The Minster School
A Church of England Voluntary Aided School
Newsletter April 2015 Issue 4
Forthcoming
events...
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Minster School
Newsletter
This edition includes articles on:

Sporting Successes

Graphics Competition

Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards

Green Week

School Council

Southwell-Sees Twinning Group

What’s happening in Music

Washington & New York Trip

Davos Ski Trip

Library News

National Police Aid Convoys

Air Ambulance Fundraising

Epilepsy Society Fundraising

Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register

Y7 Geography Field Work

e-Safety Focus

CBBC online mini series

Chaplaincy News
We hope you enjoy reading about the continued success and diverse activity
undertaken by our students.
Monday 4th May
 BANK HOLIDAY
Tuesday 5th May
 School General Election this
week
 A2 final Art exams this week
 D of E Presentation Ceremony
(Bronze and Silver Awards) 6.30 8.00pm
Thursday 7th May
 Recital Concert 7.00 - 8.00pm
Friday 8th May
 Year 11 AP3 sent home
Monday 11th May
 Key Stage 2 SATS this week
 GCSE and A’ Level exams start
this week
 MSPTA Meeting 7.30 - 8.30pm
Thursday 14th May
 Year 9 Maths SATs this week (in
lessons)
21st May
 Parent Forum 7.00 -8.00pm
Friday 22nd May
 Year 7 reports and AP3 sent
home
25th - 29th May
BREAK FOR HALF TERM
Monday 1st June
 Start of Junior Department Fiver
Challenge
Tuesday 2nd June
 Year 7C/R visit to Harry Potter
Studios (London)
Thursday 4th June
 Year 7T/W visit to Harry Potter
Studios (London)
Friday 5th June
 Year 7 AP3 sent home
Celebrations and Successes
Sporting Events
Girls’ Cricket
The U14 Girls cricket team played in the Regional finals on Friday 24th which were held in Stoke On Trent. The
girls played well despite the competition being fierce. Well done girls.
The team were: Ellie Bradbury, Olivia Kinnimonth, Amy Bruce, Olivia Shirley, Katie Hoad, Jess Weaver, Eliza Peake,
Ellie Stredder, Gabriella, Laura Murjan
Show-jumping Team
The Minster School Show-jumping team represented Nottinghamshire in the 70cm and 80 cm classes on Friday
17th April at the National County Schools Show-jumping Finals at Bury Farm Hertfordshire.
The 80 cm team finished in 2nd place and were in the lead until the last but one team to go! The team were Emelia
Chow, Matty Luker, Danielle Maclean and Lily Gray.
Lizzie Baugh also did exceptionally well to finish in 3rd place in the U18 competition at the Belton International
horse Trials at the weekend.
Congratulations and very well done to everyone who took part.
Miss H McGregor
Minster Rugby 2015
Year 9 & 10
th
Wednesday the 29 April saw the culmination of the rugby season for the Year 9 and Year 10 rugby teams. Both
teams finished top of their respective leagues and qualified for the County Cup Playoff Final matches played at Mellish
RFC.
In the first game, Year 9 took on a tough Samworth Academy side who
were the only team to have narrowly beaten them this season. The
conditions were very difficult and Samworth used them to their advantage
early and often. Minster kept fighting throughout the game and although
they scored 2 tries Samworth ran out winners and claimed the Playoff
Final crown. It wasn’t all bad news however. At the presentation, the Y9
team sportingly congratulated Samworth on their achievement and were
all ready to accept defeat. They were then informed that even though
they had lost the PLAYOFF final, their top place LEAGUE finish had
earned them the title of 2015 COUNTY CUP LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!
A fantastic achievement and a finish to the day which left smiles on
everyone’s face!
Next up it was the turn of the Year 10 team. On paper it appeared that they
would have a much easier match against Tuxford Academy, who they had
beaten 40-0 earlier in the campaign. This was not to be the case however.
Once again the windy conditions combined with a determined Tuxford side
gave the Year 10s plenty to think about. The game started well for Minster as
they jumped out to an early 17-0 lead and looked to be sailing to victory.
However, a couple of errors and some inspired Tuxford play pegged the score
back to 17-12 approaching half time. The second half saw more of the same
with Minster pulling away, only to be reined in by Tuxford. Ben Jamson led
from the front with a fantastic performance with the ball in hand and also defensively and set the tone for a knockout
score late in the game. Will Weaver proved invaluable in the second half as Tuxford used the strong wind and their
kicking game to put Minster under pressure. Time and time again Will was steady under the kicks and returned the
