17 November 2023 - Letter to Parents

17 November 2023

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that you and your families have had a great week.

Key Dates for this term

There are still some important dates to be aware of. Please make sure you put these remaining dates in your diary.

Parent Subject Consultation Evenings

• Year 8 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 30 November 3.30 – 7pm

• Year 10 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 7 December 3.30 – 7pm

Attendance

Well done to tutor groups 11A2, 8A2 and 10D2, and also Avalon house for topping the leaderboard for attendance last week!

It is that time of year again where common colds and mild illnesses can become more prevalent. If you are unsure as to whether to send your child into school if they are unwell, please use this link Is my child too ill for school? - NHS (www.nhs.uk) as guidance. We always ask that you inform the school as soon as you can if your child is not in, and provide the reason for this. We may still contact you and we are doing this in order to support your child to be able to return to school as soon as possible. We routinely contact parents and carers about attendance in different ways, including letters which are sent via email, sharing both praise and concerns that we may have. Please talk to your child's Pastoral Manager in the first instance if you have any questions. Thank you, as always, for ensuring that your child attends school every day.

Post-16 Open Events

There are many Post-16 open events taking place over the next few weeks: these are a fantastic opportunity for students to speak to subject tutors, look around the facilities and get a feel for what it would be like to study there. Attendance at these events can help students to make informed choices about their Post-16 destinations.

Key Dates:

SGS College: Saturday 18 November 10.00 am – 1.00 pm

City of Bristol College: Thursday 23 November 5.00 - 7.00 pm

North Bristol Post 16 Centre: Friday 1 December

St Mary Redcliffe Sixth Form: 9.00 am Monday 11 December

If students apply after these deadlines, they may not be offered a place.

Year 10 Revision Session

Supporting students through GCSE years can seem daunting, especially in terms of knowing what methods of revision work best. To address this, I invite you to join me on 21 November from 6.00pm-7.00pm in the library for an engaging and informal parent / carer session on how to support students with effective learning and revision.

In the session we will discuss:

Revision and learning strategies: discover proven strategies that will empower students with effective revision techniques.

Practical guidance: learn practical ways to encourage students independent learning and self-care, ensuring they are well prepared for their examinations.

Interactive discussion: engage in discussion with members of the school community and other parents and ask questions to gain a sound understanding of how best to support students during this important time.

A letter from Ms Wickson, Assistant Headteacher for Teaching and Learning, has been sent to you regarding how to sign up for this event.

Anti-Bullying Week

On Monday, staff and students showed their support for this year’s ‘Make a Noise about Bullying’ campaign by wearing a fabulous array of odd socks. Prizes have been awarded today for the best ones! Thank you to all the students and families who donated money for charity, too.

Each year group has had an assembly about anti-bullying this week, with student Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and Tutor Groups presenting in front of their peers, demonstrating great oracy skills and responsibility. We are very proud of them.

Music and Art Showcase

On the evening of 13 December from 6-8pm, we are presenting a Music and Art showcase. Tickets are £2 per person, and we have a limited number of tickets available through ParentPay.

This special evening is a chance to come and see the great work the students produce in our creative subjects. There will be musical performances, food and drink, creative writing, carol singing, poetry readings and an exhibition of art & design work. We do hope you can join us to celebrate the students’ work.

Community Information

During the Christmas Holidays (18– 21 December), The Vench will be providing activities, including arts and crafts, cooking and sport. Included is a warm home cooked meal which is free for children and young people entitled to a free school meal and a £1 suggested donation to those who aren’t - although no one gets turned away.

On 21 December there will also be a Christmas pie meal kit for children/ young people to take home if entitled to a free school meal. See their Facebook page for more information.

ParentZone has created resources for parents about understanding virtual reality and how to help children to stay safe in a VR environment: Featured guide: Virtual reality | Parent Zone | At the heart of digital family life.

BeeZee Bodies works with Bristol City Council to provide free and fun healthy lifestyle support for families. More information about their free courses for all the family can be found here.

Communication – X (formerly Twitter)

We use our X (formerly Twitter) account to post key messages, reminders and other school news. You can follow Orchard School Bristol on X @OrchardSB.

We also offer a translation service for all of our letters. To read our letters in translation, please select the letter on our News/Communication Home. You will see they are always labelled FOR TRANSLATION on our navigation menu. Once you have the letter you wish to translate, you can use the google translate icon located in the top left-hand corner of our website and select the language in which you wish to view the letter.

Safeguarding – Whisper Button

The Whisper button is an anonymous reporting tool which allows members of our community to report concerns regarding any of our young people.

The Whisper button can be easily found in the ‘Quick Links’ section on the Orchard School Bristol website. Please remind your child that they can access to Whisper button to let us know of any concerns.

Wishing you a lovely weekend.

Melanie Sweet, Headteacher