Hello and welcome to this week’s Wildern Weekly. My name is Mrs Lomer and I am the Director of Learning for Mathematics. Myself and my colleagues in the mathematics department strive to create an engaging and inspiring learning environment so our students at Wildern can develop the high levels of numeracy required to succeed at school and beyond, whether it is for further study in mathematics or to prepare them for the real world.

 

This year as a department we are working hard on promoting positive numeracy through events, activities in lessons and across the school. You would have read about the very successful number day held on the 7th February where we celebrated the importance of numeracy and raised money for the NSPCC.

 

Today we celebrate Pi day, with tutor activities, maths lessons celebrating Pi, competitions and even the canteen getting involved with themed pies at lunch time.

We have many more events and numeracy planned across the curriculum, so keep an eye out in future editions of the Wildern Weekly.  I look forward to working with you and your children throughout their time at Wildern School to develop a positive numeracy culture.

Every Wednesday students meet with members of the Senior Leadership team to contribute to student voice and continuing school improvement. We will be sharing summaries of the students thoughts with you. We are starting this week by sharing Year 7's student voice here.

Whole School

Saturday 15 March Quiz & Chips Night

Monday 17 March Week A

Thursday 20 March Parent Information Evening: SEN in a Mainstream School

Friday 21 March Red Nose Day - Non School Uniform Day

Monday 24 March Week B

Wednesday 26 March KS3 Music Festival

Monday 31 March Week A

Thursday 3 April Easter Dance Showcase

Friday 4 April Culture Day - Last Day of Term

Year 7

             No Key Dates

 

Year 8

Monday 24 March Pathways Form Deadline

Year 9

Tuesday 25 March Catch Up Vaccinations

Year 10

 Tuesday 25 March Catch Up Vaccinations

Year 11

Wednesday 19 March GCSE PE Moderation

Thursday 20 March Dance Practical NEA

Friday 21 - Saturday 22 March DofE Silver Practice Expedition

Tuesday 25 March Catch Up Vaccinations

Thursday 27 March Parents Evening - face to face

 

Uniform

This week we have reminded all students about the expectations of our Wildern uniform.

 

In recent years we have moved toward a more adaptive, supportive and modern approach to our uniform. However, some students are choosing to arrive at school in trainers, leggings, jogging bottoms, without ties and wearing hooped earrings. None of these items fall into our uniform guidance.

 

Please support us by checking your child’s uniform at home:

• Green Wildern jumper (no hoodies or non school jumpers)
• White shirt
• Wildern tie (not an option to have no tie)
• Wildern skirt
• Black Trousers (not leggings or jogging bottoms)
• Black tailored shorts
• Black polishable shoes (no boots or trainers)
• Stud earrings (no hoops or dangly earrings)
• Tights or socks (never both)
• No nose jewellery, only clear retainers if required.

If your child arrives at school in incorrect uniform they will be out of circulation until their uniform can be rectified.

Thank you for helping us to maintain our high standards. We hope to see an improvement in uniform standards in the coming weeks.

Non-Uniform Day - 21st March

We are raising money for the WWF (our student-nominated charity of the year) and the Wildern Wellbeing Fund.  £1 minimum donation - please donate more if and where you are able to. Each tutor group will adopt an animal through the WWF - fantastic for being sustainably-minded and protecting our beautiful world!

Upcoming Parent Information Evenings - Open to ALL year groups

SEND Evening - Thursday 20 March 2025, 6-7pm

Organiser: Mrs J Fleeman

Venue: Hall

SEND Evening

Bletchley Park – Thursday 15 May 2025

We will be running a trip to Bletchley Park, the home of British codebreaking and a birthplace of modern Information Technology for year 7 students. Please sign up via Parent Pay by Monday 31 March.

Pathways

The pathways information sent home is here.

Pathways forms will be live from Friday 14 March until Monday 24 March for students to make their choices.

Hamilton - Mayflower Theatre - Tuesday 1 April 2025

This award-winning musical tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers, who went from being an immigrant from the West Indies to becoming George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War. The show features a unique blend of hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway music to tell America’s story in a fresh and exciting way.

 

Our Pi Day celebrations on Friday 14th March were a great success! Students engaged in a range of fun and educational activities that highlighted the importance and fascinating nature of pi (π). The special pie-themed treats in the canteen were also a big hit! It was wonderful to see our students enjoying themselves while deepening their appreciation for this fundamental mathematical constant. 

 

During break 1 we held a competition for students to come along and recite Pi from memory, we had some very eager students who all received a prize for their effort and we will announce the overall winner next week. Every maths lesson involve Pi too, year 7-10 were using their maths skills to find as many decimal places, it was so lovely to see so many students motivated about Pi day and using some key numeracy skills.

This week we have been celebrating British Science Week! Animal Care students and Year 9 students were captivated by the incredible birds of prey from FAB Falconry, experiencing holding owls and hawks while learning about their fascinating adaptations (see below). Some classes then got their hands dirty with owl pellet dissections, revealing the secrets of the food chain.  

