A Special thank you and Farewell to Mr Hinds from all the students in year 8
Dhanushika Muralikrishnan spent 72 hours of her own time outside of school to produce a memorable farewell self-portrait painting of Mr Hinds. The students at Baylis Court will always appreciate and miss him very much. Happy Retirement Mr Hinds!
It has been a tough couple of years since the pandemic began and I know that all of the staff have appreciated the support that the school has received from parents, without that support it would be difficult for the school to be effective.
I would like to say a big thank you for all of the good wishes that I have received since announcing my retirement. I am also extremely grateful for all of the cards and gifts that I have received.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the staff for their tremendous effort and dedication in ensuring that the students receive a high level of quality care and education, whilst often having to overcome very difficult circumstances.
It has been a joy to serve the Baylis Court School students over the last 17 years and it has been very rewarding to see each of them grow and flourish.
I hope that you enjoy a restful and healthy summer holiday and return in September for a successful new academic year.
All the best
Ray Hinds
Principal
.
.
Congratulations to YEAR 9 and YEAR 10 GCSE dancers who took part in a within her eyes dance workshop this week with two professional dancers from James Cousins dance company
Students displayed wonderful creativity and strength in their lifts
We are so proud of you!
_______________________________________________________________
Well-being Top Tips
With the Covid-19 restrictions easing and the school year coming to a close, we all may be feeling lots of emotions ranging from excitement to anxiety, and everything in between. This may cause some stress and uncertainty in yourself, and it is important to know how to manage these feelings.
There are some simple things that you can do to look after your mental health, either by yourself or with other people. Here is our well-being mentor’s tips for the summer holidays for looking after yourself:
Think Positive Thoughts
Start every day on a positive note - Create a ritual in which you start off each day with something uplifting and positive. Such as, tell yourself that it’s going to be a great day or any other positive affirmation, listen to a happy and positive song or playlist, or share some positivity by giving a compliment or doing something nice for someone.
Practice positive self-talk - We tend to be the hardest on ourselves and be our own worst critic. Over time, this can cause you to form a negative opinion of yourself that can be hard to shake. To stop this, you’ll need to be mindful of the voice in your head and respond with positive messages.
Focus on the good things - Challenging situations and obstacles are a part of life. When you’re faced with one, focus on the good things no matter how small or seemingly insignificant they seem. If you look for it, you can always find the proverbial silver lining in every cloud — even if it’s not immediately obvious.
If you feel you need someone to talk to during the summer holidays there is free online support available at:
You can also text SHOUT to 85258 and chat by text. The service is free on most networks and available 24/7, and trained volunteers will listen to you, and work with you to help you take the next steps towards feeling better.
KS3 Maths
Maths Whizz have a free programme which will help your child keep up those essential maths skills over the summer. The link to the free Whizz resources here.
KS3 and 4 Transition
With the pandemic this year, many students may have had a disrupted end to the year. If you have a child about to go to secondary school then take a look at our ‘Be Awesome, Go Big’ package that can be accessed here. The resources and the workbook are based on Matthew Burton’s book ‘Go Big’ and Matthew Syed’s book ‘You Are Awesome’. Both are available to buy alongside the resources. If your child is moving into key stage 4, then try PiXL Change Makers – found here. There are PowerPoints and a workbook which go alongside Matthew Syed’s latest book, ‘Dare to Be You’.
GCSE get GCSEPod
It’s always good to refresh knowledge over the summer ready for the return in September. Check out GCSEPod’s free offering of their Summer Pod programme which you can find here.
__________________________________________________________________________
IGD Work Experience Week - July 2021
Register your interest to take part in our virtual work experience week to develop skills and experience to add to your CV, gain insights into a growing industry with jobs for all qualification levels, and expand your network by interacting with industry professionals.
__________________________________________________________________________
Exciting new apprentice roles at XPS
We are an award winning, growing pensions consultancy with over 1300 employees in 15 locations across the UK. Our Reading office (located right next to the train station) has some exciting new roles aimed at school leavers.
__________________________________________________________________________
Investing In Your Future – Apprenticeship opportunities now LIVE
____________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
On Thursday 8th July, all of year 10 took part in a Work Ready Conference with Learning to Work. In the morning they had an insight into a range of businesses, and in the afternoon they took part in a live Q&A with business volunteers in the Hall. Each tutor group were able to ‘virtually’ visit two businesses and take part in activities for that particular company. Well done year 10!
Credits:
Created with images by StartupStockPhotos - "student typing keyboard" • JillWellington - "magnolia trees springtime pink flowers" • LubosHouska - "books bookstore book" • Krystal Ng - "untitled image"