High News 13 July 2018

In lieu of Junior News this week, we would like to share some of the highlights experienced in Junior School.  These snapshots hopefully give a flavour of the fabulous fun the girls have had during this last week of term.

The girls sang a fond farewell to Mrs Miller, who has taught at Northampton High for 26 years, since the opening of the current school site here in Hardingstone.

Year 6 girls participated in the Dragon’s Den challenge Green Dragons with the Lower Fourth.

Participation in the John Lewis Innovation Challenge with Karen Kimura, GDST.

The Year 6 Family Party was full of happy memories and laughter when girls celebrated their time in the Junior School.

And a special, unique and delicious treat of a thank you for Year 6 teachers as the girls move on to Upper Third in the Senior School.

Teams from each of the four Northampton High School Houses did battle in our traditional End of Year House Quiz.

House pride was as at stake as the team’s prepared themselves for questions infront of a packed Senior Hall. Quizmaster Mr Rickman oversaw proceedings, and after the papers were marked and scores were tallied, we were delighted to name Hestia the winners!

Thanks to all of the teams who took part, and congrats once again to Hestia!

Please click here to see more photos from the quiz

Mr Nash, Marketing and Comunications

Femsock (Northampton High School Feminist Society) recently delivered an assembly to the Senior School students to raise awareness about period poverty in the UK. It was shocking for some students to realise that many girls their age have to choose between buying food or sanitary items, but cannot afford both. A period is a natural aspect of being a girl/woman, and in a developed country like the UK, it is an upsetting reality that some girls simply cannot afford basic items like pads or tampons. Northampton High students listened to the testimony of other UK students who spoke about taking a day off school because there was no money to buy sanitary items in the household, or having to use socks or tissues to try to manage their period.

Read the full story here

Miss Robinson, Subject Leader Theology & Philosophy 

This year, our Social Enterprise group looked at how to help tackle the social problem of providing much needed essentials and equipment to new families and babies, who are unable to provide these items for themselves.  We decided to support ‘Baby Basics’, a local, volunteer-led project supporting new mothers and families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby.  We felt this was a great charity to support as it directly helps improve the lives of new families in the Northampton area.

Following on from our very successful Bake Sale on Friday 20 April, when we raised £118.20 for ‘Baby Basics’, we organised a collection of items that could be donated by the charity to single parents, or anyone who required extra support, including, but not limited to, teenage mums, people seeking asylum and women fleeing domestic abuse and trafficking.  We placed collection boxes outside the staff room, and so many of you kindly donated.  We were overwhelmed by the support from parents, students and teachers; everything donated will go to a very grateful home.

We would like to thank you all for your support for ‘Baby Basics’ and assure you of the significant impact this has had on our community – thank you.

Sadie, Ezri, Imy, Maya, Ellie, Kerryn, The Social Enterprise Team

Well done to U4 Drama pupils who performed their selected extracts from contemporary play, DNA.

The pieces were excellent and it was clear that many hours of hard work and preparation had gone into it. U4 have now been introduced to the themes, issues and form of the play which will be staged in its entirety as our Senior Play choice in October.

They are encouraged to audition early in September to be part of the company. A very positive end to the year!

Please click here to see more photos from the performance.

Mrs Care, Director of Theatre

On Tuesday 10 July, U4 students went on a Maths trip to Bletchley Park.

Upon our arrival, U4N were taken to a room filled with desks and war posters. It was then we learnt that we were going to be doing a code and ciphers workshop. Firstly, our workshop manager talked to us about the enigma machine. She told us that is was an amazing machine, but the way the Germans used it was not amazing thus meaning the workers at Bletchley could decipher it because of the way it was used. She said that like we put pet/ relative names or dates of birth in our passwords the Germans did the same, often using the first three letters of a girlfriends name.

The workshop mamager then explained morse code and showed us a video of a prisoner of war blinking morse code to spell ‘torture’, in a video the Japanese sent to the Americans showing how they were looking after him. After a thorough and thrilling introduction to ciphers and codes we were set onto our tasks. We had six codes that we had to break in order to spell the name of a spy that worked at Bletchley. Not all the groups manage to complete it but it proved that doing the job that many did at Bletchley was not easy, but very fulfilling when you managed to crack it!

