Key Notes: 10 October 2022

10th October 2022

Bake Sale

On Friday the prefects ran a cake sale for students and staff to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Thank you to everyone who donated food items to sell at break time. We raised an amazing £170. Well done everybody for making this such a success.

Personal Social Health Education (PSHE)

On Tuesday, Year 11 students had a PSHE sessions on Transition to Year 11; taking responsibility and time management; and respectful relationships.

Forthcoming events

• 12^th October Visit from David Binns (Sanako UK) for Year 9 Language Classes
• 12^th October deadline for school photo orders to receive free delivery to school
• 14^th October deadline for locker payments
• 19^th October Deadline for Y11 personal statement to be handed to tutors

Visit from St Peters School Students

On Friday we welcomed some St Peter’s School Year 11 and 13 students who came to work with our students and learn more about their experiences at MVC. They have been specially trained for this task, having worked with the NSPCC, and gained a level 2 qualification to support their work. Students were encouraged to be honest so that we can understand how best to support them all to become successful adults of the future.

Student survey

All students have been sent a survey to complete about their experience of Melbourn Village College. Please encourage your child to complete the survey, so that I can make the school better.  Every student’s response is important.

Above and Beyond

Congratulations to Mr Barlow’s Year 10 students who gained the highest number of ‘above and beyond’ achievement points since the start of term and those who gained the most points this week.  

Cycling route

On a rainy Friday last week, Year 7 student Iris took Nik Johnson, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, on a bike ride around Melbourn to show him how helpful a safe off-road Melbourn to Royston connection would be. The route would be for bikes, scooters and walking, and includes a bridge over the A505 roundabout into Royston. This would complete the off-road “Melbourn Greenway'', a walking and cycling path all the way from Cambridge to Royston. Iris highlighted the issues with the existing route, and then explained what can be done to solve this problem.

Iris would like to encourage you to make your voice heard as part of the Melbourn Greenway public engagement opportunities taking place this month. You can take part in the online survey here or come along to one of the following events:

• Zoom Event, Tuesday 11 October, 18:00 – 20:00.
• Melbourn Hub, Monday 17^th October, 16:00 – 19:00, High Street, Melbourn, SG8 6DZ
• Hauxton Centre, Thursday 20^th October, 16:00 – 19:00, Church Road, Hauxton, CB22 5HS

You can register for these events here.

Year 7 Routine Literacy Screening

Our routine literacy screening test for year 7 students will be taking place this week. Headphones will be available for students to use, but if they would like to bring their own wired headphones into school to use, they can do so (we cannot connect via wireless Bluetooth). If you have any queries, please email eaa@melbournvc.org

Lockers

If your child had a locker last year and would like to continue using it this year, please pay the rental fee of £10 on ParentPay by Friday 14th October. Thank you to those who have already paid. If your child no longer wants to keep their locker, please ask them to return the key to reception.  Lockers that have not been paid for by 14^th October will be reclaimed by the school and any belongings returned. The locker will then be fitted with a new padlock before being reallocated.

Comberton Sixth Form

On Tuesday our Year 11 pupils welcomed David Clarke, Head of Comberton Sixth Form. He talked to them about the fantastic opportunities for post-16 study at Comberton. The presentation has been emailed to all Year 11 parents/carers. There is still time to book a tour of Comberton Sixth Form if you missed the summer term open evening. For more information, you can scan the QR code below, call Sixth Form Reception on 01223 265470 or visit www.combertonsixthform.org

School Photographer

Students were given their photo proof cards today. The deadline to order photos online with free delivery back to your school is: Wednesday 12th October 2022. If you child had their photo taken but have not received their proof card, please ask them to check in Reception. For queries about orders please contact DSP Photography on 01242 691910 or email dsp.enquiries@gmail.com

Science – Primary Liaison

Dr Wilson, our Head of Science, visited Hedgehog and Squirrel Year 3 pupils at Melbourn Primary School last week to talk about rocks! They have been learning how our ancestors used rock tools to hunt and build. Dr Wilson talked to them about two properties of rocks - 'Does this rock react with acid?' and 'How soft is this rock?' The pupils were very excited to see and hear the bubbles when chalk reacted with acid. Dr Wilson will be visiting our other feeder primary schools over the course of this year.

Biology Week 2022

The Science noticeboard in the courtyard has been updated to celebrate the amazing world of the Biosciences! Students have been watching the new BBC series ‘Frozen Planet 2’ presented by Sir David Attenborough, and we received the fantastic poster featuring the animals adapted to live in these extreme environments.

Also in the display board are some important facts about two ‘power plants’ – the sunflower and crab apple.

If you are interested in learning more about Biology or even considering a career in this, then please attend the ‘Big Biology Day’ at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge, on Saturday 15th October. It will be a day of hands-on activities and entertainment with education and careers advice.

This week, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Svante Paabo for his discoveries on human evolution and the genomes of our extinct human relatives. He had pioneered a way to sequence ancient DNA from a bone of a Neanderthal that lived 40,000 years ago, previously thought to be impossible!

Physical Education

Our Year 10 boys football team bowed out of the English Schools Football Association (ESFA) Cup last week to Freman College. We were dealt a blow with serious injuries to Fletcher in the lead-up to the game and our striker Laurence early in the game. Stand-in manager, Mr Kennedy was particularly frustrated with losing Laurence after his collision with the Freman goalkeeper, which sadly resulted in a broken leg. Hopefully, we will have both boys available for important matches after Christmas.

Our Year 11s will fly the flag for MVC as they host Sawston Village College on Wednesday 2^nd November in their ESFA Cup game. Pupils are reminded to attend the football enrichment on Tuesdays after school.

We have another badminton/table tennis GCSE fixture on Wednesday (12^th) against Cambourne.

A reminder: if anyone has any old astroturf trainers of football boots they would like to donate to the PE dept they would be gratefully received. Please send them in with your child or leave them at reception. We are encouraging all students to have suitable footwear for use on the astroturf pitch by October half term. 

Sports Leaders Update

On 3^rd October our Year 10 Sports Leaders kicked off their leadership journey by attending the leadership launch event. Students received information on how the programme will support their development as leaders.  There learned about training and volunteering opportunities which will help to develop their interpersonal skills, enhance their CV and provide a career pathway. Leaders also received their brand-new leadership uniform.  We are very excited to work with our young leaders who will help us deliver enrichment clubs, competitions, festivals, and events to children across South Cambridgeshire, allowing all to enjoy physical activity and sport.  

Our sports leaders are committed to active volunteering and after a busy launch event they attended their first leadership course – an introduction to netball officiating. On Monday 10^th October our leaders will use their newly acquired umpiring skills to host our local primary schools for the BEE netball league tournament.  

The next leadership course has been arranged for October half term. We are able to offer a dodgeball leaders course free of charge to our leaders (usually costing £60pp). The course will take place on Thursday 27^th October from 11-2pm at Comberton VC. There are limited spaces available, so if any sports leaders are interested, please speak to Miss Evans as soon as possible and check your school email account. Watch this space for our next leadership course – Introduction to Football Refereeing run by The Cambridgeshire FA’s Referee Development Officer. 

ADHD Awareness Month

October is ADHD Awareness month and here are 7 facts about ADHD:

1. ADHD is a real, brain-based medical disorder
2. ADHD is a common, non-discriminatory disorder
3. Diagnosing ADHD is a complex process
4. Other mental health conditions may occur along with ADHD
5. Diagnosing and treating ADHD can improve the quality of life
6. ADHD is nobody’s fault
7. There are many approaches to ADHD treatment

You can find out more about ADHD here. The ADHD Foundation have produced a fun quiz for children to help them find out more about ADHD. You can download a copy here:

ADHD_FOUND_Takeda_KidsBooklet_May22_2.pdf (adhdfoundation.org.uk)

Spanish

KS3 pupils are starting to use the Languagenut platform to complete their Spanish homework. It is an interactive and fun way to learn vocabulary, which is essential to make good progress. The app is available to download from the Self-Service section of the iPads. ‘Above and Beyond’ points are going to be given to the students with the highest scores each week. Well done class 8XM for being top of the class leader board.

Safer Schools Newsletter

October’s edition of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary Safer Schools Newsletter is being sent with this edition of Key Notes.

The subjects covered are: Be bright, be seen The dangers of vaping National hate crime week Clever never goes

Current Vacancies

Our partner contrractors are seeking to recruit cleaning staff, catering staff and relief school crossing patrol. See below for details:

Relief School Crossing Patrol: We have a vacancy for a relief school crossing patrol. £9.60 per hour 8:00-8:45am and 3:00-3:45pm. For more information please contact Sosan Javaid, sjavaid@melbournvc.org

Post-16 opportunities

See the posters at the end of this newsletter for some more post-16 events that you and your child may be interested in.

With best wishes

Christopher Bennet
Head Teacher

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