Headmaster’s Letter to Parents
February 2021
Dear Parents I suspect this half term is only the second in the School’s long history in which the majority of pupils have not been able to set foot on the school site. I congratulate them all on their resilience and adaptability in terms of how they have carried on. Staff too have worked very hard indeed and I am very grateful to everyone who has pulled together in order to continue pupils’ education and support for them. With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Michael Punt
Contents Page 1
Messages University News
Page 2
Chigwell School Music - Livestreams and On-Demand Hit the Right Note UK Linguistics Olympiad 2021
Page 3
British Physics Olympiad Success Aprenticeship Week 2021 Internet Safety
Page 4
Student Voice: Cameron on the Epping Forest Youth Council
Page 5
ARTiculation Zooms into 2021
Page 6
Academic Enrichment Broadening Intellectual Experiences New Sports Centre Public Examinations
Page 7
Friends of Chigwell Half Term Photography Competition Senior School Assemblies on YouTube
Page 8
Staff News And Finally
Page 9
Message from the Chaplain
Messages
University News
As for school staff across the country, and indeed everyone, the period of lockdown has been tough for a whole variety of reasons. As I have said previously, thank you to all those of you who have written in with kind messages of support and praise. Your appreciation really has meant a great deal to staff through a period when the community has been physically separated. The following is an example that I was sent this week following a parents’ evening, but it is representative of many others:
We are very proud of all members of the Middle Sixth who have received university offers which, for the most selective universities, have been even more competitive this year. Congratulations to Jessica who has an offer to study engineering at Newnham College, Cambridge and to Fola, Shireen and Zain who have offers to study classics, history and law at The Queen’s, Hertford and Corpus Christi colleges, Oxford. Many students are still awaiting university decisions from institutions here and overseas. We wish them all every success.
…I was struck by how your staff, without exception, know each child, their strengths and weaknesses and seem genuinely to care about their progress. The pupils are very lucky to have them. I know that many of the teachers are also looking after families whilst working and they must have been shattered at the end of the evening. I hope they know that their dedication is much appreciated by the parents, not just for last night but for the whole of this last year when they have all worked so hard to maintain a sense of normality. They are a great team although I am sure you knew that already!
1
Chigwell School Music - Livestreams and On-Demand Hit the Right Note Last year, the music department launched a YouTube channel to share pupils’ talents with their families and the Chigwell community during the pandemic. By livestreaming events that would normally have been hosted in School, Mr Howard Ebden and pupils have been able to bring the joy of music to an even wider audience – making music even more accessible to all.
With total views currently at 6,100 from both families here in the UK and internationally, the initiative has quintupled the audience size for events – with highs of 703 views for pupil Mily's Mozart recital. As both staff and pupils have become more confident with the new set-up, the productions have gone from strength to strength with each recital and pupils have adapted incredibly well to performing in front of cameras instead of a real-life audience.
From Young Musician of the Year, to recitals and online music tutorials, the department’s innovative approach has ensured that lessons have continued remotely and that performances are shared via the power of YouTube.
Read more at http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchoolMusicPlaylist
UK Linguistics Olympiad 2021 Well done to the students in Years 10-13, who participated in the UK Intermediate Linguistics Olympiad 2021 on 3rd February via Microsoft Teams. Competitors had to solve data problems in four languages: Ditema, Filipino, Longgu and Latvian and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Read more at http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchoolUKLO2021
2
British Physics Olympiad Success
Apprenticeship Week 2021 To celebrate apprenticeship week (8th – 12th February), we hosted our own series of events which included Live CV & Interview Workshops, UCAS ‘Ask me anything’ Facebook Live and the UCAS Discover Apprenticeships Virtual Fair
Congratulations to all those A level physics students who participated in the annual British Physics Olympiad Competition. This year 3,700 students from the UK and overseas took the paper, which is designed to test a range of knowledge, as well as challenge the best young physicists with interesting questions that link ideas from a variety of topics.
Read more at: http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchoolAcademi cEnrichment
Internet Safety
Well done to Martin and Zachary who were awarded bronze medals, to Aleksander and Jessica who were awarded silver, (placing them in the top 15% of candidates) and to Elena who has a gold medal because her results placed her amongst the top 8% of all those who sat the paper.
At a time when pupils are all spending more time working using computers, it is even more important that we are mindful of the dangers, as well as the benefits, when on line. You may find these tips from the NSPCC useful but, as always, if you do have particular concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Read more at http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchoolBPO2021
3
Student Voice: Cameron on the Epping Forest Youth Council The Epping Forest Youth Council aims to give young people a voice in the Epping Forest district. It has been running for many years with councillors, who are students at local secondary schools, elected by their peers. We are proud that Chigwell has been involved with the EFYC from the outset and has been represented by various councillors who have all enjoyed their experience. In a recent article on our website, Upper Fifth former, Cameron, shares his experiences of being on the Youth Council and in particular the work he has been involved in regarding the mental health of young people during the pandemic. Read his article at http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchoolEFYC
4
ARTiculation Zooms into 2021 Chigwell Student Aleksa took part in
art and propaganda and politics and
the online Regional Heat of the
used contemporary links effectively. His
ARTiculation competition in January,
visual comparisons were effective. His
delivering an outstanding talk on the
talk was very focussed. From a
‘Death of Marat’ by Jacques Louis
rhetorical point of view the talk was both
David. He received praise from the
powerful and evocative. The structure
adjudicator, Dr Esther Chadwick from
of his talk addressed large issues as well
the The Courtauld Institute of Art,
as zooming in on the detail".
London, who commented on the
Read more at
delivery of his talk as having:
http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchoolARTiculati on2021
"Emotional impact and drama, he immediately opened up big questions in
5
Public Examinations Following the details of the Ofqual
ensure that they are well-prepared
consultation that I circulated last
for any assessments next term, in
month, we are anticipating that final
whatever
arrangements for the grading of GCSE
appreciate that the uncertainty over
and A level students will be published
arrangements will be unsettling for
later in the term. In the meantime,
students and as soon as we are able to,
teachers and students are working
we will let you know more details.
form
they
take.
We
hard to complete courses and to
Academic Enrichment - Broadening Intellectual Experiences We have recently introduced a new programme of academic enrichment lessons into the Lower Sixth curriculum. Students spend one lesson every week away from their examination subjects, learning about areas which are outside of A level courses. Options, selected by students, include: Medical Ethics, Facing the Past Today and Financial Analysis. Read more at: http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchoolAcademicEnrichment
New Sports Centre Very shortly we will be submitting a
will make a huge difference to the
planning application for the new sports
sporting options that we are able to
centre.
offer pupils, as well as the flow of pupils
Please
view
the
virtual
consultation room to find out more
and cars at the north end of the site.
about this very exciting project which
http://bit.ly/SportsCentreHMFeb21
6
Friends of Chigwell Half Term Photography Competition The Friends of Chigwell invite all
Competition. During half term, get
pupils to take part in a Photography
outside and send a picture of something that inspires you from nature. The subject can be anything – a caterpillar, a pond, frost on grass, birds migrating – be creative and have fun! Judged by Mr Edwin Aitken, Head of Art, there will be prizes in store for the best photos. Please send photos to social@chigwellschool.org by Monday 22nd February, one photo per pupil please. Landscape is preferable. The winners for each section of school (Pre Prep, Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form) will be announced after half term.
Senior School Assemblies on YouTube Through our YouTube channel (Chigwell School 1629), every online assembly for the Senior School is available to watch (and re-watch!) online. Remember to hit ‘subscribe’ to receive the alerts. Find us at http://bit.ly/ChigwellSchool1629YouTube
7
Staff News Congratulations to Sarah-Jane and Damien Rabbitte on the safe arrival of Caelan Edward. Caelan made an unexpectedly quick arrival in Church House, where Mr and Mrs Rabbitte are Houseparents.
And Finally As soon as we know when pupils are able to return to school we will be in touch with details of arrangements. We understand that the Government will be reviewing arrangements in the week beginning 22nd February and that schools will not open fully before 8th March. In the meantime, I hope pupils are able to enjoy half term and to have some time away from screens. Stay healthy and safe and thank you once again for all your support.
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Message from the Chaplain My garden at school is never going to
I hope that in your own circumstances
win any prizes. The lawn was laid over a
you also have reasons to be hopeful and
building site so a thin layer of soil covers
that all of our Chigwell family will enjoy
a thick layer of rubble. Despite the
the half term break and look forward to
inhospitable
more normal times in the not too distant
growing
conditions
future.
combined with recent frost and snow, this morning I found my first snowdrop. It
With all blessings
poked its head defiantly into the cold air and gave me a sense of hope for what
The Chaplain
else will grow when spring comes. I have a similar sense about our current situation. Clearly things are still difficult for a lot of people and circumstances will be hard for a while yet. Despite this however, I see the early buds of more normal times popping up all over the place. Students in Zoom lessons talking about summer plans, chats with teachers about returning to school. Grounds staff on the cricket square planning for the season and boarding house students plotting an ‘end of restrictions’ barbeque.
9
TERM DATES 2020/21 Lent Term Staff meetings and INSET on Wednesday 6th January First day:
Thursday 7th January
Half term:
Saturday 13th February to Sunday 21st February
Term ends:
Friday 26th March
Trinity Term (Easter Day is 4thApril) First day:
Monday 19th April
Half term:
Saturday 29th May to Sunday 6th June INSET Day Monday 7th June
Term ends:
Wednesday 14th July
Michaelmas Term Staff meetings and INSET on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd September First day:
Monday 6th September
Half Term:
Saturday 16th October to Sunday 31st October
Term ends:
Wednesday 15th December
