Welcome to the weekly Newsletter for parents and carers of students attending
John Hanson Community School
Inspire - Care - Succeed
‘HEAD’ Lines
'Twas the last day of term
'Twas the last day of term, when all through the school
In every classroom, in every hall
The books were stacked away in the cupboard with care
In hopes that Mr Stevens soon would be there
The children were ready, at least that’s what they said
While visions of holidays danced in their heads
When out in the courtyard there arose such a clatter,
The students sprang from their seats to see what was the matter.
Away to the window all the teachers flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds (without breaking them of course!) and threw up the sash
When what to their wondering eyes did appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer
With a little old driver so lively and quick
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick. (or more likely their Head of Year!)
So up to the top floor the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of kindness, and the Heads of Year too—
And then, in a twinkling, the students heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof
As they drew in their heads, and were turning around
Into their classrooms, Heads of Year came with a bound.
They spoke a few words of kindness and care
Then left the room with a flick of their hair
They sprang to their sleigh (metaphorically!), to their team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard them exclaim, ere he drove out of sight— “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Enjoy the Christmas break with your children
Regards
Russell Stevens
Headteacher
SingUp for Christmas 2023
Christmas Showcase Thursday 14th December
Congratulations to all our performers - what a show!!
They sang, they danced, and the audience joined in too.
Happy Christmas!!
Multicultural Pupils Craft Eco-friendly
Christmas Workshop with Recycled Bottles 2023
Every small effort contributes significantly to a healthier planet, emphasizing the importance of being mindful of our consumption and embracing the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever possible.
There are plenty of other ways that we could model being environmentally friendly and caring for this planet.
Rather than discarding used items like plastic bottles, consider repurposing them into something memorable.
This year, a group of EAL students undertook the creative venture of upcycling these bottles into stunning Christmas decorations, sparking a positive shift in their environmental consciousness.
This innovative project has played a pivotal role in altering students' attitudes toward the environment, fostering a deeper understanding of the harmful effects of waste on our planet and human health.
One student from Year 11 shared, "the workshop has given me a new outlook on the environment. Previously, I followed the norm of discarding rubbish anywhere, but through this collaborative event, we learned about the harm we inflict on nature and our own lifespan”.
Feedback from Year 9 students underscored the impact of the event, with remarks such as, "this event has raised awareness and inspired us to contemplate a global problem."
Other students expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting, "it taught us the significance of not always resorting to buying, but rather reusing and creating amazing things, thereby contributing to environmental preservation and fostering creativity”.
Over the course of a couple of intense days, students honed conscious skills and attitudes, actively contributing to environmental preservation by repurposing bottles, plastic lids, paper, and various materials. Noteworthy was the spirit of participation and collaboration, as students worked together to generate new designs, unleashing their creativity while having fun and gaining a sensitive awareness of recycling's importance.
Motivation among the students was palpable, culminating in a small presentation showcasing their hard work. I hope you find as much joy in it as we did!
Well done to Year 8 on all of their hard work in 2023. I cannot wait to see all of the wonderful things they achieve in 2024! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I just wanted to reach out to see if you had given much thought to introducing the young people at John Hanson Community School to Kooth: a free, anonymous service that offers one-to-one text-based counselling for young people.
Safeguarding is always our absolute top priority. Which is why all of the content and every single comment on our platform is fully moderated by trained professionals before being published. In addition, no-one on Kooth can send private messages to anyone else on Kooth - and every conversation that happens through forums is moderated to ensure safety.
All of the therapeutic content we create and all articles submitted by children and young people is also age-gated so that only the most relevant and appropriate content is available to each individual.
Kooth has a team of professional practitioners available to offer 1:1 text-chat support. We’re open 7 days a week until 10pm and are accredited by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy.
We also offer assemblies, in which we can come to your school and explore the topic of mental health with your students, discussing the importance of wellbeing, and signposting the support that is available to them.
I’m sure you’re very busy, so here’s a quick run-down of what teachers and young people think of Kooth:
96% of the young people who use Kooth would recommend us to a friend.
96% of young people told us it was “really important” they could access Kooth after school.
81% of the professionals (teachers, GPs, and mental health professionals) we consulted in recent research told us they’d be “very concerned” if Kooth was no longer available to young people.
Over one million young people have already found support on Kooth – and we’d like the students of John Hanson Community School to join them.
We’re here to help you support your students' mental wellbeing inside and outside of school:
In other news, seven students from Year 7 and one student from Year 9 have been selected to be published in a poetry book called ‘This is Me: I Am.” Entrants wrote a poem that explores who they are, their opinions and what they care about – they had the freedom to truly express themselves and the results were really impressive. National winners are yet to be announced – so watch this space! Many congratulations to all students that took part.
Tuesday Jan 30th 2024 Wednesday 31st January 2024 Thursday 1st February 2024
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:
Hannukah 19th - 26th. 18th International Migrants Day. 20th International Human Solidarity Day
Words you might not know:
The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend Jews had risen up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.
Useful websites:
Hannukah: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah Jewish People in Hampshire: https://licoricia.org/ International Migrants day: https://www.un.org/en/observances/migrants-day International Human Solidarity Day: https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-solidarity-day
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at John Hanson.
Please find attached the latest DEI newsletter on Men’s Mental Health. The DEI team will be producing one of these every term for you and your parents to read through – if you have any ideas for content please see Mrs Curtis, Mrs Ferris or Mrs Grinstead. Click here to download the newsletter
College Open Events.
Please do check the individual websites for any changes to the schedule before setting off to visit them
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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