CRA Newsletter 09.02.2024 Half Term 3 - Feb 2024

Senior Leadership Team Update

We are sad to be saying goodbye to Pablo, one of our table tennis scholars who has been on a placement at CRA for 6 months. He returns to Spain today and we wish him every success in his future.

The NEA Food Exams for Year 11 have taken place this week and we have been so impressed with their aptitude and attitude during the exam period. Students must prepare from scratch 3 separate dishes that test their technical skills, and it was wonderful to see the end results including dim sum, fresh pasta, homemade breads and pies and lots of other wonderful creations! Well done to all the students involved!

Visitors

All visitors to CRA must go to reception to sign in before going anywhere else on site. Visitors are not allowed to go straight to the bungalow without signing in first. This is to safeguard all our staff and students and ensure we have an accurate record of who we have on site.

Important dates to remember

  • 9th February 2024 - Academy closes for half term
  • 19th February 2024 - All students return
  • 26th February 2024 - Year 11 mock exams begin
  • 5th March 2024 - Year 9 Options Evening
  • 13th March 2024 - Year 9 Parents Evening
  • 19th/20th March 2024 - Matilda Performance
  • 20th March 2024 - Year 7 trip to Nottingham university

Feeling ill at school

To support our students not missing their valuable learning time, we have introduced a new system for monitoring a student if they feel unwell. This does not include if they are injured at school and require first aid.

If a student informs a teacher that they are not feeling well, their teacher will monitor them for 10 minutes and check they have had some water, eaten etc. After 10 minutes, if they are still feeling poorly, they will be sent to reception where their symptoms and details will be logged in our comfort book. At this point they can take some paracetamol if they have some in school. They will then be issued with a monitoring card and sent back to lessons. They will give this to their teacher who will continue to monitor them and sign the card at the end of the lesson. The student will then go to their next lesson and give their monitoring card to their next teacher. They will continue to be monitored and if there is no improvement throughout the day after a break and an opportunity to get some food and some fresh air, they will go to reception to check back in and a decision will be made by key staff including the attendance team and SLT, as to whether they need to be sent home. This will hopefully reduce students going home if they are just feeling a little under the weather and build their resilience, one of our CRA values that is so important for life beyond CRA as well.

Uniform

Please see our uniform page on the CRA website which states:

  • No more than one small stud in the lobe of an ear may be worn. No tragus piercings
  • No ear stretchers are acceptable. Putting ‘spacers’ in or plasters over piercing is not acceptable. If you have a piercing – nose, eyebrow, lip etc. the stud must be removed.
  • No more than two small finger rings are allowed. No bracelets or other jewellery should be visible
  • No other jewellery or piercings anywhere on the face are permitted. Plastic wristbands should not be worn.

Year 11 Focus

Year 11 students were this week reminded of the next series of mock exams that will run from 26th February - 13th March. This will be the final mock exams students will sit before entering the formal GCSE exam window in the Summer term. Students were also handed their mock exam timetable so that they know what exams they have each day and when. Based on this, the focus of the assembly and a session in CRA Reads was based on creating a revision timetable to implement for these upcoming exams. Students were explained about the benefits of spreading their revision out into achievable chunks, prioritising different subjects based on their progress, planning around the times they feel most productive, as well as making sure they are still planning in break times to relax, exercise and socialise.

Please do ask your child to see their revision timetable so that you are aware of how they are planning to structure their revision, as well as also to help you support them in completing this. Sticking it up somewhere visible like the kitchen fridge will help both yourself and them see what subject they have planned to be revising each day and when.

Prep Homework

Sunday 11th February marks the end of Spring Term 3 prep homework. During Roll Call on Monday 19th February tutors will check Friday 9th, Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th prep homework.

During Spring Term 3 we have trialed more support during tutor time to quality assure prep homework. Tutors have spent two sessions per week with their tutor group supporting students to meet the expectations of Prep homework and Heads of House have provided further support checking each child's homework at least once during the half-term.