ball well to set up another attack for the Southwell side. In the end the score appeared more comfortable that the
game actually was as Minster ran out winners 37-22 and secured BOTH the League Champion AND Playoff Final
Champion titles for 2015.
This continues a fantastic story for
this particular group of students as
this year’s victory sees them
crowned County Cup Champions for
the third straight year! (They also
made the final in year 7 but narrowly
lost to Samworth on that occasion)
Attention will now surely turn to
defending their crown in year 11 and
finishing with 4 consecutive titles.
Both teams played with an incredible attitude and commitment and were a credit to both their families and the
school. Roll on next year’s competition!!!!!
Mr Walker & Mr Brookes
PrintIT Graphics Competition
In April 2015, twenty-five Year 10 GCSE Graphics students took part in a nationwide competition, run by ProSkills.
PrintIT is an initiative that has been teaching students about the print and paper industry since 2005 - the aim of
PrintIT! is to give students the opportunity to learn more about the print and paper industries and offer them an
insight into the range of career opportunities that exist within these advanced and high-tech industries. Students
were asked to create a print focused project for the Fairtrade Foundation.
This is only the second time that Minster School students have taken part. Thousands of students and nearly 2000
schools have entered the competition, which ends with an ‘Oscar Style’ awards ceremony with fantastic prizes for
both the school and the students. All students produced some fantastic work for the competition and were congratulated on their efforts.
This week, PrintIT announced its 34 finalists. Two of The Minster School’s graphics students made it through out of
thousands of entries – Bethany Sprigg and Howe-Yee Law. This is an amazing achievement for both students, who
are invited to an awards ceremony and educational day in Leicester College to hopefully collect their prizes for
winning awards!
Well done to both girls, and all students who entered for all their hard work.
Bethany Sprigg
Howe-Yee Law
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The Open group based at the school has recently held a successful presentation evening when 115 bronze,
31 Silver and 13 Gold certificates and badges were presented. The Speaker was Adam Walker an international
Ocean Swimmer who has swum seven oceans. He gave an inspirational talk about his experiences and encouraged
the students to strive to achieve their aims and goals and to go on to the next level of D of E.
Three Silver awardees namely Theo Wilson, Timothy Boulton and Alastair Flynn spoke to the large audience about
their Silver expedition and Rhiannon Rees and Ellie Leigh, both Gold candidates, spoke about their entire D of E
journey.
Expedition training for all sections is continuing through the summer
culminating in final expeditions for Gold in July and in the Autumn for Bronze
and Silver. Participants should by now have had their programme planners
approved and be undertaking their volunteering, physical and skill activities.
Alan Dearden is at school each Thursday at student reception from 10.30
a.m. till lunch time to provide information or answer any questions. Alan can
be contacted on [email protected]
Theo, Timothy and Alastair all holding their Silver D of E certificates, with Adam Walker, international ocean swimmer.
Green Week 23rd—28th March
The week commencing the 23rd of March was Green Week where I and all the other
Eco-Reps set out to encourage the entire school to be more eco-friendly. The theme
for this year was climate change. The greenhouse effect is a natural process and without
it the earth would be freezing, however this process is being multiplied by the increasing
amount of greenhouse gases being produced, mainly by burning fossil fuels.
Consequently, our earth is getting warmer. Our greed for fuel has endless effects
including acid rain, the destruction of animals’ habitats and more extreme weather
Digby Edwards-Walsh and Gemma
across the world. This is why we did what we did for Green Week.
Wilcock raise awareness of Global
Warming and Earth Hour
So, what did we do? Firstly, in every tutor time that week every student was given the task to make a piece of
bunting saying what they love about the world that they live in; we each then pledged to do an individual action to
protect whatever is on our piece of bunting; the bunting was attached together to make a massive line of it and
we hung it around the school. Later, this bunting will join hundreds of other schools’ bunting across the country to
