19 July 2006

IM A G IN E A D A Y …

T h at’s all ab o u t learn in g to learn Where staff try out new things

Where children realise they are intelligent Where there is a sense of fun

That has an impact a week, a month, a year down the line Imagine Super Learning Day!

A s the sun shone on the hottest day this year, S t P eter’s RC High School celebrated with its annual Super Learning Day. Pupils were invited to learn new skills in new ways, as part of S t P eter’s w ork w ith the U niversity of the F irst Age. Excited youngsters were able to learn line dancing, karate and tai chi. They tried their hand at magic, filmmaking, gardening and origami. Drumming and music workshops were available as well as novelty cakes and flag making. There were trips to Castleton and bowling and for the more energetic, trampolining and football was on offer – although

the leisurely French game of boules was perhaps more tempting on such a hot day. Serious issues were not forgotten, and the police organised a series of workshops designed to alert pupils to the dangers of joining gangs. Visitors included members of Mothers Against Violence, a group who have experienced the violent death of a child and who campaign tirelessly to protect the future of other children. Healthy eating was the order of the day – all pupils were provided with a healthy breakfast, water and fresh strawberries during the day as well as a range of healthy lunch choices. The Co-operative Group who work closely w ith S t P eter’s kindly provided a range of F airtrade products for pupils. A m em orable day for the super learners of S t P eter’s.

Karate The Drama Studio was transformed into a martial arts arena as young students under the guiding eye of their black-belt Karate teacher, Miss Williams, were put through their paces. Strange cries filled the air, there were punches and blocks, and a great sense of achievement. Thankfully, none of our beginners were hurt in the process!

Tai Chi O ur school theatre w as the focus for M iss M iller’s T ai C hi class. Somewhat gentler than Karate, but equally disciplined, the class learned to move gracefully following the direction given by Miss Miller. Soothing music supported the young class as they worked hard to move with control and poise— just like their expert teacher.

The sports Hall The sports hall was a hive of activity— when your roving reporter was there. He observed 5-a-side football, table-tennis and the experts on the trampoline— the ten pin bowling group were off site. It was a very hot day, but everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves under the ever watchful eyes of the PE staff.

Art History What do Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa, Hitler, Stalin and

Shakespeare have in common? Yes, they are all famous, or in some cases infam ous, but at S t P eter’s, on S uper Learning Day, they are all the subject of portrait paintings by our talented team of young artists led by the talented art staff, supported by Mr Dever who plans to display the best of the portraits outside the history room s on ‘C ’ corridor.

Novelty Cakes In spite of the heat, M rs B arrett’s team of cooks and cake decorators spent the day working in the hot, hot food room. The results tasted wonderful!

Percussion— led by our guest conductor, Laszlo Palko, our young percussionists learnt to ‘hand drum ’ and create som e increasingly complex sounds. Mrs Hutchence was a particularly impressive pupil who will clearly go far.

Jenga– was one of many successful board games led by an enthusiastic team of teaching assistant

Music Activities in the music room were led by our new head of music, Mrs Roscoe. Pupils were learning to use glockenspiels and quickly creating impressive compositions.

Crackers— It certainly w asn’t C hristm as w eather, but the crackers the class made under the guidance of Miss Crane were excellent.

Making a computer— ’F irst you start with the mother-board,’ I w as told. Many steps down the line a computer was made! Led by Mr Towers with all the technical know-how , M iss H ull’s IC T teams video conferenced between B10 and B12 to see which team created the first computer. There may have been some dispute about the winner, but it was a super learning experience.