Three of our year 10 students Calypso Keightley, Sabrina Lucas and Ellie Hemmings attended the Big Bang Science Fair this year having won the opportunity to showcase their work at the regional finals last year. The Big Bang Science Fair is the biggest single event of its kind in the country, it was held in Birmingham at The NEC.

On offer for the students was an award-winning combination of exciting theatre shows, interactive workshops and exhibits delivered by household names, together with careers information provided by a wide range of people already working in the field. The Big Bang Fair enables young people to see science and engineering in a new light and allows them to understand the importance of studying science and maths and the wealth of opportunities available to them in education and beyond, into the world of work. The Big Bang Fair hosts some of the best, brightest and most enthusiastic science, technology, engineering and maths students in the UK.

The students arrived on Wednesday evening to set up their stand which was to be their base for the

next three days. The following morning the three massive halls in Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre were alive with excited children, exploding exhibits and scientists and engineers.

Thursday and Friday were judging days and the girls were constantly running through their project on water proof mascaras, answering questions from adults and school children alike from 8.30am until 6.00pm. There was a huge amount of interest in their work which showed that high street brands were actually more effective than those with designer labels.

They did have some time to take in some of the shows and visit the exhibits. The students donned gowns and masks to have a go at trauma surgery. A life-size replica patient, complete with a huge oozing wound was one of the many exhibits designed to get students excited about science and engineering. The challenge was to stop the internal bleeding using clips and to transfuse extra blood and plasma to the patient. I am pleased to say their patient did survive.

They also got to meet three

olympic athletes as their stand was next to Glaxosmithkline who are to be responsible for the drug testing at the Olympics.

The debate on ‘The UK in 2050’ also stimulated a lot of discussion as well as getting the opportunity to have their photographs taken with Ortis Deley who was chairing the panel of scientists available to answer questions from the students.

The girls took time to speak to many of the other students of all ages who were exhibiting at the event and picked up some useful tips, an experience which they found very valuable.

The girls got through to a second round of judging for enthusiasm and real life context and I was very proud of how well they worked together as a team to present their work. They received many positive comments from everyone they spoke to.

They are to be congratulated on all the hard work and effort they put into their project after winning the nomination back in June.

By Dr Major

Uppingham Community CollegeA Specialist Technology Academy

Newsletter: April 2012

BIG BANG SCIENCE FAIR

ImpoRtANt tERm DAtES

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - Final Bronze ExpeditionDuke of Edinburgh’s Award - Practise Bronze ExpeditionYr10 Extreme Physics Trip

Easter Revision - English Language (En2)Don Bosco to UCCEaster BreakGCSE PE ExamGCSE Art ExamYr7&8 Junior Maths ChallengeDuke of Edinburgh’s Award - Practise Silver ExpeditionDuke of Edinburgh’s Award - Bronze Final ExpeditionYr10 French GCSE Controlled SpeakingMusic Instrumental Lessons Start This Week

Yr10 French GCSE Controlled SpeakingYr10 German GCSE Controlled SpeakingTriangular Athletics KS4(UCC)Yr8 Summer Profiles HomeYr10 French GCSE Controlled SpeakingYr10 Spanish GCSE Controlled SpeakingBank HolidayCollege Council MeetingYr8 Parents’ EveningFrench Listening & Reading (PM)Music Listening (PM)RE (PM)Yr11 Science Objective Tests ResitYr10 Citizenship (AM)Art ModerationTriangular Athletics KS3 (Corby)Drama (AM)Newsletter DeadlineBiology - Units 2 & 3 (AM)Yr11 Citizenship Full Course (PM)Spanish Listening & Reading (PM)English Literature - Unit 1 (AM)PE - Unit 3 (PM)Yr7 Summer Profiles HomeChemistry - Units 2 & 3 (AM)Yr10 English Literature - Unit 2 (PM)DT (AM)French Exchange (UCC students to France)Yr11 Study Programme StartsChild Development (PM)English Language - Unit 1 (AM)Yr 10 GCSE DramaPE - Unit 5 (Double Award) (PM)Physics - Units 2 & 3 (PM)Yr10 Summer Profiles HomeYr7 Parents’ Evening

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - Gold Practise ExpeditionDuke of Edinburgh’s Award - Silver Final ExpeditionSummer Break

MARCH30th-31st

30th-31st

31st-2nd

APRIL2nd

2nd-6th

2nd-13th

18th-19th

25th-26th

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27th-28th

27th-2nd

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MAY1st

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26th-3rd

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JUNE3rd-6th

4th-8th

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Dear Parents and Guardians,

Another busy and successful Spring Term is over and it has been particularly marked by a series of new and exciting developments, as well as the celebration of some significant achievements for many individual students.