Spring Term 4 homework will commence from CRA Reads on Monday 19th February when all students in Years 7, 8, 9 10 and 11 will be issued with new packs of knowledge organisers and task sheets. Student must organise their folders at home and ensure they keep each terms homework safe in their folders ready for end of year assessments.

Where a student has an assessment week they will be given time away from prep homework to complete revision. For example:

  • Yr7, 8 and 9 will have no prep homework w/c 19th February for one week, so will begin their prep homework from w/c 26th February
  • Yr11 will have no prep homework w/c 19th February for three weeks, so will begin their prep homework from w/c 11th March

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Prep homework please contact your child's personal tutor in the first instance.

Why We Do What We Do

Over the next 6 weeks we will be sharing different aspects of our Houseopoly boards which feature in all our tutor rooms.

Week 1

Houseopoly is a rewards based initiative where each tutor group works there way around their houseopoly boards in return for various rewards, Tutor groups are rewarded with houseopoly cards through attendance, ATL, equipment, academic excellence, behaviour, roll call and tutor of the week.

Duke Of Edinburgh

Duke Of Edinburgh award has now been launched to our year 9 students we have already had some students sign up and many more students interested. We have managed to obtain funding towards the enrollment fee, reducing the cost to £10. if your child is really interested in taking part in this amazing scheme and there is an issue with raising the funds for your child to take part please contact Mr Rollin, the DofE manager as there is funding available so everyone that is eligible can take part.

CRA Character

Mr Maggs spoke in whole school assembly on Monday about online safety and how students can ensure they keep themselves safe online when interacting on social media. From talking to our students the two social media platforms most used by our students are Snapchat and TikTok. Here are two posters to support you checking your child is safe online on these apps. We need our students to ensure that they have the courage to speak out and tell someone if there is anything that they feel unsure, upset on uneasy about online. 9 times out of 10 this needs reporting through the app, through the Police and informing school.

Word of the week​

Bene: Good, well (Latin word root)​

  • Benefit an advantage or profit gained from something, or a payment made by the state or an insurance scheme to someone entitled to receive it.
  • Benign gentle and kind, or (of a disease) not harmful in effect.​
  • Benefactor a person who gives money or other help to a person or cause.​

Times Tables

At the end of all lessons students stand behind their chairs in silence to prepare for themselves for the next lesson. From September, on a weekly rota, Years 7 and 8 will be reciting their timetables to help embed them in their long term memory.

Week commencing 19th February 2024 - 7

Accelerated Reading

Week commencing 19th February 2024 - Period 2

Teen Support..

Childrens Mental Health Week

As we continue to raise awareness of ‘Children’s mental health week’, please finds some tips of how you are able to look after your own mental health.

Table Talk

Please have a look at the poster and discuss with your children the difference between free speech and hate speech. Children often use inappropriate language in conversation with each other or indeed some comments they make on line or in group. If they are aware of what is and is not acceptable and lawful, this may help them make better choices.

Thinking Ahead – My Future, My Choice

Each week we will show you examples of the various careers linked to the subject you are studying. This week’s career idea is ‘Jobs related to Media Studies'

Mr Rees - Careers' Support

Attendance..

Attendance – Term 3, Week 5

Year 8 have achieved 1st place with a top attendance score beating all the other year groups, well done Year 8, great effort.

The boys have smashed their attendance this week beating the girls to 1st place by a respectable 3%.

Caeli have finished first with the highest overall attendance this week, beating Terra and Aqua, well done Caeli! Special mention for Caeli 8 who have achieved 99%.

Tuesday has seen our highest percentage of absence this week, missing just one day can have an impact on students learning experiences and outcomes.

Well done to the following students who have shown great resilience with their attendance achieving 100% so far this year:

Ryan - Aqua 8
Poppy-Belle -Caeli 7

If your child is absent from school, please ensure you contact school daily either by email/MCAS or by telephoning the attendance line 01476 550333 ext 502. It is vital we are notified everyday of any absence for safeguarding reasons, unless previously authorised. A reason for illness will always be requested, this is to observe attendance patterns and outbreaks of illness amongst students.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself kcoleman@charlesreadacademy.co.uk on 01476 550333 ext 515 or tsandison@charlesreadacademy.co.uk ext 502 to discuss ways to support your child's attendance.

