Category: notices

Volunteering from home

Volunteering in lockdown is a challenge. Even when lockdown ends it will take time for charities and other opportunities to get going again.

Start something now that you can “develop” or adapt into the community once lockdown ends.

Read our Volunteering page for lots of ideas (scroll down to see lockdown help).

Below are some more ideas to help you, these are from the dofe website so these are officially OK.

In addition, look at this page on remote volunteering… https://www.dofe.org/thelatest/how-to-volunteer-remotely/

Hope these help to get you started on Volunteering from home. However, if you need help do contact staff at school.

DofE this term

As per bulletin, arrangements for this term for students doing DofE are as follows:

All award levels spend this term planning their summer expeditions.  Attendance at planning meets is registered and is a mandatory requirement to join an expedition.

See PERKY criteria for details.

  • NEW Bronze 3 Years: Thursday assembly, then Concert Hall 1:30pm Thurs to “find out more” and pick up enrolment letters ; enrolment decision and letter required soon after and certainly before Half Term; Bronze groups will meet every Thursday lunchtime this term to plan first practice expeditions May4-5: muster in Concert Hall each Tuesday 1:20pm prompt.
  • SILVER training 4 Year: Tuesday lunchtimes starting January 14th 1:15pm – 2:10pm Geography Rooms
  • SILVER qualifying 5 Year: Tuesdays 4-5:30pm D1 starting AFTER MOCKS on Tuesday 21 Jan 
  • GOLD L6 qualifying/training/Morocco  (canoe and hiking): Tuesdays 4-5:30pm Geog Room 14&15

DEADLINE for completion of all expedition planning requirements checked and submitted correctly: Friday 14 March (please refer to PERKY criteria)

DEADLINE for students to complete and submit all AWARD sections correctly on  eDofE  FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14TH (First Aid 4th years have special extension to 14 March, so long as all other sections are complete by 14 Feb)

Apologies for this rash of deadlines.  They are necessary so that everyone is clear on what is required and by when to avoid disappointment and permit success for those who are keen to get their award.  As usual, if there are any individual snags or problems, please contact MrC at school: email, DofE Office open every lunchtime and for a while after school.  Also, please keep in touch with dofe on Twitter @RGSdofe , Facebook and this blog!

DEADLINE FOR FINISHING YOUR AWARD!!

The Award Presentation evening is Friday 25 April 2013.  To be sure of getting your award at that evening you must finish your award by the DEADLINE.

The deadline for completing your award (Bronze, Silver or Gold) is Friday FEBRUARY 14 2014* before half term.  To get your award you must, by then, have…

submitted for approval all sections on eDofE and updated everything.

assessors comments written and scanned into eDofE and submitted for approval as an assessors comment

written in AIMS and GOALS on your expedition section and handed into the dofe office your EXPEDITION REPORT

returned all KIT

Any sections incomplete or dates or activities inconsistent with the rules cannot be accepted.  Please check WELL before the deadline to see if your award is OK and update eDofE NOW to ensure success!

*Bronze students doing first aid and Silver students doing sign language have an extended deadline which is Friday 14 March

This week …

Update:  GOLD alternative training hike date has changed: we are now looking at Sat 14 June – Tues 17 June: I will confirm this at the L6 meet Thursday.

new FOLLOW @RGSDOFE ON TWITTER! KEEP UP TO DATE!

This term is all about targeting your DofE activities outside school and getting up to date with eDofE.  Bronze dofe 4th year students should aim to complete their Bronze award by Christmas and sign up their edofe pages for approval soon thereafter.  You must complete Bronze to start Silver..which will start next term, around Jan.

Tuesday 5 November meets:

L6 Award leaders: meet D1 4:00-5:30pm every Tuesday this term!

U6 Award leaders: please meet for debrief re-leadership at 4:00pm D1: this will be about 20mins.

5th Form: sign language continues as usual

4th Year bronze start First Aid Tuesday 12 November

Others:

Night Hike L6 award leaders Fri 15 November 4-10pm

Also: L6 please meet this THURSDAY LUNCHTIME 1:30pm for briefing on what will happen about your GOLD dofe expedition. 

Thanks

any snags

see SAC!

GOLD HIKE CANCELLED

The Gold training expedition due to leave Monday is now cancelled due to severe weather forecast on departure and ongoing stormy conditions in the mountains we are visiting for the rest of the week.

I will try and contact everyone involved but please spread the word.

A suggested alternative date is around 10-14 July.  Keep this free.

Call me or email me or text me if you would like more info.

MrC

Meets this week…are YOU ready for your Gold expeditions?

Mr C says… Well done Bronze students!

PARENTS AND STUDENTS… FOLLOW ALL DOFE ACTION ON OUR NEW LIVE TWITTER FEED @RGSdofe

This week sees the LAST meeting for Gold L6 training expedition planning to Wales in half term. The meeting on Thursday is compulsory to help ensure a safe and well organised late season mountain expedition to S Wales.

BRONZE 4th years will collect EXPEDITION REPORTS on Tuesday which must be finished and handed in to dofe office by this Friday 18 October half term to qualify.

All meets this week as follows:
Tuesday
Bronze 4th year de-brief and How to Finish Bronze meet 4-5pm Concert Hall L6 award leaders attend too.
Morocco Expedition Parents and student meeting Recital Room 7:00pm
Sign Language 4-5pm Room 12

Thursday
GOLD L6 FINAL training expedition meet 1:15pm D1 compulsory attendance! Safety and emergency response, final plans and letters.

Important: L6 Gold: letters about this expedition went out last week: please check mail and get a letter (with consent form) from DofE office this week if you have not got one.

DofE Final Expedition planning: compulsory sessions!

