Dear Parents,

As the school year ends, I want to congratulate my staff and students

for all their hard work. As always, our young people show a great attitude

and commitment to the life and work of our school. Just recently, our

sixth formers have been praised from all quarters for displaying

tremendous care and support for the sick and elderly during their

pilgrimage to Lourdes. His Grace, Archbishop Longley, made a point of

telling me how well they had done while on pilgrimage. I am immensely

proud of their witness to our faith and the fact that each year they and

their staff sacrifice a week‟s holiday to do good works.

The end of the school year also signals a time when we lose members of

our staff for a variety of reasons such as promotion to other posts or to

retirement. We say goodbye to Mrs Holden, Mrs Patton and Mrs Harrison

(lunchtime supervisors), Mr Jennings (DT technician), Mrs Munslow

(reprographics) Mr Lloyd (Special Needs), Mr Foden (Maths) Mrs Osborn

(Special Needs) Mrs Ray (Music) and Mr Powers (PE). Some have given

very long service to our school and we wish them every happiness in the

future.

I am especially sorry to lose my Deputy, Mr Haywood, but delighted that

he will become the new Headteacher of another Catholic school, Bishop

Milner in Dudley, from September. His contribution to St. Francis has

been enormous. His leadership on all of our curriculum matters are a huge

part of our school‟s success. His new school will benefit from his

considerable expertise and are blessed to have someone of his calibre.

We wish him every success and blessing in his new role. (continued…)

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Technology College

Headteacher: Mrs P. Mullins, B.A. (Hons), M.A. NEWSLETTER

15th

July 2011

(…continued from previous page)

Enjoy the summer – whenever it arrives – and look after yourselves. I

thank you, the parents, very sincerely for your support and your

continued commitment to our lovely school.

Yours sincerely,

P. Mullins.

NEWSLETTER DATES

2011/2012

Issue 1 Fri. 9th December

Issue 2 Fri. 2rd March

Issue 3 Fri. 13th July

SCHOOL CONTACTS

If you have any concerns about your child then please contact

one of the following Heads of Achievement & Learning:

Year 7 Mrs Beaumont

Year 8 Mr Howes

Year 9 Mr Brown

Year 10 Mrs O'Leary

Year 11 Mr Conway/Miss Pearce

Year 12 Mrs Haynes / (Ms Brayshaw)

Year 13 Mrs Haynes / (Ms Brayshaw)

DATES FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2011—2012

6th September School opens for Year 7

8th September School open for all students

23rd September Inset Day

21st October School closes for half term

31st October School opens

16th December School closes for Christmas holidays

Year 7 News

Shakespeare Studies

In June Year 7 visited the home of Shakespeare and

took a trip to Stratford for the day.

Pupils spent the day exploring Shakespeare‟s

Birthplace, his grave at Holy Trinity Church and taking

in the sights and atmosphere of Stratford. Pupils

were lucky enough to also have a talk from a leading

expert on the life and times of Shakespeare.

Victoria, 7F said: “We visited the birth place of

Shakespeare and learnt all about him, his plays, his

life, his family and even his death. I particularly

enjoyed seeing the church; it was phenomenal. The

stained glass windows shone everywhere as people

looked down the line where Shakespeare was buried. I

also learnt that a book that held all of Shakespeare‟s

plays was worth £4.5 million.

We had lunch by the river and it was a really

beautiful, sunny day. We all had a great day. We

should do trips like this all the time!”

Year 7 News

Rugby Success

By Niall, 7F

Year 7 has been very successful in rugby this year. The first rugby tournament that

we competed in was against a range of other schools in Walsall and held at Walsall

Rugby Club. We brought two teams to play for St Francis and my team drew once

but won all of the other matches, and so we got through to the County finals.

Unfortunately we only a won a few matches at the County finals so we didn‟t get

through, however, because we won the first tournament it meant that our team was

the best team in Walsall and also meant we won a trophy! James and I went to an

awards ceremony to collect our trophy which was held at The Lords Mayors Parlour

in Walsall. Mrs Beaumont and Mr Powers came along to support us and it was a

special evening.

Year 7 News Year 8 News

Enterprise Aware

Year 8 has been taking part in an Enterprise challenge set by Mr Howes as

part of their Catholic Citizenship curriculum.

All forms were set the challenge to work together in teams and explore the

theme of enterprise. Each form was given £30 and had a set period of time to

use the money to generate additional profit. Year 8 rose to the challenge and

developed some creative and interesting ideas on how they could raise money.

Events included a sweets stall, Football Challenge, art drawing, nail painting and

a mini fete. All form groups embraced the activity and made an outstanding

profit for charity.

Examples of some of the

jewellery made and sold

by 8C.

Year 9 News

On the weekend of Friday the 24th June Year 9 went away to PGL Liddington.

