XP Gateshead

For those of you that have ordered iPads, your children will be bringing them home tomorrow evening to add the screen protector and get the iPad set up.

Please watch the video below and read the instructions linked here before getting the iPad out of the box.

Your child will be given a printed copy of the instructions too. They write their school management system username on this letter. These usernames are in the form:

[email protected]

Good morning families of G29 Year 7 students!

We have had such a wonderful week with your children exploring what it means to be Crew.

School Website

Our school website is the main way that we communicate messages to all parents.

Please make sure that you have subscribed to email updates from our website when we make posts. There is a button on our website front page where you fill in your email address. If you need help with this contact our office on 0191 4814360 or [email protected] and we can get you signed up.

Lots of information on day to day matters such as dress code, arrival times, lunches etc. can be found on the FAQ (frequently asked questions) part of our school website. You can access this at any time by clicking on the parents part of the menu of or school menu.

Each week on Sunday we post an update with important information on the week ahead.

School Twitter Account

We use the school Twitter account to give parents and families an insight into day to day school life and to promote the great work that your children do, just as we have done during the Ullswater Outward Bound adventure this week – more photos to follow!

Parents’ Facebook Group

Thanks for the messages of support that have been put on the Parents’ Facebook Group. Please do use this group and sign up if you have not already done so. This group is a peer to peer support group for parents and is a great help when discussing things like sharing transport to school etc.

Please keep the conversation going on there, it really helps us to build our community and share our stories.

Advance notice for this week for G29 (Year 7)

Students will be working in their Crews on Monday and Tuesday reflecting on their Outward Bound experience and thinking about what Crew looks like in the Classroom.

We will hand out iPads to students that have ordered them on Monday. These will come  with instructions on how to set these up on the school management system which is a fairly straightforward process. Students will need to set these up at home on Monday evening.

On Monday students will also bring home their letter with instructions on how to set up your ParentPay account for school lunches.

Regular lessons are in classes of 25 students. Students will find out their classes on Tuesday this week.

They will have their first PE session on Wednesday of this week, and must bring PE kit to change into. More details on our dress code can be found here.

Students will start immersion for their new learning expedition on Thursday this week.

Students will carry out fieldwork on Friday of this week too. More details have been shared in a separate post with important information about timings and lunches for that day.

Year 7 students will be carrying out fieldwork this week on Friday 9th September as part of the immersion for their new learning expedition.

We will be travelling to the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield by coach and returning on the same day. The day will involve an underground tour so there are some important considerations in terms of kit and arrival times.

Friday 9th September – Important info for fieldwork

• Students must be in school by 8.10am at the latest on this morning so that they can be registered before leaving.
• We are leaving school by coach at 8.30am.
• We expect to return to school between 4.30pm and 5.00pm (please check the website for updates)
• Students will need a packed lunch for the day. If your child receives a free school meal, we will provide a packed lunch.
• The visit will involve an underground tour which can be quite cold, so students need layers to keep warm.
• Students need to bring their regular kit for the day in a bag as there are exhibits in the site where students can take photographs using iPads for example.

Current estimate for arrival time back at school for year 7 is 3.30pm.

Thanks

Happy Friday and welcome back – here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust this week!

To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit http://xptrust.org/stories #WeAreCrew

Students will be given their phones soon to make contact home.  Again we must stress that signal in the area is very patchy so we cannot guarantee that you will receive a call.

Please be assured that all of our Crews are doing well.  We will continue to post updates from the centre on our Twitter feed.

As part of their first week back in school, students will be planning and carrying out fieldwork in the NewcastleGateshead area on Friday 2nd September. Students will be using this fieldwork to answer the questions:

‘How can we support each other to lead the learning of our new Year 7 Crew?’

“How can we find out what is on our doorstep to enrich future learning expeditions for all future students?”

Students will complete the fieldwork during the school day and will be back in school for 3.15pm.

Each Crew will put together a ‘Crew picnic’. You child will be able to give you more details on how they plan to contribute towards this picnic.

As usual, students need to bring their school bag with iPad as photographs and notes from the day will contribute towards their JASS award.

They should also be prepared for the weather conditions, so they must have:

• Appropriate clothing including for the possibility of showers
• Suitable footwear for a day’s walking in urban area
• Water bottle
• Suncream
• A cap or hat

Good evening

We hope you have all had a fantastic break over the summer.

It is now just one week until our adventure together at the Howtown Outward Bound Centre on Ullswater.

A reminder that the kit list and information about medication can be found by clicking here.

Important details for Tuesday 30th August

• All students must bring a £10 cash deposit to school with them. We will collect this as soon as they arrive. Crews’ deposits are pooled as each Crew has joint responsibility for their specialist kit for the week. Deposits are returned at the end of the week once all specialist equipment has been checked back in.
• Students must arrive at school between 8.00am and 8.25am and will leave parents at the main gate to go to their first Crew session (our coach will be leaving mid-morning).
• Students will need a packed lunch for the very first day. We will eat lunch at the centre as soon as we arrive. Following this, all meals are provided.
  • Please make sure there are no nut products in the packed lunch
  • Please put the packed lunch in a box or bag separate from your child’s main luggage so that they have easy access to it on arrival.
• Students can bring mobile phones with them, but these will be handed to their Crew Leader on Tuesday morning. They will have an opportunity to call you on Tuesday – likely around teatime and then again on Thursday afternoon when they return to the centre from their expedition – however reception at the centre is patchy so we cannot guarantee a call. Students will not be able to call you on Wednesday as they will be away from the centre on an overnight expedition. Please be assured that no news is good news! We will do our best to keep our Twitter stream updated with photographs during the week.
• Snacks, drinks and sweets for the coach or for throughout the week are not permitted and are not required.
• Students can bring a small amount of money in addition to their deposit if they wish – no more than £10. There is a tuck shop on site where students can get treats or Outward Bound branded kit such as pencils or beanie hats if they choose. This is usually opened on the final Thursday evening.