Newsletters

HGSS Newsletter - July 2019

Message from the Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers

Another very busy year has flown by.  Our Year 11 and 13 students are on well earned breaks after a heavy exam season.  It is always a great privilege to see how well our students conduct themselves during the exam period, with so many working exceptionally hard as they are keen their results reflect what they are truly capable of.  We wish them all the best of luck when they collect their results on 15 August (A-Level) or 22 August (GCSE).

Outside of the exams again it has been great to see so many students working hard both in and out of lessons to help lay down a path for their future.  We have had a student win the BTEC Musician of the Year, awarded at Central Hall in London, a student representing England in course fishing and a student whose team won the Cheerleading European Championships in Germany this month.  Nine of our students have completed a week long trek in Norway for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award and a large number completed a long weekend in the Cotswolds for their Silver Award.  It has been great to see so many students being awarded prizes either in the Sports, or Music Award Dinners, through the end of term assemblies, through the Arts Exhibition or a myriad of other events highlighting the achievements of all our students.

It has been great to see the PA going from strength to strength and I wish to say a big thank you to the whole team for supporting the new Year 7 transition evening and for organising such a successful film on the field, with the pop up cinema showing ‘The Greatest Showman’. 

Over the holidays the school will be busy with planning work delivering a new Science lab, three new class rooms, a new Food Technology room and four new tennis courts.  This is the initial phase of our development plan.  We look forward to seeing these exciting new facilities.

Staff training days are Monday and Tuesday 2 and 3 September.  The first day for our new Year 7 students is Wednesday 4 September at 8.55am and for Year 12 on the same day at 9am.  All other year groups: 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13, start back on Thursday 5 September at 8.55am as normal.

This September we will be trialling a staggered lunch break for the school, which will only affect Years 7 and 8.  To give students more time to eat and make the canteen more accessible for all, Year 7 and 8 will have their lunch break earlier, from 12.40pm to 1.15pm and then their period 4 lesson from 1.15pm to 2.15pm.  All other year groups will have their lunch break as per normal from 1.40pm to 2.15pm, after their period 4 lesson.  Student voice has told us that students can spend some time queuing for food in the canteen, when all year groups have the same lunch break, so we hope this change will alleviate this.

I wish you all an enjoyable and safe summer and I look forward to welcoming you all back in September along with our new cohort of Year 7’s who will graduate Holmer Green Senior School in 2026!

Happy summer holiday,

Ed Hillyard

16 Jul 2019
STEM Olympics
This year's STEM Olympics was organised by, and took place at, Wycombe Abbey School on Wednesday 19 June. The event involved taking 8 of our top 10 achieving Year 8 students to compete against other schools across Bucks and Oxfordshire in a range of science, technology, engineering and maths cha...
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16 Jul 2019
Junior Maths Challenge - 2019
All students in the 7W and 8W mathematics classes recently tackled the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust’s ‘Junior Mathematical Challenge’ in examination conditions in one of their maths. lessons.  
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17 Jul 2019
Year 7 Bushcraft - 2019
On the first three days of July the majority of Year 7 went on an amazing as well as unforgettable trip to Bushcraft, Hertfordshire.  I’m sure that every single student has put in 100% into every activity that we were faced with.
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16 Jul 2019
Year 12 Psychology Brain Day
Psychology students where hosted by The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe at their annual Brain Day on 18 June 2019.    
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16 Jul 2019
Jon Hearne Trophy for Endeavour
We are very proud to announce that Ophelia Anderson-Byskou was the winner of the prestigious "Jon Hearne trophy for Endeavour" at the recent Annual Art Exhibition.  
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16 Jul 2019
Arts Award
Miss Baddeley is pleased to announce that the following students passed their Arts Award.  They all worked extremely hard to achieve this.  Well done.   Bronze ·       Oscar Carro ·       Olivia Payn...
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16 Jul 2019
Poems of the Decade Conference
On Monday 24 June, the A-Level English Literature class went to the Poems of the Decade Conference in Euston Square.  This was the second time we have taken an A-Level class to this conference and it didn't disappoint.  The Poems of the Decade is an anthology of poems written after 200...
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28 Jun 2019
Year 9 - DNA Performance
Year 9 drama students put on a performance of DNA by Dennis Kelly.  This play is about a group of teenagers who do something bad, really bad, then panic and cover the whole thing up.   But when they find that their cover-up unites them and brings harmony to their once fractious lives, wher...
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28 Jun 2019
Blood Brothers - Year 10
The Drama students of Year 10 have been working on Blood Brothers by Willy Russell in lesson and for their homework. The actors have had to learn lines for several different scenes, Technicians have had to plot lighting plans for several different scenes and costume designers have had to design one...
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17 Jul 2019
Annual Sports Dinner
The Annual Sports Dinner was once again held at the home of Wycombe Wanderers, Adam's Park, on 25 June.  The Sports Dinner is a chance to recognise the hard work and excellence of our students, who have to gain an invite to attend.  This can be awarded for competing at County...
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16 Jul 2019
E-Safety
Worried your child has shared too much on-line?   The attached factsheet explains the things you can do and organisations who can help safeguard and support your child.  
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16 Jul 2019
The Greatest Showman
A new event for the PTA, the first Open Air Cinema was a great success!  Over 200 of you joined us to enjoy this exclusive screening and even the summer showers could not dampen the atmosphere.  
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16 Jul 2019
French and Spanish Taster Sessions
Seven students from Year 9 recently volunteered on 27 June to plan and deliver a French or Spanish lesson for Year 6, at the local Junior School. They did this with energy and maturity, interacting well with the Year 6s and working superbly as a team.  We are so proud of them!  You ca...
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16 Jul 2019
French Market
17 students from Year 9 French classes spent half a day working at the ever popular French Market at the Junior School on 11 July.
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17 Jul 2019
Athletics
On 8 June 2019 there was a Buckinghamshire County Track and Field Championship in Stantonbury.   I was entered as the only person from the school and competed in the Intermediate Girls Javelin event.   Even though the weather was awful and it was raining I managed to come in 3rd...
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17 Jul 2019
National Junior Fishing League Winner
Congratulations to Harry Keys who won the National Junior Fishing League with his team recently.  Harry has ambitions to represent England.  Good luck Harry!
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16 Jul 2019
Water Safety Reminder
Following the tragic death of a 12 year old girl who drowned in a river in Manchester recently parents and carers are reminded to talk to their children about Water Safety.  This is particularly relevant as we rapidly approach the summer holidays when your young people may be in and around wate...
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16 Jul 2019
E-Safety
Worried your child has shared too much on-line?   The attached factsheet explains the things you can do and organisations who can help safeguard and support your child.  
Read more

Goodbyes and Hello

This term we have said Goodbye to a few members of staff:

Mr Calvert – Science

Ms Ellis – Maths

Mr Barker – Maths

Miss Postigo – MFL

Mrs Dyer - Science Technician

We wish them all every future success in their next steps.

We say hello and Welcome to the following new members of staff who will be starting in September:

Miss Kinghorn – History Teacher

Mr Smith - PE Trainee

Miss Milligan  - Science Teacher

Mrs Cummins - Maths Teacher

Ms Cheema    - English Teacher

Mrs Chavda - Maths

Miss Boocock - PE Teacher

Mrs Gimenes  - English Teacher

Mrs Cooke -   MFL Teacher

Mrs Allen - Geography Trainee

Mr Cole - DT Technician

Mrs Martinez  - MFL Teacher

Mrs Martin -   KS5 Support Officer