NEWSLETTER www.cowesec.org info@cowesec.org
Friday 15th February
Dear parents and carers, It has been a rich and busy half term and I would like to thank you all for your support of the academy across this half term.
Thank you to Year 11 parents for joining us last night to receive your child’s revision plan and to hear about effective revision. We followed this up this morning with a celebration assembly for Year 11s which celebrated the fact that our students are really getting into the swing regarding revision now and awarding specific students who have been using our revision software the most at home. All students in the year group received their ‘bacon or egg butty well done’, along with their revision plan for February through to the end of the exam season in May. I wish all Year 11s well with their revision over half term and thank staff coming in over the week to support students in revision sessions and intervention. This morning was full of celebrations and it was wonderful to also see our Year 10 and sixth form ‘buddies’ awarding certificates to their Year 7 buddy readers. With awards such as “most enquiring mind” and “most enthusiastic reader” we were thrilled to support students who have been devoting time and energy to reading during form time. Our buddy scheme happens twice a week and we would be delighted to have any parent volunteers also join us to support this reading scheme. In addition, this week has been our official ‘staff appreciation’ week and staff have been supporting each other’s wellbeing and ensuring that we have all felt appreciated here at CEC. Our very positive ethos of celebrations has been very much in force this week and we will also return to more celebrating as we begin the new half term positively with further celebration assemblies. You may have seen coverage in the national press recently as schoolchildren in the UK have taken part in Youth Strike 4 Climate, with events planned in over 40 towns and cities across the country. The initiative is inspired by the actions of 16 year old Greta Thumberg in Sweden, which has resulted in up to 70,000 schoolchildren in 270 towns and cities worldwide taking part in ‘Fridays For Future’. This morning we had a PSHE lesson given over to student led social community action in tandem with Greta’s actions and our own concerns about the environment. Sixth formers wrote a lesson for the rest of the academy to receive regarding the environment and supported the delivery of it in class. Students then wrote protest letters to local politicians, including MP Bob Seely and Vix Lowthion, Green Party spokesperson for Education. It was quite a thing to see over 1000 letters written with passion about the environment today. Letters addressed to the Green Party were handed over personally this afternoon to Vix Lowthion who visited our Head Boy and Head Girl here at the academy this afternoon. My parent surgeries continue on Tuesday afternoons over the next half term. Please either email dharrison@cowesec.org or phone the school on 01983 203103 asking for Donna Harrison to book a pre-booked slot. With best wishes, Rachel Kitley