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Principal's Welcome
Principal's Welcome
Dear Parents/Carers,
What a busy but truly wonderful term it has been. It has been a pleasure to share the Christmas festivities with you and to see every pupil given the opportunity to shine. As always, the quality of acting, singing and dancing in our Christmas performances has been remarkable. Our pupils showed confidence, creativity and teamwork, making us all incredibly proud.
A huge thank you must go to our PTA for their continued hard work in organising the discos and the Christmas Fair. The fair itself had such a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and it was lovely to see so many families enjoying the event together. An impressive amount of money was raised, which will be reinvested directly back into opportunities and experiences for our pupils.
Looking ahead to next term, we will welcome back the PYP Authorisation Team in January for our re-evaluation visit. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our curriculum, our learning environment and the IB Learner Profile attributes that we truly live and breathe every day. It is a chance to demonstrate how we are developing internationally minded young people who are working together to create a better world.
Alongside our strong academic curriculum, we continue to place great emphasis on character development through Hartley’s Big Adventures. This term has seen an incredible range of trips, visitors, sporting successes and extracurricular opportunities that our pupils have embraced with enthusiasm and pride.
As we now turn our attention to spending time with family and friends, we encourage everyone to pause and reflect on the true spirit of Christmas.
In moments shared and kindness shown,
In warmth of hearts and care outgrown,
May peace be found in all you do,
And hope walk gently into the New Year too.
Wishing all our HPA families a peaceful Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Best wishes,
Mr Mitchell
Principal
Hartley Sports News
I am also delighted to share this term's edition of Hartley Sports News which has been created by our amazing PE Team. This is a review of all the sporting opportunities that have taken place in Term 2. It’s an inspirational way to celebrate our sports teams and highlight the incredible opportunities available at HPA.
A huge thank you to all the staff who give up their time to help our bright stars shine, and to the pupils for providing us with so many nail-biting moments. Read on to find out more…
Dates for the Diary
(Please note these are subject to change but we will inform you as soon as possible if this is necessary)
Monday 5th January - Staff Development Day
Tuesday 6th January - Start of Module 3
Friday 9th January - Year 4 swimming sessions start
Monday 12th January - First week of Clubs
Wednesday 14th January - Academic Review Day
Thursday 22nd January - Y6 Trip to the RAF Museum/Parent Coffee Morning 8:50 am
Thursday 29th January - Y3 Horniman Museum
Monday 9th February - Last week of Clubs
Wednesday 11th February - Open Classrooms
Thursday 12th February- Last Day of Module 3. Normal time finish.
Friday 13th February- Staff Development Day
The PYP at LAH- how we link learning to the World of Work!
We have been extremely fortunate this term to have welcomed a number of visitors to talk to the children about their careers and what their work entails. As the children progress through the school, it is crucial that they understand the importance of their learning and begin to recognise how the skills and knowledge they are developing will help them in adult life. We are so grateful to you all for giving up your time to inspire our children- a huge thank you!
Mrs Patel visited Year 4 to talk to us about dentistry, linking it to our Science learning on the digestive system. We learnt about what a dentist does, the qualifications needed to become one, and why looking after our teeth is so important for our health. Mrs Patel reminded us to brush our teeth twice a day for two minutes to keep them strong and healthy.
Year 4 were also delighted to welcome a local archaeologist into school, who brought in a range of artefacts to help us learn more about our local history. The children were fascinated by the objects and especially enjoyed examining the intricate details on the pottery, which helped bring the past to life.
Year 2 were visited by Mrs Robinson, who brought in her Braille machine and talked to the children about how she supports pupils who are visually impaired. This linked closely to our unit of learning about communication and helped the children understand the different ways people read, write and share information.
Year 3 welcomed Mr Hughes, a local archaeologist, who brought in a range of artefacts to help bring the Stone Age to life. The children loved handling the objects and imagining what life was like in the past. As part of their provocation, Year 3 also took part in a Stone Age Day, which included making Stonehenge models from clay, an animal hunt, and Stone Age–themed maths activities.
If you would like to visit us and tell us about your world of work, please contact Mrs Smith!
Hartley's Big Adventures!
Lullingstone: A big hit with Year 5
Year 5 students at Leigh Academy Hartley embarked on an adventurous and interactive day to kick-start their latest learning inquiry. The day was designed to help pupils understand how systems connect and work together to achieve goals, while also developing essential teamwork and communication skills.
The day began with a series of engaging communication games, challenging pupils to collaborate effectively and problem-solve as a team. These activities encouraged students to think critically about how clear communication and cooperation can make a significant impact when working towards shared objectives.
One of the highlights of the day was a hands-on cooking session. This activity not only focused on practical skills but also emphasised the importance of following instructions and working efficiently within a group.
Next, pupils ventured into the great outdoors, where they had the opportunity to build dens and explore the natural beauty of the local country park.
In November, both Reception classes enjoyed taking a walk to visit the War Memorial. On their walks, they looked for signs of Autumn and observed road safety. Once at the War Memorial, the children enjoyed seeing the Memorial close up as well as looking at the lovely display of the poppies.
Year 1 visited Fairby Grange Care Home to spread some festive cheer, giving out Christmas cards and singing festive songs to the residents. The children also continued their French learning with Mme Rendell and proudly sang in the end-of-term assembly, showcasing their confidence and teamwork.
🎄Festive Fun!🎄
Elf Day
Elf Day
On Elf Day, we all dress up in something red, green, stripey or related to elves. We raise the money for the Alzheimer’s Society, which is a charity that supports dementia sufferers and their families. Thank you to everyone who donated to this brilliant cause!
