HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

It was fantastic to see our first residential trip for eighteen months depart this week.   Year 8 students have gone on an outward bound week on the River Wye in Herefordshire.  We have trips going out over the next three weeks and more after the half-term break to enable the students who missed out on this activities last year to get cold, wet and muddy with their friends. 

I observed a Year 12 Economics lesson this week that was a real pleasure to be in. The students were working in a collaborative way developing each others understanding and challenging ideas.  The group work that they undertook helped them all to develop their understanding and confidence around fundamental economic principles. 

STAFF VACANCIES

Are looking for a highly rewarding job working within a fantastic team, making a real difference to individuals?  If so please click here to see the vacancies that we have in school at present. 

CURRENT FUEL SITUATION 

After months of having children out of education, I am very keen that their attendance and experience of live school is not further hampered by the current fuel situation.  Please can you consider plans for alternative transport arrangements if you drive your child to school and you are at all doubtful about this. Cycling, walking and public transport are always great options where possible; do speak to one another about lift-sharing as another alternative if you live further afield.

SIXTH FORM ENRICHMENT

The new enrichment and super curricular programme in the Sixth Form are up and running.  Students are taking part in a wide variety of activities; Amnesty International Group, School Newspaper, Cryptology Club, Social Creativity, MOOCs, Young Enterprise, football, table tennis, netball, fitness, yoga, dodge ball, badminton, Documentary Group, community drama, EPQ and after Christmas opportunities to support in the local community and in primary schools.

We understand that the students are enjoying the new opportunities in place for them and are developing new skills and interests or just having fun with their friends.  

IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME

I would like to advise all families that as a school we are providing the facilities for the local NHS immunisation teams to be able to carry out the national programme.  We do not offer advice to any families or individuals about individual decisions to have the vaccination that is being offered.  We would suggest that you seek advice from a medical professional.  The administration of the programme is organised by the NHS.

VACCINATIONS

Earlier this week emails were sent to the parents/carers of students in Years 7-11. If you haven’t yet seen the email, please respond via our webpage link below.

The School-aged Immunisation Team will be visiting Charters School on Friday 22 October to deliver flu vaccinations to Years 7-11 and Covid-19 vaccinations to Years 8-11. 

Please read our webpage Immunisation Information and respond to the invitation to consent in the online forms for your child(ren).

Information leaflets are available on the webpage answering many frequently asked questions. The school is unable to answer any questions or concerns directly in relation to the Covid-19 vaccinations.   If you have any further queries please email the Immunisation Team  eastschoolimms@berkshire.nhs.uk.

HELLO YELLOW

On Friday 8 October, Charters will be taking part in World Mental Health Day. We’re showing young people that they’re not alone with their mental health and raising vital funds for YoungMinds.

Raising money online last year was a real success and we are doing the same this year so you and your family can donate via a link to the school’s YoungMinds JustGiving page.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hy2021-108955

Please donate £1 or more so that we can raise money to support the YoungMinds charity. YoungMinds do amazing work to support young people, their parents/carers and their schools.

What can students wear?

Years 7-11

This is not a non-uniform day so instead we are asking students to raise awareness and money by wearing a yellow accessory.

Students in year 7-11 can wear for example:

• A yellow tie
• Yellow socks
• A yellow hair scrunchie or band
• A yellow badge
• A yellow scarf

Please make sure that your child also has their normal full uniform on.

Sixth Form (and staff!)

A yellow item of clothing such as a T-shirt, hoodie, hat, socks, scarf.

Sixth Form students can go ‘full on’ yellow or just wear a token badge or pair of socks

Wearing yellow in support of #HelloYellow will be a house competition. So all staff and students who are wearing yellow will gain a house point!

Help in school: don’t forget, if you want to know more about mental health and wellbeing at Charters, just visit the Pastoral page of the school website.

STUDENT NEWS

DANCE WORLD CUP SUCCESS

During the summer break, Year 9 student Alanis finally got to compete at the postponed 2020 Dance World Cup Finals and her classical ballet group won silver!  Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, she was unable to travel to Rome as originally planned so the competition was held in Telford instead. The 2020 and 2021 competitions ran consecutively and Alanis said that it was an amazing experience to be a part of Team England.  Alanis and her group from Kahli Lewis Dance Company danced beautifully and she is absolutely thrilled with her medal. 

Alanis is very grateful to all the students and parents who purchased cookies from her many months ago to fundraise for her team kit, costume and rehearsals.  Very well done to her and the team.

 

NOTICES

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING

14 October 2021
5.30 pm to 8 pm

Students in Year 11 can find out more about our inspiring A Level and BTEC courses when we open our doors to the Sixth Form on 14 October.  Do come along to see the subjects on offer and the facilities available for the Sixth Form as well as the fantastic extra and super curricular programmes. 

The Open Evening runs from 5.30 pm until 8 pm and visitors will be able to chat with subject specialist teachers and current students.

There will also be two introductory presentations at 6.00 pm and 6.45 pm in the Main Hall which can be booked here.

To give people a flavour of Sixth Form from a range of perspectives we have asked staff, students, parents and alumni to answer Five Questions about their experiences at Charters' Sixth Form.

You can read Five Questions With… Emily, one of our past students by clicking the image below.

IT'S A COUGH, BUT IT'S NOT COVID

We are getting a number of parents advising that their child has a cough but that it is not Covid because they’ve done a lateral flow test.  

Lateral Flow Tests are primarily a screening tool to identify people who have Covid-19 but do not have any symptoms.

If your child has any symptoms of Covid-19:  a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours; a high (37.8 or above) temperature or a loss of taste and/or smell, please arrange for them to have a PCR test to eliminate the possibility of Covid-19 before sending them into the school community.  If they are awaiting the results of a PCR test, they will be eligible for online learning.  

Thank you for helping to keep our community well.

WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD OFF SCHOOL

Frimley NHS Trust have produced this helpful leaflet to help parents/carers judge when to keep their child off school and protect others from potential infection and when it is safe to send them in.  If you are in any doubt, please click here.

SCHOOL LIBRARY

The Library will be closed W/B 18 October to enable us to run Year 11 Pre Public Exams. This means that it will not be available before or after school for work or during the second break. 

LOST PROPERTY

We are currently filling around one black sack a week of unclaimed, unnamed lost property, mainly coats and PE kits.  We will hold onto this until half term or while storage space permits.

When a named item is handed in we email the student to come and collect it from Student Services in one of their breaks or after school.  But if an item is unnamed we can only wait for the child to come and see if it has been handed in.

There are many different ways of  labelling items and increasing the chances of a lost item being returned. Laundry marker pens, for example, are effective and cost very little.  

Of course, not everything is brought into Student Services so we always advise a student to revisit the rooms they have been in, to check in PE and the dining hall, to look outside where they had gathered with their friends and to come back regularly to see if someone else has kindly picked up and carried the missing item along to Student Services on their behalf.

THINKING OF A CAREER IN MEDICINE?

We know some students are interested in a career in Medicine so this website might be of use. There is virtual work experience and also lots of free resources available if you click on the free support link at the top

Next available courses:

Name: Ward Round Live
Ages: 15+
Next Date: Saturday 16 October 2021 and Sunday 7 November 2021
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Link: https://educationprojects.co.uk/medical-projects/ward-round-live/

NHS HEALTH CAREERS

Adviza, our Careers support, are offering a free webinar on NHS Health careers.  Please click here for full details and booking information.  The zoom booking link will be emailed to students on their school email addresses.