Tepee Afternoon Tea
A group of parents were treated to an al fresco party this week in the School Tepee. The sought-after prize was purchased at the auction that took place at the School Ball in May. The group enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea and cocktails, courtesy of our wonderful catering team, followed by a lovely performance from some of our Junior House pupils. The tepee was kindly donated by the Parents and Friends and has helped to massively contribute to our outdoor learning offer, with pupils across Junior House enjoying its use many times this term.
Classlist – Parent Communication
We are pleased to be launching Classlist, in partnership with Parents & Friends. Classlist is a parent app that brings you into the heart of our school community. It helps you to connect and help each other. It is a safe and inclusive system that will help us build a stronger school community at Durham High School.
Before half term, parents in Junior House were invited to sign up to Classlist. A reminder to those that have yet to do so, please follow the link in the email invitation to register your place. Alternatively, you can download the app from your smart phone’s app store and search for Durham High School.
Once you have signed up and been assigned to your group, the area is yours to use to communicate with other parents in your child’s class and year group. This could include arranging your year group stall for the Christmas Fayre, inviting the class to your child’s birthday party or simply introducing yourself if you are new to the school. Find out more about how the app works using the links below:
- 1 minute video tour for parents – Click Here
- Parents: What can I do on Classlist? – Click Here
- Sharing or restricting contact details with other parents – Click Here
- More helpful guides for parents – Click Here
The invite for Senior House parents to sign up will follow in the week commencing 27 June, with the hope that all parents are registered on the platform in time for September.
Summer Holiday Camps
We are delighted that Summer Holiday Camps will be running at Durham High School for 5 weeks throughout July and August. The clubs are open to all children aged 3 to 11 and will be run on the grounds of Durham High School by our partners REEVO Coaching. Their popular holiday camps have been a challenging yet fun environment for children to flourish during school holidays for over 8 years. There will be a mixture of activities to keep children engaged including sport, arts and crafts, team building, dance and much more.
The sessions will run weekdays, starting on Monday 25 July and finishing on Friday 26 August. Sessions will start at 9am and finish at 3pm, and children will need a packed lunch. The cost to attend is £25 per day or £100 per week, with a sibling deal coming in at slightly cheaper. All payments will be made on the day via cash or card. To book a place for your child, follow one of the links below:
Week 1 – Monday 25 – Friday 29 July – Click Here
Week 2 – Monday 1 – Friday 5 August – Click Here
Week 3 – Monday 8 – Friday 12 August – Click Here
Week 4 – Monday 15 – Friday 19 August – Click Here
Week 5 – Monday 22 – Friday 26 August – Click Here
If you have any questions, you can contact REEVO Coaching at [email protected] or call 07814805679. We are delighted to have them working with us at Durham High School, as we look to expand our out of school offering.
Sport Update
It has been a tremendous week for sporting success across Senior House.
Track and Field Championships
Congratulations to Harriet and Darcy who represented Central Durham at the County Durham Schools’ Track and Field Championships on Saturday. Harriet finished 3rd in the discus and Darcy won the javelin. Darcy will now go on to represent County Durham in the next round at Gateshead Stadium tomorrow. Good luck!
Year 9 Cricket
On Tuesday afternoon, our Year 9 team (right) won their first cricket match of the season, with an impressive 265-216 win against Durham School.
Durham Central Schools’ Track and Field Championships
It was a superb afternoon of athletics for the Year 7 and 8 teams (right) competing in the Durham Central Schools’ Track and Field Championships earlier this week. There were some outstanding individual performances, including a 1st and 2nd place in the relay. The Year 7 team finished 3rd out of the 10 schools taking part, while the Year 8 team were competition winners. Well done to all involved.
U14 and U15 Tyne and Wear Rounders Tournaments
Our U14 and U15 Rounders teams (below) enjoyed fantastic results yesterday, with both teams winning their Tyne and Wear Rounders Tournaments. What a brilliant outcome!
Parent and Child Tennis Competition
The annual Parent and Child Tennis Competition was held on Wednesday. It was a fun-filled evening of tennis with beautiful weather and delicious refreshments. The 7 pairings from Junior House and 4 from Senior House played with great enthusiasm and spirit in well contested matches. In the Junior House tournament Ruby-Ann in Year 5 and Mr Harvey were winners with Mariam in Year 3 and Mr Coolen coming as runners-up. In the Senior House Tournament, after an exciting tie-break, Millie in Year 7 and Mr Slane were the winners, with Millie in Year 9 and Mr Powell finishing runners-up. Thank you to all involved.
Fire Brigade visit
On Wednesday morning, pupils in Year 8 were visited by County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, as part of their PSHCCE sessions on fire safety and arson reduction. Pupils were able to learn about careers in the Fire Service and the role of fire fighters, the equipment on the engine and what happens when they are called out. Pupils were able to handle the heavy equipment and try on the uniform that fire fighters wear when they are called out. They were also able to sit in the Fire Engine and hold a hose as though they were putting out a fire.
Honk! Junior
We are extremely excited to be returning to Gala Durham next week, with our annual Year 5 Outreach Production. On Wednesday 22 June at 7pm, Performing Arts pupils in Years 7-9 will lead Year 5 pupils from Junior House, and Primary Schools across County Durham, to bring the timeless tale of The Ugly Duckling to life in musical form. Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for concessions and they can be purchased from either the Gala Durham website or by calling the Box Office on 03000 266 600.
School Gateway – School Communication
A reminder to parents that, from September 2022, we will be introducing School Gateway as our primary communication tool. School Gateway will replace our current providers Firefly and ClarionCall, allowing for one platform for sending letters, emails, texts, reports and managing consent for trips and other activities. It is an app available on Android, iOS and the web, and it works on smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers and even smart watches. We will be sharing further information, including details of what parents need to do ahead of the migration, before the end of term.
