October 2018

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Full reports and news can be found via

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‘News’ area of the school website...

www.liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk@Liskeard_School

The magazine of Liskeard School & Community College

We believe that all students have the potential be great leaders. Developing leadership skills help students succeed inside and outside the classroom. At Liskeard we have a number of leadership opportunities as shown below.

We also know that peer to peer support is a powerful way to enhance learning, so this year we have introduced the idea of using lead learners in a variety of classes across the school.

In future editions of The Reflection we hope the Student Council will have a regular article about the work they have been doing. For more information about any of theese leadership roles, please see our websites or speak with Mrs Birkbeck. There are a number of ways students can become involved in school leadership. Below is a list of our student leadership initiatives:

• Whole School Council Rep• Year Group Council Rep• Personnel Leaders• Internet Mentors (Year 9 only)• Green Team Leaders• Peer Mentors (Year 8 only)• Sports Leaders• Science Leaders• Language Leaders• Prefects (Year 11 only)

Spotlight on: Student LeadershipHead’s LetterDear Parents, Carers and Friends of Liskeard School,

Welcome to the second edition of our monthly newsletter.

I am proud of all the opportunities we provide in school above and beyond the core business of teaching and learning. The additional activities help to shape students’ outlook on the world and help to raise aspirations. Since the last newsletter much has happened. For example, Ellie Brunt in Year 8 and her friends held a wonderful charity concert filmed by the BBC to raise awareness about mental health; Year 7 experienced a great week at Porthpean; some Year 8 & 9 students spent the morning with the army completing a problem-solving activity known as ‘Operation Disaster Relief’, over 20 students performed at the annual concert at Stuart House, Year 11 have received their first Progress Check and our 6th formers had the chance to discover more about life at university. You can read about some of these later on in the newsletter.

I’m delighted to report that we’ve had a great start to the year in terms of attendance which is approximately 1% higher than this time last year. This may not sound a lot, but is in actual fact a significant rise. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, last year’s Year 11 students with good attendance (over 95%) achieved almost a whole grade higher on average than those with attendance below 95%, regardless of their ability. Good attendance is one of the biggest factors of how well students do at school. Unfortunately, as we approached the tail end of last half-term attendance did drop a little. With the winter approaching, please do encourage your child to be in school and show resilience even if they are feeling a little under the weather.

The next two months are jam packed with events and activities. Please check the ‘dates to remember’ section at the end of the newsletter to see which affect you.

With best wishes,

Alex LingardHeadteacher

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

Daniel Hiscock 7L, 27 Connie Frith 8K, 30 Macey Cunningham 9A, 36

Aimee Roobottom 7L, 21 Joe Young 8K, 24 Josie Burnett 9A, 36

Faith Halifax 7E, 17 Luisa Gold 8S, 24 Dylan Sargeant 9S, 24

Sophie Shaftoe 7A, 16 Isobel Coleflax 8K, 24 Jack Unsworth 9L, 18

Ellie-Mae Burns 7E, 16 Lily-Beth Southcott 8L, 24 Jaeda Gately 9A, 18

Imogen Shapland 7S, 15 Ellie Brunt 8K, 23 Kevin Xholi 9A, 17

Sam Cotterill 7K, 15 Abigail Geach 8K, 22 Sylvie Reed 9A, 17

Freddie Seeva 7S, 14 Lily Priestley 8K, 21 Abi Hinchliff 9A, 17

Mia Bratherton 7E, 13 Freya Elliott 8L, 21 Katie Buckingham 9L, 16

Lois Harper 7S, 13 Ted Dyer 8S, 20 Caleb Brown 9S, 16

And 4 students on 12! And 3 students on 19! Cameron McLeay 9L, 16

Top Merit Earners for October

Year 10 Year 11

Morgan Stapleton-Jonas 10S, 23 Niomi Farley 11K, 22

Charlie Wadsworth 10S, 21 Harley Oakley 11A, 18

Blaine Derrick 10E, 19 Reece Mayo 11E, 18

Connor Davey 10S, 18 Elly Murchison 11A, 17

Liam Champion 10L, 17 Tiryn Moss 11S, 16

Megan Sanderson 10A, 17 Kai Miller 11L, 16

Aaron Upton 10L, 16 Tyler Bradbury 11L, 15

Charlie Rowe 10K, 16 Bryony Rowe 11E, 14

Matthew Ince 10E, 15 Hannah Rees 11S, 13

And three students on 14! Molly Toms 11A, 13

And two students on 12!

