St Boniface's College Headteacher's Blog

7th July 2014 Week B

Hello once again everyone, and welcome to my Blog.

This week has been more normal and I would like to thank you for your kind words, thoughts and prayers after the recent tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends.

 As you will be able to see from below an awful lot has and is taking place at the College with pupils and staff working hard right up to the last day. Speaking of last days the College will be closing at 12.30 on Friday 18^th July for the end of term.

We have needed to postpone Sports Day, due today, until Tuesday 15^th

 We are having a Year 11 v Staff sporting event and Barbeque on Wednesday 16^th July at about 5pm – just year 11 pupils and parents please.

 

Have a good week everyone,

 Mr. Davies

 

 Year 7

 A lovely week for year 7 this week!

 We had a fantastic assembly on Tuesday from Mrs Ward and Mr Corkhill’s tutor group, 7V.  The helped us to reflect on our own lives and decide what makes us who we are. Following the tragic past week in the college this was really nice to reflect on friends that offer us support and the family community we have here at St Boniface’s. Thanks to all those involve in making this such a lovely assembly.

 

Year 7’s were not the youngest in the college anymore, due to 100 year 6’s arriving on Wednesday for their induction day. I’m sure many of you remember the day last year as you sent your son’s off for their first taster of St Boniface’s! We had lots of nervous faces at 9am, however I am pleased to say this changed to many happy and smiling faces by 3pm! Thank you to all students who helped and made the Year 6 students feel so welcome.

 Miss Heduvan has been off school for the past two weeks following an ear operation, so we all, especially 7E, wish her well on her recovery and look forward to seeing her back very soon!

We are all very excited about Sports Day on Friday, we are praying that the rain stays away long enough for the boys to enjoy the activities! Mind you, it wouldn’t be a British Summer without the rain!

I know it seems as though it is not as important due to summer now being only two weeks away, however I really do not want Year 7’s standards to start to slide. It is expected that all students have the correct uniform and look smart at all times. I know there are occasions where some of the older boys may be seen not sticking to this rule, but I know that their Head of Year is just as strict and on to them, as much as I am! My year group is something I am so proud of and hope, that with your parental support, we can nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand. One of the main issues I have, is appropriate footwear. Students should have leather school shoes and not black trainers. Thank you for your continued support.

 To continue the extremely high standards that Year 7 demonstrate, please can I also ask parents to make a note of the following;

·         Mobile phones should not be on during the school day. They should be switched off and in bags so that learning is not disturbed.

·         Home learning should be completed for all subjects in a timely manner. Please can parents insist on checking planners and guiding the students with organisation.

·         Please can parents ensure their son has a reading book in his bag every day to support our reading scheme. This is to further help and improve literacy standards whereby all students will undertake 30 minutes of silent reading each day.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend,

 Miss Beales

 

Year 8

 Many thanks to all the parents who have expressed their sorrow over the passing of Matthew Cotter. An amazing young man, full of promise and one who will be sorely missed.

 Mr Romaine led our assembly last week and true to his promise of all his assemblies featuring a cycling theme, this one did too! The central character in the true story was a French cycling champion who during the Second World War helped to smuggle papers and documents around the country in his bike frame. These papers and passports would be given to people trying to escape from France. The cyclist’s name escapes me! As he rode around France training he was often stopped but because he was so well known he was never given any problems. He allowed himself to be searched but asked the soldiers not to touch his bike as it was all set up for him. Believing everything to be above board, they did as he asked. Through his bravery many people escaped torture and death. A true hero. Many thanks to Mr Romaine for delivering a captivating assembly.

After a successful knee operation we welcome back Mr Lord this week. Being a key member of the tutor team, it is great to see him back with 8G.

 The boys have been busy preparing for Sportsday tomorrow but it has been postponed due to a poor weather forecast. Mr Greenway has, however, let us know the results of the events that have been running this week that will contribute to the overall points score:

 

1^st                           Kiely                                                  180 points

2^nd                          Grimshaw                                          130 points

=3^rd                        Barrett/Vaughan                                110 points

5^th                           Errington                                            70 points

 

Well done to all who have competed so hard!

 

Congratulations to Toby Marks who has been selected for the Devon Water-Polo team, a great achievement! Also, congratulations and thanks to Jordan Woodall who was the only Year 8 student selected to help with the incoming Yr. 7 Induction Day yesterday. Well done Jordan!

 

Mr. Tucker

 

Year 9

 

Why is it as soon as you mention those words ‘Sports Day’, the weather takes a turn for the worst? The lads have been gearing up for the day, making banners for their houses in tutor time and for some even competing in some of the early events, but alas the weather forecast predicts poor weather so it has been rearranged to the 15^th July, fingers crossed.

Although it has been a quiet week in terms of activities for year 9, the college has been in full flow, every which way you turn year 5 & 6’s visiting the school for transition evenings, transition day and  open days and the ‘little un’s project – more news about this one in the Plymouth Shopper magazine this month. Thank you to the year 9 ambassadors for their help on these projects, it was really great to see them proudly showing off their school.

Next week should be an uneventful week in terms of activities, however, the following week sees us celebrating the schools 150^th anniversary with Celebration day on Monday 14^th and Sports Day on Tuesday 15^th, so plenty to look forward to.

Mrs McLoughlin

 

 

YEAR 10

I’m very pleased that the Year 10 boys have taken their mock exams so seriously this past week.  The marking will give each student a good indication of how they will perform in their exams in 2015.  If your son struggled with exam technique, revision or stress, please contact his mentor as a matter of urgency to discuss how we can support him over the coming year.

