Headteacher's Newsletter

what's happening at Chesham Grammar

Posted on: April 8th 2022

Head's Blog

END OF TERM

Music I have just said goodbye to your children at the end of a busy term. There is always an excited buzz as students leave for a holiday! The term has flown by and we now have just over eleven weeks of this academic year remaining. This last week has been no less busy than any other. We are now into the month in which CGS celebrates its 75th birthday and we had the first of our celebrations on Monday. Our 75th Anniversary Concert was truly outstanding. It was wonderful to see so many students involved and so many of our parents in the audience. For a number of our year 13 students, it was their last performance at CGS. They have been stalwarts of the Music Department since they arrived in 2015 and I would like to thank them for their dedication and enthusiasm and for inspiring so many younger students. Huge thanks to Mrs Jashari and Mrs Lewis in the Music Department for giving us such a magical and memorable event.

75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION EVENT

As I have mentioned before, we are holding a 75th anniversary celebration event for parents on Friday July 8th. Further details will follow next week. We are very excited about this and expect the event to be very popular so do look out for the email with all the information about it.

EQUESTRIAN CLUB 50TH ANNIVERSARY

CGEC On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the Equestrian Club's 50th anniversary celebration. It was wonderful to meet some of the founder members and to see so many current and former members and parents there. Well done to Miss Thoday who has run the club now for around 40 years!

YEAR 10 ASPIRATION DAY

On Wednesday, we welcomed back a number of our alumni who left us in the last few years, to take part in our Year 10 Aspiration Day. We invited students who have gone on to a range of destinations: some are now undergraduates and some are degree apprentices while others have taken a gap year. They returned to talk to year 10 about life after school and to encourage them to consider all the options available. Thanks to Miss Lindsay for leading this. It is always lovely to welcome students back and to hear about their life beyond CGS. Many of those who took part in Aspiration Day stayed on for our afternoon event, when lots of other alumni from the Classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021 returned for netball and football matches. Each year group fielded a team and also played our current year 13s. There was a good humoured, very competitive atmosphere. The event was rounded off by refreshments in the Curtis Centre which gave our alumni the opportunity to catch up with their former teachers. I would like to thank Mrs Ware, our Development Director, for organising the event and Mr Spittle for co-ordinating the sports fixtures. OBOG Sport 2022

YEAR 13

Our current year 13s will soon be alumni themselves. I am delighted that we are able to reintroduce our leavers' assembly for year 13 students and parents. This has not taken place for the last two years for obvious reasons. I will be writing separately to those of you who have a child in year 13 to formally invite you to this event. In my view, your child's last day at school is as much a rite of passage for you as for them. I have no doubt that you took your child to school for that very first day in Reception and I think it is only fitting that you are also present as your child leaves school for the very last time. The assembly will take place around noon on Thursday 12th May so please do try to save the date. Further details will follow.

WELL DONE TO...

Well done to Isabelle in year 7 who has achieved a Merit in grade 4 flute and to Josh, also in year 7 who passed grade 1 piano with Distinction. Sam in year 9 has passed grade 6 piano. Noah in year 8 took part in a concert in London last Thursday, as part of a community ensemble to which he belongs. Well done to Daniel in year 8 who won the area Pony Club dressage competition last weekend. As a result, he is travelling to Lincolnshire today to take part in the National Spring Championships. We wish him every success. At the end of every term, we award House Points prizes and I would particularly like to congratulate Sam, Noah and Harvey in year 7 and Francesca in year 9 who have been awarded more than 200 so far this year. Well done! During the holiday, Harrison in year 10 is completing a swim equivalent to the distance of the English Channel, to raise money for MS. Anyone who would like to sponsor him can do so here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/harrison-adams-channel-swim. Thank you and well done, Harrison.

BIRTHDAY TEAS

Happy 12th birthday to Amy, Sophie, Eliza, Toby and Oscar in year 7 and congratulations to those in year 13 who are celebrating their 18th birthday this week: Mia, Ewan, Erin, Emma and Edward.

ASSEMBLIES

I would like to thank Dany in year 13 who has led our assemblies this week. Dany used his own experiences to outline to the school community what Ramadan means to him and explained how this period is marked by Muslims around the world. It was delivered with poise, confidence and eloquence. Well done, Dany!

IMMUNISATIONS

If you have a child in year 8 or 9, please find a leaflet from the Bucks School Immunisation Team which outlines the School Immunisation team’s vaccination programme.

SPORT

HOCKEY Our last fixtures of the term took place this week. The very last one ahead of the summer season which sees a switch to tennis, rounders, athletics and cricket, was a basketball match for the year 11s who played a very strong team from The Amersham School. We were behind for the first three quarters but played outstandingly in the last quarter to win the game 27-22. Our year 7 basketball team also finished the season with a win, in their case, 27-15 v The Misbourne School. Our year 7 hockey B team played really well in the end of season District Tournament on Monday. Well done to everyone who has represented the school in fixtures across the term and to Mr Pontin and the PE Team for inspiring the students and enabling so many fixtures, clubs and practices to take place. We have had over 150 fixtures during the term, none of which would be possible without such a committed and passionate team of staff. Fixtures for the first week back can be found here.

GOODBYES

Today, we said goodbye to Mrs Howie who has taught physics at CGS for a number of years. Mrs Howie is moving to a school in Hemel Hempstead which works better for her in terms of childcare. I would like to thank her for all she has done during her time with us. Mrs Broomhead has worked with us for a short time as an LSA in our SEND Department and leaves us to work towards gaining a qualification as a teacher. Again, we thank her. Finally, Mrs Armstrong, who has worked in our School Office for the last fourteen years, has left so that she can look after her granddaughter. Many of you will have spoken to her over the years about progress evening appointments. We will miss her calm efficiency. To all three staff leavers, we send our very best wishes.

All that remains is for me to wish the whole CGS community a happy Easter. We look forward to welcoming the students back on 25th April.

Best wishes, EASTER eGG