News, Messages & Stars from John & the PHS Team Friday 17th March

Hi everyone

Happy Red Nose Day and Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday. Oh, and St Patrick’s Day too! Have a happy day and weekend whichever of these apply to you, or however you get your happiness!

It’s been great here, we’re well into the term, and the school year, and it’s very busy. There have been some lovely lessons which you can get a flavour of below, the guys have been at Keswick on residential, The Literacy Squad are doing their thing, and there are all sorts of other things happening. I hope there’s something for you somewhere in the next pages anyway. It feels a bit like spring today, which is hopefully cheering us all up, and lots of exciting things coming up that I’ll try and cover in the blog when I can

Do look over at Eileen’s blog, or any of the other information coming out of the school, and anything else on the main PHF ones too. There’s social media stuff too, if you still have the appetite!

All the best

😊 John & the PHS Team 😊

Reading

The weekly update from The Literacy Squad is quite fancy this week – have a look at what’s been going on there – some nice things anyway…

Go Literacy Squad!

Attendance

The draft policy is still on the website, so do please have a look

One of the main differences in terms of attendance across the country going forward is that fewer requests for absence are going to be authorised, most often when they are for simple holidays

The reason I’ve been mentioning this and other related matters in the blog each week for a while now is so that everyone understands why we are making changes to our procedures

We now work with an Attendance Officer from North Tyneside, who I know has met some parents already. We just need to be following the same rules as everyone else, and we have more “Persistent Absentees” than other, similar schools across the country

Our form teachers have been a very big help in keeping the registers properly and keeping in touch with home, and we’d very much like to thank you all at home for your understanding and co-operation with what can be a difficult and sensitive area

Lesson of the Week that also include food

Mandy has been doing some lovely work with the students she’s with

The post-16 students who stayed at school during the residential week, decided they wanted to have a Greek themed project!  In DT, we made a Greek puzzle toy using drills and saws! We went shopping in the community to buy ingredients to make a Greek salad, Falafel, Hummus and Tzatziki. The food was delicious! We typed our names in Greek and performed the dance from Zorba The Greek and ended up smashing our plates on the floor at the end – well paper ones!! We’ve played a few drama games and to end a brilliant week we had a meal at Sambucas Restaurant, chosen by the students! Such a great week! The staff and students have worked incredibly hard! Well done!

Have a look at some of Mandy’s lovely pictures:

Therapy! – EGGcited to MOVE!!!!!!

We are holding our EGGcited to MOVE day next Tuesday, the 21^st March. This will be a one- day event held around school, the same as last year. This will involve the same set up with an Easter Egg Hunt and varied activities throughout the school. Classes will be given a timetabled slot to start the Hunt approx. every 20 mins, and this can take as long or as short as required.

Fabulous Therapy of the Week – some great physio!

What a great team the physios are in the school – we’re so lucky to have them. Bex has taken a few nice pictures this week, which we thought you might enjoy. Enjoy!

LPPA – hello from The Leading Parent Partnership Award 

From the LPPA Team: this is from Tracy

This week Hannah and I have been networking with another local special school in Newcastle who has successfully achieved LPPA status.  It was a productive visit, chatting to staff about how they found the process and different ways in which they communicate with their parents.  We are going to try some different approaches and hopefully this will be of benefit to our school, parents and external agencies involved with our children

Next week we are sharing a questionnaire with all parents to gain your feedback about communication between school and home.  We would really appreciate your contribution as this will help us moving forwards.  The questionnaire will be available in a range of formats, so hopefully there will be an option which will suit all parents, but please contact me if you would like it presented in a different way.  We value your comments and listen to what our parents are saying.  Thank you in advance for your support.

Tracy and the LPPA team t.smithson@percyhedley.org.uk

This is excellent stuff, Tracy – huge thanks for taking this really important area on. I’m very excited about it

KESWICK!!!!!!!!!!! RESIDENTIAL!!!!!!!!!!!

I got this email from the wilds of Cumbria from Louise! Sounds wild indeed!

The 2023 post-16 Residential Trip to Keswick has been an incredible experience for everyone involved!

We’ve had hail, wind, rain, and rainbows… and we’ve had thunder, lightning, snow, and sun…. but the weather has done nothing to dampen our spirits

In fact, it has made this week all the more exciting! (And the views of the snow-covered mountains all the more amazing)

The sheer resilience and fortitude we have seen in our students (and staff), has been off the charts

At the time of writing this, we’re still having a brilliant time in Keswick, as we take part in the last few activities of the week.

Amazing stuff from Louise and the team – and they’ve sent some photos too:

Stars of the Week!

That reflect our School Values!

And this week it’s all about Resilience!

The ELTBA STAR!!! of the Week is…..

Zakaria from Woodpeckers

Zakaria has been very resilient. He has shown increased independence across a range of situations. He is developing his self- confidence! Great work, Zakaria, you are a complete and total STAR!!!!!!!!!

ENGAGEMENT STAR!!! of the Week!

Emily from Woodpeckers has been a STAR!!!

In Interactive Technology. She did a fantastic job of understanding what was happening and making connections. She smiled all the way through the activity of realising the projection of water on the umbrella, something she is working extremely hard in building her persistence on) Well done Emily! What a STAR!!!!!

Accreditation Pathways STARS of the Week!

All the values displayed here!

Shannon, Harrison and James are STARS for being our wonderful Sports Leaders for showing fantastic resilience and teamwork when leading the PE lesson.

Milly for being really resilient and strong, swimming 10 lengths of Killingworth Pool

Benjamin for being so helpful and respectful to his peers

Well done, guys, this is amazing, thank you for being so great in our school

More Lessons of the Week – Rivers & Water!

The Woodpeckers had a great time at down at the Ouseburn Valley yesterday, to experience a river as part of their term’s theme ‘Rivers and Water’

The Ouseburn Valley is the name of the valley of the Ouseburn, a small tributary of the River Tyne, running southwards through the east of Newcastle.

The pupils were really fascinated by the flowing water, crossed the bridge over the Ouseburn and managed to sneak in a little visit to Ouseburn Farm whilst they were there!

Makaton Signs of the Week

Two special days this week: Red Nose Day and Mother’s Day, and here are some signs for them from Julie.

And finally…..

Santiago! In Cumbria!

But also…

Look what Hannah’s class have done! I’m hoping this meets with your approval! Happy Mother’s Day to you all out there:

There was also a Mother’s Day Sale at PHS today, see below for some photos of what was on offer:

Making your yummy Mother’s Day Cakes!

All the very best to all of you at home, from all of us here at the school – we’re pushing on now with the second half of the school year, with the weather getting a bit better as well, and hopefully seeing you here some time at Consultation Evenings, Coffee & Catch-up afternoons, or other funky events

Respect…Teamwork…Resilience

from John & the Team here at PHS