Weekly Newsletter
5th January 2018
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year
I would like to wish a happy New Year to you all and I hope that you all enjoyed a relaxing and restful break. This year we want all of our children to be stronger, braver and kinder. If they achieve all this they will be unstoppable and this will be their best year yet! Together we can help our pupils achieve this. I am very excited about, what I am sure will be an amazing 2018.
Diary Dates
Monday 8th January- Year 3 are visiting the Natural History Museum and at 15:00 Alison Shorter will be meeting with year 3 parents whose children have been selected to attend Forest Schools this term. Some of our year 5&6 children will be taking part in a healthy relationships project with Broadford pupils on Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday 10th January -First Forest Schools session for this term during the afternoon
Thursday 11th January-The Dog’s Trust will be in school delivering workshops to our year 6 pupils and the Harry Potter will be watching film 3 during the afternoon
School Census
In the month of January we complete the school census which determines the amount of funding the school receives.
For every pupil who is eligible for Free School Meals, our school receives funding of £1,300 per year for six years. Even KS1 children who receive Universal Free School Meals may still be eligible for this funding. If your child is eligible for this funding you would also receive:
- £40 voucher per child, per year to assist with the cost of school uniform redeemable at Premier Schoolwear.
- Assistance with contributions towards school trips and residential visits.
- After school clubs can continue to be free of charge.
If you are receipt of one of the following you are eligible. Please visit the school office and see Mrs Parker.
- Income Support
- Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income related employment and support allowance
- Support under part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
- Child Tax Credit ( provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and whose annual income (as assessed by the Revenue and Customs) does not exceed £16,190.
Havering Catering Services are putting on a special menu on 18th January (Census Day) as our funding is also determined by the uptake of school meals on that day-See below
MENU FOR THURSDAY 18TH JANUARY 2018-CENSUS DAY
Red - pork sausages
Blue - chicken nuggets
Green - cheese and tomato pizza
Potato smiles
Pasta
Broccoli
Baked beans
Sprinkled iced sponge
Pupil Jobs and Homework Expectations
As it is a new year we thought it would be a good time to revisit our pupil, parents and staff expectations.
Pupils are expected to:
1. Turn up every day on time
2. Do their best in every lesson
3. Be kind and polite to everyone that they meet
Parents and carers are expected to:
1. Ensure that our children arrive on time for school and ready to learn:
a. Will have provided children with a healthy breakfast
b. Ensure they have warm clean clothing
c. Make sure they have the right equipment for school (book bag, reading record, PE kit)
2. We will support our children’s learning at home through:
a. Reading regularly
b. Helping them to practise their spellings and mental maths
c. Encouraging them in their interests
3. We will model politeness and kindness to every-one we meet
We will ensure that our staff are professional, approachable and focused on making sure that every child in their care achieves their full potential. Working together we can continue to deliver outstanding results for our pupils so that they have every chance of going on to succeed at the next stage of their education.
All pupils are expected to continue their learning at home. For children in years 1-6 there are three core elements for this:
- Pupils must read every night 15 mins (this may involve an adult reading them a bedtime story)
- Pupils must practise their spellings for 15 mins ready for the test on Friday
- Pupils must practise their times tables for 15 mins a night
In addition to this we have a Homework Bingo/Learning Challenge which is set by every Year group. This helps to give ideas on how the children can enrich their learning by looking at specific paintings, composers, poems and significant people. We would anticipate that it takes around 4-6 weeks for your child to complete the activities. They choose to do this and can take on as many elements as they wish.
Shared mailboxes and communication
Don’t forget that you can contact staff using the shared mailboxes. They are checked daily and can be used to ask questions, pass on information or check details:
We are always happy to answer any questions you may have. I will be on the gate every morning for you to speak to in person. Most morning you will also be able to find Mrs Pidgeon, Miss Calitz or Mrs Kinchella to help you with any enquiries. If you would prefer an appointment please call into the office to arrange a time.
Reception Admissions September 2018
If your child is looking to join our school in Reception 2018 it is vital that you get your application completed by 15th January or it is likely you will miss out. YOU MUST APPLY! Attending our Nursery will have no impact on your application. Many parents mistakenly believe that a place in the Nursery = a place in Reception… it doesn’t!
Havering Catering Services
Week beginning 8th January is week 1 on the havering catering Services menu. All meals are served with unlimited salad and vegetables and cost £2.20.
Attendance Update
Well done to U.S.A class who had the highest attendance in Y5&6 at 95.2% . N. Ireland had the highest attendance in LKS2 and at 96.6% and Egypt had the highest attendance in KS1 and overall at 96.7%. Well done to them!. The overall attendance was very disappointing at only 91% which is well below our target but I believe can be attributed to (not excused by) the very early return after the New Year (On Tuesday we had over 100 pupils absent from school!)
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of regular attendance:
- Attendance has a direct link to attainment. If a child is not in school regularly they are not fully accessing the curriculum and learning opportunities available to them.
- Achieving at school builds a child’s self-esteem, as well as enhancing their future prospects.
- Attending school and being part of the school’s community gives a child a sense of belonging and promotes their social development.
- Spending time with school staff teaches a child about society’s expectations with regards to behaviour and how to communicate with people in authority preparing them for adult life.
- Attending school gives a child the opportunity to experience positive separation from their parent(s)/carer(s), which builds their confidence and resistance
If you need further clarification or have any questions regarding attendance please contact Mrs Kinchella
Have a fabulous weekend.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs L Smith
Headteacher
Headteacher