make an even bigger line! Then, in the Green Week assembly Mrs Skoyles informed everyone about Earth Hour.
This is a campaign across the world that asked people on the 28th March between 8.30 and 9.30pm to turn off all
the electrical items in their house, including the light switches. By doing this every year we can make a gradual
difference – next year it’s on the 19thMarch from 8.30 to 9.30pm. Finally, on the Friday we held a massive event at
lunch time which included a cake sale, nail painting, a stationary sale, a ‘guess how many sweets in the jar’ and
a ‘guess the name of the cuddly tortoise’ all in aid of WWF. In the end we raised money for the WWF but it was
equally important to inform and encourage the school to be more eco-friendly! Annie Mae-Wright
‘For the Love of…’ bunting made by students in
our Heart Space
Ei Lwin, Molly Marsden
and Annie-Mae Wright
raising money for WWF
Updates and Information
School Council
The final meeting of the current School Council took place on Wednesday 25th March 2015. The group
comprises of the Head Girl and Boy, Deputy Head Girls and Boys, House Captains and Deputy
House Captains. The group meets once per half term to discuss issues that have been raised in House Council
meetings, and so far this year have discussed issues such as food, the use of the outdoor spaces at
lunchtimes and ICT facilities within the school. These topics have then been discussed with the school’s Leadership
Team. After the Easter break a new Head Team and set of House Captains will be elected, who will form
the new School Council.
The school would like to take the opportunity to thank all of those involved for their hard work and efforts,
and wish them the very best of luck for their exams this summer.
Southwell-Sees Twinning Group
The town of Southwell is twinned with Sées in Normandy, France. Several years ago the
Southwell Twinning Association was set up by a group of residents from Southwell and the
surrounding area. The group meets regularly to organise visits to Sées, and to arrange
activities and hosts for families and individuals from Sées for their return visits. Visits between
Southwell and Sées take place biannually, with whole families or adult individuals taking part in
the visits.
The organisation are looking for families from Southwell who may be interested in
joining the group – both as host families for 2015 and as part of the organisation who will
visit Sées in 2016. A cohort of families from Sées is due to visit Southwell later this year,
from 24th-27th October. Membership of the group is £20 per family, which allows a family
to host and take part in the return visit to Sées during the following year. This is a great
opportunity to learn language skills as a family and develop a partnership with a community
from France. If you are interested in becoming involved with the organisation, please
contact Sally Johnson (Chair) on [email protected].
What’s happening in Music…….
Music Technology Moderation Performance
On Thursday 23rd of April, the Year 11 Music Technology
students performed to Junior Department students for
moderation of their GCSE Music Technology (Performing Arts).
Their showcases were entitled Into The Beyond and included a
variety of musical acts and entertainment with a scientific spin!
As part of the course students take ownership of the event and
lead the direction and organisation of the whole showcase.
They did this very well with a professional attitude and manner.
Well done to all involved!
Musical success at the 2015 Young Creative Awards
Oliver Stewart is a pianist in Year 10 who, with his
band from Nottingham Music Hub ‘Unjustified’, has won
the final of the Noise From The Next Generation
competition.
Ollie had to write a song on the theme of ‘Made in
Nottingham’ and will perform with the rest of the band at
the 2015 Young Creative Awards held at The Nottingham
Playhouse.
Well done Ollie!
ABRSM Examination Results - Celebrating music grade success!
Well done to all those students who passed their instrumental and vocal exams in the last school-based ABRSM
session.
Congratulations to Anna Buckley, Gracie Jay, Tasmin
Jones, Jacob Love, Ella Pearce and Hannah Wood who
achieved distinctions in their exams.
Taking a grade exam takes practice, dedication and good
preparation and, whether it is ABRSM, Trinity or LCM it
is an opportunity to get credit for the hard work
students put into their instrument and voice.
Well done also to the students who have passed music
and music theory exams taken outside of school.
Students perform with national music ensembles
Over the Easter holiday Ella Pearce (Year 8)
