ACADEMY NEWS21st MARCH 2014

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Photo by Mrs Gendall

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Best wishes

Sara DaveyAcademy Principal

It has been a surprising week in the Academy because this humble newsletter has been quoted (inaccurately) in newspapers throughout the world. According to newspapers as far away as Brisbane and Toronto, Mounts Bay Academy has banned red pens! This has come as rather a surprise to me as we have not banned red pens and in fact we have been selling pens to raise money for Sport Relief today, including green, blue and red pens. It is disappointing to find that journalists locally, nationally and globally quote stories without checking the facts. Checking sources and quoting accurately is a skill we encourage in all our students from the moment they arrive in Year 7. As the saying goes

‘Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.’ Talking about good stories, the Academy has applied for Teaching School status. If successful, Mounts Bay Academy hopes to work with a range of primary, secondary and special schools in the local area to share expertise. This includes training new, as well as existing teachers to provide world class learning for all the young people in Penwith and beyond. The Teaching School application outlines our work with strategic partners. This includes Exeter University, Professor David Hopkins and the University of Manchester, Plymouth University and other Teaching Schools. In addition, I have been asked to be a Senior Partner for a national organisation called Challenge Partners. Mounts Bay Academy will be the hub site for this school improvement work based on the highly successful London Challenge programme. The key aim of Challenge Partners is to help as many schools as possible to get ‘outstanding’ status by offering effective challenge from peers in the spirit of collaboration and partnership.

And finally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff and students of Year 11 in particular for running an amazing after-school programme to help students gain the best possible chance of success at GCSE. Every day there are Masterclasses taking place and I would like to thank Year 11 parents for supporting us in these last few crucial weeks.

Principal’s Report

BEINSPIRED

Scrapheap Challenge

This week we have been celebrating Science in all its different guises and this included taking Mr Raggett's Year 7 Science group to Geevor Mine to take part in their now annual Scrapheap Challenge competition.

The event invites Year 7 students from local schools to design, build and operate a machine which competes for a prize and trophy. This year’s event was to build a waterwheel which would be used to raise a cart up an incline.

The students were split into teams of 4 or 5 and given an hour to build their waterwheel, before putting their designs to the test. We didn't win the overall prize but all the students did exceptionally well.

The winning team from Mounts Bay, which included Azura McSally, Bethany Hefford, Mia Doherty, Lauren Wright and Jacob Gwenap, did an excellent job and their wheel completed the job in 32 seconds. For their hard work they all receive a year’s Family Pass for themselves and their family.

We had a great day at Geevor which also included a tour underground, a chance to pan for minerals and a guided tour of the site. Thanks to all the team at the mine and we'll be back next year to collect the trophy. Report by Mr Raggett

BEINSPIRED

Science Week

This week has been Science week at MBA and students have thrown themselves into a range of exciting, interesting and sometimes explosive activities both in and outside lessons. At lunchtimes students escaped Earth’s orbit with a screening of the Oscar award winning film Gravity and explored explosions with Mr Troup. The Science shop in Reception nearly sold out and the House paper aeroplane competition on Friday was, as ever, fiercely contended. See next week’s newsletter for a full report.

Science Ambassadors

The Science department have been delighted to welcome some Science ambassadors from Penwith College this week. They are students who are studying Science at A Level and have offers to study Science based subjects at university.

They visited Year 9,10 and 11 lessons, telling students about their Science courses and college life. Ben and Alice-Joy also gave the students some useful information about applying for Oxbridge University places. Chloe Pattison said, “They were very open and talked about college life and were very happy to inform us about anything we wanted to know. They were very nice and lively, I thought their visit was helpful.” Eleanor Peters added, “It gave me an idea of what could happen in the future, and all the opportunities open to me.”

This photo shows Year 7 students investigating the effect of changing variables on the rate of reaction, by adding effervescent tablets to a range of volumes of water and timing how long it takes for the top to be forced off a camera film case by the pressure of the carbonated water produced.

Big Bangs

BEINSPIRED

This week's Accelerated Reader raffle winner is Sophia Schofield of 8 Blue. Sophia is an avid reader and loves all of Sophie McKenzie's books. Sophia says, "The Girl Missing books are full of action and suspense and impossible to put down."

We have this series in the library: Girl Missing, Sister Missing and Missing Me as well as The Medusa Project series: Hit Squad, Double Cross, Hunted, The Rescue, The Hostage and The Set-Up.

Come in and discover Sophie McKenzie for yourself, if you haven't already done so.

Sophia has accumulated 12 academic credits by gaining 100% in twelve Accelerated Reader quizzes. This has also given her twelve raffle tickets and, as this week's winner, she chose a pair of cinema tickets for a film of her choice.

Keep on taking your Accelerated Reader quizzes in tutor reading sessions and in English Library lessons and you may be the next raffle winner.

To make way for some exciting new reads we have decided to recycle some of our library books.

Come to the Foyer at break and lunch on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th April (before we break up for Easter) and see if any books take your fancy.

