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Term 5 - May 2024 |
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Message from Mr Humphreys, Headteacher |
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Term 5 is an intense, busy term for both students and staff as we prepare students for their final GCSE and A Level examinations.
Students and staff have worked tirelessly, week in, week out, shaping the learning, offering challenge and support to each other. We do everything we can to help our students prepare, providing a personalised approach to give every student the best chance of success. We ask our young people to do their best and they are certainly giving it everything which is both encouraging and rewarding to see. The half term is a welcome break for these students to relax, revise and prepare for the next phase of exams after the break. We wish them good luck.
Our Culture Day celebrated the wonderful diversity we have in our school and was definitely bigger and better this year at the students’ request. It was great to see students embrace and celebrate their nationality and heritage which provoked so much discussion across all year groups. Families looked on with interest and the whole day was a huge success. The diversity at St Katherine’s, coupled with our mission to be an inclusive community, is what makes our community special, creating a stronger and true sense of belonging within the wider school community.
We celebrated Paul Stephenson’s birthday in style again this year and took time to remind students of his important message - ‘from adversity comes progress’. Mr Court and Stephenson House smashed their 170km target to walk from St Katherine’s to the Houses of Parliament across the lunchtimes, showing that when you put your mind to something, anything is possible. The walk was to thank Mr Stephenson for taking the fight for equality from our city to the heart of government.
We have had a number of sporting successes during Term 5 claiming many trophies which you can read about below along with several successful Duke of Edinburgh practice walks and expeditions in North Somerset and the Quantocks. We look forward to a number of days in the Mendips next term. It is wonderful to see so many of our young people embracing the outdoors and creating great moments and memories with friends and their teachers, along with correcting a few navigational errors along the way!
The trust and St Katherine’s have been evaluating progress to help inform the priorities for the school next year and beyond. We will continue to focus and invest heavily in supporting the continuous improvement of pedagogy (the delivery) of our curriculums in each classroom, each day. As part of this work we have two new Assistant Headteacher colleagues joining us from two Bristol Schools and we look forward to introducing them in September.
Finally, a number of kind messages have arrived this week from parents/carers expressing their sincere thanks for the work of colleagues within the school and the positive impact they have had on their child(ren). Thank you for taking the time to share your gratitude which means so much to colleagues when they read the messages.
Wishing everyone a safe and restful half term break.
Justin Humphreys, Headteacher
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Army work experience
Kaleb Dunn, 10P, attended a four day army residential course in April as part of his work experience. He spent the time at the Army Reserve Centre in Crickhowell learning skills and taking part in basic training.
Kaleb told us about the activities he got involved with:
"We practised going on patrol, doing drills, learnt how to carry weapons, how to assemble the gun we were carrying and how to reassemble it back to its original state and learn what the different parts of the gun are called. We also learnt how to use a prodding stick to reenact how to find land mines that are hidden in the ground, how to put up bashas, went to an electronic shooting range in down in Cardiff, learnt about how to camoflauge using face cam and how to cook ration packs using mess tins and dragon fuel and a mini handheld stove. The part I enjoyed most about it all was carrying the guns and learning how to cook ration packs. I was surprised that we did so much in a few days! I have wanted to go into the army since I was young, I stuck at it and am now doing cadets. I would like to either be a combat soldier or mechanic on joining the army."
Well done Kaleb, it sounds like you had a rewarding - and very busy! - few days.
Ms Gorman, Marketing and Communications Adviser
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Impressive writing from Year 7!
7Y1 students have recently been studying a topic in English called 'Shakespeare and his world'. They have explored a range of Shakespeare plays and delved in to the area of 'non-traditional casting'; students were set a homework challenge to write an opinion piece on the subject. Miss Campbell was particularly impressed by the writing of Fleur Bennerson, Aurinko Mutsuddy and Amelie Payne. Well done 7Y1 for all your hard work!
Ms Gorman, Marketing and Communications Adviser
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NHS talk
In April Josh Chambers, who works as a doctor at Southmead Hospital, came into St Katherine's to talk to our sixth form students about careers in the NHS. He discussed his career path, overcoming rejection and the reality of working as a doctor in the NHS.
