We have been awarded a certificate from Total Energies to celebrate the fact we are using electricity that is 100% generated from renewable sources.
We are now well into our third block of period 7. This sees us setting a new record for the most period 7 we have ever been able to run in an academic year, COVID having scuppered our previous plans. The second half of the academic year sees lots of new sessions on offer across all three of our Period 7 categories: Mind, Body and Soul.
New sessions include: Sign Language, Ceramics, CSI, Ranger School, Reading, Orienteering, Virtual Reality Creative Writing, Classic Movies, Politics, Chinese Calligraphy, Team Building, Mindful Colouring, Hair and Beauty running alongside many popular favourites like Arabic, Small Animal Studies, Rockets and Spheros.
Two of our new Period 7 sessions are focused around preparing for our upcoming Performing Arts shows – Technical Production who are focused on getting to grips with the lighting and sound, and our Set Design and Construction period 7 who are shaping all sorts of things out of wood currently.
We have been fortunate enough to have an external company, Archimake running a set of Period 7 sessions for our Year 7 students. During the sessions they are learning about some inspirational Architects like Richard Rogers – exploring their work and influences. As well as being guided in how to draw like architects – covering perspective, section drawings and lots more. Archimake run a range of courses for primary and secondary aged students both during term time and as holiday clubs.
Our body options have switched to summer sports, in the anticipation that we can develop some great skills ahead of Summer term competitions. Tennis, Athletics, Rounders and Cricket all in action outside, along with some volleyball, table tennis, dodgeball, dance and yoga taking place inside. Huge thanks to Menace sports who are continuing to run two sessions a week for us – previously Bootcamp, now Tennis.
In addition to Period 7 we have some great new lunchtime clubs that have started up. These have brought in many of those summer sports mentioned above and added in some new opportunities include Badminton, Italian Language, Mindful Crafts and Strategy Games – huge thanks to the staff and parents who give up their time to run these for our students. If any student would like to join an additional club they should contact the member of staff running it.
Thinking forward – if you are a parent, volunteer or local company that would like to offer a lunchtime club or Period 7 for our students in the future, please drop me an email z.coomber@kwschool.co.uk – we would love to talk to you!
Mrs Coomber
The consensus of opinion from our recent consultation with parents and students was two-thirds in favour of changing the length of the school day. We will therefore be going ahead with the changes from September 2022.
This means that we will re-arrange the school day to finish at 3.30pm from Monday through to Thursday and will continue to finish at 2.30pm on Fridays. The school day from Monday to Thursday will be shortened by reducing morning form time to 25 minutes, shortening lunchtime to 45 minutes everyday and removing the 10 minute ‘break’ between period 6 and 7.
As outlined in our consultation, the advantages of doing this include:
In addition I would like to address some common questions raised during the consultation:
We have spoken to Herts County Council who will be factoring in the changes to transport, as they commission and co-ordinate external bus services for the next academic year. We hope to be able to distribute new bus timetables by the time we break for the summer holidays in July.
These changes will commence from 1st September 2022 and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation.
Tony Smith
Headteacher
KWS has been awarded a Modeshift Stars Silver Awards for our commitment to sustainable travel. The school has an active travel plan and travel plan committee that works hard to ensure the way students travel to school reaches certain targets. We now have nearly 90% of students travelling by sustainable means.
At KWS we will be celebrating the Chinese New Year next week with a special themed menu on Wednesday 2nd February. Students will also have the opportunity to make dumplings during their MFL lessons.
We would like to congratulate Sampiseth, Chef Manager at Katherine Warington School as a finalist at the Herts Catering Limited (HCL) awards for Chef Manager of the Year 2022. The prestigious awards dinner is held annually and celebrates catering across Hertfordshire. I am sure you will all join me in congratulating him for his hard work and dedication.
We have reduced our CO2 output by combining deliveries. Our butcher, William Whites, deliver to our main supplier allowing us to reduce emissions. HCL is looking for Sustainability Champions at KWS to support recycling, we would like to join the Eco Team onsite and promote Sustainability throughout the school. Pupils will take part in workshops discussing their vision and mission, HCL will support pupils to introduce new ideas onsite.
Upcoming Theme Day – Monday 17th January Martin Luther King Day (Special Menu Attached)
The Term Dates for the 2022/23 Academic Year have now been published on the website – Click Here
