Where We’ve been I Where We’re goIng I What We’ve achIeved

Issue 18 Spring 2014

The Little Shop of Horrors

The school presented ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ over three nights and two days at the beginning of February. Nearly one thousand people saw the production and each performance was met with sustained applause, ovations and wonder. The production values were so high and at the centre of it all was the slow build up to the arrival of an evil plant of gargantuan proportions that dominated the theatre. And unlike the film the ending was not sweetened as cast member after cast member were eaten by the plant as its theme tune echoed around the auditorium ‘Feed Me, Feed Me Now’.

It was a small cast but featured many students who have starred in other productions at this school. For once the description of it as an ensemble piece is accurate in that each member of the cast shone and grasped their role and made themselves a star. Amy, Beth, Ebony, Talia and Molly were just faultless as the chorus. They sang, they acted, they danced, they sizzled throughout. Shannon was Audrey; beautifully blonde with an American accent to die for – and she did! Daniel was entirely convincing as the skid row shopkeeper and he could dance – who knew? Jordan was the most sadistic and cruel of dentist romantic leads and yes he scared those primary students with that unforgettable snarl. Tom was the most sympathetic loved up hero who did so much to ensure that the audience understood his pain. He was brilliant throughout.

And the voice of the plant was Owen. He brought the plant to life with his soulful singing and deadpan humour. A triumph.

Of course there was a wonderful set of supporting actors and two outstanding dancers in the two Olivia 1 and Olivia 2. In addition Kieran had the thankless and largely anonymous task of operating the Plant over five performances. He provided it with a personality and the ability to respond to all that was happening in front of him. The school’s own band had two superb new staff recruits in Mr Starr and Ms Foy. As usual it was great to have sixth formers helping to provide such quality music in Sam and Ross. Mrs Dalgleish, Mr Parker and Mr Casson have all shown brilliant leadership in developing and managing the amazing natural talent they find in the students. Ms Edworthy added the dance and movement which energised the whole production. Mr Lentell and Aimee Mootoo were calm and effective as lighting engineers and Owen juggled the very demanding sound system. Mr Smith, Ms Kitchin and Ms Simpson and Reece provided a captivating and imaginative set design.

Above all it was just brilliant to be there and I cannot imagine what this cast will rise to in their next challenge. ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ was worth every encore and every single word of praise. The staff should be really proud about the high standards reached. And so to the next one…

An outstanding night at

the theatre. It was dynamic,

effervescent and the tone was set by a

cast at the very top of

their game.

Sometimes the sheer quality of a school production can be a surprise even for those involved in the process. The repeated rehearsals can be very good or disappointing with performances worked on and polish applied but on that first night something magic happens. It really was a privilege to be present to witness such vibrant creativity and consummate professionalism. At times it was hard to believe that the cast were all still at school and had not simply walked from a West End Stage (West End, London not West End, Morecambe) into our own Studio Theatre.

There’s more on page 3

John McNaughtonHeadteacher

Welcome diary dates

Coincidentally six of the Year 11 students were those who had starred in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ heavily featured in this edition of School Bytes. They had managed the demands of rehearsals every night, five performances and the intensity of the artistic experience whilst maintaining high standards in their schoolwork, homework and overall commitment. What they had in common was their willingness to make sacrifices to achieve their aims and not fill their lives with computer games, mindless television and work avoidance strategies.

Year 11 are starting to understand that the GCSE examinations are fast approaching. Reality kicks in when I see them in their Ceramics examination or completing Textiles coursework with significant time constraints. Sadly for some students there is the dawning realization that they have let Year 11 slip by without making the necessary effort to produce high quality work. Repeatedly we tell them that there is still time to make that difference to their final grades but we return once again to the theme of sacrifices made to become successful. It is a theme that all adults can relate to because many of them state openly that given their time again those sacrifices would be made to achieve the success that eluded them at school.

Almost every day I conduct tours around the school for parents and students who are seeking to join this school from other local schools or from outside this area. It is a good experience for me because I see the school through their eyes as I witness a school that is orderly, happy and with a strong focus upon learning. When our visitors are shown the facilities we have as a school it is then that the adults wish that they could revisit their own schooling and the opportunities that they would seize with both hands. As I have often said our own students remain our best ambassadors. I could not be more proud of the values they bring to this community.

