My name is Mrs Fearon and I have been teaching at Wildern since 2005. As you know, I joined the Year 10 team in September 2022, having taken through my third cohort of students. I have had the pleasure of working with many of you over the years as your children have been in my previous year groups, so it is a real pleasure to work with you again and lovely to see some familiar faces. For those who are new to me, I am getting to know everyone as quickly as I can and I appreciate your continued support. 

 

We have been very lucky to secure the services of Miss Clarke as ADOPA in the team and her knowledge of the students has been invaluable throughout this transition. 

 

Currently I teach PE and Education For Life to KS4 and I am passionate about both, so I hope that some of my enthusiasm has ignited a spark of interest on the year group.

With the exams over, it is now time to focus on the next half of the academic year and for your sons and daughters to start stepping up their workload. In doing so, this will enable them to feel as though they have done their best and achieved the most they can in order to secure their future goals.  Enjoy the half term break!

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  In this issue...  

Dates for your diary,       Communications,       Reminders,        90 years of Wildern,

Spotlight ( Feedback & Women in Science ),       Keeping safe ( Talking with your child  )

Hot food menu,       Sports results & fixtures,       Extra-Curricular,       E-Safety

Number day - Friday 3 February

On Friday 3rd February, we fundraised for NSPCC's Number Day. We decided to theme this year's events on Wildern's 90th Birthday.

 

We had an assortment of events going on which included the 'Guess the Weight of 90 Strawberries', '90 Number Hunt' a Maths themed bake sale and a house competition quiz in Maths lessons throughout the day (Congratulations to Sovereign for winning!).

 

Congratulations to Belle (7P1) who won the Number Hunt and to Johnny (8D2) who won the Guess the Weight. It was lovely to see lots of students getting involved in all of the events and raising money for charity. In total, we raised £80.45.

Post war prices had an effect on school uniform. Wildern school students purchased their uniform from Edwin Jones in Southampton and the costs were as follows (with current day equivalents):

• Skirts £1.45 (£37.82)
• Poplin blouses 77 1/2p  (£20.21)
• Clydella blouses £1  (£26.08)
• Beret 38p  (£9.91)
• Blazers £1.90  (£49.55)
• Caps 21p  (£5.48) and
• Ties 25p  (£6.52)

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Saturday 11 February is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This is a day celebrated each year by the United Nations General Assembly to promote the full and equal access and participation of females in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields.

 

You can read more about this event here.

 

To celebrate the achievements of women, here is just one woman who has changed the course of history:

Beatrice Shilling
Daredevil motorcyclist and engineer who saved fighter pilots' lives

 

Born in 1909 in Hampshire, aeronautical engineer and daredevil motorcycle racer Beatrice Shilling, is credited by her peers as helping the Allies to win WWII.

 

She purchased her first motorcycle at age fourteen, later obtaining a Bachelor and Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, specialising in the elimination of piston temperatures of high-speed diesel engines. In March 1941, she solved a problem that had jeopardised the life of pilots.

 

In 1940, Royal Air Force pilots discovered a serious problem of stalling in fighter planes with Rolls-Royce engines. Tilly led a small team that designed a simple device to solve this problem – a brass thimble with a hole in the middle, which could be fitted easily into the engine’s carburettor. It remained in use as a stop-gap to help prevent engine stall for a number of crucial wartime years.

 

How to talk with your child about difficult topics

As your children get older, wanting more freedom online is natural. There will soon come a time when they’re using the internet independently on a daily basis, for example when it comes to researching homework or for interacting with friends. Children and young people may also use the internet to seek answers to questions that they’re not comfortable talking about with an adult, and this can raise the need to have conversations about some difficult topics.

Often these conversations can be planned for, but with online content being so accessible, occasionally they may be needed earlier than anticipated. Talking about serious issues can be a daunting prospect, but it’s important to remember that as parents and carers you are the best people for your children to talk to.

If you need to talk about something difficult with your child, try to:

• Plan what you want to say in advance, and seek support and information if needed so that you feel prepared.
• Choose a moment when there are no other distractions and you are not rushed for time, but acknowledge that they might not feel ready to speak straight away.
• Consider the best approach to anticipate how your child might react. You might want to directly explain the concerns that led to the conversation, or feel that asking some broader questions might be more suitable in the first instance.
• Give your child time to process what you are saying and share their thoughts, without interruption or blame. Listen carefully to any confusion or concerns.
• Share your own experiences if you can. Were you ever in a similar situation and how was it resolved?
• Reassure them you are always there to help and even if you don’t know the answers, you can find these out together.
• Get support quickly if they need it. This might be from family, friends, us or other agencies.

Please remember, they can adapt the majority of meals to any dietary needs if they know in advance (your child can speak to them by visiting the kitchen before 8:30am that day). Main/grill vegetarian options are always available - just ask Dan and his team. 

Our brand-new Spring Extra-Curricular Sports programme resumed on Monday 6 February and so students are encouraged to get themselves involved with as many clubs as possible.

 

A reminder that we run a ‘NO TRIALS’ policy here at Wildern School, so if you want to get involved simply turn up with your kit and you will be warmly welcomed.

 

If for any reason a club is cancelled, the Library is open until 5pm Monday-Wednesday, and until 4:30pm on Fridays.

Tips for Encouraging Open Discussions about Digital Lives

 

Most parents frequently chat with their child about how things are going at school or what’s happening in their friendship groups – but those discussions often doesn’t extend to youngsters’ online activities. In fact, National Online Safety conducted a recent survey which found that only slightly more than half (54%) of parents regularly talk to their children about staying safe online. 

 

It can be an awkward topic to broach and, of course, it needs not to feel intrusive. However, just checking in with your child about their digital life can get them thinking about online safety and alert you to any issues they might be having. In support of Safer Internet Day 2023, our guide has some useful tips on potential ways to start those conversations. In the guide you'll find a number of useful tips such as being as honest as possible, discussing how misleading the online world can be and creating a ‘family agreement’.