Newsletter 8: 20^th October 2017

‘The best that I can be’

Healthy Lunches

Thank you for providing your children with healthier options in their packed lunches. Please continue with this after half term, as it is really important that children get into healthy eating habits whilst they are still young.

Individual and Sibling Photos

Please return orders and payments for your child’s photos by Monday 30th October.

Breakfast Club and After School Care

We have had very positive feedback from children and parents about the provision. There are still spaces, so please take advantage of the facility if you need childcare before or after school. Parents have asked if they can use the clubs in an emergency. This will be possible, as long as we have all the required emergency contacts and information. In addition, some parents have asked if they can pay weekly, rather than half termly. We are happy to accommodate this, put please let us know the week before which sessions you wish your child to attend so that we can put them on the register. You should also pay for the week on sQuid before your child attends.

Attendance and Punctuality

Please ensure that your child is in school every day (unless they are unwell). Sadly, we are seeing an increase in families taking their children out for holidays and odd days out and some are even asking their children to tell us that they have been unwell. This sends the wrong message to children about the importance of school and the importance of being truthful (which is one of our core Christian values). If you have problems in the morning due to dropping off children in other schools, please use our Breakfast club and drop your child off here to avoid them being late. School begins at 8.55am, but the children enter the building at 8.45am.

SATs results 2017

KS1 and 2 SATs results will be published in November. Unfortunately, last year’s Year 6 had a turbulent year and did not perform as well in the tests as we had hoped. There were a few children who were very close to reaching the expected standard, but missed it by 1 or 2 marks. Due to the small size of the cohort, each child’s results have a huge impact on the overall percentage of children achieving the expected standards in all 3 subjects (Reading, Writing and Maths). Please be assured that we have put the necessary support in place to ensure that next year’s results are an improvement on this year’s. Fortunately, the government have listened to the teaching profession and have made the requirements for a child to reach expected standards in writing at KS1 and KS2 more realistic, with a stronger emphasis on composition of writing.

Dame Tipping Gospel Choir

The choir will next meet on Wednesday 1st November, 6.30pm at the school. After half term we will start rehearsing for our Christmas singing evening, which will take place in December. Come and join us !

Harvest Festival

Thank you for your generous harvest gifts. We have already received one thank you note from one of the retired people of the village. We also raised £43 for Tear Fund.

Winter Uniform After Half Term

If your child is in Year 1-6, they must wear winter uniform after half term. This means a shirt and tie and NO polo shirts. Trousers and skirts should be grey and socks and tights should be grey or black.

Please ensure that ties are burgundy and gold (not burgundy and white) as these are our school colours.

Commendations 

Reception- Noah Chen, for good use of Makaton in class.

Class 1&2- Demi- Bleu Strunkey, for showing friendship to her peers by helping them with their work.

Caiden Boorman, for persevering with learning his number bonds.

Class 3&4- Caleb Chen, for having an amazing attitude to learning and always trying his best

Class 5&6- Abigail Lee, for a great improvement in her attitude to learning.

Work of The Week 

Reception- Arthur Parrish, for telling the story of the Little Red Hen in great detail.

Class 1&2- Isabelle Mahoney, for working independently and maths and continuing even after the lesson had finished.

Class 3&4- Lexi Webb, for fantastic work on reasoning about subtraction in maths.

Class 5&6- Faye Newman, for her explanation of multiplication of fractions.

Achievements :

Spelling prizes were awarded to Aaron Hick, Ruth Airen and Amber Gordon.

Attendance

Reception-  98.57% ; Class 1&2- 95% ; Class 3&4- 98.14% ; Class 5&6- 94.23%

Dates for the Diary

Wednesday 8th November- Reception Termly Learning Conferences 3.00-6.30pm

Monday 20th and Friday 24th November- Prospective parents open morning- 9.30am

Thursday 14th December- Reception and Class 1/2 Nativity

Friday 15th December- ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- Brentwood Theatre

Monday 18th December- Class 5/6 Pantomime

Mrs. Kathryn Waters