Principals’ Letter 20

Principals’ Letter – Spring Term 2021

Week Ending 12th February 2021

Dear Parent(s)/Carer(s)

Well, can you believe that we have made it through this half term, well done everyone! It goes without

saying how thankful we are for the huge effort in supporting your children and for your continued

partnership with us. There have certainly been lots of ups and downs, things haven't always gone to

plan but your patience and understanding have been so appreciated. Although, what we can do next

week is still limited by the lockdown, we can all look forward to some freedom away from screens and

enjoying some quality family time which isn't dictated by SMHW notifications!

We were hoping that there may have been some updates this week regarding the return to school,

but it appears that more information about this and the process for awarding grades to Year 11s will

be given when we return after half term. As soon as we know anything further, we will be in contact.

As you can see from the newsletter, another incredible week for our young people. So, enjoy, have a

good week, and stay safe.

A message from The Pastoral Team: As we continue in lockdown, it is important that we all remain positive during these uncertain and daunting times. Now, more than ever, we need to take one step at a time, even if that means taking each day as it comes.

Make time to do something you enjoy: write a list of things you want to accomplish for the day, this enables you to be productive and feel satisfied that you have achieved something you set out to do. Or create some longer-term goals or things you want to do when we head back in normality; think about things you enjoy doing and plan some activities with friends and family so that you have something to look forward to later in the year.

It may be time to step back and consider how your life was before lockdown; lots of things have changed but what positives can you take from the experience? For example, throughout lockdown have you made time for regular family meals or chats, a weekly food menu or even a daily workout or walk? Remember the things that have helped you through these uncertain times and reflect on what has made you happy and what you would like to continue doing. If you have got into a good routine, try to stick with it, having a daily purpose, even at the weekends, will have a positive impact.

There are lots of positives that have come out of this, it is important to reflect on the good things and continue with the small changes you have made that have really benefitted you and your family. Don't forget the importance of your family!

The Pastoral team are delighted to announce that after half term we will be teaming up with Empathy-Week 2021 where we will be inviting our students to put empathy into action, developing the skills of leadership and resilience along the way.

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Empathy is the skill that underpins all other skills. It is vital to every person’s success. Empathy is more than just a concept; it is about connection and showing you really care. Together we are building the #EmpathyGeneration.

How it works:

Each week, students will watch a cinematic video and engage in discussions and activities that have been co-designed with empathy psychologists and scientists to develop empathy and leadership. This year the theme is ‘Resilience and Diversity’ and captures five different people’s lives that all currently live in London, UK.

Students then have an opportunity to take part in the ‘Empathy Action Project’ where they can choose to work on their own or as part of a team and are guided through our workbooks to innovate solutions to real world problems in their communities. More information to follow about this. However, if you know you are interested in this project now and would like to get involved then please email Ms Danaher on e.danaher@passmoresacademy.com and she will send you the relevant information so you can get a head start.

How to be involved as a parent/carer:

We encourage parents and carers to support their children during and beyond the week and to ask specifically about the characters of the film they watched and what they have heard and learnt.

You can also support your child through their work pack and if you wish to upload photos of your child’s work to our virtual Empathy Wall – www.empathy-week.com/empathywall . Please also send through photos to your DHOH and your house twitter account.

You can keep up to date with Empathy Week on Twitter - @TheEmpathyWeek @PassmoresAc and your house twitter accounts as well as on Instagram and Facebook - @EmpathyWeek

You can also find out more information about Empathy Week at www.empathy-week.com . If you have any questions for us then please contact your HOH or email e.danaher@passmoresacademy.com

Griffins: A Note of Positivity from Our Wonderful Tutor Miss Ross: Please crank the volume up to our house song, grab a family member for a dance around the kitchen and remember to keep on moving up! Have you ever thought about who wrote our Griffin song – “Move on Up?” Our Griffin soundtrack “Move on Up” is written by Curtis Mayfield - an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. Curtis Mayfield was influential in raising social and political awareness through his music. He highlighted and fought inequality and racial prejudice, through the power of his music.

How about this title for a song, “People get Ready”? What do you think the message is here? Think about the line, “Move on up!” What a positive and determined message; reminding people not to give up, but to find ways to change things for the better. Curtis Mayfield was paralysed from the neck down in 1990, when a lighting rig fell on him during a live performance on stage. Unbelievably, he continued to write and record his music and released his final album “New World Order” in 1996. He won a Grammy Legend Award in 1994 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. During these lockdown days, I am reminded of another song by Curtis Mayfield. Perhaps it is a good time to remind ourselves, that sometimes we just have to “Keep on Keeping on”.