and Trudy Ward (Year 10) both performed in
concerts by prestigious musical ensembles,
demonstrating their musical talent and
success. For the third year running harpist
Ella Pearce took part in the National
Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain (under
13s) Easter course with a final performance in
Hampshire.
The concert was fantastic (I was fortunate to
be able to see it) and the orchestra
competently performed some difficult
repertoire with excellent balance and
unity. The programme included a world
premiere of a Ballet Suite by Michael Curtis,
which was full of energy, alongside difficult
music including movements from Stravinsky’s
Firebird Suite.
National Children’s Orchestra
Trudy Ward is a singer who gained a place with the Senior Girls’ Choir as part of the National
Youth Choirs of Great Britain organisation. These choirs take the top singers in the country and,
following a successful audition, Trudy took part in the Easter course and performed three
concerts at various venues on the Southbank in London. Previous members of NYCGB have been
highly successful as professional singers, and the quality of the ensembles is stunning!
Places in these national ensembles are hugely
competitive and to achieve a position in the
orchestra demonstrates the talent and
achievements of both Ella and Trudy.
Ella commented about her involvement with
the National Children’s Orchestra,
“NCO has helped me so much with lots of
skills including rhythm and team work. I
have enjoyed it a lot because you are
around friends, new and old, and it has
opened many new opportunities. It is very
tiring but worth it!”
Well done to both girls and to many other
students involved in musical activities over
the Easter holiday!
National Girls’ Choir
Miss Hannah Wallis, Director of Music
Easter Concert
On Monday 23rd March 2015, students from a number of different ensembles
showcased their talent and hard work by performing in the school’s Easter Concert at
Southwell Minster. The event was warmly supported by a large number of
distinguished guests, parents/carers, fellow students and the wider community. There
was a performance of ‘Skid Row’ from the cast of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, alongside
such ensembles as Junior Department Choir, Girls’ Choir, Full Choir, Chamber Choir,
Double Reed Ensemble, Flute Group, Orchestra, Jazz Band and Brass Group. Soloist,
Christina Schoonakker took to the stage with the String Ensemble to perform the 1st
and 2nd movements of Telemann’s Concerto for Viola and String Orchestra.
The JD Choir set the scene for the concert, opening with a rousing performance of
Joshua Fought the Battle with precision and gusto. The Brass Ensemble, directed by
Mr Gav Brown continues to grow in number and energy and was well received by our
enthusiastic audience. Full Choir performed Eric Whitacre's 'The Seal Lullaby' with
the sensitivity and blend required for this style. Amongst the highlights of the concert
was the Double Reed Ensemble directed by Mr Terry Gill, who performed with cohesion and clarity, and the Chamber Choir's repertoire including Pastime With Good
Companie, paying tribute to the late and much respected composer Ward Swingle,
and a breath-taking performance of Mealor's Ubi Caritas composed for the Royal
Wedding in 2012.
For those students leaving school soon and moving on to the next stage in their lives, we wish
them all the very best in their forthcoming exams and for the future. We thank them for their
years of involvement in music at the school and look forward to hearing from them when they
return to visit. Thanks go to the students involved in the concert and for the large team of Music
staff who directed ensembles and supported the event. We were delighted to receive such
positive feedback from audience members:
"Thank you so much for an absolutely splendid Concert yesterday evening. It was all so enjoyable that, as usual it
would be impossible to single out individual pieces or performers. It was lovely to see the students performing so
competently in a wide range of musical styles. The Chamber Choir piece, 'Ubi Caritas' was so beautiful in the Minster
setting - it made my hair stand on end! I shall not forget it. the Junior Chamber Choir too, have made great progress
in a short space of time. It's good to know that, even though we will be losing some talented students soon, there
are plenty more coming up to replace them."
"I thought the concert last night was super – best I’ve seen in ages. I particularly loved the Last Night at the Proms numbers and the Chamber
Choir’s Billy Joel piece. Fabulous."
