Happy Friday Year 9,
Despite lockdown seeming never-ending at the moment, the weeks are definitely flying by and it's hard to believe that it's already been 53 days since school closed. I'm definitely starting to get a strong case of cabin fever despite the new rules about 'unlimited exercise' and in the last week I've been craving a hug from my parents...although, you might not agree with me if you're a teenager who is opposed to physical contact.
If you haven't guessed the reason for this blog post's title, this week's theme of the week is 'True Vine'. So, if you haven't checked out the Salesian youtube channel, here's Mr Kibble's reflection this week and below is the link to our assembly by our very own, Mr Keeling.
Mr Keeling's assembly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxD6c26tnjA
Maybe slightly off the 'True Vine' topic, with our current situation, I'm hearing a lot of things 'through the grapevine' and unfortunately, a lot is just speculation. The government announcement by Boris Johnson at the beginning of this week came as a bit of a blow to many, as I know how many of us were hoping to get back to some sense of normality. It seems that even the officials aren't sure about a lot of things at the moment and only time will tell when this will all be over.
Another thing that seems to have been passed 'through the grapevine' over the last few weeks, is the idea that you don't have to complete all the work for your subjects that you are not taking for GCSE. Instead of me emailing you all individually, here's some clarification:
- Up until May half term, you should be continuing to work on all of your subjects.
- If you are feeling overwhelmed, prioritise your time on core/options subjects and then work on the rest with the time you have left.
- After May half term, things will be changing slightly, so read on for more information on this...
If you are having trouble with any work, whether that is with a particular task, or whether that is understanding how to upload/submit work, please get in touch with myself or your specific subject teachers. We are all here to help! Teachers are monitoring who is submitting work and who isn't, so please don't get caught out on this. Your parents would probably prefer not to receive an email, or phone call from us and I know that you will want to avoid being nagged at all costs. Selfishly, I also want everyone to know that Year 9 is the best year group- so do me proud!
"So, what have you been up to, Miss?"
... Well, thanks for asking!
Amongst planning, marking, calling, meeting with teachers and running around after an energetic puppy, the Polish lessons are continuing at a slower than normal pace. We've now started sticking verbs to the mirror so that we see them every day. If any of you linguists out there have got any language learning tips, then let me know as I'd love to hear from you.
Meanwhile in 'Puppy World', Lola is getting HUGE. She turned 13 weeks yesterday and she is growing at an outrageous pace. We're hoping the fur on the three legs she had shaved by the vet grows back fully soon- she's getting some odd looks from passers-by thinking we have given her a shoddy lock-down hair-cut.
She also loves running between us both in the park...it can get quite repetitive after a while.
"Enough about the puppy, what else is new?"
Now you ask, I was actually lucky enough to go into school this week to see some of your lovely faces (albeit there were only 7 of you). Whilst it felt amazing to be back in the school buildings, it felt incredibly strange to see you all spaced out and the emptiness and absence of others was definitely felt by us all. I found out how many of you are shamelessly going to bed in the early hours of the morning and sleeping in until the late hours of the afternoon...Fraizer Edwards I'm looking at you! "Call of Duty" procrastination also seems to be a firm favourite with the likes of Adam Sweetman and I know that a lot of you are now hanging your heads in 'video game shame'. Aside from getting the down-low on work excuses, it was a pleasure to teach some of you again and I was really impressed at the engagement you gave. If you weren't one of the lucky few who got to attend an English and Maths session, fear not! After half term, I believe you may start to see some changes...
"I wish I could see my teacher's faces, I miss them all so much!"
I know, I know. I bet you've all been saying the same thing to your parents. Well, you lucky people, you might be interested in the news I have for you. Having just come from a meeting with all of the middle leaders in the school, we are currently putting plans in place to ensure that after half term, you will all get a virtual lesson with each of your subject teachers every week and this will include starting work on your options subjects for next year. This might look slightly different depending on subject and teacher, but it will give you the opportunity to ask questions and more importantly interact with your teacher and class-mates again (even if it is only virtually).
Things are still very uncertain, but one thing is looking more likely and that is that all of KS3 will not be back in school until September at the earliest. As much as that might seem crazy, it is our reality and now we must think about how to manage that. This is also why it is so important that you continue to stay motivated with your online learning. Starting your GCSE courses is hard enough when you're in school, let alone if you are going to be left to your own devices using resources that we provide you with. If you're feeling worried, or overwhelmed by this, remember that you just need to get in touch with me, or your teachers to let them know how you are feeling. We are all here to support you and are muddling through together.
Now, on to the important stuff...
MOORE'S TOP FOUR
Miss Cella and I have been overwhelmed with nominations this week, so it is my pleasure to give a shout-out to the students below for their amazing efforts:
Hollie Driscoll for the care and attention she put into the 'Learning Sport Remotely' work that the PE dept set. Her answers were thorough, well researched and well explained. Top stuff! - Miss Gallagher
Jack O'Leary, Sam Clark and Alex Kurjarta have been smashing their Drama work from home! Please see attached some of the fab set designs that they have created for Blood Brothers!
Maeve Lawrence, Louise Tack and Joe Lawless have also stood out for their efforts and use of Drama Terminology! - Miss Cella
Tom Bellwood and Emily Spink have produced some truly remarkable maths work during this lockdown. Emily has gone beyond expected and completed grade 9 questions which A level students struggle with. While Tom is doing very well on the maths website 'parallel' completing tasks and getting the same score as myself.
Marco has consistently sent me all the work he has completed. Very impressed with his work and obviously spending a lot of time and care in work. - Mr Weedon
Elizabeth Syder for her amazing effort in Music project
Carraghan Hibbert for her consistently excellent effort to theory and practical work - Mr Goldberg
Carraghan Hibbert (again!) for completing all SMHW and working really hard - for example, she will retake a quiz to see if she can improve her score. I have been impressed with her diligence and determination to improve throughout this period - Mrs Spice
A huge congratulations to all of you. Virtual fruit is on its way...
As you can see, even though your teachers aren't with you in person, we are still recognising your work and commitment to learning. So, if you are particularly proud of some work you have completed, stay in touch 'through the grapevine' and drop me an email. You all deserve recognition!
Before I go, I'd like to leave you with a little gem I stumbled upon when reading Mr Matthew's Year 12 Blog. Aside from being a cute example of rhyming poetry, it gave me some hope for our future, which is perhaps what we all need right now.
Enjoy the sun when work is over today and have a relaxing weekend of 'unlimited exercise'.
Take care,
Miss M x
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