LAR  NEWSLETTER 

13/12/24 , Module 2

Uniform 

Can we please remind families that students should now be coming into the academy with winterproof coats to ensure they are warm should we have to evacuate the building and to avoid arriving to school with wet uniform. In addition hoodies of any kind are not permitted and will be confiscated if seen being worn in the academy. 

Shoeboxes

It is not too late to provide a shoebox, or items for a shoebox, for the elderly. We are delivering these next Wednesday to the local community. Thank you to everyone who has supported this appeal so far - there are a number of older members of the Rainham Community who may not get any other gifts this year. 

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner is on Wednesday 18th December. If you haven't purchased a christmas dinner for your child, Grab and Go food is the only other option to purchase food on this day.

Christmas Jumper Day

Christmas jumper day is on Wednesday 18th December. If your child wishes to wear a christmas jumper then a payment of £2 will need to paid via ParentPay, please note students must also wear normal uniform on the day.

End of Term Dates

The last day for Module 2 is Friday 20th December 2024 and the start of Module 3 is Tuesday 7th January 2025.

Punctuality to school

We will be prioritising punctuality to school from Module 3. Whilst the majority of students arrive at school in good time, well equipped and ready to learn, we have noticed that some are repeatedly arriving late. Please be reminded that students are expected to be at school and ready to attend line up at 8.30 am each day. We know that poor punctuality has an adverse effect on student’s ability to be prepared for learning, hence impacting their ability to achieve. Please be advised that students will receive a 30 minute detention in the first instance. This will be escalated on the second occasion to a 60 minute detention and on the 3rd occasion to a 90 min detention. This is a reminder of the expectations and no change from the current policy. 

If your child is late 3 times in a single module, this will be escalated to the Assistant Principal of their college.

We would ask that parents continue to advise us if they know that their child is going to be late. Please be aware however, that this does not necessarily mean that your child will not receive a detention. We are committed to ensuring that we prepare our students for life beyond school. Punctuality and attendance are the first steps to achieving this. We thank you in advance for your support.

Parental Consents

Please can we ensure that parents check their consents for their child specifically photo consents, site closure process etc just so we can update our records. You will find this on the My Child at School app under 'Parental Consents'. Once you've made this change we can approve it onto our system. Any issues then please contact the main office.

Communications Home - My Child at School and Emails

Our parent governors provided feedback this week that communications have been coming home 3 different ways which has understandably caused confusion for some families. This is not our intention and we have spent time this week unpicking the reasons for this with the My Child At School Software that we use. 

We would like to clarify:

• General announcements should be coming to parents on the 'Announcements' section of the MCAS app, not as messages or emails. This should ensure everything is in one place and we will continue to use expiry dates on our announcements so that this platform does not become cluttered.

• Personalised communications will be sent home as emails as we are unable to send announcements in this manner and we will use announcements on MCAS to signpost parents to when emails may have been sent home so parents know to check inboxes. 

• If you would like further support on how to use the MCAS app please do refer to this parent guide. 

College Competition Week

Between the dates of Monday 20th January 2025 - Friday 24th January 2025, LAR will be hosting: ‘COLLEGE COMPETITION WEEK!’ This will involve representatives from each college competing in the following sporting competitions below:

• Monday 20th January: Year 10, Boys [Handball] Girls [Netball]

• Tuesday 21st January: Year 9 Mixed Dodgeball Tournament

• Thursday 23rd January: Year 8, Boys [Basketball] Girls [Netball]

• Friday 24th January: Year 7 Mixed Dodgeball Tournament

If you would like your child to participate, this event will happen between: 3:30pm-4:45pm and they can volunteer and sign up on their Year Group Google Classroom!

Brigade

Brigade will be closed from 4pm Friday 20th December until 8am Monday 6th January 2025 to allow our staff to enjoy an extended Christmas holiday break. All communication and emails received during this time will be responded to on our return in January. You are still able to order uniform online during this time and we are offering 15% off from 31/12/24 to 05/01/25. Please use promo code NY15.

Update on Fixture Communication from the PE department

As you know, sport plays a vital role in the life of our school, and we are proud of the wide range of fixtures and opportunities we offer our students. Due to the school’s growth year on year and the increasing number of sporting fixtures taking place weekly, we need to adapt how we communicate fixture information.

It is no longer feasible for our admin staff to send messages via MCAS for every sporting event. Therefore, we are introducing a new system, which is already in line with practices used by other schools in our trust.

New Fixture Communication System:

1. Team Selection Notices: Team sheets will be displayed on the dining hall window. Students will be responsible for checking the sheet and indicating their availability by ticking to confirm attendance or crossing their name if they cannot participate.  

2. Social Media Updates: Fixture details, including venues, start and finish times, will be shared on the school’s official social media pages. Its would be extremely helpful for students to also ensure they have their non-smart phones when on fixtures so they can contact parents with updates

3. Student Responsibility: The emphasis will be on students to notify parents about their selection and the details of the fixtures including the time the event will finish.

This approach encourages greater student independence and ensures all relevant information is still easily accessible.

We understand this change may require some adjustment, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns about the new system, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Thank you for your continued support of our sports programs.

A massive thank you for all the children and staff that stayed and helped out with our stools at Winter Wonderland, you all did a fantastic job. A great round of applause to the children who played a part in 'A Night At The Arts' and for both Mr Clark and Miss Rowe for making the musical theatre piece come together. Overall was such a spectacular night and we couldn't have done it without you all so thank you! 

Over the Halloween period Jessica, her sister and her dad set up a pirate themed display in the front garden mostly handmade with wood and then painted. Both sisters helped by cutting the wood, sanding the wood then painting the wood (For context they started at Easter and it was just about ready by Halloween, by taking up weekends and school holidays to get the project completed). Then on Halloween night they all stood outside our house, dressed as pirates handing out sweets treats and Halloween treasures to the children that came by. They have done this to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, which as you may know shares a big place in our hearts. This year they raised a massive £1066.00. Well done Jessica and her family, we are so proud of you all!

On Monday 9th December, 6 of our students made their way to the Faraday challenge, accompanied by Miss Parker and Miss Shannon. After a Merry Christmas sing-song, they arrived at Longfield Academy ready to take on the engineering challenge against other local schools. The students were asked to plan and design a prototype that fit the secret brief, using their scientific knowledge and teamwork skills. Each team was given 120 Faradays to spend in the engineering shop so that they could build a working prototype of their design.

Each of them were given a role, from accountant to health and safety officer, and the students immediately set their minds to it, and built an amazing prototype cash register. They then presented their prototype to the other schools, with each student having to be involved and were questioned by the assessor about how their project came together. They were especially commended for their incredible presentation, oracy and teamwork skills. Overall they came in second place, and we are all very proud of them for what they've achieved during this challenge, and for their impressive singing abilities on the bus journey home. Well done to you all!

Netball continues to flourish at LAR and we are so proud of our girls. On Monday, the year 9 team secured an 8-4 win over Rochester Girls Grammar. Followed by a 10-0 win for the year 10 team against Victory academy. Amazing effort girls well done!

Medway Go

‘MedwayGo is a free, government funded, holiday activities and food programme for children aged five to 16 who are eligible for free school meals. Along with lots of fun sessions, children attending will receive a nutritious meal, made to school food standards, ensuring that children have a healthy balanced meal as they would during the school day.

MedwayGo Winter Programme will be running between Monday 23rd December to Friday 3rd January. MedwayGo Winter Programme for children receiving benefits-related free school meals is like for bookings now and can be booked here: https://book.plinth.org.uk/calendar/ziND8yNE5jxmBALo96vR/cover

MedwayGo Fun Day – Saturday 21st December, Medway Park, Gillingham

On Saturday, 21 December the MedwayGo team will be hosting a free Family Fun Day at Medway Park from 10am to 1pm. The event will open with a SEND hour from 10am to 11am, and then from 11am – 1pm everyone is welcome.

As well as taking part in activities including arts and crafts and sport sessions, prizes will also be up for grabs! You will also be able to meet some of the MedwayGo activity providers, and the team will be on hand to help you book the fun winter activities on offer. There will also be a quiet area throughout the whole event for children who need a quiet, calm space.

A healthy hot lunch will also be provided for children at the MedwayGo Fun Day. There’s no need to book, but all children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information visit the MedwayGo Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MedwayGoHAF’

Safer Homes Programme with the NSPCC - Free Carbon monoxide alarm 

Parents can claim one free household Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm and this offer is until May 2025.

CO is an odourless, tasteless, and invisible gas that is dangerous and can be created from faulty gas appliances.  Parents can scan the QR code or follow the link on the flyer to request an alarm, and then use the username and password in the flyer.

The leaflet also has helpful information as we approach winter on how to save money on energy bills. We hope to assist as many families as possible across Medway with this free initiative.

Children & Family Hubs Survey

• The purpose of this survey is to help Medway Council understand the extent to which local people are aware of the Children and Family Hubs offer, and how likely local people are to use or recommend the Hubs.

• You do not need to have used Children and Family Hubs or know what they are to take part in this survey.

• Your experiences and views will be used to help promote the offer to families and ensure that it works for residents.

The survey takes approx. two minutes to complete and is confidential. All responses are anonymous.

Survey link: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/medway-family-hubs

Kooth is available in Medway for 10–25-year-olds and QWELL is available in Medway for 18+ year olds (with lots of support for peri-natal mental health and Care Leavers).

Both Kooth and QWELL support CYP and young adults online in relation to their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

There is the capacity to support MORE children, young people and adults so let’s get the message out! 

https://explore.qwell.io/medway/

https://www.kooth.com/

Online Safety Tip for Parents:

Set up screen-free zones and times in your home, e.g: during meals or before bedtime. 

This helps young people develop healthy tech habits and creates opportunities for family conversations about their online experiences.