He inspired our Year 12 students and spoke in more detail to the Year 13 students who have been offered places at medical school for September 2024.
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Educake super scientists
Well done St Kath's scientists! Our students have already passed the one million mark for questions answered – an achievement reached by only the top 2% of departments who subscribe to Educake.
- Our students answered over 1,032,000 science questions
- Over 34,000 of those were questions students set themselves
- Teachers set 909 quizzes
- These included 511 Study Guides
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We are the Music Makers
On Tuesday 26th March St Katherine’s musicians took part in the trust concert entitled 'We Are The Music Makers' staged for the first time at the newly refurbished Bristol Beacon. It was amazing to be in such a beautiful venue and to enjoy the fabulous acoustics.
The programme was exciting and diverse featuring different orchestras, choirs, a brass group, a samba band, steel pan groups, a harp ensemble and rock bands! The concert opened with a brass collective made up of students from all three secondary schools performing a rousing fanfare written especially for them. A special well done to Arlo Edwards, Iris Jackson and Sam Gurr for performing in this. The first half ended with a stunning performance of We Are The Music Makers by the BCCS chamber choir along with singers from both Trinity and St Katherine’s.
The second half opened with a lively samba band walking through the auditorium and onto stage; thank you to Calvin Lee and Arlo Edwards for representing St Katherine’s in this performance. Next we were treated to some joint orchestral performances of Dr Who and the Ravi Shankar Symphony. The second half also featured some joint choral numbers; the 80’s classic You’re The Voice along with the jazz classic I’m Feeling Good.
The finale was an amazing rendition of You Will Be Found from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. This featured singers from all the primary schools and secondary schools alongside instrumentalists from all schools. The song opened with some solo vocalists; a massive well done to Phoebe Woolnough who sang the opening solo! You Will Be Found was a huge undertaking and an amazing experience for our students to be singing and playing alongside hundreds of other students in such a large scale work.
It was an uplifting end to a wonderful evening of music. The St Katherine’s students represented our school extremely well and I received lots of lovely comments about their performances from staff and students from the other schools. Huge thanks must go to Mr Nicholls for his time, commitment and energy in leading the event. Very well done to all the students involved and we look forward to more great musical collaborations in the future.
Miss Adams, Head of Music
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Culture and community day 2024
Culture Day 2024 - a storming success! Joy. That's the only word to describe the emotion that fuelled a fun-filled atmosphere at St Katherine's second ever Culture Day.
Student centred and student led, with support from Mrs Gill, Ms Jefferson and Miss Campbell, the event was a triumph, allowing us to celebrate our diverse school community. Sixth Form students hosted the event and supported their younger peers to take pride in their cultural identities, with Tacie Ann Francis, Danielle Cameron and Jon Puati-Kambu taking lead roles. From Congo to Poland, Wales to Somalia, countries across the globe were celebrated, with many students proudly wearing cultural clothing and bearing flags.
The wider school community, gathered on the top field, were treated to a vibrant display of unity and joy as students paraded, Olympics opening ceremony style, down a wide walkway, applauded on either side by their peers. The event opened with an incredible and fearless performance from ShananJit Ghakal, followed swiftly by the very talented Alyssa Clemmings, Ohemaa Gyimah-Sarpong and Kelisa Palmer who were met with rapturous applause! Following this, students paraded in their affiliated cultural groups, accompanied to rousing cultural anthems chosen by students.
It would be impossible to name all the students who brought so much joy to so many but Mrs Gill has to be recognised for her incredible solo dance routine. A huge shout also to Mrs Gymiah-Sarpong, who joined in the parade to dance alongside her daughter. An event that will be remembered and memories treasured for many months to come!
Miss Howells observed "Culture day was such a lovely afternoon. It was amazing to see everyone come together and celebrate the different cultures that make up St Katherine's. It's the first event I've seen where the whole school comes together to support each other and it made me feel very proud to work here."
