Parent Newsletter 25/09/15

SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS UPDATE Friday 25th September 2015 This Half Term at a Glance…

Absence Line unforeseen absence

Here are just a few important forthcoming

We expect a call before 8.30am on each day

events—for our full calendar, click www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk/media/ calendar Monday 28th —Wednesday 30th September Year 7 to Woodrow (M,S,R Mon—Tues, H,G Tues to Weds) Thursday 1st October Non-uniform day Making the Most of Year 12 Evening

of absence for day girls unless previously agreed with the Head of Year. Please leave a message on the dedicated pupil absence voicemail 01923 725328 or email: absence@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk An unexplained absence will be followed up.

Mr Cox’s Surgery

Friday 2nd October Information Evening—Sports Tour to Australia

Mr Cox, Assistant Headteacher, is making

Friday 2nd October—Sunday 4th October First Exeat weekend

and in periods 1 and 2 to meet with any

Saturday 3rd October FORMS Bingo Night

a short chat over any Senior School

Monday 5th October Harvest Festival Science Lecture NMH from 4.30pm (suitable for Year 10 and above, all parents welcome) Tuesday 6th October Cake Sale at Break Sunday 11th October WHOLE SCHOOL OPEN DAY—ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY FOR ALL GIRLS Wednesday 14th October New Parent Social Evening (Years 7-10) Thursday 15th October CEM Information Evening (Years 7-9)

himself available every Friday from 8.15am parents who would like to come and have question, issue or concern they may have.

Please contact Mrs Hamoudi in the School Office to make an appointment. chamoudi@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk Parents who would like a longer appointment can, as ever, ring to arrange a mutually convenient time.

‘Cox’s Surgery’ appointments are intended for a quick discussion only, which may lead to a further meeting if the issue needs some further thought or investigation.

Monday 19th October Life Skills Evening (Years 6-11) Friday 23rd October Senior School Prize Day (am) Friday 23rd October—Sunday 1st November Half Term

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk www.twi er.com/RMSforGirls www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

OTHER INFORMATION Emails Sent this week Apologies for the large number of emails that have been sent since the beginning of term.

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

Reminder about FORMS Bingo Night on 3rd October

Year 7, plus new parents Yr 8-10 Invitation to new parents’ social evening Years 7-9, 11

Sports Tour to Australia 2017

Year 10 Geography

Slapton Ley Letter

Years 8-12

Iceland 2016 Letter

Years 6-11

Life Skills Evening 19th October

Year 11 Drama/Year 12 P. Arts

Trip to “Coming Up” at Watford Palace Theatre

Year 10 and 11 Science

Information regarding Science textbooks

Year 9

Harrow International Exchange letter

Year 7

Final Information regarding trip to Woodrow

Year 10-13

Science Lecture Information

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 bbulow@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

Harvest Festival 2015 Here at RMS we will be celebrating Harvest during Chapel Assembly on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th October. I am writing to invite you to encourage your daughter to bring some Harvest gifts, if possible made up in a nice parcel, that she and the other girls can bring up during Assembly.

On Wednesday 7th October some of these gifts will be taken by Year 6 Cadogan House girls to people we know in the area who are old or infirm. All the other gifts will be donated to good causes such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, Herts Young Homeless Group and, this year for the first time, the Watford and Three Rivers Refugee Partnership.

The charities need anything that is non-perishable such as tinned products; tea, coffee and sugar; jam; packets of dried potatoes, rice or pasta; long life milk or dried milk; and also toiletries such as toilet paper, washing up liquid and shampoo, so please send these sort of goods as your Harvest gift. We will make sure all gifts find a worthwhile home. If you miss Assembly the girls can still bring gifts to the Chapel on Tuesday or on Wednesday morning. Any offerings are gratefully received.

Rev'd John Quill, RMS Chaplain

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk www.twi er.com/RMSforGirls www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

THE WEEK IN PHOTOS

Year 9 at the Black Country Museum

Weybridge House in London

Year 12 Politics at the Houses of Parliament Leadership Challenge vs John Hampden Grammar School (the girls won, of course…!)

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk www.twi er.com/RMSforGirls www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

SPORTS NEWS Sports Tour to Australia—Easter 2017 We are delighted to announce a possible two week hockey and netball sports tour to Australia during the 2017 Easter holiday.

The tour will be open to current Year 7, 8 and 9 students who are interested in playing competitive hockey and netball. (There is a possibility of a handful of young leader places for older students).

During the tour we will stop over for a day in Singapore, then travel to Sydney, The Gold Coast and Cairns. We will visit the Blue Mountains, Australia Zoo and the Olympic Park, experience the Sports Super Centre near Brisbane, snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef and much more. We will have fixtures against local schools during the trip, where, if there is the interest girls can play both hockey and netball.

