RTS Parents' Newsletter

This week has seen Year 11 students sit their second round of mock examinations in preparation for their GCSEs - with the first GCSE examination taking place on 23 April there are not many school days left. These mocks are vital in aiding the students to mentally be prepared for the examination period ahead. They have shown maturity, dedication and enthusiasm for these exams and we are proud of their efforts. The mocks continue next week and we wish them well.

Elsewhere around school, Year 9 visited the Black Cultural Archives and the school production crew have been working hard at after school and weekend rehearsals - don't forget to purchase your tickets and support our young people!

I hope that you have an relaxing weekend - and that as mothers, or mother figures, you are celebrated and thanked for all that you do on Mothering Sunday (and ideally every other day!).

~Ms K Dooley | Head Teacher

Ervina is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney and Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) member, sitting on its Education and Training committee. From 2021-2022 she was one of the mentors for St Mary’s University Be SMART initiative. Living locally, Ervina is one of our parent trustees, so has a vested interest in supporting the school. Her legal background and involvement in initiatives to enhance education and skills across the board are an asset to the Trust.

Ervina sits on the Finance & Resources Committee.

Substance Advice For Everyone (SAFE) Day was on Monday 04 March. This was for all secondary schools and independent schools with children aged 11+ in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.

If you have concerns in relation to a student at RTS or indeed with regards to your own child, you may want to contact Single Point of Access (SPA) which acts as a central information hub for all professional agencies in Kingston and Richmond.

Richmond and Kingston SPA

The SPA phone lines are now open as follows:

• Monday-Thursday 08.00-17.15 and Friday 08.00-17.00 - the phone number during these times is 020 8547 5008

• Out of hours: 020 8770 5000

Hounslow Early Help Assessment

• Telephone number: 020 8583 6600

• Out of hours: 020 8583 2222

• Email: earlyhelp@hounslow.gov.uk

NSPCC:

Speak to a counsellor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

• Telephone number: 0808 800 5000, or text 88858

• Email: help@nspcc.org.uk

• Signvideo using British Sign Language (Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm)

Would you like to become a member of the Committee?

We are looking for a Secretary.

There’s not much to it; send weekly newsletters to the school regarding FoRTS activities, take minutes and join in on some of the activities we do. It’s as simple as that! If you are interested please contact Carmelle at the general email address below.

Your FoRTS team,

Carmelle (Chair and Acting Secretary) and Jason & Somi (Treasurers)

General: forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Uniform: fortsuniform@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Parking: fortsparking@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Full-term dates and Inset day information is available on the school's website:

• Spring Term 2: Monday 19 February-Wednesday 27 March 2024

• Easter Break: Thursday 28 March-Friday 12 April 2024

• Summer Term 1: Monday 15 April-Friday 24 May 2024

FUEL provides free activities and food for children and young people who are in reception up to Year 11 and who are receiving benefit related free school meals (this is different to the universal free school meals that all children now receive at primary school).

Young people who are eligible should have a 17 digit FUEL code that will have been given to them by their school. You can use this to show that they are eligible when booking a club.

If you have your code, you can book a club now via our website: https://kr.afcinfo.org.uk/pages/community-information/information-and-advice/fuel-holiday-activities-and-food-programme

If you think your child may be eligible but you do not have your FUEL code, email the FUEL team at: fuel@achievingforchildren.org.uk. Limited discretionary places are available, please visit our website for further details.

St Mary’s Supplementary school, in partnership with FUEL, will run two special Easter holiday clubs for Ukrainian pupils aged 5 to 16.

Clubs will run at St Richard's in Ham and from Lime Grove in New Malden from 8 to 12 April, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Clubs will offer a range of activities and meals will be provided on the day.

Click here for more information.

On Wednesday 13 March, 4:00- 8:30pm in the Ground Floor, Turbine Hall B, Battersea Power Station, there will be a series of activities leading up to the formal announcement of The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race Crews.

With various activities on between 4:00-8:30pm, there will be an opportunity for everyone to learn about the history of this London event which started almost 200 years ago. A race that started between two school and university friends in 1829 has grown to become a televised student sporting contest that is part of the British sporting landscape.

No tickets are required, everyone can turn up and watch from afar or interact, it is entirely up to them.

Event Details: 2024 Gemini Boat Race Crew Announcement

When: Wednesday, 13 March 2024, 4:00- 8:30pm

Where: Ground Floor, Turbine Hall B, Battersea Power Station, London, SW11 8BU

• 4:00-5:45pm: Photo Opportunity with Boat Race Trophies
• 6:00pm: Q&A session with Boat Race alumni and Team GB Olympic and Paralympian rowers including; Imogen Grant (Cambridge), Dave Ambler (Oxford), Freddie Davidson (Cambridge), Tom George (Cambridge), Ollie Wynne-Griffith (Cambridge), Erin Kennedy (Oxford) and Angus Groom (Oxford)
• 7:30pm: The Oxford and Cambridge Crew Announcement with BBC Commentator Andrew Cotter

Takes place on Saturday 23 March at Hampton Sport & Fitness Centre.

