Parent bulletin 30 6 17

It has been a busy and joyful week here at Roding Valley High School with a lot of extra students on site as our new September intake visited us for two testing days and the practice day today. The Year 6 students have had a fun packed time, experiencing different subjects, making new friends and enjoying a tug of war at the end of the day. The students were ably supported by our sixth formers who were great ambassadors for the school and gave our new younger students a lot of time and attention. I look forward to welcoming them all in September. Their Year Progress Leader will be Miss Williams who is very excited about starting their journey together. There is one final testing day on 12th July for those who haven’t already taken part and a parents’ transition meeting at 6pm in the hall on Thursday 6th July. The school PTA will be there looking for new recruits and will be hosting a BBQ for all new (and existing) parents.

We also celebrated the end of exams and the end of the school year for Y11 students who had their Leavers’ Assembly on Wednesday morning followed by their prom in the evening at Woolston Manor. Mr Quirk presented a fabulous and emotional final assembly for the students, celebrating many happy memories at the school. The Prom was also a great success, the girls looked beautiful and the boys very dapper! The event was attended by many staff who came to support the students and a great time was had by all. It is not a final farewell for some as many will be back in school on Monday 3rd July for the Year 12 Induction day.

We also hosted a Business Breakfast here at the school and the students had an opportunity to meet with local business partners. The event culminated in Dr Liz Gloyn offering a student’s specific advice on the writing of their personal statements.

Our Year 9 boys had their vaccinations on Tuesday and our Year 7s took part in a fun run yesterday afternoon to raise money for our sister school in Zambia. We have also launched our Duke of Edinurgh Award, for more information contact Mr Harris Head of Sixth Form.

A reminder that our Parents’ Forum dealing with “Show My Homework” and “MyEd” is taking place in the hall on Monday 3rd July with a 6pm start, I hope to see many of you there.

The Summer Concert is being held on Tuesday 4th July in the hall.

A reminder that it is INSET day on Wednesday and the school will be completely closed. Staff will be off site for training so there will be no-one to answer any calls or emails on that day.

The postponed sports day is due to take place next Friday, 7th July, weather permitting.

Further information will be going out if there are any changes to be made.

Have a lovely weekend Sharon Jenner, Head of School

We are very excited to announce that tickets for the new, HIT Roding Valley High School show, Wonderland, will be going on sale from Tuesday next week.

Tickets will be ÂŁ5 for adults and ÂŁ3.50 for Concessions.

There will be two performances, the first on Tuesday 18th July and the second on Thursday 20th July. Both performances will begin at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:30pm.

The show looks set to go down in Roding Valley history as a hit, so make sure you get your tickets soon in order to avoid disappointment!

The Food & Nutrition department was fortunate enough to host another Japanese Day for Roding Valley’s Year 7 classes on Wednesday 28th June 2017.

Yoshie Terada and her team, Professor Kyosuke Yamamoto and Naoyuki Tamura from JICEF (Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation), once again came to visit us and, together with Mrs Goosen and Mrs Abbott, led demonstrations with the classes on how to make different sushi, all with different vegetarian options.

The morning started with our Japanese visitors being treated to a selection of homemade scones with jam and cream, and continued throughout the day with sushi lessons for a number of different classes.

A great day was had by all, some even tried the very hot and spicy wasabi paste, and all pupils enjoyed this multi cultural experience.

The Y11 Prom on Wednesday was a huge success and went off without a hitch. It was great to see so many staff there, the students really appreciated them being there. The students had a great time and many happy memories were created.

There was a great atmosphere which was testament to the hard work and dedication of a quite outstanding Progress Leader and the support given to the students throughout their journey at Roding Valley by all.

