Welcome from the Principal

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. At Glossopdale we embrace the festive period and like to think we have added

some Christmas cheer to the community with our bands playing around the town, in primary schools and in local churches. On the last day of term, we are having a Christmas Jumper Day to raise money for MIND. In College, our current intake for Year 7 was up 40% on the previous year, external reviews have confirmed that students’ behaviour has dramatically improved and par-ents and students say—in a recent survey— that bully-ing is rare and students feel safe. The Sixth Form, now judged as good, had excellent results this Summer and we continue to work on the improvements needed to further raise standards across the college. We are all excited that the £23 million new school con-struction started this August and last week the placing of the frame for the building has begun. Construction is due to be completed during Spring 2018.

This is all part of our aim and determination to be an “outstanding learning centre at the heart of the commu-nity”.

Winter 2016

Glossopdale Community College

NEWS

For up to date news, events and information please visit www.glossopdale.derbyshire.sch.uk or find us on Facebook

Festive Fundraising Instead of sending traditional cards, our Year 7 and 8 students have been creating Merry Christmas messages that are displayed in Reception at Hadfield in exchange for a donation to Bare Necessities - the Glossopdale Food Bank.

We are very proud of our students’ creative work and the generosity they have shown towards families that are facing food poverty this Christmas. If you would like to make a donation to the Food Bank, please leave the items at

reception and we will deliver them on 20th December along with the donations

from our students.

Christmas Jumper Day will take place on the last day of term—20th Decem-

ber. In return for a £1 donation to MIND, the mental health charity, students can

attend College in their festive finery.

The frame for the new school is going up

An amazing milestone achieved!

Restart a Heart On 18th October our Year 8 students learned how to save lives when they took part in a national event sup-ported by the British Heart Foundation. Restart a Heart Day has helped train over 150,000 children and young people across the UK in 2016. The sessions are deliv-ered by volunteers from the Ambulance Service, the British Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance. Glos-sopdale extended a warm welcome to our Community Paramedic, Val Cockran, and her team of volunteers as our students gained basic life support skills that could save lives in the future.

In Safe Hands Our Sixth Form students have also been learn-ing First Aid as part of their enrichment pro-

gramme. Over 30 students have signed up to complete a Basic First Aid qualification and Defib-rillator training. They have learned important practical skills which will enable them to deal with common medical emergen-cies; from assessing a patients' vital signs (ABCs) and placing a person in the recovery position, assessing a patient for AV-

PU, through to the potentially life saving actions of CPR and how to use a defibrillator. Students on the course said they really enjoyed it—they feel more confident and they know that they have learned skills for life.

25 Million Words Read, and Rising! Accelerated Reader is in its seventh Year at Glos-sopdale. All of our Year 7 students have embarked on a journey with Accelerated Reader. They are reading books and sitting online quizzes when they have finished. They are building up individu-al “word count” scores and compet-ing for rewards for Best Tutor Group, most words read and enthusiastic Attitude to Read-ing. 92% of the Year 7s finished and quizzed their Reading Book in the last few days. Between them they have read more than 900 books (over 25 million words) since September 2016! Our favourite authors in Year 7 include: Jeff

Kinney, Liz Pichon, Dav Pilkey, Rachel

Renee Russell, Chris D’Lacey, Cathy Cassi-

dy, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo.

Safe Drive Stay Alive All of the Year 12 students visited the Middleton Arena to watch the Greater Manchester ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’ theatre based event. Safe Drive Stay Alive is hard hitting initiative aimed at young people to educate them about the risks associated with driving and using the roads. Students watched a series of short films about people who were dramatically affected by a road traffic collision and they listened to the personal accounts from the emergency ser-vice personnel who deal with the aftermath. The final speaker was a father who lost his son in a traffic collision and he gave a very personal account of that tragic evening. Students found the

event very emotional and they now understand their responsibility as a driver. More information can be found at safedrivegm.co.uk

A Hundred Years of Roald Dahl Over 100 Year 7 and 8 students visited Manchester Opera House to watch a stage production of Roald Dahl’s classic story, “Georges Marvellous Medicine”. Students Jack Mettrick and Josh Hampson give us their review: On Tuesday 15th No-vember we went to see George’s Marvellous Medicine at the Man-chester Opera House. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. There were lots of humorous moments in the show but a lot of people enjoyed the giant chicken scene most of all. It was an amazing show that had clever tricks like the hilarious giant chicken and the part where the nasty grandma grew through the roof! The actors were fantastic as well! 2016 marked the 100th birthday of famed children’s author and our Year 11 Performing Arts students are preparing a Roald Dahl Celebration Drama, in appreciation of his 100th Birthday year. This will be toured across primary schools in January 2017. The Best for All, by All

GCC SPORTS NEWS

Leadership Day Twelve of our outstanding leaders from Year 10 & 11 were invited to a Leadership Day which was organised by the High Peak Schools Partnership and hosted by Buxton Community College. The day was an invalua-ble experience for the students because they gained foundation level leadership awards in their selected sport of either netball, football, badminton and crick-et. The students have now used the leadership skills and resources in the community with local clubs, with-in school at extra-curricular clubs and in lessons which go towards their Level 2 Junior Sports Leaders Awards. It was a fantas-tic day and a big ‘well done’ to all who attended and represented the school.

X-Country- Team Relays @ New Mills Year 7 – 3rd Year 8 - 2nd Year 9- 3rd Year 10 – 3rd

Football Results Girls Derbyshire Cup 1st Round Boys Derbyshire Cup 1st Round U13’s GCC (2) V (1) Lady Manners U13 GCC (2) V (4) Ecclesbourne U16’s GCC (1) V (4) Woodlands Boys High Peak League Boys Tameside Cup 1st Round Y7 GCC (3) V (1) Saint Thomas Moore Y7 GCC (3) V (3) New Charter (GCC won on Y8 GCC (3) V (5) Saint Thomas Moore penalties) Y9 GCC 5 V 0 Saint Philip Howard Y8 GCC 1 V 5 Audenshaw Y9 GCC 2 V 3 Droylsden Academy Y10 GCC 1 V 5 Alder

Table Tennis We have taken part in the U16 Derbyshire Team Ta-ble Tennis Finals this year. We were represent-ing the seven secondary schools in the High Peak; having won the district round. Each area within Derbyshire can send one

representative school. The team of Dylan Sanderson, Josh Glaister, Tyler Halton and Matt Parks did really well. The standard of competition was exceptionally high with many players nationally ranked. We came 5th which was a very creditable performance.

Key Stage 2 Dance Day The school hosted their annual Key Stage 2 Dance Day which was led and organised by the Dance De-partment and the BTEC Dance students. The theme of the Dance Day was Pandora’s Box and it was a su-per fun filled day with over a hundred and fifty students from the local Primary schools attending. The Dance leaders were amazing on the day and made it an ex-perience to remember for all the pupils involved. Well done girls!

Castle Head Outdoor Discovery Sixty excited year 7s are getting their kitbags ready for the up-coming Outward Bound Transition trip to Castle Head Outdoor Discovery Centre in the Lake District in February. As part of a drive to build year-group cohesion, create new friendships outside of those forged in Primary school and encourage teamwork, the students will spend three days (and two nights!) away - taking part in an exciting programme of events including: orienteering & problem-solving; bushcraft, shelter-building; canoeing and team-games. Whilst we will all be taking nice warm clothing for a winter visit to the Lakes, we’re looking forward to being warmed up afterwards by hot-chocolate and toasting marshmallows over a camp fire. There is much-anticipation about our first year 7 residential trip (including who will share rooms with whom!) and we intend to repeat this as a regular event for smooth transition. Watch out for pictures and our review on the trip in the next newsletter!

Glossopdale Community College, Talbot Road, Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 7DR Tel: 01457 862336 Email: info@glossopdale.derbyshire.sch.uk

For up to date news, events and information please visit www.glossopdale.derbyshire.sch.uk or find us on Facebook

Dates for your Diary 20th December 2016: College closes for Christmas 4th January 2017: College opens to students Post 16 Trial Exams start 5th January 2017: Post 16 Presentation Evening 9th January 2017: Year 11 Trial Exams start 1st February 2017: Junior Choir Young Voices 2nd February 2017: Year 10 Parents Evening 8th February 2017: Young Musician of the Year 9th February 2017: Year 11 Mock Results Assembly Year 11 Parents Evening 10-11th February 2017: London Trip—Performing Arts 10-12th February 2017: Year 7 Outward Bounds Trip 10th February 2017: College closes 20th February 2017: College opens 16th March 2017: KS4 Options Evening 30th March 2017: Year 8 Parents Evening 6th April 2017: 6th Form Parents Evening 7th April 2017: INSET

‘Light Up a Life’ Carol Ser-vice in aid of Willow Wood Hospice. The moving ser-vice was held Market Ar-cade opposite Norfolk Square.

The Glossopdale Christmas Concert was held on Wednesday 7th December in Hall 1. We were please to welcome our students, their families and members of the community to this enjoyable festive event.

Sunday 11th December: Selected band members. Carols in Howard Park 2.30pm-3.30pm.

Tuesday 13th December: Mixture of groups, Glos-sopdale Carol Service. Old Glossop Parish Church. 7-8.30pm.

Friday 16th December: Selected band members, Cub Scout Christmas Event, Norfolk Square, 6.30-8pm.

Monday 19th December: Selected members from bands and choirs. Carols at Oakwood Manor Nursing Home, Newshaw Lane, Hadfield. 2-3pm.

Year 8 are Stretched and Challenged

After a year of intense Accelerated Reader reading and quizzing in Year 7, our Year 8 students are now trying lots of different quality authors, reading a variety of genres and producing excellent written reviews to entice fu-ture readers. The target of the Year 8 Reading Challenge is to read and review at least 1tennovels, working from a list of recommended reads. In the Spring of 2017, some will be shadowing the Carnegie Medal judges by read-ing shortlisted books as part of the challenge. Sample Mia’s Review of “My Name is Mina” by David Almond: ‘My Name is Mina’ is a powerful

and thoughtful book, which really got me thinking. As Mina fills her journal with her stories,

thoughts, poems and feelings, you get a trip into her magical world of mystery and dark-

ness….Mina describes the blank pages in her journal as an empty sky, with the words as exotic

birds flying through it, because it is so unique and imaginative. Every page left me wanting to

read on; the entire book had me spellbound from start to finish…This story is written so well, it’s

funny, inspiring, sad, happy and made me feel so many different emotions throughout. By the

end of the book, I didn’t want to say goodbye to Mina or her world.

Music Events during the Festive Season

The Music Department at Glossopdale Community Col-lege have performed at a number of events during the festive season so far and are looking forward to perform-ing at upcoming community engagements.

On Thursday the 1st December the Senior Choir sang as part of a Candlelit Vigil for Crossroads Derbyshire Domestic Abuse Service to remember the victims of Domestic Abuse. The choir sang Carol of the Bells and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

On Tuesday 6th December Members of the College bands and staff per-formed a selection of carols at the Light