Autumn Term 2017 - St Joseph's School - Launceston · 4 GCSE RESULTS DAY– SUCCESS! St Joseph’s School Autumn Term 2017 At a ’me of great change in GCSEs na’onally, one thing

Autumn Term 2017

Autumn Term 2017

Part 1

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If you have any news stories rela�ng to St Joseph’s School please email

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FROM THE HEAD TEACHER 2

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Mount to Mont 3

Year 7 Team Building 7

Rugby Match 9

Outdoor Learning 12

Royal Albert Hall 20

Sports Update 26-27

Clubs 28

Cornish Gorsedh 29

Tennis 32

EVENTS

GCSE Results 4-5

Bonfire and Fireworks 10-11

Outdoor Stay and Play 13

Senior School Open Evening 14

Taster Day 15

Music for a Winter Evening 18

Christmas Entertainment 23

Open Day 25

IN THE CLASSROOM

Year 6 WWII 6

Recep�on Class 8

Harvest Fes�val 16

Transi�on A@ernoons 17

Cooking Club 19

Austrian Students 21

STEM Ambassadors 22

Year 11 Buddies 24

Private Peaceful 30

Marginal Gains 31

Mountains and Volcanoes 34-35

SPOTLIGHT ON

Mr Brown Cardoo 36-37

Mr Mackenzie Brown 38

Beth Sobey 39

Alumni Visitors 39

Brontё Stevens 40

Pippi Harris 40

Ella Henry-Brock 41

Harvey Holmes 41

Max Green 42

Olivia Shute 42

Holly Kerslake 43

Ella and Harrison Shaw 44

MaEhew Rowland 45

St Joseph’s School, St Stephens Hill, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 8HN

01566 772580 www.stjosephscornwall.co.uk

Cover image: Outdoor School

/StJosephsSchoolLaunceston

@StJosephsSch

IN THIS ISSUE...

Dear Parents,

As we find ourselves at Half Term it is a chance

to reflect on what a start to the 2017/18

academic year the past weeks have been. As

these pages will show, your children have

achieved a huge amount, and have done so with

the posi'vity, excitement and can-do approach

that characterise so much of what they

accomplish on a daily basis both in the classroom

and in the wider world.

We started them with the posi've news of this

year’s GCSE results, where 90% of the class of

2017 achieved the na'onal benchmark of 5 A*-C

including Maths and English, or the equivalent

under the new GCSE 1-9 grades in Maths and

English. The achievements of this remarkable

year group were rightly celebrated by pupils,

parents and staff, and it was a superb note upon

which to begin the school year.

Over the course of the term, have tried convey

to parents and the wider community via social

media and blogs a real sense of the school’s daily

life, and of accomplishments both minor and

major. I have the results of last summer’s

parental and staff surveys very much in mind,

and hope that you as parents can see that we

con'nue to act upon your advice.

Thank you to all parents who were once again in

receipt of a ques'onnaire when they received

the ISI missive as our recent Full Compliance

Inspec'on was announced, and that took place

two weeks into term. I await the final report, but

had no ques'ons with regards to the

Inspectorate’s findings and was delighted with all

of the work staff had put in to ensure the result

was one we can be proud of. That the Repor'ng

Inspector thanked the 216 amazing ambassadors

for the school was a real credit to your children

and how they present themselves every day of

term.

I have been delighted to see the ease with which

all of our new pupils who joined at the start of

September have se>led into school, and how

St Joseph’s School Autumn Term 2017

2 FROM THE HEAD TEACHER

those who con'nue to join through the term are

quickly assimilated into the St Joseph’s way and

are able to make friends and feel se>led.

Similarly, new staff have added to the richness of

the mix, both on the teaching and administra've

sides of the school. Mr de Blois has made Senior

Music his own in an exci'ng and dynamic

manner; Mrs Chapman has looked afresh at our

excellent SEN provision and her study skills

sessions are a great hit; Mrs Paton has taken

MFL in the senior school forward while making

her classroom a fabulous learning environment

and Mrs Houghton has overhauled the Design

and Technology department and is forging every

stronger links with her colleagues in Art.

Meanwhile, Mrs Gowan has made a huge

difference to how I have been able to work, as

well as suppor'ng SMT and the Admin Team

immeasurably in her role as Execu've Assistant,

and Lee Marshall has made a very posi've start

as our IT appren'ce. My thanks to all.

I was delighted to host all those who a>ended St

Joseph’s Open Day on the 13th of October, and

very proud of how well Zoë Woods, James

Walters, Georgia Bolton and Rohan Sturdy

represented the school as they spoke to our

visitors. I look forward to January’s Taster Day

were we will welcome new Year 7s to the school

alongside our own Year 6s who are looking

forward to being a part of the Senior School, and

would remind anyone who may be interested in

visi'ng St Joseph’s who is not currently a parent

that it is Open Day, Every Day: we welcome

visitors throughout the year.

Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you to all

who supported my recent charity ride in aid of

Cornwall Hospice Care. I was very pleased to

complete over 280 miles from St Michael’s

Mount to Mont St Michel, and while the 81 miles

of Day one, from Marazion to Plymouth, nearly

brought my ambi'ons to a premature end, it was

the support of my fellow riders that kept me in


This year our Head Teacher Mr Oliver Sco� cycled from St Michaels Mount to Mont Saint Michel for the

Cornwall Hospice Care. Well done Mr Sco�!

the saddle. Each of the 39 cyclists had their own

tale of loss, and of the valuable support they

received from the Hospice, and these stories

served as an inspira'on when the miles were

hard.

Sharing many of their stories during long hours in

the saddle, or when discussing aches and pains

during evening rest, really brought home how

important the work of a whole community is. It

also provided an opportunity to reflect on the

importance of family, of support, and of ensuring

we take 'me to think of one another during our

busy daily lives. If you would like to support the

hospice please visit h>ps://

mountotmont2017.everydayhero.com/uk/oliver-

sco>-big-bike-ride

The ride also provided a chance to reflect on the

loss last year of my own father, and focused my

mind on just how easy it is to lose sight of what

is truly important as we rush from day to day and

week to week. Every day we are fortunate to be

surrounded by remarkable people doing

MOUNT TO MONT CYCLE 3

remarkable things. Somehow, we need to take

the 'me to see those daily wonders, to

appreciate them, and to tell those close to us

just how important they are.

We will con'nue to celebrate achievements big

and small when we welcome everyone back aIer

half term. We start back with individual school

photographs on the first day back, and I look

forward to seeing as many of you as possible at

our school Bonfire Night and Fireworks on the

3rd of November for what I am sure will be a

great night, and may herald the start of a new

tradi'on in the St Joseph’s calendar.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Sco>

Head Teacher

4 GCSE RESULTS DAY– SUCCESS!


At a 'me of great change in GCSEs na'onally, one

thing has remained constant: an excep'onal 90%

of GCSE pupils at St Joseph’s School, Launceston,

gained the required 5 passes at grades 4-9 and A*

to C including Maths and English that makes up

the new na'onal benchmark.

This year sees the first cohort gradua'ng with

their Maths and English results graded 1-9 instead

of A*-G, and the pupils in both subjects did very

well under the rigorous new examina'on system.

The removal of controlled assessments for GCSE

English has na'onal implica'ons, and pupil Mary

Mar'n’s level 9 in English Language was one of

only a handful awarded na'onally.

Four pupils gained over half of their results at the highest grades of either A*, A, 7, 8 or 9 which is an

excellent achievement for those individuals and St Joseph’s as a non-selec've school.

Strengths highlighted within the results this year at St Joseph’s were Science, Music and Economics.

Headmaster Mr Oliver Sco> welcomed the results saying “It has been a tes'ng 'me with all of the

changes we have seen na'onally, but I am extremely pleased with the results the children have achieved.

Each of them has a great deal to be proud of, although their achievements over their 'me at St Joseph’s

will always be measured by more than just

examina'on results. I am delighted to see that we maintain such a high pass rate, and look forward to

further successes for all those receiving their results today. My thanks go to pupils, parents and staff for

all they have done to ensure the children enjoy a great start in life, and I am looking forward to

welcoming everyone back in September.”

St Joseph’s recent Prize Giving evening

showed the confidence and achievements that

pupils take with them when leaving the

school, aspects of their characters that the

children will take forward as they move on to

their next challenges.

These excellent results demonstrate the

effec'veness of high quality teaching and

small class sizes on offer at St Joseph’s. The

school has achieved a consistently high

standard of examina'on results for many

years now, but it is not complacent and will

seek to build on this achievement.

Very well done to the class of 2017.


This term Year 6 have been learning about WWII and have been very crea've making WWII

Anderson Air Raid Shelters for their homework.

6 YEAR 6 TOPIC WWII

Pictured below are Jack and Jem with WWII memorabilia handed down from their rela'ves.


YEAR 7 TEAM BUILDING DAY 7

On 26th September the St Joseph’s Year 7 pupils spent a day at North Devon Wake Park taking part in

team building ac'vi'es as part of their introduc'on to the Senior School.

This provided a great opportunity for the Year 7 group, consis'ng of a mix of pupils who have come

through the Junior School, from other Primary Schools and other Independent schools. It gave them

the chance to join together to support and challenge each other in a variety of situa'ons both on dry

land and on the water.

