Amazing Scientists!

Efe Kurtcebe 12U

Tuna Parlar 12R

Persia Bellamy 13T

Max Sunders 12S

RuoXi He 13T

Ellie Babbs 10Ox

At our Year 9 Options Evening this week, these A Level and GCSE students spoke to our Y9 students and parents, answered any questions and helped them to explore some practical’s. As always, our students were the highlight of the evening!

Year 11 Biology

This excellent piece of work is by Alistair Lanz 11Ar – he made is for his Biology class to learn some very unusual but fascinating facts about Monotremes!

Here's a quick update on the Accelerated Reader Class Competition - 7b/En2 have leapt into the lead, but the other classes are very close in the race to the top!

Also, well done to our top 5 readers - 4 of whom have read over 2 million words!

Half term is approaching - an excellent opportunity to get reading and add words to your scores. Enjoy your books over this period.

Our theme of the week in school has been Internet Safety. The Creative Writers have compiled some thoughtful tips based on all the information they received this week to make sure we are all enjoying the internet in the best way!

Staying Safe Online

Top Tips on how to stay safe online:

1. Use strong passwords… change your passwords regularly and make sure there are upper and lower case letters with numbers and symbols with nothing to do with you. If this vital step is not done, then cyber criminals can easily gain access to all your personal data.

2. Learn to spot fake emails, websites or phone calls… use these simple steps to find out: check the source, look for evidence, ask someone you trust. Otherwise these people can get your personal information.

3. Think before you post… don’t share anything that you wouldn’t want your parents/teachers/future employers to see. Once it’s out there, it’s out! People can take screenshots and it can go out to your employer in the future.

4. Who are you talking to? People can trick you into trusting you online, do not give any personal details, you don’t know who they really are! And if they ask to meet up in person do not do so. They might be dangerous.

5. Cover your device camera… some people might be able to access your camera without you knowing and who really wants that?

- Francesca Hussain, Year 8

How to Stay Safe on the Internet:

• You should never arrange to meet up with strangers you meet online.

• You should never share your personal information, such as passwords or usernames.

• Do not share your date of birth or address.

• Do not talk to people you do not know.

• Do not post anything online that could be used against you in the future. E.G. Pictures.

- Isabella Kellet, Year 8

How to stay safe on the internet

1. I suggest you think twice before you get any app that you see to look into before you get it as it might give you a virus and steal your personal information.

2. Do not talk to strangers even if they say they are a child your age, you don’t truly know them.

3. Now if you do end up in a position where you are uncomfortable with something happening on the internet, the first thing you should do is take a screenshot of this - if possible - . Second, block them. Third, tell a trusted adult. Fourth, do not do what they are asking you to do know matter the cost.

- Rebecca Bonner, Year 7

Staying Safe Online

The internet is a place where we go every day it’s a place where people socialise, have fun, meet with new people but just like the actual world there are also bullies…

This guide shows tip son how you can use the internet but stay safe at the same time.

1)Only Children above the age of 13 should have any social media apps. Although this can be frustrating it’s here to protect you.

2) If you own any social media apps make sure to turn them on private. You always want to know who is following as in social media you are basically sharing your whole life online.

3)Be mindful of what you post always remember that what you post stays on the internet forever and there is no way of taking it back down.

There is nothing wrong with spending time on the internet but just make sure you are careful.

- Aneta Charvatova, Year 8

How to Stay Safe Online

1) NEVER share personal information online. This could result in getting a bug on your device, being hacked, or your information being leaked.

2) Get a VPN. VPNs can be installed onto your device, and protect you from things such as malwares, bugs and being hacked.

3) Use strong passwords. Avoid using a password that may be easy to guess, or short and simple passwords.

4) Be educated. Being aware of the different risks there are online, and how to avoid them play a large factor in staying safe online. Take some time out of your day, and do some research, it might just save you from running into problems online!

5) Finally, tell an adult. If you are unsure how to do something, or what something means online, ask a reliable adult, such as your parents, or a teacher at your school to help you.

- Kimi Oliveira-Da-Costa, Year 8

How to stay safe Online

Let’s face it, we can’t lie that we all use wifi and go on the internet, but do we all know how to stay safe on the internet?

Some simple ways to STAY SAFE:

• If you go on websites and it's not a secure one, like with ads and stuff, come off if they ask you to subscribe, make a payment or to sign up- if the site looks dodgy, just get off of it anyways!

• Use a Security Platform to keep you safe online.

• Don’t download random stuff off of weird websites just because it looks ‘cool’.

• Don’t try to contact random people off of the internet, because most of the time who they say they are are fake. Not real.

• Don’t search up random things on ‘the web’ that you know could get you into trouble, or aren’t for your age.

• Everybody says this, but it's true. Don’t ever share your personal information online even if it is just someone asking you,

The first tip to staying safe online are:

1. Having a strong password for every website.

2. Don’t share your password with anyone!

3. Install your latest updates.

4. Change your password on a regular basis.

5. Don’t open mail from strangers.

6. Do not accept ‘free’ offers.

Students from Ms Guidi’s Spanish classes 9a/Es1 and 9a/Es2 produced some outstanding work this week. They were asked to write a short paragraph about their school or their primary school, this was to include description of buildings, facilities and teachers.

