Newsletter 15.01.2024

Message from our Chaplain Mairie

This week the Church calendar has moved into its green regalia, showing that we have now entered Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time, meaning ‘everyday’, and we listen to the Gospel and hear how Jesus’ ministry moves out and progresses, changing hearts and minds.

It is Jesus’ ministry that forms our Catholic Ethos. This term’s Gospel Value of Dignity and Compassion echoes this, as we are encouraged to see our lives as ministry and our gifts and talents to be used for the good of others as well as ourselves. This is also seen in our 4R’s which encourage an attitude of respect for ourselves, for others and for our environment. This year we will again be focusing on Catholic Social Teaching which informs and complements all the good works and expectations that we carry out in school. We began this work on our Inset Day when we welcomed Raymond Friel into school to share his insights with all our school staff. We will include elements of what we are learning in the coming Mission Day.

Please pray for our Year 13 who are in their Mock exams. Year 12 who will be on Work Experience and Year 7 who will be on their Residential later in the week. All this challenges asking our students to call on courage, perseverance as well as acting with dignity and compassion.

Safeguarding in school

Here at St Nicholas, safeguarding is our priority and we care about your wellbeing and work hard to keep you safe and happy.

All staff members in the school are here to keep you safe, so you can speak to anyone but it’s important you know who your safeguarding team are!

Attendance

Regular attendance and good punctuality are crucial factors in students achieving their full potential. Here at St Nicholas, we are committed to providing a full and efficient education to all and encouraging our children to strive for excellence.

We work in partnership with parents and carers and so are seeking your full support in ensuring that your child attends the school every day and on time. We are always pleased to work together with parents/carers in resolving any difficulties, but we are also committed to improving attendance levels here at St Nicholas.

The target attendance figure for all students is a minimum of 96% attendance. 

Regular attendance is not just a legal requirement, but it is vital for students to maximise their learning and achieve their full potential. There are a number of important steps that you can take to ensure your child maintains a high level of attendance:

Ensure your child attends every day, on time, equipped and ready to learn. Form Tutor time begins at 8.50am and all students need to be onsite by 8:45am.
Ensure the school has up-to-date addresses and telephone numbers. We will contact you by text or by telephone if your child is absent and you have not contacted the school.
If your child is ill, contact the school via Edulink or phoning us. Please make sure you contact us every day your child is absent.
If no contact is received regarding the absence, it is recorded as unauthorised.
Ensure that medical appointments are made outside of school time wherever possible.
Holidays should not be taken in school time. Holidays will not be authorised during term time.
Respond to school letters or telephone calls regarding attendance and punctuality.
Contact your child’s Form Tutor or Head of Year if you are experiencing difficulty in getting your child into the school and we will support to help resolve any issues.

Mr Spencer

RE Revision Sessions

Dear Parents and Carers of Year 11 students,

We were so pleased to see over 30 students attending our very first revision session in 2024! At the end of the day, they still had enough energy to smile, participate and soak up all the information they were given. They were truly amazing and energised us teachers! All this extra revision will pay off!

Our next session is next Tuesday, 16^th January 2024. This session will run from 3.20 until 4.15.

As mentioned before, these sessions are aimed at students who are currently working below target and there is a real expectation that these students will attend. It goes without saying though that all students are very welcome!

Please can we also remind all students to hand in their Christmas RE pack which consisted of a booklet and a past paper? The deadline for this was WC 8^th January 2024.

Below are some of the top tips we suggested in our previous letter. The exam board has also put on some extra information regarding the d-questions. As a department we will share this information in class but it may be worth looking at this at home as well.

RE TOP TIPS:

Create a space for your child where they can revise without distractions. However, check regularly on your child to ensure they are revising. Whilst they are revising, they should not be on their phones, social media etc.
Revise together. Students should create their cue cards and revision lists. Then revise together. Cue cards and revision lists are so useful especially for key terminology and Sources of Wisdom and Authority as well as a/b and c style- questions.
Check out exam boards. Past Papers and mark schemes are readily available on the Edexcel Website Specification A. Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies A (2016) | Pearson qualifications
Encourage your child to attend extra revision classes.
Students can record themselves on their phones and then listen to these recordings on their way to school.
All students have received an in- house RE revision guide which is also available on TEAMS.
Check your child has the official Edexcel revision guide Specification A. These are available on AMAZON or via our Parent Pay.
Get in touch with your child’s RE teacher if you have any further concerns.

