Achievement | Diversity | Respect
Keep us posted - It would be great if parents/carers could let the school know of any student achievements outside of school. We would like to find out what students are doing in their own time and celebrate their achievements.
Email us: weeklymailing@cotham.bristol.sch.uk
Week commencing Monday 27 January 2025 is Week A
Standing Items are located at the bottom of the mailing
Dear Parents and Carers,
Please find our weekly mailing which I hope you will find both useful and interesting!
With very best wishes for a relaxing weekend.
Kindest regards,
Ms Jo Butler, Headteacher
A massive thank you to everyone who facilitated the Year 9 parents evening last night.
It was wonderful to meet so many families and see all the important conversations taking place.
Thank you for your continued support and hard work with Year 9 especially at this vital time as they choose their options.
Have a wonderful day
Year 9 Team
Thank you
Thank you so much to the members of staff who volunteered on Friday 17 January School of Sanctuary Cooking Club.
Without them we could not give this lovely opportunity to our refugee students. We had fun cooking some international recipes, learning about each others' cultures, listening to some music and bonding! Thank you so much to Mrs Brock, Miss Rios and the EAL team for coordinating everything, as well as all the other members of staff working hard and the parent volunteers too!
Thank you so much to all the members of staff and parents who donated money or ingredients for the club. We are always in need of donations and volunteers, so please, enquire if you'd like to help.
This makes a huge difference to many of our families in Cotham.
Massive thank you, everyone!
During our assemblies this week, Year 10 student volunteers discussed, shared and presented their thoughts and feelings about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr and what he means to them.
At Cotham School, students have had the opportunity to learn about Martin Luther King's life and celebrate his achievements. Dr. King believed that every human being, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, skin colour or social position, has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, since “all men are created equal”.
Our students are encouraged to stand against racism, sensitively, without promoting violence. As educators it is important that we actively encourage the next generation to develop a greater tolerance towards one another and to value and celebrate our diversity.
A massive thank you to our year 10 girls:
Robyn, Salma, Elaf, Nikisha, Lila, Anayah, Sunny
If you are reporting the absence of your child, you must notify attendance on a daily basis. Please fill out the Year 7-11 absence form which is on our website. Absence must be reported by 9.00am, otherwise it will result in an absence message still being sent home. If there is no response to the message, a follow up letter requesting reason for absence will be sent home.
Starting in February there will be free student and adult webinars about what it's really like to work in competitive industries. Students have been studying careers in PSHE in Years 9, 10 and 11 and this would be a really good opportunity to find out more about the industries they could be interested in.
Please click on the below link for further information.
Best wishes
Miss M Ingham
On Monday we will begin our World Hijab Day Celebrations with an assembly for all year groups and a tutor time activity. We will also be having a cake sale at break time on Friday 31 January. All money collected from the cake sale will go towards the Cotham Grand Iftar. We are also inviting all staff and students to come into school wearing a coloured scarf to show solidarity with women who wear hijab (head covering). If you have any spare hijabs, please send to Mrs Khan in room C108.
I would like to give an enormous SHOUT OUT to all the Year 7 classes who took part in the Library Book Hunt and Quiz this term. The lesson is all about learning how to navigate around the library, find the correct books and answer important library questions! All classes split into teams and were judged on their library knowledge AND teamwork. I was SO impressed with how everyone worked together. They surpassed themselves with brilliant behaviour and excellent listening skills. WELL DONE Year 7!!!
TREASURE HUNT WEEKLY MAILING WINNERS Cotham are proud to have both a Year 8 and Year 9 book club (which all began during Year 7!) SO we are hoping to continue this tradition with a new Year 7 book club this term.
The club will be held during lunchtime in the library one day per week, run by an amazing Year 10 volunteer.
If you think your child is an avid reader or even a reluctant reader who wants to make new friends then PLEASE tell them to sign up to our new Year 7 Book Club.
Click on the below link for more details.
WEEKLY MAILING YEAR 7 BOOK CLUB ADVERT 2025 Thank you to everyone who has bought a ticket. There are still some available. You can buy them on WisePay or from Mrs Arnold, cost £2.
Information about the evening:
Disco will be held in the main hall.
Students are to enter from the main visitor entrance on Cotham Road.
