#ThisWeekatSAW – 17th March 2023
Message from the Head of School:
Despite interruptions to our normal learning this week due to the teacher strikes, the students have shown great determination and RESPECT for their education by ensuring work is completed. Well done to those students in KS3 for working from home two days this week and a big well done to our KS4 and KS5 students who attended the academy as normal. It’s always difficult when usual routines and structures are changed, however the students have shown great maturity and resilience. Thank you to all our parents are carers for their continued support.
Another busy week for visits, trips, sporting events and personal development opportunities at the academy. Our music students have been working with Status Quo’s Jeff Rich in developing their skills and CAPA students are working hard perfecting their performances for our whole academy production of the Addams Family. The teaser video shown in assemblies this week looks amazing! Pease support the students and the academy by buying a ticket and coming along to watch the show – I know I can’t wait to see it. All profits made from ticket sales, refreshments and tombola draws will be donated to the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, a charity very close to our hearts here at Sirius Academy West. The Academy continues to be successful with our sports teams and events, please check our Facebook and Twitter socials for an up to date view of all Academy events and visits.
As the Easter break draws closer, there will be a full suite of subjects offering revision, intervention and enrichment sessions for KS3, KS4 and KS5 students over the two weeks. Please encourage your child to attend those sessions they’re invited to. More details of what’s on offer will be sent home within the next week.
Attendance remains a significant priority for the academy. Please continue to ensure your child is attending the Academy every day to ensure no learning is missed. There is a direct correlation between the grades achieved by students in Year 11 and their attendance throughout their five year high school journey.
Thank you again for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Gemma Ransom (Head of School)
RESPECT for Community- General Academy news
Bus Loop / Car Parking
Can parents / carers pleas refrain from entering school site at 3:05pm in cars? On two occasions this week our school buses have not parked correctly due to cars already using the allocated bus parking spots. Please make arrangement to collect students from safe places off Academy site.
Personal Development – Pledges
Next week the assessment window will open for the second time to record students’ Pledges. Since September the students have had the opportunity to do lots!
Geography Field Trips to the Lake District, MFL visits to Barcelona, continued sporting fixtures and sporting success, the return of school productions with The Addams Family, Department Challenge winners’ trips to York and Rock City, Year 11 trips to Cambridge, Primary School leadership, Year 7 Restart a Heart Day, the launch of our first Animal Clubs and Warhammer Clubs … Lots!
It is important that students have the opportunity to reflect on the amount that they do.
We are keen to provide all of our students with the offer of a range of co-curricular opportunities.
These opportunities help our students to explore and express their character and build skills they need for resilience, empathy and employability.
Students will be required to record the completion of these pledges within their individual Pledge Passport. These can be found on pages 231-244 of their student planner.
It is their responsibility to provide a written account of how they have achieved each pledge and to get an appropriate member of staff to authorise completion by signing-off the relevant pledge.
(Click image to enlarge)
Those students that are able to complete all ten challenges will be entered into a competition. One student in each Year Group will be chosen, based on the quality of their Pledge Passport, to receive £100 worth of vouchers to use with their family at a local attraction.
We were delighted to do something similar last year and fund visits, including transport and admission, to the Natural History Museum, Theme Parks and Musicals in London for four deserving families.
Students will have the rest of the year to complete the Pledges. However, there will be some Pledges that they will be able to complete and provide evidence for now.
We would appreciate any support you can provide your child in completing the different challenges. As the Pledge Passport is in their individual planners, this is something that can be completed at any time.
Good luck!
Science Week – Primary School Visits
The academy celebrated Science Week this week with a bang!
Visits from eight of our local Primary Schools. Over 500 pupils.
Using Bunsen Burners to investigate the colours of fireworks.
Thank you to Mr Byrne for his expertise and enthusiasm.
A huge well done to our Year 8 and Year 9 leaders too.
You did an incredible job supporting the pupils and ensuring they remained safe.
RESPECT for Education – Lesson 1 Content
Votes for Schools Topic (Key Stage 3 students only)
This week the students discussed the topic of ‘Would more awareness support young carers?’
Character Education
Character Education is a time-tabled lesson within our Lesson 1 curriculum in which students focus on skills and traits which will allow them to be successful in not only their academic studies but also in other aspects of their life.
This week students have focused on:
Year 7 students have focused on mind-mapping as a note-taking strategy. They explored what is it and why we use this technique.
Year 8, 9 and 10 students focused on the prioritising your own needs to ensure systems are used to complete tasks effectively.
Year 11 students focused on how to create a positive environment to relieve feelings of stress and worry.
RESPECT for Education- Curriculum Area ‘Students of the Week’
Each Curriculum Area will nominate a student each week who has shown through their lessons that they have met the RESPECT values of the Academy. The reason for the selection is highlighted below:
|
Curriculum Area |
Student Name | Reason for Nomination |
| Science | Ben M (Year 9) |
Supporting the Y5 pupils so that they are successful in their activities as well as their fellow helpers. |
|
Science |
Bosco M Maycee W Lexi-Mae Y (All Year 8) Jasmine F (Year 9) |
Amazing interaction with the Y5 pupils that were working with them. |
| Art | Kelsie M (Year 11) |
Has worked well in photography lately and has done an independent photoshoot as she is working towards her final exam project. |
|
Art |
Amani M (Year 10) |
Has worked really hard this week to start developing a final piece to his GCSE course work project. He has produced some quality sketches and experimenters as he begins to refine his ideas. Well done Amani! |
| MFL | Isabell B Kelsie B Kejsi M (Year 7) |
For always giving 100% in Spanish lessons. |
|
PSHE |
Kenzie J (Year 9) |
For his mature attitude and excellent questioning when discussing the dangers of substance abuse. |
| General | Alex A (Year 10) |
I spotted a student who was unsure of their room due to strike changes, I tried to sort it from the floor below but Alex kindly offered to help out the other student to make sure they were able to get to their lessons okay. |
KS3 Spellings- RESPECT for Education
Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will be tested each week on a set of spellings. This is to improve their basic literacy skills. We encourage parents / carers to engage in this activity with your child to support their learning. This week’s spellings to be learnt are:
Year 7
- Congregation
- Infusion
- Rhythm
- Celebratory
- Jewellery
- Festivities
- Dazzling
- Glistening
- Melancholy
- Throbbing
Year 8
- Sadistic
- Deceptive
- Arrogant
- Deformity
- Duplicitous
- Treason
- Eloquent
- Ignominious
- Affable
- Charismatic
Year 9
- Magistrate
- Territorial
- Manslaughter
- Rendezvous
- Institutionalised
- Notoriety
- Recession
- Interference
- Disturbances
- Judiciary
Final thought
“Your time is limited so do not waste it living someone else’s life”
The next parental bulletin will go live on Friday 24th March 2023; enjoy the week ahead!
Mr A Kay (Assistant Head Teacher- Pastoral and Attitudes to Learning)
