Kesteven & Sleaford High School Parent Portal

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Term 4 - 1 March 2024

Dear Parent/Carer

It’s been a week of celebration at the High School with our biennial subject awards presented at this mid-point in the academic year, in special celebration assemblies.

After listening to parent and student feedback and researching the psychology of what really motivates young people, one of our foci in school this year has been to find student-approved ways of recognising the wide range of great learning behaviours we see every day. The student council have had lots of input here and a raft of new but sustainable rewards have been introduced. Do read on to read Mrs Stokes’ newsletter item on some of the specific ways we are doing that this term, as well as browsing the photographs of our Headteacher’s subject award winners (featuring those with photographic permission from parents/carers).

They are pictured with me – though perhaps that didn’t seem like part of the reward to them! - and with their Head of Year.

We very much enjoyed presenting them with their awards.

Mrs J Smith
Headteacher

Useful Dates

Year 11 Mock Examinations

All Day

From 04 Mar until 08 Mar

March

Year 13 Psychology Revision Conference

Year 11 GCSE PE Climbing

All Day

From 11 Mar until 14 Mar

March

W/C Year 12 Progress Grades to Parents

All Day

March

Year 10 Assessment Week

All Day

From 11 Mar until 15 Mar

March

Year 7 PSHE Stay Safe Day

From 14 Mar until 15 Mar

March

Local Governing Tier meeting

6:00pm – 8:00pm

March

Year 12 Oxbridge Conference

All Day

March

Headteacher Awards

Year 7 Headteacher Award Winners with Mrs Smith and Miss Nutt

Year 8 Headteacher Award Winners with Mrs Smith and Mrs Pankhurst

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Year 9 Headteacher Award Winners

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Year 10 Headteacher Award Winners with Mr Shivas and Mrs Smith

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Year 11 Headteacher Award Winners with Mrs Pankhurst and Mrs Smith

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Rewards Update

Next week sees the first of our new Silver Award Scratchcards being awarded in assembly. We already have 20 Silver Award winners - students who have already achieved over 200 merits this school year!

During those assemblies, the prizes for top tutor group attendance will be distributed to forms. The winning forms last half-term were: 7L, 8HB, 9W, 10A and 11LM - there are some treats on the way for you.

In the last week of this term we will be running our second Rewards Prize Draw. The top 10 students who achieve the highest merits in each year group each week receive an entry into the draw.

New for this term - all unsigned uniform cardholders will also gain an entry. There are 4 x £40 prizes up for grabs - you have to be in it to win it!

Students continue to enjoy the changes to the Rewards system - and we value their feedback to make any rewards relevant and exciting for them.

"I love the new merits system, it's exciting to see if I've made the top 10 each week." - Isabelle, Year 8

"I liked being part of forming the rewards system, even down to recommending the prizes that should be on offer". - Year 10 School Councillor

These rewards compliment our subject awards which are awarded bi-annually. The subject badges you see decorating the lapels of lots of our students are awarded for effort, commitment and academic endeavour. Class teachers nominate 2 students per class with students nominated by 4 or more teachers being presented with a special Headteacher’s badge.

Mrs K Stokes

Assistant Headteacher

House merit totals to the end of Term 3 are as follows:

1^st = Flaxwell on 20286 merits

2^nd = Loveden on 19821 merits

3^rd = Winnibrigg on 19176 merits

4^th = Aveland on 18357 merits

The Weekly Quiz Leaderboard - Term 3 results

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Library and Literacy News

Scholastic Book Fair will be visiting the school library between Wednesday 13-20 March. The Fair is a great opportunity for students to browse and buy from a range of both classic and up-to-date titles, many at a reduced price. Scholastic books are one of the leading suppliers of books for schools in the UK, and for every book we sell, Scholastic will credit the school, enabling us to buy more books for our library. Follow the link for a preview of the selection of books available this year: The Book Fair Range – Teen - Scholastic Book Fairs

HOW TO BUY BOOKS FROM THE FAIR

The book fair will be open during break, lunchtimes and after school in the LRC/library.
Students may purchase items using the QR code above or their bank cards - the use of mobile phones will be permitted for this purpose.
Alternatively, parents/carers may wish to make an online payment here. This will allow their child to spend at the book fair to the value of the pre-paid amount.
There will be no cash sales.
World Book Day tokens can be redeemed at the book Fair. (One per transaction)
Where a book has a Young Adult classification, students will require parental permission before purchasing if they fall outside the recommended age range.
The book fair is not open to parents/carers or members of the public.

Mrs C Gibson

Learning Resource Centre Manager

Maths News

The Intermediate Mathematical Challenge is a 60-minute, multiple-choice competition aimed at students across the UK. It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. The problems on the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge are designed to make students think. Most are accessible, yet still challenge those with more experience.

194 pupils in Years 9 and 10 participated in this year's competition and the certificate thresholds were 77+ Gold, 61+ Silver, 47+ Bronze; well done to everyone who participated. We are incredibly pleased that 51 pupils received Bronze Certificates, 12 pupils received Silver Certificates and 6 pupils received Gold Certificates. Pupils in Y10 achieving 84+ will be entered into the next round of the competition, the pink kangaroo, and pupils in Y9 achieving 72+ will be entered in the next round of the competition, the grey kangaroo.

