Dear Families,
I hope this update finds you and those closest to you in the best of health. We reached the mid-point of half term three this week and it’s been another positive few days at the academy. We’ve connected with the families of Year 8 students at an earlier than usual parents’ evening, preparations are well underway for DMGT (see below), and things are shaping up nicely for our trips to China and Kenya later in the year. More on these below.
Derby Moor’s Got Talent
DMGT takes place on Wednesday 5th February this year. Tickets are now for sale on Parent Pay. The final 10 acts have been working hard on perfecting their performance ready for the show which will highlight a range of talents including singing, dancing and comedy acts.
The event will run from 6pm-8pm approx. Maximum 6 tickets per family. £2 per ticket. Refreshments will be available to purchase during the interval, but this will be cash only.
Year 8 Parents Evening/Soft options
On Wednesday 22nd January, we invited families into school to meet teachers and discuss students’ progress. We had a fantastic turnout, and students are really clear of how to make academic improvements for the remainder of the school year. You may also be aware that later in the school year, students will be invited to make ‘soft options choices’ for their Year 9 curriculum. We are currently processing these options and so please expect a detailed update before we guide students through the process.
Ivy House Readers
Over the course of the term, a selection of Year 8 students have been chosen to read to students at Ivy House. Students spend an hour a week with Ivy House students and read a wide range of stories during their time. Our Year 8 students have found this experience enlightening as well as developing their oracy skills. We are aiming for as many students as possible to take part this experience and so new students will be selected following the half term break.
Sparx Reader Club
Sparx Reader is our online platform designed to support your child’s reading and English homework. Each week, students complete reading assignments online at sparxreader.com (using their Sparx Maths login), with homework due on Mondays and progress tracked by their English teacher. Sparx Reader provides a variety of eBooks tailored to each student’s reading level, with integrated questions to encourage thoughtful reading and reward points to track progress. You can support this by encouraging your child to chat about what they’re reading. Additionally, Sparx Reader Club runs every Tuesday lunchtime in room SO20, offering in-school support for students who need help completing their reading assignments. For further details, families can access the Parent Portal via the Sparx Maths email. Homework club is also available in the Learning Hub Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until 4:00pm and Fridays until 3:45pm. If you have questions or would like further details, please contact Ms. Bowker.
Chinese New Year
Wednesday 29th January is Chinese New Year and we are going to use this opportunity to celebrate our Sister School Partnership. The canteen will be serving Chinese Food and in the FLC during lunch time there will be an opportunity for staff and students to send a message to our partner school in Hefei. This can be in the form of a letter or as a short video message. There will also be an opportunity to send small gifts (such as a friendship bracelet) that we can deliver when we visit in March/April this year.
Duke of Edinburgh
This week Bronze’s completed their Trangia safety training – learning how to put them together and use the gas safely, they also made hot chocolate. Next week the use of Trangia’s continues as students will be trying suggested food for their expedition. They do not need to purchase any food but bringing a fork or spoon would be helpful.
Silvers also need to attend this session next week on Thursday 30th January.
Kenya trip
On Friday 24th January, students and staff completed their sleep out event at Derby’s Pride Park Stadium run by Derby County Community Trust. Sleeping out in the chilly weather from 7pm to 7am the next day. There was also an online meeting on Wednesday 22nd January regarding the next steps towards the trip. If you missed this, please email Emma Pilgrim for a recording of the meeting.
Lost Property
We would like to remind parents to ensure items of clothing are clearly labelled with their child’s name and form group, you would be surprised by the amount of lost property we acquire at school which we are unable to return because it isn’t labelled. We appreciate how expensive it is to replace missing school uniform, bags, coats and equipment so please do ask your child to check the lost property if they have missing items.
Sports Update
Y7 Sports Hall Athletics: Fourteen of our Year 7 students participated in the Sports Hall Athletics competition at Noel Baker on Tuesday, 21st January. Students represented the school in a variety of indoor track and field events, competing against other schools in what was an exciting and successful afternoon. The students’ enthusiasm, determination, and sportsmanship were on full display as they tackled a range of events, from sprints to jumps and throwing challenges. We are incredibly proud of their efforts, and their teamwork was inspiring to witness.
Careers Update
This week’s job of the week is a Drama Therapist.
Record of Achievement Folders – Employability Skills Overview: Our Year 11 students continue to complete their ‘Employability Skills Overview’ for their Record of Achievement folders. The aim is for all Year 11 students to have an up-to-date record to showcase their employability skills and experiences. They will be able to take their R of A folder to interviews for apprenticeships, college and sixth form.
Derby Moor Dispatch: The Derby Moor Dispatch goes out weekly to all students in Year 11, 12 and 13. The Dispatch contains a wide range of opportunities for work experience, summer schools, careers related webinars and so on. Please do have a look at the latest edition. The Dispatch is emailed to the students’ school email address, so it is important that they check this regularly on a Monday. You can also view the Dispatch via the Careers page of the Derby Moor website. Please take a look at the website as there is a wealth of useful information including a specific page for parents.
Luminate Careers: Our independent and impartial Careers Advisers from Luminate Careers have an excellent website with a wealth of useful information Please have a look at these links designed for parents/carers about careers conversation starters and Post 16 Options.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Scott Doyle
Principal