MALDON MUD RACE 2016 Sunday 1 May 2016 PLEASE SPONSOR THE PLUME TEAM

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1 Medical Week Ending 29/04/2016 Can all vaccination forms be completed and returned by Friday 6 May please. Date of vaccinations: HPV for Year 8 girls - Tuesday 24 May HPV for Year 9 girls and catch up - Wednesday 25 May MALDON MUD RACE 2016 Sunday 1 May 2016 PLEASE SPONSOR THE PLUME TEAM To sponsor the teachers on their muddy slog, visit The school community can kindly donate sponsorship money in the following ways: Years 7-8: Mill Road Office Years 9-11: Finance Office Years 12-13: Coffee Shop Meningitis ACWY catch-up - Wednesday 25 May Any questions please contact Mrs Lionnel on n the summer of 2015, Sea Change a Maldon based charity, offered Plume an exciting opportunity to spend a week aboard Reminder, one of the Thames Sailing barges and travel up the east coast with one group, change the group over and then return to Maldon. For most of the students this was the first time they had been on a boat let alone travel up the east coast to Harwich! The trip was used as a reward for those on the Year 9 Prevocational Programme who had worked hard throughout the year and showed commitment to all of their lessons. Students had to work as a team, cook their own meals and ensure that the boat was kept in tip top shape. The trip was a huge success with students growing in confidence, developing valuable life skills such as team work, communication, time management and personal safety. Students also achieved accreditation towards their RYA competent crew qualification. Sea-change offered to repeat this opportunity in the summer of 2016, but were only able to fund 50% of the 5400 needed make the trip a reality. David Harris, a member of the Maldon Little Ship Club and volunteer on the trip, was so impressed with the experience the students received and how they responded to it, he decided to help organise some fund raising to ensure that the trip could once again go ahead. It gives Plume great pleasure for Ewan Harris to be able to pass Sea Change a cheque for 2,700 towards the trip on behalf of Jim Alyen-Smith. This would not be possible without contributions from Maldon Little Ship Club (who contributed from the club fund as well as proceeds from various events such as a soup lunch and proceeds from their laying up supper raffle), The Old Rectory Function Suite, Maldon Town Council, Plume Academy Christmas Fayre, Maldon Mighty Oak Brewery and finally, David Harris who was the main driving force behind the organisation of the events and who along with Barry Fix gave handy man time as a raffle price. Plume organiser Jim Alyen-Smith would also like to relay his thanks to David Harris for helping to make the trip a reality this year. Article written by Ewan Harris Head of Flexible Learning Plume Academy.

2 St Mary's Church, Maldon are looking for a young enthusiastic organ scholar. The organ scholarship was set up in early 2008 to support and encourage young musicians. Anyone who has reached a standard of at least grade VI on the keyboard (not necessarily organ, as the piano will suffice) may apply. The holder receives tuition, ample practice time and many opportunities to accompany the choir and congregation under the guidance of the Director of Music. It is an ideal opportunity for any young person interested in pursuing a career in music or who simply loves making music for the sake of it! Experience of holding such a position can be an invaluable aid in terms of university entrance and the first holder of the St Mary s Organ Scholarship was Paul Johnson, who was generously supported financially by a grant from the Linda Starling Memorial Fund. Paul subsequently studied organ at Birmingham Conservatoire and is now Director of Music at St Martin of Tours, Epsom. The current holder is William Foster, who has accompanied the choir in the USA, Italy and Wales. The successful candidate would receive remuneration of around 500 a year and if you are interested in the above post please apply in writing to Colin Baldy via music@stmarysmaldon.org.uk On Sunday 24 April we took both our Junior and Senior cheerleading teams to their first ever schools competition. Both teams competed against 8 other schools in either level 1 or level 2 categories and overall competed against level 1, 2 and 3 performers. The Junior team finished first in the level 1 category with their best performance to date and similarly the senior team excelled themselves and finished first in the level 2 category. Following such an exceptional performance and impressing both the judges and the audience, the senior team finished Grand Champions overall beating all level 1, 2 and 3 teams. This is a huge achievement and I am sure you will join me in congratulating all students involved. Both teams were a credit to themselves and the Academy and should be hugely proud of their efforts. Miss B Meltzer

3 Year 9 Students ready for a day s hard work digging group of thirteen Year 9 History students from Plume joined students from Ormiston Rivers Acadamy and William De Ferrers for an archaeological project organised by Cambridge University. The Higher Education Field Academy (HEFA) project is a real and ongoing project that aims to track the levels of settlement population throughout the Greater Anglia region. One reason for the changes in population was the devastating effect of the Black Death on whole communities, with populations of villages either being wiped out or abandoned. There are other reasons for changes in population but it was demonstrated at Cambridge how by dating times and matching them with finds how we can make a picture of the changing landscape over time. This is the second year the Finds being examined by John a pottery specialist. Very excited on finding a Medieval Wall. dig has taken place in Southminster and the test pits were dispersed throughout the village. Some were close to where we dug last year and some in completely different locations. Four test pits were located at North End which is now the northern boundary of the village but in medieval times was a settlement separated from the main part of the village by farm land. Most of the finds as last year, were post - Medieval and Victorian although some of the pits provided some Roman finds and two pits close together at the southern edge of the village produced some prehistoric finds. The absence of Anglo Saxon finds is very interesting as we know that part of the Church dates from AD996 and you would think that there would have been a congregation. Perhaps we have just not found it yet or perhaps it has been lost in later development. I was fortunate enough to be working in the grounds of Southminster Hall with a group of students from Plume and Ormiston when a Medieval wall was discovered running right through the test pit. This is particularly amazing as the pits are located at random. We suspect this is part of a manor house dating back to the fifteenth century. We know that a manor house was built on the site in the eighteenth century and was rebuilt in Victorian times but this was definitely before that. On Friday the group travelled to Cambridge where we experienced a real lecture on the work of the HEFA project and how our dig contributed to it. All the students are now required to submit a written project on the dig which will be assessed by the university and marked to level, in order that it can be used as part of a CV in the future. This part of the programme has been optional previously but it is now compulsory. Following the lecture the group split into school groups and each was taken to a different college for lunch and a tour of the Tour of Cambridge University facilities at the colleges. Finally we all came together again in the lecture theatre for a talk on university life and application procedures. This was an excellent experience enjoyed by the students from all the schools that took part. The weather was kind to us on the digging days, which is more than can be said for Friday but that did not matter as we were in the dry but it could have been a very different story. Mr Ingram - Community Mentor

4 Maths Challenge 2016 On Thursday 28 April 2016 we have 2 students (the largest amount of students we have ever entered) from the Plume involved in the Junior Maths Challenge which is aimed at students in Year 8 or below in England and Wales, Year 9 or below in Northern Ireland and S2 or below in Scotland. The challenge involves answering 25 multiple choice questions in one hour and is sat in the Academy under normal examination conditions. The UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) is a registered charity whose aim is to advance the education of children and young people in mathematics. The UKMT organises national mathematics competitions and other mathematical enrichment activities for year old UK school students. The trust was established in 1996 and last academic year over 600,000 students from 4,000 schools took part in the three individual challenges junior, intermediate and senior, the UK's biggest national maths competitions. Plume Mathematics Department The search for Maldon s next singing sensation is drawing near SingStar 2016 is a competition organised by SaintFM for secondary school children in Maldon, with the final taking place in the Stage Hall at Plume Academy on Saturday 14 May. Nine acts have made it through the auditions and for the winner, a great prize awaits. They ll get a song especially written for them by professional song writing team Warwick Young and Wickenden, the team behind former Pop Idol finalist Haley J Everts and the recent hits from former Soldiers front man, Gary Chilton. They ll have the song professionally recorded and released. Adrian Warwick, one of four professional musicians who ll be judging the acts, says the quality is exceptional; I ve judged many similar shows but have to say that the quality of all finalists for SingStar is astounding. The judges are going to have their work cut out to find a winner. Finalists are Emily Jones, Tom Newman Clark, Clara Alden Smith, Hannah Edington, Erlina Sweeney, Sophie Lucas, Louisa Saward, Torrance Jay and duo Isabelle Laing and Matz Kiernan. According to Adrian, Regardless of who wins, it s going to be a hugely entertaining night. Tickets are on sale now for the final; 10 adults, 5 for the under 16s and 3 concessions. Go to and search: Sing Star 2016 Final Maldon or visit SaintFM s Facebook page at Is there anybody in your family coming back from university who might be interested in an evening s counting votes (paid!). Several of our students are taking part in the counting process on the evening of 23 rd June. I understand that Maldon District s Returning Officer would welcome some more counters. If you are interested and know anyone at College or University who may be willing to assist, please contact b.collen@plume.essex.sch.uk and your details will be passed on.

5 PLUME TELEPHONE LINES PLUME TELEPHONE LINES Student Absence: Absence: Option Option 1 1 Assistant Head of of Years Option 2 2 Sixth Form College: Option 3 3 USEFUL DIRECT LINES USEFUL DIRECT LINES MRC Reception MRC Reception FRC Medical Room: FRC Medical Room: MRC Medical Room: MRC Medical Room: Finance (ParentPay/Trip Monies/ Finance Catering payments) (ParentPay/Trip Monies/ Sixth Catering Form payments) College: Sixth Form College: Calendar March / April Calendar May EXAMINATION DATES 2015/2016 TYPE DATES VENUES TYPE DATES VENUES Year 9 Exams Monday 14 March Year 7 Exams Monday 9 Friday 13 May MRC HALL Year 10 Exams Thursday - Thursday 24th March SUMMER EXAMS Monday 16 May - Tuesday 28 June Year 8 Exams Monday 25 Friday 29 April MRC HALL Biology Core/Triple Tuesday May PM Year 7 Exams Monday 9 Friday 13 May MRC HALL Chemistry Core/Triple Thursday 19 May AM SUMMER EXAMS Monday 16 May - Tuesday 28 June AQA FSK Biology English Core/Triple Friday Tuesday 20 May May AM PM & PM STAGE HALL STAGE / SPORTS HALL HALL / SPORTS HALL Chemistry Physics Core/Triple Core/Triple Wednesday Thursday May May AM PM AQA FSK English Friday 20 May AM & PM Maths Linear Paper 1 Thursday 26 May AM Physics Core/Triple Wednesday 25 May PM Maths English/English Linear Paper 1 Tuesday Thursday 7 June 26 May AM AM STAGE HALL STAGE / SPORTS HALL HALL / SPORTS HALL Language English/English Language Tuesday 7 June AM Maths Linear Paper 2 Thursday 9 June AM Maths Linear Paper 2 Thursday 9 June AM Biology Additional/Triple Biology Additional/Triple Friday 10 June AM Friday 10 June AM Chemistry Additional/ Wednesday June PM PM STAGE HALL STAGE / SPORTS HALL HALL / SPORTS HALL Triple Physics Physics Additional/Triple Additional/Triple Friday Friday June June AM AM Biology Triple Monday 20 June AM Biology Triple Monday 20 June AM Chemistry Triple Wednesday 22 June AM Physics Chemistry Triple Triple Wednesday Friday June June AM AM STAGE HALL STAGE / SPORTS HALL HALL / SPORTS HALL Monday Tuesday Wednesday Physics Thursday Triple Friday Friday 24 June AM Saturday Sunday 7 Monday 8 Tuesday 9 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 12 Sunday 13 2 May Day Bank Holiday Year 10 Theatre Trip Women in Black Year 12 Consultation Evening FRC 4.30pm-7.30pm 18 Non-Uniform Day Sports Relief & Essex Air Ambulance 19 The Bohemains - Marble Charity Gig - FRC 7.30 Ticket entry only PAMS CONCERT Public Dance Showcase Examinations pm Year 12 Drama Year 12 Drama Performance Performance pm FRC 10pm FRC 20 TERM DATES Summer Term Monday 11 April Friday 22 July Half Term 30 May - 3 June May Day Bank Holiday - 2 May *Staff training day on Monday 27 June 2016