Y7 - 11 Weekly Newsletter | Summer Term, Week 5 | Date: 19 May 2023

{alt_tag}
B week
All Day
From 22 May until 26 May
22
May
Public Exams
All Day
From 15 May until 23 Jun
15
May

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). 

WEEKLY MENU

 

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

** MENU SUBJECT TO CHANGE **
** GLUTEN-FREE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST **

(V) = Vegetarian (GF) = Gluten Free

SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS


Good afternoon,

It certainly feels like the summer term here now, with students enjoying lunchtimes and breaks outside, along with the start of the public exams. I must say that the students in Years 11 and 13 have approached this first full week of exams with a fantastic attitude. The pre-exam breakfasts have buzzed with nervous energy and students have taken full advantage of the support on offer. The post-exam conversations I have heard, or in fact been part of, have been equally positive. I know all too well that supporting students with the exam season is a job in itself from a parent's perspective, and I would like to thank all parents and carers for their ongoing help and encouragement at this time.

Today, it was a pleasure to welcome Ashley Carter back into school. Ashley was our Head of Classics between 1991 and 2005, and was also a school governor for many years. Since retiring, Ashley has continued to work in education, with much time spent working with exam boards developing specifications and the associated examinations for Latin. Alongside these commitments, Ashley is a prolific writer and came to school today to present me with a copy of his latest book for the school library: 'Selections from Virgil's Aeneid Books 7-12'.  I' would like to thank Ashley for his time and the book - I wish him every success with this publication.

Have a good weekend,

James Crowther - Headteacher


Music School car park

Over the past few months we have seen an increasing number of cars dropping off and picking up students in the Music department car park on Highbury Road. For the safety and security of students, only staff and authorised visitor cars are permitted in our car parks, and they should not be used for drop-offs or pickups. 


Year 7 English

For this term's unit about magical worlds, students have been looking at Shakespeare's The Tempest and fantasy writing. They were tasked with creating their own fantasy world maps, which they worked really hard on. Here are just some of the lovely results from 7C and 7R - including a world of Taylor Swift songs! 


Year 8 Textiles

Students produced some superb mood boards reflecting the theme of culture. This work will inspire the design of the drawstring bag product that they will be making.

Also this week, students enthusiastically tie-dyed their calico fabric for their bag products using a variety of techniques - spiral, bullseye, stripes! Next lesson they will see how their colours and effects have turned out! 


Duke of Edinburgh's Award 

Year 10 completed their expedition training for Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze Award at the weekend, with a walk around the villages southwest of Hitchin. It was a bit chilly but the rain held off. The recent wet weather meant that it was muddy underfoot but the bluebells were still out. Students are now ready to complete their qualifying expedition in June.


Junior Classics Society

This week in Junior Classics Society, Year 7s were busy painting their own ancient Greek pot sherds! Based on the two main styles of vase painting, red-figure and black-figure, their creations are stunning, as you can see. 

We had some students take inspiration from Greek myths, such as Icarus and Daedalus, and the iconography of gods and monsters, such as Cerberus, Zeus and Poseidon. Others were inspired by the common geometric patterns found on vases. We were pleased to see some students even writing their names in Greek on the back.

All in all we're very proud of the students' efforts and think they really enjoyed coming by.


Fundraising for Phase Hitchin

Phase is a charity that does amazing work with young lives across Hitchin, with a focus on building wellbeing and resilience so that they can thrive. Phase has worked with our students both in lessons and through Pastoral for a number of years, providing invaluable support for our school community.

Now the Phase team are completing an Everest climb challenge to raise vital funds for continuing their work with Hitchin's young people. Mrs Cole has been inspired to join the challenge and will be scaling (via a treadmill at an angle) as much of the height of Everest as she can on the night of 9 June. Having seen firsthand the positive impact that Phase has in our school, she felt she had to try and help their fundraising efforts.

If you would like to sponsor the climbing team please go to their Just Giving page. It's difficult being a teenager today, so please support this epic challenge to fund Phase's amazing work!

Make a donation

Managing exam stress - video

Take a look at this video for parents from Phase, about helping your child to manage exam stress.


{alt_tag}


CAREERS SPOTLIGHT



NOTICEBOARD - EDUCATION / CAREERS 


Connecting employers to local talent

Wednesday 24 May, 3.30 - 6pm (recommended to arrive by 5pm)

Knebworth Barns

Generation Stevenage is a careers fair for young people in and around Stevenage to meet local employers from a broad range of sectors, and discover the amazing opportunities available to them right here in Hertfordshire.

Generation Stevenage is hosted by Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (HOP) and powered by Hertfordshire LEP, in partnership with the Stevenage Development Board. Local students and their parents/carers are invited to attend.

Register to attend





Find out more and book


NOTICEBOARD - WELLBEING / SEND / SUPPORT



Webinar - Managing Study Stress

Tuesday 30 May, 1 - 2pm

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.

Self-help videos:

There is also a variety of self-help videos available that focus on a range of topics, including stress, sleep, nature, wellbeing and mindfulness. Click here for more information about the self-help videos.


 










Mental health support for
Hertfordshire's young people