Dear parents and carers
Having reached the end of term we are reflective of the events of the last term and acknowledge that in spite of the tragic events that have affected our community we have also had many highs – two such things were the ambassador conference this week and our performing artists who performed at the Royal Derngate on Tuesday (see Mrs Paltridge’s review below).
Our student ambassadors this week have looked at the importance of diversity and representation to leadership and the concept of diaspora- the displacement of people from their home countries due to war, discrimination, work or opportunity. They also did some excellent work towards a Wollaston Day of Culture that they are planning amongst other school improvement activities such as improving student behaviour in cover lessons, increasing the offer to students with a STEAM interest and completing a student survey!
We also welcomed back Victoria Leonard, currently taking a break from teaching due to the birth of her son, who spoke to the ambassadors about her grandmother’s journey from Ukraine to the UK as a consequence of the pressures on the Ukrainian people from the soviets and the Nazis during the 1930s and 1940s. It was a fascinating story and not only provided a great real-life example of diaspora for the students but reminded us all about the importance of talking to parents and grandparents and being proud of where we come from and passing on stories and experiences to the next generation. Students remarked how inspirational it was to hear from Miss Leonard about her grandmother and also the journey that she had been on researching her grandmother’s life in order to publish her diaries.
Uniform and Punctuality
Mr Towers will write over the Easter break to update parents on standards- particularly around uniform and punctuality which have become problematic for some students who have not maintained their standards in light of some compromises around uniform whilst the performing arts renovation took place and the lack of school bells whilst our system is upgraded.
We will be encouraging all students to maintain exceptionally high standards – the standards that I am sure attracted them and your good selves to Wollaston in the first place, to ensure that we continue to be the secondary school of choice in North Northants. Thank you in advance for supporting the school in these key areas.
Performing Artist Excel at Royal Derngate
I was privileged to see the performance at the Royal Derngate on Tuesday, all students were exceptional and the work that staff had done with the students and the culture demonstrated by students made me extremely proud!
Mrs Paltridge and Mr Wight write ‘On Tuesday 1st April, the Wollaston School Senior Theatre Company participated in the National Theatre Connections Festival at the Royal and Derngate Theatre in Northampton.
Opening the day, on the Royal stage, with their performance of ‘You 2.0’, the cast demonstrated superb professionalism and dedication. The audience were taken through the story of ‘Martha’ and ‘Isaac’ as they struggled to come to terms with the difficult realities that young people can go through and how through, using a very out of touch video game, they were able to work together to forge a true friendship.
Working alongside the professional technicians, the production team were able to put their skills to great use through the lighting and sound which fully enhanced the experience for everyone.
Following a ‘pizza party’, we watched a studio performance by another school before undertaking a devising workshop with local theatre maker and Wollaston school alumnus Jodie Kindell before enjoying the final performance of the day in the Royal Theatre.
It was a real pleasure to share this experience with such creative and inspiring young people.’
Key Dates
Tuesday 22nd April – first day of term, Rescheduled Excellence Tie Event
Have a wonderful Easter break and I look forward to welcoming our students back on April 22nd.
Simon Anderson