Newsletter Spring

Wood Street Mission
Our students and staff have been supporting
the Wood Street Mission charity for several
years and this Easter’s appeal has been one
of the most successful to date! We would like
to thank everyone who has kindly donated to
this important charity. Wood Street Mission is
a registered children’s charity based in the
centre of Manchester. They help children and
families living in Manchester and Salford with
everyday items. All the families that
get support are affected by poverty. Wood
Street’s mission is to help alleviate the effects
of poverty on local children and their families
through practical help. Wood Street’s vision is
that all children in Manchester and Salford
should live a life free from poverty.
Software Update
The IT department has been busy providing a variety of updates to the software available
to teachers and students. Mr Keating and his team are keen to provide a ‘professional’ IT
environment that mimics the IT provision in the real world beyond education. Students
have access to a new homepage that directs them to a variety of software packages.
This includes Office 365 that allows students to access the Microsoft Office package from
home. In addition the latest Adobe Creative Suite - CS Cloud - allows our students to use
the industry standard design packages such as Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator.
Teaching staff also have access to Clickview software that allows them to set up subject
specific video resources from a wide variety of sources. Clickview records free to air
channels and teaching staff can save programmes for educational use. They can also
upload old VHS video. Miss Conlin says that “access to such a wide range of resources
really brings to life history in the classroom environment.
We continue to use GCSEPOD for students in Key Stage 4. This gives students access
to a vast library of podcasts that are written by teachers and support the GCSE courses
being studied.
Teachers also have access to the superb monitoring software Impero. This allows the
staff teaching in the IT suites to control all machines in a variety of ways. This includes
broadcasting demonstration screens to students to help them see how to use particular
packages.
Wood Street Mission is committed to helping
achieve this through offering practical help
and services to families and supporting them
as they try to lift themselves out of
poverty. The charity encourages families to
ensure their children engage in education and
develop their learning skills so they may live
an independent life in their adulthood.
House News
Students in Ashwell House have set themselves a target to raise money for the Disaster
Emergency Committee’s appeal for Ebola victims and came up with the inspirational idea of
running a photography competition. House Captain Raiyan Ahsan explained the rationale of
the House committee: “We chose the Ebola appeal because we think it’s important to have a
global issue as our first project, to reflect the school’s global identity.”
The theme of the competition is My Manchester, and entrants have been asked to submit
photos of a particular area or scene that represents their experience of their lives in our area.
The Ashwell Committee hope that anyone, no matter whether they are an experienced
photographer or taking their first steps in this Art form, will get out and about and provide them
with images which represent and celebrate what Manchester means to students of Stretford
Grammar School. The talented three entrants whose work is judged the best by the House
committee will win a workshop session with a local professional Photographer. There are lots
of exciting ideas for charity events in the future, including a project to help the homeless.
Members of Dakin house voted to choose the NSPCC as their charity, as concerns for the
welfare of children throughout the UK is a cause close to their hearts. To support their charity
they organised a lunchtime music quiz then held a cake sale. They were proud to raise £56 for
the NSPCC. Emma De Paola in Year 10 won the quiz and received a book token as a prize.
Currently on display on the House noticeboard is a letter from the NSPCC thanking all those
involved in the enterprise. Their next foray into fundraising is a ‘Copper Change Collection
Competition’ with motivational prizes being awarded for the most change collected.
Wolfendale members felt strongly that they wanted to raise money for their chosen charity -
The Manchester Children’s Hospital a group who provide specialist healthcare services for
children and young people throughout the North West. Some students had first hand
experience of the wonderful medical and emotional care which professionals in the hospital
provide. During the Spring Term they raised money through a raffle with prizes donated from
members of the house; Hasan Mobarak’s generous donation of two of his special cakes as
prizes particularly attracted a lot of attention! Wolfendale were proud to raise £84, which was
then followed by the princely sum of £73.87 raised at Easter with a chocolate raffle. There is
definitely an edible theme to Wolfendale’s fundraising!