Weekly Newsletter

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday 1st October

• Rainbow Group meeting at The Hive, 9am - 10am

• Y5/6 Cross Country 3.30pm

Monday 6th October

• PSJ Stay and Play begins (For nursery age children) 8.30am

Tuesday 7th October

• Year 1 Harvest @ The Methodist Church @ 9:30am

• Year 2 Harvest @ The Methodist Church @ 10:30am

Wednesday 8th October

• Year 3, 4, 5 Harvest @ St John's Church, @ 1:30pm

• Year 6 trip to Parliament

Friday 10th October

• Reception and pre-school Harvest in the school hall, @ 10am

Monday 20th October

• PSA Disco for Reception, 5pm - 6pm

• PSA Disco for Years 3 & 4, 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Wednesday 22nd October

• PSA Disco for Years 1 & 2, 5pm - 6pm

• PSA Disco for Years 5 & 6, 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Thursday 23rd October

• Year 3 trip to Bristol Museum

Friday 24th October

• INSET Day - no school for pupils

Tuesday 4th November

• Parent-Teacher Pupil Progress Meetings

Wednesday 5th November

• Flu vaccinations

• Parent-Teacher Pupil Progress Meetings

Friday 21st November

• Non-Uniform Day in exchange for tombola prizes

Wednesday 26th November

• Rainbow Group meeting at The Hive, 9am - 10am

Saturday 29th November

• PSA Christmas Fayre, 11am - 2pm

Wednesday 3rd December

• PSA Christmas Wreath Workshop, 7pm - 9pm

Message from Mrs Noall

Our PSA Needs You!

Please make sure to read the PSA update further down this newsletter. They need new members, specifically a new chair and secretary. Without these positions filled we might not have a PSA going forward.

Gardening Project

We’re excited to announce our new whole-school gardening project that will transform our outdoor spaces into ones that support local wildlife, enable children and staff to develop skills in gardening and managing habitats and allow Thrive and nurture sessions to take place outdoors in nature. 

What’s Happened So Far:

• Over the summer, Mrs Buckle kindly began renovating the courtyard to become a wildflower garden. This involved digging out old beds and removing old/dead plants and rubbish/items.
  
  

• A brand-new polytunnel has been installed next to our forest school area. The tunnel has been purchased thanks to funding from the Peasedown Community Grants Scheme of £500 and the hard work of the Peasedown Community Gardeners who were in in last week putting it up.

What’s Next:

We’re applying for a National Education Nature Park Grant, which, if we are successful, should help us develop a sensory trail, buy equipment, plants and seeds and a shed. We’re also in touch with Avon Wildlife Trust who we hope will help us to map the site and identify local species living in our grounds.

Over time our children will use some science lessons learning how to to garden; giving children practical skills, a deeper understanding of wildlife and a voice in shaping our outdoor learning spaces so that they benefit our local area, wildlife and wellbeing.

News and Events

Harvest 2025

We are looking forward to celebrating Harvest with you in our various services next week. This year we are once again asking for donations of toiletries for The Nest Project. The Nest Project is a local charity who support families experiencing hardship by providing free clothing, equipment and essentials for 0-5 year olds. Vix Blyth from the project visited us in assembly this morning explaining what the charity do and how we can help this harvest time. We have been asked specifically to help by donating toiletries. Donations can be brought to school any day next week.

• Baby or children’s body wash, shampoo or bubble bath 

• Sensitive baby wipes 

• Nappies in sizes 3-7 

• Toothbrushes for children aged 0-5 years 

• Toothpaste for children aged 0-5 years 

• Nappy cream/sudocrem 

Reminders

Uniform

Can you please check that skirts and shorts are an approprate length for school. We have an increasing number of children wearing very short, tube skirts and, on PE day, extremely short shorts. 

Parking

Please do not park on the yellow lines outside school when dropping off your children to school.

Class News

Find out what we have been up to on our class pages and on Face Book. So far this term we have held two school trips, installed a new polytunnel, attended a multi-sports festival, enjoyed forest school and settled into lots of exciting learning topics. Check out this news on our School news page.

