THORNLEIGH SALESIAN COLLEGE SUMMER 2024 NEWSLETTER
Dear Parents, Carers, Families and Friends of Thornleigh Welcome to our summer newsletter and the final one from me as headteacher. As we draw the year to a close we have a great deal to celebrate. As always this has been an exceptionally busy term full of new opportunities and challenges for our students. We have had a really successful exam series for our GCSE and A level students who gave their all throughout and we look forward to celebrating with them in the summer on results days - 15th August for A levels and 22nd August for GCSE’s. Our Year 10 students have also had a very busy term with PPE exams, work experience and many participating in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. Our new student leaders have been appointed in Year 10 and we wish them the very best of luck as they take on their new responsibilities. This term students across the school have had opportunities to visit the theatre, go on holidays abroad, enjoy residential experiences to Anglesey, take part in a wonderful sports day, celebrate their proms in Year 11 and Year 13 along with a whole host of other opportunities that have allowed them to grow and flourish both in and outside the classroom. It was wonderful to see so many of our Year 8 students receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop John in June, the partnership with our local parishes has allowed our children to grow in their faith and really explore what that faith means to them. Being part of this community has been such a significant part of my life and it has been my absolute privilege to have led it for the past five years. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the students, staff, governors, and you the parents and families for the support that you have given to me over many years. I will take with me so many happy memories and I thank you for all that you have done. I know that the school will continue to grow and develop as it moves into the future. May I wish you all a restful and enjoyable summer. Mrs O’Callaghan Headteacher 2 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 HEADTEACHER’S MESSAGE
3 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Contents Page 2 Headteacher’s Message Page 4 - 5 Chaplaincy Page 6 - 7 RE Page 8 Class of 2024 Prom Page 9 Sixth Form Prom Page 10 Curriculum for Life Page 11 Design Technology Page 11 Uniformd Page 12 Food Technology Page 13 Sports Day Page 14 - 17 PE Page 18 Dance Page 19 Art Page 20 - 21 Thornleigh Art Gallery Page 22 Maths Page 22 Grassroots Page 23 Send My Friend to School Page 23 Head Students Page 24 - 25 MFL Page 26 - 27 Music Page 28 - 31 Year Team News Page 31 Wear it Green Page 32 Computer Science Page 33 English Page 33 The Wiz Page 34 - 35 Sixth Form
4 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Chaplaincy Confirmation Retreat We have now concluded another successful confirmation programme in partnership with our local parishes our candidates came together for a day retreat at Thornleigh prior to the actual confirmation. The retreat was coordinated with the support of Thornleigh staff, the Salesian community, the catechists from the parish and Caritas Salford. Over 60 candidates spent the day in different sessions and activities - they had the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, listen to vocation testimonials, find out about their chosen saints and also the faith in action programme which they can continue after confirmation. A highlight of the day was spending time with the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. The retreat activities ended with parents joining us for a rehearsal of the service. Bishop John then came to Thornleigh Chapel to confirm all the candidates on the 20th of June. During the ceremony Bishop John encouraged all the young people to grow in their faith, he invited the sponsors and parents to accompany our young people as they grow. The evening concluded with refreshments and a celebration in the main hall. Congratulations to all the candidates, their parents and their families
5 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Form Masses Every Thursday in school each form comes to the Chapel to celebrate Mass. This term it is the turn of Year 7. Each week our Gift team lead, animate, and encourage other students to participate in the mass fully. They have come up with lots of ideas including acting action songs and other ways to make Mass more participatory. Form tutors spend time preparing their forms for readings and responses. Thank you to everyone who has made these celebrations so special CAFOD Young Leaders Celebration On Friday 28th the CAFOD North West Celebration Day took place in St Patrick’s Church, Collyhurst. The day was well organised with different activities and programmes. Bishop John Arnold spoke about his inspiration to faith and invited young people to take social justice causes that make a difference in the world. The aim of the day was to celebrate the progress of our young people in leadership skills and their contribution, and that of their schools, to CAFOD’s work. They provided inspiring input, opportunities to share and suggestions for the future so they can choose to move forward as graduates to give, act and pray with CAFOD to strengthen partnership working with the schools for the future and to provide opportunities for social time together. The young people had a wonderful time as new leaders and received their certificates for the programme.
