A wonderful send-off for Year 11!

With 24 hours notice, and with the closure of schools and the cancellation of GCSEs announced, the team at Walton-le-Dale put together a wonderful send-off for our amazing Year 11 class of 2020.  Assembly, awards, speeches, food, music, party, balloons, decorations, lights, shirt-signing, photobooth....  it was spectacular!  Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put it together.

As an accolade to this year group it is hard to match a message sent by Miss Hughes, who left last year to teach History at another school, but who knew this year group well.  She wrote...

"Hi, Year 11. I have had your gorgeous faces in my mind these last few days thinking how hard and confusing this time must be for you all. As a teacher, we’re not supposed to have favourites... but you guys have been the most amazing year group and the best I have taught over the last 12 years. I just know you are all going to go on to such great things in the future. I have kept copies of work that many of you did in History and use this to inspire my new students...Morgan Alexa and Beth I still have your Al Capone cut out, Kara an amazing Korea storyboard and Reece and Jasmine the most brilliant answers on the Vietnam War along with so many others, not forgetting an amazing portrait of Elizabeth 1 by Sam that hangs pride and place in my new office. My new students are always wowed by what Walton-le-Dale historians are like! When I left I was so touched by all your beautiful words, cards and gifts and look at them often and think of you all. Rebecca it made my day bumping in to you at the garage a few weeks ago as I was frantically buying chocolate as bribery for my new classes!!! The stand out memory for me was seeing so many of you perform in "We Will Rock You". That was one of the best nights I had as a teacher and made me re-find my love of all things Queen and introduce my little girl to it - she loved it and still talks about you all now. Freddie - you were the coolest bad guy in history!

Those that were in form in year 7 again stand out for so many reasons - you were always the kindest and most polite young people and made me so proud to be your form teacher. I loved 7Indigo! There are still videos from the assemblies we did on the system - I will make sure Mr Harris finds these to embarrass you all at a later date!

You may not be getting the experience you deserve now but it will come and you should all be so proud of all you have achieved throughout your time at school and the people you have become. As Mr Harris always tells us school is so much more than those bits of paper you collect and you need to remember how much you have all achieved and impacted on each other and your teachers. I have so many happy memories of teaching you all and look forward to celebrating your successes with you when things are more settled.

Thinking of you all."