Wavelength Magazine Cover Design

Graphic Design students in Year 10 have recently been trying to adapt their classroom skills to fulfil a design brief set by popular UK surf magazine 'Wavelength'. Students analysed existing trends within back issues of the magazine and took note of the key signature styles and formats. The group of young graphic designers then developed their skills using Photoshop and Illustrator to create their own version of the magazine's next front cover. These were then sent to the Chief Editor of Wavelength Greg Martin who with the help of his team judged the students’ efforts.

Mr Martin gave brilliant feedback for all the entries and decided that the winner was Tara Twine! Mr Martin commented "I just really like the simplicity of this one. The cover lines are straightforward, yet informative, so I think people would actually want to pick this cover up. The shot is a great one and what I like most is that Tara has resisted putting the surfer right in the middle, which would have ruined this cover. Instead, we have good composition and the side of the wave that the surfer has travelled from, so we have a story in the shot. The two cover lines then balance this perfectly. Congratulations! This is our winner."

Tara's teacher and Head of Design and Technology Mr Pete Keegan says “Tara did a great job here, she really applied her graphic design skills and her interest in surfing seemed to give her a great awareness of the cover's composition. This link was one of many that we have formed over the last year, all aiming to enrich the curriculum for our students and show them the world outside of the classroom, giving context to the skills they learn."

Tara has won a year's subscription to Wavelength Magazine. She was delighted and commented "it's really cool! It was a really fun task to do and it’s a bonus to get a year’s subscription to one of my favourite mags from it!". Tara and her group are really progressing with their skills and seem to be enjoying a work-related curriculum in Design and Technology.

Year 10 Graphic Design

Graphic Design students in Year 10 recently took part in an exciting national competition run by ProSkills. The design brief was to create a promotional graphic product to raise awareness of Fairtrade in supermarkets.

We are pleased to announce that Emily Spry 10G has been selected as a finalist from thousands of contestants around the UK! Emily will now go up to an award ceremony in London to see how she performs in a shortlist of Britain's elite young designers.

Emily's teacher and Head of Design Technology Mr Pete Keegan comments: "Emily has been identified as one of Design and Technologies Able, Gifted and Talented students since Year 7. Since then she has gone on to win Product Design's 'Bling of Brilliance' in Year 9 and has really pushed her ability and flair as a graphic designer during the first year of her GCSE. Her work pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved by a GCSE student and inspires her peers".

Emily is soon going to embark on a week of exciting work experience where she will be working alongside successful local graphic design company 'inthetreehouse.co.uk'. Emily comments: “I’m really pleased that my work has been recognised and I can’t wait for the final in London"

Mr Pete Keegan

Community Champions Scheme

Could you help a child to improve their reading skills? If the answer is Yes, please read on. Tavistock College is appealing for members of the community who would be willing to become Community Literacy Champions at the College. We are seeking skilled volunteers who would be willing to come into College on a regular basis to help improve the reading skills of students in Years 7 and 8.

The College will provide training and support for any volunteers. Those putting themselves forward will also require a CRB check, which the College will provide. We also hope that some of the volunteers may also be able to support parents and carers. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children’s learning.

If you have a few hours a week to spare in term time please contact Angela Thomas at the College – Tel 01822 614231 or email a.thomas@tavistockcollege.devon.sch.uk. There will be training for volunteers and the scheme will begin in October 2012. Initially it will focus on students with reading ages of 9/10. With your help the reading ages of these students can be improved dramatically so they can make the most of their education. Hilary Clinton wrote ‘it takes a whole community to educate a child’. We hope to harness the skills of this community so that all our students can succeed and no child gets left behind. All children deserve the wonderful experience that the world of books can open to them.

We are also hoping that a local company may want to come forward to sponsor this programme

Year 10 Rounders Report

Match One - Tavistock College 1 1/2 v Liskeard 2 1/2
The Year 10 Tavistock College Rounders team had their first match against Liskeard at Liskeard. Unfortunately, the team did not play to their full potential as this was the first time they had played and as a result of this they lost but only by a rounder!

