PRINCIPAL's BLOG - 22nd December 2023
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Welcome to my weekly blog - I hope you and your families are well and have had a good week and are ready for the Christmas break!
We've had an incredibly busy week at school, filled with various activities such as college events, Reading Week, excursions to Southampton and London, and delightful surprises from our 12 Days of Christmas celebration.
Furthermore, we ended the day yesterday with our Winter Showcase and what an evening of live performance it was. Singing, dancing, drama and even a Rock Band performance this year! It was truly magnificent to see the smiles on the students faces as they performed and entertained the audience. My sincere thanks to Mrs Lowndes-Ford and the many members of staff for supporting the event, and to you, the parents, for encouraging your son's to take part and perform at an amazing showcase.
It's safe to say there's been something for everyone, and we sincerely appreciate your ongoing support and the heart-warming messages we receive from parents and carers.
In the upcoming new year, I'll provide you with a detailed insight and summary of all the mentioned events. Meanwhile, you can catch a glimpse of some highlights by visiting our social media channels through the provided links below. Feel free to give us a like or share while you're there!
A REMINDER FOR PARENTS/CARERS - WE RETURN TO SCHOOL AT 8.30AM ON MONDAY 8TH JANUARY 2024.
Parent Forum Meetings
As you know, I've been conducting parent forum meetings this term to explore options regarding the expansion of our Multi Academy Trust. I appreciate the parents who attended these meetings either in person at school or online to engage in discussions about our plans. For those unable to participate, I want to offer a summary of the discussions and address any questions you may have. The letter below is intended to provide this information. If you have further questions after reading through it, please feel free to reach out to me.
Parent Engagment - evolving Trust.pdfBring it on Brum!
Bookings for the winter Bring it on Brum! are now open! The winter programme starts on the 27th December 2023 and will run weekdays until 5th January 2024.
NOS Updates - 22 December 2023
The National Online Safety programme publishes a weekly #WakeUpWednesday update for parents/carers. This weeks update relates to 'Setting up Parental Controls on New Devices'.
At this time of year, it’s highly possible that you have a new phone, games console or other digital device stashed somewhere at home, ready to be unwrapped. Many parents also prefer to place some protective measures on those gifts – to keep their child shielded from potential #OnlineSafety risks – while others would like to, but aren’t sure where to begin.
This guide shepherds you through the process of establishing parental controls on new internet-enabled devices, from smartphones to laptops to consoles. Simply find the device in question and read on to find out what options you have and how to enable them – letting children enjoy their shiny new gadget, without so much of the worry over where it might lead them.
I hope your find this information useful.
parental-controls-on-new-devices.pdfDance, Performing Arts and Extra-curricular updates
From Mrs McKeon, Director of Learning of Foundations Studies and Extra-curricular learning
Performing Arts – Reading Week
During reading week, students have been participating in Drama workshops where they have been exploring the themes and characters from their books. Year 8 have been reading ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’. In their workshop they explored the character of Christopher and how Frantic Assembly used Physical Theatre to show his perception of the world around him. Year 9 have been reading ‘The Kite Runner’ and ‘The Hobbit’. We focused on the themes of the books and used Drama Techniques to communicate significant moments.
Extra-Curricular
We hosted a celebration breakfast this morning to those students that have demonstrated outstanding dedication and commitment to extra-curricular clubs this term. We offer a range of clubs for the students and it is fantastic to see their passion and enthusiasm. Keep an eye out for our new timetable in the New Year!
Sport fixtures and training schedules for week beginning 8 January 2024
Weekly sports round-up from Mr Janes, Director of Sport
Year 11 Football
The Year 11 team hosted West Bromwich Collegiate Academy on Tuesday in a friendly fixture. In what was an entertaining game full of goals, LBS ran out 4-2 winners with a last minute goal. Adeeb Haroon scored two, with Aun Haider and Omar Ganesi also getting on the score sheet. Man of the Match - Omar Ganesi - Played a year above his age and showed great technical quality when in possession.
Year 9 ESA Basketball
Mr Deek's Year 9 side hosted Shirelands on Monday night in their final National Cup fixture. Despite the defeat against an extremely strong opposition, potentially the strongest we have faced, the students thrived in such a competitive environment. Man of the Match - Shubur Akinade.
Cricket Event
On Tuesday 19th December, we took 8 students to The Ageas Bowl in Southampton for a Wicketz Tournament as they represented Wicketz Birmingham. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to play so far away from home and showcase their talent against areas including; Wicketz Luton, Wicketz Basingstoke, Wicketz Southampton.
The students played a round-robin tournament against the above teams. The teams were very strong comprising of students from Year 8-11. We had a very youthful side, whom put up a good game in all 3 fixtures, narrowly missing out on victory on 2 of 3 occasions.
The Lordswood Boys’ team were commended for their attitude, efforts and sporting integrity throughout the tournament. Overall, it was a fantastic day out for the team, one I am sure will last long in their memories.
Cricket action will continue after the Christmas break, please keep an eye out for fixtures on the PE notice board.
Players of the Month
Massive congratulations to our December Player of the Month winners. The following students were selected by their respective coaches:
Year 9 ESA Basketball - Denzel Fernando
Denzel has been the outstanding player this half term. Despite being a year younger than the rest of the team, he has shown some incredible skill and talent to be the team's joint leading scorer. He is extremely calm under pressure and has adapted well to the new tactic, called the 'Denzel' - Mr Deeks.
Year 8 ESA Cricket - Sachin Banda
Played above his age group and has performed to a very high level.
vs Halesowen Cricket Club (U12's) - 2 overs 2-16 & 9* runs
vs KES Camphill (U15's) - 11* runs
vs KES Camphill (U12's) - 29* runs
Batting average of 49 runs.
Year 8 ESA Football - Muizz Khan
Fantastic training attendance and high standards shown throughout the month. Man of the Match performance against Kings Norton, making several outstanding saves - Mr Janes.
Year 8 10 ESA Football - Amara Ganess
100% training attendance in the month of December. Amara has really progressed with his game understanding, showing composure when in possession and developing his decision making - Mr Janes.
If you have any questions relating to the details above, please use the contact details below:
Mr Deeks, Director of Learning - SCP Faculty, j.deeks@lordswoodboys.co.uk
Mr Janes, Director of Sport, d.janes@lordswoodboys.co.uk
Finally, today marks a heartfelt farewell to Mr. Thorpe and Mr. Southall. We extend our best wishes to both colleagues as they embark on new endeavours and express our gratitude for their dedicated support of our students at Lordswood Boys' School. In January, we eagerly anticipate the arrival of Mr. Foric and Mr. Ahmed, who will be joining the Science department.
May your Christmas break be filled with joy and relaxation. I look forward to sharing more news with you upon our return in January. Should you have any inquiries in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me directly at l.williams@lordswoodboys.co.uk.
Mr. L. Williams,
Principal,
Lordswood Boys' School.
Lordswood Boys' School • Hagley Road • Harborne • Birmingham • B17 8BJ
Tel:0121 464 2837
Email: enquiry@lordswoodboys.co.uk
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