During the course of this year we have gained nearly fifty new students to the school and hopefully provided for them the high quality educational opportunities they were seeking when transferring from another secondary school. Of course as a school we are over subscribed for September with many more first choices than in previous years. We are still working with the Local Authority to ensure that members of our extended community are happy with the outcomes for them particularly those who have siblings in the school. Our Open Evening to be held on Tuesday 17th June will be another chance for visitors to see this school at its best and meet many of our students who hold the same values and attitudes as we do about being aspirational and successful.

John McNaughton, Headteacher

I was discussing with some of my Year 11 Achievers recently the use of their time on school work and after school intervention sessions.

I relayed to them the well worn cliché that if you want something doing then give it to a busy person as an illustration of how time can be managed.

2014 I SUMMER TERM

APRIL Return to school after Easter Tuesday 22nd

UCAS Parents’ Evening Monday 28th

Year 8 Parents’ Evening Tuesday 29th

MAy Year 11 photo Tuesday 6th

6th Form Sports Presentation Evening Friday 9th

Year 12 finish Friday 9th

Kenya information evening Friday 16th

PTFA cycle ride Saturday 17th

Year 7 Graduation Day Friday 23rd

Year 13 last day Friday 23rd

Break up for Whit after school Friday 23rd

jUnE Back to school Monday 2nd

Year 12 return to school Wednesday 11th

Open Evening Tuesday 17th

jULy Sports Day Friday 4th

The Summer Concert Tuesday 8th

Y8, Y9 & Y10 Prize Giving Tuesday 22nd

Finish for Summer Wednesday 23rd

AUg A Level Result Day Thursday 14th

GCSE Result Day Thursday 21st

year 11 Revision With the all-important examination period fast approaching, all Year 11 students have been issued with a Revision Guide and a few ‘goodies’ to start their Revision Toolkit.

Teachers shared their tried and tested revision tips (Mr Davis suggested condensing information to form a tweet for example) and it was suggested that students make their revision as colourful and as visual as possible. Both the booklet and the Memorisation session have been well received by the students - they were particularly impressed with how Mr Careless had managed to remember all their birthdays! Students have been encouraged to pick at least three strategies to try at home.

openevening

TUESdAy 17th jUnE 2014

diary dates

“Feed me,Seymour!”

On the 12 February 2014, Lancaster Road Primary

School, along with other primary schools, went to

Morecambe High School’s production of Little Shop

of Horrors. In our opinion, it was very hilariously good.

The actors were amazing and the lighting was of great

standards. We wondered how the plant grew so quick!

It must have taken a long time to move it!

The set-up was brilliant and, in our opinion, was just

like film except the ending, which was a unique touch!

The music was especially great, and the singing was

fantastic. And Morecambe High’s version of Little Shop

of Horrors was as good as the movie. Thank you.

By AlyshA And MAdison 6F

CoMMents By yeAr 6 students At

torrisholMe PriMAry sChool

“A show that will inspire others to perform”

ColBy

“An exciting and funny production, with amazing

acting and beautiful singing”

MAtthew

“A laugh out loud production with an amazing cast”

MAddie

“It was emotional and dramatic, Audrey 2 was fantastic

and they were great American accents!”

MAx, KierAn And AliA

LittLe Shop of horrorS

reviewS

Morecambe Community High School is one of the only schools in the local area to participate in the week long Work Experience Programme. We believe it is a valuable part of the curriculum for all Year 10 students and 2014 was the best yet!

The majority of students chose to find their own placements this year, selecting a huge variety of opportunities within the local community and beyond. In total 232 students successfully completed placements. Some students didn’t have to go very far to experience the world of work and chose to stay locally. Some even stayed on the school premises finding out what goes on behind the scenes with the Outdoor Education Department, the School offices and the IT Department. Others went further afield to Manchester, London, Glasgow and Leeds.

