HGS Weekly Newsletter | Spring Term, Week 11 | Date: 22 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: LEEK & MUSHROOM PIE (v), VEGETABLE KATSU CURRY (v), CHEESE & ONION PASTIES (v), CHOCOLATE & BANANA CAKE
Tuesday: SAUSAGES, CAULIFLOWER CHEESE (v), CHEESE QUICHE (v), ICED SPONGE
Wednesday: BEEF CHILLI (gf), PASTA BAKE (v), SPICY BEAN BURGERS TOPPED WITH SALSA & CHEESE (v), APPLE CRUMBLE (free from eggs, milk)
Thursday: NO LUNCH - SCHOOL FINISHES AT 12.30
(V) = Vegetarian (GF) = Gluten Free
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SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Good afternoon
The penultimate week of term has brought some fantastic achievements, annual traditions and plenty to celebrate.
The week started with the final stage of the Head Girl election process with the six candidates taking part in hustings in the Main School Hall. Every candidate demonstrated the skills and qualities needed to excel in the role and proved themselves to be great role models for our entire student body - well done to all! Bibi Winter was elected as Head Girl for 2024-25, with Kelcie Beyioku and Leyla Shibli appointed as Deputy Head Girls. Congratulations - I look forward to seeing them lead the prefect team next academic year.
With the peripatetic chamber concert and the Classics play taking place this week, students were able to showcase their performance talents. It was a real pleasure to see the play on Wednesday night. Having spoken to Elizabeth, Rebecca and Sophie a year ago, when the development of the play was the focus of their EPQs, it was lovely to see their vision come to fruition as an exceptional play that was expertly crafted and performed. Huge congratulations to all involved.
On Thursday, the Year 7s and 8s took part in the Gym Competition. This has been an annual event for over 100 years and is a wonderful example of our students working together, building their skills and supporting each other.
Finally, our students have had amazing sporting success of late - congratulations to Eve, Chloe, Izzy and Freya for their trampolining success and also to the Year 10 Futsal team. You can read about these achievements below.
And last but not least, I wish all our Hitchin Belles footballers playing in the County Cup finals tomorrow the very best of luck!
A reminder that school finishes at 12.30 on Thursday 28 March as we break up for Easter.
Have a good weekend,
James Crowther, Headteacher
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Free School Meals - vouchers for Easter
Hertfordshire County Council will be providing supermarket vouchers for each child entitled to benefit-related free school meals to cover the Easter 2024 holiday period.
Eligible families will receive a digital supermarket voucher to the value of £30 on 25/03/2024, which you must redeem within 3 months (the expiry date will be included in the email that you receive from noreply@edenred.co.uk).
Please check your junk folder if you don't see the email.
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Meet the Head Girl team for 2024-25
Congratulations Bibi, Kelcie and Leyla, the newly elected Head Girl team for next year.
Bibi Winter, Head Girl
Hello! My name is Bibi and I am delighted to be HGS Head Girl for the 2024-2025 academic year. I am in Frank House, and for my A Levels I am taking Psychology, Sociology, Spanish and Politics. I am incredibly proud to be part of Hitchin Girls’, and as Head Girl, I hope to build upon the thriving community we have within the school by further extending the implementation of our five core values into the wider community. I feel very privileged to be able to represent our school, and I look forward to working with Leyla and Kelcie to carry on the legacy of previous Head Girl teams and make positive changes for current and future students.
Kelcie Beyioku, Deputy Head Girl
Hiya! My name is Kelcie. I'm absolutely buzzing to be one of your Deputy Head Girls for the year 2024/5. I take Sociology, Psychology and Music Performance. My main aims are to ensure you all feel heard and seen by acknowledging all your praise and concerns, to give back to the school community in any way possible and to represent you as students and the school. I care so much for the students of our school and I’m so excited to be there for you guys and represent you all to the best of my ability.
Leyla Shibli, Deputy Head Girl
Hi everyone, I'm Leyla, and I'm one of the Deputy Head Girls for 2024-2025. Sixth Form so far has been an amazing experience; I'm thoroughly enjoying the independence, the challenge and my subjects. I'm currently studying Chemistry, Maths and Classics. I'm really excited to be a part of your Head Girl team, a role that goes beyond just representing the school. It's a chance to contribute to the collective journey we share. Connection and collaboration are really important to me - recognising that our strength as a school doesn’t only lie in our individual achievements, but in our ability to share the diverse skills, perspectives and experiences within our community as well. I look forward to working with you all next year!
