CAMPION NEWSLETTER
Issue 17.1, Thursday, 3rd October 2013
Tel: 01708 452332 Email: [email protected] Website: www.campion.havering.sch.uk
CHAMBER CHOIR
The Chamber Choir made a visit to the
Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham in
Norfork on Saturday, 7th September.
They sang in the presence of the
Archbishop of Cardiff, George Stack.
The Archbishop, the shrine’s staff and
the personnel of the arch confraternity
of St Stephen all commented on the
boy’s superb singing and demeanour.
Well done! Mrs O’Hanlon
EXAM RESULTS 2013
The school is delighted to report how well both or Y11 and Y13 students performed in their respective GCSE and A2/BTEC
courses this summer.
BEST EVER GCSE RESULTS! Our Year 11 pupils exceeded their targets and expectations to achieve the best GCSE results in the
school’s history. Over 83% of our boys achieved 5 or more GCSEs between A* and C - a fantastic achievement. Over 30% of all
grades were A* or A. Students who performed exceptionally well were Callum Jones and Luke Magarinos with 10 A* each,
Oliver Fernandez, Nick McAlpin and Victor Ajuwon with 8 A* each. Most students have continued their studies in our Lower
Sixth.
Our UPPER SIXTH also exceeded their target and achieved some outstanding results. The average number of A2 passes was
over 3 per student with nearly 60% of all grades being A*, A or B (the highest in the school’s history). Over 8% were of the
highest grade A* (students need to achieve over 90% in all modules to achieve this distinction). Students who performed
exceptionally well were Michael Beech, Lewis Conway, Luke Fermi and Luke Burr with 3 A* each.
In BTEC the following students achieved the highest grades (3 D* - 3 starred distinctions) Jake Fava, Sean Kelly, Callum Liddiard,
Sophie Long and Danny Wilson.
Of the 124 students in the upper sixth 85 have taken up university places. Mr P Bolton, Assistant Headmaster
MUSIC TUITION
Y7 students were given a demonstration of the different instruments that we
teach at Campion on Monday morning. The Tuba demonstration was given by
ex-student Chris Karwacinski, who is currently the top young Tuba player in the
country.
Any student is entitled to a free taster lesson in any instrument. We currently
offer Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium,
Tuba, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass and Guitar.
Taster lessons can be organised by calling Mrs Hills (ext. 229).
I have pointed out to the boys that, although at primary school in Y6 their main
focus was numeracy and literacy, at Campion they need to increase their extra
curricular activities. Universities look very favourably on students who play an
instrument to a high level in addition to performing well academically.
Playing an instrument is proven to make you smarter and grades 6-8 gain UCAS
points for entry to university. Mrs C O’Hanlon
CAMPION WINS AT CEME
During the summer holidays ten pupils from the current Year 10 invested in the future by nurturing their ability to build and
programme their very own robots, using the LEGO Mindstorms platform at the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing
Excellence (CEME) in Dagenham. Over the course of the two day exercise, which was described by Mr Barry White, Course
Facilitator, as “a task which university students would find challenging”, our students had to design, build and make a fully
functioning robot with motors, tools and a Central Processing Unit. The aim was to work around a scale replica of the Tokyo
Industrial Shipyard, ferrying loads, retrieving objects and performing complex tasks such as raising flags and differentiating
between items that had to be placed in the assembly yard or in storage. After lots of head scratching and impatient banging of
keys, all the hard work, effort and increasingly painful fingers paid off, as the pupils from The Campion School were granted
First and Second place over the course of both two day events, with the latter only narrowly missing out on a First place and
our First Prize winning team securing a record breaking score. Callum Redmond, 10 Garnet
ROME TRIP
Earlier this term twenty-nine students visited the heartbeat of our Catholic faith –
the cities of Rome and Vatican City. The group spent the best part of a week sight-
seeing, Pope hunting and experiencing the rich history of Rome. Much of the trip
was spent visiting the great sites such as St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel,
Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain, however, we also made the trip into a form of
pilgrimage. Celebrating Mass in some incredible places each day, such as at the
English College where St Edmund Campion himself is thought to have presided and
at the Basilica of St Maria Goretti, patron saint of youth, whose body is viewable in
the altar. Each day we prayed together and focused upon the relevance of the
places we were going and how this affected our own spiritual life.
On the Wednesday, we were present at a very packed out General Audience with
Pope Francis. We managed to get very close to him when he was travelling
around, even managing to give the Holy Father our jubilee flag as a gift! Fr Dan
Kelly from St Mary’s accompanied us as our chaplain, and roused everyone with his
incredible homilies (and dancing!), leading many to insist they would attend Mass
regularly just to hear more from Fr Dan. The enthusiasm, respect and generosity
of heart shown by the lads throughout the trip was noted on many occasions by
people we came into contact with, they did us very proud and we hope the
experience will ignite them all the more with faith.
