Already, this week draws to a close and it is time to reflect upon our second week back. A sure sign that the start of the year is busy is the fact that I have had little time to visit classrooms. This will get better as the initial term-start rush is out of the way and the ‘stuff’ I am required to do each year gets completed and filed for another year. That being said, I have still managed a couple of classroom visits to see how our pupils continue to settle.
Still keen to celebrate their pupils’ achievements, if I don’t get onto class, the teachers know that if my door is open (it usually is), then they can send pupils to me. Headteacher’s Awards have been presented daily with many going to Year 3. At the start of the week, two groups came to show me their work based on the art of Bridget Riley, as they researched her love of ‘op art’. Later in the week, as the pupils had a go at their own designs, two more pupils, Sophie and Lara came with their impressive work. Extra house points were awarded for answering my difficult questions on the morphology around ‘optical’ and ‘optics’. A very impressive start to the year.
They may have only been in school for a few days, but Year 3 were off out on Tuesday for some team-building fun at Wymondley Woods. It’s a great little trip at the start of the year and I do enjoy seeing the photos shared on our social media page. It happens every year, but I am still fascinated by the use of the hammers! Although the weather has been a bit hit and miss (no pun intended) this week, we were lucky that it remained dry for them.
Curiosity is key to learning and it was certainly on display in Year 6 when they investigated any possible link between leg length and the distance a pupil can jump. What a great question to investigate and for the pupils to research. I think their initial results suggested that at this age, it is more about technique than height, but I wonder if this is the same at elite level. Do we have any international long jumpers amongst our parents? I remember studying this for my degree and so you can’t say we are not ambitious with our teaching.
On Wednesday morning we held our hustings for this year’s Junior Leadership Team. The seven candidates presented their ideas to the school in an extended assembly. They shared with the pupils why they felt they would be a good candidate and also what they might like to do as a project over the course of the year. After they had had a Q&A session with each year group, they also had a short chat with me and my Chair of Governors, Dr Wendie Ray. It really was a close affair when the votes were counted but the four Year 6s who will be wearing the JLT Badge this year are: Stanley, Lottie, Sophie and Harriet.
For the second Thursday in a row, I wasn’t able to be on the playground on Thursday morning. The ‘powers that be’ had finally caught up with me and I had to renew a qualification for authorising offsite visits. It was a really interesting day and I am also able to tick another box. I won’t however ask for my certificate to be presented in our Achievers’ Assembly!
Whilst I was reminding myself about managing offsite visits, the Year 6s were actually participating in one as they visited the Henry Moore Foundation. In a lead up to this visit, the pupils had made replicas of some of Moore’s sculptures and next week, they will look to use this inspiration to create their own sculptures. Let’s see how they use the concept of ‘negative space’ in their own work.
I was back on the playground on Friday morning and the sun was shining again. Don’t forget that if you are new to Whitehill, please feel free to come and say hello and introduce yourself to me.
I have already mentioned one of the main events in Friday’s assembly but we also celebrated Ted and Jenson’s (Year 3) respective football medals and Katie’s (Year 5) player of the match performance in her recent game for Hitchin Belles. Autumn (Year 5) got a mention for her swimming award and then Mia (Year 6) spoke confidently about her recent art trails she had participated in. The one across London sounded fascinating.
The regular awards were presented as follows: the Wombles went to Lamarr; the House Cup went to earth House and Class of the Week was awarded to Mayan Class.
I do enjoy getting to know our new pupils. I will soon be starting up ‘Biscuits with the Boss’ again where each week I will invite a group of Year 3s to my office to have a chat about their interests and their time at Whitehill, whilst enjoying a biscuit or five.
I have already been finding out some of our new pupils’ interests including Jemima (Year 3) and her love of musicals. I can see me chatting to her a lot over the next four years.
I will be joining Miss Gooderham tomorrow at an early season football festival being hosted at Wilshere Dacre School. This is always a fun start to what will be a very busy season.
Looking at the diary for next week, we are being visited by the school nursing team on Tuesday for the flu vaccinations. Details should already have been sent home to you in relation to this.
Our new Sports Captains (being announced on Monday) have a workshop being led by the local sports partnership on Wednesday afternoon.
We have the photographer in on Thursday to take the pupils’ photos but to avoid having to have mine taken, I have offered to accompany Mrs McConnell Smith on a visit to London to talk to some trainee teachers. Far safer!
With boys competing in their festival tomorrow, a week on Saturday, it is the turn of our girls’ team to get their season underway.
That is it for this week. Jemima will be pleased to know I am now heading into London to see Operation Mincemeat again. It is such a great musical and occasionally features our very own percussion teacher, Mr Wild, in the band. He’s not in it tonight, however… perhaps next time!
Hopefully you have seen the two social media posts about signing up for the Asda Cashpot for Schools scheme. It’s easy to do and you’ll be supporting both Whitehill and Highbury every time you shop. I have posted the graphic below.
Have a great weekend!
Best wishes,
Steve Mills
Headteacher
