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The Solomon Theatre Company

The Solomon Theatre Company

Last week, Year 10 took part in a production and subsequent workshops from The Solomon Theatre Company, the production was entitled The Power of Love.

The play explored exploitation, abuse, cyber safety and the significance of healthy relationships, respect, equality, trust and goodwill. After the production, students were then given the opportunity to take part in a question and answer workshop, where the actors assumed their characters and were able to ask questions which questioned the behaviours which had been exhibited by the characters.

This was kindly funded by a legacy from the Isle of Wight Quakers.

Year 10 students said…

“The play was well done and although personally I could not relate to any of the issues, I could see how it might affect others. It made me feel a bit angry and also sad that people can treat others like this.”

“The play got to me personally especially when the actor playing the abuser hit the female actor which made me feel really sad and emotional, just because she was not doing what he wanted her to do.”


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Parent Governor Vacancy Update

Parent Governor Vacancy Update

Could you be a governor? There’s more time to apply!

A small group of parents did not receive the letter inviting nominations for the parent governor vacancies on the Governing Board. The deadline has therefore been extended to allow all parents time to apply. The new deadline is 12.00 noon on 29 March. 

We have sent out a letter inviting nominations from parents who would like to join the Governing Board. If you feel you can help in this capacity, please contact the Clerk on 01983 526523 or email emma.shambrook@iwef.org.uk for an application form. If there are more applications than vacancies a ballot will be held. Application forms must be returned by 12.00 noon on 29 March.

A copy of the Federation’s governor recruitment information can be found at https://iwef.org.uk/iwef/governor-recruitment/. This includes more information about the work of the Governing Board, who can be a governor and what to expect. If you would like to talk to a governor before applying please contact the Clerk. You can also find information about the role of governor online at: https://governorsforschools.org.uk/courses/introduction-to-school-governance/

Please note that, for the protection of children, all governor appointments are subject to an identity and DBS check.

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Duke of Edinburgh Hike

Duke of Edinburgh Hike

As part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award program, 44 students at Medina and Carisbrooke recently embarked on a practice day hike for their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze. Despite the cold and wet weather,the students had a great time exploring the natural surroundings and challenging themselves both
mentally and physically.

The day began with students receiving a map and compass to navigate their way through the designated trails. As they set out on their journey, the students were initially apprehensive about the weather conditions. However, the students remained positive and determined to reach their destination. They shared jokes and stories along the way, boosting each other’s morale and creating a sense of camaraderie. One group decided to attach colourful balloons to their bags to lighten a gloomy day. The students were thrilled to see different species of wildlife, which added to the excitement of the adventure as well.

Throughout the hike, the students were encouraged to take turns leading the group and making decisions about the best path to take. This not only developed their navigational skills but also strengthened their communication and teamwork abilities.

Upon completing the hike, the students were proud of their accomplishment. They had not only completed a challenging physical activity but also developed important life skills such as leadership, problem-solving, and perseverance.

In conclusion, the practice day hike was a memorable experience for the students at Medina and Carisbrooke. Despite the weather being cold and wet, the students had great fun exploring the outdoors, developing their skills, and building lasting friendships. We look forward to seeing them take on the challenge of their final expedition for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award at the end of the month.


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World Book Day 2023

World Book Day 2023

This year we supported World Book Day on Friday 3 March by reading a five part story at the beginning of each lesson throughout the day.  The chosen text was a short story from the book ‘Being an Ally’, a recommended text for our readers. Students found the story engaging, thought provoking and it led to further conversations between students and with teachers. The book can be purchased with a World Book Day book token from most book stores.


Student reflections

Clyde – I think that it is a good moral to stand up to racism by helping others who need it and by becoming an ally. When they start their own website I think it is inspirational because it shows that by sharing stories we can speak out and not be afraid. It shows us how people can feel when they are belittled and how by helping each other we make each other feel better and supported. 

Erin – It was a good story, it teaches you about not just sitting there, but instead using your voice to speak up for others. It teaches us that racism still exists and it can be subtle but it hasn’t disappeared. 

D – I thought it was interesting to read about something that happens in real life. it wouldn’t be something that I would normally read, as it is not the same genre. You may not hear much about racism, but it is clear that it still exists, and it changes the way I have thought.

Leo – I thought it was very interesting and it is a real life situation that could happen at any time and this makes it relatable. 

Oliver – I thought it was a good short story and it shows that a few words can make a big difference to a situation. 

Deacon – I agree with the message that racism is harmful but the story was a bit short.  We hear about racism regularly but there seems to be no better ending to the story ever. 

Stefan – It was a good book, and it teaches about things that I  know happen but I haven’t experienced.  It gave me a new insight on a really important issue. 

Harry – Showed me things I might not have noticed before about the way I speak to others. 

Chloe – It is a good thing to talk about and I can relate to it. It makes me feel less alone. 

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Parent Governor Vacancy

Parent Governor Vacancy

Could you be a governor? If so we would love to hear from you!

The Isle of Wight Education Federation has always aimed for a partnership with parents, which brings great benefits to the children. One of the most significant ways you can help in promoting this aim is to volunteer to be a Governor. You don’t need to be an education expert to volunteer as a governor. Schools require a combination of hard and soft skills to ensure their boards operate effectively. In return you will be supported through training and mentoring.

Here’s what some of our governors say:

“I became a Governor after being involved with Carisbrooke College Parents Voice group. I have now been a governor for nearly 7 years ! It is very rewarding. I have learnt a lot of new skills. The reason I am a governor is because all children should have a good education and I feel that we are helping this to happen in our schools.”
Vanessa

“I became a school governor in order to put support back into the school that my daughter attended and to broaden the use of skills I had built up in the business world. At the time this also aligned with the company I worked for having a goal of supporting wider community activities. Having had the experience of being a parent to 5 children, becoming a governor was also a way of contributing to:
Ensuring every young person has the right to the best possible education.
Focusing on the individual and each young person’s needs.
Ensuring that school is a safe and creative environment in which to learn.”
Richard

This week we have sent out a letter inviting nominations from parents who would like to join the Governing Board. If you feel you can help in this capacity, please contact the Clerk on 01983 526523 or email emma.shambrook@iwef.org.uk for an application form. If there are more applications than vacancies a ballot will be held. Application forms must be returned by 12.00 noon on 20 March.

A copy of the Federation’s governor recruitment information can be found here. This includes more information about the work of the Governing Board, who can be a governor and what to expect. If you would like to talk to a governor before applying please contact the Clerk. You can also find information about the role of governor online at:
https://governorsforschools.org.uk/courses/introduction-to-school-governance/

Please note that, for the protection of children, all governor appointments are subject to an identity and DBS check.

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Freshwater Five

Freshwater Five

On Wednesday 1 March, 60 students from Carisbrooke College, Medina College and The Island VI Form went to see a production of ‘Freshwater Five’ at the Quay Arts in Newport.

The play told the story of five fishermen from The Isle of Wight who were convicted of drug smuggling in 2011. The five men in question have always pleaded their innocence in the face of contradictory evidence. 

It was an excellent piece of storytelling, highly creative and very well acted. It should provide our students with lots of ideas about how to create and develop their own productions in the future.

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Year 7 Kindness Breakfast

Year 7 Kindness Breakfast

During the last half term Year 7 focused on Kindness. We launched Kindness Bingo, where the students had to complete a range of activities which showed kindness to others. The winners of this activity were then invited to have breakfast with Mrs Lythgoe and Miss Bracegirdle. 

The students were treated to pancakes, croissants, pan au chocolate, fresh fruits and fresh fruit juices. The students were able to enjoy this treat and share their stories of how they have been kind to others and how this made them feel. 

Our focus for the half term ahead, will of course be to carry on being kind to others, but also how we prepare ourselves to have the correct focus and approach to learning within the classroom. 

Well done Year 7!

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U13’s Cricket Festival

U13 Cricket Festival

On Tuesday 7 February students from Carisbrooke College took part in an U13’s Cricket Festival at Medina College.  This was the first time the students had played competitive cricket in this format, however, what took place over the course of three hours was quite frankly remarkable. 

From start to finish, all 10 girls performed to an amazing level and competed in all disciplines of cricket; batting, bowling and fielding and did so as a solid unit. In the first game against local rivals, Medina set Carisbrooke a target of 82 to win after some excellent bowling from the whole team.  Tali J, Rosie B, Daisy R, Evie R, and Cerese B all bowled consistently straight and at a good length, with Madison W stopping every ball from reaching the wall and giving runs away. The Year 8 students were great role models for the younger students. With Summer C and Jasmine D completing the roster for the first game and showing no signs of weakness, Carisbrooke really did look as though they could compete on all ends. 


In reply to Medina, Carisbrooke started well with Captain Tali leading from the front and who eventually went on to score 20 before having to retire.  Rosie complemented this effort with 12 of her own and as the team continued to perform well, it went down to the last ball of the game for Carisbrooke to go away with their first win.

Tali continued to captain the team well and quickly found that the team liked to follow in the current England team footsteps by batting second with a clear target to aim for. This could not have been a better decision as the next game against The Bay went down to the penultimate ball with Carisbrooke needing 81 to win.  What was so nice about this game was that whilst the older students put in another great performance, it was the younger students who brought the team home to eventually take the win with 85 runs.  It was once again nice to see how the team supported each other to change positions in the field and adapt tactics throughout. Daisy W, in her first game, took two well timed wickets to slow The Bay run rate and Miley H in her first appearance bowled superbly and supported the run chase.

In the third game Carisbrooke held the Priory to 59 and managed to score 95 runs in reply which meant they would only need to win their final game to take the championship. In the final game against Ryde Academy, Carisbrooke put together an amazing display in the field to hold them to 64 all out, which was the second game in a row that Carisbrooke had managed to bowl their opponents out.  In return Carisbrooke steadily built a good run chase but lost some key wickets at crucial times.  However, the girls on the side did not stop cheering on their batters and pushed them on to eventually take the win, thanks to some outstanding batting by Daisy R in the last over.  

The girls were an absolute pleasure throughout the tournament and did Carisbrooke proud.  Some individual highlights include:
Tali J – great captain, inspirational in the field, bowling and leading out the attack when batting. Player of the tournament as selected by the other players.
Daisy R – consistent throughout including bringing the team home in the final game to take the trophy.
Evie R – calm and reassuring throughout with some big hits to the boundary and taking wickets at key times.
Daisy W – massive hits with the bat and outright speed when bowling which was almost impossible to hit.
Rosie B – excellent catching, consistent bowling and high run scoring in all the games.  Vice captain throughout which really supported others.
Madison W – Best wicket keeper in the tournament and the difference between winning by 1 or losing by 1.  Simply outstanding behind the wickets.
Cerese B – hitting the most 4s and 6s in the tournament and always willing to help others including other teams.
Summer C – scored the vital runs in the second game to bring the team home and went throughout the tournament without making a mistake. 
Miley H – Enthusiasm to stop everything in the field and running between the wickets and putting the pressure on the opponents fielders.
Jasmine D – showed no fear in taking on some of the fastest bowlers in the tournament and taking some wickets at the key moments in the game.

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Indoor Rowing Championships

Indoor Rowing Championships

On Thursday 2 February the Isle of Wight Indoor Rowing Championship took place. Carisbrooke entered a group of students who were mostly new to the sport, however this did not prevent them from putting in a good team effort with some spectacular individual performances.

In the Year 11 competition Ashton put in a great performance to come second in the endurance event whilst also beating a national rowing athlete in the process! Ashton was supported by Tom who gave everything he had and Jacob who put in a good sprint event.


The Year 10 performance of the day went to Aaliyah who came first in the sprint event in style. Aaliyah was supported consistently by Kian, Arthur, Harry, Grace, Delia and Chloe.

The Year 9 athlete of the day not just for Carisbrooke but for the whole event went to Bethan who destroyed the field in the endurance race and then backed it up by taking first in the sprint. Lucy, Theo and Lewis completed the rest of the year 9 races and did so with pride.

In Year 8 Rosie won the sprint race to give a timely boost to the Year 8 team also consisting of Lincoln, Rowan and Daisy.

The top performing team of the day for Carisbrooke went to Year 7 led by Summer won both the endurance and sprint races with such ease. Miley put in two very good performances to back Summer up and Jack, who won his endurance event led Harvey, Archie and Toby in the boy races to consistent outings.

Overall, Carisbrooke came 4th out of 8 schools with the potential to build into a very strong team over the next few years.

Well done to all the students for representing Carisbrooke with such pride!

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STEM Workshop

STEM Workshop

Last Monday our Year 7 students attended Marine Engineering STEM workshops. These workshops are designed to inspire young people to consider a career in the Marine industry. Delivered by the Marine Society and Sea Cadets organisation, the workshops were hands-on from start to finish.

If you’re wondering what STEM stands for, it’s: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Students encountered all four aspects of STEM as they engaged in practical activities and experiments which taught them about buoyancy, displacement, density and Newton’s 3rd Law.

The Year 7’s enjoyed listening to Suzy, the Workshop Leader, as she explained Archimedes Principle whilst demonstrating the principle itself, showing how the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces. Following this, in teams of three, students worked together to turn a small piece of card and tin foil into a ship of their own. Each team then filled their ship with marbles, one at a time, until their ship sank!

There were some great results but the winning team’s boat held an amazing 340g worth of marbles. Well done to our Year 7’s for being a credit to the school.

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