Sarratt School Newsletter
Courage Compassion Creativity
Dear Families,
Merry Christmas!
What a fabulous week filled with lots of smiles and plenty of singing. We started the week with our wonderful Reception and KS1 Twinkly Nativity. Our youngest children were amazing not only learning songs, dances and lines but also mastering Makaton to sign along with all of the songs! I think you will agree, they were all wonderful!
Next we had our KS2 Festival of Seasonal Music which this year took the them to the stars! Mrs Serby and the team incorporated the sacred and the secular in a feast of festive tunes. We have some wonderful voices in our school community and it is so lovely to share and appreciate them.
A huge well done and thank you to all the staff and children, led by Mrs Serby and Mrs Whittaker, for their work and dedication in making this year's performances so special.
Thank you also for all of the support you have shown this festive season and throughout the year. From all of the staff and children, we hope you have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Warmest regards,
Nicola O'Hare
Head Teacher
PS: Check out our Instagram Account for Updates on the School.
A Christmas Treat from Edward!
We had a fabulous final assembly this morning with Edward in Reception wowing us all on the piano playing the festive favourite, Jingle Bells!
After School Club @ Christmas
After School Club had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with crafts and treats! Our next special Winter Themed evening will be on Monday 27th January where the children can get cosy in pjs and snuggle down with a hot chocolate to watch a film. Book now to guarantee your space!
Special Mentions
Barney spent last weekend packing up and selling festive sweets to raise money for Guide Dogs for the blind. He did this at Micklefield Hall on Saturday and Sarratt Village market on Sunday. He has raised over £200 already! Wow - well done, Barney!
Christmas Bauble Competition
Our Core Value Ambassadors were in search of the true meaning of Christmas in our School. They set a challenge for the children to design their own Bauble showing what Christmas means to them. The words that kept popping up time and time again were kindness and family - we couldn't agree more!
Christmas Lunch and Jumper Day!
Another year, another exceptional festive feast from Zoe and Sam!!!
Dates
Fri 20th December 1.30pm School Closes for Christmas
Mon 6th January INSET Day
Tue 7th January INSET Day
Wed 8th January Spring Term Begins
Mon 27th January Winter Themed After School Club
Wk. beg. 17th February Half Term
For all term dates 2024/25, please visit: https://sarratt.herts.sch.uk/news-dates/
Community Support in the Dacorum Area
Please also follow Dacorum DSPL social media pages for the most recent updates:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dspldacorum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dspl_dacorum/
Dear Parents & Carers,
For the 6th year running, Xtra Time Kidz Club will be collaborating with various parties such as Fresh Ego FC, Watford Chambers of Commerce, Watford Football Club, Cadbury’s, McVities, Puma, Xbox, Mkt Global, McDonalds, Wenzels, USM and FedEx are all on board to support families who will struggle without support over the Christmas period and beyond.
We will be donating:
Perishable and non perishable food
Toiletries
Toys
Gifts and so much more.
Last year we supported 500 families - this year we want to support 750 families or more!
This support is for EVERYONE despite religion, ethnicity, age, etc - we want to support as many people as possible! If you need support or If you know anybody who needs support, please complete the form: https://forms.office.com/e/QkZpzUvaKH and choose the 'Unique Identifiers For The Families' choose 'OPTION B.'
If you are interested in volunteering or donating, please get in touch. Let’s make this Christmas special.
Please Forward this message to your contacts to help this campaign reach it's goal!
We wish you all a fantastic week,
From all of the Xtra Time Sports & Childcare Team.
Chruch News
Important Reminders
Hair
Long Hair (below shoulder length) must be tied up for school (i.e. in a ponytail, bun or plait). Any hair decoration must be discrete and in school colours.
Jewellery
Jewellery is limited to a watch and small ear studs only. Earrings must be removed on PE days.
Make-up
Make-up and Nail Varnish are not permitted.
