Dear Parents and Carers,

This will be my final transition tip for this term but I will be in touch over the summer should any of the following information need to be updated.  Please be assured we will be following the government guidance closely and will be doing everything we can to keep OPGS students and staff safe in September.

The first day of term will be Thursday 3^rd September for the new Year 7s. Students will need to be in school by 8.30am and will be dismissed at 2.45pm.  I will be sending you all some further instructions around arrival at school and dismissal at the end of the day nearer the time.  For the first two days, only Year 7 and Year 12 will be in school.  This will allow us to work with the students to acclimatise them to Oakwood Park Grammar School and help with transition to secondary school.  Although this will mean they are able to have extra attention in school, it does present a challenge for any students who may be travelling on public transport, as there will not be older students in uniform to follow along with.  It is therefore really important that students know where to get off of the bus and where to go to get onto the school site, and similarly in reverse for the way home after school.  Please do have a rehearsal of this over the summer, if it applies to your son!

On Thursday 3^rd and Friday 4^th September, all students will be offered a free school meal. They can of course bring a packed lunch if you/they prefer.  They will be issued with their tie, any equipment you may have ordered from the school, their lunch fob, all of their log on details and some details for you about signing up for school systems. 

Over the summer I have two tasks for students to complete:

• Pupil profile
  • The attached PowePoint slide can be completed if you are happy for your son to do so.  It has some information about him to complete, with a picture if he would like to add one, and if you return this by email to office@opgs.org by  Monday 10^th August then I will collate them into form groups and the information will be shared with just the students who are in the same form as your son.  Hopefully this will allow him to recognise some faces in September!
• OPGS Family Project
  • Every year we set our new students a family project to work on over the summer.  Usually, Miss Goodhew would have spoken to you about this at our transition information evening – however this year she has recorded a short video explaining the task: https://youtu.be/ABVZhC1TFO4
    The project should be brought into school in September – but definitely not on the first day! 
    We will give the students some instructions about submission in September.

We have plenty of other activities on offer to help keep students occupied over the summer break.  On the transition section of the school website you will find the transition booklet (slightly hidden under transition tips week 1), all of my previous transition tips and activities, the virtual tour of the school and information video, enrichment activities and the virtual taster day – both of these are excellent resources for any boys who might complain about being bored over the summer holidays!  https://www.opgs.org/year-6-7-transition/

If you have not yet had a look at these resources I would definitely recommend doing so over the summer.

I am sure that both you and your child will have some feelings of anxiety and trepidation about the forthcoming change.  It is completely understandable and natural to have these feelings, so please do attempt not to worry too much! Try to be calm and hide any of your personal anxieties from your children as they may pick up on these.  Encourage your son to verbalise his worries (if he has any!) as I am sure that they can be easily eased – positivity is key.

We wish you all the very best with this exciting new chapter in your child’s life!

Please do get in contact if you have any further queries or concerns. 

Enjoy your summer!

Miss Beeney

Activity for Parents/Carers

• Acknowledge any sadness your son may have about leaving but remember to stay positive about the exciting new school.
• Remember to keep talking about secondary school over the summer and to look through any of the transition information completed. 
• Revisit any travel plans if needed.
• Help your son to complete the OPGS family project.
• Return the pupil profile, by email, by Monday 10^th August if you would like your son to be included in the class information pack.

Pupils  

• Return to and re-complete the Activity on page 8 of the transition booklet
• Fill in your pupil profile if your parents are happy for you to do so – this need to be returned if you are going to be included by Monday 10^th August.
• Watch the family project video and plan your family project.