Dear Families,
On Thursday evening, we had a brilliant time celebrating our students as part of our annual rewards evening. These evenings are a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the incredible students we have at Rushden Academy, and the huge amount of work, commitment, and pride they show in their learning both within and outside the classroom. Our STARR values of Serve, Thrive, Aspire, Resilience, and Respect play a key part in identifying students who deserve recognition, as these are an integral part of what it means to be a part of #TeamRushden. It was fantastic to see so many students being awarded throughout the evening, and to see so many friends and families supporting them. We would like to thank all of the staff for making this event possible, particularly for moving all the canteen furniture and setting it back up in time for our breakfast club, as well as Councillor Melanie Coleman for presenting the Mayor’s award, and Richard Massey, President of the Rotary Club of Rushden, for presenting the Rotary Club award.
Ethos Impact Innovators
Last week, a number of students took part in a trip to visit the launch of a new initiative developed by the Grace Foundation in Coventry, aimed at developing the next generation of leaders. We wanted to share how proud we are of all students for the way they represented #TeamRushden and demonstrated our STARR values. The email we received below sums up just how incredible our students were:
We would like to thank the Ethos team for their continued support, and Mrs King, who led this trip alongside Mr Henson.
"I wanted to share with you about the group of students who I took on our Grace Foundation Impact Innovators trip on Thursday last week. They really did blow me away, they were exceptional. From the moment they all met up to the moment they left, they were respectful of the staff and kind and considerate to each other, especially as they didn't all know each other beforehand.
Once we were at the venue, they followed all instructions, engaged in all activities, and listened with such respect to the various speakers. I was so proud to be with them. A visitor spoke to me to say what a great bunch they were, noting their respect for everyone there, and one of the hosts thanked me because some of our students helped tidy up after other groups.
They branched off, talked to other students, made friends, and helped others. Even by the end of a busy, full-on day when others were starting to get restless, our team remained engaged and focused."
Forest School Update
We are thrilled to announce that the delivery date for our trees to start our forest school project has been confirmed for December. We have also been informed that Silverstone Circuit has agreed to sponsor this installation, for which we are extremely grateful. A press event will be taking place at the school, where a professional racing driver will be visiting us to help plant some of the trees. We look forward to seeing who the mystery guest will be!
Year 11 Prom Update
We can now confirm that the date for the Year 11 prom has been changed and will now take place on Thursday 24th June.
Octopus Artwork
I mentioned in July that students had been working on a huge octopus sculpture that we were hoping to have installed over the summer holidays at Rushden Lakes. Unfortunately, this couldn’t take place in time for the summer, but we are excited to announce that it will now be launched on Tuesday 20th October. Selected students have been invited to attend the unveiling, and we look forward to sharing pictures of the ceremony with you very soon!
The Big Future
I would like to remind parents and students that ‘The Big Future’ survey is still open for a few more weeks. This survey has been commissioned by the Children’s Commissioner, who is keen to hear the voices of all students across the country. You can complete the survey here:
https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigfuture/
It has been a fantastic week at Rushden Academy with so many different events taking place across the school. We hope you all have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to seeing all students ready for lineup at 8:25am on Monday.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. J. Firth
Principal
