A message from Ms Greenhalgh
This half term is flying by and it’s hard to believe that we only have another two weeks in school before the Spring Bank half-term break!
A huge well done to the 240 students who were invited to our attendance gathering earlier this week. We wanted to recognise the commitment and resilience of those students with either a bronze or silver badge for 100% attendance. We also acknowledged those students who have fantastic attendance records despite facing some very difficult challenges such as chronic illnesses, disabilities or mental health issues. We know that attending school can be hugely challenging for some students for a variety of reasons, so please do contact your child’s form tutor in the first instance if you and your child need some support.
Well done also to those students nominated by their faculty to enjoy hot chocolate with the head earlier today: Alexandra, Abigail, Haneen, Hannah, Emily, Sophie, Eden, Holly (not pictured), Eleanor, Amelie and Violet-Evie.
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish our Year 11 students good luck with their GCSE exams which begin next week. They have worked so hard and deserve to do well. I’m sure they will do themselves proud. You can take a look at the exam timetable here.
I also want to wish Mr Hunt good luck as he takes on the Leeds Marathon on Sunday, raising money for a great cause – you can read more below.
We’re back in school on Monday for an ‘A’ Week. Have a lovely weekend!With best wishes,
Gemma Greenhalgh
Headteacher
Year 11 Leavers Assembly – Final call for photos
Thank you to those parents and carers who have already sent us up to four photographs of their Year 11 child to include in the Leavers Assembly. The deadline was today but we are extending this for one more week. The absolute final deadline to send us any photos (to y11leavers@millthorpe.southbank.academy) is Friday 19 May.
Post-16 opportunities at St Peter’s School
Earlier this week, representatives from St Peter’s School came into school to speak to Year 10 students about studying A Levels with them after they leave Millthorpe.
Their talk gave students an insight into the opportunities available in the Sixth Form at St Peter’s. They also talked about the bursaries they offer, which include: 100% of tuition fees, help towards uniform and sports kit, and the cost of a significant school trip.
If you would like to find out more about applying for St Peter’s Sixth Form entry in September 2024 and their bursary scheme, please speak to Miss Watts or your child’s form tutor. Further information is also available at www.stpetersyork.org.uk
Mr Hunt to run for Children Today
A reminder that Mr Hunt, Deputy Head of Year 11, is running the Leeds Marathon on Sunday 14 May to raise vital funds for a local charity called Children Today.
Through today’s non-uniform day and your other kind donations, our school total is already at £691. Donations can still be made either to school or directly to Mr Hunt’s fundraising page.
All donations will make a big difference to this brilliant charity. If you would like to find out more about Children Today, please visit www.childrentoday.org.uk
Good luck Mr Hunt – keep on running!
Maths news
Well done to the latest ‘Mathematicians of the Month’ – your certificates are on their way.
With GCSEs starting next week, it is a timely reminder for Year 11, and all students, that they need a pair of compasses, a protractor and a calculator as standard maths equipment. These can be purchased in school from the Maths Office.
And finally, after a period of absence, we welcome back the weekly puzzle (sorry puzzle fans!).
So… Find a 10-digit number where the first digit is how many zeros in the number, the second digit is how many 1s in the number etc. until the tenth digit which is how many 9s in the number.
Good luck – answers to the Maths Office or your maths teacher for a reward.
Local Offer website redevelopment – focus groups
City of York Council are developing a new Local Offer website for families of children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities, aged 0-25.
Their aim with redeveloping the website is that it will be easier to use, house all the information you may ever need from 0-25 years, and be accessible. They know their current website does not meet all those needs so they would like to work with parent/carers to develop the new site.
If you would like to give your input you can register to attend one of their parent consultations taking place on:
- Monday 15 May at Hob Moor Children’s Centre, 10am-12pm
- Thursday 18 May, 6-7.30pm, online
To book your place, please contact laura.brown@york.gov.uk
An evening with solo Atlantic rower, Miriam Payne
Solo rower and world record holder Miriam Payne will be visiting Bootham School on Tuesday 16 May at 7pm to share stories from her recent solo journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
Now safely back on dry land, Miriam had to confront her phobia of deep water at the same time as batting off sharks and surviving for weeks on maltesers and snatched sleep. She has so much wisdom to share about confronting fears while summoning her every reserve of mental and emotional strength.
All are welcome. Tickets are £5 for adults and £2.50 for under 18s and can be booked here.
Money raised from ticket sales will be shared between both Mind and Wellbeing of Women, charities for whom Miriam is an active campaigner.
Amazing football and mental health opportunity at York City FC
You may recall that we were recently lucky enough to welcome York Mind and Crossfit Jorvik into school to work with young males on their physical and mental health. We are delighted to publicise a further opportunity for all students at York City FC. There will be an hour of football, facilitated by YCFC coaches, and a 30-minute mental health chat led by York Mind. Please note that the timings have recently changed, so if your child was interested but unable to commit to the previously advertised times, please take another look as they may be able to attend now.
Alex fundraises for World Scout Jamboree
You might remember that several Millthorpe students have been selected to attend the next World Scout Jamboree in South Korea this summer. Their exciting adventure is coming closer and the scouts have all been busy fundraising for their trips.
One of the students, Alex How, in Year 11, is organising an evening of tales of adventure. The evening will feature five adventure talks from local people. They will talk about climbing to the highest point in every European country, visiting and photographing the Chernobyl exclusion zone and trekking across the frozen Arctic in Svalbard, amongst others. An entertaining and inspiring evening is guaranteed.
“Just Popping Out” will be on Friday 26 May at St Edward the Confessor Church in Dringhouses. Full details are in the poster below. Tickets are £10 (£5 for children) and are available from www.trybooking.com/CIUX. Alex would greatly appreciate your support.
#WakeUpWednesday
This week’s handy guide from National Online Safety is all about Telegram, a messaging platform that has been around for a while but is rising in popularity. Like with all apps of this nature, there are concerns and drawbacks about young people using it, not least because it has an age restriction of 16.
Please take a look and speak to your child if they are using it.
Safeguarding
If you have significant concerns for the welfare of a child, in addition to being able to contact Mrs Cole, Mrs Cooper or Mr Beever during school hours by emailing safeguarding@millthorpe.southbank.academy, you may wish to make direct contact with the York MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) on T: 01904 551900, option 3. They operate an out-of-hours service so concerns can be raised with them at any time.