Summer 2011 Magazine - Bodmin College

Principal’s MessageThis time last year I was writing mymessage in the College Magazine on theback of our ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted Inspection.As I have often said to the staff at theCollege, schools move in two directions,forwards or backwards, standing still is notan option. We enjoyed the ‘Outstanding’achievement and have subsequently movedon. Our challenge is to remain ‘Outstanding’and to secure further success andopportunities for our students.As a new Academy we have already gainedhuge benefits from greater flexibilities andcontrol with regard to financial matters.It has enabled us to target resourcesmuch more effectively across all areas ofthe College both in terms of interventionand future developments. It has alsoallowed us to make three very crucialappointments that will continue to drive forimprovement into the next phase of ourdevelopment. Judy Brinson took up post asour Business Director earlier in the year,in September we welcome Brett Elliott asour new Headteacher and Karen Taylor asSchool Improvement Officer. Capacity andcapability within the Leadership team hasnever been stronger.There are so many things that I couldchoose to celebrate with you but particularhighlights have been the Investors in PeopleSilver Award (with a strong recommendationby our assessor that we push on in thenear future for the Gold standard award);the Education Business Excellence Awardwhich highlighted our “exemplary Vocationalpractice – including our Apple and Mediaexpertise” and suggested that it be used “asa model for other schools within and beyondCornwall”; and our Year 11 Leavers’ dayand prom which will long be rememberedby all as a great send off. Finally, our newbuilding will be fully equipped and ready foruse in September, a very exciting additionto College facilities.So it is with great excitement that BodminCollege enters its next chapter as we striveto meet the challenges of educationalreforms whilst at the same time balancingthese against our true mission of meetingthe needs of our wonderful student bodyand securing for them maximum enjoymentand success in their educational journey.Have a great summer holiday and I lookforward to seeing all staff and studentsback fully refreshed and raring to go inSeptember.Mr. R. Mitchell, Principal2

Bodmin College at Royal Cornwall Show 2011For the sixth year running,Bodmin College have exhibitedat the Royal Cornwall Show.Again, our objective in doing sois to promote the considerablerange of Post-16 coursesavailable at the College, but asecondary and still importantpurpose was to make a positivestatement to the general publicabout the ethos of BodminCollege, and judging by themany comments subsequentlyreceived the objective wascertainly met.Due to limitations of space onthe stand, it was not possibleto give entertaining, interactivedemonstrations representingall departments, but studentsand staff from Hair and Beauty,Childcare, Construction, PE &Sports Academies, Psychology,Photography and Animal Care(always a crowd pleaser)were on hand to give visitorsan overview of their coursesand a flavour of College lifegenerally. New this year was anexcellent Science demonstrationorganised by Miss Essex which,along with her colleagues,demonstrated how excitingScience can be. In addition,senior staff were on hand tofield questions about the Collegeand what we have to offer.Each year at the Show a fewstands are selected for a visitby the Agricultural Association’sofficial party, and this yearwe were so honoured. Theparty, consisting of AssociationPresident Sir Ferrers Vyvyal andhis wife, President Elect LadyCarew Pole and other dignitariesspent time with us talkingfreely, mainly to students,who as usual represented theCollege very well. At the endof their visit Sir Ferrers hadsome difficulty dragging hiswife away from the Hair andBeauty demonstration, but hewas loud in praise of the happyatmosphere on the stand andthe positive attitude of everyonehe spoke to.Many thanks are due to all thestudents and staff involved, andnot least to Andy Nineham, whovolunteered his services as amagician over the three daysand made a great contributionto keeping the atmosphere onthe stand continually alive inwhat was our busiest show sofar.Mr R VannoeyCornish ‘Wrasslin’ at Bodmin CollegeWorking with the CornishWrestling Association, the PEDepartment have held several‘taster sessions’ of this uniqueand ancient sport. Besides thewrestling itself, Year 12 Textilesstudents have been workingaway to make our own set ofthe distinctive canvas jacketsworn by the combatants. Inaddition, Year 9 Graphic Designstudents have been involvedin a competition to create ourown Bodmin College CornishWrestling Logo. The studentswere given a tour of the Wovinafactory and observed in detailjust how an initial idea becomesa smartly-branded logo. Wovinavery kindly agreed to embroiderour jackets with Aidan Booth’swinning logo (selected byofficials from the CornishWrestling Association) at nocost.The College Governors havesponsored a trophy for the bestBodmin College student wrestlerat the tournament.Gwary hweg yw gwary teg!(Fair play is good play!).Will ColemanLEFT: (front row) Four 6thFormers waiting for thecompetition, (middle row) Year9 Graphic Products students andYear 12 Textiles students whomade the jackets, (back row)Three officials from the CWAand Graphics teacherMr Greaves.3

The Day Bodmin College went to see the QueenEach year, on the second Monday in March,the Council of Commonwealth Societies – anorganisation of Commonwealth civil societyorganisations and partner organisationsworking under the auspices of the RoyalCommonwealth Society – organises itsflagship occasion, the CommonwealthDay Observance. The Observance marksCommonwealth Day, when people acrossthe world celebrate the special partnershipof nations, peoples, and ideals whichconstitutes the modern Commonwealth.Greenfield ‘Cake Break’a Great SuccessThe 28th April saw Greenfield studentsand staff hosting a ‘Cake Break’ in aid ofthe MS Society. Prior to the event studentsbaked cakes and cookies, produced posters,decorations and flyers and learnt about theeffects of Multiple Sclerosis and the role ofthe charity in supporting sufferers of thisdebilitating illness.Staff, parents and friends contributed witha wide variety of scrumptious offerings anddonations for the various stalls. Studentsmanaged the kitchen, served visitors andmanned the stalls including a cake stallat College reception; which proved verysuccessful. All students involved will gainan AQA Unit Award and their work will alsocontribute to their individual ASDAN andCoPE portfolios.On 14th March Bodmin College was amongstthe 1000 young people representing thefuture of the Commonwealth. The ceremonywas honoured by the presence of Headof the Commonwealth Her Majesty TheQueen, His Royal Highness The Duke ofEdinburgh, The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar MP, Prime Minister of the Republicof Trinidad and Tobago, Chairperson-inofficeof the Commonwealth, other headsof Government, the High Commissionersand faith leaders representing each majorreligion.The Observance takes a different themeeach year and, in 2011, it was ‘Women asagents of change’. This important themewas reflected in inspiring testimonies andreadings from accomplished Commonwealthcitizens such as Annie Lennox OBE, the poetLaureate, Carol Ann Duffy CBE, Dr DambisaMoyo, Marie Staunton and Dr Martina Roth,and in colourful performances by talentedCommonwealth artists such as Bear Love,the Maria Fidelis Convent School GospelChoir, Denyse Plummer and Dance Ihayami.Mrs Walton, Global Citizenship Co-ordinatorGreenfield was pleased to welcome severalvisitors including parents, friends, Collegestaff and students and supporters from theMid Cornwall branch of the MS Society. Anendless variety of cakes and goodies wereserved with tea and coffee, and enjoyed byall.A total of £371 was raised. Greenfieldstudents and staff would like to say a verybig thank you to everyone who attended orcontributed in any way.A TRULY FANTASTIC DAY WITH FABULOUSRESULTS.RIGHT: Flora and Sadie ready to serve cakes.4

Bodmin College Pupils Go Live on the BBCOn Thursday 24th March, underthe professional guidance ofBBC Radio Cornwall’s MattShepard and Ella Woodgate, 23Year 9 students became newsreporters for the day as part ofthe BBC’s nationally acclaimedSchool Report Day.Students had the opportunity toresearch, plan and create theirown television news stories inorder to create a bulletin forthe BBC School Report website.Adding to the excitement,students were interviewed liveon BBC Radio Cornwall severaltimes during the day.Some of the top stories studentschose to run with included;the impact of the Lostwithielfloods on the local community, ahuman interest story concerningthe positive impact the NHS hadon the life of a young child whounderwent brain surgery andthe use of new technologies toraise attainment in schools.Thanks to the strong leadershipof student directors ElliotThomas and Dan Goward thebulletin was put together by the2pm deadline and uploaded tothe BBC website. The video canbe found on the Bodmin Collegephotography blog at:www.bodminphotography.co.uk.Speaking after the event Elliotsaid; “Everyone worked reallyhard as a team and it reallypaid off. We felt really like realjournalists; it was a brilliantexperience working with theBBC and seeing our work onthe website. Everyone whotook part would like to thankour Media and Photographyteachers, Ms Stott, MsSaberton, Mr Talbot and MissBrown, for making the daypossible.”RIGHT: The SixthForm Council arethrilled with thecake that MrsBarrett made tocelebrate the endof thier studies atBodmin College.St Piran’s Day CelebrationsOn a freezing but sunny 4th March,members of the Year 13 BTEC music groupand tutor group 7.8 arrived on MountFolly to celebrate St Piran’s Day with thedignitaries, primary schools and public ofBodmin.After several speeches celebrating the joysof being Cornish, the students performedtraditional Cornish folk music on a varietyof instruments. These included The BalMaiden’s Chant and Hail to the Homeland.The entertainment ended with a rousingrendition of Trelawny accompanied by otherlocal musicians. The parade then continueddown to St Petroc’s Chuch where theperformances continued with a performanceof the story of St Piran written and actedout by Year 7 students.Miss Watson5

