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Forthcoming Events Monday 18th December

Christmas Carol Service 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Monday 18th December

Friends of Trinity Christmas Raffle

Important Dates Wednesday 20th December

Last Day of Term

Thursday 4th January 2018

Start of Term 3 –Students return to School

Thursday 18th January 2018

Year 8 Parents Evening 4.00pm-7.00pm

Important Notices: Important Information - page 2

Co-Curricular - page 3

Chaplaincy - page 2

Online Safety - pages 5-6

Friends of Trinity—page 7

Issue No 13

15th December 2017

This weeks attendance:

Year 11 94.5%

Year 10 94.2%

Year 9 96.3%

Year 8 95.4%

Year 7 95.3%

Totals 95.2%

Changes to lesson times. Next term the timings of

lessons is changing. Importantly, the start of the school day at

8:45am and the end of the school day at 3:25pm remain

unchanged. In short, we have moved the 10 minutes of form

time at the end of the day to be part of the morning form

time session and have moved break between period 1 and 2.

We feel the timings of break and lunch are improved. All of

the same services are available at break and lunchtime. This

will allow us to use school time more effectively for all and in

particular as we support year 11 students in the lead up to

their summer exams.

Mr B Williams, Deputy Headteacher.

Tutor time 8:45 - 9:30 Period 1 9:30 - 10:30 Break 10:30 -10:45 Period 2 10:45 -11:45 Period 3 11:45 -12:45 Lunch 12:45 - 13:25 Period 4 13:25 -14:25 Period 5 14:25 - 15:25

Staffing News. We say farewell to Miss

Bennett & Ms Roberts, English Teachers as

they move on to pastures new and thank them

for all they have done for the students at

Trinity and welcome to Mr O’Shea and Ms

Steane. We also say farewell to Dr Taylor,

Science Teacher and welcome Mrs Haughney.

We are pleased to welcome Mr Bunce and Mr

Pagden, Facilities Assistants, Mrs Copp 6th

Form Administrator and Mrs Duffell,

Admissions Officer. We are also pleased to

welcome Mrs Manaktala, Assistant Head of

Key Stage 4 (pastoral team).

Trinity Sixth Form. Thank you to all the 90+

applicants who have applied to

join the Sixth Form at Trinity

School. We are currently

processing all of the applications, and will

meet applicants to discuss choices and current

performance over the coming weeks. We

appreciate the time that was taken when

writing the personal statements, and have

enjoyed reading all of these. It is clear our

first Sixth Form cohort will have a very

positive impact on school life at Trinity.

School Christmas Lunch - Tuesday 19th December. Please ensure that your child has sufficient

funds on their squid card to purchase their school Christmas lunch.

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Education for life in all its fullness

Trinity Christmas Carol Service. It is now possible to reserve

tickets for the Trinity Christmas Carol Service on Monday 18th

December 5.30-6.30pm. Please use the following link to reserve a

ticket via EventBrite and then please print your ticket and bring it

with you on the night: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/trinity-

christmas-carol-service-tickets-41011238719 The tickets will be given

on a first come first served basis as we have a finite amount of space

but hope we can seat everyone who wants to come. If you cannot

access the site, please email adunstall@trinitysevenoaks.com or ring

reception to reserve tickets.

Chaplaincy

"the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David…they made a covenant"

1 Samuel 18:1 and 3

At Christmas we often think of friends and family and so this week’s reading, which features a strong

friendship, seems very appropriate. There are shocking statistics this year of the number of people who may

be alone at Christmas time and I spoke to the students this week about the importance of speaking to those

outside their friendship group who may be feeling lonely. I hope each of us may be able to do a little for

someone alone this Christmas time, as spreading light and love takes inspiration from the Christmas story

itself.

Giving thanks for:

Our talented students and staff

The hard work of all who support Trinity School

Praying for:

Our Christmas Carol Service on Monday 18th

A safe, restful and inspiring Christmas for all

Many thanks and God bless, Alice

Christmas Puddings. The Christmas Pudding making evening

was filled with inspirational testimony, fun, food and laughter as

parents ate, socialised and worked together to produce their very

own Christmas treat! A big thank you to Hope Church for not only

providing the venue but also volunteers - we couldn't have done it without you!