We were split up into different groups as soon as we got there, however many

of us were with our roommates and we were all very happy about that. We did

encounter a few minor problems with the coaches on the way though....

Our first minor problem was that our third coach broke down

on the way to our school and by the time it would have arrived

we wouldn‟t have been able to get to Liddington on time. This

resulted in us squeezing on to the two coaches that had

already arrived and a mini bus. Once all of our bags were

loaded, we were ready to head off for a jam-packed weekend

at PGL!

After a slightly longer than expected journey, everyone was

separated and put into our designated groups where we were

introduced to our team leaders, Will and Polly. My group was

group 3, and our first activity was „survivor‟. This consisted of

us venturing into the woods and building our own shelter. We

also learnt how to start a fire. This was great because my

team had the best shelter! After each group had finished

their first activity we went back to the centre and took our

suitcases to our rooms, unpacked and then had tea. Everyone

was then allowed „corridor time‟, where we could just chill and

talk in the corridor about what we had been up to.

The next day was an early start. At 7am we were woken up and told to get dressed into

our activity clothes. We had breakfast and then got straight into our first activity

which was raft-building with PGL leader James. It was extremely funny and an activity I

would advise everyone to do if they get the chance. In the end everyone was drenched

as we decided to have a swim and play games in the water. After burning all those

calories we were ready for lunch!

After a filling lunch our next activity was abseiling. It was also great fun and an activity

that I will never forget. And finally the last activity of the day was aero-ball. This was

basically a trampoline split up into four different sections and each section had a pocket.

The four people playing would have a soft ball and had to get it in the opponent‟s pocket.

I must admit I wasn‟t the best at that game.

Bu Katie and Shannon

Year 9 News

After our final activity of the day concluded, everyone returned to the centre, had

dinner and then went got dressed for Mass. Mass was held at a nearby church. We were

made to feel welcome and as though we were a part of their community. It was lovely.

Once it was finished we returned back to Liddington PGL centre, where a mini-disco had

been set up for us. Everyone then got dressed up and ready for a little party! The night

started off slow, but we were all taken by surprise when Harry got up and suddenly

started dancing to „Raise Your Glass‟. By the end of the night everyone was on their feet

and watching the dance-off between the three lads, Harry, Romelo and William (who are

all great dancers). Romelo won the dance-off but in my eyes they were all winners! That

was a night that will never be forgotten.

On our last day at PGL everyone was really tired from all the fun that had been had the

day before, but we continued to smile and enjoyed our last three activities, which were:

giant swing, quad biking and Zip wire. The sun was beaming but with a lovely breeze which

is what we all needed for all the energized activities. Then we went to our second

activity, quad biking, which was also really exciting. Once we got the bike working we

were ready to begin the course. A couple of us crashed but that was the whole point of

practice. The sun was beating down on us all. Some of us forgot to put sun protection on

but it was alright because we had lunch next, giving us time to put the sun cream on, so

we didn‟t burn, instead we developed a nice glow!

After lunch came our last activity which was Zip wire; sadly I didn‟t do it because I‟m

not too keen on heights. A lot of people said that the first time it‟s quite nerve racking

but once you have done it once you want to do it again and again. The last activities went

all too quickly and sadly it was time to go home. It was rather sad saying goodbye to the

PGL team. The journey back wasn‟t the best in the humid weather conditions but we

eventually arrived at school for 7pm and were desperate to get home for a well-earned

rest!

Year 9 News Year 10 News

Work Experience Whether it‟s working on a farm or helping clients

in a salon from 18th – 22nd July, Year 10 will be

embarking on a five day work experience as part

of a taster into their future life of work.

On Thursday 14th July, a “Dress to Impress day”

will take place and students will be briefed on

the purpose of their work experience and what

they should hope to gain from their work

experience.

This will be followed by a “Did we Impress?” day

on Friday 9th September. If there are still any

queries about work experience please speak to

Miss. Clensy in music about any concerns.

We hope that this will be a week to enjoy and

the experience will give a useful insight for Year

10 into the world of work.

In Other News…

Irish Dancing Competition Winners Over the Easter holidays two of our Year 10 girls took part in the World Irish Dancing

Championships in Dublin.

Eleanor and Niamh of 10N beat off competition from around the world to take part in

this championship.

After plenty of hard work the girls beat international competition to win a World

Championship medal for the 16 hand reel which is a particularly complicated dance and

takes a skilful dancer to perform it successfully.

Big congratulations to both of them on their achievement!

By Megan 10C

Year 11 News

Y11 Leaver‟s Prom 2011

The much anticipated Y11 Prom took place this year

at Drayton Manor on 7th July. The Prom gave the

Year 11s the perfect opportunity to unwind after

toiling away for their examinations and to celebrate

as a year group together for the final time.

