Dear Parents/Carers
What a first week back we have had!
Our G29 students had a fantastic week at Ullswater finding out what crew means. I hope they returned to you parents full of tales of their outward bound adventures. It was incredible to see them make new friends, begin to form strong bonds with their crew and crew leaders, and rise to the challenges set. We could not have been more impressed by our new year 7 students. They were compassionate, courageous, respectful and showed integrity in equal measure across the week. To listen to their presentations on ‘What does it mean to be Crew?’ in our final community meeting on Friday at the summit of Hallin Fell was something really special.
Our G28 students returned to school stronger than ever and spent a fantastic first week considering the question ‘How can we support each other to lead the learning of our new Year 7 Crew?’. Crew Leaders have been blown away by the quality of student work and the depth of thinking. There is no doubt that our pioneering Y8 students will work with us to ensure that our new students are welcomed into XPGateshead and are quickly part of our school community. The week ended with a great day of fieldwork in Gateshead and Newcastle which was planned fully by our students with their crews.
We could not have had a stronger start to our school year and can’t wait to welcome all students tomorrow.
Our week ahead
G29 students (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.
They will find out their new classes on Wednesday and will have their first PE session on Wednesday (so will need their PE kit).
Immersion for their new learning expedition will start on Thursday and they will carry out fieldwork on Friday at the National Coal Museum in Wakefield (a packed lunch will be required on Friday.)
We will hand out iPads to G29 students 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. It is really important that the screen protector is applied as soon as you take the iPad out of the box.
G28 students (Year 8)
Students will begin a week-long immersion for their new learning expedition this week.
They will have their first PE session on Friday so will need their PE kit.
Start times and kit list
All students need to be in school for an 8.30am start so they must arrive by 8.25am at the latest. There will be staff in school supervising so students can arrive from 8.00 am.
We will finish formal sessions at 3.15pm and there will be no extended study or activities after school this week. There are staff available if any student needs to stay later than 3:15pm, please contact your child’s crew leader or school office [email protected] if this is required. Students must leave school by 3.30pm on Friday.
As always, students need to bring a school bag with the following kit :
- A filled water bottle
- Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener
- A fully charged iPad
- Headphones – ideally not expensive ones, for example here
We also suggest that students bring a healthy snack for break time – no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks please as we do not allow these in school. Please note there are to be no nut products in snacks or packed lunches – this is especially important as we have students in this cohort who are highly allergic to nut products.
Lunches
On Monday, we will be sending out letters regarding ParentPay for our new students.
Students can choose to bring in a healthy packed lunch (no nut products, confectionary, fizzy or energy drinks) or have a school meal with us. We think that our meals are very good value at £2.50 per day. Our school dinners are very popular with our students, thanks to our wonderful cook Suzanne. Students make a daily food choice in crew each morning and we have a three week menu.
If your child receives a free school meal, we will provide lunch. Please contact the school office if you have any questions around school meals.
We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our students back tomorrow. 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].
Thank you for your ongoing support and a special thanks to G28 parents who have been sharing their XPG knowledge and expertise with our new G29 parents. Together we are definitely stronger #WeAreCrew.
Best wishes
Julie Mosley
Co-Principal
