“Our vision is to be the school of choice for our local community, developing successful young people with high aspirations, who show respect for all and endeavour to become the very best that they can be.”
RVHS Bulletin Week Ending 11th September2020 Message from our Headteacher Mrs Jenner Welcome Back to School
0pts
It has been really fantastic to have the students all back in school this week. It has been wonderful to see them so enthusiastic and keen to be back with their peers, teachers and in the classrooms. It is really exciting but I also appreciate that many of them have found it quite strange as the new ‘normal’ is not the same as it was in March. We are operating a special hub for students who are struggling and please encourage your child to speak to us if they are experiencing any issues. It is vitally important that we adhere to all safety procedures to preserve the health of everyone and reduce the risk of transmission of COVID19 in our school. I do appreciate that some have found the lack of freedom to move around the school site, restrictions on their ‘bubble’ zones, changes to the school day, and different class groupings difficult but unfortunately they will remain the ‘new normal’ until we are allowed to change the guidelines. We will therefore be taking any wilful defiance towards safety procedures very seriously as my primary concern will be the safety of the whole school community and keeping the school operational. Please do talk to your child about changes to procedures and please reiterate that these are not planned to reduce the enjoyment of school but necessary arrangements under the current pandemic situation. Please ensure that your child has a face covering as I am strongly advising them to wear it when moving around the school and communal indoor areas. Face coverings are only a part of our safety plan when moving around the school site, they are in bubbles, follow a one-way system, and cannot stop when walking inside the building. There are hand sanitation points at all entrances to the school site, buildings and in classrooms. Please also ensure that your child has their own hand sanitiser as part of their equipment. They also need a reading book as silent reading ‘DEAR’ time is part of the established routine of lesson changeover when the students remain stationary and teachers are moving. All breaks are taken outside in their own ‘bubble’ zone and now that students are familiar with the zones, any wilful movement between zones would be seen as a serious breach of our School Behaviour Policy. I attach the link for the first day back assembly which was shown to students - will provide further helpful advice.
0pts
0pts
0pts
0pts
I thank parents for your prompt support with the arrival and end times of the school day. Again, it is so important that this routine becomes established as students cannot be meeting in large groups before and after school. Students should be making a timely, direct journey to and from school. The community police have been in local operation and have asked me to remind parents of the new government rules that will be in place from Monday; that it is against the law for people to meet and socialise in groups greater than 6. Obviously, the school environment is exempt and students will meet each other to travel but they should be travelling to and from school direct and not just congregating on mass or hanging about in the community in a group greater than 6. I have also been asked by the British Transport Police to remind students that they must wear face coverings on public transport. Thankfully, current infections in our area have not risen significantly however, this remains a strong possibility and we must take all steps to ensure that the rules are adhered to and that we look out for the safety of the school community. Should there be a positive case in the school then the parents will be informed and I will follow guidance from Public Health England. In other schools in Essex, this has resulted in ‘bubbles’ being sent home to self-isolate for 14 days. The school will only close as a very last resort, but should your child’s ‘bubble’ be sent home then they will revert to the work and lessons set via google classroom. Should the local area be part of a local lockdown then we have been informed that we must adopt the Tier 2 Government procedure which will involve a rota system and your child will be in school every other week or fortnight dependant on year group. The overriding principle is that students should stay at home if they present with COVID19 symptoms: a high temperature a new, continuous cough the loss or change of their sense of taste or smell Please can I reshare the COVID19- Absence Advice Letter sent to all parents on 2 September which provides full guidance on the procedures should your child develop procedures. I also attach the link to a letter from Letter from PHE Testing and the latest stay at home guidance. Please can I also remind parents that they cannot come onto the school site without a prior appointment and that the school is cashless and all payment must be made via ParentPay. Please contact finance at finance@rodingvalley.net if you have any issues. Students can no longer use the Re-valuer machine in school. On a lighter note, the students have been a joy to see about the school site, it is great to have a school brought back to life. We are all delighted with our new canopy in the back playground area. An £11,000 contribution was made by the Parents RVHS Club 100 for this project and I am grateful for all the parents who have contributed to this scheme over the years. We have also created a new food shack and outside toilets on the sports side.
It is a great scheme and as a participant, there is the opportunity to win cash prizes - if you can join up then please do, it is a great way to contribute to the school fund and provide those extras for the students which are not available from the government funding. If you would like to join our Club100, please complete our online form. As we cannot host evening events or invite large groups of parents into school, we will be creating Transition Information presentations with all key information relating to your child’s academic year group. This is to replace our traditional Information Evenings and these will be rolled out over the next two weeks. Please enjoy the rest of the bulletin; it includes a celebration of a great first week back. With the kindest regards Sharon Jenner Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
Year 7 Year 7 students have now completed over a full week with us and I would like to express how impressed I am with them and how well they have transitioned and adapted to Secondary School life. Students should now have experienced all of their subject areas they will study and have also been completing some online testing this week. Please can I remind them that they must have a face covering at all times. I am looking forward to seeing them for a full week of lessons next week.
Miss Reed – Year 7 Progress Leader
Year 8 I want to start by saying how brilliant it has been to see all of our Year 8's back in the classroom and learning again. It really is lovely seeing all of their smiling faces again. The students have adapted extremely well to the new systems we have put in place, and should be very proud of the way they have conducted themselves after their first week of Year 8. One of the changes that we have made is that all students have been placed in new academic groups, which they remain in all day for all of their lessons. Each group has a dedicated academic mentor who they will see each morning for period 1 and have a new name, based on the Periodic table of Elements. It has been great seeing our new academic mentors getting to know the students in their group and building positive relationships. I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents and students that our expectations remain the same regarding attitude and behaviour in lessons and around the school. Now more than ever, it is vital that we are conducting ourselves in a calm and mature manner when moving about the school. When in lessons, the PAL system will continue and I would hope that each and every student is making the most of the opportunity to be back in lessons. Face coverings are mandatory at all times whilst in corridors, communal spaces and any other times where social distancing isn't possible. Please ensure your child attends school with a face covering at all times and please discuss with your child the importance of wearing these to ensure all in the RVHS community are kept safe. If you have any queries about anything at all, please direct these queries in the first instance to your child’s new academic mentor. Email is the best method of communication so I would recommend reaching them via their @rodingvalley email address. Miss Edwards – Year 8 Progress Leader Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
Year 9 We were delighted to welcome Year 9 students back to school this week. It was lovely to see happy, smiling students arriving at school on Thursday for their meetings and staff enjoyed catching up with students face-to-face after months of online learning. The wellbeing meetings were a great way to allow the students to experience a bit of school before starting full time again – I must admit every student I spoke too was quiet relieved to be back at school and ready for the new term. Students have spent their first two days of term in their new element groups, giving them an opportunity to get to know their academic mentor. Lessons have started really well and the students have risen to the challenge of the new normal. Year 9’s have shown an excellent attitude. Wearing face masks and hand sanitising regularly is different but it is essential. We have emphasised to all students that a mask must be worn inside the building and hands must be sanitised as they walk into a building.
Mr Dobson – Year 9 Progress Leader
Year 10 I firstly want to say how lovely it has been to welcome Year 10 back into school and see them enjoying learning again. Year 10 have made a really good start to the year and are getting stuck into their GCSEs! I am also really proud of how resilient Year 10 has been during this time, they have shown that despite the changes that have taken place, they can still come in, get on with their learning and make great progress! I also want to take this opportunity to remind parents to encourage Year 10 students to follow the government and school's guidelines around protecting themselves from Covid-19. They must wear a face mask in all communal areas and they must also use the sanitising stations when they enter a building. As always, I want to thank the support and understanding from both students and parents during this unusual time. Year 10 have shown their true strength and determination for success through the way they have been resilient throughout this pandemic - Well done to you all! Mr Warry – Year 10 Progress Leader
Year 11 Welcome back to Year 11. I am so glad and happy to see you all back in school with such a positive attitude towards your lessons. I was incredibly impressed by the Year group when they lined up on Monday and went to their intervention groups. Since then they have demonstrated how mature they have become and really are a pleasure to teach. Students will remain in these intervention groups for this term. Once we have the results from the first round of mock exams then we will re-evaluate the intervention classes. The first round of exams start on the week beginning the 5th October. The majority of students are being incredibly sensible around the school and are following the instructions given. Can I please ask that your child has a facemask as well as their standard equipment. If there are any issues, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
Message from Fletcher Mr RyanMr – Year 11 Progress Leader I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, my name is Matt Fletcher and I am the new Assistant Head Teacher, Director of Sixth Form. I have been working in this role for over 12 years and prior to joining Roding Valley was the Sixth Form Lead across the Chelmsford Learning Partnership Trust. As such, I already know the school well and am joining at an extremely exciting time, as the results in Sixth Form last year were phenomenal. So much so that the A level performance grade for Summer 2020 graded the Roding Valley Sixth Form as 'Outstanding', putting the school in the top 10% of schools nationally and this is testament to all the hard work of staff and students alike. Student Numbers: The growth of the Sixth Form cohort has been incredible and we are now at capacity in terms of places. This year we have welcomed over 130 students into our Year 12 on a huge range of over 30 A Level and vocational courses, such is the vast growth of our Key Stage 5 provision. Year 13: Year 13 are currently sitting their Pre-Public Exams (PPE's) prior to beginning their second year studies and additionally they will begin to consider university options, degree apprenticeships, apprenticeships or moving into the workplace. It is a vital year for them in the present Covid climate and thus far they have embraced the new Sixth Form procedures and all those I have spoken to looking forward to getting back in to the classroom to complete their studies Year 12: Year 12 have enjoyed an informative induction day programme and have since made a brilliant start to their post 16 studies. Despite being confined to a year group 'bubble' they are showing all the signs of excelling over the next two years. They have approached the lessons, home learning and senior student responsibilities with real maturity and are already acting as important role models to our lower school pupils. I am extremely proud of the way our senior students have begun the new academic year and am looking forward to working with all our Sixth Form students and parents alike. Mr Fletcher– Director of Sixth Form
Lucie
Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
Congratulations to 7U; who have been nominated by Mrs Barron as Class of the Week for producing some excellent island maps and were all very positive and enthusiastic. Congratulations to Congratulations to 7W, who were brilliant in their MFL session today! I was particularly impressed by Austin Arnold and Keira Browne. Nominated by Miss Errington
We had a great day filming with some of our amazing students last Saturday. Working on an Open Morning Presentation and Promotional Video. Thank you to all of the students that took time out of their Saturday to participate. Watch this space..
Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
Oliver Devereux, who has been nominated by Mr Wilson for being a really helpful and enthusiastic student. Keep up the great work!
