YIA Newsletter October 2014

October 2014 edition

KEY DATES

PARENT NEWSLETTER YATE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

16 OCT

6th Form Open Evening 6pm - 8.30pm

23 OCT

Subject Evening for Year 11

24 OCT End of Term

3 NOV

Start of Term 2 Week 1 Timetable

20 NOV

Presentation Evening For last years Y11

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Achieving success through Motivation, Knowledge and Skills

MESSAGE FROM ACADEMY PRINCIPAL, MR R GILBERT Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to the new academic year and this fresh-look newsletter that has become more interactive with our TRFYIA website.

The start of term was been greeted with a great deal of in enthusiasm from staff and students alike. The new Year 7 cohort (a full compliment) has settled in to their secondary school studies very well indeed. This included an opportunity for them to work together in their mentor groups during the Year 7

Teambuilding Week, which took place for all mentor groups with their mentors and other key staff off site.

goes on the other guilds will be doing their level best to catch them up!

It has been an extremely busy start of term with whole Academy events taking place. This included a very successful Open Evening on Thursday 25th September for prospective parents and children starting in September 2015. We had a very busy evening and received some extremely positive feedback from prospective parents and their children, especially related to the welcoming and ambassadorial nature of our student guides on that evening. They clearly take a huge amount of pride in their Academy, and I would like to personally thank them for their input that evening.

On the sport front, the PE department have been busy running inter-guild competitions in rugby, netball, and cross-country. Early indications are that Pegasus guild are at the top of the tree in relation to these competitions, but I’m sure that as the year

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Also at the start of this year we have welcomed some new colleagues to the Academy: • Mr D Tushingham as our new Head of Maths and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, • Mr F Short, Teacher of Music, • Mrs J Strong, Teacher of Drama, • Mr J Baker, Teacher of DT/Engineering, • Mr M Smerdon, Teacher of Science, • Mrs H Derrett, Teacher of Geography.

Already I have been impressed with the quality of teaching they are providing for all our students, and

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office@trfyia.org.uk

MESSAGE FROM ACADEMY PRINCIPAL CONTINUED...

I’m delighted that they are making such a valuable contribution to the Academy’s development even at this early stage.

We are also about to launch the new Sixth Form development in partnership with Brimsham Green and Chipping Sodbury Schools, which is due to be starting in September 2015. The Cotswold Edge Sixth Form is an exciting development, and a strong collaboration amongst the three local educational establishments.

Year 11 parents have been invited to a launch event, and our Open Evening will run on Thursday 16th October starting at 6:30pm, here at Yate International Academy. Further news on this development will be forthcoming over the next few months, which will be particularly relevant for Years 11 and 10, and an important consideration within the Year 9 Options process later in term 3.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this first newsletter of the year, and I look forward to this year being a very successful one with a great deal of optimism.

Mr R Gilbert Academy Principal

SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Kik, and BBM can be handy tools to help students interact socially, share useful information, and talk about homework tasks; but it is essential to be aware of its dangers.

The infographic on the right provides some useful guidance.

If in doubt: • Tell • Unfriend • Block • Report

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HIGHLIGHTS Due to so much going at Yate International Academy and the incredible amount of student achievements last year we will use the newsletter for the Principal’s key message, date reminders, and important bulletins.

The website will be updated more regularly with student achievements and important news so you get this information quicker. The newsletter will summarise these and include links so you can easily access the stories you are most interested in.

Fantastic YIA Students at Dance Camp UK Competition Find out how YIA students Brodie Shutt, Milan Cacacie, Jasmine Upton and Sarah Taylor got on at Dance Camp UK. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/news/students-at-dance-camp-uk/

Maia can handle U15 County Rugby Congratulations to Year 9 student Maia Boucher-White has achieved a call up to Gloucestershire Under 15 Rugby squad. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/news/maia-boucher-white/

A thank you from Team ‘Henry Walters’ – We Did It! Miss Poole would like to personally express her thanks to all those who sponsored her and the team to do the Bristol Memory Walk last Saturday. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/news/walk-for-dementia/

Menu Tariff The menu tarriff has now been posted online to view. Click the link below. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/news/canteen-tariff/

Fitness Class for Teenage Girls Will run every Friday from 5pm – 6pm http://www.trfyia.org.uk/sport-and-leisure/fitness-class-for-teen-girls/

HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED...

Inter-Guild Cross Country Results Well done and congratulations to everyone who took part in the inter-guild cross country last term. Results on the link below http://www.trfyia.org.uk/sport-and-leisure/cross-country-results/

Music Clubs Are you interested in music? We have a number of extra-curricular music clubs running at the moment. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/news/music-clubs/

GCSE Information Evening We ran an information evening during September for our Year 10 parents. Copies of the presentation and information booklet are available on the following link.. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/academies/gcse-information-evening/

£1422.22 raised for Teenage Cancer Trust Staff at the Ridings’ Federation of Academies voted during the last academic year for a ‘Federation Charity of the Year’. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/news/1422-22-raised-for-teenage-cancer-trust/

Photographs from last years Prom Check out some of the photos from last terms Prom! http://www.trfyia.org.uk/events/photos-from-last-terms-prom/

Excellent A-Level results!

100% of its students passed their exams with 22% achieving A*-A grades and 55% gaining A*-B grades – this represented a 40% improvement on last years results. http://www.trfyia.org.uk/academies/excellent-a-level-results-at-yia/

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COMMUNICATIONS Our social media profiles will provide reminders and news that has been posted elsewhere. Visit www.Facebook.com/YateInternationalAcademy or www.twitter.comtrfyia Hard copy letters will often be given to students to bring home. These are generally subject specific and/or require action (i.e. reply slips).

There are a range of communication channels we offer so you can stay in touch with general information about the Academy and specific information regarding your child Parent Newsletters are available online every month and will include important notices, messages, and student highlights. www.trfyia.org.uk is updated regularly with news, information, and links. Useful pages include the events calendar, letters home, latest news, links to the VLE and SIMS, and the Parent/Student Information page.

For any time sensitive/urgent information we will send you are text message. e.g. Academy closure, unexplained absence, music lesson info. If you have changed your mobile number please let us know!

Emails will be sent in order to provide you with useful links or more detailed information. For example, a link to this newsletter! Please check we have your email address if you do not get these alerts.

Login to SIMS Learning Gateway for up to date information on your child, including attendance records and behaviour points The student planners provide important dates and details on what homework your child has to complete.

Important news and student success stories regularly appear in the media.

Sometimes we may call or request a face-to-face meeting if discussions require more detail or personal touch.

We will continue to improve our communication channels, so if you have any questions, comments or feedback then please contact me.

Many thanks, Rob Phillips Federation Head of Marketing and Communications Email: rob.phillips@trfa.org.uk

IMPORTANT NOTICES Cotswold Edge Sixth Form

Cycling and walking to the Academy

The new Sixth Form development in partnership with Brimsham Green and Chipping Sodbury Schools will commence in September 2015.There is a open evening for Year 11 students/parents to discuss course options on Thursday 16th October.

Could you please also express the importance to your children of safety and consideration if they cycle or walk to the academy. Thank you.

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KEY DATES

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