Newsletter 16 05/01/24

Happy New Year to you all!

I hope that you had an enjoyable break over the Christmas period and had lots of quality time to spend with your families and friends. 

For 2024, I wish you joy, success and good health as we begin a new calendar year at school, aiming to get better in all that we do. At Sacred Heart, we will continue to strive to follow the example of Jesus, serving and caring for those around us and making the very best of the talents and opportunities that we have been blessed with.

It has been lovely to see the children and staff back together after our break and to see you, our parents, as we rejoin as a community of friends. On the staffing side, we welcome Mrs White who now formally begins as our new SENCo. One of our key aims for the coming year is to ensure that all of our children, including those with learning and developmental challenges, make the best possible progress, supported by school staff and families working in partnership.

2024 has already brought changes to the playground and lunchtimes - and children have been enjoying a wider range of equipment and outdoor areas where they can play together. As the weather improves, the opportunities will get even better, I hope.

In relation to play, I would like to ask for your support in further increasing the range of activities available for our children. I'm sure that many have benefitted from generous gifts at Christmas: if that means that you would now like to relieve yourself of items that the children have grown out of or no longer use (and that may be taking up space in bedrooms, garages or lofts), we would be happy to receive them. For the time being, if you can provide any of the following 'loose parts', we would be very grateful for your donations. Please drop off at the atrium at drop-off or pick-up.

lego  -  trains & tracks  -  toy cars/vehicles  -  dolls/Action Man  -  jigsaws  -  building blocks  -  throwing/target games

God bless,

Mr. Beazeley

8th Jan -  Swimming Lessons (weekly) begin for Mary Mother of God Class
10th Jan - Sports Hall Athletics – 9.00am to 12.30pm selected Years 5 & 6

11th Jan - Sports Hall Athletics – 9.00am to 12.30pm selected Years 3 & 4

15th Jan - Closing date for Reception Class Applications to the Council
17th Jan - Year 6 NCMP checks
18th Jan - Year 3 Stone Age Day (in school hall / pupils in costumes)

18th Jan - SEND Coffee Morning for parents (change of date)
22nd Jan - Closing date for SIF forms to be returned to Sacred Heart for Reception Class

Is your child’s birthday between 01 September 2019 and 31st August 2020? If so they will be starting school in September 2024 and you need to apply online to the Council and also complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) for Sacred Heart school. The closing date for all applications is 15th January 2024. 

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are writing to inform you that due to the increase in the price of whole-sale food and the cost of living crisis, we will now have to increase the cost of snacks on the snack trolley to 30p. 

In addition, to maintain the healthy status of the school, the snack trolley will now only stock ‘healthy snacks’. For example, a variety of fruit, vegetables and yoghurt drinks.

Thank you

We would like to remind all our families using breakfast club of the importance of booking in advance.  We have noticed an increase of children not booking in advance and this effects our staffing ratio.

All bookings must be made at the beginning of each week so we can ensure we have enough staff available.  Priority will be given to children who have booked in advance and those who have not booked may not be able to stay.

If you need assistance making a booking please email annemariedriscoll@sacredheart.southend.sch.uk

We are reminding parents/carers that the school has a strict ‘no earrings’ policy, as we have had a number of children coming to school wearing earrings.

Please can we ask you to ensure that your child adheres to our policy by ensuring that earrings are removed each day before school.  If a child does attend school with earrings, they will be asked to remove the earrings and parents/carers will be contacted.

This policy of ‘no earrings’ is quite clearly written in our school prospectus and website.  Parents/carers are advised on this policy within application materials and reminded regularly through school communications.  The school and its governing body expect parents and carers to adhere to this policy please.

The NHS has produced guidance to help you make a decision as to whether to send your child to school. Please see this at the following link NHS Guidance: Is my child too ill for school?  

If your child has sickness or diarrhea remember that ALL children must remain at home until they have had 48 clear hours after the last bout of illness/symptoms. This Government requirement to prevent the spread of these highly infections illnesses. Please do not send your child back to school too soon, thank you.

A reminder to parents... we are a nut free school, so that means no Nutella/chocolate spread and peanut butter etc. should be bought in to school, including in packed lunches.  This is due to the fact that we have pupils severely allergic to nuts.  Thank you.