What a busy half term we have planned!

Welcome back to a very busy half term.  The children settled back in very well last week and are really working hard and challenging themselves!  We hope you all had a good weekend last weekend and enjoyed bonfires and fireworks.  We have lots planned over the next few weeks so we thought it would be good to share some of what is happening as well as having them on the calendar.

On Friday we are having a Remembrance Day focus.  Poppies are available in school if children would like to donate money for one.  We also have other badges and wrist bands if children would like to purchase them (they cost between 50p and £1).  Our Year 6 children will be going round school each day so children can get a poppy or buy the other items.

Next Tuesday 14th November we are having an open day to give you an opportunity to see learning in school.  So, if you can, please come and join in with our literacy, maths and topic sessions.  It would be great to see you. It is also Foss Class assembly and you are very welcome. It will be a great time for the children to show off their learning to you!

Because we have a staff training day next Friday (17th November) we will be having a Children in Need Bake Off at the end of the day.  Teachers will be making buns to sell and if you would like to donate any, we would be very grateful.  Buns will cost 25p each.  Also, if children would like to bring any loose copper they have to donate, we are trying to fill a Pudsey Bear shape in school.

This week you should have received a letter about our whole school trip to Hull on Tuesday 21st November during our ‘Learning Through Culture’ week which should be great.  We are finding as many opportunities for our children to experience different things and this will be a good opportunity for them to visit museums and galleries and soak up the culture of Hull.  It should be a great trip!

On Thursday we will be sending out letters to invite you to parent teacher meetings during the week commencing 20th November.  This will be a good time to meet and discuss your child’s progress since September.  Your child is also invited to discuss how they are feeling their learning is progressing in school too.  During these meetings teachers will be showing you BLOOMZ, which will replace our text messages and we would like you to register on the night so we can start using it as soon as we can.  If you already haven’t done so, we would also like you to subscribe to our website as we are now sending latest updates of news rather than paper newsletters.    

As we head towards Christmas we have our whole school nativity planned for Tuesday 12th December.  Every child will be taking part and it should be a really part of our Christmas celebrations a well as our Christmas lunch, parties and disco.  We have changed the date of our disco to Tuesday 19th December so hope children can still make it.  More details about all those events will follow.

Our PTA are an important part of our school and without their fundraising we would not be able to have extra resources and events in school.  On Friday 8th December they will be holding a Christmas Fair in school and get all children involved in preparing for the fair.  More details of times will follow but in preparation we would like to invite children to come to school in non-uniform on Friday 24th November and bring a donation for the tombola.  

Before we broke up for half term we held a parent forum in school.  Thank you to those who could attend and give their ideas and thoughts.  It is always good to get your views and thrash out ideas.  We discussed planners, homework and BLOOMZ, our new communication app.  There were some great ideas and as result of the meeting we will now be sending out updates on our website of what is happening each week in classes, including what spellings the class is working on that week.  Signing of planners by teachers also came up during discussion and should now be initialled by one of the teachers in class each day to acknowledge when a child has read.

Homework was discussed as we feel that homework has to have an impact on learning otherwise children struggle to see the purpose of it.  During the meeting parents gave their views on homework and what would work well for them.  As a result, we are trialling giving children small chunks of homework every day from Monday to Thursday.  The homework should not take long and will involve a small amount of maths and literacy and reading for children to complete each night.  Children will then read one more time before Monday and no further homework will be set over the weekend freeing up their weekend.  We hope this works better for our children and has a bigger impact in school so we welcome your views on how you feel it is going.

We are still also hoping to have nursery provision in the coming year and are now in the process of finding out how many families would be interested in sending their child to nursery here.  The nursery will be run by a teacher and it will be a great stepping stone for the children in to school.  If you know anyone who may be interested, please would you pass on this information.  We will be having an open afternoon for the nursery on Monday 20th November from 1pm.  Families can come along, see what we have to offer and ‘stay and play’.  If you are interested, please let us know.  There will be fliers going out to families too.  

We would also like to provide wrap around care with two sessions:  one from 7.30am to 8.55am and one from 3.30pm to 6pm.  A flyer will also be sent out to see how many families would be interested.  We are hoping that we can start this as soon into the new year as possible.  

Lastly, Ebor Academy Trust like to sponsor a charity each year and this year we are donating towards ‘Project Mala’ which is a charity that supports children to get to school and away from child labour.  It is a fantastic charity and to give our support we will be holding a non-uniform day on Friday 1st December and encouraging children to give some pocket money (up to £1) towards the charity.  Whatever we raise the ‘Big Give’ will double our donation which will be brilliant.  Please click on the link below to find more about the charity:

https://www.projectmala.org.uk/gb/about-us

We will be talking to the children about the charity and anything we raise will go to such a good cause.   

So busy half term ahead and then we can enjoy all the Christmas festivities with family and friends.  What an exciting few weeks ahead!!

Mrs Fletcher