Richmond
EDUCATIONAL CURRENT NEWS
As part of our awareness programme, at RPS we constantly revise NOS (National Online Security) measures and suggestions. We enclose some examples:
KS4 – VAPING
This guide explores the potential risks involved in vaping – a habit which is increasing in popularity among under 18s.
KS3 – FORNITE
This guide profiles the latest version of smash-hit battle royale game Fortnite. It highlights possible risks to young players including compulsive playing, audio chat with other gamers and in-game spending.
KS2 – TOWNSHIP
This guide breaks down the popular online game Township: highlighting some online safety risks and offering tips on how to help children avoid them.
KS1 – YouTube Kids
This online safety guide focusses on YouTube Kids. It highlights several tips such as disabling the search option, restricting viewing time and monitor the watch history.
EYFS – SMART TVs
This online safety guide profiles Smart TVs. As these internet-enabled entertainment systems rapidly become standard, find out how to guide children in using such devices safely.
NABSS Annual conference
The forty-sixth congress of NABSS (National Association of British Schools of Spain) was held in Valencia from 7 to 10 March 2024. As you know, this association, founded in the late 70’s by the pioneers of the implementation of the British curriculum in Spain, carries out a very important work year after year. Led by its president, Adrian Massam, the association defends the main interests of our schools, not only collaborating with the Spanish educational administration but also with the country of origin, the United Kingdom.
During these four days, among other things, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held; the main suppliers of educational resources held an exhibition and different two-day training workshops were offered to teaching staff. For us, this edition was especially relevant as it was the first opportunity for Mr. Conway, Secondary Leader, to experience all the benefits of the congress and to take advantage of the networking offered during those days.
Our CEO, Juan Pedro Gonzalez, as he does every year, attended his commitment to represent the interests of Richmond Park School at the AGM.
Special VIPEIKA – Our grain of sand in the neighbouring continent
We would like to update you on the projects we are supporting in Turkana and Pokot in Kenya.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW CENTER “OPTIMISTAS COMPROMETIDOS NURSERY”
The building of the 2 classrooms is already well advanced, pending that we get the roof cover and we will begin to plaster the walls and put sales and doors.
Construction has already begun on the kitchen building (where there is a pot on a wood fire for 120 servings), a food storage room, an office for teachers and a storage room for school supplies.
They are already sewing the 100 uniforms that are almost finished.
CONSTRUCTION OF A DORMITORY FOR 60 CHILDREN IN “CUENTO DE LUZ SCHOOL”
It is also well advanced with the walls already quite high.
We already have all the nurseries up and running with our friendly students, some of our centres.
UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS 2024/25
At this moment the Vipeika Foundation trustees in charge of the selection of the best candidates for the university scholarships are evaluating 9 candidates who have come to us with brilliant academic records in secondary education.
From the 9 candidates, 3 of them will be chosen and they will be helped with 100% of the expenses of the university career during the 4 years that the university lasts in Kenya.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN EYFS/PRIMARY AND SECONDARY?
`Rebelión en la red´
On Thursday 7 March Years 9 &10 attended the ‘Real Teatro de Retiro’ to see `Rebelión en la Red´.
This thought-provoking musical play is based on `Animal Farm´ (`Rebelión en la Granja´) by George Orwell and touches on themes of dystopia and social media. The script was written by Marta Aran, and Alberto Granados Aguilón composed the music. After the performance the students participated in a Q & A with the actors and director.
The production provoked interesting debates in Spanish & English lessons about dystopia and stagecraft in general.
Carranque
The Year 3 students recently went on an educational visit to the ‘Carranque Archaeological Centre’, where they immersed themselves in the rich history of Roman life. They had the opportunity to explore the Roman ruins and learn about the intricate mosaics that adorned them.
Additionally, the children participated in a Roman mosaic workshop at the centre. Through these activities, students gained a deeper understanding of various aspects of daily life in ancient Rome. The visit provided a valuable complement to their classroom learning, allowing them to experience history at firsthand.
Bookfair
On Friday 17 March, Richmond Park School hosted a lively and dynamic book fair that spanned the entire day. With a diverse selection of books available, ranging from timeless classics to contemporary favourites, all children had the opportunity to buy selected books that sparked their imagination and curiosity.
Parents were able to purchase books alongside their children, at the end of the day. It was an enjoyable event that celebrated the love of reading within our school community.
Reception, KS1 & KS2 author visits
During the week of our book fair, commencing 9 April, Richmond Park School was delighted to host two captivating author visits. For our youngest learners in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2, Maria Romo, author of the enchanting book ‘Ballena va llena,’ visited our school. Maria brought her story to life, captivating the infant classes with a lively reading session. Alongside her storytelling, Maria brought along charming puppets that portrayed characters from her tale. Our students enjoyed interacting with Maria and asked questions about the life of an author and the collaborative process between writer and illustrator.
