Wishing everyone a safe and restful weekend when it arrives, I think everyone is looking forward to it!
As outlined yesterday please find below the link to a very short survey seeking feedback on the first two weeks of online learning. We are working really hard to ensure that this is of the highest possible quality and would really appreciate it if you could fill this in. It is deliberately very short and will only take a couple of minutes. Thank you in advance.
Student Wellbeing
Just as a reminder to support student’s wellbeing during this lockdown students have access to optional Wellbeing Resources. To give you an insight the quote for Mindful Monday was taken from none other than Professor Albus Dumbledore – “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to on the light.” To support this thinking, we also advertised in our Mindful Menu this week the website for the Happy Newspaper (https://thehappynewspaper.com) which aims to report on positive stories to remind ourselves that it isn’t all doom and gloom!
However aside from the news it is also important that we ourselves try to apply a positive mindset where possible. A few other ideas to support this could be:
- Encouraging students to write positive affirmations, these can be as simple as 5 ‘I am’ statements such as “I am trying my best.”
- Keep a daily positive diary, this includes just writing at least one thing per day that has made them laugh feel happy, proud, positive and so on.
Making note of coping strategies for when the negativity takes over, this can include a list of 5 things you can do on a break to help you feel calm and more positive. For example, reading or watching something funny, making a tasty snack, listening to your favourite song, running around the garden or even just taking out a big sigh!
Recommended Reads from Mrs Short – Week 2
Y7 – The 13 Storey Treehouse
Andy and Terry live in the WORLD’S BEST treehouse! It’s got a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory, a tank of man- eating sharks and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you’re hungry!
You can read the first chapter of the book by clicking on the link http://www.andygriffiths.com.au/wp-content/uploads/extracts/13StoreyTreehouse_chap1.pdf
Y8 – Mr Stink
Mr Stink lives up to his name. He is a real pongo, but Chloe gets to know the man behind the stink, and a friendship develops. This book really makes us think about how not to judge people by their appearance, or smell!
You can read the first chapter of the Mr Stink by clicking on the following link. Don’t forget to look at the amazing, brilliant, fabulous, phenomenal dialogue! https://issuu.com/childrensbooks/docs/mr_stink_-_chapter_1
Y9 – Clean Getaway
This book gives us loads to think about. It is set in America, and tells a short history of racism in the United States. If you would like some discussion topics, and learn more about the real people in the book (Medgar Evers, Emmett Till and Ruby Bridges) click on the link below.
https://images.randomhouse.com/promo_image/9781984892973_6648.pdf
You can watch a trailer for the book by clicking on the following link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zKomZFZGoI
KS4 – Everyday
Recommendation this week is an extract from a novel by David Levithan titled ‘Everyday’. This though-provoking story follows ‘A’, who wakes up each day in a different body. ‘A’ knows not to change things or get too involved, until one day ‘A’ meets Rhiannon, who changes everything. You can read an excerpt here..
https://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index.cfm/book_number/2772/every-day#excerpt
KS5 Recommended read form the BBC
Focusing on the benefits of exercise during Lockdown and how the Joe Wicks workouts have been, for some, lifechanging.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53487312
Head of Year Updates – Y11 and Mrs Avey…
There was a great deal of information in the bulletin yesterday relating to Y11 so we’ll keep it short today…
As always, the Year 11 Team remain very proud of the students and their efforts during lockdown and are confident that the mock results will provide a good starting point for further progress as we move towards the culmination of students’ GCSE and BTEC studies. Groups which have received a special shout out from staff this week include : GCSE PE class with Mr Goldsmith and Miss Amos; Miss Gray’s science classes; both Mr Williams’ science classes; 11c2 science with Mr Evans; Mr Thompson’s science class; 11b ma 1 maths with Mrs Crabtree; 11a ma1 with Mr Dodson; 11 c1 triple science with Miss Freeman; 11b1 English with Miss Edmonson and 11 c3 History with Mr Knox. Well done to all
AHS Careers – Year 11 Careers and Skills Fair – online live – 26th January 10am, repeated 28th January 6pm
This has already been posted on the Careers classroom also but a reminder that the YNY Careers and Skills Event will take place on the Learn Live platform on the 26th January, 10am and repeated on the 28th January, 6pm for parents and carers to access, these details have been posted on your child’s Careers Education Classroom, please encourage your child to attend this virtual event.
The event will…
- highlight key skills that transfer across a huge range of different careers and opportunities
- showcase key sectors and explore the breadth of possibility within the world of work – people gain experience, opportunities and jobs in thousands of different ways
- Inspire and create positivity in young people’s careers prospects.
https://learnliveuk.com/partner/york-north-yorkshire-lep/ – Please pre-register for this event to watch and to engage with the ‘Live Chat’ facility where they can ask contributors any questions about their pathways!
The video will be available On Demand following the live broadcasts and can be accessed at any time.
Some uplifting reflections from Miss Cox and Y12 following the Act of Collective Worship on Monday
It was a pleasure to read about our year 12 students’ reflections and their key takeaways from 2020 – they made me smile so I’m sharing them with you. Proud HOY to have such a mature and positive year group:
– Being grateful for friends and family (lots of students said this one)
– The importance of spending time with family and making the most of everyday, even when there isn’t much to do
– Don’t dwell on bad situations
– Learning to cook and developing skills whilst having the time to practise recipes
– No matter how bad the world seems, there is light
– Look for the positives
– Becoming closer to people in lockdown, meeting new people in sixth form and releasing my first song
– Starting sixth form and meeting new friends was great
– Proud of achievements/ GCSE results
– Take things as they come and accept you can’t control it
– Alone time is good
– Meeting new people and feeling a part of a great group of friends
-If you have faith, when times get tough, you will survive whatever the world throws at you
– Spending time with loved ones
– Make sure you value the things around you in life because it’s easy for them to be taken away so quickly
– Take every moment as it comes
– People heal with time
– Learning new skills, taking up new hobbies
– Proud of staying positive even when things are hard
That no matter how stressful times can get, it is essential that you make the time to look after yourself and keep yourself healthy in body and especially in mind. Additionally, 2020 really helped us to understand and appreciate the value of community, whether it’s the small things like when I helped my elderly neighbours every week by cutting their lawn and chatting to them to make sure they were alright during the trying times of lockdown, or whether it’s the much bigger things like the unity fund that made such a huge positive impact on the community which was partly thanks to the generosity of the AHS community. 2020 helped us all to find some form of light, in the darkest of places…
History Nerds
History Nerds is for students who enjoy History and want to learn more beyond their classroom curriculum. It is run by York Clio, a group of dedicated History teachers from across the city that look to inspire further interest and engagement from students.
This term they have invited back Professor James Walvin to speak about sugar and the slave trade on the 4th February at 6.30-8pm. He was one of the first historians to study Black History in the 1960’s and 70’s and has continued to research and publish a wide range of books on the topic of Slavery and the Slave Trade. You can see James chatting with Samuel L Jackson on the programme, ‘Enslaved’ on the BBC iPlayer, which is well worth a watch!
Please find the zoom conference link below. Please be aware students will not be seen, but can unmute and speak to ask questions or submit them as a written question.
https://york-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/96971851209?pwd=RlRHbHl4Ukd0STR2dFdHejA2WE56dz09
Collective Worship
Since we are now in the first full week of the Spring term our Form Tutor Collective Worship is entitle a Fresh Start. A new term and a new year bring with them new opportunities and the chance for a ‘fresh start’. The old term and the old year are behind us, so it is time to move on into the future.
Friday – God’s love goes on forever and that his care for us is new every morning (Lamentations 3.22-23).