Y7 - 11 Weekly Newsletter | Spring Term, Week 4 | Date: 26 Jan 2024
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REPORTING STUDENT ABSENCE
We have an online absence reporting form for all absences (whole day or part of the day). If you are unable to use the form you will need to email absence@hgs.herts.sch.uk with the student's name and tutor group, reason for absence and expected return date (if known).
[Every day - Pasta / Jacket Potatoes & Toppings, Panini of the Day]
** MENU SUBJECT TO CHANGE **
** GLUTEN-FREE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST **
Monday: PASTA CHEESE PARCELS (v), QUORN HOTPOT (v), CHEESE QUICHE (v), LEMON SPONGE
Tuesday: CHICKEN & LEEK PIE, CURRIED CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI CHEESE (v), CHEESE & TOMATO WRAPS, APPLE FLAPJACK (free from eggs, milk)
Wednesday: SAUSAGE PASTA, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, LENTIL & CHICKPEA KORMA (v)(gf), CHEESE QUICHE (v), SYRUP SPONGE
Thursday: CHICKEN COBBLER (v), BBQ NOODLES (v), BACON & CHEESE PASTRIES, APPLE CRUNCH (free from wheat, eggs, milk)
Friday: PASTA BOLOGNAISE, QUORN IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE (v), FISHCAKES, GOLDEN KRISPIE (free from eggs)
(V) = Vegetarian (GF) = Gluten Free
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SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Good afternoon,
As I write this, a group of Year 11s are excitedly waiting outside to set off on the History revision trip to Abbey Theatre, St Albans. It has been a great week for Year 11s, as yesterday they also took part in the Get Work Ready careers day. A huge thank you to the ELSA team and all the volunteers, some of whom were parents and former students, who gave their time to support our students. I was really pleased to hear so much positive feedback regarding the engagement, participation, confidence, knowledge and skills of our students - please do take the time to discuss the day with your child.
I have also been incredibly impressed with the continued engagement with exam preparation from our Year 11s. This is another point for praise at home; and as we get closer to the exams, supporting our students with the perseverance and hard work needed will be a real joint effort between home and school.
Tomorrow is Holocaust Memorial Day and we have marked this day with a special presentation created by Mr Hanse and Mr Adams that has been shared during form time this week. Again, this will provide another talking point at home.
Also this week, congratulations go to our trampolinists and swimmers for their excellent achievements in competitions - you can read all about that below.
The Year 9 Options deadline is today, and I know that there has been much conversation in school and at home regarding the choices students are making. Thank you for your support with this exciting stage in your child's education; it really is a time when they can focus on their aspirations and choose a path of study that suits them and meets their needs.
I do need to share with you some important information regarding online safety. The local Police have informed me, and other local headteachers, of a WhatsApp group they have discovered that has been circulating in the North Herts/Stevenage area among school children that is labelled ‘ADD EVERYONE YOU KNOW’. The contents of the messages in this group have been a cause for concern as there are children as young as 11 being added and some of the images included are highly inappropriate/offensive in nature. Please do speak with your child about their use of WhatsApp, and monitor the groups they are joining to protect them from content such as this.
On a lighter note, today I had the wonderful experience of being joined for 'Tea with the Head' by three Year 9 students, Helena, Anjli and Fiona. Helena selected 'Tea with the Head' as a reward for her achievements in the Autumn term. We had a lovely chat about life at the school, their Options and aspirations, and it was a genuine highlight of my week. Thank you Helena, Anjli and Fiona!
Have a good weekend,
James Crowther, Headteacher
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Contacting school staff
Parents/carers are reminded to use our general email address, admin@hgs.herts.sch.uk, to contact any staff member. Our admin team will direct your query to the correct teacher, leader or member of non-teaching staff.
Please ensure your child’s name and tutor group, as well as the staff member you wish to contact, are included in the subject of your email.
Please use the admin@ email every time you make a new contact. Thank you.
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Dropping off student belongings
We have had an increasing number of parents dropping off PE kits and other required items throughout the school day. Students are asked to check they are bringing everything they need for the day as office staff cannot always be available to receive and distribute forgotten items.
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Get Work Ready!
We welcomed Elsa Next Generation and a host of employers into school this week for Get Work Ready, our careers event for Year 11s. Representatives from the NHS, Computacener, Settle, the British Army, Astrazeneca, Tesco, Roche, Whitbread and many other organisations gave workshops and conducted lots of mock interviews. We're really grateful to them for their time and all the info and insights they were able to share with our students.
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Sporting successes
Swimming:
Massive congratulations to our swim team! The Junior and Inter teams came 2nd, the Senior team were placed 3rd, and overall HGS won 1st place!
