SBCC Blog for week beginning 25.2.13

Hi once again,


Please see below various notices and information pertinent to the week beginning Monday 25th Feb. and into the near future.

A big thank you to all the students for their conduct and maturity when we were distributing Ashes on Ash Wednesday. All our students who wanted to received ashes on the day from year 7 to year 14, in excess of 800 pupils in all. There was a really lovely feeling to mark the beginning of Lent.


A note from Miss Mills on behalf of the PTFA:

"I want to let you know about an easy way to help our PTFA without it costing you a penny. 　We are registered with an organization called The Giving Machine. 　If you shop online you can register as a shopper and for each purchase that you make the PTFA will be given a donation, which is a percentage of the amount you spend. The amount comes directly from the store and not from you! 　
How does it work? 　The website to go to is www.thegivingmachine.co.uk 　
There is info about the organization from a link on the home page if you want to read it. To register yourself as a giver click on the link to JOIN. You will be asked for a few personal details and asked for the charity or organization that you wish to support. 　You can have more than one if you choose to. 　Our School is listed as St Boniface's Catholic College. 　If you can't find it on the list of Schools and PTA's just type it into the search box. 　It’s really easy and takes about 5 minutes to register. It takes a few days for everything to be set up so that you can begin shopping and start donating and you will receive a personal email to inform you of this.
Once you have registered to give, whenever you shop online go to the giving machine website and log in. 　Choose the shop from which you wish to purchase from the extensive list of participating stores (everything from Amazon, Asda, Tesco, Ebay, HMV, Toys'R'Us, M&S, there are hundreds of registered stores) and continue shopping as normal. The donation should be made automatically by the store after your completed transaction. The PTFA will begin to receive cheques for the total value of all donations made. Once you click on the store you want you get the usual website where you log in and make your transaction as usual.
I hope that if you shop online you feel that you could help out in this way. It costs absolutely nothing in the way on money and very little in time.

I thank you in advance for you support for the PTFA. 　If you have any problems with the site and registering please get in touch and I'll see what I can do to help you get started. 　

Happy shopping!"

smills@stbonifaces.com

Secretary for St Boniface's Catholic College PTFA



On the Horizon:

Mentoring day 1st March, appointments can be made with individual subject teachers at any time but time between 3.30 and 5.00 has been set aside for such appointments on 12th March following the mentoring day. To make an appointment for the 12th please visit reception on mentoring day. 

KS4 Celebration, Information, Advice and Guidance Evening 5th March 6pm in school hall. 

Our new school information management system is now up and running, as of 25th Feb. Requests will soon come around so as to ensure that contact information we have for students is accurate. This will enable us to not only make contact in cases where we need to, but will also allow us to use texting communications with parents - almost 21st Century!
 

WEEKLY BULLETIN

MONDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2013

(WEEK B)

Monday 25 February 2013    08:10 – 08:45 Table Tennis Breakfast Club 13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Christian Union (Chapel) 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6) 13:35 – Quiz in the Library 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre 13:35 – Table Tennis Club for Years 7 and 8 (Hall) 13:35 – Badminton (Gym) 15:20 – 16:15 – Art Club (Week B only) 15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library 15:30 – 16:30 Table Tennis After School Club 15:30 – 16:30 Year 7 Football Training (School Field) 15:30 – Years 9, 10 and 11 Football

Tuesday 26 February 2013 13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Card Games in the Library 13:35 – KS3 Basketball Club (Gym) 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre

Wednesday 27 February 2013 13:30 – Sixth Form Football (Devon Wednesday League Team) 13:35 -  Games Club (Miss Gosling’s room) 13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up Games’ 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – 14:10 Board Games Club  (Art Room E123)  13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6) 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre 13:45 – ‘Africa Club’ Room (A9) 14:15 – Sixth Form Enrichment (Basketball and Fitness) – Fitness Suite and Gym 15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library 15:20 – 16:20 Gardening Club (LfLC) 15:30 – Boxing Training 15:30 – Year 8 Football (Field)

Thursday 28 February 2013 13:35 – 14:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre 13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6) 13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up’ Games (Gym) 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – Prayer and Rosary Group (Chapel) 13:45 – ‘China Club’ Kim Beales’ Room (A9) 15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library 15:20 – 16:20 Geography and IT Club (Room 109) 15:30 – 16:30 Year 9 Rugby Training and Fixtures 15:30 – 16:30 STEM Club (Mr Smart’s room)

Friday 1 March 2013 13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up’ Games (Gym) 13:35 – Fitness Suite

 

Lord,
I know how much you love me.
It’s hard for me to feel it sometimes,
but I know your love is always with me.

Help me to use your love as a way
to persevere in my Lenten intentions.
I am weak, but I know with your help,
I can use these small sacrifices in my life to draw closer to you.

