20 December 2010

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope that your preparations for Christmas have not been unduly effected by the
country’s strained economy. As I commented this time last year, the country’s
financial situation reinforces the need for a good and sound education that offers the
acquisition of essential skills such as resilience and resourcefulness and promotes
good learning through developing perseverance, curiosity, self-knowledge and
collaboration.

As usual much has happened this term to endorse this belief that I hope your
daughter/son has benefited from; and I hope that Christ’s Chronicles, our re-
launched website, ParentMail and texts together with opportunities on Facebook and
Twitter allow you to keep up to date with everything that is happening and about to
happen. In particular, with all the potential opportunities available to Christ’s, I would
welcome feedback via our Facebook group page that can be accessed via our
website.

At the end of November, after the feast of Christ the King, we held our annual
Awards Evening at St Mary Magdalene Church in Richmond with the Lord Patten of
Barnes, as our guest of honour. It was a wonderful celebratory evening which re-
enforced the progress being made by our learning community.

We also held a Celebration Assembly at the end of last week celebrating our
students’ successes academically, for 100% attendance and for contributions to the
school community. Ella McMillan was congratulated for her winning design for the
school Christmas card as chosen by the staff. It was a hard task as there were many
entries with some excellent art work; we thank all our students who took part.

Congratulations to our Volleyball teams as both the girls and the boys became
Borough champions earlier this term at the finals held at Hampton School. In
addition, Connor Patterson, year 9, recently won the Borough Cross Country
Championship and will now go on to compete for Richmond in the Middlesex
Championships in February. We wish him every success.

The Year 11 Prefects organised and hosted a wonderful Christmas Tea Party at
school for the residents of the Hickey Almshouses on Shene Road. About twenty
older citizens attended – including some in their nineties and one former student of St
Mary Magdalene’s one of the schools that preceded Christ’s. It was an excellent
afternoon and I was so proud of the students who put on such a great time for their
guests.

At the end of term we say good bye and thank you to Ms Errington and Ms Kat from
the Science department. We wish them well in the future. In addition we wish Ms
Bromly well as she takes maternity leave early in January. These departures mean
that there will be some changes to the pastoral structure. Ms Humberstone will take
over as Head of Year 11 and Mrs Harris will take over Head of Year 8.
Headteacher: Richard Burke MA

Queens Road Richmond upon Thames Surrey TW10 6HW

Tel: 020 8940 6982 Fax: 020 8332 6085 Email: info@christs.richmond.sch.uk
www.christs.richmond.sch.uk
During Christmas break please reflect on the Autumn term with your daughter/son.
Check their uniform to ensure that it complies with our expectations – if in doubt ask
your child’s form tutor or refer to the school website or your child’s diary. Footwear
should be formal school shoes – not boots or trainers/leisure shoes. Trousers for
both girls and boys should be plain black. Jeans style trousers or those made of
canvas are not acceptable nor are the skinny leggings style. Blazers should be worn
with overcoats, not replaced by them, and have the school badge on the breast
pocket. Hair should be of an appropriate length and cut to a traditional style – there
should be no tram lines or other unusual deviations. The only acceptable piercings
are a single plain stud in the lobe of each ear. I am also concerned that some girls
skirt lengths are inappropriate; please ensure that they are no more than 4 cm above
the knee. Also girls should wear plain black or nude tights and not leggings with
socks. Students in incorrect uniform will be sent home to change.

Please consult the homework diary about the use of mobile phones in school. They
should not be seen unless specifically requested by a member of staff. Students
should use their diary as a planning and organisation tool, not as a doodle or sketch
book. Students who deface their diaries or allow them to disintegrate will have to
replace them at a cost of £5.00. The diary is a useful record and should not have to
be replaced. Thank you to those parents who do check and sign it every week and
use it to communicate with their form tutor. It should be something that your child is
proud to show you or anybody else.

I would like to reiterate that it is our policy at Christ’s not to authorise family holidays
during term-time unless there are particularly exceptional reasons for doing so, and
that we do intend to work with the Education Welfare Officer and LA to improve our
attendance, to benefit every child in our school.

Term ends on Tuesday 21 December from the Carol Service at approximately

12.00noon in time for the celebration of Christmas. The new term begins in 2011 on
Tuesday 4 January at 8.30am.

Thank you for your continued support over the year. It is very much appreciated. I
hope that your Christmas break will be both happy and holy and a time for your
families to enjoy. Best wishes, too, for a successful 2011.

Yours faithfully

R.E. Burke
Headteacher

Headteacher: Richard Burke MA

Queens Road Richmond upon Thames Surrey TW10 6HW

Tel: 020 8940 6982 Fax: 020 8332 6085 Email: info@christs.richmond.sch.uk
www.christs.richmond.sch.uk