July 2022 - Penwortham Girls' High School

Religious Education – Summer Term News 2022

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

In RE this term, we were asked to create a project with an aim to combat Islamophobia. It had to be a captivating project that would appeal to the younger generation. Our group decided that we would make a news report video. We interviewed students, asking their opinions on Islamophobia and what they were going to do to support the abolishment of the growing issue. We had some fantastic responses, including a social media campaign called ‘Stand Up to Islamophobia’ which is active on every social media platform and aims to raise awareness. We thought this was a brilliant idea, considering that many young people have access to social media, therefore would be a great place to gain recognition and make more people aware. We edited our video by adding sounds and special effects to make it more engaging. We hope it made many more students aware of this important topic.

Written by Sophia H, Yr9.

Police Interview

This term, Year 9s have enjoyed studying ‘Crime & Punishment’ and ‘Islamophobia’. Alongside teaching substantive knowledge, we think it is crucial that we enhance students’ personal development by informing them about career choices that link to RE.

A popular career that RE can be a great stepping stone for, is the police force. A Sergeant from Lancashire Constabulary volunteered his time to answer interview questions from our students. The students submitted their questions via a Microsoft Forms quiz and Miss Brooks categorised this into three categories for the Sergeant. Questions were answered on the following topics:

Year 8: Jewish Holocaust Memorials

This half term as part of the Jewish module, Year 8 have been studying Anti-Semitism. As an example of Anti-Semitism, we have spent three lessons looking at the suffering of the Jews during the Holocaust. We used the Windermere Children case study. As a focus, we explored how Jews became ashamed of their religion as a result of their experiences.

The year 8s were given the project of creating a Holocaust Memorial for Jewish people. They had to use their knowledge of the Jewish religion combined with their knowledge of the Holocaust to make a suitable memorial which would help them feel proud of their religion.

The teachers were blown away with the careful thought and design that was put into the creations. We have some very talented, aspiring architects!

We were so impressed with the memorials, that we wanted everybody to have a chance to see the display of incredible work. We set up a Holocaust Memorial museum which was run by our fabulous team of year 8 curators. This allowed them to see how religious knowledge could benefit them in a career. Miss Brooks, RE Department

MFL Stars of the Summer Term

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for MFL

Modern Foreign Languages – Summer Term News

Posted on July 19, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

German Spelling Bee

What an exciting term for our German spelling bees!

Our two regional final winners, Poppy and Zoha, went to the Sedgewick Site at Cambridge University on Monday 27^th June to compete in the national final of the ‘Routes into Languages’ German spelling bee.

The day was broken down into two halves. In the morning, they competed in the semi-final. Each student had one minute to translate and then spell as many words as they could using the German alphabet. Both girls did so well and made their families and all of us at PGHS, super proud!

We then had a nervous wait for the grand final. It’s possible that Miss Gelder was the most nervous of all! The grand final then followed the same routine as the semi-final.

Unfortunately, we did not make it into the final four but by Miss Gelder’s count, it was extremely close.

Both girls should be proud of themselves for making it to the final. Out of nearly 20,000 official entrants, our girls finished in the top 29 in the country – an incredible achievement!

Miss Gelder has been truly blown away with the effort and commitment of all competitors. You have been truly amazing and made everyone so proud. We cannot wait to get started with the year 8 Translation Bee in September. Watch this space!

German Penfriend letters

We have had a really successful year with our German partner school, Sickingen Gymnasium by exchanging letters and video calls with them this year. Mrs Gill’s year 8 German class have received some fantastic letters from our friends in Landstuhl and we have returned some amazing letters, telling our friends about our Easter holidays and what we plan to do in the summer holidays. This has not only helped to improve our German but also enabled us to find out interesting information about our German friends, their town and their culture. We look forward to continuing this partnership in 2022/2023.

French- Penfriend letters

Year 8 have been very excited to receive replies to our penpal letters from France. They wrote to us about their school and their timetable, and we have been shocked by the length of their school day, from 8.00am till 4.40 pm! However, we are still a little envious about their longer summer holidays and Wednesday afternoons…

Year 9 received lovely letters from their penpals and some students even sent friendship bracelets. Classes have enjoyed receiving and sending letters this year. This has helped them develop the PGHS core values of empathy and curiosity.

French – Y8 Roleplay Practice

Every year, around 60 students have the opportunity to start learning French in year 8 as an additional foreign language alongside studying German. Year 8 have worked really hard this year and made huge progress in a short amount of time. I am super proud of them. Bravo! Madame Raine ☺

In French, this term, we have been learning to read, write and speak all about different sports and hobbies. We have been covering everything from horse riding to football and then discussing our opinions on them in French. We have also been learning to describe the weather – il pleut beaucoup! We’ve been improving our pronunciation and working on our understanding of masculine and feminine words. I thoroughly enjoy French as it is always a fun and lively class. I love learning about its culture and the day-to-day life of children in France. We all have French penpals that we write to every term – mine is called Naim. Rosie Y

Students have been learning how to form questions in French. They practised their questioning skills to interview celebrities. You may recognise familiar faces…

French – 8p Boules Practice

As part of the Festival of Performance and Arts, 8p have been practising their “Boules” skills. 8p had a good time, but I feel some students may need to work on their techniques!!!

Märchen. The Brothers Grimm. Year 9

We all know and love the stories of Little Red Riding Hood (Rotkäppchen) and Cinderella (Aschenputtel). These stories were originally German folk tales, which were collected and adapted by the Brothers Grimm.

In year 9, we have been making storyboards based on fairy tales or stories which we enjoyed when we were younger.

There is a great deal of linguistic skill involved in writing a story in German. German books are written in the imperfect tense and it is important to master this tense, if we are to read for pleasure in German. We have also tried to keep to the Grimm Brothers’ distinctive style of presentation.

We hope you can work out what the stories are about and that you enjoy Year 9s German versions of some well-loved classics.

Masks. Year 8

For our final module in Year 8 German, we have been exploring different festivals in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. I can certainly say that we have been working hard with the PGHS Core Value of curiosity.

Our studies have taken us from onion festivals in Switzerland to music festivals in Austria, finger wrestling in Bavaria to the World Beard Championships in Hesse.

The festival which caught our imaginations the most, was Fasnacht or Fasching (depending on which part of Germany you live in). It is an opportunity to drive out ‘evil spirits’ with scary masks, costumes, processions and loud music.

Here are some of the masks we made. Can you work out if your daughter is hiding behind a mask?

Mrs Gill

Curriculum Leader for Modern Foreign Languages

Well done to Year 11!

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

We would also like to say a huge well done to all Year 11 students on the completion of their exams. We have been really impressed with their excellent attitude to learning and resilience throughout their last few weeks of school. Although faced with the challenge of lockdown learning and extra-long lessons during Year 10, all students worked incredibly hard. We would like to take the opportunity to wish you all the best, both with your results and whatever you choose to go on to do in September!

Mrs Sweeney

Lead Practitioner of Mathematics

Mysterious Maths Superstars

Posted on July 19, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

A special shout out to Hannah S and Erica C in Year 7 for regularly getting involved in the ‘Mysterious Maths’ puzzles that have appeared on the newsletters this year. Both girls have had to think outside the box to answer some pretty tricky questions at times!

It was a great privilege to present Erica and Hannah with their certificates of excellence earlier this week.

It has been fun compiling the various puzzles and challenges this year and great to see students taking the time to apply their mathematical skills to more unusual problems. I look forward to lots more mysterious maths next year!

Mr McVey

Maths Department

Geography – Summer Term News 2022

Posted on July 19, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Volcano Competition Winners

Further to the article on the Year 9 Volcano Model Competition Winners last time round, the winning trio have been along to the Geography Department to collect their prizes. Well done again to Fatimah Zahra P, Mariya M and Safiyyah M. The winning entry is below. Enjoy the lava lamps, girls!

Where’s Earthy?

Email your answer to g.bowles@penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk. You must be as specific as possible with your answer. Bonus Question! Which two cities does the bridge in the photo link together?

The Geography Libraries

A reminder that the Geography Department have both a small physical and a virtual library that students can access to further read around the subject.

Outside Room 39, students can find books on maps, oceans, travel, mountains and many more. Have a look, find something you fancy and bring the book to Mr Bowles to sign out. New books have been added recently, all related to recent topics of study.

In the SharePoint of their school Office 365 account, students will find the Geography Virtual Library (once in SharePoint, you can search for it).

Here, students will find separate pages for each year group containing suggested reading for those keen and interested Geographers. Clicking on a book cover will give you a sample of the book, usually about 20-30 pages, and if you like it you can track it down on Amazon, second hand on eBay or at your local bookshop.

Have a great break

Remember, you are always a Geographer, both in the classroom and away from it so try to spread your wings a little and see some of our local countryside if you can. If you are going further afield, have fun and be a respectful and interested tourist. Regardless of where you are off to, don’t forget to send us a postcard from your travels. Have a great summer and bon voyage from Mr Bowles, Mr Ward and Mrs Singleton.

(PS – don’t forget to send a postcard to the Geography Department for our collection!)

Mr Bowles,

Curriculum Leader for Geography

English and History London Trip 2022

Posted on July 19, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

On Friday 15^th July, 39 Year 10 students boarded the coach at 6:30am to head to the big city, along with myself (Mrs Snowdon), Mrs McGibbon, Mrs Arrowsmith, Mr Herbert and Mr Bretherton. By late lunchtime we hope to have arrived in Covent Garden, where students (and staff) will indulge in a little bit of shopping, while also being treated to some impressive street theatre. Students will no doubt make the most of their few hours shopping, and return with bags full of goodies. We will then proceed to fill our boots at the Pizza Hut buffet on The Strand, before heading to the West End to watch the dazzling musical & Juliet. Students will then be treated to a late-night drive through the city, to take in all the sights, as we make our way to the hotel.

It will be an early rise the following morning to once again engage in yet another ‘all you can eat buffet’ for breakfast before we head back into the city for a day of culture on the South Bank. Students will enjoy late morning tours of The Globe Theatre (ideal for our Literature Lovers and Historians), learning all about the realities of Elizabethan theatre. Students will then be treated to a phenomenal performance of King Lear by the Royal Shakespeare Company before heading out to soak up the sights of the South Bank.

We will finally arrive home as Saturday night blends into Sunday morning. Many thanks to the staff who helped make this event happen, including those who have accompanied us and those back in school, working tirelessly behind the scenes.

Mrs Deborah Snowdon

Head of English

The English Department’s Recommended Summer Reads

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

STEM Club

Posted on July 19, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

In STEM club this year, year 7 students have been given the opportunity to plan and deliver some exciting sessions for our local feeder primary schools. Students have taken a well-known fairy tale and built an exciting STEM session, which involves primary children solving a problem based on the story. The sessions are intended to teach younger children about STEM and the careers involved. It allows them to work as a team to solve a problem, by designing and creating a prototype.

The students look forward to visiting Cop Lane Primary before the end of the summer term, to deliver their STEM sessions and to inspire and enthuse some younger children about STEM.

Mrs Freer

Textiles / STEM

Textiles Summer Term News 2022

Posted on July 19, 2022July 19, 2022 by Michelle Murray

Year 7 Textiles

Throughout year 7, students have been designing and creating a range of children’s soft toys, based on a well-known ‘childhood adventure’ character. Students were asked to incorporate a smart material into their design, whilst providing some educational element to the product. Over the year, students have produced a range of imaginative ideas, which meet the needs of their chosen client.

Year 8 Textiles

Students have been busy creating their ‘festival’ themed bags. Students have developed a repeated pattern using CAD and then printed the pattern using Dye Sublimation. Throughout the unit, students developed a range of skills, including how to use the sewing machine, how to use CAD in Textiles and how to adapt a pattern based on the needs of the client. Students have produced a range of multi-use bags suitable for someone attending a festival.

Year 9 Textiles

Students in year 9 Textiles, have created a range of ‘upcycled ’decorative cushions, inspired by a well-known artist or designer. Students have explored how the Textile industry effects the environment and how we can promote a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of making and purchasing our clothes. Students re-used old clothes to create a range of original and unique cushions, which meet the needs of the client.

Mrs Freer

Textiles / STEM