This Easter sees the 39th visit of our partners from Don Bosco in Belgium for the annual ‘friendly’ sporting exchange. This is a very important event in college history as there very few school across the country that run exchanges are based purely on sport and none where the link has lasted for so long. The College is very proud of its international links and these last few weeks saw visits by students from Spain and Germany who took part in work placements – an activity very well regarded by the business communities both here and abroad.

I have been very impressed by the commitment to the charity work shown by many of the students as they fundraise for not only their house charities but also other good causes. The sight of all of Year 8 running the Sport Relief Mile round the field was very heart warming, though some of the costumes were a little warm in the unseasonal heat of the day!

We are clearly focused on our support for Year 11 to help them achieve their potential in their exams and a number of staff have set up a variety of ways in which students can access that which is most appropriate to their needs. There have been targeted support groups, after school and lunchtime sessions and very useful information on the Intranet. There are also Easter holiday revision classes and there will be intensive focus groups after the holidays. I would encourage all parents and guardians to help us with this by ensuring that all information is discussed at home and an effective ‘countdown to exams’ timetable is established. The length of the external exam season increases year on year and therefore the Study Programme for Year 11 will be very tightly structured around the actual exams.

I hope you have a pleasant holiday and all good wishes for Easter.

Regards

JAN TURNERPrincipal

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fundraising event

Pamper EveningTuesday 24th April

Tickets before event are £3.00Tickets on the door are £3.50

RefreshmentsRaffle

6.30pm - 9.30pmFor More InformationPlease Ring 01572 821210

Upp-starts Nursery & Pre-schoolUCC, London Road, Uppingham

rutland, LE15 9TJ

U p p - S t a r t sNursery & Pre-School

Leg and Foot Massage

Reiki

Crystal Theraphy

Reflexology

Indian HeadMassage

Jems and Jewels

And much more

Homeopathy

UNIFoRmBy Mrs Turner

This term I have been disappointed with the attitude of some of the students to the uniform expectations and it has now reached a point where the general standard of appearance is less than satisfactory.

Some of the girls in particular seem to disregard the expectation of what is appropriate attire for school and need to be continually reminded of the College uniform. The main issues are:

Skirts are too short and too • tight.Too much make up is worn.• Hair is not tidy and is adorned • by a variety of unnecessary

ornaments e.g. flowers and bows.Trousers are not school trousers • but are jeans or casual trousersThere is far too much • jewellery.

We have tried to rely on students’ common sense but some of the girls have not responded to this approach. Therefore I have decided that the following measures will be in place from after the Easter holidays.

All students will be checked • regularly for uniform.Anyone not in the appropriate • uniform will be removed from class and home contacted.The student will be expected to •

return to College the following day dressed appropriately.

If there is not a significant improvement during next term then all girls will be expected to wear school trousers, or skirts purchased from the school shop only, from September 2012.

I would be grateful if you could ensure that your daughter has the correct uniform ready for return after Easter and also impress on her that a smart and business like appearance is essential for College.

The students have been informed of this in an assembly on Wednesday 28th March.

A Monthly Opportunity To Expand Your Mind...

In a series of workshops and presentations of things beyond the school curriculum.

Wed 25th April - Nanotechnologywith Dr C Binns, Leicester University (KS4)

Wed 9th may - the Extra-terrestrial Roadshow and How to Be A Rocket Scientistwith Professor M Barstow (KS3/4)

June and July - To Be Confirmed

All Sessions From 3pm-4pmOpen To ALL Students

Entrance FREE Ticket OnlyAvailable From Student Services

First Come, First Served(COOKIES PROVIDED!)

