Pupil Parliament

Pupil Parliament members met with Ms Holmes and Ms Wagstaff to share their successes this year, including organising charity fundraisers, deciding on our anti-bullying code and much more! They also shared ideas for September, inculding how we can use the outside area. 

 

Anti-Bullying Week 2022

 

The children began their week wearing odds socks to school in support of Anti- Bullying week. The whole school then took part in an assembly to introduce this year’s theme 'Reach Out' and discussed why we continue to learn about how to support each other! We spoke about what bullying is, how we can make a difference and what our Anti- Bullying code is at Mead. The children can tell you all about the ABCs!

Our Pupil Parliament expressed that they would like to cover this topic further and will host their own assembly in the coming weeks. We are also very pleased to have West End in Schools delivering workshops throughout the next two weeks, to continue to highlight why it is important to speak out. Please keep looking at the website and Facebook for updates and pictures of what your child is doing.

Congratulations to our Yr5&6 School Leaders

 

Mental Health awareness week

During mental health awareness week KS2 had an assembly to discuss what 'finding our brave' is really about.
Here are some of the keys messages that the children thought of:

• Being brave during tough times doesn’t mean holding it all in, not crying or pretending you are OK.
• Being brave during tough times doesn’t mean holding it all in, not crying or pretending you are OK.
• Being brave can also mean you have a go at something new. This could be joining a new sports club or learning a new skill.
• Being brave can also mean saying ‘no’ to something that isn’t good for our physical or mental health.
• It can also mean stepping outside of your comfort zone and challenging yourself.

The children have been reflecting upon this phrase all week and have produced some fantastic work in classes to support this very important event. 

 

Children's Mental health Week

The next Children's Mental Health Week will take place 3-9 February 2020.


Set up by children's mental health charity Place2Be, the week shines a spotlight on the importance of children and young people's mental health.


This year's theme is Find your Brave.


Please keep an eye on the blog next week to see what your child's class does to raise awareness.

Year Six Life Skills

Each term all of the children, in every year group, take part in a life skill challenge.

This term in year six they are learning how to use a washing machine.

To begin with they have had a detailed lesson on what the symbols in their clothes actually mean, what each part of the washing machine is used for and what colours not to mix!

After this the children had to complete a practical task of correctly placing in the washing powder, fabric softener and certain items of clothing. They then had to select the correct cycle and spin option before hanging the washing out to dry. Some children in Chile class were surprised how long some washes take and opted for the Fast wash to save time!

Tanisha in Chile class went home yesterday to ask her mum if she could help with the washing  as long as it was not her brothers smelly socks!



Keep an eye out for future up dates and if any of the year six do now help at home with the washing then please send a picture into year six!

This week in Y6...

This week year 6 has been has been jam packed with exciting things including...

The return of the mischievous elves, our political view on the election, the lovely Christmas productions and 

First of all, the mischievous elves gave us a unpleasant visit leading to trouble and mayhem coming up to Christmas!

On Wednesday, the whole of year 6 learnt so much about politics and got to have our own say in the Mead school year 6 election, which lead to the liberal democrats winning! It was a really fun experience learning about each party and deciding which party we would have interest in to vote for.

This Friday years 5 and 6 got a joint Christmas production, lots of parents came to see their child perform. We had a lovely cast and a brilliant choir which led to a lovely Christmas production, we are going to be performing again next Monday-and look forward to seeing you there!

From Louis and Carla,

Head boy and Head girl

Transition from primary to secondary

Please see information from Family Lives on helping pupils transition from primary to secondary.  I hope you find this useful.

https://www.familylives.org.uk/advice/secondary/learning-school/starting-secondary-school/

Year Six Team

New KS2 Play Equipment

Our KS2 pupils were delighted with the new additions to the playground this half term. Following on from the installation of the gym equipment - which was chosen by the school council - the pupils had the chance to select which elements they wanted added to the space.

We really wanted somewhere that you could use as an imagination space... the tunnels are perfect. There isn't anywhere in the playground where you can go if you want a bit of quiet time or if you want to pretend - Chloe Year 5

Many of the pupils also voted to have some equipment that allowed them to do some climbing.

We have seen the tree house in the Reception outdoor area. We wanted some equipment to climb on
- Daniel Year 4

This won't be the end of the additions to the KS2 playground. As our pupil numbers continue to grow we will add additional equipment for the children to enjoy. Sine adding:

• gym equipment
• clamber trail
• music 

we have been delighted in the increased levels of pupil activity and a reduction in any behaviour incidents. 

Newsletter 7th July 2017

Weekly Newsletter

7th July  2017

Dear Parents,

Thank you to all of the families who attended the LFPA summer fete on Saturday. There were lots of people enjoying the music, food and drink, entertainment and sunshine. All of the children had a fabulous time on the inflatables and I am sure were completely worn out by the end of it all.

