Welcome to the weekly Newsletter for parents and carers of students attending
John Hanson Community School
Inspire - Care - Succeed
‘HEAD’ Lines
Phone pouches – 4 weeks in
Dear Parents/Carers
We have had phone pouches in place for four weeks now. The vast majority of students, while they may not like it, have worked with us to make the introduction of the pouches a real success.
Speaking to my staff, there is a significant difference in the level of focus from some students in the classroom. We are also seeing a much more purposeful lesson change over routine. With students not having access to their phones, there is not the temptation to look at them between lessons and in doing so, potentially be late for the next lesson.
They are even talking to each other at break and lunch time!
There have been a few minor challenges in making a new system work, and in working with a small minority of students who have tried to find ways to circumvent the system. On the whole we are pleased with the benefits that that phone pouches have brought to the overall learning ethos and environment.
Please can I remind you that your child should be bringing their phone pouch to school with them every day, irrespective of whether they have a phone – it is part of the equipment required for school.
We are aware that some students do not have a phone, or you have chosen that they do not bring their phone to school. The reason we ask every student to bring their phone pouch to school is so it becomes habit forming. If in the future the decision is made that your child does bring a phone to school, they will already be in the habit of having the pouch to put it in to.
Lastly, if your child does for whatever reason forget their pouch, they have the responsibility for handing their phone into the Heads of Year Office, either directly or via their tutor. If a student is found with a phone after morning registration, it will be confiscated, you will be contacted, and it will need to be collected by a parent/carer from the school reception.
Thank you for everything you are doing to support what we feel is a really positive development.
Enjoy the weekend with your children.
Regards
Russell Stevens
Headteacher
PSHE day 1: 29th September
Our first PSHE day of the year, and what a busy one!
Year 7: Welcoming our year 7s with some vital sessions for life both in and out of school Tutor session on Marriage: The first session of the day for year 7 was all about the importance of stable relationships. Interesting discussions were had regarding marriage and civil partnerships and debunking ideas around this topic (no it is not a good idea to marry for the party nor do you have to get married if you don’t want to!)
Organisation skills: We all have amazing brains, it is our mindset that affects how “good” we are - our perception of ourselves as learners also affects our progress and, in this session, students learnt about parts of the brain, memory skills and problem-solving skills.
CPR: ‘Stayin’ alive…’ The classic Bee Gees disco song gets rolled out again to support our year 7s with learning how to perform CPR along with other sessions on how to place someone in the recovery position, how to help someone that is choking and where our defibrillator is on the school grounds and when this might be needed.
Debating skills: We’ve been learning the critical skills to help us form our own arguments and counter other people’s arguments. We’ve also been learning to respect other people’s opinions and find ways to agree with
Young Carers: This session will be celebrating our amazing and resilient Young Carers at John Hanson who provide family members with physical, mental, emotional and practical support whilst also facing the daily challenges and responsibilities of school life. Our new Year 7 students will be introduced to the support we offer our Young Carers as well as the external support offered by Andover Young Carers and Andover Mind who we work closely in partnership with. The aim to raise awareness of our Young Carers to ensure that they are fully recognised and supported. Students who are not themselves Young Carers will also be encouraged to support those who are – this is all part of our ‘Care’ ethos. Finally we will be celebrating the recently received Children’s Society Bronze Award which recognises all of the work we do to support our Young Carers.
The 2011 Census statistics revealed that there are just over 166,000 young carers in England, but research reveals that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The true figure could be closer to 800,000\ young carers in England, equivalent to one in 5 secondary aged school children many of whom are unrecognised and unsupported. Raising awareness and celebrating these amazing young people is key!
Friendship: The work on understanding positive relationships continued with the session on friendship. What do you look for in a friendship? What makes a good friend? What makes a bad friend? How does bullying fit in with this? This session ended with the lovely friendship postcard activity which saw students writing an appreciation postcard that will be delivered to their friend later in the week.
