Senior School Newsletter Friday 10 January 2020
LES MISÉRABLES SCHOOL EDITION TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
The official newsletter of
El Dorado High School teachers
Don’t miss the Sibford School production of Les Misérables School Edition, the popular West End musical based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo, set during the French Revolution. Performances take place at 7pm on March 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th 2020. Tickets are now on sale here: http://bit.ly/SibfordLesMis priced at £8 + booking fee. Tickets can also be purchased via the main school reception from Tuesday 14 January. Directed by Neil Madden and a fantastic team of teachers including Fiona Hudson as Musical Director, Cate Mallalieu-Needle as Assistant Director and Rachel Bee as Assistant MD; it promises to be a great show.
@SibfordOxon
@SibfordOxon
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WELCOME BACK - SPRING TERM 2020 A very Happy New Year to the whole Sibford community. I hope that 2020 will bring peace and happiness to us all. It is a packed term ahead with school trips already underway, a new website being unveiled in February, a great deal of learning and a range of creative arts projects, not least our production of Les Mis – tickets are now available and I expect they will sell quickly. The theme of our opening meeting of the term was based around the Quaker testimonies – sometimes referred to as ‘Spices’: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship. We spoke about how each one of these was important to us as a community and how peace and stewardship are of particular significance at this time. When faced by a volatile situation in the Middle East, as with any time of conflict, an approach of reconciliation and peaceful resolution is at the heart of the Quaker approach. Conflict can be a worrying time for children and I have encouraged staff to welcome any questions and queries to this effect should they arise. Stewardship of our planet is also at the forefront of our minds at this time. Of late we have seen the shocking impact of the bushfires in Australia and I was heartened by our Junior School pupil forum who have asked to raise money through a non-uniform day and cake sale for both the people and wildlife of Australia. We live in a fragile world and I am frequently inspired by the younger generations who are keen both to be heard and to take a lead. Toby Spence Head
A TALK FROM FORMER SIBFORD HEAD Michael Goodwin, former Sibford Head, will be speaking about his recent visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory at Sibford School at 6.30pm on Thursday 16th January 2020. Michael served for three months from April to June with EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine and Israel) and will provide some background to the programme and the current conflict, share some of his experiences and answer questions. All are welcome – no booking required.
SFL LEARNER OF THE WEEK Oliver is this week’s SfL learner of the week. Oliver demonstrated a positive attitude in SfL this week and has really impressed us with his organisational skills. Well done Oliver, keep up that positivity!
PARENT NETWORKING SESSION: ASD/AUTISM Please join us for an informal networking and support session for parents/carers of pupils with ASD/Autism. This is an opportunity to meet with others facing similar successes and challenges and to learn from and support each other. Where: Support for learning department, Sibford school When: Thursday 16th January 4.30-5.45pm RSVP to Frances Claydon via francesclaydon@sibfordschool.co.uk / 01295 781263.
GRADUATE ASSISTANT VACANCY Sibford School is seeking to appoint a Graduate Assistant (non-resident) with immediate effect for the remainder of the 2019/20 academic year. This role will involve general assistance in different areas of school life, together with some boarding/weekend duties. This would be an excellent opportunity for a person wishing to develop a career in teaching or working with young people in another capacity. Applicants should be educated to graduate level. More information can be found here: https://www.sibfordschool.co.uk/contact/job-vacancies/
SIXTH FORM SAVE THE DATE Please save the date for the Sixth Form Prom that will take place on the 18th June 2020. More details to follow nearer the date.
Senior School Newsletter MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR STAFF As a part of our commitment towards supporting our young people as they navigate our tricky world, Sibford designated the Autumn term whole staff INSET training to enabling all of the teaching/boarding staff to be trained and accredited in Youth Mental Health First Aid, delivered by Mental Health First Aid England. The official newsletter of
El Dorado High School teachers
In total, 73 teaching staff from both the Junior and Senior School were taught how to recognise and support young people with a variety of mental health issues; these issues ranged from stress and anxiety to self-harm and suicidal ideation. ‘Sometimes you don’t need to do anything except just listen and be there’. Tracy Knowles Assistant Head-Pastoral
PSFA UPDATE The next PSFA meeting will be in the Senior School library on Tuesday 14th January at 6.30pm. Please do join us, everyone is welcome and refreshments will be available. The PSFA are looking for a new secretary. If you are interested please email: PSFASibfordSchool@outlook.com for more information.
SIBFORDIAN 2018/19 Copies of the 2018/19 Sibfordian have been sent home this week with pupils, however if you would like to read this online, the publication is available here: http://bit.ly/Sibfordian. The magazine is a review of student life and activities at Sibford School during the 2018/19 academic year.
Senior School Newsletter THE SIBFORD BOARDING BULLETIN! We were delighted to welcome back the whole boarding community this week. The opening week is always an excellent time to settle back in, share stories and reconnect with friends. The common rooms have been abuzz with a warm, social environment – with lots of students sharing food, tea, games, their holiday experiences and laughter. It is great to see them all together again and we wish everyone in the boarding community a happy new year. For those considering flexi-boarding as an option, the next activities series for KS3 begins next week. On Tuesday evening, the students have a yoga class for a relaxing and mindful start to the year. On Wednesday, we have a fun swim session with floats and games in our pool. Finally, on Thursday the students have a ceramics class with our pottery teacher, for a creative end to the week. This is not to mention the optional gym and climbing wall opportunities available to the older students. There are limited spaces in these activities and we’d love to show off our community to some new faces – so we encourage all to get involved! On that note, we are very happy to welcome some new boarders to the houses this January and it is lovely to see how quickly they have settled into our boarding environment. Give boarding a go! If your child would like to try boarding, email vbaker@sibfordschool.co.uk to book an occasional boarding place or a regular slot. The first 3 occasional boarding bookings will receive a 50% discount on their first night! If your child is staying for a sports fixture or school trip they receive 50% discount on the occasional boarding fee.