RKLT Newsletter – December 2020
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December 2020 Issue Seventeen RKLT newsletter Message from the CEO As the Christmas lights begin to twinkle I’m sure, like Christmas. Headteachers will work with you to see if me, you are looking forward to the upcoming festive there are further measures to avoid infection and reduce break after an incredibly challenging term. Although anxiety in the final days of term – we really don’t want I am unable to visit schools in the usual way due to staff or pupils to have their break spoiled. lockdown, I am in regular contact with Headteachers Thank you so much for all your efforts to keep children and I understand how very difficult life has been for in our trust learning. I look forward to thanking you pupils, staff and our wider community. You have faced personally when the restrictions are lifted, but in the challenges and uncertainties head-on and have bravely meantime have a wonderful Christmas and here’s to a adjusted to new ways of working to minimise disruption much happier 2021! to the learning of our children. Some of you have been affected personally by this wretched virus. Richard Sheriff As we approach the home-straight, please redouble your efforts to keep safe and to keep healthy and especially to comply with the guidance around masks, hygiene, and A video message to keeping a safe distance from colleagues at all times. all staff from Richard, We are working hard to further minimise risks in the please click to view final days of term – the government have made it very clear that it is not an option to close schools early for Read Write Inc joins Whitkirk Primary Whitkirk are now a RWI school. RWI Merry is a cohesive and creative approach to teaching children to read and write. It is a whole school literacy Christmas approach, and we hope to improve and a Happy New Year reading and writing throughout the school. Staff have embraced the new way of teaching, lessons are fun, engaging and the children are already making fantastic progress! Rachel Martin Meadowfield, Templenewsam & Colton Children’s Centre Meadowfield, Templenewsam & Colton Children’s We would like to thank all our children and families who Centre is proud to announce that following their have attended groups and courses, accessed individual Annual Conversation with the Local Authority on the support or any of our other services, your engagement 16th September they have been graded as overall with our centre has helped us achieve this grade and outstanding in the provision of their services to families also ensures that all young children in our community with children under the age of 5 in their reach areas of have the opportunity for the best possible start in life. Halton Moor, Halton, Killingbeck, Whitkirk, Austhorpe & Colton. The centres were joined together just two years Kathy, Claire, Tracey, Kirsty & Janice - Children’s Centre ago so this is a great testament to the hard work and Staff Team dedication of our staff team. Rossett Acre - National Praise for Ambitious Vocabulary Pupils at Rossett Acre Primary has believed in for many years, the macabre descriptions of Miss School have received national reflected in the high quality writing Haversham, The Woman In White, praise from Education Specialists, and extensive vocabularies which Bill Sikes and Dracula to produce Bob Cox, Mary Myatt and Pie our children can use by the end their own sinister character Corbett about the quality of of Year 6. The hard work starts in descriptions. Indeed, Bob tweeted their writing. This comes at a Early Years with the introduction Alex Quigley saying that he was in time when the newly published of Wizard Words and carries on awe of schools like Rossett Acre for Oxford Language Report 2020 across school to develop Tier 2 and successfully teaching ambitious has exposed the crucial word gap Tier 3 vocabulary. vocabulary in context. Even Mary that can have the potential to Myatt, an advocate for ambitious Bob Cox, author of the award- damage the progress of pupils at learning, said the writing was winning Opening Doors to a the vulnerable point of primary ‘marvellous.’ Rich Curriculum series, has been and secondary transition. This impressed with Rossett Acre’s We strive to use ambitious important new research, says writing. He published a number of language across the curriculum so Vocabulary Specialist, Alex Quigley, short stories written by children that the children use vocabulary involving a survey with over 3,500 during lockdown based on Franz effectively. Using examples from responses from teachers in a Kafka’s Metamorphosis, and he classic texts, combined with the three-year programme, reveals was keen to point out that the daily reading of high quality books that many teachers are concerned children had a rich vocabulary enables the children at Rossett about the potential impact of the which was used effectively for the Acre to develop their vocabulary word gap and pupils possessing context. See the children’s work naturally which also prepares them only a limited vocabulary. here. for the vocabulary demands of 8 out of 10 teachers agreed that high school. Bob was impressed by Bethan’s partial school closures and the descriptive writing shown here Corrine Penhale impact of Covid-19 were only likely and we have recently had some to have widened the word gap still further. Ways to combat the Vocabulary Gap include an intensive focus on reading to foster vocabulary growth as well as the explicit teaching of vocabulary in primary school. This more work published online where is something that Rossett Acre the children took inspiration from December 2020 Issue Seventeen Page 2 Meadowfield - Domino Harvest at Austhorpe - Covid Style! Delights Here at Austhorpe we love a good electronically, with special guest It isn’t every day that children have fundraiser, this year, despite the speakers from the area. Each class a maths lesson at lunchtime. June, challenges, it would be no different! recorded their performance and one of our fabulous catering team, We set out fundraising for St shared them via Microsoft Teams created these delicious domino treats for the children’s pudding! With the George’s Crypt, Leeds, by setting up and Tapestry. It meant that even help of Heather socially distanced collection stations, more of the Austhorpe community from the RKLT at the entrance to school. could view the event. We had Catering Team cauliflowers fluffy, dingle dangle We received a mountain of tins, these fabulous scarecrows and some fabulous packets, and dried goods all of which biscuits went poems and readings about the were donated to help the homeless down a storm charity work St George’s Crypt. and vulnerable. Huge thanks to the and the children loved them! Austhorpe community who really Our Harvest festival was a huge The photo was got behind us. In normal times, to success, feedback from the parents posted of social celebrate the Harvest we have a and carers was extremely positive, media and has generated the most whole school assembly, with special despite not being able to celebrate likes and comments in the history of songs and invite our new Reception in person, we were still able to Meadowfield! Well done June – keep parents and carers to come along spread cheer and donate to such a the maths themed puddings coming! and watch as each class take turns wonderful, worthy cause. Alexandra Clark to perform a song, poem or reading. Amanda Lightfoot This year we marked the occasion Food parcel initiative at Meadowfield At Meadowfield, the Pastoral team the dignity of parents/carers. The foods. Parents/carers collect the have been proactive in tackling food team work hard to reach out food parcels from school, if they are poverty which has increased since and engage with families, this struggling to collect the team will the pandemic started. We are is achieved through phone calls, deliver to their home following the providing more and more families conversations with professionals, a school risk assessment guidelines. with food parcels as the effects high playground presence at school Since September we have provided of Covid-19 continue and parents/ drop-off and pick up and most at total of 60 food parcels. carers depend on us to help importantly listening to the child’s feed their children. Mrs Hewson, voice in school. Families have given positive Learning Mentor, and the Oasis feedback to the team about what Each week the Pastoral team sort team have been instrumental in a difference these parcels make to through groceries that are provided liaising with families who need them. by the Rethink charity ensuring support in these difficult times that families receive a variety of Helen Stout whilst endeavoring to preserve fruit, veg, bread, tinned and dried December 2020 Issue Seventeen Page 3 Remote Learning at Harrogate Grammar School As lockdown began, our plan to The next step was to investigate could also provide written feedback provide remote learning centred how we could deliver live lessons to students or verbal feedback to around Showbie. This is an app that safely and Teams was the natural the whole class. The additions our students and staff were very choice as we had been using it for of Socrative, whiteboard.fi and familiar with; allowing teachers to meetings across the organisation. Classkick enabled teachers to be share resources and instructions Once again, our staff rose to the more responsive in live lessons and remotely with classes as well challenge and with some training improved that essential connection as monitor completed work and input to staff and students, we with students. As the summer term provide feedback were appropriate.