A message from Ms Greenhalgh
This week has just flown by! It seems we’re no sooner into the swing of the new half term and we’re already thinking about Christmas! Further information about Christmas dinner is below as are details of next week’s rehearsals for our Christmas school musical, Elf, which is shaping up to be a fantastic production. if you haven’t already, please put the dates for the school production in your diary. You can catch the show on 18, 19 and 20 December. Details will follow soon on how to get your tickets.
Thanks to everyone who came along to the Year 7 Parents Evening earlier this week, it was lovely to see you all. It was even more lovely to get such glowing feedback – 94 of 95 parents surveyed (99%) said they would recommend Millthorpe to other parents. This makes us so very proud.
Congratulations to all those who received a golden ticket this week (full list below) and to those who were nominated by their faculty to have hot chocolate with me earlier today including: Mollie, Alice, Alfie, Renson, Pixie, Brody, Oscar, Nathaniel, Mathilde and Rowan.
Have a lovely weekend all. I’ll see everyone back on Monday for an ‘A’ week.
With best wishes,
Gemma Greenhalgh
Headteacher
Teacher Training Day
School will be closed to students on Friday 24 November for a Teacher Training Day. We will reopen as normal on Monday 27 November.
Year 11 Parents Evening
Date for your diary – our Year 11 Parents Evening has moved from 6 March to 13 March 2024.
Attendance survey
A reminder that we are undertaking some research to try to understand why attendance rates in our school (as they are across York and nationally) are lower than pre-pandemic levels. We would really value your feedback to help us understand current attitudes towards attendance, and what additional barriers there might be.
Please follow this link to a short survey where you can share your views.
SEND Update
We are looking forward to seeing parents of pupils with SEND for their reviews next week. If you haven’t already signed up, please take a moment to check your inbox for the instructions we sent a few weeks ago.
Should you ever need to reach out to the SEND team, please don’t hesitate to contact us at send@millthorpe.southbank.academy.
Millthorpe SEND network: 4 December, 4.00-5.00pm
We are delighted to invite our parents, particularly those with children with SEND, to a special event on 4 December from 4.00-5.00pm in the school library. Think of it as a ‘coffee morning’ style event where you can connect with the SEND team in a relaxed setting.
For our first event, we look forward to welcoming Laura Brown from the Local Authority, who will showcase the new York SEND Local Offer website. This platform outlines the services and activities available to children and young people with SEND, offering support from birth to 25 years old. The website provides valuable information for families at every stage of their journey, covering topics such as understanding Special Educational Needs, available support with or without a diagnosis, and insights into the preparations for adulthood for young people with disabilities.
Key Stage 3 Readathon
All students in Key Stage 3 have been invited to take part in Readathon, a sponsored reading challenge which raises money for children in hospitals around the UK. Additionally, they will also be developing their own positive reading habits and our school receives 20% of the total monies raised to enhance our school library. Millthorpe School’s Readathon for KS3 will take place from Monday 20 November to Monday 4 December.
Please take a look at this letter and encourage your child to get involved. Any sponsorships would also be gratefully received. The easiest way to do this is online here.
You can also take a look at the Readathon video here.
Students can read anything that interests them, but a reminder that the subject reading lists are available here and our school library is brimming with books which would interest all students. If they don’t know which book to choose, please encourage your child to speak to our wonderful librarian, Ms Brooks, or one of the student volunteers, as they will happily guide them in choosing a book which would be of interest.
And if you need support to engage a struggling or reluctant reader at home, advice is available here.
Christmas dinner
Christmas dinner (traditional turkey or a vegetarian option) will be served on Friday 15 December this year. Tickets, priced at £2.50, are now available via ParentPay.
Children eligible for free school meals?
Children who are eligible for free school meals will not have to pay but will still need to register so that we know whether they would like the meat or vegetarian option. Please complete this Google form to make your choices (you do not need to register via ParentPay too).
Year 11 virtual art gallery
Our Virtual Gallery of student artwork is now live on the school website. Take a look to see the amazing pieces produced by last year’s Year 11 students as part of their GCSE coursework.
Digestive System: Year 8 Science Competition
A reminder that any entries for Year 8 Science Competition, to build a digestive system model, should be handed to their Science teacher by Friday 1 December.
Sports practices – update
Please see the most up-to-date schedule of lunchtime and after school sports practices below:
Please note that Archery takes place on a Tuesday lunchtime and not after school as previously advertised.
York and District Cross Country
On Wednesday we took 28 students to York University to take part in the annual cross country event. It was certainly a challenging course with tough running conditions due to the recent rainfall. Despite this the students were upbeat and looking forward to putting their best foot forward. The top 20 students in each age category were invited to compete in the next round of competition. The students who qualified were:
- Rosie Davis (3rd)
- Imogen Brook (8th)
- Juliette Macquin Jones (12th)
- Isabel Phillips (20th)
- Rowan Whittaker (3rd)
- Leo Forsdyke (12th)
Congratulations to everyone who took part!
Good luck Fionn!
The 2023 British Schools Orienteering championships take place next Sunday 19 November at Temple Newsam Park, Leeds.
Elf the Musical rehearsals
Thank you to everyone who has been working so hard. Please encourage your child to continue putting in time into learning your lines and songs – show time is coming!
Next week’s rehearsals are as follows:
Monday 20 November, 3.30-5.00pm: Full cast in the Main Hall
Thursday 23 November: 3.30-5.00pm: Full cast in the Main Hall
Summer 2024 career experiences in London
InvestIN have announced the launch of their 2024 Summer Experiences in London. Taking place at University College London (UCL) and offering the opportunity to visit iconic industry locations across London, InvestIN provides teenagers with the chance to experience life beyond school, as well as receive unparalleled career preparation.
Their Summer Experiences run during the summer holidays and include the opportunity to:
- Work with world-class industry professionals across 15 top careers.
- Participate in hands-on career simulations.
- Visit exclusive professional venues.
- Receive personalised industry reference letters and certificates to showcase on university and job applications.
As an InvestIN partner school, all Millthorpe students are entitled to 10% off any programme using the code: MILLTHORPE10 at the checkout page when completing any bookings.
Donate a coat to keep a refugee warm this winter
Every year, Millthorpe parents and students have donated hundreds of coats to keep refugees fleeing conflict and sleeping rough in Calais warmer this Christmas.
A large collection box is now in reception until 15 December if you would like to donate a spare or outgrown warm winter coat that you no longer use (men’s smaller sizes most in demand) or sturdy walking boots (size 7 plus).
Your clothing donations will be delivered to Calais before Christmas by a local volunteer.
No spare coats to give? You can also buy clothing and supplies for refugees from just £10 and Care4Calais Christmas gifts online.
Thank you for caring!
#WakeUpWednesday guide to Smart TVs
This week’s guide from National Online Safety gives useful advice on the online safety aspects of Smart TVs. Please take a look.
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.
;