Get into Construction

EM Skills will be delivering a 3-week construction education programme for 16-24 year olds in Loughton

Assessment on 30th June in Borders Lane Youth Centre Loughton from 10am The programme will consist of: 

Three weeks of learning with qualifications  Health and Safety  First Aid at Work  English and maths development  Manual handling, employability skills, site environmental training, building information models, teamwork skills and more!  CITB test at Harlow At the end of the programme, if you successfully complete, we will pay for a CSCS card If you would be interested in this programme, please contact Helen Georgiou on helen.georgiou@emskills.org.uk or come along to a drop-in at Loughton Youth Centre on Friday 30th June, or call 01992 677373

University Open Days—A students perspective University open days are a great way to have a look around uni’s before our UCAS application process starts. I’ve been looking around a couple of universities over the past few weeks; I’ve been inspired by the vision of my end goal of going to University in 2018.

University open days allow you to have a look around the University’s campus or have a look at individual departments or colleges. Uni open days give you the unique experience of asking your future tutors or lecturers questions about your course. I really enjoyed learning more about the PPE course that I wanted to study but ultimately, because of the University open days I have attended, I have changed my mind about which course I want to study. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn from attending a Uni open day. Our sixth form is very accommodating of us Year 12s attending Uni Open Days, so why not book onto one today! - just be sure to plan and ask permission from Mr Mammen.

Matthew Tinker ******************************** DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Y12 Monday 3rd July - Year 11 into 12 induction Wednesday 5th July - INSET Friday 7th July - Thorpe Park trip Thursday 17th August, 10am - A-level results

Y13 Friday 30th June - Year 13 leavers meal, 7pm.

Friday 7th July - Thorpe Park trip June-August - Email Mr Harris any Uni questions Thursday 17th August, 7:30am A-level results & clearing

Thank you to all who supported the Zambia Fun Run yesterday and to all those 6th formers who came over to help. Fun was had by all with a special mention for Mr Harris and Mr Cheema who ran on behalf of the staff and Year 12s Jack K and Jack S who ran as pace makers and did an extra lap to support those coming in a little further back! It was a really positive atmosphere which all students thoroughly enjoyed participating in.

You can follow us at www.rodingvalley.net , on Facebook at the ‘Roding Valley High School Official’ page or on Twitter (@RodingValleyHS). You can also sign up to our free electronic media release service at rodingvalleymedia@gmail.com

Not all learning happens in the classroom.

At Roding Valley we recognise that young people need experiences outside the classroom to become committed, responsible and fulfilled citizens of the world. At Roding Valley we have a long and established history with the DofE, and following a Silver Award pilot with the current year 12 we will be rolling it out to additional year groups.

About DofE and the structure The Duke of Edinburgh's Award programmes take between one and four years to complete, and must be completed by the participant's twenty-fifth birthday. There are around 300,000 participants annually. The programmes are at three progressive levels which, if successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

With     

assistance from adult Leaders, participants select and set objectives in each of the following areas: Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests Expedition: planning, training for, and completion of an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad At Gold level, participants must do an additional fifth Residential section, which involves staying and working away from home for five days, doing a shared activity

To achieve an award, the participant must work on each section for a minimum period of time, and must be monitored and assessed by someone with knowledge of the chosen activities.

Each progressive level demands more time and commitment from participants: Bronze 3–6 months; Silver: 6–9 months; Gold: 12–18 months.

Participants are required to show regular activity and commitment to the award for the duration of their DofE programme, which is usually at least one hour per week. At Roding Valley we have 4 staff that will be leading expedition in junction with DofE Essex.    

Mr Harris Mr Vermaak Mrs Vermaak Miss Bingham

We will be offering Bronze Award to students in year 9 and 10, and Silver Award to 11 and 12. If you are interested in taking part in the DofE speak to one of the Roding Valley DofE Team or your progress leader. There will also be a series of assemblies led by the current Year 12 DofE Silver Award students, who will talk through their experiences so far.

Parents/Students of Year 11 Apprenticeship Opportunity I have been contacted by a local employer who is seeking to recruit an apprentice this summer. The apprenticeship is in a local recruitment agency with full training offered leading to a permanent position.