6 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Follow us @tsc_re RE Year 11 Revision Throughout the summer term our Year 11 students showed commitment to their RE revision by attending after school revision on a Friday. Each revision session students were challenged on their key words, sources of wisdom and authority and exam technique. Some students showed real commitment by attending every week and were rewarded with Dominoes pizza for their efforts. Well done to all the Year 11s who put in such a good effort towards their exams. A group of Year 9 students have recently completed a course, introducing them to key thinkers and ideas in philosophy of religion. Facilitated by an outside speaker from The Thinker Hub, students were challenged to ask big questions, craft sustainable arguments and respectfully challenge the insights of others. This was an excellent introduction to topics that students will study at GCSE and hopefully will sustain their interest through to A level and beyond! Philosophy Club Faith in Action Year 7 students have continued to work hard towards gaining their Faith in Action Award. Acts of service both in and out of school all contribute towards the project, including the hard work of the GIFT teams and other Chaplaincy leaders. When we return in September students will reflect on their acts of service through reflection on scripture and Church teaching, with the aim to have a presentation of awards in October. All Year 8 classes are having the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. This is continuing the programme that has taken place during Advent and Lent, meaning that all students in KS3 and KS4 have had the opportunity to receive the sacrament. This was also in preparation for those students who received their confirmation on the 20th June. Students are given time to prepare by reflecting on the things they would like to ask for forgiveness for or times when they have not acted as they should. As part of the sacraments students will speak to one of our Salesian Priests and then complete an activity based on kindness and moving forward with God’s forgiveness. Reconciliation
7 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Smithills Farm Trip As a reward for tending the guinea pigs so enthusiastically, the RE animal garden group was treated to a day at Smithills Open Farm this term. Students were able to handle some of the animals; they experienced a tractor ride; those who were brave enough got up close to learn about reptiles in the new Smithills Farm Reptile Zoo and everyone got hands on feeding the goats and alpacas. Luckily, the sun shone for us and we could finish our day eating ice cream in the sunshine - we had a great day! St Francis Garden As we are coming to the end of a busy year our animal garden is continuing to grow. We have been working with students in our Bosco centre to keep our garden the best it can be for our animals. Some students have also begun to grow their own vegetables for our Guinea Pigs! Thank you to all the garden leaders and helpers that have supported our garden this year, our animals will be well looked after over the summer and we look forward to seeing you all again next year! Send My Friend to School Every year we have supported the Send My Friend to School Campaign. This campaign makes people aware of the importance of young people having access to education all around the world. This year’s campaign focused on issues that affect a young person receiving an education and the solutions to this problem. Our students have been creating jigsaw pieces of the issues that they know are affecting children across the world and then practical solutions that they can do to help. They have also been writing letters to our local MP to raise awareness of the issues. We have now passed these letters to our Send My Friend to School Ambassadors in school in preparation for their trip to London. Saints As part of their work on the unit Ends of the Earth, students researched key facts about a saint of their choice and then created a peg doll as part of a creative task. This was also useful for those students preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation.
8 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Class of 2024 Prom Our Class of 2024 Year 11s enjoyed their Celebration of Achievement evening at De Vere Whites in Horwich on the 26th June. They all looked amazing and had a wonderful night!
9 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Sixth Form Prom Our Sixth Form got together for the last time as Year 13s on 21st June. Dressed up to the nines they enjoyed music, dancing, Carrs pasties and ice cream! We wish them all the very best for the future and will miss them greatly!
10 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Curriculum for Life During Curriculum for Life sessions this summer term, Year 7, 8 and 9 have completed the RSE - Myself and Others units. As a Catholic school, we follow the TenTen Life to the Full programme when teaching Relationship and Sex Education (RSE). There is a Parental Portal for all parents who wish to support the programme at home. It contains an overview of the programme, guidance for parents on the content of lessons and activities that can be undertaken at home to support the delivery of the programme. If you need a reminder of the parental portal login details, please just email the school. We had a volunteer from CAFOD visit to talk to form representatives about the new art competition that is part of the CAFOD campaign called ‘we demand change.’ If students in Years 8 and 9 are interested in this, they should ask their form rep or find more information on the CAFOD website. The Year 10 student leaders have presented assemblies from the Mental Health Foundation to different year groups on how to maintain healthy relationships with ourselves and our peers which included tips for putting in boundaries. There was also an assembly for RSE Day called Embracing Change, focusing on how to positively embrace changes in our lives, both at school and at home, delivered by student leaders from Years 7 to 10. Picture News continues to be an asset to our form time sessions. In these students can analyse British Values, protected characteristics and the UN’s rights of a child in the context of a news story from that week. Opportunities to complete creative tasks connected to the theme of the half term were given throughout the year. The winner of the Summer term Creating a Modern Prison was Luca (Year 8), and the winner of the create a format for a TV show that promotes healthy boundaries and healthy relationships was Ellie (Year 9). We finished the year with a presentation to each year group from PC Heald on the GMP campaign Safe 4 Summer. We urge all our students to remember those key safety messages throughout the summer. Luca and Ellie
11 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Follow us @tsc_dt Design Technology Year 7 Year 7 have been looking at making timber products. They have been learning to use the scroll saws, disc sanders, coping saws, and files safely in the workshop. They have produced some fridge magnet peg holders which link characters to environmental problems. Year 8 have been looking at plastic as a material and incorporating simple electrical systems into products. They have made USB LED lights which are touch sensor operated. They have also learnt to make packaging appealing to customers. Year 8 Year 9 Year 9 have been making Acrylic clocks. Their work has been inspired by the Memphis design movement. They have been learning about plastic and the environment, thermoplastics, elastomers, thermoset plastics, and the assembly of mechanical systems. Uniformd And when she got there, the cupboard was bare! Maybe a nostalgic blast from our nursery rhyme past, but our Uniformd cupboard is really bare and in desperate need of your help. For those who may not realise, we run a pre-loved uniform shop from Thornleigh Sixth Form, selling good quality items for brilliant prices. At this time, when the cost of living crisis and inflation is still biting, the project can provide essential items at far below the cost in shops which is one less thing to worry about. However, our stocks are running low and so - as we approach the Summer break - please find it in your hearts to have a clear out of anything you don’t need. We’re desperate for larger size jumpers and blazers and any PE kit - but please send in anything you have to the school reception or the Sixth Form staff room. Don’t forget to check out our catalogue when you’re plugging uniform gaps for September too - the Sixth Form team have completed 136 orders this year so far and counting! Thanks for your continued support for this communityled project.
