Home Learning: Year 7

Welcome Year 7 and families.

I hope you are all keeping safe and well.
Thank you all so much for your support and patience during our transition to Google Classroom. I understand this may have been a little stressful, but this a fantastic resource and once we all better get to grips with it, it will be really worth it. The main advantage with this new system is the improved communication with teachers and improved system of feedback. Please be assured we are working really hard to respond and resolve any issues. Please have a look at the following link to support you further:
https://archbishopholgates.academy/home-learning-how-to-work-from-home/

During this time it is very important we take care of both our mental and physical health. It is supposed to be beautiful over the next couple of days, if you can spend some time in the garden or a walk, this can be fantastic for boosting your mood. Vitamin is essential and exercise boosts endorphins- the brain’s feel good chemical. Take advantage of the sunshine!

Please also look at these outstanding resources created by Children and Adolescents Mental Health Services. They include guidance and activities focusing on a huge range of topics, including anxiety, mindfulness, an intro to CBT and even a parents guide for self harm. They also link recommended apps, websites and have a specific Coronavirus section, with worksheets for parents to do with kids and self care guide. There are downloadable documents and videos. I would really recommend this service.
https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/

Well to those students who are working hard and trying to complete lots of work. It really is pleasing to see. It is important for your brains to stay occupied and keep up with your work. However, your well-being is our first priority. Please know whenever we return to school, we will make sure you know everything you need to and fill any gaps which needs filling. Everyone is in the same boat and we will do everything we can to support you. Keep on with your work, but when you need a break, please take a break and enjoy the additional time at home with your loved ones.

Congratulations to our Accelerated Readers this week:

• 7CAD: Liv Hardy
• 7CM: Russell Broadbent
• 7CY: Bethany Stimson
• 7GR: Poppy Vint
• 7Hv: Alice Dixon and Amelie Darwin
• 7Nth, Adam Knowles and Callum Patterson

Thank you to the Childs for sending in this fantastic music video! Year 7 are truly so talented, all of these videos are really brightening up my day. Declan and Erin Childs should have been starring in the lead roles at the Grand Opera House on Bugsy Malone this week, they’ve done this instead: https://youtu.be/ouNYRPn6Fxg

We understand these are really uncertain times and are impacting families emotionally and financially. We are doing everything we can to support our community. If you need anything please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,
Ashleigh Kincell and Lauren Greenhalgh

Welcome all Y7 students and families,

I hope you have all had a restful Easter and enjoyed some of the lovely weather. Usually this would be our first day back at school to begin the Summer Term, and although it is unusual, we are trying our best to try to keep things as normal as possible. Your teachers are doing an outstanding job of setting work and being very available to discuss anything you need, please do contact us if there is anything we can do to support. I have so far been so impressed with how many students are working hard, but also working hard to keep up extra-curricular activities and supporting their community. I have loved the pictures I am being tweeted or emailed and love sharing these with our school community- please keep these coming in!

A Reminder that we have a new set of BrightSparks Challenges- what a fantastic time to give these a go! The Powerpoint has been uploaded to the home learning section on the website. The rules have been slightly adapted due to your time at home:  Choose any of the challenges and complete your work in any format you wish. Return to Mr Lever – DropBox on Google Drive. Why not use this time to be creative, build a model, bake a cake, write a poet, make a song, please share any of your work with me- it would be lovely to see!

Well done to our Easter Quizzers:

• 7CAD:  Erin Barratt, Liv Hardy, Jimmy Hendon
• 7CMP: Miles Hall
• 7CY: Imogen Brewer, Sarah Morrell
• 7Gr: Fred Pye
• 7Hf: Erin Child, Lucas Brannan
• 7Hv: Amelie Darwin, Josiah Finn
• 7Mr: Luca Vicari-Lowson, Cindy Xia
• 7Nth: Imogen Wilson, Mirela Iordache
• 7Wno: Emily Hawkworth

Wow! Well done to Mirela Iordache 7NTH who is our top quizzing student this Easter!

I continue to be so proud of each and every student who is every day building resilience and independent during these uncertain times, in the words of our Education Secretary yesterday:

‘To any young person [watching], I wanted to say how sorry I am that you have had your education disrupted in this way. I know how hard it must be and I would like to thank you for making adjustments you have had to make. I know you will be missing your friends, your teachers and your lessons. I want you to know that you are an important part of this fight too and I cannot thank you enough for what you are doing.’

I am also very proud of our school community, who have now raised £3125 for those families in our community who have been disadvantaged by the Coronavirus. This money is here to support our community, please do contact school if we can help you in anyway.

Please do contact us if there is anything we can do to support you.

Kind regards, stay safe,

Ashleigh Kincell

Even though you are currently not at school, you will continue to develop and grow as an individual. Your AHS journey has not stopped! Each week, we will send you things to think about yourself and set you challenges to share with others and others in the year group. This is optional but we would love to hear from you all!

Personal Reflection

This is one of the strangest times any of us have lived through and one that will be written about in the history books!

