Senior School Weekly Bulletin

Principal’s message

Parents across the school will be relieved to hear that Whoops-a-Daisy Angel managed to show the way to Bethlehem at Rose Court this week, despite her reputation as lovable but disorganised! When you add to this nativity tale performed by Reception children the fun-filled Hosanna Rock! in Junior School and last night’s beautiful Winter Concert, you’ll appreciate why schools are simply the best places to be at this time of year! This Sunday, Nine Lessons and Carols starts at 18:30 in the assembly hall and you are all most welcome to attend; indeed for many in the school community, including the alumni who come back to join the choir, this service is often said to mark the start of Christmas and the sense of community is heart-stirring.

Of course, alongside the festive fun, this is also a season for giving, and many pupils, parents and staff have donated items for a variety of local charities, to provide both presents and essentials to those most in need, close to home. There is still time to donate goods to St George’s Crypt via school before we break up and can I thank you for your generosity thus far. It’s just a typical example of what ISI noted about GSAL; ‘Pupils show an outstanding willingness to fulfil their responsibilities and contribute positively to the lives of others both within the school community, and in wider society.’ And it reminds us that we need to keep looking upwards and outwards, every day.

Sue Woodroofe
Principal

Please note that to access the downloads in this bulletin you will need to be logged into the school intranet GSAL World. Should you have any difficulty logging in please visit the GSAL World home page and follow the instructions under Password Reset Request.

Whole school notices

Arrangements for last day of term

Thursday 19 December

In Senior School there will be no late buses or after school library supervision or activities, and pupils are expected to leave immediately at the end of the school day. If there are genuine reasons why this is not possible they should inform their form tutor in advance so that specific arrangements can be put in place.

Keeping children safe online

Many children will be hoping to find a new internet enabled device under the Christmas tree, which will provide them with hours of entertainment and learning opportunities. However, it is vital that young people understand how to keep themselves safe online and where to find help if they are concerned.

Please visit the ThinkUKnow website from CEOP’s education team for some useful tips on helping young people to stay safe online, at Christmas and beyond.

In the event of bad weather

In the event of severe weather conditions, we endeavour to keep school open if safe to do so. Should bad weather force us to close the school during the course of a day we follow a protocol to ensure the safety of all pupils. The protocol is outlined in a letter from the Principal, which you can find via the icon Bad weather information on the GSAL World landing page.

House quiz

Monday 16 December at 17:00 in the assembly hall

Parents are welcome to attend the annual house quiz, when around 160 pupils from all year groups will represent their houses in this relaxed and fun competition. The coveted house quiz trophy was made for GSAL by Peter Jolly from an old school desk at the Moorland Road site of Leeds Grammar School.

No tickets are required and we expect to finish at around 19:30.

Islamic Society charity event

Saturday 11 January 2020 from 15:00 to 18:00 in the theatre foyer

All GSAL families are invited to this fundraising event in aid of the Kashmir Appeal. Further details on the attached poster.

Charity update

The charity collection on Friday 6 December supported Danby Rovers FC, raising over £275. Today’s collection was on behalf of Simon on the Streets.

On 10 January 2020 the collection will be on behalf of Prostate Cancer. Thank you for your continued support.

Infectious illnesses – Information for pupils and parents

Illnesses such as diarrhoea/vomiting and flu-like illness are common at this time of year. Please read the Public Health England guidelines, which we follow in school to minimise the risk of illness spreading.

The spread of most infectious illnesses is reduced through good hand hygiene. Please ensure that you and your child wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap, particularly after using the toilet, after using a tissue to catch a cough or sneeze, and before eating.

We’ve updated our privacy notice

GSAL is committed to protecting your personal information and that of your child in accordance with local data protection laws. Our updated privacy notice will help you better understand how and why we use your personal information. These updates apply to all pupil applicants, current pupils, and parents/carers of GSAL.

Lost property

As we near Christmas lost property is bursting at the seams. If an item is named we ask the pupil to collect it, however there are still a number of items awaiting collection despite repeated reminders.

We also have a number of high value items that we would dearly like to return to the rightful owners. Anyone suspecting they have lost a high value item, phone, watch, jewellery should be able to clearly identify or log into the item in question.

If your child has lost an item during the past half term, please ask them to visit lost property at the campanile. Unnamed items are stored in lost property for a term before being distributed to either the second hand uniform shop or local charities. Please remember to label all your child’s belongings as this makes it much easier to return items to their rightful owner.

