ST JAMES’ CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
JUNE NEWSLETTER 2022
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Click on the photos to find out more information
Commonwealth Games
Our Year 10 Leaders hosted the St James' Commonwealth Games Festival organised by Barnet Partnership for School Sport. The leaders coached Year 4 pupils in Blessed Dominic Catholic Primary School and The Federation of The Annunciation Catholic Schools.
STEM Maths Event
In a recent STEM challenge held by our Maths Department, Year 7 students investigated 3D shapes. Applying their knowledge to real-life scenarios, they solved problems, including making nets for 3D shapes using a piece of string - how fascinating!
Year 13 Heartfelt Letter
The Heartfelt Letter Initiative allows parents to express their pride in their children in black and white. This is just one way in which we, their school, and their families can show them how proud we are of their incredible hard work, their determination and their aspiration while they prepare for their examinations. (Click on the picture to see the full video)
Geography Lessons
The Geography Department is always finding new ways to help our students revise. Mr Knibb's Year 7, Geography class recently completed a magpie activity, but what exactly is a magpie activity? This is where students use retrieval skills to recall as much about a topic as possible and then 'steal' this information from each other.
Mental Health Walk
Following on from Mental Health Awareness Week last month, the Sixth Form Team decided to arrange regular well-being walks for the Year 12's. They walked, laughed and had a chat with friends. 'The mindfulness walk are a fun and delightful time to socialise with my friends.' ~ Francesca
New Head Student
A massive well done to Aiofe who is our new Head Student! A tremendous effort from Sara and Eoin too, who both presented amazingly to both staff and students alike You will hear more about Aiofe’s plans for the House Council and our Sixth Form soon, but for now, here is an extract from her winning presentation! (Click on the picture to see the full video)
Citizens Of The World Club
The Citizens Of The World Club celebrated the Platinum Jubilee with a tea party with delicious food and music. It's clear to see that everyone enjoyed themselves; you can't beat traditional British cuisine when celebrating such a landmark occasion! How did you celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee?
Step into Sports Leadership Camp
Pentecost Liturgy
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'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
UPCOMING EVENTS
Year 7 and 8 - Retreat
Dates ranging between 1st, 5th, 8th, 11th and 12th of July
Sports Week
Between 4th-8th of July
Year 7 - Art Trip
Year 12 - Futures Week
Year 12 - St Mary University Trip
Year 12 - Biology Trip
Year 9 - British Museum Trip
Year 12 - Cambridge University Trip
Year 6 -7 - Transition Day
Year 12 - Stubbers Trip
Year 9 -10 - Food Technology Trip
Year 11 - 12 - Induction Week
Year 7 - STEM Fair Winners
International Day
Last Day Of Term
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
Keeley Walsh - Ice-Hockey
Keeley Walsh's recent try-outs for the u16 Women's GB Team. Keeley has been selected as a player for Team GB and will be playing in their tournament in July! She has also been selected as a Prospect for the u18 women's GB Team. This means she will be attending all the u18 GB camps in June or preparations for the World's Championship Tournament! Fabulous achievement by Keeley - well done!
Josephine Fernandez - Jack Petchey
Well done to Josephine in Year 8 who has won a Jack Petchey Award for May. The Jack Petchey Foundation was set up by Sir Jack Petchey to inspire and motivate young people across London and Essex to do their best and reach their full potential. Josephine was nominated by her Form Tutor, Mr Aiken. 'Josephine has always shown great determination throughout all her subjects, including playing a role in our Wizard of Oz Musical. Her hard work and dedication to her role were admirable, well done Josephine!" '
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
We are delighted to announce that Rio Kyerematen has signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur! Rio who recently left St James' in 2021, now 17 is about begin his second season as a full-time player. An England Under-17 international, Rio made 27 appearances in all competitions for the Under-18s last term, scoring seven goals, while also stepping up to feature once for the Development Squad in the Premier League 2.
‘As a department, we are immensely proud of what Rio has achieved so far with Tottenham and England. We hope to see him lining up alongside Kane and Sonny in the not-too-distant future. We wish him all the best as he makes the first steps in his journey as a professional footballer.’ Mr Linale Head of PE department
We are extremely proud of him and cannot wait to see his progress on the pitch!
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
Step into Sport Leadership Camp
Conor, Yeisha, Julia and Leon took part in the Step into Sport Leadership Camp. The theme for this year was ‘Demonstrating and developing Leadership.’ The camp focuses on developing leadership skills in young people (including those with SEND) with an emphasis on training and deployment opportunities in workforce-specifics. Along with their personal development, the new skills will support the Young Leaders develop more opportunities for all pupils (including those with SEND) to engage in school sports activities (clubs) and competitions.
They participated in 4 workshops throughout the day
- Youth Voice – Empowering Leadership (Led by YST Athlete mentors and Young role models)
- Delivering inclusive sport – including the SMILES framework
- Creating inclusive and engaging activity – including the STEP framework
- Developing Resilience
The day was be supported by 4 Youth Sport Trust Athlete mentors who will work with the students through the workshops. We also met with Katrina Johnson Thompson who was training at he centre and posed for pictures with us!
Pentecost Liturgy Trip
Josephine, Zara, Melvin and Zhehao and Aaron invited to celebrate the diversity of our diocese whilst also remaining us that we are all called, like the first disciples to go out into the world with the good news of Jesus.
A mass was held to celebrate Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks. Our liturgical leaders had the opportunity to meet Father mike who held the mass and meet Bishop Paul McAleenan.
Herts University Trip
On the 9th of June our year 12 students went to Herts university taster day. The day ran from 10 am to 4 pm. They took part in several activities:
- Taster and practical course sessions
- Accommodation showrooms – these were self-guided
- Spoke to course leaders and current students
- A tour of the campus guided by current students
- Given information about the support given throughout Herts by speaking to support services
- Given a chance to sample chosen subject lessons.
The students really enjoyed their time, giving them a real insight into University life.
Lwendo Experience:
'On the University of Hertfordshire trip, I got to explore what life is like on campus. I started the day with a student life talk led by a former graduate of the university. I then went to two subject sessions, the first of which was about Biosciences. This was led by a pharmacologist and explored how we could test a drug's activity using an organ bath. Next, I went to a session on Pharmacy, which was extremely informative on what the role of a pharmacist entails in our modern world. I was able to see the various equipment available for pharmacy students such as the dispensing machines. As pharmacy is one of my top career choices, this session was very insightful as to what sort of work I will be doing in the future. Finally, I ended the day by looking at the accommodation showrooms to get a feel for the residential aspect of the university. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the open day and liked both the sessions I took part in and the university!'
Mally Experience:
'During my visit to Hertfordshire University, I found a lot of support and a strong introduction to the experience and preparation that life at university could be. I spoke to many volunteers, staff members and also students who were open to guiding us through the visit, and they were all extremely friendly and open to discussing. I additionally took part in an architecture workshop where they introduced the course and the teachers to us and discussed what essentially they would cover during the span of their course. There was an interesting task given to us that allowed us to interact with the studio and create our own bridges as groups. This enabled us to think creatively and just explore a small process of design. At the same time, I spoke with a few of the teachers and learnt that the school often put in a lot of effort to introduce their students to a lot of firms by often hosting a lot of events and lectures with a lot of people from the industry and afterwards took a close look at the studios of the students and their project spaces. Later on, I took a look at the astrophysics and Maths department and they had created a small planetarium for students to look into, and afterwards ran us through what would be involved in the course and their experiences during it. They were open to questions and also open discussion, creating an open environment. Overall this was a great experience and found that Hertfordshire university would make a great future option.'
Bank of England Trip
On the 23rd of June, our Year 10 students explored the history of the Bank of England and what it does today. They had a chance to learn how the Bank of England works to keep the prices stable. They also had a chance to test their strength by picking up a gold bar. They discovered the Bank of England through its fascinating historical objects and works of art. Their collection contains 40,000 items and spans over 1,500 years of history. It includes archaeology, banknotes, coins, artworks, sculpture, decorative art and social history.
Callum:
'I had a great experience being able to the bank's extensive set of collections and learn about the history of money.'
Future Frontiers Programme
A group of twenty of our Year 10 pupils are working with investment bank, DC Advisory, as part of the Future Frontiers programme. On 23 June, they had their first visit to meet with their mentors from DC Advisory at their offices in the City of London. Further visits are planned in the coming weeks.
Future Frontiers is an award-winning education charity. That work with schools and businesses across the UK to provide a programme of coaching and access to professional role models to young people aged 14-16. The programme exists to ensure young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are equipped with the knowledge, skills and mindsets to achieve their potential at school and when transitioning to destinations in education, employment or training.
Another group from Year 10 are working with investment operator, Ares Management, under the same Future Frontiers programme. Thank you to all the organisations involved for contributing so willingly to such a worthwhile and enjoyable programme. It will really help our pupils to focus on their career aspirations.
Matilda Musical Reward Trip
Students in Years 7,8 and 9 with the most words read for their English lessons were rewarded with a trip to see Matilda in the West-end! Matilda The Musical is the multi-award-winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by the beloved book by the incomparable Roald Dahl. A book by Dennis Kelly, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Cristiano:
'I had a fun time with my friends, being able to watch the musical. It was nice being rewarded for reading.'
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
Feast of St Peter & St Paul Mass
On Wednesday 29th June all staff and students gathered to attend the St Peter and St Paul Mass. Celebrated by Fr John and Fr Ako (Sacred Heart Mill Hill Parish) and Fr Brian (St Margaret Clitherow Parish). A huge thank you to our priests who led the services. Let us pray together, 'Grant us, O Lord, who have been renewed by the Sacrament, so to live in the Church, that, preserving in the breaking of the Bread and in the teaching of the Apostles we may be one heard and one soul, made steadfast in your love. Through Christ our Lord.'
Year 8 Retreat
The Year 8 annual retreat took place on Monday 27th June 2022. A retreat is an important part of the Religious Education curriculum in all Catholic schools and provides an invaluable opportunity for continued spiritual growth and reflection. All students are expected to attend. This retreat brings the cohort together and is an excellent way to strengthen friendships. The retreat takes place at the RAF museum, located opposite the school. The theme of the retreat is ‘My Relationship with God’ and will focus on our faith identity and how God calls each of us to serve him in different ways. The students will take part in three workshops: Leader Lab session 1 delivered by Jake from Hillsong Church, Drama session 2 delivered by Tom Stubbings, and Meditation session 3. The day will end with a reflective and prayerful liturgy.
Peace Garden Project
A huge thank you to Brighitte Sanchez, who works at Colindale Morrison and kindly agreed to sponsor our Peace Garden Project. With donations of seeds, plants, vegetables and garden tools to help our Charity leaders to improve our Peace Garden. Also thank you to Colindale Morrison and Mrs Reid who always donate food donations to the Foodbank.
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
Budget and Finance in PSHCE
To complete our PSHCE curriculum in this academic year all students will be receiving weekly bespoke lessons all based on Budget and Finance. Year 11, of course, will be focussed on public examinations. Our work in year seven starts with one big learning question: What goes into a bank account? We conclude in year 10 with: Can anyone become an entrepreneur? Of course, Budget and Financial matters are also addressed in many other areas of the school curriculum - particularly at GCSE.
Research suggests that youth financial literacy is often taken for granted. Most of the time it doesn’t really get the seriousness that it deserves. The irony of it is that June 2022 money affects almost every aspect of our lives.
“If you are not going to teach your teenage child about money, how do you expect them to manage their own money when they become adults?”
So why is financial literacy important for our students?
There’s nothing as dangerous as a financially illiterate youth. Someone who doesn’t have an idea on how to manage their finances can easily fall into various financial traps unknowingly. It is generally difficult to fix bad decisions concerning finances – it can take several years to do so. Teaching young people about money at an early age will impart them with vital knowledge and skills that will assist them to make informed decisions when it comes to financial matters.
We hope that this unit of six lessons per year group will:
Empower our students
Help to improve financial illiteracy
Help students to steer clear of bad financial habits
Help better prepare students for emergencies.
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
Our Year 13 Art Exhibition took place on the 23rd of June. The event was arranged by four of our A-level students Marco, Oliwia, Klaudia and Jasmine. Who invited staff and students to showcase their artwork over the last two years. All pieces shown looked great and we are proud of all their handwork, well done!
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
School Diversity Week is a wide celebration of equality in thousands of primary and secondary schools, is run by Just Like Us and takes place between 20-24 June this year. Below are some examples of how our students have been celebrating:
Throughout the year, Year 9 students have had the opportunity to learn about the experiences of the Windrush Generation and the impact they have had on our country. Today, students reflected on why we should remember the experiences of the Windrush generation in celebration of Windrush Day 2022. Hayden recalled why many Jamaicans and Trinidadians left their family and friends to help rebuild Britain after the war.
On the 22nd of June, the newly formed House Council are discussing the shape of International Day coming up in July. The House Council is made up of representatives from each year's group coming from our 6 houses that reflect our Veritas Values; Excellence, Resilience, Integrity, Aspiration and Service. Really looking forward to the event when we celebrate the rich counties and cultures of the students of St James!
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
Gui researching colonialism in history and why the royal family's visit to Barbados was met with criticism
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
International Men's Mental Health week took place from the 13th – 19th of June. Mental health statistics show that over a third of men (35%) think they've had a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their life. The majority of men (60%) polled have shared their feelings about mental health with someone at some point. This leaves as many as four in ten (40%) men in the UK who won't discuss their mental health with close friends, family, or a medical professional.
Try some coping strategies
Making small adjustments to your lifestyle can have a huge impact on how you feel day-to-day. Experiment with some of these ideas to make improvements to your mood and slowly feel a whole lot better:
- Try some relaxation techniques: Visualisations, breathing exercises, and meditations are great ways to feel calmer and more relaxed - great if you're struggling with high levels of anxiety.
- Get out and be active: Exercise is one of the great mood boosters, as our brain releases positive endorphins when we move. Something as simple as a brisk walk can be enough to get started.
- Stay social: Interacting with our friends and family helps us relive feelings of loneliness. Sometimes it seems hard, but try to remain socially engaged with those close to you.
Speak to someone you trust
You might think you're alone in your struggles against mental health, but actually, you've likely got a whole support network of people around you who can see something is wrong. If you feel up to it, speak up about how you've been feeling. A sympathetic ear is sometimes all we need to feel a whole lot better. They might even be able to offer practical solutions to help you work out what's next. Speak to your Head of Year or anyone from our Mental Health support team at St James'.
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
The school's Careers Advisor, Mr Stonehouse has launched Career of the Week. Each week he has updated the school website with careers starting with the letter A. Below are the Careers that have been posted this month. To keep up to date and access past careers please visit our careers section under our website: https://www.st-james.barnet.sch.uk/255/careers-information
Interpreter
An interpreter is a person whose job is to translate what someone is saying into another language. They do this job on-site or remotely in real-time. They perform their job either by oral Interpretation or using sign language. The interpretation job is different from Translation.
Journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=IEpo7YizXjM&feature=emb_title
Marine Biologist
Marine biologists study the fascinating animal, plant and microscopic life in oceans They study the sea, attempt to combat challenges facing environments under threat from human effects and learn about its complex ecosystem.
Nutritionist
Nutritionists typically work with individuals or populations to teach them more about general nutrition, food and health. Their focus is on food behaviour. This includes working with individuals to devise and implement meal plans that improve the individual's or family's nutrition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTGAS-AJt6w&feature=youtu.be
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
HOUSE POINTS
'I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL' JOHN 10:10
Contact Us
Email: admin@st-james.barnet.sch.uk
Website: www.st-james.barnet.sch.uk
Location: Great Strand, Colindale NW9 5PE
Phone: 020 8358 2800