Newsletter May 2010

This issue

Welcome to the May 2010 edition of Saint Paul's Academy's newsletter!

In this issue:

• It’s examination time
• Leavers’ banquet
• Landscaping improves the school environment
• Culinary innovations
• The importance of having an automated external defibrillator
• I am so proud of our response to providing funds for various charities
• Talented musicians play in Trafalgar Square
• Third place for our debate team
• Successful auditions for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain
• ‘Design for Life’
• New library is now open
• Outdoor activities trip, France
• Gaelic Football
• Dare2Dance
• Important dates
• Holiday dates

Dear Parents and Guardians

“The beginning of the summer term is always very pleasant because it brings longer days and better weather and this year was no exception. What we were not expecting, of course, was the disruption caused by a volcano in Iceland. We thought that the snow at the beginning of last term was as far as extreme weather and geographical phenomena could influence us but we had not reckoned on volcanic ash! Like most schools, the suspension of flights had a direct influence on us and, for the first few days of term, we had fifteen staff absent. However, because of the goodwill and professionalism of my colleagues, both teachers and support staff, teaching and learning at Saint Paul’s Academy continued without interruption. I am very aware that in many schools large numbers of supply staff had to brought in; this was not necessary at Saint Paul’s and, in fact, you are probably aware that we never buy in temporary staff because we believe that in the best interests of our students it is much more productive to redeploy our permanent staff when colleagues are absent.”

Patrick Winston, Principal

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It's examination time

This is the start of the examination season, although many Year 11 students have a significant number of qualifications ‘banked’ already and this eases the pressure on them considerably. At the end of last term, all the practical exams, with the exception of art, were completed and initial feedback from examiners, staff and students is very encouraging. As in previous years, all the major public examinations will be taken at Charlton Athletic and the reason for this is that although we do now have a great deal more space, the main hall and sports hall are in use for lessons much of the time and we feel very strongly about disrupting curriculum time for any reason. Also of course, Charlton is ideal for public examinations because it is very quiet and there are no interruptions. Throughout the public examinations, there will be revision sessions and booster classes arranged by individual departments. Targeted students have been informed and I very much hope that they are taking full advantage of these opportunities which, apart from increasing knowledge and examination techniques, are a fantastic way to increase confidence before an examination.

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Leavers’ banquet

As is also traditional, we held our Leavers’ Banquet at Charlton where, as always, we were made to feel extremely welcome. This event is one of the highlights of the school year and every year staff are astonished by the appearance and demeanour of our Year 11 students. This year was no exception with our young people looking spectacular and behaving like young adults ready to make a great contribution to society. One slight change this year, however, was that instead of a Leavers’ Assembly, we had a Mass of Thanksgiving during which we reflected on the successes of the last five years; we also looked to the future and prayed that our young people achieve the success they deserve and that, as adults, they have rewarding and fulfilling lives.

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Landscaping improves the school environment

The better weather has also allowed us to further see the huge advantages and potential of our new building. The playing fields are nearing completion and as they progress the benefit to the landscape is obvious; large areas of mud have been replaced by pitches and courts separated by paths and trees. Even in the short time since Christmas, the amount of greenery around the Academy has increased tremendously and clearly as time goes on the local environment will be further enhanced by the trees, shrubs and grass around our campus. We also anticipate that in years to come there will be an allotment and flowerbeds, including a Garden of Remembrance, which will add colour and diversity to our grounds.

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Culinary innovations

We also hope that having an allotment will allow us to grow some of our own produce if only on a very limited scale to start with and this will fit in with the wonderful work being done by our catering team which is led by our Executive Chef Lee Knowles. I outlined in the February Newsletter the staggering difference between the food available on our new site and what was available at Wickham Lane but since then there has been further culinary innovation and success. The restaurant now operates ‘themed’ Wednesdays and we have had Italian, Jamaican, Indian and Chinese Wednesday. The Italian Wednesday required over fifty kilos of dough to make the wholemeal pizza which was served alongside various pasta dishes while the Jamaican day introduced many students to plantains, yams and sweet potatoes as well as fried dumplings, rice and peas and the ever popular jerk chicken.

