HGS Weekly Newsletter | Spring Term, Week 8 | Date: 1 March 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), CHEESY BEAN YORKSHIRES (v), SPICY BEAN BURGERS TOPPED WITH SALSA & CHEESE (v), APPLE & BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE (free from eggs, milk) Tuesday: SAVOURY MINCE & ONION PIE (v), PASTA BAKE (v), CHEESE & TOMATO WRAPS (v), LEMON SPONGE Wednesday: BBQ SAUSAGE NOODLES, CAULIFLOWER CHEESE (v), CHEESE QUICHE (v), CHOCOLATE SCRUMMY Thursday: CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, PASTA BAKE (v), CHEESE & ONION PASTIES (v), CARROT CAKE Friday: PASTA BOLOGNAISE, POTATO & ONION BAKE (v), FISHCAKES, CHOCOLATE CRUNCH (free from eggs) (V) = Vegetarian (GF) = Gluten Free |
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SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS |
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Good afternoon, This may be a short half-term but there is a lot to look forward to - and it's also an incredibly important half-term for our Year 11 and Year 13 students as their summer exams draw closer. The Year 11s have had their second round of mocks this week and the students have been brilliant in their approach to these exams. Well done to them all for their focus and work, and thank you to all the families supporting them at home. On Tuesday I met with a group of Year 9s to award Headteacher's Awards for their participation in the Talk the Talk day before half-term. The visiting presenters nominated students from each group based on the quality of their contributions and their effort throughout the day. It was a real pleasure to hear the students describe the skills they had learnt and what they enjoyed about the day. Well done! Tuesday was also a special day in school as Mrs Stimpson, one of our long-standing midday supervisors, celebrated a very special birthday. It was lovely to see literally hundreds of students wish her happy birthday as they came to the canteen at break; and then, once the canteen was full, the students burst into a rendition of 'Happy Birthday'. I know from speaking with Mrs Stimpson that these gestures really made her day. Next week we have our EPQ evening on Monday after school and our Evening of Dance performed by GCSE students - good luck to all involved. On Tuesday, Year 9 will hear from a Holocaust survivor - this talk is incredibly moving and thought-provoking, and will certainly be something to talk to your child about. Additionally, we have the Italy trip information evening and a Drama trip to see Frankenstein, and the week concludes with Year 11s attending an assembly led by NCS. Have a good weekend, James Crowther, Headteacher |
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Additional supplier of HGS uniform We are pleased to announce our new partnership with Smarty Schoolwear as a supplier of our school uniform alongside Beats. We aim to ensure best value and good availability by having two retailers of our uniform. From 11 March orders can be placed in Smarty stores in Stevenage, Hatfield and Potters Bar, or online at https://www.smartyschoolwear.co.uk/find-your-club-school-c1/hitchin-girls-school-c726.
Please also note that the school has a good stock of second-hand uniform, which is available to purchase at one of our regular sales (the next one will be on 16 March).
In addition the Hitchin Education Foundation provides grants to families who need financial assistance with buying uniform. Full details See our school uniform policy and uniform list |
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Lost propertyWe are still holding lots of unclaimed keys, earbuds and jewellery at the main school office. Please check if any of it belongs to you. 
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Year 8 Roman Britain Tour
In the week before half-term our budding Classicists headed to the West Country and Wales to take in Chedworth Villa, Caerleon and Bath, staying at 12-century St Briavels Castle along the way. The packed itinerary included visiting Roman ruins, baths and an amphitheatre, as well as hands-on activities with costumes, artefacts and mosaics, plus a lesson in reading Latin inscriptions - all bringing their classroom learning in Ancient Civilisations to vivid life. You can find out more about our Classics courses on our Curriculum page. |
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Year 7 ComputingIt was Micro:bit time in Year 7 Computing! The coding creations included wearable step counters, rock-paper-scissors games, keyboards that play tunes and mini Christmas trees! 
