Carnegie Book Awards

It’s Carnegie time again and as usual Somervale School has an enthusiastic group of pupils shadowing this important book award. Years 7 through to 11 are taking part and will be reading a variety of material which includes adventure, first love, cultural and religious differences, a new slant on Camelot and a darkly humorous comic novel.

 

The Carnegie Medal was established more than 70 years ago to celebrate the writing of an outstanding book for children and young people. By taking part in a shadowing group the members gain confidence in their reading and find that they like to share their opinions on what does and doesn’t make a good read. It helps take them out of their ‘comfort zone’ and opens their eyes to different authors and genres.’

 

The pupils taking part are Sammie Carter, Kim Turner, David Moreton, Zara Gooding, Piers Awramenko, Charlie Irish, Alix Jelly, Lauren Clarke, Macauley Boatswain, Tom Collier, Jake Carder, Poppy Cole and Tom Baker.

Somervale Students go to the Oscars! (At the Watershed)

Recently Mr King, Drama and Dance Teacher at Somervale School set his Year 10 GCSE Drama class the challenge of devising a short performance piece based on an article from various national newspapers. This was performed and then written down as a short script.  Each of Mr King’s group produced some imaginative and creative work with two students Robert Crouch and Frank James writing a script about an elderly Yorkshire couple who had read about the ‘Oscars’ but kept calling it the ‘Otters!’ and were transported to Hollywood in a bizarre storyline that included GMTV.

 

Meanwhile Mr King heard about an excellent opportunity to work with Travelling Light, a Bristol based professional theatre company who produce shows for young people.  The project, SHORT, SHARP, SHOTS, which is funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation, was an opportunity to work with professional scriptwriters to create short monologues to be performed by local actors.

 

Robert and Frank submitted their idea and then heard that they were two of the 25 successful winners who would take part in this amazing opportunity. Travelling Light loved the boys’ quirky and humorous script ‘pitch’.

 

The 25 lucky young people met for the first time at a development day on Sunday 30 March at the Watershed Media Centre in Bristol. They watched short performances, were given tips on how to develop their scripts and had a chance to meet and question local writers whose work crosses stage, tv and film. When the scripts are completed there will be a rehearsed reading of the scripts on Sunday 18 May at a venue which is to be confirmed.  The company are investigating the possibility of other performance opportunities and having the scripts published, too.

 

Somervale is Regional Finalist for Top Sustainability Award

Somervale School is one of three regional finalists for the coveted Department for Children, Schools and Families Award for Sustainable Schools.

 

The school was nominated for its work on environmental education which takes place at every level of the school.  If successful, the school will go through to national finals later this year.  Judges visited the school on March 31^st to speak to students, staff and governors to see for themselves the excellent work that goes on. 

 

“We are very proud to have been nominated for this award, and we are delighted to have got this far”, said headteacher Michael Gorman.

 

One of the most exciting projects in the school is the Windstore Project, invented by Physics teacher and media specialist Dr Wren Thatcher.  The Windstore combines wind and solar energy to generate electricity with significantly greater efficiency than conventional wind turbines.  A prototype is located on the roof of the school and is used by sixth formers for their A Level Physics coursework.  The Windstore has won a Rolls Royce Science prize as well as over £10,000 in sponsorship money from EDF, Volvo and the RSA.

 

Other projects include daily recycling of paper, cans and plastic bottles by pupils, all coordinated by the school’s lunchtime supervisors.  The school’s wildlife area is used by local primary schools as is the Midsomer Norton Silver Street Nature reserve which is located on the Somervale site.  Healthy eating is encouraged in the dining room where most foods are locally sourced. 

 

Students are involved in planning and running the school’s environmental programme and have submitted an allocation for the Eco Schools Award.  Learning about environmental responsibility takes place in the curriculum too, with sustainability projects taking place in RE, Design Technology and Geography. 

 

“Somervale’s commitment to sustainability is very much at the heart of what we do here,” says the headteacher.  “Young people need to know that they can make a difference in the face of all the bleak news about climate change.”

 

Dyson Workshop for Engineers of the Future

Year 7 students at Somervale School have been learning all about modern design techniques from leading national experts, the James Dyson Foundation.   Three Dyson engineers set the students a challenge to overcome a problem encountered in everyday life such as saving energy or helping the elderly.  Students then had to work in teams to design and make a model powered by air that could be manufactured and sold.   

Students learned modelling techniques using cardboard and basic tools.  Having created their design they then had to present it to the engineers and the other students.   Ideas that became a reality included a wind powered garden sprinkler system and a music system that could be listened to whilst drying your hair.

Prizes were awarded for the best designs.   “It was a great day for everyone concerned,” said Head of Design and Technology Issy McCarthy.  “The students really enjoyed making their designs and learned a great deal from the Dyson experts.” The James Dyson Foundation was established in 2002 support Design and Technology and Engineering students and teachers. James Dyson is particularly passionate about Design and Technology – a subject which he says challenges the young people of the UK to be creative, by using their hands and brains to create things that work.

Dr Who Fans Review New Book for BBC

A group of Somervale Students have taken their place alongside Daleks and Cybermen on the BBC’s award winning Doctor Who website.   A group of fans have reviewed a brand new Dr Who book and their review has been published on the BBC website.   Peacemaker  by James Swallow sees the Doctor and Martha Jones travel back in time to the Wild West where they encounter with Robot cowboys and snake-oil salesmen.  “I loved every minute of it,” said reviewer Sammie Carter.  “Funny, serious, dramatic and exciting!” The other members of the group are Jake Carder, Tom Baker, Zara Gooding and  Piers Awramenko.  The book review can been read in full on at:  www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/books.shtml