I know the news of Mrs and Miss William's absence this year has been hard on the Marden community and I wanted to devote this newsletter to give an update on their progress. I speak with them weekly and members of staff frequently visit and they really have made tremendous progress. One thing is for sure, they have missed being at Marden every day and seeing all the children, staff and parents. I know you will join me in wishing the Williams' well and we look forward to their return.
A Message From Mrs Williams & Miss Williams
Hello to everyone at Marden,
We just wanted to give you a little update of how we are both getting on since our accident. We have been spending the last few weeks recovering at home - simply resting and gently exercising to encourage healing. We enjoy a daily walk together and we are gradually feeling stronger and becoming more mobile. We both really miss working with the children and being involved in all the wonderful learning but we are cheering everyone on from the sidelines! Best wishes to you all, Mrs Williams & Miss Williams
Pokémon GO has been among the world’s most popular mobile games since its spectacular release in 2016. It's recently enjoyed a resurgence, thanks partly to people combining entertainment and exercise during lockdown.
In Pokémon GO – like the Pokémon TV show, trading card series and other video games – players capture, train and battle with their Pokémon creatures: physically exploring locations while using augmented reality via their phone’s screen. The game generally provides a positive experience, but there are still some safety concerns to consider.
In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as environmental hazards, strangers and data collection.
Marden Primary has a subscription with Epic! which allows children to access a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books in school at the click of a button.
Using the class code to access Epic! School for free (whether in the classroom or remotely during distance learning) is permissible Monday - Friday, 7am to 3pm on the days that school is in session.
Class codes can be found in your child's Home Learning Google Classroom.
If you would like children to read for free after 3pm, we would encourage families to use Epic Basic, which can provide 1 free book to read after school. You just need to sign up with a parent email address at getepic.com; no credit card is required.
Office Messages
We would like to begin collecting donations of non-perishable foods and household items for a whole school Harvest table.
The items will be donated to Marden Food Bank, who continue to support our most vulnerable families and the local community. Any donations of food are welcome, but the food items that are particularly useful are: dry pasta/rice, tinned meat products, cooking sauces, tinned vegetables, puddings, tea, coffee, sugar, cereal & longlife milk. Donations of 'Bag for Life' bags are also needed to bag up the food once it has been gathered.
Please could pupils bring in the donations by Friday 8th October and give them to their class teachers.
If there are any parents who could help bag up the food on Monday 11th October after morning drop off, please let the office know. One parent is also needed to drop the food off at the Vestry Hall on Monday between 10.00am-12.00pm. It will require a large car boot as there is usually at least 20 bags of food. Again, please let the office know.
We are noticing an increased level of unhealthy lunchbox choices.
Our catering company are nut free and produce a wide range of well balanced, nutritious meals. Should you wish to provide your child with a packed lunch then we ask that you offer foods with nutritional value and that are also nut free (this is due to the severity of nut allergies.)
There are some great lunch ideas on this website: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes
Please be aware that most chocolate spreads contain nuts.
Please be advised that Braiswick Photographic will be in the academy on Friday 8th October to take individual and sibling photos.
There is nothing you need to do other than making sure your child is in full uniform and looks presentable on that day.
The proofs will be sent home approximately 1-2 weeks later and then you can order and pay online through the photography company. If you would prefer to pay by cash, please return the envelopes to the office by the deadline stated on the proof card.
There may be periods during your child's time at Marden Primary when they require medication of one kind or another. Miss Holness is first aid trained and holds a Certificate In Administering Medication so this is something we can assist with, but we have a clear set of guidelines for administering medication which we ask families to follow.
Medicine can only be administered if a parent or carer has completed the appropriate permission form. Copies are available from the office.
Please ensure medicine is in the original packaging and contains instructions.
Please ensure prescription medicine has the pharmacist label with your child's name , the medicaition and the dosage clearly visible.
Do not send medicines into school for your child to self-administer eg. cough sweets or a pack of paracetamol in their pocket.
Morrisons is giving away FREE gardening equipment to schools! With a MyMorrisons account, collect Grow Tokens when you shop online or in store and donate them to our school.
To take part, join MyMorrisons today and swipe each time you shop to collect Grow Tokens. One token for every £10 you spend between now and Sunday 24th October
For more information visit www.itsgoodtogrow.co.uk.
We are looking for donations of family board games, card games and puzzles for our new quiet area. It is a designated space that children can retreat to when they feel overwhelmed and overloaded by sensory input in their immediate environment or for those who are just simply seeking some quiet solitude at breaktimes/lunchtimes.
