Dear Parents
Open Evening last week was very well attended with many parents and young people commenting on our beautiful site and the energy and enthusiasm of our staff and young people. Thank you to everyone involved and to you for sharing positivity about Hardenhuish in the Community.
It was lovely to welcome half of our new Year 7 and their parents last night and we look forward to welcoming the other half this evening. It was so heart-warming to see the enthusiasm (and reassure some of the nerves!) of our new young people as they begin their Hardenhuish experience. They are then in for Induction Day tomorrow along with the new Year 12 (no other pupils are required in school) and this will be a great opportunity for them to find their way around and get used to the site and some of the staff this side of the summer holiday.
We will be saying farewell to a number of staff next week. I would particularly like to mention and publicly thank Mrs Spencer, Curriculum Leader for Maths and Dr Bassford, Deputy Headteacher for everything they have given to Hardenhuish during their time here. I wish them well with their new adventures and hope that they take with them many happy Hardenhuish memories.
Please can I ask that if you are having a sort out either before or over the summer break and come across any pre-loved uniform that could be re-homed you bring it in to reception. Our stocks are running low as people get organised for the new school year and it would be great to re-home anything we can.
Headlines will once again be on Thursday next week as Friday is Activity Day.
Have a good weekend.
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
Last Giveaway this year!
On Monday 17 July 2023, we’ll be broadcasting the last show of this academic year.
It’ll be my last show on Hardenhuish Radio. The Radio Team and I have had a great time broadcasting this year and we’d like to thank all our presenters, guest DJs and listeners for making Hardenhuish Radio a big part of the school community.
Students can tune in for our Giveaway starting at 5 PM on Monday 17 July 2023.
Prizes include Free Domino’s Pizza, Burts Boards Gift Card, Bath Racecourse Tickets, Castle Combe Race Circuit Tickets and many more!
Students and Staff can tune in and read more information on our website: https://hhradio.uk!
Ben
On Behalf of The Hardenhuish Radio Team
Young Carers
A Young Carer is a child under 18 who regularly looks after someone in their family or a friend who is ill, disabled, or has a mental health problem or an addiction.
Children may engage in:
- Shopping, cooking, cleaning
- Managing medicines or money
- Providing personal care
- Helping get people out of the house
- Keeping an eye on someone
- Providing emotional support
Hardenhuish School can support young carers. We run a weekly drop-in session on a Thursday lunchtime for our Young Carers and their friends.
If you, or a family member, needs support please contact: Lisa McCarthy the Young Carers School Operational Lead at youngcarers@hardenhuish.wilts.sch.uk.
All contact will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Hardenhuish Sailors
It’s been an exciting and busy few weeks for Hardenhuish Sailors, despite the far from perfect conditions.
Following on from a great performance at the RSFeva Nationals in Wales where they achieved their aim of getting into Gold Fleet (top) and then getting 30th overall out of 100 plus boats, Emilia Ripley Yr9 (helm) sailing with her club friend, Anna (crew) competed in the RYA British Youth Sailing Regional Junior Championships, at Oxford Farmoor Reservoir. Being members of the coastal based Hayling Island Sailing Club, lake sailing, in light winds, is definitely their least favourite conditions, and to date their results on lakes has reflected this, as they have been OK, but not top of fleet. Despite this they still went into the second day with joint first but with a lot of work to do. However, their training over winter finally came together with them reading the gusts – when the wind finally turned up – and taking risks on the side of the course to go, and they pulled away from the fleet so spectacularly we all thought that they had gone the wrong way – sorry for doubting – but to be fair they also were shocked at how well it came together. With several first and top fleet results, Emilia and Anna took First position overall, which was a great confidence boaster for them both, going into the next event.
Earlier this week, Emilia, sailing with Toby Stanislaus (Yr10), entered the Itchenor Schools event – a national Feva competition for School pairings with well over 100 entries. Whilst Emilia is familiar with sea sailing and big start lines, Toby’s experience in the Feva was limited, and his event experience is in the larger 29er boat. Having had only a few practice sessions, Emilia and Toby confidently sailed over to the race course in what can only be described as upper limit conditions – with 25knt (approx. 29mph) winds and +1m waves on the Monday, which meant only 2 races out of 4 were run before everyone was sent in for safety, but only after a lot of sailors, including ours got very wet and a lot needing rescuing. On the second day, the wind dropped, and 4 races were achieved, with Emilia and Toby getting a 4th and several 14ths. On the last race they decided to leave it all out on the water and go for broke with an aggressive start – which unfortunately didn’t pay off this time as they were over the line, but that result was a discard leaving them in an amazing 13th position overall. A special mention needs to go out to Y11 Big brother Benji, who was in the support rib with dad for both days, helping with rescues, being prepared to jump in to help the novices, and for coaching Emilia and Toby between races.
Building on this run of success Emilia is heading off to Italy, as part of Team GBR for the RSFeva World Championships, With Toby and Benji (separate pairings) heading to Weymouth for the 29er Nationals and also for Benji, the 29er World Championships, as part of Team GBR, this summer.