Key Notes: 20 December 2022
20th December 2022
End of Term
As we reach the end of term, I would like to thank everyone connected with Melbourn Village College for their support of our students. Without such a wide range of stakeholders, our students would not benefit from the experiences they have been given. Going forward we are looking to enhance our extracurricular provision to allow students to learn outside the classroom, providing those all-important memorable experiences around their learning.
Forthcoming Events
- 3rd January: School closed for professional development day
- 4th January: Start of the Spring Term at the normal time (Launch of new reading initiative using iPads, so please could all students bring their iPads in fully charged on the first day)
- 5th January: Year 11 parents’ evening
- 9th January 7pm: Christmas Concert
Christmas Jumper Day
On Friday 16th December, we held a Christmas Jumper Day to raise funds for the charity WinterComfort. Students paid £1 to wear a Christmas jumper for the day instead of their school jumper, or they could cover their school jumper in tinsel/sparkles for a £1 donation. In total, we raised over £200 – well done!
Melbourn Foodbank
The prefects would like to say a big thank you to our amazing community for your very generous donations to their Christmas food bank collection in aid of Melbourn Foodbank run by MACS - Melbourn Action Community Support. The collection basket overflowed and there was enough to fill two car boots! Thank you to Mrs Gunner for helping to organise, and to Mrs Deadman and Mrs Rogers for delivering all the supplies to the food bank yesterday. The locations of other food banks in Cambridgeshire are shown here.
Christmas Lunch
Students enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch on Friday thanks to Caterlink. The catering staff dressed up and were looking very festive. The hall was decorated with lights and a tree, and students in the Student Support Centre raised a glass (of juice). Even The Grinch, didn’t manage to steal all the fun!
The Giving Tree at Melbourn Hub
The response by the community to ‘The Giving Tree’ at The Hub has been amazing and we are delighted that so many students-in-need have been able to receive a gift voucher this Christmas. The Hub’s motto “for the community by the community” has truly been demonstrated by this initiative which was the idea of a local Girl Guide, Ellie. The Giving Tree enabled people from the community to buy a Christmas gift voucher for a local student in need. Gift vouchers were returned by donors to The Hub and have now been sent out to the students. A very big thank you to everyone who donated!
National Star
Congratulations to students from SSC who completed their National Star training on Wednesday. National Star is an award-winning Cambridgeshire travel scheme which teaches them how to travel independently to and from college. The students were taught road safety, emergency strategies, accessibility, how to use a timetable and travel preparation.
The Cabin at Christmas
Students in The Cabin have been working on a presentation of ‘The 1914 Christmas Truce’. On Christmas Eve 1914, in the dank, muddy trenches on the Western Front of the First World War, a remarkable thing happened - British and German soldiers met in no-man's land and exchanged gifts, took photographs and some played impromptu games of football. It remains one of the most storied and strangest moments of the Great War— or any war in history. The project shown has been designed and built by Finley, year 8, to honour and mark the very near anniversary of this incredibly unique and special event.
On the left is a picture of ‘The Cabin’s Christmas Craft Tree’ created by Cabin students and supporting staff. The craft tree has brought much joy to the Cabin, where students and staff alike have been able to design and create whatever decoration they wanted. If you look carefully, you’ll even see a London Underground Tube Train!
Festive wreath-making
Students were not the only ones to get creative this Christmas because, on 14th December at the staff wellbeing session, all staff had a chance to learn how to make Christmas wreaths. Thanks to Jo from ‘Pick a Lily’, who lead the workshop, we were able to make some lovely festive wreaths.
The best Christmas present ever!
Kristina in year 11, one of our Ukrainian refugees, recently returned from visiting her father in Ukraine. She had not seen her dad since the start of the war. She told Mr Kennedy that at the moment, conditions are very bad in Ukraine. Her dad does not have electricity, heating or even water for the majority of the time. It is unbelievable to think that people are having to endure this in the depths of a Ukrainian winter! At the end of the conversation Kristina pulled a small brown paper bag from her backpack and with a lovely smile she said “Sir, I got these for you”. Inside were some socks in the national Ukrainian colours. Mr Kennedy said “I found it so moving that someone who is having to go through such difficult times would bring me a gift from her trip. It really summed up for me why it is so important that we are welcoming to refugees and all people who are in need.” He added “Those socks will forever be treasured by me as a symbol of unbelievable human kindness. Thank you Kristina for the best Christmas present I have ever received!”
Poetry Festival
On Tuesday last week, students in Years 7 and 8 took part in a Poetry Festival in the Hall. We were delighted that over 200 students, who have rarely done something like this in person over the last three years, took part in this event with such enthusiasm and vigour. It was wonderful to listen to them recite poetry, developing skills in listening and supporting other students. Ultimately, we were able to see almost every single Year 7 and 8 students stand up on stage and perform a piece of poetry, some by heart, and many with creativity and enthusiasm. Many thanks to Mr Bacon, who planned and arranged the whole event, and also to the other members of staff including the TAs who helped the students practise and prepare, and assisted on stage to make the poetry festival such a success.
Student Showcase: Year 7 Art
Year 7 have been researching and doing classroom work on shells. Here are a few examples:
Physical Education
Our cluster of sports fixtures with Comberton, Cambourne and Bassingbourn have finished for the term. We intended to reward our Year 7 boys football teams with another fixture at Bottisham on Tuesday but understandably it had to be cancelled due to the weather. The Year 7s, in particular, have been great at attending enrichment sessions and we still hope to rearrange the fixture early next term. One positive is that both Bottisham Village College and MVC were the only two of a select group of schools open on Monday 12th, having ensured our sites were accessible and safe. However, clearing the artificial pitches and making them frost free would have needed a miracle!
The lack of outdoor sporting spaces has meant our PE department has had to be creative with some of their lessons. Mr Barlow has created a cauldron-like atmosphere for some of his classes with indoor football! Pictured are the finalists in a Year 7 indoor football World Cup. You would be forgiven, looking at the colours, that Morocco had made the final, but England, in fact, pipped Argentina to the title!
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Fixtures timetable Tues 17th January: Girls Football at home after school (Y10/11) Mon 23rd January: Netball at home after school (Y10/11) Tues 7th February: Basketball at home after school (Y10/11) |
Most achievement points
Congratulations to Hawking who have been awarded the Year 7 Form Cup for gaining the most points over this term. They achieved 1763 positive points for all their hard work and commitment to lessons. Well done to all of year 7 – they have settled into secondary school life very well and achieved so much throughout this term.
Athlete Mentor Visit
On Tuesday KS4 GCSE PE students were visited by Steve Frew, Gold medal winner for Scotland in gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester 2022. Steve works for the Youth Sports Trust as an athlete mentor. Each year, our membership of the YST allows us a visit from an athlete mentor like Steve. The aim is for the athletes to inspire our students’ attitudes to learning and improve emotional well-being and resilience. Steve spoke to the students about his life journey and the struggles and successes of being a top-level athlete. He also delivered a masterclass on teamwork, working with students on mental strength, hunger to achieve, people skills, knowledge and breaking barriers. It was great for students to see that success does not come easy and hard work and dedication are key to achieving your dreams.
Sustainable Transport
Year 7 student, Iris, has been in the news again, campaigning for sustainable transport. This time, she gave a short speech in front of over 200 people with a microphone – this was her first taste of public speaking! Iris said, “I am passionate about the environment, on which all of our futures depend.” “I have been campaigning on transport issues since I was five years old, because I want to be able to get around without buying a car, and without burning fossil fuels.” You can read the full report in Cambsnews here or in the Cambridge News here. Well done Iris.
Pastoral Care
Our pastoral care of students is evolving, and this has already led to improvements in the quality of communication between year teams and parents/carers. From January, the year teams will be enhanced through the appointment of a fifth full-time member of staff. This will complete our team of Pastoral Officers:
- Year 7 Ms R Drum (rdrum@melbournvc.org)
- Year 8 Ms R Howard (rhoward@melbournvc.org)
- Year 9 Ms G Butcher (gbutcher@melbournvc.org)
- Year 10 Ms E Tidby (etidby@melbournvc.org)
- Year 11 Ms A Flowerdew (aflowerdew@melbournvc.org)
Cost of living support
Information about support with the cost of living is available from Cambridgeshire County Council. The site gives information about how school-aged children and young people, who are entitled to benefit-related free school meals, can receive 4 sessions at one of the holiday provisions during the Christmas holidays at no cost. The sessions will include a range of activities and all food is also included for free.
Vacancies
We are currently advertising the following vacancies on our website:
- Cover Supervisor
- Teacher of Physics
- Teacher of Maths
- Receptionist
- Senior IT Technician
Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year,
Christopher Bennet
Executive Head Teacher
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