Special thanks go to the team at North Devon Wake Park and St Joseph’s staff who helped them have

such an enjoyable day.



The Recep'on class have made a wonderful start to

their school journey this term.

They have been learning about Fairy Tales and are

becoming enthusias'c readers and writers already.

Our 'metable keeps us very busy with French, Cooking

Club and Orchard School and we all enjoyed climbing

up Launceston Castle and seeing the school from the

top.

Our new classroom is bright and spacious and the

children very much enjoy joining together with year

one throughout the week.

Well done Recep'on, a super start!

8 RECEPTION CLASS


Year 7 and Year 8 Rugby v Trinity School.

A very produc've game of rugby hotly contested with both teams scoring numerous tries. The St

Joseph's team was put under a lot of pressure by Trinity but stood firm throughout the game.

Special men'ons for superb tackling go to Will Collings, Daniel Altaan and Thomas Roddy. St Joseph’s try

scorers were Joe Mercer, Lucas Turner and Will Collings. Congratula'ons to Year 7 pupil Callum Brown

for playing in his first ever rugby match and to Daniel Altaan who was awarded player of the match.

Well done to all of the boys it was a great display of rugby by all.

Mr B Cardoo.

ST JOSEPHS V TRINITY RUGBY MATCH 9


10 BONFIRE AND FIREWORKS

Bonfire and Halloween night at St Joseph’s will be spooky and spectacular, with scary costumes

and bright fireworks for all the family to enjoy, with cans of cold drink for the children, and mulled

wine or cider for the grown ups!

All welcome to join in dressing up and carving your own pumpkin to win prizes!

Dona�ons will go to Cornwall's Air Ambulance our chosen charity for the evening.

Decora'on dona'ons need to be placed in our dona'on area before 4pm on Friday the 3rd of

November.

Times:

Event start at 4PM

Bonfire 5PM

Fireworks 6PM

We will be walking down to the orchard from 5pm and the fireworks will be set off on the rugby

field at 6pm. Drinks will be available at the Orchard as well as in the main school grounds.

No alcohol or sparklers will be allowed to be brought in from home. Glow s'cks, spooky treats,

food and drink will be sold from the majority of stalls.

Happy Halloween and Bonfire night! We look forward to seeing you!


12 OUTDOOR LEARNING

THINK of Cornwall and you think about beau'ful

sandy beaches, rugged coastline, stunning

moorland and… seagulls stealing your chips!

Seagulls aside, many of these things we love to

experience as adults and we can all recall the

wonderful memories of spending our childhood

holidays building dens, running through the grass

and discovering the wildlife of the river.

The one thing all of this has in common is that it

is all done outdoors and those memories and

feelings which are evoked when we think about

this are so powerful, not only because they are

the things we love to do but also because of the

important lessons we have learnt whilst doing

them. At St Joseph’s outdoor learning is an

integral part of each child’s development. We

believe that if we are blessed with such a wealth

of natural beauty right on our doorstep then it

would be criminal not to allow our children to

explore and experience it.

However, we do not simply want our children to

experience this for the sake of it being there but

for the amazing lessons it can teach our children.

Many employers now state that graduates leave

educa'on and go into the workplace lacking

many crucial skills. Although they are highly

qualified and mo'vated to succeed, many young

people currently lack essen'al skills in

communica'on, interpersonal skills and problem

solving. These are all areas in which a balanced

outdoor learning curriculum can nurture and

develop.

Visit St Joseph’s at any 'me of year and you will

see children right through from our four-year-

olds in Recep'on Class to the Year 11 GCSE

students donning their outdoor gear (more oIen

than not wellington boots and waterproof

trousers!) and heading off on an adventure to

our outdoor classroom and orchard to take part

in lessons as varied as bug hun'ng and raI

building to reci'ng the works of Shakespeare or

Outdoor learning sets children on the right path for life, says HENRY MATTHEWS, deputy head of junior school at St Josephs


‘If we are blessed with such a wealth of

natural beauty right on our doorstep then it

would be criminal not to allow our children

to explore and experience it’

inves'ga'ng the purity of our water. More oIen

than not outdoor school lessons are based

around the curriculum with strong links to

subjects such as science, DT and the arts, but the

environment is equally as useful for helping

children to deepen their understanding of

mathema'cal concepts, develop skills in

inves'ga'ng history or build geographical

knowledge of our local area. We also place a high

level of importance on teaching our children to

respect their environment and also how being

outdoors can help them develop resilience and

confidence, skills which are essen'al as they

move through life.

In essence outdoor learning for us is not simply a

way of geTng out of the classroom, but is about

giving our pupils the tools they will need to

succeed and to thrive in life; a chance for them

to take risks, to explore and to discover, to

problem solve and work together.

