Tickets are available for Strictly Come Dancing on April 2nd. They can be purchased from both reception and the 6th Form Office. Adults £6 Concessions £4 – all in aid of Comic Relief.

Following our highly successful Information Evening in October 2008 we are delighted to invite you to our second evening on Tuesday March 10th 2009 at 7 - 9pm in the school hall. Parents and pupils were complimentary in their feedback in October and also made suggestions for issues that they felt were of importance. The theme is again Personal Safety and Protection and invited speakers will present information in the programme outlined below. Welcome and introductions, Ms Brook-Hill - JHGS Awareness of sexual health and sexuality Mrs J Hursthouse - Bucks Healthy Schools Team Stress vulnerability and mental health Mr S Bell – Bucks Early Intervention Service Questions & answer session Ms Brook-Hill - JHGS Internet Safety and awareness Miss E Coen – Childnet.org. Further details can be found in the letters section.

The next JHGS soccer school will take place over the 6th/7th April. More information from Mr Vanstone.

After last year's successful OFSTED report, JHGS was invited to bid for another specialism (we already hold technology and sports college status). After much discussion it was decided to bid to become a language college. We heard this week that we have been successful and this means that we will be able to further develop the provision for studying languages within the school. Given the very tight budget that the school works within this is a very needed boost to the school's limited resources and will allow the language department to run some exciting ventures both within and outside the classroom.

The updated GCSE options booklet has now been uploaded to the website (under other correspondence). This should help inform year 9 parents and pupils about the possible choices at GCSE. The options evening after half term will also give parents and boys a chance to ask staff about their subjects at KS4.

A comprehensive revision programme will be run in school covering many of the GCSE and A Level courses. There will also be a two day residential course run by the mathematics and biology departments. Further details can be found in the letters section.

Due to the weather there have had to be several amendments made to the Year 11 exam timetable: Those exams scheduled for Friday 6th February will now be on Friday 13th February – timings to remain the same. The cross-curricular day has been postponed. MFL orals will now be on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th February – timings to be confirmed with individual language teachers. For those who missed Thursday 5th February’s History exam this can now be taken on Tuesday 10th February from 1.30 – 3.30pm. For those who missed Thursday 5th February’s Geography exam this can now be taken on Wednesday 11th February from 11.35 – 1.05pm – if you do not do PE GCSE. There will be opportunities after half-term for those who are unable to sit the exam in this time slot. ART will be on Monday and Tuesday 23rd and 24th February (after half-term).

The parents' meeting that was cancelled due to the snow has been re-scheduled for Tuesday 10th from 7.30pm until 8.30pm in the lecture theatre.

Year 12 students who will be travelling to India this summer are planning a fund raising quiz and curry night on Friday 27th February. Further details can be downloaded from the correspondence section of the website.

Understanding a bit more about how boys are wired and how they learn can help both the school and parents provide a better and more appropriate education and support to help them develop to their best potential. Recently JHGS was fortunate enough to have a presentation by Dr Abigail James who has been working in the field of cognitive neuropsychology for many years – focussing on gender differences in learning and development. During the day some notes were taken, which parents may find useful, and these can be found in the 'other' tab of the correspondence section of the website.