Key Notes: 21 January 2022

21st January 2022

Covid-19 Changing Guidelines

As you’ll be aware. the Government removed the temporary requirement for masks to be worn in the classroom from Thursday this week. We expect that the requirements to wear masks around the school will also be removed at the end of next week. Whilst it will be good to not have to wear masks any more, it does mean that one of our Covid mitigations is being taken away at a time when the number of pupils off school due to Covid is increasing. We therefore understand if pupils want to keep wearing masks and we will keep on ensuring there are good levels of ventilation in rooms. We would also ask that you continue to do LFD tests at home as it is even more important that we catch any cases early before they are spread to others.

If your child does develop any of the following Covid symptoms, please take them for a PCR test which you can arrange by visiting https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test or by phoning 119:

• A high temperature – this means feeling hot to touch on the chest or back
• A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
• A loss or change to their sense of smell or taste

If your child has already tested positive and is absent from school, they may return following negative LFD tests on day 5 and 6, or after two negative tests on any subsequent consecutive days. Regardless of the test results they should not return if they still have a high temperature.

Army Careers Visit for Year 10 Pupils

On Monday next week we will have representatives from the Army giving a presentation to Year 10 pupils.

Reminder Covid-19 Vaccinations in School – Tues 25^th Jan 2022

Please remind your child on Tuesday if they are going to have the Covid vaccination. You can still sign up for your child to have their first or second dose of the vaccine in school until midnight on 24^th Jan. To complete the consent form please click here. You will need this unique code number EE137527 which identifies our school. We would remind you that unless your child is clinically vulnerable, they must wait 12 weeks after a positive Covid test before being vaccinated.

iPads make an impact

All Year 7 pupils have now been given personal iPads for use in school and have started using them to support their learning in class. They have just finished their first week of lessons using their iPads and the initial reaction from both students and staff has been very positive.

It’s early days but we have been really pleased with how the first week has gone. The Year 7s have been really excited about receiving their iPads and the teachers are enjoying trying out new ways of improving and enhancing the learning in their lessons. We hope it won’t be too long before every pupil in the school can benefit. Here are some Year 7 pupils using their iPads in their maths and Spanish lessons.

Year 11 GCSE Revision and Support Sessions

For Design and Technology pupils, the Technology workshop will be open for use every day after school. Other sessions are as follows:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
GCSE Art - Mrs Heeks	Maths - Higher - Mrs Neville	Biology Booster Session - Mr Rahman
Further Maths - Mr Lawrence-Jones	Maths Foundation - Mr Holder	Year 11 - MEP - Mr Fan
Year 11 Chemistry Booster Session	Maths Foundation - Mr Holder	Drama GCSE - Mrs Nicholls
	GCSE Art - Year 11 - Mrs Ward	Computer Science Booster Session - Ms Smith
	Spanish GCSE Revision - Mrs Stanley
	Physics GCSE Revision - Mr Essien

Post-16

Pupils had an assembly about post-16 arrangements this week. They are receiving invites to guidance meetings from colleges (some will be virtual, some face to face) and need to ensure they check their personal and school emails regularly for updates and invites from colleges. More information on this will be emailed home shortly. 

Year 10 PSHE Lessons

Year 10 pupils will have some Personal, Social, Health and Economics (PSHE) lessons on 24^th January. The theme is “Exploitation”. This is part of pupils’ personal development whereby we aim to educate pupils on the dangers, warning signs and preventative measures they can take. Specifically, we will look at County Lines and child sexual exploitation. These topics can be challenging for some pupils so please contact Mr Willder (ewillder@melbournvc.org) and Mrs Deadman (cdeadman@melbournvc.org ) if you would like to discuss this further.  

Year 11 PSHE Lessons

Year 11 continued some of their personal development this week. They had lessons on consent, online safety and CPR. The Y11 pupils conducted themselves fantastically and got a chance to practice CPR as part of a practical session. Their next PSHE sessions will take place in early March, where they will explore themes to help them prepare for their future, healthy choices and sex education. Many thanks to the teachers involved, Ms Goldsmith for delivering the CPR training, and to the pastoral team for helping with the sessions.

MVC Wins Panathlon Silver Trophy

Pupils from Melbourn Village College travelled to Cambourne Village College today to take part in the latest Panathlon Challenge. They competed in a variety of adapted sports including Boccia, basketball, target practice, bowling and kurling. A fantastic time was had by all and MVC were runners up, coming away with individual medals and a silver team trophy!

