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Friday 4 March 2022 |
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Today, the thoughts of the whole school have been with the people of Ukraine and also Russia. We had a superb turn out for the mufti day, with carefully chosen outfits giving a nod to the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Thank you for your generous donations to our JustGiving appeal which is raising money for the Ukrainian Crisis Relief fund organised by Global Giving. Today’s assembly for Year 6 and above was naturally about Ukraine. Sticking to the geographical and historical facts of the regions, rather than the political, I trust the pupils found the information of interest. With reference to Tim Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography we considered the mountains, rivers and sea routes around the Ukrainian territory and the role these land features could play in the invasion by Vladimir Putin. The swathes of flat landmass across most of Russia leave it potentially vulnerable to attack from other areas of Europe where there are no geographical barriers. Of course, the size and climate of Russia have proved to be in its favour in the past, making it near impossible for supplies of food and equipment to reach progressing armies as they move through freezing, snowy conditions of the huge country. Tim Marshall suggests that Russia’s response to the possible threat of invasion is to move troops forward until they reach the natural land barriers – such as the Carpathian Mountains on the Western border of Ukraine. As we considered the historical perspective, the legacy of the Cold War and the expansion of NATO, we noted Russia’s feeling that perhaps she is only taking back what belongs to her. I recommended Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook’s podcast ‘The Rest is History’ to the pupils as a method of understanding more about the history of this part of the world. As we ended the assembly, we spent some time in silence listening to the Carol of the Bells whose tune will be familiar to most, being played across the world over the Christmas and New Year period. It is a Ukrainian folk song played at the Ukrainian new year to herald the onset of spring. I thought this was a fitting end to our reflections. A Roundup of the Week Year 3 and 4 have been to Burwell House for their residential trip this week and we look forward to hearing all about it when they return. Elsewhere in school we have had a productive and busy week including 6N’s Class Assembly, voting for the next Head Girl Team, a range of lessons which, although largely not in their usual format, have settled into a good rhythm and are allowing pupils to continue their courses. Year 13 Mock Examinations end today and no doubt the feedback they will receive will lead them to a good place for their final exams in the summer. A reminder that the rescheduled Year 11 Parents’ Evening takes place on Monday 7 March via School Cloud where teachers will be available to discuss progress and targets in the run up to GCSE exams. If you have any problems with booking appointments please contact the senior school office. On an entirely different note, please find a link to updated parent FAQs from GDST regarding the industrial action in GDST schools. Mrs O’Doherty |
The week ahead |
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Monday 7 March Tuesday 8 March Wednesday 9 March |
Thursday 10 March Friday 11 March Saturday 12 March |
High Sports: Netball vs Ratcliffe College, Saturday 26 February |
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U18: On Saturday 26 February, the 1st team faced Ratcliffe at home. Our team played very well but unfortunately didn’t come away with the win. We had some great shooting attempts but couldn’t get close enough to the post to get them in! They were a very strong team but we still played very well within our team. Well done, everyone! U15: On Saturday 26 February, the U15B netball team played a match against Ratcliffe College, losing 15-7. Although we lost, the team played incredibly and we did well against such an advanced team. As a team we worked well to adapt to our very difficult opponent with some incredible performances from: our Player of the Match, Mary, and her incredible drive, enthusiasm and interceptions; Jess with awesome intercepts, spacial awareness and passing; and Mia L and Leona for gaining some amazing goals. That is just highlighting a few, but the entire team played tremendously, and I was very proud of our performance. The team played their best until the last second and refused to give up or become demoralised, even when we were losing. I believe this match highlighted our overall teamwork, resilience and trust in each other. U14A: The U14A team played extremely well, and regardless of the result the team worked very hard. Throughout the course of the match I felt the team only got better, with very strong defence by Jasmine and Kirsten, as well as a good attacking played by Imogen, Gemma, myself and Isla. Although no goals were scored in the first 3 quarters, we managed to score in the final quarter, which was a great way to finish the game. Our Player of the Match was Jasmine who played awfully well, her intercepts were amazing! All in all, I am very proud of the team and I look forward to our next match. Roja U14B: On Saturday, we played against Ratcliffe College. We lost our match, but although we didn’t win, we all played well despite having to mix up the teams. We didn’t manage to score any goals but have picked up lots more things to improve on next time. Player of the Match was awarded to Izzy S from Year 8, she played very well and deserved it! We are looking forward to our next match and hopefully we can win! |
