Keep up-to-date with what's been going on at Highgate Hill House School! Headteacher updateHello everyone, Another term.....another lockdown! Definitely not how we hoped to start 2021, but necessary nonetheless to try and reduce the rate of infections and deaths across the country. As you know, we are testing staff and secondary aged pupils on a weekly basis to try and keep our setting as safe as we possibly can, and enable our vulnerable and keyworker children to continue accessing their education at school. I would like to say how impressed I am at how well the children who have consented are coping with the lateral flow tests. All parents have recently received a note from Michelle in the School Office, offering to include primary aged children in the weekly Covid-19 testing process whilst we have capacity, should you wish for them to be included. I would also like to extend my thanks to our staff, who as always, have gone above and beyond to ensure that our children feel safe and happy during these challenging times. Not an easy task when, just like yourselves, many of them have children of their own at home. Lastly, I urge you all to adhere to the current lockdown restrictions, leaving home only when you need to, to minimise the risk of transmission, to protect the NHS and save lives. Take care and keep safe. Warm wishes, Gina Wagland Headteacher Chair updateHello everyone, Hope you are all keeping well through this third Coronavirus lockdown period. The fact that the vaccines against Covid-19 are on the horizon, which are the fastest developed vaccines in history and include the vaccine from Pfizer and the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine, developed in the UK, gives me hope for the coming year. It makes me really appreciate the scientists and the NHS staff, who will get us through all of this. There are also some small silver linings to the cloud in terms of improvements to our environment and our plant and animal species. I read this morning that in 2020, people saved 48 animal species from extinction and that scientists rediscovered some that they thought were already extinct. I use these small glimmers of hope to try to stay positive. Thank you all for your continued support for everyone in our school community. I am proud of what you are all doing to keep things going and I am pleased to be associated with you all. Kind regards, Dr Julie Smith Chair of the Board Spotlight on PaulFollowing on from last month's 'Spotlight on Gina', we thought it would be nice to carry the theme on so that you can get to know some of our other staff a bit better. This time, we asked Teacher Paul to take part. We asked him... 1) Which part of your job at HHHS do you enjoy the most and why? All of it!.....whether that's teaching in the classroom, supporting our staff or working with parents/outside agencies, and everything we do to give the best life chances to our amazing pupils. 2) What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking and enjoying the amazing coastline around Torbay where I live. 3) What would we be surprised to learn about you? I used to be quite a successful mountain biker and participate in 24 hour races 4) If you could choose to go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Margarita (the lowest of the Caribbean Islands just off the coast of Venezuela), I've tried to go 3 times in the past (flight overbooked, political unrest, illness) so I'm determined to make it happen! A message from The Family First Team:Coronavirus: How to keep children healthy, happy, learning and entertained at homeHere is your free e-copy of Family First magazine, packed full of information to help keep children happy, learning & entertained at home during lockdown- We hope it helps in some way. Please click on the link below: And finally...I am sad to share the news that Chris Wright (Deputy Headteacher) has made the difficult decision to leave HHHS. It was a difficult decision for him, but also exciting because he has made the courageous step to follow a path that he has wanted to go down since his 30s. After a lot of hard work to pass his tests and get all the necessary licences, he is going to start a new phase driving tankers. Few people achieve their dream job and I think that Chris has done just that, so I wish him a great deal of happiness, and I know that you will too. As a result, we are currently advertising for a Deputy Headteacher to replace Chris later this year. Warm wishes, Gina Wagland Headteacher |