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Please pass on the details of our OPEN DAYS for September 2024 new starters....

Stars of the Week

Well done to the following children for being recognised for doing something brilliant this fortnight......

Reception Rainbow    Alberto   George S

Year 1 Red                    Liam       Cody

Year 2 Orange              Connor   Charlie    

Year 3 Yellow                Amaya     Liam H

Year 4 Green                 James Zaynab

Year 5 Indigo                 Mia Rose  Dixie               

Year 6 Violet               Ariana  Matthew 

Well done to these children for scoring the highest Doodle Stars in their class  for the past two weeks!

Year 2 Orange  Willow 435       Freddie 419

Year 3 Yellow      Oscar 333        Ezra 468

Year 4 Green      LuKas 378        Faith 129

Year 5  Indigo    Harrison 677    Zach 222

Year 6 Violet      Katie 114         Katie 206


Harrison in Yr 5 won the Doodle Trophy for top scorer for last week with 677 Doodle stars!!

Year 6 Learning

Year 6 have been working hard in writing lessons to produce some excellent third person narratives, which has been based on 'Goodnight Mister Tom', our class read.  The children are really enjoying the text and making great progress in their use of descriptive vocabulary in their writing.  Presentation is fantastic as well. 

Well done, Year 6!

Rainbows cake sale

What an amazing cake sale! 

Rainbows Class were busy baking and decorating their cakes on Thursday morning. They made chocolate crispy cakes, iced cupcakes, baked brownies and used lots of chocolate to decorate them! Some children even made posters for the sale, which we were very impressed with. The children really did enjoy all the preparation that went into our special event.

Thank you to all the helpers, bakers, donations, and of course the buyers! We hope you all enjoyed your special mid-week treat. 

We raised... £250! What an amazing total. Thank you!!!

Year 5 Learning

Year 5 have been really busy the past few weeks and so much learning has taken place! During our writing lessons we have been writing a diary entry as the character Rose Blanche and in maths we have been revisiting place value and column addition/subtraction. In our history lessons we have been learning about life during World War 2. We worked together in groups to complete maps of wartime Europe and noticed how quickly occupation changed in just a few years. We had a lot of fun pretending we were evacuees and practising our air raid drills! In Science we have been learning about life cycles and comparing them for example, how is the life cycle of a frog different to the life cycle of a rabbit?

Yesterday we were invited to watch a live webinar all about space! 

Reminder: SPY DAY! Thursday 19th October!


WALK TO SCHOOL MONTH

October is National Walk to School Month. As part of our bid to become an Eco School, the Eco Warriors has chosen three areas to focus on: Transport, Litter and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Their first focus is to promote healthy choices whilst being friendly to the environment so if you are able to walk to school this October this will help us begin our journey. The Eco Warriors will collect the number of walkers each day and the top class will be announced each week in Celebration Assembly. So far Year 4 are in the lead!

Are you eligible for Universal Credit / Pupil Premium Funding?

Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools for pupils who have been registered as being entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years. Schools receive this funding to support their eligible pupils and narrow the attainment gap between them and their peers.  


If you are unsure if you qualify, complete the form and return it to Byfleet Primary and we will work with Surrey to check your eligibility.


Other Pupil Premiums are available to the school if parents or guardians meet the criteria. 

Free School Meals can be provided to pupils if parents/guardians meet the eligibility.

We urge you to complete this form even if your child does not take a school meal.

For any queries, please contact the school office via info@byfleet.surrey.sch.uk.

Children's Commissioner

Our country's Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel De Souza, has launched 'The Big Ambition' survey, where she is gathering views of our children, before the General Election takes place.


She wants to hear from children and young people about their schools, communities, family life, and the wider world. I am also asking what they want for their future, their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. 


This survey is for all children and young people aged 0 to 18. Children aged 6 to 18 can complete the survey themselves. For those who may need additional support or for children under six parents  and other adults can complete the survey on their behalf.


 www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigambition  

Governor Vacancy

Want to make a difference to your child's school and support the local community?

Byfleet Primary is actively seeking to recruit one School Governor.

Volunteering as a governor is a great way to contribute to your community and use your existing skills and experience to improve th lives of local children. It's also a great opportunity for you to acquire new skills. Governing bodies rely on a variety of experiences and perspectives and no prior knoledge of schools or education i reuired. Training is available for new governors and is provided free of charge.