Physical Education

The Year 10 boys football team were back in action on Monday. Having played several games before Christmas on grass, they hosted St Peters School in the County Cup on our new Astroturf pitch. Our Huntingdon opponent had previously done very well in the competition however we flew out of the traps, scoring inside the first minute. After a lull, the second half became more open and we carved out several opportunities, eventually winning 3-0. Well done to George, Callum and Joseph for scoring; Jack for his usual steady performance at the back and some good handling from goalkeeper George. We play the winner of Linton Village College v Stephen Perse School match in the next round. If it is the Perse then our Year 8s (who play them on Monday) and Year 11s will have already played that school this year so it will be our third fixture against the Cambridge school.

On Wednesday we attempted to field Year 7 & 8 girls football teams here against Comberton Village College. However, with several Year 7 girls isolating and some Year 8s not available, we decided to play one Year 8 girls’ team and a Year 7 B boys team. A good experience was had by all and that now means around 150 pupils have represented MVC football teams this year, which is a great feat for a school our size. Here are the team photos:

The year 9 girls netball team had their first match in over a year on Wednesday in very cold conditions at Comberton Village College. They played well with some excellent goals scored by Charlotte and good defence by Phoebe and Tilly. Comberton proved too strong for them this time, but a good time was had by all.

The U16 netball team also travelled to Comberton on Wednesday night for their first fixture. The girls were eager to play, and this was evident with 15 pupils in the squad. The whole team played with passion and determination and they set themselves a challenge to score 20 goals. They exceeded this and won 24-2. Player of the match was Annabelle. Well done all!

Online Safety Newsletter

The January edition of our Online Safety Newsletter is being sent with this edition of KeyNotes.  It looks in depth at TikTok and concerns with the content and contact that young people may be experiencing. It explains how to set controls and restrict the content that your child sees and explains the blocking and reporting features of the app. There is an update on Fortnite, outlining risks of playing the game and what parental controls are available.

The Internet Watch Foundation has launched a new campaign, Gurls Out Loud which sets out to educate girls that requests for nude images are not okay and what they should do if they receive any such requests.

Spring Enrichment Activities

Extra-curricular clubs are now underway but there is still time to sign up. Below are some pictures of table tennis, art, Minecraft, and Warhammer clubs.

Mr Barnes said “We are delighted that the Warhammer Alliance has started! Pupils are building and painting their characters that have been kindly donated by the Warhammer shop in Cambridge (@WarhammerCambridge).

Within a couple of weeks, armies will be assembled and games can begin. Pupils will be given the chance to attend sessions at the Cambridge Warhammer shop and at the end of the year a trip to Warhammer world will take place. If anyone has spare models/sets or any Warhammer kit donations would be very welcome.”

GCSE Food and Nutrition

Year 11 pupils taking Food and Nutrition GCSE have spent a lesson exploring presentation techniques and how best to present dishes to be appealing. This is in preparation for their 3-hour practical exam next month. Pupils worked in teams to creatively present meringues and pastry tarts.

Miss Giles said “I think they really engaged with this and realised that less is more!” She was really impressed with their approach to this task and how well pupils worked together to plan their plates.

In the next few weeks pupils will be having some Chinese cooking sessions with Mr Fan to celebrate Chinese New Year and partaking in their Global Cuisine module in Food.

English

With the Christmas decorations now packed away, the season for retelling the famous story of Scrooge, the Cratchit family and the ghosts of Christmas may be over, but not at MVC.

Year 10 pupils are embarking on their first study of this novel, while Year 11s are currently revising their knowledge of this set text in advance of their English Literature GCSE examination in May.

Pupils (and their families) might enjoy a nostalgic afternoon refreshing their knowledge by rereading the novel or by watching one of the many versions of the film online. Mrs Hallam and the rest of the English Department would like to remind year 11 pupils to revise all their English Literature set texts: Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, and An Inspector Calls.

Mrs Hallam would also like to encourage pupils in year 7 to consider downloading a novel to read onto their iPads this weekend. There are some good suggestions for new books on https://www.booktrust.org.uk/ and you can find a collection of short stories, poems, essays from 110 children’s writers and illustrators in The Book of Hopes, free of charge here.

Science@Home

This week’s feature is on the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. This is an annual event which over a million people take part in. This year it is on 28-30 January. To join in, you need to be able to have a good view of your garden/outside space and be able to sit for an hour to count how many birds land there. Use the guides which you’ll receive when you sign up to help you identify which birds have visited.

This week you should prepare by looking at how to attract birds – make or buy bird feeders and fill with nuts and seeds, and also put some fresh water in old plates out in a quiet sheltered area. Make sure you keep the containers clean too to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses to the birds. Then you will be ready to start counting and remember to submit your results afterwards on the website. Dr Wilson would like to see any photos of the birds too! Good luck!

Have a good weekend,

Simon Holmes

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