You might want to swap some of your books for some of ours. Your old books could help raise money for Sport Relief. Just bring them in and swap them for something else.

Buy or Swap Books

Books will be sold for a minimum of 20p each with all funds raised going to Sport Relief charities.

BEINSPIRED

Apple Pi Day

Friday 14th March was World Pi Day (3/14), which we named Apple Pi Day. To celebrate this we asked students to memorise Pi to as many decimal places as possible. It was great to see so many students taking part. However, by the end of the day, there was a clear winner. Georgia Kennedy-Curnow beat her own record from last year to memorise 103 decimal places this year.

Georgia and Zoe with their Apple Pi(e)s

Public Speaking Success

Yesterday’s Cornishman featured an article about Callum Lee. He is part of the Madron Young Farmers‘ Club Junior Speaking team, who came second in the South West area heats on 15th March. The team are going to Weston Super Mare on Saturday 22nd March to represent the Southern area. If they succeed there they will qualify for the Nationals at Staffordshire later in the year.

Callum Lee and his team as featured in the Cornishman this week.

1st: Georgia Kennedy-Curnow (103)

2nd: Liam Bateman (62)

3rd: Zoe Empson (50)

To give you an idea of what an amazing feat this is, below is Pi to 103 decimal places. Well done Georgia!

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679821

Writer of the Week

Porphyria's Lover’s Confession LetterBy Macie George.

My last confession;In the dead of last night, Porphyria arrived home,

And I killed her; took her life.I do not regret and I do not resent, What's been done is done, What's been said is said.

I knew that she loved me,She was happy and pure.

But she loved another man, And I wanted more.I wanted her all, all to myself, She was for me, not anybody else. So when she came home,

On that cold, windy night,I killed her; just killed her,

I took someone's life.My last confession,

Before I am gone too.Chain me, cuff me, whatever you do, No use will it be, far gone will be I, I will be dead, by

Porphyria's side. You will have lost,And I will have won, Because I killed a woman,

And now I am gone.

BEINSPIRED

BECREATIVE

Arts Award Evening

On Wednesday 19th March two of our Gold Arts Award students, Isabel Ridley and Jenna Eddy, organised our first Arts Award celebration and awards evening.

As part of the Gold Award, students must take on an independent leadership project. It has to offer a creative stimulus for younger artists in the Academy, involve a public event, and be run with only a small amount of support from staff.

Parents and students were invited to get an insight into what the Arts Award programme in Mounts Bay looks like. There were portfolios to look through, digital portfolios projected on the Reception screen, and an art exhibition from Jessica Thompson. Through the night in the main hall there were musical performances and films that some of our bronze, silver and gold students have been working on this year.

Jenna and Isabel

Report by Luke New

BECREATIVE

Artists Technique of the Week: Silk Screen Printing

Well done to Year 10 artists this week for experimenting with new techniques, embracing inks, squeegees and mess to create something unique and beautiful. I am really impressed with the way you have responded to the challenge of something new. It was great fun watching you experiment and explore and you deserve a great deal of credit for the way you worked so well together, refining your ideas and helping each other make progress.

First stage of the process complete. Well done!

Mrs Dale

BECREATIVE

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

On Wednesday 19th March Mounts Bay Academy welcomed the arrival of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’ s brass quintet. The group are currently out on the road visiting schools around the country as a part of their outreach programme.

From 1.00pm until the end of the school day they ran an inspired workshop featuring five performances from their own repertoire, interspersed with talks from each band member about the ‘science of music’. This theme fitted perfectly with the fact that this week is national science week.

Our own Music Institute students then performed their own piece to the orchestra. This went really well, and for the last 30 minutes the orchestra ran a masterclass with the students on how to improve their own piece, and how to develop their personal playing.It was a great day, enjoyed by students and staff.

Report by Luke New

National Cup Football

On Tuesday 11th March the Year 7 girls’ football team travelled to Tavistock for a National Cup game.

We all played really well in the first half with some good build up play which lead to Megan Pengelly having a cracking shot which beat the keeper and took us 1-0 ahead. Thereafter we had some really good chances but the opposition goalkeeper pulled off some really good saves.

In the second half we played much better with Millie Olds scoring an excellent goal making the score 2-1 to us. The other team then scored an amazing goal making the score level at 2-2.

When the full time whistle went the score was all square, which lead us in to extra time. During extra time Tavistock scored a devastating goal so the final result was 3-2 to Tavistock.

Man of the match went to Chloe Graham for stopping some excellent shots! We would like to thank Mr Blayney for driving the mini bus and to Mr Lawrence for being our coach.

