The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College

Parents Bulletin No 3
December 2013

ChristmasMessage

Thisyearwecelebratedthebirthofanewbaby,butnotjustanybaby,aroyal babywhowillonedaybeourKing.Georgehasbeenbornintoafamilywhoare lovedandreveredthroughouttheworldandtheworldwelcomedhimwithgreat anticipationandjoy.Veryfewpeoplewonthaveheardofhisarrivalabouthis arrivaland5monthson,welookforwardtoreadingabouthimandseeing pictures. Everyyearwehavetheopportunitytoprepareforandwelcomethearrivalofa King,butthisKingwasnotborninanypalaceandneitherdidhereceiveany royaltreatment.Infact,itwasquitetheopposite.ThisKing,however,willlive foreverandreigninourheartsandlivesforeternity.ThisKingwasbornina stableover2000yearsagoandhisnameisJesus.ThisKingwillbringusallweneedinlife,withoutacost.He comestousfreelyinloveandsohowcanwepreparetowelcomehimintoourheartsthisChristmas?Letusopen ourselvestothelove,hope,peace,forgivenessandjoythathebringsnotjustthisyearbuteverysingledayofour lives. MaythisChristmasbeahappyandholycelebrationforyouandyourfamilies.

CasualCoverSupervisors
Coversupervisorslookafterclasseswhenteachersareabsentandensurethatstudentscompletetheworkleftfor theminaquietanddisciplinedmanner.Wearelookingformorecoversupervisorstohelpoutduringbusy periodsonacasualadhocbasis.FurtherdetailsareavailablefromtheSchoolOffice01429273790. EMAChristmasRaffle
ManythankstoallwhosupportedourChristmasraffle.Withyourhelpwemadeaprofitof323. 1stprizeiPadMinwaswonby: CarolJordan 2ndprizeiPodwaswonby: CarolineKerridge 3rdprizecricketbatsignedbyGrahamOnionswaswonby: AmeliaRobinson Thewinningtutorgroup,whosoldthemosttickets,was: 7JB2(MrsManning) Onceagainmanythanksforallyoursupport.

AINT NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

OCTOBER 2013

Aint no valley low enough to keep this years competitors from tearing up the track!
Year after year, the P.E. Department never fail to pick the perfect day for cross country! Its October. Its absolutely freezing outside. The clouds are looming overhead, primed and ready to flood the course (as they had done all week) and the ground is boggy. What better time to send the kids out on the course? The morning of Tuesday 22nd saw athletes from every year representing their houses by competing against each other in a race around Summerhill. Here is a basic breakdown of the rules: The position you place is your score! The lowest score wins! Do your best! The weather actually turned out pretty nice! It was only slightly breezy and it only drizzled for the first part of the event. However, the recent rain had left the course rather muddy and the ditches full of water Despite the foreboding conditions, people were in high spirits before the races! Its safe to say that the atmosphere was a little crazy with people rushing around to be places and get everything organised. This hectic atmosphere was present throughout the department and, after a short briefing in the Sports Hall, the older years of the school could finally put their restlessness to good use! Some Sixth Form students were even present among the athletes! Not surprisingly, most of the contenders came back completely covered in mud! It seemed like great fun though as everyone came back with smiles on their faces and there was lots of laughter. Adam Thompson and Mollie Lambert stormed the course, both finishing first in their separate races. The success didnt come as a surprise to Mollie though as she has managed to win the event ever since she joined English Martyrs thats five years in a row! Mollie said she was really proud to represent the house (St. Thomas More) and that she found it hard but enjoyable. When asked what he thought about the event, Adam said, I was really pleased when I was asked to run this year because I got picked last time and loved it. However, he also said that it was rock hard due to the fact it was so muddy, making boots seem an awful lot heavier. He also mentioned he really enjoyed the race this year even though he did cut his leg up on the rose bushes on the last bend- ouch! Adam was not the only person to sustain an injury, however. Its safe to say it was fairly eventful for Claudia Newbury as she unfortunately managed to slip overtwice! Thankfully, she didnt break any bones but Mr Hodgson still had to piggyback her from halfway across Summerhill! For their first time participating in this event, the Year 7s performed exceptionally well with Ben Weighill flying in with a time of 11 minutes 57 and Katie Mason winning her race with a time of 13 minutes 13 aint no river wide enough to stop these guys! The Year 8 / 9 competitors began after break, with Jack Woodward and Ffion Lanigan both annihilating their races. Both were pleased that they had been chosen for the event and Ffion had overcome tendon problems to win the race does this show dedication or what?! After everyone had caught their breath (and washed that mud off!), it was time for the school day to continue as normal. Overall, well done to all the athletes who took part in this years cross-country event and, hopefully, youll be out there doing the same thing in the same weather conditions next year! Especially well done to St. House Anne Line house for their well-deserved win and to St Anne Line the winners of each individual race. As always, St Margaret Clitherow the students are looking St John Boste forward to the next cross country event.! St Thomas More Adam Chatterton / Blessed John Ingram Becca Nicholson