The feedback we have had from employers, students and teachers has all been fantastic. Some of our students have even been offered part time jobs as a result of their hard work whilst on placement! On the whole, the Year 10 students were a credit to the school, with comments such as:

Rocket ScienceOn Wednesday 19th March a team of sixteen Year 9 students went to Lancaster University to compete in a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) challenge.

When we arrived the team was divided into four groups and given a challenge each, including using an iPad and projector to make holograms (and use it to show their own short film), using crushed berries to make a solar cell, measuring the whole campus as accurately as possible and finally making and launching air powered bottle rockets. With ten schools competition was fierce and some good work was done in all challenges. At the end of the day with all prizes being announced we came away with the prize for best rocket, but all teams did well. Unfortunately we were unable to bring home the overall prize which the university has called The Simon Martindale Shield in recognition of the work he did helping to introduce Sixth Form students to university.

Erin Worth’s ReportI went to Cisco which is an IT company based in Manchester but for one of my days I travelled to London to work with one of their partner organisations. I have been involved with Cisco for the last year as part of Technovation so had made good contacts.

Organising and carrying out the placement was definitely a challenge but something that was very rewarding. I really enjoyed the experience of getting the tube and trains on my own, something I had never done before, but felt happy that I found my way without getting lost! Going to Cisco and travelling to Manchester & London has made me realise how much I enjoyed travelling and it’s opened my eyes to the amount of jobs in IT and made me think about different careers.

My advice for other students planning their work experience would be to try something out of your comfort zone as it helps build confidence and independence. Work experience is one of the best things I have ever done!

Work experience

Science

Having the chance to experience working life beyond school gives young people a real sense of responsibility for their own learning and self development. We want students from Morecambe Community High School to leave school with a sense of purpose, looking forward to achieving their goals. We hope the work experience process helps students to identify their skills, build confidence and raise aspirations.

“The best student we have had on work placement; we have offered Jess a part time job”

“Excellent, credit to the school”

“Brilliant student, I would definitely employ him”

“Excellent nature with the children – a superb student”

“Brilliant student, hard working and shows initiative”

“Enthusiastic and keen to learn; she got stuck into every task”

year 10 Look at Life courseFor work experience a number of Year 10 students spent the week with the Army to gain a small insight into life as a soldier. During the week the students took part in a number of military exercises, including assault courses, problem solving tasks, cleaning, bed making and a fitness test consisting of a best effort mile and a half run.

They also took part in a number of lessons such as cooking in the field, first aid, camouflage and concealment and making shelters.

Unfortunately, the February storms cut the week short after the power and heating failed in the camp. All students really enjoyed the course and represented the school brilliantly.

Rotary Club Technology TournamentOn Friday 14th March a team of Year 10 Girls and a team of Year 10 Boys from MCHS took part in a Technology Competition for local schools organised by The Rotary Club. Their brief was to simulate the handling of nuclear waste carefully and precisely and for this they had to design and construct a machine that could pick up a tennis ball from inside a box 2m away and place it on a circular target. To add to the competition all teams were also against the clock.

The teams had a limited range of materials to work with – dowelling, plywood, card, straws, elastic bands, string, wire and staples and each team member had to take on a specific role within the group from Leader to Portfolio Manager.

The eight students – Jasmine Tolson, Amy Crossley, Marissa Smith, Gemma Blakeman, Alistair Edwards, Daniel Clare, Jacob Crinnion and Liam Bryan showed great initiative, enthusiasm, leadership, teamwork and creativity throughout the task and were a credit to themselves and the school. Their co-operation and developments were monitored throughout and their hard work paid off as the girls were placed a creditable third whilst the boys won the competition. Congratulations to all involved.

The Faraday ChallengeAt the end of last term MCHS was fortunate to host The Faraday Challenge – a national scientific design competition organised by the IET - The Institute of Engineering and Technology.

We competed against four local schools, Heysham, Central, Ripley and Our Lady’s. Unfortunately the two teams from Morecambe did not win. This was a shame as both teams managed to get their rockets to fly and their method of transport to go. All eight students involved thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I could tell were frustrated with the result, as it came down to the paperwork! Well done to Matthew Howarth, Harry Ord, Robert Hodgson, Aimee Haigh, Lauren Morton, Cameron Hirst, Daniel Harkin, Megan Williams, Rebecca Hall, Dylan Vity, Aaron Pike and Sam White. All students have received a CREST Discovery Award for their involvement on the day.

