Welcome to Linton Village College

CHD/EC

Dear Parents

The summer term is unfolding. Let me share with you some news. The building programme has been a little delayed, but for an exciting reason. Both Roman and Iron Age artefacts have been uncovered in the ground previously occupied by the pre-school garden and the Horsa building. The county archaeologists are now in a digging frenzy and report significant finds; Roman and Iron Age axes and blades, considerable amounts of Roman pottery, some games counters and a significant Roman burial ground. Some of you may have seen coverage on BBC Look East, but there will be more as the full extent of the find is revealed. I have invited the archaeologists to lead an assembly on their discoveries before they leave us.

The building of phase 1 (demolition of the old ICT suite and construction of our science labs) is now scheduled to start on May 9^th. The fencing and hoardings for the builder’s compound goes up from April 22^nd onwards. We will be sharing with students a new route around the college and reinforcing the importance of safe behaviour around the construction site. There are some ‘no go’ areas highlighted to them in red. Please see the attached plan. The contractors are an East Anglian firm called ISG Jackson. (Health and Safety document.)

Last week we held a parents’ forum on safe use of the internet. Some of our students have reported to us that they have been approached by unknown ’others’ when they use their social networking sites like BEBO, MSN and Facebook at home. We do not allow access to these sites in school. The school Governors and the Senior Management Team wish to share with you our concern that our students can make themselves vulnerable on social network sites if they do any of the following:

• Give away personal information about their name or school on their pages or messages
• Publish photographs of themselves
• Use sexualised language which might attract the wrong kind of attention. An example of this would be to have a BEBO identity like ‘hot chick’ or ‘sexy babe’.

We believe that it is important that you know who your children are taking to on these sites and that you are happy that the way your child presents themselves on the Internet does not attract the wrong kind of attention. I gave an assembly to all year groups on these issues before Easter and we will follow up this session with ICT lessons on safety and social networking sites. For guidance on safe use of the internet with children: http://www.ceop.gov.uk/ and http://www.onguardonline.gov/socialnetworking.html

I enclose once more our policy on mobile telephones in schools. In a nutshell, students can only use them on the site with the permission of a member of staff. If they use their phone without permission, the mobile will be confiscated for a week. Mobiles can be a nuisance in schools, but can be useful when used properly and with permission. Please do not ask us to make an exception for your child, because we can not. If you are concerned that their mobile might be confiscated, then the message to the child must be that they follow the college rule and therefore do not risk losing it. Having a mobile means taking responsibility for how it is used. They must not be out or on and that includes at breaks and lunchtimes.

Can I remind all users of the school site that we have a 10mph speed limit on school drives including those across to the Sports Centre and Granta School. Please take great care when you drive around the College.

Have a lovely summer.

Yours sincerely

Caroline Derbyshire

Principal

Dear Parents,

I would like to share with you a number of opportunities for home school communication at LVC over the next couple of weeks.

Parental Forum

On Thursday April 17^th at 6.30 we will be holding a parental forum, to provide information and to listen to your views. The forum will be held in the Business Suite and will be focussed on internet safety, cyberbullying and the use of social networking websites. We feel that it is vitally important that school, parents and students work in partnership to ensure the safety of our children.

In the last academic year we ran successful parental forums on:

· Homework

· Gifted & talented and SEN provision.

· Enrichment

· The reporting system

Notes and action points from these are available on www.lvc.org.

Faculty Surgeries

We will be holding two faculty surgeries in the following week, all teachers from the Enterprise Faculty and the Communications Faculty (postponed from last term) will be available. The surgeries will run from 3.30 to 5.30 and are open to the parents of students of all years. They will be the opportunity for an extended discussion of areas of particular concern or interest with your child's classroom teacher(s) in the Enterprise or Communications subjects.

The individual appointments are for 10 minutes, and can be booked through contacting Amanda Clay at reception. Please either email amanda.clay@lvc.org or send, via your child, a letter or note in their planner. Please state which humanities teacher you would like an appointment to see, at what time and what you would like to discuss. She will book an appointment and confirm the time with you or your son / daughter.

The interviews will take place in the Common Room by Reception, and in Room 8 just along the corridor. If possible, we would suggest that your son or daughter be present as well to ensure a three way dialogue.

We hope that you will be able to take advantage of one or more of these opportunities.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Cadwalladr

Deputy Principal