Vacancies. Due to the continued growth of the school, the following vacancies are being advertised

externally:

Teachers – from September 2018: Geography f/t or p/t, English p/t, RE f/t, Business Studies f/t, MFL p/t, Science

f/t (Physics specialist), Science p/t, Maths f/t.

Clerk to the Governors and Company Secretary.

Further details can be found on TES, Kent Teach and our Website.

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Education for life in all its fullness

Appointment of Library Ambassadors.

We are very pleased to announce that the following

students have been appointed

Library Ambassadors.

Megan Barnard -Year 9

Isabelle Cobb - Year 8

Elizabeth Radford – Year 8

Nathan Holmes –Year 8

Evie Laing - Year 8

Alex Foster-Young –Year 7

Sarah Bacon –Year 7

Holly Owen -Year 7

Vivienne Pearson -Year 7

The Library Ambassadors will be assisting the Library

Managers with a number of duties during lunchtime as

well as promoting the benefits of having a school

library. We very much look forward to working with

them. Library Managers.

DT Club - Laser update.

We have been busy testing the new laser

cutter and the initial results are looking

great (and festive)!

If your child would like to learn about laser

cutting, they can now come to the Tuesday

lunchtime DT club, held in G08.

Co-Curricular

Club cancellation. Christian Union will be

cancelled on Monday 18th

December after school

due to the Carol Service

rehearsals. Apologies for

any inconvenience caused.

Cookery Club - Big Christmas Biscuit

Bake Off. 17 students took part in a

Christmas Biscuit Bake Off and managed to

produce over 200 biscuits (Christmas shapes and

mincemeat cookies). These have been distributed

to our teaching and associate staff as a 'thank you'

for all the hard work and dedication they display

on a daily basis to ensure that our students have

an outstanding learning experience. We would

also like to thank all the students who participated

for their hard work and enthusiasm, and in

particular our Year 11 helpers, Bobby Wallbank

and Richard Beaumont who give-up their time

every week to provide support to our Year 7 and

8 club members.

Otford Junior Choir. Starting again soon! Come along for just an hour to sing some fun songs and meet

your friends. Dates for next term: Sunday 7th January, Sunday 4th February, Sunday 4th March. From 3pm to

4pm in the Church Centre at St Bartholomew’s Church, Otford. Remember, you don’t have to be a good sing-

er, you don’t have to be a member of the church, and there is no charge! Age range 8 year-olds and over. Any

queries, contact Chris on 07746 091517.

Year 9 Student and Parent Information Evening – 11th January at

5.30pm. If you are in Year 9 and interested in starting Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, or

would like to learn more about the award, please come along to the information evening

which will be held in the school hall.

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Education for life in all its fullness

Education Education

RE. Thank you for the amazing efforts

with the last supper homework over the

last few weeks. We have a very creative

and hardworking cohort for Year 8.

Meet the Teacher

Each week we will be doing a short Q+A with staff

members. This week is Mr Roylance.

Role: PE Teacher

Favourite subjects when you were at school: PE,

History and English.

Hobbies: Sport, Cooking, Theatre, Socialising with friends

and family.

Favourite books: Lord of the Flies, Harry Potter, The

Stretford Enders, Hunger Games, Dark Matter.

Prayer request: We pray for Mr Roylance and give thanks

for him and his appointment at Trinity. We pray he will be

an encouragement to the students he teaches and will

inspire a new generation of sports men and women.

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Education for life in all its fullness

Christmas is around the corner and students are likely to get new devices that have online

access.

What can parents/carers do to help children keep safe online?

Follow the “Gold”en Rules

Ground Rules

Discuss together as a family how the internet will be used in your house. Consider what information should

be kept private (such as personal information, photos in school uniform etc) and decide rules for making

and meeting online friends. Ensure your children know the risks of accepting friends’ requests from

strangers online and make sure you know what your child is doing online much like you would offline.