Amen

SBCC Blog week beginning 11th February 2013

Welcome to next weeks Blog!

Please note that there is no school for pupils on Friday 15th February as there is a staff training day in preparation for our new school wide management information system, SIMS. The new system will have a facility to record parental e-mail contact information and allow texts home. I am thus hoping that the need to subscribe to this blog will then be removed as I will be able to send it directly to you. The new system is on target to "go live" on 25th Feb. so watch this space please.

At the bottom of my version below posting comments section there is a "subscribe by e-mail" note - hope it works for you.

It is the intention of the College to distribute Ashes to all students who would like them on Wednesday.

If you shop at Sainsburys please can you collect the vouchers and hand them in to any of the PE team via your son, thanks.

Thursday 14th February, Valentines Day, is also a Mufti - non-school uniform day. If pupils would like to come in everyday clothes for that day and can contribute £2.00 to CAFOD/PTA funds then they may do so.

The EBAC qualification has been in the news recently - or rather something that sounds a lot like the EBAC that we are offering at KS4 here at the College. In actual fact the government is talking about the replacement examinations for GCSEs that were due to come into effect, the EBC qualifications - this is not the same as the EBAC qualification that requires English, maths, two sciences, a modern foreign language and a humanities subject at grade C or better at GCSE level. We will continue to offer a broad and balanced curriculum to KS4 pupils no matter what the government wishes to call it, we are here for the students! Hence no change for our KS4 curriculum.

KS4 Science request from Mr. Hitchcock regarding those pupils who wish to re-take any science modules - could you please get your money for payment into the College as soon as you can as he needs to send off numbers of entries to the examination board.

Some of our year 10 Scientists have been asked to start revising for a forthcoming series of modular examinations in preparation for a potentially exciting new course aimed at the three separate sciences. Whilst we are still awaiting final confirmation of this course it was felt best to enter these pupils, if only for examination experience at KS4 level at worst, so as to be in a position to take up this opportunity in the future. The course could significantly reduce the severity of time required for examinations at a final sitting in the summer of 2014 and hence help reduce pupil ( and parent!) stress levels at such an important time.

Those of you who use FACEBOOK please be aware that there is a type of virus, supposedly called a Bot, from EMERY MARTINEZ. Please do not open any communications from this fictitious character.

The maths and English departments are running extraction classes for pupils of all ages with a focus upon students who are struggling in specific areas from within these subjects. This is in no way a punishment, as some students unfortunately seem to think, but is aimed at getting pupils back on track very quickly and hence back into the main lesson in that subject - the idea being short, sharp instruction to address blocks. 

We are currently in the process of securing places on vocational courses for present Year 11s who are hoping to be part of the 6th form from September but do not wish to study academic subjects. Your son may have recently been asked to select taster sessions which are being held at various colleges around the city (eg Plumbing, Bricklaying, Painting & Decorating, Mechanics, Catering and many more!). These qualifications are at NVQ Level 1.

If you would like more information on these taster sessions please contact Mr Mather on cmather@stbonifaces.com  

The Parental Leadership Team is meeting this Thursday 14th Feb. at 6pm, please register interest with Dr Summers asummers@stbonifaces.com . New parents are always welcome.

On the Horizon:

Mentoring Day is 1st March, a non teaching day with pupils having work to do at home on that day please. Letters have been sent out via the pupils so do ask if there are any letters for you as bags can be very deep! Please book in times with mentors here at the College.

The mentoring follow up date for parents and pupils who would like to speak with specific subject teachers is on 12th March, from about 3.30pm. Parents wishing to avail themselves of this opportunity can book appointment times at reception on mentoring day, 1st March.

There is a KS4 Celebration and Information, Advice and Guidance, IAG, evening on 5th March at 6pm.

St. Boniface's College is having its 150 year anniversary, could all old boys (and young ladies) please register emails with Mr. Scott. pscott@stbonifaces.com

Mr. Scott is in the process of trying to arrange a visit to Rome, I shall be able to give more information once he is able to firm up details.

Following 2010’s successful trip to Normandy, 12 Key Stage 4 boys are going on a 7 day trip to France this coming March.

The trip to the château is all about language immersion.  Everything is carried out in practical spoken French, and the students will improve their ability to speak French as well as building their confidence in the language through a variety of activities and visits in an educational but fun atmosphere.

www.the-chateau.com

The château is staffed by fully qualified native speakers and the itinerary would include a variety of the following activities: Climbing, an Assault Course, Archery, Orienteering, Fencing, Bread Making, Initiative Exercises, Circus skills and Canoeing.  In the evenings the activities include a sports tournament, a camp fire, a French Evening with snails and fancy dress competition, Talent Show, barbecue and a film evening.  We will also go to Mont St Michel to see the island and the abbey, as well as to the Normandy landing beaches at Arromanches.