The RE department

Dear Parents/ Carers of Year 10 Students,

This is advanced notice for all Year 10 students.

The next end of unit test will take place on:

Tuesday, 23^rd January 2024 (Y-band)

Wednesday, 24^th January 2024 (B-band)

The focus will be on the Roman Catholic Paper:

Unit 1: Beliefs

Unit 2: Practices

Pupils need to be fully prepared for these assessments. They should be revising regularly and should make use of the revision materials available on TEAMS. Revision guides are also available on ParentPay.

The RE Department

Dear Parents/ Carers of Year 12 and 13 Philosophers,

It was absolutely amazing to see all our Philosophers participating in the webinar last Monday!

The next webinar: “A Question of God” will take place on Monday, 15^th January 2024

This will run from 3.30-4.45.

Please can you email me in terms of their attendance?

d.freestone@st-nicholas.cheshire.sch.uk

Many thanks

The RE department

Music Success

Isabelle

Well done to Isabelle Camacho who passed her Grade 3 Piano Practical with Merit

Instrumental Lessons in school

MONDAY GUITAR, PIANO and FLUTE
TUESDAY SINGING
WEDNESDAY PIANO
THURSDAY VIOLIN, CLARINET AND SAXOPHONE
FRIDAY DRUM KIT

If you are interested in learning an instrument in school, click here to complete this form.

Celebrating Success

We are always pleased to share our students’ successes and love to get an insight into the wonderful achievements that happen on a weekly basis.

If your child has an accomplishment they would like to share, please send a brief write up along with a photo to admin@st-nicholas.cheshire.sch.uk and we will publish it in the Newsletter.

Library and Literacy

Book Trust Bookfinder

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/

It can be difficult to choose appropriate books for your child, especially if you’re not familiar with teen fiction and its ever-changing trends. Many of our children get their book recommendations from TikTok and other social media outlets. Whilst this has increased the popularity of reading among teenagers, not all of the books being marketed on these platforms have been written with teenagers in mind. Their covers, however, can make this confusing.

Current TikTok hit Icebreaker, for example, with its pastel colours and cute cover illustrations contains content that would make Jilly Cooper blush! Likewise, I’d steer children away from Colleen Hoover.

It’s always advisable to read or research the content of YA books when giving them to younger teens, if only to be prepared for the conversations and questions they might invoke. Books specifically written for children and teenagers will deal with sex/drug taking/violence in a sensitive and informative manner. Authors writing for adults don’t bear that responsibility.

If you want to help your child to choose a book but don’t have time to read it yourself, Book Trust’s Bookfinder can be a helpful tool. It allows you to pick an age range and topics or genres that interest your child, then generates a selection of recommendations. You can click on each book to read the blurb and some reviews, and each title clearly displays the ages that the book is aimed at.

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/

Book of the Week

Talking of TikTok sensations, If He Had Been With Me is one of 2023’s breakthrough novels, despite originally having been published in 2013. It’s devastatingly sad so avoid if feeling fragile. The book begins with Autumn, the narrator, describing the fateful night that her best friend Finny crashes his car in the rain. He’s with his girlfriend Sylvie and Autumn believes that if he was with her, it would never have happened. The story then pans back and forth between Finny and Autumn as Children and seniors and explores the ups and downs of their relationship. Covers issues such as mental health, depression and teenage pregnancy. Suitable for 13+

Careers

Jobs and Apprenticeship Fairs

We are delighted to confirm that this year the Cheshire and Warrington Pledge are running a Live Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair at Ellesmere Port Civic Hall, from 4pm-7:30pm on Tuesday 23^rd January. This is a fantastic opportunity for students who are seeking an apprenticeship or job in September 2024 to speak directly to local employers who are actively recruiting. There will be over 40 local employers and apprenticeship providers in attendance including NHS England, British Army, HSBC, Essar, Cheshire College South and West, and many more. There will also be a series of talks around “What to expect from an Apprenticeship” that students, parents and Carers may wish to attend. This event is free to attend, but spaces are limited so if you wish to go along, please do book on following this link – Cheshire West Jobs and Apprenticeship Fair – PUBLIC SIGN UP – The Cheshire and Warrington Pledge

Cheshire Young Farmers, along with Reaseheath College and the National Farmers Union have put together a careers evening aimed at anyone interested in working in the agricultural industry.