Student of the Month

WinnerEllie was nominated by a record number of staff for this month’s award. Ellie has shown huge courage and kindness in helping to raise awareness of mental health and to raise funds to support a local mental health charity (CALM). Ellie did this by putting on a charity concert at school with the help of her friends. After an inspirational interview on Radio Cornwall, the BBC decided to send a film crew to record the concert and asked Ellie to be interviewed on Spotlight over half-term. Well done Ellie, we are very proud of you.

NomineesEllie was one of thirteen nominations for the October student of the month - each students’ nomination is listed on the next page!

Six Strategies for Effective LearningAs mentioned in the last newsletter, one of the things we are trying to develop this year is students’ ability to learn effectively outside of the classroom using 6 tried and tested strategies. It is one thing

to be able to remember something soon after it has been taught, but quite another to properly learn it so that it can be remembered and understood months later. Please find below some

information about the first strategy that we have titled ‘SPACE IT OUT’. If you’d like to find out more please contact Mr O’Connell at jaoconnell@liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk. Each month we will focus

on one of these strategies in more detail. In the next issue we’ll be looking at the second strategy known as ‘RETRIEVE’

Student of the Month Nominees

Amy Bunt (Year 13) and Wyomme Parkinson (Year 12) and for their amazing dedication and support at Porthpean. Nominated by

Mr Lemin

Tegan Eastmond (12) for always

going the extra mile. Nominated by Mrs

Jeff

Emily Buckingham (11) for her effort

&organisation and for always being helpful and supportive of her peers. Nominated by

Mrs Jeff

Leah Strevens (10) for her total reliability

every lesson. She has an excellent

work ethic and is a pleasure to have in the classroom.

Nominated by Mrs Jeff

Ryley Plackett (9) for her fantastic attitude

to learning and for being a wonderful

peer mentor. Nominated by Mr

Davis

The Peer Mentors (9) for being an

outstanding group of students and

confidently taking on a much wider

role. They’ve been a real success story of the first half term. Nominated by Mr

Davis

Sophie Bettinson (8) for her extraordinary

kindness towards her classmates. She

has an extremely positive attitude to her learning and is always a positive influence in the class. Nominated

by Dr Shilling.

Caleb Brown (8) for consistently trying

exceptionally hard in class and showing courage to have a go at tough tasks. Nominated by Dr

Shilling

8K for embodying the spirit of Team Liskeard with their support of Ellie in making the

charity concert such a success (and also

for being a great tutor group to teach!).

Nominated by Mr AirdDylan Sargeant (8) for fantastic work, a wonderful attitude and tireless effort in biology. Dylan has

made excellent progress in this subject this term. Nominated

by Mr Hordley.

Imogen Shapland (7) for her completely

dedicated approach to science. She is a model student and

puts maximum effort into her work - often

completing extra challenging tasks. Nominated by Mr

Churchward

Student’s fundraising concert for CALM a fantastic successA fundraising concert for the mental health charity CALM, organised solely by Year 8 student Ellie Brunt, was a fantastic success, raising £350.

The event, held in Liskeard School & Community College’s New Hall, saw a variety of performers take part, including musical performances and a tremendous dance routine.

The concert had over 100 attendees and Ellie and a group of students ran everything at the event, including backstage, front of house, refreshments and compering. The concert ended with Ellie talking to those in attendance about the work that CALM, a charity close to Ellie’s heart, does.

Ellie had spoken so articulately on BBC Radio Cornwall in the lead up to the event that the BBC attended the concert, recording parts of it and interviewing Ellie. The Laurence Reed Show on BBC Radio Cornwall have been following Ellie’s story and interviewed her live on air, and she later featured on BBC Spotlight.