Match 2 - Tavistock College 6 v Callington 1 1/2
In their second match this time against Callington the team played much better: the girls started to back each other up and fielding and batting were much tighter. During the batting we had a casualty: one of the Callington players accidently collided with Lucy (10BA) which resulted in her having a squashed arm! Although Lucy sat out for 10 minutes she refused to miss out on any more of the game!

Match 3 - Tavistock College 5 v Looe 4 1/2
The last game was against Looe. The team were very nervous as they felt that they could never beat Looe. In fact, the Looe team got half the team out very quickly and we were down to 4 players with 10 good balls left. Nevertheless, Tavistock held it together with some great teamwork and we managed to WIN!

Well done girls!

Mrs Rhona Doyle

GCSE Citizenship Project Promotes Local Events

As part of our Citizenship studies GCSE project we had to take informed and responsible action to find out about the facilities for young people, publicise them and take action to improve one of them.

So we found out about the facilities available to young people in the Tavistock area and decided that some of us would promote the Son Rise Cup and others would promote the Tavistock Youth Café Plus. We produced some posters to promote the cause and made sure they were colourful and informative.

We chose to promote the Son Rise Cup (which took place at the Tavistock Football Club, Crowndale Road on the 19th and 20th of May) because it raises money and awareness for people with autism. Mrs Cathy Sharp took our posters to Rob Rich, Chairman of the Son Rise Cup Committee of the shop ‘I Love Candy’ where he judged the best poster and gave the winners a prize.

We decided to promote the Youth Café Plus as well because they are a group that gives children with disabilities the chance to make friends and have some fun and play games. We felt if was important to promote their group and show what great work they do.

We learnt a lot from this project and would like to thank Mrs Cathy Sharp for her support and to thank Rob Rich. We enjoyed this project a lot from researching the Youth Café Plus and Son Rise Cup to creating the posters and seeing the final designs.

Dan (11T), Dan Hamill, Luke Shalgosky, Tom Wright, Rob Bone, Peter Bradley

Product of the Year 2012

The Design and Technology Department at Tavistock College are passionate about giving their students the best possible future in a world where technology influences almost everything that we do.

The DT team were delighted to host the first Product of the Year competition this May where many of the successes of the past year were celebrated in an evening of inspiration and pride. Around 300 parents and members of the community attended this high profile event and 70 students exhibited a wide range of their beautiful work. Products ranged from contemporary furniture through to spectacular fashion pieces, delicious food products and graphic design.

After a welcome and introduction by Head of Design and Technology Mr Pete Keegan the voting opened. Within the exhibition there were nine separate categories and all who attended were encouraged to vote for their favourite within each category. For many this proved to be a real challenge as the quality of all the work within the exhibition was so high. Over two hundred voting cards were cast over the hour while students stood with their work and demonstrated it eagerly to the public.

The pride shown by the students was absolutely heart warming and the atmosphere of success and celebration spread grins far and wide. Six of the College's Year 7 Able, Gifted and Talented students were on hand to demonstrate some fantastic new technologies and our visitors were able to have a go at Computer Aided Design and Augmented Reality. This was extremely popular and enhanced the enjoyment during the event.

Molly Bolding, one of the Year 7 A G&T helpers commented "I thought it was a great insight into the sorts of things that can be done here at the College and is something I am inspired by. I look forward to exhibiting my work here when I am older"

The evening concluded with an award ceremony, with students winning trophies as well as prizes which were generously donated by local businesses. Presenting the awards were College Principal Mrs Helen Salmon and Chair of Governors Mrs Alison Malcolm.

Winners:

• Best KS5 Product Design: James Eggins with his spectacular Bass Guitar
• Best KS5 Food Product: Abbie Ball with a chocolate and orange fondant with raspberry coulis
• Best KS4 Food Product: Kieran Alder who made a mango and white chocolate fair-trade cheesecake
• Best KS5 Textiles and Fashion Product: Zoe Spry with her incredibly intricate dress enhanced by a laser cutter
• Best KS4 Textiles and Fashion Product: Hazel Bishop with her asymmetric sleeved dress
• Best Y10 Resistant Materials: Guy Williams who created a beautifully crafted wooden box
• Best Y11 Resistant Materials: Luke Samson-Hill and his Lovegrove-influenced contemporary cabinet
• Best KS4 Graphic Product: Lloyd Salisbury who designed a Jujitsu themed charity money collection box
• Best KS3 Product: Millie Kelly whose road safety self illuminating bag adornment was recognised as a brilliant idea.

