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Friday 16 June 2023 |
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Embracing the Joys of Youth: Resisting the Rush to Grow Up I LOVE SPORTS DAY! In fact, this was very nearly the title for this weeks’ blog. It is my absolute favourite day of the academic calendar and I regularly rearrange things to ensure I can be out on the field all day enjoying every moment. Now, I fully appreciate that I probably enjoy it in part because I am not the one organising it, and I must therefore take a moment to thank and praise the sports faculty once again for the tremendous amount of work that they put into the planning and delivery of Sports Day each and every year. This year was no exception! However, my message this week is a little broader than just Sports Day. I want to talk about being young, and how wonderful that really is. The biggest reason I love Sports Day is that it reminds me of being young. I have hugely fond memories of Sports Day when I was at school and it all comes rushing back when we hold one here at the High School. The camaraderie, the sportsmanship (or sportswomanship!), the laughter and the celebration make me incredibly nostalgic and also incredibly proud when I see this in our students. In our fast paced world, there is a tendency to accelerate the process of growing up for children. Perhaps it’s the fear of ensuring that they are fully prepared for the world around them that pushes us to hurry them along, or perhaps our expectations of children have changed over time. I sometimes worry that as a society, we are encouraging them to abandon their innocence and embrace adulthood prematurely. I worry that the influence of social media and the seemingly limitless access to the internet is exacerbating this further still and I worry that sometimes we forget the beauty and value of childhood, for it is a period when young souls can thrive, explore and find boundless joy. Do we, the adults in the room, therefore need to take a breath and resist the urge to push them into adulthood too soon? Childhood is a time when imagination knows no bounds. Young minds possess an ability to create, be it their use of vibrant vocabulary or their use of colour in their art work. Younger children have magical adventures, far away from the confines of adult reality, they make potions and dens in Forest School, or fly on magic carpets across the playground, or lose themselves in musical or theatrical composition. They think beyond convention. By encouraging children to retain their innocence, we provide them with the freedom to nurture their creativity and fully explore the limits of their imagination. It is through imaginative play that children develop problem solving skills, learn to express themselves and cultivate a lifelong love for learning. Children also possess an insatiable thirst for knowledge. This is good news for me and my fellow teachers! They also often have an unyielding sense of wonder about the world around them…. A double bonus for me as a Geography teacher!! By allowing them to remain in the realm of childhood, we nurture their innate curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions, seek answers and explore the world with enthusiasm. This sense of wonder often lays the foundations for learning, critical thinking and an appreciation for the complexity of life in general. If that is taken away from them too early, the implications for our future generations are perhaps a little bleak. To read the full entry, please click here. Mrs Kneen |
The Week Ahead |
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Monday 19 June Tuesday 20 June Wednesday 21 June |
Thursday 22 May Friday 23 June To view a list of the summer term clubs and activities, please click here. |
Reach Cross-Curricular fortnight |
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This week, Year 7 and Year 8 students have enjoyed the first week of our Cross-Curricular fortnight. Cross-curricular links, lessons, and activities help to build a transformative educational model that goes beyond traditional subject boundaries, enabling pupils to develop higher order thinking skills (HOTS). To help give this fortnight a strong foundation, we are following a unifying theme of ‘The Unexpected’. This unique fortnight promotes social interaction and collaboration, while opening up new avenues for teachers to collaborate and explore innovative teaching methods. Our pupils have thoroughly enjoyed the range of lessons and collaborations that have taken place this week and look forward to showcasing their learning through a piece of ‘Open Prep’. To see pictures and learning updates from the week, we welcome you to visit our Twitter page. |
Celebrating Pride |
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This week, our wonderful Femsock group delivered an assembly all about LGBT Pride. LGBT Pride is the promotion of equality and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as a social group. In Monday’s assembly, the group explored the history of the movement and spoke about the importance of celebrating diversity and inclusion. Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which took place in June 1969. This month Northampton High School will be recognising the work of LGBTQ+ people, celebrating how far LGBTQ+ rights have come and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Ms Eldridge |
U13 and U14 District Athletics |
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On Wednesday 7 June, we took two teams from Year 7 and Year 8 to the District Athletics at Daventry Stadium. For once, the weather was in our favour and the perfect conditions allowed the students to shine. Year 7 results: Year 8 results: Congratulations to everyone for their fantastic performances! Mrs Littlewood |
Alumnae selected to represent GB at European Championships |
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Last week, the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad for the European Team Championships was announced and alumna Georgina Forde Wells has been selected to represent the team in the Triple Jump The first division match at the championships held in Silesia, Poland takes place on the 23-25 June and will see the team compete against 15 other countries across three days of competition. UK Athletics has selected a full team with the aim of achieving the highest team placing possible at these championships, whilst providing development opportunities for a number of athletes, Georgina being one of the debutants. We wish her all the very best and look forward to hearing how she gets on. Mrs Littlewood |
Wizard of Oz Spotlight |
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This year, Northampton High School’s summer musical production is based on the Wizard of Oz! Our cast and crew are very excited to perform to an audience and showcase all they have been working on over recent months. With only a few weeks remaining until the performance, now is the time to get to know our cast a little better!
