That's right, you made it through yet another half-term of home schooling. It's pretty unbelievable how quickly time has gone. I wouldn't go as far as to say time flies when you're having fun, but I'm almost forgetting what normal life used to be like and I'm becoming ever more used to my days being focused on when I can get outside to top up my failing tan (girls, you might know what I'm talking about!).
I wanted to start this blog post by telling you all how immensely proud I am of you all. I know you haven't heard this half as much as you usually would have if we were at school and I know that some of you are lacking motivation without the daily reassurance from your teachers, but trust me when I say that you are doing an amazing job. I speak for all of the staff at Salesian School when I say that we have been blown away at how you have all coped and adapted to the situation we find ourselves in. Your resilience and constant positivity has been what's kept me going through the harder days when getting up before 8am is a struggle! Your parents have been updating us all this week on how you are and it's been uplifting to hear them talk so highly of you and the work you have been doing. It seems that some of you have nailed the work load and are racing through, and some are finding it a little difficult to stick to deadlines- this is normal! Remember that everyone works differently, so you shouldn't be comparing yourselves to others. Set realistic goals for yourself and work towards them at a pace that suits you.
Kindness is King 👑
Whilst I know how many of you are coping very well at the moment, there are still so many in our community, be that students, staff or parents, who are extremely anxious and are struggling with the uncertainty. At a time like this, it is more important than ever to show kindness to one another. We clap for our NHS carers on a Thursday evening, but sometimes we forget that those closest to us need our support as well.
You are lucky that you can stay in touch with friends via your phones and social media, but please make sure you are keeping things kind. If you are worried about anything you have seen online, or if you feel you have been a victim of unkind comments, don't hesitate to get in touch with me. You are a wonderful Year group and I know that you have a lot of love to give one another, but I also know that some of us forget ourselves when we have a phone in our hands to hide behind. Keep it kind, Year 9 and we'll get through this together.
In case you need any more motivation, take a look at one of my favourite books 'The Boy, the mole, the fox and Horse'- it's full of great life lessons (not to mention wonderful illustrations for all of you budding artists out there!)
So, what's the plan moving forward?
Well, funny you ask. All staff have just had a briefing with Mr Kibble and Mr Gower this morning to tell us what our last half-term will look like. For you, as Year 9s, it will be slightly different to what it has been so far. You will NOT be expected to complete work for subjects that you are not taking for GCSE. Instead, you should continue to work on core subjects from SMHW and will be sent information about course content for the subjects you are starting in September. You will have the opportunity to join video sessions with your teachers on Microsoft Teams, so look out for invites to these meetings via your school email address. This will hopefully make a difference to those of you who are lacking interaction from your teachers and will give you a chance to get some extra help on the things your parents are struggling to get their head around. Please take advantage of these meetings- they have been put in place to help you and to give you something to structure your day around (this means getting out of your pyjamas too!) Similarly, if you have any questions about this, please do get in touch.
Remember to keep checking the school youtube channel for updates. Teachers are still going to be posting lesson content on here, as well as running sessions on Teams. In the meantime, here's a recent update from Mr Kibble and this week's assembly from Mr Gower to keep you occupied over half-term...
Now, over to you...
I want to finish this half term (and feast day for Mary help of Christians) on a high, by celebrating you and all of the wonderful things you have been doing. So enjoy the showcase of work below- you really are talented bunch of individuals and I am so proud to be your Head of Year!
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| Sascha Paurine's incredible 'Still Life' |
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| Tyler Wright's detailed RE project |
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| Amazing artwork from Millie Hopkins |
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| AJ Oblena's very impressive Eagle |
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| Brent Oba is still just as dedicated to his Judo every day of the week! |
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| A wonderful, creative RE project from Oliver Davis |
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| Nancy Cruickshank's stunning digital still life |
And to those who have been recognised by your teachers..
Cristiano E Silva for completing three parts of the Great French Language challenge, well done! - Mr Delaney
Thomas Stokes for always answering his emails and staying positive while working from home. And being brave enough when he has a problem to ask for help. - Mrs Belbin
Niall O’Shea, Joe Carney and Carraghan Hibbert for their model set boxes for Blood Brothers.- Mrs Garbett
Liam Harte, Sascha-Nicole Paurine, Ceatie Riches and Katherine Vaughan for producing such fantastic science work in a brand new topic! - Miss Cozens
Daisy Hind, Sam Clark, Maeve Lawrence, Emily Spink, Rebecca Jones and Oliver Salamone have all produced amazing Drama sets. They have thought about ensuring suitability for the time period and been really creative with how they work for performance! - Miss Cella
Owen Christmas and Megan Bristow for building their sets using cardboard and things found in the house! They look amazing and their hard work has definitely paid off! -Miss Cella
I just had a really great music project from Owen Christmas. He made a really detailed brochure advertising an evening celebrating Minimalist music, art and drama. Definitely worth a mention! - Miss Wynter
Liam Harte for getting 100% on his history knowledge check-up quiz! - Mr McDowell
Ewan Johnson for his mature approach to work, his support to others and positivity- Miss Moore
Caitlin Eastham for her thorough note taking in English for a task on non-fiction speeches- Miss Moore
Findley Taylor-Wyborne for his consistency and resilience, ensuring all of his work is submitted by the deadlines, but also for looking out for his friends -Miss Moore
Amongst all of the names above, there are no doubt people I have missed who have been producing amazing work behind the scenes. If you haven't yet had your name, or work displayed, there is still plenty of time to get recognised.
For now, STOP work!
Have a wonderful half-term. Stay safe, enjoy the sun (if it continues to shine for us) and rest up for the next journey of home learning that we will embark upon together.
Saint John Bosco (and Mother Mary), pray for us.
Miss M x
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