Outdoor learning is a way in which children do

not only gain knowledge but build skills and gain

experiences to set them on the right path for life.


14 OPEN EVENING


This term we held our annual Senior School Open Evening for those considering joining

Year 7 in September 2018 or 2019.

Children experienced a number of lessons throughout the evening giving them a taste of

what is on offer in the Senior School. Special thanks go to our Senior School Head pupils and

prefects who were fantas'c ambassadors for the school during the evening.


16 JUNIOR HARVEST FESTIVAL


The annual Junior Harvest fes'val celebra'on took place on Friday 29th September. The many parents

who a>ended were treated to an excellent performance of a variety of harvest themed songs, poems

and pain'ngs as well as the presenta'on of the harvest loaf.

The guest speaker was Mrs Helen Bailey, Chairperson of the Launceston Food Bank who spoke on the

work of the food bank and how through the very generous dona'ons provided by the children of St

Joseph’s, they are able to help the less fortunate than ourselves in the community. AIerwards there was

the opportunity of a photograph with the charity prefects from both the Junior and Senior schools

together with the wonderful display of food donated.


TRANSITION AFTERNOON S 17

As part of the transi'on process into Year 7, Year 6 pupils will be taking part in taster lessons

throughout the academic year 2017-2018. On Tuesday 3rd October, the Year 6 pupils had the

chance to experience Art and Music in the Senior School. They par'cularly enjoyed crea'ng clay

monsters in Art aIer learning about and taking inspira'on American doodle ar'st Jon

Burgerman.

Pupils in current Year 6 will spend a full taster day in the Senior School on Friday 26th January

2018. They will follow the 'metable of a year 7 to get a real experience of the Senior School at St

Joseph’s. Pupils are welcome to join our Year 6 for this taster day if they are considering joining

Year 7 in September 2018.



COOKING CLUB 19

Li>le bakers in Recep'on Class cooking club enjoyed reading the story of the gingerbread man.

They then created their very own gingerbread men which they thoroughly enjoyed ea'ng too!

St Joseph’s pupils past and (nearly) present were

singing together for the First Night of the Proms

at the Royal Albert Hall last week as they took

part in the BBC Proms Youth Choir. The girls had

all been part of St Joseph’s pres'gious

Canzone>a choir during their 'me at St Joseph’s,

and it was this experience that provided the

plaUorm for their selec'on as part of Cornwall

Music Hub.

The girls taking part (L to R) were Naomi Gillies,

Daisy Cooper, Florence Losasso, Hannah

Carnegie and Rosanna Rowe, with Frankie Gilbert

kneeling. Naomi leI St Joseph’s in 2012, Hannah

in 2013, Frankie in 2014, Daisy and Flo in 2015

while Rosanna leI just this summer. They said of

St Joseph’s highly renowned former Director of

Music, Mrs Elisabeth Mann and her husband

Jonathan “We all want to say a big thank you to

you and Mr Mann, none of us would be here

tonight if it wasn’t for you and our Canzone>a

experiences!”

The BBC Proms Youth Choir recruits up to 350

young singers from various choirs and music

hubs from every corner of the UK, who then

rehearse in their local areas with their own

leaders across the year.

20 THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

As the performance approaches, the BBC holds a

four-day intensive rehearsal residency: this year,

2017 the Proms Youth Choir is made up of singers

from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Youth Choir, University of Birmingham Voices,

selected singers from the Cornwall Music Hub,

the Black Country Music Educa'on Hubs and the

London-based Proms Youth Choir Academy.

Rosanna Rowe added “It was a wonderful

experience. I’ve learnt so much… I don’t know if

you know John Adams’ Harmonium or not but

when you hear you’ll realise how crazy it is. Both

'me and key signature changes nearly every bar

and the rhythms are just obscure! Not to men'on

how high it is…it was intense but great fun. It also

splits into 12 different parts so you have to

concentrate like mad. I sung 1st Soprano. Flo and

Daisy were 2nd Sopranos and Frankie, Hannah

and Naomi were Altos. It’s been a massive

challenge but I’ve definitely learnt a lot!”

Very well done to all the girls involved, and to

Mrs and Mr Mann for their work with the choirs

over the years. With the appointment of Mr Peter

de Blois as St Joseph’s new Director of Music, all

involved in the school look forward to a bright

musical future for the school.


AUSTRIAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS 21

This term we welcomed a group of Austrian students to spend 'me with our Year 8 classes. They

were here for two weeks and one of their aims was to improve their English. They travelled from

the Interna'onal School Innsbruck and interacted brilliantly with our students. Thank you to Mr

Sam Ma>hews who organised their visit.


