Newsletters

Incredible Success for JOG at Ten Tors Challenge 2023!

Despite the somewhat misty, wet and boggy conditions, our 18 hardy competitors used all their skill, resilience and fitness to produce a stunning set of results at this year's Ten Tors Challenge. This weekend's event on Dartmoor was the culmination of months of training and effort, and the students had been forced to prove their ability to compete by surviving our often highly challenging training expeditions.

The results were as follows:

35-milers (Route P - finished 1352) - so 3 hours to spare! 4^th fastest JOG team ever.

Imogen Clark (Capt), Dom Carter (Vice Capt), Joseph Coles (Nav), Mason Dalgleish (Nav), Reid Sawyer and Zack Day.

45-milers (Route S - finished 1152) - so over 5 hours to spare! SCHOOL RECORD.

Lewis Usher (Capt), Joseph Clark (Vice Capt), Tom Jones (Nav), Elliot Ward (Nav), Connor McClean, Reuben Wood

55-milers (Route Y - finished 1540) - so over 80 minutes to spare! EQUALLED SCHOOL RECORD*

Imogen Wood (Capt & Team Organiser) - dropped out sick after 38 miles, Abi Davies (Nav), Amelia Patterson (Nav) also thanks to Finn Revill, Dan Quinn (Vice Capt) and Jess Horsfield who walked with our 3 JOG students to make the team viable.

*An unknowing JOG Ten Tors Team forced Abi Davies to stop and dress as a dinosaur for the finish line thus preventing the record being beaten outright.

It was a tremendous weekend for all involved, and I'd also like to thank parents for their support over the past 8 months.

A mention for our helpers over the weekend for all their bag carrying, washing up, tent admin etc (Gabriella Fyall, Luke Waldron, James Asquith, Ayden Strawson and Wes Marsh) and also to the JOG School staff for their support and time (Jacqui Surgey, Julie Gray, Emma Dennison, Matt Doughty and Nigel Reeves).

The students' participation also couldn't happen without a committed team of expert volunteers who help train, transport and look after the students over the full 8-months of training (in their own unpaid time) - Iain Richards, Mrs Brooks, Bill Smith, Xavier Lord, Jasmine Smith and occasionally Shaun White and Bob Brice. You're all stars.

Thank you everyone and well done. See you all in October to go again!

Mr Gray

For more photos please click here. 

It was lovely to see the 6th form reading programme up and running last week after several weeks off. This is a great opportunity for all involved to improve their confidence in reading out loud and be supportive and patient with each other. This will continue for the rest of the term every Thursday during tutor time. 

Thank you to the 6th form team for organising this! 

Miss Lewis

Parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities – we want to hear your views

We are asking parents and carers of children and young people who have additional support to take a short survey to share their views.  The children and young people might have special educational needs support, an Education Health and Care Plan (also known as an EHCP) or other plans that describe the support they need.

We want to know how the process of getting support worked for you and what difference it has made to your child or young person, so we can help improve things for others who need support. 

Please complete this survey.

The responses will be used to help improve the way people get support both in Wiltshire and on a national scale. You can answer all or part of the questions and all of it will be anonymous.

There is a survey for parents and carers - Wiltshire Council - Parents of children and young people who have additional support 2023 (limeask.com)

There is a survey for children – Wiltshire Council - Children and young people who have additional support 2023 (limeask.com)

More detail can also be found on the Local Offer website (POET) Survey on EHCP support - Local Offer (wiltshire.gov.uk)

Nominations for the Wiltshire Music Education Awards 2023 are now open!

The Wiltshire Music Education Awards are designed to celebrate teachers, peripatetic teachers, music leaders, schools and music schools in the county who dedicate themselves to creating outstanding music education for our young people. This year you can nominate deserving individuals in 7 different categories.

You can find further information and complete your nominations through this link:

https://wiltshiremusicconnect.org.uk/wiltshire-music-education-awards/

The deadline for nominations is 12pm on 12^th June 2023.

Year 8 Paired Reading 

This year our Year 13 students have had one registration session a week when they've done paired reading with some Year 8 students.  Unfortunately, this programme has come to an end now as our Year 13s need to prepare for their exams.  The programme has been a real success with those involved and given us a lovely morning focus on reading and working with students across different year groups, perfect preparation for the world of work where we don't work with people exactly the same age as us!

