A message from Ms Greenhalgh
I hope you all had a lovely Easter break. We’ve had a great week back at school and it is so nice to finally see some signs of spring!
Our skiers returned from a fantastic trip to Austria over the Easter holidays. Thank you to those colleagues who made the trip a possibility. Our Year 11s are gearing up to beginning their GCSEs in a few weeks’ time. A reminder that if anyone has concerns about exams, please remember we have lots of useful exams and revision information on our Padlet on the school website and of course, staff are always available to talk to.
Congratulations to those students who were nominated by their faculty to have hot chocolate with me today, including: Sam Clarke, Jasmine Dobbs, Esther Kay, Leo Chadwick, Zoe Brown and Drakpa Ngawang. Thank you for being such a lively, talkative group, I really enjoyed chatting with you.
We love celebrating our students’ successes so please remember that if your child(ren) has done something you, or they, are proud of, perhaps raised money for charity, achieved sporting success, starred in a show, shown kindness to others or something else, you can let us know. Just email news@millthorpe.southbank.academy with a few details and ideally a photo or two, and we can shout about them in our newsletter and on our social media accounts: Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram.
I look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday 15 April for an ‘A’ Week.
With best wishes,
Gemma Greenhalgh
Headteacher
What is my child learning at the moment?
Please see below to find out what your child has been learning about recently in order to have productive discussions about their education:
Year 7 – Faculty: Global
Conversation starters
- French: We are learning how to describe what we do in our free time and give our opinion.
- German: We are describing our school and giving opinions on our different subjects.
- Computing: We are learning the basics of computational thinking, the cornerstone of problem solving. This is the heart of computing!
Year 8 – Faculty: Maths
Conversation starter
Key words in probability are ‘impossible’, ‘unlikely’, ‘even’, ‘likely’, ‘certain’. Can you think of events that match each word? For example ‘rolling a seven on an ordinary dice is impossible’. Can you explain why winning the lottery is unlikely?
Year 9 – Faculty: Creative
Conversation starters
- Art: Year 9 artists have started a NEW ‘Art & Issues’ project this week. We are learning about Contemporary Art which engages viewers in issues including body image, gender equality, LGBTQ+, Pride, Feminism, #Metoo, Women’s Rights, Environmentalism, Politics, Anti-Racism, Islamophobia, Unity, Displacement/Refugee, Inclusivity, Black Lives Matter, Poverty, Inequality, Anti-War/Peace and Animal Rights. Looking at and discussing the work of street artist Banksy with your child would be a supportive and interesting activity for home!
- Design Technology: Students are continuing their specialist projects based around new technologies and are currently manufacturing their practical outcomes. Students are learning a wide variety of skills and developing independence in applying their skills to personalised outcomes.
Year 10 – Faculty: Humanities
Conversation starters
- History: How did President Johnson exaggerate the Gulf of Tonkin incident to take America to war in Vietnam? How did the tactics of the NLF (the Vietcong) and the USA differ during the war? Why was the Vietcong so difficult to defeat?
- Geography: What are the main causes of deforestation?
- RE: We have been studying the Christian celebrations of Easter and Christmas and practising a twelve-mark answer arguing which celebration is better. They are also beginning to learn about Zakah and the importance of giving in Islam. Students should be doing their own research on projects by Islamic Relief or Muslim Aid in order to use these examples in their exam.
Year 11 – Faculty: Science
Conversation starters
Students are finishing off the final topics of their GCSE studies: B7 Ecology, C10 Using Resources or P7 Magnetism and Electromagnetism. Triple Science students will also be completing the P8 Space Topic in their Physics lessons. Students may also have begun revising for their exams in lessons. We have created a set of bespoke lessons that focus on key areas of content that are often examined. In addition, we provided each student with three Paper 2 past exam papers (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) – these will be used in lessons in a variety of ways to support revision for Paper 2. Please speak to your child and ensure that they have submitted these papers to their Science teachers.
We hope that you will find this information useful when talking to your child about their learning.
Additionally, you might want to take a look at the curriculum section of our website which has lots more information about what your child is, has, or will be learning over the academic year.
We hope that you will find this information useful when talking to your child about their learning.
Additionally, you might want to take a look at the curriculum section of our website which has lots more information about what your child is, has, or will be learning over the academic year.
Year 7 Assembly
The Year 7 assembly on 19 April will be delivered by our School’s Police Liaison Officer, PC V Brooks. The theme of the assembly is ‘One Punch’ which focuses on the impact of physical altercations. It has already been delivered to a number of primary and secondary school students across the city this academic year.
Please contact Ruth Cooper, Head of Year 7, if you would like any further details around this.
Mobile phones
We are aware that young people are part of groups on social media platforms such as WhatsApp/Snapchat and whilst most of these allow young people to communicate with their friends in a positive way, some can be used in order to send images/messages that are not appropriate for young people.
Carlton Lodge
A last call for any Year 9 student who may be interested in this trip in July. Please see the letter on our website for more information and to register your interest.
Duke of Edinburgh
Thank you to everyone who has completed the application and medical forms and paid their deposit. It’s wonderful that so many students want to take part. If you’ve completed a form but not paid the deposit, or vice versa, please can you do this by Monday at the latest or we won’t be able to include your child in the process. We will be arranging a briefing session for students in the coming weeks – we’ll confirm details nearer the time.
Report Remove
Childline has released updated advice on the ‘Report Remove’ tool for young people concerned about inappropriate images or videos of them being circulated online. You can find details here.
