As this is the final bulletin of the half term I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their considerable efforts in helping to make the last 6 weeks as successful as they could be given current circumstances. We are very proud of the collective efforts of staff, students and families. I hope everyone has a safe and restful half. For those who are interested the link to the optional half term activities is attached below.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15Lnop1oNO-UbXq2grwNjeeglR58j86fkTvBJ-kTFggQ/edit#slide=id.p1

I will be taking a break from sending a bulletin each day during half term but will of course be in touch with families should we receive any further notice about when a full return to school may be possible. A letter has been sent home to families and information posted in the bulletin on Tuesday about arrangements for the first two weeks after half term.

Planning for a return to school
We are obviously planning carefully for when we can all safely return to school. One of the key ways of ensuring that the school continues to be as safe as possible is making sure that face coverings are worn whenever and wherever necessary. Student compliance in this area was excellent last term but there is always more that we can do. As such all families will receive a letter in the coming days detailing our plans for face coverings in the months ahead and importantly asking for a letter from a doctor to confirm that a student does not need to wear a face covering due to medical reasons. These students will be issued with a lanyard when we return so we can distinguish more easily who should and should not be wearing a face covering. By sending this letter now, we hope this gives parents adequate time to contact their local GP or Doctors surgery, in order to provide medical exemption to wearing a mask for their child.

Teaching School Hub
I am delighted to pass on the excellent news that Archbishop’s Holgate’s has been selected to become one of the government’s new teaching school hubs, a national network of 87 school-led centres of excellence for teacher and leadership training and development. The 87 teaching school hubs are replacing the network of around 750 teaching schools currently operating across the country. Schools judged as good or outstanding by Ofsted with a strong track record of high performance were eligible to apply to become one of the new hubs for their region. Our bid fulfilled the stringent application criteria which recognised the outstanding performance of the school as well as the other key partners in the bid. I am really pleased that the school is being acknowledged for its excellent achievements over time and we are very much looking forward to further supporting schools to ensure that all staff are getting the necessary professional development and as a result all students benefit from a high quality education. I have attached the full press release from yesterday for those who are interested.

Press Release – Archbsihop Holgate’s Teaching School Hub

Wellbeing survey
We are asking all our students to complete a Wellbeing Survey entitled ‘Tell us how you are feeling’.  The link has been posted to their Year group classroom.  It would be very much appreciated if all parents/carers ensure that it is completed.  We will use the results of the survey to focus our Wellbeing work after half term.

Anti-Bullying and Discrimination working party
Yesterday the ‘Anti-bullying and Discrimination working party’ met virtually after school.  It was a very productive meeting with the following outcomes:

  • A student friendly version of the Anti-Bullying and Discrimination Policy will be completed (following feedback), turned into a poster and be printed and placed in every classroom.
  • On the return to school, the Heads of Year Act of Collective worship will be based on the poster to ensure clear understanding of the key messages.
  • This will then be followed up within a month with Acts of Collective worship about the dangers and the damage to Wellbeing that ‘Banter’ brings.

A massive thank you to all those students who contributed  and gave up their time to support the schools aims of ensuring the school is free from any bullying and/or discrimination and that everyone understands there is no place at Archbishop Holgate’s School for bullying or discrimination in any form.

Student Wellbeing – Feel-Good Friday

Unity Fund
A reminder as we approach half term that through the Unity Fund the school can offer confidential and discrete support to families who are struggling financially. If you are struggling in any way please contact us and we will do our best to help:
krobinson@archbishopholgates.org
gstainsby@archbishopholgates.org

Head of Year update – Mrs Avey and Year 11…
The Year 11 team would like to thank all the students in Year 11 for their efforts throughout the half term.

Special mentions; a plethora again this week:
Josh Ro- thanks from a grateful form tutor;  Louisa S; Sam B; Natasha P; Sophie W; Fran K; Sandy H; Katie S; Maisie C; Rhys O’d Josh Ri; Eleanor H – All working really hard at home on their artwork and for being fabulous in general – always. I am so proud of you all.  Mrs Halifax; Miss Turvey’s RE class who were fantastic on Monday ~ excellent questions, fabulous answers and incredibly attentive; Phaedra W– for really give 100% in German! – Miss Dixon; My whole Year 11 class – everyone got asked a question in today’s lesson and they all had a go – Miss Hopkinson; Olivia W; George P; Leah W- Miss Chambers; Rowan F – Mr Appleyard; Matthew N- Mr Shaw; Harvey W; Jake N; Evie J; Nadine D; Fin B; Alfie P – Mrs Robertson; Jack S; Kenzie B; Hannah R; Sophie F- Miss Redman ;  Kyla B; Lewis D; Abigail E’ Emma L; Will L; Olivia M; Victoria M; Josh M; Nicola N; Amelie N; Josh O’N; Owen P; Hannah R; Gabe S; Ivy T; Katie T- Mr Evans and Mr Handley; Ben H; Fin W; Amelie HD – Dr King; Aaron L; Katie H; Pippa S; To E; Georgia H; Jess C; Maddie W; Rhys O’D- Miss Kitney; Jamie J – Miss Cooper; Elisa A; Peter C; Daisy H; Kirsty H; Jess M; Aimee R; Katie S; Holly T; Charles T; Maggie W; Sophie W and Adam W – Mrs Robertson.