Ms Jefferson, Associate Headteacher and Head of English
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RAG week
Once again RAG week was an incredible success raising a phenomenal £663.64 for Cancer Research, the Teenage Cancer Trust and the prom fund. There were bake sales, world food and jewellery sales, a treasure hunt and the classic soak the sixth form and staff event! Thanks for everyone who supported the events and particularly to Sophia, Charlie, Hope and Teagan for all their hard work organising the week.
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Year 12 visit the University of Oxford
30 Year 12 students enjoyed the incredible opportunity of a visit to the University of Oxford, courtesy of our partners at Exeter College. The rain bucketed down but the students threw themselves into life at one of the most elite academic institutions in the world, including engaging in taster seminars with doctoral candidates on the topics of Human Rights Law and Environmental Biology, an astute insight into university applications and a bit of culture at the renowned Ashmolean Museum. We even got a chance to check in with St Katherine's alumna Wren Talbot-Ponsonby, who took a break from preparations for her final exams to share a cup of tea. A huge thank you to Exeter College - we'll see you again next year.
Mr Davies, Head of Sixth Form
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We have new head students!
We are thrilled to announce that Sophia Harper, Charlie Topp and Hector Andrieux have been appointed as our new head students. The students took part in a rigorous application process, developing pledges during a campaign week which were then anonymously voted on by tutor groups across the school, the pledge strategies were then shared with Mrs Weatherson, Mr Davies and Mr Humphreys.
Congratulations to you all!
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Bronze practice expedition
The Duke of Edinburgh expedition season kicked off with gusto on April 21st, as over 100 Year 9 students dove head first into the world of outdoor adventure. Armed with enthusiasm and determination, they embarked on a journey to master the essential skills and resilience necessary for camping.
Their first challenge? A brisk stroll around the local area, where they put their newfound navigation skills to the test. Returning to base camp at school, they eagerly pitched their tents and took to the camp stoves to prepare a hearty dinner. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape, they dined under the open sky, savouring both the food and the sense of accomplishment.
Despite the chill in the air, the following day dawned bright and clear, bathed in the gentle rays of spring sunshine. Rising early, the students embarked on another brief trek, their spirits buoyed by the promise of adventure. With tents neatly packed and spirits high, they bid farewell to their temporary home and returned to the comforts of civilization, their hearts brimming with memories of their outdoor escapade.
Congratulations are in order for a job well done! The Year 9 students are currently hard at work putting the finishing touches to their volunteering, physical, and skill sections, each step bringing them closer to the coveted Duke of Edinburgh Award. Keep up the fantastic work, Year 9!
Mr Hodgson, Outdoor Education Lead
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Silver expedition to the Quantocks
Year 10 Silver Duke of Edinburgh award participants recently embarked on a scenic and challenging walk around the picturesque Quantock Hills. Their journey began with an invigorating ascent up Beacon Hill, where they were rewarded with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The walk then led them through various terrains, providing both physical challenges and opportunities to appreciate the natural beauty of the area.
The students navigated their way with enthusiasm, although they experienced a few moments of getting off track. These minor detours, however, became valuable learning experiences, helping them to develop their navigation skills and teamwork. With the sun shining brightly and the weather being exceptionally lovely, spirits remained high throughout the adventure.
The walk concluded at Cothelstone Hill, where the students took a moment to reflect on their achievements and the day's journey. In some cases, it was so enjoyable, they returned several times. Their determination and positive attitude were evident, as they supported each other and remained focused on their goals.
Well done to all the Year 10 participants for their hard work and resilience. Your efforts have set a strong foundation for your upcoming expedition, and we look forward to seeing you continue to grow and succeed in your DofE journey. Keep up the great work!
Mr Hodgson, Outdoor Education Lead
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Sixth Form Update |
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Term 5 in the Sixth Form has been all about the big move. We are absolutely thrilled to have migrated over to our beautiful, bespoke, modern, functional, comfortable and - perhaps best of all - air-conditioned new habitat. The staff and students feel incredibly fortunate to have these fantastic facilities as a base, and we are thoroughly enjoying settling in and making it our new home.