Sending positivity and support to all Griffins! And to all our Passmores family of course! Stay safe. Miss Ross. 7G2

LGBT+ Month in Sport: To celebrate the often unknown contribution of the LGBT+ community to sport in this country, and around the world, the BBC sport website has been posting a wide range of interesting articles on the subject. So, if you would like to find out more about the hidden history of the LGBT+ community in sport then why not have a read at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport. It seems

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wrong that in 2021 many sports people still feel the need to hide their sexuality for fear of bullying and harassment. Mr Pickering

Home - BBC Sport Breaking news & live sports coverage including results, video, audio and analysis on Football, F1,

Cricket, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Golf, Tennis and all the main world sports, plus major events

www.bbc.co.uk

Year 10 Drama Excellence Club: On Monday 1st February, members of the Year 10 Drama Excellence Club attended an online workshop as part of their NT Connections project. Students had access to the playwright of their upcoming piece "A Series of Public Apologies (in relation to an unfortunate incident in the school lavatories)", John Donnelly. During the workshop, students got to share ideas and responses to the script with the writer and a theatre producer who was leading the session. All theatre groups performing this piece were present and it was wonderful to see so many young people still enthused about theatre and performance, despite feeling the frustration of not being able to rehearse in person or perform to a live audience. Students fed back following the workshop and enjoyed the chance to find out the writer's reasons for producing the script and the wider discussion about theatre and writing plays. It was a thoroughly enjoyable event and was a wonderful way to start the week. Excellence Club continues to meet and rehearse online, and we cannot wait to get back into the rehearsal room and have some fun! The NT Connections project is still moving forward, and students will be given a chance to perform later this year. We are about to start working with our partner theatre, The Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch, and our mentor director will also soon be getting involved as we move towards creating a final performance. Make sure you are in the audience - even if it is a digital one! And bring your best laughs - you will need all of them! Tassomai: Congratulations to the following students for the time spent on Tassomai in the last week: Year 11 Dylan Boorman 6hr 4 mins Luke Urquhuart 5hr 2mins Zara Man 1hr 6mins Year 10 Yasmine Lai 43 mins Jamiyu Yussif 37 mins Emily Morgan 31 mins Year 9 Sophie Atkinson 40mins No one else in Year 9 did more than 30 mins. COME ON YEAR 9 log in and get your name in lights! NOT LOGGED IN YET? Follow these instructions and get started. Go into Tassomai.com; Sign up; Register with the code 0D9IQO61 (first digit is zero and fourth digit is capital I); Fill in your details; then search for your class code and get started! Hegarty Maths: Here are our Hegarty Maths Champions for the week beginning 1 February, a fantastic achievement well done.

Bryony Kelso Year 7 6.4 hours 136 skills questions completed

Kallie Jackson Year 8 3.6 hours 51 skills questions completed

Timmy George Year 9 5.2 hours 74 skills questions completed

Jamiyu Yussif Year 10 6.1 hours 197 skills questions completed

Maisie Brookwell Year 11 4.1 hours 274 skills questions completed

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These are our Hegarty Maths champions for the half term 5 January to 11 February. These students

have shown exceptional determination and dedication.

Blaise Turnstill Year 11 Total skills questions answered 335

Total hours of learning 21

Beau Burridge Year 11 149 20.3

Evie Matthews Year 11 164 18.5

Oak Saunders Year 10 258 21.5

Oliver Connell Year 10 139 14

Lauren O’Callaghan Year 10 203 11.8

Timmy George Year 9 526 23.9

Regan Cooper Year 9 117 18.2

Emilia Abbott Year 9 357 13.6

Rares Serban Year 8 309 14.6

Mimi Richards Year 8 497 13

Madeleine Hooker Year 8 267 12.7

Teddy Case-Kirk Year 7 645 16.4

Charlie Hall Year 7 508 13.9

Bryony Kelso Year 7 530 12.7

Special recognition also goes to Luke Urquhart from Miss Barry for the resilience shown in working

continually to improve his mock grade.

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English:

This lovely work has been sent in by Isobelle Jones in Year 8

These pieces have been sent in by Jamie Rowlett in Year 8. Lovely work Jamie.

Ashleigh Miles has sent this piece of work in. Lovely Ashleigh.

Poem by Katie Mahon

Outside the sky was almost brown.

The clouds were hanging low.

Then all of a sudden the air was full of snow.

The children rushed to the windows.

The teacher let them go,

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though she teased them

because

after all it was only snow.

This has been sent in by Samuel Morris. Well done Sam.

i-future: Lucy Clay Year 9 has sent this in. Well done Lucy.

