RTS Parents' Newsletter

We had a wonderful evening on Thursday for our Awards Celebration for Years 8-11, plus 2023 and 2024 Alumni students. It was lovely to see so many alumni return and update us on their Post-16 experiences - they are all doing incredibly well and some are away this weekend looking at university courses and campuses. It's great for our younger year groups to hear about these experiences and have aspirational hopes for their own future. We were also privileged to have Brian Barwick OBE: Chief Executive FA, Head of BBC Sport, Controller of ITV Sport as our guest speaker.

We are very much looking forwards to receiving the keys to the RTS Sports Building during the holidays and moving equipment and furniture in ready to begin using shortly after half-term.

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable half-term break and we will see you in November!

~Ms K Dooley | Head Teacher

Ms Di Matteo, Science Teacher, has shown herself to be extremely creative and has led some very engaging enrichment sessions for students. This term she has run an Embroidery and Needlework enrichment and has shared these fantastic achievements from two students:

• Rocket embroidered by Alex J., Year 7

• Astronaut embroidered by Sienna, Year 9

Congratulations to Maya, Year 9, who won our National Poetry Day competition. National Poetry Day was held on 03 October 2024 and was founded in 1944 by the charity Forward Arts Foundation and encourages people to make, experience and share poetry.

This year's competition theme was counting and was open to Years 7-9. Students had different interpretations of this theme such as Ouissam, Year 7, writing about "counting on her parents and teachers to support her.". Entries were posted in a box in the Library.

However in the end we chose Maya's lovely poem: She counts the Pages. Maya won a £10 Amazon gift voucher.

This week our Year 9 students very much enjoyed making and baking bread buns. The smell around school was incredible. It is amazing what can be achieved in the food technology lessons - next stop bread week on 'Bake Off'!

Diwali assembly last week.
Thank you to staff and students who contributed to the Diwali assembly this week. It was lovely learning about how different people celebrate Diwali'.

Diwali is a very special celebration for Hindu people. It is also celebrated by Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. It is a celebration of light over dark and good over evil and it is also known as the ‘festival of lights’. Diwali takes place every year and it lasts for five days. The dates change every year but it usually falls between October and November. This year Diwali will be celebrated on the 1st of November.

Photos from Year 11 Fieldwork at Stratford. Students using a range of data collection methods to assess whether the Olympic Park development is sustainable.

Thank you to our two candidates, Prof. Yildirim Saatci and Mr Garrick Archer for nominating themselves to become a parent trustee, and to the wider parent community for taking the time to vote.

The election has now closed and we are delighted to welcome Garrick Archer as the new parent trustee. His term started at the close of the election and runs for four years.

If you have any queries, you can contact the Clerk to the Trust Board on clerk@rts.richmond.school.uk.

Thank you to everyone for taking part.

FoRTS update

FoRTS cannot support the school unless we have volunteers; please click this link if you can spare an hour or two to support the fundraising events for the school to enrich our children’s learning.

We are seeking a Treasurer to shadow our current Treasurer this year, with a full-time start next academic year. If you are interested in learning more about this role, please contact Carmelle.

All processes are already in place, so there is no additional work involved. The responsibilities include totaling any money raised, sending it to the bank, and providing termly updates on funds raised and spent.

Volunteer Opportunity: Car Parking Marshalling at Twickenham Stadium

Next month, Twickenham Stadium will host four international rugby matches. At RTS, we utilize these events as a major source of fundraising by renting out car parking spaces and marshalling the parking from 11am until approximately 7pm.

We are seeking volunteers to assist with marshalling. If you are able to donate two hours of your time, please click the link below to join the FoRTS car parking team. You can sign up for available slots at times that suit your schedule.

Join the FoRTS Car Parking Team

Your support is invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Easyfundraising

Great news, we’ve registered Friends of Richmond upon Thames School with #easyfundraising, which means over 7,500 brands will now donate to us for FREE every time you use easyfundraising to shop with them. These donations will help SO MUCH, so please sign up to support us – it’s completely FREE and doesn’t take long. Sign up here: Easyfundraising

FoRTS Volunteering

We do have a lovely small team of volunteers and do have fun especially with the rugby parking marshalling. Join FoRTS by clicking here. It’s as simple as that!

Your FoRTS team,

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

General: forts@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Parking: fortsparking@rts.richmond.sch.uk

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)

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

• Autumn Term 1: Tuesday 03 September - Friday 25 October 2024 (14:00 finish as usual)

• Autumn Term 2: Monday 11 November (08:35 start as usual)-Friday 20 December (12 noon)

Please find the Parent Calendar Summary for 2024-2025. Please check this regularly as some dates and times may be adjusted throughout the year.

A reminder that our RISE (Richmond upon Thames Inclusive Sport and Exercise) Open Day is on Saturday 26th October at Hampton Sport & Fitness Centre, Hampton High, Hanworth Road, Hampton TW12 3HB. There is car and cycle parking onsite and the R70 and 111 stop outside the centre. Please find the poster attached.