And now that our feet are under the table, attentions turn to our incredible Year 13 cohort and their final exams. Rarely have we had such a focused and mature cohort in the run-up to these vital assessments, and it’s been so pleasing to have so many students staying after school, working collaboratively, and taking care of each other in a time which is bound to be stressful to all. We have total faith that their positive and resilient attitudes will culminate in yet another exceptional range of post-18 destinations come August. We all understand that exams are a team effort, and thank you to the families of our students for the support and encouragement - they’ll be over before we know it.
Also, a well done to Year 12 for the focus and resilience shown during their mock exams, which took place earlier this year but were a meaningful and positive experience for most students. These grades will now inform their predictions as we launch the UCAS process at the end of the term and begin looking towards the future, whether that involves university, apprenticeship or employment.
RAG week was again a massive success, and we can’t stress enough how impressed we were with our team of deputy head students for leading on this and raising a fantastic total of over £600 to be divided between charities and the prom fund. Amazing work Sophia, Charlie, Hope and Teagan.
Once again, super-curricular and enrichment opportunities were at the forefront of our Sixth Form offering, and this term saw students descend on the woods for Mr Hodgson’s forest school, receive careers talks from KMPG and the NHS, and Year 12 ended the term with a hugely exciting trip to Exeter College, Oxford.
Enjoy the half-term break, Year 13 stay focused on your end goals, and parents and carers - feel free to pop up and visit our new home!
Take care,
Mr Davies, Head of Sixth Form
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Year 8 are county champions!
On 13th May Year 8 were in the Somerset County Football Cup Final, a competition involving 80 schools. It was the first time in 15 years that a St Katherine's side had made the final so an achievement in itself. The boys had played five rounds already to make it through to play Wellsway School and came out victorious with a 4-0 win.
It was an excellent performance under pressure in the final, the students worked incredibly hard, barely gave Wellsway a chance and left nothing out there so they were deserved winners. The whole team performed brilliantly with Ludo Fishbourne scoring two goals and Max Artus and Jay Jackson one each. For the full match report please see the PE newsletter.
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Stephenson birthday celebrations
To celebrate Paul Stephenson’s 87th birthday students from Stephenson House honoured his journey from the streets of Bristol to the corridors of power.
The day began with music, balloons and photo opportunities at the top of school; followed by a recorded assembly from the Stephenson House leaders. Later, across both lunch breaks, students recreated the 170 km journey from St Katherine’s School to the houses of parliament on foot. We did this to thank Mr Stephenson for taking the fight for equality from our city to the heart of government.
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Stephen Lawrence Day 2024
On 22nd April we marked Stephen Lawrence Day. We remembered the key points of his life in a tutor time activity. Students across the school took time to revisit or learn for the first time about the murder of Stephen Larence and the injustice that followed. There was discussion about the racist attack that led to Stephen's death and how it came to highlight inequalities in our society. Students were able to explore how society has changed in the years since Stephen's murder and that the need to continue to challenge racism in all of its forms, wherever it is seen or heard, remains.
Mrs Crocker, Assistant Headteacher
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Well done Richard!
Richard Boobyer, 9P2, won an award for Most Improved Player of the Year for 23/24 within his Bristol City foundation football team.
His coaches said "Richard has achieved great improvement in his defence skills and communication within the team. His timing and coordination have improved so much. He is developing nicely and the award is in recognition of his hard work."
Well deserved and well done Richard!
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Mental Health Awareness Week 2024
Towards the end of term 5, our school community marked Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme of this year's awareness raising is 'moving for our mental health'. Students spent time with their tutors exploring how we can include more physical activity in our daily lives and what the benefits of doing so might be for our mental health.
We talked about the importance of exercising in nature for our wellbeing and reminded ourselves of the many opportunities there are at school to get active. Students were reminded of the ways they can access help with mental health or wellbeing if they are worried about themselves or a friend. The student leaders also used their time in Enrichment to look at all of the support on offer to at school so that they are able to signpost help to their peers.
Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportune moment to remind all members of our school community that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and we must tell someone if we are worried that someone is experiencing poor mental health.