Points Place 499 640 573 551 711 1 4 3 2 5

CongratulationstoSacredHeartwhowonourYear6school clusterSportshallAthleticsFestivalandwillnowcompeteat theTownEventtobeheldonThursday9thJanuary,at BriertonSportsCentre1.003.30pm.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th SacredHeart StTeresas StBegas StJohnVianney StCuthberts StJosephs Boys 342 316 300 284 282 298 Girls 320 338 308 302 300 264 Total 662 654 608 586 582 562

HartlepoolCrossCountryChampions2013
TheEnglishMartyrsSchooltookfullteamstothetowneventinNovember, heldatSummerhill.Thestudentsallcompletedthecourseinverymuddy conditionsandrepresentedtheschoolwithexcellentsportsmanship. TheYear7girlsdemonstratedgreattacticsastheyranasagroup,motivating eachotheraroundthecourse.Theycamein1stplaceasateamwith50 points.TheYear7boysfinished4thintheirteamevent.TheYear8/9boys competedtoaveryhighstandard,finishingwith36pointsasateam,placing them1stintheteamresults.Year8/9girlsweremotivatedbytheboys performanceanddemonstratedgreatdeterminationaroundthecoursewith theteamalsobeingplaced1st.ThefinaltworaceswerefortheYear10/11 teams.BothEMSteamsfinishedfirst.Theseoutstandingperformancesledto EnglishMartyrsbeingcrownedOverallTownChampionsforanotheryear!

TownSportshallAthletics
Martyrsdothedouble!!!! EnglishMartyrsenteredateamintoboth Year7andyear8towncompetitions.The teamsconsistedofboysandgirls,competing againstHighTunstall,ManorandDyke House.TheYear7girlscame1st,with Manorin2nd,HighTunstallin3rdandDyke Housein4th. TheYear7boys came2nd,with HighTunstallin1st,Manorin3rdandDykeHousein4th.Overall theyear7teamfinishedinfirstplace.Year8girlsalsocame1st, withHighTunstallin2nd,DykeHousein3rdandManorin4th. Year8boyscame1st,Manorin2nd,DykeHousein3rdandHigh Tunstallin4th.Againtheteamcame1stoverall.Allthestudents displayedaconsistentperformancethroughoutthetrackand fieldeventsandrepresentedtheschoolwithgreat sportsmanship.Goodlucktothestudentswhowillnowgoonto representHartlepoolintheTeesValleycompetitioninJanuary. OurKS3GirlsarethroughtothecountyroundoftheNationalSchoolsBadmintontournament.Welldone,girls!

ThisyearsmusicalproductionofJesusChristSuperstarwasan absolutetriumphandeveryoneinvolvedagreedtheshowwasone ofthebestyet!ItwasafittingconclusiontomarktheendofThe YearofFaith.Over70studentswereinvolvedfromYears713 performingonstageorplayinginthefabulousband.Inaddition,a wonderfulteamofbackstagecrewensuredthatthewhole productionransmoothlyandprofessionally.ThewonderfulJCSBand conductedbyMrAndersonwereprofessionalineveryway.The talentedbandwasmadeupfromourfantasticAlevelMusic students.Notmanyschoolsorcollegescouldtacklesuchadifficult scoreandourstudentsdidanamazingjob.Specialmentionmustgo tosomeofourtalentedprincipalsincludingEthanScott(Y10)who playedJesus,LauraAdamson(Y13)andGeorgiaLennon(Y10)who playedMaryMagdalene,JessicaHarrison(Y11)whoplayedJudas, BrccnCarlinTyzackwhoplayedamostentertainingHerod, EllisMillerwhoplayedPontiusPilateandBethanyGrimwoodand NikitaNighoskarwhoplayedCaiaphasandAnnasrespectively. Someofthecommentsmadebyourappreciativeaudience: TheshowsgetbetterandbetterThisonewasbyfarthebestyet AsgoodastheWestEnd DVDsoftheshowareavailablefromschoolpriced7.00.