Voters were also asked to vote for their favourite in the whole exhibition and Lloyd Salisbury was delighted and shocked to hear his name called out to receive this most prestigious award. Lloyd commented "I was really shocked when my name was announced. I couldn't believe all those people voted for me, I was really pleased"

The DT Department has had a very exciting year with students of all ages taking opportunities to engage with the real world of design. Technology students have taken part in a wide variety of schemes of learning which see them working alongside local, national and international businesses and organisations. Students have been able to contextualise their learning whether through visits to local industry, young enterprise schemes or through meeting professionals such as architects, chefs, graphic designers and fashion designers. The drive to link learning to real life has started to bare fruits with students showing great interest and enthusiasm for the subject. Uptake for Product Design at AS and A Level is three times what it was only a few years ago allowing for three classes. Students are now starting to create products which would impress at degree level.

During a recent 'Challenge Partners' inspection the Department's successes were recognised when 'Technology' was confirmed as an 'Area of excellence' within the College. The team are currently working hard adapting the curriculum offer to the current needs and wants of the students and to the ever-changing world we live in. The introduction this year of a BTEC in fashion will bring new vocational opportunities to a large cohort of fashion lovers. This will hopefully follow the success of the now established BTEC in Construction which is providing students with a vocational route towards a trade which suits them.

Product of the Year was a real success and those who exhibited, helped with the running or attended were left feeling proud and inspired. We would like to give special thanks to the following businesses who kindly and generously donated the prizes: Towls of Tavistock, The Technology Company, Chef Peter Gorton, Brigid Foley, Encore, Todds, WH Smith, Dartmoor Cycles and Hazard.

View photos from the event

Mr Pete Keegan

Dance Leaders Level 1 Award

On Wednesday 2nd and Friday 4th May 25 Year 11 Tavistock College Dance Leaders planned and delivered a primary dance workshop. Over 70 Tavistock College Primary School children had the opportunity to watch a dance performance and then take part in a dance workshop led by the Year 11 Dance Leaders. The Dance Leaders were given free rein to plan from beginning to end their own workshop which involved them choreographing their own dance and performing then leading a 40 minute dance workshop.

The Leaders started the Dance Leaders Level 1 award in October this year and have been developing their leadership skill over the year. They have previously planned and led 3 Year 7 workshops which provided them with invaluable experience and helped them develop the skills required to deliver the primary workshops.

The workshops were a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by all. This is the first time the College has run the Dance Leaders Course and all the Year 11 students involved rose to the challenge. The PE Department is so proud of each and every one of you!

Mrs Rhona Doyle and Mrs Kath Powell.

Year 11 Rounders Report

On Tuesday 8th May the Year 11 Tavistock College Rounders team went to Liskeard for the first East Cornwall League fixture.

We got off to a ‘rusty’ start in our first game against Looe. However once we got into the game we worked well together as a team and hit some got shots. After the first innings Looe had 5 rounders and Tavistock only had four and a half! It was a very close game but Annabel Longden managed to get half a rounder on the last ball to win the game!

Final score Tavistock College 8 1/2 - Looe 8

The start of our second game against Liskeard was better and after a few changes we were positioned well. One of the Liskeard girls was exceptionally good at batting and fielding but our batting was matching hers. After the first innings the score was Tavistock 7 and a half and Liskeard 6. At the end of another close game with some really good hitting and playing it safe, we managed to secure another win.

Final score Tavistock College 12 1/2 - Liskeard 8

Well done girls for two great games!
Mrs Rhona Doyle

Golf Championship Success

Michael Henderson 12BP, William Stenhouse 11GA and Kieran Alder 11BA all took part in the Devon Schools Golf Championships at Staddon Heights on Tuesday 8 May. With the exception of a couple of heavy rain showers, the weather was kind to the Championships and the delightful setting, overlooking Plymouth Sound, encouraged good golf.