We were very proud of three Year 10 students this week who went on to the second round of the England Rugby trials at Tavistock.  The three boys – Ben McGinley, Jake Stanton and Lewis Swatton all worked well and performed well, following a 6 hour trial Jake and Lewis made it through to the final trial on September 11.

 

BONIFACE LITTL’UNS

 

Pupils from St Paul’s Catholic Primary School in St Budeaux attended a day-long event at St Boniface’s to get a taste of secondary school lessons. Eleven boys and two TAs took part in the day which saw them experience four workshops before lunch and presentations.

 

The first hour saw the boys work on a digital editing project in which they created a photograph with three of themselves in each image. They then had an explosive time in the science department – learning about the wonderful world we live in – before heading out to play football with the sixth form “Big Brothers”. Each student then took to the iPads to program and control Sphero robots – which was lots of fun for them and the adults supervising. Finally the group went to the College’s catering block to make cupcakes for their parents – finished off with St Boniface’s cake toppers – before making pizzas together for their lunch.

 At the afternoon presentation with parents, each boy was given a “Boniface Littl’uns” T-shirt, a certificate and some gifts to take back to their school.

 9-year-old Aidan Bettell said “my brother Kiegan is in Year 7 and he helped today – I loved it and can’t wait to start here.” Helen Reid – a TA from St Paul’s added “A big thank you to all the staff involved - we had a fabulous day.”

The College plans to continue the work of the “Boniface Littl’uns” programme over the coming months with schools across the City.

 Mr Scott

   

 

CILIP Carnegie Award (23/6/14)

The book that we were assigned, ‘All the Truth That’s in Me’, was not a book that I would normally read.  However, I couldn’t put it down when I started to read it.  The Carnegie Medal is awarded in London, so what we were doing was called the Shadow Event.  The idea of the day was to see each school’s presentation, and vote on which one we thought was the best.  Then, we would compare it to what had happened in London.

The book was a marvellous read, and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is interested in romantic thrillers.  Two weeks prior to the presentation day, we began to plan what we wanted to talk about and how we were going to present it.  We settled for a PowerPoint, backed up by a piece of music called The Aviators, by Helen Jane Long.  The music was used to create an atmosphere.

We worked well as a team of six, and soon our presentation was ready.  As a practice, we presented it to our English class, and that went very well.  On the day, we were all ready and prepared to deliver our presentation to the other schools.  Last year, Callington Community College won, so this year we went to their school in Cornwall.  There was an author, who talked to us about his career, and it was his birthday.  He was very funny and made us all laugh.

When it was our turn to present, we were all a bit nervous, but we managed to get over our nerves and deliver a smashing presentation.  After a nice lunch, we found out the results of the London votes.  Our book didn’t win the actual Carnegie Medal, but our book was voted second in the shadow event.

Overall, it was a great day, and good luck to the lads that do it next year.

Matthew Haycock 9D/K

 

 

Sports

 Please find below a note from our Head of PE, Mr Greenway ( the fact that there is an emphasis on rugby has absolutely nothing to do with me being Welsh you understand! Mr D,)

 Please find below the school rugby competitions for the next academic year:

 

Festivals – proposed dates for the diary

 Year 7 Cunningham Cup (12-a-side): Weds 5^th Nov 2014

Year 8 (12-a-side): Weds 12^th Nov 2014

Year 9 (10-a-side): Weds 19^th Nov 2014

 

We will also be involved in year 10, year 11 and first XV fixtures. The dates for theses fixtures will be organised in September.

 

Just to confirm we have completed an RFU funding bid. The funding bid was accepted with an immediate action plan put into place to increase the rugby participations rates at our school. The first stage will start in September and will consist of new equipment to the value of £300, brand new combination rugby posts to the value of £800 and 30 hours of coaching delivered by a community rugby coach.

 

 

 

PTFA Summer Draw

 

Last Call to get your ticket for the 2014

 St Boniface’s Summer Draw. !!!!!

HURRY, ONLY 1WEEK LEFT TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE

 

The fantastic prize is a

3 nights Self Catering Holiday for up to 5 people,

Staying at   ”Manor Cottage”, Polperro, Cornwall.

 

To be in with a chance of winning, simply complete the attached form & choose your numbers between 1 and 200. Then return the form with money  (£5 per number), to school and we will book your squares.

Someone is going to have a Cornish holiday for as little as £5!!, so have a go and support your PTFA at the same time.

THE LUCKY NUMBER WILL BE DRAWN, AND THE WINNER CONTACTED,

BEFORE THE END OF TERM. GOOD LUCK!!

 

 

PROJECT MOTIV-8

HOLIDAY SQUARE REQUEST FORM

 

NAME …………………………………………………(print)

EMAIL………………………………………………… Tel number……………………………………………..

Sons name/form……………………………………………

I would like to purchase …………..squares@£5 per square

NUMBER CHOICES…………………………………….

IF my number is unavailable please

Contact me / allocate the next nearest (delete as applicable)

I enclose £                        /cheques payable to St Boniface’s PTFA

 

I have read and agree to the Terms and conditions below.

 

SIGNED ………………………………………………………………

 

Please return completed form to reception in sealed envelope with full payment marked “PTFA Holiday squares” You will be notified via email once your numbers are confirmed.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Holiday home is the property of LEGEND HOLIDAYS tel:07854243923 enquiries@legendholidays.co.uk

Booking and availability of property can only be made once the draw has been made and winner notified.

The winner must comply with the booking restrictions, regulations &Terms and conditions of LEGEND HOLIDAYS.    St Boniface PTFA have no jurisdiction over pre booked dates for the property.

 

A Prayer for Children

 

Loving God,
your Son told his disciples
to become like little children.
Lead us to work for the welfare
and protection of all young people.
May we respect their dignity
that they may flourish in life,
following the example of the same
Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Amen