The party started at 7.00pm, with students arriving

in style in stretch limos and hummers. This year‟s

theme was „The Oscars‟ and St Francis‟ finest were as

glamorous as stars from the silver screen.

Mr Conway, Mrs Blackmore (Year 11 Heads of

Achievement and Learning) and Year 11 tutors were

there to greet the students as they arrived, and

many other staff came along to celebrate the end of

an era.

After a turn on the red carpet, a three course meal

and dancing, students said their final goodbye and

looked forward to their successful futures.

Year 11 News

Year 11 News Year 11 News Year 11 News

MFL Strasbourg/Black Forest Trip 2011

By Edward, y12

Strasbourg; a stupefying, bewildering, paradigm-shifting savoir-vivre.

The thought of living in an idiosyncratic environment for almost a week

with unfamiliar people can be rather daunting, especially if you‟re as

introverted as I am. But I am confident that, thanks to this excursion, my

perception of the world has changed dramatically, to the point where I

now see England as being somewhat monotonous and lacklustre. Singing

along with the Dawson‟s Creek theme tune on every coach journey; sitting

near the bar outside the Hotel Wacker; playing cards after evening meals

to decide who buys the rounds; asking to borrow a seat as an excuse to

converse with the locals…yeah, it‟s all part of the awesomeness! You really

know the benefit‟s kicked in when you‟re traipsing around Morrison‟s with

your parents on the day after your return and you become completely

alienated just by hearing the sound of the English language again!

Strolling around the streets of Freiburg on the second day really was

something, and ironically made me feel as though I actually was at home,

Strasbourg being better still! Our boat trip around this beautiful, serene

utopia filled my spirits immensely. It‟s also a splendid means of composing

oneself after the huge adrenaline rush you receive from the coaster ride

at Hasenhorn - a mountain located in the Schwarzwald in south-western

Germany. Make sure you can tell “beschleunigen” from “bremsen”,

otherwise you may find there‟s only a 5cm aperture between yourself and

the preceding cart!

English News MFL News

Imagine falling from a drop height of 219ft (67m) in excess of 78mph

(126km/h) at approximately 4 times the force of gravity with your eyes

closed. That‟s the thrill of the Silverstar, currently boasting its prestige

as the tallest rollercoaster in Europe, located at Europa Park which lies

between Strasbourg and Freiburg. Being the largest theme park in

Germany and second most popular theme park resort in Europe, you know

you‟re in for a treat! (Please note: If you do own an expensive contraption

such as an iPod, it‟s probably beneficial not to carry it with you on this

ride, if you don‟t want to be frantically running to and from the Fundbüro

on an hourly basis!) All in all however, it‟s simply the dream of any

enthusiastic linguist who wants something more than just a list of

qualifications on their application form. For me, it was both a brilliant

learning curve and a fascinating vacation full of wonderful memories with

people who have become friends for life!

MFL News

Linguists of the Month

March 2011

Ellie y11

Ellie is a talented dual linguist. She makes consistently

good effort in both languages, with the potential to

achieve very good success at A Level. We look forward to

seeing her potential.

May 2011

Francis y7

Francis produces consistently good written work and

makes exceptional effort at all times. He is developing

into an excellent linguist.

MFL News

ICT News

English News

Year 11 ECDL Successes

Congratulations to the leaving

Y11 ECDL cohort.

100% of these students gained

both ECDL Extra (worth Grade B

GCSE) and the full ECDL. This is

a record high for our ECDL pass

rate!

We would like to wish these

pupils success in all their future

endeavours!

Year 9 ECDL Successes

Our Year 9 ECDL cohort has been exceptional

this year and have gained record numbers of

early qualification passes. We would like to

congratulate our successful students on their

superb achievements. These students have

worked really hard all year!

Pupils who passed the ECDL Extra (worth Grade

B GCSE) are Callum, Sarah, Harry, Jack, Sarah

and Laura

Some pupils have managed to complete the full

ECDL on top of the ECDL Extra are Joseph,

Katy, Erika, Troy, Lili, Nichola, Sarah and

Dominic.

We are delighted that Robin and Daniel in 9C1 have been

shortlisted as the Lichfield Young Poet Laureate 2011 as part of

Lichfield Festival‟s celebrations.

Robin and Daniel wrote a poem entitled: “A Window on the City”

and are now two of ten pupils from across the county who have

been shortlisted.

Their poems will now be read by the National Poet Laureate; Carol

Ann Duffy who is judging this year‟s competition.

If either are successful then they could become Lichfield‟s Young

Poet Laureate for the year and will be able to get involved in lots

of activities at the Lichfield Festival and throughout the year.

Good luck!

RE News

Year 9 students were given the opportunity to attend the Islamic exhibition and

Birmingham Central Mosque as part of their Religious Education on other world

religions. Here students learnt about the key aspects of Islam and how Muslims put

their faith into practice. Students discovered that Islam does have some similarities

to Christianity and that many religions pray for same things but in a different way.