This has been sent in by Lacie Acheampong in Year 10. Well done Lacie.

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Citizenship: This amazing work has been sent in by Molly Wilkerson in Year 11. Well done Molly on

your great revision poster.

Psychology: Our psychology students have been creating learning maps to show what they have

been learning in their Social Influence and Research Methods units. Below are some great examples

where students have used dual coding and categorisation to support their brains in storing and

retrieving key information.

Well done Charlie Nunn Year 11, Grace Beavis Year 9, Jamie Cousins Year 11, Katy Roberts Year 11,

Tim George Year 9 and Maria Thira Year 9.

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Technology: This has been sent in by Bobby Mcdonald who designed a Restaurant Uniform

Fake News, Conspiracy Theories and Mental Wellbeing by Tom Clarke – A response to TFTW on Fake News and Internet Safety: We can all adopt negative thinking patterns and habits. These habits can lead to us interpreting situations and experiences in different ways. These habits are formed through unhealthy thought processes that affect our understanding and views. It is important for us all to maintain our mental health and how thoughts are processed. Here are some unhealthy thinking habits that we should all try to recognise and be mindful of. Going through this exercise can help to protect ourselves from people like Trump and to keep a positive mind………... Mental filter When we notice only what the filter allows or wants us to notice, and we dismiss anything that doesn’t ‘fit ’. Like looking through dark blinkers or ‘gloomy specs’, or only catching the negative stuff in our

‘kitchen strainers’ whilst anything more positive or realistic is dismissed. Am I only noticing the bad stuff? Am I filtering out the positives? Am I wearing those ‘gloomy specs’?

What would be more realistic? Judgements Making evaluations or judgements about events, ourselves, others, or the world, rather than describing what we actually see and have evidence for. I’m making an evaluation about the situation or person. It ’s how I make sense of the world, but that doesn’t mean my judgements are always right or helpful. Is there another perspective? Emotional Reasoning I feel bad so it must be bad! I feel anxious, so I must be in danger. Just because it feels bad, doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad. My feelings are just a reaction to my thoughts and thoughts are just automatic brain reflexes

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Prediction Believing we know what ’s going to happen in the future. Am I thinking that I can predict the future? How likely is it that that might really happen? Mind Reading

Assuming we know what others are thinking (usually about us). Am I assuming I know what others are thinking? What ’s the evidence? Those are my own thoughts, not theirs. Is there another, more balanced way of looking at it? Mountains and Molehills Exaggerating the risk of danger, or the negatives. Minimising the odds of how things are most likely to turn out, or minimising positives Am I exaggerating the bad stuff? How would someone else see it? What ’s the bigger picture? Compare and despair

Seeing only the good and positive aspects in others, and getting upset when comparing ourselves negatively against them. Am I doing that ‘compare and despair ’ thing? What would be a more balanced and helpful way of looking at it? Catastrophising

Imagining and believing that the worst possible thing will happen OK, thinking that the worst possible thing will definitely happen isn’t really helpful right now. What ’s most likely to happen? Black and White Thinking Putting ourselves down, self criticism, blaming ourselves for events or situations that are not (totally) our responsibility. There I go, that internal bully’s at it again. Would most people who really know me say that about me? Is this something that I am totally responsible for? Critical Self Believing that something or someone can be only good or bad, right or wrong, rather than anything in-between or ‘shades of grey. Things aren’t either totally white or totally black – there are shades of grey. Where is this on the spectrum? Memories Thinking or saying ‘I should’ (or shouldn’t) and ‘I must ’ puts pressure on ourselves, and sets up unrealistic expectations. Am I putting more pressure on myself, setting up expectations of myself that are almost impossible? What would be more realistic? Shoulds and Musts Current situations and events can trigger upsetting memories, leading us to believe that the danger is here and now, rather than in the past, causing us distress right now. This is just a reminder of the past. That was then, and this is now. Even though this memory makes me feel upset, it ’s not actually happening again right now.

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Year 11 Apprenticeship Opportunity: Apprentice Bricklayer, Barratt David Wilson Homes, Harlow,

minimum of GCSE grade 4 in English and maths, salary £11,032.00 - £17,177.00, will involve block

release for training away from home. Currently advertised on Apprentice Bricklaying Vacancies -

Barratt and David Wilson Home - Find an apprenticeship (findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk)

Principals’ Letter 20

Natalie Christie & Vic Goddard Co-Principals of Passmores Academy

Interested in becoming a primary or secondary teacher? Contact Gareth Walsh on g.walsh@passmoresacademy.com