Newsletter
12th May 2023
Principal's Message:
We have come to the end of a very busy week indeed. Our Year 6 pupils have worked extraordinarily hard on their SATs assessments and I am sure enjoyed their well deserved treat of a McDonald's this afternoon. We are incredibly proud of them all as this year's assessments were particularly challenging, especially the reading paper, but they all took it in their stride.
Uniform
As part of our continued commitment to support our families in the current cost of living crisis, we have further been reviewing the academy uniform and specifically how we can reduce the financial burden it may cause without losing our unique sense of identity. Brigade have worked patiently with us until we have found the best solution.
Currently boys and girls wear teal and tango knitted jumpers and cardigans. We are well aware of the supply issues that have come with these and also the variation in colours that have happened over the years. Considering the cost of these items, which are sourced as cheaply as possible, they are arguably still quite expensive for our families. We have, therefore, decided to transition from knitwear to a sweatshirt material. There are many advantages to this, with the primary benefit being that the cost of a jumper/cardigan will be reduced by half. I will write to you again in the coming weeks with further information about how we will gradually move over to the new-style uniform.
I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Miss Brading
Office Reminders:
Walk to School Week
A reminder that next week is Walk to School Week, a national challenge that is perfect for your child to take part in as part of National Walking Month this May. Throughout Walk to School Week, children will have the opportunity to earn a sticker or certificate as they get well on their way to reaching the recommended 60 minutes minimum of physical activity per day before they even reach the school gates!
If you do not live locally, your child can still take part. Why not leave your car close by, whilst parking respectfully for local residents, and walk the rest of the way to school?
Each morning, your child's class teacher will ask the class who has walked to school that day. At the end of the week, all pupils that have walked to school on three or four days will be awarded a sticker. Pupils that walk to school every day next week will earn a certificate in recognition of their efforts.
Please encourage your child to take part where at all possible in support of National Walk to School Week.
Special Request
Our Reception class team are asking for donations of clean, recyclable rubbish for an upcoming junk modelling session. Please can this be in school by Wednesday 17th May. After this date, the children will be building their wonderful creations and so no further recyclable materials will be required.
The team would also be grateful for any clean glass jars with all labels removed. These are needed by the end of term.
Thank you in advance for anything you are able to provide in support of both projects.
Contacting the class teachers:
If you have concerns that you would like to raise with the academy, please do so via the office email address which is contactus@langleyparkprimaryacademy.org.uk. Upon receipt, your email will be directed to the relevant member(s) of staff.
We respectfully ask that you address any concerns or issues with your child's class teacher in the first instance. If it remains unresolved then your concern will then be escalated to Mrs McRobb, Vice Principal. In the unlikely event that it continues to remain unresolved, it will be escalated to Miss Brading at that point.
We are also aware that some parents continue to email staff directly. In the event that this happens, staff have been asked to forward your email to the aforementioned email address to resume communication via the correct channels.
Whole School Attendance:
95.46%
Weekly Class Attendance Award:
Braeburn & Kanzi
100%
Key Dates:
Monday 15th May Start of Walk to School Week
Monday 15th May Nursery Walk to Aldi and Costa (all week)
Wednesday 17th May Swimming for Years 5 and 6 (selected pupils only)
Wednesday 17th May A-Life Health and Wellbeing Workshops - EYFS, Years 1 and 2
Thursday 18th May A-Life Health and Wellbeing Workshops - Years 3, 4, 5 and 6
Friday 19th May Alcohol and Drug Awareness Workshop - Year 5 and 6
Monday 22nd May PYP Workshop/Mini Exhibitions, 2.30pm - Years 1 and 2
Tuesday 23rd May PYP Workshop/Mini Exhibitions, 2.30pm - EYFS, Years 3 and 4
Wednesday 24th May Swimming for Years 5 and 6 (selected pupils only)
Wednesday 24th May PYP Workshop/Mini Exhibitions, 2.30pm - Nursery, Years 5 and 6
Thursday 25th May Reception Trip to Leeds Castle
Friday 26th May Last day of Term 5
Please note that these are confirmed dates but should we need to change any due to unforeseen circumstances, we will communicate this with you with as much notice as possible.
National Online Safety Guide
Wearable devices are becoming increasingly popular. More than 170 million smartwatches were sold globally in 2022, for example, with Apple biting off the largest chunk of the market with 26% of sales. This is partly because Apple have more than 21,000 apps available for their devices, allowing users to customise their smartwatch experience. In second place for sales are Samsung, with 9%!
Both Apple and Samsung's products, of course, lean towards the higher spec end of the market - usually with price tags to match. Sourcing a less expensive alternative, however, often means inferior safety features to protect young wearers. That is just one of the potential hazards highlighted in the guide below in relation to smartwatches, as well as tips on a number of potential risks such as location tracking, causing distractions at school and the danger of theft.