The staff at the Mosque and the exhibition, commented on how well behaved our

students were and the level of respect they showed. They were also impressed with

the standard of interesting questions that our students were asking. „Your students

are a credit to the school‟ was a key phrase echoed throughout all of the trips. It was

clear from the follow up student voice that students have really benefited from this

trip gaining knowledge and understanding to help them with their ISA and in their

roles as Catholic faith citizens of the future.

Alicia said:

I really enjoyed going to the Islamic

exhibition centre and seeing a mosque.

I learnt a lot more about the Islamic

family rites, and how equality is

encouraged into the faith. I now know

a lot more about respecting other

cultures, I know what to expect of

someone from a different faith, and

how to recognise different cultures

from the clothes they wear and how

they act.

I thoroughly enjoyed going to the

Mosque the most, because I didn‟t

know what to expect. When I went

inside I realised how different it is to

a Catholic Church.

I enjoyed visiting the two different

sections of the mosque, the men‟s

section and the women‟s section. I

learnt that there are two different

sections so men and women do not get

distracted during prayer by one

another.

Jack said:

I enjoyed going on the trip to the Mosque as

it was a new experience for me and I‟m sure

it was for the rest of the group as well. It

was interesting to learn about the different

aspects of Islamic culture and faith. I

particularly enjoyed the detailed models and

artefacts that were at the exhibition.

It was awe-inspiring to explore the Mosque

and all the wonderful features, like the big

overhead chandelier for example. The people

that showed us around knew a lot about

Islam and were willing to answer questions

we had. They were also very helpful in

answering our questions, and welcomed us

freely into their culture and society.

Overall, I enjoyed the whole experience, as

it was a day where we learnt outside the

classroom, and learnt first-hand what the

Islamic culture was like and what it involved.

This was one of my favourite trips

throughout the whole of Key Stage Three!

R.E News

Emily said:

I enjoyed visiting the Islamic exhibition and the

Mosque because I got to learn about other

faiths and about how they worship in their

Mosque. The project we did before the trip

helped us answer questions that they asked. I

learnt about science in the Islamic faith, its

history, the five pillars and family life.

It wasn‟t what I expected. The Mosque was a

lot bigger than I thought it would be. Inside

there is a huge chandelier and over 400 prayer

mats incorporated into the carpet, we had to

take our shoes off as a sign of respect and we

visited the men and women‟s area. We also got

to hear a prayer being said in Arabic, and we got

taught how to write our name in Arabic at the

exhibition. We learned a lot more about how

devoted Muslims were to prayer and visiting

sacred areas, such as Mecca and Medina.

We learnt about how many Muslims have

discovered different things throughout time,

which was interesting because I didn‟t know a

faith could be traced back to such things as

science. The presenters also knew a lot about

their faith and were able to take questions on

anything we didn‟t understand, they explained a

lot about the different topics of Islam they

also explained it in a lot of detail. Overall the

day was very enjoyable and it was interesting to

learn about someone else‟s way of worship and

prayer.

Sports News

As we come to the end of another academic year, it is time to reflect on the

considerable achievements of our students in a sporting context this year. We

celebrate our examination success and it is equally as important to celebrate the

achievements of our young people, who contribute a great deal to our school in

other ways. A great deal of praise must go out to all of those students who have

represented the school in one of the many school teams that we put out in local and

regional competitions. First and foremost, the PE department pride themselves on

maintaining the excellent reputation that the school has in terms of sporting

behaviour and our students never fail to adhere to the highest standard and

expectations placed upon them.

The sporting calendar has seen St Francis of Assisi CTC represented across a full

range of sporting activities. We have also managed to have a considerable degree of

success in a number of sports. Our year 7 boys have proved to be a very

competitive year group and have been successful in a number of local competitions.

The football team were unbeaten in their league season, as were the basketball

team. The basketball team went on to add the cup competition to their list of

achievements. The boy‟s rugby team were also a success and won the Walsall

Emerging Schools competition. They then went on to represent Walsall at the

Staffordshire Emerging schools competition and performed admirably to finish a

creditable 5th in the county.

Again, we had another successful year in table tennis at St Francis. Our KS4 boys

won the Walsall schools completion as did our KS4 girls. The boys went on to

represent Walsall in the West Midlands championships at Wood Green Sports

College. They beat everyone in sight until they met Wood Green in the final and

unfortunately were beaten at the final hurdle, so a big well done must go to Shaun,

Arian, Michael and Sam. The boys are going on to represent Walsall in the Black

Country School Olympics. On an individual level, all of the aforementioned boys

made it through the group stages in the individual championships, only to meet the

boys from Wood Green in the knock out phase. Shane in year 13 went further and

made it through to the final, only to be beaten in a tense game by a student from

Willenhall Sports College (who is in the England development squad). Lauren in year

8 went one better and was crowned West Midlands champion, without having to

break sweat, Lauren went on to represent the County in the next stage.

by Mr Connell

Sports News

By Mary, 8N

Tag Rugby

Since the beginning of 2011 a group of girls from Year 8 have been

taking the Tag Rugby world by storm.

