Dear Parents/Carers
I hope this letter finds you and your families well after a particularly hot week in school.
It was lovely to see so many of you at Celebration Evening last night, recognising the achievements of so many of our students. I always leave such evenings brimming with pride at the talent, intellect and work ethic of our Kelmscott students. Well done to Manasseh Sachithanantham in 11K who was the recipient of my Headteacher Award – very well deserved.
We are limited by the number of students we can give awards to on the night, as we only give one prize per subject per year group. I am conscious that there are many more students who have had an excellent year in school, who missed out on an award, as a result. I know that your achievements will be recognised in class each week, and with rewards points but I would like you to know, that I am proud of you too.
We said goodbye to Year 11 today at their Leavers’ Assembly. As has become a rite of passage, students signed each other’s school shirts before going to the school hall for their final assembly. We reminisced about their time at the school, alongside some photos of them throughout their time at Kelmscott. This was a funny but emotional experience for all concerned. This year group has had to contend with an awful lot, but have displayed immense resilience in the face of adversity. I hope their hard work, in the build up to exams, will be rewarded on results day. Until then, I wish them a long, enjoyable summer holiday.
Year 10 now pick up the mantle, as our oldest year group, as all attention turns to them. With that in mind, their exam week begins on Monday 19th June; I know they will step up to the plate. We also announced the prefects in Year 10. They are selected for their contribution to the school community, in terms of work rate, behaviour, and commitment outside of the classroom. It was very difficult to choose but the thirty-six chosen, are a really exceptional group of young people. I know they will be excellent role models for the younger years, setting the bar very high.
Accompanied by Miss Hill, Mr Paine and Mrs Parvez our Year 10 geographers investigated vegetation patterns as part of the GCSE geography course, on a fieldwork trip to Epping Forest this week, and what lovely weather they had for it. Work included the identification, measurement , mapping and sketching of vegetation across a particular area. Students also looked at the pattern of woodland succession and some of the water management measures in Epping Forest. This is the second piece our geographers fieldwork, following their earlier Stratford investigation.
I am delighted to report that our Year 8 cricketers secured a phenomenal win this week. Ibrahim Mujahid stood out thanks to his amazing catch to take the first wicket.
In hot weather, there is a more relaxed approach to our uniform policy. The first items of uniform to be removed should be the optional items;
1.) Coat/jacket
2.) School jumper
After this, the blazer can be removed, but this should be carried in student’s hand to ensure it does not get creased.
Top buttons should remain done up and ties worn please, although we do relax these rules, if temperatures rise yet further, as they did last summer. This will be decided on a day-by-day basis. Students are expected to remain properly attired on their journey to and from home too, as they are still representing our school in the community. We would be grateful if you could check your child’s uniform before they leave home for school.
Bringing a bottle of water to school during hot weather is vital; students can top these up at break and lunchtimes. Thank you for your ongoing support in these matters.
We have been made aware of a potential scam involving some of the tuition centres locally, who provide tutoring to groups of students in a variety of subjects. Some centres are recommending that students in Year 10 or 11, sit their exams with them at the tuition centre and not in school. They are charging hundreds of pounds to the families to organise this. For the record, the average cost of an exam entry is somewhere between £28 and £40. Please be very cautious if you are offered anything similar, and speak to a member of staff at Kelmscott who can advise you further. All students are entered for all exams at Kelmscott at no cost to families, as it should be.
A reminder for families about the publication of the Waltham Forest Youth services directory that you may find useful. The directory is a place where you can easily find details of what is available locally for our young people.
Thank a Teacher Day is next Wednesday 21st June. This year is all about gratitude, celebrating the long-lasting impact that education has on individuals and throughout society. To send a free 'thank you' ecard to a teacher or member of support staff please see here: https://buff.ly/2AqelBO.
Waltham Forest regeneration team are inviting 16-25 year’s old who live in or around Lea Bridge, to join a storytelling workshop on Thursday 29th June anytime between 4.30pm and 7pm at Lea Bridge Library, E10 7HU. The aim is to help create an artist’s brief for public art at Markhouse Corner. The team would love to see photos, objects, memories and hear your stories that celebrate our area. If you would like to attend please register by emailing:
Plans for our seniors community members afternoon tea on Friday 30th June continue. If you have a senior family member, neighbour or friend who you would like us to invite please email my PA, Louise, l.adams@kelmscott.waltham.sch.uk Space is limited and regrettably we are not able to provide transport. I am very much looking forward to our afternoon tea and meeting some of our senior community members who, I have no doubt, will have many stories to share.
Finally, well done to Argita Taci in 10K for topping the rewards points charts this week with twenty-one.
Yours sincerely
Mr Sam Jones
Headteacher
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