Echo 1 - Summer 2015

First Edition—Summer 2015
Full Fathom Five by Darcey
With a colourful tie-dye backdrop and ingenious use of umbrellas,
the set of Full Fathom Five was innovative, bright and very impressive!
Awash with jellyfish, the underwater setting was full of sea
blue and seaweed green.
Full Fathom Five is a tale of first romances, secrets and the importance
of having family and friends. I went on an adventure under
the sea with the cast of Full Fathom Five when I saw the show on the
Wednesday. The musical numbers were full of energy and enthusiasm
and everybody remembered their lines!
Story continued on page 7.
Matthew and Holly
practising for the big
opening night.
INSIDE:
- Meet the team
- Rising Stars
- The Redmoor Ranter
and much more...

So, here we are: the very first
student-led, student-focused
Redmoor Academy Newspaper!
It’s been hard work building
a team, getting organised
and starting a newspaper from
scratch. I didn’t realise how
much time and energy it
would take when I applied for
this role, but it’s definitely
been worth it!
Mr Coombs video
We asked Mr Coombs
what he thought about
Redmoor having a
school newspaper.
View the interview
below.
As the newspaper grows we
hope to bring you an even
greater range of news and
views from around Redmoor –
feel free to e-mail us your ideas
and updates as well as photos
for our gallery.
For now though, have fun reading!
Contact us
Darcey
Editor
ps – we hope you like the name of
the newspaper!
To get your news and views inside
the next edition of Echo, drop us an
email at:
echo@redmooracademy.org

Hi, my name is Darcey
and I am the Editor of the
School newspaper. I have a
great interest in music; I
love singing, playing piano
and also dj-ing - you
might remember me from
Redmoor's Got Talent
2014... Drama is also one
of my passions, as are
writing and journalism.
Hi! My name is Harriet. I am 13
years old and I am the Sub-Editor of the
School Newspaper. I joined the Newspaper
because I love journalism and I'm eager to
learn more. My interests are drama,
singing and dancing, which I spend a
lot of time doing at the Curve Theatre in
Leicester. I have recently appeared as
'Brigitta' in The Sound of Music alongside
Michael French who has starred in
Eastenders.
Hi, I'm Lucy and I'm the photographer for the
school newspaper. I'm 12 years old and I joined the
school newspaper because I thought this would be a
great opportunity for me. Some of my hobbies include
sports like football and netball, which I participate
in both within and outside of school.

Hi, my name’s Sophie and I'm
13. I wanted to be in the school
newspaper because I'm really interested
in journalism and I
would like to be an author when I
am older. I'm very into writing
and I must admit I'm a bit of a
book worm. If I'm not reading I'm
either shopping, listening to music
or watching Mean Girls.
Hi my name is Lauren. I'm 11 and
I'm a reviewer of movies and films
for the school newspaper. I joined the
school newspaper because I like journalism
and I wanted to try something
new. I'm also part of LEGO
League and Express Yourself. I
LOVE X-Men, Batman and all
things MARVEL and DC Comics.
Hi, I am Josh, and I am the ranter/games
reviewer for the school newspaper. Yes,
you read right, ranter – you may remember
me from Redmoor’s Got Talent!
I joined the school newspaper simply
from a love of English, that has spanned
from age 5 to my current age of 13. My
interests include comics, science and astronomy,
board games (more Warhammer,
less Monopoly) and high end PC
gaming.

Hi, my name is Leilarni. I'm 13
and I am a writer. I enjoy singing
and playing musical instruments.
I joined the newspaper because
I have an interest in media
and want to be a journalist when
I'm older. I love performing in talent
shows and recording music in
my free time.
Hi my name is Elysia. I'm 11, and I
am a writer on the School Newspaper. I
wanted to join the school newspaper because
I enjoy English and I thought it
would be a really good opportunity for
me, as well as it being really fun. I also
enjoy drama, which I do after school
on Tuesdays, and art.

Hi, my name is Chloe. I’m 11 years
old and am an interviewer for the
school newspaper. I joined the newspaper
because I really enjoy writing
and thought it would be an incredible
opportunity for me. My hobbies include
running and playing piano. I
usually run in local Park Runs and
take part in cross-country events too.
My name is Joshua and I am 12
years old. I am an interviewer for
the school newspaper. I joined the
newspaper because it is something
I have always wanted to do and
now the opportunity has come
along I wanted to make the most
of it. My hobbies are playing football,
running for the school and
playing on my Xbox.