We have a variety of different activities on offer during the day:

Hockey – 10 to 11.30am

Boccia – 10am to 12pm and 2 to 3pm

Dance – 10.30am to 1.30pm

Football – 11am to 1pm

Basketball - 12 to 2pm

Fitness / keep fit – 12 to 3pm

Multi-sports 12.30 to 3pm

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

Something Creepy & Kooky for Half Term!

Addams Family inspired Musical Theatre workshops for 5-7 and 8-12 year olds.

These spooktacular performing arts sessions will be running on the following dates during October Half Term.

30th Oct - Cecil Hepworth Playhouse - Walton on Thames

31st Oct - Hampton Hill Theatre - Hampton Hill

1st Nov - Peter & Paul Centre - Teddington

£25 per child. Sibling discounts available.

Book a place at https://www.dramacube.co.uk/october-half-term-workshops/

The Tween Tribe is an award winning kids club exclusively for tweens & young teens

Our mission is to get tweens off screens & safely exploring the real world.

With no fixed address we run adventure dates in London, departing from KINGSTON, TWICKENHAM & WATERLOO stations.

Please see the flyer for a discount code!

Netball Coach UK camps are open to children in School years 3-10 and are suitable for experienced and aspiring ballers, as well as those new to the game. Expert coaching, skills development and guest coaching from former England Player Lindsay Keable.*

WEEK 1: 24th & 25th October
WEEK 2: 28th, 29th* & 30th October

At Grey Court School, TW10 7HN

9.00am-12 noon

For school years 3-10 (split age groups)

Book at www.netballcoachuk.com/camps

We’re pleased to offer your school community an extra £20 off when booking a minimum of 2 days at our autumn half-term camps. What’s more, we still have discounted rates available, so they can get double savings with this code!

Our camps are a great way to keep children growing in the school holidays. With 6 sessions each day and a choice for every one, they’ll be sure to have an enjoyable and enriching experience with us this half term.

Please include your exclusive discount flyer (attached and below) in your newsletter/parent communications so they can benefit from additional savings.

There are still spaces on the following groups:

Triple P Teen is for parents and carers of children with mild to moderate challenging behaviour. This group is being held on two consecutive Saturdays from 10am-2pm on 9th and 16th November in Surbiton in the Kingston borough.

Talking Teens is a more nurturing course and is being held on a Friday morning from 10am-12pm for 4 consecutive weeks starting on Friday 8th November at The White House Family Hub in Hampton in the Richmond borough.

Attendance to all sessions is required to gain the full benefit from each course. Please see the flyers for more information.

Parents can self refer by contacting: karen.williams@achievingforchildren.org.uk

As part of Kingston Council, Kingston Adult Education provides a range of courses to people aged 19 or over. A lot of their courses are free, and take place in school hours.

They have a number of 6-week courses starting after half term, including:

• Maths for Parents - aimed at parents with children moving into, or already at, secondary school so they can better support schoolwork

• Explore your business potential: a pathway to self employment - a 6-week course to consider how your skills can be used to make a successful business

• A range of wellbeing courses to teach you how to take better care of your mental health

• French and Italian courses - for those learners with basic or no previous knowledge of these languages.

Enrolment is also open for a range of qualification courses starting in January, including Bookkeeping; Childcare; Community Interpreting; Counselling; Information, Advice and Guidance; and Understanding Mental Health.

See their latest prospectus for further details about these courses as well as their wider offering: bit.ly/KAE-2425prospectus

Their classes take place both online and at centres across the Royal Borough of Kingston.

For further information, please contact Kingston Adult Education directly on 020 8547 6700 or at adult.education@kingston.gov.uk

The Girls U13 Hampton and Richmond Youth football team are currently looking for U13 girls to join our existing squad (school year 8). All ability levels welcome.

Contact details are in the flyer - the manager is a parent of an RTS alumni.

Barnes FC is the FA founding member and the sixth oldest football club in England, established in 1862. The club founded by Ebenezer Cobb Morley (founder of the FA rules) in 1862 and was run from 1926 to 1972 by Leslie Kilsby, from Stanton Road Barnes and two years ago the old club was revived.

As a not-for-profit organization, committed to providing healthy activities for adults and youth, we are actively seeking support from local schools.

Currently we are looking for children aged 12 and 13 for our U15 team and girls 16+ for our ladies team . Next year we hope to have more teams .

We train Wednesdays at 6.00pm -8pm at Barn Elms Sports Centre , (top) of Queen Elizabeth Walk, Barnes, SW13 ODG (youth teams) (with home matches on a Saturday) and the adult women team train and play at Quintin Hogg Riverside pitches in Chiswick on a Thursday evening (with home matches on a Sunday).

If you are interested, please contact:

Julie Burgess

Secretary, Barnes Football Club

07897506524

secretary@barnesfootballclub.co.uk

www.barnesfootballclub.co.uk

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