There were around 15 to 20 teams taking part and a number of individuals, representing a good sample of schools from across the county. Tavistock, as a team, finished about 11th in the accumulated score, but this does not reflect how well the boys actually played. The handicapping system in golf seems to favour the less able players in this type of competition.

In the individual scoring, the College had two of its three players in the top nine: Michael finished =6th and William 9th. Kieran’s result was certainly not a disaster although a wrist injury prevented him from playing to his usual good standard. The result of this means that Michael has been selected to play in the Devon Schools Team in the South West Schools Championships at Bristol and Clifton Golf Club on 29th -30th May. William just missed out on selection this time and is first reserve for the team.

Congratulations to the boys!

DYJO Jazz Concert

On the evening of Friday 27th April, students, friends and families of the College and the wider learning community were treated to an evening of fine jazz music performed by the amazing Devon Youth Jazz Orchestra.

During the afternoon students from local primary schools, Tavistock Music Academy and our College Jazz Band all took part in Jazz Workshops led by the DYJO ambassadors in the main hall.

The highlight of the evening was when all of the students that had been involved in the workshops throughout the day joined DYJO on stage for a “C Jam Blues”. During the performance many students, some as young as Year 3, performed improvised solos for the first time!

“This was an extremely rare opportunity for musicians from the learning community to perform alongside such a high calibre ensemble. Many students are now aspiring to one day be a member of DYJO themselves,” reports Sarah Pappin, Head of Music.

Major Success at National Speaking Competition

Tavistock College have been declared the national runners up for the intermediate section in the prestigious Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition. The final of this public speaking competition was held at Glyndwr University, Wrexham, in Wales, and there were seven finalists that had been whittled down from the hundreds of schools that entered the competition.

At the final, the Intermediate team of Freya Chambers (Speaker) Marianne Quinn (Chair) and Millie Kelly (Proposer of the Vote of Thanks) were supported by parents, members of other teams who had themselves reached the District Final, teachers including the Principal and Vice Principal, and the President of Tavistock Rotary Club.

The girls spoke about "Superheroes - the true villains?" Their speech amusingly debated whether or not superheroes are valid role models for children and looked at the history of superheroes, their possible connections with political ideologies and their means of resolving problems (by violence, rather than negotiation and compromise). There were, of course, appropriate references to underpants being worn outside trousers!

Principal Helen Salmon commented that she felt so proud to see their triumph in Wrexham. To be able to speak with such poise and authority at 14 years old is impressive and these three girls will go far.

Rotary Club President Clive Fairchild said he had really enjoyed seeing the team develop to the point where they had delivered an almost faultless performance that both engaged and amused the audience. He said it was very satisfying to be involved in a competition that shows the capabilities of young people today. All the entrants to the Youth Speaks competition had developed skills that would be with them for the rest of their lives.

The College will continue to enter this excellent competition and are grateful for the support of Tavistock Rotary Club, Rotarian Russell Woolcock and his wife Fay, and President Clive Fairchild.

Master Classes Take Off

This year the College has introduced The Aspire Programme. The purpose of this programme is to encourage our students to aim high and progress to the top Universities in the country. As part of this Programme, we have been running a series of very effective Master Classes.

These have included:

• Master Classes from current Plymouth University students on Marine Biology and conservation
• Local MP Geoffrey Cox talking about law
• Peninsula Medical School students delivering an interactive session on careers within medicine and surgery
• Astrophysicist Paul Anthony Wilson on astronomy and research into exoplanets
• A session on professional journalism by Mr C Elder

We still have two more confirmed sessions which will be on careers within historical research, delivered by an Exeter University History lecturer, and a session on Psychology, which will be delivered by a group of current PhD students from Exeter.

We are appealing to any experts in fields which may be of interest to our young people to contact the College via email on l.gallie@tavistockcollege.devon.sch.uk or by telephone on 01822 614231 and asking for the Sixth Form Office. We are actively looking for a few more Master Class sessions to take place in late June and July, particularly within veterinary medicine, business management and architecture/design, although any other careers/subjects would be very welcome too!