Full Fathom Five—continued from the front page.
It's no wonder Full Fathom Five was an utter success, because
the devoted cast and crew, ably led by Miss Brown,
had worked for months to get the show ready. Miss
Wright and Mrs Brookes were in charge of props, scenery
and face paint for the show.
I was lucky enough to catch a sneak a peek at one of the
final rehearsals and to have a quick chat with some of the
cast backstage.
Anna (who played Finn) said, "It's a great experience!"
when I asked how she was feeling about performing the
show to an audience for the first time.
Taelor-Mae (who played Lorna) told me that she was
"Feeling really nervous," whereas Georgia (who played
Pilot) calmly explained that she was, "confident” because
she knew all of her lines.
My verdict:
Full Fathom Five was an engaging and impressive show.
The hard work of everybody involved really paid off and
the audience thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!
The colourful tie-dye scenery provided
an evocative backdrop for the
performance.
A selfie of me with some of the cast of Full Fathom Five

In this edition, the spotlight is on Year 9
girls Caitlin and Amy who have helped
children of 9-11 years learn key skills in
PE.
Rising Stars
Spotlight
The girls worked every Monday
night from October to December
last year to help children
from Richmond Primary School
in Hinckley improve their skills
and prepare them for fixtures.
As former pupils of Richmond, it
was a great experience for Caitlin
and Amy to go back and
teach the younger pupils.
The main skills the
girls taught were
netball and football.
"I absolutely loved having the opportunity to help out the Richmond kids and
feeling like one of them again!" Caitlin said. "We would go straight after
school and change into our PE kits to help out. Then we’d do a warm up with
the Year 5s and 6s, followed by mini matches or games to get them ready for
upcoming fixtures."
Because of their work at Richmond, the children won lots of their
matches and gained lots of new skills from the girls' help.
Caitlin and Amy should truly be proud of what they have done!

Rising Stars
Celebrating student success
Reme has got her first job!
Joe was selected to play for a
football academy.
Harry was selected to play for
a football academy.
Kiera passed her grade1 piano
exam.
Jacob, Ben, Ben and Rhys won
the County Cup with their
team for rugby.
Matt won the Zach Bayliss
Award for Extreme Dedication
after returning to football
following an injury.

Rising Stars
Celebrating student success
Ben came 3rd in Market Bosworth
Mile Run.
Isobelle won Girl of the Year
at Girls’ Brigade.
Telina won two games out of
three at East Midlands tournament
basketball.
Ben received Most Improved
Player for rugby.
Jake has won four trophies
and the league in darts.
Alex came 3rd at the Speech
and Drama Festival.

Rising Stars
Celebrating student success
Megan came second in
Leicester’s Best Dance Crew
competition.
Eloise came first in target archery
at a competition in
Portsmouth.
Jack has achieved his yellow
and red module for Sea Cadets.
Willow was awarded a Blue
Peter badge for lifeguard
training.
Regan has earned her silver
badge in gymnastics.

Some of my friends have been bullied
and harassed online. How can I
make sure it doesn’t happen to me?
Make your screen name different to
your real name and don’t post your
phone number.
NEED ADVICE?
Peer Mentoring is on
Monday, Wednesday
and Friday lunchtime
in C9.
Only accept people you know and
trust as ‘friends’ or ‘followers’.
Check your privacy settings regularly
to see who has access to your
posts.
Think twice before you post something-
once it's out there anyone can
see it and it’s out of your control.
Photos—think twice. If you wouldn’t
want your nan to see it, don’t post it!
Make sure you know how to report
something or someone that upsets you.
Remember: you can un-friend or
block people.

y Lauren, Sophie & Josh
Fun-tastic!
You will be pleased to know that the film company behind the magic of
the box office legend Frozen has created...
Big Hero 6
Big Hero 6 is loosely based on a Marvel comic strip and tells the tale of
teenage technology whiz, Hiro Hamada in the futuristic city of San
Fransokyo. When his older brother Tadashi dies in a suspicious fire, Hiro
inherits Tadashi’s robot, Baymax.
As Baymax; the indisputable star of this film, and Hiro investigate the fire,
their friendship blossoms. They are joined by four of Hiro’s friends and together
they face danger with a combination of heroism and haplessness
that reminds me of Scooby Doo.
However, with a sinister masked villain on the loose, the team are forced
to take drastic action to prevent an even bigger disaster befalling their
beloved city.
I loved this film and its slapstick humour, and would whole-heartedly recommend
it as great family fun. The story is original, with great characterisation
and is one to enjoy over and over again.
Rating: 10/10 – not to be missed!

