Newsletter

Issue no. 1 Friday, 20th November 2009

Quote for the week: ‘At a Glance’ - Events from

“Only the curious will learn and 23rd November – 4th December
only the resolute overcome the
obstacles to learning.”
Eugene S. Wilson Monday 23 rd November
• Y3 Visit from the Vikings
Tuesday 24th November
• Puzzle Challenge
Careers Fair Wednesday 25th November
30th November, 2009 • Fencing Club (Primary Phase)
10.30am – 2.30pm Thursday 26th November
• Y12 Geography Field Trip
We are delighted to announce Friday 26th November
that we have a wide variety of • Primary Phase Assembly
participants attending this year’s All parents should now have Sunday 29th November
event, with representatives from: received copies of the official • Duke of Edinburgh Training Day
Ofsted Report following the Monday 30th November
ARMED FORCES inspection on 20th & 21st October, • Careers Fair
POLICE 2009. The report is also available Tuesday 1st December
FIRE SERVICE to download from our website: • Yr7&11 Netball v Whalley Range
NHS CAREERS www.whgs-academy.org.uk Wednesday 2nd December
BUCHANNAN VETS “ • Owl Visit for Year 1
TRAFFORD COLLEGE • WHGS is a good and Thursday 3rd December
JOHN LENNON AIRPORT improving Academy with a • Yr 13 Parents’ Evening
PANONNE strong inclusive ethos Friday 4th December
BEEVER & STRUTHERS • Positive relationships between • Assessment Day –
IRWIN MITCHELL staff and pupils contribute Senior School closed
ATT TAXATION substantially to success in
EMPLOYER SOLUTIONS lessons
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY • Provision for care, guidance TERM DATES
SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY and support is good and 2010 - 2011
M/C MEDICAL SCHOOL pupils feel safe in the
EDGE HILL Academy Please note that a full set of
ST ANN’S HOSPICE • Pupils are proud to attend the term dates will be available
THORP ARCHITECTS Academy “ shortly. We can confirm that
Autumn Term 2010 will
DUPRE
commence on Monday 6th
NURSING
‘We are all delighted with the September. (Induction Day
MIDWIFERY
extremely positive Ofsted Report. It for Yrs 7 & 12 will be on
MESSENGER NEWSPAPERS
highlights the tremendous progress Friday, 3rd September)
FIREFLY MEDIA
made by the school since becoming
WHITWORTH GALLERY
an Academy. I would like to thank
BBC PHILHARMONIC all the staff, students and parents for
CAKE SALE
GLOBE CONSTRUCTION all their hard work and support’. Primary School Hall
MIKE DAVIES IT Friday 20th November
From 3.00pm – 4.00pm
The Careers Fair will take place in All proceeds to go to….
the Main Hall and all Yr 9 - Yr 13
students will have a timetabled
slot to attend.

Peter Mulholland, Principal


Christmas Concerts
The Concert Band, Choir
and Choral Society are doing
three exciting performances
for Christmas with a large
variety of music and
opportunities for audience
participation. There will be
a concert in school on
Monday 14th December at
7.30pm and two concerts in
Manchester Cathedral,
organised in conjunction with
Manchester Evening News,
on Tuesday 15th December at
2.00pm and 4.00pm.
If any teachers, parents or
carers would like to sing in
these events please come
along to the Choral Society
rehearsals which are on
Tuesday evenings in the Music
Department from 7.00pm until
9.00pm.
It is not too late for students
who wish to come and sing.
Choir rehearsals are on
Tuesdays at 12.50pm in M1.
Please contact Mr Goodwin or
Miss Smith if you have any
questions about these
concerts.
FREE
ARABIC LESSONS
EACH FRIDAY
4.30PM – 5.30PM
ZOCHONIS CENTRE
Available to family &
friends
Please register at
Reception Mrs Hathaway is organising an
exciting Theatre Trip to see a
live performance of the hit
Book Recommendation musical THE SOUND OF
MUSIC, starring Connie Fisher
By Yin Doran
at The Palace Theatre,
Manchester on Thursday, 17th
December 2009 from 7.00pm –
10.00pm. There are still tickets
available at £15 per person.
Please apply to the Bursary.
Apart from full-text books, I
also love reading the illustrated
Kids Corner
books as the visual
Joke of the Week ☺
presentation can help further
Why wasn’t Cinderella very good at
explain the author’s ideas. football?
Recently a series of US based She had a pumpkin as a coach!
illustrated books have become
very popular amongst the Puzzle of the Week
teenagers. It is called ‘The
Wordsearch No. 01 – Things found at
Diary of Wimpy Kid’ written by Home
Jeff Kinney and so far, the
fourth book, Dog Days, has just
been released. A movie is being
made based on the first book
and it will be on the big screen
next year!
I really enjoy reading this
series as it is hilarious. The
whole story is about Greg
Heffley’s middle school life and
how he deals with his family.
Readers can relate their
teenage lives to Greg’s Find the following words in the grid
behaviour. I hope you will like above (words can be forwards, backwards or
the books and start writing diagonal):-
your own super journal! Bed Rug Chair
All books are available in the Plate
Table
Wardrobe
Food
Cup
Toys
Learning Resource Centre Lamp Pets Book
 TAFAL
TEACH A FRIEND A LANGUAGE BOOK FAIR
12.40 – 1.10pm Please note our
Classroom Z16 19TH – 25TH November
School Reception is
Monday: Yoruba PRIMARY SCHOOL HALL now open from
8.15am – 6.00pm
Tuesday: Arabic 3.30pm – 4.15pm Monday - Friday
Wednesday: Urdu All Welcome!
1.10pm – 1.40pm Dutch

Thursday: Mandarin

Yin Doran (Assistant Librarian) and her husband Mark married in Mauritius in 2008 and
then celebrated their wedding in traditional Chinese style in Hong Kong in October 2009

CONGRATULATIONS……….. to the new arrivals of Mrs Sackfield and

Mrs Galbraith. The girls are already enjoying ‘playdays’!

Olivia Joy Galbraith Amelia Grace Sackfield

Born: 17th October, 2009 Born: 19th October, 2009
Weight: 8lbs 9ozs Weight: 8lbs 5ozs
 YEAR 3 - SANDWICH CAFÉ

On Wednesday 4th November Year 3 hosted a sandwich café in their classroom. “In the run up to the café
we designed a range of sandwiches and gave them funky names such as “The Chicken Body Builder”,
“The Super Tuna Man” and “The Colourful Sandwich". On the morning of the café we prepared all the
sandwiches with the help of Mrs Tonge and Mrs Nicolaou. During the afternoon we had lots of visitors
including parents and teachers. Even Mr Mulholland came! We took orders, served the food and gave the
visitors a bill to pay for their food. We all had different jobs such as kitchen hands, meeters and greeters
and waiters. We had great fun and learned lots about running a café!"

YEAR 7 TRIP TO HARDRAW

October 2009

It was obviously not too cold to enjoy an ice-lolly!

All year 7 forms are visiting The Yorkshire Dales during October and November using the WHGS
Outdoor Centre at Harris House, Hardraw for the residential accommodation. It is a three day stay
with visits to Ingleborough Show Cave on the first day, and calling at Skipton Castle on the return
journey. The middle day, based at Harris House, includes an exploration of the meadows and old
lead workings in Swaledale and seeing the animals in the field on the route to the many waterfalls in
the dale. A visit to Hardraw Force, a superb long, single drop waterfall is always a highlight of the
visit.
 COMBINED CADET FORCE
REMEMBRANCE PARADE
50 Cadets from Years 9 – 13 paraded at Salford Cenotaph on Sunday 8th November. The 35 Army
Cadets and 15 RAF Cadets were a credit to themselves and the School as they took part in the Annual
Ceremony of Remembrance. The Contingent received a large number of compliments and everyone was
very pleased to be applauded by a crowd of 4,000 strong for the March Past.

Company Sergeant Major Warren Moore and Colour Sergeant Markell Williams, both in Year 13 were
meanwhile parading at the Menin Gate in Belgium and took part in a number of other Remembrance
Services in France. The two SNCOs laid poppies and crosses on behalf of all the Old Hulmeians who had
lost their lives since the Great War. Both Cadets later spoke of this unique life experience as very
humbling and it brought home the reality of war. The School would like to thank Greater Manchester Army
Cadet Force for inviting our CCF to participate.

Finally a big thank you to all SNCOs, Cadets and School Prefects who helped sell poppies throughout
Remembrance Week in the Senior School. We hoped to raise over £500. Well done everyone!
 Assessment Day - Friday 4th December
Don’t forget that the school will be closed for students in Years 7 – 13 on Friday, 4th December. BUT
school will be open as normal for all our Primary School children, Nursery – Year 6. There will be special
arrangements for access to the Primary side of the campus for that day only; please look out for a letter
home telling everyone where to drop off and pick up.

Applications for 2010 - Closing Dates

The final date for applying for the VI Form in 2010 is fast approaching. Both external applicants and
internal transfers should get their completed forms to Mrs Lees, the Registrar, by Friday, 18th December at
the latest. All our Year 11 students will be having a course discussion with a senior teacher during
January 2010 after the results of the GCSE trial (‘mock’) exams are known. Provisional offers will be
made in February 2010.
Reception class applications should be given in by 22nd January 2010 – that’s both the Common
Application Form to the City Council and also the pink Supplementary Form, which needs to go back to
Mrs Lees by 22nd January too. Nursery applications for 2010 need to be with Mrs Lees by 22nd January
2010.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AWARD SUCCESS FOR WHGS

st
On 1 September 2009 William Hulme’s Grammar School was awarded the prestigious International School Award in
recognition of bringing the wider world into the schoolroom. On the 16th October, Mr John Hofton attended a high-profile
ceremony in London to receive the Award from broadcaster and journalist George Alagiah.

On being notified that WHGS had received the award, Mr Hofton said: “I am delighted to see that the very hard work of all the staff
and pupils involved has been rewarded in this way. This is the second time we have received the ISA award, the last time being in
2006-2009”

Celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, the DCSF International School Award seeks to celebrate, develop, recognise and
accredit outstanding practice in the international dimensions of teaching and learning. Fostering an international dimension in the
curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills
they need to live and work as global citizens. The Award is now made available worldwide in countries such as India, Sri Lanka,
Egypt, Lebanon, Cyprus and Pakistan. The Award credits our school for outstanding development of the international dimension
in the curriculum and shows that we have achieved the following:
• We have embedded an international ethos throughout the school
• A majority of pupils within the school have been impacted by and involved in international work
• Our pupils were involved in collaborative curriculum-based work with a number of partner schools, especially in Germany
and with our partner school in Cochin, Kerala, S W India. (TocH Public School.)
• Our curriculum-based work was across a range of subjects
• These international activities took place throughout 2008-9

John Hofton receiving the ISA Award from George Alagiah

 BAKE–WELL
Apple and sultana crumble
Ingredients Equipment
100g plain flour Weighing scales
50g butter or margarine Mixing bowl, wooden spoon
50g oats Wooden spoon, chopping board
25g sugar Knife, oven proof dish/foil tray
2 eating apples Baking tray
50g sultanas
Method Top tips
Add a little water to the apples
1. Preheat the oven to 190oC or gas mark 5.
Be creative and experiment with other
2. Rub in the butter or margarine into the flour until it resembles fruits, such as blackberries,
breadcrumbs. apricots, raspberries, peaches,
3. Stir in the oats and sugar. nectarines, plums or pears.
4. Cut the apples into quarters and remove the core. Slice thinly. You may wish to use canned apple or
5. Arrange the apple slices in the oven proof dish/foil tray on a baking another type of canned or dried fruit.
tray and then add the sultanas. Try using wholemeal flour for the
6. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apple slices. crumble topping or muesli instead of
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the apple is soft and the crumble is golden. oats.

YEAR 7 Students are currently making Apple and Sultana crumble in their Food Technology
lessons under the watchful eye of Mrs Thomas and Mrs Cowell

FORTHCOMING LITERARY
EVENTS
• Literary Festival 2010 will be
held in March. Activities include
a visit from an author and the
Manchester Book
Award Ceremony

• Manchester Book Award 2010

shortlist will be announced in
December

• Carnegie Award 2010

A reading Group will be held
in April 2010
YEAR 6 TRIP
MANCHESTER MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY

3rd November 2009 - By Larissa Aravantinou

It was a Tuesday morning. I woke up and got ready for school and left my house. I was in a really good mood
because it was the day I was going on a class trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. When I got to my
classroom I had to read until assembly. After assembly, Mr Brown split us up into minibus groups .We got into our
minibus and set off to the Museum. I sat next to my friends on the way. It only took us ten minutes to get there.

We arrived at the museum and Mr Brown led us into the classroom where a teacher called Mr McGrath told us about
how we can see light with our eyes. The teacher had a model of an eye and took it apart just to show us. We got onto
our tables and started doing some work with mirrors; there were flat mirrors, concave mirrors and convex mirrors. We
had filled in an activity sheet and looked through it together whilst Mr Thomson was taking lots of pictures. Next, we
put our bags in a cloakroom to keep them safe.

Afterwards, we headed for the experiment room. It was actually like a play room - it was the best part of the
museum! Soon it was lunchtime so we walked over to the Air and Space museum to eat. I was on a table with Lily,
Atia, Aamna and Rukaya. When we had finished, me and my group had a look around at the aeroplanes that were
probably round in the World War Two. After about ten minutes, we walked to a machine that was invented by James
Whitworth.

At 1.15pm we had another lesson but this time we had to make circuits. We filled in another activity sheet and sat on
the carpet. Mr McGrath was telling us who invented the first battery. When we had finished the lesson, we took
another good look around the museum with Mr Thomson in our group.

Finally, we went to the shop and I bought an old penny key ring. We then got in the minibus and went home. My
favourite part of the trip was trying the different scientific things in the experiment room. I had a wonderful time!

Year 6 children enjoying their trip to the Museum of Science & Industry

Sports Leaders coaching Nursery children

For the past 2 weeks, 27 Year 10 students have been helping to teach the nursery children
in our Primary Phase here at William Hulme’s Grammar School. The Sports leaders have
been given the task of creating new fun and active games for the younger children to take
part in, focusing on learning and physical movement. They have led sessions and
developed key skills, including organisation, communication, leadership and the ability to
adapt quickly to the individual needs of the children. This course provides children with the
opportunity to create and lead a session developing confidence and responsibility for small
groups of children. Both nursery and secondary pupils are benefiting from this course and
YEAR 4 HAD A WORLD WAR 2 DAY
are enjoying the experience.
 YEAR 4 HAD A WORLD WAR TWO DAY!

Year 4 students had to experience what it would be like to be a child at school

in World War Two, so as you can see, they spent the first part of the day
sitting in rows! They also made gas mask boxes, their own Anderson Shelters -
under the tables - and played games as children did during World War Two.

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Our main purpose is as a social and networking group, providing parents of pupils
attending WHGS with a chance to meet other parents, and teachers, in a social context.
The parent or carer of any pupil at WHGS can attend any PA meetings or events, which are
advertised in the school calendar and on the website.

Our latest event was the Quiz Night, held on Friday 16th October in the School Hall and was
very ably compered by Mr Paul Hewston. The PA would like to thank Croma Restaurant in
Chorlton for donating the stand-up Raffle Prize. Many thanks also go to Mr Wood and Mr
Gracey, whose team of 6th formers was sadly too high-brow and ultimately floored by their
inability to correctly identify children’s cartoon characters!

Anyone interested in joining the PA should e-mail: WHGSpassoc@whgs-academy.org

RECIPROCAL TEACHER VISITS TOCH PUBLIC SCHOOL, COCHIN, KERAL, SW
INDIA AND WHGS - AUTUMN TERM 2009

Mr John Hofton - International Director

Mrs Rohini Kanugo’s visit to WHGS

Thanks to our successful bid for a DFID Reciprocal Teacher visit grant we have been able, this term to
firmly cement the link that we established two years ago with TocH Public School, Cochin, Kerala, S W
India. In September our contact teacher in TocH school, Mrs Rohini Kanugo, spent a week in our school
and in October, Mr J Hofton spent a week in their school. Mrs Kanugo’s visit was an outstanding success:
due to her very personable and out-going nature she very quickly settled into our school and was
immediately able to get down to the business of the day. Thanks also to her total professionalism and to
her thorough commitment to the future success of this project, she was also able to inspire all of us to
make the most of the potential that this school link holds in all the future projects we will be involved in
together.

Mr Hofton’s visit to TocH Public School

On his first day at the school (having barely stepped off the plane!) Mr Hofton was invited to tour the Junior
School who were doing a special project on vegetables. As the class sizes are larger than ours (upwards
of 40 pupils in one classroom) the children are taught quite a lot by rote and much choral repetition can be
heard coming from their classrooms.
Mr Hofton was very impressed by the young children’s grasp of English as they recited their rehearsed
speeches regarding the benefits of eating 5 veg a day! He was also taken to meet with the President of
TocH School, Professor Joseph, who informed him that he had been invited later that week (on Oct 24
which was the Global Day for Climate Change) to give a presentation on global warming to their sister
school, TocH Institute of Science and Technology as part of a one day programme involving students from
colleges in and around the city. In exchange for this service he was promised a trip out to an elephant
sanctuary where he would be able to go on an elephant ride.

Mr Hofton also took part in the school assemblies at TocH Public School, during which the usual format
was as follows: First the Head Boy told the 1,800 strong gathering of pupils to stand to attention whilst
the President (Professor Joseph) and Headteacher came up onto the podium. The Head Girl then recited
the Lord’s Prayer (the school is a Christian school, Kerala, being predominantly a Christian state) which
the pupils repeated after her. Then followed a hymn sung by their hand-picked choristers (‘The Humming
Birds’) who performed in Coventry Cathedral a few years ago. The school then recited their pledge to the
Indian flag and re-affirmed their devotion to their country. During the final assembly Mr Hofton played the
flute: as he was doing a bilingual assembly in French and English he chose to play ‘Le Cygne’ by Saint
Saëns. He too met with various members of staff of their school to co-ordinate the proposed joint projects
which are being planned between ourselves and TocH Public School. Mrs Rohini Kanugo and Mr Hofton
also finalised the Partnership Agreement between our two schools.

This has been a most successful teacher exchange and the next stage is to apply for the DFID Curriculum
Project Grant which will fund visits by more teachers and ultimately pupils who will take part in the
exchange over the next 3 years.
AUSCHWITZ TRIP -14th October, 2009
Written by Abigail Bryant – Head of School

Mrs Sexton, Kaya and myself had to be at Manchester Airport for 5.00am for our flight to Poland! After
having attended a seminar a week before, about what we were going to face and after hearing the account
of a survivor, I didn’t know what to expect or how I would feel.
When we arrived it was snowing really heavily. We drove for a few hours and then went to visit a Jewish
cemetery in the town of Auschwitz. We then drove to an Auschwitz cemetery. Walking around in the thick
snow really drilled into me how hard, bleak and utterly soul destroying this place was. We looked around
the cells which had held prisoners of war and then went to the firing wall where hundreds had lost their
lives. We walked to the gas chamber which was about 200m from where the Commander of the camp
and his family had lived. Whilst walking into the gas chamber, a feeling of sickness and nausea swept
over me and it will be something I will never forget. We went through the building where there were
shoes, suitcases and pictures left behind, indicating the sheer magnitude of what happened.
We then travelled to the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau. As we pulled up to the camp there was a huge
feeling of emptiness and bleakness as it was still snowing heavily and was eerily quiet. No life existed
there, no birds nor wildlife. It was a place, which as you looked over the vast camp, gave you a sinking,
almost guilty feeling. We walked around the huts where the prisoners had been kept, but there was
nothing homely about them. In my ski jacket, thermals, waterproofs, gloves, hat and wellies, I was still
cold, so I could not imagine how people could survive in pyjamas. We even walked to where the gas
chambers had been and where plaques had been placed in 19 languages. To end the day, we were taken
for a service by a Jewish Rabbi, which was extremely emotional and thought provoking, making you
analyse not just what had happened – but yourself.

The day trip to Auschwitz was something I’ll never forget and is something which will stay with me forever.
I would recommend to anyone who gets the chance to go – go! It was a hard, emotional, extremely
intense and almost an unbelievable experience. I would like to thank Mrs Sexton for making it possible, as
I will never forget my trip to Auschwitz.

Archive Photos from 1944


SCHOOLS RUGBY
FESTIVAL
Mr R MacCallum has entered a Year 7 Rugby Team into
an Emerging Schools Rugby Festival to be held at
Trafford MV RUFC next Tuesday, 24th November 2009.
Good luck to the team!
Expectations at William Hulme’s Grammar School
Always aim for high standards
• Be smart and wear your uniform with pride
• Be on time and attend every day
• Have a positive attitude in lessons
• Get involved in school life
• Be enthusiastic for everything
• Always do your best
• Ask if you need any help
• Be polite and treat everybody in school with
respect
• Take pride in everything you do in school
• Aim for the best in the future
P Mulholland – Principal
September 2009
CCF
TRAINING
WEEKEND
Over 70 Cadets from the Army and
RAF Sections were actively
involved last weekend back at
school working hard! 25 Army
recruits had an intensive two 6
hour blocks of training on the new
cadet weapon and effectively
packed in 12 Monday night
sessions into one weekend! 20
RAF Cadets spent the weekend
preparing for their Part 1 & Part 2
exams and 20 Army Cadets
worked very hard on their BTEC in
Public Service. Six Year 11
Cadets also spent a day on a
Junior NCOs Cadre Course as part
of their preparation to become
promoted to Lance-Corporal.
Thanks to all the training staff who
also gave up their weekend to
enable all the Cadets to get off to a
promising start.

SCHOOL YEAR 2009 – 2010

Autumn Term 2009
Term Ends: Friday, 18th December, 12.10pm (approx)
Spring Term 2010
Term Starts for students: Tuesday, 5th January
Half Term: Monday - Friday, 15th - 19th February
Term Ends: Friday, 26th March, 12.10pm (approx)
Summer Term 2010
Term Starts for students: Tuesday, 13th April
Half Term: Monday – Friday, 31st May – 4th June
Terms Ends Friday, 9th July, 12.10pm (approx)
Autumn Term 2010
Year 7 & 12 Induction Day: Friday, 3rd September
Term Starts for students: Monday, 6th September