Birchwood Update 12/02/2018
- Josie Evans
- Feb 12, 2018
- 11 min read
Birchwood Update week Commencing 12/2/18
Your views are valuable to us
As a part of our annual school review, the staff and young people are completing several activities related to our systems that are related to behaviour for learning in school. This covers all aspects of school life, but in particular our systems that are about discipline in the classroom and how we praise and reward the young people. With all of this in mind the aim is to think about our community, focusing on increasing levels of pride in order to be the best school in Warrington.
We would like your contribution - we are seeking your views as a key partner. On Wednesday 14 February from 2.15 – 3.45pm, we would like to invite you to school for an informal discussion to collect your views so that we can continue to improve. If you are interested in participating, please email lmaclaren@birchwoodhigh.org
The ‘Smart Box’ is a winning idea
Last Tuesday Year 10 were off timetable all day and took part in the award winning Ryman National Enterprise Challenge which is the UK's leading Enterprise and Employability competition.
The challenge aims to develop the key employability skills needed for higher education or the world of work, including teamwork, communication and leadership. Working on a challenge set by one of the UK's leading companies. The challenge is split into various tasks throughout the day with learners working in teams of six to complete them, culminating in a presentation at the end.
The brief was to design an innovative stationary item that could be a winner at Ryman’s. Not only did the teams have to design the item they also had to come up with a series of marketing resources including window posters, sales banners , an ad or You Tube video.
Teams came up with a range of great ideas from rulers, pencil cases and work pads, all with an innovative twist; presenting their pitches in a confident and professional manner. The overall winner however was a team from KO including Mollie, Emily, Cory , Josh, Charlie and Niamh, who designed the ‘Smart Box’ which was based on the successful ‘Graze’ box , delivering the stationary that a student studying for exams would need , straight to their door. Their packaging and sales pitch was fabulous but it was the rap You Tube song that Cory delivered that was the game changer getting the whole room clapping along!
The Ryman team also selected a team of best performers from the whole year group, who they had observed working well in their groups. These were Rosie (KO), Ellie May (CH), Philip (BN), Matthew (SO), Molly (KO) Josh (KO)
The winning team and best performers team will attend local finals at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on 13 March and compete against 14 teams for a chance to attend the National Finals, which takes place in July at the Telford International Centre. There, the learners pitch their ideas again for the chance to present on stage to real-life Dragon and main ambassador Theo Paphitis from Dragons Den.
Well done to our teams. We wish you lots of luck at the next heat.
Join us for a great evening of music, Wednesday 14 February, 7.30 in Performing Arts
Birchwood College music students will be performing music from the 1960’s and 1970’s including merseybeat, motown, country, soul, pop and rock by artists such as The Beatles, The Kinks, ABBA, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, ELO and many more.
Don’t miss out, come along and revisit some great sounds from the past.
£3 per ticket and £2 on the door.
The Sellafield Big Bang Competition
Last Tuesday a team of high ability learners from year 9, along with Mr Goodrum, took part in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) competition, hosted by Sellafield Ltd. The competition was an engineering based problem solving task. Learners were tasked with creating a crane to transport objects as if they were nuclear waste containers over a 50cm height. They had an allocated budget and had to decide on team responsibilities such as project manager, accounts manager, crane operators and health and safety advisor.
The team then had half an hour to sketch and design their crane with appropriate costings before building the crane (from cable ties, string, rolled up newspapers).
We competed against 11 other schools. Unfortunately, we were not placed within the top 3. The learners, however, showed great perseverance and represented the school excellently!
Well done to Thomas and Taylor in 9KH, Maja and Emese in 9WG, Ellie in 9CM and Charlotte in 9PC.
Bon Voyage and have a fabulous time!
The half term holiday will be an exciting time for some of our learners as they leave to travel abroad on fantastic residential visits.
On Friday, our ski trip sets off by coach to the Austrian Alps, to a resort called Altenmarkt/Flachau and then on the 22 February our Media Studies group fly out of Manchester Airport on their way to the Big Apple!
Have a great journey and a wonderful experience and thank you to the staff accompanying our learners.
Years 7-9 Drama Club
Miss Senior is pleased to announce that the KS3 Drama Club will be performing Peter Pan (acting only).
Auditions will be held on Monday 26 February between 3pm and 4pm.
Come and join in, it’s your chance to show your acting skills. Sign up for audition on the sign up sheet in the PA block.
If selected, rehearsals for the show will take place every Monday 3pm – 4pm.
Free Youth Cooking classes during half term for 10 -14 year olds
Would your child like to learn about healthy eating and have fun cooking?
Latchford local Partnership are offering free cooking lessons between 19 and 25 February 4.00pm – 6pm. All sessions are fully supervised but children must be pre-registered.
For more details see the poster here and contact Michelle on 07534 698707.
Years 8 - 12, Ski residential trip to France, Friday 15 February – Friday 22 February 2019
Letters are available at the school office, for learners in years 8 - 12, who are interested in taking part in this successful residential trip to the French Alps in the resort called Villard De Lans. This traditional resort offers 130km of downhill skiing, providing more than enough variety for even the most advanced of our skiers. The cost of the course to France is £899 which is payable in instalments The price includes coach travel, ferry crossings, full board accommodation, five hours of ski coaching each day, lift pass, equipment hire and evening entertainment.
For a copy of the letter with booking details see here.
Payment schedule for this trip is:
2 March - Deposit of £100
27 April - 2nd payment - £150
23 November - Balance Due
Years 10 -12, Geography residential trip to the Bay of Naples, Saturday 20 October – Thursday 25 October 2018
Last week Mr Bate sent out the booking letter to those who had expressed an interest in this trip. The letter can be found here
The trip will initially be open to learners currently studying Geography in Years 10 and 11 as well as current Year 12 students at Birchwood College. In order for Year 11 learners to go on the trip, they must be intending to study at Birchwood College and to be taking Geography as one of their options.
The Bay of Naples offers an excellent range of geographical features to study, ranging from the volcano of Mount Vesuvius to the tourism of the famous Amalfi Coast. In addition to visiting Vesuvius and the Amalfi, the trip will also take in historic Pompeii and Herculaneum and the smaller dormant volcano Solfatara.
The all-inclusive price of the trip will be £725. The quoted price will be dependent on a minimum of 25 learners/students participating in the trip, and can be paid in instalments.
Payment schedule for this trip is:
15 February - Deposit of £125
20 April - 2nd payment - £225
6 July - Balance Due - £225
Maths superstars
The celebration boards in Maths have been Updated, well done to all those who have achieved in ‘Most Improved’, ‘High Achiever’ and ‘Best Presented Books’categories. Can you spot your child’s name there?
Be Active at BCHS
At BCHS we aim to offer a full range of extra-curricular activities which will appeal to a wide spectrum of interests, both before and after school and also at lunchtimes. For a full timetable of all the activities available, please see the timetables below:-
Year 7
Year 7 Performance Review Evening Thursday 8 March 3.30pm – 7.00pm
This event gives you the opportunity to speak with your child’s subject staff to discuss progress and achievement at a vital stage in their school life.
Your child will be bringing home a letter with regard to booking an appointment for this valuable event, which can be found here and we hope to see you all on the evening.
Year 7 Residential Trip to Conwy Centre, Wednesday 18 to Friday 20 April 2018
Payment instalments are due on the following dates:
6 March 2018
3 April 2018
Year 8
Please be reminded that Guided Choices forms are due back to the main office by Friday 9 March.
Year 9
Important dates for your diary
Please be reminded that Guided Choices forms are due back to the main office by Friday 9 March.
Year 9 Performance Review Eve Thursday 15 Feb 3.30pm – 7.00pm
This event gives you the opportunity to speak with your child’s subject staff to discuss progress and achievement at a vital stage in their school life.
Your child will be bringing home a letter with regard to booking an appointment for this valuable event, which can be found here and we hope to see you all on the evening.
Year 9 Immunisations, Tuesday 17 April & Wednesday 18 April
Letters will be in form boxes today for all year 9, regarding immunisations for tetanus, diphtheria, Polio and Meningitis ACWY, which will take place on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 April. The immunisation is for both boys and girls. Please complete the enclosed consent form and send it back to the office in the envelope supplied before the 20th March. Thank you.
Getting Ready for KS4 Residential Trip to Lockerbie Manor 11 -13 July 2018.
Payment instalments are due on the following dates:
6 March 2018
3 April 2018
Year 10
Year 10 GCSE Blood Brothers Theatre Trip – Palace Theatre, Manchester. Wednesday 16 May 2018
In order to support our learners’ preparation and revision for their English Literature examination, the English Department have arranged a trip to see the evening performance of ‘Blood Brothers’ at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The trip will take place on Wednesday 16 May 2018, leaving school at 5.45.
The total cost of the trip is £26. Should you wish your child to take part, please return the permission slip on the letter here to the school office by Friday 16 February 2018 and pay a £10 deposit to secure a place. The remaining balance of £16 should be paid by Friday 23 March 2018.
An important date for your diary
Year 10 Performance Review Evening Thursday 1 March 3.30pm – 7.00pm
This event gives you the opportunity to speak with your child’s subject staff to discuss progress and achievement at a vital stage in their school life.
Your child will be bringing home a letter with regard to booking an appointment for this valuable event, which can be found here and we hope to see you all on the evening.
A message from our English Department
York notes revision guides will be available to purchase through the school shop on the school’s website, here, from Monday 4th December. All guides are priced at £2.40 each and learners will be able to collect the revision guides from their English teachers.
For Year 10 classes the guides required are:
A Christmas Carol
Blood Brothers
Macbeth
Getting Ready for KS4 Residential Trip to Lockerbie Manor 11 -13 July 2018.
Payment instalments are due on the following dates:
6 March 2018
3 April 2018
Year 11
Year 11 Photos
Kittle, our school photographer, has extended their date for ordering your child’s photograph. The Final date is now Wednesday 14 February. Please ensure that all orders are back to the office by that date as we will be unable to accept orders after then. Thank you.
Important date for your Diary
Friday 15 June – Year 11 Celebration Assembly following on from the GCSE Physics exam
Thursday 5 July - Year 11 Prom at The Hallmark Hotel, Warrington
Final examination information:
Year 11 will receive their actual summer GCSE examination timetable, after it is finalised by the examination board, at the beginning of February.
Please keep in mind if planning holidays that at present the examinations could run until the end of June and our Prom celebration is booked to take place on Thursday 5 July.
A message from our English Department
York notes revision guides will be available to purchase through the school shop on the school’s website, here, from Monday 4th December. All guides are priced at £2.40 each and learners will be able to collect the revision guides from their English teachers.
For Year 10 classes the guides required are:
A Christmas Carol
Blood Brothers
Romeo and Juliet
Birchwood College
Year 13 Photos
Kittle, our school photographer, has extended their date for ordering your child’s photograph. The Final date is now Wednesday 14 February. Please ensure that all orders are back to the office by that date as we will be unable to accept orders after then. Thank you
Other School information:
We would like to hear your views about our school so we can share these with OFSTED
We are asking for your support so that we are aware of your views about our school. It will also help us to prepare for our next OFSTED visit which is due this academic year. Thank you to all parents and carers who have already filled the online form in. We have had 18 responses so far and all parents have said that their children feel safe and happy at school. We would love more views though! Please read and fill in the online form below.
Parent View is an online facility launched by Ofsted in October 2011 that allows parents and carers to give their views about their child’s school at any time of the school year. The questionnaire is also the main mechanism for parents to give their views to inspectors about their child’s school at the time of a school inspection. If you are a registered parent or carer of a pupil at the school, you can tell us your views about the school by completing Ofsted’s online survey here.
E-Safety update
As ever, BCHS are always looking out for your child’s safety whilst online. Please find the latest guide for parents and children with regard to safe use of live streaming Apps.
As the guide says
“You can now broadcast from anywhere in the world, to anywhere in the world for free using the device in your pocket.”
So please read the guide found here, and keep your child safe
View your child’s information on your mobile phone or tablet, a great new way to keep in touch.
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new service to make communications between school and home quicker, easier and more effective.
You will be able to view information about your child or children securely on your mobile phone or tablet using the Groupcall Xpressions app.
Once you are set up you will be able to see information such as:
Free messages sent by the school delivered to the app
Attendance and absence information
Attitude to learning (“ATL”) scores for each lesson.
Daily/Weekly timetable information
The app is completely free of charge to you and supports Apple iOS and Android devices (with Windows mobile to follow).
In order to use the app school must have your correct mobile number and email address on our school system. Forms are available from the school office to check and update your details or you can simply email them to the school. You’ll need to make sure you keep these details up to date in future to maintain access to the service.
You can download the app by searching for “Xpressions” in the App Store or on Google Play. Once the app is downloaded, simply follow the on screen instructions.
We hope that you take advantage of this new service, which has replaced our ParentsLive system. If you have any issues or need to know more please contact Mr O’Reilly here at school on aoreilly@birchwoodhigh.org
Children on site out of school hours
As a Community School, we welcome clubs and booked activities to use our facilities and school grounds outside the school day. We have become aware though that there are groups of both learners and ex learners on site in the evenings. Please make your child aware that learners are only allowed on site after the school day, if they are part of an organised and booked group. Thank you for your co-operation.
School Nurse: Please note that the school nurse comes into school every Wednesday from 12.15- 1.30pm and is available in the BSR Mentoring Room if any learners or students have any health related issues they would like to discuss.
Comments