"I felt the need to write to congratulate you on a wonderful concert. The standard of performance was outstanding.. Last night we were thrilled
by the performances of the orchestra, jazz and brass band. I hope you sensed the audience itching to join in with the orchestra – hence the
applause in the wrong place!"
"Thanks so much for last night, I thought the Easter concert was lovely! I particularly enjoyed the Viola concerto and the Chamber Choir were
excellent as always, the Junior choir too. The Jazz Band were great, I loved the piece they played!"
We warmly welcome you to our future events including the JD Concert on Monday 29th June and our Summer Concert
on Monday 13th July. Both events will be held at the school.
For further updates on the extra-curricular life of the department please keep in touch via the school website, our
Facebook page or by contacting: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]
Mr M Gibson
Music Administrator
The World of Musical Theatre
How much musical theatre can you fit into 36 hours? Rather a lot
it would seem… Fifty students came on the trip to London
to experience two shows, a stage-combat workshop and the
London atmosphere. The first stop was for dinner at Hard Rock
Cafe, an opportunity to peruse music memorabilia from artists
including Prince, Noel Gallagher, Iggy Pop and Madonna whilst
catching a quick bite to eat after the journey. This was followed by
an evening performance of Matilda, a fast-paced, tech-heavy
musical with music by Tim Minchin and energetic choreography
and tricks. The stage design and clever stunts perfectly highlighted
the exceptional performances, from quieter solo numbers from
very talented young children, to whole cast chorus’ such as
‘Revolting Children’. Having performed some of the numbers at
the Musical Theatre Showcase back in October, some of the
students on the trip could easily have joined the cast!
Driving through London at night over the Thames and past some of the city’s
famous buildings lit up, we made our way to the hotel. This was no ordinary school
trip hotel! As an added bonus, we were booked into a Safari Hotel, set in a park
with monkeys, toucans and ostriches amongst other animals. After a good night’s
sleep and a large breakfast, it was time to make our way back into the centre of
London for our stage combat workshop.
Held at Danceworks, we were trained by two professional actors who taught
us the art of stage fighting; how to make the fights look realistic while keeping them
safe and controlled - creating an effective illusion for the audience. The results
were very impressive although it would have looked strange to anyone passing by!
The workshop was followed with a question and answer session with the two
workshop leaders and an actor currently working in the musical Memphis.
This was an excellent opportunity to find out a little more on careers and experience
in the industry… something a number of our students are considering and exploring.
We finished the trip with lunch at Covent Garden and a matinee of the National Theatre production ‘War Horse’
which was stunning. Performed at the New London Theatre on Drury Lane this weaved together breath
-taking acting, mesmerising puppetry, music and thoughtful set design and production. It is a performance quite unlike
any other and left everyone a little emotional, particularly as we were sat right at the front of the small
theatre and therefore had a very close view of everything!
Our brilliant students were a real credit to the school and we had a fantastic time. We’re looking forward to doing it
again soon - I wonder what we’ll see…
Miss Hannah Wallis, Director of Music
Visit to Washington and New York
At the beginning of April, twenty seven Year 12 and 13 students explored the sights and sounds of Washington
and New York. The visit related to the American course studied in A Level History and the Global Politics element
of the Government and Politics A Level.
On the first day, students walked an impressive 13 miles to take in all of the attractions that Washington had to
offer. This included a guided tour of the US Capitol Building where students were taught about the foundations of
the American constitution and its development as a democratic nation.
They also visited the Lincoln Memorial where they were able to put into context some of the defining moments of
the 20th Century, including Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I have a dream’ speech.
On route to New York, a three hour stop in Gettysburg allowed students to understand the American Civil War,
its causes and consequences.
The sight of the Manhattan skyline signalled our arrival in New York. Here, students made their way downtown to
