All students and staff are invited to wear their Christmas jumpers or decorate a jumper with festive items on Thursday, 12 December 2024. Those taking part are asked to bring in £1 which will be donated to Save the Children charity. If your child would like to get involved, they need to come to school in full school uniform but replace their blazer for a Christmas jumper. If your child wouldn’t like to take part, they must come to school in full school uniform.
Christmas Lunch
The Dining Room is serving our very popular Christmas lunch on Thursday, 12 December 2024. It will mean that the offer on the day is a traditional Christmas dinner for lunch with a vegetarian option. There will be no ‘grab and go’ service on the day and no other menu choices will be available.
The cost of the meal will be the same as the normal meal in this day £2.78
Details of the lunch are as follows:
Mains, served with roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, stuffing and gravy:
- Roast Turkey with mini chicken sausages or
- Squash, Spinach and Cream Cheese Filo Bake
Desert:
- Chocolate and ginger muffin or
- Sticky toffee pudding with custard
Thank you message from the librarian 😊
I would like to express my gratitude to all the library monitors for their outstanding efforts in managing the library. Their promptness and willingness to assist during busy periods have been invaluable. They have consistently demonstrated kindness and have been instrumental in guiding students in a friendly manner.
I am particularly appreciative of their support when I require assistance, such as overseeing computer duties, monitoring students, and managing the entrance. Their dedication to returning and organizing books, handling door duties, and assisting with lost property has greatly enhanced the library environment.
I would like to acknowledge
- Amal Awan
- Zunaira Salam
- Aminah Bibi
- Nimo Qasim Abdi
- Hafsa Rahmani
- Lana Mala
- Hazel Allen-Archer
- Lirael Persephone Hindmarch
- Annabelle Clarke
- Prasuna Rajasekaran
For their commitment, especially in covering for absent library monitors.
The library has truly become a more welcoming space for all, and their involvement has made a significant difference.
A level Biology conference
On the 21st of November, Year 13 students attended the 2024 “A-Level Science Live!” conference for Biology. This covered a broad array of topics, including the development of IVF treatments, the science of laughter, forensic anthropology, the science of mental health, and hope for the coral reef.
The work of Professor Sue Black, a world-leading forensic anthropologist and anatomist, was particularly interesting. Forensic anthropology involves analysing human remains to tell us about the person the body belonged to, and is often used in criminal cases. The Professor explained the importance of her unique upbringing in her comfortability within her job, her journey to becoming both the President of St. John’s College, Oxford, and a member of the House of Lords, in addition to gruelling cases she faced, such as investigations into the Kosovo war crimes. A specific story she told was about skeletal remains that they had found near a tree with a coat hanging off of it in the North of Scotland, and how they used these remains to conclude that this was a suicide.
Additionally, learning about the science of laughter with Professor Sophie Scott helped us to understand the act of laughter on a deeper level. One fun fact is that we are significantly more likely to laugh with other people rather than by ourselves!
The majority of the speakers at the event were women, and it was inspiring to see how their upbringings, ambitions, and sheer determination helped them in pursuing successful careers in the fields they were passionate about.
'This trip was absolutely incredible. It was amazing listening to the speakers and the passion they had for each of their jobs. The talks were both informative and interesting. The speakers were interactive, and the trip as a whole was very enjoyable!' - Muminah Hussain
Mehrab Hussain
Year 13
Diary Dates
- Year 11 Geography Field Trip- Thursday 12 December
- Christmas jumper Day- Thursday 12 December
- Christmas Lunch- Thursday 12 December
- Arts Mock Exam- Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 December
- End of Term- Friday 20 December *Please note, we will finish at 12.00 on this date*
- INSET Day (School closed to all pupils)- Monday 6 January
- School Starts again- Tuesday 7 January
- Year 11 Media studies Seminar- Wednesday 15 January
- Debate Club Fixture- Wednesday 15 January
- Year 7 Consultation Evening- Thursday 16 January
Student Leadership Team 2025 - Applications.
Students in Years 7 – 10 and 12 have now all been invited to apply for a post on the 2025 Student Leadership Team. There are 4 posts available in each year group:
The Engagement Lead is Head Student for the Year group with the Year 12 Head leading the whole school. The other three posts are Deputy Head Students. There are additional Well-Being Mentor roles in each year group as well as Literacy Champions and KS3 Form Tutor posts available in Year 12.
Any students wanting more information – please check the email from your Head of Learning.
We hope to receive lots of applications before Monday’s deadline, with shortlisted candidates being interviewed in the coming weeks.
Years 11 and 13 are given the time to focus on their external examinations rather than joining the team; however, we would encourage them to use the representatives in other years to ensure their voice is heard.
How Christmas affects mental health
Christmas is traditionally a time of celebration, eating, drinking, spending time with family and friends, and generally enjoying the festive spirit. However, for those who struggle with a mental health condition, the yuletide season can be an especially difficult time.
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Credits:
Created with an image by Prostock-studio - "Group of teenage friends having conversation while preparing for exams"