Our students have visited the University of Essex, Jimmy s Farm and Harry Potter World to name but a few, reports on these and other trips follow.

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1 News Edition 157 Tuesday 19 th July 2016 Calendar 22/7/16 Last day of Summer term. 5/9/16 First day of Autumn term. 29/9/16 Open Evening Welcome to Edition 157 Dear Parents/Carers The last few weeks of term have been busy with a variety of events and trips for students across the school. Our students have visited the University of Essex, Jimmy s Farm and Harry Potter World to name but a few, reports on these and other trips follow. By the end of term, I will have had the pleasure of attending Achievement assemblies for Years 7 to 10 and presenting certificates to recognise the outstanding achievement, attendance and effort of individual students. Everyone who receives a certificate should feel very proud of all they have done this year. Congratulations go to Luca and Kieron in Year 9 who won the Bloodhound Challenge competition, beating fourteen other schools including two from China. Their car, made from wood, achieved a speed in excess of 100mph a truly impressive speed! We also have our very own Masterchef, Jacob, in Year 7. There has also been success on the sports field with school records being broken by Cameron, Jamie, Kieron, Drew, Freddie, Dan and Ella. Our Year 11 students joined us at Colne Valley Golf Club for their Prom and again on 13 th July for a Sixth Form lunch. Unfortunately our Sports Day was interrupted by the British weather, however the remaining events will be completed this week to allow us to declare a house winner for this year. On Thursday, 25 th August, examination results will be issued at 10.00am, followed by Sixth Form interviews; good luck to all who are eagerly awaiting these. School will close at 12.15pm on Friday, 22 nd July and we welcome students back at 9.00am on Monday, 5 th September The uniform for students returning to Years 8 to 11 remains unchanged; our new Year 7 will be wearing the navy blue uniform. Thank you for all your support over this academic year. I hope you have a restful and enjoyable summer break. Kind regards Elizabeth Robinson ChocywockyTabor On Tuesday, 14 th June, lucky students studying KS4 Food Technology were treated to a chocolate extravaganza with a trip to Cadbury s World in the village of Bournville near Birmingham. Our students were amazed by the size of the company, and how many brands that are associated with Cadburys, before exploring the chocolate factory, and seeing chocolate production in action. All in all, an amazing day out. Our students were superb ambassadors for the school and had a wonderful experience. We even found the proverbial Chocolate Teapot! Miss Ditzel CTL Design

2 TANGO - Braintree Master Chef Semi-Finals Tuesday 21 st June 2016 As part of the school s TANGO programme, Year 7 and 8 students recently participated in the Master Chef semi-finals which took place at Tabor Academy. Judges were looking for entries which were creative, follow healthy eating guidelines, use foods from at least three of the main food groups from the Eat Well Plate (featured left) and demonstrate a range of food skills and techniques. They all worked hard at their dishes but credit must go to those who went above and beyond with their efforts and skillset. The winners of the semi-finals are Jacob for Year 7 and Caitlin for Year 8. Here are their winning dishes: Red Lentil and Carrot Soup Caitlin Crispy Garlic Chicken Jacob Cottage Pie Finley Finley came a very close second with his cottage pie and vegetables. He used the skins of a jacket potato as the base for the pie and won a highly commended certificate. The winners went on to the final competition which was held at Alec Hunter Academy on Saturday 25 th June and we are pleased to announce that Jacob won the Year 7 category with his cracker chicken and salad. Well done to all who took part and congratulations to Jacob and Caitlin for reaching the finals. Mrs Russell, TANGO Co-ordinator Harry Potter World - Monday 20 th June 2016 What a fantastic trip! Year 8, 9 and 10 students, along with myself, and three members of staff, left school at 12.00pm to embark on our adventure to Harry Potter World at Warner Bros. Studios in Hertfordshire. The trip was organised as a reward for those students with fantastic achievement and attendance over the past year. The students were amazed at all the scenery, props and special effects that they were able to see. They took lots of photographs and had a great time with some students, on Platform 9 3/4, sitting in a replica train booth and being able to step on to the actual train that was used in filming. I knew I had made the right choice with the trip when I saw many of their faces light up with joy. I would also like to thank the students for making this trip a very memorable one for me. It was a real pleasure to accompany them and their maturity and behaviour was outstanding. Mrs Burns, Year Care Team Leader Farm to Fork at Jimmy s Farm..? On Wednesday, 22 nd June, Year 7 students made a very positive impression on the staff, and even Jimmy himself, at Jimmy s Farm, near Ipswich. Nearly a third of the year group came along on the trip and they were very enthusiastic about meeting the farm animals. Not only did they enjoy close encounters with the animals but they also had fun learning from resident butcher, Daryl, about how meat is prepared. Many also tried a range of Jimmy s Farm sausages and they all enjoyed a farm walk to meet the rare breed animals and a roam through the

3 vegetable and herb patches to view the other flavoursome ingredients added to the famous Jimmy s brand sausage meat mixtures. All of the students were fantastic ambassadors for the school and showed maturity and commendable behaviour. Miss Ditzel, CTL Design University of Essex There were 65 Year 8s and 9s who visited the University of Essex on Wednesday, 22 nd June. Students started the day by experiencing a presentation from a senior student ambassador originally from Lithuania. She highlighted her journey in education and recognised how we can all form different paths towards university. Additionally, she gave our students an understanding of the differences between university education and secondary school education, with independence and initiative standing out as core principles as you get older. Students were given a guided tour of the university, where they were shown the type of accommodation available to live in, the facilities on offer for studying and socialising, as well as meeting the university campus cat called Campuss! In addition, students were taken to a seminar room to conduct a task relating to Create your own University. The Tabor students engaged together superbly and came up with some outstanding concepts and creative ideas. In the words of one student who attended the trip, I did not think university would be something that would interest me but it has made me consider university seriously in the future. There are so many courses I could study, and the opportunities that university can provide in my future life are exciting. All students behaved impeccably and it was certainly a worthwhile experience for our Tabor students, which we hope to repeat for other students during the next academic year. Students were inquisitive with their questioning and demonstrated great maturity throughout the day. Mr Welton, Y9 Achievement Leader Armed Forces Day On Saturday 25 th June the school was invited by The Chairman of Braintree Council, Councillor Frankie Ricci, to attend the flag raising ceremony of Armed Forces Day at Braintree Town Hall. It was an honour for us to attend as we were the only school to be asked to do so. Our students, Ben, Daniella and Samuel, were a shining example and great ambassadors for Tabor Academy. The event was attended by many armed forces veterans, local cadet forces and the scouting associations, and Mr James Cleverly MP. It was a very moving moment during the ceremony as the flag was raised and the last post was played. We were all invited for refreshments after the event and the chairman of Braintree District Council spent a great deal of his time talking to our students, especially Ben who is a member of the local ATC A. Ben made history two years ago at The Menin Gate on a school trip by being the first person to carry out the lowering of the school s Royal British Legion Affiliated Standard at sun set with 2000 people watching. All of our students received a pin badge from Mr Fred Illman who is the Essex Co-ordinator for the charity Help For Heroes. Mr Wiles, Estates Manager

4 Tabor Visits the Fitzwilliam Museum On Tuesday 28 th June the Art Department took 30 of our young artists from Years 8 and 9 to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. A few of them had been before, and were very keen to return which, for the staff involved, was a positive indication that it would be a good day. It was! Our students behaved impeccably throughout the trip. The Fitzwilliam is an intimate and informal museum, which meant that our students were looking at a Van Gogh alongside some visitors from Germany, or a Renoir next to a primary school from Cambridge, in a small and concentrated space. Without hesitation, our students were sketching, writing, asking questions and immersing themselves within the architecture of this unique location. Portraiture was the main focus, and the learning experience from our visit has already been used to inform their African mask and illustration projects. Also, for some, the Egyptian Collection caught the attention, for others, it was the Ceramics and Glass or the Coins and Medals. We hope that the trip will provide the inspiration for our students to find out more about the Fitzwilliam and its treasures, as it will make an excellent destination during the summer break Mr Chaplin, Art Department Tabor Prom 2016 On Thursday 7 th July Year 11 students enjoyed a spectacular prom to celebrate five fantastic years at Tabor. Following a vote, the students decided to take the prom off site for the first time and the Colne Valley Golf Club was chosen as the venue for the festivities. As has become tradition, students arrived in some spectacular, quirky and noisy vehicles. Highlights included an Aston Martin, an old fashioned police car, a parade of Harley Davidsons and even The Stig made an appearance! Once at the venue students were treated to a buffet and disco as well as a spectacular chocolate fountain along with a fun filled photo booth where students could take photographic memories of the night home with them. Students celebrated through the evening and the evening finished with more dancing before awards were given out. Best dressed went to Ella and Arnold and Prom King and Queen were awarded to Harry and Avalon. Good luck to all our Year 11 students and we look forward to celebrating with you on results day! Mr Jakens and Mrs Collop Secondary School District Sports Athletics Competition Tabor competed in the annual secondary school district sports athletics competition against 11 other schools on Thursday 17th June The Tabor team consisted of some outstanding athletes, with various age categories producing some really strong performances. Year 7s Boys and Girls The Year 7s experienced their first district sports event, and each student that participated in the event contributed in a positive manner. There were some standout performances on the track from Joel and Elisha in the 100 metres, Chloe and Rachel in the hurdles and Charlie in the 800 metres. In the field events, Luke and Reka performed strongly in the shot put while Cameron set a Year 7 school record of metres in the javelin. In terms of the finishing positions for the Year 7s, the Tabor boys finished in 7th place (155 points) out of 12 schools and Joel was crowned as the district champion out of 21 competitors for the 100 metres with an excellent time of seconds. The Year 7 girls were extremely consistent throughout the competition and were rewarded with a 3rd place podium position accumulating a strong total of 182 points. Elisha and Chloe finished as individual district runners-up in the 100 metres and hurdles

5 races respectively. The year group deserve an abundance of praise for their efforts, and we hope they all continue to show the progression with their sporting talents as they progress during their time at Tabor. - Year 7 Boys Team: Joel; Henry; Joe; Oscar; Charlie; Josh; David; Kiedis; Finley; Luke; Rory; Kyle; Cameron; Dylan. - Year 7 Girls Team: Elisha; Agata; Amber; Zoe; Rebecca; Ellie; Chloe; Rachel; Olayinka; Reka; Katie. Year 8s and 9s Boys The Year 8s and 9s combined together in the junior boys competition, and it was a category where our students were able to flourish. A number of school records were broken by some of the boys in this team, with notable achievements shown from Jamie in the 100 metres who broke the school record with a time of seconds. Kieron achieved the same feat in the 200 metres securing an emphatic time of seconds. The final school record was broken in the 4 x 100 metre relay where the quartet of Freddie, Dan, Kieron and Jamie ran an outstanding time of seconds. District champions occurred in the 200 metres for Kieron, Freddie in the 400 metres and the 4 x 100 metre relay team. Jamie claimed a 3rd place individual finish in the 100 metres as did Jack in the 200 metres, Josh in the 800 metres and Jake in the high jump. The Tabor Year 8 and 9 boys team finished on the podium with a 3rd place finish gaining an excellent 234 points, which was just 2 points off 2nd place. The team performed very well and possess many talented youngsters. - Year 8/9 Boys Team: Jamie; Bailey; Kieron; Jack; Freddie; Sam; Harry; Joe; Josh; Aidan; Oliver; Dan; Jake; Alfie; Adam; Callum; Elliot; Tom. Year 8s and 9s Girls Some of the strongest overall performances during the day came in the Year 8 and 9 girls competition, with many schools possessing some high level athletes. Many of the girls demonstrated some excellent performances with records broken by Year 8 girls in the shot put from Anya (8.33 metres) and Dija in the javelin (15.07 metres). Drew claimed the sole Year 9 school record with a javelin throw of metres. Anya claimed the only individual podium finish with a 3rd place in the shot put, however other students in the team certainly performed very well, with the likes of Amy impressing in the hurdles and high jump, Sophie in the 200 metres and the relay team going under 60 seconds. The girls finished in 5th place out of 12 schools with a final points haul of 142 points which was just a point off 4th place, and they all showed an excellent level of performance. - Year 8/9 Girls Team: Beth; Lois; Alice; Sophie; Paige; Madison; Chloe M; Ella; Collette; Amy; Chloe R; Anya; Amaya; Scarlett; Dija; Caitlin. Year 10s and 11s Boys The Year 10 and 11 boys team was predominantly made up of Year 10s who more than held their own during each event. The intermediate competition consists of just one competitor per event, so fewer points are on offer for each school. Within this competition, Chris produced a superb performance in the 800 metres and was rewarded with being the district champion after finishing in a time of 2 minutes 13 seconds. Additionally, Brooklyn produced a strong performance in the hurdles which gave him a 3rd place finish overall and Charles leapt metres in the triple jump which earned him a 3rd place finish too. There were lots of 4th and 5th place finishes in the other events which provided the Tabor team with a strong 4th place finish for the boys team and an overall points accumulation of 120 points. - Year 10/11 Boys Team: Ben; Bayley; Shaye; Chris; Charles; Brooklyn; Bailey; Tyler; Sam; Arnold; Charlie. Year 10s and 11s Girls The Year 10 and 11 girls team performed really well with numerous athletes doing extremely well in their events. The team were hampered due to having no competitors in place for the hurdles, 800 metres and long jump, which cost the team valuable points. On other hand, Madi claimed the district champion award in the discus with an excellent throw of metres. In addition, Nicole ran a strong 200 metres time of seconds which put her in 2nd place individually. Alongside this, the relay quartet of Millie, Nicole, Jess and Ella ran an excellent time of seconds which was good enough for 2nd place overall. Rachel competed in an excellent high jump competition, eventually finishing in

6 3rd place with a jump of 1.38 metres. Ella threw metres in the javelin, which was good enough to break the school record. Overall, the girls finished in 6th place with 112 points which would have certainly been higher if all of the events had been filled by our team. It was still a valiant effort by all the girls involved. - Year 10/11 Girls Team: Millie; Nicole; Rebecca; Rachel; Megan; Calley; Madi; Ella; Jess; Ella. The secondary school district sports competition was an outstanding day for all students involved across the 12 neighbouring schools. With points all added together from each category, the standings were as follows: - 1st Place- Saffron Waldon (1131 points) 2nd Place- Alec Hunter (1016 points) 3rd Place- Maltings Academy (994 points) 4th Place- Tabor (945 points) 5th Place- Notley (940 points) 6th Place- Honywood (907 points) 7th Place- HRS (806 points) 8th Place- Joyce Franklin Academy (706 points) 9th Place- Hedingham (626 points) 10th Place- New Rickstones (593 points) 11th Place- Forest Hall (402 points) 12th Place- Ramsey (357 points) Attendance News Top forms last week: Year 7 7DEM % Year 8 8COU % Year 9 9RAW % Year 10 10BAK % Attachments Year 7 Summer Reading Challenge Library News Essex Libraries - Summer Activities Summer Safety Information Children Go Free - Park & Ride Until next time If you have any questions or opinions on any of the items in this newsletter, please us at: tabornews@taboracademy.co.uk. Thank you for reading this 157 th edition of the Tabor Academy News.

7 13 th July 2016 Dear Parent/Carer This letter is to inform you of Tabor Academy s Summer Reading Project which your child will be undertaking during this summer break. Each current year 7 will be participating in this project and will be presenting their work within their English classes when they return to school in September 2016 as year 8 students. Summer Reading Challenge Each student will receive a reading log book which must be signed by a parent/carer each time the student reads. A minimum time of twenty hours reading has been set. Reading material must include at least one fiction book that they will be using for their summer reading project presentation. Students can also read non-fiction books, newspapers, graphic novels or comics for logging their twenty hours. The County Library Summer Reading Challenge will also count towards their total if signed by a librarian. There will be prizes for the top three students who have the accumulated the most hours. Summer Project Assignment Each student must produce a project on one of the fiction books they have read during the summer. The project must be chosen from the attached list. Presentations will take place during the first few weeks of their Year 8 English lessons. There will be two winning categories in each class: Best Visual Presentation and Best Vocal Presentation. Each winner will receive a prize. Thank you for your continuing support, Yours sincerely Ms Cole Teacher of English Mrs Aves Library Manager Sarah Speller Bed (Hons), Jo Dumbrill BS (Hons) PGCE, Our ref: COE TS

8 Year 7 Summer Project Select a project from the selections below. All projects are due on 5 th September Be prepared to present your project to your class! Create a diary in the voice of a character from your book. Choose three major events from the novel and give your chosen character's impressions and reflections on those events. Pick this project if you feel like the book's characters really came alive for you. The project should be words long and include entries. Make a movie trailer featuring your book. You can either film short clips from different parts of the book or make a trailer about one particular scene. Our school system is compatible with Windows Movie Maker. Your final movie should be a professional-looking 3-5 minutes long. Produce a pamphlet for people travelling to the place and time of your book. Introduce the culture and describe any differences in lifestyles and beliefs that travellers from your place and time should know about. What do the people there eat? What kinds of jobs are available? What behaviours are considered polite or rude? You should include details from your book to show your teacher that you have read and fully understood the importance of the setting of your book. Create a newspaper for your book. Summarize the plot in one article, cover the weather in another, do a feature story on one of the more interesting characters in another. Include an editorial and collection of ads that would be appropriate to the story. Your final piece must include at least 5 stories and should be laid out as a newspaper. Autobiography and Sketch. Choose one character in the novel and write a word autobiography (as if you were the person). This should include where they live, personal background, the conflict(s) they face in the novel and any other relevant information. Then draw a colour sketch of your character. Be prepared to present a scene from your autobiography and include any important props that will make your presentation more realistic. Make a model depicting a scene from the story. This model could be based on a scene from the book that is important or just sets the scene for what the story is about. It could even be a model of the characters with facial expressions that you believe represent that character. The model can be made out of cardboard, paper, Lego, play-do, clay, papier-mâché, recyclables, etc. Use your imagination. Write letters between characters. This project can be done in two ways. You could write letters back and forth between two characters from your book. Or you could write letters between one character in your book and another person from literature or history. What would they say to each other? How would they get along? What stories might they share? The project should be words long and include a minimum of 4 letters. You can choose your favourite one to read to the class. If you use any quotes or lines, that are not your own work, you must put them in speech marks and then at the end of your work say where you sourced the information from.

9 Date Name of book Start time Finish time Acculmulated time Parent/Carer Signature Reading Log Sheet

10 Visit our library and check out these new additions to our bookshelves. There s one to suit all ages. They include the winner of the Brilliant Book Award 2014, one of the books from an international bestselling series, the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 and one shortlisted for the Specsavers National Book Awards 2012

11 My Zine for ages 10 and above 16 July - 3 September in all Essex Libraries Create book-inspired artwork and your own Zine on a subject that interests you. Pick up your free how to guide at your local library. Share your creations on the ImagiNation Blog at Essex Libraries will also be running The Big Friendly Read. Read six books and earn Roald Dahl character cards, a medal and a certificate. For more information visit

12 SUMMER SAFETY STAY SAFE IN THE SUN n Stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, particularly 11am 3pm. n If you have to go out when it is hot, make sure you apply sunscreen, wear a sun hat and move into the shade where possible. n Drink plenty of water/cold drinks, but avoid drinks containing caffeine. n Spraying water onto your skin or placing a damp cloth on the back of your neck will help you keep cool. n In hot weather, keep an eye on people who are elderly, ill or very young. Make sure they are able to keep cool. BARBECUES n Barbecues must be operated/supervised by a responsible adult. n Make sure your barbecue is on a flat site, well away from a shed, trees or shrubs. n Never leave the barbecue unattended. n Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergencies. n Keep children, games and pets well away from the cooking area. n Only use recognised fire lighters or starter fuel on cold coals never use petrol. n Ensure the barbecue is cool before attempting to move it. CAMP FIRES n Camp fires must be started/supervised by a responsible adult. n Only light a camp fire in specially designated areas/sites. n Choose a clear area away from trees and bushes. n Ensure there are no overhanging branches. n Use a fire ring if provided. If not, make one with stones/rocks. This will help contain the ash. n Keep gathered fire wood away from the area. *Never play with fire or start fires in fields or wooded areas for fun. Fire can get out of control very easily and spread extremely quickly. Essex County Fire & Rescue Service Our Values: Respect, Accountability, Openness and Involvement

13 SUMMER SAFETY WATER SAFETY Don t swim in rivers, lakes or quarries it can be extremely dangerous. Every year in the UK young people are seriously injured or die as a result of swimming in open waters. Hidden dangers n There may be hidden currents. n It will be very cold. n It can be difficult to get out (steep slimy banks). n There may be hidden rubbish, e.g shopping trolleys, broken glass. n It is very difficult to estimate depth. n The water may be polluted and make you ill. n There are no lifeguards. AT THE BEACH n Read and take in the safety information signs. If you are going to swim, pay special attention to the information about coloured flags. n The tides can be dangerous, so check this before setting up on the beach or going into the sea. Check with the lifeguard on patrol if you re unsure. n Only use inflatables on a beach that s patrolled by life-guards. Make sure children s inflatables are secured with a guide line and held by a responsible adult. n Take extra care around slippery rocks, cliff drops, harbour walls, piers and rock pools. n Do not jump from a height into the sea. There may be jagged rocks or similar matter just below the surface. n Do not build sand tunnels to climb through. They can easily collapse on people and suffocate them. n Don t forget about sun protection. Ensure children and young people have access to high factor sun cream, sunglasses, a t-shirt and hat, a beach umbrella and a cool drink.

14 Kids go free this August Explore Chelmsford and Colchester with free travel on Park and Ride buses for under 16s when accompanied by an adult. Park and Ride For more information, visit