Senior School Weekly Bulletin

Principal’s message

It was lovely to end the half term this morning with the Junior School Harvest festival, following on from Rose Court’s a couple of weeks ago and the Senior School’s collections earlier in September. Amongst our many partnership projects, our link with St George’s Crypt in Leeds, helping some of the most needy in our city – the homeless, the vulnerable and the addicted – is a particularly important one. Today, we’ve enjoyed the OxJam lunchtime concert, yesterday it was African dancing in the theatre foyer and Diwali celebrations in Junior School. Add to that the drama rehearsals, 100s of sports fixtures, successful trips and visits (including five residentials next week), to name just a few activities, and the joy of working in a school is plain to see.

But we do not take our blessings for granted, and so our Harvest commitments, and our link with St George’s Crypt, reminds us that, very close to home, people are in need. What’s more, this Sunday some of our Junior School teachers are running in the Yorkshire Marathon / Yorkshire 10 Mile in memory of Alfie. His parents have nominated Neuroblastoma UK as the charity the teachers are running for and we would love to raise as much as possible in memory of a wonderful boy. If you wish to donate, you can follow the link here.

And so, if we are to live out our ethos and values as a school, then looking outwards and not just inwards, seeking to give and not just to take, is vital. It’s an important message not just for our children to learn now, but also to develop generous hearts and habits for the future.

Thank you for your support in so many ways this half term and I wish you all a lovely break.

Sue Woodroofe
Principal

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Whole school notices

Diwali/Bandi Chhor Divas

Hindus and Sikhs will be celebrating Diwali during the half term break, on Sunday 27 October. Sikhs also celebrate a related festival of Bandi Chhor Divas (the day of liberation) on this day. Senior School will be holding a small celebration in the theatre foyer at lunchtime on Tuesday November 5, led by our students. All welcome to come along and join in the festivities.

Remembrance Service

Sunday 10 November at 10:30 in the assembly hall

Senior Chamber Choir will be singing at the service and must attend a rehearsal at 09:00 in the assembly hall. Please wear school uniform with poppies.

All GSAL families are welcome to attend the service, which is expected to finish at 12:00.

Charity update

The charity collection on Friday 11 October raised over £430 for Parkinson’s UK. Today’s collection on was on behalf of Oxfam.

On Friday 8 November the collection we will be collecting for St Gemma’s Hospice. Thank you for your continued support.

Year 7 notices

Message from head of year

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

.b Mindfulness programme

As you are aware Year 7 students have just completed a mindfulness programme, teaching them how to develop a distinct mindfulness skill and giving them the means to regularly practise the techniques they have learnt. Please talk to your child about what they learned from the programme, how useful they found it and encourage them to regularly practise the techniques. We would be grateful if you could also complete this short questionnaire about the .b programme. The survey will close at 09:00 on Monday 4 November 2019.

Speech Day – school closure for Y7

Friday 22 November

School will be closed for pupils in Y7, Y8 and Y9 for the whole day. All Senior School teaching staff and students in Y10 and above will be present at Speech Day in Leeds Town Hall.

Year 8 notices

Message from head of year

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

Speech Day – school closure for Y8

Friday 22 November

School will be closed for pupils in Y7, Y8 and Y9 for the whole day. All Senior School teaching staff and students in Y10 and above will be present at Speech Day in Leeds Town Hall.

Year 9 notices

Message from head of year

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

Speech Day – school closure for Y9

Friday 22 November

School will be closed for pupils in Y7, Y8 and Y9 for the whole day. All Senior School teaching staff and students in Y10 and above will be present at Speech Day in Leeds Town Hall.

Year 10 notices

Message from head of year

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

Y10 subject teacher consultation evening

Thursday 14 October

Please see the attached letter from Mrs M Collins, head of Y10, for further details. Please use the online booking system to make appointments with teachers. The booking system opens today at 19:00 and close on Tuesday 12 November at 16:00.

Speech Day

Friday 22 November at 13:15 in Leeds Town Hall

All students in Y10, Y11, Y12 and Y13 will attend Speech Day, along with all Senior School teaching staff. We will provide transport to the Town Hall and lunch will be available for all students. On this date school will be closed for all students in Y7, Y8 and Y9.

The ceremony is expected to finish at 15:30, after which time students may be collected from the Town Hall or make their own way home from the centre of Leeds. Alternatively we will provide coaches for students to return to Alwoodley Gates for collection or to catch the late bus service, which will depart at approximately 16:30.

At Speech Day prizes will be awarded for the academic year 2018-19. Prize winners have now been published to students. Parents of prize winners will receive a letter with details of their child’s prize.

An invitation is open to all parents of children in Years 10-13, to join us for this year’s Speech Day. Please apply for tickets via Eventbrite, on the following link   https://gsalspeechday2019.eventbrite.com

Year 11 notices

Message from head of year

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

Speech Day

Friday 22 November at 13:15 in Leeds Town Hall

All students in Y10, Y11, Y12 and Y13 will attend Speech Day, along with all Senior School teaching staff. We will provide transport to the Town Hall and lunch will be available for all students. On this date school will be closed for all students in Y7, Y8 and Y9.

The ceremony is expected to finish at 15:30, after which time students may be collected from the Town Hall or make their own way home from the centre of Leeds. Alternatively we will provide coaches for students to return to Alwoodley Gates for collection or to catch the late bus service, which will depart at approximately 16:30.

At Speech Day prizes will be awarded for the academic year 2018-19. Prize winners have now been published to students. Parents of prize winners will receive a letter with details of their child’s prize.

An invitation is open to all parents of children in Years 10-13, to join us for this year’s Speech Day. Please apply for tickets via Eventbrite, on the following link   https://gsalspeechday2019.eventbrite.com

Year 12 notices

Message from head of year

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

Speech Day

Friday 22 November at 13:15 in Leeds Town Hall

All students in Y10, Y11, Y12 and Y13 will attend Speech Day, along with all Senior School teaching staff. We will provide transport to the Town Hall and lunch will be available for all students. On this date school will be closed for all students in Y7, Y8 and Y9.

The ceremony is expected to finish at 15:30, after which time students may be collected from the Town Hall or make their own way home from the centre of Leeds. Alternatively we will provide coaches for students to return to Alwoodley Gates for collection or to catch the late bus service, which will depart at approximately 16:30.

At Speech Day prizes will be awarded for the academic year 2018-19. Prize winners have now been published to students. Parents of prize winners will receive a letter with details of their child’s prize.

An invitation is open to all parents of children in Years 10-13, to join us for this year’s Speech Day. Please apply for tickets via Eventbrite, on the following link   https://gsalspeechday2019.eventbrite.com

Year 13 notices

Message from head of year

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

Speech Day

Friday 22 November at 13:15 in Leeds Town Hall

All students in Y10, Y11, Y12 and Y13 will attend Speech Day, along with all Senior School teaching staff. We will provide transport to the Town Hall and lunch will be available for all students. On this date school will be closed for all students in Y7, Y8 and Y9.

The ceremony is expected to finish at 15:30, after which time students may be collected from the Town Hall or make their own way home from the centre of Leeds. Alternatively we will provide coaches for students to return to Alwoodley Gates for collection or to catch the late bus service, which will depart at approximately 16:30.

At Speech Day prizes will be awarded for the academic year 2018-19. Prize winners have now been published to students. Parents of prize winners will receive a letter with details of their child’s prize.

An invitation is open to all parents of children in Years 10-13, to join us for this year’s Speech Day. Please apply for tickets via Eventbrite, on the following link   https://gsalspeechday2019.eventbrite.com