2014 winter - The Belvedere Academy

2014
winter
Prize Giving
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Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Prize Giving 2014
Belvedere Academy’s annual Prize
Giving took place in the spectacular
venue of Liverpool Cathedral.
Jodi Whitehouse presented the
awards and examination certificates
to the students. She also gave an
inspirational speech encouraging the
girls to have high ambitions and to
overcome life’s obstacles in order to
achieve their dreams and targets.
Peter Kennedy, Principal, reflected on the
Academy’s achievements in the past year
and Areej Yusuf, Head Girl also gave an
address to the students encouraging them
to embrace all that Belvedere has to offer
and to be prepared to try something new.
Mr Kennedy spoke of how the Sixth
Form has a ‘growing reputation for high
academic achievement and personal
excellence’, highlighting how Belvedere
produces confident and motivated young
women.
The Prize Giving gave the opportunity
for the GCSE and A-Level successes of
last year to be publically acknowledged
and celebrated. This, as well as members
of the Sixth Form being recognised for
high attainment, effort and outstanding
contributions to certain subject areas,
was one of the highlights of the afternoon,
along with several members of the Sixth
4
Form performing in the musical interludes,
with the choir and orchestra sounding
fabulous in each section.
For the Year 12 girls who joined the
Academy in September, this was their first
Belvedere Prize Giving and for the Year
13 girls, there were mixed emotions as it
will most likely be their last as a Belvedere
student.
The event was made extra special by the
attendance of our special guest, Jodi
Whitehouse. Jodi was born with a rare,
life threatening illness called Congenital
Melanocytic Naevus or CMN.
After a childhood consisting of over 30
operations at Alder Hey, Jodi established
the Caring Matters Now (CMN) charity
to support children and adults with CMN
which today helps over 400 CMN patients
across the UK. Over the years, Jodi has
received many awards including National
Student of the Year, in 1999, Young Woman
of the Year in 2002 and Merseyside Woman
of the Year in 2005.
Jodi’s speech was very moving and it
highlighted to the girls that, with passion
and determination, young women can
achieve their goals. She proved to be very
inspirational for all the girls, allowing them
to reflect on their own journey in life and
how to overcome their own obstacles.
The Prize Giving finished with a speech by
our Head Girl, Areej Yusuf. She mentioned
how Belvedere doesn’t just help you
develop academically but how it produces
‘well-rounded, articulate and ambitious
young women’.
The
presentation
of
awards
was
interspersed with musical interludes,
which were truly fantastic.
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Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
The Academy’s annual Prize Giving is a
prestigious event held in Liverpool’s Anglican
Cathedral. From Year 7, I have been a member
of choir, chamber choir and orchestra, but this
year, I also had the role of Deputy Head Girl to
play. I was quite nervous for this event as I had
so many music performances to do, a prize to
receive and also I had to lead the congregation,
along with other members of the Head Girl
Team. I had to keep my programme on me from
start to finish so I knew exactly where I was
going! I managed to find out from Head Girl
Areej her feelings on the event as a whole:
“So Areej, when and how did you start
preparing for Prize Giving?”
“I started writing my speech a few weeks
before Prize Giving. I knew exactly what I
wanted to include so I didn’t find it too difficult
to write. I did write a few drafts before I
produced my final version though.”
“And what were your feelings on the day?”
“I was so nervous on the day but excited at the
same time! All that was running through my
head was my speech! However, when I actually
got up on stage, my nerves calmed and I loved
every second of it.”
“What did you feel like when your speech was
done?”
“I was relieved. I felt like a massive weight
had been lifted off my shoulders. There was
such a big build up to it but it just seemed to
fly by on stage! Overall, I really enjoyed the
experience and it’s definitely something that
I won’t forget.”
Areej’s speech was amazing at Prize Giving
and I’m sure everyone would agree! It was
another successful Prize Giving here at
Belvedere and I’m sure there are plenty more
of these to follow!
Alexandra Jones, Deputy Head Girl.
Prize Giving photograpy: Mr Dykeaylen.
6
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Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
‘There was a fantastic range of careers,
which was especially useful for me as I
wasn’t completely sure what career path I
wanted to go down.’- Evyenia Costa
Careers Fair 2014
On Thursday, October 16th
2014, The Belvedere Academy
hosted its biennial Careers Fair.