The day would not have happened if it was not for all of the hard work of the LFPA executive committee and LFPA volunteers. On behalf of the whole federation community I would like to say thank you for all of your team work and efforts to ensure that fete was such a success. Once all of the pennies have been counted we will announce the grand total.

Diary Dates

Monday 10th July- School Council representatives are visiting  The Houses of Parliament

Tuesday 11th July- Some of our KS2 pupils will be going to The London Palladium to watch a production of Wind in the Willows. In the afternoon some of our older pupils will be going to Draper’s Pyrgo to represent the school  in a cricket tournament

Wednesday 12th July-Year 3 will be out of school visiting Colchester zoo. Some of our KS1 and KS2 pupils will be going to Draper’s Academy to represent Mead in the annual Spelling Bee Competition- We have been very successful in this competition in previous years and I know the children have been practising-so fingers crossed!

Thursday 13th July- The Learning Federation governors are visiting both school's on during the day visiting classes and talking with pupils. In the afternoon our Year 6 pupils will be having a ‘Drugs Talk’ presented by a local Police Officer and our Yr 3 pupils, who attended Forest Schools this year, will be leading an assembly for parents.

Friday 14th July-Picnic in the Playground. Parents/Carers are invited to join us for an afternoon of music. Feel free to bring fold up chairs/blankets to sit on and snacks/drinks-but NO alcohol. We aim to start at 13:45 and will be finished by 15:00.

You will receive your children's reports this afternoon

Sports Days

You are all invited to join us for the sports days as below. Let’s hope the sun shines so that they can all go ahead!

Drinks will be available but it would be helpful if you could ensure your child has a bottle of water on the day and a sun hat If necessary please apply sunscreen before they come to school for those taking part in morning events. Otherwise send sunscreen into school and we will ensure the children have time to apply it before they go out in the afternoon.

Monday 10th July-13:30-14:45-YR 1 Sports Day

Tuesday 11th July-9:30-12:00-LKS2  (Years 3 and 4) Sports Day

Wednesday 12th July-9:30-12:00- UKS2 (years 5 and 6) Sports Day

Wednesday 12th July-13:30-14:45-YR2 Sports Day

Friday 14th July 9:30-10:30-YR R Sports Day

Havering Catering Services

Week beginning 10th  July  is week 3 on the Havering Catering Services menu.

Key dates for the rest of the summer term

Monday 17th July 15:30-19:30 Parents Evening

Tuesday 18th July 16:30-18:00-Year 6 Oscar

Friday 21st July-Last Day of Summer term

Pupils return to school on Tuesday 5th September

Attendance Update
Well done to Brazil class who had the highest attendance in Y5&6  at  98%. Greece  had the highest attendance in LKS2 at an impressive 99% and Madagascar and Australia share the top spot for the highest attendance in KS1 and overall at 99.3% -Very well done to them!. The overall attendance improved slightly from last week to 95%. Let’s have a real effort to get nearer to our target of 96% these last few weeks of term!

Have a fabulous weekend

Mrs L. Smith

School Council: Food Bank Appeal

Our School Council have been very keen to continue the support for the local food bank. If you are able to donate food then please bring any items to the main office where they can be added to the collection.

Your support last year helped over 2290 local families benefit from support when they needed it most.

https://haroldhill.foodbank.org.uk

CIN Final Donation - £407.23

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the CIN 2016 fundraising effort this year. With your help we raised over £400 which will go to some of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

Year 6 visit to the Royal Courts of Justice

Royal Courts of Justice

Over the course of the last 2 days our year 6 children have travelled up to the Royal Courts of Justice at the Strand. Civil law cases are heard in 90 different court rooms housed in this magnificent old building. There are over 1000 rooms altogether linked by 3.5 kms of corridors. The judges use separate corridors so they don’t bump into anyone appearing before them.

The children had the opportunity to role play characters in a fictitious trial- based on a boy called Nathaniel who had robbed a shopkeeper. Some were jurors, others took the witness stand to respond to questions posed by the ‘barristers’. Callum looked amazing dressed up in the crimson judges robes.

Afterwards the children had the opportunity to pose questions to a real judge.

Phoebe said ‘ I had a fantastic day, it was fun to act out the case and I learnt so much about the justice system’.

Be Bright, Be Seen

 

 

Junior Travel ambassadors ( JTAs) from a number of Local schools all met this week at Hillene Primary school for a conference to discuss how to Be Bright, Be Seen , and stay safe on the roads.

"We were talking about how we should  wear jackets with reflective lights on, so that drivers can clearly see you when you cross the road," reported Daisy.

 

Do you know the difference between reflective and fluorescent material?

Pupils had an opportunity to 'Bling a bag' in bright materials, then test them with a light to see which materials were fluorescent and which were reflective . 

 

"I made a smiley face inside a cable car, then I added plasters to my design because if someone gets hit by a car they will be wearing plasters!" explained Elias. 

 

Always be bright and be seen!

Lots of children get injured on the roads every year because drivers just don't see them! Don't let it be YOU! 

Mead JTAs came up with a plan to help get the message across to pupils at Mead.