see the Statue of Liberty and a short ferry ride allowed them to hop off at Ellis Island to explore its impressive
museum dedicated to the thousands of immigrants who passed through its doors searching for a better life in the
‘land of the free’. They also spent some time reflecting at the 9/11 memorial and had the opportunity to explore
Central Park.
A clear highlight for students was travelling to the top of the Empire State Building at night to be able to see New
York lit up in all its glory.
The visit was hugely inspiring and helped to bring the topics that students study to life.
The behaviour of students throughout the visit was impeccable and they were a real credit to the school.
Ski Trip 2015 – Davos, Switzerland 2nd – 9th April
The annual school ski trip departed at the ridiculous hour of 3.45am
on Thursday 2nd April, bound for a week of adventure and fun in
the Swiss resort of Davos.
Following a seamless journey from Southwell to Geneva, we boarded
a luxury double decker coach and set off on the transfer to Davos.
Seven hours later, due to traffic, bad weather and having to stop
to fit the coach with snow chains, we arrived at the Youthpalace
Hostel; our home for the next seven days! A quick meal was followed
by the ski fitting session and then a well-earned first night’s sleep in
our new surroundings.
The next morning we awoke to an idyllic scene of perfect snow and beautiful blue skies, and after a hearty
breakfast, the fifty-five intrepid explorers took to the slopes of the Jakobshorn section of the resort.
The students ranged from extremely experienced and talented skiers, to those who had never clipped in to a pair
of skis before! Let the fun begin!!!!
The first day enabled everyone to find, or re-discover, their snow legs and from there, the students went from
strength to strength.
Subsequent days were spent exploring other parts of the resort including the main Parsenn area, Madrisa and the
exclusive Klosters resort, often frequented by the Royal family!
On day five we awoke to some of the best snow that many of us more experienced snow sport enthusiasts
had ever had the fortune to ski on! It was incredible, with more blue skies to match!
The evenings were taken up with a variety of activities ranging from bowling, pool and table tennis, to the more
crazy exploits of the ‘creative room tidying competition’ and the now legendary ‘Silly Games Night’.
During the relatively small amount of free time that the students experienced (largely due to the massive amount
of skiing that was undertaken!!) they were also able to explore the shopping areas of Davos.
The behaviour of all the students was incredible; they interacted and engaged with each other tremendously well,
both as part of their individual ski groups and during the evening entertainment programme. New friends were
made, older students set a fantastic example for their younger peers and even the instructors said that
they look forward to accompanying the Minster School each year when they look at the schools that they
will be working with during the season. They were truly a credit to school, their families and the Southwell area
itself!
Of course, whenever one trip ends, planning for the next one begins!! Mr Tipple and his staff are already
looking for the next bunch of adventurers for the 2016 trip! Keep your eyes peeled for details of how
YOU could be part of what is undoubtedly a unique experience on the Minster School calendar!!!
Library News
Celebrating World Book Day - On March 5th, the Library held its annual Bookmark Competition. The theme
this year was “Out of This World”; winners received an Easter egg prize. The winning bookmarks will be available
in the Library for students to use. We had some great designs from all year groups.
Congratulations to the winners:
Year 3: Madeleine Lloyd
Year 4: Henry Dewsnap
Year 6: Ethan Wood, Evelyn Lee
Year 7: Emma Smith, Ione Jones, Ei Lwin
Year 8: Talullah Hoines-White, Anna Wood, Evie Beadles
Year 9: Imogen Christison
Year 10: Trudy Ward
Year 11: Hannah Mills, Emily Sprigg
Year 12: Jess Clements, Janey Slinger
Carnegie Medal 2015
The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children. There are eight books
on the Carnegie shortlist, which was announced on 17 March. The winner will be revealed on 22 June.
Are you up for a Reading Challenge?
Looking for good readers from Year 8+
If you are interested in shadowing this Award please visit the Library as we have all of the shortlisted titles.
Piers Torday Competition
The Library ran a competition following
Piers Torday’s visit in February.
Ella Spencer won the signed copy of his