A record turnout of Year 9 to
13 students attended along
with their parents and over 40
employers were present including
representatives from the fields
of Law, Accountancy, Medicine,
Dentistry and Hospitality.
The Careers Fair provides an opportunity for all
students to find out more about possible career
and apprenticeship opportunities and, in the
process, many students left the fair clutching an
array of free gifts, ranging from cuddly toys to
pens and sweets, given to them by the exhibitors.
Amongst those in attendance was James
Henderson, from Fazakerley Hospital. Following
conversations that they’d had at the event, James
said, ‘We love coming to Belvedere as the girls
are genuinely interested in what we have to say
and are so polite. We would be happy to assist the
Academy in the future by coming in again to speak
in more detail to groups of students.’
8
‘It allowed me to speak to someone who
had experience in my chosen profession.’ Alyssa Dawber
James’ feedback was echoed by many others and
many of the Sixth Form students in particular
returned to the Academy after half term with a
real focus following conversations that they’d had
at the event.
‘The incredible response from students and
companies this year supports the excellent work
already being undertaken by the Academy in
terms of offering independent careers advice
for our girls,’ said Assistant Principal Steven
Jamieson. ‘We are now able to match student
interest with industrial opportunity. This is part
of the well-rounded education a school should
provide. The mutual benefits returned to students
and companies create a system that enables
possibilities for everyone.’
Overall,
both
students
and
company
representatives were very pleased with the event
and it was judged to be a real success all round. We
look forward to welcoming many employers back
to the Academy over the coming months to speak
to the girls in more detail, as part of Belvedere’s
unwavering commitment to offering high quality
advice to all of its students.
‘I found it really useful. I now
know exactly what I want to do!’Grace Sandison
‘It gave me a clear insight into
what is required in the career that
I want to pursue.’ - Areej Yusuf
9
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Carol Service
LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL
DECEMBER 2014
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11
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
rookside’ and
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12
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
OM for
Third place form 8
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13
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Helen Musslewhite cuts it with her talks
about paper and careers in Graphics
Recently, we were very lucky to have a guest
speaker talk with our Graphics A level students
and some GCSE Graphics students about her
fantastic, illustrative work.
Helen Musselwhite works with paper creating graphic visual designs, and
magical illustrated models and sets. Cutting by hand, she uses coloured
and painted paper as she builds detailed and multi-layered scenes inspired
by the natural world and its inhabitants.
Using paper illustrations and artworks has become very popular in
advertising in the past few years. It’s been used in everything from print
to television, and by a wide array of companies. Her distinct and creative
style has enabled her to work with some of the biggest clients out there;
clients include brands such as Audi, McDonalds, Cadburys and Nokia
as well as numerous publications. She works from a home studio near
Manchester accompanied by her trusty assistant, a dog called Earl.
Helen Musselwhite was acclaimed as overall winner in the V&A Illustration
Awards for her work in Dance Gazette. She was commissioned by Dance
Gazette, the magazine of the Royal Academy of Dance, to illustrate
an interview with Audrey Niffenegger about the ups and downs of the
creative process.
Helen creates very visually appealing paper sculptures, where she
combines hand cut layers of colored paper and very strong graphic
illustrations using the contrast of colours and materials. You can
truly see her passion in her work, how much attention is put into each
detail, as well as the range of work she publishes all shows her interest
in the medium.
Helen talked passionately about how rewarding a career in design could
be; highlighting the wide variety or work and creative freedom that
working as a designer offers. She showed examples of her work to the
girls, who were captivated by its intricate detailing and depth. We hope
to be able to invite Helen back to Belvedere, in the new year, to do some
creative workshops with the girls.
Mr Dykeaylen, Subject Leader Graphics.
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14
“I found the talk
informative and I was
surprised by her work
with paper, especially
The Magic Box.”
15
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
h hints
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Our reg tips on literacy
and
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
gies
e
t
a
r
t
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Spelling
• Break it into affixes (dis + satisfy)
• Words within words (GUM in argument)
• Use a mnemonic (Never Eat Chips Eat
Salad Sandwiches And Remain Young!)
