NEWSFLASH
Fortnightly Newsletter of Woodhouse Grove School
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Poetry By Heart Final
Congratulations to Lily Edwards, Year 11, who was selected as a finalist in the national 'Poetry by Heart' competition in what is becoming a bit of a Woodhouse Grove tradition! One of only ten students in her key stage, Lily was invited to an all-expenses paid trip to London which included watching a performance of 'Comedy of Errors' and then reciting her poems on the same iconic Globe Theatre stage the following day. Lily performed alongside legends such as the previous Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, and her rendition of Dylan Thomas's beautiful elegy, 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night', was delivered with engaging and heartfelt emotion. We are incredibly proud of her achievement!
Art Creations
These amazing gargoyles were designed and created by Year 7. Fired in the new kiln and now glazed, they look fantastic. 7S seem very pleased with the final outcome.
Geography Sculptures
Year 9 geographers have been creating coastal features with play dough. Here are some wave-cut platforms showing how the sea erodes the coastline.
60 students have been presented with their Grove Awards for 2022/23 so far. Claims can still be submitted until the end of September allowing students the chance to complete challenges over the summer break. These photos show this week's award winners.
Year 7: Eloise Baker, Will Brammer, Joe Gilbert, Mya Parmar, Isabel Payne, Hettie Smith
Year 8: Leisha Woo and Deeya Basra
Their challenges included taking part in 'Alice in Wonderland', baking for the charity house bake sale and impressive streaks on Duolingo. Well done!
Prize Day and Sports Day
Leavers’ Weekend started with an amazing Prize Day and an outstanding speech by Old Grovian and international rugby star Ellie Kildunne, followed by our Sports Day. There was excellent competition between the Houses throughout Sports Day, with photo finishes and even a few school records being broken! Atkinson came 3rd, Stephenson 2nd, and Towlson House took home the overall win. Thank you to all our pupils who took part in the day and to all the families who came to support. Finally, a HUGE thank you to our team of staff who delivered another fantastic Leavers’ Weekend.
House Pride
These four Findlay House students between them have gained a total of over 200 house points and were each presented with a commemorative glass trophy. Catherine Potter, Archie Hurford & Rory Henderson have 50 and Isla Swarbrigg has reached 70! A testament to their commitment to Findlay House over the years. Many congratulations!
Cricket
Sam Dowsland, Year 7, recently had a weekend of 3 consecutive 50* not outs playing for 3 different cricket teams. Friday evening he played for his club team; Menston U15s, on Saturday for WGS U12s and Sunday for the Aire Wharfe Representative U12 team. What a fantastic weekend for Sam!
Well done to the U13 girls' cricket team, who have finished joint winners in the Bradford Region of the West Yorkshire league! They now progress through to league finals on Sunday 16th July at Colton CC. Their progression over the season has been superb with some great batting, accurate bowling and amazing pressure fielding!
For the first time since 2018, Atkinson House has finished first in this year's House competition with an incredible 198.5 points. All students have shown a competitive spirit throughout the year and have given every competition their all. Congratulations to all our Atkinsonians!
Football
Well done to Hettie Smith, Year 7, who had her England football trial last week. This is a huge honour and a superb experience for her. Hettie has played elite football at Sheffield United Academy since she was 8 years old but will be moving this season to join Leeds United U14s Girls Academy.
Congratulations also to Oliver Stead, Year 9, who has been given another 2-year contract with Bradford City.
Charity Bake Sale
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the charity bake sales which took place two weeks ago to raise money for this year's charities, Candlelighters and EDUKID. The grand total raised was £647.84!
GAEP Visit to Leeds University
32 of the athletes in our performance programme had a day trip to the University of Leeds last week. The students had a tour of the facilities and learnt what it's like to be an athlete in higher education. They had practical sessions, including fitness testing in the labs and a strength and conditioning session. It was a great day out!
Anthony Nolan Trust Talk
Year 12 recently heard from Rev. Andrew Checkley, who volunteers for the Anthony Nolan Trust. The trust actively matches blood donors to those who have blood cancer and blood disorders - the match can save lives through the donation of stem cells. The trust does incredible work and it was wonderful to hear more about the work they do giving families affected by blood cancer and blood
Art Awards
Six of our Year 7 students have qualified for their Explore Arts Award. It is an official external qualification and probably one of the first they receive at school. Some have done art, others writing, dance, drama, and music. They have had to complete artistic tasks, research artists and institutions, and reflect and analyse their own work.
Sixth Form Enrichment Programme
Following their GCSE exams, Year 11 students have taken part in a Sixth Form enrichment programme. The workshops covered our A-level subjects as well as career planning, partnerships and Gold DofE.
Biology Dissection Lessons
Last week Year 10 dissected eyes, seeing for themselves (no pun intended) the structures that they had learnt about from diagrams.
A Special Dessert
After 36 years at the Grove, Mrs Hughes is retiring today! We are sad to see her go but thrilled that Mr Eaglestone and the catering team could give her a special final gift! “I remember years ago, Mrs Hughes said her favourite dessert was ginger sponge and custard. She commented that it hadn’t been made for a long time so I decided to ask the kitchen staff to make a special batch for her final lunch
Unfortunately, the smallest batch the catering team could make was in a tray that feeds 40; but Mrs Hughes did take some pieces for later!”- Mr Eaglestone.