This week, some of our Year 8 students wrote about their experience of their first year at RVHS. Thinking back on my first year at Roding Valley is really strange, maybe because a huge chunk was spent from home, or because it was a transition into a huge school. However, I can’t wait to go back and see all my friends and teachers again. It’s been hard living our social lives on the internet. Despite learning being online, I knew I could ask questions and get help from the teachers if I needed it, they were always there responding to any queries so I knew support was just at the end of my keyboard. Sadly, we did miss out a lot last year, our school trip and production of High School Musical were cancelled which was really disappointing as we were all excited. Back when I started at Roding Valley, (which feels like ages ago now). I came from a really small primary school to a huge secondary school, it felt like I would never learn where rooms were, I felt like I was always rushing somewhere in the beginning trying not to be late but before you know it, you seem to know where you are. The best thing about Roding Valley is my friends, but I also really enjoy lessons like Art, Drama, Spanish and Music. I know some of these lessons are going to be difficult because of Covid but these subjects are my favourites. I also love the lunchtime clubs. I hate being bored and Roding Valley gives you loads of opportunities to do the things you love but again, Covid will probably mean these are put on hold, not for too long I hope. Home learning was ok, being able to get up later was a definite plus and I spent hours drawing, which was brilliant, but I really missed all the best stuff about school, the fun and artistic subjects I love weren’t the same. I can’t wait to get back to school and while I know things won’t be quite as fun as they were, when we beat this virus we will all be able to have lots of fun again and I’m sure we will all remember how much fun learning can be. My top tip would be to get involved as much as you can as you will only get out as much as you put in and there really are a lot of opportunities to have fun whilst learning at the same time. I can’t wait to see everyone this week, even if we are all in masks, I’m sure we will all be smiling behind them! Written by Anthony Dean Before I started school, I was very scared because I knew I’d be leaving all of my friends behind. But as soon as I started, I realized that being nervous was stupid and I made new friends almost immediately. The teachers were (and still are) so supportive and helpful with everything and there is not one teacher I would hesitate to ask for help from. It was most definitely easier to work with a teacher rather than at home although the school made it so easy to work from home and stay mindful. I’m looking forward to Year 8 a lot not only because we’re going back to see friends and teachers but also because I am used to the school's ways and there are no first day nerves anymore.
My first day at Roding Valley High School was amazing! I was really excited to start secondary school but like the most of us were a tiny bit anxious. That immediately changed when I arrived to school. The staff were extremely kind and were very welcoming to all the new Year 7s. We flew through weeks of school and all of a sudden the school had been closed and we were in lockdown. This was a scary time for everyone. After a few weeks of adjusting to this new way of living, the school started setting us work bit by bit, on an app called Google Classroom. This is an easy way to receive and submit homework and the teachers are easy to contact. Whenever you needed it, there was always a teacher there to help. The school also started to set challenges and events, which made the home learning more fun. Now we are back at school and the staff at Roding Valley have made a safe route around with sanitising stations and zones to help us keep safe. My advice to the new Year 7’s is to make nice friends, enjoy lunchtime and most importantly focus in class...it will all pay off!
Written by Melody Anderson-Sceats Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
Written by Alicia Stokes
As you are all aware, we are now using the fantastic Google Classroom to assign, record and provide feedback on all home learning. Show My Homework will no longer be used. Your son/daughter simply need to log in to their school email address and can access Google Classroom at any time! I would also strongly recommend that your son/daughter downloads the Google Classroom app. Simply search for 'Google Classroom' using the app store. If your son/daughter needs some help with Google Classroom; viewing assignments, handing them in or seeing their feedback, then please click on the link below to see a YouTube video recorded by me: Here at RVHS, we really value the impact that Home Learning can have on progress - in our future parent bulletins, we will be celebrating exceptional pieces of home learning by our RVHS students. Please note- if your child is learning from home due to self-isolation, please use Google Classroom to access lesson resources posted by class teachers. Lesson resources will always be stored as MATERIAL and can be accessed at any time via Google Classroom. Thank you for your support Ms Larkin - Assistant Headteacher
Our New Home Learning Booklet is now available on our school website, please use this link to access it.
Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
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
2. Chat about online safety little and often: Young people are likely to want to explore new apps Chat about onlinewhether safety little often: Young are this likelyopportunity to want to explore new and websites this month, that’sand for learning or forpeople fun. Take to talk to apps how and websites this on month, that is for learning or for Ask fun. Take this opportunity to them about to stay safe thesewhether new services, and in general. if anything ever worries talk tothey’re them about how to stay safe onknow thesethat newifservices, general. they Ask ifcan anything them while online. Make sure they they everand feelinworried, get help evertoworries while theythey are trust. online. Make sure they know that if they ever feel worried, by talking you or them another adult they can get help by talking to you or another adult they trust. 3. 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 Help identify trusted who them can help them if theyor are worried: who they areyour ablechild to contact at this time. adults Encourage to draw a picture write a list ofThis their includes you and other adults at home, as well as adults from wider family, school or trusted adults. other support services who they are able to contact at this time. Encourage them to draw a picture or write Explain a list of their trusted adults. 4. Be non-judgemental: that you would never blame them for anything that might happen online, and you will always give them calm, loving support. Be non-judgemental: Explain that you would never blame them for anything that might 5. Talk happen about how theirand online can affect others: If your child is engaging with others online, youactions will always give them calm, loving support. 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. Talk controls: about how their online affectavailable others: on If your is broadband engaging with 6. Parental Make use of theactions parentalcan controls yourchild home and others online, remind them to consider how someone else might feel before post or any internet enabled device in your home. You can find out more about how to usethey parental share something. If they are considering sharing a photo/video of somebody else, they controls by visiting your broadband provider’s website. should always ask permission first. 7. 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 Make understand to talkcontrols to youravailable child in aon positive way. broadband Parental controls: use ofthis the and parental your home Thinkuknow, Brook, Theenabled Mix anddevice Childline all provide and any internet in your home. age You appropriate can find outinformation more aboutabout how to use relationships and sex that can signpost your child to. parental controls byyou visiting your broadband provider’s website. 8. 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 Direct your child to age appropriate information about relationships and sex: It’s Child Protection Advisor. 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.
5 6
7
8
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.
Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
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’re worried. You’ll find lots more advice on keeping your child safe online at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents. If you’re 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/resources/suppo rting-young-people-online Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
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.
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
The School ID is ‘Roding’. Requires Android 4.4 and up.
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
Messages: You will be able to view all communication from the school; you are also able to reply to all messages and send messages to any of your child teachers
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 ) Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
Classroom How to Log on to Google Classroom? Students can log into their Gmail using their school email address and their password. Their school email will be the year they started at RVHS started plus their first initial and surname @rodingvalley.net (example- 19plarkin@rodingvalley.net). Once your child has have logged in, they will need to click on the google apps button and then select ‘Google Classroom’ Your child will then be able to see all of the classes they belong to. They will then need to click on the class they want to use resources for and take a look at everything that their class teacher has posted for them to work on. They will be able to download items and make comments on them. Teachers will be regularly posting new work on their Google Classrooms.
What to Do if your child is a Missing a Subject their Google Classroom? If your child is missing a Google Classroom for one of their subjects, they will need to click on the addition symbol, followed by ‘Join Class’ and then enter the Class Code for their missing subject. Class Codes are available from their subject teacher.
Top Tips for Our Students Students must keep up to date with their lessons by using Google Classroom every day. Use their workbooks to complete the work shown on their Google Classroom. Don’t slack on presentation! Keep their notes in order of the lessons on the Google Classroom. Year 11 and 13 Students: There will be revision materials available on Google Classroom. Please use them.
Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama
What is DODDLE? Doddle provides students with access to thousands of engaging, formative resources and guides students through the curriculum. Doddle Progress automatically tracks student attainment in key curriculum skills. Parents can see student attainment and progress through our easy-to-use Doddle Parent feature. Skills within Doddle are rated as red, amber or green. These ratings give a clear indication of how much progress a child has made and highlight the weaker areas to be targeted with revision.
Each student has a personal Doddle account where they can access their homework to-do lists and families can view the work their child has been assigned. These accounts enable parents to view their child's results and encourage them to better their scores by using Doddle's revision resources.
Find out how to create a Doddle Parent account and then link that account to your child with this short video:
We have also included a link to a very useful guide on how to view your child's due and submitted homework:
Find out how to view and track your child's homework with this short video.
Find out how our school uses Doddle Progress by watching our short video to find out how Progress works.
We have also included a link to a very useful guide on how Progress works and how you can use it to help your child's learning.
We have also included a link to a very useful guide on Troubleshooting.
This is a valuable resource that will assist parents in supporting their child’s progression. Please use the following link to the log in: Follow us on: @rodingvalleyHS @humsrvhs @rodingvalleyPE RODING VALLEY DRAMA@rodingdrama