A governor's term of office runs for 4 years and the average time commitment is approximately 10 hours per year which includes attending meetings, background reading and school visits. Meets are held 5pm - 7pm although this may vary from time to time. Governors are epected to attend all meetings. 

If you are interested in becoming a Parent Governor and work alongside the Headteacher and existing Governors, please complete the Google nomination form here. 

Little Wandle Phonics 

It's been an exciting time for our Reception children because they now take home a Little Wandle reading book! I had the pleasure of watching a phonics and reading practice lesson last week and it was lovely to see the enthusiasm the children have for reading. Well done Rainbows!


Reading diary

Please remember to sign your child's reading diary when they have read to you. We keep a log of how many times children have read at home to ensure they can receive their bronze, silver and gold awards. 


Resources

If you would like to purchase the Little Wandle flashcards, they can be ordered through Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Wandle-Phonics-Flashcards-Reception/dp/000856373X/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_1/258-8039616-5184137?pd_rd_w=yGL9b&content-id=amzn1.sym.40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_p=40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_r=VZE1JQAQGPKFK92C9N9F&pd_rd_wg=qbrKl&pd_rd_r=03092e03-3ff0-444e-89e6-20a6502655a0&pd_rd_i=000856373X&psc=1  


Please continue to read this part of the newsletter as it will give you information on how you can support your child at home. Here is the  link to the parents page on the Little Wandle website.  https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/ 

Mrs Sherlock

OCTOBER's READING CHALLENGE 

Each month we are going to be running a reading challenge! October's bingo grid has been added to your child's reading diary. Please encourage them to complete as many activities as possible during the month of October! This month's reading bingo has a spooky theme to it!

READING FOR PLEASURE 

"Reading for pleasure gives children the opportunity to use their imagination to explore new ideas, visit new places and meet new characters. Interestingly, reading for pleasure also improves children's well-being and empathy. It helps them to understand their own identity, and gives them an insight into the world and the views of others." -Oxford Owl

If your child enjoys reading Horrid Henry, here are some other books, written by other authors, which they may like to read. 

we all love reading at byfleet!

We are always encouraging our children to dive into a good book and develop a love of reading. Did you know that the adults at Byfleet also enjoy reading!

This week, Penelope in Year 5 has interviewed Mrs Cosentino all about her love of reading!

What book are you currently reading? 

A thriller book.

What is your favourite book of all time?

A series of books called the 'Millenium' series

What was your favourite book as a child?

Watership Down! I loved fantasy books when I was a child. 

Do you have  a favourite genre?

I love thrillers!

What is your favourite poem?

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Where do you enjoy reading?

Curled up on my sofa!

What book recommendations do you have for children in Reception, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2?

Reception - Julia Donaldson stories are a winner!

KS1 - The Chronicles of Narnia and The Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)

KS2 - The series of 'Unfortunate Events' and Michael Morpurgo. I think the children in KS2 would enjoy 'The Wind in the Willows'

Year 3 Feet First - Road Safety

Year 3 have enjoyed taking part in 'Feet First' this week. The training has helped them gain a better understanding of:

Thank you to the Surrey trainers who came in to help our children develop this valuable life skills to keep them safe on our dangerous roads!

Attendance & Punctuality

Attendance Winners:

It's been a great start to term with very few absences. Our target is 96% and I'm pleased to announce that attendance is currently 96.77%

Our class with the highest attendance for September is Year 2 with 98.85!

We hope you enjoy sitting on the benches during assembly as your reward.

Who will be October's winning class with the highest attendance?

Just to remind parents/carers that if they take their children out of school without authority for 5 or more days (which do not have to be consecutive) , they will be liable to receive a penalty notice.

Currently the amount payable under a penalty notice is £60.00 per parent/carer per child if paid within 21 days. Thereafter the amount increases to £120.00 if paid between 21 and 28 days. If the penalty notice remains unpaid after 28 days, the Local Authority will consider a prosecution in the Magistrates Court. Please note that penalty notices are issued per parent/carer per child so a family of two parents and two children will receive 4 penalty notices.

Please view our Attendance Policy here for further information.