Year 8: A day of topical and sometimes hard-hitting subjects, exploring how we can take care of ourselves and others Extended tutor session with The Black History: To begin their day, year 8 started their discussions on Black British history and then importance of the recognition of how the UK is influenced by the African Diaspora for multiple reasons. Similarly, students focussed on inclusivity and diversity in their speech and language through the discussion on appropriateness of words. Students enthusiastically developed their understanding of how to communicate with others who do not get things right and what to do if that should become apparent.
Immigration: Students learned the difference between an immigrant, refugee and asylum seeker and the reasons why they might seek refuge and right to leave in the U.K. By exploring Hodan’s story (a 7 year old refugee from Somalia), students were able to empathise with the real, human reasons and difficulties faced by refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants.
Vaccination and immunisations: Year 8 have had a session on vaccinations and immunisations, learning how the immune systems responds to pathogens, leading to immunity. We have built on this knowledge to discuss how vaccinations work to develop adaptive immunity. The session also discussed misconceptions around anti-vaxxers and the MMR vaccine.
Stand against violence: Amber’s story: Mike from ‘Stand Against Violence’ presented to the whole of Year 8 about bullying. Bullying is targeted, intentional, repeated. The different types of bullying are: sexual harassment, racial/religious/cultural, gender identity or sexuality, cyber, verbal, written or physical. The consequence in extreme cases can be suicide. Students were shown a video ‘Amber’s Story’ with her brother explaining the circumstances that led to Amber ending her life, because of verbal and cyber bullying. Everyone has a responsibility to look out for each other, report any bullying you see, look after each other and show respect at all times.
Growing up: The Changes: In the Growing Up: Changes session for PSHE day students will be learning the physical and emotional changes which both genders experience when going through puberty. They will then apply this knowledge in answering fictional advice columns.
Team Building: Today, Year 8 are learning about how to work collaboratively through an orienteering challenge based outside of the school building. Students will learn about different strategies and tactics they can embed in their learning and the importance of understanding how to use everyone's skill set to their strength to reach a common goal.
Growing up: keeping fit and healthy: Year 8: Healthy bodies and Growing up. This session has two elements: classroom focus on the importance of hygiene routines and exercise and then a practical power walk!
Year 9: A collection of thought-provoking and challenging topics, encouraging our students to think about mature and important matters
Tutor session on the Cost Of living: In our current climate, we felt this new session was of utmost importance as students will be going into the world that is rapidly changing and becoming more difficult to financially manage. Students learnt the importance of budgeting and being fiscally aware to support with these difficult times.
Choices: This challenging session looked at understanding the options available if pregnant and students were given the opportunity to discuss these options in a safe and respectful way. Adoption, termination and keeping the baby are all looked into, as well as reminders given on safe sex and the laws around the age of consent.
Sexual Consent: In this session, students explore what it means to consent in a relationship. They explore the laws surrounding consent in the UK, as well as situations where consent can and cannot be given. Students also explore common misconceptions involving consent, and can raise any questions they may have. The session also features the famous 'cup of tea' analogy, and case studies for students to apply what they have learnt in the session. Teenage Pregnancy: Our session is to explore the consequences of unprotected sex and consider the responsibility needed for looking after a child. This will also include information about supportive measures.
Contraception: What are the different types of contraception? How do you choose what to use? Who decides? What is the age of consent and why is it important? All of these questions and more are answered in this session as students learn about contraceptive choices.
Beliefs: Students will have the opportunity to explore some misconceptions around sex and pregnancy and to consider the consensual nature of healthy sexual relationships and the maturity and responsibility required to enjoy them.
Cost of a Baby: HOW MUCH??? Year 9 have been learning about the costs of raising a baby in the first year, and the eye watering costs of raising children across the first 18 years. Nappies, prams and all the products that are the basics were priced up much to their shock and horror. Nappies are pricey and Year 9 have learnt about how many are needed. Through the course of the sessions Year 9 have also discussed the realities of household budgets and how raising a baby fits in to average salaries. Year 9 have discussed the importance of safe sex both for pregnancy and STi reasons.
