ACADEMY NEWS22nd NOVEMBER 2013

EXPLORE

SEND IN YOUR NEWS

BE YOURBEST

Best wishes

Sara DaveyAcademy Principal

There are always plenty of successes and improvements to report in the Academy and this week is no exception. Our sporting success is growing exponentially and we are making an impact on the Cornwall, as well as the national, competition programmes. Girls and boys are performing really well across all team sports and we are certainly putting Penzance, Penwith and Cornwall on the map with our winning ways.

The Penlee Museum ‘takeover’ tonight is a chance for our MBA musicians and poets to share with the community their extensive talents and skills. Thanks to all parents for their support.

Thursday 12th December starting at 6pm will be our famous annual Christmas Craft Fair. We are still taking bookings for sellers’ tables on the night at £10 a pitch. Contact Lisa Webb (lwebb@mountsbay.org) if you are a festive entrepreneur! Join us for Christmas shopping, food and drink and great music. We are holding a roller disco for the students on the evening. 6-7pm will be for Years 7 and 8 students and 7-8pm will be for Years 9, 10 and 11 students.

Madron Church is welcoming us this year for our Academy Carol Service on Thursday 19th December at 7pm. It is always a beautiful evening and all are welcome. We support the RNLI charity every year at this time in commemoration of the Penlee Lifeboat disaster where some former Mounts Bay School students lost their lives.

The refurbishment of the toilets begins next week and it will inevitably involve some “inconvenience” for students and staff. Please could I ask for patience because the finished facilities will be original and unique. Our student “Project Porcelain” team have come up with some adventurous plans working with our award-winning designers, Sames and Littlejohns, and we will take you to other worlds as you take your comfort breaks in the future.

The cashless catering is also a new development that is going very well and we now have a quicker flow in the lunch queue as well as interesting new food options from our new caterers, Aspens.

Finally, Mounts Bay Academy likes to stand out from the crowd and I am delighted to report and we must be one of the only schools in the country offering classes in Danish and Maori in the last two weeks. I would like to say Tak and Kia-Ora (thank you) to our international guests for their input.

Principal’s Report

BEINSPIRED

IMYC Winter Semester

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 were treated to exciting presentations as the entry point to their new IMYC themes for the Winter semester.

The Year 7 theme is ‘structure’. Students took part in a drum workshop run by Amanda Pickering. Amanda has visited West Africa many times, and came in to share her knowledge of the structure of West African society and the drumming skills she has learnt on her travels.

“The drumming was amazing. It was very, very hard but very good. It gave me an insight of what it would be like in Africa. It’s a tradition they get used to. For them it’s like texting.” - Georgie Schmidt

Year 9′s theme is ‘identity’. Students were invited to come into school on Monday morning wearing an outfit that represented their identity. There were some interesting identities, including racing driver, army cadet, dancer, footballer and rugby player. Mr Raggett, dressed in his climbing gear, talked to the students about the concepts involved in identity.

Year 8 were treated to an inspirational talk by explorer Joe Butcher to introduce their theme of ‘curiosity’. He told students about his adventures as an explorer. The talk on Friday was to introduce students to the idea of trying your best and embracing new experiences purely for the enjoyment of learning something. He told students, “Little opportunities in life become the big things you remember.” Students will be able to interact with explorer Anthony Jinman online while he is on expedition at the South Pole.

Formal arrangements and relationships (structures) underpin or give organisation to complex issues.

Our sense of self, and that of others, is continually developing through our different interactions and impacts on how we exist in the world.

The desire to know more drives exploration and aspiration.

BEINSPIRED

Frankenstein in St Ives

On Thursday 14th November students from Mounts Bay visited St Ives Cinema to see the a National Theatre Encore screening of Frankenstein. The production was shown in cinemas as part of the National Theatre's 50th anniversary celebrations. Frankenstein originally enjoyed a sell-out run at the National Theatre, and went on to win awards including the 2012 Olivier Award for Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller. It was directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire)

It began with a glow of red and the throbbing beat of a heart. There was a flash, like that of lightning, and then emerged a figure, a creature that stumbled into being. A man, if he could be called such, deformed by deep gouges and gashes sutured together. He moved with limbs that had never moved before, jerking and convulsing until finally he stood on shaky legs. This monster is infant-like in his innocence and pitiful, yet he is cast out into an unwelcoming world by his horror-struck creator. Met only with hostility by all who came across him, this lonesome monster grows ever desperate, vengeful and determined to meet his maker in order to strike a deal that will ensure he will never be alone again...

