Download - Parents Bulletin - April 2014 - No 5
CALENDAR
The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College, Catcote Road, Hartlepool, TS25 4HA
Tel: 01429 273790 Fax: 01429 273998
e-mail: [email protected] www.ems.hartlepool.sch.uk
The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College is now on Facebook and Twitter.
Please visit www.facebook.com/EnglishMartyrsSchool and 'like' the page to receive information from the
news feed or follow @EMS_Hartlepool on Twitter.
Wednesday 2nd April (to 3rd) House Sports Friday 2nd May Feast of the English Martyrs Y11 Mass
Thursday 3rd April Y13 Parents Evening AS French Speaking Exam
Friday 4th April Sixth Form Easter Mass (to Tuesday 6th May) A2 Ceramics Exam
School Council Meeting A2 Art Textiles Exam
(to 5th April) Biology Zoo Trip Monday 5th May Bank Holiday
Monday 7th April Wednesday 7th May AS Graphics Exam
(to Monday 21st) Easter Holiday (to Friday 9th) Y9 Retreat
Thursday 10th April Thursday 8th May A2 Graphics Exam
(to Friday 11th) Cambridge Residential AS / A2 MFL Speaking Exams
Saturday 12th April Friday 9th May House Council Meetings
(to Saturday 19th) Ski Trip Saturday 10th May MFL / History / RE Revision
Tuesday 22nd April New Term starts Monday 12th May External Exams begin
Y10 Meningitis Vaccination Wenesday 14th May Catholic Partnership Athletics
Y8 HPV Vaccination (Girls) Thursday 15th May Y8 York University
Wednesday 23rd April Friday 16th May Dukeshouse Wood Residential
(to Thursday 24th (am)) AS Ceramics Exam Saturday 17th May German Revision
Thursday 24th April A2 Music Performance Exam Wednesday 21st May Catholic Partnership Athletics
Piano Recital (6.00 pm) Friday 23rd May Y13 Leavers’ Mass
Friday 25th April Monday 26th May
(to Monday 28th (am)) AS Art and Design Exam (to Friday 30th) Half Term
Monday 28th April EMA Meetingt Monday 2nd June Beginning of term
(to Tuesday 29th) AS Art Textiles Exam Tuesday 3rd June Catholic Partnership Mass
AS Music Performance Exam Wednesday 4th June Y7 York University
(to Friday 2nd May) Y10 H&S Care Work Exp. Monday 9th June Y10 GCSE Catering Exam
(to Monday 12th May) Y8 Assessment week EMA Meeting
Wednesday 30th April Tuesday 10th June CP Rocket Challenge
(to Thursday 1st May) A2 Art and Design Exam Wednesday 11th June York University Big Deal
Thursday 1st May Y12 UCAS Convention Thursday 12th June CP Softball Tournament
Musical Soireé Y7 Parents Evening
E
School Uniform / PE Kit - New Arrangements
All school uniform and PE kit is now available from:
Altered Images, Hartlepool Enterprise Centre, Brougham Terrace.
The store is open from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday
and 10.00 am to 2.00 pm on Saturday. Tel: 01429 265413.
Uniform will no longer be sold from the Salvation Army Centre. Garments are supplied by the same suppliers and there will
be no increase in price. It is hoped that these changes will make the process of ordering, buying and collecting school
uniform more convenient for parents / carers.
If you have any items of school uniform or PE kit that your child no longer needs (which are still in good condition we would
be grateful if you would send them to school. We will then keep a supply of uniform and PE kit in school which can be loaned
to students in an emergency. Thank you
School will finish for the Easter break on Friday 4th April at 3.10 pm
and will reopen at 8.50 am on Tuesday 22nd April.
Contact Details Please will parents / guardians notify the school office immediately if there are any changes to names,
addresses, telephone numbers, mobile phone numbers or the named contact persons of students.
It is very important that contact information is kept up to date.