Year 7 notices

Message from head of year

Please see the attached letter from Mr S Gibbin, head of Y7.

Year 8 notices

Message from head of year

Please see the attached letter from Mrs C Heatley, head of Y8.

Trip to Spain for current Y8 pupils

Monday 19 October to Friday 23 October 2020, Valencia

The Spanish department is organising the annual trip to Valencia, Spain, to run entirely during school holiday time in the October 2020 half term.

The aim of the trip is to introduce our pupils to Spain and speak as much Spanish as possible whilst we are there. Full details can be found in the attached letter. If you would like to register your son/daughter’s interest for a place please do so via the sQuid listing no later than Thursday 19 December.

Trip to Germany for current Y8 pupils

Saturday 17 October to Wednesday 21 October 2020, Rhineland

The German department is organising a trip to the Rhineland for the first few days of the October 2020 half term. Full details can be found in the attached letter.

We have run a very enjoyable trip to this most beautiful part of Germany for a number of years and it is open to current Y8 pupils studying German. If you would like to register your son/daughter’s interest for a place please do so via the sQuid listing no later than Thursday 19 December.

Year 9 notices

Message from head of year

Please see the attached letter from Mr M Ahern, acting head of Y9.

Y9 subject teacher consultation evening

Boys: Thursday 9 January 2020 17:30-20:00
Girls: Tuesday 14 January 2020 17:30-20:00

We invite parents to meet with their child’s subject teachers to discuss progress. Please read the attached letter from Mr M Ahern, acting head of Y9, for further details and how to book appointments with teachers.

The online booking system opens tonight at 19:00. For girls, it will close on Tuesday 7 January at 16:00 and for boys, on Sunday 12 January at 16:00.

Year 10 notices

Message from head of year

Please see the attached letter from Mrs M Collins, head of Y10.

Y10 and Y12 French Language Trip 2020

Monday 6 April to Friday 10 April 2020, Paris

The French department is proposing a school tour to Paris to support the curriculum for French language students in Years 10 and 12.

Full details can be found in the attached letter from Mr N Hele, head of French. If you would like your son/daughter to take part in this opportunity please provide your permission and deposit payment via the sQuid listing which will go live at 18:00 this evening.

Year 11 notices

Message from head of year

Please see the attached letter from Mr J Veitch, head of Y11.

A-level options: Y11 subject presentations

From Wednesday 8 January to Monday 20 January 2020

Next term academic departments will run presentations to outline the nature and content of the A-level courses to Y11 students. These presentations will be extremely helpful when making important decisions about which subjects to choose at A-level. Please visit the Y11 pages on GSAL World to view the schedule of presentations.

The deadline for completion and submission of A-level options forms to form tutors is Tuesday 21 January.

Speech Day photographs

Photos taken at Speech Day of all prizewinners and GCSE certificate holders are available to view and purchase from the photographer’s online gallery until 31 January 2020. The password is prize.

Year 12 notices

Message from head of year

Please see the attached letter from Mr P Brotherton, head of Y12.

A-level politics trip to USA

October 2020, Washington and New York

Y12 students studying A-level politics are invited to apply for a place on the above trip, which is to be run during October half term next academic year. Please read the attached letter from Mr A Stodolny, head of politics, for further details.

If you would like your son/daughter to take part in this opportunity please your interest via the sQuid listing no later than Wednesday 18 December.

Y10 and Y12 French Language Trip 2020

Monday 6 April to Friday 10 April 2020, Paris

The French department is proposing a school tour to Paris to support the curriculum for French language students in Years 10 and 12.

Full details can be found in the attached letter from Mr N Hele, head of French. If you would like your son/daughter to take part in this opportunity please provide your permission and deposit payment via the sQuid listing which will go live at 18:00 this evening.

Speech Day photographs

Photos taken at Speech Day of all prizewinners and GCSE certificate holders are available to view and purchase from the photographer’s online gallery until 31 January 2020. The password is prize.

Year 13 notices

Message from head of year

Please see the attached letter from Mr S Corcoran, head of Y13.

Speech Day photographs

Photos taken at Speech Day of all prizewinners and GCSE certificate holders are available to view and purchase from the photographer’s online gallery until 31 January 2020. The password is prize.