Newsletter 07

October 2007

Dear Parent/Guardian

I hope that you find our autumn newsletter both interesting and informative.  I have included an item on Cyber Bullying and would ask that you read it and discuss the contents with your child.  As always, I would  welcome any comments from parents and would like to take this opportunity to wish you a pleasant half term.

Mike Smith

Deputy Head

Traffic Down Parkside Terrace

Recently there has been an increase in the number of parents using the bus turning circle to drop off/collect students.  Last week, a parent’s car which should not have been on the school site hit a school bus.  This situation is clearly unacceptable as the health and safety of all the other students on the school bus was put at risk by the actions of one individual.  Can I please stress the importance for all parents to use the drop off zone at the top of Parkside Terrace.  I can always accommodate requests by parents to use the school site if there are special circumstances.

Non Uniform Day – Friday October 19th

The school will be holding a non uniform day on behalf of the Friends of Parkside PTA on the above date.  All monies raised will be used to purchase equipment for students to use in academic lessons.  Students who choose to come to school in non uniform will be expected to bring at least a £1.00 donation, but further contributions of course are most welcome.

Students who have PE on Friday must remember to bring their PE kit and all students need to ensure that they bring their lunch swipe cards and locker keys with them.

I would like to remind those students who come in non uniform, that they must wear clothing appropriate for school.  For Health and Safety reasons the usual rules about jewellery will still apply.

Attendance

We thought it may be useful for parents to know that school has set itself a target of 95% for student attendance.  Currently for the first 5 weeks of this half term, our overall attendance figure is 94.3%.  Can I ask all parents/carers to ensure that students attend school whenever possible and that holidays are taken during official school holidays.

Parkside School PTA Bag Packing – Sunday November 11th

Parkside PTA have organised a fund raising event at Sainbury’s supermarket in Keighley.  We will be asking students to volunteer to help pack bags at the checkouts in 2 hour shifts between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.  Initially, we will be targeting  the Year 7 students for their help.  We hope to organise three 2 hour shifts and will need approximately 60 volunteers.  Students who express an interest will be given a parental consent form to sign and we hope to raise a significant amount of money, all of which will be used to purchase educational equipment for Parkside students. 

Many thanks for your help with these matters.

Mike Smith

Deputy Head

Drama Clubs and Trips

We have decided to take a break from a school show this year and concentrate on reaching more students through Drama clubs, with a view to putting on a range of smaller performances.  This also frees up the Music and Dance Departments to enter more competitions on a national scale.  Year 7 Drama Club runs Friday lunchtimes in the theatre.  Year 8 Drama Club runs Tuesday lunchtime in the theatre and two Year 9 clubs run on Wednesday evening after school.  The girls’ club is looking at a Mark Wheeler play “Arson About”.  The boys’ club will be starting a project with Greg Foster, our school animateur.  Three Sixth Form theatre trips are underway.  Year 12 have visited The Viaduct in Halifax to see an updated version of Lysistrata which was hilarious.  Next week, Year 13 go to see Frantic Assembly perform “Stockholm” in Leeds and following half term they will see Kneehigh Theatre performing “Brief Encounter”.  We are also in the process of arranging to take both GCSE groups on their first trip of the year.

Mrs Lin Stentiford

Head of Drama

Talking About Tough Issues – For Year 7

As part of the Extended Schools and Parental Involvement initiative, we are organising three sessions for families of Year 7 pupils  which aim to find ways to prevent problems with alcohol and drugs and other risky behaviour.  It is an opportunity to meet with other parents and learn skills to help families talk about tough issues.

These sessions will be held in school from 6:30 – 8:30 pm on the following days:

27th November

4th December

11th December

To confirm attendance, please ring Shelley Russell on 07925173061, 

or e-mail

shelley.russell@denholme.bradford.sch.uk.

Flyers regarding these sessions will have been distributed at the Year 7 “settling-in” evening on Tuesday 16th October.

Shelley Russell                                         Helen Johnson

Parental Involvement Worker                  Facilitator                 

Tackling Cyber Bullying

I have recently spent some time looking at the issue of cyber bullying and have amended our anti-bullying policy accordingly.   The following information is based on DES guidelines and I thought it might be useful for parents to have access to these guidelines.

Mobile, internet and wireless technologies have brought benefits in terms of communication to many, but their popularity provides increasing opportunities for misuse through cyber bullying.

What is cyber bullying?

Cyber bullying is an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself.

The advent of cyber bullying adds a new and worrying dimension to the issue of bullying – there is no safe haven for the person being bullied and unlike other forms of bullying cyber bullying can follow children into their private lives outside school hours.

Our school understands that cyber bullies can communicate their messages to a wide audience with remarkable speed and can often remain unidentifiable.  Parkside School acknowledges the seven categories of cyber bullying as identified by the anti bullying alliance initiative.

• Text message bullying – sending unwelcome texts that are threatening or cause discomfort.
  
• Picture/video clip bullying via mobile phone cameras – used to make a student feel threatened or embarrassed with images usually sent to other people.  So called “happy slapping” involves filming and sharing physical attacks.
  
• Phone call bullying via mobile phones – uses silent calls or abusive messages to intimidate a victim, often disguising their number or using someone else’s phone to avoid being identified.
  
• Email bullying – uses email to send bullying or threatening messages - often uses a pseudonym for anonymity – sometimes another person’s name is used in order to place the blame elsewhere.
  