Twist on traditional meals

The feasts of Saint Patrick and Saint George were marked in culinary style with a modern twist on traditional meals. On Patrick’s Day, the boiled bacon was accompanied by mustard gravy and mash with carrot and onion as well as the traditional cabbage, all of which was followed by Irish coffee cake. To celebrate Saint George’s Day, the team opted for the very English roast beef and Yorkshire pudding served with mixed vegetables and roast potatoes and also creamed nettles. The pudding of Dandelion jelly also offered a very unusual but definitely English twist. I think perhaps at this point many of you are thinking that you have never seen Nettles or Dandelions on sale for cooking and indeed, nor have our chefs. They picked nine kilos of nettles on Bostal Heath as well as the two carrier bags full of Dandelions which made a very tasty as well as attractive dessert. This is the sort of innovation that I am delighted to see at Saint Paul’s Academy and which has led to so many of our successes. At Saint Paul’s, we have people who are not afraid to take risks or do things differently, in order to make this an outstanding school.

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The importance of having an automated external defibrillator

The Academy was recently presented with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). Many of you will know that defibrillators are now available in many public places because if they are used immediately after someone has suffered a heart attack it has been proved without doubt that they can save lives. We now have a number of staff who are trained to use the defibrillator and we believe that we are the first school in the UK to possess such equipment. Many of our Gaelic footballers in particular, are aware of the impact and danger of sudden cardiac death in the young through their tour to Ireland last year. On this trip, they heard about Cormac McAnallen, an outstanding Gaelic footballer who won the highest national and international honours in the game but who tragically died of a heart attack at the age of twenty-four. If any good could possibly have come of his death it is a heightened awareness of the need to assess the health and fitness of young people participating in sport.

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I am so proud of our response to providing funds for various charities

The school community responded magnificently to the appeal to help those who suffered in the disaster in Haiti and through various means we raised a total of £2,900 bringing the total raised for charity since we became an Academy to over £42,000. This is a magnificent sum!

Closer to home, we are becoming more and more involved in our local community and Ms Stevenson, who is our Director of Enterprise, has made links with the Avante Care and Support Home which is also on Finchale Road. This is a home for the elderly, many of whom are suffering from varying degrees of dementia; we hope to be able to offer some input to help stimulate and occupy the residents and in this way support the staff as well. Already, the Drama, Music and Art departments have become involved and Year 8 students have been providing tins of dog food for the rescued greyhound, Holly, who is a favourite with the residents. Year 9 have also been raising funds to help provide new equipment for the home and we hope that, as this link develops, other areas of the school community will also become involved and that the residents will be able to visit us at the Academy. Sharing knowledge, talents and experience can only be of benefit to all of us.

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Talented musicians play in Trafalgar Square

I have just mentioned that our Music department is working with a local care home and, in the last Newsletter, I explained about their work in a local nursery. However, our musicians are spreading their talents even further afield and on Saturday, May 24th, Mr Fairburn and members of our Academy’s Samba School performed in Trafalgar Square alongside ‘Rhythms of the City’ a percussion ensemble which specialises in Afro-Brazilian styles. The performance was part of 'Rhythms of London' a month long festival across the capital celebrating London’s past , present and future.

“As I write, preparations are in place for the inauguration of The Saint Paul’s Academy Music Festival which is to be held in July.”

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Third place for our debate team

Another exciting project that continues to benefit our students greatly is Debate Mate, a not-for-profit programme which develops verbal intelligence in young people.

Through debating, students work on their confidence, communication, critical thinking, teamwork, listening and leadership skills and learn how to structure and prioritise their arguments and points. Not surprisingly, this has been to shown to lead to greatly improved academic achievement. Students also have opportunities to debate against other schools in the Urban Debate League and other events in London.

