Weekly Newsletters

We will continue to tweak and ensure any barriers are further reduced, so that home appropriate learning can take place whilst we remain in this lock down phase.
I am grateful to a number of staff in re-shaping expectations and reducing the pressure of deadlines.  We also took advice from year 11 and year 13 students about what was appropriate for them, and I hope you find the next phase (phase 2 home learning) helps to address these initial concerns.

I will be sharing later in the week some of the superb work that I and other members of staff are receiving, as a mark of acknowledgement that we respect the efforts and endurance you are putting in as students. You are so special to us and receiving work and seeing your progress makes us feel more wholesome as teachers and educators. We miss you all and are so looking forward to seeing you soon.
 

Bryan Erwin
Principal

Juggling home learning and all the other pressures that are placed on us is proving an ‘interesting challenge’. Something that we feel is essential to emphasise, is that we/you are not trying to provide a school at home. That is all but impossible! Our hopes are that there is a continuation of learning and that this can be achieved in manageable chunks each day. We are not expecting your children to be trying to maintain their ‘normal timetable’.

You can download our suggested timings and subjects here

We have tried to create a format that we think will help to structure the day for your children. The blocks can be divided throughout the day however you see fit. The subjects can be altered if this works better for you. This format may not work for you and if you are using other methods that are working, then please continue to use them.

An important addition for clarity: Staff have been asked to set work that does not require marking. There may be some tasks where staff might share feedback. We welcome any completed work to be shared with us. The quality of the work shared so far has been incredible, and we thank you for helping support your children’s efforts.

During these difficult times, all we ask is you do your best within the circumstances you find yourself. Home learning is important, as is looking after yourself and your family. Please try and strike the right balance for you. As often as possible try and provide positive experiences for you and your family with the extra time at your disposal.

KSCS Leadership Team

KSCS Leadership Team

I hope you are managing to stay safe and keeping busy out there.

Now I know that this isn't really the normal start of term after a holiday, but I hope that you are taking advantage of the time together and the wealth of resources out there to keep you busy, both mentally and physically.

I wanted to say an extra special thank you for all your feedback. Well done to those of you who managed to complete the student survey. This is very helpful as the information will help us to support you more while you are at home.

An extra special big up goes to Kaitlin Clark for her inspirational speech: 

"Some students think that they don’t achieve what they have done in school. There are also students who think that they are dumb or not smart but it’s not about what you are, it’s about what you can do. It’s all about success, it’s about what you can do. The harder you push yourself the more you will be able to achieve more things. You should always have the courage and believe in yourself. You shouldn’t always push yourself so hard, it’s what you can do. Also, there are also students who are like ‘I wish I could be smart like them’ then why don’t you try and learn like them?"

Finally this week, i have included a couple of images that have caught my eye and made me smile. One is an artwork by the Artist Damien Hirst. It is a Rainbow made from butterflies that can be printed off and put in your window. The other is a cool poster I found, "This won't be forever".

As with both of these maybe you could try to make your own at home?

Remember something is better than nothing.  All the best, stay inside, stay safe and stay posted.
 

Mr Housley

Miss Sothmann here with a huge hello, virtual hugs and hoping you and your families are all well and safe. I know that times are strange, and it’s ok at times to feel a bit lost, or out of sorts.  We all have up days and down days.  It’s ok.

This is far from what would be a ‘normal’ start to the summer term.  However, I do hope that you are managing to take advantage of the time. Take advantage of the resources that are available to you.  Also, take the time to ensure your mental and physical well being needs are being met. I personally am taking the time to improve my personal fitness, enjoy fresh air and balance work with learning the recorder.
There is further information to help you structure your day in this weeks newsletter, which we hope you will find useful.

Thank you for the feedback via your Head Girl, Head Boy, Deputy Head Girl and Boy, as well as via the Student Survey.  I want to reassure you that you are not alone in how you feel.  We are busy taking your feedback into consideration.  I also would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have been in contact with worries, issues and how you have been getting on with your weekly challenges.
Remember, there is a lot of support out there for you and your well being.  
Stay safe, take care, miss you all.

Miss Sothmann
Head of Year 10

Our routines may be shattered but we strive to find various ways to still work as a team with our students, whilst we are all navigating new territories and learning new things. There is further information in this weeks newsletter about ways in which we are working to support you with your studies going forward, which we hope you will find useful.

