Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome to the final week of our Spring Term.
As always, the hard work continues here at XP Gateshead and we couldn’t be prouder of our students as they continue to strive for high standards and support those around them to do the same. Students have been working hard on termly assessments, completing their final products for expedition and getting ready for presentations of learning. It has been great to see them step up to all challenges set with real courage and determination.
Here are just some of last week’s highlights:
Macbeth preparations
Our Year 8 students have been working hard on their Macbeth performances as part of the ‘What is Power’ expedition. Each group of students spent time working alongside our expert: professional actor and director Christina Dawson, who shared her experience of performing Macbeth to students and coached them in theirs. Our directors worked closely with Christina to understand their role in guiding their actors and critiquing performances. It was great to hear so many appreciations for the work of the directors in our Friday community meeting.
Preparations for Crew Day
Every term, we look to run a crew day which is an opportunity to ‘tend’ to crew and culture. At these times students will work with their crew and Crew Leader for the day developing their team work, crew identity and wellbeing. There will be a Crew day in the first week back after the Easter holidays on Friday 21st April. Last week our crews started work on planning this next crew day which will focus on charitable work for both Year 7 and Year 8. More on our Crew Days in a separate post later this week.
Football Fixture
On Wednesday, XP Gateshead took to the football field again and our team competed at Cardinal Hume. Again students showed great courage, respect and above all compassion. Whilst both games ended in defeat, Mr Devitt has told us that the team are developing all of the time and the first point is not far away.
Our footballers conducted themselves extremely well again and were great representatives of XPG. It was great to hear in our community meeting the praise and appreciation being given to students for their resilience, commitment, support and care for each other. A special mention to last week’s team captain Corbyn who did a great job leading his team and organising kit clean after the match.
Heworth Fieldwork
Georgia and Connor from G29 carried out some important fieldwork to honour our commitment to visit Heworth cemetery after the original fieldwork for the whole year grioup was postponed due to the snow. Georgia and Connor visited the graves of men and women who died in The Great War and whose stories they had learned about as part of our work with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. They also laid the poppy pebbles at those graves and many more as a mark of respect.
G29 Presentation of Learning
In terms of highlights, Friday night was a very special occasion and saw our G29 students present their learning for the HUMAN expedition ‘Do Your Bit’. The opportunity to present in the beautiful and historic King’s Hall at Newcastle University was amazing and we thank Professor David Leat and his colleagues at the University for allowing our students to have such an honour. It is an important point of equity that already all of our students have visited a university campus and we hope that many more may return to this same room to receive their degrees in the years to come.
Our students showed real courage in presenting to an audience of over 200 and we could not be prouder of them. Thank you to all of the staff that have worked with students across this expedition and to all the families that attended.
This week
G28 PoL
G28 presentation of learning for ‘What is Power?’ will take place on Thursday 30th March starting at 5.30pm. The venue for the presentation of learning is Caedmon Hall in Gateshead which is part of the Central Library.
More details will follow about how to let us know who is attending this event. However it is important to note that whilst we will transport students to the Central Library on Thursday, transport is not provided at the end of the event.
Extended Study and Clubs
Our usual programme of Extended Study and clubs are running this week on Monday and Wednesday.
Extended study and Hula/Fitness will not run after school on Tuesday. This is to allow staff to attend an after school Grief training session with St Oswalds Hospice.
Extended study and clubs will not run after school on Thursday. This is to allow staff to support Year 8 in preparing for their presentation of learning on this evening.
PE sessions
As usual G28 students (Y8) will need a PE kit for Tuesday, G29 students (Y7) will need a PE kit on Wednesday.
We break up for Easter holidays this Friday 31st March
We return to school 17th April. Please remember that, as always, our students finish at 1:30pm on Friday to allow staff to de-gunge and replenish rooms and teaching spaces ready for the Summer Term.
Thank you for your ongoing support. What a term it has been! We hope you enjoy a wonderful and well-earned break with your children.
Julie Mosley
Co-Principal
