Week 39 – 19 July 2024
Key Dates
- GCSE Results Day – Thursday 22nd August, 8:30-11am
- First day of Autumn Term for Year 7 – Tuesday 3rd September
- First day of Autumn Term for Year 8–11 – Wednesday 4th September
The End of an Era
The end of the year is always a bittersweet time, happy to be going on holidays but missing those day to day connections between staff and students. There have been goodbyes today to some staff who have given a lot to YHS. Miss Robertson has worked at YHS since it opened and is going to train as a Primary Teacher. Mrs Muress has done two stints at YHS and had a massive impact on so many students, we wish her well as she moves on to work at Ad Astra. Jackie Stevens is also leaving at the end of her second stint to be SENCO at a specialist SEN school.
For me, this school has been everything for the last 16 years. Maybe too much at times but I have loved working with the students and parents from this community. I can walk away knowing that I could not have tried harder to make this school a better place. You have made me smile every day, thank you to all students past and present, thank you to all the fabulous staff, thank you to all the amazing parents.
Thank you and Goodbye.
Rod Sims
Awards Evening
Awards Evening is always a highlight of the school year and this year did not disappoint!
As staff we value the opportunity to look back at the achievements of our students over the year and share that success with parents and carers.
We enjoyed a beautiful poetry reading by Mia and Mollie and two fantastic performances by the YHS dancers!
Guests were also entertained by music compositions created by our Year 10 music students.
Thank you to parents and carers who came and a huge well done to all of the award winners!
House Cup Winners
Congratulations to AQUA and Mrs Muress on being this year’s House Cup winners!
Well done Aqua!
New ADventures Await
Today we wish Mrs Muress the best of luck on her next adventure!
Mrs Muress has supported many pupils not only in Aqua House but across the whole school and will be missed by many pupils, parents and staff!
Colourful Chemistry
On Tuesday 60 of our Y8s were involved in ‘Colourful Chemistry’, a lecture by Annie Hodgson from the University of York.
It was a brilliant show full of amazing science, bright colours and loud noises (including some loud screams of surprise and gasps of delight from the students!).
Well done especially to the student volunteers who helped with the final demonstration!
REACH Barbican Celebration Event
7 of our Year 8 ambassador group for the REACH project attended a celebration event at the Barbican on Wednesday.
They had a backstage tour of the Barbican and asked lots of excellent questions about the industry and potential careers.
Our students worked along Art of Protest to carry out questionnaires with some of the primary children participating in the spray can workshop and were able to visit the market place where, again, they were able to ask questions about potential future pathways in the arts alongside experimenting with musical instruments and playing with fish and sand…!
During the performance, our students stood on the Barbican stage and delivered a spoken presentation supported by a powerpoint of pictures and a video, about their experiences during the REACH project. Well done to Tegan, Euan, Evan, Hayla, Jan, Lewis and Adam.
SparxMaths
This year YHS students have:
- answered 786,185 Sparx Maths questions correctly
- and have spent 6,463 hours learning independently.
Well done to the 224 students that have improved their times tables.
- 8y/Ma2 have finished the year as the class with the highest XP per student.
The following students have reached the next XP level:
- Ava B – 8x / Ma1
- Sophie C – 8x / Ma1
- Skye H-C – 8y / Ma1
- Adam S – 8x / Ma1
- Thomas W – 9x / Ma1
- Harvey J – 9y / Ma2
- Jack C – 8x / Ma3
- Luke C – 7y / Ma1
- Grace J – 10x / Ma3
- Norman A – 8y / Ma2
- Eva K – 7y / Ma1
- Isla B – 7y / Ma2
There will be no Sparx Maths homework set during the holidays but it is still available for independent learning.
Have a lovely Summer!
Mrs Garrett
In Other News
2024/25 Trips
Thank you to all parents and carers who have returned permission slips for next year’s residentials.
The trips should now appear on your ParentPay.
Deposits are required by Monday 10th September.
Instrumental / Vocal Lessons from September 2024
Exciting news from York Music Hub: as well as providing full bursaries for any student who is pupil premium, free school meals or a looked after child, there will now be bursaries available for families in receipt of universal credit for 30% of the fee for instrumental or vocal lessons!
Please fill in the following form if you would like instrumental and/or vocal tuition next academic year.
If your child currently has lessons, these will continue next academic year unless you let the hub know otherwise. https://forms.gle/DTcjjzH1BmvQhz9K6
Community News
Thunk It
Tuesday 30 July – Friday 2 August
1pm-5pm | Acomb Explore
Come and join Thunk-It Theatre at Acomb library for four days of creativity, inspired by your interests and your local community.
Throughout the week you will have the chance to get creative and make a community event, hosted by you!
Whether you like to draw, write, sing or dance, this project is for you! No experience needed, just come along!
The price of the workshop is for all 4 days*
Age: 11 – 16s | £8.00 | Booking required
* This project is part of the HAF (Holidays Activities & Food) programme, therefore is free for young people who access HAF.
Time to Explore
You’ll see that in Acomb library we have:
- Song Writing workshops at £2 a session
- The Story Engine, a session about seeing how AI stacks up against the human brain, half day session including lunch £5
- Your Creative Summer, a four day creative workshop delivered by Thunk It Theatre, £2 a session.
- We also have some Dungeons and Dragons workshops (not on the leaflet but bookable through the QR code on there), £3 session.
Plus other brilliant activities at York and Tang Hall libraries.
Summer STEM
The Community and Education team at Drax Power Station are hosting summer activities at Selby Abbey on 27th, 28th and 29th August 2024.
Our free sessions are aimed for ages 9 – 13 years old and using Lego they will construct a robot and learn how to code to move the robot around a track.
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