ArtandDesign
Wehavehadaveryproductiveandsuccessfulterm inArtandDesign.Someoftheworkthathasbeen producedsofarhasbeenamazingandIwouldlike tosharesomeexampleswithyouall. IwouldliketostartonaChristmasthemeand congratulateJessicaHall9JB1forherwinningentry forourChristmascardcompetition.MrLeechose herentryandhehassenthercardtoallofthe CatholicPartnershipschoolsandfriendsofthe school.WelldoneJessica. Wehadoverahundredentrieswithsome excellentresponsesbuthercardcaughtthemessageofChristmasbest.Jessica receivedamixtureofartmaterialsforherhardworkandeffort. OurKeyStage3studentshavebeenproducing3Dhomeworksthistermandthe responseshavebeenoutstanding! TakealookatsomeoftheexamplesandIamsureyouwillagreethattheamount oftimeandeffortgoneintothesehasbeenstaggering. Welldonetoallthestudentsinvolved.

ThistermalsosawourA LevelstudentsembarkontheirtriptoNewYork.Theexcitementbefore leavingwaselectricandthebuzzfromthestudentswhentheycameback wasfantastic.Thisyearhasbeenthemostsuccessfulyetandthephoto graphstakenwillundoubtedlyenhancethealready stunningworkbeingdevelopedbyourcreativestudents.Hereisashot

OnafinalnoteIwouldlike tospeaktoourYear11art students.Youarenowone termawayfrom completingyourGCSE.I urgeyoutofocusand remaindeterminedto succeed.Wewillhelpand supportyouineverything aswereallywantyouto excel.Yourexamination paperwillarriveinJanuary andthisisthefirstsignof thebeginningoftheend.Thenextfewmonthswillbehecticbutthereisstilltimetoreallypusheverythingand dothebestthatyoucan.Weareinyourcornersoletushelpyouasmuchaswecan. OnafinalnotetheArtDepartmentwouldliketowishallaverypeacefulandhappyChristmas.

EveryyearweenteraselectionofartworkfortheCatholicPartnershipDurhamCathedral Artexhibition.Wehavebeenapartofthisnowformanyyearsandtheworkhasalways beenoutstanding.Thisyearisnodifferent.Wehaveover20studentsfromYear9and10 workingonalargecanvaspaintingand15piecesof3Dwork!Theworkisnotfinishedbut theprogresssofarhasbeenbrilliant. The3DworkshopsthisyearhavebeenrunbyourwonderfulYear13studentBartek Wawrykow.Hehashelpedteachtheclassandhastaughtthestudentsallthetechniques fromthebeginning.Hehasbeenamazingandthestudentshavelovedhisinput. Theexhibitionwilltakeplaceonthe20thJanuary2014intheGalileeChapelinDurham Cathedral.Itwouldbewellworthavisit!

UniversityofYorkShineProgramme
AsaschoolwehavebeeninvitedbytheUniversityof Yorktotakepartintheir'Shine'programme.Thisis aimedtowardsstudentsinyears711whohavebeen identifiedasbeinghighachievingandwhowould benefitfromtakingpartintheprogramme.The programmehasbeendesignedtoraiseawarenessof theprogressionroutesandvarietyoffurtherand highereducationprovisionsavailable.Studentswill beencouragedtodeveloptheirownlearningstyles andtoincreasetheirconfidenceand selfesteem.Itishopedthatstudents willbeinspired,motivatedandhelped toachieveacademicsuccess.

75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

HousePointsDecember2013

StJohnBoste StMargaret Clitherow BlessedJohn Ingram StAnne Line StThomas More

67

60

64

72

70

RegionalFinalsHereWeCome!

TheEnglishMartyrsSixthForm DebatingTeamwontheirsecond successiveplaceattheregionalfinalsin theUKDebatingMatterscompetition, tobeheldatNewcastleUniversityon the1stofApril.Theteamgainedtheir placeaftertheyfoughtoffverystrong competitionfromthreeotherschools overtwodebates,Megacitiesarebad forthedevelopingworld"and "Extremeviewsshouldnotbegivena publicplatform".TheEnglishMartyrs teamovercametheeffortsofQueen ElizabethSixthFormCollege,TheKings Academyandthehostschool, Stokesley.

SixthForm ChristmasFayre
Friday6December sawourfirstsixth formChristmas fayre.Allsixthform studentswereen couragedtoweara Christmasjumper andtutorgroupsset upfestivestallsin theCommonRoom. Thereweremany delicioustreatson sale,fromfourbird roastsandwichesto homemadecakes. Studentscameup withinteresting waystoraisefunds suchaspinthetail onthereindeerto facepainting. Bothstudentsand staffreallygotinto thespiritofthe eventandover500 wasraised.

