Posted Nov 15 - 2024Headteacher's Newsletter
what's happening at Chesham Grammar
Posted on: February 7th 2020
Head's Blog
Dear Parent,
It was good to see so many satisfied parents at our Year 12 Progress Evening last night. It is clear that the students have made a positive start to their A level courses and the mid-point in Year 12 is a good time to talk about what lies ahead and what needs to be done in order to continue to make good progress.
This week is Children's Mental Health Week and yesterday was Time to Talk Day. We have therefore had a focus on mental health this week and I would like to thank Mr Bradbury who has led this, putting together a programme for tutors to use with their groups. The message has been that mental health is something we all have and it is important for us to both look after ourselves and each other.
Yesterday, 180 students took part in the Intermediate Maths Challenge. This is mainly aimed at Years 9 and 10 but a good number of Year 7 and 8 students were also involved. I know they found it challenging - as they should - but that they enjoyed being made to think hard. On Wednesday, 14 Year 7 students took part in the Bucks Book Awards at Pipers Corner School. Well done to those involved who were Sophia, Niamh, Daniel, Peter, Jasper, Frederic, Finlay, Amelie, Isabelle, Abigail. Cameron and Sienna. They had a superb time and were truly inspired by the award-winning poet/musician Karl Nova who talked about and performed some of his poems.
Year 9 students enjoyed a live performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet from Box Clever Theatre on Monday. This really helped to bring the play, being studied by Year 9s in English this year, to life. Staying with the theatrical theme, please do book tickets for our school show, School of Rock, which takes place from Tuesday to Friday next week at The Elgiva in Chesham. It promises to be an excellent evening of entertainment. The FOCGS Comedy Evening on Friday 6th March will undoubtedly also be an excellent evening full of, as the name suggests, fun and laughter. My thanks to the FOCGS for organising it.
We have had lots of success on the sporting front this week with the U15 girls' football team reaching the final of the County Cup once again, coming from behind to beat The Cottesloe School 2-1. As the holders, we have high hopes for the final next month. Our Year 7 boys beat both Kings Langley and Ashlyns schools in rugby and also beat Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School in basketball. Further basketball success was enjoyed by the Year 10 boys who comfortably beat DCGS, with Aidan scoring 22 of our 38 points. We also had a number of girls and boys who took part in the Bucks Schools Cross Country Championships at Stowe School with some impressive individual and team performances.
Happy 12th birthday to Momo, Mohammed, James, Grace and Freya in Year 7, with whom I met for birthday tea this week.
Finally, I thought I would mention the Coronavirus which I know some of our students are concerned about. Along with all schools, we received government advice this week which reiterated the fact that the overall risk to the UK remains moderate and that there is no need for parents to worry about their child catching the virus at school. Of course if this changes at any point, we will notify parents and follow any further advice we are given.
With best wishes for a relaxing weekend,
Annmarie McNaney
Headteacher