Trampoline:
Eleven of our students competed in the zonal round of the national schools trampolining competition in Solihull last weekend, where the Years 7-9 team finished 3rd and 4th overall, and the Years 10-14 team finished as zonal champions! They progress to the national finals in March, as do Eve and Chloe, who finished 2nd and 3rd individually.
Congratulations to all, and many thanks to the HBS Revolutions coaches and judges who travelled to the West Midlands.
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Business Studies
Fantastic support last week from Sixth Form Business students who are giving their time and expertise to our Year 10s in their Enterprise Challenge. Well done Phoebe, Rose, Emilia and Sophie!
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NOTICEBOARD - CAREERS / HIGHER EDUCATION
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Geriatrics & Recovery
Sunday 4 February, 8.30am - 5pm
Years 10 - 13
The NHS Virtual Allied Healthcare Work Experience offers a unique opportunity for aspiring healthcare professionals. Coming up in February, a rare occasion for students to hear from an exceptional guest speaker, Sarah Trevannah, a seasoned nurse with a wealth of experiences, stories and insights to share.
Sarah provides invaluable guidance to help future professionals embark on their dream healthcare careers. Through Sarah’s talk, students will gain an up-close look at the healthcare industry, and in the LIVE virtual work experience, they will delve into diverse roles within healthcare, and take a closer look at patient care by following the journeys of two patients from incident through to treatment.
The NHS Allied Healthcare Work Experience is the largest programme for aspiring healthcare professionals, having successfully invited 12,000+ students to participate in its programme last year - many of whom have gone on to study:
- Nursing
- Midwifery
- Paramedicine
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Dietetics
- Radiography
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Pharmacy
Once registered, students will receive access to their virtual work experience portals. Better yet, every complete session comes with a Work Experience Certificate, and for those who complete the full 6-month programme, there's a Highly Commended Reference – a golden ticket for their apprenticeship and UCAS applications.
Students can register at any time throughout the 6-month programme using the link below. Early booking is recommended to gain as much out of this programme as possible.
Places are £10 a session to cover administrative and technological costs, or £50 for the full 6 months:
https://alliedhealthmentor.org/nhs-healthcare-careers-virtual-work-experience/
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National Apprenticeship Week
5 - 11 February
Amazing Apprenticeships has a wealth of information, including monthly parent newsletters. Also take a look at their one-sheet: Interested in Apprenticeships - What Now?
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Uncover Engineering is a residential programme that gives girls and Black African and Caribbean heritage students in Year 10 the opportunity to explore Engineering studies, while offering a glimpse into university life.
The programme is run by Oxford University and students will stay in a college for four days in April, where they will complete engineering-focused activities and workshops organised by the Department of Engineering Science. Students will also find out about life at Oxford and living in a college (including a formal dinner!). Applicants should be predicted to obtain a minimum of six GCSEs graded at 7-9. These must include Maths, Science and English.
There are two programmes:
(a) Uncover for girls - for girls or students who identify as a girl or non-binary.
(b) Uncover for Black African and Caribbean heritage students - who identify as being of Black African and Caribbean heritage and students of mixed race with Black African and Caribbean heritage.
Applications close at 5pm on 31 January 2024.
More info and applications
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Think Cambridge is a three-week-long series of webinars to inspire Years 11 and 12 students to apply to Cambridge. Running from January to February 2024, each session is hosted virtually and consists of a presentation, comment from student ambassadors and additional visual elements.
- Week One: Learn about student life at Cambridge
- Week Two: Hear from lecturers and admissions tutors about courses and learning at Cambridge
- Week Three: Receive advice about next steps and the application process
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Hear from one of the world's largest
engineering & manufacturing companies
and home to the iconic KitKat!
Insight to Nestle - Careers in Engineering in Buxton, Derbyshire:
Insight to Nestle - Careers in Engineering in Staverton, Trowbridge:
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Saturday 27 January / Saturday 3 February / Sunday 4 February
All aspiring doctors in Years 10 - 12 are invited to register
These conferences offer tailored advice for applying to study Medicine, covering a range of crucial topics:
- Tactically choosing universities
- Personal statements
- UCAT
- Medical school interview skills
- Medical leadership programmes
- Awards programmes
- Extracurricular activities
- Work experience
- Building a CV
- Applying for scholarships
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National Apprenticeship Week, 5 - 11 Feb
Over 330,000 young people started an apprenticeship last year, with 6% more higher apprenticeships than the year before.
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NOTICEBOARD - WELLBEING / SEND / SUPPORT
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DSPL is a Hertfordshire-wide partnership approach in which parents/carers, school staff, local authority officers and other agency staff work together as part of an Area Group, to ensure that there is a range of provision and support services available in their local community that:
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Meets the needs of children and young people (aged 0-25) with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as close to home as possible.
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Improves outcomes for wellbeing and attainment
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Widens choice for children and parents/carers
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Removes barriers to learning
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Uses resources more effectively
More info including parent workshops
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