Blog week ending 11th March

This week we marked International Woman’s Day, celebrating the movement for women’s rights.  It’s imperative that all of our students at WGSG feel valued and empowered to pursue their dreams.  Students are actively encouraged and supported to ‘think big’ when considering their future educational and workplace careers with bespoke one-to-one meetings, presentations, external speakers and visits being provided to help inform those key future plans.  This week our Year 12 students attended an event at Surrey University to experience a university campus and find out more information about life as a university student from a wide range of contributing universities.

Pictured, students attending the Surrey University event

Inevitably, our attention and thoughts keep returning to Ukraine, and the women and children there who have been caught up in this violent conflict.  I have been truly humbled by the level of support that our whole community has pledged with the many donations, letters and the offers of help we have received.  The essential supplies you have donated will be used to provide vital support for the Ukrainian refuges who have crossed the border into Poland.  A Go Fund Me page has been set up to raise money for fuel for the HGVs that will take these donations to Poland, https://bit.ly/3pPs3ow

Our Year 9 Nurture Group have planted sunflower seeds this week in anticipation of our new garden project. A group of our wonderful WG6 students have taken on the challenge of clearing and digging the garden area ahead of preparing the soil.  Once this stage has been completed the Year 9 Nurture Group will be able to plan their garden and plant out their seedlings.  The groups have already achieved their Royal Horticultural Society Level 1 School Gardening Award and are keen to progress .. they were even able to persuade Mr Lennon to lend a hand!

Year 7 Worry Monster project.  During Design & Technology Textiles lessons students have been learning to make design patterns from which they sewed and then decorated their own worry monsters.  Each has been finished with hand embroidered decoration as well as a zip fastener to enable the user to zip away their ‘worries’ in the Monster.  The finished Monsters are used to help children acknowledge, express and let go of their anxieties.

Our Year 7 Scientists are currently studying fuels.  In this practical lesson students planned and executed an investigation into the energy released by two fuels.  Students plotted the results and compared their findings with their hypothesis.

Every week on a Wednesday afternoon all teaching staff are involved in training sessions and collaborative ‘best practice’ and sharing groups.  This week we welcomed an educational psychologist who delivered a fascinating session on neurodiversity to develop strategies across our staff to support inclusion for neurodiverse students.  Dr Edwards gave specific focus to adapting the curriculum, teaching and learning to promote wellbeing, inclusion and success for children and young people on the autism spectrum.

It is wonderful to be able to share some happy news, in amongst all of the challenges at the moment.  I am delighted to report that Mrs Shooman-Taylor has had a baby girl, born on Friday.  She has been named Hallie!  And she was born weighing in at a very healthy 8lb 7oz.  I have sent Mrs Shooman-Taylor all of our good wishes.

Samantha B of 7R has done exceedingly well in her recent swimming competition recently!  Mrs Dent (form tutor of 7R) was keen to share Samantha’s news with the wider school community saying, “Samantha is clearly excelling at her sport; two silvers and a gold is a brilliant achievement”

Samantha added “I took part in 9 races in the competition and I won three medals. In all nine races I achieved PB's (Personal Bests).  In the 200 meters breaststroke I won a Silver medal, for my 50 meters breaststroke I won a Silver medal and then in my 100 meters breaststroke I finished first, winning a Gold medal a gold medal – in each of my events I was up against 30 other competitors!”

The Wilmington Big Clean is taking place tomorrow, 12th March.  We are all invited to join the community spring clean which is focussing on areas surrounding the school, in particular open spaces and wooded areas. Please see the below poster for more information.

Best wishes,

Michelle Lawson

Head Teacher