Myself, Serena, Jodie, Harriet, Molly, Mollie, Niamh, Phoebe and

Grace decided to give a Tag Rugby tournament a go with

encouragement from the P.E staff. We had never played the game

before but quickly picked up the rules and before we knew it we had

won our first tournament.

The P.E staff soon noticed our potential and the training began for

the next big tournament – we wanted to win! We were nervous when

we arrived at the tournament but were confident in our ability

after all the hard work we had put it. The tournament was tough

but we won all our games to get the final. In the final game we

battled to the end and it came down to the last golden try; we were

unsuccessful at the very last moment but were really proud of our

performance in only our second game.

Shortly after, another opportunity arose for us to enter our team

in the Black Country School Games. Once again, we worked really

hard as a team and before we knew it we had won every game and

the final. We were so excited and are still really happy with our

performance and all our hard work.

We are looking forward to next year and hopefully there will be

more Tag Rugby opportunities for us.

Applied Law News

As the first year of Applied Law at St Francis of Assisi CTC comes to an

end, Year 12 students reflect on the success of the course so far.

Applied Law is a BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma, which is the equivalent of

one A-Level. It is graded as Pass (equivalent to an E-grade), Merit

(equivalent to a C-grade), or Distinction (equivalent to an A-grade) and

carries the same UCAS points as these grades.

Ryan and Lauren have both achieved a Distinction in Year 12 and are on

course to repeat this success in Year 13.

This year I started my A levels, the subjects I chose to study were Business

studies, History, Physical education and Applied Law. As law is a new subject

taught at the school I didn‟t know what to expect on my first day but from

the first time I entered the class room I was hooked on the subject and I

found every topic interesting.

The lessons themselves are laid back and always enjoyable making it a more

relaxed environment to work and I feel more confident to get involved in the

class discussions.

In Law I have learned about the British constitution, Case law, the different

forms of courts, the criminal and civil legal system and much more, but law is

not just all written work as we had guest speakers from actual Solicitors

(Lawyers), we also had a day out to Aston university in Birmingham to sit in on

a lecture about the different forms of law as well as having lessons where we

worked in groups on a scenario where we had to argue our cases and come to

an agreement on the outcome of the case.

I have recommended Applied Law as a chosen subject to the current year 11s

who will be coming into year 12 come September and I would recommend

Applied Law to anyone considering coming back to 6th form at St. Francis.

By Ryan

Applied Law News

Lauren says:

Law at times can be a difficult subject, but once you understand it, it then becomes easier

to complete work/assignments. Personally I have enjoyed this subject a lot as it is

interesting and enjoyable.

The unit that I have enjoyed the most is the latest unit; this is because it involves some

interesting cases and some interesting class debates.

Law involves a lot of classroom debates, which has been a good chance for us students to

have our own opinion and a chance for everyone to take part. It does involve a lot of work

that needs to be done, but at the same time it is an enjoyable subject.

We have done 3 units in year 12 which involve 5 assignments for each unit. We had started

with an induction pack which prepared us for the rest of the year. These are some of the

topics that we cover in each unit.

Unit 1 – Dispute solving in the legal system

Introduction to criminal law

Who‟s who in the English legal system

Who‟s who in the civil courts

Youth courts

Who‟s who in the criminal courts

Unit 2 – Understanding law making

Law making in the UK

Acts of parliament and delegated legislation

Principle of statutory interpretation

European law

Unit 3 – Aspects of legal liability

The tort of negligence

The elements of crime

Application of specific non-fatal offences

Sentencing

I recommend other pupils to take law as one of their A-Levels as they may then discover a

new interest and wish to continue law at university. It will also benefit them as they will

have a better understanding of the law which always helps. I believe that other students

who take law will enjoy it and will have a great interest in the subject.

School Noticeboard

Gardening News

Congratulations to Francesca Andrews in year

10 who was runner up in a national

competition to design a garden. There was a

choice of category and Francesca chose to

design a vegetable garden. As a result of

Francesca‟s fabulous design the school has

won a year‟s adoption of Wenda the

Orangutan. Wenda is a Sumatran Orangutan,

a species whose population is listed as

critically endangered.

Francesca with her prize in the school

vegetable garden.

How does your garden grow?

Mrs Majster and Mrs Brooks have been working with

the ASDAN group to make the front garden at school

more appealing for visitors, staff and pupils.

The team were asked by Mrs Mullins after the

groups green-fingered talents were noticed for their

work in the vegetable patch and garden in school.

