“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 Weekending Friday 9th July 2021
3715pts
Message from the Headteacher I trust that everyone in the school community is keeping well. Unfortunately, there does appear to be a rise in positive cases across Essex and as a school, we have seen increased numbers in our community. We have a number of students and staff who are currently self-isolating and unwell. Staff who are well but self-isolating are delivering their lessons from home, but this does impact on the staff supervision of students in school and our safeguarding routines. I do, therefore, need to warn parents that should this rise in cases and self-isolations continue at this current exponential rate, we will need to make decisions regarding year groups staying at home for limited periods. I will, of course, continue to communicate with you and provide details in a timely manner. On the more positive side of this situation, you would have listened to the Prime Minister announcing that the country will enter stage 4 of his road map from the 19th July. The Department for Education has now published new operational guidance for schools which can be read by clicking on this link. A summary of the most significant changes from Stage 4 of the Roadmap for schools and young people are: • At Step 4 and after the end of the summer term, it will no longer be necessary to keep children in consistent groups (‘bubbles’). This means bubbles will not need to be used for any summer provision (for example, summer schools) or in schools from the autumn term. If your school is still open at Step 4, you may wish to continue with these measures until the end of your summer term. Given that we finish school on Wednesday 21st July - it makes sense for us to continue with our consistent routines for the final 2.5 days and implement the new procedures from September. • Schools and settings will only need to do contact tracing up to 18th July 2021. From 19th July 2021 (Step 4), close contacts will be identified via NHS Test and Trace. • From 16 August 2021, children under the age of 18 years old will no longer be required to self-isolate if they are contacted by NHS Test and Trace as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case. • From step 4, face coverings will no longer be advised for pupils, students, staff and visitors either in classrooms or in communal areas. From Step 4, face coverings are also no longer recommended to be worn on dedicated transport to school or college.
3640pts
3606pts
3468pts
3410pts
Follow us: @RodingValleyHS
@rodinghs
www.rodingvalley.net
@RVHSYouTube
Students and staff will be expected to continue to test at home, twice weekly (Sunday & Wednesday) from September. Any students who come in and support the summer school will need to continue to test. In the summer whilst on site. Students will be expected to test themselves before the start of the autumn term. The Year 7s will be tested twice on site to allow themselves to familiarise themselves with the tests. More details on testing will follow but a reminder of the plan for the start of term arrangements are as follows: •
Wednesday 1st September - Staff training
•
Thursday 2nd September - Year 7 only - testing
•
Friday 3rd September - Year 7 & 12 only
•
Monday 6th September - All years
We are currently planning a return to a ‘normal’ school day and environment from September but will want to take forward some of the routines that have been beneficial to the school community. These would include designated toilets for year groups and zoned areas for lunch breaks. We want to fully embrace the vertical mixing of our students and reigniting out student mentor schemes and House assemblies. These are just a couple of the things which students have missed during this last academic year but really support their development and social skills. Teachers will be back teaching from their faculty bases and students will be moving between classes. However, we will need to have a contingency plan in place to revert to ‘bubbles’ if instructed by Public Health England at any given point. This will mean an immediate shift back to staggered start and finishes, staggered breaks, more rigid zoning and restrictions on movement. I am hopeful that with a commitment to regular testing by all in the school community then this can be avoided. I would like to thank all of the Year 12’s who applied for the position of Head Boy and Head Girl. Candidates were shortlisted and the subsequent interviews were excellent, with the candidates showing a great level of maturity. The panel consisted of myself, Sam Dyer, Deputy Headteacher and Tony Barritt, a governor and trustee of the CLP board. They presented their ideas for the impact that they would make in their first 100 days and all spoke eloquently about their strategies for supporting students across the whole school community. All viable ideas will be implemented and taken to student voice. The quality of the presentations made the decision very difficult and unsuccessful applicants have been encouraged to apply for House Leadership or 6th Form Captain roles due to the outstanding leadership qualities that they demonstrated. However, after rigorous evaluation of all of the candidates, I would like to announce that the following students have been appointed as our new Head Boy, Head Girl and their Deputies for the 2021-22 Academic Year:
Riley Cann Head Boy
Charlotte Copeman Head Girl
Jayden Patel
Anna Yeoman
Deputy Head Boy
Deputy Head Girl
Mr Barritt, later shared some further feedback with staff and the governors. ‘Might I add, that not only was it a pleasure to take part in the interviews, it was amazing to see such an array of talent. On more than one occasion, I found myself wishing I was interviewing a candidate for a job in my company rather than Head Boy or Girl! Two things that stood out for me, in addition to the confidence, knowledge and skills that all the candidates displayed was: 1. Whilst the disruption caused by the pandemic was brought up, there was no negativity or whinging about lost opportunities. Instead the candidates praised what the school had done and recognised the role they could play in bringing the whole school back together in September.