The Creative and Performing Arts department thanked Liskeard School for their new lights, which gave the event an extra special feel.

Ellie was delighted with the amount raised at the concert.

“Thank you to everyone involved in the concert. The main message is to raise awareness, and if the concert has helped just one family, that would mean something,” she said.

Congratulations to Ellie on her hard work and the concert’s success.

Photos by students Katie Ovenden and Tamar Bawden.

We have had 5 telegraph poles kindly donated to the school to help us with our Wish Tree construction. Once we have organised how we can get them to school it will be full steam ahead! If anyone is able to help with any of the following, please do get in touch:

•Ground workers (with & without plant & machinery of their own)•People who work with steel wires and tensioning equipment (balustrades etc)•General Builders•Qualified Electricians•Fencing contractors – with specialist hole boring equipment a bonus!

If you are able to help in any way please contact the Headteacher at head@liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk or Esther Hall at esther@fdhall.co.uk

Wish Tree Update!

WW1 CentenaryTo recognise the centenary of the end of WW1 we have organised a number of activities. As always, the school will be part of the town’s remembrance day parade with students laying a wreath at the memorial. In addition, Jono Reed, one of our 6th formers is putting together a short DVD detailing the names of those from Liskeard who sadly lost their lives in the Great War. We hope that this will be available for public viewing at Stuart House. Thank you to local resident Tony Ball for his assistance in providing details of these brave men. We have a plaque in school that gives the names of those who attended Liskeard School and we have decided to move it to a more prominent position, so more students can see it.

Our technology team, with the help of some students, are creating some silhouettes of soldiers and some large textile poppies to be displayed in our quad area. On Friday 9th November at 11am, we will hold 2 minutes’ silence in this area and will play the Last Post and Reveille.

In the Year 7, 8 & 9 history lessons next week students will get to watch clips of the powerful film ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ directed by Peter Jackson and discuss the importance of remembering such key events in our history.

Year 9 have also been writing some ‘thank you’ letters to those who served, sacrificed and changed our world. We hope that a selection of these will be read out at the remembrance service on Sunday 11th November at St Martin’s church.

Year 7 Porthpean Fun!My experience of Porthpean was amazing for many reasons: the staff, the food, the accommodation and the activities. During my time at Porthpean, I had a blast staying in the tents. The tents were large, dry and warm. All of my friends and I had a great night sleep every time and we enjoyed every moment.

When I was at Porthpean, I had no fear of doing anything including heights. But as it was my turn to try the leap of faith I completely panicked. As I was walking up the ladder all of the students and staff cheered me on and I completed the leap of faith. I was so proud of myself!

by Layla Threadgill

Porthpean is an extremely enjoyable trip that you should definitely consider attending. Canoeing, high ropes, rock climbing and much more is available at Porthpean.

My favourite part of Porthpean would have to be the high ropes.

The mix of the thrill of being high up, the feeling of competition and beating your opponents to the top. The food is very high quality and the service is good. Each day there will be a different tutor group cleaning up the food hall. The tents can hold 6 to 7 people in each one. You will get to pick who you want to be in your tent.

You will get to go in the ocean and do canoeing. If the wind is too strong or the sea is too rough you will do body boarding instead. I really enjoyed catching the waves. Make sure you bring some comfortable walking shoes with you because you will be doing a 6 to 7 mile walk to Blackhead Point. You can climb up to the point and see for miles out to sea. You can even see to Looe.

This was an extremely enjoyable trip that I would recommend to others.

by Joshua Hersey

Liskeard School present 40th celebrations cheque to Liskeard Silver BandLiskeard School & Community College was delighted to present a cheque worth £254 to the Liskeard Silver Band, raised as part of the school’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

An evening concert took place at the school on Friday 21st September – the start of a weekend of celebrations – with the Liskeard Silver Band playing a mixed selection of numbers, which the audience enjoyed. The school and the Band have strong ties, with staff member Mrs Shufflebotham, Year 8 student Abigail Jones and two former students being members of the band.

The concert also featured a number of performances from students past and present, as well as the school staff choir.

