Learning This Week
This week the children have been enjoying learning about Chinese New Year. They have explored clothing, music, mark making and different crafts. They have even practised for Ms Riches' Chop Stick Challenge in the Home Corner.
Year 1 have been practising their creativity and resilience skills this week as they have been working hard to use the collagraphs they made to print the backgrounds of their street scenes. The children had to be very careful with the rollers and ink to print the designs without smudging them!
Year 2 have had a fantastic week filled with hands-on learning and creative fun! In Science, the children became brilliant investigators, testing materials to see if they could be squashed, bent, twisted or stretched. They made thoughtful predictions, conducted tests, and drew impressive conclusions like true scientists!
In Music, the children explored percussion instruments and mastered the concepts of forte (loud, quick sounds) and piano (soft, gentle sounds). They then created dynamic dragon-themed performances, choosing sounds to match their dragon’s character. The classroom was buzzing with excitement and imagination — Well done, Year 2!
Parent's Evenings
Parent's Evenings will be held in school on Thursday 27th February and Tuesday 4th March. As in November, there will be one x 10 minute appointment available per child, and so separated parents will need to share a meeting, or arrange a second one for another time at the discretion and availability of the class teacher. Green Class & Yellow Class will each see availability for both class teachers - please book one appointment, with one teacher, as any duplicates will be cancelled. Mrs McGillivray's appointments will be on Friday 7th March.
Bookings can be made through Arbor from 12noon on Monday 3rd February.
We would kindly remind you that these appointments are to discuss your child's progress in class, targets they are working towards, and what can be done at home to support this. If there is anything else you need to discuss, this should be arranged at another time with your child's class teacher, who is available all year round to help.
The appointments must be kept to 10 minutes, as going over this impacts the next family booked, as well as potentially knocking on to other class teachers who are due to see the same family. Please do not be offended should a teacher need to end the meeting promptly in order to keep to time - they will have up to 15 families to see each evening. If you are late to your meeting, the teacher will not be able to see you for your full 10 minutes.
Lastly, if you are bringing your child/ren with you, please ensure they do not disrupt school resources (such as the library), or disturb other meetings.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Parent Reminders!
Can we please remind parents again that the playground should not be used after school. This includes the use of bikes and scooters, (which should not be ridden through at any time), and also the use of the climbing equipment. There are signs around the site to this effect, but unfortunately there are still families who are not supporting us with this, which then confuses the children who are trying to follow the rules that have been explained to them in school.
Can we also ask that the children are not allowed to play on the grass, (particularly outside the year 1 classrooms,) as not only do they slip and hurt themselves, they also come in with very muddy shoes!
Before the school day starts, the teachers are busy getting the classrooms ready for learning, so it would also be appreciated if you would encourage your children to not bang on the windows and try to get into the classrooms.
One final reminder is that children should only be bringing in water to drink during the school day. Children have been coming in with squash / juice / flavoured water in their bottles, which teachers will dispose of and refill with tap water. The only exception to this is where we have medical evidence to the support the use of flavourings to increase a child's fluid intake.
Children's Mental Health Week
Resources Needed
Thank you for the donations already received!!
We are looking at having a revamp of some of our communal areas, with a view in particular to improving our SEN provision. If you have any of the following items that you would be able to donate, please drop them into the school office. Thank you in advance for your kindness!
Blankets / throws
Fidget poppers / spinners
Complete puzzles
Smooth pebbles
Bubble wrap
Small trampoline
Pool noodle
Small paddling pool
Old CDs
Fairy lights
Simple board games
A yoga mat
Wear Your SCARF Day
This year's Wear Your SCARF Day will be taking place on Friday 7th February, during Children's Mental Health Week (3-9 February 2025). We're inviting everyone to wear a scarf on this day as a symbol of support for children's mental wellbeing, while celebrating the values of SCARF - Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship. Throughout Children's Mental Health Week we will be providing activities relating to the theme 'Know Yourself, Grow Yourself'.
First Aid for Babies & Children
Global Medical are holding a CPR & Choking in babies and children course at the Botleigh Grange Hotel. All information and a link to book can be found in their website. https://globalmedicaltraining.co.uk/book-online/ola/services/cpr-choking-for-babies-children
Menu Changes
Our current lunch menu is being extended until Easter, with just a few changes coming into effect after half term. Please see the updated menu below. If your child has a dietary need menu, this will be emailed to you next week.