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U13: We played Ratcliffe last Saturday and we won 15-14. Our shooters, Scarlett and Suki, were amazing at getting the shots in. Isla N, who was C, was awarded Player of the Match for displaying great teamwork skills, especially with Isla H. She also was very good at getting the ball to the shooters. Throughout the game we played our best and had good spacing. It was a fun game! U12: On Saturday 26 February we played against Ratcliffe College. The game went well and we had lots of shots, got a lot of rebounds, and we were doing quite well on trying to get the ball down the court using the channels. Every quarter was really close and by the end of the third quarter it was a draw. The last quarter was the most exciting. It was end to end with both schools going for the win. I think one of the main reasons we lost is because everyone was rushing, with everyone trying their best to get the ball down the court instead of thinking to take their time, so the other school doesn’t get the ball easily. We also needed a lot more marking of the players as they were really quick at finding space. At the end of the game it was a 3-2 loss. Well done to the whole team, we tried really hard and did some very good things which we can build on in the future. U11: On 26 February 2022, we played Ratcliffe College in a netball game. We were all playing in our usual positions but unfortunately some of our team were participating in a football match and were therefore unable to attend. However, this match was surprisingly one of the best scores that we had received all this year thus far. Ratcliffe have been one of the toughest teams that we have played so far because of their very swift movements and great shooting skills. Usually, we would have lost this kind of game by at least 8 points but today we all seemed to be at the very top of our game, only losing an incredibly tough match at 5 – 9. I for one think our team played brilliantly with the people in the football team being absent, and we should all be very proud of what we have done. Peyton won Player of the Match for her amazing goalkeeper skills. Lyra Mrs Littlewood |
Year 8 and 9 develop First Aid skills |
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Earlier this week, students in Years 8 and 9 came together to take part in a vital life skills session. We were delighted to welcome First Aid experts Tigerlily Training to Northampton High, who are one of the UK’s leading first aid training providers who boast over 100 UK training centres delivering over 50,000 first aid courses every year. Our students fully engaged in the session, where they developed this important skill essential for life and life saving. Well done, everyone! Mr Nash |
Book of the Week |
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Crossing by Manjeet Mann Recommended for Year 8 and above Natalie’s world is falling apart. She’s just lost her mum and her brother marches the streets of Dover full of hate and anger. Swimming is her only refuge.Sammy has fled his home and family in Eritrea for the chance of a new life in Europe. Every step he takes on his journey is a step into an unknown and unwelcoming future.A twist of fate brings them together and gives them both hope. But is hope enough to mend a broken world? |
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The Crossing was written before the situation in the Ukraine developed; as pictures appear nightly on our TV screens of the displaced and those seeking a better life in the west of Europe, this story of the plight of the refugee has unfortunately never been more relevant. Miss Buxton |
Digacy assembly addresses important online issues |
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We kicked off the week on Monday with our Digacy assembly, as we looked at the big five themes affecting young people. This was following our #SaferInternetDay work with Digital Awareness UK, and pictured above are just some of our Digital Leaders who are working on a brand new eZine – coming your way soon! Mr Rickman |
Chicken Shawarma on the menu for this week's special |
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During Tuesday lunchtime this week, students were treated to this week’s delicious Weekly Special – a Chicken Shawarma. The dish consisted of a rolled Khobez flatbread, full to the brim with either delicious spiced chicken or tasty squash for our vegetarian diners. Accompanied by a vast range of sauces and salads, this week’s special proved to be a real hit! Mr Nash |
Open Morning - Friday 4 March |
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It was wonderful to meet so many lovely families at our whole school Open Morning today. Our visitors were extremely complimentary about our fabulous tour guides, who acted as excellent ambassadors for the school. Thank you to all students who gave tours or volunteered their services. Your support is very much appreciated. If you know of anyone unable to join us today but would like to visit us, we are already taking bookings for our next Open Event on Friday 6 May and for personal tours. Alternatively, you can click the following links to view our virtual Open Day experience or our 360 school tour. Have a lovely weekend! Mrs Wilmot |
Autism Awareness Coffee Morning |
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We are pleased to be hosting an event to support Autism Awareness later this term. On Friday 1 April from 9am until 10am, Lesley Lock from East Midlands Autism will be hosting a coffee morning exclusively for the parents of Northampton High School pupils. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with Lesley and hear about how the charity supports young people and their families. Lesley has told us a little about what she does for this charity: “I run 3 autism family support hubs, which are open to children under 11 with or without an ASD diagnosis, and their parents/carers and siblings. These are located in Northampton, Leicester and Loughborough. As part of this service, I also chat to parents/carers about ASD and where to find support, how to manage behaviour they find difficult, how best to fill out benefits forms, and any other ASD related topic that comes up! I also manage our Northamptonshire Children and Young People’s Service, which runs trips, holiday and youth clubs for ages 8-18 and who must have a diagnosis, as this is the criteria set by our funders. These are for the young people to attend without a parent carer, and my fabulous team and I do our best to make sure that the young people have a wonderful time when they are with us, and can access the same age appropriate activities that their neurotypical peers can. In the last year we have been paddleboarding and raft building, visited theme parks, LEGOLAND, and the Think Tank museum, taken part in a Laser Maze evening, and solved some escape rooms!” If you would like to attend this event, please would you complete the form here. We look forward to an informative and supportive event. Mrs Beezley |
Science Week: Growth |
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Junior Bake Off 2022 |
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Saturday Track Club |
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Term Dates 21/22 |
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Term Dates 22/23 |
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Northampton High School |
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