The RGS Today 29.06.20

#RGSTogether Week: This week marks #RGSTogether Week where we celebrate the extraordinary number of initiatives – charity, service, volunteering, and fundraising – which have taken place this year and this term in particular and have had such a profound impact on others. On our social media platforms throughout next week, we will be posting reminders of a number of the genuinely colourful, positive, feelgood events which have encapsulated this spirt of togetherness: a number of these will be included in this week’s The RGS Today. Keep an eye out on social media to re-live some of this year’s highlights.

Virtual Sports Week: Further to the information provided last week about this week’s event, a reminder that Sports Week has now started! This is your last opportunity this academic year to boost your House’s score as the Cock House Cup reaches its finale: participation and achievement are equally valuable! Best of luck (GDGC)!

Fifth Form: The final official contact for the Fifth Form this term is today at 11.00am at which Mr Gough will talk about life in the Sixth Form and clarify various administrative arrangements for the start of next term when, hopefully, we will all be able to be in school in person. He will also talk about the Sixth Form dress code. Mr Dunscombe will be there to talk further about results day and other academic matters while Mr Witts will also be on hand to bring the Fifth Form to a formal conclusion. A link has already been sent to the boys to enable them to join this meeting.

8.50am:

Morning registration with Tutors for all students (except Fifth and Upper Sixth Form).

Assembly: Full-school assembly for all year groups including a message from the Headmaster. Tutors will make the video available to students immediately after registration.

11.00am:

Assembly for the whole Fifth Form: details above.

1.00pm:

The Lit Quiz Club will hold its final meeting for the year today via Teams. If you wish to be added to the Team, email me (tff@rgsg.co.uk). Bring your own cake (TFF).

1.10pm:

The MUN society meets this lunchtime to begin preparation for our virtual mini conference taking place next week. If you would like to get involved but are not a member of the team, please send me an email (STHW).

1.50pm:

Afternoon registration with Tutors for all students (except Fifth and Upper Sixth Form).

Now that the Lower Sixth assessments are over, your attention will be turning to completion of your Independent Learning Assignment and preparation of UCAS personal statements. We subscribe to two digital databases which will address your need for scholarly material to use for those purposes; to access them remotely, you will need to log in using the details on the password list here.

Cambridge Companions Online is a collection of over 600 titles for Classics, Literature, Music, Drama, Art, History, Philosophy and Religion; you can read extracts, chapters or the whole e-book. After logging in, make sure that you tick Only show content I have access to when searching. The books, plus additional open access e-books, are all listed on the Library catalogue.

JSTOR is a huge archive of more than 12 million academic journal articles, e-books and primary sources for all disciplines. It is used widely in universities, so time spent familiarising yourself with it now will be good preparation for your later studies. Create a personal JSTOR account once logged in and benefit from additional features such as easier logging in and the ability to use its Workspace function to save and organise your research. Find out more on our dedicated JSTOR help page.

An extract from the Headmaster in Friday’s Bulletin re. #RGSTogether Week: QUOTE: So I urge you to take a look at our social media channels as, without agenda or ulterior motive, we remind ourselves what our community has done. Through some really touching videos from the recipients of this kindness we also can get an insight into just what a difference has been made. On one level we have never been more distant; on another level we have never been more unified. This is down, in no small part, to being part of a community which is so united and determined to help others and for whom our School Value of Service is reality rather than rhetoric: a firm belief that we can work in partnership with others to make a difference.

A quote by Nicholas Sparks seems to sum this up. “Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary simply by doing them with the right people.” At the RGS I am proud to say that we most certainly do have the right people, and we most certainly have achieved extraordinary things.

Thank you #RGSTogether.

UNQUOTE

#RGSTogether