Parent newsletter
Friday 1 April 2022
Chaplaincy Team - Prayer
Lord,
please help us to be more sensitive to other people’s sufferings.
Help us to notice when friends are particularly quiet and withdrawn;
To listen when they mention things which would be worrying them;
To sympathise with their feelings;
And to find ways to help them.
Amen
Theme of the week
Theme of the week = Lent –
Journey to the Cross
Foodbank week beginning 4 April:
St. Rita
St. John Boste
Foodbank week beginning 25 April:
St. Teresa of Avila
Bl. Thomas Percy
CAFOD Lent Campaign
We continue to collect any spare change in school for CAFOD’s Lent campaign. CAFOD is also working with its sister organisation Caritas Ukraine, and those Caritas agencies in neighbouring countries, who are already helping people affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Next week, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available to everyone in school. One of our local parish priests will be joining us each day to celebrate the Sacrament. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available at the following times:
Year 7 = Monday 4 April – Year 7 yard 12:20 – 13:20
Year 9 = Tuesday 5 April – Year 9 yard 12:20 – 13:20
Year 10 = Wednesday 6 April – Year 10 yard 12:20 – 13:20
Year 10 = Wednesday 6 April – Year 10 yard 12:20 – 13:20
Year 11, 12 and 13 = Thursday 7 April – Year 11 yard 12:20 – 13:20
Year 8 = Friday 8 April – Year 8 yard 12:20 – 13:20
Covid 19 update
From 1 April, routine testing will no longer be expected in all education and children’s social care settings. This is part of the government’s plan to remove remaining restrictions on society while protecting the most vulnerable from COVID-19.
Respect and Routines
Attendance - Traffic Light system
You will shortly receive information about the new Traffic Light System along with a first report on your child's attendance. We are introducing this to help our students to reach and maintain ambitious standards of attendance in school. Letters will be sent out every half term letting parents know if their child is currently Red, Amber, or Green and we will be working hard with families to help resolve any issues around attendance.
Year 11 Parent Information Evening
Monday 4 April - helping to support your child through the exams.
We are hosting an information evening for Year 11 pupils and their parents on Monday 4 April to offer advice and support in the preparation for the upcoming final examinations. Effective revision techniques and tips will be shared along with advice on how to stay healthy. There will also be the opportunity to pick up a range of resources from our subject areas, so that students can be as prepared as possible for their exams.
The evening will start at 5:00 pm and refreshments will be served from 4:30 pm.
Y11 Easter Revision Sessions
We are inviting some Y11 students to attend Easter revision sessions, taking place in school between Monday 11 April and Wednesday 13 April. You will be notified of the sessions that apply to your child and permission slips will need to be returned for these sessions by Thursday 7 April.
GCSE and A Level Music Performance exams
On Monday and Thursday next week, GCSE and A Level Music students have their final performance exams. They have worked so hard during challenging times over the last 18 months. Good luck to them all.
Information for Y11, Y12 & Y13 Exam Candidates
Please find a link to the Summer 2022 Exam Timetable for GCSEs, A levels & BTECs below.
It is important that all candidates understand the rules and regulations before taking exams. All candidates must read the information in the documents below, which are also available on our school website in the students - examinations section.
Warning to Candidates
Social Media and Examinations
Information on Written Examinations
Information on Coursework Assessments
Information on Non-examination Assessments
Information for On-screen Tests
Privacy Notice
Blue and Yellow Day for Ukraine, Friday 8 April 2022
On Friday 8 April as we continue in our efforts to support the people of Ukraine, we are ending this term with a Wear Blue and Yellow Day. We are asking all students and staff to make a minimum suggested donation of £1 to support this worthwhile cause. Donations can be brought in as cash on the day or made via your ParentPay account (when you log on you will see payment option).
Students are to wear school uniform but can ‘wear blue and yellow’ by:
● Wearing a blue and/or yellow top
● Wearing blue or yellow accessories: socks, tights, hair accessories etc.
● Have blue or yellow make-up or nail varnish or glitter or face paint
NB: No blue or yellow hair dye. For Health and Safety reasons students are not allowed to wear a hat and our policy regards no jewellery remains in place.
Year 11 Prom - Deposit Reminder
Parents are reminded that a £10 non-refundable deposit for the year 11 Prom is required by Wednesday 6 April through Parent Pay accounts.
The Y11 black tie event will take place on Monday 27 June 2022 in The Bishop's Suite at the Ramside Hall Hotel, Durham.
Supporting Reading at Home
We strongly encourage students to practise reading at home to enhance their reading skills and foster a passion for reading. The holidays are coming up soon and are a great time to catch up on reading. For further advice on supporting reading and using Accelerated Reader at home, please refer to our website. Here are some recommended reading from our English Teachers:
KS3
Boy - Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
KS4
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Song of Achilles - Madeleine Miller
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
KS5
They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Art, Deign and Technology
Last week we congratulated Precious Maranon in Y8, who was North East England regional winner in the Heroes Stamp Design Competition. Not only did she win a £500 cash prize for herself, Precious also won the same prize for the Art department too.
Precious is currently deliberating on what she would like the Art department to invest in materials wise. She is a real fan of using both paint and pen in her work and so something along these lines may be coming the way of other students at KS3. This will allow more budding artists like Precious to pursue excellent creations in their Art practice and wider competitions. Well done again Precious!
PE and Sport
Netball Tournament Winners
Congratulations to the Year 9 Netball Team who won the City of Sunderland tournament. The girls played
extremely well, winning all six matches. Recently the girls have also been successful in winning their section of the City of Sunderland Netball League. The finals will be held on Wednesday 6 April. Good luck.
Swimming Sisters Triumph...
A huge round of applause for Marley Bowe (year 8) and her sister Macey (year 5) who attends St Marys Catholic Primary School, after they won 11 medals between them at a recent swimming gala in Tynemouth.
Both Marley scooped gold in the 400m individual medley and a bronze award for her 800m freestyle, 400m freestyle and 100m butterfly respectively. Macey won silver in the 200m freestyle race and 50m backstroke. She took home five bronze awards too. Marley also achieved North-East Regional qualifying times, and has secured a place in the North-East Regional Swimming Championships.
Both Swim for City of Sunderland Amateur Swimming Club and are soon to complete for the national swimming qualifiers. Well done and congratulations and good luck to you both.
British Science Week (14 – 18 March 2022)
A massive well done to all the students who produced some fantastic work in response to the British Science Week poster competition. We have been able to make a very eye catching display of their work on the Science floor. The winners of the competition are Aama Kuhadiya and Andrea Nsubuga and they can come and see Dr Emery for their prize next week.
Career Fair
Students in Years 10 – 13 had the opportunity to meet employers from a variety of sectors as well ambassadors from a range of universities and training providers at our careers fair on Wednesday. Students had some great discussions about their future career options and the world of work. Huge thanks go to all of the organisations involved in making the day a success.
Parents Evening Feedback
Thank you to parents/carers of Year 8 and Year 9 who attended our virtual Parents’ Evenings this half term, and to those who have submitted feedback. The majority of feedback has been positive and many have commented on the convenience of virtual appointments as well as the well-structured and focused nature of the evenings. We have taken all feedback on board and are working on solutions to some of the issues raised.
We have two Parents’ Evenings coming up next term: Year 10 on Tuesday 10 May 2022 and Year 7 on Thursday 7 July 2022. More information will be emailed to those parents/carers in due course.
