TAHS Weekly Newsletter.
Headteacher’s Blog
This evening, I just wanted to thank everyone for your support. Because of our community working together, showing such patience and tolerance I feel we are making progress in moving to distant learning. We are determined to be with you through this even if it is remotely. Our thoughts are with any families who are struggling at the moment – please let us know if we can help at all.
I know our Year 11 and 13s understandably want answers to their questions about what will happen regarding their GCSEs and A levels/BTECs. Guidance is being shared that there may be opportunities to re-sit them in the Autumn term and there may be teacher assessments which will take place. At the moment, this is conjecture but I will share it on one of the daily updates early next week.
We are keenly aware that Year 11 and 13 students may have felt like it was their last day today – I am confident that we will celebrate your time at our school when this moment in time has passed. We want to have the opportunity to thank you for all you have done for the school. For now though, let’s do the best we can with the coming weeks, let’s try and support our families, friends and those NHS workers and other key workers who are doing so much for us.
Other news:
Two things happened this week which would normally be at the top of my newsletter. The first is that we were awarded 2 Specialist Schools and Academies Trust awards – an incredible achievement from last year’s Year 11 and 13 and your teaching and support staff. Congratulations – it is the first time we have made the top 10% of schools nationally for attainment.
And the second thing – the birth of some beautiful new lambs.
Round up remains our celebration of events – next week we move to a celebration of our online work and if you have positive stories that we can share please email Headteacher@tahs.org.uk.
I will finish this week with my personal thank yous to our wonderful community: student support assistants; teaching assistants, 1:1 tutors, technicians, cover staff, teachers, site staff, our cleaning team, ICT staff, our cooks, governors, parents, students and the senior team.
Education is about to change for a period of time – we will learn from it – then we will reunite.
I look forward to that day.
Until then, let’s see what we can do with learning from a distance.
6th Form Apprenticeships Online Short CourseIf you are interested in finding out more about apprenticeships, please enrol on this short course provided by Amazing Apprenticeships. It is an interactive resource designed to tell you all you need to know about apprenticeships in a 10 hour self-directed course. It includes what apprenticeships are, how to find one, about funding and preparing for the first day.
https://amazingapprenticeships.com/resource/interactive-student-apprenticeship-guide/
Tutor Activities for First Week Back
Y12
Create or improve your CV using Unifrog and advice from Barclays. Log onto Unifrog and complete your CV or add to your competencies:
https://barclayslifeskills.com/young-people/blog/the-12-most-common-cv-mistakes/
Y13
Please watch this video and read this advice about keeping good mental health during the coronavirus.
Sports News
U16 Football
With all football currently on hold – Yr11 were presented with their match shirts for the County Cup and Sentinel Shield. Who knows when we will be able to play football again but these boys will have these shirts as memento’s of 3 years of school football and will have these shirts to play 6th form football.
PE At Home
With school closed to Yr9 & 10 at the end of the week pupils have been completing a range of activities at home. A couple of these examples are below. All pupils can have a go at these and send in their times on Office 365.
Red/Black – You will need a pack of playing cards (if not got one create your own or use an online card pack) and a timer (watch/stop watch/phone etc)
Instructions -This challenge is Called Red & Black. For Each red card do press ups and each black card do sit ups. Shuffle cards and put pack of cards face down- Turn first card over and look at the number. Complete the number of exercises on the card. All face cards are 10. If you turn over a Joker complete 20 star jumps. e.g turn over 2 of clubs ( complete 2 sit ups), then turn over next card 7 of hearts (complete 7 press ups). Keep going until you have completed the full set of cards (52 + jokers) You can rest as much as you like but the clock keeps running. When you have completed the full deck of cards stop the timer. You can have as many goes as you like. If you can get someone to witness it. Press Ups can be completed on knees but you must state that on your results and chest must go down to the floor. Sit Ups Hands next to ears- elbows to knees, back must go to floor each rep.
1 mile running challenge.
Your task is to create a safe running route from your house using google maps, map my run or another app of your choice. Plan a circular route that starts and finishes at home. this could be 1 mile long lap or a number of smaller laps adding up to 1 mile. Ensure your route is safe and that you tell someone where you are going. If possible do the run with a friend or family member
Science News
On Thursday our Year 11 students carried out a series of Science experiments.
Mr Melland’s classes looked into rocket science – building a variety of different shaped rockets and impressively launching them towards a target!
Students also measured the wavelength of laser light using diffraction gratings.
Mr Mitchell made batteries from salt bridges using a range of sulfate solutions. Cells arranged in series produced an outstanding 6.3 volts – sufficient to charge a mobile phone!
Some classes also tried their hand at alchemy – turning copper coins into ‘gold’!
This week’s Science Students of the Week selected by Mr Milward are:
Year 10
Macy Curran for excellent effort in Biology
Sam Archer for excellent work in Biology
Year 11
Tom Haines and Scarlett Simister for effort and progress in Biology lessons
Year 12
Charlie Martin for making good progress in A Level Biology
Isabel Foster for excellent effort in A Level Biology
Year 13
Luke Langley for making good progress in A Level Biology
Poppy Reay-Robinson for continued effort in her A Level Biology studies
Well done!
BTEC Success
This week we got some fabulous results for our year 13 BTEC Health & Social Care students.
They received the results from their January exam, the challenging Anatomy & Physiology paper and over a third of the students achieved the top distinction grade (with two more being just a couple of marks away). Another 1/3 achieved a merit grade and 100% students passed.
There are still some places available on this course for September for students interested in a health, care or education career.
Help the Supply Chain
Are you in the sixth form and wanting to help with the current national emergency then check out this link.
https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/coronavirus-urgent-appeal-for-brits-to-work-on-farms
Summer Holiday Opportunity
Please see the link below for information on a fantastic opportunity for students over the summer break on Cannock Chase.
Links
Thomas Alleyne's high school 