If your son/daughter is interested please contact me for application details.

Construction Programme I have been contacted by a local training company who are offering Year 11 students the opportunity to attend a 3 week construction course from 30th June at Borders Lane Youth Centre. This is a fantastic opportunity for students interested in a career in construction. On successful completion of the course a CSCS card will be offered free of charge. Further details are attached on the flyer. If you would be interested in this programme, please contact Helen Georgiou on helen.georgiou@emskills.org.uk or come along to a drop-in at Loughton Youth Centre on Friday 30th June or call 01992 677373 Apprenticeship Opportunity Year 11 and Year 13 Surveying Technician Apprenticeship · Takes two years to complete · Get a Level 3 Diploma in Surveying · Become an associate member of RICS (AssocRICS) · Entry requirements: Five GCSEs at Grade C, including maths and English or equivalent Chartered Surveyor Apprenticeship · Takes five years to complete · Get a degree for free · Become a chartered member of RICS (MRICS) · Entry requirements: Three A levels at Grade C or equivalent, including completion of a Level 3 Surveying Technician apprenticeship Contact me if you are interested.

Parents of Year 10 Mock Interview Day Thursday 13th July 2017 Students will all receive details of where their interview will be by the end of next week.

As a reminder, on the day students are not required to wear school uniform, they should dress as they would for an interview, however please do not buy anything special for the interview as their uniform is very smart and will be ideal to wear. It is a normal school day, students will attend their interview at the specified time and return to their lesson afterwards. If they are going out for an interview they will need to sign in and out at student reception.

We have a huge variety of employers attending this year and this is a great opportunity for students to learn interview techniques and to develop their networking and communication skills in preparation for their future careers.

If you require any further information or advice please contact me.

Kind regards Mrs Mason Careers Development Manager dmason@rodingvalley.net Twitter: Follow @RVHS_Careers to keep up to date with our department.

YEAR 10 PARENTS Please see below the generic timetable for next week’s Year 10 Examinations.

These examinations will take place under formal conditions for every subject area. Your son/ daughter will have received an individual timetable from their Form Tutor during registration. Individual timetables will be printed on YELLOW paper. A further copy has also been emailed to all Parents/Guardians.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Mr Naidoo.

Jenny Draper Examinations Officer Roding Valley High School

National Women Engineering Day at Anglia Ruskin University 23 June 2017 On Friday 23 June 2017, a group of Year 9 girls participated in National Women Engineering Day at Anglia Ruskin University. The day consisted of a range of activities, demonstrations and inspirational talks. The Girls had a chance to visit a foot lab that uses software top determine foot pressure as well as 3D printing and how this is used in hip replacements. The girls were all engaged and asked many questions!

“On this day, we learnt about the different types of engineering, the steps to become an engineer, and what you do as an engineer. My favourite, by far, was biomechanical engineering, as this intrigued me the most. We learnt about how the software is used, the different parts of our knees, and also how hip replacements work.

Professor Raj Hornstrom led us through most of the day, where she explained to us about her quite interesting job, introduced us to her team, and also allowed us to explore the software with her team where they answered any of our questions. Her research team, (whom are only there for the summer term) were very helpful and extremely beneficial as they gave us a lot of insight into the research they are help Prof, Hornstrom in.

We also had a Q&A with 3 other female engineering professors, Oliver (who is a part of Prof. Hornstrom’s team) and Nathalie (a just graduated engineer). The question which I asked the female professors was ‘When you were studying to become an engineer, was there anyone who told you couldn’t do it and broke your self-esteem?’

Their reply was quite inspiring, as they said that even though it is terribly hurtful, no one knows you better than yourself, and if you know you can do it, there is no one that can tell you that you can’t.

All four of the professors opened up my mind to not only engineering, but also the struggles of being in a male dominated society, and how to overcome it. Overall, Ms Patel did extremely well with this trip and is an amazing (and super fun) teacher. I definitely look forward to going onto more science trips with her!”