Mrs Crocker, Assistant Headteacher
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Headteacher commendations |
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Key Stage 3
Year 7: Lily Hutchison-Rosario, Jasmine Perry, Amelia Archer, Alice Reid, Fenton Burbridge, Andrew Warner, Amber James, William Adams and Bradley Phillips.
Year 8: Jude Lusher, Caitlin Marshall, Imogen Slee, Jacob Huey, Emmie Bobby, Charlie Carkeek, Olive Merrin, Oscar Warren, Dan Lovell, Henry Rammell-Daly and Caitlin Marshall.
Year 9: Scarlett Rowswell.
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Key Stage 4 and 5
Year 10: Isobel Charlewood, Zai Hulton, Tia-May Wass, Gavin Clapson, Elliot Sycamore, Isobel Healy Hart, Matei Achim, Ben Palmer and Hassan Maxamuud.
Year 11: Emily Sell, Oscar Pearson, Bess Stevens, Theo Hart-Jones, Riccardo Benoni and Theeban Mahesan.
Sixth Form: Scarlett Newby, Kanye Christie and Emily Want.
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News from the Library Resource Centre |
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Accelerated Reader - new millionaires!
A great term of progress, with 10 new millionaires this time, evenly split between years 7 and 8. Huge congratulations to the following for their hard work in achieving this;
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7P1 Lily
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7P1 Jasmine
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7P2 Amelia
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7S Alice
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7T Fenton
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8S1 Emmie
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8T1 Jude
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8T1 Caitlin
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8T2 Jacob
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8Y Imogen
Every Millionaire receives a badge, £5 book voucher, canteen queue skip wristband, and a Headteacher commendation. Don't forget, every quiz pass earns three house points for you and the house competition.
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Accelerated Reader House competition
This term, Stephenson have lengthened their lead slightly which has delighted Head of House and English teacher Mr Court! In case you're wondering, the average number of quiz passes per student is around eight.
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Yoto Carnegie book award shadowing group
Our fantastic group of students shadowing this book award are still working really hard, reading and reviewing their way through the shortlist of eight titles. It's all really too close to say yet which one will be our group winner, but we'll know by 20th June when the winning announcements are made.
After that date all the books will be available to borrow from the Library!
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House Championship |
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The ethos competition this term goes back to basics and celebrates good attendance. The link between attendance and success is unquestionable and students who are here as often as they can show resilience and we rightly reward this. The results of this term's attendance competition mirror the attendance competition in term 2 and Yousafzai is the best attending house again this term earning them 200 valuable points.
At the end of last term, there was a flurry of inter house sports and the results were not yet in. Pankhurst must be congratulated for their sporting resurgence as they secured victories in rowing and hockey and were second place in boccia. The other sporting competitions that took place just before Easter were football and ninja warrior which were both won by Stephenson House. These inter house competitions are such a fundamental part of life at school and enjoy mass participation. They help students experience success and form friendships outside of their immediate friendship group. This term students will begin to plan for sports day and the finale of the sporting competitions this year. We look forward to seeing who shines on the day and wonder whether Pankhurst have improved enough to take the win.
So we end the term in the familiar position of Stephenson House in the lead. Turing are close enough behind them to cause an upset if they are able to win sports day and the final ethos competition. Pankhurst are closing in on Yousafzai and are confident that they will win the final ethos competition of the year which celebrates our successes and rewards the house with the best praise:negative ratio.
We will see what term 6 brings and I look forward to seeing the students shine in the final few weeks of term.
Mrs Crocker, Assistant Headteacher
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Pankhurst House Update |
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As we approach the end of term 5 there are a few things to reflect upon. Firstly coming fourth in the House Ethos competition based on attendance was disappointing especially as our rivals for third place, Yousafzai, won it! This leaves us 120 points off third place with all to play for in term 6 and I shall be emphasising to the House the importance of beating Yousafzai in next term's Ethos Competition which is based around the House's praise negative proportion. If we finish first, which we are capable of, and Yousafzai finishes last we stand a chance of overtaking them, especially with all of the points on offer at sports day. Needless to say I'm really looking forward to the next term and the opportunities it provides.
