Hitchin Girls' School Parent Portal - Y7 - 11 Weekly Newsletter

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).

WEEKLY MENU

[Every Day - Pasta / Jacket Potatoes & Toppings, Panini of the Day]

** MENU SUBJECT TO CHANGE **

Monday: HOISIN NOODLES (v), SWEET POTATO & BUTTER BEAN KORMA (v), CHEESE QUICHE (v), CHOCOLATE ORANGE SPONGE

Tuesday: CHICKEN & SAVOURY RICE (gf), SPICY QUORN FILLET (v), CHEESE & TOMATO WRAPS (v), APPLE & BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE (free from eggs, milk)

Wednesday: LAMB HOTPOT (gf), SPINACH & RICOTTA CANNELLONI (v), VEGGIE BURGER IN A BUN (v), TOFFEE APPLE TART

Thursday: CHICKEN & LEEK PIE, PASTA BAKE (v), CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI CHEESE (v), LEMON SPONGE

Friday: PASTA BOLOGNAISE, POTATO & ONION BAKE (v), FISHCAKES, CHOCOLATE CRUNCH (free from eggs, milk)

(v) = Vegetarian (gf) = Gluten Free

SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Message from the Headteacher

Good Afternoon,

As the end of term draws close there is lots going on in school; this week there have been a number of House charity events, Year 11s have been engaged in revision activities after school, Biology students visited Roche Pharmaceuticals in Welwyn, and we have had the Food Drive today.

We also had the Year 11 Dance GCSE performance on Monday evening - it was truly brilliant and I wish all the students the very best of luck for their practical assessments today!!

On Wednesday, the PE department ran the Years 7 & 8 Gym Competition. I had the honour of presenting the medals and trophies to the winning teams, and it was a lovely opportunity to share with the students some of our fantastic history; one of the trophies is 109 years old, and another is 103 years old. The students did amazingly well - they approached the competition with positivity and a great sense of respect and kindness towards their fellow competitors. The competition is a rite of passage and this year's cohort did themselves proud. Well done to them all, and a huge thanks to the PE department and the guest judges.

I also had the pleasure this week of awarding Headteacher Awards to a record number of students. A special mention is needed for the trampolinists who had great success at the national finals, well done to all involved - you can read about their achievements below.

Next week we have the Science Fair to look forward to, and two overseas trips will be departing: the Classics trip to Greece and the ski trip to Andorra. Lots to look forward to.

And this weekend we have a small group of students and staff going on a residential trip to Grafham Water- it looks like it will be an excellent weekend and I am looking forward to joining them on Saturday morning.

Have a good weekend,

James Crowther - Headteacher

Public exams timetable

The full timetable of this summer's public examinations (A Levels and GCSEs) is now published and can be found on our website here.

Our website also has a dedicated page for GCSE revision for our Year 11s, with links to useful information and resources.

HGS Culture Day

We are delighted to let you know that, to celebrate the vast diversity within our school community, we will be hosting our first Culture Day on Tuesday 25 April.

Students are encouraged to dress in appropriate cultural attire - this could
be traditional dress or clothes in the colours of a national flag - or simply bring in a flag.

Throughout the day, there will be activities for everyone to get involved in and opportunities to learn about different cultures.

Students will be able to model their outfits on the ‘HGS Runway’ in the Main School Hall at lunchtime.

There will also be a variety of foods from around the world in the Dining Room and a range of cultural treats on sale!

Road safety reminders -
dropping off and picking up

When dropping off or picking up students, please be reminded to not pull up on the double yellow lines at the top of Hollow Lane around the corner from the school. This has been a hazard for our students crossing the road and for other road users, and residents have reported it to the Police.

We also ask that our car park on Wymondley Road is not used to drop off or pick up your child.

Free School Meals - holiday provision

Families who qualify for Free School Meals will receive a £30 supermarket voucher per child for use during the Easter holidays. This will be emailed by Edenred on Monday 27 March - please look out for it in your inbox.

Prayer room available in school

With the start of Ramadan, a reminder that there is a room available for students of all faiths who wish to pray. It's on the top floor of the Woodside building and is open during lunchtime every day.

Trampolining national championship results - including national champions!

At the national trampolining finals in Northampton last weekend, all seven of our students competed brilliantly.

Rowan finished 7th individually in Novice and Izzy finished 3rd in the Inter event. The Y7-9 team finished 8th.

Eve, Chloe and Lily became national champions in the Y10-14 Inter category!

Great achievements through three tough rounds of competition. Well done to everyone who took part.

Years 7 & 8 Gym Competition

A lot of effort, preparation and composure were on show for the annual Gym Competition held this week. Very well done to all and congratulations to the winners.