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‘Day at the Zoo’By Janni Vizma

It was wet, it was cold but that did not deter Year 7 from getting the most out of their day at the zoo. The rain did make completing their workbooks slightly more challenging. During a very packed day they had the chance to study animal classification, adaptation and behaviour. Animal adaptation was brought to life during a talk by zoo staff because the students were able to touch some of the animals that lived in the habitats they were shown. Below are a few comments from the students about their day.

My day at the zoo was great. We saw apes, meerkats and some exotic birds. We even saw three snow leopards. The talk was very good, it was

about habitats and adaptations and we saw a chinchilla, a bearded dragon and a hissing cockroach. The apes were very active and were jumping from ropes and platforms. It was a very good day.

‘Twycross zoo was great!’By Thea Crutchley

First, once we’d arrived we encountered two elephants playing in a big water pit. After that we began to watch chimps ‘monkey about’ and were handed our very own animal behaviour booklet. We then stepped inside to a small room with several chairs. Twycross zoo speaker, Claire, explained all about cold and warm habitats. She brought out a chinchilla, a bearded dragon and a hissing cockroach. We got the chance to stroke them too!

We then completed our booklets and sat down for lunch. Finally, we looked around the MASSIVE gift shop and bought an item or two. All in all it was a great day.

‘Pouring with rain, but we ignored it.’By Cerys Powell

The journey to Twycross zoo was about an hour and a half. When we got there it was pouring with rain but we ignored this horrible weather and carried on. First we got into groups of three. I was with Millie and Annie and we looked at the giraffes and Elephants.

Then we went into a room and heard a talk about adaptations and different habitats. The lady showed us a chinchilla, a bearded dragon and a cockroach.

tRIp to tWYCRoSS Zoo

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‘mUltUm IN pARvo’ poEtRYCompEtItIoN WINNERS

By Mrs speers

Congratulations to Jemima Oakey (9Bm) who won the ‘Multum in Parvo’ Poetry Competition and had her winning poem set to music at a gala concert at the Four Winds Olympic Rutland Festival on 3rd March.

m e g a n thOmpsOn O’COnnOr (9Bm) and ryan Funnell (9Bm) were also finalists and had their joint poem read to music at the event as well - a fantastic achievement, well done!

RotARY ClUB oF RUtlANDYoUNG WRItERS’

CompEtItIoN

Congratulations to the following students for their success in the Rotary Club of Rutland Young Writers Competition where they were asked to write a poem entitled ‘Olympic Dream’ or ‘Olympic Spirit’:

1st prize

geOrgia hart (9em)2nd prize

angus niChOls (9gC)3rd prize

daisy JOnes (9gC)

Special mention from the judge also went to:

heBe parsOns (9em)Charles steiner (7Jl)Olivia de Wet (7Jl)

zOe parkes (7Jl)ChlOe tanCOCk (7Jl)

YEAR 10 SImoN ARmItAGEpoEtRY RECItAl At

UppINGHAm SCHool

On 27th February Simon Armitage, one of the poets Y10 are currently studying for GCSE, visited Uppingham School for a recital in aid of Christian Aid. Some Year 10s were able to attend and Kiera Atton 10JC describes their experience:

SImoN ARmItAGE poEtRY tRIp

By Kiera Atton 10JC

Poetry has never really interested me but when we started studying it for our GCSE and an exciting opportunity to meet one of the poets arose; I took it. I hoped it would benefit me and help me to understand the inspiration behind his poems.

We walked to Uppingham theatre and settled into our seats. Mr Armitage started by telling us a poem and then explained the meaning behind it. It was fascinating to discover that

every poem had a story behind it and that most of his poems were based on his life experiences: places he’d been; things he’s done and seen.

It was interesting to learn of his close relationship with his father and some of the things they had done together. One of the most unexpected stories he told was how he and his father, both previously probation officers, went on a law-breaking ‘night of madness’ as a reaction to having always had to be so law abiding! It was also useful to hear him talk about the background to one of the poems we had been studying: ‘The Manhunt’ which deals with the physical and emotional effects of conflict on a Peacekeeper from the Bosnian war. Ellie Hemmings (10JD) asked him a question about the poem and he ended up reading it for us from her anthology!

