Newsletters

GHS Connect #29 Monday 11 May

From the Head

A terrible, dark week for GHS last week - the loss of Douval has been felt deeply across the school and the wider community, and it will take us all some time to recover from the shock. So many of you have shared your memories of Douval; his kind, gentlemanly nature, his skill in getting the best out of all students regardless of ability, his smile, his generosity, the way he could see the positive in everything. My overriding memory of him is of a man of dignity with a strong faith and belief in doing the right thing, always. I will also remember going into his classroom and seeing the students always smiling, fiercely loyal and immersed in learning, taught by a teacher they loved. Douval connected with his students in a special way; in their own words he ‘knew them’. There are no words to express how much we will all miss him.

I will be speaking to Douval’s wife again this week and also writing to her on behalf of the school. If you wish to send a card, please send this in marked for the attention of ‘The Family of Mr D Thompson-Davis’ and we will pass them all on. We will also turn our virtual book of condolence into a physical one, once we are able, and we will pass this on to the family. If you haven’t yet contributed, you can find the book on the VLE here. I will also be talking to Douval’s wife about the best way for us to contribute in the form of gifts as a school.

A reminder that we have access to counselling for staff at this time - please ask if you are interested. Clive Joseph has also asked me to remind staff that the GHS Prayer Group welcome requests for prayer at any time. Myself and the SLT are always available for a chat and I know that you will all be looking out for each other at this difficult time too.

I made sure to tune into Boris at 7pm Sunday night to check on the latest news around whether schools were to re-open. As predicted, there wasn’t much change, and it seems we will not be returning straight after half term. The more likely scenario is that Year 10 and Year 12 will return at some point before the start of the Summer holidays but there is no detail on that yet.

I hope that everyone has a good week.

Mia

Learning and Teaching

In light of the tragic news last week, it seems appropriate to abandon advice and tips and dedicate this space instead to our dear friend and colleague Douval. Below, his friends in school and one or two ex-students have kindly shared some memories of him and why he was such a wonderful teacher.

“Anyone that ever crossed paths with Douvie would remember his warm smile and infectious laugh. Maybe it was this inner warmth that meant he always had an electric fan near him, even in the middle of winter!”

“He was a warm, positive role model and even a father figure to some students who didn't have one in their life.”

"I loved going into his lessons. Loved, loved, loved it. The kids would be on the edge of their seats, eating out of his hands.”

“Douval had time for students who might be written off by other people and never gave up on them.”

“He invested time in his students so they knew they could rely on him.”

“His room was a safe space for any student that wanted a chat; they didn't need to be someone he had taught.”

“Douval didn't allow disrespect and held students to exceptionally high standards, but they loved him for it.”

“Although he was a rare sight in the work room, his own room was a magnet for students and teachers alike. Everyone felt good being with Douvie and he had a way about him that always made you feel special and valued.” 

"He taught us way more than just science."

Staff Shout Outs

At this time of distance, we wanted to find a way to show how much we still appreciate each other so we’ve resurrected (electronically) the Staff Shout Out Board that used to sit above the photocopier in the staff room.  

If you’d like to say a special thank you or just spread the love, please send a picture of your shout out on a post-it to Clare Secombe csecombe@greenford.ealing.sch.uk Thank you!

Reminder: Speakers for Schools

Speakers for Schools are continuing their programme of virtual talks and have now created an online library of previous talks in case you want to set one of these as a lesson or extension activity. 

The video library can be accessed here.

The schedule of talks can be found on the Speakers for Schools website here.