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Year 10 Business Studies - Enterprise Challenge"We made brownies with all different flavours and toppings, with the aim of raising as much money as possible for Garden House Hospice Care. We raised more than expected with large crowds too! We also managed to sell out in less than 20 minutes, which is a fantastic achievement for our first stall. Through this process we feel we have developed our organisational and business skills, as we had to develop our idea, adapt it and then, finally, ensure the event would run smoothly. We really enjoyed this first step to our enterprise business and look forward to running our next stall soon."
- Elsa and Lauren, Year 10 Find out more about our Business Studies curriculum 
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Indoor athletics A phenomenal performance from Year 7s and 8s in Sports Hall Athletics on the Thursday before half-term, in a very close competition for both year groups. The Year 7s placed 2nd and the Year 8s came 1st! Well done to all athletes! 
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Games of skill and chanceDobble, Jenga, Uno… all the classics were out for a week-long House boardgames tournament at lunchtime. Tutor group teams went head-to-head for those House points, with Jewel emerging as the overall winner! 
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Skating to SilverLatest roller hockey triumph for Lily-Rose Chandler (Y11)! As vice-captain, she helped lead her England Under-17s team to Silver in the Euro Girls 2024 tournament last week, where they competed against the Italian, German and Swiss national teams. Well done Lily-Rose! 
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New games in the LibraryAre you looking for something fun to do at lunchtime? Then why not have a go at one of the new games that have just arrived in the Library. There are lots of activities to try, including well-known games like Dobble and Boggle and new challenges like Fast Track, Speedy Words and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. The More or Less cards will get you guessing about everything from how much pizza is eaten in the US* to the life expectancy of a tiger**. Choose from questions on Geography, History, Science and Nature or General Knowledge, and you're guaranteed to learn some fun new facts! If you're feeling creative, you could have a go at developing your own adventure with the Story Cubes or get together with friends and take turns to make up a story. Old favourites such as Bananagrams, Rush Hour and chess will also be available. We look forward to seeing you in the Library for a fun-packed lunchtime. * An average of around 100 acres of pizza every day. ** An average of around 15 years in the wild. 
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The Association of British Science Writers is accepting submissions for this year's Young Science Writer Award, one of the most prestigious events in their calendar. The aim of the competition is to encourage talented 14 - 16-year-old students with a passion for STEM and writing to submit an 800-word essay on the topic of their choice. |
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As part of the Hertfordshire Careers Hub we are once again participating in their annual Apprenticeship Survey which has been running since 2019. We would really appreciate your help in completing this short survey to share your thoughts generally about post-16 options for your child. The survey responses are really useful to us as a school to identify how we can improve careers education and knowledge of the different pathways available for all students. Survey responses also help build up an accurate picture across Hertfordshire – you can read the outcomes of the 2023 survey here. The survey will be open until 31 March 2024. |
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Triangle Community GardenWe have lots going on to cheer up the winter months for adults and young people alike, including a winter photography workshop, a Big Garden Birdwatch event and our Triangle Tribe evenings. |
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NOTICEBOARD - WELLBEING / SEND |
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Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is offering a free online ‘Managing Study Stress’ webinar for students who are aged 16+, which covers some of the key content delivered in our in-person workshop. The webinar offers insights into the common triggers and symptoms of stress and provides guidance on cognitive and behavioural techniques which students can learn and use themselves to tackle these symptoms. These skills can be particularly helpful for students as they are preparing for their exams and/or completing coursework. The webinar will next run on the following dates: - Wednesday 6 March, 4.30 – 5.30pm
- Tuesday 28 May, 3 - 4 pm
Please note this webinar is open to the public and those attending will be anonymous. More info and register |
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Reducing Conflict online workshops Thursday 14 March, 9.30 – 11.30am AND
Wednesday 20 March, 7 – 9pm via MS Teams Conflicts are a regular occurrence within families. It’s often a normal part of everyday life. However, conflict that is frequent, intense and poorly resolved has a significant negative impact on children’s mental health and long-term life chances. This 2-hour workshop explores different types of conflict between couples and families. It will provide support in understanding the causes and impact of parental and family conflict on children and gives practical steps and strategies that parents can take to help improve their family relationships.
Book
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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: 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. Improves outcomes for wellbeing and attainment Widens choice for children and parents/carers Removes barriers to learning Uses resources more effectively
More info including parent workshops |
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