Many local businesses will have stands at the event and are keen to speak to young people keen to follow a career in their field.

Reaseheath College will also be available to talk about the wide range of courses they offer.

The link below is for people to register their interest as there will be free refreshments and the college need an idea of numbers and dietary requirements.

https://www.ticketebo.co.uk/cheshire-young-farmers/careers-evening

We are pleased to announce that applications for our September 2024 Production and Maintenance Apprenticeships at our Deeside Engine Plant are now open.

To find out more or to apply, please visit TOYOTA Apprenticeships (toyotauk.com). Closing date for applications is Sunday 18^th February 2023.

Apprenticeship Open Evenings

This year we are also holding 4 apprenticeship open evenings:

Production – Wednesday 31^st January and Thursday 1^st February

Maintenance – Monday 5^th February and Tuesday 6^th February

This is an excellent opportunity to visit Toyota in person. You will learn more about the apprenticeship scheme you are interested in, meet both current apprentices and apprentice teaching staff and see our outstanding training facilities. You can book a place at one of our open evenings by visiting our website or by following this link: @toyotamanufacturinguk | Linktree

Little Princess Trust

Well done to Olivia Wilding in 7 Teresa .

Olivia asked to have her hair cut off because she wanted to donate it to The Little Princess Trust who use hair donations to make wigs for children with cancer. However, to make one wig costs £700, so she is also raising money to contribute towards the cost. So far she has raised £300!

PTFA News

Our next meeting will be held in school on 29^th January at 5.15 pm – everyone is welcome to attend.

Please contact school if you feel that the Parent, Teacher & Friends Association is something you would like to take part in or come along to our meeting and find out more about us.

Thank you very much.

Your PTFA

Community Notices

Lunchtime and after school Clubs

Lunchtime:

Monday : Linguistics Club, Years 10,11,12,13 in E7
Monday : Memrise Club in L5
Tuesday : Science Club in S5
Tuesday: GCSE Computer Science Revision in C2
Tuesday : Chess Club in M5
Wednesday : Art club – all years in A1 and A2
Wednesday : Easy as Pi – Maths Club – in M6
Wednesday : Dungeons and Dragons in B5
Thursday : Art club -all years A1 in and A2 – KS4
Thursday : KS3 History Club – Week 2 in H1
Friday : GCSE History Film Club – Week 1 in H1

After School:

Tuesday
Performing Arts Club – 3.15 – 4.30 Drama
Food Club – Year 9 and GCSE – 3.15 – 4.30 in T6
Drama Club in Drama Studio – not on this week due to parents evening
Wednesday
Dungeons and Dragons – in the library

Thursday
Art club for everyone in A2

Music - lunchtime and after school clubs

Lunchtime:

Monday : Woodwind Ensemble in 1M
Tuesday Rock School Lunchtime 1M
Wednesday : Jazz Band (GCSE and A Level)
Thursday : String Ensemble

After School:

Wednesday
NO CHOIR THIS WEEK
Thursday
Orchestra

PE - lunchtime and after school clubs

Lunchtime:

Monday : Basketball – sports Hall – Year 9
Tuesday : Basketball – sports Hall – Year 10
Wednesday : Basketball – sports Hall – Year 7&8
Thursday : Football – sports Hall – Year 9
Friday : Football – sports Hall – Sixth Form

After School:

Monday

Cricket Nets Practice- Boys & Girls KS3 & GCSE PE Students

Tuesday

Football & Basketball Practice- All Years

Wednesday

GCSE Badminton and Table-Tennis

Thursday

Rugby & Netball Practice- All Years

Friday

Ski Fit- All Years

Upcoming dates

Wednesday 17th Jan-19th Jan Year 7 Residential departs.

Thursday 25th Jan Year 13 Exams finish

Friday 26th Jan Mission Day 1

Wednesday 31st Jan Intermediate Maths Challenge Years 9 to 11

Tuesday 6th Feb Music Recital Evening 6.30pm

Friday 9th Feb ARC Trip – Trafford Centre

Monday 12th Feb Year 11 Parent’s Evening 4.15 – 7.30pm

Thur 15th Feb-19th Feb Art/MFL Paris Trip

Friday 16th Feb School Closes

SPRING HALF TERM

Ski trip 17 – 24th Feb

Click here for future dates

Attendance

“Everyone Matters – so attendance matters”

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