Friday 11th October 2024

Dear Parents/Carers,

This week has been busy with educational visits for students in Years 10, 12 and 13, including trips to Docklands for field work in Geography, the Frieze art festival in Regents Park and a city walk for students in Photography. It is great to see students gather enriching experiences outside of the classroom.

Punctuality to School

It goes without question that punctuality is an essential quality for success. It is important students value being on time and understand the impact of being late.

Being late leads to disrupting others learning, which is not acceptable. It leads to “lost learning” and missing vital information. It can be embarrassing for the student arriving late, and encourages absence.

Our focus for this year is for all students to arrive promptly and equipped for learning. Students are to arrive at 8.25am. Registers are taken at 8.30am. After 8.30am the student is late.

Please support your child to be punctual to school, by making sure they are well prepared with bags packed the evening before. They should go to bed at an acceptable time and leave home with ample time to arrive at school at 8.25am.

Important Year 11 Coursework Deadline Reminder

Please see a reminder for Year 11 coursework and assessment deadlines communicated last week using this link.

Year 11 Parents’ Evening – Wednesday 16th October 2024 4.00pm – 6.30pm

A reminder that Year 11 Parents’ evening will take place next week. Year 11 students should have booked appointments with their class teachers using page 6 of their contact book. If you have any queries, please contact your child’s Form Tutor.

Music Tour Trip to Edinburgh July 2025

The music department is planning a 3-day performance music tour to Edinburgh for July 2025 for our SNS Orchestra and Singing Club. For more information on the tour, and how to take part, we will be holding an information session on Monday 14th October from 5.00pm – 6.00pm in the Theatre for all parents/carers. In the meantime, feel free to register your child’s interest for the tour here.

Sixth Form Culture Day – Friday 18th October 2024

Next week we will be holding our annual Sixth Form Culture Day, providing the opportunity for our Sixth Form students to gather in celebration of culture, music and cuisine.

Black History Month Celebration – Thursday 24th October 3.30pm – 5.00pm

We kindly invite parent/carers to join our Black History Month celebratory gathering on Thursday 24th October from 3.30pm to 5.00pm in the library. As the theme for Black History Month this year is Reclaiming narratives: An invitation to every member of the Black community to take part in shaping how our stories are told, we want to make sure that we create the space for this powerful call within our community. Come along for an afternoon of sharing stories, traditions and values with the different members of our community. You can bring some food/nibbles and also your very own stories to share. If you are of Black heritage and you would like to participate sharing a story, a tradition, or you can play some music please contact Ms Reyes Barrios via Ana.Rey@sns.hackney.sch.uk

Supporting SNS Hub

Last term, we launched our awareness and fundraising campaign for SNS Hub, an exciting extension of SNS opening 2026 and across the road from the main school. Thank you to all who have donated or connected us with potential supporters so far. Your help, including sharing our website links, is greatly appreciated. You can find a link to the website using this link.

We seek partnerships with local businesses and organisations for financial support, equipment donations, or student opportunities. Donations can now be made directly via the SNS Hub donation page (parentpay.com). For specific items or corporate sponsorship, contact Mr Aaron Critoph, Assistant Headteacher, Director of SNS Hub, at hub@sns.hackney.sch.uk.

SNS Language of the Month – Somali

The language of October is Somali selected by 7S students who are now working on resources to display in the foyer. We welcome any suggestions from all students and parents/carers to promote Somali language and culture. They can be emailed to us via community.languages@sns.hackney.sch.uk or given to your child’s Form Tutor.

Resources for Parent/Carers to Support Mental Health of Young People

Please see below some resources to support mental health:

SilverCloud

SilverCloud is an online support programme for parents/carers who are supporting an anxious teen or child. To sign up, please use this link.

Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Universal Workshops and Groups

MHST provide free workshops for parents/carers relating to the following areas:

Information about future workshops can be viewed on their Eventbrite page using this link.

Resources for Autism – Hackney and City Hub

Resources for Autism is piloting a hub for Autistic people in City and Hackney. As part of this offer there will be different services available, such as groups for young people and adults. More information can be found using this link, or can call 0208 458 3259.

Key dates and Local Cultural Events

Please see a link to our school calendar here. You can also find our webpage which is regularly updated, promoting local cultural events using this link.

This week’s theme of the week has focused on ‘Future Aspirations’. Students in Year 9 shared the following ‘Thought of the Day’ by Eleanor Roosevelt.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

With best wishes,

Zehra Jaffer