09 December 2024
Dear parents and families,
Since September we have been extremely proud of the commitment and positivity shown by our students, demonstrated in the excellent effort and conduct of our Year 11 students during the recent PPE exams, and in the fact that our whole-school attendance level is significantly improved on the same time last year.
The end of term is always a busy time, both in school and for all our students and their families, as we all prepare for the festive season ahead.
In this letter:
· Arrangements for the last day of this term, and the first day of the next
· Carol Concert news
· Who’s who in our Mental Health Support Team
· Lockdown drill
· Canteen provider change
· 3G pitch opening
· Tik Tok accounts
Arrangements for the end of term and the start of the next
The last day of this term is Friday 20 December 2024. The school will close to students at 1.30pm. Buses will depart between 1.30 and 1.45pm. Our school reception will remain open until 3.30pm. This day is also Christmas dinner day, which means that the timings of the school day will be reorganised slightly to accommodate the high demand for our festive feast. There will be opportunities for students to celebrate in their tutor groups, but the first lesson of the day will be a learning session as usual, so students should attend in full school uniform and with their usual school equipment.
The school site remains closed throughout the two-week holiday, so please be aware that we will be slower to respond to any emails or voicemails left during this period. Our safeguarding mailbox is monitored on a daily basis, so please report any concerns you may have about the safety or welfare of one of our young people on [email protected]
The first day of term 3 is Monday 06 January 2025, which is an inset training day. Therefore, the first day back for students is Tuesday 07 January 2025. All children should be in school by 8.45am as usual.
Carol Concert news
We are sad to confirm that, due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to cancel our Carol Concert this year. More information will be shared with the families of the children who might have been hoping to perform. We are optimistic that future performances and recitals will go ahead as planned.
Who’s who in our Mental Health Support Team
We are delighted that Monkton Wood is a school working with the Somerset Mental Health Support Team. The MHST have produced a video which gives an overview of the Team and the support that they offer. You can find the video here: video link
Lockdown drill
We hold drills of both our emergency evacuation and lockdown procedures on a regular basis. We are due to hold a lockdown drill in school before the end of this term. The full drill includes practising the sharing of information with families, so please expect to receive an email from us at that time. It will clearly have the word ‘drill’ in the subject line, so please do not be concerned.
Canteen provider change
Following the Christmas break, the school’s meals service will be provided by a new company, Aspens. They are widely used by schools across the region. This may lead to a change in menus and we will share these with children and families when they are issued to us. Please be reassured that our current kitchen staff are transferring into the Aspens team and will still be working here next year. Any credit that your child has on their dinner money account will transfer across. However, Aspens will not take on any debts, and so we will be unable to offer credit to children who find themselves with no money on their account during these final two weeks of term. Please take extra care to ensure your child’s account is topped up and any debts are cleared by the end of term.
3G pitch opening
We are delighted that our new 3G pitch will be open and available to use in PE lessons and after-school activities from January. We are grateful to our students and staff who have managed the slight inconvenience of the site works with patience and good humour. In order to preserve the new surface, we will need to be strict about the suitability of footwear that children wear to PE lessons. This rubber-crumb 3G pitch is the kind that requires studded football boots. Since football boots are already a part of our PE kit, we anticipate that almost every family will already have organised boots for their child. If, however, you have not been able to do so, and your family is experiencing financial hardship, please do contact your child’s tutor so that we can make arrangements for a loan of the correct equipment.
Tik Tok accounts
We have seen an increase in recent weeks of students reporting to the school that Tik Tok accounts featuring images of both students and staff, taken without their consent, have been created. Whilst we know the students reporting the accounts are doing so with the best intention, it is important they understand that we have no control over Tik Tok and cannot remove posts or delete accounts and users. Please encourage your child to report the account or post directly to Tik Tok and then to unfollow the account.
With thanks for your continuing support, as always.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs H Jones
