Dear parents,

Welcome back to a new school year! It's been a wonderful start, and I'm thrilled to see all of our children settling in so well. A special mention goes to our youngest learners who have started in Nursery—what a joy it has been to see them meet our resident chickens for the first time! Our Reception children have also made a fantastic start, quickly finding their feet and diving into their learning journeys.

It was lovely to see Nursery, Reception, and Year 1 parents at the picnic last Saturday. It was a perfect way to kick off the year.   Keep an eye out for more events throughout the year—we’d love to see you all there!

A quick reminder that the GPPSA AGM is on Monday 30 September at 7pm, and I hope to see many of you there, click here to let us know you'll be coming. Your support and involvement make such a difference to our school. 

Looking ahead, we have Learning Conversations on Thursday 24 October, which will be an opportunity to meet your child's class teacher. Appointment slots will be available to book on Arbor next week. 

Exciting news for children in Year 1 and Year 4—they will be receiving their new Chromebooks in the next few weeks!  You should have received a letter this morning about voluntary donations. We greatly appreciate any contributions to help support the various enrichment opportunities we offer the children. Please log onto Arbor - School Shop - Voluntary donations to school in order to make a donation.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Please see below for key dates and important information about the term ahead.

With my very best wishes,

Tijen Hassan

Headteacher 

Please click here to view term dates for 2024 - 2025

We’ve had a busy summer on the allotments. We harvested beans, courgettes, cucumbers, carrots, sweetcorn, chilli peppers and aubergines. Some we gave to the Bounds Green Food Bank - they asked us to thank all the little farmers who helped grow them. The Pantry’s head chef Carolyn used the sweet golden tomatoes and the aubergines to make meals for the children. The lunchtime gardening club also did a great job helping with the weeding and collecting seeds for spring. By the allotments, there’s a new noticeboard with news of what we are doing with the vegetables, as well as upcoming events and details about how parents can donate and volunteer. Volunteers are always welcome. Join us at the allotments on Friday mornings, after drop-off, from 9-10am.

This half term, we are focusing on courage as our school’s character trait. Courage is more than just bravery in challenging situations; it’s about being able to face fears, make hard choices, and stand up for what’s right. It’s also about developing resilience when things don’t go as planned.

We introduced the character trait courage, through the story ‘When You Are Brave’ by Pat Zietlow Miller, an empowering story about a young girl who faces a daunting challenge and learns to find courage within herself.

Here at school, we are encouraging children to step out of their comfort zones—whether it’s trying something new in lessons, asking questions even when they feel unsure, or standing up for themselves or others in challenging situations.

How Can You Support Your Child in Developing Courage at Home?

1. Encourage Positive Risk-Taking: Let your child try new activities, even if they’re unsure at first. Whether it’s a new hobby or a tricky maths problem, guide them through the process and celebrate the effort, not just the result.

2. Model Courage: Share stories of your own experiences when you’ve had to be courageous, such as tackling a new job or speaking up about something important. 

3. Talk About Emotions: Sometimes children feel scared or anxious about trying new things. Encourage open conversations about feelings and remind them it’s okay to feel nervous. 

4. Praise Effort and Perseverance: Celebrate when your child takes a brave step, no matter how small. It might be raising their hand in class, trying out for a team, or making a new friend. Praise their effort and remind them that every courageous act helps them grow stronger.

Read Books That Feature Courage: Reading stories about characters who show courage can inspire children to do the same. Books like The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright or After the Fall by Dan Santat are great starting points for younger children.

We are planning on providing a holiday club during the October half term from Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November 2024. The cost of the holiday club will be £27.50 per day and the timings will be 8:30 am- 6:00pm. Children will need to bring their own snacks and a packed lunch. Booking for the holiday club is now live on Arbor. The deadline for bookings is 4pm, Friday 18th October. Since there are limited spaces, payment is expected upon booking. This will ensure that your space is secured.  You can also pay via taxfree childcare or childcare vouchers through your employer.   For any other enquiries, contact Extend at extend@grangeparkprimary.org.

Did you know you could hire the school for clubs or for a one off event?   We have classrooms of varying sizes and halls within the school that can be used in the evenings after 4.30pm and on a Saturday until 2pm for clubs or children's parties. If you are interested in hiring a space please contact lettings@grangeparkprimary.org with details of your proposed club or event. We will then confirm cost and availability.

Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts last year!  We raised approximately £22,000 towards the development of the Farm, the PA system and updates to the playground equipment. Thank you all so much for all of your support. 

We are now in the new school year and will be holding our AGM on Monday the 30 September at 7pm in the round hall.  Please click here to let us know you're coming.  We are currently looking for new Chairs, a Co-Treasurer and new committee members. Please do come along to vote and show your support, as without these roles filled, the GPPSA cannot continue. 

Our first event of the year was a picnic for nursery through to Year 1 on the 21st September.  The kids had a great time on the inflatables and it was a great opportunity for parents and teachers to come together. Upcoming events over the next couple of months include our first Fireworks Display in collaboration with Merryhills Primary School on the 5th November, which is a sell out!  Please keep your eye out for any limited tickets that may be available for sale in the next month.  We also have some fun Halloween events and discos coming up in October!  Be sure to book your disco tickets as soon as they are released as this event sells out quickly! And don’t forget the Christmas Fayre on 8 December. Thank you again for your continued support and please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to know more about the committee. Our email is gppsa@hotmail.co.uk.

Please also bare in mind the initiatives that are available year round:

• School lotto:  www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/grange-park-primary-school-association 

• Donate page - http://easydonate.org/HTDT007

Our new Nursery class has been settling into life at Grange Park. The children have been busy making new friends, becoming familiar with daily routines, and exploring both their classroom and the wider school community. They even had the chance to greet our friendly chickens!

Reception has had a fantastic first week getting to know their learning environment, meeting new friends and bonding with their adults. Have a look at what they have been getting up to!

Year 2 children took part in the "Kitten Rescue" science workshop, where they explored how different materials can keep a kitten warm. Through hands-on experiments, they tested materials like wool, cotton, and foil, learning about insulation and how it works. The children worked in teams to build the best "warm shelter" for the kitten, developing their problem-solving and teamwork skills.

In Science the children had the opportunity to dissect plants to investigate the different aspects that make a plant. After dissecting, children drew their own version and labelled each part, explaining the function and importance of each part.

Year 4 had a fantastic first week back, diving into the vibrant world of artist Romero Britto! We explored how graffiti, pop art and cubism influenced his art style. 

Inspired by Brittos bold colours and patterns, the children created amazing big cat portraits - tigers, leopards, pumas and jaguars. They learned to draw a big cat’s face, create eye-catching details and use bright colours to make their artwork stand out. Everyone had fun expressing their creativity. 

Year 5 pupils have been researching information about their class’ planet. They have also been using different art techniques with chalk such as pointillism, cross hatching and blending to create space themed art. 

The Year 6 students kicked off the new school year by creating artwork inspired by their class's chosen artists: Kandinsky, Picasso, and Monet. They explored different artistic techniques to bring their creations to life, experimenting with Kandinsky's abstract forms, Picasso's bold cubist shapes, and Monet's delicate impressionist brushstrokes. Alongside their practical art projects, the students also delved into the lives and works of these famous artists, conducting research and writing detailed biographies that captured their unique styles and contributions to the world of art.