Dartmoor Ten Tors 2011 – Another Successful YearThe College entered twoteams in the Dartmoor TenTors and they both performedfantastically; finishing at around2 o’clock on Sunday. This isthe second year that siblingshave been in either team withAnnabelle beating older brotherGeorge over the line by just afew minutes after two days ofwalking.Our two teams of studentswere not the only people fromthe College taking part in theevent as two students alsocompleted a 35 mile course withthe Bodmin Army Cadets andanother completed the 45 mileevent with Explorer Scouts.ABOVE: 35 mileteam on the podiumRIGHT: 45 mileteam cross thefinish lineBELOW: Hard workduring Ten TorspracticeCongratulations to all thosestudents who took part in whatis one of the most gruellingand unforgiving events opento young people today. It isimportant to me to recognisethe commitment and effort ofthose students and they can beproud of their achievements.The training has already begunfor next year’s event with alarge group of students fromboth Years 8 and 9 alreadylearning map reading skills atWalking Club, Wednesday afterschool.Mr Morris6

Peer Mentoring – ‘The Celebration Event’On Wednesday 4th May, BodminCollege’s ASDAN studentsorganised and held a PeerMentoring event in the College’ssports hall. It was organisedto celebrate the success ofthe programme throughoutthis school year and to bringMentors and Mentees together.Not only were the Mentorsand Mentees involved, butGovernors and senior staff atthe College were also invited.The Peer Mentoring schemebegan at Bodmin College in2006. It is there for studentswho may need some extra timeand attention with someoneto talk to, or for students whodon’t always have a supportsystem available to them.Trained Mentors meet on aregular basis with their allocatedMentee. It is a good way ofdeveloping social skills for theMentor and helps the Menteeadapt to new settings anddemands on their time.The Celebration Event involveda variety of games: dodgeball, parachute games,basketball, table tennis andbadminton for everyone toenjoy. Refreshments were alsoavailable - orange squash andbiscuits. Six Mentees who hadparticipated with large amountsof enthusiasm and talent wereawarded an Easter egg, thenthere were mini little eggsand pens for the rest of theMentees.Then it was the Mentors’ turnto receive certificates for alltheir hard work and effort. MissNineham and Mr Cornish gaveout certificates to each Mentorafter which Mr Mitchell gave aspeech: he talked about thepositive and beneficial effects ofthe Peer Mentoring scheme.The event was a huge success.Lots of people turned up andgot involved. Everyone had funand enjoyed themselves: therewas great interaction and areally good atmosphere.If you think you would beinterested in becoming aMentor next year keep an eyeout for notices around College,in assembly and in yourtutor registers. It is a greatopportunity to get involved in areally rewarding and effectivescheme.Louise GoddingASDAN Award GroupLEFT & BELOW: Gargantuaperformance‘Gargantua’performance by CollegeStudentsEarlier this year, A Level Performing Artsstudents took a performance of Gargantua,by Cornish writer Carl Grose, to the DrumTheatre, Plymouth as part of NationalTheatre Connections.The play is reminiscent of Monty Python inits random flitting between scale, realityand cartoon with references to B movies,comic book heroes and blockbusters likeKing Kong.7

AuschwitzBirkenau 2012Students and staff have alreadybegun to prepare and plan forthe Auschwitz Birkenau CulturalDiversity Trip in 2012.Students throughout the Collegehave been canvassed as totheir interest and 90 studentscollected information flyers andapplication forms. Each studentneeds to sustain quite a longtermcommitment in order thatthey raise as much money asthey can, to contribute towardsthe overall cost of their trip.Fundraising has started inearnest for those twentystudents who have stayed withthe project – cake and sweetsales are generating a baseincome for those studentswho have culinary talents.Raffles, auctions and sponsoredwalks in striped pyjamas withwheelbarrows full of rocks arebeing organised as an eveningperformance open to thepublic on ‘Tolerance Day’, 16thNovember this year. Please notethis as a date for your diary.Meetings are held on a regularbasis to generate interestand information around theuniversal acts of genocidethat condemn aspects of ourhumanity. We are currentlysetting up displays andassemblies to acknowledge thetreatment of Sinti and Romanitravellers in Europe from theMiddle Ages to today.Year 10 ‘Enterprise’ Days atBodmin CollegeOnce again, our Year 10 students have been engaged inan ‘Enterprise’ event, which sees them taken off theirregular timetable for three days to take part in this KeySkills project. The students have to form themselvesinto a company, choose the Directors and decide who isresponsible for making their company work.This year they have been tasked with opening arestaurant, including choosing the location, menus andcosting the operation in it’s entirety. Our local EducationBusiness Partnership have made this possible and theirstaff were on hand to assist our students form theircompanies. Additionally, Bodmin College staff alsoprovided valuable backup for finance and IT facilities.Not only do students have to form their company butthey also need to produce all the promotional materials.A recording studio was made available to record radiojingles. Some of the students even went so far as toprepare food for their promotional stands, which werejudged by selected members of Bodmin College staff.Mr Richard StaplesBELOW: Students wearing their own ‘professional’clothesThe remaining studentsare an impressive bunch;compassionate, sensitive andcreative with a sense of outrageto what we have done as ahuman race. I hope they sustainthat passion to be the changethey want to see in the world.If you should wish to sponsora student, make a donation orrequire more information aboutthe trip, please contact MrsSarah Walton at the College.8Ms Shepherd

Level 3 Public Services getstuck into Outdoor PursuitsHaving done most of their writing units,the Level 3 Public Services course havenow started to undertake the OutdoorPursuits and Expedition Units in earnest.Students on the course need to show highquality skills in two land-based outdoorpursuits (Moorland Walking and Climbing).To this end they have started to do somelong distance walks on Dartmoor andhave visited the Barn Climbing Wall nearLaunceston. The initial training walks andexpeditions have focused on map readingskills with safety and organisation being thefocus of the initial climbing sessions.Duke ofEdinburghAward NewsRIGHT: Ellis showing his climbing skillsMr MorrisWe are now well into ourExpedition season this year withall three levels of the awardhaving been out.Bronze News:The Bronze Year 10 studentshad a warm and sunnyweekend in March for theirpractice expedition. They metat Charlestown and packedthe tents and stoves into theirrucksacks before setting off ontheir planned routes around thecoast to Fowey. After a greatday walking we camped nearFowey. After a slow start onSunday, the teams all set off onthe Saints Way to Lostwithiel.It was a successful weekendand great preparation for theirqualifying expedition.Shortly before half term theBronze students again packedtheir rucksacks and embarkedon their qualifying expedition.After meeting their Assessorat College for a briefing beforethey began, the teams set off.They had planned their routesthemselves and all three teamshad gone a different way.Day one finished at Withielwhere we camped in thegrounds of the village Hall. Afterrain overnight, Sunday dawnedbright and clear and the teamsfollowed their routes for aroundeight miles. They all finished ontime and smiling.Most of our Bronze studentshave now completed most ofthe Award and we hope topresent them with their awardsafter the Summer.Silver News:On a wet and dull Friday inApril four teams of Silver AwardYear 11 students set out ontheir practice Expedition. Theyleft College and walked onvarious routes to our campsitenear Cardinham. Saturdaydawned a bit brighter and theteams set off following theirplanned routecards throughmoorland and countryside toSiblyback. We camped at theoutdoor centre. As most ofthese students had achievedtheir Bronze award last yearthey were practised at cookingon the stoves and it was greatto see some more adventurousmeals being prepared. The thirdday was wet and windy but itdidn’t deter our teams and theyall completed a day on Bodminmoor around the Minionsarea. It was a very successfulexpedition and we are lookingforward to their qualifying walkin July.Gold news:Our Year 12 Gold studentsalso completed their practiceexpedition before Easter. Thisinvolved four days hiking andwild camping on Dartmoor. Theweather was fabulous and bothteams successfully completedtheir routes, which totalledin excess of 80km/50 milesover the four days. We arenow finishing the preparationfor their qualifying expeditionwhich will be taking place in theBrecon Beacons in July.Big CONGRATULATIONS toJacob Lyne in Year 13 who hascompleted his Gold Award. Welldone Jacob.Mrs Ellis, DofE Co-ordinator9

Army Cadet Outreach 2011In early May Mrs Wood & MrBarrett took a group of Year9 students to join forces withpupils from Torpoint CommunityCollege in order to participatein a five day Outreach projectexpedition run by the CornwallArmy Cadet Force.The bonding between theleaders, both schools and thecadets was evident throughoutthe five days, as the studentsbegan to learn how to supportand help each other in somechallenging situations.Outreach is the Army CadetForce’s Youth and CommunityProject. Since it started in 1994nearly 9,000 young people,boys and girls, have takenpart in the Project. Outreachseeks to help young peoplebecome responsible citizens byusing team based adventurousand challenging activities toraise their self-esteem, buildconfidence and broaden theirperspective on what they canachieve with their lives. Theproject takes participants awayfrom their normal environmentand gives them a huge dose ofpositive activity, earned praise,self-belief and personal pride.Mrs Wood & Mr BarrettCatering NewsThe catering for the CATS eventwas carried out for the firsttime this year by Key Stage 3pupils (and staff). It was a realteam effort with contributionsfrom Years 7 & 8 makingpastry products, whilst Year 9baked and decorated cupcakes.Members of the Lets GetCooking group promoted theclub’s recipes, demonstratinghealthy snacks for tasting.During the evening the studentsworked exceptionally hard toset up, serve and clear away,overcoming a number oftechnical hitches and conductingthemselves in a way that acommercial establishment wouldbe pleased with.10Following the success of CATSnight, Bodmin College wasapproached to help with theCornwall branch of the RSPCA.For their summer event,students have produced a rangeof baked products to sell with aview to developing an enterpriseproject for next year’s event.The Technology Departmentare always interested to hearfrom any local businesses whocan offer their expertise orare interested in supportingour students to develop theirinterest in food manufacturingand catering.Ms Hennessey

Year 13 Applied ArtFashion Show SuccessStudents organised the whole event aspart of their Professional Practice Unitand decided to include, not just theirown fashion, but also to use second handclothes. They approached the BodminCancer Research shop and also Save theChildren in Wadebridge and selected clothesto restyle for the two collections. Theseitems looked fantastic on the models whowere from Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 andaround £200 was taken on the night fromthe sale of these clothes during the interval,so they must have looked good.The clothes from Moods in Bodmin lookedstunning on both the student and staffmodels. There was also a retro sectionwhere teachers’ clothes were worn from the70s and 80s and of course the students’own work from both their Textiles and Artlessons were modelled.Live music was performed in between thecollections, Josh May was a superb compèreand even the cupcakes in the interval wereworks of art.The whole event raised approximately £500for both charities. Well done to HannahDryden, Kitty Gallagher, Gaby Lake, EvieEdwards and Hebe Smallcombe for all theirhard work with the planning, fashion stylingand organising of this event.Mrs Jayne Smith, Head of ArtBereavement SupportAt present there are four Teaching Assistants at theCollege that have received training from Penhaligon’sFriends. Students have been introduced to these TAsin assembly and there is a poster in each tutor base toexplain how to access the support. This can be done byteachers, Year Heads, tutors, parents and carers or thestudents themselves.Barbara Brown, Kim Roberts, Jayne ParkinSupport is structured to the individual needs of thestudents. It can take the form of regular weeklymeetings, brief chats at tutor times, or getting togetheras part of a group.We have just held the final meeting with our latestgroup. Students from this group have all said howhelpful they found the time that the TAs spent withthem, and the time that they have spent with eachother. “It is nice to know that I have the support”.“My sister says that I am a nicer person now”.11

The Tale Of Sweeney ToddThe Year 13 BTEC Music students at BodminCollege have just closed a run of StephenSondheim’s horror musical ‘Sweeney Todd– The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street’. Theirhard work and commitment to the projectreally shone with an amazingly staged andproduced show.The College staged Disney’s ‘High SchoolMusical’ two years ago, and this year theydecided to go for a show with more ofan edge – a razors edge! The show wasdirected by the Head of Music at the Collegeand saw the Sixth Form students take theroles.The lead roles of Sweeney and Mrs Lovettwere played by Daniel Woodfield andBronwyn Gibbons, who made the perfectdark and menacing leads. The crazedbeggar woman was played by AlexandraRichardson who really owned the role.Johanna and Anthony were played byRachel Capp and Hal Smith who had agreat chemistry. Toby was sincerely playedby Ellen Hunn. Other members of the castincluded Florence Tompkins as Pirelli, JoshMay as The Beadle, Rory Galloway as JudgeTurpin, Rachel Crabb as Fogg and the BirdSeller. Jessica Mann and Laura Cowen alsostarred in the production as part of thechorus.The Head of Music, Benji Vincent, says that“This is perhaps one of the most challengingproductions the College has ever taken on,mainly due to its hybrid nature of musicaltheatre and opera style singing. As thereis very little spoken dialogue and most ofshow is told through song everything hadto be perfectly timed and rehearsed, fromlines through to all the technical stagingdirections and of course, throat slitting.“However the students have not allowedthis to hinder them in anyway and haveapproached the study and preparation ofthe work in such a professional manner,resulting in a very dark and matureperformance. We are extremely proud ofthem all as they have all gained distinctiongrades for this part of the unit.”13

Year 11 Leave in StyleOn Friday 27th May a day ofcelebrations took place to markthe end of five years at theCollege for Year 11 students.In the morning staff andstudents all met in the quadwhere there was a buffet laidout and a specially preparedleavers’ cake. The sun wasshining and this provided theperfect opportunity for studentsto take photos, and say goodbyeto friends and teachers. Theywere then joined by 130 parentswho had come to see the finalleavers’ assembly.During the assembly studentsreceived their Record ofAchievement folders whichdetailed their achievementsduring their time at collegeand which can be used forinterviews in the future. Theoccasion was also marked bya specially made film by Year11 student Conor Wilson whogathered video tributes fromYear 11 tutors.Students then left to get readyfor the prom which took place inthe evening at St Mellion. Theevening started in glamorousstyle with many studentsmaking a grand entrance. Somearrived by stretch limousinewhile others arrived in a varietyof fantastic cars. One grouparrived by fire engine andthree students, Luke Vokes,Will Hoskin and Tom Chapman,arrived in a tractor, speciallycleaned and polished for theoccasion.Seeing all of the studentsdressed up was an amazingsight. There were many, manybeautiful dresses in all differentstyles and colours. Some ofthe boys had bow ties to matchthe colours of their partners’dresses. It was particularlyinteresting to see how manyboys can do their ties up whenthey want to.After the meal Jasmine Urellperformed a stunning balladand showed everyone why shehas been chosen to sing withthe College Jazz Orchestra.Students then had a chanceto dance and socialise. Thedancing included ‘Shake YourTail Feather’ which studentshad been practising in tutorsports with Mr Burleigh. A hugenumber of students joinedin and I am sure that theyimpressed those members ofstaff that hadn’t seen it before.For many students it was anemotional day as they wereleaving the College after fiveyears and although manyare planning to return inSeptember others are planningto go to other colleges or haveapprenticeship placements.I wish everyone good luck14

wherever they are next yearand wish to congratulate themon their impeccable conductduring the leavers’ day events.Miss Thomas, Head of Year 11Sing Up Cousin JacksAfter several months of leading workshops andrunning rehearsals with primary school children, the‘International Voices - Sing Up Cousin Jacks’ projectcame to a grand finale.Psychology Students attendDerren Brown PerformanceOn Thursday the 26th of May a group of Year 12 and13 Psychology students were lucky enough to attendthe amazing Derren Brown Svengali performance atthe Plymouth pavilions. The night was filled with uniquemind trickery as Brown used audience participation toentertain and intrigue.The night was made even more interesting for thestudents from Bodmin College as two of their teachers,Mr Burleigh and Miss Nineham were picked twice tobe a part of the show. Joining Brown on stage andexperiencing first hand his talents will be somethingthey (and the students) won’t be forgetting for a longtime.The group would like to thank Mrs Plunkett and MissGreenwood for getting them to the performance andback.Kate Lancaster, Year 12Over 150 children from St Petroc’s, Boscastle,Threemilestone, Trevisker and St Dennis Primary schoolperformed in a concert in St Petroc’s Church, Bodminto celebrate the lives of Cornish miners who emigratedabroad in search of work. They were joined by theYoung Singing Leaders and musicians of the College’sYear 13 BTEC Music Performance group as well asrenowned local musicians from Dalla.The evening included a variety of traditional Cornishmusic and dance alongside African drummingand songs. The opening item in the concert wasa multimedia presentation of images and videohighlighting the connections forged between theparticipating Cornish and African schools through‘Sing Up’ and the British Council. Tilly Tompkins,saysof the event: ‘The evening was a great success and Ireally enjoyed the experience of working with youngerchildren’. The church was filled with over 250 parents,friends and Sing Up representatives who had travelledfrom London to witness the evening’s celebrations.For the finale, a representative from each participatingschool carried a silk banner down the aisle for theuplifting song ‘You Are My Brother’. The banners werecreated by the children in workshops prior to theconcert and represented the new made links betweenCornwall and Africa.Ben Vincent, Head of Music15

Twin Town Students on Whirlwind Visit to BodminOn 10 May the College were very pleased to host a visitby members of the Diwan School, which is located inLe Relecq-Kerhuon, our twin town in Brittany. FortytwoFrench students and four of their teachers spentan enjoyable morning learning how to play roundersand then participating in a mini tournament. This hadbeen ably organised by the Netball Academy, who weresupported by KS4 Sports Leaders.Anger ProblemsI don’t like the agrobuilding inside of me.Just let me go,like a bird, set me free.I feel the needto punch a wallwhile the teachers say,“Just keep your cool”.I’m yelling at you.You’re yelling at me.It’s time to calm downand count to three.It’s OK now;the agro has gone.I thought of thisand wrote this song.Poem by KimberleyWorld Record HolderOn Tuesday 17th May 2011, World recordcyclist Vin Cox visited Bodmin Collegeto work with some pupils in the school.Vin has set a Guinness World Record forcircumnavigation of the globe by bike.During his day he spent time with PEclasses leading cycling lessons.Vin taught several groups during the daywith the first Year 7 class taking part invarious activities including slow races, quickbraking and weaving skills. The studentsreally enjoyed their lesson and thought itwas great to be working with Vin.Vin’s advice for anyone wanting to becomea cyclist is “Ride your bike, ride your bike,ride your bike!”This was an excellent opportunity for both nationalities,as the Netball Academy students were able to use thisexperience as part of their Community Sports LeaderAward, whilst the French students gained an insightinto a new sport which they are now keen to promote intheir own school. They were very grateful to the NetballAcademy for the work put into the preparation of thisactivity.Following this, Year 9 Bodmin students who are studyingFrench took part in a series of speaking and listeningactivities with the French visitors. This is to be followedby an exchange of letters, and perhaps further meetingsin the future.Bodmin students were also fascinated to hear theFrench students communicating with their teachers inBreton, their regional language.More Sports New in Brief...Success at Schools Surfing ChampionshipsPoppy & Harrison Fawcett represented Bodmin Collegeand Poltair Sports Partnership at the Cornwall SchoolsSurfing Championships on 4th April 2011. Poppy wasplaced 3rd in her category and has now qualifiedfor the National Schools Surfing Championships.Congratulations!Athletics SuccessAt the Cornwall athletics championships on 11 June MattHalton smashed the senior boy’s County discus recordby nearly 2 metres with a throw of 41m26. He then wonthe shot putt with a throw of 14m61 to qualify for theSouth West championships in June at Exeter.Impressive performances were also displayed byStephanie Hotham in the 100m and discus andby Charlotte Hotham in the 200m and long jump.Charlotte Lowe was unable to compete due to injurybut has been successfully selected to compete for theCounty squad at the South West Championships in PoleVault and we wish her luck.Published by BODMIN COLLEGELostwithiel Road, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1DDt. 01208 72114e. secretary@bodmincollege.cornwall.sch.ukw. www.bodmincollege.cornwall.sch.ukPrinted by Phoenix Print, Normandy Way, Bodmin