This week has been incredibly busy with the Year 11s enjoying their final assembly and then the Prom. It is always great fun to invite the students into school once they have completed their exams and get them together as a year group for the final time. They came into school on Wednesday and signed shirts and socialised before entering the Hall. The Assembly was a chance to reminisce about their last 5 years and the event was ably hosted by the now famous double act of Matthew Tinker and Doncho Atannassov. There were a whole range of awards and speeches and it was a chance for the students to thank Ms Draper and Mr Hudgell who have been so supportive to them as their Heads of Year. In the evening it was the social event of the year at Woolston Manor. The Prom is a lovely occasion and as ever the students made a real effort and looked fantastic in their outfits. The atmosphere was one of celebration and it was a pleasure to see the students enjoying each others' company and interacting with the teachers and support staff who were also invited. I think that it is testament to Roding Valley High School that so many staff chose to give up their Wednesday evening and stay to the very end to give the students an excellent send off. We also held a very successful Year 6 into 7 Transition Evening on Tuesday. The Hall was absolutely packed and the parents heard an address from Mrs Jenner, Deputy Headteacher, regarding how we are planning to track and monitor the academic performance of all students. Mr Hudgell, Head of next year’s Year 7, discussed how the students will be supported both academically and pastorally as well as highlighting the expectations that we have as a school. For me, though, the highlight of the evening was hearing from two Year 7 students who have thrived since they joined the school in September. Molly Spencer and Olympia Barnett spoke with such enthusiasm about their experiences and opportunities this year and their confident performances were superb. They are clearly tremendous ambassadors for the school and a credit to their families. On Monday evening at 6pm I will be hosting the final Parent Forum of the academic year. I will be reflecting on the year as a whole and would encourage as many parents as possible to come along and share their comments and views about the strengths of the school as well as identifying any areas for development. The meeting will take place in the Media Suite. I hope that you have already seen the letter this week regarding the partial closure of the school on Tuesday 5th July. As many of you will know the National Union of Teachers has decided to take industrial action and since many of our staff are members of the union I have no choice but to close the school to Years 7 to 10 for the day to ensure the health, safety and well being of all students. The year 12s will come into school at the usual time and register. The school will be open as normal on Wednesday the 6th July. James Luck Headteacher
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Week ending 17th June 2016 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10
Highest Attendance
Lexia 1
Form with the highest Honours
7R
Student with the highest Honours
Lenny Lane 7X
Highest Attendance
8S
Form with the highest Honours
8X
Student with the highest Honours
Penelope Spence 8X
Student of the week
Kya Mellish 8S nominated by Mr Dennis for a dramatic improvement in Maths – Excellent!
Class of the week
8ux/Fr1 nominated by Ms Langlet for being really hard working
Highest Attendance
9U
Form with the highest Honours
9U
Student with the highest Honours
Abigail Ward 9S
Student of the week
Pru Walker 9R & Layla Newland 9R nominated by Mrs Humphreys for completing their work to an excellent standard
Class of the week
9uv/Hs1 nominated by Ms Preston for their efforts to evaluate measures of health & Health & Social Care – all sensible, calm and made an effort – Well Done!
Highest Attendance
10V
Form with the highest Honours
10X
Student with the highest Honours
Chai Ciantar 10X
Student of the week
Zara Barbis 10X nominated by Miss Ahmad for excellent effort, contributions and positive attitude in English during the week Chloe Mountain 10T nominated by Miss Williams for her dedication, resilience and commitment in Psychology Week ending 24th June 2016
Year 7 Year 8
Highest Attendance
7V
Form with the highest Honours
7X
Student with the highest Honours
Trent Campbell 7W
Student of the week
Olympia Barnett 7W nominated by Miss Bates for her outstanding effort and completing every task including the challenge tasks in English
Class of the week
7qt/Fr4 nominated by Ms Langlet for producing outstanding role plays 7w/Hu1a nominated by Mrs Humphreys for excellent work and attitude
Highest Attendance
8V
Form with the highest Honours
8X
Student with the highest Honours
Katie Feeney 8X
Class of the week
8t/Gg1 nominated by Mrs Barron for always being focussed, rarely interrupting, always doing their best, most do their homework, often to a high standard – Love teaching this class! 8ux/En3 nominated by Miss Ahmad for their excellent concentration and focus in the run up to the end of year exams
Year 9
Highest Attendance
9U
Form with the highest Honours
9R
Student with the highest Honours
Luke Worth 9U
Class of the week
9wx/Dr1 & 9wx/Dr3 nominated by Ms Walker for being really focussed and choreographed some great stage combat moves – very impressive! 9q/Gg1 nominated by Mrs Barron for working really hard
Year 10
Highest Attendance
10V
Form with the highest Honours
10Q
Student with the highest Honours
Eddie Broder 10R
Y6 Transition Day Roding Valley High School welcomed the Year 6 students, who will be joining us in September, for their Transition Day on Friday 24th June. The day was full of fun and exciting lessons across a range of subjects and finished off with a tug of war competition in PE. The students also sat some reading tests which were held in the IT rooms throughout the morning. Mr Hudgell, Head of Year 7 in September, said "It was a really busy and exciting day for the students who had the opportunity to meet some staff members and receive a taster of some of the subjects on offer at Roding Valley High School".
Year 6 Transition Evening On Tuesday 28th June Roding Valley High School welcomed the Year 6 parents to attend a transition evening, promoting what we have on offer as a school and what is expected from our students in September 2016. Mr Luck, Mrs Jenner and Mr Hudgell were the lead speakers along with Year 7 students Molly Spencer and Olympia Barnett (7W) who spoke with so much confidence about their school experience so far. Mr Hudgell said "I am very proud to be Head of Year 7 in September, I thought it was a fantastic evening with not an empty seat in sight which fills me with great confidence that we have a very supportive cohort of parents joining us in September".
Yr11 Leavers assembly On Wednesday 29th June we said our farewells to the year 11 students at their leavers assembly. They had a great time shirt signing out in the playground and then made their way into the hall for their final assembly. A variety of fun awards were distributed to the lucky winners, along with Jake Forecast winning the raffle for a mini IPad in the 'Going for Gold' competition. Jake also received an individual award for his contribution towards GCSE podcast by Mr Naidoo. Matthew Tinker and Doncho Atanassov were the driving force behind running such a successful assembly along with bundles of joy and laughter. There were also performances from Tyne Brownlie and Chloe Buckley who were brave enough to take to the stage and perform in front of the year group with so much confidence which reflected their amazing performances. Mr Hudgell said, "It has been a privilege to have worked and supported the Year 11 students throughout their time here at Roding Valley High School, both Miss Draper and I share the view that they are a remarkable year group and wish every student all the success in their GCSE exam results and their futures". Mr Hudgell Head of Year 11
Goodbye Year 11 The Year 11 students all gathered together for a night of celebration for their Prom which was held at Woolston Manor Golf and Country Club on Wednesday 29th June. Many students arrived in style and it was obvious how much time and effort had gone into choosing their attire. It was a fantastic event with so many staff and students in attendance and would like to thank Woolston Manor for their hospitality, making the evening so special for many of our Year 11 students.
Dear Parent/Guardian As you may be aware, ParentPay have now changed their website, but with this comes an extra step that needs to be completed in order to update your child’s online School Meals & Trips Account. Once you have uploaded an amount to “your account” you then need to complete the following steps: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Once you are on your home screen it should appear in the top right hand corner “your account” with the value that you have just topped up Under your child’s name, select “pay for items” It will then give you a list of all items you are able to pay for. Please click “view details and pay” next to your chosen item A box will then appear and in the “edit amount” box please enter the value you would like to add to your child’s lunch/trip account
Please be advised that if the above steps are not completed the money will not appear on your child’s account. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the finance office who will be pleased to help you with your query. Kind Regards Karen Salmons finance@rodingvalley.net 02085081173 Finance option 3
Student Access to the School WiFi Please can you return the completed ICT Acceptable Use Agreement to the school office so we can issue your child with their individual password to access the school WiFi. All parents who have issued us with a valid email address have been emailed another copy of the agreement and there is a copy on the school website under the letters home section. Regards Karen Salmons Business Manager
The Lion King We are currently trying to source: * Material and fur * Brown/beige/tan coloured long sleeved tops & trousers/ leggings/joggers * Any animal fancy dress/accessories * Headbands/Alice bands * Feathers If you have any of these items, or similar, that you no longer require or think would be of use, could you please send them into school or speak to Mrs Walker in drama. Many Thanks
U13 Tennis Well done to the U13 s Tennis team who beat Bancrofts School 11-8 in an enthralling Tennis doubles competition. The Roding Valley students raised their game to play some splendid shots. Parents watching were treated to a feast of exciting rallies, aces, forehand winners and deft drop shots. The games were played in good spirits, in sunshine and were enjoyed by all.
