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“A World on the Move”
7 December 2007 ISSUE NO 4
Dear Readers
We are now well into the season of Advent and preparation for Christmas continues with Christmas lunches, reconciliation and advent services and the performances. We expect that students will work hard right to the end of term. Our school end of term Advent Service will be on Thursday 20 December as we are unable to use the Cathedral on the last day of term. School will close for Christmas on Friday 21 December at 12.30 pm.
St. Angela
A small group, Sisters, staff and students, travelled to Westgate High School to take part in an Ursuline Celebration of Bi Centenary Celebration of St. Angela’s Canonization. All the UK Ursuline schools were represented and a very joyful Mass was followed by lunch for all. It was a tremendous opportunity to meet, share and celebrate the founding work of St. Angela. Father Wilfred McGreal in his sermon summed up so much when he reminded us that LOVE and taking RISKS to support others were the two essential words in our work within community.
Dark cold and wet mornings and evenings. Please can you talk to your daughters about the additional dangers crossing roads at this time of year. Close to school we witness and talk to them about not taking sufficient care, for instance stepping out into roads too close to car, but they seem to think nothing will happen to them.
Y11 mocks
Ran very smoothly and staff are marking them at present. It will be a good indicator of how much progress they are making and whether they did sufficient revision.
There will be one more newsletter before the end of term.
Work Experience with a difference
Kathryn Murrell traveled to America for her work experience this year. She had a wonderful time and the opportunity to meet and talk to ex President Bill Clinton made it even more special.
Finance
There are still locker rentals unpaid. If you would like to rent a locker, please see Mrs Wakeman in the office.
We have a lost mobile phone in the safe in the office which has been there since before the summer break. If you have lost a phone, please come to see if it is yours.
Mrs Wakeman
Library News
Autumn term author visit
Author Nicola Morgan visited the school on 14 th November. Year 9 girls were fascinated to hear about her latest book ‘The Highwayman’s Curse’ and about her other books and writing, including ‘Blame My Brain’ and ‘Know Your Brain’, which explain why teenagers act as they do!
We heard about the ‘What if?’ questions which led to a book called ‘Fleshmarket’ about an orphaned boy and his sister in nineteenth century Edinburgh, Robert Knox, surgeon and anatomist, and the murderers Burke and Hare.
It was interesting to hear how ideas about gory and the gruesome situations led to a very readable book and Year 9 learnt a lot from meeting a real author. Some bought copies of her books, which she signed for them.
Nicola Morgan’s books are available in the school library
Children in Need
The Sixth Form were truly magnificent in undertaking this fundraising event; they were tremendously hard working and innovative. We raised a fantastic £6,500. Many thanks to all who donated goods, money or were generous with their time.
PE Department
The Senior Football team recently played in a 5-a-side football rally at St Martins School. All teams were evenly matched, however Ursuline finished the afternoon as Winners. Congratulations to the following girls who competed:
Kathleen Clifton Lianna Gianotti
Martha Peck Claire Bonner
Claire Plowman Hannah Vallis
Ursuline recently participated in the Brentwood and District Schools Swimming Gala which was held at Brentwood School. The year 8 swimming team were excellent in all events, winning their age group by 6 points. Brentwood Ursuline came third overall. Well done to the following girls:
Jessica Skeete Cross Lucy Brooking
Vanessa Romalho Sarah Playford
The Junior and Intermediate Cross Country teams won the MESSSA Cross Country Championships. Both teams retained their titles. Congratulations to the following girls.
Junior Team Intermediate Team
Amy Bragg Becky Luck
Holly Thomas Hannah McWeeney
Patsy McWeeney Rebecca Barlex
Emma Jo Periera Jordan Parr
Caroline Dowsett
Mae Kenny
Olivia Metson Sophia Pereira
Eireann Kenny Alice Yexley
Williams Isobel McKiernan
Niamh Hunt Ellie Watson
Kate Karwacinski
Sixth Form English Literature Students Get Creative !
Upper sixth English Literature students were off timetable on Wednesday 21 st November to spend a day with Mario Petrucci. He has worked with us in previous years aiming to interest, inspire and encourage an enthusiasm for words and ideas. “He encouraged us to make free associations between our names and any ideas they might stimulate. Then we were sent off, to let the sights and sounds of the school at work inspire us to write Haikus.”
“We did much more writing than we thought we would. He prepared us for writing by getting us to think about words, but not in a threatening way. Everything we wrote was considered valuable but we were encouraged to change and revise where we could. Sometimes ideas came from nowhere and shifted the focus of the writing: sometimes the ideas we had discarded became the most interesting and were the ones we finally used.”
“It was fascinating to make our Haikus in to a Renga, which is a chain of Haikus linked by connecting ideas or images. We were very pleased with the final collaborative verses.”
“It was wonderful!”
Produced as another collaborative effort by the English Lit. Group.
The Rengas produced in this session should soon be on display in the Library. Do go and read them!
Mrs K Barley
GIFT comes to Brentwood
On Saturday the 10 th of November a group of GIFT students came back to school for a day of discovery and fun. One of the two courses available was entitled ‘ The Quest ’ and this was the one I took part in. At first I thought it was going to involve lots of list making and writing but it turned out to be more of an artistic challenge than I thought. There were nine other girls on the course with me and I am sure that each of us expected a totally different course to what it was.
