Durham High School End of Week Newsletter
Issue 3 – September 21, 2024
Dear Parents
It has been lovely chatting with many of you on a morning as you drop the girls off and welcoming our Senior Department girls at the start of the day. Please do say hello if you have time.
In Pre-prep and Prep, we have enjoyed another wonderful week in school with an author visit and the extracurricular timetable is in full flow. Our new clubs such as Musical Theatre, have been a great success. Football on a Friday evening in conjunction with Durham United Football Club is also proving a great hit.
The extra curricular timetable in Senior Department began in earnest this week and we have outlined some of the new clubs in the body of the newsletter, to enable you to chat with your daughter and see if she would like to be part of those. I can’t wait to see the girls leading the way with innovative technologies.
Peripatetic Mandarin and Latin/ Classics begin next week. If you haven’t signed up, there is a letter in your communications for Years 3-U6 for Mandarin and Y7-U6 for Latin/ Classics. We are excited these opportunities are now up and running.
Reception girls baked yesterday and brought me a special blackberry muffin delivery. The girls told me how they had picked the blackberries themselves on Thursday and then made the muffins on Friday.
I am looking forward to welcoming our new parents on Friday next week to the New Parents’ Supper. Please do book your place if you haven’t already. It is always a super evening.
With best wishes
This will take place on Friday 27 September, with pre-supper drinks being served in the Dining Hall at 7.00pm. It is our hope that all parents of girls who were new to the school this year will be able to attend the evening. All parents in Nursery, Reception and . For parents whose children have joined us at any point since October 2023, we would also be delighted if you would be able to join us. This is a lovely opportunity to have a child free evening, enjoying each other’s company. Please ensure you have signed up on School Gateway by the end of today.
School Photographs
The girls were impeccably dressed for their photographs on Tuesday. Gillham and Soame will send the photo proofs to school over the next few weeks, and we will send them home as soon as we receive them. Once you have your proof, you will order directly with the company.
Consent for trips and visits taking place during the school day
Your daughter will have many opportunities, throughout their time at Durham High School to participate in educational visits and off-site activities. We are required to seek parental consent for activities that may need a higher level of risk management or those that take place outside normal school hours. To simplify the process and to reduce the burden of administration, we seek consent from parents which will cover participation in any of these types of school organised activities throughout their time at Durham High School.
Staff members in charge of organising visits will ensure that you are provided with full details well in advance of any visit. Consent from a parent is required before your daughter can participate in educational visits and other off-site activities including:
All school organised off-site activities before and after the school day e.g., fieldwork
Off-site sporting fixtures, including outside of the school day.
Visits to other educational establishments (schools, colleges, universities)
Nearly New Uniform Sale
Thank you to our Parents and Friends for running the Nearly New Uniform Sale on Wednesday. It was a great success. If you missed it, we will be running another one later in the term.
New Senior Department Clubs
We are delighted that our extra-curricular timetable has some new offerings for our girls to be involved with. We have outlined some of newer clubs, so you know what they entail.
Mrs Platt is running NaNoWriMo which is an opportunity to join in National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo runs during November, but we will be prepping our plots, characters, locations and lots more. Before November, you can earn badges for being prepared and during November, you will earn badges for your wordcount! Reach the end with your wordcount completed and you'll earn a certificate. It is the perfect chance to write the novel you know is inside you (or poem or play or screenplay). Everyone welcome!
Miss Turner, our Head of Computing and Head of Digital Strategy, is running several Technology based clubs throughout Pre-Prep and Prep and Senior Department. They are designed to inspire and empower students with essential technology skills. They provide exciting opportunities for pupils across all year groups to explore the world of coding, robotics, and tech leadership. Here is a closer look at what each club offers:
Robo Queens (Years 5 and 6)
The Robo Queens club is a fantastic opportunity for our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils to begin their journey into the world of technology. Members will engage in fun, hands-on projects that develop coding, robotics, and problem-solving skills. This club encourages creativity and teamwork, with the exciting chance to participate in prestigious competitions such as the FIRST LEGO League and BAFTA Young Game Designers. These experiences will challenge pupils to think critically, innovate, and persevere, while nurturing their enthusiasm for technology. Robo Queens is a wonderful starting point for young learners eager to explore tech.
She Can Code Society (Years 7-13)
The She Can Code Society is open to girls in Years 7 to 13 who are passionate about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). This club offers a supportive environment where young women can explore their interests in coding, engineering, and technology. Members will have the opportunity to take part in renowned competitions like the FIRST LEGO League and the Alan Turing Competition, where they will develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. She Can Code Society aims to foster leadership and innovation, empowering young women to thrive in STEM fields and realise their potential.
InnovateHer Leaders (All Years)
Open to all year groups, the InnovateHer Leaders club is perfect for students who want to take on leadership roles in technology. This club focuses on equipping pupils with the skills to support both students and staff with devices and technical issues, from troubleshooting to organising workshops. InnovateHer Leaders also collaborate with teachers to enhance learning through technology and provide essential support for school productions and events. Members will play a key role in creating an innovative and digitally proficient school environment, gaining valuable skills in leadership, problem-solving, and technology integration.
Each of these clubs offers a unique opportunity for students to deepen their tech knowledge, develop key skills, and build lasting friendships. We are excited to see our pupils thrive in these new and exciting programmes!
We can’t wait for your child to be part of the future of technology at our school!
Pre-Prep and Prep Achievements
Every Friday in Pre-Prep and Prep, a Celebration Assembly takes place. Successes and achievements from both within and outside of school are celebrated. This week, Mrs Hopper presented Rose with her Level 3 swimming certificate, and Mariam with two medals for performance in recent tournaments as a member of Durham County Cricket Club. Safaa is our very first Lingotot’s Star of the Week for her enthusiasm in this week’s French lessons.
In addition, a child is chosen by each class teacher to be their Pupil of the Week. This week’s Pupils of the Week are:
Reception: Celeste for hard work and independence Y1 and 2: Cameron for thoughtful discussion and resilience
Y3 and 4: Maja for taking great pride in every piece of work
Y5: Isla for being kind and caring and for always working hard
Y6: Lydia for being a fabulous role model and a huge help to Mrs Smith and the Reception children in the mornings.
Well done to everyone!
Senior Department Achievements
Congratulations to Rana in Year 8 who recently sat her Grade 5 Ballet and Grade 4 Lyrical Dance exams and achieved a Merit in both disciplines.
If your daughter has any achievements they would like us to celebrate, please send them to enquiries@dhsfg.org.uk so we can showcase them in our newsletters.
Interact Club
The Interact team are delighted to announce that we are taking part in the Harvest food bank collection for County Durham and Sunderland. We would appreciate donations of non-perishable foods such as (but not limited to) tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, jams and preserves. We are also welcoming donations of toiletries. Donations can be left at Reception or brought in by your daughter. We thank you in advance for your generosity and help with this food collection.
Northumbria University Visit
We were delighted to welcome Northumbria University to the High School on Friday to present their 'Learning to Succeed’ programme to our Lower Sixth students to help them prepare for university and work life.
Classlist
Classlist is a parent communication platform, which allows parents to connect with other parents and keep up to date with Parents & Friends events and meetings. If you haven’t already joined Classlist and would like to, please click here.