412 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Follow us @_HomeTech Food Technology Key Stage 3 Food Year 7 students have been busy learning about the Eatwell guide and the importance of following a balanced diet, they have designed and made a pasta salad for their key assessment piece. Next topic is bacteria and the prevention of ill health through good food hygiene, we will then make a Thai green curry. In Year 8 students have been looking at food from around the world creating dishes inspired by India, China and Mexico. Year 9 are continuing looking at food choices and the provenance of our foods, we have made Fairtrade chocolate chip cookies, looked at food miles before creating a sweet potato and chicken curry. Hospitality and Catering Students in the Year 10 Hospitality and Catering group have completed their controlled assessment, they had to create 2 different courses suitable to be served at ‘The Blue Parrot Café’ for either an adult or a child. The coursework explores the different dietary needs of the prospective customers and researched into dishes that they thought would be most appealing. We had a range of starters, mains and desserts produced for the task with students exploring their presentation techniques. As always Mr Whitehead and Mr Owen were on hand to sample the student’s dishes and the feedback was good. Child Development Our Year 10 Child Development students have made a fantastic start on their Component 2 studies and have shown an excellent understanding of how children can learn through play at different ages and in different environments. The students have really enjoyed the Physical Play section as it lends itself to a more practical approach. We have worked on our hand/eye co-ordination by completing a juggling workshop and we worked on how to help a child’s fine motor skills in a junk modelling activity. We also looked at how to make breakfast more fun to help with healthy eating, diet and nutrition.
13 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Sports Day When the weather finally gave us a break we were able to host our annual Sports Day! The students were amazing as always and showed great sportsmanship, excelling in each sport! Well done to all who participated!
48 14 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Follow us @tsc_pedance PE Manchester City Girls Football The girls in Years 7 - 11 who had attended girls football practice throughout the year, represented school in football or as a girls football leader were invited to the Etihad Stadium for the Women’s Super League match for the Manchester derby. As expected, there was some rivalry between the students who were City fans and United fans, with those supporting City pleased to have bragging rights. Students were also entertained by our very own human vuvuzela, Mr Whitehead! We are looking forward to another great year of girls football next year. Rounders Unfortunately, we haven’t had as much sun and dry weather as we would expect for rounders this year but it hasn’t stopped our students from turning out to practice and being part of fixtures. We have often had over 40 girls attending practice each week which has been brilliant! We have tried to include all of these students in fixtures throughout the term which has given many their first opportunity to represent Thornleigh in a sports fixture. At the time of writing, we have played against Smithills School, Sharples School and Bolton St. Catherines. All of the teams involved have come away with strong wins against all of their opponents which is really encouraging for the Bolton Schools Rounders Tournaments that are played at the end of this term. Athletics English Schools Athletics - Track and Field Cup We once again entered both junior and inter boys and girls teams into the ESAA Track and Field Cup events which were held at Trafford AC. This competition requires each athlete to compete in two events, one track and one field, so it really tests the all-round skills of each student that participates. As always, our students represented us excellently and there were some superb individual performances, with some students achieving PBs. This was enough to ensure that both boys teams qualified for the North West Regional ‘B’ Final at Ellesmere Sports Village on Wednesday 5th June. Our students represented us brilliantly again against some high standard opposition schools with our Junior Boys coming in 11th place and our Inter Boys finishing 2nd overall, narrowly missing out on first place by a few points. The results for round one were: Junior Boys 3rd Junior Girls 6th Inter Boys 4th Inter Girls 4th
59 1 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Inter-Salesian Games One of our students’ favourite events of the year is the Salesian Games, where all of the Salesian Schools in the country come together to compete against each other in athletics. This year, Thornleigh hosted the competition at Trafford AC. Thornleigh had over 70 students taking part, with more helping staff lead events throughout the day. We had some brilliant performances throughout the day with many coming away with personal best performances and medals. Boys Year 7 - 3rd Year 8 - 2nd Year 9 - 3rd Year 10 - 1st Overall 3rd Girls Year 7 - 1st Year 8 - 1st Year 9 - 1st Year 10 - 2nd Overall - 1st The overall team results were:
48 16 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Town Athletics Championships The town athletics championships are always a favourite of our students as they get to compete against all other schools from across the borough of Bolton. The events were held on Wednesday 19th June for Year 9 and Year 10 and Thursday 20th June for Year 7 and Year 8, both at Leverhulme Park Athletics Track. Students competed brilliantly in individual events, where we had multiple winners across the two days, meaning that the many students were crowned ‘Town Champion’ in their respective event. The points for each event are tallied to give each team a total and, as always, we had a really strong set of results. Well done to all students that competed and represented their school with pride. Y7 Girls 3rd Y7 Boys 12th Y8 Girls 3rd Y8 Boys 1st Y9 Girls 6th Y9 Boys 6th Y10 Girls 3rd Y10 Boys 1st Greater Manchester Schools Athletics Championships Cricket The weather has once again presented many challenges for our cricket teams during the ‘summer’ term. Each year group has played in the Bolton Cup with Year 7 and 8 being knocked out in a great game against a talented Ladybridge team but with some of our Year 7 students putting up good individual performances that show promise for future years. Our Year 9 team progressed well in the Bolton Cup, reaching the later stages of the competition at the time of writing, whilst our Year 10 team had also reached the late stages of the Bolton Cup, as well as performing well in the Lancashire Cup, losing closely in round three to a strong Bolton School side. The U13 side enjoyed a strong run in the Lancashire Plate, making it through to the later stages of the competition at the time of writing. Year 10 Cricket Champions 2023 and possibly 2024 Champions too! Year 7 Cricket Team Boys Football We had another busy year for football with many of our teams enjoying strong wins throughout their seasons. We played games in the Bolton Schools’ Leagues, Cup and Plates, as well as entering both county and national; competitions for boys and girls. In addition to the dozen’s of fixtures that we compete in, many of our students balance this playing for their local clubs, as well as some students representing academy sides. This year, a special mention must go to Louis E who has been away on international duty, representing Wales U15 in tournaments across Europe - well done! Our Year 7 and Year 9 teams both reached the semi-finals of the Bolton Cup and a well done goes to the Year 10 and Year 11 teams who reached their respective Bolton Cup Final, both losing narrowly in tight games but a special congratulations goes to the Year 8 team who won the Bolton Plate Final with a convincing 6-1 win.
59 17 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Macy S This year has been extraordinary for one of our Year 11 students - Macy S. We have had the pleasure of watching Macy grow and develop as a student and a sportsperson during her five years at Thornleigh but this year, Macy was able to fulfil some impressive achievements. The Year 11 girls football team is blessed with various talented players, many of whom will have brilliant experiences and maybe even careers in football. This year though, Macy earned the honour and privilege of representing her country at U16 level, as well as playing for the Everton Women team in the WSL in what we hope will be the start of a promising and successful career. On top of this, Macy, alongside many of her school teammates, has been an excellent ambassador for school PE and sport and has balanced this with outstanding work in the GCSE PE curriculum too. We were able to recognise this at the Year 11 end of year awards by presenting Macy with the Mugan Shield, which is awarded each year to a student that demonstrates sporting excellence - an award named after a former headteacher - Tony Mugan. Another great year for our Basketball teams with many students attending practice after school and taking part in fixtures against Turton, Smithills, Westhoughton, St. James, Mount St. Josephs and Canon Slade. The students have continued to develop their skills and produced some excellent performances in very competitive matches. Thank you to all the students who dedicated their time to represent Thornleigh this year. Basketball Rugby Rugby continues to give both girls and boys the opportunity to train and play in fixtures against other schools. Lots of students have taken this chance to play training games after school on a Thursday and also play fixtures against Westhoughton and Turton. All students have played with determination and great passion in all of these sessions and it has been a pleasure to watch them develop. We have had some wins and losses this year but everyone should be congratulated on their effort and resilience in some very close competitions. Rugby will resume in September with more training and fixtures. Thank you to Sale Sharks who have also helped to train the students this year and delivered excellent introduction lessons to many girls in their core PE lessons.
10 4 18 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Follow us @tsc_pedance Dance Dance the Night New York 2024 During the Easter holidays, we took 40 Year 10 students on our annual trip to New York City. The trip-included visits to all the major attractions that New York has to offer including; The Ground Zero Memorial site, Central Park, The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Time Square and a tour of Madison Square Gardens and of course, plenty of shopping time at Macy’s department store. Students enjoyed seeing the famous landmarks of New York and each day was packed full of new sights to see. They were even lucky enough to see a Basketball match at the Barclay’s Centre in Brooklyn. A huge thank you to all students on their conduct and impeccable behaviour whist away, they were true ambassadors for our school. In addition, this trip would not have been possible without the help and support of a fantastic team of staff; Miss Jarvis, Mr Smith and Mr Pritchard. Miss Eccles January to April was a very busy time for our Year 10 and 11 dance students who were involved in our showcase evening ‘Dance the Night’. We had a very busy rehearsal schedule leading up to the show where the students worked tirelessly to prepare for the evening. The show included performances from our examination classes and our core dance pathways and our ever-popular extra-curricular dance clubs. Students involved were delighted to be part of such an exciting event. Planning and preparations are already taking place for next year’s showcase where all years will have to opportunity to be involved. Make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to get involved in September. Miss Eccles and Miss Ashcroft
11 5 19 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Art Follow us @tsc_art Year 6 Art Transition Day Year 6 students visited Thornleigh for their induction days. They considered the theme of ‘The Museum of My Life’ and looked at the work of a variety of artists who create sculptures of still life objects, such as Claes Oldenburg and Sou Fujimoto. The students were challenged to create clay sculptures of objects that would become part of the exhibit ‘The Museum of My Life’. This half term saw students in Year 11 and 13 present their Fine Art, Graphic Communication and Photography work for the visiting moderators from the exam board. The students selected displayed their work in a mini exhibition. We are so proud of these students and their achievements, it was wonderful to see this work showcased in such a professional manner. Year 11 and Year 13 Fine Art, Graphics and Photography Students
120 ThornleighArtGallery Follow us @tsc_art Well done to all of our art, photography and graphics students for another phenomenal term of producing amazing work. Take a look at our gallery to see what our students have created... SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024
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422 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Maths Follow us @ThornleighMaths Numeracy Challenge The numeracy challenge has run in all Year 7 and 8 forms this year. As the competition nears its conclusion the battle between students and form tutors to gain top spot has been as intense as ever. In Year 7 at the time of writing Miss Millers’ 7 Omega lead the way with 17 point lead over Ms Hodson’s term one winners 7 Zeta with 7T in third place. All forms have competed really well with almost all forms gaining large numbers of correct entries on a consistent basis. In the Year 8 numeracy challenge, a lot of forms have performed fantastically well this term, with many forms scoring 100% on the challenges each week. The current leaders in Year 8 are Mr Jones’ 8O who are in first place and Ms Cooper’s 8 Zeta in second place. Both of these forms have been consistently the best all academic year. The only question is which of the top two forms comes out on top in the final reckoning. 8 Alpha are in distant third place and 8 Kappa are in fourth place. The competition will continue until the final week of summer when the winners will be presented with the coveted numeracy challenge trophy and a form prize. Grassroots Grassroots Day is an event organised by the Grassroots organisation to promote positive changes such as kindness, respect, tolerance, and proactive involvement among students. The day marked a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to continue to grow our positive school culture, with a series of activities aimed at empowering students to become ‘Changemakers’. The day began with a meeting where the school’s most influential students were selected as Changemakers. These students were then tasked with disseminating the message of Grassroots throughout the school. They put up posters and distributed wristbands inscribed with forward-looking, progressive attributes and phrases deemed essential for a true Changemaker. Following this, the Changemakers engaged in a creative activity where they decorated plain white t-shirts to symbolize the values and beliefs of Grassroots. Wearing these customized shirts, they continued to spread the organization’s mission around the school. They also gathered signatures from fellow students who supported the initiative and provided them with an opportunity to voice their ideas for changes they wanted to see within the school. The initiative was met with enthusiasm, garnering an impressive 223 signatures, reflecting a strong desire among students to have a say in advocating for positive change. This collective support signifies a promising step towards embedding the qualities and beliefs championed by Grassroots within the school community.
235 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Send My Friend to School Two of our students, Iman - Year 10 and Alessandro - Year 9, have been chosen to become Campaign Champions for ‘Send My Friend to School’. While they are campaigning they would like to share with you more about the campaign. Have you ever heard about Send My friend to School? Send My Friend to School is the UK coalition of the Global Campaign for Education. Send My Friend to School is campaigning to demand quality education for all children across the globe. This year’s theme for the campaign is ‘Education in Emergency’. They are asking the UK Government to Prepare, Protect, Invest and Act so that all children across the world can learn in times of emergency. How is it apparent in the world today? Even though it is something which is not often talked about, lack of access to education affects a lot of people. Here are some examples. • 224 million children in the world do not have an education due to an emergency. • Currently there are 262 million children who don’t get an education - many who are in school are not actually even learning PREPARE, PROTECT, INVEST and ACT The Send My Friend to School coalition is calling on the UK Government to support crisis-affected countries to build and invest in inclusive, resilient and gender-responsive education systems that can withstand all hazards to protect the learning of all children during emergencies. We are calling on the UK Government to take the following measures to PREPARE, PROTECT, INVEST, and ACT to secure children’s learning in emergencies: 1. PREPARE: Strengthen preparedness and anticipatory action in education systems 2. PROTECT: Ensure children are safe, protected and learn during an emergency 3. INVEST: Scale up financing for education in emergencies and systems strengthening 4. ACT: Provide global leadership to protect children’s right to education in emergencies Head Students We would like to introduce our new Head Students in preparation for next year. Please join us in congratulating these students. It is such an achievement and well deserved! Head Students: Olivia B and Francesca M Deputy Head Students: Isaac H and Imogen S Prefects: Iman B, Toni O, Vicky S and John B
424 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 MFL Follow us @tsc_mfl_dep Modern Foreign Languages Over the last term we have been learning some exciting topics in Spanish. The Year 7s have been learning to talk about ‘Mi Tiempo Libre’ and their free time activities. They are going to consolidate all their learning this year by studying “Encanto” and creating their own character for the film. In Year 8, the students learnt all about “Mi Vida Digital” and social media. They have then finished with the topic of school and this is supported by the film study of “Zipe y Zape y el club de canicas”. The Year 9 students have been learning all about “Las Costumbres” and festivals in the Hispanic World and studying all about El Salvador before the film study of “Voces Inocentes”. At the beginning of the final half term, all Key Stage 3 students completed their End of Year assessments in the four skill areas of Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing and we have used Chromebooks for the Listening and Reading components. Students were able to prepare answers for their speaking and writing assessments with teachers in class, before taking them home to learn. During the year the students have been developing a deeper understanding of Spanish phonics and part of the speaking assessment was reading an extract in Spanish with accuracy and there was also dictation in the writing component. Students in KS3 have also completed a Spanish lesson based on the UEFA European Football championship. The activities ranged from identifying the key countries in Spanish and matching these with famous players, a reading about opinions on football and translation activities based on key football language. The students then enjoyed designing a new football shirt. Our Language Leaders are continuing to develop their knowledge and skills around delivering a lesson in another language. They are working hard to prepare a teaching activity that they will deliver to one of our feeder primary schools. It has been fantastic to see their commitment to languages and watch them as they gain confidence in their teaching ability. Language Leaders Global Leaders On the 10th July, 8 students in Year 10 represented Thornleigh at a UN-style climate conference at Liverpool Town Hall as part of our work with the International Climate Action Network (I-CAN). Inspired by discussions in the UN and the climate crisis, this youth climate conference helped students to understand global challenges and inspire local action. The students were in two groups and represented Brazil and the Marshall Islands and participated in a series of debates with other countries around climate change. They proposed methods for overcoming the issues and thought about how policy can lead to a cleaner and better world. The panel of local changemakers and guest speakers, which included the Head of Sustainability for Liverpool One, were very with how well the students conducted themselves. We look forward to participating in more youth climate conferences in the future. Our Global Leader mascot Paddington is somewhere on his worldwide adventure. We are hoping that he made his way to one of our Salesian partner schools in Peru however, we are yet to hear news of his travels. Paddington Update
25 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Terrific Turin Trip Eleven students from Years 7 to 9 were given the opportunity to travel to Turin and follow in the footsteps of Don Bosco himself. Whilst the early start of 3am had most of us tired before take-off, it was worth it to land in sunny Turin and get to see where Don Bosco’s dream all started. We stayed at Colle Don Bosco and some of us even got the luxury of a balcony view! During our time at Turin, we got to visit lots of places such as where Don Bosco lived, the city of Turin, different churches and local villages. There were many exciting places that we visited but some really did stand out. Firstly, the Mary Help of Christians mass was a really moving service to attend. We all left feeling calm and peaceful. Secondly, we got some free time to spend in the city of Turin which was lots of fun. We visited shops and McDonald’s which was lots of fun because some people wanted to see what their menu included! However, we did visit some cultural places too, like the Royal Palace of Turin. Even though we couldn’t go inside, it was magnificent looking on the outside. Perhaps an exciting visit was to Chieri where we got to see the little town but also visit a secondary school there. It was a brilliant experience to meet Italian students who took us around their school and explained their typical school day. Just like school at home, they got homework too! For me personally, it was brilliant to visit different towns, cities, churches and shops but one really significant moment was being able to take in the nature. One particularly hot day, we walked along a curvy path in the mountains which led to a river. It was so clean that we could see our faces reflecting in it! What I really liked about this memory was how the river glistened, and it was so cooling in contrast to the hot sun that day. Being able to splash about in the river and the waterfall was like being lost in time and was really fun. Overall, we all felt that the Turin trip was an incredible opportunity for each one of us and allowed us to see where the Salesian story all began and still has chapters to tell. Sienna recounts “I remember the first day when we arrived at Colle Don Bosco, I was in awe of the breathtaking views and the grand architecture. We visited a local Salesian school, and it was super fun to meet all the other people. They were all super kind and welcoming and mostly spoke to us in English. They have inspired me to want to learn other language. It was a journey of self-discovery and growth, an opportunity to experience new things and come out of your comfort zone. Personally, I really enjoyed the trip to Turin as it forced me to make new friends and it helped me build my social skills. I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to go.”
426 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Music Follow us @tsc_musicdep Voices in Action Thornleigh School Choir recently performed at the ‘Voices In Action’ concert along with other secondary schools in Bolton at Victoria Halls. As well as performing three massed items with other choirs, we sang ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries and ‘Stuck In A Moment’ by U2 - these were very well received by the audience and students had a great time! See the school website for a video of the day! We have recently been playing music between lessons to create a positive atmosphere as students walk to classes - the information is shared with form tutors every week so students know about the music they are hearing - here are some examples... School Music The Wiz! We recently auditioned for our upcoming musical production of The Wiz - there are over 80 students involved representing every year group in school - watch this space for tickets!
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428 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Year Team News Year 7 First and foremost I want to say “thank you”. Thank you for making the step up to secondary school so confidently. Thank you for being willing to overcome challenges as they arose. Thank you for working so hard in your lessons and meeting new content with the self-belief that you can continue your progression. Thank you for being a kind group of young people that have made wonderful additions and contributions to the Salesian community. Thank you for getting involved in so many extra-curricular activities and representing your school with pride. Thank you for being a year group that myself, Mrs Anderson and Mrs O’Grady are so proud of. Thank you! It really only feels like a few months ago that you all arrived for your Induction Days and my have we packed a lot in over the course of the year. From jumping straight in with ‘The Big Sing’, our performers during Mission Week, the fundraising for cancer research, Caritas and Mrs Crosby’s trek across the Sahara, our participants at ‘The Resilience Festival’, learning new circus tricks and the countless sporting achievements in football, athletics, rounders, netball and cricket. I would also like to acknowledge our ‘Student of the Week’ winners from this final term. Well done to Jonah M, Oqba HM, Lyra C, Mia G, Molly H, Jacob T, Isabel C, James B, Freya K, Leo C, Claudia KH, D’Nae B and Lexi L. Well done to you all for the contributions you have made to our school community in such a wide variety of ways such as helping new students settle into school to fundraising for fantastic causes. Finally, I want to wish you all the very best for next year. Remember, even if you are not a part of our year group you can always come and speak to us if you ever need any support. I hope you have a wonderful and restful summer break so that you are ready to go again in September. You should all be extremely proud of the start you have made to secondary school and the contributions you have made throughout the year. Your Form Tutors and Year Team are certainly proud of you all. Best wishes Mr. Smith, Mrs Anderson and Mrs O’Grady Year 8 As we approach the end of the school year, we have some important updates and exciting news to share with you. HPV Vaccination Program Completed. We are pleased to announce that the HPV vaccination program for all Year 8 students has been successfully completed. This important vaccine helps protect against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to certain types of cancer later in life. We appreciate your support in ensuring your children received this essential immunization. If you have any questions or need further information about the HPV vaccine, please do not hesitate to contact our school nurse. Attendance Rewards Breakfast 8 Lambda Wins Rewards Breakfast for Best Attendance. We are thrilled to celebrate the students of 8 Lambda for achieving the best attendance record this term! Their commitment to regular attendance has not only set a positive example for their peers but also contributed to their academic success. As a reward for their outstanding dedication, 8 Lambda enjoyed a special rewards breakfast. Congratulations to all the students and a big thank you to the parents for encouraging and supporting excellent attendance habits. We are incredibly proud of our students achievements and the continued support from our parent community. Your involvement and encouragement play a crucial role in your children’s education and overall well-being. Thank you for your ongoing support. Football The Year 8 boys played in the Cup Final at Horwich St Mary’s FC on 18/06. The boys had an impressive match winning 6 goals to 1 and enjoyed lifting the cup. Student of the week Each week in Year 8, form tutors have the privilege of nominating one exceptional student from their form for their outstanding achievements, behaviour, or contributions. This nominee embodies the values and spirit of our school. The year team will select one overall Student of the Week from the whole year group, celebrating their excellence and inspiring their peers. Message from our student Leaders - Elsie, Maisie and Luca This has been an amazing year for all of us. We have really enjoyed Year 8. There have been lots of opportunities for us to go on exciting trips this year including Savio house, Bolton School, Cleveland Primary school and Smithills Farm. One thing that we have also enjoyed about this year is the new speakers that have been put in which makes a Monday morning
295 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 a little more enjoyable as we wait to hear the music for that week. This year’s school musical was Legally Blonde and had participation from all years including Year 8 and that was a great experience for everyone who took part. We also found out that next year’s school musical is the Wiz which will be an amazing and fun time for everyone in this year’s cast as the rehearsals are well underway and we can’t wait to watch! The Curriculum for Life has also been great fun and interesting this year, the optional homework challenges have also been fun for everyone to take part throughout this year. Our amazing boys football team has recently won the Year 8 boy’s football final and we just like to say a massive well done to them all. We also want to say a huge thank you to Miss Salisbury, Mr Pierce, Form Teachers, Fr Saju and Fr Steven who have helped us all overcome all of our struggles and work this year. Celebrating Year 8 Excellence We are thrilled to announce that our annual Celebration Assembly will take place on 18th July, a special event dedicated to recognizing the remarkable achievements of our Year 8 students. This year, our students have demonstrated exceptional dedication, both academically and within the community, and we are excited to honour their hard work and contributions. Our Year 8 students have excelled across all subjects, showcasing their commitment to learning and intellectual growth. Their outstanding performance in end of year assessments, projects, and daily classwork is a testament to their diligence and enthusiasm. During the assembly, we will present awards to those who have achieved the highest marks and shown significant improvement, highlighting their academic progress. Beyond the classroom, our students have made a meaningful impact on the school and wider community. Participating in community projects, or supporting their peers, their actions have exemplified kindness, leadership, and responsibility. We will recognize those who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to make a difference, celebrating their contributions to fostering a positive and inclusive environment. Your support and encouragement have been instrumental in their success, and we are excited to share this proud moment with you. Thank you for your continued commitment to our school community. Well done Luca who has won first prize for his innovative project on improving future prisons. Luca’s forward-thinking ideas and dedication to social reform have earned him the top spot in our curriculum for life competition. As a reward for his outstanding efforts, he received a £10 Amazon voucher. Luca’s project stood out for its comprehensive approach to prison reform. He proposed a range of initiatives aimed at rehabilitation rather than punishment, focusing on education, mental health support, and skill development for inmates. Great Work, well done. As summer break fast approaches, we want to remind everyone to stay safe and enjoy the time off. Whether you’re travelling, exploring new hobbies, or simply relaxing at home, please take the necessary precautions to ensure a healthy and enjoyable summer. Wear sunscreen, stay hydrated, and follow safety guidelines in all your activities. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for the new school year in September. Miss Salisbury and Mr Pierce
4 30 SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 Year 9 We have had a really successful year overall with Year 9 and we thank you for your ongoing commitment to their education and growth. GCSE Options The most significant milestone this year has been students choosing their GCSE options for next year. This is such an important point in their learning as for the first time they take control of their next steps and have some choice over the subjects they learn. All students have embraced this with maturity, doing their research and making informed decisions. We thank you for your support in this process and are excited to see them begin their GCSE journey in September. Student of the Week We have continued to celebrate our students of the week this half term. Each week the form teachers nominate one student who is recognised for their outstanding behaviour and achievements. Special mentions go to the following students that also had breakfast with the headteacher to celebrate their success: John E, Ebany T, Cain S and Niamh B Sports Achievements We had the final Sports Day for Year 9 on Tuesday 3rd July and luckily the weather was kind! All students involved put their heart and soul into it and the competitiveness was definitely in full flow - and that was just from the form teachers! A form football tournament has taken place over the last couple of weeks. The final match took place on Friday 5th July and final results will be shared soon. Congratulations to Jemima C who took part in a National event hosted by Great Britain Skate Artistic. Jemima won both the Cadet Ladies and Cadet Couples category. We are extremely proud of her for this amazing achievement. Residential Trip Our final trip of the school year was to Anglesey on Friday 5th July for the weekend. Students all had a fabulous time, in particular Miss Morris! A big thank you to all involved. Celebration and Awards Assembly Our annual Celebration Assembly will take place on 16th July. This gives us an opportunity to recognise all the achievements of our Year 9 students. We have lots to celebrate both academically and through personal development such as charity work, student leadership and being role models. Many Year 9 students demonstrated great leadership and role model qualities in their assistance with the Y6 welcome assembly and induction days. Well done to all involved. Miss Morris and Mrs McCorriston wish to say a huge thank you to all the students in Year 9 and for the ongoing support from parents, carers and grandparents during this busy academic year. We wish you all a great summer and look forward to working with students again in Year 10! Year 10 As we reach the end of the school year, we want to express our heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support and partnership. We’ve had a brilliant year filled with growth, achievement, and memorable experiences for our Year 10 students. Looking ahead to Year 11, we anticipate an exciting and pivotal time as our students prepare for their final exams and important future decisions. We are committed to providing them with the necessary guidance, resources, and encouragement to succeed. Can we please take this opportunity to once again thank you for all your continued support. Students of the Week *Those students who are highlighted won the Year 10 Overall Student of the Week and were invited to meet Mrs O’Callaghan for breakfast on the Friday that they won. SOL Attendance The list of students below have all achieved 100% attendance since September: Safiuddin A, Emily C, Joshua M, Larissa A, Charlie D, Kenan M, Saarah B, Billy F, Harvey O, Nathan B, Samuel K, Thomas P, John B, Ryley M and Alfie R. This is an outstanding achievement and we are very proud of them. Attendance is closely linked to attainment and as we approach Year 11 this is crucial for our students to achieve their full potential. Year 10 Charity - Bolton Hospice Our chosen charity this Year has been Bolton Hospice. Bolton Hospice Charity is a dedicated organisation providing compassionate care and support for people in Bolton facing life-limiting illnesses. They offer a range of services, including medical care, emotional support, and bereavement counselling, aiming to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families. This last half term, the Year 10 Student Captains set a challenge for all Year 10 students to see which half of the year could raise the most money. They delivered an assembly to students proposing this challenge and it has been incredible to see the different ways each form has come up with to raise money. We have had students selling ice lollies, movie afternoons and Theta put on an Alpha v Kappa 3/6 10/6 17/6 24/6 Alpha Zain P Ben R Amber B CourtneyW Beta Lucas H Angel S Lily C Max B Gamma Lucy R Sumaira N Rohan C Emily S Delta Jacob B Issy M Lucas S FrancescaM Zeta Erin C Billy F Lucas Z Mursal A Kappa Noah F Jessica H Bell G-M Melia R Theta Sadie G Joseph B Grace H Olivia B Sigma Jack B Grace D Lewis D Josh M Lambda Hannah P Bailey H Iona R Ava C Omega Aveen D Mikhael S Alfie K Jake C
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