I really enjoyed going to see Simon Armitage and feel it has definitely benefitted my understanding of the inspiration behind poetry writing. I hope we get one of his poems in our summer exam!

Simon Armitage

ENGlISH DEpARtmENt

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year 8 sTuDy visiT To The ChâTeau BeauMonT, in La Mayenne, FranCe

Forty Year 8 students, accompanied by four members of staff, recently took part in the annual study visit to France. They were based in the Mayenne region at the Château Beaumont. Excursions included the market in Laval, the fishing port of Saint Mâlo and the magnificent Mont Saint Michel on the Brittany coast. Students also participated in activities including archery and zip-wire. Here are some students’ comments on the trip:

By jonaThan CoLLins (8TD) - The market was one of the best days of the trip. We got up early to a cold start -10 degrees! After some breakfast we went to Laval. After we had the safety talk IN THE FREEZING COLD we set off. One of the reasons that the market was one of the best days was because you got to witness some of the French music and food and to speak French, which was an experience in itself, learning new words and phrases all the while. We saw the famous bee man who made sculptures out of wax. The market was a classic French market with fresh fruit, bread and fish. Everyone was very friendly and very welcoming. We had lots of chances

to practise our speaking skills. The whole day was very enjoyable and it was only the second day of an amazing trip.

By aBi ForD (8eD) - Archery first, although I didn’t trust most with a bow and arrow, there were no injuries but a lot of competitiveness! The team activities were next in line, with confusing and compelling puzzles to put our minds to work. Teamwork was key in order to help each other pass the train tracks and defuse a bomb! People’s different strengths shone out here and left people slightly amazed at their team-mates’ secret ability to move tyres! We then returned to the dorm for an extra pair of socks, stopping to make snow angels (or snow gangsters, in some cases) before gingerly approaching the Zip wire, our sudden enthusiasm growing thin as the wire towered above us. With yelps and squeals of excitement and fear, one by one the UCC gang all made it safely to the ground, shortly stopping for a quick photo mid-air. The activities really brought you and your team-mates together, throwing you into a mix of people and situations you weren’t expecting, and really helped different people to show everyone their talents (and not just in the Macarena!).

By aLex MapLeToFT (8TD) - On day three we visited Saint-Mâlo, a medium sized town on the coast. When we arrived we were given a tour around the town and the huge wall that looked across the sea at the Le Mont-Saint-Michel, which we had also visited that morning. After the tour we were given about two hours free time to explore and practise our French on the shop owners of Saint-Mâlo. Just about everyone was rather fed up of crêpes and pancake by now. However there were still many cafés and restaurants to visit. I think that the free time was probably one of the best things about the trip as you felt that you could really be trusted and you could have good fun without being watched the whole time. I really enjoyed the trip and I don’t know one person that didn’t. It’s a great way of learning and practising your French as well as having good fun with your friends.

All the students worked very hard on their French during the visit and were a credit to the College and themselves. Many thanks are due to the staff team who accompanied the group (Mrs Newton, Mrs Petty and Mr Moloney).

By Mr sMiTh

tRIp to CHÂtEAU BEAUmoNt

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lovE It? loCK It!oR loSE It.

By sTuDenT reCepTion

Lockers are available in College for all students to hire and we expect everyone to have one and use it on a daily basis.

The College cannot be held responsible for students’ possessions, in particular valuables, which we recommend are not brought in at all, if they are left unattended around the College site.

Locker hire is £3 per year and can be purchased from Student Services. Replacement locker keys are also available.

aBigail mustard

BrandOn BarBy CharlOtte gregOry

COurtney adams harry hathaWay

JOseph Cunningham sOphie JaCksOn alex gudgin kyle Binder

emma Bray JaCk imisOn

JOhn mitChell William JOhnsOn

luke eldridge pOppy ClaxtOn rOBert JOhnsOn

travis ritChie BenJamin sharman CharlOtte BOltOn

ChristOpher sWann elizaBeth innes

Jean-paul JOudrey JOshua hall

katie lillyWhite kia hayWOOd

levi mullen philippa hOllis sarah smith

reBeCCa glOver

eva drumm FiOna Willetts hOllie marriOtt JaCOB dOWning OWen Williams

tara reed

CoNGRAtUlAtIoNSBy Mrs ThoMas

The following students have completed and gained the Community First Aid Certificate:

LOVE I T?LOCK I T !

