CHILDREN IN NEED…
On Friday 17th November our Year 11 and Year 13 Mental Health Champions held a bake sale for Children in Need at break time. It was very popular and they raised £116 for Children in Need! The Mental Health Champions created a welcoming space and were available for students to talk to. They plan to run more events to promote positive mental health and will be offering 1-1 sessions with students who find it useful to have someone to talk to on a regular basis. Mrs A Midson
PROSPECT ‘LIGHT UP A LIFE’ SERVICE…
Last Sunday Ridgeway Choir sane for the Prospect ‘Light up a Life’ service for the Prospect Hospice. Again another very moving and special service.
We had some lovely feedback from Sheryl, at the Hospice, commenting that so many people had left lovely comments. Sheryl has asked that we play a message on to say a big thank you to all of the choir for getting themselves there on a Sunday afternoon, they added so much to the service at what is a really difficult time of year for lots of families. A personal thank you to you once again for you amazing support, we really appreciate it.
LITFEST & STEVE ANTONY WORKSHOP…
Winners of the in-school LitFest Illustration competition, Alice (Year 9) and Elliot (Year 7) attended a workshop with writer and illustrator Steve Antony at Central Library. Steve has years of experience under his belt and is about to launch his 23rd book – Rainbowsaurus, following on from such classics as Mr Panda which has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. A believer in visual storytelling, Steve encouraged the attending students to tell their own story in images, using the prompts of keywords with associated emotions and abstract concepts. An invaluable experience for both Alice and Elliot with so many hints and tips to take forward and apply! Mrs Day
SWINDON YOUTH FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE – CELEBRATION EVENT…
LitFest 23 came to a close with a Celebration Event at Pattern Church for our prize winners and their families, many of whom arrived into the venue via helter-skelter slide, rather than the conventional stairs! It was lovely to see a familiar face in Mayor Parry who used to work at our school and awarded the prizes along with representatives from our business sponsors. Winning students received book vouchers in recognition of their wonderful achievement in creative writing, illustration and services to the library. Congratulations to Elliot, Rupert, Jaina, Maya, Anna, Malika, Alasdair, Amos, Kuzey, Ashlee, Yasmine and Adrian.
LitFest is funded by SASH (Swindon Association of Secondary Heads) and supported generously in terms of prizes by Bower Bailey Solicitors, Bert’s Books, WH Smith, and Browns Books for Students, whose representatives attended various of the LitFest events including meeting Jacqueline Wilson at The Wyvern Theatre and coming to the Celebration Event where they were able to congratulate the winning students personally. As costs increase, especially in relation to travel and accommodation expenses for our wonderful authors and poets, we are always looking for additional sponsors to support this award winning Festival. If you think you can help on any financial level ( no contribution is too small!), in the first instance please email lrc@ridgewayschool.com and we can get in contact to explain more. Mrs Day & Ms Bridgewater
WILTSHIRE TREEHOUSE CHARITY…
Wiltshire Treehouse wants to see a world where every bereaved child and young person can receive guidance and support through their grieving process.
When someone close dies children experience a rollercoaster of different emotions; anger, sadness, guilt and shock. This can be very hard to deal with, especially if children cannot find the support the need.
Wiltshire Tree house offers advice and creative programmes that support the social and emotional well-being of bereaved children and young people.
Katie volunteers with fundraising for Wiltshire Treehouse having designed the Easter and Halloween trails for the last couple of years.
So on day 2 or this years "Wiltshire Treehouse - a week to remember", Wilbur visited Ridgeway School with Katie. He learned loads in English with the amazing Mr Burtwell, followed by a lovely cup of tea and biscuit at home.
To learn more about the charity and how they might help check out our website www.wiltshiretreehouse.org.uk. Mr P Burtwell
