Achievement | Diversity | Respect
22 March 2024
Parent and Carer Weekly Mailing
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 25 March 2024 is Week B
Standing Items are located at the bottom of the mailing
Headteacher's Welcome
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
Positive Feedback of the Week 👍
Email sent to Mrs Arnold
"What a brilliant community SWIMATHON event we had with a grand total your team raised last weekend - £515.00 + £125.00, Gift aid at the time of writing. Wow!"
Nick Wilson, Community Fundraiser
Thank you
Announcements and Reminders
Year 7-11 End of Term Arrangements
Non School Uniform day. Students are asked to bring in £1 for their House Charity.
There will be no food during the break service from 10.45am to 11.05am.
Students will leave school at 12.00pm.
Students who receive a Free School Meal will be provided with a packed lunch which can be collected from the K Block Canteen after 12.00pm.
Year 7-11 Start of Term 5 Arrangements
Term 5 begins FOR STAFF on Monday 15 April 2024 - INSET Day
Term 5 begins FOR STUDENSTS on Tuesday 16 April 2024 at 8.30 am.
Post 16 End of Term Arrangements for Thursday 28 March 2024
Lessons for Year 13 will run as normal periods 1-3.
Lessons for Year 12 and Foundation will run as normal periods 1-2. These year groups will join a Q+A session with our MP Thangham Debonnaire during period 3.
All students will leave school at 12.00pm.
Students who receive a Free School meal will be provided with a packed lunch which can be collected from Post 16 reception after 12.00pm.
Post 16 Start of Term 5 Arrangements
Monday 15 April 2024 - INSET Day at Cotham and there will be no Cotham based lessons running. The Cotham School and Charmwood buildings will also be closed to students on this day. Lessons are running as normal at RGS on this day and students with lessons taught at RGS should attend them as normal.
HPV Community catch-up Clinics for Year 11
The HPV vaccine (that protects against several types of cancer) is available for any Year 11 students (girls and boys) who have not received a dose previously. If your child has not yet received this vaccine, please book an appointment here. If you have any queries please contact the Immunisation Team directly on 0300 1245515 or email sirona.sch-imms@nhs.net.
Bristol Education Partnership
Bristol Education Partnership - Celebrating 5 Years!
Bristol Education Partnership is a collaboration of 14 secondary schools in the state and independent sectors in the city, along with University of Bristol, University of West of England and Bristol City Council. The Partnership was set up in 2019 with the aim of tackling disadvantage and broadening young people's experience of education, drawing on the many and varied opportunities that Bristol has to offer.
BEP 2024 Review FINAL.pdf
Celebrating the 10 Year Anniversary of the Brunel Building
We are very fortunate to receive an invitation from Ms Jhalak Rajput(Engagement and and Involvement Lead) at North Bristol NHS Trust - Southmead Hospital to the Cotham community to share memories of the Brunel building.
The Brunel building stands as a symbol of innovation, excellence and compassionate care, a symbol to our commitment to providing the highest quality NHS trust services to our community. Over the past 10 years, it has been the foundation of our efforts to deliver patient-focused care and provide innovative medical research and education.
Please email to Jhalak.Rajput@nbt.nhs.uk with your memories by Friday 19 April 2024, if you prefer a specific platform to share your thoughts.
Thank you
Year 7 Egg and Spoon Race
The Year 10 SELT team are organising a Year 7 Egg and Spoon race on Wednesday 27 March at lunch time. Who will make it to the finish line without dropping their egg? Lots of fun and prizes to be won.
Let's Celebrate Neurodiversity Week
It's Neurodiversity Week!
Let's celebrate our differences by reading some fascinating books
What is meant by neurodiversity?
“Neurodiversity” is a word used to explain the unique ways people's brains work. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the average or “neurotypical” person.
There are various types of Neurodivergence including Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, OCD and Tourette syndrome (TS).
