburgh.
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Much to Admire in LAMDA/Music Evening Parents and friends enjoyed an evening of outstanding performances from LAMDA students and musicians. Staged in The ARC, the event showcased the interesting and varied work being undertaken by girls and boys ranging in age from Prep School to Sixth Form. We now wish good luck to all our students taking their LAMDA and Music exams in the coming weeks.
The Circle of Life When the baby fish in Reception met an untimely end they were given a fitting send off by the children. RE teacher, Mr Jones, conducted a brief service and the fish were laid to rest in a woodland setting within the College grounds. The boys and girls added coloured memorial crosses. As a part of their RE studies, Year 10 students have been considering the concept of ‘Stewardship’ and what religion can teach us about our roles and responsibilities in relation to the environment. They left the warmth of the classroom to see how the many mature trees on the campus contribute to our well-being and how the trees in turn are looked after. Many thanks to the grounds staff for explaining the work involved and for a fascinating display of tree surgery. Earlier in the term, Mrs Marston and Mr Jones welcomed colleagues to visit the new RE suite and brightened a dull weather day with hot drinks and cakes aplenty.
The Black Death - Read All About It Year 7 History students have been researching the Black Death newsroom style. They have been working in teams as journalists to produce newspaper front pages to report on the deadly phenomenon that decimated Europe in Medieval times. Inventive newspaper titles such as ‘Ye Daily Fable’ and ‘The Middle Pages’ now adorn the History department corridors. To capture a stop-the-press-worthy photograph for their front pages, the groups enjoyed getting into character, utilising old clothes and face paints. The topic is historical but the students have employed teamwork, journalism, ICT, art and drama to bring the Black Death to life.
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Students Arm Themselves with Knowledge about Career Possibilities Our 2018 Careers Fair saw the Sixth Form Centre buzzing with activity as representatives of a huge variety of professions and subject areas pitched for the attention of the future labour force. Law, the Armed Services, engineering, healthcare, accountancy, PR & marketing, recruitment, estate agency and architecture featured. So, too, did universities and apprenticeships, including the new Anglia Ruskin medical school. A huge thank you to all those who gave their time and expertise to open up the world of careers and study possibilities for our students and visitors from neighbouring schools.
St Joseph’s College Adds Value We are delighted by our position in the Department for Education’s latest School Performance League tables for A-level. The College has been described as ‘Above Average’ for student progress at A-level and amongst the top 15% of A-level providers in the country for value added.
Following the Money Our top trading team of Morgan Willetts, Jack Oakes, Josh Lamb and Ellen Williamson (all L6) have consistently ranked in the top 10 to 20 of nearly 5,000 teams in a student competition. They have reached the semi-finals and might yet clinch first prize – a trip to New York!
Mr Cinnamond, Vice Principal – Academic, explained, ‘Briefly put, this means that in 2017 our A-level learners achieved over and above what would be expected. The Department for Education measures how well each student performs against what they had achieved at GCSE, it then calculates how well students have done against students with a similar prior attainment across the country. Our score of 0.21 means that we are one of the top schools in Suffolk for the progress our students make in Sixth Form.’
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Senior School Sport Rugby As the 15-a-side season draws to a close we have experienced a remarkable run with the U18 1st XV returning a win ration of 68%. The College is proud to announce that this year we have had four players involved in international rugby programmes: Samson Ma’asi (England), Marshall Sykes (Scotland), Tom Williams (Wales) and Anton Limlei (Austria).
There was success for the U15s in the National Schools Cup. The team achieved a remarkable eighth in the UK, featuring in the top 1% of schools rugby. Cian Rothwell (Y9) continues his efforts and training with Next Generation 7s national programme.
International Honours Soni Ma’asi Northampton Saints and England U18 Marshall Sykes: Northampton Saints and Scotland U20. Following a successful 2018 Six Nations Campaign, Marshall has also had his place in the U20s World Cup confirmed. Anton Limlei: having played a remarkable 100% of College fixtures this year, Anton earned his place with Austria Seniors training camp. Anton impressed staff so much he was selected for the Austrian National team in their match against Slovenia. Tom Williams: was involved in the Wales U18 training camp ahead of the Six Nations.
