Other Departments� News

MODERN LANGUAGES
Mrs M Mathews - Head of Modern Languages

YEAR 8 CANTABRIA VISIT 2000 A holiday visit to Northern Spain is proposed for Year 8 pupils studying Spanish during May half-term (28th May � 3rd June 2000). We hope to visit the Cab�rceno Nature Reserve, the medieval town of Santillana del Mar, a cake factory, go shopping and taste unusual food! The three-star, family-run hotel is opposite the blue flag beach. There will be time for supervised beach activities. The holiday will cost �240, to include return travel by coach, full board accommodation, all excursions and insurance. Letters have been given to all Year 8 pupils studying Spanish. Permission slips and a deposit of �50 must be handed in to Mrs Mathews by Friday 24th September 1999. Due to the location of the hotel and the nature of the excursions, places are limited to 40 pupils. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis in consultation with the Head of Year. Hasta Luego!

HISTORY DEPARTMENT
Mrs K Hannaby - Head of History

This week (week beginning 20th September) all Year 7 pupils will be taking part in the History House Competition. Pupils will be asked to explain, in no more than 300 words, why Florence Nightingale, Neil Armstrong, Emily Pankhurst and Winston Churchill deserve to have a house named after them. History lessons during this week will take place in the Library to allow pupils to undertake research. Five prizes will be awarded. There will be one prize for the most original entry in each House and also an overall prize winner. House points will also be awarded.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Mrs H Davies - Head of Biology

Each Year, the Science department takes part in the Nuffield Science Bursary Scheme. Students are able to spend four weeks working with post graduates and academic professionals in areas of research. This year Gabrielle Ng took part.
"I spent 4 weeks during the Summer at the Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College at Silwood Park in Sunningdale. I was working alongside graduate and undergraduate students on several ecology-based research projects. From the very first day, all the staff and students were friendly, co-operative and made me feel welcome. This has been an incredible learning experience and has given me a valuable insight into a part of science that I did not know much about. I would recommend it to all lower sixth Biology students who are considering pursuing a career in Biology or any science based research"

ART DEPARTMENT
Mrs Lee-Wragg - Head of Art

A reminder to all those students who completed Art GCSE. Please collect your coursework as soon as possible during breaktimes or at the end of the day. Please do not come into the department during lessons.

WATERSPORTS TRIP HY�RES, FRANCE
Miss J Simpson - Head of Girls P.E.

35 Year 10 pupils and 5 members of staff left Charters in the blazing sunlight on Sunday 25th July heading for Hy�res, France. 20 hours later, early Monday morning, we arrived at PGL, Hy�res to be greeted by our enthusiastic, energetic and far too awake PGL reps. The pupils were kept busy all week, spending days on the beach learning sailing, kayaking, windsurfing and snorkelling skills. The weather was excellent, with only one rainy day, although the wind conditions weren�t ideal for some watersports. Evening entertainments included a musical quiz, talent show, a trip to St Tropez and dancing at the disco. A particular favourite was go-karting, with pupils, staff and PGL reps skidding, crashing and spinning at corners, all racing round the track to record the fastest lap time. The pupils had an enjoyable week, returning to Charters, tanned and exhausted!!

Charters School Shop Mrs J Callaghan - Shop Manager

Please note that we are now selling �Easy Learning� French Dictionaries for the lower school, priced at �6.50 (retail �6.99). We will also be shortly stocking pocket French Dictionaries for the older students (�6.50). Both these books have the approval of the Head of Languages. We will also be stocking pocket English Dictionaries with Thesaurus combined and a separate Thesaurus for those students who already have dictionaries. They will eachsell for �7.50 (retail �7.99). We still have a small quantity of Gems at �3.99 for those who prefer the smaller version. We also have a special offer of book covers, buy 4 get 1 free! A pack of 5 assorted colours is now for sale at just �1.00 instead of �1.25

Home/School Partnership Mrs M Twelftree - Headteacher

As a large school with 1500 pupils, the school works with over 3,000 parents. Parents are a vitally important part of school partnership, but during this year we have been conscious of very few parents being involved with the Charters School Association. The Association has done a magnificent job this year in raising enormous sums of money to provide a new minibus and other resources urgently needed by the school. I have been rather disappointed that, despite huge parental praise for the school, very few parents are prepared to come along and support the Association. Its efforts are limited to a very small willing band of helpers. Even if you can offer only a little time to the school, please contribute in some way to the Charters School Association. I would ask all parents to carefully read the information that follows and consider how they can best help the school. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Welcome to the Charters School Association

Charters School Association (CSA) would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new families that have joined Charters School this year. All staff, parents and guardians of students at Charters are automatically members of the CSA. The CSA aims to support the staff and students at the school through raising funds and organising social events.

FUN AND FUND RAISING
Most of the fund raising is done at the Christmas Market, Spring Draw and Summer Fayre. Through working together the staff, CSA committee, parents and students ensure these events are a real success, raising money to benefit all pupils throughout the year. Not all of the events are exclusively fund raising as a Skittles evening and Quiz Night is organised every year. In 1998/99 enough money was raised to buy a new minibus, the Charters Chariot and support further developments to the computer network in school. Every year the CSA provides prizes to celebrate the achievements of the students.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Organising the various events throughout the year is hard work, but rewarding and fun. Every family can make a contribution, offering a level of involvement that fits in with their other commitments. Please consider what you could do, your help is needed and will make a difference. The enclosed forms enable you to register your support and should be returned to the school office on completion or brought to the AGM on Tuesday, 5th October. Thank you.

CSA COMMITTEE
The committee of the CSA meets two evenings per term and new committee members are always welcome. In fact, for the CSA to function properly we need new parents to join each year, both to replace the committee members whose children have left the school and to bring in new ideas. If you are interested in joining the committee but would like further information, please contact Jill Rakowski (01344 422379).

JOIN THE HELPERS LIST
The CSA maintains a Helpers List to enable the committee to co-ordinate the support needed each year at Charters School. The list is used to keep a record of who might be available to help at a range of fund raising and social events, as well as serving refreshments on parents� evenings and open days. The CSA needs as many parents to volunteer as possible. Please think twice before saying you cannot help. If you are unsure about adding your name to the list please contact Jill Rakowski (01344 422379) or Denise Tomlinson (01344 884378).

House System Update Mr I Wright - Overall House Co-ordinator

The new contest for the 1999-2000 Charters School House Competition has now started. Runaway winners last year Churchill (Green), must look to emulate what was a truly memorable performance. However, Nightingale (Yellow), Pankhurst (Red), Armstrong (Blue) may have something to say in how the championship is decided! Many competitions have already begun or are due to do so soon. House Rugby and Hockey fixtures begin next week with the Year 9 competitions on Monday 27th September, Year 10 Wednesday 28th September and Year 11 Thursday 30th September. The Year 7 & 8 competitions are later in the half term on Saturday 18th October and, of course, the more spectators, whether friends, fellow House members or parents the better! Other competitions now running are the Year 7 History competition where pupils have to research information about the historical character their House is named after and then describe why they deserve such a position. Further details in this issue of Charters News. Finally, a new competition. Many students may be aware that each House has an appropriately coloured House Mascot. Now is your chance to rack your brains and think of a nickname for your House�s Mascot. Entries must be in to Mr. Wright by Friday 8th October and hopefully will be judged by a Senior Member of Staff. Look for further details on the House noticeboard or in your Tutor room.

Current champions, Pankhurst, are in for some stiff opposition from the three challengers and the first test takes place in the form of Year 9, 10 and 11 House rugby and hockey on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th September respectively. The competitions will all run from 3-4 p.m. and all are welcome. There are many new competitions planned for this year, including a Public Speaking Contest and a House Quiz but first up is a 'House Motto' competition where pupils are invited to come up with a motto which can be used for their House. There are House Points at stake for the best entries and also the most, so get thinking! All entries to your House Co-ordinators or Mr. Wright.

Well all I've got left to say is good luck to everyone involved this year in what promises to be a great contest, and remember your House needs you !