| |
It's a busy time at the Academy, with our Year 11 and 13 students about to embark on their summer examinations. Students studying Art have their exams this week and next, and then we have the start of main exam season on 9th May. Good luck to all our students as they prepare for their examinations! This week, we visit our Geography and Performing Arts Departments, and share the work our Ethos Team have been doing with our Year 12 cohort. Lastly, a group of our Year 9 students attended the 'Lead your Ship' tournament – a massive congratulations to the boys in their efforts and even more so for the lovely feedback in how they conducted themselves. Well done! Rewards Days 2024: Choose Your Adventure!Please note that the deadline for Rewards Day option forms is Monday, so please ensure that your child has handed the form in to Student Services by this day. We will be unable to take bookings after Monday, so any students with outstanding forms will be automatically allocated to Sandwell Holiday Activities. If your child would like a replacement paper form, they can collect one from Student Services. Alternatively, you can download a copy along with seeing all of the information on the Rewards Days by clicking here. From Raindrops to Rivers: Year 7 Explore the Water CycleThis term, Year 7 students embarked on an educational journey into the "Water World" topic. As we all know, water is the essence of life, a fundamental resource that sustains us daily. However, the intriguing questions of where our water originates, how it circulates around our planet, and its journey through the atmosphere sparked the curiosity of our students. The exploration led them straight into the dynamics of the water cycle! 
Our enthusiastic geographers have crafted their own water cycle wheels, this helped them visualise and understand the four pivotal stages of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation. Each student meticulously detailed their wheels, illustrating the transformation of water from a liquid state to a gaseous state, and then back to liquid when clouds form through condensation. This hands-on activity reinforced their understanding. 
A crucial skill in geography is the ability to sequence statements accurately to explain natural phenomena such as the formation of landforms or cycles. Our students demonstrated their mastery of this skill by using their water cycle wheels to compose detailed sequences that describe the continuous movement of water through our land and atmosphere. This exercise sharpened their analytical and descriptive abilities, essential tools for any budding geographer. 
Our students then worked as a team to practise their sequencing skills on a larger scale. They worked together to categorise statements relating to the four different stages in the water cycle, we even included a new process. Do you know what transpiration is? Students did a great job as they continued to use their sequencing skills to arrange their sentences to create a poem about each stage. 
We encourage you to dive into the fascinating world of water with your children at home. Why not explore local water bodies or conduct simple water cycle experiments at home? Engaging in these activities can help foster a lifelong curiosity and respect for our planet's vital resources. Let's continue to support and encourage our young geographers as they navigate through their educational voyage. – Miss Perkins 
Mastering GCSE Drama: Innovative Revision TechniquesAs GCSE Drama is one of the first written exams this year, our Year 11 students are in full swing revising for the exam. This includes ensuring they know our key text 'Blood Brothers' thoroughly. As part of our revision lessons we have been staging key scenes – discussing characters, themes, context, and production elements for each scene. During the course students have been to see the professional production of 'Blood Brothers' and we have used this experience to support our revision. 
Experiencing a professional production of 'Blood Brothers' first-hand has enriched our students' understanding, integrating real-world theatre insights into their revision. 
As a class we have been discussing strategies that can support revision for this paper and working as a class to tackle past paper questions. Students have also been creating revision materials tailored to their needs. – Mrs Karim 
Year 9 Boys Triumph at 'Lead Your Ship' Graduation TournamentA group of Year 9 boys have been attending and participating in a mentoring program which is designed to share knowledge and insight into the lives around them and the struggles they may face, whilst enhancing their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities to lead and make decisions. The students have gained an understanding of the importance of teamwork and how to develop stronger interpersonal skills. 
Our Year 9 boys recently participated in a graduation cricket tournament, demonstrated their cricketing prowess and the valuable lessons they mastered through the program. This initiative, aimed at fostering leadership and teamwork, clearly influenced our students as they showcased exemplary behaviour and outstanding teamwork throughout the event. 
Each match was a testament to their ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and support one another, reflecting the core values we uphold at the Academy. Their conduct on and off the field was commendable, earning them respect from their peers and accolades from organisers. This experience has not only enhanced their sporting capabilities but has also reinforced important life skills that will benefit them in various future endeavors. 
Although our students missed out on winning the final with a score of 33 – 36 they showed great sportsmanship, congratulating the winning team. That said, Daniel won the 100m sprint to get lunch first. All students were cheering Daniel on to win, which he did by a mile. Well done to all the boys who went, you really showed everyone how amazing and outstanding you are! – Miss Bloomfield 
Year 12 CV Writing WorkshopThe Ethos Team hosted another event this week for our Year 12 students. It was a workshop focused on CV writing, which was facilitated by Vince Gordon, the careers and aspirations specialist at Grace Foundation. The students were given insight into the world of work and they were also given the opportunity to write their own CVs with support. 
The workshop was a great success, and there will be a second session in the summer focusing on job interviews. – Miss M Anderson Double ZAFTA winners to report!We have a backlog of ZAFTA winners to report this week. Both winners received this recognition for the efforts they have been going to in order to support their students in making great progress in the classroom. Mr Westwood hosted Zog in Maths following some impressive work with his Year 7s and an infectious desire to share his good practice. 
Then Mrs Noakes supervised Zog's latest makeover as she hosted him in History for the week. Our dragon friend is very much enjoying his new Elizabethan ruff! – Mr Mills 
Attendance Matters!Please support with attendance by ensuring that your child arrives on time to the Academy every day by 8:45am. We understand there may be occasions when they are too ill to attend the Academy. In this instance, please contact our absence line by 8:30am on every day of absence for safeguarding reasons. Please be mindful that where medical evidence has been requested for an absence, we will not be able to authorise it without the evidence being provided. Lastly, please ensure you give at least 24 hours' notice for students needing to leave the Academy for appointments (evidence of the appointment will also be required). We expect students to attend the Academy prior to an appointment and return following the appointment where possible. Please schedule routine dental appointments during Academy holidays to ensure your child doesn't miss out on their learning. Orthodontist appointments will be authorised in term time on receipt of evidence. Leaves of absence during term time must be applied for at least 10 working days prior to the leave being taken. We appreciate your support with ensuring your child is attending the Academy regularly. Upcoming Events
|
|
