18 Jan To: Parents of Pupils currently enrolled
January 2017
I would take this opportunity to remind you of the following:
OPEN DAY SATURDAY 28 JANUARY 2017 (9.30am – 12.00 noon) Principal’s address 9.30am.
Pupils will finish at 12.30pm on Friday 27 January 2017. This is to enable the school to prepare for ‘Open Day’. Transport will be available at this time to take pupils to the train station.
For your information, we are having an ‘Open Evening’ on Wednesday 1 February 2017 from 7.00pm until 9.00pm. Principal’s address is at 7.00pm.
PARENTMAIL
Please ensure that you are registered! ParentMail can now be used to make payments directly to your child’s account. This will also allow you to check your child’s account and see what they are spending. It should be noted that two of the cash machines will be removed in the near future.
PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE
You are invited to attend an eSafety talk by our Head of ICT, Mr Barnard, on Thursday 2 February 2017 from 7.00pm until 7.45pm. He will be outlining the current issues surrounding keeping safe online and will give you practical advice on how best to protect your children at home, including sharing useful online resources and advice on changing social media privacy settings. You are welcome to bring your mobile phone to adjust your settings whilst following his instructions.
HALF TERM
The college is closed for Half Term from Monday 13 until Friday 17 February 2017. Please note pupils return on a ‘week 1’, on Monday 20 February 2017.
YEAR 10 INFORMATION/OPTIONS AFTERNOON
The Year 10 Information/Options Afternoon for parents and pupils will be held on Wednesday 22 February 2017 from 1.15pm until 3.15pm. A detailed circular will be sent to you in due course.
EARLY CLOSURE FOR YEAR 10 OPTIONS AFTERNOON
School will finish at 12.30pm on Wednesday 22 February 2017 for pupils not in Year 10.
YEAR 10 PARENT OPTION CHOICE MEETINGS
The Year 10 Parent afternoon will be held on Wednesday 1 March 2017 from 2.45pm until 5.00pm.
You will receive a separate more detailed circular regarding the above. Appointment times will be issued for these meetings.
EQUIPMENT
We are becoming increasingly aware that some pupils are coming to school without the necessary equipment to take part in lessons. We would ask for your support in making sure your child has the necessary equipment required to participate in the learning process. This would include:
- Pencils, rubber and ruler (30 cm long)
- Black or Blue ball point pens
- Compass, Protractor and Calculator (for Maths)
- Planner, Exercise books and school books needed for the day
Please encourage your child to check his/her schoolbag each night and that the planner, correct books and equipment are packed for the following day’s lessons.
EXAMINATIONS
It has been noted that some students are attending examinations without the necessary equipment. Please ensure that your child comes fully prepared for external examinations throughout the school year and has all the necessary equipment required.
SPLAT AFTER SCHOOL CLUB – YEARS 8 & 9
Splat club will commence on Tuesday 24 January 2017.
CHILD PROTECTION
The designated teacher for Child Protection in the college is Miss Darina Connolly and the deputy designated person for Child Protection is Mrs Beverley Howe.
Examinations and the approach of significant deadlines can be stressful periods for students. Please encourage your child to speak to someone should this happen. Further helpful contacts can be found on the college website.
ATTENDANCE/PUNCTUALITY
At Ulidia Integrated College, we actively encourage and reward full attendance. Our minimum target for attendance is 95%. We appreciate that students can become ill and may not be able to attend for whatever reason, and on such occasions, we require written confirmation as to the reason for absence on return to the college. If a student is absent for three consecutive days, the Year Leader will contact home.
I would like to remind you that the college day begins at 8.55am and pupils should be at their form class at this time. All students should be in school by 8.50am. If a student arrives in school later than 8.55am, then he/she will be marked ‘late’ for that session. Allowances will only be made in exceptional circumstances, e.g. public transport being delayed.
NUTS & NUT PRODUCTS – IMPORTANT REMINDER
Please note that nuts and nut products are not permitted in school. We have a number of pupils with life threatening nut allergies and as a school; we try to ensure that products containing nuts are not available.
I am sure you will understand the importance of this message and I would like to thank you for your support in this matter.
CASH FOR CLOBBER
As you are already aware, Ulidia Integrated College is an ECO ‘Zero Waste’ school and we now hold our forth green flag as an ambassador Eco school. This month, we are asking for your support with our ‘January clear-out campaign’! All material items that you no longer require are needed, these may include clothes, shoes, handbags, towels, blankets, curtains etc – any condition is welcome! Your child can collect a bag from the Geography Department. Thank you for your continued support.
WEATHER WARNING
As the weather starts to turn colder, I would take this opportunity to inform you that in the event of the school not being able to open or having to close due to weather conditions, you will be informed via the School Website, Facebook or by ParentMail.
M Houston
Principal