The Lister Weekly Update #1

A warm welcome to the start of the new academic year and a special hello to all our new Year 7 families.

We are so pleased to have you join our school community and trust that your children will soon feel right at home at Lister Community School. We know that the transition from primary school can be a big step, and we want to assure you that our staff are here to support every student as they settle in. We are also excited to introduce you to our school values of responsibility, excellence, and taking responsibility, which are at the heart of everything we do. We encourage our students to embody these values in their daily lives, both in and out of the classroom.

For our returning families, we extend a warm welcome back. We hope you had a restful summer break and are ready for another fantastic year of learning and growth. As a community, we believe in the power of strong partnerships between home and school, and we look forward to working together to ensure all our students reach their full potential. Two things to help with reaching that potential are: using Arbor, which is our attendance, behaviour and parent pay portal. Make sure you are using the app to keep clear connections with your child's journey at Lister; also, we encourage all parents to support their children to read at home. Children who read for twenty minutes every day will have a far greater chance of fulfilling their potential. We have an excellent library which we enourage students to use whenever they need a new book.

We will be in touch regularly throughout the term, but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We are all looking forward to a successful and rewarding year ahead.

It is with immense pride that we celebrate the GCSE results of our previous Year 11 students. Their hard work and resilience have truly paid off, and we are proud of each and every one of the students who worked hard for their outcomes.

We want to give a special mention to our high-achievers, particularly our former Head Boy, Santiago Sozomenou, who secured an outstanding "hat full" of Grade 9s. This incredible achievement is a testament to his dedication and academic excellence. Grade 9 is a mark of excellence, as it is reserved for those who achieve in the top 3% of results nationally.

We also want to celebrate the personal successes of every student who worked to their own potential. Students, like Caleb Magero, showed exceptional personal progress, overcoming challenges to achieve results they can be incredibly proud of. These successes highlight the determination and courage that our students demonstrate every day. We are excited to see what they will achieve in their futures.

We look forward to another year of empowering our students in preparation for life after Lister! Year 11s will be hearing from various sixth forms and colleges throughout this term’s assemblies and next, as well as being able to meet them in the annual Post-16 fair at the end of the term. These will be excellent opportunities for our year 11s to ask questions and consider what the best option for them is.

This term is also the start of our 1:1 Careers meetings which will be beginning soon; a chance for our students to discuss their options and learn more about pathways they may have not considered before.

As part of our careers curriculum for all year groups, we look forward to restarting our IntoUniversity and Financial Conduct Authority cohorts. These are an excellent way for our students to learn more about post-16 options as well as the commercial world!

For any careers related questions or enquiries please visit Ms Shebani in the careers office or email: careers@lister.ncltrust.net

Tuesday 23rd September - Y10 Info event

Wednesday 24th September - Y11 Info Event

Entry from 3.15pm.

You will receive a full report of your child’s grades across all subjects at the end of last academic year.

There will be a session for parents/carers led by our Headteacher, Assistant Head Teachers and Year Group Teams to share more information on helping support students with revision and how to be successful in school to support their future plans after Lister.

Tutors will then meet with all parents/carers and tutees to talk through key assessment dates, revision tips and guidance on where to find key resources.

At the Lister news desk, we are delighted to introduce our new cohort of Year 10 student leaders, who will be taking on important responsibilities throughout the school year. These students will play a vital role in our school community, demonstrating the Lister Community School values of: taking responsibility; aiming for excellence; and being kind, polite and considerate.

You will see our student leaders in action across the school, as they take on various roles. You might well see them on parents' evenings and other school events. A number of them will be working as reading mentors, supporting younger students to improve their literacy skills. Others will be acting as lunch club supervisors, helping to create a welcoming and orderly environment for all. We also have student leaders who will be uniform and equipment monitors, ensuring our high standards are maintained. Finally, some of our new leaders will be trained as peer mentors, providing support and guidance to their fellow students. We are incredibly proud of these students for stepping up and showing a commitment to serving their school. Their dedication is an example for us all, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will have this year.

We have been made aware that there is a current online trend called the 'Salt and Ice Challenge' where young people place salt on their skin and press ice on top for as long as possible. This creates a chemical reaction and causes a burn that is similar to frostbite. Young people may underestimate the harm as the cold numbs the skin, masking the pain until significant damage has occurred.

Please ensure you are monitoring your child's online activity and warn them of dangerous 'challenges'. If they mention it, you should remind them that it is not a harmless activity and can cause serious and lasting harm.

If your child engages in the challenge you should run the burn under lukewarm water and seek medical help if the burn is extensive.

Please speak to a member of the pastoral team if you have concerns.

This month, Time for Young People are offering a dynamic mix of creative, educational, and wellbeing-focused workshops designed for young people aged 8 to 25. Whether it's building new skills, making friends, or simply having fun in a safe and welcoming space — there’s something for everyone!

Here we highlight year groups' success and the particular form groups and individuals in year groups who are earning the most praises. Keep an eye out for your child's name here and see whether their form group have had particular success through the week!

The Thought for the Week this week is focused on success. Please discuss the thought with your child who will be looking at the thought in assembly and discussing the idea with peers and the year team.