• Apply spelling rules (hopping = short
vowel sound, hoping = long vowel)
• Break it into sounds (u-n-i-o-n)
• Refer to a word in the same family
(chemical, chemist, chemistry)
• Learn by sight (look-say-cover-write
check)
• Break it into syllables (con-tin-ent)
• Over-articulate it (Wed-nes-day)
• Visual memory (recall images, colour,
font)
Pantomimes
Our Year 11 GCSE Performing Arts class
was given six weeks to create their very
own pantomime.
Theatre Trips
The Drama Department has had a busy
start to the school year with three theatre
trips already. Year 13 went to see a moving
play about two of England’s greatest
twentieth century war poets, Siegfried
Sassoon and Wilfred Owen.
Weaving
together
autobiographical
writings
and great poetry including ‘Anthem for
Doomed Youth’, this inspiring play was
used to stimulate the girls’ devised exam
performances based on the theme ‘War:
What is it good for?’.
In November we went to see Frantic
Assembly’s production of ‘Othello’ with
Year 13. Set in a contemporary Northern
English pub, this fast paced production
at the Lowry in Salford had us all gripped
from the very beginning.
Finally, to enter into the season and
encourage the Performing Arts GCSE
pupils we went to see the Everyman’s
annual rock and roll pantomime. Miss
Pozo came too and was intrigued and
amazed by her first experience of British
Panto, ‘Oh no she wasn’t. Oh yes she was!’
A great night was had by all.
16
The first was ‘Cinderella’, a contemporary
version set in Liverpool with a scouse
fairy godmother and roller-wearing ugly
sisters. The second was Aladdin, featuring
popular songs ‘All about that Bass’ and
One Direction’s ‘Best Song Ever’.
The Belvedere Prep School were invited for
an afternoon of entertainment and were
delighted by the event. Water guns and
lots of audience participation enabled the
pupils to get fully involved, including poor
Mr Richardson! The second performance
was to a paying public who were equally
delighted.
Mrs Traynor brought her two sons and
said, ‘It was the best Belvedere production
I’ve seen!’
Providing Christmas gifts for those less fortunate
Operation Christmas Child is a charity
that provides a shoebox full of wonderful
presents for children all around the world
who are less fortunate and don’t get
the opportunity to celebrate Christmas
with gifts.
Every year we contribute as much as
possible as an Academy, collecting as
many shoe boxes as we can. This year we
collected 320 boxes in total and we won
the opportunity to go to visit the Operation
Christmas Child factory in Speke.
At the factory we learned all about the
history of Samaritan’s Purse, the charity
that runs OCC, and helped pack the boxes
to make sure that suitable items were
being sent to children across the world. We
were paired up with volunteers who use
their free time to re-pack the boxes and
make sure they all have the correct items.
Our boxes were re-packed and shipped
to Africa the next day to help victims of
the Ebola outbreak. It was a heart-warming
and emotional experience because it made
us realise how lucky we are and that
we can take the smallest gifts for granted
that can mean so much to a child that
has nothing.
Niamh Herrity and Esther Greenhalgh,
Year 8.
News from the PE Department
Interform Netball
This term has been host to the Interform
Netball competitions. Well done to all pupils
who took part in the Interform Netball. Each
form came equipped with their full team
as well as mascots, banners, cheerleaders
and dancers. We even had pupils dressed
up as lambs representing Mr Lamb’s 7L.
Winners in the Interform Netball were 7S,
8N and 9G. Congratulations to these three
forms. Well done! We look forward to more
Interform competitions this academic year.
Netball results
Our Netball teams have had a fantastic
season so far, with our Year 7, Year 9 and
Senior team winning all their matches
so far. Our Year 9 team have never lost a
match in their three years at Belvedere;
an amazing achievement. All teams have
played brilliantly so far and we wish them
luck for the rest of their matches after the
Christmas break.
Staff vs Sixth Form Netball
Well done to the Sixth Form pupils for
organising the Staff V Sixth Form netball
match. Lots of spectators watched the
match and helped raise money for charity.
Congratulations to the Sixth Form Team in
the end who were triumphant on the day; a
very close match ending 6-5. Well done to
all staff and Sixth Form who were involved
in the match.