Home Learning

The button below will take you to this week's home learning for every year group. Home learning is designed to enable children to practice skills they will need in school and so it is really important that they spend some time over the week on this home learning. 

PFSA Updates

Second hand uniform

Do you have any uniform that no longer fits but could be given a second chance in a new home? If so, we are happy to take it from you and add it to our second hand uniform supplies.

Do you need some new uniform? Please contact Catherine if you need to look at our second hand uniform supplies, or come along to rummage at our parent progress meetings in November.

EYFS Updates

PSJ BITESIZE First challenge - Learn Mary Had A Little lamb off by heart

Traditional nursery rhymes are a valuable part of language development in early years, providing the repetition required to develop the neural networks associated with language processing.

If a child knows eight or more traditional nursery rhymes off by heart by the age of 4, they are more likely to be one of the best at reading and spelling in their class by the age of 8!

Children who regularly engage with traditional nursery rhymes have a more extensive vocabulary and are better at expressing themselves verbally.

Mary Had A Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. 

Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went. Mary went. Mary went. 

And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day.

 It followed her to school one day, which was against the rule.

It made the children laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play. 

It made the children laugh and play to see the lamb at school. 

FUN FACT FOR PARENTS

What is the story behind Mary had a little lamb?

It is believed to have originated in the early 1800s, involving a girl named Mary Sawyer. After finding a sickly young sheep in her family's Massachusetts farm, she not only nursed it back to life — but saw it lovingly follow her every step!

USEFUL LINK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/articles/zhwdgwx  BBC Radio - Nursery Rhymes

UPDATES

RECEPTION AND NURSERY PRESCHOOL HARVEST FESTIVAL - Friday 10th October @ 10.00am in the main hall.

RECEPTION PARENT PHONICS WORKSHOPS - Monday 13th October or Friday 17th October @ 9.00am Please speak to your child’s class teacher to book a slot for these workshops.

RECEPTION HALLOWEEN DISCO  - Monday 20th October @ 5.00pm-6.00pm in the main hall.

OPAL and Forest School Updates

Check out this week's forest school post:

https://www.psjprimary.co.uk/forest-school-year-1-week-2/

Evo Sports at PSJ

This week at ASC was recycling. We created models using ‘junk’ which children have brought in. We turned glass jars and tins into abstract pen pots an beautiful lamps. We also enjoyed the sunshine and playing Disney themed name that tune. 

Evo Sports at PSJ

Evo Sports have had a fantastic week with the children doing a range of sports and activities. 

We’ve had:

Football in Year 3

Jumping and leaping in Year 1

Hockey in Year 6 

We have also elected our Sports Captains who will have important roles at our school over the next year. Well done! 

PSA Updates

Please help!

For the PSA to continue after the Christmas fayre, we need volunteers to be Chair and Secretary to replace those whose children are moving on from the school. 

After many years, both the chair and secretary positions must be filled urgently. We would make sure that the new post holders had a good handover after their election at the AGM on the 29th November. We would also welcome at least one new trustee for the PSA committee. All parents/carers with a child at the school and school staff are eligible for nomination.

Please register nominations on the PSA email address psjprimary.psa@gmail.com  by 21st November so that candidates can be included in the election at 10.30am in the school hall on the day of the Christmas Fayre 29th November 2025.

Community News and Events

Agility All-Stars – celebrating 1 year in Midsomer Norton!

Our family-run football programme for children aged 18 months to 7 years is proud to be part of the local community. We run fun indoor sessions every Saturday at The Somer Centre, Midsomer Norton, and every Sunday at Two Rivers School, Keynsham.

To mark our first anniversary, we’re offering free taster sessions plus 50% off the registration fee for new joiners—making it the perfect time to start!

Agility All-Stars focuses on building confidence, teamwork and a love of sport, with age-specific groups and friendly, qualified coaches.

�� Book a free taster today: www.agility-all-stars.co.uk

�� 07920046538 

�� agilityallstars1@gmail.com

Come and see why so many local families have joined our growing All-Star community!

#agility_allstars