The Maths department is planning on carrying out in  March a similar exercise for Y11 students to that of the RE department - practice under exam conditions in the College exams hall at a full GCSE Maths paper. Early indicators would suggest that there has been an improvement in overall grades from the RE exercise.

‘BLOG’ WEEKLY BULLETIN

MONDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2013

(WEEK A)  Monday 11 February 2013 08:10 – 08:45 Table Tennis Breakfast Club 13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Christian Union (Chapel) 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6) 13:35 – Quiz in the Library 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre 13:35 – Table Tennis Club for Years 7 and 8 (Hall) 13:35 – Badminton (Gym) 15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library 15:30 – 16:30 Table Tennis After School Club 15:30 – 16:30 Year 7 Football Training (School Field) 15:30 - Year 10 Football (Tor Bridge)

Tuesday 12 February 2013 13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Card Games in the Library 13:35 – KS3 Basketball Club (Gym) 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre

Wednesday 13 February 2013 13:30 – Sixth Form Football (Devon Wednesday League Team) 13:35 - Games Club (Miss Gosling’s room) 13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up Games’ 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – 14:10 Board Games Club BWF (Art Room E123) 13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6) 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre 13:45 – ‘Africa Club’ Room (A9) 14:15 – Sixth Form Enrichment (Basketball and Fitness) – Fitness Suite and Gym 15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library 15:20 – 16:20 Gardening Club (LfLC) 15:30 – Year 8 Football (Field) 15:30 – Year 9 Football (Field)

Thursday 14 February 2013 13:35 – 14:20 Film Club (F136) 13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre 13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6) 13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up’ Games (Gym) 13:35 – Fitness Suite 13:35 – Prayer and Rosary Group (Chapel) 13:45 – ‘China Club’ Room (A9) 15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library 15:20 – 16:20 Geography and IT Club (Room 109) 15:30 – 16:30 Year 9 Rugby Training and Fixtures 15:30 – 16:30 STEM Club

Friday 15 February 2013 NON-PUPIL DAY

Activity	Yr	Day	Time	Location
Fitness	All Years	Every day	Lunch	Fitness Suite	Membership form available from Mr Mather
Table Tennis	All Years	Monday	Lunch & After School	Hall	See Mr Turner
Basketball	7, 8 & 9	Tuesday	Lunch	Gym	See Mr James (PE)
Basketball	10 & 11	Monday	After School	Gym	See Mr James (PE)
Basketball	All Years	W, Th, Fr	Lunch	Gym	'Pick up' games
Boxing	All Years	Wednesday	After School	Fitness Suite	Sign up with Mr Mather
Football	7	Monday	After School	Field	See Mr Greenway
Football	8	Wednesday	After School	Field	See Mr Greenway
Football	9	Wednesday	After School	Field	See Mr Weaver
Football	10	Monday	After School	Field	See Mr Mather

Hope you all have a good week!

Lord help us to remember,make us one,

help us to live for your glory.

Lord please give us this day our daily bread. Amen

St. Boniface's Catholic College blog for week beginning 4.2.13

Breaking news!

The College has gained a very prestigious Kitemark award based on the quality of learning that takes place within lessons. We are now one of only a small handfull of schools in the UK ( thought to be less than 5) to be have been awared a Silver Kitemark from The Learning Organisation, TLO. This is a reflection upon the hard work that pupils and staff have been putting in over the past three years in our BLH  - building learning habits programme. As a result of the Silver award we are now eager to continue onwards and gain the Gold variety - the journey has just begun!



Please forgive me if you have received this weeks blog via your e-mail account and from subscribing to this blog. I am conscious that many of you have received the first blog as a result of e-mail and may have been unaware of the need to subscribe to blogs - I certainly was! This would of course mean that you have missed out on the last two issues, I have included the sports activities timetable again in this blog but it is worth you scanning the last two weeks, particularly the On the Horizon sections to see if they affect your plans in any way.

If you know of any member of our community who would like access to this blog then could you please direct them to:

www.stbonifaces.blogspot.co.uk

Remind them to subscribe please!

Activity	Year	Day	Time	Location
Fitness	All Years	Every day	Lunch	Fitness Suite	Membership form available from Mr Mather
Table Tennis	All Years	Monday	Lunch & After School	Hall	See Mr Turner
Basketball	7, 8 & 9	Tuesday	Lunch	Gym	See Mr James (PE)
Basketball	10 & 11	Monday	After School	Gym	See Mr James (PE)
Basketball	All Years	W, Th, Fr	Lunch	Gym	'Pick up' games
Boxing	All Years	Wednesday	After School	Fitness Suite	Sign up with Mr Mather
Football	7	Monday	After School	Field	See Mr Greenway
Football	8	Wednesday	After School	Field	See Mr Greenway
Football	9	Wednesday	After School	Field	See Mr Weaver
Football	10	Monday	After School	Field	See Mr Mather

Year 8 Retreat Day - Thursday 7th and Friday 8th February:

There will be a Lent workshop in the chapel for all of Year 8' s throughout Thursday 7th and Friday 8th February.