Inclusion

Each term we hold an 'Inclusion Coffee Morning', it is a chance to meet the Inclusion Lead (Mrs Sharkey-Yun), talk to other parents and find out more about Inclusion. 

This term's coffee morning will be on Thursday October 12th.  At this coffee morning I will  share information about the layers of support on offer at Byfleet, including information about our universal offer, the targetted additional interventions we run at Byfleet and external specialist support and referrals.  This will include talking about the academic and well-being support we offer to all children. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Inclusion Coffee Morning:

DATE: Thursday 12th October 2023

Location: School Hall

Time: 8.45am 

Dyslexia Awareness 

At Byfleet we learn about diversity, including thinking about neurodiversity; the unique way people's brains work. We held an assembly this week focusing on 'Dyslexia'. We learned how indivduals with dyslexia are often highly creative, curious and great at problem solving. Some children were keen to share examples of someone they knew who had dyslexia and had some of these amazing abilities. We also talked about how people with dyslexia may find some things more challenging such as remembering facts, sequencing and aspects of literacy.  It was a great refelction celebrating what makes us all 'uniquely you' (this year's dyslexia awareness week theme). 

For some useful guidance and information please look at the Bristish Dyslexia Association website. 

The 'Nessy' website also has free books about Dyslexia that you can download (for both parents and children), as well as courses for parents and online programmes (which need a subscription). They are offering some discounts on these for the month of October.  Nessy Resources for Parents.

Dog Safety Assembly

Next Week we will have a 'Dog Safety Assembly' on Monday 9th October.  This will be a dog safety talk helping children understand how to approach dogs and behave around them. During the assembly children will be educated on understanding dog body language and practicing safe interactions with dogs through engaging activities, including the use of large-format photographs and interactive games. We will discuss situations where it may be unsafe to approach a dog, and how to read dogs body signals whilst out and inside of the home.

Parent Volunteers Wanted!

We have a team working on setting up a sensory garden area (Mrs Sharkey-Yun, Mrs Wyatt, Mrs Summers and Mrs Tully). We have started gathering items to use, and in the Autumn term would love to have an afternoon when we have parents come and help us set up this new area. If you think you could give some time to help us please leave your details on this form. Thank you to parents who have already voluntered - we will be in touch soon! 

Donations Wanted for our Sensory Garden!

If you have any plant pots, planters, compost or plants you would be able to donate please speak to one of the sensory garden team (Mrs Sharkey-Yun, Mrs Wyatt, Mrs Summers or Mrs Tully) to let us know. We are very happy that some of our Y6 children have started to help us design the are!

Sensory Items

If you have any good condition but unwanted sensory items at home you would be willing to donate for the sensory area, please bring them to the school office. 


We are looking for items such as wooden block puzzles, playdoh, touch-feel books, large building blocks, and any other highly stimulating sensory items (e.g., that light up, make a noise, have something visual to watch such as bubbles). 


Any support would be appreciated - thank you!

Friends of Byfleet - Christmas Wreath Making workshop

Friends of Byfleet PTA are organising a Christmas Wreath Making Workshop taking place on             Friday 1st December at 7.30pm for £35!  

Book early to avoid disappointment! www.pta-events.co.uk/fbps

LEGO LEGENDS AFTER SCHOOL CLUB AT BPS

Lego Legends runs after school clubs at Byfleet Primary - if you are interested in enrolling your child, please liaise directly with the company.

ULTIMATE COACHING AFTER SCHOOL CLUB AT BPS

Chertsey museum October Half-Term

Infinity Performers October Workshops 

BPS Guitar and ukulele lessons with mr gillani

If you are interested in your child learning to play an instrument during the school day (Thursday), contact our music teacher, Mr Gillani for more information. 

Barracudas October camp

Class Assemblies 

Class Assemblies for 23/24 will take place on the dates below from  8.55 - 9.20 in the main hall. Please come along and see what your child has been learning about.      

Friday 17th November - Year 6

Friday 1st December - Year 3        Friday 9th February - Year 5

Friday 8th March - Year 2            Friday 22nd March - Year 4

Friday 17th May - Year 1              Friday 21st June - Reception

Diary Dates

New dates in red

To view our 2023/24 term dates, please click here. 

To view our 2024/25 term dates, please click here.