Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School

Year 10s created pictures following the theme "The Beauty of Maths" and competed against each other to create pictures that were constructed from Mathematical graphs and functions. They used a graphing software to draw lines or curves by graphing certain sections of a graph. Then they shaded the areas between them using their mathematical knowledge of inequalities. These are some results of their .

Is it getting a bit too much?... Why not register for one of these online courses which are available from January 2024 to help families with life's challenges.
Check out the information in this poster (provided in this poster by Families Feeling Safe Protective Behaviours Services )

On Friday 1st December, 87 pupils watched the England Women's Football team - the Lionesses - compete in the Nations League vs The Netherlands in Wembley Stadium.
For a lot of our pupils, this was the first experience of a live women's football game, let alone an international fixture at the home of English football. Despite freezing cold temperatures and a tensed game, the Lionesses gave our pupils an amazing day by winning the match. The PE department hope there will be another chance to attend a sporting fixture later in the year. Thank you to all the staff who gave up their time to give our pupils this opportunity

Don't forget to bring your German Advent Wreath into school by the end of Friday. Winners of this House competition will be announced on Monday 11th December.

What a fabulous way to start the festive season for the Bishop's Choir after a lot of rehearsals under Mrs McKinnell's lead! We felt very privileged to be able to sing alongside the prestigious Hertfordshire Chorus at the Willow Foundation Carol Concert in St Albans Cathedral and look forward to our Year 7 Carol Service at St Etheldreda's Church where our Choir will be joined by our Orchestra and Keyboard clubs.

We are really grateful to Hertfordshire Chorus and the choir from Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School for joining us last night for the Willow Carol Concert at St Albans Cathedral. You helped to make it a really memorable evening.

Did you know you can dress up in festive clothing and accessories for our Santa Run for Herts Young Homeless? It's during PE lessons and all participants will also get a Santa hat.
We've almost reached our fundraising target. For your chance to help an amazing charity that supports young people who are or are at risk of becoming homeless, head for our fundraising page here: https://hertsyounghomeless.enthuse.com/cf/bishops-hatfield-santa-run.
Although fundraising is optional, we would be grateful if you could promote this event to friends and family and encourage them to sponsor your child, however small the contribution. Help us raise awareness of the realities of homelessness and the support available.

Tickets for our Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School Parents' Association Christmas Raffle are now on sale!
You can buy yours from as little as £1 on Wisepay now until Wednesday 13th Dec or in school every lunchtime from Thursday 7th Dec.
Prizes include a £50 cash envelope, a £50 Voucher for a Thai takeaway meal, a £25 John Lewis Voucher, a driving lesson, a chocolate hamper, a pamper hamper, half a term of Dance/Drama/Musical Theatre classes and so much more... Some have been donated by the businesses of our pupil's families and it is not too late to provide a pri
All proceeds will benefit our pupils

Thank you to B&Q Welwyn Garden City who helped make our school festive by donating a lovely Christmas tree and decorations!

BHGS and Hatfield Foodbank would like to thank everyone who donated for our Reverse Advent Calendar. The incredibly generous donation of 452.4kg of food and toiletries will make a massive difference to people in the local area.
Each form also decorated the boxes they used to collect and deliver their donations. Their creative skills in this festive House competition speak for themselves. The winners are: Hadid for Year 7 & 8 Hadid, Austen for Year 9 and Parr for Year 10 and 11.

After much deliberation, our Sixth Form Art prefects and the Art department are able to announce the winners of this year's Christmas card competition.
1st place Ela D 9S
2nd place Victoria S 8H
3rd place Elena M 8A
4th place Ashley VZ 8F
5th place Mia O 7P
The People's Choice Award goes to Priscilla B 8H
The Mrs Hendrik's Award for Effort goes to Alexandra KY 7S
Well done to our talented artists who have also contributed to their respective Houses by taking part.

Tomorrow (Wed 5th Dec) is your last chance to book your menu choice for our Christmas Lunch of Tuesday 19th December.
You must do this on Wisepay * BEFORE the end of Tuesday 5th December * (even if you are in receipt of free school meals).
If you miss the deadline, you won't be able to get a Christmas lunch on the day! 🎄

The Hertfordshire Neurodiversity Support Hub is now live!
Open to all (Mon - Fri 9am-1pm), it is staffed by experts by experience, ready to answer any questions on Neurodiversity or just to be a listening ear. No diagnosis required to access the support/helpline.

New digital webinars can also be accessed by parent, carers and professionals on demand, covering themes such as Understanding Autism, Understanding ADHD, Navigating the SEND world (more topics to come) by scanning the QR Code.

Check out this video guide to ADHD and Autism in Hertfordshire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJmmvf_LTbU&authuser=0

Watch out Austen! The other 4 Houses are catching up... There is only 12 days left until we break up for you to make a difference though. However you acquire points for your House, please do it with... benevolence... our Word of the Week. It was suggested by Erin W (10 Pa) who found it in the book A Christmas Carol. Why not suggest the next word for 1 point?
You can also win points by taking part in our Library's Christmas Elf anagram competition. Find the 12 letters hidden around school and put them in the correct order to find a classic winter story character (Collect an entry form from the library).
🏆 📚

As part of Year 7 German lessons, the pupils write a letter to Christkind in Germany to practise the key introductory phrases they have learned so far and gain an insight into Christmas traditions in Germany. Here are some of the beautiful letters 7Pa have written - they are now on their way and the pupils are awaiting a reply!

This week, Year 7 gathered in the hall to watch the finals of the House Performance Poetry Competition. For the past few weeks pupils have been learning about performance poetry in their English lessons and practising and refining their skills. On Tuesday two finalists from each Form performed their poems in front of the rest of Year 7, and a panel of judges. A range of poems were chosen, some of which were written by the performers themselves, and a variety of presentation skills were on show. After much deliberation from the judges the winners were as follows: 1st place - Evie Manly (7Fr), 2nd place - Bria Boamah (7Se) and 3rd place Mia Ottewell (7Pa).

Everyone at Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School sends their condoleances and best wishes to the family of Megs Wilson who has sadly passed away.
Megs was the co-founder of the Willow Foundation with husband Bob Wilson. Their daughter Anna was an ex-pupil at Bishop's and we have been proud to support the Willow Foundation which was set up in her memory.
RIP Megs and thank you for the incredible support you gave to so many families.

Everyone at Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School sends their best wishes to the family of Megs Wilson who has sadly passed away.
Megs was the co-founder of the Willow Foundation with husband Bob Wilson. Their daughter Anna was an ex-pupil at Bishop's and we have been proud to support the Willow Foundation which was set up in her memory.
RIP Megs and thank you for the incredible support you gave to so many families.

We are hiring! Do you have the enthusiasm and imagination required to provide support to young pupils who are most in need? Why not consider joining our Learning Support Faculty? For more info and to apply by 4th December, scan the QR code or visit: https://bishophatfield.herts.sch.uk/vacancies/

Don't forget to book your menu choice for our Christmas Lunch of Tuesday 19th December. You must do this on Wisepay * BEFORE Tuesday 5th December * 🎄

Our friendly Learning Support faculty is hiring a one-to-one pupil care worker to support a pupil with specific medical needs. No need for specific medical training or experience (though an advantage). This part-time role would suit an enthusiastic and imaginative individual with a genuine desire to help young people. For more info and to apply by 4th Dec, scan the QR code or visit our Vacancies on our website: https://bishophatfield.herts.sch.uk/vacancies/

Last week, our GCSE Food students created some shellfish delights in the kitchen as they embarked on a sensational seafood journey, courtesy of the incredible generosity of the Offshore Shellfish Company.
From ocean to plate, Mrs Wright and our talented students prepared, cooked, and tasted (some for the first time) the freshest mussels that were only harvested three days prior. They learned how they were grown and harvested until they were delivered to our school.
Bishops Hatfield was one of 250 schools in England to receive some 2000kg of mussels donated by the Offshore Shellfish Company, packed by River Teign Shellfish Ltd & delivered by DFDS Global Logistics – what a partnership! Thank you to all of them and - Food Teachers Centre-UK -Public Pages Fishmongers Company for making this possible!
All our students had the opportunity to delve into the flavours of France with Moules Marinière or transport their taste buds to Italy with Italian Tomato mussels and the vibrancy of Thailand with Thai green curry mussels.
Credit to our students for their passion, creativity, and dedication to mastering the art of cooking! The food room was buzzing with teamwork resulting in a memorable experience for them all.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 28th November), the essence of Punjab will be drifting through school as the canteen will be having an 'Incredible India' day. Have a break from your packed lunch! Come and try dishes like Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani with Naan and Onion Bhaji.

The House points battle is raging but... Austens remains comfortably in the lead! You can earn House points in many ways other than competitions but if you are unsure, please ask your Tutor. 🏆
Our Word of the Week was suggested by Moki D in 10 Parr; who found it in the book Little Women. Sepuchral means “looking or sounding sad & serious; making you think of death.” She picked it from the sentence “‘Snuffbox,’ said Jo, in a sepulchral tone.” You too could suggest your word of the week from our Library Catalogue books and even earn a House point for it! # 📚
Don't forget to take part in our Reverse Advent Calendar in aid of Hatfield Food Bank and to book your Christmas lunch on Wisepay.

Stars in Our Schools is an annual celebration of school support staff.
It takes a whole team to make a school a safe and happy place for all. School support staff help children learn, keep them safe and happy and make sure schools run smoothly. They are the caterers, admin staff, finance officers, teaching assistants, librarians, ICT technicians, and many more roles.