Transition outreach - Science

We had one of our Science taster days for Year 6 students with Mr Derrett, our Head of Physics. Pupils from Samuel Lucas Junior School had a go at using Bunsen burners to see the different colour flames produced by burning metals. They all did well at carefully following instructions and safety procedures to carry out the experiments.

Food Drive - thanks for your donations

Thank you to everyone who was able to bring in contributions to our Easter Food Drive today. They will all be passed on to the Letchworth Food Bank to help those most in need in our community.

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Athletics track open event

Saturday 1 April, 1 - 4pm

The outdoor athletics season begins in April, and the Stevenage and North Herts Athletics Club are starting the season with a Track Open at Ridlins Track. Photo finishes will be provided. The link to the entry form is below and the timetable is on the entry form.

It would be lovely to see as many students in action as possible as they do not need to be members of the club. It is also an opportunity for those in Year 10 doing GCSE PE to get a time for an event with a photo finish.

If you have any queries, please speak to Miss Murch.

Entry form and timetable

Charity Month

Our Houses have been running fundraising events for their chosen charities this month. Please come along, join in and support them as much as you can!

CAREERS SPOTLIGHT

NOTICEBOARD - LOCAL PROVISION

For families in receipt of Free School Meals:
HAPpy Holidays

Looking for something to keep your children entertained this Easter Holiday?

Through DfE funding, Hertfordshire County Council and Herts Sports Partnership have coordinated a huge range of activities running at different venues across the county.

Each activity will offer a nutritious meal and all of this is free for young people in receipt of benefits-related free school meals.

Eligible families can book for free using their unique HAPpy Booking Code. When prompted, please make sure you enter the whole code, which includes the ! symbol in the middle of the code.

You will be able to search for activities using your postcode or child’s age – places are limited and strictly on a first come basis - book online at:
https://www.sportinherts.org.uk/booking

Need help? Hertfordshire Libraries have computers you can use, and friendly staff who will be able to help.

Additionally, there is a range of online activities to look through, with ideas for learning more about history, music and theatre, plus ways to keep your family active for 60 minutes each day! View these at
https://www.sportinherts.org.uk/haf/enrichment

Lastly, our information page has links to a variety of organisations and advice you and your family may find useful. Visit this at
https://sportinherts.org.uk/useful-local-services

NOTICEBOARD - EDUCATION / CAREERS

Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal

It's English Tourism Week 2023, an annual celebration of English tourism. There is no better way to explore hospitality and tourism in Herts than checking out the Visit Herts website.

This week HOP is showcasing careers and opportunities in hospitality and tourism within Hertfordshire. Explore their hospitality and tourism page on HOP

Opportunities of the week

Hanbury Manor Marriott are offering a great opportunity to be a Culinary Apprentice Chef.

Ashridge House is a bustling estate set in 190 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens. They've got plenty of exciting opportunities for a wide variety of roles.

Champneys run health resorts / spas and a beautify college. They are currently recruiting for Level 3 Aspirational Manager Apprentices in Tring. Find out more and apply he re.

Oxford Classics Creative Writing Competition

The Oxford Faculty of Classics are delighted to announce their Classics Creative Writing Prize for UK students aged between 11 and 18. The first prize is £100 and there are other prizes too!

The competition's aim is to inspire a creative response to images from the Manar al-Athar Photo Archive and to encourage curiosity in, and reflection on, the ancient world.

All applicants have to do is choose a picture from the photo archive and use that as inspiration to write one of the following:

Poem
Short Story
Play
Monologue
Comic/Graphic Novel
Creative Description

All entries must be under 1000 words.

Deadline: Sunday 21 May 2023

Full info and how to enter

Work experience with Johnson Matthey

Johnson Matthey is a sustainable technologies company who apply cutting-edge science to create solutions that make a real difference to the world around us in the journey to Net Zero.

They are hosting two insight days in July for Years 10 and 12 students considering a career in STEM. Each day will include examples of the exciting work they do, career entry options (apprenticeships / graduate programmes, etc.), career pathways, the different job roles available in a global organisation, and tips on CVs and interviews. It will be an opportunity to gain insight into working in a global company and ask any questions.

The second call for applications to the 7th edition of Barcelona International Youth Science Challenge is now open and will close on April 12th. Don't miss out!

BIYSC is a two-week international summer programme of excellence, which is committed to stimulating talent and promoting scientific vocations among young students. A total of 14 international research centres and scientific and technological institutions are involved in this 7th edition of the programme, enabling the creation of 14 hands-on research projects that cover a broad range of subjects across the STEM fields. Participants will have a unique experience in a real research environment alongside active scientists and researchers.

This summer, around 150 selected aspiring scientists aged 16 to 18 years old will enjoy BIYSC from 3 July to 14 July in Barcelona.

Find out more

Allsop are inviting applications for apprenticeships in real estate / surveying, for September 2023 start. Applications will close on Friday 31 March.