#ThisWeekatSAW – 18th March 2022

[18 Mar 2022]

Message from the Head of School:

Hello,

Another busy week at Sirius Academy West!  We have had more primary school visits to the Academy this week and they have seen first-hand the excellent facilities we have to offer.  We hope to welcome them back in the near future to continue their education with us.

The Academy is continuing to provide Saturday revision sessions for those students with examinations this year. If your child has been invited please encourage them attend. These revision sessions are vital as part of their examination preparation. 70 Year 11 students are also attending an overnight stay at Forest Pines where they will attend a carousel of Maths revision sessions.  Thank you to the Maths team for supporting the most crucial time of the year before exams take place.

Tuesday 15 March saw students receiving their mock exam results.  This event ran after school and was the first time since Year 9 that parents and carers have been able to come into the Academy and speak to staff face-to-face.  It was a key opportunity to have discussions with parents about their child’s progress so thank you to the parents and carers that came and supported their child. The feedback we received from parents and carers was really positive.

The Academy has also received an Optimus Well-Being Award on Monday.  This was a real team effort led by Mr Kay and the report reflects the amazing work which goes on day in-day out around the Academy.

Finally, please continue to support the Academy by ensuring your child attends every day. Attendance to every lesson is vital for learning and progress especially in Y11 in the run up to exams.  Thank you for your continued support.

Gemma Ransom (Head of School)

RESPECT for Community- General Academy news

Optimus Well-Being Award

We are delighted to share that the Academy was successful in achieving the Optimus Well-Being Award for the next three academic years. The feedback from the award was a testament to the hard work that goes on across our Academy community to support Mental Health and Well-Being at all levels.

As always, if you would like to discuss the support that is on offer for students and parents / carers in the Academy then please contact the Year Team who will be happy to discuss.

Year 11 Mock Exam Results Event

Our Year 11 cohort had a fantastic day this week in which they received their 2nd set of Mock Exam Results. Parents and carers were welcomed into the Academy to celebrate with the students and special messages of encouragement were shared from home and staff members. The final push is now on towards the upcoming GCSE series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gqZBPnx6JY

The Big Walk and Wheel – Monday 28 March – Friday 1 April 2022

The Big Pedal is back… ish! Now rebranded to The Big Walk and Wheel. We did an incredible job raising the profile of sustainable travel last year and have continued to do different events throughout the year too.

We have since been awarded with the highest Modeshift Stars accreditation in the local area. Thank you to those that continue to contribute!

The Big Walk and Wheel will return from Monday 28 March but we will go big on Friday 1 April. This will include themed lessons in Year 7 and Year 8, bespoke enrichment clubs, bikes available in PE, QR Code hunts in the local community, Bike OTs, themed assemblies, etc. Lots!

We are encouraging all students to ditch the use of a car and a lift for a more active mode of transport.

The health benefits are huge. The financial benefits are even bigger at the moment too!

We will be releasing more information soon. Contact [email protected] if you would like to know more.

Primary School Visits and Leadership

Primary School Visits, and our Transition Programme, are back with a bang! After months of uncertainty, and a diluted programme of virtual events for our local Primary Schools, we have been delighted to invite pupils from Year 5 and Year 6 back into the academy over the last couple of weeks.

Over 700 different pupils in attendance over the last few weeks. Ten different Primary Schools. Phew!

Huge thanks to Mr Byrne, Miss Mead, Mr Smith, Miss Curtis, Mr Beech, Mrs Bentham, Mrs Jones, Mrs Kent, Mr Sinderson and Mr Boatin for providing engaging activities. Feedback from the pupils and the Primary Schools was outstanding.

Activities were planned to celebrate Safer Internet Day, Pancake Day, World Book Day, International Maths Pi Day and British Science Week, and provide a couple of Primary Schools with a Geography Masterclass and a Champions League Football Tournament.

Even bigger thanks to our incredible ambassadors and leaders. Our very own students. These events are not possible without their support. We are proud of you all. Great job!

Parents and carers are reminded that if they have any other children that are currently in Primary School, and have any questions regarding the Transition process, then please contact Mr Gordon or Ms Lyon on [email protected].

Year 7 Rugby Team Success

Our talented Year 7 Rugby boys continued their undefeated run as an Academy team with a 26-6 win the 1st round of the National Schools Cup against Westcliff High (Essex). The boys now look forward to a Quarter-Final against either Rhydywaun (Wales) or Cowley International College (London).

Squad: Clinton Turner, Olly Brooks, Malachy O’Dell, Reuben Potter, Billy Smith, Harrison Mcilwraith, Jacob Last, Ronnie Hanchett, Isaac Last, Micah Smith, Ashton Owst, Bradley Lowthorpe, Jake Fletcher, Bosco Masengesho, Corey Wilsher, Cole Obridge , Ethan Laud, Danelius Tamosiunas

Year 10 Girls Rugby Team

Our Year 10 Girls Rugby team showed tremendous determination throughout the Yorkshire Cup competition against some of the best teams from the region. The girls finished with two close defeats and two draws from their 4 games. The team will learn a lot from the experiencer as they look to go further in Year 11.

Squad: Ruby Bennett, Bronwyn Leake, Lydia Smith, Charell Wilby, Crystal Whitfield, Leo Taylor, Cerys Lee, Gabi Staniszewskai, Charlotte Sutton, Jodie White, Lauren Culliney, Amy Lyon (Year 9) and Emily Last (Year 9)

Staff Charity Event

Staff from the Academy will be taking on Mount Snowdon during the Easter break. This is to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Research, in memory of a former colleague. The link for any donations is below: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sawsnowdon2022

RESPECT for Education- Weekly Focuses

This week the students have completed the following tasks in their Period 6 lessons. Please discuss with them as we continue to develop the knowledge of our students:

Weekly Student Planner Culture Task

Our focus in this week’s Student Planner Culture Task was on Anne Frank. Frank was an inspirational figure who recorded her famous diary during the times in which the Nazi regime persecuted the Jewish people.

Votes for Schools Topic (Key Stage 3 students only)

This week the students discussed the topic of ‘Are Neurodiversity labels helpful?’.

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 Aalia Roberts

(Year 10)

Always cheerful with a “good morning” and is consistently working hard every Science lesson, making excellent progress.
Maths Mason Walker

(Year 10)

Mason has recently returned to the academy and has been brilliant in Maths, he has also been helping others with their understanding and always challenges himself.
MFL Charlie Wadsworth

(Year 9)

 

Always an Expert Learner. He always works to the best of his ability; he is resilient and works through problems and wants to make progress and understand.

 

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

  1. Carnival
  2. Permanently
  3. Successfully
  4. Experienced
  5. Influence
  6. Identity
  7. Interpretation
  8. Imagination
  9. Exotic
  10. Fortune

Year 8

  1. Unscrupulous
  2. Passionate
  3. Austere
  4. Unsympathetic
  5. Dignified
  6. Equivocal
  7. Immortal
  8. Patriarchal
  9. Servile
  10. Enthralling

Year 9

  1. Suffragettes
  2. Pacifist
  3. Disenfranchised
  4. Disillusioned
  5. Prejudice
  6. Patriarchal
  7. Militancy
  8. Negligence
  9. Confrontational
  10. Misogyny

Final thought

“In the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity”

The next parental bulletin will go live on Friday 24th March 2022; enjoy the weekend!

Mr A Kay (Assistant Head Teacher- Pastoral and Attitudes to Learning)

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