Virtual School and College INCLUSION SERVICE News Edition9 —July 2020 Virtual School Pin Board! - September 2020 to Welcome to the 9th edition of The Virtual School Newsletter! As always, if you have a good news story July 2021 or any other items or events that you would like included or promoted in this Care Leavers Educational Advice Sessions by telephone or future newsletters, please contact: Telephone advice, support and guidance is always available by contacting Tina Henley - Michelle Loveday or Tina Henley. Virtual School and College Headteacher. Virtual School and College Foster Carer Drop in Sessions : 9.30 to 11.30am What is the Virtual School and College? Venue: Civic Offices/Teams. Contact: Michelle Loveday We are here to: Wednesday 16th September Wednesday 11th January Wednesday 22nd April Provide support for children and young people in their education to enable them to achieve their ambitions and goals. DT Training - from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Provide support for our Foster Carers in obtaining the best educational outcomes for our children. Wednesday 21st October on Teams Tuesday 23rd February at The Queens Hotel Provide support and challenge to schools and colleges to ensure the best possible educational provision is being Monday 21st June at The Queens Hotel. delivered. Governor Training - Teams or Civic Centre TBC Who are we and how to contact us Wednesday 4th November 9am to 11am or Monday 23rd November 4pm to 6pm Tina Henley Headteacher [email protected] Victoria Reynish Deputy Headteacher [email protected] Jessica Blake UAM Caseworker [email protected] Multi Authority Virtual School Conference—Hold for 17th March 2021 Annette Bradshaw SEND Specialist [email protected] Lucy Head Early Years Specialist [email protected] Aimee Benfield Education Caseworker [email protected] Lisa House UAM Caseworker [email protected] LAC Summer Celebration Monday 26th July 2021 - 11am to 3pm. Venue: Paulton’s Park. Michelle Loveday Secondary/Post 16 [email protected] Sarah Major Senior Caseworker & PLAC [email protected] Kirstie McQuarrie Primary Specialist [email protected] One to one tuition - The Virtual School always encourages pupil premium to be used for Ann-Marie O’Brien Caseworker & PAL Ann-Marie.O’[email protected] one to one tuition. If there is ever a tutoring need identified, please contact your educa- Sue Presdee-Davies Business Support Officer [email protected] tional caseworker to request this. Whilst the Virtual School and College team are working through this period Portsmouth City Council have moved to critical services so our access to emails and the IT systems is now limited during office Where the tuition agency is able to, over this difficult period this can be delivered online. hours. We will continue to respond but this may no longer be within 48 hours. Please contact Tina Henley - Virtual School and College Headteacher for any support, ad- Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries, questions or would like to give us vice or guidance about any matter relating to our children, young people and care leavers. positive feedback or raise any concerns. Contact number for the Headteacher: 02392 688076 or 07984 579475 It was really unfortunate that our annual event to celebrate the achievements of our looker after children and young people was not able to take place this year. However, we have been able to Following school closures and exams being cancelled several of our children and young people have complete our nomination process and the following trophies have been awarded. The winners below been keeping themselves busy and positively engaging within their local communities. Below are just have already received their certificates and I will endeavour to ensure you will have your large inscribed a few of the stories we have been informed about that we wanted to share: trophy which you will be able to keep until March 2021 alongside the smaller one which you will be able to keep forever. In the Autumn Term. A huge congratulations to each and every one of you below. Elle wanted to keep herself busy and took on new challenges as well as completing her pre-learning You should be very proud of your achievements: sent by the college and supporting younger children within the house with their own home learning. Elle has enrolled in an Open University Course in Forensic Psychology, which has interested her - indeed so mush so that she has changed one of her A-level options to continue studying Psychology. Elle is also learning a new language, Korean, through an online learning platform. A massive ‘well done’ to three of our Post 16 young gentlemen on the Isle of Wight who became Academic Attainment (Primary) Katelyn at John Henry Newman Academy ‘Facebook famous’ for their