Earlier this week we had a fascinating guided tour around Westminster Abbey. The tour was based around Shakespeare, specifically, Macbeth, and how some of his plays relate to the Abbey and events in history. The students were great at asking questions and the guides were really impressed with their knowledge. As a bonus we got to see where King Charles’ coronation will be held and learn some history of the coronation while one of our students became an anointed Queen of Roding Valley. Of course we managed to get some science into the day as will by going to the resting places of Newton, Darwin and Hawking.

Medical and Dental Appointments

All non-urgent medical appointments should be made outside of school hours. However, when this is not possible please remember, your child can sign in and out around the appointment. There is no need for them to miss out on a whole day at school. This way, in some cases, it can mean a child will not miss out on a morning or afternoon session mark, meaning their attendance percentage will not be effected.

If you would like further information regarding attendance please see our Attendance Policy here

If you have any attendance concerns or queries please contact your child’s Year Progress

Explore together: Ask your child to show you their favourite websites and apps and what they do on them. Listen, show interest and encourage them to teach you the basics of the site or app. 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Chat about online safety little and often: Young people are likely to want to explore new apps and websites this month, whether that is for learning or for fun. Take this opportunity to talk to them about how to stay safe on these new services, and in general. Ask if anything ever worries them while they are online. Make sure they know that if they ever feel worried, they can get help by talking to you or another adult they trust.

Help your child identify trusted adults who can help them if they are worried: This includes you and other adults at home, as well as adults from wider family, school or other support services who they are able to contact at this time. Encourage them to draw a picture or write a list of their trusted adults.

Be non-judgemental: Explain that you would never blame them for anything that might happen online, and you will always give them calm, loving support.

Talk about how their online actions can affect others: If your child is engaging with others online, remind them to consider how someone else might feel before they post or share something. If they are considering sharing a photo/video of somebody else, they should always ask permission first.

Parental controls: Make use of the parental controls available on your home broadband and any internet enabled device in your home. You can find out more about how to use parental controls by visiting your broadband provider’s website.

Direct your child to age appropriate information about relationships and sex: It’s natural for young people to start exploring their sexual feelings online and adolescents are more inclined to take risks. It’s important to understand this and to talk to your child in a positive way. Thinkuknow, Brook, The Mix and Childline all provide age appropriate information about relationships and sex that you can signpost your child to.

Make sure they know about CEOP: Young people can report a concern about grooming or sexual abuse to CEOP at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ and get support from a specialist Child Protection Advisor.

Support your child with Thinkuknow websites

The age appropriate Thinkuknow websites are a great way to start and continue chats about online safety.

 11-13yrs Thinkuknow website: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/  14yrs + Thinkuknow website – https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/

Our websites provide open and honest guidance for young people on friends, relationships and the internet, covering topics like dealing with pressure; consent; and getting support when you are worried.

You will find lots more advice on keeping your child safe online at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents.

If you are worried that a child or young person is at risk of harm online, you should call the police. Young people can make a report to CEOP at https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

Other Recommended Resources

Parent Info: Expert information for parents about building their child’s resilience both online and off. Produced by NCA-CEOP and Parent Zone. This free service can be embedded on to your child’s school website. www.parentinfo.org

Brook: Information and advice for young people on sexual health and wellbeing, including staying safe online. https://www.brook.org.uk

The Mix: Support service for young people with information and advice on sex and relationships. https://www.themix.org.uk

Internet Matters: A useful tool showing how to set parental controls across a range of devices and websites. http://www.internetmatters.org/parentalcontrols/interactive-guide/

NSPCC Net Aware: Provides reviews and guidance on the most popular social networks, apps and games that children use. https://www.net-aware.org.uk/

Childnet – Information and advice for parents and carers on supporting people online. https://www.childnet.com/reso urces/supporting-youngpeople-online

How Can I Access Edulink?

EduLink can be accessed on any device – PC, laptop, tablet or mobile device – via the web browser or via the EduLink app. The link to access the EduLink login page on a web browser is www.edulinkone.com

Alternatively, you can download the EduLink App which is available to download for free on Apple or on Android.

Both the App and the web browser will display this log-in screen.

The School ID is ‘Roding’.

Parents/Carers will need to enter the Username and Password they have been provided with and click ‘Log in’.

The displayed is dependant of the platform you are logged in to:

• Via Web Browser

• Via the EduLink App

Navigating Edulink

You are able to navigate each of the following areas in EduLink:

• Achievement: You van view all positive achievements that have been awarded to your child

• Behaviour: You will be able to see all behaviour points given to you child and any sanctions given to your child including detentions.

• Medical Information: In this section you can see all of the medical information that we have on file for your child

• Account Information: In this section you can view the current address we have for your child on file, your child’s Year group and the name of their Form tutor

• Timetable: In this section you can view your child’s daily timetable

• Absence Reporting: This feature will allow you to send a direct message to our Attendance Officer, to notify us of any absence for your child

• Linked Resources: This section contains links to all the schools learning resources available to your child both at school and at home

• Update Information: This section shows all of the contact information we hold for yourself and your child. You can review and update this information with any changes that may occur

• Exams: You can see all of your child upcoming exams; your child can also access this information so they can manage their own exam schedule

• Documents: In this section you can view your child’s reports

Parents can access information on all their children currently admitted to Roding Valley High School. If you require any assistance, please contact Mr Vermaak or Miss Stewart (mvermaak@rodingvalley.net or lstewart@rodingvalley.net )