Year12METConference2013WhoismyNeighbour?
OnthemorningofFriday22ndNovemberallofYear12attendedaConferenceisWhoismy Neighbour?aspartoftheirMorals,EthicsandTheologyGeneralRECourse.TheConferencewas underpinnedbythestoryoftheGoodSamaritanwithaparticularfocusuponcausesofpoverty,social justiceandputtingGospelValuesintoaction.Studentsundertookvariousactivitiesincludingdiscussion, decisioncorridorandrankingtheywayinwhichthegovernmentspendsitsmoney.Asignificantpartof themorningfocuseduponthestoryofMaryandMarthatacklingtheissueofmalariaprevention,whichallowedstudents tomakethoughtfulcomparisonsbetweentheWesternworldandThirdworldandhoworwhyweviewourselvesso differently?TheConferencealsohighlightedsomerathershockingstatisticsanddisturbingfactsregardingpovertywhich wasavividremindertostudentsthattherearemanyofourfellowbrothersandsistersinneedofourhelpandsupport, particularlyduringthisrunuptoChristmas.

EDFEnergyMentoringScheme
ThisyearwehavebeenworkinginpartnershipwithEDFEnergy.Itisafantasticopportunityforour SixthFormstudentstobecomeinvolvedwithlocalbusinessesandgainexperiencefortheirfuture careers.ThisyearsawthefirstEDFEnergymentoringschemewhichwasofferedtoourScienceand MathsSixthFormstudents. Theprocessinvolvedalauncheveningtointerestedstudentsandtheirparentsandthenacompetitive applicationandinterviewprocess.Twelveofourstudentswereshortlistedtothesecondphaseandsixsuccessfully appointedtothescheme. ThesuccessfulcandidateswillnowparticipateinmentoringcontactsessionswiththeEDFEnergyMentorsandhavetraining daysthroughouttheyearatthepowerplantinHartlepool.Thiswonderfulopportunity providesourstudentswithhighqualityworkexperience,employmentpreparationandworkbasedskillsalongsideaninsight intoamarketleaderindustrytohelppreparethemfortheirfuture. ThisprogrammeispartofEDFsstrategytoprepareyoungpeopleforworkandbeginsthestartofastrongworking relationshipwithEnglishMartyrs.

ClothesShowLive2013
TheTechnologyDepartmentledatriptoClothesShowLive,Tuesday10thDecember.Thetriptargetedyear9 andyear12studentsstudyingTextiles.Theaimofthetripwastoincreaseawarenessaboutacareerinthe FashionIndustry.ClothesShowLiveiseverythingyoucouldloveaboutfashionandincludedtheUKstop designers,thecountryshottesttrendsandthenationsbiggestcatwalkshow. StudentshadafunpackeddayandhadtheopportunitytoexperiencetheCollegeForum,CollegeCatwalk collectionsandDesignAwardsGallery.ThehighlightofthedayhadtobetheFashionTheatre.Featuring currentandnewseasonfashioncollections,withover40topmodelsanddancers,bringingfashiontolife wearinghighstreet,designer,coutureandboutiquefashioncollections. Studentscommentsabouttheday. It was amazing, the stalls were great and the fashion show was fantasticMillieYear9 I was amazed at the catwalk show and found it inspiringLaura,Year9 I thought the clothes show was amazing, definitely the most enjoyable trip Ive ever been on.Linzi,Year12 I absolutely loved the clothes show. We had a fantastic day and it was very beneficial to my A Level coursework. Best trip ever! Rebecca,Year12 The Clothes Show was amazing and really fun. It was great to see the work from
university students and to see the range of clothes produced. This has inspired meBethany,Year12 I found this to be a beneficial experience to see work produced by other students which has inspired my A Level workAnnabel,Year12

Masterchef2013
OnWednesday20thNovemberwehostedtheannualCatholic PartnershipMasterchefcompetition.AwiderangeofBritishinspired dishesfilledourkitchensastenpairsofyoungchefstooktothe stovestobattleitoutinthecompetition.Thebriefwastomakea twocourselunchinspiredbythethemeTraditionalSchool Dinners.TenschoolsfromtheCatholicDioceseenteredteamsof twoyear10students,ourbiggestandbusiestmasterchefyet! Studentsshowcasedskillsofbreadmaking,pastryworkandflavour balancing,andallofthestudentsworkedrelentlesslytocreatea competitionworthyofMaryBerry&Paul Hollywood!OurjudgeDanielRaudinfrom theYorkHotel,HartlepoolsaidThisyears competitionhasbeenthehigheststandard; ithasbeenaprivilegetoseesuchcreativity andtechnicalabilityinthiskitchen,andthishasdefinitelybeenthehardestcompetitiontojudge. TheEnglishMartyrsteamofShannonReedandEveCoatesworkedreallyhardtodevelopthe excitingmenuof:atwistonminceanddumplingsservedwithmixedgreensfollowedbychocolate andblackberryBakewelltartservedwithhomemadeschooldinnercustardicecream.Wewere thrilledwiththeresultsasthestandardswerethehighestyetandallteamsproducedsomefabulous food.Ourgirlsworkedexceptionallyhardandcameaveryclosesecond. WelldonetoShannonandEve!