Discuss using strong passwords with your child so they understand how they can protect their online

accounts- talk about keeping passwords safe e.g. not sharing them with anyone or use the same

password for several accounts. If your child’s account is “hacked” or compromised then make sure they

change their password and report any concerns or suspicious activity. For more advice on using strong

passwords visit: http://tinyurl.com/Getsafeonlinepassword

Consider locating your child’s computers and laptops in a family area but be aware that children access the

internet on mobile phones, games consoles and tablets so can’t always be supervised.

Be especially aware of settings rules relating to your child’s use of webcams and any applications or devices

which allow voice or video chat. Childnet have useful information for young people about using webcams

safely: www.childnet.com/young-people/secondary/hot-topics/video-chat-and-webcams

Online Safety

Install antivirus software, secure your internet connection and use Parental Control functions for computers,

mobile phones and games consoles to block unsuitable content or contact from unknown people.

Research different parental control software and tools available for your home and select the tools

which are most suitable to you, your child and the technology in your home. Visit sites like

www.internetmatters.org, www.getsafeonline.org and www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/a-

parents-guide for safety information and advice about parental controls on consoles and devices and how

to report concerns.

Make sure you read any parental guidance and safety recommendations (including age requirements – most

popular social networking sites and apps are only for users aged 13+, 16+ or 18+) for any apps or

websites before allowing your child to use them - visit www.net-aware.org.uk

Always remember that parental control tools are not always 100% effective and sometimes unsuitable

content can get past them, so don’t rely on them alone to protect your child.

Listen

Take an active interest in your child’s life online and talk openly with them about the things they do. Talk to

your child and ask them to show or even teach you how they use the internet, learn which websites or

tools they like to use and why. Learning together with your child can often open opportunities to discuss

safe behaviour online.

To start a conversation with your child you could tell them that you understand that some young people

share images and videos online and that you’re interested to know what they think about it and how

they think they can keep themselves safe.

PTO

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Education for life in all its fullness

Continued from page 5

Dialogue – keep talking

Ensure that your child knows that once a picture, video or comment is sent or posted online, then it can be

very difficult to remove as other people can forward it and share it with others, without them even

knowing.

www.childnet.com and www.thinkuknow.co.uk has some really useful tips and ideas for parents/carers about

starting conversations about online safety

Always ensure your child knows how to report and block people online who may send nasty or

inappropriate messages or content. Encourage your child not to retaliate or reply to cyberbullying and

to keep any evidence.

Make sure your child knows it’s important that they tell an adult they trust if anything happens online that

makes them feel scared, worried or uncomfortable.

Remember, the internet is an essential part of young people’s lives and provides them with tremendous

opportunities. The vast majority use it without coming to any harm so it’s essential to be realistic: banning

the internet or web sites often will not work and it can make a child feel less able to report a problem or

concern, so education around safe use is essential.

Websites to visit for more information:

www.thinkuknow.co.uk – Visit the “Parent/Carer” Section and use the “Click CEOP” button to seek advice

and report online abuse

www.childnet.com – Visit the ‘Know It All’ Section for an interactive guide about online safety

www.getsafeonline.org – Free up-to-date Security advice including using complex passwords and managing

hacked accounts

www.internetmatters.org – Information from the four largest internet service providers (BT, Sky, Talk Talk

and Virgin)

www.nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety - NSPCC’s Share Aware campaign provides information for parents about

popular social media sites, apps and games.

www.saferinternet.org.uk – Parents guides to safety tools on popular devices and signposts report

mechanisms for some websites.

www.kent.police.uk/internetsafety - Guidance from Kent Police

If you are worried that your child is at risk of harm or criminal offence has been committed then you can

report your concerns to the Police or Children’s Social Care. Please do not notify suspicious profiles of your

actions, as this could enable them to delete material which might be required for any Police investigations.

You can contact Kent Police via 101 or 999 if there is immediate risk or report online abuse to CEOP by

visiting www.ceop.police.uk and using the “Click CEOP” reporting button. You can also contact Kent

Children’s Social Services on 03000 41 11 11, or email social.services@kent.gov.uk.

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Friends of Trinity

Education for life in all its fullness