Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well; A Friday update for you as always.
Windrush Day, celebrated on Saturday 22nd of June, marks the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in 1948. This week, our assemblies focused on this historic and significant event marking a crucial moment in our collective journey, highlighting the progress and challenges faced together as a diverse and united community. Thank you to Ms Lewis-Harvey for creating the exceptional Windrush themed display that has been a focal point for staff and students alike and a catalyst for many conversations.
Waltham Forest will be hosting its third Windrush festival at Fellowship Square on the Saturday 22nd June between 11am and 6pm. The full festival programme can be viewed here
Our sporting teams have been in action again this week. The year 8 and 9 girls rounders team took part in their first tournament, hosted by Lammas School. The girls thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon playing sport and further developing their rounders skills. Leah Higgins captained the team to the bronze medal position. Well done to the students who took part.
Our athletes go from strength to strength, the girls from years 7 to 10 headed to the Feel Good Centre to complete their first finals afternoon, and heats in the relay. This resulted in two medals - silver for both Ziyadah Shobande, 7O in the discus throw, and Maria Yordanova 10O in the long jump.
We have enjoyed great success in the 4x100m relay heats and seven out of eight teams have made it through to the finals day on Tuesday 25th June. The very best of luck to all our athletes who will be competing at the finals day.
Congratulations to Ada Yeow 7S who has been selected to represent the Borough of Waltham Forest in the 100m on Wednesday 26th June. Ada will be competing against students representing many London Boroughs. Good luck Ada, we are very proud of you.
Hot off the press, Mr Howell reported from the field that he is delighted to share our year 7 boy and girls touch rugby teams performed with resilience and determination this afternoon in their matches against year 8 teams from neighbouring schools. All our players showed a great deal of improvement in their understanding of the game and they look forward to taking part in many more touch rugby opportunities in the coming months.
Today, we were thrilled to host the Waltham Forest Pride event, as a school that actively celebrates diversity our LGBTQ+ club worked hard to host this, our first ever 'School Pride' celebrating inclusivity. The club made decorations for the hall, put together a playlist and planned the events with Ms Ridler. We welcomed five other LGBTQ+ clubs from schools within the borough, as well as guest speakers who hosted workshops and activities throughout the day. Our LGBTQ+ club were really PROUD to have been able to host this event during Pride month.
Also today the Science Department and twenty Year 8 and 9 students headed to the NEC Birmingham for the Big Bang Fair. Students were looking forward to learning about amazing STEM careers, taking part in hands-on activities and watching incredible live shows to instil curiosity in our young people to think big and discover their potential.
Finally for today, Ms Sugathan, Head of Numeracy, accompanied six students from years 7 - 9 representing Kelmscott School to take part in a Money Wise Challenge at ExCeL London. The UK's only game-based financial literacy competition. The challenge teaches students about important money skills, preparing them to face the cost of living crisis. They compete against 700 students from 100 London Schools. Well done to those students taking part in the competition.
We are very much looking forward to seeing our Graduating Class of 2024 at the Year 11 Graduation Evening on Wednesday 26th June, next week. Students are expected on site by 5.30pm at the latest, through the main entrance to school, guests at 5.45pm prompt through the red gate, next to the children’s playground. Last entry for guests will be at 6.20pm prompt. A polite reminder that all guests must be over the age of twenty-one.
It was Thank a Teacher Day on Wednesday this week, an opportunity to recognise the tireless work that our teaching staff do to support our students. Students wrote hundreds of personalised notes to their teachers that were heart-warming to read. Can I also use this opportunity to thank our teachers, but also the support staff who work so hard behind the scenes, to enable teachers to carry out their jobs to the best of their ability.
The local authority has confirmed this week that the Waltham Forest Holiday Activity & Food Programme will take place again this summer. There are many exciting activities to sign up to over the 6-week break, more information can be found here and here.
An important message now for Year 8 families only from Ms Stoffell our Student Health Manager; The Immunisation Team are visiting the school to administer the HPV vaccination on Friday 28th June 2024. The vaccine DOES NOT contain porcine gelatine. If you have not yet returned a consent form, please use this link ASAP as the portal will CLOSE at MIDNIGHT on the 26th June.
Finally, well done to the following students who topped the reward point charts for last week with a particular well done to Phineas Turner-Stoddart 7T, who topped the charts for the entire school – keep up the good work.
Year 7 Phineas Turner-Stoddart with 57 points
Year 8 Syd Howlin with 28 points
Year 9 Anton Mastrangelo with 35 points
Year 10 Ihtesham Shahzad with 43 points
Year 11 Akram Abdullahi with 4 points.
With every good wish,
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher