LAR Virtual Newsletter

Academy Updates 

 Online Safety - WIZZ App for 13+

This week we have been made aware of students using an app called Wizz. This is an online social networking and dating app for  children who are 13 and over and is linked to Tinder. Although advertised for children over the age of 13 there is no age verification system on it and it allows children to potentially interact with adults, being actively promoted to share photos and content. We are concerned about the nature of this app, the potential it can cause for grooming young people and actively encourage parent to look for this and other similar apps on your child's devices. 

A reminder we cannot always educate parents about every new app being launched, so it is good practice for parents to regularly check and engage with their child's device. 

GCSE English texts

In September we will be starting the GCSE's with our founding cohort, this is an exciting time and one that we want to be prepared for.  Miss Williams in the process of looking into putting together a bundle of the right texts and the linked study guides for our students in English.  When she has a price for these bundles, she will be in contact with you regarding the purchase of them.  By creating a bundle like this we can ensure that all students have the same version of the text so that everyone is able to follow the lessons easily.  We can also buy in bulk and save you some money.  

Reading in KS3

As your child progresses through this academic year, we want to emphasise the crucial role that daily reading plays in their academic and personal development. Allocating just 20 minutes each day to independent reading outside of school can yield significant benefits.

Reading regularly enhances not only your child's literacy skills but also fosters critical thinking, expands vocabulary, and cultivates a lifelong love for learning. Research consistently shows that students who engage in independent reading perform better in various subjects, develop stronger cognitive abilities and have better well-being.

In Year 7 and 8 students use Accelerated Reader (AR) to track their reading and show their progress. Please do ask your child to show you their AR page, this will show you the books they have read and the corresponding quizzes they've completed. This not only allows you to stay informed about their literary exploration but also opens up opportunities for meaningful discussions about the stories, characters, and themes they encounter.

In Year 9 students use Sparx Reader to track their reading and show their progress. We would like to draw your attention to the Sparx Reader homework assigned to your child every week by their English teacher; you can easily track their progress with this by checking the Sparx Maths email you receive every week. We also encourage you to actively engage with your child's reading habits by asking them to share their Sparx Reader page with you. It provides insights into the books they've been reading and the progress that they have made. 

Remember, reading isn't limited to fiction books; it encompasses a wide range of materials that contribute to knowledge and comprehension.  Involvement in your child's reading habits encourages them to complete their reading and helps create a positive reading environment at home.

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a love for reading in our students. Together, we can empower them to become lifelong learners and confident, articulate individuals.

Lockers

Following the letter sent earlier this week about the open petition regarding fundraising for lockers and costs of this. We would like to encourage the parents who started this petition and offered to fund raise to please directly approach the academy. This will enable us to discuss the ideas you have for this and we welcome your thoughts on how the parental body might wish to approach gathering the funds. 

PTA

As shared in the letter this week about the lockers our PTA have worked very hard, in their own time, to provide events to help fundraise for resources that will enhance the learning experiences of our students and play an important role of bridging the communication and feedback between parents and the leadership team. The success of the events is reliant on both parental and teacher engagement. Following their feedback we are encouraging more of our staff to attend the PTA events, such as the upcoming quiz night, and we would very much like to see more parents and families joining these events too in order to make them worthwhile. The members have always been incredibly positive about supporting the school and dedicating their own time to do this to raise money for our children and it would be an incredible shame for the PTA to feel they cannot continue to run due to minimal support from our community. Thank you. 

Family Quiz Night

Please join us for our PTA family quiz night on Friday 15th March!  Maximum 8 people per team, £10 entry fee per team (payable via parentpay).  Bring a bottle (or two) and plenty of snacks for what promises to be a fun evening for the whole family.  Mr Clark is excited to be your quiz-master, as ever!

Sporting Fixtures

Mr Geary and the PE team have taken part in a number of fixtures and Trust sporting events recently. Well done to all the students involved in these, there is so much to celebrate with our students often competing against teams with older players! The outcomes of these can be seen below:

Trust Football Tournament

• LAT 5 aside tournament 7/8 girls- 2nd out of 8 in their group - Missing the final by 1 point

• LAT 5 aside tournament 7/8 boys- 4th out of 8 in their group

• LAT 5 aside tournament 9/10 girls- 3rd in their group out of 8 

• LAT 5 aside tournament 9/10 boys- 3rd in their group out of 8

Basketball Fixtures

• Year 7/8 vs Hundred off Hoo - Won 16-10 

• Year 9/10 vs Hundred of Hoo - Won 39-30 

Rugby Fixture

• Year 8/9 vs Greenacre - Won 15-5 

College competition Outcomes

We incredibly please to share the outcomes of the College Competitions organised by Mr Smith this module. Photos can be seen below! 

• Year 7 Handball - Turing

• Year 8 Dodgeball - Kingsley

• Year 9 Volleyball - Turing