Dear Families, Friends, Students and Staff.
Well we've made it! A two week Autumnal half-term break lies before us, and haven't we earned it? I've been in regular touch with staff on the School residential visit to Malaga and have had nothing but glowing reports of all the activities they have taken part in, the places they have visited and how well they have conducted themselves. At the time of writing they were eeking out the last few hours of the tour before heading homewards. There will be some very long lie-ins tomorrow, I'm sure.
Even though so many students and staff have been out this week, it's still been another busy time for us here. I enjoyed a rare day out to the farm with the Year 7 students on Tuesday, who got right into the spirit of things and threw themselves into the rural life. Our thanks to Ben at Surrey Hills and Rivers who gave us a really, really brilliant hands on experience. It was different, educational and fun! What a perfect day.
Wishing you all a most enjoyable, relaxing, recharing two-week half-term break. We return on Monday 4th November for an 08.10am start. Where on earth is this year going?!
Best wishes.
Mrs Rich – Head.
Upcoming dates for your diary.
Monday 4th November - Return to school, 08.10am.
Tuesday 5th November - Year 11 and 13 Progress Check Evening ONLINE
Thursday 7th November - Post 16 talk - Year 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 parents invited
Friday 8th November - Student and staff school photographs.
Thursday 27th November - Yr9 Progress check and Options Evening - IN PERSON
Students of the week.
Year 7
Ella and Soren for a superb effort in their first cross country session this week.
Year 8
Great work from Alex in PSHE this week.
Well done to Jerusha, Sofia B, Archie, Elizabeth, Alex, Lexi and Eloise for outstanding projects/presentations on what makes a healthy plate, the photosynthesis process and leaf structure. Keep up the fantastic work!
Year 9
Eric for winning the KS3 cross country race this week.
Amazing presentation on energy stores, renewable and non-renewable resources of energy by Harry, Ryan, Mason, Lysander and Theo. Excellent work.
Year 10
Congratulations to Sophie who exceeded her target by three grades and to Sam and Lloyd who exceeded their target by two grades in the recent Maths test.
Congratulations to Sam, Sophie and Bethany for achieving the highest scores in their Physics assessment.
Alfie for his effort and consistent progress in achieving his personal goal.
Year 11
Well done Logan for achieving 96% in the science test.
Sixth Form
Annie for making the 4km cross country route look so effortless!
What happened when we went to the farm. It was such a lovely day!
On Tuesday, Year 7 pulled on their wellies and headed to the farm, writes Mrs Eynon.
When we arrived, we learnt all about the area and were invited to help pick some of the vegetables grown on site - tomatoes, runner beans and peppers.
Then, it was off to the barn to meet some beautiful Jacobs sheep - an endangered breed with black spots! In typical Canbury style, our students got involved by feeding them (did you know that sheep only have teeth on their bottom jaw?) and having some cuddles in the pen. It was amazing to see their confidence grow and their genuine interest in the care of these gorgeous animals. We were really lucky to have a talk from Sarah, the Shepherdess, about how they are looked after and brought in to the world - it really is a labour of love and her passion for the sheep was infectious!
After that, it was time for a woodland walk and den building! I'm not sure any of our efforts were quite 'Grand Designs', but we had a lot of fun - and Max even found a toad!
After lunch, Ben lit us a campfire and we all helped to build it under his expert guidance. Then it was a couple of games of 'Grandma's footsteps' before jumping on the minibus and heading home (once we had managed to get Lady the sheep off the road!).
All in all, it was a really lovely day - out in the fresh air and the stunning Surrey Hills, interacting with animals and building dens. The students were brilliant all day and a total credit to you, their families, and our school.
Meanwhile, further afield in Malaga......
Our school visit to Malaga is drawing to a close as the Newsletter is being written. The last we heard was that everyone is safe and well, and still speaking to each other! We think you may be meeting some very tired students. We think the staff will be equally flagging! Don't forget to collect your darling from Gatwick as previously advised. Any last minute travel changes will be shared with parents on the group WhatsApp. We're sure you've enjoyed the peace and quiet this week, but we're equally sure you will be looking forward to hearing all your child's news and finding out how the found the visit. We'll bring you a report from the visit after half term.
Photography champions!
Congratulations to Year 7 student Max and Year 8 student Eloise, who were voted joint winners of the Eco team's autumnal themed photography competition. Max produced this stunning shot of an vibrant orange mushroom. Eloise, meanwhile, went all David Attenborough on us and caught this cheeky chap pausing for a pre-winter snack. Well done both - you really captured the season!
Kicking out racism. We all saw red!
Everyone got into the spirit of our annual 'Show Racism the Red Card' day last Friday. We were invited to include either a splash of red or go the whole hog in red - and as always we rose to the challenge. Many thanks to all those who donated to the cause - we raised £80 for the anti racism education charity, and we know they will put this money to excellent use.
Roving Rory's Newsletter Report
New Additions to Canbury: The Study Rooms.
Over the summer holidays our builders busily built four new study rooms at Canbury; two intervention rooms at the top of the stairs and two study rooms off the hall.
Intervention rooms at the top of the stairs
One room is used by Ms Jones and Mrs McKenzie for Speech and Language and the other one for Maths support with Mrs Marchant. Mrs Marchant was very enthusiastic when she told me: “I love the Numeracy Classroom! It’s quiet and peaceful and the perfect size for 1:1 lessons. There are no distractions, so we can get on with the business of learning!”
Study rooms off the hall
These new rooms have been built onto the back of the hall and are used for small groups for private studying sessions in which a learning support assistant keeps a watchful eye and offers support to pupils during their private studies. These rooms will also be very useful during exam time, as they will provide extra space for pupils who need their own room for exams.
Some pupils have also made a claim on these rooms for lunchtime, as they offer a great space for relaxing and chatting away from the noise of the main hall.
Aurelia from year 7 said "It’s a great little hang out space and the older years love to spend their lunch time there. I love the blue chairs! They really complement the room colours and I like how they have stickers to help you choose between study room 1 and study room 2. I also think people will like the rooms because they have windows looking over the playground and a cosy look to them.”
I have personal experience of using all the new rooms and I have found them very relaxing places to do my studying. I think we can all agree that these are a great new addition to the school!