Welcome to Sevenoaks A guide for parents 2018

Introduction

Dear Parents

elcome to Sevenoaks School! This booklet is designed to answer some of your questions and give you an insight into life as a parent at the school. I hope that you will enjoy the experience of being a Sevenoaks parent,

with the new friends you might make and the social events on offer, just as much as your child will enjoy being a student. The Friends of Sevenoaks organises several events each year, some of which are listed at the back of the booklet, and your year group social coordinators will put on events specifically for the parents in your child’s year group. In addition there’s the Arts Society which organises a whole range of really excellent cultural events and outings. You might be interested in helping the Friends of Sevenoaks. Please register your interest at www.sevenoaksschool.org/fosvolunteer if you’d like to be involved in any way.

In the meantime, do stay up to date with school news, events, activities and successes. You can read more on our website news section, follow us on social media, and access most general information on the parent pages of our website.

Very best wishes

Sebastien Coquelin Teacher of French, Boarding House Master and Coordinator for Friends of Sevenoaks

When my son joined Sevenoaks, I thought that my involvement with the school would be limited to one of a taxi driver. Little did I know! There are so many ways that Sevenoaks parents can get

involved, and I have enjoyed meeting so many people and of course, participating in our various social functions – always great fun!

W

The Friends of Sevenoaks is an organisation and registered charity which includes all current parents and Sevenoaks School staff, as well as any former parents and staff who opt in on leaving the school.

The primary focus of the organisation is to enable you to meet other families in your child’s year group and across the school’s community, and to provide interesting and entertaining events for you to attend.

We organise a variety of events throughout the year, including a New Parents’ Tea and New Parents’ Supper, termly coffee mornings for the parents of each year group, a drinks reception following the Carol Service and a Biennial Ball. Recently we have also held a Quiz Night and a Comedy Night.

There are social coordinators for each year group who will organise more informal get-togethers for the parents of that year.

Please do come along; these events are always fun, and a great way to meet other families.

More information is available on the parent pages of the website: www.sevenoaksschool.org/fosYou can also receive updates by liking our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FriendsofSevenoaks

The Friends of Sevenoaks

Last year I had just moved to London and was also a new parent at Sevenoaks: I loved meeting up with friendly parents and particularly enjoyed the Quiz Night and the Comedy Night.

I’m looking forward to more of the same this year!

The Arts Society provides opportunities for current and former parents, Old Sennockians and staff to meet and attend cultural and educational trips together. The aim is to encourage good relations amongst the Sevenoaks School community. As a group, we have access to discounted tickets and exclusive tours of private historic houses and gardens which are otherwise inaccessible to the public. During the past year we have also organised visits to art exhibitions with private lectures, guided walks and visits to London’s landmarks and theatre shows often with coffee, breakfast or lunch.

Please visit the Arts Society webpage for details of all the forthcoming activities or contact me for more information. I hope to warmly welcome you at our events this year.

Jane Holland (current parent), Arts Society Coordinator theartssoc@gmail.com

The Arts Society

Alexandra Reinwald/Shutterstock

Social Coordinators, Coffee Mornings, Lost Property, Second-hand Uniform Shop

There are a number of activities that parents from the school organise and run. These include social year group events and termly coffee mornings, as well as the ever-popular second-hand uniform shop, and lost property.

Social Coordinators Each year group has their own social coordinators who will organise coffees, lunches and drinks parties throughout the course of the year – an excellent opportunity to meet fellow parents with children in the same year as yours.

Coffee Mornings Every term, each year group also has their own coffee morning on the school campus. These take place on a Saturday morning after school drop-off. All are welcome; please do come along. Dates are listed on the Friends of Sevenoaks pages of the school website. Lost Property and Second-hand uniformThe lost property and second-hand uniform shops are run by the Friends of Sevenoaks, and these are open at regular times throughout the term. Dates and times are in the calendar and on the website.

The Space is a performing arts centre for the school and the surrounding community, and most of the music and drama events produced at the school are held here. We have a number of concerts every term, ranging from small informal platform concerts, to large full scale orchestral and choir productions.

In addition, each division of the school produces a drama production annually, and these are usually hosted in the Sackville Theatre situated in The Space.

The venue also hosts a number of external events, including Royal Opera House Encore Screenings and events on behalf of the Sevenoaks Festival. Parents and students are encouraged to attend, and welcome at all events in The Space.

Details of What’s On are on the website –

www.thespacesevenoaks.co.uk

Parents are able to take advantage of the facilities available in the Sennocke Centre if they choose to become a member of the facility (membership fee payable). Members have a timetable that works around the school day, and usage is prioritised to be before school, at evenings and during weekends. Members can use the 25m pool, the fully equipped fitness suite and participate in a range of classes, most of which take place after school drop-off every morning.

The classes are 30-minute fast classes, and cover a range of fitness regimes: mini circuits, stretch and flex and high intensity.

For more information, please contact the membership team in the Sennocke Centre on 01732 467750 or email sennockesport@sevenoaksschool.org

The Sennocke Centre

The Space

Keeping in Touch

There are a number of ways for you to keep in touch with the school, read the latest news, view school reports, check the sporting fixtures and results, and see photos from events. We hope that you feel involved with school life as much as possible, and equally can access all the information you need easily.

School website sevenoaksschool.orgFor latest school news, daily calendar, sporting fixtures and results and parent pages.

Parent Post https://parentpost.sevenoaksschool.orgOur email message centre that allows you to see your emails for each individual child, and also which emails require action/prioritisation. A login will be provided in due course.

ISAMS Parent portal parentportal.sevenoaksschool.orgFor school reports, teaching groups and timetables

School Sports sevenoaksschoolsport.orgFor up-to-date sports fixtures, teams and results

Facebook facebook.com/sevenoaksschoolukSchool life, photos and news

Twitter @SevenoaksSchoolDaily updates and news

Flickr flickr.com/sevenoaksschoolOur photo albums from school productions, concerts, sport, events and everyday life

Youtube youtube.com/sevenoaksschoolUKA selection of our latest school videos.

There are a number of events coming up over the next few months. Some of the main dates for your calendar are below. All are very welcome.

New to Sevenoaks Drinks Thursday 20 September

New Parents’ Supper Thursday 20 September

Annual General Meeting Monday 8 October

Sweeney Todd (Whole School Production) Wednesday 3-Saturday 6 October

Quiz Night Friday 9 November

Voyage en Francophonie (Music at Sevenoaks) Friday 30 November

The Good Person of Szechwan (Yr 10 Production) Tuesday 4-Saturday 8 December

Crash into Christmas Friday 7 December

Christmas Carol Service Monday 10 December

Comedy Night Friday 1 March 2019

To book, please see the Friends of Sevenoaks pages of the school website, or The Space website for drama and music productions.

Contact us:Friends of Sevenoaks School fos@sevenoaksschool.orgThe Arts Society theartssoc@gmail.comThe Space boxoffice@sevenoaksschool.orgSennocke Centre sennockesport@sevenoaksschool.org

Dates for your diary

Lapina Anna/Shutterstock

Twitter@SevenoaksSchool@SevenoaksIB@Sevenoaks_Sport@Sevenoaks_Music @SchoolOutreach @SennockeCentre@TheSpaceTN13@SevenoaksImpact

Facebook@SevenoaksSchoolUK@outreachsevenoaks @Sennockecentre @thespacesevenoaks

Instagram@sevenoakschooluk