The band said:

“We were delighted to receive a cheque for £254 and thank the school for inviting us to participate in the concert and community fayre as part of the school’s 40th anniversary celebrations.”

No vehicle movement after schoolTo ensure the safety of students when leaving school, please be aware that from Monday 29th October, there will be no vehicle movement at the front of school be-tween 3.10pm and 3.30pm. The area will be coned off and no vehicles will be allowed to enter or leave. Thank you for your co-operation and understanding.

Energy drinksWe have noticed an increase in students bringing high caffeine, high sugar ‘energy’ drinks into school. These, along with fizzy drinks, such as cola, are not allowed in school.

Attendance UpdatesWe know that good attendance to school is one of the top three factors in students’ academic success. A drop of just 5% in attendance can affect GCSE grades by 1 whole grade. Last year, students in Year 11 with 95% or higher attendance (less than 8 days’ absence) achieved an average grade of 5. Those with an attendance of between 90% and 95% (8 to 15 days’ absence) achieved an average grade of 4. The following diagram helps with understanding what percentage attendance means in terms of days missed:

Group Attendance

Year 7 98%

Year 8 96%

Year 9 95%

Year 10 95%

Year 11 96%

School 96%

To help motivate and reward excellent attendance we have introduced some fortnightly attendance prizes this year.

Students with 100% attendance over the previous fortnight will be entered into a prize draw. Winners in each year group will be able to choose one of the following:

- Mufti for you and 2 friends for one day- Jump the queue for you and 2 friends for a week- Leave lessons 5 minutes before lunch with a friend for a week- One free lunch

Overall attendance so far… 52% of students had 100% attendance up to half-term.

Booster Sessions – The revision booster sessions are running until Friday 16th November. The sessions are open to all students and they should just go along if they want to attend. If your child has been invited to one or more of the sessions this is because their teachers believe it will benefit them. Please encourage them to attend the last couple before the mocks begin.

EARN – Independent supervised revision in the Library is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where revision materials are made available to students. Students can work in the library any afternoon of the week independently. It is an excellent well resourced, quiet space.

Maths, English and Science Tutor Time Intervention – We have been genuinely impressed with the positive approach students have taken to these sessions. They will continue to run until Thursday 8th November, the week before the mock exams start.

Mock Exams – Week Starting 19th November - All year 11 have received their mock exam timetables. Please note that Maths and Science exams are up first!

Please help your child look carefully at when each exam is and plan enough revision time in advance. For creative arts subjects the mocks count towards their final exam. Students should approach the mocks as they would the real summer exams and go for it!

Please ensure your child has the right equipment for each exam in a clear pencil case as they will be conducted under the official exam conditions. They will also need enough sleep and a healthy diet to help them through the mocks. Please check your e-mail inbox, I will be sending out further information about the mock exams in due course.

Tuesday 20th November at 6pm – Sixth Form Open Evening – There are no written mock exams the following day to ensure all students can attend; enabling them to see the opportunities that are on offer post-16 at Liskeard Sixth Form.

Friday 14th December – Last day of the mocks – Eden Ice Skating Trip for Year 11. This trip is now closed, if your child has returned a form, please can you ensure the online payment has been made.

Wednesday 16th January – Mock results day and Year 11 parents’ evening.

Year 11 Mock Exam and Key Dates

Year 11 Careers SupportIt is a very important time for our Year 11 students and the Careers Department will be here to help them research and plan their next steps. All students will be required to stay in education or training until the end of the year that they reach 18. This does not mean that they will need to stay on at school, they will be able to choose where next they wish to study or train, whether it be in a sixth form, at college, an apprenticeship or accredited work with training attached to it. The choice is entirely their own.

During the year we will be having lots of assemblies related to careers and visits to and from colleges, universities, apprenticeship teams and employers. There will also be several drop-in sessions held in the Library. Students should take every opportunity to ask as many questions as they can and visit as many providers as they feel necessary to help make these decisions.

Students will all receive impartial careers interviews with Mrs Carlin, the Careers and Work Related Learning Co-ordinator. Some may only need one or two sessions, others will require ongoing support to ensure they make the right choice for themselves. CSW Group and RIO will also join our team to further help identified students who may require additional support.

