GRANGE SCHOOL
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Happy New Year I hope you had a good festive break and are ready for whatever this new year brings. I look forward to continue working with you and improving the school by offering the best possible opportunities for our young people.
Attendance matters Our current overall school attendance is 95.34%, which is higher than both the Halton average and national average for secondary school students.
Inspired responses In last month’s edition I included an article about the work of Year 7 and 8 students for the Inspired Responses project. I’m delighted to inform you that the resulting work, some of which is shown below, will be on display at the Brindley Theatre from 18th January to 15th February.
Congratulations to the 182 students who achieved 100% attendance in the Autumn Term. Each will receive a complimentary pass for two for Silver Blades Ice Skate Rink in Widnes. Well done to the 299 students who had an attendance of 98% or above during the Autumn Term.
At The Grange we know that… Excellent attendance = Better attainment and achievement = Better life chances The Monthly Newsletter for Parents and Carers from the Head of School, Mr B. Carney. The Monthly Newsletter for Parents and Carers from the Head of School, Mr B. Carney.
July 2013 Issue
GRANGE SCHOOL Christmaths Puzzle
Headlines This month’s maths teaser
… and the answer is
The Monthly Newsletter for Parents and Carers from the Head of School, Mr B. Carney.
GRANGE SCHOOL
Headlines
Visit to Oman Four teachers from local schools, including our own Mrs Knight who writes about her experience below, were asked to embark upon an educational trip to Oman, taking part in the ’Connecting Classrooms’ programme. The week-long visit involved visiting five schools in all; four all girl and one all boy secondary schools which educate young people from 10 years to 16 years old.
The schools follow a very similar regime, starting with a whole school assembly and then the programme for the day which will be the same in all the schools across the country; even the uniforms are identical in all the schools. English language features heavily in the timetable with good reason as Omani Universities teach subjects in English and with many pupils aspiring to be doctors, engineers and teachers, pupils realise the importance of learning and improving their English whilst still at school. We also had some time to experience the beautiful countryside and culture of Oman. There are fantastic, historical sites to visit and miles of vast desert to explore.
Future International Links with the Grange School - In the February half-term this year Mr Davis, Mr Shepherd from the Grange School and Mr Kelly from Weston Primary School, will be visiting our partner schools during a week-long visit to South Africa in order to share good practice and develop links. Later in the year, The Grange will host a visit from the South African teachers.
- In April, Mrs Murray will be representing The Grange on a visit to Tongling, Halton’s twin town in China. She will work with staff and pupils at Number Seven School which, like The Grange, consists of a primary and middle school. The visit is a result of a successful bid to the British Council’s connecting Classrooms programme. - Mademoiselle Romat is currently working on establishing stronger links with the school in France where her sister teaches. The aim is for students to come over and work with The Grange pupils to develop language skills and find out more about each other’s countries and cultures. The schools will be working on similar topics so that they can share what they have learned.
The people were very friendly and welcoming, wanting to share cultural and educational experiences. We couldn’t have had a better welcome from the pupils, staff and Omani people we met.
The trip was an experience of a life time and one which I will never forget.
The Monthly Newsletter for Parents and Carers from the Head of School, Mr B. Carney.
GRANGE SCHOOL
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Literacy At The Grange, we are rightly proud to be a Reading School. Prior to the Christmas break, we informed you that the first group of Grange School Reading Mentors would commence training in January. The first volunteers from Year 10 and 11, led by our Head Boy Tony Allford and Head Girl Georgia Worswick, duly undertook their training on Wednesday 8th January. The
Reading Mentors will be taking guided and paired reading sessions with our Year 7 and 8 students during form reading time. Mentors will meet their mentees next week and are looking forward to supporting and encouraging our younger students in their reading endeavours. Contrary to popular belief, Literacy isn’t just about reading and writing. Speaking and Listening are equally important Literacy skills and at The Grange we believe that ’to speak well is to write well’. With this maxim in mind, two of our students Thomas Johnson 9MNY and Lisa Bazley 11MGG, have been selected to participate in the annual Halton Public Speaking Competition which is due to take place on Tuesday 4th February. The students, from Year 9
Thomas Johnson 9MNY
and 11, will deliver speeches based on topics of their choice in a bid to impress a panel of judges. This will be a chance to show off their speaking skills, which they have been actively working to develop as part of our wholeschool Literacy programme.
The Monthly Newsletter for Parents and Carers from the Head of School, Mr B. Carney.
Lisa Bazley 11MGG
GRANGE SCHOOL
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Changes to the Year 10 vaccination programme (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio/Meningitis C) From this term, schools nurses in Halton will be offering a new Meningitis C booster injection in addition to the combined Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio injection which is also offered to this age group.
If your son or daughter will not be having either of these injections you will still need to sign the relevant part of the consent form so their health records can be updated.
The introduction of new Meningitis C booster injection follows changes made by the Department of Health to the national vaccination programme for children and young people last April.
If we do not receive a consent form, one of our School Health Nursing team will contact you as a courtesy call; you can then ask any questions or update us on your decision. A contact telephone number will be on the letter so please ring us with any questions. If you need to speak to one of our managers before you receive your consent pack, then please don’t hesitate to ring us on 0151 495 5018.
Meningitis C is a very serious disease and teenagers are more at risk than adults and young children. With immunity reducing, the new booster Meningitis C injection will help protect those vaccinated into adulthood and more lives will be saved.
School Health Nursing Team Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust
Year 10 students will shortly bring home a letter, information leaflet and consent form about the two vaccinations. If you are a parent or guardian please discuss the injections with your son or daughter and help them understand the importance of being vaccinated. You should then complete and sign the consent for each injection separately so you will need to sign consent for each injection on the form.
The Monthly Newsletter for Parents and Carers from the Head of School, Mr B. Carney.
GRANGE SCHOOL
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Farewell... After 14 years as a Teaching Assistant at the Grange, Mrs Ainsworth has decided to retire. Mrs Ainsworth has provided valuable support to so many youngsters during her time enabling them to progress in their lessons and feel more confident and self-assured.
Term Dates
Finish
Return Spring Half Term
Friday 14th February
Mrs Cavanagh is moving on to pastures new after loyally serving the Grange since 2005. A bright and forever cheerful character, Mrs Cavanagh has taught English and Art and has certainly made a positive impression on students, always encouraging them and looking to improve their performance.
Both will be missed and I wish them well for their futures and would also like to thank them for their hard work and dedication.
Important Dates
Monday 24th February
Easter Holiday Friday 4th April
Tuesday 22nd April
May Day Bank Holiday Friday 2nd May
Tuesday 6th May
Summer Half-Term Friday 23rd May
Monday 2nd June Summer
Friday 18th July
Year 11 Parents Evening - Thursday 23rd January Year 10 Parents Evening - Thursday 13th February Year 8 Parents Evening - Thursday 27th February Year 10 Pathways Evening - Thursday 6th March Year 8 Pathways Evening - Thursday 13th March Year 9 Parents Evening - Thursday 20th March
The Monthly Newsletter for Parents and Carers from the Head of School, Mr B. Carney.
Tuesday 2nd September
Inset Days Monday 21st July 2014 Tuesday 22nd July 2014 Wednesday 23rd July 2014