We have had an amazing week, all our young people are settled and enjoying lessons. The weather has been reasonable too which always makes a difference when children can play outside. Our coffee mornings were really well attended; it’s always lovely to see parents, grandparents and friends at this event. Coffee mornings are a great informal time to meet teachers and class teams and this time we also raised monies for the worthy cause of Macmillan nurses – thank you to those who baked some beautiful cakes for the day or made donations, the total amount raised across both sites was £255! Mrs Gillett would like to thank her Food Industry group for helping to run refreshments at the Learning Centre – well done to Jason, Rezaul, Cherrie, Jade B., Yusra, Sabeel, Jermaine and William..

Some of our Living Skills lessons have been focusing on being healthy. Our Year 7s have been learning about dental health and the importance of brushing our teeth properly..

The Year 8 Living Skills group have been learning about people who help us..

..and some lucky Year 9s had a lot of fun making their own healthy fruit smoothies..

..which they thoroughly enjoyed..

Our newly established communication groups are doing really well and it is reassuring to see the development plan come to fruition. The teachers and class teams of these groups are working hard to ensure every child’s needs are being met and addressed. Touchdown Dance have returned to the school site today to continue the Children in Need funded work that was started at the end of last term with pupils with auditory and visual impairments. So far they have produced some sensitive pieces of work and we’re really looking forward to the next block of this creative project.

The Activ8 boys have been really busy not just improving their physical well-being but also their mental well-being. They welcomed back Luke Ambler on Tuesday for a day of workshops which you can read all about here..

Andy’s Man Club is a forum where our young men can feel safe talking about their emotions and our own branch runs every Monday at Medtia Square for our students aged 16 and over. Activ8 have also made a short video showing what a typical week involves for the young people on our Sports pathway..

This week has seen the election of our Learning Centre Student Council representatives. Several students were brave enough to put themselves forward, eloquently presenting speeches to their respective year groups. Miss Allison was lucky enough to read or hear a number of the prepared speeches and all the students did themselves and New Bridge proud! After hearing all the speeches, students cast their votes and the following representatives have now been elected to the Learning Centre Student Council:

• Year 12  – Nathan and Jade D.
• Year 13 – Callum and Fahad
• Year 14 – Will Atkin
• Malcolm has also been invited to join the Student Council to represent our E-Base students

We are looking forward to working with these students over the coming year as they undertake an important and valuable role in Learning Centre life.

The Invictus Games were the theme of the Learning Centre’s assembly this week. We listened to William Ernest Henley’s poem ‘Invictus’ which is about strength during times of adversity..

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Generations have drawn on its words and many people have quoted it, most famously Nelson Mandela. The title means ‘unconquered’ or ‘unbeaten’ and the 16 short lines sum up the determined strength and resilience of the human spirit which is at the heart of the ‘Invictus Games’. Many Servicemen and women suffer life-changing injuries, both visible and invisible, but find the motivation to move on and not be defined by their injuries; they do not want sympathy, they want to be recognised for their achievements.

We looked at what defines us – not our needs or disabilities but what we do. We talked about how we can achieve amazing things if we put our minds to it and are determined. Our young people constantly rise above their disabilities or conditions to show just how how much they can achieve, focusing on what they can do, not what they can’t. They share the same ‘Invictus’ spirit and they truly are an inspiration!

We hope you have a lovely weekend,

Judith and Dawn

For news on our Key Stage 5 pathway groups at Medtia Square please click here

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