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Beauchamps Issue 74 News Christmas - December 2020 Headteacher’s Letter Dear Parents/Carers, Firstly, I would like to thank parents, students, staff, and governors for their support this term in what has certainly been a challenging few weeks! To see the Beauchamps community pulling together in the face of such adversity has been heart-warming, and especially, I am incredibly proud of the way that the students have coped with all the upheaval. Their attitude in lessons, their contributions to sporting, artistic and musical activities when possible has been commendable! Events have been virtual this term, rather than within the school building. Open Evening went online for the first time and showed the warmth and enthusiasm of day to day school life here. Similarly, the Sixth Form Open Evening was a virtual event but again, we were able to showcase the strengths of our ever-growing Sixth Form. A big, extra special thanks must go to our very own Subject Leader for Music, Mr Byford, this Christmas, who devoted hours of his time to As with the Virtual Open Evening aimed at potential new Year 7 students, creating a virtual Christmas concert we have had to create a Sixth Form Virtual Open Evening aimed at which I know that many of you will potential new Year 12 students to showcase our wonderful school. have enjoyed. As you may know, he is We have set up a special page on the school website with a fantastic video which retiring this Christmas and will be very gives a 15 minutes insight into normal school life at Beauchamps, narrated by much missed by all of us; he has been Headteacher Mr Harper. For more on our Sixth Form Virtual Open Evening a wonderful inspiration to so many of please turn to Page 2. the students at the school for many, many years. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas Poppy Selling continues... and a Happy New Year; I sincerely Year 7 students Jack and Alfie hope that you all get the much needed were among the Poppy Sellers opportunity to spend times with loved raising funds for the Royal ones, and I look forward to welcoming British Legion during everyone back to Remembrance Week. school in 2021. Ryan D also made us Mr Harper, proud by laying wreaths on Remembrance Day which Headteacher was also reported by the local newspaper. Read more on Page 4. Miss Randall Sixth Form Virtual Open Evening As with the annual Open Evening for Prospective Parents of new students aimed at Year 6 pupils starting at Secondary School, the Sixth Form have also gone online and virtual this year to showcase the ever-growing and more popular Sixth Form to Year 11 students. As well as the introduction and a video involving the Headteacher and Mrs Gargrupe (the Pastoral Leader of the Sixth Form) and contributions from several current members of the Sixth From, each subject offered has an interactive Powerpoint presentation. There is also a dedicated Sixth Form Prospectus and an Information Booklet on the courses available and these are both on the Website display also. Mr Liddell https://www.beauchamps.essex.sch.uk/sixth-form-virtual-open-evening-2020/ Virtual Christmas Music Concert We also have a Virtual Christmas Music Concert on the School Website at the present time. If you have not already watched it then we recommend you do before Christmas is over! Mr R Byford https://www.beauchamps.essex.sch.uk/virtual-christmas-music-concert-2020/ Beauchamps News Issue 74 2 First Aid with Mrs Edwards I seem to have gone full circle, having started here at Beauchamps as a student in 1982 (which is clearly a typing error as there is no way I am that old) I became our First Aid Officer in 2017. In my past life, I was the Operations Manager for MK Electric, International Division - it was amazing. I had the opportunity to travel and develop working relationships with people from all sorts of different cultures and backgrounds. I left to have my children and had several years at home with them. Once I was ready to go back to work I found out that there was a part time position here at Beauchamps in the school kitchen and I soon got to work preparing and serving food for the teachers and staff. I will be honest; I have never worked so hard in my life and I have the utmost respect and admiration for my friends and colleagues who continue to do such an amazing job here at Beauchamps and to be fair, the food is much better since I stopped cooking it! In 2017 the First Aid Officer job became available and I successfully applied. Since then, I have held many students’ hair back while they have been sick, cleaned wounds, applied bandages and eye drops, and comforted many students when they have been in pain or unwell. Some days I will see a constant stream of patients for a range of different reasons that may require attention, in some instances it gives me the opportunity to work with the student to develop better resilience. The First Aid Room is well stocked to cover every eventuality and in 2018 we received a very generous donation for us to purchase our AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). During 2019 we participated in a national campaign to teach all of our year 7 Students CPR, and they all embraced the opportunity to do so. We had hoped to do the same again this year, but sadly, current circumstances mean that this is not yet possible although it remains firmly in my plans. Covid hasn’t put a stop to everything, I still hold hair back and dress wounds, only now there are visors, masks, gloves and aprons to protect both the student and I. I work closely with the NHS Vaccination Team to ensure that as many students as possible are protected against childhood illnesses and diseases and we conduct several sessions each year vaccinating students at various stages of their school career. There is never a dull day, and despite all the sick, the tears and runny noses, I love working with all of our students and hope that I make the days that they are hurt or unwell a little bit better! Now to think of something inspirational to leave you with….I guess…and I don’t swear to do this every day (but I try my best to) find the fun in everything you do, especially Maths! Mrs Edwards, First Aid Officer. 3 Beauchamps News Issue 74 Remembrance Ryan D Year 11 is a member of the Young Twins Association - the youth section of the Basildon Twinning Association which is supported by Beauchamps High School. Ryan kindly agreed to lay two wreaths during Remembrance Week - one at the “Empty Chair” at Wat Tyler Park, Pitsea and the other at The Wickford Memorial. Ryan has a Great, great Uncle Stan Everitt who died in World War Two who is named on the Wickford Memorial. He did a wonderful job. His parents, nan, grandad and all of the Twinning Members present were very proud of him. Bob Sheridan of the Basildon Twinning Association Well Done Ryan We are all proud of you! Beauchamps News Issue 74 4 Inter-Faith Day Celebration The ERP department were very excited to hold our annual Inter-Faith day in November. The students that were lucky enough to have a faith visitor (pictured above) in their lesson were both enlightened and amazed when they listened to how faith had a profound impact on communities, and learnt in-depth knowledge of Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. Students had the opportunity to both ask and answer questions throughout the visit, and left the lesson having learnt a lot more about how religion has an impact on many people’s lives in our society. Students were particularly interested in why our faith visitors follow a religion and why they believe in a God. Our visitors spoke a lot about their relationship with God and how their experiences of travelling around the world impacted their view on religion. I feel that this experience has helped students to appreciate the positive impact that faith can have on religious believers lives. The ERP department were unfortunately not able to hold the Year 7 Christmas Event this year. Our Church Representatives were kind enough to create a Virtual Christmas Event that is being presented to Year 7 students during the last week of the Autumn Term. A beautifully narrated Christmas Story will be shown to students that will give them an insight into the significance of Jesus’ birth and a lovely Christmas Presentation that gives students the opportunity to think in more depth about the Nativity Play, and to have an interactive question and answer session at the end narrated by our Church Representatives. I am very grateful that our Church Representatives took the time to create this event for our students. This will be an excellent way for students to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Miss Hopping Christmas Jumper Competition Thank you to all the year 7 students who took part in our design a Christmas jumper competition. The judging committee had a really hard job deciding on just one winner, so the following students will all be receiving a prize when we return to school in January - Sophie M 7MO, George M 7ST, Olivia K and 7GB Alfie R 7AS. Mrs Perkins 5 Beauchamps News Issue 74 The SEND Page Our Year 8 New Horizons group have been busy indeed during this term.