Castle Hill Primary School

Mr Martin's Message

Dear Parents and friends of CHPS,

Please find below a video from Mr Martin.

HAPPY EASTER!

Mr Martin and The CHPS Team

• The year 6 Leavers Hoodies (non-PP) online link is now LIVE - please use https://wintechsports.com/chps/ to order directly. Make sure you choose the correct size and add DEVFREE (free delivery) when checking out (see images below)

• There will be new lunch menus after the Easter holidays. A picnic option will replace jacket potatoes. To view the new menus visit - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/parents/school-meals

• HC3S will be changing their name, look and logo over the coming months. They will now be known as HCC Education Catering Services

• Keep an eye out for the new look and feel CHPS website! The launch will be after the Easter holidays

• HCC is recruiting to find a new crossing patrol at Rooksdown. The vacancy can be found via the following link and School Crossing Patrol - Park Prewett, Basingstoke.
  For the current job vacancies visit - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/job-vacancies

• To ensure that we meet the Department of Education's new minimum expectation of a 32.5-hour school week from September 2024 the school day will end at 3:15 pm - Change to the length of the school day 

• School Hardship Fund - We do understand that within our school community, some families are struggling financially. We would like to make you aware that we have access to some funding for certain situations to help those in need. We use the mufti-day donations and other school events to keep our school hardship fund topped up. If you would like to talk privately to a member of our team, please email admin@chjs.net. If you would still like to contribute you can make an online donation via ScoPay.

What has Been happening in School?

Eco Champions Planting @ Rooksdown

World Book Day @ CHPS - raising £257 in donations

Young Carers Assembly

Easter Egg Hunts

Greenbank Book Nook

At Greenbank, we are thrilled to announce the completion of our brand new book nook, a project envisioned in our Outdoor Strategy Plan led by Hampshire Principal Landscape Architect, Catherine Eldred, in collaboration with our dedicated staff.

Made possible by a remarkable £1,150 raised through school Fundraising Friends efforts, this cozy reading haven is sure to spark a love of literature in our students.

The magic extends beyond the financial contributions. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our incredible staff and amazing parent volunteers who transformed the space with their artistic talents. From captivating book illustrations to whimsical toadstool tables, they've breathed life into the book nook, creating a truly enchanting environment.

The book nook wouldn't be complete without its treasure trove of stories. We are deeply grateful to our fantastic school community for your generous donations, ensuring a diverse and captivating selection of books for our students to explore.

We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone involved: families, friends, and carers who participate in our fundraising events. Your unwavering support has made this dream a reality for our students. This peaceful haven will provide a space for them to relax, embark on literary adventures, and get lost in the magic of a good book during break times. 

We would like to thank Kat, Catherine, Alex M, Cara, Margarida, Sarah, Tony, Kellyann, Amy, Naomi, and Alex S for making the book nook into a magical place with all their hard work to get it ready for the opening. Yulia A for her amazing artwork and for dedicating her time.  Also thank you to Mo (our ex-Governor) for officially opening both Book Nooks.

Rooksdown Book Nook

The Book Nook idea came from our Outdoor Strategy Plan with Catherine Eldred and the staff . Fundraising Friends kindly donated £1100 towards it.

Julie (a grandparent) has very kindly been volunteering to get all the books set up, organising it and made some signs and she will be listening to readers in it after Easter. A parent of a Year 5 pupil also kindly made the cushions with all of the reading quotes on. The site team helped with repainting and laying down the artificial grass and a thank you to parents and staff for the book donations. 

Attendance Updates

Our target for this year is 96% or over, and last year’s attendance was 95.2%. 

Our current percentage is 95.2%. Well done!

The classes with the best attendance this half term are:

Rooksdown

KS1 – Year 2 Miss Hopkins  = 97.4%

KS2 – Year 4 Miss Chennells = 97.7%

Greenbank

Year  Mrs Vickery  = 98.5%

Here is a useful link to the NHS website which might help you decide if your child is too ill for school - 

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Sports Reports & Team Photos

KS1 Football Tournament

Year 2 were invited to take part in a KS1 Football Tournament. 

The team played so incredibly well and showed great sportsmanship even when they lost some games. The teamwork and determination shone through, they supported and encouraged each other throughout every game!  All children played in different positions and nearly every child scored! 

Well done to Archie, Liam, Louie, Aarav, Rio, Maia,Yassi, Cece & Mia! 

You should be really proud of yourself!  Miss Gill thoroughly enjoyed taking you and you represented the school so well.