ChildreninNeed2013
AquickupdateonourfundraisinginNovemberforthe ChildreninNeedcharity.Wehadanotherfantasticweekof fundraisingthisyearsothankyoutostaff,parentsand studentswhohavecontributedtoanyoftheactivitiesthat tookplace.Weraisedastaggering3524. Thisamazingamountofmoneywascollectedthroughalot ofhardworkanddedicationfromeveryoneinvolved. Activitiesincluded;asponsoredfunrun,sponsoredsilence, sponsoredlegwax,cakesales,hotdogsales,tombolasand manymanymore.Itravelledwithagroupofstudentsto handoverthechequetotheBBCatHexham.Wesmashed ourtotalof3004fromthepreviousyearsowelldoneto everyoneinvolved.

Congratulationstoourstudentswho bakedcakesandraised81tobuya ChristmastreefortheSchoolLibrary. Manythankstoallthestudentswho boughtthecakes. TwomembersoftheEMSstafftookpart intheHartlepoolHospiceSantaFunRun toraisefundsforthe Hospice.

CatholicPartnershipMediaOscars,Wednesday27thNovember
OnceagainstaffandstudentswalkedtheredcarpetattheFifthAnnual CatholicPartnershipMediaOscarsatHardwickHall,Sedgefield.This yearshaulofOscarsforEnglishMartyrswasafantastic15awards acrossadiverserangeofcategories.Manyofthestudentsworkwas givenspecificmentionforexemplifyingoutstandingtalentincludingthe BestArtFilmawardswherejudgesfromTeessideUniversitywere blownawaybytheprofessionalstandardoftheshortfilmsofBartek WawrykovandBenDriver.Intheunder16BestGamecategory JaxonSullivanalsoreceivedpraiseforhistechnicalskillincreatinga visuallyengaging,firstpersonadventuregame.Thejudgeswerealso greatlyimpressedwiththecharacterisationandhumourinthewinning animationsofMacauleyWalker,BartekWawrykovandLukeWeighillas wellastheblendingofcomicbooknarrativeandsocialissuesinthe under16BestComicsofMatthewDunn,ConorBurtonand AlexCaldwell.ArtisticflairanddesignbroughtVerityGreenand LukeWeighilltheover16BestComicsawardswhiletheunder16 BestStoryboardcategorywenttoJasminDobson.Intheincredibly competitivephotographycategory,AdamGoftonwonunder16Best StillLifeandJoeSpencetookBestNaturePhotograph.Eachyear thebarhasbeenraisedintermsofexcellenceandourstudentshave risentotheoccasionyetagain.

StJohnVianneyLunchClubCD
AgroupofourstudentswelcomedtheSt.JohnVianneyLuncheonClub totheschoolinNovembertomakeaCDoftheirfavouritesongs.The Clubprovidesaweeklyopportunityforpeopletomeetandenjoyeach otherscompanyoveramealandourstudentshavebeenhelpingout servingteasandcoffeesforalmostayear.TheideaforaCDwasthe brainchildofAriannaCheesebroughinYear9whothoughtitwouldbe agoodwayofbringingpeople togetheracrossthegenerations.She wasrightandmuchenjoymentwas sharedoverthesixmonthsof rehearsalsandespeciallyduringour dayintherecordingstudio. Thankstothemanypeoplewho gavegenerouslytomakethis happennotleastBrendaHarrison ourmusicaldirector.TheCDwillbe availableintimeforChristmas, pricedat5withallproceedsgoing tocharity.Ifyouwouldlikeacopy, pleasecontact:jeremy.cain@ hartlepoolyouthministry.org.uk

CentreforLife
NinetyYear7and8studentstookpartinanexcitingdaytriptothe CentreforLifeinNewcastletoexploreallthingsSciencerelated.We evenhadtimeforaspotoficeskating!Thestudentsinvestigatedscience phenomenainthe'Curiosity'zone,lookedintothepotentialScience Developmentsofthefutureinthe'Ourworld,OurFuture'zone.The Planetariumexplainedaboutthephasesofthemoon,thelunarlandings andthetidesandintheScienceTheatrewelearnedlotsaboutthe weather.Alltogetherwehad2fantasticdaysout,everyoneenjoyed themselves,eventhoseyettomastertheskillsoficeskating.Looking forwardtonextyearstripalready!