With that in mind, Miss Kincell wants as many Year 7s as possible to join in with the Coronavirus Time Capsule challenge.

You can either make your own time capsule or contribute to our school time capsule which we will bury in the school grounds.

This website provides a helpful guide for how to make a time capsule: https://kidsofthewild.co.uk/2020/03/29/make-a-time-capsule-coronavirus-covid-19-kids/

Things you might want to contribute to a time capsule:

• a local paper with Covid-19 headlines
• a 2020 dated coin
• a national newspaper
• a note from each family member with memorable events from recent times
• photos of today
• a letter to themselves including date, age, friends, feelings, favourite things, worries, future plans etc
• a 2020 postage stamp
• a painted pebble with the date on
• a letter to the teachers you miss
• a current magazine
• a couple of bits of clean toilet paper and a hand wipe for humour!
• a copy of the Government letter about the pandemic
• photos of family members doing crazy things in lockdown

AHS Journey Challenge

1. If you have something to contribute to the school time capsule, please send it over by email or bring it into school when we finally return!
2. Send a photo or an update of your time capsule challenge to either Miss Kincell at akincell@archbishopholgates.org or Mr Williams mwilliams1@archbishopholgates.org and we will share these on the Year 7 page if you give us permission to do so.

A warm welcome to year 7 students and parents,

I hope you all had a lovely sunny Easter and that the Easter Bunny still managed to make it to your homes in spite of social distancing!

Over the last week we have really seen the incredible compassion of our school community, families and teachers have donated to our ‘Unity Fund’ and meant we have been able to support those in our community who have been affected by these difficult and testing times. I can truly say I am so proud to be proud of such a wonderful community.

It has also been wonderful to see so many students creating art and music, it has brightened my day so much seeing these master pieces.

Have a listen to the following songs and I hope it brings a smile to your face like it did mine!

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ekVVaW-7MA – well done to Finn Greenhouse.
• https://www.facebook.com/703983828/posts/10158329223328829/ well done to Erin Barratt.

And this lovely mosaic by George Horner

Please keep sending me these fantastic uplifting activities and also take a look at Mr Williams’ updated list of activities:

Why not try: 

Make a bird feeder                                            Build a hedgehog home

Make a mini nature reserve                            Clean bird feeders

Make a nectar bar                                             Make a mini pond

Make your own compost                                 Grow vegetables for wildlife

Make a butterfly feeder                                   Feed birds on the ground

Try wildlife-themed yoga                                 Help birds avoid windows

Stay safe,

Kind regards,

Ashleigh Kincell

Even though you are currently not at school, you will continue to develop and grow as an individual. Your AHS journey has not stopped! Each week, we will send you things to think about yourself and set you challenges to share with others and others in the year group. This is optional but we would love to hear from you all!

Personal Reflection

During the Easter holidays, it is tempting to escape in the sun. However, we must all stay at home and follow government guidelines. Therefore, why not try one of the Wildlife Trust’s 10 garden challenges.

Follow this link for ideas: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/looking-after-yourself-and-nature

Why not try:

Make a bird feeder                                           Build a hedgehog home

Make a mini nature reserve                           Clean bird feeders

Make a nectar bar                                             Make a mini pond

Make your own compost                                Grow vegetables for wildlife

Make a butterfly feeder                                   Feed birds on the ground

Try wildlife-themed yoga                                 Help birds avoid windows

AHS Journey Challenge

1. This week, we want to see you joining in with the Wildlife Trust’s challenges and get back to nature in your garden or on your daily walk.
2. Send a photo or an update on your nature challenge to either Miss Kincell at akincell@archbishopholgates.org or Mr Williams mwilliams1@archbishopholgates.org and we will share these on the Year 7 page if you give us permission to do so.

Even though you are currently not at school, you will continue to develop and grow as an individual. Your AHS journey has not stopped! Each week, we will send you things to think about yourself and set you challenges to share with others and others in the year group. This is optional but we would love to hear from you all!

Personal Reflection

The recent weeks have seen the nation join together for lots of activities to cheer everybody up in difficult times.

Have you joined in with:

• The rainbow challenge?
• The teddy bear challenge?
• The applause for the NHS?
• The national singalong?
• The Joe Wicks daily PE session?
• An online event?

AHS Journey Challenge

Send a photo or an update on your activities to either Miss Kincell at akincell@archbishopholgates.org or Mr Williams mwilliams1@archbishopholgates.org and we will share these on the Year 7 page if you give us permission to do so.

Welcome Y7 students and parents,

Thank you so much to parents and students who have been sending in their activities, especially food tech, it has all looked wonderful! It is also so lovely to see you all using this time productively! Well done, please keep these coming in or tweet @AHS_YearKl.

This week we have also seen lots of reading again, so great I’m not just showing the winners but everyone who is doing a fantastic job of accelerating their reading. Reading is a skill that will support you throughout your entire life, academically and in your own well-being. What a perfect time to perfect this skill.

Well done to the following, but especially 7Mr!

