This week in tutor time, students have had an assembly from PC Crane regarding online safety which was really informative, we hope there will be a follow up in the next few weeks as students did find it really eye opening with regards to how they can stay safe whilst being online. Students have also looked at the early signs of mental health awareness on Well Being Wednesday then covered Fraud on Thursday.
One of the highlights of this week was visiting the Learning Lounge reading project on a Wednesday morning which is into its 20th week. Year 13 students from the Sixth Form College come to the Learning Lounge and listen to small groups of Year 7s read aloud in such a supportive environment and it is a real credit to Mrs Morgan who has set the programme up.
Mrs Farmer has also been promoting our Careers Department this week and staff have displayed the jobs they have held outside of teaching so students gain an insight into other careers that are out there.
Head of Year 7: Mr D Mordue Assistant Head of Year 7: Miss L Jordan
Well done Year 8, another 3100 positive points this week. We continue to be pleased with the high levels of engagement in lessons and class teachers continue to pass on positive feedback about Year 8 classwork and home learning. A photo of excellent Geography work is included below along with students who have been working hard in PE. Students continue to receive Star of the Lesson awards for their hard work and attitude to learning in lessons.
In Science this week students have been studying the human gas exchange system. Students have learnt about this process and annotated diagrams as part of this learning. One of our Year 8 groups had two fantastic opportunities this week where they have observed a dissection of a heart/lungs. Students were able to identify the key structures which they have learnt about and also understand how the lungs inflate and the importance of cartilage in these key structures. Students asked excellent questions during the dissection to further develop their understanding. Next week students will be learning about the digestive system.
During our Personal Development Curriculum, students have continued to focus on wellbeing where students discussed the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns and understanding when we should ask for help with our mental wellbeing. We also covered fraud and password security as part of our Topical Thursday focus and we have encouraged students to check their passwords to ensure their online accounts are protected. On Friday, we focused on careers and students were able to interview their tutor on their career.
Finally, well done to the Year 8 Girls Football team who have progressed into the Semi-Final of the South Notts Cup, with a 2-1 win on Tuesday night. The girls showed determination and team work in the fixture on Tuesday, after going 1-0 down in the first half, they continued to work hard and were rewarded with two goals in the second half, well done! We also had a great opportunity for our Year 8 boys to compete in a Football tournament on Thursday evening. Well done to the boys who participated in this tournament. The boys showed great team spirit and resilience and were rewarded with a 2-0 in their final match of the tournament. Well done to all students involved!
Well done Year Well done Year 8, another great week!
Head of Year 8: Miss I Sheldon
This week during tutor time Year 9 have reflected on being safe online, with a particular focus on avoiding being a victim of a scam or fraud. We had an informative assembly from PC Crane and encouraged students to think about the quality of their passwords and to make changes if they needed to be more secure.
In addition to this, students learned about the early signs of declining mental health and how to access support at early stage.
In their Philosophy and Ethics lessons, students have continued to evaluate different ways of dealing with criminals. They have considered a range of different punishments (corporal punishment, the death penalty and prison) before looking at ways to encourage reform and rehabilitation as an alternative approach. I have been very impressed with how students have articulated their own views and listening respectfully to others.
Head of Year 9: Mrs L Munro Assistant Head of Year 9: Miss C Thomas
Our continued focus on career and aspirations for Year 10, yesterday students completed a questionnaire on their Post-16 aspirations. This questionnaire will inform the trips we organise in the summer term to Colleges, Universities and Apprenticeships. Throughout the summer, every Year 10 student will have the opportunity to visit a further or higher-level institution to support with their decisions on Post-16 provision.
On Monday, we have an opportunity for our Year 10 students to attend a talk about Oxford University. The talk is for those students who aspire to go to apply for Oxbridge. The presentation will cover what they look for in students, the types of courses they offer, the importance of wider reading and their personal statement.
Please email Mrs Farmer ffarmer@toothillschool.co.uk if your child would like to attend.
A timely weekly reminder for finalising Work Experience placements as soon as possible. It is a busy time for work experience placements across the county, so it is important placements are organised soon. Information on Work Experience can be found on the Year 10 MS Teams page that your child can access.
Head of Year 10: Mr R Wickens Achievement Coordinator: Mrs C Hallam
Year 11 have successfully completed the MOCK cycle this week. We want to say a huge well done for all the dedication, perseverance, and enthusiasm that Year 11 have shown during the last few weeks. Assessments are always hard, but this cycle has reinforced the strong work ethic and determination of our students.
Next week we look forward to talks with both Cambridge and Oxford Universities - good luck to the students taking part.
We hope you have a restful weekend and recharge ready to act on all the feedback your teachers will give you in the coming lessons.
Year 11 Pastoral Lead: Miss B Marshall Year 11 Achievement Leader: Miss P Gordon
This week was National Careers Week! Students celebrated with an array of activities. They filled in forms about their dream jobs, had access to their own careers stall and learnt about their tutor’s career path. Also, Year 10 girls were visited by the army and taught teamwork skills.
The Toot Hill Career team will keep celebrating careers throughout the year! On Monday the University of Oxford is visiting Year 10 and Year 11 and Computer Scientists will be delivering a workshop on 'Data in our Lives'.
If you want to know how to help your child with their career pathway please read the https://mcusercontent.com/4f1a07855a66527ededacb47d/files/60e972af-34d6-4d7d-3b72-3d88088a6795/Parent_Carer_guide_The_Parents_Guide_to_NCW_2.pdf NCW free magazine.
Letters to students and parents about National Careers Week
To coincide with National Careers Week 2022, Michelle Donelan, Minister of State for Further and Higher Education, is writing to students and parents about the education, training and work choices available to young people after they finish their GCSEs and once they turn 18.
This letter is being shared with every student in years 9 - 13, as appropriate, and their parents, carers and guardians this week.
Open the letter to students
Open the letter to parents, carers and guardians
As you will know Fiona Farmer is the Careers Leader at Toot Hill School and if you require any careers advice and guidance please email ffarmer@toothillschool.co.uk
It's great to see so much activity on eDofE - well done everyone! Keep uploading details of your skill, physical and volunteering activities - aim for all ambers, not greys or blanks! If you are still looking for an activity, https://www.dofe.org/do/activitylogs/click for plenty of ideas of what you could do.
YES.................................................................NO
This Week's Target
Now you have found your activities and logged them on eDofE, remember to keep a log of all the work you are doing. https://www.dofe.org/do/activitylogs/ Click to download an activity log - an example is shown below.
DofE Stars of the Week
Olivia B, Eva B, Ben B, Molly B, Matthew C, Evie F, Alvin Lo, Hope R, Katie S, Evie S - well done to you all for successfully uploading all of your activities and assessor's to eDofE!
Photo Competition Winners
This week's theme is a mix of the Volunteering, Skill and Physical sections. Poppy has been keeping active at her weekly roller-skating sessions, Ruby's been busy baking some tasty looking flapjack treats and for his skill section, Rory has been keeping a weekly log of all the time he has spent drumming. Well done!
Payments
The deadline for making your 2nd Payment Instalment on ScoPay is Friday 11 March 2022. Can I politely ask that all parents make every effort to meet this deadline as this will aid my planning for the bronze and silver training days which take place on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd April 2022.
Mr Tinsley
mtinsley@toothillschool.co.uk
FAQ's - see www.toothillschool.co.uk/dofe
Toot Hill School
Train to teach with the Nottinghamshire Torch SCITT