Year9ScienceTriptoLondon
Inyear9andinterestedinScience?Whynottakepartinourannualyear9Sciencetripto London,Wednesday18thFriday20thJune2014.WewillbevisitingtheScienceMuseumand NaturalHistoryMuseum,alongwithseeingthemusicalTheLionKing, ridingtheLondonEye,shoppinginCoventGardenandeatingatThe RainforestCafe.Ifthissoundslikesomethingyouwouldbeinterested in,pleaseseeMissLodgeinLab3foraletterandmoreinformation. A30depositisrequiredby10thJanuarytosecureaplace.

TopoftheBenchQuiz
OnTuesday26thNovemberEnglishMartyrstookpartintheRoyal SocietyofChemistry'stopofthebenchcompetitionatTrinitySchool inMiddlesbrough.Therewas9schoolstakingpartandstudentshad toanswerquestionsonarangeofChemistrytopics,testingtheir knowledgetothelimits.Therewasindividualrounds,teamrounds,a buzzerround,anagramsandmanymore.Wefinishedavery commendablesecondplace.WelldonetoJamesBurroughs, JacobClyburn,FfionLaniganandElizabethShanks.

MONDAY LUNCHTIME 12:00 to 13:10 in the Library PLAY FOR FUN, LEARN NEW SKILLS, MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BEGINNERS WELCOME GIVE CHESS A GO! TheEMSChessClubstartedupatthestartofNovember,andhasseenalotofinterestfromstudents,rightacrosstheschool agerange.TheclubrunsonMondaylunchtimes(12.00to1.10pm)intheschoollibrarybutstudentsarealsoplayingchess independentlyduringotherlunchtimessoifyoucantmakeMondays,dontworry!Thefriendlylibrarystaffwillsortyou out! Ivebeenpleasedwiththerangeofchessexperienceofthoseattending.Whileafewhaveclearlyplayedbefore,mostare onlyjustlearninghowthepiecesmovebutarehavingagreattimeindiscoveringwhatchesshastoofferintermsof strategy,planning,patience,concentrationandmostimportantly,fun!Severalnewstudentshaveaskedmehowthepieces move,soIveproducedcopiesofashortguidetoanyoneinterestedonMondaylunchtimes.Forthoseabitmore experienced,thereisanextendedversionwhichgivessomeinformationonchessnotation(howtofollowchessgamesin books)andanintroductiontochessstrategy.Dontforgettheinternetforlotsofgoodadvicewhilethosewithmobile phones,tabletsorlaptopswillfindsomegreatchessappstolearnhowtoplaythegame,andimproverapidly(Shredder Chessisveryaffordableandhighlyrecommended!) Theschoolhasalreadyneededtopurchaseextrachesssetsandifdemandincreases,wellpurchasemoreasnecessary.In theNewYearIwilllookatthepossibilityofanafterschoolchessclubsessionwheresomechesstuitioncouldtakeplace, givenenoughsupportandanagreedday.Iamalsolookingatthepossibilityofaschoolchesstournamentlaterintheschool year,achessclubleagueandevensomecompetitivegames.Iwillkeepstudentssuitablyinformed.However,forthetime beingjusthavefunplayingifyouarenewtothegameandifyouareamoreexperienced playerwhohasntattendedyetpleasecomealong! Asascienceteacher,Iamallfornewtechnology,butwhenitcomestobraintrainingI wouldputplayingchessuptherewithlearningamusicalinstrumentandreadingbooksto getthelittlegreycellsworkingwellsogiveitago!MrEdwards CHESSPUZZLETocelebratethelaunchoftheEMSChessClub,hereisachesspuzzlefor youtosolve.Whitetoplayandmateintwomoves! Ifyouthinkyoureworkeditout,writedownyouranswer(usechessnotationorjust describethemovesinwords)andhanditintoMrEdwardsonany MondaylunchtimeduringJanuary.Allcorrectanswerswillgoinaprizedrawattheendof Januaryandasuitablechessrelatedprizewillbeawardedtothesuccessfulstudent. Goodluck!

