No.14 1 April 2022
Easter Term
ST PETER’S 8-13 NEWSLETTER A huge well done to everyone for getting to the end of an incredibly busy term. Staff have been hit hard by Covid this term and I am indebted to colleagues for the way they have covered for each other with all of the absences, and kept our online learning happening so successfully whilst also teaching the rest of the class in front of them. It is great to be looking at next term and planning whole year group trips, J5 Leavers’ residential and other activities, and Speech Day – things that we haven’t been able to do until now.
The second edition of the Pupil Voice Newsletter was published this week, containing a mixture of mental health and wellbeing tips, school news and fun information. The pupils have done brilliantly to pull this together over the term. Many of you will have received daffodils on mothering Sunday, grown by the Eco Club in our raised vegetable beds. Thank you for all of the money and gifts which you kindly donated to our Ukrainian appeal.
Our Seven Key Values are Friendship, Trust, Wisdom, Compassion, Endurance, Humility, Hope Collaboration and Empathy... Mrs Cathy Lees, our Academic Deputy Head, is leaving at the end of the summer term to move to Lambrook School in Berkshire. We have appointed Mr Edward Duncan as her replacement. Edward is currently on the senior leadership team of the Junior School at Tanglin Trust School in Singapore, widely regarded as one of the top international schools in the world, where he has been for 8 years. Prior to that he taught at Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur and George Watson’s College in Edinburgh. Tanglin is a large school with nearly 200 children in a year group. He has been heavily involved in evolving the school’s use of technology in the classroom and is part of their Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Committee. He holds the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership and has studied at both St Andrew’s and Edinburgh Universities, after boarding at Radley College. He is married with two sons and his interests include history, running, archery, chess and playing the piano – quite an eclectic mix! As we start to think about next term, can I please remind you that children should have regulation school bags and not brightly coloured ones from home. These can be purchased either directly from School Blazer or possibly through the Nearly New Uniform Shop. The volunteers who run the shop do a fantastic job in not the most salubrious surroundings and I’m very grateful to them. Our Minster choristers do have some time off over the holidays but also have a very busy schedule over the Easter week. I hope that you have a wonderful Easter break whatever you choose to do and look forward to hearing all about it in April. Andy Falconer Head
Congratulations to York House on winning both the Junior and Senior House hockey tournaments. Elmet won the Junior House netball competition and Alcuin won the senior competition. Elmet also won the House Cross Country competition. It is so good to see everyone taking part in these competitions and contributing to their team’s scores, whether they feel that the sport is one of their strengths or not. House Singing will take place next term as will the Junior Swimming Gala.
So many of our children have taken music or drama exams this half term and we eagerly await the results. Thank you to all the teachers who have helped prepare them to sit the exams in as confident and ready a manner as possible. All of these things help us in our aim to prepare the children for confident, successful and fulfilled adult lives and to make a positive impact on their world. Helping them to experience a wide variety of activities and to learn something more about themselves through the process, all helps in this aim and supports the work that goes on during timetabled lessons. St Peter’s 8-13, York, YO30 7WA www.stpetersyork.org.uk Registered Charity Number: 1141329
Social Media Instagram: @stpeters8_13 Facebook: stpetersschoolyork8.13
Twitter: @stpeters8_13 @stp8_13library @stp8_13sport
@stp8_13music @stp8_13computes @stpyorkboarding
St Peter’s 8-13 Learning Habits Collaboration, Creativity, Curiosity, Embracing Challenge, Empathy, Flexible Thinking, Initiative, Perseverance