All students should aim to make a 'plan A' and 'plan B', just in case something does not go as planned. There is a course of study out there for everyone and with help, I am sure they will make the right choices that suit their requirements. Mrs Carlin is available in her office for information, advice and guidance, whilst resources and college prospectuses are available in the Careers Library and on the school website. There is also information for parents there too!

Exam Invigilators Required!We are looking to recruit Exam Invigilators on a part time basis to participate in conducting the smooth running of examinations for our students. To be successful in this role, you will need to have good attention to detail, be flexible and an excellent time keeper; the ability to handle situations in a calm and logical manner working as part of a team and also independently supporting the Exams Manager. Experience is not necessary as full training will be provided.

Applicants should be available during May and June on an ad hoc basis. Hourly rate on a casual basis is £8.50 per hour.

Tasks include preparing exam rooms, distributing papers and stationery, advising candidates of exam conditions, observing students during the exam ensuring that all regulatory requirements are adhered to. After the exam, you are responsible for collecting exam materials and leaving exam rooms tidy. All successful candidates will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Baring Service) check.

Information is available on the Vacancies page on our school website - http://www.liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk/vacancies. If you have any queries, please call 01579-342344 and ask for Mrs Laycock, Exams Manager.Closing date for applications to be received is: Friday 14th December

Liskeard School and Community College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.

Heads of Year MessagesYear 7

I hope this message finds you well. Year 7 continue to go from strength to strength and are adapting well to the demands of secondary school life. Towards the end of last half term we had a major milestone with regards to our Year 7 residential to Porthpean. The main aim being to provide pupils and tutors with the opportunity get to know each other whilst having fun. Activities such as the ‘Leap of Faith’ and ‘High Ropes’ raised morale, camaraderie and unity within each tutor group. I must also say the behaviour and positivity around camp was outstanding and the pupils were an absolute credit to you all.

Going forward we continue to have the highest expectations of each and every pupil. Can I ask that you continue to reinforce these expectations at home with regards to homework and organisation. Please ensure these responsibilities are placed on your children. As a school are working very hard to boost their ability to be proactive and plan ahead. Thank you for your continued support.

Mr MitchellYear 8

Two events stood out in October for Year 8. The first was a STEM Challenge for 30 pupils led by the Army. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The challenge was entitled ‘Operation Disaster Relief’ and tasked the students with building and operating robots that could be used to search disaster areas and move objects blocking their way. Those that took part really rose to the occasion as the task was a difficult one to achieve. The second was the charity concert organised by Ellie Brunt from 8K. I just wanted to add my personal congratulations to all of the Year 8s involved. More charity events have been planned for coming months by Year 8 pupils - more to follow on these in future editions.

Mr Glasgow

Year 9I hope you all enjoyed a restful half term. We come back to a busy few weeks in the run up to Christmas. Year 9 will be involved in a number of ‘Healthy Relationships’ workshops, for a four week period starting on the 15th November. If you have any queries about this, please contact Mrs. Lofthouse (emlofthouse@liakeard.cornwall.sch.uk). We also have Parent’s Evening shortly coming up on the 5th December, and the following week on Monday 10th December is ‘Take Your Child To Work Day’. This is a great opportunity for students to see what the

‘real’ working world is like, and try and get them thinking about their future careers. This will fit in nicely with their GCSE options choices that they’ll soon have to make. Students have been told about this in assembly this week, and a letter home will be sent out shortly. If you have any queries, then please contact your son/daughter’s tutor. Or alternatively please speak to myself or Mrs. Harris at Parents’ Evening. We look forward to seeing you then!

Mrs Dove

Year 10 There are two upcoming events which are important for Year 10 students to attend.

Year 10 GCSE Success Evening - Wednesday 7th November 2018This important evening will run from1800 to 1900. We will be discussing the following areas on how we can all work together to bring success to our year 10 students.

1. Ensure attendance is excellent.2. Ensure students are sleeping, relaxing, drinking water and eating healthy meals and

snacks. 3. Involve parents and carers in asking about their lessons. What did they learn? Enjoy?

