Issue No 11 2 nd December 2016

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1 Issue No 11 2 nd December 2016 Dear Parent/Carers, As I reflect back on the term and all that has happened, I am immensely grateful and proud to be leading such a fabulous school. The students and all staff are without doubt, some of the best I have worked with. The term has been so eventful in so many ways and everyone has adapted and coped so brilliantly. Some of the highlights of this term so far - Obviously, moving into an outstanding new build. - Changing the structure of tutor groups from vertical to horizontal which chatting to students has proved to be extremely beneficial. - Greater emphasis upon the House system including the appointment of student leaders who play a pivotal role in the organisation of House time and charity days. - The appointment of Heads of Key Stage so we can provide better pastoral care, oversight and guidance to students/parents. - The appointment of Year 10 Prefects and Head Boy/Girl plus deputies. I have heard so many positive comments about these students and it is so satisfying to see them step up and grow in their leadership roles and the way they influence other students in a good way. They help daily with lunch duties and oversee the ever popular games zone which includes games such as chess/scrabble/twister and Nintendo Wii to name but a few. - The developing co-curricular programme, which sees so many students engage in a range of activities outside of school. In a recent student survey, so many were complimentary about the provision available. - The launch of the Tanzania trip in 2018, which promises to be an incredible and life changing experience. - An expanding leadership programme, which has seen the appointment of not only Prefects/Head Boy and Girl but also House Captains, Stars, Sports Ambassadors, School Photographers, Anti-bullying Ambassadors. We are excited by the prospect of appointing a member of staff who will take on the role of student leadership coordinator which demonstrates our determination to ensure students develop in this area. - The success we have enjoyed in a range of sports which includes Year 7 boys winning the football league and some impressive results in girls netball. - Launch of a new website and weekly newsletter to improve communication. - New canopy installed outside to the rear of the building, which means students can still enjoy some fresh air on wet days. - Students in Year 10 beginning their higher extended project qualification, which is such great preparation for university as they learn how to carry out in depth independent research and develop their essay writing skills. - An array of school trips, which are so valuable in expanding students knowledge and generally broadening their horizons. - Having Elevate Education into school to work with our Year 10s in developing their study skills. We were delighted to host an Elevate parent seminar as well and look forward to hosting an e-safety event for parents next week. The above gives you only a snapshot of what has gone on during this term and I am grateful to be working with such a committed team of colleagues who make much of the above possible. On a final note, I just wanted to express my thanks to all those parents who are giving up their valuable time to work in the library and look forward to its likely opening in January. In addition, thank you to the Friends of Trinity for the hospitality provided for our parent s evenings and to other parents who have given up time despite very busy schedules to plan and deliver sessions to our students, which we will be informing you about in the New Year. Matthew Pawson - Headmaster

2 Parent Governor Announcement! Congratulations to Tim Worden who has been elected to serve as a parent governor for the next four years. The other parent governor is Guy Heasman. You can contact governors at any time via the address on our website. Governors are responsible for the overall strategy and direction of the school. Operational matters are the responsibility of Mr Pawson and his team, with governors acting in a monitoring role. Governors are always pleased to hear from parents but remember that they will only become involved in an operational issue if the school has first had an opportunity to resolve it. The Governing Board has been busy this term reviewing the new approaches to pupil assessment, the KS4 curriculum, plans for our 6th Form, and partnerships with other secondary schools. Each governor has particular focus areas and visits the school regularly to monitor progress. Governors are often at school events. Don t hesitate to introduce yourself! Dates for your diary GCSE Curriculum Evening A reminder that Year 8 and 9 GCSE options evening will take place on Tuesday 7 th February. There will be a talk in the main hall and subjects will be running displays so parents and students can find out more about the subjects on offer. Parent Social media/e-safety Briefing A reminder this is taking place on Wednesday 7 th December from 4.30pm pm in the main hall. The topics of social media and e- safety are never out of the news, and this will be a really useful session for parents. The world young people grow up in is very different from what it was just 5 years ago, and this session will provide you with the information to be able to support your son/daughter to be safe online. Photography Club Within Photography club this year, students have been developing their photography skills; through studying a range of useful tips, looking at inspiring professionals, plus using editing software to manipulate images. Every week students in photography club have a theme to follow and the opportunity to enter a competition. Photography club students are proud to share a range of their competition entries with you (See below). Mr Taylor is also pleased to announce the students selected (See below) to be School Photographers for this year which will involve capturing key school events on camera which may be used for the school website, brochures and school displays. (Photography Club Thursday L9 3.30pm 4.30pm) School Photographer Groups: Katie Day, Bobby Wallbank, Conor Read, Nathan Holmes Tuppence Donnelly, George Martin, Angus Read Patrick Cox, Joel Heasman, Adam Vickers Elizabeth Jones, Hannah Singh, Lulu Hunter Topic: Leadership Photo Title: The Journey Patrick Cox (Year 9) and Joel Heasman (Year 10) Gifted and Talented Our Gifted and Talented linguists have been busy practising for their choral performance at the Christmas carol concert. They will all be singing in German, French & Spanish.