WEEKLY MAILING PHOTO NEURODIVERSITY - Della Payne.docxPiano Lessons at Cotham
We have a fantastic opportunity to offer piano and keyboard lessons to Years 7 and Year 8 on our lovely grand piano at Cotham School with our very experienced piano teacher Christina Craig -Jones. She is a specialist teacher of beginners to advanced levels and offers all styles of music from Classics, jazz improvising and rock and pop. Limited space availability for next term. For more details and to book a free taster lesson please contact her directly at chriscraigjones@hotmail.com
Lost Property at Student Reception
If your child has lost an item they should go to Student Reception and look in the lost property cupboard by Thursday 28 March 2024 12.00pm. Any items not collected by then will be donated to charity. Please ensure that your child's items are clearly labelled to assist with returning any lost property.
Language of the Month
Cotham are celebrating the Ukrainian Language this month. Please come to the library and read books about the Ukraine or books written by Ukrainian authors.
WORLD BOOK DAY DONATIONS
Thank you for creating and wearing your amazing book character costumes for World Book Day and paying your £1. Find out how your money is going to help others.
charity weekly mailing ad - Della Payne.docxYear Group News
Year 7
Year 7 - Subject Spotlight - Science
Miss Boys - Science Faculty Leader
Forces and Sound
In forces they will be learning about the forces that keep them from falling through the floor and allow astronauts to stand on the moon.
Examples of skills - How to draw force diagrams, practicing drawing graphs, using newton meters.
In sound and light they will learn about how sound and light waves behave .
Examples of skills - Using practical equipment such as oscilloscopes and ray boxes to investigate properties of sound and light.
Year 7 - Table Tennis Tournament
The Year 7 Table Tennis tournament continues this week as students progress into the quarter finals!
So far the tournament had allowed students to display amazing ability and we have seen really competitive fixtures.
It has been fantastic to see so many students taking part in the tournament and students creating new friendships and gaining confidence.
Year 7 - Subject Spotlight - Art
Miss Bridgeman - Art Teacher
"Year 7 students are studying Mandalas, looking at pattern and shape. This has led to some beautiful work with Henna and all students have been making clay hands to decorate."
Year 8
Year 8 Sports have reached new heights this week
The Year 8 boys triumphed in a heart-stopping football match against Orchard, securing their first victory of the season. With seconds to spare, Zach delivered a stunning last-minute goal, clinching three crucial points and igniting an eruption of cheers from the spectators.
Not to be outdone, the Year 8 girls continue to shine. They not only participate in the school netball club with unwavering dedication but also extend their prowess to the U13 girls' cricket team, showcasing their multifaceted talents on the field.
Year 9
Year 9 KS4 Pathway Meetings (Students ONLY)
All Year 9 students will receive a pathways meeting next week to confirm their option choices. These meetings will take place in school with either a member of the Senior Leadership Team or their Head of Year. You do not need to do anything. This is for your information only. Your child will receive a sticker with their date and time on it as well as a notification in tutor slides.
Year 10
Year 10 Award Assembly
Year 10 celebrated the end of term with their Easter Award assembly. Congratulations to Ella, Aaron and Naima who were awarded the LC award. The tutors nominated 2 students each, congratulations to the winners.
Congratulations to :
10LN best attendance
10KD always happy as a group and welcoming
10 FRA always doing the right thing
Rewarding Positive Behaviour
We celebrated positive behaviour this week with Inter tutor Bingo. 36 students took part in a fun filled hour. The pressure mounted as students waited for that one number that would give them the win. Congratulations to Connor who managed to win a line and 2 full houses. Also to Mike and Vismaya who also won a full house.
We held our 4th Bake off and 9 students took on the challenge to make a swiss roll. They all met the brief and made it very difficult for the judges to select a winner. Congratulations to Oscar who was the overall winner with a well presented and excellent baked swiss roll. Congratulations also to Abdirahman who was the star baker, he was pushed outside his comfort zone and showed he meet the challenge.
Spot Light on Year10 PSHE
Ms Ingham: Currently Year 10s are watching the Social Dilemma documentary on Netflix, which is about understanding the impact that social media has had on society. The documentary follows the story of a family with three teenagers who all have different experiences on social media, from being very against it, to believing that this is just the next step in human communication (like phones and newspapers before to displaying addiction behaviours towards her phone. Experts also discuss how social media is designed to harvest the attention of its users, to sell to advertisers, who use this power to very subtly influence major world events.
Year 10 student: "I enjoy studying PSHE it is a relaxing lesson and spreads awareness of mental health. It help's build my confidence with CV's and helping with life choices. I enjoy the different topics."
Year 10 Shoutouts
From Ms Crimmins-Moore: Huge shout outs to Tusem, Mike, Harmony and Lena for coming in and working their absolute socks off EVERY single lesson. Even when the course gets a little hard they ask questions and complete all the work to the best standard they can and respond to teacher feedback like champions.
Year 11
"Into University" provides local learning centres
"Into University" Bristol East centre and Barton Hill sites are attended by a number of Cotham School students. Recently a second site at the Wellspring Settlement in Barton Hill has opened offering free Academic Support Sessions to students after school, helping students in Years 9 - 13 to develop effective study skills.
Please click here for more information.
AS flyer (1) - Suzanne Paice.pdfNorth Bristol Post 16
Year 12
Year 12 OxBridge Talk- Thursday 25 April 2024
QEH are hosting a talk for Year12 students and their parents who are considering applying to OxBridge on Thursday 25 April in the evening.
(QEH are one of our partner schools as part of the Bristol Education Partnership, hence where this opportunity is coming from)
To book your place
-read the flyer attached and scan the QR code or
- book directly here
Places will fill up fast so get booking!
Year12 Upgrade+
Students received their progress reports last week. As a result, some students will find Upgrade+ on their timetable if they are making below expected progress in one or more subjects. The Upgrade+ workshops will begin from next week
Visit from Thangam Debbonaire
We are very excited to be welcoming Thangam Debbonaire to our centre on Thursday. She will be delivering a talk to our Year 12 students from 11-12 with a question and answer session at the end. We encourage all those attending to get thinking about what they would like to ask her!
Young Enterprise Winners!
Year 12 students participating in the Young Enterprise Company Programme recently attended a trade fair in Cabot Circus. The Eco Edge company sold their sustainable chopping boards featuring iconic images of Bristol. They pitched to the judges in HSBC, and walked away with two awards - Best Trade Stand and Best Company. They will now progress to the West of England Finals at the end of April.
EcoEdge press release - Hannah Radford-HinesSubject Announcements
STEAM
Year 8 Creative Technologies Roadshow
Year 8 The Creative Technology Skills Roadshow, led by Watershed and MyWorld, introduces young people to creative tech to enhance and develop the skills needed for a career in Creative Technologies. Cotham students excelled in designing wearable musical instruments. The Cotham students were exceptional and the workshop leaders were particularly impressed with their teamwork, problem solving and presenting skills. Next phase at Watershed offers hands-on experience in VR, AR, and game design.
Work of the Week
Taking inspiration from Rex Ray, the graphic designer and collage artist, Year 9 have been learning the printing technique of collagraphy. By sticking down a range of organic and geometric shapes then overlaying paper and using crayon, they've created these colourful collagraph prints.
English
Sparxs Reading Homework
We have launched Sparx Reader for KS3. Students are set a weekly homework to gain 300 Sparx Reader Points (roughly 30 mins of careful reading). The platform tailors reading to each student to build crucial academic reading skills. A range of interesting texts are available for students to select. Reading can be completed on devices with internet access. All are expected to complete this homework in line with the school's homework policy and to support their progress in reading.
Literacy
KS3
Word of the Week Quiz
KS4
Word of the Week Quiz
Digital Literacy Corner
Topic: Does your child use a web cam or a device to video chat?
Video calls are a very popular way in which people connect with each other, this could be using Facetime on an iPhone, video calling in WhatsApp or perhaps livestreaming on social media as an example.
You should talk to your child about who they chat with and what they are sharing when they do. As with all apps and websites that your child accesses, make sure they know how to use any reporting tools and they know how to block other users if necessary.
It is important that your child is aware that what they say and do whilst video chatting can be recorded and shared later without their knowledge. Additionally, ensure your child understands that they must say no if they are asked to do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable and they should speak to a trusted adult when they have any concerns.
Childnet have written this blog to help you learn more about video chat and webcams. It also contains tips on how to manage risks whilst online:
Link to the full article: Link