The production focuses on Frankenstein's creation and how this creature was not just a servile and mindless thing, but something capable of everything from the sadness of solitude to the feeling of love. It arouses urgent questions about scientific responsibility and the morality of experimentation on human subjects, as well as the nature of good and evil within us all. It was a very intense and enthralling performance, brilliantly acted by Benedict Cumberbatch (playing the role of Victor Frankenstein) and Jonny Lee Miller (as the being he created) in the performance we viewed. A visually stunning and intricately adapted production by Nick Dear and director Danny Boyle, based on the novel by Mary Shelley. This gothic tale, although published in 1818, still had a shocking impact on its modern-day audience.

E.Charlesworth

BECREATIVE

Still Life

Mrs Dale and the Year 10 Art students took over the Hall on Thursday for an exciting art session. A drawing workshop environment was created which allowed students to explore a larger space than normal and enabled them to work on a bigger scale. The students were taken out of their comfort zone and the exercise really pushed the boundaries. A towering collection of Taiko drums, tentacles from Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors), stools and other objects were placed in the middle of the hall, and students positioned themselves around it to draw. They used a variety of media including pencils, chalk and charcoal and worked on very large sized paper.

Students produced some spectacular work, and developed their mark making skills using a variety of techniques.

BECREATIVE

St Ives Speech and Drama Festival

On Thursday 14th November the fantastic Mrs Jones drove myself and four Year 7s to the Island Centre in St Ives for the 14th annual St Ives Speech and Drama Festival. The students were entered into the verse speaking class. Maddie Thomas performed ‘The Sea’ by James Reeves. Hudson Hewett, Pasha Wilson and Georgie Schmidt performed ‘Good For Discipline’ by Tony Charles.

The adjudicator’s feedback to them as a group included the words, “terrific, engaging, energetic and bold”.

Individual feedback saw Maddie receiving 88marks (distinction) for “a very engaging and mature performance”. She also won best in class and received a medal during the evening gala where she was asked to perform again.

Pasha received 86marks (commended) for “a great performance with lots of energy and an intelligent amusing rendition”. He ended his piece by threatening the adjudicator with his teacher’s dragon, a brave move that she enjoyed.

Georgie received 85marks (commended) for “a good performance with a lovely variety of pace and tone and an expressive face to go with his expressive voice”

Hudson received 84marks (commended) for “a really enjoyable performance that included the audience in ‘the secret’ and made the poem feel like a real conversation. A playful and energetic performance”.

All in all a great success and I am one extremely proud teacher – well done!

Report by Miss Dowrick

County Football

On Tuesday 12th November 2013, Cornwall SFA U14s travelled away to Oxfordshire SFA U14s in the South West Inter County League. Well done to Max Armstrong, Jacob Trudgeon and Joshua Otto, all of which represented their County in a prestigious win on the road.

Cornwall won 1-0 and the winning goal scorer was William Trew (Truro School) who picked the ball up on the half way line, dribbled beating three defenders and then unleashed a rocket of a shot from the edge of the area to see the ball fly into the ‘roof of the net’.

BECOMPETITIVE

U13 National Cup Football

MBA travelled to Penair to play a very strong squad who had beaten the County finalists by 5-2, so we knew we were in for a tough match. In difficult conditions and on a very uneven pitch the game started at a 100 miles an hour! It took time for Mounts Bay to settle but eventually the deadlock was broken when Ali Stacey was put clean through to take the lead 1-0. Play swung from end to end and we won a great game 4-2.

Some strong performances all round means we now have the chance to play the winners of the Devon area, Ivybridge. Bring them on!

BEADVENTUROUS

Tall towers

Year 7s were given the challenge of building either the tallest (think Eiffel Tower) or widest (think Forth bridge) structure that could withstand a load of 300g. They thought it was easy at first until they realised they only had 12 marshmallows and a handful of uncooked spaghetti.

This activity drew on attributes such as design creativity, teamwork, patience, ability to work to a deadline and with limited resources.

It was a bit messy - but great fun - well done Year 7 for being so talented and enthusiastic! Miss Weightman

BETHERE TONIGHT

BEA WINNER

Translate the word of the week from either French, German, Spanish or Italian and send your answer to ktripp@mountsbay.org to be entered into the weekly competition.

Use the word of the week in your Language lesson and get a credit from your teacher!

Maths Quiz

This Week’s Puzzle:

A quiz has 5 questions with five points for each correct answer and three points deducted for an incorrect answer.

A team scores 17 points. How many questions did they get correct? Extension for Bonus Points:

A quiz has 20 questions with seven points for each correct answer, two points deducted for an incorrect answer and zero for each question omitted.

