End of week bulletin – 4 March

This week marked the beginning of the meteorological spring, although you would not have thought it, given some of the weather that we have experienced during our first week back. This half term is an interesting one, as it is usually the shortest of the academic year, but there is a great deal us to fit in before we break up for Easter.

We begin with the return of our fantastic annual school production, which gets underway at the Gala Theatre in Durham this evening. This year, we are staging the 2018 revision of the iconic musical Anything Goes and you can still purchase limited tickets for tomorrow’s performances (2.30pm and 7.30pm) on the Gala Theatre website. We know that a tremendous amount of work has been put in by both the cast and crew and we sincerely hope they enjoy the experience of being back on stage. Break a leg!

Sport Update

Congratulations to the U12 Netball Team, who won the DCSF Invitational Tournament yesterday afternoon. The girls played brilliantly, winning all of their matches and only conceding 4 goals. The results:

12-1 win against Barnard Castle
6-0 win Against Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation A
10-0 win against Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation B
10-0 win against Red House
8-2 win against Cundall Manor
6-1 win against Mowden Hall

Well done also to our U10 Netball team, who finished 2nd in their DCSF Invitational Tournament. The team showed determination, fantastic teamwork and excellent skills throughout.

Acrobatic World Age Group Championships

Georgia (right in picture) in the Sixth Form is currently competing as part of the British team in the Acrobatic World Age Group Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Georgia and her team performed brilliantly in the qualifying round today and successfully qualified for the final, which will take place tomorrow afternoon. Well done and good luck!

All Stars Cricket

Pupils in Years 1-6 enjoyed a fantastic afternoon with the Durham Cricket Grassroots coaches this week, as they enjoyed an All Stars Cricket Taster Session. All Stars Cricket provides a fantastic first experience for all children aged 5-8 years old, where they are guaranteed 8 weeks of jam-packed fun, activity and skills development. The programme is designed to introduce children to the sport, teaching them new skills, helping them make new friends and have a great time doing so. Pupils tried their hand at batting, bowling and catching through fun games and enjoyed every second. You can find out more about the All Stars Cricket programme at ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars.

Ukraine Appeal

When you switch on the television or visit a news site at the moment, it is difficult to escape the truly harrowing situation that is unfolding in Ukraine. As always with such tragedies, the very worst situations often bring out the very best in people and communities have already mobilised a fantastic response to support those that have either been forced to flee Ukraine, or had their communities destroyed.

We have been made aware of one such appeal in Lanchester and Consett, where are they still looking for donations of many items including new underwear for adults and children; baby bottles; ready-made baby milk and food; colouring books and pencils; toiletries; first aid and hygiene items; blankets; scarves; gloves; hot water bottles; torches; batteries and non-perishable foods including cereals, pasta, rice, tins, tea, coffee, sugar and powdered milk. Drop off points include Morrisons and Matalan in Consett; The Grove Funeralcare; Castleside Primary School; Consett Junior School; the Horse and Groom; Craghead Village Hall; and DanceMax Studio. Thank you in advance for your support.

Easter Quiz and Bingo

Join the Parents & Friends for an evening of fun and prizes at the Easter Quiz and Bingo on Friday 25 March. The event will run from 6.30pm – 9pm in the Main Hall, and friends and family, as well as parents and children, are welcome to attend. Tickets are £5 for adults and £3 for children and teams should be no more than 8. Snacks are included with your ticket, but please bring your own drinks.

In addition, donations of Easter Eggs or other Easter-themed prizes would be very gratefully received by 16 March. You can drop any donations into Main Reception. Details on how to book are available on Firefly.

Sports Presentation Evening

The PE Department will be hosting their annual Sports Presentation Evening on Monday 28 March at Ramside Hall. Please ensure that you have completed the return slip and purchased your tickets as soon as possible, if you have not already done so, so that we can make final seating arrangements.