Grazebrook Primary School Bulletin
17th December 2024
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Message from Mrs Beecroft
Message from Mrs Beecroft
It's definitely starting to feel a lot like Christmas at Grazebrook! Last week marked the beginning of the end of a fantastic term, with our Winter Fair, pantomimes, Christmas lunch and the first of our festive musical showcases. This week, the school has been full of singing and musicianship as the KS1 and KS2 children have been rehearsing for their shows. We are really proud of the KS2 children, who have put themselves forward to perform solos, duets and trios, and are looking forward to hearing and seeing their amazing talents later this week.
A reminder that school finishes at 2pm on Friday 20th December and opens again on Monday 6th January at 8.55am with breakfast club from 8.00am. Bookings for Spring After School Clubs open tomorrow, Wednesday 18th December at 8pm, with clubs beginning from Monday 13th of January. Further information regarding the Spring Club Offer can be found here. If you require any assistance, please contact our Extended Schools Leader, Nina, at ncorrea@newwavefederation.co.uk or call 0208 802 4051. Our Space and Wraparound Care will be open from Monday 6th January. Please remember to book your slot in advance via MCAS should you require this provision. A reminder that the school, including the school office, will be closed over the festive period.
For those that like to get ahead, curriculum information for the spring term will be uploaded onto the Early Years, KS1 and KS2 sections of the school website by the end of this week. Curriculum letters with key dates will then be shared during the first week back.
Finally, the Grazebrook Team would like to wish all our children and families a restful and joyous holiday and to those families who will be celebrating, we wish you a Happy Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and look forward to seeing you all again in 2025!
Final Autumn 2 Key Dates
Final Autumn 2 Key Dates
18/12 KS1 and KS2 Festive Musical Showcases: Year 1 @ 9.30am; Year 2 @ 10am; Year 3 @ 11am; Year 4 @ 11.50am; Year 5 @ 1.45pm; Year 6 @ 2.30pm
19/12 Year 6 Ice Skating sessions at Lee Valley Ice Centre
19/12 Last Day of Our Space and Early Years After School Care
20/12 Last Day of Breakfast Club
20/12 Last Day of Autumn Term – children finish at 2pm
06/01 First Day of Spring Term – children back to school at 8.55am
PSA Winter Fair
PSA Winter Fair
Our Winter Fair was a wonderful celebration filled with festive family fun, arts, crafts, games and delicious food and treats. The afternoon provided us with the opportunity to come together as a community while raising funds that will continue to enhance the experiences of every child at Grazebrook.
A huge thank you to all the families and staff who helped to organise the event, decorated the school, ran stalls, donated goods, prizes and food, took part in the raffle, bought Christmas trees, designed cards and joined us on the day. The event and the other festive fundraising raised over £7,000 which will go towards ensuring all the children continue to experience a wide range of trips, activities and resources, including ASpace support.
If the PSA have notified you by email that you have won a raffle prize, these are available to collect from the school office this week.
Pantomimes
Pantomimes
Last Tuesday, Early Years were visited by The Greediest Christmas Elf. The children loved their in-school pantomime and being able to join in by helping Elf on stage.
While the Nursery and Reception children were enjoying their pantomime at school, KS1 and KS2 went on an adventure to Hackney Empire to watch Dick Whittington. The children were fantastic Grazebrook ambassadors and fully participated in every aspect of the show – singing, laughing, clapping and dancing together.
Thank you to all the parent/carer volunteers who joined us on the day and helped to keep us safe and happy. Thank you also to everyone who has fundraised for the PSA this year. Your generosity brought the magic to Grazebrook once again.
Festive Musical Showcases
Festive Musical Showcases
We were incredibly impressed by Nursery and Reception at their Festive Musical Showcases last week. The children showed amazing collaboration, focus and creativity whether they were singing, dancing, telling jokes or sharing their learning with us. We were really proud of their confidence and their professional attitude while performing together. Thank you to all the families who were able to join us and celebrate with the children.
