Altus Updates

Dear Altus student, parent/carer, staff member,

I hope that you are well and enjoying the last few days of term and the lead-up to the Christmas break.

This update contains information on: Caldershaw Primary School joining Altus, a request for new trustees and governors, one little bird, a Yale university course on happiness, a 130 year old snowball fight in France, some rather odd Victorian Christmas cards.

Now we are (almost) five – Caldershaw Primary School to join Altus

I’m pleased to announce that on Wednesday 11^th December the Department for Education approved the application for Caldershaw Primary School to join our Trust. I’d like to personally welcome the pupils, teachers and parent/carers into our family of academies and say how very much we are looking forward to working, learning, and playing with you. We’ll aim for a joining date of somewhere around April 2025 and I will send out something more official to everyone then. In the meantime: welcome!

Two little birds, a return

A little while ago now I wrote a story about the two fledgling birds I found. For those who read the story, you’ll know that one of the birds unfortunately died, the other one apparently flew away. What I didn’t have at the time was a picture of that plucky little avian who was almost dead one minute, then gloriously alive the next, so here’s one now:

Take a free course on happiness from Yale University

What’s the secret to happiness? The New York Times says… ‘It may seem simple, but it bears repeating: sleep, gratitude and helping other people’. While I don’t think that this is a comprehensive guide to happiness, it’s a good enough place to start - read more about it in this article here. The findings are based on a course on happiness that you can take put together by Yale University. It’s been taken by over 3 million people already, so why not give it a go over the holiday period?

A snowball fight: Lyon, France, 1897

I think I share this every year, but watch this joyous, wonderful version of a Lumiere Brothers’ short film above. It could have been filmed yesterday, the people are very relatable, and clearly having fun.  

Frog murder and nightmare snowmen: 'Merry Christmas' Victorian style

Now you’ve a warm glow after watching that video, why not have a read here of another of my seasonal favourites, some of the more bizarre Christmas cards that the Victorians used to send to one another. A couple of examples are below…

Looking for new Altus Trustees and Governors – are you interested?

Altus is a growing and values-driven academy trust with a mission to:

Advance education in the borough of Rochdale and its surrounds so that young people lead happy and fulfilling lives and make positive differences to their communities and society.

And a vision to:

Create an inclusive and cohesive system of education in the area that improves the lives of everyone in the borough.

Trustees and governors have an essential role in supporting us achieve our mission and vision and we are always looking for volunteers to work on our Trust Board or on one of our local governing bodies. If either of these are something you’d be interested in, please get in touch with me and I can provide more information and discuss what the role entails – no previous experience of working on a board is necessary.

My email is: R.Ronksley@altusep.com

Howsoever you experience the Christmas season – as a religious festival, a secular event, or as just a normal couple of weeks, have a relaxing and enjoyable time. Always remember you can get in touch with us if needed.

As ever, with very best wishes and great pride,

Richard Ronksley
Chief Executive Officer