2. The love for the school and respect for the staff was very apparent. Both of which are a great testament to all staff who continue to do such an amazing job.’ Yesterday, PC Jo Kerly, from Essex Police, came into school and ran a virtual whole school assembly on Hate Crime. This was in response to the rising cases that are being reported nationally and in recognition that the majority of ‘hate’ is being posted online. We invited PC Kerly in because it is important to us that our students understand the consequences of their actions. We want them to appreciate the importance of being kind and respectful both in school, on-line, and whilst out in the local community. The assembly is posted on YouTube and can be watched by clicking on this link. We have followed this up with a short questionnaire to all students to ensure that they have understood the content but also to highlight all the available options to them, should they want to report something that has made them feel uncomfortable or need to talk to someone both in and outside school. We continue to promote our iamnotok@rodingvalley.net, which can be accessed 24/7. Last night, we also held our Preloved Uniform Sale organised by our PTA for our Year 6 parents that will be joining us in September. Thank you to all who attended, we raised £338.00 for the school. It has been a difficult year, challenging in many different ways but also so positive with the resilience shown by both staff and students. I want to continuously strive to improve the school provision for our students. Please could I ask you to take 5 minutes to complete the attached Parent Survey. As ever, I thank you for your continuous support. I am always proud of the students, their achievements and the school’s relationship between home and the classroom. Please enjoy the rest of the bulletin - a celebration of success at Roding Valley High School. The term ends on Wednesday 21st July at 12.30pm (end of period 4), lunch will not be provided but students will have an opportunity to purchase food at break 1. Students who are entitled to Free School Meals will be able to redeem their full allowance in the break. Kind regards, Mrs Sharon Jenner Headteacher
Please click here
Year 13 Leaving Day Last week we said farewell to our Year 13 students. The Year 13 Leavers Assembly and BBQ took place last week as they took the opportunity to celebrate the end of their Sixth Form studies and the end of their education at Roding Valley. It was lovely to get them together finally and to give them the chance to enjoy the day together. We wish them all the best of luck for the future. Mr Fletcher – Director of Sixth Form
The staff in all of the Arts subjects have been keen to get extra-curricular clubs up and running from day #1, but we've faced enormous obstacles at every turn, especially the fact we can't mix bubbles and we've had to restrict class sizes. Well done to all of the students who have shown that willingness to give a little bit extra time, learn a new skill and have a bit of fun, often with students from outside of their friendship circle. We know the benefits of extra-curricular clubs and we enjoy offering our own time for our students. Next year we hope to be able to offer a much bigger selection. Mr Tisdale – Head of Faculty (Creative Arts)
Many thanks to my small group of Year 7 students who’ve attended the SprayPainting club in Art this term. We’ve learnt how to create templates and stencils to build some great overlayed paintings. Thanks to the students who worked with me, it’s been lovely to finally get an extra curricular club up and running!
Drama were the quickest department to get their Year 9 Drama Club up and running this year. Every week we've had so many invited students arriving at the club, that we've had to split the class into two. There's been some great performance rehearsals taking place every week.
Year 8 Photo Club was held after school on Wednesdays. Students took their own photos and edited using Photoshop. Photographers Liam Wylie and Florian Imgrund were our inspiration. We will be resuming this club in September. Watch this space for further details.
Archie Savage Our Year 8 Logic Club have lots of fun composing their own tracks using music technology software on the Apple Macs. Please click on the links to the right to hear some of the wonderful tracks they have created.
Year 7’s created a knitting club that has been taking place after school on Fridays. They have named themselves 'The Knitting Union'. This club will resume in September... Watch this space for further details and how to sign up.
