The latest news from Thomas Tallis School

The latest news from Thomas Tallis School.

View this email in your browser

Number: 22 | 22 March 2021

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

In this newsletter
(Click View this email in your browser top right to activate Menu links)

Head's message
BAME Parent Forum
E-Scooters and the Law
Word Of The Week
Tallis Reads
RBG World Book Day Competition
Foyle Poetry Competition 2021
Spring Reading Challenge
Library News
Picture Book Competition
The Conservatoire Easter Holiday Courses

Dear Tallis family
I do most sincerely hope that we are in the last phase of lockdown. The length of the pandemic has taken its toll on everyone. Our experience in school is marked by the extra stresses that children and adults are experiencing and it would be lovely to think that we were nearing the end and that everyone’s efforts have paid off. Warm weather and a bit more freedom would be very welcome. However, we must bear with it until the end and I remain very grateful for your support.

With my sincere thanks

Carolyn Roberts, Head

Don't forget to read the latest blog post in Mrs Roberts writes, a regular column about school life.

This half term's Tallis Habits focus is disciplined. The return to school will give us an opportunity to really focus on the discipline of crafting and improving, reflecting critically and developing new techniques for understanding the world so that we can change it for the better. Thank you for everything you are doing at home to support our work.

BAME Parent Forum
The BAME Parent Forum will be having a zoom meeting on Friday 26 March at 18:00. All parents of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students at Thomas Tallis are encouraged to join. The meeting will be hosted by Donna Riviere (BAME Parent Forum Lead) and Charmaine Jean-Paul (BAME Coordinator at school).

In the meeting we will explain some of the work to further our commitment to anti-racism at Thomas Tallis as well as listening to your voices as parents of our BAME students. Your perspective is unique and we are keen to know how you feel we can better support BAME students. We will be to responding some questions you may have.

Should you already have any questions that you would like us to respond to during this meeting please email Donna and Charmaine at cjean-paul@thomastallis.org.uk.

The invitation details are below:

Topic: BAME Parent Forum
Time: March 26, 2021 18:00 London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83207061511

Meeting ID: 832 0706 1511
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kboSTLFDAF

Charmaine Jean-Paul, BAME Coordinator

E-Scooters and the Law

Word of the Week – Idiosyncratic
Our next whole school Word of the Week is idiosyncratic, an adjective meaning ‘unique’ which has Greek roots. Please encourage your child to use the Word of the Week in school and beyond - and also to celebrate their own idiosyncratic personalities!

Tallis Reads
Thank you to Mr. Curtis Brignell for our first Tallis Reads of half term. If you haven’t had a chance to watch the reading, the link is still active: https://tinyurl.com/TallisReads160321

The next Tallis Reads will be recorded live at 08:40am next Tuesday 23 March by Mr. Fyfe. Students will be watching the stories together during tutor time, but you can also watch them at home, as long as they log in with their Tallis email. The link is here: https://tinyurl.com/TallisReads23321

RBG World Book Day Competition
There is still time to enter the Borough-wide creative competition launched for World Book Day. Key Stage 3 and 4 students from Greenwich Borough schools are invited to produce a creative response to their favourite book. There are lots of possible options to choose from, whether you want to write, draw, create or even bake. The winner will receive prizes for themselves and their school. The deadline is Friday 26 March. It would be fantastic if the winner could come from Tallis! Please see the flyer attached for more information and how to apply.

Foyle Poetry Competition 2021
The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2021 is open for entries until 31 July 2021. It is free to enter and is open to poets aged 11-17 years old. Visit foyleyoungpoets.org to submit your poems.

Please read the rules very carefully. You can watch a video with tips for entry here. If you have any questions, you can talk to your English teacher, Ms. Church or email the organisers at fyp@poetrysociety.org.uk.

Spring Reading Challenge
Well done to those of you who have been completing the reading challenge during school closure. You can send your completed grids to Ms. Church on echurch@thomastallis.org.uk – you have until the Easter holidays to finish them!

Elizabeth Church, English

News from the Library
New eBooks and Audiobooks on Sora
Please have a look at some exciting new additions on Sora including the Harry Potter collection (audiobooks) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid collection (eBooks).

To access Sora

Download the Sora app (for free) or go to https://soraapp.com/library/uksecondary
Select "Thomas Tallis School"
Use your School email address and password to log in
Find a book, borrow and read! (or listen!)

Library book returns
A gentle reminder to request your child to bring their overdue library books back, we will be available at the Year Group Zones to collect book returns.

Charles Harvey and Gayle Viegas, Library

The Reading Zone’s Picture Book Competition

The Reading Zone (www.thereadingzone.com) is running a competition for pupils aged 4-18 years.

There are three age groups:
Young Creators (4-7 years)
Primary Category (7-11)
Secondary (11-18 years)

The winner from each category will receive £100 of book for their school library, plus a free online author event.

The competition is running from January until Friday 23 April and the competition will be judged by children’s author Mini Grey of The Last Wolf and Traction Man.

Specifics:

Picture books entered for the award can be made by individuals, groups or whole classes and any medica can be used.
Each picture book can be up to 24 A4 pages in length, including the cover (they can be shorter).
Books should be in portrait style (upright) rather than landscape.
Entries must arrived by Friday 23 April 2021. Each entry must have a completed Entry Form attached, which you can download at the link below. ReadingZone will send feedback a certificate to those taking part.

Download your entry form and see more information here.

Picture Book Competition Guidelines

Easter Holiday Courses at The Conservatoire
We’ve got some great stuff for secondary school aged children, including;

An Introduction to Illustration (9-14 yrs) for any budding artists, a course on how to Make Your Own Boardgame (8-14 yrs) and Improve Your Smartphone Photography- Instantly! (14-18 yrs) because, well, if we can't tear them away from their phones we might as well teach them how to use them properly.
A few very exciting drama workshops, looking at Puppetry, Smart Phone Filmmaking, and welcoming back Les Miserables stars Adam and Connor for Making A Musical (all 8-14 yrs)
There's even a couple of courses for the grown-ups too!

You can see full details on our website.

Easter Holiday course brochure

Forward