Hi all,
Here is a rundown of some of the beautiful artwork that has been produced by our wonderful XP and XPE students during lockdown 3.0.
As a team, we have been blown away by the effort and resilience that our pupils are showing.
I hope you enjoy having a flick through their work as much as we have.
And so begins another week in the land of online learning and honestly? I could not be more proud of what I can see. I am amazed everyday with how my crew are grappling with the ever changing circumstances, coming to crew every morning ready to learn and fuelled with motivation. This start to term has been tough… but I want to appreciate every member of my crew and their wonderful parents for all the work and encouragement going on at home!
So far this term in crew we have been discussing about and preparing for our Student Led Conferences with a particular focus on how we can improve our HoWLs. Everyone has spent some time reflecting on their HoWLs ready to make them even better in the next data drop so we can make our way to the top of the leader board!
I wanted to make a few appreciations to some members of my crew who have particularly impressed me so far this term:
I appreciate Holly and Lily Harbour who have been early for every single session, your attendance has been brilliant. Your hard work pays off.
I appreciate Poppy and Max who has been completing work to a very high standard and helping others, well done.
I appreciate Lukas who was AMAZING in a preparing for SLCs crew session and helped everyone remember the last expedition
I appreciate Louie and Nik for reading sections of the book Wonder very beautifully in a group reading session.
Everyone really has been pushing themselves working hard, getting smart and being kind so I appreciate the whole crew for that!
Working from home has definitely has had its challenges for everyone (teachers, students and parents). We had needed to learn new skills quickly, attempt tricky tasks and use a lot more patience than usual. I think this quote from William James says it best: “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” With a good attitude and a willingness to grapple with hard tasks, we can acieve anything!
It’s safe to say, I miss having this lot around. I sure am looking forward to more laughs, discussions and funny check ins when we are all together again. For now though our daily Google Meet catch up will have to do. To finish off, here are a few pictures that I took in one of our last crew sessions before Christmas where we were doing Christmas crafts! Enjoy these festive photos!
Checking out for now…
Crew JRI
As part of a Wise Wednesday session, Crew Rashford recently took time to research and identify with online quotations which appealed to them. The students then presented their findings to the rest of their crew mates and explained exactly why the quotes they had chosen had struck a chord with them.
A selection of these were later chosen to appear on our new Crew wall (which is currently in the design phase……watch this space………or rather, watch that wall !!!).
The exercise served a myriad of purposes…..
It was another valuable opportunity for students to throw the grappling hook of exploration further up the learning wall, and pull themselves up to discover new areas of research. In the case of the quote above, not only did we discuss the beautiful meaning of the quote itself, but also the remarkable life and works of Maya Angelou – someone whom the students may not have previously known about.
The exercise encouraged them to be the leaders of their own mini learning expedition.
We found that quotations are a wonderful portal to the learning cloud – to areas of thought, discussion and research – and into areas which Year 7s certainly, may not have travelled of their own volition ordinarily.
My Crew are amazing, and I am so very proud to be able to be associated with them all. We have developed bonds of trust and respect and understanding. They have also taken on the challenge of the new Covid restrictions with courage and determination and their continued resilience to succeed against something which none of us totally understand, is remarkable.
So Crew Rashford – this blog is for YOU. It’s my opportunity (and my honour) to say to everyone out there, that this far, you have all proven yourselves to be worthy of your place at XP. There’s absolutely no reason why we cant continue to grow as Crew, and as a yeargroup and then roll on into the forthcoming years with more, and more, and more momentum.
And to end, a word from our namesake …….whom I’m still waiting to e mail me back.
“…..Always train hard, work harder, never give up, never give in and believe in you….”
Marcus Rashford.
Mr K 🙂
Crew HIB have not shied away from their learning during this school closure and I can not express how proud I am of them adjusting to their new normal! We have all been open about how we are feeling day to day and making sure we are taking care of each other because WE ARE CREW.
Here we are cheering each other up and making each other smile!
Along side this we have been doing some very important work looking at our HOWLs and talking to each other about how we intend to support one another as a crew! I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Arina on her amazing HOWLS (see below). Even with these FANTASTIC HOWLS she has pledged to stop being a passenger particularly in Art and Music and intends to participate fully and mindfully in all sessions! We as a crew will be holding her to account to this in academic crew check in, confirming with her class if she is fulfilling a pledge. We don’t just say the pledge, we follow it through, we are held to account, and we do what we say. Well done Arina!
Finally I just want to finish off by mentioning that, as staff, at XP we share beautiful work regularly to show each other and crew leaders how amazing the kids here are working! Miss Jones shared with me a piece of work created by Tammy in our crew (snip below) and I am so proud at how hard she has worked on this! Lots of thought and effort! Well done Tammy!
Keep going guys! YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!
Wow.
What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been. With schools closing it has been difficult to adjust to remote learning. However , My Crew has smashed it.
They all have fallen right back into the habits of work and learning .
Working Hard , Getting Smart and Being Kind.
Special thanks to Belle + Edward , your focus has been fantastic.
In crew we have spent some time in a mindful state. Some of the crew have drawn some wonderful pictures.
I would like to share them with you.
What a return to school our crew has had! Slipped right back into the habits of work and learning at XP!
You can see here Charlotte and Leo here getting smart in an afterschool maths session, I popped in for some socially distanced support but they were showing me how it’s done!
Our crew members Tammy, Kiahna, and Arina working hard in PE. Working as a crew to become champions in mat ball, it was amazing to watch them help each other out and encourage each other!
