Headmaster’s Letter 7th December

Dear Parent,

Autumn concert

The Music department held their Autumn concert last night.  Mrs Thompson, Miss Craven and Mr Warmoth created a programme that encapsulated the best of CGS talent.  It was also wonderful to see the Year 7 CGS choir inducted into the event.  Thank you to the parents that attended to support our students.

The next event is the Christmas concert in the parish church, opposite School, next Wednesday 12 December starting at 7pm.  The church’s heating system was significantly improved over the summer so I hope that this will encourage more to come. We have a traditional concert, I hope it enables all to start to ‘relax’ into the Christmas spirit.  Mince pies are served in the Old Hall by the Friends afterwards.  If you would like to donate some mince pies, please ask your child to bring their pies to Mr Sunter’s office.

Friends’ wish list

A wish list for School resources, coordinated by the Friends, was sent to parents last week.  If you missed it, then please click here.  As the letter states, budgets remain tight – I am impressed with what is achieved – but we do need parental support.  I don’t believe in asking for donations to prop up resources, which is why I think the wish list is an appropriate way in which you can make a tangible contribution to departments.

Caistor Goes Christmas

As last year, we will be holding our ‘Caistor Goes Christmas’ event next Friday 14 December.  Students are invited to wear something ‘Christmassy’ for the day.  This can range from a Christmas jumper, sporting some (non-flammable) tinsel to a full-blown Christmas decoration with lights.  Events are coordinated by students at break and lunchtime.  This year, the School Council, who coordinate the event, won’t be asking students to contribute a £1. Instead, we will be supporting the Scunthorpe Food Bank.  The council would like students to bring in some food.  The centre accepts non-perishable goods only and is well stocked currently with soups and baked beans.  The following foodstuffs are especially welcome: Tinned or packet potatoes, tinned tomatoes, pasta sauce, jam, tinned meat/fish, rice, UHT milk, fruit squash, instant noodles, tinned fruit, rice pudding and custard and small/medium jars of coffee. Please give generously.

Christmas dinner

On Wednesday, we held our Christmas dinner.  The kitchen staff served 612 lunches in the space of one hour and 40 minutes.  A full service was provided including a range of puddings as well as some vegetarian options.  We are using local businesses more and more to supply our kitchen.  The new dining hall was a great success meaning that students and staff could linger a little longer.  I would like to therefore thank our co-catering managers Mrs Amanda Stainton and Mrs Donna Hinch, assisted by Miss Sharie Wright and Mrs Margaret Rojahn, who provided a sumptuous meal.  They are supported by Mrs Sarah Jollands, Mrs Dianne Goode, Mrs Pam Lingard and Miss Alicia Wylie who do everything from washing up to manning the tills.

Buses

I am very grateful to the Sixth form students who act as travel prefects and try to encourage positive travelling on the school buses.  Please help us to help them, by encouraging your children to be sat down wearing seat belts during their journey.  The following students are bus prefects:

I am grateful to them for taking on this very important role in looking after younger students.

As you know, we finish at 2.30pm on Thursday 20th December.  So you are aware, buses, apart from the service bus W27D Caistor to Market Rasen, will depart at 2.30pm.  This bus will depart at the normal time from Nettleton Road.  We will be able to accommodate any child that wishes to stay in school because they are on this bus until 3.45pm, our normal finish time.

Assessments

We are in the middle of the assessment season.  By the end of this term each year group will have received either a written report or an assessment.  Each year group, with the exception of the public examination years, have five assessment points per year.  These are: two assessments, a full report, a standard report (for Years 7-9) and a parents’ evening.  Reports before a parents’ evening are released two weeks beforehand so students can arrange appointments: this means that parents and students can identify the teachers.  Parents also receive a letter from Mr Croft, Assistant Head, (Director of Studies) outlining the assessment schedule for the year ahead.  Students in Years 7-11 that that have made a significant improvement or have achieved a particularly high attainment between reporting periods receive a silver star on their assessment. The first parents’ evening of the year is for Year 13 on Thursday 13 December, 5pm – 8pm.

Be Aware

The ‘Be Aware’ page on the website, under the parents’ tab, is a useful place to find information relating to online safety, etc.  Two new items have been posted this week.  One makes students (and adults) aware of identity theft.  The second was recommended to us by a student in another school who came across our website while researching a project on Internet safety. Finally, the @CgsMiddle twitter feed is tweeting a 12 days of Internet safety in the run up to Christmas.

Do have a good weekend,

Yours sincerely

Alistair Hopkins
Headmaster