This weekly bulletin contains the latest news updates across Year 8.
EEKLY W B ULLETIN
13 OCTOBER 2023
A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEADTEACHER
KEY SCHOOL DATES
Yesterday we all enjoyed our first Drop Down Day of the Year. As always, after weeks of careful planning, the school was buzzing with activity. Our Year 7 students really enjoyed their trip into Kingston. Year 8 had the chance to get really creative exploring African cultural traditions. Year 9’s day was focused on the future exploring GCSE options and hearing from some external speakers
HOLIDAYS & NATIONAL DAYS Black History Month - October Breast Cancer Awareness Month - October Domestic Violence Awareness Month - October National Braille Week - 9-15 October Navratri - 15-24 October Recycle Week - 16-22 October Sixth Form Open Evening - 19 October Year 7 Pink Day - 20 October Half Term - 23-31 October Year 11 Mock Exams - 30 October - 10 November
*PICTURE OF BILLIE*
about their career paths. Year 10 spent the day honing their public speaking skills with facilitators from the Jack Petchey Foundation. Year 11 enjoyed a day full of varied activities including a fun sports day, a 6th form showcase and an inspirational talk. Year 12 got a taste of university study as we had university lecturers in school delivering university taster sessions as well as having an opportunity to take part in a careers speed networking event. Our Year 11 Silver Duke of Edinburgh students completed their final expeditions last weekend, enjoying some unexpectedly beautiful sunshine as a bonus. Our Year 11 Geographers completed their field studies at Juniper Hall in Box Hill on Monday and Tuesday. All the teachers involved in these trips were so impressed by the maturity and positivity of Year 11. On Tuesday the Economics Department launched the Waldegrave MBA with our Year 12 students. Twenty students took part and the first day consisted of creating a business idea. Students thoroughly enjoyed the day and will be continuing with their product development on the second day in November. After Christmas they will take part in the Peter Jones Tycoon competition. We are currently recruiting parent governors. If you are interested in the role please refer to the letter sent yesterday for details about how to apply.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Send us your stories and photos to share by email to info@waldegravesch.org Follow us on twitter @Waldegravesch for general news and @WaldegraveSport for frequent sports updates JOINING THE PTA To get in contact with our PTA about joining the team please click below.
~ Ms Tongue, Headteacher
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Our local partners at the Mental Health Support Team are planning a series of monthly webinars for parents entitled ‘Helping Teens with…’ and would like to tailor the content to parents’ needs. They would like parents to provide some input into what might be most useful via this Google form. As you may be aware, Tuesday 10 October was World Mental Health Day and lots of organisations shared useful resources to support young people’s wellbeing. The Charlie Waller Trust are running an upcoming webinar on barriers to speaking out and asking for help, which you can sign up for here. Or listen to this short podcast from the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools on 5 Ways to Help Girls Grow in Resilience.
CONTACT PTA
A MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF YEAR 8
Year 8 have had a fantastic Drop Down Day this week which was focused on African Arts. The students took part in many different activities such as: Nigerian Drumming, Afrobeats Dance Fusion, Griots - African Storytelling, African Fabric Prints, African Jewellery Making and finally they took part in an African Team Quiz. I was so impressed by their attitude and behaviour on the day and I do encourage you to speak to your child at home and ask them to talk about what they found interesting or insightful about the day. Our top three forms for epraise this week are: 8EFR in first place, followed by 8EMU and in third is 8SGZ. Well done to the following students who are currently top of the individual leaderboard for Year 8: in first place is Freya W in 8EFR, second Charlie M in 8EMU and third place is Dakshina A-P in 8PWA. Keep up the good work! As we approach our final week of this half term, I would like to remind students of the expectations around uniform and behaviour. Our uniform policy can be found here. We want to end this half term positively and so we would ask for your support in checking in with your child about how they feel this term has gone and if there is anything they would like to work on moving forward.
MRS MORTIMER, HEAD OF YEAR 8
SPORTS FIXTURES
Fixture
Result
Date
05.10.23
Year 9 Netball vs SRR
LOST 17-4
05.10.23
Year 10/11 Netball vs SRR
DRAW 14-14
10.10.23
WON 5-1
Year 7/8 Football vs RTS
11.10.23
Sixth Form Netball Tournament
4TH PLACE
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Significant Black Figure of the Week
Meet Trailblazer Candice Carty-Williams
She became the first black author to win book of the year at the British Book Awards.
Before writing her first novel she worked in publishing where she noticed how few people of colour there were writing and publishing books. So she took action and created the Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, to improve the diversity of the publishing world “I am proud yes but I’m also sad and confused that I’m the first black AND female author to have won this award since it began,” she continued. “Overall, this win makes me hopeful that although I’m the first, the industry are waking up to the fact that I shouldn’t and won’t be the last.”
BOOK OF THE MONTH
The weight of water by Sarah Crossan The weight of water is written in a poetic form of sparse verse and so it is a very quick and easy read but one that is absolutely teeming with heartache and beauty. It follows a young polish girl as she and her mother migrate to the UK in search of her father, she struggles with her school and home life and feels out of place and lonely. I loved how engrossing and impactful such few words could be and how the audience can see all the protagonists insecurities yet also how incredibly strong, intuitive and resilient she is through all the hardship she endures. It’s a touching coming of age story which explores feelings of alienation, first loves and perseverance. ~ Recommended by Marina M-B, Year 11 Student
KS3 READATHON LAUNCH
DRAMA DEPARTMENT SUPPORT We are really excited to be rehearsing our latest school production, Annie. As ever parental support would be very much appreciated. In particular we hope someone may have a free standing door frame with a door in it and a wooden table (which may be decorated) to donate as part of the set design. The help of a theatre lighting expert to offer specialist advice would also be very welcome. The Year 7s, 8s and 9s will be collecting money to donate to Read for Good, a charity which provides books and storytelling opportunities for children in hospital. We also use some of the money raised to help buy books for our own library. The deadline for donations is 6 November and money is to be sent into school via the link on Parent- Pay, even if it’s just £1. We are very proud to have raised more than £50,000 for this charity in the last 20 years, so thank you for your continued support.
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
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