Finally, a member of our crew has been off school for a while and we are missing him in the crew, so we decided to show an act of kindness by delivering him a note and some goodies to show him we are thinking about him!
#WEARECREW
Our year 7s have been back at school now for a week after their 2 week isolation. Despite the uncertainty of school at the moment and ever changing environment, they were happy to be back in the crew room and I was ecstatic to see them.
This week on Wise Wednesday, we took a chance to regroup and remember what it means to be crew. When everything around us feels so crazy and fast, we need to come back to crew. Crew isn’t just the 45 minutes in the morning before lessons begin, crew is the school, it’s what we always come back to. As beautifully put by Louie, crew is like a family. We had some lovely reflections from various crew members about how they plan to be more crew in every aspect of school because in the end, if we get crew right, we get everything right.
One way that we can be more crew is by showing the HOWLs in every aspect of our learning. The HOWLs are our Habits of Work and Learning (Work Hard, Get Smart and Be Kind). Students are marked (out of 4.5) by their teachers and myself as to how they are showing their HOWLs at school. I am so pleased with the progress crew JRI as their HOWLs marks came back generally fantastic! I am so proud of this crew!
As my finishing segment, I just wanted to sing my crew’s praises a little bit more… I was passing through the sports hall on Friday when something caught my attention. It was Crew JRI working as a brilliant team in Mat Ball! When stopping to watch, I could see Poppy and Olivia trying to throw balls to the other side of the pitch where the rest of the crew were trying to catch them so that the person who threw it could join them. I was in awe as I watched them encourage each other and persist until eventually… they won! It truly is amazing what crew can do! I think the action shots below show some of the excitement!
We have come a very long way as a crew from day 1 but it is all movement in the right direction. We are brilliant, we are a team, we are crew!
It’s been an interesting start to the term for our Year 7s in XP East but Crew JRI have taken it all in their stride. After only 2 days back at school after the holidays, everything was shaken up again and 2 weeks of home learning began. I am constantly amazed by the adaptability of our students to be able to thrive in every setting and remain positive and enthusiastic!
During this time of virtual home learning, we have had to get creative with lessons and crew sessions! This has included a lot of problem solving with how to use new apps and remembering to mute our microphones! This requires much integrity. But what has been fantastic to see is the willingness to help each other with the tricky issues which technology can bring. Louie has been especially helpful, sharing his screen to help his crew mates access the apps we have been using!
On Remembrance Day, we talked about what remembrance means to us. A few crew members showed a lot of courage by speaking about family members who have fought for the country both during wars in the past and more recently. This year especially, remembrance has even more importance. With the global pandemic causing big shifts in the NHS and other public sectors, we took a chance to remember and thank those brave key workers who have been on the front line, making sacrifices for us. See below some of the notes that Amelia, Nikodem and Louie wrote on Padlet about this topic.
We also have taken some time to discuss the importance of mental health, especially when working from home. The crew were fantastic at discussing this topic with great maturity. They shared some fantastic advice on how to manage mental health which can be seen below:
Louie: Be kind to everyone, give what you would like to receive. Don’t be scared to tell people if you aren’t feeling the best
Liam: Be friendly and be kind despite the conditions
Holly: Take more take for yourself
Lukas: It is scientifically proven that exercising helps
Amelia: Go for a walk and get some fresh air. Check up on each other.
Poppy: Open up to people
I’m looking forward to being together again for crew on Tuesday!
Until then 🙂
“…Ive failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed…..”
Michael Jordan
To say that Ive missed my Crew this past week would be an understatement. That’s how important they are to me. My Crew have developed such incredible characters, personalities and relationships with one another, that at times they leave me speechless. These 13 individuals, who sat on their blue plastic chairs for the first time – only a few months ago, are travelling incrementally into the next, and the next, and the next phases of their lives with courage, determination and a desire to be the very best versions of themselves…
And they’ve achieved this change by being brave, by being honest with themselves, and by accepting that failure is something that has to be a part of their overall learning experience – somewhere along the way.
This past week has been a challenge for us all.
We’ve had disconnections, dropped calls, missed appointments, lay-ins, alarms not going off, and in KH’s case, the kitchen people ripping out his kitchen and cutting off his electricity….all challenges which we have collectively grappled and overcome.
Ive been shown more Harry Potter Wands in one week than Ive seen in my entire lifetime, and been given an insight into some of the things that make my Crew tick when they’re at home. It’s been an experience for us all.
There will be tougher challenges as we move forward, but provided we maintain the same positivity and determination which we have shown in this first challenging week, then this is something which will ultimately define us, both as individuals and as XP.
I believe in my Crew, and I know that every other Crew Leader feels the same about theirs too. Crew MKE, keep doing exactly what you’ve been doing on this learning journey but this time just turn up your determination and desire to learn by another notch on the dial.
Be excited about your learning, be excited about your futures and keep focussing on the day you walk out of XP for the very last time as the ultimate version of YOU. Every second of this journey counts, and you are the captains of your destiny, the leaders of your own learning. Believe in your dreams and aspirations and they WILL happen.
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.
Mr K
Hi everyone,
I hope you’re all keeping safe and well! I managed to get into a few lessons on Tuesday before isolation began and I was so struck by how my crew have fallen back into Working hard, getting smart and being kind! They fell straight back into school life and it was a pleasure to watch them in their stride and doing what they do best!
We have Leo, Tammy, Alfie and Brooke working hard in Hums looking at causes of the peasants revolt and Charlotte, Brodie and Cam smashing it learning about molecules in science!
Keep up the amazing online learning, you’re doing a fabulous job all of you!
See you all soon!