Principal Helen Salmon commented “the Programme of Master Classes is giving students an insight into a range of fascinating careers and further fields of study. They have learnt so much from this. We are lucky to have so many experts in our community.”

Lucia Gallie, Assistant Principal stated “I have been totally blown away by the fantastic standard and quality of the sessions our guest speakers have delivered. They have been so inspirational, and have given our students a wonderful insight into a diverse range of careers and life opportunities. I would like to thank them for their time and efforts, and for making such a valuable contribution to the school community."

Sills’ Sailing Success

Saskia has again scooped gold and glory for her country after being crowned Royal Yachting Association Volvo Youth National Champion 2012. Close on her tail was her twin Imogen Sills taking bronze.

Saskia won the title of National Youth Champion after four days of adrenaline-charged racing in Cardigan Bay, North Wales. As a result of this Saskia has been selected to be part of the Great Britain team competing in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, at the Youth Sailing World Championships in July.

Saskia, who carved out victory at her first RYA Volvo Youth National Championships with an impressive and consistent set of scores will be the youngest member of the British team. Immediately after her win, Saskia said: “It’s my first time racing here in Pwllheli and my first RYA Volvo Youth National Championships so it feels amazing to have won.” Saskia continued: “I didn’t really come to win, I came to gain experience for next year's event so I can’t quite believe it! The week’s been pretty cold but the sailing conditions have been great; I like any wind to race although I did find Tuesday a little bit too windy!”

“Dublin is going to be a great experience for me and my future windsurfing career,” concluded the 2011 U17 Techno World Champion.

Saskia and Imogen, who sails at Roadford Lake Sailing Club, said it had been a fantastic experience.

Saskia said she was looking forward to the competition in July, widely regarded as the 'Youth Olympics' of sailing which have launched the careers of the likes of former Truro School pupil Ben Ainslie.

"To be following in their footsteps is incredible and hopefully one day I will go on to compete at an Olympic Games myself," she said.

Saskia and Imogen have approached the College looking for support, as windsurfing has been removed from the 2016 Olympics which they are targeted for. As you can imagine the girls are feeling extremely frustrated by this decision.

Please show your support by signing a petition to appeal against this decision. The chairman of RSX association world wide windsurfing is trying to collect 100 000 signatures so they can take their cause further. Could you please find the time to sign up and hopefully help these exceptionally talented young ladies reach their dream

Thank you for you support
Rhona Doyle

Paris Sports Tour 2012

During Easter 36 pupils were accompanied by 4 members of staff to the French capital of Paris for the annual Sport Tour. The tour combined both sporting, cultural and recreational activities to provide the pupils of Tavistock College with an experience they would never forget.

I would like to start by thanking the following members of staff for giving up their time to help ensure the success of the tour: Mr Deves, Mr Ruse, Mr Bird and finally Aaron Northmore. I would also like to thank the coach driver Andrew for his contribution to the tour and Caroline whose expertise as our tour representative meant the tour was fantastic from start to finish.

One final thanks needs to go to the Morrison’s supermarket in Tavistock. Prior to the Sports Tour the students took part in fundraising in the form of bag packing and due to the generosity of the local Tavistock community, £1500 was raised for the purchase of the touring Sports playing kits. This kit gave the students real pride in representing the College and now forms a true memento of their trip.

The touring squads were:

 Day 1 - Highlights

The tour started in the early hours of Saturday morning with the long journey ahead. A with the first day spent travelling; there was a real sense of excitement and anticipation. Late that evening we arrived at the hotel which had everything needed for the pupils.

Day 2 - Highlights

Guided sightseeing tour Paris – Pupils were give a combined coach and walking tour of the major tourist sites with time to take the customary pictures. There was also time for the pupils to wander up the Champs Elysees and explore theMontmartre area to experience what it is like to be a Parisian.

Football match V’s Emerainville FC – The first tour game was set the standard in terms of quality of skill, teamwork and gamesmanship. The final score was 4-4 and although a draw, The football squad were deserving of the win as they went ahead each time, only with conceding the equaliser. The scorers: Harry Williams, Josh Towl, Nathan Panter and Sam Horn. Finally with his goal and better still excellent defensive performance, Harry Williams was awarded Man of the match.

