End of week bulletin – 4 February

This morning, Senior House assembly focused on the topic of Safer Internet Day, which will be celebrated globally next Tuesday, 8 February. Mr Butt, our Head of Computer Science, led an age-appropriate exploration of the theme of keeping yourself safe online, and he will be doing the same with Junior House pupils in their assembly early next week.

The aim of Safer Internet Day is to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people, and to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. From cyberbullying to social networking and digital identity, there has never been a more important time to raise awareness of emerging issues online.

Hockey

Congratulations to the U12 and U13 Hockey teams, who both finished 3rd place in the County Hockey Tournaments. Well done also to the U12B team, who played their first match this week against Durham School and won 2-0.

Netball

Well done to the U14, U16 and U19 Netball teams, who all took part in the Regional National Schools Competition last week. It was a magnificent effort by a wonderful group of girls. The U18 team played Durham School in a friendly on Wednesday and they won by an impressive score of 51-16.

Georgia’s GB Selection

Well done to Georgia in Year 12, who has been selected for the Acrobatic Team that will represent Great Britain at the World Age Group Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. What a tremendous achievement.

Additional Closure Day

A reminder that, as originally communicated in a letter on 19 November, the school will be closed to all pupils and staff on Monday 28 February 2022. This is in place of the additional Queen’s Jubilee Bank Holiday, which falls during May half term. We will reopen as normal on Tuesday 1 March.

Communication

A reminder that we break up for half term at the end of the day on Friday 18 February 2022. There will be nobody monitoring telephone calls after 6pm that day until we return on Tuesday 1 March 2022. If you have an emergency to which you need to contact the school, please email [email protected] and somebody will get back to you as soon as they can.

School Production

We are delighted to be returning to the Gala Theatre on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 March 2022 for our annual musical performance. This year, we will be staging the iconic musical Anything Goes. This wonderful show promises to delight and entertain as we follow the antics and the trials and tribulations of these loveable characters. With tap dancing sailors, hapless gangsters and more than one set of star-crossed lovers, anything could happen! Tickets can be purchased from the Gala Durham website.

Olympic Bobsleigh Hopeful

Good luck to Old Girl Mica McNeill, who will pilot Team GB’s women’s pairs bobsleigh at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which officially open today.
Her campaign gets underway in two weeks’ time, on Friday 18 February.

Mica joined forces with Adele Nicoll last month to secure her first World Cup medal, as they won silver in Sigulda to claim Britain’s first women’s World Cup podium finish in over a decade. She also registered Team GB’s best ever result in women’s bobsleigh with an eighth-place finish at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018. This is a tremendous achievement, and I am sure that all at DHS will be cheering on Mica, and Team GB, in Beijing.

Junior Bake Off Opportunity

Young budding bakers between 9 -12 years old are being invited to apply for the next series of ‘Junior Bake Off’; a Channel 4 programme that celebrates the culinary talent and ambition of the younger generation in Britain. Filming would take place from July 2022, but applications close on Sunday 13 March 2022. Interested bakers can apply online at www.applyforjuniorbakeoff.co.uk.