NewsletterThe Garibaldi School Newsletter - April 2025

As we head into the Easter break this is a great opportunity to reflect on all of the learning, events and activities that students have taken part in over the term. It has been a busy but successful term with a whole range of experiences that students have taken part in. You will see in this newsletter a snapshot of some of the things that have been happening and the ways that students have had a great Garibaldi experience.

I was particularly pleased to welcome leaders from across Nova Education Trust in February who visited as part of our Quality Assurance processes. Leaders spent the day in lessons, meeting with staff and speaking to students to get a full understanding of the school and the progress that we have made. The final report has highlighted some real areas of strength that I wanted to share with you:

"Students at Garibaldi are friendly and courteous, have a positive attitude towards school ... and positive relationships are evident between staff and students, all of which creates a mutually respectful learning environment."

"Students’ deep understanding is systematically checked, and responsive teaching is fuelled by live feedback...student work reflected a strong desire to learn and excel. This intrinsic motivation was evident in their engagement with tasks and willingness to participate in discussions."

It was brilliant to hear about the positive way that students had represented the school and the deep learning that students were experiencing in their lessons. It supported my view that the students at Garibaldi School are some of the most polite, respectful and hard-working young people you could hope to meet. Thank you for your support in ensuring that this remains the case!

Finally, I'd like to wish our Year 11 and Year 13 students all the best ahead of the exams. I know that over the Easter break many of them will be working and revising tirelessly to make sure that they are prepared for the exams beginning in May. Well done and keep up the hard work!

I hope that you, and your families, have a wonderful break.

Mr P Cassidy

Head Teacher

Thank you to everyone that attended our annual  Raising Aspirations Careers Fair in March.   We hosted a range of employers, institutions, and careers providers from across Nottinghamshire at the school with over 30 stands for guests to browse. This is the biggest event of its kind locally and it was nice to see so many people in the community come and join us for a wide range of opportunities to find out more about the career possibilities open to their child. They had a chance to meet all of our partners and speak with representatives to find out more about careers and how they can realise their full potential and aspirations.

 

Over the course of this term Year 9 students have been working hard in lessons and have taken steps to gather as much information as possible about potential option choices they would like to elect into for their Year 10 and 11 GCSE years. In doing so, this has enabled Year 9 to complete an initial trawl of option choices to allow subjects to put them into option blocks to ensure that Year 9 students get their preferred choices where possible.

Following this we have held a Year 9 Curriculum / Options Information Evening on 23rd January 2025 where the students were presented with the option blocks which will be available to them during Year 10 and 11 from the initial trawl.  This was attended by approximately 400 people including students from the year group and their parents / carers and it was fantastic to see so many using the time to study our subject areas and speak to staff.

This was an exciting milestone into their educational journey.  The purpose of the evening was to provide information that supports students to make informed choices, to give them an opportunity to seek advice and guidance from subject experts / senior leaders and to help parents and students to ask the right questions to help make the right choices when selecting their options.

Students can then focus on ensuring that they understand the content of each GCSE or vocational course to ensure that the subjects they choose are most applicable to them ensuring ultimate success post Garibaldi.

To continue on their pathway of electing their options, there were some key events that took place in school during the term including our Year 9 Parents Evening on 27th February where parents and carers had further opportunity to speak to subject teachers about progress and ask any questions they may have about choosing those subject areas during the options process. 

The deadline for completion of option choices was Friday 14th March 2025 and students will be informed of their final allocations during the summer term in advance of starting Year 10.

Any queries about the options process, please contact your child’s Mentor in the first instance.

 

This week our Year 7 students  headed to Caythorpe for a 3 day residential camp.  The camp consisted of team building exercises such as: abseiling, high rope courses, giant swing, code breakers and Jacob’s ladder.  The trip focused on character and personal development which supplements the curriculum.  It also provides an amazing opportunity for students to continue to forge links with their peers, create bonds with other members of the year group and embed lasting memories.  Watch this space for more updates on the trip in our next newsletter.

 

Year 11 Students Visit Touch of Charm for Prom Planning............

This week, three Year 11 students from our newly formed Student Prom Committee had the exciting opportunity to visit Touch of Charm, a well-known local company specialising in event styling with Mrs Davidson who organises all our main school events.

The visit was an essential step in organising a memorable prom night for their fellow students. The committee members explored a variety of options for decor, themes, and colour schemes, gathering inspiration to bring their vision to life. With expert guidance from the Touch of Charm team, they discussed ideas to help create an elegant and enjoyable evening for all attendees.

The students returned from their visit with fresh ideas and a greater understanding of what goes into planning a successful event. They were eager to share their ideas and begin helping make key decisions for the big night.

Stay tuned for more updates as the Student Prom Committee continues to work hard in helping preparing an unforgettable prom experience!

It’s That Time of Year Again: WORLD BOOK DAY 2025!

