Posted May 3 - 2024Headteacher's Newsletter
what's happening at Chesham Grammar
Posted on: May 1st 2020
Head's Blog
Dear Parent,
Under normal circumstances, we would have held our leavers' assembly and barbecue for Year 11 students this morning and they would have started their study leave today. As this milestone passes, I would like to thank them all for the superb contribution they have made to CGS over the last five years. I would also like to thank their parents for their support. We rely on a positive home-school partnership in order to ensure that we get the best out of our students and there is always a sense of sadness when a cohort leaves us. Of course the vast majority of Year 11s will be back in our Sixth Form in September but a few will be leaving us, in most cases to follow A level courses not on offer at CGS and we wish those students and parents well. I have written to Year 11s today and included in my email a message to those leaving to say they can be assured of a warm welcome whenever they come back to visit - and I do hope they will.
It would have been a busy weekend for CGS had we been in school. Year 12 geographers would have headed off to Flatford Mill Field Study Centre today for their A level geography fieldwork weekend while the inaugural CGS Fun Run would have taken place on Sunday. Had we been in school, there would be lots of work being done to prepare for all the activities which were scheduled for next half term from Sports Day to House Performing Arts and from expeditions to Sri Lanka and Slovenia to visits to France, Spain and Germany during activity week. We are starting to plan the school calendar for the next academic year and are hoping that the richness of experience our students have access to will return. We have a huge number of visits taking place each year, many of them abroad and we look forward to be able to reinstate these when it is safe to do so.
Thank you for your continued support during this period of lockdown learning. We continue to be impressed by the students and I know that teachers are increasing their use of the available technology as they become more confident in their own use of it. Thank you for your positive feedback and also for letting us know if you feel your child is being set too much work. This is a steep learning curve for us all and where we are aware of any issues, we can work to rectify or resolve them. I have been really pleased to hear of so many students using this period to develop a new skill or to read more widely than they often have time to. I know that many of our students are really enjoying their daily exercise too and please do encourage your child to spend time doing things which can contribute to maintaining good physical and mental health.
Well done to sisters Roisin in Year 12 and Eimear in Year 10. They have three other siblings who attended CGS and just before Christmas 2018, they lost their Mum who died after a long battle with cancer. They have set themselves the challenge of raising money for Cancer Research by running 165 miles in four weeks, this figure being chosen because there are around 165,000 cancer related deaths in the UK each year. The girls started this last Saturday and are running every day. They have so far raised around £500. Well done girls.
I finish with a reminder that next Friday, 8th May, is the VE Day Bank Holiday so work will be set from Monday to Thursday next week.
With best wishes for a relaxing weekend,
Annmarie McNaney
Headteacher
