Weekly Newsletter

Upcoming Dates

Friday 21st November

• Non-Uniform Day in exchange for tombola prizes. Please take your donations to the hall on Friday morning. 

Wednesday 26th November

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

Friday 28th November

• Cake donations can be brought to school for the fayre

• Theatre group performance in school

• OPAL Stay and Play (Rearranged) 

Saturday 29th November

• PSA Christmas Fayre, 11am - 2pm

Tuesday 2nd December

• Reception Christmas Crafts in the hall, 9am

Wednesday 3rd December

• Year 6 Christmas Performance in Bath

• PSA Christmas Wreath Workshop, 7pm - 9pm

Friday 5th December

• Dress as an Animal - Pupil Voice fundraising day

Thursday 11th December

• Nursery Christmas singing and crafts, 2pm

Sunday 14th December

• PSJ Churches Together Christmas Carol Service, held at PSJ School

Tuesday 16th December

• Reception Nativity, 9:15am

• Year 1 & 2 Christmas Performance, 10:30am

• Year 4 Christmas Coffee and Carols, 2:15pm

Wednesday 17th December

• Reception Nativity, 9:15am

• Year 5 Christmas Coffee and Carols, 2:15pm

Thursday 18th December

• Year 1 & 2 Christmas Performance, 9:15am

• Year 3 Christmas Coffee and Carols, 2:15pm

Friday 19th December

• Last Day of Term 2

Monday 5th January

• INSET Day

Tuesday 6th January

• Term 3 starts for children

Message from Mrs Noall

Last week our children embraced the school's value of empathy through a range of activities across the week starting with Odd Socks Day on Monday.

🌼On Monday morning we were visited by Sandy a Guide Dog Ambassador and his handler Sarah who taught us all about how to help and understand people with vision impairments. 

🌼 On Monday afternoon the children went into vertical groups to complete activities with children from their House but from different year group - it was wonderful to see how supportive and kind our older children were with our younger ones. 

🌼On Tuesday, Rev. Matthew Street led the school in a very reflective Remembrance Service. 

🌼 On Wednesday some children were able to take part in wheelchair basketball with Nova Sports.

🌼 And as if that wasn't enough, during every afternoon, children across the school completed art and craft activities that explored the themes of anti-bullying, empathy and emotions.

Well done everyone!

News and Events

Let's celebrate some sporting success!

This week children in KS2 attended a number of sporting events.

On Tuesday Mrs Dando took a group of Year 5 and 6 girls to Norton Hill for a football tournament. The girls had never played together before but they did not let that stop them. they made their way to quarter finals and sadly lost out on penalties following a hard fought nil-nil draw. We are very proud of the girls and hoping to start a girls' football club next term - watch this space.

On Wednesday Mrs Dando took a large group f year 4 and 5 pupils to downside school for a cross country competition. Every single one of our runners completed the 1.2km course and we are very proud of their resilience and determination. 

We had some individual and group successes:

Emilia Lily Hector won Silver in the Year 5 girls' race. 

Matvii Zubko won Silver and Felix Bakker won Bronze in the year 5 boys' race. 

As a team we came 1st place (out of 12 schools) in the Year 4 boys' and Year 5 girls' races and 3rd overall for Year 5 boys.

On Thursday evening, Mr Lucy took two teams to the MSN School Sports Football tournament at Somervale School. 

Both teams played really well and even played each other in their first game. 

One of the teams finished top of their group and went through to the semi-finals where they beat St Nicholas 4-0. This put them in the final against St. Vigor's. 

After a closely fought contest, the boys sadly lost 2-1 but both teams should still be very proud of the way they played and represented our school. Well done! 

Pupil Voice Fundraiser

Our Pupil Voice team is comprised of representatives from every class. They meet regularly to make decisions about and for their peers. They have voted to raise funds this year for Bath Cats and Dogs Home. They are inviting everyone to come to school dressed as an animal on Friday 5th December for a £1 donation.

Dress as an Animal Day

• Friday 5th December 

• You can wear anything animal related such as a full costume, an animal print t-shirt or a pair of ears! 

• There will be a small prize for one lucky person in each class, chosen by the pupil voice candidates. 

• Please bring in a £1 donation if you dress up! 

Thank you 😀

Reminders

Christmas Dinner

We now have details of PSJ's Christmas Dinner menu which will take place on Wednesday 17th December.  We hope every child possible will want to join in with our seasonal celebration that day.  For this, you will need to pre-book via School Grid by 10.00 pm on Thursday 11th December.  If you haven't yet activated your child's School Grid meal account because they usually have a packed lunch, we have arranged for log in details to be re-sent to you by the end of this week.