To celebrate the magic of literature, our staff went all out, dressing as beloved characters from their favorite books for World Book Day 2025! As always, the English and Math Departments stole the show with their creative, book-themed costumes, bringing A Christmas Carol and The Three Little Pigs to life in the halls of our school.

A huge well done to everyone who took part—your outfits were absolutely fantastic!

 

Owl Adventures Visit Our School for a Special Reward

On Thursday, 27th March, we had the pleasure of welcoming Owl Adventures to our school as a special reward for students who earned the highest number of Virtue Points (VIPOs) this half term.

These outstanding students were treated to an unforgettable experience, getting up close and personal with magnificent birds of prey. They had the chance to participate in thrilling flying demonstrations, where they watched these incredible birds soar through the air with precision and grace.

In addition to the breathtaking displays, students enjoyed engaging talks from the Owl Adventures team, learning fascinating facts about different species of birds of prey, their habitats, and their unique hunting skills. The highlight for many was the rare opportunity to handle these majestic creatures, making for a truly memorable and hands-on experience.

It was an exciting and enriching day for our students, celebrating their hard work and achievements in a truly special way!

 

Holocaust Memorial Day took place on 27th January and we sent each student home with a candle and a card with a Holocaust victim’s name in preparation for Holocaust Memorial Day to take part in the ‘Light the Darkness’ memorial to remember those who died in the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution, and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur and elsewhere. By lighting a candle, victims are commemorated and survivors honoured.  

We encouraged our students to place a lit candle (or unlit) in their window to Light the Darkness, helping to spread the message of tolerance and understanding. We also encouraged them to share a photo of their candle on social media using the hashtags #GaribaldiBeacon, #Holocaust Memorial Day and #Light the Darkness.

We remain committed to making sure students are aware of the impact the Holocaust had on people across the world and the importance of the ‘Light the Darkness'. Students also took part in a number of activities in mentor time, in lessons and around the school site to learn more about the Holocaust and its long-lasting impact.

If you wish to discuss this subject further with your child the following website is useful: Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (hmd.org.uk) 

It is important that we praise the bravery and resilience of those who survived, standing in solidarity against oppression. The event helps us to reflect on current issues in society today. 

In our Sixth Form we were joined by the British Red Cross who told us all about the importance of understanding First Aid surrounding cuts, burns, heart attacks and strokes as well as making us aware of the ‘Bystander’ effect.  I think the session was very important and really helped me understand more the differences between how to respond to different emergency situations. We also had a practice dummy where some volunteers could practice CPR which gave a fun but still informative end to the session. I believe that the session was very beneficial as getting more information around how to potentially save a life is always welcome as you will never know when you will need to know it.

Cory Vincent, Year 12

As Year 11 approach the end of their GCSE years at The Garibaldi School there will be a number of exciting opportunities available to them to celebrate their time with the school.  All the key information has been sent out to parents and we have a lots of exciting things planned for our Year 11 students - Prom, leavers hoodies and a celebration assembly.

We like to celebrate how hard our students have been working during this academic year in particular and give them some time to make some memories together to take on with them as they take their next steps in their journey.

Students also received their grades from their mock exams in a ‘Mock Results’ session after last half term. This will be a really important and we hope useful point of reflection to assist students in gearing up for the final fifty or so school days until the real exams start in May.

Well done Year 11 & 13!

Garibaldi School are now a Mental Health Support Team School (MHST) which means that we are able to access additional layers of support through external agencies for some of our students.

As part of this package of support, MHST are offering the following parenting workshops online:-

Understanding Your Teen

3rd June- 5.30-7.00pm

Self Harm

11th June 6-7.30pm

If you would like to take part on these workshops, please contact Ellie Jewsbury ejewsbury@garibaldischool.co.uk who will be able to share your details with MHST.

Forthcoming Parental Engagement Events for 2024/25

 

SEND - 13th May 2025

 

Your views matter to us!

We have been delighted with how many parents engaged in our workshop sessions throughout the last academic year and we are excited to see this evolve this academic year.

Sessions that have happened so far:-

Attendance - 26th November 2024 

Helping your child prepare for GCSE's - 4th November - Mr Hales

Creating a safe and conductive environment to learn - 4th November -  Miss Bartlett

Encouraging the budding young scientists in your home - 4th November -  Dr Inglis

What is is like doing English in Year 7 - An Introduction for Year 7 Parents - 13th November - Mrs Reinspach

An Introduction to GCSE English Language and Literature for Year 10 Parents -  Mrs Walker

Couch to 5K - 13th November -  Mr Rae

Online Safety - 26th March 2025

 

 

Our current enrichment sessions were shared with students and parents during October which can be seen above and is available to view on our website.

We would encourage students to get involved where possible!

Mansfield Town Cup Update:

Year 7 Boys

Played with effort, heart and desire and despite taking an early lead, lost a close game to Ashfield in the Y7 Town Cup. As staff, we are so proud of the students attitude in games, they really have demonstrated the school values of Pride, Respect and Achieve. We look forward to continued success as the students move into Year 8. 

Year 9/10 Girls

Played a superb all round team game, securing a dominant victory against Quarrydale School. The girls now face Ashfield School in the semi-final, for a place on the hallowed turf of the One Call Stadium for the final. 

Year 11 Boys

Despite their best efforts to return to the One Call Stadium as competition finalists, the lads unfortunately lost against Quarrydale in a tense game that went all the way to a penalty shootout. 

 

Year 8 Sportshall Athletics

Congratulations to those students in Year 8 who participated in the Year 8 Mansfield Schools Sportshall Athletics competition in Mid February. It was fantastic to hear from accompanying staff the quality of performance and effort levels from those involved. Please keep your eyes peeled and ears open for information on the interschool outdoor Athletics competitions that will take place after Easter and of course, the run up to our own Garibaldi Sports Day. 

 

After School Sports Clubs

Well done to those students who have attended the after-school sports clubs this term, it has been great to see a large number of students attending the new Raquet Sports club on a Tuesday afterschool where Pickleball has been a real favourite.  A special mention to those Duke of Edinburgh students in Year 10 who are leading and supporting on after school sport as part of their voluntary hours. 

 

As a PE department, it is always great to hear about and celebrate our students sporting achievements, including recently, County Cross-Country representation, selections for International Cheerleading competitions, National development pathway selection for Basketball and Elite level rankings and performance in Swimming. If your child excels in sport out of school, please do pass this information on so they can be added to our "wall of fame" in the PE department. 

A Sweet Reward for Our Star Readers!

This week, we had a special delivery of over 100 delicious Easter eggs—a well-deserved treat for our dedicated readers in Years 7 and 8 who met their Accelerated Reader point target this term!

As part of the Accelerated Reader Program, every student in Years 7 and 8 are set a personalised reading target each term. They earn points by reading books and successfully completing the corresponding quizzes. The more they read, the more points they earn—and this term’s top achievers were rewarded with some chocolatey goodness!

Congratulations to all the students who hit their targets and enjoyed an egg-citing Easter treat! Keep up the fantastic reading—who knows what rewards might be in store next term?

Happy Easter!

 

Celebrating Excellent School Attendance!

We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding commitment of our students during our recent Attendance Challenge! Attendance plays a crucial role in academic success, and we couldn’t be prouder of the dedication shown by our school community.

Since the start of the challenge, over one third of our students have achieved perfect attendance, with no days off! This is a fantastic achievement, and we want to recognise and celebrate the students who have demonstrated such commitment to their education.

As a well deserved reward, these students received a voucher for a free cookie during break this week - a small token of appreciation for their effort and consistency.

Consistent school attendance helps students stay engaged in their learning, develop strong habits for the future, and foster a sense of responsibility. We encourage all students to continue striving for excellent attendance and making the most of their time in school.

Congratulations to all who participated, and let’s keep up the great work!

 

Follow our school on Twitter (X) for regular updates, events and school news!

The Garibaldi School

@garibaldischool

 

If you have a concern about the safety or welfare of a student, please do make contact with the school.

You will be able to speak with any member of staff in school, your concerns may be referred onto the Designated Safeguarding Leads in school.  Details of our Designated Safeguarding Leads are on the above poster which is available to students all over school.

Students can speak with any member of staff in school, including (but not limited to) their mentor, pastoral manager or teachers

For further information on support that is available both in and out of school, please refer to 

Safeguarding The Garibaldi School

Sixth Form Parents Evening - 16th January 2025

Year 9 Curriculum Information Evening (GCSE Options) - 23rd January 2025

Year 11 Information Evening - 12th February 2025

Year 9 Parents Evening - 27th February 2025

Raising Aspirations Careers Fair 2025 - 3rd March 2025

Year 7 Camp Information Evening - 4th March 2025

Parental Engagement Evening - Online Safety - 6th March 2025

Year 10 Parents Evening - 13th March 2025

Year 7 Camp/Residential Trip - 2nd - 4th April 2025

 

Thank You for Your Support!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents and carers who took the time to attend our recent events. Your presence and support mean so much to us and to the students.

It was wonderful to see so many of you engaging with the activities, sharing in the children's achievements, and being a part of our school community. Your involvement plays a vital role in creating a positive and supportive environment for our students.

We truly appreciate your time, enthusiasm, and commitment. We look forward to welcoming you again at future events!

 

Year 7 Parents Evening - 1st May 2025

Parental Engagement Evening - SEND - 13th May 2025

Year 8 Parents Evening - 22nd May 2025

Year 11 Prom - 24th June 2025

Year 6 Information Evening - 1st July 2025

Year 6 Transition Days - 2nd & 3rd July 2025

Sports Day - 10th July 2025

Awards Evening 2025 - 17th July 2025