The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College
Parents’ Bulletin No 5
April 2014
Easter Message
It seems very strange to be writing an Easter message when we are only half way
through Lent. Quite often though we enter Lent and endure it through gritted teeth
with the challenges that it brings and all that fasting that we undertake in order to
cleanse our soul a little. Let us not forget that our efforts in prayer, fasting and
almsgiving are not in vain, the Scriptures tell us that when we do these things in
secret, our Father in heaven who sees everything will reward us.
In just under 3 weeks we will celebrate the greatest miracle ever known. The death
and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The beauty of this season is that although
we fast for 6 weeks, we then get to feast for 8! Easter is a great time for joy,
celebration, indulgence and all that is good. We have much to celebrate. That life
won for us through that one act of love on the cross was not only the greatest act of
sacrifice but it won for us the gift of eternal life. Let us be filled with that sure and
certain hope as we continue through Lent but keep our eyes on the prize that is Easter!
Ampleforth 2014
Every year we fill Alban Roe House at
Ampleforth Abbey for our Lent Retreat and it is
always one of the highlights of our year. This
year did not disappoint. We had students from
Year 7 right through to Year 13 and the eldest
participant was 92. The programme was
planned, prepared and led by our exceptional
team of Sixth Form students who worked hard
in the weeks leading up to the retreat. They
really are a credit to our school.
The theme was “The Circle of Life” and we
focussed on the topics of birth, life, death and
resurrection. The students had the opportunity
to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in
the crypt of the monastery and we joined the
Ampleforth community for their Sunday Mass.
We played games which emphasised the point
of each topic and the times of prayer were extremely
poignant. The weekend included the annual themed
fancy dress and of course, “Miss Malcolmson’s Big
Night In” quiz and dance-off.
Since the retreat, the students who took part have been
back to the chapel on a daily basis and are eager to
throw themselves into the spiritual life here at English
Martyrs, especially as we prepare for our mission in
October.
To see video reflections of our time at Ampleforth,
please visit the “EMS Mission” channel on YouTube and
also, follow our Youth Ministry feed on
Twitter @Hpool_Ministry.
External Summer Exams start on 12th May and
finish on 24th June .
Engineering Day
On Tuesday 18th March 10 students from Year 9 took
part in a day of Engineering based activities at
Newcastle University. They discovered the variety of
Engineering opportunities and prospective careers
available. They took part in a rage of activities including
a talk from a recent Engineering graduate, a team
building activity and a real lecture in a lecture theatre.
The day was thoroughly enjoyable and has hopefully
opened the opportunity of Engineering as a potential
career to the girls that attended.
National Enterprise Challenge 2014 at EMS!
On Tuesday 11th
February a number of Year 9 students participated in
‘Enterprise Day’ which was hosted by The Ryman 2014 National Enterprise
Challenge. Students were separated into teams of 6 and had to come up with
an entrepreneurial idea of designing a new flip flop range for the already
existing business ‘Gandy’s Flip Flops’. Their idea could potentially be in the
shops available to buy next year! Students got to grips with key business
concepts that they will be introduced to next year if they go ahead and choose
Business Studies as one of their options. The day was a huge success and our
winning team consisted of Jennifer Cope, Isabella Starling, Patrick Mulvey,
Olivia Bennison, Matthew Windram and Timmy Hutchison who did a fantastic
job of pitching their Business idea to the judges. These 6 students will now go
onto Manchester in July to pitch their idea to Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis
and compete with other winning teams from across the country. We wish the
English Martyrs School winning team every success and a big well done to all
other teams who competed in the challenge.
Jewellery / Make up
We have noticed a recent increase in various items of jewellery being worn to school by students and would like to remind
parents of our policy on this. Apart from wrist watches and a pair of single stud earrings for girls, jewellery is not allowed in
school. The wearing of make up and nail varnish is also not allowed. Recently a number of girls have turned up with nail
extensions which they claim to be unable to remove. These should also not be worn.
FREE SCHOOL MEALS
Children whose parents are in receipt of one of the following are entitled to receive free school meals (FSM):
� Income Support (IS)
� Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (IBJSA)
� An income related employment and support allowance
� Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
� Child Tax credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income which from 6th
April 2013 does not exceed £16190 as assessed by HMRC
If you are in any doubt whether your son / daughter is eligible for Free School Meals (and the associated Pupil Premium
payment) contact Hartlepool Civic Centre on 266522.
You will need to supply your National Insurance number before they carry out a simple eligibility test via their Eligibility
Checking Service.
Remember
� School can provide packed lunches or a hot meal as part of the FSM service
� In the 2014 / 2015 financial year schools will receive £935 per secondary pupil who has ever been eligible for free
school meals. This could help your child in a wide range of ways.
Student Safety Would parents please avoid dropping their children off in any of the staff car parks at any
time during the school day. It is in the best interests of all students’ safety if the number of vehicles
entering the site is kept to a minimum.
Medicines / Tablets
Please remember that students must not carry any tablets / medicines in school. If students need to bring tablets to school
they should hand them in to Mr Craddy for safekeeping.
Music Department Events
Piano Recital Thursday 24th April
The Atrium at English Martyrs Sixth Form College 6.00-pm - 7.30 pm.
Students from Year 7 through to Year 13 will perform the pieces they have been
preparing for Grade Exams and other events. Admission is free
The World Music Festival Tuesday 29th
April
The Borough Hall 6.30 pm - 9.00pm.
The Chamber Choir and Youth Voices have been invited to perform at this
prestigious annual event organised by Tees Valley Music Service. They will join a
massed Primary Choir and the Hartlepool Concert Band in the performance of a
number of songs from The Musicals. Tickets for the concert can be purchased from
the Music Department at £4.00 for adults and £2.00 for concessions with under 16’s
free. The choirs will sing two pieces on their own and there will be a number of
soloists showcased.
Sixth Form Musical Soiree Thursday 1st
May
The Atrium at English Martyrs Sixth Form College 6.00 pm - 7.30 pm.
This year the Sixth Form Musical Soiree will be held in the Atrium of the Sixth Form
College. It will feature some of our most advanced and talented students, many of
whom are going on to study Music at University. Year 12 / 13 students will perform
a selection of their exam pieces. Entry to the event is free.
Music Instrument Appeal!!!
Time for a Spring clean? Do you have an unwanted musical instrument lying around
at home? Perhaps a guitar or keyboard that you no longer play!
The Music Department would be very happy to put it to good use. Any instrument in
reasonable condition would be very much appreciated. Please bring instruments
directly to the Music Department or to the School Office.
The English Martyrs Association
The next EMA Meeting will take place on Monday 28th April 2014 at
7.00 pm in the Conference Room.
ALL ARE WELCOME - your contributions / ideas are very much appreciated
Find more about the EMA in the Community section of the school website
Follow EMA on Twitter: @ems_association
email any enquiries to: [email protected]
Recently the EMA have donated funds to help the following groups of
students:
� £700 to PE to kick start their Sports Leaders group.
� £750 to Technology to kit their Woodwork rooms with new
aprons to help keep the students safe and their uniforms clean!
� £600 towards taking a group of students on a trip to Mull and
Iona. The children selected each year are Year 9 students, all of
whom have shown commitment to their school work while
having to deal with personal challenges on a daily basis.
Our next fundraising events are
our annual student Easter
Tombola (Thursday 3rd and
Friday 4th April) and Quiz Night
(Thursday 8th May).
The tombola is an annual event
eagerly anticipated by the
students which is held during
their lunch break in St Anne’s
Hall. We are very grateful for the
varied Easter goodies which have been donated by staff, students and
parents.
The Annual Quiz Night is another popular event. Tickets are available
from the school office, priced £6.00, including pie and pea supper.
Everyone is welcome.
Thank you for your continued help and support.
Rotary Club Public Speaking
On the 13th
February, six students were involved in the
Rotary Club Public Speaking competition. Both teams
won the Hartlepool round. The Intermediate team
included Elizabeth Shanks (Y9), Joel Barry (Y9) and Lois
Joynt (Y8). The Senior team included Jack Twydale
(Y11), Rachel Baines (Y10) and Carmel Harrison (Y10).
The District Final took place on 2nd March, in
Gateshead, and both teams won their respective
categories to proceed to the National Semi-Finals in
Dundee, Scotland, on 8th March. Both teams delivered
exceptional performances; the students are assets to
the school.
Public Speaking
In March we held our fifth Annual House Public Speaking Competition. We had 21 competitors who spoke for two minutes
each on a subject of their choice. The standard was extremely high and helped us to maintain the strong tradition for public
speaking that we have established at The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College. The winner of the KS3 competition
was Grace Allen who spoke on “It’s good to talk”. Runner up was Lois Joynt who spoke on ”Gambling - the wild side of life”
and in third place was Millie Twydale whose topic was “Beat the Bullies”. KS4 winner was Eve Coates who entertained
guests with “The 3 people she would most like to meet and why”. In second place was Alex Foster who said that it was good
to be different and in third place Leah O’Sullivan on “Laughter is the best medicine”. Recordings of the speeches can be
found on our school website.
We also had three competitors taking part in the Catenian Competition between the Catholic schools in the north east. Our
three competitors were Chloe Harvey who gave a 5 minute speech on Pope Francis. The Intermediate competitor was Alex
Foster whose 4 minute talk was on “The shortage of Priests” and in the Junior section Isabella Starling entertained the judges
with “What really annoys me”. The three students finished as runners up in their sections with each receiving a £75 cheque.
In February students were presented with their Platinum Merit certificates and trophies by Mr Lee
St Anne Line House Mass
St Anne Line House held their Mass with all year groups and guests from the parish at the end of January. The theme was
community and each year group had a focus in which they completed tasks to help people within our community. St Anne
Line year 7’s had The English Martyrs School community. Year 8’s have been contributing to the Foodbank collection point in
the chapel. Year 9 students have made cards which will be sent to members of the Parish. Year 10 students will be visiting
Care Homes to share some quality time with the elderly. The year 11 students collected old toys, books and games and some
of the St Anne Line students delivered them to the Children’s Ward at North Tees Hospital. The students had a tour of the
ward from the Play Co-ordinators, Claire Wise and Chris Goodwin and they demonstrated what some of the donations would
be used for. We thank the Children’s Ward for letting us visit and hope we can support you again in the future.
St John Vianney Parish Meal
A group of Year 7 and Year 9 students,
helped by the marvellous Mrs Moller and
the brilliant Mrs Bainton, prepared and
served soup to the parishioners of St. John
Vianney’s church during Lent.
On the menu was a very exotic Italian bean
and pasta soup as well a more traditional
leak and potato, rounded off with apple
crumble and custard. The children from
the parish primary school, pictured here,
told us it was the best restaurant they’d
ever been to!
Many thanks to Lydia Ryder and Michael
Hutchinson for their invaluable help.
Fairtrade
On Friday 28th
February, English Martyrs School and Sixth
Form College held a Tombola at Tesco. It was a great chance
for us to help the community become more aware of what
Fairtrade products are available to buy. We had over 25
different items on our table from bananas to rubber gloves.
There were 5 students representing our Steering Group:
Nathan Liddell-Archer, Joshua Cain, Amber Lee, Byron Bell
and Louise Connor.
The following week we held a banana loaf competition. One
member from each department baked a loaf then they were
all judged. We had 3 winners; 1st
SEND, 2nd
History ,
3rd
Technology. This was followed by a coffee morning when
everyone was able to taste all the different cakes. It was a
great success.
FOODBANK - During Lent, school have been donating items of food for the Hartlepool Foodbank
which feeds poor families right here in our own town. The Foodbank is providing a vital service to
people in the town and after Easter we hope that the food collections will continue. If you can
donate any of the following urgently needed items, they would be greatly appreciated. Please ask
your son or daughter to bring them to the chapel.
SUGAR TINNED FISH TINNED FRUIT CEREAL RICE
UHT MILK COFFEE SPONGE PUDDINGS INSTANT MASH PASTA SAUCES
John Bell Lecture
In March we held the Thirty-fourth
Annual John Bell Lecture.
The lecture this year is was delivered by
David Eagle, a former Sixth Form
student who now tours the country, and
indeed the world, with a sea shanty
band, the Young Uns.
The evening proved to be a hugely
enjoyable and entertaining occasion for
all who attended.
Geography Field Trip
Thirty five AS Level Geography students spent the weekend on the North York
Moors gathering data for their practical examination paper. The group stayed
near Whitby at Boggle Hole Youth Hostel. On the Saturday we worked with the
North York Moors Park Rangers near Danby and studied river changes from
source to mouth.
Maths Challenge
Eight Students from Year 8 participated in a
regional Catholic Partnership Maths
challenge. One team were successful in
winning the relay round- a fast paced
dangerous game! They came second
overall. A fantastic achievement given that
there were 15 very strong teams from a
number of schools.
Well done to both teams on representing
the EMS Maths Department.
The winning team were: Felicity Skidmore
Amy Wright, Hannah Kerridge and
Caitlin Gray.
Catholic Partnership Bake Off
On Friday 28th
February Thomas
Turnbull and Joe Laundon represented
English Martyrs in the annual Catholic
Partnership Bake Off which took place
at St John’s School Bishop Auckland.
The theme of the day was ‘Teddy Bears
Picnic’; the boys underwent three
challenges to produce food products
suitable for this theme. The first was a
technical challenge that involved
making a batch of chocolate éclairs. On
this challenge the boys excelled them-
selves making éclairs of a high enough
standard to turn Mary Berry’s head!
They were placed joint first at this stage. The second challenge was a vegetarian picnic snack made with short crust pastry.
The boys showed imagination and flair with their layered picnic basket design. As the boys entered the final challenge
tensions were mounting as they embarked on decorating Teddy Bear themed cup cakes. The standard was exceptionally high
from all nine teams from different schools in the Diocese. Our boys were close runners up with only one mark between them
and the winning team. Well done to Thomas and Joe - look out for them on future Master Chef Competitions!
Barcelona
In March 21 Year 10 Photography and Art students visited Barcelona to photograph the fabulous views and architecture of
the city. After arriving and checking in at the hotel, the students went for a walk along Las Ramblas, the most famous street
in Barcelona and a trip to Port Vell for an evening meal. On Monday morning, the students visited the famous landmarks of
artist Antoni Gaudi, spending the morning at Parc Guell. This is a beautiful park designed by Gaudi with amazing views of the
city and interesting structures all incorporating small mosaic tile patterns. The afternoon was spent in La Sagrada Familia,
also known as the unfinished Cathedral. It was designed by Gaudi and he started building it up until his death in 1926.
Various architects have since continued his work to the exact plans of Gaudi. It is estimated that it will take another 15-20
years for the outside it to be completed. The inside has recently been finished and is an incredible sight with hundreds of
different stained glass windows lighting up the cathedral in all the colours of the rainbow. It really is a place that needs to be
seen by everyone! The second day was all about the Olympics and a visit first to the Olympic Port and village, where the
athletes stayed during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. There are famous hotels and a fish sculpture by architect Frank Gehry,
put in place for the Olympics. There was a trip to Montjuic hill on the afternoon and a visit to the Olympic stadium, passing
the beautiful waterfalls outside of the National Palace on the way. It was all about art again when students visited the Miro
foundation, a collection of work from another of Barcelona’s famous artists and saw the ‘Barcelona Head’, a sculpture by
artist Roy Lichtenstein. After a quick trip to the Nou Camp, home of Barcelona FC, the students headed off to La Ramblas and
Placa Reial for an evening meal on their last night in the amazing city.
All of the students took hundreds of photographs which will form part of their studies for their GCSE Art and Photography
courses and help them gain top grades in the subjects next summer.
Rotary Club Photography Competition 2014
A talented teenage snapper has walked away with the
top prize in an inter-school photography competition.
Hartlepool’s Rotary Club’s recent Young Photographer
Competition attracted 31 entries from keen
photographers at English Martyrs School and Sixth
Form College, Hartlepool Sixth Form College and High
Tunstall College of Science. The theme of the
competition was ‘people’. Adam Gofton, 16, from
English Martyrs, was crowned as the winner, with
fellow pupil Joseph Spence, 18, as runner up. Both
Adam and Joseph received a prize for producing the
winning entries illustrating once again the talent and
dedication of students at English Martyrs.
Key Stage 3 Catholic Partnership Photography Competition Key stage
three students of all the schools within the Catholic Diocese were invited to
participate in a photography competition to showcase their talents. The
competition had various themes for students to respond to. All entries will be
displayed in a formal exhibition in the Winter Gardens in Sunderland and the winners and
runners up will be announced during the event. Good luck to all English Martyrs’ entrants.
World Book Day
On Thursday 6th
March ten year seven pupils
attended a World Book Day trip to Crown Street
Library in Darlington with six other schools from
the Catholic Partnership. The day was a huge
success! All of the chosen pupils made a great
effort to attend in costume and performed
presentations about two of their favourite books;
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve and Goblins
by Philip Reeve.
The students participated in a host of fun activities organised
by the library and partnership staff, ranging from book
readings to an illustration master class! The day was a
fantastic way to
celebrate World Book
Day and promote a love
of reading amongst our
students; we are already
eagerly anticipating next
year’s event!
A Day of Discovery at Newcastle’s Writing Lab
Earlier this month, three year 10 pupils, Haydn Rogan, Anna Strickland
and Jacob Clyburn, attended the Catholic Partnership’s first Writer’s
Laboratory at Newcastle’s Discovery Museum. The day was a great
success; we had the opportunity to work closely with a number of
published writers and the staff of the museum. As an added bonus,
we were granted access to the museum’s archives, which are not
open to the public, with one of the curators giving us a personal tour.
Haydn, Anna and Jacob have all written original, thoughtful and
creative pieces as a result – thank you to all involved.
Hartlepool Rotary Club Competition
We are pleased to congratulate our two Year 7 students who are the
proud winners of the Hartlepool Rotary Club Writing Competition.
Hannah Dickson won the competition and Jack Grand came runner up.
This is the second year in a row that 'The English Martyrs' has won this
competition.
Berlin Trip 2014
Nineteen German and History students spent 4
days in Berlin 23rd
– 26th
March. They were able to
learn about the impact of recent history on this
vibrant and unique city as well as experiencing
German culture first hand and practising their
language skills.
On arrival we went to see Check Point Charlie and
then walked on to see the Brandenburg Gate by
night. On Monday a walking tour of Berlin provided
information about many famous buildings and their
history. We then visited the Topography of Terror -
an exhibition detailing the impact of Hitler’s rise to
power on Germany and its people. This was fol-
lowed by a visit to the East Side Gallery - a section
of the Berlin Wall which is now used by artists to
make political and social statements. Finally we
went to the Olympic Stadium where, as well as
learning about its history, we also witnessed the
preparations for the visit of Bayern Munich the
following day. We certainly felt we had earned our
pizzas in a Berlin restaurant that evening!
Tuesday was equally busy with visits to the Berlin
Wall exhibition centre on Bernauer Strasse, (a street
that was literally split in two when the wall was
built), the Reichstag and the Memorial to the
Holocaust victims. We finished the day with a visit
to Alexander Platz – the bustling centre of Berlin
today with its wide range of restaurants and
food stands.
Wednesday morning was a chance to visit the most famous
department store in Berlin – KaDeWe and stock up on souvenirs
and presents for friends and family before heading back to the
airport where there was time for one final Currywurst before
the flight home!
The trip was hailed a great success bringing History and German
lessons to life and helping students to appreciate the
significance of the city and its history in Europe today. Students
were great ambassadors for English Martyrs School and Sixth
Form College and behaved impeccably
throughout. They were a real credit to
themselves and their families.
Catholic Partnership Competition
Well done to the Year 9 students who were
runners up in the Catholic Partnership MFL
video competition! Students were asked to
create a promotional video highlighting the
value, enjoyment and rich opportunities that
speaking other languages offers but with a
twist – the students had to do this in a foreign
language! Twenty-two pupils took part in the
project to produce a video presentation in
French. They impressed the judges who loved
the polished video which they said was ex-
tremely professional and persuasive. The
judges were also impressed by how many
students were involved in the project. The
video will be appearing on the school website
soon. Well done to all involved!
