ISSUE NUMBER 20

- Spring Term 2015

Although it has been a very short half-term, it has been very busy with your

children representing the school in a range of activities in the local and wider

community. These activities have included residential trips to Ullswater

Outward Bound and Bendrigg Lodge as well as France and Spain, football

tournaments, swimming galas, music concerts and work experience

placements. In all of these activities your sons and daughters have been

excellent ambassadors for the school. We are proud of each and every one of

them.

The work on the new Heysham By-pass continues to disrupt the traffic on

Morecambe Road, often making it difficult to enter or leave the school

grounds. In the longer term however, we will benefit from these

improvements. Planning permission has recently been passed to change the

school entrance and the road system within the school grounds. When the

work is completed later this year, we will be able to manage the traffic

differently into and out of school. The new lay out within the school will also

become a learning resource, as it will mirror the cycle paths and roads in and

around Lancaster and Morecambe, which will enable us to teach our pupils

how to use the public roads and cycle ways in a safe environment.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all the parents and carers for your

support and wish you all a very enjoyable Easter Break.

P. Edmondson, Headteacher

Morecambe Road School

Morecambe Road

Morecambe, LA3 3AB

Telephone : 01524 414384

Lancashire Parent Carer Forum The aim of this group is to provide a county forum which will focus upon the particular concerns

and issues affecting parent carers, who provide unpaid care for children with a disability. This is to

enable their views and concerns to be taken forward within the Directorate for Children and Young

People and other appropriate organisations, particularly in relation to the short breaks from caring

agenda.

Two representatives from each of the local parent carer forums are invited to participate. The chair

and deputy chair of the forum are parent carers.

Local parent carer forums

The local forums are for Lancashire families who have a child aged up to 25 years with a disability

or additional need. The forums allow families to provide regular feedback about their views and

how these may shape future service delivery.

To become part of this service please contact the FIND Service

Tel: 01772 532 509

Emai: FIND@lancashire.gov.uk

What can your forum do for you?

• Share experiences

• Have your voice heard

• Receive updates

• Look for solutions

• Discuss your views and concerns

• Make links with other services

• Information sharing

• Develop your skills and knowledge

There are twelve parent carers forums across Lancashire, one in each district. You can attend

any of the local forums. There are regular meetings and information is shared electronically.

Membership of the local forum is flexible and parents may attend as and when they wish. These

meetings are facilitated by child and family support liaison officers.

Contacts

Inclusion and Disability Support Service (IDSS) Child and Family Support

Tel: 01772 532 509

Email: find@lancashire.gov.uk

Like our facebook page:

www.facebook.com/lancashireparentcarerforum

Howtown Outward Bound Y10 and Y11

2nd – 6th February 2015 Twelve Keystage 4 pupils have recently enjoyed a week of “Adventure and

Challenge” at Howtown Outward Bound, Ullswater. Supported by Jim Townley,

Sandra Bateson and Ian Moorhouse, the group took part in a variety of outdoor

pursuits in some very good if chilly weather.

We set off on Monday morning, breaking our journey by stopping for lunch at

Rheged and then travelled on to Howtown. There we met our Tutors, Gary and

Rosie. After sorting out our rooms, we tackled the balance board and the assault

wall. After tea, we canoed on Ullswater in the dark. It was nearly full moon so

there was plenty to see.

On Tuesday after breakfast we went for a walk up Halin Fell. The path was

slippery as it had snowed in the previous week and it had then melted and

refrozen. After many slips and slides we reached the top where we had lunch.

There were very beautiful views of the north east Lakeland fells from the top.

We then had to support each other for the tricky decent back to the lake. After

tea we tackled the obstacle course.

Wednesday was expedition day. In the morning we packed and prepared for our

expedition and then set of in canoes for a tour of the lake. We stopped for lunch

in Sharrow Bay (the bay not the hotel). Then after lunch we canoed across the

lake to Halsteads, the other Outward Bound centre on Ullswater. The lake was

very calm and the sky was sunny and bright. After we had landed on the shore,

we collected wood for a fire and before orienteering in the grounds. We cooked

our evening meal on Trangias in the open and then after some more orienteering,

we lit the camp fire and toasted marshmallows. We then spent the night camping

out in yurts.

On Thursday we cooked our breakfast and then climbed a tree and then abseiled

down. We also climbed a telegraph pole and jumped onto a trapeze. After lunch we

rowed a Whaler boat back across the lake to Howtown. We cleaned our kit and

after tea explored the nightline, an obstacle course that we experienced wearing

blindfold.

On Friday, we tidied our rooms, then cleaned and returned the kit we had

borrowed. We then went in the tunnels which are artificial potholes. After lunch

it was time to return to school. We were all looking forward to our own beds and

seeing our families again.

A big thank you to all the people who supported us at Howtown, especially, Pete

the Chef; Gary and Rosie.

Bendrigg Lodge Residential 2015

During the first week of March Year 9 pupils went on a residential trip to

Bendrigg Lodge in Cumbria. The week was split into two to enable each of the

classes to spend two nights at the outward bound centre. Class 9i went first

starting their adventure with the exciting drive up to Kendal through the snow!

The snow meant that the group couldn’t canoe as planned, but instead

enjoyed making some crafts and having fun in the indoor caves, enjoying the

realistic colours and textures.

