This weekly bulletin contains the latest news updates across Year 8
EEKLY W B ULLETIN 26 APRIL 2024
A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEADTEACHER
KEY SCHOOL DATES
As we start a new term we have an updated programme of extra-curricular activities visit our website to learn more. Please note that students should not be arriving at school before 8.00am unless they are involved in a morning club. This is to ensure that we can safeguard and supervise students appropriately.
Year 10 Parents’ Consultation Meeting - 4-6.30pm 1 May Year 11 Dress Up Day - 7 May
Year 11 Final Day - 8 May Year 13 Final Day - 10 May
HOLIDAYS & NATIONAL DAYS Stress Awareness Month - April Allergy Awareness Week - 22-28 April Bank Holiday - 6 May
In the run up to exam season we hosted an Exam Stress Workshop for parents on Wednesday. It was great to hear such positive feedback at the end of the evening. Learning practical strategies to support those who are overworking as well as those procrastinating were particularly appreciated. Last night we held an Open Mic Night for our many talented musicians. As always it was such a wonderful evening with students enjoying the opportunity to perform in front of family and friends. It is always so humbling to see the talent of our students. The performances included classical pieces, pop songs and even the students’ own compositions. There have also been a number of trips out the week. Over this week and next Year 8 students will have the opportunity to visit the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon to inform their learning on places of worship. On Tuesday a group of Year 10 students visited Birkbeck University London for a World of Work Conference learning about interview techniques and exploring post-GCSE options. On Thursday a group of Year 8 students visited Roehampton University as part of their Teen Tech Festival and had the opportunity to present the Buildings of the Future that they designed in school to a panel of judges, before hearing about the latest technical innovations from key industry leaders. Whilst in school students in Years 7 and 8 took part in the Junior Maths Challenge enjoying the opportunity to test their mathematical problem solving skills.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Send us your achievement stories and photos to share by email to info@waldegravesch.org STAY CONNECTED WITH US:
~ Ms Tongue, Headteacher
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
You may have seen the news this week that England has the highest rate of child alcohol use, out of 44 countries surveyed by the World Health Organisation, and that by the age of 15 girls were found to be more likely to be drinking than boys of the same age. The risks associated with underage drinking are why the UK Chief Medical Officers recommend an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option. There’s often debate about whether it’s OK to let children have a small amount of alcohol to try but there’s no scientific evidence to indicate this gives children a lower-risk approach to drinking in later life. The Chief Medical Officers guidance also recommends that if young people aged 15 to 17 years consume any alcohol, it should always be with the guidance of a parent or carer or in a supervised environment. Drinkaware has some excellent advice for parents about how to talk to their children about drinking which you can find here .
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A MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF YEAR 8
We are now truly back into the swing of things. In our second week we certainly have been busy.
The Year 8 RE trips began this week with students attending the Buddhist temple on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. A number of students returned from the trip much more relaxed after learning much about the mindful ways of Buddhism. I know that the students were appreciative of the trip and saw the close connection to the studies they have been doing in RE over the last two years. On Tuesday students Ms Tongue delivered an assembly about ‘Misinformation in the News’. The students were very well behaved and I know that they saw a lot of relevance from the presentation to the subjects they are studying. There were some great takeaways from the presentation, mainly that ‘fake news’ or ‘misinformation’ are not new things. These are issues that have existed in societies for thousands of years. What is different about it in today’s society, is the technology that delivers these messages (social media, AI etc.). I encourage all parents to engage with their children about these issues. There are plenty of great discussions to be had. I wanted to give a special mention to 8PWA for achieving the highest attendance of any Year 8 form. I know that they were appreciative of the Pizza Day they celebrated on Tuesday. A big thank you to Ms Wallace and Mrs Denbury for organising the event, the students behaved brilliantly. A final mention to Mr Reynolds’ Ultimate Frisbee club that is on Monday’s after school. I know a few students have attended already, however Mr Reynolds is always looking for more participants.
MR SWEENEY, HEAD OF YEAR 8
SPORTS FIXTURES
Date
Fixture
Result
Year 7 Netball vs Twickenham
23.04.24
WON 14-1
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Please contact us with any queries or problems you may have. To get in touch with a member of staff from your child’s year group, you can: Send an email to KS3@waldegravesch.org Or you can contact the school via phone by calling: 02088943244 WALDEGRAVE SCHOOL Fifth Cross Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 5LH HOW TO CONTACT YEAR 8 HEAD OF YEAR AND TUTORS ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ by Suzanne Collins The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the prequel to the popular Hunger games series. This book follows the story of a young President Snow (or Corialanus Snow, as he is called in the book). The story features the 11th Hunger games and focuses on the surprising talent of District 12’s tribute, Lucy Gray. If you like the dystopian genre and lots of action, this book is a ‘must read’! To me, the themes of friendship and betrayal were very strongly portrayed. I liked how the story progressed and the very shocking ending really stayed with me. With the release of the movie last year you can watch it, too! ~ Recommended by Ada (7PUN)
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