December 2011 Term 2: - St. Aldhelm's Academy

Newsletter
Term 2:
December 2011
An Academy at the heart of
our community aspiring to
the highest standards of
achievement and grounded
in Christian values.

Message from the Principal
Welcome to our last newsletter of 2011!
We started the Academy year with disappointing but not unexpected
results from a year 11 who only experienced 8 months with us.
The last four months have been incredibly busy planning our new
build and having visits from a variety of people including the Bishop of
Salisbury, Mr Conor Burns M.P. , the Mayor of Poole and OFSTED.
OFSTED arrived on the 18 th and 19 th of October for a Section 8 visit.
This inspection was to see how we had progressed since opening 12
months ago. The letter is available via our website and facebook page
but we will happily send you a hard copy if you contact us.
Every Thursday is Parents’ Open Day when we invite you to come and
spend some time in the Academy. Some parents have taken up this
offer and had tours of the Academy, met with staff and spent some
time in their children’s lessons. We also extend this offer to anyone
else who may be interested in seeing what we do. Please encourage
anyone who has ideas about what is happening in the Academy but
has never visited. We have no secrets! If you are interested please
contact us and book a time to ‘see for yourself’!
We say goodbye to a number of staff at the end of this term, they are:
Mr T. Sutton Mr D. Parry Mr R. Dear Mr A. Murray-Brown
Mr R. Stephenson Miss J. Gimson Mrs G. Rook Mrs P. Fisher
Miss J. O’Neil
We also say a temporary farewell to Mrs D. Waters, who will be
starting her maternity leave and Mrs A. Ratcliffe who will be starting
her adoption leave. We also welcome some new staff next term. Mr
M. Walt who will be teaching MFL and KS3 school and Mrs N. Waites
who will be teaching Maths.
The new term starts on Tuesday January 3 rd at 8.30am.
Thank you for your support.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Cheryl Heron

BOCCIA
TOURNAMENT
A group of young people from the
Academy entered the National
School’s Boccia Tournament held at
Victoria School on 23 November.
Boccia is a recreational sport which
originated in Greece. The aim of
the game is to throw leather balls
as close to the white ball (jack)
target.
The St. Aldhelm’s Academy team
played well and displayed good
team work skills which gained
them third place out of sixteen
schools.
Attendance %
CONGRATULATIONS
Our attendance percentage
continues to rise each week,
which is really good news. Can
you all work hard to ensure that
this continues and hopefully we
can achieve 95% attendance next
term.
If a young person is unable to
attend the Academy due to
medical issues/ appointments
then please can you make sure a
letter/ appointment card is
shown to reception or the
Welfare Assistant so that the
absence can be recorded and the
appropriate actions can be
carried out. Any unaccountable
absences will be chased or
marked as unauthorised.
The attendance line is:
01202 305196

The RAP 50 Girl’s Lunch Club has been very successful
this term.
We launched the RAP 50 Girls Lunch Club on
Wednesday 2 nd November with a special lunch where
Mrs James and Mrs Ratcliffe explained why the group
had been put together. This is to support, encourage,
motivate and raise the aspirations of the RAP 50 girls in
year 11 and to help them through to their exams next
year, with the goal of leaving the Academy feeling that
they have achieved all that they are capable of.
The sessions this term have included an independent
careers adviser, Sue Bullen
(www.time4careerplanning.co.uk), a former student
from Kemp Welch School who, following University,
now works for Digital Media company Adido, a
Beautician, who runs her own business and representatives
from Aim Higher. We have been lucky enough to
have two lunches sponsored by Tesco at Tower Park
and Subway in Westbourne. We would like to thank
everyone involved in supporting this initiative, by
either giving up their time to come in and speak to the
girls or by donating food for the lunches. It is very
much appreciated.
The girls are telling us that they are finding the sessions
useful. A few comments from the girls so far:-
‘It was good just having lunch and chilling with my
friends and having a chat’
‘I found it very useful’
‘It was informative’
‘It was really fun and the food was tasty’
‘It was nice to see what other people are interested in’
‘It was good talking about what we wanted to do in the
future and have advice’
The group will continue to meet every two weeks after
Christmas and we hope to have a lot more lunches,
speakers and fun activities for the girls to participate
in, including ZUMBA, a female Major from the Army,
Former Mayor Judy Butt and much more.
Well done to the girls for attending these sessions and
making the most of the opportunities that are on offer
to them. A BIG THANK YOU once again to all of the
people who are supporting this initiative.
On Monday 5 th December 25
students interested in fashion
and beauty went with Miss
Gould and Mrs Joyner to The
NEC, Birmingham to visit The
Clothes Show. This is a spectacular
event which hosts the
world’s largest catwalk show,
top fashion and beauty exhibitions
and demonstrations.
The students had the chance to have free makeovers,
false eyelashes and hair styling as they made their
way around the exhibition stands. There was an array
of designer clothing labels, top names in hair and
beauty as well as hands on exhibits in knitting and
sewing. Students could also view the work of the
Fashion students from different universities.
By Jasmine Wilson Year 12
Students who are interested in fashion went to the
Clothes Show Live in Birmingham on Monday 5 th of
December. We left the school at 7.15 and arrived
at 11.15, we made our way through to the main
hall where all the clothes and stalls were held. The
students could look around and could buy anything
they wanted. They then went on to watch the Live
Show that was amazing and then carried on shopping.
You could meet the celebrities and have your
photos taken with them, they were – Lucien
Laviscount, George Lamb, Jeff Brazier, The Only
Way Is Essex’s James ‘Arg’ Argent, Maria Fowler
and Hollyoaks cast. Overall the Clothes Show Live
was an amazing
experience and if you
ever get a chance to
attend the Clothes
Show Live I would
100% recommend it.

Descriptive Writing Trip
November 22 nd was a Super Learning Day and Communicate
took a group of young people in years nine and ten
on a walk in to Bournemouth. It wasn’t just any walk; we
began on Bourne Heath, through Coy Pond and down
through the Gardens to Bournemouth seafront…and
back! The purpose of this walk was for the young
people to use their senses and experience not only what
they saw, but what they could smell, hear, touch and
taste. The reason for this is because very shortly they are
going to undertake another controlled assessment as
part of their English studies, which requires them to
complete a piece of descriptive writing. This walk
afforded the perfect environment to explore these
senses and provided a useful resource for the young people to draw from.
At the end of our journey, as we descended through the Gardens
towards the sea the temperature dropped and a mist clung to the trees
making visibility poor and the air heavy with moisture. The laughter of
young children could be heard but quickly disappeared, lost in the white,
swirling clouds. The bright orange, red and yellow leaves that had been a
new, lush green, tumbled, spinning to the ground, released to their fate
by their majestic hosts, rustling as they settled on the ground leaving
dark naked branches to sleep for the winter.
The Rotary Young Chef competition
Students were invited to take part in a Master Chef style cooking competition on Thursday
24 th November. The event was organised by the Rotary club and involved 6 students
planning and cooking a healthy meal for two. The overall winner was Jade Halpern who cooked a chicken
casserole and raspberry and cream cupcake desert. Second prize went to Zoe Drake for creating a
vegetable pasta dish for her main course and jam tarts for desert. The competition was judged by top
local chefs who awarded the students with certificates and prizes. The event was a fantastic opportunity
for students to showcase their cooking skills and meet
industry experts. Both Jade and Zoe will now have the
chance to be entered
for the district final, if
successful then
students can go all
the way to the national
finals next
year.

