Today’s unrelenting rain has meant some changes of plans but it has not dampened our spirits. We are all still very excited about tomorrow’s Primary Curriculum Day and, of course, the Year 5 and 6 production of The Wizard of Oz. We hope to see parents and carers in the afternoon to share in the students’ learning and performance.
Research consistently shows that regular attendance is directly linked to academic achievement. Students who attend school consistently are more likely to engage positively with their learning, develop strong social skills and perform better in their GCSEs and A-Levels. Each day of school is filled with opportunities to learn, engage with others and participate in co-curricular activities. Missing just a few days can lead to gaps in understanding and decreased motivation. When students miss school, it doesn’t just affect their own learning; it can also impact others as teachers help them to make-up for lost learning. Parents and carers can help by supporting our attendance policy and establishing consistent morning and bedtime routines that help children understand the importance of being ready for school each day.
Wishing you a pleasant weekend,
Caro
Upcoming Events
(NB these may be subject to change)
Primary
Secondary
Week 8
•Wednesday: ĢƵ Intercultural Day and Food Festival. Secondary parent invited to the cultural catwalk parade (08.15-0915) and to secondary lunch (12:30 -13:15) followed by a cultural celebration assembly in the hall (13:30 - 14:30)
•Tuesday - Students In Action (SIA) trip PIS
•Wednesday: End of Term 1 - No clubs
•Clubs run as usual on Monday and Tuesday next week This event has been cancelled by the university
•Tuesday: Y11 PTC in the secondary courtyard classroom
•Wednesday: ĢƵ Intercultural Day and Food Festival. Secondary parent invited to the cultural catwalk parade (08.15-0915) and to secondary lunch (1315-1400)
•Wednesday: End of Term 1 - No clubs . Students leave at 1500
Term 2 Week 1
•Wednesday: Primary RSE - Years 1 Parent to 6 Information Session - 2:45 - 3:15
•Early Years visit to Thakali Restaurant
•Saturday: Secondary Inter House Athletics Sports Day
Week 2
•Tuesday: EY open their own Thakali Restaurant
•Wednesday: Parent Information Session - Phonics
•Thursday & Friday: School closed for Tihar
•Monday: GCSE Awards Evening
•Tuesday: AS Awards
•Thursday & Friday: School closed for Tihar
Clubs:
There will be NO clubs in Primary and Secondary on Wednesday, 2nd October.
ĢƵ Uniform Provision
At our school, we do not require students to wear a standard daily uniform. However, there are specific occasions when students will be required to wear their sports uniforms and other designated attire, depending on school activities. All of these are available to purchase from the school shop.
Sports Uniform:
Students are required to wear their sports uniforms for Physical Education (P.E.) days and sports events.
The sports uniform consists of the House t-shirts and shorts for summer and can be layered with ĢƵ tracksuit for winters .
Performance Uniform:
Performance (or PAWS) polo shirts should be worn by all students for performances as advised by the teachers.
ĢƵ Top
There is an additional polo shirt that students can wear whenever they wish and is a great compromise for those who prefer the convenience of having a uniform
Primary News
Year 1 have been reading the story ‘Astro Girl’ written by Ken Wilson-Max. Astrid dreams of being an astronaut but her Papa tells her all the hard things she’ll need to do in preparation for reaching her dream and the tricky journey it takes to become an astronaut. Astrid is brave and wants to succeed and chase her dream. Year 1 have read some non-fiction information books about astronauts and explored the different ways astronauts prepare to go to space. They have created fact files on what astronauts do and drawn some pictures depicting their written piece of information.
Year 2 recently concluded a highly engaging Exit Point for their IPC topic, “We Are What We Eat.” Throughout this unit, children explored the origins of various foods, examined food from around the world and focused on traditional dishes from their host country. They also studied the food pyramid, researched balanced diets, and creatively illustrated different foods that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. In an effort to share their learning experiences, the students invited children from their Community Partner School to participate in a variety of engaging activities related to the topic. A highlight of the event was the enjoyable experience of making and tasting fruit kebabs together.
As part of the Exit Point, the students prepared pizzas that they joyfully served to their parents. This event not only showcased their culinary skills but also served as a fundraising opportunity for Shramik School, our Community Partner School. Thanks to the support of parents and staff, Year 2 proudly raised a total of Rs 13,105. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved for their contributions and support in making this event a resounding success.
Secondary News
Awards Assemblies
Photo: Year 7 leaders give their year groups review of the term
This week we have celebrated our end of term awards assemblies. The pastoral team have given these a awards event a fresh look and have introduced new categories including awarding special badges for house point winners – this term the first bronze badges were awarded for; reaching 100 house points, a form attendance trophy, an exciting prize draw for students who have a 100% punctuality record for both mentor time and all lessons and (perhaps my highlight) the “marvellous mentee” award. Marvellous Mentees are nominated by each mentor and awarded to the student who has made the biggest contribution to their mentor group this half term. In the review of the term, it was very pleasing to hear “meeting the great new teachers” as a highlight for Key Stage 3, and for Year 7 enjoying being able to “move to lots of different classes”. Well done PE for being nominated the most popular Year 7 class!
Above: Key Stage 5 “Marvellous Mentees” Term 1
Invitational Swim Meet
Whilst our senior sports teams were playing in a volleyball tournament, also at Lincoln our junior swimmers were excelling in the pool.
It was a fantastic showing from the 12 students in Secondary from Year 7 to Year 10 who represented ĢƵ at the Lincoln Swim Meet over the weekend. With over 200 swimmers in attendance from 30+ schools across Kathmandu the standard of swimming was very impressive and for a few of our swimmers it was their first ever competition. Our swim team’s focus was on challenging themselves and trying to set new personal best times, which they all succeeded in achieving.
Throughout the course of the 2 long days of competition, the team collected points for ĢƵ with a number of swimmers finishing in the top 6 for various races, while Saksham won gold in the 100m backstroke and Shubhangi won 2 golds, 2 silver and 1 bronze across various events. The combined efforts of the entire team meant that, despite only entering students in the younger age groups, ĢƵ finished 6th overall in the meet, which is something all swimmers can be proud of.
The team was composed of the following students: Mayukh, Rehaan, Wilfred, Saksham, Pandu, Binamra, Aarushi, Snigdha, Shubhangi, Tuviah, Meredith and Aisha.
Other Sport:
Both the boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams competed well and finished 3rd in their tournaments.
The girls’ basketball team was in action against Premier on Monday. Despite playing with determination, Premier were able to convert more of their chances and won the game. Without a number of key players due to injury, our team put in a strong performance and we hope to be able to report victories as the NISSA season continues.
The boys’ football team enjoyed a thrilling 3-2 victory against a highly rated Ullens team on Thursday. Great skill, energy and commitment was shown by both teams and spectators enjoyed a high intensity game played in good spirit. An inspired late substitution by ĢƵ coach Mr Williams, saw Ishat come off the bench with 5 minutes to play and convert two stylish finishes to turn a potential defeat into a memorable victory.
Year 11 Drama
This week’s year 11 drama exam attracted a great audience – both numerically and in terms of the appreciation they showed to our Year 11 drama students, who turned in another high quality and thought provoking extract from Yerma, a dark comedy reimagined by Simon Stone, which follows a young woman driven by her desire to have a child. Well done to the students who, following last month’s monologues, now have 40% of their IGCSE “in the bag”
Newcastle University
On Tuesday we enjoyed a visit from Newcastle University where students were able to find out more about study in the North East of Engliand as well as the wider university application process in the UK
