Dec 2011Newsletter

Adult Education - Kingsmead Cookery Master ClassWinter Warmers - Soups and Baked Accompaniments. Starts Monday 16th January for 4 weeks. Sessions run from 6.45pm for 2hrs, Cost - £40 All proceeds go towards Kingsmead School's Zambia ExchangeAttendees are to bring their own ingredients as requested and sessionsare given by Qualified Chef and Food Technology Teacher - Julie CowanBookings are essential and full payment must be made by Friday 13th January.

To book your place please contact - Cathy Stanford Kingsmead School

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Dear Parents & Guardians

I think it is fairly normal at this time of year for many of us to reflect back on the year so we can give thought to our hopes and dreams for the coming twelve months. I am no different and have been looking back at the introduction to last year’s newsletter to see where we were a year ago, which really does make me wonder where the time has gone.

This time last year I described the ‘milestone’ the school faced as it sought Academy status and mentioned that the previous year (2009) we had our full Ofsted inspection which, at the time, was the most important event we could go through. Two momentous events in two years takes some beating but maybe the next twelve months will be just as important. As the roles and responsibilities of being an Academy become embedded we are rising to the challenges of things such as being our own admissions authority and the employer of all staff and are clearly working really hard to make best use of the freedoms academy status brings.

There will be, of course, changes from

September 2012 due to my retirement. Governors have undertaken a series of interviews for my replacement already but have yet to appoint my successor. Advertisements and interviews will be taking place early in the New Year and I am sure that the new Headteacher will bring in new ideas but s/he will also be charged with ensuring the values and beliefs the school holds now will be kept in the future.

The Autumn term has been fantastic – in my view the best ever with students and staff working incredibly hard to ensure success. I am sure we remain on target to achieve the best results we’ve ever seen this summer and it is clear that all year groups are focussed and ambitious which are pre-requisites for success in years to come.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and wish you a prosperous New Year.

Yours sincerely

Geoff TinkerHeadteacher

WANTED ANY UNWANTED SMALL CARS FOR USE BY THE KINGSMEAD MOTOR VEHICLE DEPARTMENT

MFLLinguist of the Month for : October Callum RossNovember Laura Greenwood

WANT TO WIN A SHARE OF £40,000?The 2012 UK chess Challenge starts early in the new year.See Mr Johns to sign up or for more details.

NB: We return to school on Thursday 5 January on a Week B

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New Online Booking System for Parents’ EveningsWe are pleased to announce that we will be using a new Online Booking System for Parents’ Evenings from January 2012 starting with the Year 11 Subject Parents’ Evening on Thursday, 26th January. Letters will be sent out in the New Year with instructions.

LOST PROPERTYPlease remember to label all school clothes and PE kit clearly so that it can be returned to you if found at school. If you have lost anything please come to Student Support and have a look through the lost property cupboard. In addition to items of clothing, we also have a selection of smaller items, including jewellery, glasses, watches, pencil cases and more.

The Science club at Kingsmead has had a very successful start this year. Members have carried out a number of investigations, the most popular one being the best combination of Mentos and coke to make a fountain. (If you’re interested it is mint Mentos and diet Pepsi). We have also looked at how magic tricks are really just science and preformed some of our favourite science tricks to the whole school assembly. As a celebration of our success this year the whole club, plus a few friends, went to see the Christmas Science lectures on Wed 7th Dec at Taunton. The pupils got to see Newton’s law of motion, in action with the science of the circus, plus a guide to the universe given by CBBC space hopper Mark Brake and science rap star Jon Chase. After the show pupils were able to meet the stars and ask questions.

Monday Netball Practice (All Years)

Year 7 Boys Rugby

Tuesday Year 7, 8 & 9 Girls Hockey

Year 8 Boys Rugby

Wednesday Trampolining (All Years)

Year 11 Mixed Hockey

Year 7 & 8 Cricket

Thursday Year 10 & 11 Girls Hockey

Year 10 & 11 Boys Rugby

Badminton club

Friday Hockey practice (As invited)

Rowing (All Years)

Year 9 Rugby

All practices start at 1.35pm and all students are welcome.