A Festive Feast!
A Festive Feast!
On 10th December, we had a traditional Christmas dinner with roast turkey, roast potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, gravy and pigs in blankets. (We got some lovely cupcakes for dessert as well!) On this special occasion, everyone brought in some Christmas crackers to pull and make a bang! We also wore Christmas jumpers on the day of the feast. At Hartley, we celebrate Christmas like it is Christmas day and enjoy fun with our year group. As well as a Christmas dinner, we came in wearing Christmas jumpers. These jolly jumpers made for a cheerful day for everyone!
Performances Bring Festive Cheer!
The festive season came alive at Leigh Academy Hartley as pupils from across the school delivered a series of delightful performances to celebrate Christmas. The events brought the school community together in a wonderful display of talent, teamwork, and holiday spirit. Ms Bayliss and her choir also visited Darent Valley Hospital and entertained everyone with their festive tunes!
Our Nursery and Reception pupils melted hearts with both of their charming performances. They sang, danced, and acted beautifully, demonstrating their growing confidence and creativity. It was a magical moment for parents and teachers alike, who were immensely proud of their achievements.
Our talented KS2 children entertained us all with their Christmas Extravaganzas, which welcomed parents to enjoy four unforgettable events of singing and dancing. The older pupils delivered a spectacular showcase of talent of singing, dancing and acting.
Our KS1 pupils truly wowed us with their sensational singing, dancing and acting, all performed with incredible energy and enthusiasm. There was not a spare seat in the house as families gathered to enjoy this wonderful retelling of the Christmas story.
PTA News
We are very lucky to have a fabulous PTA who work tirelessly to raise money for our school, holding events such as the Christmas fair, discos, summer fair and so much more!
Christmas Market Never Fails to Disappoint!
As expected, our Christmas Market was a giant success! It took place in the school hall on Saturday 6th December. We had many fun things to do including: Santa's grotto, elves' workshop, a raffle, a live band, a tombola and many other carnival-like games. There was even an awe-dropping performance from our school choir. All of the money raised will go towards our school; The Christmas Fair made a profit £4504. Thank you to the PTA team for organising this amazing event.
It has also been a term to celebrate the amazing creativity of our young artists. We had a number of pupils entering the LAT Christmas Card Competition, showcasing exceptional talent and skill. Congratulations to Katie in Year 6 who was chosen not only as Leigh Academy Hartley's winning entry, but the overall LAT Primary winner too! In addition, we recognised outstanding contributions in Hartley’s Termly Art Competition, where pupils impressed us with their imaginative and inspiring entries in the style of Sam Cox, AKA Mr Doodle! Congratulations to Lucia in Year 2 and George in Year 5 who were chosen as KS1 & KS2 winners- and a big thank you to everyone who submitted their artwork.
It has also been a term to celebrate the amazing creativity of our young artists. We had a number of pupils entering the LAT Christmas Card Competition, showcasing exceptional talent and skill. Congratulations to Katie in Year 6 who was chosen not only as Leigh Academy Hartley's winning entry, but the overall LAT Primary winner too! In addition, we recognised outstanding contributions in Hartley’s Termly Art Competition, where pupils impressed us with their imaginative and inspiring entries in the style of Sam Cox, AKA Mr Doodle! Congratulations to Lucia in Year 2 and George in Year 5 who were chosen as KS1 & KS2 winners- and a big thank you to everyone who submitted their artwork.
Our Accelerated Reader Winner was awarded to Lillie in Year 3 who demonstrated outstanding determination and a love for reading by meeting their target with over 85% accuracy in their quizzes. A huge well done to all pupils who worked hard to reach their goals and showed a genuine passion for reading. A special mention for Redwood Class who achieved the most certificates this term! As we look ahead to Term 3, we encourage all our pupils using Accelerated Reader to aim high and achieve their targets!
Our Accelerated Reader Winner was awarded to Lillie in Year 3 who demonstrated outstanding determination and a love for reading by meeting their target with over 85% accuracy in their quizzes. A huge well done to all pupils who worked hard to reach their goals and showed a genuine passion for reading. A special mention for Redwood Class who achieved the most certificates this term! As we look ahead to Term 3, we encourage all our pupils using Accelerated Reader to aim high and achieve their targets!
Attendance Term 2
Please have a look at our Attendance Policy to make sure you are aware of our procedures regarding lateness and unauthorised absences.
We have a number of classes who have done really well with their attendance, as you can see below:
Term 2 attendance data:
Well done to Chestnut and Beech for achieving a fantastic 97.8% attendance this term.
Congratulations to Silver Birch, Maple and Elm, for achieving over 97% attendance!
Year to date attendance data:
Wellbeing Resources
Here are some links to helpful resources from Place2Be, to help you and your family:
Wellbeing resources for families
Helping your child prepare for Primary School
Helping your child prepare for Secondary School
Parenting Smart - advice on dealing with a range of challenges as a parent
Free School Meals
If your child is under 19 and in full-time education, you may be able to get free school meals for them if you receive certain benefits. The quickest and easiest way to check whether your child is eligible for free school meals and to apply is via the KCC website:
https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals
If your child is already registered for free school meals, you do not need to reapply. If you’re not sure whether your child is already registered, please call the school and we can check our records, or you can contact KCC on 03000 416464.
Check out our Facebook Page!
Check out our Facebook Page!
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