Dear Families
It has been a busy first week back as usual and we have all quickly got back into working hard after the half term break. Our focus this term is ‘culture, culture, culture’ – making sure that we continue to build strong foundations which will support us as we grow and welcome new staff, students and families into our crew. The culture to ensure we build our character values, beautiful work and academic success.
Student-Led Conferences
Our students are working hard now preparing for their Student-Led Conferences which start next week.
You should now have booked an SLC slot. Please contact [email protected] if you have not had information on booking an SLC slot or are having any difficulties.
To help your child prepare for their SLC, in their email to you they asked that you complete this short Google Form. This gives you the opportunity to ask any questions about your child’s progress which they will then address as part of their conference. This form should have been completed last week. If you have not already done so, please complete the form now so your child can be well prepared for their SLC.
G30 Transition
Last week we met our new G30 families for an In-Person Information Evening. It was great to meet parents and carers and welcome them to our school and go through key messages for a great start in August. Thank you already to our G28/29 crew who have been supporting our new parents with any questions they have on the facebook page ‘Parents of XP Gateshead’. You know exactly how it feels at this stage and the many things to consider around the transition from primary to secondary. We really appreciate your support and the reassurance you can give, especially around the importance and positive impact of the Outward Bound experience.
I’d like to give a shout out to Jess B, Leon, Macie, Betsy, Will, Holly S and Lily for their stewardship on Wednesday. They stayed behind after extended study to help us set up for the evening, moving chairs and tables. Their compassion was much appreciated by myself, Ms Donlan, Miss Diamond and Mr Said.
G28 Expedition – “Is migration worth the risk?”
Students have this last week started to explore migration during the Tudor period and have learned from the work of Dr Miranda Kaufmann about people that came to England from Africa, including a musician – John Blanke – in the court of Henry VIII. As well as reading more on their anchor text ‘Of Mice and Men’, they have also been learning more about climate change. This will connect to their studies on migration as students learn more about how climate and the need for more sustainable energy generation can be a push or pull factor which impacts on migration. We have some fieldwork connected to this planned – more information on this soon.
G29 Expedition – “How does water shape our world?”
Students have been learning about river processes in preparation for upcoming fieldwork where they will test a hypothesis about the differences that they would expect to see in a river at various points in its course. This fieldwork will be on July 4th – more information on this soon. They have also been continuing to learn about humans’ relationship with, and impact on ecosystems. This last week we were visited by experts from Durham Wildlife Trust who helped students prepare for their upcoming fieldwork this week. Students are learning about water voles as a river species that is an indicator of the health of the ecosystem. They will be out in the field this week alongside experts, collecting scientific data which will be used to determine next steps in protecting this important species. More details below.
Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA®) courses
Thank you to all parents/carers who have signed up to attend a half day Youth Mental Health Aware training course (MHFA®). 28 parents have signed up for this course and we are able to offer 3 separate face to face sessions – Friday 23rd June am, Monday 26th June pm and Monday 3rd July twilight. Each course will run for 3.5 hours (including breaks) and has a maximum of 12 spaces. This week, we will email the parents who have signed up for the course with full details.
This week
G29 Fieldwork 13th and 14th June
On Tuesday 13th June (G29 class 1) and Wednesday 14th June (G29 class 2) students will undertake a day of Fieldwork at Killhope Lead Mine museum collecting scientific data to support Durham Wildlife Trust water vole project . This will help students to study the distribution of an important, yet declining species and see the impact of habitat quality has on their population. Please see Mr Mead’s post for full details on timings and required kit for the day.
Please discuss this fieldwork with your children and remind them of our expectations to show our character traits and habits of work and learning both inside and out of school. We are developing a good working relationship with the wildlife trust and want this to continue.
PE sessions
PE sessions will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week – however there are some changes due to the fieldwork. Please note the following and make sure that your child has full PE kit:
Tuesday PE sessions for Y7 Class 2 and Y8 Class 2
Wednesday PE sessions for Y7 Class 1 and Y8 Class 1
Extended Study and clubs
Extended Study and clubs are running after school this week.
Looking Ahead:
There are no Extended Study or after school clubs running next week due to SLCs.
Staff Development Days – Friday 23rd June and Monday 26th June 2023. Students are not expected to be in school on this day.
As usual, if you have any questions please contact your child’s crew leader in the first instance.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Julie Mosley
Co-Principal