Newsletter 2 Summer Term

FINAL CALL: Please complete the Parent/Carer Survey

Our survey closes this week on Friday 26th April at 5.00pm and we would like as many voices from parents and carers as possible - it will only take 5 minutes to complete. Thank you for giving us your feedback and helping to make our school even better!

Click here to take the survey and have your voice heard

Congratulations!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Lyra Cascade Hall born on March 22nd.  Please join us in extending warm congratulations to Mr Hall and his family on their newest addition. 

Year 4 Swimming Begins!

This week saw Year 4 visit Ember Court for their first swimming lesson. Each class visits for a lesson in turn and the instructors cater for different levels of swimming ability. With the Kingfisher Swimming closed and Surbiton being on the Thames, swimming is a really important part of pupils' learning at SASM.  We look forward to pupils progressing over the course of term as they are coached to swim independently and practice a range of strokes.

RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) 

All parents and carers were invited to attend a hybrid meeting on Monday to hear our teaching team explain our RSE curriculum. For those unable to attend the meeting, the slides have been cirulated via ParentMail.  

CVP books

It has been wonderful to award another 33 book tokens from the book vending machine this week. The tokens are awarded to pupils who have received 30 Christian Value Points (CVPs). This means that they have shown the values of generosity, perseverance, compassion, thankfulness, forgiveness, truthfulness, courage, trust, friendship, respect, service and justice and peace throughout the year. 

Oracy in Action at Home 

10 Different Things

This week's activity is a game designed for developing and exploring vocabulary.

Choose a familiar location: the park, your bathroom, the train station etc. Every player writes down a list of 10 things that can be found in that location. Once each list is complete, you share your lists. If you get the same item as somebody else, cross it off! Who can create the most unique answers? The more players - the trickier the game!

What will our Student Teachers be teaching this week?

Miss Gardiner (4G) and Mr Matthews (4B)

Hello!  This week, we thought it would be a fun idea to share what we will be teaching through an engaging vocabulary-packed word search.  Pupils in Year 4, and all eager participants, are invited to tackle the challenge. Simply scan the first QR code to access the word search. Once you have completed it, scan the second QR code to find the answers.  We hope you have fun and we can't wait to hear about your vocabulary sleuthing experience!

Team EB - raising funds to find a cure

Kate, Suzy, and the ten other riders in Team EB made it home safely from Paris on Sunday after 274km of cycling and over 15 hours in the saddle!

The team were motivated throughout the challenge by the amazing support of friends and family, as well as the hundreds of people who made donations online (now over 800!) We have raised almost £40,000 so far - an astonishing amount! Every penny will go towards funding vital research into life-changing treatments and a cure for EB. 

Kate and the team have all been deeply touched by everyone's generosity including the kindness of strangers that we met in cafés, petrol stations and ferry terminals en route. 

Our heartfelt thanks go to all the parents, carers, teachers and staff from the SASM community who have contributed. We simply couldn't have done it without you.

To find out more about EB and why it is such an horrendous condition to live with, or to donate to the cause, please visit Team EB - raising funds to find a cure! 

Parenting Course for 4-11 year olds 

The ADHD Embrace Team are running a new 6 week parenting course (8th May - 19th June); Maximising Cooperation, Self Reliance and Self Esteem.  Please click here for further details and to book a place. 

CAMHS Autism and ADHD screening/assessment process: information for parents and carers 

Videos have been developed by Kingston and Richmond CAMHS Single Point of Access (SPA) and Your Healthcare. 

The aim is to increase parent/carer understanding and confidence around the local pathway to seeking a diagnostic assessment for Autism and/or ADHD within CAMHS. 

These information videos are aimed at parents and carers of young people who are registered with GPs in Kingston and Richmond.

You can view the all the videos and associated content on the Kingston and Richmond SEND Local Offer

Parking outside SASM

If you are driving to drop your children off or pick them up from school, please park considerately on the surrounding roads.  Please don't park over driveways or over the zig zag lines. This helps keep everyone safe.

We have received reports from local residents of dangerous parking and verbal unkindness from some parents and carers. Please help us to be a positive part of our local community. Whilst the school is not responsible for enforcing street parking, we have advised our local community to report all instances of poor parking or behaviour to the police.

Attendance reminder: being late to school

Punctuality is an important life skill that is required in order to achieve and to succeed. Children must be in school by 8.45am each day. Children who arrive after that time but before the end of registration must come into the building via the main office, where they will be coded as late (this appears as an 'L code' on the register). Children will be marked late if they arrive at school after the gates have closed but before 8:55am, when the registers have been taken. 

If a pupil arrives after 8:55am, the register is closed and attendance after this time is considered to be an unauthorised absence and is recorded as a 'U code', which shows as a 'X' on the SIMS Parent App.

The school gates will be shut by 8.45am. Persistent lateness will be monitored by the school and may be reported to the E.W.O. (Education Welfare Officer) after the school’s initial interventions.

No toys in school, please!

We would like to remind parents and carers that pupils are not permitted to bring their own toys or collectables into school. Not only do toys provide a distraction from pupils' learning, there is a potential for personal items to be misplaced. Please be aware that any lost toys, collectible cards or other play items are beyond the responsibility of the school.

Time for summer uniform

As the summer term begins, pupils may now wear summer uniform. This includes a polo shirt, summer dress and shorts for PE (as shown in the picture) and should continue to be worn until the end of the October half term.

Please also ensure your child wears smart black shoes on non-PE days. If your child is not in school with the correct uniform they may be giving alternatives from our newly-new stock. 

Jewellery

Children can wear watches to school but the wearing of jewellery and earrings of all types is not permitted on safety grounds.  Any child wearing earrings to school will be asked to remove them.  If they are unable to remove them they will be required to stay inside during break and lunch times and will not be able to participate in any PE or physical activities. 

Smart Watches

Fitness trackers without smart watch capability are permitted but St Andrew’s and St Mark’s accept no responsibility for the loss or damage of these items. Smart watches , including iWatches- are not permitted due to their messaging capabilities. 

Lost Property

Please remember to label your child’s uniform, lunch box and water bottle.  All named lost property will be returned to your child by the next school day.  Unlabelled property will be kept for one week only in the school office.