Last night we witnessed history through the Queen’s speech- this is only the third time ever she has done this. It was a remarkable speech, the type your children and grandchildren may watch at school in the future. This is a strange, uncertain and testing time. But, you are living through history, try to really reflect on what is happening around you and notice the actions of the people in your life but also the Leaders of our country. As our queen said:

‘I hope in years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past it defines our present and our future’.

I would like to share with you a task I found on twitter, this is the ‘Corona Virus Time Capsule’, it is the best task I have seen so far. This will enable you to capture this time, your thoughts and your feelings, and people may use it in the future, or certainly you with your children and grandchildren. I know I always ask to see my grandparents’ belongings from the war, I was always fascinated by my Nanna’s gas mask.

Find a link to the document here: https://www.news8000.com/my-2020-covid-19-time-capsule/

Yet again we saw an inspiring turnout for applause for NHS staff and front line workers, they are doing a phenomenal job and we are so lucky to have them to take care of us. Let’s continue to honour them by heeding their advice- stay inside, stay safe.

Stay Safe,

Kind regards,

Ashleigh Kincell

Welcome Year 7 and parents,

I hope you are all keeping safe and staying well.

I think it has been fantastic to see that students are working hard to complete their set work by teachers, but as well that students are continuing to take part in Bright Sparks Challenges and the Accelerated Reader Challenge.

Congratulations to Hf for winning the Accelerated Reader Challenge this week and especially Annie Stump as the top reader in Y7! I have started reading the second book in The Hunger Games series this week and I am loving it, the films are fantastic too. Why don’t you share on twitter your reading suggestions and see if we can get the hashtag going #StayInsideKeepReadingY7 and make sure to @AHS_Year7KL

This week Mr Lever has also created a brand new set of BrightSparks Challenges- what a fantastic time to give these a go! The PP has been uploaded to the home learning section on the website. The rules have been slightly adapted due to your time at home:  Choose any of the challenges and complete your work in any format you wish. Return to Mr Lever – DropBox on Google Drive. Why not use this time to be creative, build a model, bake a cake, write a poet, make a song, please share any of your work with me- it would be lovely to see!

I am so proud of your resilience and work ethic during these uncertain times, please continue to stay safe and stay inside.

Kind regards,

Ashleigh Kincell

Welcome all to the start of Week 2,

Thank you all students and parents for your ongoing support and patience during this time.

The common FAQs from last week:

• Students don’t need to print the work, just work in their books or on paper as they usually would in class.
• Students should not need a laptop to access most of the work, the vast majority should be accessible via any smart device.
• We are currently finalising a system of handing in work and finalising a rota with teachers which will work for all students. As soon as this is fully in place I will notify parents.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I have been so pleased to hear of many students completing not only their set work but doing BrightSparks challenges such as Miles Hall creating war time ration food. I hope this wasn’t the potato chocolate cake Miles?! Well done, keep up the fantastic work.

Please keep sending in these examples of students continuing to be brilliant, even during these uncertain times.

It has also been so pleasing to see the start of people working hard to spread positivity and kindness. It is easy during this time to dwell on the news or the things which frighten us. but the rainbows in the windows and daft family Tik Tok videos are really brightening my day.

Let’s keep the momentum going, working hard but also enjoying this special time to bake potato chocolate cakes, play games and stay safe with loved ones.

#StaySafeStayHome

Kind regards,

Miss Kincell

Welcome all Year 7 students and families,

I hope you are keeping well and this first week of home school has been successful.

It has been pleasing to see how many students have been so proactive. Students are truly learning invaluable life skills during this time, resilience, self discipline and independence. Well done to all Year 7 students who are working hard to stick to a routine and complete their work.

With the weekend approaching, let’s ensure to remember why we are staying in doors- to stay safe and save lives. Let’s continue to show our appreciation to our outstanding NHS by staying inside and only going outside when absolutely necessary and practising social distancing. I found 8pm last night very moving, hearing applause and seeing fireworks- let’s continue to celebrate and respect them by following governmental guidance.

Please contact school if you need anything in the usual way and follow my Head of Year Twitter Account @AHS_YearKl which will include any FAQs I have been receiving.

Stay safe,

Kind regards,

Miss Kincell

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone is managing to see some of the sunshine today. Remember this is really important, to get outside and see the sunshine, remember you are still allowed to walk and exercise once per day.

I am thrilled to see how many students are working from home, this is so pleasing to see. I have had several parents contact me regarding how to actually complete the work. You do not need to print it, (and usually don’t need to complete on the computer). Most work should feel as it would in class- the teacher presents the task on the board and students answer in their book or on paper.

Please continue to ask any questions, we are working hard to support all students as best we can.

Stay safe, Kind regards,

Ashleigh Kincell

Head of Year 7

19/3/20 – CLICK HERE to access this half terms PSHCE resources.  Your topic is Racism.  Read them and do the quiz!

19/3/20 – Students will be provided with paper copies today of the DEAR task they can complete.  If you wish to access them electronically CLICK HERE.