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CRA Newsletter 24.11.2023 Half Term 2 - Nov 2023

Senior Leadership Team Update

This week we have seen our students striving to beat their own personal targets, as well as contribute to our school target and house targets in Rowvember. We always do so well in this competition and over the years have seen several DRET All Star rowers be given their all star ties. We are always impressed with the resilience shown by our students to keep going and apply maximum effort. Theo in Year 7 was also awarded a DRET All Star tie in assembly for his efforts on the football pitch. We also celebrate on a weekly basis the successes of our table tennis scholars. If there is any specific news/success out of school regarding your child, please do share that with us, so we can let all our CRA community know we are proud of them

Parking

If you drop your child off/collect your child at the end of the day, this must be done at the rear of school. Parents should not enter the school bus park, but park along the road outside. Students can use the pedestrian entrance at the rear of school. Parents are not permitted to drop off/collect at the start or end of the day from the front. If you are collecting your child outside of normal drop off/pick up for an appointment, this should be from the front, where your child can sign out correctly.

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

  • 11th December 2023 - Year 7 Christmas Carol Service in Boston
  • 18th December 2023 - Year 7 Christmas Concert in CRA
  • 19th December 2023 - Christmas carols in church
  • 20th December 2023 - Christmas House Party, Santa Fun Run and last day of term

Christmas Party Tickets

We are now selling Christmas party tickets at the school office. It is £5 a ticket which includes a lunch, prize draw, bingo ticket and Christmas party games. If your child is free school meals or would like to attend but not have the lunch then the cost is £2. Please find below details of the menu choices which they will need to decide when purchasing the ticket. In addition, students may wear a Christmas jumper that day over their uniform.

Deadline to pay is Wednesday 13th December

Please note that if your child is not attending the party or does not wish to have Christmas lunch there will be a selection of sandwiches available. The canteen will be closed at BREAK TIME therefore we advise students to bring their own snack/drink in on this day.

Medication

Please can we ask that if your child may require medication such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, calpol or anti-histamine, that you send it to school with them and ask them to hand it to the office for safekeeping and future use if the need arises. Unfortunately, we do not have a supply to give to students.

Year 11 Focus.

Now that students have completed their first mock exam series of Year 11, and with that began to be revising subjects around their exams, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the importance of revision guides. Revision guides play a vital role in consolidating student’s understanding of different topics in their studied subjects. They help to summarise information, recall key details and bridge the gap in any areas of particular difficulty. These are valuable resources linked directly to each subject's exam board that will support your child in achieving their very best in their formal GCSE examinations this Summer.

Revision guides can be purchased directly from the school reception where they are stored, each subject's guide ranges from £4-£8. Please do speak with your child to confirm what subjects they require revision guides for and encourage them to be making effective use of them from home.

Prep Homework

Students in Yr11 should have started completing their Prep Homework W/C 20th November.

All students must ensure that all 7 pieces of Prep homework is completed each week. Tutors have modelled how to complete the Prep homework and what a good one looks like many times. There is advice on our school website for further support at home.

On Tuesday 28th November a selection of prep books will be chosen at random from each tutor group for Heads of House and members of Senior Leadership to look through. This will provide information on frequency of homework completion and how well students are meeting expectations.

Mrs Cooper- Assistant Principal

Curriculum- Student Voice

During whole school assembly on Monday 20th November students were introduced to the Curriculum Student Voice survey. This will be sent to every student in Yr7-11 via their school email. It must be completed by Monday 4th December. To support students in doing so there will be no Prep homework on Friday 1st December.

The curriculum survey provides students with an opportunity to give their opinions on many aspects of the curriculum including subject lessons, PSHCE Tutor 50min sessions, assemblies, careers in the curriculum and Enrichment.

Mrs Cooper- Assistant Principal

CRA Character

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP28, will be the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference, held from 30 November until 12 December 2023, at the Expo City, Dubai. The conference has been held annually since the first UN climate agreement in 1992. The COP conferences are intended for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change. On Monday in whole school assembly, Mrs Cooper spoke to the students about the impact of climate change on their lives and the lives of our community in Corby Glen and Lincolnshire, as well as the UK in general. It was an opportunity for us all to reflect on our actions, however insignificant they may seem, and how important it is for us to consider the effect on the environment. As a school community we no longer have plastic cups and we encourage all students to have a water bottle with them every day to refill in school. We also have placed more bins around the school site and we talk to our students regularly about ensuring the school site is tidy, due to the wider impact litter has on the environment, as well as the respect it shows to our community.

Why we do what we do?"

At lunchtimes students can engage in activities on the 3G and in the music department. They can visit the library or can spend time outside. These activities enable them to partake in events they enjoy, make friends and build on existing relationships. We ask that students eat their food in the canteen and that they sit down to eat. We think it is important that our students take time to eat their food while sitting down and hopefully engage in a conversation with their friends.

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 27th November 2023 - 4

Accelerated Reading

Week commencing 27th November 2023 - Period 2

Teen Support.

Table Talk

The Top 10 Red Flags in Teenage Behaviour: What Parents Should Look For

Over the next 10 weeks we will be sharing 10 of the most common signs that a young adult is struggling with a mental health challenge.

2: Slipping Grades

Another red flag in teenage behaviour is poor academic performance. Family members should be on the lookout for a pattern of unusual decline.