In April, 11 students took part in the Richard Koch Cup as part of this programme. Our debaters won all of their contests and narrowly missed a place in the final, coming third overall out of 20 schools from all across London. This was a fantastic achievement and the students from Years 9 and 10 were a huge credit to the Academy and showed exceptional maturity and confidence.

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Successful Auditions for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain

Our students continue to develop their talents through Drama. This year, I am delighted to be able to tell you that Charles Adedapo and Alexander Barnes successfully auditioned for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain; a very impressive achievement, as there were over 4000 applicants for only a handful of places.

The Drama Department now prepares students every term for LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) examinations. These can be taken as part of the Drama curriculum or an extra-curricular activity; either way they are extremely valuable qualifications and look very impressive on any CV!

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‘Design for Life’

A new venture this year has been the Design & Technology department and Year 10 students working with the Victoria and Albert Museum on a project called ‘Design for Life’. This has involved schools from all over Britain working in partnership with professional artists and designers using recycling and sustainability as a theme.

Our students worked with Holly Cowan, a designer of bags whose work is currently on show at the museums.

Students used the museum as inspiration for their designs and went on to make them from recycled and second hand materials. Ultimately, three of our students, Achayo Laker, Emmanuel Nguyen and Cameron Dussard, had their bags chosen to be featured in the Museums ‘Design for Life’ Exhibition which is running at the V&A till 6th June.

“I very much hope that some of you take advantage of the half term break to visit one of the country’s most prestigious museums.”

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New Library is now open

In the last Newsletter, I said that we hoped our library would be opened this term and in spite of some set -backs because of technical problems, this has been possible. We now have available a wonderful selection of both fiction and non- fiction ready for use by our students with novels to suit all ages and tastes. After half term, lower school classes will have specified lessons during which they will learn how to use this amazing new facility to its greatest potential. It also has to be said that Mrs. Vaughan, who is in charge of the day to day running of the library, is delighted by the number of students who have volunteered to help in different ways.

Before we know it this year will be over and we will be preparing for September. In the meantime I would like to thank you all for your continued support as we work together to provide the best possible education for your sons and daughters.

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Outdoor activities trip, France

3rd – 11th June 2011

The Sports Studies Department is delighted to announce an exciting opportunity to take part in an Outdoor Activities Trip to France in June, 2011. This is a fantastic chance not only to visit another country but to try out new and exciting sports such as kayaking, high ropes courses, snorkelling and windsurfing. The trip takes place in two venues; Domaine de Segries in the Ardeche region and Mimosa by the Mediterranean Sea.

All meals, accommodation, travel, and activities are included for just £500 and the trip is open to all students in Years 7 & 8. Application forms are now available from Mr McCann or Miss Forte and places are limited so don’t miss out!

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Gaelic Football

Our Gaelic Football links with Dulwich Harps continue to flourish. Many students, both boys and girls, from Years 7 – 11 have been involved in training sessions and taking part in fixtures. In fact our Girls’ Team has already won the Peter McGlynn Memorial Tournament.

During the half term break, a party of 21 students will travel to Ireland for a seven-day tour and they will be based in Galbally, Co. Tyrone. The tour will commence with a schools’ tournament at Holy Trinity College, Cookstown. They will then play fixtures against club teams in Down, Roscommon and Tyrone. The party will also attend the Ulster Championship fixture in Ballybofey between Donegal and Down. From a cultural perspective, the party will visit Croke Park, the home of the GAA in Dublin and have a tour of the historic sights of Belfast City.

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Dare2Dance

The Dare2Dance Female Empowerment Day that was held for girls aged 13-16 from schools around the borough of Greenwich. The day was hosted by professional dance artists, many of whom are worldrenowned. The day consisted of workshops on choreography, dance skills, performance, watching dance DVD clips and learning about Dance as more than just a hobby. 30 girls from St Paul’s Academy, 15 from John Roan School, 10 from St Ursula’s Convent School and 2 from Charlton Special School took part and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Many of the girls now aim to enter the ‘bsupreme’ dance competition being held at the end of June.

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Important dates

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Term & Holiday dates 2010-2011

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