The front garden is now very colourful, warm and

inviting for all that visit St Francis – be sure to look

out for it next time you pass. Well done team!

Hall of Fame for St Francis

St Francis has been awarded two awards from Walsall Council and Serco recognising our

achievements over the last few years. We are delighted with the awards and recognition

for the hard work of both staff and pupils. The awards are:

Commended for Improvement 5+A*-C including English and Maths 2005-2010

Best Performance KS2-4: Three Levels Progress in English and in Maths 2010

Appealing to all people with business experience

Do you want a chance to help young people at St. Francis of Assisi

CTC? Do you want to share your wealth of business experience by

being part of an internationally-recognised business programme? Do

you want to make a real difference to young people by volunteering to

be their business advisor? If so, then being a Young Enterprise

Business Advisor is just for you.

From September a small group of Year 10 students will need the

expertise of an adult who has experience of working in the public or

private sectors to guide them in setting up and running a Young enterprise

Company. The philosophy of Young Enterprise is the students „learn by

doing‟ with the guidance of a teacher and a business advisor.

Your commitment is to meet with the students fortnightly (weekly if

possible) for an hour over one to two years to help them make progress in

establishing and running their company. The Black Country Young

Enterprise Programme Manager will train you up so you are well prepared.

You will find it extremely rewarding to see how you have made a

significant difference to the lives of these young people.

Young Enterprise is also valued by many employers due to the benefits it

brings to the person who acts as the business advisor. If you are willing

to help, and to find out more, then please contact me by email on

againey@stfrancis.cc. You can also find out more on www.young-

enterprise.org.uk

Mr A Gainey

Head of Business Studies

School Noticeboard

Did you know…?

St Francis of Assisi has just been

awarded Level 2 Dyslexia Friendly School

status. This is an enormous achievement

for the school and recognition of the

hard work of our Dyslexia Centre.

TRANSPORT INFORMATION

APPLICATIONS FOR FREE BUS PASSES

FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2011/2012

This is a reminder to those parents that

receive free bus passes that you should re-

apply before the end of July (Except

Staffordshire).

Walsall parents – Application forms are available on the school website and

from the Transport office. They should be completed as soon as possible and

returned to SERCO at the address shown on the top of the form- not to the

school. Don‟t forget to make it clear to SERCO if you want a Central Connect

pass. The issue of Central Connect passes is at SECO‟S discretion but they won‟t

consider your application unless you ask.

Sandwell parents – Sandwell LA will automatically process existing pass holders.

Any parent that wishes to apply or is unsure as to their eligibility can obtain

information and an application form from Trudy Saddington at Sandwell L.A on

0121 569 8331.

Staffordshire parents – I should receive next year‟s passes and these will be

distributed before the end of term. If your child does not receive a pass and

you think that you should be entitled to one then please contact Staffordshire

County Council on 01785 278719/278718.

Photo ID Cards

Students who have Travel West Midland, Scholars or Centro bus passes need to

have a Photo identity card. These can be purchased (and a plastic wallet) from

the Travel West Midlands shop located in the main bus station in Walsall.

Without them the drivers can refuse to let you travel.

Students that use the Central Connect Services 738,739 and 740

Fares will increase on these services from September 2011.

On bus cash price one way £1.50.

1 Term pass £165.00

Full annual pass £430.00

School Noticeboard School Noticeboard School Noticeboard

TRANSPORT INFORMATION FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE AGED 16

OR OVER

STUDENTS WILL NO LONGER BE ENTITLED TO SUBSIDISED TRANSPORT.

Students who have Travel West Midland, Scholars or Centro bus passes.

16-18 photo cards.

Once students reach the age of 16 you cannot buy a „child rate‟ pass or pay a

„child rate‟ fare unless you have a 16-18 „child rate‟ photo card.

Applications for the 16-18 photo cards will be available from Mr Tafano at the

beginning of next term

Sandwell Students: At present students may be able to claim travel expenses.

Collect an application form from Mr Tafano or Contact Trudy Saddington on

0121 569 8331 and ask for one or by E – Mail to.

trudy_saddington@sandwell.gov.uk)

Staffordshire Students: Students who return to school will have to apply to

purchase a bus pass from the Integrated Transport Unit, DSD, Riverway,

Stafford ST16 3TJ. Telephone No 01785 278718 or E-Mail

student.transport@staffordshire.gov.uk.

The cost is £430 for Catholic students. Non Catholic students can apply for a

vacant seat pass at a cost of £430. Passes can be paid for monthly or by term.

If your family cannot afford the cost you could apply to Staffordshire Council

for assistance or speak to Mr Tafano, in certain circumstances the school may

be able to assist.

Students will not be allowed to travel on the bus unless they purchase a pass.

