Welcome to this week's newsletter
I want to take the opportunity to shine a light on the fact that today is Holocaust Memorial Day. It is important we take these opportunities, as a community, to commemorate these events. Holocaust Memorial Day is an annual event to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 is 'Ordinary People'. We have taken the opportunity throughout the week to remind our students and members of the community about our key values of empathy and humanity. This theme also runs through our curriculum studies, not least in English and history. If you are keen for further information I would highly recommend the National Archives website.
Have a good weekend!
Lee Towers, Head of School
Oxford University Computing Challenge
Last week, seven of our students took part in the Oxford University Computing Challenge. This second round is an invite-only competition for the top 10% of achievers in the UK Bebras Challenge. It involves 12 extraordinarily difficult logic and programming challenges for students to test their skills against. Nationally, only twenty students will progress to round three.
We are exceptionally proud of these students, regardless of outcome, as it is an intentionally difficult second round:
- Year 7: Tanweer A and Jack S
- Year 8: Isabel H
- Year 9: Phoenix M, Brooke C, Amelie S and Faridah A
Cross country championship
Well done to Amelie B (Year 7), Jim G (Year 10) and Finley S (Year 11) who competed on a very cold and frosty morning at the Northants Schools Cross Country Championships at Abington Park, Northampton on Saturday 21 January. The students represented the Wellingborough & East Northants district and did the school proud.
Word of the Week
Each week, the English department focuses on encouraging students to use one ambitious word – it is displayed in classrooms and discussed during teaching. It would be great if adults at home could try to encourage the use of this word too. You could try to fit into a conversation or even question your young person on the meaning. It will be fantastic for the students to see us all working together to help improve their language. Thank you for your support.
The Word of the Week for 23-27 January is clandestine.
Year 9 Consultation Evening
Our Year 9 Parent/Carer Consultation Evening will take place on Thursday 9 February as a face-to-face event in school.
Bookings for meetings with teaching staff must be made using the Arbor app or online portal by following the link to the Consultation Evening on the dashboard.
You will be able to start making the appointments at 8:00am on Tuesday 31 January and the system will close to new appointments at 12:30pm on Wednesday 8 February.
If you have not already done so, the simplest way to register is to sign into the parent portal - please visit https://login.arbor.sc/ and select 'Forgotten password'. You will then be sent an email containing further instructions. Once you have registered, you can download the app from Google Play or the App Store and log in with your details.
If you have any queries or concerns regarding this event, please contact mdupille@manor.school.
Year 11 assessments
The latest government guidelines state that assessments should be carried out once per term so that schools have evidence that could be used to support the award of teacher assessed grades in cases where it is necessary to do so.
In light of this, students in Year 11 will be completing a range of examinations and assessments across the different subject areas during next half-term. These will enable students and teachers to identify areas of knowledge and understanding that require further development and also help contribute to the evidence for awarding grades, should it be required.
As these assessments are taking place at different times in normal lessons as part of the preparation for examinations, we will not be publishing a central timetable, but students will be advised by their class teacher when they will take place.
College open events
Please find below a summary of all the open events that local further education colleges are running this term and straight after Easter. Students and parents/carers will need to go onto the relevant college websites to register and book a place.
If your child needs advice and support in making their college application, then please ask them to see me directly (my office is near the LRC). Alternatively they can ask their tutor to contact me or speak to Mrs Smedley in main reception to arrange an appointment.
Simon Hill, Careers Leader
Extra-curricular timetable
Don't forget that you can access your child's student details, attendance, REACH points and homework tasks via the Arbor parent portal app.
Credits:
Created with images by smolaw11 - "information technology student, computer room in workplace" • meeboonstudio - "Hand holding of an empty white speech bubble against a yellow background"