Our country has found new inspirational figures during this time, such as 99 year old Captain Tom Moore, who continues to walk his garden with the aid of a walking frame to raise money for the NHS. With an original target of £1000, he has currently raised over £28 million. He reminds us that, "The sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away". Or 90-year-old Margaret Payne who hopes to climb the equivalent of a Highland mountain by taking repeated trips up and down her stairs to raise money for the NHS and the Highland hospice that looked after her husband. With an initial target of £10,000, Margaret has currently raised over £280,000. Or ‘Run for Heroes’ who are asking you to Run 5K, Donate £5 & Nominate 5 people on your social media to do the same. As they unbelievably reached their target of £5,000 in 4 days, they've now upped this to £5million. Feeling energetic? You can do this inside or outside, and if you can't run the full 5k don't worry! https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=RunForHeroes&pageUrl=5. We must all work together to be positive and supportive during this anxious time for so many people.

We can be the best of ourselves by being kind, keeping busy with school work, developing old, or new skills and by being wise in our decision making at this difficult time. This is time to be creative and reflective. By working with commitment, you will develop new skills, become more intellectually curious, more self-reliant and your personal light will shine.
Every family situation will be very different however, please be assured of our continued thoughts as we work together to keep each other safe and well. If you haven’t already, please check out the Ken Stimpson – Year 11 Facebook page, where messages from your teachers are being posted. The school will stay in touch and pupils can ring or email us with any worries or concerns
 

Miss Harvey

This week we have set some new Home learning tasks for you to have a go at on Connect, take your time with them and have fun. 

We are also putting weekly challenges onto our school Facebook page, so why don't you check them out and have a go.

We have also found the RSPB WildArt 2020 competition that you might like to enter. If you love animals and you love Art this will be perfect for you, just look it up on the RSPB website - https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/rspb-kids-competitions....

Don't forget, you can email  pictures of your work to your Art teacher to show them how creative you are being.

Take Care

 

The Art Team

Ken Stimpson Community School Literacy Competition. Open to all students.

Lockdown Diary

Write a diary-style account of a day/your time in lockdown in the first or third person (real or fictional).

Challenge; Make the boring interesting, exciting, humorous or sarcastic/ ironic. What are the highlights of your day? What are you missing the most? What makes you smile? What achievements have there been? How is it these normally minor things are so great at this time? What are your daily priorities? How is life now school is partially closed? Is it the Utopia of your dreams? 
Aim to write 300-400 words.

Enter your choice of literacy task from the option given above or those below.

To enter, email your entry to Mrs Peck; K.Peck [at] kscs.org.uk by 31 May. Option to submit an entry to the national competitions for a double chance of winning!

National Competitions

1. Food and Heroes deadline 30 April - Create a piece of writing inspired by food; a story in which food helps someone to become a hero, or someone becomes a hero because of food http://www.gfw.co.uk/2020/young-food-writer-of-the-year-competition-2020-call-for-entries/
    
2. Tourism Writing deadline 15 May – Describe your dream UK holiday in at least 400 words https://www.thetouristtrail.org/competition/young-persons-writing-competition/ 
    
3. Handwriting Competition deadline 22 May (Years 7-9 only) -Copy the poem as laid out in the link, presenting it on one sheet of good quality white A4 paper https://www.eastofengland.org.uk/education/the-queens-mother-hand-writing-awards/ 
    
4. The Solstice Prize for Young Writers deadline 20 June- Write a poem up to 40 lines, or short story up to 1000 words on any theme http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/young-writers/solstice-prize-2020
    
5. Short Story Competition on the subject ‘Vision’ deadline 6 July- Stories to be between 1,500 and 5,000 words https://hgwellscompetition.com/enter-the-competition/?v=79cba1185463
    
6. Poetry Competition deadline 31 July- Write a poem in any style, on any theme, any length https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/foyle-young-poets-of-the-year-award/
    
7. Magical Story deadline 30 September (for students up to 13 years old only) -Write a magical story featuring a taxi cab, up to 1000 words https://www.caabpublishing.co.uk/submit-competitions
    
8. Historical Creative Writing deadline 31 October - The fiction can be in any form – prose, poetry, drama, fictional diaries, letters or reportage. Stories must be set in the past – any time before you were born! https://www.walterscottprize.co.uk/young-walter-scott-prize/how-to-enter/

Mrs K Peck