Mr Tafano the School Transport Manager is available via the school office on

01922 740300 or on mobile 07990 894802 (E mail www.mtafano@stfrancis.cc)

from 8.30am until 4.30pm Monday to Friday in school term to answer any

transport queries.

School Transport information is available on the school website at

www.stfrancis.cc. Under General Information.

School Noticeboard

Chaplain‟s Notes Grapevine

Well, I feel rather exhausted, but content. Reason: two major pilgrimages in less

than a month! From 11 May I led a pilgrimage of 35 people to the Holy Land, in the

footsteps of Jesus. It was a very nostalgic experience for me as I had last been to

Palestine as a student in 1971. I had spent six weeks as a student at Tantur, a

theological institute just off the main road which led from Jerusalem to Hebron. We

would catch the bus from the Holy City and get off at Rachel‟s Tomb to walk into Beit

Jala, a village opposite Bethleham, where we were living. What a shock to see it now.

The road ended at a 10 metre high wall, just after Tantur, forcing our coach to turn

sharp left into Bethlehem through the Israeli checkpoint. Since we spent five nights

in the „little town‟ where Jesus was born this was a regular event.

So sad to see how the Palestinian people, both Christian and Muslim, have to live under

the Israeli occupation of their land. Bethlehem is at best a ghetto and at worse a

concentration camp. Only the privileged with the necessary passes may travel in and

out of the place made so famous by the Church of the Nativity built over the cave

where Jesus was born. This situation is replicated all over the Occupied Territories.

Two nights were spent in Nazareth, the town of Jesus‟ childhood and home to the Holy

Family. Although a Palestinian town in Israel proper, and without a wall, it is still

subject to many restrictions. No building is allowed beyond a certain perimeter,

making it impossible for the town to grow, meaning that the people live in a tightly

confined area with high unemployment.

What a contrast when the next pilgrimage took me, with the school, on the Diocesan

Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Here there were no walls and no soldiers pointing guns at us.

Here the young people of our Sixth Form excelled in their service of the sick and in

the good example they gave to all. It was a pleasure to share those happy days with

them and we look forward now to next year.

We have much to thank God for. But as we give thanks, let us pray for those who are

deprived of justice and freedom, especially in the land where Our Lord Jesus Christ

was born, ministered, died and rose again. We should do all we can to help them in

their suffering and needs, perhaps through Friends of the Holy Land, a charity which

has its base in our own diocese.

I wish you all a very happy and relaxed summer holiday, whether it includes pilgrimage

of just lazing on the beach.

Fr. Michael Leadbeater (School Chaplain)

Extra Curricular Activities Extra Curricular Activities

Carnegie Book Award 2011

Our reading group students have recently enjoyed taking part in

Carnegie Award Shadowing for the second year. The Carnegie is a

prestigious book award, given each year to the best novel written

for children or young people. The Shadowing Scheme is a national

scheme which encourages school reading groups to judge the books

for themselves and allows students to submit their reviews of books

they‟ve read.

Over the past two months, eight students have met every week in

the Learning Resource Centre. Settings ranged from medieval Italy

to present-day Zimbabwe, with genres including romance, science

fiction and gothic fantasy. Along the way we enjoyed discovering

new authors and talking about what we‟d read. We found we were

challenged, moved, sometimes surprised, but always entertained.

For our final meeting, we hosted a visit from Aldridge School‟s

reading group. We talked about the books, took part in a quiz, and

acted out key scenes from the novels. Finally it was time for the

moment of truth and the winner of the Carnegie Award was

announced as Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness.

Everyone who took part found shadowing the Carnegie a very

enjoyable experience and we can‟t wait to do it again next year!

Extra Curricular Activities

Walsall Schools’ Book Challenge

2011

On 11th May, a team of students from Y7

and Y8 travelled with Mrs Roberts to

Queen Mary‟s High School to take part

in the annual Walsall Schools‟ Book

Challenge, organised by the Walsall

Schools Library Support Service (SLSS).

The quiz tested a variety of skills:

listening, observation, reading

comprehension, plus a set book which all

the teams had read in advance.

It was a closely-fought contest, but in

the end the St Francis team triumphed.

They were awarded a trophy for the

school and each team member won a

goody bag and £10 book token.

As the winners we have the opportunity

to host the quiz next year, and we‟re

looking forward to defending our title!

(Picture shows the team collecting their

prizes from Louise Davies SLSS Manager)

Race for Life On the 19th June, my mom and I ran

the Race for Life which is a five

kilometre run through Sutton Park.

We raised over a hundred pound

between us and it was a good day out.

It was very emotional yet heart-

warming. Everyone had their reasons to

race pinned onto the back of their

clothes and reading them all truly made

me feel moved.

My friends and I finished the race in

around forty minutes, and my mom and

her friends finished in just over an

hour. We all got goody bags and a

medal and it was a great experience.

Hopefully, we will do it again next year,

with even more sponsors. I encourage

more people to do it, because the

money goes towards the science labs on

making a cure for cancer, and I hope

one day, cancer is defeated. The

pictures show the group of us, and me

and my mother before the race.

By Jess, Year 9

Extra Curricular Activities

During the May half-term break, twenty-two sixth form students, six members of staff,

Father Leadbeater and his wife, and two friends of the school accompanied the

Birmingham Archdiocese Pilgrimage to Lourdes. It proved to be an incredible

experience for all, whether it was their first time in Lourdes or their tenth.

A highlight of the week was the positive comments received about the conduct of our

SFA student pilgrims. They were commended on several occasions for their courtesy,

friendliness and maturity when caring for the sick. As a team leader for the

brancardiers, Jamie was exceptional. At all times his job was made easier by knowing he

could rely on his deputy, Hannah, and the great willingness of his fellow students from

SFA to get jobs done.

Another highlight was the Night Prayer in the

Accueil for sick pilgrims. On the Monday evening

our students displayed both their singing talents

and devoutness by performing a mixture of

meditation , prayers and hymns which was

described as „powerful and moving‟ by Father

Gerry, the Pilgrimage Director.

Further highlights included Mrs Lawrence

receiving a gold medal for ten pilgrimages to

Lourdes and Father Leadbeater receiving a silver

medal for five years. Lunch with Bishop David

McGough should also be mentioned, as should our

student‟s participation in Mass, processions,

helping at the baths, lighting the school candle,

singing across the river from the Grotto…honestly,

the list is endless!

St Francis’ Pilgrimage to

Lourdes

Extra Curricular Activities

All trips have their challenges too. Ours included Mrs Lawrence tearing ankle ligaments

by falling over an uneven pavement, so we ended up with our own sick pilgrim in a

wheelchair! Also, the 21 hour coach journeys there and back are something we all want

to forget!

Fundraising for next year‟s trip has already begun! Thank you in advance for your

support and generosity. Please put Saturday 3rd December in your diary to attend one of

our major fundraising events, the Lourdes 2012 Christmas Bazaar!!

St Francis Pilgrimage to

Lourdes

Challenges apart though, the pilgrimage was an inspiring and deeply moving

time for all, as can be seen by these reflections from both students and

staff:

„Lourdes was an amazing experience and one I will never forget…saying night prayer at the Accueil was a truly heart- warming moment‟ Isobel, Year 13

„One of the best weeks of

my life! Loved working

with the old people and

seeing them enjoying

themselves‟

Kirsty, Year 12

„Lourdes is a great place…where you can be yourself and put your faith into action‟ Miss Briars

„Lourdes was a great

experience I can‟t wait to

go back‟.

Matthew, Year 12

Extra Curricular Activities Extra Curricular Activities

Several members of our school from year 7‟s all

the way up to sixth form have been working

very hard to prepare for our school production

of the Wizard of Oz. On Monday 4th July they

performed in front of several primary schools.

Several members of staff have roles in the

play including Mr Garrett, Mrs O‟leary, Miss

Sutton, Mr Hurrion, Mrs Beaumont, Mr Howes,

Miss Johnstone and Mr Hughes. I asked some

members of the cast including Megan who is

playing Dorothy what we can expect, “There

are some twists in the plot that we hope

everyone will find funny”. We also managed to

raise £207 for Mrs Mullins, Mr Haywood and

Mr Mitchell to dress up as characters from the

Wizard of Oz.

See the next newsletter issue

for a full review of the Wizard

of Oz production.

WIZARD OF OZ

Want to feature in the

What’s On section?

If you want to write a review

on an event, film, book, show

or concert then email Miss

Nolan at hnolan@stfrancis.cc

a review of no more than 300

words and you might find

yourself appearing in the

next newsletter.

WANTED REPORTERS

Are you a budding reporter or interested in design?

The newsletter needs you. The newsletter team would

like students to volunteer to report on all our wonderful

news and help with the design and layout of the

newsletter.

If you are interested, email Miss Nolan at

hnolan@stfrancis.cc to find out more.

Newsletter Information

The next date for the newsletter is December 2012. Can‟t wait until December for

the next issue? Then, log onto the VLE and School website from September for

up-to-date news before the next school newsletter.

Thank you to all students who contributed to the newsletter. Special thanks to the

St Francis newsletter team:

Year 9

Jessica

Aimee

Shannon

Katie

Year 10

Megan

Marie-Clare

To be involved in the writing and production of the newsletter, contact Miss Nolan

at hnolan@stfrancis.cc

ZUMBA! Calling all parents! Do you want to take up a new hobby and keep fit?

There is a new ZUMBA class taking place on Friday afternoons at St Francis. The class

takes place on Friday at 3.45 – 4.45 and costs £3.50.

If you are interested in joining in the fun, email Miss Nickless at rnickless@stfrancis.cc