BECOMPETITIVE

Iona O’ConnellTobi MossMillie Olds (Captain)Jessica LeeGeorgia Haffenden

Squad:Chloe GrahamRosie IllstonMegan PengellyMegan Byrne

Report By Millie Olds

Eseld O’NeillTia SteavensonErin Kemp

Year 11 Football

On the 13th March, Mounts Bay played a football game against St Ives School. In the first half the score was 2-0 after a great free kick by Toby Angwin and a good finish by Liam Lonsdale. Second half goal scorers were Kam Collins, Dan Cooke, Toby Angwin and Andrew Pope with an outstanding strike to finish them off. It was a great game and everyone played their part in the victory. Well played boys. Final score 6-0

Report by Dan Cooke and Liam Lonsdale

Year 9 Football

Mounts Bay 6-0 St Ives Mounts Bay went into the last game of the season on the back of a defeat to Humphry Davy, and were cautious not to underestimate a St Ives team who we had previously had mixed results against. We began with confidence, playing the ball around confidently and laying siege to the St Ives goal. The breakthrough eventually came when Max Armstrong weaved his way through the defence and lashed past the helpless goalkeeper. Captain Jacob Trudgeon, despite carrying an injury, doubled the scoring in similar fashion soon after. At this point St Ives began to come into the game and won a corner after Jacob Powley tipped over a volley, which was one of their best opportunities of the half. After surviving this pressure, normal service was resumed when Piran Tanner displayed good technique to set up Matthew Olds, who dodged numerous challenges and unleashed a thirty yard scorcher into the top corner, to make it 3-0 at half time. The beginning of the second half was rather more tight than the first, with fewer chances although Reece Evans managed to score from close range to get his first goal of the season. St Ives then became more adventurous in their search to make the scoreline more respectable, and won a few corners, which were cleared despite question marks over the communication in the Mounts Bay defence. After the visitors failed to sustain this pressure, Tom Quick added a fifth. With time running out, Mounts Bay won a free kick when Shea Cornish was brought down in a dangerous position. After a dummy from Gabriel Luckwell, Jacob Trudgeon crossed for Reece Evans to add his second and his team’s sixth. The team was; Jacob Powley, Conner George, Matthew Lawry, Piran Tanner, Louis Main, Matthew Olds, Max Armstrong, Reece Evans, Charlie Baker, Jacob Trudgeon, Louis Graham, Gabriel Luckwell and Tom Quick.

BECOMPETITIVE

Report by Jacob Powley

Squad: Jacob Powley Conner George Matthew LawryPiran Tanner

Louis MainMatthew OldsMax ArmstrongReece EvansCharlie Baker

Jacob TrudgeonLouis GrahamGabriel LuckwellTom Quick.

BEA WINNER

Translate the word of the week from either French, German, Spanish or Italian and send your answer to ktripp@mountsbay.org to be entered into the weekly competition.

Use the word of the week in your Language lesson and get a credit from your teacher!

Maths Quiz

This Week’s Puzzle:

There are 64 squares on a chess board. On the first square you place one grain of rice, on the second two grains of rice, on the third four…and so on doubling each time. How many grains of rice on the 64th square? Extension for Bonus Points:

If each grain of rice has a mass of 1/50 of a gram, what is the total mass of the rice on the 64th square?

Last week’s solution: x2 + 3y2 = 25 forms an oval.

Extension: x2 + y2 = 49 is one example of an equation of a circle with radius 7.

Could you write next week’s puzzle?If you would like to set the numeracy puzzle for a future week click here. You will win house points.

Win an iTunes voucher

For each correct answer throughout this semester we will put your name in the hat for a chance to win an iTunes voucher – the more correct answers, the more chance of winning.

House Competition

Green: 102 PointsPurple: 40 PointsYellow: 17 PointsBlue: 15 PointsRed: 10 Points

Orange: 6 Points

Click here to submit your answer

Last week's answer was ‘the sky’.

MFL Word of the Week!

savon sapone

jabon Seifen

BEA WINNER

To enter, simply write an original sentence correctly using the word spring. Send in your sentence using the link below.

Competition

Click Here to enter the competition

This week’s word is: spring

Definition: The season of the year between winter and summer, astronomically from the March equinox to the June solstice in the N hemisphere and from the September equinox to the December solstice in the S hemisphere

Etymology: :[Middle English springen, from Old English springan. N., Middle English springe, from Old Englishspring, wellspring.]

We are looking for a photograph to go on the cover of the Summer Semester student planner. There were some fantastic entries for the Spring planner cover competition, and Mrs Davey enjoyed picking the winner from the very impressive finalists.

You can submit photographs you have taken in the past, or you could go out this weekend and try to capture an image of summer. The pictures must be taken by yourself, and should be sent to: news@mountsbay.org

BEA PHOTOGRAPHER

Planner Cover Competition

Mrs Davey with Shannon Bridgeman who won the last competition

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Mounts Bay, Boscathnoe Lane, Heamoor Penzance, Cornwall TR18 3JT

Principal Mrs S Davey B.Sc. M.Ed

T 01736 363240 | F 01736 352326 E enquiries@mountsbay.org

www.mounts-bay.cornwall.sch.uk

MBS-LH2011-Grey-AW.indd 1 08/06/2011 21:24