Thank you to those parents who attended the Year 8 Parents Evening last Thursday. Attendance was excellent.

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1 Issue th November 2017 Dear Parent / Carer, Thank you to those parents who attended the Year 8 Parents Evening last Thursday. Attendance was excellent. Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent and we begin our journey towards Christmas by making sure that we remember the true meaning of the festival. Over the next two weeks all remaining pupils will be given the opportunity to participate in an Advent Service, and we pray that the light of Christ may shine before others in our daily lives: Those who walked in the dark have seen a bright light. And it shines upon everyone who lives in the land of the darkest shadows. You may also be thinking about your own Christmas lists at this time, and so I would like to point out that Smart watches that can replicate mobile phone functions (camera, text messaging, etc.) are not allowed to be worn in school. Such devices are also specifically banned from all external examinations by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Smart watches will be subject to the same rules as mobile phones i.e. if a student is wearing one in school it will be confiscated and have to be collected by a parent or carer. This newsletter does, however, include a comprehensive list of Recommended Reads that children might like to look at before writing their letters to Father Christmas. Encourage them to have a look at the list and maybe choose a book or two for their stocking. A reading child is a successful child, and when you read often and with enthusiasm, usually just for the sheer fun of it, you lay foundations that last for life. The next few weeks are as busy as ever, with the continuation of Year 11 Mock Exams and our Advent Services, our Expressive Arts Christmas event on Thursday 14 th December, Christmas activities on Monday 18 th December and our whole-christmas Liturgies on Tuesday 19 th December. Lessons continue as normal, though, so it is still just as important for pupils to continue attending school regularly, on time and ready to learn. All students in Years 7-9 should now have received their first termly data report under the new KS3 assessment and reporting system, and there is further information about it on the school website, under Learning / Progress; Assessment & Reporting - If you have any questions or concerns about it, please do contact either Mr Brophy, Deputy Headteacher, or Mrs Livesey, Assistant Headteacher for Progress. As it says at the bottom of each report, if you have any questions or concerns about your child s progress or attitude to learning scores, do not hesitate to contact the Form Tutor, Head of Year, or Mrs Livesey, Assistant Head Progress. Finally, may I remind you that school closes on Tuesday 19 th December at 12.15pm and opens for the new term on Wednesday 3 rd January 2018 at the normal time. Thank you for your active support and involvement in your child s education. If you wish to communicate with me on any issue, please do not hesitate to me at headteacher@st-jamescatholic.stockport.sch.uk. Alternatively, please ring and we will arrange to meet at the earliest opportunity. Tim Beesley, Headteacher PRAYER We are looking for God in our world. May we see what God wants us to see. We are looking for God in our lives. May we be who God wants us to be. May God, our Love and our Light, bless us through these Advent days. Amen ADVANCE NOTICE PLEASE NOTE THAT SCHOOL CLOSES AT 12:15PM ON TUESDAY 19 TH DECEMBER STUDENTS RETURN TO SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY 3 RD JANUARY 2018 Letters have gone out to students in Year 9 for the ski course to Livigna in Italy (Easter 2019) cost is 999 (Mr Wilby)

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3 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Sunday s Gospel reminds us that we are not only meant to be preparing for celebrating the birth of Jesus, but also that as Christians we should continually be preparing for when Jesus comes again in glory (just as we say in the Creed each week at mass). For as the Gospel says: You do not know when that time will come. What if Jesus were to return in glory tomorrow, would I be able to stand before Him and say Jesus, I did just what you asked me, I lived my life for you.? Today s gospel challenges me again to be watchful, that is, to be living my life worthy of who I am: a beloved daughter of God. For me this Advent, that maybe means not worrying so much about whether we re going to have all our gifts ready, or trying to get a new outfit for all those Christmas parties but focusing on the time I devote to God. Today, perhaps think about how you will prepare not only for Christmas, but also how you will be always ready for Jesus? Sophie Shrewsbury Youth Mission Team YEAR 8 RETREAT A reminder about the Year 8 Retreats coming up. Each Form will be going on a day retreat at Savio House, Bollington. This will be brilliant experience for the students and an opportunity for them to explore their beliefs in a different environment. These days will be filled with fun activities and time to reflect, and students will come home with a deeper understanding of their personal faith. The deadline for the voluntary contribution was Friday 24 th November, but unfortunately there are a few payments and permission slips outstanding. If there are any problems with payment for the trip, please speak to the Finance Office. The dates of the retreats are: 8E and 8C Thursday 7th December 8A and 8M Monday 11th December 8J and 8S Tuesday 12th December If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Bennett, Lay Chaplain emma.bennett@st-jamescatholic.stockport.sch.uk

4 ENGLISH FACULTY Key Stage 3 Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol: Last half term, Year 8 completed their study of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol in which they explored the plot, characters and the theme of social injustice. This was particularly significant as we begin Advent the coming of Jesus! In the novel, Dickens reminds us that not only is Christmas a time for spreading joy and giving and receiving gifts, but it is also a time in which we remember those less fortunate. The Year 8 students analysed Dickens key symbols of: Ignorance, in which we can ignore social problems and Want, in which many go without and are in need of common necessities. As a way of enhancing their learning and practising GCSE skills, the students created their own A Christmas Carol Advent Calendars, along with prizes and festive decoration to test their knowledge and understanding of the novel. May this also serve as a reminder for the students continued effort in bringing in tins and packets of food for the Wellspring charity. Miss Ffrench-Lange (English Teacher) Katie Carson 8M Millie Heaney 8J Victoria Miskell 8J Chris Mills 8J mischievously ransacking the calendar for chocolate!!

5 RECOMMENDED READS Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Collection Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tale Collection Aesop s Fables Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling Charles Dickens, eg, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations (both currently studied during English lessons here), try also David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol Bronte Sisters, eg, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Jane Austen, e.g. Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion Frances Hodgson Burnett, eg, The Secret Garden, A Little Princess Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis eg., The Magician s Nephew, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe Black Beauty by Anna Sewell The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde The Hobbit/ Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll The Railway Children by E. Nesbit The Old Man & the Sea by Ernest Hemingway The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Animal Farm by George Orwell The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank Call of the Wild by Jack London Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier Watership Down by Richard Adams The Borrowers by Mary Norton Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild The Iron Man by Ted Hughes The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Tom s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce Just William by Richmal Crompton The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines Stig of the Dump by Clive King The Outsiders by S. F. Hinton Carrie s War by Nina Bawden Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor Michael Morpurgo, e.g., Private Peaceful, War Horse Road of Bones by Anne Fine Coraline by Neil Gaiman Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian Hitchhiker s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams River Boy by Tim Bowler Skellig by David Almond Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Little Soldier by Bernard Ashley I Am David by Anne Holm Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon Jacqueline Wilson, e.g., The Illustrated Mum, Lola Rose Philip Pullman, e.g. His Dark Materials trilogy (Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) Terry Pratchett e.g. Truckers, Mort Agatha Christie, e.g. Murder on the Orient Express Arthur Conan Doyle e.g. The Hound of the Baskervilles Holes by Louis Sachar (is studied here currently during Year 8) The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (is studied here currently in Year 9) Anthony Horowitz e.g. Stormbreaker, Raven s Gate, The Falcon s Malteser Bill Bryson e.g. Notes From a Small Island, Mother Tongue, A Short History of Nearly Everything The Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ by Sue Townsend

6 GIRLS PE EXTRA CURRICULAR INFORMATION Week commencing Monday 4 th December BOYS PE EXTRA CURRICULAR INFORMATION Week commencing Monday 4 th December Tuesday Curling at Heatons School noon Wednesday Years 9 & 10 netball at home vs Marple KS3 Badminton at Cheadle Hulme High School return 5:15pm approx. U13 Rugby at Broughton Park pm Thursday Years 7 & 8 netball at Werneth return 5:30pm approx.. KS4 Badminton finals at Kingsway return 5:15pm approx. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Year 8 Catholic Table Tennis competition at Newman College meet 3pm return 6pm Year 8 'B' v Wright Robinson (away) meet 1.15pm return 4.30pm Year 9/10 Stockport Table Tennis competition at St James finish 5pm Year 10 v Brine Leas (Aquinas) 3.30pm kick off return 5.10pm Girls PE Boys PE EXTRA CURRICULAR PE Congratulations to the Key Stage 3 'A' and 'B' teams who progressed through to the Greater Manchester Badminton finals after successfully coming through the Stockport round. The 'A' team won the competition beating our 'B' team 4-2 and both Cheadle Hulme High School and Harrytown 6-0. The 'B' team beat Harrytown 5-1 and drew 3-3 with Cheadle Hulme High School to progress in second place. The Key stage 4 team failed to progress losing 1-5 to Cheadle Hulme High School and then drawing 3-3 with both Kingsway and Bramhall to finish in third place. Football Results Year 10 beat St Thomas More 3-1 Inclusion Cricket Festival Well done to all who went to the inclusion festival a week last Tuesday. They were all brilliant and learnt new skills in leadership. A special mention to Nathan Wood who received a Team Work Spirit of the Games Award.

7 ST JAMES CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOL TERMS AND CLOSURES SCHOOL YEAR 2018/2019 AUTUMN TERM 2018 Pupils start school Tuesday 4 th September 2018 Pupils finish school Friday 19 th October 2018 Autumn Half-Term Pupils start school Tuesday 30 th October 2018 Pupils finish school Friday 21 st December 2018 SPRING TERM 2019 SUMMER TERM 2019 Pupils start school Tuesday 8 th January 2019 Pupils finish school Friday 15 th February 2019 Spring Half-Term Pupils start school Monday 25 th February 2019 Pupils finish school Friday 5 th April 2019 Pupils start school Tuesday 23 rd April 2019 To Friday 24 th May 2019 Summer Half-Term Pupils start school Monday 3 rd June 2019 Pupils finish school Friday 19 th July 2019 Staff in service days: INSET 1: Monday 3 rd September 2018 INSET 2: Monday 29 th October 2018 INSET 3: Monday 7 th January 2019 BANK HOLIDAYS Good Friday - Friday 19 th April 2019 Easter Monday - Monday 22 nd April 2019 May Day - Monday 6 th May 2019 Spring Bank Holiday - Monday 27 th May 2019