Educate Awards
Congratulations to our PE Department
who were shortlisted for the Outstanding
Commitment to Sport (secondary) Award
at the Educate Awards. Belvedere, along
with Gateacre and Rainford (the two
other schools nominated) were invited
to attend the ceremony for the Awards
at the Liverpool Cathedral on Friday 21st
November. It was a fantastic achievement
to be shortlisted in the final three across
Merseyside.
Badminton Enrichment
Come and join our Badminton Enrichment
with our new fantastic specialised and
experienced coach. These sessions will be
running for the next 12 weeks, so come
along to Badminton Club on Thursdays
after school 3.15-4.15pm
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Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
with a Remembrance Assembly introduced by Mr Kennedy
and presented by students who had been participants in
the Battlefield Visit. They identified sites that they had
visited including Thiepval, the Memorial to the Missing of
the Somme. The assembly concluded with the Last Post.
Miss Fielding organised the KS3 Assembly, highlighting
the life of Noel Chavasse, son of the Bishop of Liverpool
and who was awarded the Victoria Cross. The war and
history of the school were raised by Mrs Beddard in their
KS4 assembly.
Commemoration of the Outbreak of
World War One 1914-1918
2014 marked one hundred years since the
outbreak of World War One. It has been a year
to reflect and remember at Belvedere.
The process of remembrance began in February 2014 with
Belvedere students participating in a History visit to both
Belgium and France to the Battlefields of Passchendaele,
and the Somme. The visit came about because of plans to
take a number of Belvedere girls to visit the memorial of
the Liverpool Pals, Kitchener’s volunteers, from this city,
in Montauban-de-Picardie. All participants on this visit
were deeply moved by the scale of the loss of life during
this major conflict of the early twentieth century.
In September, the Quantum Theatre Company came into
Belvedere to perform “Your Country Needs You!” to Year 9.
The play was also watched by Sixth Form Drama students.
On the return to school from the Battlefield Visit, I was
interested to find out about Belvedere at this period in
history. In the archives, Miss Murphy our librarian was
able to direct me to copies of the School Chronicle, the
Belvedere School magazine at this time. On reading the
information present over the period 1914-1918, it was a
wonderful record, and one that I was confident current
18
and former pupils, and indeed parents, would really
appreciate knowing about. So much of Belvedere in 2014
has been shaped by its remarkable past. I began writing
a commemorative booklet that all pupils would be able
to read and keep, about their remarkable school’s history
between 1914 and 1918. I also wanted to consider aspects
of continuity and change.
A number of staff during this week managed to bring
aspects of the war into their lessons. In Information
Technology, data bases were used to conduct
research into World War One. The Science Curriculum
Area presented Information about the chemist Fritz
Harber, which was posted on Firefly, and produced a
display focusing on the different chemicals used in World
War One.
In Modern Foreign Languages there was a focus on why we
wear poppies on Remembrance Day. In English at KS3, the
poem “Flanders Field” by the Canadian John McCrae was
examined; McCrae, serving in both the South African and
First World War. Some KS4 students examined an article
entitled “Goodbye darling and love to you all.”
Lucie Dutton, Head of Governance from the GDST, came in
to speak about her grandfather who joined the Liverpool
King’s Regiment. She spoke to Year 13 historians and
Year 12 Politics students. She brought in with her primary
evidence including her grandfather’s diary from 1916. He
was from the Waterloo area of Liverpool. She was very
impressed by the girls stating, “it was lovely to hear one
girl say that it was about real people and not numbers.”
The awareness of the war a hundred years ago across the
school was a means to engage, not only with a historical
event, but to reflect upon the history of the school. The
commemoration has brought home to many of us, as Mr
Kennedy observed in the Remembrance Assembly, that
we all are custodians of Belvedere, that we owe much to
those who came before us and we have a responsibility to
value this, in order to maintain the ethos of Belvedere well
into the future for the benefit of others.
Vanessa Pryce, Curriculum Leader Humanities.
Belvedere Remembers; a KS3 viewpoint.
The majority of the material came directly from
the Chronicle, although in order to supplement this
information, it was necessary to consult and use additional
sources to reveal the history of the school against the
external world events, from 1914 to 1918, including the
causes of war, the Gallipoli Campaign, the Battles of the
Somme and Passchendaele, and indeed the Armistice.
