Durham High School End of Week Newsletter
Issue 4 – September 27,2024
Dear Parents
As we approach the end of a busy and exciting week here at DHS, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on all the wonderful events and that have taken place. I have been reminded twice today that we are already halfway through this first half term. It’s hard to believe.
We were thrilled to begin our Peripatetic Mandarin lessons this week, led by Mrs. Xian, giving the girls an invaluable opportunity to expand their language skills and cultural awareness. We have also welcomed Dr Robinson to our team, who is leading the Peripatetic Latin and Classics lessons, offering the girls a deeper understanding of the classical world and its languages. It has been delightful to witness their enthusiasm for these subjects.
This week also saw us celebrate the European Day of Languages with great success. We were pleased to welcome pupils from both Shincliffe Primary and St. Margaret’s C of E Primary, who joined our Modern Foreign Language lessons. The highlight of the morning was undoubtedly the French market, where the girls had the opportunity to practice their French speaking skills and experience the joy (and challenge!) of handling euros. I thoroughly enjoyed donning my chef’s hat and serving une gauffre avec crème au chocolat a sweet treat for all!
This evening, I am very much looking forward to hosting the New Parent’s Supper and formally welcoming our new families into the DHS community. It is always a pleasure to meet those who are joining our school family and share in the excitement of the journey ahead.
Earlier today, I was delighted to attend the official opening of our Prep Library. We were honoured to have Skye McKenna, author of the Hedgewitch series, join us to cut the ribbon and mark this special occasion. The library is a wonderful resource, and we are excited for the many adventures the girls will embark on through the world of books.
I’m sure you have all enjoyed reading about the extensive programme of extracurricular activities we are offering this term. Please do take some time this weekend to discuss with your daughters which clubs they would like to participate in. From sports to arts, music, and beyond, there truly is something for everyone.
Lastly, next weekend is our Whole School Open Morning. As always, our girls will be the best ambassadors of the school, and we are incredibly proud to showcase all that DHS has to offer. Thank you for supporting us in showing prospective parents what a wonderful environment we provide for their daughters' education
With best wishes
Consent for trips and visits taking place during the school day
Please click the link here to give consent for your daughter to enable her to take part in educational trips and visits throughout her time at Durham High School. 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.
To complete the consent form, please click here - Consent for Day Trips
Year 11 Geography Fieldtrip
Year 11 visited Blyth and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea on the Northumberland Coast on Tuesday as part of their preparation for the GCSE skills paper. Students spent the day collecting data on the beaches as well as surveying members of the public using a questionnaire.
Lower Sixth Bill Bryson Library Visit
Lower Sixth students enjoyed their visit to the Bill Bryson Library this week. Now they have completed their induction, they are able to access the library to do research for their coursework and Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ)
Senior Department Achievements
Annabel, in Year 7 attended the WKKC Ippon Challenge 2024 in Doncaster last weekend. The event attracted over 1000 competitors from across England, Scotland and Wales. Annabel competed in Creative and Traditional Weapons, competing with nunchucks and traditional bo staff, achieved a bronze medal in both categories. Congratulations, Annabel!
Sobia, in Year 8 has completed her Grade 4 Lamda in Verse and Prose, where she achieved a very impressive 90%, which is a very high Distinction. She performed two of her pieces brilliantly at The New Parent’s Supper this evening. Congratulations Sobia!
Prep Department Achievements
Last weekend, Hattie (Year 4) ran a Bake Sale from her house helped by a couple of her friends. She has raised over £500 for TOFS, a charity which supports and researches for the TOF/OA condition. OA/TOF stands for Oesophageal Atresia (OA) and TracheaOesophageal Fistula (TOF).
OA/TOF are rare congenital conditions of the oesophagus (food pipe) and/or trachea (airway) that affects 1 in every 3,500 people.
Hattie helped design and sew a promotional banner, came up with ideas for games, made and distributed posters, baked, set up the stall and spent the day selling cakes and raising money. A fabulous achievement! We are very proud Hattie. Well done!
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.
Pre-Prep and Prep Celebration Assembly
The Pupils of the Week in Pre-Prep and Prep who were recognised in Friday’s Celebration Assembly were:
Reception: Honey for being enthusiastic and organised
Y1&2: Molly for beautiful presentation and for an improvement in her resilience
Y3&4: Rosie for producing a character description full of wellchosen adjectives
Y5: Scarlett for using great figurative language within her writing and for participating well during discussions
Y6: Ananya for always having a super attitude to her work.
In addition, Mrs Hopper presented rosettes to Lucy which she had won during her summer pony camp, and a Grade 2 Musical Theatre certificate to Rose.
Ella had a certificate recognising her contribution to looking after turtles during her holiday in Cape Verde and a silver medal from a netball tournament which she competed in as a member of the Palatinates U10 team.
Mariam was our Lingotot’s Star of the Week. Well done to everyone!
Sports Update
The U8 Hockey team played in a festival at Mowden Hall this week. For most of the team this was their first hockey match. The team had a great afternoon learning more about the game. Well done, Year 3!
Congratulations to the U16 Hockey team who performed brilliantly in the recent Tyne and Wear Tournament. Playing again Emmanuel, they won 4-1 and then secured a draw against Newcastle High. Player of the match was awarded to Charlotte for her fantastic hat-trick in the match against Emmanuel.
Well done also to the U18 Netball team on a great performance against tough competition at the Area and District Tournament. It was brilliant to see the players come together for the first time this season and build in confidence throughout their matches.
Finally, congratulations to Millie in Y10 who was selected for the U18 County Performance Netball Squad and to Esmee, Carola-Elin, Eliana, Zarah and Evie who have been selected for the U13 County Netball Squads.
Author Visit
We welcomed Skye McKenna into school on Friday to officially open our newly refurbished Prep Library.
Skye spent time with our Years 5 and 6 girls and talked about her new book, Seawitch.
Seawitch is the third story in the Hedgewitch series and is a magical story which brings together nature and folklore
Parents & Friends Updates
Ceilidh & Hog Roast - Friday 11th October at 6.30pm
Tickets are now on sale! We would love your support at this whole school event. There is no upper or lower age limit, and we welcome you to invite friends and relatives to join you outside of the DHS community.
Tickets include Ceilidh dancing & Hog Roast (Vegetarian & Gluten Free options available). Please BYOB (bring your own beverage) we will provide glasses. To purchase tickets please click here
Durham Gala Pantomime - Beauty & the Beast, Friday 13th December at 1.30pm
Parents & Friends have once again been able to secure discounted tickets for this year's panto at Durham Gala Theatre. This is a very popular event and tickets are already selling fast. To purchase tickets please click here
Nearly New Uniform Queries
Please can all enquiries for nearly new school uniform be sent to dhsparentsandfriends@outlook.com All emails will be reviewed and responded to on a Friday.
We thank your continued support.
Harvest Collection
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.