King Edward VI School
May Bulletin 22 May 2015
A
s I write, the weather remains changeable and our summer sports teams have had to dodge more than their fair share of wind and showers. AS level and GCSE Examinations are, however, in full swing and students are busy with revision; poor weather has some compensations with little temptation to bask in the sunshine!
Annual Athletics Sports Day 2015 Friday 26 June 1.00pm until 4.45pm on the School field Parents and friends are warmly invited to attend and we would be delighted to see you.
We are delighted to have seen the completion of the new hospitality facilities at Wellington. This completes a major refurbishment of the site and provides for a significant increase in space for parents and pupils, particularly in the period of high demand during the Autumn Term.
The structure of the day will be slightly different this year as there will be no heats or finals held before the event. All events will take place during the afternoon, except Javelin which will need to be held in advance due to health and safety.
The principal focus of the School in June will be on internal examinations and there is very useful guidance for students on our website to help them make the best use of their time. Please remind your sons and daughters that normal School regulations apply, particularly those relating to summer uniform which is introduced for the whole School after half term.
Refreshments for parents will be served in the Dining Hall between 2.30pm and 4.00pm All students are required on site until 4.45pm. If a pupil must leave before this time then agreement must be sought from their Head of Year in advance and the pupil will require a letter from home, also signed by their Head of Year
There is much to look forward to thereafter with the Arts Festival, Sports Day, Endeavour and the Swimming Gala all subject, as ever, to the vagaries of the English summer weather. AJ Thould Head SCHOOL LUNCH REMINDER
KETA buses will leave at approximately 4.45pm and there will be NO LATE BUSES
The deadline for changes to School lunch arrangements for the Autumn Term is: 4pm on Tuesday 30 June 2015 It will not be possible to meet requests that arrive after the deadline
Understanding Your Child's Temperament If you were unable to attend the talk for parents by Lorraine Lee on 13 May please click here to view the presentation. First Year Parent & Pupil Rounders Tournament
The price for a lunch from September is ÂŁ3.95
There will be a First Year Pupil and Parent Rounders Tournament held at: Wellington Sports Ground on Friday 19 June at 6.30pm Refreshments will be provided If you are interested in taking part in this fun event, please email Mrs Kelly on ck@kes.hants.sch.uk with your child’s name, Tutor Group and indicate who will be partnering them.
Please email dinners@kes.hants.sch.uk giving pupil name, tutor group and the change intended No action is required if arrangements are to continue as at present Any request using the dinners@kes email address will be acknowledged 1
Permission for Absence
‘Looking Forward’ Evening for Fourth Year Parents 8 July at 7pm in the Dobson Theatre
It is expected that family holidays will be taken in the School holidays and ideally all appointments should be arranged outside School hours but there may be occasions when you need to request time out of School for your child. If this is the case your child’s tutor should be informed, in writing, in advance of any appointments and requests for permission for absence for other occasions should be made to the Head of Year, giving plenty of advance notice.
Following the Looking Forward Day for Fourth Year pupils, this evening session for parents will feature presentations and discussion on the decisions students will need to make about their Sixth Form academic choices, cocurricular involvement, and preparation for university entrance. The day for pupils is designed to enable them to make informed decisions about their academic careers, and this evening session aims to support you as parents as you help them do this. Mr Thould, Mr Dellar, Mr Culver, Ms Greenwood and Mr Sheppard will lead the discussions.
TEMPORARY BUS PASSES Pupils wishing to obtain a temporary bus pass to enable them to travel on a different route must arrange this through the Main Office giving at least 48 hours’ notice. Temporary passes will only be available on buses where there is spare capacity. Leavers’ Celebrations
Procedure for if your child is ill and unable to attend school
This year’s Fifth Year pupils have taken the initiative to organise their own Fifth Year Prom on 1 July. Likewise, the Upper Sixth Form leavers have organised their own Leavers’ Ball on the evening of Friday 26 June. We understand that both Upper and Lower Sixth Formers have bought tickets for the Ball.
To enable us to be sure of the whereabouts and safety of our students it is important that you contact the Main Office (02380 704561 or by email absent@kes.hants.sch.uk) as soon as possible, preferably by 8.30am, if your child is ill or is going to be late.
