As we move into December the pace of life at Roding Valley High School shows no sign of slowing down. On Tuesday evening we were treated to the Winter Concert which involved students from a number of year groups. The standard of the performances was superb and the audience was rapt from start to end. All of the students did incredibly well under the pressure of the live performance but each and every one of them rose to the occasion. I realise that it is invidious to single out particular individuals but I particularly enjoyed Eva Randall's interpretation of "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" where she sang and played piano faultlessly. Kaelin Dignam also starred with his performance of the "Flight of the Bumblebee" on the piano. The speed of his play and the accuracy was a sight to behold. I would like to thank all of the students who took part and also Mr Savage and Mr Clancy for putting so much time and effort in to supporting the students. On Thursday evening we had our first Year 12 Parents' Evening. It was great to see the Hall so busy with students, parents and staff. The discussions about the students' progress were positive and there was a real sense of purpose throughout the event. I am very pleased with the work that the Sixth Formers are putting in and with their end of term examinations coming up it is crucial that they keep up the momentum. As we draw to the end of such a busy term I would like to thank you as parents for your ongoing support of the school. On the 14th December we have a Parents' Forum planned but rather than the usual format I would like to run a Headteacher Clinic in its place. If any parents wish to meet with me to discuss any matter, cause for concern or otherwise, please contact my PA either by telephone (020 8418 8288) or email (ssabin@rodingvalley.net) and make a 15 minute appointment. I will be available from 6pm until 8pm on this evening and I hope I am able to deal with any issues that you may have regarding your sons or daughters. I have run similar evenings in the past and found them to be an effective use of time and something that parents have found to be valuable. I will continue to hold the old style Parents Forums as well but I think that this is worth trialling at this time. I would also like to note that a number of parents have already been invited to the Year 7 Evening on Thursday 10th December. This evening is to focus on students where there may be a cause for concern so that further support may be put in place. We are keen to build on the excellent start that our Year 7s have made this term so the members of the Senior Leadership Team are looking forward to meeting with parents on that evening. Finally, as a school we are always keen to hear from local businesses who wish to support the school. With this in mind I would like to thank "Ali Barbers" on the High Road for donating 600 tokens for a free haircut for our students. Any student wishing to take up this offer can collect their token (one per student) from Mrs Sabin. J Luck
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Week ending 4th December 2015 Year 7 Highest Attendance
7R
Form with the Highest Honours 7U Student with the Highest Honours
Sophie Harper 7T
Year 8 Highest Attendance
8R
Form with the Highest Honours 8R Student with the Highest Honours
8U Ella Margetts
Student of the week
Declan Comas 8Q for outstanding performance in the recent rugby tournament. Represented the school fantastically!
Class of the week
8V/Hi1 nominated by Ms Preston for their fantastic homework and for setting up their own assessment of each others work. Impressed with their contributions to the lesson, brilliant work! 8st/Rm2 nominated by Mr Wooten for being great in class and enjoyable to teach
Year 9 Highest Attendance
9W
Form with the Highest Honours 9X Student with the Highest Honours
Tariq Riaz 9X
Student of the week
Callum Say 9W nominated by Ms Patel for working well and having a mature approach towards learning as well as being consistently polite – Well done Callum!
Class of the week
9ux/Es1 nominated by Mr Hayes for their impressive first lesson with him
Year 10 Highest Attendance
10X
Form with the Highest Honours 10S Year 11 Highest Attendance
11T
Form with the Highest Honours 11U Students of the Week
Serene Ahmad 11V nominated by Mrs Barrett for aspiring to achieve her very best in this subject, has her sights set on an A star and has started revision preparation already Lily Rowsell 11T nominated by Mr Baidoo for her dedication and enthusiasm towards GCSE Art Lucy Raymond 11X and Lizzie Cushion 11X nominated by Mr Murray for always doing the right thing and working extremely hard in Psychology Asena Justice 11V nominated by Ms Patel for having a much more improved attitude towards learning – Keep it up Asena!
Calling all Netball players….. Langdon are looking for players to play or train for fitness with a view to becoming involved in Club Netball. Good fun with great people. Training is on Tuesdays 7.30pm—9.00pm
Interested? Visit our Facebook page: Langdon Netball Club
From the School Governors At the meeting of the governors’ Personnel, Finance and Premises Committee last week, we discussed the many and varied additional opportunities provided to students as a result of the enthusiasm of our teachers to offer extra -curricular activities. We know that this additional work is also greatly appreciated by students and parents and we would like to thank all staff for their commitment. In particular, at this time in the school Year, on behalf of students, parents and the governing body, we would like to thank those who helped students competing in the Debating Competition and participating in the Christmas Concert.
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. The more weird & wacky the better! Mrs Martin, School Librarian
In line with the remit of the committee, we also reviewed spending against budget and discussed use and maintenance of the school premises to provide the best possible environment for our students. Gary Stone Chair Personnel, Finance and Premises Committee
On Thursday 26 November we held our second cooking competition of the Year, the RIBI Young Chef Competition. We had a good turn out with a mixture of Year 7’s, 8’s and 9’s. As always the food was to a very high standard and the 3 judges were going to be in for a difficult decision. The dishes ranged from curries, pasta, meatballs, grilled chicken, grilled salmon and bean patties to name but a few!!! After an extremely long deliberation the winner was finally announced!! This Year in 1st place it was ELLA MARGETTS 8U, 2nd place went to ELLIE BLUNDY 8U and 3rd place went to ABIGAIL WARD 9S. Well done to everyone that entered. A massive thank you to our 3 judges, Miss Arnold, Mrs Thompson and Mrs Sergent. We would also like to thank the parents/guardians for your continued support.
YEAR 9 PARENTS Please see below the generic timetable for the forthcoming Year 9 Assessment Week. Assessments will take place under formal conditions for every subject area. Your son/daughter will receive an individual assessment timetable from their Form Tutor during registration next week. Timetables will be printed on bright yellow paper. This sheet of information is very important, please encourage your son/daughter to take responsibility and look after their timetables. If timetables are lost, student’s can refer to the seating plans pinned up on the door at the Science Playground. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Mrs J Draper, Exams Officer
YEAR 12 PARENTS Please see below the Yr12 Examination Timetable for the forthcoming exams. Students were issued with their individual timetables during Parents Evening, these have been printed on bright pink paper. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Mrs J Draper, Exams Officer
Maths Support Monday & Friday After school in M5 Maths Club Tuesday & Thursday Lunchtime in M3
Message from the PE Department Please remember that the PE department has a no jewellery policy. Students are not allowed to wear earrings for PE lessons and will be asked to remove them so if your child is going to have their ears pierced this should be done at a time when they are not in school for enough time to allow the ears to heal, e.g. at the beginning of the summer holidays.
LIBRARY OPENING TIMES The library is open to all students for homework, G.C.S.E. work and private study/reading at the following times: Monday - Friday (excluding Tuesday): Before school 7.15am – 8.30am, break time, lunch times & after school for homework club 3.15pm – 4.15pm. Tuesday: Before school 7.15am - 8.10am, break time and lunch times. Access for early opening is via the door by resources.
Parents of Year 9 – Year 12 Date for your diary
The Roding Valley High School Annual Careers Fest will be on Thursday January 28th 2016 from 3.30-6.30pm at Epping Forest College. The careers fest is for parents and students in Year 9 through to Year 12. The Careers Fest gives students in Year 9 the opportunity to find out about future career pathways and to consider their option choices and subjects they wish to take in Year 10. The information and advice available on the evening is very important for Years 10, 11 and 12 students who are making decisions about careers and further education. It is an opportunity to talk to future sixth forms, colleges, universities and employers. This will be our sixth consortium careers fair held at Epping Forest College, every year it has been a very professional and successful event and this year there are already over 65 exhibitors attending including lots of new national and local employers as well as local sixth forms, colleges and universities. Further details will be available to you nearer the time.
Open Days coming up for Year 11
Trinity Catholic High School Wednesday 9th December Barking & Dagenham College Thursday 10th December 4.30-7pm
Application Deadlines
Roding Valley High School– Friday 15th January
Trinity – Wednesday 20th January West Hatch – Friday 29th January Davenant – Friday 29th January
APPLICATION PROCESS TO OTHER SIXTH FORMS AND COLLEGE HAS CHANGED Epping Forest College have changed their application process – they would now like students to apply direct to them, there is no deadline date, however to ensure a place on the course you would like to apply for, applications should be sent to the college no later than the end of February 2016. ALL APPLICATIONS TO OTHER SIXTH FORMS AND COLLEGES NEED TO BE SENT DIRECT TO THEM BY THEIR DEADLINE DATES.
If you require any further information or advice please contact me. Kind regards Mrs Mason Careers Development Manager dmason@rodingvalley.net
Supported Homework Club Learning Zone Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 3.05pm - 3.40pm Everyone welcome A drink and biscuit are provided
Roding Valley High School PTA UPCOMING EVENTS For up to date information on all events please check the weekly Parent Bulletin and/ or go to our website:www.rodingvalleypta.co.uk Our email address is:admin@rodingvalleypta.net if you have any questions or would like to offer help at an event. Yr7 Christmas Disco, Friday 11th December 2015
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 Letters home to parents/guardians The school is endeavouring to become more environmentally friendly by sending home all letters to parents/guardians electronically rather than using so much paper. To this end we have sent letters home with students asking for all parents/ guardians to confirm their email addresses. Could we ask you to complete the slip at the bottom of the letter and return it to Student Reception by the last day of this term. Thank you.
Year 7 Disco. £5.00 per ticket, ENTRY only. Friday 11th December 2015, 6.30pm—8.30pm. Refreshments sold. Tickets on sale now from Student Reception, before/after School or break/lunch times. This event is run by the PTA of RVHS.
No tickets available on the evening
__________________________________________________________ Please return to student reception: I would like a ticket for this Years 7 Disco on Friday 11th December 2015. Student: ______________________________________ Form: _____________ *I enclose cash/cheque for £5.00 made out to Roding Valley High School. *I have paid for the tickets by ParentPay , collect from student reception. *
Delete option which is not applicable
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
Drop in times for Students with Special Educational Needs Drop in times for parents of SEN students are to enable you to discuss your son/ daughter's progress in detail. We will be available at the following times: Mondays 11.20am—12.20pm Wednesdays 12.20pm—1.20pm Thursdays 10.00am—11.00am Please email me to book one of these times, or an alternative time if these are inconvenient, at asmith@rodingvalley.net
ICT Coursework Sessions Every Tuesday Lunchtime with Miss Wilson in ICT4
Year 7 & 8 Residential Trips – June 2016 Please remember to return your completed paperwork, along with deposit payment, to student reception as soon as possible. Thank you. School Website Please visit our school website to find details of any recent letters home, the Student Bulletin and previous copies of the Parent Bulletin - www.rodingvalley.net
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
Needed! Any unwanted good quality badged uniform, skirts especially, for the PTA to sell on at a huge reduction. Good quality used uniform is always available from the school from 3.15pm - 4.15pm daily.
Piano Lessons To book piano lessons please contact
at Roding Valley High School, Loughton Tuesdays 6.30pm (please use Brook Road entrance) Our successful ProPoints Plan makes weight loss as effortless as possible. Whatever you like to eat, you can lose weight; no food is off limits with WeightWatchers —Your Way. You’re guaranteed a warm, friendly welcome, motivating activity, advice and support, inspiration, a confidential weigh-in and successful weight loss. I look forward to meeting you! Contact Julie Faulkner 07981 744746 jfaulkner@weight-watchers.co.uk See our website for current offers www.weightwatchers.co.uk
rosswall@gmail.com
Drum Lessons One to One, Two to One and Small Group lessons available.
Singing Lessons Private singing lessons are now available. Please contact Alex Larke for more details and to book your slot. email: alex@thevocaltutor.com
Learn with your friends! Contact: marksevel@hotmail.com
Guitar Lessons Access to Water in School 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.
Lessons slots are available on Mondays with lessons priced at £12 per half hour. Please contact Steve van Niekerk on vn.steve.vn@gmail.com if you are interested.
Students are regularly coming into school with cheques with the payee being left blank
School Shop Opening Times Before School: 8.30am - 9.00am
Can you please ensure that all cheques are made payable to
Break: 11.00am - 11.20am
Roding Valley High School
Lunch: 1.20pm - 2.05pm
The school cannot be held responsible for any cheques which go missing and are then cashed elsewhere
After School: 3.05pm - 4.00pm STUDENTS WILL NOT BE SERVED OUTSIDE THESE HOURS
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 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 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 020 8508 1173.
* Summer Term only