End of Term Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

The run up to Christmas is always an enjoyable time in school; this year has been no different and there has been a strong sense of festive community spirit.  

Since I last wrote, we have added the Year 7 movie night and the first ever Year 11 Santa run (grinch slippers being a highlight!) to our plethora of Christmas activities along with a host of curriculum based festive activities. Our orchestra, ensembles and choirs have been preparing for the annual visit to Durham Cathedral today, as have those given the honour of reading a lesson. Concluding the year at Durham Cathedral is a special part of being a student at Durham Johnston and the opportunity to celebrate together as a school in one of the world’s finest buildings is a hugely memorable experience for large numbers of our students. Every year we welcome back former students and staff who wish to join in the experience again. Regardless of faith, our final day of term represents a wonderful cultural opportunity. 

At this time of year, we also encourage our students to think about how they can support others in the run up to Christmas, and to give something back to the wider community. Once again, our students have stepped up and embodied our core value of public service via the House System’s annual appeal. Their generosity (and yours) has meant that we have been able to support a number of local charities including Durham foodbank, Feeding Families, Family Action, St Cuthbert's Hospice, and also support families linked to our school community with Christmas hampers. Thank you to all of our student House Leads who supported with the vast amount of organisation. 

On a different note, Monday was the deadline to vote in the parent governor election and we would like to thank all the parents and carers who nominated themselves to give up their time to support our school. We are pleased to announce that Mr Benjamin Westwood and Mrs Claire Young were successful, and we look forward to welcoming them at the next governing body meeting in January. The results were very close, and we would like to thank all parents and carers who voted. 

On behalf of all the staff at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, I would like to wish all members of our school community a Merry Christmas. I hope you have a restful break filled with Christmas cheer and quality time with those you care about.

Mrs McFadden