Breakfast
We're trying to encourage as many pupils as possible to eat breakfast in canteen. I get really worried about young people who don't eat anything in the morning. Actually, they need more calories and nutrients than almost any other age group as they are growing and changing so rapidly. It always raises a laugh in the Year 11 Leavers' Assembly, when we show them the photos of themselves as little Year 7s!
So last week the Canteen Staff put on a free breakfast for a group of pupils to see what they thought of some more choices. The food was really popular, especially the sausage and bacon baps! So, like other businesses, in response to our customer feedback, new on the menu are muffins, fruit, crumpets and veggie sausages. Also, just like your friendly neighbourhood shop, we have special offers...... free toast continues until half term.
Hope this goes down well!
If you have any other suggestions for breakfast leave your comments below!
Mr ap Harri | 25.04.08 | 09:32
Travel
Travel to school leaves a massive carbon footprint as the yr 10s can tell you from their BP workshop the other week. Our pupils really do care about the environment. Some of them nagged us, rightly, about getting a safe place to store bikes so they could ride to school. Good exercise and "green" too. Last week we ran the first training session, to ensure the bikers are traffic smart too. Mrs Mayow and Miss Cooper have been training themselves to teach these "Bike Ability" sessions. I wonder if we will get more cyclists as the weather gets warmer? If anyone out there wants to cycle to school just collect a form from reception.
Mr West is a keen cyclist. . . . must get a photo of him to go on the blog too :)
Mr ap Harri | 02.05.08 | 05:59
Work Experience
Went to visit some of our Year 10s on Work Experience this week. This is a part of the job I love. So do the other staff. The Year 10s usually have a great time and don't want to come back to school! See, we tell them, it's worth the studying to end up with a career that is really interesting and varied!
I went to see Catherine and Lucy who were at the Citizens Advice Bureau in the City Centre. They really appreciated what the staff had done for them. Neither really knew about the CAB and the free legal support and advice it gives to anyone who comes in the door. A lot of their work is helping people sort out debt problems, or benefits, or housing. ( Worth knowing that free expert help is there if you ever have a problem). Lucy wants to be a Probation Officer and Catherine a Lawyer. I asked them what they thought they had learnt.
Catherine said "If no-one does the small jobs, the big jobs cannot be completed"
Do you know what Catherine, there are some adults who haven't learnt that?!
Mr ap Harri | 06.05.08 | 18:21
Claira ended up as a Teaching Assistant with Mr Wall at Station Road Primary, who used to teach her when she was 7 years old! He was full of praise for her. He said she was excellent with the Yr 3 children. Claira had worked with groups of pupils on particular topics, heard individual children read and Mr Wall said, she was just brilliant at using her initiative. If she saw something needed doing, she just got up and did it, even if it was something mundane or messy, like cleaning up the paints! Claira wants to be a junior school teacher and certainly has shown the potential on her work experience weeks. She said
"I really did love being at Work Experience and the people I met were so nice to me and helpful".
I wonder how the other Year 10s got on? Do they have any funny stories to tell? Has it changed their minds about what they want for a career?
Mr ap Harri | 06.05.08 | 19:00
A lot goes on in a school. People who come to work in a school for the first time are always amazed at the different jobs there are behind the scenes. (We have more staff working behind the scenes now than teachers in classrooms!) Mrs Burdekin and Mrs Lister are the brains behind Work Experience. I wonder if the kids know and appreciate how much work went into this operation? They started organising this in June of Year 9. It takes nearly a whole year and hours and hours of their time. But they loved the results. They tell me that Yr 10s went to Vets, Medical Practices, Solicitors, Hospitals, Urban Farms, Police, Garages, Retail and all sorts of offices. They have some lovely stories to tell.
One girl who is really shy in school, did so well that the firm have offered her a summer job and describe her as "brilliant".
Two lads who can be a little immature at times in school, do absolutely fantastically. Mrs Henry says the firms praised them to the hilt.
One girl who thought she wanted to be a hairdresser, decided she doesn't after all. Thought it would be glamorous but found herself working long hours, sweeping up and washing hair. Lots of that in Hairdressing. But the company said, that although they knew that she didn't want the job as a career, she didn't complain, used her initiative, worked hard, was smart and on time. They told Mrs Burdekin,
"She was a pleasure to have. She should be proud of herself"
And, this was really moving, they tell of a couple of girls who were working with the elderly, were loving it and, loved by the old people in return, who returned one morning to find that one of the residents had sadly died during the night. The staff reported that the girls were so mature about this very, very upsetting experience. They were sad of course, but wise, one of them saying" I know I must face it because it's life".
Year 10s.....we are proud of you!
Mr ap Harri | 07.05.08 | 09:02
Competition
And finally. . . the winners of my little competition to work out how much the 500 Kit Kat Chunky's weighed, which Ms Brown and Mr Grantham shopped for at the end of last term are. . .
1st Prize to Lianne Fisher 11WA
Runners up Emma Tiplady 11WS and Antony West 10YF
The answer was 3500g. If the above like to see me they will find themselve duly rewarded :)
