Dance triumph for Alice Wilkins!

Congratulations to 16-year-old Btec Dance Award student Alice Wilkins who has successfully auditioned for a place in the prestigious Yorkshire Young Dancers Company. This company is made up of 13-17 year olds with exceptional talent in contemporary dance. Alice will have to attend contemporary classes three times a week as well as intensive weekends and summer schools. It will give her the chance to be taught by leading contemporary dance teachers and professional choreographers.
Competition into this company is fierce with Alice winning a place out of two hundred other young dancers. She had to participate in two gruelling auditions where she had take part in contemporary dance and ballet technique classes and also choreograph and perform a one minute solo.
Alice has been interested in dance and gymnastics from an early age. She has trained in a variety of styles from ballet to disco at the Victoria Wills School of Dance and has developed a love of contemporary dance since she participated in GCSE Dance at Carlton High School. Alice joined St Wilfrid’s Sixth Form Centre this year specifically to continue her dance training and is an exceptionally dedicated student on the Btec Dance Award course. Since being at the school she has been a lead dancer in Fame! She has also won the Northern region of Festival 4 Stars in the duo competition alongside fellow Btec Dance Award student Rebekah Barraclough.
Alice is really looking forward to being part of the Yorkshire Young Dancers Company and hopes that it will help her achieve her dream of becoming a professional dancer.
If you want to see Alice in action, alongside the other Btec Dance Award students, come and see the “Evening of Dance” at St Wifrid’s on Wednesday 16th May. Tickets are £4 for adults and £2 for concessions and will be available soon.

Michelle Birkett

Mission Day

Anna Cowell, Hannah , Fr Martin Kelly and Franciscan Brothers Simon and Thomas visited St Wilfrids on Thursday 19th April for the school mission day. The day reminded students of the Diocesan programme ‘Come and See’ and this years theme of Reconciliation. Each session began with a warm up game followed by a dramatic interpretation of how humankind became separated from God and how this was reconciled. Fr Martin gave a testimony of his call to priesthood which then moved into a presentation of a very moving film called ‘team hoyt’ about a Fathers love for his Son. This left a lasting impression with staff and students reminding them of love, love God lavishes upon us. The day was a great success and we look forward to more days like this in the future.

Incredible Gianna

Gianna Jessen visited St Wilfrids High School on Monday 19th March to speak to students in year 10 and 11. Gianna has been a guest on numerous radio and television programmes. She travels frequently, sharing her testimony .Gianna told her incredible true story of her courageous journey from Abortion survivor to steadfast defender of life. She captured students with her story of determination to make the most of her God given opportunities. Speaking for those who can’t, she brings encouragement and hope to youth and adult audiences.

Fantastic Inset

Tuesday 13th March Jason Bangbala led the staff in their INSET on behaviour for learning. He was a very charismatic speaker whom enthused and motivated staff to experiment with a positive approach to learning. Staff welcomed the training day and some have stated ‘It was the best INSET ever’ and ‘We should have more INSET like this’. Jason will return to the school next academic year to work with teams of people on behaviour for learning strategies.
Here are just some of the pointers he provided:
Behaviour for learning pointers

Believe you can make a difference
Be calm
Plan for the behaviour before it happens
Focus on the good pupils
Praise good behaviour
Reward good behaviour
Focus on what pupils should be doing
Give pupils escape routes and options/choices
Give pupils responsibility for their own behaviour
Be consistent – take the action you promise
Intervene quickly and calmly when inappropriate behaviour occurs – don’t let it escalate
Don’t take inappropriate behaviour personally
Be non confrontational
Avoid shouting – be assertive not aggressive
Have a sense of humour
Enjoy what you are doing
Be positive
Use smile therapy
Body language