 |  | Senior Boys Bulletin | | | Mr Wilding's words Lent week 2 |  | | After my experiment with a ‘talking head’ last week, I’ve reverted to some ‘easy-to-read’ lines of text this week.
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| | | From the Office | A message from the Executive Head
Dear Parents and Guardians
As we finish our second week of home learning, I would like to thank you again for your wonderful support of your children as they tackle the challenges that remote education can bring. Without exception, we have been pleased with the way children from four years old in Reception through to our 18 year olds in Year 13 have developed their metacognition and shown energy in their lessons. Thank you also for talking to us with feedback reflecting on your own lockdown experiences.
Across the media this week, children’s mental wellbeing has continued to be a hot topic of conversation, with a number of leading psychologists expressing considerable concern over the negative impact on children of not being in school. At Claires Court, we are working hard to ensure our lessons take on both pastoral and academic elements to maintain our link with your children that goes beyond simply delivering a curriculum. Please continue to stay in contact with us if you have any concerns on this matter. Please talk to us, we will be only too happy to support you.
With much to read and watch from your child’s Divisional Headteachers, I will close with this thought from the Buddhist religion:
‘A lot of problems in the world would disappear if we talked to each other rather than about each other.’
Have a safe and restful weekend.
Best wishes
Justin Spanswick
Executive Head Teacher
Fitness lockdown challenge
On Monday 11 January we started the 'fitness lockdown challenge' at Senior Boys. This was announced in assembly and the information (and individual spreadsheet for results) can be found in the Google Classroom titled 'fitness lockdown challenge'.
All boys are encouraged to write in the number of miles they walk, run, cycle or ergo each day (or whenever they exercise). Each Monday in assembly the leaderboard will be displayed. Staff are also participating and entering their results.
All miles covered by both boys and staff will also go towards the 'House' competition with updates taking place each week. Please do encourage your son to take part.
Indoor and outdoor fitness training exercises
From Monday 18 January, all Senior Boys pupils can access separate indoor and outdoor fitness training exercises. These are simple fitness exercises which can be done at home. They can also be found in the 'fitness lockdown challenge' Google Classroom.
Curriculum Statements and Digital Learning Handbook
Please do refer to the curriculum statement for your son’s year group for further information about our approach to teaching within each subject area. These booklets outline what is being taught, how it will be taught, the resources that are used, and how progress will be assessed.
Critical Worker and Vulnerable Form - Seniors
Please see the new In-School Remote Learning form to complete if your child falls into the critical worker or vulnerable category and you require them to attend school for their remote learning during the period 18 January to 12 February 2021. Please find further guidance about bringing your child into school.
If you have any changes to your requirements after you have submitted the form, please inform us by writing to:
- Senior Boys - ayh@clairescourt.net
- Senior Girls - hep@clairescourt.net
- Sixth Form - kyh@clairescourt.net
Weekly on Tuesdays at 10am - Mr Wilding’s Open House MEET
Please feel free to drop in here to speak with Mr Wilding from 10 to 10.30am every Tuesday morning.
‘At-Home’ IGCSE Maths Exams - Wednesday 13/Friday 15 January
Please do not forget to return the papers and declaration form using the SAE provided.
Tuesday 19 January - B10 Academic Mentoring
Please find the final schedule for the B10 Academic Mentoring MEETS next Tuesday, which can be accessed via these links:
Please be aware that you will need to wait to be admitted by the form tutor after they have finished the previous meeting. Many thanks for your patience.
Tuesday 19 January 7pm - Virtual parent drugs talk
Parents are invited to join Elizabeth Burton–Phillips from DrugFAM using this MEET link. We kindly ask that you join with your camera and mic turned off, thank you. Please see this letter for further information. Please note this event is aimed at parents, and the boys will be having pupil specific talks later in the week.
Wednesday 20 January - Spotlight on the Sixth Form 5pm to 6pm Year 10/11
We do hope you can join us at this event to ‘meet’ with the Sixth Form team regarding the next step of your son's education. A link and information will be emailed to everyone who has registered to you on Monday.
Thursday 21 January - Pupil DrugFam Talks
Boys in years 7 to 10 will be having DrugFam talks during the morning of Thursday 21 January, following the parent talk earlier in the week.
- B7 and B8 - Period 1 (9.10am)
- B9 and B10 - Period 3 (11.50am)
Monday 25 January - B7 Parent Tutor Virtual Meetings
You are invited to book a 15-minute slot to ‘MEET’ with your son’s Form Tutor throughout the day on Monday 25 January. Bookings open at midday on 18 January and close 4pm on 22 January and can be made by logging into the Report Portal and selecting ‘Parent Evenings’ from the menu (further guidance on slide 6).
Tuesday 26 January - B9 Parent Tutor Virtual Meetings
You are invited to book a 15-minute slot to ‘MEET’ with your son’s Form Tutor throughout the day on Tuesday 26 January. Bookings open at midday on 19 January and close midday on 25 January and can be made by logging into the Report Portal and selecting ‘Parent Evenings’ from the menu (further guidance on slide 6).
Tuesday 2 February 6pm - B9 Options Presentation Evening
Please ‘save the date’ for the GCSE Options Evening and we will send you a MEET link to join in due course. Please find the GCSE Handbook for your perusal and the GCSE Options Form that you will be asked to complete following this event.
Library News - Book Clubs are back
Online Book Clubs resume bigger and better this term and start on Tuesday 19 January. See your Library Services Classrooms for details.
- Year 7 Book Club: Tuesday Period 5, 3pm
- Year 8 to 11 Book Club: Tuesday lunchtime, 1pm
Also the wonderful "The Book of Hopes: Words and Pictures to Comfort, Inspire and Entertain Children" is a beautiful collection of stories, poems, essays and pictures provided by over 100 children’s writers and illustrators created during the first lockdown and can be accessed here.
Linguists of the Week
in Spanish: Tom Webster, Edwin Griffith and Bryn Davies in Year 9 for their excellent work on active learn online
Historians of the Week
For making a cracking start to their History studies this term:
- KS4 Charlie Bayley
- KS3 Haydn Sellers, Harry Cornhill and James Burnand
Mathematicians of the Week
Well done to Aaron Croly (Year 7), Josh Spanswick and Alex Bruce (Year 8), Ben Coghlan (Year 9) and Adam New (Year 10).
Scientists of the Week
- Louis Griffiths (Year 11) for achieving the top score in a Biology online assessment.
- Ruben Goswell (Year 11) for excellent Part 2 work on separating mixtures.
- Jake Rogers (Year 10) for excellent participation in Physics online lessons.
- Jack Beever (Year 10) for great online engagement and support of his peers.
- Eren Bartlett (Year 9) for his excellent presentation on a non-communicable disease.
- Joshua Spanswick (Year 8) for being the first to complete an online task and for good online engagement.
Book Recommendation of the Week
Coronavirus: How to keep children healthy, happy, learning and entertained at home
Family First e-magazine Here is your free e-copy of Family First magazine, packed full of information to help keep children happy, learning and entertained at home during lockdown. We hope it helps in some way.
Please follow this link >>>
Virtual open events
We have virtual open events for all age groups during January. Find out more and book on or please share this link with family and friends.
Support and resources from Everlief
Our partners in clinical and educational health, Everlief, have developed a brand new parent support site, which is now live at https://www.theyarethefuture.co.uk/
The website holds articles on a wide range of mental health issues, including a free three day mini course: "Reset Your Child's Wellbeing in 2021"
This is for parents of children with stress, anger or anxiety.
Dr Lucy Russell, from Everlief, said: “We look at three fundamental areas of children's wellbeing. When parents sign up they receive an email each day for three days. Each email will link to a video and a PDF, to guide you through the mini course.”
Update from Finance
In light of the government direction requiring all schools to close, there will be a number of areas for example exams, transport) that need further clarification as to provision. Please bear with us while we seek resolution to these matters so as to ensure consistency in our response. Refunds, where appropriate, can take us a number of days to process, so we appreciate your patience. |
| | | | | | Ray Mill Road East, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 8TE
Tel: 01628 327600 Email: seniorboys@clairescourt.comPlease note all our School privacy notices can be found here. Please ensure you keep you and your child's information up to date. You can login to the report portal to change any details or alternatively, please contact your school office. | | | | | | |
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