There will be dance, rugby, cycling, football and other activities too. The full timetable of the event will be on the website www.richmond.gov.uk/rise before the event. Participants can attend throughout the day, no booking required.

Details on our weekly RISE activities can be found on our website www.richmond.gov.uk/rise

Our netball camps are open to children from School years 3-10 and are suitable for experienced and aspiring ballers, as well as those new to the game.

Where: Greycourt School, Richmond Upon Thames TW10 7HN
When: 2nd, 3rd April & 8th,9th,10th April, 9.00am-12.00noon
What to expect: Expert coaching by qualified coaches, skills development, the chance to make new friends and have tons of fun. Guest appearance and coaching from current England netball player Emma Thacker

Book at www.netballcoachuk.com/camps

There is a new festival we are launching this July, on Old Deer Park.

Bringing the beautiful seaside town of Marzamemi, Sicily to Richmond for an epic 2 day festival.

Get ready for a Sicilian summer getaway on your doorstep with live music & DJs, Italian banquets & food stalls, innovative fashion & homeware brands and plenty of fun for the kids.

Premium but family friendly. Marzamemi is the ultimate day of indulgence and fun for all.

Mark your calendars and immerse yourself in the magic of Marzamemi!

Make Believe Twickenham are located right here at The Richmond upon Thames School. Along with their weekly classes, held on a Tuesday, they will run a Matilda Workshop this Easter. Please find details below.

We are delighted to announce bookings for Dramacube's Easter Holiday Workshops are now open!

Inspired by box office hit Wonka, 5-7 and 8-12 year olds will enjoy 3 delicious days filled with songs, routines and games plus perform in a scrumptious showcase.

Our Musical Directors and Choreographers will be running these popular musical theatre workshops in Hampton Hill, Walton on Thames and Twickenham.

Find out more and book at https://www.dramacubeproductions.co.uk/easter-holiday-workshops/

We look forward to seeing you there

With just 5 weeks until the Easter holidays, we wanted to remind you of your school’s special discount code. Parents just need to add SCHOOL10 in the promotion box to receive an extra £10 off a full week booking.

March is a key month for parents to organise their school holiday childcare and we experience high volumes of bookings. We wouldn’t want your school parents to miss out on this exclusive offer and would really appreciate it if you could promote this in your newsletters.

We still have discounted places available, but our prices to rise when places book up, so we advise booking early to benefit from higher savings. We also offer flexible booking and payment options such as accepting Tax-Free childcare and Childcare Vouchers and protecting bookings with Flex.

Easter Holiday Rugby Camps. 2nd April – 5th April & 9th April – 11th April. Our camps run from 9 am - 3 pm for boys and girls aged 4 - 16. We accept all abilities from children who have never played before to children who have played through the years. We do not expect you to be a member of our club but someone who enjoys the outdoors and loves making new friends.

The camps offer fun, structured rugby-based sessions that help your child(ren) develop their fundamental movement skills, hand-eye coordination, and interactions with other kids. The children will learn how to kick, pass, ruck, tackle, and jackal safely. We aim to build strong foundations of the basics of rugby and to improve what has already been built.

We provided a unique experience where young people can challenge their abilities, learn new skills, set challenges for themselves, and achieve those challenges, improving their problem-solving and leadership skills. All while being in a safe and enjoyable environment.

Our coaches play the First team for the men's and women's teams of Richmond Rugby. Our coaches are DBS-checked and are all RFU level 2 qualified coaches. Please make sure your child brings appropriate outdoor clothes for all weather conditions and a packed lunch with a water bottle.

£35 for one day. £65 for two days. £90 for three days.

Please click here to book.

https://www.clubs-hub.com/richmond/index.cfm?event=event&eventId=65865

The Mental Health Support Team for Richmond are running a series of online workshops for families, entitled ‘Helping Children with…’.

The last series was very popular and feedback was very positive. These workshops would be a great way to support your child at home if they are experiencing any difficulties in the areas covered.

Click on the first link to sign up; the second link is a follow up feedback form if you attend the session:

• Thursday 21 March: MHST workshop: Helping children with resilience / Parent feedback form
• Friday 22 March: MHST workshop: Helping children with resilience / Parent feedback form
• Thursday 18 April: MHST workshop: Helping children with friendships / Parent feedback form
• Friday 19 April: MHST workshop: Helping children with friendships / Parent feedback form
• Thursday 16 May: MHST workshop: Helping children with challenging behaviour / Parent feedback form
• Friday 17 May: MHST workshop: Helping children with challenging behaviour / Parent feedback form
• Wednesday 05 June: MHST workshop: Helping children with screen time / Parent feedback form
• Thursday 06 June: MHST workshop: Helping children with screen time / Parent feedback form
• Wednesday 26 June: MHST workshop: Helping children with sleep / Parent feedback form
• Friday 28 June: MHST workshop: Helping children with sleep / Parent feedback form

Free weekly art sessions for young people to take part in at Heatham House. Activities range from tie dye, calligraphy, dream catcher making, candle making and more.

Young people will also receive AQA Accreditation for each session they attend.

Book your place on KickstART - go to our Linktree.

For more information contact Danielle Hutchinson.

Click here to view the Kick Start Booklet.

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