Well, a very unusual half term has come to an end with a day of solidarity supporting the, “Show Racism the Red Card” campaign which helps fund anti-racism campaigns across the country. There can be few more valuable roles for education which deals with education for social responsibility.
Mrs King (in her new role as PSHE co-ordinator) has covered vital aspects of racism with all classes from Form 5 to Form 8 this week. They have watched an anti-racism film and produced some excellent posters for around school. Please do take the time to reinforce at home the joy of multi-culturalism and the importance of equality and diversity. Without your strong echo the message will only have been half-received.
Now to try and summarise this first half term of the year?
Well, it feels like the cherries have been stolen from the top of the cake. Our normal activities have rightly fallen by the wayside to make sure our school is as bio secure as possible. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, we have all done really well as we haven’t had a COVID positive test in our school and we have been open for all children every day. I’m touching my head and everything thing else that is wooden as I write this. We must all share the credit as it has taken a big effort and lots of sacrifices from school and home. The battle must go on and we must continue to act responsibly.
There has been one positive from the lack of jaunts around the county and that is that we have without doubt spent more time in the classroom. We must be getting smarter, quicker!
It has been timely for Form 8 candidates getting ready to sit scholarship exams and for aspiring Form 7s who are just getting the “bit between the teeth” and starting to rev up themselves.
Form 8 parents, do remember the deadline for applications to Thomas Hardye School is next Friday. To failure to meet this deadline is to make the rest of the year (for you and me) full of stress so please do complete your application if you have not done so.
Elsewhere in school, Junior Prep teachers have begun their virtual parents’ evenings which seem to be well received, give or take a few technical hiccups. Senior Prep teachers will begin theirs after half term.
Half term effort grades went home on Wednesday. Thanks to Mrs Sewed for scheduling and generating all of these. It is a mission and a half. Do spend some time going through these with your children and set a few (financially induced?) targets. We will be going through the same process in our own subjects, asking how a 4 can become a three and a three a two etc. Six sets of effort grades get sent home a year and we track progress very carefully, making sure the trajectory is always in ascendancy.
Looking ahead to after half term, we are starting operating the school mini buses again and planning to re-open the library.
In the meantime we all have a chance to come up for air and have a very well-earned break!
