Headteacher’s Letter – 23.03.22
23rd March 2022
Dear parents and carers,
As we fast approach the start of the summer term our Year 11 and 13 students will soon be taking their examinations. We hope that full advantage will be taken over the Easter period to engage in a full revision programme and to use the various support sessions that will be running in school. The key message now is to make the remaining time count and to use time productively to ensure the success that all our students deserve.
Examinations – Years 11 + 13
Guiding and supporting students in preparing for their exams is a high priority for us. It is essential that our GCSE and A level students engage in serious revision and preparation for the forthcoming examinations over the Easter period. For some students their first examinations have already taken place with most occurring after our return from the holiday.
Revision must be planned and be effective.
Ramadan
As Ramadan approaches, I am sharing advice to students fasting during the examination period. The document is attached to this letter and can also be downloaded from the school website. In advance, I would like to wish all those fasting during this holy month Ramadan Kareem.
PE Kit
A reminder that after the Easter break, students will still be able to arrive to school in their PE kit on the days that they have PE, providing that it is the school branded PE kits only (school branded tracksuit and PE T-Shirt, black sports trainers and school blazer on top). Alternatively, the changing rooms should be re-opened and accessible to students wishing to change into their PE kit in school.
Free School Meals Vouchers
Tower Hamlets has confirmed that they will be offering a £20.00 voucher for those eligible for those vulnerable or on free school meals to cover the Easter period. Vouchers will be send via email to the primary contact email address we have on the system for your child.
Please note that this is likely be the last time that Tower Hamlets will provide the voucher, as government funding is ending in March. This may be disappointing news to parents, however Tower Hamlets will continue to run the Holiday Activities and Food programme in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.
Edulink App
After Easter we will be disabling the Parent View App. This will be replaced by Edulink, an app that many parents are already using to view their child’s information. A guide to set up Edulink can be found here https://www.stepneyallsaints.school/content/uploads/2021/10/SASS-Parent-Guide-for-Edulink-15.10.21.pdf, If you require an updated username and password, please email the school with your child’s name and form group.
Key Events for this term
Key dates for the coming months are listed below. Please check our website and social media feeds for regular updates.
Easter Holiday: 4th April – 18th April
Year 7 Parents’ Evening – 5th May
Year 12 Parents’ Evening – 25th May
Half Term: 30th May – 3rd June 2022
End of academic year 2022: 22nd July 2022
End of term arrangements
The term will end on Friday 1st April. The day will be as follows:
Periods 1, 2 and 3: Lessons
12.20pm: Students return to their form room for tutorial time
12.30pm: From 12.30pm onwards the students will be dismissed by their Head of Year
It is anticipated that all students will have left the school premises by 12.45am. Full uniform must be worn as normal.
Students may order a packed lunch from their form tutor; the order should be placed by Wednesday 30th March. Packed lunches will be available to be collected in the second floor dining hall from 12.20pm. Please can I remind you that the summer term will start on Tuesday 19th April 2022. This will be Week 2.
Easter is the most important feast of the Christian calendar and as the forty days of Lent conclude and Ramadan commences for our Muslim community, I wish you all an enjoyable break and look forward to seeing students back in school at the start of the summer term.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Woods
Headteacher
Advice to students fasting during examinations
Ramadan: The ninth month of the Muslim year, 30 days long, during which fasting is observed from sunrise to sunset
TIME MANAGEMENT
As a student time-management is an imperative skill to have in order to succeed in your endeavours.
Start preparing from now. Sleep better, be organised, wake early, have a timetable, and get used to dedicating some time to ibadah – that way when Ramadan does come it will not be a shock, rather part of the routine of productivity.
Consider reducing social visits during Ramadan when that coincides with school study and exam times.
HEALTH
- Eat healthily and balance the food from all the major food groups. If we feed our body with good food before and during Ramadan we feel better, more alert and less lethargic.
- Wake in time to have Suhur (the meal before fasting begins) every day. Avoid oily foods for Suhur and Iftar. This is the same advice you would give to students studying for an exam.
- Eat brain food: Cashew nuts, almonds, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, especially berries, citrus fruit, and peppers. Lean protein sources like grass-fed meat, poultry, fish (especially oily fish like salmon), and leafy greens.
- Keep hydrated between Iftar and Suhur. Our brains depend on proper hydration to function optimally. Brain cells require a delicate balance between water and various elements to operate, and when you lose too much water, that balance is disrupted. Your brain cells lose efficiency. When we are parched, we have more difficulty keeping our attention focused. Dehydration can impair short-term memory function and the recall of long-term memory. The ability to perform mental arithmetic is compromised when fluids are low.
- A study at the University of Aberdeen Medical School found that the combination of salts, minerals and natural sugars in some fruits and vegetables can actually hydrate people more effectively than water or even sports drinks. Watermelon was on top of the list, thanks to its 92 percent water content and essential rehydration salts calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
- A good tip to feel well rested is to mix a teaspoon of black seed oil into a hot drink, such as Chamomile tea, an hour before bed for a great night’s sleep.
- Take any prescribed medication during non-fasting hours with the permission of your doctor.
- Keeping fit is key. If our stamina is better, we cope better when fasting.
Exemptions from Fasting during Ramadan:
- A minor
- The old*
- The sick**
- Travellers**
- Pregnant women**
- Nursing women**
- Menstruating women**
- The mentally incapacitated
*Should donate a meal to the needy
**Should fast an equivalent number of days afterwards
Note: If a student who is fasting becomes ill during the day or suffers from thirst to such an extent that they would be physically affected, then it is not permissible for such a person to be fasting and they must drink and eat (and/or administer medication as appropriate) immediately to stave off harm.
“On no soul does God place a burden greater than it can bear…” (Surah 2:286)