Crystal Kucukarslan 9U

Business Breakfast A massive public thanks to Mrs Mason for coordinating the Business Breakfast and Networking event with the Sixth Form this week, and also Ms Henrye for cooking all the breakfasts for the Sixth Form and our external speakers.

This was an extremely successful day, in which the Sixth Form did the school proud.

The event focused on:    

Inspiration Communication Opportunities Networking

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10

Form with the highest Honours

7Q

Student with the highest Honours

Ruby Routledge 7Q

Form with the highest Honours

8u

Student with the highest Honours

Scott Tyler 8X

Form with the highest Honours

9Q

Student with the highest Honours

Ryan Clark 9Q

Form with the highest Honours

10U

Student with the highest Honours

Jack Gower 10U

Access to Water in School Parents, please be aware that the canteen has jugs of water available both during lunchtime and break time for all students to access.

Bottled water is sold at all outlets Large bottle 50p Small bottle 25p If a student is overdrawn or has no money on their lunch account, they will always be sold water.

Come up to Homework Club Monday after school to become a times tables expert.

Time: 3.05pm - 3.40pm Place: Learning Zone ACHIEVEMENT CERTIFICATE GIVEN EVERY TIME!

KS4 Computer Science revision/ intervention sessions are running in IT4 on Thursday lunchtimes

After school sessions mainly targeted at Year 11s (but any student from all key stages KS3, KS4 and KS5 are welcome) in order to help support students to close the gap in either coursework or homework/classwork.

PE Twitter Account You can follow us at www.rodingvalley.net and on Facebook at the ‘Roding Valley High School Official’ page.

Our Twitter (@RodingValleyHS) account is a great place to keep up to date with some of the latest news and activities in school.

You can also sign up to our free electronic media release service at rodingvalleymedia@gmail.com

The PE department have activated a Twitter account where regular PE updates, extra-curricular news and curriculum information will be regularly published.

Follow @RodingValleyPE to keep up to date with our department.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS…..

Student Absence If your child is unable to attend School for any reason then please report their absence by phoning the school number by 9.30am, you must also ring in each day of your child’s absence.

020 8508 1173 On their return to School please ensure your child brings with them a letter or medical evidence if requested explaining the reason for the absence for our records.

Medical Appointments When possible please make sure you make any medical or dental appointments outside of school time. If this is not possible then please try to ensure that your child attends before and/or after their appointment Holidays in Term Time It is not school policy to authorise any holidays during term time except in exceptional circumstances. If you put in a holiday request a ‘Leave of Absence’ form must be completed (these are available at Student Reception). Please be aware if the absence is not authorised and the holiday is taken, the case may be referred to the Education Welfare Service who may issue a Penalty Notice for £120 (or £60 if paid within 21 days) to each parent for each child taken out of school.

For full details regarding attendance please see our Attendance Policy which can be found in the ‘Parents’ section on our website or contact Mrs Jeanette Low our Attendance Officer on the school number.

Guidance for Common Ailments Please see, on the following page, guidance from the NHS of common childhood illnesses; this advises what type of illness requires time off from school and what does not. Should you require further guidance please contact the school.

Piano Lessons: To book piano lessons please contact rosswall@gmail.com Singing Lessons: Private singing lessons are now available. Please contact Alex Larke for more details and to book your slot. email: alex@thevocaltutor.com Drum Lessons: One to One, Two to One and Small Group lessons available. Learn with your friends! Contact: marksevel@hotmail.com

Guitar Lessons: Lessons slots are available on Mondays with lessons priced at ÂŁ12 per half hour. Please contact Rachel Espeute on racheleds@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested.

The Humanities Faculty has a Twitter account designed to promote sites of interest, pre-reading, revision, humanities information, news and general humanities support.

It is aimed at all KS3, KS4 and A-level Humanities Students and can be followed @humsrvhs