22 STEM AMBASSADORS

This term we were lucky to have two STEM ambassadors visit St Joseph's.

They visited the school from SPIRENT which is a world leading engineering company in GPS systems.

They taught Year 8 and 9 students about their interna'onal work with companies such as Apple, Aston

Mar'n, NASA and Toyota.

The aim was to inspire students with new technologies and promote the STEM subjects (Science,

Technology, Engineering and Maths).



A new idea this term from Year 11 pupil Amber.

With her younger brother Max coming up from the Junior School into Year

7 she thought it would be a lovely idea for Year 11 pupils to buddy a Year 7

throughout their first year in the Senior School. The buddies met for the

first 'me at the start of term and will con'nue to meet throughout the year

to talk, ask ques'ons, get support and celebrate successes.

A great idea, well done Amber.

Below are the Year 7 and Year 11 pupils.

24 YEAR 11 BUDDIES


OPEN DAY 25

A very busy Autumn Open Day on Friday 13th October.

thank you to all who visited us we hope to see you again soon!



26 SPORT UPDATE

We have made a very busy spor�ng start

to the term in PE!

Ma> Luxton, a local personal trainer visited

school to work with our year 11 pupils; the

sessions encouraged strength and fun. They also

had a bouncing 'me at Ibounce trampoline

centre. Watching the pupils fly through the air

from the high plaUorm even performing back

flips was fantas'c, some pupils even braved the

'ghtrope showing precision and balance.

Our senior girls have played in hockey fixtures

against Shebbear College and Kingsley School.

The aIernoon consisted of a coaching session

and small games, all of which took place in

beau'ful sunshine. The games were compe''ve

and players showed some great team work and

strong tackling skills; they used the space well

and created shoo'ng opportuni'es.

Our senior girls played netball matches v

Wadebridge, these games were all well fought

and closely contested. We came away with 2

wins, 1 draw and 2 loses, using this as a spring

board the newly formed year 7 team took part in

a netball

fes'val at Budehaven School. 17 teams entered

and our team was victorious by winning all their

games. Pupils worked

together, helped each other to demonstrate a

fantas'c level of skill.

The boy’s rugby teams have had fixtures against

Shebbear. Here they entered a tournament with

a sole purpose to remove the feeling of the first

compe''ve game of the season and this was

definitely the case. The under 13 team narrowly

lost (by 1 conversion!) to Trinity School last week

just demonstra'ng that they are developing all

the 'me.

We hosted a junior friendly netball with many

local primary schools entering. Our teams played

fantas'cally well and had many successful games

throughout the day. We also had year 10 and 11

pupils displaying excellent leadership skills when

taking on coaching and umpiring roles with

confidence.

The U9 netball and rugby teams travelled to

Shebbear for some coached games. For most of

the children, this was their first experience of the

compe''ve situa'on and they rose to the

occasion. They listened carefully to the advice

given in order to gain a greater understanding of

the games of netball and rugby. Collabora've

learning is a very powerful tool and one that we

feel in PE is extremely valuable. All the pupils

enjoyed the bus journey, mee'ng and playing

against other pupils

provides a great learning opportunity.

The U11 netball and rugby teams had

compe''ve games against Shebbear earlier this

term. The boys played extremely well

demonstra'ng accurate passing and agile

movements across the pitch to produce periods

of play that looked controlled and highly skilful.

The netballers worked the ball quickly down the

court and used the space with increasing

efficiency and at all 'mes supported their peers.

We also have just under 45 pupils who have

volunteered to take part in the Duchy cross-

country league an event that last year we had

many top 10 finishes and were winners of the

U11 team compe''on. Some of these pupils

have even chosen to take part on the first day of

the half term holidays which is great credit to

them and their parents. This bodes well for the

further develop of cross country at St. Joseph’s

as this year we have joined the East Cornwall

Cross-Country league for the senior school on

the back of the juniors schools success last year.


Yoga Club

Yoga has been introduced this term as an addi'onal aIer school Club for Years 7 to 11. Hatha yoga

provides relaxa'on through breathing exercises and yoga postures and is run by Emma, a qualified

instructor and assisted by Mrs Diffey. For more informa'on on Hatha yoga

visit www.yogalaunceston.co.uk

Computer Club

This term Year 9 students along

with Mrs Toulouse are using

their ICT skills during computer

Club (Wednesday aIer school)

to help develop their knowledge

using the Scratch programming

plaUorm as well as helping to

teach Years 7 and 8 pupils to

code. They have been using

some fantas'c resources

provided by Code Club.


28 EXTRA-CURRICULAR CLUBS

Three St Joseph's School pupils took part in the

Cornish Gorsedh on 2nd September.

