October Mailing
Dear All
It was very good to see so many parents and teenagers at the Arundale Lecture on Tuesday evening. Nearly 200 people attended the lecture given by Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore on how the brain changes during adolescence. It was a fascinating insight into neuro-science and adolescence!
Family Lives, formerly known as Parentline Plus is a Charity that helps families and has a dedicated 'Got a Teenager' website (http://familylives.org.uk/gotateenager). Family Lives offers a range of free and flexible community-based, on-line and telephone support services for families with children of any age.
Services include a free 24-hour helpline: Parentline on 0808 800 2222; email and on-line community support: www.familylives.org.uk for information, advice and a range of resources that aims to ensure that families get the support they need, when they need it. Family Lives also offers local services - individual support and a wide range of group workshops and courses tailored to parents' needs, as well as supervision and training for professionals working in the family support arena.
There are many opportunities to come and support the work of the School over the next couple of months: the up and coming Afro-Reggae night, Firework Party, Concerts and ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ all provide excellent opportunities to support the children and meet other parents.
Our Open Morning is tomorrow (9.30am – 1.00pm) so if you’ve not visited the School for a while, or would like to see a part that you are not normally connected with, then please do come and visit. If you have family, friends, neighbours or colleagues who might be interested to see what we get up to, then bring them along!
I am delighted to announce that John Simmonds has joined the Governing body. John is a Chartered Accountant and is also a Governor of North Herts College. Veronica Raymond (ex St Chris Head of English) comes to the end of her tenure as a Governor in December and I am delighted to announce that she will be replaced by Julie Bolter (ex Head of Maths!). We will have an opportunity at the end of term to thank Veronica fully for outstanding contribution to St Christopher. I am sure that both john and Julie will be a real asset to the School.
I hope to see you very soon.
Yours
Richard Palmer
Head
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In this newsletter you will find Homework timetables for Year 7 (I Group) to Year 11 (V Group). Your child(ren) will have been given these at the start of term and should have a written version in their diary/planner as well as a hard copy available in the company room. All Homework timetables are available on the new Virtual Learning Environment too. The date the work is set by the teacher appears on the timetable and the column in the planner should be used for the due date for work.
Naturally, there is some variation in the amount of work set between year groups and the nature of the tasks will alter from subject to subject. The Homework timetable is designed to be followed by staff and pupils but it may be that on a rare occasion (due to absence or a trip for example) that work has been set on an alternative day. The idea is that pupils begin to use their planner in an independent way and write down the appropriate detail given by the teacher to complete it to a good standard.
In the first instance if there is problem with Homework please contact your son/daughter’s Adviser or the subject teacher concerned. Our Homework policy is on the website.
Parents of I Group children will note that we have a staged introduction to Homework and so in the next few weeks there will be a new Homework timetable incorporating more subjects.
Emma-Kate Henry
Deputy Head
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For this year's School Production of Fiddler on the Roof, the Drama Department would like to loan certains props which are listed below. If you are able to help please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it as soon as possible.
A wood-burning stove, Jewish candlesticks for use on the Sabbath, (any other accoutrements to dress a Sabbath table), milk churns, an oil lamp, large black hats (the style of Orthodox Jews) and Yarmulkas. Many thanks.