As parents, we thought you would wish to know that the School is not assisting with any arrangements for these events and therefore can accept no responsibility for the conduct of the evening nor for the welfare of the pupils, their behaviour, accident or damage either at the events or during their travel to and from the venues.
If the illness is on-going please contact the Main Office on each day that your child is absent. We would also be grateful if you would reinforce the need for your child to report to the Main Office if they arrive late to School.
We do, however, wish them every success in what we hope will be both enjoyable and memorable events.
The Creative Arts Faculty is delighted to introduce the biennial three-day Arts Festival with performances, exhibitions, workshops, lectures and concerts providing an exciting, vibrant and stimulating three days to challenge and inspire. Throughout the Festival, students will have the opportunity to meet and work alongside professional artists and on 24 June there will be a fun lunchtime of Street Theatre, jugglers, buskers, portrait artists, miniature railway, dancers, magicians, crazy golf, clowns, competitions and lots more. On Monday 22 June in the Big Top, there will be a concert at 4.30pm followed by tea and cake to which parents and friends are warmly invited. Also in the Big Top on Tuesday 23 June we have the Art Exhibition private view for parents of GCSE, AS and A2 Art students from 6.30 - 8.30pm. This year we are inviting parents to join us for the Street Theatre, which runs from 12.30pm - 2.30pm on 24 June on the school field. If you would like to attend, please enter the School via the Wilton Road entrance and sign in. Full details may found in the Festival brochure here. In the event of rain on the day I am afraid we will not be able to cater for parents due to space restrictions inside the building.
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EXAMINATION GUIDANCE
Important deadline for returning School text books
Internal Examinations take place for the First to Fourth Years during the period 10 to 16 June.
Fifth Year Replacements will be ordered for any books not returned on or before Thursday 18 June. You will therefore be charged for books lost or not returned by this date. Please be aware that refunds or credits are NOT available for books returned after 18 June, 2015.
All pupils will be given guidance on revision. Lower School pupils will be given a Revision Guide to help them develop their own individual skills in study and revision. Upper School pupils can view subject specific revision guidance on the website.
Upper Sixth After taking account of outstanding monies and school text books which have not been returned we aim to refund your deposit at the earliest opportunity. Please be aware that replacements will be ordered for any books not returned on or before Thursday 25 June, 2015. We will therefore not be able to adjust your deposit balance or reimburse you for any books returned after this date.
Copies of all guides can be found by clicking Revision Guides. Photographs and Videos Please be reminded that photographs and videos taken by parents at School events should be for personal use only and may only be uploaded onto social media sites with appropriate privacy settings in place. It is important that images of other pupils are not made publicly available without their consent.
iPad Familiarisation
There are a limited number of spaces left for the iPad familiarisation sessions for parents. More information can be found here. A Level and AS Examination Results
The School’s e-safety policy may be found here for clarification.
Students can collect their A2 results in the Sixth Form Study Centre from 9am on Thursday 13 August and AS results from 2pm on that date (unless otherwise arranged due to the South Africa trip).
School Regatta The Annual Regatta will take place in partnership with Weston Sailing Club on 20 June. The event is open to all pupils up to the age of 17, but it is recommended that participants have gained their RYA Stage 2 or above.
For those Sixth Form students who need support or advice concerning the immediate next stage of their career (current university offers or A2 choices), a face-to-face post examinations clinic is available with the results on: Thursday 13 August 9am to 12:30pm 2pm to 4pm Friday 14 August 9am to 12:30pm 2pm to 3:30pm Upper Sixth students currently holding offers are reminded that they will need their UCAS identification number.
If you would like to take part then please click here to complete an entry form. Pupils are welcome to use their own boats provided that they are insured for racing. More information can be found here. Cowes Week The Jubilee Sailing Trust is now run by Edwardian, Duncan Souster. He has visited KES recently to talk about the work of the Trust and the exciting voyages on offer to our pupils. The Jubilee Sailing Trust would like to welcome you on board ‘Tenacious’ for a special dedicated KES Cowes Week day sail on 11 August 2015. Please note that the minimum age is 12 years old.
KES PTA REQUEST YOUR COMPANY AT THE
Stars & Stripes Ball Saturday 4th July 2015 at 7.30pm Dinner Reception & 3 - Course Dinner Live Band & Disco • Cocktail Bar & Casino Tables Tickets: £70 • Dress: Black Tie • Carriages: 1.30am More information here
For booking information and the cost of this fantastic adventure, please click here, or alternatively contact Maureen Dealey on 023 80426855 or at maureen.dealey@jst.org.uk 3
From the Medical Room
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Fri 22 May Mon 1 June Wed 10 June Thurs 11 June
Break up for Summer Half Term Second half of Summer Term commences Third & Fourth Year Internal examinations commence First & Second Year Internal examinations commence First Year finish Monday 15 June Second, Third & Fourth Year finish Tues 16 June Thurs 18 June Fifth Year Book Collection Mon 22 to Wed 24 Arts Festival Thurs 25 June Upper Sixth Book Collection & Leavers’ Assembly Fri 26 June Sports Day Thurs 2/Fri 3 July Endeavour Wed 8 July Lower School Swimming Gala Fri 10 July End of Term - NO LATE BUSES
We are seeing an increasing number of pupils, sometimes on a daily basis, with persistent hay fever. Symptoms vary in severity and may be worse some years than others, depending on the weather conditions and the pollen count. The symptoms of hay fever include: frequent sneezing, runny or blocked nose, itchy, red or watery eyes, an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears, cough. While symptoms of hay fever may be mild, they can severely interfere with your child’s sleep and their daily activities at school. It is therefore advisable that if your child is suffering with persistent symptoms that you give them over the counter remedies (such as an anthistamine), before they leave for school. Such remedies are more effective if taken first thing in the morning.
Hiawatha Auditions There will be a fantastic opportunity to perform in an exciting adaptation of the Hiawatha Song, with resident artistic director and founder of National Youth Music Theatre, Jeremy James Taylor, in the Autumn Term 2015 at KES. Medical Information Auditions will take place during Arts Festival Week in June for all pupils. It is very important that the nursing team are Look out for dates and times after half term.
kept up to date with any medical changes or health needs relating to your son/daughter. Please contact them as soon as any changes arise on schoolnurse@kes.hants.sch.uk or by phone on 02380 799213.
TERM DATES 2015/2016 Autumn Term 2015: Wednesday 2 September – Thursday 17 December (Half-term Friday 23 October – Friday 30 October incl.) Inset Days: Tuesday 1 September, Thursday 22 October and Monday 16 November
No breakfasts or school lunches will be provided during Endeavour, even if your child is taking part in an activity on the School site. Parents have not been charged for lunches on these two days.
Spring Term 2016: Tuesday 5 January – Thursday 24 March (Half-term: Monday 15 February – Friday 19 February) Inset Days: Monday 4 January, Friday 12 February and Monday 14 March
JUNIOR HOUSE Due to Javelin heats, there will be no Junior House on the 8 and 15 May.
Summer Term 2016: Tuesday 19 April – Friday 8 July (Bank holiday – Monday 2 May) (Half-term: Monday 30 May to Friday 3 June) Inset Day: Monday 18 April Watersports 2016 14 - 21 August 2016
PARENTS’ EVENINGS 2015/2016
Bookings are now being taken from current First, Second and Third Year pupils for the School’s Watersports holiday during the Summer of 2016. The trip involves travel by coach and ferry to the south west of France, staying on a four-star campsite near Biscarosse and enjoying activities include windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, catamaran sailing, body boarding and mountain biking, all under the expert supervision of Rockley Watersports. The cost of the trip will be £570. For more details and information on how to book a place on this popular trip please click here. 4
Year
Date
Upper Sixth
Thursday 17 September 2015
First
Thursday 19 November 2015
Lower Sixth
Tuesday 24 November 2015 (provisional)
Fourth
Wednesday 2 December 2015
Fifth
Wednesday 3 February 2016
Third
Tuesday 23 February 2016
Second
Thursday 3 March 2016