RTS Parents' Newsletter 18 June 2021
Head Teacher's Message
I am sure that you can appreciate that it has been an extremely challenging and worrying week in school and my thanks have to go to all of the staff - both teaching, support, administrative and facilities - for their absolute commitment and adaptability in ensuring that students' learning continues as smoothly as possible despite the circumstances. I must also extend my thanks to the students as they continue to deal with short notice disruption to their learning - their maturity and behaviour when being asked to leave the school premises, return home immediately; and then log on to remote learning is a credit to both themselves and their families.
I cannot stress enough the importance of abiding by all government guidance in self-isolating and also in ensuring that students are not sent into school if any member of the household is showing symptoms of Coronavirus (high temperature, a new continuous cough, lose or change of taste or smell). We must work together on protecting the entire school community - and that is not just the students, but staff and families too.
If you live in or near the Kingston borders, you may wish to take part in the surge testing that is taking place there; and there is also a surge testing programme in Hounslow.
By way of reminder, although the Department of Education no longer mandates face coverings for students in school, students may choose to voluntarily wear face coverings when moving around communal areas in the school building.
With the changing information on the roadmap we are revisiting plans again for the next 4 weeks, but really hope that we can achieve something in school within all guidelines that the students can take part in.
Thank you for your continuing support, it is much appreciated and valued.
Ms K Dooley
RTS Art Gallery
Ms Williams has revisited some art created during the period of the second lockdown. Eve, 8SP created some beautiful bird pictures.
The RTS Way
A big well done to Matilda, 7MA, Evelyn, 7MA and Wabi 8SE for taking part in the Junior Kangaroo Challenge organised by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust this week. This is a national competition and it is fantastic to see RTS being represented at the higher levels.
[Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash]
Dates for the Diary
AP6 - Year 7 and Year 8
Monday 14-Friday 25 June
Internal assessments will be taking place in school for all Year 7 & 8 students during this 2 week period.
If students are at home isolating, you have been emailed information as to how assessments will take place.
Looking to the future
Mr Kemp, Head of Year 9 and Careers Lead, has arranged a series of remote talks for Year 10 students to attend during school.
In an update to last week's post, there has been a change of date:
08 July - St Richard Reynolds Sixth Form
LFD Testing
LFD at Home Tests - Students
Please continue to take the tests on Sunday and Wednesday evenings and report the results as normal. Thank you for your ongoing support.
LFD at Home Tests - Parents/carers
You can now order/collect LFD tests free of charge from the following:
PCR Tests
If you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive (identified as a close contact) you are now advised to seek a PCR even if you are not displaying symptoms. These can now be ordered free of charge from:
Carnegie Winner Announced!
The Year 7, 8 and 9 book clubs have all taken part in the Carnegie Shadowing scheme over the past few months. Students have read nearly all the nominated books and they have generated some very strong opinions!
This week the winning book, Look Both Ways, by Jason Reynolds was announced. This ingenious frame story is made up of ten short stories which take place on a walk home from school. Without adults on the walk, we get to see each child’s personality shine and it feels intimate as though the stories are being relayed directly to the reader. Stories stand-alone but also have clever interconnections.
Here’s what our Year 7 book club thought of Look Both Ways:
'Overall I think it is unique and portrays the autonomy of children away from adult supervision. The most interesting part of the book was when the children had to steal because their parents were ill. This book is worth reading because it is unique and in my opinion can be used to explain to adults what kids are like when they aren’t around them. Even though the characters are so different, they still care about each other.'
School Street
A gentle reminder that Egerton Road is part of Richmond Council's 'School Street' programme and that we actively encourage students to walk or cycle to school rather than be dropped off by car.
A School Street is where a road with a school temporarily closes to reduce vehicular traffic during the school's opening and closing times, to enhance the safety of school children.
There are many benefits of Schools Streets including keeping the area outside the school gates free of congestion, reducing idling vehicles and potentially improving air quality, encouraging active travel to school, aiding social distancing, creating a pleasant and calm atmosphere at the start and end of the school day and, of course, improving road safety.