How would you describe your character? Dorothy is courageous and kind-hearted and she always wants to help others. She can also be quite an emotional character. Lucy I would describe Uncle Henry as very important. He’s very protective over Dorothy and doesn’t want her to get into trouble. My second character, The Royal Guard, is quite different as he’s very sarcastic and doesn’t really want to be doing his job. Frankie I’d describe the Wicked Witch as evil. She’s very cunning and sharp and she knows what she’s doing! Tiffany
I think I’m like Dorothy because we both have dogs! I can also be quite gullible in the same way Dorothy can be, although we both try our best to be brave. Dorothy, Lucy I don’t think I’m like either of my characters! The character I most relate to is the scarecrow because we can both be pretty forgetful! Uncle Henry and The Royal Guard, Frankie
Tickets for our performance of The Wizard of Oz can be purchased here. We hope you can join us! Mrs Marriott |
Book Review |
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The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Stefan Ros Dylan was six when The End came, back in 2018: when the electricity went off for good, and the normal 21st-century world he knew disappeared. Now 14, he and his mam have survived in their isolated hilltop house above the village of Nebo in north-west Wales by learning new skills and returning to old ways of living. However, despite their close understanding, the relationship between mother and son changes subtly as Dylan has to take on adult responsibilities. |
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And they each have their own secrets – which emerge as they take it in turns to jot down their thoughts and memories in a found notebook – the Blue Book of Nebo. Find out more about the Carnegie Medal here. Purchase through the NHS bookshop here. Miss Buxton |
Northampton High receives Certificate of Excellence |
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Sun safety reminder |
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With the weather getting warmer, please can I remind you to practice safe sun care when spending time outside. Remaining hydrated, wearing sun hats and applying sunscreen are essential measures in the summer heat and we would encourage everyone to follow these sun safety tips. Mrs Dunkley |
Northampton High School - Where girls learn without limits |
Swap Shop events |
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We would like to share the forthcoming Swap Shop event date with you. These events provide parents with the opportunity to buy, sell or donate items of uniform that you no longer require. If you have any items that you would like to sell or donate, please bring them to school for the below date: Friday 30 June |
Save the Date: Creative Arts Festival |
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Wizard of Oz |
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Save the date: Alumnae Reunion Lunch |
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Save the Date: Speech Day 2023 |
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Save the Date: Parents Afternoon Tea - Friday 7 July |
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We invite you to save the date for this summer’s Parent Afternoon Tea event, which will be taking place on Friday 7 July, from 2 – 3.30pm. The cost for this event will be £15pp, and bookings can be made via ParentPay, with a deadline of Wednesday 31 May. More information will follow over the coming weeks and months, but we do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a lovely afternoon. Miss Hair |
Children's Activity Morning at Dobbies |
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Community Nursery Sessions |
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Cricket Coaching in Northampton |
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Term Dates |
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Northampton High School |
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