Bards of the Cornish Gorsedh came from all over the world to take part in the ceremony, led

by Grand Bard Merv Daley, Telynyor an Weryn, at Launceston Castle. Dressed in their robes

their processed through the town square and took their seats in the castle grounds where

they heard Mr Davey call 'Cornwall's Story'.

Demelza, Lili and Isabella from the Junior School at St Joseph's enjoyed and performed during

the ceremony.


CORNISH GORSEDH 29


30 YEAR 8 PRIVATE PEACEFUL

Year 8 have read the Michael Morpurgo novel Private Peaceful in class.

They were given a short extract to work with and tasked with crea'ng a

3D collage that brought to life a crucial moment in the text.

They looked at the symbolic use of a tunnel to show the shiI in the main

character's lives (two new young army recruits).

Here are some of their crea'ons, great work Year 8!


MARGINAL GAINS 31

Year 9 students have been wri�ng gothic horror stories and are reading The Woman In

Black by Susan Hill.

Here they are improving their work using the marginal gains theory. This a theory used by

the Sky Sports cycling team where small changes in prepara'on and performance support

be>er overall results. They have watched a video on this theory and are applying it to our

wri'ng by selec'ng specific areas to work on to help us personalise the improvements we

need to make in our learning.

This term Tennis Coach James Brobin organised a Singles Tennis Compe��on for the Senior School.

All Senior pupils were invited to take part and there were plenty of matches for all.

Winners of the Year group compe��ons were:

Year 10 Marlo Downs

Year 9 Belle Ferguson

Year 8 Robin Smith

Year 7 Daniel Altaan

Congratula#ons to all who took part.


32 TENNIS


34 MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANOES


Year 5's topic this half-term has been Mountains and Volcanoes and their homework task has been to

prepare a presenta'on based on this topic. The whole class worked very hard on this and brought in a

fantas'c display of models, powerpoint presenta'ons, quizzes and even a cake! A brilliant effort Year 5,

we all really enjoyed looking at your fantas'c work! Pictured are some of their crea'ons!



Mr Brown Cardoo

Congratula�ons to St Joseph's teacher Mr

Brown Cardoo and his team The

Smugglers who completed their ambi'ous

5 day paddle board challenge on 4th

September raising over £28,000 for

charity.

Mo'vated by first-hand experience of the

impact cancer has on people and their

families, The Smugglers' Challenge team

which includes our very own Mr Cardoo,

raises money in the fight against cancer.

AIer the success of their epic 3 peaks

rowing challenge back in 2011 which

raised £25k for the charity, the team

decided it was 'me for a new challenge.

This 'me the team of four took to the

paddle boards and travelled over 289

miles around the coast of Cornwall.

Having himself been diagnosed with a

brain tumour, organiser and par'cipant

Brown Cardoo was mo'vated by his first-

hand experience with the huge impact of

Cancer. Their aim was to raise as much

money as possible for both a renowned

na'onal charity, Cancer Research UK, and

one suppor'ng those diagnosed with

cancer locally to the guys taking up the

challenge, The Force, so that great work

can con'nue to advance around the care

and support for cancer suffers and their

families.

We could not be anymore proud of Brown

and his team for comple'ng their

challenge and raising such an amazing

amount of money for these wonderful

chari'es.

To read more or donate please visit

www.thesmugglerschallenge.co.uk

36 SPOTLIGHT ON


SPOTLIGHT ON 37

Mr Mackenzie Brown

What is your role at St Joseph's School?

When I started at St Joseph's I was teaching both

PE and History, but since the school

introduced GCSE Economics two years ago I have

also been responsible for teaching that. The

subject has proven to be very popular and has

grown to the point where it is now the main

subject in my 'metable with two classes in each

year group. The first cohort to complete the

GCSE did fantas'cally well and the current crop

are also passionate about the subject and are on

course to do well. The year 10's are studying the

new specifica'on with updated content and will

be assessed in the new 9-1 grading.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Other than the holiday's?!! I am very lucky that I

wake up every day looking forward to my job,

and that's the best advice my parents gave me

when I was at school. As teachers at St Joseph's

we get to know the students really well because

there aren't hundreds and hundreds of them and

I really enjoy that part of the job. By knowing

them so well we can really help them develop

and get the best out of them as people. Seeing

the year 11's leave last year as the people they

were, aIer knowing them since year 8 was a very

proud moment.

What are your hobbies outside of school?

I'm very busy outside school as I manage an

adults football team, Millbrook AFC - this feels

like a full 'me job in itself but working with

children every day prepares me well as at 'mes

they are more mature! My biggest passion in life

is football and it is something I love doing. Even

when I was playing I have always coached,

including spending the summer in America in

2007 so it is something I have always done. I also

have a season 'cket at Man United, but don't get

up as much as I used to.

