C28 – Is Migration worth the Risk? A Powerful Encounter…

Last week, Year 8 students embarked on a visit to see John Steinbeck’s timeless classic, “Of Mice and Men.” This opened their minds to the wonder of the theatre and the migration of Lennie and George. Today, students had a remarkable expert visit from David Hey, a Doncaster Council worker, and Rita, a Ukrainian refugee. Rita shared her moving story of leaving Kiev, her struggles in England, and her migration journey.

Rita shared her courageous journey, fleeing political instability in Kiev and leaving her husband behind, risking conscription. Rita’s story touched the students’ hearts and opened their eyes to the hardships faced by refugees. Rita spoke of the challenges she faced in England, including the language barrier and cultural adjustment. Her story has thoroughly inspired the students and encouraged them to empathise with refugees worldwide.

Students asked powerful questions, challenging misconceptions around migration. As this expedition progresses, students will explore more stories from people like Rita. Encountering Rita’s story has humanised the concept of migration and highlighted the refugee crisis happening both globally and locally.

An absolutely amazing and thought-provoking afternoon from Year 8!

X29 / Year 7 Edale River fieldwork 16th June

Year 7’s current expedition ‘Hold Back the River’ has the guiding question, ‘How does water shape our world?’

During this expedition, our geography content is focusing on river characteristics from source to mouth, river processes, formation of landforms as well as the cause, impacts and responses of flooding. As part of this, we are applying the theory of river processes and characteristics to the field.

On Friday 16th June, students will visit Edale in the Peak District, they will work together to collect data regarding the width, depth, velocity and load of rivers. We will also be capturing the beauty of a river by completing artwork. This data collection will allow us to accept or reject our hypothesis once we have analysed our data in our maths lessons.

Students will need to arrive at school no later than 7:45am so that the register and kit check can be completed before leaving school.

It is also essential that all students bring all of the kit on the KIT LIST so that they are fully prepared for the fieldwork; this includes a packed lunch and water to drink. Students who receive free school meals will be provided with a lunch.

Students will need to ensure they have suitable walking boots/trainers as well as wellies or a pair of trainers they can get wet – we’ll be going in the river to collect the data!  If there are any problems in getting the appropriate kit before this, please email your child’s Crew Leader. 

Students will be returning to school for 3:15pm (traffic dependent).

Last Day of Term – Friday 26th May 2023

Just a quick reminder to parents and carers that school will close for students at 1.30pm on Friday 26th May 2023. This will allow staff to De-Gunge the school and prep for the start of the new term.

There will be no facilities for students to stay after 1.30pm. 

There is also a previous post about our lost property. Please encourage students to check that they haven’t lost anything. Any items not collected from Lost Property will be donated to the local charity shop over the mid-term.

We hope you have a good week!

Car Parking Fines

Thank you to all those who have already supplied their car registrations to the school. We have logged all these as permit holders with The Eco Power Stadium, managed by Parking Eye, so that you are able to park in their Car Park 3. 

This does not include any of their other car parks.

Please remember to update us with any new car registrations as soon as possible. We will input these within a few days of receiving them so please ensure you do not stay in the car park longer than 30 minutes within that interim period.

Should your child be joining us as Year 7 in September, we will upload your registration details onto the parking database prior to your first meeting at the beginning of June.  Year 11 students leaving us in July will be deleted from the system after 31st August, unless there are younger sibling(s) still in attendance. 

We are unable to revoke any parking fines so it is important all parents submit registrations. It is your responsibility to supply new registrations to us and/or not park in the car park longer than 30 minutes until registrations are added to the permit list.

If you do receive a fine please contact the school office with evidence of your fine. We can then raise a request to have the fine cancelled, provided the fine was raised whilst attending for school related events. You may be provided with a standard school letter to state your child attends XP and The Eco Power Stadium allows us to use that car park. It is your responsibility to pursue any appeal. In most instances fines have been cancelled, although there have been occasions where fines have only been reduced. To reiterate, the school is unable to do any more than this so please ensure you are doing everything you can to avoid a fine.

Year 11 Locker Keys

It’s coming up to that time of year when sadly some of our pioneering students will be leaving us.

We have been asked by a few parents about the procedure for returning locker keys. 

Keys can be returned from Tuesday 20th June until Wednesday 28th June. Students will have a final opportunity to return keys when collecting their results Thursday 24th August.

All locker keys will be reallocated to our new Year 7 cohort, meaning deposits will only be issued once keys are returned and lockers checked. Providing there is no damage to the locker and all items have been removed the deposit will be returned via ParentPay or in cash on GCSE results day, once lockers have been checked by staff. Deposits from keys not returned will be used to have replacement keys cut.

Lost property

There is a LOT of lost property that has been handed in and collected at East. Please can you look at the images and encourage your child to collect anything that belongs to them. Anything not collected by the end of term will be donated.

Sports leaders

Students who are participating in sports leadership have an event on Wednesday 24th May. The event will be held on the athletics track and will run all day, finishing at 4pm. The students who are taking part have been notified and will need to bring:

  • A packed lunch (Any student who has free school meals will be catered for)
  • Sun cream
  • Water bottle
  • Appropriate PE kit

Any questions, please contact [email protected]

Sharing our Stories: 19/05/23

Beautiful Work This Week

C27: You Give Me Fever

In January 2023, students in Year 9 studied a joint HUMAN and STEAM expedition called ‘You give me fever’ where students had to answer the guiding question:

Is Science enough to save lives?

The final product was a charity drive in order to raise money for local health charities. We did lots of school events in order to raise money for the charity chosen by each school. We conducted a sponsored walk, bake sale, PJ day, sponsored silence and a bikeathon. 

For our presentation of learning, we created short flip book animations that were projected in XP East. There were zones set up outside around XPD made to look like the time periods of each case study (Black Death, Cholera Outbreak, Spanish Flu & Aids). We were dressed up in period costumes and spoke to the audience about the science and history or each case study. Students also displayed their artwork and sketchbooks to showcase the skills they had acquired this term. At the end of the PoL we presented the funds raised for equipment at NHS Doncaster.

Green Top Year 3/4 – Lest We Forget

Comms: Curation case notes from Norton

Eco Pledges at Frenchgate!

Our Planet Pledge can be seen throughout Frenchgate

It has been wonderful to partner with Frenchgate on this important project – we can’t thank them enough for giving our Schools the opportunity to make their own pledges and display them for all to see within the Centre.

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/lifestyle/shopping/frenchgate-launches-our-planet-pledge-to-help-raise-awareness-of-the-impact-of-climate-change-4138644

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Y11 (C25) Weekly Planner w.b 22/5 (exam week 2!)

We are so incredibly proud of our Y11s – what a start to GCSEs! Their conduct, attitude and focus has been amazing.

Our latest planner includes details of exams, revision sessions (including after-school sessions) and the half-term revision timetable – all sessions will run at XP East.

Please note that there has been a slight change to the original timetable; students will now have an in-school Maths revision session scheduled Thursday afternoon and English revision Friday morning. Y11 students can leave school at 11.30 on Friday, although school will be open until 13.30 for those who wish to stay.

Thank you.