CRA - Lets work together to make every day count!

Mrs Coleman - Attendance Manager

Holiday Warning Letter

House News

Students take on ‘The Cube’

The ITV hit gameshow, ‘The Cube’ returned to CRA this term with our very own house championship edition. Students across each year group put their skills to the test by taking on six challenges in return for house points.

In a true test of speed, accuracy, reaction time and composure The Cube proved to be a challenging prospect for each of the participants who displayed the courage and confidence to take on one of the challenges in front of an audience.

This year the Cube threw up two brand new challenges; Obstacle and Reaction. Obstacle was a game which required teamwork and communication to race against the clock, blindfolded through a small obstacle course. Using only the instructions from one team mate the guide had to direct their partner through the course as quickly as possible. Reaction was a test of reactions and co-ordination as players faced a machine which fired 10 table tennis balls. Only one of the balls were orange which the player had to successfully catch to complete the challenge.

Following six action packed rounds it was Terra who completed the most challenges to win he competition overall. Aqua finished 2nd and Caeli finished in 3rd place.

New Year Cup Closed

What a fantastic effort from everyone who played their part in this year’s House New Year Cup. Across the term we received 719 entries from over 100 participants, contributing to an overall distance of 5330.59km.

The final house distances and top 3 participants will be revealed in assembly after half term, where the winning house will also receive the house new year cup.

Our original target at the start of the competition was 3,940km to complete the equivalent distance of Route 66, Chicago to LA plus a few sightseeing stops on the way. We are delighted to have completed this challenge by over 1,500km.

Term 4 House Competitions

Term 4 promises to be an action packed term of house competitions, with the inclusion of some favourites. A whopping 2,000 points will be available throughout the term with competitions including Gardening, Photography, Table Tennis, Wii Sports and Bullseye Quiz. On top of this Terra will be holding their annual house charity event plus we will also be revealing Term 4’s mystery house competition during the first week back after half term – we can not wait to reveal what is coming up!

The Sporting Post

Table Tennis

English Schools Singles

Isaac, Ella and Ryan have all qualified through the Lincolnshire county schools qualification event and have now qualified to represent CRA in the English Schools finals in April in Wolverhampton.

English Schools Team Event

On Saturday 3rd February our U16 boys and girls teams travelled to Bradford to play in the North East qualification event. The boys team of Isaac, Abraham, Tudor and Ryan beat Durham Johnstone Comprehensive, St Mary's College, Birkdale School and Bradford Grammar School, all by a scoreline of 8-0.

The girls team of Ella, Lowri and Emily beat the Grammar School of Leeds and Hurworth School, both 5-2.

Both teams have now qualified for the semi-finals on March 9th in Grantham.

Sports Kit

Please can any borrowed sports kit be returned as soon as possible. We have trainers, hoodies, netball dresses and football kit (shirts, shorts and socks) that have not been returned. This means that students are unable to also borrow these items for fixtures and limits teams when wanting to wear a full, matching kit.

After School Academy Masterclass

Venue : Colsterworth Village Hall, Old Post Lane, Colsterworth NG33 5PG

  • Course 1: 21st February - 27th March - Weekly Wednesday
  • Course 2: 17th April - 5th June - Weekly Wednesday
  • Each course is 6 weeks long

Time:

  • 17.00 - 18.00 for ages 6-12
  • 18.15 - 19.15 for ages 13-18

Opro Mouth Guards provided | Trainers for indoor sessions

https://www.tuilagirugbyskills.com/lessons

Sport Newsletter - Term 2 - 2024

DRET Sport Term 1 Newsletter 2023/2024

Term Dates

Please see the latest term dates for 2022-23.

Academic Term Dates 2024-25

A list of diary events can also be found on the CRA Website by clicking here