What or who is your favourite…

Actor/Actress? I don't watch too many films to

be honest, but I always enjoy Leonardo Di Caprio

movies.


38 SPOTLIGHT ON

Musician/Band? When I was growing up I loved hip

-hop music as it was great music to do sport to and

Eminem was the man to listen to. More recently

Kanye West, Kano and Kendrick Lamar are ar'sts I

like but you'll find all sorts on my iTunes!

Film? As I said previously I don't really watch too

many films, but comedies are by far my favourite

genre. My guilty pleasure is also Disney movies and

The Lion King is my favourite of them all!

TV Show? I was addicted to 'Entourage' which has

stopped now but that was brilliant. 'A League of

Their Own' is hilarious and I love the depth of

analysis on 'Monday Night Football'.

What would you take with you if you were

stranded on a desert island?

Well if it was a hot island then Sun Cream, and lots

of it! If not, then probably a football - Simple things

please simple minds!

Who is your hero/inspira.on?

Growing up my first proper hero was the footballer

Eric Cantona - I remember crying my eyes out when

he re'red from football. Nowadays, I'm inspired by

a lot of my family because of the things that they

have done for you that you don't truly appreciate

when you are younger.


Beth Sobey Year 5

Beth had the most fantas'c summer compe'ng all over the

place. She was so proud to be part of the side saddle team at

Devon county and the Royal Cornwall show.

She has enjoyed success

at local shows and did

herself proud at the

Na'onal side saddle

Championships at

Buckinghamshire, where

she rode a fantas'c

dressage test in an

exci'ng environment.

Well done Beth!

SPOTLIGHT ON 39

Alumni

Having just finished their A levels

Torin, Imogen and Lauren came by

to look around and say goodbye

before they all head off to

university next week.

Torin will be heading to Kings

College London to read Poli#cs and

Music.

Imogen is going to Manchester

university to study Geology.

Lauren is heading to Cardiff

University to study Geography.

We wish them all the best of luck

during the next stage of their

educa'on and we look forward to

seeing them again soon!

40 SPOTLIGHT ON


Brontё Stevens Year 7

It's been an exci'ng weekend for Year 7 pupil Brontë

Stevens who has been chosen for a part in the film 'tled

'The Kid who would be King' The film will be about a band

of kids who go on an epic adventure to thwart a medieval

menace! Brontë will be riding one of the ponies in the film

and filming will be taking place in October this year.

Brontë has had a very busy summer taking part in the

Landrover Pony Club Championships, the NAF 5 star

Bri'sh Riding Clubs Na'onal Championships and winning

Working Hunter Pony at the Holsworthy Show as well as

gaining Reserve Champion overall. Congratula'ons to

Brontë and we looking forward to watching her ac'ng

skills when the film is released.

Pippi Harris Year 9

Congratula'ons to Year 9 pupil Pippi Harris who

has once again been successful in securing a place

in the Devon U14 Hockey team this year.

Pippi will also be playing for Plymouth Marjon

Hockey Club as she has recently been selected into

their Hockey Academy.

Well done Pippi!

SPOTLIGHT ON 41


Harvey Holmes Year 7

Year 7 pupil Harvey Holmes took part in his third Peter

Bartle> Rega>a at Roadford lake.

Harvey took part in six races in the beginners fleet and

achieved first place for four of them and second and

third for the other two. Overall he came first in his

category and will now progress to the advance fleet for

the 2018 races.

For the past two years Harvey has become a regular

sailor taking part every Saturday where he is rapidly

comple'ng his RYA Youth sailing scheme qualifica'ons

and more for fun, with St Joseph's extra-curricular

Outdoor Educa'on Club on Friday's.

A very well done Harvey, your determina'on and skill at

taking the wind out of the other compe'tors have given

you this great result.

Ella Henry-Brock Year 9

Year 9 pupil Ella Henry-Brock had a busy summer

compe'ng in a variety of events. Ella a>ended the

Cornwall County Athle'c Championships at Carn Brea

where she came 1st in the U15 high jump and 2nd in

javelin.

Ella then competed in the Bri'sh Surf Life Saving

Championships at Holywell Bay and was up against 80

compe'tors in the U15 girls category. Ella achieved 1st

in the beach sprints and 3rd in the mixed beach sprints

relay.

In September Ella competed in the Cornish Surf Life

Saving Championships where she came 1st in the U15

beach sprints and 3rd in beach flags.

Well done Ella!