3 Mr J Taylor, who organised the trip said the students were an absolute credit to the school. Year to Date Barrett 96.35% Faraday 96.99% Fry 96.89% Wilberforce 96.13% Christmas Tree We have a wonderful Christmas tree in reception purchased from Stonepitts Farm, Seal Chart, Sevenoaks. For every tree bought by parents from Stonepitts Farm, they will donate 1 to Help the Heroes and 2 to the school. Just take your child s lunch card with you as proof. Pupil Attendance Food for Thought Overall School Attendance 96.59% Parking Can we please ask parents to refrain from parking in the Trinity school car park. This is primarily reserved for staff. Parents/carers are welcome to park, drop off and collect students from car park 1 (where the buses turn) where there is ample space. Once again we kindly ask parents and carers not to park in The Crescent. Maths Inspiration Event On Tuesday 29 th November six of our gifted Maths students attended a Maths Inspiration event at the Gielgud Theatre in London. They were treated to a unique interactive lecture performance reflecting the maths referenced in Mark Haddon's award winning novel "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time". Topics included; the maths behind music, solving mazes, game shows and coincidences. ½ day missed every week = 90% Attendance 90% Attendance Over 1 year = 4 missed weeks 90% Attendance over 5 years = ½ a school year missed. It all adds up!!! There are 365 days in a year, schools are open for 190 days, which leaves 175 non-school days every year. So half a year for family holiday, shopping, medical appointments, spending time with friends and family, celebrating special occasions. We must all work together to encourage full school attendance, your child s education could be damaged if they miss school. News and Events Barrett Day Charity Event A reminder that the first of our House Charity Days will be on Friday 16 th December. There will be a range of stalls and activities running on the day including; Guess the name of the bear, Santa, gift stall, cake stalls and sporting activities. It will also be a non-uniform day. If your son/daughter would like to attend in non-uniform they will need to bring in 1 for our chosen charities (The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity Jessie May -

4 Children's Hospice At Home) and pass this to their form tutor on the day. Thank you for your support! Miss T Steel. Sports News! Year 7 Boys Football Congratulations to the Year 7 boys football team who won the League! They won 5 games, drew 1 and only conceded 3 goals during the 6 games played. Well done everyone! Girls Netball Results Year 7 Trinity 5 Skinners Academy 8 Year 8 Trinity 10 Skinners Academy 7 A huge improvement in the teams well done! Christmas Lunch Christmas lunch will be on Tuesday 20 th December. The cost will be Please make sure students complete the form with Kay in the dining hall and book their lunch. There will be no service during break time on this day and sandwiches will not be available during lunchtime. Please see the menu at the bottom of this letter. Friends of Trinity: Please don t forget to return your raffle ticket stubs and monies for a chance to win some wonderful prizes. The envelope should be clearly labelled Raffle Friends of Trinity School and put into the finance box outside Business Services (G32). If you haven t bought or sold all the tickets, please return these in the same envelope. Thank you in advance for your support. Deadline: Friday 9 th December Draw: Monday 12 th December Trinity Parents Choir The next meeting of the Trinity Parents Choir will be on Tuesday 6 th December at 7.30pm 9.00pm in the school hall. All are welcome! Christmas Service: This year s Trinity Christmas Service will be held at school on Tuesday 13 th December at 5.30pm pm. It will include carols, students playing music, readings and our lovely choir. If you would like to come, please adunstall@trinitysevenoaks.com to request the number of tickets you require. Please note that any students who would like to attend will need a ticket unless they are performing. These will then be ed to you on a first come first served basis (we apologise that we will not be able to fit everyone into our school hall), please then print them and bring them with you to the service. We will be working on a no ticket, no entry basis so please remember them. Chaplaincy: The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord s coming! Clear the road for him! Matthew 3:3 We are now in the season of advent one that is traditionally a time of waiting and preparation. As we prepare for events at the end of term, such as our Christmas service and Christmas meal, our thoughts naturally turn to the celebration and joy of Christmas day itself. In all that excitement I hope we find time to remember why we celebrate

5 Christmas and Prepare the way for the Lord s coming! as well as caring for those around us. God bless, Alice

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