Rossett News Update - 16 September 2022
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral
The Government has announced that Monday 19th September 2022, the date of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral, will be a national bank holiday. Rossett School will be closed to staff and students on this day and will re-open on Tuesday 20th September.
Sponsored Walk 2022 - Friday 23 September
As excitement mounts in school towards our sponsored walk on Friday 23 September further details were issued to parents/carers last week regarding the final arrangements and guidance to ensure students have a safe and enjoyable day. We would be grateful if you could ensure your child is adequately equipped for the conditions.
Thank you for your support for this event. Everything is in place for an enjoyable, safe day and all we need now is some sunshine to make the day more enjoyable, although we will be stoic and keep on walking whatever the weather.
Lunchtime arrangements
Over the first two weeks of term students have been acclimatising to the change in the school day and the adjustments to lunch arrangements.
The move to a single break and lunch comes at the end of a period of COVID-enforced restrictions. The change provides us with an opportunity to enhance extra-curricular experiences. We have been monitoring these changes and seeking student voice at every opportunity. as a results, we are putting in place additional measures including:
- Additional toilet facilities at social times
- A designated 'packed lunch' dining room
- Year group specific queuing in dining halls
- Lunchtime extra-curricular programme
Rossett School Open Day and Parents' Information Evening 2022
Rossett will be welcoming the parents of Year 5 and 6 pupils to listen to a presentation from the Headteacher about all that Rossett has to offer. This will take place on Thursday 29 September (6.30pm-8.30pm). Parents will also have the opportunity to visit the Learning Resource Centre to speak to faculties about the curriculum we offer as well as being able to find out about admissions, transport and much more.
This is followed by our Open Day on Saturday 1 October (9.30am-12 noon) when parents and children are invited to meet our students and teachers and see the school in action. A number of exciting activities take place throughout the morning. There are other 'open' opportunities available to see the school at work. Further details of how to book a visit will be available at each of these events.
Sixth Form Information Evening - Wednesday 5th October 2022
The Sixth Form Information Evening for Year 11 students and parents will be held on Wednesday 5th October commencing at 6.00pm pm with a presentation from the Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form. This is a very important evening as the Subject Fair – which takes place in the Sixth Form Centre – will provide detailed information about the courses and enrichment opportunities on offer. Our Sixth Form Ambassadors will be available during the evening and parents and students are encouraged to speak to them about their experiences at Rossett.
Year 7 English researching 'hidden figures'
In Year 7 students have been busy looking at a range of hidden figures, through the exploration of autobiographies. So far they have explored Fredrick Douglass, the key figure behind our curriculum intent, Leeds boxing legend Nicola Adams and Nancy Wake, an Australian-born spy known as 'The White Mouse' due to her sneaky ways. If students are interested in learning more about interesting, hidden people such as these, we recommend listening to the podcast 'Fierce Girls' found here: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/fierce-girls/episodes
Learning Resource Centre News from Mr Asker
At a sad and difficult time like this I am sure there is much consolation and reassurance in reading and books. Perhaps many of us have returned to a comfort book this week as we mourn and prepare ourselves for the Queen’s funeral on Monday. Certainly many students in the LRC this week have referenced the Queen’s death with many thoughtful and sensitive comments.
Life in the LRC does though carry on and it has been wonderful to welcome back Year 7 and 8 classes for library lessons this week. For Year 7 this has been an introduction to the LRC, our expectations and how to access and enjoy the wonderful books we have on offer. So far all the pupils have been a pleasure to work with. Similarly Year 8 have had some reminders about how to use the LRC and this has been very positive also.
As I indicated last week, the start of an academic year is the perfect opportunity to think again about the value of reading for pleasure. Numerous studies and research now prove that students who enjoy reading for pleasure enjoy greater academic success, improved life chances and better mental health. A few thoughts on how we can help encourage students to read more:
Make reading a part of family life and talk about books you have enjoyed and show interest in your child’s reading choices. Help them follow favourite authors on social media eg Tik Tok and look out for author visits and library/bookshop events. Use box sets, gaming and films to encourage reading, for example, there are a dozen or so excellent Stranger Things comic books available in our library.
Secondary aged students can become very focussed on genre and 'books in a series'. Don’t worry if they become fixated on authors like Sarah J Maas, Robin Stevens and Alice Oseman. It is the age of the comic book and graphic novel! No more nonsense about them not being proper literature please. Amazing writing and illustrating, rich language and complex storylines. Enjoy reading them with your child.
As ever please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like some suggestions and ideas to help support your child to enjoy their reading this year.
Well done to...
- Eilidh Owens who won a Gold medal in the Team Kata Event at the Commonwealth Club Karate Championships held at Birmingham University. Eilidh is pictured below with her teammates Anya and Isobel, congratulations and well done to them all!
- Niamh Owens who successfully defended her Ladies Singles' tennis title won last year at her local tennis club.
What's happening this half term...
Monday 19 September
- Bank Holiday: School Closed in respect of Her Majesty's Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral
Friday 23 September
- Sponsored walk - whole school
Monday 26 September - Wednesday 28 September
- A Level Geography field trip to Holderness Coast
Thursday 29 September
- Year 6 Parents' Information Evening
Friday 30 September
- Training Day - no students in school
Saturday 1 October
- Open Day 9.30am - 12noon
Wednesday 5 October
- Sixth Form Information Evening, 6.00pm-8.00pm
Thursday 13 October
- September Surprise Concert
H Woodcock
Headteacher