BeattheRatRace
Asaresultoftheirhard workandprogressin languagesthisyear,a groupof15Year9 studentswereselected toattendaBeatthe RatRaceevent organisedbyRoutes intoLanguagesNorth East.HeldatNewcastle Universityin November,theevent highlightedthe opportunities availabletothosewith alanguages qualification.Students wereluckyenoughto beabletoquiz successfullinguists (includingareallife spy)andtheytookpart inaSpanishtaster sessionrunby universitystudents. Agreatdaywas hadbyall!

VisittoChristmasMarketinCologne
AgroupofYear9studentsfromEnglishMartyrsandManorCollegespenttheweekend6th9thDecemberenjoyingthe GermanChristmasmarketsinCologneandAachen.Inadditiontopractisingtheirlanguageskillsandgettingatasteoflife inGermanyitwasgreatstarttothefestiveseason.Studentshadtheopportunitytobuypresentsandwerealsoableto samplearangeofGermanspecialitiesincludingBratwurst,ReibkuchenandPrintenfromthedifferentstalls.Walking aroundthecitiesstudentswereabletoseesomeofthesightsincludingthebridgesovertheriverRhineandthe magnificentcathedralinCologne.ThegroupalsovisitedtheChocolatemuseumwheretheysawsomeofthechocolate productionprocessandwereabletoenjoyatastefromthefountain.WealsowenttotheStadtmuseuminColognewhich gaveaninterestinginsightintothehistoryofthecityandshowedthemassivedestructionandthesubsequentrebuilding ofthecityaftertheSecondWorldWar.

TheEnglishMartyrsAssociation
ThenextEMAMeetingwilltakeplaceonMonday13thJanuary2014at 7.00pmintheConferenceRoom. ALLAREWELCOMEyourcontributions/ideasareverymuchappreciated

EndofTermActivities
ThefollowingChristmasactivitieswillbetakingplaceforallstudentsonThursday19thDecember: Year7 Pantomine Year8 Cinema Year9 TalentShow Year10 Disco Year11 St.Hilda'sChristmasService SixthForm Quiz StCuthberts: ChristmasEveCarols7.00pm StJohnVianneys: ChristmasEveCarols6.30pm StJoseph's: ChristmasEveCarols5.00pm StPatricks: ChristmasEveCarols7.30pm StMarys: ChristmasEveCarols5.30pm StTeresas: ChristmasEveCarols5.00pm StThomasMore: ChristmasEveCarols5.30pm Mass7.30pm Vigil7.00pm Mass5.30pm Vigil8.00pm Mass6.00pm Vigil5.30pm Mass6.00pm ChristmasDayMass9.00am ChristmasDayMass10.00am ChristmasDayMass10.15am ChristmasDayMass10.00am ChristmasDayMass9.30am ChristmasDayNoservice ChristmasDayMass10.15am

Year11PhotographFriday10thJanuary
AllYear11studentswillhavetheirphotographtakenonFriday11thJanuary.Studentsshouldbeinschoolfor 8.50amandshouldassembleintheDiningHall.Anystudentwhoturnsupforthephotowithartificial colouringontheirhairwillnotbeallowedonthephotograph.

FREESCHOOLMEALS
FreeSchoolMealsareavailableforallparentsorguardianswhoareinreceiptofthefollowingsupportpayments: IncomeSupport(IS)*EmploymentandSupportAllowance(ESA)IncomeRelated GuaranteedStatePensionCreditIncomeBasedJobseekersAllowance(IBJSA)* ChildTaxCredit**SupportunderPartVIoftheImmigrationandAsylumAct1999 *PleasenotethatchildrenwhoreceiveISorIBJSAintheirownrightarealsoeligibletoreceivefreeschoolmeals. **ParentsmustbereceivingChildTaxCreditbutARENOTentitledtoaWorkingTaxCreditandwhoseannualincome(as assessedbytheInlandRevenue)doesnotexceed16,190.Theschoolscashlesssystemoffersaverydiscreetmeansof obtainingtheentitlement.Theschoolkitchenoffersadeliciousandvariedmenueverydaywiththreechoicesofhotmeal plusavarietyofdesertsoralternativelysandwichesandsalads. FreeMealsformsareavailablefromtheCivicCentreorSchoolOffice. ContactDetailsPleasewillparents/guardiansnotifytheschoolofficeimmediatelyifthereareanychangestonames, addresses,telephonenumbers,mobilephonenumbersorthenamedcontactpersonsofstudents. Itisveryimportantthatcontactinformationiskeptuptodate. MathsSetsForSale:Fantasicdealonmathssets!Allstudentsareex pectedtohavemathsequipmentforlessonsandassessments.Wehave setsavailableforjust1thathaveeverythingyourchild needsformaths.Ifyouwouldliketopurchaseone,theyare onsalefromyourchildsmathsteacherorWednesday breakonthemathscorridor.

