As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Mr Jenkinson has delivered assemblies on this topic to Years 7-10. Anxiety is the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and the aim of the Mental Health Foundation is to increase awareness and understanding by providing information on how to prevent anxiety becoming a bigger problem. 

Our Y11 students have made a great start to exam season and their behaviour and attitude has been fantastic. Students who ordered Leaver’s hoodies should now have them and are permitted to wear them in school. With the exception of Leaver’s hoodies, normal school uniform rules still apply to Y11 students. Jogging bottoms and leggings should not be worn.

We continue to work with students regarding mobile phone use in school. Students should make sure phones are switched off and put in bags at the beginning of every lesson. If you need to contact your young person during the school day, please contact the school office on 01433 620555 and we will pass any urgent messages on to students. We would ask you to refrain from contacting your young person on their mobile phone during the school day. Thank you.

What’s going on in school:

• In Drama, we are currently searching for cast and crew for next year's production of Dennis Kelly's DNA. This bi-annual production is the GCSE set text that we study in drama and taking part in a production is the best way students can support their learning and directly helps their written responses for the exam. A sign-up sheet is in Drama for anyone in Y8-Y10 who would like to be involved. 

• Star readers in and around the library can now earn themselves one of our new, highly sought-after award badges which have just arrived at the library desk. Designed by brilliant poet and illustrator Chris White, who visited HVC when the current Y11s were in Y7, the badges promote the pleasure of books and reading. But they are hard-earned and so far only Martha and Zoe in Y8 have been invited to have a rummage in the box of delights. Who will be next?

• In Music, Y7 are currently practising for their upcoming assessment of Pirates of the Caribbean on a range of musical instruments.  They are working extremely hard.  Our Y8 Rock Band 'Darkened Hamsterz' are working hard on their upcoming performance at Music and Mayhem that takes place on Saturday 24 June.  

• Our Extra Curricular Activities are a great opportunity for students to learn new skills and meet new people. Here are some photos from just some of the groups currently running:

The Stephen Spender Prize

The MFL department is supporting students this year with their submissions for The Stephen Spender Prize, the leading annual prize for poetry in translation where students translate into English any poem from any language – from French to Farsi, from Spanish to Somali—and win publication and cash prizes! If any students are interested and would like to find out more, please speak to Miss Bradley. 

Spanish homestay students

We are looking for a family that is able to host a Spanish student, from the 22 June to the 19 July. If your young person is interested in hosting a Spanish student this summer term, or you would like more information, please speak to Miss Bradley. 

Well dressing

Each year, Miss Nicklin, Head of Design, leads our students in designing and creating a well dressing which ties in with Hope Wakes week. We would be very grateful for any petal or flower donations to help us complete our well dressing. If you are able to contribute anything, please bring these into school on the week commencing 12 June. Thank you in advance. 

Derbyshire County Council Household Support Fund

As part of the Government's Household Support Fund Scheme, Derbyshire County Council is distributing funding to households struggling to pay for food, energy and essential living costs. As part of the scheme, the Council will again be distributing grocery vouchers. Information about who is eligible for the vouchers is available on the website and distribution will start in mid to late June 2023. We will update the website when all vouchers have been distributed and provide details of what parents and carers should do if they haven’t received their voucher. 

Thank you for reading our communication. Here are some helpful email addresses, should you need to contact us: attendance@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to report a child’s absence enquiries@hopevalley.chorustrust.org for general enquiries pastoral@hopevalley.chorustrust.org for any issue with a child’s wellbeing principal@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to contact the Principal safeguarding@hopevalley.chorustrust.org to report safeguarding concerns. If a child or any young person is in imminent danger, then please report this to the police. Kind regards

Gaynor Jones, Principal
Hope Valley College
T: 01433 620555