book “The Last Wild”- well done to Ella!
Clothing Bank
Minster School families and friends have supported the National Police
Aid Convoys over the last year. Please remember to use the clothing bank when you want to recycle your old
clothes, curtains, towels, etc. Students can deposit bags in the clothes bank can be found on the school site near
to the visitors car park.
On behalf of the National Police Aid Convoys, thank you for your continued support with the clothing banks. Minster
School total for 2014 was 510kg. Chuter Ede Primary School Balderton were the winners with a total of 1820kg. Please
pass on our thanks to your pupils, staff, their families and friends for continued support.
All the good quality clothing has gone to people who really need it and the money raised from recycling supports our
projects in various destinations, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda and Pakistan to name but a few.
2014 saw 28 containers and 7 lorries despatched by us to various destinations, a very busy year! 2015 has started well
with two 40ft containers of humanitarian aid going out to Malawi to help with the floods affecting more than half a million people there.
For more information please visit our website on www.npac.org.uk.
If anyone is interested in helping in our warehouse, sorting, cleaning, packing or even making the tea - please telephone
me for details. 0844 8701 999 (local rate)
We can also use school equipment, furniture, books, sportswear and equipment.. Next year the winning school will be
worked on an average KG per child.
Mrs W V Adams, NPAC Charity Administrator
Raising Funds for the Air Ambulance
On behalf of C3, I would like to thank everyone who came and supported our cake sale in aid
of the Air Ambulance. We raised a fantastic £65.12, which will be sent off to them in the next
few days.
There will be a bit more information about this life saving service showing on the Heart Space
TV’s in the coming weeks - so students should keep an eye out to see where the money is
going! Once again, thank you.
Mrs S Chewings, C3 tutor
http://www.ambucop.org.uk
Epilepsy Society Fundraising Event
Lizzie, Jessica and Mrs Newton
A three day fundraising event was held in school at the end of April to raise money for the Epilepsy Society.
This was instigated and organised by Jessica Mumby-Newton, year 10, who is an epilepsy sufferer.
Jess felt very strongly that she wanted to raise awareness of this condition and decided to set herself a ‘quest’ to
raise money and awareness beginning in school. She produced a power-point which was shown to her science class
and gave out copies of the lilac card that she carries giving advice about what to do if she has an epileptic episode.
Jess then organised three days of selling cakes, loom bands, epilepsy pens and bracelets, guess the number of sweets
in the jar game and cards (made by Mrs Newton). The sweets were won by Will Best in year 10 who guessed the
nearest number to 76. She was helped in this by her number-two, Lizzie Plaistow who has dedicated her time
throughout the whole event. They have been assisted by Zoe Bray, Amy Coyne and Digby Edwards-Walsh all of
whom have given their own time to help behind the stall and raise money. Thank you to you all - what wonderful
young people you are!
Finally the grand total stands at £350 raised so far from the staff and students of the Minster School. How amazing
is that!
Look out for further events in the community organised by Jess and her family as her fundraising quest continues.
Anita Cadman
Students in T5 organised an Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register recruitment event on Tuesday 24th March.
Staff and sixth form students (up to the age of 30 only!!), were able to able to register by providing a small saliva
sample - easy!
More details about the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register can be found at: www.anthonynolan.org
GIVE A SPIT - SAVE A LIFE
For thousands of people with a blood cancer such as leukaemia, a bone marrow transplant is their only chance of
survival. By joining the Anthony Nolan register, you could give them that chance.
Are you fit to spit?
Aged 16–30, weigh over 51kg (8st)and in good health?
Then become a potential bone marrow donor – all you need to do is spit in a tube.
Year 7 Geography Field Work in Southwell
Year 7 are currently studying Economic Activities in Geography. As part of
this topic we have been learning about convenience and comparison shops as
well as shopping hierarchies. We are now investigating the shops and
services found in Southwell. During our timetabled Geography lessons, we
