Newsletter 17 May 2011

Dear Parents

I am delighted to inform you that our application for Academy status is now with the Government. We are very hopeful that the status will be confirmed for July or August this year. I am taking the opportunity to speak to your sons and daughters who will be in the School next year and emphasise to them that us going Academy is about preserving what St Peter’s stands for and not introducing wholesale change. Protection, not revolution, is what our decision to go Academy is all about.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR YEAR 10 PARENTS

My apologies to Year 10 parents, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Year 10 reports will be out a week later than initially calendared. They will now be out on Tuesday 17 May.

CONGRATULATIONS

• To one of our young men, Jake Beltran, who has been selected to join the National
Youth Theatre summer school. There were over 5,000 young people who auditioned and Jake was one of the 500 selected. This is a truly incredible accolade and my congratulations go to Jake and to the staff who helped him reach such an outstanding level of performance.

• To our Year 7 and 8 soccer teams who won the County Cup Final. Also, to Year 11 who were runners up in their final, in a very closely fought game. This is a tremendous accolade to the boys and to Martin McDermott who has done so much to develop soccer in the school. Quite amazing how many people see St Peter’s as only a rugby school and yet the success we have across the board in sport and in other areas of school life is truly terrific.

• To our U18s tennis team – despite having two Year 7, one Year 8, a Year 10 and captained by a Year 12 student, this very young team has beaten Malvern School and Christ College, Brecon, in the National U18s competition. What a marvellous achievement and again congratulations to these very talented young men and to their coaches for the work they do with them.

• To our Year 8 boys who won the County Rugby League – Yes, I do mean rugby league competition. The hotbed of rugby league is considered to be the North of England but it is interesting to note it is also being played in Gloucestershire.

• To Chloe O’Donoghue who has been selected for the Southwest Hockey Squad. It is great to see that our young ladies are making progress on the national scene.

• To Nico Woodward in our sixth form. Nico has gone through all the matches and
appropriate trial games for Gloucestershire, the South-West of England and England and in fantastic style, he was pick to start for ENGLAND U/18’s Schools and Clubs against IRELAND last month in Ireland which they drew 23-23. Nico’s position is hooker and now his picture will go onto the wall of fame. He is the 22nd schoolboy INTERNATIONAL the school has produced in the last eleven years!

• Whilst under the heading of ‘Congratulations’ I could not possible let this part of the newsletter close without mentioning our terrific Lourdes Group. Once again this year they travelled 18 hours on a coach to Lourdes, to work with the Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust. Not only are they an incredible advert for the qualities of young people, but they are a tremendous witness to the principles and ethos of St Peter’s High School. My thanks to them and to the staff: Vin Kilty, Trish Tedstone, Father Kevin and Mick Gibbons, for giving their time to go with the students. I know they had tremendously long days, but the work they do has a lifelong influence on the young people who go with the Lourdes trip. It is also worth emphasising that whilst at Lourdes they prayed for St Peter’s and the staff and students of the school. I know Father Kevin has this as an intention in the Masses he celebrates whilst on pilgrimage.

BUILDING FUND

The final building fund contribution for the year is now due. If parents would be kind enough to use the envelope provided for their contribution I will be most grateful. I remind you that if you are financially able, we ask you to consider donating £10 per student to a maximum of £20 per family. If, however, in this climate finances are difficult, any contribution will be gratefully received and, indeed, it will be fully understood if you are unable to contribute at all at this time. Those who support us by Standing Order or by Direct Debit simply mark the envelope accordingly and return it to your son or daughter’s form tutor. All envelopes, whether they contain money or not, should be returned by Tuesday 24 May and Year 11 by Friday 20 May.

Once again my thanks for your support in helping us maintain the quality of building and refurbishment in the School.

HOLIDAY

The School will close for the half term holiday on Friday 27 May. We will re-open on Monday 6 June at 9.00am.

Prior to the half term Year 11 and 12 will be leaving on study leave and on Friday 27 May Year 13 will be leaving us for the last time. We wish all these students well for their exams and hope they are keeping to the revision schedules I outlined in the Easter Newsletter. It is vitally important they work the 4 hours a day minimum revision when they are off school on study leave. They will obviously be in the prayers and thoughts of the school. Our prayers are, quite simply, that the students receive just reward for the work they have done.

STAFF LEAVING US

Miss Stefanja Szkrybieniec will be leaving us at the end of this half term. Stefanja has covered for the maternity leave of Mrs Garcia-Phelps who will be returning to us in June. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Stefanja for the manner in which she has stepped in and made sure the students have not missed out whilst Mrs Garcia-Phelps has been on leave. I wish Stefanja well in her future and hope we will see her back at St Peter’s at some time in the not too distant future.

THANK YOU

To those of you who took the time to write to The Licensing Committee reference the application of the garage up the road to St Peter’s seeking a sales licence for alcohol. I am pleased to inform you that this was not granted although, of course, the garage has a right to appeal. Your support, as always, is greatly appreciated as by working together we can best guarantee the safety and wellbeing of your children.

INVITATION

On 24 May our superb BTEC Hospitality & Catering students will be doing their last function of the year. A number of you have been to their highly successful ‘Foods from Around the World’ evenings. Their last evening is going to be a Cocktail Evening and all profits will be donated to Prostate Cancer Research.

If you would like tickets please contact Mrs Kefford, who is i/c of BTEC, as I hope we will have a good number attending this function.

TESCO VOUCHERS

The ICT and PE department are collecting Tesco school vouchers. There is a collection box in the school reception area. These vouchers help the school buy equipment which can be used throughout the school. The vouchers can also be handed into Mrs. George in IT3.

BARCELONA - TWO PLACES AVAILABLE!

There are 2 places available on the Spanish trip in October, for any students currently in Y9 or above. Barcelona by air, £550 including meals on a half board basis, hotels, transfers and all entrance fees. See me if interested.
Mrs J Beamish

GCSE MATHS REVISION WORK

Since February students have been given a past exam paper each week to complete. This has given students the opportunity to complete absolutely vital exam practice.

All students have been given a set of four past exam papers to complete during their study leave.

Solutions to these past papers can be accessed on the school website. These can be found in the Students Shared Area (click on Maths/Year 11 past paper solutions). Of course, any student is still most welcome to come into school to seek further help from any maths teacher.

Many extra past exam questions - and answers - can be found in the folder Pre-2007 exam papers.

Each sub-folder contains 6 papers plus the Exam Board’s solutions. These papers all contain excellent practice. The papers are numbered differently to current papers, so, as a guide:
Students entered for Foundation Level can try Papers 1 & 2 (easier) or 3 & 4 (harder).
Students entered for Higher Level can try Papers 3 & 4 (easier) or 5 & 6 (harder).

More revision material can be found on www.mymaths.co.uk particularly in the Booster
Packs.

Practice may or may not make perfect, but there is no doubt that it makes an enormous difference!

Good luck from the Maths Department to all students.

Conclusion

Our exam students attended a very meaningful Mass last week when we prayed for their success in the forthcoming examinations. I would in turn ask you and your families to remember in your prayers a former student of St Peter’s. She is a young mum of two children – 4 and 6 years of age – and very, very sadly she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It is obviously a desperate time for the whole family and the only support we can offer, but from my experience one of the most important, is in prayer.

I would like to take the opportunity of thanking you for the trouble you have gone to in kitting out your sons and daughters with our summer uniform. They look very smart and it is a credit to you and your children for the manner in which they change from winter to summer uniform.

Yours sincerely




Lawrence Montagu
Headteacher