We have an online absence reporting form for all absences (whole day or part of the day). If you are unable to use the form you will need to email absence@hgs.herts.sch.ukwith the student's name and tutor group, reason for absence and expected return date (if known).
WEEKLY MENU - Week 3
You can see our three-weekly menu here - we are on Week 3.
SCHOOL NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Good afternoon,
This week began with remembrance and I'd like to celebrate the achievements of two of our students in particular who played an important part in acts of remembrance; the students are Lucy Sowden and Lucy Ward. Lucy Sowden was one of 35 members of the St John Ambulance corps selected from the whole of the UK to represent their units at the remembrance service in London last Sunday. After observing the two-minute silence, Lucy marched past the Cenotaph to pay her respects and even gave a salute to HRH Prince William! And on Monday, Lucy Ward led the school's act of remembrance by playing The Last Post, followed by the Reveille to mark the end of our two-minute silence. Lucy played both pieces amazingly well with perfect timing, adding a real poignance to the morning. Congratulations to them both, and they are well deserving of the Headteacher's Award they will be receiving.
Today is the final day of the written Year 11 mocks and I'd like to congratulate all of Year 11 for their attitude and approach to this exam series. Mocks are an important stepping stone to future exam success, as students gain valuable experience of the formal exam setting whilst also getting important feedback on their strengths and areas for further improvement via their results. I must emphasise that with the mocks, the outcomes are not the be-all and end-all. The most important aspect of the mocks is what the students learn from the experience and what they understand about the next steps they need to take to secure success next summer. They will, of course, be supported with this via our Steps to Success programme alongside other interventions. I hope all students can enjoy a restful weekend and good luck to those who will be doing their final preparations for the French and Spanish speaking exams.
Wednesday next week is our Open Evening for prospective Sixth Form students - an important night for our current Year 11s, and I look forward to welcoming you all to the evening as you look to see what exciting steps lie ahead for education after the GCSE years.
Finally, I'd like to thank all students and staff who supported our recent shoebox appeal - this charitable act is of great significance for those in receipt of the shoeboxes and is another example of the kindness displayed by our community.
James Crowther, Headteacher
The shoeboxes, packed with practical supplies and wrapped in Christmas paper, are destined for families in need in Eastern Europe.
A reminder to parents/carers to cast their vote for the Parent Trustee ballotif they have not done so already. The deadline is 11.30am on Wednesday 20 November.
We will be supporting Children in Need again this year with a non-uniform day on Friday 22 November. This year's theme is Make Life Lighter. We ask for a donation of £1 via ParentPay(you are of course welcome to donate more).
Although it will be non-uniform, we still have expectations about appropriate dress for school. No sleeveless or cropped tops, shorts or backless shoes are allowed, and our usual rules regarding jewellery and lanyards still apply.
On Monday we marked Remembrance Day with a moving performance of The Last Post by Lucy (Year 10), with some of our students attending in Scout and Cadet uniforms, followed by two minutes of silence observed by the whole school.
And on Sunday another of our students, Lucy (Year 11), had a truly special experience as one of 35 St John's Ambulance Cadets selected from around the country to represent their units and take part in the Remembrance procession and ceremony at the Cenotaph in London.
You may have even seen Lucy on TV if you watched the service on the BBC!
We had an amazing set of results at last week's District cross-country competition, with the Year 9 team coming 2nd and the Years 7, 8, 10 and Senior teams all coming 1st. An outstanding performance by all students and our HGS values were on display in abundance - well done to all involved!
Congratulations Enya (Year 13), who won the Senior Dance Challenge at the So You Want to Dance competition in Milton Keynes on Sunday. In a very tough category with lots of entrants, the dancers were taught a Jazz routine and then performed it for the judges. After several rounds, Enya was announced as the overall winner!
The Design & Technology department took 12 students from Years 8, 11 and 12 to the annual Rotary competition held at the Priory School last Thursday. The task was to design a unit which could transport a package across a bridge, drop the package on the other side and then return using a switch and motor system.
Despite not walking away with a trophy this year, the students all had a fantastic time while demonstrating our values in their attitude and conduct. Well done to you all!
Geography students in 7A, 7F and 7R have written 'postcards from India', talking about the very diverse environments of the country and producing some beautiful illustrations. Find out more about our Geography curriculum
As part of our Careers Programme we will be hosting our annual Futures Fair on Wednesday 27th November. All students from Years 9 to 13 will attend and have an opportunity to meet local and national employers, and Further & Higher
Education providers. This is a fantastic day when we will have in excess of 50 visitors in the school representing about 45 different organisations.
Students will be doing some preparation for the event in the next two weeks, thinking about who they may want to talk to and what questions they want to ask. Parents/carers are asked to discuss this with them at home as well, and refer to the list of visiting organisations plus the fair booklet.
We would like to thank all the amazing parents and alumni who are supporting this event by representing their sector or organisation - we had a tremendous response to our requests and really would struggle to run an event such as this without their help.
Got a question? Find the answer in the Library! We are celebrating Non-fiction November with a display of some of our most popular factual books. From astronauts to zebras, you can find all sorts of amazing information about a huge range of subjects in our non-fiction titles. Whether you want to research a subject for homework or find out more about something that interests you, come and explore the non-fiction shelves.
Revise with Educake and be entered into a prize draw! Educake is hosting a contest where five lucky students will receive a £50 One4all gift card. All they have to do is log in each week between now and the end of term and complete a quiz using the Revision Wizard.
‘Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)’, sometimes known as 'winter depression', is often linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter autumn and winter days. It's common to be affected by changing seasons and weather. For example, people might find that their mood or energy levels drop when it gets colder or notice changes in their sleeping or eating patterns. Even though the temperature may have dropped, spending more time outdoors in natural daylight can add a significant boost to mood. It's recommended that you bring nature into your everyday life: growing food, flowers or being around animals are great examples of how nature can have a positive effect on your emotional wellbeing. Click here to watch a self-help video which explains how nature can help people to feel better.
What is offered by Services for Young People?
Hertfordshire Services for Young People deliver a range of youth work projects for young people aged 11-17 (up to 25 for care leavers and those with SEND), in young people’s centres and other community venues in all districts of Herts.
They are committed to giving young people high-quality opportunities to learn life skills and excel in their personal and social development. They also aim to address issues at the earliest opportunity to give young people the best chance to thrive, have a voice in their community, reach their potential and make a successful transition to adulthood.
Nessie in Education will be running My World and Me workshops after school. This is open to students from all local secondary schools in Years 10 and 11 who have an Autism and/or ADHD diagnosis, or are on the pathway to referral.
A partnership of local agencies, DSPL publishes a weekly round-up of courses, workshops and events related to young people's wellbeing and additional needs in the North Herts area.