If you/your daughter would like to find out more about the tour, we invite you to attend our information evening on Friday 2nd October at 4.15pm in the New Mark Hall. Representatives from Rayburn Tours will be there with the PE Department to talk through the proposed trip and answer any questions you may have.

Congratulations to Emma F (Year 8), who last week went to the second round of The Junior Lead Climbing Championships.

After two really difficult climbs, the top six went through to a final. Emma qualified in sixth place. This was the highest quality competition Emma has been involved with - and three out of the six qualifiers were members of the GB national squad. In the final, the competitors climb in reverse order and are held in isolation prior to their attempt, so no-one can gain an advantage by

This week’s sport Results

Netball RMS vs Dame Alice Owen Year 7 won 35-5 Seniors won 34-8 Hockey RMS vs Queenswood Year 8 lost 2-1 RMS vs JFK Year 8 won 5-0 Don’t forget to follow the PE Department on Twitter www.twitter.com/ RMSPEDepartment

seeing attempts made on the wall.

Emma was first out in her section and finished joint 2nd overall, beating one of the GB national team members an outstanding performance! We congratulate Emma on this fantastic achievement, and look forward to hearing about her next successes

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk www.twi er.com/RMSforGirls www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

COMMUNITY NEWS Concert in Aid of the Peace Hospice All members of the RMS Community are invited to a concert featuring song arrangements and compositions by our own Mr Brammeld, sung by Thomas Isherwood (Mrs Isherwood’s son) The concert takes place in the New Mark Hall on Friday 2nd October from 7.00pm.

Admission is free, but there is a collection in aid of the Peace Hospice.

We hope lots of you are able to attend to support this local charity.

Science Lecture Monday 5th October at 5.00pm in the New Mark Hall As part of our Science Department Lecture Series, we are delighted to welcome Professor Geoffrey L Smith FRS from the University of Cambridge who will be delivering a lecture entitled, “A career in science with viruses: plagues, pathogens and politics”. After the talk Professor Smith would be happy to talk to interested students about the selection process that is run by the University. All are welcome, but this will be of particular interest to

Chorleywood Bookshop Events High Tea with Jacqueline Harvey Sunday 4th October 1.00pm at Moor Park Mansion Take part in a fun afternoon with the author of the Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series.

For more information and to book tickets, click here An Evening with Tom Kerridge Tuesday 20th October at 8.00pm Dr Challoner’s High School An evening with the Michelin starred chef and owner of local restaurant Hand and Flowers Tom Kerridge. To book tickets, click here

students in Years 10 and above. To book your place, please email Pippa Hopkins (phopkins@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk) . For more information, click here

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk www.twi er.com/RMSforGirls www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

FORMS NEWS

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk www.twi er.com/RMSforGirls www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls

FORMS NEWS BINGO night Momentum is building for the first FORMS event of the year - it will be "eyes down" on the 3rd October for our Bingo night. Tickets go on sale this week and you can purchase them from our ticket sellers in Cadogan House and the car park. Alternatively you can order them by emailing forms.bingonight@gmail.com. Tickets will be on sale until 12.00pm on Tuesday 29th September to enable us to organise the catering so please book up quickly.

Sponsorship Opportunities FORMS provide fantastic social events which give the opportunity to raise funds used to enhance and enrich the learning within school. With this fundraising in mind, we are offering various sponsorship opportunities at our events this year. We would obviously like to offer our parents (or the companies parents work for) these opportunities before we approach external companies. If you would be interested in our sponsorship opportunities, please email forms.communications@gmail.com

Facebook and Twitter FORMS have arrived in the 21st century! Please “like” our Facebook page to find out details about our events and news from the community.

We can be found at https://www.facebook.com/FORMSRMS. Please be aware there are old facebook accounts that will be deactivated. The Facebook page going forward has the BINGO event flyer as the first post. You can also follow us at @FormsParents on Twitter

Other dates for your diary: Please note the following event dates for this academic year so far:Fireworks - Friday 6 November (ticket on sale from Saturday 3 October) Christmas Fair - Saturday 28 November Burns Supper - Saturday 23 January Quiz Night - Saturday 5 March Our next second hand uniform sale will be held on Friday 2 October in the Governors Dining Hall from 3.00pm. For further information please contact our second hand uniform coordinator Abbey Robinson: Forms.rms2hu@gmail.com.

The next FORMS meeting is 7.30pm Wed 7th Oct. please contact Penny Smee at forms.secretary@gmail.com for details and directions.

www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk www.twi er.com/RMSforGirls www.facebook.com/RMSforGirls