We were contacted by Radio Merseyside and I was able to
speak about this project on Simon Hoban’s “Drive–time”
and the fact that Belvedere girls one hundred years earlier
had waved off the Liverpool Pals and later worked to assist
Belgian refugee families by establishing a Belgian House,
close to the school.
This year is the 100th anniversary of World War One. In
Belvedere, to celebrate and remember all of those who died,
we held a minute’s silence on 11th November at 11am. During
this week, poppies were on sale for £1 to raise money for
the soldiers and their families. Also, Ms Pryce (Curriculum
Leader of Humanities) worked hard for weeks designing
and finding out as much as she could about Belvedere
Academy and how it helped the soldiers in the War.
“Belvedere! School of the Vision of Beauty!
Teach us the worth of true citizenship.
Teach us the value of corporate duty,
With the standard of fellowship firm in our grip.
Again we will show, as we ever have shown,
That we’ll work for thy good with the best of our powers…”
An extract from “A Song for the Belvedere School,
Liverpool” by Beatrice Hill.
Thank you to Ms Pryce and everyone else who helped make
the booklet and helped us too remember those who may
have been forgotten.
Laura Bunnett, Olivia Barlow and Yasmin Adams.
The week beginning 10th November also introduced a
cross-curricular focus on the commemoration. It began
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Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Academy pupils break
Geography mapping world record
Geography students from The Belvedere
Academy became record breakers when
they took part in the world’s biggest data
mapping event.
The project, supported by the Girls’ Day
School Trust (GDST) in conjunction with
Esri UK, involved Geography students from
the 24 GDST schools and two academies,
plot location data on a Geographical
Information Systems (GIS) map alongside
answers to questions about life in their
local area.
In total, over 11,500 students took part,
including 200 from the Belvedere Academy
and this is a new esri world record. The
event was organised by GDST Royal High
School Bath Geography teacher, Raphael
Heath.
Having received confirmation of the
world record, he said: “This is a fantastic
achievement which wouldn’t have been
possible without the support of pupils
from The Belvedere Academy. Just like
the world around us, Geography teaching
is constantly evolving. By inputting their
own data, students were able to see how
their location and viewpoints form part of
a wider pattern. We’re all connected – GIS
mapping helps us see that.”
In addition to anonymously plotting
their own location, students were asked
questions about their quality of life and
local environment, all of which were
inputted on a live, online map. Once all the
data has been submitted, students will be
able to use online GIS mapping applications
to examine the patterns that emerge.
They will also be able to compare these
results with other sources, for example the
UK Census data, to explore why there may
be variations in quality of life in different
parts of the country.
Jason Sawle from esri UK, said: “I would
like to congratulate Mr Heath and all the
students who were involved in this world
record. It is a fantastic achievement
that just goes to show how useful and
informative GIS mapping data can be.”
Year 9 History trip to the Slavery Museum
On 2nd December 2014, together with Ms
Pryce, Mrs Batterton and Miss Fielding,
Year 9 travelled to the International
Slavery Museum in the Albert Dock.
The aim of this trip was to broaden our
knowledge and raise our awareness of the
Slave Trade. We visited all three parts of
the Slavery Museum: Life in West Africa,
The Middle Passage and Legacy.
Each of the sections told us more about
that part of the Slave Trade. One of the
most interesting parts of the visit was
learning more about the role Liverpool
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played in this awful time in history. We
were given a booklet full of questions,
based around the Slave Trade in Liverpool,
to fill in using information from the
exhibits.
The exhibits were full of new information
that we could take back to school and use.
The most memorable exhibit for me was
the account of ‘Life on the Plantations’.
I think this exhibit was so memorable
because you were able to sympathise with
the men, women and children who lived on
the plantations as slaves.
Sahara Trek for Marie Curie
Together with all these exhibits, there
were many quotations written on the wall.
Some of them were quite moving and
inspirational - “Freedom is never
voluntarily given by the oppressor;
it must be demanded by the
oppressed.” - Martin Luther King.
The museum gave us an insight into the
conditions slaves were forced to endure
and brought the topic we have been
studying in lessons to life.
Robyn Turner, Year 9.
During the Autumn half term, I
trekked part of the Sahara Desert
to raise money for Marie Curie
Cancer Care, having reached
Everest Base Camp for the same
cause three years ago.
riverbed and there was obviously a lot of
clay still in the ground, meaning the sand
baked hard and lay cracked, like huge
pieces of shattered pottery, or Easter egg
chocolate. The crunch it made underfoot
sounded like snow.
In the build-up I raised sponsorship through
a variety of ways including a race night and
an Easter egg raffle at Belvedere.
The food and tents were transported by
camel. Our excellent Berber guides did
all the cooking and we ate mostly bread,
salad, tinned fish and of course, tagine.
Once the trek was underway, the group
hit our stride, covering 10 – 20K per day.
Altogether we trekked 90K during the
week and the terrain was difficult. Walking
up and down the many sand dunes was
exhausting. Long days were followed by
sleepless nights. On two of the days there
were sandstorms. Visibility was poor, the
going tough.
The desert was completely barren; nothing
as far as the eye could see. There were
more trees than I thought there would be,
but we were only on the outskirts of the
Sahara. Some features of the desert were
unexpected. We walked along an ancient
good boots, without sun burn or blisters. It
was a gruelling, yet memorable experience
and the best part was that the whole group
of 42 people raised a collective amount of
over £100,000 for Marie Curie.
My own contribution of just over £2000
was made possible by the excellent support
from pupils and staff at Belvedere.
Miss L. Murphy, Librarian.
I saw no animals, only the
occasional
sparrow-like
bird, or crow, which circled
menacingly overhead. If you
looked carefully you could
see animal tracks in the sand
– from foxes and gerbils and
other nocturnal creatures.
We even found hatched
snake eggs.
I got back to the
UK extremely tired,
though thanks to high
factor sun cream and
21
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Nuclear Physics Masterclasses
The Nuclear Physics Masterclass is an event
that is run by The University of Liverpool
Physics Department and gives AS and
A2 students the opportunity to do some
research tasks, using university laboratory
equipment to do experimental work.
At Belvedere, the Physics Department
has been participating in this event for
a number of years and girls have gained
valuable experience from attending. The
students work collaboratively with students
from other schools on various Nuclear
Physics related projects under the direction
of the university staff.
Merseyside Medical Challenge Day
As an aspiring paediatrician, I was thrilled
when the opportunity of the Mersey
Medical Challenge Day came up.
Many girls applied to take part, and I was
delighted to be one of the ten girls chosen.
The event took place on Wednesday 26th
November from 1:15pm till 6:00pm. The
day consisted of four parts: physiology
challenge, anatomy challenge, medical
ethics challenge along with a question and
answer session with a doctor and current
medical students.
I thoroughly enjoyed the day, as it gave
me a taste of what a medical course
would be like. My favourite part was the
anatomy challenge; not only did we learn
some of the basic terms used by medics
to describe the location of the organs,
we were able to watch a dissection of an
ox heart. I could not believe how enormous
it was!
The physiology challenge was also
enjoyable as I was given the opportunity
to use a stethoscope; this was very
interesting as I had never used a
stethoscope before. I am looking forward
to when you get a stethoscope as a first
year medical student and I have always
had my heart set on one that is pink.
I also learned how you would examine
a patient if you suspected something
was wrong with their heart. In the second
part of this challenge, we were split
up into small groups and were able to
see how the blood pumps around the
body using a three dimensional model of
the heart (although slightly messy, it
was a fun way to understand how the
heart works).
In the medical ethics challenge we were
presented with several different ethical
and moral dilemmas and had to role play
our responses. This was slightly daunting
at first but I eventually got into the swing
of it. The medical students who ran this
session told us that they are frequently
faced with these dilemmas but with
practice and experience it becomes
second nature.
To conclude the day, we had a question
and answer session with a junior doctor
and current medical students. Emma, a
junior doctor, told us what her day-to-day
life is like; this was very useful as I was
able to have an excellent insight into what
her job consists of. She told us that even
though she can work unsociable hours the
job is extremely rewarding and is nothing
like you see on the television.
This experience has made me more
determined to follow my dreams and more
confident in my own ability to become a
paediatrician.
Lydia Brady, Year 11.
At Belvedere Sixth Form, Science
students are encouraged to broaden
their experiences by tapping into various
Enrichment activities offered. We are
pleased with the strong links that we have
with the University of Liverpool Physics
Department and with such organisations as
The Institute of Physics IOP and the Ogden
Trust who seek to promote Physics as an
AS and A2 subject, and also as a facilitating
subject for university applicants.
Students would say that although Physics
is a challenging subject at AS and A2 it is
also very rewarding and enjoyable.
I had the privilege of attending the awards
session where the girls obtained their
certificates and displayed their work at
the Central Teaching Laboratories in the
University of Liverpool. This also included
the opportunity to meet Physics teachers
from other schools and academies, and an
ice cream making demonstration with liquid
nitrogen. It tasted delicious.
a series of Nuclear Physics Masterclasses
at The University of Liverpool, along with
a small number of other pupils from the
AS group.
The classes entailed numerous lectures
from Physics professionals, about an
array of Physics topics, including medical
physics and nuclear instability, and degree
level lab experiments, which included
investigating the half-life of various
isotopes.
The main aim of the classes was to produce
A0 sized posters, specialising in a chosen
area, and to present them to an audience
in the final session.
Our posters were centred around
stellar classification and Chernobyl. We
broadened our knowledge by carrying out
lots of research and doing wider reading
around the subjects.
We found the whole experience thoroughly
enjoyable and extremely rewarding.
We feel we have gained a more in depth
understanding of Nuclear Physics and the
field surrounding it.”
If you are thinking of taking Physics as
an A level please speak to one of the
Department staff or A level students who
will be able to help you.
Congratulations go to Eloise Morris, Scarlett
Shone, Nilema Rhaman and Stephanie
Owens for completing the Masterclasses
and for the production of some very good
quality posters to communicate their work.
Thanks to Dr. Moon for organising this year’s
group to attend the Masterclasses. The
posters are displayed on the noticeboard
outside of S50/S49; the two Physics labs.
Eloise Morris wrote, “Over the course of
the last few weeks, I have been attending
22
23
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
New Year,
New Arrivals
Penny Readings and Santa Swaps
In the build up to Christmas, the library
hosted a traditional form of Victorian
entertainment: penny readings.
During lunch time in the library, Miss
Murphy and Literacy Co-ordinator Mrs
Leyland read aloud from the Charles
Dickens classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Girls were encouraged to donate a penny
and also had the option of buying red
and white striped candy canes, with all
proceeds going to the RSPCA to buy hay
for donkeys over the festive period.
Also, to celebrate Christmas, Mrs Leyland
encouraged students to take part in a
Secret Santa book swap and share the
joy of reading by giving a book to a friend.
Miss Murphy created a special display in
Congratulations to Mrs Byrne on the birth
of her baby boy, Joseph, weighing in at 7lb
3 oz. Both mother and baby are doing well.
the library, wrapping
up new library books to
look like presents. Girls had
to take a chance when borrowing their
‘mystery gift’, not knowing what book
they were getting. Hopefully they enjoyed
unwrapping their ‘gift’ and reading it!
We would like
to welcome Mr
Barry to the staff.
He will cover Mrs
Byrne’s Business
lessons during her
maternity leave.
Teen Author Visits Belvedere
Belvedere was visited at half term by
Sophia Bennett, author of popular novels
such as the ‘Threads’ series and ‘The Look’.
Sophia said she enjoyed giving talks. It
was just as well. She saw Years 7, 8 and
9 in the morning and Years 10 and 11 in the
afternoon as everyone gathered in the
gym to listen to her on stage discussing
her novels and life as a writer.
Her top tips for those aspiring to be
authors were to expect the process to
be a long one and to make sure they had
another job until they got published.
Sophia got a spontaneous round of
applause from everyone as soon as she
finished speaking, which is a mark of how
entertaining and informative she was.
Most importantly, she advised the girls,
‘just do it’. No one will ever ask you to
write a book, make a film or sing a song. If
you want a creative career, you can’t wait
to be asked.
Hopefully, she will have inspired our
budding writers that they too can be where
she is today, with hard work, dedication
and inspiration.
Miss L. Murphy, Librarian
Her talks were riveting, livened up by her
PowerPoint presentation, brainteasers she
put to her audience and the question and
answer sessions at the end of each talk.
The girls saw photos of her luxury writing
shed, her mood boards she uses to
inspire her writing and heard how she
was first published, through winning The
Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction
Competition with her debut novel ‘Threads’.
At lunch time girls had the opportunity
to buy her books and have them signed.
Sophia left some copies with us and, by
the end of the week, every single one had
sold out.
6th_fm_open_eve_2015_ECHO.indd 1
24
13/12/2014 10:13
25
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
Belvedere Ezine | Winter Edition 2014
ousands...
th
by
en
se
be
d
ul
co
rt
ve
ad
Your
from teens to parents to grandparents
...
What is Firefly? Firefly is the exciting
new Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
that has been launched recently at the
Academy. It helps teachers and students
organise their homework and create
and access resources from anywhere on
any device. In a nutshell, it will provide
more learning opportunities for students
outside of the classroom and enable
students and teachers to communicate
more effectively more often.
Initially, Firefly has been launched
to students in Years 7, 10 and 12 as
a pilot, but it is hoped that all other year
groups will be using this fantastic new VLE
from early 2015.
Feedback so far?
The early signs
are that Firefly is making a really positive
difference to a typical student’s learning
experience at Belvedere. Students are
saying that it is helping them keep more
organised and they particularly like the
‘Firefly student planner’ app that is free
to download to Apple and Android devices.
Students are finding that teachers are
able to remind them of forthcoming tests
and homework due dates which, to many,
is extremely helpful; to a small minority
less so!
Next steps
By the summer term, it
is hoped that all teachers will be using
Firefly to send tasks to students in all
year groups. Additionally, departments
hope to add a lot more content to the
VLE to enable all girls to look back over
class presentations and worksheets. Our
pastoral teams are also busy adding to
the different ‘Key Stage’ sections and
soon these will be full of helpful advice to
students on issues such as ‘study skills,’
‘revision tips,’ and ‘staying safe online.’
Firefly is accessible from any computer,
both in and outside the Academy, and
can be used on any mobile device, be it a
phone or a tablet. If there are any queries
about Firefly, please direct them to Mr.
Jamieson (Assistant Principal).
26
...it makes sense to advertise your business
or event in the Belvedere magazine.
The Belvedere Academy magazine is
published four times a year, in September,
January, April and June. 1500 electronic
copies are widely distributed among
parents, primary schools, local businesses,
nurseries and churches. Advertising with
us in the magazine will reach a large target
audience throughout Liverpool.
All revenue is put back into the production
of the magazine.
GREAT RATES! The advertising rates and advert dimensions are:
• PRIME POSITION FULL PAGE COLOUR ADVERTISEMENT ONLY £250
Position - back cover or on the inside front or back cover. 210mm x 297mm.
• FULL INSIDE PAGE COLOUR ADVERTISEMENT ONLY £200
210mm x 297mm.
• 1/2 PAGE INSIDE PAGE COLOUR ADVERTISEMENT ONLY £175
Landscape 210mm x 148mm or Portrait 148mm x 210mm.
Low cost, high coverage, wide audience range.
It’s easy to book your space:
To place your advertisement, please contact Mr Peter
Dykeaylen on 0151 727 1284. Advertisements should
be submitted electronically as either high resolution
JPEG files or as PDF files, either on CD or emailed to
p.dykeaylen@belvedereacademy.net
FORTHCOMING DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
JAN
OCT
29
FEB
02
FEB
16
FEB
23
Sixth Form Open Evening
5.30pm start, Principal’s talk at 7.00pm
Year 9 Parents’ Evening
4.00pm - 6.30pm
Half Term
Year 10 Parents’ Evening
4.00pm - 6.30pm
Cheques should be made payable to GDST Academy
Trust. All copies and payments must be received one
month before publication.
the team
Congratulations to the News Team from Belvedere’s Press
Club Enrichment run by Mr Dykeaylen:
Laura Bunnett
Yasmin Adam
Ellie Jones
Anais Bradshaw
Mona Hassan
Caitlin Moore
Olivia Barlow
Many thanks to teaching staff who have also contributed
articles and photographs. For more news please visit
www.belvedereacademy.net
If you have any comments or suggestions for the
magazine then please contact Mr Peter Dykeaylen:
p.dykeaylen@belvedereacademy.net
The Belvedere Academy, 17 Belvedere Road, Princes Park, Liverpool, L8 3TF.
0151 727 1284 E: info@belvedereacademy.net www.belvedereacademy.net
27
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