Further to this it is also the time of the year where we appoint our House Leaders. It was a real pleasure to interview five of our Year 10 students for the position and it was a really difficult choice. All five spoke passionately about their desire to be House Leader and all spoke about leading by example to inspire the students in the lower school. All could point to times when they had demonstrated the values of passion, perseverance and pride and all spoke well about the importance of 'deeds not words'. My favourite question was 'what would you buy Emmeline Pankhurst for a present and my favourite answer was a 'ticket to the future so she could see how women can now vote and participate fully in society as I am sure she would appreciate seeing her impact'. Ultimately whilst I wanted to pick all five I had to pick two and I am delighted to announce that Millie Stratton and Ben Anderson will be the new Pankhurst House Leaders with Jessica-Jade Cowley being the Deputy House Leader. I look forward to working with them next year.
I am also looking forward to the half term, especially if the weather continues its upward trend. I hope you all have a good break when it comes.
Mr Murdoch, Head of Pankhurst House
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Stephenson House Update |
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Summer is officially upon us and things look bright for Stephenson House.
Year 11 are deep into the exam season and I am very proud of how 11S have conducted themselves. This period of pressure is incredibly challenging and I know that our oldest students are doing themselves and Ms Hughes proud. As they move into the final few weeks of their time as students of St Katherine’s we wish them the very best and thank them for everything they have contributed to the school.
As we say goodbye to our year 11 cohort it signals a changing of the guard for the Stephenson House student leadership team. We would like to thank our former house leaders, Adbulrahim Yusuf and Oliver Hecker, for everything they have done for us. Their contributions to awards nights and sports competitions have been outstanding. We are incredibly excited to announce that we have appointed Fin Kelly, Izzy Healy-Hart and Joel Kambu to the role of House Leader for the coming year. It is unusual, but not unheard of, to appoint three students to this role. Izzy’s dedication to the younger students in the house has been evident in her support of year 6 transition day. Joel is following in the footsteps of his big brother Jon, who was also Stephenson House leader three years ago. Finally, Fin has consistently spoken of his desire to support younger students and encourage them to be the very best they can be. Welcome to the team!
Term 5’s behaviour ethos competition was entirely attendance based and we all know how important that is. Luckily, Stephenson students value their education and love coming to school. This is why we have come runners up here and been rewarded with 150 house points. This gives us a real boost at the top of the house championship. We are now almost 100 points ahead of Turing House; in second place.
The most significant event of term 5 was the celebrations for the birthday of Paul Stephenson, our house icon and namesake. Students arrived to school to find the entrance decorated in red, music blaring and an opportunity for photos and fun. Some of the most prominent students in our house wrote dedications to Mr Stephenson. These formed a big part of the whole school assembly which was streamed to all tutor groups in morning registration. Finally, and most significantly, we had our lunchtime house challenge. Mr Stephenson took his fight for justice and equality from the streets of St Paul’s to the houses of parliament; as a result of his fight the first race relation act was introduced. To honor this Stephenson students attempted to run the 170km from our school to Westminster across lunchbreak. In true Stephenson House style, they smashed it. During first lunch, years 7, 8 and 11 completed 295 laps of the field (roughly 147km). In the second lunch years 9 and 10 finished the job. They completed 80 laps which took the total distance covered to 187km. Thank you to all students and staff who participated. It was great fun and very moving to see you all out there; showing your pride in Stephenson House.
Have a restful half term and let’s all come back for the final push. Remember, one more term like this and we will retain the house championships for the third year in a row; an unprecedented achievement.
Mr Court, Head of Stephenson House
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Turing House Update |
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I hope this newsletter finds you well as we conclude Term 5 at St Katherine's. Despite its conciseness, this term has been filled with significant events and achievements for our Turing students.
First and foremost, we want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our Year 11 students. This term marked their first set of formal external examinations at St Katherine's, and we commend their perseverance and commitment to their studies. I look forward to joining them, along with the tutor team, in celebrating their five years at St Katherine's during the Year 11 Celebration Day and Prom.
This time of year also brings significant changes to Turing students' leadership with the appointment of new House Leaders. Since the formation of the house system six years ago, we have never seen such a strong group of applicants, all of whom demonstrated dedication and commitment. During the interview process, I was grateful for the experience and support of Hope Roberts (Turing House Leader 2022/23). I am pleased to announce that the Turing House Leaders for Term 6 and the 2024/25 academic year are Cerys Voisey (10T1) and Liam Davies (10T1). I am confident that Cerys and Liam will strengthen the house and develop opportunities to unite the house even more with vertical year group activities and peer support.
Given the strength of the other candidates, Lucas Whitfield and Manon Herzog, it was important to utilise their talents to enhance the leadership team. Therefore, I am delighted to announce that Lucas and Manon have been appointed as Deputy House Leaders. The Turing Student House Senior Leadership Team is the strongest it has ever been, and I look forward to working with them next term.
This term has been relatively quiet in terms of house competitions, with the main points awarded for the Ethos Competition (attendance) and the school's various reading competitions (Accelerated Reader/Reading Logs/Year 9 Bucket List Challenge). The Ethos Competition involves every student across the school and carries the most weight in terms of points (winning house = 200 points, fourth = 50 points). The school’s reading competitions involve all students in Years 7-9. Unfortunately, despite the importance of attendance and reading to a young person’s education and life choices, these are areas where Turing House has not excelled this term, coming third in the Ethos Competition and fourth in both the Accelerated Reader and Reading Log competitions. As we move into the last term of the academic year, I hope Turing House can make positive changes by engaging in their reading, quizzing their books, and completing their reading logs. Our vision is to create a world where everyone reads their way to a better life. Research indicates that reading for pleasure enhances health and wellbeing, fosters social connections and relationships, all of which boost social mobility.
Finally, let's celebrate our "Magnificent Turings of Term 5." These students have demonstrated exceptional commitment to our House and the wider school community. Their attitude and behavior serve as an inspiration to all students at St Katherine's. Congratulations to all those nominated by their tutors!
- 7T: Fenton Burbridge - Holding yourself to a high standard and showing just what a responsible member of the community should look like.
- 8T1: Lucas Farley - This term Lucas has been a hard working student in all lessons. His hard work and determination has been noticed by his teachers with all positive points. Keep up the brilliant work!
- 8T2: Noami Rundle, Devon Davis - This term, you have significantly improved your behavior ratio by demonstrating consistent respect and responsibility in the classroom. You have shown a positive attitude towards your peers and teachers. As a result, your overall performance has flourished, setting a commendable example for others.
- 9T: Harvey Bambury - Being brilliant, all of the time! Consistently high standards throughout Year 9!
- 10T1: Liam Davies - Being a brilliant role model and presenting exceptional leadership skills to become our new head of house!
- 10T2: Manon Herzog, Lucas Whitfiled - Excellent work as sports reps and being appointed Deputy House Leaders.
Thank you for your continuous support. I look forward to an exciting term 6 with Turing students making a positive contribution in their lessons and engaging in the vast ranges of opportunities on offer to represent Turing in the house competition. With only 92 points between us and leaders Stephenson, Turing students know the smallest positive change will have a significant impact on the overall results.
"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team."
Mrs Price, Head of Turing House
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Yousafzai House Update |
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To be reaching the end of the penultimate term of the year is almost unfathomable, this year has absolutely flown by!
We have continued to secure our third place in the house championship and Yousafzai house put in a massive effort this term in our ethos competition which was attendance. I am so thrilled to say that we came first, adding 200 points to our total. Next term will be all to play for. It would be amazing if we could continue the hard graft and manage to get ourselves to second place. Next term’s ethos competition is behaviour and so this will be a huge focus for us as we will need to significantly improve our behaviour to come first in that competition. We also look forward to sports day next term too.