University Links
This year we have been strengthening our links with universities. Our students have had amazing opportunities to
participate in conference days, residentials and open days at some of our most prestigious universities.
We have had a fantastic outcome in many of our students securing places on university supported progression programmes
to raise their aspirations and assist them with their pathway into higher education.
Below are some of the things our students have been involved in:
RE Revision
There will be a Year 11 GCSE RE Revision day on Saturday 10th May in school from 10.00 am to
12.00 noon.
Year 10 the Big Deal Competition
The Big Deal is an enterprising competition that develops students’ innovation, creativity and risk management skills.
Students from year 10 attended a detailed briefing at the Launch Day on Monday 17th
March at the University of York.
Teams will now compete against each other over ten weeks to create a product or concept. They will complete an online
curriculum with the support from their mentor who is a business professional. The teams will be required to develop a
business plan, which they will then pitch at the final Dragons’ Den on Wednesday 11th
June at the University of York. The
winning team will be taken on a business trip of a lifetime to New York City to present to the world leading companies.
MFL Revision sessions for GCSE
An intense revision session for GCSE French will be held on Saturday 10th
May 9.30 am - 11.30 am.
This will provide essential exam practice for the Listening and Reading exams which take place on
Monday 12th
May (afternoon). Bonne chance!
A similar session for GCSE German will be held on Saturday 17th
May 9.30-11.30 in preparation for
the Listening and Reading exams which take place on Monday 19th
May (morning). Viel Glück!
Year 13 Parents’ Evening – Thursday 3rd
April Year 13 Parents’ Evening will take place on Thursday 3
rd April 2014 between 4.00pm and 6.00pm.
It gives parents and students the chance to discuss their current progress at this important time
before exams begin.
If parents are unable to attend, it is expected that students will attend to have these important
discussions with their teachers. Parents should have received a letter regarding this and an
appointment sheet which should be used by the student when approaching their teachers.
Year 12 UCAS Convention – Thursday 1st
May As an introduction to applying to university in the next academic year, all Year 12
students will attend a half day UCAS Convention at Teesside University on the
morning of Thursday 1st
May 2014.
The convention provides students with the opportunity to speak with representatives
from various universities about the courses that they offer. This is one of the many activities organised in the Sixth
Form to help students begin the process of considering their post-18 options.
University Open Days
All of the universities open days are now
available to book on-line via their websites. It
is essential that Year 12 students do this as it
not only gives an insight into that university
but also supports any university applications
that are made.
University Residential
Fourteen of our Year 10 students took part in a residential at The
University of York 25th
– 27th
March. This has been designed to raise
awareness of the progression routes and variety of further and
higher education provisions available. Students were encouraged to
develop their own learning styles and to increase their confidence and self esteem. Students were inspired and motivated to
achieve academic success.
Year
Y12 10 York University Supported Progression Programme
Y12 5 Newcastle University Supported Progression Programme
Y12 4 Durham University Supported Progression Programme
Y12 6 Durham University – Insight Programme
Y7 to Y11 94 York University Shine Programme
Y9 9 Durham University Supported Progression
Y12 / Y11 15 English Focused Oxford University conference
Y12 6 Oxbridge conference
Y12 13 Durham University conference
Y12 18 Kings College Cambridge University Residential
No. of Students
History Department
The annual Year 9 trip to Beth Shalom Holocaust Memorial Museum in Newark took place. Students were able to see first
hand the causes and effects of the mass murder of Jews and other minorities that took place in Nazi occupied Europe in the
1940s. Also, students were privileged to hear from Stephen Frank, a Holocaust survivor who had been interred at Terezin
and whose Father was murdered at the hands of Nazis. His talk was inspirational as well as heartbreaking, and allowed us a
rare opportunity to hear from someone who was actually there. Once again, the day was filled
with reflection, historical perspectives and hope, and all students were an absolute credit to
the school. We did chuckle when our Year 9s knew more than the University students who
were also at the talk in the afternoon!