We have already provided the children with a small selection of games, some books and colouring activities but we would be grateful for any donations of items you no longer use at home.
Please email Vikki Holness in the office if you can help: office@mardenprimaryacademy.org.uk
RM: Harvey is a wonderful member of our Team. He is always encouraging others to engage in his play and he supports his friends to try their best whatever the activity. We are so proud of you Harvey!
RMC: Imogen has an amazing attitude to her learning. She is always willing to give new things a try and is very quick to help adults and children. Keep it up Imogen, we are very impressed!
1MT: Logan for showing great resilience when he made a mistake. He wasn't afraid to have another go and he clearly had the confidence in himself to do so.
1/2S: Esme for making good choices and always having good ideas to share. Esme is a great thi
2D: Jasper has, over the last few weeks, shown a great attitude towards his work, overcoming adversity and tackling everything head on: well done!
3B: Lacey has had a fantastic attitude to learning this week! She is always ready to learn and is enthusiastic in everything she has done! Well done!
3/4D: Isla has a brilliant attitude towards her learning. She always approaches her work with care and reflects upon her learning to push herself.
4WB: Jacob has really shown a new attitude to his learning this week and proved to himself that good focus is key to being successful - his work has really reflected this in class and I am very proud of him.
5DK: Billy has shown a brilliant attitude since he has moved up to Year 5. He works hard and is always willing to give things a go. Well done Billy.
5/6A: Robbie is an exceptional individual to have in the class. He is always cheerful and dedicated to excelling in his learning. This week he been a risk-taker by exploring a topic which he hasn't looked at before. He has demonstrated his learning during science and inquiry on how to save the world from pollution.
6CK: Scarlett has an excellent learning attitude. Her class contributions have been excellent throughout this term and she continues to grow in confidence in the classroom. She is challenging herself more and more in her learning, working efficiently to produce pieces of work of an excellent standard.
At Marden Primary Academy we want all of our children to attend school every day, as we know that not only will this enable them to achieve their very best academically, but that it also helps them to develop social skills, make friends, and experience a variety of different activities. We would like to say well done to all those children who have been arriving on time and attending school every single day. Letters have gone out to families where a child's attendance is a cause for concern! We would also like to remind parents that under the terms of our attendance policy, penalty fines will be issued to those families who are persistently late or absent from school.
October Half Term Activities
Maidstone Museum
The Hop Farm
Maidstone Museum
Marden Congregational Church
We are so very proud of Jordan this week. He has concentrated in our phonics sessions and he is now beginning to recognise the new sounds we are learning in the environment. Keep it up!
This week, Teddy has demonstrated excellent learning behaviour and he has remained engaged for a lengthy period. Teddy used his knowledge of shape to make a sturdy tower using loose parts. Just brilliant!
RM Class Reminders
As the weather is beginning to cool, please ensure your child has suitable clothing so we can continue to learn outside.
Our home learning challenge will be accessible via Google Classroom from 3pm every Friday - happy learning!
Matthew has been a superstar learning his new sounds this week! He is always so enthusiastic during phonics and tries his very best. He is also beginning to notice the sounds, he has learnt, in our learning environment and is able to recall them with ease. Well done Matthew!
Luke has shown incredible resilience this week. When working with junk modelling, Luke wanted to draw around a shape he had made and then cut it out. Despite finding this a little tricky, Luke kept going until he succeeded! What a fantastic attitude Luke, well done!
RMC Class Reminders
We are noticing an increasing number of toys being brought in from home. Please can you ensure that your child is not bringing in toys to school.
Our home learning challenge will be accessible via Google Classroom from 3pm every Friday - happy learning!
This week Jack has had an improved attitude towards his learning, he completed his family tree independently and was very proud of himself for doing so, keep up the good work Jack!
For his independent writing to share all the things he loves.
1MT Class Reminders
The homework we have seen has been super impressive. Thank you for your support with this. If you are still unsure of your child's @marlearner account details please ask and we will support you so that the children can login to Google Classroom. We have all logged into our Numbots account in class and the children have been given their login details to take home. Again please ask for support if you are unable to find the details.
Olive has worked well this week to produce some fantastic writing when comparing different communities. I have been impressed by how well you listen and are able to apply what you have heard. You are definitely a star learner!
Lewie has worked so hard with his writing this week. He has shown independence and resilience. Lewie has also demonstrated fantastic reading skills. Lewie I am very proud of you. Well done for being a star!