OR LOSE I TUSE YOUR LOCKER

pARENt GovERNoRSBy Mrs Turner

The College is indebted to its governors who provide a strong and consistent support to all aspects of the school life.

If any other parent is interested in becoming a governor please contact me for an informal discussion with myself or Mr Sawyer, Chair of Governors. Email address is principal@ucc.rutland.sch.uk

SAINSBURYS AND tESCo voUCHERS

Thank you to everyone for last year’s contributions. We are collecting vouchers again! Please collect and hand them into Student Reception. Let’s see how well we do this year!

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On the first day we all went to IES Alba Longa the school where we had a presentation with the headmaster, it was very interesting. Then we went to a class where we learnt a lot about Spanish poetry. In the afternoon we went five minutes down the road to the sports centre where we played different sports; hockey, football and frisbee just to name a few. It was lots of fun! On Friday we went to the Sierra Navada mountains. There we went sledging, walking with snow shoes and into the village and the sports centre (CAD).

Even though it was very cold it was one of the best days.

El sabado, dormimos hasta las once y media. Luego, fuimos a Armilla con Angelica y otras chicas españolas. Por la tarde mis amigas y yo fuimos a Granada y despues visiamos la casa de

la tia de Angelica. El domingo fuimos a Armilla otra vez con Sophie y Caity. Más tarde fuimos a los bolos y despues vimos una pelicula. Comimos pizza. ¡fue muy divertido!

On Monday we firstly went to the school and from there we travelled to the olive oil factory where we learnt about how the machinery works and how the olive oil is made. However it was very cold! Next, we travelled to the beach

where we stayed for about 3 and a half hours. Unlike the olive oil factory it was quite hot! On Tuesday we went

to the Alhambra Palace where it was extremely cold. However the sights and scenes of the palace made up for the cold and it turned out to be a spectacular day! At night we had the fiesta at the school where there was food and music and it topped off an amazing week.

By Fiona Ginn (10jC)LuCy Ginn (10Mi)

aMeLia GoLDsMiTh (10jD)

YEAR 10 SpANISH EXCHANGE

9

Earlier this term, eleven Year 10 students participated in a German Work Experience Exchange.

The German students all worked for a week in different placement in and around Rutland. However, this experience was different to various other exchanges as we had the responsibility of organising entertainment and activities throughout the week. For example, on Wednesday evening, students from each country went bowling together which was fantastic for getting to know each other and having fun. Several other

smaller scale activities included small groups of friends spending time together in the evening. We anticipated that the best night for this would be the day the Germans arrived in order for people to bond as soon as possible. Consequently, the majority of the English students were comfortable with their Germans and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the week.

By 4am the following Saturday, when the Germans left, everyone had become extremely close to their students and were reluctant to let them leave! The

best part of the exchange still awaits us, as we will be visiting Germany in the summer and reuniting with our German friends.

To any younger students in the school studying German, we strongly recommend that you take part in this Exchange, because it improves your use of the language, introduces you to new friends and provides you with an unforgettable experience.

By reBeCCa GLover (10Mi)GeorGe WriGhT (10sLB)

YEAR 10 GERmAN WoRK EXpERIENCE EXCHANGE

top tIp‘ReDuCe The file siZe of A PiCTuRe’

Pictures can dramatically increase the file size of your Office document. You can control this file size by making choices about the resolution of an image and the quality or compression of an image. One way to do this is to match the picture resolution to the use of the document. For example, if you are emailing the picture,

you can specify a lower picture resolution to reduce the file size. On the other hand, if picture quality is more important to you than file size, you can specify that the pictures are never compressed.

NoRtH lUFFENHAmCRICKEt ClUB

By Mr heaD

Are you interested in playing cricket? Looking for a club to join?

