DHS End of Week Newsletter - 26 October 2024

Durham High School End of Week Newsletter Issue 8 – 26 October 2024

Dear Parents I can hardly believe we have arrived at half term already! What a fantastic journey it has been. I hope you have enjoyed keeping up with our latest news through the newsletter and our social media pages.

This week has been as busy as ever. It was wonderful to chat with so many of our Year 7 and Lower Sixth parents at the Meet the Tutor Evening on Tuesday. It was a real privilege to discuss how your daughters are settling into this next phase of their education and to gather your feedback on the changes we implemented in our parent communication system since September. It was heartening to hear that the new system is working well, with parents appreciating the convenience of having all important letters in one accessible place.

On Wednesday morning, I had the joy of attending the Pre-Prep and Prep Assembly, where the girls put on a delightful concert, performing songs they have been developing in their music lessons. Their enthusiasm and beautiful voices truly brightened my day. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Crinson for her dedication and hard work!

Thursday break time was a wonderful occasion as we celebrated the Excellence Book Awards in the Senior Department. It’s always a pleasure to see the remarkable work the girls have been nominated for and to discuss their outstanding contributions to our school.

Congratulations to Beth for producing a fantastic piece of summer work where she has crocheted Taylor Swift into a blanket as part of her Textiles project. She is going to bring it back into school after half term for so I can see her marvellous creation.

Elizabeth was nominated for the excellence book due to her amazing photography, which was beyond the expectations of the classroom. I look forward to seeing this after half term too.

Amy, Roza and Aroosh were nominated for their outstanding speeches at Open Morning.

Not only did the girls write their own speeches but they delivered them with eloquence and huge confidence. I was super proud of them all.

I look forward to meeting more girls to celebrate their successes in the first week back after the holiday.

Additionally, some of our Year 9 girls visited the National STEM Centre in York on Thursday to take part in computing workshops. Miss Turner has penned a wonderful write-up below. The girls had a fantastic time, and it’s inspiring to see such interest in a field still dominated by men. Here’s hoping our girls will be the next computing trailblazers!

Our Bake Off! winners in Senior Department were not revealed this week due to the delivery of the Star Baker badges being delayed. We should be able to make an announcement as soon as we return to school. I know the girls are eager to find out who the winners are!

As we head into the half term break, I want to wish you all a very happy holiday. Your daughters have worked exceptionally hard, and I am incredibly grateful to our fantastic staff who consistently go above and beyond to provide expert teaching and outstanding support.

I have some family time planned, followed by a few days of sunshine in Palma—fingers crossed! I hope you make lasting memories during the break, whatever your plans may be. I can’t wait for everything next half term has in store; it’s truly my favourite time of the year, and there’s so much to look forward to.

With best wishes .

Mrs Michelle Hill Headmistress

Extracurricular Clubs Cancelled on Monday 4 November Due to a staff meeting, we have cancelled extra curricular activities on Monday 4 November. Normal extra-curricular timetables will resume on Tuesday 5 November.

Food Bank Warerhouse Trip On Tuesday, the Interact Team visited the Durham and Sunderland Foodbank Warehouse to deliver our harvest food collection. Students had a tour of the foodbank and met staff to find out more information about the day-today organisation.

We collected 176.8kgs of food, which equates to 221 meals. All the girls had a wonderful time and asked lots of insightful questions.

"The warehouse was very interesting; it was incredible to find out they help over 3000 people every month" Harriet L (Y11) "It is wonderful to see how much help the warehouse gives people; they distribute to 39 food banks around County Durham and Sunderland" - Hannah S (Y11).

Prep Department Successes Last weekend, Rosie in Year 4 took part in a 10km sponsored bike ride for Mind charity. It was to support a friend of the family who is trying to complete a challenge to raise £40000 before she is 40. Well done, Rosie - a great achievement!

House Cross Country (Key Stage 3) Congratulations to all the pupils in Key Stage 3 who ran in the House Cross-Country Competition earlier this week. The PE staff were very impressed with the effort and team spirit on display. Special mention to the winning Houses, Y7 Tempest, Y8 Tempest, and Y9 Heath and to the top three finishers in each year group.

Y7 - 1st = Antonia I, 2nd = Evie K, 3rd = Eva A Y8 - 1st = Rayah H, 2nd = Esmée L, 3rd = Zarah H Y9 - 1st = Megan S, 2nd = Isla G, 3rd = Hannah A

Overall Results: Position

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

1.

Tempest

Tempest

Heath

2.

Heath

Heath

Booth

3.

Booth

Neville

Neville

4.

Neville

Booth

Tempest

It has been a busy week for our netball teams. League matches began on Monday against Park View where the U12's drew 9-9. Congratulations to Lucy who was Player of the Match. The U13's won 28-1 with Esmée as Player of the Match and Isla for the U14's. Unfortunately, they lost 3-8.

