Posted May 3 - 2024Headteacher's Newsletter
what's happening at Chesham Grammar
Posted on: July 9th 2021
Head's Blog
Dear parent,
Come on, England!
I ended my newsletter last week by saying I hoped the students would be as excited on Monday morning as they were when they left school on the Friday, ahead of England's quarter final match last Saturday against Ukraine. It has been lovely to watch the excitement reach fever pitch across the week as England beat Denmark on Wednesday and, as a result, we approach the final of the Euros on Sunday. The vast majority of members right across our school community have never experienced watching the men's national team play in the final of a major football tournament. Let's hope that the last school week of what has been a very difficult year is one where we have something momentous to celebrate!
Sport at CGS
Across the week, students in Years 7-10 have been competing in track and field events for sports day. Usually, this is a huge event for us, attended by all students and a number of parents. Each year group has competed in front of just their year group this year and despite sports day having a very different feel, the fierce but friendly competition which (in any other year) characterises it, was evident. Well done to all those who took part. All of these results will be added to the other House events we have held, which will determine the outcome of the House Cup Competition. The winning House will be announced next week. Remaining on the sporting theme, well done to the boys in the Year 10 cricket team who beat Dr Challoner's Grammar School for the second time in the space of a few weeks, this time in a friendly match. They were helped to a comfortable win by Ryan's 125 runs from 84 balls. Well done boys and congratulations Ryan. On Wednesday, our Year 7-10 athletics teams competed in the District Athletics Championships in Uxbridge. Our boys' teams finished as runners-up while our girls won the Years 7, 8 and 10 events and the overall girls' competition. All of this helped us win the mixed schools competition. Well done to everyone involved. Special mention must go to the boys and girls in Year 9 who, due to Covid disruption, put together two new teams within 24 hours. A number of students won their events and the staff are incredibly proud of what they have all achieved. This Sunday, twins Archie and Euan in Year 9 will be competing in the 1500m at the ESAA Track and Field Championships in Manchester. It is a superb achievement to have been selected for this and we wish them every success.
Looking ahead to September
This week, I have enjoyed presenting prizes and certificates for House points to a number of students across the school. One of the things I have most missed this year is my regular meetings with small groups of students either for birthday tea or to congratulate them on their individual achievements and I am looking forward to being able to resume these meetings in September. We now have the guidance for schools for September which basically says that we can return to normal with a few controls in place, such as enhanced cleaning, hygiene etc. It does say, however, that we need to have in place an outbreak management plan. Given nobody quite knows what might happen over the next few weeks and into the autumn, we have been told that we need to plan for the possibility that there may need to be a reintroduction of 'bubbles'. For this reason, we have decided to continue with horizontal tutor groups in September as we do not want to return to vertical groups, only to find these have to be collapsed again. This is hugely disappointing but we feel it is the right approach and as soon as we can return to vertical tutoring, which gives the school a unique, 'family' feel, we will do so. We will send out information about the return to school arrangements later.
National Industrial Cadets
Well done to our Year 9s who took part in the National Industrial Cadets Bronze Award. Mr Lota was most impressed by what they achieved during their 12 week programme. Special mention to Martha, Niamh, Charlotte, Elliot, Jack, Edward, Luke and Ishan who won the award for Best Innovation and to Lucia and Orlaith who received the Recognition Award for Determination. Also well done to Soraya in Year 8 who performed at the Wycombe Town and Country show recently and who has appearances at several other music festivals during the summer lined up. Molly, also in Year 8, finally got to take her Grade 3 flute exam after several Covid-induced postponements, achieving a Merit. Well done to her, too.
CGS Economics Magazine
Please find attached the second issue of our CGS Economics Magazine, once again written by our students. Thank you to them for all the hard work which has gone into this.
CGS Art and Photography Exhibition
This afternoon, I visited our Art Exhibition which showcased the work of our Year 11, 12 and 13 art and photography students. This was just for parents, students and staff this year but it was no less impressive than usual. The pieces on display as always were stunning, testament not only to the hard work of the students but also to the dedication of the staff who inspire them. Of course many of the exhibition pieces this year were conceived and produced not in our art rooms but in students' homes which makes what has been achieved all the more impressive. Well done to the students and thank you to the art staff.
Year 12 Peer Educators
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending some time with some of our Year 12 students and Mrs Rasekh. The 18 students had been selected from a strong field of applicants to be Peer Educators. They spent the day together, learning how to deliver sessions to Year 7 in September on mental health and wellbeing. Research we have undertaken within the school indicates that while students value what is delivered in Lifeskills, they really want to work with, hear and learn from other CGS students. We want to grow this programme throughout the school over the next couple of years so that it becomes an integral part of our culture, something our students expect to participate in during their time here.
Summer holiday beckons...
This time next week, your children will have started their long summer holiday. A reminder that we finish at 1.15pm on 16th and that the new school year starts for Years 7, 10 and 12 on Friday September 3rd with all remaining year groups returning on Monday 6th. A reminder also of the FoCGS mufti day and Krispy Kreme doughnut sale on Thursday of next week, 15th.
Finally, I hope you won't mind if I don't wish you a relaxing weekend for a change; I am sure that at least 90 minutes on Sunday evening will be far from relaxing...
Come on, England!
Best wishes,
Annmarie McNaney
Headteacher
