On Wednesday, we bid a fond farewell to our Year 13 pupils, who are embarking on study leave today ahead of their A Level examinations.
We wish them the very best of the luck over the next few weeks and beyond. After two years in virtual attendance, it was wonderful to finally be able to come together at St Oswald’s Church and share this poignant moment with pupils, staff, family and friends.
We also send our best wishes to Year 11, who also went on study leave today ahead of their GCSE exams. They all truly deserve to reap the rewards of their extremely hard work over the last few years.
School Ball
It truly was a fantastic evening at the DHS Rainforest Ball on Saturday. The room was fantastically decorated, the food was lovely and a great time was had by pupils, parents and staff alike.
We must say a huge thank you to the Parents & Friends Ball Committee for all of their hard work, which came to fruition, and to everyone else involved in helping to make the event a success.
Online Event – Managing Exam Anxiety
Be Headstrong are running a live one-off 45-minute YouTube chat with the Youthscape Mental Health Team to help give pupils some practical support with managing some of the worries experienced during the examination period. The session will be looking at:
- What anxiety is, why we have it and how it can help
- Some useful tips and techniques to help stay calm when anxiety kicks in
- Other suggestions on how to look after yourself during the exam season
If you would like to find out more, you can join the discussion live this coming Monday, 16 May from 7.30pm – 8.15pm on the Be Headstrong YouTube channel.
Darcy’s record-breaking throw
Another huge congratulations to Darcy in Year 9, who competed at the YDL meeting in York last weekend. She achieved a new personal best of 35.97, taking first place and breaking Gateshead Harriers’ record, which has stood since 1986. Darcy is now ranked 5th in the UK, which is a tremendous achievement.
Music for May Evening
This week, we were delighted to host our first in-person Senior House concert in a long time, with an array of different talents on display. We were treated to vocal, violin and piano solos, as well as performances from the Middle School and Senior Chamber Choirs, and the School Orchestra. There are very few instances in which Mozart and Beethoven appear in a musical programme alongside Abba and The Beatles. Well done to all of the pupils that performed and a huge thank you to Dr Hardy, and all of the staff involved, for helping to ensure the concert was a success.
Mental Health Champions
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we are delighted that 55 pupils (see below) across the school have been training to become Mental Health Champions with One Goal. As part of the training, pupils have experienced a deeper understanding of their own mental health and how to look afterwards. They have also been given practical tips for providing support to their peers and the tools to help promote and support positive mental health across Durham High School.
HPV Update for Year 8 and 9
The Immunisation Team will be in school on Friday 10 June 2022 to deliver the HPV vaccinations to Year 8 and 9 pupils. If you have not already consented for your child to receive these vaccines, and would like your child to receive them, please visit https://www.hdft.nhs.uk/services/childrens-services/imms-cdurham-darlington-teesside/ and use school code 114330 to give your consent.
The last date to be able to give online consent is at 23.59pm on Thursday 26 May 2022. If you have any issues, please call the immunisation consent line on 01423 557693.