If so, North Luffenham Cricket Club is the place for you. We have an active junior section for boys and girls running U13s coaching on Monday evenings, from 6pm until 7.30pm and U17s (incorporating U15s) on Thursday evenings from 6pm until 8pm.

Membership is £10 (max £20 per family) + £2 per coaching session.

Our first sessions are 16th and 19th April respectively on the Oval.

For more information, please contact David Head on theheads2010@btinternet.com or just come along on a Monday or Thursday.

aBOve: CharlOtte Christie, natasha kirChin, eliana lamBert, kerris minns, trOy Wilkins & tayla reid.

CUlINARY DElIGHtSby Mrs Post

These are just some of the students who attend Culinary Delights (Extra Curricular) session. Each week students make a different dish in one hour. Could YOU do it?

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GIFtED & tAlENtED

StUDENtS 2012By v.CheTWyn, De MonTForT universiTy

I just wanted to share with you the good news that I have had the pleasure of offering the following students places on this years Gifted & Talented Schools:

Charlie lilley - drama sChOOl

ellie hemmings - drama sChOOl

deClan mOran - drama sChOOl

The students have done exceptionally well having made the final 30 places out of the 80 plus application forms we receive.

Thank you to all for your support with this project.

SpRING CoNCERtBy Mr MoFFaT

The Spring Concert took place in the Drama Studio on Tuesday 27th of March, and the musicians were in fine form. There was a variety of items from the Concert Band, Saxophone ensemble, Wizard Singers and Recorders, to a good mix of soloists.

Amongst them, Jonathan Grey, who won his heat of the Young Rotary Musician contest last year, played a piano solo by Mozart and surprised a lot of people with his “hidden” talent. The Mapletoft family produced both a Trumpet and Flute soloist in the forms of Alex and Maddie. Jemima Oakey, who won two classes in the Peterborough Festival last week, sang “I Could Have Danced All Night” beautifully. Irene Cameron then showed us all why she has just won a place at both the Royal College and the Academy.

Finally, the Concert Band played very well together and were no doubt boosted by the fact that their next performance will be at the Royal Visit in June, at the request of the Lord Lieutanant. What a fabulous way to round off the term!

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SpoRtING NEWS

SpoRtS lEADERS AWARD

Congratulations to the following students who have successfully completed their sports leaders award. Back row: Melissa Dolby, Grace Haracz, Alexandra Caskey-Jones, Daniel Norris, Jessica Curtis, Brandon Armitage, Annee Conway. Front row: Harry Gregg, Jonti Brogan, Emma Price-Olsen, Amelia Grice, Jordan Davison, Niamh Pigott, Rob Hughes, Erin Sanders. Other students not in photograph: Katie Wickham, Rebecca Williams, Ella Singleton-Redmond, Philippa Hollis, Ed Harris, Alice Buzzard, Jack Blackwell, Ben Allen, Jeff Lamb, Ashley Naylor, Lorlor Osborn, Matthew Sewell, Abbie Waites and Ed Wright.

year 8 Winners OF ‘meltOn and rutland’ hOCkey COmpetitiOn

it is great tO reCeive neWs OF Our students suppOrting Charity events in the lOCal COmmunity.

ellie-may hathaWay reCently COmpeted in the ‘Brass mOnkey’ Fun run at rOCkingham speedWay FOr lakeland hOspiCe Winning the Overall COmpetitiOn and helped raise mOney FOr this OrganisatiOn.

lakelands day Care hOspiCe Was set up as a direCt respOnse tO the needs OF lOCal COrBy peOple living With CanCer, heart Failure and Other liFe limiting illnesses. a great Win ellie and a FantastiC Way tO suppOrt FOr a very WOrthy Cause.

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2012 tRIANGUlAR CRoSS CoUNtRY

year 7 girls year 8 girls team

year 8 BOys year 9 BOysyear 9 girls team

year 7 BOys

year 10 girls year 11 girls

spOrts leaders - aCted as marshals during the COmpetitiOn

year 10/11 BOys

Winning uCC team

Another excellent win for UCC students in the recent Triangular Cross Country Competition. Results are below: