RTS Parents' Newsletter 10 December 2021
Head Teacher's Message
Today was Christmas Jumper and Christmas Lunch day and the atmosphere around school was extremely festive - absolutely helped along by Christmas songs playing in the Atrium! The Student Leaders were on hand to assist the Senior Leadership Team in serving meals, seating students, distributing Christmas Crackers, clearing up; and generally ensuring the smooth operation of two lunch sittings. I hope the students enjoyed it as much as we (and Mabel) did!
With only 3 school days left of term and the timing of a 10 day isolation period now being perilously close to Christmas Day, I would strongly encourage students to take an LFD test this weekend before returning to school on Monday. If you or your child displays any symptoms, please arrange for a PCR test and do not send your child into school.
Don't forget that school finishes for the end of term at 12 noon on Wednesday 15 December and we return to school for the mass LFD testing programme on Wednesday 05 January 2022; with a full return to lessons on Thursday 06 January 2022.
We will be sharing an end of term newsletter with you next Wednesday and hope to have many celebratory photographs and announcements to share - please also do revisit our social media channels which we have relaunched over the last week. Find and follow us for regular updates on Twitter: @RTS_Twickenham, Facebook: @TheRichmonduponThamesSchool, and Instagram: @RTS_Twickenham.
Have a restful weekend, and stay safe.
Ms K Dooley
Dates for the diary
Tuesday 14 December
Author visit - Year 8 - TBC
Wednesday 15 December
School finishes at 12 noon for Christmas Holidays
LFD Testing
LFD at Home Tests - Students
Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation in continuing to encourage your child/ren to take LFD tests on Wednesday and Sunday evenings and to report the results to school (via the app on their iPad). It is important to keep the school community protected and safe.
Remember that if at anytime you need additional kits you can order them free of charge via the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/regular-rapid-coronavirus-tests-if-you-do-not-have-symptoms/
Contacting the School
If you wish to contact the school, the School Office is open:
Monday-Thursday - 08:15-16:30
Friday - 08:15-15:00
Telephone: 020 8891 2985
Email: info@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Please use the Parents Communications Summary for guidance on types of query and where advice may be found/who to direct your query to.
Assembly Topics
Assemblies for next week are all about Celebration and Achievement.
Lost Property
Students have been reminded via their Year Group Classroom; but can you please remind them to collect any items of lost property before the end of this term. We have over 20 items of coats, jackets, hoodies, and sweatshirts (amongst water bottles, hats, gloves, scarves and pencil cases etc.). None of these items are named. At the end of this term all items left will either be disposed of appropriately or donated to charity. Please ensure that ALL items that come into school are named otherwise we cannot return them to students.
Trust Board News
The Clerk to the Trust would like to give you advance notice of an upcoming Parent Trusee election. Please look out for more information via email and here in the newsletter.
In the meantime if you would like to learn more about the Trust, please visit the website section entitled Governance.
Safer Cycling
A reminder with these dark evenings when students leave school, that we strongly advise that students have, and use, good quality lights on their bikes. We would also recommend high visibility jackets or vests, flashing ankle straps, visibility strips on bags - students in dark coats are without any of these extra items are at risk of not being seen at night. We also strongly recommend that all students who cycle to school should wear a helmet and also bring a good quality D-lock to lock their bike to the bike racks. We have noticed that many students are leaving their bikes unlocked.
We would also like to remind you to ensure that your child's bike is insured as students leave their bikes at their own risk; and the school cannot accept any responsibility for theft or damage to bikes whilst on the school site.
RTS Art Gallery
Ms Williams would like to send you off into the weekend with some wonderful mindful mandalas by Year 7.
Head Students
Our Head Students would like to introduce themselves to you.
Head Students : Introductory message : parent newsletter Dec2021.MOVFoRTS News
This is the last FoRTS newsletter of 2021, and we would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing support. Obviously there are still difficulties in planning events where we can get together and celebrate being part of the wider school community. That said, we are forever optimistic and hope that we’ll be able to achieve this at some point in 2022. In the meantime, we wish you all a very merry Christmas.
Christmas Raffle – Last Chance to Buy!