Monday Netball Practice (All Years)

Year 7 Boys Rugby

Tuesday Year 7, 8 & 9 Girls Hockey

Year 8 Boys Rugby

Wednesday Trampolining (All Years)

Year 11 Mixed Hockey

Year 7 & 8 Cricket

Thursday Year 10 & 11 Girls Hockey

Year 10 & 11 Boys Rugby

Badminton club

Friday Hockey practice (As invited)

Rowing (All Years)

Year 9 Rugby

All practices start at 1.35pm and all students are welcome.

Monday Netball Practice (All Years)

Year 7 Boys Rugby

Tuesday Year 7, 8 & 9 Girls Hockey

Year 8 Boys Rugby

Wednesday Trampolining (All Years)

Year 11 Mixed Hockey

Year 7 & 8 Cricket

Thursday Year 10 & 11 Girls Hockey

Year 10 & 11 Boys Rugby

Badminton club

Friday Hockey practice (As invited)

Rowing (All Years)

Year 9 Rugby

All practices start at 1.35pm and all students are welcome.

Free Careers Advice Over the Phone! BIS has launched a telephone careers helpline for students as part of the National Careers Service. Support is available from trained advisers who will talk through issues, offering confidential advice and practical help. Advisers are available from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, telephone 0800 100 900, or for text messages on 0776 641 3219.

04.01.12 INSET

05.01.12 School starts

10.01.12 Yr 11 Unit 2 Eng Lang re-sits Maths Functional Skills Exam Business Studies A292 Written Paper Exam Yr 7 visit to Chepstow & Caerphilly Castles

11.01.12 Engineering EG 208 Exam

12.01.12 Biology – Yr 10 Exam RS Mock – Yr 11 Exam German Mock Exam School Society Meeting

13.01.12 Food Technology Exam – Yr 11 Exam French Mock Exam Spanish Mock Exam

17.01.12 English Literature Exam RE Mock – Yr 10 Exam

18.01.12 Chemistry 1 Exam Drama Mock Exam RS – Ethics Exam

19.01.12 Yr 7/8 Leadership Academies

20.01.12 Physics Exam Geography Exam

23.01.12 History GCSE A972/21 Written Paper

24.01.12 Biology 1 & 2 Exam Additional Applied Science Exam PE Mock Exam

26.01.12 Chemistry 1, 2 & 3 Exam Yr 11 Subject Parents Evening

30.01.12 Physics 1 & 2 Exam

31.01.12 RS Educational visit – Yr 10 Students Yr 7 visit to Chepstow & Caerphilly Castles

07.02.12 School Society Meeting

08.02.12 Zambia Executive

09.02.12 Yr 8 Subject Parents Evening

13.02.12 – 17.02.12 Spring Half Term

Dates For Your Diary

How much do you know about online safety?Take Mr Bath’s online safety quiz and make sure you are doing all you can to keep your self and your identity safe

www.northerngrid.org/flash/grapple

Can you beat the top score?

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I would like to thank all those students nominated for an award. Their hard work was noticed by their Science teacher for effort, enthusiasm and progression.

Those nominated from KS3 were Gabriel Elkins, Millie Stewart, Joe Clayton, Anna Della-Valle, Emily Coles, Jonti Ruell, Rhianna Hurren-Myers, Will Stead, Sophie Kennard, Tom O’Brien, Connor Cutler, Maddy Barnes, Jacob Hinder, Katharine Amphlett, Amelia Mansell, Alex Iles, Elliot McCluskey, Tilly Blundell, Tia Rowe, Louise Francis, Josie

Kluth, Millie Sandford, Freddie Sharman, Sam Holland, Freddie Darlow and Emily Lee.

The Science department awarded Emily Coles the Y7 prize, Katharine Amphlett (Y8) and Alex Iles (Y9). Sam Holland (Y9) won the overall prize for a great attitude and willingness to learn and contribute over the past few years.