kindness and honesty! Whilst in the local park whilst taking their daily ex- Academic Attainment (Secondary) Rojgar at Priory School ercise, three of our young people found keys, bank cards and bank statements. They took the items Artistic Aptitude Fidel at Castle View Academy to the address on the bank statements, and then asked the resident questions to make sure the Attendance (Primary) Dolly and Ruby at Copnor Primary belongings were being given to the correct person. The resident and her family were very grateful for the return of the items, and very impressed with how the boys ensured the items belonged were re- Attendance (Secondary) Reubin at St. Edmunds turned to their rightful owner. Thank you for your honesty and integrity. Community Contribution Scarlett at Wootton Primary Foster Carers' Award for Resilience Kayla at St Edmunds Gethin Jones' Award - Making a difference Elliott at St Edmunds Scarlett posted notes through her elderly neighbours doors offering to get them shopping in if they were unable Lord Mayor's Award - Effort and Perseverance Larissa at Priory to get this themselves. Showing real community spirit - Most Improved (Primary) Harvey at Northern Parade this is something she chose to do herself with her Foster Most Improved (Secondary) Amy at Castle View Academy Carers support. Never Giving Up Mort at The Portsmouth Academy Overcoming Adversity Reggie at Newbridge Junior Sporting Prowess Martina at Ark Dickens Primary Victory in Europe Day 75 celebrations Sophie decorated garden plant pots which she gave to her her local community to celebrate Victory in Europe day to decorate and enhance her local com- munity. Religious Festivals 2020 August 2020 Sun – Mon 2 and 3 August 2020 Eid-ul-Adha (Islam) 12 Aug 2017 Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu) September 2020 Thank you to Forest for allow us to share these lockdown images and quotations Sat-Sun 19-20 September 2020* Rosh Hashanah (Jewish ) recording what life was/is like for many families in lockdown. 28 September 2020* Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) (Jewish) 29 September 2020 Ashura (Islam) HAPPY RAINBOW October 2020 Taken at Milton Park Primary School. Sat – Sun 3 and 4 October 2020* Sukkot (Tabernacles) (Jewish) “There is always a candle in the eye of the Sat 10 October 2020* Shemini Atzeret (Jewish) Storm, that candle will never blow out” Sun 11 October 2020* Simchat Torah (Jewish) 29 October 2020 Milad un-Nabi (Islam) ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE November 2020 Sat 14 November 2020 Diwali (Divali, Deepavali) (Hindu & Sikh) 24 November 2020 Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadar (Nanakshahi calendar) “ We run away from and escape the harsh reality (Sikh) we live in…. preferring to live in an alternative 30 November 2020 Birthday of Guru Nanak (Lunar calendar) (Sikh) universe” December 2020 25 December 2020 Christmas Day (Christian) *Note: These festivals start at sundown on the day before the date shown The dates for the next academic year will be in the Autumn Term newsletter CLEAN How are we doing? Your views are important to us. Children/Young people/Foster carers/Parents/Schools —please let us know……. “Wash, Wash, Feedback is highly appreciated by us and we always Wash, Wash, welcome your thoughts and views on how we can Wash, Wash, SIMPLE LIVING? further improve. If you would like to provide us with Wash, Wash, comments and/or suggestions on what we are doing Wash…..” “ We stock up—Hoping to well or how we can improve, please contact Tina survive until the end of the Henley either by email, by post or by phone. week. The end of the week” Going back to school Supporting and reassuring our children and young people at this challenging time We wont all feel the same about going back to school after Covid19 and that is okay. Some chil- Below is a series of really helpful and supportive websites which are there to try support our young dren might not even know how they feel about going back but they will show us in different people and reduce potential anxiety regarding our current situation: ways. How can you best support them? 1) Talk to your child about how they are feeling about going back to school and try not to make https://www.elsa-support.co.uk/coronavirus-story-for-children/ assumptions. Ask them if they are worried or feel scared about anything, but also if they are ex- https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring -the-new-coronavirus?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=this cited about or looking forward to something. No matter how your child feels, let them know that downloadable comic&utm_campaign=Weekly-03-03-20&t=1583271654945 it is completely normal to feel a mixture of emotions and that everyone will be in the same boat.