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.ukwith 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 ** ** GLUTEN-FREE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST **
Monday: PASTA CHEESE PARCELS (v), VEGETARIAN MINCE SHEPHERD'S PIE (v)(gf), CHEESE & ONION PASTRIES (v), WHITE CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY SPONGE
It has been a significant week for our Year 11 and Year 13 students as they have completed their formal lessons before moving into the full exam period for their GCSEs and A-levels. On Thursday Year 11s enjoyed a celebration breakfast and signed shirts in what was a lovely atmosphere. Today, as is tradition, our Year 13 leavers arrived in themed dress - 'When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?'. So, we had pirates, chefs, astronauts, explorers, dentists, pilots, swimmers, builders, doctors and fighter pilots (and some of those were the tutors), to name but a few. It was great to hear the speeches from the students and staff - they shared fond memories and a real sense of family and community that we know and love here.
I wish all of Year 11 and Year 13 the very best with the exams that lie ahead. Beyond exams an exciting future awaits them; I am incredibly proud of them all.
Have a great weekend,
James Crowther - Headteacher
Study leave starts for Years 11 and 13
It's been a week of last lessons and goodbyes, as GCSE and A Level students now go on study leave. We wish each and every student success in their exams, and in the next step of their journey, whatever that may be. Do stay in touch!
Year 11's last day
Year 13 dressed up on their last day for this year's theme - what they wanted to be when they grew up when they were younger!
Library news
Reading Group farewell party!
It was the end of an era this week as the Reading Group said goodbye to the Year 13 Goblins! We wish them good luck in their A Levels and their next ventures!
They have been a welcoming presence on the sofas in the Library every Wednesday lunchtime, and brilliant mentors and role models to younger students joining the Reading Group.
Alfie, Amelia, Flora, Isabella, Jemma, Lucy and Ruby have also been Student Librarians for several years - some since Year 7! In the Sixth Form they have lived in the Library, becoming Mrs Goose's Personal Assistants. They have answered the phone, issued Chromebooks and generally been a great help. How will Mrs Goose cope now?
With the leaving gifts from Mrs Goose - a books tote bag & Nosh for Students cookbook!
Year 12 Geography field-trippers hit East Anglia
Last week saw Year 12 geographers in Norfolk and Suffolk conducting three days of fieldwork for their Geography A Level. From the streets and markets of Norwich to the windswept sand dunes of Southwold, Year 12s were exploring urban environments and coastal geography, using data collection methods to develop their fieldwork skills.
Armed with clipboards and maps, ranging poles and quadrats, infiltrometers and clinometers, they evaluated accessibility and conducted urban soundscapes, measured out sand dunes, estimated species abundance, assessed coastal defences and explored carbon cycles; and no one lost any equipment in Southwold, honest! (Retrieved from outside the chip shop!)
For our fieldwork foragers it was all about developing the skills and building confidence in choosing a topic for their own NEA investigation, exploring and familiarising themselves with the methods that they will be using to collect their own data.
Students stayed on campus at the University of East Anglia for the duration of the trip, including evening classroom time and taking meals in the on-site restaurant; being able to use the campus gym was also an added bonus. Altogether, it was a packed, informative, fun-filled field trip!
Managing exam stress - video
Take a look at this video for parents from Phase, about helping your child to manage exam stress.
Mental health - introducing The Sandbox
The Sandbox is an NHS-funded mental health website for children, young people and their families in Hertfordshire, which will replace the Kooth website. We have been particularly impressed with The Sandbox and encourage both parents and students to take a look.
As well as signposting to local organisations, The Sandbox offers excellent parent guides and self-help worksheets for young people with an emphasis on practical support, all presented in clear language and in an attractive, digestible format.
It's a one-stop hub for a wide range of resources related to mental health and wellbeing, covering Body Image, Exam Stress, Grief, Loss & Life Changes, Self Esteem, Emotions & Moods, Goal-setting, Sleep, Neurodiversity and more.
Experience for students interested in Medicine and Healthcare - online & in person
Ages 14 - 18
The online course takes place on Saturday 13 May and is a day of Surgery work experience. This interactive day is delivered by practising surgeons amd current medical students, and is designed to give students a meaningful insight into careers in Medicine and surgery. The doctors will guide you through how they would conduct a surgical consultation and how surgery is performed.
This in-person course is something very special indeed. It takes place at King's in London on Sunday 21 May, where students will be allowed to enter the dissection room with NHS doctors, who will be examining real medically donated specimens.
Hot House Dance Youth Dance Workshop HOFESH Dance Company
Sunday 14 May, 10.30am - 3.30pm
At The John Henry Newman School, Hitchin Road, Stevenage
Ideal for all youth dancers, and those taking or planning to take Dance GCSE. Gain new insights, and explore the work of the award-winning and internationally renowned Hofesh Dance Company.
In this workshop, participants will learn about the Hofesh Shechter Company’s distinctive movement style directly from two of the company's current dancers (they are amazing!).
Sessions will include a warm-up exploring Hofesh's fundamental movement principles, as well as learning repertoire and imagery from his work. There will also be a short Q&A at the end.
An added bonus for any dancer taking GCSE / A Level / BTEC Dance, as Hofesh is studied in the courses.
This webinar is to support the wellbeing of students who are aged 16+ and are currently studying.
The webinar explores why we worry about the future, how uncertainty makes things worse, and what to do about study stress. It provides guidance on cognitive and behavioural techniques which students can learn themselves to manage their own symptoms, stay in the present and prepare calmly for the future.
Exams, studying and academia are a source of stress for many, be that day-to-day study or preparing for an exam. This webinar will support you in techniques to manage this.
Worry is not an inevitable consequence of stress; rather, it is a mental process we can choose to engage in, or not. By writing worries down, learning the difference between worry and other forms of challenge, and introducing balance to our daily lives, we stand a good chance of limiting our worry.
The webinar also includes information about the free talking therapies on offer for anyone interested in accessing additional support for their wellbeing.
Key topics covered:
All about worry: what it is, why we do it and how we can do it less often.
Study stress: how it begins and how we keep it going; what to do and what not to do when preparing for assessments.
The CBT Study Stress Toolkit: SMART goals, behavioural tools and cognitive tools.
Cognitive tools: spotting unhelpful thinking habits, challenging unhelpful thoughts and choosing new, more flexible and realistic ways of thinking.
Please note to access this webinar programme you must be aged 16+ and be registered, or be intending to register, with a GP in Hertfordshire or Mid Essex.
If you require any additional support registering for any of the webinars, please email: hpft.iaptwebinars@nhs.net.
