MHS Update 4-2-2021

MHS Update 4-2-2021

I’ll be in school as normal tomorrow but, in keeping with the whole idea of the ‘Offline Day’ tomorrow, I felt I should blog on a Thursday this week.

For all those students at home tomorrow the idea is for them to spend the majority of the time offline, although we do want students to ‘check in’ via Satchel One/SMHW in the morning. They’ll be rewarded by being able to see a great video put together by Miss Cook and the Wellbeing team. It’s really uplifting and well worth a watch. As I explained last week, tomorrow’s offline day is all part of the school’s efforts in marking Children’s Mental Health Week and the activities we have provided are designed to engage students in a range of different ways. Of course parents and carers will know best if their children need a break, would benefit from completing the activities or if they want to catch up with some outstanding school work.

The same is true as to whether parents and carers would like KS3 students to keep working beyond the school day. As you know from last week’s blog we are pausing homework in Years 7-9 for the next three school weeks, taking us through to 8^th March. I know that this has come at the right time for some, but that other students were happy to carry on with homework and may be disappointed at the break from it. Therefore in the next couple of days we’ll be sharing some great optional subject specific work that KS3 students can complete if they wish. Please look out for the following resources which will be sent home soon:

As I post this blog we’re less than an hour away from the rearranged Year 11 Parents’ Evening. Three weeks ago ‘School Cloud’ crashed nationally and we had to abandon the event, and obviously there’s a slight element of trepidation/excitement as we look ahead to the follow up session tonight. I remain grateful to parents for being so understanding last time and equally grateful to the staff who have kindly agreed to give up even more time to try the event a second time around.

Finally, well done to Year 9 for choosing their option subjects. If students are yet to decide then the deadline for doing so online is tomorrow, Friday 5th February.

I hope that tomorrow is a good day – whether offline, online, at home or in school – and that it is followed by a great weekend. I know that winter is due to come back with a bang but, as I look out of my office window, there is definitely an early promise of Spring!

Best wishes

Joe Barker

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