Year books and hoodies
Every family should have received this week, the letter, order form and consent form needed to access the receiving of a year book and hoodie. The return date for all information is Monday 8th March. Please return to main  reception or the email address below.  If you did not receive this information regarding how we are rewarding the wonderful year 11’s , please contact the year 11 team at: yeareleventeam@archbishopholgates.org. The prom has been provisionally booked for July 15th.

We wish you and your families a restful and restorative half term.

February Half Term DEAR
As half term approaches, students in Year 7-10 will once again have a range of activities focused around DEAR activities to complete over half term, should they wish. This time we are using the wonderful works of Roald Dahl with each year level having one of his lively and engaging books to read and study. I hope all the students enjoy the resources, learning a little bit more about the author and generally escaping into the fantasy worlds he creates!

Form tutors/HOY will be posting the resources to Google Classrooms this week and I encourage all students to engage with the activities. All activities should be completed on the google doc on Google Classroom and ‘handed in’ via google classroom.

If any students are having issues accessing the materials, please contact Mrs Short. eshort@archbishopholgates.org

Books being used:
Year 7: Boy, Tales of Childhood
Year 8: Matilda
Year 9: The Witches
Year 10: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Happy Half Term Reading!!

Recommended Reads Week 6
Y7 The Accidental Secret Agent
Something funny for half term. The Accidental secret Agent (Quiz 232865. Level 4.1. Blue)
When you hear the words ‘international super spy with a licence to kill’, you’re probably not thinking of a thirteen-year-old boy with an overactive imagination called Kevin. But through an incredible mix up, Kevin happens to be the secret service’s latest recruit and the fate of the world rests in his hands. However, he is more of a teenage Johnny English than a young James Bond.
You can download an activity pack for this book using the link below.
https://tommclaughlin.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TheAccidentalSecretAgent_activitypack.pdf

Animal Farm Y8
If you read the synopsis below for Animal Farm by George Orwell (Quiz 200134. Level 7.3. Yellow) it can sound quite daunting. However, I’ve just signed up to the 10 Minute Read Company which is free to use. Each day they send you 10 minutes of a classic novel. Animal Farm is the first one, and you will be sent a chapter a day for ten days! Just open the link in blue.
Animal Farm, known at the beginning and the end of the novel as the Manor Farm, symbolizes Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule. But more generally, Animal Farm stands for any human society, be it capitalist, socialist, fascist, or communist.
https://www.10minutereads.com/?fbclid=IwAR0xW-KHf0fDythHRiAT4BTh4st3vD2MYFYWi3CATrq-Qo-Y0fUEuF_UPu4

Y9 The Un-Forgotten Coat
The Un-Forgotten Coat is the latest novel by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Quiz number 220651. Level 4.4. Multi-cultural) It is the story about two refugee brothers from Mongolia who turn up at Julie’s school and ask her to be their guide.
My brother is being chased by a demon…. a demon that makes things vanish.
You can hear the book being read, plus a question and answer with the author by clicking on the link below.
Chapter 1 – The Un-forgotten Coat – Bing video

KS4 – The Book Thief
Nazi Germany 1939. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. It’s a small story, about: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.
Extracts from the text can be found here:
https://americainclass.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BookThief.pdf

KS5 – Student wellbeing
A really interesting article about an teacher who has started a podcast to help teenagers talk about mental health. The podcast is worth a listen too.
https://www.theguardian.com/100-teachers/2021/feb/05/i-want-to-help-teenagers-be-open-about-feelings-the-teacher-who-launched-a-mental-health-podcast

Collective Worship
Over the next 6 weeks our Collective Worship is based on material from the Archbishop of York Youth Trust. Called Pilgrim Pathways it will take pupils on a pilgrimage journey through Lent, looking at items that are important on a walking pilgrimage. Each item symbolises ideas that can help them when facing challenges in their personal life journey. The first item is a lamp.

Friday – “Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.” – Roy T. Bennett, American author