When we first arrived in the classroom with Liz, our leader, we begin to talk about fantasy novels and what links all fantasy novels together and the answer was of course, they all involve a quest. We looked at this similarity for a while and spoke in depth about the difference between fantasy and science fiction stories and then the real work began. We were each handed a map of a fictional place invented by a famous writer. We all had to study our different maps and write down anything about the quest or the way of life the people living there had, if there were people living there! It was all up to us and it was interesting to hear everyone ’ s different interpretations of the maps they were given. After this starter exercise, we looked at the factors that you needed to consider when creating your own world. This was intriguing as I didn ’ t know that there were so many important elements involved in designing a fictional place. Finally after this list was written and discussed, we moved onto our final challenge which was the hardest and longest of all; creating our own fictional world. At first it was daunting, especially after seeing all the other maps before hand, but once everyone got going, we all become more relaxed and the people ’ s ideas wouldn ’ t stop appearing all over the room. By the end of the day, everyone in my group had drawn maps and written quests for their own imaginary places and characters. It was an exciting day that required a lot of creativity and patience but all in all it was a great day that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Lucy Walsh 11J
ARTS NEWS 28/11/07
We’re off to see the wizard……..!!!!
The week of the 12 th November saw our school turned into Kansas/Oz as over 150 of our students presented a most enjoyable performance of this famous show.
Standards in all areas were very high and the large audiences on every one of the three nights were delighted with such quality entertainment. The cast excelled themselves, the orchestra played superbly…..
Some student comments ;
I enjoyed it A LOT, it really boosted my confidence and the make up and lighting was brilliant
It’s nice to take part in something so big and so successful
It was so good to make friends with girls in other years, particularly the 6 th form who were really helpful
It was a lot of work BUT really worth it in the end
I started off nervous but then I realised we were all a team…my confidence soared…it was a nice feeling
A BIG THANK YOU to everyone, staff and students alike who made Wizard such a success.
ARTS COMMUNITY NEWS
We have now begun our Key Stage 1 Music initiative. This is a project funded by EMI MUSIC SOUND FOUNDATION and the INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION to support Key Stage 1 teachers in their delivery of music, especially ways to support literacy and numeracy. A number of local Primary teachers attended a workshop at BUCHS and are now using the strategies in their classrooms. Their students will be tracked and evaluated and the findings taken to the Government with the hope of more funding for this level.
K. Underhill Director of Arts
AS Performing Arts
The year 12 performing arts production of ‘The Nativity’ was a complete success. It seems like ages ago when we were given this challenging task to take this story that is so well known globally, and transform it to suit this generation. It was combined with stories from the Old and New Testament that supported Mary and Joseph’s journey. It had moments of dramatic tension and extreme comical characters. Mary and Joseph were played by Hannah Nuttall and Emma Buntrock. The ensemble were Sarah Calder, Heather Basten, Daisy Brownlow and Danielle Dumas. The performances on the 3 rd and 4 th of December really did bring Christmas to the Ursuline early.
Heather Basten
AS Performing Arts
Chaplaincy News
Our preparation for Christmas began this week with the first Advent service in Jones Square. We continue with many opportunities for prayer throughout the season. Reconciliation services will take place in the Chapel in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
‘Lord help us to prepare for Christmas in a Holy and caring way. Keep us focused on the love of Jesus coming into the world with a gift that will outlast time. Make our homes a ‘Holy Place’ to radiate love and peace into the world. Help us to be patient and caring towards each other, always keeping a sense of proportion in our celebrations’. Jesus said ‘Love one another as I have loved you’.
Mrs Tolan
Kairos Retreat October 2007
When we went on our Kairos Retreat we had no idea what to expect. Some went to learn more about their own faith and others to go for the experience and get away from the busy lifestyle of school. During our time at Kairos we all made new friends and built stronger relationships within our friendship groups.
One of the highlights of Kairos was reflecting and meditating. We had a chance to celebrate Mass with the monks and take time recollecting in the Quiet Garden.
We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and we thank everyone who took part to make it a time that we will treasure forever. We all look forward to returning again next year as Kairos leaders.
Year 12.
This years Kairos was everything I had hoped it would be. The facilities at Worth Abbey were of the highest quality and the amazing grounds contributed to the prayerful and reflective mood of the two days. The students gave themselves completely to every activity, even the washing up and it is such a pleasure to see them continue to ‘Live the Fourth’ around school.
Mrs Difford .
Term Dates for 2007 / 2008
Autumn Term: 04/09/07 to 21/12/07
Half term: 22-26/10/07
Spring Term 07/01/08 to 28/03/08
Half term: 11-15/02/08
Easter closure: 20-24/03/08
(School reopens 25-28/03/08)
Spring holiday: 31/03/08 to 11/04/08
Summer Term: 14/04/08 to 18/07/08
Half term: 26-30/05/08
May Day: 05/05/08
Training day 03/09/07
Forthcoming Events
3 & 4 12 07 ‘The Nativity’ Yr12 Performing Arts
6 12 07 Year 7 Choral Concert
13 12 07 School Christmas Concert
21 12 07 FINISH FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK – 12.30
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