A triumphant squad : Katy Roberts, Billy Roberts, Lewis Scarfe, Azra Ozerin, Arin Ozerin and Francesca Salmon. Year 7/8 Rounders On Tuesday 28th June we took a group of Year 7 and 8 girls to the Joyce Frankland Academy in Newport to take part in an Essex Rounder’s competition. The team played 5 matches overall against schools across the whole of the county. They came up against some stiff competition but showed great attitude and enthusiasm throughout every game improving their knowledge. Overall, the girls finished 6th best in Essex and represented Roding Valley High School with pride. Well done! Miss Reed Rounder’s Team: Saskia Cushings 8U Ella Margetts 8U Madison Holden 8U Mia Ali 7S Jada Ali 7R Elysia Filaitis 7S Phoebe Belton 8Q Isobel Bonning 8S Chloe Slatford 7S Katy Roberts 8U
Year 10 Careers Programme Over the past few weeks all students in Year 10 have participated in careers group work sessions in the Careers Office. Post 16 Options have been discussed and students have been encouraged to start some thorough research into which pathway they wish to follow at the end of Year 11. Parental Involvement Encourage them to start researching which A levels or courses they may choose study. In September I will provide Parent’s with detailed information about further education and the open day dates of local colleges and sixth forms. Mock Interview Day Thursday 14th July 2016 All students in Year 10 have received a letter for parents this week with details of the mock interview scheme on Thursday 14th July. All students at the end of Year 11 will have to have an interview either at sixth form, college or with an employer. This scheme aims to prepare students to perform more effectively at interviews. Students will be learning how to write their CVs and Letters of application during their lessons. All CVs and letters of application MUST be passed to Mrs Mason. Students will be notified by Monday 11th July where, and at what time, their interview will be. Some students will be going out to the employer’s premises, but most interviews will take place in the school. Students may, if they wish, update their CV once they have completed their Work Experience Placement, just hand in a new CV to Mrs Mason once updated. Students do not have to wear school uniform for the Mock Interview day, however we do expect them to dress smartly as if they were attending a ‘real’ interview. As a guide boys should wear a shirt, tie, and trousers, girls should wear a skirt/dress/ trousers with blouse/shirt please do not buy anything for the interview as their uniform is very smart and ideal for an interview. Students follow a normal school timetable and just attend the appointment time of their interview. If you have any immediate concerns please contact me at the school. Kind regards Mrs Mason Careers Development Manager dmason@rodingvalley.net
From June until September we are exhibiting examples of our student’s work at County Hall in Chelmsford. This is the first time we have ever exhibited at this venue after we were selected from every primary and secondary school in Essex. The exhibition is in the gallery approaching the ‘Members Dining Room’ which sounds extremely Hogwarts and is, unfortunately, in a secure area so cannot be accessed by members of the public. ie, you and me. County councillors presumably like to hoard the very best student artwork in Essex for themselves. Yet another shining example of the exemplary work that is done throughout Roding Valley High School.
Loughton Arts Centre Friday 25 June through to Thursday 8 July The Arts Centre is located on Loughton High Street next door to Lopping Hall and is open from 10-4 Monday to Saturday. I hope you and your family are able to visit the exhibition and celebrate our student’s success. When you visit do fill out the
visitor’s feedback book so we can help promote all of the work to the local community.
PE Twitter Account The PE department have activated a Twitter account where regular PE updates, extra-curricular news and curriculum information will be regularly published. Follow @RodingValleyPE to keep up to date with our department. Mr Hudgell The Humanities Faculty has a Twitter account designed to promote sites of interest, pre-reading, revision, humanities information, news and general humanities support. It is aimed at all KS3, KS4 and A-level Humanities Students and can be followed @humsrvhs
You can follow us at www.rodingvalley.net and on Facebook at the ‘Roding Valley High School Official’ page. Our Twitter (@RodingValleyHS) account is a great place to keep up to date with some of the latest news and activities in school. You can also sign up to our free electronic media release service at rodingvalleymedia@gmail.com
ATTENDANCE MATTERS….. Student Absence If your child is unable to attend School for any reason then please report their absence by phoning the school number by 9.30am, you must also ring in each day of your child’s absence.
020 8508 1173 On their return to School please ensure your child brings with them a letter or medical evidence if requested explaining the reason for the absence for our records. Medical Appointments When possible please make sure you make any medical or dental appointments outside of school time. If this is not possible then please try to ensure that your child attends before and/or after their appointment Holidays in Term Time It is not school policy to authorise any holidays during term time except in exceptional circumstances. If you put in a holiday request a ‘Leave of Absence’ form must be completed (these are available at Student Reception). Please be aware if the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case may be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school. For full details regarding attendance please see our Attendance Policy which can be found in the ‘Parents’ section on our website or contact Mrs Jeanette Low our Attendance Officer on the school number. Guidance for Common Ailments Please see, on the following page, guidance from the NHS of common childhood illnesses; this advises what type of illness requires time off from school and what does not. Should you require further guidance please contact the school.
Attention all RVHS students Send photos of yourself reading a book or Kindle to Mrs Martin at: jmartin@rodingvalley.net and see your picture(s) on our @RVgetcaughtreading Twitter feed.
Singing Lessons Private singing lessons are now available. Please contact Alex Larke for more details and to book your slot. email: alex@thevocaltutor.com
The more weird & wacky the better! Mrs Martin, School Librarian
Piano Lessons To book piano lessons please contact rosswall@gmail.com
Access to Water in School Drum Lessons One to One, Two to One and Small Group lessons available. Learn with your friends! Contact: marksevel@hotmail.com
Guitar Lessons Lessons slots are available on Mondays with lessons priced at ÂŁ12 per half hour. Please contact Steve van Niekerk on vn.steve.vn@gmail.com if you are interested.
Parents, please be aware that the canteen has jugs of water available both during lunchtime and break time for all students to access. Bottled water is sold at all outlets Large bottle 50p Small bottle 25p If a student is overdrawn or has no money on their lunch account, they will always be sold water.