Fairly Stale
Another Disney film? It’s…
MALEFICENT
The classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale has been told countless times: evil queen places
a curse; princess falls asleep, awoken by true love, blah blah blah! Nobody seemed
to really care about the figure of destruction and wickedness that plays such a key
part in this tale, until now. Maleficent tells the untold story of this iconic villain.
The evil queen of does not start life as...evil; she is kind and gentle, loving her environment
and friends, until a foolish human betrays her. Driven by her hunger for revenge,
Maleficent’s once good soul is consumed.
Angelina Jolie is perfectly cast in the role of Maleficent as her physical presence on
screen adds to the depth of the character. However, the film is not perfect. Though
the special effects are very good, the storyline was unimaginative. You know the ending
but even the twists in the plot, especially surrounding true love, could be predicted.
Yes, hire the DVD but don’t buy it. This is not a classic film to be watched over and
over again!
Rating: 6/10 – good but predictable.
Blast from the past
I couldn’t let the opportunity slip by without attempting to convince you to watch
X-Men
The first film of this very popular Marvel comic series explains the complex lives of
the X-Men, a team of mutants, born into a world filled with prejudice. Their possession
of extraordinary and dangerous abilities is a result of unique genetic mutations, making
them a threat to many humans.
Yes, I know this film is old and rated a 12, but it is full to the brim with jokes and action.
As usual, with all good action and adventure movies, there are is a fight between
good and evil. In this film mutants play both parts, the heroes are led by Professor
Xavier and the villains by Magneto. Magneto’s sinister plan is to turn the world’s leaders
into mutants, therefore stopping the prejudice. There is just one problem: this
would result in death to the human population.
The film has a fast developing plot and is a ‘must see’ for all enthusiasts of special effects.
To conclude, X-Men is a brilliant start to a spectacular series.
Rating: 9/10 –fantastic as far as I’m concerned, but it may not be everyone’s
cup of tea!

Action-packed
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Don't be afraid of the size of this
teen dystopian novel because it
definitely won't fail to excite you
with each and every page.
her name, making friends
(and enemies) as well as facing
a number
of dangerous situations.
Rating: 8/10 – gripping
page-turner.
If you’re into action and jawdropping
bravery,then this is the
book that will capture your
attention until the very end. The
16-year-old protagonist,
Beatrice,decides to choose a life of
outrageous bravery by electing to
transfer to the Dauntless ‘faction’.
Whilst trying to prove to herself
and others that Dauntless is where
she belongs, Beatrice ends up
changing
Comic Relief
Billionaire boy by David Williams
This book is sure to have you in the
stitches until the very end. It is
about a boy called Joe Spud, the
richest boy in the world. He is so
rich he can afford whatever he
wants: from 100-inch flat screen televisions
in every room of his house
to his very own racetrack. But Joe
wants something money can't buy.
He wants a friend. He leaves his
very expensive private school and
goes to normal school,
where he manages to make a
friend, but unfortunately they get
bullied. How will Joe stop the bullies?
Will he ever fit in at a normal
school? You'll just have to read and
find out.
I'd recommend this book to people
who like a short book and enjoy
illustrations.
Rating: 7/10 – a funny quick
read.

