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Sponsored Walk

On Friday 29th September, the whole of year 7 did their annual sponsored walk. The pupils walked one lap around the Handsworth Park totalling 1 mile. This was in aid for collecting money that will be donated to the British Red Cross who are providing aid for the recent natural disasters in Libya and Morocco. The staff supervising the walk enjoyed themselves and we are sure the pupils did too!

Stop Press!

We have raised to date over £2,200! This is a wonderful achievement!

The photograph shows the boys who raised the most money within their forms.

Left to Right: 7W- Aarush Duggal, 7H- Samjik Lingden Limbu, 7N- Dylan Ly, 7G- Eesaa Plummer, 7A- Amar Shinh

7W raised the most money out of all of the forms. This is a great achievement and is a good example of our HGS Cares Values.

Harrison Hunter, 7A

On Friday 21st September, the whole of year 7 went on a sponsored walk around Handsworth Park. When we had finished registration, we went to ‘Big School’ to meet before the walk. We left the building in five-minute intervals to stop commotion in the park. After we’d entered Handsworth Park, we followed a blue line painted on the floor which was one mile long. It was nice to see all of the wildlife and the natural landscapes. Once our form had finished, we walked back to school and sat in the main hall. The teachers gave us all a chocolate as a prize for completing the walk. We all left the hall and went to our period two lesson after everyone was back. I’m so happy with how much money I raised. I’m sure it will help a lot of people.

Ekamjeet Singh, 7A

On the day of the walk in Handsworth park, all of the year 7 forms first assembled in the hall. Each form did the walk one by one so one form went and then another followed until all forms had gone. Overall, the walk was very enjoyable and everyone had a bunch of fun talking with their friends and completing it was very relaxing and completely stress free.

Ayan Tariq, 7N

In Year 7, we participated in a sponsored walk to help raise funds for charity. At approximately 9:15, we set off to complete our walk around Handsworth Park. The walk was about 1 mile long and we completed it in around 25 minutes. Overall, the sponsored walk was a fun experience and it felt good to know that we were helping someone and that we could be saving a life.

Kuljot Chahal, 7N

This sponsored walk felt rewarding as we’re not only benefitting ourselves, but to charities for people in need. Doing this walk will help give people in need the opportunity to achieve what they want in life. We had the opportunity to ask for sponsorship from parents / guardians or any friends. After the deadline to donate, all the money will be sent to charity.

 

Click here to view more photos within the gallery.

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World Mental Health Day

We will be busy supporting World Mental Health Day tomorrow.  Our Mental Health Ambassadors will be leading assemblies and visiting forms after, tailoring support to different year groups.  Year 7s will discuss settling in; Year 8 -10 will look at the importance of sleep and Year 11s will get some tips about self-care as they approach their exams.

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Prizegiving 2023

Prizegiving 2023

Dr Stephen, Mr Hirst, Colleagues, Parents, Students

Alongside all the staff at HGS, who have worked hard over the last few weeks to ensure that our school is ready for a new term and indeed new year, I want to formally welcome you all to Prizegiving 2023.

I would like to extend a very special welcome to our Chair of Governors – Dr Bob Stephen as this is his last Prizegiving as he relinquishes the role of Chair of Governors. We still have him on the books until the end of half term so we will make the most of his expertise as he guides HGS through the appointment of a new Head. Thank you for all you have done for our school – we all owe you a huge debt of gratitude for what you have done publicly for HGS and perhaps more importantly what you have done behind the scenes for HGS. I would like to award you Full Colours for all your hard work and support!

Also deserving of special thanks and gratitude is Mr Hocine Idjer – Chair of the Trustees of our Charity. Hocine and the Trustees have been extremely supportive of me and HGS over the years. He became a Governor in my first year as Head so I will take the credit for ensuring he joined our LGB and Charity! Like our Chair it is the unseen work behind the scenes of our Charity Trustees that is of paramount importance to the sustained success of HGS and it benefits us all – Staff, Students and Parents. Thank you Hocine and thank you Jim the Charity Vice-Chair in his absence. I would also like to award you your Full Colours for all your hard work and support!