Jack scores 87 points. How many questions did he omit?

Last week’s solution: There was more than one answer - winners explained their answers.

Extension: 123 + 321, 222 + 222 or 420 + 024

Could you write next week’s puzzle?If you would like to set the numeracy puzzle for a future week click here. You will win house points.

Win an iTunes voucher

For each correct answer throughout this semester we will put your name in the hat for a chance to win an iTunes voucher – the more correct answers, the more chance of winning.

House Competition

Purple: 3 PointsOrange: 3 PointsGreen: 2 PointBlue: 1 Point

Yellow: 0 PointsRed: 0 Point

Click here to submit your answer

Last week's answer was ‘tests’.

The winner was Lowenna Murley.Well done!

MFL Word of the Week!

la neige la neve

la nieve der Schnee

BEA WINNER

Where else does the Word of the Week appear in this newsletter, apart from on this page?

The winner will be chosen at random from the winning entries each week.

To win, simply read the newsletter and e-mail the sentence that the word curfew appears in by using the link below.

Competition

Congratulations to Erin Neal who wins a WH Smith Voucher.

Click Here to enter the competition

Erin receives her prize from Miss Tooby

This week’s word is: curfew

Definition: curfew – noun.A curfew is a regulation requiring people to remain indoors between specified hours, typically at night. It can be an order issued by the public authorities or military to maintain public order (such as those after the 2005 civil unrest in France, the 2010 Chile earthquake and 2011 Egyptian revolution.)It can also be a rule set by the legal guardians of a teenager to return home by a specific time, usually in the evening or night.

Etymology: from French phrase "couvre-feu", which means "cover the fire". It was used to describe the time of blowing out all lamps and candles. This was so the enemy could not spot the camp in the darkness. Its original meaning refers to a law made by William The Conqueror that all lights and fires should be put out at the ringing of an eight o'clock bell.

Amnesty International Report - by Ananda Lee

What is Amnesty International?

That's a good question! Well, Amnesty International is a non-governmental organisation that mainly focuses on protecting and encouraging human rights worldwide. It was founded in 1961, in London, following the publication of an article called 'The Forgotten Prisoners'. Since then the charity has gained much public awareness and has around three million members altogether! In 1948 (after the destruction and suffering that the World Wars made) the UN created the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights'. This is a document of 30 articles, the basic human rights that everyone must follow. Fifty three countries are signed to this document. Amnesty International fights to save these rights and make sure that they are adopted around the world. They take up human rights issues through letter-writing, onlineand offline campaigning, demonstrations, vigils and direct lobbying of those with power and influence. Together, they campaign to:

• defend freedom of expression• protect women’s rights• abolish the death penalty• demand justice for crimes against humanity• demand corporate accountability

Amnesty International in the news:

• Indonesia is a country that still has the death penalty in use, at the moment there are about 130 people that have been sentenced to death in the country. Around half of those are on death row and are foreign nationals who have been convicted of drug-related offences. Last week, a fifth person was executed (by firing squad) and it seems that another five are at risk of being killed.

• The safety of some indigenous protestors in Colombia, South America, is feared for. There has been violence towards them from the security forces after their leaders received death-threats from a right-wing paramilitary group. The security forces are said to have used excess amounts of force against the indigenous demonstrations. There are fears that further violence may strike.

• Urgent action is needed from Bulgarian authorities to improve the conditions of an emergency accommodation centre for asylum seekers on the Turkish border. Amnesty International took a visit after many of the residents staged a protest and threatened to start a hunger strike, if the conditions were not improved. There are around 1000 people temporarily living there until further accommodation is available. The inhabitants are kept in metal cages, sharing three toilets and eight showers between them all. They are not even allowed to leave to buy essential food and must survive on the staple foods for up to a month. Amnesty International has asked Bulgaria to take action as soon as possible.

How you can get involved:

At Mounts Bay Academy we run an Amnesty International Club with Mr Johns. Come and join us on Thursday lunchtimes to prepare for events to help raise money for this charity. We are getting involved with the annual Christmas fair and would love for there to be more volunteers taking part. Just get in touch with Mr Johns or pop in!

BEFREE

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE

BECHARITABLE

Mr Curnow has offered his face up for charity. If he raises at least £10 in donations he will shave his beard to create an interesting facial hair feature.

Students need to provide both a donation and design for his facial trim. It is hoped that this will raise more funds for the Movember fundraising effort which many teachers are taking part in.

Please see Mr Curnow with your designs and donations.

SEND IN YOUR NEWS

WANTEDMoustache designs

and donations