Tear-jerker
The Fault in our Stars by
John Green
This book is a personal favourite of
mine and definitely a book that I
will continue to go back to. The
tragic twist in this story keeps your
heart in a tight grasp and keeps
your emotions on alert throughout
the whole book. Green does a really
good job of making you feel all
the emotions that Hazel Grace, the
main protagonist, experiences
throughout the novel.
Hers and Gus's story is definitely
one that will have you sobbing by
the end. Green also does a good
job of showing the reader what life
must be like for teenage cancer
patients. This book has a lovely
balance of humour and seriousness,
but is probably more suitable
for mature readers.
Rating: 8/10 – moving and
thought-provoking.
Axiom Verge
Your personal enjoyment of the game entirely depends on one factor - have you
ever played on a Super Nintendo? If you've relished in the glory of Super Nintendo
classics like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, Contra 3, Super Mario, Super
Mario RPG, Paper Mario, Street Fighter 2, and most importantly for this genre,
Metriod, then to you this is a romantic and nostalgic work of classic science
fiction, timeless story and level design; awe inspiring bosses, tear jerking music
and an impeccable choice of colours. To you this is a Super Nintendo game -
and that's why you love it. To you this is a 9 or even a 10 out of 10 game.
But if you have never played a Super Nintendo game in your life, then to you this
is a poorly written tale filled with clichés and over the top Michael Bay bro moments,
with linear and heavily-scripted level design, laughably comical pixelated
bosses, perplexingly weird music and seemingly random colours.
Rating: To you this is a 6 or a 7 out of 10 game. And maybe, if the first
group of people took off their nostalgia-fuelled rose-tinted glasses, we'd
think the same. Age rating: 12

The Notebook
In each edition of Echo we will bring you the latest instalment of this story, written by
Leilarni and Elysia.
Chapter One: New Beginnings
"All aboard!" the train conductor yelled above the clamorous noise in the station. I was
standing in the middle of the platform, eager to get on the train which would carry me to
my new school in East London. Riverfield was a boarding school, a long way from my
home in rural Yorkshire.
I was 14, with watery-blue eyes that reminded me of holidays, and ash-blonde hair that I
never liked much. As far as I knew I didn’t know anyone where I was going and I was
staying there for 10 months without my parents or siblings. It was this that was creating
a mix of dread and excitement in the pit of my stomach. My mum had already said
goodbye and she was signalling for me to get on the train. Waving, I got on, whilst trying
not to lose sight of my mother; both of us wearing our ‘brave faces’.
Entering the carriage, I was met by a mass of people bustling around, trying to find
somewhere to sit. I followed and found two free seats next to a small table. I quickly sat
down, and as I did so I saw a small notebook which had slipped down the side of one of
the seats. I picked it up and put it on the table, deciding I would hand it in to the conductor
when he made his way down the train.
With one last glimpse of my mother, the train started to slowly pull away from the station.
I took a deep breath, readying myself for the journey and the events to come.
Just then, the compartment door slid open. A boy about the same age as me, approached
where I was sitting, and sat down in the free seat.
"Hi, can I sit here?" He asked.
"Well, you're already sat there!" I snapped. I immediately felt bad for what I’d said, so I
quickly apologised, "Sorry. I'm not good with new people..."
"It's ok. Nice to meet you..?"
"Celia. Celia Winters."
"Celia. I'm Mark Hampton."
Mark. He had watery-blue eyes like mine and black, straight hair. He reminded me of a
cat.
"So, Mark. Where are you going? I'm going to Riverfield in East London. You?" I queried.
"I'm going there too! I was so worried I wouldn't know anyone!"
"Me too!"
Just then, the train jolted to a stop and the lights blacked out. Passengers started to grumble
about the unreliability of trains, but not me or Mark. We were transfixed. Right in front
of our seats, at the back of the carriage, there was a strange glowing light. It was eerie
blue - and the notebook on the table was glowing the same colour. Neither of us spoke;
silenced by intrigue and nerves.
Then, a scene played out right before our eyes. A girl’s body is on the floor, only she is
ghostly blue, almost as if you could put your hand through her like jelly. A man of a similar
appearance is kneeling over the girl. He is holding a sharp butcher’s knife which is
smothered in a darker blue. Them as quickly as it started, the scene ends. So does my
vision...

He’s back and he’s ranting. But
what’s it about this time? Click
on the video link below to head
to the Rant Mobile...
The world would be fixed!
No, no, no, no, no, no no!
I don’t like sand!

The next edition of Echo will be out at the beginning of
the new school term in September. Here’s what to expect:
- Active Learning Week - all the fun and
thrills;
- An update on the 11-16 changes around
school;
- The low-down on the school clubs for
the new school year;
- Rising Stars - celebrating more student
success;
- Redmoor Ranter - what’s annoyed him
this time;
- And much more...
Disclaimer: The views expressed in Echo are those of students
and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of
Redmoor Academy.