Newsletters

Friday 6th October 2023

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This week we have been looking for children who have worked well collaboratively. Good thinkers collaborate and communicate. They work productively with other people, valuing different points of view. They are willing to change their mind when presented with convincing arguments. They know when to seek help, when to support others, when to speak up and when to compromise.

Congratulations to our Collaborative learners this week

Amelia, Paul, Lula, Holly, Abigail and William

Our House Captains, Ollie and Malcolm, prepared a fantastic presentation on our next Maker Spirit

Being creative

Children that work creatively are successful at:

Solving problems.
Thinking critically.
Retaining information.
Exhibiting deeper comprehension.
Making connections across subjects

We will be looking for children who show originality and imagination in solving problems and developing new ideas.

On Tuesday 10^th October we shall be celebrating our Harvest Festival. This shall take place in church at 2pm. Each year group from Early Years to Year 6 will share a song, poem or drama. It will be a great opportunity to celebrate together.

We will also be taking donations of food, to the local food bank at Grace Church, in Handsworth. We would really appreciate any donations of dried food (tins or packets) that you can make. All items should be unopened, in date and in good condition. If you would like to contribute, please send any donations into school with your child before half term.

Parent's Evening (Reception to Year 6) October 2023

This term we will be offering an opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher. The purpose behind our first Parents’ Evening will be to talk through how your child has settled into their new class, their learning behaviours and how to support your child at home. This terms Parents’ Evening will be across two days:

Tuesday 17^th October (3:30pm - 6:00pm)

Thursday 19^th October (3:30pm - 6:00pm)

You will receive an appointment from your class teacher on class dojo. If you are unable to attend at the allocated time, please send a Dojo message or contact the office so that a suitable alternative can be arranged. Please be aware that appointments are strictly 10 minutes and you will need to arrive in good time. If you require any further discussion beyond the initial meeting, you must make a separate appointment with your child’s class teacher

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher.

Black History Month

Black History Month has been marked in the UK for more than 30 years. It takes place during the month of October. It is held to highlight and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the black community in the UK. So often in the past, the contributions made by black people to the community were ignored or played down because black people weren't treated the same way as other people because of the colour of their skin.

Black History Month aims to address this unfairness, by celebrating the achievements and contributions of the black community over the years. Throughout history, black people have made huge contributions to society in the fields of art, music, science, literature and many more areas.

Class teachers have planned a series of lessons, activities and assemblies to take place in October designed to explore this area of the curriculum. Your child will be learning about key black historical figures throughout this month and will develop their knowledge around the abundance of differences that make up our rich culture in England. They will also be able to detail exactly where those influences originated.

Regular school attendance - why it is so important

Going to school regularly is important to your child's future. For example, children who miss school frequently can fall behind with their work and do less well in exams. This could affect their ability to get a good job or go into further education or whatever it is they want to do as an adult

You can help your child attend regularly by:

making sure they understand the importance of good attendance and punctuality
taking an interest in their education - ask about school work and encourage them to get involved in school activities
discussing any problems they may have at school - inform their teacher or whoever is in charge of attendance at the schools about anything serious
not letting them take time off school for minor ailments - particularly those which would not prevent you from going to work
arranging appointments and outings after school hours, at weekends or during school holidays will help to prevent disruption to your child's education and to the school.

Weekly Attendance - week beginning 2nd October 2023

Our whole school attendance target for this academic year (23/24) is 95.5%

An update from Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, England

We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused some parents to feel less confident with assessing whether their child is well enough to be in school so we have laid out some information which we hope you will find helpful.

It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses. This would include general cold symptoms: a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above.

Follow the link below for further information:

NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance

NSPCC Assemblies

This week we held online assemblies as part of the NSPCC’s Speak out. Stay safe. Programme. Speak out. Stay safe. is a programme for children aged 5-11 which aims to help children understand abuse in all its forms and to recognise the signs of abuse. Children are taught to speak out if they are worried, either to a safe adult or Childline.

This child friendly programme is aligned with the curriculum and consists of age appropriate virtual assemblies and supporting classroom based activities alongside NSPCC volunteer led face to face workshops for children aged 9-11. The content is delivered in an engaging and interactive way with the help of the NSPCC mascot Buddy. If you would like to know more about the Speak out. Stay safe. programme visit

Speak Out Stay Safe

Additional NSPCC resources for families to help keep children safe

The NSPCC have shared some important information below on wider NSPCC resources and support to help keep children safe.

Parent/Carer support

Take a look at information, support, advice and activities from NSPCC for parent and carers.

www.nspcc.org.uk/parents

Activities to extend learning at home

Take part in games and activities at home to help children learn about speaking out and staying safe.

www.nspcc.org.uk/activities

Online Safety Hub

For information on a range of different online safety topics including gaming, social media, sharing images, parental controls and more.

www.nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety

Childline – under 12’s

Childline have an accessible website with advice, support, games and activities. Children can change the language, enlarge text and also listen to the content.

www.childline.org.uk/buddy (5-7)

www.childline.org.uk/kids (7-11)

Talk PANTS with your children

Talk PANTS is a simple conversation to help keep children safe from sexual abuse. From P through to S, each letter of PANTS provides simple but important messages. Download the free resources at www.nspcc.org.uk/pants.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

Mon 9th October - Wellbeing Day

Tues 10th October - Harvest Festival @2pm in church

Wed 11th - Fri 13th October - Y6 Thornbridge Residential

Thurs 12th October - Y5 NSPCC Workshop

Thurs 12th October - Y3 Orienteering

Tues 17th October - Reception - Y6 Parent's Evening 3:30 - 6pm

Tues 17th October - Y3 Wet felting workshop

Wed 18th October - Y1 visit to Centenary Riverside Nature Reserve

Thurs 19th October - Reception - Y6 Parent's Evening 3:30 - 6pm

Autumn Half term – 23rd to 27th October

Monday 30th October – Pupils return to school

Wed 1st November - Y2 visit to The Deep

Tues 7th November - Y4 Viking Workshop

Sat 18th November - Open Morning 9:30 - 12pm

Fri 1st December - Blessing of Advent Wreaths

Friday 22nd December – School finishes at 1:30pm

Christmas Break – 25th December – 5th January

During October, Catholics traditionally pray the Rosary and remember Mary, Mother of God. Our Liturgy Leaders are leading our daily classroom prayers with a decade of the rosary and quiet reflection. Saying the rosary can be an opportunity to slow down, be quiet and focus on God. Repetitive prayer can be a very effective way to centre oneself and it will help the children become comfortable with intercessions to Mary.