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National champions!
At the national schools trampolining finals in Telford last weekend, our 10-14 yrs Inter team finished 1st overall - what an amazing achievement for Eve, Chloe, Izzy and Freya! Eve was also crowned individual champion - incredible result! Many congratulations to you all!!
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... and County champions!
Our Year 10 Futsal team have become County champions after not losing a single game in the tournament - even more impressive as they were competing against Year 11 teams as well. Plus a special mention to Maia who was awarded Player of the Tournament!
Congratulations also to the Year 9 team, who came a respectable 4th in the County with lots of very close games.
Well done all for a fantastic season and all your determination and teamwork!
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A Level Business Studies
A group of our Year 13 Business students had an inspiring visit to SEI Investments in London last week. They really enjoyed the tour of the offices (including its many artworks), conversations and talks with a whole variety of employees and some fun activities - especially the marshmallow one! The SEI graduates and apprentices had some invaluable advice to offer as well. Our thanks go to SEI and Anne Hammond who organised this.
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A Level Politics
We were very pleased to have local Labour MP Alistair Strathern, who was elected in the Mid-Bedfordshire by-election last year, come and talk directly with our A Level Politics students this week. Our thanks to Alistair for his time and very comprehensive responses to the wide-ranging questions our students asked in a lively hour-long Q&A session.
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KS3 Art Club
This term's Art Club assignment has been to create polar bears with newspaper, tape and modroc. Students were given images of different polar bear poses and icebergs to create their own arctic scene.
The process involved first using scrunched up newspaper to make the general shape of the bear, and then refining this shape using modroc. The students then created depth by using tea to stain the shadows, and drew on faces with a Sharpie.
They then made the icebergs using recycled cardboard in various shapes, sticking on tissue paper, maps and imagery to curate their own scene to pair with their polar bear.
The students worked collaboratively to arrange their creations and compose the final installation. We think they were very successful in this project, working hard and staying engaged throughout the process.
Sophie, Yssy and Lola (Year 12)
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U14 Hitchin Belles in County Cup final!
The U14 Hitchin Belles FC Blue team have made it to the County Cup final! Kick off will be this Saturday 23 March, 10am at Hertfordshire FA, County Ground, Letchworth. Good luck to our Year 9s - Izzy, Olivia, Ellie, Bea, Serena, Ava, Charlotte, Ava, Evie! - and the whole team!
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North Herts Schools Book Awards 2024
More than 100 students from ten local schools met up at HGS last Friday for the annual North Herts Schools Book Awards. The event, organised by the librarians from all the schools, saw students discussing this year's shortlisted titles, designing new front covers for the books and listening to an inspiring talk by one of last year's winning authors, Yasmin Rahman. Following a vote by the students, this year's winners were announced as Until the Road Ends by Phil Earle in the younger category, and Boy Like Me by Simon James Green in the older category.
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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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Just Talk Poetry Competition 2024
There are no restrictions on style or content - just take the theme of 'The Power of Small' as your starting point. You can interpret the theme in any way you find meaningful.
Competition Details:
- Open to: All Hertfordshire KS3, KS4 and KS5 students
- Competition Dates: Entries to be submitted between Monday 11th March and Thursday 28th March 2024.
- Entries must be sent to the Pastoral Team by Thursday 28th March. We've had several winners and special mentions in the past. Winning entries will be published in a poetry book and the winners will receive their own copy.
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Talent Identification Programme
for Female Track Cycling (Endurance)
British Cycling are looking for the next generation of talented female track cyclists to continue the international success of British Olympic medallists Dame Laura Kenny, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker. They are scouting for females born in 2009/2010/2011 with Endurance potential to join their talent development programme. Anyone interested in being considered for this should fill in this form: https://forms.office.com/e/kaxWvEEQk1
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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:
Please note this webinar is open to the public and those attending will be anonymous.
More info and register
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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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