From Monday 27th November for a week, pupils and staff will have the opportunity to celebrate one or more support staff by pinning a thank you note addressed to them on a notice board in the canteen. Parents/carers are also invited to send a note into school with their child to pin on the board.

Congratulations to Eva Moss in Year 7 who competed at her regional oireachtas (annual championship competition) for Irish Dancing last week. This is a major competition as it is the qualifying event for the Irish Dancing World Championships to be held in Glasgow in March 2024.
Eva danced brilliantly and not only qualified for the World Championships but won the competition! She made her family proud and this demonstrates that with hard work, perseverance and passion, everyone has a chance of achieving great things or just fulfilling their dream. We look forward to hearing more from Eva's promising future in the world of Irish Dancing.

Don't forget you can have a lie-in today as it is an Occasional Day!

The Santa Run for Herts Young Homeless (HYH) will be taking place during PE in the last week of term for Year 7 to 10 pupils. This is our chance to help an amazing charity that supports young people who are or are at risk of becoming homeless.
All participants will get a Santa hat and we have set up a fundraising page for all sponsorship here: https://hertsyounghomeless.enthuse.com/cf/bishops-hatfield-santa-run.
Fundraising is optional but please help us promote this event to friends and family and encourage them to sponsor your child, however small the contribution.
£10 could enable a vital call to the HYH helpline
£30 could pay for food and essentials for a young person for a week
£50 could pay for a family mediation session for a family in conflict
£100 could pay for a Home Truths lesson for 30 students to raise awareness of the realities of homelessness and the support available, as well as to begin to consider the process of leaving home.

Our Christmas Lunch is on Tuesday 19th December but you must order your choice from our festive menu options * BEFORE Tuesday 5th December *
Don't delay! Go straight to the Wisepay App or via our website now. 🎄
It will also be our Christmas Jumper Day and we are inviting pupils to wear their sparkliest or cosiest Christmas jumper (home-decorated jumpers are great too) in aid of Save the Children for a suggested donation of £2. School uniform must be worn under the jumper.

Well done to year 7 Franklin who produced some beautiful work at the end of their Humanities learning about the causes and impact of climate change. Here are some of their ‘Stop Climate Change Campaign' cartoons

Our Reverse Advent Calendar is back! Could you help a local family in need this Christmas? Simply drop some of the non-perishable items on this list into your Form's box during November, decorate the box with your Form for our House competition and we will deliver all the boxes to Hatfield Foodbank on Friday 1st December.

Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher?
Why not attend this information webinar on 7th December (4:30pm) to see whether this is for you and how to go about it? Alban Teaching School Hub

Congratulations to Year 12 student Amelia Zerny for successfully becoming BHGS's second Arkwright Engineering Scholar. Amelia underwent a rigorous application process and is now being sponsored by McLaren Racing. We look forward to hearing how Amelia is getting on and wish her good luck with all the amazing opportunities that will come her way! #

Last Friday marked the end of Anti-bullying Week 2023 with the creation of a collective jigsaw of positive messages that our pupils wanted to share. The results speak for themselves.

Last week's House Point totals are out and this week's Word of the Week has been revealed: 'metamorphosed'. It was suggested by Layla in 7Fr who found it in the book Beetle Queen which is available to borrow from the library. Keep reading!
In fact, why not get into our Literacy of the Week activity... which also happens to unveil the origins of Black Friday. 🏆 📚 ❤️📚 📚

We would like to invite our Year 13 students who left in July 2023 to our Awards Evening on Tuesday 19th December 2023 at 7.00pm (in school).
We will be presenting them with their examination certificates. Subject Prizes will also be awarded and there will be a variety of special awards made for academic excellence, effort and improvement and service to the school community.
This is a formal school occasion and students should come dressed appropriately.
We hope that you will be able to join us and stay for refreshments at the end of the formal presentations.
To confirm your attendance, please complete your details using this link by Fri 8th Dec: https://forms.gle/LokU5LJXyaXMHTup8
🏆

Save the date! On Tuesday 28th November, sample our tempting Indian cuisine on offer for one day only in the canteen.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and imaginative individual to join a friendly and committed team as a Cover Supervisor to oversee pupils in the temporary absence of a teacher. You will receive induction and training to support you in the role. This is initially until July 2024 but there is an option to extend.
For more information and to apply by 27th November, please scan the QR Code or visit https://bishophatfield.herts.sch.uk/vacancies/
Teach in Herts

We are 'making a noise about bullying' at BHGS. Yesterday, for Anti-bullying Week, pupils were given' broken' Gingerbread people - broken as they had been affected by different aspects of bullying e.g. isolation, exclusion, feeling unloved. Using icing sugar, the pupils had to 'put the person back together again' and they then re-labelled them with positive messages as they were 'whole again'! Anti-Bullying Alliance #