Dear Families
We have come to the end of another half-term that has been packed with moments where our students have shone.
G31 have had their very first set of SLCs and have this last week started to consider how they will support families in need with food packages, building from their knowledge of nutrition and digestion. Miss Jamison has put out a separate post here with details on some recipes we’d love to see you try at home with your children too.
G30 have had a series of fieldwork as part of their art studies that has led them to the V&A in London, and this last week have worked with expert actress, writer and director Christina Berriman Dawson to support their preparations for their performance of Macbeth Don’t forget that they also have a theatre visit booked to see Christina in an excellent production: Champion, more details can be found here. This wonderful production was also featured on BBC Radio 4 this week too, you can listen here from 12 minutes 45 seconds onwards.
G29 have had a return to Newcastle University this week to delve into the archives of public health in our region, and also to carry out anatomical drawings under the guidance of experts at the Hatton Gallery. This has been a really strong term for G29, who have been praised time and again for their conduct and how they have acted as ambassadors for the school at the production of our Sam, in how they are preparing for Passage and how they are motoring in lessons.
Following their TSLCs, G28 have this week been in G29 Crews supporting students in their preparations for passage. It’s great to see the leadership potential of all of our G28 students being harnessed. In addition student leaders have this term supported the G30 fieldwork to the V&A, leading ambassador tours and training younger students and running clubs. There are mock exams coming up in April which will become the focus in Crew following the break. We will post the revision guidance website in a separate post, which has guidance for how families can support revision – the work and expectations for which will step up when we return. Our pioneering Year 10 students really are incredible in terms of the way that they model our culture for our younger students, and it goes to show the impact that this has had on their peers when you look at what our younger students are achieving, in the case of G29 with direct support from Year 10s for passage.
Every visitor that comes to our school comments on how articulate, informed, knowledgeable and proud that our students are, and we could not be more proud of them.
Important dates for your diaries for next half-term
Fieldwork
G30 Theatre Fieldwork
This is taking place on Thursday 6th March in the afternoon with a slightly later finish back at school. More details can be found here.
G30 Final Shipley Gallery Fieldwork
Students in G30 Class 2 will have their final work session at The Shipley on Tuesday 11th March, and G30 Class 1 will do likewise on Thursday 13th March. These will all be during the school day but students will need a packed lunch.
Passage Presentations
Most of these will take place on Monday 17th March and Tuesday 18th March during the day, and some limited slots after school on the following two days.
More information on slots and attendance on these days can be found here.
We will send out provisional time slots for families on Monday this week from the office@ email address so please keep an eye out for that.
Presentations of Learning
Below are the dates for our PoLs (Presentations of Learning) next term. It is important to note that we expect for every child to have a family member there to support them.
Year 7 HUMAN – Why is it important to honour all those who sacrificed in WWI?
PoL on Tuesday 25th March in school at 4.30pm
Year 7 STEAM – Is survival sufficient?
PoL on Monday 24th March with experts from Edberts House (this is not an event that families attend, students will present their food packages to the workers at Edberts House)
Year 8 – What is Power?
PoL on Thursday 27th March at Caedmon Hall, above Gateshead Central Library at 5pm.
Year 9 – How can we continue to make progress on public health?
PoL on Friday 9th May in school from 2pm. This Presentation of Learning is in the form of a Public Health Conference, hosted by our students. Please note the earlier time for this.
Year 10 – Are we really free to choose?
PoL on Tuesday 18th March, venue and time to be confirmed.
Easter Holidays
Please note that it is a shorter half-term coming up at 4 weeks. We break up for our Easter Holiday on Friday 28th March and return to school on Monday 14th April at the normal time. Our Easter holidays do not always align with other Gateshead school. The date of the religious holiday changes each year, however we need to be able to plan a consistent length for our expeditions in term 2 and 3. You can see more on our calendars on the trust website. These holidays do align much better in the following academic year.
Have a wonderful break with your children
So, it’s been another exciting and fruitful half-term. Have a great half-term break and we look forward to seeing all of our students on Monday 3rd March at the normal time.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
.Julie Mosley
Principal