1/2S Class Reminders
The homework we have seen has been super impressive. Thank you for your support with this. If you are still unsure of your child's @marlearner account details please ask and we will support you so that the children can login to Google Classroom. We have all logged into our Numbots account in class and the children have been given their login details to take home. Again please ask for support if you are unable to find the details.
You have done some brilliant work this week Kacey, and I have been so impressed by your positive attitude to all you have faced. Your comparative work on Marden showed how you really think about what you are writing, well done!
It has been great to see you really push yourself this week Joseph, and the impact of this has been evident in your work so well done! I also loved the video and presentation you made for our home learning- it was so creative, what a great job.
2D Class Reminders:
Thank you for your hard work in helping your child read at home. Every read is getting them closer to their target and reward afternoon, so please do continue with your fantastic support. If you would like any help or guidance in supporting your child, please do ask.
I have been so impressed with your hard work this term! You are always willing to share ideas during class discussions, and this is evident in your work. You have produced some great pieces of work and have been an incredible inquirer. Well done!
You have done some brilliant work this week and have shown a positive attitude to learning. Your enthusiasm is fantastic and it has been lovely to see you push yourself in all your learning. Keep it up!
3B Class Reminders
Thank you for your hard work in helping your child read at home. Every read is getting them closer to their target and reward afternoon, so please do continue with your fantastic support. Bookmarks and books need to come in with the children everyday.
Just a reminder that this terms homework is the the 3B home learning google classroom, that all the children have signed up to.
Lisa is a very supportive member of our class. She is confident at helping her friends and communicating with them effectively to achieve group work. She has shown a good understanding of the human digestive system through her group work. Well done Lisa-Marie.
Adam is an inquisitive mathematician . He has shown that he can confidently apply his knowledge of number to solve a range of problems and clearly explain his reasoning. Keep up the hard work Adam.
3/4D Class Reminders
Please sign up to our home learning page in order to complete this terms activities. Ensure you are reading daily and accessing TimesTable Rockstars on a regular basis to support your learning.
Ethan and Lucas were speedy at working out how to create Roman Numerals using straws, they were able to successfully apply their knowledge of number and worked really hard- well done boys!
Emily is always quietly ready and prepared for each lesson, she is always organised with everything she needs and ready to learn which is fantastic. Well done, Emily.
4WB Class Reminders
Remember your reading cards on a Friday! PE kits for Thursday - if you have shin pads then you may bring them in for our hockey match (DO NOT go and buy any.)
During inquiry, we have been exploring the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the effect of this on people's rights and freedoms. Haiden has produced an informative and well-presented piece of work, detailing what he has learnt about how the trade worked.
Alfie has worked hard to explore Roman Numerals up to 1000, using the rules to support his understanding of larger numbers and breaking them down into their place value. He has then applied what he has learnt to problem solving. Well done Alife.
5DK Class Reminders
Please sign up to our home learning page in order to complete this terms activities. Ensure you are reading daily and accessing TimesTable Rockstars on a regular basis to support your learning.
Jana has tried very hard in this weeks inquiry lessons, ensuring she understands the fundamentals of pollution and how to save the world. In all subjects, Jana becomes an inquirer and asks the teacher or her partner for support and guidance when she is stuck. She is also a thinker as she tries to solve a question on her own before asking for support. Keep up the good work Jana.
Harry has joined the school new this term and his interactions with peers and efforts in class should be recognised. He has fit into the class with ease! Harry has been reflective throughout his learning so far and can understand where his mistakes are made. He then takes it upon himself to correct his mistakes. Well done Harry.
5/6A Class Reminders
For those who are isolating, could you please log onto Google classroom where you can find the work that you need to complete. Hopefully you are back in school soon! Can everyone also make sure that they bring in their PE kits on Monday as many of you are forgetting to bring them in which means by Wednesday you do not have your kits. If kits are forgotten then taking part in PE will not be possible. Thank you.
Logan tries exceptionally hard in his learning. Logan is new to our school and has adapted incredibly well, making new friends and gaining confidence every day. This is demonstrated by his work ethic in class - keep it up, Logan!
Leon's maths learning this week has been excellent. He has been very reflective in his learning, identifying and correcting his errors and pushing himself to try questions that will challenge his learning. He has approached tasks with great confidence and independence which is fantastic to see. Well done, Leon!
6CK Class Reminders
A reminder that children require full PE kit each week. This includes a house-coloured t-shirt and trainers. With the weather turning colder and damper, please also pack a rain jacket and jogging bottoms for your child. Jogging bottoms and jumpers should meet the school uniform policy.
Please also play as much Times Table Rockstars at home as possible. We have been multiplying and dividing this week in school and this will support our gaps in times table knowledge.