Dear Families
Welcome back after what I hope has been a restful and safe half term holiday.
We are looking forward to seeing all of our students back this week, raring to go and ready to continue their hard work on current expeditions.
As always, a return to school gives us all the opportunity to make a strong start in terms of getting into good habits and being organised. I would like to remind everyone of the importance of punctuality, attendance and being fully prepared for learning and ask for your support in this to make sure that all of our students are getting it right.
Punctuality
All students need to be in school for an 8.30am start so they must arrive by 8.25am at the latest. A minority of students were frequently late for school last half term which impacted on the learning of others (staff and students). Please talk to your child about their punctuality and ensure that they are arriving on time every day.
Attendance
At XPG we celebrate attendance and will support those students and families who need to improve their attendance. Snapshots will be shared with you this half term which include attendance information and Crew Leaders will be talking with students and their families about how important attendance is to academic achievement and success in school.
As you may have seen in the news, school attendance continues to be a concern across the country. At XPG, we were proud of our attendance last year with attendance figures higher than local and national. There is no doubt that this was down to the hard work of all – students, parents/carers, Crew Leaders and our inclusion team. We all understand that school attendance is vital to the life chances of young people and that being in school improves health, wellbeing and socialisation throughout life.
In the winter months we are all more susceptible to mild respiratory illnesses including general cold symptoms. It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school at these times but it can be tricky making these decisions. The following NHS guidance includes information which may be useful – NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance.
Please share any worries you have around attendance or punctuality with your childs’ Crew Leader. We will be in contact with families where attendance or punctuality is a concern and put supportive improvement plans in place.
Being organised
As always, students need to bring a school bag every day with the following items
- A filled water bottle
- Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener
- A fully charged iPad
- Headphones – ideally not expensive ones
- A healthy snack for break (no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks, nut products)
- A notebook
- A reading book (e-reader book, school library book or book from home)
As you know, we ask for very few financial contributions from families but I would like to request that the following items are added to the kit list to support us in our spend on resources
- A gluestick
- A purple biro pen
- A highlighter pen
Please make sure your son/daughter is fully equipped for learning and contact us if there are any problems.
Our week ahead
Working with experts and fieldwork
G30 – What does it mean to be human?
G30 Students are carrying out fieldwork at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital connected to their studies in Science around organ systems in the human body. They will also meet our contact at the hospital who has commissioned their final product: artwork which promotes organ donation. More details on this fieldwork can be found here.
G30 also have sessions with our longstanding humanist experts, who will help student to build on their learning about the golden rule of humanism, and uncover more about the Humanist belief that we have one life and therefore should ensure we make the most of our time on Earth by living the best life possible for ourselves and others, including future generations.
G29 – How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?
G29 students are working alongside experts this week to make audio recordings of the built environment which can then be manipulated so that they can be used as part of the audio installation that students will produce as part of the ‘Concrete Dreams’ exhibition at the Farrell Centre.
G28 – Is charity enough
Connected to their studies of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, G28 students will have a sessions with experts from the local Dickens society, giving students more contextual knowledge about Dickens’ life and how this informed the theme of charity in this novella and his other writing.
PE sessions this week
Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.
- All G30 students (Year 8) have PE on Monday..
- For G31 students (Year 7)
- G31 Class 1 students have PE on Tuesday.
- G31 Class 2 students have PE on Wednesday.
- All G29 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday.
- All G28 students (Year 10) have PE on Thursday.
Extended Study and Clubs
Our clubs will all run this week (see schedule below) along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. Our before-school fitness and running clubs on Tuesday and Thursday will start at the earlier time of 7.45am this week.
Important dates for your diaries for next half-term
PoLs are used as an opportunity for students to showcase their learning from their most current learning expedition. PoLs enable students to grow their character and further embed their learning through presenting their work in front of a range of authentic audiences and in a variety of contexts. In addition, students develop oracy skills by presenting to different audiences and in different contexts which builds confidence and further allows students to grow their character whilst developing key skills. We expect for every child to have a family member there to support them.
Below are the dates for our PoLs (Presentations of Learning) next term.
- G31’s PoL will be on the evening of Monday 16th December at St. Mary’s church in Heworth. Start time is to be confirmed but we expect at around 5.30pm.
- G30’s PoL will be on Wednesday 18th December in school at 4.30pm.
- G29’s PoL will be on the evening of Wednesday 11th December at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle University Campus. Start time is to be confirmed.
- G28’s PoL will be on Thursday 19th December in school at 4.30pm.
As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].
Julie Mosley
