Warbler, Issue 12 February 2019

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Welcome The first half term of this calendar year has thrown us some interesting weather for the time of year and it has been wonderful to see so many of our students availing themselves of food and refreshments from our new outdoor food pod and being able to enjoy consuming it in the sunshine. The pod is only one aspect of the improvements we have made to our catering provision. Thank you to all our parents, carers and students who continue to manage our cashless system so effectively and to our students for supporting the new menus and systems we have put in place. We will continue to develop this element of our provision as we have s strong belief in the value of healthy eating during a social lunchtime. Several research studies have shown a strong correlation between social interaction over food and health and well-being. Put simply, sharing mealtimes is good for your mental health. Whether it be through sharing experiences with family and friends, winding down in company or just having someone to talk to, mealtimes provide an opportunity to set aside a specific time of the day to socialise, relax and improve our mental health. There are three key areas in which the provision of time to eat healthily, relax and share the experience together can have a beneficial impact: Psychological - Regular mealtimes which are shared provide a sense of rhythm and regularity in people’s lives. They offer a sense of containment and familiarity, and can evoke deep feelings of contentment and security. Humans need structure and routine. Mealtimes offer people the opportunity to stop, to stand still psychologically, to reflect on their day and days ahead, and to listen to and interact with others. Mealtimes are also a grounding opportunity, a time when anxieties can be expressed and you can be listened to. Social - Sharing meals helps to develop social skills in children. Children learn from behaviour modelled by parents, older siblings, teachers and peers. Mealtimes provide an opportunity where children and adolescents can learn to listen and learn how to interact in conversation. The ritual of the shared meal continuously reinforces individual identity. Qualities such as empathy and understanding can be developed as views and perspectives other than one’s own can be discussed. Importantly, shared mealtimes make people feel connected to others. Biological - Regular mealtimes are good biologically. They provide rhythm and make us stop and focus on eating in upright chairs which improves digestion. The act of talking and listening also slows down the eating process. Healthy eating is more likely to take place in sociable environments where people may come into contact with a healthier group ethos. It has been proven that eating meals with others enhances dietary variety and nutrient intake. I should point out that the main impetus for the changes to our catering provision has been our student body. Our Junior Leadership Team worked tirelessly to obtain feedback and the student voice they collected was instrumental in brokering a new contract with our catering providers. They went to visit other schools, researched possible solutions and shared the hard task of taste-testing the goods! I would like to thank them for their efforts (particularly with the range of cakes!) and congratulate them on the difference they have made to this important aspect of life at The Wilnecote School. Music Department Here in the Music Department students in both Years 9 and 10 who started their GCSE journey in September, are busy preparing themselves for their first Live Lounge concert at the end of term. Performance is a large part of the GCSE music syllabus so students need as much practice as possible performing in front of an audience. Many of our students are already regular performers in concerts and productions but not all, so to help with this and to offer opportunities to gain confidence with performance techniques various Live Lounge concerts will be held over the year. Parents of students taking GCSE music have been offered the chance to make up a small audience enabling students to perform their pieces and share their progress on the course so far. Again this year the number of students taking part in extra-curricular music tuition has increased, particular favourites include Guitar and Vocal lessons. It’s never too late for students to learn an instrument and The Wilnecote School is in the privileged position to be able to offer lessons on all orchestral instruments – Brass, Woodwind, Percussion and Strings, in addition keyboard, guitar and vocal lessons are still available. If you would like more information on the instrument lessons we offer as well as details of the costs involved please see the music section on the school website or contact Mr Hyden, Head of Music.
Welcome Mrs Ager Just before Christmas Mrs Ager became Grazier’s new Head of House. We sent Louise Griffiths to find out more about her new position How has your new position as Head of House been? Busy. I was prepared for it to be busy but I didn’t realise just how much students rely on the pastoral team, there’s something every minute of the day I’m doing. Why did you want to become a Head of House? I had a pretty rough time at school. My dad died when I was fourteen and I felt that school didn’t help with anything to do with that. Then when I was an adult and my sister was a teenager my mum died and she had a hard time at school as well. I just thought that I care a lot about the students and my main driving force as a teacher is to make a difference. What was the process like to become a Head of House? The main things were an interview and letter. The competition was difficult as there were some really good teachers but this is something I’ve wanted to do for the last six years of my career so I felt very able to talk about it. What was your reaction when you found out you got the position? I was confused and thought Mr Adams told me I hadn’t got it. I was shocked as the field of competition was so strong but I was also very happy. What have you done so far as Head of House? Dealt with conflict between students, been involved in the first Student Voice meeting of the year and spent time working with the other Heads of House, Mr Adams and Mrs Hill. Do you and the other Heads of Houses work well together? Yes, they’ve both been so supportive and answered all my questions. Why do you think that it’s important that we have a Head of House? I think that everyone has an issue every day of the week but some kids they find it really hard to deal with so by having an adult there to talk to and be their safety net they feel better What do you hope to achieve as Head of House? I really want there to be a deeper sense of team within Grazier. I’m a big Harry Potter fan and I love that when they go into school they get picked by the sorting hat based upon their qualities as a person. However I’m not magic so I can’t create a sorting hat but I’d like people who come into my house to have certain qualities by the time they leave. But I’m not going to define these qualities as I want the house to come up with them. What three words would you use to describe yourself? Daft, committed and passionate Do you have any hidden talents? I’m pretty good a Monopoly and I’m into obstacle course racing. Do you have any hobbies? Exercise and training for obstacle course racing. I also love to read. Favourite book you’ve read in the past year? Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Who or what inspires you? Other working mums. I always thought that I’d be a mum who would have kids and carry on working but it’s not been that way. I had my son and I didn’t want to work anymore so I became part time but it’s only been over the past three years where I’ve felt I can balance being a mum and working. Also a teacher from my old school Mr Williams who was the Deputy Head for behaviour. He inspired me and was very nice but also well respected and fair. Career wise he’s the kind of person I want to be like. If you could spend one day in someone else’s shoes who would it be and why? Will Smiths wife because I love Will Smith. If your life was a novel, what would the title be? The girl who never gave up. If you could relive one day of your life what day would it be? The birth of my son because it changed me into the person I am now. What advice would you give to yourself ten years ago? It’s going to be hard but whatever you do keep working at it because you’re going to get there.
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Warbler, Issue 12 February 2019

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