GB Girls Football

Castle Hill girls topped their league and then were victorious against Oakley in the 1/4 finals to progress to the semi final stage. The girls lost in a penalty shootout to Park View who were the eventual champions. In the third place game, the girls were brilliant to win the 3rd place medals. Congratulations girls on a fantastic season!

The Year 3 and 4 girls played in a football festival last month with 11 other schools. The festival was a big hit as all of our young footballers had an amazing time!

Holiday Camps / Clubs

MAGNA Easter HAF Holiday Camp - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-03-13-magna-easter-haf-camps-2024

MAGNA Easter Holiday Club - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-03-13-magna-easter-camp-hatch-warren-infants

SCL Easter Holiday Club - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-03-05-scl-easter-camp-rooksdown

ISIS Easter Holiday Club - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-03-25-isis-free-easter-holiday-sessions

GOL! Easter Holiday Club - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-03-04-gol-easter-camp

TetraBrazil Easter Holiday Club - https://www.castlehillprimary.net/news/2024-03-14-multi-sports-easter-camps-greenbank

In other News.....

Fundraising Friends NEWS!

eSafety

With the Easter break coming up, if we have any 'April showers' then no doubt some children will be inside playing video games.

As children immerse themselves in the captivating world of online gaming, parents should understand the potential risks and take proactive steps to protect them. Here’s a concise guide to help you navigate the digital landscape and keep your young gamers safe:

Understanding the Risks:

1. Age-Inappropriate Games:

   • Children may encounter games with violent, profane, or sexual content. Interacting with much older gamers can also be a concern.

   • Tip: Check game content and age ratings. Use resources like askaboutgames.com to assess suitability. Consider playing the game with your child to understand its content and features.

2. Privacy and Personal Details:

   • Online gaming platforms often allow communication channels. Children may unknowingly share personal information.

   • Tip: Teach your child about privacy settings. Discuss the importance of not revealing personal details to strangers.

3. Cyberbullying and Grooming:

   • Communication within games can lead to cyberbullying or being contacted by unknown individuals.

   • Tip: Monitor chat functions. Encourage open conversations with your child about their gaming experiences.

4. In-Game Purchases:

   • Some games offer in-app purchases, which can lead to unexpected charges.

   • Tip: Set spending limits or disable in-app purchases altogether.

Tips for Keeping Children Safe:

1. Check the Game’s Content:

   • Understand the game’s age rating and content. Look for sex, violence, gambling, or other elements.

   • Tip: Always check age ratings before allowing your child to play or download a game.

2. Communication Channels:

   • Be aware of chat functions. Some games allow private messaging.

   • Tip: Turn off or limit chat features if necessary. Discuss safe communication practices with your child.

3. Regular Conversations:

   • Talk to your child about their gaming experiences. Understand their interactions and any concerns.

   • Tip: Stay informed and address any issues promptly.

4. Family Agreement:

   • Create guidelines together. Discuss screen time, appropriate games, and safety rules.

   • Tip: Involve your child in setting boundaries.

Remember, online gaming can be both entertaining and educational, but parental guidance is essential. Stay involved, stay informed, and ensure your child’s gaming experience remains positive and secure! 🎮🌟

For more advice on topics like parental controls and game ratings visit askaboutgames.com and use FamilyGamingDatabase to find appropriate games including video games and board games. 

Trips & Workshops

We have been planning some exciting trips and workshops across all year groups this academic year. These trips are planned to complement and reinforce learning on key curriculum topics. We are aware of the financial challenges that everyone is facing at the moment and so to help with budgeting have set an annual maximum figure of £40 per child, and where possible lower than this. 

Trip amounts are calculated assuming that every child takes part and makes a contribution to ensure we have raised sufficient funds. Please note, that should there be insufficient voluntary contributions the school reserves the right to cancel or postpone the trip or workshop. 

We hope that this is helpful for your financial planning. We are looking forward to some exciting experiences. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries. 

Homefield House - Care Home Visit

We went to the local care home to celebrate the work of Rosie, the Activity Champion at Homefield House. 

Over a period of time, Rosie has noted some of the residents' thoughts, feelings and memories about different things in their lives, before piecing them together to create the poems in the book - ‘My Internal Reality - Dementia Voices’.

Our children each read out one of these poems and they were sensational.  So many comments were made about how smart our children are, how remarkable their reading is and how their punctuation was amazing. 

Rosie was overcome with emotion at hearing our children read the work that she has worked collaboratively with the patients on. It was a pleasure to take them and I was immensely proud. 

The Mayor and Mayoress were also blown away by our children and their performance. They spent time chatting with the children afterwards, which was just lovely. 

Our School