After a delicious dinner 9i enjoyed a night walk and making their own pizzas in

a traditional stone oven al fresco! The next morning they awoke early to face

the Bendrigg climbing wall. All of the pupils gave it their best shot some even

overcoming their fear of heights by climbing up and abseiling down.

Finally, the pupils tried their hand at archery completing a fun filled couple of

days. 9ii arrived at lunchtime on Wednesday and both groups enjoyed lunch

together. 9i shared their experiences and raised the excitement levels for 9ii

who then started out canoeing on Lancaster Canal. They even enjoyed a hot

chocolate and biscuit at a well-earned rest. After paddling back, 9ii tucked into

a hot dinner before preparing themselves for a night trek and activities in the

dark, ending with funny stories and singing in the tepee around a fire!

The next morning 9ii also enjoyed the climbing wall as well as abseiling and

really overcame their fears. Later 9ii felt the rush of adrenaline on the zipwire

and laughed away on the big swing, followed by some chill out time in the

sensory room.

After another hearty dinner the pupils took up the archery challenge before a

well-earned sleep!

A big thank you to Mr Davies, Tamsin, Jo G,

Carley, Kath, Gillian and Paul W for their time

and for making it such a memorable experience

for all.

By Miss V Hinchcliffe

FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY

BATTLEFIELD TOUR

On Sunday 15 March we had the opportunity to take two pupils on the Government sponsored First

World War Centenary Battlefield Tour in Belgium and France. The trip lasted four days and involved

pupils and staff from a number of local secondary schools including Carnforth High School, Our Lady’s

School and Dallam School. The days were long and full with visits to a number of battlefields, museums

and cemeteries from Ypres to the Somme, including Tyne Cot Cemetery, Thiepval, the German cemetery

at Langemarck and Passchendaele.

The Thiepval Memorial to the

Missing

Newfoundland Memorial Park

At Beaumont Hamel

The grave of

Captain

Robertson

from the

Queen’s Tank

Corps, who

won a Victoria

Cross for

Valour

Langemarck German Cemetery

It was an excellent trip and one our pupils will remember for a very long time

The Battlefields Tour Group

The photograph held by Theresa was taken on

the 1st

July 1916 on the first day of the Battle of

the Somme, just before 7.30am. Theresa is

standing where the photograph was taken,

which was in the middle of ‘no man’s land in the

sunken road’, which was part of the battle of

Hawthorn Ridge.

Music & Performing Arts Fun at the Festival!

Our KS2 singers did Morecambe Road School proud ‘stealing the show’

at the Lancaster Music & Performing Arts Festival! All their hard work

paid off as they sang out beautifully, remembering their words and

actions and helping each other to remember which props and

instruments to use for each song. It really was a privilege to work on

this project with them so a massive thank-you to all the parents who

have supported their children in taking part once again!

BBC 10 Pieces Project This project is well underway with pupils from Class 5 currently learning

to play an arrangement of ‘In The Hall of The Mountain King’ by Grieg (it’s

that one used in the Alton Towers

advert!). Next term we look

forward to learning the

contemporary body percussion

piece ‘Connect It’ by Anna Meredith

– ready to perform with lots of

other schools in a big

concert at Preston Town

Hall on the 1st

July-watch this space!

Last 3 Spaces for Summer Term Music Tuition

Instrument Spaces Left

Keyboard 0

Guitar 0

Trumpet 3

Drums 0

I have the following music

tuition spaces available for the

summer term. It is just

£3.98/lesson and the

instruments are loaned free of

charge so why not encourage

your child to give it a go and see

the wonderful benefits that

learning to play a musical

instrument can bring!

French Coffee MorningFrench Coffee MorningFrench Coffee MorningFrench Coffee Morning on Wednesday 11 Februaryon Wednesday 11 Februaryon Wednesday 11 Februaryon Wednesday 11 February

KS2 classes 3 and 4 and KS3 class 7i did a fantastic job, singing clearly

in well-rehearsed French, to open our biggest French Café event yet!

Year 8 and 9 pupils prepared and served a variety of tasty French treats.

Surprisingly, they ate some, too!

"Miam! Miam! Délicieux!!" Ready and waiting!

Queuing and hungry!

"Fantastique!"

Many thanks to all the parents who took time to attend and to the staff

and pupils from classes in both KS2 and KS3 who helped out on the day

to make the event a great success and one that we hope to repeat.

C'était fantastique!!

COMPETITION WINNERS

In December our pupils produced some brilliant pictures for Virgin Trains which were displayed at Lancaster Railway

Station over Christmas and New Year. All pictures were used to decorate the waiting room at Lancaster and feedback from

customers was very positive. This morning we held presentations of prizes to the winners in our Friday Assembly.

Well done to the individual prize winners and Class One for the best Class picture. Thank you to Mark at Virgin Trains for

arranging the prizes.

REMINDER OF SCHOOL HOLIDAY DATES

EASTER CLOSURE Close after school Friday 27th March

Re-open Monday 13thApril

INSET CLOSURE One day only Friday 1st May

MAY DAY CLOSURE One day only Monday 4th May

HALF TERM Close after school Friday 22nd May

Re-open Monday 1st June

SUMMER CLOSURE Close at lunch

(1.15pm)

Wednesday 22nd July, 2015