Well done to all.Mr Johns

On Tuesday 13th December Peter Barham came into school. He is a professor at Bristol University. He came in to present certificates to the students who had been nominated for the science awards. He also presented a prize to the overall winners from Years 7, 8 and 9. Sam Holland received the top prize for doing so well over the last three years.Peter Barham also told us all about how to make ice cream. He used liquid nitrogen to make cherry and chocolate ice cream and we all got to have some!Tia Rowe

Taunton Young Musician of the YearIf you were to ask me six months ago whether I wanted to stand up in front of an audience, many of whom would be girls, and sing a song from the 1940s, you would probably get a startled, embarrassed look from a teenage face. Worse still, the audience would include West End actor Brian Husband who would adjudicate your singing and acting skill. However, six months ago, I had a singing voice that had only really been used once as Mr Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors and that was hardly tuneful! So I decided to take up the offer of singing lessons with Mr Thomas during his now, retired life?! At first I went

along with idea that singing lessons were just to strengthen my voice if a future acting career arose. But, I then realised I was preparing for the Taunton and Somerset Festival! By now, I could have stopped singing and left my voice to slide back into ‘Teenage Mode’. On the other hand, I could pluck up the courage and take the offer. That decision turned out to be something I have no regrets for making. As a result of my singing, I was awarded a Commendation and a Distinction. The Commendation was for Mr Cellophane from Chicago (a man that is so unpopular who no one sees for anything) whereas

the Distinction was awarded for my performance of Top Hat White Tie and Tails that was performed by Fred Astaire in the musical Top Hat. The Distinction gave me first place in the class for my acting together with singing performance. I now look, six months on at the progression that I have made and can be safe in saying that I have achieved something unusual and unique. It has given me a drive to continue performing in front of crowds by doing something I love and have a passion for.Joe Robinson 10Jn

NaNoWriMo 2011

Once again Kingsmead students had the opportunity to enter NaNoWriMo. This is an international event which stands for National Novel Writing Month and every November writers of all ages aim to write an entire first draft of a novel in one month.

The Kingsmead writers this year were Emily Cole in Yr 7, Arthur Baverstock and Polly Lowder in Yr 8, Rowan Evans and Sophia Watson in Yr 9, Emma Brady, Elise Collins, Eve Reynolds and Charlotte Yeoell in Yr 10 and Hazel Pring, Kate Bryant and Helena Wyatt in Yr 11.

Unfortunately, our writers this year seemed to suffer many set–backs, ranging from computer crashes, writer’s block

and Maths exams, but cumulatively we still managed to write over 200,000 words in one month! And on our November 22nd Challenge Day we were joined by writers Ally Kennen, Claire Barker and Mark Clapham who were able to give us a pep talk on overcoming difficulties and upping our word counts.

We’re looking forward to having even more writers take part next year. Well done

Science Awards

Designed & Printed at the Community Printshop For all your design & printing needs

Contact us on 01984 622212 printshop@educ.somerset.gov.uk

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www.kingsmead-school.com

Hartswell, Wiveliscombe, Taunton, Somerset. TA4 2NE

Telephone: 01984 623483Fax: 01984 624230

E-mail: sch.562@educ.somerset.gov.uk

Dear Parents & Guardians School closure due to adverse weather conditions

In the event of serious weather conditions (snow, ice, flood) it may be necessary to close the school for the safety of students and staff. If this becomes necessary the following procedures will be implemented.

Bad weather overnight or early morning

• The school website will show if the school is closed. Go to www.kingsmead-school.com We would hope to ensure this information is available by 7.30am.

• We will be advised by the bus companies and local authority if it is too dangerous for transport to run. We have had occasions when we judge the school can open but transport operators cancel. In such circumstances parents may bring their child to school but you must be aware that transport will not be available at the end of the day and you will need to collect your child.

• If transport is not running but school is open we will put this information on our website at the earliest opportunity.

• If the decision is taken to close the school we will notify the local radio stations: Radio Somerset – 95.5 FM and 1548MW Heart FM – 102.6FM or 96.5FM

• The school answerphone will be updated by 7.30am with the above information but we ask parents to listen to the local radio or look on our website in the first instance.

• We will also be trialling a texting service to notify parents, where we have a valid mobile number on our system.

Bad weather during the day

• If weather conditions deteriorate during the day, school may close early and all students sent home. If this is the case:-

- Radio stations will be notified - Transport will be rearranged - Information will be put on our website. Parents will be notified by text or email

wherever possible

• Any student who is brought to school other than by school transport will have the opportunity to phone and make arrangements to be collected early

• Parents are asked to ensure students have a key for home or that arrangements have been made for someone to look after them in the event students are sent home early

• We cannot telephone parents individually

Yours sincerely Geoff Tinker Headteacher