I hope that you have all had a productive week. I wonder how many of us are spending our days thinking of 5 letter words. I have recently added Wordle to my daily routine and am absolutely loving it. For those of you who enjoy word games I really do recommend it. I tend to stick with the same starter words; I’d be interested to know of any useful tips!
We had some great success this week when our Lego team won the Regional Final event for the First Lego League Cargo Connect Competition at Newcastle Under Lyme College. Next stop is Harrogate with an eye on making the global finals in Detroit, USA. Although the team is made up of lower school students, Y12 and Y13 students have been supporting them. It has been nice this year to be able to mix in year groups. We really missed this last year; our students are always so supportive of each other. On Tuesday we had over 50 students, from Y7-12, taking part in our First Aid club, working together.
Uptake for the Duke of Edinburgh has been great. Over 70 pupils attended the first session on Thursday. Please do keep encouraging your child to take part in our extracurricular activities.
This half term continues to be a busy one. Y13 are in the middle of their mocks and are finalising plans for next year with university, job and apprenticeship applications.
On Wednesday Y11 students will have a maximising achievement day, focusing on revision techniques, as part of their preparation for the summer exams.
Year 11 parents’ evening on February 3rd will be virtual, conducted in the same way as the Y9 parents’ evening. Feedback for the Y9 event was really positive. Appointments can be made online and will be conducted through a video link. Mr Rubin will send out the details but for any parents who do not have access to a laptop/suitable device, please contact your child’s Head of College.
We made the decision yesterday to keep with wearing face coverings in all indoor areas for the remainder of the week, despite the late announcement that they were no longer compulsory in school classrooms. However due to the change in guidance next week, face masks will no longer be compulsory; all students may continue to wear a mask should they wish, and staff may also opt to wear one. We still need to be mindful that Covid numbers remain high, even though they are falling, and we should continue with regular testing. We may resume wearing face coverings as part of our outbreak plan, should cases in school increase.
I have had some fantastic conversations with students this week. It has been great to hear about all of the competitions and events they are involved with outside of school; when asked about school life, one student described it as fantabulous (I have added that word to my vocabulary) and maybe the best question of the week came from a group of Y8 boys asking for my Tesco meal deal of choice (other meal deals are available). That is one for you to ponder over the weekend, too.
Whatever your plans, have a lovely weekend and as always, thank you for your continued support.
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” (Marcus Aurelius – Roman Emperor)