I would also like to especially welcome Mr David Wheeldon who was Bailiff last year but couldn’t attend our Prizegiving but attends tonight as a Foundation Governor, Trustee and Vice-Chair of the Academy Trust. We also welcome Mr Fazle Kinkhabwala who is the Bailiff this year as well as being a Foundation Governor and Trustee.

12 years ago, at my first HGS Prizegiving we welcomed a lawyer as our special guest so it is very fitting that at my last HGS Prizegiving we welcome another – Karl Hirst. Karl is a barrister at NO. 5 Chambers in Birmingham. He is described as a real star in the senior-junior group, (not to be confused with the Danish pop duo Junior Senior who had a global smash hit in 2003 with Move your Feet) an excellent counsel in every respect. Karl is the perfect combination of technical excellence and a genuine passion to help claimants. Superb with both clients and opponents – he is a pleasure to be against. Karl was appointed as a Deputy District Judge in 2019 and is authorised to hear cases in the family, county and high courts. Welcome Karl and Claire, I just wish I had known you a few weeks ago as you might well have got me off my speeding fine and I could have avoided my speed awareness course in a weeks’ time!

Invictus by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

 
Turning specifically to our students: it is lovely to be here together again; I hope you have another really successful year in a whole host of areas, inside the classroom and out, academically and socially…and I hope you have a very happy year.

Now, having said just a moment ago that my wish is for you to have a happy and successful year – I want to move on to struggles and in particular to talk about an oak tree, cycling and Nelson Mandela.

Many years ago, when I was much younger in the Bronze Age, I used to enjoy travelling and cycling. In my late teens and twenties, I travelled a lot – Europe, Africa, USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Hong Kong, China and so on. But I fondly remember cycling with a friend, cycling all day carrying what we needed with us on the back of our bikes. There was a lovely sense of achievement when we arrived in the town where we were staying late afternoon, reflecting on how far we had travelled, the difficulties we encountered, getting lost briefly and so on…and planning the route for the next day. My son loves cycling around our local countryside too – so he has caught the bug!

And then, for many years, there was a lot less cycling but more recently, I have enjoyed exploring some of Worcestershire on two wheels. At this juncture, I should point out that there will be many people here who are far more accomplished cyclists (Mr Ward being one) than me; who go further and faster on machines that are far more sophisticated than mine. Some even combine cycling with running and swimming but, that aside, perhaps once or occasionally twice a week, I have enjoyed going out as soon as it is light and pedalling along quiet roads and getting back before most people – including some members of my family notably my teenage daughter – are even awake.

As mentioned I travelled through Africa and have family in South Africa. Robben Island in South Africa is famous and it is where Nelson Mandela was kept in a tiny cell for 18 of the 27 years he served in prison, during the apartheid era. For much of that time, prisoners were treated brutally, but Mandela had learnt the poem Invictus, which I read a moment ago and it became a source of inspiration for him and the other inmates of the prison. I am the guardian of my fate; I am the captain of my soul…in other words, it is me who determines what my future will bring – not others; I will take responsibility for me, even when I’m struggling; I’m not going to blame anyone or anything else. I’m in charge of me.

Coming back to me and the cycling, over the weeks I tried different routes and towards the end of one is a steep hill with an oak tree on the top. Initially, tired at the end of a (not very long) ride, as I huffed and puffed up the incline, getting slower and slower the oak tree never seemed to get any closer. Eventually, there was nothing else to do it seemed, but to pause for a rest and then try again, gradually creeping to the summit. The next time was similar, if ever so slightly easier and then came the first occasion when I got to the top without stopping…and then that repeated…until it became an enjoyable challenge and I found myself looking forward to the oak tree, trying to reach it quicker and without changing down through the gears…you get the idea. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

Over the coming weeks and months, all of us will have our hills to climb, our oak trees to reach. Sometimes, it will seem as though we will never do it; we will look for excuses, our struggles, we might think, will be the fault of others. But that isn’t right; because we’re in charge of us… what may seem impossible at times, isn’t… because in almost every case, we can find a way to improve, to achieve what we are capable of not least by seeking the help of others we’re the masters of our fate, we’re the captains of our soul.

So, I hope you all have a superb year full of success and happiness. But in amongst the good times there will undoubtedly be struggles; enjoy those too. We can all find ways to overcome difficulties and to achieve more than we thought possible and by doing so, we grow. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

Some inspiration for the year ahead:

  • At GCSE – some 60% of all grades were 9 to 7, 100% gained 9 to 4 including English and Maths. A8 score is 71.21 and P8 score is 0.67.
  • At A Level – some 50% of all grades were A* to B, 98% of all grades were A* to E.
  • LSE, Manchester, Nottingham, Leicester, Bristol, UOB, Aston, Warwick have all been universities of choice this year. Our leavers have pursued Apprenticeships. Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Law, Engineering – (Mechanical, Civil, Aerospace), Computer Science, Biomedical Science, Maths, Economics, Psychology, Architecture, Optometry, even some History, Geography and English!
  • Look at our Honours Boards and all these wonderful Prizes to be awarded tonight. It could be you!
  • £1000’S for Charity, Legacy teams, Sports, Music, LAMDA, Prefects, Mental Health Ambassadors, HGS CARES, House Captains and Vice Captains, Trips, Visits – just read The Bridge Magazine! So much goes on in our rich, diverse and vibrant community. Be a part of it and be a Force for Good.

Stay well and safe.

Be kind to yourself and others.

HAEC OLIM MEMINISSE IUVABIT

Dr Bird

 

Please click here to view more photos within the gallery.

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Year 9 Basketball Team

The year 9 basketball team played their first friendly match of the season and lost narrowly 31-25 to St George’s School, Edgbaston. This was an exciting game, played in a great spirit by both teams.

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Evgeny Kissin concert in Oxford 21st September 2023

The trip to Oxford was very fun, although the journey to Oxford was long. When we arrived in Oxford, we walked a short distance to the Ashmolean Museum where we looked at various ancient painting and artefacts from a wide range of cultures. I really enjoyed the Japanese exhibit because it had old samurai armour and two katanas which was really interesting. However, my favourite exhibit was the one with old violins and guitar. After supper, we walked around Oxford and explored the famous landmarks before arriving to Oxford Town Hall for the concert. The first half of the concert was Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto which was amazing. The pianist was Evgeny Kissin. The second half of the concert was devoted to Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. Hearing the orchestra play was certainly a great experience.

Jaswanth Panathala Venkata 10H

 

 

 

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Focus on Education

When I was a kid, my aspirations were simple. I wanted a house with stairs in it and I wanted a four-door station wagon. When I was asked what I wanted to be, I told adults that I wanted to be a paediatrician but now, I think that one of the most useless questions an adult can ask: is what do you want to be when you grow up? …as if growing up is finite, as if at some point you become something and that’s the end.

So far in my life I’ve been a lawyer, the vice president of a charity which helps young people build meaningful careers and, until recently, I was the First Lady of the United States of America. That’s not officially a job but it gave me a platform like nothing I had had before.

I’m an ordinary person who found herself on an extraordinary journey and, sharing my story, I hope to create space for other stories and other voices, to widen the pathway for who belongs and why. I’ve been lucky enough to walk into stone castles, urban classrooms and Iowa kitchens, just trying to be myself just trying to connect. For every door that’s opened to me, I’ve tried to open doors for others. Let’s try to invite one another in. Maybe then, we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions and let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe then we can better embrace the ways we are the same.

The above is taken from Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Was it an alarm, a knock on the bedroom door or daylight coming through the curtains? I wonder what got you up this morning.

If you haven’t read the book, I would highly recommend it – I think there is at least one copy in the learning hub – just one out of the 17 million that have been sold across the world. And I suspect the 17 million people who have bought them will have been interested to understand more about the woman who was not only America’s First Lady – the term used to describe the wife of the US President, but the woman who has continued to have a high profile and who some have said, could become America’s President herself one day.

However, what struck me in particular was Obama’s clear motivation to make things better – particularly as regards education and healthcare for those in the US and across the world who can’t take for granted having access to good schooling and medical treatment when they or their families need it. Even though Michelle Obama could presumably put up her proverbial feet and enjoy a comfortable life, something inside her drives her on to make things better. Indeed, in Becoming, she asks the question: Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be? Perhaps that gives us an indication of what gets Michelle Obama up in the morning.

So when I ask, what gets us up in the morning, I’m not really talking about whether it is the smell of toast or someone reminding you that you’re going to be late if you don’t come out from under the duvet, I am talking about self-motivation – that something inside which drives us on to achieve and to take the opportunities we have to be the best versions of us. Why do we bother, why do we break sweat to do those things that we find challenging, rather than just getting by and leaving those things that are difficult, until tomorrow?

What motivates one person is not what necessarily motivates someone else. When, aged 13, I started at Big School I was only able to do so because my parents were given financial support. For years, I was desperate to try to show that it – or indeed I – was worth it, and later, I discovered a love of History, and my motivation was to get the grades to study the subject at university.

You may be similar and many of you will be all too aware of the sacrifices that families have made and continue to make for you to be here. There may be members of Year 11 who were disappointed with grades achieved at the end of last term but are now all too clear of what is needed to study subjects in the sixth form and the motivation will be to put things right. Others will be working hard to gain entry into the university of their choice …. and/or indeed to perform highly in other areas.

For many years, I had holiday jobs in shops, supermarkets and cafes. I didn’t find it the most fulfilling way to spend time, indeed the time passed by very slowly, and apart from the interaction with customers which I did enjoy, the jobs were a means to an end – a way to earn money. Most of us will come to the point where we need to earn a living to support ourselves and our families and there is absolutely nothing wrong in having an honest occupation which does just that. However, my wish for everyone is that we find a path in life which is fulfilling in other ways, which brings challenge and satisfaction and where we feel we are having a positive impact – a role for which we are happy to get out of bed in the mornings.

In the meantime, remember what Michelle Obama suggested – that for adults to wonder what a young person will become in life is a rather narrow question– because we will hopefully continue to grow and contribute to the world in a whole host of ways, not just in the job we take when we graduate. And to make that broad contribution through careers that are likely to vary over a lifetime, to contribute to our families and in society as a whole, we will need to have developed skills in a broad range of areas, and they come in part, from involving ourselves as fully as possible in school.

So, find that motivation to be the best we can in as many areas as we can; enjoy doing well but also enjoy getting better in those areas we find challenging; enjoy further developing old interests and taking opportunities that are new. Time at HGS passes all too quickly so even when it starts to get darker and colder, know the reasons for getting out of bed in the morning.

Stay well and safe.

Be kind to yourself and others.

Best wishes,

Dr Bird

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Wellbeing Advice

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Sixth Form Open Evening

Our Sixth Form Open Evening takes place between 4:30 and 6:30 pm on 26/10/23. Come and visit our bespoke Sixth Form Centre and excellent facilities. Find out about our wide-ranging academic and extra-curricular programmes by meeting our specialist staff. All Welcome!

 

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Sixth Form Football Squad

The Sixth Form Football Squad had their first game of the season against Camp Hill Boys. The team suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat in an exciting game.

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Senior Prefect Team 2023-2024

Congratulations to our Senior Prefect Team for 2023-2024. We wish them all the best for the year ahead as they embark on their duties.