42 SPOTLIGHT ON


Olivia Shute Year 6

Congratula'ons to Year 6

pupil Olivia Shute who

represented Cornwall in

the Swim England Regional

Relay Championships in

Plymouth on Sunday. Olivia

who swims for Caradon

Swimming Club took part in

the age 10/11 4 x 50m

freestyle and 4 x medley

relay aIer qualifying with

her three team mates back

in January.

AIer strong performances

in the heats they secured

their place in both finals. They faced strong compe''on from across the region and with their

fantas'c swimming and team work they achieved two bronze medals. A brilliant achievement - well

done to Olivia and her team mates.

Max Green Year 5

Max Green has made considerable progress

with his surfing this over the summer and was

awarded a level four pass of the Junior Surf

Scheme with his Bude Waveriders Club at their

end of season presenta'on.

Bude Waveriders is part of Surfing England, the

recognised Na'onal Governing Body for Surfing

in England.

Well done Max... surfs up!

SPOTLIGHT ON 43


Holly Kerslake Year 9

Pictured proudly wearing the Bronze Medal she collected as part of the victorious Great Britain NAF

pony dressage team at the FEI Pony European Championships in Kaposvar, Hungary in July. Holly is

pictured on her pony Valhalla's Zorro. Holly was the youngest rider in the GB squad, and had the dis-

advantage of having to take a circuitous road trip across Europe to a>end the compe''on aIer gain-

ing a last minute place. All other riders flew to Hungary, meaning Holly was ba>ling exhaus'on as well

as nerves when she took to the saddle in front of the panel of five judges.

Following Holly's excep'onal performance as the youngest rider on the team by some two years, it

was a nerve wracking overnight wait as the team prepared for the second two riders to take to the

area, par'cularly as they knew the well supported Dutch team were just wai'ng with their orange

banners poised to overtake them at the last and take their place on the podium.

In a nerve shredding final round, which saw two very uncharacteris'c slips by Team GB's final pony,

Holly, along with Sophie Taylor, Anya Kolleth and Megan Barra>t, did just enough once the scores

were added to the running total to remain in third at the expense of the disappointed Dutch.

This remarkable achievement meant Holly came back to her home near Launceston with her very

proud parents Simon and Kirsty a European Bronze Medallist at the age of just 13. It is a very long way

since she caught the riding bug riding her Shetland down the aisles of the shop her parents once

owned. The eye injury that meant she turned to dressage as she was temporarily unable to jump or

hunt was, with hindsight, a moment of great fortune. Well done to Holly for all she has achieved.

44 SPOTLIGHT ON


Ella and Harrison Shaw Year 6 and 3

We always like to celebrate the many different achievements of our pupils. Recently Ella Shaw from

Year 6 and her brother Harrison from Year 3 both competed at the Richmond Running Fes'val in the

1 mile kids races.

Ella ran first in the Year 6 age group, although training recently has not been at her usual level due to

her fractured arm she was very thankful she could s'll compete. Ella finished 2nd girl with a very

respectable 'me of 6mins 41sec despite carrying the extra weight of a plaster cast!

Harrison was spurred on by watching his sisters achievement and was raring to go for his race.

Harrison was clear winner for the year 3 category and finished with an outstanding 'me of 6mins

28secs.

Many congratula'ons go to both of them and we look forward to sharing in their further successes on

the road and track.

Ma>hew Rowland Year 6

Many congratula'ons go to Ma>hew

Rowland in Year 6 who recently won the

award of Young Farmer of the Year

organised by the Launceston Young

Farmers. Ma>hew completed in a number

of ac'vi'es including growing produce,

preparing a meal for the judges and

showing livestock.

Ma>hew also took part in a range of art

and craI ac'vi'es. Ma>hew in the past

has achieved much success on the

agricultural stage, triumphing on more than one occasion at the both the Royal Cornwall Show and

the Launceston Show in a variety of classes.

Not happy with just that award Ma>hew then fought his way through the regional heats to the

Na'onal Finals of the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show 2017 at the 3 Coun'es Showground in Malvern,

Worcestershire and was awarded an amazing 5th prize for showing in the category Calves under 8

months, bea'ng many other compe'tors from all over Great Britain. This was an extraordinary feat

for someone of Ma>hew’s age and a big stepping stone to future successes.

Ma>hew is very proud of his achievements as we are, especially as his name is now engraved on his

young farmers trophy, together with that of his mother and grandfather who were both previous

winners. It obviously runs in the family. Many congratula'ons Ma>hew.

Everyone at St Joe’s is very proud of you.

SPOTLIGHT ON 45


Documents

Autumn Term 2017 - St Joseph's School - Launceston · 4 GCSE RESULTS DAY– SUCCESS! St Joseph’s School Autumn Term 2017 At a ’me of great change in GCSEs na’onally, one thing