There is a YEAR 7 INTRA HOUSE SPORTS COMPETITION Round 2 on Tuesday 5th February 2013

Periods 1 & 2

A message regarding Science at KS4, years 10 and 11, from Mr. Hitchcock:

"To help with preparation for Science exams and Coursework the Science Team will be available in Mr Hitchcock's room from Wed 3.30pm until 4.30pm. We also have revision guides that we can sell to the boys, £5.75.  

  

In year 10 all students have been entered for their Core Module exams in Chemistry March 5th & Physics March 7th.

They will also be doing a Core Course Work from this point in school, this will not be apparent at home as it will be completed under controlled conditions in school.

In the Summer they will take the Biology Module thus completing their qualification in Core Science.

In Year 11 a selection of 19 students will be placed into an Intervention programme to try and raise their grades in Core Science from a lower grade to a higher grade (C or above). A letter is being sent out to parents presently so please ask your son if they have any correspondence for you. With some this will require retakes with others a repeat of their Science Course work which will be conducted in School.  

Year 11 class D, Triple Science students will be taking exams in June completing their qualification in Biology, Chemistry & Physics. Some students have opted to retake some of their Module one and two exams and can retake in March, please return the monies for this as soon as possible, £8.00 per exam retake.

Year 11 classes O and L are taking the Additional Science qualification and have been entered for Biology March 1st and Physics March 7th.

They will also be doing an Additional Coursework from this point in school, as above this will not be apparent at home as it will be completed under controlled conditions in school.

In the summer they will take the Chemistry module thus completing their qualification in Additional Science.  

The classes P and T are taking their BTEC level 2 Applied Science Course and therefore do not have external exams, all of their work is assessed through classroom and portfolio activities. "

Next week the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) apprentices with the help of Mr Matson begin to build a wind turbine from an old treadmill motor! Wednesday 13th should also see the first Primary STEM day for local Primary schools to receive free STEM workshops from the college's STEM team.

 

On the Horizon

The College is closed for a training day on Friday Feb 15th.

Mentor Day is fast approaching, March 1st, I am sure that mentors will soon be in contact if they have not done so already. Please remember that subject teachers can be contacted at any time but that there is also an opportunity to speak with them on the Tuesday early evening if there are any concerns that have not been answered from the mentoring appointment.

WEEKLY BULLETIN  Week B

MONDAY 4th February 2013

08:10 – 08:45 Table Tennis Breakfast Club
13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136)
13:35 – Christian Union (Chapel)
13:35 – Fitness Suite
13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6)
13:35 – Quiz in the Library
13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre
13:35 – Table Tennis Club for Years 7 and 8 (Hall)
13:35 – Badminton (Gym)
15:20 – 16:15 – Art Club (Week B only)
15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library
15:30 – 16:30 Table Tennis After School Club
15:30 – 16:30 Year 7 Football Training (School Field)


TUESDAY 5th February 

13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136)
13:35 – Card Games in the Library
13:35 – KS3 Basketball Club (Gym)
13:35 – Fitness Suite
13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre

WEDNESDAY 6th February

13:30 – Sixth Form Football (Devon Wednesday League Team)
13:35 - Games Club (Art room)
13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up Games’
13:35 – Fitness Suite
13:35 – 14:10 Board Games Club (Art Room E123)
13:35 – 2:20 Film Club (F136)
13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6)
13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre
13:45 – ‘Africa Club’ Room (A9)
14:15 – Sixth Form Enrichment (Basketball and Fitness) – Fitness Suite and Gym
15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library
15:20 – 16:20 Gardening Club (LfLC)
15:30 – Year 8 Football (Field)
15:30 – Year 9 Football (Field)


THURSDAY 7th February

13:35 – 14:20 Film Club (F136)
13:35 – Various Clubs in the Learning for Life Centre
13:35 – Geography Club (A9 or A6)
13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up’ Games (Gym)
13:35 – Fitness Suite
13:35 – Prayer and Rosary Group (Chapel)
13:45 – ‘China Club’  Room (A9)
15:20 – 16:20 Extended Learning Club – Library
15:20 – 16:20 Geography and IT Club (Room 109)
15:30 – 16:30 Year 9 Rugby Training and Fixtures
15:30 – 16:30 STEM Club 

FRIDAY 8th February

13:35 – Basketball ‘Pick Up’ Games (Gym)
13:35 – Fitness Suite




"Lord, we ask you to inspire us to encourage others by what we say and do each day.
 Amen"