SPRING/SUMMER ADULT EDUCATION COURSES
AT
ST. ALDHELM’S ACADEMY
Code Course Title Wks Start End Day & Times Fees
Introduction to the
JA129
2K
Hair and Beauty Sector
Level 1 Award 12 09/01/2012 16/04/2012 Mon 18:00-21:00
SF:
£156
AF:
£102
QA174
7K
English and Maths for
Hairdressing 12 09/01/2012 16/04/2012 Mon 18:00-21:00 FREE FREE
PN197
2K
Photoshop for Beginners
5 16/01/2012 20/02/2012 Mon 19:00-21:00
SF:
£45
A2LL
£26
PN197
8K
Next Steps in Computing
10 16/01/2012 26/03/2012 Mon 19:00-21:00
SF:
£49
A2LL
£26
PN185
8K Cake Decorating 2 6 16/01/2012 27/02/2012 Mon 19:00-21:00
SF:
£49
A2LL
£26
PN195
9K
Next Steps in Cake
Decorating 10 16/01/2012 26/03/2012 Mon 18:30-21:00
SF:
£68
A2LL
£39
PN198
6K Soft Furnishings 5 16/01/2012 20/02/2012 Mon 19:00-21:00
SF:
£48
A2LL
£29
PN196
5K Italian for Beginners 5 16/01/2012 20/02/2012 Mon 19:00-21:00
SF:
£42
A2LL
£22
PN196
7K
More French for Beginners
10 16/01/2012 26/03/2012 Mon 19:00-21:00
SF:
£49
A2LL
£26
PN197
6K
Age Well - Computers
for the Over 65's 10 17/01/2012 27/03/2012 Tue 19:00-21:00
SF:
£5
A2LL
£5
PN196
1K Chinese Cooking 5 17/01/2012 21/02/2012 Tue 18:30-21:00
SF:
£58
A2LL
£34
PN185
7K
Creative Writing for
Beginners 2 6 17/01/2012 28/02/2012 Tue 19:00-21:00
SF:
£49
A2LL
£26
PN197
3K
Moving on with Digital
Photography 10 17/01/2012 27/03/2012 Tue 19:00-21:00
SF:
£53
A2LL
£30
PN196
2K
Moving on with Creative
Writing 10 17/01/2012 27/03/2012 Tue 19:00-21:00
SF:
£49
A2LL
£26
PN196
8K
More Spanish for Beginners
10 17/01/2012 27/03/2012 Tue 19:00-21:00
SF:
£49
A2LL
£26
PLEASE TELEPHONE 01202-262300 TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE.
BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!

SPRING/SUMMER ADULT EDUCATION COURSES
AT
ST. ALDHELM’S ACADEMY
Code Course Title Wks Start End Day & Times Fees
PN1984K
Basic DIY for Women
5 18/01/2012 22/02/2012 Wed 19:00-21:00
SF:
£49
Moving on with
SF:
PN1975K Dreamweaver 10 18/01/2012 28/03/2012 Wed 19:00-21:00 £53
Next steps with
SF:
PN1977K Photoshop 10 18/01/2012 28/03/2012 Wed 19:00-21:00 £53
More Italian for Beginners
SF:
PN1966K
10 18/01/2012 28/03/2012 Wed 19:00-21:00 £49
DIY Projects - Using
SF:
PN1982K Power Tools 2 23/05/2012 30/05/2012 Wed 18:30-21:00 £29
DIY Projects - Basic
Decorating Techniques
SF:
PN1983K
2 13/06/2012 20/06/2012 Wed 18:30-21:00 £29
DIY Projects -
SF:
PN1981K Putting Up Shelves 2 25/04/2012 02/05/2012 Wed 18:30-21:00 £29
Computing for Beginners
SF:
PN1974K
5 19/01/2012 23/02/2012 Thu 19:00-21:00 £33
SF:
PN1957K Singing for Fun 5 19/01/2012 23/02/2012 Thu 19:00-21:00 £42
SF:
PN1963K French Beginners 5 19/01/2012 23/02/2012 Thu 19:00-21:00 £42
SF:
PN1964K Spanish Beginners 5 19/01/2012 23/02/2012 Thu 19:00-21:00 £42
The Art of the Cup
SF:
ZN1606K Cake 3 26/01/2012 09/02/2012 Thu 19:00-21:00 £43
More Singing for
SF:
PN1958K Fun 10 26/04/2012 05/07/2012 Thu 19:00-21:00 £49
SF:
PN1985K First Aid 1 04/02/2012 04/02/2012 Sat 10:00-16:30 £26
SF:
PN1960K Cup Cakes Galore 1 04/02/2012 04/02/2012 Sat 10:00-16:30 £33
A2LL
£24
A2LL
£30
A2LL
£30
A2LL
£26
A2LL
£19
A2LL
£19
A2LL
£19
A2LL
£18
A2LL
£22
A2LL
£22
A2LL
£22
A2LL
£43
A2LL
£26
A2LL
£14
A2LL
£21

Monday
5.30 – 6.00 pm Little Wonders Freestyle Disco Dancing Ages 2 - 5 £2 per session
6.00 – 6.30 pm Juniors Freestyle Disco Dancing Ages 6 – 12 £2 per session
6.30 – 7.00 pm Fun Tap Class All ages £3.50 per session
Tuesday
From 5.00 pm Trumpet, Cornet, Horn, Trombone, All ages £12.00 per session
Euphonium or Tuba Lessons
From 2.00 pm Piano Lessons All ages £9 or £13 per session
Wednesday
6.30 – 7.30 pm Taekwondo Ages 8 – 60 First two classes free
7.30 – 9.00 pm Kick Boxing Ages 13+ First two classes free
Thursday
4.00 – 5.00 pm Hip Hop Dancing Ages 5 – 10 £4 per session
5.00 – 6.00 pm Salsa Dancing Adults £4.00 per session
6.30 – 7.30 pm Majorette Training Ages 3+ £3 per session
7.00 – 8.00 pm Zumba Dancing (Starts Jan 2012) Adults £4 per session
For further information, please contact Mrs Rose Thompson, Community & Extended
Services Manager at St Aldhelm’s Academy on 01202-305177
or email rthompson@staldhelmsacademy.org
INSTRUMENTAL TUITION
The Academy will now offer instrumental tuition in the following:-
Piano
Clarinet
Saxophone
Electronic Keyboard
Music Theory
Termly charges for ten individual lessons are as follows:-
Ten 20 minute lessons - £ 90.00
Ten 30 minute lessons - £130.00
One half term’s notice in writing is required for termination of lessons. It will be possible to pay either weekly or
termly.
If you would like your son/daughter to be considered for tuition on any of these instruments, please complete the
slip below and return it by hand or post to Mrs R Thompson, Community & Extended Services Manager, as soon as
possible. If you are in receipt of benefits it may be possible to provide a bursary, so please indicate this on the form
below. You will need to provide written proof to qualify for a bursary.

ISKA Kickbox
European
Championship
St. Aldhelm’s Academy Learning Support Assistant,
Andras Schliz recently competed in the ISKA Kickbox
European Championship held in Jesolo, Italy.
Months of hard work and training paid off, because
he returned with silver and bronze medals.
Well done, Andras!
“Good to see
campus and have
a tour around”
On Super Learning Day, the Year 11
RAP 50 group visited Bournemouth
University. They were able to see
presentations giving information
about university life and the
opportunities open to them in the
future. Aim Higher told the group
about the courses and activities on
offer at university which they found
very informative and interesting.
“It gave me a good
impression of
University”

Community
Christmas Party
Organised by:
St Aldhelm’s Academy, Everyone Active and
Faithworks Wessex.
St. Aldhelm’s Academy hosted another
successful Christmas Lunch for the
community. There was dancing, music,
singing, a free raffle and lots of lovely food.
The afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by
all who attended.
A big thank you must go to St Joseph’s
School Choir, Cuddles Nursery Choir and
the young people of St. Aldhelm’s Academ:
James Dean – Pianist
Yuwaree Odey and Danielle Carter – Singers
Helpers:
Chantelle-Louise Simeon
Abigail Fripp
Molly Sherring
Sophie Landsborough
Dana Lloyd-Andrews
Jessica Burns
Becky Wenn
Chloe Cannon
Aidan Falshaw-Skelly

Are you entitled to Free School Meals?
Pick up a leaflet from our Information Office; they will be happy
to help you complete the form and give you any guidance that
is required.
If you have any questions about Free School Meals please
contact the Information Office on: 01202 732500.
Merry
Christmas
See you on Tuesday 3 January 2012

St. Aldhelm’s Academy
Herbert Avenue
Parkstone
Poole
Dorset
BH12 4HS
Telephone: 01202 732500
Fax: 01202 739009
www.staldelmsacademy.org