Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends
We ended last week with a PSHE performance for our Year 8 students entitled “hooked”. This event was organised by Mrs Hornblow, our head of PSHE who said;
On Friday, Year 8 students watched a short theatre production called ‘Hooked’. This focused on the effects of vaping, smoking & nicotine addiction. The performance told the story of three young people who were experiencing issues with vaping and smoking and followed their journey as they attempted to quit. Students then took part in a discussion where they discussed the effects of vaping and smoking. Conversations about the law, peer pressure and where to access help were informative and in depth. Students will be completing a reflection session in registration this week with their tutor to further follow up on some of the issues discussed.
The students as ever, engaged well and enjoyed the production. Thank you to Mrs Hornblow for organising this.
Also last week, Ms Schotting also announced the winners of the Halloween pumpkin carving competition. As you can see, they were spooktacular, and with over 62 entries, she had a tough time picking the winners.
First place went to Celia in Year 7. Second place to Jess in Year 8 and third to Alice, also in Year 8.
Then on to this week……. Yesterday we held our annual Remembrance Service, where the whole school marked the two minutes silence, and our Year 7s take part in a full service. This moving occasion was led by Father Sam, our new Reverend from St Pauls Church and was supported by, friend to The Holt, George Brown from The British Legion along with 30 of our cadets. Our readers, Hannah, Felicity and Izzy read “In Flanders Fields” and Martha sounded The Last Post and The Reveille. The service gave our students time to pause, reflect, and consider the courage and sacrifice of those who have served in conflicts past and present. It was particularly poignant to see our newest members of the school community taking part with such respect and maturity. The cadets led with great pride, and the atmosphere was one of quiet gratitude; a reminder of how important it is to come together as a school to remember.
Our Year 11 and Year 13 students meanwhile have been completing the last of their PPE exams this week and will no doubt breathe a collective sigh of relief once they are over. The atmosphere in the sports hall has been filled with both focus and anticipation, punctuated only by the sound of highlighter caps clicking and the collective exhale as each paper is turned over. We wish all our students a well-deserved rest as they take a moment to recharge, perhaps with a brief break from late-night revision and notes adorning every available surface.
And while the ink dries on those PPE papers, the faint sound of jingle bells can already be heard… because Christmas is coming. Preparations are underway for our annual tombola, so this is your friendly reminder to start gathering those unwanted gifts that have been lurking at the back of cupboards, maybe since last Christmas…… that bath set from Auntie Linda? Perfect. The novelty mug that changes colour when it’s hot? Ideal. The “quirky” candle shaped like a pineapple? We’ll take it. Miss Harris has sent out a letter to explain the when and how, but old hands at this may remember that your daughter/son will bring in a tombola prize in exchange for an “own clothes day” on Friday 21st November.
On the subject of “own clothes days”….the last one we held just before half term was to raise much needed funds for our neighbours, WADE (Wokingham and District Elderly) in recognition of the “Day of the older person’’. We raised over £1,300 which was brilliant. Thank you.
Back to Christmas, our catering team is also hard at work planning another Holt tradition…..the Christmas lunch, complete with this year’s exciting new menu item: The Turkey Stack. Yes, you read that right — gone are the days of the traditional roast (and the mountain of leftovers that came with it). This year, we’re embracing change and taste trends with a layered festive creation that promises less waste and (we hope) fewer complaints about sprouts. We had a tasting session yesterday and we can confirm, it should be a winner! A letter about the Christmas lunch will be coming out soon.
So, as we move from mocks to mince pies, we extend our sincere thanks for your continued support, and in advance for your generous contributions that help make our community events such a success.
‘Tis (almost) the season!
Katie Pearce
Co Headteacher