have visited the town centre. Pupils have worked in groups to produce maps
of the different shopping streets. These maps show the different types of
shops and services available. Back in the class room, we will combine the
information from these different maps to make a larger map of the town
centre.
e-Safety focus: Are your children old enough?
Many parents may not be aware that a number of websites, games
and apps have suggested or restrictive age limits. These age limits
are not designed to reflect the ability of a young person to control
the media. They are to show concern about the maturity of
younger users to be able to deal with the range of comments and
material they may receive or find.
Social Media - Many social media sites have age limits. For example Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram all
require users to be 13 years old to register. WhatsApp requires users to be 16 to use their service. If you have
younger children in your family ensure they are respecting these limits, despite the pressure they may receive from
peers. You can find out more about particular sites by using the name of the site followed by the term “age limit”.
Games - Computer games sold in the UK have age ratings for users as well as warnings about particular forms of
content. These should be displayed clearly on the game packaging. You may be surprised about the rating of some
games. A number of games encourage users to pay for additional content or may encourage gambling habits, which
will be reflected in their rating. You can find out more about the ratings of individual games here:
http://www.pegi.info/.
Apps - The age rating for apps available for phones or tablets is often unclear, although more recently there have
been moves to display the information within app stores. As with computer games, you may be surprised about the
rating of some seemingly harmless games. Free apps which encourage additional purchases have become increasingly
common and may catch younger users unawares. Common Sense Media is a not-for-profit organisation in the United
States providing information directed to parents about a range of apps available for smartphones:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org.
Mr Partridge, Assistant Headteacher eLearning
Are you stuck in a rut at family meal times? Do you want to be inspired and excited by new foods?
Then you need help from CBBC!
We are searching for 8 – 13 year olds and their families to take part in an online mini-series where a mystery chef
crashes your kitchen for the day! If you’re scared of spices or find your veggies vulgar, this series will give you the
chance to taste and learn about food from across the world from the comfort of your own home. If this sounds like
something you and your family would love to try, please visit the ‘Be On a Show’ page on our website to apply
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/cbbc-dish-up-be-on-a-show
Please note, the deadline for applications is 31st May 2015 and filming will take place in July 2015 over one day.
Chaplaincy News
First Minster School 6th Form Conference
Southwell Minster hosted our first Sixth Form conference on Thurs 26th
March, for the whole of Year 12. The conference explored the question
“To what extent does faith have the answers to Britain’s problems?”.
Five speakers from all over the country addressed nearly two hundred
Minster School Sixth Form students, including some from Magnus School
who joined us for the morning. The student-led Current Affairs Group
chaired the event and led the questions from the floor.
The speakers included Dr John Moses (Dean Emeritus of St Paul’s
Cathedral), Adnan Khan (Muslim blogger and local TV presenter),
Rabbi Tanya Sakhnovich (liberal Jewish), Mark Spencer MP (Conservative,
Nottingham) and Malcolm Brock (Lib Dem candidate for Newark).
Fr Matthew said “It’s so important for young people today to understand how faith and politics fit with the
real social issues of our time, and to engage meaningfully on all sorts of levels with these debates. To hear
different perspectives from those involved with faith communities, or on the edge of them, is particularly useful.”
The Rock Mass returns for Pentecost!
The Rock Mass is coming back to Southwell Minster for Pentecost 2015! Young people (and those who are
young at heart) will gather at 7pm on Sat 23rd May to celebrate together with a live rock band – Metanoia –
who are well known for headlining the Greenbelt festival.
Come along on the night to worship loud, and bring a glow-stick with you!
All are welcome, whatever your age, faith, or church background.
In partnership with Christian Aid.