Rossett News Update - 10 December 2021
Face Coverings
We would like to remind you that ALL students (unless exempt) are required to wear a face covering in all communal areas of the school following the change in Government guidance. This means face coverings should be worn in corridors, dining halls (unless eating) and the administration and social spaces. It is particularly important in these last few weeks of term that students adhere to this guidance to minimise risk of illness for students, staff and the wider communities.
The wearing of face coverings on the buses is mandatory, unless a student is medically exempt, and is particularly necessary as we approach the Christmas holidays.
Continuation of Lateral Flow Testing for students and staff
We ask that our parents and students support our safer school initiative by continuing to test on Sunday and Wednesday evenings and report the results – whether positive, negative or void – to NHS Test and Trace via the self-report option at https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result and also inform the school at: https://rossett.school/studentcovidreport. This information is helping the Government to understand the prevalence of the virus across the country.
The government are also asking that students continue to test over the holidays in line with national guidance – this means testing if they will be in a high-risk situation that day and before visiting people who are at higher risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19. If you feel you will require an additional testing kit over the holiday period please send an email with ‘LFT Home Kits’ as the subject to office@rossettschool.co.uk with your child’s name and form. Your child should go to reception to collect the additional kit.
Please note that this asymptomatic testing programme does not replace current guidance for those who develop the three Covid-19 symptoms, even if mild, which is to arrange a PCR test as soon as possible. If your child develops a high temperature, a new continuous cough or loses their sense of smell or taste or it changes they should self-isolate until they receive the results of their PCR test.
As you will now be aware the self-isolation rules have changed and students no longer need to self isolate if someone in their household has symptoms or has tested positive for Covid-19 if any of the following apply:
- students are under 18 years 6 months old
- students are fully vaccinated
- students are taking part or have taken part in a Covid-19 vaccine trial
- students are not able to be vaccinated for medical reasons
In such cases, even if they do not have symptoms, students should still:
- get a PCR test
- follow advice on how to avoid catching and spreading Covid-19
- consider limiting contact with people who are at higher risk from Covid-19
If you have any questions please email Mr Royles droyles@rossettschool.co.uk.
All students are asked to test on Sunday 2 January before returning to school on Tuesday 4 January 2022.
Winter Warmer Concert
Last night we were delighted to see the return of our Winter Warmer music concert. This was the first live music concert that we have been able to stage in nearly two years and despite the fact we had to limit ticket sales and seating it was an excellent evening. Seventy talented musicians were involved; despite the challenges of no live rehearsals or music lessons when we returned in September, they worked hard over the last twelve weeks to bring us the concert.
Ensembles such as Concert Band, Funk band, Saxophonix and the KS3 choir performed, as did our GCSE and Sixth Form Music students. We also had solo performances from Jon Davison, Natasha Eagland and Millie Smith. Students from Years 7 to 13 were involved in the evening, and the array of talent on display was outstanding. Thank you to everyone who took part.
More Exciting Performance News..
Auditions took place this week for 'Matilda the Musical' which we hope (restrictions permitting) will be performed in school in March 2022. Over 100 students auditioned and the level of talent on display impressed us all! We will inform you of any updates in due course.
Christmas Jumper Day
We have seen some fantastic Christmas jumpers today and received donations, via Scopay, for Save the Children. This fund-raising will help children in the UK and around the world in these particularly challenging time. Thank you to everyone who joined in and donated.
Some of our Year 7, 8 and 10 students are pictured here with a selection of the fantastic jumpers on display in school today.
Christmas Lunch
On Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th December our talented Executive Chef and his team will be presenting our Christmas menu. Christmas lunch will be served as always by our Senior Leadership Team and the catering staff (hats and tinsel optional).
Short Story Club
In the New Year, the English Department are starting a ‘Short Story Club’. It will be open to pupils in Years 11, 12 and 13 and will run at lunchtime every Thursday Week A in R9. The first short story we will be discussing on 6th January is ‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle’, taken from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which is free from copyright and therefore anyone can access it online here. Have a read over the holiday and then come along for a fun, no-pressure, discussion! If you have any questions, please email or see Mr Elcock in school.
Year 7 Christmas Card Post box
From Monday 13 December, students in Year 7 will be able to use their own Christmas card post box to make it easier to send Christmas cards to all of their friends. The post box will be situated in the Junior Block and students can post their cards and they will be delivered to their friends (following a period of quarantine) before the end of term.
