Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome back! We hope you have had a restful half term break and we are looking forward to welcoming our students back tomorrow.
Our usual reminders for a good start back…
Punctuality
School opens at 8:00am every morning. Students should arrive between 8:00am and 8:25 am and there are spaces available for socialising, reading or completing extended study. Students must be on site for 8.25am for the call to Crew.
Daily kit list
As always, students need to bring a school bag with:
- A filled water bottle
- Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener
- A fully charged iPad
- Their AR reading book (please remember that as part of our reading strategy, we expect all students to read between 20-30 mins. each day)
- Headphones
- A healthy snack for break (no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks, nut products)
- A notebook
Dress code
We ask students and staff to dress appropriately and modestly. See link here to details on dress code from our website.
PE sessions
As usual G28 students (Y8) will need a PE kit for Tuesday, G29 students (Y7) will need a PE kit on Wednesday.
Extended Study and Clubs
Clubs will all run this week along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. A reminder that if a student attends an after school club or extended study session they must attend the full sessions until 4:30pm.
Ongoing Expeditions and PoL dates for your diary
Our G29 students continue to work on their two expeditions until the end of this term. Their STEAM expedition, ‘Staying Alive’ with the guiding question: ‘Is survival sufficient?’ and their HUMAN expedition, ‘Do Your Bit’ with the guiding question: ‘Why is it important that we honour all those that sacrificed in WWI?’. A reminder that the presentation of learning for this will be on Friday 24th March at Newcastle University in the King’s Hall – a space that was used as a military hospital during WWI.
Our G28 students continue to work on one cross-curricular expedition this term with the guiding question and title of ‘What is Power?’. Their final presentation of learning – including an abridged performance of Macbeth – will be on Thursday 30th March at Caedmon Hall at Gateshead Central Library. More details to follow in a separate post this week.
Looking Ahead:
Strike Action
As you may be aware, the NEU teachers union have balloted and agreed a further strike action on Tuesday 28th February 2023. As leadership, we will do our best to minimise disruption to child’s education and we will update you in due course.
Staff Development Days
We have two staff development days this half term; Friday 10th and Monday 13th March. As normal, students are not expected to be in school on these days.
If you have any questions please contact your child’s crew leader in the first instance.
Thank you as always for your ongoing support.
Julie Mosley
Co-principal