Need to do for homework? What are they unsure of?4. Help plan their revision time and stick to their plan – are they focussing on the right

things? Are they getting the balance right? Have they got a quiet space?5. Put all the key dates on the family calendar, phones etc.6. Actively help with the metacognitive revision strategies.7. Encourage the use of a wide range of revision tools and apps.8. Ensure they have access to revision guides.9. Help encourage and facilitate them attending after school and holiday support

sessions.10. Work in partnership with the school for our shared goal.

Opportunities Cornwall Careers Event - Thursday 15th November 2018.The purpose of this event is to make our Y10 students aware of the fantastic range of career opportunities on their doorstep in Cornwall. Our year 10s are our future engineers, digital experts, graphic designers and energy specialists, to name but a few. There is no longer a need for them to leave Cornwall to pursue these goals. This event is designed to open their eyes to the main up and coming employment sectors in Cornwall and the huge range of careers within each one.

On the day before, students will be briefed about the Opportunities Cornwall Careers Event they will be taking part in the following day and listen to an inspiring talk about space coming to Cornwall. The students will be in groups of 14 and will all meet 10 potential employers during the day.

Mr GluyasYear 11

After a really positive start in September Year 11 have an equally busy half term ahead with the mocks starting on Monday 19th November and going on until Friday December 7th. Please see the information below on how best to support your child through, what could be, a stressful time. The mocks are a really good way to see where pupils are in relation to their studies and, whilst it will be great to celebrate success, we also will be able to pinpoint areas that need to be developed in time for the Sum-mer exams.

We have the ice skating trip coming up in December and a significant number of pupils have opted to come on the trip which will be a fantastic way to celebrate the end of

School Uniform and Equipment RemindersPlease may I remind parents that skin-tight trousers and clingy skirts are not allowed in school. The vast majority of students are wearing correct uniform, but we are still having to pick up a small number of students on a regular basis for wearing inappropriate skirts or trousers. Your assistance with this is greatly appreciated.Thank you to parents for ensuring students come to school fully equipped. We will be continuing with equipment checks this half-term and issuing short detentions for those with missing items. Please remember that a glue stick is now part of the equipment list.

E-Safety Message - online safety tip!When gaming, usernames can be seen by other players so teach your children that user names need to be non-identifying, so don’t include your age, year of birth, full name, location etc. Look out for more tips and advice in the new Liskeard School Online Safety Newsletter, coming to your inbox next week!

mocks! After Christmas we will be setting up online payment for the prom, the Year Book and the end of year trip to Flambards. At the moment we are still sourcing the best prices so we will keep you informed.

Please continue to ask if you are unsure of how best to support your child. Teachers will be more than happy to respond to emails if you would like more information regarding a sub-ject area. The tutors are also closely involved in monitoring success so again, please make contact if you need to.

Mrs Snowling

Upcoming DatesMonday 5th November Tempest photographs for Y7, Y9 and Y11

Wednesday 7th November, 6pm-7pm Year 10 GCSE Success Evening

Thursday 15th November Non-uniform day for Children in Need (£1 donation)

Friday 16th November INSET Day (no school for students)

Tuesday 20th November, 6pm Sixth Form Open Evening

Wednesday 5th December, 3.45pm-6.45pm Year 9 Parents’ Evening

Monday 10th December Year 9 Take Your Child to Work Day

Tuesday 11th December GCSE Certificate Evening (class of 2018)

Wednedday 12th December Sixth Form and Cornwall College Taster Day for Year 11

Friday 14th December Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children

Tuesday 18th December Christmas Concert

@LiskeardSchool @Liskeard_Schooltel: 01579 342344twitter: @Liskeard_Schoolweb: www.liskeard.cornwall.sch.ukemail: SFOffice@liskeard.cornwall.sch.uk

LiskeardS I X T H F O R Mmy

Liskeard Sixth Form Open EveningTuesday 20th November at 6pm

Join our Sixth Form!

Come and check out our vibrant Sixth Form, ranked in the top 10% in the

country*.*ALPS 2018