Learning Resource Centre News
Please click here for this week's LRC newsletter.
Here is another great review from Natasha Eagland, Year 7.
The Inkheart trilogy, written by Cornelia Funke (which consists of Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath) is an action packed read full of mystery and dramatic scenes.
The novels tell of 12-year-old curious Meggie and her ingenious father Mo, who reveal an astounding but sinister secret: whenever he reads aloud, threatening characters appear from the fantasy fiction pages, and a moving adventure is bestowed upon them! It's a hunt for survival full of risks and action. Can Meggie and Mo either destroy or make peace with the ink creations, or will the haunting thought of failure forever hover close and consume them?
This trilogy is by far my favourite, because of its absorbing description and fascinating storyline. I would highly recommend these novels to all readers, who love a good book that they will struggle to put down!
Road Safety
We would be grateful if you could remind your child(ren) to take care when walking to and from school. We have had some reports this week of students taking unnecessary risks when crossing the roads surrounding the school at particularly busy times of the day.
As there are a number of schools in the area, traffic is naturally heavy at both the start and end of school. Thank you in advance to parents who use these roads before and after school; we ask that you observe the 20mph speed limit in Pannal Ash Road particularly.
Reminder: Early finish on the last day of the Christmas term
We would like to remind you that, as always, Rossett School will finish the Christmas term early, closing at 2.10pm on Friday 17 December. There will be a change to the scheduled lessons on this day and all school buses will arrive early at the end of the school day, and drop students off one hour earlier at students' usual stops on the route home.
PTA NEWS
Lottery
Rossett PTA has an exciting way for you to help support the school and have a chance of winning up to £25,000. Your School Lottery is a fun, weekly lottery that raises money for schools in the UK. Play the lottery to support our school - it’s that simple! Tickets cost just £1 per week, with a top prize of £25,000!
Each ticket consists of six numbers and each number is between 0 and 9. There will be a draw every Saturday night when a six-digit winning combination will be picked. Match all 6 and you win the JACKPOT! Winners will be sent an email notification of their success. Every week, there is a guaranteed winner from Rossett School who will win 30% of the ticket sales for the week! Each week there is also a draw where a guaranteed prize of £20 will be won by someone from Rossett School! The more people who sign up for tickets then the bigger the weekly prize!
Just visit the online lottery site and buy your tickets now! Just follow this link: https://www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/rossett-school. Sign up before 11 December 2021 for a chance to win Christmas for your family.
Uniform
We have a uniform recycling scheme where 'pre-loved' uniform items can either be donated, or obtained for a small donation. A list of our current stock can be found at: http://www.rossettpta.co.uk/uniform-recycling-2/
Members
We need more parents to join our PTA. It is a great opportunity to meet other parents and you can be involved i our as much or as little as you like. We really would appreciate your support in joining the team. If you would like more information or to offer support, please contact Claire on this email address: info@rossettpta.co.uk
Yorkwaste Re-use Santa Appeal 2021
The Re-use Santa Appeal is a charitable campaign to provide help for young people across North Yorkshire who are most in need this Christmas. This year, they need your help to collect used toys, games, books and puzzles for young people who might otherwise not receive a gift. Not only will this help to make Christmas easier for many families, it will also support the environment by encouraging a ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ mindset. Re-use Santa is delivered in partnership with City of York Council, North Yorkshire County Council and selected charities.
Make sure your toys/books/games are clean, complete and fit for purpose. Next time you’re taking your waste to your nearest York or North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centre, simply bring your pre-loved gifts along too and let the staff know you wish to donate. They will point you in the right direction. You can find your nearest North Yorkshire HWRC here and CIty of York HWRC here. Yorwaste will then distribute the donations to the charity partners.
PE Fixtures
What's happening next week...
Online Christmas celebrations for all year groups take place this week.
Tuesday 14 December
- Christmas Lunch
Wednesday 15 December
- Christmas Lunch
Friday 17 December
- School closes for the Christmas holidays: Early finish at 2.10pm.
Return to School
Sunday 2 January
- All students and staff carry out lateral flow testing and reporting at home
Tuesday 4 January
- Lateral flow testing in school for all students with consent in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13
Wednesday 5 January
- Lateral flow testing in school for all students with consent in Years 7, 8 and 9
H Woodcock
Headteacher
