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Urgently Needed: 6 More Volunteers for the Book Fair!

Time is flying! Our Scholastic Book Fair is arriving next week (18th – 22nd May), and while we are off to a great start, we still need 6 more volunteers to help us after school next week.

A massive thank you to Myriam, Lindsay, Lizzie, and Twyla! We truly appreciate you already stepping up and volunteering your time to support this cause.

Can you help?

We are looking for a few kind volunteers to help run the stall each afternoon.

When: Monday, 18th May – Friday, 22nd May
Time: 3:15pm – 4:00pm

If you have 45 minutes to spare on any of these days, please join the team!

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a love of reading at St Stephen's!

The Power of Predictability: Why Routines Matter at St Stephen's

At St. Stephen’s, we are committed to ensuring our teaching methods are always rooted in the best available educational research.

You may have noticed our focus on clear, consistent routines - from how students line up and enter the building to the specific way we use whiteboards during lessons. These aren't just about 'good behaviour'; they are designed to reduce distractions and help children focus their mental energy on learning.

Why Do Routines Matter?

To help you see the 'why' behind our approach, we wanted to share a fantastic, easy-to-digest resource from Peps Mccrea, a leading expert in educational design.

The Goal: Creating a calm environment where every child feels safe and ready to succeed.
The Research: https://snacks.pepsmccrea.com/p/the-power-of-routines

We hope you find this insight into our classroom 'behind-the-scenes' useful.

Making Quiet Club Even Better: Game Donations Wanted!

Our Quiet Club is a wonderful space for children to enjoy a peaceful break time, and we are currently looking at ways to make this provision even better and would love to refresh our collection of games and activities.

If you are currently clearing out your cupboards, please consider donating any used or unwanted board games, jigsaw puzzles, or activity books that are still in great condition.

What We’re Looking For

To help the children get straight into the fun, we are looking for games that are complete and easy to play independently within a lunchtime session.

Great examples include:

Fun Games that don't take too long to play: Dobble, Uno, Connect 4, or Guess Who.
Traditional Favorites: Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, or Draughts.
Solo Activities: Jigsaw puzzles (around 100 pieces) or "Search and Find" books.

If you have anything suitable, please drop it off at the School Office. Your generosity will go a long way in helping us enhance this calm and creative space for the children!

STARS - Messages

SUMMER 2 SESSIONS - Block-booked STARs Sessions for after Half Term are now loaded and visible to see in ParentPay. Your balance will reflect the new amount owed.
AD HOC SPACES - Ad hoc spaces are now available to book for after half term.
PAYMENTS DUE – All payments are due by Sunday 31st May. Please transfer Childcare Vouchers promptly.
AUTUMN STARS BOOKINGS - STARS bookings for Autumn 2026 will be staying in ParentPay until December 2026. We will share a Google Form with parents on Friday 19th June (after Clubs have launched) to enable parents to sign up to the STARS sessions they need for our next academic year.

Stationery Donations

If you would like to donate towards additional stationery, we have two options:

Please contribute to the ‘Stationery Contribution Pot’ on Parent Pay
Alternatively, we have created an Amazon wishlist with items we need across the school. We would welcome children to bring items into the school office to share with their class.

Trip Payments

Please check ParentPay for upcoming trip payments due, if you haven't already made your payments please do log into ParentPay online:

Trip Payments:

- Year 5 - Black Cultural Archives due 21st March
- Year 1 - Hampton Court Palace due 20th March
- Year 4 - Swimming course

ARE YOU FOLLOWING US?

For regular updates on all the exciting things we are getting up to in school, you'll need to follow us on Instagram @ststephens.cofe

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