Numerous factors can impact teens’ academic performance—factors that have nothing to do with their intellectual abilities. They might be experiencing anxiety that prevents them from focusing, or depression that makes them tired and unmotivated. In addition, being bullied at school is another reason for slipping grades.

Early help assessments

Many families and parents experience difficulties at some stage while our children are growing up. As a school we have a responsibility to try to support families and children as best we can. We have a thorough pastoral system and house system designed to provide the most comprehensive support we can as a school to you and your children. On occasions it is necessary to ask for additional support, and one way we may do this is through an early help assessment (EHA).

“These services are part of a “continuum of support” and provide help to families who do not, or no longer, meet the threshold for a statutory intervention.” (NSPCC) NSPCC go on to say that through there research “Providing timely support is vital. Identifying and addressing a child or family's needs early on can increase protective factors that positively influence a child’s wellbeing, and decrease risk factors that may be impacting a child’s life negatively.”

Research suggests that early help and intervention can:

  • protect children from harm
  • improve children's long-term outcomes
  • improve children’s home and family life
  • support children to develop strengths and skills to prepare them for adult life.

These interventions are designed to support parents who are fulfilling the parenting role and providing protective measures who need support while children push against the boundaries set.

When families require this support we would encourage them to take advantage of this service

More information can be found on this link.

Please take the opportunity to talk to your son/daughter about mental health and how we maintain positive mental health.

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 engineering'

Mr Rees - Careers' Support

Attendance.

Attendance – Term 2, Week 4

Year 9 have achieved 1st place with a top attendance score beating all the other year groups, well done Year 9, great effort.

The boys have pipped the girls with their attendance this week beating the girls to 1st place by a tiny 0.01%.

Terra have finished first with the highest overall attendance this week, just beating Caeli and Aqua, well done Terra! Special mention for Terra 9 who have achieved 97%.

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

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

House Rowing

Terra Crowned House Rowing Champions

Rowvember 2023 continued this week as students and staff represented their respective house teams in the house Indoor Rowing competition. Over 40 students across all year groups and staff went head-to-head in a number individual sprint and team relay races. Students displayed real confidence and courage to compete in front of an audience of their fellow house teammates, who created a fantastic atmosphere throughout.

Following a fast start, it was Aqua who raced into an early lead with a win in the year 7 boys sprint. Terra followed up with some strong performances of their own to snatch the lead from Aqua after the year 7 girls and year 8 races. Caeli maintained a steady start to the competition, trailing just behind in the scoreboard. As the competition progressed Terra looked to be running away with the victory before Aqua year 10 and 11 pulled back some crucial points. Heading into the team relay races, the competition was still wide open but it was Terra who found the extra gear to pull away and pick up the final points on offer, securing the victory.

Terra accumulated 30 points across the competition to claim 1st place (125 house points), followed by Aqua in 2nd place (75 house points) with 28 and Caeli finishing in 3rd place (50 points) with 22 points.

Well done to everyone who participated, showing a huge amount of resilience in each race to maintain maximum effort despite the physical demands on the body.

Term 2 Mystery Competition Reveal

We are so excited to reveal this terms Mystery House Competition…

For the first time ever, students will have the opportunity to take part in their very own trials during the I’m a Teacher Get Me Out of Here house competition. Details of exactly what the trials involve will follow shortly. The competition will take place in the main hall on Wednesday 6th December.

House Dodgeball Returns Soon…

Dodgeball December will soon be upon us. As part of the trust wide Dodgeball initiative students and staff will take to the gym to compete in the annual House Dodgeball competition W/C Monday 4th December. Each house will require a minimum of 6 players in each tutor group to field a team. If you are interested in taking part in this competition, make sure you inform either your house captain, head of house and tutor.

DRET Santa Run

DRET Santa Run - SPONSORSHIP DEADLINE

The deadline to hand in sponsorship forms and money is Tuesday 28th November. With only 2 school days remaining to hand this in make sure all sponsorships are collected and returned to avoid missing out on the Santa Run accessories.

Any forms handed in after this date will result in no items being ordered, however students will still be able to participate.

Every Santa Runner will receive a medal! Raise £9 or more and get a Santa t-shirt and hat or Reindeer t-shirt and antlers to wear every year! £20 or more and receive a house Christmas Party ticket!

This years Santa Run is taking place on Wednesday 20th December (Final day of term!).

Sponsorship forms will be available from your tutor or PE office!

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Term 2 House Competitions

The Sporting Post

Last week we started our DRET Rowvember challenge, where the academy has been tasked to row a total of 627km during November. This distance has been generated as we aim to travel between eight of the Universities from the Houseopoly boards: University of Manchester, University of Sheffield, University of Nottingham, University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and London Metropolitan University.

Our students have been rowing during PE lessons, enrichment sessions, breaktimes and lunchtimes. However, our challenge includes the whole of the Charles Read community. Therefore, we are seeking the support of family members at home who may have access to a rowing machine either at home or at a gym to join in and help us reach our target.

Rowvember results update

We have rowed a total of 386km so far and have 241km left to complete.

  • Caeli - 97.9km
  • Terra - 131.4km
  • Aqua - 152.3km
  • The Gamesmaster - 4.4km

To join in all you would need to do is send in a photo of any distances completed on a rowing machine which we will then add to the whole school total. Please send these to: afountain@charlesreadacademy.co.uk

Within school, we also have house points available for the house that completes the furthest combined distance throughout Rowvember. Any distances sent in will also be added to the score for your child’

Sports Newsletter - Term 1 - 2023/2024

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