Newsletter - October 2002

BIRKDALE NEWS
October 2002

Reunion 2002

I was very pleased that Billy Lamont and his Committee took the brave decision to carry on with the "Old Pupils' Reunion" as planned on Saturday 14th September in spite of the Blackpool Rally being on the same date.

I found the evening spent with all the old pupils present to be a very pleasant, happy and talkative evening. Pupils from way back in 1948, when the present Birkdale School first started, mingled happily with pupils from Mr & Mrs Furness and Miss Clark's era.

Long may this pleasant occasion continue. I for one will be looking forward to 2004 when I hope to spend another very happy evening with my Old Pupils and friends. My sincere thanks to everyone.

Jack Henderson (Ex-staff)

Lakeside Camp

In early July, 13 pupils and 5 members of staff spent a very enjoyable five days at the YMCA Lakeside Activity Centre.

Lakeside camp The weather was good (it only rained during the night) and everybody had a great time. Activities included raft building, gig sailing, abseiling, the climbing wall, an evening cook out and a fantastic walk around Rydal Water. The week concluded with a campfire and a good old sing-song!

Sue Clare (Staff)

Hi And Welcome To New Pupils!

We have three new pupils in school this term. In Year 7, we welcome Nathan Read. And in Year 9, we say hello to Helen Cherry and Zoe Hebden. We hope they will all enjoy their time with us!

There's No Business Like Showbusiness

Last year was another good year with a performance at Southport Arts Centre and excellent exam results.

Six girls from Greenbank, a local comprehensive school, joined Rebecca Charlesworth and Mary Hollywood in GCSE Drama classes. This was very beneficial for all the girls and before long the eight girls had become good friends, especially after a three-day trip to London. All pupils did well at GCSE with 2 As, 4 Bs, 1 D and 1 E - many congratulations!

This year Christopher Maher and Nathan Read in Year 7 have two dance drama lessons a week with Year 7 boys from Birkdale Boys School. This is already proving a great success and we look forward to welcoming the Birkdale boys to perform with Christopher and Nathan in our annual show at the theatre in April 2003 and to join us on theatre trips.

Chris Wright (Staff)

Race Night

A date for your diary. BSHIC Home School Association are presenting a race night on Friday October 18th 2002. 7.30pm start, £1 entry for all adults, bring your own drinks. A great night of fun for all the family!

Garden Fete Raises Over £1,100!

This year's Garden Fete, held in May, raised just over £1,100. It was good to see the crowds that turned up to support this event. The Morris Dancers reported they had an enjoyable day with their competition and a new feature this year was the introduction of junior rugby teams having friendly games.

Here are the results of the raffle draw that took place:

WINNER	PRIZE
Julia Holmes	Harrods hamper
Mrs Wood	Bottle of Lambrusco
Don Holden	Tee-shirts
Gordon Hill	Chocolates
Alisha Hadfold	Blackpool Pleasure Beach tickets
C. Watkinson	Bottle of red wine
Adele Taylor	Bottle of red wine
G. Chambers	Camelot tickets
Mervyn Lucas	Wallet
Beverley Thomas	Picture
John Preston	CD
Mr McLean	Embroidered picture
Christine - R. Lucas	Doll

Peter Munro Staff News

Head of Care Peter Munro is a proud father with his wife Suzanne! They have a little boy, Cameron Dylan, who was born on 17th September at 4.23pm weighing 8lb 13oz. Congratulations to Peter and Suzanne!

Learning Support Assistant Mrs Veronica Cliffe is unwell and off work at the moment. We all wish her a speedy recovery and hope she'll be back with us soon.

We have said farewell to several Care Staff, but welcomed some new members to the team. At school, we said bye to Debbie and Lisa, but hello to Kelly and Linda. Over at BFEDS, Dean and Sharon have left, but Janice and Sarah have taken over. We wish all the best to those who left and hope the newcomers settle in well.

Pat & Janette Congratulations To Pat & Janette!

Well done to Pat Mowat and Janette Gallagher from BFEDS on their graduation in July! Both Pat and Janette have achieved a Master of Arts Degree in Special Educational Needs from John Moores' University in Liverpool.

Industry Days A Great Success!

Present Year 11 pupils had two very successful "Industry Days" last term, one at Southport College where they integrated with mainstream schools. Their behaviour and approach to the tasks was complemented upon by more than one teacher from the other schools.

The other course was organised by a company called "Business Dynamics" who are coming back next year when we will have four mainstream schools joining us.

Carolyn Moore (Staff)

Hear To Help

'Hear to Help' is a support group that meets once a month, usually on a Thursday in the Parents' Room at

school from 7pm. Dates available from myself [phone number provided] or school. It is relaxed and informal, but we cover key issues of parental interest and support for the school alongside the Home School Association.

Jane Leyland (Parent)

Card Creation Workshop

Sometime after half-term, a 'Card Creation Workshop' will be taking place at the school. This event is being organised by the Home School Association and is another initiative in the group's fundraising efforts. If you are interested in learning how to make cards for every occasion and especially for Christmas, please contact school after the half-term holiday to find out when this fundraising activity will take place.

Jeans For Genes

On 4th October, everyone at school was invited to wear their jeans to school and donate £1 to the Genes Fund. Supporting 'Jeans for Genes' enabled us to give a donation to help those born with a genetic disorder.

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