Year 10: A range of challenging issues and themes to promote safety, maturity and wellbeing
Stand Against Violence: Lloyd’s story: In the session we heard about Lloyd's story, Lloyd had gone to a party with friends and on his way home, he was attacked by a group of men.
Sadly, Lloyd lost his life that night, it was the day before he turned 18, he never returned home to his family, due to a random act of violence.
We were told about the impact of his death on his family and the repercussions for the youths involved.
How one thoughtless act meant that both Lloyd's family's lives, and the families of the youths involved were changed forever.
The key message was to think before you act and take time before you react, we must all stand against violence.
Alcoholism with the AA: This session was delivered by two former alcoholics, they discussed their life experiences and how alcohol and drugs has had a negative impact on their lives. This was a humble and engaging session clearing up misconceptions people have about the AA, sharing personal stories and discussing the impact alcohol and drugs can have. The session was informative and detailed supportive measures students could take if they ever need it.
Sexuality: Exploring LGBT rights, under the Equality Act 2010, understanding healthy, respectful relationships – for LGBT and Heterosexual people. Recapping LGBT terms through Kahoot
Cultural Health: This challenging session covered the difficult topics of FGM and breast ironing, the legal implications of both and how to get support should either the students or their friends be affected.
Tolerance: Anti-racism: With October being Black History Month, we used this session to highlight how we need to encourage a more open-minded approach in our journey towards a society that isn’t fuelled by prejudice.
Contraception: This session dealt with an important topic – what contraception is there and what are the consequences of early sexual activity? Through discussion, myth busting quizzes and scenarios, students explored the different types of contraception available.
Year 11: A day filled with exciting and informative sessions centred around preparing for their futures after John Hanson
Student Finance: To start things off on PSHE Day 1, year 11 had a tutor session on Student Finance. We began by ensuring students understood what Student Finance is, what is available to them and how, and the options connected to it as a whole. From there we looked at tuition fees in comparison to the potential loans, budgeting, and how income generally works during higher educational journeys. Students discussed how to effectively budget, including conversations about the benefits of saving.
Digital footprint: Students have been learning about the impact of their choices online, focusing on how their digital footprint is composed through both active and passive online activity. Students have been encouraged to reflect on their own activity and how the curating of a positive online reputation can open pathways to success in both employment and further education settings.
Intro to Apprenticeships and traineeships with Amazing Apprenticeships: Students received an informative introduction to Apprenticeships talk from Monica at Ask Apprenticeships. Monica outlined the different apprenticeship opportunities available to students within the surrounding area. Students then completed an interactive task where they have to sign up to Find an Apprenticeship and navigated the website looking for apprenticeships in their chosen career.
CV writing with Wote People: Maxine from Wote Street People, a recruitment agency in Basingstoke, came to speak to the group about how to make your CV stand out and what needed to be in it. Students learnt about ‘building their brand’ and about how to word their CV so their skills and experiences would make companies stand up and take notice.
CV Writing: An opportunity for all year 11s to draft a CV that they can use for future part time jobs or later in their careers. They thought about their own key skills and achievements, as well as well as their interests and hobbies to create their own brand.
Money explorer: What makes you employable? Southern Universities Network came in to deliver a session that required students to be self-reflective and to look at what skills are needed and possibilities for the future. The session was focused on engaging children and encouraging them to think about their life beyond school, including colleges and university pathways.
Perceptions in the workplace: This session was full of buzzwords! Are you gracious, compassionate, disciplined, resourceful...? Employers want to know who you are and what strengths you have so it is important for students to understand what they are as they approach the world of work and they considered this during this session today.
Young Writer’s “This is me!” poetry competition.
