Parents’ Information Newsletter

Bringing you our latest news!

Issue 3 Spring Term

Friday 30 January 2015

SPOTLIGHT

T h e f i r s t o f t h e Po l t a i r M a s t e rc h e f Q u a l i f y i n g Ro u n d s

Re s u l t s : -

First: Bradley Woodward and Mrs Kellow Second: Jay Barclay and Mr Morris

Third: Ty Tait and Miss Owens

Look out for a full report on the first two rounds, in next week’s Spotlight!

Congratulations to Mrs Pearson on her

MA Arts Degree success!

I started my MA Arts Practice at University of South Wales in September 2012.

Throughout the course I developed projects that created opportunities for

Poltair pupils to become involved in designing and creating large scale art work

that celebrated the local community and environment. The Poltair Ceramic

Mural took two years to complete and consists of 437 hand-made tiles. The

year 8 pupils that worked on this project showed determination and

commitment by giving up their own time to create work that can be shared by

the whole school community.

My final major project saw me design and create 4 large paintings that formed part of the St Austell

in Bloom bid of 2014. The theme was WW1 and I tried to create a sequence that represented several

viewpoints such as the soldier, mother, worker and finally the future. These paintings are on display

in Chandos Walk, St Austell and received a Silver Award.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and found it reinvigorated my passion for Art. I was elated when I

graduated in November 2014 achieving a Merit.

My work can be viewed at eileenpearsonart.wordpress.com

On Friday 9th January, a Holocaust survivor visited Year 10 History classes to tell her shocking story of

concentration camp life. The classes were speechless when they heard the horrific ordeals that Joanna Millan

suffered in the Thereseinstadt Camp.

Millan, whose original name was Bela, was only two years old when she, along with

her mother, was rounded up like cattle and sent to the concentration camp. Her

father had previously been taken to a different camp, and she never saw him again.

Sadly, her mother died of tuberculosis the following year, leaving her all alone.

There were five other orphan children at the camp, and the six of them relied upon

each other and became extremely close. She struggled through the next two years

with nearly no food or drink. One woman, Listka, who had been given hard labour

on the vegetable patch, saved small amounts of fresh vegetables for Joanna and

snuck them to her when she could. Without this help, Millan would most likely

have died.

In May 1945, the camp was liberated by the Red Cross. The six orphans stayed at the camp to be treated by the

doctors, unsure of where their futures would lead. However, on 15th August 1945, their luck changed. A group

of RAF bombers, bringing back Czech pilots from Britain, took 700 children back to England. Upon arrival, she

was scared. None of the orphan children spoke English and they had no family. Shortly thereafter, an MP found a

house for the orphans to stay in. They were eventually adopted by Jewish families. Joanna's family insisted she

changed her name from Bela to something more English to help her ‘fit in,’ and she was told not to mention that

they were not her real parents. All through life she has lived with two identities!

After her youth, Millan became a magistrate and owned a small business

which sold double basses and strings. She searched for her relatives all over

the world and eventually found family in Germany, Australia, and the USA.

Despite everything she has lived through, she is an extremely friendly and

happy person.

The visit linked directly to our classwork because at GCSE we study Nazi

Germany. It was a huge eye-opener and illustrated to us just how cruel and

inhumane the Nazis treated people. It also helped us to reflect on how

different the world is now and how much has changed since the appalling

events of World War II.

The Reality of World War II Hits Year 10 History Students With Holocaust Survivor Visit By: Ben Bassett, Poltair News Team

Drug Awareness Assemblies

Poltair School works very closely with external services and agencies to ensure that at crucial times in a young per-

son’s life there is the opportunity to listen to key messages and reminders which will enable them to make sensible

and healthy choices.

During February we will be visited by our Police Youth Intervention Officer, PC Jay Dorman, to deliver assemblies to

Years 9 & 10 educating about drugs and drug misuse. The sessions will cover the legal stance to drug misuse, but also

the lifestyle choices and how these can affect lives from the perspective of the Police themselves.

For further information please contact Mr S Harrison, Assistant Headteacher.

DIA

RY D

ATES

Thursday 29 January

Thursday 5 February

Thursday 12 February

KS3 Round

KS4 Round

KS3/KS4 Final

Monday 16 to Friday 20 February Half term

Monday 23 February Staff Training Day (no pupils in school)

Thursday 26 February Year 8 Curriculum Evening (further details soon)

Wednesday 4 March Year 10 Parents’ Evening 3.45—6.15 pm (Main Hall)

Friday 27 March Last day of term school finishes at 1.00 pm (buses leave at 1.15 pm)

Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April Easter holidays

Monday 13 April Staff Training Day (no pupils in school)

The answer to the Maths question in Spotlight Issue 2: -

20 kg

WEEKLY MATHS QUESTION

It takes one man one day to dig a 2m

x 2m x 2m hole. How long does it

take 3 men working at the same rate

to dig a 4m x 4m x 4m hole?

Free Microsoft Software for Students Following our upgrade to Office 365 over the summer we can now offer

all students free licenses to use the latest version of Microsoft Office at

home, this includes Microsoft Office on a Mac,

and also Microsoft Office on Android or iOS.

You can download the software from your Office

365 profile page, by logging into the school

Webmail, then clicking the Gear in the top right

hand corner and then clicking Office 365

Settings, from here then select Software. Or by simply signing into the

Android/iOS Office Apps using your school email address and password. If

you do not have these Apps installed on your device, you can download

these from the App Store/Play Store by searching for Microsoft Word,

Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint. H

OU

SE

ST

AR

S

Sam Currell

10MBA

For his positive attitude at

all times.

Phoebe Reid

8HV

For being an outstanding

ambassador for the school

always representing the

5Ps.

Rachael Hide

8DBR

For being positive and

‘smiley’ during tutor time.

Always willing to support

her tutor and her tutor

group.

Alex Gobbitt

7MG

For 100% attendance,

no behaviour points and

being a positive and

polite student.

Diana Pasca

11LH

For 100% commitment to

doing her best in Year 11.

Constantly positive, polite

and helpful.

Emma White

10GL

For consistently following

the 5 Ps and always going

that extra mile.

Kisrty Symons

9BRi

For being supportive of

another pupil in the tutor

group.

Talitha Jobson

10ABR

For her positive attitude

to school .

Please note that the weekly Spotlight and any archived Spotlights, together with news items are available to view

or download from the school website www.poltairschool.co.uk

Parents’ Coffee Morning

We hosted an informal coffee morning at Poltair last term. As it was the first time we had run such an event

we invited a small group of parents to measure interest. The feedback was positive and we would like to

widen participation for the next coffee morning, which we hope to hold sometime in February!

We had a respectable turn-out and all parents and carers said they would like to attend another one. The

morning was very positive and it was a pleasure to meet parents and carers in an informal, relaxed,

environment. We had a small raffle, prizes included; cinema tickets, restaurant vouchers and chocolates. The

feedback highlighted the usefulness of the conversations between all involved and some parents expressed

an interest in setting up a parent group to meet regularly. The tea and coffee was flowing and we even had

some left over cake and biscuits. The morning had a vibrant feel and it was great to get started on meeting

some of the parents and carers of our pupils at Poltair.

Many thanks to all involved.

If you have any questions regarding future coffee mornings or the Family Support

Advisor role please contact me by email: rstoneman@poltair.cornwall.sch.uk

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