Results of the follow-up rounds will be available shortly.

Pink Kangaroo Participants

Emma Arthur, KJ Prew, Ash Page, Robin Taylor

Mrs K Brown

Subject Leader Mathematics

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Armed Forces Day - Competition time

For 2024, in tribute to the contribution our British Armed Forces community make, North Kesteven District Council are running the linked competition with the theme ‘80^th Anniversary of the D-Day (Normandy) Landings’.

Entries should remember this was an operation by land, sea and air troops. Using any medium, please draw your original design in the box on the entry form. Please collect from Mrs Brown's classroom. Entries should be returned to Mrs Brown by Monday 18 March.

Mrs K Brown

Forces Drop In Coordinator

Sleaford and District Twinning Association

The Sleaford and District Twinning Association promotes language and cultural experiences for young people in a variety of ways. There is a visit to Sleaford over the weekend 9-12 May and a reciprocal visit to Germany over the weekend of 25-28 July. The Twinning Association raises funds to subsidise travel for anyone in full-time education to take part in visits to our twin towns. If your child (and potentially you as a family!) would like to get involved in such a trip or to know more about the Twinning Association, please contact sleafordtwinning@gmail.com or Mr Rooke in school for more information.

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Careers

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Growth Mindset

Staff are invited to nominate students who have demonstrated a Growth Mindset in the past few weeks. This might have been in lessons, in clubs, in tutor time or simply around school. Please note we already award bi-annual subject badges and merits for good academic work, effort and improvement. These Growth Mindset nominations recognise those who show resilience (academic or otherwise); who aren’t afraid to get things wrong and learn from it; those who have a go, take themselves out of their comfort zone or show that even if a task is tough, they will persevere.

Student	Form	Teacher	Subject
Lillie-Mae Foreman	7A	Mrs K Cowell	English
Ella-Rose Walker	8APO	Ms H Renard	Mathematics
Honey Wingell	8APO	Mrs H Kasperczyk	Music
Hannah Quinton	8FJ	Mrs S Livingstone	Geography
Elikarisa Hill	8PA	Mrs L Samworth	German
Isabelle Hudson	8PA	Mrs H Kasperczyk	Music
Chloe Kinnersley	8PA	Mrs B Fleming	Technology
Grace Hallsworth	9F	Mr S Mulligan	ICT
Kirsty McCormack	9L	Miss N Willers	English
Roxy Moses	9L	Mrs B Fleming	Technology
Carina Nastase	9L	Mrs S Livingstone	Geography
Emily Pogson	9W	Mr S Mulligan	ICT
Poppy Tull	9W	Mrs L Samworth	German
Jessica Wilson	9W	Ms H Renard	Mathematics
Charlotte Briggs	10A	Miss S Chant	Geography
Lydia Gemmell	10A	Mrs L Martin	Biology
Orla Durnin	10F	Mr R Stone	Physics
Sophie Farmer	10F	Mrs L Martin	Biology
Lilly Rose Harris	10F	Mr R Stone	Physics
Hannah Newton	10L	Mr N Periam	Science
Charlotte Suffield	10L	Mrs E Taylor	Business Studies
Gaby Roberts	10W	Miss S Chant	Geography
Keona Smakaj	10W	Mr N Periam	Science
Josephine Cobb	11JC	Mrs K Cowell	English
Scarlett Slattery	11JC	Miss N Willers	English
Scarlett Slattery	11JC	Mr J Cassidy	Extra English
Grace Tanner	11KB	Mr L Rooke	German
Grace Wand	11KB	Mr L Rooke	German
Grace Wand	11KB	Mrs E Taylor	Business Studies
Hannah-May Sadler	11LM	Mrs K Brown	Mathematics
Lydia Jones	11LR	Mrs K Brown	Mathematics
Rianna Abbott	11NP	Mrs J Smith	English
Nusaiba Al-Yasa	11NP	Mr J Cassidy	Extra English
Vaishali Bansal	11NP	Mrs D Collett	Geography
Flo Birkby	11NP	Mrs D Collett	Geography
Eva Good	12A	Mrs H Brooks	Psychology
Maddy Freeman	13A	Mrs K Fairhead	Biology
Bella Aitken	13CGS	Mrs H Brooks	Psychology

Fundraising

The Interact Club have been busy gathering donations for the Sleaford Food Larder – we will be sending off a huge number of items which will be a great help to those who need it. Thank you very much to everyone who donated! We are now planning our next events, which include planting hundreds of bulbs and organising some exciting fundraisers!

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Easy Fundraising - Halsway Manor

Using Easyfundraising.org for your normal online shopping can help raise money for the KSHS PTA - all funds go towards supporting your young people. Please consider using Easyfundraising when shopping on Amazon, booking your summer holiday, or for home delivery groceries from any of the major supermarkets. It's quick, easy, and will make a huge difference.

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