University Sporting Unconditional Offers The College’s Sport and Exercise Science Programme continues to grow in strength and number. We are immensely proud to confirm this year there are no fewer than five unconditional offers to some of the UK’s most prestigious universities for sport: Anton Limlei: Loughborough Tom Williams: Loughborough Max Payne: Northumbria Jack D’arcy: Northumbria Sophie Tudor: Nottingham Trent
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Gymnastics At the British Gymnastics Championships held at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, Charlie Harvey-Lloyd (Y8) competed in the U14s and finished in a very respectable sixth place all around out of 80 boys. He qualified for three apparatus finals, placing fifth on Vault, and sixth on Floor and Rings. This was a significant achievement, particularly as he was competing with boys considerably older than himself.
Girls’ Sport
Indoor Cricket
Girls’ Sport this term has consisted of a variety of sports matches and tournaments, with the girls displaying great adaptability across the various sports and excellent commitment at training sessions.
This term our girls have participated in a number of indoor cricket fixtures. They had an excellent set of matches, including wins against Royal Hospital School and Ipswich School. More recently, the girls have had the chance to compete in the nationally run Indoor Cricket tournament, Lady Taverner’s. The U13s are county finalists in the tournament with an outstanding 45 run win in the final. The girls U15 cricket team also won and are through to the County finals. Massive congratulations: the girls will certainly be looking forward to a packed summer term of outdoor fixtures.
Netball Early January saw some very cold Netball matches, which seemed to set the trend for the remainder of the season. The girls have worked hard at training with some good quality netball demonstrated on a weekly basis in the league matches. The highlight of the season was our U19 netball team coming second in the County and reaching the Regional tournament. They have also competed in the British Colleges league during the year and are currently in third place. The U12 and U13 netball teams have also played particularly well in league games and at the time of writing the U12s are currently winning their league and the U13s have won theirs.
Trampolining Our mixed Trampolining teams displayed fantastic performances at their respective tournaments, with the U16A team qualifying for the County Finals. Some high-tariff routines were performed with great style to an exceptionally good standard. Good luck in the finals to Charlie Harvey-Lloyd, Sam Nightingale, Kirsten Snook and Lucy Grifiin.
Squash The U13 squash team of Jess Logan (Y8), Sophie Singer (Y7), Zoe Tanner (Y7), Amelie Clarke (Y8) and Emma Logan (Y6) reached the National finals of the Schools Squash competition and came away with silver medals, taking second place to a specialist squash school. A remarkable result!
Hockey Quicksticks leadership Well done to our Year 9 and 10 students who have successfully run the Hockey Quicksticks tournament for local primary schools. They umpired the tournament confidently and organised the order of play and results very efficiently.
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Rare Snow Days for the College The St Joseph’s College campus looked particularly beautiful under a blanket of snow and we now have a wealth of Christmas card shots to choose from. Eventually snow stopped play … or at least it forced us to close the College – a very rare event. For those who made their way in and for our boarders, the grounds provided a winter wonderland. Our Prep children were set some delightful ‘snow day’ challenges – to draw or paint snow globes and snowflakes and to create snowmen. Thank you to all who sent in images of the snowy St Joseph’s landscape for us to share.
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Changing Times, Changing PTA St Joseph’s is a special place – for our students, parents and wider families, as well as for everyone working here. Supplementing the fantastic opportunities, activities and equipment that the College offers, the PTA is always looking for better ways to deliver the very best we can.
Old Birkfeldians We are always delighted to welcome Old Birkfeldians back to the school and this term’s visitors included Kolbe Cheng, Orlena Huang and Basil Lam, who talked to current art students about their university studies in Hertfordshire (Photography), New York (Fine Art) and London (Fashion Design).
Following our AGM in January, this term we have been meeting regularly to develop a different way of working together, bringing a new, joined-up and sociable experience for the whole College community. We’ll be getting in touch soon to tell you more. In the meantime, we’ve also been working on bringing our usual calendar of events for the students. These include the annual Prep School Easter Egg Hunt, which took place on Wednesday 28 March and, for the coming term, our exciting Prep School Camping Night and, of course, our eagerly anticipated Summer Fete. Please do get in touch by email at PTA@stjos.co.uk or have a chat as you see any of our team around the College. Plus, don’t forget, the Second Hand Uniform Shop has a great range of summer uniform at a third of the price of new uniform. Visit us there every Monday morning from 8.15am until 9.15am and on a Friday from 3.30pm until 4.30pm.
Thank you to our alumni who have passed on shirts celebrating memorable sporting moments. They look fantastic decorating our changing room block. Thanks, too, to MF Gallery & Framing, Ipswich. The Michael Davey Cup – awarded to the winners of the annual Old Birkfeldian Rugby Match has been suitably engraved.
To all our Community Make a date in your diaries, the St Joseph’s College Summer Ball will take place at The Cookhouse, Suffolk Food hall, on Saturday, 30 June.
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Boarding News Our Boarders have been very busy this term showing off their varied talents, from performing in concerts and dancing on stage in the College musical, to competing on the rugby pitch and netball court and volunteering in the Prep School teaching Mandarin. The young people in our care are individually wonderful and together a truly warm and amazing community. The Basketball team took part in the Suffolk Tournament final, having qualified last term. Our first match was against the tournament favourites, Suffolk One. The boys came together as a team and through resilience, alongside some excellent defensive moves, we won our first game 29-23. Unfortunately in the final, despite outstanding game play from team captain Joel Sou, we lost 14-18 against Lowestoft Sixth Form. We are still hugely proud of being county runners-up.
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Our examination students have been busy with their studies, backed up by our dedicated teaching staff, who support during Prep in the evening. Our Upper Sixth students have received mock examination results and, for some, IELTS examination results. Boarding parents have been delighted to see some fantastic results and have been proud to watch students go off for university interviews and return successful. An increasing number of students have even been awarded unconditional offers! A large group of our younger students had a terrific time at Namco, honing their bowling skills. We saw an impressive number of strikes and spares and the odd poodle (apparently this is when you roll a gutter ball!). Everyone got stuck in and the students enjoyed beating Miss Lowe and Mr Woodley.
Snow was the word on everyone’s lips this past month. The Beast from the East brought with it a good covering. It wasn’t clear who was the most excited to see thick powdery snow covering our beautiful grounds - but Head of Boarding, Mrs Rowlands, was definitely a contender. Our boarders started off by creating some memorable pieces for their Art and Photography portfolios. Miss Lilburn and Miss Lowe led some fun games of ‘snow hot potato’ and ‘snow cricket’ and no encouragement was needed for an all-out snow ball fight. With a serious amount of work coming through the portal, students got their heads down and completed lots of study. We did, however, still squeeze in time to hunker down with a good film, hot chocolate and cookies – just perfect!
Our most recent activity has been go-karting. There was lots of talk before the group set off as to who would take top spot. Would it be coordinated sports people, low body mass youngsters or students who already drive? There was a fiercely fought battle on the track amongst highly competitive students. Special mentions go to Joseph Sun for his natural flair for the sport and Eruchi Chidi-Lloyd for her ‘most interesting’ driving skills, but the fastest lap was won by Emmanuel Iyogun. The Boarding team would like to wish all our examination students the best of luck in their upcoming examinations and we look forward to the final term of the year, when we will be visiting Legoland, Colchester Zoo, paintballing and holding a second run of our highly successful Big Boarding Sleepover! For some of our older students this will be their last term with us before they move on to the next big adventure in their life and we will be relishing these last moments together as a boarding family.
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Becoming More Aware of Your Thoughts and Feelings
Mindfulness is a technique which can help people manage their mental health or simply gain more enjoyment from life. It involves making a special effort to give your full attention to what is happening in the present moment – to what's happening in your body, your mind or your surroundings, for example – in a non-judgemental way. Mindfulness describes a way of approaching our thoughts and feelings so that we become more aware of them and react differently to them. Practising mindfulness can make you feel more connected to your body and give you a breathing space between thought and action.
Where does mindfulness come from? Mindfulness originates in Buddhism, but being mindful is a skill that anyone can learn. You do not have to be spiritual, or have any particular beliefs, to try it. In the 1970s it was first adapted into structured programmes like mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to help people manage long term health conditions and enhance their general wellbeing. This is usually what people mean when they talk about mindfulness being used to treat mental health problems.
How can mindfulness help? Mindfulness can help you to: • increase your awareness of your thoughts and feelings • manage unhelpful thoughts • develop more helpful responses to difficult feelings and events • be kinder towards yourself • feel calmer and able to manage stress better • manage some physical health problem, like chronic pain
Why do my thoughts affect my feelings? Our emotions do not automatically distinguish between what we think about the world and what is occurring in reality. For example, if you spend time thinking about unpleasant past events or worrying about future ones, you might feel sad or anxious and experience some of the signs and symptoms of depression or anxiety. This can lead to more difficult thoughts and feelings, and you could end up feeling worse and worse. Mindfulness aims to help you focus on the present and let go of these thoughts. To find out more, including blogs, mindfulness courses and information on practising mindfulness, see the Mind website www.mind.org.uk BeMindful.co.uk may also be helpful.