We also had the pleasure of welcoming bilingual writer Laura Silva to share her inspiring work ‘The Invisible Gift’ with our students. The book explores themes of sustainability and engaged our students in a meaningful dialogue about environmental responsibility and the power of storytelling to inspire change. The `question & answer´ session complemented our ongoing sustainability project at RPS, enriching our students’ understanding and passion for the subject. Both Laura and Maria participated in a ‘book signing’ event at the book fair.
Rec in A la Par
Reception classes went on an enriching visit to Fundación A la Par, a special education institution for children and adults. Our partnership with Fundación A la Par enables our students to engage with individuals of diverse cognitive backgrounds, promoting empathy, tolerance, and invaluable experiences for our children.
During the visit, Reception children participated in guided tours, gardening activities, and interactions with some farm animals. They also participated in workshops where they learned about nature and the environment through hands-on experiences.
The day was filled with fun and learning for all involved!
Danceathon
On Friday 22 March, the primary children of Richmond Park School held a `danceathon´ that energised the school. Children and staff came dressed in their finest disco gear and danced throughout the day, when the music filled the air.
Students and teachers delighted in dancing both in and out of the classroom, spreading smiles wherever they went. Just over 1000 euros were raised for the worthy charity of Vipeika.
A heartfelt thank you to all who contributed and participated, making this day a celebration of generosity and solidarity in support of a worthy cause.
A kiln opening a whole world of possibilities
It’s difficult to describe what the ideal art classroom should look like. Many of us will have varied and hopefully fond school memories of either cluttered interiors oozing creativity from every crevice or extremely ordered, minimalistic interiors. The vision usually follows the art teachers’ specialism and the general ethos of the school and at RPS, we have had a distinct advantage of working with a blank canvas in the shape of a new build. The latest addition to the art room design has come in the guise of a new ceramics kiln which will provide opportunities for students from primary to IB Baccalaureate to explore the riches of clay, in a country particularly renowned for its expertise in the field. Just think of Majolica, Talavera and Fajalauza to start with.
Clay is an organic material and possibly the oldest art form mankind has manipulated so younger children can literally experience the same delight their earliest ancestors encountered. It has an inner memory so that each potter’s touch will be recorded in the process of creating a standard jug to a state-of-the-art statue. However, it must fire to an extremely high temperature (900-1300 ºC) so any serious artist would have to use a kiln to make their work durable and impermeable. For older students, choosing IGCSE and IB Visual Arts, the acquisition of a kiln opens the highly desirable option in specialising in 3D design. Beside this, the most immediate benefactors have been the primary Ceramics Club who initiated the first firing of the kiln last Tuesday 19 March with their wonderful collection of pots and animal sculptures which they are now in the process of glazing. May they continue their simple joy of creating for many years to come!
SPORTS
Duathlon El Prado
On 1 March Richmond Park School competed in a multi-school Duathlon event at Colegio El Prado. The event consisted of several age categories with Richmond Park School competing in the Years 5, 6 and 7 races for boys and girls.
The students performed extremely well, demonstrating excellent resilience, determination and skill throughout the event. There were several great results with the highlight being Catalina from Year 7 finishing 2nd in her particular race.
We would like to thank Colegio El Prado for its invitation, as well as all the staff, parents and students that made the day a huge success.
Volleyball tournament
Richmond Park School was invited to The Madrid School Games volleyball tournament which was hosted at St George’s School on Wednesday 6 March.
Ten boys and ten girls were able to represent the school in which was a very high-level volleyball tournament.
The tournament included St George’s, TEMS, British Council and Dallington. The day showcased some very high level games and the students from Richmond Park School performed really well against some very large, and well established schools.
The day finished with Richmond Park unfortunately losing very narrowingly to the eventual winners of the tournament, St George’s in the semi-final.
The day was full of great experiences for the students and we look forward to the next event.
Football at King’s College
On Monday 18, Tuesday 19 and Thursday 21 April Richmond Park School students in Year 7, 8 & 9 travelled to Kings College to play football. The games were very competitive and played in a very good end of term atmosphere. The students played excellent football!
A huge well done to all students involved in playing a number of really competitive matches.
HOUSES
Richmond Park School’s Houses score chart
MERCHANDISING
Richmond Park School’s merchandising
We invite you to visit our website’s section “SHOP” where you will be able to see all the merchandise with our Houses’ logos. Please remember this is a personalised service, so orders cannot be received with less than two weeks notice.
https://richmondpark.school/shop/categoria-producto/houses/