I highly recommend after school pottery club for everyone. Mr Baidoo makes every session fun and very creative. Pottery gives you the chance to make new friends and to be able to talk to new people. Our first project was Turtles. We were to make mother turtle and three babies. Sir showed us how to do this with every detail to make them look as realistic as possible. Extra incision and further details made our turtles unique and stood out. The project was structured and done over six sessions. Mr Day who is also vest with technical skills helps us with anything we need. After Christmas schools closed and online learning resumed, we were so sad we couldn’t attend our pottery classes. Pottery was up and running again in March and we all couldn't wait to get back into the art room. This second encounter we learned to make Decorative Storage Jars. We have been spending time decorating these using tools and shape cutters. A technique called Sprigging. Pottery has enabled me to make new friends and have something to look forward to every week. If you're looking for fun and interaction after school, pottery is for you. Grace Davies Yr7 Our Pottery Club Team
Ava Hazell Leah Ochiltree Ellie Wakinshaw Grace Davies Mila Sadler Alexandra Alves Isabelle Davenport
Parisa Williams Marmalade Husted-Smith Carlysia Dzonzie Nova- Leigh Canning Kiara Kovacs Kaliyah Brown
Anthony Blackledge
Congratulations to all of the KS3 students that have written about ‘Dreams’ this week. Thank you to Miss Woods for sharing their work with us and we hope you enjoy reading their creative work!
Boom! The thunder roared and the lightning struck in the dark charcoal sky, leaving the sky even more gloomy than it was before. What was happening? The thunder clapped again, and the wind howled; I anxiously peered out the window and I saw the raining coming down heavy. The wind made the trees swing back and forth violently, and in the distance, I saw something which shocked me. I saw something way out of the ordinary. A tornado! It was heading towards me, as I heard the news blaring out the headline: this is the end of the world! Suddenly my eyes opened, and I realised it was all a dream. Roma Desai, Year 7 You fall into a big pit full of black, venomous snakes unable to climb out… you’re stuck. You close your eyes tight and then suddenly open them, but this time you're staring Death in his black hooded face and fiery red eyes. As he pulls his cloak down and you see his skull. You scream in pain and agony then everything goes black and you’re falling. It seems to be endless and it isn’t until you hit the floor and the ground cracks underneath your feet, that your eyes fling open. You are screaming with fear, but it was a nightmare. You pinched yourself and you felt it. Phew! You sit up, but in the corner, Death was staring at you and then vanished into thin air. Isabelle Davenport, Year 7
“Martha!” I screamed, “Slow down!” But she kept on running, her paws thudding against the cold, autumn ground and her fur blowing fiercely in the wind. I’d never seen her run so fast. “Martha!” I called again. She wouldn’t listen! She had her mind set on something, but what? Soon, she had dragged me out of the bleak forest to a place I’d never seen before. Even more soulless than the forest, this place consisted of just a colourless sky and a rocky surface. I didn’t know how we ended up here. Martha was still bounding along the rough ground, faster than a jet at top speed. I was pulled further and further, until the rocky ground suddenly turned into air. Then everything went black. I woke up. I was in my bed, and I could hear something. Something that sounded an awful lot like barking. I took in a deep sigh of relief. Eloise Roberts, Year 7
A blinding radiant light consumed my eyes, I’m surprised that I even woke up after my fall. At once I looked around me and I could not believe my eyes: I realised that I was in a desolate and barren land filled with odd creatures of all shapes and sizes. No sooner than I had realised this, one of those creatures with an elongated slimy neck and a sturdy upright posture was leaning down in front of me and glaring at my befuddled face and body with glistening, curious eyes. Without hesitation I jumped onto its neck and as it raised its bony spine gravity pulled me down the makeshift slide that was this creature's body and flung me right off of the monster's pointy tail. Unfortunately, right as I was flying through the air one of these dinosaur-like creatures, with claws like daggers, opened its mouth revealing a bewildering chasm of darkness and rows of teeth like glass shards which I was heading straight for and was about to be impaled by. Luckily, I snapped wide awake in a comfy mattress of feathers, with my spine straight upwards, with sweat cascading down it like a waterfall. Aren’t I a lucky boy? Martyn Leonard, Year 7