One of the biggest changes in Yousafzai House is our new leadership team. Miss Robinson and I have appointed our two new house leaders; Archie Vine and Yuvraj Singh and two deputy house leaders Laurie Gisborne and Gavin Clapson. All have a real heart for being role models to younger students and supporting all students in getting involved in house competitions and ensuring students have the best experience of St Katherine’s as possible. We announced them in the last assembly of the term where we also interviewed ex Yousafazai house leader Will Stratton who is head student and will be sitting A levels in a couple of weeks. It was amazing to hear his experience and inspire younger students to consider leadership positions.
Thank you for all your support of our Yousafzai students and I hope all have a restful half term!
Miss Andrews, Head of Yousafzai House
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PE and Sport News |
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- Term 5 has been a busy one as we have enjoyed all things summer in PE. It has been lovely to see students enjoying rounders, cricket, softball, athletics, tennis and lots of other fair-weather activities.
- Before the school had even returned for the start of the new term we had St Katherine's students in top level sporting action. Seven St Katherine's students represented Avon at the UK Sportshall Finals and there were some amazing achievements. Of particular note was Blythe Martineau's UK silver medal in the speed bounce, Jasper Leung's silver medal in the vertical jump, Luca James-Neale's bronze medal in the shot, Ben Palmer's bronze medal in the paarlauf and the team silver medal enjoyed by the U13 boys. Congratulations to Serena-Summer Challis, George Hallford, Luca James-Neale, Jasper Leung, Blythe Martineau, Benjamin Palmer, Eve Ward.
- We started off the term by revisiting the Year 7 and 8 house cube competition that was cancelled in term 4. Houses battled it out in a test of nerve, skill, precision and accuracy with some incredibly tense action. We got all the way to game 8 this year where Stephenson trio Ludo, Grace and Taylor held their nerve to see off Pankhurst in a nail biting finish.
- St Katherine's were also crowned inaugural Avon Schools Short Mat Bowls Champions after playing some exceptionally good bowls when the competition demanded it. It was great to see students who have been working so hard in training and practice really raise their level in some close matches. Congratulations to everyone involved.
- It was third time lucky for our Year 7 girls as they finally enjoyed their opportunity to contest the North Somerset Schools netball tournament. The girls didn't waste their opportunity and played brilliant netball as a team to take the title - great effort ladies!
- It was great to see our students running, jumping and throwing their hearts out at Yate OSC earlier this year in the first round of the English Schools Track and Field Cup. We enjoyed some stunning early-season performances and are delighted to share that our junior boys, junior girls and inter boys teams have all qualified for regional finals which take place in Exeter later this year.
- We've been inundated with offers of help from our student community who are desperate to come along and get involved in some primary school leadership. Earlier this year we welcomed primary schools for a run for fun event and are just preparing for our disc sports festival which takes place in the last week of term. As always, it's great to see St Kath's students contributing so positively to the wider community! It was also lovely to train up a group of young female football referees who undertook some training this term. We are looking forward to seeing them support some local primary school football later this year.
- Perhaps our biggest success this term came from our Year 8 boys. They were the first St Katherine's team to qualify for a Somerset Schools Football cup final for 15 years and managed to go one better than last year by bringing back some silverware. Huge congratulations to all of the boys who have been involved in the hugely successful cup campaign this year. Let's not leave it another 15 years before our next final!
- As always, the only way to find out about everything that has happened this term is to sign up to our PE newsletter. You can do that by filling out the form at this link - bit.ly/skpenews
Mr Cook, Head of PE
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Term 6 dates for your diary |
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- 03 June: Students in school for Term 6
- 13-14 June: Silver D of E Expedition
- 17-21 June: Barcelona trip
- 17-21 June: Year 12 Work Experience
- 21 & 22 June: Bronze D of E Expedition 1
- 24 June: INSET DAY - School closed to students
- 25 & 26 June: Year 9 trip to Folly Farm Wildlife Trust
- 26 June: Exam contingency day
- 27 June: Year 11 Leavers' Day and prom
- 28 June: Year 13 Leavers' Day and prom
- 28 & 29 June: Bronze D of E Expedition 2
- 30 June & 01 July: Bronze D of E Expedition 3
- 04 July: Step in Sixth Form Day for current Y11 students
- 05 July: Year 9 Renewal Energy Day
- 21 July: END OF TERM 6
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