7 July 2023
Newsletter from the Head – Week 12
Dear Parents and Guardians
What an extraordinary school year and what a way to finish! Thank you for joining us today for Speech Day and Prizegiving and to allow us to celebrate your sons and daughters many and varied achievements. I am an incredibly proud Head.
The term is almost finished and tomorrow we will formally induct 91 Upper Sixth Formers into the Old Denstonian Club – thereby reaffirming the reality that the Denstone family is a lifelong network. For those children returning next year, we do hope they have a relaxing and restorative holiday filled with friends, family and some good books!
Although the holidays are very much upon us and everyone needs a good rest, please do also be aware that the College will not rest this summer with some renovation work to the dining room and servery area, some maintenance of teaching and boarding spaces and so much more. We are also open to some residential groups and independent lettings as well as the host for private family functions. Simultaneously, we will be working hard in preparation for the new school year as we welcome many new children to the school. For us, a holiday is a chance to prepare and we look forward to the new school year with excitement.
Sports Day
The weather forecast for tomorrow is less than promising. At the time of publication, we aim to go ahead with Sports Day but will make a final decision tomorrow at 11:00am. If it is raining, we will continue with a slightly curtailed programme. If there is thunder and lightning then we will need to cancel the event. If this is the case, we will communicate this to parents throughout the course of the morning regarding collection times. Please see the information on the Parent Portal.
Communication
Please do allow teaching staff to have a rest this summer and keep emails to a minimum. Any urgent correspondence should be sent to: [email protected]
Uniform Recycling
We have partnered with Avena to ensure any disused uniforms are repurposed in an entirely environmentally friendly way. If you have redundant uniform, please do bring this (clean and in a plastic bag) to the Lodge tomorrow (Saturday) or at the start of the new term and this will be collected by Avena. Uniform is repurposed into insulation fabrics and will not reach a landfill.
Lost Property
Please do speak with your child tonight about their equipment and clothing at school and ensure this is all collected tomorrow (Saturday). Over the Summer, the campus is let out and we cannot guarantee the safety of personal possessions left on site.
Summer End of Term Grades and Comments
End of term reports, grades and comments will be available on Parent Portal for viewing from Monday 10 July. These can be found by logging into your usual Parent Portal account and clicking on your child’s name followed by ‘school reports.’
Eco Committee
Eco-Committee members have met to discuss their ideas on how to reduce water waste and energy saving more generally. Freddie Clarke, Sophie Lumley-Wood and Sophie Hotchkiss met with Miss Moore to generate their ideas, which included: putting up signs around College to remind staff and students to switch off taps or showers, raising money for a charity to help local people struggling with paying their water or energy bills, the use of rain collectors on site for grounds staff, and switching to recycling instead of mixed waste bins in all classrooms. Some of the funds raised from our ‘own clothes’ days will go towards the South Staffordshire Charitable Trust and we are working with maintenance staff to look at all ways water and energy use can be reduced on site.
House and Group Photographs
House and group photographs are still available for parents to purchase. Please use card reference number 409402 and refer to the letter on the Parent Portal for more information on how to place an order.
Sports Photographs
The Summer term sports photographs are now available to view and order. Please see the Parent Portal for more information.
Michaelmas Term 2023 Calendar
The online calendar for Michaelmas Term 2023 has now been published through the College website. The calendar can and does sometimes change to a certain extent over the course of the term, so please do keep a close eye on it over the course of next term
Summer Reading Challenge – Lower School
Please click here for more information on the Summer Reading Challenge. It is an enjoyable way to encourage all sorts of reading activities, which can be done individually or with your friends and family.
For reading inspiration, please click here for a list of summer reading titles for all ages.
Communications Available on the Parent Portal
The following letters can be found on the Parent Portal by visiting https://denstonecollege.parents.isamshosting.cloud
- Sports Finals Letter and Programme
- Lower School Equipment List
- Middle School Notices
- House and Group Photographs
- Summer Term Sports Photographs
With kindest regards
Lotte