You find yourself in a chair, one that is raised off the ground. The seat is not at all comfortable; it’s hard and made of leather. A familiar person – who you then realise is your ‘least favourite teacher,’ is asking you the weirdest question: “What is 1+1?” The crowd, who appear to be your classmates, all look so disappointed in you before you even answer the question. You hesitate, and then wonder why you would be asked such an odd question. You frantically think, but your mind is completely blank! Struggling to think of the answer to the question, you finally say: “Is it-3?” Everyone went silent. Then they burst out laughing; the answer was OBVIOUSLY wrong. What a pity. Suddenly, you get released into a pool of water. Being flushed down into whirlpool and come falling down from the sky at top speed. Now what? You find yourself on the football pitch, about to score the most important penalty score in the final of the Euro 2020 football match. Your team has gotten so far, so how awful would it be to let them down? You look left and right, your team looking at you with hopeful faces. You take a deep breath - completely unaware of anything that has happened before - so you are completely focused on the ball. You can hear the person with the microphone, explaining your every move. Everyone has now become impatient, so you finally kick the ball towards the net… Miss! How depressing. The crowd for the opposite team starts screaming, probably half surprised because you’ve never missed a penalty before. Everyone starts sighing, feeling so sad. Do you have that feeling of disappointment, the one that you get when you don’t achieve something? The one that makes you want to cry, but you’re too scared to because you don’t want anyone to make fun of you. You feel like you’ve just been kicked in the stomach, a completely horrible feeling. However, you are crying in the middle of the pitch, and everything becomes frozen, and the river of your tears start whirling around you. Next, you are on a tightrope, wobbling. From a really tall height. Are you scared? Or do you feel confident? Or do you still feel sad from what happened before? Or can you not remember? Underneath you, a stampede of animals are running in circles. If you fall, you’ll surely get trampled over by them. Only a few more steps ago, but then you lose your balance. You’re somehow walking upside down on the rope. You carry on walking, remarkable. But every said that you make, the rope gets thinner and thinner and thinner. Until it got so thin that the rope had snapped. You are falling down really fast, and then crash on the floor. Now, surely your spine is broken this time. You wake up. Breathing rapidly. Your heart is pounding. What has just happened? Was it just a dream? Surely it was a dream…wasn’t it? Hannah Seres, Year 7
Attention All Parents If the school holds any medication for your child, please can we ask that you call either call or email Mrs Gladman on sgladman@rodingvalley.net to arrange a suitable time for collection before the end of term. This will provide you the opportunity to replenish any medication held and ensure it is in date. All medication must be returned when your child returns in September.
Congratulations to the Hospitality and Catering students for their fantastic display of skill in their practical exam, they made a range of high-level skills dishes including ice cream, fresh pasta, curries, bread, and gateau.
Star Students KS3 Science Year 7
KS4 Science Year 8
Year 9
KS5 Science Year 10
Year 12
Mimi Bouzaine
John Harper
Aleyna Tekbasti
Megan Chilvers
Emma Sanson
Tiarni Hajdar
Daisy Warden
Awura Ama Duah
Skye Salek-Hadidi
Katy Goodyear-Smith
Marilyn Robinson
Ruby Mace
Kevin Aleksejenko
Flavius Timis
Millie Simmons
Aymen Lahreche
Lily Brinkley
Finlay James
Year 12 Biology Ecology Trip Last week our Year 12 Biology Trip students went on an ecology field trip, our students had fun learning about different sampling techniques and completed one of the required practical’s needed to earn their A-Level Biology practical endorsement.
Sebastian Vidojevic
Challenge & Enrichment Virtual Showcase 2021 As part of our annual event, students have worked hard producing a project on the theme of inspiration. As part of the People's Choice Award, please use the link below to view our student’s entries and vote for your favourite project using the google form. The deadline for all votes is Monday 12 July 2021. https://rodingvalley.net/high-school/challenge-andenrichment/ Our students have produced some amazing masterpieces and are a credit to the School. A big well done to all those that have taken part. Winners will be notified next week.
RVHS Exposed Thank you to our amazing RVHS Exposed team for working hard on producing this year's Summer edition of RVHS Exposed, please do look out for this in your email next week! A big well done to:
Joseph James, Bianca Nedelcu, Athina Christofi, Jenade Rayment, Skye Nash, Zoe Hedges, Skye Hadadi, Alexander Patel, Poppy Tribe
I would also like to thank Amber Giddy, who has now left Year 13. all the best and thank you for being a part of RVHS Exposed.
Academic Lectures This week, our Year 8 Academic Lecture was led by Mrs Barron on Coltan Mining. Year 9 Year 7 Tanisha Dixon Skye Nash Marilyn Robinson Poppie Watson Danny Robertson Scarlett Fisk Lola Halls Aren Diallo Harvey Knight Mimi Bouzaine Thomas Taylor Taryn Murphy Bailey Cogan Well done for working really hard in Science! Y9: Tanisha Dixon Poppie Watson Danny Robertson Lola Halls Harvey Knight
We are thrilled to invite The Globe Players, a travelling theatre company to Roding Valley High School who will be performing exciting shows related to our English curriculum. The Globe Players are the foremost Shakespeare and Children’s Theatre company in London and the South East, bringing high quality, professional live theatre to tens of thousands of schools every year for over 50 years. We hope the productions will be an enjoyable experience for all our Key Stage 3 students and serve to enrich their learning in English. More details to follow!
Dear Parent / Carer, I am writing to let you know about our peripatetic music lessons from September 2021. We are working with Essex Music Services through their ‘Learn It’ programme. We are able to offer individual lessons in piano, drums, guitar and voice. The hourly rate for tuition is £31.60 in drums, voice and guitar. Piano lessons are £20 for 30 minutes. Our recommended lessons lengths are a minimum of 15 minutes for beginners, moving up to 30 minutes or more for more advanced students. The lessons will take place during the school day, which means that your child will come out of school lessons to receive them. Please note that it is impossible to go through individual timetables to choose the most appropriate lesson for this. Please e-mail jsavage@rodingvalley.net to request lessons in your child’s chosen instrument by 19th July 2021. Please state the name and form class (if known) of your child. I look forward to hearing from you. Mr Savage – Head of Music
Food & Nutrition Recipe of the Week Ingredients • 100g caster sugar • 100g butter or soft baking spread • 2 eggs • 100g self-raising flour • 1 x 15ml spoon cocoa powder • 1 x 5ml spoon baking powder • ½ pear
Equipment • Baking tin (20cm square) or foil tray, • weighing scales, • knife, • mixing bowl, • fork, • measuring spoons, • electric hand whisk, • chopping board, • spatula, • small bowl, sieve, • cooling rack. • metal spoon,
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC or gas mark 4. 2. Grease and line the baking tin or foil tray. 3. Cream the sugar and fat together, ideally using an electric hand whisk, until light and fluffy. 4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. 5. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, to the fat and sugar. 6. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. 7. Fold the flour and baking powder into the mixture, a spoonful at a time. 8. Core and chop the pear into small pieces. Scatter pieces of pear into the lined cake tin. 9. Spoon half of the plain cake mixture into the tin. 10. Stir-in the cocoa to the remaining cake mixture. 11. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the baking tin and then swirl the two mixtures together to create a marble effect. 12. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and springy to the touch. 13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In England, a Free School Meal (FSM) is a statutory benefit available to school aged children from families who receive other qualifying benefits and who have been through the relevant registration process. Recently, the process of applying for Free School Meals at Roding Valley High School has changed to an online application in order to improve speed and reduce the burden of paperwork for parents. For more information on the qualifying benefits and for more information, please visit our Free School Meals page on our school website. It is important that parents register their children for free school meals if they are entitled as the school receives additional funding known as the Pupil Premium to support the children’s learning. The use of the pupil premium is personalised to meet the needs of the children who are entitled to support, such as 1-1 tuition, additional LSA support and intervention groups, access to school visits, Learning Mentor, speech and language assistants, Family Support and counselling. If you believe that your child is eligible for Free School Meals, please click here to use our Free School Meals Checker. Your Certificate of Eligibility will then need to be emailed to Miss Hollis at ahollis@rodingvalley.net
With Ms Preston Still on the subject of the importance of talking, is the subject of positive self- talk. How we talk to ourselves makes a vital difference to how we feel and think. That inner voice, that we all have, can either encourage or be critical. Negative self-talk needs challenging as it can be enormously unhelpful. Next time you catch yourself with negative self-talk, stop yourself, question why you are saying this, what evidence is there to support it and how? You could try picking or creating your own positive affirmations, and aim to repeat them to yourself, slowly and with thought, several times a day or more. Here are some examples which might inspire you …
Attempting to do this took courage and I am proud of myself for trying. Even though it wasn’t the outcome I hoped for, I learned a lot about myself. I might still have a way to go, but I am proud of how far I have already come. I am capable and strong; I can get through this. Tomorrow is a chance to try again, with the lessons learned from today. I will give it my all to make this work. I can’t control what other people think, say or do. I can only control me. This is an opportunity for me to try something new. I can learn from this situation and grow as a person. Sometimes all we need is a single repeated affirmation, like a mantra, saying the same thing repeatedly, to ourselves, helps to develop more positivity and a greater self-belief.
I’m off to say my positive affirmation … and mean it!
As this year draws to a close, I wanted to take the time to celebrate our student's commitment to their many examinations and assessments! Just a polite reminder to parents of our Year 10 cohort that we have our fantastic Revision & Study GCSE microsite that contains: 1. PLCs per subject area (personalised learning checklists) 2. Subject revision guides & workbooks 3. Summer Get Started tasks per subject 4. Our RVHS Revision templates to download and use. Click here to access the site As ever, if you have any questions on how best to support your child with revision & study or using Google Classroom, please email me on plarkin@rodingvalley.net
The Year 9 Sociology cohort have been studying society and its agents of socialisation this term. Not only have they shown great maturity, but they have embraced their new GCSE course, continuing to work incredibly hard. Miss Garip and Mrs Delbourgo have been incredibly impressed by their grit and aspiration.
Well done to those involved in the Pen Pal Project this year, keep emailing your Pen Pal during the holiday and why not record a video of you talking about your holiday (show them views of where you are? activities you will do/did?...). You will need this for your speaking exam in Year 11. Bonnes vacances! Ms Langlet
Welcome Message to our New Year 7 Students I would like to welcome all of the Year 6 students that will be starting their 7 Year Journey with us this coming September, we are so pleased that you and your child have chosen to join the RVHS community. You should all have now received a link to our Virtual Transition Evening Presentation, if you haven’t already, please do take the time to watch this, please do so, as it contains important information your child’s start to our school. I ask parents that have not already done so, to please ensure that you complete our Online Parent and Student Information Form as this will ensure that your child’s start is a smooth one. You have all been sent a letter confirming your child’s House, if you have not received this, please contact me directly at fryan@rodingvalley.net I would also to remind parents that our uniform can be purchased from Forest Casual’s in Loughton. I have included a link to their website. I hope your child is enjoying our Transition to RVHS Work booklet and please can I remind you that they will need to give this to their Form Tutor on their first Induction Day on 2nd September, full details of your child’s start in September will emailed to you in the coming weeks. Summer School letters have been sent out. This has all the details you will need, including what to wear and any equipment your child will need to bring with them. If you have any questions, please remember to email transitionsupport@ro dingvalley.net and our Transition team will be only too happy to help. I hope you all have a lovely summer; I am really looking forward to meeting you all at the Summer School or in September!
Mr Ryan – Year Progress Leader
.
Year 7 As the summer term draws to an end, it is important for the students to reflect on their first year with us at RVHS and congratulate themselves on how well they have coped with the various changes. As the Year Progress Leader, we are so impressed with how Y7 have conducted themselves and adapted to all the new changes they have encountered. Next term should see a more 'normal' format to how the school works which will involve students moving to different classrooms for their lessons; another change that students will experience, and we are confident that students will thrive moving into Year 8. Students should now be starting to receive feedback from their class teachers based on the assessments they have recently taken. A formal school report will go out to parents next week displaying an attitude to learning grade and a progress grade. As YPL, we will be reflecting on the data we have and look to put interventions in place at the start of Y8 to close any gaps there may be. It is also important that students reflect on their report and give themselves some targets for the new term in September. Finally, there is still a week and a half left in school where we expect students to be attending every day and continue to be the best version of themselves. We would like to wish everyone a restful and enjoyable summer break and welcome students back in September ready for a new school year ahead. Please take some time to look through the bulletin at all the fantastic work Y7 are doing around the school. A reminder if you have any queries, to contact Miss Fazakerley or Miss Reed. Let's hope 'it's coming home' on Sunday!!
Miss Reed & Miss Fazakerley
Congratulations to the following students for earning the most ARE Points so far:
Year 7 Class of the Week
7LI for French and 7CA for Spanish for their hard work during the exams and their great results. Nominated by Ms Langlet
Maya Stephens Serena Twaites
Spanish Superstars
Harri Collischon Maci-Bella O'Brien James Pound
Tudor Bargaoanu for being amazing
Xavier A
Zoe H
for his 100% commitment to Spanish
for getting the highest score in her Spanish class
Year 8 This bulletin will find us heading into our FINAL full week of year 8. It does only feel like I was writing to you all and welcoming you into year 8. After what has been another extremely difficult and interrupted year, I'm so incredibly proud of each and every single year 8. We have all achieved so much together and continue to work hard to achieve our goals. I really hope we can maintain this focus and hard work for the final few days of year 8 and finish on a high. Next week we will be having our end of year celebration assembly. I can't wait to present so many students with subject nominations, academic mentor awards, YPL awards and the coveted Headteachers award. Do look out for the names of all of those celebrations in our final bulletin of the year. Launching next week will be an exciting trip opportunity for our year 8's. Letters will be sent to you early next week, outlining our plans for a North America Ski Trip in 2023, which all year 8's will be eligible to attend. Please do look out for these letters, as they will provide further information about this exciting opportunity. Can I remind you all that girls aren't allowed long, painted or false nails. The only exception is nude colouring and short in length nails. Also, earrings should be kept to one stud per ear, and strictly no hoops. Boys also need to ensure they are wearing WHITE socks with their PE kit and all students must have their blazers at all times. As always, please do get in touch with me should you have any queries at all regarding your child and I will endeavour to help in any way I can. Alternatively, you can always phone/email your child's academic mentor who should be able to help with any day to day issues your child is experiencing. Miss Edwards – Year 8 Progress Leader
Year 8 Class of the Week 8MA for French for participating so much in French
Attention All Parents If the school holds any medication for your child, please can we ask that you call either call or email Mrs Gladman on sgladman@rodingvalley.net to arrange a suitable time for collection before the end of term. This will provide you the opportunity to replenish any medication held and ensure it is in date. All medication must be returned when your child returns in September.
Nominated by Ms Langlet
Please click here
Year 9 Another great fortnight for the Year 9s but during this period a few issues have come up about social media and online applications. Parental controls and security settings are important and Parents and carers should be ensuring the settings of the apps and online games that their children use are set to private, with location settings turned off, to restrict the ways in which they could potentially be targeted by perpetrators. Many apps are public-facing automatically and have to be manually set to ‘private’. You can use parental controls to help you block or filter the content your child sees when searching online. Parental controls are also available to help you to: •
Plan what time of day your child can go online and how long for
•
Stop them from downloading apps they’re too young for
•
Manage the content so different members of the family can see
It’s important to bear in mind that children and young people can potentially have access to the internet anywhere, not just at home. There are Wi-Fi hotspots, internet cafes, friends' house and of course mobile data is available 24/7. So, whilst parental controls are useful, the most important thing you can do is have an open and inquisitive relationship with your child about their online interests. I would also like to say that our Year 9 have dealt with the rollercoaster of a year extremely well. We have all had to deal with uncertainty and the challenges this can bring. The start of their GCSE courses has been smooth, and it has made the year group grow up and realize the importance of concentration and applying themselves during lessons. The time until they leave Year 11 is less than 2 years and if the last three years is anything to go by it will pass ridiculously fast. I continue to enjoy being the Head of Year 9 and watching them grow into young adults is an absolute privilege. My only confession is that sometimes they look so different as they become young adults it's difficult to recognize some of them instantly. They are all growing up very fast, possibly too fast. I am so looking forward to their Year 10 and once again guiding them through the challenges to come. I wish all of Year 9 and their parents and carers a wonderful summer break and look forward to seeing everyone in September as Year 10s. All of us will be a bit wiser and ready for the new School Year - all the best to you all Mr Dobson Mr Dobson - Year 9 Progress Leader
Congratulations to the following students for earning the most ARE Points so far:
Daisy Andrews Rebecca Heal Davina Karpaviciute Edie Robinson Arabella Smith Merjan Kartal Kylen Opara Arbjola Zenelaj
Bailey Cogan Amelia Bradley Tate Rawson Bianca Nedelcu Gabriella Alen Athina Christofi Savannah Mills Lennon Coster
Abigail Tew Jada Addo Xixuan He Laycee Jesson Austeja Mikenaite Liorah Corbin
Year 9 Classes of the Week 9Ca and 9Ar for their positive start in their new French groups
Year 10 As we draw this academic year to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents and students within year 10 for their support throughout this academic year. It has not been easy for your young people but year 10 have done exceptionally well. This week we have seen the end of the first set of GCSE PPEs. Year 10 handled the examination process very well and showed great maturity in preparing themself for the tests. I know teachers will be working hard to mark and get feedback to students as soon as possible. I want to wish them the best of luck for this! Another exciting bit of news is that we have year 10 futures week starting on Monday 12th July. During this week students will take part in a variety of unique activities which will include introducing students to post 16 pathways, preparing them for Post 16 Applications as well as CV writing and work experience. Alongside this, students will be introduced to Post 16 courses in their normal GCSE subject lessons. These events are aimed at preparing students for life after Year 11 and will be fully supported by staff.
