inside this issue: happy new year: 2017! - blacon high … ng upton high school and catholic high...
TRANSCRIPT
Edition #13
February ‘17
Happy New Year: 2017! The Blacon High Times would like to wish you
a very happy new year for 2017!
Our previous edi on celebrated the coming of
the Christmas holidays and the comple on of
the first term in our brand new building.
We had a fantas c start to the academic year
with the most amazing events taking place.
To begin with, we enjoyed the Inaugural
Celebra on Concert to welcome the beginning
of our adventure.
Our newly permanent home was visited by
our twinned school in Bulgaria, Vasil Levski
High School. Since then, we have con nued to
develop our rela onship further through the
means of Skype and pen friend le ers.
Across the school, all year groups have
enjoyed a series of reward trips to a variety of
exci ng places. This is testament to the hard
work that goes on day‐to‐day in Blacon High
School, and we are pleased to invite more and
more students on every trip due to their
ever‐increasing dedica on to success.
The Year 11s began their first cycle of mock
exams which has con nued into 2017. Staff
are s ll in awe of students’ clear thirst to do
their best in every subject, and we recognise
the amount of revision and extra work that is
being put into exams and coursework across
all subject areas.
A er a relaxing Christmas break, students
were welcomed back to our now‐familiar
school building and commenced a new year of
learning and success.
This edi on of Blacon High Times follows just
some of the stories from the beginning of
2017 to have taken in place at BHS. Enjoy
reading
about
how we
have
started
2017!
Inside this issue:
Happy New Year! 1
Head Teacher’s Coments
1
‘Blist’ from the Past
2
Super Sports Stars
3
Holocaust Memorial
4
Budding Historians
5
LRC Activities 5
Aladdin Rehearsals
6
Film Club Fanatics
7
Dates for Your Diary
8
Drama Dept. Update
5
Revision Help
Mrs Yates’ Comments I would like to take this opportunity to wish a ‘Happy New Year’ to students, parents and staff. We had an excellent start to the beginning of our academic year in September and this has con nued through the beginning of our Spring term. Students have enjoyed a wealth of opportuni es and events so far, and I know that their hard work will con nue to be rewarded by staff. There is plenty to look forward to but also plenty to celebrate. I hope you enjoy reading this edi on of BHT as much as I, students and staff have enjoyed making these experiences memorable.
A ‘Blist’ from the Past On the 8th February, Years 7 and 8 went on a trip back in me to Victorian England. In the heart of Shropshire lies a place of historical treasure: Blists Hill, a recreated Victorian town which lies on the site of a former industrial complex. We have been studying the Victorian era in both Year 7 and 8 through Charles Dickens’ texts: Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol. When the trip was announced, we were intrigued to see what the town would be like. Would we have to wear Victorian clothes to get in? Would we be able to use our modern money there? And, most importantly, would we be caned?! Nevertheless, we couldn’t wait to go. Our coach arrived, and we cha ed about what we were expec ng from this mystery town. The journey was fairly long and, just as we were star ng to wonder whether we really were ‘travelling’ back one hundred years, we saw the sign for Blists Hill.
As we entered the town, we saw old signs and ramshackle buildings. It was very cold, fondly reminding us of A Christmas Carol! We were surprised to see some people walking around in old‐fashioned dresses, top hats and canes…Were these real Victorians? A er some quick Maths, we realised they probably weren’t, but it was s ll great to see the town coming to life. First of all, we were ushered into a large
warehouse to make roof les. A man in a
waistcoat and hat showed us how to make an
authen c roof le using just a lump of clay, a piece of wood and some string. We couldn’t believe
how easy it was, but then we reminded ourselves how many les we would need to make an en re
roof; this made us very thankful for modern technology!
A er working hard on our les, we were given the opportunity to explore the rest of the village.
There was a huge amount of shops that you could go into, for example: a photography shop, a
bakery, a pharmacy and (the most popular
choice) a fish and chip shop! It was fantas c to
wander around and explore everywhere.
Overall, we had a great me at Blists Hill.
Chloe Parry, Year 7, said, ‘Blists Hill was great!
There were so many things to discover and we
really enjoyed ourselves. We can’t wait un l
the next English trip; sign me up straight
away!’
By Connor Backstrom and Layla Rodrigues,
Year 7
Super Sports Stars Volleyball Year 10 Girls Freya, Hannah, Emily and Bobbi are Chester & District champions a er bea ng Upton High School and Catholic High School in med matches. The girls beat Upton and Catholic High by 1 point to reach the Winter County Games in March and the chance to represent Chester at Volleyball. Superb work, girls! Table Tennis Year 8 Boys played some excellent table tennis to beat Catholic High School in singles matches. Each team had 8 players and everyone played each other in ‘first to 11 points’ compe ve matches. Michael Cross won all of his 8 games; Henley, Ben and Kian won 7 out of 8 games. The whole team contributed to a super team victory. Basketball The Year 8 and 9 Boys Basketball team played four league games throughout the half term within the Chester and District. Led by captain Callum Cooper, we narrowly lost 26‐11 to Kings in our first game but beat Queen’s Park High School 22‐16 in our second game. Brandon Spilsbury was incredible underneath the basket, helping us win our first game. We then lost 36‐22 to a talented Catholic High School with Adam Tyrell and Henley Dowridge as star performers before losing our final game 28‐18 to champions Upton High School. Kevin Lewis was excellent on a ack and defence. Well Done, lads: you have improved a lot as a team. The Year 7 Boys Basketball team came 3rd at the Chester and District tournament, bea ng Queen’s Park 8‐0, Catholic 8‐2 and drew 2‐2 with Upton. The boys lost to Kings and Christleton 8‐0 but show a lot of poten al to be a good team. Lewis Hopley and Jack Swindley were the stand‐out performers; Well Done! Hockey The Year 8 Girls team played their first ever compe ve Hockey tournament at Queen’s Park High School. This was a fantas c opportunity for the girls to try a new compe ve team sport and they didn’t disappoint with a deserved win against Abbeygate College. They drew with Catholic High but narrowly lost to Queen’s Park High School in an enjoyable fes val enjoyed by all schools compe ng in the SSL set up by Mrs Carr. Indoor Athle cs Blacon High School also hosted the Year 8 Sports Hall Athle cs with both Boys and Girls teams compe ng well against the other Chester Schools in the district. Our Year 10 BTEC PE leaders delivered the field events and we had some star performances on the track and field. The Year 7 Boys and Girls teams performed two nights later at Catholic High and all performed to the best of their ability. Football Year 8 couldn’t breach the group stages at the Chester and District 7 a side football tournament, drawing with Abbeygate 0‐0, bea ng Queens Park High 1‐0, but lost to Kings and Catholic 1‐0 in close games. They exited the Na onal Small Schools Cup to Moorland High School in the last 16 of the compe on; an excellent achievement. Year 7 lost 3‐1 in round two of the Na onal Small Schools Cup (goal by Lewis Ball) but beat Christleton High School 2‐1 in the Chester Cup to reach the quarter final v Bishops. Please follow Twi er account @BlaconPE for the latest sports news from the PE department.
Holocaust Memorial On the 23rd January, we visited the beau ‐ful Chester Cathedral to a end a Holocaust Memorial and workshop. Of course, the Holocaust is remembered as one of the most horrifying events in History and, as History students, we are determined to ensure it is never forgo en. Miss Jones had reminded all students of the event in a series of assemblies where she talked about the colossal amount of vic ms affected by the Holocaust. Miss Jones also showed us the story of Ruth Rogoff; this prompted us to think about how many children
endured tragedy as well as adults. On the day of the workshop, we couldn’t help but remark how the cathedral was the perfect se ng for such an important day; everyone was so quiet and peaceful as we gathered to remember the vic ms. Along with several other schools, we listened to the incredible story of a Holocaust survivor called Joanna Millan. She told her harrowing story, explaining how she escaped the Nazis and came to live in Britain. Thankfully, she was adopted by an English couple and has spent the rest of her life here. It was an honour to listen to her and enforced how the Holocaust isn’t just a story: it affected so many people and listening to Joanna really brought this home to us. Following Joanna’s talk, we then completed two workshops. The first was based on art made by children in the Terezin ghe o. It was amazing to see the artwork up close. During the second workshop, we wrote a poem based on the life of Anne Frank. It was a story we’d heard many mes before, but it was difficult to begin to imagine what life was like in Anne’s shoes. The most moving part of the day was when we were given the opportunity to light a candle in memory of the vic ms. It was a very significant and beau ful moment to do so in the vast space and the peace of the cathedral.
By Miss Jones’ History Class, Year 8
Budding Historians
The History Department has been extremely busy over the last few weeks! Not only did a selec on of History students embark on the Holocaust Memorial project, but there has also been some fantas c ac vi es and work being completed in school. Year 8 completed their first project on the Egyp ans; a fantas c scheme of work enjoyed by all. To celebrate the beginning of their new adventure back in me, all the way back to the Ancient Greeks, they had a themed Greek tea party! To stay true to the Ancient Greeks, students made and enjoyed tradi onal recipes from the well‐known me period. Back then, the main ingredients in meals were nuts, dried fruit and honey. Natalia made a delicious baklava which all of the students loved, and Hannah made biscuits called koulourakia. Year 7 students have also been showing a clear dedica on to the subject, and the following students will be rewarded for their outstanding effort: Chardonnay Blackbourn, Freya Dowridge, Shantelle Clarendon, Kayde‐Lee Mackay, Daniel Williams and Ma hew Paterson. Well Done to all!
LRC Activities This half‐term has been an even ul one in the Learning Resource Centre! We have been con nuing to use the LRC to study, revise and complete homework. It is a purposeful learning environment that is used by students on a daily basis. However, we also want the LRC to be a place of enthusiasm and excitement for learning. We have already experienced this with our poetry compe on where students were asked to write a rap about a subject they felt strongly about. We had some fantas c raps submi ed to us, exploring a range of subjects such as: friendship, bullying and even for or against Valen ne’s Day! All of the raps will be sent off to the ‘Bust a Rhyme’ compe on, and we are very hopeful that it will be one of our students who wins the amazing £1000 prize. Next half‐term, we are looking forward to celebra ng World Book Day (2nd March). We have plenty of exci ng ac vi es planned...watch this space! You can also get your World Book Day voucher from the LRC to spend on a brand new book of your choice! Don’t forget: the LRC is available to students at break me, lunch me and a er school to revise and complete homework.
By Bethany Seed, LRC Assistant
Aladdin Rehearsals As the half‐term progresses, so do the rehearsals for our upcoming performance of Disney’s Aladdin. It promises to be a journey through exo c ci es, a forbidden love, and (of course!) some Disney magic. It was always going to be a difficult task to live up to such a well‐loved and classic story, but we are certainly making progress in our rehearsals and we believe that our version will be just as good as the original—if not be er! We have now cast our characters and have as‐signed the main roles of Aladdin and Jasmine. Aladdin will be played by Liz Cosme and Jasmine will be played by Ellie‐May Irvine. The aspiring thespians were cast based on their incredible audi ons which wowed Mrs Salisbury and Miss McHale.
Rehearsals will con nue following the half‐term holi‐day where students will learn their lines and refine their performances. Mrs Salisbury and Miss McHale said, ‘We are beyond impressed with the work the students have done so far; their dedica on to the per‐formance is second to none. We are certain that this will be one of our best‐ever produc ons at Blacon High School, and we are so proud of the students who are making it the spectacular that the audience have come to expect from our shows.’ If you want to go on a journey to a ‘whole new world’, ckets will be available from 20th March and the play will take place on 25th and 26th April 2017 at 7pm.
Drama Department Update The Drama Club have been spo ed donning some very unusual masks recently… Teachers were concerned at first, but then Mrs Salisbury explained that they were just ‘trestle masks’ ‐ and it’s all for a good cause! Our amazing actors are preparing for an upcoming short film that they have planned, rehearsed and are now beginning to film. The film will feature the strange‐looking trestle masks and will showcase the awe‐inspiring talents of our young actors. We can’t wait to see the finished product!
Film Club Fanatics The brand‐new Film Club has been eagerly a ended by a host of students on a weekly basis at lunch‐ mes. We spoke to several of the a endees for a review of the latest hit that they have been watching… ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ is about a family with three children called the Baudelaire family. They are very smart and invent many innova ve crea ons from old broken things. The names of these genius children are: Violet, Claus and Sunny. A er their mother and father die, they are sent to live with a distant cousin, Olaf. He is mean to them and makes them do all of the household chores. The children develop a hatred for him, but fortunately make a new friend in the mean me. The ending to the series is great; we won’t spoil it for you but there is a fantas c plot twist that you won’t see coming! Overall, we thought it was a great series which was incredibly fun to watch! It is so compelling that it makes you want to watch episode a er episode to see what horrible tricks Olaf will play next. By Mia Woodworth, Lily Morris and Becca Massey
Revision Help The Year 11s have recently been undertaking their most recent series of mock examina ons. Staff have once again been amazed by their dedica on to revision and their conduct in the exams. However, we are frequently asked for ps on how to revise. To help you, we thought we’d put together some key revision techniques to help you out. Don’t forget: your subjects are running Period 6 revision sessions and half‐term revision sessions.
Up-Coming Activities and Dates for Your Diary...
A reminder that all students are expected back in school on 27th February at the usual start me of 8.45am in full school uniform.
The English Department are delighted to inform students of a trip to see the most famous love story of all me: Romeo and
Juliet. Year 10 and 11 have been studying the bard’s meless play for their GCSE
examina ons, and so going to see the produc on at the Mar n Harris Centre on
Thursday 20th April will benefit their understanding of the paly immensely. The trip costs just £15; more informa on is
available from Miss Ward.
The Science Department are looking forward to a busy half‐term! During Science Week, teachers and students will be a ending
primary schools to conduct experiments and teach young students all about the wonders of science. This will commence on the 13th March
at 2pm‐3pm every day. In addi on, the Physics Olympics for Year 9 girls will take place on Tuesday 20th June. We
hope they’re feeling compe ve!
The Maths Department are looking forward to take part in the Maths Feast at Christleton High School. Teams from our Year 10 top set will be going to Christleton on the 31st March to take part Teams from across Cheshire will be taking part and we’re hopeful that Blacon can finish very high on the leaderboard. It
promises to be an enjoyable and challenging team compe on tes ng mathema cal, team‐working and communica on skills. Will our
school be ‘Number 1’? Let’s hope so!
A reminder that ckets for Aladdin can be purchased from the front office from 20th
March and the play will take place on 25th and 26th April 2017 at 7pm.
We look forward to visi ng a ‘whole new world’!