All teams were in action again on Wednesday, including the U15's, against St. Leonard's. The U12's won 17-1 with Cara as the Player of the Match. Our U13's won 30-1 with Sophia C being Player of the Match. The U14's unfortunately lost 2-25, but Player of the Match was Sophia. A close match for our U15's, but they won 17-15.

Congratulations to Annabelle who was Player of The Match.

Well played to all the girls!

On Tuesday the U15's played in a friendly against Whitburn Academy in preparation for the County Tournament which proved to be a very exciting match. The team showed tremendous maturity and determination and despite being behind going into the last quarter they clenched the win 2725. An excellent performance and congratulations to Annabelle who was awarded Player of The Match Special mention to Esmée (Y8) who played up for the team.

Car Parking Please can we remind parents to use the drop off spaces in the car park when dropping off or collecting your daughters. We have been contacted by concerned parents informing us of cars parking on the zebra crossing again.

Year 9 Trip to the National STEM Learning Centre: "My Skills, My Life" On a bright and engaging day, Miss Turner and some of her Year 9 students embarked on an exciting journey to the National STEM Learning Centre at York University for the "My Skills, My Life" event. The day promised to be filled with inspiration, hands-on learning, and a deeper understanding of STEM fields.

The day kicked off with an inspiring keynote speech from Rebecca Jones, CEO of iProServe Ltd. Her words motivated students to explore the vast opportunities available in the STEM industries, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and innovation.

Following this, we dove into our first workshop led by Katherine Watson from WISE. In this session, the girls had the chance to identify their personality traits, which helped them understand their strengths and how these can align with various STEM careers. This self-reflection set the stage for a meaningful discussion with a panel of inspiring women from diverse fields in computer science, including representatives from CACI, Capgemini, Google, Punk Security and more.

Hearing their stories reinforced the message that a career in Computing is not only achievable but also immensely rewarding. As Elizabeth, one of the students, remarked, “I really enjoyed learning about different jobs in STEM that I didn’t initially realise existed.”

After a short break, we moved into the university's teaching labs for a cybersecurity workshop with Roberto Metere. He introduced us to various cryptography techniques, demonstrating how quickly WAP internet can be compromised. This eye-opening session highlighted the vulnerabilities in our digital lives and the critical importance of cybersecurity.

Post-lunch, we explored the STEM Research Centre— a room brimming with innovative tools and technologies. One of the highlights was meeting Miro, the robotic rabbit.

Miro's lifelike behaviour captivated us all; she would lift her head when scratched behind the ears and follow movement, acting just like a real pet. The staff explained that Miro was designed to provide companionship and support to children, showcasing the incredible potential of robotics in enhancing well-being.

Our final session featured coders Zoe Walker and Andrew Woodhouse from CACI, where we dove into more cryptography activities. We created our own barcodes and decrypted messages using pigpen code, Morse code, and more. Harriet shared her enthusiasm, saying, “The code-breaking was fun, and it was interesting to see how they can be cracked. It was also great to have a go myself!” The thrill of cracking the codes to unlock a book filled with sweets was the cherry on top of a fantastic day.

Overall, the trip was a remarkable blend of learning and inspiration. Our Year 9 students left the National STEM Learning Centre not only with new skills and knowledge but also with a renewed passion for pursuing careers in Computing. It was a day filled with exploration, creativity, and the promise of what the future holds.

Parents and Friends Parents & Friends would like to invite parents to contact them and have a say on how the money that you help raise is spent. We understand that due to the many commitments parents face, it isn't possible to attend all or any of our P&F meetings where we discuss the best way to invest funds back into DHS. Below are just some examples of what Parents & Friends have helped to provide to date: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Outdoor fitness equipment Grand Piano Workshops Play equipment in Junior yard Sixth Form Kitchen Electricity to the Outdoor Classroom Teepee Tents for students at DHS doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award Furnishings for the new Junior Library Flashing School Safety signs on South Road Trophy Cabinet in Concourse Digital Signage (TV) in Reception Inspirational Quotes in Senior Department Main Corridor New classroom lockers in Senior Department

If you would like to make a suggestion, please email: dhsparentsandfriends@outlook.com Prep & Pre-Prep Disco is Back!

Back by popular demand and this time we are going ‘Neon’. We will be holding our next school disco on Friday 15th November. Tickets are £5 and include refreshments, glitter tattoos and glow sticks.

To book please use the link below. https://form.jotform.com/242883948723370 Netball Camps Netball Camps will be returning to Durham High School this October half term and is now open to pupils in Year 3 - Year 7. The camp will run on Tuesday 29th October 9:30- 3:30pm.

The camp is open to all girls, those who attend Durham High School and girls who attend other schools too.

Activities will include games, group drills, individual player development, and plenty of match play. For more information and to book a place for your daughter, please email Netballcoachingcamps@gmail.com