Year 11 Leavers Assembly
Dear Year 11 Parents and Carers,
As your child closes in on the end of their time at Millthorpe School, plans are well underway to give them the send off that they all deserve. The planning for the Prom continues in earnest, and we now want to invite you to help us with their Leavers Assembly.
During the assembly, each student’s Year 7 photograph will be displayed on a slide (alongside another student, so that they are not the sole focus of attention) just for a few seconds. We would like to invite you to send us up to four photographs that you (and importantly they!) are happy to be shown. It could be a baby/toddler photo, a primary school picture, their first day at Millthorpe, a picture from any trips that they managed to go on before Covid curtailed everything, a photo of them with their friends enjoying themselves inside or outside of school – anything really. Please do not send more than four photos as this is the maximum number we can include for each student. You can also send a video or two if you wish.
Please remember to check with your child before sending them as we don’t want anyone being upset. Crucially, please include the name of your child when sending the email. This is because the presentation is kindly being put together by our Reprographics Admin Assistant, and he does not know all of the students.
Please send your photos/videos to: y11leavers@millthorpe.southbank.academy. The deadline to send photos/videos is Friday 10 May.
A date/time for the Leavers Assembly will be announced in due course.
Best wishes
Adam Baybutt
Assistant Headteacher – Teaching and Learning
Taster session for parents/carers of children with additional needs
In conjunction with Family Matters York, SBMAT are offering a taster session, ‘Time Out for Parents: Parenting Children with additional needs’. The session, which is for parents/carers with children with additional needs at any of the Trust schools, will take place on Tuesday 7 May at Scarcroft Primary School.
Further information can be found in the flyer below. To book a place, visit https://bit.ly/3TscNfl or scan the QR code.
YorChoice – drop-in support for 14-21 year olds
YorChoice offers drop-in support for 14-21 year olds, supporting them to find what services are available and most appropriate to them or giving them some tips potentially whilst they are on a waiting list to talk to somebody about their mental health. This will be a space where a young person can go away feeling like they have been listened to and helped to find the right support for them in York.
A young person may attend if:
- They need some guidance about what support is available to them in York.
- They are on a waiting list and want to have a informal chat with someone in the interim.
- They need a safe space or some information on how to manage their mental health.
Further information about the drop-ins can be found here.
Further resources can be found on Padlet, an online support app which is a directory of support available for students and parents. This can be accessed via the QR codes below and the content will be updated regularly.
Alternatively, the app can be accessed by the following web links:
- Students: https://padlet.com/wellbeingsupport/support-for-students-ihgkxu6sqlherrxa
- Parents: https://padlet.com/wellbeingsupport/support-for-parents-zhqkh51z8yfyqp2r
Writers competition with £200 prize available!
Students in Years 8, 9 and 10 attended a workshop led by award-winning author Christina Gabbitas last term, where she spoke to them about County Lines and the associated dangers. A number of students then worked with Christina to write a poem about what they had learned and this has now been published!
Job of the week – Kennel Worker
If working with animals is something you are interested in, perhaps this job might interest you. Have you ever thought about being a kennel worker? The wellbeing of the dogs is so important and it’s vital that someone cares for them. This job would involve feeding, cleaning the kennels and the dogs and exercising them, so it would also keep you fit!
or more information on becoming a Kennel Worker you can watch this video.
Mrs Cole and Mr Cooper are running the London Marathon 2024!
On Sunday 21 April 2024, two Millthorpe staff will be pounding the streets of our capital city as they take part in the London Marathon.
Mr Cooper, Head of the Creative Faculty, is running to raise funds and awareness for the YMCA and the work they do to support disadvantaged youths. This is a great cause that helps young people in challenging circumstances to get the best possible start in life.
If you’d like to donate, please use the link to visit Mr Cooper’s JustGiving Page.
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead Mrs Cole is also running the London Marathon in aid of the NSPCC. A number of our students have been supported by the work of the NSPCC in previous years and it is a charity close to her heart due to the support they offer to vulnerable young people.
Mrs Cole is running this with Mrs Holmes, Headteacher at Forest of Galtres Primary so our York schools will be well represented in the ‘Big Smoke’.
If you would like to sponsor Mrs Cole, please follow this link.
Understanding Supported Internships for Parents/Carers in North Yorkshire
- Are you the parent/carer of a young person with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?
- Do you live in North Yorkshire?
- Do you know about Supported Internships?
North Yorkshire Council is leading a series of brief (45min) online sessions for parents/carers, which will explain all about the Supported Internship pathway to employment for young people with EHCPs. Each session will focus on provision within a particular area of North Yorkshire and feature Supported Internship Providers from that area.
Take a look at the attached flyer for details and to sign up for one (or more if you wish) of the sessions, or click below:
17 April, 4.00-4.45pm – Selby Area
18 April, 4.00-4.45pm – Scarborough/Whitby/Filey
23 April, 4.00-4.45pm – Skipton Area
30 April, 4.00-4.45pm – Northallerton Area
01 May, 4.00-4.45pm – Harrogate Area
#WakeUpWednesday guides
We may have had a two-week holiday from school, but National Online Safety have continued to produce handy guides for parents and carers over the Easter break. Please see a guide to Clickbait and also a guide to Township – a popular city-building game which is largely ‘child friendly’ but does have some related risks for parents/carers to be aware of.
This week’s WakeUpWednesday guide will come in very handy for Year 11 parents and carers in particular. It will also help parents and carers with children in other years who might find assessments challenging. Please take a look at National Online Safety’s 10 Top Tips for Managing Exam Stress.
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.
;
