Rossett News Update - 23 April 2021
2021 Grading
Travelling to school safely
The Department for Education has released the following guidance on travelling to school safely in light of the easing of lockdown measures:
- If you live a short distance from school , walk, cycle or scoot to and from school wherever it is possible and safe to do so;
- Avoid sharing a car with anyone outside of your household or support bubble;
- If you are using public transport to get to school, plan ahead and allow more time for your journey;
- when travelling by public or dedicated school transport, don't forget to:
- wear a face covering (unless you are exempt - including if you are aged 11 and under). It is important to wear them for the entirety of your journey;
- Social distance where possible;
- Wash or sanitise your hands regularly;
- Be considerate to fellow passengers and staff.
Further information can be found in their webiste guidance on transport to school and other places of education.
Lateral Flow Tests
Students should have enough testing kits to last until 28th April and more tests will be sent home with your child on 29th April.
Uniform expectations
If you have any items you would like to donate, then please contact Rossett PTA who founded this scheme around a year ago.
For further details regarding the Uniform Recycling Scheme, please see the Rossett PTA Facebook page – rossettschoolpta or their website www.rossettpta.co.uk. Please note that due to current COVID restrictions, no uniform should be dropped off at the school.
Practical Lessons: an update
As we informed you in last week's Rossett News students in Years 7, 8 and 9 returned to practical lessons on Monday in Design Technology, Food, Art, Music and Drama.
A great deal of care and attention has gone in to the planning for the further resumption of these practical lessons to ensure that everyone remains safe and that COVID safety requirements are met. Mrs Phelps has shared these photos with us and was delighted to be back teaching more of her lessons in our specialist rooms.
National Citizen Service
National Citizen Service (NCS) is a highly successful government initiative for 15-17 year olds. Over the course of two or three weeks NCS allows young people to build life and employability skills, as well as giving them the opportunity to take on new challenges and experiences whilst making new friends and enhancing their CVs. Throughout the programme young people develop greater confidence, self-awareness and responsibility, encouraging personal and social development by working on skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication.
Three week programme (Including five day residential)
Week 1 -'Be Epic' - Outward-bound activities at FSC Malham Tarn, such as: gorge walking, kayaking, caving and mountain adventure.
Week 2 - 'Live Life' - Gaining life skills to live independently such as: money management, first aid, a day in the life of a firefighter and up-cycling.
Week 3 - 'Do Good'- Creating positive change in the community, through planning and delivering a social action project of the students choice.
Two week programme (non-residential, all based in Harrogate)
Week 1 -'Be Epic' and 'Live Life'- Two days of outward-bound activities at Ripley Castle such as kayaking, high ropes and axe throwing. In addition to this students will also gain life skills to live independently doing similar activities to the three week model.
Week 2- 'Do Good’- Creating positive change in the community, through planning and delivering a social action project of the students choice.
If your child is interested in this brilliant opportunity visit https://wearencs.com/ and fill out their online form.
Instrumental Tuition
We are delighted that our instrumental tutors are able to resume face-to-face delivery of lessons to our students at Rossett. We are now able to offer a block of taster lessons to provide students with a taste of what these lessons involve without an initial long-term commitment.
Students can choose a block of six 15-minute lessons for £30 which will run for six weeks from week commencing 10th May. At this time we can offer lessons in the following instruments: Voice, piano, drum kit, trumpet, trombone, violin and viola. If your child is interested in taking-up a musical instrument or you have any further questions, please email our Head of Music Mr Robin Durbin on rdurbin@rossettschool.co.uk who will only be too happy to help.
Extra-curricular Timetable
We are really pleased to let you know that we can resume our brilliant offer of sporting extra-curricular activities after school from Monday 26th April. The timetable has been designed to include both winter sports (that the students will have missed due to restrictions) and summer sports, and with separate days for each year group to ensure 'bubble' groups are maintained. The timetable has also been devised so that the majority of students will have a PE lesson on the day of their extra-curricular activity (so will already be in their PE kit), however if they do not they should bring their trainers only and not a full change of clothes. The Leeds late bus will now be running every day except Tuesday and details of how this can be booked will be confirmed to the students on Monday.
Activities run between 3.20pm and 4.15pm. We have included the timetable below and if you have any questions please contact Mr O'Sullivan on rosullivan@rossettschool.co.uk
Please note: No pre-booking is required, students should simply turn-up on the correct day.
Read at Rossett
Year 11 Photographs, Wednesday 28th April 2021
A further reminder to parents/carers of our Year 11 students that we have arranged for photographers to be in school on Wednesday 28 April to take both individual and year group photographs of Year 11 in their 'bubble'. We hope this notice allows plenty of time to get those post-lockdown haircuts!
Autograss Racing for Rossett Student
Rossett student, Dan Thompson (Year 7), started Autograss Racing in July 2020 in his 'Junior Special'. Autograss is a form of amateur motor racing, that takes place all over the UK, on oval tracks of approximately 400m. The races are usually 5-8 laps long, and eight cars line up for a standing start.
Dan competed in around ten meetings last year although, due to CV-19 there were no championships, but he still had a great year and celebrated many race wins. In 2021 Dan is looking forward to competing in the UK Autograss Championships and the National Championships and we look forward to hearing of his further success.
Roadworks - Pannal Ash Roundabout
We understand that the traffic lights and roadworks at Pannal Ash roundabout have been a frustration for those parents/carers who drive their children to school. Yorkshire Water have written to us to apologise for the over-running of these works and have assured us that they will be finished by 9th May 2021.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
We would like to remind you of the support groups, websites and text-based helplines that exist to help our students combat any feelings of anxiety. We know that many students continue to have some concerns about their future, or the continuing national coverage of the pandemic.
The Go-To – www.thegoto.org.uk – is a portal or ‘single point of information’ for the wide range of mental health support services available to help children and young people in the county address their social and emotional health needs.
https://www.kooth.com/ https://www.minded.org.uk/
Covid-19: Reporting
Below is a reminder of the reporting procedures and symptom checker before attending each day:
If your child has any of the symptoms described in the attached parental letter from Public Health England here, they must stay at home and arrangements need to be made to have a test. You must call the school absence line (01423 564 444) and leave a voicemail informing us about the situation and the reason your child is not in school.
We would remind you that you should only book a test if your child has any of these three coronavirus symptoms:
- A high temperature: any new high temperature where your child feels hot to touch on their chest or back (you do not need to measure the temperature);
- A new continuous cough: coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours;
- A loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste: a noticeable loss of smell or taste or things smell and taste different to normal.
If your child has been off school for a reason related to Covid-19, it is vital that you contact us before they return and give us the reason they are returning e.g. a negative test result.
- Public Health England has asked us to emphasise with our parents/carers that the NHS Track and Trace App is not applicable to students under the age of 16, and therefore should not be installed on the phones of students who are under 16. If any parent has to inform the school regarding a positive Covid case please email https://rossett.school/positive and complete the form.
What's happening this term...
Wednesday 28th April
- Year 11 photographs, periods 1 and 2;
- Reports sent to parents/carers Years 7-10 and Year 12.
Thursday 29th April
- Year 12/13 remote Parents' Evening, from 4.30pm.
Monday 3rd May
- Bank Holiday - school closed.
Wednesday 5th May
- EPQ Academic Poster Day Assessments: Sports' Hall.
Monday 10th May
- Extended Assessments Commence for KS4 and KS5 (see our website here for further details).
Friday 28th May
- Extended Assessments finish for KS4 and KS5 students;
- Half Term.
Monday 7th June
- Summer Term Commences.
H Woodcock
Headteacher