 

Our hallways became a living periodic table as students embarked on an element hunt, tracking down staff dressed as various elements. Lessons were enriched with exciting demonstrations, and our Year 7 and 8 students delved into hands-on practical's, designing and making bath bombs and making fossils. To finish the week, we had the Science Showcase at lunchtime where students saw the Elephants toothpaste, Whoosh bottles and Boo Bubbles.

On Monday 10 March, FAB falconry came and delivered 3 sessions to Year 9 and Year 10 students. FAB falconry brought in a snowy owl, barn owl, small owl and a harrier hawk.  During the session the students were told about the adaptions of the birds and how they help them hunt, as well as, how these magnificent birds can be cared for.

 

Additionally, all students were given the opportunity to hold and get up close with the birds. During break students were also invited to come and see the birds and ask any questions they might have.

Last Friday, 15 of our Year 7, 9, and 10 students took part in The Fish Heroes Masterclass, led by Simon from The Food Teachers Centre. The masterclass included informative cooking demos, insights into sustainable fish, and a hands-on recipe for Pan Fried Mackerel with Chickpea & Chorizo sauce. 

 

A special shoutout to Emily C, our ‘Fish Hero’ of the day, for her incredible determination and inspiration to all and a huge thank you to Food Teachers for providing this amazing opportunity! 

It is great to see so many students walking and riding into school now that the weather has taken a positive turn. A few students scoot into school and then leave their scooter unlocked in the bike sheds. There are now scooter pods installed in the far bike sheds that students can safely lock their scooters.

 

If your child does ride or scoot into school, please remember the following:

• Wear a helmet
• Wear bright clothes if its dark
• Stick to cycle lanes and safe areas to ride
• Push the bikes or scooters on busy pavements if you do not want to use the road
• Allow others space on the pavements, especially our younger neighbours

We have been asked by the local council to remind students not to ride their bikes through the local cut through in Allen road. This has caused some issues with residents from a safety perspective.

Students should not bring e-scooters on to site.

 

Stay Safe!

On Tuesday 11 March  some of our year 7 and 8 students took part in the NHS Unloc Roadshow. They had a fantastic time learning and talking about their wellbeing and health. Thank you to the NHS team for coming in and working with our students.

Our incredible Head Girls proudly represented Wildern School at an International Women’s Day event held by the Royal Navy at HMS President on the Thames in London.

Next week we will be announcing all the students who have become Senior Prefects and Prefects - exciting! This team forms so much of the heart and epicentre of Student Leadership at Wildern.

The Eastleigh Active programme of sports and activity sessions expands to Easter for a third year to help children and young people across the Borough to escape the everyday this April. Eastleigh Borough Council’s programme will run Tuesdays to Thursdays, 8 - 10 and 15 - 17 April across the two Easter holiday weeks for 5-16-year-olds. It sees the return of popular activities such as Golf, Tennis and CrossFit.

 

All information about the programme can be found here. Bookings are now open.

Calling All Young Performers – Join Our Musical Theatre Development Classes! 

 

Passionate about acting, singing, and dance? Want to take your performance skills to the next level?

 

Join our Musical Theatre Development Classes for ages 13+, every Thursday  6:00 PM – 8PM at Wildern School! 

 

 What You’ll Get:

•  Train with professional directors, choreographers & musical directors
•  Develop acting, singing, and dance skills in a fun, supportive environment
• Perform in three full-scale productions a year, including a Professional Full Musical Production in October half-term
•  Optional LAMDA Exam Classes,

 LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE! Push your potential, gain confidence, and perform like a pro!

 

BOOK FREE TRIAL: sam.blackwell@artisantheatreschool.com 

Year 7 Boys football drew 3 -3 against Cantell School

Year 8 Boys football drew 2- 2 against  Upper Shirley High School

The U13 Netball team attended the Southampton School Netball Tournament at Southampton Sports Centre on Tuesday 11 March where 9 schools competed in a Round Robin Tournament.

 

The team achieved 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, they were ranked in third place overall.  A great achievement for the team.

Please see the menu for our hot food options for next week.

 

The main school meal deals are £3.20 which is in line with all Hampshire schools. In a meal deal, students can get one of the meal choices below with a bottle of plain water and a cookie or piece of fruit.

• either of the hot meal options,
• a jacket potato,
• a pasta pot,
• a chicken or beef burger,
• a salad pot (from the salad bar)

We encourage all families to use the free school meals eligibility checker, which can be found here, to determine if they qualify for this entitlement. 

 

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

 

* correct at time of sending, but may be subject to change

What parents need to know about using technology to boost reading skills

 

The way we engage with text has changed dramatically over the years. Whether reading captions on social media, instructions in a video game or an e-book on a digital device, technology plays a major role in modern literacy.

 

To help struggling readers, many digital platforms offer tools that enhance readability by making text more accessible and engaging.

 

There’s also a broad range of accessibility features available, such as screen customisation and text-to-voice technology, which may help children and young people improve their literary confidence.

 

This free guide offers ten top tips on how you can help young readers engage in text and foster a love for reading.

Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts

 

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Wildern School

Wildern Lane

Hedge End

Southampton

Hampshire

SO30 4EJ

 

01489 783473

 

#WeAreWildern