Thank you for your continued support in not parking in the roads close to the school, we have included our park and stride map to remind everyone of the areas where you can park which are within 10-20 minutes and 20-30 minutes walk from school. The map also shows the walking routes to and from school.
Now that winter is coming and it is getting darker in the evenings, we ask that you remind your children about the importance of wearing bright clothing and making themselves visible to others, especially vehicles.
If they ride a bike to and from school, it is a legal requirement for them to have a front and rear light on their bikes. You might also choose to remind them about wearing reflective accessories.
Please also remind them of the importance of looking properly before crossing the road, making themselves seen and avoiding distraction.
Last week Hertfordshire Police Cyber Fraud team visited KWS to deliver some important messages regarding cyber choices and online safety. The assembly included reminders for students on how to protect themselves.
Students were shown the importance of having secure login credentials, they were given some examples of legal and illegal hacking and legislations relating to the misuse of computers.
If students are interested in finding out more about a career in cyber security they can view more information in the brochure attached.
Alternatively they can speak to Miss Fatima who can direct them to more resources.
Miss Fatima
The Year 10’s participated in an Elevate Education Study Skills session on Friday 7 th October, which has been a roaring success. Students were visited by representatives from Elevate to discuss their experiences of GCSE exam and pass their wisdom on to our current Year 10’s.
All Year 10’s were provided with booklets and comprehensive notes on when, how, and what to study. This also paired nicely with some of the study skills that the Year 10’s have been focussing on in their weekly Period 7: Study Skills, Community and Careers lessons.
A common question coming out of the seminar was: what is a syllabus and where do we find it? If this is something that interests you, or has been a concern for your child this last week, we would highly recommend visiting our website. You will find the exam board specifications and codes under the Learning and KS4 options.
If you are interested in the Elevate Education program, or would like more information surrounding how to support your child in this study season, there are two parent webinars still on offer.
The sessions are webinars and can be accessed from any location. Currently, they are offering: Exam Preparation and Exam Room Skills, and Resilience as detailed below.
Miss Ryman
It’s been a very busy week of sport…
A number of students have been involved in a range of different sports this week:
Well done to the Year 7 netball teams in their matches against SJL, including an excellent win. Lots of improvements from all shown 
Our Year 8 netball team also had an excellent 18-12 win too.
The joint Year 7 & Year 8 girls football team had a fantastic win on Tuesday with a great performance and are through to the next round of the county cup.
Our Year 10 basketball team narrowly lost 20-25 to Townsend but by all accounts, are improving every game.
Following our languages ‘Cook off’ competition, the winners were:
1st Place – Rebecca R (Keller)
2nd – James O (Franklin)
3rd – Isla W (Armstrong), Harriet V (Franklin)
and Georgie L – T (Armstrong)
Miss Fatima
Last week the Library was packed out with Year 7 students attending the launch of our annual Big Purple Challenge – a reading challenge which aims to get students reading whilst gathering recognitions, house points and prizes throughout the year. Students got to meet our wonderful Librarian, the author Yasmin Rahman, and her wonderful assistant Paula Ferris, to explore the Library, play the recommended book list Pictionary game and complete various book-related challenges.
To complete the challenge, all students need to do is to read ten books this school year; six from our list of suggested reads below and four of their own choice. Audio books, e-books and physical books all count – as do our new and exciting range of ‘slim reads’ (shorter books that are more accessible to those with dyslexia, or who struggle to get through a whole book). Students can track their progress and collect recognitions with fortnightly Library visits with their English class. In the lead so far is Riley W in 7Keller, who has finished four books already this school year! Well done Riley!
Reading is THE most powerful tool for education and for self-improvement. Did you know that reading for 30 minutes a day exposes you to 1.8 million words per year, and that students who regularly read can be up to a year ahead of their peers in learning by the time they are 15?
Please do ask your Year 7 child about the Big Purple Challenge and encourage them to read regularly at home. Maybe you could even read some books at the same time and discuss them as you go?
Mrs McPartlin
On Tuesday 4th October, fourteen students from Year 9 and Year 10, who are interested in a career in medicine, attended Aylesbury College to participate in the ‘Patient Journey’ experience run by Health Tec. The students were given the opportunity to gain lots of hands on experience with medical equipment, as well as learn lifesaving techniques. Students were also provided with up to date information about career pathways within the NHS and the potential routes into NHS roles, including apprenticeships.
The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and found this to be a really insightful trip. So much so that some of the Year 10’s are hoping to complete their work experience there!
Miss Phillips