If you’ve not yet had a chance to buy your raffle ticket, or you’d like to get more, there’s not long left with only three days to go until the first draw. From Monday there will be 12 draws held over 6 days, two draws per day. Every draw will give you the chance to win up to £5,000, so please share with family and friends!
50% of your £3 ticket goes directly to FoRTS. We’ve almost hit our target for ticket sales, and FoRTS has been entered into the draw to win £2,500 (or one of five £500 prizes), so thank you so much to everyone who has bought tickets.
Christmas Trees!
If you’ve not already bought your real Christmas Tree, Twickenham Christmas Trees will donate between 15-20% of each tree sale to RTS. All you have to do is go to their webpage and choose "Richmond upon Thames School" in the drop-down menu "Select Fundraise" as you checkout. You then choose, collect, and pay for your tree at Rosebine Car Park. Please feel free to share this with any friends or family who might be thinking of buying a tree from there.
Rugby Parking – 27 December
There’s still time to become a volunteer marshal for the Big Game on 27 December. As so many people have commitments that day, we currently only have 4 volunteers, so please help if you can. Thank you to everyone who has given up their time this year – even with so few events, you have helped raise £5,796 for the school!
Peoples Fundraising Donations Site
If you’re considering making a donation through Peoples Fundraising you can also reach the site via the “Fundraising” button on the RTS website. Donations can be made ad hoc or as a regular payment, thank you.
Your FoRTS Team,
Vanessa (Chair), Mark (Treasurer) and Carey (Secretary)
To contact FoRTS at any time, please email forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Safeguarding
If you have concerns in relation to a student at RTS or indeed with regards to your own child, you may want to contact Single Point of Access (SPA) which acts as a central information hub for all professional agencies in Kingston and Richmond.
Richmond and Kingston SPA
The SPA phone lines are now open as follows:
Monday-Thursday 08.00-17.15 and Friday 08.00-17.00 - the phone number during these times is 020 8547 5008
Out of hours: 020 8770 5000
Hounslow Early Help Assessment
Telephone number: 020 8583 6600
Out of hours: 020 8583 2222
Email: earlyhelp@hounslow.gov.uk
NSPCC:
Speak to a counsellor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Telephone number: 0808 800 5000, or text 88858
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Signvideo using British Sign Language (Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm)
Children Online - Setting Parental Controls
This is the time of year parents and carers will be buying devices that access the internet for their children and so we would like to highlight the importance of setting parental controls before giving the devices to children:
Local News - Please note RTS does not endorse items included as Local News
FUEL programme
Please find below details for a Christmas Holiday Scheme that is being run by the Harlequins Foundation in association with Achieving for Children over the Christmas break:
The Harlequins Foundation are delivering FUEL again this winter. FUEL is Achieving for Children’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme.
Funded by the Department of Education, FUEL is FREE for children between the ages of 8-14 and in receipt of benefits related free school meals.
Children not within that criteria are able to join in the sessions, but there is a fee of £25 per day per child.
The sessions will take place on Monday 20 December and Tuesday 21 December from 10:00 until 14:00 at Richard Challoner School, School House Richard Challoner, Manor Dr N, New Malden KT3 5PE
To book - Click on this link.
If you need support with applying online or have other enquiries please email: fuel@achievingforchildren.org.uk.
KR activities programme Winter 25 Nov 21.pdfChristmas Carol Concert
Off The Record Twickenham are hosting a Christmas Carol Concert with readings and performances from young people in St Mary’s Church, Twickenham on Tuesday 14 December at 18:30.
Please see the flyer for full details, including where to buy tickets (online in advance or on the door). All funds raised go towards supporting Off The Record’s counselling service for young people.
Parent Support Cafe
Eating Disorders
New support for parents and carers in London can be found from from Beat (UK’s leading eating disorder charity).
They can be contacted via the Beat CareEd Support Line for London: 0808 801 0356. Parents can also access NEXUS - weekly telephone coaching and SOLACE - a peer support group over Zoom.
Term Dates 2021-2022
Full term dates and Inset day information is available on the website:
Christmas break: 16 December 2021 - 04 January 2022
First day of Spring Term - 05 January 2022 (LFD Testing Programme)
Second day of Spring Term - 06 January 2022 (Normal school day)