Mr M Tomlinson, Lay School Chaplain
YEAR 7 RETREATS
Last week, we took our Y7 students on retreat to Aylesford Priory in Kent for a day of fun, reflection and friendship. The days away in the beautiful surroundings of the priory were a wonderful chance for our new students to take some time to appreciate the centrality of Jesus at the heart of our school and at the heart of our young people. Their personalities and appreciation for the gifts of one another were encouraged throughout the day with the words of Jesus "I no longer call you servants, I call you friends" guiding their retreat.
The retreats went extremely well and ended with each group working to construct a throne for God, before ending by each student being given a prayer card with the name of one of their year group upon it, we then encouraged them to pray for that person throughout their time at The Campion School.
A special thanks to the group of sixth
formers who assisted in running the
retreats!
Mr M Tomlinson, Lay School Chaplain
16-19 BURSARY FUND
Students in Years 12 and 13, who are
in care/care leavers, or who are
entitled to free school meals, or from
families with an annual income of less
than £20,000 may be eligible for the 16
-19 Bursary. Details and application
forms are available outside Mr Pearn’s
office or from the Student Data Office.
Please note that students in Year 13
who received the Bursary last year, will
need to reapply for this year’s Bursary.
All applications must be submitted by
Tuesday, 1st October.
Mrs J Miller
PARENTAL PORTAL
If you have any issues that you would
like to bring to the attention of Senior
Staff, please use the Parental Portal
on the school website.
Wherever possible a reply will be
made within 48 hours.
If you are reporting an absence please
telephone 01708 452332 x259 or
ATTENDANCE
If your son/daughter is going to be
absent please contact the school by
9.15 am at the latest with the
reason for absence, by telephone
01708 452332 x259 or by email
Please use the same email address to
notify the school of any medical
appointments booked, so that these
can be entered in advance.
Parents/Carers of all pupils will be
contacted by 10.00 am if no reason for
absence has been given.
Mrs Miller
FINANCE OFFICE
The Finance Office would like to remind parents to write their child’s name and form on back of cheques. Thank you!
NEW BUS SERVICE—848
There is a new bus service picking up
at 3 stops in Upminster. The stops are
opposite Aldi, Boundary Road and
Upminster Bridge Station. The bus is
the 848 and it is a blue and white bus.
The bus will be at the first stop (Aldi)
at 08.27 each morning and the price is
£1 each way.
PE DEPT.
Campion Boys, Alex Law Year 12 and
Thomas Pitkin Year 11 represented
Essex in the Inter Counties Champion-
ship on Saturday, 7th September. Alex
took 1st in the U17 Long Jump while
Thomas took 1st in the 400 Hurdles
and 4 x 400 Relay.
FINANCE OFFICE
Boulogne Trip – Yr 7
If you would like your son to go on this trip please make payment via the internet payment facility and return the reply slip to the finance office as soon as possible. The closing date of 27th September has been extended for another week.
Modern Languages trip to Switzerland
Instalment of £165 was due on 30th September. Please make payment via the internet payment facility if not already done.
Sealyham & Lake Garda Trips
Letters will be going out this week regarding these trips.
Modern Languages
Mary Glasgow Magazines - closing date 20th September. We cannot accept any further requests for Mary Glasgow magazines.
MACMILLAN
COFFEE
MORNING
The staffroom coffee morning on
Friday, 27th September raised
£132.65 for Macmillan Cancer
Support and was enjoyed by all!!
RESULTS
Rugby vs Mill Hill
Essex Cup
U14C Vs New Hall Won 49-21
Essex U17 10-a-side
Group games
Won 33-0 vs Southend HS
Won 31-5 vs St Edwards
Won 33-0 vs Colne
Final
Won 31-0 vs West Hatch
Football
1st XV vs SEEC Won 9—0
U14B Won 22-0
U14A Drew 19-19
U15B Won 33-28
U15A Lost 21-10
U16B Won 27-0
U16A Won 42-34
3rd XV Won 60-0
2nd XV Won 51-0
1st XV Won 29-5
U14C Vs Royal LibertyA Lost 47-2
STOP PRESS: A 1st XV weakened by injury and illness overcame an improving Robert Clack team in a very close Nat West Cup (was Daily Mail) match 17 - 14. Photos
THE BUSINESS DEPT. WELCOMES YOU The Business Studies department encourages pupils studying Business Studies
and/or Economics to use our facilities. We guarantee that B12 in the Business
Block will be open at the following times: Monday - Friday 08.00-08.45 & 12.30-
13.00.
Teachers will be on hand to answer your questions and our resources, including
computers, will be available to help you complete your independent study. In
addition to the times listed above it is likely that a teacher will be available to
answer questions and/or supervise your study, so just pop in.
Mr Durr, Subject Leader Business & Economics
RE DEPARTMENT
Years 7 - 9
Do you need help with understanding
your R.E. class work or homework?
Drop in and see
MISS WALKER
in M2 every
Wednesday
lunchtime
CASHLESS CATERING GUIDANCE
LOADING ACCOUNTS
Payments into the Cashless Catering accounts will be made via the internet on the Schools Cash Office.
www.scopay.com/thecampionschool
If you have not registered on the Internet Payment Facility you will need to do so at the above web address. You will need the
link code provided in your Internet Payments Access Letter. If you need a copy of this, please contact the School.
Transaction fees for Schools Cash Office will be absorbed by the School. There will be a minimum top up of £20.00.
Initially, students will be able to top up accounts in School in cash. The minimum top up for this is £10.00.
FREE SCHOOL MEALS
Free School Meal allowances are added automatically each day to the entitled student. Any unused Free School Meal
Allowance will be removed at the end of the day and do not accumulate on the account.
The system deducts sales from the Free School Meal Allowance before using the pupil’s personal money. Pupils can spend over
the allowance using their own funds.
For Years 7-11, Free School Meal allowances can only be spent at lunch time, therefore funds will need to be provided for
breakfast bar or morning break. For 6th form students the allowance can be spent at any time.
DAILY SPEND LIMITS
The Campion School has set a maximum daily spend limit of £5.00 for ALL pupils in order to ensure that parents/guardians
have control on how much a pupil can spend in one day. If you would like to increase this value, you can do so in writing to
[email protected] or addressed to the Finance Office.
LOW/ZERO ACCOUNT BALANCES
Overdraft limits of £3.00 per day will be available to help with the initial start of the system. This facility will be removed after
the October half term. Therefore, from Monday 4th November accounts must be topped up and have available funds, in order
to make catering purchases from any of the kitchens and the tuck shop. If there are no funds available, items will be put
back. Therefore accounts must be topped up or students should bring in a packed lunch.
If you have any further questions please contact the School.
BIOLOGY FIELD TRIP 2013
From the 9-13th of September I was lucky enough to take part in a biology field
trip to Wales. It was a chance to develop some practical biological skills as well as
experience first hand some of the natural processes that occur on the shores of
South Wales today.
Our first day involved a minibus drive down to the Gower Peninsula, the first area
in the United Kingdom to be singled out for its outstanding natural beauty (SSSI).
We travelled to the beach and experienced first-hand some of man’s effects on the
environment. We also saw some of the organisms that lived on the beach.
During the week we visited several other interesting areas, such as sand dunes,
rocky shores, ponds, streams and mud flats. As well as being able to enjoy the nat-
ural beauty of these areas, there was a chance to use biological equipment,
such as quadrats, transects and calipers. The week was finished off with a jet boat
exploration of the coast, which provided a different and unique outlook on
the Peninsula. Overall, the trip was excellent and well worth doing for the experi-
ence and for the biological knowledge I gained.
Matthew Spencer (Y13) Photos
LONDON MARATHON
Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society has Gold Bond places for runners in the LONDON MARATHON – SUNDAY 13th April 2014. If you are an experienced runner or someone who would value the opportunity to participate in this renowned event please contact Sarah Kendall on 01268 784544 / [email protected] or visit our website www.bccs.org . Closing date for completed applications is Friday 25th October.
If you have been lucky enough to secure your own running place through the ballot, we would invite you to join us and run for Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society. The London Marathon is a unique opportunity to raise much needed funds for the Diocesan Children’s Society and perhaps achieve a lifetime ambition!
Many Thanks
Julie Abbott
Fundraising Manager
01268 784544 / 07912277413
UCAS Card is changing... Don’t worry, it’s still the same fantastic fusion of advice and discounts, but it’s now exclusively digital. Plus the offers and information are even better than before. Why the change? We looked at engagement trends amongst 16-17 year olds, and found there was a need to optimise our offering for digital and mobile platforms. Instead of an actual card, students will now receive a personalised e-voucher every month: exclusive on and offline deals from some of the UK’s best known brands – including, Alton Towers, Domino’s, Thorpe Park, River Island, and Ted Baker – with more coming on board all the time. We’ve teamed up with a number of advice organisations such as National Apprenticeship Service, Student Loans Company, as well as gap year and volunteering providers, to give young people information that will help them make informed decisions. We’ll be covering practical topics like money management, gap year options, and student loans, but we’ll also be including content from professional bodies to give students a real insight into potential careers. By signing up to the scheme, students will receive personalised information on their higher education options, better preparing them for the important decisions that lie ahead. In fact, our research shows that scheme members are more likely to be accepted on a HE course than other students. Students can sign up at: www.ucas.com/ucascard. Any questions at all, please get in touch with us: [email protected]. Best regards UCAS
SCHOOL SHOP
The School Shop has a full stock of
stationery items including:
A5 book covers @ 50p, AS Maths folders @ £2.75
Martyn Pig Book (compulsory Y10) £8, Mice and Men (compulsory Y10) £8
We will also be stocking USB pens.
If anyone has ordered a tracksuit and not yet collected it please call into school
shop at the aforementioned times. Mrs J Johnstone
Shop Opening Hours 11 am-2 pm
Mon, Wed & Friday