RTS Parents' Newsletter

Thank you to the parents/carers of both Year 9 and Year 10 students who battled through the wind and rain to join us this week for their respective information evenings. These are great opportunities for you to learn about the year ahead and also to ask questions of tutors and SLT and are an important part of our parent/school communication.

Next week we are looking forward to our first Open Morning of the new academic year - this is for those families in Year 5 & 6. We will have two more after that, and also our Open Evening Event returns for the first time since pre-Covid. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the school and our students and we are expecting in excess of 600 people! Please do share the dates and information with friends who have children in those year groups - it can all be found on our website.

We are very much looking forward to seeing many of you at the FoRTS/MFL International Languages Evening on Thursday - it promises to be another great evening of sharing food and cultures.

Whatever the weather holds for us this weekend, I hope that you are able to relax and enjoy it.

~ Ms K Dooley | Head Teacher

• Wednesday 27 September, Year 10 GCSE English Theatre Trip: Romeo & Juliet
• Thursday 29 September, Open Morning for Year 5 & Year 6 students
• Thursday 29 September, FoRTS/MFL International Food Evening, 18:00-20:00

Being a trustee can be a truly rewarding experience, and RTS has two parent trustee vacancies on the Trust Board. The role is to contribute to the work of the governing body in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children in the school. A letter will be sent out on Monday detailing how you can nominate yourself. We look forward to hearing from you!

• What inspired you to become a teacher?

I come from a long line of teachers - I am generation four! I have always been taught that an education is the most important thing a person can have.

• Can you share a memorable moment from your time at RTS?

Sports day! The camradary between students and the positive atmosphere is fantastic!

• If you pursued a different career path other than teaching, what profession would you choose?

I would be the next David Attenborough, making documentaries about endangered animals.

• If you could invite any historical figure to be a guest lecturer in your class, who would it be and why?

Flossie Wong-Staal, who we have named one of our year 9 classes after. She managed to sequence the genetic code of a retrovirus, which changed medicine forever. The retroviruses that she worked with do not behave in the same way as normal viruses like the flu, so her discoveries have saved millions of lives.

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: 04 September 2023 - 20 October 2023

• Autumn Term 2: 06 November 2023 - 20 December 2023

If you wish to contact the school, the School Office is open (term time only):

• Monday-Thursday - 08:15-16:30

• Friday - 08:15-15:00

Please use the Parents Communications Summary for guidance on types of queries and where advice may be found/who to direct your query to.

Email: info@rts.richmond.sch.uk
Website: https://www.richmonduponthamesschool.org.uk/
Location: Egerton Road, Twickenham TW2 7SL, UK
Phone: 0208 891 2985

AGM - 28 September, 5-6pm in the RTS Hall

The school’s PTA, FoRTS, will be holding their Annual General Meeting next week. We will meet as a team and vote in the key official roles of Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Please come along to meet us in person, hear about all our activities for the past academic year and get active in helping us this year. The AGM will precede the school’s Modern Foreign Language team’s International Food Evening. FoRTS will be providing drinks to purchase throughout the evening so please come along for some fun.

PTA volunteering opportunities

If you would like to be part of the fundraising team please email fortssecretary@rts.richmond.sch.uk

We cannot function unless we have a pool of volunteers. All money raised goes to the full benefit of the RTS students through enhanced enrichment opportunities.

Pre-loved uniform

If you have any uniform donations please ask your child to drop them off at reception when they enter school.

Rugby Parking

Marshalling the school car park on rugby and event days is the biggest money maker for FoRTS. Last year we raised around £29,000 for the students of RTS. Again, we can’t do this unless we have a team of volunteers. If you are interested in joining the marshalling team’s Whatsapp group please email Rob on fortsparking@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Your FoRTS team,

Carmelle (Chair and Acting Secretary) and Mark (Treasurer - stepping down)

Secretary: fortssecretary@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Parking: fortsparking@rts.richmond.sch.uk

Voluntary donations: Peoples Fundraising

If you would like to stay up to date with events as they happen, click the links to follow us on:

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Measles

Measles cases are rising in London. Make sure your child is up to date with their Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccinations

Measles is highly infectious and can make your child seriously unwell. One in five children who become unwell with measles will require a hospital visit.

Make sure your child is protected from becoming seriously unwell.

You can check that your child is up to date with their MMR vaccines in their red book. If your child has missed their first or second dose of the MMR vaccine, contact your GP practice or your local school age immunisation service team to book an appointment.

For more information visit the NHS website.

COVID

Cases seem to be on the increase. The DfE guidance states that children who test positive should stay at home for 3 days. Vaccines remain our best weapon against this virus, so please continue to encourage staff and students to be fully up to date. Schools should reinforce good hygiene practices and ensure that occupied spaces are well-ventilated. Remote education should be provided for children who test positive but are otherwise well.