To celebrate the ending of the project we played a bit of bench ball this week as a fun end to the programme. 

We wish our Year 13 students every success with their exams and hope we've enthused Year 8 students with a joy of reading.

Oli Clark, one of our Year 7 students has recently done a charity Magic event and raised a total (so far) of £109 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

This is a link to his fund-raising page:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/o-clark-1682064776944?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=one_page&utm_content=page/o-clark-1682064776944&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=84cc260571354b8596b87254852c197b

His next show is planned for 17^th June in Trowbridge park at the Carnival Fayre, but there may be one sooner!

Well done Oli on being very talented and fund-raising for such a worthy cause.

Miss Lewis

Head of Year 7

As exam season is upon us, we are very aware of the impact on students' mental health. We wanted to provide you with a few links which may help students on the days, when they are maybe struggling. 

1: STEM 4 - this is an app-based programme that is free to download and is tailored to individual needs. Available @ https://stem4.org.uk/

From their main site, you can research the appropriate programme to support your child. 

2: The Shaw Trust - Be a Star of your emotions. See attached poster.

Stop

Take a breath

And

Relax

3: Thrive - A selection of breathing techniques to use to aid sleep, revision and in the exam hall. See the link to PDF cards on breathing techniques and select as appropriate. 

Available @ https://childhood101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Calm-Down-Brain-Break-Breathing-Exercise-Cards.pdf

We wish every student success in their forth coming A-levels and GCSE exams. 

The JOG pastoral teams. 

Breakfast club reminder

A quick reminder that we offer a breakfast club every day which is free to all students. The club is run every day between 8am and 8.25am in the intervention room in Mackereth building. We offer breakfast options including toast with a range of spreads, a selection of breakfast cereals and drinks. All are welcome.

Period product friendly school

No-one should be held back from accessing education due to their period. We have introduced this period product scheme to provide free period products for all learners who need them. This means learners at all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 education organisations in England will have access to free period products in their place of study.  DfE website     

What this means for our students is that free period products are available for anyone who needs them. We keep a comprehensive range of products and any member of staff will be able to direct the student to a place where they can choose and take away the products they need. 

Free pads, tampons & liners along with new underwear and tights in a range of sizes and styles are available the sixth form toilets, year offices and the medical room entrance where products are available to students without having to ask for them. In addition, we are able to provide products to be used at home if this is something students would find helpful.

Information from Motiv8 shared with all education providers within Trowbridge and the surrounding areas:

Motiv8 is a substance misuse service for young people aged 11-18 in Wiltshire. We provide advice, guidance and one-to-one sessions for young people who are having problems with drugs and/or alcohol. The service is free and confidential, and we aim to provide a flexible and non-judgemental space for young people to be open about the problems they are facing

We would like to make you aware that we have been informed by 'Connect' (Young People’s Substance Use Service) that there is a rising number of young people using THC Vapes/cannabis oil within Trowbridge and the surrounding area.

THC is the illegal component within cannabis and is the aspect with makes individuals high; this method has become more popular with young people recently due to its non-odorous smell and its discrete nature. Illegal vapes may also include synthetic cannabinoids which can produce stronger side effects. 

The appearance of THC oil vaping devices can vary, ranging from having a pen-like shape to being rectangular. The oil either comes pre-filled in the vape or is sold in compact containers for refillable devices. The liquid may look brownish in colour, but can also come in yellow like tones. 

If parents are concerned regarding any issue which relates to substance misuse please contact Mrs Kerr or your pastoral lead for a confidential conversation.

Parents and young people can also contact Motiv8 directly following the link below:

https://www.dhi-online.org.uk/get-help/young-peoples-drug-alcohol-services/connectyp

A safe place to meet in Bath 

A new café recently opened in Bath to provide a quiet and safe daytime space for the LGBT community to meet, chat and share some beverages and cakes. 

The café is called Daisy and Bean Bakeshop, they have an online presence inclusive of their menu, prices and address. 

I look forward to hearing the reviews of their bakes and shakes. 

Mrs Scott - LGBT Ally.