The KS1 and KS2 children can't wait to welcome you to their showcases on Wednesday 18th December. A reminder of the timings can be found below:
Year 1 @ 9.30am Year 2 @ 10am
Year 3 @ 11am Year 4 @ 11.50am
Year 5 @ 1.45pm Year 6 @ 2.30pm
Christmas Lunch
Christmas Lunch
On Friday, the children were treated to a delicious Christmas lunch, thoughtfully prepared, cooked and served by Mr Ben Cook and our catering team, including some of the chefs from Woodberry Down and Thomas Fairchild. The children loved tucking into their festive food and sharing crackers (and jokes!) with each other. They especially enjoyed their Christmas cupcakes and gingerbread biscuits. Many thanks to all the staff who helped set up the tables and serve the juice throughout the three sittings.
Year 4's Roman Day
Year 4's Roman Day
It's been all about the Romans in Year 4 this half term. During their Roman Day, the children learnt about the life of a Roman soldier. They particularly liked being archers and practising making a testudo, or 'tortoise' – a formation of soldiers who would hold their shields above their heads and out to the front and sides to protect them (like a tortoise's shell) as they marched forwards to attack the enemy.
If you are interested in finding out more about Roman London, the Mithraeum (Temple of Mithras), in the City of London, is a fascinating relic of Roman life, which is free to visit. Over the holidays, they are celebrating the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia with crafts and artefact handling. More information and the booking link can be found here.
Year 5's Viking Invasion
Year 5's Viking Invasion
As part of their history learning, Year 5 spent a day with a Viking. They learnt who the Vikings were, completed a myth busting quiz, played Viking board games and got to handle a range of weaponry! The children particularly enjoyed learning to play Fox and Geese, an Icelandic game invented during the Viking era. Here are some instructions for how to make and play the game if you would like to have a go at home.
We were very impressed by how much knowledge the children have accrued this half term, which they shared with their families with confidence during their Learning Celebration Assembly. A huge thank you to all the families who attended and for your collaboration, creating some excellent costumes and home learning projects.
This half term, the children read Odd and the Frost Giants, a Viking legend. If you are looking for a festive treat over the holiday, the stage adaptation of the tale is currently on at The Unicorn Theatre (near London Bridge) until the 31st of December. Click here for more information.
Reception News
Reception News
During their recent Fledglings workshops run by Hackney Music Service, the Reception children used body percussion, singing and movement to perform together. We were really impressed by their collaboration and how engaged and creative they were during the sessions. The Reception adults have also been wowed by the amazing writing of all the children. We particularly loved their drawings and descriptions of their favourite toys.
Rights Respecting School
Rights Respecting School
As you may be aware, the London Mayor has secured funding for local authority schools in the capital to become Unicef Rights Respecting Schools. In Rights Respecting Schools, children's rights are promoted and realised, and adults and children work together towards this goal. There are four key areas of impact for children: wellbeing, participation, relationships and self-esteem. The aim is for children to be happier, healthier, safer and to be actively involved in school life. We feel that this fits really well with our Grazebrook values and curriculum, so we will be starting our journey to become a Rights Respecting School in the new year.
Key Contacts
Key Contacts
If you have any queries regarding your child's learning, the first point of contact is your child's class teacher. You can speak to them at the end of the day or contact our school office to arrange a phone call or face-to-face meeting. At times, you may wish to contact the member of staff in charge of your child's year group. At Grazebrook, these are:
Nursery and Reception: Ms Kelly O'Callaghan (EYFS Leader)
Year 1 and Year 2 and SENCo: Ms Caireann Conlon (Assistant Headteacher)
From January 6th, Ms Alex Stockbridge (Assistant Headteacher)
Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6: Ms Simone Bunbury (Deputy Headteacher)
All email queries, including those for the attention of a class teacher or school leader, should be sent to gboffice@newwavefederation.co.uk in the first instance with the addressee and/or topic in the subject line. These will be forwarded to the relevant member of staff.
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