Eastleigh Active Health Programme
FISHES News
90s Disco
Tickets are selling really well for this event, get yours soon to make sure you don't miss out!! Friends and family that are not connected to the school are welcome to attend. Tickets are available via our ticket platform: https://buytickets.at/fishes
Sponsored ParkRun Event
Miss Holmes did a school assembly yesterday about the sponsored run event and explained it to the children.
A paper sponsorship form will be sent home with the children next week, the deadline for the forms and sponsor money to be handed in will be Friday 28th March. Alternatively, you can set up a Just Giving page linked to FISHES via this link: https://www.justgiving.com/freegroundsfishes
If you are going to being taking part please could we ask you to complete the following form so that we can gauge numbers. If you can also answer if you would be able to help marshal the event whilst cheering the children on that would be amazing: https://forms.gle/jJRxhZyoBzBY1fBX7
Easter Fayre
It is our annual Easter Fayre on Saturday 29th March. More information is to follow but if we are looking for people that would be happy to display a board from White & Guard advertising the event. The board will go up about 2 weeks before the event and in exchange for 20 boards they will be give us a signiant amount of sponsorship money towards the event. To register your address for a board please click the following link https://forms.gle/kiit2fCYdzdktyM86
Nut Free School
We would like to remind parents that we are a nut free school. We have members of both the staff and student community who are anaphylactic to nuts of all varieties. This includes obvious things like hazelnut spread in sandwiches, but also many types of cereal bars and biscuits also contain nuts. Please check the ingredients list of all food items that you send into school.
Year Group Home Learning Newsletters
Attendance This Week
If you are struggling to get your child/ren to school on time each day, please do get in touch so we can try to help.
Blue Class - 99.13% attendance with 2 episodes of lateness
Red Class - 92.69% attendance with 1 episode of lateness
Yellow Class - 92.73% attendance with 0 episodes of lateness
Green Class - 99.62% attendance with 4 episodes of lateness
Orange Class - 97.59% attendance with 5 episodes of lateness
Purple Class - 96.67% attendance with 7 episodes of lateness
Scarlet Class - 97.67% attendance with 6 episodes of lateness
Turquoise Class - 89.67% attendance with 6 episodes of lateness
Attendance Guide for Parents / Carers
What YOU must do:
Try to telephone the school before 8.30am each day of your child’s absence.
Tell the school in advance, of any medical appointments and bring in appointment cards/letters.
If you are not sure whether your child is well enough to attend school, send them in anyway as they often perk up on arrival.
If you and your child are experiencing difficulties with school attendance then talk to us as a first step so we can help!
What WE will do:
Check your child’s attendance every day.
Phone home to discuss your child’s attendance with you.
Invite you into school for attendance meetings if we are concerned.
If we cannot establish a reason for absence, then we may make a welfare home visit.
Dates for Your Diary
Friday 7th February - Wear Your SCARF Day
Thursday 27th February and Tuesday 4th March - Parent's Evenings
Thursday 6th March - World Book Day
Friday 7th March - Year 2 to SeaCity Museum
Friday 14th March - EYFS to Longdown Farm
Monday 31st March - Year 1 to Hillier Gardens
FISHES Dates
Friday 28th February - 90's / 00's Disco (Adults)
Friday 21st March - Non Uniform Day for Rainbow Raffle
Sunday 23rd March - Infants takeover of Junior Park Run
Saturday 29th March - Easter Fayre
Tuesday 1st April - Easter Bake Off
Sunday 6th April - Southampton Marathon
Friday 9th May - Quiz Night
Monday 19th May - World Baking Day
Thursday 19th June - Non-Uniform Day
Saturday 28th June - Summer Fayre
Friday 11th July - Disco
INSET Days 2024/2025
Friday 14th February 2025
Friday 20th June 2025
You can view Hampshire term dates at any time here.
Head Teacher Awards
Blue Class - Rupert for Thinking & Creativity, Violet for Thinking
Red Class - Daisy and Lily, both for Creativity & Independence
Yellow Class - Sean for Thinking, Isabel for Resilience
Green Class - Louis for Resilience, Freya for Respect & Creativity
Orange Class - Arthur for Respect, Finley for Thinking
Purple Class - Lucas for Respect, Rhys for Thinking
Scarlet Class - Daisy and Poppy, both for Independence, Thinking & Resilience
Turquoise Class - Martin for Resilience & Independence, Alice for Resilience
HPCN