• Chat room bullying – involves sending menacing or upsetting messages to students when they are in a web based chat room.
  
• Bullying through instant messaging (IM) – an internet based bullying where students are sent unpleasant messages as they conduct real time conversations online.
  
• Bullying via websites – includes the use of defamatory blogs (web logs), personal websites and online personal polling sites.  There has also been a significant increase in social networking sites for young people, which can provide new opportunities for cyber bullying.

We believe Parkside has a duty to ensure that cyber bullying is dealt with in the same effective manner as detailed above and that we have a duty to ensure that:

• Bullying via mobile phone or the internet is included in our mandatory anti bullying policy and this policy is regularly updated, and that teachers have sufficient knowledge to deal with cyber bullying in school.
  
• The curriculum teaches students about the risks of new technologies, the consequences of their misuse, and how to use them safely.
  
• All e-communications used on the school site or as part of school activities off-site are monitored.
  
• Clear policies are set about the use of mobile phones at school and at other times when young people are under the school’s authority.
  
• Internet blocking technologies are continually updated and harmful sites blocked.
  
• School will work with parents and students to make sure new communications technologies are used safely, taking account of local and national guidance and good practice.
  
• Security systems are in place to prevent images and information about students and staff being accessed improperly from outside school.
  
• School will work with police and other partners on managing cyber bullying.

Parkside School Governors

The Governors meet regularly to discuss, support and monitor the work of the school.  Apart from making decisions about the school curriculum, setting the annual budget, overseeing the maintenance of the school building and agreeing the staff structure, Governors monitor examination results and targets.  There are several categories of School Governor and the membership for 2007 – 2008 is indicated below:

Chair of Governors:                         Mr S Leach

Vice Chair of Governors:   Mrs L Balding

LEA Governors:

Mrs Liz Balding, Mr Steve Leach, Mr Richard Freeman and Mrs Nikki Parker.

Parent Governors:

Mr Robert Bray, Mr Terry Harris, Mr Ian Ford, Mrs Gaynor Kilmister, Mrs Sue Smith, Mrs Shirley Rainford.

Community Representative Governors:

Mrs Linda Baines, Mrs Melanie Burtenshaw, Mr Andrew Stammers

School Staff Governors:

Mrs Lynne Laoufir, Mr Alec Lee, Mr Keith Kendrick and Dr Tony Rickwood.

Governors are always pleased to hear the views of parents and other school stakeholders and you are welcome to contact them through the Clerk to Governors, Mrs Jill Britton, who will pass on your comments.  Mrs Britton can be contacted via the school telephone number, or if you wish to email the Governors please send your email to governor@parkside-school.net

Jill Britton

Clerk to the Governing Body

Learning Resources Centre News

We have been too successful in attracting students to the LRC at lunchtimes! There hasn’t been enough room for all who wanted to come - as a result we have had to change the access so that different year groups come on different days. This will enable students who want to work and read to be able to do so in more peaceful surroundings.

This year to encourage reading, the Book Trust and the DES introduced a scheme called Booked-up – all students in Year 7 have been able to choose a free book. A booklet listed 12 books to make their selection from and the LRC had a collection of the books. Many classes came to a fun session of ‘speed dating’ where they had the chance to ‘meet’ the books before they made their choice! The students have made their choices and we are now waiting for the delivery of 175 books!

A new Reading Club has started on Wednesday lunchtimes –students will follow a varied programme to discuss different book related topics, research books and authors, and read in peace. We currently have 17 members and it should be a fun way to enjoy books and discover new authors.

Christmas Shoe Box Appeal

The Rotary Shoebox Scheme started in 1994 when boxes of gifts were sent at Christmas to children in the city of Iasi, Romania.

Since then the scheme has grown throughout Britain and Ireland and tens of thousands of boxes have since been sent to children and families in many countries in Eastern Europe.  Countries to benefit have included:  Romania, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo and Croatia.

For the last 3 years, Parkside School has contributed to the Rotary Shoe Box Appeal and we would like to continue that tradition this year. After half term empty boxes will be available to collect from Mrs Dudgeon (E44).  The boxes may be filled by individuals or groups of students.  In addition this year, tutor groups will also fill boxes organised through the School Council.  We managed to send over 150 boxes last year and hope to exceed that total this year.

Daniel Gallemore – Former Year 11 Student

Daniel recently left Parkside School and he has won the British Men’s Amateur Kite Surfing Championship.

He is the first person in the BKSA to do a back to back title, Junior to Adult.   He will be appearing on the BBC1 programme “Inside Out” on Wednesday 17th October.

Miss Ashford’s Great North Run

It’s 9.30am and I am standing on a motorway in the middle of Newcastle looking at a sea of Star Wars characters, gorillas, men in tutus, and the occasional cartoon character. There are 50,000 people next to me on this stretch of motorway, all hoping that in the next couple of hours, our legs will carry us to South Shields. (13.1miles away!) Welcome to The Great North Run 2007! A moment of madness must have prompted me to pledge my evenings and weekend to training but I am so pleased to have completed it. I ran on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society and the generous staff at Parkside have helped me raise nearly £350. The donations are still coming in so I’m hoping the final figure maybe nearer to £500. I managed to run nearly the full 13.1 miles, apart from a quick stop to talk to Tanni-Grey Thompson and a few metres where I thought my knees had given up. I achieved a first time half marathon time of 2.47 hours. A big thanks to all at Parkside who have supported me.