Sixth Form students at Ely College took part in a Stress<Less Campaign run by the charity MIND last week.

The aim of the campaign was to train students to help support other students through the stress of exams. The training was very informative and interesting and gave the students various strategies to help them through the exam season.

Read more here: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Hundreds-Cambridgeshire-students-helped-month/story-29288826-detail/story.html

Ely College PSFA are holding a Disco on Friday 13th May at the College for lower school students; Years 7,8,9.

Sophie Martin, Chairperson of the PSFA, has been delighted by the offers of help from both parents, carers and staff, but if anyone else would like to offer help on the night please contact her on smartin@elycollege.co.uk.

We are hoping that the disco will be another huge success, helping the PSFA to raise funds for the college.

Further events are already being discussed, and we are all very much looking forward to meeting many more volunteers into our PSFA.

It has been an amazing week for Year 11, Hair and Beauty students at Ely College.  In order to complete their Level 1 Hair and Beauty coursework, each student needed to create a final image based on a theme that included hair design and styling, nail art design and fantasy make-up art. Their extensive research and practice runs culminated in a photo shoot.  Chosen themes included 'Flower Fairies', 'Cheshire Cats', 'Mermaids' (...alive and dead), 'Bat Woman', an 'Ice Queen', 'Butterflies' and 'My Little Ponies'. 

City and Guilds Unit 112: 'Create a Hair and Beauty Image', really engages learners to research, plan and create.   All technical skills learned throughout the Hair and Beauty course are brought together to showcase the students skills and creativity.  It was a proud time not just for the hardworking students but for Hair and Beauty teachers Jo Bonnett and Julie Constable who were overwhelmed by the efforts and enthusiasm achieved by each student.  

The students commented on how much they enjoyed the whole process and re-creating their designs for the photo shoot. Reflecting on the experience, they were amazed how their confidence has grown and how much experience they have gained from the course and photo shoot; they agreed they have learnt many additional life skills including, focusing on the task ahead, being  flexible and the importance of team work.

The students have strong aspirations to continue within Hair and Beauty and all are progressing to either Cambridge Regional College, College of West Anglia, Ely 6th Form or have secured various hair dressing apprenticeships. 

Below is a brief gallery of their wonderful work:

Ely College students are preparing to unleash their imaginations for a creative writing competition launched in conjunction with the Ely News.

As part of our literacy drive launched last term, we have joined up with the local newspaper to run a short story competition. All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will be taking part and the rules are... there are no rules! Students can write a piece of fiction on any subject they choose.

The only stipulation is that the stories must be no longer than 600 words. They will have until 6th May to write their stories, after which a judging panel – made up of Ely News Editor Wendy Davey and Reporter Jordan Day, along with College Principal Evelyn Forde, Head of English Emma King and Anne Shaw, from the Learning Resource Centre – will begin the task of reading and selecting the winners. Prizes will be awarded in four categories: one for each year group and one for Special Educational Needs students.

Ely News Editor Wendy Davey said: “We are passionate about writing and literacy and so when we heard the college was launching a literacy drive earlier in the year we thought it was a great opportunity to link up and have some fun. It’s a great way of encouraging students to have a go... try a style of writing they might not have tried before, and let their imaginations take over."

“We hope the students will enjoy this project and we’re very much looking forward to reading the stories they write. You never know, we may even discover a future author!”

The winning students’ work will be published on the Ely News website, along with two runners up in each category, and the winning four stories will be published in the paper.

Ely College Principal Evelyn Forde said: “We were thrilled when the Ely News approached us about their idea of a story competition. The timing has been perfect as we are working hard to improve literacy throughout the school. Whether students have a natural flair for writing stories or not, the chance to produce a piece of creative writing is often very appealing and imaginations go wild!"

“We shall launch the competition this week during our Year 7, 8 and 9 assemblies and I am proud to be on the judging panel with other colleagues from the college. This initiative gives us a fantastic opportunity to share with readers some of the talent we have here at Ely College”.

Mr Sirot-Smith, Ms Watkins and a team of Year 10 and 11 students from the college gave up their half-term break in February to volunteer at two schools in one of Africa’s largest slums.  The team was working in Nakuru, Kenya helping the two schools provide education for some of the area’s poorest children.  Over 600,000 people live in the Nakuru slum, which is the fastest growing town in Africa.

They completed the building of a new classroom for Ungana Academy and repaired several classrooms at Jubilee Academy.  In addition to the building work the volunteers worked alongside the teachers in classes, taught lessons, organised sporting activities and carried out community visits, taking much needed provisions such a flour, sugar, cooking oil and soap to families in dire need.

The trip also included a visit to the Nakuru dump, upon which over 200 families live and scrape together a living.  Many of the children living on the dump attend schools supported by African Adventures with whom the Ely team were travelling.

In their luggage the group took over 21 bags of school shoes, children’s socks and underpants, all  donated by the Ely College community as part of the ‘Show You Care’ appeal.  These were gratefully received by the schools’ children, few of whom had ever received new clothes.

The trip was capped off with a visit to an elephant orphanage and a chance to feed giraffes at the Nairobi Giraffe Sanctuary.

Team member Jessica-Ellen Ball commented:  ‘It was the best week of my life.  I am so glad I came; I never thought that I could make such a difference to the lives of others.  It was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone.  I can’t wait to come back again.’

The team have spent the last year fundraising for the trip and plans are already being made for another trip next year.  Many of the students are keen to return, such as Neve Armstrong, who celebrated her 15^th birthday during the 10 days.  She commented: ‘It’s been an emotional and challenging trip but has been the best thing I’ve done. It really has been life changing and I will return.’

Team leader and Director of the Sixth Form, Mark Sirot-Smith added: ‘I am so proud of the team; it was a privilege to have been a part of such a hardworking and dedicated group of volunteers.  Despite the appalling poverty and lack of resources at the two schools, the team saw first-hand how love and education can change the lives of these children.

‘By coming here our students have really made a difference and their work will benefit hundreds of children now and in the future.  The directors of the two schools were amazed by how much they achieved and how they were always looking for more to do.  They all have new families in Kenya and will be missed.’ 

Planning will soon begin for the next volunteering project with African Adventures.  If you are interested in being part of that team please contact Mr Sirot-Smith at msirot-smith@elycollege.co.uk.

Below is a small selection of photos from the trip but more can be found on the Ely College Kenya facebook page.