The Nutshell w/e 17th November

Dear Parents,

What a wonderful two weeks back after half term! It has been lovely to see all your children back at school, rested and raring to go.

We held a very successful open morning today, with brilliant autumnal sunlight shining on both our sites; it was lovely to see such a large turnout of prospective parents enjoying their tours. Our Year 8 pupils were fantastic tour guides and did a great job of showing off our school.

As the excitement of Autumn term continues, I am particularly looking forward to this coming Monday, when we will host the first conference in our Empowering Young Minds series for Year 7 and 8 pupils. The goal is to give the pupils a place to talk openly with experts about topics which are relevant and important to them, equipping them with knowledge to understand to thrive in the wider world. For our first conference, sports psychologist Jack Hicks-Flynn and clinical psychologist Dr Mollie Higgins will lead sessions on managing worry, performing under pressure, and finding personal strengths. Through talks and discussions, pupils will receive tips and encouragement that will help build their confidence, resilience, and growth mindset. By having these important conversations in a judgement-free setting, we aim to support pupil wellbeing and inspire them to keep learning, asking questions, and broadening perspectives. We look forward to empowering Year 7 and 8 pupils through this first conference and more events to come. In January, the second conference will be held with a focus on AI with expert Ben Whitaker, engaging Year 7 and 8 pupils on AI's impact. Parents are invited to attend the evening session to understand the role of AI in education and support your child's learning.

As a school, it is important to us to support our local community. A recent grant from our Hazelwood Community Fund was given to a local primary school in Kent, to assist them in purchasing rucksacks and uniform for vulnerable children and to help ensure all their pupils had the opportunity to attend a residential trip.

With Christmas fast approaching, we would like to support this local primary school once more. Therefore, we are asking for Christmas hamper item donations to help those families who are struggling financially, so that they can enjoy a special treat this Christmas. If you would like to help, please donate non-perishable, Christmas food donations – to be dropped at the School by Friday 1st December. More detail on the following page. Thank you in advance for your support.

Best wishes,

Lindie

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