Newsletters

GHS Connect #22 Monday 8 March

From the Head

Welcome back everyone!

Hopefully everyone will have had a chance to get their heads around our return to school plans, but if not, please read my document entitled Return to School from 8th March - for unions and staff. All other documents such as schedules for student testing, and duty rotas, are linked to this document too.

On Monday, we will welcome Years 7 and 8 into school to have their lateral flow tests - just like the students last week, they will have their tests and then go straight home. Tutor time is taking place for all other year groups on Monday - they will arrive at 1pm and be dismissed at 2:30pm. For more info on tutor time please see the Tutor Time Presentation first shared last Thursday. Obviously, tutor time might not take up the full hour and a half, so please feel free to use this time to catch up with your tutees and allow them a little social and discussion time too.

We had great success with our lateral flow tests on Thursday and Friday last week, and huge thanks need to go to the testing team, Arsh, Monika and Katie, aswell as all those SLT and pastoral staff who came in to support. You’ll be pleased to hear that we had between a 80% and 90% turnout rate for all year groups, and that, out of well in excess of 1000 students, we only had one positive case. That student is, of course, now self isolating. You can see an image of our testing site below:

Once we have finished the 3 sets of tests, we will revert to normal use of the dining hall. Bear with us over the next couple of weeks while we continue with the testing.

I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone this week - if there is anything that you are concerned about, or anything you wish to discuss, don’t hesitate to pop in to see me.

Mia

Learning and Teaching

Spotted!

We'll once again be sharing the excellent examples of teaching and learning we see and hear about over the coming weeks now we're back in school... but here's a few for our last week of remote learning/mini-school:
 
> Rachael Fowler (right) enjoying World Book Day dressed as the Gruffalo!

> Sammy Ebzao diligently communicating with students via email and planning accessible lessons to support students at all ability levels.

> Serena Hayes selecting challenging real world sources of information for her Health and Social Care class and scaffolding students’ thinking to help them analyse the data. 

> Gulaid Gulaid considering how best to support students who lack confidence answering questions in live lessons and adapting his lessons accordingly.

> Omar Austin playing a spirited game of Uno with the Mini School students (below).

Learning and Teaching: Welcome back!

A very important teaching tip this week….let’s cut ourselves some slack!

It’s been a long eight weeks teaching online. Now, as we return to the classroom, let’s go easy on ourselves: appreciate reconnecting with our classes; relish teaching students when you can actually see their faces and enjoy (appropriately socially-distranced) chats with colleagues.  Welcome back!

Inclusion & Pastoral

Well, this is it - as I write, I feel a mixture of excitement and anticipation as we gear up for the big return… Will keep this short as we are going to be inundated this week!

Firstly, thank you in advance for the Tutor Sessions that are going to be delivered on Monday and Tuesday - the presentation is on the VLE so have a look, if you have not already done so. Please note, you will not be in your usual tutor rooms as we are being very careful about keeping year groups separate. I will put the roomings out first thing in the morning on the VLE. 

Secondly, our next PSHCE lesson is this Friday P5 - again, all of the resources are on the VLE if you would like to have a look in advance. If there are any questions or concerns, please get in touch with Keely. 

Lastly, I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all of the staff who helped run Lockdown Mini-School over the last couple of months - whether you were in the classrooms with the students, greeting them first thing or saying goodbye, playing basketball and bouncy ball with them at break and lunch, making endless phone calls to those who weren’t able to come in, out on patrol to ensure they were behaving, supplying their lunches every day, lateral flow testing them on a regular basis or dealing with bouncy ball injuries, fielding parental queries on reception or simply sticking your head in to help out, we could not have done it without you. Lucy, who has been fantastic at co-ordinating the whole thing, has some lovely feedback from the students we did have on site which we will share at some point. There was a real sense of sadness when we had our last day on Friday...

I hope everyone’s week goes well - if anyone does find they are struggling, or is concerned about any student on return, please do let me know or email Jo Morgan, our School Counsellor, on jmorgan111.307@lgflmail.org. Looking forward to seeing people out and about!

Lou Grimley

Behaviour for Learning

Each fortnight in Connect, Mark and Jo will be sharing behaviour for learning tips designed to help manage behaviour in the unusual circumstances of Covid-19.

Behaviour for Learning #9: Ready, Respect, Safe

Now that we are all returning to school, we will need to spend some time revisiting routines and the school rules in order to support our students and manage their behaviour for learning. During tutor time this week, students are going to watch a video explaining the expectations we have regarding their behaviour. This means that all staff and students will hear the same messages so that we have a common understanding for a consistent approach. We hope that these messages, which are wrapped around our three school rules, will ensure a smooth transition back to teaching in school.

The three behaviour for learning key foci until Easter (and possibly beyond) are:

Ready
Students must use the toilet during break and lunch time so that they are ready for their lessons; they will not be able to use the toilet during lessons.

Respect
Students must follow instructions from staff - defiance will not be tolerated and will be treated the same as a patrol. Students will not be allowed inside any building during break and lunch.

Safe
Students must wear a mask correctly (unless they are exempt) before they enter any building and in classrooms, including all communal areas, such as toilets.

The tutor time video we have made explains what sanctions will follow for any students who do not follow our three school rules.

After watching the video, as it says at the end, if you have any questions then please send us an email.

Good luck!

Mark and Jo

Thanks and farewell from Jack

I dropped off the card and collection to our departed Art/Media/ Display Technician Jack over the weekend after he started a new job at Pinewood Studios with Disney. He sent the following message:

"It has been hard leaving - I don't think that I will ever find myself in a job where I felt more welcome or at home. A huge thank you for my card, messages and gifts and I look forward to enjoying a social gathering with you when we are allowed!"

Indeed, when the pubs are open and the rules are relaxed the plan is for Jack to join us in the Duke of Kent (so maybe... June?!) 

Thanks to everyone who contributed and signed the card/sent a message!