Next term Year 8 will have the opportunity to go to the Heugh Battery as part of a local study.
Art and English Combine to Celebrate Shakespeare!
To celebrate Shakespeare Week, Year 7
students were given the opportunity to
get creative with some of his finest work.
They were given creative freedom and
the opportunity to combine Art and
Literature. As the students have been
studying various forms of poetry, this
was the perfect opportunity for them to
explore some of Shakespeare’s much
loved Sonnets. Their homework in
preparation for this work was to choose
a Sonnet and bring in materials to use to
create their works of art. The students
did not disappoint: they arrived to their
English lessons with paint, glitter, craft
paper, gem stickers and pastels, ready to
celebrate the work of the Bard!
The creations are fantastic, as you can
see from the images here, and are now
proudly displayed on the walls of their
English classroom.
Well done Year 7!
Katie Laybourn
On the 23rd
February, Katie Laybourn attended the British Gas
Northumberland and Durham swimming championships. She
swam the 100m freestyle and had to qualify for Nationals
within a time of 1:04:63. Katie qualified for the final after her
performance in her heat and achieved a time of 1:04:05. Katie
will now be competing at Ponds Forge Sheffield in the summer
holidays.
We wish her the best of luck for her race.
Catholic Partnership Netball Tournament
The Year 7 and under 14 netball teams competed in the
Catholic Partnership Netball Tournament in Newcastle. The
year 7’s were crowned champions and the under 14’s finished a
respectable 3rd
place. The teams displayed some fabulous
netball throughout the tournament and really did the school
proud.
A special mention goes to Libby Skidmore who was presented
with ‘The Most Promising Player of the Future’ award.
Well done Libby.
5* Performance at Catholic Partnership
The EMS rugby team had 8 players selected for the Catholic
Partnership Rugby team to play against Ampleforth College,
one of the most prestigious schools in
the country. The team was selected last
month and the boys who were
successful in the trial game were: Kieran
Hogg, Sam Kitching, Kieran Goddard,
Harry Powell, Lewis Connor,
Danny Winship, Jack Cooper and
Andrew Croft. The first six mentioned
played in the game with Jack Cooper
and Andrew Croft missing out due to
injury.
During the game the boys from EMS
were among some of the stand-out
players with 5 of the 6 tries scored by
the team coming from Martyrs
students. Four of the tries came from
man of the match Kieran Hogg and the
final try from winger Lewis Connor. The
final score was 36-5 to the Catholic
Partnership Team.
EMS ‘Smart’ Stars
The EMS Sports Stars have improved their image with a large number of the
athletes receiving tracksuits and training gear. The students who have been
attending 2 sessions per week were lucky enough to receive Nike tracksuits. In
addition to them looking more professional, they have also been aiming to step
their way up the performance ladder by developing their physical and mental
skills. They have had the privilege of training with Co-ordination specialists from
the Body Alignment Clinic in Hartlepool, Chris & Dennis Bartram. Dennis is
extremely passionate about the programme and has donated wobble boards,
balance bars and other various pieces of equipment to assist the athletes in
improving their co-ordination and consequently overall performance.
We have also had the Royal Marines put the athletes through their paces.
During their visit they had the sports stars sweating it out with a military style
work out which, needless to say, left them all feeling that they had been
‘pushed’. The Marine PTs who led the session said that they were massively
impressed with the fitness levels of the group. It was one of the fittest groups
they have ever taken and their attitude and determination was the best they
had seen in a long time.
On the last day of term EMS Sports Stars will be visiting Manchester City Football
Club as a reward for all the hard work.
Hartlepool Schools Gymnastics
Sadie Laffin (Year 7) represented English Martyrs and competed against other
schools within the town in the vault and floor event.
Sadie came 1st in the key stage 3 advanced floor competition, 1st out of the key
stage 3 advanced vault competition, which meant she came 1st overall in the key
stage 3 advanced competition. Well done Sadie.
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