They would like to sell reflective snap bands for children to wear on their way to school on these dark winter days , as well as taking an assembly to teach children about the importance of 'Be Bright, Be seen' as this could help save lives.

 

We used sustainable travel to get there, walking the 8,200 steps there and back on foot! We were rewarded for our efforts with a sight of not one, but two stunning rainbows!

 

Islam!

Y4 pupils have been learning all about the Muslim religion: the 5 pillars of Islam, the prophet Mohammed, and the celebration of Eid.

Aleena and Fahdeelat, who are practicing Muslims, brought in some of their special and sacred artifacts to share with the class.

They recited one of the verses of the Quran, which they have learnt by heart.

"We like to pray 5 times a day, facing Mecca . My dad knows all of the Quran by heart. Maybe when I am older I will learn how to read it all in Arabic,"

Fahdeelat.

"Whenever I'm not busy, my auntie teaches me how to pray. She helps me learn the Quran. My brother has finished his practise book and is now half way through learning the Quran. In Morocco lots of the people are Muslims. We often go there on holiday, as that's where my dad comes from. On Fridays we go to the Mosque and pray."

Aleena

Chile trip - Sky Academy Trip

On Wednesday the pupils from Chile class had the privilege of becoming journalists, news broadcasters, editors and graphic designers when they visited the Sky Studios. They attended a workshop when they had the opportunity to write and produce their own news reports, which they then presented to the camera suitably suited and booted. They also met a few stars who inspired them!

Tyler was in the zone and claimed ‘It was the best trip ever’.

What is the Sky Academy?

Sky Academy Skills Studios is a half-day interactive learning experience giving eight to 18-year-olds the chance to use the latest broadcast technology to make a TV report on subjects they’re studying at school. 

What do they do while they are there?

The team at Sky have combined a behind-the-scenes tour with hands-on experience of the purpose-built studios. Here, the students write, produce and direct their own short news bulletin.

The young people are supported by a specialist team and staff volunteers who help them use their creativity, communication, planning and teamwork skills as they explore topics linked to the curriculum, such as cyber-bullying and natural disasters.

Where is the Sky Academy?

We currently have two Skills Studios, one in West London and one in Livingston in Central Scotland. Each has the capacity to host 12,000 young people a year.

STARS Accreditation - Gold Award!

Two pupils Elias Chawki and Abbie Harding attended the STAR accreditation ceremony in London with Mrs Harding. They were awarded the Gold star and a certificate in recognition of the work that has been done on the school travel plan. They worked with pupils from other schools to produce an action plan to ensure we continue work on promoting ways of safer travel in school.

LOOK OUT FOR THE BANNER WHICH WILL BE SOON BE DISPLAYED OUTSIDE SCHOOL        

Harold Hill Youth Summit @ Mead

In partnership with Alysha and Zoe from Free The Children our Harold Hill Schools held a Cluster Youth Summit last week. 12 pupils (6 from KS1 and 6 KS2) were selected to represent their school. which give us a group of 72.

The objective of the day was themed around the Free the Children campaign of 'We Volunteer Now'. In the morning we held workshops with the volunteering projects following in the afternoon.

Morning
Session 1 - Team building / trust activities
Session 2 - Group work regarding volunteering projects.

Afternoon
Session 3 - Volunteering projects
Session 4 - Feedback

There were 6 mini projects chosen:

1. Visiting the foodbank to help sort food
2. Visiting a local care home to talk to the residents 
3. Making cards to give out to the elderly and visiting an old folks group
4. Litter picking at Central park and making art out of the litter found
5. Organisng and running a food collection at the local supermarket
6. Making care packages for the local women's refuge

Pupils from all of the Harold Hill schools donated food and items for the care packages, without these donations the projects would not have been possible. It is amazing what our pupils can achieve together. The volunteers on the day sorted over half a tonne of food and made up over 100 care packages.

The summit's focus was to empower pupils to make an impact within their local community. The pupils learned about the issues and planned their next steps for action to create social change in their local communities.

Tanya Jones Y6 from Mead Primary School said 'I had an amazing day. I now understand my responsibility to keep my local environment clean. We had loads of fun at the park collecting the rubbish and making the art. The litter face is sad because of all of the rubbish people have thrown across the area.'


Miss Spinks, Year 3&4 lead at Mead Primary School said 'I am so proud that our pupils are leading social change in their local communities. This day has given them the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and demonstrate reciprocity by collaborating with other Harold Hill pupils.'

Terrific Travel Team !

 Commuters of the Future!

All year, the Travel Team and Junior Travel Ambassadors have worked hard to encourage pupils to cycle, scoot and walk to school. This helps to ease congestion, cut pollution, and keep our children fit and healthy. 

 Well done all of you, it's been great working with you.

What have you achieved...

18% reduction in numbers of pupils coming to school by car

15% increase in number of pupils cycling more than once a week

20% increase in number of pupils coming to the Biker's Breakfast