This week students have started to submit their entries for the Young Writer’s “This is me!” poetry competition. Entrants are encouraged to write a poem that explores who they are, their opinions and what they care about. They may wish to write about their emotions, life, impact on the world, hobbies or favourite things. Whatever they choose to focus on, the competition gives students the freedom to truly express themselves. Winners will be published in a real book, win £50 and a trophy and possibly win book prizes for our school. Just last year three students of our school were successful in the Young Writer’s Short Story Competition and were published in “Integer: Stories Inspired by Numbers.” We know the talent is out there! Before sending poetry entries off, copies will be taken for displaying on our “Poetree”, with the very best entries from John Hanson School receiving a prize from the LRC. All entries for the competition should be handed to Mrs Bailey by the end of the day on Thursday 12th October.
This short video gives an introduction to the competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSbmdCqULR4 but all students are welcome to come and see Mrs Bailey to get more information, guidance and inspiration. They may also like to write their entries at Creative Writing Club, which is running from next week every Wednesday after school with Miss Cook in M15.
Thank you once again to those people that donated books to our “Sibling Shelf” appeal. As we now have such a wealth of lovely material we can’t take more contributions at this time – we were really delighted and overwhelmed by the response! The new shelf will be launched to the students very soon and we can’t wait for the students of John Hanson to borrow books that can be enjoyed at home with their younger siblings. We also have some fabulous new titles for 11-16 yrs that we couldn’t resist buying from the recent Book Fayre – as always students are encouraged to come and see Mrs Bailey in the LRC to borrow and explore these new books.
The LRC is open to students before school from 8:10am, at break/lunchtimes, and after-school until 4pm for quiet reading and home learning.
Tuesday Jan 30th 2024 Wednesday 31st January 2024 Thursday 1st February 2024
Rehearsals are up and running again. Details in PA block.
Year 7 students wishing to join the choir that will sing in the Christmas Show and in Grease - rehearsals are Wednesdays after school 3.05 to 4.00 pm
Music Groups after School
Due to show rehearsals this term this has changed slightly from our previous plan:
Currently we are meeting as follows:
Monday - Year 10 GCSE Music class Tuesday - Grease rehearsals with cast and chorus Wednesday - Grease rehearsals with cast and Chorus - SCHOOL CHOIR Thursday 5th October - SCHOOL BAND - meet up session
Performing Arts - Instrumental Lessons at school
If your son/daughter would like to learn to play a musical instrument please contact Mike Adams - Head of Performing Arts for details. Email - mike.adams@jhanson.hants.sch.uk
Teachers from Hampshire Music Service visit the school and we can offer lessons in Piano, Keyboard, Singing, Guitar, and Percussion (Drumming).
Advanced date for your diary - Christmas Showcase - Sing Up for Christmas will take place on Thursday 14th December at 6pm
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At John Hanson Community School we are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all students and staff, and to providing a working environment free from discrimination, prejudice and harassment.
We encourage respect and consideration for others, and recognise and value the school as a safe place for learning. The staff at John Hanson recognise that inequalities exist in all levels of society and believe, that as educators, we have a crucial role to play in eliminating all forms of discrimination, in particular against anyone with any of the protected characteristic. We promote equality by dealing with bullying and incidents of discrimination immediately and by educating the young people in our care through assemblies, tutor time, PSHE day sessions and group work where appropriate.
This is part of our responsibility in preparing our students for life after school.
Important EDI events over the next week:
Black History Month (starts Oct 1st)
Words you might not know:
October is Black History Month. This national celebration aims to promote and celebrate Black contributions to British society, and to foster an understanding of Black history in general. Its origins go back to the 1920s and the establishment of Negro History Week in the United States.
Please encourage your son/daughter to use their SCHOOL EMAIL for work rather than their own private email. This is important for safeguarding and also some of our messages for students are being sent to school email addresses.
Think you know – Activity Packs relating to online safety Who’s watching yours? – 17% increase in children livestreaming since lockdown (Advice to help parents/carers minimise risk to children online) Mental health – How to look after your family’s mental health when stuck indoors Houseparty – Everything you need to know.
John Hanson Computing Department
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