Day 3– Highlights

Stadium Tour of Stade de France –The Tour of the national stadium allowed behind the scenes access to the players dressing rooms and pitch side via the players tunnel.

Rugby Tournament - Group matches –As part of an international rugby tournament the Rugby squad played 3 matches to decide if they would progress to either the cup or plate competition on the second day. The squad was successful in winning 2 games and narrowly losing the 3rd so placed them in the cup competition. The match results and points scorers are as follows:

• Tavistock 54 - 0 Gent (Belgium)
  Trys: Jacob (2), Cameron McGurk (2), Adam, Will, Luke Northmore and Charlie Charlton. Conversions: Rhys Hughes (3) and Luke Northmore (4)
• Tavistock 0 – 15 Albany Creek (Australia)
• Tavistock 40 – 0 WinsfordAcademy (England)
  Trys: Luke Northmore (2), Cameron McGurk, Jacob, Jonny Cole and Harry
  Conversions: Rhys Hughes (3)

Evening swim – Later that evening, both squads were taken to the local swimming pool for some time to recharge. Although there was more splashing and use of the water slide rather than actual swimming, the pupils had a great time.

Day 4– Highlights

Day at Disneyland – The pupils were give free range of both parks for the day and with this the pupils made the most of their time with ‘Space Mountain’ being most memorable.

Football match V’s Pontault-Combault FC – The second and final football match of the tour was another close game and another draw 3-3. The scorers: Nathan Panter, Josh Towl, and Jack Dodge. Finally with their overall performance and leadership of the team, both Josh Towl and Benji Samuel were awarded Man of the match. Congratulations and a special mention to their coach on tour, Aaron Northmore for his guidance and installing a real team spirit.

Day 5 – Highlights

Bateau Mouche Seine River Cruise–The pupils started the day with a relaxing cruise on the river through the heart of Paris so to take in more of the major monuments from a different perspective.

Rugby tournament – Knock out cup – After qualifying for the cup competition, Tavistock were tipped for success but knew that they would have to play and beat the Australian team to be crowned champions. With a tremendous effort and applying constant pressure Tavisock were beaten finalist and received the runners up cup and the commendations from the Australians who felt that Tavistock were the hardest challenge they have faced during their time at various tournaments this year.

• Semi-Final: Tavistock 21-5 Lagny (France)
  Trys: William, Adam and Cameron McGurk
  Conversions: Ryys Hughes (3)
• Final: Tavistock 0 – 19 Albany Creek (Australia)

Rugby presentation dinner –The final instalment of the tour was an evening meal back at Disneyland which was arranged by the tour company ‘Sports Experiences’. After the meal, the presentation took place with professional rugby players attending to award Tavistock with the runners up cup. Congratulations and with a special mention to their coach on tour, Mr Deves for his guidance and instilling a real team spirit.

Day 6 - Highlights

The final day was a chance to reflect on great performances and experiences alike with the journey home reaching Tavistock late in the night. The pupils now have their photos and DVD video to look back on and remember their achievements. All the pupils represented the college with pride and behaviour on and off the field was exemplary with both squads supporting the other on the side lines. It was a pleasure to take such a fantastic group of pupils and witnesses the best results from Tavistock College teams whilst on tour. The task now starts again with the planning of next year Sports Tour.

Read more and view photos from the tour on our Facebook page

Mr Corkell (Tour party leader).

An Evening of Dance

On Wednesday 28th March over 50 talented pupils performed in 'SHOWCASE: An Evening of Dance' held in the College Hall. This involved GCSE dancers who performed their examination pieces, BTEC Dancers who choreographed their own dances in Jazz, Freestyle and Contemporary and also performed as part of their examination. The Breakdance Boys performed work they had done with Professional Breakdancer 'Matt Macklin' and lastly KS3 Fusion Dance Club also performed a group dance and a number of smaller dancers choreographed by themselves.

The evening was a great success and due to Jacob Earley questioning whether Miss Giles could dance, the show ended with an improvised solo from her! Thank you to all the talented students who performed. The department is so proud of each and every one of you and can not wait to put on more performances. Thank you to the staff and parents who supported Performance Studies at Tavistock College.