After our course, we moved onto looking in the huts, where only the cleverest girls worked in. We visited Hut 6, Hut 8 and Hut 11, which were all used for different tasks. I think we can all agree that Hut 11 was our favourite as it had a model of the first Bombe machine which helped decode enigma, which was really cool. We also liked Hut 6 as it was vital in the breaking of the enigma and helping with battles against the German Navy, Army and Air Force.

After lunch, we met our tour guide, Martin. We sat down under the tree and he told us about how Bletchley Park came about. He told us that the 7,500 girls were recruited by a crossword in the newspaper, saying that if they could solve it in under 10 minutes they had to ring the following number. Before long Bletchley was full with the brightest girls to help with the war effort. Martin said that the girls didn’t know who they were helping when they were solving the codes, but if you were told it was saving someone’s life then you would do it. We learnt about the wooden huts which the girls lived in and their food, work and transport including the motor cycles that were used to get messages across the country. After our great day we got on the coach and drove home after learning so much and enjoying Bletchley.

Thank you to all of the Maths teachers who came with us and Bletchley Park for letting us have a very good day.

Charlotte, Lily and Freya, U4N

For our last Maths lesson of the year, U4 watched the film ‘Hidden Figures’. Hidden Figures is a film about the incredibly talented engineers and mathematician black women in the 1960s.

It shows the atmosphere of NASA as the teams try to beat Russia to space and how difficult it was too achieve this, especially in segregated Virginia. We watched this film in the hall with popcorn and enjoyed it very much, with an applause given at the end – which wasn’t just for the early lunch we were given.

Thank you to all of the Maths Department for letting us enjoy this movie and for the generously given popcorn.

Freya, U4N

The Music Department is currently undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment, including new computers, lighting, flooring and redecoration. This will provide students with an excellent environment for music-making net year, and is very exciting.

As a result of instrument replacement, we have several pianos and one electric piano that need a new home. The photos are below, and if you would be interested in one please email myself at p.nathan@nhs.gdst.net. They will need to be collected by 31 August and they will be allocated on a first come, first served and ability to collect basis.

Mr Nathan, Director of Music

We were delighted to host our Welcome Day Picnic last week! Please click here to view more photos from the event.

Miss Orvoen, Teacher of French and Spanish

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

The Summer Book is a fresh, vivid and magical novel about seemingly endless summers of discovery. An elderly artist and her six year old granddaughter while away the summer together, on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland, their solitude disturbed only by migrating birds, sudden storms and an occasional passing boat. Gradually, the two learn to adjust to each other’s fears, foibles and yearnings for independence, and a fierce yet understated love emerges – one that engulfs not only the summer inhabitants, but the very island itself. Tove Jansson writes with a special toughness, and with a quiet, dry sense of humour, about a small girl and her grandmother, who as kindred spirits share the long days together.

Miss Buxton, School Librarian

As many of you will know, the school runs a Swap Shop, where parents can purchase second hand uniform at discounted prices. We hold the Swap Shop events throughout the year, with the next event being on Wednesday 19 September.

If you would like to know more about Swap Shop and how it works, please click here to find out more.

Nicola Mitchell

Shooting

We are delighted to announce that Kirstin Vogel has been officially selected to represent Wales at Olympic Skeet at this years Home International.

The competition will be held in Scotland in August on her 18^th birthday, so it will be a very special day!

Congratunlations on an amazing achievement, Kirstin!

Mrs Hackett, Director of Sport

The South Africa Tour Group is delighted to announce that the winner of the Summer 50-50 draw is number 50: Molly Roberts-Crawford. Congratulations Molly!

The  group would like to thank everyone who contributed to the various fundraising events over the past two years and look forward to updating everyone about their experience from South Africa!

Mrs Ford, Teacher of PE 

We were delighted to hear that Sophie Stringfellow has recently been awarded both a Grade 6 Distinction for her flute playing, and a Grade 7 Distinction for her Singing!

A fantastic achievement Sophie, well done!

Mr Nathan, Director of Music

We politely request that all visitors to the school car park be aware of the 5 mph speed limit. The speed limit is for the safety of all children and adults using this site.

There have been a few incidents reported recently regarding safety, and, as you will understand, it is our priority is to make the school site as safe as possible for everyone.

May we please ask all drivers to give way to pedestrians using the designated crossing points. Children should be dropped off in the designated bays in the parking areas, and not on the crossings or in disabled parking spaces. Please be conscious of looking both ways when pulling out of the parking bays.

We thank you for taking care and keeping safety paramount.

Mrs Headley, Director of Finance and Operations