Parent Newsletter 05/02/16

SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS UPDATE Friday 5th February 2016 This Term’s Events at a Glance…

Information

Here are just a few important forthcoming events—for our full calendar, click www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk/media/ calendar

Please note that the Year 13 exam timetable is now on the Parent Portal under A Level

Monday 8th February Life Skills Evening

“The Wizard of Oz”

Monday 8th—Friday 12th February RMS to make contact with Major Tim Peake on board the International Space Station— timings to be confirmed Tuesday 9th—Thursday 11th February The Wizard of Oz—KS3 Performance Friday 12th February Year 9 At Home

The Thursday performance of “The Wizard of Oz” has now sold out.

However, we do still have some tickets available for the Tuesday and Wednesday performances, which can be booked by following this link: http://www.trybooking.co.uk/340

Arrangements for Tea at School

Saturday 13th—Sunday 21st February HALF TERM

Requests for day girls wishing to stay for tea before an event should be submitted seven days in advance, via email, to Miss Whitfield in Devonshire House

Friday 26th February Harrow Exchange departs Saturday 27th February Ruspini House Open Morning

ywhitfield@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

Thank you for your co-operation with this.

Thursday 3rd March Non Uniform for World Book Day Tuesday 8th March Careers Convention Friday 11th March Year 7 At Home Friday 11th—Sunday 13th March Exeat Weekend Saturday 12th March FORMS Quiz Night

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

INFORMATION Emails Sent this week If you have not received any of the emails listed below, please contact Pippa Hopkins phopkins@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk Whole School

Letter from Chair of FORMS

Whole School

Boarding Announcement

Year 7/8 Opal Coast Trip

Information Evening and Consent Form

Years 7-11

Reminder about Life Skills Evening

Year 12

UCAS Exhibition

Year 9-13

RMS Careers Convention

Year 12

Young Enterprise at INTU this weekend

Form 7S

Social Contact info

Whole School

Reminder re STEAM Events

Year 7/8

PE Sleepover Invitation

Year 11 Art

Trip to Tate Modern and Royal Academy

Parent Portal queries & updating contact details To advise us of any changes to your contact details, change of boarding status etc., please contact changeofdetails@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk . This is a group email address and your communication will be sent to all the relevant parties within the School. If you have any other questions relating to the Parent Portal, please contact our Data Systems Manager Mrs Bulow on datasupport@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for up to date news, reminders and items of general interest! www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

SCHOOL NEWS Holocaust Survivor Talk, 28th January 2016 Last week, in recognition of the Holocaust Memorial Day, JSOC had the pleasure of merging with History Society to welcome Gerald Granston to speak to us about his experiences during the period of the Holocaust. Everyone was captivated by what he had to say, as his story wasn’t the most conventional.

We were amazed to hear how he managed to escape on the St Louis Ship with his father and other family members to Cuba where they had been promised entry after paying $200$300 for a visa, which is equivalent of $2000$3000 today.

After their long voyage, to their dismay once they got to Cuba they weren’t allowed to dock and they were refused entry along the East Coast of the US. As a result of their humble captain, they managed to enter England where they all began their new lives.

Gerald explained how he met his wife and started a family. Although some of Gerald’s family are buried in Germany, he has no intentions to return there, but continues to tell his story to prevent this event from being forgotten, as there are increasingly fewer survivors who are able to talk about their experiences.

This was an enlightening and inspirational talk that had an impact on all of us who attended and it was a great pleasure to meet Gerald and his wife.

Anoushka and Jayme.

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

SPORT NEWS Another successful week for RMS sports teams—as always, for more information, follow the PE Department on twitter https://twitter.com/RMSPEDepartment

Well done to Year 8, winners in RMS’s Earth to Space Challenge, who ran, cycled and rowed nearly 60okm in 50 minutes!

