I cannot believe we are already at the end of the first half term of 2024. Despite the half term holiday approaching, we have still had a busy and exciting time in school. It has been a week for fantastic trips, with the Sixth Form Biology Field trip taking place at the Cranedale Centre in North Yorkshire, where girls enjoyed a two-day residential to teach the practical aspects of the Ecology module and carry out the associated required practical.
This was followed early on Wednesday morning, with a group of Year 11 students studying Art at GCSE, embarking on their trip to New York. They are taking part in a full programme of excursions and visits including Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rockefeller Centre, ARTECHOUSE, Statue of Liberty cruise and The Whitney Museum. It has been wonderful receiving their updates and hearing of their adventure unfolding.
On Thursday, parents of pupils heading on the trip to Normandy were invited in to find out more about the trip to France this Easter. Their excursions will include a tour of Boulogne old town, a visit to a Goat’s Cheese Farm and a day trip to Rouen. The group will be staying at the Château de Chantereine, which looks amazing! Also this week, the initial deposit letter for the 2025 Sri Lanka trip was sent to parents in Year 9, Year 10, Year 11 and Lower Sixth. This is an incredible opportunity to visit Sri Lanka where students will work with local communities as well as having the opportunity to participate in Netball fixtures and leading physical activities with local children.
In Pre-Prep and Prep, I had the pleasure of attending the Year 1-4 Music Concert. It was such a delight to see all the girls being so courageous and confident in their performances. Well done to everyone who took part. We are very proud of you all. Thank you to the staff involved and to our Music Peripatetic teachers who do a wonderful job teaching our youngest girls. Thank you also to all the parents and grandparents who came to support too. There are more photos on our school Facebook page.
This week in assembly we marked Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent and our preparations for Easter. Staff and girls had the chance to receive a cross of ash on their forehead from our Ordinand, James, during the service and to think about the things we are sorry for. James told us that the ashes are a reminder of God’s love for us who forgives us when we do wrong. As Ash Wednesday also fell on Valentine’s Day, James, invited us to remember that God’s gift of love doesn’t just last for one day, it lasts forever. I was immensely proud of how reverent the girls were throughout the service.
At the High School it is always a real privilege for me to be able congratulate our girls on their wonderful achievements inside but also outside of school. Many of them have such busy extracurricular lives, across diverse fields. Some of our girls will happily chat about their successes with staff, but others are less vocal about their fabulous achievements. If your daughter has achieved something outside of school, please do email [email protected] and let me know, so I can congratulate them. If they have medals or other memorabilia they would like to show off, I am excited to see these too.
With that in mind, we are celebrating Chloe’s success in Year 11. Chloe is a member of Durham Youth Council and recently stood for Member of the National Youth Parliament. We are very proud to announce that she has been elected to represent the voices of young people in County Durham, to influence decision makers at a local, regional, and national level. The UK Youth Parliament is for young people to express their views on the issues that matter most to them. As part of her manifesto, Chloe aims to raise awareness and campaign for three key areas: the cost of living crisis, mental health and more spaces for young people. We wish her the best of the luck over the next two years. You can read more about Chloe’s success on our website.
It is with sadness that I inform you of the peaceful passing of Mr Bill Hurworth, who was Chair of Governors at Durham High School from 1992 to 2013. He was a dedicated and passionate governor, who oversaw a very successful period in the school’s history. In 2003, the Hurworth building was opened and named in his honour. It is wonderful that his legacy will remain such an important part of the High School. Our condolences, thoughts and prayers are with the family at this sad time.
Thank you to those parents who attended our Governor ‘drop in’ or emailed questions, for the session this afternoon. Your input and support are always greatly appreciated. For those who were not able to attend, thank you all for your continued support of your daughters and our School. I wish you all happy and peaceful half term holiday. Enjoy the time with your wonderful girls. We have lots to look forward to next half term, starting with our Evita performances on Thursday 29 February, through to Saturday 2 March. It’s not too late to buy your tickets at the Gala website.