During the national lockdown in January/February 2021 the operation of School Street schemes in Richmond was paused. To give people time to experience the scheme and give us their views, the closing date for this consultation has been extended from 12 April to 30 June 2021. Please do take the time to respond to the consultation - this is your chance to share your views and to hopefully support the continuation of the scheme.
Euro 2020
For all those football fans out there - 9SE are Euro 2020 ready! Special shout out to Tommy, who masterminded the whole display.
Gardening
Ms Ward has shared an update on the work that Year 10 have been doing with ASDAN gardening. They have been working hard planting: Strawberries, potatoes, beans, pak choi, lettuce, tomatoes and radishes.
ASDAN programmes and qualifications are widely recognised by educators for providing an engaging curriculum that empowers students through personalised learning and choice.
Transition - Year 7 September 2021
We are regularly updating our dedicated RTS Transition website for our new Year 6-7 parents. If you have a query about enrolment, Summer School, school uniform, Induction Day, or anything else; please check on the Transition website in the first instance. There is also a wealth of information on the main RTS website. Thank you to those families who were able to join us on Wednesday evening for the New Parents' Transition evening. The presentation and Q & A will be shared on the website as soon as possible.
Dates for your diary
Monday 05 July, 09:00-13:45 - Induction Day for Y6-7 students, details to follow
Monday 02-Friday 06 August - Summer School, please see email to sign up
School Uniform
We emailed all parents/carers earlier this week with an update on our school uniform expectations - a reminder that during the summer months, students may choose not to wear their jumper. However, all other items of the school uniform must be worn.
School Days in Whitton will be operating an appointment system for all your RTS uniform requirements during the summer months. They have advised to book early to avoid disappointment.
Stevensons in Twickenham are also running a mix of online bookings and walk-ins from now until September. Check the website to book and to view the dates of walk-ins. Their recommended appointment window for RTS is Monday 12 July to Sunday 18 July.
Friends of RTS
Second Hand Uniform Donations email fortsuniform@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Second Hand Uniform Sales oldschooluniform.co.uk
FoRTS News
The Big PTA Summer Raffle
As you know, we’ve teamed up with Parentkind to be part of their Big PTA Raffle this summer. We’ve been blown away by your support, and there’s now less than 4 weeks to go until the first draw on 12 July. Buy your tickets here and you’ll have 12 chances to win up to £5,000! Tickets are £3, and for every ticket sold, FoRTS receives 50% of the ticket price. Thank you, and good luck!
AmazonSmile and easyfundraising – Increased Donations with Amazon Prime
We continue to raise funds as our supporters shop online using easyfundraising and AmazonSmile. Please sign up to effortlessly generate donations when you shop, at no extra cost to you. Remember to choose Friends of RTS!
Increased donations from AmazonSmile this Prime Day: You shop, Amazon gives
Amazon Prime Day is coming up on 21 and 22 June (this Monday and Tuesday) and there are increased donations on offer.
AmazonSmile will donate 1% (2x the usual donation rate) of all Prime members' eligible orders placed with AmazonSmile.
In addition, Prime members who turn on AmazonSmile in the App benefit from a 5% donation (10x the usual rate) on their first AmazonSmile-eligible order on Prime Day. To turn on AmazonSmile in the app now, go to 'Settings' in the menu of your Amazon Shopping app, find 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions.
For more information on where to download and use the app, visit www.amazon.co.uk.
Going forward, make sure to check out easyfundraising offers as well as they often provide larger donations to FoRTS than Amazon. Easyfundraising has over 4,500 linked providers, including many of the well-known shops (Boots, M&S etc) and brands, so there is lots of choice.
Remember, you can make direct donations to FoRTS via our Virgin Money Giving page, or use the “Just Giving” button on the RTS website.
Stay safe: hands, face and space!
To contact FoRTS at any time, please email forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Second Hand Uniform Donations email fortsuniform@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Second Hand Uniform Sales oldschooluniform.co.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 or
Signvideo using British Sign Language (Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm)
Local News - Please note RTS does not endorse items included as Local News
New podcast episode on how domestic violence affects teenagers
Youth councillor Josie O'Connell interviews domestic violence workers Nina and Lisa about domestic violence in teenage relationships. How does domestic violence affect young people and how can we avoid it? You can listen to the podcast episode here.
RNLI warns of jumping into the Thames
The RNLI has issued a stark warning to young people who jump into the Thames to cool off during summer evenings and weekends – particularly from Teddington Lock footbridge.
This video from the Teddington Lifeboat station highlights the dangers from cold water shock and from river traffic.
Young People Speak podcast
Young People in Kingston and Richmond have been planning and recording podcast episodes, based on topics and issues that interest them. The latest episode features three young people interviewing Ian Dodds (the Director of Children's Services for Kingston and Richmond).
The podcast can be accessed on Spotify here.
Children's Book Festival
Post-lockdown, it is even more vital to help children develop their reading skills - and that all-important love of reading. Independent Thinking felt that bringing a variety of children's authors together and giving each one 20 minutes to share their book, read a short extract and explain what drove them to write would be a really useful and enjoyable thing to do.
Check out all the great titles on their website and follow the links to reserve your free front-row seats. You can attend as many events as you like. The event runs 26-27 June.
One author is Lynn McAllister from Capella House (adjoining RTS). Her title is Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Artificial Intelligence.
All the books featured will be available on http://rovingbooks.com/ once the book fair has taken place - the books are perfect for schools and parents/carers!
Positive Parenting Project
Promoting Sibling Harmony
If you have more than one child then some squabbling is inevitable. But if the bickering is getting the better of you, here's a plan of action.
Start with this quick video on why siblings fight. Then move on to our Sibling Conflict Survival Guide.
If you have teens, you might find it reassuring to read what other parents say (anonymously!) about teenage sibling conflict.
For little ones, take a look at this booklist of storybooks on sibling rivalry as an alternative approach to the problem. Or, if you have a new baby on the way, don't miss this complete guide to everything you need to know about introducing a new sibling.
And, if different parenting approaches between you and your co-parent are part of the problem, we have an in-depth video tutorial just for you.
What’s normal when it comes to teenage bickering? That’s the kind of question I get asked all the time. But the reality is that ‘normal’ is a very wide spectrum in family life. Here's what parents have to say about the teenage sibling relationships in their families. Read more...
Storybooks about sibling rivalry
Using stories to tackle sibling rivalry helps children think more deeply and independently about relationships, about how other people feel and how to manage their own emotions. Here’s an updated list of the best children’s books about sibling rivalry to get your little ones thinking. Read more...
Knowing why your kids are fighting can be really useful in tackling it and changing that behaviour. There are lots of different reasons why siblings fight. Here's a quick round up of the most common causes. Read more...
Sibling conflict: a survival guide for parents
Sibling conflict can utterly ruin family time. Here are some simple, practical tips for reducing the arguments and restoring harmony (and a few tips for staying sane through it all!). Read more...
What if arguments between you and your co-parent are part of the problem? When parents disagree about how to respond to children's behaviour, it can be confusing for children. This 60-minute Watch Now Webinar is full of practical strategies to help you and your co-parent agree a joint approach and build a strong parenting team. (Price £15) Watch Now..
More information on parenting via: The Positive Parenting Project
Richmond Council are launching a poster competition to celebrate Clean Air Day 2021
Posters should illustrate the theme ‘The lungs of London’ and students can add their own style and interpretation – with art and/or writing. Students can use their hands to make the shape of lungs; or find a template pair of lungs to colour and annotate; or they can draw something completely different that represents the lungs and their condition. For students who prefer words to drawing, they can write a poem or story. Or add words to one of the options above - it is entirely up to them.
Specifications for entries:
Use one sheet of A4 paper
Posters can use colour and all designs should be clear, especially any words (judging will be done on a scanned version)
Student’s names and ages should not be visible
Students should scan and share their poster entry with info@rts.richmond.sch.uk, marked for the attention of Ms Munro.
Prizes will be awarded to the schools and students in three categories (KS1, 2 & 3).
Additional information:
It is hoped to display the posters on the Air Pollution part of the Council web pages. The organiser will contact schools prior to doing this to request the children’s names and ages, and for permission to display this personal information.
If you would like more information about air pollution and how to tackle it, please see London Air’s guide and Richmond Council’s School Air Pollution pages.
Term Dates 2020-2021
Full term dates and Inset day information is available on the website:
Last day of Summer term for students: Friday 16 July 2021