Polite reminder - School Grid not Arbor is used for our PSJ's school meals.  The weekly booking deadline is 10.00 pm every Thursday for the following school week.

Class News

Find out what we have been up to on our class pages and on Face Book. There are lots of updates on the website, including Year 3 making papyrus and mummifying bananas, the Eco Team campaign to save energy and a very muddy forest school session. 

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

Would you like to help your child understand their worries and fears and learn how you can support them?  I am hoping to run a 6 week workshop for parents and carers with the Mental Health Support Team next term.  If you are interested please let me know either by emailing me at pfsa@peasedown.mnsp.org.uk  or calling the office, Catherine Parent, Family Support Advisor.  

EYFS Updates

PSJ BITESIZE Second Challenge - GROSS MOTOR SKILLS ACTIVITY

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT - GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

In order to be able to write, children need to be able to coordinate both sides of their bodies together, with one hand holding the paper, while the other manipulates the pen. This ability to coordinate the two sides of your body, while doing different things with each side, is known as ‘bilateral integration’. It allows us to perform activities such as tying knots, or kicking a football. 

Children also need to learn how to ‘cross the midline’ – to be able to control their movements across the centre point of the body. Crossing the midline refers to moving the body (hand/arm/foot/leg across an imaginary line that runs vertically down the centre of the body to the other side (and vice versa). It also includes twisting the body in rotation around this imaginary line, as well as leaning the upper or body across the middle of the body. These skills will enable children to write without changing the pen over to their other hand midway through a line. (Teach Early Years, 2024)

Challenge 

Do the Macarena with D J Raphi https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dj+raphi+the+macarena&safe=active&ssui=on#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:97d691d7,vid:6LIkX0U6f5k,st:0 

Draw An Infinity Circle: Draw an infinity loop for your child  to trace over again and again. Try with different coloured pencils or chalks. The paper or chalkboard needs to be at child height against a wall so they can stand to draw.

Do the Dusting Or Clean the Table Give your child a cloth or duster to help with the cleaning.

FUN FACT FOR PARENTS

The human hand, including the wrist, contains 54 bones. More than half your bones are in your hands and feet. The fingertips are even more sensitive than the human eyes.

UPDATES

RECEPTION PARENT FINE MOTOR SKILLS WORKSHOP - Monday 17th November @ 9.00am. Come and join us in the main hall  with your child to learn about how we develop fine motor skills and pencil grip. Please speak to a member of the team to sign up for a space.

RECEPTION PARENT CHRISTMAS CRAFT WORKSHOP - Tuesday 2nd December @ 9.00am. Come and join us in the main hall for Christmas creative activities with your child. Please speak to a member of the team to sign up for a space.

OPAL and Forest School Updates

OPAL Stay and Play - now being held on Friday 28th November.

Evo Sports at PSJ

This week in after school club we focused on anti-bullying week. The children discussed what makes a good friend and what to do if they had either been bullied themselves or if they notice someone else being bullied.  

Also, in Evo After School club, we celebrated Children in Need by creating and decorating our own Pudsey Bears, which one is your favourite?  

PSA Updates

This Friday is non school uniform day and in exchange for this we ask for a Tombola prize for the school's Christmas fayre.

Tombola donations should primarily consist of new or in good condition unwanted gifts that people would be happy to win. Popular and versatile items are ideal for ensuring the stall appeals to a wide audience. 

Some examples would be 

• Bottles: A very popular option, often forming a dedicated "bottle tombola". Acceptable items include wine, spirits, beer, soft drinks, luxury juices, bubble bath, hand cream, and shampoo.

• Food and Drink: Chocolates, boxes of sweets, biscuits and tinned goods are always a hit.

• Toiletries and Cosmetics: Unopened gift sets, individual toiletries like soap, hand creams, face masks, nail polish, and perfumes are very suitable. Items for both men and women should be accepted.

• Toys and Games: New or good-quality, clean, board games, puzzles, and small items like matchbox cars or craft supplies.

• Household & General Goods: This can include candles, ornaments, mugs, new socks or scarves, and gardening items like gloves and seed packets.

• Stationery and Books: New pencils, crayons, notebooks, adult and children's colouring books, and puzzle books are useful items.

• Gift Vouchers: Vouchers for local shops, cafes or restaurants. 

Volunteers from the PSA will be in the main hall Friday morning to receive your donations. 

Community News and Events