Punctuality
The beginning of the day is an important time in school. Please ensure that children are in school by 8.45am when the gates close.
Snacks and Water
Make sure your child comes to school with a water bottle each day. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are provided with a snack in the morning. Children in KS2 can bring a fruit or vegetable snack to school for playtime.
Medication
If your child needs additional medication, please fill in this form and drop it into the school office.
Request for school to administer medication form
Health and Safety
The climbing frames are out of bounds before and after school. When entering the school via the main gates, please use the path to the side of the carpark. Please park considerately and turn-engines off when dropping off and picking up.
We would like to politely remind all to not walk through the school staff car park at any time. For safety reasons please use the designated side pavement, it is a working car park and can therefore be potentially dangerous
Please do not let children run or play in the school car park.
Uniform
On non-PE days, children must come to school in full uniform including black school shoes or boots (not UGG Boots). On wet/ icy days, children can bring a change of footwear for school if necessary. Please ensure your child has an outdoor jacket everyday. We always aim to have the children outside as much as possible during playtime and lunchtime.
School Shoes
We have noticed an increasing number of children wearing trainers to school. While we do permit shoe style all black trainers as we recognise these can be a more affordable option, we do not permit black trainers such as baseball or running trainers. See images below for clarification.
Online Safety
Online Safety is an important part of keeping children safe from harm.
We have security measures in place in school, which are constantly reviewed, to help safeguard pupils from any potential dangers. Online Safety is taught to all pupils explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online.
We can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we work with you to ensure the e-safety message is consistent. Your help is needed to talk to your children about how they can keep safe and behave appropriately online.
Children are accessing a greater amount of content online, than we were ever exposed to in our childhood. Children can accidently or deliberately be exposed to unwanted or unpleasant content or comments online and there are steps you can take at home to minimise this risk.
The NSPCC provide guidance on how to protect children online for parents including setting controls, talking to your child and how to report concerns.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
Attendance
New Statutory Guidance regarding unauthorised absence and Penalty Notice Fines.
Good attendance starts at primary school - children who have attendance of 97% or above achieve better outcomes in school and have the best opportunities in their adult life.
If your child misses school regularly, this will affect friendships as well as academic outcomes. It can be hard for a child who misses lots of school to form and maintain relationships with their classmates.
Being on time is also vital. Arriving late at school can be very disruptive for your child, their teacher and the other children in the class.
Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
Culture in Three Rivers - what does it mean to you?
You’re invited to have your say in a new online survey, which focusses on local cultural activity and what role it plays within our district.
The insight and views that you share will feed into the creation of a new five-year Cultural Strategy being produced by the council. This will define and celebrate the rich culture of Three Rivers and help to identify any opportunities where cultural activity can be enhanced.
What does the word culture mean to you?
What places do you visit, activities do you take part in and traditions do you cherish in your community? The council are also keen to hear what challenges you might face when taking part in cultural activity locally and across the wider district.
The consultation is now LIVE and you have until the 22nd November to have your say.
Click here to take part in the survey.
Communication
We have always prided ourselves on being an open and approachable school and believe that good communication with our families is important to the success of our school.
Class Whatsapp groups are a valuable platform for parents to share information, particularly for those families who are new to the school and have limited opportunities to interact in the playground. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any area of school life or would like to share important information regarding your child, we would ask you to speak to the school directly. There are very clear channels available for doing this, outlined on the parent information pages of our website. We are always here to listen and will endeavour to address any issues quickly and effectively.
Below is the link to the list of who to contact should you need any information about a specific area of school life. Should you wish to raise any questions or concerns directly regarding your child, the class teacher is always the first point of contact. If you have spoken to the class teacher but feel the issue is not resolved or should you require further information, then please make an appointment to see the Phase Leader – Mrs Whittaker for Reception and KS1 children and Mrs Serby for KS2 children.
Do you have a business you would like to promote to the school community?
Put your advert here for £25 per term
Contact the school office for more details