Medicines/Tablets
Pleaserememberthatstudentsmustnotcarry anytablets/medicinesinschool.Ifstudents needtobringtabletstoschooltheyshouldhand themintoMrCraddyforsafekeeping.

StudentSafetyWouldparentspleaseavoiddroppingtheirchildrenoffinanyofthestaffcarparksatany
timeduringtheschoolday.Itisinthebestinterestsofallstudentssafetyifthenumberof vehiclesenteringthesiteiskepttoaminimum.

UsedStampsTheschoolcollectsusedpostagestampsallyearroundtosendtolocalcharities.Weespecially
askatthistimeoftheyear.Pleasedonateyourusedpostagestampstousand,inturn,supportdeserving causes.Allstampsshouldbesenttotheschooloffice.Thankyou.

Thankyoutoeveryonewhocontributedtothisyears
OperationChristmasChildappeal. Wewereabletosend27shoeboxestochildrenforChristmas.

CALENDAR
Monday16thDecember (to18thDecember) Tuesday17thDecember (to18thDecember) Thursday19thDecember Friday20thDecember Monday23rdDecember (toFriday3rdJanuary) w/c6thJanuary2014 Friday10thJanuary Monday13thJanuary (to24thJanuary) Thursday16thJanuary Friday17thJanuary Monday20thJanuary Wednesday22ndJanuary (to23rdJanuary) Monday27thJanuary EESResidential HouseSports ChristmasConcert SixthFormPanto ChristmasActivities Y11Quiz ChristmasHoliday Y12GeographyFieldtrip Y11Photograph EMAMeeting Y8AssessmentWeeks Y13AssessmentWeeks Y10Diphtheria/Tetanus/ PolioVaccinations Y7/Y8SportshallAthletics Y10ParentsEvening Y11YorkUniversity CPArtExhibition(Durham) CrossCountry JazzFestival GCSECateringExam w/c3rdFebruary Monday3rdFebruary Tuesday4thFebruary Wednesday5thFebruary Thursday6thFebruary Friday7thFebruary Monday10thFebruary Tuesday11thFebruary (toWednesday12th) (toWednesday19th) Monday17thFebruary (toFriday21stFebruary) Thursday27thFebruary Friday28thFebruary Monday3rdMarch (toFriday14thMarch) Tuesday4thMarch Wednesday5thMarch Thursday6thMarch (toFriday7thMarch) Friday7thMarch(to9th) Y12GeographyFieldTrip Y10GCSECateringExam HistoryScene RockNight Y9TechnologyDay EMSTalent Y11ParentsEvening CPCrossCountry Y10MusicPerformanceExam Y10MusicPerformanceExam Y9BusinessActivity TheGanmbiaTrip HalfTerm Y11MusicPerformanceExam Y9OptionsEveniing Y11MusicPerformanceExam EMAMeeting Y7AssessmentWeek Y12AssessmentWeek CPNetballTournament Y11PoetryLive AshWednesday HousePublicSpeaking GCSECeramicsExam LentRetreat(Ampleforth)

SchoolUniformPEKit

UNIFORM,tel:01915109333oronline:www.uniformuk.com TAGTEAMWEAR tel:0164246292607768364464 SalesofschooluniformcontinuetotakeplaceonthefirstWednesdayofevery monthattheSalvationArmyHall,ParkRoadfrom2.00pmto5.30pm. ThenextuniformsalewilltakeplaceonWednesday8thJanuary.

IfyouhaveanyitemsofschooluniformorPEkitthatyourchildno longerneeds(whicharestillingoodconditionwewouldbegratefulif youwouldsendthemtoschool.Wewillthenkeepasupplyofuniform andPEkitinschoolwhichcanbeloanedtostudentsinanemergency.

Thankyou

SchoolwillfinishfortheChristmasbreakonFriday20thDecemberat1.55pm andwillreopenat8.50amonMonday6thJanuary2014.
TheEnglishMartyrsSchoolandSixthFormCollegeisnowonFacebookandTwitter. Pleasevisitwww.facebook.com/EnglishMartyrsSchooland'like'thepagetoreceiveinformationfromthe newsfeedorfollow@EMS_HartlepoolonTwitter. TheEnglishMartyrsSchoolandSixthFormCollege,CatcoteRoad,Hartlepool,TS254HA Tel: 01429273790 Fax: 01429273998 admin@ems.hartlepool.sch.uk www.ems.hartlepool.sch.uk

email: