Educake Leaderboard
Science Club
Science club continues to be very popular with our large group of keen year 7 and 8 scientists. These students have been attending every Wednesday lunch time to take part in a wide range of fun and exciting scientific experiments, investigations and challenges. Since the last Science club update, students have created a Chemistree for Christmas time, explored the process of crystallisation by producing salt crystal decorations, investigated different metal ions by carrying out the flame test and used the method of chromatography to make some beautiful chromatography butterflies.
Science club is open to all year 7 and year 8 students. Anyone wanting to attend can just turn up and get involved on Wednesday lunch times at 12:45pm.
Miss Forrest
Science Department
Indicators in Chemistry
Year 8 have been learning about acids and alkalis. Most acid and alkalis are colourless, so as part of this unit they have looked at ways of identifying the pH of an unknown solution.
Initially, we used the classic universal indicator. This is a mixture of chemicals that gives a wide range of colours, from reds and yellows for acids, to deep purple for strong alkali. However, this is not the only indicator that can be used. Before breaking up for half-term we made red cabbage indicator, which is a simple process. When the students returned to school they used the indicator to test for acids and alkalis. Despite the quite intense boiled cabbage smell, the indicator gave us excellent results.
It’s a great bit of practical science that can easily be done at home. Substances such as vinegar, lemonade, bicarbonate of soda, hand soap, bleach and window cleaner will give interesting results.
Method
- Place some chopped red cabbage in a pan and cover with water.
- Heat until the water boils.
- Use a filter or sieve to remove the cabbage leaves.
- Add the red cabbage solution to various liquids and observe the colour change.
Mr Coogan
Science Department
Cell-a-bration
The Science department were extremely impressed with the entries for the model cell competition. The creativity and originality were outstanding. Just when you think there is no other possible way to model a cell, it is achieved! Staff had a difficult time judging an overall winner from the high standard of entries. Well done to all that entered. Your efforts are commended.
Mrs Cahill
Science Department
Empathy Week – Ambition for a better world
This week is Empathy Week 2023, and we are promoting the importance of empathy during assemblies scheduled for every year group. Empathy is strongly linked to our school core values which include social responsibility, compassion, dignity, and resilience. As our world becomes more connected and globalised, navigating it becomes more complex.
Empathy is the skill that underpins connection, trust, safety and hence wellbeing. We want our students to understand those around them, whether they agree with them or not. We hope that this will allow them to build better, more meaningful, and fruitful relationships with those around them.
Last year as a school we participated in a research project with the University of Cambridge to show how the programme can impact on developing the skill of empathy in our students. We also were invited by the Empathy Week team to talk to other schools at the Bett show in London last year.
This year we will be focusing on the story of Bhawana who tells her story of upholding rights, education, and gender equality. She uses her personal ambition to improve not only her own circumstances but also help support the rights of others, showing her ambition for a better world.
This then ties into the assemblies next week which will highlight International Women’s Day and the 2023 theme is EmbraceEquity.
Mrs Hall, Deputy Headteacher
PGHS Stem Festival
We are all excited for the beginning of the annual PGHS STEM festival fortnight beginning on the 27th February. With 75% of the fastest growing careers being STEM related and only 16% of STEM career professionals being female, we aim to produce an extravaganza of events that endeavour to intrigue and inspire our girls to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as a future career path.
Year 7 students will experience the wildlife beneath our oceans on a trip to the “Blue Planet Aquarium” learning about marine biology and the diversity of species within our oceans. They will get the opportunity to meet a professional sports writer within their PE lessons as well as learning about financial matters within their Maths lessons taking on the ‘Natwest MoneySense’ challenge. Later in the academic year, the girls will get to experience the mystery of distance galaxies and constellations with a visit from a mobile planetarium.
Year 8 students will experience a trip to Helmshore Mill to observe how technology has changed and developed since the beginning of the industrial revolution. They will learn about music therapy with a visit from a practicing music therapist, get the opportunity to meet a professional sports writer within their PE lessons, and take part in the Faraday challenge, researching, designing and making a prototype to real world engineering challenges. The year 8 girls will also get the opportunity to learn about the hydrology and ecology of our local waterway on a Geography trip to the River Ribble.
Year 9 students will be taking a Geography trip to look at the coastal defences at Fleetwood. They will learn about fraud investigation and try out escape room scenarios during their Maths lessons. They will also have the opportunity to learn about a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates from Safari Phil’s Animal Adventures. The girls will get the opportunity to meet a professional sports writer within their PE lessons, as well as taking part in a fashion design workshop run by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
Year 10 and 11 students will have the opportunity to meet with professionals working within a wide range of STEM related industries during our STEM careers carousel, learning more about the opportunities STEM provides. Our STEM ambassadors are kindly giving up their time to give advice about working within STEM and different career paths within STEM industries. Some of Year 10 and 11 students will take part in a virtual Bletchley Park visit, as well as Computer Science workshops.
All year groups will get the opportunity to outwit their teachers in a STEM based version of the popular TV quiz show, The Chase! The girls will also be encouraged to dress in denim to raise funds for charities supporting research into genetic disorders when we host our “Jeans for Genes” day.
Mr Knee, Science Department
Extra-Curricular Activities
We have been so impressed recently at the level of participation at our school clubs! We would like to thank all the girls who have attended our clubs recently and regularly since the beginning of this academic year. There are a few changes to the extra-curricular programme for after half term.
Mrs Naylor
Curriculum Leader for Performance, Sports and Health
South Ribble Gymnastics Competition
Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 PGHS gymnastics team who successfully achieved 9 medals altogether in floor and vault at the South Ribble Gymnastics Competition on Thursday 2nd February at Worden Academy. Well done, girls! Amazing performances both in floor work and vault!
Year 7 Novice Team: Darcey W, Lily H, Maddie N, Hanna H and Isabella N.
Year 7 Advanced Team: Jenya Z and Eva P
Year 8 Novice Team: Pixie H, Jemima D, Kieonie B and Amber S
Year 8 Advanced: Molly H and Chloe A
Team medallists were:
Jenya Z- Gold Medal in floor and Gold Medal in vault.
Darcey W- Bronze Medal in vault and Gold in floor
Molly A – Silver Medal in vault and Bronze Medal in floor
Kieonie B- Gold Medal in vault and Gold Medal in floor
Pixie H- Bronze Medal in vault
Miss Shahi
PE Department
Arts Award Bronze
Four classes have now completed the Arts Award Bronze as part of our ‘Essential Knowledge’ offer. Students completing this award have developed their skills on the ukulele, had the opportunity to share an arts experience with their peers and to be the teacher sharing their specialist arts skills. We await a moderator in mid-March who will have a fantastic time seeing all the hard work the students have done! You can see a small selection of the work completed by the students below. We hope you enjoy!
Mrs Cattanach
Associate Assistant Headteacher and Curriculum Leader for Music
Music Tuition
Music lessons are always available here at PGHS and it is never too late to sign up to a new challenge! Music Tuition at PGHS is available for brass, woodwind, string, drum kit, voice, guitar, piano and keyboard. Lessons are £72 per term, with 32 lessons in a school year. If your daughter would like to sign up for tuition, then please click on the following link for more information and the sign-up form: https://www.penworthamgirls.lancs.sch.uk/curriculum-information/music2/music-tuition/
Mrs Cattanach
Associate Assistant Headteacher and Curriculum Leader for Music