Monday 12th July: Careers Day including CV Writing, Work Experience and apprenticeships Tuesday 13th July: Post 16 taster lessons Wednesday 14th July: Post 16 taster lessons Thursday 15th July: Post 16 Day including: -
College taster Day for selected students
-
Post 16 taster lessons in normal GCSE lessons.
-
Medical Mavericks workshop
To end, I would like to congratulate the students who put themselves forward and were appointed as YES prefects. Congratulations, I know the staff at RVHS really value student leadership and understand the importance the contribution students can make to the planning, organisation and running of our school. Congratulations to all that were successful.
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Billie Smith Alexander Montague-Patel Skye Salek-Haddadi Nancy Tabram Amy Lewis Nathan Wakinshaw Megan Chilvers Jamie Tee Jack Morrison Joseph James Poppy Tribe Eda Kurtcebe Henry Twyford Keira Swinson
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Dharam Sharma Olivia Newland Poppy Arnott Tanika Luba Ruby Coyte Cydney Spinoza Emma-Louise Kutner James Stein Tyler Fegan Emilie Clubb Grace Chaplin Chanelle Hayer Lauren Harper Demi Watts Abigail Akers
Mr Warry – Year 10 Progress Leader
1
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.
2
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.
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 who they are able to contact at this time. Encourage them to draw a picture or write a list of their trusted adults.
4 5
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.
6
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.
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 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.
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.
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/resources/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.
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
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 )
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.
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:
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 to view your child's due and submitted homework:
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.
This is a valuable resource that will assist parents in supporting their child’s progression. Please use the following link to the log in:
Find out how to view and track your child's homework with this short video.
We have also included a link to a very useful guide on Troubleshooting.
What is Seneca? Seneca is a free home learning & revision platform that is very popular with our students. It is based on cognitive science, has adaptive learning and can be accessed by our students via their phones!
What Content is available to our Students through Seneca? Seneca has resources available for KS3, KS4 and KS5 students that has been supplied to them from AQA, OCR, EdExcel Pearson and IGCSE. Our students will be able to access content designed for each of their subjects and also for their specific courses. There is so much to choose from. Some areas are even linked to the Exam Boards Course Specifications.
How to Access Seneca? Students will need to go to https://www.senecalearning.com/, click try for free and create a log in with their school email address.
Once Logged in Once they are logged in, students are able to search for different subject areas and learn about their chosen topic. At the end of each subject presentation there will be a quiz on the presentation This Online tool will enable our students to stay on top of their home learning.
Year Progress Leaders Year 7: Miss Reed & Miss Fazakerley – hreed@rodingvalley.net & jfazakrley@rodingvalley.net Year 8: Miss Edwards – cedwards@rodingvalley.net Year 9: Mr Dobson – cdobson@rodingvalley.net Year 10: Mr Warry – bwarry@rodingvalley.net
USEFUL CONTACTS
Year 11: Mr Ryan – fryan@rodingvalley.net Sixth Form: Mr Fletcher - mfletcher@rodingvalley.net
Heads of Faculty Creative Arts: Mr Tisdale – dtisdale@rodingvalley.net English: Mrs Routledge – lroutledge@rodingvalley.net Humanities: Ms Preston – tpreston@rodingvalley.net IT/Business: Mr Hussain – ohussain@rodingvalley.net Maths: Mr Edeko – oedeko@rodingvalley.net MFL: Mr P Melvin – pmelvin@rodingvalley.net Science: Mr Poovillingham - npoovillingham@rodingvalley.net Sports & Nutrition: Mr Jones – ljones@rodingvalley.net SENDco: Mrs Tarantini-Amor – ltarantini-amor@rodingvalley.net
General Enquiries office@rodingvalley.net
Sixth Form Finance finance@rodingvalley.net
Safeguarding: safeguarding@rodingvalley.net
How to contact any member of staff at Roding Valley High School: Initial + surname+@rodingvalley.net