The Easter break is almost upon us and yet it seems only days ago that we returned after Christmas.  Time has flown and Wolgarston High School has been as busy as ever.  For this edition of Wolgarston News, we are indebted to an editorial team led by Frances Griffiths and Alys Cummings, both of whom are Year 12 students.  They have proved enterprising and enthusiastic editors and I feel sure that you will be impressed by what they have achieved.

A wonderful production of  "Guys and Dolls" bought the first half of this Spring term to a close.  Well done to everyone who was involved in making the show such a success. 

This half term has seen Year 11 and Year 13 busily preparing for their final examinations, which begin shortly after Easter.  Year 9 have been preparing for their end of Key Stage tests and making Key Stage 4 course choices.  Red Nose Day brought some comic relief for us all with a day of sponsored activities involving students and staff.  By the end of the Friday itself, the school had banked £875.00 for the charity and final contributions came to over £1000.  A wonderful achievement by all involved.

School closes for Easter on 1^st April 1999.  Students return on Monday 19^th April.  I hope everyone has a good holiday.

May I close by offering sincere thanks to the large number of parents who supported Staffordshire High Schools campaign for fair funding.  If you have not yet made your views known it is not too late to do so.  I must also offer personal thanks to the many parents who sent me good wishes during my recent absence from school.  As you can see, I'm back in action!

Linda Cook
Head teacher

Mr Joyce has joined the school to teach science, he hasn't always been a science teacher  - he used to make loudspeakers.  He says he enjoys teaching physics because he likes the equipment and helping young people understand the facts and information, training them to become young scientists. His first impression of Wolgarston was that it was a good school and that the teachers were very pleasant and easy to get on with. He enjoys teaching all year groups as  "They each need a different style of teaching."

If Mr Joyce had not been a teacher he would have liked to have been an archaeologist and his favourite television programme is Time Team. He is also interested in Medieval history and Motte and Bailey castles. I asked him whether he had any other ambitions to achieve. He told me that he was looking forward to getting a good wig and having good holidays!

Mr Green is another new addition to the science department and is also replacing Mrs Jennet as 9JAJ's form teacher. He lives 25 miles away in Tamworth where in his spare time he likes to go sailing, hoping  one day to buy his own sailing boat. Mr Green also likes to read, mainly enjoying detective stories and non-fiction books. He likes listening to classical music too.

Mr Green's first impression of Wolgarston was that it is quiet and the new science block is spacious and light. He finds the staff very nice and helpful and thinks that the pupils are nice, polite and easy to teach.

Mr Green used to be a librarian and "liked it to begin with but it got a bit boring."

However one of Mr Green's early ambitions was to be an artist.

Catherine Phillips

After having directed the 'Guys and Dolls' cast to an excellent set of performances, Ms Hutchings gave birth to a daughter, Eleanor Grace on 15^th February.  Eleanor weighed 6lb 2ozs and both mother and baby are doing well.  Ms Hutchings intends to be back in school during the Autumn term.

 Pupils in Years 12 and 13 and members of staff who have been here longer than a couple of years will remember Mr Rob Dewing who left Wolgarston in 1996.  He taught history for four years at Wolgarston, which was his first teaching position.  Those who don't remember him for his historical expertise will no doubt remember his Marks and Spencer cardigans!

A lovely man and enthusiastic and encouraging leader of the Christian Union while he was here, he moved to Cambridge in 1996 to go to a theological college to become an Anglican clergyman.  Now in 1999, coming to the end of his three year course he says it has all gone very quickly, but he is still loving it.  He will become a curate of a large parish church in August in Gosport, Hampshire and is looking forward to the busy job.  We wish him all the best.

Hannah Hardy