10.07.20 Dear Parents/Carers As we approach the end of term, we reflect on our year at school so far and turn our thoughts towards September. End of Year reports are ready and will be distributed at the start of next week, while it has certainly not been the school year we had planned for, I would like to thank all the members of the school community who have supported the continuation of learning over the last few months – whether online or in school. I know from talking to many parents and carers that supporting learning at home has been a challenge, but I am thankful for all the efforts you have made to support this. Towards the end of next week, we will send out further details about our plans for September. We will be welcoming all children in Years 1-6 back on Friday 4 September with our new Early Years pupils not starting until the following week. The safety measures we currently have in place will remain for September, with children continuing to be working within class ‘bubbles’. We will continue to review and amend plans over the summer and will re-send important information in the days before school re-starts. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone back on site again. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we carefully consider our plans for reopening. Kind regards, Mr C Murphy Headteacher Annual Reports Annual Reports will be sent home with the children who are attending school on Monday (including their siblings who may not be attending). Parent/Carers of children who are not currently attending school will be able to collect their child's report from school on Monday between 12.00 and 1.30pm. Please come up the front steps and go down the slope following the one way system. Please adhere to social distancing whilst on the school site. Any reports not collected will be posted via Royal Mail. Free School Meals Vouchers covering the 7 weeks of the summer holidays have now been distributed. Please let us know before the end of this Term if you have any problems downloading them. Diary Dates 17 July Last day of Term 6 20 – 21 July Staff Development Days Academic Year 2020-21 3 September 2020 Term 1 Staff Development Day 12 September Strood Academy Fair Banding Test (application deadline 28 August) 16 September School photographs 26 September The Victory Academy Fair Banding Test (application deadline 11 Sept) 5 – 6 October Covid 19 contingency dates for Strood Academy Fair Banding Test 7 October Strood Academy Fair Banding Test (application deadline 25 Sept) 10 October Strood Academy Fair Banding Test (application deadline 2 Oct) 13-14 October Medway Test for some Yr 6’s 20 October Flu Immunisations Yr R - 6 23 October Last day of Term 1 – Staff Development Day 24 October The Victory Academy Fair Banding Test (application deadline 2 Oct) 2 November Term 2 18 December Last day of Term 2 4 January 2021 Term 3 - Staff Development Day 12 February Last day of Term 3 22 February Term 4 1 April Last day of Term 4 19 April Term 5 3 May Public holiday 28 May Last day of Term 5 7 June Term 6 21 July Last day of Term 6 TSAT Summer Camp TSAT are hosting 2 summer holiday camps for children aged 6 - 11 at Cedar Children's Academy in Strood. Week 1: 27 - 31 July Week 2: 3 - 7 August The camps will run between 9am - 4pm and will include many fun activities to keep your children active and engaged. Activities are to include sports skills, arts and crafts, movies and indoor and outdoor games. The camps will only be available to TSAT pupils from All Faiths, Cedar and Gordon Children's Academies. The camps will be run by our Thinking Fitness staff along with teachers and support staff from each of the 3 schools. The cost for the camp is likely to be £20 per day, with a 10% discount applied if your child is registered for the whole week. Healthy snacks, packed lunch and plenty of water to drink must be provided by parents/carers. At this stage we are gauging interest from parents/carers who would like their children to attend. If you would like to take up this opportunity please register your interest including specific dates by emailing Nick Forward at [email protected] Flu Immunisations This year flu immunisations will be offered to all children in Yrs R - 6 on Tuesday 20 October. Parent/Carers will need to give consent via an online system, details of which will be sent out closer to the time. Secondary Transfer 2021 Year 5 are due to transfer to Secondary School in September 2021 and now is the time to think about where you might like to go. The registration period for children to sit the Medway Test has now expired. If you are considering grammar school and wish to complete a late application, please follow the link: https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200137/schools_and_learning/1049/medway_test_11 Strood Academy and The Victory Academy have a Fair Banding Test that all children wishing to go there must take, even if they have a sibling there already. It is not a pass/fail test but it gives the Academy an idea of which group a child should be in if they are offered a place there. Application forms are included further on in this Newsletter. Please note the return dates. Test Registration Form for Year 7 September 2021 Entry WE DO NOT SHARE RESULTS WITH BROMPTON ACADEMY OR VICTORY ACADEMY. YOUR CHILD MUST SIT THE TEST AT THE ACADEMY FOR WHICH THEY ARE APPLYING FOR To be completed by Parent/Carer Please complete this form if you are seeking a place for your child at Strood Academy. Your child will need to sit the Fair Banding Test even if the Academy is your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th preference and/or your child has a family member currently on roll here. Please ensure you complete all sections. Please write in black ink and use BLOCK CAPITALS Preferred Test Saturday 12 September 2020 □ Form to be returned by 28 August 2020, 3pm Date: Wed 7 October 2020 (from 4pm) □ Form to be returned by 25 September 2020, 3pm Saturday 10 October 2020 □Form to be returned by 2 October 2020, 3pm In light of COVID-19 these dates are subject to change. Contingency test dates have been set for Monday 5th October and Tuesday 6th October (from 4pm). Please reserve these dates as it may be necessary to move you onto one of these test dates PLEASE NOTE THAT TEST DATES ARE LIMITED, BOOKED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS. IF YOU BOOK A SESSION THAT IS ALREADY FULL YOU WILL BE CONTACTED AND MOVED TO ANOTHER SESSION Child’s Legal Surname: Child’s Legal Forename Child’s Middle Name (if applicable): Child’s Gender: Male □ Female □ Child’s Date of Birth: Parent/Carer Title: Mr □ Mrs □ Miss □ Ms □ Dr □ Parent/Carer Forename and Surname: Relationship to Child: Mother □ Father □ Other □ (please specify) Do you have parental responsibility for this child? Yes □ No □ Full Address: House/ Flat number/Name _____________________________________________________ Road: _________________________________________________________________________________ Town:_________________________________________________________________________________ County:________________________________________________________________________________ Postcode:______________________________________________________________________________ Home Phone Number: Mobile Number: Email Address: Child’s Current School: Does your child have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)? Yes □ No □ Extra Time may be provided for students who have a diagnosed Special Educational Need or Disability. Has your child been formally diagnosed with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND)? *Yes/No *Please attach evidence. This may be a Diagnostic Assessment Report or a Consultant’s letter. Please provide details of the Special Educational Need or Disability: NB: The Fair Banding Test is read aloud to all students, so reading support is not required. Signed:_______________________________________ Date:_________________________________ Children will not be able to sit the test unless the completed form is returned by the above deadline. Please return the form to: Strood Academy, Carnation Road, Strood, Rochester, Kent ME2 2SX or email to [email protected] Thunk of the Week Asiah – Yr 2 Charlie – Yr 3 Saule – Yr 4 Science Using sieving, filtration and evaporation to separate mixtures. Alesha - Yr6 Laura - Yr 3 Amy – Yr 3 Michelle - Yr 3 Picture News Anastasia - Yr 4 Oliver - Yr 5 Golden Tie Yr 1 Ethan Yr 2 Jacob Yr 3 Amy Yr 4 Ben Yr 5 Kacey Yr 6 Josh A Treetops Yuvraj Golden Gallery Yr 1 Elizabeth Yr 2 Lucas Yr 3 Hollie Yr 4 Layla Yr 5 Katie Yr 6 Billy Please check Seesaw for your child’s Certificates of Achievement! “I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen." - A.A. Milne Lucas – Yr 2 Charlie – Yr 2 Layla – Yr 4 Amy – Yr 3 Hollie – Yr 3 Josh A – Yr 6 Shivam – Yr 6 Chartwells Autumn Lunch Menu Lunches will be £2.15 per day from September. Summer Reading Challenge 2020 The Summer Reading Challenge has launched earlier this year, on Friday 5 June. It’s taking place online until Saturday 12 September, with a “Silly Squad” theme that celebrates funny books, happiness and laughter. We hope lots of Medway’s 4-12 year olds will sign up and enjoy an exciting summer of reading adventure. To join in, register at www.sillysquad.org.uk, where participants can keep track of their books, reviews and the rewards they unlock along the way. This year participants can set their own reading target.