Netball County League RMS vs Haberdashers Year 9 A Team lost 15-19 Hockey

Also, congratulations to the Year 4 team who won the Three Rivers Sports Partnership Indoor Athletics competition—they now go through to the final next week—good luck girls!

RMS vs Watford Girls Year 8 won 8-0 RMS vs Queenswood Seniors lost 3-0 RMS vs Rickmansworth Year 10 won 8-1 (MVP Elena L)

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

SPORT NEWS Last term, we brought you news about the achievements of Amelia D (Year 8) who, with her team, qualified to compete in the TeamGym European Cup, having previously won bronze at the British Gymnastics TeamGym Championships. Late last year, Amelia travelled to Gran Canaria with her team from Heathrow Gymnastics Club, to compete in the European Cup. After some tough competition, the team came away with the gold medal!

Amelia shares what the experience was like, and her hopes for the coming year: “Our flight was very early the day before the competition and due to the excitement of being with our team mates in the hotel, along with the anticipation of the competition, we didn’t get much sleep the first night. Consequently, we were quite tired on Competition day, were extremely nervous and had butterflies in our stomachs. But the excitement and the anticipation of the competition carried us through. When warming up we could see all the other teams practising their skills which made me feel quite intimidated” Not only did Amelia and her team win the gold medal, but they also scored higher than the two teams that had previously beaten them at the British Championships in August! As Amelia said “We had worked really hard to increase our difficulty level and to improve our execution so we were really happy that our hard work paid off” This is Amelia’s last year competing as a ‘Youth’ – next year she will move onto the Junior team and already has plenty of ambition as to what she wants to achieve! “I am really hoping we can improve our result at The British Championships this summer. First we have to qualify at the Southern Region Qualifiers taking place in March – I will let you know how we get on”.

When asked to sum up the event in three words, Amelia said it was “nerve-racking, fun, and exciting” We congratulate Amelia and her team on this fantastic achievement and look forward to hearing how she gets on in the next competition!

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Tickets are now on sale at http://www.trybooking.co.uk/340 www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

FORMS NEWS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Tickets are now on sale for our popular Quiz Night, to be held on Saturday 12th March.

For more information and to book your tickets, please email forms.quiznight@gmail.com Tickets are £10 per person (£8 for Sixth Formers), and tables are for 8 to 10 people— will your table be top?

SECOND HAND UNIFORM: The general rule is that the Room is open every Friday morning from 8.00am to 9.00am except for exeat Fridays when we will open from 3.00pm to 4.00pm. The new location is the double doors to the left of Ruspini House. You can also buy one of our Book Bag Buddies (£5 each) at the same time!

Contact details for any second hand uniform enquiries are forms.rms2hu@gmail.com. We are now preparing all the refunds for last year’s sales – please do get in contact if you want information about your sales in the meantime. We also need volunteers to help run the weekly sale sessions – please do mail us if you can spare an hour one Friday a year!!

**ONLY if you require uniform in the half term please contact Abbey on email above to arrange**

FORMS Meetings The next FORMS Meeting will be held next Tuesday, 2nd February, in the Governors’ Dining Hall at 7.30pm—all welcome!

Do please read the letter from Fiona Gratte, our Chair, which was sent out to parents this week. If you did not receive this, please contact phopkins@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

FORMS NEWS

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

HOLIDAY CLUBS AT RMS Super Camps 20th Anniversary Sale With 20 years’ experience delivering top-quality holiday activities for children, Super Camps is the UK’s No.1.

To celebrate 20 fabulous years looking after children across the UK, Super Camps is offering early bookers up to 20% discount off standard rates. This offer carries a ‘best price guarantee’ so you won’t get a better rate.

Discounted spaces are limited, so book early to avoid missing out on this unique offer.

Book now and join the fun!

Use discount code '20YEARS' when booking online or over the phone.

Visit www.supercamps.co.uk or call 01235 467300

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

HOLIDAY CLUBS

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

www.twitter.com/RMSforGirls

www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls