WEEK Parent Bulletin 37A w/c 29 June 2020

Update from Mrs Grey, Principal

The past two weeks have been wonderful to have Year 10 here for their ‘bubble school’. All teachers have told me how much they have enjoyed seeing them and teaching them face to face. If you made the decision to not send your daughter in for this then I fully understand however with the further relaxing of restrictions you may now feel in a position to do so. The girls and staff have all commented on how safe they feel with the systems we have put in place here at TPA and it would be awesome to see as many Y10s as possible prior to the summer to set them up for independent learning over the course of the summer break.

We are very excited that our Year 6-7 Transition part of the website is going live this week. It is such a shame that we are unable to run our ‘normal’ transition processes however we are sure that the provision we have been able to put in place will be very helpful to both students and parents.

Next week I will be sending you a letter regards the Black Lives Matters movement, the work TPA has already achieved around inclusivity and diversity and how we intend to continue with this work in the future. I very much enjoyed watching Mr Dolphin and Miss Martin’s assembly this week which had a focus on diversity.

Today is a bittersweet day – it should have been the date when our year 11s officially left and it is very sad that we have been unable to say goodbye to them in the usual TPA way. I know that Miss Piper, Miss Blackmore and all the staff at TPA have been working hard on a fitting tribute to this year group, so do keep an eye out for that. I know that Miss McKenzie will also be writing to Year 11 soon with details of how results day will run this year.

I hope you have been enjoying the wonderful weather. Stay safe!

PSHE

This week’s topic is online friendships and social media. Social media is growing daily in many different ways and on many different platforms. We will be making pupils aware of the different types of relationships they can encounter online. This will be based around keeping safe online and making sure there is minimal sharing of information.

I would like to say thank you for all your engagement in the Black Lives Matter assemblies and PSHE topics last week. It has been amazing to see how caring our students are and that they have looked at this topic in such a constructive and supportive manner. I really am proud of the students at The .

As ever, please encourage the students to come to their drop-in sessions to speak to their Head of Year or Tutor.

ICT Update

Please note, pupils do not have access to OneDrive. There is an update to Teams coming which will allow them to save into work folders for their subjects. Apologies for any inconvenience until that time.

Free School Meals Update

The government have announced that FSM vouchers will continue over the summer holidays. This will be sent out as a single payment at the start of the school holidays. Further details to follow when we have them. If you wish to make any changes, please contact the school.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

As we head towards the end of term it is even more important to keep ourselves well. Use the calendar below to ensure that you take care of yourself and everyone around you.

Live Learning Timetables

The week commencing 29th June is a Week A timetable. You will find the timetable at the end of the Parent Bulletin.

Cultural Capital, Social Media, and Online Competitions

We hope you enjoyed the Cultural Capital resources provided and had a chance to try some of them out!

School Social Media Accounts to look out for; Facebook – TSAT – The Portsmouth Academy. Official school page publishing key information and updates.

Instagram; - Outdoor Learning @tpa_outdoorlearning – posts include competitions and all things outdoorsy! - House Competitions @tpa_houseevents – posts include, competitions and official results along with your entries and content from your 4 fabulous House Champions! - Food and Nutrition @tpafoodandnutrition – posts regular competitions and shares photos of your different culinary creations. Can you beat star baker Miss Gomez? - Design and Technology @tpa_design_and_technology – posts include competitions and content created by staff and students. - Geography @tpa_geography – posts information on lessons along with exciting content linking to all aspects of the geographical world. - History @tpa_history – posts include information on live learning and reading recommendations. - Science @tpascience – posts include scientific memes (yes they do exist!) along with updates about what is happening in the world of science at TPA. -Dance @tpa_dance_department – posts include inspiring quotes and snippets of student work. - PE @tpa_sport – posts include inspiration for how to keep fit and exciting challenges for you to complete! - Music @tpa_music_department – currently working through the musical alphabet! - English @tpaenglish posts include reading challenges and Litflix.

These accounts are posting regular extra-curricular activities and challenges for you to take part in. We hope you enjoy!

Useful Resources

Summer Holiday Provision - 2020 Dear Parents, this chart has been put together to provide information about free and paid summer holiday provision over the summer holidays. Please find attached an initial list of information about childcare and activities provision for children and young people that will be running in Portsmouth over the summer holiday period. This includes free family activity days running from four Portsmouth schools funded by the DfE and co- ordinated by Romsey School through the Connect 4 Summer programme. This provision is open to children from any school, not just those attending the host school.

Activity Venues Contact/website for more information Connect 4 summer free family fun Medina https://connect4.org.uk/ days ARK Dickens Primary Academy (DFE funded initiative) Cottage Grove Primary School Connect 4 summer free childcare Activ8 Minds running at Highbury https://connect4.org.uk/ College (DFE funded initiative) YMCA at a location to be confirmed Portsmouth Sports Partnership St Paul's http://portsmouthssp.weebly.com St George's Beneficial /holiday-activities.html Isambard Brunel Junior 29 July - 16 August Various detached and outreach Across Portsmouth, including https://www.pycportsmouth.co.uk youth work for young people aged Heart of Portsmouth, Wymering, / 10-18 including positive activities, and Paulsgrove. social action and volunteering opportunities. Activities for children at home. The PCC website has lots of ideas https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/e for children and families to do at xt/coronavirus-covid-19/schools- home. and-families/activities-for- children-while-at-home

Year 7

I hope that this message continues to find you all safe, well and enjoying the mini heatwave that we currently have!

This week during PSHE, our students continued to discuss the important current affair of ‘Black Lives Matter’, which I am sure you have seen circulating through all news outlets. Students were then tasked with creating a piece of work to highlight why it is so vital for all of us to be informed correctly on these current global events. As always, Team 2024 continued to do me proud, with many students asking mature questions within their live PSHE lessons to ensure that they had a clear understanding of the impact this movement has had on others and the communities around them. I have already received many amazing pieces of informative work, and I cannot wait to receive more!

Now that summer is upon us (hooray!), it is easier for us to venture outside to keep ourselves active. The PE department have launched a variety of challenges and activities to tie in with National Sports Week, and I would love to see as many of Team 2024 getting involved as possible! Our very own Miss Gomez has challenged students to see how many bunny hops they can do in 30 seconds - I wonder whether anyone can beat her attempt? For more information, please visit their Instagram page @tpa_sport.

The Deputy Head of Year drop in sessions are continuing to run, led by Mr Martin, on a Friday afternoon from 1pm – 2pm. Mr Martin informs me that there were major shifts in the top half of the leader board last week, so you’ve got to be in it to win it! Please continue to advertise this with your child.

Take care and stay safe,

Mrs Wilson  

Year 8

Dear all,

Hope that you are enjoying the warm weather that we are currently experiencing; not the easiest environment for home-schooling, I’m sure you’d agree!

I have spoken at length with Mr Snookes throughout the lockdown as he, along with Miss Martin, is the person making the vast majority of phone-calls to parents and carers. We would like to say a big thank-you to you all for your continued efforts in supporting the education of your child. As parents ourselves, we certainly appreciate the challenges faced with young people and recognise the effort that is being made ‘behind the scenes’ to keep them on track. It will be worth it in the long term!

As we move beyond the halfway point of the final half term, can we ask that your expectations of your child’s engagement and output remains high right until the end of term and that they are being encouraged to ‘gather momentum’ prior to starting Year 9 in September. Although it has been a very difficult end to Year 8 for them, the more work that can be completed now and over the summer, the better prepared they will be for a new school year as part of the upper-school!

Thank you as well to Mr Snookes for joining me for the assembly this week where we discussed Physical, Mental and Social Health. This ties in with the assemblies produced by Mr Hatherley and Mr Dolphin.

Take care, Mr Parnell and Mr Snookes

Year 9

Dear Year 9 parents and carers,

I hope this finds you safe and well.

These last few weeks I have been fortunate enough to join in some of your children’s PSHE live sessions, and it has been a real pleasure. This week I joined 9BEG in their live session and listened to some amazing discussions about the Black Lives Movement, and I was truly proud of their ability to articulate their ideas and discuss the issues maturely, and empathically. As always, PSHE live sessions happen 9am on Wednesday and they are a great opportunity for students to learn and discuss topic issues.

With regards to PSHE, last week at Friday’s drop-in session (which was well-attended by Year 9), we discussed with the students what they would like to see more of in their PSHE curriculum. They were all unanimous in saying that they would like to learn about mortgages, more about money and taxes, which I will personally be making consideration for. If there is a particular subject that you feel you would like your child to learn about in PSHE. Please do get in contact and e-mail me - [email protected] to discuss further. I am always grateful for any parental feedback and input.

Again, thank you for all your efforts with regards to home learning, and helping us in supporting your child.

I hope you have an enjoyable week.

All the best, Miss Hart

Year 10

Dear all,

I hope you are all well. I know you will want to join me in wishing Mrs Usher, who has been our Deputy Head of Year, a very happy and safe maternity leave. Mrs Usher’s last day was Friday 26th June and she is looking forward to the birth of her second child due in July. All pastoral concerns for your daughter will be picked up by her Head of Year Miss Piper: [email protected].

This week should have seen the start of all your daughters Work Experience fortnight in partnership with EBP. As you are aware, due to Government restrictions, it can no longer go ahead. However, we would still like to support your daughter with her future steps and career pathways. All of this week your daughter will be invited to take part in the following activities that will be delivered through bubble school and shared on SMHW, our social media pages and your daughter’s school email account.

 Monday 29th June – An assembly led by Miss Piper to outline the Virtual Work Experience Week.  Tuesday 30th June – Release Virtual Work Experience Infographic – links to many employers who are providing an online experience to the world of work.  Wednesday 1st July – PSHE lesson Online learning lesson about career progression.  Thursday 2nd July – Online classroom resources provided by Oak National Academy for “My Week of Work”.  Friday 3rd July – An assembly led by Miss Piper inviting Mrs Rahman, The Portsmouth Academy’s careers advisor, to reflect on the week and provide you with next steps advice.

Well done Year 10 girls - your efforts on the online platform, GCSE Pod, continues to amaze me. The weekly competition for Piper’s Podders to win a £10 Love to Shop voucher is into its 6th week. I am pleased to announce the winner for week 5 is: HB from 10DAL. Her voucher is on its way to her - well done! Keep Podding! #stepupnow

Bubble school is going from strength-to-strength and all students agree that it is good to be back in school. Our 1st “Bubblette Star of the Week” winner is DH from 10GON. Her voucher has been given to her bubble leader to pass on. Well done and keep up the amazing work you are doing. #stepupnow

Year 11

Dear all,

I hope you are all well. I know you will want to join me in wishing Mrs Usher a very happy and safe maternity leave. Mrs Usher’s last day was Friday 26th June and she is looking forward to the birth of her second child due in July. All pastoral concerns for your daughter will be picked up by her Head of Year, Miss Piper: [email protected].

Getting ready for their college start in September is going to be very different this year for your daughter. However, our next step partners below are doing a fantastic job and making sure our students can transition smoothly and safely.

Portsmouth College have released important information if your daughter is due to enrol with them in September. Please see the link below for information about their virtual Introduction Day commencing 6th July. https://www.portsmouth-college.ac.uk/events/virtual-introduction-day/

Highbury College have released dates for their socially distanced open evenings on 15th and 16th July. You will need to register a time slot to visit on their website. See the link below: https://www.highbury.ac.uk/news-and-events/2020/06/11/13/19/july-open-event/

Please continue to keep us informed if you make any changes to the living arrangements of your daughter or personal contact details. If you have had a change of address or phone number during this time, can you please let me know so I can update our school communications. If you email me on [email protected] I can ensure that we have correct details for any correspondence that may come out regarding results day and examinations.