Co-Headteachers: Mr Peter Hyman & Mr Oli de Botton Middle School NewsletterKey Dates Attendance Update 5 Matterhorn 98.4% Safer Internet Week - Bring your Coaster Posters in! A reminder to all students and families to bring their coaster posters for Safer Internet week in - these were sent home before the holidays for students to complete. We've had some fantastic entries so far today... 'Parking' from Lessons - Update The Middle School team has been reflecting on the successes and next steps in the school’s development. A focus for this half of the year is on tightening our systems that support students in their classrooms, and help ensure they come ready to learn and are engaged and working hard in all their lessons. The Middle School’s system for supporting the culture and behaviour in lessons means that if a student is making choices which disrupt the learning there are clear steps to address and correct this. These steps are a reminder, then a caution, then a ‘time out’ in the classroom for the student to reset their mindset before the lesson continues. If at this point the disruption continues, a teacher may need to ‘park’ a student, meaning they will be given work to complete independently in a different classroom so that the learning can continue. Teachers do not make the decision to ‘park’ a student lightly, and work hard to support the correction to the behaviour through the first three steps of our system, using their initiative to keep the conversation at this level before needing to escalate. From this week, parents will receive a text if their child is parked from lessons, as all students who miss their learning will need to attend an end of day reflection (3:15pm - 3:30pm in the first instance) to discuss a plan to amend the behaviour for the next lesson. Please note, this system is used mostly with Year 7 and 8, and if this is a necessary next step for any child in Years 5 or 6, we will speak to parents/carers first. We thank you for your support on this matter.
iPad Reminders - keeping you and your device safe Year 7 and 8 students have been reminded of the iPad agreement everyone signed before they collected their iPads. The user agreement is above for reference. Students were reminded that iPads are learning tools and should only be out and in use at school during lessons - and that they needed to be used as directed by teachers at this time. If students are not using their iPads correctly, they will be confiscated and parents will be contacted. If there is repeated misuse, students will have to store their iPads in the leadership office and collect with a teacher when needed, or, in extreme cases, not be allowed to use their iPad at all. We thank parents in advance for their support on ensuring iPad use is safe and their child is aware of and following expectations. We also reminded students that iPads MUST be away out of sight in bags as they come to and leave from school every morning and afternoon to keep themselves safe. Walking with an iPad out makes students easy targets for muggings. Please reiterate the importance of this message at home as well. Staff on the gates will always ensure iPads are away as students leave. Year 5 go to space! Before the half term a mobile planetarium visited the Middle School to consolidate the learning Year 5 have been doing all about the Solar System and our place in space. The experience was really fun and allowed us to zoom through space, visit the planets we've been learning about, see constellations and also see our moon. Thank you to the Imperial College - the outreach work their do for our science department is always wonderful! Also to Mr Ward, Ms Rogerson and Ms Turner for helping to organise the day. Millionaire Reader's Club We've not had any new millionaires this week, but keep up the quizzes on Accelerated Reader - especially if you have been reading over the half term! To become a word millionaire too, all you need to do is get reading, then log onto the Accelerated Reader program to answer some questions about what you've read! Ask your class teacher, coach or Ms Druce and Ms McLear if you need help accessing your account. Little Shop of Horrors Musical Kooth Free Online Counselling A reminder that Kooth Online Counselling is available and promoted at School 21 to all of our young people. It is a portal through which free, anonymous counselling is offered by trained professionals. Click here to visit the website to learn more about and to access this offer. Latest Star Winners - Update! Congratulations to this weeks' additions to the Red Star winners list: Year 5: Antoni, Aysia, Chanelle, Daniel, David, Jayden, Kacper, Keira, Leah, Meija, Nehan, Rayan, Sameerah, Taheem, Thierry We also welcome the newest winners of the prestigious Blues Stars! Congratulations to:Year 6: This week we have had some brilliant news as well - 2 students are both the first to reach the SILVER star level! Congratulations to Nabeeha in Y7 and Zayn in Year 8! Recognition Last Week We had huge last week of the half term with over 900 names added! Looking forward to another great half term with lots of red, blue, and new silver star winners! Keep demonstrating our values and making our school #middlestrong! First Aid Notice If you son/daughter needs to take medication at school it has to be brought to school by an adult and a form needs to be signed. Please do not send medication in with your son/daughter as this is going against our school policy and the medication may not be administered. Your help and cooperation is greatly appreciated. Important Middle School Links: Information on ParentPay and School Lunches Payments - click here. Email Ms Nandra (rnandra@school21.org.uk) if you need any assistance. Walking Home Alone Permission - to register your permission for your child to walk home alone, please click here. See your child's teacher/coach with any questions or concerns. For access to the online Homework Google Classrooms please fill in your details through this link. See you child's coach/teacher for help if needed. Use this link to see all the homework set for your child. The Lunch Menu for This Week is Week 1!Calling all potential Girl Guides! Girlguiding UK have recently opened the only units in Stratford, based in the East Village, next to the Olympic Park. Girlguiding is more than 100 years old, but what we offer is up-to-date. Today our girls still camp and cook, but they also campaign, quad bike, challenge gender stereotypes, try science experiments, write plays, learn circus skills… the list goes on. Girlguiding can benefit School21. Our enhancing and developing small-group work, peer to peer support, and enquiry-based learning goes alongside the national curriculum. Our sessions boost confidence, and teach valuable life skills to complement what is taught in the classroom, such as independence, friendship, and self-evaluation. We give girls a space to explore, as well as exciting opportunities. Whether it’s
their first night away from home, the first time they’ve presented to a group, or the first time abroad, Girlguiding is all about embracing the new and extending horizons. |