In January sixty MCHS Year 10 students competed in the United Kingdom Intermediate Maths Challenge. This is an individual competition with 25 questions. The highest 40% in the country receive a certificate.

Indiana Chandisingh received the Best in School Certificate and a Silver Certificate, Sam Good a Silver Certificate, Michael Stables, Max Schindler, Ella Ness, Lucy Wilson, Dione Stanway and Declan Lord received a Bronze Certificate.

Nicole Cullen and Cameron Olde from Year 11 were chosen to take part in a series of Royal Institution Maths Lectures being delivered at Lancaster University.

The students had talks on Networks, 4-D geometry, Polyhedra and the 4 colour problem, Combinations, Probability and How Big is the Universe! They met and worked with students from other schools (from all over the North West) on a variety of written and practical activities. Science

Maths & technology

never forget When Lucy Murgatroyd and I got the chance to visit the Concentration Camps; Auschwitz I and Auschwitz - Birkenau, we knew that it was a chance we both could not miss.

The Holocaust Educational Trust offers two students from every Sixth Form the chance to visit the camps and then pass their message onto their school and community. From this the students would then be able to become Holocaust Ambassadors. The aim of our trip to the Concentration Camps is to pass on a message about re-humanising the Holocaust.

Our first destination was the Jewish Cemetery in Oświścim, where the graves of many Jewish people before the Second World War lay untouched. This was a great honour as this cemetery is not open to the public, however the authorities opened it up for the Holocaust Educational Trust.

Walking around the Concentration Camps in Poland opened our eyes to the evil that existed. In Auschwitz I the pictures of the prisoners in the blocks were heart-achingly horrific, it made you realise what they really had to go through. In Auschwitz-Birkenau, at the close of the day, all 200 of us attended a Ceremony by Rabbi Marcus to remember those who had lost their lives. We all lit candles and placed them on the railway tracks on the way out of the camp and we realised we were making a journey home that millions of people never could make 70 or so years before. This is what personally stuck with me the most - I could go home to my family and somewhere nice to sleep at night, whereas many others never could.

We urge anyone who gets to the chance to visit the camps in Poland to take it. Our advice is to go in with an open mind and you’ll come back thinking a lot differently and appreciating the small things. Also, never forget and never again.

Emma Gray, Year 13

Sixth Form Sports ReliefThe excitement had been building as 21st March drew ever closer. What amazing feat of teamwork would MCHS achieve for Sports Relief this time? Having successfully broken three world records two years ago, the bar had been set. Potential attempts were considered for hula-hooping, tennis ball bouncing and nursery-rhyme singing but we finally decided on the largest backwards walk, the 31-legged race and the largest 3-legged and piggyback races. Training began in earnest - well, two Sixth Form teams tried to work out how many people were in a 31-legged team!

Friday arrived and the weather forecast was not good. Were we talking another Olympic Torch event - i.e. drenching? We were not going to let a bit of weather ruin the chance to get muddy on the field and prove MCHS has what it takes. Collective positive thinking drove the clouds away and the scene was set.

At 2pm fifteen hundred students and staff set off on their 1km backwards walk. Some staff reported motion sickness as if walking backwards was not normal, yet they soldiered on. The perimeter of the field was lined with athletes in their high performance sports wear. William Swallow completed the course first setting an impressive pace.

Next came the three-legged and piggyback races. Competition was fierce. Jack Lawton and Tom Charlson (Y13) won the three-legged with Jack Antcliffe (Y13) and Lewis Thompson (Y7) winning a very tight piggyback race. The 31-legged record for 50m was never in danger though it was a hugely enjoyable spectator sport. Of the four world-records attempted one was smashed, two are awaiting the final count and one remains a target for the future.

For the second time in two years, we had had a fun packed record-breaking afternoon raising money for Sports Relief in the bright March sunshine. Total money raised so far is £1400 and rising. Well done to everyone who took part.

Mr Careless

Sports report

Despite the heavy rains, the MCHS footballers have still managed to play plenty of fixtures. At the time of going to press there had been more than 60 games played with well over half leading to victories.

In the Lancashire Cup both the U14 and 1st XI performed really well. The U14s reached the quarter-finals before losing 2-1 to St Augustine’s. The 1st XI went one better, before losing to an extremely strong DACA team in the semi-final. Well done to all those involved.

In the District Cup competitions, all year groups have performed creditably with it looking likely that the U12, U14 and U15 sides should qualify for the finals, which are to be held after Easter. All three sides are unbeaten with the U12s winning all of their games.

In friendly fixtures it has been most pleasing that 20 games or more have been contested by B teams, with C and D teams in both Year 7 and the Sixth Form. This means that around 230 boys have represented MCHS since Christmas.

RugbyCongratulations to Nathan Traynor and Aidan McDonald who have both made it through to the full Lancashire Squads in their age groups. Good luck to them both.

Cross-countryBen and Kieron Blackburn made it a family double early in the year, by both winning the District X-Country championships in their age groups. Kieron went on to finish second at the Lancashire Championships, leading his Junior Boys District team to first place overall. Ben was ill on the day but was still selected for the Lancashire team and ran in the English Schools Championships for the second year running.

Table-TennisMathew Knowles-Cooke and Adam Ordonez performed really well at the Lancashire Schools Championships. Adam playing at the youngest end of the U16 age group showed real potential by reaching the quarter-finals. Mathew, in his last year at U16, went on to be beaten by the eventual winner in the semi-final. Well done lads.

BadmintonEllie Schofield has once again been chosen to represent Lancaster and Morecambe at the Youth Games in Holland. In previous years she has competed in Holland and Denmark. This is a tremendous achievement for a girl with real talent.

BoxingWith the rising popularity of junior boxing and a regular boxing club at school, MCHS can boast its own champion. Jack Catlow is currently the North-West Regional Champion for his age and weight group. He also reached the semi-finals of the National Championships.

Football

Morecambe Community High School I Dallam Avenue I Morecambe I Lancashire LA4 5BG

T 01524 410 207 F 01524 420 156 www.mymchs.co.uk

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Hothersall LodgeOn a chilly day in March the Year 12 Geographers completed their AS fieldwork on the River Wyre during their stay at Hothersall Lodge.

The students spent two days learning about river processes and fieldwork techniques where they were helped by experts at Hothersall Lodge.

geography Year 7

Ingleton Falls A group of fifty Year 10 Geography students walked around the famous 4.5 mile Ingleton Waterfalls trail on a sunny day in March.

Students studied the spectacular river and waterfall features the trail has to offer to support their GCSE river studies.

Fundraising for LEPRAYear 7 students took part in a sponsored work-out in order to raise money for LEPRA – a charity that helps children who suffer from leprosy. Thanks to their combined efforts they managed to raise an impressive £900.

EveryoungPop sensation EverYoung played a remarkable concert to all Year 7 students, culminating in an astonishing rendition of their hit single ‘You Got Me.’ EverYoung are Hollie, Cherelle, Eyal and Jack who are graduates of the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School in London which produced notable artists such as Amy Winehouse, Rita Ora and Billie Piper.

The concert was part of Cybersmile Foundation’s anti-bullying campaign which is promoted by the Bay Radio. Students from MCHS Drama Department performed their play ‘Little Miss Morecambe’ on the same show, in which the central character Lauren Woof (Year 7) is advised on how to beat the bullies by her imaginary friend Lauren Walsh (Year 11). It was particularly pleasing to hear the members of EverYoung compliment the MCHS actors on a superb performance which was enjoyed by all students and staff who attended.Trafford Centre

On the 7th March 2014, fifty-five Year 7 students and fifteen Year 13 students went to Salford Quays and the Trafford Centre to study settlement, re-development and recent shopping developments.

The students were given a talk about the impact of the re-development at Salford Quays and a guided tour of the Trafford Centre with a sneaky look behind the scenes in the security suite!