DofE Tuesday 1st October FINAL OCTOBER EXPEDITION PLANNING

Bronze meet Concert Hall 4.00pm: FINAL route planning, menus and kit lists: bring pencils and pens:

NOTE: BRONZE 4TH YEAR YOU WILL FINISH EARLIER BY 4:45PM BUT MUST HAVE EVERYTHING COMPLETED BEFORE YOUR GROUP WILL BE ALLOWED TO GO.

Gold U6 award leaders: meet 4.00pm concert hall

L6 PROBATIONARY AWARD LEADERS MEET 4.00PM CONCERT HALL

GOLD L6 Morocco expedition groups meet ROOM 15 4.00pm AND COMPLETE AND SUBMIT YOUR ROUTES AND ROUTE CARDS TO DOFE STAFF BY 5:00PM

Silver 5th form SIGN language Room 12

Silver BRIDGE Room 13 BRING YOUR RECORD BOOKS FOR SIGNING

5th Form Silver: you will have a dofe team-building and skills event on Activities Day on 11 October.  Letters went out LAST week, please return the reply slip asap. This event is a compulsory school day and you are expected to attend. 

THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER

L6 GOLD – FINAL ROUTE PLANNING FOR OCTOBER EXPEDITION: LAST SESSION TO GET THIS COMPLETED (further sessions on remaining Thursday to do kit, food, safety, emergencies, etc)

Any snags… please contact sac@reigategrammar.org

AUTUMN TERM DofE schedule

Hi DofE students and parents,

This half term is rather short.  Those planning October expeditions or training groups for October expeditions must attend all sessions listed below or risk being dropped from groups.  See the all new PERKY RGS DofE Gold Award Scheme 2013 (1) rules (Gold but applies to all levels).  Plus, as usual, please consult DATES! page and expedition training pages for more details. Also, kit list here.

ALL DofE students must keep their eDofE pages up to date and current.  Email any snags to SAC at the earliest opportunity.

All Awards are now passed through your eDofE page so all sections must be completed BY YOU on eDofE to earn your award.

Attendance at DofE meetings is compulsory and will be registered.  Email sac@reigategrammar.org in good time if absence completely unavoidable. Persistant non-attendances will mean losing your place on expeditions and no further dofe 😦

This is a provisional schedule: things can change so please listen out and stay in touch by visiting this site.

Communication is the key to stay ahead with your DofE and to finish it successfully.  Email, blog, twitter (@RGSdofe is embryonic) , Facebook, mobile, bulletin, letters and visiting DofE Office any lunchtime are all ways that YOU can know what is going on.  If in any doubt please contact me or ALW or KSH for an update.

Note: canoe groups of all levels should attend all meets to get info on their training schedules.

4th Year Bronze

Training EVERY Tuesday 4-5.30pm
Starts Tuesday 10 Sept: meet Concert Hall
Bronze Qualifying expedition 11-12 October (Activities Day Fri)

FIRST AID: starts SECOND week after half term Tuesday 12th November 4-5.30pm continues for 12 weeks after that: must attend every session!

5th Year Silver
DofE Team Building Day Fri 11 October all day. Starts from RGS: LETTERS LATER THIS TERM.

No Tuesday training this half term: planning for Silver qualifying starts after MOCKS in Spring Term.

Finish your skill, service and sport. Update eDofE.

Sign Language SKILL: starts Tuesday Sept 10 4-5pm for 12 weeks

Bridge course: check back for updates: STARTS Tuesday 17 Sept 4-5pm in Room 14 for 12 weeks

NEW L6 Gold ENROLMENT
GOLD ENROLMENT: Thursday 5th SEPTEMBER LUNCHTIME D1 1.30PM
*Deadline for enrolment forms returned Thursday 26 Sept. (*quota may be applied)
PLANNING MEETINGS EVERY THURSDAY LUNCHTIME D1 1.20PM
GOLD Training Expedition Mon Oct 28 – Thurs Oct 31
Award leaders recruited and briefed at these meets.

Night Hike Fri November 15  4-10pm: for Award Leaders

L6 GOLD Morocco expedition Feb 2014

Attend all of the above plus these *provisional dates subject to change by Far Frontiers:

*Planning: Tuesday 24 Sept 4-5.30pm

*Morocco Parents Evening Tuesday 15 October 7.00pm venue tba

U6 Gold

AWARD LEADERS: train your groups EVERY Tuesday 4-5.30pm until half term. Meet Concert Hall 4pm Tuesday 10 Sept.

 

Weather advisory for Silver qualifying expedition

@RGSweather has been predicting a HEAT WAVE for over a week now for this weekend and warming up through next week.

Updates rgsweather.to/weather

WARNING: Shade temperatures will reach the high 20’sC and could even approach 30C!

heat wave advisory

Strong sun, lack of breeze, high temperatures and a LACK OF TREE COVER or much shelter or shade on the South Downs is a hazardous recipe for hikers.

Heat exhaustion and sun stroke are possible risks and are very serious conditions.

Sun stroke is essentially brain damage and can develop rapidly and become very serious indeed.

Sun burn is an additional risk and easily avoided.

PLEASE PREPARE PROPERLY AS FOLLOWS:

Carry plenty of your own water.  2 litres PER PERSON recommended.  Back-up minibus and fill-up points are available but sparsely located.

  • WATER BOTTLE 1-2 LITRES COMPULSORY
  • SUN HAT/ HEAD PROTECTION COMPULSORY
  • SUN CREAM OWN SUPPLY APPLIED COMPULSORY
  • LONG SLEEVE LIGHT COTTON CLOTHING + LONG TROUSERS (+T-shirts & shorts)

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Heat-exhaustion-and-heatstroke/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

more info will be issued when you pick up your KIT.

UV levels