Tuck shop and glow sticks will be available. Cash only.
Prizes for best dancers!
The Disco is a ticketless event, students who have purchased tickets, your names will be on the door. Please check in and give your name to gain entry.
Year 7 have made a good start back to school after Christmas, they continue to grow and develop their independence.
We have had a number of shout outs this term already, so congratulations to the following;
Akif 7ZV has shown strong leadership skills in PSHE lessons. Akif consistently works hard, answering questions, completing all of his written work to a good standard and even encouraging other students to make the right choices.
Shout out for a group of boys 7CB.
Abdirahman, Hatim, Omer, Akram and Zubeyr - Hugely impressive in the recent Library competition. They channelized their energy into the task and showed some really quick thinking.
The whole class worked really well and Ms Payne remarked on how highly skilled 7CB are.
English: Well done to everyone who completed the AI Ethics digital literacy lesson!
This week's top performers are 7ALE.
Shout out to Y8A-Sp3. Churro as a class, as they have been doing some great work in Spanish and working well as class. Layla and Dottie who have done some amazing creative extra homework over the holidays to demonstrate their scholarship skills.
Students going above and beyond: Xanthe, Ahmed, Anton, Matthew, Ryan, Troy, Priya, Leia, Olivia, Ana. Abi and Poppy have also had a great fresh start this term.
Buen trabajo, Churro class!
Ms Rios
A big thank you to all the parents and carers of our Year 9 students who attended our events this week! We were thrilled with the fantastic turnout at both our Pathways Information Evening and our Parents/Carers Evening.
Your engagement and support are invaluable as we help our students navigate this crucial stage in their education. It’s always a pleasure to connect, discuss, and plan for the exciting journey ahead. Let’s keep in touch lawrencet@cotham.bristol.sch.uk
📚
KS4 Pathways: SIMS Online Launch
We have now begun the process of starting to send students invitations to register on SIMS Online. This is not always a straightforward process and therefore we will be sending invitations to three tutor groups each day starting from today. We have booked these tutor groups into a computer room on the morning they receive their invitation so that we can support them with logging on. Attached is a video to support students registering with SIMS Online if they are doing it from home.
Logging in and Selecting Subject Preferences A massive well done to all six students from Year 10 who helped Miss Kelly with this week's assembly on Martin Luther King. Students spoke brilliantly in front of each year group discussing their own experiences and even an original poem!
Everyone student who took part should be incredibly proud.
Shout out to 10B2 for being super engaged and mature in their PSHE lesson on Tuesday. Everyone was asking good questions, using correct terminology and listening carefully to the answers. Really well done!
Miss Ingham
Open day at Bath College at the "Somer Valley"Campus in Radstock! - Construction Centre, SEND Centre, Engineering Workshop, Animal Care centre and the famous Somer Valley Goats! Explore the college facilities, classrooms, and speak directly with the lecturers. School leavers, Adult Skills courses, Apprenticeships and T Levels, SEND provision etc., book here.
Open-Events-DIGITAL.pdfPlease read the ‘Choices’ magazine to view inspirational content about T Levels and other technical and vocational pathways.
January-2025-Choices-Magazine Year 11 Period 6. This is compulsory for the students who have been selected. If your child is unable to attend please let Mrs Arnold know.
Period 6 will be cancelled on the following dates:
Tuesday 28 January - Staff Meeting
Thursday 6 February - Staff Meeting
Thursday 6 March - Year 7 Parents Evening
Thursday 20 March - Year 12 Parents Evening
Thursday 3 April - Year 8 Parents Evening
Year 11 Mock Exams will take place Monday 03 February 2025 to Friday 14 February 2025
Please ensure students are ready and prepared for their exams. Please see presentation shared with students in tutor time.
On Saturday 18 January I had the pleasure of watching Lila and Flo perform in Home Ground. Home Ground is the latest show from Bristol Old Vic's Young Company. The play was about exploring friendship, football and community. It was an outstanding performance and I was extremely proud of Lila and Flo.
On Sunday 22 December I took my grandson to his first pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Redgrave Theatre where Gwen was part of the production. The show was full of laughter and fun and I even got a shout out from Silly Simon. I was so proud to see Gwen perform in the Panto.
Well done to Lila, Flo and Gwen for your hard work and dedication in the productions from Mrs Arnold.
We would like to congratulate Year 13 on completing their mock exams. We were so impressed by their levels of maturity and fantastic attitude. If any of our young people have missed a mock they should talk to Ms Skinner in the firs instance who will be able to support.
Year 13 will be taking part in Futures morning on Thursday 30 January 2025. They will participate in sessions on financial independence and our Respect work. All usual lessons during P1 and 2 will be suspended to allow them to attend, this will also be the case for lesson at RGS.
A reminder that it is essential that Y11 students have the correct equipment for their GCSE Maths mock exams (starting Monday 3 February 2025. They will need a pen, pencil, ruler, protractor, compass and (for Paper 2) a scientific calculator. These can be bought from larger supermarkets or stationary shops. Students should NOT expect to borrow equipment on the day.
This week Year 7 have been learning the importance of using gas and electric ovens safely. Preparing Boiled Egg & Toast - students also learnt the different types of heat transfer "energy exchanged between materials solid/liquid/gas as a result of a temperature difference", either through conduction, convection and radiation. Students were then able to enjoy their finished result in class. A great way to start the day.
We're thrilled to share that our students have been busy creating vibrant and thought-provoking environmental posters inspired by the renowned artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Hundertwasser was a passionate advocate for environmental protection, and his unique style, filled with bold colours, organic shapes, and a deep connection to nature, has served as the perfect inspiration for our young eco-warriors.
Our amazing Year 7 basketball team has achieved an incredible record in the NBA competition, winning all 6 of their games. Congratulations to the team on their outstanding performance!
Round 1
Cotham 8-6 Bristol Met
Cotham 8-2 City Academy
Cotham 9-0 Bristol Brunel
Round 2
Cotham 12-10 Bristol Met
Cotham 9-2 City Academy
Cotham 6-4 Bristol Brunel
We are thrilled to have had support from parents to buy 3 Real-Care Babies! The 'smart' babies need to be fed, burped, rocked, changed and dressed for the weather.
Gianna was fun to look after! She needed feeding often, which led to burps and giggles.
Nora cried when I had her, but she loved being dressed up in outfits.
Isaiah loved spending time with my family. It was a shame to bring him back to school!
It's clear that the students are enjoying the challenges and joys of baby care!
Well done to Gamma House for their incredible achievement!
This initiative aims to celebrate students from Omega every term. Students can be nominated by their Tutor or Head of House for demonstrating the following attributes:
Effort
Specific Skills
Growth Mindset
Being a Role Model
Memorable Achievements
Leadership
If you are making a difference in our school and community, inform your Head of House and your Tutor. Students will be rewarded with a prize, and their achievements will be showcased within the school. We Dare to be Great in Omega!
Our four student leadership trainees, Deeqa, Dawud, Maysa and Serena attended Collegiate school last week for further training on how to be an effective leader. At this session, students presented a 1-minute speech on a topic of their choice, using their previous training on communication skills. The rest of the session was on coaching and how to help other people to solve problems themselves, rather than doing it for them, a valuable skill for everyone. Thanks to Mr Barber for accompanying.
This week, four Year 12 students, Tristan, Matilda, Sofia and Martina, attended some online training as part of a social action project to help others in our community. Cotham are part if a pilot volunteering scheme which begins after half term where students have chosen to help improve reading in primary school students at one of our local primary schools. More on this to follow!
'Kroo-shuhl'
Meaning:
Decisive or critical, especially in the success or failure of something (adjective)
of great importance (adjective)
Example:
The lesson was at a crucial stage
This game is crucial to our survival in the league
It is crucial to check the facts before believing the website
Synonyms:
Pivotal, critical, determining, essential, necessary
'Ree-in-vig-uh-rayt'
Meaning:
To give new energy or strength
Example:
After the long journey I felt reinvigorated by a rest and a shower.
I need to reinvigorate my love of running.
For the upcoming exams I need to reinvigorate my revision efforts.
Synonyms:
Renew, refresh, reactivate, revive
Ofcom have released their annual report into our daily habits. The findings show that women and teenage girls are more worried about online harm. You can read the full report here:
